The Guns Arrive
In an unknown planet, the population of a tribe was usually around fifty people.
But we had five thousand—exactly a hundred times more. By sheer size alone, our tribe was probably the largest on the entire world.
Yet we were still handing over tribute to the Wild Dog Tribe. The reason was simple: their system was strange.
Out of six hundred people, one hundred and fourteen were warriors. The rest were slaves. Young men who could no longer fight were exiled. This kept constant tension and competition alive, ensuring the tribe always maintained peak combat strength. Truly a mad combat nation.
The one hundred and fourteen handpicked warriors possessed terrifying fighting power. They had never once lost a war.
Of course, the Wild Dog Tribe’s undefeated legend was not built on combat strength alone. Their chief, Alotoro, was far from primitive. He was clever, skilled in tactics and politics.
A smart leader paired with powerful warriors had turned the Wild Dog Tribe into a force to be reckoned with.
I had thought of every possible way to defeat them.
The result was clear. The only option was to grow our numbers and overwhelm them with sheer size.
But that method took time. We would need to expand our farmland and absorb the populations of other tribes to increase our warrior numbers. It would take at least ten years.
Then the guns came into our hands. Guns were strong. They were even stronger against primitives wielding axes. With thirty-six guns in our possession, the chance of defeat was slim.
But “slim” was not the same as “impossible.” They were combat experts. We were rookies with almost no real battle experience. We had trained with the guns, but experience made all the difference. And Alotoro was with them.
They will launch a night raid. The Wild Dog Tribe is very familiar with night combat, while our tribe has almost no experience fighting at night. We have no advantage.
They would keep moving. We would have to stay and defend the village. They were more experienced. The Wild Dog Tribe would never give up that advantage.
In the worst case, even with guns, we could still lose.
We had the guns; they did not. But if experienced warriors slipped through the darkness, no amount of guns would save us.
Fortunately, I had predicted every one of these situations.
I knew they were strong and would come at night. So we would not fall easily.
Somehow we would win. And if possible, we would minimize casualties.
If no one died, we could even declare today a festival.
The night had fallen. Alotoro continued scouting around the Zakum Tribe’s territory, led by Sihyun. If he found any lone villagers, he planned to kidnap them for interrogation, then kill them afterward.
Against other tribes, he would have used guerrilla tactics outside the village to starve them out. But the Zakum Tribe was different. They were rich.
Alotoro knew they had large amounts of livestock and wheat. They could survive for years if they dug in.
That would leave the Wild Dog Tribe at a disadvantage. If the war dragged on, the Zakum Tribe would not need to leave the village and would have the clear advantage.
So Alotoro devised a plan.
Launch a night raid.
The Wild Dog Tribe did not produce. They plundered everything they needed. That was why they were so professional in combat and why they fought so well in the dark.
Yet the Zakum Tribe had a similar number of warriors, but most of them had no real battle experience. In the darkness, they would be completely disoriented.
A night raid was one of the Wild Dog Tribe’s main strategies. Stockpile food and kill anyone who came out, or simply raid at night. Either way, most tribes could be plundered at will.
This time, the night raid seemed the most efficient way to “cook” the rookies.
Our warriors have excellent night vision. If we surprise them at night, they will be thrown into confusion and lose.
Alotoro led his one hundred and fourteen warriors into the Zakum Tribe’s territory.
No warriors were visible in the Zakum Tribe’s territory. No one at all. They had not even done scouting.
They must be defending the village day and night.
All-out war was impossible because of their food stockpiles.
Of course, Sihyun had sold all their food, leaving them with only two weeks’ worth. But Alotoro did not know that. He assumed the Zakum Tribe still had plenty.
Good. Darkness is on our side anyway. Let’s go in.
Alotoro sent a signal to his subordinates.
Lead thirty men to the back door. I will attack the front with the rest.
Alotoro was trying to feint. He would cause a commotion at the front gate, then send a special unit to the back.
Far in the distance, the outer walls of the Zakum Tribe’s village began to appear. They were made of earth and wood. The warriors approached silently. When they were close enough, Alotoro shouted.
“Attack!”
The warriors hurled torches at the wooden walls and climbed ladders. The walls were only one and a half to two meters high. That was impressive for other villages, but it meant nothing against the Wild Dog Tribe’s experienced warriors.
“Climb the wall! Kill them all!”
But something felt wrong. Even after a raid, the opponent’s response was too casual.
They would throw a spear or arrow, then flee. Even without experience, the opponent was a famous chief—Sihyun—and they had the best warrior, Kumpa. How could their warriors be this weak?
Alotoro thought this, then burst out laughing.
“Ah, there must be some trick.”
Alotoro was forty-two years old. He was one of the older warriors, but he had accumulated a lifetime of combat experience.
His instincts were ringing an alarm. Sihyun was plotting something. Probably an ambush when they chased the fleeing warriors.
Here, I have two choices. I don’t know what trick they are planning, so I can either retreat or push forward with force.
Alotoro thought. The Zakum Tribe had about a hundred warriors—slightly fewer than the Wild Dog Tribe. They had no experience either, so they were much weaker.
It was not terrifying to think they were plotting a trick.
“Push forward! To the village center!”
Alotoro stood at the front, wielding his stone axe and shield. Spears and arrows occasionally flew through the darkness, but he deflected them all with his exceptional reflexes.
When Alotoro reached the front and led the warriors to the village center,
a group of warriors appeared. Alotoro almost swung his axe down, but then he recognized them. They were allies—the special unit he had sent to the back door.
“The back door? Any problems?”
“No. They shot spears and arrows, then fled quickly.”
“Kumpa? That guy I recognize as the only warrior from the Zakum Tribe.”
“We couldn’t see him.”
It was strange. They had already reached the village center, yet the response was too casual. Where had they gone?
“Should we spread out and search?”
“No. This is their village. They might have ambushes. Spreading soldiers is dangerous in this situation. We should gather and search. There must be traces. Five thousand residents can’t just vanish.”
“Yes. We will join you.”
Just as they moved to find the Zakum Tribe’s main force,
-whoosh
a strange sound he had never heard in his life echoed.
-boom!
Something exploded. The night sky began to turn red.
“What… what is this?”
Even the battle-hardened Alotoro could not help but be startled. The red light made the Wild Dog Tribe’s figures clearly visible in every direction.
“It’s daytime at night! What kind of nonsense is this?!”
The sky was glowing brightly, like a small sun. The light did not disappear. It continued illuminating the Wild Dog Tribe for a long time.
And at that moment,
“All troops, open fire!”
Sihyun’s voice rang out from somewhere.