Free Web NovelChapter 36: Chapter 35: Enemies Meet
Beneath the night sky of the Wasteland, a five-man Lizardman squad moved quickly along a set of wheel tracks.
The Lizardman in the lead suddenly halted and raised a hand. The four Lizardmen behind him stopped as well, warily scanning their surroundings as their captain crouched down to examine the tracks on the ground.
This well-trained unit was comprised of scouts, the most dangerous Warriors in the Tribe. Only a special kind of Lizardman could be chosen for this role.
Their builds were leaner and more streamlined than those of ordinary Lizardmen, granting them superior Speed. When they ran across the Wasteland, they raised only a faint cloud of dust, leaving not even a footprint behind.
As scouts, they all wore standard-issue gear: leather shorts fitted with several small pouches for trinkets, healing salves, and poisons. Two short Curved Sabers hung at their waists, and three slender, all-metal Javelins were strapped to their backs. The tips of the Javelins glinted with a dark green light—they were coated in a poison that was lethal upon drawing blood.
The darkness was no hindrance to the scouts. Their vertical pupils—a hallmark of cold-blooded creatures—and forked tongues, which could discern both scent and temperature, allowed them to track their enemies with ease. freewebnσvel.cѳm
However, the enemy they pursued this time was different from their usual quarry. They weren’t tracking a normal living creature, which added a layer of difficulty. ’But the Undead are far too careless,’ the scout thought. ’To leave such deep wheel tracks in the ground... isn’t that just handing us an obvious clue?’
The scout captain ran his hand over the chaotic mess of tracks on the ground, which split into two paths. His tongue flicked in and out instinctively as he tasted the lingering scents in the air. He turned his head toward one set of tracks. They were more numerous, deeper, and more distinct. He was certain these were the tracks left by the Undead.
The other set of tracks was shallower, and in that direction, he detected warmth and a different scent. ’The Undead are just a pile of bones,’ he mused. ’Even if they had a scent, it should be the stench of decay, and they certainly wouldn’t leave any residual heat.’ After a moment of thought, the scout captain had confirmed their direction.
He looked up into the distance, then rose to his feet and led his four team members back to report to the main force.
"Are you sure it’s the Undead?"
Upon receiving the scout’s report, Ah Mu frowned. He had a feeling things weren’t going as expected. The tracks left by the Undead were deeper and more numerous than he’d anticipated. He also sensed another scent in the air—one that didn’t belong to the Undead.
In the last battle, he had only encountered the Undead and had not detected the scent of any other creature. Why was there one now? Even though he wasn’t a scout, Ah Mu had his own methods of reconnaissance from his life in the Wasteland—how else could one survive as a robber? The depth of the tracks indicated weight.
’The number of wheels has increased, and so has the depth of the tracks. There are more Undead than before!’
"If you’re sure we’re chasing the Undead, then my assessment isn’t wrong." The scout captain’s tone was blunt, even though Ah Mu was the leader of this operation.
Scouts held the highest status among the Lizardman Warriors. A temporary leader couldn’t expect his respect. If not for the chieftain’s direct order, the captain wouldn’t have even bothered to give Ah Mu a second glance.
Ah Mu paid no mind to the scout captain’s tone. After a moment’s thought, he gave the order. "Forward! Pursue the Undead."
Upon receiving his orders, the scout captain turned and left. The scouts always took the vanguard, clearing obstacles and securing the army’s path.
Only after the scout squad departed did the main force of Lizardman Warriors begin to advance. They were far more disciplined than the Lizardman Robbers Ah Mu had previously led.
...
After parting ways with Liu Xingxing, Li Ziyu had his Mobile Fortress meander through the Wasteland while continuously deploying Undead to scout for pursuers. If anyone was following, he wanted to know which Tribe they belonged to.
News came back swiftly. Someone was indeed trailing them, and in large numbers—far more than his own Undead. As for their Race, it was an old friend: the Lizardmen.
Hearing that his pursuers were Lizardmen, Li Ziyu chuckled. ’Lizardmen? Great! I love Lizardmen. Such good guys.’
’That last wave of Lizardman Robbers really made quite a contribution. Many of the Weapons my Undead are using now were generously donated by them. And I couldn’t have built my Skeleton Engine or Armor Workshop without the Lizardman Robbers’ staunch support.’ freeweɓnøvel.com
’They must know I’m running low on resources and are rushing over to make another delivery. Thanks for the support, bros! I really appreciate it, my Lizardman big brothers!’
’A large number of them? No problem. Back then, I was dirt poor and had to fight them with their own stolen Weapons. But I’ve seriously upgraded since then. Not only are all my Undead armed, but I also have Skeleton Warriors. And even if I can’t win, I can always escape the battlefield thanks to the Mobile Fortress’s Speed.’
’With the enhancements from the Big Bone Wheels and Little Bone Wheels, the Mobile Fortress’s Speed has really picked up. I can advance to attack or retreat to defend. If I can win, I’ll fight. If I can’t, I’ll run. There’s no way,’ Li Ziyu thought confidently, ’that those leg-powered Lizardmen can possibly catch me.’
The Mobile Fortress changed course and began circling in the Wasteland, employing the same tactic he’d used against the Lizardman Robbers before. An old trick, but a good one. This was the perfect opportunity to test the combat effectiveness of his Skeleton Warriors.
...
The Lizardman scouts soon discovered the anomaly in the tracks and reported it to Ah Mu. Ah Mu immediately understood the Undead’s plan. ’It’s the same trick as last time,’ he thought. ’But things are different now. Last time, I had only a handful of men. This time, I’ve brought 500 Lizardman Warriors!’
"Attack! Annihilate the Undead!" Feeling his moment of revenge had finally arrived, Ah Mu pointed forward with a flourish and shrieked the order.
The force suddenly accelerated. The Lizardman Warriors broke into a run, spreading out in their familiar battle formation like a great hunting net slowly being cast.
Beneath the Moonlight, the Undead Mobile Fortress swerved and circled across the land, carving strange, winding patterns into the earth. The Lizardman Warriors, seeing it clearly by the Moonlight, couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. It was real. The Undead were real. The sight of the grim Mobile Fortress ahead convinced every last Lizardman Warrior that Ah Mu had been telling the truth.
Old hatreds burned brightest upon meeting. As far as Ah Mu was concerned, it was the Undead’s fault he’d been reduced to a mere subordinate. He blew the Bone Whistle without hesitation, signaling the Warriors to attack.
He no longer cared whether he won or lost. Victory would be ideal, but defeat didn’t matter. Some Lizardman Warriors would inevitably escape and carry news of the Undead back to the Tribe. Then, everything he had claimed would be proven true. More Warriors would join the crusade against the Undead, and these few hundred Undead would eventually be annihilated by the Lizardmen in the Wasteland!
As Warriors from a Great Tribe, the Lizardmen present were far more ferocious than the ones Ah Mu had led previously. Their equipment was also much better. Not only were they equipped with Spears and Curved Sabers, but they also wore Armor crafted from Beast Hide and bone, and their combat techniques were far more refined.
Answering the call of the Bone Whistle, the Lizardman Warriors began their Charge toward the Undead Mobile Fortress under the Moonlight.
