Sky Pov
I sat on the cold, hard ground, my back pressed against the rough stone wall.
After I sneaked into the truck and entered into the portal it lead me to this place.
I was currently in a cavern.
No, something far larger than just a cavern.
It stretched so far and wide that calling it a cave felt almost ridiculous.
The ceiling loomed high above, jagged rock formations twisting in unnatural ways, illuminated by eerie blue torches mounted on massive stone pillars.
Streaks of dim, bioluminescent fungi lined the walls, casting an unsettling glow over the vast underground city sprawled before me.
I could actually call it a city...
Yes, city.
Because that was exactly what this was.
Buildings, if they could even be called that, were carved directly into the rocky walls, interconnected by rope bridges and crude wooden walkways.
Below them, wide streets bustled with movement, the ground uneven with patches of gravel and mud.
Goblins, hundreds of them, scurried back and forth, engaged in their own business.
Some carried sacks over their hunched backs, others dragged makeshift carts filled with weapons, food, and gods knew what else.
And towering above them all, walking with slow, purposeful steps, were the orcs.
Massive creatures, each one nearly twice the size of a man, their thick, muscular bodies adorned in heavy armor made from metal and bones.
Their tusks jutted from snarling mouths, their dark eyes filled with an eerie intelligence.
Yeah but they are still all dumb to me.
Unlike goblins, who moved frantically as if always on edge, the orcs exuded a terrifying confidence.
This is the Orc Lord’s domain.
I had expected something savage, maybe crude huts and fire pits in the middle of a forest or a wasteland.
But this...
This was an entire functioning city hidden beneath the surface, thriving with life.
And I was sitting right in the middle of it.
Three days.
That was how long I had been trapped in this underground city, surrounded by goblins, orcs, and the constant stench of damp earth and sweat.
Three days of sitting, watching, and trying to understand the world I had been thrown into.
I couldn’t afford to waste time.
Doing nothing wasn’t an option.
If I just sat here, waiting, I’d be nothing more than another prisoner, powerless, ignorant, and at the mercy of creatures that saw humans as nothing more than tools or food.
That thought alone was enough to make my skin crawl.
So, I observed.
Every movement.
Every interaction.
Every small detail that might help me later.
I even tried learning their language, but that could be counted as the most stupid thing I have ever done.
I couldn’t even learn a thing.
"Sigh"
The goblins were the most active, constantly moving in and out of the cave city.
They weren’t just mindless creatures running around in chaos, they had roles.
Some worked as messengers, darting between the larger orcs with quick, nervous steps.
Others carried supplies, tending to whatever system they had to keep this place functioning.
They were weaker than orcs, but their sheer numbers made up for it.
The orcs, on the other hand, were the real power here.
They moved with discipline, patrolling the city with a clear hierarchy in place.
The stronger ones barked orders, and the others obeyed without hesitation.
Some orcs worked as mechanic...
I never expected to see a orc mechanic in my life.
Crazy, they shouldn’t let the author cook again...
It wasn’t just brute force holding this place together, it was structure.
A terrifyingly efficient one.
And then there was the Orc Lord.
I hadn’t seen him yet, but I could feel his presence looming over everything.
The way the orcs spoke in hushed tones, the way goblins scurried faster when a larger orc mentioned his name, it was clear he was more than just a leader.
He was a ruler, a warlord, someone whose very existence kept this underground city running.
I didn’t have a plan yet, but I was building a foundation.
I refused to stay empty.
I refused to rot in ignorance.
Just like how the other hostages are.
Even if it was just scraps of information, I’d gather every bit I could.
Because one way or another.
I would get what I want, and get out of here.
I might just maybe kill all these annoying little goblins and orcs here, because...
Damn I hate them.
Well three days, and the cycle never stopped.
Every few hours, more people arrived, dragged, pushed, or tossed into this underground city by goblins who scurried like rats, their yellow eyes gleaming with something close to excitement.
Terror clung to the new captives like a second skin.
Some were too weak to even stand, their bodies covered in dirt and dried blood.
Others sat hunched, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape that didn’t exist.
Well some even tried escaping...
But trust me, you won’t want to know what happened to them.
And then there were the fighters, soldiers, maybe even some awakened, who clenched their jaws in silent rage but knew better than to act just yet.
I had no doubt that some of them were from the outer settlements, those unfortunate enough to live on the fringes, where protection was nothing more than a broken promise.
Others, I guessed, were the remnants of scouting teams sent by the government, the same government that had probably already fled the city, leaving their people to fend for themselves.
Corruption at its peak.
It wasn’t even surprising.
The ones in power had never cared about anything beyond their own survival.
They would send soldiers and awakened on so-called "recon missions," claiming it was for the good of the city, all while making sure the truly powerful, their precious Master Awakened, were nowhere near the battlefield.
This happened many times in the novel.
Their true priorities were obvious, securing their own escape, escorting the rich and influential out of danger, and leaving everyone else to rot.
And here we were.
Rotting.
Watching.
Waiting.
Every new group of captives brought another layer of silent tension to this underground city.
People were starting to understand what I already knew, no one was coming to save us.
Even more are going to join us.
During this three days of being here, we were fed nothing but filth.
The goblins only fed us once a day, if you could even call it that.
The first time they dumped that so-called food in front of us, I barely believed my eyes.
A pile of scraps, rotten vegetables, bones stripped of meat, and chunks of something unrecognizable, all mixed together like it was scooped straight from a trash heap.
The stench alone was enough to turn my stomach.
Meanwhile, the goblins feasted like kings.
I had seen them roasting fresh meat from their hunts, their jagged teeth tearing into steaming flesh while we sat in the dirt, starving.
They didn’t even try to hide it.
They would laugh, sneering at us while tossing the worst scraps our way.
A sick joke at our expense.
This was the more reason I had a stronger urge to kill more of them.
Anyways...
Some of the captives weren’t thinking the same, or rather didn’t care
Hunger won over disgust, and they rushed for the food, shoving each other just to get a handful.
It was pathetic, but I couldn’t blame them. Hunger was a cruel master.
But I wasn’t hungry.
Not even once.
It wasn’t just willpower or stubbornness, I had a way around it.
Ori.
While the others suffered through the goblins’ scraps, I sent Ori to do what he learned to do best
Sneak and Steal.
Sometimes kill...
To kill some goblins and orcs who I have some beef with...
Pushing that aside...
The goblins had food storage deeper inside their settlement, and Ori had no trouble slipping in and out unseen.
Every night, he would bring back large chunks of fresh meat, and we would eat in secret.
I had to admit, I had fun eating with Ori.
Seeing him turn into mist, reappearing with a hunk of meat bigger than his own body, was amusing enough.
But what made it even better was how greedy he was.
Every time he returned, he’d grab the biggest piece for himself, curling around it like a dragon hoarding treasure.
"No way, give me that one," I whispered once, trying to pry a larger cut from him.
Ori turned, his mist-like body swirling around the meat as if to shield it.
His little form quivered, and I could almost feel his refusal.
"...Are you serious?"
A tendril of mist pushed a smaller piece toward me, as if offering that as my share.
I stared at him.
He stared back, or at least, I felt like he was.
"Unbelievable," I muttered, taking the smaller piece.
He was getting bolder.
Still, I was getting more used to having him around everyday.
At least with him, I wasn’t starving.
And in a place like this, that was already a win.