"It's fine. If too many enemies show up during the trial, just help me hold them off. Leave the rest to me alone," Tainaric's amber eyes flickered with inevitability, as if the enemies were nothing to worry about.

What he meant was, it's okay—I'm strong. You just need to assist me.

However, he likely remembered the warnings from the Holy Tower Ritualists before they left, realizing that such blunt words might hurt his human friends' feelings, so he quickly added, "Of course, my human brothers, I didn't expect to meet you. Perhaps this is the guidance of the Shining Sea—"

As he spoke, he even gave a 'gentle' smile to the two human girls who kept peering over from a distance.

So Fang Hong finally heard phrases like the guidance of destiny, but right now, he couldn't feel happy about it because it sounded so perfunctory. He thought, if you can't be subtle, then don't try to be subtle. Just look at the expression on your face; it's so fake, with those stark white teeth showing. Is that supposed to be a smile?

Others would think you're about to enjoy a feast.

He turned around and sure enough saw Tianlan and Gita scream and dart off in fright.

Regardless, this self-proclaimed mighty warrior, the War Lizardman Prince, did stay and temporarily joined the team, planning to participate in the trial at Dragon's Nest with them.

Mr. Greyrock's platform was naturally already too small to accommodate more people, but Tainaric expressed that it didn't matter. Being a cold-blooded breed, his environmental needs were different from the others anyway.

The dry, cold cave environment and rugged terrain were only slightly uncomfortable for him, and he could rest by simply lighting a bonfire and curling up next to it, without even needing a sleeping bag.

Plus, Fang Hong discovered that the other party also had a mount—a creature that looked like an oversized velociraptor. He recognized it as a Crown Terror Lizard, a creature native to the southern rainforests. It walked on two legs, was agile, and could quickly navigate complex environments like rainforests. Moreover, it was a fierce predator that could participate in combat alongside knights.

But aside from the War Lizard People, ordinary people couldn't handle the bumpy ride on its back.

Apart from joining everyone on the platform for meals, Tainaric and his lizard mount, 'Blood Fang,' were almost inseparable. So much so that he even introduced Fang Hong to his mount:

"Blood Fang, this is my human brother. You can't eat him."

But this introduction didn't make Fang Hong feel better at all; he privately warned Tianlan and Gita to keep away from that beast, being careful not to accidentally become its dinner.

The two girls shivered, their teeth chattering in agreement.

Fang Hong also figured out Tainaric's profession.

He was an agility-based warrior whose primary weapon was a double-headed spear, but he also wielded a curved blade. The racial talents of the War Lizard People naturally suited them for the Agility System Warrior profession; their balancing long tails and outstanding leaping ability gave them an edge over other races in this domain.

And the Lizard People of Andasok have their own culture.

They do not use Magic Guided Conductors because, having a Dragon Bloodline, the Lizard People's physical constitution is naturally much stronger than humans, allowing them to directly interact with Ether Magic Power.

They used an ancient piece of war gear called the Golden Hand; it was part of the armor on him, with ornate gauntlets inlaid with Sun Crystals harvested from the forests of Andasok. This helped them absorb and release magic power.

Their weapons were actually a branch of Magic Guided Conductors, only without Core Crystals for transforming magic power. They were purely war gear that still retained the ancient appearance of Alchemy from the Ancient Era. The surfaces of the spear and curved blade were covered with densely packed formula patterns, appearing as intricate and beautiful designs.

However, how powerful Tainaric actually was, Fang Hong never asked. Although he joined the squad, such a relationship was not stable, and knowing the other party's level was the limit for a temporary member.

The ancient passages ran underground, and after about a day and night, the group emerged back on the surface. Along the way, they encountered bizarre landscapes like dense mushroom forests and unknown dangers. Countless branching paths led deeper underground, some leading directly to the Dead Silence Zone, as legends had it.

But as Grant had said before, the ancient pathway itself was not dangerous, which proved to be true; they hardly encountered any trouble along the way.

The exit of the passage had a massive door similar to its entrance, with barely any difference in the depicted patterns, almost the only trace left by the Xinsas Serpentfolk Empire. Outside the gigantic door was a stone path, but it had long been eroded by nature's forces.

The outside also led to a tranquil valley—though this was not unexpected for the group. As long as they were still within the Green Dragon Mountain Range, such rugged terrain was the most common.

After leading the way out of the passage, Fang Hong and his group stopped to wait, as the Rain Listener Guild members were still behind. The nearby area was Peru Holy Valley; the folks from the Blood Oath Alliance surely couldn't be too far, and he wasn't about to hope luck would prevent a confrontation.

However, the Rain Listener Guild was burdened with families, and more than half of their group consisted of low-level trainees. Plus, they had been attacked by Night Lizard People along the way, so it was only in the afternoon of that day that they finally emerged from the exit. With nothing else to do, Fang Hong crafted a batch of self-destructing fairies and was just about to test them when Grant, the vice-chairman of the Rain Listener Guild, and a slightly strange young man came looking for him.

"Who is this?" Fang Hong stopped, looking curiously at the two—especially the rather short young man.

"Lonely White Field asked me to bring him along," Grant explained. "I heard you're short on people for the trial. If you don't mind, he could join you."

Fang Hong then realized.

The young man was the 'task' that Lonely White Field had entrusted to him.

...

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