Wildness and Masks

After registering the adventurer group name, everyone went back to their own tasks and preparations.

The next morning, they gathered again. There weren't many changes in their appearances, except for Thrandic, who had a significant change. He had donned a set of formal apprentice-level light armor, which he had purchased the previous day.

As for Ogre, there wasn't much visible change, but he had added quite a few hidden gadgets. This time, Ogre not only retrieved his improved rope arm bracers but also brought along some 'secret weapons.'

It wasn't that Ogre was particularly invested in this adventure; he was just very concerned about his own life. The improved arm bracers pleased Ogre greatly, as they retained the convenient quick-release buckle on the rope and added an automatic retrieval feature.

The dwarf craftsman mentioned something about a metal deformation rebound mechanism inside, which could be activated by twisting the end of the nosepiece to lock the retrieval effect. Ogre didn't fully understand, but he felt his gold coins were well spent.

"Ogre, what are you eating?" Foucault asked with some curiosity.

Ogre bit into a sour fruit and tossed one to Foucault. "I just went to the forest to test my new weapons and picked some tree fruits along the way," Ogre explained while chewing on the fruit.

Seeing Ogre eat it so easily, Foucault didn't mind either. He wiped it casually and took a bite. The moment he did, his pupils contracted sharply as if experiencing an earthquake.

He then put the fruit down with a blank expression.

"The taste of the forest fruits is indeed a bit off, but they're quite nutritious. Some of the demon beasts in this forest rely on these fruits for sustenance, and they can even replenish some mana," Ogre said as he took another fruit from his pocket to try.

These unpalatable fruits had been Ogre's food since childhood. For survival, he had grown accustomed to them.

It's said that the reason these fruits exist in the forest is that the Demon Beast Forest was once home to an elf tribe, hence the name 'Elf Green Tree Fruit.'

"Give me one too," Lange said, seeing his young master take a bite and wanting to try it himself, as a gesture to ease relations with Ogre.

Ogre didn't hesitate to toss him a fruit.

Thrandic almost burst out laughing when he saw this.

Sure enough, when Lange took a bite, he understood why his young master had remained silent.

"Ugh, why is it so bitter and awful?"

Although Lange wasn't one for particularly foul language, it didn't mean he was always polite. When faced with something unpleasant, he spoke quite directly.

"Hahaha."

Thrandic couldn't hold back his laughter. The reason these fruits, despite their beneficial effects, weren't cultivated and popularized was due to their difficulty in cultivation and, most importantly, their terrible taste.

Watching Ogre eat without changing his expression, Foucault coughed lightly. His upbringing was better, so he didn't curse like Lange—after all, they had brought this upon themselves, seeing as Ogre was eating them.

Thus, he simply covered his mouth with his hand and coughed lightly to mask his discomfort.

With Lange's embarrassment, Foucault's reaction wasn't particularly awkward: "Ahem, I'm not quite used to the taste either. Ogre, here's the breathing technique you wanted."

As Foucault spoke, his ring glowed slightly, and he opened a Void Pocket beside his hand.

He then took out a relatively thin book from the Void Pocket, which was one of Ogre's rewards.

"Let me see." Ogre stopped what he was doing and took the book as soon as Foucault handed over the breathing technique.

"Thunder Forge Breathing Technique."

The name of this breathing technique was quite straightforward.

Ogre flipped through the images and instructions casually and knew the book was genuine.

After a quick glance, he tucked it into his inner armor.

"Thank you," Ogre said without hesitation. This gift might not be precious to those nobles, but it was very valuable to Ogre.

"I had someone buy it from the Church of Truth as you requested. It's said to be written by a knight skilled in using thunder battle qi, with the help of a truth sorcerer."

Foucault waved his hand to close the previously opened Void Pocket.

A Void Pocket opened by a spatial item cannot remain open for long, as it would destabilize the runes on the spatial item. If damaged, everything inside could spill out.

Generally, it's best to close the pocket within a few minutes and wait the same amount of time before reopening it.

If the Void Pocket is blocked by material, it can't be closed, and strong energy interference can prevent it from opening or closing—or more likely, destroy it.

Despite this, it's still something to be envied. At least Ogre was envious, as it was truly convenient. With this, he wouldn't have to carry a small pouch all the time.

"The font and format definitely look like they were printed by the Church of Truth," Ogre nodded in agreement, finishing off his last fruit.

The speed at which he ate made one wonder if he was eating some kind of delicacy.

"Even with the means for mass printing, it still can't be popularized... If it could be, and more people could become apprentices or even professionals, would demon beasts and foreign races still be a problem for the Empire?" Foucault sighed.

Breathing techniques aren't something you can practice just by obtaining them; you need guidance.

Yet, the Empire strictly regulates the number of these techniques available on the market.

Usually, only a portion can be released.

The Thunder Forge Breathing Technique Ogre obtained only contained the basic content for the professional level. The accompanying thunder battle qi combat skills were nowhere to be found.

The Withered Tree Revival Meditation he received was similar. This meditation technique only stimulated mental power and the Seed of Imagination to the level of a regular professional.

The accompanying mental defense, mental attack, and imagination refinement techniques were out of reach.

Even obtaining a training method was challenging.

Some secret manuals even used encrypted codes, requiring a special decryption key to read.

For the illiterate commoners, becoming a professional was extremely difficult. They could only hope to awaken a decent mage talent and be recruited by the academies each year.

Or, if they had a good physical talent and knight qualifications, they could join the Church of Dawn as a guard or enlist in the army.

Among countless guards, only a few with truly outstanding talent could advance to become Paladins.

As for the mysterious Imagists, that was more of a mystical path. Some could awaken through meditation and visualization, and it's said that many awakened the Seed of Imagination by studying and reciting the Doctrine of Dawn and believing in the God of Dawn.

As for Ogre, he didn't believe in those ethereal gods.

"Perhaps they're more afraid of something more terrifying than foreign races and demon beasts," Ogre changed the subject.

He found Foucault to be quite naive in some areas.

But that was fine; Ogre didn't like dealing with overly cunning people.

"Something more terrifying?" Foucault was momentarily stunned, not realizing what could be scarier than the annual invasions by foreign races.

"Nothing much. By the way, have you secured today's mission?" Ogre asked, patting the small hammer at his waist.

"It's all set. By the way, where's your main weapon, Ogre?" Foucault knew Ogre didn't have a spatial item like him.

Even Thrandic had brought a short sword this time, and Ogre only had a hammer?

"This is enough for me," Ogre said, patting his unassuming little hammer with a mischievous smile.

"Isn't that thing used for stonemasonry or carpentry?" Lange, hearing they were about to set off, put on his helmet.

He always thought showing his face looked cool until he met someone who didn't care about knightly conduct.

He didn't want his handsome face to be targeted by those demon beasts again; it was embarrassing enough before.

"A hammer is quite handy," Ogre noticed the flashy greatsword on Lange's back.

Alright, he understood what the other meant—he was showing off.

"I remember Ogre uses a staff or spear, right? If you don't have a weapon, I happen to have one. If you don't mind, you can use it," Foucault said, reaching to open the Void Pocket to get a weapon for Ogre. He was thorough in considering the team's needs, thinking that even the worst weapon he prepared should be better than the broken staff from the arena.

Such a considerate leader was indeed reassuring, even preparing a weapon specifically for Ogre.

Although he said it was just a coincidence, everyone knew better. As a mage, with his squire using a sword, why would he prepare a spear or staff?

In this regard, Foucault was indeed thoughtful.

The enhancement provided by a weapon was quite significant for these apprentice-level professionals, accounting for up to fifty percent of their effectiveness.

But Ogre stopped Foucault from opening the Void Pocket, shaking his head: "No need, I'm not joking. The hammer is indeed one of the best weapons for the Demon Beast Forest."

Ogre then released his grip and turned his gaze to Lange: "If you don't want to hold us back, you'd better switch to a shield and a short sword."

"Why is that?" Lange was the first to question.

"It doesn't matter what a mage equips, but we're all apprentice-level close-combat professionals. Without the ability to shatter rocks with a single strike, it's better to use shorter weapons. Besides, isn't your duty to protect Foucault?"

Unlike these city nobles, Ogre had been roaming the forest since childhood. He knew what worked and what didn't.

There was a reason why the first weapon of a Paladin was often a hammer.

"Not that I disagree with your last point, but isn't it a bit... odd to wield a hammer?" Lange realized he should focus more on protecting Foucault rather than how to kill, but he still couldn't understand why Ogre would bring a mere hammer to battle.

Foucault remained silent, waiting for Ogre's explanation.

As for Thrandic, with little combat experience, he had nothing to add. His weapon was also provided by Foucault—after all, at the apprentice level, even the strongest fists were less efficient than a short sword for clearing ordinary demon beasts.

"The best weapon in the arena is always a long weapon, but in the Demon Beast Forest, that's not the case. The environment is complex and ever-changing. In caves and forests, long weapons only limit your performance. Some trees are quite hard, and in such environments, shorter weapons are better for both of us. Carrying such a large sword is no better than going barehanded."

Ogre had his own understanding of each environment.

In the arena, a staff or sword was undoubtedly the most convenient.

But on the battlefield, a spear or lance was the best choice for lining up. For veteran professionals and generals whose strength surpassed ordinary soldiers, the killing efficiency of a spear was clearly inferior to a two-handed greatsword. With overwhelming strength, the harvesting efficiency of a two-handed greatsword was far superior to other weapons.

However, in caves and forest environments, it's a different story. With obstructed vision and enemies possibly not being dense, medium to short weapons are the best choice against agile and unpredictable foes.

Of course, if you can destroy the environment with a single strike, then you can use whatever you want.

"Then why not use an axe or short sword?" Lange mainly thought Ogre's hammer looked a bit unsightly.

"You can bring a short sword to increase efficiency in skinning and chopping, but an axe isn't necessary. In battle, I prefer blunt weapons.

Sharp weapons can easily get stuck in some demon beasts' bones or be corroded by their blood, losing their sharpness.

When faced with a swarm of goblins, you'll find no weapon is better than a hammer."

Ogre explained slowly, needing to describe the scenario to convince everyone.

This was something even Foucault's uncle hadn't considered.

After all, these family-backed professionals usually emerged at the professional level, already possessing their preferred weapons.

For powerful professionals, forcibly switching weapons was indeed less effective than continuing with their familiar ones.

"You see this head? A single strike can definitely crush a goblin's skull. For tasks requiring intact pelts, using the head-to-head approach ensures better integrity."

Ogre pointed to the pick-like end of his small hammer.

As for the regular hammer side, it was for armored targets. Some elite, clever goblins would choose to wear armor for added strength.

These were insights gained from his countless hunts.

"Alright, I did overlook that," Foucault, being reasonable, acknowledged once convinced.

"Should I switch to a hammer too?" Thrandic asked weakly.

"But I didn't bring a hammer. Should we buy one?" Foucault, when in doubt, opted to buy.

Nothing was easier to solve than spending money.

"No need, I have a pair of gauntlets."

Ogre rummaged through his bag and tossed a pair of gauntlets to Thrandic. Compared to a hammer, these iron gauntlets would suit him better.

Ogre had already considered this.

These gauntlets were leftovers from Ogre, but even so, they were tailored to his specifications. He had even adjusted the size specifically for his junior brother.

As for Ogre now, he wasn't wearing anything on his hands—this was to facilitate using his lightning abilities.

So Ogre's bare hands were a rare sight. If not for special reasons, he usually wore gloves to prevent weapon slippage.

But Foucault and the others weren't familiar with Ogre, so they hadn't noticed.

"Your hands are quite beautiful."

While Thrandic and Lange were changing equipment, Foucault observed Ogre's bare hands, which looked even more attractive than his well-maintained mage hands.

"Natural."

Ogre responded indifferently. Whether his hands were beautiful or not didn't affect his efficiency in killing demon beasts.

"If you were in my place, you might have become a hand model," Foucault joked, then opened the Void Pocket to get Lange a new weapon.

Ogre didn't know how to respond to Foucault's joke, so he asked the others, "Are you all ready?"

Honestly, if the team weren't so amateurish, Ogre wouldn't have thought to influence Foucault's decisions. After all, strictly speaking, he was just a hired hand.

'Isn't that my line?' Foucault was momentarily taken aback but didn't mind too much. In this area, Ogre seemed more professional.

"Almost," Lange nodded at Foucault, and Thrandic also nodded in agreement.

Foucault took out his staff from the Void Pocket and waved it grandly toward the Demon Beast Forest: "Let's set off then."

"First battle, eliminate the goblin raiding party!"