Chapter 543 - 54: Assault_3
He was determined to kill those who slaughtered their tribe and ate his parents; this was his obsession.
...
Without interference, twenty sailors divided into groups of four, two holding shields in the front and two with rifles in the back. They cleared the branches of shrubs that obstructed their view along the forest paths while steadily advancing.
The midday forest was eerily silent, with only the sounds of insects and birdsong breaking the human activity noise.
Sunday was not visiting the island for the first time. Following the preplanned route, he led the sailors toward the nearest high ground.
From there, they could command a high vantage point, overlooking nearly half of the tribe.
The advantage in terrain and visibility would allow them to leverage the Chen Family rifles to strike at the enemy from afar—
In the dense forest, the strengths of firearms were hard to showcase, and the indigenous people excelled at climbing; Vine Shields could not provide 360-degree defense without dead angles.
If they didn’t guard in time, they could easily be hit by a Wooden Arrow, causing casualties.
Sunday had already considered this; that’s why entering the woods made him the most tense, his nerves constantly on edge, fearing the natives might quickly organize and launch an attack.
Yet his fears were needless.
After having not been here for a long time, the Great Tribe had turned to a scattered mass. Not just those showing signs of division, even the warriors once loyal to the Leader no longer shielded him—
Since the Leader lost support, the daily food offerings had dwindled. They could no longer disregard food issues and focus on being the Leader’s lackeys, lest they risk hunger.
To survive, they had to be like other natives, either searching for prey in the dense forest or diving into the sea to catch fish, working for their own empty stomachs—
The hunger was very real, far more palpable than the inebriated Leader’s so-called majesty.
...
They advanced all the way until the twenty sailors reached the high ground without encountering any attacks.
Things went unexpectedly smoothly, making not relax, but instead grew more uneasy.
He ordered everyone to remain vigilant. He crouched down, hiding behind the wicker Great Shield, took out the telescope, and observed the tribe below.
The natives used Wooden Sabers or polished Stone Sabers to cut trees. Both tools had limited cutting capacity, suitable for small trees, but were powerless against trees thicker than a bowl’s diameter.
Therefore, aside from making necessary Canoes for sea transportation, they generally wouldn’t cut down overly tall trees.
Beneath the high ground was the tribe’s "core residential area," where shorter shrubs and lush flowers and grasses had long been harvested and trampled flat.
The yellowing land was bare, with only some low grass remaining besides the trees.
The natives’ simple huts were dispersed among these trees, observed from above. Looking through the gaps between the trees, every detail was fully visible.
Natives aware of large ships at the seaside shrunk into their little huts, while most unaware natives continued their outdoor activities.
They either held Long Spears, Wooden Bows, or Wooden Sabers used for hunting, or carried their caught prey and gathered fruits, talking excitedly.
Some dark-faced natives squatted in the crevice between two trees, secretly nibbling at fruits, unable to hide the excitement on their faces.
One native squatted on the ground, swiftly rubbing a wooden stick between his hands, then leaned his face toward the flames, ignoring the smoke irritates the eyes, blowing hard—
He was making a fire.
These people were all skin and bones, with prominent ribs visible on their chests, striking a sharp contrast with the well-fed sailors.