Chapter 257 According to Plan

Larry's emotions churned like a turbulent sea as he looked at Hermit, rescued and unharmed. Relief flooded through him, a warm wave washing away the icy grip of fear that had clenched his heart. Hermit was safe, and for that, he was grateful.

But beneath the surface of his relief, a storm of conflicting emotions raged. Guilt gnawed at him, a relentless beast that refused to be ignored. He blamed himself for the lost lives and violence that had unfolded, for the danger and pain that Hermit had been subjected to. If only he had been more cautious, and more prepared, perhaps things could have turned out differently.

As he looked at Hermit, cradled in Suzuka's hand, a pang of sorrow pierced his heart. The goblin's frail form served as a reminder of the fragility of goblin slave life, of the cost of their quest for freedom. Larry couldn't shake the feeling that he had failed, that he had let them down in an unforgivable way. He knew that because of his mistakes, Hermit's fellow goblin slaves and innocent hatchlings paid the price with their lives. The doubt haunted his mind, what if he just waited a bit longer?  

Mixed with his guilt was a flicker of resentment, directed not at Suzuka, but at himself. He envied her confidence and her unwavering bravery in the face of trouble. While he grappled with doubt and self-recrimination, she acted with courage and decisiveness, rescuing Hermit without hesitation.

Larry farced himself to ask, "And what happened to the gobliman? Did you find any goblin slaves or hatchlings in the cave?" 

"As for that stinking gobliman, well, you know, just a little gravity magic here and there," she quipped, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. 

"I may have accidentally collapsed the mountain on his head... oops!"

"As for the goblin hatchery, well, let's just say it's no more," she continued with a hint of remorse in her words.

 "One of those behemoths went on a rampage and trashed the place, smashed all the eggs to bits. You should have seen it! It was disgusting! Goblin hatchlings burst from their eggs and before they could even draw their first breath they met the behemoth's ruthless feet. They popped like balloons! It's a real shame, but hey, at least there were no goblin slaves inside the cave, that would have been messy."

Larry's shoulders slumped as he absorbed Suzuka's words, a heavy weight settling in his chest. He gazed at her with a mixture of sadness and resignation, "It's... it's a lot to take in. I never wanted any of this to happen. I never wanted them to get hurt. It's all my fault. You were right, I should have waited. I should have trusted Hermit to warn his fellow slaves. If only I listened... it's all my fault."

Suzuka flashed a carefree smile at Larry, her tone light and breezy despite the grim surroundings.

 "Hey, don't sweat it too much, Larry," she said, patting him gently on the shoulder.

 "We did what we could, and sometimes things just don't go as planned. But hey, look at it this way - at least there is a next time, right?"

With a casual shrug, Suzuka tossed Hermit's limp body beside Larry like some lump of raw meat and gave him a playful nudge.

 "Now, you get some rest along with this slacker. And remember, we've got plenty more goblin farms to raid, and I've got a good feeling about the next one, so chin up, Larry! We'll turn things around next time, I promise." She declared with unwavering confidence.

"I'll go scout around for any survivors," she called over her shoulder as she walked away.

 "You just take it easy for a bit, okay? We've got this!"

Suzuka moved through the wreckage of the goblin breeding farm, her eyes scanned the debris-strewn landscape, searching for any signs of life within the wreck. With each step she took, she could hear the sickening crunch of hatchlings' bones beneath her feet. She checked beneath collapsed tents, peering into darkened corners and calling out in a quiet voice, "Oi! Is anyone there? Can you hear me? Chirp or click if you can."

Suzuka let out a disappointed sigh as she lifted the torn flaps of the wrecked goblin tent, revealing a scene of unimaginable horror. Piles of crushed and mangled goblin hatchlings greeted her, their tiny forms, barely larger than her fist, lay twisted and broken, their pitiful cries silenced by the weight of the behemoth's rampage. Their abused bodies showed the cruelty of their captors, starved and beaten into submission from the moment they were hatched.

As Suzuka traversed the wreckage of the goblin breeding farm, the scene before her eyes was a horrible view of carnage and destruction. Torn tents lay in shambles, their fabric rent and stained with the blood of countless goblin hatchlings. Limbs protruded at unnatural angles, the twisted remains of tiny bodies strewn haphazardly within the wreckage.

 She moved from one wrecked tent to the next, the tents, once bustling with activity and life, now lay in tatters, their fabric torn and shredded by the brutal force of the behemoth's rampage. Bodies, both goblin and hatchling alike, littered the ground like discarded refuse, their broken forms twisted into grotesque shapes by the sheer ferocity of the attack.

Suzuka knelt among the wreckage, her hands reaching out to each tiny form. She gave their heads a flick to check for some sign of life. Some of them stirred slightly at her touch with a weak whimper, their eyes fluttering open for just a moment before slipping back into unconsciousness. Their fragile bodies still clinging to a thread of hope, while others lay silent and still, their lives already extinguished. Their small forms were barely recognizable, their once vibrant green skin now marred with bruises and cuts. 

In the hope of giving them even the slightest chance of survival, with a wooden box in hand, Suzuka set to work, tossing each tiny form she found inside the box, no matter how mangled or broken, their frail bodies barely able to withstand the gentlest touch. Their limbs twisted and torn, bodies bruised and broken, yet still, they clung to life.

When she was done searching for survivors, Suzuka had amassed a collection of hatchlings, each one more fragile than the other, surviving against all odds. But her task was far from over. She began the process of sorting through her makeshift nursery, her fingers separated the living from the dead, which most of them did not survive.

In the end, Suzuka was left with eight hatchlings, their cries of pain echoing in the desolate landscape. With gentle care, she set to work, pulling and prodding at their mangled limbs, realigning broken bones and popping dislocated joints back into place. The hatchlings shrieked in agony as she worked, their frail bodies wracked with pain. But they felt much better when their broken limbs got straightened out. 

These hatchlings, these poor wretches, had known nothing but torment since the moment they hatched. Beaten and starved, they were mere shadows of what they should have been. But in Suzuka's hands, they found a glimmer of hope, a fleeting moment of respite from their endless torment.

To ease their suffering, Suzuka fetched water and bread, creating a slimy paste that she dribbled into their gaping mouths. It was a meager offering, but to the starved and beaten hatchlings, it was a taste of haven. The sounds of their guttural squelching chomps echoed through the silence, the result of their constant starvation. With feeble strength, they gulped down the nourishment, their emaciated bodies trembling with effort to swallow before succumbing to exhaustion. With the hatchlings finally settled, Suzuka wrapped them in a blanket, providing what little warmth she could offer.

But her task was far from over. Suzuka ventured outside the goblin camp, her eyes scanning the dense forest for any sign of life. She knew that many goblin slaves had fled into the woods. 

Hours passed as Suzuka searched the forest around the breeding farm, her footsteps brushing through the foliage. At last, a glimmer of movement caught her eye, a faint rustling in the underbrush. With cautious steps, she approached, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

As she drew closer, the figure emerged from the shadows, a goblin slave stumbling through the undergrowth at her feet, his eyes wide with fear as he pleaded, "Please! No hurt! Me no evil! No hurt! No hurt! Master, no hurt me! I speak! You understand?"

Suzuka rejoiced as she looked at the goblin slave, he looked fine and had no injuries, he was only scared and desperate. 

"Don't worry, little fella, I won't hurt you! You are safe now. Come on, come closer." 

As Suzuka extended her hand toward the goblin slave, her smile seemed to radiate warmth and compassion, a beacon of hope within the hell around him. The goblin, his eyes wide with disbelief and a glimmer of hope flickering in their depths, hesitated for a moment before tentatively reaching out his trembling arm.

A tear escaped the corner of his eye, tracing a path down his dirt-streaked face, as Suzuka's comforting smile brought a sense of relief he had never known. For a fleeting moment, the weight of his suffering seemed to lift, replaced by a fragile sense of trust and optimism. With a blissful smile, he offered his hand to Suzuka, his heart brimming with gratitude for this unexpected gesture of kindness.

The goblin's trembling hand reached out tentatively, his fingers curling hesitantly around Suzuka's outstretched hand. In that fleeting moment, a sense of friendship blossomed between them, bridging the vast chasm that separated their worlds. But before the goblin could express his overwhelming gratitude, Suzuka's gentle smile twisted into a sinister smirk.

With a swift and decisive motion, Suzuka's hand shot out like lightning, seizing the slave goblin by his spindly arm and yanking him closer with an iron grip. With a resounding crack, her other hand delivered a brutal blow to the back of the goblin's head, rendering him unconscious in an instant, his joyous sobs abruptly silenced. 

Without missing a beat, Suzuka reached into her item storage and retrieved a sturdy sack, tossing the limp body of the goblin inside with a callous disregard for his well-being. She hoisted the bag onto her shoulder, making her way to the four-wheeler, the goblin's limp form bouncing slightly with each step.

 She dumped the bag onto the trunk with a thud, ensuring it was securely fastened with tight knots and sturdy ropes. Alongside the unconscious goblin, she placed a small box containing the precious goblin eggs, ensuring they were safely stowed away for their journey back to town.

 "And here I was beginning to think that all hope was lost. With this goblin and these eggs, I've fulfilled my end of the deal with Valerius. One healthy goblin slave and two precious goblin eggs. Well, at least something went according to plan."