The aftermath of the war was as expected. The lizardmen captured the surviving frogmen and brought them back to the village. In despair over their dead guardian deity, the frogmen offered little resistance, submitting easily to defeat. The situation had completely reversed—now, the Red Scale Tribe had reduced the Green Webber Tribe to slavery. Although other tribes still existed within the swamp, none were as large or as influential as the Green Webber had been. The Red Scales’ dominance was no longer a question of if, but when.
Amusingly—if somewhat annoyingly—there was a palanquin within the Green Webber Tribe’s main village, and the lizardmen insisted that I ride atop it. Seeing that such a display would only further strengthen their faith, I ultimately agreed. Naturally, before anything else, I made sure to absorb the faith contained within the frogmen’s guardian deity statue until it turned into dust.
You have activated Absorb Plausibility.
You have absorbed the power of faith contained in the statue.
You have gained 393 Plausibility.
I chose not to absorb the corpse of the three-headed serpent because its hide and scales possessed exceptional resistance to both physical and magical damage, making them ideal materials for armor. In addition, several of its body parts could be crafted into weapons, and I had already promised a certain fox merchant that I would sell the remains of a powerful Daleth-rank monster.
Aside from that, there was some loot scattered throughout the village, though the frogmen were pitifully poor by my standards. Most of their valuables consisted of pearls harvested from shellfish in the lake. While visually striking, they held little actual worth.
“Hmm… wait. What’s this?”
Nestled among the pile of pearls was a single pearl unlike the rest. It was crystal-blue and perfectly round, as though a drop of the lake itself had been frozen into solid form. A gentle chill radiated from its surface, and when I focused on it, I could feel pure mana quietly stirring within.
Primordial Tidelake Pearl
Grade: Rare
Type: Crafting Material
A rare pearl formed within a lake that once housed a guardian deity. Saturated with condensed Hydro-elemental mana, it serves as a superior catalyst for crafting high-grade magic equipment, especially items related to water, extreme atmospheric pressure, and tidal or current-based effects. It can also be consumed to permanently increase affinity with water-aligned environments.
“…Interesting.”
This blue pearl could be useful in many different situations, and it would fetch a respectable price in soul coins. If I could farm these pearls from the lake, it could become a steady source of income for me. With that thought in mind, I ordered Ruu to interrogate the frogmen about the pearl.
The captured frogmen revealed that the pearl was incredibly rare, but not impossible to obtain. It could only be found deep within the lake, near the area where their guardian deity had once resided. Out of fear of provoking it and being devoured, they never dared approach that region themselves. The sole reason they possessed one was that they had forced captured lizardmen to harvest it from a specific shellfish. Furthermore, it was also a long-standing tradition for each new chieftain to consume such a pearl upon ascension.
So that’s why there’s only one here…
I closed my hand around the pearl and slipped it into my inventory without another word. Between the serpent’s corpse, the plausibility I had gathered, and this unexpected treasure, this crusade had paid off far better than I’d anticipated. And somehow, I had the distinct feeling that this pearl would prove unexpectedly useful in the near future.
Not long after, the lizardmen prepared to escort me back to their village. True to their insistence, I was seated atop the palanquin salvaged from the Green Webber Tribe’s settlement. It was crude and uneven, carried by four heavily built lizardmen whose expressions brimmed with pride, as though bearing my weight was the greatest honor of their lives. I let them have it since it would only make them even more faithful.
As we marched through the swamp, word spread faster than expected. By the time the Red Scale Tribe’s village came into view, the entire settlement had gathered. Drums thundered as torches were raised high. The moment the palanquin crossed the outer perimeter, the lizardmen dropped to one knee in perfect unison and erupted into cheers.
“Hail the Great Dragon God!”
“Hail Zha’Rath!”
“Hail the Violet-Scaled Dragon God!”
The chants echoed endlessly, reverberating through the swamp like a rolling tide. I felt a sense of pride from their worship, the kind that made me think that I had returned as the king of all gods.
Ruu stood at the forefront, bowing deeply as I descended. Before I could even speak, several attendants rushed forward, gesturing emphatically, and then I noticed them. Dozens of female lizardmen stood nearby with their heads lowered. They had white, polished scales and were adorned with beads and crude ornaments.
“…They are offered to you as tribute, Great Dragon God,” Ruu said solemnly.
I stared at them for a second, completely speechless, then inwardly sighed. To think they would offer me dozens of female lizardmen… But who the fuck wanted them?
I waved a hand dismissively. “No need. See that they are cared for.”
The female lizardmen gasped, as if I had bestowed a divine mercy upon them. However, most of them looked disappointed for some reason. They must have wanted to get the seed of their god to create stronger warriors for their tribe. I didn’t know.
As I stepped forward, the chants grew louder, the air thick with reverence. The swamp had changed, and now, it belonged to me—my domain.
At that moment, several notifications appeared.
You have conquered the Green Webber Tribe and established the Red Scale Tribe as the hegemon of the swamp region within the Great Wilderness under your divinity.
This accomplishment has been recorded in your Fable.
You have earned a new title: Violet-Scaled Dragon God.
Your Mind has increased by 5.
“Fable?” I widened my eyes in mild surprise, though I had been expecting this for a bit.
Once a He-rank divine warrior reached the level cap, advancing into the realm of divine heroes required the creation of a personal Fable. There were several known ways to achieve this:
Regardless, all of these paths were far too difficult for me to pursue at the moment. It would be wiser to think about them only after I reach the peak of Daleth rank. What truly piqued my interest right now was the new title I had obtained, so I quickly checked its details.
Violet-Scaled Dragon God
Rank: Epic
A title granted to one who has manifested as a draconic deity and been worshipped as a god by the Red Scale Tribe of the Great Wilderness. Your form and legend have become inseparable from lizardman belief, and your presence inspires absolute reverence within your domain.
This kind of title could eventually be upgraded into “God of the Lizardmen.” Unfortunately, that would require conquering the entire Great Wilderness, and I simply didn’t have the time for that. For now, everything here would be left to Ruu. If I were lucky, he would be able to lead the Red Scale Tribe far enough to make that future possible. Besides, a god who meddled too much and too directly would only stunt the growth of those beneath him. A god should be a mysterious and divine existence, not a secular one.
While the celebration was still in full swing, I quietly slipped into one of the unoccupied huts. Inside, I activated Echo Construct. A moment later, another me stood right beside me, violet scales gleaming as it radiated an overwhelming presence. The construct carried more than enough authority to fool even the most devout believer, as evidenced by what it previously did in the Genesis Order.
After instructing it to draw the lizardmen’s attention, I slipped back into the swamp, removing myself from the scene entirely and making my way back toward the portal back home.
Behind me, the construct raised its spear.
“It is time,” it proclaimed, voice echoing across the village. “The Red Scales shall rise no longer under my direct intervention. I will be ascending into divinity.”
The lizardmen gasped, then erupted into thunderous cheers.
“I will not always walk among you, but I will be watching from afar,” the construct continued calmly. “Grow strong. Conquer the entire swamp, then the whole Great Wilderness. Spread my name and turn every living being into my believers.”
Ruu knelt deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground. The others followed without hesitation. By the time the cheers reached their peak, the construct broke apart into particles of light and vanished into the air.
The construct has lost energy and dissipated.
By then, I could no longer see what was happening in the village as I went straight for the portal back to Fantasia.
***
When I arrived back at the Rift Square in Fantasia, it was already midnight. Nearly two days must have passed within the Great Wilderness, but with the three-to-one time dilation, not much time had elapsed here. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, and I was dog tired. Without sparing another thought, I returned to the inn and allowed myself a proper night’s rest before dealing with everything else tomorrow.
As a tribute to the Goddess of Imagination, Istellia, 100 Soul Coins have been deducted from your balance.