Arms chopped and stabbed to death.

that's what I experienced before realizing it was only a dream. I wheezed awake, tormented by incessant pains. although my body involuntary gasped for air, I soon realize that I could'nt because my mouth was sealed shut. Sweat poured out of my body like a waterfall. experiencing a nightmare after getting knocked out, who wouldn't? With nothing to see but endless abyss of darkness, I slowly opened my eyes. shocked and panted for air, I could only bite the thing that's sealing my mouth as I couldn't grit my teeth. because what I saw was... again,

Darkness.

after a while, I only believed that I'm still alive after feeling and having the scent of dirt beneath my chin. Feeling pained and paralyzed, I tried moving my arms and legs first only to notice that I couldn't. it gives me the feeling as though lightning passes through different parts of my body everytime I tried moving them, as if that the blood inside me stopped flowing properly or should I say, I'm being restrained. My knees were bent and my arms was held and tied behind my back along with my feet.

 Damn it!, Damn it!! If only I was strong enough, If only I wasn't born to become a cleric, I could've averted myself from having this kind of life...I could only continue to curse my fate. 

Thinking over on what happened before I lost consciousness, I saw a streak of shadow approaching while turning my head halfway and heard Yuri's voice. If hunch was correct, then yuri is the culprit. Connecting all of it, she ambushed the carriage while it was traveling from a neighbouring town. Unable to kill all of them, one managed to escape along with the ring inside this place. knowing the guard will die from poison and where he ran off to, she probably worked with someone to forge a story and manipulate the city lord to believe that the ring was stolen by monsters. Unable to guarantee her safety inside the cavern, she tricked an idiot to lead the party and recruited two more idiotic members just to fill in so that she could locate the corpse easily. After finally finding the body, she hid the corpse to prevent us finding the evidence and keep the ring for herself. 

I guess she didn't know that a cleric like me would be unlucky enough to find out what she planned. My sack seemed to be gone since I can't feel it anymore, she probably took the ring too. f*ck this life. I continued to curse. Without the strength and ability to fight back, I ended up like this. I though I don't why she tied me up only to be left alive, I still know that I'm still here at the cavern since I could still smell the damp air along with the putrid scent drifting around the area.

I need to escape.

I tried taking off the blindfold by friction, scraping it off using the ground while I drag my face back and forth. Bearing the intense self-inflicted pain, I managed to remove a part of the blindfold that was covering my left eye so I tried to look around and saw a hollow with white lining at the sides and a red thing that seemed to be sticking out of it. Being used to darkness for quite a while, my vision was blurred so I squinted to look what my mind was percieving.

 "Mmmmmmphhh!" I screamed while the seal in my mouth muffled my voice. 

I felt a sudden surge of anxiety after my eyes finally adapted to the situation and able to see clearly.

It was Gran.

Gran was killed too!? As I look closely, his tongue was sticking out from his mouth and his eyes was wide open. his skin color was pale, his blonde hair was in a disarray and his body was... missing.

Shocked with what I've seen, I tried to hold myself together from throwing up by focusing to breathe through my nose, but as soon as tried to inhale a lungful of air, my vision went hazy and felt a sharp pain in my stomach as if my inside are getting dissolved in acid. Shit! Why does this have to happen!?  I thought as I realized I'm losing consciousness from hunger. Struggling until the last minute, I dragged my body and rolled over the ground.

F*cking greedy and selfish humans... I will bring you all down with me in my next life.

Leaving behind with pathetic raging thoughts, darkness continued to fill my consciousness.

-

A chilling cold could be felt as I roam the endless gloaming sky. Am I dead?  Did my body started to rot too? I asked myself after floating in the dark for almost an eternity. Questions continued to pop up one after another as I recollect on what happened until I asked myself the greatest question I could think of.

How did I die?

As soon as I asked myself that question, pain ran across my body and felt as if I was burning. I also started to hear scraping sounds as if a something is being dragged forcefully.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

*tsssshhhhhh* *tsshhhhhhhh*

After hearing the sound for a few seconds, questions popped up again one after another. What's going on? Aren't I dead? Why can I still hear and feel pain? I thought as my curiosity kills me. I gasped unconsciously as I realized the answer to my own question. 

I'm not dead yet.

I tried to slowly open my eyes as I felt pain all over my body. my vision was blurred and eyes contracted, trying to adapt to the sudden ray of light. percieving a green hunch of 3 feet tall with 2 gleaming red dots that seemed to be it's eye, my already-clouded mind was thrown in deeper confusion. I squinted to look what it is while It's drawing near, yet distance between us seemed to have never decreased. after a few seconds, my mind and vision finally cleared up and realized that the scraping sound I heard just now was myself being dragged by something filthy.

"WAHHHHHHHHHH!" 

I shouted in fear after seeing the enemies of humans.

Goblins.

There were 3 of them. the two were dragging my body face-side-up while the other one was following. shocked with the sudden turn of events, my survival instincts triggered and adrenaline kicked in. I clawed the ground beneath me in frustration, compressed the dirt with my hands and threw it to one of the goblins. with my sudden movements, the goblins backed away in a few meters while I struggled to get up. Get up! get up! get up! without the energy to walk, my feet trembled from getting up and I fell. unable to accept my fate and unwilling to die, I crawled away as fast as I can while ignoring the pain my body was bearing.

after a while, I turned my upper body too look how far I've gone. My face contorted in fear as I realize that I've only traveled not more than 10 meters apart from them.

"What do you want from me!!! go away!!" I shouted in fear.

the goblins put their third finger below their chin and tilted their heads in sync. thinking deeply, they only have 4 fingers so that seemed to be their index finger. they just stood their for several seconds staring at me as if they were confused.

shocked with the sudden turn of events, my adrenaline went down and I was able to calm myself a little. Huh? confusion riled my mind as I stare at them. Why aren't they moving? they doesn't seem to be hostile. I thought as I look at my hands and realize that thing that used to restrain me was gone.

*Greeuuuhk* *Grekhek* *Gerruk*

I cast my gaze at them upon hearing a mumbling sound and  saw the three of them staring at each other as if they were talking to each other. looking at them, their red eyes were like beads and their skin was akin to a withering grass , their bodies were scrawny and disproportionate because it was topped with their overly sized heads with pointy ears. the 2 were carrying a shortbows strapped at their torso while the other one was holding a bone-knife and a rope that seemed to be severed. I guess that's the rope that bound me. I thought as I can only continue to stare at them.

after a while, one goblin separated from them and started to slowly approach me. It was the one holding a bone-knife. it's footsteps were light that you'll think it's a ghost. almost reaching me, I clenched both of my fists and brought them near my chest to retaliate if it comes nearer. Startled with it's actions, I let my guard down after seeing it stop; 3 meters away from me.

It lifted up one of it's arms and pointed at my body with it's index finger. Huh? confused with what it's doing, I look at his finger to see where it was pointing. It was my pocket. I looked inside to confirm what it was saying only to find a piece of bread. It was the white bread I had God-knows-how-long ago. I cast my gaze at the goblin again and notice it's expression changed. it was pointing it's finger at me while the other index finger was poiting at his mouth. 

"You can understand my languange? You want me to eat it?" I said as I realize that I couldn't think and walk properly due to hunger.

It nodded its head.

while resting, the goblins grouped up again after seeing me finish eating. they mumbled sounds that seemed to be their languange. Although I don't know what they're talking about, I got a hint after seeing the other two started to walk and the other one approached me and made a sign language as if it was telling me to follow.

Seeing how they treated me, my hostility towards them faded so I decided to follow them. finally being able to walk and see things clearly, I realize the place looked the same yet distant to the ones we explored before. my head filled with curiosity, I started to ask. 

"So where did you guys find me?" I asked.

the goblin with the bone knife turned around and pointed at a distant wall behind us that had a small crevice. I hope you guys should replace us humans instead. I thought as I realize the seem to be more human than us; the selfish and greedy humans. 

thinking it would be hard if I'll call them by describing them, I started to call the goblin with the bone knife "Gobone" and the other two "Gobow 1 & 2".

As I look at the crevice, I don't remember that we've seen that before or should I say, that bitch never mentioned to us. the crevice was small enough for a goblin to fit in. If a human tries to enter it, one would have to bend and struggle their way through.

Walking for almost half an hour, we arrived at a place that was the opposite of what we had gone through a while ago. Although we're still underground, the place is vast and full of life. trees scattered and growing around. though a bit odd, It lightened up my mood and ease my breathing. there is grass everywhere; healthy and green. the place was lightened by the mana crystals being held by the earth, they radiated a lucent glow as if the moon was shining all over the place. 

Soon we reach a road that seemed to be maintained nicely for walking or transportation like the ones above ground. Gobow 1,2 and Gobone all pointed in a single direction and mumbled something.

***Ghwerk***

As soon as I saw what they pointed. I stopped from my tracks.

It was a remote place akin to that of a human's. goblins looking like ants, seeing them move around hundred meters away from us. there were houses scattered everywhere. although they seemed to be a bit run-down, I know they were maintained nicely that even humans can live there.

Trees, grass and flowers, they were all full of life and blooming. even a... fountain?? I thought as I look closely. there's even a welcome signboard at the end of the road we were taking! I guess it's written in some goblin language or something stupid. Oh well might as well try to look what it says.

Reading the signboard, I felt like my breathing stopped and my heart skipped a beat.

"This was never a cavern... this place is most likely a ruin" I said.

Because what I've read was the signboard for the lost town.

the town rumored to be wiped off the map several hundred years ago.

"The town of Quin." I muttered.