It was rank and raucous.

A harsh, grating clamor assaulted his ears, and the foul stench of rot and raw meat invaded his nostrils.

Ron licked his cracked lips and opened his eyes again. The sight that met him was unchanged: a floor littered with bones and chunks of flesh. Beneath him was the same pile of moldy, rotting straw.

Through the rusty iron bars, less than six feet away, three ferocious creatures—each a good deal larger than a wolf—were staring at him from the adjacent cell, drooling with hunger.

’So it wasn’t a dream...’ Ron gave a bitter laugh. Only now had he truly accepted the fact that he had been transported to another world.

’That drunk from the medicinal chemistry lab next door really did blow up the hydrogen tank.’

’And the moment I got here, I somehow appeared in this place, inside a goblin prison.’

Naturally, these notorious creatures weren’t about to let a meal that had literally fallen from the sky go free. But because Ron’s appearance was so peculiar, they had chosen to lock him in a separate cell—adjacent to the Warg Mounts’—instead of immediately turning him into emergency rations.

But as Ron gripped the bars, stealing a glance at a goblin Gatherer outside who was hacking away at meat from an unidentifiable source with a butcher’s cleaver, he had no idea how much longer he would live.

’I have to find a way out of here.’

SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK— A series of rodent calls drew Ron’s attention. A swarm of rats was emerging from a dark passageway, flooding into the spacious area that served as a prison, beast pen, and butchery all in one.

’If my memories from my past life are right, rats and wolves are to goblins what dogs and horses are to humans.’

’Then these rats aren’t here by chance. Their master must be following them.’

Sure enough, a moment later, a goblin appeared at the entrance. He had an old scar on his face, running across a left eye that was scarred shut, and a crudely made shortbow was slung across his back.

What was notable was the large, snow-white rat he carried on his shoulder. Unlike its kin, who were only fit to scurry across the floor, this big rat, which had an injury on its back, was clearly treasured by its master.

’His pet?’

Ron recalled that goblins had a caste system, which was composed of Whippers, Hunters, Gatherers, and Outcasts. And only the higher castes were allowed to keep special breeds of rats as pets.

’Maybe he’s a Goblin Hunter?’

"Davin! Get over here, now!" the Goblin Hunter yelled, his tone full of arrogance. "Come see what’s wrong with my precious! He was bitten by one of those filthy mutts during the hunt, and he’s been out cold ever since. He won’t even eat blood or meat!"

Even though they were in their own Nest, the Hunter still spoke in a relatively fluent Common Language, and he seemed quite proud of it.

This was convenient for Ron. He’d been infused with some basic knowledge upon his arrival, but the only language he could understand was the Common Language; he didn’t know a single word of goblin.

"One-Eye Delaford!" the goblin Gatherer walked over reluctantly. He too mimicked the other, speaking in the Common Language, but his was terrible. "You know we short on water, food! Why you still feed your rat!"

"Good it’s sick. Give to me. Then we have more rations!"

"You dare!" Delaford snarled, baring his teeth. "How you dare treat a Hunter this way!"

"All food comes from us Hunters! I give it to who I want!"

’And we Gatherers are the ones who have to haul and carve it.’

Davin flinched but didn’t dare talk back. Cowed by Delaford’s intimidation, he took the white rat and began to inspect it carefully.

Ron watched curiously from behind the iron gate. He had a hunch about what was wrong with the white rat. ’The rats and mice in the lab used to bite each other all the time, which led to a lot of diseases.’

"That looks like a secondary wound from a fight," Ron couldn’t help but say, watching Davin turn the large white rat over and over. "Judging by its condition, it’s probably infected. If you isolate it and treat the inflammation quickly, it might be curable."

"You know how to treat him?" Delaford’s gaze shifted to Ron, then he shot Davin a glare. "Let him out, now! Let him treat him! I cannot lose my precious!"

"But, he the one who fell from sky..."

"I don’t care if he fell from sky or grew from ground! I want my precious alive, not dead!" Delaford shrieked.

Davin pursed his lips. After handing the large rat back to Delaford, he obediently took out a key and unlocked Ron’s cell. "Go on, then. Hmph."

Ron didn’t rush over. Instead, he first carefully surveyed his surroundings, then picked some plants and fungi from a dark, damp corner.

’There are no prepared medicines here, so I’ll have to improvise.’

"What is this stuff?" Delaford asked, displeased, as Ron approached and held out the plants. "My precious is no vegetarian!"

"He’s not eating it. You are," Ron stated plainly. "Chew it up, spit it out, and apply the paste to the wound."

Delaford’s suspicious eyes darted between Ron, the plants in his hand, and the large white rat for a moment. Then, with resolve, he snatched the herbs and began to chew them vigorously.

"PTOOEY! Fucking bitter!" The Goblin Hunter’s already yellowish-green face turned even greener as he spat out a wad of herbal paste and smeared it on the rat’s wound.

"Your trick had better work, or I’ll skin you—" Before Delaford could finish his threat, the large white rat, which had been unconscious, began to tremble in his arms. It let out a weak cry, as if it had just survived a great ordeal.

"By Maghreb! He’s alive, he’s alive!" Delaford exclaimed, hugging his precious tightly and shaking him back and forth with joy.

"Gods, you must be a messenger from the God of War, sent to save my precious!" After a long moment, once he was sure the white rat was truly out of danger, Delaford jumped to his feet and began gesticulating wildly at Ron.

Unfortunately, most goblins were only about three and a half feet tall. Even though this Hunter was on the taller side, he still looked like a child next to Ron. When he tried to embrace Ron, he could only manage to hug his legs.

"It’s a miracle! Normally, we’d just kill and eat a rat in this state."

It wasn’t just Delaford who was ecstatic; Davin and the other goblins were all voicing their astonishment as well. However, Ron could only understand what Davin was saying.

"Shut your mouth, Davin!" Delaford shot him a venomous glare. "I think I’ll report this to the chief. We’ll make this human the Gatherer and demote you to an Outcast!"

"Gatherer? Whoever wants the job can have it," Davin shot back, fuming. "There’s almost nothing left here. Even the river has dried up. What’s there to gather?"