If Gorgin had been privy to the orc's thoughts, he would surely have erupted into laughter.

  The dominance of their tribe over this small oasis was firmly rooted in their unrivaled strength.

  Their unchecked rampage within a hundred - mile radius was attributed to the lack of suitable mounts, confining their usual wanderings to this limited area.

  Ogres, with their large and stout frames, needed a moment to gather momentum and start running.

  However, once in motion, they were surprisingly fast, their movements belying their bulky appearance.

  The layers of fat on their bodies seemed to work in harmony, swinging rhythmically and propelling them forward.

  Centaurs, possessing the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a human, boasted four hooves and two arms.

  The harsh environment and ceaseless battles they endured had chiseled them into sinewy, muscular beings, devoid of any superfluous fat, much like the orcs.

  In a close - quarters fight between a centaur and an orc, the odds of victory typically favored the orc, with a six - to - four split.

  But when a centaur charged, the tables turned, and the centaur held a six - to - four advantage.

  Centaurs were well - versed in the use of bows, arrows, javelins, and some were even equipped with battle axes.

  Their formidable combat skills had earned their race a notorious reputation as bandits in the Endless Desert.

  The previous night, they had capitalized on their high - speed mobility to launch a surprise assault on the Chewbone Orc's caravan.

  Had Kash not severed the ropes binding the goods to the kodo beast and made his escape on its back, he would have surely perished.

  As seasoned bandits, they were expected to be familiar with the local forces.

  They knew which ones were formidable, which could be engaged briefly before making a hasty retreat, and which were best avoided.

  The Chewbone Orc's battle flag was recognizable to the centaurs.

  Even at their swift pace, it would take them an entire day and night to reach that tribe.

  By the time the escaping orc could return with reinforcements, they would already be long gone.

  Thus, they felt secure enough to indulge in the spoils of the Chewbone Orc's caravan.

  Their original plan was to depart the following morning.

  However, they were caught completely off - guard when, just before dawn, the orc reappeared with a band of reinforcements.

  The sight of the ogres, their bodies aglow with a menacing red light, charging in from the darkness left the centaurs aghast.

  How could it be ogres? And ogres accompanied by an ogre mage, no less! The red - glowing effect on the ogres was a well - known signature of the ogre mage, a sight feared throughout the Endless Desert.

  True to their expectations, a volley of explosive fireballs soon arced over the heads of the charging ogres and slammed into their temporary camp.

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  "waaaaagh!!!"

  Under the cover of the fiery explosions, the nine ogres, brandishing their colossal bone hammers, stormed into the centaur camp.

  At that moment, the centaur leader immediately recognized the origin of these ogres.

  They had encountered other ogre tribes before, but the ones who bellowed this battle cry were none other than the ogres from the Dragon's Lair Tribe.

  This tribe derived its name from the slumbering black dragon within the vicinity of their oasis.

  But what on earth had brought the Dragon's Lair Ogres to this place? Before the centaur leader could dwell on this question, an especially brawny ogre swung a massive bone hammer directly at him.

  Horne, too, joined the fray, hefting her large bone hammer.

  With a casual wave of her hand, she conjured a massive fireball that detonated above the head of a centaur, stunning the creature instantly.

  The subsequent swing of her bone hammer cleaved the centaur in two.

  Thud. The average height of a centaur's back was around two meters, and with its upper body, it reached a maximum of three meters.

  In stark contrast, the average ogre towered at five meters.

  Ogres typically eschewed any form of protective gear, relying solely on a tattered piece of cloth to cover their modesty.

  Even if the centaurs' weapons managed to penetrate the ogres' thick hides, they were no match for the dense layer of fat beneath.

  As a result, the ogres scarcely bled.

  The battle was a one - sided rout.

  Had Kash not pleaded fervently for restraint, the ogres would have annihilated the entire band of centaurs.

  Horne's left head shook in disappointment.

  "This is far from satisfying! It's no fun at all!"

  Her right head concurred.

  "Indeed, ogres never show mercy to their foes!"

  Nu roared, "Smash them all!!!"

  Kash, an orc accustomed to a life of combat, suddenly seemed remarkably gentle in the presence of the ogres.

  "Please, wait! I struck a deal with Gorgin. I need to keep some centaurs to transport my goods. This is our agreement!"

  Horne's left head flared with anger.

  "These pathetic centaurs are so weak!"

  Her right head, more level - headed, responded, "Well, since it was Gorgin's instruction, we'll spare these worthless creatures for you."

  Nu, confused, asked, "No more smashing?"

  Horne's left head snapped, "Smash? Not a chance!"

  Her right head added, "Scram!" Nu obediently replied, "Ooh!"

  Kash wiped the sweat from his brow, relieved that he had managed to save five centaurs.

  Regrettably, the centaur leader had been pulverized by Nu's bone hammer.

  As the effects of the Bloodlust spell waned, the ogres slumped to the ground, contentedly munching on their provisions.

  With all his tribesmen fallen, Kash was left to handle the aftermath single - handedly.

  He carefully broke off the tusks of the deceased tribesmen and collected them, then buried their bodies on the spot.

  Next, he severed the heads of the centaurs, strung them together into a long chain, and unceremoniously dumped them onto the backs of the surviving centaurs.

  These five centaurs, cowed into submission, dared not utter a word and simply complied with Kash's orders.

  They were well aware that a moment's delay in Kash's plea would have seen them reduced to a bloody pulp.

  Approximately one - third of Kash's goods had been damaged by the centaurs.

  After painstakingly sorting through the remaining items and loading them onto the centaurs' backs, Kash resumed his journey towards his destination.

  Horne led the ogres, trailing closely behind.

  Gorgin had briefed his mother on the mission, emphasizing that they were to escort Kash to his final stop.

  Giant Sand City. It was a diminutive city erected by the dwarves.

  Home to perhaps fewer than ten thousand dwarves, it boasted an elite force of five hundred full - time warriors, supplemented by a thousand militiamen for defense.

  In the realm of technology, the dwarves, gnomes, and goblins each held their own unique advantages.

  They had mastered the art of extracting iron powder from sand and forging it into weapons and armor.

  Kash's journey was driven by the need to trade for weapons.

  Orcs lacked this technological prowess and had to rely on trade with the dwarves to acquire iron - based weaponry.

  Dwarves, standing at around one meter forty - five to one meter fifty in height, were deceptively strong, their stocky frames capable of drawing power from the earth at will.

  Without this inherent strength, the dwarves might well have faced extinction long ago.

  The moment the dwarven militiamen caught sight of the approaching ogres, they sounded the alarm.

  The five hundred elite dwarven warriors quickly donned their armor and formed a defensive formation, their eyes fixed warily on the advancing ogres.

  In their right hands, they gripped battle axes or war hammers, while their left hands cradled muskets with an impressively large caliber.

  Kash, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately called out and engaged in earnest negotiations, presenting various proofs of his identity and intentions.

  Eventually, his efforts managed to ease the dwarves' suspicions slightly.

  Simultaneously, Dwarf couldn't help but wonder: Since when had the ogres started offering a hiring - out service?