Chapter 99 - Rebellion – 8 (1/2)

Rebellion – 8

I had formed an incomplete connection thanks to the Domination skill. It was only natural because I dominated him with force, but I began to talk to him before he was fully under my control. The mana of Jinma was connecting us, so it was possible to do so.

[Are you sane?]

[…I don’t know. Have I found my mind? If I were sane, what would the world look like?]

[I think that you are.]

He was no longer stunned but didn’t move. He was out of energy physically, and even his mind was pushed to the limit.

[Why didn’t you kill me?]

[If I wanted to, I could’ve, but I don’t make a hobby of killing humans for no reason.]

I didn’t know if he would be hostile to me, but at the very least, he was a Fallen who was hunted by humans. He was silent for a moment, contemplating my words.

[You are really strong. How can I be as strong as you? Did you have a strong partner?]

[No, but I was lucky. I was born with good abilities.]

I may have been reborn as a goblin and suffered tremendously as a result, but I had a good family and a good partner. After the Great Fusion, I had also been blessed with useful abilities. But more than that, my environment wasn’t normal. I had Predation and the Ebon Heart and Rain and the others who stood by me. Without them, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

[I was weak at the start, though.]

[…Are you Fallen too? But how is such a human…no, are you really human?]

[It’s okay to talk about it more later, but I don’t have time now. So let’s focus on what we need to do now.]

[…What?]

I decided not to beat around the bush.

[If you want to live among the monsters, I will unlock your skills now and take you someplace safe.]

[…]

[But if you’re determined to go back into human society somehow, then become my subordinate. You won’t be able to laugh and chat with other humans, but you’ll at least be able to stay.]

[Is that possible?]

[It is.]

There was only one type of monster that humans weren’t hostile to, and those were the ones that had been tamed by humans. My ability to dominate was actually slightly different from that, but it was similar enough that it was indistinguishable to humans. If this ogre became my subordinate, he would no longer be a prey, but a part of someone’s army. My army. Touching him would be like stealing- a rebellion against the morality and order that humans were desperately defending. It wouldn’t be a forgivable offense, so he would be safe enough.

Humans hadn’t been hunting the Fallen because they were monsters that were threats to humanity, but rather as a way to level up. Even though that motive couldn’t be openly revealed, it still lurked below the surface. The moment the large guilds couldn’t justify their actions, everything would become too complicated for them to try and hunt this Fallen in secret. It was only really a valuable monster to hunt when anyone could go after it without worry.

[But…what does it mean to return to human society if we can’t mingle with humans?]

[Currently, you would only be talking to them as they die.]

[…]

[You have to find the purpose in it, not me. I can only promise you one thing.]

I thought of my past up until now, and of the people I had met. I thought of the future, the things that I may face, and the path I would take.

[By being my subordinate, you will have the chance to find the reason behind all of this.]

[I felt angry, but I never thought I could do anything about this.]

The ogre raised his head. I could tell that, despite Lee Chan-yu’s monsters, humans kept flocking to the surrounding area to see what was happening.

[But now, I’m sick of living with the monsters, breathing the same air as them.]

I couldn’t help but laugh at that, a bloody and dry laugh.

[If there is a way to live other than as a monster, even if it leads to death, I would be more than happy to choose it. And I will follow the one who made it possible.]

[That’s enough for now.]

The conditions were perfectly established; the Domination skill was able to express itself completely in a way that no one could cut through the relationship that bound the ogre and me as master and servant. I could feel his presence completely, the destructive power he had in him, and the deep sorrow and anger in his heart.

[My name is Fate.]

[I am Cain Russell. I’m British, originally.]

I stopped briefly, curiosity rising in me about how in the hell he had gotten from England to Korea. I decided to postpone that question for later. Right now, I needed to focus on clearing up the situation that was unfolding here.

[Khahahah!]

Once the domination was established, the mana of Jinma began to flow into him. Although it wasn’t enough for him to evolve, the wounds on his body began to recover immediately, and I could tell he was stronger. I was convinced that Cain could become a higher-level entity if he took a step forward, which also meant I had to train Lee Chan-yu as well, so he wouldn’t be pushed around by the new recruit.

[Whoo…]

He opened his mouth, his voice filling the air.

[I feel a lot better now.]

“The Fallen has recovered!”

“Damn it. I knew that guy would do something like this…!”

“Now, this one belongs to me.” Before the surrounding humans could grow too courageous, I declared this.