Gratitude, I Know Where the Best Sword Lies

Serena and Prince Nolan had guessed right: this Lizardman was indeed a master swordsmith, but the long soft sword in Nolan's hand was not forged by him.

The sword Nolan held was over a hundred years old, crafted by a master of the Former Dynasty and presented as tribute to the imperial family. The founding emperor of Eastlyn seized it, and when Nolan was born, the late emperor gifted him this sword.

From the Lizardman's broken speech, Serena and Nolan inferred that he was a figure from the early days of the Four Kingdoms, just beginning to make a name for himself before mysteriously ending up here.

He had no idea how he appeared here, nor how long he'd been trapped. All he knew was that he could only stay in this place—he could not leave.

Whenever he tried to go out and encountered sunlight, his whole body was wracked with pain. His scales would peel off piece by piece, then regrow again and again—a cycle more agonizing than death by a thousand cuts.

Once Serena confirmed the Lizardman bore no malice, she had the Snow Wolf release him and gave him some food and water. The Lizardman devoured his meal with even more ferocity than the Snow Wolf, gulping down seven or eight tubs of braised beef before finally stopping under the wolf's glare.

After eating, the Lizardman hugged the empty bucket and wept. He couldn't express his feelings in words, but Serena and Nolan saw sorrow and bottomless despair in him.

"Save... out... no, don't..." The Lizardman's tongue was like a snake's—long and forked, making speech nearly impossible. He used all his strength just to utter these words.

"You want us to take you out? You don't want to stay here?" Serena repeated. The Lizardman nodded frantically, overwhelmed with emotion.

"Bring... danger..." Only two words, but the meaning was clear. The Lizardman said he could lead Serena out, but warned that this place was very dangerous.

"We can take you out, but we can't promise you'll survive out there. You seem unable to tolerate sunlight." This winding path is full of twists and turns; as long as the Lizardman doesn't pull any tricks, having him lead really does make things much safer.

After all, the Lizardman has spent decades here, and knows every nook and cranny like the back of his hand.

The Lizardman hesitated for a moment, then nodded hard and came up with another condition: "Food... water."

If he can't leave, he begs Serena Feng to give him some food and water. In this place, hunger means eating spiders and bugs; thirst means scraping water from moss. On cloudy days, he can stand at the entrance and look out, but he never dares go far, always afraid the sun will come out...

Life here is bitter beyond words, but he doesn't want to die. The sword he started forging years ago is still unfinished. If possible... please let him finish that blade.

If he can, he'll die without regret!

With the Lizardman leading the way, Serena and Nolan felt a lot more relaxed. The Lizardman, having lived here for years, knew every twist and turn, always quick to warn them of danger or clear threats ahead.

Watching small creatures scatter at the Lizardman's roar, Serena guessed he was one of the top predators in this fissure—but clearly not the strongest, or he wouldn't be so careful.

Up ahead was a sharp ninety-degree turn. The Lizardman suddenly tensed, turned to Serena and Nolan, and made a shushing gesture. Then he leapt up and pressed himself flat against the rock wall—if not for the work lamp strapped to his head, he would be completely camouflaged.

His chameleon-like camouflage skills were truly something else.

Clinging to the rock wall, the Lizardman used his claws to scratch a thick, curving line into the moss. While Serena and Nolan wondered what it meant, he pointed at the rock beneath him, indicating something was hidden inside.

"Snake?" Serena and Nolan exchanged glances, silently grateful for their earlier caution.

Damn, it's a good thing they ran into the Lizardman. If they'd come through here on their own and a snake had lunged from the corner, it could've ended badly.

Why does trouble always seem to follow them? How did Ethan Xiao ever get out of here?

When Ethan escaped, it was winter and the snakes were hibernating. Plus, he didn't have any food on him, so the Lizardman left him alone. As for other dangers, with all the times Ethan failed before, he must've figured out how to deal with them.

With the Lizardman's warning, Serena, Nolan, and the Snow Wolf silently climbed the rock wall and moved forward behind him, inching along bit by bit.

Not long after they left, a snake as thick as an arm dangled from the cliff, its head swaying, tongue flicking nonstop...

The snake seemed ravenous. When it couldn't find prey, it stubbornly slithered to the ground and started forward, but as soon as it reached the corner, it froze, then rapidly retreated, as if sensing something terrifying ahead.

Ahem... They're not Lizardmen. Knowing there were snakes here, they naturally sprinkled some snake-repellent powder. As a doctor, Serena never lacks medicine. If she didn't have to return this way, she would've just poisoned the snake outright.

No matter how fierce a snake, it still fears realgar and repellent medicine.

This snake in the crevice was probably the apex predator here. Once they evaded its attack, Serena and Nolan never encountered any more lethal creatures.

As for the poisonous flowers and herbs underfoot? Serena noted that the Lizardman was unfazed by these toxins. He crushed all the poisonous plants beneath his feet to pulp, so they only needed to walk in his footprints to stay safe.

If it weren't so inconvenient to bend down, Serena would've collected samples for Dr. Marcus Guile. Who knows, they might've come in handy.

After about an hour, the Lizardman finally led Serena and Nolan out. Standing there, they could faintly see light. The Lizardman let out a cry of longing and pain, but didn't dare go any further.

He'd had enough of the agony—scales and flesh torn off and regrown. He didn't want to endure it again.

And each time, he'd be left weak for a long while, unable to search for food and always at risk of being eaten by other creatures.

The Lizardman turned and asked Serena for his reward: water and food.

Serena wasn't afraid he'd tell anyone. Right in front of him, she drew a small portion of water and food from her Smart Med-Pack. When he looked disappointed, she tossed him an extra-large Black Riders combat uniform. "Put it on. This clothing is waterproof, fireproof, and blocks out light. See if you can go out in it. If not... I'll give you more water and food."

Go out!

This clothing?

In his excitement, the Lizardman dropped the precious food and water he was holding, carefully cradling the uniform as if afraid to tear it.

Can I really go out?

A tear slid from the corner of the Lizardman's eye. Hugging the uniform, he broke down in sobs. After a long while, he finally looked up, gratitude written all over his face, and said in a trembling, labored voice, "Thank... person. Sword... good... find."

Thank you. You're a good person. I know where the best swords are here. I'll take you to find them.

In the Lizardman's mind, anyone who comes to Myriad Blades Grove has only one goal: to seek swords. Although Nolan's sword is already excellent, he knows there's an even better one hidden here...