The sky was barely light, and the mist in the forest hadn't dispersed yet. The bonfire in the cave was reduced to glowing embers.
The goblin on night watch yawned and added dry branches to the fire.
Sparks crackled and jumped, landing right on the curled-up yellow-skinned hobgoblin next to him. The hobgoblin twitched violently, let out a grunt from his throat, and his eyelids fluttered before he finally opened his eyes.
"Damn it… Which bastard hit me on the head?" The hobgoblin sat up, clutching the back of his head, muttering in goblinoid with a high-pitched, hoarse voice.
He shook his head, looking around in a daze—all he saw were short, green-skinned creatures, each staring at him with beady green eyes, their faces still stained with blood. What else could they be but goblins?
Just as he frowned, about to curse, "Where did these idiots come from?", his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of something next to him—a furry wolf's head staring right at him, its eyes wide and its fangs bared, as if ready to pounce at any moment!
"Oh, sh*t!" The hobgoblin was scared out of his wits. He let out a shriek and leaped backward, his butt thudding on the ground as he scrambled to find a weapon.
But as soon as he scooted back a couple of steps, the surrounding area erupted in "squeaky" laughter—not the high-pitched squeals, but genuine mockery.
The goblins held their bellies and shook their heads; some even pointed at his nose and slapped the ground. Scarface was the worst, rolling on the ground clutching his stomach, his claws still pointing at the wolf's head.
Only then did the hobgoblin take a closer look—how could that wolf's head be alive? Its neck was neatly severed, half its skin was peeled off, revealing white bones, and next to it lay half a wolf leg, its fur completely singed off.
"What are you laughing at?!" The hobgoblin's temper flared.
He was a hobgoblin! A hobgoblin superior to these runts! How dared these little green-skins laugh at him? He abruptly stood up, beating his chest and yelling, "All of you, get over here! Didn't you see I woke up? Hurry up and get me water and food! If you don't serve me well, I'll break all your legs!"
He stood with hands on hips, glaring, expecting the hobgoblins to be terrified and scramble to serve him.
In hobgoblin rules, it was only natural for a hobgoblin to command runts. Even a wild hobgoblin without a tribe could casually order these little good-for-nothings around.
But the runts didn't move; instead, they stepped back, clearing a path.
While the hobgoblin was still stunned, he saw the runt in the front stand up—this runt looked a bit sturdier than the others, had no scars on his face, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead. He clutched a pointed wooden spear.
It was Kurzadh.
Seeing the hobgoblin's arrogant demeanor, he sneered inwardly—if he didn't beat this yellow-skinned brat into submission, there was no telling what trouble he'd cause later.
He gave Scarface a look and then nodded at the two other runts holding stone spears.
Scarface immediately understood. He sprang up, and the two other runts also straightened up. The three green-skins rubbed their claws and approached the hobgoblin.
The hobgoblin was initially stunned by this posture, then he chuckled—were they scared? Did they realize they had to serve him? He grinned, and just as he was about to shout "Hurry up!", before he could even utter a sound, Scarface pounced like a cannonball!
"Bang!" The hobgoblin stumbled, and before he could react, his collar was grabbed. The two runts, one on each side, pinned his arms, and with a "thud," they pressed him to the ground.
"What are you doing?! Are you rebelling?!" The hobgoblin was both shocked and enraged, struggling with all his might. But the runts had just fought a wolf and were full of strength. Three of them held him down like a grasshopper.
His head hit the ground, making him see stars from the pain. Just as he was about to curse, he saw the sturdy runt squat down—it was Kurzadh.
Kurzadh said nothing. He gripped the wooden shaft of the stone spear and gave the hobgoblin a solid "smack" on the butt.
The slap was firm, and the hobgoblin let out a yelp, completely stunned.
Not only was he stunned, but the surrounding runts stopped laughing and stared blankly—the boss actually hit a hobgoblin?
Kurzadh didn't stop. He hit the hobgoblin's butt repeatedly, grunting with fierce eyes.
He didn't hit to kill, but each blow was painful enough, making the hobgoblin yelp and struggle even more violently, cursing incoherently: "Rebels! Rebels! You stinking runts! When I find the orc boss, I'll have you all roasted!"
"Still talking tough?" Kurzadh cursed inwardly, adding more force to his hand.
He knew the nature of green-skins; without beating them into submission, nothing would work.
After more than a dozen slaps, the hobgoblin's butt was probably swollen. His struggles became weaker and weaker, and his curses turned into whimpers.
He simply couldn't understand—runts! Those runts who only picked up scraps and were kicked around by orcs! How dared they beat him, a hobgoblin? If this got out, how could he ever show his face among green-skins again?
Even after Kurzadh stopped and lifted him by the collar, the hobgoblin was still dazed, snot and tears smeared across his face, his eyes full of confusion as he looked at Kurzadh.
"Do you submit?" Kurzadh stared at him. Though he didn't speak, the meaning in his eyes was clear—if not, he'd continue beating him.
The hobgoblin looked at the fierce faces of the surrounding runts, then felt his burning butt, and shivered.
He finally understood. This group of runts was different from others, especially their leader. He was ruthless and could make the other runts obey him. If he truly resisted, he'd probably be beaten to death.
In green-skin rules, if you couldn't win, you had to concede. The hobgoblin swallowed, tucked his head into his chest, and mumbled in a muffled voice, "Submit… isn't submitting enough…"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a "ding" sounded in Kurzadh's mind—
[Task Completed: Subdue ten hobgoblins, one hobgoblin]
[Reward: Gobblinoid (Mastery), Territory System Activated (Can establish territory)]
Kurzadh was stunned. Before he could react, he felt an itch in his throat, as if something blocked had cleared.
He instinctively coughed twice, cleared his throat, and tried to say, "Stand up straight."
His voice, though a bit hoarse, was clearly Gobblish! Not "squeaky" calls, but actual words!
The hobgoblin was rubbing his butt when he heard this. He suddenly looked up, his eyes wide as saucers, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg: "You… you spoke?!"
He was so scared he almost sat back down—a runt speaking? This was like seeing a ghost! Among green-skins, only orc bosses and shamans, those big figures, could speak proper words. Runts at most "squeaked." How could one speak?
The surrounding runts were also stunned, staring blankly at Kurzadh. Scarface even leaned over, carefully touching Kurzadh's mouth, as if trying to see how this mouth could produce words.
Kurzadh himself was quite surprised. He tried to say again, "Don't just stand there, go roast the wolf meat."
This time, it was even clearer.
A wave of joy washed over him—finally, he could communicate properly!
But the hobgoblin dropped to his knees with a "thud," hugging Kurzadh's leg and shouting, "Chosen one! You are Gork and Mork's chosen one!"
His eyes gleamed, and he trembled with excitement: "It must be! Otherwise, how could a runt speak? It must be Gork and Mork seeing your sufficient Waaaagh, opening your mind! I knew it, why would runts dare to beat a hobgoblin? Turns out you're blessed by the gods!"
All green-skins believed in Gork and Mork, thinking that powerful individuals were favored by the gods.
The hobgoblin was already submissive. Now, seeing that Kurzadh could actually speak, how dared he show any disobedience? He only felt that following a chosen one was incredibly good fortune.
He kowtowed vigorously: "boss! From now on, you are my boss! If you tell me to go east, I won't go west. If you tell me to beat someone, I'll beat them! As long as Gork and Mork watch over us, we'll definitely make a big scene!"
Kurzadh was taken aback by his reaction, then chuckled.
Chosen one or not, as long as it made this hobgoblin obedient, it was fine.
He kicked the hobgoblin's butt: "Get up, stop kneeling. First, show me what you can do."
"I can! I can do anything!" The hobgoblin immediately scrambled up, beating his chest and saying, "I can fix things, weave ropes, and find mushrooms! When I was with the orc boss before, I even helped fix axes!"
Kurzadh nodded—it wasn't a wasted effort to take him in after all.
With a hobgoblin's help, making weapons and finding shelter would be much easier in the future. He pointed to the wolf carcass nearby: "First, process the wolf meat and roast it well."
"Aye! Right away!" The hobgoblin responded nimbly, running over to process the wolf carcass, ten times more obedient than his arrogant demeanor a moment ago.
As he scraped the wolf fur, he secretly glanced at Kurzadh, his eyes full of admiration—the chosen boss was truly different, even his speech sounded better than other green-skins!
The surrounding runts also reacted, "squeaking" around Kurzadh. Although they couldn't speak, their excitement was palpable. Scarface even jumped around, holding his stone spear, as if celebrating.
Kurzadh looked at the busy hobgoblin, then at the cheering goblins, feeling much more at ease. He could speak now, had a hobgoblin subordinate, and the territory system was activated. From now on, in this forest, he wouldn't just be aimlessly wandering.
He glanced at the cave, then looked out at the forest, pondering—he had to turn this place into a proper den first. Since it was a "territory," it needed a base, food and drink, and some weapons. Perhaps in the future, he could truly make something big happen.
Gork and Mork's chosen one? Kurzadh grinned.
Whether he was or not, as long as it allowed him to survive in this cursed place, and live stronger than anyone else, then chosen one it was.
Inside the cave, the hobgoblin's movements processing the wolf meat echoed with "thuds." The goblin runts hopped around the bonfire. Kurzadh leaned against the rock wall, twirling his stone spear, feeling that this green-skin life truly seemed to be changing.