-Chhum. Chhum. Chhum.

He walked through the long cave and reached the second last battlefield.

A big open area reminiscent of a swamp. A wide open part of the cave with countless bioluminescent creatures ranging from water creatures, flowers, and grass, to the algae on the rocks, filled this place.

The water was a bit greenish, but there were small glowing organisms in the water, so the water was glowing.

The glowing water was illuminating the whole area and the carefully walking boy was one of the things that gained even greater beauty because of this.

His gold-like hair shone in the dark of the natural lights, his sharp, ruby-red eyes staring at the only big creature in this vast, open water area.

[[ He's biiiiiig~! ]]

'No, she didn't say that. She meant the creature is big.'

He nodded at his brilliant companion with a smile as they looked at the faraway creature standing in the middle of this place.

It was a genuinely big place but, the creature standing in the center was actually a three-meter-tall humanoid creature standing on his two strong legs.

His body was covered with hard green scales, his face was like an alligator, and there was a thick long tail on his back. His crossed long teeth shown out on his mouth also looked ferocious.

The sharp eyes of this lizardman were reminiscent of a true worrier. And the big forearms of the scale-covered being looked rock solid even from this distance.

This was a big creature, but even after that, it wouldn't take great insight to tell that the creature was more agile than it looked.

His whole aerodynamic body made for quick movements, stronger legs, great affinity with water, and the innate agility of the species, as well as the strange necklace surrounded by dense wind mana, was enough to show just how great its strength would be.

The creature was strong, but strength wasn't his greatest asset. It was the high agility, vitality, and wild survival instincts of the creature.

'He is a lizardman... a warrior in true meaning, too.'

[[ *It would be a waste to kill him.* ]]

'Right? Let's just take him.'

[[ "It would be difficult though. Check his status window. He's an impressive one that could grow pretty well, but the reason he is like that must be because of some one-sided threat of that evil spirit, right? He looks strong so I don't think the evil spirit would have just taken him here like those povpoi.

He is a warrior... but there is also a restriction on his neck.

It would be a good idea to take him.

He is intelligent and experienced too.* ]]

'Hmmm... I think so too.'

His eyes had turned blue a moment ago, and that much was enough to give him a detailed idea of the strengths of the creature before them.

This one was a smart and strong creature. A big lizard that had a strong tail and high agility.

The great skills it possessed as a warrior of mid (Blue) rank were also amazing~.

============

[Green lizardman worrior]

Strength: 144The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0/v3l-B1n.

Dexterity: 108

Stamina: 125

Magic Power: 135

Intelligence: 78

[Skills: Heroic senses, Stone armor body, Territory boost, Weapon mastery, Gator jaws, Battle adaptation, Advanced stamina recovery, Learning, Leading qualities, Warrior's will, Berserk, Evolution. ]

---> A warrior with great potential to become a high creature.

---> Its strength is clear just from these stats and skills and the first skill... it's a rare innate skill.

---> This one is a special warrior. Its ability to learn and grow makes him stand out even more.

---> It can use weapons, fight and grow during its fight with tough opponents.

---> He can also lead large numbers of worriers. His large will to devote himself to the fights and clear goals makes him a tough opponent.

---> As an enemy, he is highly dangerous, but as an alley, he would be a great help.

---> ...go get him.

============

He was looking at the warrior with an observing gaze and a small smile.

They were far away from the creature right now, but his third eye was there so he can analyze the creature thoroughly.

He already knew just how much strong this warrior was as well as what the special-looking necklace around his neck was.

It definitely was a good artifact that increased his movement speed with wind elemental Mana, granting him a rare skill called (Free steps), but this special-looking necklace... was a cursed artifact.

The wearer couldn't take it off themselves and they have to follow the absolute order of the master of the curse.

It wasn't a curse that one could perceive even with heroic senses, so it was explainable how he was here, even with that strength.

'Well... it also means that evil spirit is more dangerous than we thought.'

They had already deducted some facts from what information they had until now.

First of all, the evil spirit had exceptional skills that could produce undead, so ultimately, the evil spirit was a necromancer.

Second, the evil spirit could use powerful curses that are powerful enough that could even affect a mage with an elder's qualifications.

Third, that evil spirit is smart enough to 'use' weaker creatures and dominate them through power, intelligence, and schemes.

Ultimately, the opponent was very tough, and they had to be careful of it.

But at least, this warrior was different.

He had his will intact. And as a warrior of the great lizardman race, he must be bound by some cultural norms.

Warriors respected the strong, they enjoyed fighting with the stronger, and the loss meant a boost in motivation to get stronger.

But there was still one thing that all warriors had in common... they respected their opponent and took pleasure in the 'fair' fights.

They also only challenged worthy to a duel. The ones they acknowledged. And this was true to any clan's warrior.

This lizardman, a prominent one with the qualifications of evolution, was also a worrier to the heart.

But right now, he was just trapped here. In this undergraduate cave. With nothing more than a vast mushy plane. And this water-filled ground.

He was alone. He had been alone, without any fights, without any excitement for a very long time.

Maybe he was lonely too...

It was regrettable to see a warrior in this state. And he was his opponent, too. So he had to do something.

If he can't get the warrior itself, he at least had to free him from his current misery.

So he finished his observation and started walking toward the opponent.

His goal here was to get through him and reach the other side of the place, where there was a cave leading to the maze full of traps.

He had to defeat this creature anyway, so it would be better if he got him as a whole and not just the necklace artifact, his sword, and his dead body.

The chances of getting a core or skill stone of a high-ranking intelligent creature like this one were low anyway, so he was even more adamant about taking the risk.

He walked through the water, his partner weapon Asta in his hand, and eyes sharp.

He was approaching the lizardman warrior and, in normal circumstances, the warrior would have rushed forward as soon as the boy walked into his field of senses.

But the big warrior with sharp green eyes just stood there, in his place, not moving an inch... as if frozen.

He was the possessor of heroic senses, an extremely rare skill that very few creatures were born with.

His senses were so sharp he could tell how many scales a fish swimming a hundred meters away from him would have.

He could gauge his opponent's strength just by looking at them. Maybe even before he looked at them.

He could tell what creatures were called strong and as a worrier who respected the strong... he knew that the opponent standing before him... wasn't something he could easily face.

He couldn't even measure the level of his opponents even though the small humanoid child-like being had almost reached him.

He was approaching from the front, even though he knew it was more than foolish.

It was definitely ludicrous that his small opponent wasn't even fearing his enormous size and was just walking from the front as if the big lizardman was just a small fly.

The warrior should have already killed this small intruder by now. He was more than capable of obliterating a group of small opponents like this one.

But he didn't attack.

He didn't even dare move from his place at this moment.

His sharp green eyes were filled with confusion as he looked at the two red eyes shining from the reflecting blue light of the water.

All six of his senses were telling him to not make a single wrong move or he will be killed on the spot. Fear, more ferocious than the time he last met that bastard evil spirit, filled the surface of his heart.

His opponent was also only a small creature. Almost smaller than the children of their race.

But the way even his extreme senses couldn't precisely guess the extent of his powers..

He looked weak, but he was anything but weak.

The long weapon in his hand was even more mysterious. Something like a needle, but also something that shook his sickle-covered skin.

He knew this weapon could easily pierce through his body, absolutely neglecting his passive defense.

It would be difficult for him, he knew... but as a warrior, this was more exhilarating for this lizardman than his absolute duty to fend off any intruder.

He had to follow his so-called duty, defeat the intruder, and get back to his eternal life of solitude.

That was the only way for him to survive, get his revenge, and someday get back to his kind.

He had to defeat this intruder, and for that, even though his senses denied it, he will have to defeat this small intruder.

He had to do it... he must...

But before he could start moving and attacking the intruder, the intruder who was standing just before him started doing something.

He was just standing still for a moment after reaching him, but when he moved, the thing he did actually shocked the lizardman.

The boy first touched the surface of the water, then tapped his thighs, made a fist with his right hand, tapped it on his heart, opened his left palm, and splashed the water...

Then he moved his wet palm on his chest. From right to left and at last... slammed his palm on his chest while speaking in a language the big lizardman wasn't expecting to hear from a small intruder...

[< "Axion, a mage archer of the human race, greets the great warrior lizardman." >]

[< You...! >]

The small intruder greeted him with the traditional greeting of his kind. He spoke in a language only their kind could... and he was so perfect with his greeting that the big lizardman, a creature three times bigger than the boy, could not believe what he had just seen... or heard.