The deep, echoing silence of the cave pressed in around them as Wang Chen and Liu Qiang advanced deeper into its labyrinthine passages. Wang Chen's hand tightened around the scanner tower, a tool now tucked safely away, its job done. The faint glow from the rocky walls barely illuminated the path ahead, and his thoughts were as clouded as the darkness surrounding them.
Liu Qiang, walking beside him, kept his eyes forward, but his attention was momentarily diverted as he spotted something near the ground a torn, pale yellow dress. He bent down, lifting the fabric to examine it closely.
"This must have belonged to one of the female adventurers," Wang Chen muttered, his fingers brushing the delicate fabric.
Liu Qiang took the dress from his hand, raising it to his nose. "It's not like Liu Ningning's. She prefers white dresses... and this... doesn't smell quite right," he remarked, half sniffing and half disgusted.
Wang Chen didn't respond immediately. His gaze shifted ahead, no longer focused on Liu Qiang. Something about this cave, about the sense of foreboding that had been growing, made his skin crawl. He felt a growing unease, like they were being watched, even though there was no sign of movement in the shadows.
"Hey, Chen-ge, what's wrong?" Liu Qiang's voice broke through the tension. "Why aren't you answering?"
Wang Chen's footsteps slowed, but he didn't stop. His eyes were distant, as if he could hear something beyond the walls of the cave. Something that didn't belong.
As they pressed on, deeper into the cave, the atmosphere grew heavier. Farther inside, two figures huddled together in fear—Liu Ningning and her schoolmate, Lian Yunxi. The two women, both strikingly beautiful, looked utterly out of place in such a perilous place. But Liu Ningning, with her ethereal beauty, exuded a calm purity that made her seem even more out of place. Her skin was pale, flawless, like porcelain, and her blue eyes held a hint of innocence, as if she didn't belong to this world.
Yet, the two of them, bound by thick ropes that dug painfully into their flesh, weren't the pristine images they seemed to be. Their clothes were in tatters, their bodies exposed, and the only thing they could do was curl up, attempting to hide what little modesty remained. But it was futile. The ropes had bound them too tightly, leaving their bodies nearly completely exposed.
Lian Yunxi, whose body was well-endowed, struggled desperately against the ropes. Her attempts only seemed to make matters worse as the fabric of her clothes tore further, revealing even more of her body.
"This... these damn goblins," Lian Yunxi hissed, her face flushed with a mixture of anger and shame. "What kind of sadistic ropes are these?"
Liu Ningning remained quiet, her face taut with concentration. "We won't be able to break out of these. They're bronze-grade bindings, made with materials far stronger than our strength."
Lian Yunxi's face contorted with frustration. "Then what do we do? Do we just wait here for those filthy goblins to take us?"
Liu Ningning didn't reply immediately. She seemed to be lost in thought. After a moment, she sighed and looked up, her expression resigned. "It's possible... we were chosen as sacrifices for the Goblin Priest. The goblins breed in numbers, and once they grow strong enough, they produce a BOSS-level Goblin Priest... around level 25. We're no match for that."
Lian Yunxi's eyes widened in horror. "The Goblin Priest? Here? But we're only level five! How are we supposed to survive that?"
"Survive?" Liu Ningning's voice grew soft, almost a whisper. "If we're lucky, we won't be... violated before we die. If we manage to live, there's no way we can escape what's coming."
Lian Yunxi's eyes were wide with fear. "But if it's really that powerful, then... how can we even hope to get out of this alive?"
Liu Ningning didn't respond, her gaze now fixed on the floor, her lips slightly parted as she let out a soft breath. "Maybe... we'll be lucky enough to die quickly."
The two women fell into a tense silence, their fears growing with every second that passed. But just as Lian Yunxi was about to say something, a sound echoed from the deeper recesses of the cave scraping footsteps, muffled voices.
"They're coming," Liu Ningning whispered, her body tense with panic.
Lian Yunxi's breath caught in her throat. "No... not yet. I'm not ready..."
The goblins appeared in front of them, their twisted, green faces peering at the women with malicious hunger. Their crooked fingers twitched eagerly as they drew closer.
Lian Yunxi's heart skipped a beat. "Why... why me? Why is it always me?" She couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes.
The goblins chattered excitedly amongst themselves, their voices unintelligible, but their meaning was clear. They had picked their prize. Lian Yunxi.
"Please... not like this," she whimpered, struggling against the ropes. But no matter how much she pulled, it was hopeless.
Liu Ningning, desperate to save her friend, tried to lunge at the goblins, but the drugs coursing through her veins weakened her strength. She collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"Save me, Ningning! Please!" Lian Yunxi cried, her voice breaking, her eyes wide with terror. But Liu Ningning could only watch, powerless.
The goblins, sensing her desperation, began to close in, their movements slow and deliberate.
Liu Ningning's voice was strained as she whispered, "Yunxi, breathe deeply. It's supposed to help lessen the pain..."
Lian Yunxi, her face flooded with tears, looked back at her friend with confusion, barely able to comprehend her words.
Before she could respond, the goblins took hold of her, and her cries were silenced by their grim, monstrous grip.
Meanwhile, outside, Liu Qiang suddenly froze, his face turning pale. "Chen-ge... I think I heard... the voice of the goddess."
Wang Chen turned sharply to him, his expression hardening.
The air in the cave thickened, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet.
A new danger was drawing closer, and they had no idea how much time they had left.