Chapter 33: Refined Incantations

Lu Yang could not help but clench his fist. Among the three items required to upgrade the Heart of the Demon God from level 0 to level 1, the Mark of the Demon God was the most difficult to obtain. Now, he only needed the other two items to reach level 1.

Only Lu Yang knew how powerful the Heart of the Demon God would become once upgraded; its attributes would increase tenfold, and he would even learn the sub-forbidden spell, Meteor Fall.

Carefully stowing the Mark of the Demon God into his bag, Lu Yang turned his attention to the other items on the ground. The Troll Shaman had dropped not only the Mark but also a skill book, a piece of equipment, and some instant recovery potions. Lu Yang picked up the skill book to examine it.

System Prompt: You have obtained the skill book "Photonic Flame."

"It’s actually this skill book," Lu Yang remarked.

If one were to ask which beginner skill book was the most awkward, Mage players would immediately think of "Photonic Flame." The name sounded imposing, but in reality, it merely spewed a burst of flame three yards forward, dealing 64 points of damage. The awkwardness of this spell lay in its classification: it was neither a true single-target attack nor a proper area-of-effect spell, given its pitiful three-yard range. If one were in a party, there was no space to use it; with warriors holding the front line, a mage could hardly walk behind them to cast it. Consequently, after the initial novelty wore off, this "group" spell sold for less than ten copper coins.

However, later on, as many players mastered simplified incantations and began to understand the underlying principles, they started to improve certain spells—Photonic Flame included. Fire Mages discovered that it could be charged for up to ten seconds, releasing a super-powerful flame 15 yards long and three yards wide. While still not viable for standard damage rotations, this charged version could produce unexpected results in specific situations.

Lu Yang learned the skill, and an icon depicting a jet of flame appeared in his skill bar.

He then examined the equipment: it was a level 10 warrior chest piece. Being of silver quality, it could fetch a decent price. After tucking it away, he collected the instant recovery potions—three for health and two for mana. Seeing nothing else of value in the vicinity, Lu Yang took out a Town Portal Scroll. Just then, a shrill cry erupted from within the Troll Shaman’s house.

"Help! Help! I’m going to be burned alive! Someone, save me!"

Lu Yang was startled. It was the language of the Goblins. Although he was currently playing a human and had not technically learned the Goblin tongue, he had played the game for ten years in his previous life; while he couldn't write it, he had no trouble communicating.

He looked toward the house of Voljin. During their fight, Voljin’s fireballs had repeatedly struck the walls, and the building was now engulfed in a raging inferno.

"Strange, why is there a goblin here?" Lu Yang muttered to himself.

In his previous life, by the time he visited this area, he was already over level 100, and there was only this single boss. Still, since it was a goblin, he decided he had to save him. In the setting of "Second World," goblins were symbols of greed who styled themselves as Trade Princes, conducting commerce across the world. If a player could become friends with a goblin, they would be taught Engineering; high-level goblins even issued special quests that offered incredible rewards.

The third-largest guild in the national server in his past life,碧血苍穹 (Bi Xue Cang Qiong), had secured its status because its leader gained the friendship of a Goblin Prince. His subordinates possessed countless high-end items, such as advanced muskets, siege engines, cannons, and rocket boots, all crafted through Goblin Engineering.

However, befriending a goblin was notoriously difficult. They always felt looked down upon, and their catchphrase was always: "The people here look down on me." They also enjoyed playing pranks. In his past life, one player had gifted a goblin a gold coin in hopes of gaining favor. The goblin accepted it happily and offered a gift in return, but when the player opened it, it was a bomb that blew him to pieces, causing him to lose ten percent of his experience and drop his gear and inventory items all over the ground.

Lu Yang had always wanted to win the favor of the goblins in his previous life but never found the way. Now that such a golden opportunity had presented itself, he could not let it pass.

He sprinted into Voljin’s house. Upon entering the hall, he saw a goblin tied to a wooden stake in the center. The goblin was about a meter tall, naked, with green skin; judging by his appearance, he was just a youth. The goblin spotted him immediately.

"Oh, sir! I beg you, save me! If you save me, I am willing to give you one gold coin!" Tears streamed from the goblin’s large eyes.

"Keep your money; saving you is just a small favor," Lu Yang said, hurrying to the goblin’s side to untie the ropes.

The ropes were thick and pulled tight by Voljin. Lu Yang used all his strength, but they barely budged.

"Oh, sir! Time is money! Please, hurry, the house is going to collapse!" the goblin shrieked in terror.

The fire had reached the roof by now, and the blinding glare combined with the black flames filled the goblin with dread. Lu Yang wanted to hurry, too; he couldn't help but lament that he wasn't playing a warrior—at least a warrior would have the strength to snap the ropes.

Suddenly, an idea struck him: if a warrior could use physical strength, why couldn't he use fire to destroy the ropes? He chanted an Incinerate spell and directed it at the bindings.

*Boom!*

The ropes were shattered by the explosive flames. Just then, a heavy wooden beam supporting the roof collapsed downward. The goblin was paralyzed with fear, unable to react. As the beam was about to crush him, Lu Yang shoved the goblin out of the danger zone and then rolled forward himself, narrowly avoiding the falling timber.

"Don't just stand there, run! Without that beam, the whole house is coming down!" Lu Yang stood up, grabbed the goblin, and dashed toward the entrance.

The goblin, whose legs had turned to jelly from fright, finally snapped out of it and scrambled to follow. The moment they reached the doorway, the roof lost its final support and, weakened by the fire, collapsed entirely.

With a thunderous crash, the house crumbled to the ground.