Chapter 1554: Chapter 52, The Black Hand
Black Stone Mountain Range, Hundred-Mile Corridor.
The top members of the Giant Foot Centipede Clan were gathered together, discussing the aftermath, while the centipede soldiers stationed outside were also worried.
The first battle upon entering the surface world was a clean defeat, and everyone knew the future prospects of their species were grim.
“The main responsibility for this defeat lies with me.
Rushing into an attack without understanding the enemy’s strength was the core reason for the defeat.
However, rather than analyzing the failure, what is more important is the strength demonstrated by the enemy!”
The Centipede Marshal was the first to speak.
The decision to attack was made by the clan, but he was responsible for directing the battle. He must bear the responsibility for the defeat, but not entirely on his shoulders, which requires political wisdom.
“Marshal Howell, probing the Alpha Kingdom was a mutual decision. The responsibility for the defeat should be shared among us.
The main reason for the failure of this campaign is our arrogance, presumptuously thinking that the divided Human Kingdoms pose no threat.
The surface world is different from the Earth Core World, and many previous notions are not applicable here.
In the Earth Core World, although our Giant Foot Centipede Clan is not a top clan, we can at least rank in the top ten.
The gap in strength between the clans is not vast; even when encountering several top clans, we can still have a certain level of self-preservation.
Aslante Continent is different; the power distribution among the various forces here is more disparate.
Even a kingdom from the Human World has strength that rivals or even surpasses our own clan.
One mistake is enough; the primary task now is to quickly understand the situation of the major powers on the continent!”
The King Centipede spoke sternly.
Victory easily leads to complacency; recent years of success in the Earth Core World have caused the Giant Foot Centipede Clan to lose their sense of crisis.
Including himself, he was also lost in the glory of victory. This defeat was bitter, but it also awakened the lost Giant Foot Centipede Clan.
“Your Majesty, although we suffered a defeat, we captured a few nobles from the human world.
From their mouths, we have a preliminary understanding of the distribution of forces on the Aslante Continent, though unfortunately, these individuals hold low status and the information they possess is superficial.
From the information obtained from the captives, we can conclude: there is no grievance in this attack’s failure at all!
The Southeastern Province is geographically remote, but it is the province with the strongest overall strength in the Alpha Kingdom.
There are two Major Noble families settled here: the deeply established Dalton Family and the newly rising Koslow Family.
Especially the Koslow Family, a remarkable figure emerged in this generation, none other than the Dragon Knight we saw that night.
It is said that this person displayed extraordinary talent from birth and has been favored by destiny throughout his growth.
His first time leading troops in quelling a rebellion gained the favor of the Earth Bear; during the expedition to the Orc Empire, he secured the allegiance of the Giant Dragon.
Hudson himself has extraordinary talent, being the youngest sanctuary on the Aslante Continent.
Aside from luck and cultivation talent, his most formidable skill is warfare.
Since his debut, no matter how strong the enemy, he can always achieve a great victory.
The classic battles he commanded have been collected by various forces on the continent and compiled into a textbook for training their younger generations.
It is said that ten years ago, the Southeastern Province was merely a prosperous province of the Alpha Kingdom, with military strength being mid to lower among the many provinces.
Things changed with Hudson’s rise; the military strength of the Southeastern Province or rather the entire Alpha Kingdom grew rapidly.
Ultimately, under Hudson’s leadership, three major campaigns were launched successively, defeating the formidable Orc Empire, doubling the kingdom’s territory.
Because of his multiple victories against different races, he was conferred the title of Human Marshal by the Human Alliance, making him the only recognized marshal among humans now!
There are many legendary stories about Hudson, which cannot be explained in a few words.
He is now recognized with titles such as: Continent’s Strongest Man, Continent’s Supreme Commander, Continent’s First Magic Potioner.
In the last battle, the enemy’s eighth-order strongmen could match our sanctuary because they took the Magic Potion he brewed.
Even when their internal energy was exhausted, taking the potion allowed them to recover instantly, almost without side effects!
…”
After listening to Marshal Howell’s explanation, the high-ranking members of the centipede clan were dumbfounded.
Mythical stories sound nice, but when they happen to oneself, it’s direly troubling.
If Hudson truly has the attributes described by the captives, the future for the Giant Foot Centipede Clan looks bleak.
“Impossible!
Marshal Howell, having so many things happen to one person is simply too implausible!
The path of a strongman requires arduous cultivation, and a Magic Potioner similarly requires a lot of time to accumulate experience.
Balancing these two, while also being the continent’s top general, is too fantastical.
Could it be that his victories are all just his own handiwork?
Hudson himself is a sanctuary powerhouse, with a divine artifact in hand, coupled with support from the Dragon King and Bear King, enough to impact the outcome on the local battlefield!”
The white-bearded elder immediately questioned.
Centipedes always prefer to believe within their scope of understanding, anything that exceeds their knowledge is heresy.