Chapter 444: Broken! Defeated!
Translator: Editor:
Chieftain Cherokee had clearly identified the weakness being that strange, malevolent looking massive gateway; realizing that the reinforcements it could supply was limited, and every spatial transportation required a definite interval. This was because the Blackthorn Overmind had purposefully suppressed the effects when incubating out the Nydus Worm, less the Blade Empress would notice irregular ripples in space!
Within Cherokee’s schemes, he sacrificed the life of a legendary beast without hesitation, and eradicated an entire 7-8 stacks of the opponent’s forces! Thus at present, there was nothing to worry about as the opponent’s forces had just suffered immense casualties. Moreover, when his warriors successfully speared to the front of the Nydus Worm, it could at most regurgitate 2 more waves of limited reinforcements.
Such limited reinforcements was absolutely insufficient to obstruct the full blow of Cherokee’s warriors. Thus, to him, he had 100 percent confidence in destroying that gigantic gateway that could supply reinforcements. Following that, success will naturally follow when the conditions are right, and leveling this place would be a matter of seconds.
Yet at this moment, Sheyan who was spectating from far, issued an odd hand gesture!
He raised his left arm highly, and held up his forefingers as he signalled with incessant shaking.
Following his queer action, a weird shadow abruptly propelled out from the forest nearby the arachnid base. This figure was perhaps foreign to the Mosake Clansmen, but to Sheyan or Mogensha, it was extremely familiar…...none other than an elite Queen-zerg.
It soared with lightning impetus towards the front of the Mosake clan.
For some unknown reason, when Chieftain Cherokee noticed this creature, his heart suddenly palpitated with an unfathomable danger, as he urgently bellowed.
“Shoot it down!”
As Chieftain Cherokee’s roar faded away, the foremost legendary beast-rider of the charge slapped heavily against the neck of his mount. His mount resembled an amplified version of the monitor lizards of earth, with its split red tongue dangling out as it ran. 3 large black thorns spiked out from its neck, looking glimmering and sharp.
When its master slapped its neck, this Greater-lizard emitted a ‘human belching’ sound; and within a second, one of its long neck thorn shot out, whistling like a thunderbolt and accurately piercing the elite Queen-zerg. In that instant, the Queen-zerg inflated like a balloon and popped into a blood-filled sky.
Only right before the thorn pierced it, murky fluorescent green had already been circulating along the body of the Queen-zerg; before it swiftly congealed at her two feelers, and jetted out like a fluorescent green mucus.
The long thorn then brushed past the green mucus.
The Mosake clan obviously understood, the incoming green mucus was no doubt not a harmless object. However, they had configured into this spearing formation, and leaving the formation now was definitely an impossibility. Hence, the few clansmen at the tip shut their eyes tightly and clenched their teeth, awaiting for the assailing stench and agony of corrosive acid! Yet that pain would be converted into fighting spirit, igniting their frenzy as they vented their agony onto their obstructing foes!
Except seconds after the regiment of green mucus soared through the air, it divided from 1 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 8……..with distinct green mucus threads interlinking the fission gaps. When the spearing tip of the Mosake clan formation arrived, it had already shockingly metamorphosed into an expansive spider-web of fluorescent murky green! Very straightforwardly encompassing over them.
Ensnare!!
(TN: note I’ve changed the queen-zerg’s ability from ‘capture’ to ‘ensnare’, which is the correct term in starcraft.)
Indeed, it was the Queen-zerg’s ‘Ensnare’ ability!
Though 3 legendary beast-riders were exempted from the massive AOE speed decline effect, one couldn’t discount the fact that the majority of those 10 plus legendary beast-riders storming the front were affected.
Drenched in murky green mucus, they evidently became more clumsy with every movement seemingly constricted by elastic ropes; mobility became arduously challenging, as their speeds abruptly fell by 50%!
Hence, an ordinary affair of tailgating occurred. Though it wasn’t fatal like chain high speed traffic accidents, but a completely pitiful mess was unavoidable with such a speed decline. In time, a full-blown traffic jam happened.
Thus!
A deviation had surfaced from Chieftain Cherokee’s previous calculations,
A fatal deviation!
He was anticipating at most 2 waves of reinforcements streaming out from the Nydus Worm before reaching it. However, in lieu of such a sudden twist of event, the Nydus Worm was able to supply out 4 waves of reinforcements!!
Moreover, this incident had probably forced the Blackthorn Overmind to panic! The first wave of arachnids dispatched itself was fully 15 monotonous Ultralisks, in addition to…...two Defilers!!!
The Ultralisks roared furiously as it charged straight on fanatically, directly colliding into the incoming legendary beasts completely unafraid of death. Their impressive body frames solely existed for this purpose!!
In a flash, the ‘Dark Swarm’ that could totally suppress all long range attacks enshrouded over the Nydus Worm.
In the next second, the signature ‘Bloodied Clouds and Mists’ ability of the Defiler splashed against the foremost legendary beast-rider’s body. In an instant, his body and the air around him was directly dyed in red.
After a series of frantic and ferocious collisions, the imminent crisis of the arachnids was once again averted! Once again, the momentum swung back to this unrivalled pack of battle instruments. Moreover right at this moment, the Blackthorn Overmind shedded all notions of disguise as the Nydus Worm accelerated into full swing; incessantly churning out an unending stream of arachnids into the battlefield. Even more terrifying, was the increased speed of breeding newer arachnid units! Yes, the Blackthorn Overmind had switched to solely breeding out monotonous packs of zerglings. Such lowest-tier arachnid units would undoubtedly yield the most horrifying results when pursuing enemies.
A prolonged and melancholic hum of a bugle horn echoed rapidly through the battlefield.
In this instance, the wrinkles on Chieftain Cherokee’s face seemed to deepened a little, and his gaze darkened while carrying a trace of pain! Under his command, the hundreds of Mosake clansmen arranged themselves into a row, as they controlled their wild beasts to form into a makeshift defence line. One one hand, they prepared to receive the returning legendary beast-riders; while on the other, they engaged in breaking out from the rear.
A task of inevitable death.
Offering one’s death in exchange for the survival of more clansmen!
Nevertheless, not every individual was willing to meet death with courage and nobility, but every time such an individual surfaced, Chieftain Cherokee would snarl thunderously and point towards the old/sickly/spouse/child of those fleeing deserters; before maliciously waving a wooden spear he pulled out from an unknown place, obviously utilizing the deserter’s kins to coerce them.
Sheyan appeared rather hesitant as he observed the suspended skull necklaces slung across the necks of the Mosake clansmen. His brows creased continuously, as the words seemed to be trapped in his mouth. Instead at this time, the bystander Mogensha sucked in a deep breath of air and implored.
“Hey! Old pal Blackthorn, are you able to control your subordinate arachnids not to chew those barbaric aboriginals to death, but just nibble their legs?”
The Blackthorn Overmind very bluntly replied.
《 I am, but doing so will raise the fatality rate of my troops by 17.3% 》
Mogensha spat out the gum he was chewing as he earnestly urged.
“But I dare to bet you that this will f***king cause the enemy’s at least a 30% increase in casualties.”
The Blackthorn Overmind suspiciously doubted.
《 Really? 》
Sheyan smiled bitterly as well.
“It’s true. Not every living organism can be as icy-cold as you during war, completely immersed in rationality. Damned, I would truly feel a mental barrier if you ask me to lay hands on little children and pregnant women. I’m afraid, even na'vi folks are no exception.”
Brother black paused briefly in silence, lighting up a cigar before he spoke.
“Years back in Mogadishu, ethnic massacres were commonly seen…...the blood of women and children would dye the rivers red. I am a fortunate surviving orphan from those ethnic massacres.”
Speaking till here, Brother Black tilted his head as a profoundly deep scar was revealed on his neck. The reddened scar was like a surprise centipede that had leeched onto his neck, seemingly about to carve into his artery; if it did, he would undoubtedly perish. Mogensha then revealed his pearly white teeth and chuckled.
“This is my birthday gift presented by those f***king racist bastards when I was only five. Hence, whenever I touch this scar, it’ll always remind me to harden my heart against enemies; especially those can threaten my life.”
Sheyan sighed as he patted Brother Black’s shoulders without uttering a word.
Thus, with such brief efforts, the current scene of the battle had evolved into a crumbling and withdrawing Mosake clan, with the arachnids hot on their heels!
Meanwhile, Sheyan’s final trump card finally showed itself! He had secretly burrowed roughly a hundred zerglings along the journey from the Windstone Highland and this Triangle Shoals. These zerglings were burrowed stealthily in groups of 5-6, utterly insufficient against the Mosake clan under normal circumstances.
Yet right now, the Mosake clansmen were weary and crumbling in retreat, being pursued from behind. Suddenly, these vile creatures drilled out from the ground and displayed their usefulness. They were only required to hinder the mounts of their foes for roughly 10 seconds, to allow their crazily pursuing arachnids to wage war once again.
Apart from that, Mogensha’s raised tactic to cripple their legs instead of taking their lives revealed its vast effectiveness. It was already mentioned before, that Chieftain Cherokee had mobilized his entire clan!
This indicated that those Mosake clansmen that were clearly on the brink of escape would frequently hear the cries and wails from behind. Scenarios of heroic rescues of their old, sickly, and crippled kins played out, with the conclusion of themselves being captured! More noteworthily, such scenarios included an entirety of 8 legendary beast-riders!!!!!