Chapter 383: Tribe

Chapter 383: Tribe

Faced with the stark disparity in strength and the grim reality of their situation, the Sea Lizard elder found himself without alternatives.

Bowing his head in acquiescence, Sein turned to Yuri, instructing, “Ask Kurt and the rest to wait a bit for me. I’ll be back soon.”

Sein’s intention to venture into Sea Lizard’s territory alone reflected his unshakeable confidence in his abilities.

The trench where the Sea Lizards had inhabited for generations was surprisingly close. Should any danger arise, Yuri’s swift flying abilities ensured she could quickly come to Sein’s aid.

With minimal hesitation, Yuri flew back to the ship to relay Sein’s message.

Kurt and the goateed elder, still nursing the wounds from their recent battle, were not ready to depart immediately either.

During the turbulent storm season, the seas were anything but calm.

The recent clash with the Sea Lizards suggested the potential for encounters with other aquatic races that were also struggling to survive like them. Among them were aggressive intermediate-level races which loomed as bigger threats.

The ship owners were seasoned seafarers. They would not risk sailing into further danger until they had adequately recovered.

Yuri executed Sein’s orders, while Sein himself, standing on a metal disk, followed the Sea Lizard into the depths of the ocean.

Sea Lizards were amphibious beings, with higher-ranking Sea Lizards even developing fleshy wings, enabling them to navigate land, sea, and air.

However, it had been over a millennium since a higher-ranking Sea Lizard emerged in the “Komorra Clan”. Only a Rank Two Sea Lizard could evolve to possess such wings.

Presently, the Komorra Clan only had only two Rank One Sea Lizards.

The Sea Lizard elder was more cunning than he initially let on. He had referred to their clan as the “Kunala Clan” when they assaulted Kurt’s ship but now referred to themselves as the “Komorra Clan” in Sein’s presence.

The true name of their group remained ambiguous, leading Sein to suspect the “Komorra Clan” might just be another random name made by the elder.

Given the ignoble nature of sea banditry, any complaint by Sein, a divine tower mage, to the Sea King Palace could spell disaster for the Sea Lizard tribe.

After all, eliminating a small community of fewer than a hundred thousand members was effortless.

Were it not for the Sea Lizard elder’s intervention, the chief, who was all brawn but no brain, might have attacked Sein on the spot.

Sein’s discerning eye effortlessly identified the finest among the thousands of Sea Lizard eggs before him.

A near-perfect Sea Lizard egg required not just ample light and microelements but also a potent parental bloodline.

Coincidentally, the four eggs Sein selected were offspring of the strongest Sea Lizards in the tribe, and one of them was the Sea Lizard chief’s child.

The fertility of Rank One creatures was far inferior to those below the life level of Rank One, this was a natural limitation the Astral Realm imposed on higher-ranked beings.

Given the Sea Lizard tribe’s limited resources, acquiring fertility-enhancing potions from certain mage councils in the Magus World was beyond their means.

The egg Sein selected, closest to perfection, was crystal clear and without any veins, resembling a piece of fine art. Such quality was precisely what Sein expected from the product of a Rank One being.

Sein had already anticipated the Sea Lizard chief’s fury but snorted coldly and said, “Surely, you didn’t think I’d pay a magicoin for an ordinary Sea Lizard egg, did you? Moreover, the mother of this egg is merely an ordinary female below the life level of Rank One, yes?”

His dismissive snort nearly provoked the chief into impaling him with his trident.

Meanwhile, the Sea Lizard elder, who had been intervening, stayed silent throughout the exchange. His eyes, however, occasionally betrayed his sadness and reluctance to part with the Sea Lizard eggs.

Unbeknownst to Sein, the elder was actually directly related to the Chief.

In an environment where resources were scarce, only ancestors of great strength could produce powerful descendants.

Despite his connection to the eggs that Sein picked, the elder wisely prioritized the tribe’s welfare over familial ties.

Knowing that nothing good would come of going against Sein, the elder reprimanded the chief in their native dialect.

All offspring in this tribe were equal—that was what he said.

The deal of four Sea Lizard eggs for four magicoins represented a significant exchange, the equivalent of a year’s rations for thousands of Sea Lizards.

This did not signify the extraordinary value of magicoins but rather the Sea Lizards’ unselective dietary habits.

Four magicoins could indeed secure a substantial supply of the cheapest rations of the lowest grade!