As he climbed down the stairs into the room, he saw that the man was still sound asleep. He was snoring ever so slightly as his chest raised up and down. Dodak wished he could sleep as peacefully as he did in this apocalypse.
He set the goblin down and checked on the man, analysing the infected wound that was slowly healing. His face was peaceful and worry free, a rare sight. To prevent disturbing his rest, Dodak picked up the mage as gently as possible and opened the door into the research area.
The female figure was so engrossed in her work that she failed to realise that Dodak had infiltrated her study. As she turned away from the table and towards the light, presumably to get a better look at the volume she was putting in her test tube, Dodak set the goblin mage on the table. When she turned back, she screamed when she saw a fresh goblin on her table. Upon seeing Dodak standing at the other end of the table, she let out a huge puff of air.
"What, don't know how to knock?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't be so moody. Especially after seeing what I brought back."
She narrowed her brows and glared at him before she examined the body on the table. Then, the realisation struck her. Her jet-black eyes had a small glimmer in the corner of them and she ran around in circles, screaming.
"No way! You actually brought back a goblin. And a goblin mage at that! You have no idea how much this means to me and science! I can finally research how their bodies channel magic."
She ran forward and gave Dodak a warm hug. It would have been more heartwarming in other circumstances, but when the hugger is covered in goblin guts and blood, Dodak would much rather prefer a fist bump.
"Yeah... You're welcome."
When she finally released him from her embrace, Dodak had to wipe off a stray piece of goblin gut from his shirt.
"Remember to lock it up or something. It's still alive and could probably kill you if it managed to escape."
"Don't worry, I've got it all planned."
She deviously licked her lips and winked at Dodak before pulling the mage into the torture room. She chained it up so that its hands were bound by locks, preventing it from conjuring any spells.
"I also knocked out a regular goblin, so if you have the space to accommodate it I could fetch it here."
"You really are the best. Yes please, do bring it here."
~~~
As Dodak made his way back up to the third floor, he used the silence to examine his though
Even after leaving the library, they still had not made any progress on finding out how to leave the dome. They were still trapped, and now Dodak had begun doing side quests. How would they ever even escape? Was time passing the same way as it was outside? Nothing within the dome made sense, as seen from Kim Harin's research, so was it absurd to assume that not much time had passed outside? Dodak certainly hoped so.
The sky was slowly turning dark as the sun set. Dodak realised he had to hurry. Being outside of a safe place at night was risky.
He hurried back to the room where he had ambushed the goblins. Perhaps it was the uncertainty of the night that was bothering him, but the door seemed a bit too closed compared to when he left it. Ignoring that, he pulled the door open, entered the room and found the goblin, still unconscious and lying on the floor. However, something just did not feel right. He felt a chill down his spine as the hairs on his arms started to stand. Goose bumps formed and he gulped his saliva down.
Normally, he did not get goose bumps. The only time he could remember getting goose bumps was when he spoke with Park Baesu. It felt like a tingle that tickled his skin.
As he bent down to examine the unconscious goblin, he looked to his left and realised. The aggressive goblin whose mouth he had stabbed was now completely missing his jaw. He definitely did not remove its jaw. Furthermore, the door could not have been so narrowly opened as well, for he did not close the door when he left. He was struggling to carry the goblin back down. Someone had closed the door after he had left.
His hand slowly moved over to his dagger. Whatever that was in here could still be here. Or outside. Perhaps they were curious as to what happened here and came to take a look. But the removal of a jaw indicated otherwise. They were likely malicious as they tore off its jaw despite it being obviously dead.
Dodak slowly got back up and examined the room. Could they be in here now? Or were they waiting in ambush outside? Dodak decided that staying in the room would be a safer option for now.
As if to confirm his reasoning, there was a thud outside. It was obvious that whatever it was wanted him to go outside.
That's when it hit him. Were they trying to use the same tactic as he did to kill the goblins? But the chances of someone being able to create poison was also highly unlikely. He had not met two people with the same powers.
So, maybe it was a different plan. They probably wanted to lure him outside to ambush him. But Dodak had only gotten the chills when he entered the room. Were they toying with him? Should he trust his mind, which was telling him that the enemy was outside, or his gut, which was telling him that the enemy was in the room with him at this very moment?
While logic has gotten him through most of his life, things had changed after the apocalypse. Would logic have explained why he could produce deadly poison but not die to it himself? Would logic explain why Song Jiwoo could manifest weapons of light, or how goblins came to be? Would logic explain how this apocalypse started?
He decided. He had to bait the enemy who was in the room. He opened the door and walked on the spot, making the sound of his footsteps apparent. Following that, he closed the door and waited.
No one appeared from under the tables or behind a shelf. Maybe he was wrong after all.
No.
He had to trust himself. If he did not, this could very well be his last moments.
He stayed silent while he scanned the room. Nothing moved. It was pin drop silence and he was filled with a brooding sense of anticipation.
"So... You're still here?"
He spoke towards the room, unsure if a response would be given. Then, he noticed a slight shift in the third row chair towards the right.
"I know you're here. Show yourself."
Perhaps he really was wrong after all.
He was not wrong. The chair moved backwards as a hand, which looked human, grabbed on the table. Then, a man stood up slowly from underneath. He was tall and gorgeous, with a side parting and hair that was styled perfectly. He wore a black turtle neck with grey sweatpants. A top tier combo.
"What do you want? Why are you hiding in here?"
"Hmm... for fun."
"You removed the jaw of the goblin, didn't you? What for?"
"To test you. I love playing with my prey. Fear makes them so much more delectable."
Kim Harin had warned of cannibals in the area, but Dodak did not expect to meet them so soon. More importantly, he did not expect them to be this well groomed. In his mind, they would look more like Kim Harin herself.
"Delectable? Sorry to tell you, you won't be getting a bite out of me."
"I'll enjoy you in more than one way. You'll see."
Dodak grabbed his dagger tighter. Did the cannibal mean what Dodak thought he meant?
"Not before I stab your throat, pretty boy."
Charging forward, he wielded daggers in both his hands. He slashed forward and performed an uppercut, but the cannibal dodged it with ease. He aimed a kick at his knee, but the man was too fast. Taking the opening, the man winded up a punch and aimed it straight at Dodak's chest. Using his makeshift armour, he blocked the strike but the force was still too much. His shoes skidded against the floor as he was pushed back, the friction burning the soles. Despite his best efforts, he still skidded and slammed into the wall.
As he got back up and cracked his back, Dodak recognised what was happening. He was indeed no match for the man. He was far too strong and fast. Playing with his prey was precisely what he was doing.
The cannibal strutted forward as Dodak threw a dagger at his face, but he moved his head and dodged it with ease. Trying again, he charged forward and slashed, using the other hand to stab. Noticing that the man was busy dodging, he charged up a breath of poison and blew it forward. To Dodak's horror, the cannibal inhaled the mist like it was flavoured air.
"It has such a unique flavour. It's mostly sour with a tingle of sweetness. I wonder how your saliva would taste when mixed with such flavourful poison."
Dodak knew now he was definitely outmatched. His trump card was revealed and instead of harming the cannibal, he sucked it up like it was candy.
Before Dodak could react, the cannibal rushed forward and smacked Dodak's arms, knocking the daggers out of his hand. He held Dodak's waist and stared deeply into his eyes. Dodak's best efforts to struggle out were futile, for his grip was too strong. They were glittering in the darkness, full of hunger and lust.
"You, my dear, are the most delicious prey I've set my eyes on. The feast shall be spectacular."
He bent and sniffed Dodak's neck like a rabid dog.
"Let me get a taste."
Dodak shut his eyes in fear. He really did not want to end up as a cannibal's dinner right now. Thankfully, or not so thankfully, the cannibal licked Dodak's neck. He smacked his lips and stared at Dodak, chuckling as he ruffled his hair.
Taking the opportunity, Dodak headbutted the man when his grip on Dodak loosened. He used all his strength to slam his armoured arm into the cannibal, pushing him back ever so slightly.
"Feisty. But I like my prey... unconscious. I'll see you soon, my dear."
The cannibal gave one last smirk to Dodak. What happened next occurred so fast he felt like he did not even see it happen. The man rushed forward and hit the side of his neck. Dodak did not remember his neck breaking, but he knew he fell to the floor, body immobilised as he stared at the man. His eyes slowly closed and his last memory was of the cannibal stroking his hair, grinning at him.