The deep tunnels of the goblin city had never been silent, not truly. The distant echoes of chattering creatures, the drip of water against ancient stone, and the ever-present rustle of unseen horrors had always been part of its suffocating existence. But tonight, there was only silence.

  All eyes were on Eliana.

  The goblin city had changed in the wake of her ascension. Blood stained the walls of its underground halls, and the bodies of fallen hobgoblins lay discarded like forgotten relics of a bygone era. She had crushed them all. She had ripped through their ranks with magic, claws, and willpower forged in agony and suffering.

  And yet, her final test remained.

  At the core of the city, in the ruins of an ancient chamber that had long since crumbled with time, sat the Goblin Lord. No goblin dared to approach his domain. To do so was to invite certain death. He had ruled for longer than any could remember, his body having long since evolved beyond that of the wretched creatures who cowered before him.

  He was no mere goblin. He had transcended the limitations of his kin and become something far worse. Some called him an orc, but even that was an insult to what he had become. His form was monstrous—taller than any hobgoblin, his skin thick and coarse like stone, his tusks long and sharp like a predator who had never known hunger. His body was lined with scars, each one a testament to a battle he had survived. His eyes burned like embers, alive with an unnatural hunger, a force of sheer will that had kept him at the top of the food chain for decades.

  Eliana entered the chamber without hesitation. The Goblin Lord sat upon a throne of bones, the remains of past challengers stacked beneath him in mockery of their failed ambition. He did not rise immediately. Instead, he studied her, his lips curling in amusement.

  “You are the one they whisper of,” his voice rumbled like distant thunder. “The little goblin who became a monster.”

  Eliana said nothing. Words had lost their meaning long ago. Only action mattered now.

  The Goblin Lord stood, his massive form casting a shadow over the chamber. His muscles rippled as he flexed his clawed fingers. “You think yourself worthy?” He grinned, revealing jagged teeth. “Then prove it.”

  He moved faster than any creature of his size had a right to. Eliana barely had time to react before his fist came crashing down. She dodged, rolling to the side as the stone floor shattered beneath his blow. Dust and debris filled the air, but she didn’t hesitate. With a snarl, she unleashed a blast of raw energy at his side.

  The attack struck true, but the Goblin Lord merely grunted, turning toward her with a smirk. “Pathetic.”

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  He lunged, his massive hand closing around her throat. Eliana gasped as she was lifted off the ground, her legs kicking against empty air. His grip was like an iron vice, his strength overwhelming. Her claws dug into his wrist, but he did not flinch.

  “I have crushed creatures stronger than you,” he growled, his grip tightening.

  The edges of Eliana’s vision darkened. The suffocating pressure threatened to crush her throat, but she refused to succumb. With a furious snarl, she channeled every ounce of power within her. Her body burned, her veins surging with raw energy.

  And then, she let it explode.

  A surge of magical force erupted from within her, sending the Goblin Lord flying across the chamber. He crashed into the far wall, the stone crumbling beneath his weight. Eliana landed on her feet, gasping for breath. But there was no time to recover. The Goblin Lord was already moving again.

  The battle descended into chaos.

  Blow after blow, they clashed like titans, shaking the very foundation of the goblin city. The Goblin Lord fought with the primal fury of a beast, his attacks relentless and devastating. Eliana countered with speed and precision, striking at his weak points, using her magic to keep him off balance. Yet, he was relentless. Every wound she inflicted healed before her eyes. Every spell she cast was met with a brutal counterattack.

  Blood coated the ground. Some of it was his. Most of it was hers.

  And still, she fought.

  She knew she could not win through strength alone. She had to evolve. She had to break through her limitations, just as she had done before.

  The Goblin Lord lunged, his claws aimed at her heart. She didn’t move. Instead, she embraced the moment. The world seemed to slow as something deep within her stirred. The rage, the pain, the hunger—it all coalesced into a single point of absolute focus.

  And then, she let go.

  A deafening roar ripped through the chamber as an explosion of raw energy engulfed her. The ground beneath her feet cracked, the very air trembled. Her body was no longer her own—it was changing, morphing, breaking apart and rebuilding itself in an instant. Bones stretched, muscles thickened, skin hardened into something unbreakable.

  When the light faded, the Goblin Lord staggered back, his eyes wide in shock.

  Eliana was no longer the creature she had been mere moments ago.

  Her body had transformed. She was taller, her form bulkier with raw power. Her tusks had grown, her claws sharper. Her skin, once rough and hardened, now gleamed with an unnatural resilience. And the magic within her—it no longer crackled chaotically. It flowed, controlled and terrifying in its intensity.

  She was no longer a goblin. No longer a mere hobgoblin.

  She had become an orc.

  The Goblin Lord’s shock lasted only a moment. Then, he charged with a bellowing war cry.

  But it was already too late.

  Eliana met his attack with terrifying speed. She dodged his strike with ease, her newfound power coursing through her limbs. Before he could react, she slammed her fist into his chest, sending him hurtling across the chamber. He tried to rise, but she was upon him before he could recover. Her claws found his throat.

  For the first time, fear flickered in his eyes.

  “No,” he rasped. “This—this is not—”

  With one final, decisive strike, Eliana ended him.

  The chamber fell silent.

  The goblin city, once ruled by fear and bloodshed, now had a new ruler.

  Eliana—no, Lady Valerius—had completed her transformation. And now, nothing could stand in her way.

  The road to vengeance had only just begun.