Chapter 607 458 Can't Afford

"That's not right."

After muttering, Dacus shifted his sight from the lizard figurines to the surrounding walls. He felt that this space was just as problematic as the other world. This was not the first time he came to the lizard-style pyramid, and he knew nothing about it. What he saw outside just now was completely inconsistent with what he saw now. The huge array was beyond his imagination. The entire space was filled with these lizard figurines, like an endless military camp, not a pyramid.

It was a bit outrageous. Dacus counted it back and forth. The lizard formation was a standard 10*10, which was a common hundred-man battle group in the lizard military sequence, but... there were dozens of formations. After taking out the telescope, he counted carefully. There were sixty groups of lizard formations. Each group of lizard warriors stood neatly in their respective positions, holding spears, with fierce and calm expressions, as if ready to receive orders at any time. It felt like pressing pause on the battle interface of a certain game, and it was constant.

However, some incomplete formations made the entire formation look a little incomplete, showing an incomplete state. This may indicate that these lizardmen have experienced battles before, and may not have been hatched here, but... moved here by marching or teleporting. If he knew some of the history of the Southland Jungle, he should have made a judgment, but the problem is that he doesn't know.

If Dacus is not wrong, the eighteen lizardmen standing in the front row should be lizardmen ancient blood warriors? In fact, in his opinion, from the appearance, the ancient blood warriors and scarred veterans are no different from ordinary lizardmen or temple guards, just like the students standing on the playground look the same after wearing school uniforms, which is not much different. Unless you are familiar with the other party's patterns, weapons, accessories and decorations in daily contact, you can make specific distinctions, just like those teachers who are not wearing school uniforms, you can tell who is the teacher at a glance.

The magical thing is that in Dacus's opinion, these eighteen ancient blood warriors are carved out of the same mold, which is different from looking the same, just like eighteen twin brothers. There is usually only one explanation for this, these ancient blood warriors came out of the same pool in the same batch. He was familiar with the birth mechanism of the hatching pool and felt it was very outrageous. Powerful beings like the Ancient Blood Warriors were usually born alone, unlike the Lizardmen War Group, which hatched a hundred-man war group.

The figure of Marshal Ku flashed in his mind. Marshal Ku was blessed by the ancient saint Ashhoto. Ashhoto represented fate and would choose those lizardmen who were destined to be great, or in other words, the lizardmen who were chosen by Ashhoto were destined to be great. However, he did not see the emblem of Ashhoto on the eighteen babies, but he saw the emblem of the ancient saint Zkadi...

The ancient saint Zkadi followed the fighting style, representing attack and violence, and was only revered by the lizardmen in the lizardmen society. The way the lizardmen revered him was very simple, taking out the enemy's heart in battle and swallowing it. The lizardmen believed in him, but... he rarely responded and blessed the lizardmen. Now these eighteen babies... are indeed a buff effect.

In his opinion, these 18 ancient blood warriors are the half-brothers of Ku Dashuai. If all 18 of them are equipped with Tyrannosaurus, then this is a powerful assault battle group, just like Ku Dashuai and his brothers during the great invasion. If separated, these ancient blood warriors are also the commander-type warriors that each temple city urgently needs.

After all, the combat system of the lizardmen is there, and in their minds, they have a natural combat and strategic ability. They don't write any military theories, they only know what to do when they encounter any situation. The ancient blood warriors and scar veterans will accept the orders of the Slann Demon Priest and the Skin Lizard Priest, and then they will command the lizardmen to fight specific battles.

Psychologically speaking, the minds of lizardmen are single-minded. They are completely focused on their single function as warriors, and their behavior is almost automated. They process information and trigger actions according to the environment. In the war, the ancient blood warriors and scar veterans command legions and battle groups, making complex decisions and judgments through experience and unconscious instincts. They have only one form of consciousness, which makes them limited and unimaginative, but this is enough for the Lizardmen, after all, the Lizardmen are just a part of the Lizardmen's military system.

But this does not mean that the Lizardmen are simple-minded and rigid. They live in barracks every day and train, rehearse potential tactics for future combat situations, and form new behavior patterns in advance, that is, the older they live, the more elite they are. They can show initiative and adaptive thinking in combat, and can identify allies and non-combatants and treat them according to orders or actual conditions.

The hot-blooded think that the Lizardmen are cruel and barbaric, but they are not. They do not enjoy fighting, but just perform their duties with discipline and efficiency. They do not have many emotions, but they will be sad, manic, and occasionally in extreme times, they will trigger the self-preservation consciousness in the reptilian brain to escape. When separated from the Slann Mage Priests and Skin Lizard Priests for a long time, they may revert to the instincts of wild beasts, just like the Lizardmen on Dragon Island.

The reason why Dacus judged them to be the Ancient Blood Warriors was because there were some lone lizardmen standing at the central intersection of the formations. According to the tactical system of the lizardmen, these lone lizardmen could only be scarred veterans with positions similar to those of a thousand or a hundred. He counted them carefully and found that there were twelve of them. If the sixty teams were spread out evenly, they would be five hundred men in command of a small legion.

One of the scarred veterans wearing a Triceratops skull was decorated and held different weapons than the other scarred veterans. Darkus judged from the formation of lizards next to the scarred veteran that this scarred veteran was probably the commander of the temple guards. Positioning is similar to Chacas. After all, the five hundred-man battle groups beside the scarred veteran are all dressed as temple guards, holding shields and long clubs, but they don't have the skull of a triceratops on their heads.

"Elite." Darkus looked around and gritted his teeth. Even if he could think about it before, he couldn't figure out that there was such a huge lizard hidden in the other world of Athel Loren. Human Legion.

Darkus believes that this legion should have been deployed here a long time ago, but it was not activated. The end? In that case, this legion is like Steiner on the map, even if it is activated to join the battle? It seems not necessarily? But a tactical victory could not save a strategic defeat. This issue was a bit complicated, so complicated that he didn't want to think about it.

The platform where the lizardmen lined up was sunken. Standing on the top of the steps, Darkus could completely see the entire array. There were sixty groups of lizardmen behind the queue, but it was a messy, typical lineup of Skink boys. , he roughly estimated that the number should be between 1,800 and 2,000. The missing corner was replaced by about 180 monitor lizards, forming a complete lizard-man army.

"Can't afford it." Then nothing more happened. Darkus didn't see giant beasts like Ankylosaurus and Triceratops, let alone any war machines, pure lizard-man legions. After looking around, he gave his evaluation.

Lizardmen are biological robots, not metal robots. Living things need sustenance. Omnivorous skinks and monitor lizards are okay. They can eat insects, grains and wild fruits without meat. But the lizard people are different. They have a fighting orientation. When they are not fighting, they will bathe in the sun to recover their bodies, guard settlements and temples, and conduct combat training. The guarding lizards lie dormant, waiting for orders or threats.

But this does not mean that the lizard people do not need to eat. Instead, they have to eat raw meat and fish to maintain their strength. Otherwise, they will be like the lizard people in Holotl who maintain the minimum operating level, with sallow complexion and thin muscles, and no fighting ability. It's okay to be constant now, but if you pull him out rashly, you might be able to eat up Athel Loren, and then there will be a lot of trouble.

Darkus walked down the steps and walked toward the rear of the array. As he walked, he had the illusion that he was like an adventurer who had rashly broken in, walking on a path full of challenges and mystery. The immobilized lizards seemed to be watching him calmly, assessing his every move.

The road was very long. After all, the length of the array was here, and Darkus didn't know that he had walked for a long time, but fortunately, he finally reached the door behind the array. The lizard man did not move, nor did he ask him: Darkus, are you really under orders from Tebok? Can you prove your identity? bullshit process. He didn't hold up the non-existent slate in his hand to prove anything.

However, Darkus felt the existence of the stone slab. He was sure that there was a stone slab behind the door. When he felt it, he felt an indescribable irritability. It was hidden so deeply. How could he find it? At the same time, he had a sense of expectation. What if there was a slate about the hatching pond here? When he stood in front of the huge stone door, the stone door engraved with complex runes emitted a faint blue light, and the door opened automatically as if it had a sensor device.

The interior of the stone gate is different from the array square. The space is not that big, and there are not an exaggerated number of lizardmen. There is only a Slann Demon Priest sitting on the throne and two Skink Priests standing next to it. However, the Skink Priests It was also stabilized. The appearance of the Slann Demon Priest was like the mountain-sized toad he saw in his dream. His pale pink skin was like old leather, covered with hundreds of wart-like protrusions. As for his eyes, he didn't see them. Flashing wisdom and depth, because the Slann Demon Priest did not open his eyes.

"I'm familiar with this."

When it comes to awakening the Slann Demon Priest, Darkus is good at it... Just when he was about to re-enact the scene when he awakened Shakspati, an image entered his mind through telepathy. mind.

He turned his head to look at Kukulkan who was looking at him, and then he shook his head and gave up the idea that he had been thinking about before. The Slann Demon Priest was in the awakening stage, in a loading state, and would wake up when the progress is full. , there was no need for him to step forward and slap him twice, he had already accomplished a similar feat once.

Looking up, he saw that the Slan Demon Priest still showed no sign of waking up, so he walked around and came to Chengyu's rear. He did not rush to pick up the slate and read it, but lit the pipe. When the pipe was in his mouth, he danced for a while. Maybe Mauro and Mormo had an inexplicable feeling here. An unknown feeling of familiarity?

Then, he religiously picked up the stone slab at the front, and the result...he was greatly disappointed. It felt like it was crooked. The content on the slate was not about the hatching pool he was eager to find, but about the spirits. Helplessly, he exhaled a puff of smoke and sat on the ground to study it carefully.

Essence and soul are essentially souls, relatively unique souls, and powerful spiritual creatures. During the Great Invasion, the reason why the demons saw the tree people as similar to them was because the essence and concepts of the two were similar, but there were some subtle differences.

In human terms, the other world of Athel Loren is the Old Saint's version of Isil. Compared with the real Isil, it is weakened and a beggar's version.

Demons projected from the Chaos Realm to the real world will return to the Chaos Realm after being exiled, unless they are sealed. This is because Ithil has the concept of the Sea of ​​Souls and is connected to the real world. The great demons that come to the real world are like water elements in the sea appearing on land. When the water elements are disintegrated, the existence that drives the water elements will automatically return to the sea.

However, the spirits projected from the other world to the real world are different from the great demons. The strength of the two is not of the same order of magnitude. If they die, they are really dead. Moreover, the spirits in the real world will be corrupted by chaos. This can only be attributed to the flaws in the design of the ancient saints and the fact that the two are not on the same order of magnitude. Of course, the most important thing is that the ancient saints' project has not been truly completed and the characteristics of Ithil.

All spirits in Athel Loren, no matter what form, are united by the other side of Athel Loren. They have been echoing in the other world since the moment they were born, flowing in their thoughts and uniting with the Oak of Time planted by the ancient saints.

There is a saying about elves after death. The reason why the Pale Queen and Ers-Hai-Ai did not have a face-off is that most elves avoided such a bad ending. The same is true for Asrai. They made a pact with Athel Loren that when Asrai died, the forest would absorb their souls to prevent them from being taken away by the hungry Slaanesh and Ers-Hai-Ai.

In the end, most souls will lose their self-perception and merge into the forest. Some souls will wander where they lived when they were alive. They will avoid all those who cannot get along with them and only bring important information or warnings to Asrai who can hear their words. Some others will take root in the remains of dead trees, just like the woodland relatives in Lauren Loren. Their souls will be compiled and reborn as tree people.

The slate in Dakwus's hand is related to the Song of Spirits. The Song of Spirits is incomprehensible to those who exist except the Old Saints, Slann Mage Priests, elves and forest spirits, and will bring terrible pain to those who dare to try. The Song of the Soul is more of a symbol of emotion than a coordination. Only the most marginal things in this wonder can be expressed with sound. The closer and more resonant these objects created by the Old Saints are to each other, the stronger the harmony will be.

Asrai and Ainir will gain comfort and strength from the traction of this melody bond. The melody is like an invisible bond that closely connects them to the Oak of Ages and the roots of the world. They can feel the vibration of each note. It is not just a sound, but a deep emotional exchange. The melody of the Song of the Soul stirs in their hearts.

The Song of the Soul mastered by Asrai comes from Ariel, that is, Aisha. And the Song of the Soul mastered by Ainir comes from the spirit Engidu, which taught the original Dalorhan and Asanok how to bind the souls of the elves in the tree.

However, the Song of the Soul currently mastered by the elves is a beggar's version... Whether it is Asrai or Ainir, they cannot shape the noble spirit.

The so-called noble spirits refer to powerful or strange beings such as Durthu, the Elder Council and Bruyd. They can project their perceptions and communicate in colors and perceptions. The wind of Gilen flows through them, and the connection with the song of spirits is particularly strong.

Undoubtedly, this is also a gift from the ancient saints. Unlike the alliance of this era, the spirits of the next era have been completely mastered by Alarielle. All the sea spirits are her children. She shaped the sea spirits.

Soul pods are needed to breed noble spirits. As for what soul pods are, there are some not far from Daxus.

Soul pods are not only the masterpieces of the ancient saints, but also the shelter of the soul and the source of life. The appearance is like a huge flower bud, wrapped by layers of magical leaves. Each leaf is carved from the most exquisite jade and exudes a bright green light. These leaves sparkle with soft light, like tears of nature and fragments of stars. The edges of the leaves have a slight golden texture, which seems to be a pattern drawn by Taibok himself, elegant and mysterious.

Daxus stood up. When he approached the soul pod, he felt a subtle energy, a power that made him feel relaxed and happy, just like a cat sucking catnip. When he gently touched the leaves, he could feel a slight tremor, as if he was communicating with it. Then, the soul pod gently unfolded, revealing the core hidden deep inside.

The core of the soul pod is a light body shining with mysterious light, like a gem. It is not just a material existence, but more like a pure energy condensation. The light emitted by the gem is not only a visual feast, but also a resonance of the soul. The light is unpredictable, sometimes like silver moonlight, soft and peaceful, and sometimes like golden sunlight, blazing and warm.

When Daxu stared at the core, he seemed to see the endless universe flowing in it, the stars dancing in it, and time stagnating in it. The light not only illuminated the surrounding space, but also illuminated the depths of his heart, making him feel an unprecedented tranquility and peace.

"Well, it's suitable as a decoration. Put it in front of the desk and take a look at it when you are tired." (End of this chapter)