“Nia, what should we do now?”
In the dark cave, a woman’s voice spoke cautiously.
“Your Highness, don’t worry. I already have a plan.”
The woman called Nia comforted her.
“When those guys come, I’ll buy you some time. At that moment, Your Highness, just run out of the cave without looking back.”
“But Nia, what about you if I run?” Meila pursed her lips and asked anxiously.
“Your Highness being nearby would only tie my hands.”
Nia said. “I’ll hold back those disgusting creatures. Once you reach a safe place, I’ll come find you.”
Meila fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the feasibility of Nia’s plan.
After a while, she spoke again.
“But your injury…”
“It’s just a minor wound. Nothing to worry about.”
“Your Highness, you don’t really think a bunch of Goblins can hurt me, do you?”
Nia chuckled lightly, then said in a low voice, “I’m the strongest warrior in the Forest. The only reason I was caught by Goblins was because I let my guard down for a moment.”
Her confident voice eased some of Meila’s worries, and she nodded.
“Then I’ll wait for you by the banyan tree at the foot of the mountain.” Meila said. “You remember it, right?”
“Mm.”
As they spoke, chaotic footsteps echoed inside the cave, followed by a rustling sound.
“They’re here.”
After a soft warning, Nia fell silent and waited quietly for the right moment.
As the footsteps drew closer, firelight flickered in the dim cave.
Then, a huge figure stepped out of the shadows.
Though it looked like a Goblin, its body was about twice the size of an ordinary Great Goblin.
Nia had to tilt her head back just to see its chin.
Behind this massive Goblin were seven or eight smaller Goblins of normal size, each carrying a torch.
Although Goblins were not particularly powerful monsters, Nia was severely injured and had little confidence in handling them—especially since some seemed to be Mutants.
She could only give her all to protect the princess and escape.
During this moment of thought, the smaller Goblins had already unlocked the shackles binding their feet.
Nia remained motionless, her attention razor-sharp.
Words like hope, survival, and confidence crystallized in her mind, filling her limbs with strength.
“Run!”
Nia’s sharp command rang out suddenly in the cave.
Meila understood immediately and summoned all her strength, fleeing toward the cave’s exit.
“Grr!”
The Goblins growled low and furious.
Then, one sensed something slam into its front.
The Goblin quickly retreated but couldn’t avoid the blow completely.
Nia struck with full force, knocking down the Goblin chasing Meila.
Green blood splattered, staining the female knight’s handsome face with filth.
But there was no time for Nia to rest.
Once the Goblins saw one of their own slain, they swarmed together, rushing their “prey.”
Goblins weren’t particularly strong fighters.
Even injured and unarmed, Nia swiftly took down the remaining few.
However, just as she was about to finish off the last small Goblin, a sharp whistling sound suddenly cut through the cave.
The Great Goblin, which hadn’t acted until now, swung its massive stone club.
The weapon sliced through the air, heading straight for Nia’s waist.
Though her mind sensed the incoming strike, Nia’s body couldn’t react in time.
She distinctly felt the hesitation as the stone club struck.
The next second, the immense force sent her flying like a kite with its string cut, slamming hard against the stone wall.
Old wounds still unhealed, new injuries added—sharp pain shot from every part of her body to her brain.
Nia barely managed to support herself with her hands and stand.
She staggered a step, her face twisted with unbearable pain, but she couldn’t afford to care.
She had to buy enough time for Princess Meila to escape.
By some stroke of luck, the huge Great Goblin ignored the fleeing Meila and instead walked leisurely toward Nia.
Her throat was suddenly grabbed by those giant hands—each as big as her head—lifting her feet off the ground.
Forced to meet the Goblin’s gaze, Nia locked eyes with those ugly, desire-filled orbs, glaring at her fiercely.
The Goblin stared at her for a moment but didn’t kill her.
Instead, it dragged her deeper into the cave.
Without any firelight inside, Nia couldn’t see anything but faintly heard the roars of the Great Goblin and the other Goblins.
A strange musk scent filled the air.
If she guessed right, what awaited her next would be similar to what other women captured by Great Goblins before had suffered.
To become their breeding stock.
If that were true, it was basically no different from death.
Even if rescued by some miracle, it would leave irreversible psychological scars.
Eudia had given her this chance, yet she failed to cherish it and couldn’t protect the princess.
Not only that, a knight sworn to protect the princess had fallen at the hands of mere Goblins…
It was a disgrace.
The musk scent grew stronger.
Sharp pain and a sour exhaustion swept through her body.
Nia felt her consciousness blur, as if she were burning from the inside.
Her lower abdomen felt like it was aflame.
She struggled to lift her eyelids and stay awake but felt her brain sinking into a swamp.
Her thoughts grew heavy like lead, sinking endlessly into an inexplicable void.
In the fading moments of consciousness, Nia thought she heard a man’s voice.
“Watch out for the flash!”