Long Lasting Rivalry (2)

The Lizardman party eventually reunited. Those who were left behind were eager to be reunited with the smaller group, having recovered their energy.

"Leader, we were worried and were just about to come to find you." Milizaus spoke with a slight forward tilt to his head. The aged Lizardman stood at the head of the group of Lizardmen who had gathered the moment Michael walked into sight.

"Ah, good. We came back because of the dangers ahead. We wouldn't have been able to make it that far on out own. I'm tired. You can lead the men while I take up out backs." Michael replied.

After conversing a bit more, the reunited group set off once again. Because Michael's group had already wiped out all the hostile creatures in the path, they were able to stick to a quick pace, wasting little time before they reached the area where Michael had wiped out the swarm of bats.

"What... is this?" Milizaus took in a sharp breath when he saw the burnt corpses of bats lying around. Some of them had even been burnt to ashes, so he wasn't even able to see the full amount of bats that they had to fend off.

"The remnants of what Father killed." Aiden spoke up from his position beside Milizaus. "We might have been killed if we were alone, but thanks to his amazing power, we were able to make it out alive."

"As expected of the leader!" Milizaus' heart swelled with admiration. It was almost as if he never held any bad intentions toward Michael at the beginning when Michael had just taken control of the tribe. Compared to then, his attitude towards the younger Lizardman had done a complete 180 degrees, going from hostile, to completely supporting.

All these words didn't reach Michael's ears. His mind was absorbed in his thoughts as he tried to let his body recover from the strain of using abilities that were too powerful for his current level of strength. Although he could still use the Poison Jet Spray and the Poison Flame Shower, it was incredibly taxing on his E ranked body, and meager Energy levels. Such powerful abilities would be less taxing if he was at the D rank, and above.

[Yellow Scaled Lizardman]

-Rank - E - Peak

-Growth Stage - 3/3

-Overall Energy Level - 500

-Current Energy Level - 175/500

-Rank Elevation Is Imminent.

-----

He had managed to regain some of his lost energy as time passed by. As he rested, energy trickled into his body, lifting up the weight that had settled over him when he was drained of energy.

"Leader, there is a large clearing up ahead." Milizaus' words drew him out from his inner thoughts. The Lizardman had called the group to a halt, motioning up ahead. Michael made his way to the corner, peeking around it slightly. Up ahead, the narrow tunnels had widened up into a large cavern. He wasn't able to see clearly from where he was, but he had a feeling they had found what they were looing for, or at the very least, they were close.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, a red-scaled foot stepped into view. The shape and make up of the foot looked exactly like that of the Yellow Scaled Lizardmen, with the only difference being the color.

[Red Scaled Lizardman]

-Rank - E - Mid

-Growth Stage - 3/3

-Overall Energy Level - 300

-Rank Elevation Requirements Not Met.

Remarks: The Red Scaled Lizardmen are a sister tribe of the Yellow Scaled Lizardmen, among many others. This tribe is known for their high resistance to flames, and their ability to harness heat through their claws.

-----

'I guess we really are at the right place.' Michael thought as he took a closer look at the creature.

Standing at roughly seven feet, the Red Scaled Lizardman looked much more intimidating, its red scales adding a touch of ferocity to its already deadly look. It's yellow eyes glowed like torches in the dark as it looked around.

Michael turned back to look at the Lizardmen behind him, motioning at them to rush forward with him. They nodded in understanding, their tails swishing slowly. Counting down with his fingers, the moment he put down the last finger, all fifteen Lizardmen burst forward at an explosive speed, taking the Red Scaled Lizardman bay surprise. Even before it could react and let out a screech, Michael already had his thick tail around its neck while the others held it down.

The claws of the Lizardman pinned down beneath them lit up with heat, glowing red in the darkness, but it wasn't given a chance to use its ability, only barely able to thrash about on the ground.

A full minute later, the thrashing stopped, the Lizardman now knocked out. Michael got up, lowering his voice before speaking.

"We are now in Lizardman territory. I expect you all to be fully alert. I'm not as strong because of how much energy I've burnt, so I'll leave the rest to you." They all nodded with Michael's words. They would gladly take up the mantle, as they wanted to prove themselves to their leader.

After the small exchange, they were ready to set off again, but were interrupted by the sound of movement from their rear.

From the corner they had just passed, the adventurer party walked out of the darkness, weapons and magic staffs held before them and ready to fight. The tension didn't lessen one bit even after they identified the Yellow Scaled Lizardmen. In fact, they visibly tensed even more when their eyes passed over Michael's form.

"Lizardmen." Brutus spoke up, his eyes still as unfriendly as ever.

"Adventurers." Michael returned the cold greeting. "Here is the Lizardman tribe you ran into the other day. This should be enough proof that it wasn't my people." His foot nudged the body of the unconscious Red Scaled Lizardman, making the eyes of the adventurers shift down to it.

"That isn't enough proof. For all we know, you might be their leader, and still playing us for fools." Brutus replied, his eyes still trying to bore holes through Michael.

"Besides that, mind telling us why an E ranked beast is as powerful as you? And before you deny it, keep in mind that we saw your earlier performance against those bats."