Chapter 34: First Harem Member?
The sun rose and Byung was drained to his core, Maui had zapped his energy and he could barely think straight.
The fatigue that overcame his body was something else, yet Maui was already awake, and he noticed his room was cleaner than the night before, meaning she had cleaned it.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You have successfully added Maui to your harem!]
[Race(s) recruited: 1!]
[Name: Maui]
[Age: 23]
[Race: Orc]
[Tribe: Bloodmoon]
[Loyalty: Moderate]
[Compatibility: 83%]
[Gained 30 Experience points. 5X Critical hit!]
[EXP: 250!]
[Skill upgrade available!]
[Cost: 250 EXP!]
[Upgrade? Y/N?]
Byung saw all these things, but what caught his attention was Maui’s loyalty meter.
"You... mine? Loyal... Me... Alone?" Byung asked, to which Maui nodded. Her loyalty was now exclusive to him, and she would do anything as long as Byung willed it.
Byung decided to take a risk, taking a deep breath as he got out of bed.
"I want to know everything about the orcs," Byung said in perfect English.
She was speechless. Borg was right to fear this goblin.
But this was good—she was earning his trust, and all it took was a night of unforgettable sex.
Maui knew she was obligated to tell him everything and so she did. She didn’t dive into secrets or anything like that.
She only told him about the ten tribes that made up the orcs and the rules that governed them.
---
The first was the Bloodfang Tribe.
Savage berserkers who believe strength comes from consuming the blood of their enemies.
Marked by red war paint and sharpened tusks.
.
The second was the Iron Tusk Clan.
Blacksmiths and warlords, they forge brutal weapons and heavy armor.
Their tusks are capped with metal.
.
The third was the Ashmaw Tribe.
Fire-worshippers who scar themselves with burning brands.
Raiders who thrive in volcanic or burned wastelands.
.
The fourth was the Bonecrush Horde.
Known for breaking enemies with sheer brute force.
They adorn their armor and weapons with bones from fallen foes.
.
The fifth was the Stormfang Tribe.
Nomadic orc riders who tame wolves, direwolves, or wargs.
Excellent scouts, raiders, and hit-and-run warriors.
.
The sixth was the Shadowtooth Clan.
Masters of ambush and night warfare.
They paint themselves in ash and black oils.
.
The final one was the Bloodmoon Clan.
They only fight during nights of the full moon, believing their goddess grants them strength.
---
Byung listened with intent and noticed each of these clans had unique traits that set them apart from one another.
But Byung wondered what clan this orc before him belonged to.
However, it was believed there were ten tribes, so either she lied or the other three weren’t recognized.
"Fascinating..." Byung muttered under his breath, but Maui couldn’t push past the fact this goblin showed signs of actual intelligence.
This was unheard of and shouldn’t be a possibility with how young he was or the environment he was exposed to.
These were supposed to be simple-minded creatures, yet this one acted more like a creature with critical thinking than anything else.
That would explain why his semen was of the highest quality. Was there a chance the goblins had managed to breed this? Was he the only one?
Maui’s shock was just beginning because after she told him about the orcs,
Byung took a mental note of every single detail she had divulged.
This information was invaluable to him because he now understood the species standing in their way wasn’t the goblins themselves but the orcs.
Byung still didn’t understand why he saw a dead goblin right before he lost consciousness in the previous mine, but that was the event that changed everything.
Byung was aware something was happening to him but wondered what it was.
Who was that dead goblin and was that the thing responsible for all of this?
If that was the case, why was he chosen?
Byung had upgraded his physical strength, but he felt no different than he did before.
---
The goblins had managed to make over a dozen forges, even though the quality didn’t match up to the one Byung had made.
The most important thing was they were functional and could get the job done—the quality of the structure wasn’t important.
The goblins looked satisfied, and the good news was the other mine wasn’t ransacked, which meant they should be able to meet the quota.
If they could get these tools in time and dig deeper into the mines...
The goblins had seen something they never thought was possible: they had created something.
The majority had returned to work, using their poorly made tools to do something useful.
Murkfang was in the ’office,’ but Gribnox was nowhere to be seen.
Murkfang knew his partner wouldn’t be in any hurry to impregnate them because that would mean death, which would deprive him of their service in the future.
Gribnox wanted to enjoy this as long as he could because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He wasn’t going to waste it, hence why he planned to keep them as long as possible.
Murkfang had sent one of the more trustworthy goblins to inspect the site of the mine which was attacked.
The goblin was scheduled to return today and he waited patiently for his report.
If there was more damage to the mine than expected, they would also need to find a way to make forges at that site.
But unlike here, his control there was limited, which meant he had no say in how those tools would be used.
Murkfang was happy he met Byung. Under law, he was in his right to banish or exile him should he break any rules.
Borkle walked into the room and Murkfang was quick to welcome his friend.
"Borkle, how is the work going?" Murkfang asked him, but Borkle looked like he was barely clinging to life.
He must have been working his ass off, which was fair given the circumstances.
They hadn’t heard any news regarding Drekk. They were certain he would be up in arms because the orcs had hurt his pride.
But it was good to see he had common sense. The orcs would completely decimate them should a war break out.
Murkfang didn’t know if other races would intervene either, because if they did, there was a chance they could win.
"Work is going great, boss," Borkle responded, but Murkfang could see that wasn’t why he was here.
A goblin walked in behind him, covered in mud and dirt, his thighs blistered.
"I... tell you something," the goblin muttered under his breath.
They didn’t have horses lying around, and this was why having runners was part of their system.
These goblins were excused from mining duties because their strength wasn’t in their arms but their legs.
He was present when Drekk arrived and told Murkfang everything.
The more Murkfang listened, the wider his eyes got—especially when he heard a few goblins had died.
This shouldn’t have happened, but it had.
Murkfang asked to be left alone because, for the first time in their history, their safe haven faced a threat he knew would be the end of life as they knew it. Three orcs certainly wouldn’t be enough.
He soon heard cheering outside. He walked out and noticed Byung seated on the shoulders of Maui.
They inspected the forges and Byung proceeded to give the other goblins advice on how to fix things.
---
Maui didn’t understand how any of this was possible. The goblins shouldn’t have the knowledge to build forges, yet she was witnessing it first-hand.
This was amazing, and even she couldn’t help but be in awe.
Byung had managed to rally goblins under himself.
They recognized and adored him, but Maui saw the opportunity this presented.