Bang! Boom!
A barrage of crude weapons—stones, wooden clubs, and anything the Lizardmen could throw—pounded against the Archangel Flame's body, landing with dull thuds.
Yet—
For a being designed for both offense and defense, such attacks were nothing more than an annoyance.
Unfazed, the Archangel Flame delivered a final, decisive strike, cutting down the last remaining warrior directly in front of it.
Then, with a flick of its head, its piercing gaze swept over the swarming Lizardmen still surrounding it.
With a powerful flap of its bright silver wings, the Archangel Flame raised its Flame Sword, locked onto the densest group of enemies, and prepared to strike again.
"Plant Entanglement!"
The voice of the elderly Lizardman priest rang out. He had been watching the battle closely, anticipating the Archangel Flame's next move.
At his command, the earth trembled.
In an instant, thick vines burst from the ground, snaking through the air at incredible speed.
They wrapped tightly around the Archangel's feet, restricting its movements, forcing it closer to the ground.
More vines sprouted and coiled, rapidly winding up its body, intent on immobilizing it completely.
Swish!
With a swift motion, the Archangel Flame swung its Flame Sword, slicing through the tangled growth—
But the vines regenerated almost instantly, binding it even tighter.
"Now! Attack!"
The old priest gritted his teeth, sweat forming between the scales on his forehead as he poured all his energy into maintaining the spell.
Hearing the signal, two Lizardman warriors at the perimeter exchanged glances, their eyes filled with grim determination.
Then—
They charged.
Using the vines for leverage, they stomped the ground hard, launching themselves into the air toward the Archangel Flame's back.
With a loud roar, they latched onto its wings, gripping them tightly.
Their sudden assault signaled the others—
One by one, more warriors rushed forward, piling onto the Archangel Flame, forcing it further into the ground.
A chorus of cheers and shouts erupted from the Lizardmen.
"We got him!"
"This damn creature!"
"Kill it! Tear it apart!"
"It slaughtered our kin!"
Encouraged by the sight of their foe finally subdued, the Lizardmen erupted in a mix of triumph and rage.
But amidst the uproar—
The old priest remained cautious.
Despite his relief, he knew this wasn't over.
"Hold it down, but do not kill it!"
His hoarse voice cut through the chaos.
The warriors who had pinned the Archangel Flame hesitated for a moment, confused.
"Priest, why?!"
The old priest steadied his breath, his body trembling slightly from the strain of maintaining the spell.
"Summoned creatures do not die the way we do!"
His words carried a weight of experience.
"If we slay it now, the summoner can simply call it back again. But as long as it remains in battle, the caster cannot dismiss it or summon another!"
The warriors exchanged uncertain glances, but they obeyed—continuing to restrain rather than kill the summoned being.
Outside the Small Fang Tribe's gates—
Sakeer stood, flanked by his Barghest and the hunting leader Lizardman, Gully.
From his vantage point, he watched the unfolding battle with a mixture of intrigue and mild surprise.
"So, the Lizardman priest has more tricks up his sleeve than I expected."
By raw strength alone, no one in this tribe should have been able to contend with the Archangel Flame.
Yet—
Through sheer numbers and clever tactics, they had managed to momentarily subdue him.
"At lower levels, numerical advantage can compensate for a lack of raw power. This is an interesting test case."
Sakeer's lips curled into a faint smile.
Then—
Sou!
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
A black shadow streaked toward him with alarming speed.
In a split second, Sakeer's eyes narrowed.
The hunting Lizardman standing beside him reacted instantly, moving to shield his master.
Bang!
The projectile struck Gully's left arm with a sickening crack—
A burst of blood mist filled the air as the entire arm was severed, flying off into the dirt.
Yet—
Even as he suffered such a devastating injury, Gully's expression remained eerily calm, his face blank, his body still.
Sakeer's gaze flickered downward.
The projectile had finally lost momentum and dropped to the ground.
A simple pebble.
Sakeer's brow arched slightly.
"Impressive. A mere stone, thrown with enough force to sever an arm."
His eyes lifted toward the culprit—
A Lizardman stood opposite him, his thin, wiry frame covered in egg-yellow scales, his body dotted with dark yellow spots.
Unlike his kin, his build was lighter, almost delicate.
But in his hands—
He held a slingshot.
"What did you do to Gully, human?!"
The newcomer's voice was filled with rage and disbelief, his burning gaze locked onto the hunting leader Lizardman—the same warrior who had once fought alongside him, now standing motionless at Sakeer's side.
Blood still dripped from Gully's severed limb, pooling onto the ground.
Yet he didn't react—he simply stood there, as if completely detached from his own suffering.
Sakeer let out a soft chuckle.
"Haven't you figured it out?"
His voice was calm, almost amused.
"He's my partner now."
A flicker of recognition flashed through his eyes as he examined his opponent more closely.
This one's different.
His unique skin pattern, his slight yet deadly precision—there was no doubt.
This was Sukyu Juju, patriarch of the Small Fang Tribe.
Sakeer had heard of him before.
Compared to the patriarchs of other Lizardman tribes, Sukyu Juju's weapon of choice—a slingshot—stood out in stark contrast.
It was unconventional.
It was almost laughable.
Yet, Sakeer knew better than to underestimate it.
If he recalled correctly—
Sukyu Juju was the only tribal patriarch who had not been resurrected by the Bone King.
His corpse had been too badly damaged by Cocytus' magic—so much so that even the lowest-tier resurrection item couldn't restore him.
The Bone King hadn't seen the need to waste a higher-tier resurrection on mere Lizardmen.
And so—
Sukyu Juju stayed dead.
Or at least, he was supposed to.
Sukyu Juju's grip tightened around his slingshot, the leather creaking under the pressure.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the rage burning within him.
Then, he bowed his head slightly and spoke loudly, voice steady yet strained.
"As the patriarch of this tribe, I offer you my apology, human."
"The hunters who fell in battle were your doing, and it appears you have suffered no injury in return. Even now, our warriors continue to die by your hand."
"Their deaths should be sufficient to appease your anger. And so, once more—I apologize, human powerhouse."
His every word tasted like ash in his mouth.
A warrior kneeling before an enemy—it was a disgrace.
But—
As the tribe's leader, he had a duty beyond his own pride.
The priest elders had analyzed the human standing before him.
The human before him was likely a powerful magic user, capable of wielding third-tier spells.
And unlike warriors, magic users had a habit of bending reality in ways that were impossible to predict.
More than that—
The strange control he had over Gully, the once-proud hunting Lizardman now standing motionless by his side—
That was true terror.
If they fought, even if they emerged victorious—
The cost in lives would be too high.
"I know you're stalling for time," Sakeer said casually.
Without waiting for a response, he bent down, picking up the severed arm of the hunting Lizardman beside him.
Placing it back against the bleeding stump—
He pulled out a small vial filled with a deep red liquid and poured it over the wound.
The reaction was instantaneous.
Sukyu Juju's pupils widened in shock.
Before his very eyes—
The torn flesh knitted itself back together, muscle and bone reforming at an impossible speed.
In just a blink, the arm was whole again.
Sakeer tilted his head, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.
"You see…"
He glanced toward Sukyu Juju, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"In a hunt, the line between predator and prey is always shifting.
You thought you were hunting me—"
He chuckled, straightening up.
"But how do you know I wasn't hunting you?"
His voice was light, almost playful—yet it carried an unmistakable edge.
Then—
With a slight smirk, he added:
"Don't be fooled just because I summon angels."
"I'm not a good person."
Step. Step. Step.
Footsteps echoed through the tense air.
The old Lizardman priest approached, flanked by a group of warriors.
His gaze locked onto Sukyu Juju.
"Do you still intend to fight?"
His voice was rough, aged, yet still carried an authority that demanded an answer.
The warriors behind him gripped their weapons, waiting for the signal.
"Human!"
The priest's voice hardened.
"Your summoned angel is under our control. Your strongest weapon is no longer yours."
He raised his staff, magic humming faintly at its tip.
"Leave our tribe at once!"
The air crackled.
Agility Boost!
The spell surged through Sukyu Juju's body.
His limbs lightened. His movements sharpened.
Without hesitation—
"Attack!"
His command roared through the battlefield.
The slingshot in his hands snapped back—
A stone whistled through the air, hurtling toward Sakeer.
And with that signal—
Dozens of Lizardman warriors charged.
Bang!
A snarl tore through the air.
The Barghest lunged forward, the bone chains wrapped around its body clashing with the incoming projectile.
A sharp clink echoed as stone met chain.
Sakeer exhaled lightly, watching the warriors swarm toward him.
"Tch. I really should learn some large-scale attack spells."
His fingers twitched.
Then—
His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Besides, who told you—"
A blinding flash of white light erupted beside him.
"—that I can only summon one angel?"
A newArchangel Flame emerged, its divine aura rolling over the battlefield in waves.
The charging Lizardmen froze, bodies stiffening instinctively under the overwhelming holy presence.
"Go."
At Sakeer's simple command—
Boom!
The Archangel Flameshot forward, its Flame Sword cleaving through the Lizardmans in a single sweep.
Blood gushed, painting the ground in crimson.
A dozen warriors fell in an instant.
The metallic scent of spilled blood filled the air.
The old priest's face was drained of color.
He staggered back, eyes wide in horror.
"Impossible…!"
His voice trembled.
"Bastard!!"
Sukyu Juju's eyes burned red with fury.
With a powerful kick, he launched himself away from his previous position—
Even as he moved, his slingshot fired off round after round, each stone blurring through the air like bullets.
"Meteor Shot!"
"Silent Strike!"
The projectiles tore through the battlefield, striking from all directions as Sukyu Juju moved at blinding speed.
Sakeer's gaze flickered.
A single word flashed in his mind as he read the status panel before him.
"Ranger."
A profession he had never encountered before.
Interesting.
Without hesitation—
Sakeer commanded the hunting leader Lizardman to spread its arms, using its broad body as a shield.
Let them believe he was a magic caster.
Let them think they understood his abilities.
Because in the end—
Sakeer wasn't here to slaughter Lizardmen.
He was here for something far more valuable.
Their knowledge.
Their magic.
Their skills.
And if the Bone King's people came sniffing around later?
Well—
A little misinformation never hurt.