Chapter Eighty-Eight: Failed Communication

Lando happened to take in the entire scene before him. The commotion was considerable, and as soon as he heard the noise, he hurried over, hoping to see if there was anything to gain. After all, if he were discovered and pursued, he could simply hide in the lake again for a while.

From the companion crystals set in the brows of the five people, it was clear they were all natives of the Crystal World. They wore crude, rugged leather armor. The warrior leading them, wielding a hammer, was of the fifth rank; the other three warriors were fourth rank, and the last member, a young girl, was only third rank.

Lando’s attention, however, was most drawn to the girl. Her companion crystal had taken the form of a bird, and she displayed both formidable strength and a measure of intelligence.

There was no information about this in the Silver Tower. Could it be a change that occurred after the last time the world was opened?

At this point, Lando had already decided to intervene. Not only could he gather valuable information, but he could also ask about the map—two birds with one stone.

When the crystal hawks were reduced to just over forty, and the five-person team was bracing for a desperate stand to give Samira a chance to escape, Lando suddenly charged in from the flank. He slew one hawk outright, wounded several others, and ignored those that were already grounded and struggling, choosing instead to press his attack on the flock.

The Crystal Hawk King seemed to recognize Lando, letting out a shrill cry and lunging at him, flanked by several bodyguards who attacked in unison.

Facing the assaults of a fifth-rank Crystal Hawk King and several fourth-rank hawks, Lando remained unfazed. Before leaping into the fray, he had already, as a precaution, elevated his own companion crystal to the fourth rank, which enhanced his abilities even more than he’d expected.

He twisted his body slightly, dodging the hawk king’s attack, but could not avoid the talons of another hawk.

Lando did not attempt to dodge further. Instead, he thrust out his left arm, shrouded in crystal energy, to take the blow directly, while his right hand, gripping his sword, flashed out and sliced across the hawk king’s wing.

The Crystal Hawk King let out a mournful cry—one wing now barely attached, it could no longer fly and crashed to the ground.

Ignoring the pain in his left arm, Lando paid no heed to the panic among the hawks at the king’s injury, but instead charged straight for the fallen monarch.

The five-person team, seeing the hawk flock thrown into chaos, did not seize the opportunity to flee. Instead, they tried their best to hold the hawks back, arrows and the bird spirit helping to block those that tried to bar Lando’s path.

This made Lando inwardly sigh—such straightforward honesty was the mark of people from primitive tribes.

Moments later, under the hawk king’s despairing gaze, Lando severed its head. The remaining hawks scattered in utter confusion, fleeing in all directions.

Lando did not pursue them. He was already quite fatigued, and out here in the wild, caution was paramount.

He turned to dispatch the wounded hawks still struggling on the ground, and during this process, the five-person team waited quietly at a distance.

After absorbing the last crystal from the defeated hawks, Lando approached the group.

The lead warrior’s face broke into a friendly smile as Lando drew near. He was just about to speak when his expression suddenly froze, puzzlement flickering across his features, then realization struck; his face changed completely, and he swiftly assumed a defensive stance, shouting, “Stop right there!”

The others, though not yet understanding, also drew their weapons and faced Lando.

Lando was utterly bewildered by this sudden change. Hadn’t they just been getting along? He stood his ground, trying to keep his tone calm. “Hello. I mean you no harm. I just want to ask a few questions.”

Though still wary, the four couldn’t help but look toward their leader, Kenneth.

Kenneth stared at Lando, his voice grave. “You’re an outsider, aren’t you?! Our Skybird Tribe does not welcome outsiders!”

“What? An outsider?!”

“Have the outsiders descended on our world again?”

“Heavens, look! His Source Crystal isn’t in his brow—he really is an outsider!”

“…”

Listening to the Skybird Tribe’s conversation, Lando suddenly realized: with the temperament of arcanists, those ‘predecessors’ who had descended into this world before probably treated all its inhabitants the same. The Skybird Tribe had likely suffered at the hands of arcanists, so much that the hatred endured to this day.

If he were to take a pessimistic view, perhaps all the intelligent races of this world now looked upon arcanist outsiders with suspicion or even hostility.

By the time Lando came back to himself, the five from the Skybird Tribe were already retreating into the distance.

Lando said helplessly, “I’m not like those villains from before. I’m a good person—what can I do to make you believe me?”

“…”

They left. Lando tapped his head in resignation. He could have stopped them by force, but his main goal was to gather information. If he forced them to stay and interrogated them, they’d probably rather die than talk—how awkward would that be?

With a sigh, Lando began to tidy up the—ingredients—lying on the ground.

These crystal hawks were astonishingly swift in flight, and just looking at those wings, he could tell they would be delicious roasted—especially the hawk king, which made his mouth water at the thought.

After cleaning up, he found a clean spot, kindled a fire, and began roasting. The sizzling, fragrant wings lifted his spirits considerably.

Perhaps because this was the hunting ground of the crystal hawk flock, no other predators appeared after their rout, and Lando enjoyed a peaceful meal.

Once he had eaten his fill, the sky was already dark. He found a relatively safe spot, set up his defenses, and soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, well-rested, Lando rose early. After a quick wash, he returned to yesterday’s battlefield, now strewn with debris and marked by the gnawing and dragging of scavengers drawn by the remains he had left.

With a faint smile, he took out the long-unused (Universal) Scanner and swept it over the ground, quickly identifying the tracks of the five from the Skybird Tribe. Even after a day, they remained clear to the scanner (^_^).

Lando guessed that given their state yesterday, they’d most likely returned to their tribe. Following the tracks, he found evidence of several skirmishes along the way—it seemed their journey had been anything but peaceful.

The trek was longer than he’d anticipated. It was late afternoon by the time he finally glimpsed the outline of a settlement in the distance.

He had no intention of approaching rashly, as that would only invite an attack.

In his view, it would take a catalyst to earn the trust of the tribe’s people and enable a normal conversation.

…

Within the Skybird Tribe.

Kenneth’s hunting party had returned, bringing with them dire news: outsiders had once again descended upon their world. The whole tribe was now on high alert.

PS: A bit busy today, so just one chapter.