213 Choosing to save

It didn’t very long for Vincent to notice how he didn’t look very peaceful, so he deactivated Overheat.

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[Overheat deactivated.]

[Host Race returning to human.]

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While his mutated blood gauntlets crumbled and stored into his Soul Dimensional Storage, catching the attention of all goblins, he asked Kazumi to relay Lupa a message.

Vincent wanted Lupa to stay aware of the goblins’ actions. An unexpected attack could prove fatal, even if the goblins are weak. Ester needed time and focus to use the sphere of death, while Vincent required to wait a few seconds until Overheat form could complete.

In other words, Lupa was the only one who could fight immediately. Lupa assertively looked from left to right, her ears stood straight to catch any nearby sounds, and her tail stopped moving, becoming alert. No unnoticed attack could pass by her now.

Later, Vincent summoned two pieces of cloth and handed one to Ester. After all the goblins watched two pieces of cloth suddenly materialize out of thin air, they stared in awe at Vincent and Ester as they wiped their face.

.....

“Ahem, the gray goblin was very brave, and she inspired me to help even if my women and I got hurt. I respect her noble actions because to sacrifice one’s life is no joke.” Vincent praised the small gray goblin lying on the ground as an icebreaker.

However, in truth, the guilt for choosing to wait and act when it was the best time to ambush weighed on his conscience. Vincent could feel her nearing death on his hands.

“I. Elder. Thanks. For. Praise. My. Progeny.” The goblin elder revealed how the gray goblin was the daughter of the leader of the goblin tribe and how it was her father that she protected from the deadly attack.

“I. Need. Final. Moment. With. My. Progeny. Please. Human. I. Beg.” The goblin elder respectfully bowed in a very humane manner. After the goblin elder saw Vincent nod, he rushed to the gray goblin. If his daughter wasn’t dead, then her life might be hanging by a thread.

Regardless of who saved their lives, the other goblins seemed afraid of Vincent, Ester, and Lupa. The many who remained kept a considerable distance, while the few who left informed the others to come back or stay away.

“Gobu, gobu.” The goblin elder said while caressing his daughter’s head. He looked at Vincent and begged, “Human. Please. Let. Progeny. Pass. Away. In. Peace. We. Talk. Later.”

“Ester, Lupa, Kazumi... how do you feel about the gray goblin? I feel bad for ignoring her while we were talking about the goblins. I think I want to save her.” Vincent wanted to know what the girls thought about the brave gray goblin’s situation.

Vincent wanted to know if the three of them had similar thoughts to his because he felt the need to give the brave gray goblin a second chance.

“I feel bad too. She is interesting.” Lupa pitted the gray goblin for being at death’s door. The gray goblin proved to be good enough for a sparring partner.

“I don’t like to see anyone hurt. But Vincent. Are you sure?” Ester asked.

Vincent took a glimpse at the gray goblin lying on a pool of blood and chose to say, “I think she can be a great addition to our team. She seems knowledgeable about herbs and first aid treatments. She is also relentless and brave.”

“Don’t forget our agreement then. ” Ester said seriously.

[Hahaha. This is fun. It seems you forgot about something. Giving the gray goblin a second chance mean you are unintentionally saying to have a new addition to my harem... Ahem, your harem.]

[Hmm, A human, a wolf girl, a sexy curvy soul of a beauty, and a goblin. Your harem is starting to...]

-I never intended to start a harem in the first place. I only want people to trust and have my back.-

[Yep. If it weren’t for me, you would still blush every moment it’s about to get good. You should be happy with the fortune you have because of me. But remember, I’m wife number three.]

Ester seemed to remember something and asked, “Will you Awaken her into a hobgoblin? or will she be like a little sister?”

Vincent became conflicted because he thought the choice isn’t his to take. Vincent looked once more at the gray goblin and answered, “If the gray goblin comes with us, then it will be her choice to choose how to live her new life and be what she wants to be.”

Ester looked at the goblins and remembered something. It was when one of the fishing spots she frequented became dangerous for her to visit again.

“One day, I went fishing below a cliff I used to frequent and overheard a guard known for his shadiness talking with a person I didn’t know. They were talking about goblins... and how the best time to turn a goblin into a hobgoblin for profits is around four years and over since they would become a sixteen-year-old hobgoblin.”

“They also mentioned how time costs money, and young hobgoblin slaves will earn them less money than strong adults. But I couldn’t hear more and left.” Ester informed of a past event.

However, Ester didn’t mention how she had to leave immediately and never visit that fishing spot ever again. While she was overhearing their discussion, her foot slipped on a slippery rock, and she was about to fall.

Fortunately, Ester didn’t fall thanks to her balance control, but the rock was knocked in the water, and the sound increased after a few small pebbles were knocked along the rock.

Ester later found out how she couldn’t go back. She overheard a few guards mention a rat near the same cliff she ran away from. Ester still remembers what happened that day vividly when she thinks about fishing.

“Humans. Leave!” A goblin standing beside a few dozen goblins angrily shouted after hearing Ester talking about goblin slaves.

“Bad. Leave. No. Return.” Another one continued with a rock in his hands.

Like a chain reaction, one after the other, the goblins started shouting to force the three unwanted people to leave. The fear of death or slavery was making them act like cornered rats.

“GOBU!!!” The goblin elder roared in anger. The peace he wanted to give his dying daughter was interrupted by the ruckus the goblins were making. In the blink of an eye, perfect silence followed after his loud shout.

Vincent took the opportunity to use Inspection on the gray goblin without the worry of getting attacked. Fear is the same between humans and monsters. As such, the goblins might act out of fear and become hostile, he believed.

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[Name] Gray Goblin

[Race] Goblin

[Age] 5

[Condition] Critical Condition, Exhausted, Terrified, Major Bleeding, Unconscious, Bone Damage (Broken – Left Arm, Left Leg), Bone Damage (Fractured – Multiple Ribs, Spine)

[Traits] None

[Stats] Strength 4 || Agility 9 || Perception 9 || Mana 0

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“Her condition is worse than I thought! She might die in less than a minute!” Vincent exclaimed, breaking the silence and catching the attention of the goblin elder.

“Human. Silence.” The goblin elder warned.

[Vincent, it is your choice in the end. However, please remember this. Even if you can save her life and decide not to, don’t let the decision guilt your conscience.]

It was these words of worry that made Vincent arrive at a decision. “I can save your daughter’s... I mean your progeny’s life. But the price might be too difficult to accept. Would you accept to let your progeny live and have her pay the price?” He offered.

“Pay? Price? What. Human. Offer?” The devastated goblin elder seemed enticed to accept no matter the price.

“You will have to pay the price of departure. Your progeny can’t stay with you anymore because the rebirth I provide will bind her soul with mine. As such, I can’t let someone with a fragment of mine stay apart from me.” Vincent decided to keep the people around him to a minimum. However, if the gray goblin accepts and later requests to have her father with them, Vincent decided to allow her father to join them.

The goblin elder touched his daughter’s face and gently pinched her cheek. “Save. Progeny. I. Beg.” The goblin elder accepted the offer to save his daughter at any cost.

“Okay, but remember that she needs to accept my offer to save her life. Do you have a message to make your progeny accept?” Vincent asked the last question.

historical

Success or failure, Soul Retainer Bond uses Soul Power before the result. The message from the goblin elder could be the final push to have the gray goblin’s acceptance.

The goblin elder slowly started saying the message he wanted his daughter to hear, “Progeny. Forgive. Me. It. Is. Not. Your. Fault. Humans. Hunt. Us. Become. Good. Slave. Of. Human...”

“What slave? I will treat her like family and not a slave. I am a gentleman and not a disgusting human.” Vincent hastily interrupted.

“Huh? My. Progeny. Wife?” The goblin elder looked confused.

“Whatever. We’ll see after I save her.” Vincent didn’t want to continue the back and forth discussion, so he left the decision for later.

Vincent placed his hand in the middle of the gray goblin’s chest and focused on the thought, ‘Soul Retainer Bond!’

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[Soul Retainer Bond (Blessed) is starting.]

[-20sp used. 100sp Remaining.]

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Vincent’s eyes shone brightly, and the hero mark on his abdomen shone so brightly that the bandages and the shirt couldn’t cover the light.

The goblins stared in awe and, after Vincent heard, “God. Has. Descended!” His vision darkened, and his consciousness entered into his soul.