Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Birth of the Half-Goblin (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The depths of the dungeon were quiet.
The darkness felt serene, even cozy at times.
'Cozy...?'
No, it wasn't truly cozy.
She was just turning a blind eye to reality, desperate to deny it. This place was far from cozy.
In truth, there was no spark of life in her eyes.
No hope, either.
"Haa..."
At least she could breathe a sigh of relief without seeing her own breath.
That was vitally important to Jane.
The thin rags she wore were far from warm, even if you were being generous.
Still, the dungeon's cave-like interior was warm enough.
Her situation was so dire that she had to find satisfaction in these tiny things.
"Roni, oppa..."
As always today, she called out her brother's name.
But there was no reply.
"Denver..."
Then she softly called the other name.
Just like before, it was only her murmuring to herself.
She knew it was pointless, but every time, she called out those two names.
If she didn't, it felt like her mind would slip away entirely.
Still, it wasn't all despair.
Calling their names always brought back memories from childhood.
Each time, a faint smile formed on her lips—a small happiness.
It was a tiny village, almost too small to call a neighborhood.
Jane had spent her early years there.
With kind parents and her brother Roni, who always looked after her.
It wasn't a wealthy place, but it was a life she envied no one for.
In the mornings, she'd head out with Roni and play with the other kids.
Denver, who was bigger than most kids his age, acted as the leader, guiding them effortlessly.
They'd play until time flew by, and before they knew it, the sun began to set.
Once the clear blue sky turned red, they'd hear their parents calling and head home one by one.
Inside, she'd fill her hungry belly with the dinner her parents prepared.
Those were such happy memories.
But now, they were memories she could never reclaim.
The village had burned down in a monster wave.
By some miracle, Jane and Roni survived, but their parents were gone.
And Denver was the same.
Only the three of them had made it out of the ruined village alive.
That was when it started.
They looked after each other, becoming each other's pillar in a harsh world.
As adults, they found their own way to survive.
Adventuring.
"......"
For Jane, those happy memories ended there.
If she thought about it, there must have been even more fun and joyful times.
But now, they were all so faded.
Above all, Roni and Denver weren't around her anymore.
Sometimes she wondered.
What if she'd listened to her brother and become an exclusive mage for a noble house instead of an adventurer? That regret.
"Regret...?"
She knew she had talent for magic.
Without any connections or formal training, she'd awakened her mana on her own.
To anyone else, that would be overwhelming talent.
Naturally, Roni had wanted her to become a noble's mage—safer than adventuring.
Adventuring sounded grueling just hearing about it.
Delving into unknown dungeons, fighting monsters.
But as a mage, it would be different.
At least in a safe territory, living with far less risk.
If she got lucky, she might even become the territory's head mage and receive land as a reward.
But Jane had turned down her brother's suggestion.
It felt too guilty to live comfortably as a noble's mage while leaving the others behind.
Now, though, she regretted that choice endlessly.
"......"
She should have listened to her brother back then.
Become a noble's mage and take responsibility for Roni and Denver.
But regrets were too late.
She'd chosen to be an adventurer, not a mage.
And so, she'd challenged the dungeon with Roni and Denver.
The result?
This.
Her brother Roni had his head pierced by a flying arrow.
And Denver...
"Hic."
She didn't even want to think about it.
Denver had died too—but he hadn't.
He'd become a monster, devoid of any emotion.
Denver, who hated monsters more than anyone after the village burned in the wave.
He'd become one of them.
If only the tragedy had ended there.
But it was still ongoing.
Jane gently stroked her belly with her small hand.
Looking down, she could see it swollen.
"Urk—"
A wave of nausea hit her.
It had been quiet lately, but up until now, she'd dealt with goblins every single day without fail.
She'd become their one-sided outlet for lust.
And the result was inside her belly now.
"This isn't why I became an adventurer..."
It was all so hollow.
And she resented it.
She resented Roni for leaving her behind and dying first.
She even felt an urge to rip open her swollen belly.
The thought of something horrific growing inside her body was utterly repulsive.
But her thoughts couldn't change reality.
She was in the dungeon's central prison.
Skeleton monsters guarded the perimeter, watching to prevent any funny business.
Helpless, Jane had no choice but to endure the horrific thing growing inside her in this cell.
Still, she wasn't alone here.
There were a few other adventurers in the same plight.
Of course, they were all women, and their purpose was obvious without looking.
"...Are you okay?"
Jane spoke to one of them.
This one was the last to be dragged in—a mage.
Jane could sense mana, so she knew.
But the woman seemed out of it, offering no response.
She hadn't said a word since arriving, her eyes vacant.
Not just lifeless—like her soul had been ripped out entirely.
At set times, skeletons would drag her out, and hours later, she'd return.
Yet her expression never changed.
Jane didn't even know her name, since she never spoke.
Other than being a mage, Jane knew nothing about her.
Maybe the shock had broken her mind.
Jane didn't want to imagine what happened out there.
She'd lost her own mind once, so she understood.
Thus, Jane closed her eyes, leaning against the gloomy prison wall.
Today, her belly felt especially heavy.
"Ah..."
Movement grew violent in her heavy belly.
Suddenly, pain shot through her abdomen.
The pain spread from her belly to her waist and spine.
"Urgh—!"
It felt like pressure building.
The pressure moved downward.
"Aaaah!"
Jane writhed in agony, crying out.
At the same time, the floor grew slick with blood.
How much time passed?
From the pool of red blood, a pale green form emerged.
Not just one.
Three of them.
"Ahh..."
Regaining her senses, Jane stared at the 'things' on the floor.
The pale green creatures wriggled and crawled on their own.
The first one to emerge from her placed its hands on the floor and stood up.
Then it toddled toward the mother who had borne it.
Instinct.
"...Go away."
But to Jane, it was a horrific nightmare.
The approaching thing resembled a goblin.
Not fully goblin—its skin was lighter green.
And its face felt off, like a mix of goblin and human.
Revolting.
To think she'd carried those things in her womb.
Disgusting.
The first one kept coming toward her.
But Jane shoved it away.
Moments later, the others stood up too.
All three.
Or should she call them three children?
Anyway, all three kept stepping toward Jane.
Survival instinct drawing them to the mother who bore them.
Above all, they were hungry.
And the mother right in front of them could sate that hunger.
They persistently approached her breasts, but Jane pushed them back.
"Go away..."
But birthing them had sapped her strength.
"Please, just go away...!"
With a final shout, they froze in place.
When their mother wailed, they stayed put, forgetting their hunger.
"Oh my, healthy little ones have been born."
And then the dungeon's ruler appeared.
"Ce, Celia...?"
Having spent no small time here, Jane remembered Celia's name at least.
All the monsters obeyed her, so she had to be the ruler.
Celia approached Jane, who was thinking just that.
"You must have had it rough. I never expected three, but it was worth the wait."
Celia smiled genuinely, caressing Jane's cheek.
"Aren't you being too cold to your babies? Come now, Jane."
Celia lifted Jane's chin, meeting her eyes.
"Think back to your own childhood."
...Childhood?
It was nothing but happy memories.
"What were your parents like, Jane?"
Celia whispered to her.
Listening made Jane's mind grow dizzy.
"Parents..."
"Yes, Jane. What were they like? Kind? Or cold to you?"
No. Her parents were never cold.
They were gentle.
They cherished her more than anyone.
Even with scarce food, they always made sure Roni and she ate their fill.
"...Kinder than anyone."
The words slipped from Jane's lips.
"Exactly. So you know what you should do now, don't you?"
Under Celia's whisper, Jane gazed at the three paused in place.
No, her three babies.
"...Yes."
Jane's eyes glazed over.
She pulled the three babies into her arms.
"My beautiful children, prettier than anything."
In this hellish place, hope was born.
Jane, who always felt alone, was alone no more.
She had babies she'd borne.
With her triplet children, she felt confident she could overcome any hardship ahead.
"Then I'll leave you to it, Jane."
Celia's words fell on deaf ears.
Jane was lost in happy thoughts of how to raise her babies.
After checking on Jane, Celia moved elsewhere.
"I never expected three."
She'd sensed strong mana in Jane's belly, but not this.
What she'd borne were goblin-human hybrids.
Half-goblins with mana, no less.
They'd be a great help to the dungeon once grown.
"Take good care of Jane from now on. The simple suggestion won't cause issues, but she'll need a separate living space."
The skeleton knight bowed at Celia's words.
The Goblin Lord's proposed Goblin Guard plan was now underway.
She wanted to watch over Jane more, but Celia was busy.
She had to report Jane birthing the half-goblins to the Master.
Besides writing the report, the Arch-Lich and Azmo—who'd attended high society—had just returned to the dungeon.
"Clack!"
The Arch-Lich's return was flashy.
"You brought all these back?"
Behind the Arch-Lich stood a massive crowd of slaves.
His inventory artifact brimmed with gear, items—even dungeon-useful traps. An enormous haul.
"Clack clack—!"
"All thanks to the Master's grace."
"Clack!"
The Arch-Lich spoke no lies.
The great Master's actions had led to this.
"Truly a magnificent being."
She regretted not witnessing the Master's exploits firsthand, but opportunities would come.
Celia planned to eventually summon the great one here, so for now, she focused on her duties.
"Clack clack!"
"The Master has a separate task for me?"
Any regret vanished.
Thinking the Master always watched her brought a bright smile to Celia's face.
"Clack clack clack."
"I see."
The Arch-Lich read from his notebook.
Celia nodded, listening intently.
"In short, experiment on priests to find the source of their power."
The Arch-Lich nodded.
As dungeon overseer, she got it immediately.
"Then two priests won't be enough."
"Clack?"
It was a mission from the Master himself.
But two priests were too few for proper experiments.
The more priests, the better the results, right?
Surely the great Master desired as much.
Celia's deliberation was brief.
"Then we'll need more priests."
Once again, she felt proud of grasping the Master's intent perfectly.