As his words faded away,
"Boom!"
A crimson pillar of fire erupted from the sky!
In an instant, a scorching wave of heat scorched the air around them. The goblins felt their skin pull taut and their mouths turn parched.
There wasn't even time for a brief, tortured scream.
The leader, who had been smirking triumphantly just moments before,
Was reduced to ashes.
When the flames finally died down,
Nothing remained on the ground.
It was as if every trace of his existence had been utterly wiped away.
The camp plunged into a profound silence.
The goblins stared at Ethan in stunned disbelief, as though this human boy had abruptly sprouted fangs and tentacles.
In the wavering glow of the firelight,
Ethan cocked his head to the side, looking genuinely baffled, and asked,
"He died just like that? Was he really that fragile?"
"You're all so weak, and yet you act so bold?"
Who gave you the nerve?
The goblins:
Aren't you the one being ridiculous here?!
They were an elite unit!!
—Could this bizarre "human-skinned monster" that had appeared out of nowhere be after the "treasure" they were transporting?
"Go to hell!!"
A thunderous bellow rang out!
Ethan glanced up at the goblin who had Apparated right in front of him in a flash, axe raised high.
He lifted his wand and swiftly incanted,
"Stupefy."
"Bang!!"
A burst of red light surged forth.
The goblin launching the ambush was struck squarely and hurled backward!
It was like being rammed by a charging rhinoceros—he streaked through the air like a shooting star and slammed into a tree with a resounding thud!
He slumped down lifelessly, his head drooping to one side, unconscious.
The goblins: ?!!
What in the world kind of Stunning Spell was that?!
Was this some kind of physical edition?!
Only then did it dawn on them:
Things were looking pretty bad.
One goblin clutched his axe, swallowed hard, and rasped, "You—who are you, exactly?"
Ethan: "My name is Eth—"
Ethan stopped short.
He suddenly remembered his vow not to alter history.
Ethan glanced at the goblin leader, now reduced to nothing but ash, and the underling who'd crashed into the tree.
He sank into thought.
Oops, he'd acted without thinking.
Ahem~
They were so feeble—they had to be just minor pawns, disposable ones, right?
Hmm, probably no issues.
He'd just have to be more cautious going forward.
Ethan nodded firmly to himself.
He turned back to the goblin who'd questioned him and pondered for a second.
An idea sparked in his mind, and he declared,
"I am Mr. Lamp."
"The Lamp of Enlightenment, the Lamp of Unkindness."
As he said it, Ethan smirked smugly.
If he couldn't reveal his own name, why not just borrow Mr. Lamp's?
I'm such a clever little genius.
At this,
The goblins exchanged bewildered glances.
What "Mr. Lamp"?
Never heard of him!
One goblin ground his teeth, hoisted his axe, and yelled, "Who cares who he is! We've got dozens of us—can't we take down one kid?!"
"Charge—!!"
In a flash, bolts of red light hurtled toward Ethan from every angle, encircling him!
Ethan didn't budge.
A pale blue card simply materialized in his hand.
Seeing this, the goblins grew even more confident!
No matter how freakish this thing was, there was no way it could handle a hundred— "Hmm?"
By the time the goblins snapped back to reality, they were horrified to realize.
Their movements had halted at some unknown point.
They were stuck in place, axes frozen mid-swing in awkward positions.
Hoo...
As they exhaled, white vapor puffed from their mouths.
So, so cold—
Without them noticing, the world around them had turned pallid,
As though winter had descended in the blink of an eye.
At the very center,
The campfire sputtered out, and white gauze fluttered in the air.
Ethan, clad in the Ergani skirt, held a pale blue painting in his hand, radiating a frigid aura that transformed the surroundings.
He stood amid the hushed camp like a specter of winter.
Or perhaps a pale Dementor.
—Damn, he'd pulled a rare variant.
The goblins' eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
They strained wide-eyed, thrashing futilely, but they couldn't budge an inch.
Even their magic had solidified inside them, rendering spells impossible.
What kind of sorcery was this? They hadn't even heard the boy utter an incantation!
—"Mr. Lamp," who the hell was he?
Ethan, gripping "The Chilling Aura," surveyed the immobilized goblins and nodded approvingly.
See? They're all perfectly preserved.
History remains untouched.
What?
It was all Mr. Lamp's doing—what's that got to do with me, a third-year wizard from the future!
Just then, a glowing blue subtitle materialized before Ethan's eyes:
"Congratulations!"
"You have kindled a faint glimmer of radiance in history."
Ethan's eyes sparkled!
The Lamp's teachings could even permeate history!
Incredible!
Ethan: "What a noble and selfless deed, bringing the gospel of light to the people of the past!"
"They must be thrilled about it too."
So diligent—I'm truly a white wizard, dispensing justice.
Ethan felt profoundly touched.
"Lamp brightness increased."
"Guiding you."
A subtle golden mote of light drifted from Ethan's form.
Like a thread, it extended toward the heart of the camp.
Oh? Treasure alert!
Ethan followed the glow and advanced.
At the sight of him moving, the goblins' pupils shrank in alarm!
That way led—to their treasure!!
Had this human already pierced through their camouflage and wards?
—No, that couldn't be.
It was a secret.
No one knew about the treasure except their goblin leader, Lord Ranrok!
On top of that, the cargo was shrouded in multiple barriers—impossible to detect.
Ethan: "Ah, there it is."
The goblins:
Did it have to be that quick!!!
Their eyes bulged as they strained to glare at the object in Ethan's grasp—a cylindrical metal box shaped like a scroll.
Intricate silver spirals adorned its surface.
This was the ancient magic artifact they'd scoured endlessly for and finally unearthed!!
"You—you really came for this!"
One goblin gnashed his teeth, forcing out the words through sheer effort.
A sliver of dread seeped into his heart.
What manner of creature was this Mr. Lamp? How was he all-knowing?
"You—do you think our leader, Lord Ranrok, will let you get away with this—"
"Lord Ranrok has already uncovered the vital clues to ancient magic—he'll slaughter every last one of you wretched wizards!"
Ethan perked up with delight: "Really? You've actually got a handle on ancient magic clues?"
Goblin:
"..."
Why did that suddenly feel like the wrong thing to say?
The goblin clamped his jaws shut.
The freezing chill intensified, encasing his body completely.
—They were all fanatics, bound by a spell that would trigger self-destruction if they spilled secrets.
Ethan noticed and sighed regretfully, "What a shame."
"Looks like if I want ancient magic, I'll still need to track down the goblin rebellion's leader, Ranrok."
"I just have no idea where that leader might be—"
Ethan fiddled with the metal scroll in his hand.
After dismantling the assorted protective charms, its aura abruptly surged into prominence.
A profound, enigmatic magic swirled around it.
Like thick moonlight, streaming in every direction.
However,
Though Ethan could sense its singularity, he couldn't pry it open no matter how he tried.
It was like holding a fortune in Galleons but being unable to spend a single one—utterly frustrating.
Right at that moment,
The silver key, dormant until now, suddenly flared to life.
It drew in the magic from the metal scroll,
Energizing itself.
Ethan understood: "So it requires absorbing ancient magic to reactivate and send me back."
No reason to linger here anymore.
Maybe he could figure out how to unlock this scroll once he returned.
With that in mind, Ethan clenched the silver key.
A brilliant white light burst forth.
In a heartbeat, Ethan disappeared from the scene.
Not long after Ethan's departure,
A rustling stirred, and several wizards stepped out from the forest.
At their forefront was a woman with waist-length black hair.
Tall and lithe, her form-fitting attire highlighted her elegant curves, and her dark curls swayed gently behind her as she moved.
Her green eyes radiated a feral, wolfish intensity.
Eve Black gazed at the sight before her in shock.
The goblins were petrified in assorted stances, like statues of ice,
The landscape blanketed in snow, shrouded in utter quiet.
Earth, trees, foliage—everything coated in frost, veiled by a ghostly mist.
As if they'd wandered into the realm of the departed.
A chilling, malevolent presence pressed upon them!
Under the command of Hogwarts graduate Eve Black, this was the team combating the goblins.
They'd arrived to probe a goblin detachment exhibiting odd behavior.
They'd braced for a fierce confrontation.
But they never anticipated finding the foes already annihilated upon arrival!
What in Merlin's name had transpired?
Eve Black's fingers tightened around her wand, as she fought to quell the primal shiver running through her.
Beneath a tree, she spotted a goblin on the brink of death.
Once revived, before Eve could begin questioning him, the goblin appeared trapped in a lingering nightmare.
His eyes protruded, and he shrieked in horror:
"It's—it's the Lamp, the Lamp has come!!!"
Lamp?
Eve was taken aback.
Who was the Lamp?
She'd never encountered that name since the conflict erupted.
But regardless,
Anyone capable of obliterating an entire goblin camp in moments was beyond comprehension.
And if this Lamp's objective was ancient magic as well—
"—Prepare yourselves."
Eve Black intoned gravely, a spark of steadfast resolve gleaming in her green eyes.
"Beyond the goblins, we might now contend with a new human adversary!"