Barbarian women are far less aggressive and cold-blooded than their male counterparts.
However, that does not mean they are any less dangerous when encountered as enemies.
Mohican tribe women, including those from other barbarian clans, possess an incredibly strong sense of kinship and maternal instinct.
In other words, while barbarian men fight in a frenzied rage they can barely control, barbarian women fight with everything they have to protect their community.
Therefore, the words of the barbarian woman warning me to leave Cargo Forest or lose an arm were spoken in complete sincerity.
“This is simply the path crossing through Cargo Forest.
I have no intention of invading the Mohican village or starting a fight.”
Because of my mixed blood, humans often pick fights with me calling me a barbarian, while barbarians sometimes mistake me for a human at first glance.
After staring at her in momentary silence, I tried to ease the tension first.
She did not seem ready to tear my arm off immediately, only that she would fight to the death if battle began.
Besides, as I had already noted, this woman was strong.
“How ridiculous.
You dare say that looking like that?
You have already killed several people on your way here, have you not?”
The barbarian woman pointed at my clothes.
Damn it… the blood of those bandit awakeners.
I had forgotten while admiring the beautiful scenery.
She probably assumed I had already clashed with the barbarians here.
After all, outsiders rarely dared enter even the outer forest for fear of encountering the Mohican tribe.
“I think there has been a misunderstanding.
This is not barbarian blood, but the blood of awakener bandits who—”
“No more words are needed, intruder.”
—Thud thud thud thud!
Of course.
This was what it meant to be a barbarian.
Fists before conversation.
I must have been too tainted by civilization.
The barbarian woman, her face hidden behind a mask that even nullified the Transcendent’s Eye trait, charged at me without hesitation, assuming a combat stance.
The moment her attack began, a notification appeared.
The tutorial has ended.
Conqueror Geum Taeyang now enters Main Story Mode.
‘Oh!’
I was genuinely surprised when something flew toward my face beyond the notification window.
Swish!
I dodged it.
‘She is using fists instead of a curved blade?’
That was why I was surprised.
The barbarian woman was charging in with bare fists rather than a weapon.
While barbarian women also had high average stats due to their racial traits, they were not on the same level as the men.
They usually carried portable weapons like curved blades to compensate for their lack of one-hit-kill power.
Yet this woman was rushing straight at me with nothing but her fists.
She must have mastered combat skills beyond mere physical strength.
‘Her attacks are relentless, yet concise.
She is even reading my movements and following through.’
My prediction was correct.
The masked barbarian woman unleashed a fluid chain of combos using fists, feet, elbows, and knees—so free that weapons would have only felt cumbersome.
‘If I do not fight back properly, my arm will be torn off.’
Simply dodging would be disastrous.
I needed to counterattack.
However, after simulating the fight in my head, a troublesome situation arose.
If I fought seriously, my precious arm would not remain intact.
‘Whatever!’
—Whoosh!
So I countered with only my left hand.
“How absurd.
Let us see how you can still act so arrogant when your eyes are about to be gouged out.”
Damn it.
My blatant left-hand attack only seemed like a bluff, further provoking the barbarian woman.
Her movements, which had been exploratory until now, shifted into full seriousness.
“Even like this!
You still will not use your right hand?”
—Swoosh!
—Slash!
I barely avoided the barbarian woman’s attacks that came from blind angles with desperate evasive maneuvers.
As a result—’Whoops!’—my foot caught on a rock on the opposite side.
Thud!
I lost my balance completely and fell flat on my back.
“I will make you pay the price for acting arrogant in front of a Mohican warrior!”
Thud!
The moment I fell, the barbarian woman mounted my chest like a beast capturing cornered prey.
It was a moment of crisis, yet I did not panic at all.
I had an ace up my sleeve.
“I lost, Athena.
Let us stop here.”
I immediately countered.
“What?
Geum Taeyang, you knew it was me?”
Indeed.
She was someone I already knew—Athena, my childhood friend and family member with whom I had grown up for over fourteen years in the Gaia Tribe, my second home.
Athena, who had been hit by my counter, kept her fist cocked with a deflated expression.
However, after removing her mask, she smiled at me with genuine joy.
“I saw that unique irritated expression of yours in between.
That is when I finally realized.”
We began walking toward the Gaia Tribe together.
I looked at Athena’s now-unmasked face and continued explaining.
Apparently, she had known today was my return day and had waited patiently from noon until sunset for three whole days just to surprise me.
“I thought I had changed quite a bit over the past three years, so I figured I could fool you… Tch!”
“Yeah.
Back then you felt more like a girl than a warrior.
You were also shorter than now.
Is it the same for me?
I grew about three centimeters too.”
“Right?
Do I look like a warrior now?”
Three years ago, Athena had been one of the people who saw me off near the forest path.
Back then she had been a bit chubbier, about three centimeters shorter like me, and her hair had reached down to her neck.
She had confidently told me to look forward to seeing how much stronger she would become when I returned, and now she reacted with satisfaction to my words.
“Of course I should!
I have become the Tessadar of the great Gaia Tribe, so I ought to look like a powerful warrior!”
“Tessadar?”
My eyes widened at Athena’s mention of the title.
“You became the Tessadar, Athena?
I thought they would recruit from outside.”
“It is the most important position for tribal security.
How could we entrust it to an outsider?
I strongly requested it from Father, and he approved.”
Character illustrations & later chapters: