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

The area they were in right now was just the start of a forested wetlands called Hardwood Swamps, rich in different types of trees like birches, ashes and oaks, plants and fascinating wildlife. During the day, the swamp seemed eerily peaceful and serene. Tiny plants called duckweeds covered the water surface but beneath them was an intricate ecosystem! In the nighttime however, a different sort of ecosystem comes to life.

After two hours of walking, Bones noticed motes of light in the distance, flickering in the darkness of the night. He had no particular direction he was heading in so he approached the source of light and saw millions of tiny glowing insects illuminating the surrounding. The insects danced, spread and hovered around him. Every now and then, a few would collide with the terrain or into each other and burst into flames. Bones identified the small insects as Blazing Fireflies and while he was admiring the fireworks, he didn't notice a predatory set of eyes watching his every movement.

Correction, multiple pairs of yellow eyes with vertical slits that shone in the dark, observing and patiently waiting for the right moment. When a firefly landed on the figure, a spark of fire revealed a hardened skin covered in green scales with patches of brown around the eyes. The muscular figure with a height just short of two meters dashed at Bones in an explosive burst of speed and thrusted forward with a spear. The sudden ambush took Bones by surprise and he reacted poorly and with delay. The spear pierced his chest and lodged itself halfway through.

Bones belatedly used Mana Blast to knock back his assailant while yanking the spear out of his chest with difficulty. He didn't have a moment to process the situation as two more Lizardmen swiftly closed in and flanked his sides. Bones summoned the bomb, crushed it in his hands and under the cover of a smokescreen slipped away in ungainly way, narrowly avoiding the simultaneous attack on both sides.

The Lizardmen didn't pursue him as he stepped back. Their initial ambush failed and now they approached with caution, circling and surrounding him. Bones followed their movements closely while using Identify and summoning golem core in his hand.

Lizardman Warrior, level 37

Lizardman Warrior, level 37

Lizardman Warrior, level 39

Bones fully expected his attackers to be silver rankers given how fast and powerful that thrust of the spear was. The hole in his chest was slowly repairing and he actually felt a throbbing sensation. It didn't hurt but it was the first time he actually felt the after impact of a physical attack. Now that he had a proper look at his attackers…

They wore simple makeshift clothes made of animal hide and had a toned physique. Their sharp claws and massive toothy maw were weapons themselves and the same could be said about the muscular tail that trashed and splashed water. All three of Bones' attackers had spears equipped.

The highest level among them and the one that ambushed Bones, hissed and made sounds Bones could only perceive as speech.

"How rude." He remarked and tossed the golem core in the direction of one of the lower level Lizardmen. Meanwhile, he turned to the other one and casted Boneyard, ignoring the level thirty-nine and leaving him for last! Skully appeared before his target and like always, thrusted with his spear, aiming to pierce the head. His target surprisingly avoided the fatal blow with quick reflexes, a trait he himself shared, and the attack grazed the Lizardman's jutted cheek.

Bones used Bone Nova and, using Bone Lance he summoned at the same time, swept in a circle area around himself. The lone and ignored Lizardman behind Bones leaned backwards avoiding the sweep, while the pinned one by Boneyard got smacked on the side of the head, drawing blood. Bones immediately followed up, jabbing forward with the lance and wanting to finish his target quickly, but he greatly underestimated the Lizardman's quick reflexes.

After getting hit in the head, the Lizardman followed momentum, dropped down and spun around, sweeping Bones with its tail. Bones fell down into the water and was immediately jumped on. The Lizardfolk used primitive weapons but weren't shy of using their natural weapons. Bones felt the claws dig into him, leaving three large claw marks on his chest, just above the hole made by the previous attack. The Lizardmen were ferocious and attacked fiercely. Bones suffered from both frontal and attacks from behind. The one that jumped on him wouldn't let him up and continuously tried to pull him under the water and drown him.

Skully didn't fare any better. He was outmatched both physically and in spearmanship. He however, had something his living brethren didn't, and that was no concept of fear, danger and consequences of his action for that matter. When the Lizardman pierced Skully, believing its prey was done for, the golem retaliated recklessly and with abandon. Skully didn't relent until his target succumbed to injuries and motionlessly floated in the shallows. His next orders were to stay put.

Bones was disorientated from all the trashing but saw an opportunity when he sensed the incoming spear from behind. As flexible and muscular these reptilian humanoids were, they weren't a match for an undead Revenant. Bones suddenly dived in, twisted and broke free of the warrior's clutches while avoiding the attack from behind. The Lizardman attacking reacted instantly by stopping the momentum of the attack and pulling the spear 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 are 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 up, each pointing at a different Lizardmen and casted Boneyard. While the warriors couldn't sense mana, they had high perception and reacted by jumping up and avoiding bone spikes. Bones expected they would and hastily casted Bone Lance, one from each hand. The higher leveled one that still held onto his spear managed to parry the projectile, while the other one dropped his spear in a shuffle with Bones and used his arms to try and block the attack. The lance pierced his arms but was stopped before piercing his heart. Seeing as how the other one was knocked back after parrying, Bones focused entirely on the injured one.

Using quick steps he closed in on his target and before the warrior could back away, Bones used Soul Gaze to stop his movements. While stunned, the Lizardman was fatally wounded after a barrage of attacks and Bones finished him off with Mana Blast. The blast killed one and knocked back the other Lizardman who charged Bones behind his back at the same time Bones attacked.

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.

*hiss*

"Now now, no need to hiss!" Bones said, looking at the snarling expression the warrior was giving him.

"You won't be fighting me. Skully, do your worst."

Skully stepped in and got into an offensive stance in front of the warrior, spear pointing forward. Meanwhile, Bones walked over to the nearest tree and leaned on it.

The last Lizardman is level thirty-nine, the same level Skully would level up to. 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, taking a jab at the target in front of him. The warrior leaned to the side, avoiding the spear and counterattacked with a jab of his own. Skully was hit in the left shoulder and knocked back a few steps. What followed next was an unruly and amateurish display of spearmanship. Both sides had basic mastery of using a spear but their proficiency differed. The warrior used his entire body, bones and muscles behind each move and each swing of his spear while Skully…his movements were stiff, automated. There were no thoughts, or afterthoughts behind his attacks. He just attacked as ordered and his order was simply to fight.

*Haah* Bones exhaled in disappointment.

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

Bones realized the golem core he made was faulty in many ways. The Lizardman Warrior didn't fight like a spearman. Sure, it had basic spear mastery but if the weapon didn't work, it would drop it and use claws, teeth and whatever else necessary to subdue its prey. Bones missed the most important factor when he was creating the golem core. He created the core in an image of a man, how he would fight and not a monster. To put it simply, Skully lacked the primal instinct of his brethren.

Still, what good is being better in every aspect when you can't kill an undead.

Skully's persistence prevailed and he relentlessly withered at the warrior's health. The Lizardman bled heavily and the leeches continuously nibbled against his scales. His spear was broken, half lost and half of it stuck in Skully. He made a few steps back in retreat, then went down on all four. Before Bones could react, the Lizardman submerged.

Bones walked over and stood next to Skully. He tried to get a sense of the not-so-brave warrior but couldn't detect any signs of movement. While waiting for the attack that never came, he spotted in the distance motes of light coming off the fireflies. Other than that, the area was still, like there was never a fight to begin with.

"Nooo. It can't be? Skully! We've been duped!" Bones exclaimed in disbelief. The Lizardman Warrior retreated alright and completely left the area.

"Ah no matter! Since we encountered the Lizardfolk, we should be nearing their territory if we weren't already in it."

Bones turned to look at the dead bodies but dismissed the idea of looting them. The leeches were already feasting on them. The area was pitch-black but Bones didn't rely on eyes to get around. At least not in a normal way. Another thing to note, the Lizardfolk can hunt in complete darkness.

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

Shamans are an exception, though they are rare. One in a thousand! Shamans are spiritual leaders of their tribes and masters of the elements. Unlike Elementalists, one of the many paths available to a mage, a Shaman is attuned to nature and has more of a supporting role enhancing allies and healing, instead of raw power.

The tribes were often led by a Lizardfolk Matriarch, a domineering female that makes the final decisions in the tribe. The other leading role belonged to a chieftain and tribes would often raid other tribes salvaging for food and accomplished females. Bones was in the process of searching for exactly that type of a tribe. After twenty minutes, he came across a small hamlet fortified on a muddy hummock with a palisade of outward-facing wooden stakes. Inside, a group of mounds were clustered around a single larger mound. On the eastern side of the hamlet was the only entrance to the fortified island. Simple gates, with two Lizardmen acting as guards. At least, Bones thought they were guards. He couldn't be sure.

One guard was crouching and eating meat while his spear was on the ground next to him and the other leaned on the gates and snoozed. Lit torches illuminated the entrance and Bones spotted yurts in the distance. A type of circular domed tents, made of skin or felt, stretched over a collapsible lattice framework. There wasn't much movement inside but he did see a group of warriors equipping themselves for the hunt. Bones found it surprising that the Lizardfolk would hunt in the night but thought it made sense after giving it more thought. They played to their strength, just like he did. He also wasn't obstructed by the darkness of the night and tonight, the two sides will weigh their odds at which one will come out a better hunter!