The warrior led them deeper into the Blackroot Forest at a slow pace and finally reached where there was open land inside the forest.
The buildings' structure could be said to be almost the same as the previous Ragh'Tal Tribe's, but their attire was completely different, as they wore dark leather, and most of their faces were partially concealed with masks.
In front of the gate, six people stood leisurely, with most of them showing calm expressions except for one person, who had a somewhat unpleasant and angry expression.
Ash stopped at a distance, making the others from his group stop their track too.
The 3rd Rank Warrior who led them stopped and tilted his head with confusion. "What are you doing?"
Ash ignored him, raising an eyebrow at Old Ni and Kargan. "You two should be more than enough to deal with them, right?"
They only smiled faintly in response.
"Old Ni, remember our purpose…" Ash reminded him with a serious expression, then continued with a smile. "You can do whatever you want with their tribe lord, but don't go too far with the others."
"Don't worry, Tribe Lord." Old Ni chuckled lightly.
Then, he walked slowly with a wide grin as he looked at the man who had an unpleasant expression.
"What are you talking about?" The 3rd Rank Warrior knitted his eyebrows.
"Move." Old Ni snorted, unsheathing his sword as his gaze was still at the same man.
The 3rd Rank Warrior sensed something was amiss and looked at his tribe lord, asking for instruction.
However, before he could get the answer, his attention was shifted to Old Ni.
"It's good that you're still alive." Old Ni smiled viciously, passed by the 3rd Rank Warrior, and ignored him.
"Stop him!" The tribe lord frowned.
The 3rd Rank Warrior who led them immediately moved his hand extremely fast, throwing a few needles at once.
The poison needles whistled through the air.
In response to the attack, Old Ni didn't even turn around as he merely tilted his head slightly and slid his sword behind his back in a lazy motion.
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
Every needle was deflected cleanly, falling into the dirt behind him.
Before the six 3rd Rank warriors from the Varkesh Tribe could even process what had happened—
Boom!
Kargan vanished and appeared instantly in front of the 3rd Rank Warrior who had thrown the needles. His fist drove straight into the man's stomach with explosive force.
The sound was like a boulder smashing into wet clay.
The 3rd Rank Warrior's eyes bulged as all the air in his lungs was violently expelled. His body folded in half before being launched dozens of meters away, smashing through roots and underbrush until he finally crashed into a tree and slid limply to the ground.
The six people standing before the gate froze. None of them had seen Kargan move.
Their pupils shrank as disbelief could be seen in their expressions. Even the most composed among them stiffened, instinctively retreating half a step.
The Varkesh Tribe Lord, who stood at the front, narrowed his eyes.
He spoke in a low voice with a disbelief expression as he looked at Kargan. "There's no way…. He has reached the 4th Rank?"
Old Ni chuckled softly.
"What about being a 4th Rank Warrior?" He turned his head slightly, a faint smile curving his lips. "It's not that impressive anyway."
Boom!
A pressure like a heavy boulder crashing down exploded outward from Old Ni's body.
His aura surged violently, carrying the unmistakable strength of a fully established 4th Rank Warrior.
The six warriors' faces immediately turned solemn. The Tribe Lord's pupils constricted sharply, as his breathing hitched for a split second.
Old Ni slowly raised his sword, pointing it at the Tribe Lord.
Then, he smiled viciously and said. "It's time to settle our debt, don't you think?"
The Tribe Lord's expression hardened. For a split second, uncertainty flickered across his face before it vanished.
"We can still kill them, don't worry." He snorted coldly. "Let them experience our true poison."
"Yes, Tribe Lord!" The other five 3rd Rank Warriors answered in unison.
They moved at once as thicker needles were drawn, their tips glistening with dark liquid. With such precision, they threw them forward, sealing off Old Ni's angles of movement as their trajectories overlapped .
Old Ni's sword flickered.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Each strike was minimal, the blade intercepting the needles as if swatting insects. The poison-tipped projectiles shattered or were redirected harmlessly into the ground.
Then the formation shifted as they spread out instantly, forming a wide arc.
This time the needles flew again and small throwing knives followed behind them, spinning silently through the shadows.
There were so many of them that even Old Ni couldn't intercept everything.
One small needle slipped through the gaps and struck his chest.
The Varkesh Tribe Lord's lips curled upward immediately. "That's our strongest paralysis poison."
Then, he laughed for a moment and continued. "Your body will stop responding soon and you won't even be able to lift that sword."
Old Ni glanced down calmly. He deliberately plucked the needle from his chest slowly and let it fall to the ground.
Then, he shrugged with a mocking smile. "Do you really think I'd come here unprepared?"
The Varkesh Tribe Lord's laughter died instantly.
Old Ni lifted his gaze, his eyes sweeping across the warriors behind the gate.
"Let's cut to the chase." He said casually. "Everyone except him—stand still. I'm only here for your Tribe Lord. I won't involve the innocent."
The Tribe Lord's face twisted.
"Kill them!" He roared. "Even if it takes drowning them in poison!"
At his command, figures began to emerge from the shadows.
Dozens of 2nd Rank Warriors appeared atop roots, behind trees, along elevated branches.
Without hesitation, they unleashed a storm of hidden weapons such as needles, darts, small knives—all soaked in poisons.
Most of them targeted Old Ni and Kargan.
Old Ni stepped forward calmly, sword flashing in tight arcs as he deflected the majority of the attacks.
He didn't bother dodging everything as small needles struck his arms, his shoulder, his side but his expression never changed since these attacks were nothing for him anyway.