Chapter Seventy-Seven: An Unexpected Delight

Time ticked by, and the fire lizards’ assault gradually slackened. Just as Jen had predicted, these creatures possessed little intelligence, knowing only to charge headlong without thought. Now, under the relentless attacks of the group and Elise’s magic, most of the fire lizards had been slain or wounded, and at last, they could no longer sustain their offensive.

With a shrill scream, the final fire lizard staggered and collapsed onto the ground, its hind legs flailing in futile resistance before its head slowly drooped, falling silent forever.

Heavy breaths echoed across the battlefield. Ordinarily, this moment would call for cheers and celebration, but not a single soul smiled. Their faces were numb, eyes wide with shock as they stared ahead, gasping for breath. Whether it was Ralph, Cotton, or Liam, all were drenched in blood. The others fared little better; the paladin’s shield of light had been reduced to a handful of shattered fragments, and the mercenaries and guards had suffered grievous losses—barely half of them remained alive.

The scene before them was even more staggering. Thousands of fire lizard corpses lay piled one upon another, the air thick with the scent of blood, the acrid tang of burning, and the beastly stench unique to wild creatures. Everywhere they looked—left, right, forward—there were bodies. Though these warriors had seen their share of death, never had they witnessed carnage on such a scale. The sheer magnitude of the slaughter struck terror into their hearts; ordinary folk would have collapsed in a faint at the sight.

Yet among them, only Jen, Elise, and Bix remained immaculate, their clothes untouched by blood or filth. Bix had stayed close to Elise, shielded by her magic, and as a mage, Elise never drew near enough to the fire lizards to be stained. The most mysterious, however, was Jen; though the greatest number of fire lizards had fallen before him, not a speck of blood marred his attire. Furthermore, the corpses at his feet were not strewn haphazardly as elsewhere, but arranged in neat rows, lying precisely half a meter from his position—as if an invisible boundary barred any from crossing it, whether alive or dead.

Such a terrifying power.

Ralph and Liam exchanged glances, each recognizing the shock in the other’s eyes. Though Jen had previously displayed formidable strength, it had been hard to discern whether it was his own skill or the effect of his enchanted weapon. Now, however, they were certain—this young man’s abilities far surpassed their own. To slay so many fire lizards without breaking a sweat, without even a tremor in his composure, and not so much as a drop of blood on his sleeve—such mastery could only belong to a swordsman of rare and legendary stature. Could it be that they stood before one of legendary rank?

Ralph shook his head in resignation. How old could this youth be? Barely past twenty, yet possessing such overwhelming power. Ralph himself had spent decades reaching a high level, and knew he would never attain the legendary realm—but this young man had already done so. How had he trained? Perhaps living in the Underdark for so long had forged his strength.

Jen ignored the scrutiny, merely arching an eyebrow as he surveyed the fire lizards before him. With a practiced motion, he sheathed his sword; the blade flashed, and in the next instant, his weapon was back in its scabbard.

“Is… is it over, Mr. Jen?” Liam finally ventured, relief mingling with disbelief. The others stared at Jen as well; after all they had endured, they instinctively regarded him as their leader, the ultimate authority here. Even with the protection of holy light, the sight of the fallen made it hard to believe that mere dozens of them had slain so many fire lizards. The reality of the scene felt surreal, as if they were trapped in a dream.

Jen glanced at Liam. “What’s the matter? Were you hoping for another wave?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant…” Liam replied, hands raised in a wry gesture. By the Light, after such fierce battle, even he, shielded by divine power, felt his legs trembling; another fight would surely be the end of him. He could scarcely believe he’d survived to see the end. Looking back, his only memories of the battle were the swinging sword, the fire lizards’ screams, and the blaze of flames, all blending into a chaotic blur. He shuddered at the thought, shaking his head to banish the images before speaking again.

“I mean—was there no leader among these fire lizards?”

It was a reasonable question. On the surface, such a vast pack of beasts would surely have a leader. Liam had been vigilant throughout, wary of some fire lizard king appearing. His surprise at Jen’s sheathing of his sword was understandable; after slaying so many, was that truly the end?

“Hahaha, Sir Liam, I can understand your concern,” Ralph interjected with a booming laugh before Jen could respond. “Indeed, with wolves, a wolf king would be expected. But you’ve fought these fire lizards yourself; you know they’re reckless, heedless of their own lives. In such circumstances… well…”

“Ah, yes, you’re right,” Liam replied, quickly realizing. For other communal creatures, a powerful leader would command the group, but these fire lizards had no need; their lack of intelligence led them to charge mindlessly, with no strategy or leadership. Even if there were a leader, it would be replaced every few days, unable to survive long in such a suicidal environment. Their strength was hardly a concern.

“But this isn’t quite finished—we still have work to do,” Jen said with a shrug, having listened to Ralph.

“You can’t be serious…” Ralph’s expression grew grim. “Are you saying we must fight the fire lizards again?”

“No, there’s no need for that,” Jen replied, waving a hand and quickly explaining. “As I said before, fire lizards fight to the death. Now that none remain, they’re all gone. But we must visit their nest and destroy their eggs. Unlike surface creatures, fire lizards don’t need to incubate their eggs; the heat of the lava suffices. If we don’t destroy them, in a few days we’ll be facing another horde of fire lizards.”

“There’s such a thing?” Liam exclaimed, startled. But it made sense; with their low intelligence, fire lizards had developed unique survival strategies in the Underdark. Their method of reproduction compensated for their weaknesses—if the foraging adults perished, the young would gather and form a new pack, continuing their wanderings.

It was clear that creatures of the Underdark were not to be trifled with.

Jen’s words filled the others with dread, yet despite their exhaustion, they summoned their strength and followed him toward the fire lizards’ nest. None dared linger, fearing the chance encounter with newly hatched fire lizards.

Though the fire lizards lacked intelligence in battle, their nest was exceedingly well-hidden. Fortunately, Jen had already located it on his system map and scouted it with the Evil Eye. Thus, he led the group swiftly and easily to their destination.

The nest lay beside a flowing river of lava, the searing current moving steadily forward. Standing nearby, the oppressive heat made it hard to breathe; some mercenaries felt as though they were standing in a furnace. Thankfully, Elise’s fire shield remained active, or they would not have been able to endure.

Most striking, however, were the hundreds upon hundreds of fire lizard eggs lining the riverbank—dark brown, each half the height of a man, densely clustered along the shore. Seeing this, all were alarmed; if all these eggs hatched, the trouble would be unimaginable.

Without hesitation, the group began destroying the eggs.

In addition to the eggs, they found many broken weapons and pieces of armor in the nest, along with unfinished corpses. Liam discovered several badges belonging to missing patrol knights, giving him a measure of relief. The fire lizards’ defeat was a blow to evil, but the main mission had been to identify the culprit behind the attacks on patrols; these findings would allow them to report to Lord Rox properly.

Jen did not join in the destruction, instead leisurely admiring the underground river of lava. The eggs were left for Liam and the others to handle.

“Hey, Master, there seems to be another egg over there,” Bix, who had remained quietly at Elise’s side, piped up.

“Oh?” Jen withdrew his gaze and looked where Bix pointed. Not far ahead, in the middle of the lava river, stood an egg the size of a watermelon. The fiery magma washed over it, yet it remained unscathed.

How interesting.

Jen narrowed his eyes. He was certain this was not a fire lizard egg; though fire lizards were immune to flame, their eggs were fragile, which is why they placed them beside, not within, the lava. Yet this peculiar egg stood in the flow, untouched. His curiosity was piqued.

“Elise, bring it over.”

“Yes, Master,” Elise replied. She had noticed the egg as well. At Jen’s command, she nodded and extended her hand. A magical mage’s hand appeared, floating silently to the center of the lava, easily scooping up the crimson egg and carrying it to Jen.

Upon closer inspection, Jen saw the egg’s extraordinary nature. Unlike the dark fire lizard eggs, this one was crystal-clear and red, its surface alive with dancing flames like flowing water. It resembled a gemstone more than an egg.

What could it be?

Jen reached out and pressed his hand against the egg’s surface. To his surprise, it was not hot as expected, but cold—like a piece of ice.

At that moment, a system notification flashed before him.

[The power of destiny guides you. You have sensed its pulse, its strength. But as with all ambiguous prophecies, you will never know its truth—Acquired ??? (Unidentified)]

Satisfied, Jen nodded. It seemed this journey had been well worth it after all.