Kshar took his stance again.
Blood from his shoulder dripped into the mud.
Thump.
Excitement came before tension.
The Lizardman chief I had faced hundreds of times through a monitor was right before my eyes, swishing a real tail.
'After the tail comes the bite.'
The sequence I had taught chiefs when developing Lizardman tribes came back to me exactly.
Kshar twisted his head, opened his mouth wide, and charged.
SWISH.
I stepped aside, and yellow teeth snapped at empty air right before my eyes.
SNAP!
'Then the spear.'
As expected, the bone spear came for my side.
I deflected the bone spear with my shaft and retreated.
Hissing spread along the edge of the swamp.
[Translation]
*"The chief's tail, teeth, and spear all missed. That hairless creature knows how the Scaled Tribe fights!"*
ROOOAR!
My tribespeople erupted in cheers behind me.
Panterun raised his fist and shouted.
"Ruler! Press the attack just like that! Not one of his attacks has touched you!"
Kshar's yellow eyes wavered.
[Translation]
*"How does he dodge everything?! How can something without scales know the spear of the Scaled Tribe?!"*
"The spear comes after the bite. I told you, I can see the whole sequence."
Kshar lashed the mud with his tail.
Then he drew his tail far back.
If he intended to swing it, his right leg should have dragged through the mud first.
But the leg did not move.
'A feint.'
He was pretending to swing his tail while thrusting the bone spear first. It was a card a cornered chief always played at least once in the game.
I twisted, and the bone spear grazed past my side.
The young Lizardman who had opposed the duel could no longer contain himself and shouted.
[Translation]
*"Chief! He even saw through the feint! What in the world is that hairless thing?!"*
I adjusted my grip on the spear.
'Someone who has fought your way longer than your chief has.'
KRAAAH!
Kshar roared and charged again.
This time, there was no sequence.
His tail and bone spear came from random directions. He had abandoned his patterns and intended to overwhelm me with strength.
'He's getting desperate.'
BOOM!
When his tail struck my spear shaft, both arms went numb from the impact.
He unquestionably had the advantage in strength.
Even with my arms numb, I could not help smiling. A chief who relied solely on strength never lasted long in the game either.
"Ruler! Do not take his tail head-on!"
I nodded at Panterun's shout and stepped back.
I aimed for the red point that Weak Point Detection showed on Kshar's left shoulder.
The shoulder was exposed the moment Kshar raised his bone spear high.
CRACK!
My spear shaft struck the wound on his shoulder dead center.
KSHAAAAGH!
The bone spear slipped from Kshar's hand and buried itself in the mud.
GRRRR!
Valkas raised his greatspear and roared.
[Translation]
*"The scaled bastard dropped his spear! Ruler! Now!"*
But Kshar did not retreat after losing his weapon.
He lowered his body and hurled himself straight at me.
I had expected the move, but the ankle-deep mud left no time to dodge.
THOOM!
His massive body slammed into my chest.
I flew backward and plunged into the mud. Fishy-smelling mud flooded my mouth.
"Ruler! Are you all right?!"
I heard Panterun start to rush out.
"Stay back! This is a sworn fight!"
I spat out mud and shouted.
My ribs hurt.
But heat surged from deep within my body. It was the Berserker trait.
'This isn't enough to finish me.'
I pushed myself up from the mud.
[Descent time remaining: 6 minutes]
Kshar was also rising from the mud. His yellow eyes showed his bewilderment.
[Translation]
*"You can still stand? Even a warrior of the Scaled Tribe cannot get up for some time after taking that hit."*
"Your chiefs always try to finish a fight with a body slam after losing their weapons. I knew it was coming, so I could withstand it."
Kshar bared his teeth and hissed, but the sound was far quieter than before.
WHOOOSH!
A cold wind blew across the swamp after sunset.
Kshar's limbs had visibly stiffened. He had spent all his strength on the body slam, and now the cold wind was battering him too.
The old Lizardman closed his eyes and muttered.
[Translation]
*"Even a chief cannot endure standing out of the water for so long in the swamp after sunset."*
Kshar braced himself on trembling legs and rasped.
[Translation]
*"It is not over. A chief of the Scaled Tribe does not kneel!"*
I aimed the tip of my spear beneath Kshar's chin.
'This ends now.'
I kicked off the mud and charged.
Kshar swung his tail, but it was slow.
I slipped past the tail and drove my spear shaft up beneath his chin.
CRACK!
Kshar's head snapped back, and his massive body toppled flat into the mud.
I reversed the spear and drove its point into the mud beside Kshar's neck.
THUNK!
Only a finger's width separated the spearpoint from his scales.
Kshar's yellow eyes looked down at the spearpoint.
A tremor traveled through the shaft. I could not tell whether it came from Kshar or from my arm.
"Submit. I have no intention of killing your people."
[Translation]
*"You will not kill us? The law of the Scale Oath says the victor takes the loser's head."*
"I don't need your head. I need you and your people."
The edge of the swamp fell completely silent.
The Lizardmen, who had numbered 240, along with the Primitive Humans and Orcs, were all watching Kshar.
I could not relax my grip on the spear. If Kshar refused here, we would be back at the beginning.
After staring at the spearpoint for a long while, Kshar slowly laid his tail flat in the mud.
[Translation]
*"By the Scale Oath, I, Kshar, and the Small Tribe shall serve Lee Junhyeok as our chief."*
At that moment, the old Lizardman was the first to lower his bone spear into the mud.
[Translation]
*"We offer our scales to the new chief. Everyone, lower your spears."*
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Bone spears dropped into the mud one after another. The young Lizardman who had opposed the duel ground his teeth as he lowered his spear too.
DING!
[Victory in the Scale Oath]
The Lizardman Small Tribe has submitted.
Racial Composition: Primitive Humans 100 / Orcs 9 / Lizardmen 175
Population: 109 → 284
DING!
[Empire Quest: Foundation of the Empire]
▸ Subjugate Races: 3, Complete ✓
▸ Tribe Population 300: 284 / 300
▸ 5 Awakened: 2 / 5
'284 people.'
Only sixteen more remained before I reached the Empire Quest's population goal.
Only then did my chest grow hot. I had won this battle hundreds of times in the game, yet this single victory was far more exhilarating.
ROOOOOAR!
KRAAAH!
The Primitive Humans and Orcs cheered as one.
Panterun ran toward me, splashing mud, and dropped to one knee.
"I knew you would win, Ruler. Not once did I, Panterun, doubt you."
"Didn't your face look awfully pale earlier?"
Panterun lowered his head in embarrassment.
Then the young Lizardman who had opposed the duel approached. Hostility still lingered in his eyes.
[Translation]
*"I will honor the Scale Oath. But someday, I will break your spear and reclaim this swamp."*
"Come at me whenever you like. Until then, learn how to wield a spear properly from Panterun."
Panterun looked the young Lizardman up and down, then struck the ground with his spear shaft.
"Starting tomorrow, report to the training grounds before sunrise. If you're late, I'll tie up your tail."
Kshar rose while rubbing his neck.
[Translation]
*"New chief. I will tell you one thing. Once the Large Tribe learns of this, they will come to sweep away the entire swamp."*
"A splinter group numbered 240, so the main tribe must be several times larger. When they come, I'll subjugate the Large Tribe too."
Kshar stared at me and made a hissing sound.
It was laughter.
GRRR!
Valkas approached with his greatspear resting on his shoulder.
[Translation]
*"Ruler. As promised, if you tear off the scaled bastard's tail and bring it to me, this body will make you a necklace."*
Kshar flinched and pulled his tail behind his body.
"We're part of the same tribe now, so leave his tail attached."
Valkas lowered his greatspear with a disappointed look.
[Translation]
*"What a waste. That tail would have made a fine necklace."*
I turned to Kshar.
"Kshar. See to the wounded first. The Primitive Humans and Orcs will help treat them, so put up huts by the water and let them rest."
[Translation]
*"You will treat members of the Scaled Tribe who were your enemies? I have never seen such a chief even in the Large Tribe."*
"You're not enemies anymore. I look after my tribespeople."
Without a word, Kshar placed a hand against the scales on his chest and bowed deeply.
It felt strange that those who had pointed spears at me moments ago were now my tribespeople.
[Descent time remaining: 2 minutes]
There was not much time left.
"Panterun, help Kshar care for the wounded. Valkas, stand guard over the swamp with the Orcs."
"I obey!"
GRR!
The two Awakened beat their chests side by side.
Kshar and the old Lizardman also laid their tails flat in the mud and bowed their heads.
HUM!
My chest resonated powerfully, and white light covered my vision.
***
When I opened my eyes, the white door of the restroom stall was before me.
There was not a speck of mud on my clothes.
'I'm back.'
It was hard to believe I had been swinging a spear in the mud moments ago.
When I left the restroom and returned to the restaurant, an employee approached with a takeout bag.
"We've packed your meat, sir. It may have cooled a little. Would you like us to heat it for you?"
"That's all right. I think even cold meat will taste good today."
I left the restaurant with a shopping bag in one hand and the takeout bag in the other.
The notification sounded the moment I stepped onto the escalator.
DING!
[Achievement Accomplished!]
★ First Scale Oath ★
You have subjugated the chief of another race through a duel.
▸ Reward: +250P
▸ Current Points: 280P
'280 points.'
I decided to take my time thinking about how to spend them once I got home, then opened the Observe screen.
In front of a hut by the swamp, a Primitive Human woman was wrapping leather cloth around a Lizardman's shoulder. Beside her, an Orc offered smoked meat to a young Lizardman.
Behind them, Panterun was already teaching the young Lizardman how to hold a spear.
The 2 / 5 Awakened on the Empire Quest window caught my eye.
'The Awakened are next.'
I could not stop smiling all the way down the escalator.