This magical little gecko, in an extremely human-like manner, rubbed its head with both claws, looked at the big tree in front of it, and "swish, swish, swish," climbed up.
Before it could reach the treetop, the black thorns growing on the trunk suddenly stabbed toward it.
The gecko grabbed with its front claw, snapping the usually invincible ghost thorn clean off.
The Ghost Thorn Tree trembled with rage, sending several more ghost thorns from all directions toward the gecko.
Before the gecko could react, Thorne made his move.
"Water Force Suppression"
Giant waves roiled in the lake, as if the entire lake were about to tip over.
A powerful aura pressed down on the gecko, which felt an invisible force from all sides. Let alone moving its claws, even its wings could barely flap this time.
The ghost thorns arrived at that moment but stopped just short of piercing the gecko's skin.
The gecko struggled to move its front claw, making a pleading gesture.
Seeing its high intelligence and recognizing that spatial divine abilities were always exceptionally powerful, Thorne decided to subdue it.
At that moment, the system chimed in.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for subduing a Magic Dragon Gecko with magic dragon bloodline and spatial divine ability. It has great potential. Enslave it?"
"Choose to enslave."
There was no need to hesitate—such a magic beast was perfect to keep as a subordinate.
"Enslavement successful. Host rewarded with 2000 energy points."
Creature: Magic Dragon Gecko
Master: Thorne
Level: Mortal Tier Level 4
Skills: Teleport, Limb Regeneration, Magic Dragon Claw
Note: Magic dragons are inherently violent. Host should beware of the Magic Dragon Gecko rebelling upon fully awakening.
Seeing the system's note, Thorne knew he'd made the right choice. Enslaving a creature with such immense potential would surely yield great rewards.
As for rebellion, as long as he could always overpower the Magic Dragon Gecko, it would have no reason to betray him.
With the enslavement complete, Thorne withdrew the Water Force suppression and made the reluctant Ghost Thorn Tree retract its eager ghost thorns.
The Magic Dragon Gecko wagged its tail ingratiatingly, swam a few laps in the lake, then conveyed to Thorne its desire to go ashore and enjoy the feast.
Thorne naturally couldn't agree—those corpses still had a purpose. Besides, if he let the newcomer Magic Dragon Gecko feast while denying the Ghost Thorn Tree, which was already sulking, it'd likely throw a tantrum.
Seeing Thorne's refusal, the Magic Dragon Gecko didn't dare resist. It flapped its wings, slowly flying to a branch of the Ghost Thorn Tree, seemingly intending to settle there.
How could the Ghost Thorn Tree agree? It kept shaking its branches relentlessly, and the two squabbled nonstop.
Thorne was helpless. Both magic beasts' intelligence wasn't very high yet, so he could only let them mess around, though he strictly forbade any serious attacks.
…
Over a week later, the corpses on the shore had nearly dried out under the scorching sun. During this time, Thorne didn't dare use Spring Breeze Rain, fearing it might draw attention to the anomaly.
The Ghost Thorn Tree and Magic Dragon Gecko bickered daily, but their relationship had grown much friendlier.
The Magic Dragon Gecko was naturally adept at hiding. When it nestled in the Ghost Thorn Tree's foliage, even Thorne had to focus hard to spot it.
To an outsider, this would seem like an ordinary lake with a common desert Ghost Thorn Tree growing in it.
Occasionally, desert magic beasts, lured by the scent of the corpses, came to scavenge.
Thorne rarely had to act—between the Ghost Thorn Tree and the Magic Dragon Gecko, they'd strike first, killing the intruders. The tree and beast, working together repeatedly, grew increasingly coordinated.
Thorne didn't skimp on these magic beast corpses either. As usual, the Ghost Thorn Tree devoured the blood and souls, the Magic Dragon Gecko burrowed in to absorb the magic crystals and brains, and the remains were dragged into the lake for Thorne to refine and earn energy.
The little "family of three" lived cozy desert hunting days, until one noon when an uninvited guest disrupted them.
The newcomer dressed like the figure Thorne had seen in the memories of the scorpion and lizard generals, but Thorne was certain it wasn't the same person.
The sun blazed overhead, the distant sand and stones glowing red-hot, yet he walked barefoot, shrouded in a long black robe, his face hidden behind a black mask.
The black-robed figure held a long staff topped with a green gem.
He surveyed the corpse-strewn lakeshore, crouching to examine one closely.
Thorne tensed—that corpse had its magic crystal and brain eaten by the Magic Dragon Gecko.
Thorne couldn't see the black-robed figure's expression, but it likely wasn't pleasant.
He stood, conjuring two drops of blood from thin air. With a light tap of his staff in his other hand, he began chanting under his breath.
The two blood drops flew into the green gem atop the staff, which suddenly emitted a beam of light into the lake.
The green light vanished the moment it hit the water.
The black-robed mage paused, stepping forward to circle the lake.
Thorne grew nervous, ordering the Ghost Thorn Tree and Magic Dragon Gecko to fully conceal their auras and not be detected. He, too, dared not stir a ripple, fearing any sign of abnormality.
It wasn't that Thorne was cowardly. In his perception, this black-robed mage was at Transcendent Tier Level 8. Even with the system, the Ghost Thorn Tree, and the Magic Dragon Gecko, Thorne wasn't confident he could take him down. Worse, a slip-up could fully expose him.
If the mage escaped or sent out a message, it might attract an even more terrifying entity. Until Thorne's strength reached the Spiritual Lake stage, he had to be cautious.
For now, he was just an ordinary lake. Physical attacks might not destroy him, but powerful fire magic could still evaporate him.
At the Spiritual Lake stage, his size would increase, infused with spiritual energy, making him far harder to destroy. He could even create tributaries, acting through them while his main body grew stronger in safety.
Fortunately, the black-robed mage, after repeated inspections—including scrutinizing the Ghost Thorn Tree for a long time and probing with his soul—found nothing unusual and continued onward in the direction the green light had pointed.
Only when the mage vanished from Thorne's perception did he breathe a sigh of relief.
The Ghost Thorn Tree and Magic Dragon Gecko eagerly asked Thorne if they could finally feast on the long-awaited meal.
With Thorne's permission, the two sprang into action simultaneously. Luckily, with thousands of corpses still on the shore, there was no risk of them fighting over it.
After they finished, Thorne swept the remains into the lake with a wave, devouring them all.
This time, since they were mostly Mortal Tier Level 1 and 2 magic beasts, the haul wasn't as big as before, but it still netted over 10,000 energy points.
Counting his prior reserves, Thorne now had over 18,000 energy points—enough to last a while. But for the next upgrade, he'd still need to keep pushing.