I turned away from Lord Thorne, my grip tightening around the hammer as unease coiled tightly in my stomach. I understood what was expected of me. The thought of facing all the goblins at once sent a spike of fear through me, but my nerves eased slightly as one of the smaller creatures was pulled forward. Its bindings clinked as it stumbled into the clearing, and I silently thanked whatever mercy had decided to test me with just one.
I studied the goblin carefully. Its wrists were raw and bloodied, the skin rubbed away from futile attempts to free itself. I had seen marks like that before—on slaves who had struggled against their chains. The familiarity of it struck me, an unsettling connection forming in the back of my mind.
The guards shifted, their armor clinking softly as they encircled us. Their weapons hung loosely at their sides, but their expressions betrayed keen anticipation. Even the contractors took an interest in what was unfolding. From the roof of the cart, the veined woman with black, hollow eyes and the pale woman I had encountered earlier watched in silence. Their gazes made my skin crawl, a chill spreading under my skin as if their eyes could pierce through me.
I glanced briefly around for the other two contractors but saw no sign of them. My wandering gaze caught on the cart's source of movement—a group of four black horses, their sleek coats shining faintly in the light. At least that mystery was solved. But the knowledge didn't settle the knot twisting in my stomach.
When I turned back to the goblin, I noticed a shift in its demeanor. Its frantic writhing had ceased, replaced by a quiet intensity. Its wild yellow eyes locked onto mine, a low growl rumbling in its throat. The change was unnerving, and yet, it felt like we both understood the unspoken agreement: one of us would leave this fight alive.
"Now, boy," came a voice from one of the reddish-armored guards, surprising me. They rarely spoke to me. "I understand you might not realize it, but if you go easy on this beast, it will kill you—or worse, it'll start eating parts of you while you're still alive."
I swallowed hard and nodded, clinging to his words like a lifeline. My grip on the hammer tightened as my heart pounded in my chest, the tension in the air thick enough to choke on.
"Ready! Begin!" Lord Thorne's voice cut through the stillness, final and commanding.
The goblin's restraints fell away, and it began to move toward me, each step deliberate and careful. Its yellow eyes never wavered from mine, and I mirrored its approach. My breathing was shallow, but I felt a peculiar sensation stirring in my mind—an instinct tugging at me, guiding me. It whispered for me to let go of thought and let my body act.
I surrendered to that pull, moving forward step by step. The goblin crept closer, the stench of its unwashed body hitting me like a wave. My nose wrinkled, but I pressed on. One more step, and I was close enough to see the feral hunger glinting in its eyes. Then it lunged.
The world slowed. That strange sensation took over, sharpening my movements. I sidestepped with fluid precision, narrowly avoiding its claws. My arm lifted instinctively, the hammer heavy in my grip, and I swung down hard.
The sound was sickening—a crunch of bone and a wet thud as the hammer connected with its shoulder. The goblin shrieked, stumbling back, its arm hanging limp and useless. But it wasn't finished. Its snarling face twisted in pain and fury as it staggered, trying to recover.
Before it could, I pulled the hammer back, aiming the spike at its bloated belly. My body moved without hesitation, driving the sharp point into the soft flesh. The goblin groaned as its stomach split open, its insides spilling onto the ground. Its eyes flickered with confusion, as though it couldn't understand what was happening to it.
But I didn't stop. I raised the hammer again, this time bringing it down on its skull. The crunch of bone and wet impact reverberated through my arms, and the goblin crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
I stood over its body, my chest heaving, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. And then it hit me—a sensation I couldn't describe. It wasn't pride or relief, nor was it sadness. It was something raw, something primal. Hunger.
Without fully understanding why, I crouched beside the goblin's corpse. My left hand flipped the body over, my surroundings fading into a blur. My movements felt automatic, as though compelled by something beyond my control. My hand plunged into the gaping wound in its chest, my fingers closing around something solid.
When I pulled it free, I found myself holding a stone-like object, slick with blood and still warm to the touch. Its surface pulsed faintly, almost as though it were alive.
Opening my mouth, I placed the stone-like object inside and swallowed it whole. A warm sensation radiated from my stomach almost immediately, spreading out in tendrils that seemed to prick at my heart. It wasn't painful, but it was strange, like a low hum of energy resonating inside me.
I staggered slightly, feeling unsteady on my feet. My mind raced as I tried to process what I had just done. Why did I feel compelled to swallow it? I couldn't explain my own actions. When I looked up, everyone was staring at me, their expressions ranging from disgust to confusion. The guards exchanged uneasy glances, and even the contractors seemed momentarily taken aback. The pale woman's lips curled in what looked like a sneer, while the veined woman's hollow eyes bore into me with vivid intensity.
"Boy," Lord Thorne's voice broke the silence, calm yet probing. "Do you know what you just did?"
I turned to face him, my breathing shallow. There was no anger in his tone, but his sharp eyes betrayed a flicker of interest, as though he already had an idea of the answer and was merely testing me. I shook my head slowly, unsure of what to say, unsure of what he wanted to hear.
"I… don't know, my lord," I admitted, my voice small but steady. My hand instinctively moved to rest over my chest, where that faint warmth still lingered. Whatever I had done, it felt significant—though whether for good or ill, I couldn't say. Lord Thorne's expression didn't waver.
"Interesting… Well, I guess I'll explain something to you later, but going forward, don't fight that feeling of yours. It was god-given, you know. Hahaha!"