The first to recover from the shock was the hunting leader of the Lizardmen.
In that moment of realization, it was clear—he had completely misjudged the enemy's strength.
But now, it was too late to change strategy.
Not far ahead, the human was exposed.
The Lizardman's eyes turned bloodshot, his mind locking onto the target. Instead of slowing down, he accelerated, charging toward Sakeer with even greater speed.
The enemy's summoned creature was still in the sky, and the Barghest was nowhere near him—this was the perfect opportunity!
If he could eliminate the human, the powerful summon would vanish on its own!
"Die, outsider!"
"This wetland will be your grave!"
The Lizardman warrior tightened his grip around his axe, his roar filled with savage determination.
Within mere breaths, he had already closed the distance, his axe raised high, ready to strike—
Only to hear—
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, my friend."
Sakeer's calm voice cut through the tension.
The Lizardman hesitated—just for a fraction of a second.
Friend?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Had the human lost his mind out of fear?
The thought barely flickered across his mind before he swung his axe down, intent on cleaving his opponent apart—
But—
"All-Race Charm."
Sakeer's words were soft, yet they carried an undeniable force.
In an instant—
The Lizardman froze mid-swing.
His eyes glazed over, his muscles stiffened, and the overwhelming killing intent in his expression vanished.
"Help me deal with your companions," Sakeer said casually. "And try not to kill them outright. I need them alive."
Without hesitation—
The Lizardman leader nodded.
Then, gripping his axe once more, he turned around—and charged at his own kind.
A chorus of confused roars, panicked shouts, and agonized screams erupted as he mercilessly cut down his fellow Lizardmen, one after another.
Sou!
The Archangel Flame descended from the sky, its radiant wings spreading as it hovered beside Sakeer.
"Is this all of them?" Sakeer asked, glancing at the summoned being.
He hadn't sent the Archangel Flame into the air just to kill the Lizardmen.
No—
He had been surveying the battlefield, searching for hidden threats—other Lizardmen, subhuman species, or even monsters lurking in the shadows.
"Roar."
A deep snarl echoed from the shore.
The Barghest emerged from the mist, its bone chains rattling as it dragged three barely-breathing Lizardmen toward Sakeer.
Thud.
The creatures were dumped at his feet.
The Barghest, its tongue lolling, looked up at Sakeer expectantly—clearly pleased with itself.
Over time, it had come to understand its master's preferences.
Sakeer gave a small smile.
"Good work."
With a flick of his wrist, a magic sword materialized in his palm.
Then—
Without hesitation—
Slash!
The blade cut through the throats of all three Lizardmen.
A spray of blood painted the ground as a notification flashed before his eyes.
+321 XP
+309 XP
+315 XP
Sakeer exhaled, mildly impressed.
"Their strength is about on par with ogres. Not bad for a subhuman race."
On the other side of the battlefield—
The hunting leader, now fully under Sakeer's control, had finished his task.
One by one, the remaining Lizardmen had been cut down, their bodies now littering the ground.
The few conscious survivors, barely clinging to life, were dragged before Sakeer with the rest of the attackers.
Painful groans and angry curses filled the air.
"What are you doing?!" one Lizardman wailed.
"Betrayer! You've turned against your own kin!" another shrieked.
"Leader! Snap out of it!"
But their words meant nothing.
Sakeer's expression remained cold, his magic sword gleaming under the morning light.
A moment later—
He raised his blade.
Slash.
In one swift motion, 15 Lizardmen fell, their blood pooling into the wet soil.
A final notification appeared—
+4680 XP
[Experience Slot: 137,405 / 70,000]
Sakeer exhaled slowly, letting the last traces of battle fade into the stillness of the marsh.
Turning to the hunting leader, Sakeer spoke once more.
"You've done well. Now—tell me about the Four Treasures of the Lizardmen."
His true objective had never been the battle itself.
It was those four legendary artifacts.
Even in the anime and novel, there had been little mention of the treasure stolen by the Twin Witchesof the swamps.
If he could obtain them—who knew what kind of power he could wield?
However—
The answer he received was utterly disappointing.
The hunting leader knew almost nothing.
Not only could he provide only a single name, but he had no idea what the treasures actually did.
Even the other three artifacts, which should have been well-known among the Lizardmen, were shrouded in mystery.
In fact—
Sakeer quickly realized that he probably knew more than this Lizardman did.
The Lizardmen tribes were not only xenophobic—they were also highly secretive, even among their own kind.
They had little contact with outsiders, but what surprised him was how little they communicated even amongst themselves.
Sakeer frowned slightly.
It seemed—if he wanted answers—
He would have to find them himself.
"Forget it. Let's talk about your tribe instead."
Sakeer shook his head and redirected the conversation.
It didn't take long for him to piece together the details from the hunting leader Lizardman's account.
The Small Fang Tribe had a total population of just over 320 Lizardmen. This included:
65 warriors
1 priest
111 combat-capable males
94 combat-capable females
Plus non-combatants—the elderly, women, and children.
Of those, 16 members formed the hunting squad—or rather, they had.
Sakeer raised an eyebrow.
"This is even weaker than I expected."
Despite the Lizardmen's subhuman physique, which gave them an inherent combat advantage, their numbers were far too small.
An average adult Lizardman could easily reach level eight, making them superior to most human soldiers—yet their overall strength was lacking.
In the anime, the five Lizardman patriarchs, along with a group of their warriors, had been able to defeat a powerful undead mage—one who was still under level 30.
This tribe, however, wouldn't stand a chance.
"Take me to your tribe."
Sakeer didn't waste any more time on idle talk.
The Small Fang Tribe was located less than five kilometers away, nestled close to the lake.
As they approached, dozens of wooden houses came into view, simple yet sturdy in design.
At the entrance, two Lizardman warriors stood guard.
The moment they spotted the returning hunter, their eyes lit up.
"Gully! You're back! Did you catch that human—"
One of the guards stepped forward, eager for news.
After all, word of the hunting squad's mission had spread throughout the tribe. Everyone was curious about the mysterious human they were supposed to capture.
However—
Halfway through his sentence, the guard froze.
His gaze landed on Sakeer, followed by the Barghest and the unmistakable Archangel Flame looming behind them.
This wasn't right.
The otherworldly features of Sakeer's companions made it immediately clear—this was no Lizardman.
And yet—
The human walked freely, unbound, without a single sign of captivity.
The second guard frowned, his confusion deepening.
"Gully, where's the rest of the hunting squad?"
Something was wrong.
The hunting party was supposed to return with a captured human—not escort him.
Yet, before the realization could fully settle—
Boom!
Gully, the hunting Lizardman, suddenly lurched forward, his movements swift and unnatural.
The first guard had no time to react before—
Shhhk!
A glint of steel.
The axe sliced clean through his chest, sending him crashing to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
"What are you doing, Gully?!"
The second guard roared in disbelief, his expression twisted with shock.
But—
Sou!
A streak of burning light flashed through the air.
The Archangel Flame had already descended, its Flame Sword swinging down in a blinding arc—
Splitting the Lizardman guard in half.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
A sudden silence fell over the entrance.
Then—
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The screams began.
The Small Fang Tribe was already small.
Such an abrupt attack naturally drew the attention of the nearby Lizardmen.
One by one, more warriors rushed out, their faces filled with confusion and fury.
"Gully! What the hell are you doing?!"
"You killed your own kin!"
"Where's the rest of the hunting squad?!"
The chaotic shouts and cries overlapped as the tribe scrambled to understand what had just happened.
But Sakeer remained unmoved.
Standing at the entrance with the Barghest at his side, he raised his hand and gave a simple command—
"Do it."
Sou!
The Archangel Flame's golden wings flared open.
With a single powerful flap, it launched itself into the crowd.
The Flame Sword swung mercilessly, cutting through one warrior after another.
Each strike claimed a life.
It was a massacre.
With its Lv21 strength, the Archangel Flame was overwhelming against the Lizardmen warriors, who barely reached level ten at best.
Screams filled the air.
Blood splattered across the wooden structures.
The once-peaceful tribe was plunged into chaos and destruction.
Inside one of the larger wooden huts, two figures rushed outside—
One was Sukyu Juju, the Lizardman patriarch.
The other was the tribe's priest, an elderly Lizardman leaning on his staff.
The moment they stepped outside, they were greeted by carnage.
Dead bodies littered the ground.
Flames flickered in the distance.
Their kin's agonized screams echoed through the air.
"Damn you!"
Sukyu Juju's eyes turned bloodshot as rage overtook him.
In a flash, he grabbed the slingshot from his waist, ready to charge into battle—
But before he could take a step,
Thud!
The priest's staff slammed onto the ground.
"Don't be reckless!" the elder's voice trembled.
Sukyu Juju turned, his expression furious, but the old Lizardman's next words made his blood run cold.
"That armored, winged creature—it's an angel."
An angel?
Sukyu Juju froze.
His mind raced.
The hunting squad had been sent out to capture a human summoner.
And now—
The angel was here.
That could only mean one thing.
His worst fear had come true.
The hunt had failed.
"This is a summoned monster, and a powerful one at that. Only third-tier magic users can call upon such a being!" the priest continued.
His voice was strained, his aged hands gripping his staff tightly.
"We must evacuate the clan! This old man will hold it off for now, but I won't last long!"
Sukyu Juju gritted his teeth before giving a sharp nod.
"Understood!"
He darted into the chaos, shouting commands, gathering warriors, and organizing the evacuation of women and children.
Meanwhile, the priest stepped forward, gripping his staff tightly.
"Calm yourselves, all of you!"
He slammed the staff onto the ground.
A pulse of pale green energy spread out, washing over the battlefield.
The surrounding Lizardmen warriors, who had been panicked and confused, suddenly steadied themselves.
The priest raised his voice once more—
"Spread out! Keep your distance! Focus on ranged attacks!"
At once—
Lizardmen warriors armed with bows, slingshots, and makeshift weapons began to fire at the Archangel Flame from all directions.
Those without weapons desperately threw whatever they could—rocks, spears, anything that might slow the invader down.