Chapter 18: Skirmish with Two Ogres
2024-11-18 Author: Amnesty L
A wild boar weighing around 200 jin was quickly butchered by the skilled hands of the brothers, Ler and Rand.
All its internal organs were removed and buried in a small pit.
From Tang Zheng's perspective, this was quite a waste. The Rock Squad, as well as Nfirea Bale and his grandmother, seemed completely uninterested in the organs.
Clearly, they had no habit of eating internal organs.
Tang Zheng, naturally, kept his thoughts to himself.
Don't be fooled by their portrayal as minor characters in the anime.
Whether it was the adventurers or Nfirea Bale and his grandmother, who owned a potion shop, none of them belonged to the ranks of the poor.
The cleaned wild boar meat was set over the bonfire to roast. Soon, grease began to drip down, making the flames leap higher.
A fragrant aroma began to fill the air.
Captain Dosali walked over and sat down next to Tang Zheng, speaking in a hearty voice.
Tang Zheng maintained an attentive expression, occasionally nodding or offering a brief response, but for the most part, it was the captain who did the talking.
Nfirea Bale was the same, very interested in the adventurers' experiences.
Although Captain Dosali spoke mostly of interesting anecdotes from his past adventures, even with a touch of bragging, Tang Zheng could still glean some useful information from his words.
The next day.
As soon as dawn broke, the group set off again.
The path ahead became more difficult, especially as they drew closer to the border region. The majestic, towering Angelicisia Mountain Range, stretching to the horizon, had already come into view.
The once-relaxed atmosphere grew tense.
Along the way, attacks from monsters became more frequent, though most were relatively weak magical beasts.
Tang Zheng smoothly gained a good amount of Experience from them.
The Angelicisia Mountain Range separated the Re-Estize Kingdom from the Baharuth Empire, serving as a natural barrier between the two countries.
According to Captain Dosali, 400 years ago, the two were actually a single country. But for unknown reasons, the vast nation was destroyed and then split into the two countries that exist today.
Suddenly.
"Be on guard!"
Bask, the archer guarding the rear of the carriage, suddenly shouted a warning. His ears twitched slightly, and a grave expression appeared on his face.
"Something big is coming!"
At these words, the expressions of the other members of the Rock Squad changed subtly.
Expressionless, Grandma Lijie pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt. Nfirea Bale, sitting inside, gripped the wooden railing tightly with nervous hands.
Tang Zheng noticed the change in expressions on the faces of the Rock Squad members, and his gaze sharpened.
Through their interactions over this period, Tang Zheng knew that the archer named Bask possessed a natural talent for hearing that far surpassed an ordinary person's.
His role in this adventurer team, besides providing ranged fire, was also to handle intelligence gathering.
For him to be so tense, he had clearly heard something terrifying.
However!
Tang Zheng's heart remained relatively calm. The true powerhouse in this group was not the adventurer team, but Grandma Lijie, who was driving the carriage.
"Waa! Waa!"
"Waa waaa!!"
"......!"
Piercing screeches erupted from the thicket along the road, accompanied by a rustling sound.
Goblins appeared in their sight. They were less than a meter tall, with gaunt, dark-green-skinned bodies, white pupils, and ferocious faces.
There were ten of them in total.
Tang Zheng glanced at these goblins. Most of them held wooden clubs or other weapons. Though numerous, they weren't a significant threat.
Goblins are a weak race, but they are highly prolific and have low intelligence. A cautious adult could manage to solo a goblin in a one-on-one fight.
Not to mention the Rock Squad. Based on their level, silver-rank adventurer teams typically averaged between Level 7 and 10.
Of course, the goblin race also had several variants.
Were the truly dangerous ones yet to come?
Tang Zheng's gaze passed over the charging goblins and looked toward the dense forest behind the thicket.
Thump!
Thump!
Heavy footsteps resounded. Compared to the goblins that rushed out first, screaming wildly, the presence behind them exuded a crushing pressure.
"Everyone, on your guard!"
Captain Dosali drew the twin swords at his waist and barked a stern command.
"Roar!"
With a beast-like roar.
A figure strode out. It was over two meters tall, stout and muscular, with dark yellow skin and a hide covered in short spikes that resembled armor.
"It's an ogre? No! Two of them!" Archer Bask said, his expression grim.
"Waa waaa waaa!"
"Waa waaa waaa!"
The ten goblins, who had been hesitant to advance, immediately grew bolder upon seeing the two ogres appear. Wielding their wooden clubs, they charged towards the carriage.
"Take care of these goblins first!"
Captain Dosali was the first to charge out, raising his right-hand longsword and abruptly throwing it forward.
With a piercing whoosh.
The longsword struck the goblin at the front, its blade piercing accurately through the creature's chest.
The goblin shrieked as pale green blood gushed from the wound, spattering across the ground.
Captain Dosali reached the goblin, stomped heavily on its chest, and gripped the hilt with his right hand. He yanked the sword free, sending another spray of blood and shredded flesh into the air.
At the same time!
Captain Dosali swung his left-hand sword, beheading a nearby goblin with a single slash.
Concurrently.
The brothers Ler and Rand raised their arms, holding the silver shields strapped to their arms in front of them, and charged forward.
Each of them knocked a goblin to the ground, then slammed their shield down, smashing the creature to a pulp.
Compared to the gory actions of the first three, Archer Bask was far more elegant. He drew and fired with steady movements, quickly felling two goblins.
In a matter of moments, the Rock Squad had dealt with six of the ten goblins.
Tang Zheng took a deep breath as he watched this scene.
He wasn't nervous, just slightly nauseated by the gory spectacle.
Along the way, they had encountered scattered monster attacks, so this wasn't the first time he'd witnessed such a scene.
But as a modern person, he still felt a slight discomfort.
Smelling the coppery scent of blood in the air and seeing the severed goblin heads and smashed bodies in the distance, Tang Zheng felt the reality of this world press in on him.
At this moment.
Besides the nausea, Tang Zheng felt a strange excitement bubble up inside him.
He suddenly understood, just a little, the Eight Greed Kings who had once plunged the entire continent into chaos.
While Tang Zheng was lost in thought, the Rock Squad quickly finished off the remaining four goblins.
Just then, the two enormous ogres, roaring furiously, charged out from the forest.
(end of chapter)