Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: 14. I Can't Hold Back Anymore. (6)
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“Mmgh...”
Grrr...
In the meantime, the goblin approached right up to me and set down the jar. Then it headed toward the completely extinguished fire in the middle of the room and picked up the tiny remaining ember.
What the hell is that thing doing?
Ignoring me completely, it stuffed the fading ember into the jar. Soon, thin wisps of smoke began to rise from inside, and after glancing at me once, it left the jar behind and exited the room as if its business was done.
“Hngh... Hah...”
What the fuck is its game?
Just leaving me tied up like this was nagging at me. Of course, I wasn't hoping to get jumped or forcibly fucked or anything like that—but at least knowing what was going on would let me prepare some defenses and figure out how to escape.
In this utterly unpredictable situation, I couldn't do a damn thing, and the frustration was killing me.
But... what is that thing...
A black jar embossed with a dragon pattern. There was no way goblins could craft something like that—it was obviously stolen from somewhere.
The problem was why it left it here with me,
I wanted to get closer and check it out, but my body wouldn't cooperate, so all I could do was stare holes through it.
Hiss...
I glared at the jar, bristling with suspicion and not knowing what it was. Gradually, thick clouds of gray smoke began billowing out from the top in rapid bursts.
Why the hell is it doing that all of a sudden...?
Gray smoke pouring out ceaselessly, filling the ceiling. The moment I saw it, I instinctively knew I couldn't breathe that stuff in.
Ugh... No... Stay away...
The smoke filled the room until the jar vanished from sight, then slithered toward me like a snake.
By then, it had reached my feet and started crawling up my body, gnawing at me like it was devouring me alive.
“Ngh... Hnngh!”
I thrashed uselessly, trying to push the smoke away. Predictably, it was pointless, and I could feel that the instant it got into my mouth or nose, I was fucked—so I took one last deep breath and held it.
“Mmgh...”
“Mmph...”
“Nngh...”
I'd reached my limit. My consciousness was fading, my vision blurring. Holding out any longer would kill me. But if I breathed in now...
Ah... No, I can't... My mind is...
“Haa...”
I knew it was pointless. The room was thick with smoke on all sides, and eventually, I'd have no choice but to inhale.
Ah... I can't anymore... I'm really gonna die like this...
“Hnnngh!”
Feeling my life in peril, I finally sucked in a breath. Bound and immobile as I was, the smoke plunged deep into my body like it had been waiting.
“Hk! Hn!”
The unidentified smoke burrowed into every orifice of my body. Unable to resist, I took it all in, and before it even reached my brain, my body twitched in reaction.
Fuck... These bastards...
It was an aphrodisiac. I realized it the instant I smelled it. A horrific sensation climbed up my spine, clawing at my peripheral nerves like it was scraping them raw with fingernails.
This was leagues beyond what Bishop Lisa had fed me before.
Nngh...! My body's going weird...
No one was even touching me directly. Just being enveloped in the scent made it feel like hands were groping me all over.
And like I'd taken the drug, my head floated away at the same time...
This was nothing like standard, safety-tested aphrodisiacs... It was the kind that wrecked your brain cells one by one.
These fuckers don't know when to quit...
How much more sensitive was I now? Several times? No, dozens. The vines that had bound me so painfully moments ago now registered as pleasure.
Since I wasn't getting hard easily, they must have planned to drug me like this and then pounce,
But if they breathed it in themselves, they wouldn't be able to handle it—so they left it for just me to inhale, planning to come fuck me once the time was right.
Makes sense. Men in this world don't have raging libidos; they don't get excited easily. With my Corruption Value and all the penalties stacked on, even seeing those things had me shriveling up. They must know that and have their own methods.
But of all the ways, they had to use this one...
The thing that seemed like it would never rise twitched and started lifting its head. Just the brush of my clothes against my skin sent electric jolts through my head—I was going insane.
“Heup... Mmph...”
No. I can't anymore... Anyone... Please, just anyone... Come here and fuck me, I don't care...
Please...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a remote forest away from the village, Silvia led the way on all fours, nose to the ground, tracking Priest Isaiah's scent.
“Silvia, you sure we're going the right way? If we screw up here, we're all dead meat... You know that, right?”
“I-I know... Sis, just wait a sec...”
Isabel, following right behind, wore a subtly twisted expression. They'd tracked the scent from the rosary Priest had been holding, but she wasn't sure if they were still on course.
How far in are we going...?
They'd wiped out the entire colony, and with no home to go back to, the goblin shouldn't have gone far—but contrary to expectations, they'd gone deep into the woods.
She trusted Silvia, but... damn. Maybe they should've reported back first. Regret started creeping in.
“Assistant Priest, you okay?”
“Hah... Hah... Y-Yeah... L-Let's keep going...”
Assistant Priest Rachel staggered unsteadily forward.
She insisted on coming along, but as sorry as Isabel felt, Rachel looked ready to collapse from exhaustion. If she didn't slow them down, it'd be a miracle.
“Want to head back now? Our comrades are down below—they'll help if we tell them.”
“N-No. How could I just sit around when Priest is captured...?”
Priest must mean the world to her. She'd been in tears earlier, and even knowing she could be in danger, here she was, chasing after him.
Even if Isabel bluntly told her to go back since she was in the way, she doubted it'd work—so she figured Rachel would keep up on her own and pressed on.
“Sniff sniff... Hnngh... This way, sis.”
“Y-Yeah.”
Seemed like they'd arrived—Silvia gestured. Isabel held her breath as much as possible and stuck close behind her, moving silently.
A cave?
A pitch-black abyss of a cave, too dark to see how far it went. Isabel shot Silvia a dubious look, as if to say, You sure about this?
“I'm sure, sis. I smell Priest from here.”
“Really? But... how've you been tracking without the rosary? You remember his scent?”
“Huh? Oh... uh... Kinda... I-I'm good with smells, y'know. Haha...”
Really? Even for a ronin beastkin, remembering a scent indefinitely was tough. You usually needed to sniff an item periodically to keep the trail. But if she was confident, Isabel let it slide.
Why's she stuttering so much, though? Her reaction's suspicious...
“Hahk... Hahk... A-Are we there...?”
Not wanting to barge in blindly, they scoped out the entrance when a panting voice came from behind. Rachel clutched her knees, struggling to keep up with their pace as she caught her breath.
“Yeah, but Assistant Priest, you sure you're okay?”
“Y-Yes... I'm fine. What about P-Priest...?”
“Haven't found him yet. Seems like he's inside, but rushing in might not be smart.”
Silvia kept sniffing intently at the entrance. She frowned, tilting her head like something was off.
“There's more than one in there...”
“Huh?”
More than one?
She licked her lips and sniffed again. With a long hmm, she turned to Isabel.
“Their scent's thick. Thought it was just secretions at first, but the direction and position keep shifting. Feels like way more than twenty...”
“...”
This was insane. Upper command had said that last goblin was the final one... Now charging in would be dicey. She couldn't tell from scent alone if they were regular goblins or hobgoblins... But turning back meant abandoning Priest.
“Sis, you aren't thinking of going in, are you?”
“Huh? N-No, I... dunno...”
“Better to head back. Mess this up, and we're the ones in danger.”
Haa... Go in or not? Protocol said report first, but after coming this far, turning tail felt wrong.
If they went back and returned, Priest might be dead—or worse, no longer human. If they were saving him, now was the time...
“Y-You're not turning back, right?”
Rachel's face darkened rapidly upon overhearing. Seeing that look weakened Isabel's resolve in an instant.
She gripped her brow, agonizing over it for a long while.
They couldn't waste more time.
What's the worst—dying? I'll just collect my fee later...
With a heavy sigh, Isabel drew her machete from her belt.
Time to wrap this up quick and get out.