The night in the forest felt more ominous than ever. A cold wind blew through the rustling leaves, carrying the fresh scent of blood and death. Gorath stood atop a pile of goblin corpses, his body covered in blood, but his eyes shone with a lust for bloodshed.
He raised his head, staring at the red moon hanging in the sky. Ever since he was reincarnated as an orc, his instincts had grown wilder. A hunger that came not only from his stomach, but from something deeper—a desire to grow stronger, to dominate, to trample on those weaker.
Heavy footsteps were heard approaching.
From behind the trees, three figures emerged. They were larger than ordinary goblins, with solid muscles and fangs protruding from their lower jaws. Animal skin armor covered their bodies, and in their hands were more dangerous weapons—a large axe, a spiked mace, and a long spear that seemed to be made from the bones of a monster.
Hobgoblins.
A creature one level higher than ordinary goblins. Smarter, stronger, and far more vicious.
One of them sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing as he saw Gorath's body standing atop a pile of corpses. The creature growled, raising its axe, and spoke in a language that Gorath could barely understand.
"You… are not a goblin. Not a human. You… are a threat."
Gorath grinned. The creature's deep voice held no trace of fear. They were not like the goblins who would run away in terror when they saw him slaughter their friends. No. This creature saw him as a threat, but not one to be feared—but one to be destroyed.
"You've come at just the right time… I need some dinner." Gorath stepped forward, stretching his massive shoulders. His muscles tensed, the blood flowing faster through his body.
One of the hobgoblins roared and charged first, swinging his spear with unexpected speed for a creature of its size. The spear's tip flew toward Gorath's neck, but at the last second, he tilted his head, letting the tip of the weapon miss his skin by inches.
Fast.
But Gorath was faster.
Before the hobgoblin could pull back his spear, Gorath moved. With a single thrust of his foot, he lunged forward, grabbing the hobgoblin's face with his right hand. The creature struggled, swinging its weapon frantically, but Gorath didn't give him the chance.
With full force, he slammed the hobgoblin's head into the ground.
THUMP!
Bones cracked. Blood spurted into the air.
But the fight wasn't over yet.
A large axe came flying from the side, targeting Gorath's body. He jumped back just before the weapon shattered the ground where he stood.
However, as he was about to set foot, a spiked mace came flying from the other direction. There was no time to dodge.
BANG!
Pain shot through his back as the mace slammed into his body, sending him flying several meters back and smashing the tree trunk behind him.
Gorath coughed, feeling warm blood seeping from his mouth. However, instead of feeling scared or cornered, he laughed.
"Hahaha… Good. Very good."
He wiped the blood from his lips and stood up. His body ached, but that meant only one thing: his body would get stronger after this.
The two remaining hobgoblins didn't give him time to catch his breath. They charged at him together—one swinging his axe from above, while the other aimed for Gorath's legs with his spear.
But this time he was ready.
As the axe nearly reached his head, Gorath crouched low, letting the weapon miss his body by inches. At the same time, he caught his opponent's spear with his bare hand, then pulled hard.
The hobgoblin holding the spear lost his balance, and that was exactly what Gorath had been waiting for.
With a brutal move, he grabbed the creature's head and—
CRACK!
He ripped it from its body, leaving a spray of blood that soaked the ground.
One left.
The last hobgoblin stared at him in shock, but quickly regained control. He swung his axe once more, this time with more force.
But Gorath had already seen him. He stepped aside, letting the axe hit the ground. Then, before his opponent could pull his weapon back, Gorath grabbed his wrist and…
CRACK!
He ripped the creature's arm with his claws, before ripping its heart right out of its chest.
Black blood splattered.
The hobgoblin's body fell to the ground, lifeless.
And Gorath stood in the pool of blood, his breathing heavy, but his eyes shining with joy.
Ding!
A voice rang out in his head.
[You have consumed the Hobgoblin. Ability gained: Berserker's Wrath Lv.1]
[You have consumed the Hobgoblin. Ability gained: Endurance Boost Lv.2]
A wild smile formed on his face. He could feel his body changing. His muscles grew slightly, his strength increased, and in his mind, his savage instincts grew stronger.
He looked up, staring at the red moon in the sky.
Today, he had hunted and won. But this was only the beginning.
There were still more powerful beings out there. There was still more power for him to gain.
And in the end…
He would become the ruler of this world.