Chapter 302 - 120: Mom, It’s Time to Drop Gold Coins

Chapter 302: Chapter 120: Mom, It’s Time to Drop Gold Coins

The battle quickly devolved into a one-sided hunt.

Only when the fleeing goblins had completely vanished into the miasma did Catherine order her troops to fall back.

More than one hundred and fifty goblin corpses were left on the battlefield.

The Giant Warriors, who were not at a numerical advantage, saw this and naturally didn’t dare to pursue. Panting heavily, they halted their attacks.

After the grueling battle, all of them bore wounds, and several were quite severely injured. Now, as they caught their breath and looked at one another, their eyes were filled with the relief of having survived a near-death experience.

A moment later, a Giant with dark brown skin and especially thick tusks stepped out from the group, carrying a stone axe that was still dripping blood. He strode up to Catherine.

He was nearly two and a half meters tall, standing before Catherine like a small mountain. Yet, he lowered his head to her and spoke in a somewhat stiff common tongue, "Powerful human Warrior, I speak for the Stone Hammer Tribe. Thank you for your help. I am the Chieftain, Mog the Rock Breaker."

His gaze swept over the Undead Units in Catherine’s troop, and though his eyes held some wariness and confusion, they showed even more respect for Catherine’s personal valor.

He expressed his gratitude in a deep, rumbling voice, "You... are friends. The Stone Hammer Tribe... welcomes friends. Please... come to our camp. Rest. Accept our hospitality."

Upon hearing this, Catherine immediately sheathed her sword, and the Holy Light enveloping her slowly dissipated, a clear sign of her friendly intentions.

She quickly weighed the situation in her mind.

’Lynch intends to establish a foothold in the Angelo Region, so it’s essential to make contact with the local powers and gather intelligence.’

’And this Giant tribe... though they seem primitive and backward, they have a tenacious will to fight and understand gratitude. They’re worth trying to engage with.’

"Thank you for your invitation, Chieftain Rock Breaker." Catherine bowed slightly, as is the custom for a Holy Knight. "I am Catherine Adela, Captain of the First Company of the North Wind Legion’s Ninth Battle Battalion. We would be happy to accept your friendship and visit your camp."

After a brief conversation, Catherine led her unit and followed the Giants to their camp.

The camp was situated on a plateau, backed by a rock wall and facing a small creek. A crude fence of thick logs and lashed vines enclosed a large area. Inside, dozens of conical huts made of branches, animal hides, and mud were scattered about.

In the center was a larger clearing with a bonfire.

The conditions seemed primitive and crude, but to a tribe surviving in the jungle, this was home.

The Giants brought out their best to entertain their honored guests: large lizard meat roasted to a fragrant char, tubers steamed in giant leaves, gathered sweet and sour wild fruits, and a pungent but potent liquor fermented from some kind of plant root.

Catherine was intent on closing the distance between them, and the Giants were equally intent on repaying her for saving their lives. Thus, the atmosphere at the feast was a joyous one for both hosts and guests.

「After a few rounds of drinks.」

Catherine swallowed her last piece of lizard meat and asked casually, "Chieftain Rock Breaker, could you tell us about the current situation in this region?"

Mog the Rock Breaker set down his enormous wooden cup, wiped his mouth, and a look of resentment crossed his rugged face.

"In the past, Angelo was never exactly peaceful. The various tribes—Giants, Gnolls, Lizardmen, and those annoying little green-skinned runts... we fought each other over territory and prey, but it was all just small skirmishes."

He pounded his chest with a fist, his expression confident. "We, the Stone Hammer Tribe, have lived here for many generations. We know how to survive."

"But... about..." He bent his thick fingers, calculating the time uncertainly. "Two or three years ago? The strongest Gnoll tribe united with a few smaller tribes and suddenly left Angelo. We heard they went west, toward your human lands... to the Mist Forest. After that, we heard nothing more."

A thought struck Catherine.

’Gnolls? Could that be the same tribe that was wiped out by Lakefront Town?!’

The Chieftain continued, "It was a good thing when the Gnolls left. But then, just two or three months ago, something terrible happened!"

Recalling the event, a deep-seated fear and hatred flashed in his eyes. "Back then, a flying ship came from the eastern sky. It had strange symbols painted on it. Our tribe’s oldest Shaman said it was a goblin creation, called a Goblin Airship."

"A lot of people came down from that ship. There were goblins, metal automatons, human Warlocks with an evil aura, and... many Soldiers wearing blue scarves."

’Blue Scarf?!’

Catherine’s pupils contracted slightly.

’It’s them again.’

’What are those rebels from the Draenei Brotherhood doing in a backwater like Angelo?’

"They’re very strong. They have powerful weapons and Magic." The Chieftain was lost in memory, his low voice laced with sorrow. "They want to control all the tribes in Angelo, make us obey their orders, and help them find something. They never said what, but it must be very important..."

"We Giants cherish freedom. We do not yield! The Stone Hammer Tribe refused, and so did several other Giant tribes. A few of the smaller Gnoll tribes also resisted."

"And then... they acted." Rock Breaker’s fists clenched, his knuckles cracking. A hateful light flared in his eyes. "They didn’t come to negotiate. They came to conquer! Those goblin puppets were impervious to our weapons, the human Warlocks’ Magic was terrifying, and the Blue Scarf Soldiers were well-equipped... But even more terrifying... they had an ’Undead Demoness’!"