CHAPTER 1498: CHAPTER 1045: THE CHARGE OF HEAVY ARMOR, THE DIVINE DESCENT OF THE SEA TRIBE!

"Swish, swish, swish!..."

"Swish, swish, swish!..."

By the riverside camp of the Deer Moss River Tribe, it was roughly divided into inner and outer camps. The outer camp was a sparse collection of haystacks and grass huts, used to accommodate the deer herd. The inner camp consisted of low wooden fences and tents, used for winter residence. The fierce and sharp shower of arrows first repeatedly attacked the outer camps on the east and west sides. Then, the Mountain Hunters from the south swiftly closed in by the haystacks, engaging in a fierce shootout with the Deer Clan archers a few dozen steps away.

"Swish swish! Swish swish! Swish!..."

"Ah... uh!..."

The slaughter on the snowfield was so quiet that even if slightly farther away, the screams became dull and indistinct. The hunters on both sides stared wide-eyed, wearing similar feathered armor, dressed in different leather robes, silently standing and shooting. They did not have the habit of warriors from the Kingdom of engaging in slaughter; in battle, they neither prayed to the divine for blessings nor shouted loudly to intimidate the enemy.

The hunters of the snowfield were accustomed to silence, as cold and dead as the wind and snow of the Northern Land. They shot at each other, closed in on each other, drawing strong bows to shoot arrows, their eyes sharp as eagles. The arrows hit their feathered armor with a "thud-thud," bones arrows scraped over the leather armor, and the arrows grew more and more accurate.

Then, one by one, people on both sides were struck in critical areas, letting out short cries before collapsing into the snow. The wounded warriors bled bright red blood, quickly losing body heat in the cold wind, soon losing the ability to fight.

However, the advancing Mountain Hunters pushed closer while the defending Deer Clan Hunters did not retreat at all. Both sides gradually closed in until they could see each other’s eyebrows, then simultaneously dropped their bows and arrows, picking up stone axes and long spears, and charged in with low growls!

"Roar! Kill them!..."

"Kill!... Kill!..."

As the Mountain Hunters rushed into the outer camp, the archery shootout on both the east and west sides first turned into face-to-face hacking and stabbing. The hunters on both sides swung their stone axes, thrust their stone spears, clashed together in a melee, and began to let out intimidating roars and cries of pain.

The howls spread across the snowfield, muffledly reaching the south. The strong Warrior Captain, Stonefirm, raised his shield, squinting, glanced for a moment, and finally settled his heart.

"Blessed by the Chief Divine! These Snowfield Tribes are incredibly skilled in archery and move fast... but they’re not good in close combat! They have no killing techniques, no tactical formations, and no squad cooperation... Clearly, they’ve not experienced many large-scale slaughters or enough killing... They are somewhat like the Canine Descendants who just surrendered to the Kingdom!"

"Swish!..."

A bone arrow accurately struck, grazing over the raised shield, hitting heavily on the copper helmet of Stonefirm. Even with leather padding, Stonefirm felt pain in his forehead. He was startled, quickly bent slightly, used the shield to cover his head, and muttered a low curse.

"Damn it! These damn tribal divine archers, their shooting is really accurate! Just wait, I’ll rush up later and slash you to death!..."

"Swish, swish, swish!..."

Hunting Team Leader Mukun led four teams of hunters, fiercely shooting to suppress while covering the Kingdom’s heavy armored warriors, forcing the distance to within twenty steps. Zuwaro, standing fifty steps away, saw the overall situation of the battlefield, estimated for a moment, then blew the horn of charge!

"Woo! Woo woo!"

"Charge! Blessed by the Chief Divine! Sacrifice for the Chief Divine!"

"Sacrifice for the Chief Divine!"

Warrior Captain Stonefirm let out a roar, then raised his shield high, charged headfirst towards the camp right in front of him. Several feathered arrows slammed into the shield but couldn’t stop his charge. Behind him, four full teams of warriors and sailors from the Kingdom also shouted loudly, jogging to launch their charge!

This rush of heavy armor was like a well-accumulated force suddenly launched, a heavy hammer suddenly struck at the waist of the Deer Moss River Tribe, knocking down the four or five teams of defending Deer Clan Hunters in the south!

"Boom! Boom!"

"Crunch!..."

A divine archer from the Deer Clan Hunter dropped his strong bow, red-eyed, gritted his teeth, and hacked at the side neck of Stonefirm with a stone axe. The Warrior Captain Stonefirm, skilled with his left hand, raised his shield sideways to block the hack, then quickly and smoothly swung with his right hand, slashing the opponent’s thigh. The Deer Clan Hunter shuddered all over, instantly losing his footing, his body reflexively hunching. Soon after, he trembled violently, pupils constricting painfully, only to have his neck sliced by the closely pressing bronze axe, as if leaning in to meet death!

"Sss! Splash!...."

Bright red blood splattered, soaking through the cloth-covered copper armor. Stonefirm turned his head to avoid the spray of blood, only to feel a sudden pain in his waist.

"Clang!"

"Hmm?"

The stone spear struck the bronze cloth armor, but it was blocked by the tough armor plates. Stonefirm quickly turned around to see a face of disbelief and surprise. Only a moment later, a sharp bronze axe slashed at it, deftly chopping off half of the fragile neck connecting to this round face.

"Sss! Splash!...."

Stonefirm quickly wiped his face to prevent the blood from freezing on it. He looked around and saw a scene of complete slaughter.

The warriors of the Kingdom, faces excited, used their well-honed killing techniques, working in pairs to knock down the howling enemies. The tribal hunters of the Northern Land, tall and strong, wore two or three layers of armor, frantically swinging single or double-handed battle axes, even directly breaking the enemy’s feathered armor.

And the stone axes and stone spears used to counterattack by the Deer Clan Hunters struck powerlessly against the bronze cloth armor and double-layered leather armor, far less threatening than their sharp and precise feathered arrows!

"Ancestors! These... these warriors of the Sea Tribe, are so fierce in close combat!"

The Hunting Team Leader Mukun stared in shock, watching as eighty heavily armored warriors of the kingdom charged into the camp with unstoppable force. In just a moment’s time, they had cut down over forty Deer Moss River Tribe hunters, with only a few of their own injured.

Facing these ferocious and ruthless heavily armored warriors, nearly a hundred remaining tribesmen from the south could no longer resist! They let out a cry of despair and turned to flee towards the inner camp of the wooden fence. And if caught by the chasing tribal sailors, they had no will to continue fighting, merely tossing away their weapons and kneeling in the snow, surrendering to the tall and mighty warriors...

"Howl! Ancestors and Divine Mountain bless us! The south is broken! ... Everyone, charge with me! Kill inside, kill to both sides!..."

The Hunting Team Leader Mukun excitedly shouted, leading the four teams of Hot Spring Mountain Hunters into the breached camp, splitting to attack east and west. The Warrior Captain Stonefirm took a breath, also sending people to both sides to flank.

"Ah! Ancestors of the compassionate deer! Please! Save us..."

"Ancestor Spirit! The tribe is about to perish... even the totem will be gone!..."

Soon, the Deer Clan Hunters fighting on the east and west sides began to collapse and flee under the two-sided flank attack. When Muku, having circled around the ice river with three teams of elites, launched an attack from the north, the final blade pierced the camp... In the entire Deer Moss River Tribe, aside from over a hundred warriors killed or wounded, more than seven hundred remaining tribespeople fell into complete destruction!

More than four hundred women and children of the Deer Moss River Tribe, trembling and shivering, were herded from all sides to the edge of low tents, guarded by a team of hunters from the Mountain Part. According to the arctic plains’ tradition, even hostile tribes would not slaughter them recklessly, but merge them into the victorious new tribe.

As for the remaining three hundred able-bodied men, half knelt in despair to surrender, while a small part stumbled towards the snowy plains to escape. But without sleighs, they couldn’t run far, nor could they escape the subsequent pursuit. So the Mountain Part hunters left them alone for now.

Resistance throughout the camp was only left to the last fifty die-hard Deer Clan Hunters! Led by the Deer Moss River Chieftain, they gathered among the solid fences of the inner camp, stepping on low and sturdy tents. Relying on this thin layer of obstruction, with a slight advantage in terrain, they drew heavy bows, desperately shooting arrows at the surrounding Mountain Part hunters!

"Swish swish swish!... Swish swish swish!..."

"Phew! The last resistance, a dying struggle... Supreme Main God bears witness! These Deer Clan Hunters are all top divine archers! It would be such a pity to just kill them all this way..."

The overall situation was settled; Exploration Captain Zuwaro, dressed in thick armor, finally entered the vast Deer Moss River Tribe camp. At the sight of his arrival, the warriors and sailors of the kingdom bowed their heads respectfully, praising the Chief Divine’s protection. However, the surrounding Mountain Part hunters had peculiar looks in their eyes, even a bit disdainful.

According to the customs of the arctic plains, the leader of a hunting party must be the bravest hunter. Even the Great Chief Mukun personally charged into battle, taking an arrow to the knee... Yet this leader of the Sea Tribe, dressed in such fine armor, stayed far behind, observing the fight?

"Captain Zuwaro, the Chief Divine has descended with divine power! ... We brought some gunpowder arrows, which can ignite the tents inside the Deer Clan."

Warrior Captain Stonefirm pursed his lips, pointing at the more than fifty Deer Moss River Tribe elites desperately resisting based on terrain. Their expressions were of fighting to the death, formation closely-knit, and archery terrifyingly accurate... If going in for hand-to-hand combat, several warriors would surely be lost! Might as well set a fire and burn their tents...

"Hmm... gunpowder arrows... ignite the tents..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro pondered for a moment, looking at the Deer Moss River Chieftain trapped and besieged, then at the Mountain Part hunters surrounding to shoot arrows without rushing to attack. He estimated that when his future father-in-law Mukun arrived, the task of breaking through would still fall to the Sea Tribe’s heavy armored warriors. So why not...

"Stonefirm, send two people to drag our Rain God Tiger Squat Cannon over here!"

"Huh? Captain, use the Tiger Squat Cannon?"

"Yes, the Chief Divine summons thunderbolt! In front of so many Mountain Parts and Deer Clan people, it’s the perfect opportunity to showcase the Chief Divine’s divine might!..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro’s eyes shone, and after a brief hesitation, he had made up his mind. Seeing the Mountain Part hunters’ peculiar expressions around him, he took off his heavy copper armor and winged armor, lit a torch, and suddenly began performing the priest’s ritual dance!

"Ah! Supreme Main God! On the high Snake Mountain, on the Ancestors’ Divine Peak! He controls the sun, He commands the grasslands and earth, He governs storms and the sea, and even wields thunderbolt and fire!..."

"Ah! Muluke Alashanwa! I am the Sea Tribe’s ancestor, descending from the sea! I shall ignite the flame with my own hands, ignite the Great Shaman’s magic artifact, and let the Chief Divine’s unmatched thunderbolt descend!..."

Zuwaro brandished the torch, singing and chanting, performing the mysterious ritual dance, attracting the attention of all the hunters, whether enemy or ally. These looks carried complex emotions; many were astonished, some doubtful, more disbelieving, and among the "Sea Tribe" crowd, there was anticipation...

"Hmm? What’s that?"

"Looks like a shaman’s spiritual descent."

"Even the leader of the Sea Tribe can descend the deity?"

"Can’t tell! He’s so young; can he really communicate with the ancestors?"

"It seems he’s brought some sort of artifact, the Sea Tribe’s Great Shaman’s magic tool, that golden tube..."

"Hmm? Sea Tribe’s Great Shaman? Never heard of it... Can this golden tool really work?..."

"Chief Divine, bless me with the power of thunderbolt!"

As hundreds, thousands of eyes focused on him, Zuwaro finally completed the ritual dance. Then, with a devout face, he shouted the Chief Divine’s name, extended the torch, and ignited the loaded Tiger Squat Cannon. That slightly smoking cannon mouth was aimed right at the Deer Moss River Chieftain, a few dozen steps away...