"Cough...!"
*Thud.*
"Ugh..."
It felt like my limbs were being crushed, as if they were being pulled in four different directions. My condition was already terrible, and this only made it worse.
Blood was pouring from my head, and I pressed a hand against it to stem the flow, fighting to stay conscious. My vision, clouded by the blood seeping from my wounds, had long since turned red.
I groped around slowly with my hands, trying to figure out where I was.
Then, I heard it.
"Kerruk?"
'What the hell is that sound?'
It was a voice I'd never heard before definitely not human.
"Kerruk? Keruk?"
"Kerrruk!"
"Kerruk! Kerruk!"
The horrible sound multiplied, as if it wasn't coming from just one creature.
Ignoring the excruciating pain coursing through my body, I couldn't ignore the source of that noise. I forced my head up to look, and what I saw confirmed my fears.
Pointed ears like an elf's, but a nose stretched out as if someone had yanked it. Goblins.
My head spun with confusion as I stared at creatures that shouldn't be here.
"Why the hell are they here...?"
I'd spent my life toiling in the mines, so I'd never seen the beasts that roamed outside. But I'd heard plenty from the hunters who bragged about their kills. They'd described these hideous goblins in detail, and now, seeing them up close, I understood.
"Goddamn... they're even uglier in person...!"
Goblins were vile creatures. Normally, they'd butcher men for meat and assault women for breeding. That's what *typical* goblins did.
"Kerruk?"
Something was poking at me, tapping my side.
*Tap. Tap.*
'So this is it? After everything, I'm just goblin food? All that rolling around, swearing I'd never touch a woman, and I end up in a goblin nest?'
*Tap. Tap.*
'I should've at least punched those bastards chasing me...'
*Tap. Tap.*
'Why the hell aren't they killing me already?'
I was mentally preparing my last words, but the persistent tapping wouldn't stop.
'Even goblins are mocking me now...?'
My brief lament about being disrespected even by goblins was cut short. When I turned my head slightly, I saw it in the dim light of the cave: the goblins' eyes weren't filled with hunger but with something else entirely.
Lust.
It was the same look I'd seen when I'd scoffed at the affectionate couples while swinging my pickaxe, the look I'd envied. But this? This lust, directed at me by goblins, was something that should never happen.
"What... what the hell? Am I losing my mind?"
Silian squinted through his blood-soaked eyes, pain shooting through him. But for someone who'd relieved his pent-up desires in the wilderness, he knew exactly what he was seeing.
It was unmistakably lust.
Goblins that saw men as meat and only lusted after women. There was only one reason they'd look at him like that.
"No... no way. Are they after my... my ass?!"
Cold sweat drenched his body as the horrifying realization hit. Were these goblins so desperate they were targeting *him*?
*Shriek! Screeech!*
A sudden, agonized cry echoed through the cave, like something being stabbed. It was unmistakably a goblin's scream.
*Whoosh.*
The goblins reaching for me froze, turning toward the source of the noise a piercing scream from some distance away.
*Thud! Thud!*
*Screeech!*
The goblin closest to me collapsed, a blade piercing its body as it died instantly.
Behind it, a figure emerged.
"Huh? What's a person doing in a place like this?! Sis! There's a person here! A person!"
"What are you talking about...? Oh, you're right!"
As two figures approached, Silian felt not just relief at surviving the goblins but an overwhelming sense of gratitude that his *virtue* had been spared. His tension melted away, and he quietly closed his eyes.
_______________
_
White.
When I opened my eyes, a ceiling painted entirely white greeted me. My mind was foggy, and my body felt so weak it was like it didn't belong to me.
I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
'... ... ... ...'
I could hear voices outside, people talking.
The sound grew closer, and then—
*Click.*
The door to my right swung open. An older man in a white coat entered, followed by a woman who seemed to be assisting him.
Even in my groggy state, their approach snapped me back to alertness, and I closed my eyes again.
"His condition has improved significantly. He should wake up soon," the woman said.
"Remarkable recovery speed," the man replied. "Even with a healer treating his internal and external injuries, this is abnormal. He might be a hunter."
"Well, if he's a hunter..." the woman began.
"Right. It's strange that a hunter would be taken down by goblins," the man finished, stroking his chin in thought.
"Since we've checked his physical condition, let's bring in the young ladies once he's conscious."
"Yes, sir."
The man turned and left the room.
*Click.*
Once the door closed, I cautiously opened my eyes. My mind, now clearer, raced to process my surroundings and condition.
'This place is filled with stuff I've never seen before. Everything's so white... and what's this wrapped around me? Bandages?'
The fabric was unnaturally clean.
My body was wrapped in bandages from neck to legs. I questioned myself in this confusing situation.
(I heard them say my injuries were healed, so why the bandages?)
(I get the goblins, but what's a hunter? The kind I'm thinking of?)
(and who are these "young ladies"? Are they the two I saw before I passed out?)
I threw questions at myself, but no answers came.
The doctor had mentioned "young ladies" as he left, likely referring to the ones who saved my life.
That was all I knew: I was wrapped in bandages, and two people, probably my saviors, had rescued me.
It wasn't much to go on. Too little information for this strange new environment.
As I tried to piece things together—
*Click.*
The door opened again, this time without any warning. Someone was creeping in, tiptoeing cautiously toward me.
*Step, step.*
(Who's that? One of the "young ladies" the doctor mentioned?)
Thinking it might be the guards from before, I cracked my eyes open slightly.
And there, right in front of me, was another pair of eyes.
"Aaah!"
"Argh!"
Startled, I thrashed, but my bandaged body only flailed uselessly.
After a moment to calm our racing hearts, the stranger who'd entered a woman, likely the "young lady" spoke in a bright, slightly embarrassed tone.
"W-What?! You're awake? You could've said something..."
(What's she talking about? She's the one sneaking in!)
It was an absurd thing to say, but considering she might've saved my life, I felt grateful. A woman saving a man from having his virtue torn apart by goblins she was more than just a savior.
If I told this story back in elven society, my nickname would probably be "The Virgin Even Goblins Wanted." It'd be the talk of every tavern.
The thought sent shivers down my spine. I recalled those goblins' lustful eyes. There was no way those creatures, who only lusted after women, could be interested in 'me'.
It had to be a mistake. It 'had' to be.
Pushing those ridiculous thoughts aside, I stared at her.
Brown hair down to her waist, about 167 cm tall, with a cute, puppy-like face. Her chest was maybe a C-cup something rare in elven society, where flat chests seemed to be a genetic trait. A C-cup or bigger was practically mythical to me.
And most importantly, her ears were short.
Unnaturally short, as if someone had rounded them off. Not like an elf's at all.
(She's human. That explains it.)
The easiest way to distinguish elves from humans was their ears. If she was human, then I'd truly escaped the elven city.
(Maybe that thing that sucked me in dropped me in a place with goblins?)
"Uh, hello? You're awake, right...?" she asked timidly, probably because I'd been silent for so long.
I couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Yes, I'm awake. Are you the one who saved me?"
My voice came out low and smooth, the kind women often found charming.
It seemed to catch her off guard.
"..."
She blinked a few times, then snapped out of it.
"Y-Yes, that's right. You were about to be attacked by goblins in a dungeon. I was so shocked when I saw it. And, um... your voice is really nice."
Her last words came out quieter, almost shy.
But something she said didn't add up.
"Thank you. But... attacked by goblins? I'm a man."
"Huh? Yes, you're a man. I know that."
She blinked, confused.
"Uh..."
I was at a loss for words. I was just as confused as she was.
(What the hell? I'm a man! Why would goblins attack me ? Unless... no, are they really after my ass?!)
I couldn't believe it, but if that was true, this woman was more than my savior— he'd saved my very dignity.
I hadn't even lost my virginity, and I'd nearly lost my other virginity to goblins.
"Thank you, truly. You're my savior. My name is Silian. May I know yours?"
She seemed startled by my sudden shift from wariness to gratitude but answered, "Uh, yes, I'm Jin Sohye. Silian... that's a unique name. Are you from abroad?"
"Where am I? I'm from a place called Elysium."
"E-Elysium? Where's that?"
"It's a village where elves live..."
"Elves?"
*Blink, blink.*
(What's with that reaction? It's like she's never heard of elves before. That can't be right.)
Her words and actions suggested she didn't even know what elves were. Was she that clueless?
Just to be sure, I asked, "Do you... not know what elves are?"
"No, I know! They're from fantasy novels, right? Beautiful, vegetarian, with super pointy ears?!"
I was relieved. I didn't quite get the "fantasy" part, but it sounded like she knew about elves from books.
Except... she was half-right, half-wrong. Elves were indeed beautiful with pointy ears, but vegetarian? Not quite.
"Yes, that's right. But the vegetarian part—"
I was about to correct her when—
*Bang!*
The door swung open again.
"Sohye! There you are! What are you—"
Another woman with brown hair, but shorter, almost black. If Sohye had a puppy-like vibe, this one was like a cat—sharp, aloof, with an unapproachable aura. Her eyes and lips gave off a haughty impression.
And her chest... holy hell, D? E? No, definitely E-cup. I'd never seen one, but I'd bet my life on it.
The moment I saw her, one thought hit me.
(Goddamn, I want to grab those...)
Her overwhelming presence shook me, but she didn't seem to notice. She glanced at me and Sohye.
"Ahem. You're awake. Nice to meet you. I'm Jin Sojin, her older sister."
Her name sparked a realization. Sisters. In elven society, parents often gave siblings similar names.
She'd spoken brightly to Sohye, but her tone turned flat when addressing me.
Feeling the chill, I hurried to respond, "Hello, I'm Silian, from Elysium."
Her reaction mirrored her sister's.
*Blink, blink.*
Jin Sojin looked as confused as Sohye had. "Uh... are you a foreigner?"
Their reactions were so similar, it was almost cute despite her cold demeanor.
"You could say that," I replied.
It seemed neither Jin Sojin nor Jin Sohye knew about Elysium or elves. I decided to explain simply.
"Elysium is a village where elves live. There are high elves and regular elves. I'm one of the elves."
I deliberately left out that I was a half-elf. To people who didn't even know what elves were, explaining the discrimination against half-elves felt pointless. Besides, if I cleaned myself up, my looks could rival a high elf's maybe they'd believe I was one.
As I rationalized this, Sojin glanced at Sohye, clearly puzzled. She grabbed her sister's ear, leaned in, and whispered, cupping her hand to keep the sound from escaping.
"Sohye, did we only check his physical health?"
"No, the doctor said they checked his mental state too. Aside from the arrow graze on his face, there was no major trauma to his brain."
'I can hear you...'
I'd just said I was an elf, but they clearly didn't get it. Elves have sharp hearing, so their whispering was crystal clear to me.
After a moment, Sojin turned to me. "Silian, did you... come from inside a dungeon?"
What the hell does that mean?
________________________________________
Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id