Ch.107107. The New Continent (4)

The jungle in the southern part of the New Continent is a magical realm that can treat the Great Forest, one of the most renowned magical territories of the Western Continent, like a child’s playground.

True to its tropical rainforest otherworldly nature, the internal heat and humidity can quickly cause dehydration and death to unprepared humans.

Of course, the magical density and mystical energy within this realm has an effect equivalent to deadly poison permeating the air for ordinary humans.

The primitive mystical energy unique to jungles works particularly harshly on life forms that haven’t adapted to the environment.

It forcibly mutates those who can’t endure, transforming them into half-beast, half-human hybrids.

Additionally, every creature inhabiting this place essentially carries deadly poison throughout its body, and this rule applies beyond living beings to inanimate objects and even the air itself.

Even more remarkably, the ecosystem adapted to this environment consists mostly of “average” intermediate-level primitive magical beasts, and the plants that have survived among them are life forms hardly different from these primitive magical beasts…

Surprisingly, there are intelligent life forms that have survived in this environment and established civilization.

These intelligent beings, who call themselves “Reptilians,” were described by the human expedition that discovered them as “reptile humans.”

Walking on two legs, they can perform precise movements using their developed arms and hands just like humans. The Reptilians, covered in scales like armor across their bodies…

They are virtually the only humanoid race that has adapted to the environment of the southern jungle of the New Continent.

The Reptilian physique, mutated to adapt to that harsh environment, is remarkably impressive for a low-tier life form, with an average height of 2 meters and excellent overall physical condition—they could be considered born warriors.

Particularly, Reptilians are not only highly intelligent with exceptional memory but also possess superior learning abilities, making them a race that has accumulated considerable intellectual property despite their savage-like appearance.

Moreover, true to their reptilian nature, they reproduce by laying eggs—about a dozen at a time—and more than half of these eggs survive to grow into adults.

Additionally, Reptilians have an unprecedentedly high probability of Aura awakening for a low-tier race, and most are born with magical aptitude, giving them excellent physical capabilities, but…

Even with all these advantages, this jungle boasts an environment that is far too harsh for mere survival with just these traits.

Despite their overwhelmingly superior abilities, most Reptilians don’t live past 30 years of age, even though they have a lifespan of 300 years.

Thanks to their bodies with excellent immunity and growth rate that reaches adulthood in about 5 years, a significant proportion do reach adulthood, but these grown individuals rarely live beyond 10-20 years.

In other words, despite these conditions, they don’t have a significant advantage in terms of survival, which is why they haven’t developed their civilization much despite having a history spanning thousands of years.

Metallurgy never developed because byproducts of primitive magical beasts, stronger than metal, are scattered everywhere.

With superior physical abilities and inherently high immunity, their medicine remains at a basic level, except perhaps for magic.

Buildings that would be destroyed by magical beast attacks within days naturally aren’t built, so architectural techniques developed in peculiar ways.

Unlike other civilizations, Reptilian civilization developed abnormally because immediate survival was paramount.

And one of the many tribes that make up this Reptilian civilization…

Warriors from a tribe commonly known as “Blade Claws” among Reptilian tribes had set out to investigate an anomaly that occurred near their tribal territory.

These Reptilians, mounted on primitive magical beasts tamed and domesticated by their tribe, were one result of subspeciation through rapid generational changes over 5-year cycles—the so-called “Warrior Reptilians.”

If ordinary Reptilians are like lizards, these are crocodiles.

They are characterized by bumpy, tough dark green skin, a rough and fierce appearance, and a size comparable to 3 meters.

A subspecies particularly distinguished for its combat prowess among various Reptilians.

The reason they came out as a group to investigate was… because the number of magical beasts near their habitat, especially powerful intermediate-level and above primitive magical beasts, had disappeared within days.

One might mistakenly think it’s good that dangerous magical beasts have disappeared, but that would be foolish thinking.

Such sudden changes in the ecosystem could be a harbinger of threats.

It could mean the appearance of a superior-level evolved individual capable of overturning the existing ecosystem, or the influx of magical beasts pushed out from power struggles in external ecosystems.

In the worst case, the population of their main prey (low-level magical beasts) could change.

Anyway, for that reason, after walking for some time…

“…???”

Suddenly feeling something magical brush past them, these warriors immediately drew out spears and shields, adopting a stance to guard against their surroundings…

Before these Warrior Reptilians appeared what seemed to them like a “stealth jaguar” magical beast… but was actually a wolf magical beast.

Of course, the appearance of wolves and jaguars are as different as heaven and earth, but to the Reptilians who had little contact with mammalian magical beasts, that’s how it appeared.

Anyway, the wolf magical beast that revealed itself was overtly showing caution toward the Reptilians.

[Grrrrrr…]

As the low-frequency growl characteristic of predators spread with magical power, the Reptilians could hardly maintain their composure.

Of course, among them were two intermediate-level warriors… four if counting the mounted magical beasts, but the problem was that there was no guarantee this magical beast would face them fairly.

A magical beast emanating such an aura would have no trouble targeting the low-level individuals present, and even the intermediate-level Warrior Reptilians thought there was no way to fully protect the low-levels.

Therefore, they steeled their resolve, prepared for sacrifice, and tried to somehow repel the magical beast…

[—Robo!]

They could hardly hide their bewilderment at the alien voice that suddenly came from a blind spot.

Something was different. Something was definitely different.

The meaning was clearly transmitted as if imprinted in their minds, but the actual sound resonating in their ears was something completely foreign that they couldn’t understand.

But regardless of their sense of alienation, they needed to resolve the situation somehow, so some of the Reptilian warriors urgently used their wide field of vision to look in the direction of the sound…

“…?!!”

There stood a species with an alien appearance.

At first glance, it resembled a monkey, but upon closer inspection, clear differences from monkeys emerged in this bipedal species.

It had a build similar to an ordinary Reptilian and was distinctively covered in animal hides.

Even the Reptilians, who had no particular expertise in mystical energy, could feel the intense wild aura leaking from its body.

On its shoulders, it wore something like a mantle of authority or qualification, what could be called the charisma of a ruler.

And decisively, the being before them was emanating the unique aura of one who had reached the intermediate level.

The Warrior Reptilians were on the verge of going crazy at this point.

For a foreigner to appear in such a situation—anyone could see it must be closely related to this incident.

So as the Warrior Reptilians infused their weapons with magical power or aura, expanding their muscles to be ready to attack at any moment…

[…I ask you, warriors. Who are you?]

The strange alien species spread its arms to the sides as if not desiring combat, and the wolf magical beast naturally moved behind it.

And since the Warrior Reptilians didn’t want to fight either, they had no intention of being aggressive when the other side was initiating dialogue.

“We are Warrior Reptilians of the Blade Claw tribe. And you, are you a shaman?”

[I’m a bit different from a shaman… though we might be similar in the sense of handling mystical energy.]

The Reptilian leader who stepped forward maintained his vigilance as he looked at the being before him.

He must not relax his guard if there was even the slightest possibility that the being before him might suddenly change.

Believing this to be his mission and duty, he immediately asked a question.

“Very well. Then let me ask again. What is your reason for coming here?”

This—the answer to this question would determine the future.

So as the Warrior Reptilian leader tensed up and kept all his senses alert while watching him warily…

[Hmm? Oh, nothing special. I just got stranded here.]

The response was so unexpectedly casual that it inadvertently made them let down their guard.