Chapter 321: You

After a long pause, the female lizard began approaching again.

Of course, her eyes still held caution.

Seeing this, the two little ones trembled and emitted low, threatening growls.

"Little ones, don't be nervous—she's your true mother!"

Gervas quickly soothed them.

The next instant, the armored female lizard was right before them, her head less than a meter from him and the little lizards.

Fortunately, she did not attack—she merely sniffed the two little ones with greater care.

Gradually, the armored female lizard's gaze changed.

Though humans and animals cannot speak the same language, most races reveal much emotion through their eyes.

Gervas, witnessing this, knew half the matter was already settled.

The little lizards, too, were sniffing the armored female lizard's scent.

They had spent considerable time beside their mother after birth.

But because so much time had passed, their memories were not as clear as hers.

Yet, with this close, detailed sniffing, the little ones began to recall fragments.

Roar!

The mother lizard let out a low growl.

Growl growl!

Without hesitation, the two little lizards rushed forward, pressing their heads beneath their mother's chin, rubbing against it repeatedly.

As they rubbed, they emitted low growls.

Clearly, after being separated for over half a year, the little lizards and their mother had finally reunited and recognized each other.

To Gervas's ears, it sounded like a mutual greeting among mother and offspring.

At that moment, Migen and Lei Meng finally exhaled in relief and slowly stepped forward.

The mother lizard immediately stopped her affectionate behavior and fixed Gervas and Lei Meng's group with a dangerous gaze.

It wasn't because Migen and Lei Meng's appearance stirred her hostility.

Rather, with her intelligence, she understood these two-legged creatures had stolen her offspring.

She also recalled the unfamiliar scents around her when her young vanished—scents nearly identical to these two-legged ones.

Growl growl!

Fortunately, the two little ones sensed their mother's shifting emotions and immediately stepped forward, growling anxiously.

The mother lizard hesitated.

"Migen, Lei Meng, withdraw from the forest—I need to speak with Yueyue and her!"

"My lord, please be careful!" The two knew their little lizards were pleading on their behalf, so their tension eased.

Only after Lei Meng and Migen had retreated far did Gervas turn back to the mother lizard.

"Two-legged one, can you speak our language?"

"Yes!"

The mother lizard's eyes showed disbelief. "Two-legged one, I don't know why you can communicate with me, but originally, you stole my young—I was going to kill you!"

"Yet now, my two offspring plead for you—so leave. For their sake, I'll spare your lives!"

"No no no! Armored Lizard, you know I stayed behind alone not to say goodbye!"

"Then what do you truly want?" A dangerous aura returned.

"Don't be tense, Mother Lizard—I've never had ill intent toward you. You've seen your offspring are healthy and safe!"

"In fact, under my protection, they're safer than if they'd grown up in the wild. I've heard your armored fire lizards have a tradition!"

"That is, within one month of birth, you abandon the weaker of your young—isn't that right?"

The armored fire lizard shuddered—she acknowledged it.

It wasn't that they loved their young less—it was a desperate act forced by harsh conditions.

"Moreover, Mother Lizard, your offspring have already formed a master-binding contract with my two subordinates!"

"What? You evil two-legged ones!"

"Don't get agitated, Fire Lizard—let me finish…"

Growl growl!

The two little ones quickly intervened; the mother lizard paused again.

"Mother Lizard, I ask you—did your breakthrough come from the monster corpses I left you last time?"

Though she had the urge to tear apart this two-legged one, the mother lizard could not lie.

"Yes, two-legged one—but that doesn't justify enslaving my offspring!"

"No no—not enslavement, but partnership! Though this contract is indeed harsh, you know that without it, they could never be partners, never communicate!"

"Also, you may ask your offspring how my two subordinates treat them."

The mother lizard turned to her young; the two little ones understood Gervas's words and immediately nodded.

The mother lizard looked torn.

"And partnering with humans is truly best for them—I can provide them with superior resources!"

"Ask them—in my domain, they eat magic-infused meat every week! Can you do that in the wild?"

Gervas exaggerated here—the so-called magic meat was merely silver fish from the Silver Moon Lake.

Though rich in magic, it lacked the potency of true monster meat.

But the little ones didn't know—they nodded vigorously at their mother's questioning gaze.

"Mother Lizard, I've heard your armored fire lizards can reach eighth rank—and if lucky, awaken even a trace of dragon blood, transforming fully into dragons!"

"Though I can't promise you much, if you join us, later, when we capture more monsters, they'll feast on monster meat daily!"

"Then perhaps they'll reach eighth rank—or even become dragons!"

The mother lizard wavered.

Maternal love knows no race, no border.

And in his past life, countless con artists had exploited mothers desperate for their young to become dragons, painting them grand illusions.

Though those con artists were despicable, the tactic worked—few mothers could resist!

Gervas knew he had nearly succeeded—he prepared his final strike.

"Moreover, I brought them here because I couldn't bear to see you separated—I've decided they'll spend part of their time in Black Pine Forest, learning more combat skills from you!"

"With your supervision, you'll be at ease, no longer fearing we'll mistreat them, right?"

The mother lizard was utterly moved.

The contract could not be undone.

And she'd heard enough from other monsters about these two-legged ones' methods.

They were indeed stronger than all monsters—they hunted monsters constantly, of every kind.

"Two-legged one! I know no meat in this world comes free. Why are you so kind to us?"

"Mother Lizard, you're right—if I said it was mere kindness, you wouldn't believe me!"

"So yes, I do need your help: when danger threatens my domain, assist me in defending it!"

"Of course, only within your capabilities—if it exceeds you, I won't force you!" Gervas confessed openly.

The mother lizard stared at Gervas for a long moment. "Two-legged one, if that's your request, I accept."

"That's excellent—then it's settled!" Gervas smiled.

He paused, then continued: "Mother Lizard, I have a task for you right now…"

The mother lizard: "..."

So you've been waiting for me all along, have you?

"Cough cough, don't worry, Mother Lizard! This task carries no risk—just a little acting…"

Even with his thick skin, Gervas felt embarrassed under the mother lizard's strange gaze.