Chapter 18: From Revenge To Conquest - Part 2

In front of their group lies a scene that defies every known concept they have ever understood. Neither knowledge, belief, history, nor even the stories they've heard contain anything resembling what they now witness. At the far end of the cave chamber, a group of men—three adventurers and one village guard—are bound hand and foot with rope, screaming in terror as they behold the same grotesque sight. The missing villagers—a dozen men—lie on the ground, surrounded by a horde of goblins who are humiliating them in every depraved way one man can violate another. The horror unfolding before them is so surreal that they begin to question whether it's reality or a nightmare. And yet, something even more bizarre—something entirely beyond reason—is happening at the center of the chamber. The giant goblin, writhes on the ground, shrieking in both pain and twisted pleasure as Alex straddles the monster, violating it in ways unimaginable. "How about we retreat? Or maybe just run?" Arezu suggests, his voice trembling with fear at the sight before him. "We can't do that, Mr. Arezu! Are you saying we should just abandon the missing villagers, the adventurers, and even that disgusting excuse for a man—Alex?!" At the chamber entrance, Lynn clutches Arezu's coat with both hands, doing her best to stop him from fleeing. Meanwhile, Liz and Hannah cover their eyes and ears, trying to shut out the nightmarish reality before them. It's not that Arezu has entirely given up on the goblin-slaying quest or the villagers and adventurers. He's not running away—technically. He's simply planning a strategic retreat to get reinforcements from other adventurers. "And how long would that take?" Lynn protests. "By the time we return, the captives will have lost their lives the same way they've already lost their minds—and their dignity." She tries to appeal to his reason and sympathy. But her case would be more convincing if not for the mischievous grin spreading across her face. "You're not just trying to throw me into that horror, are you?!" "Of course not! Why would I do that... Pfft!" "At least hold your laugh if you're going to lie!" Though prepared to meet his end on any quest and adventure, Arezu refuses to die defiled by goblins—or any monster for that matter—and corrupted by the cursed miasma unleashed by Alex. "I at least want to die an honorable death..." "And you think it's honorable to abandon those suffering right in front of you?" Lynn snapped. "Lying about not running away again. Pretending you'll live to make amends. Stop making a fool out of yourself! If you can't save the people within your reach, don't even bother picking up a weapon or calling yourself an adventurer!" Her words freeze him mid-step. He halts so suddenly that Lynn loses her grip and stumbles. But before she hits the ground, he catches her hand and gently pulls her up. With his other hand on her back, he steadies her until she regains balance. For the first time, Lynn wears a bashful, shy expression, quickly turning her gaze away to hide it from Arezu. Though it's a touching moment amid the surrounding nightmare, Arezu misses the sight as he look down on himself. "That's too much to ask of someone whose hands failed to protect anything..." It's the first time Lynn sees such a sorrowful, regretful look in his eyes. She understands how he feels, but her sympathy quickly turns into irritation—he wasn't even paying attention to her reaction to the embrace. Or at least, that's how Liz and Hannah interpret it. "How dare they flirt in front of the enemy." "Wah~..." Liz scowls in irritation while Hannah watches with dreamy eyes, convinced she's witnessing a romantic moment between Lynn and Arezu—until, smack! Unable to hold back her annoyance, Lynn smashes Arezu with a right uppercut to the chin. As he stumbles, she grabs him by the collar and shoves him forward into the cave chamber, exposing him to the goblins—and Alex. "Oi!..." "If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in me, who believes in myself." "Is that supposed to be an encouragement?!" Without another word, Lynn turns around with a sarcastic smile, dragging Liz and Hannah with her as she retreats to the cave passage. "What the heck have I gotten myself into?!" Arezu growls as he grabs the halberd-axe strapped to his back. Without looking, he swings his weapon as he turns, slicing multiple goblins in half. The remaining goblins charge at him—naked, barehanded, and disturbingly aroused. Despite his revulsion, Arezu watches them closely, gauging their speed and movement. He swings his weapon with precision, mindful of rocky obstructions, cutting down any goblin within range. Before long, his halberd-axe meets the blade of his excepted opponent. "I think I still preferred your arrogant look over this one..." —Roar!— In front of him stands a berserk Alex. Bloodied—both of his blood and others'. His wounds mysteriously healed, but his bloodshot eyes and agonized expression far worse than before. Worse still, Alex fights completely exposed—giving Arezu full view of everything as he studies his opponent's every move. This is the worst. Or so Arezu thought. "I knew he was insecure about the size!" Lynn shouts from the passage. "Oi, seriously?!" "He probably prefers someone bigger, like the giant goblin flasher. So don't worry about him using his divine gift on you!" "You're distracting me, Lynn!" "Watch out for his sword, Mr. Arezu!... And his dagger too!" "Enough with the dirty jokes!"