Getting tangled up with a guard in a place like this wasn’t a good idea.

The two of them hurried out of Dragon’s Fang Castle, only slowing their pace after they were several hundred meters away.

"This place feels like more trouble than Flint Village," Colin said, panting. "That Old Guy has lost his mind."

"There are plenty of people like him up north, mainly because a lot of other Orc Tribes love to go to war with humans." Kase, however, looked unbothered. "Those people have their reasons to be angry. No need to get hung up on it. It’s not like he can do anything to us."

"True. Once we deal with the Earthworms, we can head back."

The two continued along the path, talking as they went.

Along the way, they saw small hamlets dotting the fields. These villages rarely had more than ten households, much like the small farmsteads of the Middle Ages.

They spent a few Copper Coins on food along the way.

Food was plentiful here, and much cheaper than in Thousand Masts City, saving them a fair bit of money.

As they walked, Colin took a moment to check his Panel.

-----------------

[Quest: Deliver Letter]

[Rating: 0 (Mortal)]

[Reward: 25 Skill Level points]

-----------------

’The letter delivery quest isn’t over yet. Looks like it’ll only be marked as complete after I return to Thousand Masts City and report in.’

’Come to think of it, we haven’t run into a single monster on this trip.’

’That’s to be expected,’ Colin thought. ’If you could run into monsters in a major food-producing region like this, Thousand Masts City would be in some serious trouble.’

The pair walked on under the sun, asking for directions as they went.

The cultivated fields gave way to wildly overgrown grasslands.

They gradually left the farmlands behind, arriving at the edge of a northern coniferous forest and following its perimeter.

Before long, they spotted their destination: a small wooden cabin built on an earthen slope.

"That looks like a Shepherd’s house," Colin said.

Kase stretched languidly. "Maybe it’s that worm thing that’s been stealing his livestock..."

Before he could finish, a shout suddenly rang out from the tall grass in the distance.

"Stop right there! What are you two doing?"

Looking up, they saw a man holding a long staff. He wore a short sheepskin tunic and had a Catapult tucked into his belt. He looked like a Shepherd.

"Dragon’s Fang Castle sent us! We heard there’s an Earthworm problem and we’re here to take care of it," Colin shouted back.

The Shepherd approached, brandishing his long staff.

"Are you Adventurers, or are you from the City Watchers?" As he spoke, the herder stared intently at Kase. "Is that an Orc? Is he going to attack me?"

"Half-Orc. My mother was human," Kase said, wiping his nose. "And I just love a good soup made from human bones."

The Shepherd’s face instantly went pale.

"He’s joking. As long as they can solve the problem, it doesn’t matter if they’re a Half-Orc, an Orc, or even a goblin, right?" Colin nudged the snickering Kase and quickly added, "Aren’t you going to fill us in on the situation?"

After speaking, he made sure to show the man his ring, which was engraved with the emblem of the City Watchers.

"Th-then come on over, sirs," the Shepherd said, casting a suspicious glance at Kase.

With that, he led them toward the small cabin.

The inside of the cabin was nothing special. It was a single room with a fire pit in the center, surrounded by piles of pots, bowls, and other kitchenware. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I’m the Shepherd, Mark," said the man. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"That won’t be necessary. Where are the Earthworms?"

"I don’t know anything about Earthworms, but a lot of huge holes have been appearing in the northern forest recently. It’s definitely the work of a Demon! Two of my lambs have been eaten!" Mark said, his face a mask of misery. "Sirs, you have to do something! I won’t be able to survive if this keeps up."

Colin had no desire to explain the difference between an Earthworm and a Demon.

He said, "We need to discuss our strategy here. I trust that’s alright?"

"Of course," Mark quickly agreed.

Colin once again took out the guide to hunting Earthworms that the Dwarf had given him.

"To be specific, Earthworms look a bit like giant ants with pincers on their heads. True to their name, they’re powerful diggers and lie in wait underground to ambush their prey. The most dangerous part is their ability to spit acid. It’s strong enough to eat through Armor and dissolve flesh and blood..."

Halfway through his explanation, an anxious Mark brought them two cups of what looked like goat’s milk.

Not wanting to be rude and refuse, Colin thanked him and continued, "But the good news is, they can only use that acid spit once every six hours, and for the most part, these creatures live alone."

"Easier to deal with than a Winter Wolf, then. We can just bait out the acid first."

"We have to be careful. The acid shoots out in a straight line, which means its range is longer than a Winter Wolf’s. Um..."

Just then, Mark brought over two small stools and placed them behind the pair. He then stood awkwardly to the side. Anyone who didn’t know better would think Colin’s group were City Guards here to arrest him.

Colin sat down and said, "You don’t have to be so nervous. We might need your help in a bit."

"Alright, sir," Mark replied.

You could hear the tension in his rigid voice.

Kase, on the other hand, shamelessly enjoyed the Shepherd’s hospitality. "First, we’ll need some bait to lure it out of the ground. Then, we get a Shield or a wooden plank or something to draw out its ultimate weapon!"

Colin thought for a moment.

He turned to Mark. "How much for one of your sheep? Also, do you have any spare door panels or anything like that around? We’ll also need some rope."

"I can give you a disobedient ram for bait, if it means you’ll get rid of those pests. As for a door panel, I think Marlin over at the next farm has one."

With the plan set, they immediately began to gather the necessary equipment.

Kase stayed behind to catch the unlucky ram.

Colin and Mark went to a small village a few kilometers away to fetch the door panel. When the villagers heard they were hunting an Earthworm, they didn’t ask for any money.

As the two were carrying the door panel back, they saw Kase standing in the yard from a distance, looking utterly exasperated. The ram was beside him, repeatedly headbutting the Half-Orc’s thigh. Even though each blow had no effect, it persisted relentlessly.

"This sheep of yours must be blessed by the Deity of Destruction. It’s fiercer than a wolf."

Mark gave an embarrassed smile. "I was planning to get him castrated, but with all this trouble lately, I never got around to it."

"You should stay here. We’ll go take care of the problem."

"Sir, this is my home. I want to help." Mark drew the Catapult that was tied to his waist. "At least I can throw rocks."

"Alright, then," Colin nodded.

And so, the group set off with the door panel and the ram, heading for the place where the Earthworm holes had been found.