Eternal Rest

"I have plans for you, Skully. Big plans!" Bones declared as he and Skully ventured deeper into the swamps. They trudged through the shallow, murky water, where leeches frequently gathered around them, nibbling at their equipment. The swamps occupied much of the area southeast of the kingdom, stretching well into the Aphiton Kingdom to the east and the no-man’s land between the Wezar Kingdom and the Desolate Lands to the south.

The area they were in now was just the beginning of a forested wetland called the Hardwood Swamps, rich with various types of trees like birches, ashes, and oaks, along with diverse plants and fascinating wildlife. During the day, the swamp seemed eerily peaceful and serene. Tiny plants called duckweeds covered the water's surface, but beneath them lay an intricate ecosystem. However, at night, a different kind of ecosystem came to life.

After two hours of walking, Bones noticed motes of light flickering in the distance, breaking through the darkness of the night. With no particular destination in mind, he approached the source of the light and discovered millions of tiny glowing insects illuminating the surroundings. The insects danced, spread out, and hovered around him. Occasionally, a few collided with the terrain or with each other, bursting into flames. Bones identified the small insects as Blazing Fireflies, and as he admired the fireworks, he failed to notice a predatory set of eyes watching his every movement.

Correction: multiple pairs of yellow eyes with vertical slits shone in the dark, observing and patiently waiting for the right moment. When a firefly landed on one of the figures, a spark of fire revealed its hardened skin, covered in green scales with patches of brown around the eyes. The muscular figure, standing just shy of two meters tall, suddenly dashed at Bones with explosive speed and thrust forward with a spear. The ambush took Bones by surprise, and he reacted poorly, delayed by the sudden attack. The spear pierced his chest, lodging itself halfway through.

Bones belatedly used Mana Blast to knock back his assailant while struggling to yank the spear out of his chest. He barely had time to process the situation before two more Lizardmen swiftly closed in, flanking him on both sides. Bones quickly summoned a skull bomb, crushed it in his hands, and under the cover of the smokescreen, slipped away awkwardly, narrowly avoiding the simultaneous attacks from both sides.

The Lizardmen didn’t pursue him immediately. Their initial ambush had failed, and now they approached with caution, circling and surrounding him. Bones followed their movements closely while using Identify and summoning a golem core into his hand.

Lizardman Warrior, level 37

Lizardman Warrior, level 37

Lizardman Warrior, level 39

Bones fully expected his attackers to be silver rankers, given the speed and power behind that spear thrust. The hole in his chest was slowly repairing itself, and for the first time, he actually felt a throbbing sensation from a physical attack. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation was new to him. Now that he had a proper look at his attackers...

They wore simple makeshift clothes made of animal hide and had toned physiques. Their sharp claws and massive toothy maws were weapons in their own right, and the same could be said about their muscular tails, which thrashed and splashed the water around them. All three of Bones' attackers were equipped with spears.

The highest-level Lizardman, the one who had ambushed Bones, hissed and made sounds that Bones could only perceive as speech.

“How rude,” he remarked, tossing the golem core in the direction of one of the lower-level Lizardmen. Meanwhile, he turned to the other and cast Boneyard, ignoring the level thirty-nine Lizardman and saving him for last. Skully appeared before his target and, as usual, thrust with his spear, aiming to pierce the head. Surprisingly, the Lizardman avoided the fatal blow with quick reflexes—a trait they both shared—causing the attack to graze the Lizardman's jutted cheek.

Bones then used Bone Nova and simultaneously summoned Bone Lance, sweeping the area around him in a circular motion. The ignored Lizardman behind him leaned backward, avoiding the sweep, while the one pinned by Boneyard got smacked on the side of the head, drawing blood. Bones immediately followed up with a jab from the lance, aiming to finish his target quickly, but he underestimated the Lizardman's quick reflexes.

After getting hit in the head, the Lizardman used the momentum to drop down and spin around, sweeping Bones off his feet with its tail. Bones fell into the water and was immediately pounced on. The Lizardfolk might have used primitive weapons, but they weren’t shy about using their natural ones. Bones felt claws dig into him, leaving three large gashes across his chest, just above the hole from the previous attack. The Lizardmen were ferocious, attacking him fiercely from both the front and behind. The one that had jumped on him wouldn’t let him up, continuously trying to pull him under the water and drown him.

Skully didn’t fare much better. He was outmatched both physically and in spearmanship. However, he had something his living brethren didn’t—a complete lack of fear, danger, or concern for the consequences of his actions. When the Lizardman pierced Skully, believing its prey was done for, the golem retaliated recklessly and without hesitation. Skully didn’t relent until his target succumbed to its injuries and floated motionlessly in the shallows. His next orders were to stay put.

Bones was disoriented from all the thrashing but saw an opportunity when he sensed the incoming spear. As flexible and muscular as these reptilian humanoids were, they weren’t a match for an undead Revenant. Bones suddenly dived, twisted, and broke free of the warrior's clutches, narrowly avoiding the attack from behind. The Lizardman attacking him reacted instantly, stopping the momentum of the spear and pulling it back.

They have an incredible physique! However, I don’t sense an ounce of mana coming from them. They’re all about brute force! No wonder I didn’t sense the ambush. They’re quick and have good reflexes, but... while their attacks are sharp and fierce, they lack diversity. It’s like fighting an improved version of Skully. Thrust after thrust. Alright then…

Bones raised both hands, each pointing at a different Lizardman, and cast Boneyard. While the warriors couldn’t sense mana, they had sharp instincts and leaped into the air, avoiding the bone spikes. Bones anticipated this and hastily cast Bone Lance from each hand. The higher-level Lizardman, still gripping his spear, managed to parry the projectile, while the other, who had dropped his spear in the scuffle, used his arms to try and block the attack. The lance pierced his arms but was stopped before reaching his heart. Seeing that the other Lizardman was knocked back after parrying, Bones focused entirely on the injured one.

Moving quickly, Bones closed in on his target. Before the warrior could retreat, Bones used Soul Gaze to immobilize him. While stunned, the Lizardman was fatally wounded by a barrage of attacks, and Bones finished him off with a Mana Blast. The blast not only killed the Lizardman but also knocked back the other one who had been charging at Bones from behind.

The last Lizardman standing was dazed and wounded by the sudden blast. The scales covering the front of his body were badly damaged, and he was coughing up blood.

“Hissss…”

“Now, now, no need to hiss!” Bones remarked, noticing the snarling expression on the warrior’s face. “You won’t be fighting me. Skully, do your worst.”

Skully stepped in, assuming an offensive stance in front of the wounded warrior, spear pointed forward. Meanwhile, Bones walked over to the nearest tree and leaned against it.

The last Lizardman is level thirty-nine, the same level Skully would reach after leveling up. This is a good opportunity to see the difference between him and the real thing. Skully, engage.

Skully took a quick step forward and extended his arm, aiming a jab at the Lizardman warrior. The warrior leaned to the side, avoiding the spear, and counterattacked with a jab of his own. Skully was struck in the left shoulder and knocked back a few steps. What followed was an unruly and amateurish display of spearmanship. Both sides had basic mastery of using a spear, but their proficiency differed significantly. The warrior utilized his entire body—bones and muscles—behind each move and swing of his spear, while Skully’s movements were stiff and mechanical. There was no thought or afterthought behind his attacks; he simply followed orders to fight.

Haah Bones exhaled in disappointment.

“It’s entirely my fault. I thought what I read about the Lizardfolk would be enough, but… clearly, it isn’t!”

Bones realized that the golem core he had crafted was faulty in many ways. The Lizardman Warrior didn’t fight like a trained spearman. Sure, it had basic spear skills, but if the weapon didn’t serve its purpose, the Lizardman would drop it and rely on claws, teeth, and whatever else was necessary to subdue its prey. Bones had overlooked the most crucial factor when designing the golem core. He had created it in the image of a human warrior, not a monster. In simple terms, Skully lacked the primal instincts of his Lizardfolk counterparts.

Still, what good is being better in every aspect if you can't defeat an undead?

Skully’s persistence paid off as he relentlessly wore down the warrior’s health. The Lizardman bled heavily, and leeches continuously nibbled at his scales. His spear was broken—half of it lost and the other half lodged in Skully. The warrior took a few steps back in retreat and then went down on all fours. Before Bones could react, the Lizardman submerged into the water.

Bones walked over and stood next to Skully, trying to sense the presence of the now-cowardly warrior but detecting no signs of movement. While waiting for an attack that never came, he noticed the distant motes of light from the fireflies. Other than that, the area was still, as if the fight had never happened.

“Nooo. It can't be? Skully! We've been duped!” Bones exclaimed in disbelief. The Lizardman Warrior had retreated and completely abandoned the area.

“Ah, no matter! Since we’ve encountered the Lizardfolk, we must be nearing their territory—or perhaps we’re already in it.”

Bones glanced at the dead bodies but quickly dismissed the idea of looting them. The leeches had already begun feasting on the remains. The area was pitch-black, but Bones didn’t rely on his eyes to navigate. At least, not in the usual way. Another thing to consider: the Lizardfolk could hunt in complete darkness.

The Swamp Lizardfolk lived in small tribes, ranging from twenty to a hundred individuals. They had common classes such as warriors, hunter-gatherers, and material-based professions like woodworking. The Lizardfolk are classified as one of the native pre-system monsters, alongside Goblins, Kobolds, and Ratmen. As Bones had perceived earlier, the Lizardman warriors couldn’t tap into mana or use spells.

Shamans are an exception, though they are rare—one in a thousand! Shamans are the spiritual leaders of their tribes and masters of the elements. Unlike Elementalists, who are mages with a focus on raw power, Shamans are attuned to nature and play more of a supporting role, enhancing allies and healing rather than dealing direct damage.

The tribes were often led by a Lizardfolk Matriarch, a domineering female who made the final decisions for the tribe. The other key leader was the chieftain, and tribes frequently raided one another for food and to capture accomplished females. Bones was specifically searching for this type of tribe.

After twenty minutes of searching, he came across a small hamlet fortified on a muddy hummock, protected by a palisade of outward-facing wooden stakes. Inside, a group of mounds clustered around a single larger mound marked the heart of the settlement. On the eastern side of the hamlet was the only entrance to the fortified island, guarded by simple gates. Two Lizardmen stood near the entrance—at least, Bones thought they were guards. He couldn't be entirely sure.

One guard was crouched and eating meat, with his spear resting on the ground beside him. The other leaned against the gates, dozing. Lit torches illuminated the entrance, and Bones spotted yurts in the distance. These circular, domed tents were made of skin or felt stretched over a collapsible lattice framework. There wasn't much movement inside, but he noticed a group of warriors preparing for the hunt. Bones found it surprising that the Lizardfolk would hunt at night, but after giving it more thought, he realized it made sense. They were playing to their strengths, just as he did. The darkness of night didn’t obstruct him either, and tonight, the two sides would test their skills to see which would emerge as the better hunter!