CHAPTER 38
The Goblin Lord remained blissfully unaware of how far his assumptions drifted from the truth.
Grey lacked the ability to summon Noir at will; the familiar operated entirely on his own whims, manifesting only when he deemed it necessary.
"Now for my first question: who exactly are the Otherworlders?" Grey asked, his voice echoing coldly against the cavern walls.
"The… the Otherworlders? What is it you wish to know about them?" the Goblin Lord stammered.
Instantly, Grey's right hand erupted into vibrant, swirling flames while his eyes seemed to burn with an inner, incandescent light.
"Will you answer my query directly, or would you prefer to be roasted like a common chicken?" Grey demanded.
The Goblin Lord gulped audibly in terror, his gaze flickering instinctively toward the charred, jagged stumps where his limbs had been sliced away by the wolf.
The heat from Grey's palm was already singeing the air between them.
"I… I will provide the answers! Please, do not hurt me further," the Goblin Lord begged, cowering as much as his mangled body would allow.
"Good! Now, tell me: who are the Otherworlders?"
"The Otherworlders… They are a clandestine group of individuals possessing such immense, catastrophic powers that they can topple any world they choose to invade.
I do not know their true countenances, as each of them consistently wears a distinctive mask that conceals their identities from everyone," the Goblin Lord explained.
"So, that implies you have never actually seen their faces," Grey noted, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes, I have never glimpsed what lies beneath those masks."
"Then how were you able to identify what I am? I recall you specifically labeling me a mage. How can a beast like you possibly know that term?" Grey asked.
"That was merely because I heard the word used by them.
They frequently described your kind as individuals gifted with mystical abilities, and they termed you all as mages.
Consequently, when I witnessed you wielding powers that seemed almost impossible, I recognized immediately what you were," the Goblin Lord admitted.
"Hmm," Grey hummed, standing up from his crouched position and beginning to pace a slow circle around the crippled monster.
"What is their ultimate objective? What are they pursuing? Randin here mentioned they attacked this planet; what is their purpose in conquering this world?" Grey questioned.
"Their aim? How am I supposed to comprehend that, you silly human? I am merely a lowly beast in their eyes; why would they ever disclose their grand designs to me?" the Goblin Lord shouted, his fear momentarily replaced by frustration.
"Then you have become entirely useless to me," Grey stated, his fingers beginning to glow with a renewed magical heat.
"Wait!" the Goblin Lord screamed.
Grey paused, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"I might not possess the specific answers to those questions, but I know exactly who will."
"And who might that be?" Grey asked.
"My superior—my true leader," the Goblin Lord replied.
"Leader? Aren't you supposed to be the Goblin Lord?" Randin interjected, stepping forward with a scowl.
"Yes, I am. But do you truly understand how we came to exist? Why we arrived here? Why we chose to align ourselves with the Otherworlders to launch this assault?" the Goblin Lord challenged.
"So, what are the answers to those inquiries?" Grey asked.
"You see, I answer to someone far superior to myself. He is the King of all beasts—the sovereign not only of the goblins but of every monstrous creature you might encounter in the future," the Goblin Lord declared.
'A King of the Goblins? Is such a being actually real?' Grey wondered inwardly, his mind racing through the implications of a unified beast hierarchy.
"Who is this leader, and where can I locate him?" Grey asked.
"Locate him? Ha!" The Goblin Lord let out a hollow, mocking laugh.
"You cannot find him unless he permits it. He is practically the second most powerful entity in this world," the creature claimed.
"Since you lack the answers I seek, cannot lead me to your superior, and have decided to leave me with even more unanswered questions, you have truly become redundant," Grey said.
He swiftly lifted his hands, the air shimmering with heat.
"Fire magic!" Grey commanded, his palms flaring with intensity.
He turned a final, cold gaze toward the monster. "Any last words?"
"Yes! I hope you burn in the deepest hell and that my leader slaughters…" The Goblin Lord's voice faltered as Grey cut the final words short.
"Fireballs!" he shouted.
Two medium-sized orbs of concentrated flame shot forward, impacting the Goblin Lord and instantly incinerating him into a pile of grey ash.
"Now, that mess is finally settled," he said, looking around at the absolute destruction.
His eyes scanned the debris until they landed on the crude throne tucked into the corner of the chamber.
Walking toward it, he grazed his hand along the cold stone.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small, glinting object nestled against the side of the seat.
"What is this?" Grey wondered aloud as he approached the object.
He noticed a small chest resting against the side of the stone structure, its lid slightly ajar, revealing a glimmer from within.
"What have you found there, Grey?" Randin asked, his curiosity piqued despite his exhaustion.
"I'm not entirely sure yet. It appears to be a chest, but I have no idea what the contents might be," Grey said.
He reached his hand forward, his fingers brushing against the cold surface as he slowly and carefully picked up the small container.
After clearing the thick layer of dust that had accumulated over it, Grey decided to examine the object more closely.
It was remarkably compact, roughly the size of a leather purse, though its weight felt more substantial than its appearance suggested.
"Well, what is in it?" Randin pressed, leaning forward.
"I don't know yet, you silly dwarf! I haven't even opened it up," Grey retorted, shooting a quick glance toward his companion.
"Then open it up, you doofus!" Randin shouted.
He briskly walked toward Grey and stood side by side with him, his eyes fixed on the mysterious box.
"I was just being cautious; you never know what kind of traps a goblin might set," Grey replied defensively.
"Well, open it up already, because the anticipation is absolutely killing me," Randin said, his impatience growing.
Then, Grey slowly pried the chest open.
He braced himself, half-expecting a hidden mechanism or a curse to pop out, but nothing happened.
He tentatively opened his eyes, which had been squeezed shut in anticipation of a trap.
Looking into the chest together with Randin, their eyes widened in absolute surprise at the sight before them.
The interior shimmered with a light that seemed to pulse with an ancient energy.
"This… this… how is this even possible?" Randin wondered out loud, his voice trailing off into a whisper as he stared at the incredible discovery.