Chapter 24: The Signs

So...with measured caution, I lowered myself onto the mat, though every muscle in my body remained tense as my eyes swept over the gathered goblins, searching for the slightest sign of danger.

A broad-shouldered warrior stepped forward then, his rough, calloused hands carefully presenting a wooden bowl carved with faint swirling patterns.

The liquid inside was thick and so dark it was almost black, immediately putting me on edge.

I eyed it suspiciously before tightening my grip around the bowl’s rough edges.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A drink of welcome," Orgrun said, watching me carefully. "It will ease your weariness."

I raised the wooden cup and brought it to my nose, taking a cautious sniff.

An earthy, bitter aroma drifted up, carrying the scent of damp soil and freshly crushed herbs.

My eyes briefly met Orgrun’s.

For all I knew, this could be poison, or something even worse. But even if it was, I knew it wouldn’t harm me.

So, without another word, I tipped the cup back and drank.

The instant the liquid touched my tongue, a gentle warmth spread through my body.

It wasn’t the searing heat of fire or alcohol, but a soothing sensation that flowed through my veins like a slow, comforting current.

The tension that had settled into my shoulders melted away, the ache in my muscles gradually disappeared, and the weariness weighing down my body seemed to dissolve with it.

In its place came a quiet but unmistakable surge of vitality, as though every part of me had been refreshed from within.

It wasn’t a dramatic transformation or a sudden surge of overwhelming power, but I still felt a gentle wave of energy spread through my body, easing into my muscles and bones until I couldn’t help but let out a slow breath.

My fingers flexed instinctively as the subtle strength settled into my limbs, leaving me feeling lighter, sharper, and unmistakably stronger than I had been just moments ago.

My gaze immediately snapped toward Orgrun.

That was no ordinary drink.

A familiar blue notification appeared before me.

[You have consumed Orgrun’s Elixir]

[+3 to All Attributes (Temporary)]

Well... that was interesting.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I wasted no time pulling up my status screen to confirm the changes for myself.

[Stats]

Physical: 39 (+3)

Mental: 5 (+3)

Social: 0 (+3)

Stat Point: 11

I blinked.

Wow.

This was good stuff.

The boost wasn’t massive, but it spread across the board, strengthening every attribute just a little. Even my Social had gone up, and that almost never happened.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Talia moving closer before quietly settling beside me. Her expression remained carefully neutral, but I could feel her gaze lingering on me, studying me as though she were trying to understand what she’d just witnessed.

After a long moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"Chief," she said, her voice calm and steady. "This is Sylas." She paused briefly, searching for the right word before meeting his eyes again.

"He is... different."

"Different?"

In a good way... right?

The pause after the introduction told me otherwise.

In a good way... right?

Orgrun’s golden eyes remained fixed on me, deep and unreadable, before he slowly gave a single nod.

"That much is clear."

I froze, my stomach sinking.

The fck do you mean?

Talia let out a quiet breath before meeting my gaze, her expression calm but unwavering.

"I believe he may be the one."

I stared at her for a moment before blinking in confusion.

"The what now?"

What the hell was she talking about?

My mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Was this some bizarre arranged marriage with Talia? Or maybe some sacred ritual where I’d have to bond my soul to a tree for the rest of my life? Whatever it was, I wanted no part of it.

I instinctively tensed, already preparing to argue, or if things somehow got even weirder, make a run for it.

Talia seemed to notice the alarm on my face because she quickly clarified, her voice firm.

"The chosen one."

"Chosen one?"

I repeated the words in my mind, and somehow that sounded even worse.

Honestly, I’d rather take the marriage.

Husband? Sure, I could roll with that.

But "Chosen One"?

Nope.

That title came with far too much responsibility and way too many expectations for my liking.

Around me, murmurs spread through the gathered trolls like wildfire.

Excitement rippled through the crowd as hopeful eyes lit up one after another, all of them fixed on me with an anticipation that made me increasingly uncomfortable.

Others? Not so much.

Their expressions ranged from skeptical to downright murderous, making it painfully clear that Gunther wasn’t the only one who had a problem with me.

I clicked my teeth in annoyance as everything finally began to fall into place.

So this was why Talia had been so damn patient with me, why she hadn’t been nearly as aggressive as Gunther and the others, and why she had brought up that prophecy earlier.

She had been planting the idea in my head all along, trying to soften me up before dropping this insane bombshell.

And like an idiot, I had completely missed it.

Gunther, however, let out a loud scoff, his face twisting with open disdain.

"Don’t be absurd, Talia. How can this abomination be the chosen one?"

Talia didn’t flinch. Her eyes never left the chief, because out of everyone gathered there, he was the only one whose opinion truly mattered.

"Scaly skin, gluttonous appetite, a strange troll with no memory? It all fits."

I snapped my head toward her, a knot forming in my stomach.

"I’m sorry... what are we talking about here?"

Orgrun’s golden eyes settled on me.

He didn’t answer immediately, simply studying me with an unnervingly calm expression, as though weighing every detail against some unseen standard.

The longer he looked, the more uncomfortable I became.

"Looking at him closely..." he finally muttered. "I can see the traits."

Oh. Hell. No.

Before I could ask what that was supposed to mean, Gunther, the oversized brute who had hated my guts from the moment we’d met, stomped forward and jabbed a thick finger in my direction.

"He can’t be the one, Chief! He killed humans! He broke the law!"

I rolled my eyes.

"I didn’t kill the humans. The ogre did."

Did that info really matter? No.

But I still refused to let myself be falsely accused.

Gunther’s then glared, his voice rising above the crowd.

"But you ate their brains! Did you not?"