"Woof~~~ Awoo awoo woof! Grrrrr~~~"

  A cacophony of distinct jackal howls pierced through the stillness of the ogre tribe, shattering the peaceful slumber of the ogres.

  The jackal, on the verge of launching an attack, suddenly recalled its current role as a mere watchdog, not a combatant.

  Its duty was simply to rouse the ogres. After all, it had no bones as rewards; why risk its life needlessly?

  Thus, it unleashed this continuous series of howls.

  "Roar!!!"

  Nu, jolted awake from his slumber, shot upright and let out an ear - splitting roar.

  Miraculously, this very roar saved the jackal from certain doom.

  Instantly, the tribe erupted into chaos.

  One by one, groggy ogres emerged from their shacks, bleary - eyed, gripping their colossal bone hammers.

  Gorgin, too, was roused from his sleep.

  Rubbing his large, sleepy eyes, he stepped out.

  "What's going on! Nu! Go and investigate!"

  Jackals were innately timid; it wouldn't wake the ogres without good reason.

  There had to be something amiss.

  At the thought of this, Gorgin felt a rush of excitement coursing through his veins. How many years had passed since his birth?

  Over twenty, surely.

  This was the first time someone had dared to invade the ogre tribe in the dead of night. This was truly... exhilarating!!!

  As a pure - blooded, native - born ogre, the urge to fight was deeply ingrained in his marrow.

  Even the ogres' sperm, so to speak, was more battle - ready than that of other races.

  With a thunderous roar, Nu stomped towards the tribe's entrance.

  The jackal, seeing this, promptly tucked its tail between its legs and scurried aside.

  In the distance, a burly figure brandishing an axe came to an abrupt halt.

  Nu, already in a foul mood from being woken up, was equally startled upon seeing the figure.

  "Guest???"

  The arrival was none other than Kash Chewbone, the ogre tribe's first repeat customer.

  When this orc caught sight of the jackal at the ogre tribe's entrance, he nearly charged forward.

  Kash was left bewildered.

  Had the ogre tribe fallen to the jackals?

  Impossible. The ogre tribe was far too powerful, and the jackals were not that formidable.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Now, upon seeing Nu, Gorgin's top enforcer, Kash finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Nu was here, Gorgin was here. If Gorgin was here, his mother was here. And if his mother, the powerful ogre mage, was here, the ogre tribe remained secure.

  Gorgin, too, heard Nu's call. As one of the few ogres capable of uttering more than a single word, Gorgin instantly grasped Nu's meaning. A guest had arrived. After all, Nu had grown up following Gorgin since childhood; they shared an unspoken understanding.

  Gorgin emerged at the entrance and was visibly taken aback to see Kash. Kash stood there, solitary, his battle axe in hand. One of his thick, menacing tusks was broken, and his body was marred by numerous wounds, though the bleeding had ceased. He presented a truly sorry sight.

  "Kash? My friend, what on earth has befallen you?"

  In the unforgiving Endless Desert, the law of the jungle reigned supreme, and battles raged daily. Such a state for an orc was, unfortunately, quite common. However... Gorgin's curiosity was piqued. What was this orc doing at his doorstep? Was he here to offer a boon or, worse, to shift his troubles onto Gorgin? Gorgin hoped for the former. If it were the latter, he'd have no choice but to reluctantly offer Kash as an extra meal for Nu and the others. It would be a pity to lose their first repeat customer.

  Kash hadn't anticipated Gorgin's rapid thought process. In the orc's perception, aside from ogre mages, ogres were not known for their guile.

  "Gorgin, I've come seeking aid!"

  The orc spoke in a deep, gravelly voice, his face contorted with ferocity and seething 杀意.

  Gorgin gestured for Kash to continue, indicating his full attention.

  "My caravan was ambushed, a mere two hundred kilometers from here. A horde of loathsome centaurs was responsible!"

  "They launched a surprise attack under the cover of darkness, slaying my tribesmen and pillaging my goods!"

  The orc roared, his anger palpable.

  "So???"

  Gorgin blinked, waiting for the orc to get to the point.

  "Gorgin, I'm here to hire your tribesmen! I intend to crush those filthy bandits, sever their heads, and reclaim my stolen goods!"

  "I recall you offering a hiring - out service, correct?"

  It seemed like a golden opportunity to make some coin. A grin spread across Gorgin's face, rendering him even more hideous and terrifying.

  "Of course. Provided you can meet the price, we'll reduce those witless centaurs to a pulp!"

  "But..."

  Gorgin eyed Kash up and down, sizing him up.

  "You've lost your goods. What means do you have to pay the reward?"

  Kash gritted his teeth resolutely. "If we retrieve the goods, two - thirds shall be yours!"

  Gorgin waved his hands dismissively. "You must understand, those goods are no longer yours. They now belong to the bandits. If we reclaim them, they'll be our spoils of war, plain and simple. You can't use our future spoils to pay for our services. That's patently unfair."

  Kash was momentarily stunned. On reflection, Gorgin's words held merit.

  "Only items that are indisputably yours can serve as payment. And rest assured, we ogres do not extend credit."

  Gorgin shook his head, his words belying his brutish ogre appearance. For a fleeting moment, Kash felt as though he were facing a shrewd human rather than an ogre. But if he returned empty - handed, he'd surely be consigned to the gladiatorial arena, a fate he simply could not countenance.

  "I'll part with my kodo beast!"

  Kash presented a proposition that Gorgin could scarcely refuse. He knew full well that Gorgin had long coveted his kodo beast. These magnificent beasts were exclusive to orcs, and only orcs possessed the ability to tame them.

  As expected, Gorgin's eyes lit up with greed.

  "However..."

  Kash's tone shifted, signaling a caveat.

  "If I offer the kodo beast as payment, I have an additional condition."

  Gorgin motioned for Kash to elaborate.

  "This kodo beast is the linchpin of my goods transportation. If I give it to you, I'll be unable to continue my deliveries. Thus, I require you to capture several centaurs. I'll use them to transport my goods henceforth."

  "Furthermore, you must escort me to my trading post."

  Gorgin was eager to seal the deal but posed one final question. "Where is your trading post? If it's overly distant, additional payment will be necessary."

  "It's not far. In Giant Sand City."

  Noting Gorgin's look of confusion, Kash rephrased.

  "Roughly over four hundred kilometers from here. Given the ogres' formidable strength, you can easily complete a round - trip within two days."

  Only then did Gorgin's concerns ease.

  "Mom!!!"

  Gorgin bellowed, turning around.

  "Coming! I *******!"

  His mother, Horne, emerged with a thunderous rumble, hefting her massive bone hammer. The two heads of the two - headed ogre hurled separate curses, each in its own rhythm.

  "You lead the tribesmen on this mission. Ride the kodo beast!"

  "Oh, and bring that little dog along. It performed admirably today. It deserves an extra meal!"