106: Chapter 106 The Three Blackrock Orc Brothers

After the battle, Su Wan chanted [Resting Song]. The sound waves flowed gently around the three of them, soaking into their weary bodies like warm water. Their health points slowly recovered under the effect of the music, and minor scratches and bruises healed at a visible rate. The three found a relatively dry rock on the lakeshore to sit down and began their first post-battle review.

Hu Jinsi spoke first. He pointed to the Murlocs still wandering in the distance on the lake surface and said, "I got too excited just now."

"What do you mean?" Su Wan asked.

"Seeing so many Murlocs again, and since this is our first time running this dungeon, I didn't hold back," Hu Jinsi said. "There was no strategy; it was too reckless. When the megaphone blared, I pulled them all over, and we almost got surrounded. Luckily, everyone's strength has improved since before, otherwise we would have crashed."

Lin Rui nodded. He had indeed been surrounded by several layers of Murlocs earlier. Although his heavy armor defense was sufficient, the continuity of his movements had been affected. If the number of Murlocs had doubled, he might have had to use [Charge] to run away.

"There's another problem," Hu Jinsi continued. "The ratio of spellcasting Murlocs is already very high. In that last wave, spellcasters made up almost fifty percent. Although their Ice Arrows and Healing Waves don't do much single-target damage—just cantrip level—it's very troublesome when there are too many. I was almost surrounded and couldn't get out just now."

Lin Rui added, "Frost resistance gear. We need to stock up on some."

He pointed to his leg armor. There were traces of being hit by Ice Arrows, with white frost still remaining on the metal surface.

"My agility isn't as high as yours, so I can't dodge many of those attacks. Being hit by Ice Arrows continuously has a huge impact on the continuity of my movements. Several times just now, I wanted to use [Shield Bash], but my legs were frozen for a split second, and I was half a beat slow."

Hu Jinsi thought for a moment and said, "Don't rush yet. This dungeon takes three days. We'll spend one day fighting Murlocs, one day fighting Gnolls, and one day fighting Orcs. Let's collect information first and make targeted deployments after we get out this week."

After speaking, he turned to look at Su Wan. Su Wan was sitting on a nearby rock, gesturing with her hands in the air, controlling [Mage Hand] to pick up the dropped items one by one.

The items dropped by the Murlocs were mixed: wooden hammers, chisels, heavy clubs, small round shields, as well as some Murloc fins, clam meat, linen cloth, and wool. She piled these things in front of the three of them, and soon a small hill formed.

"Big Sister Su," Hu Jinsi raised his voice. "Listen to us."

Su Wan said "Hmm," her eyes still fixed on a Murloc fin she was controlling with [Mage Hand]. The fin floated in mid-air, being flipped over and inspected by her. It wasn't until Lin Rui coughed a few times that her attention finally returned to the squad's summary.

"I know what I need to do," Su Wan threw the Murloc fin into her backpack and clapped her hands. "When the battle starts, throw [Shattering Sonic Wave] at the Murloc Tidecaller first, then start chanting [Silence] to hinder the spellcasters. The rest is just using [Mage Hand] to pick up items."

"You can't do anything else while [Silence] is maintained?" Lin Rui said.

"Right," Su Wan nodded. "So at most, I can shoot at nearby Murlocs with a hand crossbow. I really can't do anything else."

Lin Rui opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something more. But seeing that Su Wan had clearly listed what she needed to do, he waved his hand and didn't dwell on it. Su Wan continued to lower her head, using [Mage Hand] to gather the remaining loot on the lakeshore toward them.

Her control of [Mage Hand] was limited, but it was more than enough to pick up scattered items. Stones, clam shells, and copper coins dropped by the Murlocs were all grabbed by the invisible force and piled up in front of them.

Hu Jinsi watched Su Wan skillfully controlling [Mage Hand] and couldn't help but think of the scene of Su Wan tormenting Su Qing and Su Yu at home recently. Since Mo Ming's accident last time, the three members of the squad unanimously decided to strengthen Su Wan's defensive capabilities.

Initially, they only added [Preemptive Strike] and [Blade Ward], but later, considering that cantrips weren't expensive, plus Su Wan had extra money after selling [Awakening Stone: Ninja], she chose a few more cantrips: [Mage Hand], [Dancing Lights], and [Prestidigitation].

At Su Wan's current level, these cantrips could basically be cast infinitely; what limited her wasn't spell slots, but mental concentration.

Hu Jinsi knew that the two little girls, Su Qing and Su Yu, had been having a hard time lately because Su Wan was tormenting them with [Mage Hand] and [Prestidigitation].

For example, when brushing their teeth in the morning, Su Wan would use [Mage Hand] to lift her sister's toothbrush to the ceiling; before going to bed at night, she would use [Prestidigitation] to create a cold breeze in Su Qing's bed.

The two little girls weren't pushovers either; they immediately activated the "Mother Summoning Technique" and called Mother Su to suppress Su Wan. Back and forth, a drama of love and hate was staged at home every day.

Su Wan threw the last piece of linen into her backpack and clapped her hands. "Done. Continue?"

"Continue." Hu Jinsi stood up and patted the dust off his pants.

...

There were a few more rounds of battles against Murlocs before lunch, with no major gains.

At noon, the three found a leeward open space on the lakeshore and lit a campfire. Several sharpened branches were set up over the fire, skewered with fresh fish dropped by the Murlocs.

The fish meat sizzled as it roasted, and the grease dripped onto the charcoal, making a crackling sound. The aroma mixed with the water vapor from the lake drifted over, making the stomachs of all three growl in unison.

But Hu Jinsi frowned as he smelled the odor on his body. The fishy smell of the Murlocs mixed with the dampness of the lake water, soaking into his clothes; it was unbearable. He lowered his head and smelled his sleeve; a pungent fishy odor rushed straight into his nasal cavity.

"This smell finally makes me remember," Hu Jinsi said. "The reason why we didn't keep clearing Murlocs in Goldshire before."

"Too smelly?" Su Wan asked.

"Too smelly," Hu Jinsi nodded affirmatively. "The smell on this batch of Murlocs is heavier than the zombies in [Raccoon City]. I really don't know what kind of water quality it would be if they soak in the water every day."

Su Wan pointed to the Stillwater Lake in front. "The polluted water you're talking about is this, right?"

Lin Rui sat by the campfire, flipping the grilled fish, and said, "Even if it's annoying, there's no other way. At least on the first day of entering this dungeon, we need to clear out the Murlocs. Because Lakeside Town is too close to the lakeshore, we have to clear the Murlocs on the lakeshore in front of the town, otherwise we won't be able to sleep peacefully at night."

Hu Jinsi looked at Su Wan ingratiatingly. "Big Sister Su, give me a [Prestidigitation]. Cover up the smell on me a little bit. I can't smell the aroma of the grilled fish anymore; every time I breathe, it's just a fishy smell rushing into my brain."

Su Wan smiled and stretched out her hands, gesturing at the three of them. Faint white mist drifted from her fingertips, enveloping them.

After the mist dissipated, a fresh scent of white peach replaced the fishy odor. Although it couldn't completely remove the dampness, it at least smelled much more comfortable.

"No one is going to say I wasted money buying these cantrips anymore, right?" Su Wan said, hands on her hips. "Don't look down on [Prestidigitation]; at least it saves on flint for lighting fires, and it can temporarily suppress the strange smell on you guys."

Hu Jinsi immediately followed up: "Big Sister Su, this kind of spellcaster has foresight. We are just two country bumpkins in melee; how could we have the foresight of Big Sister Su. Big Sister Su is the beacon of our squad. What would we do without you?"

His flattery was incoherent, but Su Wan was satisfied. She hummed, took a skewer of grilled fish off the fire, blew on it, and took a bite.

Lin Rui also enjoyed the deodorizing service. Although he didn't say anything, he felt like he had come back to life after the fishy smell dissipated. He didn't say anything to spoil the mood, just continued flipping his grilled fish.

But Hu Jinsi still complained, "[Lakeside Town] dungeon is inferior to [Double Dragon III] in one aspect. The fish dropped by the Murlocs actually require us to roast them ourselves. There's no service awareness at all."

"Exactly," Su Wan agreed. "Look at the food in the Double Dragon III dungeon; it's all ready-made and even packaged. That's what dungeon service awareness is."

The three ate the grilled fish while watching the Murlocs still wandering by the lake. Hu Jinsi did a simple estimation. Although they didn't need to spend the whole afternoon on the lakeshore, if they wanted to sleep peacefully at night, they couldn't rest without clearing them until three or four o'clock. After lunch, they had to continue working.

...

In the afternoon, the three continued to clear the Murlocs along the lakeshore. Without the excitement of the first encounter in the morning, the fighting style became more organized. Hu Jinsi no longer pulled too many at once, but used the megaphone to pull monsters in batches, controlling it to about fifteen to twenty each time.

Su Wan threw [Shattering Sonic Wave] to hit the Tidecaller first, then immediately switched to [Silence] to interfere with spellcasting. Lin Rui held the front line, and Hu Jinsi circled behind to cut down the Tidecallers.

The efficiency wasn't particularly high. Without customized special tactics and protective equipment, the three's clearing speed against this batch of Murlocs could only be described as average.

Previously, when dealing with [Goldshire] Murlocs, they could use the campfire tactic to weaken the Murlocs, but the Murloc Tidecaller's Ice Arrow could easily extinguish the fire.

Lin Rui and Hu Jinsi tried twice, but the campfire was extinguished by a volley of Ice Arrows as soon as it was lit, which was not worth the loss.

However, this state of endless Murlocs that could never be killed off made the three find back some of the feelings they had when they were in [Goldshire]. At that time, they were exhausted even from killing pigs, and they had once been chased and fled in a panic by Murlocs.

Now everything seemed to have returned to the starting point, except that the Murlocs they faced were stronger, the numbers were greater, and everything else seemed unchanged.

Su Wan sat on a rock, humming a tune while using [Mage Hand] to pick up loot.

She used her cantrips more and more skillfully. In the gaps between battles, [Dancing Lights] flickered at her fingertips. Occasionally, she would throw one into the pile of distant Murlocs. Although the damage was average, it could startle the Murlocs and create an opportunity for Hu Jinsi to cut in.

"Remember?" Hu Jinsi asked Lin Rui, "Back in Goldshire, we were chased all over the map by Murlocs."

"I remember," Lin Rui said. "You ran the fastest, Su Wan ran the slowest, and I brought up the rear."

"Now it's the other way around," Su Wan interrupted. "I run the fastest, because I don't need to run; I can just stand in place."

The three laughed. The sunlight shone on Stillwater Lake, sparkling. The distant Lakeside Town was looming in the mist, like an ink painting washed by water.

The hissing of the Murlocs rose and fell, but it could no longer bring them any tension. This was just a daily routine, just harvesting, just another dungeon that needed time to clear.

The afternoon sun slanted across Stillwater Lake, creating shimmering, fragmented ripples. The trio had cleared two more waves of Murlocs, but the loot was meager. Apart from a few dropped recipes, the lakeshore was littered with white-tier equipment and miscellaneous materials. Hu Jinsi glanced over, feeling uninterested.

[Recipe: Grilled Glossy Bass]

[Recipe: Boiled Clam Meat]

[Recipe: Crab Cake]

The three recipes were stacked together, the paper yellowed, its edges curled from being soaked in lake water. Hu Jinsi picked them up, flipped through them casually, and tossed them to Su Wan. Su Wan took them, glanced at them, and pursed her lips. "If we sell them outside, each one is only worth a few hundred Credits."

"Not worth much," Hu Jinsi said. He bent down to categorize and collect the remaining drops from the Murlocs on the lakeshore. Lin Rui leaned against a rock by the shore, his shield standing beside him. He checked the system time and said, "It's about time."

"The Gnolls are too far away," Hu Jinsi said, straightening up and brushing the dust off his hands. "I can't be bothered to cross the wooden bridge to the other side."

He turned his head to look north of Lakeside Town. The mountain path to the north of the town was hidden behind the woods, its end invisible. "Let's walk a bit and see if there are any Orcs."

Su Wan put the recipes into her inventory and stood up. "Let's go."

The three walked along the small path behind the northern part of the town. They hadn't gone more than a few dozen meters when Hu Jinsi suddenly stopped. A familiar scent drilled into his nostrils—thick, pungent, and carrying the unique musky stench of some beast. He frowned; this smell was identical to the Orcs in Ragefire Chasm. The only difference was that last time it had been mixed with a scorched smell, while this time it was pure stench.

Hu Jinsi raised his hand, signaling Lin Rui and Su Wan to stop. Both immediately stood still, making no sound. Hu Jinsi lowered his voice: "Upwind."

Su Wan understood. She took two steps forward, the sirens voice collar at her neck warming slightly. She took a deep breath, and a series of short, sharp syllables emitted from her throat. Sound waves erupted from her mouth, spreading forward in a cone shape. Wherever they passed, the grass flattened and fallen leaves swirled.

[Shattering Sonic Wave].

The sound waves struck the giant rocks on both sides of the mountain path ahead, emitting a dull roar. Debris fell with a rustle, and three gray-green figures stumbled out from behind the rocks. They were a bit dazed from the impact, shook their heads, and turned around in unison.

Three Orcs.

They had identical faces, flat noses, protruding jaws, and two tusks sticking out from the corners of their mouths. Their gray skin was covered in scars and grime.

Each Orc held a short sword in one hand, carried a wooden shield in the other, and had a hunting net strapped to their waist. They wore tattered leather harnesses on their upper bodies and dirty shorts on their lower bodies. These three brothers looked like they had been carved from the same mold.

Hu Jinsi pinched his nose. This attire, on a human, would be called "unconventional," but on an Orc, it was just "an eyesore."

"Crown of Madness, want to try it?" Hu Jinsi raised an eyebrow at Su Wan.

Su Wan nodded. She stepped back, hiding behind Lin Rui's shield, and began to chant. The syllables were low and melodic, flowing slowly from the collar like an invisible veil, drifting toward the three Orcs.

The three Orcs were already charging over, roaring. They were speaking unintelligible Orcish, not a word of which the three could understand. The Orc in the lead suddenly froze when it was about fifteen meters away. It shook its head, its tusks gnashing together as if resisting something. Then, it suddenly turned and swung its sword at its brother beside it.

The Orc that was struck was stunned for a moment. Instead of pulling its companion back or retreating, it let out a roar, raised its wooden shield with a backhand motion, and slammed it heavily into the controller's face. The two Orcs were instantly locked in a brawl, their short swords and wooden shields colliding with dull "clang" sounds.

The Orc controlled by Crown of Madness moved somewhat stiffly, but the force of its sword strikes remained undiminished. It bared its teeth, its eyes filled with a struggling anger, yet its arm uncontrollably slashed at its companion again and again.

"I didn't really control it much," Su Wan shouted from behind Lin Rui. "They got addicted to hacking at each other!"

Indeed. What followed was entirely the instinctive reaction between the two Orcs. For creatures with the brain capacity of Orcs, if a teammate swings a blade at them, their first reaction is to swing back. Any tactics or coordination were thrown to the back of their minds. The two Orcs fought more and more fiercely, their skin tearing and flesh opening, blood splattering all over the ground.

Hu Jinsi and Lin Rui charged toward the third Orc, which had been left alone.

Lin Rui activated Charge. He was clad in heavy armor, and with his weight plus his equipment, his total weight was nearly two hundred kilograms. He was like a human tank, slamming into the Orc. His shield was positioned in front, crashing heavily into the Orc's chest.

Bang. A dull thud. The Orc stumbled back a step, regained its footing, and raised its short sword to strike. Lin Rui's impact would have sent a Murloc flying and would have knocked a human to the ground to roll several times, but the Orc only swayed, its feet seemingly rooted to the ground.

"Tough," Lin Rui muttered.

Hu Jinsi cut in from the flank. He didn't use his recently common Tiger Palm opening, but switched to a different stance. His ten fingers were slightly curled, true qi gathered at his fingertips, and his whole body was like a fully drawn bow, his form lowered and center of gravity leaned forward.

He had switched to the opening for Crane Form: Lonely Phoenix Style, a style whose prototype originated from the Nanto Suicho Ken fighting style. At this stage, he hadn't practiced it deeply, and the core idea was simple: tear wounds and bleed the enemy. Hu Jinsi hoped he could one day practice to the point where he could slice an Orc in half in one go, but unfortunately, that stage only existed in his dreams for now.

He lowered his body and closed in on the Orc, his right hand's five fingers brought together like a beak, pecking at the Orc's flank. True qi permeated from his fingertips, piercing through the thick skin and leaving five slender, bloody holes. The Orc grunted and looked down at him, but Hu Jinsi had already stepped back and switched to the other side; his left hand pecked in the opposite direction, adding five more blood spots to the outer thigh.

He did not clash head-on with the Orc but circled around it. His palms flew, his fingertips continuously pecking at the ribs, back, and waist. Each strike left only a narrow, deep cut, blood beads seeping out and trickling down the gray-green skin. The Orc wanted to turn, but Hu Jinsi's movements were too agile; he could always flash to the other side before it could fully turn, and land another strike.

The wounds were not deep, but the placement was tricky. Hu Jinsi observed the effects and found that the wounds on the flank and ribs were the most effective. The Orc had a large range of motion; every time it swung its sword or turned, it would stretch the muscles in its flank, causing those five blood holes to be torn wider and wider, turning the seeping blood into a gush.

"Found it," Hu Jinsi's spirit lifted.

This spot had no armor protection, and because the Orcs attacked with wide, open movements, once injured, their actions would automatically widen the wounds. Even better, the side seam was close to the heart and lungs; the more vigorous the movement, the more violent the bleeding. Hu Jinsi tested it twice more and confirmed this judgment.

Actually, the optimal solution would be to attack the Orc's throat and eyes. Unfortunately, this Blackrock Orc was over two meters tall. Hu Jinsi would have to stretch his arm fully just to reach the Orc's throat, and as for the eyes, he would have to jump to reach them. To avoid overextending his moves, he had to regretfully give up on those targets.

Additionally, the elbow joints and armpits were also weaknesses. However, the elbow joints were small and hard to hit, and the Orcs' iron-elbow counterattacks were astonishingly powerful. As for the armpits, Hu Jinsi was attacking unarmed and really didn't want to shove his hand directly into an Orc's armpit. The smell was already strong enough; if he had to experience that body odor up close, he feared he might throw up. So, he decisively abandoned those options. The side seam under the ribs, combined with the bleeding-focused attacks of Crane Form: Lonely Phoenix Style, was the optimal solution for dealing with Blackrock Orcs.

Lin Rui wasn't having an easy time holding the front either. He switched between Shield Bash and Heavy Strike; every time he slammed into the Orc, he could make it retreat half a step, but the opponent's health dropped extremely slowly. With Lin Rui's 20 points of Strength combined with his heavy load, the power of his impact would have been overwhelming against any enemy of the same level. But the Orc only stumbled; it simply wouldn't fall.

Hu Jinsi circled to the Orc's back, focusing on the side seam. His fingertips pecked again and again, true qi accumulating at the wounds. The Orc wanted to turn to deal with him, but Lin Rui's shield would hit it back at just the right moment every time. The two, one in front and one behind, sandwiched the Orc and slowly ground down its health.

The Orc civil war on the other side was also drawing to a close. The Orc controlled by Crown of Madness already had seven or eight wounds on its body, its left arm slashed into a bloody mess, yet it was still mechanically swinging its sword.

Its companion was even worse off; one eye was swollen shut from being hit by the wooden shield, and blood hung from the corner of its mouth. But that uncontrolled Orc suddenly let out a beastly roar. Its eyes turned blood-red, its muscles expanded, and veins bulged all over its body.

Frenzy. It had entered a state even more deranged than the controlled Orc. It no longer just countered but launched active attacks, even lunging at the controlled Orc.

It swung its short sword down, sometimes hitting its companion, sometimes hitting the ground, kicking up a spray of gravel. It didn't care at all, just waving its weapon crazily, roaring in unintelligible Orcish. This state lasted for about eight seconds. After eight seconds, the Orc's movements suddenly slowed, as if its strength had been drained, and its entire body became weak. It panted heavily, its short sword hanging by its side, its knees slightly bent.

Hu Jinsi and Lin Rui exchanged a look. Both exerted force simultaneously; Hu Jinsi brought his five fingers together and pecked into the front Orc's side seam, the force of the strike penetrating into its internal organs; Lin Rui slammed a Shield Bash into the back of its head, metal colliding with skull, emitting a teeth-grinding thud. The Orc in front finally fell to the ground, dissolving into motes of light.

The two turned and charged toward the remaining two Orcs. The Orc controlled by Crown of Madness was already on its last breath, and its companion was too weak to stand after the Frenzy ended. Hu Jinsi and Lin Rui didn't waste much effort; one palm strike and one Shield Bash later, they sent the last two Orc brothers away.

Two pieces of equipment remained on the ground. Hu Jinsi picked them up, and his expression immediately darkened.

[Bandit Shorts]

[Type: Clothing]

[Item Description: A pair of red-trimmed short leather suspender shorts, covered in mud and suspicious stains. You, who are not fashionable enough, cannot pull this off.]

[Bandit Jacket]

[Type: Clothing]

[Item Description: The matching leather chest piece from the same series, featuring the iconic crossed red suspenders and wide red belt. There isn't much material, but it still exudes the unique body odor of an Orc.]

"Who is this mocking?" Hu Jinsi gritted his teeth, clutching the two pieces of equipment.

Su Wan leaned over to take a look and laughed until she was doubled over. "It fits you perfectly."

"I'll give them to Teacher Fan when we get out," Hu Jinsi stuffed the two white-tier items into his inventory. "Consider it a student's greeting to his teacher."