Draven had never witnessed a large-scale war involving demi-humans before; it was hard for him to imagine what a battlefield among the succubi would truly look like.

  His forces, including overseers and logistics personnel, totaled just over four hundred. Calling it a war felt more like a conflict between two small villages— small in scale, but enough to keep Draven highly alert.

  This was the first time in his life that he had truly set foot on a battlefield, and he couldn't help but feel nervous and uneasy. Everywhere he looked, he felt the preparations were insufficient and that things could have been done better.

  Fortunately, the combat strategy had already been well planned. As long as they followed the plan, the chance of a major mistake should be minimal.

  The troop set out from Village Number Two and marched until noon, finally reaching the border of the Black Flag Territory.

  Crossing this boundary, the hyena tribe's villages lay several dozen miles ahead. Draven immediately ordered a halt and commanded the soldiers to rest and reorganize.

  Titus loudly called out to his kin, distributing prepared jerky and water skins. Several leading warriors gathered in front of Draven, spreading out a beast-hide map and carefully discussing the next move.

  Draven munched on some jerky as he pointed to a hidden valley on the map."Dorian, you and your team first confirm the exact location of Hyena Man's hunting squads."

  "Green Serpent, have your serpent warriors eat and drink their fill. We'll strike their hunting squads first."

  He had no intention of charging directly into the villages. With no numerical advantage, a reckless attack would only lead to losses. The goal now was to quietly eliminate their most important hunting squads before Hyena Man caught wind of their plans.

  For these small tribes, the hunting squads were not only a source of food but also their main fighting force. Silently wiping out this unit would weaken the enemy's core armament and pave the way for future offensives.

  This was thanks to the recent reconnaissance by the Dorian brothers, who had nearly mapped out the distribution of Hyena Man's hunting grounds. The difficulty lay in how to trap the dispersed squads all at once. Draven didn't want to leave any stragglers behind who might escape to raise an alarm.

  "According to Dorian's intel, Hyena Man's hunting squads number about two hundred." Draven said.

  "As long as we can gather them together, the serpentfolk will annihilate them all!" Green Serpent rubbed his fists excitedly, eager to prove himself on the battlefield.

  Draven shook his head, knowing Green Serpent's idea was unrealistic. Hunting squads usually operated in small, scattered groups; concentrating them would actually make hunting difficult.

  "Don't overthink it, follow the plan," Draven sternly reminded him.

  Green Serpent's lack of composure on the battlefield and impulsiveness was one reason Draven had defeated him before.

  Taking down these two hundred hunters was the first— and most critical— step in their campaign. Draven knew they had to complete it with minimal casualties; this step could not go wrong.

  He urged his men to eat quickly and restore their strength, waiting for Dorian's scouting team to return with their report.

  With the assistance of low-level magical creatures called Violet Carpenter Bees, Dorian's reconnaissance ability had greatly improved.

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  Soon, Dorian's scout team returned without a word and immediately pulled out a beast-hide map from their bosom to show Draven their findings.

  The map clearly marked more than a dozen hunting squad encampments. Draven nodded with satisfaction. Not only had Dorian's team mapped the distribution, but their population estimates were also accurate.

  "Each squad has about twenty people. Except for a few specially marked spots, we're still unsure whether other squads include bloodline warriors," Dorian explained, pointing at the map.

  "Then let's start here!" Draven extended his finger and tapped on the closest point to the Black Flag Territory.

  Everyone immediately began adjusting their equipment, preparing to set off.

  In a dense mountain forest, several Hyena Man stood scattered apart. Their appearance was similar to Kobolds but taller, with rounder ears. Their ears and tails were covered with irregular black spots, highlighting their unique racial traits.

  Not far from them, a wild deer quietly nibbled on some leaves, completely unaware and lost in its own world. It had no idea that danger was silently approaching.

  The lead Hyena Man showed a sly smile, signaling the scattered clan members nearby to slowly gather together. Their current goal was to capture this deer.

  The powerful Serpent Tribe had already crumbled with a loud crash, and large territories awaited their occupation. But before that, the chief had specially emphasized the need to first stockpile enough dried meat for emergencies.

  Like the deer, the Hyena Men were utterly oblivious to the impending danger. Although they had keen senses of smell, the serpents were even better at masking their scent, making it difficult for the enemy to detect them.

  Green Serpent personally led twenty serpent warriors, silently forming an encirclement. Just as the Hyena Men raised their claws, ready to hunt the deer, Green Serpent launched the attack first, charging out with his tribe.

  The emerald-green snake spears gleamed coldly. Without using any bloodline powers, Green Serpent relied solely on his strong arms to pin the leading Hyena Man against a thick tree trunk.

  Several other Hyena Men fell one after another, pierced by spears and military daggers, muffled groans echoing through the forest.

  Green Serpent frowned slightly, clearly displeased with his clan members for not being swift and clean enough in their actions. But with the chief present, he said nothing more.

  Hidden quietly among the branches above them was the Ghost-faced Owl. Through this guardian beast's vision, Draven closely monitored the movements in the forest.

  Seeing Green Serpent successfully kill the target, the Ghost-faced Owl uttered a low hoot— both a signal and an urging.

  Green Serpent respectfully nodded repeatedly in the owl's direction. At that moment, a shadow silently flickered past, revealing a lich clad in tattered black robes.

  Green Serpent controlled him; the skeletal mage's staff swayed slowly as the mage chanted spells softly.

  Before long, even the Hyena Man nailed to the tree and the others struck in the surprise attack began to stagger back to their feet.

  Green Serpent smiled proudly, evidently very satisfied with the lich's ability to control the corpses. Several slightly stiff bodies started wandering through the woods, becoming their silent guards.

  Green Serpent and his tribe quietly followed behind these resurrected corpses, preparing to launch the next wave of attacks.

  Farther away, the main force of the serpent tribe advanced slowly, deliberately keeping a certain distance from Green Serpent's group. They neither wanted to reveal their whereabouts nor lose the ability to provide timely support.

  Many races could hardly manage such stealthy and flexible movements, but the serpents were different because they had guardian beasts.

  Gregor led the main force, concealed at the rear of the group, occasionally glancing at the thick giant python beside Green Serpent.

  If assistance was needed, Green Serpent only had to signal through the giant python.

  According to the established strategy, the Hyena Men's hunting squads had to be dealt with steadily and carefully, without rushing. Loud noises in the forest would easily alert the enemy, and if anyone escaped, the losses would be more severe.

  To prevent accidents, the overseer and logistics teams had already taken positions along the main route between the hunting grounds and the Hyena Men's village.

  Titus, both nervous and excited, crouched near Bran. Behind him, fifty Black Werewolves and fifty Kobolds lay hidden quietly in the grass.

  Their position on the hillside was excellent, offering a clear view of the forest ahead.

  Bran, chewing on some grass roots and looking a bit impatient, shifted slightly and said with a mocking tone,"Don't get your hopes up; we can't even get a warm meal here."

  Titus stepped back a little, his eyes involuntarily scanning a nearby patch of dry grass. He clearly remembered the chief's instructions: that guy Alec was hiding right there.

  Alec was quickly making notes on a parchment scroll, occasionally looking up cautiously to survey the forest edge and hillside, always ready to respond to any sudden situations.