Byung was released. In his excitement, he'd failed to tell them everything he'd seen in the cave.
He knew he had to revisit it to confirm what he'd witnessed. If this had all been a test, then returning should be acceptable.
It could have been a hallucination caused by dehydration. But what if it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him?
The goblins hadn't tortured him, but what were those words that had flashed before him? It felt like video game mechanics—a system, to be precise. Maybe it was just exhaustion. He had been working incredibly hard.
"H-Hi..." A timid voice called out.
Byung recognized the goblin—their supervisor was always scolding him.
"Hello...?" Byung looked puzzled. This was the first time another worker had tried to talk to him. It was awkward.
The goblin just stared without saying anything more, making Byung self-conscious.
"Do you want something?" Byung asked, raising an eyebrow.
"N-No!" the goblin responded, but continued staring without looking away.
"Weirdo..." Byung thought.
He noticed this goblin was smaller than average. But that wasn't what caught his attention most.
The scars. Byung didn't know goblins harmed each other physically. Perhaps these wounds came from mining accidents? But they were too deliberate—too deep to be self-inflicted.
He wanted to ask about them, but something told him it was none of his business. Prying might do more harm than good.
He was going to leave this place soon anyway. The last thing he needed was to form attachments.
Byung decided to walk away and leave this person to whatever fate awaited him.
But from the corner of his eye, he noticed several goblins approaching the timid one.
The way the smaller goblin tensed up told Byung everything—these goblins were responsible for those scars.
They all lived in a communal lounge. It wasn't like they slept and worked in the mines 24/7. They had something resembling a life outside of work, albeit a restricted one.
Byung never bothered interacting with anyone. His social skills were lacking, and he had no intention of taking his new body for granted by wasting time.
He noticed the approaching goblins waited for him to leave before making their move. So he hung back, just out of sight.
Byung knew all too well what it felt like to be defenseless. Everything in his mind screamed at him to leave.
"Fucking hell... I can't just leave, can I?" He hated it, but his conscience wouldn't let him walk away while these goblins harmed another.
---
They tried to take the timid goblin to a secluded spot. Fighting was against the rules, but in what world did the strong not prey upon the weak? This was no different.
Byung stopped them by re-entering their line of sight, pretending he'd forgotten something.
Just as he remembered the timid goblin for being scolded, these goblins remembered Byung for being praised. He was among the top workers with benefits they could only dream of—extra food and water. There was a hierarchy in place to motivate harder work.
A smart system for creatures supposedly obsessed only with sex and violence.
Byung hadn't noticed the respect he commanded. The moment they saw him, they stopped in their tracks, not daring to continue.
"You..." Byung called out to the timid goblin.
Deep down, he knew these goblins would beat his ass if this escalated into a fight.
The timid goblin looked up at Byung. The confused hope lingering in his gaze told Byung all he needed to know.
"M-Me?" the timid goblin stammered.
The other goblins assumed Byung wanted him as a punching bag—violence was in their nature, after all. They exchanged glances before backing off.
Byung gestured for the timid goblin to follow. He was surprised by how easily they retreated.
Byung had been so focused on himself that he'd failed to see there was more to this place than just working. Not everyone would pass the test like he had.
But if that were the case, wouldn't there be older goblins here? They were all young.
He'd already made one grave miscalculation. He had no plans to make another.
Byung led the goblin around the corner, then sighed and turned back.
The goblin was on his knees.
"Huh?" Byung muttered.
The shameful look in his eyes suggested one thing.
"I get it now," Byung thought, realizing why this timid goblin was being picked on.
It wasn't because he was weak. It was due to his feminine features. And with no women available...
Well, they'd have to find substitutes for that absence. What better substitute than this boy?
"W-Want to do it here?" the goblin asked.
The look of disgust on Byung's face gave him the answer.
"I should fucking karate chop this ugly shit," Byung thought. He didn't swing that way, and found it insulting that this creature assumed he did.
"I no idea what you do to survive, but I no like this," Byung informed him.
Speaking this way was beginning to take a toll on his intellect. He could feel his IQ dropping every time he forced himself into broken speech.