Another world joined the system, a world dominated by humans as of our current understanding.

  I was beseeched by the council as the shaman and leader of the camp.

  I reached the portal on the third day since its appearance, a prowess of a carriage driven by magically enhanced horse and the council fast appointment, a makeshift fort already standing strong, as expected of earth mages.

  Guards stood in front of the fort and caught sight of my carriage, stopping it right in front of the gate.

  “State your business and your identification.” asked the left guard“Dart Pic, shaman under the order of the council. II was sent here on behalf of the council to supervise the new portal.”

  The guards checked my identification while I waited inside the carriage.

  “Everything seems in order, welcome shaman”. The guard said while bowing slightly.

  Both guards stiffened and saluted before shouting “Long live the republic!”

  “Long live the republic” I answered less enthusiastically.

  I was led inside the fort, passing by warriors training, mages conjuring or manipulating earth, and patrols moving around.

  I found my three future comrades at the end of this endeavor waiting for me by the door of the largest building, the fort’s hall.

  “Greetings shaman, we have been waiting for you.” The leader began then proceeded by introducing himself. “I am Gora the leader of the defense team, and those are Pud and Yli the representative of the building and mage guild.” Pointing respectively to his right then left.

  Gora was an imposing goblin, probably bigger and larger than a feral hobgoblin, while both Pud and Yli were the average goblins like me.

  I descended from my carriage, my backside numb from the primitive transport, why was this portal in uncharted territories.

  “Greetings, as you already know I am the shaman appointed by the council to oversee this whole operation.” I proclaimed, making sure they understood the weight of my words and position.

  I walked inside the building as the 3 leaders followed me inside. “Any abnormal reports that I should be made aware of or any unusual activities that I would need to report to the capital ?” I followed with the usual questions not expecting an answer.

  “There is one peculiar thing sir.” Gora, the warrior began. “We found no newborn feral goblins.”

  “Nothing to worry about if it’s only feral goblins, maybe that world’s military took care of them.” I answered.

  “Speaking of sir, if I may.” Yli, the mage took his turn as we were sitting in the meeting room built by his mages and the few builders.

  “That world’s civilization seems extremely advanced, seeing as they have concrete buildings but also an impure air due to unknown factors, we think they might be more advanced than the gnomes or the dwarves.” So that was a technologically advanced world.

  “Good, any other things to report?” I asked, feeling the strain of the journey here weighing on me, I should invest a bit more in endurance.

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  “Nothing.” Said the 3 other leaders at the same time.

  “Dismissed.”

  And so, the first of many meetings came to an end as my head touched the pillow atop my beds in one of the rooms assigned to me.

  I dreamed that night.

  No, Gobu our Guardian Deity, our world’s Will descended upon me during my sleep, a Prophecy.

  I saw a human, a man meditating, I could the Forces, the beings from Afar, from Beyond tempting him.

  To be able to hear their voices so soon was a testimony of great potential and enlightenment.

  If he did not die, he would grow into a great being, maybe he was that world’s Demi-God?

  I could feel Gobu reaction to my thought of him being the Demi-God, it was one of pity and rebuttal.

  He was not the Demi-God.

  I thought about the 2 paths that presented itself to us, helping him or terminating him.

  I could feel the world’s Wrath befell my very soul at the idea of simply being hostile towards him, but also its approval of helping him.

  Then I saw it, the First Calamity, as fire ravaged the world, I saw the man entering a portal our portal only to be met with feral goblins and no member of our fort.

  Strange why was no one there to welco…

  I felt the world’s fear...?!

  The simple thought of helping him after the first calamity could induce fear in our Guardian Deity?

  The only reason for that would be…

  That human would manage to attract the attention of Beings above our own Deity, how?

  He was not even the Demi-God.

  I could feel the world refute my previous thought.

  He used to be the Demi-god.

  I could now feel the world refute this thought but not that it was true before.

  How can a world’s Demi-god stop being one without dying or being simply annihilated from existence.

  And that’s when I woke up, with one last vision, a vision of tomorrow’s night, of that man sneaking to the portal and buying water.

  And so, after sleeping for almost half a day cycle, I woke up, quickly organizing my thoughts.

  As I finished remembering my goal from that prophecy, my royal pendant vibrated.

  And a booming voice filled the entire fort and rocking it in the process, the representative of the council.

  “Shaman Pic, by order of the unanimous council, you are thereby given free reigns over one of the 17 portals leading to the new world, anyone disobeying Shaman Pic would be deemed as a traitor of the Nation and executed.”

  As the voice finished, a sigil appeared on my pendant, the council’s sigil.

  Soon the whole camp congregated around the Fort’s Hall.

  I went out of my room, the other leaders waiting for me not daring to look me in the eyes, the shock still written all over their face.

  I stood outside the Hall, the leaders standing behind me, I looked at the mass of goblins that was waiting for me, eyes full of devotion to the Nation and some tinge of fear.

  “Continue all your previous tasks, no change would be needed, but tonight I will be crossing the Portal to the other world escorted by some of you.

  Long live the republic.” The goblins’ devotion rising up, filling their voices, more than a hundred goblins faith and conviction brimming alongside their bodies.

  “Long live the republic!” shouted all the goblins.

  “Long live the republic!” I said filled with poise and the weight of my duty.

  I turned back to my fellow leaders; despite my new position I still considered them equals.

  As we reached the meeting room.

  I explained that we would be initiating contact with the humans near the portal.

  Not talking about the Prophecy, fearing the presence of traitors or heretics.

  And so we left, and I returned to my room, still a few hours before having to cross the portal so I communed with the world around me, it was my meditation.

  After communing for one hour, I began preparing my spells, ingredients and equipment.

  Crossing towards a new world, one so young and still adapting, could prove more dangerous than one already under the system.

  Illness, lack of suitable breathable air or simply their sun killing us.

  We had to wait till mana was infused into the very world, and this usually meant the First Calamity had already descended, like it did for us 37 years ago.

  We crossed the portal, I and some warriors and mages.

  We reached the Middle Grounds as we call them, the place Inbetween 2 portals, this is where feral goblins came from as they have been extinct from our continent for decades.

  We quickly made our way through the portal, disposing of any feral beasts on our path.

  We crossed the portal and that’s where I saw him.

  As my feet met the wet ground from his failed attempt at buying water.

  As our eyes met, eyes devoid of purpose but, nonetheless eyes of sentient breathing one.

  And on that night, I met a pitiful man.

  “Hello there”