Wow! This spatial storage skill is going to come in handy in all sorts of ways. Transportation of goods, food storage, you name it! This type of magic would be game-breaking in any video game. It will greatly help me with all my far-reaching long-term goals. Now that I have control of my body again let's look for an answer to the collars. Moving through the shelves I tried to find anything about the collars. I browsed through the shelves quickly, titles barely registering in my mind. The how or why of why I could read the titles of the books never crossed my mind. It should have, but I was a little preoccupied with trying to remove the collars.

After searching through countless shelves and who knows how many titles something inside me stirred. It wasn’t the same as before when my will was robbed, it was more like a feeling deep inside my gut. A deeply rooted sense of discomfort formed in the pit of my stomach. As I moved between shelves the discomfort rose and fell. Quickly I moved around using the falling discomfort as a guide to my desire. It wasn’t long before the discomfort faded completely and I held in my hands a book. I can not question why but something or someone seems to be watching my back. It is concerning seeing as Chooftoof lacks the power to do any of this at the moment. Either he’s hiding something or someone else has taken an interest in me.

Flipping the book open and ravenously devouring its contents I soon discovered the origins of the collars. They were ancient, produced in an age long gone. The collars had many uses once upon a time. Now they had been subverted and corrupted into tools of slavery. A far cry from its former glory. A tool once used to elevate is now used only to subjugate. It’s a shame but it doesn’t matter. Now I know how to remove them! With a quick thought, I summoned every skeleton, besides the ones guarding the goblins, to return to me. The skeletons dropped what they were doing and rushed toward my location. Upon their arrival, I passed them instructions through the mental link.

I’m going to cast a spell and it’s going to open a door. Once this door is open I want everything inside this room put inside the door. EVERYTHING!

YES, MY LORD!

“Spatial Storage! Open!” I chanted.

A bright blue light slashed open right in front of me. The dimensional tear then expanded into a large door made of blue light. Looking through the door into the spatial storage shocked me. It was a bright blue room that looked like it went on forever. While I was stunned the skeletons started moving things into the room hurriedly. Over a hundred skeletons were hastily transporting the multitude of treasure chests and loose treasures strewn about the floor into the spatial storage room. Wow! The speed at which the floor was cleared impressed me immensely. We’ll be set for a long while with all this loot. Not to mention the books and technology I can study at my leisure. What a wonderful day this has been. Once this vault's contents are 100% in my possession I’ll go remove those collars.

Shortly after they began all the loose treasure and chests had been moved into storage. They then began moving the library inside bookshelf by bookshelf. Skeletons hoisted the shelves up in teams and slowly but surely deposited every book. Wow, these guys work fast and my spoils just keep getting bigger. The skeletons became more efficient the more they moved the items in teams. While they were in the process of hauling the books I was busy examining miscellaneous items and machines. All of them were unfathomable to me, but maybe one day I will unlock their secrets. If not me then another shall succeed where I did not. One thing I know for sure. The secrets of the vault belong to my people now. It is unknown to me if this vault is a unique existence or if it is one of many, but I will not rest until I do. Without further research these machines are indecipherable, might as well put them aside for now.

I tore my attention away from the machines with bitter regret and had the skeletons move them into my spatial storage along with the rest of my spoils. A few minutes later the task was finished. The vault was completely emptied and I shut down the spatial storage spell. Pleased with my newly acquired treasure trove I gathered my minions and left the now-empty vault with a twinkle in my eyes. After leaving the vault behind I swiftly traveled back to the goblins. It’s high time to free them!

Running as fast as my little legs could carry me I arrived at the room where the goblins were in a few minutes. Bursting into the chamber chest heaving from exertion, I paused briefly to catch my breath. Walking from goblin to goblin I touched the collars one by one. As my finger touched each collar I extended a concentrated blast of my mana, following the instructions the book showed me step by step. After injecting my mana into each collar I stepped back and focused my mind. I steadied my breathing and calmed my mind, after this my mana surged out and filled the room.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

The mana in the room connected with the concentrated pocket of mana in the collars. Once I sensed the last collar connect to the mana fog I focused my mind on that connection. I made the mana combust and implode severing the magic link that kept the collar sealed and active. A flash of light burst from the collar and caused a chain reaction of lights bursting from each of the collars. The collars fell to the ground one by one freeing my people. As the collars hit the ground the light began to creep back into the eyes of the former slaves.

Confusion took over their minds as they came out of the fugue state that the collar imbued. Looking around the room I saw a range of emotions race through them. I sat down in front of them waiting patiently for them to fully regain their senses. I sat quietly for about half an hour before they started to stir. Many voices rang out, steadily getting louder in irritation, which quickly turned into a cacophony of deafening arguing. More voices joined the fray as time went on. My patience finally wore thin I swiftly took action.

“Silence!” I demanded.

Silence fell as every goblin in the room immediately stopped talking and their eyes turned toward me. Confusion and anger warred across their faces as they looked to me for an explanation. The goblins' eyes darted back and forth from me to their neighbors waiting for me to speak. Anxiety started to creep its way into their hearts as tiny feet started shifting restlessly.

“Look, I know you’re all feeling lost, filled with confusion and dread. I understand that, I was feeling just like that not long ago. If everyone could calm down for just a moment I’ll explain. A few of you may have brief memories of a life before the collar but most of you won’t. We were birthed to be slaves. “ I said pausing briefly before continuing.

“Our matrons were chained in dark filthy pits and forced to give birth to an endless supply of goblin slave children. Males were shackled, crippled, and forced to breed. When one died another soon replaced it. A never-ending cycle of birth and death. All to supply these filthy fucking humans with free labor. A slave force bred and fed in squalor. A slave force sustained with its dead. I was freed from this nightmare by a higher power, liberated from my collar in death! My God resurrected me and entrusted me with a Holy Crusade! Born anew filled with resentment and bitter rage! With the power granted to me by the grace of Chooftoof, I descended upon our Slavers with divine retribution!” I said.

Murmurs sounded all across the group of goblins. The looks of confusion slowly turned to understanding and then to anger. It took some time but soon enough everyone understood how miserable their lives had been. Outrage took over and the goblins began to shout. The shouting grew louder and took a sharp turn to almost a brawl before a voice rang out from inside the mass of goblins.

“Everyone please be quiet! We should listen to what he says. We owe him that much at the very least! What sort of monsters would we be if we showed no gratitude to our savior?” An old goblin said.

“That is too kind of you….” I replied.

“Hujarin. My name is Hujarin., and you are?” Hujarin inquired.

Oh god, I never gave myself a new name. Oh no. Quick think of a name. Think. You can’t use your old name. I mean who the hell would name a Goblin Steve? Get real. Make something up fast… Uh… Karl? Nah that’s even worse than Steve. Oh man, I’m not good with names…. Fuck it, let’s just go with Karloc. Yeah sounds Gobliny enough to me.

“My name is Karloc. As I was saying Hujarin, that is too kind of you. I’m not the one who deserves your praise. I am merely a disciple, the Chosen of Chooftoof. If you must praise someone then praise Chooftoof. This was just the first step of my Holy Mission. Join me and together our people will not only survive, but we will also thrive!” I said.

The crowding goblins began to murmur and shift restlessly. No one dared speak, fear of the unknown gripping their tongues. Most are too young to know anything about the world, let alone Gods. Hujarin had a look of sadness in his eyes that quickly disappeared before anyone noticed. At least that’s what Hujarin thought. Before I could say anything else words started pouring out of Hujarin after knelt.

“Chooftoof hear my plea! I was born without faith. My tribe lived without Gods. When the humans murdered most of my tribe and enslaved the rest I was devastated. I was beaten and chained. They took away my ability to fight and left me maimed. I was reduced to a broken shadow of the goblin I used to be. Barely even fit for manual labor. I longed for death, but death never came and I despaired! My life is my own again and I have you to thank for that! Chooftoof, from this day until the end of days, I pledge myself to you!” Hujarin declared.

A light began to fill the room, bathing Hujarin in an otherworldly glow. Hujarin quickly closed his eyes as the light became overwhelmingly bright. The corners of Hujarins mouth turned up as joy overcame him. Tears rolled down his face as the realization of acceptance was gifted to him. Sobbing uncontrollably Hujarin opened his eyes and looked at me before speaking.

“I am yours to command, as it is The Great One’s will!” Hujarin cried.

“Rise Hujarin, I require no one to kneel to me. Rise my disciple and rejoice. We are all equals, none of us above the other! Come now, we have work to do.” I replied.

Hujarin rose to his feet and walked to my side. The goblins followed after hesitating for a brief moment. With that business concluded we started the long trek out of the death pit remains of this human settlement. I walked among them conversing with Hujarin, while the skeletons marched ahead of us and the Golem brought up the rear. While I talked to Hujarin about his life before being enslaved and listened to his stories of times long gone, I could hear short conversations whispered between goblins that thought I wasn’t listening.