I closed the Observe screen and threw myself onto the bed.
'I'm resting today.'
I had not taken a single proper day off since Awakening. Two Dungeons, Descents, and a meeting with the Association—I had kept running without a break.
My body was fine, but my mind had grown tired first.
Yet when I tried to rest, I could not even think of what to do.
Slide.
With nothing else to occupy me, I picked up my phone and opened my banking app.
[Balance: 34,127,800 won]
'......'
No matter how many times I looked, the number of zeroes did not decrease.
'Is this really my bank account?'
A laugh escaped me. At last, I knew what to do on my day off.
"Good. Today, I'm buying everything I've wanted."
***
The moment the department-store doors opened, the smell of perfume assaulted my nose.
'This is my first time coming to a department store to spend money.'
The soles of the sneakers I was wearing had worn so thin that I felt every pebble beneath my feet as I walked.
So the first place I visited was a shoe store.
I picked out a white pair from the sneakers covering an entire wall.
I was about to turn over the price tag when I stopped myself.
'No. I said I wouldn't look at price tags today.'
I called an employee over.
"Could I try these in a 270?"
I slipped my feet into the sneakers the employee brought.
After taking a few steps, I felt the soft cushioning beneath my soles.
'Wow. Now these are shoes.'
There was nothing to think about.
"I'll take them. Could you throw away the pair I came in?"
The employee glanced down at my old sneakers, then accepted them with a smile.
DING.
A payment notification appeared on my phone.
[Payment] 529,000 won
It was strange that my hand did not shake after I swiped my card. If anything, I felt good.
As I left the store, the worn jacket reflected in the window caught my eye.
Next came a winter coat.
An employee in the menswear store draped a coat over me, then tilted his head.
"Your shoulders are broad, sir, so you'll need one size larger. Do you work out a lot?"
"I've been doing some physical work lately. I'll take the larger one."
A man wearing a coat stared back at me from the mirror.
'...That's me?'
My shoulders had broadened, and my jawline had grown sharper.
On my way out, I also picked out a dehumidifier at the appliance store. A studio apartment with mold on every wall needed that most of all.
As I rode the escalator upward, a familiar word on the floor directory caught my eye.
[7F Hunter Equipment Hall]
'Hunter equipment.'
Advertisements for magic-stone-enhanced armor and rune-engraved spears made my eyes spin.
Each piece cost tens of millions of won.
'What good would buying it do?'
I could not carry a single modern item with me during Descent. When I fought beside the tribe, a spear carved on the planet was enough.
I passed the seventh floor and continued up to the restaurants.
'I'd rather spend the money on meat.'
Grrrrr.
I entered a Korean beef restaurant and ordered the set meal at the top of the menu.
"One sirloin set meal, correct? We'll grill the meat for you."
The employee set down a glass of water and left.
'They even grill the Korean beef for you?'
That was the instant I raised the glass.
THUMP!
The inside of my chest grew hot. The heat was far weaker than during Descent.
DING!
[Temple Report]
The Awakened Panterun is praying at the temple.
'A prayer?'
A familiar voice echoed in my ears.
*"Ruler. While Valkas and I were scouting downriver, we found a swamp inhabited by scaled creatures. They saw us as well, so please give us your command."*
I set down the glass.
'Scaled creatures would be... Lizardmen.'
I had been planning to send scouts anyway, but they had found the next race on their own.
'Reliable as ever.'
Still, the fact that the Lizardmen had seen them bothered me. In the game, Lizardmen never ignored trespassers in their territory.
SIZZLE!
Of all times, the employee placed the sirloin on the grill. The savory aroma assaulted my nose.
Gulp.
I swallowed, but the tribe came before the meat. Suppressing my regret, I rose from my seat.
"I'm sorry, but something urgent came up. Could you hold my bags and pack the meat to go?"
The employee nodded with a puzzled expression.
'My Korean beef......'
I stuffed my phone and wallet into a shopping bag and entered the last stall in the restroom.
Click.
I locked the door and closed my eyes.
"Descent."
HUM!
My heart reverberated powerfully, and white light covered my vision.
***
The smell of earth reached me first.
When I opened my eyes, I stood before the temple.
Panterun and Valkas, who had been kneeling before the statue, jerked their heads up at the same time.
"Ruler. I didn't expect you to come so quickly."
Grrrr!
Valkas thumped his fist against his chest.
That was when I was about to answer.
DING!
A system window with a red border filled my vision.
[Warning]
A Lizardman tribe has designated your faction for subjugation.
Lizardman Warriors Assembling: Approximately 240
Classification: Small tribe split from a large tribe
Expected Battle Site: Entrance to the southern swamp
'...Subjugation?'
A hollow laugh escaped me.
They had seen one scouting party and decided to subjugate our entire tribe.
'Two hundred and forty.......'
Even if we gathered everyone capable of fighting, our side had fewer than 50. Under ordinary circumstances, that number would have made me break into a cold sweat.
But when I read the final line, my tension eased instead.
'A small tribe.'
In Dawn of the Races, Lizardmen who lost a struggle for the chief's position left the large tribe with only their followers and established small tribes.
If a small tribe failed to claim new territory before winter, they would starve to death. That was why they attacked any visible enemy without fail.
'If the splinter group has 240, how many are in the main tribe?'
Even so, I was not worried.
I had lost tribes to Lizardman small tribes more times than I could count in the game. That meant I knew exactly how to make them collapse.
Panterun stepped forward with a grave expression.
"We saw them gathering by the water. They outnumber us five to one, so Valkas and I will go ahead and break their front line."
Grrrr!
Valkas struck the ground with his greatspear.
[Translation]
*"This body will take every scaled head."*
"You two intend to face 240 of them? There's no need. We're all going together."
If I sent the two Awakened ahead and they were dragged into the water, it would all be over.
I pointed to the log drum on the hill.
"Beat the drum. Bring every Primitive Human and Orc who can fight. Put the old and the children inside the storehouse."
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The drumbeats rang through the palisades.
The Primitive Human Archers took up their bows, and warriors with spears formed ranks behind them.
When the armory doors opened, the elite Orcs each took out a greatspear.
In an instant, 40 Primitive Human warriors and an Orc warrior band of seven lined up before the palisade gate.
It was every soldier the tribe possessed.
The sight of them made my chest feel heavy. Every one of their lives depended on a single decision from me.
Panterun selected a spear from the armory and presented it with both hands.
I accepted the spear and stood at the head of the formation.
[Descent Remaining Duration: 55 minutes]
"We move out."
We left the palisades and followed the southern river downstream.
When I raised my head, the sun was already sinking toward the western forest.
'About 30 minutes until sunset?'
As we marched, I asked Panterun.
"Panterun. What were they doing when you found the swamp?"
"At midday, they had all climbed onto the rocks beside the swamp and were lying there. Then, when shade fell, they all entered the water."
I nodded.
'Just like the game.'
I explained it to Panterun.
"Lizardmen are a cold-blooded race. They need sunlight to move, and their bodies stiffen after sunset. Their scales dry out if they stay out of the water too long."
Panterun's eyes widened.
"Then are we attacking after the sun sets?"
"Only half right. We endure until sunset, then we attack."
Valkas struck the ground with his greatspear and cut in.
[Translation]
*"Waiting is not a warrior's way of fighting. We should strike before the scaled creatures flee into the water."*
"They're several times stronger than us in the water. The moment you step into the swamp, they'll grab your legs and drag you under."
Valkas pressed his lips shut.
"That's why we won't enter the swamp. We'll seize the highest hill beside it and force them to climb toward us."
Panterun asked another question.
"What if they refuse to leave the water?"
"They won't have a choice. If a small tribe doesn't claim territory before winter, they'll starve. More importantly, they're not the kind to stand still with prey right before their eyes."
Panterun's expression changed.
Without breaking stride, I channeled my will and sent an order through the entire formation.
"The Archers will stand at the top of the hill. The Orcs will plant their greatspears on the front line, and the Primitive Human spearmen will fill the gaps between them."
WOOOOOO!
The Primitive Human warriors raised their spears.
Then I turned to Valkas.
"Valkas. Do not activate Berserk until the sun goes down. Once they begin to stiffen, sweep away their entire front line."
Grrrr!
Valkas bared his fangs in a grin.
'And finally.'
Lizardmen were a race that followed their leader. If the chief submitted, the entire group would lower their spears.
"Panterun, stay beside me. The two of us will take the chief."
"Panterun's spear will always remain beside the Ruler."
[Descent Remaining Duration: 41 minutes]
'Twenty minutes after sunset. I'll finish it within that time.'
Thump.
My heart raced. Not from fear.
There was a thrill in finally putting a strategy I had rehearsed countless times in the game into action with a real tribe.
We pushed through a path where reeds towered over our heads. The smell of brackish water grew stronger.
Animal skulls hung from stakes driven into the entrance of the swamp.
'Territorial markers.'
When I turned my head, I saw a dry hill rising beside the swamp.
'There.'
I pointed toward it with my spear.
"Everyone, up the hill."
The warriors climbed the slope and aimed their greatspears and bows toward the swamp.
Bubble. Bubble.
Bubbles rose to the swamp's surface.
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!
Lizardmen crawled out through the water.
A mix of blue and yellow scales stretched endlessly along the bank opposite us. Every bone spear pointed toward the hill at once.
I heard someone behind me swallow.
A number displayed in a system window was different from seeing it with my own eyes. A bank covered in scales was staring at us as one.
Even so, my hand on the spear did not tremble. I knew what would happen to those scales after sunset.
The center of the group parted to either side.
The largest Lizardman among them walked forward. He had blue scales and a tail whose tip split into two prongs.
BOOM!
He slammed the bank with his tail, spraying mud in every direction.
His yellow eyes stared directly at me.
'That must be the chief.'
I adjusted my grip on the spear.
Looking toward the western forest, I saw that the sun had sunk halfway below it.
[Descent Remaining Duration: 38 minutes]
'All right. The strategy begins now.'