From the cave that was now his base, Gorath stood on a boulder, gazing out over the open plains that stretched below the hill. Far away, beneath the moonlit sky, pinpricks of light flickered in the darkness—human villages.
Gorath's fists clenched. Once, before he had been reincarnated as an orc, he had been a human. He knew how they lived, how they viewed monsters like him: as enemies, as beasts worthy of being hunted and destroyed.
But now, everything was different.
Behind him, more than a hundred goblins stood in a line, their eyes burning with murderous intent. They were the remnants of a once-shattered goblin clan, now united under Gorath's banner after he had slain their leader and taken power.
Gorath turned to his men. He could see fear, but also hope and ferocity.
"Hear me, my goblins!" his voice echoed through the cavernous cavern. "We have lived in the shadow of humans for too long! We have been looked down upon, hunted like animals! But tonight…"
He raised his hand, pointing toward the glowing human village in the distance.
"…we will turn the tables. We are no longer the prey! Tonight, we are the predators!"
A cheer rose among the goblins. They raised their battered weapons—wooden spears, rusty knives, and some even had only sharpened stones. But what they had was more than enough, for they had numbers and brutality on their side.
Gorath grinned.
"MOVE!"
Gorath led from the front, dashing through the trees at a speed uncharacteristic of an orc. The Agility Boost he had gained from devouring the goblins earlier made him faster, more agile. His steps were nearly silent on the wet ground.
Behind him, the goblins followed in a haphazard formation, letting out low growls as they approached the wooden fence that surrounded the village.
In the distance, Gorath could see a human guard standing on the watchtower. The man looked sleepy, his spear leaning on his shoulder.
The perfect opportunity.
Without a sound, Gorath grabbed a large rock and hurled it at the tower with all his might.
CRACK!
The rock hit the guard hard in the head, sending him reeling and falling off the tower, his body crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
No one heard.
Gorath motioned for the goblins to come forward. They began to crawl to the wooden fence and began to climb, some using their spears to pull themselves up. Gorath himself needed no help—with a single leap, he grabbed the edge of the fence and pulled his massive body up.
From the top of the fence, he could see the village.
The people were still awake, gathered around the campfire in the center of the village, laughing and talking. They were unaware that darkness was lurking behind them.
"Kill them all," Gorath whispered.
And so the inferno began.
The goblins leapt into the village, charging from all directions.
The first scream was heard when a villager who had come out of his house saw a horde of goblins running towards him. He tried to shout a warning to the others, but a spear pierced his neck before the words could come out.
The first blood was shed.
Gorath charged at an old man who was trying to flee. With a single blow, he smashed the man's chest, sending him flying against the wall of the house and dying instantly.
Chaos spread.
The women and children screamed in terror as they ran for cover, while the men of the village quickly grabbed whatever weapons they had—wooden axes, pitchforks, and rusty swords that had long been unused.
A man with a rusty sword lunged at Gorath.
"DIE, MONSTER!"
Gorath raised his hand, catching the blade easily. The steel cut into his palm, but not deep enough to hurt him.
His smile was hideous.
With one swift movement, he grabbed the man's head and crushed it like rotten fruit. Brains and blood poured onto the ground.
[Consuming Human. Ability gained: Minor Strength Boost Lv.1]
Gorath felt a new wave of power creeping up on him. So it wasn't just monsters that could give him power—humans could too!
He wasted no time. He greedily tore into the dead man's body and began devouring his flesh.
[Consuming Human. Additional ability gained: Pain Resistance Lv.1]
Meanwhile, his goblins had spread out, attacking houses, burning buildings, and slaughtering everything they could find.
One of the goblins ran toward Gorath.
"My lord! Some humans managed to escape to the church!"
Gorath turned toward the wooden building that stood in the center of the village. Candlelight could be seen through the windows.
He could smell the fear coming from inside.
"Follow me," he said.
He charged toward the church with the goblins at his heels. With a mighty kick, he shattered the wooden door, sending it flying into the room.
Inside, dozens of people crouched in fear—women, children, and a few wounded men. An old priest stood before them, holding a cross in his hand.
"D-demon...!" the priest whispered.
Gorath stepped forward, his gaze cold.
"No," he said with a grin. "I am worse than a demon."
With a single blow, he crushed the priest's head.
That night, the human village was mercilessly slaughtered.
Blood flowed on the ground, mixing with the ashes of the burned buildings. From a distance, Gorath could see a few people had managed to escape into the forest.
He let them go.
Their fear would be a message to the other villages.
That tonight, the monsters have risen.
That tonight, humans are no longer the rulers of this world.
And that is just the beginning.