Chapter 40: Approaching!
Ogres are ugly and greedy humanoid creatures, lazy and cruel, yet they possess strong adaptability to external natural environments. They can be found in various terrains such as land, water bodies, and caves, often residing near vulnerable groups for ease of plunder.
This time, it was precisely the large-scale raid for human flesh initiated by the Ogre King that sparked public outrage. Even if it weren’t for Tyr and the others taking on this mission, military forces would likely have besieged them within a week.
As Emerald Star mentioned earlier, at the end of the mountain path stood a massive cave, and awaiting them was a troop of ogres already alerted by their presence.
“Seventy Ogre infantry, four Ogre hunters,” Shating Iron Sword roughly estimated, and the results weighed heavily on him. This was a force that would be challenging for them, especially after excluding Tyr and Dragon Slayer.
“Can it be done?”
Tyr asked, and the response to him was a silent affirmation.
The four advanced mercenaries would be facing a force twenty times their number, including four Ogre hunters equivalent to the peak of 【Qi and Harmony】. The disparity was evident even to Tyr.
“Remember, it’s still the same, if we can’t hold it, then retreat! Listen, it’s not running away, it’s retreating,” Tyr said in his usual tone, yet it ignited fervor in everyone.
“Yes!”
The unanimous response made Tyr shake his head slightly. While his strength did indeed surpass theirs, there was no need for them to look at him with a subservient attitude. Tyr hoped these guys could treat him as equals, or it wouldn’t be bad if they became comrades willing to risk their lives after experiencing this battle.
While thinking this, Tyr exchanged a glance with Dragon Slayer, and both of them rushed towards the cave at the same time.
“Thousand-fold Body Technique…” Mysterious and enchanting, the lumbering ogres couldn’t make any decent response to Tyr’s intrusion. This kind of agility also made Wind Slash Ghost, not far away, shine with anticipation. It was the most crucial skill for a stealthy rogue, and Tyr’s peculiar agility was precisely what Wind Slash Ghost had been dreaming of.
On the other hand, Dragon Slayer was like a humanoid cannonball, causing carnage wherever she went. Neither ogre foot soldiers nor ogre hunters could stop her, and not even Tyr was much faster than Dragon Slayer. Thanks to her, the original seventy ogre foot soldiers instantly decreased by nine, and one ogre hunter was severely injured.
After breaking through the blockade, the two of them, with undiminished momentum, rushed into the cave.
When the ogre team tried to turn back to pursue, the four members of the Shating Iron Sword unleashed a fierce attack.
“Let me bask in the sun outside, little meatballs.” Wind Slash Ghost sneered, having the same thought as the other three; they must not let these guys disturb the two seniors.
The ogre team, thoroughly angered, abandoned the two little pests that were about to enter the cave and instead roared for bloodshed against the four high-level mercenaries.
And so, outside the cave, a brutally intense battle began.
The cave was extremely large, and the two of them ran as close to the walls as possible, a subconscious action to facilitate observing the terrain.
The cave was not as cold as imagined; perhaps due to the presence of many ogres, there was a hint of warmth in the surroundings. However, the unpleasant smell was something they could do without, even Tyr couldn’t stand this pungent odor.
However, when he turned to look at Dragon Slayer, she still had a calm demeanor. In his heart, he couldn’t help but admire. Indeed, a woman (?) with such a domineering name as Dragon Slayer was powerful in various aspects that were hard for the average man to reach!
Thinking back, it seemed that the remark the department head gave to Harrytu at the time wasn’t too far-fetched. Oh, I shouldn’t think about it. If Miss Dragon Slayer found out, he reckoned the little pink fists would be pounding on his forehead.
“123, there’s a hint of demonic aura ahead, probably the Ogre King.”
The cold tone of Dragon Slayer made Tyr quickly come to his senses. While maintaining focus, he also asked,
“Demonic aura? What’s that?”
“123, you don’t know about demonic aura? It’s common knowledge.”
“Well, please explain it to me first. I might have forgotten.”
“……..” Dragon Slayer responded with the same disdainful look as Tyr, making him feel a tingling sensation all over. Nevertheless, he plucked up the courage to ask. Dragon Slayer could only respond.
“Typically, when a monster reaches level five, it starts emitting a demonic aura. Then, the monster begins to gather this aura to evolve. By level eight, it condenses into a magic core, and its name changes to become a lord of monsters. Moving higher, beyond level ten, it becomes a demon king.”
“I see, so the bounty target deep in the cave is a level five demon?”
“It doesn’t seem so. The demonic aura is too chaotic. It’s probably on the verge of breaking through to level five.”
“That makes it easier. Even if it’s close to level five, as long as it hasn’t crossed that threshold, it’s still at level four. With the two of us hunting it down, it won’t stand a chance.”
“Yes, if we had come half a month later, we might have been facing a tough battle.”
“Miss Dragon Slayer, the way you put it, it seems like we’re quite lucky. How about celebrating together with a drink when we get back?”
“Oh? Mr. 123, who’s always on edge, also knows how to relax, huh? Sure, why not. But you’ll be the one paying the bill,” Dragon Slayer smiled slightly, and Tyr naturally wouldn’t be petty enough to hesitate over such a small amount.
“Of course, by the way! Share your magic stone frequency. Who knows, we might team up sometime.”
“Oh? Is Mr. 123 indirectly flirting? If it were someone else, I’d definitely refuse, but for a capable man like you, sure, why not. Hmm… My magic stone frequency is 177435920.”
“Okay, I’ll remember that. We’ll link up after we get back,” Tyr chuckled, thinking thankfully he didn’t have any peculiar quirks; otherwise, he might have actually used it as an excuse to flirt. Tyr’s main purpose was to befriend this powerful individual. Both the magic sound stone and the shadowstone were magical items that could connect over long distances. So, even though he was parting ways with Dragon Slayer for now, if he ever needed her, he could use the magic sound stone to meet again. In the past, it would have just relied on fate.
