Tribes and Humans

The edge of the Swamp Forest.

On this blurred boundary between death and survival, poisonous spore fungi glowed faintly on rotting wood, fungal mats covered ground that seemed solid, and among the twisted deadwood and waterlogged patches, startled Hard-shelled Water Lizards or strangely colored poison frogs occasionally flickered past.

This was the ancestral hunting ground of the Demihuman tribes.

Compared to the deadly depths of the swamp, the periphery could still sustain their lives and provide the food resources they needed to survive.

Every spring, the Lizardfolk would move like ghosts through the outer edges, using blow darts to precisely hunt small prey, or gathering glowing, toxin-resistant moss to trade with passing human caravans.

Ever since the Corrupted Faith began roaming the riverbanks, this hunting tradition had gradually been broken. The Corrupted Lizardfolk had sharper claws and harder scales.

Driven by greed, they tried to hunt large beasts on the periphery like the Gnolls, or even other weak Demihuman tribes.

For a time, it threw the riverbank into panic. Even human caravans dared not pass through the Reed Riverbank, fearing they would be plundered by the greedy Corrupted Lizardfolk.

Yet even the strong Corrupted Lizardfolk had beings they feared.

At the edge of the Swamp Forest, a tall, powerful Lizardfolk figure fled like a startled gecko! His scales were dull, wrapped in gray mist, his thin tail twitched in terror, and every step stirred up the buzzing of venomous insects hidden beneath the rotting leaves.

Deadly fear had seized him completely, leaving him no time to care about direction—he only wanted to escape the invisible hunter behind him.

Whoosh—!

A rough but heavy wooden spear tore through the stifling air, carrying a deathly shriek, and slammed into a rotting log half an inch before the fleeing man's foot! The spear's tail trembled violently, humming without end.

The fugitive froze in horror, icy despair flooding his body. Trembling, he followed the spear's trajectory and slowly looked up.

In the shadows, a figure stood silently.

This was a female Lizardfolk warrior, taller than the average Lizardfolk, covered in deep olive scales as hard as cold iron.

At her waist hung several polished Bone Blades and short spears, with no unnecessary adornment.

Her amber, slit pupils contracted coldly, like a venomous snake locking onto its prey, looking down at the trembling fugitive without a trace of emotion.

There was no pity in that gaze, only a pure killing intent that froze the soul. She tilted her head slightly, her voice like a cold wind scraping over rock.

"Where is she?"

The Corrupted Lizardfolk was finally broken by extreme terror and fell to his knees, begging for mercy.

"I don't know. I really don't know."

"Lady Semiya, please spare my life."

The female Lizardfolk's voice remained icy.

"I'll ask again. Where is Seja, my sister?"

"It was all Priest Zulok's doing. I had nothing to do with it."

"He colluded with the Gnolls and drove the shaman deep into the swamp. The hunting party that went after them never came back... Maybe they've already, already—"

Whoosh—!

Before the Lizardfolk could finish, a thrown Bone Blade pierced his throat with precision.

Blood sprayed. His mouth hung open, and a murky "gurgle... gurgle..." sound rolled in the depths of his throat, like desperate bubbles choked by blood. Finally, his body went limp and crashed heavily into the cold swamp with a "thud."

Semiya walked over with a cold face, picked up the bloodstained Bone Blade, and carefully wiped it clean.

She stood there for a long time, then grabbed the wolf fang hanging around her neck. The ice on her face instantly melted, replaced by confusion and helplessness.

"Seja... Did I come back too late?"

"No."

She clenched the fang.

"The Ancestral Spirit and Putu will bless you and keep you safe."

"I'm coming to find you now."

"Cough, cough..."

A sudden cough interrupted Semiya's thoughts. At some point, an aged Lizardfolk had appeared behind her.

"Semiya, it's time to go back."

"You know we can't linger too long under Zulok's watch."

Semiya turned around, her face expressionless.

"Shazak, I am grateful that the Rotten Moss Tribe saved my life."

"But Seja is everything to me. Father is already dead. I cannot lose her too."

"I want to go deep into the swamp alone."

The old Lizardfolk Shazak gripped a beast bone and whispered a prayer.

"Nature will not abandon its faithful."

"That child Seja is the most devout follower of nature I have ever seen. She will be fine."

"But—" Semiya tried to say more.

"No buts. You must learn to trust the wisdom of the old."

"Besides, the depths of the Swamp Forest are crawling with dangerous Demonic Beasts. Without nature's guidance, you'll only get lost in there."

"If you want to find Seja, first help the tribe resolve the crisis at hand."

"When the time comes, I will personally enter the swamp with you to search for her."

Semiya gripped her Bone Blade tight, her expression brimming with killing intent.

"Has Zulok approached the Rotten Moss Tribe?"

"Not that severe, but it's not optimistic either."

The old Lizardfolk Shazak slowly shuffled outside, where a Hunting Squad was waiting for them under an oak tree.

"Those mindless Corrupted Lizardfolk went berserk and attacked our human neighbors. Among them was a merchant caravan carrying a large supply of food."

"That merchant came from Iron Boot Town—a fallen noble from that Adventurer Town."

"A noble abandoning past glory to take up trade, heh... sounds like a human with quite a story."

"In any case, this human noble doesn't seem as shrewd as other merchants. He fell into the Corrupted Lizardfolk's trap and is now fleeing in all directions."

"You want me to save a human?"

Semiya stared intently at Shazak.

She didn't hate humans—but only because she didn't care about them. As for goodwill, she had none whatsoever.

Semiya still clearly remembered when she was barely half-grown, her father had sold even his trusty fang-blade just to trade a pitiful amount of food with human merchants.

After that, he injured his leg during a hunt, and his gait was never as natural as before.

In her eyes, humans were greedy, cunning creatures, masters of lies, willing to do anything for profit. She didn't like dealing with them.

"Not entirely."

A sturdy Lizardfolk hoisted Shazak onto his shoulders.

"Our main target is the food supplies the caravan carries."

"As for that merchant—if we can save him, all the better."

"If word spreads that the Rotten Moss Tribe saved a human, at least our trade with them won't be completely severed."

"Semiya, remember this: humans are indeed greedy, but they have also truly helped us survive countless Winter Years."

"We still need their help. Even if it's just maintaining a false bond, everything is for the tribe."

"Once we have enough food supplies and our warriors are well-fed, we'll have the strength to fight the savage Demonic Beasts and venture deep into the swamp to find Seja."

"I understand."

Semiya took a deep breath and fell silent, simply following behind the Hunting Squad.