Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 22: Cunning Natives
The scouting mission was proceeding smoothly. The Skeleton Undead hadn’t been exposed and soon returned in batches to the Mobile Fortress to report on the situation ahead.
The Low Level Skeleton Undead were simple-minded and couldn’t explain many things clearly. After listening to them for a while, Li Ziyu was more confused than before. However, one thing was certain: a battle had indeed taken place up ahead. The strange part was, according to the Undead, it didn’t seem to be a fight between two Tribes.
’If it’s not a tribal battle, could it be Fierce Beasts attacking a Tribe under the cover of darkness?’
He had heard people mention this sort of thing in the chat channels before. When Fierce Beasts lacked food, they would become irritable and ferocious, actively hunting for prey. It wasn’t uncommon for packs of Fierce Beasts to attack Native Tribes.
But his theory was quickly debunked by the Undead. Based on their soul-scenting, it wasn’t Fierce Beasts, but some other creatures. As for what exactly they were, the Undead were unable to articulate. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
’Maybe I should go take a look?’
The Undeads’ report piqued Li Ziyu’s curiosity. He was dying to know what kind of creatures the Undead had been unable to describe.
...
"Hold the line! Don’t let them into the Tribe!"
Mumu, the chief of the Minotaur Tribe, was a towering figure with bulging, knotted muscles, clad only in a grass skirt. He roared commands to his kinsmen while swinging a Totem Pole as tall as two men and as thick as a water bucket.
Mumu’s Tribe was a small one. At a generous count, its population hadn’t even reached a hundred. Excluding children and the elderly, and counting all the women and able-bodied adults, only a few dozen could fight.
Minotaurs were born with immense Power and were natural Warriors. An adult Minotaur required almost no training to become an excellent Warrior—the kind that wields heavy Weapons. In their tradition, the foundational Weapon of a Minotaur was the Totem Pole. frёewebnoѵēl.com
It was for this very reason that Mumu, with only a few dozen fighters, could fend off the enemy’s assault and barely defend the Tribe. But this was only temporary. The enemy numbered fewer than them, but their combat strength was far superior.
The ones attacking their Tribe were a dozen or so Demonized Minotaurs.
These Demonized Minotaurs had grayish-black skin and muscles as hard as rock. Their bulging veins looked like worms writhing just beneath the surface, and their Power was astonishing—enough to withstand the direct impact of a Totem Pole.
Mumu couldn’t understand why his Tribe had provoked a group of Demonized Minotaurs, or how these fiends had found them in the first place. But now was not the time for such questions. They had to drive these Demonized Minotaurs back. If they failed to resist and let them into the Tribe, it would be a catastrophe.
Demonized Creatures rarely left survivors. The only ones that might be spared would be those who also became demonized. Once they got inside the Tribe, it would be a massacre.
Under Mumu’s command, the Minotaurs fought back with all their might, defending the Tribe to the death and refusing to let a single Demonized Minotaur pass. Unfortunately, Minotaurs were a peace-loving Race. Though born Warriors, they disliked combat, preferring to settle on a piece of fertile land and live out their quiet lives.
The Demonized Minotaurs, in contrast, were a pack of lunatics. They charged recklessly, relentlessly, trying to smash their way in. They craved blood.
Fortunately, the Demonized Minotaurs lacked Totem Poles. The aura of Demonization surrounding them prevented them from using Weapons blessed by their Ancestors. The Weapons they wielded were Stone Rods they had found somewhere. Though heavy, they were a far cry from the Totem Poles.
The two sides clashed violently. The impacts of Totem Poles and Stone Rods crashing together and slamming into the ground thundered across the open plains, echoing far into the distance.
...
His curiosity getting the better of him, Li Ziyu finally decided to go take a look. ’If I want to find any opportunities, I have to get closer anyway.’ He ordered the Undead into silent mode, then activated the Mobile Fortress and began to approach slowly, hoping to avoid detection by either side.
As he drew nearer, Li Ziyu, peering out from a window, finally got a clear view of the battlefield. ’Are those Beastmen?’
’Minotaurs fighting other Minotaurs?’
’But why do the two sides look so different?’
The side defending the Tribe looked normal, fitting his idea of what a Minotaur should be. But the group relentlessly attacking was bizarre. They were pitch-black and looked incredibly savage. ’These dark-skinned Minotaurs must be the ones the Undead couldn’t describe.’
’Holy cow, this fight is intense. Oof, one of them got knocked down. Whoops, there goes another one.’
Just as Li Ziyu was enjoying the show, Mumu’s tribesmen began to buckle. One after another, Minotaurs were smashed to the ground by the Stone Rods, blood pooling beneath them.
After all, they were fighting Demonized Minotaurs. They had greater Power, were more aggressive, had a near-nonexistent sense of pain, and possessed a much more tenacious Life Force. The Totem Poles of Mumu and his kinsmen could injure the Demonized Minotaurs, but they couldn’t make them retreat.
’If this keeps up, we’re really done for.’ Mumu’s heart filled with despair. Even though they outnumbered their opponents, he knew that if the fight dragged on, they would be the ones to fall.
’Huh?’
After sending a Demonized Minotaur flying with his Totem Pole, Mumu suddenly froze. He sensed an aura that belonged to neither side of the conflict. It was cold, terrifying, and reeked of death.
He instinctively whipped his head around. Not far away, a colossal object had appeared at some point. Just then, the Moonlight broke through the clouds, illuminating its true form.
’Is that... a fortress?!’
There, under the Moonlight, stood a fortress constructed from piled white bones.
The sudden appearance of the Mobile Fortress stunned Mumu. It was even more surreal than encountering the Demonized Minotaurs. His Tribe had lived in this area for a long time, and he had never known there was a fortress nearby.
’Could they be with the Demonized Minotaurs?’ Mumu’s heart sank even deeper into despair. They were already struggling to deal with the dozen or so Demonized Minotaurs. If this sinister, bizarre White Bone Fortress was added to the mix, they stood no chance at all.
’Oh, Ancestors, have you abandoned your protection of us?’
’Is my Tribe truly fated to perish?’
The deathly aura of the Undead had alerted Mumu to the Mobile Fortress’s presence. However, that same aura also provoked the Demonized Minotaurs. Their reaction was even more extreme, like gasoline poured on a raging fire—a burst of courage born from an overwhelming fear of death.
The Demonized Minotaurs all paused in unison. They turned their heads toward the Mobile Fortress, abandoning their assault on the Minotaur Tribe to face the newcomer instead.
"’Huh? What’s happening? Why’d they stop fighting?’"
"’Huh? Why are they coming toward me?’"
"’Wait! I’m just an innocent bystander! Damn it, I came to watch the show and now I’m the one in the spotlight! Prepare for battle!’"
The Demonized Minotaurs let out a sudden, guttural roar and began to Charge toward the Mobile Fortress. The sight was terrifying. Their hooves thundered against the ground as they swung their Stone Rods. Li Ziyu hastily commanded his Undead to prepare for battle.
’Damn it all. I haven’t even gotten any loot, and I’ve already made an enemy.’
’Then again, saying I "made" an enemy isn’t quite right. All I did was get close to the battlefield; I didn’t actually do anything. They just suddenly turned on me.’
’Wait a minute, did I just walk into a trap? What if they weren’t really fighting, but just making a racket to lure some unlucky fool like me over?’
’Damn, these Otherworld Natives are so treacherous!’
