CHAPTER 1497: CHAPTER 1044: THE FEARSOME REINDEER WHIRLWIND—FOR THE CHIEF DIVINE, CHARGE!

"Ancestor’s protection! Quick! Quick! Shoot him dead, don’t let him escape!"

"Woo ow! Woo ow! Woo!..."

"Divine Mountain! What is he blowing? It sounds like the roar of a snow bear!"

"Damn! It’s an old reindeer man! He’s scaring the herd... Damn! Damn! The herd is startled! The herd is running!!..."

"Ah?! Ancestor, it’s a reindeer windstorm! Quick, retreat!!..."

"Dum dum thud... dum dum thud..."

The vast, expansive snowy plains, even with hundreds of sled cavalry gathered, did not appear crowded at all. But at this moment, the charging vanguard Mountain Hunters immediately abandoned the chase, hastily turning their sleds to flee backward!

"Quick! Quick, retreat! The herd is on the move, and it will spread! Quick, retreat to the outer edge of the whirlwind!!..."

These veteran tribal hunters, long accustomed to the cold and slaughter of the snow plains, rarely showed any emotion. Yet at this moment, facing the thousands upon thousands of wildly spinning reindeer, fear was deeply etched on the faces of many hunters as they hurriedly retreated hundreds of meters!

"Dum dum thud... dum dum thud..."

"Chief Divine! This is...? What is this?!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro stared wide-eyed, shocked at everything before him.

Thousands, even tens of thousands of startled reindeer were just a few hundred meters ahead, forming a rotating whirlwind around a central point, running faster and faster! Their pace was swift, ever-increasing in speed, their blurred figures never ceasing. The snowflakes in the air, like the far north’s ice storms, were flung up by the rapidly moving herd, covering his head and face completely! Even viewing from several hundred meters away, the storm-like wild and unstoppable momentum was deeply impressed upon Zuwaro’s heart, rendering it unforgettable!

"Ancestor! Witness! This is the reindeer windstorm, the greatest force on the snowy plains!... When thousands of reindeer gather and face threats, they create a terrifying running whirlwind! At this time, even wolves and snow bears hunting on the wilderness can only perish tragically within the whirlwind’s expanding range, trampled and struck by hundreds, thousands of strong reindeers, gored by antlers... dying a miserable death like spring slush..."

Translator Wuhai watched, filled with awe, as the seemingly endless reindeer windstorm ran on. He offered sincere praise to the benevolent reindeer, that ancient belief of all the Kamchatka tribes, rooted in the eternal snowy plains.

"Ah! Reindeer windstorm, the ancient benevolent reindeer, bestowing strength to the snowy plain herds, the sole great force!... Even more powerful than a whirlwind stirred by tens of thousands of reindeer is the legendary great migration of deer on the far northern ice plains, a grand whirlwind of tens of thousands of reindeers! Against such a whirlwind, even the hunters’ bows and javelins are of no avail!"

"Chief Divine! The whirlwind of the deer herd, like a storm of deer!..."

Zuwaro stared wide-eyed, dazedly watching the rotating storm. In just a moment, the shadows of nearly ten thousand deer filled the snowy plains before his eyes, filling his vision. He quickly bowed his head, trying to quell the nausea rising within him. Soon after, a strong hand rested upon his shoulder.

"Ancestor, my son-in-law!... Benevolent reindeer’s protection! This group of reindeer, numbering in the thousands, must be the main herd of the Deer Moss River Tribe!... Their camp must be not far north from here!"

Hunting Team Leader Mukun, with a serious expression, showed hints of excitement mingled with a trace of grim resolve.

"Witnessing by the benevolent reindeer! The herd, once running, cannot stop in a short time... Let’s go! We’ll circumvent them widely, skirting these frenzied herds, spreading out towards the north!... Make haste, vanguard hunters, drive the dog teams, spare no effort! We must find the main camp of the Deer Moss River Tribe quickly, not giving them much time to prepare!"

"Yo yo! Yo!..."

The mountain eagle flew across the sky, long attracted by the numerous prey upon the snowy plains, circling endlessly. Its sharp vision observed the reindeer whirlwind, also noting another small band of reindeer far away. But that group of reindeer was dangerous, laden with two-legged ferocious beasts, capable of shooting teeth that soared into the sky, even more perilous than the running whirlwind!

It cautiously watched the traveling two-legged beasts, seeing them journey north, dispersing only to regroup, blowing ghostly bone calls toward the sky! It knew the most brutal battles of the ice plains were about to begin between the most fearsome two-legged beasts... not to die!"

"Woo woo! Woo woo!..."

"Guidance of Divine Mountain! Found it! The main camp of the Deer Moss River Tribe!..."

"Here! Quickly, gather up! Rest a while, everyone arm themselves!"

"Ancestor spirit protects! Divine mountain protects! Today, may we kill them all!..."

The long, frozen Deer Moss River lay like a winding jade belt, running through the entire snowy plains. The camp of the Deer Moss River Tribe, accommodating the migrating deer herd, was vast enough to encompass even the ice river. At this moment, seeing the sudden appearance of a large sled cavalry team, recognizing the attire signifying the Mountain Part, the tribal warriors throughout the camp fell into deep panic and unease!

"Ancestor! Why is it the Mountain Part? It’s actually the Mountain Part! Weren’t they having a wedding? How did they gather so many warriors and launch a surprise attack on our main camp?"

"...Quick! Put on winged armor, prepare bows and long spears!... Quick! Send out envoys to the north, call for the scattered hunting teams, request reinforcements from all tribes!... Ah! Ancient benevolent reindeer, the deer spirit of the ancestors, please protect us!"

The Ice Sea defines the boundary of the West, the mountains bear witness to the East, and the ice river paints the background of the North. Upon the snowy plains, the towering giant deer totem, and beneath it, the camp of the Deer Moss River Tribe, mark the impending battlefield.

At this moment, there was no hesitation among the warriors on both sides, nor was there a need for any dialogue. When a hostile tribal force of such magnitude appears outside the main camp of another tribe, it signifies a deadly confrontation, a struggle not to die.

"Ancestor’s protection! The Chieftain has ordered the beating of the leather drums, to fight the invading Mountain Part! We have no retreat! We have no retreat!..."

"Boom boom boom!... Boom boom boom!..."

Soon, the desolate sound of the leather drums echoed beside the altar of the Deer Moss River Tribe, reverberating between the snowy plains and the ice river. The tribe’s migration requires preparation, no tribe can calmly escape in the face of an enemy of this scale. And this sudden fight will clearly decide the ownership of the northern grazing lands of the entire Peninsula, and no one can retreat!

"Protection from the Ancestors and the Divine Mountain! Warriors of the Mountain Part, the Ancestor Spirit watches us from the Divine Mountain! And today marks the day of the Deer Moss River Tribe’s end!..."

The Hunting Team Leader Mukun, clad in tough leather armor, with wing-like armor around his shoulders and back. He wielded a ninety-pound strong bow, three stone axes fastened to his waist, and four whole pouches of bone arrows on his back. And as this seasoned and rustic hunter squinted, a beast-like cold indifference naturally emerged, instilling a chilling sensation in others.

"Our warriors are many, theirs are few! This camp is vast, we can attack from all sides!..."

The Hunting Team Leader Mukun surveyed the surroundings, observing the loosely formed six teams of twenty hunters from various tribes along the route and wedding summons, and gave his initial orders.

"Mueagle! The grandmother said that you’re the acknowledged excellent hunter of all tribes, capable of leading all tribes! You take the six teams from all tribes and attack from the wide east side!..."

"Yes!..."

Mueagle from the surrounding Mountain Part bowed his head and saluted. Without any unnecessary words, he led the scattered troops of the six teams from various tribes to launch an attack from the east.

"Murabbit! You’re the fastest, take three teams of our people, select the elites, and move to the north. Attack southward from the ice river, and cut off their northern escape route!"

"Yes! Sage Team Leader!..."

Hunter Murabbit nodded, and swiftly, with the elite three teams from the Hot Spring Mountain Part, rode sleds drawn by dog packs, chasing after Mueagle’s men at a rapid pace towards the north.

"Muldeer! You take three teams of our people, bypass to the west by the Ice Sea, and attack into the camp from the west!..."

"Yes! Dog King Leader!"

Hunter Muldeer patted his chest, turned around with the three teams of hunters in wing armor, and left without delaying.

"Zu! Your Sea Tribe warriors clad in copper armor are also the most elite! Your archery skills are average, but you’re fierce in close combat... you are the sharp blade in our hand, the keenest canine tooth of the Snow Wolf!..."

After dividing the three teams, Hunting Team Leader Mukun turned to look at his son-in-law, Zuwaro. With one hand, he firmly placed it on the other’s shoulder, looking into the other’s silent eyes, and ordered seriously.

"Once the east side with Mueagle and the west side with Muldeer both launch attacks... I will take the last four teams to approach the camp for archery, suppressing the archers of the Deer Moss River Tribe!..."

"Then, your strong, spear-wielding ax-bearing armored elite, shall launch an assault from the south! I will personally lead four teams, shooting from behind you!..."

"... Archery skills average, fierce in close combat?... Archery cover, and follow behind us?..."

The Exploration Captain Zuwaro pondered for a moment, reflecting on the implications of these words. The Mountain Part, skilled in archery and armed with strong bows, did have the qualification to evaluate the Kingdom’s Warriors in this manner. And Mukun personally following behind him certainly also carried an implication of supervision...

Seeing Zuwaro’s silence, Hunting Team Leader Mukun placed another hand, both hands on his son-in-law’s shoulders. He articulated each word with an unprecedented seriousness, and the Translator Wuhai also trembled as he translated each word.

"Zu, my son-in-law! As long as we obliterate the Deer Moss River Tribe, we can reclaim the northern pastures, and the whole one to two thousand miles of the Peninsula will become ours, Mountain Part and Sea Tribe’s!... But if the Deer Moss River Tribe survives, they will definitely gather all the warriors from the North and come south for a bite... So! This battle determines our survival!... Do you understand?"

"... Chief Divine Bear witness! I understand! I will give my all, and charge in!..."

The Exploration Captain Zuwaro bit his teeth, patted his chest, and nodded forcefully. He silently donned his thirty pounds of bronze cloth armor, and topped it with more than twenty pounds of wing armor. Feeling the strength of a common warrior in himself, he tried walking quickly for a stretch... Then, he turned his head, looking at the seasoned warrior Stonefirm clad in double armor, running as usual with three-layer armor, and the Wunang Warrior Big Bear, donned in an additional layer of leather armor, fiercely ordered.

"Chief Divine protection! Stonefirm! For the glory of the Chief Divine, for the Divine Revelation of Your Majesty!... Lead the Kingdom’s elite warriors, lead the strongest tribal sailors... go for it!!..."

"Yes! Captain! Sacrifice for the Chief Divine!!..."