Chapter 146: King of the Black Mountain (1)
Lynn stepped out of the fixed-point teleportation formation and arrived in the Blue Sea Empire. He emerged inside a palace and glanced around, confirming his location.
Two ten-meter-tall alchemical golems stood guard outside the teleportation formation. Beyond them were large numbers of Gargoyle alchemical statues. Glancing back, Lynn noted that the surrounding layout resembled a church shrine.
At the center of the shrine sat a fully gilded statue. It wore a suit of armor, holding a shield in its left hand and a spear in its right, its face a blurred, indistinct mask.
When he stepped out of the shrine, the soldiers waiting outside approached with reverent awe.
Only after hearing their explanation did Lynn learn that the king of the Blue Sea Empire bestowed the title of Honorary Count upon every wizard apprentice who entered his domain, while an official wizard would receive the title of Honorary Duke.
He had expected an audience with the king, but after a simple registration on the side, Lynn was handed a count's Badge of Honor.
Following a nearby official's explanation, Lynn also learned about the hidden benefits this Badge of Honor provided within the empire.
If Lynn wished, he could directly pledge loyalty to the empire. His badge would automatically upgrade from an honorary title to a marquis title with actual authority, complete with a massive fiefdom. At the same time, the empire would sponsor his magical experiments and bestow various other rewards.
The terms were undeniably generous. It was clear the king was sparing no effort to recruit wizards.
However, Lynn had no intention of swearing fealty to the empire. Having the title of Honorary Count to smooth his path and eliminate minor, everyday annoyances was enough for him.
Even so, Lynn did not look down on the king.
This was, after all, an empire, vastly different from a mere kingdom. Only a nation possessing the military might to dominate an entire region could claim that title.
The benchmark for advancing to a first-level wizard was the ability to single-handedly obliterate a small kingdom in a head-on clash—and the distinction of a "small kingdom" was specifically emphasized here.
Between a small kingdom and an empire lay the massive gulf of a large kingdom.
After he contacted Selena, she arrived from the south of the empire in just two days.
"You've already set yourself up with a manor and some servants. You're living quite comfortably," Selena remarked upon her arrival. Lounging on the sofa, Lynn replied, "Your letter mentioned a major undertaking. What is it?"
"I've found a suitable target, and I need your help," Selena said, her eyes burning with intensity.
"Me? Then you might be disappointed," Lynn said slowly.
"The King of the Black Mountain." Selena pulled a paper dossier from her robes and placed it on the table.
"Let me take a look." Lynn picked up the dossier.
The King of the Black Mountain had a resounding reputation, but in reality, it was the overlord of a southern mountain range—an adult black dragon.
It was a standard legendary creature, possessing at least Tier 7 combat power in adulthood.
"I think this is a bit beyond us. What do you think?" Lynn pointed at himself, then at Selena.
"Leave the King of the Black Mountain to me. You just need to help me deal with a portion of its vassals," Selena said.
Like most chromatic dragons, this King of the Black Mountain loved gathering vassals.
The races comprising a dragon's vassals generally depended on their environment. Dragons weren't particularly picky; their innate draconic might allowed them to easily subjugate local tribes through overwhelming power.
Furthermore, prolonged exposure to a dragon's aura could induce positive mutations in certain tribes, essentially turning these groups into natural-born vassals.
The dossier Selena had compiled listed several such tribes: kobolds, gnolls, and Lizardmen.
There was even a small tribe of trolls.
Lynn recalled the trolls he had encountered in the Labyrinth.
In a confined space, a single troll was like a tank rampaging across a battlefield. He had never seen a pack of trolls charge into combat together, but he imagined the spectacle would be terrifyingly grand.
Aside from the small troll tribe, the kobolds, gnolls, and Lizardmen each boasted a large tribe.
"The King of the Black Mountain resides in a massive cave near the mountain peak," Selena explained. "That cave has been practically hollowed out by kobolds, leaving an enormous space inside. Rumor has it that some Lizardmen have stood guard near the cave for so long that prolonged exposure to the dragon's might evolved them into Dragonblood Lizardmen."
By definition, a "small tribe" meant a population of no more than five hundred creatures. A "large tribe," however, ranged anywhere from ten thousand to a hundred thousand individuals.
Lynn's expression grew solemn as he read the dossier. Within these kobold and gnoll tribes, there were also Dragonblood Kobold Sorcerers and Dragonblood Gnoll Sorcerers.
Years of steady accumulation meant these three large tribes maintained a healthy warrior ratio—roughly a thirty percent conversion rate of their total population.
Given their population sizes, their combined standing armies easily numbered over ten thousand warriors.
More importantly, these three races were effectively fully militarized. Even a kobold pup would snatch up the nearest weapon and viciously stab an enemy if given the chance.
No wonder Selena had come seeking cooperation. The number of followers she had assembled was entirely insufficient to combat the vassals of the King of the Black Mountain.
Lynn figured that even if he managed to defeat these vassals himself, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
"Are there no other helpers?"
"You are the only Apprentice I've invited," Selena blinked.
"No wizards."
"No wizards. If an official wizard intervened, this entire war would be meaningless," Selena said, her expression turning serious. "This is my wizard advancement ritual. Because it's so important, I cannot tell anyone else, but I can share a little with you."
Lynn's expression remained perfectly neutral. He had actually guessed as much.
Otherwise, Selena would not have specifically chosen this location, nor would she have sought him out.
"My wizard advancement ritual is tied to this black dragon. If you assist me, you will reap considerable benefits as well."
"This is the advancement path my mentor chose for me," Selena added.
"During one of my mentor's experiments, I was infected by some leaking energy. My soul merged with the bloodline of the Barrier of the Evil Forest, which affected my future path. Fortunately, my mentor developed a potion that saved my life."
Seeing a slight shift in Lynn's expression, Selena clarified, "The Barrier of the Evil Forest is an abomination."
An abomination?
That explained it. It was said that abominations were beings that should not exist, or things that should have died but were nonetheless born, entities linked to the gods.
To think that Selena had been infected by the power of an abomination.
"Although the abomination's residual power within my body was mostly purged, the lingering impact is still significant. The birth of the Barrier of the Evil Forest is said to be tied to the gods of the Lizardmen and the dragon race. Therefore, I need a war to slaughter the King of the Black Mountain. I must be the primary driving force in this war to complete my sublimation ritual," Selena said, staring earnestly at Lynn.
Lynn's furrowed brows relaxed. "I think I understand."
"Because I'm relatively weak and won't affect your sublimation ritual?" Lynn gave her a subtle look.
"No, it has nothing to do with your strength. It has to do with your status. You haven't completed a sublimation ritual yet."
"I see," Lynn nodded.
"Leave the King of the Black Mountain and its personal guards to me. The Lizardman tribe halfway up the mountain is also my responsibility. As for the gnolls, kobolds, and trolls at the base of the mountain, I just need you to buy me half a day's time." Selena paused. "This is my payment."
Selena produced a dark green gemstone from her robes. A single, thin black line ran straight down its center. "The Pupil of the Evil Forest."