Chapter 886: Conflict and Light (Part 6)

Datus, the eldest of the three Tusi Brothers, heard the words shouted by the Dwarf soldiers below, who were within the range of his Large Bow.

"Heh, rebellion?"

He mocked them, shouting down, "Rebellion requires loyalty as a prerequisite, and I don't recall our brothers ever offering that to you!"

The Dwarf Soldier Captain, hearing this reply, was furious; he gnashed his teeth and cursed, "%%￥, we accepted you, allowed you to follow us to defend against the wild beasts and Monsters in the mountain forests, and even entrusted you with guarding the stone wall behind the Treasure Mine—doesn't that mean we Dwarves accepted you brothers?"

Facing this accusation, Datus immediately glanced at Knight Jier, who was currently subduing a Dwarf soldier in the courtyard of a neighboring Villager's house, and immediately shouted in defense, "Nonsense! We brothers are outsiders, not locals born in Torito Village. Locals might offer loyalty because of these things you gave, but we won't. Our brothers only want to leave this place, just leave this place."

As he spoke, he became agitated himself: "Leave this place! Do you understand! Don't talk about what you gave us here; nothing you give can replace everything outside! We have never been loyal to you Dwarves!"

"Even though we once fought together? Bled together?" the Dwarf Soldier Captain asked in a low voice.

"Even though we once fought together! Bled together!" Datus shouted back loudly.

The Dwarves gritted their teeth in anger, while the Humans surrounding the area glared at the four remaining Dwarves trapped within.

With nothing more to say, and seeing that the conversation only fueled their rage, Datus immediately pulled the Bowstring of his Large Bow.

Creak—

The Bowstring was drawn, the bow limbs bent, and the Large Arrow—much larger, longer, and heavier than standard Arrows—was aimed at the Dwarf Soldier Captain in the encirclement. After a brief aim, Datus confidently released his right hand.

On the Hunter Glove worn on his right hand was a sturdy, reliable iron buckle; this was the item that firmly gripped the thick Bowstring of the Large Bow when he drew it, thereby protecting the Hunter's fingers.

As his right hand released, the buckle holding the Bowstring slipped off, a 'Bang!' sound of the Bowstring vibrating rang out, the bow limbs retracted, and the massive Large Arrow was projected downward.

The speed of this Large Arrow was too fast, and the distance between Datus and the surrounded Dwarves was very close; almost instantly, the targeted Dwarf Soldier Captain was struck and fell to the ground.

It was not until the Dwarf Soldier Captain was slammed onto the ground by the Arrow that the loud sound of impact finally echoed.

Thud!

The Dwarf Soldier Captain cried out, his voice full of vigor, while the other Dwarves nearby were hit by the crackling and splashing fragments of the Large Arrow as it shattered upon impact, striking them repeatedly.

The Dwarf Soldier Captain touched his chest, coughed violently, and immediately used his left arm to shield his face, shouting, "Watch out for the Arrows! Hurry and dodge!"

The Dwarf soldier with the broken right arm also shouted, "Hurry and dodge!"

No sooner had the words fallen than two more Large Arrows shot over. Because the distance was too close, even with poor visibility at night, the hit rate of the other two Tusi Brothers was one hundred percent.

Whoosh—Snap!

Whoosh—Snap!

The first Large Arrow hit the side of the Dwarf soldier with the broken right arm; this unlucky and cowardly Dwarf soldier immediately fell to the ground on his side, and the fragments of the Large Arrow's shaft splashed about, striking the other Dwarves nearby with a crackling sound.

The second Large Arrow hit the Dwarf Warrior who had been using a Great Hammer and was now using a Throwing Small Hammer; it struck his back and immediately knocked this sturdy Dwarf Warrior to the ground. The difference was that, unlike the Dwarf soldier who was barely injured and only knocked down by the force of the Arrow, the Dwarf Warrior—wearing self-made Armor—was injured, even though their Armor exceeded Human Armor in protection, because he was hit by the Large Arrow at close range.

The thickness and protective power of the front of his own Armor naturally exceeded that of the back, so being hit in the back by the Large Arrow, he was not only knocked down by the force, but part of the Arrow also pierced through the Armor on his back.

He was injured.

Unlike the Dwarf soldier whose Arrow shattered upon impact, the Arrow in his back, aside from the shaft breaking at the fletching, remained mostly intact, swaying back and forth with the movements of his body.

Seeing that they were being attacked by three Large Bows at once, the Dwarf Soldier Captain immediately knew that the Tusi Brothers had all rebelled against them tonight and joined this battle, so he immediately crawled up from the ground and roared at the Dwarf Warrior who hadn't been hit by an Arrow, "Take the men and retreat quickly!"

He cast aside the iron Great Hammer he was holding, used his left hand to assist the other Dwarf soldier who had fallen to the ground, and charged straight toward the front door of the Human villager's house.

The roared-at Dwarf Warrior immediately reacted; if he stayed in the wide-open Human villager's courtyard, he would be the target of the next round of Arrows.

So this fellow immediately tucked the Single-handed Axe in his right hand back into his belt, covered his head with the Crystal Single-handed Shield in his left hand, grabbed his fallen companion's arm, and dragged the person as he retreated into the nearby Human building.

The next round of Arrow strikes was coming soon; he had to be quick.

"What about me! What about me!" the Dwarf Warrior trapped on the ground by the net cried out, almost in tears as he saw the others leave him behind.

It wasn't that this fellow was afraid of death or anything, but the feeling of fear from being abandoned by the others as they retreated was far more terrifying than dying in battle.

Dwarves are a race with a strong sense of collectivism; for an individual who is abandoned, this is one of the most terrible punishments.

Hearing their companion's cries, the two Dwarf Warriors who were scrambling to retreat into the Human house hesitated for a moment, then turned back to grab the large net, and the two of them used their strength to drag the net as they ran toward the house ahead.

But the next moment, Datus, who had shot first, had his Arrow ready and immediately aimed at the three Dwarf Warriors below.

The two Dwarf soldiers had already rushed into the villager's house a step ahead; on the roof outside, they could no longer be seen.

'Who to attack first? The one in the net? Or the two idiots dragging it? The number is just right, three Dwarves, one for each of us brothers.' Datus thought to himself, then picked the Dwarf Warrior with an Arrow stuck in his back, drew his bow, and released.

Whoosh—Snap!

The moment the Large Arrow left his hand, it was propelled by the Bowstring and flew out, hitting the target's chest almost instantly.

"Ugh!" This Dwarf Warrior, who had previously been using a Great Hammer, was slammed to the ground by the Arrow; just like the Arrow that hit his back, this Arrow in his chest also nearly pierced through his Dwarf Armor. However, the front of the Armor was thicker than the back; although he was knocked to the ground by this strike, he was not injured, only having his breathing stopped for a moment due to being hit in the chest.

At this moment, the only remaining Dwarf Warrior who hadn't been hit by an Arrow was dragging the net; he was going crazy. Could he drag two companions to the safety of the house all by himself?

But fortunately, the Dwarf Soldier Captain who had just rushed into the house charged out again. Injured in his right shoulder, he could only use his left arm, but he still immediately used his only remaining hand to grab the shoulder of this Dwarf Warrior, exerted a sudden burst of strength, and threw the Dwarf Warrior—who was still dragging his companion—straight into the house behind him.

"Save them! Save them—"

This Dwarf Warrior shouted, and as soon as he fell to the ground in the pitch-black house, he immediately cried out, simultaneously scrambling up to rush back outside.

But he was grabbed by the belt by another Dwarf soldier in the house, unable to get out in his haste.

"Leave it to me! I'll do it!" the Dwarf Soldier Captain standing outside the house shouted into the house.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of a Bowstring snapping came, Whoosh—Snap!

At the same moment, sparks flashed on the Dwarf Soldier Captain's body, along with the shattered fragments of the Large Arrow. Of course, this Dwarf Soldier Captain was also knocked to the ground once again.

But soon, the Dwarf Soldier Captain crawled up again.

Whoosh—Snap!

Having just stood up, he was once again knocked to the ground by a Large Arrow.

"Damn the spirits, ￥￥#, didn't expect you to be so energetic; you brothers didn't seem this hardworking when fighting Monsters!!" Cursing loudly, the Dwarf Soldier Captain stood up once again.

The Large Arrows couldn't hurt him at all; the Treasure Mine guard soldier Armor on his body was far from something a Human Large Bow could pierce. Let alone piercing it, the surface of the Armor, aside from some dirt where the Large Arrows had struck, didn't even have a single dent.

On the roofs of the surrounding villager's houses, the Tusi Brothers also frowned tightly, each cursing in low voices: "￥￥##, you Dwarves are the real Monsters!"

The Large Bows and Large Arrows that their brothers had always been proud of couldn't even cause the slightest injury, which they found truly unbelievable. Not to mention the Dwarf Soldier Captain, even the ordinary Dwarf Warrior next to him, who had been hit by two Arrows, had crawled up by now and was dragging the netted Dwarf with great effort as if nothing had happened.

Bang!

Bang bang!

Bang, bang, bang!

Jier was mounted on a Dwarf Soldier, suppressing him, while his two fists worked left and right, currently bestowing a "sweet sleep" upon this Dwarf Warrior.

After landing a few punches on the opponent, Jier stopped attacking to check the Dwarf Soldier's resistance; as it turned out, the guy hadn't passed out yet, his feet were kicking, and the one hand that wasn't suppressed was still clenching into a fist and striking Jier's chest.

"Hah!" Jier sneered, using his right hand to pin the Dwarf's left hand, then he clenched his left fist, the steel plates on his gauntlet emitting a creaking friction sound, and the next moment, the fist fell heavily once more.

Bang!

"Go to sleep!"

Bang, bang!

"Hurry up and go to sleep!"

Bang, bang, bang!

"Hurry up and just go to sleep obediently!!"

After six consecutive punches, Jier stopped again to check the Dwarf Soldier's "sleep status."

Very good, this time the Dwarf Soldier was no longer resisting and had obediently fallen unconscious.

Jier climbed to his feet, looked toward a house on the opposite side illuminated by a torch on the ground, and waved to signal for someone to come over.

Soon, two young Villagers ran over, carrying nets in their hands and ropes slung across their shoulders. Jier pointed at the Dwarf Soldier who had quietly "fallen asleep" by his feet: "Cover him tightly with the net, then use the rope to bind the net and him together firmly!"

"Got it!"

"Leave it to us!"

The two young Villagers were extremely excited; never before had they had the opportunity to subdue and bind a Dwarf. Let alone them, even their fathers had never done such a thing, which was almost sacrilegious within the Cunzi.

As for whether they were afraid, they were quite afraid, but the rebellious spirit unique to young people meant that the movements of these two guys were not light in the slightest.

"Besides this guy, a little further north, at the boundary between the Dwarf houses and the Human houses, there is another unconscious Dwarf; bind him for me too!"

Jier gave them instructions.

"Understood, Jier."

"Leave it to us, you can rest easy!"

Jier did not correct the Villagers' form of address; for young people born locally, all the social customs of the outside world had no practical meaning to them. They might have heard stories from their elders—former immigrants from the Empire—about Knights, Nobles, or the Church, but that was all they were: stories.

In this Valley managed and controlled by Dwarves, those things from the former Human society had no sense of reality, and naturally, they held no awe for these young people born in Torito Village.

This might bring trouble to these Villagers who would return to Human society in the future, but in Jier's view, this was also not bad; a lack of awe was a precious quality lacking in the Humans of the outside society.

Between people, in the end, there is only a difference in strength; there is no need for excessive awe.

Nodding to the two Villagers responsible for binding and subduing, Jier picked up the Dwarf Spear discarded on the ground and returned to the farmhouse courtyard where the battle was still ongoing, following the path smashed open during the previous fight.

As soon as Jier arrived, he saw fragments of Large Arrows scattered all over the courtyard.

A single glance was enough for him to guess that the Large Bows and Large Arrows used by the Tusi Brothers had failed to inflict effective damage on the Dwarf Soldiers wearing armor with incredible defensive power.

However, they did have some gains.

The Dwarf Warrior who had been caught by the large net thrown by the Villagers lying in ambush on the second floor had, in the end, failed to be rescued by the Dwarves back into a safe building before Jier returned.

It wasn't that the Dwarves couldn't drag him away in the environment disturbed by the Large Arrow fire, but rather that they were unable to do so.

It turned out that when Datus saw the Dwarf Soldiers were not afraid of their Large Bow fire, he immediately changed the shooting target; he stopped attacking the Dwarf Soldiers who didn't fear the Arrows, and the Dwarf Warrior who only suffered minor injuries, and instead used the Large Bow to shoot at the net around the Dwarf Warrior who was trapped on the ground.

The thick Large Arrows passed through the gaps and edges of the net, the iron arrowheads along with parts of the shafts piercing deeply into the ground of the farmhouse courtyard, pinning the net to the ground.

When they realized they could not rescue the person in a short time, the Dwarf Soldier Captain immediately covered and shoved the Dwarf Warrior who still wanted to save the person, dragging and pushing him back into the Villager's house.

When Jier arrived, this was the scene he saw.

In the courtyard, the Dwarf Warrior who was caught by the net in front of the Villager's door and pinned to the ground by the Arrows was currently cursing loudly; since capture was certain, this Dwarf Warrior had simply given up on himself, cursing the surrounding ambushing Torito Village Villagers at a volume that was almost shouting.

The content of the cursing contained a large number of terms using animals to describe the Villagers, and what Jier found interesting was that the animals the Dwarves used for cursing and description contained a large number of strange animals that one could tell were related to the Mine caves.

Others were common animals, even common among the Dwarves, but these cursing terms were mostly related to actions and vocabulary associated with these common animals. Things like goat feces, carrier pigeon feces, poultry feces, or livestock feces.

Foul-smelling.

Jier raised his eyebrows and said loudly to the trapped Dwarf Warrior on the ground: "I never thought the Dwarves' vocabulary would be so rich."

After the Dwarf Warrior who had cursed to his heart's content caught his breath, he retorted loudly: "Fool, didn't you notice? You can understand, which means I am speaking what you Humans call the Common Tongue. Hahahaha, these filthy words were all invented by you Humans!"

Jier shrugged, completely unconcerned by the opponent's accusation; after all, don't we Humans already know what our own moral level is like?

Hilarious; most Humans have a low moral level, and this is even the result of the local Churches' strenuous education and improvement, yet there are still many people who don't have even a shred of morality.

From what Jier had seen and heard, both the bottom and the top of Human society were moral lowlands; on the contrary, it was the middle class of society, which made up the majority, whose moral level could be praised.

Ignoring the Dwarf Warrior who had cursed until he was tired, Jier looked left and right, and then someone from an adjacent building where Villagers were hiding spoke up to remind him: "Knight, three more Dwarves have hidden in the house in front of you!"

"Two Soldiers, one ordinary Dwarf Warrior!" Zhongtusi added from the roof of a building on the right.

Jier waved his hand to indicate he understood; he came to the middle of the courtyard and said to the dilapidated door of the house and the pitch-black interior behind the door: "Surrender! You have already lost."

There was no reaction from inside the house.

Jier tilted his head and said impatiently: "Just three people, what can you do?"

The voice of that Soldier Captain came from inside the house: "Three people? What about three people? Before it got dark today, weren't you also just one person?"

"But you aren't me, Dwarf. Think clearly: what I can do, you cannot. Perhaps that Dwarf called 'Shishou' had the possibility of reversing the situation in adversity, but you certainly do not. This is the truth I am telling you; don't think I'm looking down on you."

"'Shishou', that damn guy. If it weren't for the Captain not being in the Mine, there's no way he, a civilian guy, would have stood out, and he failed in the end anyway."

The Dwarf speaking had a tone full of unwillingness.

Jier frowned: "Aren't you the captain of these soldiers? Where are there other Soldier Captains?"

But the Dwarf in the house did not explain this question, only continuing to say: "We cannot surrender! This is our land, we will only fight until the last moment! Never surrender! Fight to the end!"

The Dwarf Soldier Captain shouted at the end.

"Never surrender, fight to the end!" another Dwarf shouted along.

"Never surrender, fight to the end!" the last Dwarf in the house shouted.

"Never surrender, fight to the end!" Outside the house, the Dwarf Warrior who was caught by the large net and pinned to the ground by the Large Arrows, unable to move, also shouted along loudly.

Jier grunted twice, slammed the Dwarf Spear in his right hand hard into the ground, and stood it upright by driving the pointed end of the spear's butt into the soil. Afterward, he loosened up his body and strode toward the Villager house in front of him.

As he walked, he said, "Since that is the case, I will subdue you with the methods of battle."

"Don't think we're afraid of you!" the Dwarves inside the house clamored.

"Ha, do you think the previous battle was intense and spectacular? That you were suppressing me? That you almost defeated me? That you had a chance of winning the fight against me? Let me tell you the truth: if it weren't for the sake of leading you here, away from the center of the Cunzi, I would have crushed you long ago!"

Jier said confidently, and strode forward.