Chapter 44: Orc Camp
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[You have slain a Sharp-toothed Orc (Level 1). You have gained 16 Experience.]
As Gu Su’s Plague Cutter came crashing down, it sheared off most of the last Sharp-toothed Orc’s skull.
Warm blood sprayed out, spattering the leaf-strewn ground. The brutal ambush had finally come to a close.
Gu Su slowly retracted his Plague Cutter, turning to survey the battlefield. A grim look flashed in his eyes.
His losses in this battle were far greater than he had anticipated.
Of the five Elite Skeletons, three had been destroyed. The remaining two were heavily damaged, their bones cracked and broken, and they could barely remain standing.
The eleven Ordinary Skeletons had suffered even worse losses. Six were destroyed, three were too heavily damaged to move, and only two remained with minor damage, barely able to function.
The only silver lining was the Magic Skeleton Squad. The two Skeletons capable of casting Magic had long since exhausted their Mana, and while their bodies swayed slightly, they were not injured.
The other Magic Skeleton—one that couldn’t cast Magic—had only sustained minor skeletal damage. It was lightly injured and not a major concern.
But with loss comes gain, and this bloody battle was not without its rewards.
All told, they had killed thirty-one Sharp-toothed Orcs—a few more than White Crow had initially scouted.
Furthermore, these Orcs were clearly tougher than Gu Su had expected. In addition to weapons like Big Sabers and Heavy Sticks, many of them wore crude but sturdy Leather Armor, giving them far more Defense Power than ordinary monsters.
The corpses of the slain Orcs, their weapons, and the Leather Armor they wore were all tangible gains, enough to partially offset the loss of his Undead.
Gu Su’s gaze swept back and forth between the Orc corpses on the ground and his battered Skeletons. After a moment of silence, he commanded in a deep voice, "The heavily damaged will rest and recover here. The lightly damaged, with me."
’At first, my idea was to have the heavily damaged Skeletons carry one Orc corpse each, and the lightly damaged Skeletons carry two. I’d transport some of the corpses back to the Graveyard Demon, convert them into new Undead as quickly as possible, and then come back for the rest.’
But he dismissed the thought as soon as it came to him.
’Their combat effectiveness is already compromised. They wouldn’t be able to carry many corpses anyway. It would be a time-consuming and laborious effort, not worth the trouble at all.’
’If I could use vines, planks, and branches to build some temporary carts or simple stretchers, I could transport a large number of corpses at once. The efficiency would be much higher than having the Skeletons carry them.’
Realizing this, Gu Su immediately changed his order. He spoke to his Skeletons in a deep voice, "Go and collect all the vines, planks, and branches we used for the traps. The faster, the better!"
He then looked toward the lightly injured Magic Skeleton and beckoned. "You, come with me. We’re going to check out their camp."
With the order given, the Skeletons immediately set to work, methodically gathering the scattered materials.
Gu Su, for his part, stepped out of the forest and headed toward the Orc Camp.
The Orc Camp wasn’t far from the forest, only a few dozen meters away. Gu Su walked briskly, and moments later, he stepped out from the shadow of the trees. A strangely constructed camp appeared before him.
This was no temporary camp. It had been constructed around the ruins of a collapsed two-story building, cobbled together with crude logs and Beast Skins the Orcs had gathered. It was primitive, yet somewhat organized.
Gu Su stopped to get a better look. The camp was surrounded by a low fence made of sharpened logs.
Dried Beast Bones and vines were entwined in the fence, serving both to deter wild animals and as a warning to intruders.
Tufts of Orc hair and dried bloodstains were scattered between the logs of the fence, a clear sign that fights happened here often.
He stepped into the camp, his eyes immediately drawn to a massive cooking pot hanging over a central fire.
The iron pot’s rim was caked with blackish-brown rust and grease, a sign of long use. BUBBLE BUBBLE. Inside, a greenish, viscous substance was simmering, giving off a strange, foul stench mixed with the smell of scorched wood that was pungent enough to make one gag.
He squinted, trying to get a better look, but couldn’t tell if it was beast meat or just scraps. He could vaguely make out a few irregular chunks of meat and some unknown wild vegetables floating in the concoction.
A few burnt-out logs were scattered next to the fire, and several charred wild fruits—likely leftovers from the Orcs’ meal—were buried in the ashes.
’But to me, this is a treasure.’
Regardless of what was cooking inside, the pot itself, just by its size, was incredibly useful to him.
The chicken soup he’d had that morning had been cooked in a salvaged plastic bucket propped over a fire. The resulting broth was tainted with a pungent, plastic taste that made it nearly impossible to swallow. He could still recall the flavor vividly.
’If I can get this pot back to the Graveyard Demon, cooking will be so much easier. I’ll be able to eat a decent meal without having to put up with that weird plastic taste.’
At this thought, Gu Su quickened his pace, heading deeper into the camp. His eyes scanned the area as he mentally took inventory of the layout and any useful items.
The deeper he went, the more Gu Su realized that the Orcs had planned this camp with some care.
Though the camp as a whole still looked crude and messy, its distinct areas were surprisingly well-defined.
The area to the left, near the ruins, served as a rest area. It was covered with thick hay and several whole Beast Skins, on top of which lay a few tattered linen garments. Beside them was a pile of bags stitched from more skins.
He opened one and found it filled with dried wild fruits and large, unidentifiable root vegetables—the Orcs’ food stores, presumably.
Next to the rest area was an armory, a simple shed built against one of the ruined walls. A dozen or so Orc weapons were piled inside. In addition to the common Big Sabers and Heavy Sticks, there were several sharpened Stone Axes and Long Spears.
The wooden shafts of the Long Spears were wrapped with vines for a better grip, and their tips, polished from hard Beast Bone, glinted coldly.
In a corner were several rolls of tough Beast Skins and some shaped logs, clearly materials the Orcs had prepared for crafting new weapons.
The right side of the camp served as a storeroom. It contained a large, neatly stacked pile of dry firewood.
Beside the wood were several large clay jars filled with a murky liquid. Gu Su leaned in for a sniff and caught a strong, coppery stench—likely beast blood the Orcs had stored.
Next to the jars was a pile of fresh Beast Skins, the blood on them still wet, presumably from a recent kill.
A few coils of hemp rope and several smooth, polished stones of unknown purpose were scattered near the storeroom’s entrance.
The ruins of the collapsed two-story building formed the heart of the camp.
Strange patterns resembling Orc Totems were carved into the surviving walls. Several dried beast heads hung there as well, their fangs bared in ferocious snarls—trophies, no doubt, meant to display the Orcs’ power.
In a corner of the ruins lay a pile of broken stone slabs and rubble, perhaps materials the Orcs had gathered to fortify their camp.
Gu Su’s gaze slowly swept over every corner of the camp, taking in even the smallest details. A flicker of understanding appeared in his eyes.
It was obvious these Orcs weren’t just making a temporary stop. They had established this place as a long-term base, carefully arranging it for an extended stay.
Furthermore, judging by their stockpiles of food and weapons, the Orcs had been here for a significant amount of time, long enough to develop basic routines for living and combat.
As Gu Su reached the deepest part of the camp, his brow furrowed.