Chapter 40: Bandits Part 3
"Even a lowly creature like you dares to seek my head." The young man's attention shifted as another voice echoed through the base. His eyes locked onto the area behind the vice leader, where a towering, 7-foot lizard man emerged from one of the houses, wielding a massive war hammer.
Their unflinching gazes clashed amongst the residual smoke and the prone bodies of bandits scattered on the ground as the young man locked eyes with the stubborn lizard man. He couldn't, however, reject the vice leader's worried signaling, which loomed in the background.
He quickly switched his spear away from the man's throat on the ground, shifting his attention to their leader. The vice leader retreated gradually, enlarging the battleground in preparation for their impending battle.
"Leader, something about this smoke doesn't feel right. Let's get this done quickly," the vice leader pleaded, his voice strained as he battled to keep his breath in the growing haze.
In answer, the leader remained unfazed by the ominous atmosphere. He stood firm, swinging his massive war hammer with unshakable resolve.
"It won't take long for me to deal with this pipsqueak," he said, his stance declaring his resolve.
The young man approached cautiously towards the lizard man with the spear, and he squared himself against the enormous lizard man holding a massive war hammer in the dimly lit forest.
The young man pushed forward, his spear aimed at the lizard's midsection, with a quick lunge and a running aura into his hind leg muscles. Despite his enormous size, the lizard man moved quickly and sidestepped with astonishing agility. The spear pierced the air, narrowly missing its intended target.
The lizard man reacted with a powerful blow of his war hammer, which was a fearsome weapon due to its sheer weight. The young man barely avoided the bone-crushing strike, rolling to the side thanks to his quickness. The ground shook as the hammer struck it, sending a shockwave over the battlefield.
The young man took advantage of the lizard's temporary imbalance as the dust settled. He lunged once more, this time for the unprotected flank. His spear grazed the scales of the lizard man, leaving a small trail of dark green blood.
"ROOOR"
In pain and rage, the lizard man shouted, his tail whipping through the air like a battering ram.
"Arghh".
The young man groaned in agony as he felt the lizard's tail slam against his sides. He'd been caught off guard, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't avoid the tail's lethal arc, which sent him flying several meters away. Agonizing pain shot through his ribcage, making breathing challenging. The lizard man came towards him as he got up again.
Their fight went on, an exhibition of both skill and might. The young man made use of his speed and agility, darting in and out and scoring fast strikes on the lizard's body. The lizard man, on the other hand, relied on physical strength, each swing of his war hammer delivering bone-shattering force.
As the fierce clash waged on, it became clear that the huge lizard man was progressively succumbing to exhaustion. His once-rapid movements slowed, and the great strength in his arms began to fade. Each swing of his big war hammer, which had been devastating at first, grew slower and less precise.
'It's starting to have an effect'.
Thought The young man and took the chance, well aware of his opponent's declining condition. He moved in a circle around the struggling lizard man, his quick footwork allowing him to dodge the tired attacks and counter with planned precision.
As tiredness set in, the lizard warrior's breaths came in heavy, strained gasps. His once-ferocious roars of rage had been replaced by weary grunts of effort.
His scales, which had previously provided tremendous protection, now appeared to be a huge load, dragging him down.
Despite his dwindling strength, the lizard man refused to yield, propelled by a tenacious will to win. But the young man persisted in taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself.
It was a struggle of endurance, with the odds changing in the young man's favor as each passing moment wore down his strong opponent.
The observers, including the vice leader who stood on the sidelines, could see the battle's tide turning.
The vice leader's frenzied yells filled the air in a desperate attempt to shift the direction of the conflict.
"No, no, no!" he exclaimed, his voice strained and filled with desperation. Even as the smoke took its toll on his own stamina, his leader's dilemma had sparked a flame of purpose within him.
The vice leader moved slowly, scanning the local area for anything that could help. As the odd smoke invaded him, his eyesight dimmed, and his breaths came in weak gasps. Despite the rising smoke that obscured his vision, he refused to give up.
His bloodshot gaze was drawn to a bow and quiver of arrows hidden in a corner. With renewed energy, he surged toward them, his fingers quivering as he drew an arrow from the bowstring. The young man and the beleaguered lizard man continued their ferocious movement, seemingly unaware of the vice leader's desperate move.
As he steadied his aim, time appeared to extend, and his eyesight strengthened for a split second. The vice leader knew this shot had to be good; it was their last chance. He released the arrow with a deep breath, sending it hurtling into the gathering smoke.
"Arghh!"
The agonizing scream penetrated the smoke-filled battlefield. The arrow had hit its target, but not in the way the vice leader had hoped. It was not the young man who had been struck, but his own leader, the fearsome lizard man, who had been pierced in the side with an arrow.
This unanticipated advantage was exploited by the young man, who launched a final, decisive strike. His spear sliced the air with deadly precision, striking the giant lizard warrior in the heart.
Dark green blood flowed from the wound as the young man continued to force the spear deeper into his opponent, assuring his death.
The once-mighty lizard exhaled his final breath, his existence obliterated by the onslaught. His huge frame gave down, and the battle-hardened warrior was defeated by an opponent whose skill and cunning had proven superior.
In the face of this turn of events, the vice leader could only fall to his knees, isolated and overwhelmed. His attempts to affect the course of the fight had been thwarted by the mysterious smoke, leaving him in helpless despair.
He watched as the young man emerged from the odd haze, one hand massaging his ribcage, his spear now bearing the indelible blood of the strong lizard man's annihilation.
"Thanks for the assistance,pal" .
As the young man got closer to the vice leader, he remarked with a grin behind his mask before swinging his spear, beheading him.
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