[ Chapter VII (7): "FAMILY BONDING" ]
[ CACKLE ]
[ REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 9 ]
Salivating, Felix sat with his back faced on the wall; in front of him stood a fattened Goblin that kept licking its finger clean using its own mouth.
But no matter how many times it does that, or even no matter how long it takes, the thing's green small hands still look dirty.
Felix who doesn't have anything better to do couldn't help but envy the thing, and also wonder how... How is this one especially ugly...? Especially messy... And so... [ "W-why are you so fat...?!" ]
[ "N-no offense..." ]
[ "But..." ]
He was sure minutes ago that the said Reanimated Goblin in front of him was the same lanky Goblin that was laid out on the street, dead. Looking as bland and ugly as the other Goblins. But now...
But now, the notorious Goblin looks slightly fat compared to the other Goblins, at the very least fatter than the other two Goblins that were reanimated minutes back, the same Goblins that were reanimated at the same time as the fatso... So what happened...?
Evolution?
Diversity?
Perhaps it's a rare case of mutation amongst the Goblin race, just like how in some cases humans and other social animals develop to better adapt in the surroundings they are in.
Some may be beneficial, which increases the survivability of social animals in their climate.
(e.g. long neck giraffes, some insects developing insecticide resistance, and lactose tolerance for humans).
Or some may not be beneficial, these are called harmful mutations or undesirable mutations that is a hindrance in the survival of the said social animal.
(e.g. albinism which causes skin to be susceptible to harmful sun rays, hemophilia that can cause bleeding, and cancer).
That may be the answer, may it be beneficial or not, he doesn't know. Beneficial maybe because he has a layer of skin that can protect him from blunt trauma, or stab wounds.
Not beneficial maybe because... The thing is supposed to be agile. As it is a scavenging type of monster after all, relying on said swiftness in hunting animals that it could eat.
[ CACKLE ]
[ "N-no, I-I uhh- I'm good, continue on eating." ]
With the increase in weight, the slower it becomes.
The slower a hunter, the less likely it'll be able to hunt something, and then die— may that be through starvation or being murdered by its supposed prey, take your pick.
[ CACKLE ]
[ "I-I'm sure, I-I don't eat rat tail..." ]
If it is indeed beneficial then in due time it'll show its uses. If not, then at the very least he has a chunky guard that'll die for him— Felix just doesn't know what it'll prioritize first, his safety or food, he really doesn't want to know.
[ GRUMBLE ]
On talking about food, Felix's sunken stomach couldn't help but release growls, grumbles that attracted even the fat Goblin which stopped eating when it heard it— looking pitifully at him.
[ "What... D-do you want...?" ]
Felix stared back, confused.
But his confusion was cleared up when the Goblin looked at his sunken stomach which is covered by his slightly bloodied t-shirt that had already dried up, then at the thing it was chewing on.
At a rat's foot, three fingers missing, and almost done.
Before then trying to frantically offer it to Felix— it's master.
[ "No..." ]
Which rejected it in matters of milliseconds, really not being a fan of anything rat included... Or even bird from what it experienced earlier.
So disgruntled it went back on chewing, the pile of Black Rat carcasses that it had gathered from first-floor to second-floor; perfectly good meat that it's breathen didn't have the chance to eat. So, with a heavy heart, it volunteered and is eating all of it on their behalf.
That's the least they could give to the fat Goblin.
Not like they had a choice in the first place, the Goblin had after all eaten most of the leftovers already with only a handful of few being left. That it'll also wouldn't let go.
[ CACKLE ]
Felix watches this with distance, not because he hates the thing— sure he is disgusted by it, but in some weird way, shape, or form he grows fond of the Goblin the more time he spends with it.
And the fact he hadn't properly talked to someone other than himself for a week is a plus, he could feel his disorientated mind slowly fixing itself the more and more he speaks to the Goblin.
Though the Goblin couldn't speak, and could only show reactions through body language, to Felix that is more than enough. And at the very least someone no matter how weird, actually listens to him and cares— in their weird way.
So he sights to himself, keeping distance due to the stench being released by the stack of carcasses, and not wanting to be near the dozens of thousands of flies bogging around.
Instead, he focused his attention on the trail of text that continues on to increase the more time passes.
Rolling his eyes, Felix grabbed the holograph and positioned it on his front. Reading the transcripts of what's happening with his other minions— but judging from what he is seeing. They seem to be doing quite fine.
[ PEBBLE MONSTER LVL. 2 KILLED BY REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 7! ]
[ +24 EXP! ]
[ BURGLER TWISTED CAT LVL. 4 KILLED BY REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 7! ]
[ +36 EXP! ]
[ THREE HEADED SNAKE LVL. 3 KILLED BY REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 8! ]
[ +29 EXP! ]
[ BLACK RAT LVL. 6 KILLED BY REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 7! ]
[ +72 EXP! ]
[ REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 7 IS INCREASING IN LEVEL! ]
[ REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 7 ---> REANIMATED GOBLIN LVL. 8 ]
Yeah, doing well they are.
Swiping the holograph back to the side, Felix refocused his attention back on the Goblin who's busy stuffing its face with rat feet, tail, eyes, and even insides.
Not caring about the mess, not caring about the blood getting into every single corner of Felix's room due to the messy eating habit of it.
But to Felix, he didn't care about the mess; it was already messy even before the Goblin started a mukbang. No, what he is most bothered of other than the smell, is that he isn't eating— because rats aren't edible to humans— especially mutated rats.
[ WHISTLE ]
[ "H-hey fatso..." ]
[ "Pause on th-that, I-I need a hand." ]
[ "N-not that kind of hand." ]
And that's a foot... Felix thought, but not having enough courage to voice it out. He looks at the Goblin handing him a rat's 'hand' and then at the stairway that leads to second-floor, and eventually first-floor of his thinly sliced apartment.
[ "S-stop eating first, okay?" ]
[ CACKLE ]
[ "I-I need your help..." ]
[ "We need..." ]
[ "We need to cl-clear my house." ]
House keeping essentially.
He has been stuck in his apartment's third-floor for a week, since the Apocalypse started, and he is worried what exactly happened to his painstakingly renovated apartment— that he himself did the said renovations.
Using his hard-earned money from writing articles, and posts.
It wasn't a slight sum, it was... It placed a dent to Felix's pockets to say at least, or any saying worse than that. Whatever, what matters now is that he finds out what happened to his house.
Especially because he wouldn't feel safe if he doesn't do so. And secondly because he wants to stretch his legs; the square small cramped room has contained him for a week already, and he doesn't want to stay for a single second.
[ "C-come on let's go." ]
[ "I'll let you eat... T-the monsters we will encounter." ]
[ CACKLE ]
In hearing the last part, the fat Goblin looks at the heart it's chewing on, and threw it away on the side. On the wall which caused it to splat, causing Felix's room, and bookshelf to be messed up by more blood.
Standing ready, the fatso's red slit eye shoned bright in seeing a prospect to eat more. And kill something, which it hadn't done for what felt like eternity— in reality it hasn't killed a thing for three minutes max.
But doesn't matter.
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 04/10/2025 ]
[ 04/11/2025 ]