Chapter 63: 62. Young Mythril Seeker

“I just heard someone crying for help,” I asked the Gnome standing to my left, “I think it’s a young Lizardfolk. Can you hear it?”

“I am not sure,” he said as he wiped some sweat off his forehead, “Why would a young creature even be in such a place?”

The place that we arrived at was a kilometer away from the city of the Lizardfolk, and there was nothing here but sand. Large dunes surrounded us, the hot wind was blowing on our faces, and the sun was shining brightly.

I looked around me to locate the Lizardfolk, but mirages obstructed my vision.

I have to hurry, the little girl might be in grave danger…

I hurriedly closed my eyes and focused on the faint sound that I heard. I relied on the [Flawed State of Being] skill to improve my perception, and the voices around me got clearer immediately.

The cries of help were coming from behind me, so I turned around and ran vigorously in that direction.

“What’s up, Mr. Jason?” blurted Ratska as he hurried behind me, “Are we in danger? Why are you running?”

His small legs prevented him from reaching great speeds, so he lagged.

“We’re not in danger, but someone is!” I shouted, “Make sure to follow me, we might need a potion depending on the state of the Lizardfolk.”

“Lizardfolk?” he screamed, “It might be an ambush for all we know; I hope you know what you’re doing!”

Even if it was an ambush, I’ll just kill them all…

I ran for thirty more seconds before I saw the little Lizardfolk that was crying for help. I was twenty meters away from her, and she looked miserable.

Her left arm and leg were torn, and she was bleeding on the ground. The sand underneath her congealed to form a reddish paste due to the great amount of blood that dripped from her wounds. She held a small dagger with her right arm and was waving it haphazardly in front of her.

Three similar creatures were running around her, taking turns to bite and headbutt her. They looked like foxes, but their fur was sand-colored. They were as big as a wolf, and their ears were larger than their heads. A reddish stripe of fur extended along the back of these creatures.

I examined them; they were Ghibli Fennecs, and their levels were between thirty and thirty-five.

I pointed my finger toward one of them and used my single-target skill against it. A fire beam erupted from my finger and penetrated the Fennec’s skull. I invested two hundred mana in the attack, and it was more than enough for the kill.

The other two abruptly stopped attacking the young Lizardfolk and stared at me. Suddenly, they growled and charged to attack me.

I raised my fists in front of me, ready to take them on. I expected the little Fennecs to desperately attack me, but they used a special ability. Both of their bodies became translucent, then they transformed into strong gusts of wind.

I braced myself for a surprise attack, but the creatures ran away.

At least they’re smart…

Now that the monsters were dealt with, I ran toward the Lizardfolk. She growled and waved her dagger at me; she was scared.

“Can you make a potion that would heal this kind of injury?” I asked the Gnome, “Something that would grow the limbs back.”

He rubbed his chin for a couple of seconds, then replied.

“It’s doable, but it’s somewhat expensive,” He sighed, “Pull out the bags numbered three, four, and eight from the storage ring. I’ll get it done within a minute; make sure the Lizardfolk is still alive by then.”

I nodded, then gave him the bags that he wanted.

“Don’t worry about the cost; I’ll compensate you.”

Saving this Lizardfolk will facilitate the process of communication between me and her kin.

After that, I rummaged through my storage ring to search for the HP potion that Petra gave me in the tutorial, and I found it quickly. It reminded me of the fight against Chris in the second phase, and I was curious about his current situation.

I am not sure whether he acquired some tutorial points or not, but that doesn’t concern me anyway.

I showed the potion to the Lizardfolk, and her aggression lessened considerably. She stopped waving her dagger around but still grasped it in her right hand.

I uncorked the vial and brought it closer to her. She looked away for a moment, before opening her mouth. She drank the green liquid, then closed her eyes.

This should buy some time for Ratska…

The bleeding slowed down and the Lizardfolk sighed and relaxed. She nodded at me, then stared at Ratska.

He was still working on the potion, and the process was tedious. The Gnome held a large flask with his left hand and added three green marbles into the purple liquid, then he sealed the flask with a cork and mixed it.

The liquid turned black, then the Gnome smiled and uncorked the vessel.

“It’s done,” said Ratska as he scrutinized the black mixture, “Here you go.”

He handed me the potion, and I helped the little girl drink it. I returned the flask to Ratska as soon as she emptied it.

Suddenly, she screamed. Her limbs grew back in the span of a second, and she squirmed in pain for quite a while.

I walked around waiting for her pain to subside.

Suddenly, a system screen appeared in front of me.

 

He’s calling now of all times?

I walked a fair distance away from Ratska and the Lizardfolk, and I told my little friend to take care of her till I came back.

I accepted the call. I didn’t know how this system feature worked as it came with no instructions; the only thing that I knew was that the communication happened in real-time.

“Hello?” I mumbled. I wasn’t sure if my sponsor heard me, but there wasn’t much else that I could do.

“Hey! If it isn’t my favorite blessed,” I heard his voice normally as if he was standing next to me, “You’re progressing well, aren’t you?”

“I am doing my best,” I noted, “It seems like the Great Church is intent on exterminating me. I am pressed for time right now, and I didn’t have a chance to call.”

Besides, the current period before humans come back to Earth is my best opportunity to grow my guild.

“You are doing your best; in fact, you’re working too hard,” he spoke with his cheerful tone, “Your body-soul connection is worsening over time.”

Oh?

When I went back to Earth and used my abilities, I didn’t feel any pain. I assumed that Loki healed my body-soul connection, and brushed it off as one of his mysterious actions.

“Didn’t you fix that problem before sending me back to Earth?” I asked.

“I did, but it’s just a temporary measure. You’re so close to tearing off the band-aid,” He spoke, “Take it easy for at least a month; if you use your abilities four more times in the next month, then you’ll become crippled for the rest of your life.”

“What if I get ambushed once more?” I mumbled.

However, no reply came back.

Shit… He must’ve hung up…

I was thrown off by Loki’s words, and I didn’t believe them at first. However, I wasn’t brave enough to try my limits.

I guess I’ll have to be cautious for a while…

I went back to check on the injured Lizardfolk, and she was calm this time. She hugged her knees and sat on an area that had little sand.

As soon as she noticed me, she started speaking in the Lizardian language.

I didn’t understand much, but her polite tone of voice indicated her intention of thanking me.

She doesn’t have the translation skill, huh?

Most immigrants had this skill, as it was one of the cheaper options. I motioned for her to stop using my hand, and bought the uncommon variant of the [Translator] passive skill from my system shop for two hundred points.

“Do you understand me now?” I spoke. The young Lizardfolk nodded, then she replied with a slightly high-pitched voice.

“I do! Thank you, stranger. I expected today to be my last, but you saved me when you defeated those creatures,” she spoke, “I am Zinnia; what’s your name?”

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She stood up and shook my hand.

“Jason Stubbs, and I am glad you survived,” I replied with a smile, “Why are you roaming this area alone? The Sahara is a dangerous place, and you might meet deadly monsters regardless of your level.”

“I’ve heard of you; it’s a pleasure meeting a strong person!” she spoke enthusiastically, before her voice became softer, “I have no choice; this is the best way to earn some materials and funds. I was on my way to a certain mine close by when those foxes ambushed me.”

“You’re talking about the Mythril mine, right?” I said with a raised eyebrow, “Aren’t you too young to be a laborer?”

“My class isn’t suitable for combat,” she replied, “Transporting Mythril was the only way to have the funds that I needed.”

Silence followed her statement, and I mulled over this girl’s life conditions.

Her life must’ve been harsh, and her clothes weren’t the best. She wore a beige shirt and brown pants and had no shoes on. Her limbs were thinner than usual and her forearms were covered in straps; she might’ve been hiding some scars or some valuable equipment.

She didn’t have much else except a shabby dagger that she attached to her waist and an empty bag that was laying on the ground.

I took this chance to get a good look at Zinnia. Her body was covered in blue scales, whereas her belly, neck, and hands were covered in white ones. She was slightly taller than Ratska; a short height for an adolescent Lizardfolk.

She had blue eyes, and her face was covered in a mixture of blue and white scales. She had a small horn on each side of her head, and the left one was slightly shaved off.

I sighed and advanced toward the corpse of the Ghibli Fennec.

I dismantled it and obtained three skin pelts. I put everything inside my ring when I heard Zinnia clapping.

Oh? She thinks that my [Dismantle] skill is awesome?

“Oh, right,” Ratska interrupted the silence, “Zinnia said that she lived in the city close by, maybe she’ll help us enter?”

“For sure,” said Zinnia as she nodded, “Usually, Lizardfolk don’t allow strangers to enter the town, unless they’re accompanied by citizens. Leading you to our town is the least that I could do to my saviors.”

Great! Now, I have one less excuse to use violence; let’s hope that the communication with the town leader ends up being productive.

“Alright! Let’s go,” I spoke, and Zinnia took the lead.

We made small talk along the way, and I found out more information about Zinnia. I was surprised to find out that she was nine years old; she was just a child even by Lizardfolk’s standards.

She said that her class was focused on talking to spirits, and I didn’t pry further as she was uncomfortable with the subject.

After walking for a couple of minutes through sand and rough ground, we reached the town’s borders.

There was a wall around the town, and it was two meters tall and thick enough for a person to walk on top of it. It was made of a translucent material similar to glass, and some Lizardfolk were walking on top of it. They used some fire-based skills to turn sand into the material that the wall was made of.

I took a deep breath and spoke addressing Ratska.

“We need to keep a low profile; don’t call me using my full name in public unless I tell you to do so. Also, don’t go around brewing epic-grade potions like the one you used to heal Zinnia.”

“Understood,” he replied, “I am surprised you know about the grade of that potion.”

Of course, I do; It was one of Stella’s guild’s exclusive potions in my past life.

“Follow me, and don’t speak with the guards,” said Zinnia as she took the lead.

We reached the town’s entrance, and there were two mature male Lizardfolks standing guard. Each one of them was more than two meters tall, and they wore helmets and basic leather armor that protected their torso.

“Halt!” one of them shouted.

“We’re not accommodating people of the other races yet,” the other one added.

“Don’t worry, guys,” said Zinnia, “They’re with me. They are travelers that saved my life, and they wish to experience our culture.”

“Don’t be stupid, Zinnia,” said one of them, “You’re just a child; it’s obvious that they’re taking advantage of you!”

“They saved my life!” shouted Zinnia, “I owe them, and I can vouch for their good intentions.”

I am sorry, Zinnia. I might have to threaten the leader of this town a little…

“They might’ve brainwashed you; Dwarves and Humans are insidious creatures,” one of them spoke, “We’ll call for Mr. Gerz; he’ll take you home.”

Then, that guard entered the town to call for this Mr. Gerz person.

“I am not a Dwarf!” blurted Ratska, he raised an eyebrow and tried to follow the Lizardfolk that offended him.

“Don’t move,” threatened the remaining guard; he pointed a spear toward Ratska, “We haven’t decided what to do with you, yet.”

“It’s cool, Ratska. It’s not time to do it, yet,” I whispered to the Gnome to diffuse the situation.

He calmed down and crossed his arms.

We waited for ten minutes, and we just sat on the ground as we waited for this mysterious person to arrive.

Suddenly, someone spoke with a coarse voice.

“Zinnia! You’re late,” He passed through the gate and hugged the little Lizardfolk, “You worried me!”

“It’s fine, father. I had some trouble, and these people saved my life.” She replied while pointing toward me and my companion.

Mr. Gerz was two and a half meters tall and had a stocky upper body. A scar passed through his left eye; it must’ve been permanently damaged.

His scales were a mixture of red, white, and yellow, and he had a fierce gaze in his right eye. He held a cane in his right hand, and his right leg differed from regular Lizardfolk legs; it was an artificial metal limb.

Mr. Gerz stared at me for a couple of seconds, then he chortled.

“Don’t worry, guards. These guys are speaking the truth,” he said, “It’s okay, I’ll be vouching for them.”

The guards nodded and turned away from us.

I thanked him, and Ratska did the same, then we followed him and Zinnia into the town. Mr. Gerz walked with steady steps despite his disability, and he patted Zinnia’s head along the way.

“I should be the one thanking you,” said Mr. Gerz with a shaky voice, “I don’t have much in life, and Zinnia is a gift that appeared in my life out of nowhere. I was afraid that God would take her away from me abruptly. Her father would’ve been disappointed in me if she died under my care.”

“Mr. Gerz is my adoptive father, and I am living with him and my adoptive mother,” explained Zinnia.

It was obvious why Zinnia had to do odd jobs; her adoptive father was in no shape to do strenuous jobs, and manual labor was the best paying line of work on a newly integrated planet due to the abundance of natural resources and the need for construction.

I was about to speak when a Lizardman spoke abruptly with a loud voice.

“I assume that the two of you are the new guests of the town?” he said.

He was even taller than Mr. Gerz, and his body was completely covered in black scales. He wore a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of green shorts. His tail was much longer than usual Lizardfolk tails; it was at least a meter long and he waved it around as he spoke.

He had a smirk on his face, but that might’ve been my imagination.

They sent a messenger as soon as we entered the town?

I made eye contact with Ratska and he was raising an eyebrow, then we nodded at the speaking Lizardman.

“Welcome; I am the leader of the city, and I’m expecting a visit from you in twenty-four hours,” he took a parchment out of his bag of holding, opened it, and read its text, “You’re the first group of foreigners to enter our city, and I am interested in chatting with you. The Lizardman reading this message will accompany you to my place when the time comes.”

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Special shoutout to:

GenericKane

chris

Water Dragon

Bladesunder

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