Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 204: Corruption on the route

The sickly sweet and nauseating stench. She still remembered the first time she encountered these creatures. There were only ten of them at that time, two of which were cubs. Those things appeared and wanted to harm them.

At the time, they had no idea what they were. Now, she knew. They were corruption. A power that should have been contained. Vital energy twisted into Corrupt energy.

But this energy has been even further twisted to become something unrecognizable. Just like in the world, there are poisonous gases. That’s what corrupt energy should be. There is no reason for it to be affecting animals the way it does.

Not to mention, these animals have obviously been dead for some time. So why is corrupt energy clinging to them?

Just as Visha was able to smell the stench, so were the other beastmen. The smell was so fierce that even the females who weren’t half-shifters smelled them from a distance.

Visha could hear people around her asking what the smell was. It was obvious they had never encountered these creatures before.

"Everyone, gather together. Now!" Xeno’s sonorous voice sounded to everyone in the vicinity.

The creatures hadn’t arrived yet, but they would be here soon. All three tribes stood together. The females were placed in the center with the males outside, in a circle as protection.

Visha and Chi were the only two females standing in the outer circle.

"Priestess Visha, I think it would be best if you and your companion step inside the circle," Gorn spoke. He was tense. He did not know what it was, but the smell was unbearable. He could also feel a faint threat.

"Gorn," Visha did use the honorary title, tribe leader. "I think it’s better if you go inside the circle. Actually, I think we need to change formation."

Gorn couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But the moment Visha spoke, every one of her tribe members stepped forward. They circled the other two tribes.

Krag and Chi also stepped back. They went inside the circle to prevent anyone from attacking them from behind.

Though they are friends and allies, one can never know the true hearts of people.

"Tribe Leader Gorn." This time, Visha used his title. Flashing a smile, she continued. "This is for your own safety."

Xeno and Uri, in the meantime, were giving their tribe instructions through their pack link. Those unshifted females were not to attack, only watch.

The rest were to try to attack. If they proved to be too strong for them, they need to retreat. This was going to be training for them.

They warned them about the blood, letting them know not to have any of it splash on them. If it did, report directly to the priestess.

Everything that happened appeared to have taken a long time, but it was only approximately a minute or so.

As soon as instructions were given, the tall creatures came out of the bushes that had hidden them.

They were elk. Their fur was matted and patchy. The places where no fur grew had necrotic tissue. In some places, their innards were visible.

Dead animals weren’t a new sight. What was new was seeing them walking around. The sounds of vomiting could be heard behind them.

Their legs were stiff and disjointed as they staggered forward. The black, sticky blood or pus oozing from their bodies dropped to the ground. Every drop made the flowers and grass wilt.

There were only ten of them, but they did not let down their guard. These elk were stronger than the wolves they had fought before.

"River Clan, Stone-horn tribe, do not move. None of you. If you wish to die, then attack. If not, do not move."

"You..." Gorn began to speak, but was cut off.

"We’ll explain later. But right now you need to trust us," Xeno was not in the mood for small talk.

The elks were standing there, their eyes glowing a sickly green. They were waiting, but for what?

That’s when they heard it. The opposite direction of Visha. Uri moved swiftly, taking up a position there. A tribesman took his place and closed the circle quickly.

It was still an elk. But by comparison, it was almost twice the size of the others. This one carried a clearly menacing aura.

It was not such that Uri, Visha, and Xeno felt threatened, but it was more than most could handle. And even for them, it would take some time to fight.

Gasps filled the group as they saw the hellish beast. Like the other elks it appeared dead and carried the overwhelming stench. But they could tell there was something fundamentally different about this one.

There was a light in its eyes that was not present with the others. It turned its head left and right, as if searching.

Uri watched it keenly. He could feel the difference. This elk appeared somewhat intelligent.

Being on the alert, their bodies stiffened when they heard the elk bugle. It was not the sound of nature. This was different.

The harsh sound grated on one’s ear. Many beastmen and females had to cover their ears to get away from the sound.

But it was obvious it did not help much. Those in the middle curled into balls, trying to stop the sound from reaching their eardrums.

Seeing this, Uri made a decisive move. Though the sound will not kill anyone. It can incapacitate. Uri quickly shot a beam of devouring energy straight through the elk’s throat.

The sound stopped abruptly, giving them the chance to recover. Their heavy breathing echoes in the mountains. The half-shifters of Spiritfang were able to recover quickly.

"Move!" Xeno shouted.

Those who had recovered began their attack. While they did not have their ancestral power yet, they still had a grasp of vital energy and how to use it.

They didn’t necessarily need to touch the elk to defeat them. Their mastery is what would help them.