Chapter 157: Combat Power Calculation, The Great Wine Jug, and Preparations
Under the pitch-black night sky, two dazzling streams of light descended at high speed, appearing above the Dragon Tooth Tribe in an instant.
They illuminated the tribe, which was shrouded in darkness, making it several shades brighter. But it was already late at night, and the lizardmen had long since fallen asleep.
The two guards were dispatched by Su Kui·Zhu Zhu in an instant, which was why the entire Dragon Tooth Tribe failed to react immediately.
In mid-air.
On his left eye, Tang Zheng wore a magical half-frame monocle that granted 'Night Vision' as he gazed down at the lizardman tribe below.
According to Su Kui·Zhu Zhu's information, although the Tribe Leader held the highest status in a lizardman tribe, the Priest Lizardmen in the Elder Council were the most revered.
Therefore, they mostly lived in the deepest part of the tribe, and their wooden cabins were generally more conspicuous than those of ordinary lizardmen.
Using the light emitted by the two Flame Archangels and the 'Night Vision' effect of his magical item, Tang Zheng quickly locked onto several rather prominent wooden cabins in the tribe's depths.
At his mental command.
The two Flame Archangels beat their wings and charged toward a direction away from the wooden cabins suspected of housing the Priest Lizardmen.
Without needing any overly complex maneuvers, relying on the Flame Archangels' own defense and the speed of their dive, they easily smashed through two wooden cabins.
Boom! Boom!
Two loud bangs echoed through the Dragon Tooth Tribe, instantly waking the majority of the sleeping lizardmen.
Especially the lizardmen in those two demolished wooden cabins; before they could even react to what had happened, lightswords burning with flames and a holy aura swung down.
The lizardmen inside the wooden cabins were slain!
Immediately after, the two Flame Archangels charged toward the surrounding wooden cabins, continuing their assault.
A surprise attack!
It was even more successful than anticipated. In just two or three minutes, the lizardmen in several wooden cabins had all been killed by the Flame Archangels.
In an instant, all the lizardmen who rushed out were drawn toward the chaos.
"They're really lax."
"It seems the lizardmen who escaped from the Little Fang Tribe didn't come to the Dragon Tooth Tribe. Instead, they must have gone to the stronger Green Claw Tribe."
Tang Zheng gazed down at the Dragon Tooth Tribe, which had now descended into a noisy, chaotic mess and was only now fully reacting, and spoke softly.
Among the lizardman tribes, only the Priest Lizardmen were somewhat troublesome for Tang Zheng.
Even if those ordinary lizardman warriors were a bit stronger, they didn't pose much of a threat to the Flame Archangels, which were Level 21 and specialized in defense.
At most, they could use their numerical advantage to kill the Flame Archangels.
After all, among the lizardmen, the one hailed as the strongest lizardman warrior, the wielder of the "Frozen Fang," Salius Xia Xia, was only Level 20.
The ordinary lizardman warriors were even lower in level, around eleven or twelve, their overall standard comparable to ogres.
"It's invaders!!"
"Those two monsters..."
"..."
"Help!"
A mixture of terrified, chaotic, and varied cries from the lizardmen intertwined, echoing ceaselessly throughout the tribe.
As the lizardman warriors were drawn and gathered by the two conspicuous Flame Archangels, Su Kui·Zhu Zhu and the Evil Spirit Hound, who were hidden in the shadows, successfully infiltrated the tribe.
They headed straight for the two Priest Lizardmen. Their task was to capture one Priest Lizardman alive; the other one could be killed.
Inside the Dragon Tooth Tribe.
"Die, enemy!" A lizardman warrior wielding a crude greatsword roared as he charged forward, viciously slashing at one of the Flame Archangels.
Clang!
The Flame Archangel casually swung its flame sword to meet the greatsword, creating a shower of sparks.
The force transmitted from the flame sword knocked the lizardman warrior back several steps, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Just as the Flame Archangel prepared to finish off this lizardman warrior...
Swoosh—
A large net flew out from the crowd and enveloped the Flame Archangel, yanking it down forcefully.
"Pull!!" Several roars sounded as the ropes connected to the net tightened, forcibly dragging the Flame Archangel down from the sky.
A dense volley of attacks swiftly rained down.
As the Flame Archangel swung its flame sword to slash the net apart, it killed the nearest lizardman warrior, only to be bombarded by the furious attacks of the remaining lizardman warriors and dissipate into motes of light.
The lizardman crowd cheered. They were just about to swarm the other Flame Archangel when, at that very moment, another stream of light streaked down from the sky!
A brand-new Flame Archangel appeared before all the lizardmen.
The jubilant atmosphere was cut short!
"From start to finish, the archangel lasted ten minutes. No, the actual combat phase was over within five minutes."
Tang Zheng observed the defeated Flame Archangel, glanced at the pocket watch in his hand, and mentally calculated the time.
The Flame Archangels were certainly not weak, but that was in a one-on-one situation. When the number of enemies increased, the Flame Archangels were no longer enough.
At the end of the day!
In terms of combat power calculation, a Flame Archangel was equivalent to a Level 21 warrior that could fly.
And if this group of lizardmen below were converted into a human army, they would be at the level of an elite force!
No!
Tang Zheng remembered that the "Warrior Troop" formed by Gazef had an average level of only around 7, and that was already considered elite within a human army.
This group of lizardman warriors had an average level of over ten. Coupled with the advantages of being a demi-human and their naturally thick skin, they would have to be, at the very least, a fully equipped elite force.
"The advantages of demi-humans really can't be matched by humans." After making the mental calculation, Tang Zheng couldn't help but sigh with emotion again.
"Although there are many lizardman warriors gathered below, the number that can actually engage a Flame Archangel in direct combat probably doesn't exceed ten."
"If one lizardman warrior is equivalent to two elite human soldiers, then by that calculation... twenty elite human soldiers, despite suffering casualties, could take down one Flame Archangel."
Tang Zheng calmly watched the scene below.
Boom!
Another Flame Archangel was destroyed.
Tang Zheng casually crushed a magic scroll, and a new Flame Archangel joined the battlefield.
"Compared to the Little Fang Tribe, the battle at the Dragon Tooth Tribe is indeed more valuable as a reference." Tang Zheng observed the combat below with great focus.
Since the two Priest Lizardmen had not yet arrived, a situation like at the Little Fang Tribe—where the Flame Archangel was merely controlled but not destroyed—would naturally not occur.
The reason the Little Fang Tribe collapsed so quickly was entirely because their Tribe Leader was defeated and their Priest was controlled by Tang Zheng, causing the majority of the lizardman warriors to lose their will to fight.
Additionally.
That old Priest Lizardman seemed to have anticipated the worst-case scenario, having arranged for a portion of the tribe to evacuate in advance.
At least a third of the Little Fang Tribe's members had successfully escaped. This was also related to the fact that Tang Zheng did not pursue them.
These old, weak, sick, and disabled were being left for the future Great Tomb.
The battle at the Dragon Tooth Tribe began to reach a deadlock.
An intangible sense of panic spread among the lizardmen. The Flame Archangels felt no fatigue, no fear, and not even the dread of death.
But the lizardmen did!
They would go to great lengths, even sacrificing several comrades, to finally kill one Flame Archangel, only for a new one to appear in the blink of an eye.
Even now!
No one had figured out what these monsters with wings and armor were, or why they had suddenly appeared in their tribe.
Furthermore, some lizardman warriors had already noticed something was wrong. Why hadn't the two Priest Elders appeared yet?
"Don't be afraid!!"
"The ancestors are watching us! Kill!"
"Wooooh!!"
Just as this atmosphere of panic emerged, a lizardman warrior let out a great roar, rousing the spirits of all the lizardmen.
Unfortunately, this boost in morale didn't last long. As the lizardman warriors once again slew a Flame Archangel, panting heavily with weary faces...
A brilliant radiance descended from the sky again, and a brand-new Flame Archangel made its debut!
Despair...
Fear appeared in the eyes of many lizardman warriors.
They were not afraid of powerful enemies, but against an unknown and seemingly immortal foe, even the most resolute warrior would waver.
Just as the atmosphere dropped to a freezing point!
"The Tribe Leader is dead!"
"The Priests are dead too—"
A terrified, wailing scream came from the deepest part of the tribe, making the hearts of all the lizardman warriors present tremble.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The two Flame Archangels beat their wings and once again charged into the lizardman ranks to begin their slaughter. The defensive line, which had been barely holding, collapsed at this moment.
One lizardman retreated in fear, instantly triggering a chain reaction. The rout began.
High above.
"Looks like it's over."
Tang Zheng watched the utterly routed Dragon Tooth Tribe below, put away the scroll he was holding, and raised his hands to rub his temples.
Eight Flame Archangels!
From the start of the battle until now, a full hour had passed, and Tang Zheng had expended eight Third Tier 'Summon Angel' scrolls.
At the beginning, this group of lizardman warriors could still coordinate perfectly and take down a Flame Archangel in a short time, but as casualties mounted, this high-intensity combat ultimately couldn't be sustained, leading to their current, complete rout.
Early morning.
In the depths of the Dragon Tooth Tribe.
The sole survivor of the two Priest Lizardmen led Tang Zheng to a large, unremarkable-looking vat.
The entire vat was over a meter tall with an opening more than 80 centimeters wide. It was filled with what looked like slightly cloudy wine.
A look of interest appeared on Tang Zheng's face as he sized up the large vat before him.
This was one of the Four Great Treasures of the lizardmen: the 'Great Wine Jug'.
After looking it over a few times, he saw its appearance was indeed somewhat plain. It looked like it was made of pottery, but it was clearly not that material.
"Item Appraisal."
Tang Zheng cast the magic on the jug.
...
Item: Magic Item · Great Wine Jug
Level: High Class (31-40)
Restriction: None
Effect: Can endlessly produce wine.
Description: This is a magical great jug that will produce fine wine anytime, anywhere—of course, only for certain races.
...
"It's actually a High-Class magic item." Tang Zheng was somewhat astonished when he saw the information from the item appraisal.
He hadn't expected this jug, which possessed neither offensive abilities nor any support effects, to have such a high item level.
Curiously, Tang Zheng walked up, ladled out some of the liquid, and sniffed it.
It had a somewhat fruity aroma.
He lowered his head and took a sip. It was astringent and bitter, though the alcohol content wasn't high.
"Doesn't taste good," Tang Zheng gave what he considered a fair evaluation.
"Awoo." The Evil Spirit Hound sniffed, its eyes fixed on the wine with great interest.
Tang Zheng passed the remaining liquid in his hand to the Evil Spirit Hound. "You want to try some too?"
"A soft whimper."
The Evil Spirit Hound responded, extending its tongue to lap up a few mouthfuls. The bone chain on its body rattled slightly, and it couldn't help but wag its tail a few times.
"Looks like you like it a lot." Tang Zheng was a little surprised, then a smile appeared on his face as he reached out and placed a hand on the large jug.
The 'Great Wine Jug' vanished, having been stored in his item box.
This item was indeed not very helpful in combat, but it could have excellent uses in specific scenarios.
For example, in a desert lacking a water source, the 'Great Wine Jug' could be used as an infinite canteen.
"Alright, now tell me about all the magical knowledge in your tribe."
Having acquired a decent magic item, Tang Zheng smiled and turned to the Priest Lizardman beside him.
The reason he had spared the other's life was precisely to learn the magical knowledge passed down within the Dragon Tooth Tribe from it.
As the Priest Lizardman began to explain.
A look of surprise gradually appeared on Tang Zheng's face. The magical knowledge within this tribe was far more extensive than that of the Little Fang Tribe.
This situation was related to the lizardman tribe war from a few years ago. The Dragon Tooth Tribe, which had not participated, had absorbed not only the population of the two defeated lizardman tribes.
"Good, I'll just wait here for the other lizardmen tribes to arrive." After learning about the extensive magical knowledge they possessed, Tang Zheng knew he would likely be staying here for some time.
His gaze swept over his stat panel.
[Experience Slot: 225775/70000]
His experience had already reached over 220,000. According to Tang Zheng's calculations, with the current increase of 10,000 experience per level, he would need 340,000 experience to raise 'Magic Swordsman' to its max level of 5.
He already had over 220,000, so he was still short by about 110,000.
Upper Earth Month, October 12th.
Green Claw Tribe.
The entire room was filled with lizardmen, the atmosphere in the wooden cabin solemn.
All five of the tribe's Priest Lizardmen were gathered, each with a grave expression.
In addition, there was the Hunting Squad leader, Salius Xia Xia, wielder of the "Frozen Fang," and the Tribe Leader's older brother, Xiasiliu Xia Xia, whose strength was no less than the former's and who had also been victorious in several selection trials.
All the major figures in the entire tribe had gathered in this wooden cabin.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat oppressive!
Even now, everyone still found it hard to believe.
The Little Fang Tribe and the Dragon Tooth Tribe were actually wiped out!
That was two tribes.
The weak Little Fang Tribe was one thing; they had suffered the most in the last tribal war and had yet to recover.
But the Dragon Tooth Tribe had over 120 lizardman warriors. In terms of the number of lizardman warriors, they were on par with the Green Claw Tribe.
"Have the people from the Little Fang and Dragon Tooth Tribes been settled?" The oldest Priest Lizardman was the first to speak, breaking the oppressive atmosphere.
(end of chapter)