Surprisingly well

"I smell virginity and ash! Varrick! So good to see you again!" A raspy voice growled as Varrick descended the slightly sticky set of stairs into the hobgoblin's dungeon, the stone walls and low lighting only worsening the owner's wart encrusted face. He had sickly green skin that contrasted with the fine silken robes he wore, his face contorted in a twisted grin as he saw Verdi and Fenri walk in behind Varrick. "Champ, you're back!" He said, giving a quick wave to the alchemist.

"Aw, you recognized me!" Verdi said happily, returning the wave to the hobgoblin.

"Any man that causes 12 girls to squirt in my bar is someone I don't forget." The hobgoblin said with a snicker.

"You know I'm a guy?" Verdi asked, overjoyed as the hobgoblin walked over and slapped him on the back. A meaty thwack filled the dungeon as the goblin cackled, his voice like a rusted door swinging in the wind.

"Champ, you're a man among men! Why, you must be a baker!" Belsach said, his words causing Verdi to frown in confusion as Varrick groaned.

"Don't make the fucking joke. By all that is holy, don't make the fucking joke. I swear to the gods of light and darkness, I'll fucking kill you if you make the fucking joke." He said, his voice tinged with equal parts desperation and malevolence as though he were a man on ****'s row praying for salvation and damning his executors in the same breath. His pleas only served to bolster Belsach's confidence as Verdi took the bait .

"Why would I be a baker?" He asked, causing Belsach to begin laughing maniacally before he even said the punch line. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself as he gave the punchline.

"Because you're getting these bitches bred/bread!" Belsach said, causing Verdi to burst into laughter, his smile bringing a smugness to the hobgoblin's demeanor as Varrick groaned.

"You've been telling the same joke for the past 22 years." He complained.

"And it's still funny!" Belsach chimed in, lapping up Verdi's laughter at the juvenile joke. "Varrick, don't tell me you're friends with champ here?"

"Verdi's a good friend. Please don't corrupt him." Varrick said with a weary voice, already fatigued by the hobgoblin's shenanigans. From his tone alone, Verdi could feel the paladin's fatigue and desperation as Belsach's face contorted into what some would call a smile and looked to Verdi, extending his hand to the alchemist. Grabbing the hobgoblin's hand, Verdi was surprised to feel it was equal parts calluses and warts, his skin one of a hardened fighter than the mere bar owner he pretended to be.

"Belsach Khaint! Owner of the Salt Lick, pleasure to see you cunts this morning! And for the ladies, hoping to see your cunts pleasured tonight." The hobgoblin said, his robes fluttering as he cackled at his own joke. "What are you fuckers doing standing when we could be drinking?" He said, gesturing to a nearby room and walking towards it, forcing the party to follow him. Upon throwing the doors open, they were greeted with a lavishly decorated room that was somehow fit for an emperor and a hog at the same time.

It was vast, the room spanning almost 1,000 square feet and decorated with the finest silken curtains and pelts of vast, exotic animals. The wood was hand carved and cushioned with plush feathers while the walls were decorated with masterful paintings of women of all species howling in bliss, small magic stones enchanted with light magic illuminating the area with an almost erotic glow. Standing beside the mastercrafted paintings were equally high quality statues of women in various states of undress and masturbation. The crowning centerpiece of the room was the sculpture of Belsach himself sitting atop a throne made of bound women, his right hand holding chains that connected to the collars of innumerable animal girls sitting and begging for his cock. Seating the party at a table next to his sculpture, Belsach snapped his fingers, summoning several goblins to appear from the shadows holding serving trays of the finest liquors in the land.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of today's visit? Oh, don't tell me, you're finally taking up my offer of the 100 girl gauntlet? Offer is still open, but I'll need some time to gather the girls." Belsach said Fenri and Verdi perked up at the statement.

"100 girl gauntlet you say?" Verdi asked, only for Citrinas to bop him on the head.

"We're here for business, not pleasure." She scolded as Belsach chuckled at their little antics.

"I'm interested. What's the gauntlet?" Fenri said, also interested more in enjoying herself than their quest.

"You hand over 20 gold coins and you're given 24 hours to make 100 girls cum. For every girl you get off, you get 1% of your investment back. Catch is that you gotta do this on stage with EVERYONE watching. Also, if you get all 100 girls off, you get a portrait on the wall of fame." Belsach said while gesturing to a single portrait in the room of a steely eyed man with high cheekbones and a strong jawline. He had dark brown hair and a muscular build that dominated the entire painting despite being surrounded by 100 naked women. Verdi almost wanted to applaud the artist of the work, the painting somehow giving off the awe and respect the hero of the hearth deserved for pleasing 100 women in a row.

"... Can I bring a strap on?" Fenri asked as she exchanged a smug look with Verdi, the duo already prepared to get on the fabled wall of fame.

"Bring whatever toys you want, but you gotta stay awake and you gotta move. No cheating by lying there and letting the girls do all the work. This is a show of stamina, willpower, and strength, not a place to take a nap!" Belsach said as Varrick growled, his patience reaching its limit as he **** everyone into silence.

"We're not here for girls, Belsach." He spat as the hobgoblin chuckled once more, the laugh lingering like a vile odor.

"I disagree. I think you are." He countered while taking a sip from his drink, flashing a toothy grin clad with half rotted teeth. Verdi felt something crawl underneath his skin at the sight, incredibly disturbed at the innocent gesture as the air around Belsach shifted. He couldn't grasp just what was happening, just that he felt uncomfortable in his own skin at this moment, as though there were insects crawling in his skin.

"No, I'm here for-"

"A white haired kitsune with 13 tails, physically about 25 years old but biologically 32, and probably an undead since my dear friend supposedly killed her alongside the previous demon king and 16 other heroes 7 years ago." Belsach interrupted, startling Varrick as the air around the hobgoblin shifted entirely, Verdi's heightened senses detecting it a hair before Citrinas or Fenri did. Both girls shifted in their seats, the duo feeling the same things Verdi was feeling. Rather than being intimidated, Verdi felt dirty. Defiled even, as his body broke out into goosebumps from merely sharing the table with Belsach while his throat burned as bile built up in it. There was no scent in the air, yet his nostrils stung as his heart raced, his instincts screaming to get away from the travesty against life sitting across from him.

It took only a few seconds to realize this was the hobgoblin's Humiliating monster core releasing an aura of fear, the mere presence of him enough to cause a low level entity like Verdi to freeze up. He glanced over to see that Fenri and Citrinas were also shifting in their seats, the two women unnerved by the air around the goblin despite their levels. Considering Citrinas was a tier 7 or 8 mage while Fenri was a tier 6 ranger, the fact that Belsach could send both of them in a panic meant he was on par or even stronger than the duo. The only person unaffected by his aura was Varrick, the paladin softly leaning forward and speaking in a quiet voice.

"Cut the theatrics and talk." He warned as the fear aura dissipated immediately, Belsach's smile widening at the holy paladin's demands.

"Seems you've gotten arrogant since the last time we've met." He said with a venomous tongue, his scratchy voice enough to peel wallpaper. "What happens when I say no?" He continued while licking his lips, his warty tongue leaving threads of slime as his breathing intensified. Goblins emerged from behind them, encircling the party as Varrick placed his hand on the table, the metal gauntlet making the softest, almost inaudible clink. The ash stained armor almost seemed to shine in the dark, musky dungeon as it staved off the filth encircling the very land.

"I'm going to sit here and wait a few minutes since I know you're nowhere near as terrible as you want us to think you are." Varrick answered in a succinct tone, his voice lacking fear or intimidation one would expect of a paladin to such a depraved monster. Upon hearing the statement, Belsach let out a sigh, the goblins encircling them merely placing an array of snacks and refilling his drink before leaving.

"Bah, you've gotten boring. I miss the days when you'd either break into tears or spend the day bathing whenever we talked." He said as Verdi noticed his eyes getting watery and having the strangest urge to scrape his skin off in a bathtub. "Ask away." He said with a dismissive wave of the hand, ready to answer their questions.

Author's note: Sorry for the wait, trying to kill Melenia in Elden Ring.