Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 135 - 130: The Dragon?

"You dare to publish such fabrications, are you still human?"

The reporter waved his hand, tucking the manuscript into the inside of his royal curtains. "Relax, I’ll indicate which part is made up. Besides, news like this is more interesting to read, isn’t it?"

"But it’s not true."

"What they need isn’t truth. It’s conflict that stirs ripples into their placid lives, contradictions, and the satisfaction of seeing others live worse than themselves. That’s what people want."

"Is everyone like that?"

"Blindly believing what’s before their eyes, the world still harbors those clever enough to unearth truth, like me."

Lyle looked at the shameless fellow before him.

Mr. Reporter wore a mysterious smile; his tablecloth fluttered in the breeze like waves, a playful voice bringing all ardor to a standstill.

"Only truth has value in a secret."

Lyle heard the sound of chains sliding, his surroundings blurring as if distorted by an old television. The only clear things were himself and Mr. Reporter.

"I smell the scent of secrets, Plague Doctor."

Mr. Reporter’s Pact-Maker talent began to manifest.

"You harbor a secret in your heart, Plague Doctor, I wonder, do I have the honor of making a trade with you?"

Mr. Reporter seemed more like he was forcing a deal, the keen intuition of an outstanding businessman, perhaps.

Lyle didn’t feel offended, rather, Mr. Reporter had reminded him of something.

"Mr. Reporter, you always satisfy your customers, don’t you?"

Again, that mysterious laugh.

"We can start the trade, Plague Doctor."

"The secret I want to exchange is that Merfolk can communicate telepathically with living beings."

Behind Lyle, the sound of metal grinding against metal echoed.

A crisp clang rang out.

He saw the shape behind Mr. Reporter clarify abruptly, as the sharp hand of a huge brass clock moved a slight fraction. A sense of loss washed over him, as if something had been taken away.

"This is true, this is a secret."

Mr. Reporter suddenly surged with an overwhelming aura, his expression changing drastically, his voice becoming strange and aged.

Lyle was startled, as the strong wind suddenly whipped up Mr. Reporter’s royal tablecloth, revealing the loose, checkered skirt over his white trousers.

But soon, Lyle’s attention was captivated by his words.

"In the City of Wandering, the central garden of the Agave District, on the Starless Night three days hence, the red dragon teeth will tear open the hidden door. Behind it lies remnants of the last era; what you seek in your heart, you will find an answer to."

The surrounding noises began to clear, and Mr. Reporter started to writhe again, just as when Lyle had first seen him.

Would that place hold the key to save Vena?

"Mr. Reporter, are you really reliable?"

"That is a secret traded with me, recognized by my talent as true, and it won’t disappoint you."

"Thank you, Mr. Reporter."

......

Lyle returned to his little wooden cabin, transcribing the knowledge in his mind under the light of the grapes.

Merfolk.

That was the word written on the first page.

The Light Bat Grapes circled in the air, ensuring that the light was not blocked by Lyle’s arms.

"Does Lord Lyle wish to study merpeople?" asked the curious grape, as a member of the learned Light Bats, she easily recognized the words above.

"No, I’ve already encountered merpeople, perhaps I’m even one of the more knowledgeable about them." The image of Vena in the deep water lingered in his mind.

"Was it an encounter like the daughters of the sea, Lord Lyle?"

"The daughter of the sea?"

"A fantasy poem created by the poet Blance, it tells the story of a mermaid and a human prince falling in love."

"And the ending of the story?"

"The prince went on with the princess, and the daughter of the sea turned into sea foam."

......

The third day.

The night of the City of Wandering was brightly lit.

Lyle’s index finger tapped the top of his cane, his eyes occasionally glancing at the Eye of the Secret Pivot atop the central tower, where the purple time indicated it was night here.

No wonder it was a Starless Night; Lyle pulled at his collar.

Above the City of Wandering, the fiery sun was radiating its light; the moving city had run off to a different time zone again.

He stood on the outskirts of the central garden. Even though the purple dome above reduced the sunlight, he was still enduring the scorching heat of midsummer.

The delicate flowers, however, were blooming at their best, with the scent of the flowers even carrying the essence of sunlight.

Lyle checked the time again, three minutes remaining.

The central garden, as a neutral zone, would open to different factions at different times.

Unfortunately, Andrey belonged to the Chaos Faction.

Lyle had originally planned to sneak in, but Nia revealed herself under the scan of magic and caused quite a commotion.

As a result, the Arcanists standing guard all focused their gaze on Lyle, fearing the monster affixed to his lean body would cause greater danger; Lyle could only stay put obediently.

"Time’s up; you may enter now, Andrey man."

Lyle walked into the garden, preferring to find a shady spot to stay over searching for the Agave District.

However, he found the Agave District first.

Only then did Lyle realize that the agave in this world was the literal "Agave," shallow green in color, with sharp leaves that resembled spiked tongues, continuously slapping the leaves of surrounding plants.

There were no other people in the Agave District.

These mad plants were gathering flames in the center of their leaves, where their mouths seemed to be, and spewing fire into the air. It was like fervent fans at a concert, glowing and heating up for their idol. When one of them sprayed flames, the surrounding agaves followed suit as if they were infected, also spewing fire.

It’s said that to balance their internal body temperature and protect themselves, these agave plants would breathe fire when their leaves were compressed or exposed to high temperatures.

This made the temperature of the area much higher.

Who knows what the Secret Pivot Council was thinking when they categorized these plants as ornamental plants; did they have water in their brains? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lyle complained while dodging the flames next to him.

Nia, fully unveiled behind him, would stuff her black tentacles into any disobedient agaves that turned their mouths this way. She was not afraid of the flames, although the high temperatures would turn her body into a charred, oily state.

Eventually, Lyle found a mutated red agave in the middle of the agaves. It was hidden among its burly relatives, not spewing any flames, its body hanging limp with a crystalline texture.

Lyle reached out to it, his body felt a pulling sensation, akin to the teleportation feeling brought on by the Andrey emblem.

Lyle’s body twisted like pasta and burrowed into the mouth of the red agave.

When he stepped onto the floor again, Lyle nearly vomited due to the turbulence of teleportation.

He arrived in an open, dark place, with large, flat slabs of stone beneath his feet, and runes written in blue paint twinkling on the stone, extending into the darkness like a sparkling road.

Before Lyle could carefully observe his surroundings, there was a rustle in the darkness.

A dull breathing sound that made all of Lyle’s skin crawl. His heartbeat sped up, and he slowly knelt down, silently enduring the pressure that acted upon his blood.

The sound of footsteps on the stone slabs was followed by a breeze caused by the displacement of air.

Lyle knew that the newcomer must be enormous.

In his uncontrollable trembling, Lyle lifted his head.

Two golden eyes shone like headlights, and the black, rugged skin was like a mountainside as the giant creature emerged from the darkness. Black horns grew behind the head and the wind from its breath blew over Lyle through the sharp teeth.

A dragon?