The forest was eerily silent, save for the crunch of leaves under my boots.
The canopy above blocked most of the moonlight, casting long, flickering shadows across my path.
My body still ached from earlier, every step reminding just how close I am to death.
But I wasn’t stopping.
The shadows between the trees shifted strangely.
My gut told I wasn’t alone.
And in this world, instincts were rarely wrong.
Then ca the snap of a branch.
The silence shattered.
Leaves rustled violently, and I caught the faint sound of snarling.
The air grew heavier, charged with sothing primal.
I froze mid-step, my pulse quickening.
The air around seed to thicken, every sound amplified.
The mont I sensed their presence, I had already tucked Doom into the spatial inventory, where Ori is.
Then they ca.
From the darkness.
They erged.
Goblins.
At first, it was just a few of them.
Their grotesque forms moved with unsettling speed, their twisted faces illuminated by the faint glow of their crude weapons.
Then more appeared, pouring out from the shadows like cockroaches.
So were small, scrawny, their greenish skin glinting under the moonlight.
Others were hulking beasts, high-ranking goblins with jagged armor and weapons that looked like they had been forged from scraps.
Their towering figures scarred from countless battles, led the group, while the smaller ones circled with weapons made of rusted tal and bone.
Instead of to fight, to unleash everything I had and tear through them.
I didn’t.
I clenched my fists at my sides, my face betraying nothing.
The goblins didn’t attack right away.
Their yellow eyes darted to , to each other, and then to the empty air around .
They were assessing, calculating.
They were cautious, and I knew why.
The orc lord needed humans currently alive now.
These goblins wouldn’t risk killing unless they had no other choice.
The goblins hesitated, their guttural growls turning to confused murmurs.
I could feel their eyes on , searching for so kind of trap.
This was exactly what I needed.
I slowly raised my hands in surrender, a small smirk tugging at my lips.
This was playing out exactly how I had hoped.
"I surrender," I said, my voice cutting through the tension.
The goblins tensed, their weapons tightening in their grips, but none of them moved to strike.
I could see the confusion in their beady eyes.
Surrender?
They haven’t seen a human surrender without a fight, or attempt to escape.
One of the high-rank goblins stepped forward, its massive club resting on its shoulder, its heavy footsteps making the ground tremble slightly.
Its leathery green skin glistened in the faint light filtering through the trees.
It growled sothing incomprehensible, its tone low and commanding, pointing its jagged blade at
Its armor clinked as it moved, and its sharp teeth glead in the dim light.
I didn’t react, neither move or show any sign of fear.
The goblin growl deepened, but it didn’t strike.
The others behind it shifted uneasily, their snarls growing quieter.
I’d bet everything on this.
The orc lord was gathering humans.
Why... Is because it was ntioned in the novel.
Because in the novel when the orc lord was roaming around the forest looking for humans to kill just like the way he saw I and my team, it was ambushed and injured by a very powerful monster.
But this ti it was different...
It wasn’t the powerful monster who did it, it was now when I shot at it with Doom.
Damn, I think I ssed with the plot.
Things are changing a bit now.
The large goblin barked an order, and two smaller ones approached cautiously.
They were filthy, their bodies covered in gri and scars.
They poked at with a rusted spear, as if testing to see if I was real.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m not going to fight back," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
The goblins began to search , their grubby hands patting down my jacket and pants.
I stood still, biting back the urge to shove them away.
Their claws scraped against my skin, but I didn’t flinch.
"Keep your cool, Sky," I whispered to myself.
The larger goblin growled again, gesturing for the others to hurry.
One of them yanked the small pouch of supplies I had left and tossed it to their leader.
"Enjoy that," I said under my breath, watching as the goblin rummaged through it.
Finally, the large goblin motioned for the others, and they began to bind my hands with coarse rope.
The fibers bit into my skin, but I didn’t resist.
I had kept ori in the spatial inventory until now.
"Stay back," I thought, hoping Ori would understand.
It couldn’t reveal itself yet.
Not now.
The goblins shoved forward, their claws digging into my shoulders.
I stumbled but caught myself, shooting a glare at the one that pushed .
As the goblins continued pushing forward, I focused on my breathing, keeping it steady.
I couldn’t afford to look weak, but I also couldn’t appear defiant.
They needed to think I was just another helpless human, soone they could deliver to the orc lord without trouble.
They started marching, their guttural voices filling the air as they communicated in their crude language.
The goblins chattered among themselves as they dragged deeper into the forest.
Their language was harsh, guttural, filled with clicks and growls.
I didn’t need to understand it to know they were talking about .
The high-rank goblin glanced over its shoulder, its yellow eyes narrowing.
I t its gaze with a blank expression, refusing to give anything away.
Every step forward was a gamble, a risk that could backfire spectacularly.
And my whole body still hurts from that attack.
I am still wondering how I can still walk, although the pain still remains, increasing with every step I take.
As they marched through the dense forest, I couldn’t help but take in my surroundings.
The trees here were gnarled and twisted, their bark blackened as if scorched.
The air reeked of decay, and the ground was littered with bones, human and otherwise.
The goblins pushed harder, their claws digging into my skin as they urged forward.
I stumbled but caught myself, keeping my expression neutral.
The ropes around my wrists burned, but I didn’t care.
This was a dangerous ga, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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