Chapter 74: The Ogre (5)

After eating, everyone returned to their best condition. Su Lun then directed the Barbarian Warriors to assemble the Ballistas. It took half an hour, and all eight Ballistas were fully assembled. Su Lun tested each Ballista and confirmed that they were in working order before the group set out again.

As they moved closer to the Ogre camp, it became difficult for Su Lun and his party to hide their presence. But by this point, concealing themselves was no longer necessary.

By the time Su Lun and the others appeared at the foot of the mountain, a Gnoll had already spotted them.

Ogre Camp.

A strong Ogre Mage raised a heavy Spiked Club and roared, “Prepare for battle!”

“All Ogre Warriors, assemble! You fools, the enemy is at our doorstep!”

“Gather the slaves and give them weapons. Kill any who dare to run!”

“Tell them that if they kill even one enemy, I will grant them freedom!”

The deafening roar echoed, and all the Ogres immediately sprang into action. After the Ogre Mage issued the commands, all construction within the camp came to a halt. The Ogres began herding the slaves together.

Crude weapons were handed out to the slaves. Goblins, Kobolds, and Gnolls were all treated as cannon fodder. These slaves had been captured from tribes destroyed by the Ogres. Having experienced the brutal, overpowering battles before, they were already terrified and too scared to resist, even with weapons in hand.

Hearing the Ogre’s promise that killing one enemy would earn them freedom, the slaves’ dull eyes suddenly focused on the human army at the foot of the mountain. As a warrior race, the Ogres prepared for battle very quickly. Every Ogre, male and female, armed themselves.

They wore heavy chest plates, bulky and ugly gauntlets, and spiked shoulder guards. Each Ogre carried weapons like Spiked Clubs or giant axes. The Ogre Warriors also carried three Throwing Spears each. These Ogre Warriors had even fiercer appearances, with faces painted in strange pigments. Some even had a single horn, and their faces were marked with messy tattoos. Many Ogres also bore eerie tattoos on their bodies.

“Warriors of the Warhammer Tribe! Someone dares to invade our territory. Tell me, what will you do?” the Ogre Mage standing on a high platform bellowed.

“Smash their heads and eat them!” the Ogres roared in reply. The slaves nearby trembled with fear; a few even dropped their weapons.

Crack!

A loud whip cracked through the air.

The Kobold that dropped its weapon was lashed until its skin broke open, nearly beaten to death. The surrounding slaves scrambled away in fear. A fully armed Ogre stepped forward, axed the Kobold dead, and then hung its body on a pole.

Several other Ogres opened the beast cages in the camp and drove out giant porcupines weighing over a thousand pounds. These porcupines had sharp tusks and backs covered in spines. Just looking at them was frightening. In every battle, the Ogres drove both their tamed porcupines and the slaves forward as cannon fodder.

They used them to weaken the enemy’s forces. The Ogres followed behind this frontline. If the enemy’s formation broke, the Ogres would charge in. If the cannon fodder suffered heavy losses, the Ogres would first attack with Throwing Spears.

Seeing the Ogre army gathering, Su Lun did not hurry. He maintained the original pace and stopped about four hundred meters from the mountain’s base. Ogres were not known for defense; they favored attack, especially when they saw the enemy was vastly outnumbered.

Just as expected, after assembling, the Ogre army, led by the Ogre Mage, moved to the foot of the mountain. At the front were various slaves. Behind them, Ogres drove the porcupines forward. The messy formation looked like a mob, but underestimating them would be a grave mistake.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A deep war drum sounded. A shirtless Ogre held a pair of leg bones from some unknown monster and beat them heavily against a war drum. The drumbeats were low but carried far, and could be heard clearly across the battlefield.

As the drumming continued, the Ogres grew more aggressive. The slave cannon fodder at the front also seemed to gain courage, waving their weapons and shrieking wildly.

Su Lun frowned slightly. As soon as the drumming started, he sensed a magical fluctuation. It wasn’t strong, but it covered the entire battlefield. The Ogres’ behavior was likely influenced by the drum’s effect.

“Humans!”

The Ogre Mage stood on a wooden platform and yelled.

“This land belongs to the Warhammer Tribe! You dare attack the tribe of Wizard Kalongdo? I will kill every one of you and imprison your souls in the Black Prison until the end of the world!”

“Load the Ballistas!”

Su Lun said coldly. He tugged the reins and rode to the front of the battle formation. By now, Su Lun was clad in beast-faced Iron Armor and held a spear over two meters long.

“Ogres!” Su Lun pointed his spear. “I don’t care about your Wizard Kalongdo.”

“Leave these lands at once! Otherwise, I will slaughter every one of you!” Lightning Glow flickered around Su Lun’s body, and his voice thundered across the battlefield.

The Ogre Mage showed no fear. “Human! You have angered me. I will cut off your head myself and turn it into a drinking vessel!”

Following his roar, the war drums grew faster and more frantic. The rapid drumming pressed down like a suffocating heartbeat. All the slaves, driven by the Ogres, charged toward the human formation. Their eyes were bloodshot, and not a trace of fear remained as they howled and rushed forward.

The Ogres cracked their whips, and over a dozen huge porcupines were also driven toward the humans. These porcupines were massive, and their charge was terrifying. Their heavy footsteps rumbled like thunder. Slaves too slow to get out of the way were trampled, leaving behind mangled, bloody remains.

“Chris.” Su Lun called out. Chris, still in her black and white maid outfit, stepped forward. She smiled at Su Lun first, then turned her gaze to the battlefield.

“Summon Demon!”

A dark red glow suddenly appeared in the center of the battlefield. A second later, a three-meter-tall Demon stood there, followed by four slightly smaller Demons.

Anyone familiar with Demons would recognize these creatures immediately. The one at the front was a Barlgura, a High-tier Demon, and behind it were four Yuan-ti, mid-tier Demons.

The Barlgura was tall and powerfully built. Among Demons, they were known as core fighters who loved battle. The moment it appeared on the battlefield, it let out a wild roar and charged toward the Gnoll slaves.