Sky Pov
I sat on the cold, hard ground, my back pressed against the rough stone wall.
After I sneaked into the truck and entered into the portal it lead to this place.
I was currently in a cavern.
No, sothing far larger than just a cavern.
It stretched so far and wide that calling it a cave felt almost ridiculous.
The ceiling lood high above, jagged rock formations twisting in unnatural ways, illuminated by eerie blue torches mounted on massive stone pillars.
Streaks of dim, bioluminescent fungi lined the walls, casting an unsettling glow over the vast underground city sprawled before .
I could actually call it a city...
Yes, city.
Because that was exactly what this was.
Buildings, if they could even be called that, were carved directly into the rocky walls, interconnected by rope bridges and crude wooden walkways.
Below them, wide streets bustled with movent, the ground uneven with patches of gravel and mud.
Goblins, hundreds of them, scurried back and forth, engaged in their own business.
So carried sacks over their hunched backs, others dragged makeshift carts filled with weapons, food, and gods knew what else.
And towering above them all, walking with slow, purposeful steps, were the orcs.
Massive creatures, each one nearly twice the size of a man, their thick, muscular bodies adorned in heavy armor made from tal and bones.
Their tusks jutted from snarling mouths, their dark eyes filled with an eerie intelligence.
Yeah but they are still all dumb to .
Unlike goblins, who moved frantically as if always on edge, the orcs exuded a terrifying confidence.
This is the Orc Lord’s domain.
I had expected sothing savage, maybe crude huts and fire pits in the middle of a forest or a wasteland.
But this...
This was an entire functioning city hidden beneath the surface, thriving with life.
And I was sitting right in the middle of it.
Three days.
That was how long I had been trapped in this underground city, surrounded by goblins, orcs, and the constant stench of damp earth and sweat.
Three days of sitting, watching, and trying to understand the world I had been thrown into.
I couldn’t afford to waste ti.
Doing nothing wasn’t an option.
If I just sat here, waiting, I’d be nothing more than another prisoner, powerless, ignorant, and at the rcy of creatures that saw humans as nothing more than tools or food.
That thought alone was enough to make my skin crawl.
So, I observed.
Every movent.
Every interaction.
Every small detail that might help later.
I even tried learning their language, but that could be counted as the most stupid thing I have ever done.
I couldn’t even learn a thing.
"Sigh"
The goblins were the most active, constantly moving in and out of the cave city.
They weren’t just mindless creatures running around in chaos, they had roles.
So worked as ssengers, darting between the larger orcs with quick, nervous steps.
Others carried supplies, tending to whatever system they had to keep this place functioning.
They were weaker than orcs, but their sheer numbers made up for it.
The orcs, on the other hand, were the real power here.
They moved with discipline, patrolling the city with a clear hierarchy in place.
The stronger ones barked orders, and the others obeyed without hesitation.
So orcs worked as chanic...
I never expected to see a orc chanic in my life.
Crazy, they shouldn’t let the author cook again...
It wasn’t just brute force holding this place together, it was structure.
A terrifyingly efficient one.
And then there was the Orc Lord.
I hadn’t seen him yet, but I could feel his presence looming over everything.
The way the orcs spoke in hushed tones, the way goblins scurried faster when a larger orc ntioned his na, it was clear he was more than just a leader.
He was a ruler, a warlord, soone whose very existence kept this underground city running.
I didn’t have a plan yet, but I was building a foundation.
I refused to stay empty.
I refused to rot in ignorance.
Just like how the other hostages are.
Even if it was just scraps of information, I’d gather every bit I could.
Because one way or another.
I would get what I want, and get out of here.
I might just maybe kill all these annoying little goblins and orcs here, because...
Damn I hate them.
Well three days, and the cycle never stopped.
Every few hours, more people arrived, dragged, pushed, or tossed into this underground city by goblins who scurried like rats, their yellow eyes gleaming with sothing close to excitent.
Terror clung to the new captives like a second skin.
So were too weak to even stand, their bodies covered in dirt and dried blood.
Others sat hunched, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape that didn’t exist.
Well so even tried escaping...
But trust , you won’t want to know what happened to them.
And then there were the fighters, soldiers, maybe even so awakened, who clenched their jaws in silent rage but knew better than to act just yet.
I had no doubt that so of them were from the outer settlents, those unfortunate enough to live on the fringes, where protection was nothing more than a broken promise.
Others, I guessed, were the remnants of scouting teams sent by the governnt, the sa governnt that had probably already fled the city, leaving their people to fend for themselves.
Corruption at its peak.
It wasn’t even surprising.
The ones in power had never cared about anything beyond their own survival.
They would send soldiers and awakened on so-called "recon missions," claiming it was for the good of the city, all while making sure the truly powerful, their precious Master Awakened, were nowhere near the battlefield.
This happened many tis in the novel.
Their true priorities were obvious, securing their own escape, escorting the rich and influential out of danger, and leaving everyone else to rot.
And here we were.
Rotting.
Watching.
Waiting.
Every new group of captives brought another layer of silent tension to this underground city.
People were starting to understand what I already knew, no one was coming to save us.
Even more are going to join us.
During this three days of being here, we were fed nothing but filth.
The goblins only fed us once a day, if you could even call it that.
The first ti they dumped that so-called food in front of us, I barely believed my eyes.
A pile of scraps, rotten vegetables, bones stripped of at, and chunks of sothing unrecognizable, all mixed together like it was scooped straight from a trash heap.
The stench alone was enough to turn my stomach.
anwhile, the goblins feasted like kings.
I had seen them roasting fresh at from their hunts, their jagged teeth tearing into steaming flesh while we sat in the dirt, starving.
They didn’t even try to hide it.
They would laugh, sneering at us while tossing the worst scraps our way.
A sick joke at our expense.
This was the more reason I had a stronger urge to kill more of them.
Anyways...
So of the captives weren’t thinking the sa, or rather didn’t care
Hunger won over disgust, and they rushed for the food, shoving each other just to get a handful.
It was pathetic, but I couldn’t bla them. Hunger was a cruel master.
But I wasn’t hungry.
Not even once.
It wasn’t just willpower or stubbornness, I had a way around it.
Ori.
While the others suffered through the goblins’ scraps, I sent Ori to do what he learned to do best
Sneak and Steal.
Sotis kill...
To kill so goblins and orcs who I have so beef with...
Pushing that aside...
The goblins had food storage deeper inside their settlent, and Ori had no trouble slipping in and out unseen.
Every night, he would bring back large chunks of fresh at, and we would eat in secret.
I had to admit, I had fun eating with Ori.
Seeing him turn into mist, reappearing with a hunk of at bigger than his own body, was amusing enough.
But what made it even better was how greedy he was.
Every ti he returned, he’d grab the biggest piece for himself, curling around it like a dragon hoarding treasure.
"No way, give that one," I whispered once, trying to pry a larger cut from him.
Ori turned, his mist-like body swirling around the at as if to shield it.
His little form quivered, and I could almost feel his refusal.
"...Are you serious?"
A tendril of mist pushed a smaller piece toward , as if offering that as my share.
I stared at him.
He stared back, or at least, I felt like he was.
"Unbelievable," I muttered, taking the smaller piece.
He was getting bolder.
Still, I was getting more used to having him around everyday.
At least with him, I wasn’t starving.
And in a place like this, that was already a win.
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