Chapter 248 Heated Argument

"No, please!" he whimpered, his voice barely more than a desperate squeak. Tears blurred his vision as he frantically shook his head, his entire body trembling with terror. With a feeble attempt, he raised his hands in a futile gesture, trying to signal to Larry and the others for help, but the guards were too quick, their iron grips like vice around his arms, rendering him helpless and unable to show the signal.

As they dragged him across the rough ground, Hermit's screams pierced the air, a scream of raw fear and anguish that echoed through the forest. His panicked mind raced, but no coherent pleas formed on his lips, only guttural cries for mercy and salvation.

 "N-no! I'm just a simple goblin, I swear! Please, no hurt! I good goblin, no want whip! Too scary! Too painful! Please, I-I'll do anything, just don't hurt me! I-I'll work hard, I'll be a good slave, I promise! Please, master goblins, have mercy! I just want safety, no hurt, no pain! Nooooo! Help me! Somebody, anybody, please help me!"

Larry's jaw tightened with frustration as he watched the goblin guards cruelly drag Hermit away. His hands trembled with anger, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists in rising fury. Hermit was screaming in a goblin tongue, Larry and the others did not know what he was shouting about.

Suzuka's hand on Larry's shoulder offered a brief moment of comfort, her calm voice breaking through his anger.

"He's putting up a good effort, Larry," Suzuka said, her tone reassuring.

 "Hermit's tougher than he looks. We just need to trust that little ugly goblin. I know he can do it."

"You're right, I need to trust him. We need to trust him. Hermit's doing his best... he's got this." Larry muttered through gritted teeth, his gaze still fixed on the unfolding scene. 

Despite his words, Larry's heart pounded with worry for the terrified goblin, his mind racing with thoughts of how they could rescue him from the clutches of the evil goblins.

  They dragged him toward the imposing wooden log embedded into the ground, ignoring his pleas for mercy. With a brutal shove, they forced him face-first against the wooden log, smashing his face into the rough surface until Hermit clung to it like a helpless insect caught in a spider's web, his spindly legs flailing helplessly in the air. The goblin guards laughed maliciously as they cruelly tied Hermit's hands with rough, crude ropes, pulling them tightly into a knot that bit into his flesh.

"Look at this pathetic shit," one of the guards sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

 "Crying like a newborn hatchling. What a piece of shit he is! We will whip him until he shit himself and then some! Bruahhhhahaha!"

Another guard cackled, his twisted grin revealing jagged teeth as he enjoyed Hermit's suffering. 

"Let's see how long he lasts before he shit himself."

With a final mocking laugh, the goblin guards stepped back, leaving Hermit suspended by the log, his pitiful cries echoing through the air as he struggled against his bonds.

As Hermit hung, his limbs bound tightly, every movement sent waves of agony coursing through his body. The rough ropes chafed against his skin, leaving angry welts in their wake, while the weight of his own body pulled relentlessly at his arms, threatening to tear them from their sockets.

The guards relished in Hermit's agony, their laughter growing louder as they pulled out a menacing whipping stick specially designed to inflict maximum pain on their unfortunate slaves. With sadistic glee, two of the guards positioned themselves on either side of Hermit, ready to deliver the brutal punishment.

With a running start, one of the guards gripped the branch tightly with both hands, his muscles tensing as he swung the whip with all his might. The whip cracked through the air like a thunderclap, and the sharp crack echoed through the breeding farm as it lashed across Hermit's back with devastating force.

The force of the blow was so intense that it cut a belt of skin on his back, leaving a raw, bloody welt in its wake. The sheer agony caused Hermit's body to contort in a grotesque arc, his heels nearly touching the back of his head as he writhed in torment. 

Hermit's tortured scream pierced the air, a gut-wrenching cry of unimaginable pain, "WRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Hermit's scream echoed through the breeding farm, a haunting sound that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it. The guards laughed cruelly, reveling in the suffering they had inflicted.

The second guard, emboldened by his comrade's vicious strike, stepped forward with a twisted grin etched on his face. With a sadistic gleam in his eye, he raised his whipping stick high above his head, ready to deliver another punishing blow to Hermit's already battered body.

As Hermit hung helplessly from the wooden log, his back exposed and raw from the previous lash, the second guard brought the whip down with all the force he could muster. The whip cracked through the air once more, slicing through the air like a razor as it descended toward its target.

The impact was like a searing fire erupting across Hermit's already tortured flesh. Another deafening scream tore from his throat as the whip bit into his back's sensitive skin, "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" tearing through skin and muscle with merciless brutality. The force of the blow sent shockwaves of agony coursing through Hermit's entire body, leaving him gasping for breath and trembling in excruciating pain. The strike was so painful that Hermit's legs contorted backward so much that he almost could touch his hurt back with his toes.

After witnessing the second guard's ruthless strike, the first guard stepped forward, his twisted grin widening as he eagerly continued in the sadistic display of brutality. With a cruel glint in his eye, he brandished his whipping stick with malicious intent, ready to continue Hermit's torment.

Without a hint of mercy, the first guard brought the whip down upon Hermit's already bloody body, his muscles tense with anticipation as he unleashed another savage lash. The whip cracked through the air with a sickening sound, its impact sending waves of searing pain coursing through Hermit's already raw and bloodied flesh.

"WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Hermit's anguished cries echoed through the breeding farm as the first guard's whip tore into him, leaving grotesque welts and trails of blood in its wake. Each strike of the whip seemed to drive Hermit deeper into the depths of agony, his body wracked with unbearable torment as he hung suspended from the wooden log.

Larry's gaze was fixed on the horrifying scene unfolding before him, his heart pounding with fury and helplessness. With each brutal lash inflicted upon Hermit, his grip on the spyglass tightened, he clenched his fist so hard blood started to trickle down his knuckles.

His jaw clenched in rage, Larry's eyes blazed with a fiery intensity as he watched the goblin guards subject Hermit to unspeakable cruelty. Every fiber of his being screamed for action, for retribution against those who dared to inflict such pain upon an innocent creature.

As he rose to his feet, his muscles tense with the urge to intervene, Suzuka's hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks. Her voice, calm yet firm, pierced through the haze of anger clouding his mind.

"Larry, are you seeing this?" Suzuka's voice dripped with a mix of sarcasm and genuine admiration as she motioned toward Hermit's torture.

 "Our dear little Hermit is putting on quite the show, isn't he? Hanging in there like a true hero, enduring all that punishment for the sake of his fellow goblins. It's almost inspiring. But you need to calm down, let's not forget why we're here. Hermit made it clear that he was fighting for his freedom and the freedom of his friends. Rushing in now would only trample on his resolve, on his effort, wouldn't it, Larry?"

"We need to trust in Hermit's plan," Suzuka continued, her voice growing more impassioned. 

"He didn't show us the signal for help, did he? That means he's not ready for us to intervene just yet. We need to stay on standby until he gives us the signal to attack."

"And remember," Suzuka added, her tone turning slightly mocking once more, "we wouldn't want to steal Hermit's thunder, would we? After all, he's the one playing the hero down there. Let's give him his moment in the spotlight, shall we?"

Larry leveled a stern gaze at Suzuka, his eyes burning with anger and frustration.

"Helen, how can you stand there and act as if this is some kind of game? Do you even care about Hermit or the goblin slaves?" His voice was filled with frustration and anger as he spoke.

 "Do you even realize that Hermit can't show the signal because his hands are restrained? He's hanging there, helpless and in pain, and all you can do is mock him and treat him like some pawn in your game."

His eyes flashed with anger as he continued, his words dripping with disdain.

 "You don't care about their suffering or their sacrifice. All you care about is what they can do for you. To you, they're just tools to be used for your selfish purposes. You see them as nothing more than a means to an end, not as individuals worthy of respect or care. You're treating them like nothing more than tools for your selfish ambitions."

Larry's voice rose with each word, his frustration boiling over. 

"You want the goblins for yourself, don't you? You want to build your precious town, and you don't care who gets hurt in the process. Well, I won't stand for it. I won't let Hermit suffer anymore."

He took a step forward, his eyes blazing with fury. 

"We're here to save these goblins, not exploit them. We're here to fight for their freedom, not use them for our gain."

"Hey, hold up a minute," Jake interjected, his voice cutting through the tense atmosphere between Larry and Suzuka. 

"Helen's right. We should give the goblin some time. He's tougher than he looks; they all are. These goblins have endured hell and back in those breeding farms. Punishments like that are a daily occurrence, and they've all endured it."