Volcano Forest
This forest was immense, with a dense jungle spreading endlessly over rolling hills, its edges lost beyond the horizon.
Including the volcano and the distant coastal areas, this territory was vast enough to form a small nation.
Deep within the jungle stood a mysterious pyramid. Below it, a group of Lizard People worked from sunrise to sunset, planting Brown Ball Vines, cultivating potion plants, and hunting monsters.
Occasionally, they would trade with merchants from the nearby Maya Territory.
The goods the Lizard People offered were often things unavailable elsewhere.
For instance, their wares included superior Brown Ball Vine seeds and the remains of unusual creatures. The organs and hides of these creatures could be crafted into extraordinary materials, though they were only of a lower rank.
In addition to these items, the Lizard People crafted unique Divine Artifacts that no one else could replicate, as their innate divine techniques were fundamentally different from those of the Snake People.
This attracted merchants from outside the Volcano Forest, pulling them in like moths to a flame. They arrived in steady waves, transforming the once-desolate town of Limestone into a bustling and prosperous hub.
On this day, the Lizard People drove their pack beasts, arriving with their caravan at the Snake People's Limestone Town, a settlement named for the ash of Lava Mountain.As soon as the vehicles stopped, merchants immediately crowded around.
Though somewhat frightened by the Lizard People's faces, the crowd surged forward once the first person dared to step out.
"Is Mr. Anu here?" one merchant shouted. "I brought enough goods this time. Whatever you have, I'll take it all!"
The other merchants immediately protested, accusing him of trying to monopolize the trade.
"Do you have any seeds?" another asked, his words hesitant as he struggled to describe them. "The special kind, the ones that are hard to find elsewhere."
"What about those special beast hides?" a wealthy-looking merchant inquired. "The ones that can be used as extraordinary materials. We can pay a high price."
They focused on acquiring extraordinary items, which were highly sought after in high society. Powerful Ability Users and Divine Servants were willing to pay prices that ordinary people could hardly imagine.
One of the Lizard People explained, "We are not interested in money."
"What we need," the speaker continued, "are essential daily supplies in large quantities."
The leader among them added, "Bartering comes first. We will only consider accepting money once we have exchanged for enough goods."
After all, the Lizard People had brought much more this time compared to their last visit. Their caravan was filled with precious items, enough to trade for more daily supplies than they could carry.
Aside from a few newcomers, most merchants in Limestone Town already knew the Lizard People's trading methods. They had prepared what was needed and immediately brought their goods forward.
The Lizard People's items were quickly traded away, exchanged for a variety of daily necessities that were then loaded onto carts for the journey back to Volcano Forest.
Throughout the town, many residents observed the exchange with wary eyes. Some quickly shut their doors and reinforced them with whatever they could find, as if fearing the Lizard People might suddenly invade.
Among them, a young man stood on the second floor of a wooden house. He gazed at the distant caravan, observing the oddly shaped creatures with deep curiosity.
It was Akmanmon.
Red Earth Territory and Maya Territory were divided by Delanvos Territory, which lay between them. The two regions had recently been at war, so Akmanmon's journey to this place had taken considerable time.
In ancient times, this entire region was divided into many territories, large and small. Over time, they slowly merged into a unified whole through intermarriage, annexation, and conflict.
Red Earth Territory, Char Territory, and Delanvos Territory all came into existence through this process.
It was a history filled with ugliness, conspiracy, and massacres of every kind.
"Lizard People..."
This was the first time Akmanmon had seen them, and his curiosity was piqued.
When he first arrived, he had no idea what these creatures were called. He only knew they were a newly created intelligent species and had a vague sense of their appearance.
At that time, the Lizard People had not yet been given a name.
But this was only what he had heard. He could not be certain if they were truly a new species or just Snake People who had temporarily lost their serpentine form due to the corruption of extraordinary power.
Akmanmon descended the stairs. A group of merchants approached him, presenting the special beast hides they had acquired from the Lizard People.
He ran his fingers over a hide, feeling the faint traces of power within it.
"This is the power of ability."
Akmanmon was now completely convinced, yet this was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
In the past, extraordinary materials came from monsters, the Abyss, or the Snake People themselves. It seemed impossible for ordinary beasts to possess the power of ability.
"How were they able to create these?" Akmanmon asked, his curiosity obvious.
The merchants exchanged glances before one replied, "We can't say for sure. The Lizard People bring them to trade, but they never reveal their methods."
As Akmanmon held the beast hide, his curiosity about the Lizard People grew stronger, as did his interest in the apostle Kurmis, who was hidden deep within the jungle.
"Is it really possible for an apostle to achieve this?"
Akmanmon sensed there was something special about Kurmis. He decided to venture deep into Volcano Forest and see for himself.
He trailed the group of Lizard People, determined to find the location of their village.
The Lizard People, however, were highly cautious, carefully erasing their tracks as they moved through the dense jungle.
Akmanmon had to stay close, but even with his abilities as a Third-Rank superior Ability User, he came dangerously close to being discovered several times.
Realizing the risk, Akmanmon retrieved a cloak-type artifact. He draped it over himself, blending into the surroundings to continue his pursuit undetected.
He saw the Lizard People's village deep in the jungle.
What truly captured Akmanmon's attention, however, was not the village itself but a grand structure made of stacked stones, hidden within the trees.