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Chapter 289: The Shadow Tiger
🕑 Added 2024-10-04 05:20:10 +0000 UTCA light screen appeared before Rhett's eyes, and a satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It had been a while since he received a prompt from Tuck...
At that moment, Ledros struck the Nightclaw's corpse a few more times, chopping it into pieces. Satisfied, he sheathed his wide-bladed sword, clapped his hands, and said, "Rhett, you've only just arrived, and already you've given me a huge surprise. Taking down a high-rank Nightclaw so effortlessly—this is something quite remarkable, even for the entire Coldstream Line!"
Rhett glanced at Ledros and smiled lightly. "It's not just the Nightclaw. Even if a high-rank Shadow Tiger came along, I'd make sure it never returned!"
"Haha, that's the spirit we need in the Sixth Legion! I'm looking forward to seeing that!" Ledros laughed heartily. After cleaning up the Nightclaw's remains, he leaped up to the top of a mountain and scanned the surroundings. A few minutes later, he jumped back down to Rhett's side and said, "I can see it now—the beast army is just ahead and will be here soon. Rhett, we need to get ready!"
Rhett's expression turned serious as he quickly nodded, then surveyed the area around them. "The terrain here is perfect for an ambush. I suggest we start with a few volleys from higher ground before engaging them in close combat."
"No problem. I was thinking the same thing. We might also need your Earth Drake magic to disrupt their formation."
"Leave it to me. This time, we'll ensure that every last one of these beasts is wiped out!"
After exchanging a glance and a few more words to refine their strategy, the two of them moved through the rear of the troops, quickly issuing orders and assigning tasks to the various squads.
Soon after, they found a hidden cave and took cover.
Meanwhile, out on the open plain, the cold wind of early winter whipped through the fur of the beast army as they charged across the ground. Roars echoed intermittently in the air.
"Mrowl!" "Roar!" "Awoo!"...
The strange, wild cries of the beasts filled the night, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Among them were pitch-black Nightclaws, sharp-horned Minotaurs, silver-scaled Draconians, and a few Shadow Tigers, their bodies marked by purple-black stripes.
One of the Shadow Tigers was at the rear of the group, conversing quietly with a Draconian.
"Tagra, why hasn't Kaide returned yet? Taking down a few hundred human soldiers should have been a piece of cake," the high-rank Draconian asked.
"I'm wondering the same thing. Before we left, I specifically asked Frei for advice. It said this might be one of the humans' traps, a setup designed to lure us in. Kaide hasn't returned to report back, which likely means something went wrong. That's why I wasn't comfortable moving out without the full army," the high-rank Shadow Tiger replied.
"A trap? How could that be? The Sixth Legion's deputy commander was torn to pieces by me just a month ago. They should only have one Sky Knight left, right? Sure, Ledros is a bit tough with that strong body of his, but either of us could handle him in a one-on-one fight!" The high-rank Draconian sounded surprised, but his words were filled with arrogance and disdain.
"Let's not get complacent. While their individual combat strength may be inferior to ours, the humans outnumber us beasts. Although the proportion of their superhumans has decreased, their overall strength is still greater than ours. It's possible they received reinforcements, including multiple Sky Knights," the high-rank Shadow Tiger said, his eyes flashing as he clearly understood the humans' capabilities.
"You've got a point. So, we'll play along. I'll go out in the open while you hide. If they've set an ambush, I'll take the brunt of the attack, giving you the chance to strike from the shadows. If we can take out two of them, the rest won't stand a chance!" The Draconian licked his lips, a savage grin spreading across his face.
The Shadow Tiger's eyes gleamed with interest. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Are you sure you want to take the first hit? If the enemy numbers are overwhelming..."
"We'll run, of course!" The high-rank Draconian interrupted impatiently. "If they have that many Sky Knights, there's no point in sticking around to die. Let's set a threshold—if there are no more than six Sky Knights, we'll fight. If there are more, we retreat immediately."
"Fine, let's do it your way," the high-rank Shadow Tiger agreed, adding, "And if we encounter a superhuman with mastery of a Principle, we'll need to adapt accordingly."
"Principles aren't so easy to grasp. A few thousand years ago, maybe, but nowadays, unless they're at the Sanctuary level, you'd be lucky to find one superhuman out of ten thousand who's mastered a Principle." The Draconian shook his head, chuckling dismissively.
"Hmm... True. Only two or three of their legion commanders have mastered a Principle, so it's unlikely they'd all show up to take us on." The Shadow Tiger frowned but eventually nodded, saying, "Still, we can't let our guard down. If we do encounter one, we'll need to handle it carefully."
The Draconian snorted, his large nostrils flaring as he exhaled two puffs of white steam. "Got it..."
The Shadow Tiger sighed inwardly but said nothing more.
Soon, the valley ahead came into view for the beast army. Jagged rocks lined the hills, giving the area an eerie appearance in the dark.
The high-rank Draconian, standing nearly three meters tall, led the charge, shouting in the beast tongue:
"Uluru! Everyone, listen up! There might be a human army lying in wait in this valley. Do not spread out—form a line and charge straight through!"
With that, the Draconian led the charge, his massive claws tearing at the ground as he dashed forward like a silver streak through the night. If not for his violent and depraved nature, the Draconian's appearance could be considered quite majestic.
As the thousand-strong beast army followed the lead of the high-rank Draconian, the ground trembled under their feet. But as they neared the valley, the air suddenly lit up with flashes of light—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—arrows of every hue, along with fireballs, wind blades, light arrows, spikes, and falling rocks rained down on the beasts. The multicolored barrage filled the sky, like a thousand fireworks exploding at once.
The sky was instantly illuminated, with attacks imbued with frost, fire, wind, and more descending on the beast army. The beasts raised their large, heavy shields bristling with spikes to defend against the first wave.
"Charge!"
"Kill!"
"Rip the humans apart!"
The beasts roared as they pressed forward through the storm of attacks, slowly advancing toward the valley.
At that moment, a large figure emerged from the valley, none other than Ledros. Clad in armor, he brandished his greatsword and charged directly at the massive Draconian, a mocking grin on his face as he shouted:
"Velon, you've fallen into our trap! This valley will be your grave!"
The high-rank Draconian, Velon, was momentarily taken aback by the appearance of Ledros. A high-rank Sky Knight meant that the high-rank Nightclaw, Kaide, had likely met a grim fate. This confirmed their earlier suspicions—it was indeed a human ambush!
However, just as Velon was about to follow the plan, stepping forward alone to engage while giving the Shadow Tiger a chance to strike from the shadows, he realized that no other high-rank superhumans had emerged behind Ledros.
It seemed... there was only one Sky Knight?
One Sky Knight had taken down Kaide in such a short time? But Ledros wasn't a master of any Principle...
Velon's mind raced with confusion. He blurted out, "What happened to Kaide? What did you do to him?"
"Right here! Take a good look—I'll return half of your comrade now!" Ledros sneered as he tossed something high into the air. As Velon caught sight of the object, memories of his deputy commander's brutal death in the last battle flashed through his mind, igniting a murderous rage within him.
"You're... dead!" Despite the speed at which the remnants of Kaide's body flew through the air, Velon instantly recognized the familiar fur—Kaide's remains. Fury surged through him at the sight. That was a high-rank beast! Even if not of royal blood, it had taken decades, if not a century, to grow that powerful. High-rank beasts were precious, even among the tribes!
For royal blooded beasts like Velon, the loss of a group of low-rank beasts wasn't a big deal; they were easy to breed and required fewer resources and time. But high-rank beasts were a different story. They held significant positions within their tribes and were considered valuable assets. On the battlefield, these beasts could die, but only if they brought great value, such as winning a decisive victory or taking down numerous human superhumans before falling.
Otherwise, even as a royal beast, Velon would face scrutiny for wasting such valuable assets. Too many senseless losses would damage his reputation, and his ability would be questioned. This, in turn, would affect the number of beast soldiers assigned to him in the future.
In other words, the loss of Kaide could severely impact Velon's future standing within his tribe.
Seething with rage, Velon glared at Ledros, his hatred reaching a fever pitch. The only way to make up for this loss was to accomplish something extraordinary. If he could achieve enough to compensate, the deaths of his subordinates wouldn't matter. After all, the saying "A general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers" applied here.
At that moment, Velon's blood surged, his muscles bulging as his body swelled. Although no dazzling light surrounded him, his speed noticeably increased. He became a silver blur, charging straight for Ledros, his right claw extended, aiming for Ledros's chest.
Clang! A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air.
Ledros deftly parried the claw with his greatsword, a confident smile on his face. He felt a surge of force along his arm and quickly pushed forward before retreating, creating distance between himself and the Draconian.
Channeling his advanced combat energy, Ledros formed a radiant blue aura around his body and sword. Frost began to coat the sword's surface, emanating a chilling aura.
In the next moment, a wide arc of frosty sword energy slashed through the air, instantly freezing the moisture around it into tiny ice crystals that floated in the night sky.
The Draconian bent his knees slightly, crossing his arms in front of him to shield his head. As the freezing energy struck, the silver scales on his body reflected a blue light, but they remained intact. The Draconian had blocked the sword energy with his body alone, without a scratch!
Ledros frowned but wasn't surprised. The Draconians were known for their all-around combat abilities. There was no way he could defeat Velon quickly in a one-on-one fight! But Ledros had a plan. He trusted that Rhett would deliver a surprise attack, catching the Draconian off guard, and this high-rank beast would be theirs tonight! Ledros smirked coldly, casting a subtle glance to his left while feigning a troubled expression. He began to retreat, intending to lure Velon further into the valley.
Just then, a sudden sense of mortal danger washed over him, making his skin crawl and his hair stand on end.
A purple-black figure burst from the beast army, shrouded in a thin layer of black mist. The speed was incredible, blending seamlessly with the night, rivaling the stealth of a Nightclaw. It wasn't until the figure was right behind him that Ledros finally sensed it!
"Damn it! There's not just a Draconian; they've also hidden a Shadow Tiger." Ledros's heart raced with fear. The timing of the attack was perfect, catching him off guard!
As his mind spun, trying to devise a countermeasure...
Squelch!
The sound of flesh being pierced filled the air, and Ledros heard a pained scream.
"Roooar!"
The Shadow Tiger, which had been darting toward Ledros at lightning speed, was suddenly impaled by a spike that emerged from the ground, as if it had anticipated the Shadow Tiger's exact movement!
The spike pierced right through its chest!
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