Chapter 200: Returning Kobolds and Lizardmen (2)(2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

We havent had a chance to explore; a large number of Lizardmen rushed out from those caves. When we saw this scene, we ran as fast as we could, but a few of us got separated from the other Kobolds.

Because we were not familiar with the environment and didnt pay attention to the direction while fleeing, a few of us ended up getting lost. We hid in an inconspicuous cave, and thats how we were eventually found.

As for the other Kobolds who got lost, they probably got eaten by those Lizardmen! Sob~

After listening, Ji Chen let out a sigh of relief.

Wow, he didnt expect there to be such a story down here.

Underneath this underground cave, theres even a deeper cave, inhabited by another racethe Lizardmen.

Whats even funnier is that the Kobolds have been living here for hundreds of years, continuously digging tunnels, and yet they never dug a pa.s.sage connecting to the Lizardmens cave. The two races have been living peacefully without knowing each others existence for such a long time.

It wasnt until an earthquake created a narrow pa.s.sage that connected the two caves.

And there were Lizardmen down there

Ji Chens interest was piqued, and he spoke with a serious expression.

Anina, I want you to go back now and lead a troop to guard the entrance of that cave. If you find any creatures attempting to come out from inside and they are not friendly units, eliminate them without mercy!

Yes!

Kobolds, listen up!

Put down what youre doing right now and conduct a thorough search of this cave. Find out if there are any other pa.s.sages leading to the Lizardmens cave! Report immediately if you find anything!

Yes, my Lord!

Although he was intrigued, Ji Chen couldnt afford to be careless about the Lizardmen. He knew next to nothing about them.

Soon, under the mobilization, Anina led hundreds of troops into the cave.

The hundreds of Kobolds carefully inspected each and every cave, even the abandoned ones.

Three days later, they got the results.

Aside from the initial pa.s.sage they found, they also discovered two other pa.s.sageways leading downward in separate caves.

One of the pa.s.sages even had a diameter of four to five meters.

Yet, it seemed the Lizardmen had not noticed.

Upon receiving this information, Ji Chen decided to start exploring the Lizardmens cave immediately.

According to the Kobolds description, there were at least a thousand Lizardmen living in that underground s.p.a.ce.

Such a large group of unknown forces, whether they are friendly or hostile, cannot be ignored.

After such a long time, the pa.s.sage formed by the previous earthquake should have stabilized, and it should no longer collapse easily.

On the morning of the fourth day, Ji Chen a.s.sembled all the troops capable of combat on land and entered through the largest pa.s.sage.

They descended along the sloping path.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt the temperature rising as they went deeper.

Sweat dripped from his forehead.

After a brief thought, Ji Chen realized the key to the problem.

Below this mountainous region lies a dormant volcano.

Now, they were descending deeper into the volcano, which explained the increasing heat.

Two hours later.

The pa.s.sage came to an end, and a vast magma pool appeared before them.

Under the dark rock walls, the crimson magma flowed slowly, causing the air to s.h.i.+mmer. The bubbling lava occasionally erupted and splashed on the walls with a gurgling sound.

As they arrived here, the temperature skyrocketed to an extreme level. Within a few seconds, their backs were completely drenched, and sweat poured down their foreheads, leaving their mouths dry.

As the Tidal Dominator, Ji Chen instinctively felt disgusted by this place. Without water, his combat power would be reduced by ninety percent.

Moreover, the army seemed to encounter some issues as well.

The Naga Berserkers and Dragon Blood Murlocs, although amphibious units, were not capable of prolonged activity in high temperatures. In this magma environment, their combat capabilities were significantly weakened.

Though they could still maintain their fighting strength, they visibly appeared sluggish.

Ji Chen knew that a swift and decisive victory was necessary.

Observing his surroundings, he searched for the way forward.

The s.p.a.ce was not complicated; above the magma pool, there was a stone bridge that led further in.

Without hesitation, he gestured and led the army to advance along the stone bridge.

The bridge showed signs of artificial carving, with handrails made from carved rock, and some primitive patterns on the bridge surface.

As they moved forward, Ji Chen gained a preliminary understanding of the level of civilization in the Lizardmens culture.

The stone bridge was not very long, and after ten minutes or so, they reached its end, yet they still hadnt seen any sign of the Lizardmen along the way.

At the end was a winding, narrow corridor with a width of less than five meters. On one side was the rock wall, and on the other side was a cliff where magma flowed underneath.

Naga Berserkers in front, Dragon Blood Murlocs in the rear for immediate support, and the rest follow behind me.

Ji Chen quickly arranged the formation, and the group continued to move forward.

The corridor ascended, and the flowing magma beside them gradually diminished, indicating that the temperature was slowly decreasing.

Ji Chen became more certain of his a.s.sumption. They must be on the way to the vast underground s.p.a.ce where the Lizardmen resided. After all, those Kobolds hadnt encountered any magma. This suggested that the Lizardmens location was likely at a higher elevation.

If that was the case, the Lizardmen probably didnt prefer excessively hot environments.

With this thought in mind, Ji Chen urged the army to accelerate.

After another hour of progress, they finally stopped seeing any magma. The temperature returned to a tolerable range.

Pa.s.sing through another pa.s.sage, a s.p.a.ce the size of a football field appeared before them. Some plants emitting a faint fluorescent light grew on the walls and ground, illuminating the entire area.

A group of bipedal, ugly-looking creatures with slender bodies and tails appeared not far away.

Ji Chen squinted his eyes at the sight. As expected, these were the Lizardmen the Kobolds had mentioned.

[Lizardmen]

[Race]: Lizardmen

[Tier]: Tier 3, 5 Stars

[Skills]:

Night Vision (Blue Skill Enables the ability to see objects in dim environments)

Hibernation (Blue Skill Can enter a hibernation state, significantly reducing energy consumption)

Heat Resistance (Blue Skill Their scales effectively insulate heat)

[Unit Trait]: Forging (Lizardmen are naturally skilled at forging, easily crafting iron weapons)

[The mushroom harvest this year isnt great, and our hibernation time will have to increase.]

Despite being Tier 3, 5 Stars creatures, it seemed from their skills that they werent particularly skilled in combat. However, Ji Chen was particularly interested in their unit trait forging.

Forging?

It reminded Ji Chen of the Dragon Slayer Great Sword obtained from the mountaintop dragons lair. Due to the lack of skilled blacksmiths, the sword was still awaiting repair.

If these Lizardmen possessed such a unit trait, perhaps they could a.s.sist in the repairs?

Moreover, with the expansion of the territory and the increase in the labor force, the consumption of various iron tools, especially iron picks and axes, also increased. Currently, the Ocean Crowns blacksmiths, initially provided by the system and gifted by the Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce, were limited to just a dozen or so, resulting in a limited forging speed.

Currently, it wasnt the tools awaiting people; rather, it was people anxiously waiting for the tools.

If Ji Chen could subdue this group of Lizardmen and turn them into skilled workers, working day and night to forge tools, it might resolve the current dilemma.

In an instant, Ji Chen had figured out the usefulness and destination for these Lizardmen.

A smile reminiscent of a capitalist formed on his lips. Without any concealment, he walked slowly towards them with the army..