The iron-forged trident struck fiercely against the shadowy figure's chest, only to be deflected into the air. It spun several times before landing with a thud, burying itself deep into the ground a dozen meters away.
Robdia's grip went numb, his hand tingling painfully. What kind of armor was this silent foe wearing that was harder than a deep-sea turtle shell? This was defying all reason! With reason abandoned, he roared, grabbing the shadowy figure's arm and opening his massive fish mouth.
Crunch—
It wasn't the opponent's arm that broke; it was his own sharp teeth. Robdia's head buzzed, unable to feel pain as the world spun around him. Blood rushed up from within, and from the shattered roots of his teeth, a strange numbness spread from his jaw, extending up his face until his massive fish eyes began to roll.
Then, a piercing pain shot through him like a fuse igniting explosives in his head, followed by a guttural scream as he choked, echoing through the air.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Meanwhile, Kent was lost in some sort of delighted surprise.
As he blocked the enemy, the satisfaction points from the system's Water Flow shot up sharply.
Satisfaction from Water Flow, +100.
Though only once, the satisfaction was maxed out.
Water Flow, now kneeling on the ground, could hardly believe it. The battle was intense, and yet our Kent… was zoning out.
All she saw was the enraged fish-man head charging at her.
Then, the figure in black armor stepped forward.
Like a mountain, he blocked the fish-man head from reaching her.
That desperate attack landed without being evaded but was taken head-on.
Was it… to protect her?
A strange tremor stirred in Water Flow's heart.
Then… survival was possible.
Her tense spirit relaxed, and as darkness took over her vision, she saw the faint outline of a red sun.
Robdia's widened fish eyes saw only this black-armored figure gripping his throat with one hand, while in the other, he held a smoky…
Stone jar?
"You think you can touch this woman?" the armored figure spat with venom.
"What?" Robdia nearly choked.
Flames emerged from the stone jar, exuding the stench of death.
"The Demon's Fire Words?" Robdia's eyes widened in shock. "How is this possible—"
Flames engulfed him.
Boom—
"Ahhhhh!" Robdia screamed in agony, rolling on the ground, slapping at the flames that clung to his body and head. Yet, all efforts were futile.
The remaining Deep Dwellers, already scattered by the assault from the guard squad, watched as their leader was consumed by magical flames, twisting into a charred corpse. Their resolve shattered, and they fled toward the river in panic, only to be chased down by the guards. Only two or three fish-men escaped into the water, disappearing from sight.
Kent, panting slightly, felt a surge of relief. Rushing in to play the hero hadn't exactly factored in whether he could actually face off with that fish-man. Fortunately, the enchanted black armor held up well…
This female hero… wait, why did she faint?
All around, hundreds upon hundreds of Cave Dwellers knelt in waves.
"Lord Envoy!" Haka Chak knelt at the front, raising his hands and shouting, "Haka Chak pledges to follow you!"
"Lukak will follow too!" another joined.
"And me!" Luqik, a little late, quickly chimed in.
In the system, satisfaction points from the Cave Dwellers flooded in, filling the screen.
Kent removed his helmet, momentarily confused by the repeated cries of "Lord Envoy" from Haka Chak. But as several Cave Dweller chiefs swore their allegiance, a spark lit up in his mind.
Indeed…
He had been worrying for days about the lack of population in Spearhead Territory, which was limiting the growth of industry and agriculture.
This scene offered great insight.
While population was limited, absorbing other nearby tribes—even those from other races—was an option.
Cave Dwellers might lack combat skills, but they had high birth rates, minimal requirements for food and shelter, and tremendous adaptability, making them ideal for cheap labor.
With a population boost, establishing early, labor-intensive industry would be within reach…
He grinned.
Seeing that eerie smile on Kent's face, Splitting Blade had a bad feeling; what bizarre plan was the young master cooking up now?
As expected…
Kent said, "Haka Chak, I'll take you somewhere to get familiar with the route. Soon, you can consider moving…"
…
A cyclical wind blew from the distant northeast, rustling the forest as the midday sun cast a soft golden sheen over the endless canopy, creating an aura of peace and tranquility. The wind swept across the Red River, causing the waist-high, yellowing sword grass to sway as the guard squad's wagon rumbled by.
Leaving the Cave Dwellers' territory, the Spearhead Valley loomed ahead.
Now, three single-axle carts, originally loaded with cargo, were heaped with war spoils from the Deep Dweller squad. The three chiefs of the Cave Dwellers, sitting tall on horseback as drivers, trotted forward, their minds filled with dreams of a promising future.
Haka Chak's plan was straightforward: although the fish-men and Cave Dwellers were distant kin, the relationship was limited, with the fish-men always regarding Cave Dwellers with condescension and disdain.
He was well aware of this.
After all, Cave Dwellers might be slow-witted but were no fools.
This time, the Lord Envoy's men had completely wiped out the visiting Deep Dweller squad, an unexpected turn that left the Cave Dwellers with no retreat.
The Lord Envoy's effortless use of divine punishment fire to turn Robdia into a charred fish head left every Cave Dweller, whether witnessing it firsthand or not, cowering on the ground, too afraid to stand.
This led Haka Chak to a realization: the Cave Dwellers had to earnestly face one truth—
They had to cling to the Lord Envoy.
Cling tightly to the Lord Envoy's support, never letting go.
Only by doing so could they secure a future for the Cave Dwellers in the event of fish-man retaliation.
With considerable effort, Haka Chak managed to convince Luqik and Lukak, who only half-understood his intentions.
Clinging to support wasn't too complicated. Didn't the Lord Envoy own three wagons?
As the former… well, custodians of these wagons, Haka Chak felt responsible and obliged to solve the need for drivers. With Luqik and Lukak, along with himself, they fulfilled this requirement perfectly.
It was, indeed, flawless.
The only potential issue lay in the female demon lying asleep in one of the carts…
When they had captured her, she was unconscious, but who would have guessed she was such a deadly fighter?
No one knew why the Lord Envoy chose to spare this woman while releasing the other two humans.
The Lord Envoy may have assured them that she wouldn't harm the three of them, but even Uru Buk would quarrel with him over a woman, though the Lord Envoy… ahem, the Lord Envoy was certainly not like Uru Buk.
Certainly not!