Chapter 57: Chapter 56: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

Zat had a clear view from his high vantage point. His leader had already led his men to break through on the right flank, and the Dala Tribe was tightening its defensive line, shifting the bulk of its forces to that side.

Following them would be pointless. It was better to break through from the left, forcing the enemy to fight on three fronts and scattering their forces. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

As Northern Barbarians living in the Kas Mountain Range, the warriors of the Dala Tribe were not weak—far stronger than that Wilderness Alliance Army.

Unfortunately, their opponents were even stronger. In terms of Power, equipment, and Martial Arts—and especially in fighting spirit—the gap between them was an unbridgeable chasm.

Although they had thrown over four hundred men into the battle, they now faced not only Levi’s surprise attack but also the Feder Remnants defending with their backs to the wall.

Forget fighting on three fronts; fighting on two was a cardinal sin of warfare. It would severely disrupt their formation and cripple their warriors’ morale.

Perhaps there were grandmasters of strategy like Han Xin or Bai Qi who could easily coordinate their troops even while fighting on ten fronts, but that was definitely not the case for this group of illiterate Northern Barbarians.

The Dara Tribe’s warriors attempted to use their superior numbers to crush this mysterious troop that had appeared out of nowhere.

But to their horror, they discovered this unit was like a meat grinder. No matter how many warriors they threw forward, none ever returned.

Instead, their own lines were constantly contracting, their room to maneuver shrinking ever smaller.

The Beastman Barbarians weren’t even attacking with any particular effort. They simply formed a V-formation and chiseled their way in. With a casual swing at any enemy blocking their path, they could easily shatter the bones of these Northern Barbarians.

Levi, acting as the tip of the spear, advanced step by step. The crowd before him was like wheat, cut down row by row. They fell to the ground only to be trampled to a pulp beneath the Barbarians’ thick thighs.

They left a trail of mangled flesh and severed limbs in their wake, and the scalding blood turned the earth to mud.

If they were merely outmatched against the Barbarians, then facing Levi was like being a field of wheat waiting to be reaped, harvested swath by swath.

The Dara Tribe’s warriors racked their brains but couldn’t understand how this short little Iron Canister could be even stronger than those Beastmen.

As more and more of their comrades fell, fear began to take hold. Finally, the clear sound of a Bone Whistle rang out. Visibly relieved, they began to tighten their lines and execute an orderly withdrawal from the battlefield.

They were, after all, a major Tribe that had survived in the chaotic Wilderness. They wouldn’t be so easily shattered by a small, sudden enemy force that they would break ranks and flee in all directions.

The arrival of reinforcements made them realize they couldn’t take the camp tonight, so they were unwilling to continue squandering their precious tribal warriors.

Levi swung his Giant Sword in a full circle, cutting down the slowest to retreat—an entire semicircle of Dara Warriors—slicing them all in half at the waist.

This terrified the fleeing Dara Warriors into retreating even faster, deeply afraid that this god of slaughter would catch up and cut down another swath of them.

Levi planted his Giant Sword in the ground and exhaled a hot breath, watching the Northern Barbarians retreat into the night like wounded wild dogs slinking away to lick their wounds.

In truth, he wanted to give chase, to pursue them and press his advantage.

But the Beastman Barbarians had reached the limits of their stamina.

In a single day, they had already survived a morning slaughter of fifty against seven hundred, marched for half a day, and then thrown themselves into yet another battle.

If not for the fact that all the Barbarians had leveled up by one or two ranks, plus the Level Twelve Medical Skills that more than doubled their stamina recovery rate, they would have collapsed long ago.

The Barbarians panted heavily, watching the enemy retreat with regret, feeling as if they were missing out on something.

The allure of leveling up via the system kept the morale of these big guys high, even after a full day of exhaustion.

If these Barbarians were Outer Heaven Demons, they would know for sure that what they were missing out on were creatures known as "experience mobs."

"Levi." Baisitina came jogging down the slope, with Muto and a few Beastman guards loyally at her side.

This was precisely why Levi had assigned Muto to protect Baisitina.

If he had assigned that guy Zat to protect Baisitina, there was no guarantee the blockhead wouldn’t see an opportunity on the battlefield, leave a few Beastman Barbarians to protect Baisitina, and charge into the fray himself to press the advantage.

But Muto wouldn’t. Compared to the reckless Zat, he was far more patient.

This was likely a trait honed from his long tenure as a Beastman captain. After all, his every word and action had once decided the future of the Beastmen, so he was extremely steady.

After observing them for some time, Levi had concluded that Zat was better suited to lead the vanguard, while Muto was a better fit for captain of the Guard Team.

Just as the two met and Baisitina opened her mouth to speak, the forest into which the Dala Tribe had retreated erupted with screams of agony, the furious roars of Dara Warriors, and the incessant clang of colliding steel.

Baisitina’s small face was a picture of bewilderment under the moonlight.

The Barbarians exchanged confused glances. Though they were too far away to see what was happening, they could tell from the sounds that the Dala Tribe had been ambushed on its retreat.

Tonight’s battle was a textbook example of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole waiting behind.

Until the very end, no one knew if they were the oriole or the mantis.

"All sorts of freaks and monsters have crawled out of the woodwork for this iron mine. It’s been a real eye-opener."

Levi’s cold laugh echoed from within his Iron Helmet. Baisitina couldn’t tell if the expression on her Lord’s face beneath it was grim.

"Levi, let’s go inside," Baisitina suggested.

Only by entering the Feder Tribe’s camp and taking shelter beneath its high walls could she feel even slightly at ease.

"Alright."

Levi nodded and picked up a hide-wrapped Wooden Shield from the ground. This kind of shield could easily block arrows.

Holding the shield in one hand to protect Baisitina, he slowly advanced toward the base of the wall, while the Barbarians remained where they were.

As the Feder Remnants were at the center of this storm, even though the troop from High Cliff Castle had helped them repel a powerful enemy, the Guards showed no sign of letting their guard down in the slightest.

On the watchtowers, archers nocked arrows to their bows. The three-edged Arrowheads glinted coldly in the moonlight. At the slightest sign of trouble, they could instantly turn their enemies into porcupines.

Having survived in the Kas Mountain Range for so long, they knew one truth all too well: the enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend—they could just be another Jackal Wolf.

This was also why Levi had picked up the shield. He wasn’t afraid for himself in his Iron Armor, but he was afraid these idiots might accidentally shoot their own Princess, and that would be a real disaster.

Perhaps knowing that two people approaching the wall alone must have something to say, the Feder Remnants didn’t fire any warning shots, instead allowing the pair to walk right up to the base of the wall.

"You there in the busted Iron Canister, state your purpose!"

The Lord felt he had been greatly insulted. He admitted that after two battles, his Iron Armor was dented in many places.

’But these are the scars of battle! The marks of glory! How could he call it ’busted’?’

’Which clueless moron said that?!’

He focused his Qi, and his voice boomed, shaking the forest.

"You blind moron, your Princess..."