Second Playthrough, The Heroines All Turn Against Me - Chapter 108

Chapter 108: So, Am I the Chief Now?
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Translation by: Weebsread👹
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Deep within the Tribal Forest, four figures wove their way through the ancient trees—Liao Ji and his companions, now joined by a new face: the dragon girl. Of course, Liao Ji couldn’t possibly leave Axue behind—no, that wasn’t it! He simply couldn’t bear to see Jiuyou run herself ragged, still needing to help with the soldiers’ training.
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So, Liao Ji had led everyone to set out ahead of schedule. Guided by the directions Xiyun provided, they pressed on toward the territory of the Terror Lizard Clan.
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From afar, a banner came into view, emblazoned with the image of a savage, gaping-mawed lizard. Every clan strove to make their banners as fearsome as possible—a kind of tribal camouflage, meant to ward off trouble.
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As the four drew within a hundred meters of the banner, making no attempt to conceal themselves, they were swiftly intercepted by two Lizardkin returning to the tribe.
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“Humans?” one of the Lizardkin barked, voice taut with suspicion, leveling his weapon at Liao Ji.
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Fortunately, his companion—taller and even more imposing—intervened, raising a hand to hold him back.
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This Lizardkin stood out, not just for his size but for the distinctive animal pelt he wore, adorned with intricate patterns and a wealth of tooth necklaces draped around his neck and wrists. The more ornaments one wore, the higher their standing within the tribe.
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He showed not a hint of fear. In fact, he strode forward to meet the outsiders with a confidence bordering on arrogance.
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Once face to face, Rush—the vertical brown pupils in his eyes marking him as Lizardfolk—let his gaze settle first on the only man among them, Liao Ji, naturally assuming he was the leader.
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As the Chief’s son, Rush was well-traveled. He quickly realized Liao Ji was different from the humans of the Dragonmen Army. His interest faded, and with a huff of white mist from his nostrils, he raised his rough, scaled hand.
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“The land ahead belongs to the Terror Lizard Clan. Humans, take a different path.”
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With a sweeping gesture, Rush signaled them to leave and turned as if to depart—only to halt, brow furrowing deeper.
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“Hey! Big guy, we’re from the Revolutionary Army in the Sealed Capital. We’re here on important business with your Chief. If you get it, hurry up and take us in!” Irene called out.
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“Sealed Capital? Revolutionary Army? Here to see my father?” Rush eyed Irene suspiciously.
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Irene looked surprised for a moment, then broke into a bright smile. She drew an envelope from her chest and tossed it to Rush.
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“Check this letter. It’s from our Revolutionary Army’s second-in-command to your father. Satisfied now?”
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Rush, still wary, opened the letter. As the clan’s future leader, he was literate. His eyes flicked over the contents, and when he finished, all doubt about Liao Ji’s group vanished.
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He knew a little about his father’s dealings with the Revolutionary Army, though those days were long past. Precisely because of that—
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“Go back. The Terror Lizard Clan does not welcome you.”
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“Huh?! You still don’t believe us?” Irene protested.
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“No. It’s because I know you’re with the Revolutionary Army that you’re not welcome. I, Rush, am not like my father. I won’t be fooled by you. No matter what tricks you try, you’ll never get another scrap of resources from the Terror Lizard Clan!”
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As Rush spoke, his voice grew sharper. He remembered all too well, even from his childhood: it was that Foxfolk, that ‘Aunt Xiyun,’ who had bewitched his father! Their clan had struggled just to survive, yet his father had sent a huge shipment of supplies to that conniving Foxfolk, all for the so-called revolution, for the demi-humans’ “future.” Clearly, his father had been seduced—tricked by Xiyun! The whole tribe had been played for fools!
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But now, as the future Chief, Rush would not falter like his father. He would act only for the good of his people—forget their so-called revolution!
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That was Rush’s conviction—at least, until the very next moment.
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His gaze, following Irene’s, swept over the rest of Liao Ji’s group. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he froze.
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Because not all four outsiders were human—there was a… a…!
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Rush stared, dumbfounded, at the dragon girl at the rear. In an instant, something electric shot through his mind. He was utterly stunned—he’d never imagined anyone in this world could be so beautiful. His words failed him, but just one look told him: this was a Dragonkin, entirely unlike the female Lizardkin of his own tribe!
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To Rush, it was as if he’d been struck by a force from a higher realm—especially those two little horns atop the dragon girl’s head! He couldn’t tear his eyes away, heart pounding, his whole body trembling with excitement.
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He felt as if… he finally understood.
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He finally understood his father back then.
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“Ahem!”
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Rush cleared his throat, and his tone shifted dramatically—from rigid refusal to something far more accommodating.
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And as for what that “accommodation” entailed…
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Rush led Liao Ji and the group to another area—a broad, meticulously maintained clearing. At its center sat a… hammer?
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“Our Terror Lizard Clan’s ancestor was one of the seventy-two clans that fought at the Ashen Emperor’s side. We were honored to be granted a weapon by the Ashen Emperor himself! Since then, this weapon has been passed down as our symbol of Glory—what you humans call a Relic!”
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Here, Rush puffed up with pride. In moments like this, he always felt the weight of his clan’s honor. After all, not every demi-human tribe could claim an ancestor who had followed the Ashen Emperor into battle, much less the right to possess a Relic.
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Rush had deliberately brought Liao Ji’s group here, eager to show off his clan’s storied history and elevate his own standing—as the Chief’s son, he wanted to shine.
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He stole a glance at the dragon girl—only to find her expression cold as ever.
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She hadn’t looked at him even once.
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She didn’t seem moved in the slightest by his grand speech about their glorious past.
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“So, big guy, why’d you bring us here? And—is that really a Relic? Doesn’t it just look like a chunk of rock?” Irene poked holes in Rush’s performance, making him cough awkwardly, a resentful flush creeping up his face.
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“This… this isn’t the real Relic. The real one was stolen by those damned Dragonmen Army!”
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“But! We made this one as a replica. In our clan, we have a rule: whoever can lift this hammer with pure Strength can become our leader!”
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At Rush’s words, Irene’s eyes sparkled. “Really? Just lift it and you’re the Chief? The whole tribe has to listen to me?”
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Rush sneered at the slender human girl before him, then motioned for her to try.
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Irene’s stubbornness flared. She strode up to the Terror Lizard Clan’s imitation hammer and, showing off, tried to lift it one-handed.
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But the stone hammer didn’t budge. She switched to both hands, straining with all her might, and managed only to make it wobble a little.
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“Damn, this thing must weigh several hundred kilos!”
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Because the rule demanded pure Strength, she couldn’t use any Corruption power. Irene cursed and glared at Rush.
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“You talk big—can you lift it yourself?”
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Finally! Rush wasn’t offended by her challenge; in fact, he looked at Irene with a hint of admiration. This was his chance—his moment to display his Strength!
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He strode up to the stone hammer, forged from the hardest granite by nearly the whole clan. Even though the true Relic had been stolen, they could not forget their Glory—their history as one of the seventy-two clans that stood with the Ashen Emperor, their dream of reclaiming the Relic. That was why they had the heavy hammer, and the rule to inspire the tribe.
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Standing before the hammer, Rush planted his powerful legs, bent his knees, and gripped the handle tightly. Taking a deep breath, his muscles bulged. With a roar, he pushed off the ground and heaved upward.
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Astonishingly, the massive hammer actually rose a few centimeters off the ground. He couldn’t lift it any higher, and his face turned crimson from the strain. After three seconds, he let go—“thud!”—and the hammer slammed back into the sand.
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“Huff… huff… see? I wasn’t lying…”
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“For me, Rush, that was… easy, a piece of cake…”
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Panting, Rush was elated—he’d outdone himself today! Not only had he lasted a second longer than ever before, he’d lifted the hammer half a centimeter higher—a new record! And surely, he’d caught the attention of the female Dragonkin at last! Rush grew even more excited as he saw her finally looking his way… No, was she actually walking toward him!?
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Thump, thump—his heart pounded. Had his display of Strength already won over the Dragonkin…?
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Uh?
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Ah?
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Before Rush could get lost in his fantasies, the Dragonkin brushed past him and stopped before the stone hammer.
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She wanted to try as well?
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As expected of a Dragonkin!
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Rush felt a surge of respect for Jiuyou—just having the courage to challenge the test was enough to win his Favorability, even if he was sure of the result. After all, he’d trained with this hammer since childhood, for over a decade. Without System-level training, no demi-human could possibly—
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In Rush’s eyes, Jiuyou performed four actions:
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She walked up, bent down casually, gripped the handle, and then—
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Lifted it effortlessly, as if it were a toy.
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Huh?
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Before Rush could wonder if he was seeing things—and as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief—his pupils dilated to their limit. The enormous stone hammer loomed larger and larger in his vision.
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Until—
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With every hair on his body standing on end, the hammer hovered just a few millimeters from the tip of his nose.
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Then came the cool, indifferent voice of the Dragonkin girl.
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“So, am I the Chief now?”