"Be careful. Do not slip."
I looked back as I spoke.
"If you fall once, you could roll all the way down!"
"Yes!"
"We will be careful!"
We had been descending for quite some time. The sun had tilted farther, and the mountain shadows grew long.
"Stop."
Swift Wind suddenly raised his hand. His eyes shone sharply. He stared ahead, narrowing his eyes. He had discovered something.
"Why?"
I immediately stopped, and the other warriors froze as well. Everyone stopped moving and held their breath.
"Over there... there are people."
I looked where Swift Wind pointed. Shadows were moving at the edge of the forest below. Several people were moving in a line, and they were carrying weapons. The distance was about two hundred meters. Too close.
"How many?"
I narrowed my eyes and counted. One, two, three... I kept counting.
"Six... no, seven."
Swift Wind's voice lowered. He counted while pointing at each one with his finger and confirmed it.
"Do you know who they are?"
Ding!
『Warning: Unidentified Group Detected』
→ Number: 7
→ Threat Level: Unknown
→ Recommended Action: Maintain Vigilance
"I would have to see their tattoos...."
Swift Wind shook his head.
"They are too far away."
He shielded his eyes with his hand and looked closely. Blocking the sunlight, he narrowed his eyes and focused. But the distance was too far, and he could not see as far as their tattoos.
I narrowed my eyes and examined their movements. They definitely seemed to be hunters or a scouting party. They held spears, and their movements were those of trained warriors. They were walking in a line, following the person in front while maintaining distance. They were moving while keeping formation.
It was definitely a scouting party. If they were hunters, they would move more spread out. But they maintained formation. They were warriors who had received military training.
"That direction... Did they come from the Tiger Tribe's territory?"
I guessed the direction they had come from. They were moving from west to east. From the Tiger Tribe's territory into our territory.
"It seems so."
Solid Rock answered.
"That is the path leading to the Tiger Tribe's territory."
"Damn it."
It was a Tiger Tribe scouting party. The worst timing. To think we would run into them now of all times. We were carrying heavy loads. We were at a disadvantage in battle.
"Have we been discovered?"
Solid Rock whispered. His voice trembled, and he was tense.
"We do not know yet."
Swift Wind answered.
"But if we move... they will hear us. Even the sound of a stone rolling."
"So we may be discovered?"
I asked.
"Yes."
Swift Wind nodded.
"Almost certainly."
I quickly judged the situation. I organized the options in my head. My thoughts moved quickly as I calculated the possibilities.
"We have two choices."
I spoke to the warriors.
"We either hide here and wait for those bastards to pass, or we take another path around. If we hide and wait, it will take a long time. The sun may set. If we take another path, it will be farther and rougher. But it will be safe."
"The other path is too rough."
Solid Rock said. He looked over the surrounding terrain and shook his head.
"It will be difficult while carrying loads. There are many cliffs, and there are places we cannot descend without ropes."
The detour was dangerous. There were many rocky cliffs, and some sections required ropes. Taking such a path while carrying loads was nearly impossible.
"Then should we hide?"
"But what if those bastards come this way?"
Fierce Eyes asked in an uneasy voice. His hands trembled, and he gripped his spear tightly.
"Then we fight."
I spoke firmly. If we could not avoid them, we had to fight. There was no other choice.
"It is seven against five."
Solid Rock said.
"We are at a disadvantage. On top of that, we are carrying loads."
"Numbers are not everything."
I drew the Bronze Sword. The blade was dyed red by the light of sunset. The sunlight reflected off the blade and shone dazzlingly, making it look like a sword of fire. I moved the blade slowly, and the light danced.
"I have this."
I raised the sword as I spoke.
"And we have the advantage of surprise. If we strike first, we can win."
We hid behind a rock and watched the situation.
I concealed my body behind a large rock and only stuck my head out slightly to look below. The Tiger Tribe scouting party drew closer and closer. Their figures grew clearer, and their faces began to show. I could hear their footsteps, the heavy steps of armed warriors.
Thud, thud.
Regular footsteps. The stride of trained warriors.
"They are coming this way."
Swift Wind whispered. His lips barely moved, and he took care not to let the sound escape.
"Are you sure?"
I whispered.
"Yes. They seem to be following our footprints."
Swift Wind answered.
"They must have found our trail."
"So we were found."
Damn it. We should have erased our footprints. We had made a mistake because we were in a hurry.
We had neglected to remove our traces. Our footprints had been left when we climbed and descended the mountain. In the soft dirt, on moss-covered rocks. The signs that we had passed were clear, and a skilled tracker could easily follow them.
"What will you do?"
Solid Rock asked. His eyes were ready for battle. He was gripping his spear tightly, his joints white, and tension ran through his whole body.
I thought for a moment. I quickly calculated the options.
If we ran, they would catch up. We were carrying heavy loads, while they were lightly armed. We would lose in speed. We would have to abandon the loads, and then this entire expedition would come to nothing. If we returned without copper ore, we could not make weapons. Then we could not fight the Tiger Tribe. We would lose the war. The tribe would be destroyed.
What if we hid and waited? The sun would set, and we would have to descend the mountain in the dark. Dangerous. And what if the enemies kept following our trail? In the end, we would be discovered.
There was only one choice.
"We fight."
I made the decision.
"Pardon?"
Running Deer asked again in surprise. His face turned pale, and his eyes widened.
"We are truly fighting?"
"We hide and ambush them."
I explained.
"If we strike first, we can win. An ambush doubles our fighting power. The enemies will be startled and unable to fight properly."
It was the foundation of military training. The advantage of surprise. If one attacked when the enemy was unprepared, the effect doubled. Psychological shock, lack of response time, confusion. Everything would favor us.
"But...."
Solid Rock said worriedly.
"There are seven of them. More than us."
"Trust me."
I spoke firmly.
"Just move according to the plan."
I looked at the warriors one by one and met their eyes directly. One by one. Solid Rock, Running Deer, Fierce Eyes, Swift Wind. I could see fear in their eyes. But I could also see trust.
"Trust me."
I said.
"I will lead you."
The warriors nodded. Slowly, one by one. Resolve settled over them.
I quickly gave instructions. There was no time. The enemies would arrive soon. I formed a tactic in my head. Terrain, people, weapons, timing. I calculated every element and found the best deployment.
"Running Deer, Fierce Eyes."
I called the two of them.
"You two hide behind that rock."
I pointed to a rock with my hand. A large rock. It was enough for two people to hide behind.
"When those bastards pass here, strike from behind. Throw your spears from behind. Aim for their backs. Their backs will be unguarded."
The back was an unprotected area. They had no armor, and it was outside their field of vision. If a spear was thrown, they could not block it. It could land a definite blow.
"Understood!"
The two moved behind the rock. They lowered their bodies, hid completely behind the rock, and blended into the shadows.
"Swift Wind, you climb that tree."
I pointed to a tree with my hand. A thick oak. It had many branches.
"When I give the signal, throw stones and create confusion. Do not aim for their heads. Aim for their shoulders or backs. That way, they will be thrown into confusion."
If hit in the head, they could die instantly. But we needed information. If hit in the shoulder or back, it would hurt, but it would not kill. We only needed to create confusion.
"Yes!"
Swift Wind gathered stones and swiftly climbed the tree. He moved as quickly as a monkey. He hooked his feet on branches, grabbed with his hands, and climbed steadily. He climbed up to a height of five meters and hid among the leaves. A perfect sniping position.
"Solid Rock, you face them from the front with me."
I said to Solid Rock.
"When I jump out first, follow me immediately. Do not hesitate."
A frontal breakthrough. The most dangerous, but also the most effective. It drew the enemy's attention and created confusion.
"Understood!"
Solid Rock struck his chest.
"I will trust you, Chieftain!"
His voice trembled. But it was firm.
"Hide the loads here."
I instructed.
"We will come retrieve them after this is over. The copper ore is precious. We must never lose it."
We hid the sacks of copper ore in a gap between rocks. One by one, carefully. Without making a sound. We covered them with branches and scattered fallen leaves over them. A perfect disguise. From a distance, they simply looked like rocks and trees.
We each moved into position. Silently, quickly. We muffled our footsteps, did not place the whole soles of our feet on the ground, and walked on our toes.
We also suppressed the sound of our breathing. Slowly, deeply. So no sound would leak out.
My heart pounded.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
I felt a drumming inside my chest. Blood circulated rapidly through my entire body, and adrenaline surged. My combat instinct awakened, my body prepared itself, and my muscles tensed. Sweat gathered in my hands, and my ears pricked up. Every sense sharpened. I could hear even the sound of leaves shaking, feel the direction of the wind, and smell the scent of the air.
It was the effect of leveling up. My senses had grown even sharper.
'Stay calm. Stay calm. Timing is important. Not too early, and not too late.'
If I moved too early, the encirclement would not be complete. If I moved too late, the enemies would discover us. I had to wait for the perfect moment.
The footsteps came closer and closer.
Rustle.
Rustle.
I heard the sound of fallen leaves being stepped on.
Rustle, rustle.
Regular footsteps. Several people were walking together.
"It is definitely this way."
An unfamiliar voice reached me. A rough voice. It carried the distinctive accent of the Tiger Tribe, with a strong "ng" sound and a harsh "g" sound. A dialect. A way of speaking different from ours.
"The footprints are clear. It is those Peregrine Tribe bastards."
Another voice answered. A slightly higher voice. It seemed to be a young warrior.
"Judging by the spacing of the footprints, there seem to be about five of them. What were they doing here? Did they come to scout our territory?"