The order quickly spread throughout the entire tribe.
It didn't take much time—the Wolf Tribe was not large, and all the herald had to do was shout once outside the chief's tent, and every beastkin in the vicinity would hear it.
In less than a minute, over a hundred beastkin capable of fighting, excluding the women, children, and warriors assigned to protect them, had all gathered in front of the chief.
Each of them held a weapon and wore a cloak. Their expressions were firm—without a hint of fear.
Once everyone had assembled, the chief and the elders immediately set out with them, rushing toward the direction where the enemy had appeared beyond the borders of the tribe.
But when they saw the enemy's appearance, they couldn't help but be stunned.
This force of two hundred had no standardized equipment. Some held axes, some daggers, and some even wooden sticks. Most didn't even wear a single decent piece of armor—they looked disorganized and not at all like a regular fighting force.
However, what was most peculiar was that none of them took any precautions against the Black ash.
Even orcs, when moving outside like now, had to wrap themselves tightly. Otherwise, if the corrosive spirit ash touched their skin—or worse, was inhaled into the lungs—even a beastkin known for their physical toughness wouldn't remain unharmed.
Yet these people wore no cloaks, no gloves, not even masks.
They just stood there, in the drifting Black ash.
The chief's heart sank.
Whether it was due to special equipment that made them immune to the ash, or a technique that repelled it—such methods were not something a low-tier race like the beastkin could ever possess.
"Who are you?"
The situation was far too complex. Even the wisest chief in the tribe couldn't immediately discern the true nature of their enemy.
"Humans,"
Replied Riku, standing at the very front of the group, openly and without hesitation.
He had deliberately asked Origami Tobiichi not to teleport them directly into the tribe's center, instead waiting outside its borders to give the beastkin time to respond—because he wanted to win this war honorably.
This was humanity's debut battle in this world.
Every single Wraith Hunter held a suppressed flame in their heart. Only by venting it in the most direct and brutal way could humanity forge a confidence and courage they never possessed before.
"It's finally starting."
High above, in the sky, hidden by Schwi invisibility spell, Origami Tobiichi watched the battlefield on the brink of eruption, and couldn't help but feel emotional.
After so much setup and preparation, both her main and side quests were finally moving forward significantly.
As long as they won—and the victory was delivered back to the village—the people's faith in Tokisaki Mio would grow even deeper.
And as the villagers' combat strength increased, they would be able to challenge stronger enemies.
This Wolf Tribe was only the beginning.
In the future, humans would face more opponents, seize their territory, and expand their power step by step.
And if along the way they could encounter other human tribes, all the better.
After all, Riku tribe numbered only two thousand. With humans' slow reproduction rate, it would be difficult to rapidly grow their population or increase their number of believers.
Assimilating other human tribes was the best way to expand both population and faith in the short term.
Meanwhile, as Origami envisioned the future, the two forces on the ground weren't idle either.
After Riku declared himself human, the chief and his beastkin were momentarily dumbfounded.
"Humans...?"
The chief's nostrils flared.
Beastkin had senses comparable to magic—especially their sense of smell. They could pick up scents within hundreds of kilometers and identify a target's race instantly.
But no matter how hard he focused, the chief couldn't catch the human scent from the enemy.
"No, you're not human."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Though your appearance and clothing style are human, your scent is entirely different. If you don't want to reveal your identity, you can refuse to answer—but don't waste time with meaningless lies."
"Hmm... In a way, you're not wrong," Riku chuckled lightly. "After fusing with the Crystal Remnantss, we're no longer pure humans. But I wasn't lying—because I don't need to."
The chief's face wrinkled even more deeply.
Crystal Remnantss?
What are those?
Could it be that these things gave humans their strength—altering them fundamentally and changing their life structure—so much that even beastkin couldn't identify them anymore?
If so, it would make sense.
After all, the scent of these people wasn't human—but neither did it belong to any of the fifteen known races.
If they weren't a completely new race, then they were likely an evolved form of humanity.
"Heh, who would've thought... the day would come when humans would challenge us."
The burliest elder beside the chief slammed his iron hammer into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He spoke through clenched teeth:
"We used to think you were just crafty, hairless monkeys. And now that you've gained a bit of power, you think you can go toe-to-toe with us beastkin? Seems your brains aren't much better than monkeys either."
"Then let's see,"
Riku remained completely calm in the face of this arrogance.
His eyes remained sharp and steady as he drew two daggers from his waist and activated the power of the Crystal Remnantss within him.
A thin layer of black mist rose from his body and coated the blades of his daggers.
Seeing their chief ready to fight, the two hundred Wraith Hunters also activated their powers, channeling the corruptive power of spirit ash into their weapons.
"Good. Very good. We were just worrying about the food shortage—and now you've delivered it right to our doorstep."
The burly elder let out a furious laugh, his face twitching with excitement and rage.
"Since you're so generous, we'll gladly accept this month's supply of fresh meat!"
The other beastkin howled toward the sky, releasing the anger from being challenged by a weak race—and the thrill of gaining food supplies.
Only the chief and a few elders remained grave.
They knew full well just how cunning humans could be.
If humans could use spirits, they would have already joined the fifteen dominant races.
Unable to use spirits, lacking strength, speed, or hard shells—humans had survived through one thing only: intelligence.
These people didn't come here on impulse. They had prepared thoroughly.
"Sigh..."
The chief let out a long sigh.
But now, there was no retreat.
The enemy was already at their doorstep. They had no choice but to fight.
The chief of the Wolf Tribe locked eyes with Riku from across the field.
Almost simultaneously, they raised their arms—
"All units...!"
In the next moment, the signal was given—
"Attack!"