Chapter 283 — Run Away
"What kind of power could I even learn as a Goblin…?"
Ichikawa Ao felt a wave of despair rise in his chest.
But soon, his eyes caught a horrifying sight.
Not far away, several pregnant human women lay motionless on the ground.
Earlier, their bodies had been blocked by rocks, which was why he hadn't noticed them immediately.
Ichikawa Ao staggered toward them. When he clearly saw their condition, his expression turned complicated and heavy.
He knew exactly what they had suffered.
They had been abducted by Goblins and dragged into this lair—used until their bodies were utterly exhausted.
Judging by the mess on the ground, Ichikawa Ao even realized something even more disturbing—
He himself had probably been born from one of these women.
Goblins grew at an astonishing rate. Being able to move freely only days after birth was normal for them.
"No… I can't stay here."
A powerful sense of danger surged in his heart.
"These Goblins are kidnapping human women. It's only a matter of time before they attract extermination."
Ichikawa Ao had watched far too many isekai anime to ignore this pattern.
Goblins raid villages.
They abduct women.
Then—without exception—humans come.
Adventurers.
Warriors.
Exterminators.
The lair would be wiped out completely.
Ichikawa Ao had no intention of being buried alive with these idiots.
As he turned to leave, he hesitated.
After a moment of struggle, he walked back to the women and tried to speak.
But what came out of his mouth was only meaningless goblin gibberish.
He fell silent.
He gently nudged one of the women—no response.
Another—still nothing.
When he touched the last one, she suddenly shrank back in terror, curling herself into the corner.
Ichikawa Ao sighed softly.
He gave up on the idea of escaping with them.
They'll be saved… eventually.
By the people who come to kill the Goblins.
With that, he turned away and carefully followed the cave passage toward the exit.
Along the way, he didn't encounter a single adult Goblin.
Relief washed over him.
It seemed the adult Goblins had gone out to hunt.
Only newborn Goblins and the unfortunate captive women were left behind.
Finally—
He stepped out of the lair.
Ichikawa Ao exhaled deeply and looked up.
A sky full of stars greeted him.
"…It's night?"
Only then did he realize the truth.
Inside the cave, everything had looked faintly green—almost like daylight.
That was Goblin night vision.
Without it, moving through the forest at night would've been nearly impossible.
He didn't linger.
After taking a quick look around, he picked a direction and left.
On the way, he grabbed a thick wooden branch from the ground.
With his learning-talent skill, he instinctively practiced swinging it.
Chop.
Slash.
Strike.
His movements quickly became cleaner and stronger.
This simple progress boosted his confidence.
As long as I avoid villages and stay cautious… I can survive.
Later—when he was strong enough—he planned to wear human clothes, disguise himself, and secretly learn the language and rules of this world.
Earlier, he had taken some discarded clothes from the cave.
They were women's garments, but the rough cloth could pass as unisex if modified.
The forest was quiet.
Only distant calls of unknown creatures echoed occasionally.
Ichikawa Ao held the clothes in one hand and the wooden stick in the other, moving carefully through the darkness.
Eventually, feeling he had gone far enough, he stopped.
Rather than continue traveling in the eerie night, he climbed a large tree and settled among the branches.
I'll move again when it's brighter.
…
Not long after Ichikawa Ao left the lair—
Several figures arrived silently at the cave entrance.
The last sliver of moonlight filtered through the treetops.
Three tall figures.
Two shorter ones.
Four of them wore Konoha forehead protectors.
It was Uchiha Itachi, Naruto, Sasuke, Yakushi Kabuto, and Hyūga Castle.
"This is the place the villagers mentioned,"
Hyūga Castle said quietly, pointing toward the cave.
Naruto leaned forward and peered inside.
It was pitch-black.
Only the faint sound of dripping water echoed from within.
Uchiha Itachi listened carefully, then scanned the surroundings.
After a moment, he crouched down and examined the ground near the entrance.
The footprints were chaotic.
After a brief pause, Itachi took out a chakra-powered flashlight from his storage scroll and shone it on the tracks.
Naruto and Sasuke immediately gathered around.
"Whoa—these footprints aren't wearing shoes!"
Naruto exclaimed.
"Are they wild people or something?"
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered.
"Look carefully. They only have three toes."
Naruto blinked, leaned closer, and stiffened.
"…You're right."
"What the heck are these things…?"
"They're not human," Yakushi Kabuto said calmly, pushing up his glasses.
"They walk upright, but their footprints are abnormal. Most likely some kind of humanoid summoning species."
Itachi nodded slightly.
"Kabuto's right."
He straightened.
"Stay alert. Prepare for combat."
He handed flashlights to Naruto, Sasuke, and Kabuto.
When it came to Hyūga Castle, Itachi paused apologetically.
"Sorry. No more left."
"You should wait outside."
Hyūga Castle nodded without complaint.
He knew this was already more than enough.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics