Chapter 306 - 276: From 0.5 to 0.8

Chapter 306: Chapter 276: From 0.5 to 0.8

Shire couldn’t be certain that these two spells weren’t known by human Mages, but if a bookworm like Agatha didn’t know them, then there was a good chance they weren’t part of a normal Mage’s repertoire.

’If I keep casting the Dumbing Curse and Language Curse on myself every day, will I quickly learn more of Lust’s Magic?’ he wondered as he walked. ’But I’ve heard that Demon Lords can change the gender of their Clones at will, sometimes appearing as male, other times as female. I think I can pass on learning that particular spell.’

He called up his panel again and looked at its contents.

Group Language Curse: You can cast this Magic on your enemies or yourself. Any target you perceive as an ’enemy’ will become more easily persuaded by your words.

’So it’s basically a spell for tricking people. Makes sense. Those Demon Lords manage to fool so many people into helping them find their eyes and ears. On one hand, it’s because those people want something, but on the other, the Demon Lords are genuinely smooth-talkers,’ Shire thought with a pout. ’But this spell is still a bit problematic for me. The description says ’more easily,’ which means there’s still a chance they won’t believe me at all. And unlike those gender-bending Demon Lords, I’m just a 1.3-meter-tall goblin. Who’s going to even try to trust a goblin that’s laying on the charm?’

At this thought, the corner of Shire’s mouth twitched. He could already picture the scene: a goblin, looking completely harmless, walking toward a group of fully-armed members of a Knight Order with its arms wide open. "Hey, friends! Don’t be like that. Fighting is bad. Why don’t we sit down and have some lamb skewers together?"

And then, with a flash of a sword, he probably wouldn’t be able to find his own head.

’Still, no matter how you look at it, I’ve mastered two new Magic spells. I’ve even leveled up. I’m not a 0.5-level piece of trash anymore,’ Shire thought, letting out a soft sigh. ’Now, I’m a 0.8-level piece of trash.’

’I’m growing fast,’ he thought, viciously kicking a small pebble in front of him. Even though he’d managed to nab Magic straight from Lust’s own Magic Book, looking back on his previous fights, every single one felt like walking a tightrope. It was like that with the Fearsome Claw Bear, like that with the Heart Stealer, and even like that with Vissans.

Before every battle, he had made extensive preparations. During the fight, his mind raced to make choices, using every available condition to his advantage. But it was a dangerous feeling that he believed no one would ever want to experience.

’The good thing about these experiences is that now, when I see those Earth Goblin armies, I don’t feel a single thing.’ Shire gave a self-deprecating laugh. As he spoke, he slowly turned into his stone house. He still had to lead his subordinates on a patrol of the new northern territory this afternoon.

"Alright, this afternoon I’ll just..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing for a moment. Without pausing, he continued in a slightly discouraged tone, "...I’ll just take some men to the north and search carefully. See if I can find that item the Forest God asked me to look for. Sigh."

After speaking, Shire walked to his desk and began tidying the items on it. In a mirror in the corner of the stone house, his reflection was doing the exact same thing. But Shire knew that Lust was watching him from inside that mirror.

On that night, just as Lust had been about to leave, Shire had slapped the Star of the Domain onto them. This way, he would be instantly notified if they ever appeared within the Domain he controlled.

Shire had originally thought that a Demon Lord who went to the trouble of having a goblin search for an item wouldn’t pay him much mind afterward. He thought he might even be forgotten, since goblins were still rather weak compared to humans. But now it seemed this guy wasn’t going to let him off the hook so easily.

’Could it be because I "copied" new Magic from its Magic Book today without permission? Is the owner here to collect?’

Shire picked up a few blueprints from the desk. They were new designs he had drawn for the Centaurs’ wooden houses. "Time to take this trash out."

With that, he casually strolled out of the stone house. After confirming there were no reflective surfaces nearby that could show his image, he quickly cast the Dumbing Curse and the Language Curse on himself.

"Now to see how effective this new Magic is," Shire whispered, his eyes narrowed. He didn’t know if these Abilities would be enough to fool Lust. Unfortunately, he didn’t possess any other earth-shattering powers, nor could he slay demons and dragons like the Dragon Slayer Hero Siegfried from 110 years ago. To protect himself, his only choice was to push his Abilities to their absolute limit.

"Where are you going?" a voice sounded from behind him. Shire paid it no mind and kept walking forward. He pretended the person wasn’t talking to him; after all, the voice hadn’t used his name.

Unfortunately, after he had taken just two steps, his body completely ignored his commands, turned around on its own, and walked back into the stone house. Shire’s eyes were wide with astonishment, and cold sweat was already beading on his forehead.

Standing inside the stone house was a goblin that looked exactly like him, currently watching him with a wide, toothy grin.

’Bastard, what a creepy smile. Even as a goblin, I’m a Handsome Guy when I smile,’ Shire complained viciously in his head. Outwardly, however, his face remained a mask of terror. "What’s happening to me? Who are you?"

Hearing Shire’s reaction, Lust couldn’t help but sigh. "A goblin is a goblin. Dumb as a rock."

It then dispelled the Magic. Seeing Shire immediately fall to the ground in a panic, it spoke slowly, "Have you forgotten me? You did sign a contract."

"You’re... the Forest God?" Shire rubbed his knees and shins as he struggled to his feet. He’d overdone the act a little, and the fall really hurt. "Why have you come?"

"I’m here to ask about your progress, of course," Lust’s Clone said, pacing back and forth a few steps. It clenched and unclenched its fist several times, clearly showing some impatience. "Still a bit stupid. If I hadn’t just heard you say you were heading north to search for my sake, I might not have wanted to see you again."

"Forest God," Shire said, quickly and respectfully lowering his head. "I didn’t realize it was you. I was indeed about to lead my men to explore the north, hoping to find the item you need as soon as possible."

’Something feels strange about this guy... even a little familiar,’ Lust thought, frowning. It sized Shire up, but just as it was about to take a closer look, Shire didn’t give it the time.

"Divine Being, the north is somewhat dangerous. Some goblins fled from there recently, saying a powerful Goblin Kingdom exists in that land. They all worship another Divine Being, a flying Feathered Serpent." While speaking in a respectful tone, Shire also gestured wildly with his hands and feet to enhance the persuasiveness of his words. "I don’t know if I can defeat them. They are too powerful."

"A Feathered Serpent? An Evil God?" Lust curled its lip. As a Demon Lord, a mere Evil God was nothing to be afraid of. "Even knowing they’re strong, you still plan to take your men north?"

"Yes, Forest God." Shire nodded firmly, his eyes filled with resolve.

"Mm," Lust hummed. It was unexpectedly pleased by this answer. ’Even though he’s just a goblin, he’s genuinely willing to get things done. Compared to those humans who feign compliance while acting otherwise, this goblin clearly takes my business more seriously.’

’Is this all an act for my benefit?’ It shook its head slightly. ’What a joke. I came here through a mirror passage to see Shire. There’s no way he could have known in advance.’

"You’re doing very well. I’m quite satisfied," Lust said with a nod and a smile.