CHAPTER 344: CHAPTER 344: FIRMLY GRASPING IT_1

"Have I missed anything?" Wang Linchi asked cordially, pausing his pen.

The elderly Lizardman opposite him looked bewildered, his body occasionally twitching violently.

"No more... I’ve told you everything. You promised me the Illusionary God Mushroom! Give it to me... now!" the Lizardman instinctively roared at Wang Linchi upon hearing his voice.

"Alright, alright, don’t rush. We’ll chat more later," Wang Linchi said, grinning as he handed over an Illusionary God Mushroom. The Lizardman snatched it without hesitation and gulped it down, his demeanor finally stabilizing.

After consuming the Illusionary God Mushroom, he quickly regained his composure. Staring at Wang Linchi, he snarled, "By doing this, you’ve broken the rules! Aren’t you afraid of everyone turning on you?"

"Afraid? Of course. But that would require someone to know you’ve been kidnapped. If no one knows I brought you here, how could they possibly unite against me?" Wang Linchi replied, clearly in high spirits.

When he’d previously spoken of finding the Enchanters’ weakness in the Enchantment Workshop, he hadn’t meant controlling or tampering with the Illusionary God Mushrooms; that would be too much trouble. It was far simpler to just kidnap them. Deprive them of the Illusionary God Mushrooms, then dangle the mushrooms right in front of their eyes. Once the withdrawal symptoms became unbearable, they would do whatever Wang Linchi said.

Don’t let this old Lizardman’s current defiance fool you; a short while ago, he was as pliant as jelly.

This made the Old Lizardman Enchanter’s expression freeze. He truly hadn’t anticipated this. After all, the effects of the Illusionary God Mushroom were still coursing through his veins, clouding his ability to think clearly. Besides, everyone was accustomed to the usual open and covert struggles, all while adhering to established rules.

Claw Cliff was the capital of the White Claw Empire, not some lawless frontier town. Here, if someone said they’d chop off your head, they’d do it without any fancy theatrics. Moreover, as Enchanters, they generally looked down on crude, violent methods. Even losers were usually exiled with a pretense of mercy as Convict Soldiers, rather than being killed outright. These were the unspoken rules of Claw Cliff. Methods like Wang Linchi’s—direct kidnapping and then using Illusionary God Mushrooms as bait—were unheard of.

"Let me go, and I’ll pretend this never happened," the Old Lizardman Enchanter quickly stated his terms.

"Later. It’s not urgent right now," Wang Linchi said, putting away his notes. He then asked, "Care to tell me about the Illusionary God Mushrooms?"

The Old Lizardman Enchanter said nothing more. Clearly, he wasn’t going to disclose that information.

Wang Linchi didn’t press him immediately. Instead, he took out a large handful of Illusionary God Mushrooms and placed them where the Lizardman could see them but not quite reach.

"You’ve been consuming Illusionary God Mushrooms for so long that your bloodline and Spirit have suffered irreversible damage. Honestly, you should thank the enchanted equipment you wear for keeping you alive this long. But that kind of support has its limits. You have two years at most. After that, you’ll undoubtedly die."

Wang Linchi spoke slowly. The Old Lizardman Enchanter’s face grew increasingly grim, but not because Wang Linchi had said he was going to die. He was upset because he’d guessed Wang Linchi’s vicious intentions. The aroma of the Illusionary God Mushrooms drifted into his nostrils. Usually, he ate them by the handful. The single one he’d received earlier had only restored his Spirit; it wasn’t nearly enough.

"Beneath the Enchantment Workshop... we found an opening..." the Old Lizardman Enchanter finally spoke. He figured that even if he didn’t speak now, he would eventually. He might as well retain some dignity.

The third level! There’s actually a third level! Wang Linchi instantly understood. He’d never imagined that this underground world was like a set of nesting dolls, with a third level existing beneath the second!

The Illusionary God Mushrooms grew on the third underground level. Due to the unique environment, they could only survive there; if moved to the second level, they would die. That was why they had moved all the Enchanters’ operations and resources to the third level, where they established their Illusionary God Mushroom cultivation.

"Besides the Illusionary God Mushrooms, is there anything else in that underground space?" Wang Linchi asked.

"No, nothing else. The space is vast, but it can only be used to cultivate Illusionary God Mushrooms. Just as these mushrooms can’t be grown on the ’surface,’ surface crops can’t survive underground either," the Old Lizardman Enchanter explained. In the Lizardmen’s perception, the place they inhabited *was* the surface.

Wang Linchi’s expression turned grave. He felt this matter was likely not so simple. There had to be some hidden story behind these Illusionary God Mushrooms. If he wanted to find out, he would probably have to make a trip to the third underground level himself.

"You’re not thinking of getting involved with the Illusionary God Mushrooms, are you? HAHAHAHA! Being too greedy can get you killed," the Old Lizardman Enchanter laughed abruptly.

Wang Linchi shook his head. "I don’t plan to get involved. This has nothing to do with me. I just want to collect all the Enchantment Techniques."

"Huh?" The Old Lizardman Enchanter’s laughter stopped abruptly. He looked at Wang Linchi in disbelief. "You want *all* the Enchantment Techniques?" He didn’t seem to comprehend.

"Yes. So, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you further," Wang Linchi said calmly.

His current objective was indeed the Enchantment Techniques. After he completed that, he would investigate the Illusionary God Mushrooms. He couldn’t afford to be haphazard, tackling things randomly.

"If you want all the Enchantment Techniques, why kidnap me?!!" The Old Lizardman Enchanter’s composure began to crumble. "Just go to the Blade Palace and take them! All our ancestral Enchantment Techniques are stored in the Blade Palace! You don’t actually think we’d be allowed to hold onto our own heritage, do you? Our heritage *is* the Royal Family’s heritage!"

These words were spoken with such heart-wrenching anguish that even Wang Linchi felt a twinge of pity.

"Ah, this... The Royal Family even takes your things?" Wang Linchi said, somewhat exasperated. How could he have guessed that the Enchanters’ legacy would be in the imperial palace? The Blade Palace was where the White Claw Emperor resided.

"Let me go! I won’t tell anyone about this! I can even help you get the heritage you want from the Blade Palace!" the Old Lizardman Enchanter said, panting heavily.

"No need. I’ll feel more at ease hearing it from you directly," Wang Linchi said, his expression calm. When the Lizardman was lucid, his words couldn’t be trusted. Only when he could no longer bear the torment would he speak the truth.

As for letting him go? That was out of the question. If the Lizardman proved to have no further value, Wang Linchi planned to silence him permanently. One had to be thorough and eliminate all loose ends. As for integrity? When playing the villain, one didn’t need such a thing. Everyone knew the Saint Master never kept his word.

Having already kidnapped and tortured someone, then letting them go after getting what you want—wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble? The normal logic was to eliminate the hostage, not honor some agreement. Those few villains who kept their word and got a chance to be redeemed or switch sides were rare. Most of them ended up dead at the hands of the protagonist. Of course, those who didn’t keep their word also died. But if you were going to die whether you kept your word or not, why should Wang Linchi bother keeping his?

Huh? Why am I thinking of myself as a villain? Is it because of my falling out with the protagonist? Wang Linchi’s thoughts drifted.

The Old Lizardman Enchanter sitting opposite him was now restless. The effects of the measly bit of Illusionary God Mushroom—barely enough to tide him over—had long since worn off. He was naturally starting to find it unbearable.

Wang Linchi noticed. This was only the beginning, yet the Lizardman was already starting to spill everything he knew, like beans from a burst sack.

"Slowly, slowly. No rush. We have plenty of time." If Wang Linchi hadn’t seen how agitated the Lizardman was, he might have even offered him a glass of water to soothe his throat.

As time passed, the Lizardman grew increasingly frantic. However, Wang Linchi had bound him very securely; there was no way he could break free. Eventually, he even began to scream and shout.

Wang Linchi knew the pain from his bloodline dependency was starting to ravage the Lizardman’s body. The Illusionary God Mushroom normally had a pain-relieving effect. Now that it had completely worn off, the underlying physical damage was making its presence felt with full force. A sensation he hadn’t felt in ten years suddenly erupted. How could he possibly endure it?

Yet, Wang Linchi showed no pity. He simply asked, "The Magic Enchantment Techniques in the Blade Palace..."

"Yes, it’s true! I..." The Old Lizardman Enchanter began to answer without hesitation. This wasn’t because he was scared, but because Wang Linchi was dangling an Illusionary God Mushroom right in front of his eyes.

How could the Old Lizardman Enchanter resist that? His eyes practically bulged, and even the pain seemed to lessen by a fraction. His long, reptilian tongue flicked out repeatedly, trying to snatch the Illusionary God Mushroom. Yet, each time, it fell just short. He could almost feel the mushroom’s flavor exploding on the tip of his tongue.

Wang Linchi was very satisfied with the Old Lizardman Enchanter’s quick answers. However, he had more questions. Since the Illusionary God Mushrooms were a product of the third underground level and primarily researched by the Enchanters, they must have made considerable progress. He wanted to intercept those findings as well.