Chapter 11: Cannibal Magician
In a remote corner of Storm Ridge, nestled within the heart of Cannibal Valley, over a dozen Ogres were engaged in a ravenous feast, tearing at the charred remains of a wild boar with ferocious delight. The ground was scattered with scraps, blood, and bone fragments—utter chaos.
“Mine! All mine!”
“You fool, how dare you even try to take this?”
At the center of the frenzy stood the largest and most rotund of them all—a towering Ogre who swung his club with brutal precision, knocking out the nearby warrior who had just seized a pork leg. With a single gulp, he devoured it, then licked his fingers in satisfied silence.
His name was Lanpu, chieftain of the Ogre tribe.
Lanpu had grown increasingly sharp-witted lately. His underlings often remarked on it, though they lacked the vocabulary to express it properly—instead, they’d grunt, “Real good at finding food.”
But Lanpu understood. And he took pride in it.
To an Ogre, “good at finding food” was the highest honor—whether through brute strength or cunning intellect.
In between feasts, Lanpu would pore over books he’d stolen from the mysterious Little Snack. He devoured them like a starving beast, learning secrets that reshaped his world.
From Sien’s Adventure Diary, he learned of traps—ingenious methods of luring prey. Place a treasure chest or scatter gold coins along a path, dig a deep pit ahead, cover it with grass, and wait. The results? More “little people” than you could ever eat. The book called it traps. Lanpu loved the sophistication of the word.
But what truly captivated him was the Spell described in Simplified Fireball Technique Analysis—a magical incantation that could summon a fireball larger than a boar’s head, capable of roasting an entire woolly mammoth into a crispy feast.
Using this spell, Lanpu had not only secured endless food but also unified scattered bands of Ogres—some three or four at a time—into a single, formidable tribe of over twenty. Those who refused to join? They became roast meat. Now, they were part of everyone’s digestion.
It was a historic Armor Class achievement—at least in Lanpu’s eyes. So he named his tribe the New Era, a term he’d picked up from one of his books.
Unfortunately, no one in the tribe understood the name. One grunt even asked, “Why not call it the ‘Big Meat Chunk’ tribe?”
Lanpu responded by smashing the offender’s skull with his club.
He often felt a deep, frustrated affection for his subordinates—“hate the iron, but wish it were steel.”
Every time he tried to train them using The Complete Military Drill Manual, they’d scream, “Meat! Meat!” and charge headfirst into battle with clubs flailing.
He’d attempted to teach them Common Tongue, hoping to enable better extortion of human settlements. But the Ogres only knew three words: “Eat,” “Meat,” and “Food.”
“Ah…,” Lanpu sighed, tossing aside a bone. “There are still too few smart ones in this tribe.”
While the others snored loudly, belly full, Lanpu remained awake—thinking, planning.
Recently, he’d begun grooming a young Ogre named Daitou—a name that fit perfectly. The creature had a head larger than the rest, one that seemed to contain twice the brains. Lanpu believed a big skull meant a sharper mind.
“Chief!” called the scout perched atop the hill. “Food! Big food!”
Lanpu spat out a bone and scrambled up the slope, his appetite never truly sated.
“What is it, Daitou?” he asked, eyes gleaming.
“Big lizard! Lots of meat!” Daitou danced excitedly, brandishing his jagged club.
A fire lizard? A wyvern?
Lanpu’s mind raced through a list of terrifying possibilities. None of them were friendly.
“Describe it.”
“Well… red like fresh meat, four legs, two wings, one tail…”
Lanpu’s blood ran cold.
He climbed to the summit himself.
And there, silhouetted against the sun, was the creature.
His face twisted in horror.
“You idiot!”
With a thunderous crack, he swung his club, sending Daitou’s already massive head swelling even further.
“That’s a DRAGON! A real dragon!”
Enraged, Lanpu chased the stunned Ogre down the slope, pummeling him mercilessly.
“Why’d you hit me, chief?” Daitou whimpered, clutching his head. “I just said it was a big lizard!”
It was true—compared to the rest of his kind, Daitou was a genius. He’d recognized it was a lizard, not just screamed “MEAT!” like the others. That was progress.
“Don’t argue!” Lanpu roared. “I told you—don’t—say—anything—until—after—I—say—so!”
“Stop! Chief! The—uh—dragon—it’s coming!”
Daitou wailed, tears streaming.
Lanpu froze. Slowly, he lowered his club.
Above him, the sky darkened.
A Red Dragon hung in the air, wings spread wide, casting a shadow that swallowed the entire ridge.
Lanpu swallowed hard. His mind raced through the rules of etiquette he’d studied in Noble Etiquette Guide.
He took a deep breath and spoke—carefully, formally, with the precision of a diplomat:
“Ah… mighty, noble, and exalted Red Dragon, my humble servant Daitou is a crude and ignorant creature. I shall correct him properly. I humbly ask that you deign not to stoop to his level in anger.”
The words dripped with the refined tone of a courtly minstrel.
The effect was immediate.
High above, Kai Xiusu, the dragon’s rider, nearly fell from his mount.
The sheer audacity of the speech—coming from a Ogre—was almost laughable.
But the Red Dragon said nothing.
It simply stared down, its vertical pupils narrowing slightly—revealing a flicker of genuine surprise.
> [Based on your own strength, you can perceive the following information]
> [Cannibal Magician]
> Name: Lanpu
> Type: Large Giant, Neutral Evil
> Race: Ogre
> Armor Class: 12 (Leather Armor)
> Abilities:
> - Strength: 18
> - Dexterity: 8
> - Constitution: 16
> - Intelligence: 17
> - Wisdom: 8
> - Charisma: 12
>
> Proficiencies:
> - Arcane +3, Hunting +4, Traps +3, Reading +6, Military +2, Leadership +4, Herbalism +2, Persuasion +2, Deception +2
>
> Senses: Passive Perception 14
> Languages: Common Tongue, Draconic, Giant Tongue
>
> Actions: Power Strike, Bite, Pound
>
> Combat Gear:
> - Ring of Intellectual Research: A wizard’s enchanted circlet, forged for a dull-witted noble. It locks Intelligence at 17.
> - Ring of Arcane Secrets: Grants +1 to Arcane checks, +4 to Reading.
> - Albert’s Silver Bracelet: Allows one per-day save against 4th-level spells.
>
> Class Level: 5th-level Mage
> Spellcasting Ability: 5th-level
>
> Spells Known:
> - 1st Level: None
> - 2nd Level: None
> - 3rd Level: Fireball
>
> Challenge Rating: 6 (2,100 XP)
>
> Assessment: “This is a rare Cannibal Magician. He is genuinely intelligent—do not underestimate him. If you provoke him, you’ll learn the cost of mocking a Mage.”
>
> “Arcane, Military, Leadership, Herbalism… A true scholar-warrior. A rare talent.”
>
> “Intelligence 17? In any human city, he’d be a sage. In a goblin tribe, he’d be called a Prophet. But here? He’s just the guy who finds food for the tribe.”
>
> “That headband? A god-tier item in the early game. If I were a Mage, I’d steal it without hesitation. But I’m a Sorcerer—no time for multitasking. Still… a Mage under my command would be useful.”
>
> “The Multiverse is vast. If an Ogre can become a Mage… what is impossible?”
Silence hung heavy.
The Red Dragon and the Ogre stared at each other—one colossal, ancient, and majestic; the other, large, clever, and trembling.
Lanpu gripped his club, sweat dripping from his brow. His mind raced, already constructing a Spellcraft Model in preparation.
(End of Chapter)
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