The abandoned building fell silent. Everyone looked at Aroro with complicated expressions.
A few seconds later, even He Zheng, who hated Goblins the most, couldn't help walking over and crouching down in front of Aroro, meeting the filthy Goblin's eyes.
He sighed and gave Aroro's scrawny shoulder a heavy pat with his right hand.
He hadn't used much force, but the slap still made Aroro stagger and grimace.
"Kid, you're a fucking legend."
He Zheng left it at that.
Between men, calling someone a fucking legend was the highest praise.
Aroro wasn't human, and in this Examination, he was even their enemy. But what he had done transcended the divide between enemies and allies and earned their respect.
But...
All three turned to Ye Lin. This time, even He Zheng's eyes held a trace of reluctance.
There were seven Goblins here in total, six besides Aroro. They couldn't possibly take them along. Their only option was to kill them.
There was no helping it. They were in danger themselves, and bringing these Goblins would only make them stand out more.
Respect was one thing. Just as Aroro had risked his life for points and his people, didn't they have to risk theirs too? They needed points to survive just as much as he did.
After a moment of agonized hesitation, He Zheng gave Huang Liang a meaningful look, signaling him to take Aroro outside first.
Sparing these Goblins wasn't an option. The greatest kindness they could offer was to keep Aroro from having to watch them die.
Aroro seemed to understand his people's fate now. He said nothing, merely taking one last, silent look at them and gently shaking his head, bitterness in his eyes.
Seeing this, the remaining Goblins stopped struggling. They stayed motionless, quietly waiting where they were