Chapter 43: Persecuting Goblins
Jima once again loaded her crossbow, then picked up a short spear from the ground. Grasping the spear, she stabbed forcefully at the goblin corpse on the ground to prevent any goblins from feigning death. She had encountered such schemes countless times when cutting people down in the demon realm.
As she stabbed, she complained, “George should really buy some big weapons that even rookies can use; Liss’s magic wand is pretty good.”
As she patiently stabbed one by one, she suddenly realized that she could use her Desire Eyes to determine if they were alive or dead. Jima slapped her forehead, opened her Desire Eyes, and discovered that the previously small goblin was still not dead.
Listening closely, she could hear its moans.
“I know you’re still alive.” Jima walked closer, aiming the spear at the small goblin.
“I… I surrender, I truly surrender.” It cried out earnestly, and everyone said that young long-legged people, especially females, are very naive and foolish. How was this one different?
Its chest, symbolizing greed, had a blue vortex that shrank to a minimum, also in rage.
Jima tentatively believed it wasn’t lying this time, knowing that goblins are naturally timid and afraid of the strong. Still, she kept the spear pointed at the small goblin and coldly said, “Throw me your short sword, handle first.”
The red-haired short sword was tossed to Jima’s feet.
Jima gripped the exceptionally sharp magical short sword and instantly felt a sense of security.
“Very good, congratulations on surviving.” Jima displayed a charming smile. “Stuff all your gold coins into the backpack; there’s a white bottle inside. Remove the arrow from your belly, then apply the ointment from the white bottle to your wound.”
The small goblin complied. It hoisted the backpack, hunched over, holding its now staunched wound, and walked towards Jima, saying, “Ying Xiong, I’m injured and the backpack is heavy; it’ll hinder you. Do you have any medicine?”
Jima’s healing potion was running low, and that little wouldn’t even heal her swollen ankle.
Jima squinted and said, “That’s your problem; if you can’t carry it, then die.”
“Okay, Ying Xiong,” the small goblin lowered its head.
At that moment, the sounds of goblins clamoring came from behind. Another goblin search party was approaching.
“Let’s move.”
Jima commanded. The goblin led the way, with her following behind.
Complete darkness enveloped the two, making it impossible for even a goblin to see clearly in the dark.
“Ying Xiong, light a torch; I can’t see,” said the small goblin, then tripped and fell, choking out, “I stepped on a stone, wuwu.”
Jima coldly looked at the blue greedy vortex in its chest, which grew larger.
“Then die.” Jima said, “A laborer exposing their position is useless to me.”
“Wait, I can.” The small goblin stood up immediately, but after walking a few steps, it fell again, quickly scrambling back to its feet.
Both of their speeds slowed by half. Fortunately, the sounds of pursuers behind them gradually faded.
In true goblin fashion, it was stalling, but Jima didn’t really want to kill it. Her hard-earned money was at stake; she was greedy too, as without money, how could she buy materials and grow stronger?
“Since that’s the case, I’ll tie a rope to you.” Jima said, “I’ll lead the way; just follow behind me.”
“Okay, okay.”
The small goblin scrambled up, and in Jima’s eyes, the blue greedy vortex in its chest grew even larger.
Exposing its back was essentially giving the other party an opportunity for a sneak attack.
“Extend your hands and place them on the stone; I’ll tie your wrists with a rope. The stone is to your left.”
“Okay, okay, big Ying Xiong.” The small goblin quickly placed its hands on the cold stone.
Jima took out a hemostatic ointment and dripped the remaining healing potion into it, mixing it together.
Jima gently said, “Stretch out your fingers, stack your hands together. Yes, just like that.”
As she spoke, she brought the short sword closer to the small goblin.
The goblin could only vaguely see Jima’s silhouette; it noticed that Jima was even skinnier than itself and seemed weaker. A greedy thought arose in its mind: as long as it took advantage of her distraction while she tied its hands, it could bite her, knock her down, or quietly grab a stone to smash her from behind as she led the way.
At that moment, not only would all the shiny gold coins belong to it, but it could also toy with her soft, warm body and push down on her, using a stick to poke her under, hearing her plead for mercy— it would surely be very entertaining.
“Yes, just like that.” Jima showed a charming smile and suddenly drew her short sword, slicing down. The sharp blade cleanly severed the goblin’s ten fingers.
It first felt a chill in its hand, then pain; it abruptly raised its hand, feeling nothing in its fingers, stunned for a few seconds before emitting a scream.
“My hand!”
“There’s medicine here; just apply it and you’ll be fine.” Jima said nonchalantly, “If you scream again, I’ll stab your neck.”
“I’m going to die.” The small goblin rolled on the ground in pain.
“You won’t die if you don’t bleed.”
Shaking with fear, the small goblin stretched out its fingerless hands. Jima roughly smeared the medicine on its severed fingers. The goblin’s lips trembled in pain, but the bleeding eventually stopped.
“Stand up.”
Jima’s voice remained soft, but to the small goblin, it became an undeniable command. It shivered and stood up.
As Jima picked up the rope to tie the small goblin, weak light flickered from a distance—another goblin patrol team was nearby.
The small goblin’s eyes lit up; it exclaimed and fell to the ground, saying, “I… I can’t carry it; I’m going to die.”
“Don’t you have legs? Stand up.” Jima crouched down and said, “Still want to bite me? It’s fine; I won’t die if you bite me; I will stab you.”
With no choice left, the small goblin, overwhelmed by terror, gritted its teeth and stood up. Jima tied it by the neck, limping as she led the goblin deeper into the cave.
The cave twisted and turned, and sounds bounced off the walls, making it hard to distinguish the source.
From afar, indistinct angry roars and the sound of swords clashing came from some direction. Jima listened carefully but could only hear echoes, unable to determine the direction, so she gave up.
The firelight in the darkness behind her was drawing closer. The weak glow washed over the ink-like blackness.
Jima turned around and noticed that the search team was now much closer. She also saw the small goblin’s face, dominated by fear yet with a hint of hope. Sensing Jima had halted, it hurriedly straightened up, fearing Jima would think it was a bad laborer and stab it with her sword.
Jima smiled, having been stifled under George’s command for so long, but today, she surprisingly felt a bit of joy in confronting a goblin, reminiscent of her past as a demon lord.
She wasn’t worried about being caught by pursuers; at worst, she could use the same trick again. Just then, her stomach rumbled slightly.
Hungry again.
She licked her lips and began to reminisce about George’s taste.
Once she used up the “energy” this time, she must have a good meal on the body of a dead virgin. With that thought, she tightened her grip on the magical short sword. Just as she raised it,
The small goblin pleaded for mercy, “Ying Xiong, I can walk quickly, I’ll help you bite people.”
It sensed that Jima intended to use it and the backpack as bait, of course, the bait was its own dead self.
“Oh?”
Jima hesitated. The small goblin trembled all over, feeling that the girl in front of it was not weak at all but a demon lord.
In the brief moment of her hesitation,
There came several blood-curdling cries from behind,
“Big iron block!”
“Run!”
In no time, several torches appeared before Jima, and frightened goblins rushed toward her.
George had finally arrived along the connection of the slave contract.
The fire lit up the scene between a demon and a goblin, illuminating Jima’s figure. The small goblin seemed to see the dawn of freedom, tears welling in its eyes, but contrary to its expectations, Jima did not escape.
She merely tugged on the rope slightly, turned her head, and gently asked, “How does my expression look now?”
On her youthful face, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upwards, revealing a trace of an evil smile. The small goblin shivered and said, “Majestic, very majestic.”
“Oh.”
Jima immediately changed her expression, displaying a look of panic as if she were about to cry. She even rubbed her eyes hard to redden them.
The small goblin was stunned, feeling as if it were the one tying her up, not the other way around.
“What about now?”
“Weak.”
No sooner had it spoken than Jima plunged a sword into its chest. The small goblin widened its eyes, looking at her in confusion. Jima even shoved her forearm into its mouth, and it only heard Jima’s final words, “Bite me.”
It bit down.
The frightened goblins surged towards Jima.
Jima covered her injured, bleeding hand and cried out in a tearful voice, “No! Don’t come here!”
The leading goblins couldn’t understand why a girl had suddenly appeared, but their confusion didn’t last long.
As soon as Jima finished speaking, a booming male voice echoed, sending chills through the goblins.
“Let go of that girl!”
In the next moment, a goblin’s corpse crashed into the bewildered goblins like a cannonball.
Jima saw George charging in, clearing a path. His massive sword was impaled with two goblin corpses. In his haste, he dropped the sword and with one hand seized the goblin nearest to Jima, grabbing its arm and violently throwing it against a nearby boulder.
With a crunching sound.
The goblin’s neck broke, its arms shattered in several places. In the next second, another goblin was in trouble.
George’s iron fists slammed directly into its skull, instantly making its head shrink down into its chest.
If you don’t change your name to Destroyer, I might as well… Jima’s eyes widened.
After confirming that Jima was unharmed, George picked up the giant sword and cleared away all the goblins. He removed his helmet and looked at Jima.
Jima threw herself into his arms, tears glistening in her eyes, almost crying out, “George, you finally came.”
“Yes, I’m here.”
George grabbed Jima by the shoulders, gently pushing her back, and saw her left arm drenched in blood, hurriedly taking her hand and examining it for a row of bite marks. Jima’s small face was wet with tears.
He asked with concern, “What happened?”
Pain etched on Jima’s face, she shook her head.
George looked up to survey the scene. A short sword was embedded in the chest of a dead goblin, and Jima’s backpack was nearly torn apart, lying beside it.
He imagined Jima in a desperate struggle with the goblin, the goblin biting down hard on her arm while she, in pain, drove the short sword into its chest.
She was still just a child.
A feeling of guilt overwhelmed George, and he hugged Jima tightly, saying, “I’m sorry I came late.”
