The Curtain Rises! All Sides Take the Stage! (Second Update)
"Captain Harper, our target is the humans ahead. Why don't we catch up with them and take care of them sooner!"
A large group of kobolds walked in the snow.
Compared to the fourteen people who were exhausted from their long journey, the eighteen kobolds were in relatively good physical condition.
"Our orders are to monitor their behavior and find out their purpose, not to kill them!"
"Kulen, I'm warning you again, do not question the captain's orders in any way, or I have the right to hand you over to the priest!"
Upon hearing Harper's words, Kulen shrank his dog head and made a submissive gesture.
Within the kobold race, class distinctions are clearly defined.
Kobold Warrior are the lowest-level laborers, who can only work silently and cannot engage in any rude or disobedient behavior such as "interrupting" or "making a move".
This strict class system is very effective for kobolds, a race that, while intelligent, has not reached the level of human intelligence.
With Kobold Warlock in command, a small squad can basically go out and fight wherever they're told.
Of course, Kobold Warlock are also divided into Three Six Nine Grades, and each time they go out to fight, they will act according to the division of labor by the captains.
When out in the field, the captain has the absolute right to convict those below him, but when it comes to punishment, only the priests can carry it out.
"Human flesh doesn't taste good, but their blood is quite delicious. Once we catch a female, we'll make them give birth to cubs every day so we can suck their blood!"
The kobold next to Harper bared its teeth, and the words it uttered would send chills down the spine of any human who heard them.
However, none of the kobolds uttered a word of complaint about the cruelty; instead, they all nodded in agreement.
The cold does not diminish their bloodlust.
Similarly, the wind won't wash away the messy footprints left on the ground.
At Harper's command, all the kobolds split into two groups, forming an even larger pocket that surrounded everyone from before.
"That's strange. Why does Maeda Kento seem so relaxed, walking around so leisurely?"
Guided by footprints and familiar with the surrounding terrain, Su Mo moved lightly and nimbly across the snow, leaping over one small pit after another.
Because of the telescope, even though he was hanging far Maeda Kento and the tall man, Su Mo could adjust his position at any time based on the image in the telescope.
As for Oreo, Su Mo glanced down and immediately burst out laughing.
Oreo is already black and white, but now, with a whole layer of snowflake "armor" covering its fur, it transforms into the Samoyed, the best brother of the three sled dog duo.
If it weren't for the fact that Oreo's still-cute dog face could be seen, in this kind of weather, even from a distance of twenty or thirty meters, it would be difficult for Su Mo with his eyesight to spot where Oreo was hiding.
Seeing that Maeda Kento wasn't in a hurry to move forward, as if he was waiting for something, Su Mo decided not to rush either and slowly walked behind him.
The distance between the Deep Sea Shelter and the Underground Shelter is three and a half kilometers, or seven miles.
Following the two, Su Mo walked for a full hour before reaching a point less than a kilometer from the shelter.
Seeing Maeda Kento and the tall man sit down, Su Mo didn't hesitate and sat down as well.
Without strong sunlight, Su Mo has an absolute home-field advantage during the long, snowy season.
Concentrating his mind and glancing at the ample food in his Storage Space, Su Mo was not in a hurry at all; in fact, he even had the leisure to examine the size of the footprints on the ground.
The kobold's footprints were very clear, imprinted in the snow. Su Mo tried to measure them, and they were only about the size of a palm.
As for human footprints, they appear to be much larger, with the smallest being over 40 sizes.
"Unfortunately, with human combat capabilities, if we are careful in encounters and close the distance to within ten paces, these kobolds will pose no threat to us at all."
"Leaving aside the strength of the Kobold Warlock, just looking at these warriors, one adult human could easily take on two of them!"
The kobolds' thin legs and small feet, according to biological characteristics, mean their explosive power is far inferior to that of humans.
The human foot's wide sole provides excellent grip, combined with thick thigh muscles, explosive calf muscles, and the rotation of bones to transmit power.
If a real fight breaks out, even without weapons, the Kobold Warrior will be beaten to a pulp in a single encounter.
As for upper body strength, there's no need to elaborate. The largest dog-headed man weighs only fifty kilograms, and anyone with a bit of courage wouldn't be afraid of such a small weight.
"It's a pity that people still flock to be the lackeys and Human Traitor of such trashy creatures. I don't know what they're after."
Shaking his head regretfully, Su Mo's eyes were filled with emotion.
No era will lack such peculiar creatures as "traitors."
Even now, Marshall, the overseers, and even the kobolds are all kept in the dark by Maeda Kento, and are being treated as laborers.
After surveying the area, Oreo became wary and returned to lie down next to Su Mo.
Looking at Oreo's adorable appearance, Su Mo subconsciously raised his hand, just about to touch it, when a loud explosion suddenly came from afar: Boom! Boom!
Two muffled thuds sounded, one after the other.
While the sound wasn't as terrifying as when the 30-pound enhanced Picric Acid bomb was detonated, it was still quite frightening on the quiet plains.
The loud noise seemed to freeze the wind and snow for a few seconds.
Looking into the distance, thick plumes of smoke were being swept up by the wind above the Underground Shelter and drifted away into the distance.
Before Su Mo could make a move, faint shouts and explosions seemed to come from near the shelter!
Subconsciously, Su Mo immediately opened the shelter's attribute panel with a tense expression and stared at it intently.
On the durability panel, the Underground Shelter's value did not disappoint, remaining firmly at 95%!
"Holy crap, that scared me! I really thought these guys had blown up the Underground Shelter!"
Ninety-five percent of the color was so pleasing to the eye. Su Mo, who had been tense, let out a long breath and relaxed completely.
Since these people couldn't open the Underground Shelter, there was only one fate for them. Picking up his binoculars, he saw that Maeda Kento and the tall man had already quickly stood up and leaped away, Su Mo immediately patted the snow off his backside and followed.
The booming sound was like a signal flare, exploding above the Underground Shelter!
Groups of people rushed to the scene, and before Marshall and his men could check whether the explosion had breached their weak points, they were shocked to discover something!
Eight humans suddenly sprang up from the snow-covered ground.
He recognized these eight men; they were the foremen he had worked with at the Saltpeter Camp.
"How dare you, Chao Gai! Do you have a death wish? You even dare to plot against me, Marshall!"
Smoke filled the air. Gunpowder is not the same as explosives. There was no blast wave, only deflagration. No one could see the shape of the crater.
Marshall thought he had opened a breach, Chao Gai also thought Marshall had opened a breach.
Without exchanging many words, the two groups immediately engaged in a fierce battle! Following the snow, Marshall, wielding a Steel Blade, nimbly rolled on the ground, dodging a crossbow bolt fired from the side.
This roll not only put Marshall in safety, but also allowed him to quickly approach the man with the crossbow.
With a fierce glint in his eyes, Marshall did not hesitate to point his Steel Blade at the man with the crossbow, thrusting it forward and then pulling it back.
In an instant, the sharp steel Steel Blade sprayed blood everywhere, and also caused the only intimidating homemade crossbow to fall to the ground.
On the other side, Chao Gai and his men were not to be trifled with either.
When Marshall looked over, of his five men, only Da Tou was still holding on; the other four had been hacked to pieces and were lying on the ground twitching.
The acrid smoke continued, and as more unburned gunpowder ignited a second time, it released even more smoke, completely obscuring the entire area.
The large hole that Marshall and his men dug in the ground was steaming, and at first glance, it really did look like a hole had been blown open in the shelter.
"Da Tou, I'm here to save you! Hang in there!"
Marshall let out a strange shout, his words full of righteous indignation, but his hands did not slow down in the slightest.
Marshall grabbed the crossbow and continued shouting, but ran away into the distance without looking back.
He showed no remorse for his "brothers" who were still being attacked by several people.
"Marshall! You'll get what's coming to you!"
Da Tou's eyes widened in fury at the sight.
Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Marshall, who was running happily, was blasted away by a fireball that flew from an unknown direction, and half of his body was blown away.
The pungent smell of blood filled the air, mixed with the stench of burning, making people want to vomit! Even Chao Gai and his seven men, who were carrying out the attack, quickly looked around warily.
In their sight, eight Warlock Kobold and ten warrior kobolds strode out proudly.
All the Warlock Kobold brandished their staffs, their eyes filled with disdain and contempt.
Even the kobold warrior's eyes now held a hint of arrogance! Counting the seven men in the center Da Tou weren't quite dead yet, the ratio of eighteen to eight was enough to make the kobold rampant.
The encirclement tightened, and an invisible pressure weighed on the seven people in the center.
The seven men kept shrinking in until their backs were touching each other's backs, only then realizing in panic that they had nowhere to go! "What do we do, Chao Ge? Should we fight them? Should we take down these beasts?"
The time has come when all hope is lost and the true nature of the matter is revealed.
The seven weren't fools; they knew the kobolds were also eyeing the "Su Mo" treasure in the pit! In this battle, only one side could survive!