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In the midst of a dead silence, facing the terrifying shadow in front, the Minotaur leader was drenched in cold sweat, involuntarily swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
"I, I... surrender..."
The Minotaur leader stammered, slowly kneeling on the ground, signifying submission.
The atmosphere on the entire battlefield eased significantly, and with the Minotaur leader’s submission, this war also came to an end.
The Minotaurs generally have a stubborn nature, but it was not surprising to see them surrender under such circumstances.
In the previous war, the Dragon Nest army, with the Dragon Vein Beastmen at the core and the Legion as the rear guard formation, displayed strength far beyond what the Minotaurs expected.
Even though they held various advantages, they were still utterly defeated in the contact battle during this war.
In this war initiated by the Dragon Nest Tribe, the Dragon Vein Attendants, relying on strength far surpassing ordinary Beastmen, directly pierced through the impact of the Minotaur Tribe, invincible wherever they went, and with the help of the indestructible Dragon Nest Legion from behind, utterly shattered all Minotaur morale.
Subsequently, with Austin descending from the sky, sweeping the surroundings with dragon might, the Minotaurs lost all will to resist, making their surrender anticipated.
The Minotaurs indeed are single-minded, but when their morale is thoroughly crushed, and faced with power far exceeding their level, resistance was nonexistent, making them easily captured by the Dragon Nest Tribe.
"Very well, Rodney, Vini, clean up the spoils and bring them all back to the tribe!"
With the surrender of the Minotaur leader, the war was completely over and entered the closing phase, and Austin ordered Vini to handle various post-war matters.
In this battle, the Dragon Nest Tribe also lost over ten people; however, due to the Minotaurs’ penchant for blunt instruments, most injuries consisted of fractured bones and damaged organs, ranging from minor to severe, but with no fatalities. With the Beastmen’s recuperative ability, they might recover shortly.
In comparison to the losses, the gains from this victorious war could not be underestimated.
Not only did this battle defeat the Minotaur Tribe entrenched in the surrounding mountains, but it also completely subdued them. Even though the Minotaurs suffered significant losses in the previous battles, there were still over 150 intact Minotaurs left.
The actual death count in this war was not high, amounting to no more than about ten.
Therefore, it can be said that the Dragon Nest Tribe’s number of Beastmen has more than doubled in a short time, reaching a total of three hundred!
With nine Dragon Vein Attendants at the core, combined with the nearly militarized Dragon Nest Legion, the combat power formed is formidable, not fearing the Jackal Wolfman Tribe located north of the Dragon Nest Village.
Of course, for these Minotaurs to fully integrate into the Dragon Nest Village system, they must undergo military training, and during this period of training integration, the Minotaurs cannot yet be considered a part of the combat force.
The population growth is not even the biggest gain for the Dragon Nest Tribe.
To Austin, the biggest gain was the herd of nearly five hundred wild cattle herded by the Minotaur Tribe!
Wild cattle are valuable; not only can they provide meat when the Beastmen lack food, but if used properly, they can also help Beastmen with pioneering work.
Early in the cultivation of the first field, Austin considered the issue of using livestock for plowing. With the help of livestock, the Beastmen’s pace of land reclamation would quicken significantly. However, although the hunting team occasionally hunted wild cattle or horses, taming them was far from feasible, let alone using them for agriculture.
Now, with the help of Minotaur prisoners, initiating livestock-powered farming is bound to be possible, greatly increasing the Beastmen’s pace in land reclamation.
Knowing that with Dragon Nest Tribe’s population growth, the gap in food supply will expand further, land reclamation and farming will become one of the primary sources for the Dragon Nest Tribe.
"Take this herd of wild cattle back to the Dragon Nest Tribe, and upon return, search around the village for any good pastures. These wild cattle are crucial for farming and land reclamation work."
Looking at the herd scattered across the mountains, being leisurely driven away by the Minotaur prisoners, Austin instructed Vini beside him.
"Understood, Your Highness."
The Kobold leader, Vini, who was beside him overseeing the packing and transport of the tribe’s various resources and spoils, promptly responded affirmatively.
There were still some food reserves left in the Minotaur Tribe, mostly matured wild fruits, seeds, and starchy roots, with no meat and very little quantity, enough for two hundred Minotaurs to consume for about a day or two—not much to speak of.
It can be said that the greatest wealth of the Minotaur Tribe was that herd of domesticated wild cattle. Coupled with Austin’s recent achievements with sheep, soot rabbits, and wild boars, even without Austin’s instruction, Vini would focus on those wild cattle.
"By the way, Your Highness, Wage just told me something."
Wage was the name of the Minotaur leader. As the leader of the Minotaur Tribe, after Austin accepted the Minotaurs’ surrender, it was natural to discuss various matters with him.
"According to Wage, a storm tiger suddenly appeared in the eastern mountains not long ago, capable of spitting wind blades, causing significant losses to their tribe. Based on Wage’s description, it might be a Tier Four or higher Magic Beast."
Vini’s expression showed a bit of concern as he spoke.
A Tier Four Magic Beast, according to the classification of Extraordinaries, would be at least at the Silver Level.
"A Magic Beast... leave it for now, and continue the plan to level the nearby tribes first."
After pondering for a moment, Austin made a decision.
At Silver Level, the combat power already exceeds his own. Even with his intrinsic dragon combat power bonus, it is uncertain whether he could eliminate it without harm. Moreover, finding its traces in the vast forest isn’t a simple task.
After returning laden with spoils from the war, settling the Minotaurs and the domesticated wild cattle, the Dragon Nest Tribe resumed their campaign, sweeping in all directions.
In just ten days, they destroyed a total of four tribes of varying sizes, annexing them completely, and the Dragon Nest Tribe’s population reached seven hundred.
Among them, the majority were Kobolds and Goblins, with a few Lizardmen, Minotaurs, and a few Boar People among other sturdy Beastman minorities, though these were few in number. Not every tribe, like the Minotaur Tribe, was composed of a single Beastman race; more often, mixed races gathered together to make a living.
After swallowing five tribes in succession, even though a few tribes’ traces were discovered externally, Austin decided to end this military operation.
From a tribe with a little over a hundred to swallowing nearly six hundred Beastmen, the most critical task at this stage is to transform the captives to integrate them into the Dragon Nest Tribe.