On this vast, boundless grassland.
There are a total of 12 tribes, each ruled by a Lionfolk, while the more numerous Jackalfoks are completely subservient to the Lionfolk.
This is similar to the superior-subordinate racial relationship between Goblins and Great Goblins.
The strongest of these 12 tribes is the Val Tribe, known as "Red Mane," whose supreme ruler is 「King」 Anriel Putikos Val.
Due to their nomadic governance and unique hunting culture, their overall civilization level is quite low. If compared comprehensively with humans in terms of strength.
In terms of pure martial might.
Upon reaching adulthood, Lionfolk and Jackalfoks are naturally born [Warriors] and [Guerrillas] without needing training, which is an advantage of the demi-human races.
—Lake Rakohas.
This is the largest lake on the plains and the main base of the "Red Mane" Val Tribe. The lake not only provides abundant water and food, but near the eastern shore, there is a rock salt deposit that extends an unknown depth underground, which is one of the tribe's greatest treasures.
By refining salt from this rock salt deposit for consumption, it has become an important way for the Val Tribe to influence other tribes and gain wealth.
「King」 Anriel reclined on a beast-skin rug, one finger thick. He was over 50 years old; while not ancient, he was no longer young.
The vibrant red mane hair on the sides of his face in his youth had now become somewhat yellow at the tips, much like his ambitions were gradually fading.
"My King~"
A captivating, soft voice sounded from his side.
「King」 Anriel opened his mouth, and a plump grape was placed between his teeth. The sweet and sour taste spread across his tongue.
"Hahaha." 「King」 Anriel let out a joyful laugh.
He reached out and embraced his newly acquired 57th concubine beside him. The soft touch made 「King」 Anriel's eyes narrow slightly.
Male and female Lionfolk are extremely easy to distinguish. All males have wild manes, while females only have relatively smooth hair at the back of their heads.
In his youth.
「King」 Anriel preferred stronger lionesses. At the time, he couldn't understand his Father's preferences, but now he finally realized that more delicate lionesses were more comforting.
"How are the other tribes?"
「King」 Anriel asked softly, his eyes half-closed.
"My King, the Third and Seventh Tribes are currently in some dispute, but the number of people dispatched has been kept below twenty."
Beneath the tent, decorated with wild and unrestrained flair, an older Lionfolk respectfully replied in a low voice:
"The other tribes are relatively peaceful."
Peaceful...
Hearing those words.
A glint of ambition and caution flickered in 「King」 Anriel's half-closed eyes. He opened his mouth, and a grape was immediately placed in by his concubine.
The Val Tribe was the strongest among the 12 tribes. Although the other tribes were weaker, they could not be underestimated.
Especially in recent decades, tribal conflicts had significantly decreased, which made 「King」 Anriel feel a subtle unease.
There is a Lionfolk proverb: "A lion licking its wounds is more dangerous than a roaring lion."
「King」 Anriel chewed the grape in his mouth, lost in thought, and the entire air grew quiet.
He had a premonition that the other tribes were accumulating strength, and perhaps in the future, they would challenge the great Val Tribe.
"Should I escalate the conflict between the Third and Seventh Tribes?"
「King」 Anriel pondered silently, unable to make a decision easily.
Just like the grapes he enjoyed eating, these sweet and sour fruits were important products from the Seventh Tribe's territory, but the Val Tribe's land was not suitable for growing them.
To eat more, he had to pay more.
Never mind...
「King」 Anriel dismissed the thought. The current peaceful state among the tribes was quite good; there was no need to break this balance.
As the "King"!
As long as he was alive, the other tribes would not dare to make any moves.
「King」 Anriel opened his mouth again, and the 57th concubine quickly and proactively fed him. While this sweet and sour taste was good, he still preferred meat.
Rumor had it that human meat was the most delicious.
Unfortunately.
There were no humans on this vast grassland at all. It was said that humans once ruled this land.
But they had all been eaten long ago.
「King」 Anriel felt some resentment towards the previous kings and his predecessors, wondering why they didn't raise some.
Bang—
A loud bang and screams could be clearly heard from outside the large tent.
King Anriel's eyes snapped open, his red mane quivering as an imposing aura of majesty and power emanated from him.
Whoosh—
Accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, a Lionfolk guard clad in leather armor rushed in from outside, looking anxious.
"King!"
"Unknown enemies have suddenly intruded into the depths of our tribe," the Lionfolk guard reported, a mixture of shock and anger in his voice.
"Hmm?"
King Anriel's eyes showed surprise.
Who could it be?
Which tribe dared to attack their Val Tribe!
Outside.
Chaos had erupted.
A large number of Lionfolk warriors and Jackalfolk soldiers were rushing from all directions towards the location where the fighting and screams were occurring.
Upon arriving at the enemies' position, everyone was somewhat stunned. They had expected to be attacked by a large force.
But in reality, there were only two enemies!
No... more accurately, it was one person and one beast.
Standing around 2.3 meters tall, with a robust build and a pair of black horns on its head, its bronze-colored, powerful muscles and skin exuded a calm ferocity.
This was a Minotaur!
Most conspicuous was its left arm, which had the metallic texture of aged, verdigris-covered bronze. It was a bronze arm, and in its hand, it held a great axe half a person's height.
And the other was riding a fiery red lizard, over 5 meters long, its skin covered in large and small rough red spots.
At this moment.
This person and beast were wreaking havoc amidst the Jackalfolk encirclement, with no one able to stop their advance.
Fifth Tier Magic Summoning—
Bronze Axe Minotaur (Lv 35)!
Flame Tongue Lizard (Lv 35)!
In the sky above.
Tang Zheng, using the magic "Flight," hovered high in the air, simultaneously activating "Ninjutsu: Concealment" to render himself invisible.
Upon arriving at the Val Tribe's territory, Tang Zheng hadn't directly barged in to scout. After all, they were the most powerful tribe on the entire savanna.
No one could be certain what hidden powers or defenses they might possess.
Therefore.
Tang Zheng decided to use the rarely employed "Summon Magical Beast" for a probing attack.
Both the Bronze Axe Minotaur and the Flame Tongue Lizard possessed the strength of the Hero Domain, making them perfect as a means of testing the waters.
As for summoning two magical beasts simultaneously?
The Fifth Tier skill "Papermaking" could produce 150 sheets of Fifth Tier paper. Twenty sheets could create one scroll, easily allowing for the creation of seven Fifth Tier Magic Scrolls.
These two beasts were summoned using scrolls.
"Aaaargh!!"
"Minotaur?"
"Help!"
"...!"
The Minotaur, riding the Flame Tongue Lizard, charged forward relentlessly, not wasting any time engaging with the surrounding Jackalfolk who tried to intercept it.
It was rapidly heading towards King Anriel's location, its target evidently clear.
"Stop him! His target is the King!" an enraged, high-pitched shout erupted from the crowd in the distance.
Following this command.
Nimble Jackalfolk, using the strength of their powerful lower limbs, sprinted forward to surround the intruders.
"Roar!"
The Bronze Axe Minotaur, facing the wall of Jackalfolk ahead, let out a roar and flung the bronze axe in its hand.
"Bronze Throw!"
Swish!
The bronze axe spun rapidly in mid-air, its sharp blade acting like a meat grinder. Wherever it passed, Jackalfolk were utterly incapable of even slowing it down.
Billows of fresh blood erupted into the air!
The Bronze Axe flew tens of meters away, carving paths of flesh and blood, before circling in mid-air and returning to the Bronze Axe Minotaur's hand.
"Hiss~"
The Flame Tongue Lizard flicked its fiery red tongue. Its four thick, short legs churned, and its bulky body nimbly carried the Minotaur as it charged forward over corpses.
With a single axe strike.
Fifty to sixty Jackalfolk died instantly, shocking everyone who had rushed here from all directions.
Such terrifying power clearly exceeded the expectations of all the Jackalfolk and Lionfolk present!
"A bunch of trash!"
A roar echoed from the distant crowd. In an instant, several Jackalfolk were blasted away. A crimson figure shot out rapidly: "Get out of my way."
This was a burly Lionfolk, also wielding a great axe and clad in leather armor.
Due to the scarcity of ores and craftsmen in the "Raselud" Tribal Nation, defensive gear that required large amounts of metal, such as armor, was extremely rare.
"It's 'Blood Axe' Aug!" a voice filled with excitement called out.
The crowd, previously stunned by the immense power displayed by the Bronze Axe Minotaur, now showed renewed anticipation.
"Which surrounding country are you from!"
"How dare you attack the great Val Tribe! Are you declaring war on us!"
'Blood Axe' Aug, holding his axe in one hand, roared loudly as he ran. His red mane flew in the air, exuding an aura of arrogance and dominance:
"You arrogant Minotaur, I'll sever your head and use your skull as a toothpick polisher!"
Boom!
The ground trembled.
"Bone Shattering Heavy Slash!"
'Blood Axe' Aug stomped on the ground with both feet, leaping high into the air. The crude great axe in his hands, coupled with his powerful physique, descended like a falling meteorite, striking ferociously.
The axe blade cut through the air, creating a gust of wind!
The Bronze Axe Minotaur looked up, its bronze arms bulging slightly as it swung upwards in return.
Dong!
The blades of the two heavy weapons collided, a piercing explosion erupting in the air, instantly generating dazzling sparks.
Waves of air surged.
"What strength."
'Blood Axe' Aug's face suddenly turned red. He was sent flying backward in mid-air, and after landing, he took four or five steps back before regaining his balance.
"Bronze Throw!"
The Bronze Axe Minotaur's expressionless face remained unchanged as it once again hurled the bronze axe towards the enemy.
Boom!
A shrill cry tore through the air.
'Blood Axe' Aug, still catching his breath, saw the incoming axe and his expression changed. He quickly raised his great axe to block.
With a "bang."
A fierce, immense force surged through his arm.
"Ah, ah—"
'Blood Axe' Aug's eyes widened in horror as he let out a scream and was sent flying again.
And as the Bronze Axe Minotaur threw its axe.
A figure hidden within the crowd suddenly darted out, like a hunter who had waited for a long time, appearing behind the Bronze Axe Minotaur.
"Mobile Interception!"
This was a slender Jackalfolk, a head taller than an ordinary Jackalfolk, resembling an assassin.
Clang!
The crisp sound of metal striking metal echoed.
The dagger in the Jackalfolk's hand stabbed into the Bronze Axe Minotaur's back, near the heart. It plunged about an inch before getting stuck.
A solid resistance.
The Jackalfolk was momentarily stunned, seemingly surprised that the Minotaur's body was as hard as stone.
"The Bronze Axe Minotaur is a monster with a relatively singular attack pattern. As the prefix 'Bronze' suggests, it possesses skin defense comparable to metal.
Among summoned creatures of the same level, it is considered a fairly competent tank.
'Tail Strike!'"
"Hiss—"
The Flame Tongue Lizard swung its tail, sending the Jackalfolk assassin flying.
In just a moment, two strong individuals from the Val Tribe were easily defeated, and an atmosphere of panic spread through the crowd.
At this moment!
King Anriel, clad in a majestic red cloak, appeared at the edge of the battlefield, his face grim as he watched the scene ahead.
"A Minotaur?"
King Anriel's eyes flickered with surprise. He had initially thought they were under attack from another tribe, but he hadn't expected the attackers to be Minotaurs, an alien race.
What in the world was going on?
What King Anriel couldn't understand the most right now was how the opponent had suddenly appeared in the heart of their territory.
"Old Priest, I'll trouble you. It would be best to capture them alive."
King Anriel's gaze was solemn as he turned to a Lionfolk Priest beside him. The priest was covered in various runes, wore stone decorations on his head, and had white patterns painted on his face. He gave the order.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Lionfolk Priest nodded respectfully and strode forward. After the third step, his normal gait transformed into a leaping posture.
Clink, clink, clink!
Rustle—
The decorations on the Lionfolk Priest's body collided incessantly, emitting dense, light sounds. These sounds merged to form a strange sound wave.
"Awooo—Awooo—"
The Lionfolk Priest opened his mouth and let out strange intonations. He pulled out a slender bone from his right hand, which looked like it belonged to a Jackalfolk.
"Ancestral Spirit's Blessing"
Invisible magical energy waves spread out.
Wherever they passed, the originally dull or sickly green eyes of the Jackalfolk gradually turned a frenzied crimson.
"Waa!!"
"Waa, waa, waa!"
Howls devoid of reason intersected in the air.
All the Jackalfolk charged at the Bronze Axe Minotaur like madmen.
In mid-air.
"A Shaman class?" Tang Zheng crossed his arms, his gaze calm as he looked at the information appearing on his Attribute Panel.
"Blood Axe" Aug, Jackalfolk Assassin, Lionfolk Priest, and that King Anriel!
"Four demi-humans who have stepped into the Hero Domain. The intelligence I gathered earlier only mentioned three. They've been hiding one all along."
Tang Zheng's gaze swept over the figures below, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Just one tribe has four individuals in the Hero Domain. I underestimated these demi-humans a bit."
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