The Record of Orc Civilization

Chapter 473: The End of Defiance

Murmurs began to ripple through the plaza. The goblins and hobgoblins whispered to one another. Historical records indeed stated that the cooperation between Orcs and Goblins was not an equal partnership in terms of function. Each had their own duties and different ways of sacrificing their lives. The goblins, more creative in construction and massive in number, served as the bait and architects of traps. The orcs, stronger but fewer in number, served as the sharp blade to end the enemy.

The battle against Deak and his team served as vivid proof of this. At that time, Moku stepped forward alone to intercept Deak and two other mages, while the orcs and goblins prepared a defensive line to face Bon and Jon. Both Bon and Jon possessed power equivalent to a Level 1 Constellation Mage, though Jon was a failed product of the Genesis Pill. The truth behind the reason for Jon’s extraordinary strength at that moment was only fully revealed after the battle between Nevare and Artur concluded.

On that part of the battlefield, the goblin forces under Hoddurt’s command were tasked with herding the two mages toward a prepared deadly trap. Although many goblins fell, they did not retreat, remaining steadfast in their formation to lure the enemy in.

The moment the trap was sprung, the intensity of the battle surged. The orcs, having recently mastered the Three Forms of Silat, relied on their full strength to withstand the destructive onslaught of the two mages. Unfortunately, Bon and Jon displayed impeccable offensive coordination. Their combined attacks severely wounded many orc warriors, forcing them out of the fight.

Seeing the desperate situation, Hoddurt—without a trace of fear—once again led the goblins into the heart of the lethal vortex. This suicidal charge was not intended to defeat the enemy directly, but solely to create an opening for the orcs to land a decisive blow.

That sacrifice ultimately bore fruit. They succeeded in killing Bon, while a rampaging Jon, who had lost all control, was neutralized shortly thereafter. However, the victory was bought at a tragic price; dozens of goblins perished as martyrs, and Laya lost her life.

There was no difference between the past and the present. Even though both races had evolved into Asuras and Hobgoblins, it did not erase their duties and obligations toward the monster species as a whole.

Grak gnashed his teeth in a vengeful fury. Seeing many goblins and hobgoblins begin to waver and nod at Mige’s words only served to stoke his rage further.

"Is that truly how it is? Do you think our situation now is the same as it was in the old days?" he bellowed, forcing the chaotic noise of the plaza back into a harrowing silence.

Grak turned, staring at the masses behind him with burning eyes. "Do you not see what is happening to our race right now?!" He looked at each of his kinsmen one by one. "The number of Orcs and Asuras continues to grow into the millions, while the number of Goblins and Hobgoblins shrinks every year! Young Hobgoblins can no longer find mates because the females prefer to marry Asuras! Even Goblin females are willing to gamble their lives on the lethal Mana Cream Cultivation just to evolve into Hobgoblins, all so they can stand beside an Asura!"

Seeing anger and pain once again radiating from the eyes of his crowd, a triumphant smile played on Grak’s face. He turned back to face Swa and Mige. His voice thundered, filling every corner of the plaza.

"If this continues, our race will go extinct! You ask if I am afraid of the Demon army? I tell you: I am! I am worried! But... WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING WIPED OUT NOW AND GOING EXTINCT IN THE FUTURE?! WE ARE NOT SLAVES! WE HAVE RIGHTS!"

That shout reignited the spirit of the young dissidents behind him.

"WE ARE NOT SLAVES!"

"WE HAVE RIGHTS!"

Swa’s face darkened as he suppressed the rage burning in his chest, while Mige’s expression soured. Both realized that the space for dialogue had closed. The Hobgoblins had shut their eyes and ears to the truth. Even though the kingdom had limited Asuras to a maximum of four wives, that explanation would not reach those whose hearts had been poisoned by social jealousy.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the clamor with an uncanny calmness. "So, in essence, you are simply jealous of the Asuras. That’s it, isn’t it?"

The silence that followed forced the monsters to hold their tongues. It wasn’t because the voice was loud—on the contrary, it sounded as steady as a mountain breeze. Nor was it because of a crushing aura, but rather a relaxed tone, cool as a draft in the heat of midday.

A hobgoblin walked casually up toward the plaza. Every monster, whether asura or hobgoblin, instinctively made way. He arrived near Volx and gave the old Goblin a respectful nod.

"Ez!" Swa exclaimed. There was a palpable note of relief and joy in his voice. Mige’s face also relaxed instantly at the sight of him.

Though Ez was much younger than Volx and possessed the long lifespan of a Hobgoblin, exhaustion was clear in his eyes. Ez nodded slowly with a thin smile. "As soon as I heard news of the Demon attack in Pandava, I packed and left. I do not know how the Elves will react once they discover our identity as a monster species, but I am not willing to bet that they won’t ally with the Demons to exterminate us."

Hearing this, the faces of every monster in the plaza turned pale. Swa and Mige were stunned. Until now, they had harbored a hope that the Demon attack wasn’t because their racial secret had been exposed—or at least, that the demons wouldn’t spread that news to other races. Ez’s words had just erased that hope like seafoam on the shore.

However, one person was too stubborn to care about the dire news. "What do you mean we are jealous? We are only demanding our rights! We want equality!" Grak shouted, trying to claw back the crowd’s attention.

Ez did not turn around. Instead, he whispered something to Volx that made Grak’s blood boil further. "YOU ARE A TRAITOR TO THE GOBLINS! While we were all bleeding on the battlefield, where have you been all this time, O Prime Minister Ez?!"

"You dare speak of lives in front of me?!" Swa moved like lightning, seizing the collar of Grak’s leather armor and hoisting him until the Hobgoblin’s feet dangled in the air. "Asuras also spilled blood in the Old Battlefield to hold the front lines so you could keep breathing! Without us, you would have been extinct long ago!"

"You only protect us so you still have a labor force!" Grak shouted back, his yellow eyes staring sharply without a hint of fear. "You give us scraps and call it mercy. You promise us evolution, but all I see is a torture ritual that is nothing more than suicide! We will not lift a single hammer until there is a guarantee that we are not just fuel for your war machine!"

"WE ARE NOT SLAVES! WE HAVE RIGHTS!" Grak shouted again, but this time only a few responded. Most of them began to look hesitantly toward Ez and Volx, as if waiting for something.

Mige stepped forward, placing a hand on Swa’s violently trembling shoulder. "Enough, Swa. Crushing his throat won’t make that wall build itself." Mige turned to look at Grak. "Grak, I understand your hatred. But do the math. If you work now, at least we still have a chance to live and fight together. If you stay idle here, that chance is zero. Which is better for your race?"

The atmosphere grew tense once more. Swa released his grip, letting Grak fall heavily to the ground. He turned his back on the rebel leader, staring toward the north where the sky was beginning to turn a dark purple—a sign of Demon magic. Most likely, Goku and the others had already engaged or were in the thick of the fight.

"This debate is useless," Swa said coldly. "I will provide a guarantee of extra protection for the worker zones in Bitter Maja if you return to your respective posts. But make no mistake, Grak. If this wall falls because of your delay, I will personally ensure you are the first one thrown before Furfur’s army as bait."

Grak rubbed his reddened neck, looking at his comrades behind him. He saw several Hobgoblins and Goblins starting to move away. However, he misinterpreted the movement; he thought they were preparing to surge forward with him. Feeling that false sense of "support," Grak stood up again, eyes ablaze. "I don’t care about your buildings! You cannot force us! The only way is to grant every single one of our demands! WE ARE NOT SLAVES! WE HAVE—"

"Enough of this absurdity!"

Ez’s calm voice cut through Grak’s spirited shout. All eyes fell on Ez, who finally looked at Grak with a gaze as cold as ice. With a single sweep of his hand, Ez gave a short command: "Arrest them all! We have no more time for this stupidity!"

At that exact moment, the Hobgoblins who had been standing behind Grak lunged at Grak’s own associates, incapacitating them with incredible speed. Grak was stunned. He couldn’t understand why his fellow Hobgoblins were attacking each other on Ez’s command alone.

Before Grak could utter a single word, Ez was in front of him. Without warning, Ez’s fist shot forward, piercing through Grak’s chest and out his back.

"You have shamed Hoddurt’s name long enough with your useless noise," Ez said in a low voice, yet its chilling echo was heard clearly by every monster in the plaza.