Kash finally reached the dwarves' Giant Sand City.

  Once the trade was successfully concluded, the ogres' current mission officially came to an end.

  Kash sold all five centaurs to the dwarves at the price of slaves, along with the remaining goods in his caravan.

  Horne extended her hand.

  Her left head demanded, "The horn that controls the kodo beast. Hand it over now!"

  The right head added menacingly, "Don't even think about hiding it from me!"

  Kash, his face contorted with pain, reluctantly produced the small horn.

  It was precisely the one he had used to summon the kodo beast earlier.

  Once this horn was relinquished, the kodo beast would be lost to him forever.

  Horne noticed his hesitation.

  Her left head opened its massive maw wide, growling, "No one dares deceive the ogres!" The right head then fixed him with a threatening glare and said, "Those puny dwarves, barely reaching an ogre's knee, won't be able to protect you."

  Kash quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

  Even if he decided to renege on the deal at this moment, the dwarves in Giant Sand City would not stand idly by and let the ogres run amok.

  However, he would then be irreversibly at odds with the Dragon's Lair Ogres.

  Remembering the shrewd look in the eyes of the ogre chieftain, Gorgin, Kash was certain that even if he managed to avoid the ogres' territory in the future, he would still be relentlessly hunted down.

  Moreover, he would lose the invaluable safe haven that was the ogre service area.

  Although a kodo beast was highly precious, the potential losses far outweighed the gain.

  He could always use the profits from this trading journey to purchase another one upon his return to the tribe.

  Most importantly, as an orc, his sense of honor forbade him from acting like a conniving goblin.

  With these thoughts in mind, Kash resolutely tossed the small horn towards Horne.

  Horne deftly caught it. Her left head sneered, "At least you, little orc, still possess some shred of honor."

  The right head nodded in agreement.

  "Ogres who keep their word appreciate like - minded friends."

  Horne nodded to Kash as a gesture of acknowledgment, then tugged on the reins, guiding the kodo beast back along the path they had come.

  Nu, leading the jackal, and the other ogres trailed closely behind.

  Kash, on the other hand, boarded the dwarves' airship and set off towards his own tribe.

  After accounting for the transportation fees and considering that all his guards had perished, the weapons and armors he had exchanged would barely be sufficient to purchase a single kodo beast back in the tribe.

  This trading expedition had turned out to be a complete disaster for Kash, resulting in both financial losses and the loss of his guards.

  This, however, was the harsh reality of life in the Endless Desert.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Back in the tribe, Gorgin was leisurely observing Karlov's efforts to renovate his chieftain's hut.

  Gorgin's specifications were clear: the hut should be spacious, sturdy, and exude an air of grandeur befitting a chieftain.

  It needed to be immediately recognizable as a symbol of his authority.

  This task presented a formidable challenge for Karlov.

  Building a simple hut suitable for a regular - sized person to rest in would already take him a full day.

  Now, he had to construct a much more imposing dwelling for an ogre towering over five meters in height.

  However, the thought of the dire consequences if he failed instantly filled Karlov with a new - found sense of determination.

  Gorgin wasn't being entirely unreasonable.

  After all, Karlov, standing less than two meters tall, couldn't possibly handle such a large - scale project on his own.

  To assist him, Gorgin assigned a female ogre to lend a hand.

  If Karlov still couldn't complete the task with this additional help, he would simply become a meal for Nu and the other hungry ogres.

  With Horne leading the majority of the tribesmen away on the mission, the tribe felt half - empty.

  The remaining ogres, bored out of their wits, sat around picking their noses and scratching their heads, looking like complete fools as they watched Karlov and the female ogre scurrying about, busily engaged in their work.

  The employees at the House of Amorous Feelings were also watching the spectacle.

  A human waitress cast a sympathetic glance at Karlov.

  "He's so pitiful. Surviving here is such a difficult task."

  The drow waitress, reclining on the ground, rolled her eyes.

  "You have the nerve to feel sorry for him? At least he's doing physical labor. We're the ones who have to endure... other things."

  "Well, for now, only the chieftain shows any interest in us. So far, it seems we only need to talk to him, and we don't have to serve anyone else... yet."

  "Heh, don't forget, this is the House of Amorous Feelings. Once more customers start coming through, we're in for a rough time."

  "What's there to be afraid of? It's not like you had an easy time in your previous place either. You were still working, right?"

  "True. And there are so many different races in this desert, and we have a diverse group here too. It's not like we're compatible with every single one."

  "You all worry too much. In this desert, we could die tomorrow. Besides, it's just a few minutes of... discomfort. What's the big deal?"

  "Yeah, you're right."

  Compared to the very real threat of being eaten, their current lives seemed like a slice of paradise.

  The key to survival was to make the most of their circumstances, even if it meant using their bodies in unconventional ways.

  It was clear that Gorgin's chieftain's hut wouldn't be completed in a single day.

  In fact, the situation had evolved from a simple renovation to a full - scale reconstruction.

  Gorgin had made it abundantly clear to Karlov that this project was his first official assignment.

  Do a good job, and he'd be rewarded with a decent meal. Fail, and he'd end up as the meal.

  With the old hut demolished, Gorgin temporarily took up residence in the House of Amorous Feelings.

  Since there were no customers at the moment and the establishment wasn't open for business, he might as well enjoy the comfort it offered.

  As there was no request for a bath, it was evident that the chieftain's immediate need was just a massage.

  The world channel remained abuzz with activity.

  The adaptability of the people from Blue Planet who had been scattered across the Endless Desert was truly remarkable, far exceeding Gorgin's initial expectations.

  Judging by their conversations, they seemed to be holding up well.

  Perhaps most of them had managed to open treasure chests.

  Even the most basic white - level chests were better than having nothing at all.

  Or perhaps those who had failed to open a chest or had encountered insurmountable monsters had already perished.

  Now, the world channel was inundated with requests for resource exchanges, indicating that, overall, these survivors were making do.

  Gorgin's purchase listing on the trading channel was still active.

  After not checking the channel for over a day, he had amassed a staggering number of trading requests.

  Most of these were from individuals who, out of sheer desperation, were trying to exchange all sorts of random items for water.

  However, there were two notable exceptions.

  Two people had managed to obtain seasonings but had been unable to reach Gorgin.

  One trading offer was for a five - liter bucket of dark soy sauce, and the other was for two packs of stewing spices, each capable of flavoring approximately ten jin of meat.

  In total, it was a meager amount, barely enough to sate an ogre's appetite for a fraction of a meal, even when considering the soup.

  Nevertheless, Gorgin was willing to accept any and all offers.

  He knew that every little bit counted. Sooner or later, he would gather enough ingredients to prepare a sumptuous feast for himself and his mother.

  He made a mental note to have Karlov figure out a way to construct a set of tables and chairs suitable for ogres.

  If that proved too difficult, he could always consider commissioning one of the more industrious races to custom - make a set of exclusive kitchenware.

  As dusk began to settle, the ogres who had been on the mission finally returned.

  The jackal had performed its duties admirably, using its keen sense of smell to guide the ogres back home.

  It also brought with it thirteen bedraggled jackals, all with their tails tucked between their legs, looking thoroughly defeated.