"Gorgin! We could have easily wiped out these jackals and defeated that cyclops. Then, all the goblin's possessions would be ours. Why are you insisting on doing business?"

  "After all, you're an ogre. How on earth could we ogres get involved with merchants and set up a service area?"

  In the evening, Horne made her way to the Ogre House of Amorous Feelings.

  Seeing Gorgin lounging there, enjoying himself, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of dissatisfaction.

  "Mom, I'm your son. Just trust me and follow my lead."

  "Oh!"

  With that, Horne turned and left.

  She found herself nodding internally at her son's words.

  This lad had been sharp - witted since childhood.

  Unlike the other thick - skulled ogres, he was always brimming with out - of - the - box ideas.

  Yet, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter.

  He was her flesh and blood, and no matter how brilliant he was, he'd always be her child.

  In essence, Gorgin was a hybrid，a blend of Blue Planet humans and the denizens of the Endless Desert.

  He was done with the twenty - year - long life of gnawing on raw meat.

  Back then, with his father and another ogre mage in charge, his innovative ideas had no chance of seeing the light of day.

  Now, as the chieftain of the tribe, with his mother being the sole remaining ogre mage, the others had no option but to back him up.

  Gorgin harbored an entrepreneurial spirit.

  Hence, the concept of the Ogre Service Area came into being.

  For now, though, it remained a somewhat haphazard idea.

  If they took a liking to someone and that person was amenable, they'd be welcomed as a guest.

  Take the orcs before and the goblin Gerry today, for example.

  Those who were ungrateful and made a ruckus would simply be dealt with.

  The previous human merchant caravan was a case in point.

  Gorgin's connection to Blue Planet humans was fading steadily, leaving behind only an ingrained obsession.

  This explained why he could watch coldly as two Blue Planet humans were tormented by the jackals.

  He was an ogre, a native of this cutthroat world where the strong devoured the weak without a second thought.

  For Blue Planet humans, arriving in this world was fraught with difficulties.

  Both the harsh environment and the indigenous inhabitants posed formidable challenges to their survival.

  Gorgin was grateful to be a native...

  Early the next morning, Gerry was all set to depart.

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  The supplies he offered were his potions.

  There was a corrosive potion paired with an antidote.

  When shattered, they would disperse into the air.

  Any breathing creature that inhaled them would experience a slow corrosion of their internal organs.

  True, it sounded terrifying, but in reality, the effect was rather weak.

  For ogres, this level of damage was negligible compared to their self - healing abilities.

  However, for weaker creatures, it was still quite menacing.

  Alchemists could whip up this kind of potion with relative ease, and travelers in the desert would often purchase one or two bottles when they encountered it.

  "Thanks for your hospitality, Gorgin. I never imagined that ogres would one day be in the business game. It's quite a shock."

  Gerry the goblin, perched on the back of the cyclops, mused aloud.

  "What's more, there's such crystal - clear premium water here. If you've got more, I'd love some."

  As he said this, a tinge of regret colored Gerry's voice.

  He simply couldn't believe that Gorgin still had any of that premium water.

  Gorgin scratched his head.

  "Well... I do have a bit left, but not much. If you can meet the price, it's yours."

  "Really?"

  Gerry's eyes lit up. "I definitely want it. I'll take every drop you have."

  Gorgin flashed a grin. He'd just encountered a big - time customer.

  He gestured for Gerry to hold on and then retreated to the tribe.

  When he emerged again, six staff members from the House of Amorous Feelings were each carrying a bowl filled with clear spring water.

  "This is all I can offer. Do you have goods of equivalent value? I'm not interested in gold coins; I want goods resources."

  This put Gerry in a bind, as he'd planned to settle the bill with gold coins.

  Most of what he'd brought was gold, and apart from some potions, he had little in the way of actual goods.

  "Here's a bottle of rage potion. Drinking it will double your attack power and speed for half an hour. What do you say?"

  Gerry produced a purple - hued potion and gave it a little shake.

  "Seems a bit short, doesn't it? This is six bowls of premium water we're talking about! And who knows when the next batch will be ready."

  Gorgin widened his eyes, feigning hesitation. Of course, it was all for show in front of the goblin.

  "Next time" "Refinement"

  These two words swirled in Gerry's mind.

  Could this ogre tribe actually possess the technology to refine premium water?

  For a fleeting moment, he entertained the thought of rallying a group to force the ogres to hand over this precious knowledge.

  But he quickly dismissed the idea.

  The ogres' combat prowess was formidable.

  If this were a tribe lacking an ogre mage, he'd have no qualms about returning with reinforcements to take what he wanted by force.

  But alas, there were two ogre mages here...

  And refining premium water surely demanded a substantial amount of oasis water!

  They couldn't possibly divert all of the oasis water for this purpose.

  He assumed that Gorgin was also an ogre mage; otherwise, he couldn't be so astute.

  "Well... how about leaving those two humans with you as food? I was planning to use them for potion testing anyway."

  Gerry turned and pointed at the two Blue Planet humans, their faces bruised and mouths drooling.

  Gorgin scratched his head again.

  "I guess it's possible... but they're so scrawny."

  Gerry, typically stingy, looked over, pursed his lips, and, to everyone's surprise, agreed.

  "Fair point... How about I also leave you a jackal? It can guard the place or serve as emergency rations."

  Gorgin nodded, and then signaled to the House of Amorous Feelings staff to hand the water bowls to the goblin one by one.

  With that, Gerry took his leave, leaving behind two humans, a jackal, and the promised potions.

  The jackal and the two Blue Planet humans were quaking in their boots.

  The jackal knew full well what ogres were capable of.

  Now that it was alone, it tucked its tail tightly between its legs.

  As for the two humans, the jackal's terrified demeanor and the ogres' imposing forms left no doubt that they were dealing with something far more terrifying.

  Gorgin motioned for the jackal to relax.

  "Don't worry, you filthy little hyena. We won't eat you. Just be a good watchdog, and you'll be well - fed."

  Gorgin shot a rare look of reassurance at the trembling jackal and then had it taken to the tribe entrance and tied up.

  The jackal flopped onto the ground, baring its belly in submission.

  As for the two humans...

  One had an Asian appearance, and it was hard to determine his nationality.

  The other was tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

  When Gorgin's gaze landed on them, the Asian - faced man immediately placed his hands on his knees and dropped to his knees with a thud, bowing repeatedly as he babbled away.

  They couldn't make out his words for the time being, as the effects of the goblin's potion were still in play.

  "Nu! Drag him out and give him a good thrashing!"

  Gorgin pointed at the kneeling man and barked at Nu, the tribe's top brawler, who was squatting nearby, watching the spectacle.

  The man didn't even have a chance to resist.

  Nu's powerful punch sent him sprawling to the ground.