Chapter 33

In the eastern plains, the homeland and the land to which the Blue Mane tribe must someday return, there was a saying:

‘A warrior can choose to go to the battlefield, but cannot choose to return.’

You might think this is nonsensical gibberish, but experienced warriors understood well what this meant.

It meant that while humans can choose to start something, they can’t know how it will end.

Recently, this saying had been particularly circling in Lektar’s mind. His current situation was exactly that.

“Chief. Today again, the warriors who were attacked by the spirit…”

“… I know.”

Lektar gritted his teeth to suppress his anger.

He bit down so hard that the warrior reporting to him stepped back nervously.

It seemed like he might not be able to contain his anger and swing his sword.

‘Damn it! We haven’t even properly fought them yet, what kind of disgrace is this!’

Lektar suppressed his anger and roughly pushed open the tent flap, coming outside.

His gaze turned to the warriors who had survived the spirit’s attack and returned. No, could this even be called survival?

‘The number of dead has decreased again. That damn spirit is clearly toying with me!’

The number of survivors, which was initially countable on one hand, had now grown to more than can be counted on both hands.

As the tribe’s leader, he should be glad, but Lektar couldn’t possibly be happy.

A warrior who was walking while leaning on a comrade’s shoulder looked blankly at Lektar and opened his mouth.

“The fog… the fog…”

“Damn it. Stop that cursed fog talk!”

When the warrior who had barely escaped with his life muttered, Lektar couldn’t contain his anger and grabbed the warrior’s collar, shouting.

Whenever that word ‘fog’ came up, the warriors would whisper and glance at him.

Jaken, who had been quietly observing this, approached Lektar and grabbed his arm.

“Chief. I understand you’re angry, but please let go. Treating a warrior who’s returned from the brink of death like this is against our code…”

“What brink of death, you idiots. Don’t you understand yet! You’re all falling for that spirit bastard’s petty tricks!”

Shaking off Jaken’s hand, Lektar pointed at the warriors and vented his anger.

Lektar knew all too well why the warriors were looking at him and whispering.

The problem was that the surviving warriors had spread the warning they had heard to the other warriors.

‘Step into the snow fog and you die.’

What was initially dismissed as the nonsense of fools tainted by defeatism gradually increased and began to shake the warriors’ emotions.

“You fools. No matter how strong the spirit is, it’s still just a spirit. When its mystery is depleted, it won’t be able to rampage like this, so it’s trying to turn you into cowards and make you leave on your own!”

It was an argument with some logic, but the warriors’ gazes weren’t very favorable.

Even if that was true, they couldn’t understand why they should continue this battle with no benefits.

To put it bluntly, all they could gain here were trees, grass, and fruits.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to return to the plains even now?’

‘He’s just talking big without ever facing the spirit himself.’

‘Has he really been bewitched by the spirit?’

Sometimes thoughts can be conveyed without being expressed in words.

Lektar felt his insides twisting at the warriors’ incredibly disrespectful gazes.

‘If only I had complete power!’

The power that passed to Lektar due to the sudden death of Galer, a warrior respected by all and Lektar’s father, was only half-baked.

A leader’s authority is proven by their achievements, but he hadn’t even had the chance to accomplish anything.

In such an ambiguous state, he led the warriors into a forest where all they could gain were human sacrifices, so it was understandable in a way that the warriors harbored distrust.

Understandable, but… Lektar’s heart wasn’t broad enough to tolerate such things.

‘These fools don’t understand the great cause of making the tribe powerful!’

“Chief. I’m sorry to say this, but wouldn’t it be better to turn back now…”

“Shut up. Have you lost your mind after receiving the warriors’ respect!”

As Jaken tried to persuade him, Lektar’s blazing eyes glared at Jaken.

His sharp teeth, like those of a beast, gritted as if he might bite at any moment.

However, Jaken’s eyes were as calm as a peaceful lake… and cold.

It was not at all the look one should give their chief.

“Jaken. I know you’re respected by the warriors. That respect is warranted as you risked your life to save them. However…”

Click.

“If you express dissatisfaction with my orders again, I’ll kill you in the most painful way possible.”

As Lektar slightly unsheathed the sword at his waist, a bright red flame flickered from the blade like a tongue.

Lektar revealed his killing intent as if he might swing the sword at any moment, giving Jaken a final warning.

The battle of nerves between Lektar and Jaken, who had been glaring at each other for a while, ended with Jaken bowing his head.

“Forgive me. I merely offered my personal opinion out of concern for the tribe’s future.”

Lektar barely suppressed the urge to strike Jaken’s neck. He was conscious of the warriors’ gazes watching him and Jaken.

“… A mere warrior daring to discuss the tribe’s future. I’ll specially forgive you, so go back and comfort the warriors.”

As Lektar pushed Jaken aside and turned away, some of the warriors approached Jaken and whispered.

Though he couldn’t hear the content, it surely wasn’t anything good.

‘Once this is over, I’ll definitely take Jaken’s head.’

Personal feelings aside, as the chief of the Blue Mane tribe, he couldn’t tolerate the emergence of a competitor.

Lektar vowed to behead Jaken once this expedition was over.

As Lektar was about to return to his own tent, a warrior approached him.

“What is it? What’s the matter?”

“Lord Oneton is calling for you, Chief.”

Flinch.

The blood vessel on the back of Lektar’s neck twitched.

Not only did he dislike the respectful address for that spirit bastard, but he also didn’t like being told that the bastard was calling for him.

Lektar kicked the warrior’s shin. He kicked so hard that even a warrior blessed by the spirit staggered.

“Do I have to run over just because that bastard calls for me!”

“Ugh… That’s not…”

“Shut up!”

While he couldn’t carelessly touch Jaken who had the warriors’ support, it was different for the warrior in front of him.

Lektar’s blind anger lashed out at the warrior. The warrior endured the violence without even resisting, begging for forgiveness.

Lektar, who had been violent for quite a while, only moved on after the warrior fainted. Arrogance aside, he had to hear what Oneton had to say.

Arriving at Oneton’s tent, he found two warriors strictly guarding the entrance.

Their appearance, clearly closer to beasts, showed they were blessed by Oneton. Lektar frowned and glared at them.

“Why are you guarding this tent?”

“Out of respect for the spirit, we’re taking the initiative to guard the tent.”

Lektar burst into a mocking laugh.

Where in the world are there people who respect spirits? If they exist, they must be madmen, and if not that, then certainly con artists.

How much there must be to learn as a con artist from spirits who would swindle all beings in the world?

Of course, there was no reason for warriors to respect spirits, so it was certain these guys were lying to Lektar now.

“Right. You can respect a spirit who takes humans as sacrifices and considers himself the smartest and wisest of all creatures in the world.”

“……”

“But your respect is not my concern. Stop the bullshit and move aside. I need to meet him.”

The warriors looked around cautiously and carefully opened the tent flap they had been covering.

“Ah, you’ve come. It took longer than I expected.”

“… Do I look like a servant who comes running when called?”

Oneton, who had been tearing into a human, licked his lips and cackled.

Lektar glared at Oneton with an unpleasant gaze. He couldn’t understand why Oneton was laughing.

“The human bastards guarding the tent became servants on their own when I gave them power, but you have a bad attitude despite receiving power from me.”

“If you think I’m the same as those trash, don’t even dream of it. Don’t forget that you and I are clearly in a business relationship.”

“Ah, of course.”

As Oneton bared his teeth and burst into laughter, Lektar gripped the sword at his waist.

Oneton was quite amused by that anger-filled appearance. Recently, nothing had been going his way, but the foolish warrior in front of him moved exactly as he thought.

‘How nice it would be if the forest spirit was at this level.’

“Get to the point quickly. Why did you call me?”

“My beasts have picked up some information you’ll like.”

Realizing that Lektar’s anger was about to reach its limit, Oneton decided to get straight to the point.

Oneton’s tail flickered, drawing a map of the forest. Having observed the forest through the eyes of beasts, his map was quite detailed.

Their advance route and obstacles were drawn, and the positions of the warriors were marked. Lektar’s eyes flashed as he watched the expanding map.

A huge clearing was drawn in the center of the map.

“Can there be such a wide clearing in this forest?”

“When I checked through the beasts, it seems it used to be a village long ago. The land doesn’t seem very fertile, so the tribe probably left… but you would need this land, wouldn’t you?”

Lektar nodded. If enough space was secured, it wouldn’t be difficult to establish a base. After all, trees were abundant all around.

If they could secure a base, they could provide proper rest for the warriors. No matter how scared they were, given enough time, he could discipline the warriors.

Moreover, if it turned into a long-term battle, since for spirits fighting meant consuming power, it might be possible to make them retreat.

However… there was a problem.

“This clearing might be a trap. Will it be alright?”

“That could be. That’s why I’m thinking of specially helping you this time.”

Lektar barely swallowed the curse that was about to burst out. All of this happened because of Oneton’s own greed, yet he spoke as if it was someone else’s business.

He had known early on that spirits were shameless beings, but Lektar was surprised every time.

Oneton raised his massive body and approached Lektar. He circled around Lektar as he spoke.

“My beasts will charge at the vanguard. Unlike your lot, when I start controlling them directly, the beasts won’t spare their lives, and then they can break through even if it’s a trap in one go.”

“… Still, facing a spirit won’t be an easy task.”

“He must have used a lot of power dealing with your subordinates already. Unless he’s accumulating mystery by eating humans like me, it’s difficult to accumulate mystery in the forest.”

When Lektar still couldn’t be convinced, Oneton met his eyes. Oneton could see the desire swirling in Lektar’s eyes.

“Lastly… as payment for the sacrifices obtained so far, I’ll share some of my power with you.”

“!”

Before Lektar could react, Oneton’s teeth lightly bit Lektar’s arm.

The surprise was momentary; Lektar gasped at the mystery seeping into his blood through the teeth. As the mystery began to flow through his blood, changes occurred in his body.

His eyes glinted like those of a beast, his teeth grew sharp, and his muscles and bones began to resemble those of a beast.

Lektar panted at the thrill running through his entire body. This was why he couldn’t drive away the spirit despite hating him.

Power beyond human was like a drug in itself.

“Now, are you ready?”

“… Of course.”

In the powerful wave of power that made his mind hazy, Lektar was certain.

With this power, he could face that spirit bastard.

… Unaware of how much he was underestimating Wendigo.