Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 264 Goblin Model

About two hours later, Rowling gently patted Ellie on the shoulder.

Ellie hadn't actually been asleep much; she immediately sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Your turn," Rowling said softly. "Remember what I just said."

"Focus on observing the northwest and east directions."

"The south side is the way we came from, so it's relatively safe."

"Wake me up immediately if you hear or see any unusual noises, such as a group of footsteps, unusual lights, or a strong smell of blood."

"Okay, I got it." Ellie took a deep breath, walked to the spot where Rowling had been sitting, and, imitating Rowling, sat down with her back against the rock wall, staring wide-eyed into the darkness.

Instead of resting immediately, Rowling sat cross-legged beside his blanket and entered a light meditation.

He needs to recover the mental and physical energy he expended during the day, while maintaining some level of consciousness in case of emergency.

When Ellie first started keeping watch, she was under immense pressure, and every little sound made her heart race.

But as time went on, fatigue began to creep in, and my eyelids became heavier and heavier.

She pinched her thigh hard, forcing herself to stay awake, and tried to make out the sounds in the darkness.

The sound of wind — the chirping of insects — something seems to be moving in the distance — is it a wild animal?

still--.--

Just as Ellie's mind began to wander, she suddenly heard a very faint "rustling" sound, different from the sound of the wind, coming from the east of the camp, near the riverbed.

The sound was very soft, like something slowly crawling in the grass.

Ellie's heart jumped, her body tensed, and her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes.

She stared wide-eyed in that direction, but couldn't see anything in the darkness.

The rustling sound stopped for a moment, then started again, seemingly closer.

Should we wake Mr. Rowling?

What if it's a small animal?

But what if it isn't—

Before they could even finish, the rustling sound had come within 20 meters of the camp.

Ellie could even smell a faint, earthy, and slightly sweet scent wafting over.

No, it's too close!

Just as Ellie was about to call out, she suddenly heard Rowling's calm voice: "Don't move, and don't make a sound."

Luo Lin had already ended his meditation at some point and silently came to her side, his gaze also fixed on the darkness.

He raised his hand to signal Ellie to be quiet, then slowly stood up and drew the spare adamantite dagger from his waist.

The short blade reflected a cold, icy glint in the dim light of the furnace fire.

The rustling sound stopped again about ten meters from the camp.

In the darkness, two eerie green lights, like will-o'-the-wisps, slowly lit up.

The two eerie green lights remained motionless in the darkness, carrying a cold, scrutinizing quality.

Along with it, the earthy, slightly sweet aroma became even stronger.

Ellie's heart was pounding, her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and she held her breath.

She watched Rowling's retreating figure, which appeared exceptionally composed in the dim light of the fireplace.

Rowling did not act immediately.

His hand holding the short blade was steady, his eyes fixed on the two points of green light.

After a moment, he turned his head slightly and said to Ellie in a very low voice, "Back off slowly, go to the fire, don't run."

Ellie nodded stiffly, slowly moving her feet back to the alchemy furnace.

The warm orange light calmed her down a bit.

Luo Lin slowly took a step forward, holding the short blade horizontally in front of him.

"Come out, I know what you are."

There was a moment of silence in the darkness.

Then, the rustling sound started again.

A short, hunched figure slowly emerged from the tall grass in the direction of the riverbed.

By the dim light of the fire, Ellie could make out the appearance of the newcomer.

It was a creature that only reached Rolin's waist in height, with rough, grayish-brown skin covered in wrinkles.

Its head was large, and its eyes, which were the source of the two eerie green lights, occupied a large part of its face.

It has no obvious nose, only two small holes, and its mouth is open, revealing a few crooked yellow teeth.

He was dressed in tattered clothes cobbled together from animal hides and unknown plant fibers.

He was also holding a simple wooden stick with a piece of glowing fluorite tied to the top.

"Goblin?" Rowling raised an eyebrow, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Hehehe—clever humans." The short goblin grinned, letting out a hoarse, unpleasant laugh, his Common Tongue sounding somewhat awkward and difficult to pronounce.

"Mog, Mog is the observer of this wasteland."

"You guys are new here?"

Its large green eyes greedily scanned the camp's stoves and packages, finally landing on the incubator, where it paused for a moment.

"We're just passing through," Rowling said calmly. "We have no intention of disturbing you and will leave at dawn."

"Just passing by? Hehe—" Mog the goblin chuckled a few more times, leaning on his wooden stick as he shuffled forward a few steps. "The wasteland is not a place you can just pass by."

"Danger, lots of danger! Especially at night! Mog, I'm kind enough to show you the safe way—of course, I need a little something in return."

It stretched out its dirty fingers, with black grime under its fingernails, and gestured "a little bit".

A typical wilderness goblin, greedy, cunning, and a bully who preys on the weak, but sometimes does possess some local intelligence.

"What reward?" Rowling asked calmly.

Mog's eyes darted around, his gaze drifting back to the incubator.

"That shiny box—is there something good inside?"

"Mog smells it, a peculiar scent."

"Let Mog take a look, just one glance!"

"Then, Mog will tell you how to bypass the Stoneclaw tribe's patrol area ahead, and where to find clean water and edible roots!"

The Stonetalon Tribe?

It sounds like a gathering place for some kind of humanoid creature or monster in the area.

Luo Lin's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless.

You can't see what's inside the box.

"Let's change the terms."

Mog's face immediately fell, revealing a look of disappointment and dissatisfaction.

"You stingy humans! Without Mog's guidance, you would have been captured by the Stoneclaw Orcs and enslaved, or devoured by the Nightshade Wolves until nothing was left!"

It waved its wooden stick, the light from the fluorite tracing chaotic paths in the darkness.

"Then you don't need to worry about it." Roland's voice turned cold, and he slightly raised the short blade in his hand, the edge reflecting a cold glint. "Now, leave our camp."

Mog the goblin was startled by the cold light and took two steps back, but greed clearly overcame his fear.

Its eyes darted around again, then suddenly adopted a fawning expression: "Don't, don't be angry! Human friends! Mog can—can still trade with you! Mog has treasures! Look!"

He rummaged around in the tattered leather bag at his waist for a while and pulled out an irregular stone about the size of a fist, with a pitted surface and a mixture of dark red and grayish-white colors.

"Look! Flamestone! A rare find deep within the Blackrock Mountains!"

"It contains stable fire elemental energy, which will definitely be useful to you wizards!" Mog held the stone in his hands, trying to show it off. "Exchange! Use this to exchange for some food, or—or just a tiny bit of what's in that glittering box? Just a tiny bit!"

Rowling's gaze fell on the rock.

It is indeed Firestone, an energy ore that is not particularly rare but quite useful in the wild. It can be used to assist certain fire spells, forging, or as a supplementary energy source for alchemy furnaces.

The quality may seem average, but its strength lies in its stable energy output.

This goblin seems to genuinely only want to exchange some benefits, rather than purely plunder.

In the wilderness, establishing a limited trading relationship with such a local tyrant is sometimes more useful than complete hostility.

"I can give you some food." Roland sheathed his dagger, but remained vigilant. "The things in the box are not allowed."

"Food? Sure, sure!" Mog nodded eagerly, his eyes lighting up again. "It has to be meat! Mog hasn't had fresh meat in ages!"

Rowling gestured for Ellie to take out a spare piece of dried, firm jerky from her pack and toss it to Mog.

Mog caught the jerky, sniffed it deeply, and a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. Then he looked at the Firestone in his hand.

Luo Lin stepped forward, took the stone, and felt its slight warmth in his hand; the energy fluctuations were indeed stable.

He weighed them in his hand, then took out a small packet of salt and a few pieces of hard candy from his pack—these were valuable commodities in the wilderness.

"Add these as well. In exchange, tell me the truth about the Stonetalon tribe and the surrounding area."

When Mog saw the salt and sugar, his green eyes widened even more, and he almost drooled.

"Okay! Okay! Mog, tell us! Tell us everything!"

"It eagerly stuffed the jerky into its mouth and began to speak indistinctly."