With both sides reaching an agreement, Kyle followed Boa to the site of the mana vein. On the way, he made sure to extract as much information as he could about the Bed of Reeds and the world in general. According to Boa, the Bed of Reeds had been able to maintain its lush beauty due to the low-grade mana veins scattered across the region. The flowers were basically feeding off the mana veins, so their nectar and bodies were beneficial to whoever fed on them.
This explained why bugs and birds were willing to go to war over it every day, riddling the Bed of Reeds with corpses, which in turn also served as manure. However, this was not the most exciting thing about the Bed of Reeds.
The Bed of Reeds was also home to lost items, artifacts, skill books, and many more treasures. All of them were left behind by adventurers dumb enough to ascend the mountain with the aim of killing the Wyvern that lived at the hilltop. The Bed of Reeds was the preferred path of ascent, so it wasn't uncommon to see human adventurers passing through.
With this information, Kyle finally understood where the previous generation of kobolds in the colony had gathered all the artifacts, mana crystals, and items that attracted the attention of humans. They robbed humans and expected not to be chased back home. Or were they sincerely hoping humans would just ignore them, when everyone knew that following a kobold back to its lair was an easy way to make a small fortune?
Didn't these creatures have common sense?
But then again, when dogs were described as intelligent creatures on Earth, it was usually attributed to their ability to learn the most basic things. Wasn't he silly for expecting kobolds to be any different?
Only now did Kyle truly understand why he had to lead the kobold race. These creatures were bound to drive themselves to extinction. That explained how a new clan of several adults could die out just a year after formation. These fools would literally walk into fire as long as it burned bright enough to dazzle them.
What started as a simple conversation with Boa brought immense clarity. He also learned the geography of the regions surrounding the hill. Their home was located north of the hill, but it was neutral territory because it was considered barren, with no notable resources in the region, just simple herbs and beautiful vegetation.
Kyle knew that land would be valuable if lesser races practiced agriculture. But he also knew this would only be possible once he could get them to leave the cave.
Yes. Kyle had no intention of living and dying in a smelly, damp cave. Something had to change, but he needed to be strong enough to convince them to leave.
To the west lay the Bed of Reeds, filled with low-grade mana veins and other resources. It was considered a looting ground, where those who dared to ascend the mountain often met their final end while trying to flee the terror they sought out.
South of there was home to the Ashmark Goblin Clan. According to Boa, this was a powerful clan that had eliminated and dominated every race in the southern region for over a century. Boa strongly believed this group had a chance of dominating the entire region beneath the Wyvern. The only thing stopping them from spreading their influence were the magic beasts of the eastern region.
According to Boa, the eastern region was filled with beasts like him, mere animals that had successfully evolved or gained unique traits thanks to the mana veins of the western region. These beasts had been in constant war with the goblins for over a century. Even the progenitor of the tiger bunny species had been part of this war. However, the main battlefield had remained the Bed of Reeds, where both sides constantly clashed over resources.
Listening to Boa explain all this made Kyle's head spin. When people talked about territory wars, it was only natural to expect the participants to be individuals who could completely control the land, not insignificant creatures who would still hide in their caves and nests at the first sight of a human passing by.
It was ridiculous.
However, seeing how stern and serious Boa was when discussing the topic, Kyle could tell these people weren't playing around.
At one point, he even began wondering why his clan had yet to be dragged into this war. But thinking about it, he realized kobolds were relatively peaceful and easygoing. Apart from hunting for treasures and food, they mostly never left their caves. They weren't occupying territory worth taking. And even if goblins or beasts wanted to try, there was still an evolved kobold with a strong affinity quietly living in the depths of their cave.
It was a death sentence for anyone who tried. Even the humans that destroyed their homes had dared not venture too deep. That was how he and his siblings had survived.
Lu'k was the sole reason they were still alive.
Thud!
Kyle froze in his tracks as he felt something he had never experienced before. It was a liberating feeling, one that naturally eased his nerves and made his body feel lighter. In this state, Kyle felt like his mind was open to everything.
{Grade 6 Fragmented Mana Node Detected}
{Distance: 100 Yards}
Kyle's brows narrowed upon reading the message. It was clear the wonderful feeling he was experiencing came from the mana in the atmosphere. However, this wasn't a mana vein as Boa had said. It was only a fragmented mana node.
A fragmented mana node was weak and had an unstable mana output. Usually, it ran out of power weeks or months later and couldn't be used to sustain structures. Kyle's past life dedicated to gaming was not in vain. He was well knowledgeable about the world of fantasy.
"You can feel it, right? That's mana. Now you know I wasn't lying."
Seeing Kyle suddenly freeze, Boa wasn't surprised. This was the natural reaction of anyone experiencing mana for the first time. However, it also confirmed Kyle's claim of being a little over a year old.
How could an inexperienced kobold reach this level at such a young age?
That was a question Boa couldn't find an answer to, despite pondering it for the whole journey. It was extremely strange and unheard of.
Kyle ignored his words and stared in the direction of the mana vein. He could see blue ripples converging at a single spot.
The spot where the goblin must be waiting.
While Kyle was confident, he had to acknowledge the fact that his opponent wouldn't be a random animal, but a creature of a race blessed with bloodline talents and likely far more experience than him.
"A goblin, huh?" Kyle muttered. "I'm curious to see what it can do."