20 Wider World!

"The Goblin Imp is truly dead?"

Dick's surprise was palpable. He had only recently been released to gather information, so how could the goblin child be dead so soon?

This unexpected turn of events left Dick both stunned and wary. He knew the goblin imp's abilities well; ordinary monsters couldn't have killed him so swiftly. This suggested a terrifying, high-level monster lurking nearby, capable of such a deed.

His thoughts quickly shifted to his own precarious situation. On one hand, there was the overlord of the giant forest, a formidable griffon descendant. On the other, the black jade-level adventurer, the blonde girl named Lily.

Dick knew the griffon was too large to enter his secret cave. However, a human adventurer like Lily posed a real threat. Humans, particularly scouts, could easily discover his hideout and alert others, leading to an overwhelming siege.

Currently, as an F+ level Goblin Shaman, Dick wasn't strong enough to take on multiple adversaries. He needed more time to grow in power. Hence, he decided to lay low, venturing out only under the cover of night when human adventurers, reliant on bonfires for vision, were more vulnerable.

Pondering his next move, Dick headed towards the cave where he held Lily captive, seeking more information.

Inside the cave, Lily had been a prisoner for two days, bound by ropes that restricted her movements, making escape a distant dream. Fearful of falling and unable to rise, she remained motionless, awaiting Dick's arrival.

The idea of being at the mercy of a goblin filled her with dread. The thought of being humiliated, tortured, or worse, bearing a goblin child, was unbearable. She would rather face death in captivity than endure such horrors.

Yet, after two days without food or water, her desperation grew. She longed for Dick's arrival, not out of hope for rescue, but for the basic necessities to survive.

Once a pampered lady, beloved for her brother's status as a renowned adventurer, Lily now found herself in a harrowing plight that stripped away her privileged demeanor, leaving her longing for home and reduced to tears in the oppressive darkness of the cave.

As she wept silently, a sound broke the stillness — the soft approach of footsteps. Dick, the Goblin Shaman, had arrived.

"I've kept you here for two days. You must have learned your lesson by now," Dick said, observing the crying adventurer who seemed more like a frightened child. He refrained from revealing his true intentions, choosing instead to frame her imprisonment as a form of punishment.

"You! You!" Lily's voice quivered as she confronted her captor, her tears abruptly ceasing. Her eyes flickered with a mixture of joy, fear, and defiance.

"Curse you, Goblin! I'm not scared of you! But... how did you become a shaman?" Her words were a mix of shock and curiosity. Noticing Dick's transformation, she couldn't believe how much had changed in just two days.

"Dont talk about stuff that doesn't concern you for now, and I has become a Goblin Shaman."

Dick, having evolved into a mid-level Goblin Shaman, now wielded enough power to command a Goblin lair. This revelation struck Lily with a wave of fear and timidity as she gazed at him warily.

"Please, just let me go. I promise to keep your secret. I won't let my brother harm you..." Lily's voice trailed off, her words growing fainter.

She was no fool. After such a prolonged captivity, the idea of being released seemed far-fetched. However, Dick's next words sparked a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Alright, I might let you go, but that depends," Dick said, contemplating. Keeping Lily captive served little purpose for him, and his desires didn't align with brutality or humiliation.

His tastes were different; he yearned for women with more... presence. Thus, he considered releasing Lily as a way to eliminate a potential problem.

"Really? Truly?" Lily's voice quivered with a mix of disbelief and hope.

Yet, she couldn't shake off the suspicion that this sly, malevolent goblin was merely toying with her, raising her hopes only to dash them cruelly.

"It depends on the circumstances. If you can provide me with the information I need and satisfy my curiosity, I might let you go," Dick clarified, probing for information he needed.

Being a newcomer to this strange world, he hoped to glean valuable insights from Lily, a native human.

Later, as dusk enveloped the giant tree forest, Lily, her initial haughtiness and defiance replaced by caution, softly relayed information to Dick.

When night fell, Dick stepped out of the cave where he had kept Lily. He gave her some water to quench her thirst before reviewing the information she had provided.

According to Lily, this forest, part of the Lion Mountain Range, was ruled by formidable griffins, classified as terrifying B-level monsters. These creatures often required teams of silver-level adventurers for a successful confrontation.

Dick realized that the Giant Tree Forest, where he had encountered Lily, lay on the distant fringes of the Lion Mountain Range, generally outside the griffins' notice.

Beyond these mountains lay the Amber Kingdom, home to adventurers like Lily. Adjacent to the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountains, this kingdom attracted numerous adventurers eager for the rich bounty of monsters.

Apart from the Amber Kingdom, other lesser realms existed, but none matched its might. Lily also mentioned a formidable force – the Demon Lord's Army, a world where heroes, demon Lords, and even gods intertwined in a complex tapestry of power.

For Dick, though, these distant lands held little immediate interest.

With this newfound knowledge, Dick stood at the cave's entrance, summoning several goblin imps. It was time to explore the outside world, to understand the threats lurking near his newfound home, and to devise a strategy for survival.