Chapter 191 The Remains of Hermit

Suzuka walked into her room and said, "First, let's get inside my room and close the door behind you." 

David sprang to his feet and pushed the door closed behind him. Suzuka nestled comfortably on her fluffy bed and continued to eat her meal, a place of respite from her adventures. She continued to eat her meal, her flexible form stretched out temptingly on the soft covers, a hint of mischief in her eyes as she teased David with her curves.

"Well?" she purred, her voice a velvet whisper, "What's so important?"

David, trying valiantly to avert his gaze from her captivating allure, began to speak urgently.

 "It's the goblin. He's in a dire state, Helen. I need your help to save him. Now, I know what you might be thinking, that I had something to do with his condition, but I swear it wasn't me. I only intended to make a few coins using the goblin, nothing more. It was one of the customers, some sick, twisted bastard, who went way too far. He... he went mad, I swear. I tried to intervene, but he shoved me, and I hit my head and got knocked out. When I came to my senses, he was gone, and Hermit was lying there, or at least what remained of him. The goblin was in a pitiful state. At first, I didn't care, but minutes passed, and he showed no signs of his mysterious recovery."

David's voice quivered with desperation as he continued his plea, "That blasted goblin had healed up within minutes earlier after I'd pounded him into a pile of mangled meat in that damned restroom. He walked out as if nothing had happened. I assumed he'd recover again, but his condition only worsened. You have to help me, Helen. If Larry finds out, it's over for me."

Suzuka's lips curled into an alluring smile as she continued to nibble on her fork, seemingly unbothered by the gravity of the situation. Her voice dripped with playful indifference as she replied, "Hmmm... how about no."

David, taken aback by her nonchalant rejection, couldn't conceal his shock. He stammered, "What? Don't you care that the goblin will die? You were so protective of him just moments ago, and now you don't care?"

Suzuka's laughter danced in the air, laden with a flirtatious tone, "Oh, David," she purred, "that's not my concern. He's just a goblin, one among many. So what if he dies, we can simply find another. Let it be a lesson for you. You're a fool, David. Larry tested you with that goblin, and you failed right away. Did you honestly believe your poor acting convinced anyone? Well, I hate to break it to you; it didn't. Larry knew well that the moment he steps out and leaves you two alone you will harm or even kill the goblin. He made you promise just as an excuse to finally get rid of your screw-up ass."

David's despair deepened, and he sank to his knees, desperation etched across his face. He began to plead, his words tumbling out in a rush, "Please, Helen, I know you can save the goblin. Larry is the only person I can call a friend in this damn realm, I don't want to ruin our friendship over some deadbeat goblin. I promise not to harm him anymore. It wasn't my intention for him to get hurt... well, this much at least; it just happened. Some average townsfolk had frustrations toward the goblins, so I let them relieve their anger on Hermit for a small fee, but the last one was some damn perverted freak, and he..."

Suzuka cut off David's explanation, saying, "Give me all the coins you made by exploiting Hermit's body," she demanded, her tone firm, "and I will see what I can do for the goblin."

With a heavy sigh and a sense of deep regret, David lowered his head and, through gritted teeth, reluctantly agreed, "Alright, you have a deal. It's just a few coins, not worth losing Larry's friendship over a few coins and a filthy goblin scum."

With the promise of payment settled, Suzuka asked, "But I am a bit curious. Say, how on earth did you manage to keep him around, especially when people were beating him up? Did he never try to run away?"

David shook his head, a wry smile forming as he recalled the absurdity of the situation.

 "No, he did not run. Actually, that goblin is as dumb as a brick. I told him that by allowing people to vent their frustrations on him, he'd be doing a great service to his fellow goblin slaves. That idiot believed that if he absorbed all the hate, his kind would no longer be despised, and they could live peacefully among people."

David's voice took on a mocking tone as he mimicked Hermit's misguided heroics, "He'd spout nonsense like, 'Oh, I'll endure any punishment for my fellow hatchlings if we could walk free among people,' and other such rubbish."

A bemused chuckle escaped David's lips as he continued, "Surprisingly, some of the townsfolk actually stopped hitting him after landing a few blows as Hermit shit and piss himself, whimpering and crying about how he was a peaceful goblin who loves friendship and wants to share hugs and boop noses." The memory of Hermit's comical attempts at diplomacy brought a hint of amusement to David's eyes.

Suzuka couldn't help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

 "Oh, that poor goblin! Sounds about right. I can picture it - Hermit, the reluctant ambassador of goblin-kind, enduring blows for the sake of peace and nose boops. Disgusting..."

David's anxiety was rising as he stood inside Suzuka's room, fidgeting nervously. He couldn't help but glance at her revealing body as seconds ticked away like thunder in his ears.

Suzuka remained the picture of composure, finishing her meal and drink with deliberate, unhurried movements. Her calm exterior was the clear opposite of David's mounting impatience.

"Ummm... Helen? I think we should hurry. Please, he will not make it."

"Yes, yes I know. It's just the food is so delicious. It would be a waste to leave it. And I can't rush eating it, I need to savor and enjoy every tasty bite. Now shut up and wait till I'm done, or you can leave."

A few minutes passed and finally, she broke the silence with an air of cool authority, her tone as sharp as the blade of a well-tempered sword.

 "Ah, the food was delicious. We can go but before that, I am going to change my clothes," she announced, "Would you mind waiting outside? Or rather, get the hell out of my room! Now! How long will you keep eyeing my curves, hmmm?"

Without waiting for a response, she continued with the same collected demeanor, as if this were a mere formality. David rushed out, almost stumbling over his own feet, and hastily closed the door behind him.

As the minutes seemed to stretch into an eternity, David couldn't help but wonder if Suzuka had decided to take a nap in the midst of their urgency. His apprehension was reaching its peak, and he could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Finally, just when he was about to knock on the door to ask, Suzuka emerged from her room. She had changed into a sleek leather outfit that seemed to accentuate her every curve. Her expression hadn't changed; it was as though she had all the time in the world.

"Okay, I'm ready. Lead the way."

Little did David know, Suzuka had not been napping during that time. Inside her room, she had been preparing a few potent potion vials with her blood. They would prove to be invaluable in healing the injured goblin.

David led the way through the streets of Rockmine Town, a place where shadows deepened with the encroaching evening. Their path wound through the alleys, leading to a desolate, dimly lit passage.

David muttered, his voice tinged with unease, "The goblin is here, behind that dumpster. I tossed him there in the trash and covered him with some rags so no one would find him till I brought help. I ran straight to your place, it was maybe an hour but the goblin was still alive when I left."

Suzuka couldn't help but chuckle, a wry smile playing on her lips, "Oh, I remember how you were beaten up and tossed into the trash pile just like this goblin," she remarked with a teasing glint in her eyes. 

"You two are so alike; you should be friends, sharing your stories about who got beat more and who was tossed in a bigger pile of trash. It's your chance to make your first and only friend, David. You both pathetic, you two would make a good couple."

David's impatience flared, his anxiety driving him to snap back, "There is no time for jesting, Helen. We need to help Hermit. Please. If the goblin dies, Larry will never forgive me."

With a sense of urgency, they approached the dumpster, their eyes scanning for any sign of the injured goblin. To David's confusion, there was no trace of the goblin; only a chaotic mess of trash and rags strewn about.

Panic washed over David as he stammered, "No, no, no, no, no! Where did he go? What? Who took him? This isn't good, really bad. What do we do now? Maybe he got better and walked off. Stupid! There is no way he could walk after that bastard showed..."

Suzuka couldn't resist one more jab before she took the situation seriously.

 "Or maybe," she interrupted teasing, "you were the one who got beat up and slept in the pile of trash and just had a dream about it, and there was no goblin at all? It would not be the first time. Hahah!"

David's plea came with a newfound gravity, his voice laden with concern. 

"It was not a dream! Please, Helen, take this seriously. We need to find him."

Suzuka playfully said, "Alright, alright, calm your shorts. Look, there is a smear of filth on the ground, let me see where it leads. Maybe some animal dragged him away to have a feast or some fun. Or maybe a raccoon come back for a second round."

Suzuka leaned down and examined the grimy streak on the ground, her fingers lightly tracing the path it indicated. She had a knack for reading the subtle signs of tracks. Her keen eyes and a year of experience surviving in the forest made her an expert tracker in her own right.

Finally, she stood up, a faint crease of concern on her brow. 

"It was definitely our goblin here," she confirmed, her tone more serious now.

 "It would seem that he crawled away, it's his shit and piss that's smeared on the ground. The trail leads deeper into the ally."

David urged, "Let's go then, no time to waste."

They followed the grimy trail further down the alleyway, Suzuka leading the way with a sharp eye. Her acute senses and good vision in the dark were proving invaluable as her keen eyes spotted a twitching, tiny foot protruding from the shadows at the corner of the alley.

 Their steps quickened as they turned the corner, only to be met with a gruesome view of horrors, the remains of the goblin lying before them.