Chirp, chirp...
Chirp, chirp, chirp...
High above the dense jungle, a few birds fluttered among the treetops, while faint insect calls echoed from all directions.
Lyle hid behind a thick tree trunk and a patch of dense underbrush, calmly observing the small goblin settlent ahead.
The absence of old goblins wasn't surprising.
Goblins were omnivores, and in tis of food scarcity, they were known to consu their own, using the injured, elderly, or weak as ergency rations.
However, the lack of young goblins was peculiar.
While Lyle wasn't an expert on goblins, he had learned a lot about their habits from the Rock team.
June and July were typically the most active months for goblins.
During this period, goblins reproduced rapidly. Not only would they hunt magical beasts in the forest, but they would also venture out of the Forest of Tob to prey on nearby villagers.
In a small goblin community...
When a group of goblins returned carrying five human corpses, the remaining goblins in the settlent erupted in excited cheers.
The goblins carrying the corpses, visibly exhausted, didn't set them down imdiately but continued toward a low grass hut in the center of the camp.
The five human bodies were laid at the entrance of the grass hut.
Imdiately afterward, the goblins retreated a short distance, watching the hut with a mix of anticipation and fear.
Witnessing this scene, Lyle's eye twitched involuntarily.
Bang!
A dull thud ca from within the hut, accompanied by a guttural growl reminiscent of a wild beast.
The next mont—
A massive figure, standing over two ters tall, with dark yellow skin and a hulking fra, erged from the low hut.
An ogre!
Recognition flashed in Lyle's eyes.
This was the sa kind of ogre that had nearly wiped out the Rock team. He couldn't help but take a second, more cautious look.
"Hungry... hungry..."
The ogre let out a hoarse groan. Its thick, powerful arms pressed against the ground as it slowly rose to its feet.
Its bald head was covered with grotesque lumps of flesh, creating a disturbing, ghastly appearance.
As the ogre lifted its head—
Lyle noticed a small goblin, already lifeless, dangling from its mouth, half-devoured.
The next second—
Crunch!
The ogre's palm-sized tongue extended, pulling the rest of the goblin into its maw. It chewed with loud, sickening crunches, spraying pale green blood from its gaping mouth.
The surrounding goblins trembled in place, barely daring to breathe.
Lyle's brow furrowed deeply at the grotesque, brutal scene, a wave of disgust rising within him.
Now, he understood why there were no young goblins in this settlent.
The ogre was injured!
Despite the distance, Lyle could clearly see a gaping wound on the ogre's chest, larger than a basin. Flies buzzed around the festering injury.
It was no wonder the ogre's movents were sluggish as it crawled out of the hut.
For creatures like ogres, consuming large amounts of food was the best way to heal from severe wounds.
"Food!"
The ogre's face contorted in excitent as it spotted the five human corpses on the ground.
Without hesitation, it grabbed one of the bodies and began devouring it.
Even the rigid bones of the human bodies crunched like brittle twigs between the ogre's powerful jaws.
Watching this grisly feast, Lyle took a deep breath and averted his gaze.
"This level of savagery... truly a bizarre gift from another world." He murmured to himself, reopening his eyes, now cold and focused.
In his previous world, humans reigned supre atop the food chain. All other creatures were simply divided into categories of edible and inedible.
Yet in this world, humans seed to have reverted to re prey, another link in the chain of survival. Such a scene filled Lyle with an indescribable sense of shock and fury.
At that mont—
Beyond the disgust, a deep-seated anger stirred within him, not because of the ogre's horrifying act of consuming human corpses, but from sothing more primal.
It was a rage born from the core of his very being, from the collective mory of humanity's relentless climb to the top of the food chain in his previous life. The wild instinct, ingrained into humanity's soul, flared up once more!
Swish!
Lyle raised his iron sword, gripping it tightly before his chest.
His cold eyes locked onto the distant ogre. This creature was larger than the one that had attacked the Rock squad earlier.
Other than the ogre, the goblins posed little threat.
The ogre was injured—this was the best chance to eliminate it!
However—
Lyle didn't charge in imdiately. He waited patiently, biding his ti.
After feeding, any creature's reaction speed and coordination would decrease compared to when it was hungry.
It wasn't that Lyle was overly cautious; he simply couldn't afford not to be.
Without detection abilities, he had no way of accurately gauging the ogre's level. He could only rely on the survival knowledge shared by the adventurers of this world.
And Lyle, unfortunately, had no experience in identifying monsters.
Since life only ca once, Lyle wasn't about to lose his due to carelessness or impatience.
This type of demi-human monster relied on its massive physique and strength, typically far surpassing that of humans of the sa level. To ensure safety, one had to be at least two or three levels higher to have a chance.
Lyle ntally reviewed what he knew about ogres.
Ogres had a unique racial trait. Due to their social behavior, they often lived among goblins.
The ogres provided protection, while the goblins supplied food, forming a mutually beneficial relationship.
In this forest, most goblin communities likely had an ogre. The larger the goblin population, the greater the likelihood of multiple ogres.
Sure enough—
After devouring three of the corpses, the ogre stopped eating.
Its now-bulging stomach and the lazy expression on its hideous face indicated that it was full.
Lyle's expression remained unchanged as he lifted his iron sword and slowly advanced toward the goblin camp.
Seeing that the ogre had finished eating, the goblins erupted into cheers. They began consuming tree fruits, the rotting carcasses of small beasts, and even leaves.
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