Chương 146: Mage Tower No. 528

528 Stepping out of his mentor's mage tower, Fortier looked back and let out a soft sigh. Condensing a fireball spell in his hand, he burned the report into complete ashes. He knew where the boundaries lay. Under the current political climate, certain taboo topics were simply not to be touched. Yet he remained profoundly intrigued by that weapon. To think that ordinary, non-magical materials found anywhere could produce a weapon of such terrifying power—Secular Kinematics truly held immense potential!

"Knowledge itself is neither right nor wrong! Knowledge itself is neither right nor wrong!" Muttering the phrase repeatedly to himself, Fortier boarded his carriage and returned to his private estate. The following day, Fortier drafted a fresh report—deleting the entire section concerning the goblins' unique weaponry—and submitted it to Mentor Clement for review. Clement was immensely pleased with his apprentice's tact and adaptability.

Commending the fine penmanship of the report, he instructed Fortier to take a well-deserved rest. Upon leaving the mage tower, Fortier boarded his carriage. His servant inquired, "My Lord, shall we head back to the estate?" Fortier asked in return, "Have the goblins I captured been delivered to Mage Tower No. 528?"

"Yes, My Lord. They were transferred yesterday."

"Good. To Mage Tower No. 528, then." The carriage rattled toward Mage Tower No. 528. The moment Fortier stepped off, he was met with an extraordinarily grand reception. An unkempt professor, reeking faintly of animal musk, rushed forward and pulled Fortier into a tight embrace.

"My dear Professor Fortier! Thank you so much for the precious research specimens you sent over yesterday!" This fellow was Pinier, a professor specializing exclusively in the physiology and social habits of goblins. He possessed a bizarre, almost fanatic obsession with goblins, leading others to mockingly nickname him the "Goblin Professor." Because his field of research was exceptionally niche—essentially forging an entirely new track—it had managed to pique the curiosity of a certain mentor who funded his work.

Thus, the entirety of Mage Tower No. 528 was dedicated solely to goblin research. Wincing slightly at the atrocious odor wafting off the man, Fortier politely pushed him back.

"Professor Pinier, I hear you have always been at the absolute forefront of goblin research. Would it be convenient to give me a tour of your work?"

"Oh? Is Professor Fortier interested in goblins as well?" A look of sheer delight washed over Pinier's face, as if he had finally found a kindred spirit. Fortier nodded.

"During my recent deployment to Poloya, the primary adversaries I encountered were goblins. Their sheer combat prowess left a deep impression on me, completely shattering my long-held belief that goblins were mere pests that even a mob of farmers could wipe out. Hence, I came here today hoping to update my knowledge base." Pinier chuckled cheerfully and nodded, gesturing for him to enter the tower.

"Professor Fortier, I must congratulate you! You have already established the correct mindset, which will prove immensely helpful in understanding goblins. Follow me! Allow me to show you the marvels of the goblin race!" Door after heavy door swung open as Fortier was led deep into the heart of Mage Tower No. 528. The area was packed with massive iron cages housing scores of imprisoned goblins. Defecating and urinating indiscriminately inside their enclosures, they made the air nauseatingly foul.

Before Fortier even had time to knit his brows, his attention was drawn to the dissection tables. Several goblins were currently undergoing vivisection, their internal organs harvested and preserved inside specialized glass jars. Fortier felt a quiet shockwave ripple through him. As a mage, he had witnessed no shortage of sinister things, but to see goblin research conducted in such a grotesque, macabre manner was a first even for him.

Pointing toward the caged specimens, Pinier explained, "I have gathered diverse samples from all over the world to analyze whether regional variations exist. In doing so, I've discovered a vast array of fascinating individual variants. The goblin species is far more complex than any of us could ever imagine!" Adopting a posture of humble inquiry, Fortier asked, "Professor Pinier, could you elaborate on that?"

"Indeed! Let us begin with goblin development. Goblins possess no females of their own, yet they can impregnate virtually any female creature of suitable size—this is common knowledge. However, after rigorous study, I discovered that under conditions of abundant food, a goblin embryo matures in a mere 15 to 20 days. Once birthed, a goblin cub requires only another 15 to 20 days of growth to reach full adulthood! This growth rate is terrifyingly fast.

I found it utterly abnormal, as no conventional organism could possibly develop at such a rate. Thus, I brought in several small mana observation instruments for real-time monitoring, only to make a shocking discovery: massive amounts of mana are actively involved in a goblin's physical development! Through extensive research, I have concluded that a goblin's body functions as a living magic circle! It continuously absorbs surrounding mana elements, channeling them directly into physical maturation.

Only upon reaching adulthood does this internal array gradually slow down, eventually coming to a complete halt!" As he listened, Fortier's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you suggesting... that goblins are innate magical bodies by birth?! How could that be?! Only mighty creatures like true dragons possess innate magical bodies! How could lowly, weak goblins possibly share such a trait?!" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Pinier nodded gravely, then shook his head.

"Goblins are indeed innate magical bodies, though nowhere near as formidable as dragons. A dragon maintains its innate magical body from its egg stage all the way into old age; its entire physical vessel is a piece of adaptable magical material. Goblins, on the other hand, possess innate magical bodies solely during their embryonic and cub stages. Once they reach adulthood, the trait degenerates completely." Fortier let out a long breath of relief.

"You terrified me for a moment. If every goblin remained an innate magical body for life, I fear this world would soon belong to no race other than goblins." Pinier laughed heartily and led him into an adjacent room. This chamber contained only a few massive iron cages, housing a selection of highly unusual specimens. Approaching a visibly listless Hobgoblin, Pinier spoke in a measured tone, "The goblin race possesses complex social dynamics.

This particular Hobgoblin was the chieftain of a tribe, commanding approximately 200 regular goblins under his rule. Goblins naturally revere strength; they instinctively flock around a powerful individual to form small tribes ranging from 200 to 300 members. A goblin chieftain will dispatch his subordinates to hunt and gather food to feed him, which is why nearly all goblin chieftains are bloated and corpulent.

Furthermore, a goblin chieftain will actively slaughter any individual within the tribe that shows signs of evolving into a Hobgoblin, thereby safeguarding his own dominance. To this day, almost every goblin tribe we have documented contains only a single Hobgoblin—precisely because the chieftain executes any potential rivals!" Fortier clicked his tongue in thought.

"If that's the case, doesn't it mean goblin tribes can never truly develop or expand? They remain forever stuck in a frail, primitive state." Pinier nodded in agreement.

"Precisely. Because the overall quality of their population remains so low, the vast majority of goblin tribes stay pathetically weak—weak enough that even an organized mob of local farmers could easily wipe them out." Recalling the sight outside Poloya's city walls, where the battlements were lined with wall-to-wall Hobgoblins, Fortier voiced his confusion.

"Professor Pinier, when I was at Poloya, I witnessed an army composed of thousands of Hobgoblins—and they demonstrated mind-boggling discipline and combat effectiveness! How do you account for that?" Pinier chuckled, stepping up to another cage and pointing at an exceptionally muscular goblin inside.

"That, of course, is because the leader of that goblin horde is exponentially stronger! Standard Hobgoblins pose zero threat to his position, so he naturally allows Hobgoblins to exist and thrive under his command. Take a look at this fellow here—a rare variant discovered in the Orcish Domain. He was so overwhelmingly powerful that regular Hobgoblins couldn't challenge him in the slightest.

Consequently, he permitted Hobgoblins to emerge among his ranks, and those Hobgoblins, drawn to his raw strength, gathered around him as well. By the time an Orcish chieftain led an army to eradicate him, his tribe had already expanded to over 1, 000 members, including more than 200 Hobgoblins! A truly remarkable specimen! Had he been allowed to develop a bit longer, he might have become a full-blown regional scourge. Fortunately, he was wiped out in time, and now he serves as a key research subject of mine!

Hahaha!" The muscular goblin inside the cage seemed to harbor immense hatred for Pinier. The moment he laid eyes on the professor, he erupted into a barrage of vulgar curses, his language laced with heavy profanity. Listening to the endless string of profanities, Fortier remarked in astonishment, "This fellow has an impressively vast vocabulary. Goblins appear to possess a surprisingly developed linguistic system." At those words, Pinier's eyelids flickered.

He glanced left and right, then leaned in close to Fortier, whispering softly, "I'll let you in on a secret... goblins actually possess bloodline inheritance!" Fortier looked at him with absolute incredulity.

"What?! Lowly goblins possess bloodline inheritance?!" Pinier nodded with utmost seriousness.

"Indeed! Think about it: right from the cub stage, goblins demonstrate an unfathomable understanding of the world. They are born knowing how to crawl, walk, feed themselves, and speak. They even instinctively engage in complex social behaviors—revering strength, forming hunting parties, crafting rudimentary tools, and building shelters. How long do you think it takes for a human child to master all of these skills? Fourteen years!

A human child requires at least fourteen years of growth and education to acquire those capabilities. Yet goblins possess them naturally from the very moment they leave the womb!" Fortier drew in a sharp breath.

"That... those feats truly can only be achieved through bloodline inheritance! To think that goblins possess such a trait... this completely overturns my understanding of them!" There were quite a few species in the world endowed with bloodline inheritance—dragons, for instance, were born fluent in Draconic, naturally capable of magic, and possessed an innate comprehension of the universe. Yet no one could have anticipated that a species as feeble as goblins would share such a privilege. As for this inheritance...

you couldn't say it was overwhelmingly powerful, yet you couldn't call it weak either. Things that took human children fourteen years to learn were handed to them at birth—a realization that left Fortier thoroughly unsettled. Thoroughly satisfied with the shock he had delivered to Fortier, Pinier's desire to boast surged. He began pointing at the special goblins in the remaining cages one by one, introducing them in detail.

"I tell you, goblin bloodline inheritance is far from simple! Look at these unique variants—take this one, for example. His physical strength is immense, his... lower anatomy is equally massive, but he is extremely quick to anger and his head is somewhat pointed." He pointed to a goblin standing over 2. 3 meters tall, covered in bulging masses of muscle. Bound in heavy iron chains, the creature roared incessantly with bloodshot eyes, looking every bit like an unhinged, hyper-aggressive brute.

Fortier cast a brief, envious glance at the hyper-masculine goblin's apple-sized testicles before following Pinier to another cage. The goblin inside this cage was exceptionally emaciated, its four limbs withered and deformed. Pinier remarked, "Don't be fooled by his physical deformities—he is naturally gifted with dark magic! An exceptionally rare individual! I suspect his dark magic was similarly acquired through bloodline inheritance.

However, as you can see, his limbs developed with severe malformations for reasons unknown. Thus, I suspect the goblin bloodline inheritance system is somehow corrupted or defective. Any goblin that inherits a specialized trait seems to suffer from various physical or mental flaws." Fortier asked, "Then are there any fortunate goblin individuals who received a positive inheritance without suffering any side effects?" Pinier nodded.

"There are! Two that I know of. One resides in the Northern Elven Empire. I heard that elven mages discovered a special goblin variant, dubbed the 'Goblin Sage' by the elves. Supposedly, that fellow possesses astounding intellect—mastering the Elven language in just a few months and demonstrating a profound passion for artistic painting. Beyond that, he seems to have received a unique inheritance that allows him to write an intricate script.

When the elven mages examined it, they realized the script written by the Goblin Sage matched an unidentified language found in ancient archaeological digs. The Goblin Sage claims he is writing the native Goblin language. However, the elves dismissed the claim as a hoax—after all, how could goblins possibly possess such a complete, sophisticated writing system?" Fortier listened with an expression of expanding horizons, only to see Pinier smiling meaningfully at him.

"Professor Fortier, you might have actually encountered the second special goblin yourself!"

"Encountered him? Who? Ah... do you mean...?" Fortier recalled the goblin horde at Poloya. Seeing that Fortier had caught on, Pinier didn't keep him in suspense.

"Precisely—the fellow from the Monster Forest! Tsk, tsk, tsk... truly incredible! To slay the Hero Leon and have the audacity to lead an army against Poloya! Tsk, tsk... for a creature to command so many goblins, he must be absurdly powerful. He has undoubtedly received some extraordinary bloodline inheritance! I've assigned him the codename 'Goblin King'! I'd give anything to capture that fellow and study him thoroughly to see what kind of inheritance he truly received!

Ah, curse it, I wish I could meet the King right now!" Pinier wore a look of intense longing, scratching his scalp in frustration. Seeing his distress, Fortier let out a light laugh.

"Professor Pinier, while we cannot capture the Goblin King just yet, I have brought you 30 of his soldiers. I wonder how your research on them is progressing?" At the mention of this, Pinier instantly perked up with excitement.

"Ah! Those 30 goblins! I fed them a hearty meal yesterday and let them rest for a full day. Today happens to be the day we begin our research! Would Professor Fortier like to observe how we conduct our study on goblins?" Fortier nodded promptly.

"Nothing would suit me better."