Lizardfolk Tribe

After the "commotion" of last night, the group picked up their pace significantly.

They avoided combat whenever possible, though if it was forced upon them, they accepted it with reluctant efficiency.

The main reason was that the members of the Arcane Society had become much more "diligent" after being stimulated by Borne.

They meditated whenever they had a spare moment, exchanged experiences while traveling, and treated combat as a way to verify their theories; in just two or three days, they felt as if their strength had made leaps and bounds.

It was indeed a significant improvement, not just an illusion.

According to the system data, their combat values had increased remarkably; redundant movements were reduced, their actions became crisper and cleaner, spellcasting times were shortened accordingly, and their grasp of timing became much more precise.

In the past, they would have been overjoyed, but now they couldn't bring themselves to be happy—they were even holding back a sense of frustration.

Ever since Borne advanced to a mid-tier Arcanist that day, they could feel his magic power growing rapidly over the past few days.

This was because his magic power was increasing too quickly for his mental strength to contain, causing it to leak out.

Only then did they realize just how strong Borne truly was!

His magic power was several times greater than theirs.

How the hell was he even human...

Before reaching the legendary realm, the advancement of tiers only represented the sublimation of life; it did not change the essence of life itself.

They were astonished, and Borne was equally surprised.

He finally understood just how formidable an Arcanist was!

Arcane magic was the term used by Nether, while the elves called it High Elven Magic!

Arcanist was a label Nether applied to themselves, which in reality was a direct benchmark against the High Mages of the elven race!

The word "High" was indeed more accurate to reality.

Not only was his magic power rising, but his mental strength was also increasing; his physical constitution, which had been growing steadily because he was not yet an adult, was now accelerating even faster!

This sudden "expansion" gave him the illusion that he was "invincible under the heavens"...

To put it simply, he was getting a bit carried away.

If not for the objective feedback from the system Chip, he would have wanted to test the waters at some ruin or sealed location.

"System! Display attributes!"

Name: Borne Ioulaum

Netherese Human

Wizard 8 / Arcanist 6 / Monk 4

Level: 8

Base Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 3.5, Constitution 3.8, Intelligence 11, Perception 3

"Intelligence has broken into double digits, and my level has reached 8."

Reality is not a game; there is no such thing as adding levels together. The system's levels were set by Borne to benchmark against the DND of his past life, and there would be no full-health recovery upon leveling up.

Advancing in tiers is a breakthrough achieved through accumulation; the idea of breaking through while at low health and returning to one's peak was even more ridiculous!

"The higher the spell level, the deeper one can reach into the core of the Weave, and the longer the duration of enlightenment!"

"It is currently certain that touching the extreme of the Weave triggers a state similar to 'frequency conversion,' which is of great help for deducing spell formulas!"

Of course, this was only one aspect; Borne had yet to verify the others.

However, the fact that a single 4th-tier spell allowed Borne to advance to a mid-tier Arcanist, causing his magic power and mental strength to surge simultaneously and far exceed other spellcasters of the same tier, one could only imagine how strong a Great Arcanist must be!

Or, for that matter, a High Elven Mage!

It seemed it was no joke that two or three hundred High Elven Mages had once torn the continent of Faerûn apart.

Five days later, the group finally arrived near the hilly marshes.

They discovered several suspected battle sites as they ventured deeper into the swamp.

"These are Cross Sword marks."

The Ranger discovered a trace on a tree trunk.

The Cross Sword was the standard-issue weapon of the Nether legions.

"Chip, perform a battlefield reconstruction simulation."

"Ding! Task established, authorization granted, simulation starting..."

Borne's Perception was 3, allowing him to cover a radius of 30 square meters.

The event had occurred at least a month ago; exposed to wind and sun, the battlefield held very little information other than the marks left by the combat, and the Chip was not omnipotent.

But they learned at least that a pair of soldiers had encountered an attack by an unknown creature here.

"Huh? This is..."

Borne and the others followed the signs of battle, discovering a trap in the open space ahead; wooden spikes were buried within, stained with fresh blood.

The ranger circled the area and picked up a shattered shield.

"Everyone, be careful! There are still untriggered traps nearby!"

Cook examined the emblem on the shield and immediately identified it as the mark of the Third Nether Legion.

The members of the Arcane Society also discovered quite a few damaged pieces of equipment and weapons scattered about.

"Could they have been ambushed by Half-Orcs?"

Belon held a piece of broken armor, saying in disbelief, "Even Half-Orcs shouldn't have this kind of destructive power!"

The ranger replied, "Judging by the damage, it was indeed destroyed by brute force, and it was a direct hit."

The inside of the armor had turned black—the color of dried blood—and judging by the edges, it had been forcibly torn off.

Lisper said, "A high-level combatant! The enemy is a high-level combatant, and the squad was routed head-on; they only hit the traps because they were forced into a panicked retreat!"

"A high-level combatant? Could the attackers be from an enemy nation?"

Someone asked; if it were humans from another country, the nature of the situation would be entirely different.

"No, quite the opposite. The attackers are not human. Although the entire ambush process and the traps look very human-like, they aren't. The method of setting the traps is quite primitive, and the fighting style is beast-like, just like..."

"Just like a beast possessing the combat power of a high-level combatant."

The ranger added.

A humanoid creature?!

And a pack-dwelling one at that.

They actually use tactics and play with traps!

The others exchanged glances, their hearts suddenly sinking.

At this moment, prompted by the system, Borne walked over to a nearby tree and pulled out a broken arrowhead.

"This thing looks like bone, doesn't it?"

Dalena remarked.

"This is a bone arrow commonly used by Lizardfolk."

The ranger took the broken arrowhead from Borne's hand and made his assessment.

It really was Lizardfolk!

"Wait, then where are the bodies?"

"Even if the entire squad was wiped out, the enemy couldn't have suffered no losses at all. How is it that there isn't a single corpse?"

Dalena asked, then seemed to realize something, her face turning deathly pale.

Jennifer, standing nearby, was about to cast a defensive spell when Borne stopped her.

"Don't be nervous. There are no enemies around right now; if there were, we would have been attacked while we were investigating. Besides, the Lizardfolk likely have spellcasters of their own. Casting magic now would only alert them!"

Hearing that they were safe for the moment, the group felt slightly more at ease.

They immediately began discussing whether to temporarily leave the swamp area. After all, the swamp was the Lizardfolk's territory, and with not only high-level combatants but potentially spellcasters present, the few of them wouldn't even be enough for a single bite.

Borne secretly shook his head, though he could understand their hesitation. This mission was indeed a bit much for them; they were only seventeen or eighteen years old, noble scions who had never seen such a scene. The fact that they could still stand here and communicate to discuss countermeasures already proved their excellence.

Although the 'morale' was a bit shaky, Borne had no intention of giving them time to adjust.

If people aren't pushed, how will they ever know how outstanding they can be?

These people were the elites of the Arcane Society, and as they all looked toward Borne, he grinned. "We're already here, aren't we? We came to investigate intelligence; how will we know anything if we don't take a look?"

The group: ...

The president then stepped forward and offered a few stirring words to boost their spirits.

The group looked at one another; whether it was Borne's confidence that infected them or they had simply come to a realization, the members of the Arcane Society quickly regained their resolve.

The ranger watched from the side, feeling somewhat numb...

These kids truly had no idea how dangerous the world could be.

Borne turned to the ranger. "The Lizardfolk should be in the swamp. You're familiar with this place; lead us stealthily to the edge of the swamp so we can observe the situation."

Hubwick was already feeling a bit of regret, but since he had already taken the money, there was no choice but to bite the bullet.

"Fine, but you must do exactly as I say on the way. Otherwise, if you alert the Lizardfolk, I won't be able to look after you."

Hubwick hurriedly cautioned.

"Right, understood."

The group nodded.

"Let's go! Follow me!"

The group followed behind the ranger, slowly advancing toward the swamp.

Whether it was their first time experiencing such a situation or simply a case of high skill leading to bold courage, the members of the Arcane Society actually wore expressions of faint excitement.

This made the Ranger leading the way feel a massive headache coming on.

Compared to the members of the Arcane Society, Borne appeared much more relaxed, his eyes flickering with blue light from time to time.

Borne had loaded the Arcane Eye onto his Chip; as long as he provided a steady stream of mana, the spell effect would not be interrupted.

So-called mana is, simply put, the infiltration of ownerless elements by an individual biological entity.

Before the Mythallar was created, enchanting most items required a long period of mana infiltration.

Mana exists in all things in the world, but the density varies.

High-concentration magical materials are indispensable for spell research, casting, or crafting magical items, which is why the price of such materials remains perpetually high; some rare materials are even priceless and unavailable!

Because mana elements are diverse, even when using magical materials to craft magical items, one must alter the nature of the mana within the materials.

For example, to craft a Ring of Fire, one must first choose a material with an affinity for fire elements, but natural materials are never one hundred percent pure; even gold is not one hundred percent pure gold.

Therefore, one must perform "processing" manually. Mana itself is the privatization of elements; as mana fuses with a living individual, it strengthens that life, but long-term use of one's own mana to "infiltrate" materials inevitably leads to mana loss. Mana loss means a reduction in vitality, which leads to a corresponding decrease in lifespan!

This is why magical items are so precious; it is no exaggeration to say they are exchanged for life.

Of course, if a pure magical source is available as a substitute, it is possible; for example, the Well of Power or "Elemental Pool" of a Wizard Tower serves this function.

Thus, owning one's own Wizard Tower is the pursuit of most spellcasters!

Naturally, there are also special places—natural mana convergence points, similar to the spirit veins or dragon veins in cultivation novels—which are known in the world of Toril as: Earth Nodes!

Earth Nodes are natural energy pools and energy flows gathered underground, existing primarily in the Underdark.

When the Chip was first designed, Borne chose to play it safe, discarding most functions and leaving only the analysis, deduction, and storage modules, though he left two "blank" modules to be filled later.

The inspiration for the "Arcane Eye" came from various films and animations; connected to the system Chip like a reconnaissance probe, it could expand its detection range as Borne increased his mana output.

This was one of the reasons Borne dared to continue venturing deeper!

The swamp was located to the northwest of this forest, and as Borne and his group drew closer to their target, they discovered many traces of increasingly intense combat.

"This must have been a close-quarters engagement between scouts and Lizardfolk."

Cook said, touching the scratches and bloodstains on a tree trunk.

The group's mood grew heavy, and as they passed through a patch of low grass and shrubs, they discovered traces of a spellcaster's battle.

Before coming, everyone had investigated information on the Lizardfolk and had gained a certain understanding of them.

If the humans had won, they might have seen many Lizardfolk corpses along the way, but the scene was clean, indicating that the Lizardfolk had achieved the final victory.

Lizardfolk do not have a tradition of farming; they are omnivorous!

Therefore, with no corpses left behind, the answer was self-evident!

The forest was covered by a large number of trees, yet there were no predators present; it seemed the nearby creatures had also met with disaster. Instead, as they drew closer to the swamp, traps began to appear—all of them aimed at beasts.

The Ranger skillfully avoided or dismantled the obstructive traps, and the group slowly crept forward.

"Ding! Unknown life form detected, threat level: Low!"

Before they even got close, the Chip began to prompt him, and blue lines forming the shape of creatures began to appear on Borne's retina.

"Careful, slow down, there are three Lizardfolk ahead!"

Following Borne's warning, the group began to lower their posture, and even the Ranger in front stopped and lay on the ground to carefully observe the surroundings.

Borne slowly pushed aside the weeds in front of him. Ahead lay a wasteland filled with rocks, and near the edge of the swamp, three Lizardfolk were leisurely sunbathing and chatting.

Borne's heart stirred.

"System! Record language!"

"Ding! Task established, collecting information..."

According to records, Lizardfolk use the Draconic language; although it might not be authentic, it still held a certain value.

The Dragon race is known as the strongest creature on the Prime Material Plane, and that is no boast; they are truly the "favored children" of the world, reaching Legendary status upon adulthood.

The Dragon race, Elves, and Dwarves are all external races that arrived through planar portals!

They all possess a mature system of inheritance.

Draconic magic, Elven magic, and Dwarven runes are all mature transcendent civilizations, and each of their languages possesses transcendent power!

For Netheril to rise, drawing upon the culture of other races is essential.

It is rumored that the alphabet used by the nobility of Netheril was adopted from the script of the Dragon race!

Just like the Elven language, humans cannot produce the sounds of the Dragon language, so even with a basic alphabet, they cannot learn Draconic magic!

However, with the existence of the system Chip, Borne might not be unable to circumvent this problem in the future.

One Lizardfolk was sunbathing while the other two were "chatting" intermittently, though to Borne and his group, it sounded like two beasts snarling at each other.

Borne frowned, "Collecting information like this will take until the year of the monkey..."

Moreover, this was too time-consuming, and he decided that if the opportunity arose, he would capture one to conduct "collection" research.

The Ranger and the members of the Arcane Society were whispering amongst themselves, debating whether to return to the academy to submit their mission report or to bypass the area and delve deeper to investigate.

In truth, their mission had been essentially completed the moment they pinpointed the location of the Lizardfolk.

Then, to the shock of the others, Borne pulled a steel crossbow directly from his pack.

He casually cast a wide-area Silence.

After observing through the Arcane Eye and confirming that only these three Lizardfolk were in the vicinity, Borne decided to take them out immediately.

Swish, swish-swish!

Before the three Lizardfolk could even react, they were instantly pinned to the rocks!

With the system's assistance, every bolt struck the neck. Lizardfolk possess great vitality, so they did not die on the spot, but the severe neck injuries robbed them of their mobility, leaving them struggling on the ground.

Borne walked over quickly and immediately fired a few more bolts until the Lizardfolk showed no further signs of life.

What seemed like a complex operation had taken only a few seconds; the others hadn't even had time to react before Borne had already ended the fight.

This sequence of actions was so fluid and seamless that the rest of the group was left dumbfounded.

Even the Ranger couldn't help but swallow hard.

"You... you just killed them like that?!"

Belon pointed at the Lizardfolk corpses, astonished.

"Otherwise what? Should I have dug them a grave and erected a tombstone?"

"No, I mean, aren't you afraid of attracting the attention of the Lizardfolk? This is a swamp, it's their territory..."

Borne laughed and waved his hand to interrupt, "Then we'll just finish them off before they discover us!"

The group: ...

Everyone was stunned by his statement.

Having witnessed how even an army had been annihilated, they had no intention of clashing with a Lizardfolk tribe. If even the experienced "military mages" had been defeated, how could they, students who hadn't even graduated from the academy, possibly win?

"What are you nervous about! We are Arcanists from Giles Academy, the elite of the elite. Are we going to be scared off by a single Lizardfolk tribe!"

Lisper stepped forward in time to speak. Although she was somewhat angry at Borne's reckless behavior, now was not the time for blame, but for discussing what to do next.

She needed to unite everyone and restore morale.

"We are members of the Arcane Society, how could we be afraid!"

"That's right, I am the heir to the Hax family, how could I possibly be afraid!"

Well, it seems that sometimes, maintaining a necessary facade and relying on the glory of one's family is still useful.

At the very least, it kept their spirits high and their tongues sharp.

Borne also looked at the president with surprise; perhaps this was why she was capable of being president—she could always rally people together at critical moments.

Hubwick felt like crying. Looking at the reckless Borne and a group of hot-blooded youngsters, he wondered if he should consider refunding their deposit.

Not to mention that part of the money had already been spent, three Lizardfolk were already dead.

Should he take the chance to run before the Lizardfolk discovered the attack?

Lizardfolk did not have a habit of taking prisoners; their only relationship with other races was that of hunter and prey.

He had heard that Lizardfolk had keen noses, and looking at their sturdy, muscular legs, he wasn't sure he could outrun them.

Sigh...

The Ranger then turned his gaze toward Borne. This kid was no ordinary brat; seeing him so full of confidence, he must have some tricks up his sleeve.

Borne told everyone to take out their ranged weapons and follow his instructions, then took the lead and walked out. The group exchanged glances; since things had come to this, they had no choice but to bite the bullet, draw their weapons, and follow.

"Where are we going?"

Seeing that Borne was heading in the wrong direction, the president asked.

"We're clearing out the peripheral Lizardfolk first. Otherwise, if something happens once we're deep inside, it'll be easier to run without being tripped up by these old, weak, and crippled Lizardfolk."

"Old, weak, and crippled? You're saying these aren't guards? Just some old Lizardfolk?" President Lisper asked in surprise. "How did you figure that out?"

Borne chuckled twice and pointed to his own head: "In here!"

Lisper rolled her eyes at him. If the situation hadn't been so dire, she would have beaten him up.

The others saw this and smiled as well, and the atmosphere improved significantly.