Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method

Levi clicked his tongue in surprise.

“I never thought that the Io Continent would still have the Shell Demon Clan.”

Shell demons were, in essence, small fairies that lived in shells, much like hermit crabs.

In ancient times, there were many kinds of little fairies. Flower fairies, grass fairies, stone fairies… It could be said that any place with mountains, rivers, or forests with spiritual energy might nurture a tribe of little fairies.

Most little fairies were gentle by nature and not good at fighting, but they were well-suited for handling various chores for wizards.

As wizard civilization developed rapidly, the little fairies quickly declined. There was no way around it, as these little creatures couldn’t be bred in captivity.

Nowadays, they had become the playthings of the wealthy in the Wizard World.

“Why are you here? This place is full of black beasts,” Levi asked.

“Our Shell Demon Clan has lived here since ancient times. These big brutes are invaders,” Jibek replied angrily.

“The Mistress told you not to talk to strangers. How did you forget so quickly?” she scolded.

Jibek muttered, “He saved me. I don’t think he’s a bad person.”

Levi’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. Like ordinary fairies, shell demons could be used to tend to rare plants and flowers. If he could somehow entice these little fairies to the Ancient Banyan Fairyland, it would be a good deal.

As Levi was pondering his plan, a gentle, magnetic female voice tinged with a bit of shyness suddenly echoed in his mind.

“Honored one, I am the Shell Demon Mistress. Would you care to come down to the lake for a chat?”

Levi’s mind whirled. This woman was likely the leader of this group of shell demons. It seemed she had noticed him earlier when he was hunting the black beasts, but wasn’t sure of his intentions and thus sent Jibek to test him.

Passing through a series of lake tunnels and some simple illusions, Levi arrived at a hidden place and saw a magnificent castle made of coral.

The castle was splendidly luxurious, with thousands of shell demons living there.

In the Mistress Hall, atop a massive shell about three meters in diameter, sat a figure with a snow-white body indistinguishable from a human’s. Her skin was soft and smooth, her curves gentle, and her body as supple as boneless flesh.

In truth, shell demons indeed had no bones, resembling clam meat. She had two semi-transparent, rainbow-colored shells fluttering behind her like wings, which flapped as she flew.

“Thank you for saving Jibek, Lord. I am Linabell, the Mistress of this Shell Demon Clan,” the Shell Demon Mistress said.

Judging by her power, the Shell Demon Mistress seemed to be only at level four. She appeared a bit nervous in front of Levi, a level five powerhouse.

“No need to be so formal. I was just hunting the black beasts here and happened to save her. I like helping others,” Levi replied with a slight smile.

The Shell Demon Mistress smiled gently and replied shyly, “Although we have lived here for generations, we are weak and have nothing much to offer in gratitude. Here are some shell pearls for you, Lord.”

She gestured for two adorable female shell demons to present two jade boxes, each containing translucent pearls.

Shell demons could produce shell pearls, which were excellent materials for making potions.

Levi put away the shell pearls and asked, “This place is so dangerous. Why don’t you and your people move to the sea?”

The Mistress sighed and replied, “The sea is too far away. With our strength, we can’t make the journey… Moreover, deep within this underground world lies a treasure of our clan. We have always wanted to retrieve it, but we are powerless to do so.”

Levi said, “So you introduced yourself to me in hopes that I would help you retrieve this treasure?”

The Mistress looked troubled and said cautiously, “Yes, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. Our clan was once prosperous, with tens of thousands of members. But since losing our treasure deep in the underground world and having our homeland invaded by black beasts, we have gradually declined… If you can help us, we are willing to become your vassals, asking only that you take us in.”

After some thought, Levi said, “Tell me the situation in detail, and I’ll consider it.”

The Shell Demon Mistress sighed in relief and quickly explained everything to Levi.

Jibek and the other little shell demons eagerly brought out what they considered to be their finest delicacies to entertain Levi.

As it turned out, the Shell Demon Clan in this area had once been quite prosperous. They had lived even deeper within the underground world, where they discovered a massive ancient shell with a diameter of a kilometer, possibly the remains of a level-six creature.

Ever since, the Shell Demon Clan had relied on their ancestral shell-refining techniques to refine this giant shell for generations. A rare creation, encapsulating the collective wisdom of the Shell Demon Clan, was born from their efforts: the Ancient Shell Palace.

This was a shell demon nest that combined functions for living, reproduction, attacking, escaping, and defense—all in one. From the description, Levi guessed that it might be an exotic treasure above level six, somewhat like the “Sky Fire Fortress” of the Nine Cities Alliance, though likely not as advanced.

Later, a Supreme Mage from the empire stumbled upon this place and tried to seize the Ancient Shell Palace. The Shell Demon Clan was no match for him. The Shell Demon Mistress at the time then contacted her cross-species lover, a Barbarian King from the barbarians.

The Badger Barbarian King was the same Barbarian King warrior mentioned by Bagh, who had died here.

A fierce battle ensued in this place. The Barbarian King was no match for the Supreme Mage but fought valiantly for the Shell Demon Mistress, choosing to perish together with the mage.

Not long after, this place became a convergence point. Black beasts ran rampant, and danger lurked everywhere. Without being a level-six powerhouse, no one dared to delve deep into this area, and it gradually faded from people’s memories.

The black beasts Levi had killed were only the tip of the iceberg of the underground world. In the depths, level-five and above black beasts were common, and even peak level-five black beasts appeared frequently.

“A tragic yet beautiful love story,” Levi commented.

The Shell Demon Mistress added, “My lord, I speak the truth.”

Levi said, “I can help you retrieve your treasure. But you must swear loyalty to me and take the fairy oath.”

The Shell Demon Mistress replied decisively, “No problem!”

For her and her people, staying here would only mean a slow death. Sooner or later, they would be discovered by the black beasts and end up as snacks for them.

Only by obtaining the Ancient Shell Palace could the Shell Demon Clan rise again.

And for Levi, as long as he enslaved these little fairies, the Ancient Shell Palace would effectively be his.

Levi said, “You are not safe here. Swear the oath, and I’ll take you to a more habitable place.”

“I swear…”

As the queen, the Mistress held absolute control over her clan, much like a queen bee. Where Linabell led, the clan followed.

On this day, more than three thousand shell demons, together with their Mistress, arrived at the Ancient Banyan Fairyland.

“Wow, the air smells so sweet.”

“Wow, the spring water is so good.”

“Such tall trees.”

“What a huge turtle.”

They chirped like a flock of little sparrows, making the fairyland livelier.

Levi said, “In this fairyland, there are many springs of immortality. Next to them, I’ve planted medicinal herbs. You can live in the springs, which will benefit your growth. Just help take care of the plants and flowers in your spare time.”

“Yes, my lord,” the Mistress replied, her eyes welling up with tears of joy. With a place like this to call home, the Ancient Shell Palace suddenly seemed much less important…

Watching the busy figures of the Shell Demon Clan, Levi mused to himself.

“Shrimp soldiers, crab generals, clam maidens, turtle guards, and dragons all over the place… Hmm, this Dragon Palace is really starting to take shape. All that’s left is a Crystal Palace.”

He stepped out of the fairyland, gazing into the depths of the underground world.

“The Crystal Palace lies just below.”