Naga, a kind of strange and evil humanoid creature, they live in the deep sea for a long time, have the ability to ride on the waves, have a strong sense of territory, and often mercilessly expel or destroy passing human ships.
Regarding this group of people, Matthew once heard him mention it when chatting with Archmage Ronan.
It is said that the emergence of the Naga tribe is related to a "Twilight Creation" who was sealed by the gods at the beginning of the Enlightenment Age.
The creature of dusk hated the gods so much that he wanted to exploit them.
He lured some humans to the sea and taught them evil cannibalistic rituals.
During the cannibalistic ritual, humans who believe in the creation of dusk mix themselves with a large number of snakes. The power of the ritual makes people indistinguishable from the flesh and blood of the snakes. Amidst the painful excitement and unexplained murmurs, the original Naga
born.
They are called "Primarch Naga".
The Primarch Nagas were highly admired by the Creations of Twilight, and from them they inherited the greatest amount of evil power.
Each Primarch Naga possesses lord-level power.
Then, under the orders of Dusk Creation, they went to different sea areas and established huge snake-man tribes on the seabed.
It's just that the Nagas who were born later did not have the opportunity to receive the blessings of the Twilight Creation. Although they also possess power and quality that far exceed that of humans, they are far behind the original Nagas.
The Naga that was born later was called the "Spawn Naga".
The Nagas that now run rampant in the many seas of Ain are mostly spawned Nagas.
Since the original intention of the Creation of Dusk was to transform more humans into Nagas, Nagas would often leave the undersea tribes and go out to plunder the population.
And because Naga is a matriarchal clan, over time, the saying "Naga clan likes to rob men" has been spread in the sea.
Of course, this is not a rumor.
Influenced by the creature of dusk, the proportion of women in the Naga tribe is extremely high.
After losing the inheritance of cannibalistic rituals, the Naga tribe must ensure that a fixed number of foreign males integrate into it every year, otherwise the tribe will be at risk of extinction.
besides.
Nagas are generally strong and strong, good at using weapons, and have several innate abilities to cast spells.
On the sea, if you encounter a group of Nagas, running away is the best choice.
At this time, in front of Matthew, the number of Nagas surrounding Xuan Kunzi had exceeded 30!
They have seaweed-like long green hair that hangs down to their waists. Regardless of whether they are male or female, the upper body of the Naga is always naked. Only the place where the human and the snake meet at the waist is covered by a large string of colorful shells.
Under the shell is the Naga's snake-like lower body, but it is blocked by the white waves below, making it difficult to see clearly.
"I am a traveler from the Gold Coast and want to visit Junliu Island."
Matthew said kindly:
"They just sent me there."
The little Naga leader narrowed his slender eyes and said:
"This is the territory of the Naga Kingdom. As an outsider, your presence here means that you have offended the Naga Queen. I am afraid that the Endless Sea Prison is your only destination!"
At this time, a female Naga behind him reminded:
"The Endless Sea Prison is full, and there are only a few empty seats next to "Big Mouth Ogut"."
"Wouldn't that be more fun? Take them to meet Ogut!"
A cruel smile appeared on the male Naga's face.
Matthew noticed that the little stone next to him turned pale when he heard the name Ogut. He asked a few questions in a low voice and found out that Ogut was a sea monster that once made trouble in the Arunai Sea. It was famous for its greed and delicious food. .
It was once a nightmare for the nearby sea people, but unexpectedly it was surrendered by the Naga clan.
"Throw all your weapons over here!"
The Naga leader ordered.
"It doesn't have to be like this, we can talk."
Matthew’s face was full of smiles:
"I am a traveler from afar. I have collected many unique little objects along the way. Don't you want to hear me tell you interesting stories about my journey? I am willing to share them with you."
The little Naga leader sneered and was about to say something, but suddenly he rolled his eyes and said to Matthew:
"Then come here, let's go over there and talk. I hope your story will be more interesting."
The two came to Xuan Kunzi's tail, and the other Nagas dispersed knowingly.
Matthew fumbled around in the suitcase for a while, then smiled and offered a medium-sized bag.
There are several mirrors and some berries in the pocket.
In addition, it is full of gold coins.
"You are very knowledgeable, little mage."
The Naga leader snatched the bag from Matthew's hand and said with satisfaction:
"I can let you leave, but you must remember that the great Naga Queen is about to unify the Arunan Sea, and our Naga Kingdom is taking shape. This is unstoppable! If you want to enjoy walking on the sea, a little interesting story I'm afraid it's not enough, you have to go to the queen, bow to her, and ask her for permission, so that you can travel to this sea area for a long time."
Matthew suddenly pretended to burst into tears:
"Thank you, thank you very much. If I have the opportunity, I will definitely visit Her Majesty the Queen in person."
The little boss was even more satisfied. He couldn't help but say a few more words:
"Travellers like you must control your curiosity and don't wander around.
In the process of reunification of the Naga Kingdom, there will inevitably be bloodshed, but this does not mean that it will be safe if you leave this sea area.
As far as I know, the south is not peaceful either. The Golden Lord wants to unify the cities on the south coast, and there is also a group of guys who call themselves the Calamity Cult and they want to perform some evil ritual.
A weak traveler like you is an easy target."
After hearing this, Matthew nodded again and again, flattering him so much that he slapped the Naga leader in a daze.
But he was wondering in his heart. Queen Naga wanted to unify the Arun Inland Sea, and the Golden Lord wanted to control the cities in the south. This was an unprecedented sign in history!
"Is the mystery lock of civilization failing? Is this part of an odd celestial change, or are the gods secretly up to something?"
Matthew was confused.
As for the Natural Disaster Cult mentioned by the little boss, it also gave him a sense of "why are you there everywhere?"
Taking this opportunity, Matthew chatted with the little boss for a while and learned from him some of the recent events in Arunnehai.
As he spoke, the little boss suddenly stared at the soldier behind Matthew:
"Why do you look so stupid like a skeleton? You keep staring at me. I don't like it very much."
Matthew was stunned.
Immediately he realized something and quickly ordered the soldiers to restrain themselves.
In the Contract of the Immortal.
A faint feeling of grievance and anger was conveyed.
Matthew glanced at the data column.
…
"Tip: You successfully avoided a prison sentence by bribing the Naga leader. You have obtained the elements of the "bluffing" field: bribery, flattery, and by accumulating more elements, you will get the opportunity to enter this field for the first time.
.
Warning: Your summoned soldiers are extremely eager to kill the Nagas in front of them.
Because of this encounter, he awakened part of his past life memories.
A Bing is dissatisfied with your order, but he can understand your concerns, so he is just a little aggrieved."
…
Did A Bing have any quarrel with the Naga clan in his previous life?
Matthew spoke out his words of comfort through the contract:
"Now is not a good time to take action. We still need to stay in the Arunai Sea for a while. When the matter is completed, I will not stop you."
A Bing nodded blankly.
Later.
Matthew watched as the arrogant little leader led the other Nagas away.
Not long after, a faint sense of direction appeared in his perception.
He knew that it was the spell mark he left on the gold coins and pockets that was taking effect.
…
Junliu Island.
On the beach, Xuan Kunzi stretched his limbs lazily.
On the side, Old Ali handed Matthew a firecracker-like thing that was as thick as his index finger and as long as his palm.
"This is the "Sky Bird", a small gadget made by our Sioux people. After lighting it with fire, it is released into the sky. It can be seen far and wide on the sea.
If you want to leave just launch it and other boatmen will come to pick you up even if we don't see it.
But be careful. It seems that the situation in this sea area has become a lot tense now. I am not sure whether this will attract Naga again——
In fact, they shouldn't appear here, the place where they were active before was mainly the deep sea."
As he spoke, the old man sighed deeply.
Matthew took the Soaring Bird and watched the young and old take Xuan Kunzi away, then turned his attention to the slightly dilapidated island in front of him.
next moment.
He transformed into a raven and looked down at Junliu Island from the sky.
What comes into view is a spindle-shaped island, long from east to west and narrow from north to south. The tip of the eastern island happens to hit an ocean current head-on. The cliff there divides the ocean current from the east into two, with one heading to the northwest.
, one direction faces the southwest, which may be where the name Junliu Island comes from.
The island has high mountains and luxuriant trees. Many seabirds live on the eastern cliffs, and there are many wild animals in the mountains and forests.
The beach on the southwest side was relatively gentle, and a small bay was formed in one place. Matthew saw a pier there, with several dilapidated fishing boats parked in the pier.
"The innate conditions of this island are not good, and it is not very suitable for human beings to open up wasteland and survive."
Matthew found that the human structures on Junliu Island were mainly concentrated on the two large flats on the southeast and southwest sides. There were a few in other places, but it was probably because the mountains were too steep and reclamation was difficult. The Sioux people here tried not long ago.
Then I gave up.
He saw many islands along the way, all of which had better geological conditions than Junliu Island, but they were completely deserted.
This shows that the original Sioux people discovered other mysteries on this island when they chose a place to live.
Matthew flew around the island.
He sensed that the field here was stronger than other places.
Living here, even if he fails to successfully advance to the Balance Envoy, he will still have the opportunity to continuously accumulate elements in the Balance field.
"The power of the field is truly magical."
Matthew turned into a human and stopped near a ruin-like stone house.
This should be the "Returning Village" mentioned by Li Weiqi.
Although he was mentally prepared, Matthew was depressed by the dilapidated and desolate scene in front of him.
The stone houses here were built one after another, but as he walked, he found that at least one-third of the houses had collapsed.
If one house collapses, the house next door will be affected.
Therefore, the area around the collapsed stone house is uninhabited.
There were few people returning to the village.
After walking for a short distance, Matthew only saw an old man squatting at the door of the stone house, smoking silently. His face was wrinkled and his eyes were numb.
Matthew tried to say hello to him, but he couldn't get any response from the old man, not even a look.
He had to move on.
Finally, while passing by an intersection, Matthew heard painful groans coming from a larger stone house.
"Excuse me, do you need my help?"
Matthew asked as he stood at the door.
The door of this stone house was open, allowing him to see the scene inside at a glance. As soon as he finished asking, Matthew walked in decisively.
Because he saw an old woman falling to the ground.
She was now supporting her arms and rolling feebly.
"How are you?"
Matthew went over and slowly helped her up, then sat on the edge of the bed. Realizing that the old woman's body couldn't stand sitting for a long time, he immediately made some bedding from the side and let her lie down halfway.
"I just wanted to get up and take a sip of water."
The old woman said gratefully:
"My husband has gone out to pack his fishing gear. He will be back soon. Thank you, son."
Matthew got her a glass of water and carefully served her to drink it. Then he shook his head and said:
"It's just a little effort, you don't need to thank me."
Immediately, Matthew asked again with concern:
"Isn't there anyone else who can take care of you? Like the kids or something?"
"Child?" the old woman snorted softly:
“They all went ashore, Torch City in the south, Ash City in the north, there were people going everywhere, but no one wanted to stay on the island.
But they did nothing wrong, because other young people on the island did the same thing.
This is not our hometown anyway, so what are we going to do on the island?"
Seeing that she was in good spirits, Matthew chatted with her for a few words.
Not long after, the husband of the old woman named Pearl came back. To Matthew's expectation, he was not a Sioux, but his appearance was more like a mixture of Jango and coastal people.
His name is Orgen.
Orgen looks more than ten years younger than Pearl.
After learning about the old woman's fall, Orgen seemed very grateful to Matthew and insisted on letting him stay at home for dinner.
During lunch.
Orgen talked about his origins. He was originally from Leh on the southern coast. Due to a trade, he formed an incomprehensible relationship with Pearl, who was newly widowed at the time.
Under Orgen's unremitting pursuit, a few years later, he moved to Junliu Island and married Pearl.
After that, the two gave birth to five children, two boys and three girls.
These children all left Junliu Island when they reached adulthood.
In the beginning, they would come back to visit once a year.
As time passed, the five children agreed that one person would come back as a representative every year and take turns visiting their parents.
A few years later, Orgen said that the last time a child came to visit them was three years ago.
"I don't blame them, they have grown up now, they have their families and their children, and they can't waste time on the island with me, an old woman.
Do you still remember, Orgen, Jasmine and the others discussed raising money to take me to Dashi City to retire and live a good life?
It’s just that I’m too stubborn and don’t want to leave.”
When Orgen was describing this experience, the old woman couldn't help but interrupt.
Orgen smiled when he heard this: "Yes, yes, our children are still very filial."
"Stop talking about this, kid, why did you come to the island?"
Matthew told the truth about his purpose and put the introduction letter written by Li Weiqi on the table.
Orgen opened the envelope without reading it himself, but handed it to Pearl.
After reading it, Pearl sighed and said:
"You are late. The village chief returned to the embrace of the sea last year, and no one in the entire Junliu Island knows about the inheritance of the Way of Balance."
Matthew had expected it, and when he heard the news, although he was depressed, he was not too uncomfortable.
"It's okay, I just came here to try my luck."
He tried to make his smile look more relaxed.
Pearl handed the letter back to him:
"If you're not in a hurry, just stay on the island for a few more days. There are many empty houses here. I'll ask Orgen to clean them for you and then you can move in. Don't leave until after the Lantern Festival, kid.
.”
Matthew had read about this holiday from the information collected by Samantha.
But she did not give a detailed explanation, but just noted that this is a very important festival for the Sioux people.
Matthew thought for a while, and he didn't have any other clues anyway. It would be good to stay on the island for a while.
Experience the island style, continue to sense the field, and take some time to learn some spells.
So he agreed.
The next few days.
Matthew found a stone house to live in not far from Pearl and Orgen's home.
I have to say that the climate on Junliu Island is really pleasant. According to Orgen, even in winter, it is as warm as spring.
This reminded Matthew of Peggy while enjoying the climate here.
Previously in Rolling Stone, every winter, Peggy would yell that she was freezing to death and asked Matthew to keep her warm.
Matthew touched her bones and found that she was indeed very cold. No matter adding clothes or burning the fireplace, it was of no use. Of course, what puzzled him even more was, why could a skeleton feel cold?
This was also the first time he realized something unusual about Peggy.
Matthew couldn't help but feel greedy when he recalled Peggy.
He had eaten very poorly during this journey, either solid food or exotic food that he couldn't eat.
It only improved greatly after entering Junliu Island.
Orgen's craftsmanship is good, but Matthew can't be so shameless as to take advantage of an old couple every day, can he?
The days passed day by day.
The Lantern Festival is getting closer and closer.
This evening.
Matthew went to the south beach alone to hang out.
At this time, the sea breeze is slightly cool and the setting sun is gilded.
The waves lap at the beach and rocks, and the seabirds flying all over the sky form a harmonious movement.
As he walked, Matthew suddenly found a black object on the beach in front of him.
And its appearance is very different from the shells that can be seen everywhere here.