Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

Tiger Men are a type of Beastman, similar to the Ratmen that Ron and the others previously encountered. As one of the oldest and most terrifying curses, bestial transformation can turn the most civilized of humanoids into raging beasts. A cursed creature acts normally in its natural humanoid form, though over time, many Beastmen develop telltale signs of their animal form.

Generally speaking, evil Beastmen hide among the populace, transforming into their animal forms at night—especially during a full moon—to spread bloodshed and terror. Good-natured Beastmen live near other civilized creatures, but their unease leads them to live reclusively, sometimes even alone in the wilderness far from villages and towns. But the line between good and evil is rarely so stark. Take Tiger Men, for instance. They generally don’t wish to spread their curse and thus tend to live in jungles on the fringes of civilization. Yet, the effects of their transformation constantly plague them, making them fierce and arrogant.

Some Tiger Men become skilled Hunters, just like their bestial forms. Others… they also hunt, except their prey aren’t beasts, but passing travelers.

“Hey! Hand over your money, and we’ll let you pass!” As Anastina cautiously approached the bandits blocking the road, the largest Tiger Man stepped forward. He held a scimitar in each hand, their curved blades aimed at the Elf Mercenary. “You, don’t take another step!”

The Tiger Man leader was no secluded hermit. He knew a thing or two about the current trend among Mercenaries: the less they wear, the stronger they are.

However, he also knew that such Mercenaries were typically experienced. When faced with a group like his, they would usually convince their employer to pay up and avoid a fight rather than engage in direct confrontation.

“Three Gold Coins per person! It’s a fair price, honest work!” the Tiger Man shouted. The yellow fur on his face trembled, and combined with his tall frame and muscular build, he looked quite imposing.

“That’s strange. I don’t think we saw these guys on our way here, did we?” Ron said from inside the carriage. Although he didn’t show his face, Arcane Energy flowed through the compartment, allowing him to see the scene outside with perfect clarity.

“You forgot, the Shapeshifters came with the merchant caravan, while we’re traveling as an adventuring party,” Aive explained, well-versed in such matters. “Bandits pick their targets. There are about ten of these Tiger Men. They wouldn’t dare harass a caravan made of two combined groups, and robbing just a few of us wouldn’t be very profitable.”

“Didn’t you hear them asking for Gold Coins? Regular Adventurers spend whatever they earn at taverns and brothels. They might not even have a few Copper Coins left.”

“So it seems our current party size is just to their liking, hmm?” Silvia said, casually adjusting her Magic Robe. “They certainly know how to pick ’em.”

“I say, fellas, isn’t three Gold Coins a bit much?” Anastina stopped, planting herself a few meters in front of the Tiger Man leader. Her body was habitually canted slightly forward, ready to launch an attack or defend against one at a moment’s notice.

“Look, we’re just Mercenaries. Where would we get that kind of money?”

“You’re Mercenaries, but the people in the carriages might not be,” the Tiger Man sneered. Many bestial features were already visible on his body, but he was still generally in a “humanoid form.” He pointed at Aiksuuri, Seymour, and the others on the carriage, then gestured to the other carriage where Ron was. “Cut the crap. If you know what’s good for you, pay up and get lost. Otherwise, when we come and take it ourselves, it’ll cost you more than three Gold Coins per person!”

“Besides…” The Tiger Man leader’s slanted eyes scanned the Elf Great Swordsman up and down, then moved to Constance and Carlos on the carriage behind her. “You don’t look like ordinary Mercenaries. You must be some young masters and mistresses from a noble family, out to get some experience!”

“Since you’ve chosen this path, you might as well pay some tuition first!”

“And what if we don’t want to pay?” Aiksuuri asked from his seat on the carriage. Though his body was still, the light in his eyes betrayed his eagerness for a fight.

‘Rob a dragon? Forget Gold Coins, I wouldn’t even give them a fingernail!’

“Then we have no choice. We’ll have to do this the hard way!” The Tiger Man leader’s expression instantly turned cold. He gestured back with his scimitar. “Boys, get ’em!”

“ROAR!” At their leader’s call, the Tiger Men behind him instantly revealed their unique Beastman ferocity. Several of them transformed into a savage, half-man, half-tiger state, their bodies swelling to twice their size, their eyes filled with a craving for blood and slaughter. The others abandoned walking upright entirely, becoming enormous, roaring tigers that swiftly moved to encircle the entire party!

“This suits me just fine!” Anastina flashed a grin, her teeth gleaming, and reached back to draw the greatsword from her back. “None of you move. Watch me take care of all of them!”

The Tiger Man leader was now thoroughly enraged by the arrogant Elf. He furiously ripped his clothes to shreds, took on a half-man form, and lunged at the Elf, dual-wielding his scimitars. “Arrogant whelp! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

The clang of metal on metal rang out. As the leader engaged the Elf, the other Tiger Men, well-trained, closed in on Anastina. An undisciplined mob might get in each other’s way, but these natural-born hunters were able to unleash a saturation attack on the Elf Great Swordsman. Soon, beads of sweat trickled down the Elf’s temples.

“Take this!”

The moment her space was compressed to its limit, the Elf finally counterattacked. With a loud cry, she swept her greatsword low across the ground. The Tiger Man leader leaped into the air to dodge the move, but Anastina suddenly raised her sword, changing the sweep into a trip, and slammed the big brute to the ground.

“You cheated!” The Tiger Man leader was caught completely off guard. Knocked to the ground by the Elf, not only could he not mount an effective counterattack, but he also became Anastina’s human shield against the other Tiger Men. Overcome with rage, he started cursing loudly, “And you call yourself an Elf!”

“You idiot! Only a fucking idiot shouts out their real intentions!” Anastina swung her sword backhanded, forcing the Tiger Man leader to roll away on the ground to dodge. In doing so, he happened to block the attack path of his own kin. “You’re the ones ganging up on me—eat this sweep!”

One of the transformed tigers cried out in pain as the greatsword sliced open its soft underbelly. Amidst a spray of blood, it became the second to fall after its leader—this time, the Elf had actually used a sweep!