Chapter 3: Gou

Six months had passed since I arrived in this forsaken place.

Would I ever find a way to break free? I pondered, my strikes against the rock echoing in the cavernous mine.

"Everything alright? You look lost in thought" Gou's voice interrupted my reverie.

Gou, the humanoid panda I aided months ago, had become a steadfast companion. It might seem odd, but amidst the inhabitants of this world, he felt the most human.

Hailing from a tribe near the Rising Lake, he embodied a deep connection to nature, akin to the druids of MMORPG lore.

Yet, Gou harbored an unquenchable wanderlust, yearning to explore realms beyond his ancestral forests.

At twenty, he abandoned his tribe to chase his dreams, traversing countless lands, immersing himself in diverse cultures and languages. Though his age remained a mystery, his wisdom spoke volumes.

His fur, a blend of white and brown, gave him a striking appearance, while his sturdy physique and confident demeanor exuded strength.

If I were to liken him to anything, it would be the pandarens from the game "World of Warcraft."

He also told me a lot about the world.

Kingdom we're in is called Freypass.

The people here harbor great hatred towards creatures other than humans.

It’s the same in the neighboring kingdom, where only monsters live, and they have a great hatred for humans.

A war between these two kingdoms has been raging for over 60 years, only intensifying the mutual hatred.

As for my race—it turns out that intelligent goblins are rare in this world, but not as rare as it might seem.

During his travels, Gou heard that there is a kingdom of goblin craftsmen with remarkable intelligence.

He told me all this while we worked, making the toil of digging somewhat easier to endure.

The last few months have looked the same for me:

Awakened by the bald bastard from my first day.

Laboring in the mine for hours on end.

A meager meal, earned through sweat and toil.

Then, surrendering to slumber in my dismal cell.

Every day, the same task popped up:

[ New Task ]

Mission objective: Go to work.

Reward: 1x piece of bread.

In case of failure: Death.

I didn't gain any experience from this, as you typically do in games. It was more like a foretelling of the future—what benefits and losses my actions might bring.

I think it has something to do with the Hero's Guide skill. Of course, it has its pros and cons. One of the cons is that it reminds me daily of the crappy situation I'm in.

"Yes - everything is fine" I replied.

Another day passed.

This day began differently from the others. Just as I was stirring awake, I sensed someone approaching.

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By the time I opened my eyes, my hands were already bound with something akin to handcuffs, and a rough sack was shoved over my head, restricting my vision.

"Let's go" one of the guards barked.

The journey seemed endless. Despite my limited sight, it felt as though we were winding our way through a labyrinthine passage.

After what felt like thirty minutes, I realized we were ascending a staircase—I was in shock.

I experienced something I never expected in this life: the smell of fresh air. How I missed it, I thought.

Why had they brought me outside? Whatever the reason, I knew it couldn't bode well. With my vision obscured by the sack, I had no sense of our direction.

After another fifteen minutes, they pushed me into something resembling a medieval carriage or cart — I don't know the exact name.

"This is the last one" one of the guards said, and the vehicle lurched forward, carrying us into the unknown.

Minutes passed until suddenly I heard a very familiar voice whispering:

"Pssst, Rock, are you here?"

It was none other than Gou.

"Yes, I'm here. Do you know where they're taking us?" I whispered back.

"No, I don't know - but it doesn't seem like it's anything good."

"Rock" Gou said with a worried voice.

"Yes?" I asked again.

"Don't get yourself killed."

After those words, I began to wonder what would happen after my death in this body.

Whether it would be tied to total oblivion or if I would return to my previous body.

But for clarity, I have no intention of testing that - but it's definitely interesting

topic.

One day passed. We finally arrived at our destination. The guards removed the bags from our heads and ordered us to line up single file.

Before us stood a gigantic colosseum, towering about 50 meters high, capable of holding thousands of spectators.

We were surrounded by 30 armed soldiers, each wearing the same expression of disgust. I realized there wasn't a single person here who looked at us with even a hint of compassion.

Though it seemed there were countless opportunities to escape, no one dared to try.

We all knew the fate that awaited us if such an attempt failed.

Better to live five more months in torment than to face the tortures that would befall anyone who tried to escape.

We began marching toward the colosseum — no one said a word...

When we reached the inside, they threw us into a common cell. There were already a few people inside, all eyes turned towards us.

"Fresh meat" said one of the orcs already in the cell.

He stood three meters tall. Though he wasn't the most muscular, I suspected that one blow from his massive hand would leave the guards picking up pieces of my insides from all over the cell.

In a split second, I exchanged glances with Gou. Though not a word was spoken, we both understood—better to keep our heads down.

"So, Where are we?" asked a kobold who had been brought in with me and the other 28 people.

"Where are we? This is the coliseum, idiot. We fight for the entertainment of these scum. Remember one thing: see all these people around you?

Don't get too friendly with them because sooner or later, you'll have to fight them to the death, whether you like it or not." - the same orc said once again.

I saw terror flash across his face. In fact, it wasn’t just him; all the newcomers were seized by the same feeling.

Before he could respond, two guards arrived. Without a word, they selected two random individuals from the new arrivals and dragged them away.

"They just got here, and they're already dead. Gotta admit, the new ones aren't lucky" said a kobold sitting in the corner of the cell.

After a moment, he added,

"Sit down, make yourselves comfortable—welcome to the Coliseum."