I Am Not The Duke's Evil Son-Chapter 85: Implanting the Mana Core

In a distant corner deep within the Thorned Dark Forest, the goblin who had survived was running like mad, heading toward the main nest where their leader resided.

Having fled for several days, his physical condition was terrible, and he was severely exhausted, yet he never stopped until he reached his destination.

Along his way, the dense trees gradually thinned out until he arrived at a flat expanse of land, devoid of any greenery. All that remained were the stumps of chopped trees.

Before him, as far as the eye could see, stood a massive wooden fortress, built in a crude and disorganized fashion its shape utterly bizarre.

The goblin took a breath to recover and ran toward the nest. As soon as he arrived, the goblins assigned to guard the massive gate opened it for him and let him in.

Inside the fortress, hundreds of goblins of various shapes and sizes bustled about, wearing all sorts of grotesque clothing. Several ferocious wolves were caged in small pens, and dogs roamed everywhere. Naturally, there were also other types of monsters, though in smaller numbers. Shamans and Rank D goblins filled the place in large numbers, and goblin younglings scurried around like ants, too numerous to count.

Grrraaar!

The goblin looked around cautiously, tinged with fear. Their kind had no laws—death could come at any moment for no reason at all. He walked slowly through the crowded stronghold, which resembled a small, densely packed city filled with rooms and burrows. He kept walking until he reached a large, dilapidated house built of wood barely deserving to be called a house.

The goblins had attempted to mimic humans and construct civilized homes, but the result was abysmal.

Guarding the door were dozens of Rank D goblins. As soon as they saw the small goblin, they shouted at him angrily and threatened to kill him.

Grgrgrgr!

But the goblin replied in their own language, explaining that he had brought important information.

Though still angry, the goblins let him pass. As soon as the survivor entered the large house, he found himself in a spacious hall filled with various kinds of treasures, resources, and even large monster skeletons hung around as decorations.

At the far end of the fortress sat a huge throne made of bones. Seated upon it was an enormous hobgoblin, larger than a human, with a muscular body. He wore a loincloth made of monster hide, covering only what mattered. His face was vaguely human-like, but he had no hair instead, fur covered his scalp. His mouth was full of sharp fangs, and a strange bloody red line stretched from beneath his eyes down to his chin.

"What have you brought me, little one?" the hobgoblin suddenly spoke in the familiar human tongue.

The goblin was terrified, overwhelmed by the aura of his leader. With a trembling body, he explained what had happened to him and his companions, telling of a group of extremely powerful humans especially emphasizing Novarian’s strength.

The hobgoblin nodded in understanding, his gaze darkening.

"What will we do, Chief?" suddenly asked another goblin beside the leader.

Unlike regular goblins, this one was a Rank C shaman—the second strongest in the goblin army.

The shaman wore a black robe that covered his entire body, adorned with bone jewelry. He too had a large build, nearly the size of a human.

His appearance was savagely monstrous, yet at the same time, he radiated unexpected intelligence. The hobgoblin growled: "Gather more goblins. Seek out more tribes and add them to our ranks. Also, try to tame more beasts. I will not let anyone ruin our plan."

The shaman nodded in understanding and replied politely: "But this might change the timing of our attack."

"Hmph, that doesn’t matter. It’s not like the humans know we’re coming. Let them enjoy their petty victory."

"Understood," replied the shaman, then ordered the small goblin:

"Go now, eat some meat and rest. A boy like you who survived those savage humans deserves to be celebrated."

Grgrgr! The goblin jumped for joy and left.

Despite the intelligence the hobgoblin and shaman displayed, neither considered the crucial question: How did that little goblin survive if the humans were truly as strong as he claimed?

...

Back in Thornsreach Barony, five days after the goblin extermination mission, many things had changed in the main town. It seemed much cleaner, improving many residents’ moods some even felt a bit happy. Movement through the town became easier, as they no longer had to watch their step so cautiously.

But unlike them, those who had cleaned the place were in a pitiful state. The disgusting scenes they had dealt with killed their appetites, and it was clear they would need days to mentally recover. At the same time, this revolting task helped them understand just how severe the punishments could be if they disobeyed orders again.

This wasn’t the only change that surprised people. They were shocked and horrified when they saw their lord return to the town accompanied by several small green-skinned creatures. Their hatred of goblins made them angry at the sight of these beings, but they couldn’t do anything to harm them, as Arthur’s soldiers stood in the way.

To avoid unnecessary and pointless conflict, Arthur had the Droblin group join the recruits shared affiliations strengthen bonds. And it seemed his plan was working.

At first, the recruits hated the idea of having half-beasts among their ranks, but after going through the same training for three consecutive days, that hatred began to fade. In fact, some open-minded humans got to know the Droblin and even formed friendships.

As for the projects, the soap workshop had run out of raw materials and would soon shut down but fortunately, the amount of soap produced was sufficient. All that remained now was to export it.

The carpentry workshop had become highly successful, one of the most popular places in the town. Many residents visited daily to either buy firewood or have various items made. This brought in a decent income.

As for the paper factory, most of its construction was complete. However, due to its complexity, it suffered some setbacks that required Arthur’s personal intervention to solve.

Overall, the barony was progressing steadily. The place was cleaner, public toilets were becoming accepted if not loved and soap had become widespread. Hygiene among many commoners had improved significantly.

Because Arthur employed a large number of craftsmen and builders, the economic status of many families improved. However, the issue of food shortages still remained. Even so, many people’s opinions of Arthur had changed—they now respected him and saw him as a true lord. In fact, many felt embarrassed, knowing they had called him vile behind his back.

As for Arthur the reason behind all this, he was currently in his room, wearing a strange expression. Before him were dozens of magical potions filled with colorful liquids.

Calmly, he muttered, "It’s time."

He looked at the glass bowl filled with red blood and sighed in relief:

"The Affinity Stage is complete."

He then took the wooden mana core out of the blood, inspecting it carefully. He noticed it had shrunk slightly, and its beautiful green color was now marked with a web of bloody red vein-like lines.

Gently, he placed the mana core into another bowl filled with a magical blue liquid. Without pausing, he lifted a glass full of strange red fluid and drank it.

Since returning, he had crafted numerous glass containers, prepared the needed materials, and brewed some essential magical potions for the implantation procedure.

The blue liquid he drank now was a heart-calming potion that prepared his body to receive a foreign object.

After waiting for about an hour, he undressed, took out a very sharp dagger, and looked at his abdomen with a mix of pain and hesitation.

"Damn it... no need to be afraid."

He steeled his resolve and calmly placed the dagger’s tip on his belly above the navel, making a shallow cut. Then, slowly, he took the mana core from the bowl.

Surprisingly, its size had reduced even further thanks to the blue potion it was now the size of a bean, making the implantation easier.

Gently, Arthur placed the core into his body. The sensation was strange a mix of pain and cold but the moment it entered, insane heat surged through his entire body, as if the heart had awakened from slumber and begun its assault, rapidly swelling back to full size.

Arthur moved quickly, grabbing another magical potion and pouring it over the wound, which healed instantly. He then drank three potions at once and sat on a nearby chair with worried eyes, silently waiting for what he knew was coming.

The potions he had taken calmed the mana core and helped it settle briefly but this was only temporary. As soon as the core began to take root, he would endure unimaginable agony.

And that’s what happened. After fifteen minutes of eerie stillness, Arthur was suddenly struck by a searing pain in his stomach, as if someone had jammed a stake into his gut. He leapt up and collapsed, writhing in agony.

He resisted the urge to scream but he couldn’t stop his voice. Sweat drenched his body, yet his eyes never lost their light. No despair showed. He held fast to his resolve and clenched his teeth so tightly that his gums bled.

"I have to endure this."