章 23: Chapter 23: The elegy Forest

Once in the forest, Alex began searching.

After one hour and thirty minutes of searching, Alex found nothing; there was nothing but trees, and time was whining down.

As Alex went deeper, he saw a group of four adventurers attacking a group of five ogres. Alex was not planning on interfering or help but when he heard the black-neck ogre spoke the human language, Alex knew he could not let him die.

It was rare to meet an ogre that understood human language, and he was perfect for Alex's plan.

The party of five ogres was six ft tall with sharp teeth like fangs, green skin, black hair tied in a ponytail, and looked like they weight over 350 to 400 pounds. They were humongous. They wore huge metal armor covered half of their shoulder and protected half their chest, a leather sash covering up their lower bodies, and a board sword in their hand.

Alex needed those ogres alive to help him, and he didn't want to waste time attacking the adventurers since he couldn't see their stats.

'Inspect'

Name:��

Level: 28

Race: ogre

Class: evolved ��

Element: wind, earth

Mana core: level 1

HP: 300

Mana: 250/250

STR:320

Agility: 130

Intelligence: 200

Stamina: 300

Alex needed those ogres alive to help him, and he didn't want to waste time attacking the adventurers since he couldn't see their stats.

Alex blinked out of the void startling both groups; they immediately stopped fighting and parted, leaving Alex in the middle.

The ogres were not happy to see Alex since they barely had an advantage fighting five verse four. The adventures were not thrilled either; the one thing to be wary of in the elegy forest was not the monster but other humans. Alex Presence interrupted the action and forced everyone to rethink the situation.

"Hello, everyone. I am here with a proposal for both parties." Alex pointed to the black-neck ogre and the adventuring party to come forward.

"I get that the ogres are fighting for meat and their lives," Alex said while looking at the black neck ogre.

He turns his head towards the adventures "while you adventures are fighting to complete a quest." Everyone nodded their heads.

"The ogre's meat problem I can solve as long as you assist me with a quest of my own," Alex said while looking at the ogre, who nodded his head in understanding.

"As for you adventurers, I will give you one hundred gold coins to forget about this matter and leave here." Alex said while looking at each of the adventure facial expressions.

One hundred gold coins were more than they would have received for completing the quest and turning over the ogres' bodies. Alex could have offered two hundred, but he was not the giving type. The black ogre and the adventure were both thinking it over.

Both parties were thinking the same thing 'what if we just kill him then wouldn't...…'

Alex knew what they were thinking and would have welcomed the challenge at any other time. But he was short on time. Alex blinked to three different spots to show them his skill before blinking back to his original location.

"I advise you all to accept the offer, I have no problem eliminating both parties," Alex said while placing both hands on his ghost blades. If he could not get them to agree, he might as well turn them all into exp; although time would be wasted, he would just postpone his planes a few hours later tomorrow night than he planned.

The black ogre looked at Alex; the risk of fighting Alex out-weight the reward since he did not know how much meat Alex had, or how strong Alex was, and how many of them would die to get it. Then there were the other adventurers who would not stay idly by. They would want Alex's loot as well. The ogre was the first to accept.

"I can only accept your offer once your quest is something that we can do!" the black-neck ogre proclaimed.

Alex then turns his head towards the adventures. The adventurers vacillated. But they knew full well they could not take on Alex and the ogres. The ogre who understood English would not stay idly by if he could receive the meat from Alex and off their dead bodies.

The black neck ogre smiled at the adventures while placing his weapon down and his hands in the air. As if he knew what they were thinking, the black ogre was giving them the 'go ahead, I won't interfere, that would be beneath me' expression.

The female adventurer, who seemed to be the leader, sucked her teeth at the ogre antics; if they believe the ogre, then they might as well stab a knife in their own heads.

"We agree." The female adventure said.

Alex did not hesitate to throw the pouch full of gold at her feet. The gold made the adventure's face light up with smiles. And greed populated their minds.

One adventurer proudly proclaimed, "the gold isn't enough; we need one hundred more! As far as we are concerned, this is simply an introduction fee since we don't know you."

Alex's eyes changed from blue to orange; he could not believe his ears even though he expected it. This was also one of the reasons he did not offer two hundred gold coins; it was to limit the greed of the adventurers. If he was willing to over two hundred for a quest that did not even offer fifty gold coins, then he must be loaded. Alex was trying to eliminate that train of thought from the adventures but at last.

The female adventurer, who was the leader of the party, saw Alex's eyes change color. The greed she felt quickly evaporated. She thought, 'how angry must you be for your eyes to change color.'

She quickly spoke up, "We need no more money. Tony, let's leave now." Her voice woke up the other members except for Tony. The others knew their leader was strong and would take advantage of any situation that she could if she could win. Her claim that they did not need anymore meant that Alex was no pushover.

"Could you repeat that, you little cunt?" Alex did not like or wanted to waste even a second of his time; he still needed to negotiate with the ogres. If they disagree, he still needed to kill them and hunt for wolves, and there was barely an hour left.

"I said the gold isn't…" before tony could finish his words, Alex blinked behind tony from his spot. With his ghost blade in hand, Alex was about to decapitate tony.

The leader was fast; her sword partially deflected Alex's blade. She was prepared to move the moment Alex's eyes changed color, the only one who was still blinded by their greed was tony. She was moving towards tony before Alex spoke, and her sword already drawn. She stopped Alex's blade before it made a major wound on tony's neck. But the blade still nicked tony; blood was trickling down.

The other adventurers draw their weapons as well. They rushed to stand behind their leader, ready to defend or attack. Alex blinked from his spot and stood four feet from the adventurers; if they did not see the error in their ways, he did not mind sending them all to the underworld. Tony was already halfway there. If the ogres wanted to jump in, he didn't mind at all. He was due for LVL UP. Although he lost the element of surprise, he still didn't need to fight a head-to-head battle, and his blades were covered in venom.

The female adventurer thought that tony was too scared since he still could not pull out his weapon even after the others did. She watched tony hand frozen by his side, and pupils continue to dilate 'he must have been really shaking up'.

The female adventure looked at Alex as Alex drew out his second ghost blade from the scabbard; she did not want to fight Alex. Not like this. She could not see Alex's face or knew his element, but his movement showed no hesitation as if decapitating tony was a minor matter, and cleaning up the rest of them would be no problem.

She cursed tony inwardly 'why the fuck are you so greedy. At least be greedy if you could read the situation.'

Before Alex finished drawing his second blade out of his scabbard, she had to remedy the situation.

"Wait, we were wrong. We don't want any more money. My party member was wrong, and I apologize on his behalf as the team leader", the leader spit out the best etiquette she could muster.

The other adventure heard her and knew that they pulled the wrong donkey's tail.

Alex finished drawing his second blade. He would accept the party's leader's apology, but would she accept that her party member was partially dead? Alex pointed one of his blades at her, "I accept your apology; however it's too late."

Alex's words made the team leader's heart sink; it wanted to plunge out of her chest. She really did not want to face Alex; he was confident in handling them all, and tony had yet pull out his daggers from their scabbard.

Then there was the black-neck ogre who seems happy about their situation and glad that he didn't make the same mistake or hoping to take advantage.

"You see, Tony is already partially dead. I suggest you leave him behind and go. This is your final warning; any hesitation will only lead to decapitation." Alex proclaimed.

Alex would not allow tony to go since he already wasted the venom on him; that was his hard-earned exp.

The female adventurer looked at tony only to see him still frozen; now she realized that tony was not afraid but poisoned. The only thing that could have poison tony was Alex's blade, and it did cut tony. The leader needed only a second, and she understood why Alex was sure he could take care of them. And his assurance was well placed. It only took a slight cut, and tony was out.

The leader took the storage ring off Tony's finger. Then she looked at the rest of her party and said, "we will be leaving," before swiftly running toward Saint Rothen. The other two followed her without questioning her judgment to leave tony. Although they knew tony for three years, their lives were more important.

Alex looked at the black-neck ogre before walking towards tony and decapitating him.

*Ding*

[you have received 1200exp]

[You have received 130 sin points (SP)]

Alex left the body; the ogre would eat it, eventually. Alex walked to the black-neck ogre, took out a lot of meat from his inventory, enough to show he was serious.

"This will be your payment for the quest. Is it enough?" Alex asked.

He was seeing if the black-neck ogre would make the same mistake as tony.

"Yes, it is enough; what is the quest?" the black-neck ogre answered.

"You will hunt six wolves for me and bring their testicles; you can have their bodies. I have no use for them. Then you will meet me here tomorrow night, for a trip into the city. I will be here at midnight."

Alex's first words made the black-necked ogre happy since hunting wolves was what they did the most, but he was not convinced for the latter part. Seeing the ogre unconvinced, Alex walked to Tony's body and moved it to different locations with a blink.

"This is how I will bring you into the city," Alex said after dispelling the ogre confusing. The black ogre nodded his head. Alex took a small portion of the meat and give it to the ogre. While storing the rest.

"You will get the rest once we complete the quest." Alex voiced.

He was not a fool to give all the meat to the ogre, not that he would mind hunting them down, but he had no time. Of course, the beef Alex was giving the ogre wasn't the best part. Alex saved the edible raw beef like jerky and other juicy pieces for himself.

The ogre nodded his head in agreement then left with Tony's body.