Hobgoblin

Hobgoblins, it is believed that the growth form of the sacred goblins.

Having a height of over two meters and a body size that is not inferior to orcs, Hobgoblins are also believed to have strength equal to or even more than orcs.

They have dark green skin and sharp fangs sticking out of their lower jaws. Although the shape is almost the same as orcs, Hobgoblins have sharp noses and ears that are longer than orcs.

According to goblin folklore, Hobgoblins once lived before the time when the orcs ruled over a quarter of the Bog forest. Hobgoblins ruled over all the monsters that lived in the forest and ruled justly.

Actually the legend of the hobgoblin does not only exist in goblin folklore, but is known to all the monsters that live in the Bog forest.

However, it was only considered a myth and made up by the goblin folk who wanted to clear their name among the monsters.

They make up stories and just want not to be seen as cowards who can only rely on traps and long-range weapons.

Not only among monsters who viewed hobgoblins as just a myth but also among adult goblins.

To them hobgoblins were just stories told to children to cheer them up from their weak bodies.

Therefore when Moku spoke the mythical name...

Suddenly all the goblins who widened their ears to hear Moku became gloomy. They all seemed to have lost the hope that had just arisen.

Volx almost fell off his podium. With a great anger Volx said "What do you mean by this do you really want to insult us?!"

"KuMoku stop making up and fooling around. Do you think we are so stupid to believe your words!!" Tam got angry.

"We are indeed weak and maybe if we fight with you we will die. But you have no right to insult us like this!" even Hez who had been silent all this time said angrily.

"KuMoku don't you know that what you're saying is just a myth the goblins use to entertain our children!

You think you can fool us with a children's tale?" Shizz didn't accept it.

All the goblins looked at Moku with full of anger, they all felt they were being insulted and considered stupid by Moku.

However, there was only one goblin who was still staring at Moku with wide eyes.

He wasn't disbelieving, he wasn't losing hope, and he wasn't feeling insulted by Moku.

But his eyes conveyed a sense of trust, a burning hope, and an immense sense of flattery.

With trembling lips and a choked voice, Hoddurt stuttered "I.. I..Is that true?"

Suddenly all the goblins looked at him in confusion, Volx next to him shook Hoddurt to wake him up "Shaman,, what are you doing? do you want to believe this liar?"

"HAHAHAHA as I thought Shaman Hoddurt was a very wise man" Moku's laughter boomed throughout the room.

"What do you mean KuMoku? what did you do to Shaman Hoddurt?!" Tam said warily.

"What do I mean? Are goblins so stupid.. or are you all blind? I mean why do you think that Hobgoblins can't exist?" Moku said in a mocking tone.

"The change of a goblin into a hobgoblin is impossible, because the change is not just one or two changes but a very significant change in form.

Not only from the shape of the body but almost all organs in the body must also change. It's not change but evolution.

It's very impos—" Tam stopped her words, her eyes widened, and she turned into the same state as Hoddurt.

Not only Tam but almost all the goblins were wide-eyed.

Moku opened his arms wide and said loudly, "I am proof that it is possible.

I am someone who not only changes body shape but also changes his internal organs.

I am proof that evolution is possible and is the only hope for monster species to be able to compete with mana species.

In fact this is my second evolution.

The other orcs in my tribe once they are qualified then they will also probably evolve like me.

I'm the proof that hobgoblins exist!" Moku's voice echoed throughout the meeting room and made the goblins' hairs stand on end.

"H.H..How?" Volx gasped, he felt like he was in a cold blizzard with a flame lantern in his hand.

His body was almost frozen and only wished for the small fire inside the lantern to warm him.

However, the small fire was not extinguished, even smoldering fiercely and began to melt the lantern in his hand.

The fire continued to spread to eat Volx's hands until his entire body was devoured by the red flames.

Volx just wants to die in hopes or dreams or whatever is going on right now. He didn't want to wake up and realize that this was all a dream.

Volx just wants Moku to say that Hobgoblins are reality and not myths.

Moku answered Volx's expectations, by not only assuming but presenting a concrete proof and irrefutable argument.

"Do you think our ancestors were so stupid!!!

Do you think they are so arrogant that they don't know that there are humans who are stronger than all the orcs that exist?

Do you think that our wise and great shamans never knew the existence of mages?

Were our ancestors all blind?

No!

No!!

No!!!

They all know that their superiority, their strength, and their glory are nothing but imaginations, illusions, and delusions.

They know that their superiority is just like a mouse who feels superior to a bug before the cat comes.

They knew their strength was just like a cat who felt stronger than a mouse before the lion came.

They know their glory is just like the lion who rule the savanna before the dragon came.

Our ancestors weren't stupid!!

Our ancestors were not arrogant!!!

Our ancestors knew there was a Mage!!!!" Moku sighed.

All the goblins and orcs fell silent, Swa's eyes widened in disbelief, Zalthu seemed to be thinking about something, Laya seemed to want to smack Moku head.

"W..w..why?" Tam's trembling voice broke the silence.

"What do you mean with why?

Why didn't our ancestors try to do something?

Why did the orc ancestors keep attacking and robbing humans?

Why don't we hide?

Is that what you mean by 'why'?" Moku's voice boomed again.

Tam could only nod but her face paled as Moku's red eyes shone with anger.

"HAHAHAHA... Don't you guys understand? are you guys so stupid? are you guys so cowards?

Of course the thought crossed their minds.

Of course they wanted to run.

Of course they wanted to hide.

But is it possible?

But is it possible?!

But is it possible?!!

We orcs are a fighting race. Why should we hide?

We only have men in our race and we desperately need women from humans. Why do we have to run?

And most importantly we are MONSTERS!! Now I ask again, is it possible?" Moku didn't wait for a response and continued his story.

"If it's impossible for us to run or hide then our only option is to fight back and fight to the last drop of blood.

But orcs can't possibly defeat a mage, no matter how strong our bodies are and no matter how great our regeneration abilities are, they're just trash in front of a mage's spell.

However, our ancestors did not give up, our ancestors continued to look for ways to stay alive, ways so that monsters were no longer considered just like pests, ways that were unique to the monster species.

Until the search came to a point, the Myth of Hobgoblin.

Our ancestors didn't want hobgoblins, because even if the strength of hobgoblins was according to legend they would only become as strong as orcs. What we want is the secret of the evolution of goblins to hobgoblins.

What our ancestors wanted was a way to evolve.

They also met the leader of the goblins, chiefs and shamans of the goblin tribes at that time, they told them what their goals were and what they wanted.

The conversation didn't last long because the higher ups of the goblin tribe also wanted the same thing, they wanted to know how to evolve.

They were fed up with their frail bodies and their lives that kept hiding in the cave like rabbits.

But they asked for the conversation not to be known by their tribal members. They didn't want to give false hope to the goblins who had fallen into their frail bodies.

The orc ancestor and them assumed that hobgoblin evolution only occurred to goblins who had already touched the limit of their weak bodies. With strong will they are able to break away from their weak bodies and evolve to become stronger.

Because of that they forced the goblins to continue training and fight beasts that were beyond their limits. An extremely torturous thing for a weak and cowardly goblin.

As a result of the training the number of victims in the goblin tribe continued to grow, the orc ancestors wanted them to stop and find another way.

But it was the shamans of the goblin tribe who wanted the practice to continue, they need little more to almost solve the secret of evolution.

The number of victims continued to grow, until there were only a few dozen adult goblins. Once again the orc ancestor asked to stop training but once again the goblin shaman wanted the training to continue.

Our ancestors said 'why are you doing this, your tribe will consider yourself a traitor and your name will be tarnished forever. We'd better stop training or at least tell the truth to your tribe members'

and the goblin shaman replied,

'What's the use name for me?

What the use the name that glorified by the oppressed people?

What the use the name that glorified by those who have lost hope?

I would rather be known as a coward who enslaved his own people than a liar who gives false hope.

I would rather be known as a traitor who sold his own people than a liar who gave false hope.

I had no other choice and I closed the path to another choice.

For me! If we can't find a way to evolve, I better die as coward and traitor!

what's the use name for me?'

They decided to continue training, they gathered all the young goblins and forced them to do the same training.

I don't know if they succeeded or not. But what we all know they all perished.

Their hopes, their sacrifices, and their dreams were dashed.

Annihilated when the destroyer came,

Annihilated when the slayer came,

Annihilated when the mage came"

Moku's originally booming voice disappeared along with the lost hope.

Moku's originally smoldering voice dimmed along with the forgotten sacrifice.

Moku's originally illuminating voice drowned out along with the dream that became a myth.