Chapter 27 Bonecrusher Tribe
Hungry for three days, Tancred devoured the Ice Field worms ravenously while answering Brian. "Our Bonecrusher Tribe has forty-four people in total, including Chief William, twenty-two adult male Ogres, ten adult female Ogres, and eleven juvenile Ogres."
This turncoat unhesitatingly betrayed his tribe's information.
‘William?’ Brian was taken aback.
Within the Ogre race, most were like Tancred, brutish Ogre Warriors who wield large clubs. However, occasionally, a highly intelligent subspecies with mastery of magic was born, known as the Ogre Mage.
An Ogre Mage might not necessarily be named William, but a William would undoubtedly be an Ogre Mage, possessing not only a strong physique but also spell-casting abilities due to having two heads, enabling think about two things at once, making him significantly more powerful than typical Ogre Mages.
On the Noah Continent, those who could cast spells held the greatest influence. Mages mastering Nine-Ring or Higher Magic were highly respected, their words influencing kingdom decisions.
The most respected identity was always a Mage.
Reality was not a game, there was no need to consider class balance. A wealthy Mage on the Noah Continent could defeat a dozen warriors of the same level and achieve many wondrous feats with magic. Such as Teleportation Arrays, City Shields, and Otherworld Summoning.
Brain said, "William, that could be troublesome."
According to his understanding, there was not much chance of winning a fight between even a young dragon and William. If William mastered advanced magic, it would be even more challenging.
As for ordinary Ogres, though robust, they posed little threat to him. With this in mind, Brian's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.
After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "How far is the Bonecrusher Tribe from here?"
Tancred scratched his head and said, "Not far, just about thirty miles away."
Thirty miles was a long distance for ordinary people, but for Brian and creatures like Ogres, it was a very close distance.
Before Brian could ask more, Tancred's next words made his expression change slightly.
"Tribe members occasionally come near this ice river to hunt because there's a water source and plenty of prey."
Different species had different habits and customs. Ogres were a dirty, chaotic race that disliked water. Otherwise, it would have already been occupied by Ogres when Brian discovered the small ice river.
Brian frowned, feeling heavy-hearted. That meant he could face threats from the Ogre Tribe at any time.
It was fine during normal times, but if he was discovered while in slumber, it would be dangerous, especially with William around.
Brian thought for a moment and said solemnly, "Tell me everything you know about Chief William's abilities."
Tancred's eyes lit up, and despite knowing Brian intended to deal with his Chief, he was surprisingly happy under Brian's curious gaze, saying, "Our Chief is called William the Conqueror, about the same height as me..."
Minutes later, Tancred detailed William's information to Brian, looking at him expectantly.
Brian pondered for a moment, then looked at Tancred with a meaningful gaze, saying, "Tell me, why are you so eager to share this information?"
Tancred scratched his head awkwardly, grinning foolishly, "Because I want to be Chief, and he's my biggest obstacle."
After a pause, Tancred knelt sincerely before Brian, saying, "Great True Dragon, if you kill William and make me the Chief of the Bonecrusher Tribe, I swear by the Sun God that the Bonecrusher Tribe will honor you and serve you."
‘Sun God?’ Brian was slightly taken aback. ‘Since when do Ogres worship the Sun God? Shouldn't it be the God of Strength or the God of Courage? Moreover, there is no real Sun God on the Noah Continent.’ He was puzzled. There was no record of a Sun God on the Noah Continent in his Dragon Heritage.
He didn't dwell on it.
After all, the Noah Continent was filled with gods and countless religions. Perhaps the 'Sun God' Tancred mentioned was a new deity, hence not recorded in the Dragon Heritage.
However, swearing by a god was a serious matter whether true or false. Breaking such an oath would incur a god's curse.
In a world with gods, swearing by a god was the most solemn contract, not something to be taken lightly.
As for Tancred's suggestion to kill Chief William... Brian was tempted.
According to Tancred's description, while William could cast spells, his only known magic was a forked Lightning bolt.
It made sense, magic wasn't easy to master.
William, though a rare subspecies, wasn't a particularly outstanding Magical Creature.
With Tancred's insights into William, Brian was already devising a strategy to deal with him.
Of course, it would be beneficial to have the tribe under his control. Its overall strength far surpassed all of his current subordinates, and subduing it would solve many problems for him.
Currently, in the Ice River Territory, the Arctic Ice Spirits were still too weak, though growing stronger after transforming into dragon veins, and the Terror Lizard and White Hound pets weren't very strong either.
Incorporating the Ogre Tribe would significantly boost the Ice River Territory's strength, allowing it to handle minor troubles without Brian's intervention.
Additionally, Brian’s appetite increased as his body grew. The hunting results of his subordinates were barely enough to satisfy his hunger and he needed more subordinates.
"Before my next slumber, I will either destroy or subdue the Ogre Tribe." After a brief consideration, Brian made his decision.
He looked at Tancred, his expression unchanged, asking calmly, "How do the adult Ogres in the Bonecrusher Tribe compare to you in strength?"
Tancred hesitated and said, "Apart from the Chief, I am the strongest Ogre."
Though just reaching adulthood, Tancred had already defeated all ordinary Ogres in the tribe, hence his ambition to replace the Chief.
Brian examined Tancred's body.
Ten feet tall, with a simple tanned leather outfit covering his hard, bulging muscles... Adult Ogres typically stood between seven to nine feet tall, making Tancred a giant among Ogres.
