Evil Red Dragon

The search party spent a peaceful night in a clearing in the woods.

The prisoners were strung together in rows with ropes and huddled in the center.

Trolls and orcs took turns keeping watch, and the campfire burned all night.

In the darkest hour before dawn, Gru and Goron had already gotten up, checked their equipment, and organized the team.

The search party left the temporary camp, leading more than 200 kobolds, and headed towards the third mine.

The kobolds, linked together by ropes, staggered forward as they were driven by trolls and orcs.

The procession grew large, and their pace slowed.

About an hour later, the forest gradually thinned out, and a hilly area appeared ahead.

Suddenly, Gru, who was walking ahead, stopped.

He raised his hand, signaling the troops to halt their advance, and all soldiers immediately went on alert.

There are people ahead.

Gru lowered his voice, staring intently at the figure in the woods ahead.

Goron strode forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gru: "How many people?"

"Uncertain, but at least a dozen... they should be professionals."

Goron gripped his battle axe tightly:

"A human adventure team? What should we do? Kill them all? Or go around them?"

Gru smiled cruelly:

"They're blocking our way. Taking a detour would add at least 10 miles to our journey, and the terrain is complicated; we might even run into other people... Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

"It would be troublesome if they ran back and reported it."

They left the prisoners where they were, with only a few trolls guarding them, while the rest moved forward silently and slowly.

After turning past a thicket of bushes, the view ahead came into view.

It was an adventure team of 15 people.

They were well-equipped, wearing light armor and carrying weapons.

The team consists of 9 warriors, 3 mages, and 3 rangers.

The adventure team was resting in an open area, with a pot on a campfire and food cooking inside.

Unaware of the approaching search team, they were sitting together talking.

Gru made a gesture, and the search team stopped and hid in the woods.

"Ready..."

Just then, the captain, clad in chainmail, suddenly stood up and clapped his hands:

"Alright, let's get ready to go. We need to get to our destination today; the employer is giving us very little time."

The team members began packing up their equipment and extinguishing the campfire.

An accident occurred simultaneously.

A wandering swordsman walked to the edge of the open space, ready to take care of his personal business.

He inadvertently parted a bush and saw the search team hidden among it.

Dozens of eyes met.

The swordsman froze for a moment, then his expression changed drastically. He turned to run, shouting as he did so:

"enemy……"

The ranger's exclamation was cut short by Gru's spiked club.

The dull thud of bones and flesh breaking echoed through the forest.

The wanderer's body was thrown backward like a rag doll, his upper body disappearing into thin air, his remaining legs drawing a strange arc in the air before crashing heavily into the tree trunk, rolling to the ground as a pile of mangled flesh.

Blood splattered, staining the bushes red.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

The adventure team members on the open ground all turned around.

They saw the body of their fallen comrade.

"Enemy attack!"

The captain was the first to react, roaring as his greatsword was drawn.

The adventure team was well-trained and quickly deployed into formation.

The soldiers quickly formed a defensive formation, protecting their teammates behind them.

The mage began chanting, magic gathered, and the tip of his staff lit up with various colored lights.

The wandering knights nocked their arrows and drew their bows taut.

Gru slowly rose to his feet, releasing his dragon might.

"Go! Don't let a single one escape!"

Goron grinned, twirling his battle axe in his hand:

"I've been wanting to test the mettle of these humans for a long time."

The search team emerged from the woods.

The two sides are facing off in an open area.

The adventure captain's eyes flashed with shock when he saw the size of the search party.

There were too many of these magical beasts, and their appearance was also strange; this was definitely not an ordinary raiding party.

The captain held his greatsword horizontally in front of him and shouted sternly:

"Who are you? Why are you here? What is your purpose?!"

Gru carried the spiked club on his shoulder; the head of the club was still dripping blood.

His gaze swept over the adventure team, finally settling on the captain. He stepped forward, his dragon might intensifying, and roared impatiently:

"Why are you asking so many questions! Die!"

The adventure captain's face darkened.

As an experienced adventure team, they have taken on countless missions and dealt with all kinds of monsters and beasts.

But this group was far too unusual, consisting of organized trolls and orcs, as well as shaman spellcasters, which was far beyond the scope of ordinary monsters.

More importantly, the troll opposite them, judging from his appearance, is actually a dragonborn.

These guys are probably dragons' retinue, so letting them pass could pose a huge threat to Graystone Town.

But if war breaks out...

The captain quickly assessed the strength of both sides.

Our side has 14 people, including two level 5 professionals and the rest are level 4 professionals.

The number of the opposing force is unknown, but the troll and orc leading them are probably level five as well.

They're at a disadvantage in quantity, but also in quality; this time, things look grim...

Just as his mind raced, Gru roared and charged towards the adventure captain.

"attack!"

The trolls surged forward like a tide, with the orcs close behind.

The shaman apprentices began casting spells, magical light intertwining in the air and transforming into arcane missiles that hurtled towards the adventure team.

The battle erupted instantly.

Gru's spiked club clashed with the adventure captain's greatsword, sparks flying everywhere.

Both were level five warriors, and their contest of strength immediately reached a fever pitch.

"You shouldn't be blocking the way!"

Gru roared and slashed at the captain with all his might.

The captain used all his strength to barely block it, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain:

"Monsters should stay in the wilderness!"

On the other side, Goron faced off against the vice-captain of the adventure team.

The collision of the battle axe and the warhammer produced a deafening roar.

Gronn laughed wildly, his orcish berserk talent activated, his muscles bulged, and his strength surged:

"Come on! Let me see what you're really capable of!"

The vice-captain's expression was solemn; he hadn't expected this orc chieftain to be so powerful.

Each time the warhammer blocked, the impact numbed his arm, forcing him to fight and retreat, searching for an opportunity to counterattack.

The trolls and adventurers were locked in a fierce battle.

Dragonborn trolls are far more powerful than ordinary warriors. Their scales are hard and their strength is immense, often requiring several human warriors to work together to barely hold them off.

But the adventurers formed battle formations, covering each other, and barely managed to withstand the trolls' first wave of attacks.

"Aim for the troll's eyes!"

The captain gave the order during the battle.

The rangers immediately adjusted their target, and Swift Arrows rained down on the troll.

puff!puff!

Two trolls were shot in the eyes by arrows and fell to the ground screaming.

But more trolls covered their faces with their arms and continued their charge.

"treat!"

Goron roared.

Kargath and four other shaman apprentices began chanting a healing spell, and a green light enveloped the wounded troll, causing the arrow wound to heal at a visible speed.

Upon seeing this, the mages immediately changed their tactics.

"Great Fireball!"

"Frost Arrow!"

"Chain Lightning!"

……

Several spells were unleashed in succession, exploding within the search team.

The trolls were tough and thick-skinned, absorbing most of the damage, but the orc warriors weren't so lucky.

Several orcs were hit by the fireball, their bodies bursting into flames as they screamed and rolled on the ground.

"Kill the mage first!"

Gru gave the order during a lull in the fighting.

Rag found an opportunity to break away from the battle and charged straight towards the mage's position.

The captain pulled backward using Gru's force, shouting urgently at the same time:

"Protect the monk!"

A soldier rushed back to defend, blocking Rag's path.

But Rag's strength was too great; the warrior was smashed away by the spiked club, his chest armor dented, and he coughed up blood.

The mages were forced to stop casting spells and begin to dodge.

The tide of battle began to turn in favor of the search and capture team.

The captain realized that things couldn't continue like this.

He bravely took a blow from Gru, leaped backward, and pulled a signal flare from his pocket.

call out!

Snapped!

The red signal flare exploded in the air, clearly visible even in daylight.

"He's calling for reinforcements!"

Goron's expression changed.

Gru's pupils contracted, and his attack intensified:

"A swift and decisive victory!"

The search team launched a full-scale attack.

But the adventure team changed tactics, shifting from direct confrontation to stalling.

The warriors regrouped and formed a circle around the mage and ranger.

The rangers kept harassing them, while the mages cast slowing, control, and healing spells.

One of the level four mages pulled out a scroll of Holy Shield and ripped it to shreds.

A holy shield suddenly appeared on the adventurers, rendering the orcs' attacks ineffective; only the trolls' attacks were barely effective.

For a time, they actually managed to hold on.

Although they are still suffering defeats, they are unharmed.

The captain roared to boost morale:

"That's it! Hold on! Reinforcements will be here soon!"

Time passed second by second.

Gru was anxious.

If reinforcements do arrive, they'll be in trouble.

They had a large number of prisoners, so they couldn't retreat quickly.

"Go, Go break through!"

"clear!"

Gronn, leading 10 orc warriors in full berserk mode, forcefully charged the adventurer's left flank.

The battle axe swung like a whirlwind, sending two soldiers flying and creating a gap in the defensive line.

"Now!"

Gru roared and swung his spiked club, forcing the captain back, then charged into the mage's position.

The three mages panicked and tried to use magic to stop it, but Gru's dragon might shook them and forced them to stop chanting.

The spiked club came down.

boom! boom! boom!

Even with the protection of the Holy Shield, the three mages still fell to the ground; two died on the spot, and one was seriously injured and fell into a coma.

Without the mage's support, the adventure team began to collapse.

The ranger's arrows were still being fired, but they were no longer enough to turn the tide of the battle.

Trolls and orcs surged forward like a tide, dividing and surrounding the remaining adventurer warriors.

Seeing this, the captain knew that defeat was inevitable.

"Break through! Retreat!"

He roared and, despite his injuries, tried to hold off Gru to create an opportunity for his teammates.

Gru turned around and swung his bat, which cut through the air with a muffled thud, aiming straight for the captain's head.

The captain's pupils contracted sharply, and he hastily raised his greatsword, the blade clashing against the spiked club with a metallic clang.

His tiger's mouth split open, blood flowing down the hilt of the sword. He was thrown back several feet by the shock, leaving two deep furrows beneath his feet.

"cough!"

The captain groaned, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, his arms felt sore and numb, and his chest felt churning with blood and qi.

He glanced around again. The vice-captain was being held back by Gronn, struggling to defend himself. Mages were lying on the ground, and the rangers' shots were becoming increasingly sparse.

The remaining people are still struggling, but defeat is inevitable.

"Whose henchmen are you...?"

The captain asked in a hoarse voice, his gaze fixed on Gruuna's dragon horns:

"Dragonborn trolls... This land should not have beings like you."

Gru grinned, revealing his gleaming white fangs:

"Why ask so many questions of a dying person?"

He said no more, and raised his spiked club again.

This time, the shaft of the stick faintly glowed red.

The captain gritted his teeth, gripped his sword with both hands, and the blade gleamed faintly.

His desperate counterattack, Torrent Slash!

The stick falls.

The sword shattered.

The captain's greatsword shattered into pieces the instant it touched the spiked club, scattering fragments everywhere.

The spiked club continued its momentum, slamming heavily onto the captain's breastplate.

The steel plate armor dented inwards, and the crisp sound of bones shattering could be clearly heard.

The captain's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into several cedar trees, rolling into a pile of fallen leaves, and then fell silent.

"team leader!"

The vice-captain's eyes were bloodshot, and in that instant of distraction, Goron's battle axe had already cleaved open his shoulder blade.

The vice-captain screamed and fell to his knees, where he was tightly bound by ropes by two orcs.

With their commander dead, the remaining adventurers' morale collapsed.

A knight-errant threw down his longbow and raised his hands high:

"We surrender! Don't kill us—"

Before he could finish speaking, Rag's spiked club had already smashed his skull.

Red and white substances splattered all over the faces of the soldiers nearby.

The soldier was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, his crotch soaked.

"The master said so."

Gru flicked the blood off his stick, his voice icy:

"Leave no one alive."

The massacre ended in moments.

The last warrior was pinned to the ground by the troll, his throat slit by the orc, gasping for breath, his limbs twitching a few times before falling still.

The forest clearing returned to silence, with only the lingering smell of blood on the wind.

Fourteen corpses lay scattered, their blood seeping into the soil and staining the withered leaves bright red.

Goron walked over to Gru and kicked the captain's corpse:

"This guy's got some tough nuts to crack."

Gru grunted in agreement, crouched down, and began rummaging inside the captain's tattered breastplate.

He took out a small leather bag containing a dozen gold coins, a nameplate, and a roll of toilet paper.

Unfold the draft paper; several lines of writing are on it:

"Commission: Investigate...abnormal magical fluctuations, suspected to be the awakening of an ancient ruin. Employer: Twin Moon City...family. Deadline: Report back within 15 days. Reward: 500 gold coins. Note: If resistance is encountered, elimination may be considered."

"It's not aimed at us."

Gru carefully put away the toilet paper:

"But if they run into us, they're going to die."

He stood up and looked around the battlefield.

Shaman apprentices are healing wounded trolls and orcs.

In this battle, the search party lost two orcs and wounded more than ten, but none were seriously injured.

Compared to the complete annihilation of the adventure team, the cost was negligible.

"Clean up the battlefield and loot the spoils."

Gru ordered:

"We need to act quickly; that signal flare might cause other trouble."

The trolls and orcs immediately sprang into action.

They stripped the adventurers of their armor, collected their intact weapons, and rummaged through the corpses for money bags, potions, and magical items.

The mage's staff, the ranger's longbow, the warrior's sword, shield, and hammer.

Although these pieces of equipment are too small for their size, they can still be used after being brought back to their territory and modified.

Gronn especially valued those enchanted weapons and personally packed them up.

Kargath, along with several other shaman apprentices, examined the mage's body.

One of the mages had a small leather pouch tied around his waist, containing three bottles of healing potions, two bottles of mana restoration potions, and a scroll.

Kargas carefully unrolled the scroll; there were scorch marks on the edges, indicating it had been used.

"This is... a short-distance teleportation scroll?"

Kargath is recognizing the annotation:

"But it's unstable; it can only teleport one person at a time, and the distance is no more than one mile."

"nice one."

Goron leaned closer:

"Keep it; it might come in handy."

On the other side, Rag found a silver badge on the captain's body, engraved with a crossed sword and shield, and below it a line of small text:

"Silver Blade Adventurers".

He handed the badge to Gru.

"Silver Blade Adventurers..."

Grumman stroked the surface of the emblem:

"It's a pity they ran into us."

After cleaning up the battlefield, Goron came over and asked:

"Alright, there should be a lot of people gathering here now. Shall we go back?"

Gru looked eastward.

The third mine is not far away, and the kobolds are right next to us.

Giving up now would mean all our previous efforts were wasted.

"No."

Gru tossed the badge into the loot pile:

"Speed ​​up, take over the mine, and then leave immediately. Even if someone comes, it will take them time to find us. We need to clean up our tracks."

What should we do with the prisoners?

Gronn pointed to the kobolds being guarded in the distance:

"With these, we can't move fast."

Gru pondered for a moment:

"Split into two teams. You take half the men and escort the existing prisoners back first. Cross the river along the original route and wait for us in the dense forest on the other side."

"I'll take the other half to the third mine, finish this quickly, and then join you."

"That's too risky."

Goron objected:

"The third mine has the most kobolds, and we'll also encounter humans along the way. You've brought too few people; if something goes wrong..."

"fine."

Gru interrupted him:

"They can't stop me. Your task is more important. There are over 200 kobolds. There can't be any trouble during the escort. Keep a close eye on them."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Goron stopped trying to persuade him:

"Okay, how many people are you bringing?"

"All the trolls, along with Kargath and two shaman apprentices, come with me. The rest of you will stay with you."

Gru quickly arrived:

"I'll set off now."