The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

Chapter 66: Chapter 60: The Heart Stealer’s Legacy

"What do you want me to say?"

Agatha’s eyes swept over the vast space before her, finally lowering her gaze to Shire. "So what if the house is big."

"Nothing much. Considering moving in with me?" Shire smiled at her. "Don’t worry, I won’t charge you rent."

"No. This place is too far from Yangjiao Town. I used to be able to sneak into town from my cabin at night. Living here would be so much more trouble." Agatha shook her head, refusing, then asked, "Have you named your new home?"

"It’s been named. Someone else named it," Shire replied, gritting his teeth.

"Someone else?" Agatha was a little surprised.

"A Heart Stealer. He named this place the Goblin Fortress," Shire said bitterly.

"A Heart Stealer? You have friends like that?" Agatha the Ghost Witch chuckled. "Where is he? Can you introduce us?"

"He’s already dead. If you want to see him, I can have my underlings dig him up for you to pay your respects," Shire shrugged.

"You killed the original owner, the Heart Stealer, didn’t you?" Agatha covered her mouth in surprise. "Heart Stealers are incredibly powerful. How did you do it?"

"It was simple. I once saw a street vendor in Torch City kill an octopus," Shire said with a smile, gesturing with his hands. "First, you grab them, give their bald heads a few hard slaps, and once they’re dazed, it’s a swift slice of the blade..."

Agatha stared at Shire as if he were an idiot. Seeing his awkward smile as he trailed off, she finally said, "If you get the chance, could you introduce me to this hero who took down the Heart Stealer?"

"Why?" Shire asked.

"Heart Stealers are powerful. The books all say their Mind Shock can knock a normal human unconscious instantly. Even as a Bloodline Warlock, I wouldn’t dare face a Heart Stealer alone. For this hero to have dealt with one so easily, he must be incredibly strong." The hunchbacked Ghost Witch Agatha blinked her purple eyes, staring intently at Shire. "Don’t get the wrong idea. I just don’t want to be inexplicably killed by him someday."

"Sure, if I get the chance." Shire could tell at a glance that Agatha had misunderstood again, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain.

"What did you say the Heart Stealer named this place?" Agatha pressed.

"Goblin Fortress." Shire handed a sheet of parchment to Agatha.

Agatha took it and unfolded it. "This looks like a map. It’s not a route map to this place, is it?"

"It is," Shire nodded. "I suspect it’s part of the Heart Stealer’s scheme. He used these maps to lure Adventurers here to become his incubation hosts. He was probably afraid Adventurers wouldn’t come, so he deliberately named it the Goblin Fortress."

"This one sheet doesn’t prove much." Agatha handed the parchment back to Shire.

But Shire didn’t take it. Instead, he said, "I found ten identical maps in that bastard’s chest. Ten of them."

"I feel like I’ve been had," he said angrily.

"Maybe the maps haven’t been distributed yet," Agatha comforted him softly. Then she asked, "You didn’t call me here just to show off your new house, did you?"

"Not entirely. I have something to show you. Something important." A wide, brilliant smile spread across Shire’s face.

’What’s the fun of moving if you don’t get to show it off?’

With that, he took the lead, guiding Agatha inside.

As they passed through a corridor, Agatha saw seventeen large wooden chests lined up against the wall. Behind them, a wooden plaque hung on the wall, marked "Beast Cores." "Beast Cores? Are they from the Heart Stealer?"

Shire immediately grabbed Agatha. "Don’t touch them. Those are all Shape-shifting Monsters."

"Shape-shifting Monsters? All of them?" Agatha immediately took a step back. "Then what are you doing with them here?"

"They’re the Heart Stealer’s prized collection. Seventeen Shape-shifting Monsters, placed here to help him ’welcome’ the Adventurers exploring the Goblin Fortress," Shire said, his tone dripping with resentment.

"Oh..." Agatha hesitated for a moment. "So there aren’t any Beast Cores here, right?"

"Those... well, there are some, but not many." Shire reached up and scratched his cheek. The Heart Stealer had left him a few good things after all.

"Fine, not many is not many. One or two would be fine, too," Agatha muttered under her breath.

The two of them walked through the corridor and saw a group of goblins still cleaning the Fortress. The place was simply too large, and there was too much to do.

"I think I just saw a Giant and a group of Fulu," Agatha said, puzzled.

"Correct. The Giant is my subordinate. His name is Caocao." Shire nodded. "The Fulu are tenants."

"This place is quite interesting. To be honest, it wouldn’t be bad to live here. I’m actually starting to like it," Agatha said with a smile, walking over to a heavy wooden door. "What’s behind this door? Why is it always closed? Are there little goblins or a Unicorn locked inside?"

"There are dozens of Brain-Eating Monsters inside," Shire said calmly.

Agatha snatched her hand back as if struck by lightning, stumbling backward several steps.

"What are you keeping them for?" she asked, looking at Shire in astonishment.

"I’m thinking that once the Fortress is clean, I’ll fill a large room at the front with Brain-Eating Monsters. Raise about a hundred of them," Shire said in a casual tone.

Agatha’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was the first time she realized her old classmate had such a peculiar hobby. "Those are Brain-Eating Monsters, not fat cats."

"It’s fine, I can afford to keep them," Shire said nonchalantly. "Do you still want to live here?"

"Like hell I’d want to live here," Agatha refused flatly.

Finally, he brought Agatha to what was formerly the master’s room and pointed to several large parcels in the corner. "Blue Thistle Leaves, Rootstock of Wind Charm Grass, and Purple Wood Flower. And my subordinates are still out gathering other medicinal herbs."

"What are you trying to say?" Agatha asked.

"I have a friend who wants to know... does brewing potions with Alchemy require Magic Power? If it’s just mixing, could a goblin do it? Even just the basic processing would be helpful," Shire said with a smile.

"Hmph." Agatha let out an exasperated laugh. She nearly blurted out, ’This "friend" of yours is just you, isn’t it?’

Still, she patiently explained to Shire, "Ordinary Insect-Repelling Potions and Sleep Potions don’t require Magic Power. They just need to be mixed and boiled. But those aren’t very useful for an Adventurer in a fight. They’re for everyday use."

"The potions actually needed for combat, like Healing Potions or Awakening Potions, require a bit of Magic Power to be infused to activate the properties of the herbs. If you just boil them simply, the potion’s effect will be very weak."

"I see." Shire nodded, stroking his chin in thought for a few seconds.

Then he looked up and asked, "Did you bring any Magic Potions?"

"I did. As a Bloodline Warlock, of course I would." Agatha took out two Magic Potions and handed them to Shire.

Shire ran out to find a wooden bowl and poured the Magic Potions into it. Then he took out another parcel and tipped several bones into the Magic Potion.

Agatha leaned in to watch, puzzled. Then, to her astonishment, she saw the bones begin to move in the potion, gradually drawing together and assembling into a human hand.

"This is..." She stared, mouth agape, at the skeletal hand stretching comfortably in the potion. "It’s an Undead Monster... a Wriggling Claw."

"Don’t say that." Shire corrected her with a smile. "This is our future Gold Medal Alchemist, Mr. Little Claw."

"?" The Wriggling Claw paused for a moment, then its five fingers curled inward, clenching into a fist.