Chapter 18: The Super Magical Bird
Komer’s words left the three of them staring at each other, speechless, not knowing how to respond. How could Komer be aware of this secret, which was originally the secret of the Sanjia Tribe? From the looks they exchanged, they realized it couldn’t have been one of them who revealed it— the only possibility was one of their subordinates.
Komer had also learned of this secret from the captured smugglers. A significant portion of the weapons and armor meant for the Sanjia Tribe had ended up in other tribes of the Mountain People Alliance. This wasn’t necessarily a big deal in itself, but bringing it up now allowed him to discipline the Sanjia Tribe, making them understand that he knew everything.
“Indeed, Lord Baron, I admit that some supplies have gone to other tribes. But please understand our situation. After all, we are also members of the alliance, and its treaties still bind us. Even if some orders seem unfair to us, we still have to obey them. The reason we came today is to discuss signing a new agreement. We hope to receive more supplies, especially food. Of course, this would be a secret agreement—the alliance wouldn’t be aware of it. In return, our Sanjia Tribe will open up more to the Caucasus and offer assistance wherever possible under special circumstances, such as providing more Earth Dragons to help you train intermediate and advanced Earth Dragon warriors. We can also offer another unique bird from the Baden Golden Mountains—the Thunder Roc.”
By the time Di Fanchi said these last words, Komer noticed that Belemon seemed to want to stop him, but Di Fanchi paused briefly before continuing.
Thunder Roc!? It was one of the three greatest magical birds in the Vast Continent—a super magical beast that only lived in the Baden Golden Mountains in the eastern part of the Cordillera Wasteland. It possessed both wind and lightning magic, making it a fierce and powerful creature. With a wingspan of up to eight meters, it could fly at the speed of the wind and land like thunder striking the ground. Ordinary beasts on land were its easiest prey. On the Azure Continent, aside from the Winged Griffins of the Mogan Wasteland, no other magical bird could compare to it. Even ordinary birds would flee at the sight of it, while the Winged Griffins were among the orcish tribes’ prideful aerial warriors.
The Thunder Wyverns of the barbarians also proved to be extremely powerful in wars against mortals and other races. Their attacks on mortal magicians were particularly effective, as their innate sensitivity to magic allowed them to detect the magical energy emitted by mages with great accuracy and speed. Even from thousands of feet in the air, they could dive down instantly to attack the mages. Under the command of barbarian soldiers trained as Thunder Wyvern warriors, they could even cast some of the most basic fire and wind spells without prior study, which greatly surprised the mortal armies that encountered them for the first time. Those humans who failed to understand this paid a heavy price.
Komer was well aware of the Thunder Wyverns’ immense power. If just a few of them were trained as Thunder Wyvern knights, it would be as if they could reach anywhere in an instant, killing enemy leaders with a mere wave of their hand. According to Komer, because the barbarians were too arrogant about their magical abilities, they failed to fully utilize the Thunder Wyverns’ magical potential and instead used them mainly as rapid-response weapons—a true waste of such formidable assets. If he could train the Thunder Wyverns himself, Komer believed their magical attack capabilities could shine even brighter.
It seemed there were still disagreements within the Sanjia tribe regarding whether to hand over the Thunder Wyverns. At least that Belemon didn’t seem to agree, clearly unwilling to let such a uniquely deadly weapon fall into his hands. But it didn’t matter. Since Di Fanchi had spoken up, he was clearly prepared to pay the price. As for that Sik leader, Komer believed that if he could meet with him alone, he might even offer him even better terms.
The barbarians had managed to withstand centuries of combined attacks from mortals and other races, often turning the tide through surprise attacks. Their formidable military strength was evident, and one of the key factors was their array of unique and diverse combat units—warriors like Earth Dragon Warriors and Thunder Wyvern knights being just a few examples. It was often these unique units that suddenly turned the balance in favor of the barbarians when the alliances of mortals and other races held the upper hand, even reversing the situation entirely.
In Komer’s memory, there had been at least several instances when the mortal side came close to success but failed to complete it due to the impact of these unusual troops—such as the concentrated assaults by the Earth Dragon warriors, the raids by Thunder Roc knights on the enemy commanders, and the sudden attacks launched by Earth Burrow beasts from behind enemy lines. These had all caused great trouble for the mortals and their allied races. Now, however, neither the mortals nor their allies dared to invade barbarian territory lightly, as both sides knew each other’s tactics well and took precautions, thus reducing the effectiveness of these unusual troops. Yet if such troops were under one’s control, even if they were relatively weak, they could still have unexpected effects.
“Leader Difanqi, are you saying you can provide me with Thunder Rocs for my Caucasus? I didn’t hear you wrong?” Although he knew the price behind such an offer would surely be high, Komer still couldn’t help but feel excited. Thunder Rocs were not like Earth Dragons; perhaps Earth Dragons were more useful at the moment, but Komer believed that Thunder Rocs could reach their full potential in his hands, especially when attacking enemy magicians. Magicians who thought they were safe in the rear could die instantly if attacked by these lightning-fast aerial assaults at a critical moment in casting spells. Losing a chance to win a war would be the real consequence.
“You heard me right. Not only can we provide you with Thunder Rocs, but we’re also willing to help you train Thunder Roc knights, just as we helped you train mid-to-senior level Earth Dragon warriors. You can trust our Sanjia Tribe completely—we will be your most loyal friends,” Difanqi replied firmly without hesitation.
Glancing at the three faces, Komer took a deep breath. This was probably the most generous offer from the Sanjia Tribe. If he refused again, it might not only bring losses and missed opportunities but also unnecessary enmity. Forming an enemy like the barbarians was certainly not a wise move.