The rain in the rainy season comes and goes quickly.
Soon, the accumulated rainwater was swallowed by the earth, and many animals began to become active again; predators would also step out of their dens to find dinner for themselves.
Mountain deer bounded through the forest, the wet mud not hindering their nimble hooves.
Several wild boars joyfully rolled in the mud pit bestowed upon them by the heavens, coating their bodies with a thick layer of mud, which, once dry, would become armor to protect them from the sharp claws of predators.
Several squirrels peeked out from the branches, their fluffy tails curled over their heads like small fur hats. Squeak, a small squirrel seemed to have detected approaching danger, and with its tail drooping, it scurried into a tree hollow, while the remaining squirrels scattered.
The sound of hooves thudding on the ground echoed through the jungle; at first, it was a hundred meters away, but in an instant, it was right in front. How could cavalry appear in this densely vegetated, bush-filled, complex terrain and gallop at such speed?
No, these were not human or beastmen cavalry, but a powerful tribe was living in this vast rainforest – the Centaurs. The movements of several Centaurs in the forest were even more agile than those of mountain deer; their wide hooves kicked up mud, but the splashing mud could not keep up with their swift pace.
The complex terrain, instead, provided them with convenience for traversing the jungle; the tall trees also served as leverage for these Centaur, their long hooves treading on tree trunks as if on flat ground.
The upper bodies of these Centaur were like humans but with stronger physiques, wearing leather armor made from the tanned hides of fierce beasts and animals; their bows and arrows and spears, while running at high speed, were already aimed at the wild boars still wallowing in the mud, and were shot out one after another.
Their powerful and precise archery was not affected in the slightest by their movement; like a sudden downpour, the arrows and thrown spears, carrying the force of tearing through the air and the speed of lightning, accurately and unerringly struck the vital heart areas of several wild boars, blood spilling into the muddy pit.
Every Centaur Warrior possesses a high level of archery talent, comparable to the existence of those High Elven archers famous for their incredible marksmanship. An ordinary wooden bow in her hands can also possess powerful threat capability. This is also the reliance of these Centaurs to stubbornly resist the Ogre Tribe's annexation and enslavement even without Shamans.
Especially the leading Centaur female warrior held a large yellow and black bow that faintly emitted a powerful magical aura. This was clearly a weapon made from some powerful magical creature, carrying an extremely dangerous and deadly aura.
"Sunia, your archery has improved again." The older Centaur female warrior walked up to the leading female warrior, looking with satisfaction at her disciple who was about to come of age. Although she was not as robust as an adult Centaur Warrior like herself, she was already beginning to show the unique talents of a Centaur.
The Centaur named Sunia, however, did not respond to the topic, but instead her gaze roamed around the forest, her small nostrils occasionally flaring, then she turned her head and said with a serious expression: "Be careful, I sense the aura of a powerful being. Perhaps some powerful creature has entered the tribe's hunting grounds, and it's not far from here."
Although the older Centaur did not find anything amiss, she was not surprised. Although Sunia's current strength was not as great as her own, Sunia had been exceptionally talented since childhood, having been blessed by a forest fairy, and her spiritual perception was extremely powerful, making her a standout among the new generation of the Centaur Tribe.
She must have discovered some information that was difficult for her to perceive, so she put her finger to her thick lips and blew a whistle, signaling the Centaur Warriors behind her to follow, and then she took the lead and galloped into the forest.
The sun gradually set, and the last rays of twilight enveloped the land, making the forest even darker. Several Centaur carefully stepped on the soft mud covered with fallen leaves; even with heavy prey on their wide backs, their footsteps were very light, even quieter than the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves in the forest.
But the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves in the forest seemed a bit too loud; an unusual and dangerous presence seemed to be emerging in the dim forest. "What is that?" The Centaur Sunia stopped alertly, slightly drawing her bow and arrow, on guard against the potential danger.
The other Centaur Warrior also dropped the prey from their backs, gripping their spears tightly; the wild Centaur did not fear battle, but rather enjoyed violence.
A rustling sound echoed through the forest, and a giant dragon slowly stepped out from behind the dim bushes. Kalon looked at the wary Centaurs with shining eyes and chuckled, "This mountain, uh, this mountain forest belongs to my Dragon clan, and the prey in the mountain forest also belongs to my Dragon clan. If you want to pass through here, you must leave a portion of the prey as a toll."
A Dragon! How could a Dragon appear here, and a Red Dragon at that, known for its cruelty and brutality! This thought surfaced in the minds of several Centaur.
Fortunately, this Dragon only asked them to leave their prey. This was the Centaur's second thought. For most intelligent beings in Aikania World, Dragons are at the top of the food chain, representing unmatched power. Even if the Dragon in front of them looked very young, even the most arrogant and belligerent male Centaur would not think he could defeat the Red Dragon in front of him.
And far from civilized lands, power naturally holds irresistible authority.
So the Centaur did not have thoughts like, 'Isn't this robbery?' Instead, they obediently presented the prey to Kalon.
"Then may we leave, powerful Dragon?" The elder female Centaur placed her hands on her full chest and bowed to the Dragon, a gesture of respect from the Centaur to powerful beings.
"Wait," as a Dragon, he naturally possessed a keen sense for treasures. Perhaps it was the greed of the Evil Dragon Blood, stirred by hunger and injury, that swayed Kalon's now less firm will. Kalon pointed somewhat covetously at the Centaur holding a special longbow, "That bow seems to be a pretty good treasure. Let me take a look."
Sunia knew that Dragons were greedy, and once the precious bow in her hand was given away, it would never return to her. But resistance would only provoke the Dragon's wrath and serve no other purpose. She could only reluctantly caress the longbow, which had been passed down in the tribe for hundreds of years and was one of the few treasures of the Centaur Tribe. Then she stepped forward, holding the longbow with both hands, and offered it to Kalon.
"Today, this longbow will be lost from my hands, and the tribe will have one less treasure." Sunia thought with regret and a sense of guilt, but she had no choice but to introduce it to the Dragon in front of her, "This bow was made from the sinews and bones of a powerful venomous snake, slain by a hero of the Centaur Tribe hundreds of years ago. The user can borrow the power of wind to make the arrows shot as fast as lightning."
However, Kalon only took a glance, then lowered his head and sniffed it, then waved his Dragon claw, signaling the Centaur to take the bow back, muttering, "No wonder it smells familiar. I must have eaten this kind of venomous snake before, and it should taste good."
"Ah?" Sunia looked at the Dragon in front of her with some surprise. She truly hadn't expected the Red Dragon to really just take a look when he said so. This Red Dragon was simply unlike a greedy Dragon; a greedy Dragon would not let go of any treasure.
"What 'ah'? I can't even use this thing." Kalon could clearly see the thoughts expressed on the little mare's face. He mumbled with some displeasure, "Why aren't you leaving yet? You're not planning to freeload off me, are you?"
"Ah, no, powerful Dragon, thank you for your generosity." The Centaur quickly took back the longbow in her hand, fearing the Dragon would go back on his word, and thanked him repeatedly, as if the Dragon not robbing her of her treasure was already very moral.
Kalon was too lazy to bother with her anymore. He picked up the two fattest wild boars on the ground and swayed towards the burrow he had temporarily dug. He was very hungry now and desperately needed to eat.