bookpub Chapter 4 Goblin Existential Crisis
Chapter 4 Goblin Existential Crisis
Goblins are simple creatures.
They have simple desires.
They will think about some simple questions.
For example:
What should we eat today?
How to avoid the job of shoveling hyena poop?
Why is my butt so cold? Is there a hole in my pants?
Although Geb has a human mind, his brain is still that of a goblin.
A second before he opened the book, he wondered, "Could this book teach me great magic?"
After opening the book, Geb is now thinking:
who am I?
Why did I come here?
What is the meaning of my existence as a goblin?
On this otherwise ordinary autumn day, in this dark cave, a goblin named Geb realized for the first time what an existential crisis was all about.
-----------------
The moment he opened the book, Goblin Goblin felt a strange light shine into his eyes.
It's hot! So hot! But it's not just hot on the skin; it's hot to the bone, hot to the soul!
The words wriggle, writing themselves, reorganizing, and dissipating, like scattered yellow sand, without a fixed shape, yet transforming into endless illusions.
Geb had never read a single book in his entire life. He didn't know a single word, whether it was Common Tongue, Goblin (which had no written script), or the runes of the tribal shamans—but that didn't prevent him from understanding what those languages were trying to tell him:
Eternal.
This is an arrogant promise: the book tells its readers that its pages contain all the knowledge that has ever existed, past, present, and future.
If you have enough patience to search, this book will teach you all the secrets of the world.
Right now, it is displaying all the information about the half-elf wizard that Gob encountered to the goblin.
He was a wizard.
He is a shaping wizard.
He used it in front of Geb:
0-level spell (also known as trick) - [Fire Arrow]
1st Ring Spell - [Burning Hand]
2nd Ring Spell - [Stealth Step]
3rd Ring Spell - Fireball
Because of the Evocation Mage's class specialization, his Evocation spells can selectively grant immunity to designated targets—preventing him from harming his own allies.
His magic originates from wisdom; each spell is something he has understood, researched, and memorized.
This information was being poured into Gebu's little head, and he felt like his head was about to explode.
Help...help me!
The goblin's pupils dilated, and it opened its throat, letting out a silent scream.
This is terrifying! This is terrifying! Gebu doesn't want to know so much!
Goblin's yellow eyes were burned by the writhing words on the pages of the book. Strange, unreadable symbols were branded onto the little goblin's irises—character by character, etched onto the surface of his eyeballs.
Geb rubbed his eyes and scratched his face with his nails, trying to relieve the unbearable burning sensation, but to no avail. The energy meandered beneath his skin, scattering and reassembling his mind.
Geb's brain is about to be cooked!
The goblin's feeble will was no match for the book's powerful spiritual force. He felt his body being possessed by the treasure before him—no, the thing's will was more than that. It had no interest in his physical form; it wanted to transform his soul!
At that moment, Gebu realized that this treasure hadn't even asked for his consent. The moment he turned the page, the choice was no longer in his hands.
That book was issuing a declaration to Geb in a language older than time itself:
You have opened the Book of Sand, the book of tiny goblins.
You have glimpsed a corner of infinity.
It is a blessing, but also a curse.
From now on, you will never be able to accept mediocrity again.
To become a footnote in someone else's story, or to be the master of one's own destiny?
It's entirely up to you.
The book slammed shut, and Gebu was thrown back violently, crashing into the cave wall. His vision went black!
-----------------
When Gebu opened his eyes, the thick fog in his head cleared away, revealing the sun. Gebu had never felt his thoughts were so clear and his mind so sharp.
What happened...?
He looked at the large golden book lying on the ground.
In the past, Gebu would have racked his brains and then given up.
But now it's different; Geb understood his situation in just a few seconds.
This book has such magical power. I became smarter after just turning one page.
He stood up and turned to see the cracked mirror inside the "treasure pile".
Gebu looked in the mirror, and the reflection in the mirror looked back at him.
Goblins have dark vision that allows them to discern outlines and shapes, but not colors.
Um... Geb said, "Let there be light."
Gebu found some scraps of cloth, wrapped them around a wooden stick, and then dipped it in some residual kerosene to make a torch. He lit the torch, illuminated the mirror, and carefully observed himself in the mirror.
This is me.
I used to be a human, but now I'm just a goblin, no different from any other goblin.
No, that's not the case.
There is only one me in this world; I am unique.
Geb raised his hand, looking at the green skin. The body was so thin and hunched that it would be unremarkable even among goblins.
He turned to look at the dead half-elf. He was well-proportioned, with the upright posture of a human and the graceful features of an elf.
He has pointed ears like me, but we are worlds apart.
Born a goblin... what is the meaning of my existence in this world?
Gebu pondered deeply—he hadn't thought about such complex issues before. Because thinking too much would give him a headache, and besides, he wouldn't have enough to eat.
Goblins don't live long. The oldest shaman in the tribe is only around fifty years old. Most goblins die before the age of thirty for various reasons.
Gebu didn't know how old he was; he started participating in hunting and raiding parties about five winters ago.
Fourteen or fifteen years old? From the perspective of goblin society, he was already a young man. At this age, the uphill climb in life had come to an end.
What I am doing now, I will do in the future, until I can no longer continue.
A scout is a scout, a beast tamer is a beast tamer, a warrior is a warrior, and a shaman is a shaman...
Scouts, being in such a lowly profession, don't live long. After a few injuries, their legs become weak and inflexible—then they can only serve as cannon fodder, or do the lowest-level odd jobs, eat the scraps left by others, grow weak, get sick, and eventually die.
If you're not careful, you could be captured and enslaved by the subterranean races: dark elves and grey dwarves, never to see the sunlight again. Falling into human hands is even worse; your head will be smashed on the spot.
Not to mention, they could become prey for wild beasts and jackals at any moment. I almost got eaten by a bear today.
Thinking about this, Geb suddenly felt a pang of sadness. The book had given him extraordinary intelligence, but it hadn't changed his circumstances.
He was just a lowly goblin scout, sometimes hungry, sometimes full, bullied by his own kind, and despised by other races.
No, we can't do that.
That book was right; I can no longer bear my ordinariness.
Gebu gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in front of his reflection in the mirror.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I can finally change my circumstances and take control of my own destiny. I must find a way to get rid of this goblin body!
Intelligence is a resource, an irreplaceable resource.
I've become smarter, and my brain has a lot of capacity, but I don't have the knowledge to fill it.
The little goblin's gaze shifted to the top of the book.
The Book of Sand.
Didn't you promise endless knowledge?
Open yourself up and let me see you to my heart's content!