There were far too many mysteries behind it all, waiting to be unraveled.
It seemed a trip to this continent's so-called "Forbidden Zone" was absolutely necessary.
"I heard from your subordinate that you can use runes, too. Is that true?" Lin Dong continued.
"Uh, I..."
The Lizardfolk chief stammered, shooting Green Mang a vicious glare.
"My lord, those runes... can draw on the power of heaven and earth. They're incredibly mysterious and profound. They can provide support or enhance power. In any case... they're extremely difficult to master."
"So, can you use them or not?"
From his answer, Lin Dong felt those runes were somewhat similar to the talismans drawn by Taoist priests. They could indeed harness certain powers, but they also needed the backing of the user's own strength.
The Lizardfolk chief thought for a moment.
"I... I can! I can use the power of runes to absorb moisture and quickly dry fresh meat into jerky."
"..." Lin Dong was speechless. Was that any use?
He looked up into the distance and saw that some crude patterns were indeed carved into the large tree behind the chief, where the jerky was drying.
Still, this fellow probably knew only the basics. If he were truly proficient in the power of runes, he wouldn't be a minor tribal chief on the edge of the continent.
Just then, several more Lizardmen came running from the distance, their expressions urgent. Some were even wounded.
"Chief, this is bad! Humans are attacking! They really are humans this time!"
"What?"
The surrounding Lizardmen stopped "dancing," their eyes flashing with ferocity.
"Those humans have some nerve, attacking our tribe in broad daylight!"
"Could they be plotting something? Humans are the most cunning creatures of all."
"Who cares? We have to wipe them out!"
"..."
The Lizardfolk