Important Speculation

"Linsey, what do you think a so-called Eyeless People is like?"

"A creature that lives underground, whose eyes have degenerated and disappeared because it has lived in a dark environment for many years."

"Even if you live underground, you don't have to lose your eyesight to survive, do you?"

"Use it or lose it; this is a very normal situation when viewed on a longer timescale."

After leaving Three Pillars Lake, Linsey and Hong continued their journey.

They ate chunks of roasted lizard meat that they had prepared that morning, while discussing the information they had gleaned from the gophers.

According to the local species of the Thousand Mountains Stone Forest.

Many years ago, a war broke out between the Eyeless People and the Lizard Dragon Clan, which caused extensive damage to the structure of the Underground World, leading to the collapse of the surface.

Linsey remembered something very important. "Red, do you remember the story I told you?"

"The Devil Beast that guards you is a Fifth Stage Devil Beast called the Black Scale Lizard Dragon."

As expected, Red's attention shifted from the Eyeless People to the Lizard Dragon.

She harbored a very subtle expectation towards the being responsible for guarding her:

"Linsey, I remember you said that thing was very powerful?"

Linsey immediately nodded in agreement:

"Very impressive."

As Lindsay's daily training partner, Hong knew that Linsey's strength was constantly improving:

"What if it were you in that situation now?"

"I'm facing..." Linsey thought seriously for a moment, "Given that Lizard Dragon's abilities, it would probably still be very dangerous."

Linsey wasn't being modest or joking at all.

He can now easily deal with some ordinary Fifth Stage Devil Beast.

However, the Black Scale Lizard Dragon is not included in this list.

That guy is well-rounded and physically strong. Linsey might be able to fight the Black Scale Lizard Dragon head-on without relying on tricks or traps, but he can't say he can win with 100% certainty.

Hong nodded thoughtfully.

"The Dragon Beast's confidant is truly powerful."

Linsey continued, "That's right. Black Scale Lizard Dragon are loyal to the Dragon Beast, and the race that waged war against the Eyeless People and caused the earth to collapse was called Lizard Dragon."

Hong's expression turned serious:

"You think this race is related to Dragon Beast?"

Linsey neither confirmed nor denied this.

"At least before the Black Eagle King died, he clearly stated that the Dragon Beast originated from the Thousand Mountains Stone Forest."

A smile appeared on the girl's face, "Interesting!"

"Are we going to fight our way all the way to its home base?"

Linsey affirmed, "That might be true."

At this point, Linsey's tone suddenly changed.

For the past few months, he had been pondering a question, and now, after experiencing the ordeal at Three Pillars Lake, he finally had a vague idea:

"Hong, have you ever thought about something?"

Red noticed Linsey's seriousness. "What is it?"

Linsey said solemnly, "Those three stone pillars at Three Pillars Lake can enhance strength. Do you think Dragon Beast with those abilities would overlook their existence?"

After a quick thought, Hong came to a conclusion. "Perhaps the specific situation is uncertain, but at least we should be aware of it."

"But the fact is, the Dragon Beast are completely unmoved." Linsey agreed with this conclusion, and then raised another question, "So, Red, do you think the Tree Mother is important to the Dragon Beast?"

A powerful being at Sixth Stage.

They even sent envoys to guard it, which shows how important it was.

Hong nodded without hesitation:

"It's not blind, of course it values Tree Mother!"

Linsey's expression grew even more serious. "Do you still remember the swamp where you were imprisoned, and everything that happened when we left there?"

Hearing that something is related to him.

Red crossed her arms and slowed her pace to walk alongside Linsey. She realized the focus of the conversation was herself.

"Linsey, what do you mean?"

Linsey stated, "The Dragon Beast doesn't interfere with the stone pillars that can enhance its strength; even when the Sixth Stage Devil Beast that submitted to it and its trusted confidants died, it still didn't react; but when I killed the Black Scale Lizard Dragon and rescued you, the Dragon Beast flew into a rage and even caused a small earthquake."

"If I had to find one difference..."

At this point, Linsey pointed directly at the girl in front of her. "Then it can only be you."

Hong opened her eyes wide:

"Huh? Me?"

The girl's expression was one of complete disbelief, her eyes even carrying a hint of self-mockery. "A prisoner with no freedom, a loser who has lost all his abilities and memories? He's more likely to attract the attention and anger of the Dragon Beast than those things?"

Linsey bypassed Red's self-deprecation and continued to point out the doubts he saw, "Red, don't just focus on the failures."

"Think about it from a different perspective."

"After the Black Scale Lizard Dragon died, given the Dragon Beast ' ability to trigger earthquakes, a more concentrated attack should not have been a problem. But in fact, it only triggered one earthquake."

"Even a Sixth Stage Tree Mother can cause landslides and earthquakes."

"If it were that Seventh Stage Dragon Beast that connects to the world, a brief earthquake would definitely not be the limit of its power!"

Unable to refute Linsey's analysis, Red began to reflect on herself.

Linsey continued, "So I think that the small earthquake that happened in the swamp was not simply the Dragon Beast venting its anger."

"Its true purpose is to alter the hollow structure beneath the swamp, allowing the surging lava to engulf everything. It will also bury you deep underground, never to see the light of day again!"

"..."

Hong had never thought about this at all in the past.

So when Linsey proposed this hypothesis, her first reaction was disbelief.

"How could that be? I just..."

Linsey shook her head, interrupting Red's rebuttal:

"Red, I didn't say that this is the absolutely correct truth; for now, it's just a guess."

"After all, if we're being really strict, Three Pillars Lake might not necessarily attract the attention of Dragon Beast. Only by obtaining more reference points can we confirm whether this hypothesis is correct or not."

Hong shrugged.

She immediately understood what Linsey meant.

More reference points definitely refer to targets that can attract the attention of Dragon Beast.

What else could it be?

This might be the Underground World of the Dragon Beast's homeland! If it holds the secret to how the other party became stronger, then it will definitely be under strict surveillance.

"Um?"

Just then, Linsey raised an eyebrow.

As he was traveling, he habitually zoomed in on the map to check the road conditions ahead, and that's when he noticed the sudden drop in elevation.

"Hong, we're almost there."

Linsey called out and quickened her pace, leading the girl beside her.

We drove for half an hour along a rugged mountain road ahead.

As a cold and hot westerly wind blew from behind them, the scene before their eyes suddenly changed.

It was a collapsed expanse of land.

On the ground riddled with countless cracks, countless stone pillars have fallen. Occasionally, a sandstorm blows, covering the whole world in a hazy gray, making even the mere smell of the air dry your throat.

A considerable amount of time has passed since that war.

When Linsey and Red arrived here, this land, almost devoid of life, still could not conceal the desolation of the disaster that had occurred there.