Chapter 160: Crushed! “Frost Pain” and the End of Advancement

Just then--

The swamp echoed with the anguished howls and cries of the Lizardmen, distant yet unmistakable. Something terrible was happening.

Far ahead, one of the gleaming winged figures had reached the struggling Flame Archangel. Without hesitation, the newly summoned Principality raised its polearm-staff and struck. The flaming entity burst into motes of light and vanished.

"Fourth-tier, summon Angel," Lyle murmured with a casual snap of his fingers.

Boom!

Light blazed across the sky as a brand-new Angel of Tranquility emerged in full glory, its radiant form hovering above the battlefield.

"Holy Laser!"

The angel pointed its staff, unleashing a searing beam that pierced through the foremost Lizardman. The creature didn't even scream before being obliterated.

Whoosh!

With a beat of its wings, the angel blinked forward, appearing above Shasuryu Shasha who was still locked in combat with the snarling Hellhound.

"Whimper..." The Barghest recoiled, shivering as it instinctively backed away, battle instinct overridden by primal fear.

Crash!

Shasuryu looked up in time to see the divine weapon plummeting toward him. He didn't even have time to raise his arms before the polearm caved in his skull. Blood sprayed across the muck and reeds.

The chief of the Green Claw Tribe was dead.

"It's over..." whispered Crusch Lulu, her crimson eyes wide with shock as she dropped to her knees. The floppy straw hat she always wore slipped from her head, revealing pale skin unlike any other Lizardman. Normally, such a rare and delicate complexion would've drawn curious glances.

Now, no one cared.

The battlefield was drenched in blood. The leaders of both the Razor-Tail and Green Claw tribes were dead. Two Principality now hovered above, their silent presence breaking the enemy's will.

Panic rippled through the remaining Lizardmen like wildfire. They didn't flee with order or coordination. They scattered, desperate and directionless.

Crusch Lulu wasn't even an afterthought.

The cries of the wounded and dying filled the marsh from every direction.

Then, from the silence, came a voice.

"We surrender... mighty human."

Crusch shuddered. Her knees buckled, and tears spilled from her scarlet eyes. She turned to Lyle, gaze pleading.

Her features were gentle, her body small and almost fragile. By human standards, she was closer to 'adorable lizard-girl' than 'swamp beast.'

Lyle looked at her blankly. "Sorry. All Race Charm."

A pulse of spiritual energy swept across the battlefield.

Crusch's eyes glazed over as her thoughts faded into stillness.

Lyle knew better than to take a "we surrender" at face value. You don't murder half a tribe and then expect the survivors to just let it go.

He actually found the Tomb of Nazarick's conquer-then-rule method a bit questionable. Sure, it worked... for now. But it relied entirely on terrifying power. The moment a rival force appeared, one strong enough to match Nazarick, every "subjugated" race would remember just how much they resented being ruled by undead overlords.

And that? That was a recipe for rebellion.

Huff... huff...

The wet ground trembled under the rush of boots.

Zaryusu Shasha gripped Frost Pain tightly, running at full speed with over a hundred Lizardmen warriors behind him. They'd been stationed to block escape routes, just in case the human tried to flee.

But now? Now they were running toward the sounds of screams. Toward the smell of blood.

When the battle began, they'd all assumed rallying three major tribes to fight one lone human was overkill. They'd even joked about it.

They weren't joking anymore.

The scent of death grew thicker with every step. Zaryusu could feel it in his lungs.

No one slowed down. Their pace only grew more frantic. Fear had taken root.

They burst out of the trees and froze.

Before them stretched a battlefield soaked red. Bodies lay scattered like broken dolls. Not a single Lizardman stood.

Only three figures remained.

One human, lean and pale, standing tall.

One female Lizardman with snow-white skin, kneeling in the muck.

And one hound, tail twitching.

White...?

Zaryusu's eyes flicked briefly to Crusch, but there was no time to wonder. His gaze snapped to the human.

He already knew what had happened.

His brother was dead.

Floating above the man were two titanic angels, glowing and armed.

Zaryusu didn't need an explanation. His instincts screamed the truth.

He couldn't win.

"So this... this is what defeated us?" he muttered, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

"Run!" he suddenly shouted, voice raw.

"RUN!"

The warriors behind him hesitated.

"But Chief--!"

"We'll stay! For the tribe!"

Zaryusu spun around, snarling. "Idiot! That's not bravery. That's suicide."

His voice cracked, not from emotion, but from the strain of shouting over the rush of terror. "You'll die for nothing. Now GO!"

They stared at him for a moment longer, then turned and fled. Not with shame, but with sorrow.

As the last of them disappeared, Zaryusu finally let himself exhale.

Then he marched forward.

His pace quickened.

He broke into a run.

"HUMAN!"

Zaryusu charged with a roar, Frost Pain in both hands.

A white beam snapped downward from one of the angels.

Zap!

"Foresight!"

He twisted just in time, narrowly dodging the blast. It exploded behind him, gouging a crater in the swamp.

Lyle's brows lifted. "Well now. First one to dodge that."

A quick scan of the interface confirmed it.

Zaryusu's abilities caught his interest.

The Barghest lunged forward with a snarl, trying to tackle the Lizardman mid-sprint.

Zaryusu's foot struck the ground hard as he sidestepped the attack with almost supernatural anticipation.

Chain Cyclone!

The Hellhound's chain tail whipped out like a tornado.

"Fortress!"

Without looking back, Zaryusu swung Frost Pain over his shoulder. The blue blade intercepted the chain, absorbing the blow with barely a tremble.

He closed in.

"Glacier Slash--!"

"End of the line." Lyle shook his head.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Both angels blinked down simultaneously. Their polearms struck like divine spears, crossing as they impaled Zaryusu clean through and pinned him to the earth.

"Too strong..." Zaryusu gasped, coughing blood. "The gap... too big..."

His weapon slipped from his fingers, clattering against the mud.

Lyle stepped forward and looked down at him. "To die by the hands of two Principality? That's impressive."

"Please..." Zaryusu struggled to lift his head. "Let... them go..."

Lyle understood immediately. He was referring to the Lizardmen who had just fled.

He nodded. "Alright."

Zaryusu's pupils dilated.

He'd asked without hope. He hadn't believed a human would agree. But he did.

And with that last bit of peace, Zaryusu Shasha died.

Lyle bent down and picked up Frost Pain.

He hadn't lied. He really had no interest in chasing down the survivors.

[EXP: 365775 / 70000]

His EXP bar was maxed out. His class, Magic Swordsman, could now be leveled to its limit.

At this point, he was officially...

Out of jobs to level.