The reconnaissance mission continued for seven days. During these days, the White Wizard squad encountered sporadic attacks from the Fire Lizards, but these were nothing compared to the ferocity of the first day. Richard hardly needed to lift a finger—his companions dealt with the assaults effortlessly.
Unfortunately, the team's search yielded few significant findings. They had explored the civilian zones, where they found nothing but Fire Elemental gems, used as decorative items by the Fire Lizard civilians. In this Fire Element-aligned world, such gems were common. Even those used by the Fire Lizard civilians were nearly as fine as the gems embedded in Richard's staff.
After seven days, the White Wizards began their rotation and took over the reconnaissance duties. The mental strain required for constant vigilance in urban warfare was immense, even for wizards, and as fatigue set in, the risk of overlooking something vital increased. In warfare, mistakes often came at the cost of life, so rotation was necessary.
Once the shift was completed, Richard left the frontlines and returned to the floating city to investigate the secrets of the Fire Lizard species. The floating city had landed, and a large number of logistical and engineering wizards were busy constructing infrastructure around the city.
Richard had initially planned to set up a small research facility, similar to the one he had in the Nestworld. However, upon arriving at the floating city, he was informed that, as a technical advisor and representative of the Wizard's Guild, the command center had reserved a room for him within the floating city.
This saved Richard a lot of work.
He followed the logistical wizards to the room, which was located on the floating city's lower level. This room had originally been a residence for a wizard traveling on the expedition but had since been converted into a storage facility or breeding center for synthesized creatures due to the ongoing war. If Richard hadn't arrived, the room would likely have been repurposed.
"Here's your key. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the logistics department," the wizard said before leaving.
Once alone, Richard quickly inspected the room, not because he suspected the command center had placed monitoring devices, but because wizards often left dangerous items behind in haste. As the story of one unfortunate wizard's demise from a poisonous insect left behind by another suggested, even a second-circle wizard could be killed by ignorance of a hidden danger.
After confirming the room was safe, Richard summoned the Fire Lizard he had placed in his dimension and laid it on an improvised dissecting table. The creature's injuries had healed thanks to the World Fungus, but it remained in a deep coma. Despite the healing, it was still vulnerable, making it a prime candidate for Richard's experiments.
The room was bare, and so Richard used his alchemy skills to craft a basic dissecting table from Blue Mushroom Iron. He also fashioned several surgical tools for his work.
With the Fire Lizard securely fastened, Richard turned on a shadowless lamp, a product from the Wizard's Guild, to illuminate his work. As the light reflected off the creature's scales, Richard admired its form.
"Truly beautiful."
The Fire Lizard stood just over two meters tall, humanoid in shape, with fiery red scales covering its body. These scales gleamed with a glossy finish, casting a faint red glow under the light. But Richard's admiration wasn't just for its appearance; it was the creature's muscular structure that intrigued him.
Each muscle group, hidden beneath the scales, was perfectly proportioned and symmetrical. Richard couldn't help but express his excitement.
"This muscle distribution is a perfect balance."
Without hesitation, Richard began the dissection, carefully cutting through the flesh, studying every detail of the creature's muscles, organs, and nervous system. As he worked, however, a thought crossed his mind.
He stopped momentarily and reached for a vial of Fire Lizard blood he had collected earlier. As he touched it, the interface displayed a clear message:
Material: Fire Lizard Blood
Refined Material: Pure Dragon Blood
Refining Consumption: 2000 Mana
"Indeed, a dragon-blooded species," Richard mused. "But without the help of Rune Symbols, how are they suppressing the expression of the dragon blood?"
Previously, Richard had suspected the Fire Lizards were of dragon descent. Upon dissection, he confirmed that while they shared traits with dragons, there were significant differences—particularly, their blood lacked the corrosive properties typical of dragon blood.
Even after multiple generations of interbreeding, dragon-blooded creatures' blood would usually retain a certain level of corrosiveness. So, it was impossible for any dragon-blooded species to have non-corrosive blood.
Yet, the Fire Lizard blood didn't follow this rule. This discrepancy challenged his understanding of dragon-blooded creatures.
"Expeditions to other worlds truly bring unexpected discoveries," Richard said, his tone filled with excitement.
After sealing the Fire Lizard's body back in his dimension, Richard then retrieved the corpses of the Imperial Dragon Guards—the ten elite Fire Lizards with golden masks. These bodies had been preserved by the World Fungus, ensuring they were in pristine condition, as if freshly slain.
"Tier-two creatures... It's been a while since I dissected one of these," Richard muttered to himself.
The Imperial Dragon Guards' bodies were more aligned with Richard's understanding of dragon blood, though still far from complete. Their organs showed signs of draconic traits, but the transformation was incomplete. It seemed as though something was inhibiting the full expression of their dragon blood.
Even their blood lacked corrosive properties.
"Interesting. Could the Fire Lizard's ancestors have undergone a mutation in their life core, blocking the corrosive traits of dragon blood?" Richard wondered aloud as he examined the body.
He continued dissecting the Imperial Dragon Guards, eventually discovering the Body Strengthening Gland. This gland, found in every Fire Lizard of this elite group, was crucial for the Fire Lizards' impressive physical prowess. Richard realized that by extracting and refining their blood and flesh, he could cultivate this gland for further enhancement of his own physical body.
But for this to work, the dragon blood needed to retain its corrosive properties.
Richard took a sample of the Imperial Dragon Guards' blood and refined it, as the system indicated:
Material: Fire Lizard Blood
Refined Material: Pure Dragon Blood
Refining Consumption: 5000 Mana
As the blood was refined, Richard felt the overwhelming vitality and strength in the Dragon Blood that now appeared at his fingertips.
"Finally, it's the real deal," Richard said with a grin. "Now, with this Dragon Blood, I can enhance my Body Strengthening Gland and complete my Draconic Battle Body."
Half a year passed quickly as Richard continued his experiments. He used the refined Dragon Blood to cultivate a second-tier body—perfect for further developing the Body Strengthening Gland. After completing the cultivation, he carefully inserted the gland into his own body.
Through his Blood Manipulation ability, Richard successfully implanted the gland, which began to activate as his blood circulated through it. The process was delicate, but he was able to harness the dragon blood's power to strengthen his body.
At
last, Richard's Draconic Battle Body reached completion.
(End of Chapter 218)