Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 237 Lizard Man 4

At the edge of the damp swamp, Caesars carefully observed the enormous white-skinned crocodile before him. The pup was turned over, belly up. Its rough, white scales gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Each scale resembled a meticulously crafted piece of armor, revealing its former ferocity and strength.

Caesars crouched down slowly, his gaze fixed on the white-skinned crocodile's belly. There, a small but striking hole stood out. The scales at the edge had been torn, revealing the dark red flesh within. The hole was just big enough for a puppy to squeeze through. Only half of the liver remained. Its original rosy, lustrous appearance was long gone, leaving only a fragmented, incomplete mass emitting a pungent, bloody odor.

The white-skinned crocodile's fatal wound was in its head, where a hole had formed. The surrounding scales were shattered, and its heavily smelling brain matter splattered across the floor, forming a disgusting puddle. Caesars, examining it closely, could clearly see the smooth edges of the hole, the marks left by the puppy's claws. Caesars couldn't help but feel a sense of shock as he imagined how the puppy, with its tiny body, had leaped at the white-skinned crocodile's head with lightning speed, piercing its skull with its claws.

Kaisas stood up and turned to look at the now-full puppy. The little creature was lazily lying on the side, its belly bulging and its plump body like a furry ball. The high-level magic patterns on its body shimmered with a strange light, as if imbued with endless power.

Kaisas secretly sighed in his heart that the puppy's advanced magic pattern was too powerful. Such a huge white-skinned crocodile was easily hunted down by it. There were almost no signs of fighting around, as if the white-skinned crocodile had no ability to fight back in front of the puppy.

Kaisas squatted down, gently patted the puppy's head, and said with a hint of disgust, "You don't know how to eat, you've ruined the best ingredients. The liver of the white crocodile is a rare delicacy. It should be fried slowly over low heat, allowing the fat to seep out bit by bit, making a sizzling sound. Finally, sprinkle it with refined salt and spices, and the aroma will waft for miles. This is how it becomes a truly delicious meal!"

Hearing Caesar's description, the plump puppy's eyes, which had been squinting, instantly opened, blinking their watery eyes, their eyes full of desire. From time to time, they would lick their mouths with their tongues, and a few low whimpers came out of their throats, as if urging Caesar to hurry up and prepare the delicious food.

Looking at the puppy's greedy look, Caesars couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Don't be impatient, you idiot. Dinner will be stewed crocodile meat and fried crocodile liver. I'll show you Master Caesars's cooking skills!"

Kaisas rolled up his sleeves, his eyes gleaming with confidence, as if he had already envisioned the sumptuous dinner. He took out his magic blade and prepared to deal with the white crocodile and prepare for the delicious dinner in advance.

The puppy followed closely behind him, rubbing its head against Caesar's legs from time to time, as if afraid that he would change his mind and miss this rare meal.

For Caesars, the half-hour process was like a race against time, a feast of skinning and cutting. He wielded the sharp magic blade, his movements skillful and swift, each cut piercing the flesh of the white-skinned crocodile with precision. Under his deft hands, the tough skin gradually separated from the crocodile's body, making a hissing sound, as if the white-skinned crocodile were wailing in despair.

Caesars' forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, gleaming in the sunlight, but he didn't bother to wipe them off, completely concentrating on the task at hand. Finally, the white crocodile was successfully skinned and cut up, the pieces of meat neatly arranged, and the intact crocodile skin was carefully collected, as if he had harvested a precious treasure.

Kaisas dusted himself off, glanced at the white crocodile he had already prepared, quickly collected it, and headed west. The puppy followed closely behind him, sniffing the air from time to time, its eyes sparkling with a lively light.

This time, the puppy didn't bite through the crocodile hide. A complete piece of leather is worth around 10,000 gold coins in Fire Maple City.

Fire Maple City was a bustling commercial metropolis, where buyers could find all sorts of rare and valuable items. This white crocodile hide, with its distinct grain and tough texture, was an absolute hot commodity. However, it could only fetch such a high price in a place like Fire Maple City; elsewhere, the price would be significantly reduced.

Time slipped away silently as Caesars walked. At noon, the blazing sun shone through the dense woods, casting patches of light and shadow. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to some traces on the ground. There were numerous footprints, large and deep, with some upturned soil around the edges, clearly having been left there not long ago.

Kaisas squatted down and carefully observed the footprints. He immediately determined that they were large footprints left by the White Ogre. The White Ogre was an extremely ferocious monster. Thinking of this, Kaisas's brows could not help but furrow slightly, and a hint of vigilance appeared in his eyes.

The footprints continued into the swamp and disappeared under the sparkling water.

At that moment, the puppy, with its keen sense of smell, suddenly twitched its nose several times and let out a low humming sound from its throat. Its little head kept turning, as if it had caught a peculiar scent. Caesars stood up and observed the puppy's actions, understanding something.

"Dead dog, lead the way and follow us first. If there are not too many white ogres, then we will kill them. If there are too many, forget it, I don't want to be chased around by ogres!" Kaisas said to the puppy with a hint of caution in his voice.

The pup purred excitedly at Caesar's words, its tail wagging like a rattle. In its inherited memories, those delicious blood beads were far more potent than fire crystals. Whenever it recalled the taste of the blood beads, its mouth watered. It couldn't wait to sniff the lingering scent of the white-skinned ogre, its nose twitching as if that scent were the allure of the world's most delicious food.

Like a brave vanguard, it led Caesars into the forest. The trees were lush and verdant, their branches intertwined, forming a natural barrier. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the branches, casting streaks of golden light. Caesars followed cautiously behind the pup, weapon tightly gripped in hand, his eyes warily scanning his surroundings, ready to respond to any possible danger.

In a seemingly tranquil woodland, a patchwork of dried mud appeared on the ground. These mud drops appeared in dots, like an irregular jigsaw puzzle scattered by nature. Each drop had slightly raised edges, and the cracked lines resembled mysterious symbols carved into the earth. The further we walked, the more numerous and denser the mud marks became in the woodland. Where previously there had been some exposed ground, it was now covered in a dense mass of mud, interwoven into an invisible web, as if foreshadowing something extraordinary ahead.

From the dense forest ahead, the sounds of ogres fighting suddenly rang out. The noises boomed like muffled thunder, rising and falling. Sometimes high-pitched, like the ogres cheering in triumph, sometimes low, like venting their anger. From these cries alone, it was easy to discern their numbers. The sound was continuous, as if countless sources were speaking simultaneously.

Kaisas, a sturdy figure, approached slightly, a glint of determination in his eyes. He then cast Mage's Eye. A faint light flickered in his eyes, piercing the dense forest and allowing for distant observation.

Through the wizard's eyes, Kaesus saw a huge mud pool. In this mud pool, hundreds of white-skinned ogres lay in it, taking a comfortable mud bath. These white-skinned ogres were tall and covered in mud.

Their bodies were fat and clumsy, their limbs like thick tree trunks, and every movement carried a sense of immense power. Some ogres buried their entire bodies in the mud, leaving only their heads exposed, purring with satisfaction; others scooped up mud with their giant hands and smeared it on each other, letting out bursts of wild laughter.

Not far from the mud pool stood a cluster of semi-underground dwellings constructed from massive logs. These logs were so thick that it took several people to wrap their arms around each one. The logs covered the roofs, overgrown with weeds and moss. The weeds swayed gently in the breeze, as if telling of the passage of time, while the moss, like a green blanket, blanketed the roofs, adding a touch of vitality to these simple dwellings.

Judging by the number of cabins, this was a small tribe of white-skinned ogres, probably numbering several thousand. Each cabin was like a small fortress, hiding countless dangers.

"Damn dog, let's go, there are too many of them!"

The ogres take mud baths here and then go to the swamp to wash off, leaving behind the mud along the way.

Kaisas frowned, feeling a little hesitant. His main mission here was to find the lair where the lizardmen were hiding, and hunting the white-skinned ogres was secondary.

Caesars cautiously turned around and followed the path he had taken, slowly exiting the dangerous woodland. The depressed puppy followed him, looking back every few steps.

"You stupid dog! White ogres are worlds apart from lizardmen. Not only is their meat awful, but their demonic bloodline is also far inferior to that of lizardmen. You have absolutely no vision. You can't even tell the difference between good and bad!"

Caesar's words hit the puppy's heart like a heavy hammer. It was originally in a depressed mood, but it seemed to be ignited in an instant. Its eyes suddenly lit up, emitting a red light like hot magma, and it looked so excited as if it had discovered some rare treasure.

The cool breeze at the edge of the swamp brought a touch of coolness, which was in stark contrast to the sweltering heat in the dense forest. The environment here was refreshing, and the puppies seemed to enjoy this comfortable feeling as well.

The puppy had to eat six meals a day, not one meal less, this was its life principle. When the sunset was still high in the sky, the puppy selected an ideal camping spot - a huge rock on a higher ground, only 40 to 50 meters away from the swamp.

After choosing a spot, the puppy didn't stop immediately, but instead began to carefully explore the surroundings. It roamed through the dense forest in the distance, leaving no corner untouched, like a seasoned explorer, eliminating every possible hidden danger. Its movements were skillful and professional, leaving one in awe of its abilities.

Of course, Caesars was not idle either. He promised to stew crocodile meat and fry crocodile liver for the puppy, and neither of them could be missing, otherwise it would seriously undermine the fat dog's enthusiasm for fulfilling his responsibilities.

A few days later, Caesars was still walking along the edge of the Great Swamp. Shortly after setting out that morning, he discovered some unusual footprints in the soft mud. These footprints were somewhat similar to those of lizards, but there were also some differences.

"Lizards that walk on two legs can only be lizardmen. Dead dog, can you smell them?" Looking at the fresh footprints, Caesars asked the puppy who was sniffing around.

The puppy shook its big, round head, sniffing the air. The scent of the lizardmen was unusually faint, as if masked by the scent of the forest, making it difficult for the puppy's keen sense of smell to detect.

The puppy stretched out its stubby front legs and pointed at the vast expanse of the swamp before it. The swamp's surface was unusually vast, like a giant lake, its calm surface shimmering in the morning light.

Caesars looked in the direction the puppy pointed, and his eyes fell on the Great Swamp. The morning mist spread over the swamp like a veil, adding a touch of mystery to the entire swamp.

In the distance, a small hill seemed to be looming on the water, but the hill was obscured by the morning mist, making it difficult to see its true appearance.

Kaisas looked around the forest, thinking about how to better observe the swamp. He decided to find a tall tree and hide on it. This way, he could avoid being discovered by the lizardmen and observe the movements of the swamp from a high vantage point.

After searching for a while, Caesars discovered two towering trees a few dozen meters to the west. These tall, straight trees, with lush branches and leaves, provided the perfect hiding place. From atop them, he could see the entire edge of the swamp, observing every movement.