A group of goblins was celebrating, eating and dancing around bonfires. Of course they were happy, another raid on nearby human villages was successful.

They stole food. They stole tools. They stole cattle. They even stole human women, who soon realized death would be a far kinder end for them, instead of being kept inside a cave as breeding slaves. 

As monsters, goblins were among the weakest ones. They were small, stupid, and physically weak. In terms of strength, a goblin couldn’t even dream of matching a fully grown human. But that is only in one on one fight. Goblins’ true power comes from their number, and how quickly they can breed with females of all races. In a few weeks, the captured women will give birth to another batch of goblins. And soon, those monsters too will be ready to plunder, kill and rape.

Tribe chief looked at elated goblins, his people, and sighted. It won’t be long before someone puts on a quest for finding and destroying their nest. Adventurers, and monster hunters, will come and slaughter everyone. And he will have to run and hide like a rat once again.

Even he, who has evolved into a hobgoblin and obtained a rare class, [Goblin Lord] through the System, wouldn’t be a match for a group of adventurers. And the rest of the goblins weren’t even worth being called “cannon fodder”. Yes, compared to them, humans, elves, dwarves, those who called themselves chosen by gods, could easily overpower goblins. They level up faster, have access to more classes and skills, and even have a variety of magic items and weapons on top of it all! 

Even Ogblog, a monster among monsters, who once gathered and lead a horde of goblins, orcs, ogres, trolls, and countless more beasts and vile creatures, a legendary army that almost swallowed the world, even he was slayed by a human, champion of gods.

But this time it will be different, the chief thought and walked through a tunnel deeper into the cave, to a small chamber guarded by two goblins and separated from the rest of the cave by a simple piece of wood.

He entered and looked at the woman kept there. She was beautiful, with hair like flowing gold and sparkling, clear blue eyes, her skin pale and without any blemishes. Yet the tribe chief did not come here to copulate with her. After all, she was already pregnant, and if he violated her simply for pleasure he could damage the yet unborn child inside of her.

He walked over and put his hand onto her swollen belly, immediately feeling power coming from the child inside. Soon it will be born, and then…

And then I will die, the hobgoblin realized. Of course, he had had these thoughts before. After all, it was natural for a younger, stronger one to replace its predecessor and take over the tribe. Yet he was conflicted. He wanted to live, yet knew he would have no chance of winning once the monster inside of the woman is born.

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He clutched a magical staff, the symbol of his power and rule. How easy would it be to crush her belly now, and forget all about this child? He raised his staff, ready to strike.

At the same moment, the woman screamed with an anguished voice, and blood and water flowed out from between her legs.

The new ruler was being born.

***

The very first thing I felt was warm water surrounding me. I was floating in it, in a small place where neither light nor sound existed. There was so little space, I could barely move. I do not know how long I was like this, simply being. But after some time had passed - though then I did not know yet of things such as days, hours, or minutes - I felt energy flowing into me through a tube attached to my body. Not only that but nutrients too, which would help me grow even more. And for the first time, I heard the Voice.

“Grow strong, my child. You are destined for greatness, and great power will you possess.”ź

After the sound, what came next were words that filled my brain. I did not know the language they were written in, but still instinctively knew what they meant. A system, huh? That and other information about the world outside, the world I soon will invade.

“Use it as you please. I expect great things from you.”

With that, the voice fell silent. And I did as it said - I took more and more through the tube, and grew stronger. Until the final day came.

With the knowledge I was presented with, I learned many things. Now I could at least count how much time has passed. Sixty beats of my heart were exactly one minute. Sixty minutes equals one hour. And twenty-four hours equal one full day. Since I heard the Voice, thirteen days had passed. 

At first, that day wasn’t any different than other days. Just as usual, I silently counted my heartbeats, while my body absorbed food given to me by the cave. I have felt a presence outside, but paid it no mind, as it was the same creature I felt several times before. I called it the cave caretaker, as it seems he was the one who brought food and water from the outside world into my realm. Suddenly, I felt a tremor. Then another, and a cacophonic sound attacked me from all directions. The cave was collapsing. 

It is the time then, I thought as the waters pushed me into the cave’s entrance. It was different than I imagined it would be, fleshy, tight, and strangely warm. I could’ve ripped through the cave’s walls instead, but something told me it wouldn’t be right to do so. So I slipped through the entrance, and into the outside world.

“Shut up, will you!?” I said, and the screaming stopped. So that’s my voice? I didn’t know why, but the very fact I could talk was strange to me.

And I was in a cave once again, albeit a different one this time. It was dry, filled with air instead of water, it wasn’t completely dark too, being dimly lit by a single torch.

I turned back, gazing upon the place I come from. But I only saw a single naked woman, laying in a puddle of blood and water. Dots connected in my head immediately. So that’s how it was. I crawled towards the woman and onto her, instinctively knowing what I had to do. I grabbed one of her bare breasts and gently bit it, sucking blood and something else, something sweet and warm, which filled me with a sense of happiness when I drank it. 

I sucked and sucked for what felt like an eternity until there was nothing left. The woman lightly patted my head and smiled, then she whispered some words I only vaguely understood. But among them was one that made me feel like “me” like I was finally complete. My name.

“Aura.”