Volume 9: Home Chapter 283 Uninvited Guests
As the autumn wind blows, the remaining yellow leaves on the treetops can no longer withstand the call of the earth, and they bid farewell to the branches with tears and return to the embrace of the earth.
"Hiss... It's getting cold so early here!" A tall, strong and fat figure jumped out from the bleak woods, shivering as he pulled up his pants, complaining, "It's still warm in Cuili Plain, but it's almost winter here!"
Outside the woods, beside the gurgling stream, there were more than a thousand vigorous-looking, fully armed orc warriors squatting or standing, divided into two sides clearly according to their hair color - one side had fluffy and thick brown hair like the sturdy man who followed the woods into the stream, and the other side was covered with white hair.
A white-haired orc with angry hair and beard sitting on a cowhide bag turned his head to look at the complaining strong man, frowned slightly, and said coldly: "Really? I think that compared with the Windfury Plateau, the climate in the Cursed Land is much milder."
The brown-haired burly man said "Hey", but didn't respond. Instead, he waved to his own soldiers: "Have you rested well, guys? Let's get ready to go!"
The orcs on both sides quickly packed up their luggage, cleared away any traces of the team's rest, and continued to move westward along the stream.
The orcs who crossed the York Mountains and entered the Cursed Land did not dare to take the best route in the north. It was quite dangerous for them to get too close to the Samal Snow Mountain. It was not possible to pass through the middle either. If they broke into the Tauren tribal territory, it would be embarrassing.
Naturally, the only route available to these uninvited guests was along the coast.
Traveling was boring, especially in such a strange and desolate place. Although they did try to avoid the locals, they still felt uneasy after not seeing any living people for more than half a month.
In a sheltered canyon, two groups of Far Eastern orcs with distinct characteristics still had no intention of mixing with each other, and each occupied a piece of flat ground to camp for the night.
The wild boar being roasted on the lit bonfire was sizzling with fat. Two young white-haired orcs were turning the grill and brushing barbecue sauce on the wild boar meat with a small brush.
One of them seemed to be closer to their leader. He was busy with his work and kept talking to the leader who was sitting next to him wiping and maintaining his weapons: "General, have those snow werewolves really built a wealthy tribe here? Why don't they live with the tauren in the middle of the cursed land? Why do they have to go to such a remote place?"
As soon as the young man spoke, someone nearby echoed him: "Yes, all we saw along the way was barren mountains and wasteland, nothing else."
Before the white-haired general could say anything, the young man who was turning the grill said, "Don't make wild guesses. If there wasn't a great benefit, why would the moon bears be willing to send people out here to blow the cold wind? Those delicate people from the Green Plains can't stand the cold like us white bears."
The white bear warriors who were resting nearby burst into laughter, and some even cast contemptuous glances towards the moon bear camp.
General White Bear smiled accordingly, but his expression was not as relaxed as the others.
As night fell, the camp became quiet.
General White Bear arranged the night patrol personnel and returned to his tent to sit alone for a while. Then he got up secretly, avoided the patrolling soldiers' route, and approached the Moon Bear camp under the cover of night.
Against the mountain wall, behind a thicket of thorns, the Moon Bear's general, the tall, strong and fat brown-haired orc, was sitting on a rock waiting for him.
General White Bear stood outside the two-meter-high thorn bush, stared at General Moon Bear for a few seconds, and said in a deep voice: "Bazel."
Moon Bear General Bazel stood up and tilted his head slightly: "You also think that we should have a talk...right, Wood."
White Bear General Wood walked silently to Basel and stood two meters away, expressing his attitude with his actions.
Bazel never talked to Wood during the day, but now he was talking a lot: "Our emperor promised that whichever side captures the most and most important leaders of the Snow Wolf Tribe will be able to share the rule of the Snow Wolf Tribe with the Black Bear Tribe." After a pause, this guy who looked reckless, rude, and brainless narrowed his eyes, revealing his shrewdness hidden under his rude appearance, "This seems to be a good thing... but it is precisely because it is too good that it makes people feel uneasy, isn't it?"
Wood gave an ambiguous sneer and said stiffly: "You moon bears, are you afraid too?"
Bazel was not angry. Instead, he chuckled, "During this journey, I have heard you mention the comparison between the Windfury Plateau and the Cursed Land at least five times. It seems that the promise you white bears received is different from ours. Did our emperor make an additional promise to you? If you can conquer the grassland tribe, the emperor will allow your white bear tribe to migrate some of their people to the Cursed Land?"
Wood's face changed suddenly.
The Moon Bear tribe (actually brown bears) is the largest branch of the bear tribe, with a total population of over five million. It owns the most prosperous city in the Far East, Moon Bear City, and occupies the most fertile and vast Green Plains in the Far East continent. Compared with them, the Golden Plains of the Lion Tribe can only be regarded as a marginal land.
In contrast, the White Bear tribe was in a worse situation. They feared heat and loved cold, and lived in the coldest Windfury Plateau. The climate suited their preferences, but the food and daily necessities of more than two million people became a problem... The climate of the Windfury Plateau was similar to that of the Samar Snow Mountain, and the winds were howling for at least half a year. Not to mention staple food, even supplementary food was a problem.
The snow elves who live in the same climate zone don't have this worry because the snow elves have a small population and have worked hard for several generations to create a giant magic circle that covers the entire Ice and Snow King City. The white bear clan doesn't have this condition...
Bazel looked at his old rival with pity: "A hungry person will eat the flesh of a poisonous scorpion without hesitation. I think this may be the reason why you, the White Bear Clan, are willing to follow the Snow Wolf Clan's example even though they set a precedent."
Wood's face looked grim and his cheek muscles were tense. His body, which was taller and slightly stronger than Basel, was trembling slightly, as if he would lose control and rush forward to beat the other party at any time.
Bazel secretly took a half step back, but he didn't stop talking: "Everyone in the Far East knows what happened to the Snow Wolf Clan who were loyal to the Tiger King. It's your business if the White Bear Clan wants to become the second Snow Wolf Clan, but it's best not to involve us Moon Bears."
Wood took a step forward with red eyes, his fists clenched and veins bulging out, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Why, are you trying to say that you, the Moon Bear Clan, have no interest in the wealth of the Snow Wolf Clan?"
Bazel chuckled again: "Of course... not! I just want to remind you that the Black Bear Clan is not moving with us!"
After saying that, this guy ran back to his camp without hesitation... They were all bears, so how could he not know what Wood's temper was like!
Wood glared at Basel's figure as he disappeared into the thorn bushes. His clenched fists finally loosened and his tense facial muscles relaxed.
As one of the twelve generals of the White Bear Clan, Wood naturally knew that the Beast King had ulterior motives in showing extra goodwill to the White Bear Clan.
It stands to reason that being loyal to one's emperor should be a matter of course... However, the way the Tiger Tribe brought the Snow Wolf Tribe from its peak to the mire two hundred years ago made all the orcs in the Far East feel sad!
The Snow Wolf Clan, who remained loyal to the Tiger Clan until the very last moment, were feared by the Tiger Clan who had lost their Tiger King, and they did not allow a single adult member of the tribe to leave the battlefield alive!
As for the Bear King who ruled the Far East after the Tiger King, in order to quickly calm the restless hearts of the people and to counter the pressure from the elves, he had no room for tolerance and mercy. Instead, he was a hundred times more brutal and cruel than the Tiger King... As a result, the vague rift between the Emperor and the various tribes naturally had no chance of healing.
But no matter how much the White Bear Clan feared the Beast King deep in their hearts, the wealth created by the Snow Wolf Clan in the Cursed Land and the huge amount of food produced were indeed what the White Bear Clan desperately desired and could not refuse; Wood, who came here on orders, had vaguely regarded himself as the future half-master of the Cursed Land along the way, and unconsciously examined this land with a critical and satisfied eye.
The cunning Bazel saw through the determination of the White Bear Clan. This bastard, who also coveted the wealth of the Cursed Land, tricked Wood out and played such a trick of alienation...
In the following days, Wood no longer had the mood to critically examine the future territory. He kept a sullen face and kept the farthest distance from Basel.
At this time, the grassland tribes, whose homes they had managed for many years were regarded as the property of others, were busy digging trenches, hiding sentry towers, and laying traps along the routes suitable for entry and exit in the southwest...
In a valley that was neither too far nor too close to a water source and seemed suitable for camping overnight, several big cats were hanging on the steep mountain wall with ropes tied to their bodies, and were drilling holes in the hard mountain wall with steel drills.
After spending more than two hours and with their hands weak from exhaustion, the big cats finally managed to chisel a number of holes in the mountain wall that was more than 30 meters above the ground. They slowly slid down, carefully picked up the thin glass tubes wrapped in cotton cloth and straw, climbed back up the mountain wall, and stuffed them into the holes one by one.
"Be careful not to damage the vines on the mountain. Hide the fuse inside the vines and pull it down!" On the ground, the gray dwarf Charles, who was wearing a hard plastic safety helmet, looked up and shouted.
"Don't worry, we have even preserved the moss well, it will definitely not be visible!" The big cats who were busy installing dangerous goods waved.
The goblin Baron ran around the valley twice with his short legs, looking up at the surrounding mountain walls and the space in the valley. He seemed to feel that it was not safe, so he ran back with his short legs: "Char, the two sides of this area are a bit far apart. The rocks that will collapse from the explosion we installed may not be able to hit this area. What if someone sets up camp here?"
"That's easy." The gray dwarf Sharle adjusted his helmet and said confidently, "We can clear a piece of land near the mountain wall and leave some campfire remnants, gnawed bones, etc. People passing by here will know that this is a common camping place for the locals and they will definitely camp here."
"Will this work?" The goblin Baron didn't quite believe it.
" Don't worry . I specifically asked Mr. Aldoni and the others about this. Travelers are more accustomed to camping in places where others have lived. This way, they can avoid many safety hazards. We should take advantage of this... well, in Ayun's words, psychological blind spot." Charles raised his hand confidently and pointed to the deployment area he had decided on. "The manual detonation device we use is very flexible. The fuse can be pulled to the outside of the valley from that side. Our secret sentry is deployed in that woods. If we climb up the highest tree, we can see the situation in the valley."
"If the people who enter this valley don't camp near the mountain wall, then we won't detonate the bomb and will adopt the second plan: pour the prepared moldy water into the pool nearby, and wait until they have diarrhea and become disabled before we come in to clean up. Although it is a bit more dangerous than blowing up the mountain wall and burying the enemy in one go, as long as our people are careful, it won't be a big problem."
The goblin Baron scratched his bald head and reluctantly agreed to Charles' idea.
After installing the explosive tubes and arranging the fuses for the project, they hid the pre-assembled wooden house in the treetops at the entrance of the valley. Charles, Baron and the others left two goblins as sentinels, and hurriedly packed up their things and rushed to the next place...
Yes, these ruthless traps set along the road are operated by a team of two goblins or gray dwarves. If the enemy is ambushed, the two goblins can kill the enemy without any injuries. If the enemy is not ambushed, or does not take this road, then the tree house/burrow where the two goblins/gray dwarves stay for a while is not a waste of manpower...
Even the unexploded engineering explosives can be recycled and reused! No waste at all!
Even as weak as goblins and gray dwarves, they can play a role in fighting the enemy and participate in the battle to defend their homes. This is the spirit of resistance that the grassland tribes show against their enemies~!
The countdown to autumn on the grasslands gradually begins. Entering the various passages in the southwest, under the desolate and empty appearance, countless murderous intentions are hidden...
