ALL NOVEL Chapter 39
Chapter 39: The Attack in the Night
Liliya’s army successfully bypassed the surveillance of the Beastmen and entered the vast lands within the Beast Kingdom.
But crossing the Black River and penetrating deep behind enemy lines was merely the first step of the plan.
To cut off the supply lines of the Beastmen army, two things had to be done.
First, identify the transportation routes commonly used by the Beastmen. Second, annihilate the transport units and burn the supplies before the Beastmen’s reinforcements could arrive, then retreat swiftly.
Severing the supply line wasn’t something that could be achieved with just one battle; Liliya needed to lead her elite force of two thousand to drive a wedge deep into the arteries of the Beastmen’s rear, causing it to bleed profusely.
As long as the Beastmen’s commanders were not fools, after the first wave of supplies was intercepted, they would undoubtedly dispatch more troops for escort and recovery, or even encircle this Human unit. In the worst case, Liliya might have to face enemies ten times her number, not to mention that the opponents were highly capable Beastmen.
Of course, there was an even more effective and convenient method: to find and destroy the key granaries deeper within the Beast Kingdom.
On the eighth night after the raiding party left the Wanku Fortress, silence enveloped a nameless little valley, but the firelight inside the tents shone bright as day.
Kunier was a somewhat famous warrior among the Tiger-Human clan. This time, when the Beast Emperor mobilized the army to attack the United Kingdom of Humans, various tribes of Beastmen responded to the order and contributed a large number of young fighters; Kunier naturally wasn’t an exception, volunteering to join the military recruitment.
The Beast Kingdom did not have a standing army; almost every citizen could become a valiant warrior at any time, and they didn’t even need weapons and armor—just their sharp claws were enough to tear the enemies apart.
Thus, except for a few elite troops directly under the royal family and tribal leaders, all soldiers, even officers, in the Beastmen army were temporarily conscripted from the common folk, and the recruitment process was rather rough.
In simple terms… whoever was stronger could hold higher positions in the army and command more soldiers.
This also led to a problem: the Beastmen march almost lacked brains and tactics; they simply charged at the enemy and fought recklessly. This has its pros and cons; it works well on the front lines, but in situations that require a bit of cunning…
Kunier was a freak among the Tiger-Humans. While it was robust, it was also very clever, able to think strategically and even learn parts of the Human language through self-study.
Noticing this, the chief commander of the current Beastmen army, High Priest Chaharit, appointed Kunier as the logistics officer in charge of supply.
If it were an ordinary Beastman, they might feel irritable and dissatisfied for not being able to engage in battle. But Kunier was wise; it understood the importance of logistics in warfare and realized that the High Priest of its tribe wasn’t sidelining it but rather placing great trust in it. Hence, it complied with the orders without hesitation.
At this moment, it was stationed in a valley 70 kilometers away from the border, escorting a batch of supplies transported from the homeland.
The supply convoy led by Kunier had already set out for three days, and it was expected that they would reach High Priest Chaharit’s central army by tomorrow night, completing this round of missions.
Inside the tent, Kunier leaned against a fur blanket, reading a book it had scavenged from a Human corpse, quietly listening to the surrounding sounds of barbaric roars and laughter.
Wildness was a nature inscribed in the bones of most Beastmen—living off raw meat, indulging in desires. Though Kunier could restrain its own impulses, it couldn’t force all its subordinates to be the same.
Even for Kunier itself, after falling into fierce battles, it could be momentarily overtaken by that bloodthirsty and brutal instinct. It understood well what its kin were doing at this moment.
Eating, fighting, mating: these were the three great instincts of the Beastmen. In the military, the latter two were naturally prohibited, so they indulged heartily in feasting.
This batch of supplies was remarkably abundant, so much so that Kunier was somewhat taken aback. It couldn’t understand why their normally food-scarce country was suddenly able to support a million-strong army in a prolonged war. High Priest Chaharit clearly knew something but had not shared this with Kunier.
This wasn’t Kunier’s first time escorting supplies; according to the High Priest’s military orders, it had started making frequent trips between the border and the Tapeya Basin within the Beast Kingdom half a month ago.
According to military orders, it was not allowed to enter the basin itself, and Kunier wasn’t quite sure what was inside. But every time it emptied the grain supplies stacked outside the basin, it would return to find it filled again with tons of rice and meat…
Food certainly couldn’t just appear out of nowhere; there must be some force supporting the Beast Kingdom in this war, no doubt about it.
Additionally, since Beastmen rarely planted grains, these were obviously transported from other countries. This meant that something significant and dangerous was hidden in the basin, knowledge far beyond that which a mere logistics officer like Kunier could possess.
Moreover, it was uncertain if it was just its imagination, but every time Kunier approached that basin area, its keen sense of smell would detect a foul odor reminiscent of rotting corpses.
Very strange, yet it didn’t quite indicate anything definitive.
For being a simple-minded Tiger-Human, Kunier had already done well to consider so much, but with its level of intelligence and the incredibly sparse information available, it couldn’t deduce anything further.
If it didn’t make sense, it was best not to dwell on it. In any case, the Chief Advisor of the Beastmen, High Priest Chaharit, surely wouldn’t be wrong. It just needed to do its job as commanded—completing its portion of the task was a significant contribution in itself.
Thinking this way, Kunier prepared to rest and conserve energy for tomorrow’s march.
Suddenly, this towering Beastman felt a twitch in its eyelid, and a vague sense of unease welled up within.
Beastmen possess a beast-like ability to sense impending danger, and Kunier was particularly strong in this regard, almost developing a foresight that helped it avoid many fatal crises.
Now, it was happening again, and it felt more intense than ever. Kunier could feel a strange pain in its tiger-like eyes!
Something was about to happen! A grave crisis that could threaten its life!
The burly Tiger-Human leader abruptly stood up, the tattered armor looted from Humans clanged noisily on its body, and sharp, thick claws protruded from its paws as Kunier burst through the tent flaps.
“Someone come!”
“General? What’s going on? You look quite flustered.”
The two towering Tiger-Human guards turned back simultaneously, looking puzzled at Kunier’s grim expression. The sounds of bestial roars echoed around, as if nothing had happened.
No, that wasn’t right!
The roar was too dense, and before long, it began to mix with faint cries of agony! Enemies were attacking them!
A bunch of idiots, why didn’t anyone come to report!
“Enemy attack!!! Order the entire army to prepare for battle immediately!!!”
Realizing the importance of these supplies, Kunier’s eyes bulged with rage as it unleashed a deafening, frenzied roar!
“Huh? Y-yes! General!!”
The two Tiger guards hurriedly dashed toward the surrounding tents. Those already engaged in combat didn’t need to worry—the Beastmen’s instincts would drive them to face the fight—but many soldiers who had already gone to sleep needed to be roused immediately!
“G-General! Fire! It’s on fire! Our supplies…”
Several Tiger-Humans, their fur singed and blackened, tumbled in from the distance, shouting their heads off halfway through.
Only now did Kunier notice the towering flames and the smell of charred debris rising around—this was beyond what campfires could produce!
“What? Damn it!!!”