10 Fate Of a Female Captive!

"You wretched goblin! You're as good as dead! My comrades will surely come to my rescue!"

In the dimly lit, musty chamber where this scene unfolded, Dick, previously a human but now turned into a goblin, stood over his captive. The air was thick with tension, the only light seeping through cracks in the ancient stone walls. The prisoner, a young magician named Lily, had just regained consciousness, her voice echoing with defiance.

As Dick locked eyes with Lily, his gaze was steely and unforgiving. He had caught her off guard, and now, she seemed to have forgotten her initial panic, replaced by a fiery resolve.

Lily, with her blonde hair disheveled and her robes dirtied, tried to mask her fear. "My brother is a renowned Black Steel adventurer. Capture me, and he'll hunt you down for revenge," she declared, her voice wavering despite her bravado.

"Black Steae?" Dick echoed, momentarily taken aback. He was aware of the hierarchy of adventurers - White Iron, Obsidian, Grey Stone, Black Steal, Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum. Black Steel was a formidable rank, far above his own capabilities.

This realization hit Dick hard. He had inadvertently entangled himself with a force much greater than he had anticipated. In the world of adventurers and monsters, he was but an F-level entity, significantly outmatched by a Black Steel.

Lily, mistaking Dick's silence for fear, allowed a smug smile to cross her face. "Yes, fear my brother, the most esteemed adventurer in our town. Disrespect me, and you invite your doom, you articulate goblin!" Her tone was haughty, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and pride.

Dick, already frustrated by his previous encounter with a griffin, found his patience wearing thin. "Enough of your prattle!" he snapped.

Lily, undeterred, continued her taunts. "Scared, are we? Beg for my mercy, and perhaps I'll spare your life, depending on my mood," she sneered.

"I said silence!" In a flash of anger, Dick struck her. A red mark appeared on her cheek, a stark contrast to her pale skin.

Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as she burst into sobs. "Monster! You dare strike me? I'll make you pay for this, you vile creature!"

Dick, realizing the gravity of his situation, muttered to himself, "What a mess I've gotten into..."

He pondered his predicament. Not only was he a target of a giant griffin's cub, but he had now also provoked the wrath of a Black Steal adventurer. The weight of his actions began to dawn on him, filling him with a sense of dread and uncertainty.

As Dick mulled over his predicament, he realized that his best course of action was to remain hidden in the cave, keeping his presence a secret from the outside world. This shadowy, damp cave, with its stalactites and eerie echoes, became his sanctuary.

Targeted by both monstrous creatures and humans, Dick saw no reason to involve himself further in the outside chaos. Instead, he decided to focus on enhancing his strength through simulation. He firmly believed that his current troubles stemmed from his own weakness. If he became stronger, these obstacles would no longer pose a threat.

However, there was one exception to this belief - the infamous Goblin Slayer. The mere mention of this nemesis sent a shiver down Dick's spine due to his previous encounter with Goblin Slayers. He glanced at Lily, who was sitting in a corner of the cave, her blonde hair covering her tear-streaked face, her expression a mix of grief and defiance.

"Do you know of any Goblin Slayer?" Dick asked, breaking the silence.

Lily, still simmering with anger, shot him a venomous glare but remained silent.

Sensing her fear, Dick extended his hand towards her. Frightened of another assault, Lily hurriedly responded, "I know of a Goblin Slayer that is a bronze-level adventurer from a neighboring town. He's notorious for hunting goblins and was even commended by the kingdom for his efforts!"

As Dick digested this information, a sense of alarm gripped him. The reality of a Goblin Slayer existing near him, a relentless hunter with a single-minded purpose to eradicate goblins, was deeply unsettling. As a goblin himself, Dick couldn't help but fear this merciless adversary.

Lily, seizing the moment, demanded her release. "Now that I've answered you, when will you let me go?"

Dick looked at her as if she was naive. "You know my secret. I can't let you leave - not alive, anyway."

Lily's face contorted with rage upon hearing this. "Curse you, Goblin! If you keep me here, my brother will come for you. He'll be your end!"

Dick remained unfazed. "This place is well-hidden. Besides, I've already got enough targets on my back. What's one more?" He paused, then added with a menacing tone, "And you should know what happens when a female falls into goblin hands."

Upon hearing this, Lily's heart sank. She remembered the tales of female adventurers falling prey to goblins - the horrors they faced, the despair that followed. The realization of her own perilous situation struck her, filling her with overwhelming fear.

Initially, Lily hadn't recognized Dick as the notorious goblin he was. But now, faced with the grim reality, her complexion turned ghostly pale, her body trembling uncontrollably as she instinctively sought to distance herself from him.

Dick observed Lily's newfound fear with a sneer. However, he had no immediate interest in causing her further harm. Instead, he locked her in a small, isolated chamber within the cave. Then, he walked to the center of the cave, determined to focus on his training simulations.

Surrounded by the gloom of the cave, Dick knew he had to grow stronger. Too many crises loomed over him, and increasing his strength was his only way out.