Chapter 399 Approaching Broken Gates in the Snowstorm

Hours passed, the storm showing no signs of letting up. Suzuka’s patience was wearing thin, her irritation growing with every step. 

“If this Kaka feeling turns out to be some random nonsense and not your precious whatever, I’m leaving you here,” she grumbled, her tone sharp.

But then, just as she was about to snap again, Hermit let out a high-pitched squeak.

 “M-Master! Look! Over there!”

Suzuka followed his gaze, her sharp eyes narrowing as she spotted a faint glow in the distance. It was a campfire, its light barely visible through the thick curtain of falling snow. The flames flickered weakly, struggling against the storm, but they were unmistakable.

Hermit’s face lit up with hope, his voice trembling with excitement.

 “This must be it! It must be Kaka! I can feel him... he’s so close, but... but he’s so weak...”

As they walked closer, more lights came into view, though they were weak and flickering. The snowstorm made it difficult to see, but the faint glow of campfires scattered around the area gave them a sense of direction. Suzuka adjusted the gravity dome, pushing the snow aside as they approached.

When they finally got close enough, the outline of a large, roughly built structure emerged from the storm. It was a goblin breeding farm, its walls made of thick logs lashed together with rope and crude nails. The campfires were placed at intervals around the perimeter, their flames struggling against the wind and snow. But what struck Suzuka the most was the eerie silence. There were no guards, no movement, no signs of life—just the flickering fires and the howling wind.

Suzuka stopped, her sharp eyes scanning the area.

 “Well, I’ll be damned. I have to hand it to you, Hermit. I really thought you were talking out of your ass when you led us here. But look at this—an actual goblin breeding farm in the middle of nowhere. I’m starting to believe this Kaka of yours actually exists.”

Hermit’s face lit up, his ears perking as he nodded vigorously. 

“H-he’s real, Master! I told you! He’s here! I can feel him!”

Suzuka and Hermit approached the gates of the breeding farm, their steps cautious. The snowstorm howled around them, but the gravity dome kept the worst of it at bay. Suzuka’s sharp eyes scanned the area, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword as they drew closer.

“Stay close. If the evil goblins are hiding from the storm, this is our chance to slip in unnoticed. But keep your eyes open. Something feels... off.”

Hermit nodded, his small form trembling with a mix of fear and cold. 

“Y-yes, Master... I’ll be careful.”

As they reached the gates, Suzuka’s eyes narrowed. The massive wooden gates, which should have been firmly shut, were cleaved and ripped apart, their splintered remains hanging limply from the hinges. The sight sent a chill down Hermit's spine—one that had nothing to do with the cold.

“Oh, that’s not a good sign,” she muttered.

They stepped inside, the gravity dome dissipating as they entered the breeding farm. The scene that greeted them was one of carnage. Evil goblins and goblin slaves alike littered the ground, their bodies mutilated and broken. Some were missing limbs, others were ripped in half or cleaved clean through. The snow around them was stained, the blood still fresh enough to steam in the cold air.

The campfires scattered around the area were still burning, their flames flickering weakly in the storm. The bodies hadn’t been buried by the snow yet, indicating that whatever had done this had been here recently—very recently.

Suzuka’s jaw tightened as she surveyed the scene, her sharp eyes taking in every detail.

 “Ugh! Whatever did this... it wasn’t human. And it wasn’t gentle.”

Hermit, however, wasn’t paying attention to the carnage. His eyes were wide with panic, his hands clutching at his chest as he gasped for air.

 “M-Master... the feeling... my connection with Kaka... it’s fading... it’s gone! I can’t feel him anymore!”

“What are you talking about, Hermit?”

Hermit fell to his knees, his body trembling as tears streamed down his face. 

“Master... are we too late? Did I fail to save him again? Will I lose him again? Noooooo! Please, Kaka! Answer me! Please!”

His voice rose to a desperate wail, the sound echoing through the empty breeding farm. He clawed at the ground, his fingers digging into the snow as he sobbed uncontrollably. 

“Kaka... Kaka... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...”

“Hermit, get ahold of yourself. We don’t know what happened here. Kaka might still be alive. But if you lose it now, we’ll never find him. Got it? Now take a good look over the dead bodies, see if Kaka is one of them. We’re not going to find out by sitting here and crying. Now, get up. We’ve got work to do.”

Hermit hesitated, his sobs slowly subsiding as he nodded weakly.

 “Y-yes, Master... I’ll... I’ll try...”

Hermit darted from one slave goblin to another, his small hands trembling as he turned over bodies, his eyes wide with panic.

 “Not him... not him...” he mumbled, his voice breaking with each word. Tears streamed down his face as he moved frantically, his desperation growing with every lifeless form he encountered.

Meanwhile, Suzuka methodically searched the sheds, her sharp eyes scanning the empty interiors. The snow had built up inside, indicating that they had been abandoned for some time. She frowned, her mind racing as she tried to piece together what had happened. The lack of survivors was concerning, but the sheer brutality of the slaughter suggested that whatever had attacked this place was far from ordinary.

Her attention turned to the cliff face the breeding farm was built against. The natural rock formation provided some shelter from the worst of the snowstorms, and a large cave had been carved into the stone. The heavy wooden gates that once sealed the entrance had been ripped apart, their twisted remains hanging limply from the hinges.

Suzuka stepped inside, her boots crunching against the icy ground. The cave was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow coming from the outside. More bodies littered the floor, their mutilated forms a grim reminder of the violence that had taken place. She crouched down, examining the wounds.

 “Well, well. Whatever did this... it wasn’t messing around,” she muttered under her breath.

As she stood up to leave, a sudden squeal echoed from outside.

 “I hear a voice! I hear it! Hold on, I’m coming!”

Suzuka’s head snapped up, her sharp eyes narrowing as she stepped out of the cave. She saw Hermit scuttling toward the far end of the breeding farm, his small form moving with surprising speed. He was heading for a large pit—a waste pit where the goblins dumped all their filth and refuse. The stench was overwhelming, even from a distance, but Hermit didn’t seem to care.

He reached the edge of the pit and gasped, his eyes widening as he looked down. There, lying in the muck and filth, was the form of a goblin. The figure was missing limbs, his body broken and mutilated, but he was alive—barely. His lips moved weakly, muttering words that were too faint to hear.

 Without a second thought, he tossed his boots and pelt coat to the side. With a running start, he dove headfirst into the waste pit, his small body tumbling down the steep slope.

The descent was anything but graceful. Hermit slipped and slid, his face smacking into the filth with a loud splat. The impact sent a wave of muck splashing in all directions, the stench so potent it could burn the nose hairs off a troll. But Hermit didn’t care. He scrambled to his feet, his body covered in feces and filth and rushed toward the injured goblin.

“Kaka! Kaka, it’s me! It’s Hermit!” he cried, his voice trembling with emotion. 

He dropped to his knees beside the goblin, his hands hovering over the broken body as if afraid to touch it. 

“I’m here... I’m here now... You’re going to be okay...”

Suzuka watched from the edge of the pit, she crossed her arms, her tone dry as she called down to him.

 “You know, Hermit, there are easier ways to take a bath.”

Hermit didn’t respond, his attention entirely focused on Kaka. Tears streamed down his face as he gently cradled the injured goblin, his voice barely above a whisper.

 “I’m sorry... I’m so sorry... I should’ve come sooner...”

Hermit knelt in the filth, his hands trembling as he gently cradled Kaka’s broken body. The stench of the waste pit was overwhelming, but Hermit didn’t care. All that mattered was the goblin in his arms—the goblin he had thought was lost forever.

He brushed a hand over Kaka’s face, wiping away the muck to reveal the familiar features he had missed for so many years. He pulled Kaka into a gentle hug, his arms wrapping around the injured goblin with a tenderness that belied his small frame. He buried his face in Kaka’s shoulder, his body shaking with sobs as years of grief and longing poured out of him.

 “I thought you were dead... I thought I’d never see you again... I’m so sorry... I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you sooner...”

Hermit pulled back slightly, his tear-streaked face filled with a mix of joy and sorrow. He cupped Kaka’s face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the dirt and tears.

 “I missed you so much... every day... every night... I never stopped thinking about you...”

He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Kaka’s forehead, his lips lingering as if trying to convey all the love and relief he had bottled up for years.

Hermit hugged him again, his grip firm but careful, as if afraid Kaka might disappear if he let go. He peppered Kaka’s face with gentle kisses—his forehead, his cheeks, the top of his head—each one a silent promise that he would never leave him again.

Suzuka watched from the edge of the pit, her arms crossed. 

 “Alright, lovebirds! As touching as this is, you need to get out of there. Your precious goblin doesn’t look too good—unless you’re into the whole ‘half-dead and covered in filth’ aesthetic. How about we get him some treatment before he keels over?”