Bang—bang—
Blood blossomed from the hunting Lizardman's scaled chest. The force behind Sukyu Juju's stone throws was nothing short of fierce—but far from fatal.
"Too weak. Magic Arrow."Minori's calm voice cut through the chaos.
With a surge of mana, ten shimmering arrows of condensed force formed around him, then shot forth like a volley of death.
"Damn it!" Sukyu Juju's expression twisted. He dove, rolled, and hurled a stone upward—intercepting the first wave with rapid clinks of stone-on-spell.
Ding! Ding!Sparks flashed as arrows collided midair with expertly thrown rocks.
"Plant Entanglement!"The elder priest Lizardman regained his senses and slammed his staff down.
From the ground, vines burst forth and lunged toward Minori like serpents hungry for blood.
Flick. A strange green gemstone shimmered in Minori's palm—the magic item Forest Crossing. He waved it with ease, and the vines diverted as if he were sacred ground itself.
"Magic Arrow."Minori's spell shot again, this time targeting the priest.
"Flash!"
A searing light burst from the priest's hand—but Minori merely squinted. The divine resistance from his passive traits dulled the dazzle. His arrows struck true.
"Argh!" The old Lizardman cried out, pierced clean through.
"Elder!" Sukyu Juju's panicked voice cracked.
"Retreat! He's too strong—!"
Coughing blood, the elder collapsed, but even on his last legs, his voice rang out:
"Bound by the Earth!"
The swamp trembled.
Beneath Minori's feet, the ground softened, thickened, and dragged him, his demonic dog, and the charmed hunter lizardman into a muddy grip.
But it was shallow—only calf-deep. A minor nuisance at best.
Minori clenched his legs and pushed upward, breaking free with ease. As a Level 24 hybrid-class warrior with physical bonuses and curse resistance, this spell was laughably weak.
Bang!His evil dog slammed its bone chains into the ground, cracked the cursed mud, and leaped forward—teeth bared and dripping black saliva.
"Roar."
"Magic Arrow!"Three more glowing bolts flew to intercept Sukyu Juju's escape.
With nowhere to run, Sukyu Juju turned, face pale, eyes filled with despair—and met the monstrous hound head-on.
Meanwhile, a second Flame Archangel had already descended. With radiant, burning blades, they cut through Lizardmen warriors like wheat, the tribe's defenses crumbling within moments.
Screams echoed through the burning village.
Minori stepped forward—his boots crushing crimson-smeared grass.
He walked toward the old priest, now coughing blood and slumped in the mud.
"Why… why are you doing this…?"
The old Lizardman's voice trembled. His eyes burned with hatred and helplessness.
"I curse you… cursed human… Our warriors will one day sever your head and offer it to our ancestors!"
Minori stood over him, unbothered.
"Curses don't work on me. And as for justice—"He lowered his gaze, cold and serene."Justice belongs to the victor."
His voice didn't rise, didn't waver. Just a simple truth.
The priest spat blood and raised his hand.
"All-Race Charm!"
A spell burst out.
Minori barely blinked as the previously charmed hunting Lizardman awoke—only to fall groaning, writhing in pain from Sukyu Juju's earlier wounds.
Too late. Too broken.
Thud—
The evil dog returned, proudly dragging Sukyu Juju's limp, bloodied body like a prize.
"Good boy."
Minori glanced down. Not yet dead. Good.
"Take me to where your tribe stores its knowledge."
He uncorked a vial of his Regenerative Potion—the cheap, limb-restoring alchemical breakthrough that had already stirred the Empire—and poured it over the elder's body.
The priest's wounds knit quickly. Startled, obedient, and still partly charmed, he rose and stumbled forward to lead the way.
The hound followed behind, tail twitching, Sukyu still unconscious in its jaws.
Inside the Small Fang Tribe—
The ground ran red.Broken spears. Scattered limbs. Burnt totems.
Minori walked through it all, unaffected.
"Am I really this cold now?"His boots squelched in the gore."Or did I never think of demi-humans as 'people' to begin with?"
He sighed at himself.
"Anyway, I didn't kill them all."
He'd seen Sukyu Juju arrange for the women and children to flee beforehand. He had no interest in chasing them.
Better to leave something for the Ainz who would come in the future.
"Tell me about the Lizardman treasure you lost."
As they reached a hidden ceremonial hut, Minori checked his status screen.
[Experience Slot: 173405/70000]
Over 45,000 new experience—easily two levels gained.
"My Magic Swordsman class is maxed. Time to think about advancement."
The elder spoke.
He explained the hierarchy of the tribe—elders above the chieftain in knowledge, if not power.
And finally, the long-lost treasure of the Lizardmen.
A magic crucible.
Rare and sacred. Said to empower ancestor-possession rituals. Believed lost or stolen long ago.
The elders never held it—but heard stories.
The Lizardmen believed their ancestors lent strength through ritual potions and tattoos, granting courage and power.
But during the battle against the Undead, these rituals failed. Now Minori suspected why:
The crucible was missing.
Without it, the rites were hollow.And now, it was in the hands of someone else—possibly the Twin Witches.
They didn't take Frozen Fang, the strongest weapon—so why steal this?
"Because it's more useful than power—it's transformation."