God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

The Blood Empowerment spell was not unfamiliar to Ka’z. He had seen the goblin shamans use it several times during the battle, and after witnessing what it could do to the first goblin shaman be ever saw, he finally understood why the technique had become one of their most commonly used spells.

Goblins had never been particularly renowned for their magical talent. Their natural affinity for the elements was poor compared to most magical beasts, and even those who managed to awaken a core often struggled to shape complex spells.

So when a race like that finally gained access to magic, it was only natural that they would prioritize the things they already understood best.

Strengthening the body, weapons and turning themselves into better warriors.

Even Grash had followed the same principle with his Mana Body, although his technique had evolved far beyond the simple enhancement spells used by ordinary goblin shamans.

Now Ka’z finally understood why.

The sensation was intoxicating. Every drop of blood entering his body made him feel stronger. His muscles felt tighter, his senses sharper. But there was something else hidden beneath that strength.

The more blood entered his body, the more his emotions intensified. His anger became hotter. His hatred became sharper. Even his disdain for the goblins surrounding him began growing into something almost instinctive. Thoughts that normally required conscious consideration suddenly felt obvious. Kill them and tear them apart.

Ka’z’s eyes trembled slightly as he struggled to maintain control.

’This magic is messing with my head.’

He clenched his teeth and forced himself to breathe slowly, trying to separate his own thoughts from the emotions flooding his mind. It reminded him of Tu’ka. For the longest time, Ka’z had assumed his brother’s distant personality came from arrogance. In the past, Tu’ka rarely spoke, rarely socialized and seemed perfectly comfortable staying away from everyone else. Ka’z had once thought he simply disliked the colony.

But now he understood.

Tu’ka’s Shadow Magic was also Unorthodox Magic. Perhaps the isolation wasn’t because Tu’ka thought himself superior and his own magic constantly influenced him in ways he had never understood. Perhaps keeping his distance from others was his way of maintaining control over himself.

That realization made Ka’z hesitate for only a moment. Then a powerful sensation surged through his body again, dragging his attention back to the battlefield.

Brox, Lucy and the remaining hobogoblins were not nearly as composed. They stared at Ka’z as though they were looking at something that should not exist.

The young kobold had already demonstrated the ability to use Orthodox Magic. They had witnessed him manipulate fire, wind and earth with the Words of Power. Yet now he was standing before them using Blood Magic without speaking a single word or carving a single rune.

"Isn’t it impossible to use both?" one of the hobogoblins muttered, his voice trembling.

Lucy didn’t answer. Her eyes remained locked on Ka’z’s crimson body.

The Red Scripture had given their people access to knowledge that would normally have been impossible for goblins to obtain. Through it, they had eventually learned the relationship between Orthodox and Unorthodox Magic. Those who practiced Unorthodox Magic eventually corrupted their cores, and once that corruption progressed far enough, their ability to manipulate Orthodox elements disappeared. Even the Words of Power and runes associated with Orthodox Magic stopped responding properly.

Rudor was living proof, yet this child had used both. He had used Orthodox Magic only moments ago, and now he was standing in front of them covered in the power of Blood Magic.

Lucy swallowed hard.

"Monsters..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her eyes widened as she looked around the battlefield. "This damn cave is just filled with monsters."

Her mind briefly wandered toward the other battles.

Tud’or.

Kong’gong.

Tu’ka.

Lan’ka.

Even the younger kobolds who had already displayed abilities that exceeded what she expected from their age.

For the first time, Lucy wondered whether their decision to concentrate their forces here had been a mistake. Perhaps they should have withdrawn every soldier from the western region and committed their entire military strength to destroying this colony before it had the opportunity to grow any further.

But regret was useless now. They were already here and army had already entered the cave. Their dead were already lying across the tunnels. The only thing remaining was to take what they had come for.

"Assist Brox, quickly!" Lucy ordered.

The hobogoblins immediately moved.

Ka’z saw them coming from the corners of his crimson vision.

Behind Brox, several weapons were already being raised as the goblins attempted to surround him before attacking simultaneously.

Ka’z’s fingers tightened around the iron club still trapped in his grasp and the metal creaked.

Cracks appeared across its surface as his claws dug deeper into the weapon.

Brox’s eyes widened. He suddenly understood that something was wrong. The towering goblin released the club without hesitation and jumped backward, abandoning his weapon to create distance.

But Ka’z had already moved. His body blurred forward.

Pfft!

Several thin claw marks appeared across Brox’s belly. Blood immediately escaped from the wounds, but only a small amount.

Ka’z’s eyes narrowed.

’Too shallow.’

The blood should have fallen.

It didn’t.

The droplets remained suspended in the air.

Ka’z’s eyes flicked toward them as the Blood Empowerment responded to his will. The scattered droplets twisted together, forming a thin crimson strand roughly five inches long. It hovered beside him for an instant before shooting sideways.

Ka’z moved at the same time.

BANG!

The first hobogoblin arrived exactly where Ka’z had been standing. His battle axe crashed into the ground hard enough to chip the stone, but the goblin barely had time to recover before a burning pain exploded through his body.

He released the weapon and grabbed his left eye.

"Aaaaaagh!"

Blood poured between his fingers as he stumbled backward, screaming in agony. Nobody understood what had happened.

Then they saw Ka’z.

The young kobold stood directly in front of another hobogoblin, his small arm buried deep inside the goblin’s chest.

The battlefield went silent.

The goblin’s mouth opened, but no words came out. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he looked down at the small arm protruding from his body. His hands trembled as he attempted to grab Ka’z’s arm, but his strength was already disappearing.

Ka’z stared directly into his eyes. There was no hesitation as he pulled his arm free.

Pfft!

Blood erupted from the wound as the goblin released a broken cry. His knees buckled beneath him and he collapsed forward, hitting the ground face first beside Ka’z.

Ka’z didn’t even look at the corpse. Instead, he slowly raised the heart clutched in his hand.

Every goblin present stared at it.

The heart was still beating weakly as Ka’z lifted it above his head.

For a brief moment, something resembling reason returned to his crimson eyes. He looked at the organ in his hand and seemed almost confused by his own desire.

Then the Blood Magic surged again. His mouth opened and his fingers tightened.

The heart ruptured in his grasp.

Blood splashed across his face and poured between his fingers before Ka’z brought his hand toward his mouth and swallowed what remained. Some of the blood dripped down his chin and across his scales, but he paid no attention to it.

The crimson glow surrounding his body intensified and his pupils narrowed. Thin crimson lines began spreading from the corners of his eyes, creeping across his eyelids like cracks spreading through glass.

The remaining hobogoblins stopped moving and Brox stared at him with his hand pressed against his bleeding stomach.

Lucy couldn’t breathe.

Even the surrounding warriors who had been fighting moments earlier had unconsciously slowed down, their eyes fixed on the small kobold standing in the middle of the battlefield.

Ka’z slowly lowered his hand.

His crimson eyes swept across them. The expression on his face was no longer that of a frightened young kobold trying to survive his first real war.

Lucy took an involuntary step backward.

"Demon..." she gasped, fear completely overwhelming the confidence she had carried only moments earlier.