Chapter 214: Chapter 186: Die Today, Live Today (Part 2)
And so, it was natural that no one would pay any mind to a group of Goblins who could only lie in the dirt and wait for death.
But for Leiden now, gaining recognition was as simple as leading a band of Goblins.
He first caught Gus’s eye by helping the Centaur Race find a source of water.
After spending time with him, Leiden realized the Centaur’s inner nature was the complete opposite of his appearance. He was an individual of immense power, yet he was also remarkably level-headed.
He might have been endlessly proud of his own strength, but he was still able to ask for advice with an open mind.
Leiden decided to stay and assist him, with one handling martial power and the other handling strategy.
This weak Centaur Tribe, with less than a hundred members, quickly became a renowned and powerful Tribe in the Wilderness, with over a thousand Bow Control Warriors.
In the surrounding region, they were the undisputed overlords, and no one dared to provoke them.
Just when Leiden thought the Centaur Race would continue to grow stronger and stronger through his and Gus’s efforts, a Minotaur found them and made Gus an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Primordial Blood Crystal!
It was something that could help Gus achieve a breakthrough.
In fact, Gus had been confiding in him recently, complaining that his power had hit a bottleneck. As a powerful Warrior, Gus found this stagnation completely unbearable.
The sudden appearance of the Primordial Blood Crystal presented an opportunity, one he was determined to seize no matter the cost.
Although there were many suspicious details, Leiden had no reason to stop his friend.
Or rather, after all their years together, Leiden knew that to his friend, nothing was more important than increasing his own power.
His reminiscence ended. Leiden sniffled. ’It’s so cold.’
He looked at the Minotaur Chief who was speaking, remembering that it was this very Minotaur, Enke Bloodhoof, who had approached them a few months ago.
The main reason he and Gus had made up their minds lay with this Minotaur.
Back then, Gus had been arrogant, believing himself a favorite of the Wilderness God. He was born with control over the Thunder Element, and his martial prowess far surpassed that of his kin, making it seem almost impossible for him to have a worthy rival.
And that had been true—until this Minotaur arrived, no one had been a match for the Centaur.
But then came that day... ’Was it five hundred heartbeats?’ Leiden wondered. ’Or a thousand?’
He couldn’t remember clearly. In any case, Gus was utterly crushed. The power he was so proud of was overwhelmed, and his Thunder Element was effortlessly broken by the Minotaur Priest.
This Enke Bloodhoof had simply said calmly, "You are strong. Before, I would have been slightly inferior to you. But I have since consumed a Primordial Blood Crystal, and it has greatly enhanced my Power, my Element, and my Bloodline."
And it was those words that made the two of them decide to join this Wilderness Alliance Army.
"My Priests will use Magic to blast a breach in the city wall tomorrow, but their Casting range is only sixty paces. During that time, we’ll need someone to draw the attention of those Elves on the wall."
Eliya stared at the group of Wilderness chieftains before her, her tone nonchalant, as if she were discussing a simple matter.
"So, tomorrow, you must lead your Warriors to prevent them from attacking my Casting Corps."
"Eliya, we’d do that even without you asking. But what about your promise to us?"
The Ogre Elder sneered.
"To this day, we haven’t even laid eyes on a Primordial Blood Crystal."
"Guli, are you questioning Lady Eliya, or are you questioning me?!"
Enke Bloodhoof rose from his seat, his massive figure casting a shadow over everyone in the hide tent. His voice was like thunder in a downpour, simmering with explosive rage.
Even hunched over, his two razor-sharp, curved horns brushed against the tent’s ceiling. One could only imagine his immense size if he stood up straight.
"My strength is all the proof you need. If anyone wants to back out, now is the time!" Enke Bloodhoof said without a hint of mercy.
"Hmph." Staring at the Minotaur, whose arms were as thick as his own waist, the Ogre Elder was ultimately intimidated. He suppressed his rage, not daring to spout threats like "I’ll kill you."
In the face of a stronger being, he reined in his explosive temper.
"Tomorrow, I will personally lead the charge on the city!" Enke Bloodhoof declared.
"I’ll be looking forward to it. The fruits of victory will be ours in the end." Eliya clapped her hands, dismissing the meeting with a smile. "Ripe apples eventually fall from the tree. Be patient, everyone. The Primordial Blood Crystal is right here; it’s not going anywhere. Whether or not you can get it is up to you, not me."
...
Stepping out of the hide tent, Leiden looked up at the heavy snow falling like goose feathers. He started to worry about Gus. It was just a few Elves, after all. Logically, he shouldn’t have been gone for this long.
Suppressing his unease, he returned to his tent and began to read.
Ever since awakening his Innate Wisdom, he often bought books from passing human merchant caravans, or commissioned them to bring books to him.
Thanks to his presence, the Centaur Race had started to foster good relations with the human caravans, and their relationship was strong enough for such a trivial request to be fulfilled.
...
In the deep, dark woods, one could barely make out their surroundings.
But for the Centaurs, it was disorienting. Not all of them had their leader’s sharp eyes, which could strike a target with precision from a hundred paces away.
What’s more, the fur of the Panda People in front of them that was visible outside their Armor was mostly black, making them even more difficult to spot.
Thus, the Centaurs, who excelled at Mounted Archery, couldn’t shoot accurately from a hundred paces away in the Shadow Forest. At fifty paces, however, the distance could be closed in a single charge, making it entirely unsuitable for their usual kiting tactics.
Therefore, after a quick assessment, nearly a hundred Centaurs drew the Broadswords from their backs and charged the Panda Warriors.
If their enemies thought they had established their dominance in the Wilderness with bows alone, they were bound to pay a heavy price for underestimating them.
Any Archer’s arm strength must exceed that of a foot soldier. Likewise, the strength of the Centaurs was enough to stand above all others. They were simply accustomed to goading their opponents with arrows, allowing them to win fights without taking a scratch.
That didn’t mean they were weak in close combat.
There was no need to probe for weaknesses; the battle was an explosive clash from the very beginning.
"ROAR!"
The lead Centaur was one of the few armored elites. In height and build alone, he was no less impressive than a Panda Warrior. He threw back his head with a beastly roar and swung his well-maintained Broadsword straight at the head of a Panda.
The Panda Warrior showed no intention of backing down, roaring as he swung his own weapon at his opponent’s head.
The instant the iron staff and Broadsword collided, a deafening crash like a thunderclap rang out. The sudden shower of sparks was blinding to eyes already accustomed to the darkness.
The Panda Warrior was injured. Blood welled up from the web of his thumb, trickling in small streams through his black-and-white fur.
His solid, wrist-thick staff, forged from Fine Steel, had been violently chipped, leaving a notch three fingers deep.
But compared to the Panda Warrior, the Centaur Warrior was in a far more wretched state. His Broadsword had been smashed back by an immense, irresistible force, driving it deep into his own facial bones. Blood sprayed out as if from a burst pipe.
The warrior, as burly and strong as a small Giant, swayed on his feet. Without a single word, he staggered and then collapsed to the ground, becoming completely still.
In the very first exchange, the Panda Warriors had unquestionably gained the upper hand in this close-quarters skirmish.
These Centaurs may have been overlords in the Wilderness, but when compared to the whole of Debei, they were still lacking.
In terms of raw courage and martial skill, they might not have been inferior to these Panda Warriors, but the Panda Warriors possessed something beyond their reach.
Qi!
This Extraordinary Power, unique to the Panda People, had all sorts of special applications.
Briefly stimulating the body’s potential was merely its most superficial application.
An expert as powerful as Panda could even materialize his Qi, using it as Armor to protect his body or to unleash devastating killing blows—these were just some of its more profound applications.
Most Panda Warriors, however, only knew a few of its simpler applications.
Comments