Chương 147: The Tribulations of Gob-Run

Inside the specimen repository of Mage Tower No. 528, Gob-Run was locked inside an iron cage, his face a mask of utter bewilderment. At the time, he had been leading his troops in a rampage through New Thea. With a mere hundred cavalrymen, he had stirred up absolute chaos throughout the entire city, thinking to himself that upon his return, the Boss would surely pin a chestful of medals on him.

Unfortunately, before his joy could fully digest, a barrage of fireballs rained down from street corners, blasting half of his soldiers to pieces or leaving them grievously wounded. Before he could even process what was happening, his mount was blown to bits. Next thing he knew, he was captured, thrust into a massive iron cage, and transported all the way to this strange, alien city. Gob-Run's mind was in total disarray.

The crushing weight of defeat, the terror of captivity, and the sheer shock of entering this colossal metropolis dealt a massive blow to his inner psyche. It suddenly occurred to him that the world was vast, wondrous, and waiting to be explored—he longed to see every corner of its landscapes.

"Hey! Newbie! Where are you from?" Just as Gob-Run was lost in thought, a voice rudely shattered his reverie. Tracing the sound, he spotted another goblin in the cage directly opposite his own. The creature exuded a fierce, formidable aura, looking like someone who was definitely not to be trifled with. Yet Gob-Run was, after all, a ruthless commander who had ridden across battlefields. He glared right back at the goblin opposite him.

"Who do you think you're talking to?! I am the Goblin King, the Enslaver of All Races... the Cavalry Commander under Arthur Louis Romanov Qin Shi Huang! Who the hell are you? State your name!" The hulking goblin in the opposite cage let out a sinister chuckle. Kekeke!

"Quite a mouthful of a name, yet you're just a nobody I've never heard of. How about becoming my subordinate? A fellow like you actually has what it takes to serve under me!" Hearing that this weird goblin actually wanted him as a subordinate, Gob-Run burst into hearty laughter.

"You untamed wild savage! Do you even know who I am?! I am the Cavalry Commander of the Punishment Army, commanding three thousand troops! Do you have any idea how powerful my Boss is?! He's a legendary being who slew the Hero! Over ten thousand soldiers march under his banner—Ogres, Kobolds, Humans, all bowing in submission before him! He controls the entirety of the Monster Forest, led his army to shatter a massive human stronghold, and plundered endless grain and treasure!

Only a goblin like that is fit to be my Boss! What sewer did a worm like you crawl out of? You think you're worthy of being my master? Pui!!" Gob-Run spat a glob of saliva, landing right outside the other's cage. This instantly infuriated the goblin opposite him. He leaped to his feet in a flash, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent as he glared at Gob-Run, radiating a suffocating, menacing pressure.

"You loose-tongued bastard! If it weren't for these bars separating us, I would tear you to shreds this instant! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. A trash like you, leading 3, 000 goblins? A pathetic creature like you could command 500 at most!" Gob-Run was hardly one to be intimidated. Rising to his feet, he stared right back.

"Ignorant wild goblin! Do you even know what an army is?! Do you know what military discipline is?! Do you know what honor means?! You know nothing! You're just a wild goblin, full of endless arrogant conceit! A creature like you would be executed under military law before even passing de-savaging training!" The goblin opposite grew even more furious, yet a deep sense of confusion washed over him as well.

"What... what is 'de-savaging training'?" Gob-Run instantly felt a surge of profound superiority. Just as he was about to boast about the glory of the Alliance to this wild savage, the heavy doors of the repository swung open, and several mages stepped inside. The goblin opposite immediately sat down, casting a gloating, schadenfreude look at Gob-Run.

"Heh... kid, here's a piece of advice: answer whatever they ask you. Otherwise, those humans have a thousand ways to make your life a living hell." Gob-Run had no idea what he meant by that. Just as he was about to ask, the mages dragged him out—cage and all. Minutes later, Gob-Run was transferred to a specialized room filled with arrayed torture devices and incomprehensible magical artifacts.

Tightly strapped onto a metal chair, the mages stepped outside and slammed the heavy door shut, leaving him alone in the room. Gob-Run looked left and right in extreme nervousness, his heart hammering wildly against his ribs. He thrashed violently against his bindings, unable to break free, and roared in fury, "Where am I?!" Directly opposite Gob-Run sat a panel of one-way glass, behind which Pinier and Fortier were standing. Pinier's face twitched with raw excitement.

Pressing his mouth against a sound-projection pipe, he spoke in a teasing, sinister tone: "You are right in the palm of my hand! Kekekekeke!" Fortier felt a wave of mild disgust. Pinier glanced at him and gave a frivolous, suggestive arch of his brow, as if declaring that the real show was about to begin. Gob-Run had no idea where the voice was coming from and glanced frantically around the room.

"Who are you?!"" Kekeke! Never mind who I am. Now, tell me... what is your name?!" Feeling thoroughly toyed with, Gob-Run roared, "I'm not telling you a damn thing!" Pinier let out a raspy, unhinged laugh and slammed his hand onto a red button on the desk. The very next moment, Gob-Run's whole body violently convulsed. His eyes rolled back into his head, and muffled, agonizing groans escaped his throat:"Ehh... ehhh... ehhhh..." Fortier watched Gob-Run with intense curiosity.

Several conductive wires were attached to the goblin's body, terminating at a magi-device on the table. Pinier released the button, and Gob-Run's body went completely limp, slumping over like a sack of wet mud. Breathing heavily, Pinier explained to Fortier, "This is a magi-device of my own design, powered by a mana crystal core to generate electrical currents." With that, he pressed his mouth back to the sound tube.

"Tell me, what is your name?" After gasping violently for air for quite a while, Gob-Run spat out a curse: "Go screw your mother-rat!"

"Heh, I love a tough nut to crack." Pinier slammed the button down once more. Gob-Run's body entered another round of violent spasms, filling the entire interrogation chamber with agonizing, vibrating groans. Pinier continued to shock Gob-Run relentlessly, growing insanely euphoric. His heavy breathing escalated to a flushed face, ending in a thoroughly twisted, manic expression. Fortier drew in a sharp breath. Is this guy a total pervert?! Would any normal person make a face like that while torturing a goblin?!

He took two steps back, which immediately caught Pinier's attention. Pinier turned to look at Fortier, wiping a bit of drool from his chin.

"Ah... my apologies, Professor Fortier. I got a little too excited." Fortier waved his hand dismissively.

"It's fine, carry on. I just remembered I haven't fed my Earth-Drake yet. I won't disturb you any longer, I'll be taking my leave now." Pinier let out a sickly, breathy chuckle.

"Very well, Professor Fortier, off you go. If there's anything you want squeezed out of this goblin's mouth, just let me know and I'll pry it out for you."

"Ah? Sure... just ask him where those special weapons came from, who manufactured them, and who their leader is..." With those final words, Fortier practically fled the room. Now completely alone, Pinier walked up to the glass panel, staring at Gob-Run—who had literally been shocked into wetting himself—with eyes gleaming with unhinged, sadistic malice.

"My precious specimen... now it's just you and me. We have all the time in the world. Don't go breaking down too easily, now!"