Chapter 14: Smart and Foolish

Old Gold Tooth pursed his lips and did not answer immediately.

In the waiting interval, Luge thought of those images of kobolds growing scales that had once emerged in his mind; that must be the Dragonborn Kobolds. In an instant he also thought of the Half-Man, that immobile, brainless Wizard; since he had said he could help him resolve the Short-Lived Species' binding, it could be reasonably guessed that the Half-Man most likely possessed a treasure capable of transforming Dragonborn Kobolds.

Since he is a powerful Wizard, naturally he could not produce trash; as for the best effect, that would undoubtedly be Dragon Blood.

Seeing in Kalu's Diary that besides tinkering with Scrolls, Wizards usually most love making all kinds of strange Potions, the Half-Man might possibly have a Potion made from Dragon Blood. Directly using or consuming raw materials would be regarded by Wizards as a shameful disgrace; in a Wizard's view that is foolish, extremely wasteful; only after wisdom's processing lets the effect reach the optimum is it the most superior choice.

The kobolds in the distance stirred in an uproar.

Aijin immediately rose to investigate. Knowing Old Gold Tooth would not die for the time being, she was no longer wearing that worried, bitter expression.

In Luge's view, these two kobolds were somewhat like a father-daughter or grandfather-granddaughter relationship.

Of course, in normal kobolds' loose family concepts, there would not be this kind of special, caring familial affection; they gather in tribal form only because they are too weak. Before Luge appeared, Aijin and Old Gold Tooth might have been the only kobolds the other could communicate with, so their feelings were very good; probably in their eyes the rest of the kobolds were more like beasts, not kin.

Aijin ran back in big strides.

She first looked at Old Gold Tooth, then turned to Luge, and said: "The Hui Chang Jing Sheng Zhu has returned! Then, then they discovered, the Black Claw Master is gone! There is a lot of blood there! Lots and lots of blood, outside the Holy Cave, blood covered a stretch of ground in front of the cave..."

She waved her arms; with every sentence she spoke, Da Sha Hen Na's broad shoulders beside her would tremble once.

After the initial surprise passed, the Hui Chang Jing Sheng Zhu's return seemed to have no influence on the few kobolds present.

Old Gold Tooth, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

"Their taste is too similar..."

The old kobold spat out a sentence as if it had drained his strength.

"I am not like you and Aijin; most smart kobolds are not that kind. We become smart during the process of transforming into Dragonborn Kobolds... although I did not become a Dragonborn Kobold, I still grew a little taller."

"Before that I was the shortest in the tribe, and also the most foolish; the tribe's kobolds all bullied me, I almost never ate my fill. Later one day they gave me food to eat, watching me eat, I was happy, I ate in big mouthfuls... when it was gone they would give another piece; it was the fullest meal of my life... I kept eating... ate until my stomach was about to burst..."

The old kobold's tone had no obvious change, but the Light Silk growing on his body trembled ever more violently along with his words.

"Until long after, transforming into a Dragonborn Kobold... my brain suddenly became smart... suddenly realizing that meal, I only then knew, I had eaten my Chong Ren friend bite by bite..."

"My friend, was divided into many pieces; the dull, stupid me did not recognize him..."

Old Gold Tooth spoke to here, curled his lip, as if recounting a boring matter.

Luge, meanwhile, had multiple thoughts flash through his mind; he had originally thought Old Gold Tooth would know what those Fat Meat Worms were all about. Now it seems the expectation was in vain; however he did mention one point: Meat Worms and the Chong Ren Race taste very similar, which reminded him of that little Crybaby worm who ran away without leaving a name.

And Aijin, she is the truly rare smart kobold; he might only count as a fake.

"Let me tell you another interesting thing."

Old Gold Tooth revealed a strange expression that seemed like a smile yet not a smile.

"I might be royalty among kobolds," he paused, looking at the two's expressions, then continued, "In legend, in a very, very long time ago, unknown how long, kobolds were all smart; they were very clean, wore beautiful clothes, had huge cities, had their own civilized nation, even stronger than those Pointed Ears."

"But later they did one wrong thing, a Curse was sent down; in the blink of an eye civilization vanished, the nation collapsed, becoming the current state; the more concentrated the royal bloodline in a kobold, the more dull and stupid they are," he said, glancing at Dasha, "especially this kind, both tall and dull-stupid, most fits the legendary royal characteristics; while those previously not-so-smart, not-brave, weak ordinary kobold bloodlines instead did not bear so much Curse power, and descendants might still pop out a few smart kobolds."

The three chatted idly.

The distant kobolds had already prepared to go out hunting for the Hui Chang Jing Sheng Zhu.

Aijin turned her head to glance at Old Gold Tooth, looking eager to move; Luge could see at a glance she did not want Old Gold Tooth to go eat random things again. And since the old kobold would not eat worm meat, he could only choose to follow the tribe out hunting.

"No need to hunt; give this to Old Gold Tooth to eat; I only need one claw tip for a weapon."

He took out that large black claw, used the Beast Tooth Dagger to barely cut open a bit, then began tearing it apart relying on brute force.

"You and Dasha are hungry; go catch worms nearby; recently don't go too far."

Aijin nodded; at this moment how could she not understand whose claw this was; watching Luge dissect the Saint Lord's claw before her face, her expression changed repeatedly, unknown what mood she was in.

Dasha was even more disappointing, shrinking back continuously, fully displaying a royal bearing.

Luge left the meat behind and departed from there, simultaneously instructing Aijin that even maintaining a certain distance she must not always stay at Old Gold Tooth's place.

When he has time he will find Old Gold Tooth again to chat about other things.

He wound his way back to his own secluded little nest.

No noisy kin.

Alone, staying quietly, maintaining the Stinking Skin Spell, instead gave him more sense of security.

He took out the Black Book, preparing to start learning new Runes; the various changes around him gave him more motivation, and that map in his mind; several Wizards' Inheritance he believed would not disappoint him, but the premise is being able to safely reach there.

Of course these are still just the little worms' one-sided words; without seeing with his own eyes, none of it counts.

Suddenly drowsiness struck; too late to eat, he closed the book and fell into deep sleep.

This sleep was exceptionally deep.

In a half-dream half-wake state he saw that tree again, that incomparably holy tree, seen once when Solidifying the Stinking Skin Spell. At that time it seemed he had crossed an extremely far distance, only to finally gaze at it from afar. But this time was different; he changed an angle; he drifted around the giant tree, like a piece of flying fluff that would never fall.

Suddenly he felt this was not a tree; once this thought arose in his heart, the more he looked the more it resembled one.

This is a hand, a hand buried from the lower half of the palm down; five thick tree branches are five fingers.

As for the whole body's pure whiteness, it is actually because it no longer has flesh and blood; this is a white bone hand without flesh and blood.

A bone hand filled with a sense of pure sacredness.

When he understood these, the scene before his eyes suddenly shook.

He woke up.

The first moment upon waking, he discovered the Stinking Skin Spell seemed somewhat different.

(Chapter End)