A wild boar, roughly 200 pounds, was swiftly dealt with under the practiced hands of Lehr and Rand.
With precise movements, they removed the internal organs, dug a shallow pit, and buried them without hesitation.
Sakeer couldn't help but feel this was a waste — back in his world, those parts could be used for cooking. But neither the Rock team nor Nfirea's grandmother seemed to share that mindset.
Apparently, they weren't accustomed to eating offal.
Sakeer kept his thoughts to himself.
Despite their rougher behavior resembling that of common folk in anime, these adventurers — and Nfirea's family, who owned a reputable pharmacy — were far from poor.
The cleaned wild boar was set over the campfire to roast. Soon, sizzling fat dripped from the meat, intensifying the flames and filling the air with a rich aroma.
Captain Dosari sauntered over, sat down beside Sakeer, and struck up a conversation in his usual hearty tone.
Sakeer maintained a listening posture, occasionally nodding or replying with a few brief words. Most of the time, Dosari did the talking.
Nfirea, equally fascinated by the adventurer's stories, listened intently.
Though Dosari's tales were laced with exaggeration — as adventurers' stories often are — Sakeer still managed to extract some useful information from the conversation.
The next morning, they broke camp at dawn.
The road became increasingly difficult to traverse as they approached the border, and soon, the towering silhouette of the Azerlisia Mountains loomed in the distance.
The previously relaxed atmosphere grew tense.
Along the way, monster attacks became more frequent — though most were weak, posing little threat.
For Sakeer, this provided a steady stream of experience points, helping him grow stronger with minimal risk.
The Azerlisia Mountains served as a natural barrier between the Kingdom of Re-Estize and the Baharuth Empire.
According to Captain Dosari, the two nations were once part of a vast, unified kingdom that crumbled some 400 years ago. The reasons for its downfall remained a mystery, but the resulting split gave rise to the current territories.
Suddenly—
"Alert!"
Basque, the archer stationed at the rear of the group, called out in a sharp voice. His ears twitched slightly, and his face hardened with focus.
"Something big is coming!"
The expressions of the Rock team shifted at once.
Lizzie, calm and composed, tugged the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt.
Nfirea, who had been sitting inside, gripped the wooden railing tightly, his gaze filled with unease.
Sakeer observed the group's reactions carefully.
By now, he'd learned that Basque's extraordinary hearing was far beyond that of an ordinary person. In addition to being a skilled archer, Basque played a crucial role as the team's scout and intelligence gatherer.
For someone like him to sound this alarm — whatever was approaching wasn't ordinary.
Yet despite the tension, Sakeer remained calm.
He knew the true powerhouse in their group wasn't the Rock team — it was Lizzie, the seemingly unassuming old woman driving the carriage.
Rustle... rustle...
"Rawr! Roar!"
"Raawr!!"
The shrill cries of goblins rang out from the brush at the roadside.
Soon, a group of goblins emerged — small, less than a meter tall, with dark green skin and feral faces twisted into grimaces. Their scrawny frames contrasted with the crude wooden clubs and makeshift weapons they wielded.
Ten in total.
Sakeer scanned the creatures. Despite their numbers, they were hardly a threat — poorly armed and disorganized.
This wouldn't be difficult.
Goblins were weak creatures — low in intelligence but incredibly fast breeders. Ordinary adults could handle a one-on-one fight with a goblin without much trouble.
For a seasoned silver-rank adventurer team like The Rock, whose members averaged between levels 7 and 10, goblins poses little threat.
Of course, not all goblins were the same — some variations existed, but these looked like standard weaklings.
Is the real threat still lurking behind them?
Sakeer's gaze shifted past the goblins, focusing on the dense forest beyond the tall grass.
Boom! Boom!
The sound of heavy footsteps reverberated through the ground. Compared to the shrill cries of the goblins, this presence felt far more oppressive.
"Stay sharp!"
Captain Dosari unsheathed his twin swords, his tone turning grave.
"Roar!"
A deep, guttural growl echoed from the trees as a towering figure emerged.
The creature stood over two meters tall, its dark yellow skin stretched tight across a hulking frame. Its back was covered in rough, armored flesh, studded with stubby, thorn-like growths.
"An ogre… No, there are two!" Basque, the marksman, muttered grimly.
"RAWR!!"
The previously hesitant goblins suddenly found their courage. Seeing the ogres emerge from the trees, they let out frenzied cries, brandished their crude wooden clubs, and charged toward the carriage with renewed vigor.
"Deal with the goblins first!"
Captain Dosari sprinted forward, raising his right sword before hurling it through the air.
Whizz!
The blade shot forward with a sharp whistle, striking the lead goblin square in the chest. The creature shrieked as pale green blood gushed from the wound, splattering the ground.
Dosari closed the distance in seconds, stomping hard on the dying goblin's chest. With a firm yank, he wrenched the embedded sword free, sending a fresh spray of blood and shredded flesh across the dirt.
Without pause, Dosari pivoted and swung his left sword, decapitating a second goblin in one swift motion.
Meanwhile, Lehr and Rand charged forward with their silver shields raised. They slammed into a pair of goblins, knocking them to the ground before driving their shields down mercilessly, crushing the creatures beneath them.
Compared to the brutal efficiency of his companions, Basque's approach was far more precise. With calm focus, he loosed two arrows in quick succession, effortlessly dropping two more goblins.
In mere moments, six of the ten goblins lay dead.
Sakeer exhaled softly as he watched the carnage unfold.
He wasn't particularly anxious — after all, they'd faced minor monster attacks throughout the journey — but the raw brutality of the scene left him uneasy.
The pungent scent of blood clung to the air, and the sight of dismembered goblin corpses — severed heads and crushed bodies — left his stomach churning.
Despite the discomfort, Sakeer couldn't ignore the faint flicker of excitement stirring within him.
I was once the 'King of Eight Desires' — a force that shook an entire continent…
The thought surfaced unexpectedly, leaving Sakeer momentarily dazed.
In that brief moment of reflection, the remaining four goblins met their end — swiftly dispatched by the Rock team.
And then —
"ROOOAAAR!!"
The two massive ogres burst from the treeline, their furious bellows shaking the air as they charged forward.