Chapter 186: Wyvern Mountain Range (1)
He easily achieved consecutive victories in the group battles.
Just one more win, and the championship would be his.
With each victory in the tournament, his return to the Holy Kingdom grew closer.
He had cured the Emperors illness and restored the ruler of the empire.
Furthermore, he had secured a solution to the financial crisis of the Holy Kingdom through trade with the Lesian Empire.
With all this accomplished, one could say his tasks were nearly complete.
What remained was the somewhat troublesome task of relocating the wyverns nest.
Provoked wyverns might attack the empire.
Such an event could lead to unnecessary casualties.
Thus, Ray was deeply troubled by this issue.
However, it was not something he could postpone.
Three days remained until the final.
He planned to settle the wyvern nest issue within that time.
Even if they are monsters, they are high-level sentient beings. Perhaps this could be resolved through dialogue.
Ray nodded to himself, thinking this.
Without informing anyone and without any escort, Ray climbed the mountain alone.
Having others around would only be a hindrance.
Considering the numerous wyverns in the nest, it would be difficult to protect anyone.
He approached the nest only in the evening when the sun had set, considering the wyverns nature.
Under the star-filled, lightless sky, the crimson twilight faintly illuminated a magnificent scene.
Perhaps the wyverns chose this place for its scenery.
Land must be expensive here. And what a view.
He dismissed these irrelevant thoughts and continued his ascent.
After a while, he noticed an increase in humidity, a mix of the warm wind from below and moisture from the plants.
With this came a high concentration of mana.
This must be the real vicinity of the wyverns nest.
Ray looked at a thicket that seemed out of place.
A magic circle?
It appeared that the high-level sentient wyverns could handle magic circles as well.
Seeing a barrier magic circle at the entrance, it seemed intruders wouldnt be warmly welcomed.
He had to break the magic circle to enter.
He slightly infused mana into the circle, calculating the flawlessly combined internal formula.
Reversing it step by step, the magic circle soon became just a mere drawing.
Phew they made it quite complicated.
Despite the humidity and sticky clothes, he wasnt much bothered.
Ray swiftly destroyed the magic circles the wyverns had set up over a month.
It took him thirty minutes just to break the surrounding circles.
During this time, he hadnt encountered a single wyvern in the nest.
He wrung out his damp clothes, feeling the extreme humidity, and looked around.
Seeing this highland barely revealing trees reminded him of the baptism ceremony in the Holy Kingdom.
Living in nature for over a month now seemed like a fond memory.
He sat down and muttered to himself.
Ive broken enough, they should start showing up now.
As he expected, it didnt take long for a wyvern to appear.
Perhaps because their carefully crafted magic circles were destroyed, a wyvern approached as if on reconnaissance.
A human, are you the one who destroyed the magic circle?
Ray slowly opened his eyes at the telepathic message echoing in his mind.
This ability, akin to elves possessing the Eyes of Truth, was a unique racial skill of the wyverns.
They didnt need language, being able to directly convey their intentions telepathically.
Of course, this didnt mean they couldnt understand other races languages.
They pride themselves as high-level sentient beings, boasting vast knowledge, enough to converse even with ogres or kobolds if they wished.
Ray nodded and replied,
Yes, I broke it. I came to talk.
The wyvern responded with curiosity:
Talk What conversation do you seek?
Rays composure was unexpected.
Although the barrier was broken, the wyvern didnt immediately attack; it seemed open to dialogue, a notable deviation from the typical behavior of monsters.
Ray brushed off his clothes and stood up. About relocating your nest. Could you move it somewhere else?
Was it his imagination, or did the wyverns expression grow more severe at his straightforward question?
Are you referring to our lair? Unfortunately, I cant make that decision.
I would like to discuss this matter together Is there really no way?
Although you didnt attack directly human, you are an intruder for destroying the magic circle. We cant allow such a person into our village.
Ignoring the wyverns telepathic response, Ray walked over to the bushes and began to reconstruct the magic circle he had analyzed while dismantling it.
He reconnected the broken mana circuits, inscribing formulas where necessary and improvising where details were unclear.
As Ray diligently worked on the magic circle, he not only repaired it but also enhanced it compared to its original state.
During his stay in the elf village while treating Aira, he had perused countless books on magic circles that Aira had recommended and contributed to the library. To him, a barrier magic circle erected by wyverns was simple.
In just an hour of rapid restoration, the newly formed magic circle exhibited a significantly denser mana concentration.
Remarkably, the mana serving as the medium at the heart of the magic circle was Rays own.
The wyvern looked on with admiration at the magic circles complex and varied effects.
Quite an intricate magic circle. You must have prepared thoroughly to achieve this in such a short time.
Of course, thats what it would think.
Who would believe that someone could create all this in merely an hour?
The wyvern assumed that the human before it had meticulously studied the magic circles design beforehand.
For a skilled mage, reconstructing such a magic circle in an hour seemed plausible.
Given his youth, it was an extraordinary accomplishment.
Ray sensed that something was amiss but decided to play along.
Right. I prepared and thought about it for a long time. Im that serious.
He lied effortlessly without batting an eye.
Had he truly prepared and thought that much?
Combined, it probably hadnt even been a week.
Originally, he had come with the mindset to fight if things went south.
But the wyvern, unlike the elves, did not possess the Eyes of Truth.
So, it couldnt discern the truthfulness of his words.
Impressive. I admire it. With such a magic circle reconstructed, your trespassing can be overlooked.
Thats great. So, can we talk now?
Taking you there wont be difficult.
Ray responded inquisitively to the wyverns meaningful message.
What does that mean?
Exactly as I said. I can take you there, but I cant guarantee your life. In our world, unlike the humans, only the strong are respected. Only the strong receive respect.
Ray nodded readily at this.
Just what he wanted.
If things didnt go as planned, he could resort to force.
Unbeknownst to them, Ray had even defeated an Original Dragon, a higher being than them.
Why fear a Chihuahua after hunting a tiger?
Having lost much fear through numerous experiences in the Holy Kingdom, Ray confidently said, Thats fine by me. Ill take care of my own life, just lead the way.
Hmm Very well.
The wyvern telepathically replied and flapped its wings.
As its gigantic wings unfurled, an immense aura of intimidation flowed.
Then, the wyvern spread its wings and flew away alone toward a destination.
Wow, unbelievable.
He hadnt expected it to just fly away without offering a ride.
Activating mana in his body to follow, Ray muttered, Phew The empires sense of honor has fallen to the ground.
After flying over a mountain range, the wyvern finally landed.
It communicated with surprise:
I thought you were just a mage, but youre not? You run quite well.
Is it mocking me now?
As Ray contemplated having wyvern roast for dinner, a woman approached.
I smell a human. Is that a human beside you?
Its a human.
Why bring a different race to our village?
He wants to talk, and it seemed reasonable, so I led him here.
Understood. Go ahead and bring him in.
Thank you.
As Ray sensed there was an exchange between them, the wyvern, which had been flying independently, began to shrink in size.
Suddenly, its massive body shrank to about the size of a human.
The wyvern, transformed into a handsome young man, projected a voice into Rays mind:
Follow me. You have been granted entry.
Ray followed in silence, thinking:
I felt the presence of mana, but its different from magic.
Theres a transformation magic called Polymorph in the ancient texts.
But this seemed different.
Unlike Polymorph, which uses massive mana, here, the mana within the wyverns body simply changed form.
This intriguing aspect of mana made him realize the need for further research.
He wondered whether wyverns transformed into humans also shared human blood and organs, or if they were susceptible to catching a cold.
As they entered the village, the gaze of the woman at the entrance was palpable.
It felt like being observed, like a monkey in a zoo.
Perhaps wyverns, considering humans as lesser sentient beings, looked at them as one would look at a monkey.
Dont we, too, not regard lesser sentient beings as equals?
The woman communicated:
You dont emanate the usual mana humans carry. Youre weak. If any of our kind threaten your life in the village, run to me with all your might.
Ray nodded casually at her message.
This reassured the wyvern guarding the entrance.
She disliked seeing the strong bully the weak.
Thats why she had always opposed placing their lair near human territories.
However, the newly appointed Wyvern Lord had disregarded everyones opinions and established their place.
All she could do now was protect the humans visible to her to the best of her ability.
But her concern was unnecessary.
Should any wyvern threaten his life, it wouldnt be Ray who would need to run to her for safety, but the wyverns.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com