Chapter 486 - 227: Crushing Battle
Chapter 486: Chapter 227: Crushing Battle
’It made sense. Even elite Tiger Race Warriors couldn’t handle a raid over such a long distance. What gave a pack of Gnolls the right?’
"General?" Parker asked again.
"What do we do?"
"Order the entire army to form up! Prepare to charge!" General Karl commanded.
’In a sudden clash like this,’ General Karl figured, ’if I’m caught off guard, they must be too.’
’Besides, they’ve traveled a long way and must have expended a great deal of stamina, while my forces are well-rested.’
’On top of that, I’m leading Tiger Race Warriors. They’re just a pack of Gnolls.’
’Thinking about it that way, I have the advantage!’
General Karl, mounted on a wolf, was radiating battle aura from head to toe.
"Warriors! Today is the day we win glory! Slaughter these Gnolls, and I will lead you back to the Royal City!" General Karl roared.
Returning to the Royal City was already a done deal, but General Karl had always been skilled at such theatrics.
These were all methods of managing subordinates, skills Master Karl had spent years learning.
General Karl hadn’t had a chance to officially announce the return to the Royal City, so upon hearing his promise, the eyes of the Tiger Race Warriors lit up.
For any of the Tiger Race tribes, the Royal City was a wonderful place.
It was, at the very least, far better than their own poor, remote lands. The few service industries the Tiger Race possessed could only be enjoyed in the Royal City.
Besides, General Karl had just said it: their opponents were just a pack of Gnolls.
"For the Royal Court! Charge!"
"Charge!"
The moment General Karl finished speaking, the Tiger Race Warriors surged forward like a tidal wave. They raised a motley assortment of weapons and, with little to no armor, charged.
General Karl’s face twitched as he watched the scene.
’Chaos. Utter chaos.’
The Tiger Race Warriors never had much of a formation to begin with. Once they began to charge, they were like water bursting from a collapsed dam, completely shapeless.
’I’ve really let military discipline slide these last few days...’
’Still, it’s just a pack of Gnolls...’
’To deal with a pack of Gnolls,’ General Karl thought, ’this should be more than enough, right?’
General Karl’s plan was to slaughter these Gnolls and then immediately head for the Royal City.
He had already learned from the escaped Centaur that these Gnolls were allied with humans; he just didn’t know where those humans had gone.
General Karl pulled his thoughts back to the present and looked out at the battlefield.
By now, both sides were preparing for battle.
To Chief Karl’s surprise, the Gnolls across the field showed no fear in the face of the Tiger Race Warriors’ charge. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of a disturbance among their ranks.
General Karl scratched his head. He recalled the Centaur mentioning that the Jackal Wolfman Legion serving the human noble was anything but ordinary.
It now seemed that was indeed the case.
They had far more fighting spirit than any Gnolls General Karl had ever encountered. Normally, the mere sight of a charge from the Tiger Race People would have sent Gnolls running.
However, the Jackal Wolfman Warriors across the field showed no intention of fleeing, nor did they seem keen to attack. Instead, they began to form ranks, playing at the humans’ style of warfare.
’Hah! Gnolls are Gnolls,’ General Karl sneered inwardly.
’A pack of cowards who don’t even dare to meet a charge head-on.’
However, General Karl’s smile didn’t last long.
The Tiger Race Warriors were about to crash into the Gnoll lines.
"For the Empire! For the Royal Court!"
"Break their lines!"
The Tiger Race Warriors raised their blades and charged forward like a tidal wave—or so they thought.
The thought of returning to the Royal City had ignited a fire in every Tiger Race Warrior.
On the other side, the Gnolls watched the charge without a hint of panic.
These Gnoll forces had been specially organized by Robson into a system that was half-tribal, half-military.
This ensured the Gnolls could be commanded effectively on the battlefield.
Still, they were just a group of Gnolls. The previous claim that their strength was comparable to Tier 4 human Soldiers wasn’t entirely accurate. Three thousand Tier 4 humans could still reliably defeat them, as humans used military formations, something Gnolls struggled with.
But while their formations were far from perfect, they were more than enough to handle the Tiger Race Warriors before them!
"For the Lord Emissary!"
"Victory to the Almighty One!"
The battle between the two sides erupted in an instant.
Jackal Wolfman Warriors and earth goblin warriors swung their weapons, hacking at the oncoming Tiger Race Warriors.
After their last few battles, any awe they once held for the so-called "superior races" had been utterly shattered.
The Jackal Wolfman Warriors were now beginning to transform, becoming more like Robson’s own Human Corps.
’Superior races? We hunt superior races! Only by killing superior races can we gain more experience!’
But gradually, the number of Tiger Race Warriors began to dwindle.
"Wait! Something’s not right with these Gnolls!"
"Help me! I can’t hold this one back!"
The Tiger Race Warriors gradually realized something was wrong.
Something was wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong.
’Are these Gnolls before our eyes... really Gnolls?’
The Tiger Race was no different from the Centaur Clan; they both exploited the "lesser races." Normally, these Gnolls would have done anything to stay as far away from them as possible.
Yet here they were, fighting back without a change in expression.
It was one thing that they could fight back, but the Tiger Race Warriors were discovering something far more tragic.
They were, it seemed, no match for these Gnolls!
That’s right. It was humiliating to admit, but it appeared to be the truth.
They weren’t just outmatched as a group; even in one-on-one combat, the Tiger Race Warriors struggled against these Gnolls.
’How can there be such powerful Gnolls in this world!’
"The rear! They’re about to surround our rear!"
"Get back there and reinforce them! Don’t let them complete the encirclement!"
This batch of Tiger Race Warriors was not like the elite group Robson had faced before, who could rely on sheer willpower to fight to the bitter end even when a battle was lost.
Now, as they watched the encirclement closing in from behind, the faces of many Tiger Race Warriors turned deathly pale.
"Run! These things must be possessed by an Evil God!"
The excuse the Tiger Race came up with was remarkably consistent.
From his vantage point, General Karl stared, mouth agape, watching the scene unfold in utter disbelief.
’We’re... losing!’
The Tiger Race Warriors caught in the fray couldn’t see the full picture, but General Karl could, and the impression it left was profound.
From the very start of the engagement, the Tiger Race Warriors had been pushed back.
As the Gnoll flanks closed in, the Gnolls engaging the Tiger Race Warriors at the front seemed to have a sudden awakening, pressing their attack with relentless ferocity.
The Tiger Race Warriors were already in a steady retreat. How could they possibly withstand this?
The battle lasted less than ten minutes. The Tiger Race lost.
’It’s over,’ General Karl’s heart sank.
’So this is the army that destroyed the Centaur King City... They’re so powerful...’
"G-General, what do we do now?"
Parker, at his side, was visibly terrified, his jaw slack with shock at the scene before them.
"What do we do?"
"These Gnolls... they must have been bewitched by an Evil God!"
"This is crucial information! I must get to the Royal City and inform the king!"
"Parker, I’ve always thought you were a man destined for great things. You go stabilize the situation. I’m heading back to the Royal City."
Before Parker could even react, General Karl vaulted onto his Warg Mount and, taking his elite guard with him, galloped away.
Parker stood rooted to the spot, stunned.
"Damn it."
Without a moment’s hesitation, Parker followed him.
’Anyone with eyes could see the Tiger Race army was finished. If he didn’t run now, was he supposed to just wait here to die?’