“I guess, we have some time. So let’s talk.” Vlad said.

The goblin groaned as he shuffled and massaged his stifled neck. He accepted the water bucket from the goblin who showed him the secret signal and sank his head in the cold water to subdue the screeching migraine.

The battle raged, the orcs were moving so fast Vladimir had problems following the slashing weapons. Both orcs had scratches and bruises, but the fight was long before finishing. They madly laughed the whole time, enjoying it.

After Vladimir calmed down, he noticed that he was not acting like himself. He enjoyed the fight too much… Way too much, as if it was not him.

“Ahh, you caught up so faaast,” the Loony Voice made to know about himself after a while, “but that is why I still love you,” he cackled.

“And I was just enjoying the silence…” Vladimir inwardly rolled his eyes and took a note to research this. If the Loony could affect his mood… The repercussions would be dire.

The goblin finally stood up and walked next to Vladimir, following the fight. He feels as his strength slowly returns as the choker is still gone.

“These two are yours?” Vladimir glanced at him and then them.

“Yes. And no, they never broke me to make me talk about the revolution. It was Staumaz and his followers who betrayed me, but the revolution is too important to let it die,” he answered the question before it was asked.

“Hmm, good. I hope they can be trusted. Why do they even let us be here? Without guards?” Vladimir wondered.

“Because they just don’t give a damn and we have nowhere to run,” Sou’Rek snorted.

“True… Now, is there a way to get out of here? I think Ssirze lost interest in me completely. The only thing that keeps me alive now is the popularity and you will be executed for the last time soon,” Vladimir explained.

“Sira, if I coulda?” One of the slave-goblins moved behind their back, pretending to tend their wounds and whispered.

“Talk,” the fallen inquisitor covertly motioned.

“The escape is almosta prepared. If the human wanna join, he cana,” the revolutionaire said.

“Heh, and I was planning to get into Lar’Ako’s good graces somehow…” Vladimir smiled, half-joking.

“Yeah, like that would ever happen. They just wait for the first opportunity to kill you without repercussion,” the fallen inquisitor expressed his opinion. He did not know how close to the truth he actually was.

“When?” Vladimir asked, barely moving his lips. He still spoke English, just the language was changed somewhere in his larynx, changing the final sound waves. That meant the lip reading was almost impossible if the spy did not know his language.

“Don’ta know, sira, not my job. Do ya need somethin, sira?” The revolutionaire asked.

“The choker is prepared?” The inquisitor asked. Vladimir suspected he missed something.

“Yea, sira,” the questioned goblin answered with a whisper.

“What is he talking about?” Vladimir was curious. If he understood it right, Sou’Rek was preparing for this.

“In the cell,” the said goblin answered through his teeth.

Meanwhile, the battle continued to the crowd’s delight. The bets, promises and gold were flowing left and right. The spectators were still on high from his own fight.

“I must say, this is boring… How can they enjoy this?” Vladimir asked more to himself than anyone else, while reminiscing his own emotions he felt just fifteen minutes ago.

“Could not understand too… Not like I care,” Sou’Rek answered while easily following the battle. Right now, he was at full strength, except for his divine spells and passive techniques he could use only thanks to his former patron.

“Do you know something about the new devil?” Vladimir asked as he gazed at the Kulgar’s lounge.

“No,” the single-word answer escaped Sou’Rek’s lips who was boredly observing the slowly finishing battle.

The orc further away got his hand chopped off and was on the right knee, waiting for the crowd to choose.

They chose the death and his heart was pierced by the blade in a blur.

A swarm of slave-goblins emerged from the gate and took the corpse away and the victor went to the alcove next to them. He sat down, and the slaves started to pamper him. They handed him a plate of meat, fruits, vegetables and a bottle of beer. Some of them started to tend to his wounds, spreading the salve mixed with a potion. The bruises and cuts visibly regenerated.

As a Czech, Vladimir could tell it was a sub-par product even from the distance. An idea came to him how to raise the money and resources he so desperately needed.

The victorious gladiator caught Vladimir peeking at him. Instead of sneering, he just nodded with a neutral expression.

“Heh, they take you as a gladiator now. You are in a world of hurt now,” Sou’Rek giggled.

“I was cut apart alive with intact consciousness, made insane by someone I cannot remember, has a voice in my head, who is trying to make me crazy and took over my body. Also, I got beaten up every day from the moment I landed in this insane world. Not to say that a little shitty goblin is making fun of me every day and beating me in a game I taught him just a few days ago,” Vladimir deadpanned. “I think I can take care of myself,” he added with a neutral tone.

“Heh, you can’t,” Sou’Rek snorted again. “But whatever,” he shrugged.

New combatants entered the arena. They were naked, one holding a giant trident and the second a bardiche. They stood ten meters from each other, but Vlad guessed such a distance means nothing on this level. They also seemed more powerful as if something radiated from them. He scanned them both with the same result.

[Orc, Savage Gladiator

Level: ??

Unable to scry: Reason: Natural radiation]

[Bardiche

Adept-grade

Material: Steel, Unknown]

Vladimir perked up. The ki. The other source of supernatural powers in this world alongside magic and divinity.

The orcen bodies glowed red as they poured their ki flushed them. That had to be a technique. Vladimir wondered if he could unlock it too and if it would clash with magic. Something to ask.

They pounced forward, disappearing from his sight. He saw only blurs of their bodies and flying sand. Each of the strikes reverberated through the arena. From time to times he registered as the weapon landed on the body, leaving a superficial scar that healed right before his eyes.

He wondered what type of damage could even kill them. These monstrosities could go against tank battalions back on Earth and win.

“Are they soldiers?” Vladimir aimed the question at the fallen inquisitor.

“I think so. Probably on vacation from Blood Steppes, but they are not from the army. Mercenaries would be the safest bet,” he answered, sitting on the bench while watching the clashing gladiators.

Three guard-goblins entered their alcove, one of them with the choker in his hand. They grabbed the unresisting Sou’Rek and forced him to wear it.

Sou’Rek looked as if he got jolted by lightning as he fell, convulsing.

“They left,” Vladimir muttered as the guards entered the walkway to their posts. Sou’Rek stopped pretending and almost unnoticeably lifted his corners.

“Good,” he jumped up, pretending to be angry. He was frowning and swearing, making Vladimir violently quell the smile.

They just watched the unfolding fight in silence, waiting to be allowed to leave.

⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬

Next day, the duo woke up to a goblinette closely staring at them. Her naked ample bosom jiggled as she jumped back as Vladimir woke up from another dreamless sleep more tired than rested.

“What?” Vlad unintentionally barked.

“Za’Dek sends a message,” one of them flatly informed them, left two plates with steaks, fruits and vegetables on the table and left. The wall closed and Vladimir blinked a few times.

“Sou’Rek?” He turned to the slowly waking up goblin.

“Yea?” The fallen inquisitor asked back.

“Who is…” Vlad widely grinned, “Za’Dek?”

“Za’Dek is a good and traditional name for goblins and he is my successor,” Sou’Rek rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“Hah!” Vladimir never stopped marvelling at the goblin names. This time it meant butt, but he just inwardly laughed at it and let it be.

“He just left a message, but… Where?” Vlad asked.

Sou’Rek moved to the plates. He sniffed at them and grinned with his large mouth filled with sharp teeth. “They will break us out in four days,” he said.

Vladimir blinked and sniffed too. Only thanks to his improved smell detected that there was something added and tried to analyse it.

[Seasoned steak with carrots, potatoes and apples

Seasoning: 4-day dried sungrass]

“Finally,” Vladimir clasped his hands. “How do they do that even?” he asked.

“Don’t know… What do you think I could read from just a steak?” He answered with a half-full mouth.

“The exact plan including the length of Kulgar’s dick?” Vladimir blinked.

The goblin just threw him a dirty look and continued stuffing his head with the meat.

“Hey! That’s my plate!” Vladimir yelled as he saw Sou’Rek trying to steal his vegetables.

“Learn this as a lesson. Goblins are greedy and if you don’t take care of yourself, they will pick you to the bone,” he grinned again and swiftly stole the carrot while blocking Vladimir with his body.

“Yeah, yeah I get it,” Vladimir took this lesson to the heart and shoved the laughing goblin on the ground.

⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬⌬

Meanwhile, in the Kulgar’s room at the coliseum, a meeting was occurring.

“Lady Miaras, this is my brother Dargan,” Kulgar introduced the devilish woman to his brother.

“And what Lady Miaras wants with my brother?” Dargan, the experienced businessman, could not help but be suspicious. The only devil he ever trusted was Ssirze and that only because he never cared about anything else than hard cash and knowledge. Plus that thing with selling his soul for destroying his enemies in the Temple of Commerce and becoming his… vassal, as he named it himself.

“Calm your horses, brother. She is here for the human,” he defended her. He liked her quite a lot. Especially her vulgar body, large breasts and ass, certainly amplified by rituals and potions. She wore only straps of black leather over her nipples and crotch, hiding almost nothing. On the leather were slightly glowing small scarlet runes.

“Why the human? He makes money now, no need too…” Dargan started to babble about money and new ideas on how to profit more.

“She is a divination wizard,” Kulgar silenced his brother.

“And?” Dargan asked carefully, slowly moving away.

“He is a blind spot,” this time it was her who talked. Her voice was sweet, pleasant and full of the promise of kinky sex.

“She is a succubus… Brother, what have you done?!” Dargan appalled as he realized the truth. A succubus, someone who can destroy whole cities with lust alone. Even though she was a young one, extremely so, he ascertained she had his brother under her thumb… Or more like, pussy.

“I told her everything,” Kulgar brightly smiled. He was too calm.

“Blind spots are just a legend! A myth! He cannot be one!” Dargan yelled as he realized another problem. He just bought him from Ssirze who completely lost interest in the bizarre human. A few things were slightly interesting, but his world seemed so boring and empty, there was almost nothing for him.

“Oh yes, he is. When I tried to enter Kulgar’s dream, I could not, and the only thing that changed here was the human,” she neutrally said, only a slight threat could be detected in her voice.

“That does not mean it’s the human. I just bought him! Do you know how much money he made just in his fight?!” He cried desperately. He knew he cannot oppose a devil. They were too important to this city and Empire. The only ones who could fight them were the Green Council and their Warriors of Tide. And they will never, in all eternity, go against them. Either for political, economical or just sheer cowardice he did not know.

“No, but I am certain you will,” she endearingly said and suddenly Kulgar charged towards his elder brother. He grasped him from behind, not even giving him the chance to move. Kulgar was a 3rd stage warrior, an experienced gladiator and former soldier from the Blood Steppes. On the other hand, Dargan was just a merchant, who enjoyed gold, food, wine and women as much as he could.

She snapped her fingers and the furniture moved away.

“This will take a while, you are way too obsessed with money…” she mulled to herself. She materialized a piece of pink chalk and started to draw a hexagram, with devilish language on the sides while chanting something.

“Sto… STOP IT!” Dargan yelled, still firmly in his brother’s arms.

“You will like it, brother…” He told him with a dreamy voice. His eyes were glazed as he watched his mistress. “You know I had to give her a few souls. Do you even know what I had to do in the Blood Steppes?” He suddenly asked, surprising panicking Dargan.

“N… No…” His teeth clattered.

“Stop chatting, the ritual is ready. It will take a few hours, maybe even a day. Kulgar, make sure nobody will disturb us. Especially not that slimy white boy… what was his name again?”

“S...Ssirze The Book-Finder. That’s right! I sold my soul to him!” He grasped the last hope he had.