Powerful Centaurs

It had been two weeks since the swamp and wilderness were cleared, and the Pioneer Alliance forces had recuperated. It was time to advance eastward!

The main purpose of this operation was to determine what kind of creatures the indigenous inhabitants of the eastern lands were, what their combat capabilities were, and where would be the best place for them to establish a new home.

The secondary objective was to establish an outpost, preparing for the advance of the main army and strategic deployment later on.

All the nobles set out together, and almost all the extraordinary knights were deployed. Only the elite among the elite soldiers were brought along; this time, there was no intention of engaging in large-scale warfare, so a large number of ordinary soldiers were not needed.

In total, there were 27 nobles, over 200 extraordinary knights, and 500 elite soldiers, forming a force that was small in number but high in combat effectiveness and mobility.

Marcus's group, in addition to himself and Harrot and other knights, also brought Harrot's five Northern Knight Squires, The Bald Man's five elite gladiators, and a dozen Imperial Guards he had personally trained.

The swamps and wilderness had been repeatedly cleared by Marquis Prague and other nobles for several months. Any threatening creatures had basically been eliminated, so there would be no more threats in the short term.

The pioneering force reached the eastern lands in just three days.

It was an unexplored region, full of the unknown and novelty! Everyone set up a camp together, and then split up to begin their investigations.

Even Marquis Prague was only half a rank higher than the other nobles, and no one truly submitted to anyone else, so each noble simply went their separate ways.

Those who voluntarily followed others were free to do so. Marcus, with his lofty ambitions, naturally set out alone with Harrot and the others.

Their location was relatively close to the wilderness in this area; the vegetation wasn't particularly lush, and they didn't see any intelligent creatures for half a day, only some wild beasts.

However, after venturing deeper eastward, they encountered a formidable enemy: Centaurs!

Centaurs were a bloodthirsty and brutal race with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. Each Centaur possessed physical abilities far exceeding those of humans, and they were natural cavalry, their speed no less than that of human cavalry.

Currently, Harrot and the others hadn't seen any villages or towns. The Centaurs' level of civilization was very low, still a primitive society primarily composed of small tribes, and their buildings were very crude. A dozen huts made of sod and wood would constitute a tribal camp.

Although their civilization was backward, the Centaurs' combat power far surpassed that of humans! They were a race of warriors; both male and female, young and old, were born fighters.

Centaurs shooting arrows from a distance had excellent aim and could even shoot while moving, making kiting very effective. Human cavalry could only take the hits.

Close-combat Centaurs were even more incredibly strong and physically astonishing, standing over three meters tall and weighing nearly half a ton!

The initial charge of a Centaur was especially powerful; even The Bald Man couldn't withstand it. Only Marcus, a descendant of heroes with powerful bloodline, and Harrot, with extraordinary strength, could directly withstand a Centaur's charge.

Fortunately, the Centaur tribes Marcus and his group encountered were small, numbering only twenty to thirty Centaurs.

Centaurs were bloodthirsty and brutal; communication was impossible. Upon seeing Harrot and the others, they immediately attacked. This time, Marcus proposed actively attacking the Centaur tribe.

The group ambushed them on a small hill about a kilometer away.

"I'll draw the Centaurs out; you all ambush them here!"

The Bald Man's Riding Skill was the best, so he volunteered to be the bait. Marcus nodded in agreement.

Centaurs were very strong physically, but their intelligence was generally low. When they saw The Bald Man riding alone past their doorstep, a dozen Centaurs immediately roared and gave chase.

The Bald Man immediately spurred his horse into a furious gallop, fleeing towards the ambush point. Along the way, he swung his weapon, deflecting several arrows aimed at his horse. The Centaurs' archery was incredibly accurate!

The short distance of one kilometer was covered in mere tens of seconds with the horse at full gallop.

It was then that the dozen Centaurs discovered Harrot and the others in ambush. They didn't flee either, but instead roared and charged forward. In their eyes, any race in the entire eastern lands was merely prey for the Centaurs!

Marcus, ablaze with fire, let out a mighty roar and hurled a fiercely burning fireball at the Centaurs. It was even larger than the fireball Harrot had seen Count Sarik throw before!

Harrot could only conjure a small fireball about 30 centimeters in diameter, which would have little killing power against tough-skinned creatures like Centaurs, so he didn't bother to show off and instead swung his greatsword and charged forward.

The Centaur hit squarely by the fireball died instantly, completely engulfed by the flames. The charge of the other Centaurs was also disrupted.

Harrot rushed into the fray, and his greatsword, after being imbued with Fire Enchantment, became a flaming greatsword with fire blazing along its blade. Combined with his terrifying immense strength, he could easily deal heavy damage to the Centaurs.

Although the Centaurs were strong, their weapons were crude. When they struck Harrot, who had "+40 Defense" internally and steel plate armor externally, the damage was very low, only 4 or 5 points. Harrot, with 77 health, wasn't flustered at all.

Upon learning that commoners could also become heroes and gain bloodlines, Harrot's fighting spirit soared even higher. He swung his sword strike after strike, as if he had endless strength, cutting down all the Centaurs that surrounded him.

Following behind Harrot, the others also bravely surged forward, especially Marcus. His flaming greatsword instantly killed any Centaur it swept across, completely crushing them.

The Bald Man, without the extraordinary ability of Fire Enchantment, still used a remarkably heavy double-bladed axe. However, his technique was superior, completely overwhelming the Centaurs and giving them no chance to retaliate.

The other knights and elite soldiers, inspired by the valiant performance of the three, also gained momentum and their combat strength greatly increased.

Ultimately, they defeated these dozen Centaurs without any casualties.

The Bald Man was surprised by Harrot's performance. Harrot alone had killed four or five Centaurs, almost catching up to Marcus.

He felt that Harrot's strength had surpassed his own. In just two months, Harrot had gone from a gladiator whom he couldn't even block with one hand to a warrior praised even by noble lords.

This made The Bald Man both envious and more invigorated. He also had Orc blood; there was no reason for Harrot to continuously grow stronger while he remained stagnant.

The peak physical condition of Orcs lasts from adulthood until a few months before the end of their lifespan. This is also a major advantage for Orcs; age does not diminish their combat effectiveness, only making them more experienced, more skilled, and better at mastering Qi and Rage.

The Bald Man, with his Orc blood, didn't feel his physical strength decline even nearing 40. After receiving the shared bloodline power, he felt his physical potential could advance even further.

"Well done, keep up the good work. Leave one of the next batch of Centaurs alive!"

After praising everyone, Marcus quickly went to attack the Centaur tribe, intending to capture a few alive.

The Centaurs remaining in the tribe didn't expect their companions to be defeated and were caught off guard when Marcus and the others stormed in.

Only one Centaur broke through a hut and escaped; the rest were either killed or captured.

Surprisingly, the Centaurs could speak rudimentary Common Tongue of the continent and could communicate normally with them.

On the way back to camp, Marcus extracted a significant amount of information and gained a basic understanding of the situation in this land.

Centaurs were the absolute rulers of this land! All other races were their prey and slaves. The small tribe they attacked was subordinate to the Thunder Tribe.

The social structure of Centaurs is primitive, consisting of tribes bound by bloodlines. Small tribes might only have twenty to thirty members, while larger ones, like the Thunder Tribe, number nearly ten thousand.

A few large tribes, like the Thunder Tribe, rule all the Centaurs in this land. They don't have a developed national or alliance system. Smaller tribes receive no protection from the larger ones, nor do they owe them tribute; they simply have to obediently yield the most fertile land and declare their subjugation.

For thousands of years, no external enemy has been able to invade this land. The Centaurs live carefree lives, with only inter-tribal conflicts posing a danger. Centaurs have even repelled Orc invasions!

"Centaurs, the Thunder Tribe, repelled Orcs! This is a bit troublesome!"

This intelligence made Marcus frown. Lands ruled by a single race are much harder to conquer than those with a mix of races.

This means that humans are absolute outsiders in this land, with no possibility of strategic alliances. In the worst-case scenario, they could find themselves pitted against all the Centaurs in the region!

And the most terrifying news was that Centaurs had repelled Orcs! It was well-known that humans had always been at a disadvantage against Orcs; even the Kingdom of Qiat, where Grand Duke Lance resided, had been consistently pressured by them.

Orcs and humans had fought for over a decade, with Orcs occupying vast territories of the Kingdom of Qiat, including Harrot's hometown.

If not for the Red Orcs needing to return and contend with the Green Orcs for the sacred mountain, mobilizing all their forces and leaving no reserves to attack humans, Marquis Prague wouldn't have had the chance to pioneer, even if he reached the legendary level.

Centaurs repelled Orcs, whom humans couldn't defeat. Even if there were other reasons involved, this still indicated the Centaurs' strength. Could they truly defeat the Centaurs?

Upon returning to camp, many nobles had already returned from scouting, each with a worried expression, likely having been disheartened by the Centaurs.

The main reason Marcus could lead them to easily defeat Centaurs was Marcus's own extraordinary strength. Harrot and The Bald Man also possessed power comparable to ordinary bloodline nobles.

The combat prowess of the other nobles was roughly equivalent to The Bald Man's, and the knights and subordinates they brought were slightly weaker than Marcus's knights and subordinates.

Harrot roughly estimated the Centaurs' attributes: Strength around 15-20, Agility 10-15. Compared to the average human's 6 points in Strength and Agility, Centaurs have three times the human Strength and twice the Agility.

The knights brought by the nobles were generally top-tier warriors, already possessing over 12 points in Strength and Agility. After their bloodline power awakened their potential, their physical attributes would not be weaker than Centaurs, and they also possessed extraordinary power. Furthermore, the knights' equipment completely surpassed that of the Centaurs. They could defeat Centaurs very easily, but the problem lay with the elite soldiers.

No matter how elite the soldiers brought by the nobles were, it would be difficult for them to compare to Harrot's Northern Knight Squires or The Bald Man's elite gladiators.

The Northern Knight Squire, after upgrading from a Newborn Northern Explorer, has Strength and Agility of 15+, along with skills like Lv3 or Lv4 Power Strike, Iron Flesh, Weapon Mastery, and Riding Skill. Their combat power directly rivaled knights who weren't using their extraordinary abilities.

The elite gladiators under The Bald Man, on the other hand, constantly walked the line between life and death, breaking through their limits multiple times, and were very skilled at fighting large monsters, so they could also easily deal with Centaurs.

However, the subordinates of other nobles and Marcus's elite guards were ordinary humans. No matter how hard they trained, their physical attributes would be suppressed by Centaurs.

Without a strong leader to break the Centaurs' morale, it would be difficult to gain the upper hand against them. Even with an equipment advantage, if the numbers were equal, defeat would be more likely.

If a noble with seven or eight knights and a dozen elite soldiers unluckily encountered a Centaur tribe of twenty to thirty members on a collective hunt, it would only lead to a difficult, bitter battle with heavy casualties.

Marcus did not take Harrot and the others out again. Instead, he rested at the camp, waiting for Marquis Prague to return to discuss countermeasures. The strength of the indigenous inhabitants exceeded their initial estimates; they could no longer fight independently!