Having not eaten for three days, Ugga Smashbone voraciously devoured the Ice Plain worms, responding to Garon as he ate.
"Uh, our Smashbone Tribe totals forty-four people, including a two-headed ogre chieftain, twenty-two adult male ogres, ten adult female ogres, and eleven juvenile ogres."
Ugga didn't hesitate to divulge his tribe's information.
A two-headed ogre?
Garon was inwardly startled.
In the ogre race, most are like Ugga Smashbone, brute warriors wielding large clubs, but occasionally there are exceptionally intelligent subspecies capable of magic, known as ogre mages.
Not all ogre mages are two-headed, but every two-headed ogre is an ogre mage. In addition to robust physiques, they possess magical abilities, and their dual heads allow for parallel processing of thoughts, making them significantly stronger than typical ogre mages.
On the continent of Noa, those capable of casting spells hold power. Magicians who can cast ninth-level spells and above are considered human WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction), respected everywhere and can influence the decisions of kingdoms with just a word.
The most revered status always belongs to mages.
Reality is not a game; there's no need to balance professions. On Noa, a wealthy mage can defeat a dozen warriors of the same level and achieve much more beyond combat through magic.
Such as teleportation circles, city shields, summoning beings from other dimensions, etc.
"A two-headed ogre, that's troublesome."
Based on Garon's knowledge, an average young dragon would struggle against a two-headed ogre, especially if that ogre had mastered high-level spells.
As for ordinary ogres, although each is physically strong, they pose little threat to him.
With these thoughts, Garon's gaze grew contemplative.
After a moment, he asked, "How far is the Smashbone Tribe from here?"
Ugga scratched his head, "Not far, just over fifty kilometers."
Fifty kilometers might seem a long distance for humans, but it's trivial for beings like Garon or ogres.
Before Garon could inquire further, Ugga's next words slightly changed his expression.
"People from our tribe occasionally come near this Ice River to hunt because there are many prey animals due to the water source."
Different species have their habits. Ogres are a race that thrives in filth and chaos and typically avoid water, otherwise they would have already occupied the small Ice River when Garon discovered it.
Garon's brows furrowed, his heart sinking.
That meant he could face threats from the ogre tribe at any time.
It was manageable under normal circumstances, but if the ogres discovered his lair during his hibernation, it could be perilous, especially given the two-headed ogre chieftain he needed to be wary of.
Garon thought for a moment and then said sternly, "Tell me everything you know about the capabilities of your two-headed ogre chieftain."
Ugga's eyes lit up, knowing full well Garon intended to deal with his chieftain. Surprisingly, he seemed quite pleased to share, "Our chieftain is called Sela Smashbone, about the same height as Ugga."
A few minutes later, Ugga had relayed detailed information about the two-headed ogre, looking expectantly at Garon afterward.
Garon remained silent for a moment, then intriguingly asked, "Why are you so eager to share this information?"
Ugga scratched his head sheepishly, grinning foolishly, "Because Ugga wants to be the chieftain, and he is Ugga's biggest obstacle."
After a pause, Ugga sincerely knelt, "Great true dragon, if you can kill Sela and let Ugga become the chief of the Smashbone Tribe, Ugga Smashbone swears by the Sun God that the Smashbone Tribe will honor you and be at your command."
The Sun God? Garon was slightly taken aback.
Since when did ogres worship the Sun God? Weren't they more inclined to deities of strength or bravery?
Moreover, there wasn't really a Sun God in Noa.
Garon was puzzled; his dragon lore didn't recognize any such deity on Noa.
He didn't dwell on it, though. In a world with many gods and countless religions, perhaps this 'Sun God' was a recently emerged deity, hence not yet recorded in his dragon heritage.
Regardless, swearing by the name of a god, real or not, was no trivial matter.
Violating such a vow could incur the curses of the gods.
In a world with deities, swearing by a god is the most solemn contract, not something to be taken lightly.
The idea of killing the two-headed ogre chief was tempting to Garon, especially since Ugga described the chief's only
known spell as a forked lightning bolt.
Magic isn't easy to master.
Even though the two-headed ogre was a rare subspecies, it wasn't a particularly impressive magical creature.
After gaining a basic understanding of the two-headed ogre from Ugga, Garon was already contemplating strategies to deal with it.
Who could sleep soundly with a voracious, carnivorous ogre tribe right at one's doorstep?
If controlled by him, however, the tribe could prove beneficial. Their collective strength far surpassed all of Garon's current followers and could solve many problems for him.
In the Ice River territory, although the Northern Ice Spirits had been transformed into dragon-veined beings and were growing stronger, they were still too weak. The terror-lizards and white hunting dogs were not particularly strong either.
Incorporating the ogre tribe could significantly enhance the strength of the Ice River territory. If any troubles arose, Garon wouldn't always have to intervene personally.
Additionally, as his body grew, his appetite increased, and the hunting results of his followers were beginning to fall short.
"Before my next hibernation, I must destroy or subjugate this ogre tribe."
After brief contemplation, Garon made his decision.
He looked at Ugga Smashbone, his expression unchanged, and asked calmly in Giant, "Compared to you, how strong are the adult ogres in the Smashbone Tribe?"
Ugga paused, then replied, "Apart from the chieftain, Ugga is the strongest ogre."
Though just an adult, Ugga had already proven unbeatable among the regular ogres of his tribe, hence his ambition to replace the chieftain.
Garon sized up Ugga.
At three meters tall, his simple tanned hide clothing barely contained his bulging muscles. Adult ogres typically ranged from 2.6 to 3 meters in height, making Ugga a giant among ogres.