Chapter 380: Sein’s Vision

Chapter 380: Sein’s Vision

In the Magus World, there existed another group that bore similarities to the aquatic races—the demihumans.

Spread throughout the depths of the underground world, the demihumans’ societal structure might not quite match that of the aquatic races, yet they were not far behind either.

During his time in Mystralora City, Sein had his fair share of encounters with these demihumans, even narrowly escaping death at the hands of one.

Consequently, Sein’s knowledge of demihumans surpassed that of his peers among the divine tower mages.

Life for demihumans was harsh.

In years of calamity, the demihuman tribe was forced to exchange their offspring for sustenance.

Yet, the harsh survival laws in Gloomhaven were even more unforgiving than those of the Boundless South Sea.

While the latter offered vast schools of fish and seaweed to sustain the struggling aquatic races, the underground world provided little.

When even edible moss was scarce, demihumans would have to resort to gnawing on rocks.[1]

Sein's speculations closely mirrored the grim reality.

The Sea Lizards targeted Kurt’s ship not only in an attempt to extort money from those operating in the gray areas but also with the ulterior motive of culling their burgeoning population.

The fertility of the Sea Lizards had resulted in overpopulation. Despite producing only three to five offspring at a time, the resilience of the Sea Lizards ensured an extremely high chance of these offspring surviving to adulthood!

Sea Lizards reached sexual maturity when they were about fifteen, and in some cases, as early as ten.

With such maturity rates, even a pile of rotten seaweed and sparse fish populations were barely enough to sustain a Sea Lizard tribe.

The current plight of these Sea Lizards turning to robbery stemmed from the recent storm season, which had significantly depleted their resources.

Yet, a more pressing issue stemmed from the marginalization by other sea tribes nearby.

The ocean might seem boundless for land-dwellers like Sein, yet its expanses had long been divided by aquatic races that existed since the primordial era.

As the lowest echelon among these aquatic races, Sea Lizards faced disdain and oppression from others.

The swift demise of nearly a thousand Sea Lizards and the growing stench of blood did not affect him but reminded him of something else.

His thoughts drifted toward leveraging the underprivileged aquatic races and underground demihumans as a workforce solution for the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, which faced a shortage of enslaved creatures.

If Sein were merely an ordinary Rank One mage, the depth of this issue might have eluded him.

Yet, as the apprentice of a divine tower master, his insights and perspective were markedly profound, especially after the conclusion of the recent Viridian Venom Flame World war. This depth of understanding enabled him to consider issues more critically.

Prior to the commencement of the Viridian Venom Flame World war, members of the Verdant Flame Faction convened for a discussion at the summit of Grand Master Feylis’ divine tower.

The decision to conquer and occupy an entire plane was far beyond the purview of someone of Sein’s standing,

Nevertheless, he was listening to the discussion as the third-generation apprentice of the Verdant Flame Faction.

He remembered how Lorianne was forced to deploy nearly two hundred thousand plant creatures she had painstakingly raised in her world laboratory to war due to not owning her own legion of enslaved creatures.

It was a loss that the world laboratory, in which she took great pride, would likely not recover for centuries.

This harsh reality prompted Sein to contemplate a more sustainable approach.

Procuring enslaved creatures required funds, which Lorianne lacked.

However, enlisting these low-level aquatic races and demihumans for their cause could work.

The Jewel Sea next to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring could offer a temporary refuge for these aquatic races.

Similarly, the Viridescent Land, situated close to Gloomhaven, was teeming with diverse underground demihumans.

Sein also thought of a way to hire these low-level aquatic races and demihumans at no cost—by sharing profits from the war as their compensation.

Based on Sein’s interactions and understanding of most demihumans, as well as the low-level aquatic races he had encountered recently, he knew that those dwelling at the lowest echelons of the Magus World typically had very modest needs.

1. Author’s Note: Certain demihumans with unique physiques possess stomach acid strong enough to digest rocks. ☜

2. Author’s Note: Yes, the Sea Lizards are oviparous races, i.e. they lay eggs. ☜