Rise of the Chaos Goblin

Asher stood in the dense forest, surrounded by unfamiliar plants with twisted roots and broad, dark-green leaves. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and the occasional chirp of distant creatures echoed through the trees.

A little over a hundred ant soldiers encircled him, their glossy black carapaces glistening under the faint rays of sunlight that pierced through the forest canopy. He sat comfortably atop Cybele's broad back, her exoskeleton smooth and sturdy beneath him.

The reason for bringing every single ant was simple—he didn't want to take any chances. If something dangerous appeared, he needed the overwhelming numbers of his swarm to defend him.

Not to mention, with his small body, running away on foot wasn't exactly an option. Sitting on Cybele gave him both mobility and safety.

Asher scanned his surroundings, ensuring there was no immediate threat, then gave the order.

"Spread out. Find something we can hunt."

At his command, a portion of the ants scattered, moving seamlessly through the underbrush. Even if some of them were killed by predators, their telepathic link with Cybele would instantly inform the rest of the swarm about where not to go.

It didn't take long.

Chitter!

Cybele let out a series of clicks and vibrations, signaling that prey had been found.

Asher gestured for her to proceed, eager to see how the ants naturally hunted their prey.

Silently, Cybele carried him through the dense foliage, maneuvering with unnatural ease, until she stopped behind a large bush.

Peering through the gaps, Asher spotted a gray-furred rat, about the size of a small dog, gnawing on the half-eaten corpse of some unfortunate creature.

Its fur was matted with blood, and its sharp teeth tore through flesh with disturbing ease.

'This thing looks… nasty.'

At Asher's silent command, the ants moved in unison.

Several smaller ants scurried forward first, emerging from the underbrush like shadows. They surrounded the rat, their antennae twitching as they crept closer.

The rat, sensing danger, let out a low growl, its beady red eyes darting between the encroaching ants. Then, in a sudden burst of speed, it lunged at one of them—fangs bared, muscles tensed.

Crunch!

With a sickening crack, the rat crushed an unfortunate ant beneath its powerful bite, splitting its shell like brittle wood.

The rat didn't stop.

It snapped its head sideways, biting down on another ant, its teeth crushing the poor creature in an instant.

Snap! Crunch!

One after another, the rat ripped through the ants like a berserk predator, its jaws dripping with green ichor.

Five dead. Six. Seven.

With each strike, its rage grew. It thrashed, flinging ants into the air, its powerful claws slicing through the swarm.

Asher flinched.

'Damn, that thing's strong.'

But the ants didn't retreat.

Instead, they pressed forward. As it slaughtered them, more and more ants kept coming.

One after another, they bit into the rat's limbs, injecting paralytic venom into its bloodstream.

The rat thrashed violently, flinging several ants away with sheer force. It was fast, ferocious, and for a moment, Asher wondered if his soldiers were outmatched.

That's when the Elite Ant made its move.

At two feet tall, this ant was larger, faster, and stronger than the others. It lunged from the side, clamping its powerful mandibles onto the rat's hind leg, anchoring itself like a vice.

The rat shrieked in fury, but its movements were already slowing.

The venom was taking effect.

Its once lightning-fast reflexes became sluggish. Its vicious bites lost precision. Its growls turned into desperate wheezes.

The Elite Ant tightened its grip, refusing to let go.

With one final struggle, the rat attempted to bite its attacker—only to collapse onto the ground, its muscles no longer responding.

With the rat now half-dead and paralyzed, the Elite Ant wrapped its strong mandibles around its neck and, to Asher's shock, began dragging it forward with surprising ease.

Despite the rat being much larger, the Elite Ant's unnatural strength allowed it to haul the creature directly in front of Asher, dropping it like a prize.

Asher stared at the scene, then smirked.

"That… was brutal."

Asher hopped down from Cybele's back, his small feet landing softly on the damp forest ground. He crouched beside the motionless rat, meeting its crimson gaze filled with rage and disdain.

Even in its paralyzed state, the creature's eyes burned with fury, as if cursing him with its final moments.

But Asher wasn't bothered.

He grabbed a sizable rock nearby, its rough edges cutting slightly into his palm. Without hesitation, he raised it high—and slammed it down onto the rat's head.

Thud!

The rat's body jerked slightly, its mouth twitching, but it refused to die.

Again, Asher lifted the rock and brought it down.

Thud! Thud!

The rat let out a weak shriek, its breathing ragged—but still, it clung to life.

Asher gritted his teeth.

"Damn it… just die already."

He struck again.

And again.

And again.

Minutes passed.

His arms burned, his hands sticky with blood and sweat, but the rat still refused to give in.

The ants around him watched silently, their antennae twitching as they observed their leader's struggle.

Embarrassed, Asher tightened his grip on the bloodied rock and continued his relentless assault.

Finally—

Ding!

[ Successfully killed the Grimfang Rat ]

[ Acquired 50 EXP ]

"Hufff…"

Asher let out a deep sigh, wiping his sweat-drenched forehead with his equally bloody arm.

He stood up, his small body covered in grime, acting as if he had done all the hard work—even though it had taken an army of ants to bring the rat down.

Cybele let out a soft chitter, watching him with what almost seemed like amusement.

Asher ignored Cybele's amused chittering.

For now, he had gained experience—and that was all that mattered.

Clearing his throat, he dusted off his hands. "Alright, let's move on."

He gestured toward three nearby ants. "Take the body back to the nest." The ants chittered in response, promptly grabbing the rat's limp form and dragging it away.

With that done, they resumed their hunt.

It didn't take long before they found another Grimfang Rat lurking in the underbrush. Following the same strategy, the ants swarmed it, sinking their venomous mandibles into its flesh. The rat thrashed violently, letting out guttural screeches as it killed another ten ants before the paralysis finally overwhelmed it.

Once again, Asher stepped forward.

He knew what to do.

Thud!

The rock came down.

Thud! Thud!

The rat twitched, its crimson eyes burning with hatred, but its body refused to move.

Thud!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of smashing, the rat let out one final shudder—then fell completely still.

[ Successfully killed the Grimfang Rat ]

[ Acquired 50 EXP ]

—----------------------------------

[ LEVEL UP! ]

[ You have gained 10 free attribute points! ]

—----------------------------------

His arms ached, his breath was ragged, and his pride stung from having to bash a half-dead rat's head in over and over again.

Without hesitation, he dumped all 10 points into Strength.

[ Strength : 5 ➝ 15 ]

A sudden wave of raw power surged through his body, his muscles tingling as they became denser and stronger. His grip tightened instinctively, and he could feel an undeniable difference.

That day, they hunted two more Grimfang rats. Although Asher wasn't able to level up again, he was now able to kill the rats with two full-powered blows, which brightened his mood quite a lot.

As Asher made his way back through the dark tunnel, he emerged into the cave's familiar dim light, greeted by the curious gazes of the goblin babies.

He wasn't too worried about them discovering his escape route. Even though they had learned to speak a few broken sentences, they likely couldn't say anything to his mother. Still, he decided to be cautious.

To keep them quiet, Asher pulled out the pieces of Grimfang rat meat he had collected during the hunt. The raw meat smelled strongly, and the goblins' eyes immediately widened as they started to drool.

Before he could distribute the pieces, Kiko, the most aggressive of the little goblins, lunged forward. Despite his enhanced strength, Asher felt the force of her movement—it was clear she was strong. Asher had originally planned to give her the first piece, so he handed it over to her, and she eagerly gobbled it up.

Next, Risu, the black-haired goblin, stood in front of Kiko but didn't make a move. She stared at Asher, silently asking for permission. Amused by her understanding, Asher gestured for her to go ahead. Risu smiled and eagerly snatched her piece.

Emi, the timid red-haired goblin, remained in her spot, glancing at the meat, then at Asher, before nervously swallowing her saliva. Asher didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so he handed her a piece gently. Emi's eyes lit up, and she quickly took it, though she still seemed a bit unsure.

Lastly, there was Raon, the only other boy apart from Asher. He had green hair and kept a bit of distance from the group, casting sidelong glances at Asher. Raon didn't approach immediately, but Asher didn't mind. He wasn't looking for a clingy relationship with another goblin boy.

Without a word, Asher tossed a piece of meat toward him. Raon hesitated for a moment, but after a few seconds, he greedily grabbed the meat and devoured it.

The goblins didn't take long to finish the meat. It was their first time eating something so tasty. Sure, they had eaten the meat their mother brought back from hunting, but this Grimfang rat was especially delicious. Their tiny mouths couldn't get enough of it.

Asher, meanwhile, looked like a hero to them. He was like that one creepy guy who hands out candy to kids before kidnapping them—except instead of candy, it was rat meat. From that day on, the little goblins followed him everywhere, thinking he was the coolest goblin ever.

As for Asher, though, he wasn't a fan of raw meat. He'd much rather settle for the good ol' "mother's milk."