"Captain, what's our next move?" The cavalrymen were no fools; they sensed the impending danger from Avi's demeanor and asked anxiously, "Could it be—"

The loss of their comrades in the previous reconnaissance had already left them apprehensive. Another deception could easily shatter their morale before they even faced the enemy. Therefore, Avi decided to disclose the truth.

"A new enemy is approaching, and we need to scout." Riding atop the galloping horse, Avi felt his voice quivering from the vibrations. "Then, based on the situation, we'll determine our course of action."

Despite Avi's attributes and skills maintaining the cavalrymen's morale relatively stable, the absence of Airen's 'Cavalry Command' skill left uncertainty about their current combat effectiveness.

"In this predicament, I must rely on myself," Avi thought. "If they're minotaurs, we'll flee immediately; if they're manageable, we'll confront them head-on."

Given the scarcity of cavalry, Avi had refrained from deploying them as infantry in past battles. Consequently, these soldiers had little to no combat experience, presenting an opportunity for training.

Yet, upon sighting the enemy, Avi hesitated—it wasn't minotaurs, centaurs, khan guards, chaos warhounds, nor a chaos egg.

It was a group of centaurs, or, in more scholarly terms, centaurids.

Thanks to a large rock, neither the cavalry nor the centaurids initially noticed each other. By the time they became aware of the proximity of the enemy, they had already passed each other on opposite sides of the rock.

This allowed Avi and the cavalrymen to closely observe the centaurids.

Combining the upper body of a human with the lower body of a horse or bull, they possessed swift running speed and considerable strength, but at the expense of agility and flexibility.

In battle, centaurids' movements were limited to simple sweeping, thrusting, and chopping; they lacked the ability to vary their attacks, and their bodies hindered complex maneuvers. In short, they were exceedingly clumsy.

Consequently, they harbored a deep-seated resentment toward species with agile minds and limbs. Summoned at any time, centaurids promptly awakened and rushed to the battlefield.

Armed with small leather shields and short spears, they trotted slightly slower than knights on the flat ground at the forest's edge.

Upon sighting Avi's group, the centaurids let out terrifying roars of rage, attempting to alter their direction.

"Maintain formation and stay close to me, everyone!" Avi shouted, waving his hand-and-a-half sword to turn his horse's head, and the other cavalrymen followed suit. To prevent their galloping horses from toppling, they had to keep the reins tensioned within a relatively small range, significantly increasing the cavalry formation's turning radius.

At that moment, the centaurid group behind them erupted into a cacophony of chaotic uproar, sounding furious.

"Damn it, if the centaurids attack now, we're done for!"

Avi's mind 'boomed,' and he dared not consider the consequences of his mistake, only urging his cavalrymen to complete the turn as swiftly as possible.

When they finally completed the turn, they found the previously tumultuous centaurid group now entangled in confusion, exchanging coarse insults and even engaging in physical altercations.

As mentioned earlier, the strength and speed gained by centaurids came at the expense of agility. They were incredibly clumsy, and attempting a turn in such a situation inevitably led to chaos.

This presented an extremely rare opportunity.

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"Stay close to me, charge!"

Avi raised his hand-and-a-half sword, leading the charge toward the left rear of the centaurid group, while the cavalry formed a small triangular formation, slicing through the centaurids' flank like a sickle through wheat.

Under the influence of adrenaline, Avi's mind went blank upon engaging the enemy. With one hand controlling the reins and the other brandishing his sword to hack at the enemies on the right side, he and the other cavalrymen were consumed by battle fervor.

Warm centaurid blood sprayed from severed tendons and vessels, carrying a putrid stench as it splattered on the cavalrymen and their horses. In the heat of battle, the nauseating odor was forgotten as they focused solely on wielding their weapons.

After the charge, the centaurid group's formation was reduced by a small circle. They remained entangled, some unaware that the enemy had initiated another charge.

After dashing out about thirty or forty meters, the cavalry finally brought their mounts to a halt. They turned their horses' heads and observed the tangled mess of centaurids. Drops of blood, already cooled, dripped from their armor and weapons, landing beside the steaming nostrils of the warhorses, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

Having been entirely absorbed in the exhilaration and adrenaline rush of the advantageous battle during the last charge, the cavalry needed no further encouragement or rest.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Charge—!"

Second charge, third charge... Each attack led by Avi and the cavalry inflicted devastating damage on the centaurid group, leaving rivers of blood in their wake. However, after each charge, the dwindling centaurids would reform, becoming even more organized than before.

After the third charge, the remaining centaurids finally gathered into a wedge-shaped formation, facing off against ten human cavalrymen. Anger and hatred blazed in their eyes, wishing to tear apart and trample all living beings at that moment.

The centaurids directed their greatest hatred towards Avi—the seemingly leader of the humans, who had killed thirteen centaurids in the three charges. They knew that this human was deeply indebted in blood, and they desired to see him pay with his own.

"They probably have over twenty left, but most are wounded," Avi said breathlessly, as he and the cavalrymen lowered their blood-soaked weapons. They knew that the next charge would have to be initiated by the centaurid group, as their warhorses could no longer sustain another full charge of nearly two hundred meters.

"What should we do, Captain? The horses can't hold on any longer. Shall we retreat?"

"My hand and shoulder are numb from the impact."

Although the cavalrymen had suffered minimal casualties due to the chaos among the centaurids, the relentless fighting had taken a toll on their stamina. Just handling sixty or seventy chickens would require considerable effort, let alone the same number of centaurids.

"Don't panic, listen to me," Avi signaled for the cavalrymen to gather around. "The next attack will be the decisive blow. As long as we—"

The centaurids, sensing the cavalrymen regrouping, mistakenly interpreted it as a sign of an impending attack from the enemy and charged ahead preemptively. Initially, only a few charged out of the formation, but they soon incited the others to rush forward frantically, vying to be the first to charge.

Little did they know, the faster they ran and the more momentum they built, the happier Avi became.

One hundred meters, eighty meters, sixty meters...

The time had come.

"Charge!"

Avi raised his notched hand-and-a-half sword and gave the command, as the cavalrymen behind him spurred their mounts to countercharge.

With a formidable combination of strength and speed, if the centaurids collided head-on, there was no doubt that these cavalrymen would be eviscerated. That was exactly what the herd hoped for—they lacked a leader and relied solely on instinct, sensing the sweet taste of victory and impending slaughter before them.

They guessed right, except the slaughterers weren't from their own herd.

At the opportune distance, Avi issued his second command: "Split!"

In groups of five, the cavalrymen split into two small teams, one veering left and the other right, creating a 'broad avenue' for the charging centaurid group.

As the two groups intersected, the perfectly timed flanking formation of the cavalrymen sandwiched the centaurid group in the middle. Only the centaurids on the sides could engage in combat, while their clumsy bodies, hindered by their human torsos and equine lower halves, made it extremely difficult for them to turn sideways. Faced with the flanking cavalry, they were almost unilaterally subjected to hacking.

As one centaurid fell, its massive body tripped those behind it, setting off a chain reaction. The centaurid group, still in full sprint, collapsed, fracturing spines, breaking hooves, and even crushing each other to death, resulting in several times more deaths from falls than from sword strikes.

As Avi had anticipated, this was the first charge by the centaurids, and it would be the final clash between the two sides. Victory belonged to him and his cavalrymen, with not a single casualty among them.

"It's proven that a competent commander is more valuable than anything, especially when dealing with the intellectually impaired. Let's go back; the situation has been resolved."

Avi sheathed his notched hand-and-a-half sword, leading the cavalrymen away from the surviving centaurids, who were still struggling and calling out, slowly making their way towards the base...