Slime Immortal.

Chapter 21 Tribes and Humans

Edge of swamp forest.

In this place where the boundary between death and life is blurred, poisonous spore fungi glow faintly on rotten wood, fungal carpets cover the seemingly solid land, and frightened hard-shelled water lizards or strangely colored poisonous frogs occasionally flash among the twisted dead trees and swamps.

This has been the hunting grounds of the subhuman tribes for generations.

Compared to the dangerous and deadly depths of the swamp, the outskirts can still accommodate them to stay alive and obtain the food resources they need to survive.

At the beginning of spring, the Lizardmen would move cautiously around the periphery like ghosts, using blowguns to accurately hunt small prey, or collecting luminous anti-toxic moss to trade with passing human caravans.

Since the corrupted faith began to roam the river banks, this hunting habit has gradually been broken, and the corrupted lizardmen have sharper claws and harder scales.

Driven by greed, they attempt to hunt large beasts on the outskirts like the gnolls, or even other weak subhuman tribes.

For a time, the people on the river bank were in a panic. Even human caravans did not dare to pass through the reed river bank, for fear of being plundered by the greedy and corrupt lizardmen.

However, even the strong corrupted lizardmen have their fears.

At the edge of the swamp forest, a tall, powerful lizardman darted desperately like a frightened gecko! His scales dimmed like gray mist, his thin tail lashing in panic, each footfall stirring the buzzing of poisonous insects hidden beneath the rotten leaves.

The deadly fear gripped it tightly, leaving it no time to pay attention to the direction, and it only wanted to escape from the invisible hunter behind it.

Whoosh-!
A rough but powerful wooden spear tore through the stagnant air, and with a deathly scream, it fiercely nailed the rotten wood half an inch in front of the fugitive's feet! The end of the spear vibrated violently, humming non-stop.

The fugitive froze in horror, cold despair instantly flooding his body. Trembling, he slowly raised his head in the direction of the spear.

In the shadows, a figure stood silently.

This is a female lizardman warrior, taller than ordinary lizardmen, covered with dark olive-colored scales as hard as cold iron.

Several sharp bone blades and short spears hung around his waist, without any superfluous decoration.

Her amber pupils contracted coldly, like a poisonous snake locking onto its prey, and she looked down at the trembling fugitive below without any emotion.

There was no mercy in her eyes, only a pure murderous intent that froze the soul. She tilted her head slightly, and her voice was like a cold wind blowing across the rocks.

"Where is she?"

The corrupted lizardman was finally frightened to the point of collapse and knelt down begging for mercy.

"I don't know, I really don't know."

"Lady Semia, please spare my life."

The female lizardman's voice was still cold.

"I ask again, Sergash, where is my sister?"

"It was all done by the Zuluk priests. It has nothing to do with me."

"He colluded with the gnolls and forced the shaman deep into the swamp. The hunting party that pursued him never returned... Perhaps they have already..."

call out--!
Before the lizardman could finish his words, a bone blade was thrown at him and pierced his throat accurately.

Blood gushed out, his mouth opened, and a muddy "gurgle... gurgle..." sound rolled from the depths of his throat, like a bubble of despair choked by blood. Finally, his body went limp, and with a heavy "bang" he slammed into the icy swamp.

Semia walked over with a cold face, picked up the blood-stained bone blade and wiped it clean carefully.

After standing there for a long time, she picked up the wolf fang hanging around her neck. The coldness on her face instantly melted away, turning into confusion and helplessness.

"Segash... am I late?"

"Do not."

She clenched her wolf teeth.

"The ancestral spirits and Putu will keep you safe."

"I'm going to find you now."

"Cough cough..."

A sudden cough interrupted Semia's thoughts. At some point, an old lizardman appeared behind her.

"Semiya, it's time to go back."

“You know we can’t stay under Zuluok’s nose for too long.” Sermia turned around, her face expressionless.

"Shazak, I thank the Rot Moss Tribe for saving my life."

"But Sergash is everything to me. My father is dead, and I cannot lose her again."

"I want to go deep into the swamp alone."

The old lizardman Shazak held the animal bones in his hands and whispered prayers.

“Nature will not disappoint its believers.”

"That child, Sergash, is the most devout believer in nature I have ever met. She will be fine."

"but……"

Semia wanted to say something else.

“No buts, learn to trust the wisdom of the elders.”

"Besides, the deep swamp forest is full of dangerous monsters. Without nature's guidance, you will only get lost in it."

"If you want to find Sergash, you must first help the tribe resolve the current crisis."

"Then I will personally go into the swamp with you to search for her."

Semia clenched the bone blade, her expression full of murderous intent.

"Zuluk has come to the Rot Moss Tribe?"

“It’s not that serious, but it’s not optimistic either.”

The old lizardman Shazak walked out slowly. A hunting team was waiting for them under the oak tree.

"Those brainless, corrupted lizardmen attacked our human neighbors like crazy, including a caravan carrying a large amount of food supplies."

"That merchant is from Ironshoe Town, a town of adventurers, and he's a fallen nobleman."

"A nobleman who abandoned his former glory to engage in business, haha... I guess he's a human with a story to tell."

"In any case, this human noble doesn't seem as shrewd as the other merchants. He fell into the trap of the corrupted lizardmen and is now on the run."

"You want me to save humanity?"

Semia looked at Shazak intently.

She doesn't hate humans, but that's only because she doesn't care about them. If you want to talk about her good feelings towards them, then there is absolutely no point at all.

Semia still clearly remembered that when she was only a teenager, her father even sold his best fang blade in order to trade for the pitiful food with human merchants.

After that, he injured his leg while hunting, and his walking was no longer as natural as before.

In her opinion, humans are greedy and cunning creatures, especially good at lying, and will do anything for profit. She doesn't like dealing with them.

"not quite."

Shazak's figure was carried by a strong lizardman.

"Our main target is the food supplies carried by the caravan."

"As for that merchant, it would be great if we could rescue him."

"As long as we can spread the news that the Rot Moss Tribe saved humans, at least our trade with humans won't be completely severed."

"Semiya, you must remember that humans are indeed greedy, but they have also helped us survive countless winters."

"We still need their help, even if it's just to maintain a false friendship, all for the sake of the tribe."

"Once we have enough food and supplies and our warriors are well fed and watered, we will have the strength to fight the savage monsters and go deep into the swamp to find Sergash."

"I understand."

Semia took a deep breath, said nothing more, and could only follow the hunting team silently.

(End of this chapter)