The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 171 Encounter with the Orcs Again (10,000 words)

Shyvana Roar did not want to arrive in Dragongold City during the day.

Because the Hound beside him was too eye-catching—

Even with the bedsheets they found to cover his body as completely as possible, the robust physique of a pure-blooded orc was far beyond that of a half-orc.

After all, most orcs have spines that are almost parallel to the ground.

But she couldn't go without Houk.

If he were to abandon this warrior who had angered the prophet, the moment he saw him when he left the tribe might be the last time he saw him.

She couldn't let Hook die.

Just like how he didn't let himself die back then.

So she, along with Hound and a few disguised goblins, followed the bottled eyeball and pushed the cart through the Dusk Forest for countless days and nights—she had never been good with numbers.

As she pushed aside the lush, dense bushes and felt the warmth of the rising sun and the daylight, she realized that stepping directly into Longjin City was not the right decision.

"They told me to wait until nightfall before entering the city, otherwise the adventurers there would definitely recognize us..."

Whenever Shyvana thought of the small vial on her shoulder with its eyeballs, which suddenly opened into a glass-like mouth, revealing the order to go to Dragongold City, she would always marvel at the little gadgets created by these spellcasters.

"You stay here and wait. If you don't see me by the third sunrise, you can go wherever you want."

Shyvana had several goblins wait on the outskirts of the woodland.

Three days is the limit.

Even if it takes more than three days, these goblins might not survive the mercenaries.

"And you, remember not to make a sound, absolutely not."

She gave Houke instructions.

"Roar!"

Hook cannot speak.

He used to be.

But it won't happen after your head is cut off.

Just like his hair.

Once the head is injured, it's gone.

So now I can only use guttural sounds to make emotional tones so that she can understand my attitude as much as possible.

Having confirmed that the other party had agreed, she took Houk with her and stepped into Dragontail Pass—

May good fortune always be with you, esteemed sir.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chuck Green Bottle.

As the guide for Dragon Tail Pass, people always call me "Chuck the Guide." If you find that name too long, you can also affectionately call me "Chuck."

Seeing that you are a stranger, I assume you are new here. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of coming here, hoping to earn a small commission from you using my meager skills.

Shyvana saw a tiny human boy who was eagerly introducing himself.

She was not surprised by this.

Children in the tribe, by his age, already had blood on their hands.

For happy and fulfilled people, all they need to do is stand on the street and promote themselves.

"I need a place to rest."

She grew up in the southern part of the Great Wall and had heard about some human customs, so she didn't want to cause trouble.

Because she remembered the reason she went to Longjin City—

food.

The tribe's hundreds of mouths depend on Long Jincheng for food.

This is the reward promised by the guy who brought him into the forest.

"If your long journey has left you feeling tired, welcome to [Friendly Home]. I guarantee with my own reputation that you will enjoy the most comfortable and cost-effective rooms here—"

Incidentally, Don Qi Weinberg, a rising writer from Longjincheng, stayed at this hotel immediately upon arriving in Longjincheng and gave it high praise.

His single room can now be enjoyed for just 1 gold coin.

Tang Qi's Picks, just as you wish!

"never heard of that."

She kept her answer as brief as possible.

Although I had heard from the other party that the city did not discriminate against orcs.

But Shyvana had previously interacted with some non-orc races in the south—

They will draw their weapons and stab you the moment they learn your identity, even if you are still a child.

"No orc is innocent, not even a mongrel."

If it weren't for Houk, I probably would have died in that childhood.

This made her subconsciously conceal this identity.

"Oh, judging from your attire, you must be an adventurer, right?"

Chuck, however, did not lose his enthusiasm because of her indifference.

After all, not every customer is easy to talk to.

As he led the way, he took a booklet from his bag and handed it to Shyvana:
"Then I think you'll hear about this name soon. After all, you're adventuring near Dragongold City, how could you not know about the Dawn and Dusk Forest?"
Look, "Donkey's Guide to the Dawn and Dusk Forest" is currently the best-selling book among adventurers—

Landscape changes, monster encyclopedias, adventure stories? Or perhaps the dwarf jokes that every citizen of Dragongold City loves most—you can find everything you want here!

It sounds like it might be of some use.

If she could learn more about this eerie forest, dealing with those wolf-like creatures, giants covered in weeds, and pythons that suddenly emerge from the water on her way back would probably be easier.
Sivana silently reached for the booklet in front of her.

Chuck suddenly pulled his hand back and said with a grin:
"Seven gold coins!"

The original price was 5 coins, but thanks to his familiarity with Tang Qi, he was able to pre-order a batch of "Guides" for 4 gold coins. However, he wanted to make as much profit as possible from the price difference.

Fortunately, I'll bet on mozzarella cheese next time.

Damn it, humans need gold for everything.

Can't we trade it for meat?
Shyvana took six gold coins from her pouch and placed them in Chuck's hand.

“Thank you for your patronage!”

Weighing the gold coins in his hand, Chuck picked up one and noticed that the one side depicted a large-headed dwarf with a full beard, while the other side showed a brick and stone city wall.

"【Collector's Gold Coin】, so you are a traveler from the Southern Great Wall."

He felt that Tang Qi was his cash cow; this was already the sixty-ninth copy of "The Guide" he had sold—mostly to adventurers traveling to and from Dragon Gold City.

His sales are considered slow.

I heard that a group of adventurers called the "Shorty Alliance" bought out all the copies of the "Guide" from a scalper at the entrance of the Adventurers' Guild.

The moment I bought them, I burned them to the ground to prevent more adventurers from seeing the joke inside.

When Sivana took the booklet, she felt that it was quite heavy, about the thickness of two of her fingers held together.

I opened the title page, but couldn't understand it.

She flipped through a few pages; the dire wolves were drawn very realistically. She had tamed several of them in the past few days, but she couldn't understand the others.

I flipped to the end, but I couldn't understand it.

"What the hell is this?"

She then realized that she was illiterate.

Damn it, I got tricked by this cunning human and bought some things I don't need.

Chuck noticed her predicament and quickly helped her squat down:

"Which page would you like to see? I'll explain it to you."

Shyvana had no choice but to crouch down, and after Chuck came close, she pointed to a picture of a werewolf.

She had encountered this thing a few days ago.

They were impossible to cut down, ran fast, and appeared in groups. Not only were we unable to stop them, but we also got bitten several times and lost two goblins.

"This is a [Werewolf]. Look, it says on it—"

These ferocious predators possess both human and wolf forms. Compared to typical dire wolves, they are more agile, stronger, and have tougher bodies.

Because their mouths and saliva contain a curse that can turn you into a beast, you'd better hope that you've silver-plated your weapons before you encounter them.

Otherwise, in the future, you might hope that when you encounter adventurers, they haven't silver-plated their weapons.

Where can I get my weapons silver-plated?

Sivana turned her head and asked.

Chuck's mouth, which hadn't been cleaned for over twenty years, emitted a stench of rotten apples, fish, and even rotten eggs.

He quickly took two steps back, covered his nose, and said:

"Oh, damn it, you should probably brush your teeth—of course, it's not necessary, but you might want to try this."

He quickly took a mint leaf from the package.

"It can help purify the taste in your mouth!"

Shyvana frowned, thinking that humans really had a lot of trivial matters to worry about.

She hurriedly took it and put it in her mouth. A cool, stinging sensation, like an ice ball sticking to her tongue, then rushed into her nasal cavity, making her eyes redden and almost bring her to tears.

"Pah, pah!"

She hated this feeling.

The last time my eyes were red and swollen was when I stuck an axe on the old man's grave.

So he spat the mint leaf out of his mouth onto the ground and even stomped on it with his boots.

"Roar!!!"

Hook, who was standing next to her, thought she had been attacked and rushed forward to grab Chuck's shoulder and tear him in two.

But Shyvana quickly stopped her:

"I'm fine, stop! Don't move!"

"Hey, don't get excited, don't get excited."

Chuck didn't want to anger the two burly adventurers. But seeing their unstable demeanor, he hesitated, unsure whether to take them to the "Friendly House"...

After all, they weren't exactly friendly.

"Take us to rest."

Sivana had no choice but to repeat it.
"We'll leave tonight."

"Oh, then I don't recommend you look for a hotel. After all, if you want a room by the hour, the dock area is the best place for you—or perhaps you could rest at a tavern for a while?"

drink wine?

She actually likes this one.

This allows her to let go of her fatigue and stop thinking about anything, which is when she can feel happy.

"lead the way."

"Alright, please come with me."

Chuck was relieved to have turned down the two troublesome guests.

He turned and strode forward, leading the two toward the Golden Oak:
"There are three taverns in Dragontail Pass, but I only recommend Golden Oak. It has everything the other taverns have—and it's cheaper."

Actually, it was because he heard from Catherine, who was shopping for ingredients that morning, that Tang Qi had returned to the tavern, which is why he made the recommendation.

Only an adventurer can cure another adventurer.
"Especially the [Star Plum Wine], believe me, even dockworkers who only like to drink offal and dark beer can't find a single fault with it."

Sivana didn't care what she drank; she just wanted to find a place to get through the day as soon as possible.

Chuck wanted to earn more money, but he didn't think these two customers were likely to pay for the tour, so he only led them to the intersection near the Golden Oak.
"At the far end, there's a tavern by the sea."

If you still have questions about the guide, why not ask one of the black-haired men inside? He'll probably be happy to answer them for you.

Men with black hair are rare.

There was only one thing that could leave an impression on her—

That guy who's as agile as a snake.

She wanted to find an opportunity to have a proper showdown with that guy.

When she arrived in the town, all she could see were empty houses, a few humans hiding in the forest, and a few chickens and ducks that she hadn't been able to take with her.

The thought of it made her spit out:
"They promised to give me all the people and food in the town, but they left me nothing—I hope they're not lying to me this time."

They had migrated all the way here, and food was scarce to begin with.

In the forest, only he himself would not get lost, and the food he obtained solely through hunting was far from enough to feed the hundreds of mouths in the tribe.

Coming to Longjin City to collect her 'reward' was her only option.

The tavern doors opened, and she led Houk inside.

The lobby was quiet, with only one man sitting at the bar with his back to me.

The figure looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn't recognize who it was. I could only see that the man had short, black hair, was wearing a black leather jacket, and was tall but rather thin.

A woman lifted the curtain.

As a half-orc, Shyvana believed that such a thin woman should be ugly.

She was somewhat thin, with a slightly bulky chest, wearing a heavy long dress, and her skin was very fair...

But when you see her tired yet inquiring eyes beneath her wine-red hair, and her smile that seems to radiate comfort as if she's bathing in a warm spring, it's truly captivating.

She simply couldn't bring herself to say the word 'ugly'.

He could only hesitate and say:
"Hmm... I'd like a glass of plum wine?"

This should be the name, right?

The human boy had said that if she had any questions, she could ask the black-haired man, so Shyvana sat down at the bar.

The giant axe on his body was a bit cumbersome, so he set it aside:

"how much is it?"

"One gold coin per cup, limited to one cup per person."

damn it.

Is the wine here made of gold?

She gritted her teeth, feeling two pairs of eyes scrutinizing her face, as if saying, "Where did this poor wretch come from?"

His stare made her cheeks sting slightly.

Actually, nobody sees her that way.

She didn't want others to look down on her.

Her pride compelled her to take out the last two gold coins from her bag and place them laboriously on the table.

She hadn't even stepped through the gates of Longjin City yet.

The money I robbed at the Southern Great Wall has already been completely spent.

"Cough cough."

She heard the man next to her cough.

Are you laughing at yourself?
"Please wait."

The red-haired girl smiled as always, which made her feel a little more at ease.

But then, from the room behind the curtain, came the soft, rustling sound of footsteps—

[Perception of Danger]

This is a sensory ability that savages gradually develop in harsh environments.

The hardships she endured in the wilderness made her hearing and vision far more acute than those of ordinary people.

She could tell from the sound that several people were tiptoeing, opening the back gate, and quietly leaving the room behind the curtain.

why?
A sense of crisis gripped her heart like a sharp claw.

Slowly, seemingly casually, she reached for the giant axe lying to the side—

"Buzz!"

A sharp screech as the blade tore through the air suddenly rang out.

That familiar black scimitar, its blade gleaming with a chilling light.

It drew a strange arc in mid-air, about to land on its own neck.

“It’s you!?”

Shyvana, in her surprise, swung her giant axe.

The half-moon struck the blade with a clang, and the flying sparks reflected in Shyvana's eyes—allowing her to see the owner of the scimitar.

Something familiar.

But it wasn't that black snake.

"drink!"

She roared and swung the axe blade with all her might, deflecting Tang Qi's scimitar and twisting her body without stopping.

The long-handled giant axe swung around her like a full moon, and even though the axe blade cut a rough crack in the wooden bar halfway through, it did not hinder its speed in the slightest.

The alarm bells rang out, and Tang Qi knew his strength was far inferior to that of the brown bear, so he quickly retreated.

Once his scimitar skills reached the 'proficient' level, his control over distance and understanding of footwork also improved accordingly.

This meant that the wind blades generated by the giant axe only grazed his leather coat at the very end, without leaving a single mark.

"Roar!"

Hook had no idea what was happening.

But he knew what he had to do.

He ripped off the bedsheets that bound him, untied the two hand axes from his waist, and roared as he swung them at Tang Qi.

"Why is it that some people, even when they bend over, are still taller than dwarfs?"

The lute couldn't be repaired yet, so Tang Qi could only tap his feet, the "thump-thump" of his boots on the floor providing rhythm, echoing the bewildered song—

【The Art of Maniacal Laughter】.

While acquiring two new spells from the log, Tang Qi realized that his mental strength also seemed to have increased significantly.

He now has three first-ring spell slots and one second-ring spell slot.

This allows him to more freely choose the appropriate effects when casting spells—

As a barbarian, Shyvana can use her anger to counteract some of the stun effects, and even an enhanced laugh spell might not be able to affect her.

It would be better to use the Laughter spell to drive the other orc away from the battlefield.

Then he would fight his enemies.

However, as his song began, a phantom of a spirit feather landed on Houk's forehead, only to be abruptly dispersed by his sudden lunge.

"【Silver Light Sharp Words】!"

The two sharp axes whistled through the air, but their path was blocked by a flash of silver light.

Tang Qi quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the deflected axe blade, and retreated to the table and chairs behind him.

But this did not alleviate his doubts:
"How could the spell not work?"

The enhanced [Laughter] spell is clearly only ineffective against dwarves and those with low intelligence...

and many more?

Tang Qi looked at Hou Ke, who had a bald head, was breathing heavily, and had a fierce look in his eyes, practically drooling from the corner of his mouth, and suddenly a possibility occurred to him—

In Shyvana's opinion, Hound isn't stupid.

At least I wasn't stupid before.

Orcs are simply not very smart.

The brain has suffered severe trauma, which is why it looks like this now.

But as the saying goes, "even rotten cheese can sell well if you use the right methods."

For a soldier, low intelligence is not necessarily a bad thing.

Realizing this, Tang Qi could only mutter a curse under his breath, feeling utterly exasperated.
"Fucking retard."

(End of this chapter)