Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: 007
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In Lost World, when a player's divinity level rose or they acquired an additional domain, they could obtain supplemental skills.
For instance, with the Subdomain: Bugs at level 1, one could use miracles, and at level 2, blessings.
'The Subdomain: Bugs rose to level 3, creating a new skill, but it won't be useful this time.'
The newly acquired Subdomain: Lizardman granted Possession at level 1.
The skills differed because general subdomains and race domains were not the same.
Possession was a straightforward skill.
"...!"
Seong-un looked down at "his own body."
Jet-black scales.
Sharp claws extended longer than the segments of his fingers.
And a long snout came into view from the inner edge of his field of vision.
'Is this Rakrak's body?'
Rakrak's shoulder height exceeded two meters, making the ground look distant.
The sensation of a tail was somewhat unfamiliar.
He tentatively clenched and unclenched his fist.
'It might take time to fully adapt.'
But no adaptation was needed.
Even as Seong-un leisurely manipulated Rakrak's body, the drake Manun charging toward Rakrak moved with boring slowness.
'That said, I can't get complacent.'
Faith drained rapidly as Seong-un controlled Rakrak through Possession.
Fortunately, the drain was tolerable.
'Let's check the stats.'
Viewe's stats were fitting for leading 300 lizardmen.
Not exceptional, but not poor either.
'If it were just Viewe, I wouldn't have needed Possession.'
I gazed at the drake Manun.
Intelligence and sociability were on par with a mere lizard, but strength was another story.
A true monster.
Moreover, the drake being level 1 meant it was still young.
Next, I checked "Rakrak's" stats.
A buffalo's strength was roughly 22.
At 30, one could stop a charging buffalo barehanded and snap its neck.
In a head-on fight with Viewe, he'd crush him without issue thanks to the intelligence bonus.
'But I need to make an example of Viewe without a major battle.'
To absorb the tribe without casualties, so that the Blue Skin tribe's knowledge could be fully shared.
Fortunately, the plan Seong-un saw posed no issues.
Rakrak=Seong-un thrust the spear shaft into the ground.
The "D" after Rakrak's stats stood for Divinity.
The omitted number per 1D was around 200, the natural maximum for living creatures.
'Simply put, Rakrak's current strength is 630.'
If the opponent lacked divinity, the fight wouldn't even be established against a god.
As Manun lunged with its mouth agape, Rakrak=Seong-un seized its upper jaw with one hand.
And flipped the beast over in a single motion.
"Kraaak!"
A scream—whose, it was hard to tell—burst out as the five-meter bulk sailed through the air.
Viewe, already off-balance, tumbled across the ground.
-Boom!
The earth-shaking impact made several Blue Skin lizardmen collapse to their knees.
Had he applied more force, he could have turned the drake Manun into a pulp, but Seong-un deemed that excessive.
They'd fear rather than revere.
'Also, it'd be a waste of the drake.'
Leaving the flipped and unconscious Manun behind, Rakrak=Seong-un approached Viewe.
Viewe, scrambling backward on the ground, saw his murmuring tribesmen and hastily rose.
"Im-impossible! You... you bastard!"
Viewe seemed unable to grasp the situation.
For Seong-un, that was convenient.
Viewe drew his well-forged bronze sword and charged at Rakrak=Seong-un.
Seong-un threw a quick jab.
-Crack!
Viewe's neck twisted a full turn, and his knees buckled.
Silence swept through the Blue Skin lizardmen.
Absolute dominance.
Some among them must have realized they couldn't even flee.
Rakrak=Seong-un spoke.
"Who's next?"
At those words, the Blue Skin lizardmen prostrated themselves without hesitation, pledging submission.
The hill was now bustling with Rakrak's tribe, swollen to 350 members—too crowded for a settlement.
Fortunately, though the numbers didn't align, they had once been the same group, so many faces were familiar.
Moreover, as tales of Rakrak's divinity and the Nameless Beetle God's myth spread among the Blue Skins, excitement and anticipation for Rakrak grew.
Jaol approached Rakrak, seated before the altar.
"Are you all right?"
"What do you mean?"
"You won't claim today's power was entirely yours. The god descended upon you, didn't he?"
Rakrak nodded.
"I'm fine. I don't remember clearly, but vague scenes linger. I wielded power far beyond my station. I enacted the god's miracle with my own body. Thanks to that, they follow us."
"But the hill will be laid waste now."
"We must prepare to leave."
"Back into the wasteland?"
"No other choice."
"Trusting the god to guide us?"
Jaol believed Rakrak would nod.
But this time, Rakrak shook his head.
"The god has already aided us. He won't intervene every time hunger strikes."
"But wandering the wasteland without guidance will see many starve and die."
"I don't believe there's no guidance at all."
"Then?"
Rakrak tilted his head.
He seemed without an obvious answer, yet as if he had a hunch.
"The Nameless Beetle God wished us to unite with the old tribe of 300. The answer may lie there. We've been isolated too long; they have greater numbers, so perhaps someone wise has an idea."
"Like the method to forge iron?"
"Exactly. None among us knew how to heat wood that fiercely. Now we know they have one who can do it properly."
"Conveniently, one who knows how to forge iron has expressed a desire to offer a gift to the Tribal Chief."
Rakrak nodded.
"Ideally, all our warriors could be armed with it."
"I'll convey that."
"And..."
Jaol waved her hand as if no more needed saying.
"We'll look for a guide. We had no wanderers, but they might. And seek any with wisdom to help cross the wasteland."
"Thank you. I trust only you."
After sending Jaol away, Rakrak lay atop the altar's bones to cool the lingering heat in his body.
A bone rolled with a clatter.
Rakrak met three lizardmen on Jaol's introduction.
The first was the bladesmith they'd discussed earlier. With permission, he said he could burn much wood before departing the hill to craft sturdier blades.
Looking down, Seong-un realized the smith was describing "iron."
'Iron is more abundant than the copper, tin, and zinc used for bronze. But with the fire technology, why haven't they used it until now?'
Rakrak, equally puzzled, asked just that.
And as expected, Viewe had forbidden burning wood.
To Viewe, preserving the environment outweighed stronger iron weapons for the tribe's good.
And by the time they left the swamp, haste had left no time for trials.
'Understandable. But Rakrak's position is different now. Leaving the hill, it's worth testing.'
He could issue a divine oracle, but Seong-un saw pros and cons.
'Preserving hill trees means benefits upon return. Leave this to Rakrak.'
Rakrak said he'd decide by tomorrow and dismissed the bladesmith.
The next was a one-armed lizardman.
"You... you're a wanderer."
"Indeed."
An elderly lizardman, his scales a greenish blue differing from Rakrak's black tribe and the Blue Skins.
Not entirely different race, but clearly another group.
"I heard you're seeking a guide. I've lost an arm and grown old, needing to beg shelter from tribes. That's why I've wandered, learning the paths. I know lands where your group won't starve, even if settlement fails. No guarantees, of course."
Rakrak could accept that much.
"There are other wanderers, other tribes."
"True."
"But if you lead us to land, we can always seize it."
"I figured you'd say that."
"Then can you give me faith in you?"
"Faith?"
"I lead many. I need assurance you won't lie for a position."
The one-armed lizardman pondered briefly.
The lizardman gazed at the sky.
"I'm a Star Reader."
"Star Reader?"
"As a youth, I was close to my sister, who knew the stars' positions well."
"Don't the stars stay fixed?"
"You don't know? The stars always wander to their places."
"Is that so?"
"Know when and where stars move, and you never lose direction. I'll tell you today's star positions and tomorrow's path. Remember and verify if I'm true."
Rakrak nodded.
Seong-un was impressed by this primordial astronomer.
'Iron aside, I didn't expect an astronomer.'
Astronomers could later aid architecture or mathematics.
Seong-un hoped Rakrak would employ the Star Reader well.
Rakrak's final visitor that day was a familiar face.
"Yur?"
"Chief, the evening breeze is fine."
"What is it."
Yur was a younger lizardman than Rakrak.
But now similar in size, agile in body, the finest warrior save Rakrak and Jaol.
His lizardman friends matched him well in competence, making them ideal for tasks Rakrak assigned.
"Jaol said we need a way to cross without starving."
"Yes. Should have asked you too."
"No, Chief. I'm a fool."
"I don't think so. Warriors aren't just brawn."
Yur scratched his head bashfully.
"Anyway, a thought I had today, inspired by that gluttonous drake."
"What?"
"Viewe 'tamed' the drake. Couldn't we tame others the same way?"
"Like?"
Yur pointed to the buffalo bone altar.
"Buffaloes or such?"