Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: I Can't Hold Back Anymore. (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Grrr...
Thud!
The hobgoblin lost its balance and staggered, crumbling to its knees on the ground like it was shattering apart. Its body was torn to shreds so badly that it was no exaggeration to say it was splattered with blood from head to toe. In the end, it breathed its last before it could swing its club at Isabel, collapsing face-first onto the floor.
"Argh... blood splattered everywhere."
Dark red blood sprayed onto Isabel's snow-white face as the creature fell. She wiped it off with her arm in one swipe, then immediately plunged her knife into the unmoving corpse's heart.
Now it definitely won't get back up, right?
Sometimes these higher-tier specimens had such tenacious life force that if you didn't finish them off properly, they could rise again. That was why rumors spread that they had two lives—not because they actually did, but because people failed to kill them thoroughly like this.
Was this the only one that spotted me?
Fortunately, no more goblins charged at her afterward. She'd been worried they might swarm her all at once, but it seemed she'd have to keep moving carefully without repeating her earlier mistake and getting spotted.
Grrrk... grrr...
The repulsive goblin cries echoed from afar, growing louder as she drew nearer to their nest. It looked like this was the right fork out of the two paths.
Grrr... grr...
Just two or three this time?
Isabel didn't have Silvia's keen sense of smell, but her hearing was sharp.
She gauged their approximate positions and numbers from the cries alone, then ducked behind the wall.
Better to avoid fighting if possible.
If this was indeed the nest, the odds were high that more lurked nearby.
Exterminating them was important, but finding Priest first and securing safety took priority.
Grrr... grr...
Sure enough, just as Isabel predicted, two goblins emerged from the darkness.
A hobgoblin and a regular goblin stepped out, shaking their heads side to side in eerie, jerky strides.
With no intention of fighting, Isabel waited silently for them to pass quickly.
As she held her breath and watched, she noticed they were carrying something odd in their hands.
Huh? Aren't those zagwi tree leaves?
She had no idea why goblins would have them, but she'd heard from her comrades about their use. As far as she recalled, they were ingredients for making aphrodisiacs or hallucinogens. Of course, they could be used for good purposes too, but it was obvious how non-human goblins would use them.
Isn't this too late?
The fact that they were carrying them meant the goblins had already done something with the drug. Anxiety began to creep in.
The goblins trudged out and vanished back into the darkness.
Confirming they'd disappeared, Isabel stepped out from behind the wall and glared deeper into the cave.
I need to find him as fast as possible before things get worse.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Haa... haa... haa...
Is this what it feels like to have your brain melting? After prolonged exposure to the smoke, I could no longer claim to be in my right mind. Drool leaked from my mouth, and my raging member dripped precum incessantly. I was no different from a dog in heat.
At least I could still make rational judgments for now, but I couldn't say how long that would last. With my Corruption Value and all sorts of penalties weighing me down, things could only get worse, never better.
"Hngh... mmph..."
Ugh...! I'm dying... my whole body is burning up...
Even during chemical warfare training in the army, I didn't shed this many tears and snot. But here, it was a step further—I was leaking jizz too. Shit... my head felt like it would explode and then go mad. Couldn't they at least free my hands? Then I could at least jerk off...
...Ah, right, I can't even masturbate anyway... fuck...
There I was, writhing on the ground like a maggot, repeating the motion over and over. Amid this torture—worse than any interrogation—a small creature poked its head out from between the rocks.
Squeak— squeak—
Ugh...! Wh-what's that doing here...?
Not only did it appear out of nowhere, startling me, but it stood on its hind legs, staring blankly at me with its long front teeth—a rat. Then, glowing eyes began appearing from crevices all around.
Squeak squeak— squeak— squeak—
"Hngh... hngh... mmph..."
Wh-what...? H-how many is that...?
Not just one or two—dozens of them started slinking out from behind the walls.
Wh-what are these guys? Are they gonna eat me?
I couldn't move a limb. Even if they were small rodents, I was the perfect prey since I couldn't resist at all.
"Hngh! Mmph! Mmph!"
I thrashed desperately to survive. It was already infuriating being dragged here by goblins, and now I was about to become rat food.
Squeak squeak— squeak— squeak squeak—
Despite my twisting and cries, the rats circled me and began climbing onto my body one by one. After two years of hardship, to think I'd go out like this—I squeezed my eyes shut.
"..."
Huh...? It doesn't hurt...
No pain came even after time passed. I'd expected them to bite into my flesh, gnaw me apart bit by bit, but no matter how long I waited, not even a hint of agony followed.
Fuck... thinking it was something else, I cautiously opened one eye I'd squeezed shut.
And then I witnessed an utterly bizarre sight.
Why are they chewing the vines...?
Their target wasn't me. The rats climbing my body were gnawing and severing the vines with their teeth.
Wh-what...?
My brain couldn't keep up. It couldn't be that they needed the vines—they were actually loosening the tight bindings around me, snapping them one by one.
Squeak— squeak squeak— squeak—
No, seriously, what the hell...?
I grabbed my sore spots crushed by the vines and pulled myself up. Confirming I was unharmed, the little critters turned around as if their work was done and scampered back where they came from.
"What the...?"
I stared blankly at the spot where the rats had vanished, at a complete loss for words from the sudden events.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.
The rat that had helped me when I was kidnapped by that green-haired gang came to mind naturally.
"Haa... haa... what the fuck is going on..."
It wasn't a delusion. Rats had helped me back then too. I'd been too frantic to think deeply about it, but it was undeniably strange.
"Ngh... gotta escape first..."
For now, I pushed aside complicated thoughts, using the wall to haul myself up. Whatever was happening, I could figure it out after getting out of here.
Survival came first.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ At this point, something had to show up...
Isabel scowled and let out a deep sigh.
It felt like she'd been going in circles around the same spot for a while now. The dim visibility kept making her lose her way.
Ah, this is driving me insane. Getting lost here would ruin everything.
"Just how many of them are there?"
Twenty? She'd already seen over forty goblins. She dreaded to think how many more lurked deeper in. Her hair stood on end just imagining it.
Grrr... grr...
She'd tried killing them one by one quietly, but with their numbers, they'd quickly noticed the intruder.
Hiding and listening in, their cries sounded more agitated than before—not a welcome sign.
They won't charge recklessly now.
Isabel sheathed her machete at her waist and slipped behind a stalactite to move. Seeing their absurd numbers, she realized bringing Nun Rachel had been a huge mistake.
I hope the other side's okay...
No matter how advantageous the darkness was for Silvia, overwhelming numbers rendered it meaningless. Plus, she was burdened with a novice like Rachel, stirring ominous thoughts.
This won't do. Killing them all seems impossible now, so I need to find Priest fast, even if alone.
Encountering an unexpected obstacle, Isabel changed plans. She was just taking a moment to catch her breath, dumping the last of her waterskin into her mouth.
Thud... thud...
"Hngh...?!"
Footsteps echoed from no great distance away—when had they started? Swallowing hastily to avoid choking, she gulped down the water without a sound.
What? A goblin?
If one was nearby, you'd usually hear their distinctive cries first, but these footsteps came without warning. Startled, she peeked out just enough to peer toward the sound.
"Ugh... ugh..."
What is it? Do goblins normally make sounds like that? It's more like groaning than crying.
A certain suspicion crossed her mind, furrowing her brow. Then, the slowly revealed figure made Isabel's eyes widen.
"P-Priest?"
There was Priest Isaiah, barefoot with no shoes, his clothes shredded to rags. His raging member thrust upward, and with glazed, soulless eyes, he stumbled forward step by step.