Chapter 1: Part 3
A chilling void of utter darkness. No sound, no light, just an endless, sufocating black.Then, a voice. Soft, melodious, and achingly familiar."Hey, Jee-shahn. You're not coming to the family function? Everyone is waiting for you. Hey,Jee-shahn, I'm talking to you."Jee-shahn, standing alone in the desolate expanse, felt a jolt of confusion. Family function?Waiting for him? He hadn't thought of such things in… how long? An eternity, it felt like.The voice came again, closer this time, laced with gentle exasperation. His eyes widened,and he spun around, searching the impenetrable gloom for the source.And there she was.A woman of breath taking beauty, her long, dark hair shimmering even in the absence of light. Her eyes, the color of warm honey, held a tender smile. The sight of her struck him like a physical blow, stealing his breath, twisting his heart into a knot of agonizing yearning.In a daze of shock and desperate hope, he raised his right hand, his fingers trembling,reaching out to cup her perfect cheek.But before he could touch her, the beautiful woman sighed, a sound that pierced his soul."Okay, fine. If you don't want to talk to me, I'm going alone to attend the function."She turned, her movements fluid and graceful, and began to walk away, her form slowly receding into the encroaching darkness.Jee-shahn's eyes went wild. A frantic, primal fear seized him. He could feel it, deep in his bones—a memory, a premonition, a truth he had desperately tried to bury. Seeing her walkaway, the crushing weight of emotion finally broke free."SHIZUKA! PLEASE, STOP!" he screamed, his voice raw, hoarse with ancient pain.But she kept walking.Tears, hot and stinging, poured down Jee-shahn's face. He stumbled forward, but his feet felt rooted to the ground. The void seemed to resist his every movement. With every ounceof his being, he roared, a desperate plea echoing through the emptiness:"SHIZUKA! PLEASE DON'T GO TO ATTEND THAT FUNCTION! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE ON THE WAY! PLEASE, DON'T GO!"This time, she stopped.Jee-shahn collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, relief washing over him in a dizzying wave. He had stopped her. He had saved her.Then, she began to walk again.Panic, sharper and more potent than before, surged through him. He scrambled to his feet,ignoring the phantom pain, and began to run. He sprinted, his heart hammering against his ribs, desperate to reach her, to pull her back from whatever fate awaited her.But before Jee-shahn could catch the beautiful woman, the darkness of the void shattered.Heat. Blinding, searing heat. The comforting warmth of flames licked at his skin.Jee-shahn's eyes slowly fluttered open. He found himself lying on rough ground, boundtightly by thick ropes. Just beside him, close enough to singe his hair, was a crackling campfire. The scent of wood smoke and something… toasting… filled the air.He closed his eyes again, feigning unconsciousness, trying to process the abrupt shift from heartbreaking dream to fiery reality.He opened them again, slowly, then with a jolt of anger."HOW THE HELL—! MORON! WHO'S TRYING TO MAKE ME INTO A KEBAB?!"A figure emerged from the shadows, holding a string of freshly caught fish and a crude stonespear. They were wearing a mask woven from coconut leaves, obscuring their face.Jee-shahn watched, utterly confused, as the person approached."So," Jee-shahn growled, eyeing the ropes digging into his wrists. "You're the moron whotied me up and tried to make me into human shish kebab, are you?"The masked figure gently dropped the spear and the basket of fish onto the ground. Then,with an unnerving calm, they moved closer to the trussed-up Jee-shahn."Hey! What are you trying to do?!" Jee-shahn demanded, a flicker of genuine alarm in his eyes as the figure leaned in.The person's hand, surprisingly delicate, settled on his chest. Then, their masked face came impossibly close to his, so near that he could feel their warm breath on his lips. The air between them was so thin, a single stray hair couldn't have fit.Jee-shahn felt a blush creep up his neck. He averted his gaze, flustered. "I'm not that type of male who's interested in other males, thank you very much. Please, find someone else for your… afections."With a soft rustle, the person removed their coconut leaf mask, dropping it beside them.Jee-shahn, still stubbornly looking away, saw the mask fall into the dirt from the corner of his eye.He kept his eyes closed, just a tiny slit, watching the vague shadow of the person. "So this moron is still there?" he muttered, growing angrier. He finally flung his eyes open, ready tounleash a fresh torrent of curses.But the words died in his throat.His eyes fell upon the face of his captor, and Jee-shahn was utterly, breath takingly amazed.It wasn't just beauty; it was a fierce, wild, untamed kind of beauty, framed by rich, earthy hairand eyes that sparkled with intelligence and something ancient. His gaze drifted, almost instinctively, to her exposed neck, then down to the modest curve of her breasts beneath crude animal hides."She's... an angel," he whispered, bewildered and utterly smitten. "She saved my life… and she's so beautiful…"As the realization bloomed, his eyes quickly scanned her features again, a tiny detail catching his attention—the slightly pointed ears, the faint, almost imperceptible green tint toher skin, the subtle texture of her brow.Wait.His eyes widened in sudden, profound shock. "She's a… goblina?!"Yet, instead of screaming, or struggling, or expressing any form of disgust, a slow, utterlydelighted smile spread across Jee-shahn's face.The goblina lady remained impossibly close, her face mere centimeters from his, her own eyes bright with a silent, curious smile as she stared intensely at Jee-shahn's entire body."Hey," Jee-shahn said, his voice a little shaky from the proximity. "My name's Jee-shahn. Do you… understand what I'm saying?"The goblina continued to smile, her gaze unwavering, saying nothing. Her lips, full and ripe,were so tantalizingly close to his. His hand, still tied, pressed against his own chest.A couple of moments passed in charged silence, their faces almost touching. Jee-shahn'sinitial shock was replaced by a strange mix of frustration and an impulsive surge of something else entirely. He looked from her eyes to her lips, then back to her eyes.Well, she's not going to talk, is she?With a sudden, bold movement, Jee-shahn leaned forward and kissed her.The beautiful goblina lady's eyes widened, her smile vanished, and with a gasp of genuine shock, she pushed Jee-shahn away with unexpected strength, sending him tumbling onto his side.
Chapter 1: Part 4
Jee-shahn found himself sprawled on the ground, a little stunned from the unexpected shove, but a victorious smile still played on his lips as he gazed at the goblina's beautiful,utterly shocked face. He gently licked his own lips, savoring the moment.Then, a sudden, searing discomfort bloomed deep within his soul, a strange, discordant humresonating through his very essence. It was an anomaly, an invasion.A sharp, agonizing pain erupted in his heart, clawing its way through his chest. Jee-shahn's triumphant smile faltered, replaced by confusion, then outright alarm. What was this? Hegasped, trying to draw breath, but the pressure was immense.Just as quickly as it came, the pain subsided. He gulped in a ragged breath, trying to calm his racing heart.But then it struck again, fiercer this time, twisting his insides. A guttural scream tore from histhroat—"Heeeeeee!"—and a spray of dark blood erupted from his mouth, staining the dirt.The beautiful goblina, still reeling from the unexpected kiss, looked at him, her shock giving way to genuine worry. Her brow furrowed, her eyes wide with concern, and she instinctively moved closer.Jee-shahn, however, was no longer aware of her. He was consumed by the blinding,all-encompassing agony. With a roar born of pure, desperate pain, he strained against the ropes that bound him. The thick fibers, meant to hold him fast, snapped with a series of sharp cracks as his muscles, supernaturally revitalized by the pain, bulged and tore free.He staggered to his feet, still wracked with spasms, then collapsed onto his knees, clutching his chest. He arched his back, stretching, trying to pull the source of the torment from his very core. His skin was turning an alarming shade of crimson from the strain.The goblina, seeing the raw sufering etched on his face, hesitated no longer. Her initial fear of his strength vanished, replaced by an urgent, protective instinct. She moved quickly,dropping behind him, and gently sat down. Her surprisingly strong, yet tender, arms wrappedaround his torso, pulling him back against her. Her cheek rested against his shoulder, herembrace a shield.Jee-shahn, still consumed by the monstrous pain, still stretching his blood-red chest,suddenly felt a profound warmth bloom from his back. It spread through him like a balm, acomforting current flowing from the goblina's touch directly into the epic enter of his pain. He gasped, not from agony, but from a sudden, dizzying relief.And then, just like that, the pain vanished. Completely.He slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting hers. She was holding him tightly, her beautiful face impossibly close to his. The subtle green tint of her skin was barely visible in the firelight, her eyes shimmering with concern."Are you okay?" she whispered, her voice a soft, melodic sound he hadn't heard before.Jee-shahn's eyes went wide. She could speak! He had just assumed…A silent moment passed, the flickering fire casting dancing shadows around them.Then, a voice. Not from the goblina, not from the air, but a grand, resonant echo that seemed to emanate from the very fabric of existence itself—an announcement not for them alone, but for the entire world.[ANNOUNCEMENT: World Destiny—The Age of White is about to Sunset. The Age of Blackis about to Rise.]Jee-shahn was utterly bewildered. "What… what was that?"Then, the voice returned, this time seemingly from deep within his own mind, direct and undeniable. It felt ancient, powerful, and utterly indiferent.[NOTIFICATION: All low-level and mid-level 'Language Acquisition' skills acquired.][NOTIFICATION: 'Low-Level Healing' skill acquired.][NOTIFICATION: 'Low-Level Crafting' skill acquired.][NOTIFICATION: All types of 'Low-Level Magic Use' skills acquired.][NOTIFICATION: All types of 'Low-Level Magic and Attack Nullification' skills acquired.][NOTIFICATION: 'Goblin Species DNA' acquired.][NOTIFICATION: 'S-Rank Male Goblina Skill Set' acquired.][NOTIFICATION: 'Transformation: Goblin' acquired.]Jee-shahn was utterly stunned, his jaw hanging open. "Hey! Who are you?!" he demanded,looking around wildly, but there was no answer. The voice, the impossible flood of information, had appeared for a fleeting second and then vanished, leaving him with a headfull of bewildering new knowledge and an almost overwhelming sense of profound, unsettling change.
Chapter 1: Part 5
Jee-shahn, still reeling from the world-shaking voice, scanned the surrounding woods and firelight, his eyes desperate to find the source of the announcement. He was ignoring the bewildered woman in his arms."Are you okay?" the beautiful goblina asked again, her melodic voice laced with genuine worry this time.Her voice finally dragged Jee-shahn back to the present. He wiped the trace of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, a grim smile curving his lips. He turned fully, grasping her hand—the one that had just pressed against his sufering heart."Yes. Thanks to you, I'm feeling great," Jee-shahn said, his tone deliberately intimate. "That moment… really cleared my head."The goblina's eyes widened at the charged meaning he layered onto the simple words. Her face, faintly flushed already, deepened into a beautiful blush, and she looked down."O-okay," she stammered.A knowing, almost predatory smile played on Jee-shahn's face. He turned away for a second, whispering to himself with a satisfied, almost perverted glee, "So that voice was telling the truth?"He faced the goblina again, the grin still wide. Seeing his intense, fixed stare, sheinvoluntarily recoiled."I'm getting a bad feeling about you," she said, her voice dropping to a cautious whisper.Jee-shahn's smile vanished in a flash of mock of ense. "Whoa! Don't get the wrong idea! I'm just an innocent man who's never even seen p🐼rn in his entire life!"The goblina tilted her head, confusion clouding her striking features. "P🐼rn? What is that? Is it a type of vegetable?"Jee-shahn mentally slapped himself. Right, celestial palaces, demons, and goblina—maybe not the best time for Earth slang."Uh, no, not a vegetable," he chuckled nervously, trying to cover his gafe. "It's... a common type of local yarn. Very innocent. Trust me."He changed the subject immediately, his gaze dropping to her feet. "Hey, your foot looks injured."Her face fell slightly. "Oh, that wound. I think I got it in a hurry when… when you woke up."She paused, glancing pointedly at the remnants of the snapped ropes.Jee-shahn immediately felt a prickle of genuine guilt. He had been so self-absorbed with his fall and his mysterious pain that he hadn't noticed he had hurt his savior.Seeing the worried look on his face, the goblina smiled sweetly. "Don't worry about it,Jee-shahn. It should be healed in a month or two. Just a minor inconvenience."A month or two? Minor inconvenience? A month was unacceptable. Then, a thought struck him—a bizarre, sudden confidence born from the internal announcement. Low-Level Healing, huh? Let's put that to the test.He moved close to her, standing right in front of her. The goblina was utterly confused by hisintensity. Then, Jee-shahn sank to his knees and gently took hold of her injured foot."H-Hyyy! What are you trying to do?!" she gasped, her face flushing crimson with surpriseand embarrassment.Jee-shahn ignored her sputtering protest. He gently rubbed his hands over the lace ration,whispering under his breath, "Hopefully, this works..."Then, focusing every sliver of his strange new internal energy, he spoke the single word withfirm intention: "Heal."A faint, sickly green light pulsed briefly from his hands. When he lifted them away, the goblina's wound—the one that would have taken months to mend—was gone. The skin was smooth, clean, and completely whole.The beautiful goblina stared at her foot, then back at Jee-shahn, her surprise evident.Jee-shahn beamed. "Well? Did you feel it? Are you all better?""I… I feel," she started, slowly wiggling her toes."Yes?""I feel too much weird," she finished, her voice husky. "And why is my body hot?"Jee-shahn's eyes went wide. He looked up at her face, which was now completely red, and watched her chest rise and fall in quick, shallow breaths. Crap. Did the low-level healing overdo it? Or was that the S-Rank Goblina DNA kicking in?He quickly pulled his hands away from her foot, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepishgrin. "I think… I rubbed it a little too much. Sorry."The goblina tried to take a step with her newly healed foot, but her legs instantly buckled.Before she could collapse, Jee-shahn swiftly caught her in his arms."I think you just got tired," he murmured, lifting her efortlessly. He grabbed his basket of salvaged fish and the spear and held the beautiful goblina close to his chest.Her face was pressed against his shoulder, her surprised eyes locked onto his, inches from his face. She was utterly speechless.Jee-shahn lowered his head, whispering right into her ear, his tone warm and conspiratorial:"You helped me so much today. This is the least I can do to repay your favor, little one."He ofered a heartwarming smile—a genuine, kind one, free of all perversion. "Just show me where you want to go."Blushing harder than ever, the goblina lady managed a warm whisper and pointed atrembling finger. "T-this… this direction."With a confident step, Jee-shahn—the Father of Demons, the man with Goblin DNA, thenewly minted healer—began walking in the direction she indicated, carrying his beautiful,flustered companion toward their unknown future.
To be continued