Chapter 1012: The effective way-1
A Few Days Ago - Planet R3
"... Strike the back, and the legs will drop; cut off the head, and the body will follow. Are you ready to be cut off, Mrs. Head? Hahaha." The girl named Keri laughed maliciously as she drew a long dagger and advanced gracefully, placing one foot in front of the other.
On the ground, Elizabeth struggled to stay conscious. Blood poured from the deep wound in her side, and her body trembled with every desperate attempt to move.
"No... You don't have to do this..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, her tear-filled eyes pleading for mercy. She tried to lift her feeble hand trying to stop the inevitable, but...
She suddenly screamed in agony as the pain tore through her again. The massive woman standing behind her noticed her futile effort and began twisting the dagger buried in her body. The woman's overwhelming strength and brutal method turned Elizabeth's struggle into something barely noticeable, like a butterfly trapped in the jaws of a beast.
"Farewell. I'll make sure your invading army follows you to hell!" With a devilish grin, Keri raised the long dagger nonchalantly and, with a slash, struck at Elizabeth's neck.
Thud... With wide, disbelieving eyes, Elizabeth's head fell to the ground, bouncing several times before coming to rest.
"Hmph, trash." The massive woman tossed the rest of the corpse aside, wiped the blood off her dagger with the dirt, and sheathed it again. Then she laughed at Keri. "That was easier than we expected, huh?"
"....." Keri stared at Elizabeth's severed head for a moment, then sighed. "She reminds me of how we used to be- dreamy and oblivious to how the real world works. I feel sorry for her. Did we act too hastily?"
"She's just a fool, and whoever appointed her as a general is a fool too." The massive woman laughed loudly. "If all their generals act this childishly while they're actually at war against the Great Serpent Empire, they're doomed to lose."
"..." Keri nodded several times. When generals of this sort clashed with the experienced generals and marshals of the Great Serpent Empire, what could the outcome possibly be? Their arrival here must have been a stroke of luck. Perhaps they hoped to exploit the absence of the Great Serpent Empire from this sector. Making any agreements with those foolish strangers would have only led to bigger problems.
Turning her gaze away from Elizabeth's body, Keri began to treat it as if it were the carcass of a worthless animal- neither helpful nor harmful. "What will you do now, Aunt Jata?"
"With no leader, the new invaders won't be able to resist us. When we announce her death, they'll be thrown into panic and rage. Every officer under that general will act on their own and refuse to take orders from anyone else. What do you think I'll do in a situation like that?" Aunt Jata laughed wickedly, already envisioning piles of the invaders' corpses. "I'll gather all the available young men and women and attack today. After we're done with that group at our borders, we'll sweep the rest of the planet for any remnants."
"Hmm, the group at the border is indeed easy to handle. But the one that split off and headed west is much stronger. They've got those golden giants- everything they set their sights on is utterly destroyed. Stopping them will be extremely difficult..." Keri rubbed her forehead with the back of her delicate hand.
"We've been observing them for a while. Every few hours, they break down into thousands of humans and rest. That's when we'll strike." Aunt Jata waved dismissively. "As long as they're exposed to us in the open while knowing nothing about us, they're easy prey. All they can do is defend themselves until they meet their inevitable end."
Keri nodded several times but soon furrowed her thick brows.
"...You're right, but we don't have many of our people at the borders. You'll be able to gather a thousand fighters at most. How do you plan to launch such a wide-scale attack today?" After the two waves of extermination led by Marshal Xanox, their numbers had reached a dangerously low point, leaving a once-thriving population reduced to scattered remnants. Additionally, they had splintered into several small tribes, each isolated and hidden across vast, rugged terrains. These hideouts, though strategically chosen to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, came with their own disadvantages. Now, their small numbers and the great distances separating them made assembling a large army nearly impossible.
They could only gather small, nimble teams and rely on stealth and the exceptional strength of individuals to create any meaningful impact against their foes.
"We can't wait any longer. Haven't you heard them talking about the completion of those things they call matrices in a few days? We won't be able to do anything after that. We have to strike now." Jata waved her hand with firm resolve, her tone cutting through the hesitation in the air. "Freedom is finally within sight; there's no turning back!"
"You're right." Keri nodded several times, her expression growing more determined. "Go gather as many as you can and start the attack. But don't push yourself too hard. Just disrupt them and delay the construction of those matrices. As for me, I'll return to my mother, gather an army from all the tribes, and catch up with you. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Aunt Jata patted Keri's head affectionately, her calloused hand lingering as if reluctant to let go. "...You've grown up, girl. Soon, this nightmare will be over, and you'll have time to find a good husband."
"Even with free time, I doubt I'll find anyone who can tame me!" Keri laughed proudly, her voice echoing with the confidence of a warrior, then dashed off in a particular direction. Her aunt, watching her briefly, shook her head and headed off in another direction, her steps purposeful and unwavering.
Silence...
Nothing remained in the area but General Elizabeth's lifeless corpse and the dense trees, their towering forms plunging the forest beneath them into an almost impenetrable darkness. The occasional rustling of leaves was the only sound, creating a chilling backdrop to the eerie stillness.
Several minutes passed after the two women left, and gradually the symphony of insects returned to life, their faint hums growing louder as confidence seeped back into the forest. After a few hours, the local beasts, sensing the absence of the terrifying aura that had kept them hidden, began emerging cautiously from their hiding spots. Their glowing eyes pierced the shadows, scouting for any sign of danger.
Grrr...
A creature resembling a cat, with a lithe body and six muscular limbs, crept down from the interwoven branches high above. Its dappled fur shimmered faintly under the scattered moonlight filtering through the leaves. It moved with deliberate precision along the tree trunk, its sharp claws gripping the bark effortlessly, as though gravity held no sway over it. Thud! The spotted feline leaped gracefully next to Elizabeth's lifeless body, its landing soft but deliberate. Emitting guttural growls, it aimed to assert dominance, scaring off other opportunistic beasts lurking nearby. Then, with a predatory gleam in its eyes, it approached Elizabeth's severed head and took a savage bite. Crunch!
With a single bite, it tore off a large chunk of her head, including a piece of the black decoration on the helmet. The creature's powerful jaws worked eagerly, savoring the texture of its unusual, tender looking prize, chewing for a few contented moments while threatening the other beasts with its intimidating gaze.
But suddenly-Pfft! The spotted cat shook its head violently. It spat out the contents of its mouth in visible disgust, its sharp teeth glinting briefly, before darting off angrily toward the nearest water source, its tail flicking with irritation.