Chapter 162: Kong’gong’s Decision.

"So that’s how it is..." Kong’gong muttered while rubbing his braided beard with a thoughtful expression.

The old kobold remained seated in the quiet chamber, his fingers slowly moving through the thick braids as he processed everything Ka’z had just revealed.

Tong’a, O’nil, Lan’ka, Lady Zira, Za’r, Kurg and Tu’ka were also present, their gazes filled with surprise as they stared toward Ka’z with a mixture of shock and disbelief. The revelation about the conditions inside their ancestral cave had been difficult enough to accept, but the implications were even more disturbing.

For generations, they had believed their small stature, poor health and declining population were simply unfortunate characteristics of their race. Now they were learning that their environment had been contributing to all of it.

If anyone else had said such things, accepting them would have been difficult, but this was Ka’z. He had repeatedly proven that the strange knowledge he possessed was reliable, and more importantly, everything he had predicted about their future had eventually proven true.

"Yes... That’s what was revealed to me after the village was completed..." Ka’z nodded, his expression serious.

He had already explained the System’s revelation to everyone in the room, including the implications of remaining underground for another generation. The information had left everyone deeply unsettled, particularly the older kobolds who had spent their entire lives believing the cave was their safest refuge.

"That’s why you spaced out at that time," Za’r mumbled as she looked at him, finally understanding the strange expression Ka’z had worn during the village celebration.

Ka’z nodded in agreement before lowering his gaze slightly. "I’m sorry I didn’t explain then. It was just really hard to grasp everything that was revealed to me."

Za’r shook her head immediately, offering him a gentle smile. "I understand, you don’t have to apologize."

Her response eased some of the tension in Ka’z’s chest, and he gave her a grateful glance before turning his attention toward the oldest kobold in the room.

Ka’z looked directly at Kong’gong. "Everyone here is already living outside the caves. I only brought this up because I know you won’t be willing to leave due to your sight problems."

Kong’gong’s lips curled into a playful smile. "Then you already know my answer."

Buzz!

The reaction was immediate.

Everyone’s faces twisted with surprise. Even Ka’z hadn’t expected Kong’gong to reject the idea so casually. They had just spent considerable time discussing the dangers of remaining underground, yet the old kobold didn’t appear particularly concerned. He simply sat there with the same calm expression he had carried throughout the conversation, as though Ka’z had asked him to abandon something far less important.

"Why?" Ka’z asked, his brows drawing together.

Kong’gong calmly waved toward Tong’a and O’nil, who were seated nearby. "As you can see, the last of my generation don’t possess much time left. So why would I want to live longer than I already have?" Kong’gong asked with a faint smile.

Buzz!

Everyone’s eyes widened.

For a moment, nobody knew what to say. They stared at Kong’gong as though the old kobold had suddenly announced that he intended to walk towards his own death. Even Kurg’s expression became tense, and he instinctively leaned forward as though he wanted to argue.

Kong’gong simply chuckled at their expressions.

"I’m sorry, child, but when these two are gone, this cave is all I have that reminds me of the good old days. Asking me to leave here is no different from stabbing my heart. My life started here... Let it end here," Kong’gong said quietly.

"Master..." Kurg began, his voice filled with concern.

Ka’z immediately raised one hand, stopping him before he could continue.

He understood what Kong’gong was trying to say. Perhaps more than anyone else in the room.

As someone who had lived an entire lifetime as a human before arriving in Athedal, Ka’z knew that people didn’t always make decisions based on logic. Sometimes a place, an object or even a memory could become so deeply connected to someone’s identity that abandoning it felt like abandoning a part of themselves.

His thoughts drifted briefly toward his first dog, Kylie.

When she died, Ka’z had held onto her portrait and cried himself to sleep for more than a month. He had refused to let the memory go, and it had taken his parents threatening him before he finally stopped the habit. Even getting another pet had felt wrong back then, almost as if accepting another animal into his life meant betraying Kylie.

He understood now that grief didn’t always make sense.

Kong’gong wasn’t simply refusing to leave a cave. He was refusing to abandon the last physical connection he had to an entire generation of people who were already gone.

"I understand..." Ka’z responded.

Kong’gong’s fingers stopped moving through his beard.

The others also stared at Ka’z in surprise. Nobody had expected him to accept the answer so easily, especially after spending so much time explaining why the cave was harmful to their race.

Ka’z remained silent for a moment before continuing. "But I want you to know that just Kurg, myself and many other members of this village don’t see you as some old kobold who we can count on when something goes wrong. We see you as a friend, a mentor and a father. I’m not asking you to live outside with us because I want you to live longer than you have already. I’m asking you to come with us because I want to experience this new world with you. Life without you on the surface just doesn’t feel complete..."

Ka’z slowly rose to his feet, causing everyone in the room to look at him.

"I will always come down here to spend time with you, but if you ever feel lonely, just know you have a family waiting for you on the surface."

Buzz!

Kong’gong’s eyes shook. For the first time since the conversation began, his calm expression disappeared. His lips parted slightly, and his fingers tightened around his braided beard as Ka’z’s words reached somewhere beneath the years of memories he had been protecting. His resolve wavered for a brief moment, and although he didn’t say anything, everyone could see the effect Ka’z’s words had on him.

Ka’z didn’t try to push further.

He simply turned toward the others and gave them a small nod before walking toward the entrance.

One by one, the others reluctantly followed. Kurg looked back at his master several times before finally leaving, while Za’r gave Kong’gong a warm smile before following Ka’z. Tu’ka remained quiet as usual, but even he spared the old kobold a final glance.

Soon, only Kong’gong, Tong’a, O’nil, Lan’ka and Lady Zira remained inside the chamber.

O’nil watched the others disappear before turning toward Kong’gong with an amused expression.

"You see... Even when we are gone you still have friends and family you can enjoy the world with. Stop being crampy!" O’nil said before slapping Kong’gong lightly on the shoulder.

"Ow!" O’nil immediately grabbed his own hand and winced.

Lan’ka and Lady Zira burst into laughter at the sight, while Kong’gong stared at him with a completely unimpressed expression.

Tong’a, however, remained quiet. His gaze stayed fixed on the doorway through which Ka’z and the others had departed, and a warm smile slowly appeared on his face.

"We are lucky to have such wonderful offspring," he muttered under his breath.

Outside, Ka’z had already begun walking toward the village entrance when Kurg caught up with him. The younger kobold quickened his pace until he was walking beside Ka’z, his expression still troubled by what had happened inside the cave.

"Why didn’t you let me convince him?" Kurg asked.

Ka’z glanced at him briefly before continuing toward the surface. "You don’t force people into making decisions you think is best for them. That’s narcissistic control. What you do is give them another option and let them decide what’s best for them. If Kong’gong wishes to remain in the cave after that, then he should be allowed to do so."

Za’r, who had been walking nearby, nodded with a small smile. She understood what Ka’z meant. It wasn’t about abandoning Kong’gong simply because he refused to follow them. They had offered him a different life, explained the consequences and told him that he would always have a place among them. The final decision belonged to him.

The group eventually reached the cave entrance, and Ka’z’s expression immediately changed.

Mi’ya was running toward them.

The young scout was moving so quickly that she nearly stumbled several times, her breathing ragged and her face filled with distress. Ka’z immediately stopped, his eyes narrowing as he watched her approach.

"Captain... Captain..." Mi’ya shouted between breaths.

Ka’z frowned with genuine confusion. "What happened?"

"The goblin artisans..." Mi’ya struggled to catch her breath before forcing the words out. "People are rioting in the village square and they’re trying to kill them!"

Buzz!

Ka’z’s face twisted with rage. Before anyone could react to the news Ka’z was already moving.

He rushed past Mi’ya without another word, his feet pounding against the ground as he raced toward the village square. Kurg, Za’r and the others immediately followed behind him, their expressions changing as they realized what was happening.