Wizard: I am a goblin

Chapter 220 The Tomb of the Giants

The eccentric uncle, with his bushy, unruly hair, burst out of the window.

"Hey, isn't this Ge—"

Bang!

A strange gust of wind (the wizard's hand) happened to blow in, and the window slammed shut, shoving the weird uncle's head back in.

Upon hearing the strange uncle's voice, Gebu felt a pang of fear and leaned against the wall, catching his breath for a long time before he could recover.

"Do you two know each other?"

Helan's question jolted Gebu out of his daze.

"I don't know him!"

Geb said decisively. As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a pressure behind him, turned around abruptly, and saw the elf's chin.

"This brother I definitely don't know (winks), it's nice to meet you." The elf uncle pretended to extend his right hand for Gebu to shake.

"Mr. Donkey, how have you been? This is Mr. Geb, who has come all the way from the Old Kingdom. He has something to ask you."

Helan explained from the side.

"That's such a coincidence! I have so much knowledge that it's practically overflowing from my mouth. I was just looking for someone to confide in."

"————That should be called vomit," Geb retorted, looking at the elf's outstretched hand. He didn't really want to shake it, but out of respect for the priest, he reluctantly extended his hand.

"Hey—hey!"

Before Gebu could even touch her, the elf grabbed him and pulled him close, then whispered with a mischievous grin, "It's you again, my favorite little guy."

Geb pushed the elf away and slapped the spot he had just touched in disgust.

"This Mr. 'Donkey' has a very peculiar name."

"I have a stubborn temper, that's why my friends gave me this name."

"Not only is it stupid, it's also not stupid," Geb said sarcastically. "Your friends certainly know how to come up with nicknames."

appropriate!"

Father Helan, seeing the two men chatting animatedly, realized he couldn't join in and bowed to take his leave. Gebu thanked him, saw the man off, and then turned to look at the elf-like uncle with a suspicious expression.

The elf scratched his head and grinned foolishly.

"You're following me?"

"Don't overestimate yourself, Geb. I admire you, but I'm not going to follow you around like a shadow."

"Then what are you doing here? Do you want to see Oppa's loincloth too?"

"Ah, I've seen that before, the original flavor, it's disgusting." The elf said casually, it was hard to tell if he was serious or joking. "As for why I'm here, if you remember, I have a mission in this plane."

Geb recalled that the last time he saw this guy was when he broke into the ruins of the ancient god while hunting manticores.

His mission is to liberate the Aetheric Well and allow the real world to once again be filled with magic.

The goblin wizard quickly pieced together several clues: This guy is here to find the Aether Spring.

The elf, seeing from the halfling's expression that he had guessed, laughed and said, "Don't forget our goal: to make magic great again!"

"Hey, is there some kind of etheric spring underground in Shanhaiguan?" Gebu asked, frowning.

"This was once the final resting place of the giants' last settlement. Although they were savage and uncivilized, they had a powerful connection with the gods who represented the primal power of savagery," the elf said slowly. "When they were buried, their powerful magical energy was also buried into the earth."

Well, that explanation makes sense. The previous etheric spring was located on the altar of the Old Gods. It seems that these etheric springs, the weak points at the boundary between the etheric plane and the real plane, are intricately connected to those Old Gods.

"So, you're here to see Giant's Hill?"

Gebu asked, then immediately regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

The elf's ears twitched when it heard the name Giant's Hill.

"As expected, this name isn't familiar to most people. You've also come to unleash the source of magic! Isn't that right, Gebu! No wonder I've chosen you—we're kindred spirits!"

The elf excitedly came up to hug him, and Gebu quickly jumped back two steps.

"Come on, who shares your views!"

The elf, somewhat embarrassed, missed its target, hugged itself, made a face, and scratched its head.

"Just now, Helan said you wanted to ask me something. What is it?"

Gebu hesitated for a long time, then finally said, "————Yes————"

"What is it, Gebu?"

"I'd like to ask where Giant's Hill is—"

'

,

,

As Gebu watched the strange uncle's lips slowly curl upwards, an ominous premonition began to brew in his heart.

"You really are all talk and no action!! You really are here to find the spring! Gebu, I admire you so much!!"

"Don't hug me! Ouch!! Your messy hair is poking my eye!"

"Let's go now! Long live Chaos!!"

The appearance of the elf uncle was both an accident and not an accident.

This guy always pops up just when Geb is about to forget about him, stirs up some trouble, and then disappears at just the right moment when Geb realizes what's going on and tries to grab him to get to the bottom of things.

"Seriously, Shanhaiguan is such an eerie place," Gebu muttered. Geographically, it's a corridor connecting the east and west of the continent, and also where the Giant Mountains and the Eastern Sea meet.

This place was once the last home of the giants, then became a fortress of the old Arcane Empire, and later the border separating the New Kingdom from the Thousand Lakes Plain. Now, it is the front line of war between the two nations, and a spiritual fortress protecting the Obak faith.

This place is actually an etheric spring! The weak points in the etheric veil are the entrances for magic to seep from the etheric plane into the real plane.

The goblin wizard didn't know if it was all a coincidence or if there was a deeper connection.

The two sides in the peace talks, Bishop Tissant and the Church of a Thousand Lakes, the Golden Mask and the wizarding forces he represents, and now a follower of the Chaos God—ten thousand forces have gathered in this place at this sensitive moment. Who knows what will happen?

A sense of unease crept into Gebu's heart.

He felt lost in the complex web of relationships, each faction promising him what he needed to move forward: Titian's promise of status, the Golden Mask's promise of knowledge, and the Traveler's promise of etheric crystals.

However, every gift comes at a price.

These things seem to be compatible, but if they conflict, you'll need to make a choice—what should you do then?

What is most important?

This matter had been lingering in Gebu's mind, troubling him subconsciously. Only now was he finally bringing it up to think about and confront it—well, to put it another way, it was partly due to procrastination.

With so many things to do, I don't want to think about anything too complicated.

But he couldn't stop thinking about it. Gebu was not the same person he used to be; he had a thriving company and was about to obtain the exclusive sales rights to the wine, becoming one of the most profitable companies on the entire continent.

There's also his reputation: a loyal partner of the Rose Knights, a promising young business star, a devout believer and patron of the church, a close friend of Bishop Tissant of the New Kingdom Church, a guest of Princess Hilian, the Crown Princess of the Rose Royal Family, and a mysterious partner in the Gray Raven Society's herbal business—these titles, both real and fabricated, are the footprints Geb left in this world and the foundation for his continued growth.

Even if he could give all of these up, what Gebu would miss most were his companions.

All told, it's been about half a year since I started traveling with the female swordswoman, Dulin, and the hostage. It's not a long time, but during this journey, they have faced several life-or-death challenges.

Gebu felt like he'd known them for a very long time. Longer than any of the goblins he'd known in the Broken Tooth tribe. Perhaps knowing someone isn't about the length of time spent together, but about the quality of that time. And these people were undoubtedly high-quality companions.

The swordswoman is a skilled fighter and very loyal. Dulin has a good business sense and is kind-hearted. The hostage is quite clever and a promising talent.

Gebu is used to being surrounded by these people, so it's not impossible for him to cultivate alone, but he would be somewhat reluctant to do so.

Let's rank them. The most important thing to Geb:

First place: One's own life.

Nonsense! Once you're dead, you lose everything!

Second place: The Book of Sand and The Wizard's Path.

Third place: My friends.

Fourth place: Don't provoke travelers.

This guy is an evil god who doesn't follow any rules. Although Gebu hasn't been tricked by Him yet—who knows what kind of punishment he'll receive if he angers this guy? He doesn't dare to think about it.

Fifth place: Why is the Golden Mask more important than the Church (Tissant)? Because what wizards can provide is something the Church cannot.

Knowledge, magical knowledge.

Even if the church's mission went wrong and they didn't earn money, there are other ways to do so. Even without money, they can still obtain valuable materials like ether crystals by cooperating with travelers.

Sixth place: Bishop Tissant. Aside from economic considerations, the privileges the Church could provide were very helpful in ensuring Gebu's safety. However, once inside the Empire, these privileges became worthless.

Seventh place: Salt and Iron Merchants' Guild; Eighth place: Gray Ravens' Guild and Peacock's old subordinates. Connections to the underworld are best to have, but not essential for survival.

Of course, that Rat King must die. He knows far too much about the miracle. There's no need to keep such a despicable fellow alive—and incidentally, to vent the anger of the half-elf Yvette.

As Gebu was arranging the people and things around him, the elf uncle led him away from Queen's Port, heading west along the cliffs by the sea.

The waves crashed against the shore, and the jagged sea cliffs trembled beneath their feet. Salty water vapor soaked Gebu's short brown hair.

Ah, where did my thoughts lead?

The sound of the waves interrupted the goblin wizard's thoughts. He smoothed the stray hairs on his forehead, sniffed, and looked at the misty East Sea.

The strange old man in front stopped, turned around to look at Gebu, and then followed his gaze to the horizon.

"Ha, Eastward-Looking Sea," the elf said with a laugh. "What a beautiful name. Eastward-Looking Sea, the sea that looks east. I can imagine the emotions that arose in the mind of the first person to see this vast ocean: awe, curiosity, and the wonder of what lay beyond. Hey, Gebu, have you ever imagined what's on the other side of the sea?"

"I've read the geography of the Golden Continent, and there's nothing on the other side of the sea."

"Don't completely believe what's written in books, Geb." The elf's eyes gleamed behind his sunglasses. "Those who write books choose to believe they know everything. They keep saying, 'We must spend our lives seeking the truth.' But when they actually face that terrifying infinity, these guys would rather bury their heads in the ground—that way, they'll feel better."

"What are you talking about? What a weirdo," Geb muttered. "Hey, aren't we going to Giant's Hill?"

Why are we walking all the way along the coast? Where is the post?

"The landscape of Giantshill has undergone tremendous changes. You should know that the wizards of the Arcane Empire buried an entire mountain range underground. According to my research, the entrance to that buried Giantshill is nearby. I can almost smell the fragrance of ether. It's not far, it's right here."

The two continued walking along the coast for a while. The elf uncle, like a bloodhound, followed the scent and parted the reeds growing on the cliff. A narrow path, about half a person's width, stretched down the cliff and appeared before them.

"Bingo."

A sea breeze blew, scattering the bushes along the path. Gebu looked down at the sharp rocks dozens of meters below, where the waves crashed and shattered into white powder.

Wow, it's so high!

"Are you sure there's an entrance down there? —"

The mischievous uncle shrugged and said, "Not there. Let's go down and take a look."

Then he flipped over and, clinging to the cliff face, reached down.

"Feed you—" Gebu sighed. "—Wait for me."

Splash!

A stone slipped from Gebu's feet and plunged into the abyss.

The two of them descended the narrow path, one after the other, clinging tightly to the cliff face. Gebu held his breath and tucked in his stomach, fearing that one wrong move would mean certain death.

The mischievous uncle, however, remained calm and composed, humming a little tune as he reached out and touched her.

After a breathtaking 500 meters (which felt like a long march), the elf uncle suddenly vanished from Gebu's sight.

Hey?! You fell?! No!

The goblin wizard quickly shuffled forward a few steps and cautiously peered down.

Nobody here? Did he fall and get smashed into a meat patty? — Gebu searched for pink bits of flesh on the low rocks, but after searching for a long time, he couldn't find any strange-looking object.

Just as he was having doubts, something suddenly grabbed Gebu by the back of the neck and pulled him inside!

The goblin felt his footing give way, and a moment of panic shot through his mind as several life-saving spells flashed through his head. Before he could utter a word, Goblin's foot suddenly touched the ground.

The strange uncle used his wizard's hand to put him down from the air, and the two landed on a two-meter square stone platform. A thin beam of light shone down from above.

When Gebu looked up, he saw a crack in the rock about 20 centimeters wide about three meters away from the wall behind him. It turned out that the strange uncle had crawled in through this crack and then dragged him in.

Beyond the stone platform lies a seemingly naturally formed stalactite cave. Wherever the sunlight reaches, massive rocks reach for the sky, making it impossible to know how high the ceiling is or how deep the cave is.

"You should have at least told me! You scared me half to death," Gebu complained, brushing the dust off his clothes. "The entrance is way too well hidden!"

The strange uncle's attention wasn't on that; he bent down and picked something up from the ground. He examined it for a long time, smelled it, and then handed it to Gebu.

"It seems we're not the first lucky ones to find this place."

"Gebu stared intently, and in an instant, his eyebrows rose."

It's actually a woman's shoe?!