From Slave to King: My Rebate System Built Me a Kingdom With Beauties!

Chapter 248: Untitled [FIXED!]

Byung stepped out of the healer’s longhouse after checking on Velara one last time. She was still unconscious, body motionless under thick furs, but color had returned to her face and her breathing sounded steady. The settlement square felt completely different now—alive in a way it hadn’t been when he’d left. Torches flickered against the gathering dusk, casting dancing shadows. Goblins and orcs moved with purpose, but every few steps someone would stop to nod at him, touch a fist to their chest, or just stare in quiet awe.

The welcome wasn’t loud cheers or speeches. It was quieter, deeper. An older goblin pressed a small woven bracelet into his palm before stepping back respectfully. A grizzled orc blacksmith paused his hammer strikes long enough to grunt, "Good you’re back, my King." Even the Stonehide orcs—the ones who’d once looked at goblins like vermin—met his eyes with something close to reverence.

A few younger goblins whispered among themselves near a supply tent, voices carrying just far enough: "He came back from the dark... like the old stories." Some were starting to see him not just as their king, but as something more—something closer to the gods the ancient tales spoke of.

Naruz walked beside him. "They needed to see you alive," she said quietly. "Rumors spread fast in this place. Some said you were dead. Others claimed you’d ascended... turned into something divine."

Byung flexed his fingers, feeling the new strength coiled under his skin like something alive waiting to be released. "I almost did," he admitted.

Then he asked the question burning in his mind. "Where’s Maui now?"

Naruz’s expression shifted to one of pride. "Maui’s ambition has grown. She’s no longer content to just hold this place together. She wants more. She’s convinced the Stonehide tribe that the western provinces are weak—Borg especially. She’s planning to take his territory. Not raid it. Claim it. She’s ready for this."

Byung stopped walking. A slow smile spread across his face.

He loved it.

If Borg fell and Maui made it happen, Byung would inherit the loyalty of whatever orcs survived. Not through blood or birthright, but through the simple fact that he’d helped build this new way of living. Even though he was just a goblin, he knew he was stronger than most orcs now. Physical strength wasn’t the only measure of power anymore. He had mana pathways running through his body. He had visions that showed him things before they happened. He’d survived things that should have killed him ten times over.

If Maui succeeded, he could command those orcs without facing a single challenge. They would follow because they’d seen what happened when someone stood against their king.

"This is perfect," he murmured. "Better than I hoped for."

Naruz raised an eyebrow. "You’re not worried she’ll overreach?"

"I’m counting on it," Byung said.

They reached Murkfang’s quarters—a sturdy stone-and-timber building near the eastern wall. The big orc stood outside, arms crossed, clearly waiting. When he saw Byung, his scarred face split into a genuine grin.

"About time, my King," Murkfang rumbled. He stepped forward and clasped Byung’s forearm in the old goblin way—firm, no nonsense. "Come inside. You look like you’ve been through a war."

"I have," Byung said.

The door closed behind them. The room smelled of oiled leather, wood smoke, and the metallic bite of whetstone. A low table held maps, a half-empty jug of fermented root beer, and carved wooden figures Murkfang used for planning defenses.

Murkfang poured two mugs without asking and slid one across. "You’ve been gone too long. Sit. Tell me what happened down there."

Byung took the mug but didn’t drink yet. "Later. First tell me what I missed. Everything."

Murkfang leaned back, arms folded. "Maui and Grishka took most of the heavy hitters—four of Grishka’s honor guard, all women, all absolutely terrifying—and went after you. Overkill if you ask me. Grishka alone could have handled it. But Maui insisted. Said she wouldn’t leave our king to rot."

Byung nodded slowly. That sounded like Maui.

Murkfang continued. "They left three days ago. Haven’t heard back yet. But before they rode out, Gribnox came here. Pacing around my quarters like a trapped rat. Kept saying you were in danger—not just normal danger. Something worse. Something he’d seen."

Byung raised a brow. "Gribnox came to you? What did he say?"

"Strange things," Murkfang said, frowning at the memory. "The former baron looked like he hadn’t slept in days, honestly. Eyes all red, hands shaking. But you’re here now. Alive. So maybe there was something real to his warning after all."

Byung set the mug down carefully. "Tell me everything he said. Word for word if you remember. Don’t skip anything."

Murkfang blinked, surprised at the sudden intensity in Byung’s voice. He studied Byung’s face carefully, then nodded once.

"Alright. He came in late—moon was high in the sky. Looked like he hadn’t slept in days, honestly. Started talking fast, like he was afraid the words would run away from him if he slowed down even a little bit."

Murkfang cleared his throat and lowered his voice, doing his best impression of Gribnox’s higher, nervous pitch.

"’Murkfang—our king is in real trouble. Serious trouble. Not just orcs or traps or the usual bullshit. Something... different. My son saw it in a dream. Like he was actually there watching it happen. Byung was in danger and there was blood everywhere," Murkfang didn’t recall it as accurately but he managed to pass the overall message.

Murkfang finished the recitation and returned to his normal voice, shaking his head. "Then he just stood there shaking like a leaf in the wind. I told him to go sleep it off and stop wasting my time. He left looking like I’d kicked him in the teeth," This wasn’t what quite happened but Murkfang added a little sauce to make it more enjoyable without derailing from the original point of the conversation.

Even though Byung didn’t need him to talk as he already collected every single thing from his mind reading abilities but realized it was a lot easier to read a mind that was recalling that exact event.

Byung sat very still, processing every word. His heart hammered hard against his ribs.

The blood.

Grigmor, the miracle child and first of his kind to be born without taking the life of his mother, there was no surprise that he was somehow linked to Byung.

There was so much Byung didn’t understand in this world and about his system but if Grigmor could sense or have dreams about what happens to him.

He needed to see the boy, and see if residue of his system had slipped into him.

Murkfang leaned forward across the table, his expression serious. "You know something, my King. I can see it on your face."

Byung exhaled slowly. He couldn’t tell Murkfang everything—some things were too dangerous to share, even with his most trusted. "I think... I think Gribnox’s son wasn’t just dreaming. Something happened down there...." Byung paused briefly.

Silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable.

Then Murkfang reached across the table and gripped Byung’s shoulder—hard and steady, grounding him.

"Whatever you need from me, I will do it. If you asked me to slit open my throat, I will do it without a second thought," Murkfang showed his undying loyalty to him.

Byung met his eyes. For the first time since returning, he felt something close to absolute certainty.

"This world is so much bigger than I thought," he said. "All these things we were told didn’t exist—mana, and elves—they’re all real. And we were left ignorant. I understand now why they say ’ignorance is bliss.’ But I’m done being ignorant. That part of my life is over."

He stood up.

"I feel invincible, Murkfang. Not because I’m the strongest. But because I finally understand what I’m becoming. And if Maui takes Borg down, if Grigmor is somehow seeing visions... then everything is falling into place exactly like it should."

Murkfang rose too. "What happens now, my King?"

"Now," Byung said, "we wait for Maui and Grishka to come back. And when they do, we make sure whatever comes next belongs to us. No compromises."

He looked toward the door, toward the settlement beyond it, the place that had welcomed him home as their king, the people who had waited, some already whispering of divinity.

This was no longer just survival.

This was conquest and Byung knew he needed to find the actual dwarves yet to be corrupted.