Chapter 63: The Beautiful and the Uncertain

The blood-red sky of the Abyss, once stared at for long enough, would feel exceptionally low; even standing on a boundless wasteland, one would still feel a wave of suffocation.

Luge glanced at the ruins behind him that had nearly filled a ground fissure, then at a few crooked, bizarrely shaped trees in the distance.

Perhaps he could go back and consult Half-Man, he thought.

He waved his hand to open a Spatial Door; the position of the spatial rift on the Abyss side could not be changed, so next time he came, he would probably still see these ruins, though he did not know how long the Abyss's environment would take to smooth over all traces.

He stepped inside, and the illusory door vanished with him.

Wondering how Old Gold Tooth was doing, he decided to see Old Gold Tooth first upon returning; if that old Kobold was fine, then he could prepare. Also, he did not know whether Half-Man would like the extra gift he gave — one old boot for two items, buy one get one free, definitely a profit.

Truth be told, he had always wanted to wait until he found the purer Dragon Blood mentioned in the Diary, exclude what was unnecessary, and keep only the powerful Origin. But this experience made him think of a scenario: if he were trapped in a place where Space Items absolutely could not be opened, or in a state where he could not move at all, then how long could his short Kobold lifespan endure? So he planned one last attempt with Half-Man; if it failed, he would use the Dragon Blood in the Bedroom Space to complete the Dragonborn Kobold transformation.

He stood inside the Abyssal Bedroom Space, looking at a pile of crushed debris at his feet. In the end, he had still taken that unusual Succubus Scholar into his space — counting as inviting her to the Ground World as a guest, albeit in the form of debris.

The pile of books he had laboriously collected had also turned to fine dust, but fortunately they were only idle books.

He walked out of the Spatial Door, looking at his crude three-sided open shelter, and felt it was ten thousand times more reassuring than any grand castle.

Habitually picking up a Long Stick and hoisting it onto his shoulder, he hummed a random tune, swaying as he walked toward Old Gold Tooth. An unfamiliar observer would only see a slightly short, perfectly ordinary Kobold, and that off-key humming might sound like he got food stuck in his throat.

Halfway there, he thought it over and chose another fork in the road — a road leading to the Saint Lord's Great Cave.

Sure enough, it was just as he expected.

Just as he neared the Saint Lord's Great Cave, he heard Old Gold Tooth's voice; he saw a large fire burning extravagantly on the open ground before the Great Cave, a massive Underground Beast cut into sections roasting around the fire. What surprised Luge more was not just these Kobolds with their clear division of labor, but the waves of spice fragrance drifting over.

"Aijin, watch them, don't give any more. All of you, save it for me, be sharp! The Master loves Roast Meat most. This time we practice, see how to make the tastiest Roast Meat. The Pointed-Ears' good things are all for the Master. You lot are only enjoying this thanks to the Master's light..."

Besides Old Gold Tooth, it was hard to find another Kobold here who could speak so many words at once.

Luge even suspected Old Gold Tooth just wanted the pleasure of hearing himself talk; those Kobolds turning the meat probably mostly couldn't understand it all, especially the ones drooling.

"Aijin, you eat first later. Taste every single one, see if any are as delicious as what you and the Master ate last time."

Old Gold Tooth kept instructing, walking a circle around the great bonfire as he spoke.

Luge did not rush forward; he stood in the shadows at the roadside, smiling as he watched it all. The firelight flickered, making that spot especially bright.

After finishing his circle, Old Gold Tooth returned to a large stone block that had not been there before the Great Cave. The Dragonborn Kobold's tall frame abruptly leaned back against it, and two Kobolds who had long been waiting by the stone immediately stepped forward, kneading and pounding his legs and arms.

Tu Ya and Dasha stood like bodyguards on either side of the stone where Old Gold Tooth lay.

"Nice enjoyment, Old Gold Tooth."

Luge walked out from the side.

His voice made Old Gold Tooth start, springing up from the stone, followed by Aijin, eyes tearing from the smoke, running toward him in big strides.

"Brother Luge, Roast Meat." Aijin happily handed over a slice of meat.

Luge took a big bite. The taste was ordinary, even a bit scalding, but eating it was still extremely enjoyable.

"Master, you were gone so long this time! I, Old Gold Tooth, even missed you a little, hehe." Old Gold Tooth sidled over.

Tu Ya and Dasha also crowded over, looking at Luge with faces full of reverence.

Luge naturally did not believe a word of Old Gold Tooth's teasing, but seeing the gazes of Tu Ya, Dasha, and those distant Kobolds, he could already guess that Old Gold Tooth had surely bragged a lot about him while he was away.

He came and sat on that stone. For the first time, Luge enjoyed the service of other Kobolds. Roast Meat was cut by Aijin's own hands and served in a large bowl made from an Underground Beast's skull. A group of Kobolds bustled about, sending piece after piece of meat at various doneness to him, each trying different spices.

"These are spoils of war from the Elves. I've already driven them off," Old Gold Tooth said beside him, stuffing meat into his mouth with a laugh. "The Red Horn Tribe's Kobold King heard you are a Sage and wants to meet you. Blame Tu Ya for saying you're a rare Kobold Spellcaster. But don't worry — I know you hate trouble and don't want to go. I drove off that envoy too. The Red Horn Tribe has officially gone to war with those Pointed-Ears, so they won't have time for our little place for a while."

"I heard it from those Pointed-Ears. The Red Horn Tribe's accumulated strength is larger than imagined, enough to threaten the Pointed-Ears' two nearby City-States. Those City-States press down many slaves. Once the situation turns, it'll be trouble."

Old Gold Tooth laughed as he ate meat, seeming extremely satisfied with his current life.

"Were you injured in battle?" Luge asked.

"A little. A Pointed-Ear pierced my buttock, but it healed fast. I didn't even feel much pain..."

Old Gold Tooth reached under the stone, groping, and pulled out several dark lumps.

"Master, this is called Crying Mushroom Wine. I only secretly tasted a tiny bit. Saved the rest for you." Old Gold Tooth said, handing over several black waterskins. Looked like another Elven specialty.

Luge took them in surprise and sipped a little. Sweet, like sweet water, with a faint earthy taste and a hint of mushroom fragrance.

He immediately waved his hand, putting away half.

As he ate and drank, he kept an eye on Old Gold Tooth. The Dragonborn Kobold transformation seemed to have no issues.

He turned his head to look at Aijin and Dasha. Aijin seemed unsatisfied with the meat's flavor, still pondering. Dasha just ate silently beside her. Once the other surrounding Kobolds also started eating, the scene turned chaotic. They shrieked and clamored by turns, not a moment of quiet.

In the past, Luge hated such noise. Now he inexplicably felt it was fine. Of course, the premise was he couldn't stay long.

After eating and drinking his fill, he packed more Roast Meat into his Storage Bag.

Before leaving, he instructed Aijin and Dasha not to wander off, as he might come find them at any time. Both Kobolds nodded obediently.

Luge planned to bring them along during the transformation, to become Dragonborn Kobolds together.

Naturally, he first had to confirm whether Half-Man's place could yield a way to obtain purer Dragon Blood.

Wandering all the way, the crossroads appeared before him again. The Large Stone Block was still there.

(Chapter End)