Damon's Ascension-Chapter 49: First Encounter

BOOM!

"Obetse, something is wrong." The Asafo stepped forward and said with a grim frown, glancing deeper into the forest.

Damon looked at the fellow askance and wanted to tell him that such was obvious. That was the famous sound of matchlock muskets firing in the distance, meaning the battle had begun and the charging Ashanti warriors were likely being shot down in an orderly manner.

Now, Damon had to choose the most effective way to complete his objectives. He immediately ruled out the idea of sneaking into Kumasi and helping the Ashanti defend their city.

Sir Garnet was a disciplined military strategist who had thoroughly studied the technological level of the local forces and ensured he brought superior firepower to counter them. While the prevailing European image of Africans at the time often depicted them as living in mud huts, adorned with heavy piercings, and engaging in ritual dances around fires, this was only true for smaller, more isolated tribes.

For large and significant tribes, their cities were no different in terms of grandeur from European or Asian ones during that era. Even the Queen of England knelt at Mansa Musa’s feet within his palace, and such developments were normal.

However, a key distinction lay in military evolution. For centuries, European powers had been engaged in continuous warfare, refining siege tactics and developing advanced weaponry to overcome castle fortifications. In contrast, many African conflicts were largely determined by numerical superiority, physical strength, and skill in traditional weapons such as spears.

Most cities in that era did not even have fortifications that were advanced, so under the blast of artillery, Kumasi stood no chance even if Damon had stats and abilities on his side.

Damon also ruled out the idea of using his recently acquired Negotiation skill to try and talk Sir Garnet out of the fight. First of all, he was not legally qualified to speak on behalf of the Ashanti, and the Ashantis of that era were unyielding fellows who wouldn’t give up until they were slashed in half.

Secondly, the skills given by the Universe Will were not infallible and impervious to failure. If that was the case, then the Universe Will would simply slap a bunch of skills on every being and throw them into the Chaos Realm to dominate.

Skills were heavily based on stats and the situation at hand, playing auxiliary roles. To a native without guns, Sir Garnet would likely let Damon rant a bit before blowing his head off as courtesy for his good English and manners.

Stealth was ideal. The fight was a continuous charge using military formations and weaponry, lasting the span of a few hours, so waiting for nightfall to sneak into the camp wasn’t an option.

It was also impossible to set up an ambush with his current resources, so Damon’s best bet was to wait on the side while the Ashantis were fighting their foes and then deliver a swift and crucial blow.

"It is likely that those stubborn Akanfuo have encountered some sort of trouble again." The Clan Elder spoke while rubbing his beard, a slight smile of schadenfreude on his face.

Damon glanced at the old man with slight coldness. At this time, he was still mired in petty inter-clan squabbles, not realizing the great fallout that was to come when colonization became mainstream and brutal exploitation - as well as suppression - would become the norm.

"That is true. The sound of the white man’s exploding tube is very loud, enough to scare all the birds in the forest. If that is what we are hearing, then they might be making a move on Kumasi finally." The Herbalist added while uncertainly reaching into his pouch of medicines.

"Obetse, what shall we do?" The Trade Expert turned to Damon, who was the de facto decision-maker for their group.

"Our objective was to negotiate with the Ashantis, but it is clear that they are in no condition to do so. We must either return to the clan and report the happenings here posthaste or make it so that the Ashantis can freely negotiate with us." Damon spoke resolutely.

"The former is more advisable. The clan needs to know about this attack so that we can also shore up our defenses in case they plan to pass by our home after dealing with Kumasi." The Clan Elder stated, which was supported by the rest of the entourage.

Surprisingly, Damon nodded. "Good. Let us make haste then."

Even though attacking was in line with his objective, he wasn’t going to force those with him to go. After all, even if they succumbed to his authority, their effectiveness would be questionable given their unwillingness, so it was better to settle them first and then deal with the rest.

Besides, they were so deep in enemy territory, was it so easy to leave?

The answer came less than five minutes later when they approached a road on the other side of the river, hearing the rhythmic clatter of hooves as a patrolling British cavalry unit rode upon them. The faces of the group changed greatly and the warriors tensed for battle while the Elder, Trade Expert, and Translator stepped forward to negotiate.

"Ayeekooo, my friends from afar, we are just passing—ARGH!" The Translator started to greet in a genial tone while waving his arm, but all he got was a shot to the throat, causing blood to spurt out as he slowly fell to the ground with wide eyes.

Damon glanced at the horses and saw that they carried five British soldiers and one officer who was gripping a flintlock with a thin trail of smoke curling from its barrel. Without pause, he tossed the firearm to one of his soldiers to reload while he reached for another.

Damon was not surprised by this. It was foolish to think that soldiers in the midst of war would stop to chat with any passing party, especially in an era with no Geneva Convention to hold them back.

More than that, you fellows were coming from the area of Pra River and could very well be from Kumasi. To these British, there was no distinction based on ethnic groups in Africa. In their eyes, the entire continent was nothing but a giant breeding ground for savages.

Who knew if Damon’s group wanted to lull them into safety before ambushing them and eating their flesh? freёwebnoѵel.com

Better to shoot first. Even if they were innocent civilians or passersby, ultimately they were just savages and no one would know or care about their deaths.

"Enemy attack! Warriors, get ready to charge!" The Asafo roared instantly, having been alert from the start.

He raised his spear to corral his men as they did the same, charging forth with their fastest speed. They also moved in zigzags, as knowledge about western weaponry was not scarce to the local clans after having been beaten over and over again over the years.

"Tsk, bloody savages!" The Officer cursed as he wiped sweat from his eyes, trying to take aim. His men also hurriedly got up and lifted their matchlocks to form a firing line, aiming to take down the charging warriors.

"I would not advise the rest of you to attack." A voice spoke from within the formation, coming from behind the firing line.

"What?!" The frightened group immediately turned to look behind them except one, which was the officer. He was grabbed by the neck from behind and lifted slightly, his hands grabbing at his throat as he felt a strange agony.

In front of everyone, the British Officer was slowly turned into a shriveled corpse, all his essence being sucked out by Damon using his Devour ability.

Tossing the corpse aside, Damon glanced at his hands with raised eyebrows. "Such little energy. Even draining a tree is more fruitful."

This was his first time draining a living human being, yet the experience could only be described as disappointing. He had expected it to fill his tank immediately, perhaps even with some leftover. However, he had been fooled by the excellence of humanity in terms of the Galactic standards, forgetting that they had invested their stats into the soul and mind talent tree rather than physical.

"How the hell?" One of the soldiers exclaimed, not understanding how Damon had managed to appear behind them so quickly, much less this dark sorcery he had just performed on their superior.

Even the muscular savage warriors were still charging over at this time, so how did this guy get here?!

"Speed is king, my friend." Damon answered the question on his mind as he dodged an attack from one of the soldiers who suddenly unsheathed his blade and swung it at Damon from one of his blind spots.

He moved like his joints were non-existent, easily slipping behind his attacker and pressing a hand on his back, draining him into a shriveled corpse as well.

"Demon!"

"Vampire!"

"Fucking kill this thing!"

The soldiers screamed one by one, panicking as some unsheathed their weapons while others fumbled for their flintlocks, knowing that using a matchlock at this range was futile. Still, it was a joke for them to react faster than Damon after his upgrades because being 3 levels faster than the average man was already enough to overwhelm these soldiers.

Damon snatched their weapons and threw them away, leaving the entire group unarmed. By this time, the Asafo and the other warriors had reached the vehicle and jumped atop, swinging their blades to slash their enemies, while Damon stepped back, letting them take the stage.

Immediately, strands of Worldly Essence wafted from the bodies of those slain, drifting over to him.