Chapter 190: Cleaning the Battlefield
With the fall of WarEnd and the obliteration of the Frost Giant Tribes, the armies of the Kingdom of Ashen swiftly swept through the ravaged battlefield, looting whatever spoils they could find and hauling the captured Frost Giant slaves back to Northwind Keep.
Meanwhile, Players roamed the smoke-choked battlefield with unrestrained greed, rummaging through corpses with glee.
"Nice find! That Frost Giant’s eye is mine!"
"Can this finger be used to craft a Giant Spirit Medicine?"
"Look at this massive Bone Club—how much broth could we boil from it?"
"What if Giant flesh is some kind of super potent tonic? We should cut off a few chunks to take back. Heh, might come in handy during a future update. Wow, this thing’s heavy—come help me carry it! My Strength isn’t enough to lift it!"
"Ugh, you’re so disgusting! Keep your filth away from me!"
"Don’t be such a fool—don’t you get it? When the Server launches, demand will be insane. This’ll sell out in seconds. Even if we just display it, it’s worth a fortune!"
The Players acted like vultures—taking anything they could grab. Even the Ogres, notorious for their cannibalistic habits, were visibly unsettled by the sheer recklessness on display.
The Ogre known as Daitou sneered at the frenzied mob, his eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. Just a bunch of barbarians."
"We civilized Ogres clean up our meals properly. They don’t even bother to sort through the scraps."
With a casual motion, Daitou tore a chunk of meat from a Frost Giant’s arm. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he shoved the morsel into his mouth and chewed with deep satisfaction.
"Daitou! You’re eating another Humanoid Species again!"
A familiar voice rang out right beside him.
Daitou froze. The meat fell from his mouth, landing with a wet thud. He trembled, scanning the battlefield frantically—but there was no sign of Lanpu’s towering form.
Just as he exhaled in relief, a wooden magical force field materialized above his head.
"Ow! Damn it!"
"Lord Lanpu’s getting harder to predict these days," Daitou groaned, rubbing the bruise forming on his skull as he tossed the half-chewed meat aside.
Inside the central Command Tent, Lanpu felt the spell activate. A satisfied smirk spread across his face.
"Hmph. Disobedient underlings always get what they deserve."
This was Lanpu’s self-invented second-level spell—Lanpu’s Ogre Discipline Spell. It triggered whenever one of his Ogres violated the established rules, instantly alerting Lanpu and summoning a magical wooden baton to deliver a sharp, punishing blow to the offender’s head.
Lanpu was utterly proud of his creation. He firmly believed that one day, he would mold the Ogres into a truly civilized race—wisdom and strength incarnate. The perfect species, second only to the Red Dragon, ruling this land with grace and power.
"Ow!" Daitou’s wail echoed again.
Lanpu’s expression darkened. His arm twitched slightly.
"Ow! Why’s it still happening?!"
The same voice returned.
A heavy cloud of gloom settled over Lanpu’s face. His features twisted, his skin turning as black as wet stone.
The Cannibal Magician snatched up the fallen baton, veins bulging along his forearm. A fierce aura erupted from the Command Tent.
"Daitou! Are you trying to die?!"
Stuffed Bun and Singo landed gently on the ground, leading their Two-Headed Dragon as it scoured the battlefield for loot. They’d already collected a few Frost Giant eyes and fingers as crafting materials. As for the massive, crude weapons and armor—those were beneath their notice.
Stuffed Bun grumbled, "I feel like we haven’t even started yet. These Frost Giants dropped so fast. All we’ve been doing is watching the boss’s epic combat cutscene."
Singo asked flatly, "So how many did you actually kill?"
Stuffed Bun rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I, uh… successfully distracted one."
"Pathetic." Singo delivered the verdict without emotion. "The Official really botched the balance this time. The main quest’s difficulty was way too high. Players had no real chance to participate. Only someone like me, a high-level pro, could take down a couple of Frost Giants and get negligible combat rewards."
Stuffed Bun had long grown used to Singo’s effortless arrogance. He simply ignored it and changed the subject. "So, what now? Only ten days left in the Grace Period. My Experience Points are already overflowing. I’m just waiting for the Server Launch to break the Level Cap and start leveling up like a madman."
Singo was about to reply—when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Singo!"
He turned.
A gleaming bald head greeted him—none other than Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang, the veteran Barbarian Player, covered head to toe in Frost Giant blood. A necklace of Frost Giant fingers hung around his neck, and a wide grin split his face.
"Guys, let me tell you—this fight was amazing! I went full Enlarge and Haste, charged straight in, jumped from behind, wrapped my arms around that Frost Giant, and went for a full Naked Chokehold—"
He paused, striking a dramatic pose mid-sentence.
Crack! The giant’s neck snapped under the pressure. "I literally choked it to death! What a glorious battle!"
"Wait, wait—there was another one trying to sneak up on me. I spun around, whack!—"
Stuffed Bun listened, eyes wide, as the story unfolded. He remembered his own humiliating ordeal—being chased through the air, pelted with rocks, utterly outmatched.
He couldn’t help but sweat in shame.
Clearly, not all suffering was shared.
"Hey, you’re here!"
A bright, clear voice cut through the air—Xia Ye Qiu Yu.
Unlike the others, she hadn’t been scavenging eyes or fingers. Instead, she was carefully collecting a few Eternal Frost Runes, jotting notes on how they might be used later.
"I did pretty well this time. Fire magic is super effective against Frost Giants," she said, her voice calm.
A faint Gunsmoke scent lingered around her, and her face bore faint Red Scales—clear signs she’d just used her Dragon Bloodline to cast a spell. Rumor had it she’d joined the Five Fireball Cult, a fanatical guild of Fire Spellcaster Players obsessed with explosive firepower. They were all waiting impatiently for the Server Launch to unleash a barrage of Fireballs across the world.
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang rubbed his shiny scalp with a sigh. "Lately, Qiu Yu’s been getting way too aggressive. I was locked in a brutal fight with a Frost Giant when she dropped a Fire Spell right on top of me. Nearly roasted me alive!"
Xia Ye Qiu Yu flushed slightly, defending herself. "I—I didn’t kill you, did I?"
The old “Black Slave Four” squad had reunited once more.
Stuffed Bun was the first to speak up.
"Alright, everyone. We’re at the end of internal testing. The server’s shutting down in a few days. Since we’re all here, why don’t we team up and explore the Karka Mountain Range? Maybe we’ll get lucky and find an Artifact."
Singo stroked his chin, considering. After a moment, he nodded. "Fine."
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang wiped the grime from his scalp, grinning. "I’m in."
(End of Chapter)
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