Only beings at or above the transcendent level could truly unleash the full power of a divine artifact. For anyone below transcendent, even holding one would only allow the use of its most superficial effects.
Seeing that Li De didn't speak further, Yor felt as though his heart was lodged in his throat.
Though he knew the risks of seeking out a dark being were enormous, if he came, he might be the only one to die. But if he didn't, the entire Graymount Tribe, all one thousand of them, would be devoured by the beastmen's fangs.
The Graymount Tribe no longer had any options.
"Very well, goblin of the Graymount Tribe. Your reasoning has earned my approval.
Now, tell me where this divine artifact is located."
Li De didn't bother to discuss any terms like rescuing the goblins first in exchange for a reward. He got straight to the point.
The initiative was in his hands. The goblins had no bargaining power. Negotiations? Sorry, they weren't even qualified to sit at the table.
As if prepared for this, Yor didn't hesitate and spoke directly. "Majestic Iro, the divine artifact lies within the Underground World."
Li De raised an eyebrow, looking at the green-skinned, big-eyed little creature with some confusion.
"The Underground World? The one where your people live? Wasn't it already taken over by beastmen?"
"No," Yor shook his head. "Our current territory is only a part of the Underground World.
Hundreds of years ago, the Graymount Tribe lived in a vast region of the Underground World.
But the Underground World is too dangerous. Our race constantly faced extinction.
And so, in search of a new path, the Graymount Tribe spent three hundred years.
Eventually, we found a land of hope.
Yes, it's the territory we now call home, the section of the Underground World currently occupied by the beastmen." As he spoke, Yor's expression grew a little downcast.
"We followed the edge of the Underground World and found a passage leading to our current land."
Li De's expression grew more and more peculiar. Why did everything feel increasingly complicated? But he didn't interrupt Yor, letting him continue.
"Although we lived in the land of hope, we returned to the Underground World every year through that passage to trade, day after day. Over a hundred years passed, and the Graymount Tribe grew from a few dozen to five thousand members.
But the crisis was inevitable. Ten years ago, a black dragon suddenly emerged from a swamp and shattered our peaceful life."
Swamp? Black dragon?!!
Upon hearing those two terms, Li De abruptly stood up, his gaze sharp as a blade, staring directly at Yor.
"You're certain it was a black dragon from the swamp? Is there a tribe of cyclops near the swamp called the Thunder Tribe?"
Frightened by Li De's piercing gaze, Yor trembled and stammered, "Forgive me, Majestic Iro…
The Mire Swamp is far too vast. The Graymount Tribe only explored a small portion of it. We've never heard of any cyclops."
Only then did Li De retract his terrifying gaze and slowly sit down, but his thoughts were clearly stirred.
He hadn't expected the goblins to possibly be connected to the same Underground World where Kosso resided. The information here was turning out to be unexpectedly intricate.
He extended his slender fingers and gently tapped the table. "Continue."
Yor, finally recovering from Li De's overwhelming presence, hurried to go on.
"At the time, the Graymount Tribe was excavating an ancient ruin left behind by our ancestors, a goblin heritage site. We discovered a vast number of ancient alchemical items inside.
We were thrilled, and just as we were about to claim the ruin, the Patriarch unearthed a magic scroll made of what looked like sheepskin."
At this point, a flash of uncontrollable greed flickered in Yor's eyes.
"The Twelve Magic Scrolls, engraved with ancient runes!
The aura emanating from the scroll created terrifying magical turbulence around it, and our Patriarch, upon grasping the scroll, directly advanced from Level 13 to Level 15!!"
Yor's voice rose with excitement. "It was an epic moment! The mighty Graymount Tribe, while excavating the ancient goblin ruins, discovered the legendary Twelve Magic Scrolls. Our Patriarch received the divine artifact's blessing and instantly became a powerful figure!!"
But just as Li De was about to ask more, Yor's tone suddenly dropped, as if an opera had abruptly shifted from climax to silence.
"Unfortunately, the aura of that mysterious scroll was too overwhelming. It attracted the attention of a black dragon that happened to be hunting nearby. Without a doubt, we lost the battle.
The goblins of the Graymount Tribe had no power to resist a dragon. The magic scroll that had blessed our Patriarch with strength was also seized by the black dragon, who began a brutal slaughter.
Out of five thousand tribe members, only one thousand remained after half a sun-hour.
If our Patriarch hadn't found the ruin's core and activated the teleportation array, the Graymount goblins would've been wiped out entirely by the black dragon.
When we returned to the Graymount territory, the explosion caused by the ruin's self-destruction, perhaps triggered by the core, caused a massive earthquake, destroying the passage connecting our land to the Underground World.
The Graymount Tribe has since lost all contact with the Underground World."
After hearing the whole story, Li De finally nodded with some understanding.
"So, this is the reason you later allied with the Risel family?"
A flicker of gratitude appeared in Yor's large black eyes.
"Yes, Your Majesticness. Without the underground passage, the Graymount Tribe lost all supply routes. In just two years, we were nearly at the brink of collapse.
It was then that the young City Lord Andabella entered our territory. That young lady, with her vast wisdom, won the friendship of the Graymount Tribe.
In return, we exchanged alchemical bombs and various alchemical goods for food and supplies. City Lord Andabella is a friend of the goblins, so I beg Majestic Iro to aid her."