Hog quickly received his “buyers” in his great beast den, sooner than what Blood Claw Chieftain had imagined.

Although Honest Dog Egg was just a novice, he had a group of companions who could truly fly.

Best of all, Transia had recently entered autumn, with continuous rain keeping the sun away, giving vampires freedom to move about.

Therefore, the newly appointed Coffin Bearer Dog Egg was carried through the air by Cheche and Leading Pigeon each grabbing one of his arms, eliminating the need to rent horses like other struggling novices. It was fast and economical, the only issue being it wasn’t very friendly to those with fear of heights.

Fortunately, Honest Dog Egg wasn’t afraid of heights.

However, he was certain these two jerks did it on purpose!

This was evident from the poorly concealed joy and amusement on their pale faces, as they thoroughly enjoyed watching Brother Dog Egg’s terrified screaming all the way.

The near-sonic speed flight experience left Dog Egg’s arms numb, and his legs were so shaky he almost fell on his behind.

But this guy was tough.

He knew the two troublemakers wanted to see him in a miserable state, but even though he felt like throwing up, he gritted his teeth and didn’t say anything, denying them their satisfaction.

“Ah, warriors from Crimson Citadel! Come quickly, come quickly, Chieftain Hog has prepared what you need.”

Riding a dire wolf to welcome the three was Hog’s deputy, Nash, the hunting team captain of the Blood Claw Clan. He had also been issued a computation bead allowing him to communicate with players.

This short fellow, similar to Hog, possessed the same cunning wisdom, with a glint of cleverness reflected in his green eyes.

He was also well aware that during this period, the Blood Claw Clan’s rapid control of the rich Smuggler’s Woods and their clan members’ comfortable lives were all thanks to these warriors’ hard work.

More importantly, Nash had personally witnessed these warriors hunting skeleton armies, and he knew that if both sides became hostile, his Blood Claw Clan would likely be defeated and slaughtered in an extremely short time.

Chieftain Hog’s wisdom was correct.

Maintaining good relations with these terrifying folks from Crimson Citadel was beneficial and harmless to the Blood Claw Clan. With this mindset, Nash’s attitude toward the warriors was very enthusiastic.

He had even developed several “acquaintances” among the players, occasionally assigning them some low-risk, high-reward tasks to build their “favor.”

This wave was all about mutual favor-building, ultimately resulting in a “tale of friendship.”

“Yo, Nash, you’ve gotten quite plump lately, much better than the bag of bones you were before.”

Cheche’s optimistic personality made it impossible for him to become a racist, so he was also one of Nash’s few “friends.”

Actively greeting the short gnoll hunting team captain before him, Nash also laughed while riding his dire wolf, and after sneakily looking left and right, took out two crude wooden keys from his waist pouch and threw them to Cheche and Leading Pigeon, saying in a low voice:

“Thanks for the human liquor and flavored smoked meat you secretly provided me last time, my clan members loved it, and I made a small fortune from it.

Your share is buried in the old spot.

Remember to collect it when you have time.”

“No problem, no problem.”

Leading Pigeon and Cheche laughed heartily, pocketing the keys without any guilt.

Under the current circumstances where all commercial exchanges between Crimson Citadel and the Blood Claw Clan were monopolized by the Bataxin Chamber of Commerce, Leading Pigeon and Cheche’s actions undoubtedly constituted “smuggling,” but given their special status, even if the Bataxin Chamber of Commerce or Blood Rat Gang discovered it, they couldn’t do anything about it.

Of course, such things couldn’t be done openly, after all, the little player community had to maintain some face, so it could only be done secretly on a small scale.

Fortunately, Nash’s appetite wasn’t big now.

He was very cunning and knew that if Chieftain Hog discovered what he was doing, he wouldn’t escape a whipping.

But with four female gnolls and six pups to feed at home, Nash had no choice but to secretly run some side business using his position to improve their lives.

Those four female gnolls were all rescued by Nash during the collapse of Kenport’s great camp, and the six pups weren’t his children either, but due to the only glimmer of humanity in gnolls’ savage nature, Nash took on the responsibility of caring for them.

This made Hog very appreciative and more trusting of Nash number two.

A conscientious fellow!

Even if he was a gnoll, he was worthy of trust.

Led by the enthusiastic Nash, Leading Pigeon, Cheche, and Dog Egg, who was visiting Smuggler’s Woods for the first time and curious about everything, quickly arrived at the Blood Claw Clan’s great beast den.

This place was once a gently sloping hill, but now had been dug by the Blood Claw Clan’s kobolds into quite an “impressive” cave-dwelling-like structure, with passages connecting between them.

Just the “cave dwellings” scattered across the ground surface already showed the Blood Claw Clan’s “military might,” while the underground area had tunnels connecting in all directions, making this beast den’s defenses maxed out.

This clan-style beast den was completely different from Crimson Citadel, those bizarre banners flaunting everywhere were full of strong clan style, giving Dog Egg an eye-opening experience of this crazy game’s eclectic artistic style.

Soon, he saw Chieftain Hog waiting for them in a spacious cave.

Today’s Hog seemed to be preparing for a journey.

He had changed into light leather armor with his mighty and imposing dire wolf dozing beside him, while next to Hog stood a row of skeleton soldiers like exhibits waiting for customers to choose from.

“Skeleton shield bearer, skeleton swordsman, skeleton archer, skeleton javelin thrower, plus skeleton cavalry and skeleton mage, these are all the types of skeleton soldiers I currently have.

Pick one yourself, don’t be shy, choose freely.”

Hog grinned, putting on the tone of a chieftain, waving the dire wolf leather whip carefully woven by Nash, saying to the dazzled Dog Egg:

“I can guarantee they won’t resist your death summons, but the ‘free’ help is only this once, this is a reward for thanking my friends in the ‘Crimson Beast Group’ for helping me reclaim Smuggler’s Woods.

If you want more later, you’ll have to help the Blood Claw Clan like your friends!

I mean mutual help, each taking what they need, the Blood Claw Clan still has many jobs waiting for capable warriors to complete, and we have prepared appropriate reasonable rewards.”

“Can I really pick one for free?”

Dog Egg suddenly became excited.

He rubbed his hands thanking the cunning gnoll chieftain for his generosity, but Cheche and Leading Pigeon beside him were unimpressed.

Hog’s generosity came with conditions, they had done tasks for the Blood Claw Clan before.

In their view, although Hog was clever, the savage habits of being a gnoll still influenced him. When it came to giving tasks, Lord Murphy could make people feel like they were basking in spring breeze, while with Hog it only felt like a cold fair trade.

Of course, this stereotype was obviously also related to Hog’s terrible appearance, but no matter what, when it came to being an NPC, Hog was still far from reaching proficiency.

He was at most a beginner on the road.

“I want this one! This one looks impressive.”

After some selection, Brother Dog Egg finally chose the skeleton cavalry riding a skeleton horse.

Hog didn’t mind that this guy chose the “most expensive” one, in his view skeleton soldiers were consumables, with the little players’ overly “wild” combat style and excessive combat intensity, they would eventually break this thing, and then they would return to him to purchase new servants.

Hmm, in that case, perhaps he should look forward to the warriors breaking it.

While Dog Egg very unskillfully performed the death summons ritual and signed the servant contract with the skeleton cavalry, he held the command scepter suppressing the skeleton cavalry’s mental resistance.

Hog hadn’t gotten this scepter just yesterday or the day before, he was studious and had already skillfully mastered how to use this scepter and gained some understanding of undead creatures.

Although undead creatures were all dead, when they were pulled back to the mortal realm from death’s embrace in the netherworld, they were also given certain “free will”, so to enslave undead creatures one must fight against this “will of the dead.”

This was very difficult for beginners, especially novices like Dog Egg who had just changed professions less than a day ago shouldn’t even think about it.

But now with Hog’s help, Dog Egg very smoothly completed the enslavement, though this process also drained the pitiful spirit energy in Dog Egg’s body completely, leaving him sitting on the ground panting for breath while experiencing the changes brought by the strange undead contract.

His will seemed to extend out partially, being bound to the skeleton cavalry in a “binding” way, he could give it some vague commands.

This command method would gradually become more refined as his understanding of the coffin bearer profession and spirit energy manipulation improved.

According to the story he heard from Lady Tris when changing professions, it was said that the undead masters in Moon Holy City could even command their zombie brides to dance a belly dance with desert charm for guests that was no inferior to elegant dancers.

However, that legendary realm was obviously still a bit far for Dog Egg.

“That scepter!”

Cheche, as a Blood Inquisitor, keenly noticed the command scepter at Hog’s waist and tentatively asked:

“Can it be sold?”

“You have good eyes, greedy warrior.”

Hog wasn’t angry that the warrior coveted his treasure, on the contrary, this cunning gnoll mounted his dire wolf while mysteriously making promises:

“I’m very willing to give it to you, just not now, I only have this one scepter and I still need it to protect my clan.

But later who knows, perhaps in the future I will gift such powerful magical tools to friends of the Blood Claw Clan.

Yes

As long as we can become good friends!

Everything that exists in our treasury, everything I own can be given to you.

However now, I must leave first, please have your friend manage his skeleton cavalry well, don’t let it charge around recklessly in my beast den.

Also, my hunters told me that there have been vampires from the Wolfsbane Clan appearing recently in the area where the woods border Anderma Hills.

Why don’t you bestow eternal death upon those enemies in Lord Murphy’s name… oh, that beautiful word is called ‘eternal silence’, really tongue-twisting for a gnoll’s tongue.”

After speaking, Hog rode his magnificent dire wolf and quickly disappeared into the great beast den under the escort of Nash and several elite hunters and barbarian soldiers.

Left behind, Cheche and Leading Pigeon stared at each other, Cheche complained:

“I’ve already been given enough empty promises by Lord Murphy, now even gnolls can make empty promises to me? The NPCs in this game really open one’s eyes one after another.”

“But you have to admit, although Hog’s promise lacks depth and is straightforward, he makes it well.”

Leading Pigeon squinted his eyes and said:

“That command scepter! That thing can definitely effectively enhance the destructive power of us spirit mages, if Hog this gnoll bandit can use it, then we can use it too and use it better.

If Hog’s clan can really sell such things in the future, then this place won’t just be must-farm reputation for hunters, spirit mages will also flock here.

Speaking of which, hasn’t Miaomiao Shark been farming Blood Claw Clan reputation recently to learn the secret art of hyena taming?

I think we should give him some support, let him become the first little player to farm Blood Claw Clan to exalted, this way, we can enjoy this wave of version benefits first.”

“Good idea! Let’s go find Miaomiao Shark.”

————————

“This way! Chieftain, you can reach your destination faster from here.”

Hog’s group quickly walked along paths only gnolls knew into Foul Swamp.

This muddy marsh that was unbearably stinky to normal people felt very comfortable to the gnolls, even the dire wolves and earth wolves under them began to frolic wildly feeling some kind of “joy” amid splashing mud.

As the hunting team captain, Nash led the way in front. Over the past period of time, he had led clan hunters deep into the swamp area several times and had become very familiar with this place.

However Nash knew what Hog was going to do today, so after an hour of travel during a rest break, Nash went over wagging his tail and asked quietly:

“Chieftain, are you really going to risk contact with those dangerous plague sorcerers? Won’t they kill us? Kenport that big idiot wasn’t exactly friendly to us.

He called us ‘crippled mongrels’.

I guess gnolls from the Dark Mountain all have such an arrogant attitude.”

“This isn’t about whether I want to or not, Nash.”

Hog ate dried venison while glancing at the computation bead hanging on his wrist, which had a glaring task directly from Lord Murphy.

That was an order he couldn’t refuse.

“At first I thought it would be enough for our clan to stay peacefully in Smuggler’s Woods, however, Nash, when I realized Lord Murphy and her warriors were preparing to advance into the swamp, I realized that perhaps the Blood Claw Clan’s future doesn’t only have the path of hiding in the woods.”

Hog really liked discussing these issues with Nash.

Not just because Nash had a similar background to him, but more because Nash was smart enough to understand Hog’s thoughts.

The Blood Claw chieftain looked at the muddy swamp ahead where low trees and intertwining vines blocked the view, and said quietly:

“This swamp, Nash, perhaps we can own it! We can establish a ‘kingdom’ for Blood Claw gnolls in this hidden swamp.

It’s more hidden and more abundant.

Humans avoid this place but we can live in it, this is simply heaven-sent land.

Smuggler’s Woods can accommodate too few clan members, only by taking Foul Swamp, only after I become the ‘Swamp Lord’, can the Blood Claw Clan develop to a more prosperous level.

And you’ve also seen those skeleton soldiers attacking us mercilessly.

Even though they’re controlled by plague sorcerers, those who should have been our kinsmen don’t care at all about our lives and deaths.”

Hog snorted and said:

“They’re not even as friendly to us as Lord Murphy’s warriors, since that’s the case, why don’t we take the opportunity when they’re inevitably defeated to grab some benefits for our clan?”

Nash became somewhat fearful after hearing the chieftain’s ambition.

Although he was clever, he didn’t have Hog’s bizarre experiences nor a vampire to open the door of ambition for him.

Seeing Nash’s fearfully lowered tail, Hog blinked his eyes, patted Nash’s shoulder with his claw, and said quietly:

“After I lead the clan members into the swamp, I’ll leave Smuggler’s Woods to you, Nash, you can establish your own clan there”

“No, I won’t!”

Nash became more scared, he fearfully screamed:

“I know the story of ‘Nash number one’, other clan members just think he had bad luck, but I know why he died, Chieftain, I swear to the Lord of the Hunt!

I will never betray you!”

“Ha, don’t be afraid.”

Hog nodded with satisfaction, he stood up and ate the last of his dried venison in one bite, saying:

“Lord Murphy said it well, fear is also a driving force! Then follow in my footsteps, otherwise there will be another ‘Nash’ to replace you.

Let’s go, Plague Town is just ahead.

Let’s contact those arrogant plague sorcerers in the name of remnants of King Kenport, consider it a preview of how rich the ‘inheritance’ we can get from them will be.”