The skirmish between the beastmen and the greenskins proved to be short-lived, as both sides charged recklessly like wild boars, engaging in chaotic skirmishes where they fought in pairs. With such ruthless efficiency, the ground soon became littered with corpses, leaving few survivors in its wake.
Amidst the chaos, Avi and Rafe maintained a low profile, adopting a defensive stance on the battlefield. Surprisingly, they were spared from the brunt of enemy attacks.
"Boss, there are still many greenskins here; I believe this is significant," Rafe remarked, catching Avi off guard with his sudden insight. Avi, intrigued, inquired, "Oh? Pray, elaborate."
"This suggests an opportunity for a substantial skirmish here, sparing us from monotony!" Rafe exclaimed eagerly. "Just look at the sheer number of greenskins, not to mention the pack of dogs. We could skin them afterwards and procure additional winter garments."
"Hmm, indeed..." Avi pondered, "I must be facing a quandary if I'm expecting Rafe to contribute meaningful insights."
With the remaining enemies swiftly dispatched, they took stock of the casualties. The ratio between the fallen greenskin orcs and the war dogs surprised Avi, standing at approximately 1:3.
"These are merely the weakest among the greenskins; it's baffling to witness such casualties in an area where the war dogs hold the advantage..." Avi mused, contemplating the necessity of enhancing their soldiers' quality for future field engagements.
"Boss, do you suspect there are more greenskins nearby?" Rafe's hopeful expression sparked a revelation in Avi. "Certainly, it's quite likely. There may be a substantial number lurking nearby. Rafe, shall we embark on a quest to locate the source of these greenskins?"
"Huh? Aren't greenskins just sprouting from the ground like moss?" Rafe queried, his confusion palpable. "How would we even begin to locate them? It seems wherever one greenskin falls, several more arise. I've grown accustomed to it."
"While that's one possibility, it's equally plausible they've tunneled here from the Broken Leaf tribe," Avi speculated. "Regardless, it's imperative we uncover their origin and take action."
"And what action do you propose?"
"The 'Greenskin Perpetual Motion Machine,'" Avi declared.
Over the next few hours, amidst encounters with various adversaries in the Black Forest, Avi and Rafe carved a path through the dense foliage, marking their trail on tree trunks to avoid losing their way. Unbeknownst to them, they delved deep into the forest's heart.
Their skirmishes with lesser beasts, war dogs, and scattered greenskins diluted Rafe's fear of the darkness. Coupled with their rations, they remained in good spirits.
"Boss, if you wish to provoke a confrontation, why not stir up trouble here? Those fellows will undoubtedly come running to meet their demise!" Rafe suggested enthusiastically.
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"Focus on the task at hand," Avi admonished.
...
As dusk descended, they stumbled upon the object of Avi's search - the greenskin orcs' burrow. Despite light guarding, the entrance harbored several greenskin youngsters and two imposing figures.
Although the burrow lay not far from their camp, Avi and Rafe had initially veered off course, inadvertently stumbling upon it on their return journey.
Concealed within the burrow's surroundings were telltale signs of excavation. In Avi's words, "If one is determined to find it, the burrow is as conspicuous as lice on a bald head."
"They indeed possess a burrow," Avi whispered. "Rafe, shall we deal with these greenskins?"
"Certainly, and then we'll seal the entrance with a substantial block of wood, ignite something flammable, and revel in the ensuing spectacle!" Rafe exclaimed eagerly.
"What's the plan with blocking the hole and setting it on fire?" "Well, that's to pump smoke inside, so the snotlings and greenskins who are busy digging and crawling inside can have a good time," Rafe said excitedly. "Then we set up some traps around, even if they manage to break through, they'll still get hurt. It'll be a blast!"
"That's quite cunning," Avi chuckled. "But I'm even more cunning; this hole can be used to our advantage."
"How so?"
"It's simple, we block the entrance, then send people to surround it, and we'll kill as many as come out," Avi explained, gesturing with his hand. "We'll build a wall here, set up a movable gate over there, pile some stones... It's a pocket formation."
"But what if a lot of them come?"
"There won't be a lot," Avi said. "I heard some news when I was in Midengheim before, the Broken Leaf tribe has been fighting lately, and they're already short on manpower. These greenskins are probably accidental spawns, killing them won't matter much."
"Alright, I'll trust you, boss."
"The greenskins are scattered far apart from their posts, it's more like they're strolling around than being on duty. You stay here for now, I'll go take care of the ones further away. If anything unexpected happens, just rush in to help me, understand?"
"Don't worry!"
With his sword in hand, Avi began to move through the forest.
Supported by the "Swift" skill, he moved through the forest like an ape, appearing on tree branches at times, and launching ambushes from bushes at others. It didn't take long for him to deal with all seven greenskins who were strolling around nearby.
Now, there were only two big brutes and six little greenskins guarding the entrance.
The big brutes were stronger but more brutish, while the little greenskins, although relatively smarter (to a limited extent), were far inferior in combat compared to the big brutes.
As the name suggests, orc big brutes are the more combative, bigger, and stronger individuals among the greenskin orcs. They take pride in their own strength and are considered the most formidable thugs in the greenskin tribe.
Such greenskins are rare in the tribe, but because of the large and numerous population of greenskins, people often see groups of orc big brutes appearing on the battlefield - or as they like to call themselves, the "toughest thugs in the tribe".
So Avi decided to use a lure strategy.
"Rafe, take these two stones and go smash those two big brutes over there, I'll take care of the remaining little greenskins," Avi said. "You're stronger than me, but don't try to take on those two big brutes alone, just hold them off until I help you."
"Got it!"
"Don't be reckless!"
"Got it!"
Following Avi's instructions, Rafe went to the designated location and threw the stones, while Avi, following the route he had planned in his mind long ago, used the terrain to quietly slaughter the remaining greenskins one by one.
However, the plan hit a snag at this point.
In the end, Rafe couldn't resist his competitive spirit on the battlefield, and directly drew his armor-piercing greatsword and fought the two big brutes. Fortunately, these two big brutes were relatively fair fighters and chose to fight one-on-one to deal with this 'overconfident' human.
While the big brute who hadn't entered the fray yet enjoyed watching the fight from the sidelines, Avi's sword quietly approached its back.