CHAPTER 523: TRAVEL AND NON-TRAVEL TRAVEL CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT WITCH DEMON

"Morgan, don’t be so impatient," Lynch said to the dwarf. "As long as we’re careful, we can still slip through the gaps in their camp under the blazing sun. What we need to do now is conserve our energy."

"Why not travel by night? That way we could use the cover of darkness. Wouldn’t that be safer?" Soka asked.

"The orcs despise the daylight sun; it makes them uncomfortable. But their eyes can pierce through the night, and that’s when they are most active," Lynch replied. "Only when the sun makes these evil creatures uneasy, forcing them to rely on dilapidated rooftops for shelter, is it our time to move forward. For now, we have to endure another night without a campfire."

So they hid with the help of the rocks, removing the gaudy decorations from their carriage. Knight Macken found some cloth to wrap the hooves of the five stout horses and fed them only a little forage. To prevent them from eating too much and leaving droppings on the path, pointing the way for the orcs to track them, those five horses’ rations were continuously lowered. Fortunately, Macken had already begun to fatten them up for this tough period.

Lynch took the weapons from the Spatial Bag and distributed them to everyone. If discovered by the orcs, a big battle would be unavoidable. Both powerful warriors needed replaceable tools to avoid fighting barehanded if their weapons became dull. Zilvra received heaps of daggers and throwing knives, at least ensuring her protection in close combat. Soka held a large pile of arrows in a daze, unsure of how she would use them all up.

"Little Tiger, come help me too," Soka found what she thought was her assistant, but the white tiger only whimpered and hid at the other end of the carriage.

After getting some rest, the group set off before the moon disappeared behind the peaks, trying to head as far north as possible before the dawn broke. They proceeded carefully, trying to make no sound while keeping their ears perked for any sign of movement. The orcs had considerable freedom in this area, roaming at will without fearing large human attacks. Such carefree surroundings resulted in severe landscape destruction—felled trees and trampled plants, along with some droppings that had yet to be broken down by insects, casually scattered by the roadside. Everyone covered their noses to avoid feeling nauseous from the stench.

Three orcs unexpectedly crossed their path once, but Soka’s archery resolved the fight before the orcs could cry out. Lynch quickly buried the bodies with earth, realizing these chunks of flesh could at least provide some nutrients to the nearby plants, a small recompense for damaged nature.

Regarding the blow to morale, hunger sometimes proved more effective than swords, with everyone having gone days without hot food, reminiscing about the aroma of Lynch’s cooking. The current situation was worse; to prevent orcs from sniffing them out, even smoked meat was off the menu, leaving just a few pieces of Elf Cookies to stave off hunger. Soka lay on Lynch’s lap, her big, watery eyes looking at the mage, conveying her sentiments without words. The white tiger also lazed about, imitating its master.

"Soka, hold on a little longer; this part of the journey will soon pass," Lynch said. "I’ve been through hardships ten thousand times worse; back then, I had neither food nor water."

"Yeah, the mage then ate less than anyone. I once thought he lived like a plant, surviving only on sunlight," the dwarf recalled. "We were trapped in a cave with nothing at all. At that time, I thought, even if a disgusting orc rushed at us, I would kill and eat it. However, that mission did earn us double the reward."

"That’s because your eyes kept darting to the merchant we were escorting, that poor fat fellow," Lynch chuckled softly. "Afterwards, he told me, ’The look in that dwarf’s eyes was terrifying, always reminding me of a hungry wild boar.’ But Morgan, don’t scare him anymore."

"Of course, I’m not that petty, right Soka?" Morgan said. "Your Big Beard uncle is a hero!"