Chapter 31: The Lizardmen (I)

Magic, in its simplest form, is the infusion of unclaimed elemental energy by living beings. Before the creation of the mythril core, enchanting most items required prolonged exposure to magical force. Magic is present in all things, though its density varies. High-concentration magical materials are indispensable for spell research, casting, or crafting magical items, keeping their prices perpetually high, with some rare materials so precious that they are unobtainable even for gold.

Because magical elements are diverse, crafting magical items from materials also demands alteration of the material's magical properties. For instance, to craft a ring of flame, one must first choose materials attuned to fire, but natural substances are never perfectly pure—even gold is never entirely pure. Thus, “processing” is necessary: magic itself is the privatization of elements, merging with the life force of the individual and strengthening it. Yet, prolonged use of one’s magic to infuse materials inevitably leads to magical depletion, which in turn diminishes vitality and shortens one’s lifespan.

This is why magical items are so precious—their creation is nothing short of exchanging life for power. Of course, the process can be substituted with pure magical sources, such as the “elemental pool” powering a wizard’s tower. To own one’s own wizard tower is the dream of most spellcasters.

There are also certain special places—natural concentrations of magical energy, akin to the spiritual veins and dragon veins in cultivation tales. Earth nodes: these are subterranean pools and flows of natural energy, primarily found in the shadowed regions.

In the initial design of the chip, Born, seeking stability, cut most functions, leaving only the analysis simulation and storage modules, with two additional slots vacant. The inspiration for the “Arcane Eye” came from a certain shadowy figure’s Sand Eye—not only could it be applied directly to one’s own eyes, but it could also form a magical eye externally for observation. Once loaded onto the chip, Born continued the most primitive manual enchanting through sustained magical infusion. Later, the chip acquired detection capabilities, greatly enhancing Born’s survival.

The swamp lay northwest of the forest. As Born and his companions ventured deeper, they discovered evidence of increasingly fierce battles.

“This must be signs of close combat between scouts and the lizardfolk,” Cook remarked, touching the scratches and bloodstains on a tree trunk.

Everyone’s mood grew somber. Passing through a low patch of grass and shrubs, they stumbled upon the site of a spellcaster duel. Before setting out, they had all researched lizardfolk and gained some understanding. If humans had won, they would likely have seen many lizardfolk corpses along the way, but the scene was clean, indicating the lizardfolk had emerged victorious.

Lizardfolk have no tradition of cultivating food—they are omnivorous. The forest was thick with trees, yet no predators lurked, and as they drew closer to the swamp, traps began to appear, all designed for beasts. The rangers deftly avoided or dismantled the obstacles, and the group stealthily advanced.

“Ping! Unknown lifeform detected. Threat level: light!”

They had not yet exited the forest when the chip began to alert Born, displaying blue-lined outlines of creatures on his retinas.

“Move slowly, three lizardfolk ahead,” Born whispered.

With his warning, everyone lowered their stances; even the lead ranger halted, lying flat to observe their surroundings. Born carefully parted the grass before him. Beyond lay a rocky wasteland, and at the edge of the swamp three lizardfolk lounged in the sun, chatting idly.

“System, record language,” Born commanded mentally.

“Ping! Task established, gathering information...”

Born’s main reason for agreeing to the expedition was the privilege of borrowing the Nether Scrolls, but he also sought information on Draconic. The later power of Netherian arcane magic stemmed primarily from the extraordinary techniques found in the Nether Scrolls—the true legacy of this world. Dragons, elves, and dwarves had all arrived via planar portals, each bringing their own culture. Draconic magic, elven magic, and dwarven runes were mature extraordinary civilizations, each language imbued with supernatural might.

The noble tongue of Netherian society used the dragon alphabet. Like elvish, humans could not produce true draconic speech, so even with a basic alphabet, they could not learn draconic magic. However, thanks to his chip, Born could circumvent this limitation and study dragon magic perfectly.

One lizardfolk basked in the sun while the other two chatted intermittently. Born frowned, thinking, “How long will it take to gather enough information this way?”

This wasted too much time. He resolved to capture one for communication and “collection” when the opportunity arose.

The ranger and members of the Arcane Society quietly debated whether to return and report to the academy or to proceed and investigate further. Born, meanwhile, rummaged in his pack and produced a steel crossbow.

He cast a wide-area “Silence.”

Through the Arcane Eye, Born confirmed that besides the three lizardfolk, there were no others nearby, nor any magical wards. He promptly cast “Silence,” then used his homemade steel crossbow to shoot the three lizardfolk dead on the rocks.

This sequence of actions shocked the rest of the group.

“You... you killed them! What if you alert the whole lizardfolk tribe?” Beron exclaimed in surprise.

“Then we just hurry and finish them off before they discover us,” Born replied with a smile.

Cook and the others were stunned by his boldness. Having witnessed entire armies annihilated, none of them wished to provoke the lizardfolk tribe. Even veteran “battle mages” had been defeated; how could a handful of students fresh from the academy hope to prevail?

“Why panic? We are Arcane Society mages from Giles Academy, elite among elites. Should we be intimidated by a lizardfolk tribe?” Lisper interjected, restoring morale.

“We’re members of the Arcane Society—how could we be afraid?”

“Exactly! I’m heir to the Hax family—fear is not in my nature!”

...

Watching Born’s reckless confidence and the impassioned youths, Harbwick felt a wave of despair—perhaps he should just refund their deposit. Not only had some of the money already been spent, but they had killed three lizardfolk. The only relationship lizardfolk had with other races was that of hunter and prey, and their keen noses were said to be formidable.

Seeing their powerful thighs, he doubted anyone could outrun them. He could only pin his hopes on Born, the strongest among them; anyone who could survive the black market surely had some tricks up his sleeve. Born’s unwavering confidence suggested he had contingency plans.

Born instructed everyone to ready their ranged weapons, and, following his lead, they exchanged glances and prepared to move out.

“Where to?” the president asked, noting Born’s direction was off.

“Let’s clear out these peripheral lizardfolk first. If anything happens deeper in, it’ll be easier to escape without being hindered by these decrepit lizardfolk.”

“Decrepit? You mean these aren’t guards, just some old lizardfolk?” Lisper was astonished. “How can you tell?”

Born chuckled, tapping his head. “This is a good thing—you should use it more!”

Lisper blushed, tempted to teach him a lesson if only the setting were different. The others snickered behind her, and for a moment, the mood lightened considerably.

...