After waving for all the swamp people to leave, Hagus threw the unconscious half-fish man in front of him.
Lear looked at the sticky, foul-smelling merman, then turned to look at the swamp banshee beside him.
"You should wake him up and ask him questions."
The swamp nymph immediately nodded in agreement, humming softly.
The elegant voice soothes the mind and body.
The unconscious merman slowly awoke.
His eyes were fixed on the swamp slug, his face full of drooling.
She ignored the fierce gazes of the surrounding warriors, as if the only people around her were swamp succubi.
"Master, its soul has been bewitched by me. You can ask me any questions you may have."
The swamp sirens' soft, clear voice was like a gentle tickle on the heart, extremely soothing to listen to.
Lear nodded, gazing at the merman.
"How strong are your companions?"
The half-fish man stared blankly.
"The level is 5. The chieftain obtained a monster crystal in the ruins and leveled up to 10."
Monster Crystal?
Lear thought of Hag's transformation into a hero.
This is really good stuff.
Their interest was further heightened.
"You've already opened that ruin?"
"No, the chief said it was the great Father God who guided him to obtain it outside the ruins."
The merman's voice was stiff and somewhat wooden.
Father God?
"The half-fish god?"
"Yes."
"The half-fish god perished millions of years ago, can you still hear his guidance?"
"The Father God has never fallen, but has merely fallen into slumber. The Father God continues to guide us!"
His face revealed the unique piety of a believer.
Lear raised an eyebrow slightly.
The fanaticism of believers has always been like this.
However, this also requires extra caution, lest the legendary resurrection of a god actually occur.
In this fantastical world, anything can happen.
After asking a few more questions, the situation gradually became clearer.
A few days ago, the half-fish people suddenly discovered an ancient ruin. Although they haven't found a way to enter yet, they have gained a lot of benefits from being outside.
This half-fish man was of low status and had been keeping watch outside, unaware of the more specific situation.
After obtaining the key information he wanted, Lear casually mentioned it again.
"Are there any other dangers lurking around here?"
The merman's face showed a hint of resentment.
"Twenty kilometers away from us lives a group of dark Naga, those lowly beings who have always wanted to enslave us."
Dark Naga?!
Lear was somewhat surprised; this was yet another piece of additional information.
"There were two squadrons of those Dark Nagas, and they were level 9."
"We originally had over a thousand people!"
"But last month, the Dark Naga launched an attack on us. We suffered more than half our casualties!"
He muttered to himself, still unwilling to give up.
"When our god returns and the great murlocs rise again, we will surely enslave all those damned dark naga!"
Lear continued to interrogate the Dark Naga more thoroughly, but no more valuable information was obtained.
The other party just muttered about wanting revenge, wanting the half-fish god to bring down divine punishment, and so on.
While pondering, he waved the lizardmen over, instructing them to take it back for further interrogation.
Thus, this episode caused by the disappearance of the swamp man came to an end.
This unexpected event brought him great rewards—the beautiful singing voice and the future main force in the spiritual civilization construction of Weilu City—the Swamp Demon.
Although it is only a newborn, its potential has reached 3 stars, and its level cap is as high as 12.
Moreover, the other party feeds on emotions and does not need to be fed anything.
Judging from the recent encounter, the other party still has great potential to be explored.
Secondly, they learned about the southern half-fish people's settlement and ancient ruins.
Finally, they also obtained information about the Dark Naga.
All things considered, I made a small profit.
In a good mood, Lear didn't linger at the pool and led the swamp nymph straight back to his territory.
He told Bane the reason for the disappearance of the Swamp Man.
When Bain heard the news, he looked at the stunningly beautiful swamp succubus.
His expression was quite interesting.
Seeing Hanno return with the team, he didn't hold back and gave him a stern lecture.
Young people are fickle and easily tempted, which is understandable, but those who are destined to lose their way will not escape it.
After the young swamp man left, Bane glanced at the swamp banshee and hesitated.
"Sir, what should we do with them?"
Lear smiled.
"The rise of a city cannot be achieved by merely satisfying the residents' material needs."
"I've heard that in the Elf Capital, you can hear the exquisite songs of the elves every day."
"If the elves can do it, why can't my city of Weilu?"
He looked at Bain meaningfully as he spoke.
"The swamp nymph is not just a song."
"In the future, they will also be the main force in singing praises, admiring, and celebrating the city of Wei Lu."
"It might even become a flag of our territory."
According to his vision, these swamp nymphs might become a trump card for the city of Lewd.
Of course, how things develop in the future will require careful planning.
The territory is still in its early stages, and everything needs to be done gradually.
Bain looked thoughtful.
But without the influence of modern information, the native inhabitants of this fantastical world cannot explore its deeper meaning.
I had a vague feeling that I had grasped something, but I couldn't quite figure it out.
Could the Swamp Banshee represent the City of Shallows and become its banner?
He had some doubts, but he quickly suppressed them. It didn't matter that he couldn't figure it out; the important thing was that it was an adult who brought it up.
He only needs to absolutely obey the adults' will!
The adults' vision was far beyond what he could even begin to comprehend.
After the conversation, Bain left, deep in thought.
As the development of his territory gradually got on track, the amount of government affairs increased, and he was busy from morning till night.
But they hadn't gone far when a thin, young figure came into view.
The other person's lips were pale, and they looked somewhat weak.
"Hano."
Bain sighed.
Are you alright?
The young swamp dweller shook his head, his algae-green pupils fixed on him, and said earnestly.
"Lord Bain, I'm fine. I came to you to ask how I can repay the lord."
Bain found this somewhat amusing.
"Want to repay the master? Focus on growing stronger. You're not even a hero yet, why think so much?"
They, the swamp people, are too insignificant in this perilous land.
Even as a hero, he dared not say he could be of any help to the adults.
He patted the other person on the shoulder and prepared to leave.
"Lord Bane, how does one become a hero?"
Bain looked at the slightly thin, swamp-dwelling boy and smiled.
"That requires enduring a lot of hardship."
Halfway through his sentence, seeing the other person's serious gaze, his tone became somewhat complicated.
"It took me ten years to complete this process."
Although his tone was calm, it was filled with deep sorrow.
Becoming a hero is not easy. No one knows what he paid for taking that step. Outsiders may not care.
If an ordinary person from the swamp wants to rise above others, without sufficient talent, background, or family connections, then they must have the determination to fight to the death!
If you're not ruthless to yourself, why should you get a chance to stand out?!
Bain's gaze was deep and unfathomable.
"Go back; those hardships are not for you."
He then turned and left.
If he couldn't even resist the temptation of a succubus, how could such a weak will possibly complete these arduous exercises?!
But the next moment, thud—the thin boy knelt down on one knee, his gaze filled with unwavering determination.
"Lord Bain, the lord has saved me!"
"Only by becoming a hero can I provide greater assistance to the lord."
"I want to be a hero, and I'm ready."
He spoke each word clearly.
"Even if it costs me my life!"
Bain turned around abruptly.
The boy kneeling on the ground was like a wild grass ravaged by a storm, already broken and dilapidated, but still stubbornly and proudly rooted in the earth.
After a long period of silent observation, Bain turned around again.
The boy's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this.
As the other person's figure gradually disappeared, the light in his eyes did not fade, but instead became even brighter and more intense.
If no one helps me, then I'll help myself!
I will not stop here!