novelnext Chapter 66 Rotten Fish and Shrimp
Chapter 66 Rotten Fish and Shrimp
Xia Lin glanced instinctively at Griffin beside her and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Griffin, that powerful teammate you mentioned... could it be this guy?"
Griffin smiled knowingly and nodded: "That's right, this orc is called Garu."
Don't be intimidated by his appearance. As far as I know, he was actually raised by the old pastor Farr from a young age.
His temperament... is completely different from the ferocious orcs you imagine in the wilderness, so don't worry.
He paused, then added with certainty, "Moreover, Garu is a true paladin who has already achieved his own class and become a professional."
Although I haven't gone on any missions with him and don't know his specific combat capabilities... I've heard from the old priest Far that his combat strength is quite reliable.
Xia Lin looked at Jia Lu again.
The other person seemed to notice his gaze and turned to look at him.
The gaze was calm, without provocation or ferocity, only a quiet scrutiny, followed by a slight nod as a greeting.
Judging from this, the other party seemed quite friendly.
This reaction truly overturned Xia Lin's stereotypes about "orcs" or "half-orcs".
Along with the old priest Far and the orc Garu arrived, a six-man town guard team also followed.
They were dressed in uniform armor, carrying spears and other weapons, and their expressions showed not only vigilance but also a hint of barely perceptible tension.
The team leader was a middle-aged man with a sharp face and a short beard. Xia Lin looked at him and thought he was the guard who had let them through during the previous sewer cleaning mission.
Judging from his armband and uniform, he seems to have been promoted to vice-captain, named Ward.
On this mission, he led the guards under the command of the old priest, Far.
The guards showed great respect to Priest Farr, and always led by him.
The two met up, and the old pastor Farr's gaze swept over Xia Lin and Griffin, lingering briefly on Xia Lin, as if Griffin had already introduced him to them.
His aged but clear voice rang out: "This must be Xia Lin, Griffin's friend. Since he recommended him, we naturally trust him."
He paused, then continued, "Time is of the essence, so I'll keep it brief."
Our mission this time is to delve deep into the edge of the forest swamp near the riverbank, locate the ghoul lair from the recent disappearances at the docks, and thoroughly purify it to prevent future threats.
He looked around at everyone and emphasized, "Based on previous investigations, these ghouls are likely a mutated subspecies adapted to the aquatic environment. They are more dangerous and stronger than ordinary ghouls and may possess some special abilities."
Be careful and look out for each other during the operation.
As Far finished speaking, several suppressed gasps came from the back of the group.
The guards looked even more grim.
A tall, thin guard clutched his stomach, his face contorted in pain, and whispered to Ward, "Captain... I... I suddenly have a stomachache. I think I ate something bad this morning. Maybe..."
Ward glared at him: "No rush, the team can wait until you're done before setting off. Shall we wait for you under the shade of that tree over there for half an hour?"
The tall, thin guard, who had instantly "recovered," suddenly looked crestfallen: "...Okay, it doesn't seem to hurt anymore."
Another burly guard adopted a roundabout tactic: "Captain, I feel that I am too weak. This mission is so dangerous, I am afraid that I will hold everyone back."
For the sake of our team's collective honor, how about I go back and get someone even better from the team?
Ward pointed at him, annoyed. "Do you think I'm stupid? Aren't you the biggest eater in our guard team?"
The guard tried to shrink his neck to make himself look "mini": "Captain, don't be fooled by my strong appearance, I'm actually quite weak."
Seriously! My legs go weak when I'm scared...
Ward, too lazy to listen to their bickering any longer, directly appointed them: "Okay, you, and you too, he was referring to the one who had a stomachache earlier, you two will lead the search and scouting later, do your best."
The two immediately looked miserable: "Captain! We were wrong!"
Ward's gaze swept over the other team members: "Anyone else have a question?"
Everyone immediately straightened their backs, looked straight ahead, and fell silent.
Despite his tough stance, Ward himself was a little apprehensive.
He walked up to the old pastor Farr, lowered his voice, and asked with concern, "Your Excellency, are there enough of us?"
Should we request more manpower from the church, postpone the operation for a few days, and allow for more thorough preparation before commencing?
The old pastor, Far, shook his head, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "There's no time."
Every day of delay could result in someone being killed, and allow the evil monsters to grow even larger.
With Garu here, and two other adventurers assisting us, we should be able to handle the ghoul threat.
He looked at the slightly uneasy guards, raised his voice a little, and said with a reassuring tone: "Your only task is to protect me while I am casting my purification spell and prevent any disturbed monsters from getting close."
As for dealing with the threat of monsters, leave that to the other professionals. Understand?
Upon hearing that they wouldn't need to directly engage in hand-to-hand combat with the terrifying ghouls, the guards visibly relaxed, their expressions softening as they nodded in agreement.
"In that case, let's set off." Pastor Far raised his staff and pointed it into the depths of the riverside forest.
"May the Holy Light guide us and dispel the darkness."
The orc Garu silently raised his battle axe, took long strides, and led the way at the head of the group, like a mobile fortress.
Griffin and Charlin followed closely behind, followed by Reverend Farr, while Ward led the guards, maintaining a vigilant formation, and brought up the rear.
The group left the town and embarked on a dirt road leading to the riverside forest.
The morning mist had not completely dissipated, and the light in the forest was somewhat hazy. The air was filled with the damp scent of earth, decaying leaves, and the distant river.
The forest gradually became muddy underfoot, and the air was filled with the stuffy smell of damp earth and humus.
The roots of the ancient tree rise from the ground, their surface covered with damp moss and dark green fungal spots.
"The swamp area is just ahead." Vice Captain Ward stopped, his voice wary. "Based on the 'unusual activity' witnessed by the dockworkers on the riverbank, the last direction they disappeared was this way."
The orc Garu ahead nodded silently, slowing his pace. The giant axe on his shoulder gleamed with a dull metallic luster in the sparse light filtering through the leaves.
This orc paladin, who was adopted and raised by an old priest from childhood, was as tall and strong as a mountain, with crisscrossing scars on his dark green skin.
Now, this humanoid tank is leading the way, which has indeed given the team a lot of confidence to venture deep into the forest.
Xia Lin, who "accidentally" ended up in the middle of the guard team, kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to deal with any unexpected situations.
Woody on his shoulder suddenly moved, his black beak pointing to a puddle of reeds to the left.