Reading settings
overlord_ Welcome the Birth of the King_chapter_0167
Chapter 171
Chapter 167: Partner Contract I — The Master of the Cave Lizards, the Twin Witches
Author: Amnesty L
Tang Zheng looked at the three Frogmen charging over on their Multi-headed Water Snakes and immediately signaled for the two flame archangels, who had just finished off the purple long-worm, to attack.
The roars of the Multi-headed Water Snakes and the piercing shrieks of the Frogmen echoed as the flame archangels intercepted them.
One of the Multi-headed Water Snakes, unhindered, lunged fiercely toward Tang Zheng.
The Frogman standing atop its head looked at Tang Zheng and shouted arrogantly, "Intruder, this mighty warrior will eat you!"
"I've always hated guys like you who are always talking about eating people." A cold glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes as he raised his palm and aimed forward.
Magic Arrow!
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Three magical arrows shot out, striking the knee of the Multi-headed Water Snake's left foreleg.
*Boom!*
"Roar—"
The Multi-headed Water Snake felt a sharp pain in its knee. Its rapid charge faltered, and it pitched forward, crashing heavily into a mud pit in the swamp with a dull thud.
*Thud!*
The Frogman on its head was flung uncontrollably through the air, landing in the swamp ten meters in front of Tang Zheng and creating a deep crater.
"Damn it!"
The Frogman, incredibly tough-skinned, crawled out of the mud pit, its fist-sized, dark brown eyes filled with ferocity.
"Damn intruder, this mighty warrior will..."
"Magic Arrow!"
Tang Zheng clearly had no intention of listening to nonsense. He raised his hand and fired off another spell.
The sound of something tearing through the air rang out.
The Frogman had no time to dodge and was struck by the magical arrows, which blasted three bloody holes in its resilient chest.
"It didn't even pierce through," Tang Zheng noted with a flash of surprise.
Do Frogmen have magic resistance?
Huh?
Tang Zheng was suddenly taken aback. Before his eyes, the bloody holes blasted into the Frogman's chest had already begun to heal.
Although it couldn't compare to a Troll, such a recovery speed was already quite exaggerated.
He had never heard that Frogmen possessed such a regenerative ability!
*[Skill "Partner Contract I" discovered. Requires Basic Job: Beast Tamer. Current conditions not met...]*
*[Genius Class activating. Conversion successful. Learning conditions met. Consume 1 Skill Point to learn?]*
A glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes.
Another Beast Tamer skill.
The previous Beast Tamer skill, "Beast Rage," had held no interest for Tang Zheng, whether by its name or its effect, and he hadn't wanted to waste a skill point on it.
But the effect this skill demonstrated on the Frogman made Tang Zheng's eyes light up.
He certainly didn't mind having more basic jobs, and as long as it didn't waste a skill point, he was willing to learn it.
...
**Skill: Partner Contract I**
**Cost:** None (1h Cooldown)
**Description:** Form a close partnership with a non-hostile monster, allowing the user to use one of the partner's abilities. The user can also choose to let the partner use one of their own abilities.
Only one party can use an ability per activation, and the cost is paid by the party whose ability is used.
(Note: Once chosen, the contract cannot be broken unless the partner dies, at which point a replacement can be chosen.)
...
Tang Zheng quickly scanned the skill's information and glanced at the Multi-headed Water Snake in the distance, which had fallen and was unable to get back up immediately.
He then looked back at the Frogman before him, whose chest wounds had already healed.
If he remembered correctly, the Multi-headed Water Snake possessed the ability to "increase self-healing speed," and the Frogman was clearly using that very power.
Conversely, after the Frogman had used its ability, the Multi-headed Water Snake was unable to recover from its injuries and stand up right away.
"It hurts, it hurts!"
"Damn intruder, if you kneel and beg for mercy, I, a great warrior, might grant you a painless death."
After crying out in pain twice, the Frogman saw that the wound on its chest had recovered. A smug look appeared on its face, and it even deliberately puffed out its chest at Tang Zheng as it yelled.
Seeing the creature's unique way of showing off, Tang Zheng said with a deadpan expression, "Let's see if you can still recover after I slice you to pieces."
The Frogman froze. Its fist-sized eyeballs swiveled, looking to either side, and its body couldn't help but tremble.
The two flame archangels had returned, appearing on the Frogman's left and right sides simultaneously. Their flame swords swung down.
In the blink of an eye, the Frogman was hacked into several pieces.
Blood flowed.
It completely lost all signs of life!
Clearly, the ability to increase one's healing speed was not enough to piece a dismembered body back together.
Tang Zheng retracted his gaze and placed a hand on the Evil Spirit Hound's head. "Partner Contract."
"Grrr~"
The Evil Spirit Hound let out a low growl and instinctively shook its head.
"Go."
Its master's familiar voice rang in its mind, and the Evil Spirit Hound subconsciously began to move forward.
"Interesting. On the surface, it's a two-way street, but in reality, it's a one-way contract centered on the user." Tang Zheng carefully perceived this ability.
After activating the skill, he could clearly feel an invisible, close connection being established between himself and the Evil Spirit Hound.
He could now transmit his commands to the Evil Spirit Hound more easily and clearly, and he could also forcibly use the Evil Spirit Hound's "Chain Great Whirlwind" ability.
The Evil Spirit Hound, however, could not establish a connection with him in reverse; everything was still directed by the user.
"Is this the difference between a Beast Tamer and a Druid," Tang Zheng murmured to himself.
A pity.
He could only form a contract with one monster at a time. Using this opportunity on the Evil Spirit Hound was a bit of a waste.
With a Frogman leading the way, Tang Zheng began to approach the depths of the Great Wetland. Large monsters and Frogmen became more numerous, but under the assault of the two flame archangels, nothing could stop his advance.
The swampy area, with its dense weeds and sparse trees, gradually gave way to a dense forest ahead.
"Stop!!"
Suddenly, a fearful and panicked shout came from the dense forest.
At Tang Zheng's thought, the Evil Spirit Hound halted and looked ahead warily.
A slender Lizardman emerged from the dense forest. Its black eyes, slightly different from the snake-like pupils of a normal Lizardman, stared at Tang Zheng in terror.
"A Lizardman?"
Tang Zheng looked surprised. He hadn't expected to see a Lizardman in the depths of the Great Wetland.
Wait!
Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes imperceptibly.
This Lizardman knew him?
Its fearful and panicked demeanor was not something one would expect from a first meeting.
"I'm not a Lizardman, I'm a Cave Lizardman." Hearing Tang Zheng's term, the Cave Lizardman shrank its neck. Though still filled with fear, it immediately corrected him.
A Cave Lizardman?
Tang Zheng glanced at the spike-like protrusions on its head.
"You know me?" Tang Zheng looked at it, his expression unreadable, and spoke flatly.
"My master told me to tell you that you cannot kill the Frogmen." The Cave Lizardman held its head high with effort, baring its sharp teeth, and did not answer Tang Zheng's question.
"Don't get cocky just because you destroyed the Lizardmen Tribe. Get out of the Great Wetland."
After saying that last sentence, the Cave Lizardman trembled, not even daring to look up at Tang Zheng in the distance. It knew full well how that group of Lizardmen had been annihilated at the hands of this human.
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes, his gaze growing profound.
If it was just a guess before, he was now certain: this being knew exactly what had happened in the Lizardmen Tribe.
"Who is your master?"
Tang Zheng's voice turned cold.
"Naturally, it is Lady Witch, the ruler of this dense forest wetland." When the Cave Lizardman mentioned the words "Lady Witch," it seemed to regain some courage, its voice even growing a few degrees louder.
The Twin Witches!
Tang Zheng grew even more surprised.
The Twin Witches actually knew what happened in the Lizardmen Tribe, and this Cave Lizardman before him seemed to know as well.
He was certain.
He had never seen this Cave Lizard before.
"Charm Species!" Tang Zheng couldn't be bothered to speculate and directly activated the magic.
Before the Cave Lizardman could react, it lost consciousness and began to walk dazedly toward Tang Zheng.
As the charm magic was transferred, the Frogman that had been leading the way also came to its senses.
*Swish!*
A flame archangel flapped its wings, appeared above the Frogman, and swung its flame sword down, cleaving it in two.
"Tell me, how do you know all of this," Tang Zheng asked calmly, watching the Cave Lizardman as it arrived before him.
With the Cave Lizardman's explanation, Tang Zheng finally understood everything.
He hadn't thought that this Cave Lizardman could actually disguise itself as a normal Lizardman and live among the Lizardmen Tribe.
Not only that.
When the Twin Witches stole the Lizardmen's sacred treasure, it was also a Cave Lizardman disguised as a Lizardman who secretly passed on information, allowing them to succeed in one fell swoop.
It wasn't this particular Cave Lizardman, but another one.
Tang Zheng took a black-gray ring from the Cave Lizardman's hand. This was the magic item that allowed a Cave Lizardman to transform into a Lizardman.
"And here I thought it was that fluctuation of magic power in the air back then."
Tang Zheng frowned slightly, toying with the ring in his hand. He suddenly realized that things were getting more and more interesting.
The things the Twin Witches had accomplished using the Cave Lizardmen alone were enough to prove that they were not some foolish demi-humans.
However!
The warning the Twin Witches had just sent the Cave Lizardman to deliver was clearly an incredibly foolish act.
Knowing full well that he had destroyed the Lizardmen Tribe, yet they still did something to provoke him.
"They don't want to drive me away. On the contrary, they want me to go in." Tang Zheng raised his head to look into the dark depths of the dense forest, his eyes glinting.
(end of chapter)
Author: Amnesty L
Tang Zheng looked at the three Frogmen charging over on their Multi-headed Water Snakes and immediately signaled for the two flame archangels, who had just finished off the purple long-worm, to attack.
The roars of the Multi-headed Water Snakes and the piercing shrieks of the Frogmen echoed as the flame archangels intercepted them.
One of the Multi-headed Water Snakes, unhindered, lunged fiercely toward Tang Zheng.
The Frogman standing atop its head looked at Tang Zheng and shouted arrogantly, "Intruder, this mighty warrior will eat you!"
"I've always hated guys like you who are always talking about eating people." A cold glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes as he raised his palm and aimed forward.
Magic Arrow!
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Three magical arrows shot out, striking the knee of the Multi-headed Water Snake's left foreleg.
*Boom!*
"Roar—"
The Multi-headed Water Snake felt a sharp pain in its knee. Its rapid charge faltered, and it pitched forward, crashing heavily into a mud pit in the swamp with a dull thud.
*Thud!*
The Frogman on its head was flung uncontrollably through the air, landing in the swamp ten meters in front of Tang Zheng and creating a deep crater.
"Damn it!"
The Frogman, incredibly tough-skinned, crawled out of the mud pit, its fist-sized, dark brown eyes filled with ferocity.
"Damn intruder, this mighty warrior will..."
"Magic Arrow!"
Tang Zheng clearly had no intention of listening to nonsense. He raised his hand and fired off another spell.
The sound of something tearing through the air rang out.
The Frogman had no time to dodge and was struck by the magical arrows, which blasted three bloody holes in its resilient chest.
"It didn't even pierce through," Tang Zheng noted with a flash of surprise.
Do Frogmen have magic resistance?
Huh?
Tang Zheng was suddenly taken aback. Before his eyes, the bloody holes blasted into the Frogman's chest had already begun to heal.
Although it couldn't compare to a Troll, such a recovery speed was already quite exaggerated.
He had never heard that Frogmen possessed such a regenerative ability!
*[Skill "Partner Contract I" discovered. Requires Basic Job: Beast Tamer. Current conditions not met...]*
*[Genius Class activating. Conversion successful. Learning conditions met. Consume 1 Skill Point to learn?]*
A glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes.
Another Beast Tamer skill.
The previous Beast Tamer skill, "Beast Rage," had held no interest for Tang Zheng, whether by its name or its effect, and he hadn't wanted to waste a skill point on it.
But the effect this skill demonstrated on the Frogman made Tang Zheng's eyes light up.
He certainly didn't mind having more basic jobs, and as long as it didn't waste a skill point, he was willing to learn it.
...
**Skill: Partner Contract I**
**Cost:** None (1h Cooldown)
**Description:** Form a close partnership with a non-hostile monster, allowing the user to use one of the partner's abilities. The user can also choose to let the partner use one of their own abilities.
Only one party can use an ability per activation, and the cost is paid by the party whose ability is used.
(Note: Once chosen, the contract cannot be broken unless the partner dies, at which point a replacement can be chosen.)
...
Tang Zheng quickly scanned the skill's information and glanced at the Multi-headed Water Snake in the distance, which had fallen and was unable to get back up immediately.
He then looked back at the Frogman before him, whose chest wounds had already healed.
If he remembered correctly, the Multi-headed Water Snake possessed the ability to "increase self-healing speed," and the Frogman was clearly using that very power.
Conversely, after the Frogman had used its ability, the Multi-headed Water Snake was unable to recover from its injuries and stand up right away.
"It hurts, it hurts!"
"Damn intruder, if you kneel and beg for mercy, I, a great warrior, might grant you a painless death."
After crying out in pain twice, the Frogman saw that the wound on its chest had recovered. A smug look appeared on its face, and it even deliberately puffed out its chest at Tang Zheng as it yelled.
Seeing the creature's unique way of showing off, Tang Zheng said with a deadpan expression, "Let's see if you can still recover after I slice you to pieces."
The Frogman froze. Its fist-sized eyeballs swiveled, looking to either side, and its body couldn't help but tremble.
The two flame archangels had returned, appearing on the Frogman's left and right sides simultaneously. Their flame swords swung down.
In the blink of an eye, the Frogman was hacked into several pieces.
Blood flowed.
It completely lost all signs of life!
Clearly, the ability to increase one's healing speed was not enough to piece a dismembered body back together.
Tang Zheng retracted his gaze and placed a hand on the Evil Spirit Hound's head. "Partner Contract."
"Grrr~"
The Evil Spirit Hound let out a low growl and instinctively shook its head.
"Go."
Its master's familiar voice rang in its mind, and the Evil Spirit Hound subconsciously began to move forward.
"Interesting. On the surface, it's a two-way street, but in reality, it's a one-way contract centered on the user." Tang Zheng carefully perceived this ability.
After activating the skill, he could clearly feel an invisible, close connection being established between himself and the Evil Spirit Hound.
He could now transmit his commands to the Evil Spirit Hound more easily and clearly, and he could also forcibly use the Evil Spirit Hound's "Chain Great Whirlwind" ability.
The Evil Spirit Hound, however, could not establish a connection with him in reverse; everything was still directed by the user.
"Is this the difference between a Beast Tamer and a Druid," Tang Zheng murmured to himself.
A pity.
He could only form a contract with one monster at a time. Using this opportunity on the Evil Spirit Hound was a bit of a waste.
With a Frogman leading the way, Tang Zheng began to approach the depths of the Great Wetland. Large monsters and Frogmen became more numerous, but under the assault of the two flame archangels, nothing could stop his advance.
The swampy area, with its dense weeds and sparse trees, gradually gave way to a dense forest ahead.
"Stop!!"
Suddenly, a fearful and panicked shout came from the dense forest.
At Tang Zheng's thought, the Evil Spirit Hound halted and looked ahead warily.
A slender Lizardman emerged from the dense forest. Its black eyes, slightly different from the snake-like pupils of a normal Lizardman, stared at Tang Zheng in terror.
"A Lizardman?"
Tang Zheng looked surprised. He hadn't expected to see a Lizardman in the depths of the Great Wetland.
Wait!
Tang Zheng narrowed his eyes imperceptibly.
This Lizardman knew him?
Its fearful and panicked demeanor was not something one would expect from a first meeting.
"I'm not a Lizardman, I'm a Cave Lizardman." Hearing Tang Zheng's term, the Cave Lizardman shrank its neck. Though still filled with fear, it immediately corrected him.
A Cave Lizardman?
Tang Zheng glanced at the spike-like protrusions on its head.
"You know me?" Tang Zheng looked at it, his expression unreadable, and spoke flatly.
"My master told me to tell you that you cannot kill the Frogmen." The Cave Lizardman held its head high with effort, baring its sharp teeth, and did not answer Tang Zheng's question.
"Don't get cocky just because you destroyed the Lizardmen Tribe. Get out of the Great Wetland."
After saying that last sentence, the Cave Lizardman trembled, not even daring to look up at Tang Zheng in the distance. It knew full well how that group of Lizardmen had been annihilated at the hands of this human.
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes, his gaze growing profound.
If it was just a guess before, he was now certain: this being knew exactly what had happened in the Lizardmen Tribe.
"Who is your master?"
Tang Zheng's voice turned cold.
"Naturally, it is Lady Witch, the ruler of this dense forest wetland." When the Cave Lizardman mentioned the words "Lady Witch," it seemed to regain some courage, its voice even growing a few degrees louder.
The Twin Witches!
Tang Zheng grew even more surprised.
The Twin Witches actually knew what happened in the Lizardmen Tribe, and this Cave Lizardman before him seemed to know as well.
He was certain.
He had never seen this Cave Lizard before.
"Charm Species!" Tang Zheng couldn't be bothered to speculate and directly activated the magic.
Before the Cave Lizardman could react, it lost consciousness and began to walk dazedly toward Tang Zheng.
As the charm magic was transferred, the Frogman that had been leading the way also came to its senses.
*Swish!*
A flame archangel flapped its wings, appeared above the Frogman, and swung its flame sword down, cleaving it in two.
"Tell me, how do you know all of this," Tang Zheng asked calmly, watching the Cave Lizardman as it arrived before him.
With the Cave Lizardman's explanation, Tang Zheng finally understood everything.
He hadn't thought that this Cave Lizardman could actually disguise itself as a normal Lizardman and live among the Lizardmen Tribe.
Not only that.
When the Twin Witches stole the Lizardmen's sacred treasure, it was also a Cave Lizardman disguised as a Lizardman who secretly passed on information, allowing them to succeed in one fell swoop.
It wasn't this particular Cave Lizardman, but another one.
Tang Zheng took a black-gray ring from the Cave Lizardman's hand. This was the magic item that allowed a Cave Lizardman to transform into a Lizardman.
"And here I thought it was that fluctuation of magic power in the air back then."
Tang Zheng frowned slightly, toying with the ring in his hand. He suddenly realized that things were getting more and more interesting.
The things the Twin Witches had accomplished using the Cave Lizardmen alone were enough to prove that they were not some foolish demi-humans.
However!
The warning the Twin Witches had just sent the Cave Lizardman to deliver was clearly an incredibly foolish act.
Knowing full well that he had destroyed the Lizardmen Tribe, yet they still did something to provoke him.
"They don't want to drive me away. On the contrary, they want me to go in." Tang Zheng raised his head to look into the dark depths of the dense forest, his eyes glinting.
(end of chapter)
