It was still dark when I started my journey to the orc's canyon. Few people were outside, mainly drinking on the streets, and having fun. To the point that I was completely ignored.
I knew that its at least a day of travel to get there, that's why I decided to go so early. I wanted to have a nice place to set camp. There was a zero chance of me falling asleep today, but I wanted to feel as safe as I could anyway. After fighting with Wolves my imagination went a bit wild about others, not encountered jet by me, monsters. I had no idea of what they were capable of, and it was making me anxious.
On my way, I encountered few groups of goblins. Now, when most of the hunters had their eyes on rats, almost nobody was hunting goblins. They were running wild in those woods.
By the end of the day, I had 24 crystals on my cart without even trying. Fights were short and bloody. My pudao was cutting their bones like butter thanks to my incredible strength.
Then I got close enough to see the canyon and orcs from afar. I immediately turned around and after around half an hour of walk, I decided to set up my camp inside a big cluster of bushes. I cut some of them in the middle, pushed my cart there, and covered it with those twigs. It was not the most comfortable place to sleep, but I felt a bit safer. Even though, the night was restless. I managed to fell asleep for a moment, just to be woked up by a nightmare. After I just lied down quietly, and waited for the sun, to start shining.
Short breakfast and the scouting officially started. I slowly made my way to a place where I was able to see the canyon. It was close to the end of the forest. Then around a hundred meters wide field of dwarf trees and bushes started. Slowly turning to empty, slightly orange, rock. Ground-level started to slowly decline from that place, and finally ended with a cliff. There was a narrow path, that led, alongside the face of the cliff, to the very bottom of the canyon.
It was for sure not natural. Like somebody designed this place. I had so many questions, but absolutely no answers. If you were to tell me that it's because we were in the virtual world, I would tell you that was not the case. Everything around us was real. Very, very real.
I crawled my way to the edge of the cliff and started observing. Lower a slightly more open space was ending with the rock formation. For me, it looked like an archway. Narrow throat leading to deeper parts of the canyon. I could see the light on the other side of this formation. I could also see few orcs guarding this entrance.
I could not see them perfectly, but because my eyes were now in perfect condition, I was able to distinguish leather armors, with metal elements. Heavy weapons. Mainly axes and greatswords. Few bows that some of them were practicing with. Shooting targets made of hay tied together.
There were around twelve of them. Which led me to the conclusion, that I had no chances if I ever tried to engage. The situation was bad. I needed to return with something more. I needed to at least kill one of them. But there was no way to sneak in. They would see me coming down from far away. I also couldn't face them on the passage down, because they would just shot me down with bows The only strategy I could think of was to make them come all the way up, and face them here. Using cliff as a shield to protect myself from arrows, and advantage of higher ground to face them easier. But would they really do such a stupid thing?
In the games, or stories, orcs were not the smartest species. Here, I had no idea, and to be frank, was afraid to check. Normally I would probably just watch, and wait for an opportunity or something, but there was no time for such things. I was on the clock. Aisha needed my help now. I neglected her for too long. It was my fault from the beginning, that she ended in Mark's hands.
So I went to my camp and brought back the shield, and secondary weapon. I left them close enough, and stud right on the edge of the cliff. Orc saw me pretty quickly. One of them shouted something at me. It made me wonder how intelligent creatures they were.
Others quickly armed themselves, but there was no immediate fighting. They waited for my answer, but because there was none, one of them decided to shot me with an arrow. I easily dodged. Their, I think chef, yelled at me again, and sun after they decided to rush to me. They were fast, and a few stayed to cover them with arrows. But since I backed up a bit, that was of no threat to me.
I waited patiently while crouching down, for the first to come. Arrows were hitting the edge of the cliff or whistling when they passed me by arm's reach. The first one arrived after a while. He was panting loudly. I saw a bit of confusion in his eyes. Probably he expected more enemies. I gave him a bit of field, so I didn't have to worry about getting shot with an arrow while fighting, but not enough that others could easily storm out from behind him.
He yelled on top of his lungs and attacked me. It was a strong blow, but with such a wide swing I knew exactly what he is doing. Dodging was not a problem. I stabbed him in the chest, but my blade didn't go as deep, as I thought. Those guys were tough. I allowed him to try again, and kill me with one swing - that's how powerful those guys were. His attack was easy to see thru, so I dodged again, and this time countered with a stab to the neck. He tried to dodge it, but my thrusts were sharp and quick, so I cut his neck easily. A fountain of blood exploded from the wound, and he tried to stop it with his hands. It was an opening, that I just couldn't ignore. I ramed him with my shoulder. He grabbed my leg, and was about to twist it, and probably break my bones, but at the same time, a managed to put my blade through his skull.
Another one climbed his way. But I had no interest in continuing this fight, so I just bolted into the woods. They did chase me, so I kept running without turning back for around two hours, maybe more. I stopped only after seeing a group of goblins, which I massacred in a couple of seconds. Only then I headed back to my camp. It took me a while to find it. After a quick food break, I headed back to the cliff, but never actually got there. Orcs were waiting there for me. I didn't want to take them on again, so I went back to rest. There was no way I was going to sleep.
Day ended with 3645 points on my account, 31 goblin crystals.