Inside the cave, it was dark and damp. A few torches made from animal fat burned on the walls, casting flickering, uncertain shadows.
Jasper moved like a ghost, sneaking forward in silence. Nidhogg was a black shadow, staying close to the ground, scouting for danger ahead.
Soon, they encountered the first wave of guards—two goblins armed with bone spears.
Before Jasper could give an order, Nidhogg initiated the attack. It silently climbed the cave wall, like a drop of ink melting into the darkness, circled behind one of the goblins, and bit its undefended ankle!
"Kee!"
The goblin let out a short, sharp cry. Its body went rigid, and its skin turned a dark purple at a visible rate. Nidhogg's venom was far more lethal than the corrosive fluid from the Land of Jackals!
The other goblin was alerted. Just as it was about to sound an alarm, a black shadow flashed past its side. The fruit knife in Jasper's hand, like a viper's fang, precisely and viciously slit its throat.
The entire process took less than three seconds.
Jasper's expression didn't change. He dragged the two corpses into the shadows and continued deeper into the cave.
The further in he went, the thicker the stench became, now mixed with unsettling, suppressed sobs.
He rounded a corner, and the scene before him made his pupils contract.
It was a massive cavern. In the corners were a dozen or so crude wooden cages. Inside, seven or eight of the missing students were imprisoned. Their clothes were torn, their expressions numb, their eyes filled with terror and despair. Beneath their ripped clothing, their necks and inner thighs were covered in bluish-purple bruises and ugly bite marks. Each one was curled up, as if trying to hide themselves—a self-preservation instinct after one's soul has been utterly broken.
And in the center of the cavern, a scene that made his stomach churn was unfolding.
The school's heartthrob, Hunter, the talented Sequence 8 'Barbarian' from a wealthy family, was currently chained by his limbs, spread-eagled in a humiliating position on a flat stone platform. His body, muscular and full of explosive power due to the 'Barbarian' Pathway's extraordinary traits, was now a testament to his shame.
A behemoth far larger than an ordinary goblin—a Goblin King—was on top of him. It stood nearly two meters tall, its body a mass of dark green, knotted muscles. A few pieces of crude iron armor were riveted directly to its skin, making it look savage and brutal. Its ugly face was filled with primal lust and the thrill of conquest.
Hunter's hands and feet were held down by several goblins as the Goblin King thrust relentlessly on top of him. With every powerful movement of its body, the stone platform groaned as if it would break, and Hunter's once proud, handsome face twisted in pain and humiliation. A mixture of sweat and tears streamed from his tightly shut eyes. He bit his lip hard, trying not to make a sound, but a suppressed whimper, like that of a wounded animal, still escaped from the depths of his throat, echoing in the vile cave.
An uncontrollable rage exploded from the bottom of Jasper's heart!
Just then, a Goblin Shaman, wearing a bone crown and holding a staff that glowed with a faint spiritual light, walked out from the depths of the cavern. It looked at the scene, letting out a satisfied laugh that sounded as unpleasant as a night owl's hoot.
It shouted at the surrounding goblins in a strange, crude language, as if performing some evil ritual.
Although Jasper couldn't understand the words, through his mental link, he clearly "felt" the emotions Nidhogg was transmitting, a mixture of tyranny and desire.
"...Stronger... offspring..."
"...Fuse... extraordinary traits..."
Jasper's heart sank to the bottom of a pit.
These goblins were not mere beasts. They were conducting a premeditated, evil experiment! They were trying to steal the bloodlines of human Extraordinary Ones through forced copulation, to breed stronger offspring with extraordinary traits!
Behind this, there had to be a higher, intelligent existence directing it all!
In that moment, Jasper's eyes turned as cold as frost.
He stopped hiding and slowly stepped out of the shadows.
His appearance immediately drew the attention of all the goblins. The Goblin Shaman, in particular, turned its cloudy gaze toward him, a flicker of greed in its eyes.