This Giant Dragon is So Powerful!

Chapter 139 - 13: Winner Takes All (Part 2)

The direction of the Centaur Army’s advance is northeast, with their goal being to penetrate the Wilderness Plains, severing the connection between the Southern Kingdom and the Wilderness Plains, and eventually invading the Southern Kingdom’s territory. Therefore, before the Centaurs achieve their objectives, they won’t bother with the large area of the Wilderness Plains close to the south (which is the wasteland territory occupied by Kas Duchy’s nobles), as they do not have the energy or forces to fight on two fronts.

.....

The night wind is cool.

Wasteland, the first ray of sunlight in the morning has yet to cast its light on the ground.

In Victor Town, the serfs belonging to Baron Victor have already started their work.

They wear tattered hemp clothes and work with numb eyes doing various tasks: feeding horses, grinding fodder, tending livestock, watering, and weeding in vegetable gardens...

Whether in the Duchy or the Kingdom, the systems implemented include slavery. Among these slaves, serfs, and mining slaves hold the lowest value. Most serfs are human because they do finer work, while mining slaves are mostly non-humans because they can do laborious, dirty, and dangerous work and are cheaper. There are mostly Kobolds among them, but also goblins, bear goblins, and Minotaurs.

Above slaves are the commoners. Commoners own personal property and their right to life is somewhat protected. Well, at least if a noble kills a commoner, they must pay compensation, while with their slaves, they can do as they please, killing and abusing them at will.

Above commoners are non-noble professionals. These professionals can work as mercenaries, adventurers, city guards, join the army as soldiers, serve as guards for noble masters, or work as tutors or teachers for noble descendants.

Higher up, there are the nobles.

Noble ranks from low to high are divided into: Knight, Lord, Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, Duke.

In an Empire, above a Duke, a Prince may be established.

This noble system has been implemented on the Tal Material Plane for a long time, having undergone extensive validation over time, and is not only used among humans but also by many Alien Races.

"So hungry..."

Having just finished feeding the livestock, Hans touched his belly, with a numb look in his eyes expressing a desire for food.

However, these serfs must finish their work before they can enjoy the master’s food rewards, so they must tolerate their hunger.

Hans fetched one bucket of water after another from the well, placed them on a wooden cart, and then acted as a beast of burden, laboriously pulling the fully loaded cart of water buckets forward slowly.

Next, he needed to go some distance away to water the fields.

Upon reaching the edge of the fields, Hans’s numb and exhausted gaze looked into the distance.

On the horizon, a black line extended and was approaching Victor Town at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"What is that?" Hans thought puzzledly at the approaching black line, his mind too accustomed to work to react quickly to anything outside of it.

As the black line drew nearer and the ground vibrations grew stronger, the robust figures of the Centaurs came into Hans’s view.

The eyes of these Centaurs were filled with killing intent and hatred.

With a clang, the water buckets on the cart fell to the ground, and Hans bolted away.

"Centaurs are attacking, Centaurs are com..."

Before Hans could finish speaking, a javelin flew from hundreds of meters away and pierced through his body, leaving him suspended in mid-air.

With blood frothing from his mouth, there was a faint sense of release in Hans’s numb eyes.

"With so many Centaurs, the noble masters should die too... It’s best if they all die together..." This was the last thought that flashed through Hans’s mind.

"Kill them all!" the Centaur Captain roared fiercely, first breaking through the town’s gate, leading a crowd of Centaur Knights into the town amid the cries of the residents.

Screams and cries for help echoed, as if a Chapter of Hell was unfolding in Victor Town.

Baron Victor, residing in the castle outside Victor Town, received the news quickly. He was furious, immediately gathering the guard to the castle walls.

Standing on the high city walls, Baron Victor looked at the chaotic town in the distance, watching the masses of Centaur Knights rampaging within, his lips quivered and his heart bled.

How much wealth would be lost?!

"Damn Centaurs!" Baron Victor cursed viciously.

Beside him, the Guard Captain suddenly tensed and reminded Baron Victor,

"Baron, a Centaur Knight is approaching us."

Baron Victor quickly looked in the direction indicated by the Guard Captain’s gesture and indeed saw a Centaur clad in simple leather armor approaching the castle leisurely, his expression indifferent, though a cold glint flashed in his eyes when he looked at the people on the castle wall.

"Baron, the opponent might be a skilled fighter, it’s best if you retreat," the Guard Captain tensed up when his gaze met that of the Centaur Knight.

He was a Level 8 Warrior, and anyone who could exert such pressure had to be formidable.

"Retreat just because of one Centaur Knight? Dait, don’t forget, I am also a Level 7 Warrior, strong enough," Baron Victor said in a grave tone.

The Guard Captain hesitated for a moment but refrained from further discouragement.

Around him, not only was there this Level 8 Warrior, but there was also a hundred-man professional guard unit on the wall, all seasoned up to Level 3-4, with the squad leaders reaching Level 5 and 6. Additionally, there was a team of low-level mages consisting of five members.

With such a professional team, alongside the low-level mages, a charge by hundreds of Centaur Warriors need not be feared.

With this thought, Dait’s confidence increased slightly, yet he still felt an unease.

Especially when he saw the Centaur Knight in the distance slowly drawing a javelin from his back, a chill ran down his spine.

"Die!"

The Centaur Knight coldly uttered one word, and the next moment, the javelin imbued with pale cyan Hurricane Fighting Qi turned into a stream of light, striking at Baron Victor on the city wall.

Faced with the terrifying speed of the stream of light, Baron Victor only had time to make an incomplete squatting motion before his head was pierced by the javelin and exploded.

The nearby guards and low-level mages were dumbfounded, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at the Centaur below the castle.

An Advanced Centaur Hurricane Knight!

Below, the Centaur Knight once more drew a javelin, blasting a large hole through the heavy stone gate of the castle, before charging in.

Soon, the same screams and cries that echoed in the town rang within the castle.

An hour later, hundreds of Centaur Knights, accompanied by a dark mass of human captives and looted treasures, gathered outside the castle.

Within the castle, a Centaur Knight covered in blood slowly walked out through the gaping gate. As the knight moved on four hooves, drops of thick blood dripped to the ground.

The hundreds of Centaur Knights outside, upon seeing him, showed expressions of respect and said,

"Commander Ackman."

Their coordinated shout instantly silenced the previously noisy captives, whose eyes filled with fear and terror.

"Leave a squad to guard the captives and occupy the town; the rest follow me, we have five more targets to quickly accomplish," Ackman nodded slightly, Hurricane Fighting Qi shook off the blood covering his body, restoring his clean and tidy appearance.

"Yes!" the hundreds of Centaur Knights responded in unison.

Ackman glanced at the human captives, a glint of killing intent flashed in his eyes, but it quickly receded.

The king’s order was to kill the resistors; however, the civilians and serfs should be preserved as much as possible, as they would serve as the foundation and labor force for the future Centaur kingdom.

But the most crucial priority was the women.

After years of targeted hunting by adventurers from both countries and casualties during the expansion into the Dark Forest, the female population of the Centaur Clan had decreased by 30%, prompting a dire need for human females.

Yes, Centaurs can breed offspring with human females.

However, this process is often brutal, as the majority of human females who bear Centaur offspring die from excessive bleeding during childbirth.

But for the current Centaur Clan, should they show restraint to their enemies?

Ultimately, it is just the winner taking all.

The tragedy of Victor Town echoes the real state of villages and towns near the northern Wilderness Plains adjacent to the Dark Forest.

One village or town after another has been laid waste by the Centaur Knights, treasures looted, with those surrendering taken captive.

Of course, some human towns resist valiantly, as there are skilled fighters on the human side too.