Wizard: I am a goblin

Chapter 231 A Burning Heart

Thick smoke billowed, and the sky seemed to collapse and the earth to split open!

"Magnu————"

Gebu blurted out, but then suddenly remembered that loose tongues can be dangerous, and swallowed back the name of the deity on his tongue.

The mountain peak grinned as if it had opened a gaping maw towards the sky, spewing out crimson magma. Rolling smoke and dust exploded into a mushroom cloud, turning the sky into a suffocating black.

This place is doomed!

Geb instantly forgot about the uninvited guest he had just noticed. Although this wasn't the material plane, and the volcano wasn't actually the Maw of Titan, Geb felt a profound sense of impending doom—not because he was terrified by the volcanic eruption, but because the etheric flow in this plane had become incredibly turbulent with the eruption, a tsunami-like oppressive force washing over him. It almost swept the goblins away!

At this point, only the Anchor Potion could help the goblin continue to exist in this plane. However, he arrived in a hurry and was unprepared.

The volcano was far away, but the smoke and fire were right in front of us in an instant. The smell of gunpowder filled our nostrils. This smell was exactly the same as the wildfire that destroyed the Broken Tooth tribe on the night of its destruction!

The goblin's post-traumatic stress response kicked in immediately, and he turned and ran. However, before he could take two steps, the shockwave, carrying thick smoke and dust, instantly engulfed the goblin.

Cough!

A wave of heat swept over him from behind, engulfing his entire body. Gebu felt as if he had been thrown into a huge furnace, being roasted and scorched like a piece of charcoal, unable to breathe.

This can't be real—but it feels so bad—I have to wake up quickly!

Despite the extreme physical discomfort, Geb remained rational. He was focused on ending the meditation as soon as possible and escaping from the etheric world.

However, how difficult it is to concentrate in this scorching volcanic ash! Gebu tried to use a spell to escape, but found that he couldn't even see the target of his spell, as the smoke and dust almost blinded him.

Cough cough cough! Ptooey!

Gebu felt as if his lungs were being roasted, and he couldn't move his feet, so he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

No way, I'm not going to die here?!

Gebu didn't know what the consequences of dying in the etheric plane would be for his body in the real world—whether he would die suddenly or become a vegetable.

I don't want to conduct such a dangerous experiment!

At this critical moment, amidst the rumbling sound, the goblin wizard heard a light and melodious female voice.

"Pointy ears—big front teeth, little bunny, hurry home—"

It was an old nursery rhyme, its simple and light melody sounding especially warm and comforting in the gentle female voice. This piece intertwined with the giant's long song that had just echoed through the stone forest, creating a scene that was both real and illusory, dreamlike and enchanting.

For some inexplicable reason, Geb felt grounded beneath his feet, as if the faint melody was a rope that gave the aimless goblin a foothold.

Anchor point, this piece of music is my anchor point.

Gebu's mind cleared up a bit. Using the sound as an anchor, he walked forward step by step. Gebu's goal was not to get out, but to regain control of his own consciousness through walking.

Under the impact of the massive etheric torrent, this was no easy task, but guided by the nursery rhyme, Geb felt he could do it. This confidence gave him a firm core, preventing him from being swept away by external magic.

With this ebb and flow, the external ether cannot affect the goblins, allowing the goblins to control the flow of ether around them. The goblins gradually create a safe haven around themselves, diverting and channeling the torrents to maintain their safety.

Within this safe haven, Gebu gradually focused his attention. The nursery rhyme in his ears grew clearer and clearer, and Gebu felt his consciousness shifting within the ethereal veil, about to step into another dimension—

"Little rabbit—hurry home, a wolf is coming to your house—Oops, wrong song."

Don't sing it wrong, okay?! Like crying wolf?!

Gebu complained, lost in thought for a moment, and stumbled, almost causing the newly built safety island to be washed away.

Fortunately, the goblin quickly rallied, held its breath again—closed its eyes, and after a slight dizziness, seemed to fall into a deep sleep—

"Little bunny—hay bed, quickly fall asleep and dream of your mother—"

Gebu was awakened by Tong Yao's voice. He opened his eyes and saw the enormous giant lying flat in the cave, taking up most of the space. His head rested on a boulder, and above the boulder, the witch Belle sat cross-legged beside his forehead, gently stroking the giant's cheek while softly singing a nursery rhyme in his ear.

The girl's figure was like a small rag doll compared to the giant, who lay there obediently, sleeping peacefully, like a baby in its mother's arms. Belle looked at the giant with a serene expression, gentle and tender, her soft eyes seeming to possess a divine quality.

Not wanting to disturb the scene, Gebu quietly got up and tiptoed to the two of them.

Belle looked up at Geb.

"Shh—he's asleep," the witch whispered.

"Did you write that song yourself? It sounds so familiar."

"It's a lullaby from my hometown. My mother said that when I was little, I was a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest sound of wind or noise in the middle of the night. So she would stay by my bedside and sing me lullabies in her sleep until I fell into a deep sleep."

Geb looked at the giant, his chest rising and falling slowly. The giant's expression was no longer sorrowful, but rather carried a long-lost tranquility. He seemed to have drawn immense solace from the girl's song.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Belle asked, her face full of hope.

Geb nodded, then remained silent.

He turned his back, took the bottle of poison out of his storage ring, and glanced sideways at the giant's slightly open mouth.

Geb entered the Aether Plane to find clues to persuade the Titan to give up his heart, but the Titan was now completely unguarded, and Geb could simply force-feed him the poison and then remove his heart while he was unconscious.

However, upon seeing the final giant Gogong's "dream" (for which a more suitable word could not be found at the moment), the goblin wizard felt a pang of reluctance at having his life taken so brutally.

He is the last remnant of the giant race and deserves the right to choose.

The goblin didn't know if he was being too sentimental, but deep down, he felt that it was the right thing to do.

Geb walked up to Belle. He gestured for the girl to step back a few paces, then called out to the giant:

"Hieldhavulsikalula."

Geb imitated the giant's long song he heard in his dream, calling out to him in his native language.

The giant opened his eyes and looked at the goblin with eyes as large as an elephant's. It seemed as if he was looking at him, or perhaps at the distant place behind him.

"The Gorkha, the last Gorkha, the sorrowful Gorkha, end your long reign of protection."

The giant seemed to be deep in thought, yet also lost in thought.

"Gökö, right—my name is Gökö."

Geb hesitated for a moment, took the Kiss of the Kingslayer in his hand, and then handed it to the giant.

"This stuff can grant you peaceful sleep, eternal sleep. You've waited alone for so many years, and I think you deserve a choice: to end it all, or to continue on without end."

The giant's unfocused gaze finally regained focus, the vial of poison reflected in his pupils. He hesitated, then murmured, "—I'm terrified. Death—as a race of the God of Destruction, we shouldn't fear death, but I am still terrified. It all seems too—too absolute. I close my eyes, letting everything fall into darkness—my conclusion, the end of the giant race, everything will come to a permanent end—I'm sorry, I was too cowardly—"

"Fear is normal. But, just as destruction is rebirth, so too is destruction. Giants will not be forgotten. Nor will you. Those lost names, forgotten stories, memories scattered like ashes in the winds of time, the legends of the giant race, will all settle into the black earth. And then, new life, new stories, new beginnings will sprout from it."

"—Yes, this is Altom's will. I remember now. Rebirth after destruction—that is what we celebrate."

The giant took the tiny medicine bottle with his large, thick fingers. A glimmer of life finally appeared on his aged face.

It was as if a burden that had weighed on them for thousands of years had been lifted.

"Yes, it's time for my aging body to become nourishment for the new world—I'm curious, what kind of flowers will bloom within my bones?"

Having said that, the giant put the poison into his ear, then crushed it, letting the liquid flow into his ear canal and brain.

"giant!"

Belle exclaimed in surprise.

"Humans, goblins, thank you—for helping me regain my name and my courage—"

Belle tried to step forward, but Geb grabbed her arm and shook his head at the girl.

"This was his own choice; let him rest in peace."

Belle looked at Geb, then glanced at the giant with a pang of pity, her eyes instantly reddening.

"Göran Dörgölü, I will never forget you!"

"Thank you, little girl. Don't be sad, I can finally go home—"

The giant sat down, lowered his eyes, and softly hummed a melodious long tune.

The lingering sound echoed. Accompanied by the girl's sobs and Gebu's soft echo.

The giant's song gradually weakened, and then finally fell silent.

His eyelids slowly closed. The giant's body stopped moving; only the lava in his veins continued to flow. The poison hadn't completely killed him, but it had rendered him immobile.

The two men observed a long period of silence before the giant. Finally, Gebu spoke, "Let's begin preparing for the ceremony."

"Um--

The two silently began preparing for the ceremony, following the instructions given by the long-tailed monkey.

The witch and the goblin both wore somber expressions. Belle was still mourning the giant who had been freed, while Gub had other thoughts on his mind.

Yes, the moment has finally come when we have to make a decision. Do we really have to sacrifice Belle?

While the goblin hesitated, Belle began to talk to herself, "We did the right thing. Goblin is home. It's a good thing he can finally reunite with his family. We need to finish the ceremony quickly so I can go home!"

The girl forced a smile, as if trying to convince herself.

"I wonder if Aunt Fatty's bakery is still open. I miss it so much. My home is in a village next to Orange Ridge Town. Every time we go to the market, we pass by there. It's right across from the Pantheon. Every morning prayer, when people are leaving, the first batch of pastries from the bakery comes out of the oven. The aroma is so irresistible that you can't help but walk away."

"Auntie Pang kneaded the citrus juice into the egg mixture, then added so much sugar and flour, and baked it into a delicious orange cake—every time I smell the aroma of oranges, I think of Orange Ridge Town, and of going to the market with my parents, sitting on the back of the oxcart, with hay sticking up my nostrils, making me sneeze incessantly—"

As she spoke, Belle's face lit up with a bright smile, which made Gebu feel uncomfortable, so he didn't say anything.

"Hey, what did I say? I need to focus on drawing the magic circle properly." Belle saw that Geb was ignoring her, so she ended her daydream and focused on drawing the magic circle. Ten minutes later, she finally finished preparing the ritual magic circle.

The next step is to remove the giant's lava heart. The moment the heart is exposed to the skin, the lava blood will react violently: it must be suppressed through a ritual, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.

Poison weakens the giant's defenses, allowing ordinary steel to pierce his skin.

Geb held the dagger to the giant's chest, but hesitated for a long time before striking.

Belle said with concern, "It's alright—Gebu, take your time—"

hateful----

No, I can't do it.

Geb said through gritted teeth.

"What are you saying? We have to complete the ceremony, otherwise how are we going to explain it to Professor Imington?"

Belle asked in surprise.

"It's not as simple as you think! This ritual is extremely dangerous, you—"

Geb's eyes flickered for a moment. Belle tilted her head, looking at the goblin's conflicted expression, and realized something.

"Gebu, are you hiding something from me?"

After a struggle with his conscience, Gebu finally spoke up.

"You're a good person, Belle. I can't let you die without knowing why. The Golden Mask—no, it was Imint who deceived you. To suppress the heart flowing with molten blood, a life touched by magic must be sacrificed."

"Sacrifice? But there are only the two of us here—"

Belle's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Listen, I actually—"

Before Gebu could explain, Belle suddenly chanted a spell: instantly casting an invisibility spell!

Gebu reacted immediately, frowned, and cast an invisibility spell on himself!

Ha! You're not stupid!

After a brief adrenaline rush, the cave vanished instantly. A dozen seconds later, the tense atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat awkward.

Um...is anyone there?

Both of them were invisible, neither could see the other, but they knew that the other hadn't gone far and was still here.

"Hey, this isn't fun at all—there are no spell slot restrictions here, and we don't have any spells to detect invisibility. Are we going to be stuck in this standoff forever?"

A girl's sob came from a corner of the cave.

"Ugh————"

Gebu scratched his head.

"Alright, now that I've told you this, it proves I don't want to do what he said. I won't hurt you, so stop hiding it. One, two, three, show yourselves, okay?"

'

'

"----Um"

The girl answered softly.

""

"—"

"Wait a minute, should we count to three and show ourselves, or—"

"This joke was used the first time we met, okay!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two appeared simultaneously, both startled. It turned out they were standing face to face, less than a meter apart.

Belle wiped away her tears, looking aggrieved, and pouted, unwilling to show weakness.

"I'm telling you, you really have bad luck with men. But I can't blame you, that old man is too cunning."

Geb joked, trying to ease the tension.

"—Actually, it's not that I'm oblivious. There are plenty of students under the professor, many of whom are more talented and have better backgrounds than me. Why should I be promoted? Maybe it's because it doesn't matter to me, so even if I die, it won't be a pity."

"Tsk, don't think like that. For you, nothing is more important than life and death. Never give up on yourself. If you don't even value your own life, how can you survive in this world?"

"I never said I was going to give up on myself —"

"However, the Golden Mask is right about one thing: this place is too heavily influenced by the will of Altom. I can feel its power projected. Without special means, we really can't get out on our own. This heart carrying the blood of lava is like a talisman. We either have to take it with us, or we shouldn't go out at all."

"But we can't take the heart with us without completing the ritual!" Belle looked at the magic circle on the ground, and thinking of the professor's plan to sacrifice her as a sacrifice, she took a half step back in fear.

"The Golden Mask's original words were: 'The ritual requires a life blessed by magic—it can be a wizard, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. Would a magical creature work?'"

"Does a giant count?" Belle asked, looking at the sleeping Gogol.

"Once the heart is removed, the giant is essentially dead."

"Gebu said."

"What if we sacrificed the heart itself?"

Belle asked again. The suggestion sounded outrageous, but the giant's life force did indeed reside within that heart.

"Alchemy rituals cannot backfire, otherwise they would create the arcane paradox defined by the theory of ether, inevitably causing them to fail. However, your thinking is correct; we need to sacrifice a third party—a life blessed by magic—but where am I going to find someone to die?"

"I have been exploring here for a long time without encountering any other life. You are the first living thing I have encountered."

"Belle said, distressed. Geb didn't give up easily. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "The Ether Spring is incredibly rich in magic. Any life created here will inevitably have some magical bloodline."

"Yes—the Imperial Academy has many lineages of sorcerers with magical bloodlines. It is said that these families pass on their magical bloodlines by harnessing abundant etheric flow."

"Magical bloodline—you mean, we'll use magic to create a life?"

Belle asked.

"But what kind of magic is creating life? I've never heard of it. Even creating a flesh and blood puppet requires spells of the fifth rank or higher. It's so difficult."

The goblin racked his brains, but before Goblin could react, Belle seemed to have thought of something and secretly blushed.

"actually----"

"Um?"

"Actually—I heard from Apo in my dorm that creating life doesn't necessarily require magic—"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"————It's just————physical means————"

The girl said shyly.

Physical means?

Forehead----

Isn't that it?!