Chapter 156 - Becoming a God (2)

2

Under my guidance, the goblins escaped safely.

"Kerrr! Keru!"

"Kekerkker!"

The goblins hopped about in delight. They looked like green chimpanzees. If they had cried "Ooh-ooh, ah-ah" instead of "Kerrk," anyone would have mistaken them for monkeys.

'Cute little guys.'

"You think they're cute...? Huh?"

The attendant spirit muttered dubiously.

"Zombie, is there seriously something wrong with your eyes?"

'Sword Emperor, look with the eyes of your heart. I can see what the goblins will one day become. Something so sublime and beautiful. I'm telling you, I can see that future form, even though it hasn't arrived yet.'

"Ah, I can't handle this bastard anymore... I'm so powerless and useless that just hearing him run his mouth makes my head spin..."

Meanwhile, the other races had also managed to escape.

The Black Dragon leader had become an elegant black swan and was guiding the Bloodsucking Race. Earlier, as I left the forest, I had looked up to see countless bats crossing the sky with a flutter of wings. They followed the black swan in a triangular formation.

'Oh, looking good!'

The black swan briefly met my eyes as she flew past. Her jet-black eyes held the Black Dragon leader's intelligence rather than an animal's wildness. With a flap, she spread her wings wide.

"Ee-hee-oh!"

Then she flew beyond the horizon in an instant.

My companions, too, had transformed into mysterious animals to lead the great escape.

[Quest cleared!]

[You have safely evacuated your race from the Great Ocean Forest of Time’s Origin.]

[You receive 300 Race Points as a reward for completing the quest!]

[Your current Race Points total is 855.]

The rewards were pretty generous, too.

'Five hundred points for being the first to create a primitive religion or whatever. Three hundred for the quest reward. Not bad.'

"Hmm. Is that a lot?"

'It's enough for the early stages. We won't wither away for lack of points anytime soon.'

"If you say so, I guess it is. In the mind of His Holiness Kim Gongja, the Goblin God, anyway."

'Yep. So I'd better find these guys somewhere to live and feed themselves first.'

"Damn it, why doesn't that do even a single point of damage...?"

I mentally selected an item to purchase. I could use the Civilization Shop even while possessing the lion.

[Would you like to purchase ‘Locate a Brass-Tier Settlement’?]

I splurged without hesitation.

'Yes.'

Messages appeared one after another.

[Purchasing ‘Locate a Brass-Tier Settlement’.]

[80 Race Points will be spent!]

[Your current Race Points total is 775.]

A vision unfurled in my mind in a sudden burst. Across one river and three streams lay a settlement site that was quite suitable for goblins.

'A suitable level of moisture, decent hunting grounds... Not too bad.'

Good. All that remained was to lead them there.

"Gork! Gorrr, krr, gor!"

'Good! Follow me!'

I strode forward, planting the lion's forepaws with vigor. Like ducklings, the goblins followed behind me, blissfully happy without knowing a thing.

On the sixth day of our journey, we finally arrived at the settlement shown in the vision.

"Kerrrr!"

The goblins joyfully threw themselves into the stream.

[The Earth Spiritfolk are very pleased with this place!]

[The Earth Spiritfolk’s grief over losing their homeland is fading.]

The goblins rolled around by the stream, covering themselves in dirt. That was their hobby.

The mothers dug up pebbles and smeared the clean, settled mud onto their young children's backs. The little ones laughed, "Kerrr! Kerrr!" Did the ticklish feeling of mud feel irresistibly good?

"They're probably trying to get rid of their scent that way. Goblins stink pretty badly, don't they? Slathering themselves with mud makes it a bit better, at least."

'Oh, that's one way to look at it.'

"You didn't even know that, Kim Gongja, the Goblin God?"

'A god does not concern himself with every trivial detail. He keeps only the grand plan in mind.'

"Lunatic..."

What was he talking about?

I lay down with my forepaws crossed and watched the mud festival. As I looked on contentedly, I heard the Tower's voice.

[Would you like to make this place the Earth Spiritfolk’s new settlement?]

'Yeeep.'

[A new settlement has been established!]

[Please name this settlement.]

'A name... I'd like to call it the Temple of Raviel, but I can't pronounce that. These guys wouldn't be able to pronounce it either.'

Looking dejected, I scratched the ground. Hmm. This, this scraping sensation as the lion's claws dragged through the earth was soothing my dejection...

"Hey, aren't you becoming more and more like an animal...?"

'You're imagining things.'

Just then, a fly-like insect circled around me, buzzing. Oh, for the record, the animal I was possessing only resembled a lion, too. It wasn't exactly the same as one. I just called it that for convenience.

I flicked my tail and caught the fly with a snap! My tail struck its body dead on. Before it could even flutter its wings, the fly slammed into my flank and died instantly.

Fly hunting had become my new hobby during this mission.

It was surprisingly fun.

"This bastard really has turned into an animal, hasn't he...?"

'If you mean I have a rugged, animal magnetism, I'll gladly accept that. Anyway, let's name it [Guru], after my roar.'

And so I roared.

"Guru!"

The Tower responded to that roar.

[The Earth Spiritfolk’s new settlement is named ‘Guru’.]

[The Earth Spiritfolk are no longer in danger of extinction!]

[You may now declare the stage cleared.]

[Would you like to declare the stage cleared now?]

"Whoa, finally, the clear prompt! We can finally get out of this godforsaken Gorrk Zone! Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and declare it cleared!"

'Oh, what are you talking about? Do you really know so little about the Tower?'

"I know! I know! I just want to get out of here already!"

'Request denied.'

The War of Races.

This theme spanned floors thirty-one through forty, and time advanced as you climbed higher. If the thirty-first floor was the Paleolithic, the thirty-second might be the Neolithic. That was how it worked.

If I declared the stage cleared here, I would meet the goblins on the next floor hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years later.

'I need to do everything I can before moving on.'

I slowly looked through the goblin race's stats. I had checked them several times while guiding them, but I needed to be certain.

'The goblins' traits were [Victims of Racial Discrimination], [Kinship], and [Supreme Greed].'

I opened their information in order.

+

[Victims of Racial Discrimination]

Rank: F

Effect: The Earth Spiritfolk are ugly! Their appearance inspires disgust in those who see them. As a result, the Earth Spiritfolk suffer from all manner of prejudice and misunderstanding, and have great difficulty forming healthy relationships with other races.

Beware! Hatred pools in the hearts of those subjected to discrimination. The greater the Earth Spiritfolk’s hatred grows, the more they, too, will become unconditionally hostile toward other races. You must resolve this issue before they pass the point of no return.

※ However, this trait may change as history unfolds.

+

'This one's a problem, for starters.'

What if I went up to the next floor and found the goblins hostile toward every other race? What if our goblins were considered [Everyone’s Enemy], just as they were in ordinary fantasy worlds?

Horrifying.

After all the effort I had put into saving them, they would end up everyone's enemy.

'I absolutely have to resolve this before leaving... Next is Kinship.'

+

[Kinship]

Rank: C

Effect: The Earth Spiritfolk have an extremely strong sense of kinship. When an Earth Spiritfolk dies, no race in this world sheds a tear except their fellow goblins. ‘A monster is dead! What a joyous occasion!’ Instead, they merely raise a toast.

Goblins are goblins.

It is an inescapable fate.

Believing that their own kind are the only ones they can trust in this world, the Earth Spiritfolk unite tightly. The greatest taboos in Earth Spiritfolk society include ‘betraying a fellow Earth Spiritfolk’ and ‘killing a fellow Earth Spiritfolk’.

Barring some considerable misfortune, the Earth Spiritfolk will not destroy themselves through internal strife!

※ However, this trait may change as history unfolds.

+

I had read it several times, but this seemed like a good trait.

Well, even goblins ought to have at least one good trait.

"I don't think that trait is entirely positive..."

'Huh? Really?'

"No, I was just saying. Hurry up and open the next trait."

'Are you finally starting to appreciate the goblins' charm?'

"I just want to finish this and leave..."

He really wasn't being honest. It was obvious he had discovered the cozy pleasure of raising a race.

"No, I haven't..."

Anyway, the lion and the ghost sat side by side and looked at the final description window.

+

[Supreme Greed]

Rank: B

Effect: The Earth Spiritfolk overflow with greed. Is it because of their self-loathing over being ugly and hideous? Rather than seeking recognition for themselves, the Earth Spiritfolk seek recognition through their possessions. ‘Kerk! I smeared myself with warm mud!’ ‘Kerrk! I covered my entire body in premium mud from upstream!’

A desire for better things.

A longing for finer things.

In the Earth Spiritfolk’s hearts, inferiority, self-loathing, and a need for recognition combine to form tremendous greed. Perhaps the Earth Spiritfolk will covet glittering treasures. Perhaps they will capture slaves and boast about whose slaves are prettier. The Earth Spiritfolk are greedy, and their potential lies in this greed.

How their ‘greed’ changes is up to you.

※ However, this trait may change as history unfolds.

+

"..."

I began to think deeply.

'They really are a little like me.'

"Huh? What is?"

'Nothing. Just talking to myself. Hmm.'

I slowly raised the lion's heavy body. As I crept toward the stream, the mud-covered goblin children spotted me and gathered around.

"Kerrrr."

"Kekerkker?"

Compared to humans, goblins had fewer facial muscles. Their mouths were far too large. Their cheekbones protruded. As a result, it was very hard to read their expressions.

"Krrr."

I raised a forepaw and struck a rock beside the stream. The goblins recoiled in surprise. But I paid them no mind and brought my paw down again and again.

Before long, all its claws had broken.

"Huh? What are you doing?"

'Just wait.'

I pressed my battered forepaw firmly into the mud. Like a brush soaking up ink, the lion's fur became saturated with mud.

The goblins watched my inexplicable actions nervously.

"Krrng."

I approached the nearest little goblin. The child flinched as the enormous lion's shadow fell over them. But they neither ran nor tried to get out of the way.

"Gor. Krrrng. Krr, gorrrk."

'That's right. Good job. Just stay exactly like that.'

With a soft press, I gently rubbed the child's belly with my muddy forepaw. I traced curves with it as though wiping a window. The little goblin flinched each time I smeared on more mud.

"Uhhh..."

The attendant spirit spoke.

"Are you drawing tattoos right now?"

Indeed I was.

'Yes.'

I drew a spiral on the child's body in mud.

And I didn't stop with that one child. Once I finished the spiral, I drew tattoos on each of the other goblins as well.

"Goorr."

The drawings were clumsy because I was using a lion's paw rather than a human hand. They were crude because I was using thick mud rather than fine paint. But however clumsy and crude they might be, they were unquestionably pictures.

When I finally finished tattooing every goblin,

"Kerrr? Ker?"

The goblins inspected one another's bodies in wonder. Soon, like children who had discovered a new toy, they began playing and smearing mud on one another.

"Kerk! Gerrup, gerger."

"Gerger!"

The goblins splashed and played by the stream. When the water washed off their designs, the others drew fresh tattoos for them. Seeing that, the goblins laughed their kerrk laughs again.

[The Earth Spiritfolk awaken to an aesthetic sense!]

[The Earth Spiritfolk are utterly captivated by the beauty displayed on their own bodies.]

The Tower's voice echoed in my mind.

[The Earth Spiritfolk’s trait ‘Victims of Racial Discrimination’ is changing!]

[The Earth Spiritfolk gain the new trait ‘Primitive Fashionistas’!]

Letters appeared before my eyes.

+

[Primitive Fashionistas]

Rank: E

Effect: The Earth Spiritfolk are ugly! Their appearance inspires disgust in those who see them. As a result, the Earth Spiritfolk suffer from all manner of prejudice and misunderstanding, and have great difficulty forming healthy relationships with other races.

‘Kerk! We're ugly!’ In response, the Earth Spiritfolk have invented a special culture. ‘Then can't we just wear nice clothes?’ They are trying to compensate for their looks through fashion however they can.

The Earth Spiritfolk draw various tattoos on their green skin. The more beautiful the tattoos, the more their wearer is recognized among their own kind as an outstanding fashionista. Congratulations. The Earth Spiritfolk now have a culture called fashion!

Blessings upon the primitive fashionistas!

‘No matter how much they dress themselves up, aren't goblins still goblins?’

Of course, whether other races appreciate that fashion is another matter entirely.

※ However, this trait may change as history unfolds.

+

Okay.

I let out a satisfied chuckle through the lion's maw.

"Krrr."

War of Races, guardian constellations—it all sounded grand, but it was just as I thought.

Put simply, I just needed to raise these children as well as I possibly could.

"Krrng, krrrr, gorup, gorrk!"

'Hey, I'll make your race ascend to greatness!'

I roared powerfully.

"Kekerkerk!"

"Kekerkerk! Kekerkerk!"

The goblins, covered in mud from head to toe, surrounded me and danced exuberantly.

It was a truly moving scene.

The attendant spirit, who had watched the entire scene from beginning to end, muttered quietly.

"No... They just look like lunatics... Surely they won't end up as Kim Gongja Version Two later, will they? We're not going to get an entire race of nutcases like Kim Gongja, are we? Nah, surely not. Surelyyy. That kind of fantasy, that kind of hellscape, couldn't possibly become reality..."

"Kerrrrrk!"

The goblins' mighty cheers echoed through their new settlement.