Deep within the burning fortress, flames consumed the surroundings creating walls of fire that surrounded a lone figure that was kneeling on the ground.
The figure had pale green skin and beady eyes. If he stood he would have been considered fairly tall, standing around two meters high. His back was hunched but it did little to hide his bulging muscles.
The figure had tears streaming from his soulless eyes.
"Why... just why did this happen?" The figure spoke in his native language, his lips trembling as he muttered each word.
"My warriors, my subjects, my friends, my family, my tribe! Why… just why did they have to die like this?!" The figure roared out at the sky but there was no one left that could hear his cry.
Slamming his hand into the ground, the figure silently wept, anger and grief filling his soul.
This figure is the goblin king of this fortress. A couple months ago his tribe had been abducted by a powerful group of human hunters. Even though the Goblin King hated the human race with every fiber of his being, even down to his bones, he was powerless against the group of hunters and was unfortunately captured with the rest of his tribe.
After a few days of travel, they were then dropped off in the middle of this open grassland, where they had to start over again. Luckily for them, they were quick to adapt which allowed them to survive in this unknown environment.
They spent time learning about the lay of the land and wildlife that inhabited it. When they were feeling down or things didn't go well, they always had each other to help them back up. The bond and trust that was shared between them allowed for them to live happily in this new environment.
After months of work and effort, they eventually managed to build up their fortress to its current level, something they were all proud of and celebrated with a feast for three days and three nights straight.
At that point, the Goblin King was flooded with memories of his tribe and all the hard work they put in to build their new home. He remembered the smiles his people had on their faces as they greeted him as their king. He remembered how his warriors bravely fought alongside him against the original overlord of the plains. He remembered holding his comrade in his arms as he slowly died after valiantly protecting him from the hunters that had kidnapped his tribe and how much he and everyone else wept for his death.
Remembering all this, the Goblin King gritted his teeth as he looked at the flames that consumed all of it before him.
"ROOAAARRR!!!"
Releasing a deafening scream filled with all his rage and pain, the Goblin King glared at the flames as he bellowed.
"Why… Why must my people suffer?!"
"What did we do to deserve such punishment?!"
"Why do I have to sit here and watch as my people and home burn to the ground?!"
The Goblin King's eyes turned red with madness as a thick smoke rolled into the area.
"Just which devil did this? How could someone be so cruel?! I swear if I find him I will tear and rip his body limb from limb! I will drink his blood and feast on his flesh to avenge my people at all cost!"
The Goblin King was filled with madness and rage. He was completely prepared to go on a rampage through the entire island, killing anything in his sight.
At that moment, the thick smoke that had rolled into the area was blown away by the wind.
The Goblin King was still kneeling on the ground and was about to get up when he suddenly heard two words spoken in his language he thought he would never hear again come from behind him.
"My… Lord."
The pronunciation was a little off but at this point, the Goblin King didn't care. After all, those two simple words that he had grown so accustomed too and taken for granted meant so much more to him now that he had lost everything.
Those words meant that he wasn't alone and that someone had survived this disaster with him. It meant that to that one survivor he was still a king and had his people to support him.
With a hopeful expression, the Goblin King excitedly turned around still kneeling wanting to see just who had managed to survive this tragedy with him.
*Cut!*
"..."
Silence filled the area, even the raging flame covering his fortress seemed to quiet down in the Goblin King's ears.
He stared with wide eyes at the figure that stood in front of him. The figure wasn't practically tall to him, only standing around 1.8 meters. His build was rather skinny but the Goblin King knew from experience that each muscle on his body was filled with explosive strength.
However, what stood out the most to the Goblin King was the figure's eyes. Those deep blue eyes that stared down at him like prey made him shiver. He felt as if those eyes were equivalent to an endless sea that reflected his entire life on its surface. The more he stared the deeper he sank into that endless sea and the more he saw, the more he was filled with a deep sense of fear.
As he clutched his chest that had been pierced by a dagger, he knew this was the end. When his tribe was abducted by the hunters a couple months ago, he was gravely injured by one of the hunters while he was trying to defend his people. That hunter had wanted to finish him off with a follow up attack but he had managed to survive as one of his comrades jumped in front of the hunter's blade, sacrificing himself to save him.
The hunter at first didn't care and was about to finish him off but was stopped by one of his higher ups who wanted him alive.
Although the wound had managed to heal since then with ample treatment, it left that part of his body extremely fragile. If a blade were to stab him from that point, it could easily penetrate his skin and pierce his heart. That was why he always kept his guard up and defended that area of his body.
However, looking at the knife that had pierced that exact spot, fear had completely taken over his soul. The figure before him knew that he was defending that area of his body and used his people's own language against him when his mind was in complete chaos, causing him to let down his guard for a brief moment.
In that extremely short gap where he let down his guard the figure attacked extremely swiftly and accurately pierced his heart using the fragile part of his body.
Knowing all this, the Goblin King felt extreme fear as he looked at the figure before him as he slowly died. When his strength had almost completely faded and he was about to die, he heard the figure before him speak a few words in a language he didn't know.
As he died, the Goblin King's mind was filled with thoughts about the words the figure spoke. Unfortunately, he would never get the chance to figure out the meaning behind those words as he fell to the floor, his body limp and lifeless.
…
"A king should die with his people." Lake said as he looked at the Goblin King that had breathed its last with slightly complicated eyes.
Although the Goblin King was his enemy, Lake still felt respect for the creature after observing its past and seeing what it did for its people.
Lake sighed as he shook his head.
Stretching out his hand, Lake grabbed the strand of Fate shaped like a crown that had separated from the Goblin King's head.
Since the Goblin King was an existence comparable to a martial apprentice, his fate had already taken shape.
[Detected that the Host has come in contact with a True King's Fate. Beginning the absorption process…]
[Absorption complete.]
[+10 RP Points]
Lake was satisfied with the RP points gained from killing the boss monster. He felt that this much was at least required as a reward for the hard work he went through to kill the boss.
When Lake was about to start scanning the Goblin King's corpse with his wristwatch however, another system notification appeared, completely stunning Lake.
[Calculating…]
[The system has detected that a small portion of the True King's Fate power can be absorbed.]
[Does the host wish to begin the absorption process?]
[Yes?] [No?]