Shire tossed a torch across, and the other side immediately erupted with a chorus of "SQUEAK SQUEAK" sounds.

By the torch’s light, he could finally see what was inside.

A swarm of rats, a dense black mass of them. The brain of each black-furred rat was swollen and exposed, emitting a faint, fluorescent glow. They crowded together in the passageway, their eyes filled with hostility, intending to stop the goblins from approaching.

Shire had Red Eyes take a torch and advance to drive them away, but it had little effect. Some of the rats even leaped up to bite him.

"Fall back for now." Shire called his subordinate back, then approached to observe them himself.

But what happened next struck him as odd.

As Shire drew near, the rats’ squeaking gradually faded, and they deliberately fell back, seemingly making a path for him.

Yet when he called one of his underlings over, the rats started clamoring again, their hostility palpable.

’They’ll only let me pass alone?’ Shire understood the swarm’s intention.

’Perhaps this is the Heart Stealer’s idea. Does it want to meet me?’

Shire couldn’t figure out its intentions, but he didn’t dare to enter rashly.

BANG. A loud crash sounded from behind him. It seemed the Brain Golem had knocked itself to the ground.

’I have an idea.’ Shire had his underlings spread out, then ran over to the Fulu. "Stop bouncing around and come help."

"What is it, Bandit?"

"We’re not going over there."

"It’s more fun here."

"If you don’t obey, I’ll release the Brain-Eating Monsters," Shire said, his smile as pleasant as a spring breeze.

"Wait, hero!" The Fulus’ attitude changed in an instant, and they even floated over to Shire.

"I need you to do something." He pointed at the Brain Golem. "Coax that big fella into the passage."

"Why?" a Fulu asked.

"To have it fight the rats," Shire said, explaining his idea.

"Those Skull Rats? They’re controlled by a master brain and share a unified consciousness. They might not attack the Brain Golem."

"But if you make the Brain Golem attack first, won’t the rats fight back?"

"We’ve never tried." The Fulus’ eyestalks swiveled back and forth, their tentacles turning green.

Seeing their curiosity was piqued, Shire egged the Fulu on, a perfectly harmless smile on his face. "It’ll be fun. You should give it a try."

The Fulu flicked their green tentacles and swiveled their eyestalks toward each other. Then, they began to use Telepathy on the Brain Golem.

The Brain Golem, which had still been punching itself, gradually stopped its assault. It climbed up from the ground, the fleshy sprouts on its head twitched a few times, and it turned to walk toward the passage. The Fulu followed behind it, their tentacles now a deep green. Shire immediately ordered his underlings to spread out further, making sure they wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire.

Sure enough, when the Brain Golem entered the passage, the swarm of rats automatically parted, not attacking it.

But in the next moment, the Brain Golem stomped a few Skull Rats into "rat pancakes."

"Well done," Shire said, applauding the Fulu.

"That wasn’t fun at all," one of the Fulu said.

"No, it’s very interesting. You can even have a competition to see who can make more rat pancakes," Shire immediately suggested.

"It’s not fun. Let’s do something else." The Fulu looked like they were about to bail.

"A few goblins, come hold the Brain-Eating Monsters and stand right here," Shire commanded.

"Bandit!" the Fulu shrieked in their minds, so angry their tentacles turned from green to red.

"Thank you for your trouble," Shire said with a smile and a slight bow.

As the Brain Golem stomped more Skull Rats to death, the swarm finally grew agitated. Squeaking "SQUEAK SQUEAK," they stopped getting out of the way and began to leap onto the Brain Golem’s feet, biting and tearing at it.

Then, as if on a single command, the swarm launched an assault on the Brain Golem, climbing its body like a tide and tearing at it from all sides.

The Brain Golem swiped a hand, grabbing and crushing several Skull Rats. Blood sprayed everywhere. It then tore more of them from its body.

Watching the Brain Golem become completely covered by the swarm, Shire commanded, "Red Eyes, bring some men over here. Throw torches on this spot."

He was afraid the swarm would go into a frenzy and spill out of the passage, so he had his underlings use the torches to block the way.

"Don’t you go charging in," he specifically instructed Red Eyes, afraid the hothead would get a rush of blood to the head and do something stupid.

Inside the passage, the stench of blood grew heavier. The "SQUEAK SQUEAK" sounds never ceased, punctuated by heavy "THUD THUD" impacts. The battle between the two sides had reached a fever pitch; it was a fight to the death.

Shire stared into the passage, remaining vigilant for any changes while also growing more puzzled about the Heart Stealer at the far end.

The Brain Golem and the Skull Rat Swarm were both powerful; either one could have devastated his goblins. Yet now, they were bizarrely slaughtering each other.

Even though he had engineered this result by using the Fulu’s Telepathy, Shire refused to believe the Heart Stealer was unaware of what was happening. Why hadn’t it intervened? Why was it just letting this happen?

’What is it planning?’ Shire frowned.

After some time, the battle inside the passage neared its end. The Brain Golem finally collapsed, unable to continue. Not many rats from the swarm were left, either. Shire had his underlings mop up, killing all the remaining Skull Rats.

He then ordered his underlings to ready their Bang-Bang Fruit while he checked his own weapons again.

A minute later, their preparations were complete. Shire turned to look at the Fulu. "Are you guys coming in?"

"No, we’re not!" The Fulus’ eyestalks waved back and forth frantically.

"That Bandit is crazy. There’s a Heart Stealer in there!"

"Another batch of Goblin Transmuters is about to be born."

"Get a good last look at him. The next time we see him, he’ll be on the ground."

"I’ll leave the Brain-Eating Monsters behind when I go," Shire said with a gentlemanly smile.

"Hero, don’t go!"

"The Heart Stealer is very strong!"

"You should take the Brain-Eating Monsters with you!"

The Fulus’ tentacles turned a deep, furious red, but they continued to plead desperately with Shire in his mind.

Shire glanced at the group of duplicitous, oversized pancakes, said nothing, and followed his underlings into the passage.

CLACK CLACK CLACK. With a few light tapping sounds, a grayish-black skeletal human hand scurried in after them.

...

The passage was over ten meters long and sloped downward. It looked to be crudely excavated, not paved with stone bricks.

At its end was a stone chamber that wasn’t very large, but was five meters high.

The stone chamber was dim. Mushrooms growing on the walls gave off a faint blue fluorescent light, casting an eerie glow over the entire space.

Pools of white slime dotted the floor. In the very center was a pool constructed from various chunks of flesh, filled with a viscous, foul-smelling liquid. Several tadpole-like creatures squirmed through the fluid. Floating above the pool was a gigantic white brain, with several red, constantly twitching tentacles dangling from its underside.

A red light pulsed within the brain, like a beating heart, and arcs of electricity occasionally crackled along its tentacles.

"Stay sharp," Shire ordered his underlings, telling them to be on guard. Their opponent could attack at any moment.

SQUISH, SQUELCH. The sound of footsteps came from behind the giant brain.

Shire looked over. A nearly six-foot-tall Heart Stealer with a slender build, clad in a black, high-collared Magic Robe, emerged from the Darkness, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Heh heh heh." A dull laugh emanated from its pale, purple, octopus-like head. The four writhing tentacles around its mouth twitched as its white eyes swept over the goblins before it.

"You’ve finally arrived. I’ve been waiting for so long."