CHAPTER 462: AFTER THE MODIFICATION: CHAPTER 330 PULIKAS SENDS TROOPS

Originally, Pulikas, who had fled to Brochi Territory, not only frequently harassed Bricks, asking for his assistance to support Segestica, but he also recruited personnel from the Segestica refugees who had also fled to Brochi, forming a new team, which was a rivalry for labor force with Brochi...

Bricks had long been dissatisfied with him, and if not for fear of affecting his own reputation, he would have already wanted to expel him from Brochi Territory. Nonetheless, he started to reduce the food provisions given to Pulikas and his followers, making it difficult for them to sustain a military force, which even led to an argument between the two.

But now, Bricks changed his mind. He proactively sought Pulikas for a secret meeting, agreeing to provide weapons and food to help him form a team of five hundred on the condition that Pulikas would quickly lead this team into Segestica Territory to attack the villages occupied by the Nix people, disrupt the order there, and thwart the Nix people’s plan to annex Segestica.

However, relying solely on Pulikas’s strength was not enough, so Bricks also turned his attention to the Gonami Lake Region, dispatching a trusted subordinate to have a secret talk with Chief Iberus.

Iberus originally adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the Nix people’s invasion. His thinking was somewhat similar to Bricks’, as he did not believe that the small Nix Tribe could annex the vast Segestica Territory.

But reality gave him a loud slap: in just one month, the Nix people had occupied all the villages in the core region of Segestica and had also built a military camp not far from the riverbank near his tribal territory, making him truly feel the threat of the Nix people.

In this situation, Iberus showed great enthusiasm towards Bricks’ envoy’s arrival, but the envoy clearly stated that "at present, neither Brochi nor Mazi and other major tribes can form an army to attack the Nix people," which left him feeling disappointed.

However, the envoy brought Bricks’ promise: if Iberus could unite with other tribes around Gonami to send forces to harass the Nix people and disrupt their attempts to occupy Segestica Territory, then after the tribal alliance organizes a large army to drive the Nix people away, Bricks would propose at the tribal alliance meeting that Iberus becomes the new Segestica Great Chief.

Iberus never had such a lofty ambition to become a Great Chief. After all, the Pannonian tribes in the Gonami Lake Region had always been on the periphery in Segestica and Brochi, weak in strength, with low-standing leadership...

But now, the envoy’s words presented him with a great temptation: if he could truly become the Segestica Great Chief, his tribe could leave this harsh environment at Gonami Lake and move to the fertile Segestica Main Camp, where they could rapidly grow and prosper!

Ultimately, Iberus agreed to Bricks’ proposal: to gather the tribes around Gonami Lake to harass the Nix people within Segestica Territory.

For this, Bricks’ envoy also arranged a meeting for Iberus and Pulikas to discuss the matter of dispatching their forces.

Pulikas harbored a great disdain for Iberus, believing that as a part of Segestica, Iberus stood by watching amidst the tribe’s peril, showing no respect to the sons of Andres who fled. Now, under Bricks’ mediation, he’s willing to cooperate in harassing the Nix people, perhaps because he has already pledged allegiance to Brochi and betrayed the tribe.

Iberus also held no fondness for Pulikas, considering that he had lost his land and had few followers left, becoming a stray dog, yet still adopting an aloof attitude that was detestable. Moreover, the son of Andres whom Pulikas supported would be a future rival for the position of Segestica Great Chief!

However, under the current circumstances, both needed each other to divert the Nix people’s attention and increase the success of the harassment, so they eventually formed an alliance.

In reality, Bricks also sent envoys to contact the northern tribes of Segestica, as he found that there were no northern tribesmen among the Segestica refugees. He also asked Pulikas, learning that to defend against the Yabod people, the northern tribes still had many warriors and had not participated in the previous offensive against the Nix people, leading Bricks to speculate that the northern tribes of Segestica had not been conquered by the Nix people yet.

However, the northern tribes of Segestica were far away, separated by the core region occupied by the Nix people. Could the envoy reach them smoothly? Would the northern tribes be willing to send forces to harass the Nix people upon arriving? These were all uncertainties.

Bricks was unwilling to wait any longer, as it had been two months since the Nix people invaded Segestica, and the more time passed, the more disadvantageous it was for the Pannonians.

Urged by Bricks, Iberus and Pulikas set the date for the harassment operation.

............

It was one day in the beginning of the year, the sky overcast and gloomy.

After a day’s march between the reed marshes and the hills on the west side of Gonami Lake, Pulikas led five hundred Segestica warriors to the northern edge of the reeds.

"Chief Pulikas." A scout emerged from the reeds, whispering to Pulikas hidden inside, "There is no one around the tribe ahead. I saw a lot of smoke from cooking fires inside; they might still be preparing breakfast. I didn’t dare to look closely for fear of being discovered."

"You did well!" Pulikas was delighted.

The reason he chose to attack from the west side of the reeds was because he had learned from Iberus that the Nix people had built military camps along the banks of the Sava River not far from the north end of Gonami Lake. With his fewer forces, he didn’t want to engage in a direct confrontation to avoid casualties... It seems his choice was correct, as the people in this village weren’t prepared at all.

"Everyone, listen." Pulikas turned to face the warriors, his expression stern, "We will quickly advance on the tribe ahead. Do not make any noise to avoid alerting the enemy prematurely and causing unnecessary casualties!

Once inside the village, kill everyone there! Let me emphasize again, those who surrendered to the Nix are no longer our tribesmen; they are traitors to Segestica, and we must show no mercy!"

Saying this, Pulikas sharply glanced at several warriors in the group who came from that tribe ahead.

Those warriors nodded vigorously; they couldn’t forget the derision they faced while trying to dissuade their tribesmen from surrendering to the Nix and were further angered by the hardships they endured during their escape, while those who surrendered enjoyed comfort. Therefore, their hatred for those tribesmen was no less than that for the Nix people.

"After wiping out everyone in that tribe, do not linger. Follow closely behind the team, evacuate back here quickly before the Nix Army arrives, and then we will all return safely!" Pulikas emphasized again, reminding everyone.

He had to do so because the remaining strength of Segestica was limited, and the life of every warrior could not be easily sacrificed.

He gave a heavy gaze to the crowd and then turned to wave his hand: "Follow me, let’s move out!"

The five hundred Segestica warriors, led by Pulikas, pushed through the reeds and advanced swiftly in silence.

This village, located in the southwest corner of Segestica’s core region, was more than two miles from the reeds, not very close. This was normal, as no tribe wanted to be next to the Gonami Lake reed marshes—not just because of the floodwaters during the rainy season, but also because of the dense mosquitoes in the reed marshes during summer and autumn that were unbearable.

Though the journey was flat, it wasn’t easy. The land around the village had been plowed, with many wooden signs and stakes, and some even had stones with carved words buried by the field paths...

Most of the warriors had fled from various tribes and understood what all this meant, so they marched with deep and shallow steps, cursing the Nix people and the traitorous tribesmen responsible for it all; their anger fueled their strength.

The former Segestica tribe was just ahead. In the dim light of the sky, the houses ahead appeared dilapidated in Pulikas’s eyes.

As he got closer to the village, his heart began to pound harder, and his pace quickened. Using his familiarity with Segestica’s overall architectural layout, he quickly found a path into the village and led the team toward it.

Just then, someone from the village was heading out along the path, perhaps to work in the fields, and noticed Pulikas’s approaching team from afar. The villager immediately dropped the wooden basket in his hands and ran back, shouting loudly, "Oh no, enemies are attacking! Oh no, enemies are coming!..."

His shouts immediately stirred the once quiet village into chaos. The villagers hurriedly ran out of their homes and followed the first person, desperately sprinting towards the interior of the village.

"Damn it!" Pulikas couldn’t help but curse. Just when he was about to sneak into the tribe successfully, it was ruined at the last moment. But watching the panic-stricken villagers fleeing for their lives showed they were completely off guard.

"Chase them down, kill them all!..." Pulikas brandished his Longsword, shouting loudly.

The warriors roared in unison, their fury for revenge ignited by the fleeing villagers. Each of them stretched their strides, rushing forward eagerly, with some even surpassing Pulikas and first setting foot on the road into the village.

The dirt road leading in and out of the village wasn’t wide, flanked by villagers’ houses, which in turn reorganized Pulikas’s team that had grown somewhat scattered due to the chase, into a more compact formation.