Chapter 79: Chapter 77: Consolidation (2nd update, please subscribe)
The Centaur leader Chiron fled in disgrace through the forest, his head disheveled, face smeared with ash, and the air of confidence and pride he once had completely gone.
After running far enough, until he was gasping for breath, Chiron finally stopped, panting heavily.
He turned his head,
The defeated soldiers following him all looked dejected, crestfallen, with sorrow and loss spreading through the remaining troops, all the arrogance and bravery evaporated in the one-sided battle just fought.
"What the hell happened?!!!"
Even now, Chiron’s mind was still blank, a muddled mess.
How could they lose? And lose so miserably!
Due to their physique, Centaurs naturally had an advantage over other Beastman races, and once they charged, they were usually unstoppable, especially against those lower races; no matter how many there were, they couldn’t shake them in the slightest.
Centaurs are by no means a peace-loving race, and in the harsh world of the Kawa Great Forest, there is no soil for a peaceful tribe to exist. From the tribe’s establishment, they’ve been through countless battles, using their size advantage to rout their enemies with every charge.
Don’t mention one or two hundred people, even five hundred or a thousand enemies, Chiron’s tribe has faced before, winning with fewer numbers has been their tradition.
Because of this, the proud Centaurs even disdain to incorporate other races into their tribe, with the entire tribe consisting solely of Centaurs.
But now, they were defeated.
Three hundred against one hundred, an unquestionably devastating loss!
The battle had become a nightmare they didn’t want to recall.
A large number of their clan were killed or captured, their hard-built settlement abandoned, leaving them as defeated wandering souls that, if they didn’t find food soon, might become another set of bones buried within the Kawa Great Forest.
The future looked bleak.
Meanwhile, as the dispirited remnants gathered together,
Swish!!!
The sky obscured by lush leaves suddenly tore open a great hole, a massive figure descended from above, overshadowing the sky, an overwhelming pressure like mountains falling from the heavens, weighing down on every Centaur, as if faced with a tsunami and abyss.
Chiron looked up in terror, seeing the sky covered with huge membranous wings, air currents swirling, dim light reflecting, atop the terrifying and fearsome head, a pair of blood-red eyes staring down at them.
The Dragon! It’s a Dragon!!!
In that instant, Chiron felt as if he had plunged into an icy pit in the dead of winter, a bucket of cold water poured over him, boundless coldness surging into his heart.
His troops fared even worse, many collapsing under the formidable dragon’s presence, unable to stand up again.
"Centaurs, submit, or die!"
The fearsome head slowly lowered, its indifferent gaze fixed on Chiron.
Its ancient, solemn voice reverberated through the air with no trace of emotion.
At that moment, Chiron was motionless, feeling as if a mountain was pressing on his back.
....
When the fire within the Centaur tribe was extinguished, and the Dragon Nest Beastmen Legion settled the injured companions or prisoners, Austin brought the captured Chiron and the Centaurs back.
Normally, Centaurs’ pride wouldn’t allow them to submit to a Young Dragon.
Unfortunately, first experiencing an unprecedented defeat, their morale diminished under the dragon’s presence, they lacked any courage to resist.
And when Chiron and the Centaurs learned that the Beastman Legion attacking their tribe were part of Austin’s clan, whatever reluctance they had vanished.
Certainly, the Dragon Nest Beastman Legion had killed many of their clanmates during the attack, but the rule of the Kawa Great Forest is survival of the fittest, and every Beastman living there has the awareness of being attacked and enslaved while plundering others’ tribes for food and captives.
Among Beastmen, the concept of blood feuds often differs vastly from humans.
Revering strength is their innate nature.
With such powerful clans, the Blue Young Dragon named Austin couldn’t be lacking in strength.
Great strength also implies a life of stability and sustenance.
Although the Centaurs aren’t weak, often plundering food from other tribes to support themselves with their formidable strength, they aren’t always able to eat well, often facing days of eating coarse food. Now submitting under the Blue Young Dragon might allow them to live better.
Returning to the Centaur tribe, Austin directly handed the captives over to his Beastman Legion subordinates.
They confiscated the weapons of Chiron and the remaining troops, binding their hands together with vines, then escorted them to the prisoner area, waiting to take them back to the Dragon Nest Division.
Having conquered and annexed other tribes many times, the Dragon Nest Beastmen were very familiar with this process.
"Your Highness."
Seeing Austin approaching, the Fox-faced Man Quik, originally directing the Beastmen to tidy up the battlefield, quickly bowed in salute.
"What’s the situation?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, in this battle, we lost six soldiers, with seventeen severely injured, the rest bearing some injuries here and there."
This loss could be said to be the most severe the Dragon Nest Legion has suffered since its formation and campaigns; since the appearance of the Dragon Vein Attendant, the Dragon Nest Beastmen’s attacks and annexations of other tribes have rarely resulted in casualties, not to mention direct deaths.
This couldn’t be blamed on them, Centaurs have a natural advantage in physique, combined with their archery, being able to defeat the Centaur tribe with fewer numbers is something other tribes wouldn’t dare imagine.
Especially compared to the Centaur tribe’s losses, the Dragon Nest Beastmen’s damages seem negligible.
"Take care of those injured, and of the comrades who died, gather their bodies back too."
Now on the path of war, casualties are inevitable, presumably the Beastmen are prepared for this.
After some careful instructions, Austin began sorting through the spoils of war.
First were the captive Centaurs, excluding the deceased, a total of two hundred and thirty-two Centaurs were captured, actually, the Centaur tribe’s true deaths weren’t that high, most were skewered by Beastmen’s spears, heavily wounded and fell.
This battle’s capture of two hundred thirty-two Centaurs significantly enhanced the Dragon Nest Tribe’s military strength.
Once the Centaurs are brainwashed and trained, they can directly join the military, becoming a vital force in future campaigns.
With the integration of Centaurs, the Dragon Nest Tribe has also addressed its shortcomings in cavalry.