Hearing this goblin's words, Clovis was completely confused, he thought.

( Next phase, what is he talking about? How does this have anything to do with me?)

This Goblin leader spotted the confusion on Clovis's face and chuckled a bit, with a devilish grin he said.

" Hahaha, you seem a bit confused but don't worry, once I'm done with you, you'll No longer have a care in the world."

Clovis was still confused but hearing that he was about to be used, his anger built up, however as he tried to lash out, the chains that bound him did their jobs completely and held him tight. Suddenly the iron doors opened and another green goblin walked in, however, this one looked slightly different. If a regular goblin had sharply pointed ears and sharp teeth, this one had completely humanist looking ears as well as human-looking teeth. Its height as well, stood taller than an average goblin, seeing this not only surprised Clovis but disgusted him as well.

( This, this is a Hobgoblin, these goblins are breeding with humans, disgusting.)

A hobgoblin was a half-human and half-goblin, a mix of the two. Most goblins are bald atop their head, this one, however, had short brown hair most of its features resemble that of a human, the only true difference was this creatures skin color. This hobgoblin had pale gray skin, other than that there was almost no way of telling the creature apart from a human, they were even as tall as an average human. As the hobgoblin entered, in its hands it carried a few medical supplies. The goblin leader simply gave a nod to this hobgoblin and the hobgoblin went to work. The hobgoblin began to apply medicine to Clovis's severely wounded shoulder cleaning it, making a special paste of herbs and other medicinal plants. This hobgoblin grounded up and added some unidentifiable type of liquid, it made a gray-green paste and applied it to Clovis, Clovis noticed that his pain immediately numbed and his bleeding stopped. The hobgoblin then wrapped his wound and finished his treatment, turning around the hobgoblin never said a word, it's simply just left. The goblin leader noticed the disgusted look on Clovis's face and asked him teasingly.

" What do you think of my project? I've been working on them for a while, not bad right?"

Clovis roared out.

"Project, what project? You're breeding fucking humans and goblins, this taboo that you've perpetrated, you're breaking the natural laws. To take innocent people and have them soiled for your sick amusement. Just who the fuck are you? Why are you doing this?"

The goblin leader looked at Clovis with bemusement, he expected a reaction but not one so dramatic.

" I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself, let's start over. Hello young battlemage, my name is Rize, plain and simple. As for why I'm doing this well…"

Rize's face twisted as though he were part demon, his voice grew harsher.

"I fucking hate humans, greedy, corrupt, overbearing and cruel, each one of you is a blight on the world and the sooner you're all bone and dust, the sooner the rest of us all can live in peace."

Clovis again grew confused.

"You hate us yet you use us to breed, what kind of hypocrisy is that?"

Rize shook his head in disagreement.

"You call it hypocrisy, I simply call it a means to an end, why not use my enemy against my enemy. Think about it, just how beautiful would that outcome be. When the history books are written, I'll be the hero and you humans, everyone will see you for how you truly are, as villainous scum."

Once again the iron door opened up and 6 hobgoblins came in carrying lots of equipment, Clovis seeing this couldn't help but hesitatingly ask.

"What, what are you going to do to me?"

Rize pointed, directing the hobgoblins on what to do and ignored Clovis but this just made Clovis even more anxious and he asked again, this time louder.

"Answer me, what the hell are you going to do to me?"

Rize looked back at Clovis with annoyance but answered anyway.

" They're setting up a device especially for you, It's really quite ingenious. Once the preparation is done, this tank of water will rest a few feet above your head. With a small release valve, it will gently drip a drop of water on you at completely random times. Although this doesn't hurt you, you will definitely feel it. Out of everyone I've used this on, only one has remained unbroken. Everyone else could last no more than a few days and that's all the time I need. Once you break, I will be able to take over your mind completely and the next phase will begin."

Clovis looked at the tank being set up above him and fear crept up his back. He's heard of this torture technique before, they even have something similar in Rhylo Kingdom. Most people seeing such a device for the first time would simply laugh it away, Clovis though, he knew, he understood completely what this simple device would do. Hearing Rize speak about how it can break someone in a few days was no joke. This type of torture was designed to drive a person insane. If it didn't break him within a few days, it was all but guaranteed to break him within the week. Clovis was incredibly tough, he had grown up in a family of mercenaries, his father was a mercenary, his mother, uncle and siblings were all mercenaries. He had been learning the ways of war since he was a small boy but he knew what this device could do because his father used it on him once for training. Clovis couldn't take more than an hour or two of it before he had to get away from it. So he knew for a fact that he wouldn't last days let alone a week. Clovis bit his lip in bitterness and a few drops of blood fell from his chin, in a defeated tone, he asked.

" What...What do you want from me? Just tell me and get it over with. There's no need for that contraption."

Rize hearing this laughed out loud with pure pleasure.

*HAHAHA*

"You mean you can't guess, what would someone with my abilities want from someone like you?"

Clovis had no clue and his face showed it, Rize again laughed with joy.

" Come on, come on, at least guess something....anything."

Clovis thought hard but no answer came. With an awkward silence growing between the two, Rize began to get impatient. Walking up to Clovis, he flicked him in the middle of his forehead.

*Thump*

"Time dummy, what I want is time."

Right now, Clovis desperately wished that he could have one hand free to Crush Rize's neck. With him right in front of him, no further than a few inches apart, if Clovis had one hand free then all would be settled in an instant. Instead though, thinking about the word time, Clovis decided his best option right now was to buy his own time. So even though he was desperate and even though fear has made its way into the corner of his heart, Clovis would try and dig out as much information as he could. Hopefully, it would be useful if not for what's to come, at least maybe he might be able to find some form of weakness within Rize. Clovis faked a look of confusion and asked.

" Time, why do you want time? What does that mean?"

Rize smiled at Clovis, he could tell Clovis was digging but at this point, it didn't even matter. Once he broke Clovis, Clovis would then be totally and completely under Rize's control.

"Once your mind is mine I will send you back so you can tell your superiors that you handle the situation and that all the wolves are dead and that you tragically lost all of your men in combat. Hahaha, they will hail you as a hero while not knowing at the same time that you'll be completely under my thumb. After that, you will retire and come back here. I will then continue to increase my army and in one fell swoop, I will take control of the surrounding villages and towns. I will then break every single human in the surroundings and take control of them as well. Afterward, they will all go about their daily lives as though nothing has changed but in secret, they will all be under my control. Eventually, they will all be under my foot and when my army is big enough, that's when ill truly begin the slaughter."

Clovis stared at Rize as though he were a diabolical monster.

( How can this be, how can this be, he planned everything from the start. The wolves, he knew we would come to investigate and they would need to send a commander of some sort to sort out the whole situation. This whole thing was a trap set for me, so I can report all is well and he could continue to expand his army completely unnoticed. I have to get out of here, I have to escape and warn them all before it's too late.)

Clovis's mind began to race, now he didn't fear just for himself but all of humanity.

(This goblin in front of me is just too cunning. If he truly did plan this all out from the beginning…)

Clovis couldn't even finish his thought, his heart began to beat at a terrifying rate and sweat began to pour down his face forming a small puddle below him. He had gotten such critical information it terrified him but even during all this, even though he was scared, he still continued to push forward. He needed more information, he needed at least one weakness, otherwise, even if help came, if he couldn't tell them Rize's weakness, then they were all but guaranteed to fail. Clovis took a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth, in this way he began to calm down and he pushed down his nightmarish thoughts and took control over his wild emotions. With a steady gaze, he asked.

"I don't get it, you did all this just to use me. Why push the wolves out? Why not instead control the alpha, with him and all of his wolves you could have had a powerful ally. If you didn't force them from the mountains then you still could have stayed hidden and raised an army in secret. Doesn't tricking us to come here put your whole plan at risk? What If instead of me coming they sent a powerful mage or many battlemages then you'd be screwed."

Rize just laughed at this long statement.

"Who says I wasn't controlling the alpha, hahaha if only that could have lasted longer…"

*Sigh*

"That bastard had to go and eat some humans, once he gained magic power, tch. As for them sending a powerful mage, hahaha, don't make me laugh. I know for a fact, Rhylo Kingdom has no powerful mages, at the most they have third circle mages and by my accounts no more than a dozen or so. Those 3rd Circle mages are already busy enough guarding the kingdom. Your king would never send them away for a small investigation. If even one left your kingdom, your king and his kingdom would lose too much protection. Rhylo kingdom is far too weak and its resources too little, if they lost one mage it'll probably be 20 or 30 years before they made another third circle mage. At that point they could be attacked repeatedly, they can't make that sacrifice, so they would never send strong mages here. As for battle mages, whether they send 2 or 20, they can no longer stop me. The only threats are Roland and that young earth mage. Once I've taken your mind ill send you back to them and you will feign escape and when their guards are lowered, hahaha, you will stab them in the back. So don't worry, just accept your fate and this will all be over shortly."

With the last of those words, the hobgoblins finished setting up the torture device. Just as they were about to turn the release valve for the water, Clovis shouted.

" Wait, wait, please don't do this. I know you hate humans but we're not all the same, we're not all greedy and cruel. Most of us are good, caring people, who only wish to live in peace and protect their families. I know this might sound strange coming from a human but I understand your hate for people, I felt it myself. I know how bad humans can be but there's so much more to us than just the bad, there's so much good. You don't have to hate anymore, haven't you killed enough people. I ask you...if you believe in any form of justice, then please....don't do this."

Rize heard this plea and stared at Clovis as though he were stupid, with a smirk on his face Rize said.

"Your speech is worthless here, this goes far beyond good and bad. I do hate humans and I always will. I know for a fact they all deserve death but that's not the only reason I'm doing this."

Clovis's emotions started to grow wild again and he shouted.

" So why then?"

Rize answered back with no hesitation.

" Survival... If you can't understand that, then humans truly are worthless."

Rize gave a nod to the hobgoblin behind Clovis and the hobgoblin turned the valve. With the valve released, a single small drop of water slowly began to drip down the end of the spout. As the drop of water hung at the tip of the spout, with only gravity and nothing else, it fell.

*Drip*

As that cold drop of water splashed on top of Clovis's forehead, his eyes widen in shock. The memory from his childhood was quickly brought back up and the fear within him began to build. Clovis could only constantly repeat a mantra within his mind.

( I will not break, I will not break, I will not break, I will not break.)

As the drop of water continued to splash on top of Clovis's head, Rize was headed for the door but just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and with another demonic grin, he said.

"You know, out of the hundreds I've tortured, there's only ever been one person that hasn't completely broken. So it doesn't matter how many times you repeat that mantra, believe me when I say it....you will break."