Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 592 - 545: Manu (The Torment of Icarus 2/60)

Giant Dragons were the tutors of the Dragon Priests, the guardians of their people. Abandoning the savage bloodthirst inherited from their cruel dragon fathers, these mighty, proud creatures possessed a sense of power that was beautiful to behold. And when such a perfect being became your tutor, the closest soul to your own, the bond between the Giant Dragon and the Dragon Priest was special and close.

But the scholars, sir, for the prosperity of their race, killed their most revered Giant Dragon. Hurting their own tutor, protector, and partner must have been a painful choice.

"Morocoy was a wise Blue Dragon. I remember every single one of his scales, where on his body bore the scars of breaking through time and space—the price he paid once to save me from a wild Magic Power surge. I’ve watched his breath shatter meteors at night, and the next moment he would return as a streak of light to my side, teaching me to control magic with a gentle voice. He had a heart far nobler than his fearsome appearance..." Beside the scholar, lines of Magic Power intertwined to form a lifelike dragon made of Magic Power, as if the Giant Dragon was still accompanying the scholar, but it was actually an illusion created by Mana Shaping Magic.

"As pure as his heart was, it reflected how disheveled my own form was. Morocoy was the Prophet of the Dragon Clan, who foresaw the fall of the age of the Giant Dragons, thus cultivating the Dragon Priests in an attempt to change everything. But his devoted apprentice, Irene, failed. What’s more, this diligent tutor had to face the very staff of his disciple."

"I am a king, and I would do anything to protect my kingdom. The resilience that Morocoy fostered in me made my heart as hard as ironstone when it came to slaying my teacher, but it was Morocoy’s compassion that brought me to the verge of collapse. My hands were soaked in his Dragon Blood, he cradled my head, and his faint voice rose in my ears."

[Irene, your future is boundless. Devour my Magic Power, not as my student inheriting my legacy, but as my Slaughterer accepting this spoils of war. The Power of Holy Light will not punish the enemies of the Giant Dragons. Irene, this time, I will not be mistaken.]

[Grind my bones to dust, peel away my flesh, bury all that I am within your realm. Let me continue to watch over you, watch as your kingdom enters a new era, Irene. Let my Magic Power become your wings, use my flesh and blood to fortify your lands, Irene, this way, you will have two nodes of magic networks, my child, and in the new era, you shall prosper.]

"He graciously accepted my betrayal and blessed me, a person shrouded in darkness. Dragon Priests are not righteous, Lyle. I am not truly humble, but it’s Morocoy’s sincerity that torments my soul. I inherited his name, but this kingdom named after Morocoy was not as pristine as the Giant Dragon himself. This realm built by my hands was no longer blissful, conspiracy and corruption grew out of my sight. Guilt and anger ruled me, and I chose death, letting this disappointing kingdom destroy itself."

Then Carlos, Irene’s son, took the throne and immediately declared the kingdom’s demise, taking off with the capital. The fall of the Arcanists’ realm was quicker than the scholar had imagined.

No wonder the five Dragon Priests have been in decline ever since; they had killed their own tutor, saving their tribe. The other Dragon Priests, lacking the ability or will to kill a Giant Dragon, perished alongside the dragons in the Power of Holy Light.

"Now it seems, ’the lucky ones’ are not just us five."

If the Power of Holy Light were passed onto the Dragon Priests, it would inevitably affect the entire tribe, and now that the Dragon Calling Flute has been sounded once more, it means that the once Dragon Kin Manu still exist, and perhaps the Dragon Priest Kolosis is still alive. The ties between the Manu People and the Giant Dragons have been severed.

"Perhaps Kolosis still possesses a complete set of Dragon Bones; that could help us fulfill the Giant Dragons’ plan." The scholar adjusted the teleportation portal while introducing the race known as Manu.

The Manu people and the dwarves are closely related, though this kinship is actually a rather distant blood connection. The ancient ancestors of both the Manu people and the dwarves were Earth Spirits, primitive lives composed of rocks and clods. Born from the earth, the different veins of ore layers gave rise to different life paths. A portion of the Earth Spirits came into contact with magma in the veins, and the powerful force of the flames smoothed their rough edges, gradually evolving into the fire-loving and forging-inclined dwarves.

The ancestors of the Manu people didn’t encounter the heat of the magma but found another type of energy, the Mana Gems refined from the pure earth. They migrated along the veins and settled over gemstone ore layers, which became their sources of life. These Earth Spirits eventually transformed into slender creatures adept at digging, with elongated forelimbs and crystallized fingers. The Manu would be born in the rock layers near the gemstone veins, and at birth, they would have a rugged indent on their forehead. That was the spot to connect with the gemstone, and the quality of that gemstone would affect the entire life of a Manu. The Manu people possessed exceptionally great talent in the art of jewelry, with quality gemstones empowering them, and powerful jewelers crafting even finer gems.

In the memories of scholars, Ashpurin was like the legendary city of gold. The prideful Manu jewelers crafted a mighty army with dazzling gemstones, possessing terrifying talents from birth that made human kings quite wary. But the Manu people, like mermaids, were the evolutionary discards, their strength tied to their gemstones, and gemstones weren’t as ubiquitous as stones.

"The number of gemstones limits the population of the Manu people. Although their lifespan is nearly eternal, like that of the gemstones, there comes a moment when the magic power within the gemstones is exhausted, and that moment is the death of the Manu,"

"Some Manu search for new gemstones to extend their lives, while others accept death peacefully. The Manu are like gemstones, their entire life is also a refinement of life. After their death, their bodies crystallize into gemstones, becoming the source of life for the next generation of Manu. In theory, the Manu could also grow in numbers, but it would take a very long time, just like it takes the energy and time of jewelers to carve a gemstone."

A new race. Lyle looked at the open portal, feeling the intense beating in his chest. This was the charm of the Magic World, the novelty and the unknown breeds, utterly different civilizations, bringing unforgettable experiences.

Nia’s tendrils extended from her clothes, the little girl placed her hands on Lyle’s shoulders, whispering to him with a deliberately lowered childish voice.

"Nia likes shiny things. Can we take some treasures back with us?"

Lyle found it amusing. Hadn’t Nia listened? The gemstones were the lifeline of the Manu, their wealth, as well as their life. Somehow, Lyle imagined Nia’s tendrils winding around a panic-stricken Manu, saying, "Your money or your life, your money is also your life, Nia wants it all!"

Lyle stepped into the portal after the scholars and the giant dragon, and before experiencing the spatial tearing, he stroked the tendrils on his wrist.

"We can talk it over with Scholar Teacher; those Manu jewelers must have some gems that aren’t so pretty. We can pick out some that Nia likes."

"That shouldn’t be difficult, they must have many gems."