Chapter 15: 015
【015】 Goblins Never Become “Slaves”
The goblins were aware of the human race’s covetousness towards them. Deep inside, they despised the humans who treated them as slaves.
When encountering them, it was best to be cautious, as one careless move could cost them their freedom.
Andre also told himself that if the humans truly wanted to capture them as slaves, they would fight to the death and escape, and if they couldn’t escape, they would kill them—kill as many as they could.
When the goblin spoke out, Alex emerged from the side.
Andre was startled when he saw him, he hadn’t even noticed how Alex had appeared.
Looking at him more closely, Andre keenly sensed that the person before him was powerful, and his wariness increased.
Alex looked at the three goblins he had led here. The goblin who spoke up was clearly the leader of the group, so Alex directly asked them, “Where did you get the weapons you’re holding?”
Upon hearing the mention of weapons, Andre’s pupils constricted, and he instinctively tightened his grip on his weapon.
The reason the humans were targeting their goblin tribe was because the goblins were skilled at finding various ores and were adept at alchemy, especially in weapon crafting.
Andre now understood. These humans were after their weapons.
A trace of resolve appeared on Andre’s face, “Even if we die, we will never betray our race. You will never get our weapons.”
Alex looked at the goblins’ faces, which were filled with fear but were gradually becoming more resolute, and simply smiled. “We are indeed after your weapons. You don’t need to betray your race. I only need to capture your goblin gathering place, and the weapons will eventually be ours.”
As Alex spoke, he made a hand gesture.
Upon seeing the gesture, the soldiers around him moved into action, quickly surrounding the three goblins.
Andre and the others, seeing this, immediately prepared to retaliate, ready to fight desperately.
Unfortunately for them, the soldiers had the advantage in numbers and were well-trained. Their skill was so honed that even though the goblins’ weapons were superior, within a few moves, the goblins were overpowered. Their weapons, which they considered their sharpest tools, were quickly disarmed the moment they were seized.
Looking at the goblins’ faces, filled with frustration and resignation, Alex had no intention of comforting them. He simply glanced at them and said, “Take them back!”
A short while later, Andre and the two other goblins were brought to the territory of Qingyun Village. Standing at the village entrance, they were shocked by the sight before them.
They hadn’t realized that such a large human village was so close. Watching the people coming and going at the village gate only added to their astonishment.
Especially Andre, who had now realized the threat this village posed to them.
Unable to contain himself, Andre began to struggle fiercely.
He had to go back and warn them.
“Be quiet.” Andre’s struggles prompted the soldier controlling him to warn him with a sharp slap, then continue moving him forward.
Soon, they reached the large gate of the village’s wall.
The sight of the group of soldiers and goblins quickly drew attention from the people around.
Some residents recognized them and gasped in shock.
“Goblins.”
“It’s goblins!”
“Where did these goblins come from?”
“Did Lord buy them as slaves?”
“This is the first time I’ve seen goblins. They’re really ugly, especially their big ears.”
“So goblins are also called ‘big-eared monsters’!”
These discussions quickly reached Andre and the other goblins’ ears. The other two goblins, who were captured, stayed quiet, clearly feeling defeated by their situation.
But Andre didn’t remain silent. As soon as he heard the comments, he shouted loudly, “We’re not slaves! We are not!”
His face twisted with rage, the small tuft of hair on his head twitching, revealing his sharp, pointed teeth.
Many of the residents were indeed startled, but seeing the goblins firmly controlled by the soldiers, they only spat lightly.
Alex didn’t bother with the scene and led his men straight into the village.
Andre soon realized that his shouts wouldn’t draw any more attention, so he stopped shouting and began observing the village.
Once inside, he was stunned by what he saw.
The bustling market, the hopeful faces, and the humans setting up their stalls all reminded him of the gathering place he currently lived in. That place was damp and gloomy, almost like a ruin, standing in stark contrast to what he saw now.
How wonderful it would be if their gathering place could be like this!
But Andre soon realized something.
Such a powerful village with so many people—if they attacked their gathering place, could they resist?
If they couldn’t resist, would they be turned into slaves in this village?
No! That couldn’t happen!
Even if he died, he would always remember what the Goblin King had said when he led the goblins to resist: Goblins will never be slaves!
He would never betray the Goblin tribe, even if it meant death, he would rather die with the gathering place.
Soon, Andre was taken to the military camp, where temporary cells had been set up. The three goblins were thrown inside. Apart from the guards stationed at the door, they did not see any more humans or anyone come to interrogate them.
Andre was immediately confused.
Had they been captured just to be locked up?
No! It was impossible! There must be some kind of conspiracy.
“You two, no matter what happens, we must not betray our gathering place.”
Hearing Andre’s words, the two goblins nodded forcefully. “Definitely.”
In the next two days, Andre had no chance to see more humans. Instead, he faced more and more goblins in the cell, and his mind became increasingly tense.
With more and more of their kin being captured, their gathering place must be growing weaker. If the humans really started attacking their gathering place, would they be able to escape?
Just as Andre became more anxious, they spent day after day in the cell. Contrary to what they had imagined about being enslaved, their treatment in the cell was actually quite good. They were given three meals a day, and the food was different every day.
At first, they looked down on the food, but after eating it, they found themselves unconsciously looking at the door whenever it was mealtime.
One morning, just around breakfast time, a few goblins repeatedly glanced at the door.
Soon, there was a sound outside, and the doors to the cells that had been locked were opened.
The goblins looked on with anticipation but were disappointed. Instead of food, they saw a few soldiers who gave them a simple, cold command.
“Move.”
Moments later, the 18 captured goblins were taken to the open training ground in the military camp, feeling confused, and a few even showed signs of panic.
Had they been kept for so many days just to be dealt with now?
Sure enough, no human was trustworthy!
Cursing inwardly, Andre quickly looked at the soldiers who had captured them in the camp.
Unlike what they had seen before, these soldiers were now clearly wearing more armor and were holding different weapons like hammers and spears.
There was something familiar about these weapons and equipment.
Wait… weren’t these the ones they had carried before?
After being locked up, one by one, their weapons had been taken away, and now they had ended up with the humans. The weapons and equipment they had crafted themselves had become the property of the humans!
Realizing this, the goblins couldn’t help but stare in disbelief.
Humans truly live up to their reputation, shameless beyond measure!
The goblins glared angrily at the soldiers one by one.
The soldiers, however, paid no attention to them. For them, the real benefit was in actually getting these rewards.
After seizing the so-called iron goods from the goblins, they quickly began to enjoy the benefits these weapons and equipment brought during battles.
Whether hunting monsters or leveling up, their efficiency had greatly improved, much more than before.
So, after experiencing these advantages, their passion for hunting goblins surged to unprecedented heights. Unfortunately, the goblins in the gathering places had also become smarter. After noticing their kin had gone missing, most of them were now circling around their gathering places. They had no chance to capture them and retreat safely, so they could only continue hiding in the shadows.
While both sides had their own thoughts, Gu Qing had already arrived at the military camp, with Alex following behind her.
When Alex appeared, all the goblins’ attention was drawn to him. They recognized him as the leader of the group that had captured them.
However, it was Gu Qing walking in front of him that instantly caught their attention.
They could tell she was a female, and it seemed she held a high status.
“Lord!” As the goblins speculated, the soldiers on site excitedly called out upon seeing Gu Qing.
Lord?
This young female was actually the lord of the humans!!
The goblins were in disbelief.
But they quickly regained their composure and immediately glared at Gu Qing with hatred.
If she was the lord of this territory, then she must be the mastermind behind their capture.
Gu Qing, of course, noticed the goblins’ glaring “gazes” but paid them no mind. She directly stood in front of them with Bart and Alex.
This was the first time Gu Qing had seen the goblins. After seeing their appearance, she was somewhat surprised.
Ulysses had once given her a detailed introduction about them, saying that goblins were the ugliest race among the five major races, with prominent big ears, flat faces, and beast-like features, not very intelligent. Now, seeing them in person, it was indeed true. However, their bodies were truly robust, possessing immense physical strength, and it was precisely because of this that they could engage in mining and crafting iron goods.
“Recently, the goblin gathering places haven’t sent anyone out to gather intelligence. They’ve been holed up in their gathering places,” Alex whispered in Gu Qing’s ear.
“Then, let them go later,” she replied.
“Let them go? Should we send them back to the goblin gathering place?” Alex, understanding the plan, asked in return.
“No need, just release them outside the military camp. Ulysses has already made arrangements along the way.”
“Understood,” Alex immediately responded.
“Then I’ll leave this to you.” After saying that, Gu Qing left directly.
Yes, she had only come to see what goblins looked like—after all, she’d never encountered them before.
Alex, understanding Gu Qing’s personality to some extent, turned to the wary goblins after she left and said, “Now that we’ve obtained the weapons we wanted, you are no longer of use to us. So we’ve decided… to let you go.”
The goblins’ hearts collectively sank at Alex’s words. They had been kept here and fed for days, and now it seemed they were about to be sold off!
Especially Andre. He was already planning his escape. Once sold, he would seize the first chance to flee and report the existence of this human territory to the chief.
But as Alex continued, the words “let you go” suddenly rang in their ears.
The goblins froze in place, stunned.
Let them go? Really?
Moments later, a group of goblins stood outside the military camp, utterly at a loss.
The humans had said they were free to leave, and they meant it. They even allowed them to roam within the territory. Were they not worried that the goblins might gather intelligence?
“Andre, could this be a trap? How could they just let us go? Could they be trying to use us to locate the goblin gathering place?” one goblin asked Andre in disbelief.
Goblins weren’t generally known for their intelligence, but there were always exceptions. Andre was one of them.
“They managed to capture us, so they probably already know where the gathering place is. They don’t need us to lead them there.”
“Then why?”
“I don’t know. I can’t figure it out. But one thing is certain—they want our weapons, and sooner or later, they will attack our gathering place. We need to hurry back and warn the chief to prepare.”
“Agreed.” The goblins nodded in agreement with Andre.
The group of goblins prepared to leave in a hurry.
But just as they were about to leave, a shout suddenly caught their attention:
“Steak! Grilled steak! Only 50 units of wood per serving!”
“Lamb and radish soup! Only 50 units of wood per serving!”
Hearing the cries, the goblins couldn’t help but stop in their tracks.
Suddenly, they realized something: if they left this human settlement, they might never get to eat such delicious food again.
Back at the goblin gathering place, their diet consisted of simple fruits. Meat was a rare treat, and even when they had it, it was just bland boiled meat or roasted beef with no flavor.
“Andre, they said grilled steak is only 50 units of wood. We have plenty of wood! Why not trade for some to take back?”
“Yeah, yeah! We might never get to eat this again!”
“Let’s buy some!”
“And it’s just wood—something the humans can easily collect themselves.”
The goblins, having tasted such delicious food, couldn’t resist at all.
Andre was in a dilemma. He was sure this was part of the humans’ plot, yet he couldn’t stop his mouth from watering.
As his clansmen pointed out, wood didn’t seem to hold any special value to the humans.
So… maybe they should just buy some?
Moments later, the goblins crowded around the stall.
Behind the stall stood Maysa, who had been instructed to sell food to the goblins. Seeing their unusual appearance didn’t surprise her much, and she warmly welcomed them.
In no time, the goblins had their hands full of food. While packing their purchases, Maysa casually mentioned, “Our tailor shop has plenty of clothes too, and they’re very warm! You can trade wood for them as well!”
The goblins’ interest was piqued. They’d already bought food, so why not get some clothes too? After all, they had plenty of wood.
Meanwhile, back at the goblin gathering place:
“Chief, another team of goblins disappeared yesterday,” a panicked goblin burst into Chief Morgan’s hut, speaking hastily.
The recent disappearances of goblin teams had caused widespread fear in the gathering place. No one dared venture out much anymore. Yet another team going missing today only deepened their panic.
Hearing this, Chief Morgan’s expression darkened.
Goblin teams consisted of three members. With five teams already gone, and now another one missing, nearly 20 goblins had vanished—all of them young and strong. Each loss was devastating, and the chief’s heart ached as though bleeding.
What’s worse, they still had no clue who was taking their people. Was it mercenaries? Were their clansmen being sold into slavery?
Infuriating!
They didn’t even know who their enemy was or where to find them.
The more goblins they sent out, the more quickly they disappeared.
Suppressing his rising anger, Chief Morgan instructed, “Tell all the warriors to return to the gathering place. Form groups of ten and do not leave its perimeter. If someone truly has their eyes on us, we must stay steady. The enemy will eventually reveal themselves.”
“And what about those who disappeared?” the goblin couldn’t help but ask. They had lived peacefully here for years without needing to make the long journey to the Goblin Kingdom. Who could have predicted such a sudden disaster?
If this place was no longer safe, could they still hope for a peaceful and free life?
“The safety of the gathering place comes first,” Chief Morgan said reluctantly, slowly closing his eyes.
He didn’t want this outcome either, but there was no choice. If an opportunity arose, he would rescue them. But for now, he couldn’t risk the entire gathering place for fewer than 20 goblins.
“Understood,” the goblin replied, his face tinged with disappointment.
When would their people finally live in true peace and stability?
As Chief Morgan was deep in thought, another goblin suddenly burst in, gasping for breath.
“Chief! They’re back! The goblins who disappeared have returned!”
Chief Morgan was stunned and rushed outside.
When he stepped out, he saw Andre and the others, finally relaxing. But as his gaze swept over them, it lingered on what they were carrying.
What on earth were those things?