Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 281 [Embers Instructing with the Staff]

Xia Nan's gaze followed "my" perspective, shifting from the corpse on the ground to the tightly closed doors of the church behind them.

He pondered in his heart.

Without a doubt, judging from the familiar priest's robe on the other party, as well as the severed neck and left arm (the previous mummified corpse had wounds in the same places), this priest who appeared to be dead was the opponent he had just fought fiercely with.

But if the scene before me is not a figment of my imagination, but a real event that actually happened in another time and space, then how did the priest I saw being killed by "me" come back to life and even become a desiccated corpse like a living dead?
But why did the gray-black staff with an orange-red crystal at the top, which had already been taken from the priest by "me", return to the altar?

Xia Nan was filled with doubt.

But for some reason, when his mind started working and he began to think about the reasons behind it...

The first thing that came to mind was the compassionate and pitiful eyes of the goddess statue, which were exactly the same bright yellow vertical pupils as those on the priest's snake head.

The memory has not ended.

The camera swayed, accompanied by the sound of metal armor scraping against each other, as two iron gloves braced themselves against the church door.

Push it open slowly.

hum-

The glaring sunlight made me squint, having spent a long time in the dimly lit church.

What comes into view is a bustling and wide street.

Even considering both the overall atmosphere and the integrity of the architecture, it is completely different from the narrow path I remember that was filled with ruins and rubble when I first arrived.

Xia Nan recognized it at a glance; this long street was the path he had taken from the entrance of Ashenvale all the way to the church.

However, the previously dilapidated and desolate atmosphere, set against the backdrop of thick fog and stone dust, has been dispelled by the bright sunlight and the presence of people in the air.

The collapsed and crumbling walls that had made the road so crowded have been restored to their original exquisite and neat appearance. Rows of small houses with architectural styles similar to churches are elegantly and orderly arranged on both sides of the stone-paved road.

The streets were packed with people, and the cries of vendors and the laughter of children mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Despite this seemingly ordinary scene of exotic hustle and bustle, Xia Nan felt a vague sense of unease.

Like a tiny flying insect resting on a pristine white wall, or a strand of hair lingering on a bright screen, there's an inexplicable awkwardness and unease.

It's the suspicious black spots on the seemingly bright fruit skin of the street vendors, the rotten smell mixed with the sweet fruit fragrance; it's the skinny, dirty-feathered pigeon that the children chase, cooing and flapping its wings, but unable to fly.

An exaggerated smile above hollow eyes, a sharp, piercing, innocent yet eerie laugh...

It's as if an indescribable gray veil has been draped over the entire world, and a deeper, more indescribable atmosphere is invisibly permeating the air.

I suddenly looked up and glanced at it.

Immediately, Xia Nan also caught a glimpse of the orange-red sun hanging high in the sky, which, despite being midday, appeared dim and gloomy, like the sun at dusk.

I tied the staff entrusted to me by the priest to my waist and walked on the road.

Perhaps due to my considerable status, or perhaps because I was an outsider, I received unusual attention from passersby.

Even the most unruly children waited obediently by the roadside when I passed by, only daring to lower their heads. After I had passed, they would quietly raise their heads slightly to look at me curiously.

Considering that my current perspective depends on the body I was in at the time, I obviously also noticed the countless gazes coming from behind me, and the complex emotions in those gazes that seemed respectful but were actually mixed with fear, numbness and a secret desire.

I choose to ignore all of this.

The firm footsteps echoed monotonously on the stone-paved road.

At the end of the road is a small square that is not very wide.

In the center of the square stands a beautiful and exquisite fountain pool with a refreshing flow of water.

A tall, stout knight, clad in full heavy armor, his muscles and fat bulging out of the iron plates, stood quietly by the pool, gazing at the fine ripples that constantly spread across the water's surface.

"Did the master give you the fire?"

The deep eyes beneath the barrel helmet swept across the staff at "my" waist, and a muffled sound like a drumbeat echoed across the arena.

The metal flail in his hand swayed gently, the chain rubbing against the iron block and making a soft, crisp sound.

“It’s no use…” The heavily armored knight’s helmet turned slightly, as if observing the crowd of people watching from afar with numb eyes. “The fire is about to go out, and no one can escape.”

“Look at them…look at me.” The hoarse voice was filled with an overwhelming weariness and despair. “We are all shackles of this world.”

“Kill me.” He turned around abruptly, staring intently at “me.” “Fight, let me return to glory…before the spark.”

I did not answer.

But the sharp greatsword that had already been drawn from behind and was tightly gripped in my palm already showed "my" attitude.

And so, the battle began.

Limited by the first-person perspective fixed within "my" body, Xia Nan's ability to observe things is very limited.

However, it can be determined that "I" have very strong physical abilities, rich combat experience, and an extremely solid foundation in swordsmanship.

Even without displaying any special abilities such as combat skills or magic, he still managed to suppress the obese knight despite the huge size difference.

The heavy metal flail whistled through the air but never landed. Instead, the seemingly cumbersome greatsword left marks on the bulky iron plate.

In just over ten rounds, "I" seized an opportunity to dodge the opponent's attack and slammed the hilt of my sword hard into the back of the fat knight's helmet.

"Boom!"

His massive, obese body swayed and staggered backward, blood seeping from the gaps in his helmet.

His center of gravity shifted, his heels hit the edge of the pool, and he was like a collapsing iron mountain, his massive body crashing backward and slamming into the fountain pool.

I silently sheathed my sword.

Without even glancing at the corpse in the pool, his cold gaze swept over the crowds on both sides of the square, and he stepped over the stone embankment ahead, continuing towards the town's exit.

After passing through the last narrow alley, the air seemed a little fresher. Although the pervasive sense of decay hadn't dissipated, the vast wilderness behind the low wall ahead allowed "me," who had been feeling oppressed in the town for so long, to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

With my left hand gently stroking the staff at my waist, I took a step and tried to cross the simple wooden fence beside the stone wall in front of me and leave this place.

Carrying the "fire" mentioned by the priest, they headed to the royal city to seek the last glimmer of hope.

Perhaps because they were about to leave the town, Xia Nan could sense that "my" originally tense nerves seemed to relax for a moment.

His gaze unconsciously rose and looked toward the side of the town entrance.

His body suddenly stiffened.

Right at the edge of the low wall, on the low stone base, the towering, sacred figure stood silently.

The cold sunlight quietly fell, illuminating her flawless white body and clearly outlining that familiar silhouette—an elegant and gentle figure, a flowing gauze dress, and those compassionate and serene bright yellow snake eyes. Xia Nan had no idea what had happened.

I have no idea what I am experiencing or what kind of stimulation I have received at this moment.

From his perspective, all he could see was that the moment "I" saw the statue, I immediately stopped what I was doing.

He turned around, let out a loud roar, and brandished his greatsword, charging straight toward the statue.

Unleashing its full power, the sharp blade cleaved the entire statue in two at the waist, causing the statue to collapse while its body seemed to undergo some kind of change.

The once bright view gradually darkened, with blood spreading along the edges.

Finally, with a strange, serpentine hiss that seemed to echo within the skull and was close to the ear, the person lost consciousness and fell backward to the ground.

"Boom!"

The back of his head slammed violently against the ground; the cold, hard touch of the bricks and the faint pain that followed instantly jolted Xia Nan awake.

Opening my eyes, what comes into view is a pair of stone leg sculptures with mottled surfaces, full of the marks of time. Bare toes step down, gently treading on the base, and the outline of the thighs can be vaguely glimpsed in the flowing, solidified stone skirt.

But from the waist up, there is only emptiness, as if it has been cut off in the middle.

Xia Nan sat up, and after a few seconds of slight disorientation, he finally realized that he had regained control of his body and had escaped from the secret realm.

"Am I... back at the entrance to the Ashenvale Ruins?"

It was as if she had remembered something.

Suddenly turn around!

What comes into view is the rapidly dissipating fog, driven by the surging winds in the valley, and the gradually improving visibility, which allows us to see the ruins of a small town scattered deep in the valley.

But the most intact, magnificent, and towering church has vanished without a trace.

"Um!?"

Startled, Xia Nan instinctively rushed into the ruins.

Putting aside the loot from the three adventurers, the biggest gain from this mission—the staff known as the "Spark" in the secret realm's memories—was still in the church.

If the church disappears, he...

Thinking this to himself, he had only just taken a step when a strange, sudden, hard touch on his side made him instinctively look down.

The next second, the glow of the burning embers was reflected in his dark eyes.

Unbeknownst to me, the Fire Seed Staff had become tightly bound to my belt, just like the "me" in the secret realm.

Reaching out to take it down, Xia Nan felt the faint warmth emanating from the surface of the wooden staff in his palm. He focused his attention, his gaze fixed on the staff in his hand.

Immediately, semi-transparent characters symbolizing the attribute panel appeared in the void before their eyes:
……

[Ember Teaching Staff]

Category: Consumables/Items
grade:/
Introduction:

The flame crystal at the top of the staff contains some ancient heritage from the Ash Church of Zarit. Crushing it allows one to comprehend its mysteries.

Remarks:

"The flame will eventually die out, but human hope will not."

—Inscription on the wall of the East Experimental Room of the Royal Spells Training Room in the Royal City

……

The encounter in the secret realm vanished from my mind as quickly as last night's dream, and the details of that eerie town became extremely blurry and difficult to recall.

But through those key moments: the priest whose head and left arm were severed, the obese knight who died in the spring pool, and the goddess statue cut in half.

Xia Nan was certain that the buildings and enemies in Ash Valley were the same ones he had seen in the secret realm.

However, due to some unknown reason, an indescribable and bizarre change occurred, causing the buildings to fall into disrepair and collapse, and some of the living people were transformed into highly aggressive mummies.

Right now, perhaps it's because I triggered the secret realm.

The church, along with the corpses of several adventurers, had vanished from the spot.

Xia Nan's spoils, besides the [Iron Stomach Flail] which had been hidden in a secret location deep within the ruins, consisted only of the [Ember Instructor's Staff] in his hand.

Surprisingly, judging from its appearance, I originally thought it was a spellcasting device used by mages.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a storage consumable item used for teaching and passing on knowledge.

The origin of this item is so mysterious that Xia Nan would never have dared to use it casually in the past.

Fortunately, the cheat code with the attribute panel directly pointed out how to use it, and indicated that what was hidden inside was not a curse, but a genuine alien inheritance.

Raising his head, Xia Nan expanded his senses and scanned his surroundings. Seeing that there was no danger, he decided not to waste any more time.

He reached out and pinched the orange-red crystal at the top of the cane, which shimmered with ember-like light.

Use a little force.

"Crack."

It was a crisp sound, like an eggshell cracking.

A crack shimmering with flames appeared on the surface of the crystal near his fingertip, like a breach in a dam. Dazzling light and scorching heat instantly burst out from the crystal, transforming into a large ball of orange-red flames that enveloped Xia Nan's entire body.

As if sensing some key items on its body, the flames quietly split into three parts.

The largest ball of flame, which occupied almost half of the entire flame, transformed into a rapidly shrinking orange-red vortex of fire. It was absorbed by the silver ring on Xia Nan's right ring finger, which was formed from the terminal of the [Dream Corridor]. Its surface glowed.

One-third of the orange-red flame, carrying the complete inheritance within the crystal, entered Xia Nan's head.

Text, sound, images... a vast amount of information surfaced in his mind.

Time was too short to analyze it carefully.

But based on this hastily digested knowledge, one can roughly determine that what comes from a remote town in a foreign land, and is called the "Spark," seems to be something—

Combat techniques!?
Besides that, the last few wisps of fire in the air followed the decapitation sword behind Xia Nan and surged directly into the depths of his backpack.

The smooth-surfaced silver ingot, a trophy left behind by the knight "Terry William," the knight commander under the Earl of Sticky Tree Territory, whom I met in Molten Scale Town, after his death.

This gave its already flawless silver-white appearance a strange hue, like embers, and made it radiate heat from deep within the backpack.

(End of this chapter)