Azrael was speechless for a moment, unable to grasp the reality of the situation. He looked up at the goblin elder who had just spoken to him a withered creature whose green skin had faded with age and wisdom, his long ears drooping slightly, adorned with tribal piercings of bone and stone.
"I… I can't recall, sir," Azrael finally answered, his voice calm but measured. "But it seems our color differs."
The elder hummed deeply, rubbing his chin with a bony hand. "Hmmm… it seems you were abandoned by your tribe. Well, don't worry. Make yourself at home. When our leader returns, he would love to talk to you, child."
Azrael offered a small, practiced smile. He nodded respectfully and turned away, his crimson eyes scanning the primitive village ahead. The streets were dirt paths lined with crude wooden huts, some covered in moss, others decorated with totems and bones. Despite the goblins' brutish reputation in many tales, the village was lively and noisy, even but not hostile.
He made his way through the crowd, and soon his eyes landed on a crudely drawn wooden sign: a cup carved into it, hanging above a hut's entrance. The scent of fermented berries and roasted meat drifted from within. A tavern. The nostalgia struck him like a slow breeze.
How long has it been…? he thought. A wave of memories tried to crawl up taverns from his past timeline, laughter with companions, betrayal, warmth, cold steel but the system's restrictions kept much of nothing locked away. Still, it was familiar. Comforting, in an eerie sort of way.
He pushed the door open with a creak.
The inside buzzed with laughter, crude jokes, and the clinking of wooden mugs. Goblins of varying sizes and colors huddled in corners, arm-wrestling, gambling, or drinking themselves into a stupor. The moment Azrael stepped in, however, silence rippled across the room. All eyes fell on him.
His presence was unlike anything the village had ever seen. Fair skin that shimmered under the dim light.Golden irises that glowed faintly beneath silver-white bangs. Even the faint, otherworldly aura that clung to him was enough to silence the tavern.
Then came the giggles.
A group of goblin girls slightly taller, their green skin smoother and more vibrant flocked toward him like moths to a flame. Their attire, though tribal, was decorated with beads and feathers, their eyes wide with fascination and curiosity.
"You're beautiful…" one murmured, placing her hand on his arm gently.
Another stepped forward with a shy smile. "Where did you come from? Your skin… your eyes… it's like a dream. Fuck me please i want to see how our children will be soon it became a cheer fuck me fuck me all the girls screamed in fascination earning Azrael looks of jealousy from the male goblins.
Azrael's stomach twisted, not from fear, but from the attention. Their infatuation made him uncomfortable. But he remained calm, wearing the same polite smile, eyes betraying nothing.
He said nothing, simply nodding in acknowledgment as he gracefully slipped past them and settled into a quiet corner of the tavern. His gaze swept across the room.
Despite being goblins, their society mirrored humanity's. Tavern gossip, tribal currency, laughter, flirtation, drunkenness… It was all so familiar. Too familiar.
It's like a twisted mirror of my old world, he mused. Except… everyone here is a goblin.
Then he noticed something strange none of them bore hostile energy. No killing intent, no malice. Even the elder who spoke to him earlier was just… kind.
"Are they… different?" he muttered to himself. "Or is something else at play?"
As he sipped the drink handed to him some kind of berry mead with a spicy aftertaste his thoughts drifted to the "leader" the elder mentioned. Who would want to meet me? And why?
Suddenly, a message blinked in the corner of his vision:
[System Notification:]
[Daily Quest Completed.]
[Reward: +100 EXP, +1 Skill points]
[Hidden Objective Discovered]
[ New Quest Obtained ]
[Goblinoid Variant Integration: "You've blended into a hostile race without violence. They do not see you as enemy, but one of their own. Beware the line between mask and self."]
His eyes narrowed.
So this is all part of the system's design… But why here? Why them?
Just then, the tavern's door swung open.
A silence heavier than the first fell across the room.
A tall goblin stepped in unlike the others, he wore a layered coat made of stitched hides and plated bone. His arms were wrapped in crimson bandages, and a massive scimitar rested on his back. One eye was covered by an old iron plate, the other glinted gold.
He stopped, sniffed the air, and turned directly toward Azrael.
"...You," he said, his voice low and rough, like grinding stone. "You're not from any tribe I know."
Azrael didn't flinch. He stood slowly, meeting the warrior's gaze.
"No," he replied evenly. "I don't belong to any tribe."
The goblin grinned.
"Good. That makes you interesting."
Soon, an idea sparked in Azrael's mind.
Without hesitation, he activated his Appraisal skill and focused it on the imposing figure who had just burst through the tavern door.
________________________________________
[APPRAISAL COMPLETE]
[Name: Drake Sinclair]
[Race: Vampiric Goblin]
[Title: Chimera – Limitless Evolution]
[STR: 30]
[AGI: 28]
[HP: 400]
[MP: 700]
________________________________________
Azrael's pupils shrank.
A Vampiric Goblin…? No,Chimera? Limitless evolution?
His thoughts raced, blood draining from his face. This wasn't just a powerful goblin. This was something far more dangerous. A corrupted fusion. A hybrid of vampire and goblins.
And it seems the whole village was dissame an experiment he guessed.
Vampires are Mythical-ranked…Beasts
He clenched his jaw.
A single vampire, at full power, could wipe out an entire city. It took at least two X-Rank Hunters working in tandem to bring one down and even then, they rarely walked away unscathed. Vampires were apex predators: they possessed intelligence that dwarfed most humans, and their mana reserves were monstrous.
But this?
This creature Drake Sinclair was something worse. A vampire had done more than simply experiment. It had infused intelligence, structure, and perhaps even civilization into a tribe of goblins. The implications were chilling.
Azrael's mind reeled.
This entire village… this calm, structured society… it's not natural. It's artificial. It's a laboratory. A sandbox created by something twisted. A vampire created this. They turned feral beasts into sentient beings. Into people.
His heart thudded once, loud and sharp in his ears.
Why would a vampire do this? Why meddle with goblins?
Then it hit him like a blade to the gut.
They're evolving them. Tinkering. Maybe even breeding a new intelligent subspecies one that's loyal to them. A race that looks weak, underestimated, but hides devastating power.
And now, Azrael had stepped into the middle of it.
Shit…
He masked his fear with a calm expression, but his inner alarms screamed.
If the vampire who started this experiment discovered him…
If it knew that a human or something close to human had infiltrated its project…
He'd be toasted. Ripped apart. Studied. Turned. Or worse he'd become a new experiment.
He couldn't let that happen.
I have to get out. Fast.
Drake Sinclair was still watching him, that golden eye gleaming with interest.
"You're not afraid of me?" he asked, his voice like a blade drawn across bone.
Azrael smiled politely, hands at his sides.
"No," he lied smoothly. "Should I be?"
A silence passed between them.
Then Drake chuckled deep and hollow.
"Good answer."
But Azrael didn't miss the flicker in the man's eye. The unspoken question. What are you really? It was only a matter of time before they started digging.
Time he didn't have.
"Alright, come with me," the stranger said, voice calm but firm. "Let's talk in private… about how you came to exist, boy. I am the village head Drake Sinclair the only one who still bears our ancestors' last name. So tell me… who are you?"
Azrael followed, his mind racing. Up close, Drake was unnerving.
His skin was a light, almost pale green but unlike the others, he had distinctly human features. Smooth black hair, sharp jawline, even human ears. His irises were a striking blue, shimmering like polished sapphire. Aside from the green skin, he looked almost entirely human.
And that frightened Azrael more than anything else.
He's still evolving… Azrael realized. He's not even done yet.
Once fully transformed, Drake might become indistinguishable from a human. Or perhaps even something greater.
Azrael took a breath and forced a composed look. "I'm… Azrael Talen," he said. "That's all I know about myself. I woke up in the middle of the forest with no memories. But if you don't mind, I'll just… head back there. I don't want to cause trouble. I'm sure me being here is just a mistake."
He turned slightly, angling his body toward the exit, already preparing to flee without looking back.
But Drake stepped forward with a grin. "Come on, how can you say that?" he laughed, slapping Azrael's back. "You showing up is a blessing. Don't you see? We're like brothers! We have so many similarities hell, the only difference is our skin tone!"
Azrael tensed, but Drake continued, unbothered.
"They say once I finish evolving, my skin will become like yours normal. Just imagine that! We could travel the world together. Build a harem, see every kingdom, rule every woman, hah!" He grinned like a man already living that dream.
"But this village?" Drake scoffed. "It's dull. Lifeless. I'm tired of it. And maybe… just maybe… your arrival is the sign I've been waiting for."
He leaned in, blue eyes gleaming.
"So, Azrael… let's see how strong you are. Only the strong can be my brother."
Azrael gave a tense smile, but inside?
He was screaming.
You damned lunatic, his conscience wailed. Just let me go! I'm not your brother I want to live, damn it!
But outside, he only laughed softly and said, "Alright… I'll play along."