Chapter 157: An Unforeseen Path, A Dragonkin Familiar

Chapter 157: An Unforeseen Path, A Dragonkin Familiar

Year 1258 of the Starlight Calendar, the Month of Ember (August).

After the disorienting sensation of weightlessness, Xie Man’s vision cleared, and he found himself standing in a spacious, brightly lit hall. The hall was neatly arranged with stone chairs and tables, and several apprentices were seated there, chatting and laughing.

"Is this the Dragonbone Tower?"

Behind him, Luger gazed up at the hundreds of Everlight Pearls embedded in the ceiling, his voice filled with amazement.

Xian, Solano, and the other Magicrune Knights also wore expressions of wonder.

Only Cole wore a look of indifference, turning to Xie Man and saying, "Let’s report to the teacher first."

Xie Man was about to nod when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"The teacher is still in the laboratory. You’ll have to wait a bit."

Xie Man turned around to see Athar standing a few meters away, a warm smile on his face.

"Athar!" Xie Man’s face lit up with surprise. "It’s been so long!"

Athar had not yet advanced to the rank of a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, so he had not participated in the establishment of the new Magic Plant Garden or the exploration of the underground world.

It had been almost two years since they last met.

Seeing Athar again filled Xie Man with joy.

Cole’s expression also softened, and he nodded at Athar.

"It’s been a long time."

After a moment, Cole studied Athar closely, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.

"Athar, you’ve advanced?"

Xie Man was taken aback, then he looked at Athar more closely, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You’ve become a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice!"

"Yep," Athar nodded with a smile. "I broke through two months ago."

"That’s great!" Xie Man exclaimed.

As a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, Athar was now eligible to participate in many of the base’s operations.

This meant they could return to their old days of working together in a trio.

Cole managed a smile and said, "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Athar replied with a grin.

As the first batch of apprentices to enter the base, the three of them had the deepest bond among all the apprentices, and a strong sense of camaraderie.

Now that they were back on the same level, they all felt a sense of joy.

After a few pleasantries, Athar turned his attention to Xian and the others.

"Are these the Knights of the Guard?"

"Right," Xie Man smiled, pointing to Xian. "This is Xian, the current captain of the Knights of the Guard and the top graduate of the Dragonheart Knight Academy’s first class. Don’t let his youth fool you; he’s already a High Knight."

"Lord Athar!"

Xian quickly bowed to Athar, then said with a restrained expression, "Lord Xie Man is too kind. Compared to the three of you, my strength is nothing."

This wasn’t just modesty; a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, even at their weakest, had the combat power of a High Knight. In comparison, a High Knight was nothing.

"Alright, let’s skip the formalities," Cole interrupted, turning to Athar. "Since the teacher is busy, we’ll report later."

"Athar, can you show us around the Dragon Forest? I haven’t seen the new base yet."

When the base was relocated, Cole and Xie Man were still exploring the underground world, so they didn’t participate.

Now that they were back for a rare break, they naturally wanted to take the opportunity to explore the new base.

Xie Man’s face also showed excitement at the idea.

Athar had no objections and agreed with a smile. He then turned to Xian and the others and said, "Base regulations state that only Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices are allowed to move freely outside the Dragonbone Tower. Without a mission, everyone else is prohibited from leaving the tower. For now, you’ll have to stay and rest here."

He then summoned a Clay Golem to escort the Magicrune Knights to the residential area.

After advancing to the rank of Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, Athar had been granted some authority by the teacher, allowing him to command the Clay Golems within the Dragonbone Tower to a limited extent.

Once the Clay Golem had led the others away, Athar led Xie Man and Cole out of the Dragonbone Tower.

Inside, it hadn’t seemed so remarkable, but when they stepped outside and saw the entire structure of the Dragonbone Tower, which looked like a giant dragon coiled around itself, both Xie Man and Cole were thoroughly shocked.

"Is this really the bones of a real dragon?" Xie Man exclaimed.

"Indeed," Athar replied, his eyes reflecting a sense of awe. "The teacher said that the bones used to build the Dragonbone Tower likely belonged to an ancient dragon that lived for over eight hundred years."

Chapter 158: An Unforeseen Path, A Dragonkin Familiar

Year 1258 of the Starlight Calendar, the Month of Ember (August).

Cole couldn’t help but show a look of amazement.

"This must have been built by an incredibly powerful wizard!"

A glint of longing flashed in Cole’s eyes, but it quickly faded into a sigh.

He wanted to become a powerful wizard too, but he knew all too well that his talent and potential might not even allow him to become a full-fledged wizard, let alone someone as powerful as the builder of the Dragonbone Tower.

After a brief moment of admiration, Athar summoned three Blackrock Leopards, and the three of them mounted the beasts and set off.

Zone 3 wasn’t very large, and they quickly passed through an invisible barrier, entering Zone 2.

Looking at the desolate plains and the sparse green plants scattered across them, Xie Man was taken aback.

"Why is it so barren here?"

Athar explained, "Zone 2 of the Dragon Forest was originally abandoned. It’s actually much better now. When the base was first relocated, you couldn’t even find a blade of grass here."

"According to the teacher, Zone 2 was originally used to raise dragonkin. But now, it’s unlikely to find any dragonkin on the continent, so it’s used to cultivate magic plants instead."

Raising dragonkin!

Xie Man and Cole were stunned by the scale of the operation.

The thought that this place was once a breeding ground for dragonkin, creatures comparable to full-fledged wizards, left them in awe.

Despite their shock, Zone 2 didn’t have much to offer now.

The numerous dragon bones that once littered the ground had all been cleared away.

Passing through the barren Zone 2, they soon entered Zone 1.

The moment they crossed the barrier, a lush, vibrant green landscape burst into view, overwhelming Xie Man and Cole’s senses.

Massive trees, some reaching hundreds of meters tall, stretched towards the sky, and the ground was covered with dense vegetation, with even the shrubs standing several meters high.

In the distance, the roars of beasts echoed, and the heavy footsteps of large creatures could be heard.

Everything around them seemed to have been transported back to ancient times.

Gazing at the magnificent scenery, Xie Man and Cole instinctively held their breaths.

"Quite a sight, isn’t it? I felt the same way the first time I saw it."

Athar waited patiently for them to recover and then smiled.

"Over ninety percent of Zone 1 is covered by forest."

"This area is home to many rare magic plants and tens of thousands of dragonkin species."

"Among them, there are numerous legendary-level dragonkin. Considering the danger, Zone 1 is currently off-limits. Only Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices are allowed to enter the Dragon Forest to carry out tasks like collecting dragon blood or magic plants."

As she spoke, Athar led them into the forest, carefully avoiding certain areas.

She seemed to have visited this place many times, and she explained that those areas were inhabited by legendary-level dragonkin, and it was best to avoid them unless necessary.

Otherwise, if they were discovered and pursued, they would need to waste precious rune gems to escape.

After walking just a kilometer, Xie Man and Cole had already seen at least thirty different types of dragonkin, their admiration for the Dragon Forest growing.

In the past, they never would have imagined a place dedicated to raising dragonkin.

Creatures that were rare outside were commonplace here.

Only wizard apprentices understood how valuable this place was!

It was like a treasure trove of living materials!

"By the way, have you considered getting a familiar?"

Athar asked halfway through their journey.

Xie Man and Cole both nodded.

Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices were eligible to form a bond with a familiar.

They had been thinking about it for a long time but hadn’t found the right candidate yet.

With their teacher’s powerful familiar as a benchmark, they didn’t want to settle for an ordinary familiar.

"Have you considered dragonkin?" Athar surprised them with her suggestion.

"Dragonkin?" Xie Man was taken aback, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. "I’d love to, but the more powerful the creature, the harder it is to form a bond. I doubt we could manage with a dragonkin."

Cole also shook his head. "Dragonkin are at least as strong as High Knights. With our current strength, it’s impossible to form a bond."

They had heard that their teacher had formed a bond with a Hidden Dragon when it was only at the peak Knight level.

They couldn’t be more reckless than their teacher, could they?

Athar smiled. "Adult dragonkin are out of the question, but there are plenty of juvenile dragonkin in Zone 1. We can target them. If we choose a more docile species, the chances of success are much higher."

Xie Man and Cole were taken aback.

Year 1258 of the Starlight Calendar, the Month of Ember (August).

This was a path they had never considered before. After all, adult dragonkin were already rare, let alone juveniles.

But now, hearing Athar’s suggestion, it seemed like a highly feasible idea!

Xie Man and Cole couldn’t help but exchange excited looks.

If they could form a bond with a dragonkin as a familiar, that would be absolutely incredible!

Dragonkin had a growth potential far superior to ordinary beasts.

The moment this idea took root in their minds, their eyes lit up with unbridled excitement as they observed the various dragonkin along the way.

Every time they saw a new species, they began to evaluate whether it would make a suitable familiar.

Athar noticed their enthusiasm and chuckled, "The Dragonbone Tower has detailed records of all the dragonkin species. Once we get back, I can have Butler 1 make copies for you."

"Butler 1?" Xie Man asked, puzzled.

Athar explained, "It’s an intelligent auxiliary life form in the Dragonbone Tower. According to the teacher, it’s even more advanced than a Mithril Golem."

Xie Man’s eyes widened in understanding.

After a thorough tour of Zone 1, the three of them reluctantly made their way back.

On the way, Athar suddenly remembered Xian and the others and asked curiously, "I heard the Knights of the Guard are equipped with Magicrune Constructs. How are they performing?"

"Very strong," Xie Man replied without hesitation. "They’re even more powerful than ordinary alchemical magic items."

"Especially the Second-Rank Magicrune Constructs. They’re almost on par with Glittering Tier magic items."

Cole added, "I’ve heard there are even higher-tier Third-Rank Magicrune Constructs. I wonder how much they can enhance one’s abilities?"

"The base’s exchange list was just updated. It now includes Third-Rank Magicrune Constructs. If you’re really curious, you could exchange for a set to see for yourself," Athar said with a smile.

She had meant it as a joke, but to her surprise, both Xie Man and Cole showed genuine interest.

"You’re not really considering it, are you?"

Xie Man, now back to his senses, said, "During our explorations in the underground world, we often face surprise attacks from monsters. It’s impossible to guard against everything, and we frequently have to engage in close combat. With a set of Third-Rank Magicrune Constructs, our safety would be much better guaranteed."

Cole nodded in agreement, "Exactly."

"But Third-Rank Magicrune Constructs can only be used by High Knights."

"That’s easy. We just need to exchange for some Advanced Dragon Blood Fruits."

Second-Rank Wizard Apprentices generally already have Knight-level physical capabilities.

Both Xie Man and Cole had already reached the level of High Knights. By consuming a Fourth-Rank Dragon Blood Fruit, they could easily break through to the High Knight realm.

For Wizard Apprentices, enhancing physical strength was a simple matter.

Athar thought about it carefully and realized they had a point. She, too, felt a bit tempted.

After all, once she mastered her spells, she would also join the exploration of the underground world.

Having Magicrune Constructs would provide much-needed security.

Back at the Dragonbone Tower, Athar asked Butler 1 about the teacher’s whereabouts. Upon learning that the teacher had just left the laboratory and was now in the study, she teleported Xie Man and Cole to the tower level where the study was located.

"You can go see the teacher on your own now," Athar said, waving them off.

Xie Man and Cole composed themselves and knocked on the study door.

"Come in," the teacher’s voice called from inside.

They pushed the door open and saw the teacher sitting behind a desk, staring intently at a piece of parchment on the table.

It seemed to be a map.

"Seeing you rush back to see me, did you make progress in the exploration?"

Su Nan looked up from the parchment and met their eyes.

"Yes, teacher," Cole began. "We’ve eliminated the remaining Eye Demon tribes in the north and continued our exploration. As you predicted, we discovered an Eye Demon city."

"We managed to capture an Eye Demon and, after interrogating it, confirmed that the city is called Giant Eye City, and it is indeed ruled by a Nest Mother Eye."

Su Nan nodded in understanding, his gaze returning to the map.

This was a military map based on information provided by travelers, detailing the power distribution within a 2,000-kilometer radius of the Star Alliance. It included major cities, tribes, and dangerous areas with powerful monsters or deadly anomalies.

Of course, given the limitations of a single traveler, the map was bound to have some gaps.

Nevertheless, it would greatly benefit the Star Alliance’s future expansion.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end