Chapter 100: Historian And Mage
Morning arrived, and the Su Tribe officially left their old home behind. Everyone began traveling north toward the Yan Tribe, and Arthur noticed almost immediately how different the atmosphere felt compared to the day before.
Yesterday, everyone had been mourning.
Today, everyone was talking. Children laughed as they ran alongside the walking column. Hunters discussed among themselves what they might become after evolving. Vedas was already organizing the tribe into smaller hunting groups, assigning routes and rotations with the ease of someone who had been doing it for years rather than days.
Luka smiled as she watched it all unfold. "We’re finally moving forward," she said.
Arthur suddenly remembered something. "Right," he said.
He turned toward one of the Su Tribe Goblins walking nearby and reached out. He felt his Evolution Vision activating.
[Evolution Path Discovered!]
[Species: Goblin]
[Goblin Historian]
[Goblin Archivist]
[Goblin Chronicle Sage]
[Requirements]
[Read ten historical records: 10/10]
[Reach Level 8]
Arthur’s eyes shined before he said. "Do you want to evolve?"
The Su Goblin froze before pointing at himself and saying. "I-I can evolve?"
"Of course. You just need to level up!"
"R-Really?"
Before Arthur could answer, one of the Mu Tribe Goblins standing close by spoke up eagerly. "Prophet Arthur did the same thing for Raku," he said. "He knew things about him nobody else could have guessed. And look at him now."
Another Mu Tribe Goblin nodded along. "He told me exactly what I needed before I evolved too," she said. "Every word came true."
Mithra giggled, covering her mouth with one hand. "He indeed did help them evolve," she said, nodding along as though she were simply confirming a fact everyone already knew.
Sun let out a long sigh. "It was just luck," he muttered, mostly to himself.
The Su Tribe Goblins glanced between each other, clearly unsure what to make of any of it, though a few of them were already watching Arthur with something close to curiosity rather than doubt.
Arthur laughed. "Just trust me." He pointed toward a beast moving through the trees a short distance away. "Everyone stand back," he said. He placed his own spear into the Goblin’s hands. "Use mine."
The Goblin panicked immediately. "Arthur?" he said.
Arthur smiled. "I’ll make the opening," he said.
A short fight followed, Arthur controlling most of the engagement while guiding the nervous Goblin through the motions. The final strike belonged entirely to him.
[Level Up!]
[Level 8]
The requirement completed instantly, and the Goblin began glowing.
Blue light surrounded him, and ancient symbols rose from the ground beneath his feet. The glow gathered first around his eyes, then spread across his entire body. His rough leather clothing shifted into layered scholar robes, decorated with ancient Goblin runes stitched along the sleeves. A long sash formed around his waist. A crystal pen appeared tucked behind one ear, and several floating pages circled him briefly before dissolving into scattered light.
The glow faded completely.
The Goblin Historian stood before them, and everyone stared. He slowly adjusted the folds of his new robes.
"They’re comfortable," he said.
Arthur laughed.
The Su Tribe erupted. Somebody near the back whispered the word first, and it spread through the group like fire catching dry grass.
"Prophet."
"He knew," one Hunter said, staring at Arthur like he was seeing him for the first time. "He looked at him for two seconds and he knew."
An older Goblin bowed his head low. "Prophet Arthur," she said reverently.
Athena walked over immediately. "What abilities?" she asked.
The Historian closed his eyes for a moment. "Historical Insight," he said. "Ancient Language."
Athena’s eyes lit up, and she turned toward Mara instantly. "Write everything," she said.
Mara was already writing.
The Historian suddenly stopped and he looked toward one of the old stone ruins nearby. His breathing slowed. "I..." Everyone turned toward him. "I can read it."
Athena frowned. "You can?"
The Historian slowly walked toward a weathered stone pillar. Words that had looked like meaningless scratches moments ago now felt familiar.
He gently brushed away the moss.
Then read aloud. "Knowledge forgotten is knowledge buried... To you future cloud walkers... Follow the path of the storm."
Silence filled the road.
Athena’s eyes widened. "You didn’t just learn a language." She looked at Arthur. "But somehow decipher a lost one."
The Historian smiled quietly. "I think..." He rested a hand against the ancient stone. "...I’ve been waiting to read these my whole life."
"Well, then that’s good. Let’s keep going, we might find more." Arthur said, making the Historian nod his head.
The forest gradually opened as the group continued north, and everyone stepped into a massive valley before stopping completely.
Silence spread through the group.
Far ahead, a colossal stone figure towered over everything in sight, only its upper body still standing above the ground. One massive hand pointed toward the sky, and the other still gripped the remains of a broken spear. Clouds drifted lazily around its shoulders as though it were simply another mountain peak.
The children stared with their mouths open.
Arthur whispered, "How big was he?"
Athena quietly studied the statue and her eyes slowly moved upward.
Past the shoulders.
Past the clouds.
She finally stopped trying. "If this is only what’s above ground..."
Arthur looked at her. "...That big?"
Athena nodded. "Bigger."
Nobody asked another question.
"The First Metal Vanguard King," she whispered.
A bird landed on one of the statue’s massive fingers, looking no larger than an insect against the scale of it. Nobody said anything else for a long while.
The silence lasted longer than anyone expected.
One of the younger Goblins finally pointed toward the statue. "Could..."
Then another one continued. "Could a person really make something that big?"
Athena didn’t answer immediately and she continued staring upward. "I don’t know."
Everyone looked at her.
She smiled faintly. "History never agreed. Some believed it was carved."
"And others?" Mera asked with a curious look.
"Others believed..." She looked toward the enormous stone face. "...that it was never carved at all."
Arthur blinked. "...Meaning?"
Athena shrugged. "Some records claim the First Metal Vanguard King became one with the mountain after his death."
Sun looked back toward the statue. "...That’s ridiculous."
Mithra nodded. "It really is."
The wind swept across the valley.
For just a moment...
It almost looked as though the King’s stone cloak moved.
Nobody spoke.
Arthur quietly smiled. "...Let’s pretend I didn’t see that."
The children immediately took several steps farther away from the statue.
The road continued, and eventually broken stone tablets began appearing scattered along the path. A few at first. Then hundreds. Then thousands, filling an entire valley with shattered records stretching as far as anyone could see. Wind moved between them, carrying soft whispers through the air.
The children froze. "Who’s talking?" one of them asked.
Athena knelt beside the nearest tablet. "Knowledge Stones," she said. She gently brushed dust from its surface. "They preserved memories."
The Goblin Historian walked toward one on his own, kneeling beside it and placing his hand flat against the stone.
"I," he started, his eyes widening. "I can read it."
Everyone froze.
Athena whispered, "The evolution activated it."
The Historian slowly began translating fragments that nobody else in the group could make sense of, his voice quiet with concentration as the words came to him piece by piece.
Arthur smiled. "So that’s why this path exists," he said.
The Historian had already walked away.
He knelt beside another stone.
Then another.
Then another.
His breathing became quicker. "There’s... There’s so much." He reached toward another tablet almost immediately.
Athena smiled. "I think we lost him."
Mara nodded. "Happily."
Neither of them made any attempt to stop him.
The Historian could only read out small fragments at a time, but given enough time, he could likely uncover more. And if more Goblins evolved along the same path, the work would only move faster.
Athena beamed at the thought. "Arthur," she said, "we’re gaining more historians later."
Arthur laughed and nodded, then quietly reached toward the stone himself. "Can I?" he asked.
Athena nodded.
Arthur placed his hand against it.
The world disappeared around him.
Darkness swallowed everything, and then an enormous underground Goblin city emerged from it, beautiful and alive, countless crystal lamps lighting its streets. A massive stone door slowly opened somewhere within it, and a glowing blue crystal egg rolled out onto the floor.
Silence.
Then a deafening growl echoed through the vision, and Goblins began shouting frantically.
"Close the gate!"
"Protect the children!"
The city shook.
Something enormous moved beyond the gate.
Arthur never saw what it was.
He only saw every Goblin looking terrified.
"Hurry!"
The vision shattered apart, and Arthur stumbled backward, blinking rapidly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What," he said, furrowing his brow, "was that?"
Athena’s expression turned serious immediately. "What did you see?" she asked.
Arthur looked back toward the broken stone. "I don’t know," he said. "But something escaped."
After leaving the Whispering Library behind, Arthur checked another Goblin nearby.
[Evolution Path Discovered!]
[Species: Goblin]
[Goblin Mage]
[Goblin Arcane Sage]
[Goblin Mana Sovereign]
[Requirements]
[Blessed by Mana: 1/1]
[Reach Level 10]
Arthur paused. "Blessed by Mana?" he said, looking again at the requirement that had already been marked complete. "Strange." He filed the thought away for later. "We’ll figure that out later," he said.
Only two level remained.
Another short hunt followed nearby, Arthur guiding the battlefield while the Goblin landed the final blow.
[Level 10]
The evolution began immediately. Mana gathered from every direction, blue streams of light spiraling tightly around the Goblin’s body. A wooden staff formed out of pure condensed mana before solidifying completely in his grip.
Ancient runes spread across a robe forming around him, and several glowing mana circles appeared briefly in the air behind him before fading. The surrounding air itself seemed to vibrate with the shift.
The evolution completed.
Everyone stared at the newly evolved Goblin Mage. He instinctively raised his staff, and a small orb of blue mana formed above it, the surrounding air responding immediately to his presence.
The Mage stared at it. "I made light." He looked toward Arthur. "Can I make a bigger light?"
Arthur smiled. "I hope so."
The Mage grinned. "I’m going to try later."
[Evolution Paths Analyzed: 10 –> 12]
The Mage slowly looked down at his staff. "It really worked." He turned toward Arthur. "Thank you... Prophet."
Arthur immediately sighed. "I’m really not a prophet."
The Historian adjusted his new robes. "A prophet denying he is a prophet." He nodded wisely. "Exactly what a prophet would say."
Several Goblins nearby gasped. "He’s right."
"It makes sense!"
"He must stay humble!"
Arthur stared. "Please don’t encourage this."
Mithra failed to hold back a laugh.
Sun looked toward the sky. "I’m not helping."
Melo tilted her head. "Prophet Provoker."
Arthur groaned. "Now you’re combining them."
The children immediately repeated it.
"Prophet Provoker!"
"Prophet Provoker!"
Arthur covered his face. "I’m never escaping this."
Arthur buried his face in his hands. "It’s spreading..."
Athena chuckled as she stepped forward. "What skills?" she asked.
The Mage blinked. "Mana Bolt," he said. "Mana Meditation."
Athena turned immediately to Mara. "Write those too," she said.
Mara was already halfway through another page.
Arthur smiled quietly to himself. The Su Tribe had gained far more than survivors over the past few days. It had gained scholars. It had gained mages.
Camp was made as evening settled in, and dinner finished not long after. The conversation naturally drifted toward the Yan Tribe waiting somewhere ahead of them.
Arthur asked, "So, what are they like?"
Luka thought about it for a moment. "Odd," she said.
Raku nodded. "Very," he agreed.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "In what way?"
Luka poked at the fire absently. "Whenever we visited," she said, "they were always fine." She paused. "The Mu Tribe got attacked. The Su Tribe got attacked. The Yan Tribe never did."
Vedas nodded slowly. "Lucky," he said.
One of the Goblins nearby laughed. "We always joked they were blessed by the Goddess of Luck," he said.
Another added, "Every time we visited, nothing had happened. No damaged walls. No missing hunters. No beast attacks."
Arthur grew visibly interested. "Really?" he asked.
Everyone nodded.
Silence settled over the fire for a moment.
Then Arthur smiled. "Maybe," he said, "the beasts just thought they were weaker."
Complete silence followed. Every Goblin around the fire slowly turned to look at him.
Arthur shrugged innocently. "I mean," he said, "if dangerous beasts ignored them, maybe they weren’t worth attacking."
The silence deepened. Luka’s eye twitched slightly. Vedas’s grip tightened around his spear. Several Hunters stood up at once.
"Absolutely not," one of them said.
"They’ll see," said another.
"We’ll evolve."
"We’ll become stronger."
"And the next beast that looks down on us," one Goblin said, slamming a fist into his open palm, "we’ll beat it unconscious."
Another shouted, "We’re stronger than the Yan Tribe!"
The entire Su Tribe erupted with sudden determination, voices rising together around the fire.
Arthur watched for a second before bursting into laughter.
Sun sighed. "You did it again," he said.
Mithra shook her head. "One day you’ll accidentally start a war," she said.
Arthur blinked. "I was encouraging them," he said.
Athena smiled knowingly. "Sometimes I wonder if you believe that."
"I do!"
Everyone simply stared at him.
Melo slowly nodded. "Provoker."
Arthur sighed. "I still don’t know why you keep calling me that."
Nobody answered as Sun looked away.
Mithra smiled into her cup.
Athena suddenly became fascinated by the fire.
Vedas coughed into his fist.
Arthur frowned. "You’re all doing that thing again."
...
Later that night...
Most of the camp had already fallen asleep.
Arthur sat quietly beside the dying fire and then his eyes drifted north. Toward where the Yan Tribe waited. The King’s Mark suddenly began to shine. He felt no pain, just a warm feeling like another person was holding his hand.
Arthur slowly looked down at his hand. "Again?"
The warmth lasted only a heartbeat and then it disappeared.
Arthur frowned toward the dark forest. "Who are you?"
Only silence answered him.
Far beyond the mountains...
Something stirred.
Arthur never noticed.
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