CCTnovel Chapter 162: Violet-Scaled Dragon God
Chapter 162: Violet-Scaled Dragon God
When I arrived at the outskirts of the village, it was night, and faint rhythmic drumming reached my ears. It looked like a ritual was commencing at this moment.
I slipped closer and hid behind a cluster of trees, observing the settlement—and what I saw genuinely surprised me. The village had grown far more than I anticipated. Easily over a hundred huts now dotted the swamp clearing, with hundreds of lizardmen moving about. Smoke rose gently from several cooking pits where groups prepared fish and meat, while others wove nets, sharpened weapons, or painted crude violet patterns onto wooden totems modeled loosely after my dragonewt form.
And there, standing before the central statue and appearing to be their leader, was Ruu. He wore a bone necklace and ceremonial red markings across his scales as he addressed a gathering of newcomers who knelt reverently before the stone statue of me.
A faint tug in my chest answered before I consciously recognized it. Faith… and it’s strong, concentrated, and abundant. Looks like coming here was the right decision after all.
I stayed hidden among the trees, taking in the scene before me. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until the drums abruptly stopped. A sharp, deep croak pierced the air from the far side of the settlement, followed by another… and another… multiplying rapidly until the sound swelled into dozens—no, hundreds—of voices.
“An attack…”
A second later, the northern treeline exploded as a wave of frogmen burst out of the swamp water, charging toward the village. Bone-tipped spears whistled through the air in a deadly hail, some shattering against wooden huts while others stabbed into the ground near children practicing with their reed weapons.
[Frogman Warrior – Lv.57]
[Frogman Archer – Lv.58]
[Frogman High Warrior – Lv.94]
[Frogman High Archer – Lv.91]
“Enemy attack! Everyone, get ready! Protect the children and the females!”
Ruu was the first to bellow the alarm, snatching up a sharpened stone spear and rushing forward without hesitation.
[Red Scale Tribe’s Dragon-Priest Chieftain, Ruu – Lv.110]
A lizardman who has risen from a starving survivor to the chief and priest of the Red Scale Tribe. Strengthened by the divine blessing of the Violet-Scaled Dragon God, his physical abilities and instincts have surpassed those of ordinary warriors of his kind. As both leader and spiritual guide, he wields his authority with fierce loyalty, standing at the forefront of every battle to protect his tribe.
The Red Scale Tribe’s warriors scrambled into formation with surprising discipline under Ruu’s leadership, a clear sign of how much stronger they had become after all this time. They surged forward with sharpened reeds, bone knives, and scavenged frogmen weapons. The initial clash was nearly even, with the lizardmen meeting the charge head-on and forcing the enemy back. They fought harder, fiercer, driven by desperation, and bolstered by the belief that their god favored them.
“Grruuk! Kill the red-scales!” croaked one of the frogmen’s elite warriors, elevating the chaos.
The battlefield devolved into a frenzy of bodies. Lizardmen clashed with any frogmen who pushed too deep into the village, while frogman archers rained bone-tipped arrows at them from afar. Ruu struck down two attackers in swift succession. His spear movements were nothing like the starving refugee I once knew. In fact, combat power was equal to that of an elite monster from the eighth scenario or higher.
A thunderous thump shook the swamp, followed by a violent splash that sent ripples through the murky water. Then, out of the dense fog behind the frogmen, hulking shapes slithered forward. Soon, giant chameleons emerged, each as large as a water buffalo, their mottled hides shifting from green to brown as they crept closer and closer toward the frontline.
[Giant Chameleon – Lv. 90]
Ambush predator trained by the Green Webber Tribe, capable of blending into the swamp. Highly agile and able to fire long tongues to capture prey.
Riding atop their broad backs were frogmen riders wielding long bone lances, croaking loudly.
“Riders!” Ruu shouted. “Defensive line!”
Unfortunately, it was of little use.
The chameleons lashed out with whip-like tongues, yanking warriors off their feet and slamming them into the mud. One beast plowed straight through the defensive line, scattering lizardmen like broken reeds. Another vaulted onto a stilted hut, crushing it beneath its massive weight.
The balance of the battle changed instantly. The Red Scale Tribe’s momentum was lost under the sheer speed and power of the beasts. Screams and hisses filled the village as several lizardmen were pinned, bitten, or dragged away. Even Ruu, despite his newfound strength, struggled to push back the tide. He was only one lizardman at the end of the day; he couldn’t halt an onslaught of this scale by himself.
“Huh. Guess I’ve got no choice but to lend a hand here,” I mused.
If I did nothing, the lizardmen would be wiped out at this rate. It was obvious the frogmen had prepared this assault carefully, intent on ending the conflict between the two tribes once and for all. Actually, this was also a perfect opportunity for me to make an appearance since it would garner faith the most effectively while rousing the lizardmen to strike back at the frogmen.
Ember hissed sharply, bristling in anticipation of battle. Solana pressed closer against my neck, her small body trembling with worry.
“Time for your god to make an appearance.”
***
Ruu’s heart hammered as the frogmen came in waves from all directions, descending upon his brethren. Spears flew through the air—one slammed into the ground near his feet, while another tore through a hut behind him, sending splinters spraying. Somewhere in the chaos, a child screamed.
There were too many enemies. The Green Webber Tribe had committed a large portion of their combatants, even sending out swamp beasts, clearly intending to wipe the Red Scale Tribe out once and for all.
One of their elite warriors leapt toward him, bone blade swinging down in an attempt to behead him. Ruu braced himself and slashed upward with his spear, cutting the enemy down, but not before the blade grazed his shoulder, drawing blood. Pain flared, yet he barely had time to react before five more frogmen closed in, leaping toward him from all sides, eager to finish him off.
Just as Ruu realized he wouldn’t escape in time, a ripple swept across the battlefield. All the frogmen froze mid-motion. Those lunging at him were suddenly slammed into the mud as if crushed by an invisible force, bones cracking audibly on impact. All around him, dozens of frogmen collapsed at once, pinned flat against the ground, their croaks twisting into panicked gurgles.
Almost instantly, Ruu’s eyes widened. From the edge of the village, a towering figure emerged, with violet scales that gleamed beneath the murky light. The being stood taller than any lizardman, and in his grasp was a long spear that radiated immense power—an invisible pressure that made Ruu’s blood burn.
“The Violet-Scaled Dragon God…” someone whispered.
Zha’Rath.
The name rippled through the Red Scales like lightning. Their god had appeared, descending to save them from the frogmen.
The spear thrust once, and a line of force ripped through the battlefield. Frogmen in its path were pierced cleanly, bodies flung aside as if they weighed nothing. A sweeping strike followed in a blur motion, smashing shields and snapping bones with terrifying ease.
Then two presences descended.
A streak of crimson-black light darted across the battlefield, moving too fast to follow. Wherever it passed, frogmen screamed as shadows coiled around their throats, claws flashing like embers in the dark. A demon cat—small, yet utterly terrifying—flickered in and out of sight, striking from impossible angles.
Above them, a soft golden glow blossomed as a white dove crowned with a radiant halo circled overhead. With each beat of its wings, a wave of warmth washed over the Red Scale Tribe. Ruu gasped as the ache in his limbs faded, his wounds knitting at the speed that could be seen by the naked eye, and the grip of fear loosened around his chest.
A pair of divine servants—one of light, one of shadow. And between them stood their god.
The sight shattered the frogmen’s morale. High warriors attempted to retreat, only to be skewered by streaks of violet light or dragged down by unseen force. Archers dropped their bows, croaking in terror as crushing gravity pinned them into the mud.
Ruu found himself on his knees. So did everyone else.
“Zha’Rath!” he cried, full of reverence. “Great Dragon God!”
The god turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. For a fleeting moment, Ruu felt those eyes meet his own, and within that instant came a faint, unmistakable sense of acknowledgment.
Strength surged through his limbs. His grip tightened around his spear as he rose to his feet. “Red Scales!” Ruu roared. “Our god stands with us! Kill all the invaders!”
The tribe answered with a single, unified roar.
And in that moment, Ruu knew the truth deep in his bones: The swamp no longer belonged to the frogmen.
***
The battlefield quickly tilted in the lizardmen’s favor the moment I stepped in. After revealing my Gravity Magic and unleashing Falling Star, the frogmen’s formation collapsed instantly. Some still struggled beneath the crushing force pinning them to the mud, while others attempted to flee, but within the confines of {Gravity Field}, none were able to escape. These frogmen were no longer worthy opponents.
Under Ruu’s command, the lizardmen moved with ruthless efficiency, slaughtering every remaining frogman. Once the last enemy fell, they turned as one and knelt before me, revering me as their god. From their reverent whispers, I learned the name they had given me—Zha’Rath, the Violet-Scaled Dragon God. “Zha’Rath” meant “Dragon God” in their ancient tongue.
To amplify my divine presence, I rolled my mana outward in a controlled wave. Although I wasn’t an accomplished mage, my level of Mana Manipulation allowed me to accomplish at least this much. Stepping forward, I planted the butt of my spear into the mud.
“I am your god,” I announced in the lizardman’s tongue, my voice echoing through every scale and bone. “I have decreed for you to attack the Green Webber Tribe.”
A low murmur spread through the lizardmen present—rage, hope, and fervent devotion intermingling. It was clear they had long harbored a deep-seated hatred toward the frogmen.
“Fear you will not,” I continued, lifting my spear and angling it toward the distant swamp, toward the heart of frogman territory. “For I will lead you in eradicating the frogmen.”
A roar reverberated from hundreds of throats, fierce and unified. Ruu was the first to rise, spear raised high, eyes burning with renewed purpose. One by one, the others followed. They were no longer prey, nor mere survivors, but warriors standing beneath their god’s command.
Behind me, Ember hissed eagerly as shadows coiled and writhed around his form, while Solana spread her wings, releasing a gentle radiance that washed over the tribe and healed the wounds of the injured.
My role as their god was perfect. With a single decree, I had transformed a tribal war into a crusade. This time, the entire swamp would be claimed in my name, and their entire faith would be mine alone.