Richard's words were not very pleasant to hear, but the meaning behind them was clear to the old Fire Lizards.
This Wizard was a pragmatist; he valued ability over disdain for bloodlines.
But now, a question lay before the Fire Lizards—should they choose death or betrayal?
Regardless of Richard's attitude, what he wanted was essentially for them to betray their kind.
If this question were posed to the soldiers fighting against the Wizards, there would be no hesitation—they often had a deep-seated enmity with the Wizards.
However, the Fire Lizards before Richard were somewhat different.
They were significant figures among the Fire Lizards, especially Kallion, whose shield Morik had even sent someone to retrieve him.
The more prominent the figure, the more they valued their lives.
They were not soldiers, and their resolve was not that strong. Moreover, the conditions Richard offered were not harsh.
All they needed to do was write down their Alchemy knowledge and hand it over to Richard, and work as his personal craftsmen until death.
The latter part sounded quite harsh, but Richard had added a clause in the contract that limited their work to just eight hours a day.
If it weren't for the numerous restrictions on their freedom in the contract, such as not being allowed to leave the work site without Richard's permission, Kallion and the others would have almost thought Richard was mocking them.
The terms were too lenient.
This could almost be considered cooperation.
Richard smiled, not in a hurry to urge them to make a decision.
Soon, a Fire Lizard named Patlin spoke up, "Wizard, this contract is quite lenient, but how can I be sure you will fulfill it?"
These Fire Lizards had never seen a Soul Contract.
"It's simple; once you sign this contract, you'll know."
Richard pulled out several feather quills from his pocket and presented them to the Fire Lizards.
"Sign the contract, or go for a swim in the Magma Lake. Your fate is in your own hands."
Richard's words carried no spells, but they penetrated the ears of the Fire Lizards like a spell, swirling in their minds.
Though they were old, they did not want to die.
The taste of fine wine still lingered on their tongues; if they died, they would never taste it again.
Could the returning Fire Lizard King really save the Fire Lizards? Would the Fire Lizard clan survive until that time?
Alchemy was so beautiful; if they died, they would never be able to explore its mysteries again...
The thoughts in the Fire Lizards' minds were chaotic. In the face of survival, countless thoughts clung to their hearts like Heart Demons.
Their expressions shifted from fierce to despondent, and finally, the first to make a decision appeared.
A Fire Lizard named Cliff grasped the feather quill and trembled as he signed his name on the contract.
The moment he finished signing, the contract transformed into a ball of flame and vanished into the air. A subtle connection linked Richard and Cliff together.
"This is... Soul Oath?"
Cliff uttered a term in Dragon Language, and it struck the hearts of the other Fire Lizards like a heavy hammer.
The Soul Oath was an ancient method used by dragons to enslave powerful Fire Lizards. The fact that Cliff could say this word indicated that the contract indeed had binding power.
"I'll sign too!"
An old Fire Lizard named Tarhe seized the feather quill and forcefully signed his name on the contract.
Next, Patlin followed suit and signed the contract.
Now, only Kallion remained among the four Fire Lizards who had not signed.
Suddenly, Kallion seemed to make a difficult decision. He pushed the feather quill away and said firmly, "Wizard, I do not crave life that much; just kill me."
"Oh?" Richard was slightly surprised. "I didn't expect Master Kallion to be such a principled Fire Lizard."
Kallion looked at Richard, his expression neither sad nor happy. At the moment he made his decision, he felt his soul transcend.
"I have no principles; I am just an ordinary Fire Lizard who knows a bit of Alchemy. I should have died decades ago, but that kid Harash pulled me from the depths and gave me a mission, a meaning to live.
Now, my mission is complete. Death is merely an old friend."
Kallion spoke with a tone of lament, as if delivering his last words. But Richard's next words changed his expression.
"Since you are unwilling to sign the contract, I will have to use other methods. Among you, you are the most important."
Richard's expression was emotionless. A Fire Lizard who could have Morik send someone to retrieve him must be a talent, and he might know a lot of internal information about Morik.
Such a Fire Lizard, Richard would not let go no matter what.
Since he was unwilling now, Richard would have to use special means.
Kallion's face changed drastically at these words. Before he could react, Richard's figure appeared behind him at an angle.
"Fire Lizard, take a nap."
Bang.
The metal staff struck Kallion's skull hard, and he lost consciousness in an instant.
The three Fire Lizards nearby were taken aback at this scene, their scales standing on end.
If they hadn't signed, would they meet the same fate? Richard smiled slightly at the three Fire Lizards who had surrendered: "Gentlemen, let's talk somewhere else."
With that, Richard opened the Mystic Realm Rift, leaving the Fire Lizards dumbfounded.
"What is this thing?"
Richard stepped into the Secret Realm: "You'll know once you come in."
...
In the Secret Realm, Pa Pa was playing with the Holy Tree Sprite. Upon seeing Richard bring in a Fire Lizard, he immediately ran over in surprise.
"Wizard, who is this?"
Richard tossed the Fire Lizard onto the ground.
"Kallion."
"He is Master Kallion? I heard Master Haye mention him before; he said this master's Alchemy could rival that of ancient Alchemy Masters."
"Oh, really?"
Richard smiled and turned to have the World Mushroom bind Kallion and wake him up.
Behind him, the other three Fire Lizards entered the Secret Realm one after another. Once they were all inside, Richard casually closed the Mystic Realm Rift.
"Gentlemen, this is my Secret Realm, your workplace for the time being," Richard introduced to the Fire Lizards.
The Fire Lizards looked at the scenery completely different from the Crimson Sun World, their shock was beyond measure.
They were not like Pa Pa, who had never seen the world.
These Fire Lizards were significant figures among their kind, and they could peruse many ancient texts.
So they understood that the place before them was another world.
"This is... a World Fragment?"
Tarhe uttered a clumsy Dragon term.
Richard was slightly surprised: "Oh, you have some knowledge in this area?"
Tarhe recalled a fragment he had seen in ancient texts.
It was said that in ancient times, gods and dragons would collect fragments of worlds to create God Kingdoms or to use in Star-Traveling Spaceships.
Could it be that the Wizard had mastered such means? Were they to become the second gods?
Tarhe's mind was somewhat muddled by this speculation, but he was certain that his decision to sign the contract was correct.
Fire Lizards could never defeat Wizards.
Richard was unaware of Tarhe's thoughts. He introduced the Fire Lizards: "This Fire Lizard is Pa Pa; during this time, you will be responsible for teaching him Alchemy and researching that armor plate together."
Saying this, Richard patted Pa Pa.
"Go, bring me that plate I gave you."
Pa Pa immediately went to fetch the plate, and the moment the Fire Lizards saw it, they recognized what it was.
"You have obtained Sacred Armor! Impossible, all the Sacred Armor was destroyed when His Majesty Minal was trapped; even the remnants were thrown into the Sea of Lava."
Hearing this, a pang of pain flashed through Richard's heart.
These Fire Lizards were truly despicable; such a good thing was destroyed just to prevent the Wizard from obtaining it.
"I obtained this before the War of the Three Kings began," Richard replied somewhat stiffly. "Your task during this time is to thoroughly understand this plate; your future task will be to create such armor plates."
"Impossible, Sacred Armor is a creation of the gods; how could we possibly understand it?" the three Fire Lizards said in unison.
"There's nothing impossible about it," Richard said lightly.
With that, Richard took a piece of metal from his Magic Pocket and began using Dragon Alchemy.
The metal block continuously morphed and extended in Richard's hands, eventually transforming into a small armor plate. The intricate yet uniquely beautiful golden patterns on the surface proved that this was an Alchemy creation.
This action left the Fire Lizards dumbfounded.
They stared at Richard, speechless for a long time.
They could hardly believe that this Wizard understood Dragon Alchemy even better than they did.
"See, there's nothing impossible."
Richard tossed the armor plate among the Fire Lizards and then walked over to Kallion.
"Master Kallion, I can still give you a chance. If you sign the contract, the conditions remain unchanged.
However, if you continue to resist, I will have to use some special means against you."
With a wave of his hand, Mycelium took Kallion into the Fungal Stipe.
In the underground of the Fungal Stipe, in a secret space that no one could discover.
Logar's roars echoed continuously in the space.
Under the influence of the World Mushroom, Logar's sanity was nearly shattered, with sensations beyond the Fire Lizards' sensory thresholds constantly bombarding his brain.
If it weren't for the deep-seated hatred, Logar would have long since submitted.
Outside this space, Kallion looked on in terror at Logar.
Logar appeared quite healthy, even healthier than a normal Fire Lizard.
But the roars echoing in the space, which did not resemble those of a Fire Lizard, sent chills down Kallion's spine.
What kind of torment was this Fire Lizard enduring? In his ear, the World Mushroom kindly introduced Logar's current situation.
"Fire Lizard, if you do not submit to the great master, your fate will not be much better than his.
I have ways to keep you alive until your soul collapses."
The calm voice of the World Mushroom shattered Kallion's mental defenses like a hammer.
He did not fear death; sometimes, living was more terrifying than dying.
Kallion shouted in terror:
"I sign! I sign!"