The Crossroads of Logic and Emotion

Tang Wenxu and Karamanda ventured deeper into the mountains.

“That old woman is truly pitiful,” Tang Wenxu remarked with a sigh.

“Pitiful?” Karamanda sneered. “Tang, never pity anyone. That old hag merely sought to exploit your sympathy, hoping we’d do her unnecessary bidding. These seemingly humble folk are far more cunning than you imagine.”

Tang Wenxu remained silent for a moment before replying, “People aren’t as wicked as you think.”

“Nor are they as good as you imagine,” Karamanda retorted.

Just as a thousand people see a thousand Hamlets, so too does the world appear differently. For the benevolent, the world is pure white; for the malevolent, it is stark black.

Tang Wenxu found Karamanda utterly pragmatic. At the crossroads of logic and emotion, their paths diverged completely.

He said nothing, as if in a fit of pique, and Karamanda merely chuckled.

They continued their journey deeper into the wilderness.

“Speaking of which,” Karamanda began, breaking the silence, “do you know the habits of goblins?”

Tang Wenxu shook his head.

“Listen closely, Tang,” Karamanda explained in detail, like a lecturer. “Goblins are nocturnal creatures; they rest during the day and emerge at night. It’s high noon now, which is their nighttime. If we find their cave, we can stealthily bring the target out.”

“But this mountain is so vast, where would we even begin to look?” Tang Wenxu asked.

“Goblins use their skin color to camouflage themselves among trees or in tall grass. So…” Karamanda offered a mysterious smile, swiftly sweeping his arm upwards. Before Tang Wenxu could even react, a goblin, previously hidden in a large tree, plummeted to the ground. A meticulously crafted flame-shaped throwing knife was embedded in its chest. “You need to pay close attention to the grass and the trees.”

“For the safety of their tribe, goblins typically station sentries near their cave during the day,” Karamanda added.

“Which means…”

“Yes, their cave is nearby.”

If this were an anime, Tang Wenxu would have found Karamanda’s earlier move incredibly cool. In reality, however, witnessing the goblin’s body twitching in a pool of blood filled him with a subtle unease.

It had been alive just moments ago.

“What’s wrong?” Karamanda asked.

“Nothing. Let’s find the cave quickly,” Tang Wenxu replied, his face a little pale.

Ten minutes later, they discovered a cave entrance nestled within a thicket. Karamanda pressed his ear to the ground and listened intently for a moment.

“This must be it. It’s the goblin cave,” he declared, having heard the distinct snores of goblins. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Karamanda interjected, grabbing Tang Wenxu’s arm. “I’ll go first.”

Inside the cave, goblins lay scattered haphazardly, lost in slumber, their stench permeating the entire space.

“Darkness is a goblin’s best friend. Though they are weak, their night vision is exceptionally keen. Waking them would cause considerable trouble,” Karamanda whispered.

“Even with your strength, you’d find them troublesome?” Tang Wenxu inquired.

“No, I’d have no issues, but it might be a bit troublesome for you,” Karamanda stated calmly.

Faint, weak groans echoed from deeper within the cave, indicating the dungeon where the old woman’s granddaughter was held was clearly nearby.

Upon drawing closer, Tang Wenxu froze, his mouth agape, unable to articulate a single word.

Before his eyes lay a pale, naked body on a pile of straw. Her gaze was vacant, devoid of any spark of life. Even upon seeing Tang Wenxu and Karamanda—fellow humans—her listless eyes remained utterly unmoving. After merely two days as a goblin’s plaything, she was utterly broken.

Her body was stained with blood and unspeakable fluids. Her ordeal was painfully evident.

Tang Wenxu felt a profound sickness. He clutched his chest, wanting to crouch down. It was a long moment before he managed to stand again, intending to help the poor girl. But when his gaze fell upon her hand, his grief intensified.

Her index finger was gone, seemingly ripped off her hand.

“It’s alright… it’s all over now,” Tang Wenxu murmured, gently lifting her onto his back, completely disregarding the filth clinging to her. All that mattered now was escaping this cave.

They tiptoed forward, almost reaching the faint light filtering into the cave entrance.

Crack.

A sound emanated from beneath Tang Wenxu’s foot. He had crushed a finger bone.

The sound, though not loud, startled the goblin closest to the bone.

“Waaah!”

The intruder, having woken it from its slumber, enraged the goblin. It shrieked loudly, rousing all the goblins in the cave. They scrambled to their feet, clutching wooden clubs and rusty daggers.

Karamanda scratched his head. “Well, this can’t be helped.”

The two turned to face the advancing horde of goblins.

At the forefront stood the largest goblin, clearly the Goblin King. It shrieked and roared, but Karamanda watched it silently, much like a god observing its creations, devoid of all emotion.

Suddenly, an aura of chilling intent erupted from Karamanda, causing the Goblin King to break out in a cold sweat. Instinct told the Goblin King that this man was exceedingly dangerous. It dared not make a move.

Should it let them go? Allow them to take the ‘toy’ they had so painstakingly stolen from the village? This seemed the safest course of action. But if it let them escape in front of all its goblins, it would lose its position within the tribe.

It hesitated, cold sweat dripping down its brow. Ultimately, it held back the snarling goblins behind it. In this crucial moment, its rationality seemed to prevail, leading it to what appeared to be a perfectly sound decision.

After a prolonged gaze, Karamanda spoke to Tang Wenxu, “Let’s go. They won’t dare to attack.”

“Understood.” Tang Wenxu was drenched in a cold sweat, his carelessness having alerted the goblins. He hung his head like a child who had made a mistake.

However, the moment they turned their backs, the Goblin King’s expression, which had been somewhat fawning and submissive, abruptly contorted into one of ferocity and rage.

The Goblin King hurled a dagger at the back of Tang Wenxu’s head.

These cunning creatures rarely engaged in frontal combat; ambushes were their specialty. They were cowardly and despicable, but if an enemy exposed their back, they became exceptionally “brave.” It cackled, eager to see white brain matter erupt from the adventurer’s skull as the dagger struck.

But as the saying goes: play stupid games, win stupid prizes. It no longer had time to comprehend the profound meaning of its mistake. It had made the most foolish choice in the world.

Tang Wenxu’s head did not burst open. Instead, the aquamarine gemstone on his inner armor emitted a dazzling light. Simultaneously, Karamanda’s body moved without warning, blocking his path. Two long, slender fingers deftly caught the lethal dagger aimed at the back of Tang Wenxu’s head.

The Goblin King had no time to react to what had happened before its head was severed from its body, blood gushing forth.

As its head hit the ground, the Goblin King’s face still bore a malicious grin. It hadn’t even realized it was dead until the very end.

Karamanda retrieved a dagger glowing with a brilliant blue light from the pocket of his black suit, a honeyed smile gracing his lips. “My original task wasn’t to kill you all, but I’ve changed my mind. You truly deserve to die.”

Seeing this, Tang Wenxu drew his sword, preparing for battle.

The goblins, clearly unable to understand human language, presumed the two humans were merely there to retrieve the ears of their deceased Goblin King. This was an adventurer’s custom, severing a part of a monster’s body as proof of a completed task. Thus, the goblins felt no fear towards the two humans approaching them with drawn weapons.

‘Their target isn’t us; they’re just here to take that idiot’s ears,’ the goblins thought.

Karamanda advanced with a light, unhurried pace towards the goblins, who remained oblivious to the gravity of the situation. They grinned obsequiously, as if praising the two humans for killing their foolish king.

However, their grating laughter would likely not last much longer…