Chapter 10

Reluctantly, Zarku took a tentative step forward, his eyes fixed on the figure's dark, foreboding silhouette. He knew he had no choice but to obey, to relinquish his pride and surrender to this unknown force. Survival had always been his guiding principle, the very essence of his existence. It was the path that had led him to become the dreaded goblin king, and now it seemed he was being tested once again.

Each step he took brought him closer to the figure, but as he neared, a chilling sensation gripped him. The air around him grew heavy, suffused with invisible, malevolent energy. At a distance of just about twenty steps, an unseen force abruptly halted his advance, as if an impenetrable barrier stood between him and his ominous destiny. Panic surged through Zarku's veins as he futilely struggled against the invisible repelling force, his mind racing with fear and uncertainty.

At this distance, Zarku caught a glimpse of the figure's face—a pallid countenance with fiery red eyes. The figure spoke once more, slowly pulling back its hood to reveal its visage to Zarku.

"That's as close as you'll get, given your current feeble power. You'll never take a step within twenty paces of me," the figure proclaimed, a sinister undertone lacing its words. "But I shall grant you the privilege of seeing my face, for I find you intriguing. I am Astaroth, the reborn Demon King, unleashed upon this realm."

Zarku had never encountered the name Astaroth before. Throughout the annals of goblin history passed down by generations, and even the meager writings stored within the treasure room, there was no mention of an Astaroth, nor any whispers of a fearsome Demon King.

"Your greatness, greetings from this humble servant," Zarku uttered, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and subservience. Once again, he showcased his primal survival instinct, forsaking his pride as the goblin king and prostrating himself before the menacing figure of the demon king. "I am clueless as to why the great one has graced this one lowly nest. Is there a purpose to your presence, or do you have a sinister task in store for me?" "I shall fulfill whatever order your greatness commands," said the goblin.

"You are a cunning creature, goblin, but your attitude pleases me," replied the dark figure, his voice dripping with an eerie satisfaction. "I am well aware that you harbor countless inquiries regarding the fate of your fellow goblins. Yet, instead of seeking answers, your first instinct is to request assignments from me."

"And because your attitude pleases me, I will answer three questions, goblin, then I have a task for you," said the great demon. Zarku lowered his head even further, careful not to show any emotions on his face that could be interpreted as having hidden motives against the fearsome demon.

"As your greatness already knows, this one is curious about the fifty thousand goblins that were here but have disappeared without a trace," Zarku spoke, his voice trembling.

"For the second question, what brings your greatness to this humble domain?" he continued, his heart pounding in his chest, dreading the answer he might receive.

With a chilling silence, the demon stared at Zarku, motioning with a nod to get Zarku to continue to ask the last question.

"The third question is why did your greatness mention rebirth? In this one limited life and encounters spanning one and a half-century, this one has never heard of your great name nor seen it in any manuscript."

"forgive me for my limited knowledge and experience, your greatness" Zarku hastily uttered, attempting to appease the demon king. The words barely escaped his trembling lips, dripping with a sense of dread and desperation.

"I am well aware that you would pose these three questions, wicked goblin, and I have prepared the answers."

"Firstly, I was hungry and have devoured your entire legion of goblins, they now lie within the depths of my domain."

"Secondly, a spirit of this accursed realm lured me here, cunningly manipulating my very essence, coaxing me into this despicable plot to end your existence."

"And lastly, I hail not from this earthly plane or any known dimension. I existed in the realm of the dead and cursed, a mere specter, until a forbidden summoning drew me into this twisted reality, sending me to this accursed world."

Zarku trembled even more upon hearing the answers, his heart pounding with dread. The revelation that the demon king had been summoned to this world to end his life sent shivers down his spine. It was unfathomable to him, as a goblin king, to be considered such a significant threat to the spirit of this world. Despite his current power, he knew that there were far more powerful beings who could effortlessly crush him. The memory of the previous goblin king's demise at the hands of mere humans added to his sense of helplessness.

Astaroth glares at the trembling goblin and smiles sinisterly. "Fear not, goblin. I have no immediate plans to end your life. However, your goblins which I have consumed and now live in my realm shall no longer be under your command."

Zarku frowned deeply, his confusion mounting as the words of the demon king echoed in his ears. How could the king claim to have devoured the entire fifty thousand soldiers and yet still be alive? Fear gripped Zarku, paralyzing his tongue, as he dared not ask for further clarification, fearing the wrath of the dreaded demon king.

"Now, onto your task," Astaroth continues, "I was summoned to this realm not too long ago, but the power that summoned me seems to have disappeared, hiding away from my eyes. Now, I shall ask of you to delve into the depths of this world, scouring for any fragment of information concerning the spirit of the world."

"Your greatness, I hear and obey the task bestowed upon me," Zarku murmured. He lowered himself in a bow, his forehead touching the cold floor, as he reluctantly accepted the harrowing mission. Deep down, he knew it was an insurmountable feat, but defying the demon king was inconceivable.

Suddenly, another thought gripped his mind. "Your greatness, before you arrived in this humble abode, I had been preparing for a war against the formidable King of Yosnad," Zarku revealed his plan of war against Yosnad.

"I have a commander leading a battalion of ruthless goblin warriors, poised to strike the impenetrable walls of Yosnad Castle in a matter of days." He hesitated,

"Would your great desire to have this commander and the rest of the goblins under your dominion as well?" Zarku's heart pounded heavily, his words hanging in the air like a sinister omen, dripping with a sense of impending doom. With no other means of defying the demon king, he knew he had no choice but to submit entirely, his commander's fate intertwined with his own in this maddening nightmare.

"I am prepared to surrender all my goblins to your greatness," the goblin exclaimed once more

Astaroth stared at the goblin, a sinister smile stretching across his face. "You resemble him, my former servant who sacrificed everything, just so he could live" he hissed, sending a shiver down Zarku's spine. The goblin stood perplexed, unaware of whom the demon king spoke of.

"Now that I possess all your resources," Astaroth sneered, "I shall bestow upon you the power to pursue your conquest of Clovershire." His words dripped with dark anticipation. "I am intrigued to witness the strength of these humans. Prepare for a game unlike any other."

Astaroth raised his right palm towards Zarku, and a small red wisp began to circle in the middle of Astaroth's palm. It slowly took shape and formed into a teardrop, dripping with blood-red hues. The teardrop began to solidify rapidly, casting an eerie glow.

"Here," Astaroth commanded "Swallow it. This is but a mere fragment of my essence, and once it enters your being, you shall fall under my dominion. Powers beyond your wildest imagination will be bestowed upon you."

Zarku extended a trembling hand, his heart pounding in anticipation as he prepared to embrace the sinister unknown power lurking before him. The red teardrop floated through the desolate space, seemingly pulsating with vicious energy, before finally descending into Zarku's quivering palm. Without hesitation, he swiftly threw it into his gaping mouth, the action accompanied by a twisted sense of desperation.

Almost instantaneously, a searing fire erupted within him, ravaging his throat and tracing the nefarious path that the demon essence had taken. Agony gripped Zarku's writhing form as he collapsed to the cold, unforgiving ground, his body contorted with pain.

"The torment shall be temporary, goblin" a chilling voice echoed in Zarku's mind, laden with a sense of ominous dread. "Once your body fully embraces my power, you shall undergo a metamorphosis, and become something entirely new."

"But beware," the voice continued, its sinister cadence intensifying. "If your feeble vessel rejects the evil that courses through you, your fate shall be a wretched demise, consumed by the very darkness you dared to covet."