Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Get on the Ground and Bark Like a Dog, and I’ll Tell You

As they traveled, Baisitina explained the Dala Tribe’s situation to Levi and took the opportunity to ask him the question that was weighing most heavily on her mind.

"Levi, what are our chances?"

"If I said one hundred percent, you’d think I was bragging. So, let’s just say ninety-nine percent."

Levi never prepared his boasts in advance. That would be amateurish and hinder a true master’s performance.

Atop her horse, Baisitina was taken aback and fell silent.

’This Lord of hers was wonderful in every way, but the things he said could be so infuriating sometimes. Deep down, though, she was truly touched.’

The Dala Tribe had a good four to five hundred Warriors, and they were no ragtag bunch like the recently defeated Wilderness Alliance Army.

Aside from the Giants and the pack of Wendigo Beasts, which could be considered formidable, the Goblins and Kobolds were nothing more than small-fry.

In contrast, every Warrior of the Dala Tribe was equipped with Leather Armor. They had even tamed Jungle Leopards, boasting forty to fifty elite Jungle Leopard Shooter Warriors.

What’s more, the battle would take place in the mountain forests. The Dala Tribe had grown up in these mountains and were intimately familiar with the terrain.

It was the first time High Cliff Castle’s forces would be fighting in a forest, so they would inevitably be out of their element.

’Despite all these disadvantages, this Lord was still willing to send his troops to help her people, embodying the spirit of a true Knight.’

Although Baisitina was the only one in the entire contingent on horseback, their pace was not slow in the slightest.

The idea you see in television dramas—that bigger bodies are slower—is a complete misconception. While some larger physiques might be ungainly and less agile, they are by no means slow.

With an average height of two-point-three ren, a single stride from a Beastman Barbarian was equivalent to about three human steps.

At a light jog, their speed was already comparable to a full sprint from an average adult.

Thanks to the Level Twelve Medical Skills, their stamina recovered with incredible speed. Thus, even after running for so long, their breathing remained steady and they showed no signs of fatigue.

The Kas Mountain Range was nearly a hundred li from High Cliff Castle. At the Barbarians’ pace, they could cover the distance in just under half a day.

It had been late morning when they finished dealing with the Wilderness Alliance Army. By the time the force from High Cliff Castle reached the entrance to the Kas Mountain Range, the horizon was already painted with the colors of sunset.

The Kas Mountain Range stretched across the entire Wilderness. No one knew just how vast it was, or what strange creatures dwelled within.

It was the only terrain in the Wilderness that could truly be called mountains; beyond the Kas Mountain Range, there was nothing but endless plains.

The Feder Remnants had not dared to venture too deep into the Kas Mountain Range, which was why Baisitina’s Tribe was only about a two-hour journey up the mountain path.

"Levi, the Dala Tribe has certainly posted Scouts to keep watch nearby. Should we wait for nightfall to sneak in?" Baisitina suggested.

She wasn’t speaking without reason. The two Feder cavalrymen who had escaped to bring word were ambushed after being spotted by the Dala Tribe’s Scouts.

’Even with her limited military knowledge, she knew that a stealthy approach was crucial in this situation.’

’After all, no matter how strong High Cliff Castle’s forces were, they were still at a numerical disadvantage.’

"No need."

Levi rejected the suggestion.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it, but it would be useless.

The Dala Tribe had lived in the Kas Mountain Range their whole lives; they were intimately familiar with the terrain. He reasoned that these mountain dwellers could likely see in the dark anyway.

So for them, there was no difference between moving at night and moving during the day.

Furthermore, while the Beastman Barbarians didn’t have night blindness, the darkness would still hinder them to some extent.

With the enemy’s advantage growing and theirs diminishing, a night march was unquestionably a foolish plan.

The Kas Mountain Range was largely composed of pine trees, and a thick layer of needles covered the ground. Squirrels, startled by the force from High Cliff Castle, scurried across it, then hid in the shadows to quietly observe the troop that moved with no sound but their own footsteps.

The first half of the journey was uneventful. But once they were less than an hour away from the Feder Remnants’ Tribe, the faint sounds of battle could be heard from the forest ahead. Baisitina’s face paled, and she pressed her lips together, not saying a word.

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a black streak shot out from a gully, speeding toward Baisitina.

She was so terrified that her eyes flew open and her body went rigid, her mind blanking for a crucial second.

Just as the Arrow was less than a meter away, a hand shot out and caught it firmly by the shaft.

"Trying to stir up trouble in front of me?!"

Both angry and amused, Levi produced a Javelin from his system inventory. Without even looking, he hurled it back in the direction the Arrow had come from.

Baisitina and the Barbarians had long known he possessed Space Magic Items, so they were not surprised.

In the blink of an eye, the Javelin struck the ambusher like a bolt of lightning. A pained scream echoed from the gully.

Zat charged forward, Double-Bladed War Axe in hand, followed by the pained cry of a Jungle Leopard.

Soon, he emerged, dragging with a single hand a man and a Jungle Leopard. The beast was solid black with emerald-green eyes, standing about one-point-five ren at the shoulder. The man wore Beast Hide Armor, an unfamiliar feather tucked into his curly brown hair as decoration, his face smeared with some unknown dye.

"It’s a Jungle Leopard Warrior from the Dala Tribe," said Baisitina.

A Javelin was lodged in the man’s shoulder, clearly the one Levi had just thrown.

In Zat’s grasp, the Jungle Leopard—one-point-five ren tall at the shoulder—was like a harmless kitten. He held it by the scruff of its massive neck with one hand, its body dragging on the ground.

No matter how much it struggled, it couldn’t break free from Zat’s stone-pillar-like arm. It could only thrash its claws wildly, digging several large holes in the ground.

Zat grabbed the Dara Warrior by the neck, forcing him to his knees before the iron-clad Levi.

"Tell me the exact numbers and troop deployments for your attack on the Feder Tribe. I will guarantee your safety in the name of Lord Debei."

Levi looked down at the Warrior, his stern voice echoing from within his Iron Helmet.

"Get on the ground and bark like a dog for me, then I’ll tell you." The middle-aged Warrior grinned, the motley patterns on his face twisting into what looked like a smile.

The atmosphere instantly froze. The middle-aged Warrior grew even more pleased with himself.

’He didn’t know who was inside the Iron Canister, but it was obvious this person was the leader of the Beastman troop.’

’He was confident that these people, wanting information, wouldn’t kill him so easily. He also had to make them see him as a brave Warrior, not some weakling. Naturally, he had to act tough to increase his worth.’

’But looking at the group of Beastmen, who all looked like they wanted to eat him alive, he felt he might have taken the tough-guy act a bit too far...’

"Drag this little scumbag away and cut him down!"

Levi couldn’t be bothered to say more, simply waving his hand.

Zat chuckled darkly, revealing two rows of yellow fangs. He grabbed the Warrior by the neck and delivered a massive backhand slap.

CRACK!

"Cocky little bastard, aren’t you? You’re the first person to ever dare insult my Lord."