Master Modir was an incredible man, and he was famous among the adventurers who went out for missions recently. Of course, the main reason for his fame was the fact that he blasted an Elemental Lord into smithereens with seventeen terrifying spells. But there was another reason that made the old man famous, and that was because Rolla and his companions spared no effort in spreading the news after they returned to the camp.
Of course, in the young huntress's opinion, the main source of publicity came from her unreliable companions. She was, of course, honest, reliable, and discreet in her speech.
And in the propaganda of her unreliable companions, the story of the old mage Modir had slowly escalated from "killing an Elemental Lord with seventeen spells" to "smashing a Flame Giant with a single forbidden spell", and then to "flattening an entire valley (including the Flame Giant) with a single fireball". The latest version went like this:
In the encounter, the old mage Modir roared and casually cast a Flash spell. Then, he swung his staff and rushed up to smash the Elemental Lord into pieces. Then, he rushed into the Elemental Fissure and slaughtered countless in the Fire Elemental Realm. After flattening the Lava Plains, he pressed the head of the Fire Elemental Prince into the river of lava, beat him up and left calmly. He also sealed the Elemental Fissure while he was at it (closing the door when he left) …
Of course, no one dared to believe this latest version. It was born after an adventurer had a very serious bout of alcoholism. It fully proved a wise saying among the adventurers: the more you drink, the bigger the scene. The earlier you get drunk, the better you are.
But no matter how bizarre these various versions of the rumor were, the adventurers in the camp at least agreed on one thing: the old mage Modir was very strong. He was a champion that everyone in the camp respected. Although his identity card still said "Class Level Pending", almost everyone believed that this eccentric old man had reached the legendary level.
As for why such a powerful Legendary-mage would willingly mingle among adventurers … the old mage's explanation to the outside world was that it was for the sake of adventure, but basically no one in the camp believed him. There were countless speculations about the secret behind the matter, and every time an 'insider' passed out in a tavern, there would be several new versions popping up.
Did the powerful mage Modir know about these rumors? He probably did. Although Lola had not come into contact with a champion of this level, she did not think that the motley crew in the camp would think that their "private" gossip could escape the perception of a legendary mage. However, the old mage had never expressed any opinion about this. He was always running around happily, greeting everyone, registering, handing over, exchanging supplies and making new companions like an ordinary adventurer. It was as if he was immersed in some great joy and could not extricate himself, just like how he was now: with a face full of joy and curiosity, he gazed at the wonderful scenery of the Crystal Hill with the other adventurers.
After a short rest, several teams of adventurers were reassigned to carry out guard duty in the open area around the Crystal Hill, while the Dragons began to set up the various facilities and devices they brought from New Agundor. Lola looked at the "hill", and between the craggy crystal pillars, she saw blinding flames spurting out from time to time. That was the Giant Dragons using their dragon breath to weld solid alloy plates. First, they had to set up several crisscrossing protective walls at the new rendezvous point, and then set up basic energy stations, shield generators and high-power communication devices within the walls. It should not take long.
There was actually a temporary communication station built on the Crystal Hill: before this safe passage was opened, an advance team of Dragons made up of elites had directly flown over the plains full of monsters and elemental fissures, and set up a small communication tower and energy station on the mountaintop to maintain the communication between Agundor and the Western Continent's sentry post. However, the temporary communication station's power was limited, supplies were difficult, and the contact with the base camp could be cut off by wandering monsters at any time. Therefore, New Agundor sent a follow-up team to open up this route and try to build a real camp here.
Modir walked with Lola. He looked up at the sky from time to time, sweeping his gaze across the turbid clouds. The polar day of this land was ending, and the night that would last for half a year would continue to shroud the entire Tarlonde. The dim sunlight reflected in the depths of the old mage's sunken eye sockets. He suddenly let out a sigh. "It's not easy …"
Lola was a little stunned by the sudden sigh. "What did you say? What's not easy? "
"Can you see the huge chaotic energy field covering the sky above this continent? Miss Lola, you are also a Transcendent. If you focus, you should be able to see it, "the old mage said faintly." These energy fields are the remnants of the war. I don't know how long it will take the Dragons to completely neutralize and purify them, and before they completely dissipate, it's not easy to maintain long-distance communication on this land … A high-power communication station like the Crystal Hill is a heavy burden for the Dragons today, but they are still persistent in trying to restore order in such a harsh environment, and have never thought of abandoning this land … "
"… Perhaps the Dragons are like humans, having a nostalgia for their homeland." Lola thought for a moment and gently shook her head. "I don't know much about the Dragons. But you, have you found what you're looking for?"
Hearing Lola's question, Modir was silent for a moment, and then smiled faintly. "It's not that easy … I've been tormented by this illusory sense of guidance and the confusion of my own memory for many years. I've seen the hope of unraveling the curtain countless times, but in the end, it was just a waste of time. So even when I came to this land, I didn't expect to find any answer in a short time. Maybe, the so-called answer doesn't even exist.
"Miss Lola, I haven't found it yet. I still don't know what I've lost, and I don't know how this land is related to me. Let's take one step at a time … In fact, it's okay even if I don't find anything in the end. I don't feel regret. After all, this is an extraordinary adventure. At least I've gained a lot of knowledge that I've never had before."
The old mage looked quite optimistic. His carefree attitude made Lola, who wanted to comfort him, feel at a loss for words. In the end, she could only smile and nod gently. "After so many days in Tarlonde, I've gradually begun to understand what you once said to me — every adventure has its own value. The process of exploring the unknown is itself a great reward."
As soon as her voice trailed off, the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from the sky, interrupting the conversation between the two. Lola looked towards the direction of the sound and saw a huge black figure slowly descending from the sky. A huge black Giant Dragon descended from the sky and was shrouded in a brilliance during its descent. When the brilliance dissipated, the Giant Dragon had transformed into a calm and introverted girl in a black dress with short hair that reached her ears. She was walking towards Modir.
Lola was a little nervous subconsciously — of course, it was not because of some kind of 'hostility' or 'caution'. After so many days in Tarlonde, she and the other adventurers had already gotten used to the existence of the legendary Giant Dragon. They had also gotten used to the civilization and friendliness of the Dragons. However, when they saw such a huge creature descending from the sky, the nervousness was still an unavoidable reaction.
Although it felt like an unwarranted worry, every time she saw the Giant Dragon descending, she could not help but worry that these behemoths would slip and fall, and then wipe out everything … She did not know where this inexplicable association came from.
While her mind was wandering, the black dragon girl with short black hair had stepped in front of Modir. She bowed slightly and greeted him in a meticulous manner. "Mister Modir, I'm sorry for the suddenness. The commander of the camp wishes to meet you. Do you have time now?"
"Me? The commander wants to meet me? " Modir pointed at himself in surprise, as if he did not expect that a legendary adventurer like himself should have attracted the attention of the Dragons. "Do you know what's the matter?"
"Sorry, I'm only responsible for delivering the message." The black dragon girl shook her head. "But you can rest assured that this is not a bad thing. Your outstanding performance in the battle against the Elemental Lord is well known. I think … the higher-ups should want to reward you?"
"Ah, that's a good thing." Lola immediately smiled and nodded to the old mage beside her. "It seems that you have finally attracted the attention of the Dragons' managers, old mister."
"Is it a good thing?" Modir pinched the beard on his chin and seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding slowly. "Well, as long as they don't intend to take back my adventurer's license here. That thing costs money. Lead the way, girl. Where is your commander now?"
"He has come to the temporary camp at the Crystal Rock Hill." The black dragon girl nodded. "Do you mind if I take you flying? If you don't mind, I'll take you there. "
…
A moment later, on the upper level of the Crystal Hill, in the empty space of the camp that had been temporarily set up, the gigantic black dragon was steadily landing on the landing ground. Before the dragon landed, a figure that had been caught by the dragon's claws had already nimbly jumped to the ground and quickly ran to a safe area at the side.
Modir, who was caught by the dragon's claws all the way, patted the dust on his body, tidied up his clothes and beard, and stared at the black dragon girl who was coming out of the light. When she came closer, he could not help but say, "I thought when you said 'take me here', you meant for me to ride on your back. You didn't say you were going to use your claws to grab me!"
The black dragon girl had an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, I … actually, I don't mind letting a friend of Tarlonde like you sit on my back. But I've suffered some injuries in the previous battle. My back … I'm afraid it's not suitable for you to —"
"Ah, you don't have to say anymore. I know," Modir quickly interrupted the black dragon lady. He looked a little embarrassed. After two seconds, he scratched the back of his head and said, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't think before I spoke. Please forgive me. For some reason, my brain is sometimes not in the right state …"
As he spoke, he frowned slightly as if he suddenly remembered something. "And speaking of which, I don't know if it's an illusion, but I always feel that this kind of thing where I'm hanging on the claws of the Giant Dragon … seems to have happened before."
The black draconic girl stared at the human mage who was mumbling to himself in confusion. "Lady, do you know if there are any draconic species in your race that are used to flying with their claws?" The black draconic girl asked.
"Ah? Use their claws? " The black dragon girl was stunned. She said in a daze. "I've never heard of any race having such a habit … At most, it should be a hobby of some individuals. If it's the old days, maybe the scales on their backs have just been waxed and they don't want to let people ride them."
"Is that so?" Modir scratched his head and quickly put this insignificant little detail aside. "Forget it, it's not important. Take me to your commander first."
"Yes, Mister Modir."
Under the lead of the black dragon girl, Modir did not take long to pass through the temporary camp's landing site. After passing by several temporary barracks that were being welded and assembled, they came to a large house built of steel and stone. The black dragon girl stopped in front of the house and bowed her head slightly. "I can only take you here. The leader wishes to speak with you alone."
Modir was a little distracted. He did not notice that she had quietly replaced the word 'commander' with the word 'leader' which had a special meaning in Tarlonde. He nodded subconsciously. The black dragon girl who looked very young, but in fact had lived for forty thousand years quietly left the scene. Only a metal door stood quietly in front of the old mage and opened by itself.
Modir was stunned for a moment. He reached out and pushed the door open.
He came to an open room. The room was brightly lit. The light from a few glowing orbs on the roof illuminated the simple but clear structure of the room. He saw a table and a few chairs in the middle of the room. Around the room were simple but durable metal shelves and some magic devices that were in operation. A tall figure in a pale golden robe with blond hair stood in front of the window not far away. When Modir cast his gaze, the figure happened to turn around as well.
The leader of Tarlonde, Helagol.
Modir was a little stunned. He carefully observed this dragon whose age and power he could not tell at all. After a long while, he frowned and asked, "May I know who you are? You don't look like an ordinary camp commander. "
Helagol seemed to be preparing an opening speech. At this moment, he could not help but laugh when Modir took the initiative to ask. "I thought every adventurer would have at least some impression of me, especially a mage like you. After all, I also showed up at the welcoming ceremony of the adventurer camp."
Modir blinked and shook his head apologetically. "Sorry, my memory … is sometimes not so reliable. So, who are you? "
"You can call me Helagol," the leader of Tarlonde said gently. "I am the ruler of the land under your feet."
(End of Chapter)
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