BOOM!
The chief slammed his tail against the bank once more.
But it was nothing more than a threat. The Lizardmen did not take a single step away from the water.
'So you won't come up?'
Panterun looked down at the swamp.
"They aren't coming up. It seems they know that climbing the hill puts them at a disadvantage."
Grrrr!
Valkas struck the ground with his greatspear.
[Translation]
*"The scaled creatures are afraid. If the Ruler permits it, this body will go drag them up."*
[Descent Remaining Duration: 37 minutes]
'We'll run out of time if we just wait for sunset.'
I had to make them climb.
The only way was to wound the chief's pride.
I raised my spear over my shoulder.
I felt Enhanced Javelin Throwing fill my arm.
Panterun's eyes widened.
"Ruler. Can you reach them from here?"
"I'll make it reach. Watch closely."
I fixed my gaze on the chief across the swamp.
"A chief who does nothing but wag his tail at the water's edge? Take this!"
SWISH!
I swung my arm with my full weight behind it.
SHRIEEEEK!
The spear flew across the swamp.
THUD!
KSHAAAAK!
It buried itself deep in the chief's left shoulder.
'Got him.'
I had deliberately avoided a weak point. He was an opponent I needed to make submit.
The bank fell silent.
WOOOOOO!
My tribespeople erupted in cheers behind me.
Panterun shouted in a trembling voice.
"It reached him. The Ruler's spear truly reached all the way over there!"
Valkas raised his greatspear and roared as well.
[Translation]
*"The Ruler's spear pierced the scaled creature! From that great distance!"*
Hissing spread across the far bank.
[Translation]
*"The chief was struck by the hairless one's spear. If we retreat now, the Scaled Tribe will be shamed!"*
The chief slowly raised his head and glared at me.
"Sshak karrrsh taa!"
[Translation]
*"Tear that hairless creature apart! Everything on the hill is prey for the Scaled Tribe!"*
SPLAAASH!
All 240 Lizardmen surged out of the water at once.
'They took the bait.'
As a warrior beside me handed me another spear, Panterun shouted in excitement.
"They're climbing just as you said, Ruler!"
"Archers, fire! Front line, hold! Don't let a single one reach the top!"
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Arrows rained down the slope, and the leading Lizardmen toppled one after another.
Even so, the others trampled over their fallen kin and continued upward.
BOOM!
The vanguard crashed into the Orc greatspears.
Three more charged through the gap beside it.
One that squeezed between the Orcs thrust a bone spear at me.
I twisted aside and activated Weak Point Detection.
A red dot appeared in the gap between the scales beneath its jaw.
'There.'
STAB!
When my spearhead drove between the scales, the creature toppled backward.
Right beside me, a young Primitive Human spearman slipped and fell. A Lizardman raised its bone spear over him.
'No!'
I threw myself forward and struck the creature's side with my spear shaft.
THUD!
I drove my spearhead beneath the fallen creature's jaw, then pulled the fallen spearman to his feet.
"Get up. If you fall here, you die."
The spearman gripped his weapon again with trembling hands.
[Translation]
*"The Ruler saved my life. I will never fall again!"*
One side of my chest grew hot at the tremor in his voice.
A bone spearhead grazed my left arm, but the pain soon subsided.
The longer the battle went on, the hotter my limbs became.
SKREEE!
A scream erupted from the left.
[Translation]
*"We can't hold them! Everyone, fall back!"*
When I turned, frightened Primitive Human spearmen were retreating from the broken left flank.
'Damn it.'
I pulled out my spear and shouted.
"Panterun! Hold the left!"
Panterun charged out and pierced two approaching Lizardmen in succession with his Spinning Thrust.
"Do not retreat! The Ruler is watching. Raise your spears and stand beside Panterun!"
The retreating spearmen raised their weapons again.
On the front line, an elite Orc took a bone spear to the side and dropped to one knee.
GRRRRR!
Valkas swung his greatspear and looked back at me.
[Translation]
*"Ruler. Is it not time yet?! One of my kin has fallen! How long must this body endure?!"*
"Not yet. Your turn comes after the sun sets, so hold on a little longer!"
If he activated it now, Valkas would exhaust himself before sunset.
Valkas ground his teeth and swung his greatspear again without activating Berserk.
When I looked toward the western forest, the sun was sinking beyond the trees.
WHOOOSH!
A cold wind swept over the hill.
The Lizardmen's spear arms visibly slowed, and their scales had begun turning white after so long on the dry slope.
[Translation]
*"My body is stiffening. My scales are too dry to thrust my spear!"*
Panterun, who was blocking the breach, looked back at me in astonishment.
"It is exactly as you said, Ruler. They're stiffening!"
The moment I had waited for had arrived.
"Valkas! Activate it now!"
ROOOOAR!
Dark red energy erupted from Valkas's body.
[Translation]
*"Scaled creatures! Now it is this body's turn!"*
Valkas activated Berserk and swept his greatspear horizontally. The front line of Lizardmen tumbled down the slope.
"Everyone, push forward!"
WOOOOOO!
The Primitive Human spearmen cheered and thrust their weapons down the slope.
DING!
[Battle Status]
Lizardman Small Tribe: 240 → 138
Allied Wounded: 11 / Severely Wounded: 2
Then the chief's cry rang out from the swamp's edge.
[Translation]
*"Everyone, retreat into the water! Wet your scales, then climb again!"*
The chief began withdrawing toward the water with just over ten guards.
If he entered the swamp, I could not end this within the duration of Descent.
[Descent Remaining Duration: 14 minutes]
"Ruler. The chief is retreating into the water. Panterun will open a path!"
"We're going together. You handle the guards!"
When I charged down the slope, Panterun moved alongside me on the right.
With 20 meters remaining to the water, the chief's guards turned to block us.
Panterun plunged into the guards. I hurled myself through the opening he created.
The instant my foot struck the mud at the water's edge, I cut off the chief's path.
The chief stopped and glared at me, the spear still embedded in his shoulder.
DING!
[Race Information Unlocked]
You have gained the advantage in the war against the Lizardmen.
▸ Lizardman Language: Basic pronunciation acquired
▸ Lizardman Custom: Scale Oath
― Plant your weapon in the ground and speak the words of the oath to challenge the chief to a one-on-one duel.
― A challenged chief cannot refuse before the tribe.
― The victor takes the loser's group.
▸ Combat Habit: Drags the opposite leg through the mud before swinging the tail
'I've been waiting for this.'
In the game, information about an opposing race unlocked after you gained the advantage in a war. I had been aiming for this system window from the beginning.
The name Scale Oath was new to me, but its contents were exactly like the Lizardman chief duels from the game.
'The problem was the language.'
The instant I read the system window, pronunciations I had never heard before were carved into my mind.
When I repeated them silently, they flowed naturally from my mouth.
I planted my spear in the mud.
Then I spoke the exact words.
"Skar visha krrsh kasar!"
[Translation]
*"In the name of the Scale Oath, I challenge the chief to a duel!"*
The swamp's edge fell silent in an instant.
The fighting Lizardmen stopped their spears and turned toward me one by one.
The chief's yellow eyes shook violently.
[Translation]
*"The hairless creature... speaks the language of the Scaled Tribe?"*
Hissing spread through the entire group.
[Translation]
*"A human spoke the words of the oath. How do the hairless ones know the Scale Oath?"*
The chief did not answer for a long while.
A young Lizardman raised his spear and shouted.
[Translation]
*"Chief! There is no need to heed an oath from a hairless creature!"*
An old Lizardman stepped forward from the rear of the group.
[Translation]
*"Chief. If you refuse the Scale Oath, this group will no longer follow you. Do not forget that it was the same when we were driven from the Large Tribe."*
The tip of the chief's tail trembled.
'He can't avoid it.'
The chief gripped the spear in his shoulder.
CRACK!
He tore it free and flung it at my feet. Blood ran down his shoulder.
[Translation]
*"You are the first hairless creature I have seen who knows the Scale Oath. I will accept your oath. But the moment you lose, your entire group will raise food for the Scaled Tribe."*
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The chief struck the mud three times with his tail. The Lizardmen all lowered their spears and backed away.
DING!
[Scale Oath Established]
One-on-One Duel Between Chiefs
▸ On Victory: Subjugate the Lizardman Small Tribe
▸ On Defeat: The Ruler's faction will be subjugated by the Lizardman Small Tribe
I laughed even after reading the penalty for defeat.
'I wouldn't have issued the challenge if this were a fight I could lose.'
Panterun rushed over, his face deathly pale.
"Ruler. Panterun will fight this battle in your place."
"Don't worry. I've fought Lizardman chiefs one-on-one hundreds of times, and I've raised tribes as a Lizardman before. This is the battle I was aiming for from the beginning."
Panterun studied my face for a moment, then relaxed his rigid expression.
"Whenever you smile like that, Ruler, you always win. Panterun will watch from here."
Panterun bowed deeply and stepped back.
Grrrr!
Valkas, who had deactivated Berserk, bared his fangs in a grin.
[Translation]
*"Bring back the scaled creature's tail, and this body will make you a necklace."*
The Lizardmen and my tribespeople formed a ring around the mud at the water's edge.
I stood at its center, facing the chief.
The mud rising to my ankles felt exactly like the swamp maps from the game.
The chief pointed the tip of his bone spear at me.
[Translation]
*"The Scale Oath is fought in the challengers' names. This body is Kshar, chief of the Small Tribe. Speak the hairless one's name."*
"Lee Junhyeok. Remember it well. It's the name all of you will follow from now on."
Kshar hissed and raised his bone spear.
[Translation]
*"Lee Junhyeok. I will carve that name into your scaleless hide and hang it on a stake at the swamp's entrance."*
[Descent Remaining Duration: 11 minutes]
I pulled my spear from the mud and activated Weak Point Detection.
Red dots appeared in the gap between the scales beneath his jaw and on his wounded left shoulder.
Kshar moved first.
His right leg dragged a long groove through the mud.
'The tail.'
When I ducked, his tail sliced through the air over my head.
Kshar's eyes widened.
[Translation]
*"A hairless creature read the Scaled Tribe's tail?"*
I adjusted my grip on the spear.
'My turn.'