Having narrowly escaped the black-robed mage's search, the corpses on the shore were devoured completely, and the lake once again returned to its usual calm.
The beasts nearby seemed to have grown accustomed to the battles that erupted here every few days. Fortunately, these events didn't concern them, and this strange lake no longer showed interest in them.
In a way, Thorne's devouring of magic beasts provided a safe haven for them, so there were always a fair number of ordinary beasts lingering around the lake's edge, leisurely at ease.
This vast desert bordered the Elven Forest, its area far exceeding that of the forest itself, though its origins were unknown.
Luckily, the elves rarely ventured out of their forest and disliked desert environments, allowing Thorne to expand rapidly without being discovered so far.
With tens of thousands of energy points in hand, Thorne decided immediately that for the foreseeable future, he'd use Spring Breeze Rain three times a day—morning, noon, and night—to quickly increase his size.
At Level 5, Spring Breeze Rain was a spectacle: clouds churned above the lake, and palm-sized raindrops fell. If they landed directly in the desert, weaker creatures might drown or be smashed to death.
As a result, Thorne's area grew visibly larger each day.
Though this made quite a scene and increased the risk of discovery, the lake's size was Thorne's foundation. The larger the area and water volume, the stronger his vitality and the more effective his skills.
Such an unusual phenomenon finally caught the attention of the nearest intelligent race to Thorne.
One day, while Thorne was casting rain, a passing member of the Huang Tribe spotted him. This person didn't approach Thorne but quietly retreated.
Thorne noticed him but, seeing the figure draped in beast fur with a bone helmet and standing too far away, mistook him for a magic beast.
In truth, this wasn't a beast. The Huang Tribe weren't exactly human either but were akin to beastmen, though distinct from them.
Beastmen had obvious physical traits and often possessed immense physical strength, dominating the northern plains as a formidable race.
The Huang Tribe, however, were small and frail, resembling elves in appearance but lacking wings, as well as the elves' powerful magic and archery talents. The entire tribe lived in this western desert.
One day, after finishing a rain session, Thorne gazed at the vast, still-unsettled lake surface. Feeling playful, he stirred the water into giant waves, splashing beautifully.
Suddenly, a group of seven or eight people entered Thorne's perception. He quickly stopped playing, making the lake appear calm and ordinary.
These people were oddly dressed, clad in beast hides. The leader held a staff, while two behind him carried a bow and a beast skull, respectively. The others bore the corpses of Mortal Tier Level 1 magic beasts.
They seemed close, but it was only because Thorne's perception range was so vast. It took them a while to reach the lake's edge.
They tossed the magic beast corpses into the water and knelt down.
The leader, an elderly man, shouted,
"Lake God, I am the High Priest of the Huang Tribe. Behind me are our tribe's bravest youths. We know your divine powers are vast, and we seek your protection. These magic beasts are our offerings to you—please accept them."
Thorne hadn't expected to be revered as a Lake God, nor that these people would seek his庇护 (protection).
"Should I kill them all to prevent them from leaking my existence?"
The thought arose but was immediately dismissed. In Thorne's perception, only the elderly leader had Mortal Tier Level 2 strength, two youths behind him were Level 1, and the rest hadn't even reached the Mortal Tier.
According to the old man, this was already the tribe's strongest force. Hunting those magic beasts likely took their entire tribe's effort. If Thorne killed them, the rest of the tribe might leak the news.
Seeing no response from Thorne, the High Priest panicked. With the Huang Tribe's current situation, if this mysterious Lake God refused to protect them, the tribe might face extinction soon.
"Lake God, whatever you require, as long as the Huang Tribe can fulfill it, we will obey. Our tribe is small, with nearly three thousand members, and though we lack strength, we possess a unique skill."
"Our Huang Tribe can communicate with magic beasts. Just a few days ago, an elf lord came to us, asking us to gather information from magic beasts and relay it to them."
Thorne's heart stirred, causing ripples to surge across the lake.
The High Priest, seeing the lake finally react, panicked outwardly but rejoiced inwardly.
"Please calm your anger, Lake God. Though our Huang Tribe is weak in this desert, we are well-informed. We've learned that the elves are recently investigating all anomalies in the desert. I've even obtained some information about you, Lake God, but I haven't reported it."
"Smart and bold."
That was Thorne's assessment of the High Priest.
With the conversation reaching this point, hiding further would only delay the inevitable arrival of stronger investigators. Thorne figured it was better to proactively seek a solution.
"Use the Water's Deterrence."
Though Thorne intended to engage with the Huang Tribe, that didn't mean he'd overlook the priest's veiled threats. Without a show of strength, the priest might not hold much respect for him.
Suddenly, the High Priest and his group saw the calm lake seemingly rise into the sky, its entire volume tilting toward them.
Their bodies were gripped by a powerful force, rendering them immobile.
Whether it was the High Priest or the other Huang Tribe members, they all fell to the ground, powerless to resist. Some even closed their eyes in despair, awaiting death.
Just as the water was about to engulf them, it dispersed entirely. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves lying on the ground, drenched in sweat, while the lake remained there, gently rippling.
As the group stood in bewildered shock, a majestic voice resounded directly in their minds.
"How many intelligent races like yours exist in this desert?"
Seeing Thorne finally willing to communicate, the High Priest beamed with joy and answered respectfully,
"Races like us capable of speech are only the Huang Tribe. But it's said that deep in the desert, there are more powerful Transcendent Tier magic beasts with intelligence comparable to humanoid beings, and they can speak if they choose to."
Thorne felt slightly relieved. Magic beasts were easy to deal with, but humanoid beings were far trickier.
After a moment's thought, Thorne continued,
"Tell me about the origins of your Huang Tribe."