Chapter 256 Light of Freedom

The gobliman's once proud demeanor had crumbled into a pitiful heap of exhaustion and defeat. His hands, once adorned with crude weaponry and symbols of authority, were now bloodied and raw from desperate attempts to find leverage against the unyielding rock. With each futile scrape, his strength waned, and he collapsed to his knees, his ragged breaths echoing off the cavern walls.

His thoughts raced like frightened rabbits, darting this way and that in search of a shred of hope. But as the reality of his situation settled in, the gobliman's frantic ramblings grew increasingly desperate, "Krrrk... Krrrrk... What to do, what to do? Krrk... Gotta think, gotta think... Can't let them take me, no, no, no... Need a plan, a way out... Krrrrk... Maybe... maybe I can... trick them? No, no, they're too smart... Maybe I can... fight? No, no, they're too strong... Krrrk... Krrrrk... Think, think, think..." His pleas devolve into nonsensical mutterings of survival and escape.

"Come on, stinky goblin. Time's up! Your minute of grace has passed a long time ago, so I suggest you scurry along before I change my mind. Or perhaps you need a helping hand?" Suzuka taunted, her voice dripping with mockery.

Her laughter rang out, a cruel echo in the cavernous chamber, as she watched the gobliman struggle to his feet, his resolve crumbling before her eyes.

"Please," he murmured with a frightened voice.

 "I'll do anything. Just let me go. I'll disappear! You'll never see me again. I will be a good goblin! I won't hurt anyone anymore! Please, mercy!"

Suzuka's lips curled into a sardonic smile as she watched the gobliman plead for mercy. She feigned deep contemplation, tapping her finger against her chin in a playful manner.

"Hmm, decisions, decisions. We did agree on one minute, didn't we? And it seems we've gone well past that. Whatever shall I do?"

"Perhaps if you offer me something of value. Riches, coins, shiny crystals... those might persuade me to spare you a few minutes to save your miserable life. But I wouldn't wait too long if I were you." She suggested, her voice laced with mockery.

The gobliman's words came out in a jittery, anxious rush, his voice high-pitched and trembling with fear as he pleaded with her, his large, bulbous eyes darting around the chamber.

"Please, please, no shinies here! No coins, no sparkly rocks! Please, no shiny trinkets, no glimmering stones! The collectors, come every full moon and snatch away all! But you, mighty one, look! Look through the muck and mire of my den, take what pleases your eye. Just grant me a few more moments! I see the crack, the path to freedom, faint light beckoning! Look, look, take what you want! Anything you like, just give me a little more time! Almost done, almost out!" 

His plea was accompanied by frantic gestures, his hands pointed toward the debris blocking his escape. Fear etched deep lines on his craggy face as he implored Suzuka to show him mercy and grant him the time he so desperately needed.

Suzuka's smirk widened into a grin as she considered the gobliman's desperate plea. With a dramatic sigh, she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fine, fine. But just because you showed such warm and welcoming hospitality to our little friend, Hermit over there, I will give you another chance," she said, her tone dripping with mock sympathy.

 "I'll give you a little more time, but just until I finish rummaging through your junk. If you're not done by then, well..." She trailed off, leaving the threat hanging, her playful demeanor belying the seriousness of her words.

With a click of her fingers, she gestured for the gobliman to continue, her gaze leaving him as she prepared to search through his belongings with anticipation. The gobliman, mustering what little strength he had left, continued digging his way out. 

As Suzuka began to sift through the piles of junk scattered around the cave chamber, she found a diverse mix of items, some less useful than others. Hidden amongst the debris were various trinkets and baubles, likely collected from the goblin slaves over the years. Suzuka found crude necklaces made of bones and other knick-knacks of little value.

Within the clutter, she came across a collection of broken swords, spears, and axes. The weapons were rusted and worn, beyond repairs. Strewn among the piles of junk were torn and tattered slave cloths, human size. Suzuka picked up a few pieces, inspected them with interest, and stored them in her item storage.

"Oh, these will come in handy. Dirty, stinking, and shredded. Just perfect." She whispered to herself. 

Next, her attention was attracted to a pile of damaged goblin guards' tattered armor. She closely inspected them and stored a bunch. With a chuckle, she whispered to herself again, "Oh, these are great. He will look so silly in them, but it might just work out. I should take some of these goblin armor."

Mixed in with the junk were fragments of jewelry - broken chains, cracked rings, and chipped gemstones. Despite their worn state, Suzuka recognized their potential value and pocketed them for further examination.

As Suzuka filtered through the piles of junk, her expression shifted from fun to mild disgust. The gobliman's collection seemed to consist mostly of useless trinkets and filth-covered junk.

Among the debris, she unearthed a collection of worn-out goblin-made weapons, their edges dulled and their handles worn from use but she stored them in her item storage anyway. 

She found herself growing increasingly frustrated as time passed while she filtered through the piles of useless and disgusting junk. The items she uncovered were all utterly worthless. With each useless discovery, her disappointment deepened, until she finally let out a sigh of resignation.

Turning her attention to Hermit, who still lay unconscious on the stone floor, his tiny form sprawled out on the ground, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight of him snoring loudly. His thumb lodged firmly in his mouth like some oversized toddler and with each slurp, he emitted a sound akin to a small whirlpool. 

With a scoff, she grabbed him roughly by the ears, hoisting him up as if he were nothing more than a wild rabbit. She carried him callously, his limbs dangling limply as he continued to suck on his thumb with an almost comical passion. As she carried him, his head lolled to the side with each step she took. His snoring continued, punctuated by the occasional mumble or giggle.

Ignoring the gobliman's exhausted efforts to clear the debris blocking his escape, Suzuka made her exit without a second glance, leaving him to toil away in frustration. Left alone, the gobliman heaved a sigh of relief, his bloody hands reaching out to grasp the last stubborn pieces of debris blocking his escape tunnel. With a final burst of effort, he managed to clear a path just wide enough for his tired body to squeeze through, the taste of freedom dancing on his slithering tongue.

As he crawled through the narrow passage, a twisted grin spread across the gobliman's sweaty face. With each labored breath, he swore vengeance upon Suzuka and her goblin pet.

"Grr... curse that breeding bitch and her wretched goblin pet! That shitty rat! They think they can outsmart me, but they'll pay for their arrogance! I will torture that stinking slave rat until he cries with piss and then some! They'll both pay dearly! I will have the whole goblin camp breed that bitch! I'll make 'em regret ever crossing paths with me! I'll crush 'em like bugs and feast on their bones!" The gobliman growled through gritted teeth as he crawled toward the exit, his voice strained with hatred. 

He imagined all kinds of brutal ways he would torture them before killing them. But for now, survival was his only concern, and he appreciated the thought of escaping with his life intact, vowing to return with newfound strength and unleash his fury upon his enemies.

Suzuka couldn't help but chuckle softly as she navigated through the cave, Hermit's unconscious form bouncing slightly with each movement. She savored the impending chaos she was about to unleash. With a wicked grin, she extended her arm toward the gobliman's chamber, her fingers curling into a menacing fist as she summoned the dark mist of her magic.

The mist swirled and danced with sinister intent, creeping along the walls and floor of the chamber like a hunting shadow. The gobliman's eyes widened in terror as he watched the darkness approach, a cold sweat breaking out across his face.

As Suzuka clenched her fist tighter, the mist surged forward with unstoppable force, swallowing the gobliman's escape tunnel in its inky depths. The gobliman let out a strangled cry of despair as he realized his last hope of survival was being consumed by darkness.

She activated her gravity magic, channeling her power into her fist and sending shockwaves of force rippling through the cave. The walls trembled and groaned under the immense pressure, cracks spiderwebbing across the stone as it began to collapse in on itself.

The gobliman's yells echoed through the chamber as he was buried alive under tons of rubble, his screams drowned out by the deafening roar of the collapsing cave. Suzuka watched with a cold gaze as the chamber crumbled before her.

"That's for hurting Hermit, you stinking goblin." She whispered.   

With a triumphant smirk, Suzuka emerged from the dark depths of the cave, her silhouette framed by the dim light filtering through the entrance. As she stepped into the open air, the chaos of the trashed breeding farm stretched out before her, a brutal scene of the battle that had just taken place.

Her eyes scanned the scene, taking in the devastation around her. Jake and Max were still busy scouring the area for any signs of surviving goblin slaves and hatchlings, their faces expressed little hope as they sifted through the wreckage. Meanwhile, Mia lay motionless on her sleeping bag, still unconscious and vulnerable.

Suzuka approached Larry confidently, Hermit cradled securely in her outstretched hand. With a flourish, she presented the goblin to him, a victorious glint in her eyes as she said, "Look who I found, Larry! Our good old Hermit! Good as new! I told you he's indestructible! Just look at him go with his thumb, he's gonna suck his whole hand in if this goes on."

Caught between gratitude and self-blame, relief and regret, Larry struggled to find the right words. He wanted to thank Suzuka for her bravery, to express his relief at Hermit's safety. But the weight of his guilt bore down on him, leaving him tongue-tied and uncertain.

In the end, all he could manage was a tight-lipped smile and a murmured, "Thank you, Helen. I'm glad you found him."