Chapter 8: Truth
ROCK POV:
The Colosseum erupted. The words of this unknown figure so stirred the hearts of all the combatants that despite the wounds sustained in battle, they immediately gave up fighting each other to focus on the common enemy—humans. Without another word, he flew off into the distance.
I began to wonder if I could really bring myself to kill a human. After a moment, I remembered everything they had done to me, and the thought vanished as quickly as it had come. "Gou, what's the plan?" I asked, unaware of how much I had come to rely on him and trust his decisions. "For now, let's join the rebellion and see what comes of it," Gou replied, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. For now? Isn't this the perfect opportunity to escape, I thought.
GOU POV:
The situation is too uncertain; what is the strength of our enemies; what is the strength of our allies; what will they want in return for help? It's best if we temporarily join them and see how things play out. Maybe we can use the current chaos to escape on our own. "Okay, Rock, let's go."
ROCK POV:
The survivors began to run towards the exit. I felt that if I survived this, maybe there really was hope and I could escape from here. But what next? Would I even be able to return home?
As we approached the exit, guards stood in our way. Despite the equal numbers on both sides, they didn't stand a chance. The collective strength of all the prisoners, fueled by hatred, was overwhelming. After several hours of combat, we managed to free ourselves from the Colosseum, and thankfully, neither I nor Gou had to kill anyone on our way out.
A true war unfolded before my eyes—the scale of the fighting was incomparable to what had happened in the arena. Thousands of people clashed against each other, all with the same hatred in their eyes. "What now?" I asked Gou, who was right beside me. "Follow me," he replied—and so I did.
As we ran, I witnessed scenes I would never forget. Children being killed in front of their mothers, burning houses with people inside, humans and non-humans begging for mercy. Despite what they had done to me, I began to feel pity for them.
"How much longer are we going to run, and where are we even headed?" I asked while running.
"We're heading towards the direction from which the attack came. Those areas should be safer," Gou's words proved true again. The farther we ran, the less populated the areas were with fighting, leaving only the aftermath of the battle. It felt like a massive hurricane had swept through the city. I hadn't thought about it before, but the surrounding buildings resembled those from medieval times.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/Tw3WKWu.jpg]
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We decided to stop in a nearby building for a moment of rest. Luckily for us, the house was empty. We took everything we could find—some food, water—but unfortunately, we couldn't find any clothes in our sizes.
"We need to bandage this," Gou said, pointing at my stump. Moments later, he pulled out something to serve as a makeshift bandage and wrapped the wound. "Let's go, we don't have time to waste"
"I know," I replied, getting up from the chair and heading toward the exit.
3 months have passed...
Finally, we managed to leave the borders of Freypass, leaving the war far behind us. Despite the hardships we faced and living like rats for the past year, a light at the end of the tunnel had finally appeared. We were now in the Malaring Highlands, starting a campfire in a cave.
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"Listen, Gou, there's something very important I need to tell you." I explained everything to him—about my life as a human, how I ended up here, and what my current goal was. At first, he seemed skeptical of my words, but as I recounted everything in the smallest detail, he gradually realized that I wasn't joking. "S-s-so, you're a human from another world who reincarnated into a goblin's body, searching for a way home? I n-need a moment to process this."
A total silence fell. Gou sat quietly, staring at the fire dancing before us, its shadows playing on the cave walls. I felt the tension rising as the minutes passed in complete silence, broken only by the crackling of burning branches.
"Okay, I've decided," said Gou, rising from his spot. "I'll help you find your way home." His words left me stunned. Rising both my voice and myself , I exclaimed, 'So you'll help me?! How do you know I'm not lying, and why do you even want to help me?!' Gou replied solemnly, 'Do I need a reason to help a friend?'" The atmosphere softened slightly, and we lay down to sleep in silence.
The next day, barely awake, I got up, and Gou was already waiting, ready for the journey ahead. "So, what's our plan? Where are we headed?" he asked. I didn't have an answer to that question; honestly, I was hoping Gou would come up with some ideas. I asked him if magic existed in this world and if there were mages powerful enough to create spells on a scale like that. "When I was little, I heard stories about powerful mages who could alter reality: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. But supposedly, they disappeared without a trace long ago; no one knows where they are now."
"These are the names of the planets from where I come from!" I exclaimed as enthusiastic as a child receiving their dream toy. "Planets? What are planets?" Gou asked with curiosity. I explained it to him, omitting the details. From his reaction, I inferred that in this world, they are unaware of the existence of other planets, at least in the places Gou has visited.
"Listen, the story about the mages is probably just a bedtime tale told to children. There's no certainty that they even exist, or ever existed," Gou tried to temper my enthusiasm, but I was sure this wasn't just a coincidence. How else could it be possible that their names reflect the names of the planets in the solar system? "It's better than searching for a needle in a haystack. Do you know where we can find any information about them?" I asked. "The only place that comes to mind is somewhere I wouldn't necessarily want to go back to... my home. But if we must, then so be it."
Before we left the cave, I checked my status:
Name: Rock
Age: 2 year
Race: Goblin
Class: None
Titles: -
Level: 6 [20/300]
Stats:
* HP: 28/30
* MP: ?/?
* Strength: 5 (-1)
* Stamina: 6
* Agility: 10 (-2)
* Intelligence: 3
* Intuition: 7
Skills:
Passive:
* [S+] Hero's Guide
* [A] Self-awareness Eye
* [A-] Polýglōssos
* [F+] Beginner Dagger Proficiency
* Effect: Increases dagger proficiency by x1.2
Active:
* [D] Backstab
* Effect: Your attacks from behind are x1.5 stronger
Affiliation: Wanderer
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Thus, our journey extended by another three months. Exploring the surrounding forests, fields, and meadows, life regained its colors again. Of course, there was no shortage of wild beasts and various dangers along the way, but the opportunity to visit so many beautiful places lifted my spirits.
Throughout the entire journey, Gou told me about this world, and I told him about mine. There was also time for training. Slowly, but slowly I was getting used to life with one hand and also living in this world.
"Rock, we're close. Just another 30 minutes and we'll be there."
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https://i.imgur.com/DYTFZ7G.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/DYTFZ7G.jpg]
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A little further on, before we even realized it, we were surrounded by a group of very familiar-looking people. Gou was the first to speak. "Hey, guys, it's me, Gou!"
"G-Gou, is it really you? I thought I'd never see you again! Where have you been?" It was clear from everyone's reactions that they knew each other very well.
"And who's the little guy behind you?"
"Rock, my friend."
"Ah, never mind, we need to throw a party! Gou has returned home! Just look at you, you've grown so much." And with that, we continued toward the village. Gou told them how we met and what had happened while he was away. "We're here now. Do you still remember our village, Gou?" one of his friends said.
The village looked quite primitive, surrounded by wooden palisades with a dozen or so wooden huts inside. As soon as we crossed its gate, everyone looked on in great disbelief.
"Look, it's Gou!"
"Gou is back!"
"It's good to see you again, Gou!"
It was clear that this small community was very close-knit. "So, where are Mom and Dad?" Gou asked his kinsmen. "About that, Gou... I hate to break it to you this way, but your mother has passed away."
Before Gou could process this information, a panda that looked very much like Gou, perhaps a bit older, appeared. "Why have you come back?! You chose a different life. Leave this place, I don't want to see you here anymore, You're no longer my son i lost him a long ago"
After those words, a grave silence fell...