Above the Sea of Lava, a slender Wizard was flying leisurely not far from the surface.
The Sea of Lava is a term that encompasses the Magma Sea, which lies beyond the main continent of the Crimson Sun World. It occupies one-third of the entire area of the Crimson Sun World, home to countless powerful Flame Behemoths and Elemental Creatures that have escaped from the elemental realms.
However, despite its vastness, the Sea of Lava produces pitifully few resources.
Although the Magma Sea is expansive, apart from the Flame Behemoths and Fire Elemental Gems, this large body of water has virtually no other outputs.
The uses of Flame Behemoths are limited; aside from being experimental subjects, their greatest utility is as food.
But the market for this is too small; the nearby Flame Behemoths are more than sufficient.
As for Fire Elemental Gems, these are items that the Crimson Sun World, and indeed all worlds with a fire elemental bias, have in abundance.
If a Great Wizard wished, a Fire Elemental Gem from the Crimson Sun World could collapse the entire market for Fire Elemental Gems in the Wizarding world.
However, doing so would only bring trouble to the Great Wizard, with no benefits.
Thus, many Fire Elemental Gem mines on the main continent of the Crimson Sun World have been sealed by Great Wizards, with only a few being mined.
Moreover, most of these mines produce fuel-grade fire gems, which primarily serve as energy sources for alchemical machines.
The production of Fire Elemental Gems suitable for use as wand tips is strictly limited.
A steady flow is the right path.
Therefore, the Sea of Lava is like a vast desert for Wizards, and few would spend time exploring it.
Splash! Suddenly, a flame shark with its mouth wide open leaped out of the tranquil sea, its massive body nearly ten meters long. The energy fluctuations emanating from it had already reached the standard of a third-tier creature.
If this creature were on the main continent of the Crimson Sun World, even a Wizard would need to deploy a team of White Wizards, led by a Third Circle Wizard, to deal with it quickly.
Its target, leaping out of the sea, was the Wizard flying above the surface, whose energy fluctuations were only at the second tier.
"Caw, another one that doesn't know its place."
A black crow flew up from the Wizard's shoulder, its claws suddenly enlarging, and it grabbed the leaping flame shark. The flame shark struggled violently, its massive third-tier body thrashing with immense force.
But the black crow's claws seemed as if they were forged from bronze and iron; no matter how it struggled, the claws remained unmoved.
The black crow's claws continued to shrink, and the flame shark within them also shrank along with them.
The ten-meter-long flame shark gradually shrank to five meters, then slowly down to one meter. Finally, the flame shark transformed into a fish the size of a palm, which the black crow tossed into its mouth and swallowed in one gulp.
"Burp—"
The black crow let out a satisfied burp, releasing a burst of elemental fire.
After eating, it looked at the Wizard beside it and asked, "Caw, Richard, does that thing you're looking for even exist? I'm getting tired of eating these Flame Behemoths."
Richard glanced at Ulysses, his tone somewhat helpless:
"Ulysses, how did you become so impatient after waking up? I've already said that there must be islands in the Sea of Lava. Those Fire Lizards are definitely sending someone over."
"Caw, but we've been searching this sea for three years."
Richard felt helpless, and Ulysses felt the same.
Three years ago, after waking from his slumber and having a feast on Fire Lizard brains, he was called by Richard to the Sea of Lava to act as a guardian.
He was told to look for islands in the Sea of Lava.
To be honest, if it weren't for the many Fire Lizard heads, Ulysses would have started cursing long ago.
The Sea of Lava is not just about lava; the term sea is also quite literal.
Searching for islands aimlessly in such a vast body of water is not much different from searching for a needle in a haystack.
Moreover, Ulysses was particularly sensitive to this fire-element biased environment. The concentration of fire elements in the Sea of Lava is several times higher than that on the mainland, making these three years quite unbearable for Ulysses.
"I estimate that the Fire Lizards have been searching the sea for at least ten years, and they've been doing it with several fleets together. We've only been at it for three years; what's the rush?"
Richard maintained a calm mindset. His time searching for islands in the Sea of Lava reminded him of his days as a Wizard apprentice, traveling the high seas.
Back then, he had just gained the qualification to become a Wizard, and Jolod had advised him to relax.
Now, looking back, it had already been over three hundred years.
"Caw, those Fire Lizards are really bastards. Why can't they just stay on the mainland? Why do they have to run out to sea? If they're going to run, why did they have to be discovered by you?"
Ulysses spoke with a tone of despair; life in the Sea of Lava was truly torturous, even worse than the days spent in the underground lava sea.
Back then, Richard often returned to the Secret Realm upon encountering a creature he had never seen before, claiming it was for exploration, but in reality, he might spend half the day in the Secret Realm.
Moreover, while exploring the Sea of Lava, he was protected by an energy shield.
Now, Richard was flying over the sea all day, occasionally returning to the Secret Realm to meditate, and Ulysses could only follow along. Furthermore, to obtain specimens, Richard wouldn't let Ulysses use the energy shield, as it would scare away the Flame Behemoths in the Sea of Lava.
Life was too difficult… A sneeze! Seeing that Richard ignored his complaints, Ulysses could only helplessly return to Richard's shoulder.
A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes as he scanned the surrounding sea, hoping to find traces of islands to end this miserable exploration.
Whether it was Ulysses' good luck or the Fire Lizards' bad luck, his casual glance actually revealed something that seemed out of place in the Sea of Lava.
"Caw, Richard, fly over there! I see something strange!"
"Hmm?" Richard was startled, "What strange thing?"
"Caw, I can't quite describe it. It's pointed at both ends, bulging in the middle, and it seems to be made of metal. But I can assure you, that thing is definitely not something a Flame Behemoth could grow."
Richard turned in the direction Ulysses indicated as soon as he heard him.
The object Ulysses described was exactly what he and Kallion had deduced a long-range ship would look like.
After subduing Kallion, Richard had successively found several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters. Among these masters, some had also participated in the outsourcing project of the Morik Shield.
After synthesizing the information from several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters, Richard concluded that the Fire Lizards must be exploring the Sea of Lava.
Moreover, they had likely discovered something.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been continuously producing long-range ships for seven or eight years.
Although the process of this judgment was flawed, the result was a fortunate guess.
For this reason, Richard immediately initiated a search operation after Ulysses woke up.
He knew that if the Fire Lizards had escaped to the sea, they would definitely bring many talents with them. If he could subdue them, these Fire Lizards would greatly enhance his strength.
Those regarded as the seeds of the Fire Lizard Empire could not possibly be a bunch of worthless connections.
...
On the Sea of Lava, a massive metal shuttle quietly floated on the surface.
Around it, Flame Behemoths circled it as if it were a mere rock.
Inside the shuttle, the Fire Lizard captain frowned, quietly listening to the reports from his subordinates.
"... The outer shell is damaged by eighteen percent, and the isolation chamber has been activated. However, the east and west components of the ship are severely damaged. According to the craftsman..."
The reporting Fire Lizard paused, and the captain looked up at him and asked, "What did he say?"
"... He said the power components may be irreparable. Even if they are repaired, we have deviated from our course in the fire Elemental Storm, and the remaining fuel will hardly support us back to the New World."
The captain stared at the reporting Fire Lizard, remaining silent for a long time.
"... I understand. Order the crew to repair the damage as quickly as possible, and have the craftsman fix the power components as soon as possible. As for the fuel issue... I will handle it."
The captain's calm demeanor reassured the reporting Fire Lizard, who respectfully bowed to him before leaving the captain's cabin to relay the orders.
Bang.
The door to the captain's cabin closed.
The captain looked out at the boundless Sea of Lava with some irritation; encountering a fire Elemental Storm was truly unfortunate.
Although he told the first mate that he would handle the fuel, the fuel needed for the ship was Fire Elemental Gems. To obtain these, he would have to dive into the Sea of Lava to retrieve them.
In the Sea of Lava, countless powerful Flame Behemoths roamed. Even as a Silverhorn Noble, encountering those monsters would mean certain death.
But this was the plan with the highest chance of survival.
"Ah, I shouldn't have been greedy for that fire whale. If I had returned earlier, even if I encountered a fire Elemental Storm, I wouldn't have ended up in this cursed place."
With a sigh, the captain approached the table and took out a charcoal pencil to begin writing a will.
But before he could write more than a few words, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock! Bang! Before the captain could open the door, the first mate, who was delivering the captain's orders, burst into the room, his face filled with terror.
"What happened? Why are you so flustered?" The captain frowned and asked sternly.
The first mate, looking panicked, delivered an answer he had never considered.
"Wizard! Sir, a Wizard is coming!"
...
On the metal shuttle, Richard easily found the entrance and effortlessly opened it using Dragon Alchemy.
At the entrance, a Fire Lizard happened to pass by. Upon seeing Richard, the expression on its face shifted from shock to terror.
A Wizard!
Had they come close to the shore? How could they encounter a Wizard here?
Seeing the Fire Lizard, Richard couldn't help but feel delighted.
"Ulysses, you've done a great job this time."
"Caw, let's get moving quickly; I don't want to stay in this wretched place for another minute."
Entering the cabin, Richard soon encountered a group of Fire Lizards. These Fire Lizards were armed, but their faces were filled with fear.
After dealing with Wizards for so many years, the Fire Lizards could still discern the strength of a Wizard.
The energy fluctuations emanating from Richard had already reached the second-tier Wizard level; for them, dealing with Richard was merely a matter of a few spells.
The power of Wizards had long become a nightmare for the Fire Lizards.
But to their surprise, this Wizard did not attack; instead, he calmly said one sentence to them.
"Fire Lizards, I have no intention of killing you. Bring your captain out; I want to speak with him."
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