Huaacchuu!!!

Tristan sneezed and rubbed his itchy nose.

"Did someone talk about me just now?, or am I just exhausted for staying up late last night? Damn! being naked all night isn't wise at all…" Tristan muttered to himself and rubbed his hands in an attempt for warmth.

"But, can an elf really get the flu? ...I really need to kidnap an elf next time and ask about this new body of mine... especially about sex… Arrrgghh! All this is driving me nuts…"

The village was getting farther and farther away behind them. Their leader walked at the front of the group while occasionally glancing at a map. On said map, one place was marked with an 'X', indicating the location for their mission.

They walked for half a day before arriving at the edge of a dense forest. They looked around, checked their surroundings, and stepped inside, careful to avoid any fallen leaves on the ground.

"Okay, soon we will reach the area indicated by the map, that is the orc territory we need to deal with for our quest. Let's talk strategy first." Borin said.

The group gathered around a large tree. Seth stands silent in anticipation and anxiety, while Piyo the short guy was nowhere to be found.

"My brother went to scout ahead, he will be back soon" said Borin realizing Tristan observation

Layla and Barry sat across from Tristan, and they both were busy laughing and talking about something together. Though Tristan had to admit it was nice to see his sister laughing, the view disturbs him somehow.

Sensing Tristan's glare, Layla turned to look at him and waved as a gesture to ask him to come closer.

"Hey, Tris! This Barry is an example of a perfect gentleman. He picked some fruits for me and cared for my health." Layla gestured at the fruit she was holding "Not like a certain someone who annoyed my sleep!"

"You're being too kind, miss-"

"Layla. Just call me Layla, Barry."

"Yeah, of course… Miss Layla."

"…"

While they were talking, there was a slight rustling of leaves. Everyone turned around and saw Piyo the short guy emerge from the underbrush. Immediately, he came closer to the leader and gave them all the information he had obtained.

The orc camp was not too far from them, and there are around forty orcs inside the camp, give or take 10-20 on account of them being out of the camp or unseen. According to Piyo, half of them are young, and they only need to be concerned with the other half, which are the orc warriors.

"These orcs have around 30 to 40 battle powers, just don't be careless, and this should be an easy job"

Tristan eyed Piyo in slight interest. It was clear that the little guy is skilled at gathering information, but obviously, it was all due to the thing he has on his wrist.

"Considering the low numbers, there shouldn't be any orc champion to worry about, but we still need to exercise caution." Borin said.

Tristan, on the other hand, was not too worried. He had his share of experience in fighting orcs, and even with his reduced battle power, he was sure he could face them all at the same time

However, he was still concerned about his sister's safety. He reminded Barry to stay close and guard Layla from potential dangers.

"Alright, considering the situation, it's better for us to rush them and kill all of them as fast as possible before they get any chances to surround us. We're lower in numbers, but we have the element of surprise on our side, it should be easy to take them out in one fell swoop if we play our cards right. Do you guys understand?" Borin announced.

Tristan was stunned into silence. What kind of strategy was that? That is not a strategy at all.

But he decided to swallow his doubts for now. He wanted to see what those adventurers are capable of.

"Alright then, you guys ready?"

No one answered, but the sounds of metal started to echo in the area. Borin pulled his sword from the scabbard and took out his shield, while Seth took the long spear strapped on his back. Meanwhile, Piyo pulled out a pair of twin small crossbows made of carved wood.

Tristan glanced at his sister one last time. Oddly, though her expression looked a bit anxious, there was no trace of fear in her gaze. Tristan exhaled in relief, he told her to stay at the back and be careful.

"Let's go… Follow me!" Borin raised his sword and commanded.

The group raised their weapons as well, before running to follow their leader. As usual, Borin ran at the front, followed by Piyo and Seth behind him while the rest ran behind the three. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the camp.

It was a lush clearing filled with simple structures made of wood, with a few green creatures standing at the entrance to serve as guards. The creatures looked ugly, with dirty green skin and fangs protruding from their lower jaw. They each holding sharp weapons, glaives, or wooden clubs in their hands.

Upon hearing the group's voice, a few of the green creatures looked at their direction before shouting a loud, ear-piercing shriek to warn the other in their camp.

"Chhiiiwilkkk!!"

The battle with the orcs has finally started