Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

He felt a headache.

“Irason, do you need my assistance regarding the harvesting of the Dream Elf clan’s power? The Wandering City and the Elf clan have trade and economic ties, so perhaps… I can offer you some influence and help.”

The unreliable green dragon priest shook his head.

"Brother Morokui only needs to focus on harvesting the Arcane race. The Wandering City is only friendly to the Wither Druids I took away. They are also marginal figures in the Dream Forest. Don't worry about me. I know this matter is of great importance. I will definitely do my job well!"

The scholar was very pleased that his little sister was no longer relying on those around her like a lazy bum; she had grown up.

"I see. Irason has become someone we can rely on. I look forward to your achievements."

A look of confusion appeared on Irason's face.

"Hey, do I have to do it myself, brother? Waaah, I can't do it."

"...Then how are you going to finish the work by yourself?"

Irason blinked her bright, watery eyes.

“I didn’t say I wanted to do it all by myself, and Brother Moroki can’t help much anyway.”

“It’s okay. I suddenly remembered that I have a reliable person in my family that I can depend on.”

"She will definitely help me finish my work!"

The scholar covered his face.

How could you say such a thing? How did the green dragon Irason choose you to be the dragon priest in the first place?

These questions deeply troubled the learned Moroki.

Chapter 585 Moshui's Tide

A difference of 500 meters in altitude is enough to change local customs and traditions.

The deep sea is another world to the land.

The dark, deep sea is like a void, where faint light remains silent amidst the tides, plunging everything into slumber.

Descending to a layer of water impervious to the sun, the algae content plummeted, the seawater lost its aquamarine hue, and the remaining silence was suffocating. Priscilla was already used to all of this; she knew that her kind existed on the deep sea, so the silent time spent submerged was just a boring journey.

The temperature gradually decreased as she descended, and the surging, erratic currents, like an evil hand, dragged the dragon priestess's body deeper into the ocean. What the sea evoked fear in ordinary people felt like a warm welcome to Priscilla. She released her icy protective barrier, allowing the sea to regulate her body temperature. The seawater, like a favorable wind propelling a sailboat, carried Priscilla home.

The dragging sensation of the ocean current disappeared, and the dragon priest was thrown to the bottom of the sea. The seabed, covered with sand and stones, was empty. There was no mermaids, not even a school of fish. The pressure of the deep sea had isolated life. Priscilla seemed to be lost.

The White Dragon Priestess paid no attention; she seemed to quite like this barren seabed, floating in the water amidst the solitude.

A song… or rather, an unusual scream, emanated from the dragon priestess's mouth. The daughter of the sea had uttered her [song], a roar only mermaids could appreciate. Without the blessing of the [Mermaid Song], their voices, in the air, took on a sinister, hoarse whisper, like the raving of a wicked old woman. If becoming a dragon priestess hadn't caused Priscilla to lose some of her [mermaid] qualities, she wouldn't even have mastered language.

Mermaids have no language; they communicate more easily through telepathy. Their vague emotional impulses make their thought patterns largely similar, especially under the influence of "The Little Mermaid," making the mermaid race innocent children filled with curiosity about the land. Besides telepathy, their roars, which can be transmitted through the sea, are their way of calling to each other.

The currents, disrupted by the roar, trembled, and the surroundings began to blur. The dragon priest's song was answered; the mermaid's voice and Priscilla's voice intertwined, becoming a chorus. After the chorus ended, the veil of the underwater city of Moshui was lifted.

The first to appear were the four mermaids who responded to the White Dragon Priest. They had female appearances and fish tails, but were somewhat different from regular mermaids. Their tails were long and slender like snakes, their scales extended to their waists and abdomens, their fingers were slender and webbed, and they had fins on their elbows and backs. Their alluring appearance was even more seductive than in their childhood, but their narrow, vertical eyes seemed to spew evil.

They are the guardians of the Dark Tide Banshees, who have abandoned their own fantasies and chosen to use force and magic to protect their people and the city.

Your Majesty.

Princess stroked the snake tail of a banshee, and the favored guard obediently swayed his body to follow the angle of her touch.

They parted ways at the slightest touch; they had their own responsibilities, and so did I.

Princess returned to her country.

Once the cloaking of the Dark Tide Banshee's currents was removed, the seabed transformed. Dense coral reefs, sculpted by the mermaids, formed layered houses; the purified currents teemed with life, and schools of fish and microorganisms created a new ecosystem in Moshui. Magical pearls illuminated this underwater city, and fish tamers guided the tides, causing luminous fish to adorn every corner of the city.

The relatively monotonous productivity system allows the mermaids to maintain a simple matriarchal clan society. Even though the white dragon priest has been away from the clan for a long time, most mermaids, except for newborns, will show respect to this leader.

Moshui possesses its own unique wonder: an underwater temple protected by mermaids atop the largest rock layer. It is an ancient temple built of an unknown material, shaped like a giant clam half-exposed from the seabed. The sides of the clam shell are slightly open, revealing a radiant inner surface. The opening is densely covered with dragon runes, and upon closer inspection, one can discover five different dragon languages ​​with slightly different sentence structures.

The temple's radiance not only illuminated the deep sea but also brought life to the mermaids. It was like the sun in the sea, nurturing algae and schools of fish, allowing this mermaid kingdom to survive.

The merfolk held the temple in high esteem, and celebrations and sacrificial ceremonies were held near it almost daily, though they lacked a precise sense of time—a day for them might represent much longer. No one entered the temple itself; it was an act of blasphemy strictly forbidden by the white dragon priests.

Less than fifty meters from the temple lies the Giant Pearl Oyster Ranch. It produces the magical pearls needed to supply the entire city and is also the home of the noble mermaids. Priscilla knows this all too well; the soft flesh of the pearl oysters is far more comfortable than coral, though occasionally the newly unearthed pearls can be bothersome and disrupt her sleep.

Priscilla swam towards the largest giant pearl oyster, which belonged to her. This enormous creature, born under the influence of the temple, not only possessed the longevity of a tortoise but also an excellent memory. Priscilla gently tapped the shell, and it obediently opened, revealing the little tenant inside.

The mermaid slept in a seashell, cradling a dazzling pearl the size of a human head. The pearl possessed magic; its smooth surface would ripple from time to time, as tiny eddies were drawn and swirled around it.

Principes' gaze lingered on the Tide Pearl for a moment before shifting to the little mermaid's face. She had grown a little older, more beautiful, and even more heartbreaking for Principes.

【Vina.】

The soft murmur of caressing disturbed the mermaid's dream. She opened her eyelids, hugged the pearl to her chest, and only after looking at it did she relax. She reached out and touched Priscilla's shoulder, and the voice that would never be heard again appeared in the white dragon priest's mind.

My lord, you're back.

"Thank you for watching over the Tide Pearl while I was away." The White Dragon Priest stroked the little mermaid's cheek, then gave Vina, whose expression was somewhat blank, a new task. "Bring all the people here, Vina. We have a big plan coming up. I need to use the power of the Tide Pearl to extract the power of the mermaid race."

【Why?】Vina’s confusion was conveyed to Principes, who did not resist her orders, but was simply puzzled.

We plan to resurrect the dragons, and the dragon priests need the power of the mermaids. Then, the mermaids will once again possess new dragons. Vina, you probably haven't seen it yet; when the white dragon Principality carried me across the ocean, you were just a fish roe.

"Understood." Vina nodded slightly, handed the pearl to the dragon priest, and silently swam away into the distance.

Princess clenched her fists, but in the end, she struggled to take Vina's hand. Her frustration, her affection, and her hopes echoed in Vina's mind.

【Once we have dragons, we will have new dragon priests, my dear, and you can set foot on land like the Little Mermaid.】

Principes felt her body tremble. The thoughts rising in Vina's heart were like a surging tide, these currents washing over the dragon priest and also over the mermaid lady.

Is he alright?

Princess held Vera in her arms, their brows pressed together.

Once you become a dragon priestess, you can see for yourself the Little Mermaid.

Chapter 586 Sahazane's War Cry

There lies a boundless desert, geographically located on the outskirts of an ancient land called Sahazam. This untamed wilderness remains untouched by humankind. As one of the four major nodes of the magic network, even spellcasters rarely venture here. In the last hundred years, her only guest has been a magic network constructor scholar, with her master's permission.

The Black Dragon Priest and his ancient tribe were once the rulers of this land.

Now, the ancient humans who have lost their dragons are nothing more than barbarian tribes struggling to survive in the desert.

The two-meter-tall tribal warriors, clad in animal skins, were whispering among themselves about the new outsider their leader had brought.

“There must be something wrong with that weak shaman. He always stays in his hut, and no one knows what he is except for Little Marne and the leader. Maybe he’s a disguised fanged rat.”

"I think he's more of a burden. He doesn't help with the hunting, yet he enjoys our food and bed. You should see how arrogant he is. He's a shameful liar!"

"No! He's a demon! I saw it with my own eyes. He used witchcraft on our warriors with a staff. He made the meat of animals rot and the children die of disease. I warned the chief, but he wouldn't listen to me."

“The chief has been bewitched. Haven’t you noticed that our herds’ route has changed? We are venturing deeper into the desert, we are approaching that monster’s land. We will be sacrificed, we will be killed.”

Ma'en is one of the few newborn children in the barbarian tribe whose parents were killed by wolves during a hunt. Orphans like him are taken care of by the tribe. His new task is to look after the mysterious shaman mentioned in the new story.

No one knew who he was. Even Marne, who took care of him, was full of doubts about the old man who always wore a black robe. He wore a terrifying mask that made Marne afraid to look him in the eye.

He came from a very powerful tribe, and then he was abandoned. That was the only news Omro told Man.

Marne carried the earthen pot into the secluded little tent. Omro's dwelling was much cleaner than the rumored voodoo hut, and could even be described as simple. Omro squatted by his bedside, meditating peacefully.

Although Omro is an eccentric old man, he is a strange man with a wealth of knowledge. Marne feels that by staying by his side, he can learn something called "wisdom," and he also has other ideas. Marne's naturally weak physique makes him only a short man of 1.7 meters, making it difficult for him to become a hunting warrior, and a useless person will not get food.

Ma'en wanted to learn voodoo and become a shaman as respected by leaders as Omro.

“I’ve said it many times, I’m not a shaman, and I don’t know voodoo.”

Upon entering the tent, Ma En heard Omro's complaints again. Ma En simply took it as him hiding his true abilities, placed the earthenware pot in front of him, and watched him stir the contents inside.

"Then how did you find the puddle and the sand winged lizard in the rock crevice? These two creatures are not common in the desert."

"I heard it, I saw it."

"Can shamans sense these things in the ashes? That's amazing."

“I can see those things even without furnace ash. I’ve already said I don’t cast spells,” Omro emphasized again, sounding irritated. Looking at the whitish-gray slurry in the terracotta pot, Omro seemed to feel a little better.

"The paste made from animal bones and cordyceps is quite good, and the grains are very fine. You are very meticulous, Ma En."

Ma En chuckled, stepped over the brazier, and sat down next to Omro. When Omro was in a good mood, the terrifying aura surrounding him would disappear, something Ma En himself had discovered.

"What are these for? Medicine or poison?"

Omro reached out and grabbed a bit of the white paste, then placed it and his arm over the fire to roast.

“The closer you get to Sahazane, the larger and stronger the beasts will become. You are too weak now. If you want to survive, you will need some tricks. Here is the paint. Give me your hand.”

Ma En obediently stretched out his bronze arm, and Omro's sticky hands smeared it on his arm, outlining several rough, primitive lines, like claw marks left by wild beasts, with a wild beauty.

"Battle runes, the precursor to runic literature, a form of knowledge that predates any other discipline because it existed before the invention of writing. Never mind, you won't understand anyway. Just memorize these patterns, Marn, and then draw them on your other arm yourself."

"Yes, Master."

Marne took this as Omro's first lesson, watching intently as his left hand traced the pattern. The baked slurry wasn't very hot, producing a cooling sensation on the skin, and the viscous paint gradually smoothed out as it cooled, making it easy to apply.

"I'm done!" Marne certainly had a talent for drawing; painting battle markings on his other arm was no problem for him. He excitedly waved his arms, showing off to Omro.

"Not bad, Ma En, now call out."

"what?"

"Just call me whatever you want."

"Ah~" Ma En exclaimed, but because he was a little off-key at the end, his voice sounded funny. He looked at Omro, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Speak louder!!! Didn't you eat meat?!"

Omro's sudden roar startled Marne.

"No!!! I didn't eat meat today!!!" The craving for meat caused Ma En to scream inside the small tent. Amidst the roar, Ma En noticed something was wrong with himself; his two arms, covered in battle markings, had become hot, as if burning. The blood flowing through his arms seemed to be ignited, transmitting excitement to his brain.

This is the feeling of power! Ma En felt that he could now tear apart a giant sand scorpion with his bare hands, and the joy of becoming stronger made Ma En extremely happy.

"Omro! I'm getting stronger... Huh?" Five seconds after the roar stopped, the state of being full of power disappeared.

A roar can unleash the power of battle runes?!