Chapter 4, Arid Valley Prison

 The Dry Valley, a corner of the underground world. The dry environment, coupled with the absence of nearby underground water sources, led to its abandonment shortly after being excavated by goblin miners.

 However, King Tovag Baragu made full use of this place and built the largest prison in the underground world here. Goblin prisoners accustomed to humid environments would develop cracked skin within twenty days of being imprisoned here. While punishing criminals, the high death rate among Dry Valley prison inmates remained.

 Of course, this prison didn't exclusively host goblins. Any prisoner sent by the council, regardless of race, would be accepted by the Dry Valley prison. The high death rate among inmates ensured a perpetual abundance of prison resources.

 And today, another new prisoner was delivered here.

 On an irregularly shaped boulder, a sickly yellow half-candle illuminated the entire room with its eerie light. Two muscular goblins were registering Alonso's imprisonment by pinning him down.

 "What's your name?"

 On the other side of the boulder, sitting on a stool, a wretched-looking old goblin, his trembling fingers clutching a piece of charcoal, squinted and inquired.

 "Alonso·Baird."

 Alonso answered indifferently. Because there were no tasks assigned to him temporarily, the council decided to confine him temporarily in the Dry Valley prison.

 Upon learning Alonso's name, the trembling in the old goblin's palm suddenly ceased, and he swiftly scribbled on the rock with the charcoal.

 Alonso didn't know what the goblin's script looked like, but he was certain the old guy was scribbling nonsense. His movements resembled washing dishes, and the two dimwits pressing him down were still looking at each other with a reverent expression...

 "Registration complete!"

 After the old goblin finished scribbling to his heart's content, his hand began shaking again. And the two goblins, very adeptly, escorted Alonso towards the cell.

 Alonso's cell wasn't far, only about fifty meters from this room, but to him, this short journey subjectively felt like a trip from hell.

 The cells, hollowed out from the rock layers, only contained prisoners lying motionless in corners and a few clusters of mushrooms. Even the cell doors were just a few rusty iron bars.

 "Give me the candle! Give me the candle!"

 In the terrifying silence, a hand bone with clinging flesh suddenly protruded through the gap between the iron bars, causing Alonso to recoil in fright.

 "Give me a candle! They're coming for me, I need a candle! Just give me one, I promise I won't steal candles in the afterlife!"

 A weak voice echoed in the cell, as the goblin, who was already lying on the ground and could barely lift a dry arm, despairingly begged.

 But the two muscular goblins remained unmoved by its plea. One of them even snorted disdainfully and said, "If you had the guts to steal candles in the first place, you should've guessed this would be the outcome!"

 "How many candles did he steal?"

 Alonso swallowed hard and asked after learning from the goblin muscleman that this guy's crime was the same as his.

 "Ten, a whole ten! It caused a stir throughout the entire underground world. After King Tovagel proposed it and the council approved it, he was stripped of candle privileges for life. It's a miracle he's still alive after all these years."

 The goblin muscleman said indignantly. He shouldn't have been so talkative with prisoners, but this guy's crimes were just too heinous, which made him unable to keep his mouth shut.

 Hearing this, Alonso's lips trembled.

 "May the Holy Light have mercy on your soul."

 A weak and gentle female voice suddenly came from the depths of the cell, and a golden light shone on the dry palm. The brightness was so intense that Alonso's eyes felt momentarily dazzled.

 Snap.

 The dry arm lost its strength seconds after the light appeared and fell to the ground—the candle thief, who had been imprisoned in the Dry Valley for several years, had breathed his last.

 "Hmph! Dying under the light at the end, he got off easy!"

 The two goblin musclemen spat at the dry hand, then quickened their pace, continuing to push Alonso deeper. Alonso also hastened his steps because the voice and the light he had just seen were undoubtedly from a human!

 What he saw next far exceeded Alonso's expectations.

 As they ventured deeper into the cells, before Alonso could locate the source of the female voice, he first noticed many burly human men. Like the goblins seen earlier, they were huddled in corners, motionless and silent.

 "What on earth is going on?!"

 Seeing imprisoned goblins wouldn't evoke much reaction from Alonso, even after witnessing the pitiful fate of the candle thief. But seeing humans, and more than a dozen of them incarcerated here, made him unable to remain calm.

 "You'd better worry about yourself first!"

 Saying this, they arrived at a cell, and one of the goblins pushed Alonso to the side.

 Inside the cell, a golden light suddenly illuminated, though not as dazzling as before. With the help of this light, Alonso saw the situation inside the cell clearly.

 A man in tattered robes stood there, shielding a woman dressed like a priest behind him, and the light emanated from her palm.

 "Save your strength and sit down!"

 The goblin muscleman on Alonso's left was somewhat impatient. Then he pushed Alonso to the right goblin muscleman, who grabbed two iron bars in front of him with both hands.

 "Open!"

 The goblin muscleman yelled, his veins bulging on his arms, and he instantly bent the two iron bars apart with brute force!

 Alonso: "..."

 At first sight of the iron bars forming the barrier, Alonso wondered how they could lock prisoners inside without a door. Now, this question was finally answered...

 As for thoughts of escaping, with just one bend, they bid farewell for good...

 "Get in!"

 The goblin muscleman on the right deftly released his grip on Alonso, then pushed him from behind into the gap between the iron bars.

 "Close!"

 The goblin muscleman yelled again, his veins bulging on his arms once more, and he straightened the two iron bars back together!

 "Goblins' deep-rooted fear of darkness makes them stubbornly believe that there's something terrifying in the dark. Their fear of that something in the dark seems to surpass even death. Gradually, I seem to understand why goblins are so concerned about candles..."—Marlin's Underground Dungeon Exploration Diary