Chapter 26: Expedition Outpost

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Expedition Outpost

"Expedition Outpost? What’s that?" Pip asked, confused.

Lorin stepped closer to the torch and carefully read the text in his Adventurer’s Handbook:

"A Kobold Expedition Outpost is a militarized exploration unit operating independently from the main tribe, venturing into uncharted territories. They are typically led by a veteran and equipped with dedicated Casters and several engineers. Their mission is to establish an outpost in a new region, evaluate resource values, and pave the way for the main tribe’s migration or expansion."

He pulled out the map and scrutinized it. The location of this abandoned mine was extremely remote, surrounded by nothing but forests and mountains. The mine itself had been abandoned simply because the ore was tapped out. The only thing nearby that could even remotely be considered a resource was... Shallow Beach Town?!

He inhaled sharply. So this unit was planning to set up an outpost here before invading Shallow Beach Town? Lorin felt as if the two of them had just prevented a major impending crisis.

"Let’s recover our stamina first, then find the source of that stench," he said seriously. "If there really is an incubation room, now is the best time to deal with it."

"Sure," Pip agreed without a second thought.

The two sat on the ground and ate some more dry rations, but the surrounding stench was so overwhelming that the Halfling soon couldn’t sit still.

"Pip thinks we should go right now," he said earnestly.

"I think so too."

The torches they brought earlier had all burned out. He had Pip smash a few wooden strips off a rack, and, forcing himself to focus, used Magic to ignite them. The wood was somewhat damp and hadn’t been soaked in any oil, so it barely burned. The faint glow could only illuminate the ground at their feet.

They ventured deeper along the path where the Scale Mage had appeared. The smell grew increasingly pungent, and a layer of slimy muck began to coat the floor. Every time they lifted their feet, it made a squelching POP.

"This is truly disgusting," Pip said in disgust.

Lorin tore a piece of rough linen from their ration sack and stuffed it into his nose, which made him feel slightly better. He nodded in agreement. "Maybe the Kobolds use footbath water fermented for a hundred years to incubate their eggs."

"Ugh... Please stop talking."

The pair gradually made their way into a mine tunnel. Lorin cautiously waved the burning wooden strip around to observe their surroundings. The rock walls of the tunnel were slathered with a layer of dark yellow muck, resembling mud or some kind of secretion.

"I feel like we’re walking through the large intestine of some creature," Lorin deadpanned.

"Pip thinks you should shut your mouth," the Halfling protested.

Before long, the stench in the air became almost tangible, and the temperature gradually rose. A large hole appeared in the side wall of the tunnel, and the two cautiously stepped inside.

"This is it!" Pip whimpered through a closed mouth.

Lorin nodded and carefully observed the surroundings.

The Kobolds had forcefully hollowed out a massive hall within the rock wall. The light from the wooden strip couldn’t reach the boundaries of the space. The floor was covered with a thick layer of hay and wood chips, making it soft and spongy to step on.

At the very back of the hall, a ring of stones was piled up against the wall, forming a semicircle. The stones were slathered with the same dark yellow muck as before, filling in all the gaps, much like an earth oven for roasting chicken.

"Smash it, but be careful." Lorin pointed at it.

As if he had been waiting for ages, Pip swiftly swung his hammer and swept it horizontally.

THUD.

The stone blocks were sent flying, crashing against the nearby rock wall and revealing a small pit underneath. The pit was similarly lined with hay, mixed with some feathers and shattered bones. That unbearable stench was emanating from within.

Seventeen grayish-white eggs lay quietly on the hay. They were about the size of ostrich eggs from Lorin’s past life, with some dark brown mottled patterns on their shells.

"What should we do now?" Pip felt a bit lost.

Lorin thought carefully for a moment. On the Adventurer’s Guild’s purchasing list, Kobold eggs were classified as alchemy materials rather than any sort of valuable. A fresh, uncracked Kobold egg went for a purchasing price of about five silver coins. After all, these things weren’t exactly rare. Kobolds laid eggs like chickens, popping them out clutch by clutch.

Seventeen eggs, if all sold, would be worth over four gold coins. But the problem was, it was impossible to carry them all out. First, there were simply too many large eggs. Second, these eggshells were as thin as paper; carrying them all the way back would likely result in them shattering along the way.

He quickly came to a decision. "Let’s take one back to show Hiv as proof that this Kobold squad was an expedition outpost. We’ll smash the rest."

"Sure."

Lorin picked up the closest egg, carefully wiped away the slime on it, and cradled it in his hands. The remaining eggs were smashed one by one by Pip, and Lorin even tried kicking one open himself. Whether it was due to a lack of hostility, or because the egg had not yet formed into a living creature, he didn’t receive any system notification.

The two then retraced their steps back to the hall where the fierce battle had taken place. Lorin padded his backpack with linen and carefully placed the egg inside.

"Alright, time to check out our loot from this trip!" he said, clapping his hands together and looking at the few corpses on the ground.

The short Halfling plopped down onto the iron rails and said weakly, "You sort it out. Pip needs to rest for a bit."

Lorin didn’t hesitate. Pip seemed completely indifferent to the distribution of loot. Perhaps in the Halfling’s worldview, a team’s supplies were all shared. This might explain the rumors about Halflings loving to steal; they simply didn’t know what stealing was—they only took what they needed.

He first walked over to the Dragon Shield Guard and picked up the Scale Shield that had fallen to the ground, examining it closely.

[Dragon Scale Round Shield]

Equipment Type: One-Handed Shield

Quality: Fine (Green)

Weight: 4.8kg

Diameter: 18 inches

Durability: 17/45

Equipment Effects:

[Flame Impact]: The Shield absorbs a portion of Flame damage and provides a boost to the next bash.

[Holdfast]: When in a defensive stance, physical damage from the front is reduced.

Remarks:

"Flame, grant me Power!"

— Dragon Shield Guard Crixus.

...

It was a Round Shield completely covered in dark reddish-brown scales. The back was a solid wooden board, with two leather straps serving as handles. Lorin weighed it in his hands and felt it was quite suitable. However, the scales on this Round Shield were somewhat warped, and the entire thing had been hammered slightly out of shape.

"Do you use a Shield, Pip?"

"Have you ever seen a Barbarian use a Shield?"

"I can just take it back to the Blacksmith for repairs, adjust the handle size, and it’ll be good to go," Lorin thought to himself, placing it aside in satisfaction.

Then there was its One-Handed Broadsword. It was very ordinary, looking even worse than Soron’s.

[Dogman One-Handed Broadsword]

Equipment Type: One-Handed Sword

Quality: Crude (Gray)

Weight: 3.2kg

Length: 28 inches

Durability: 22/28

...

It was worth about five or six gold coins, which wasn’t too bad. Lorin only took a brief look at the Attributes before estimating the price.

He then searched the guard’s body for a moment and stripped the Hard Leather Armor off it.