Chapter 190 – Kill the Thunderbird (3)
Zankus headed in a different direction from the ogres. Crockta’s group followed him.
“Is this the right direction dot?”
“I don’t know.”
Zankus ran without looking back. Crockta gauged the direction. The ogres were traveling straight after the thunderbird, while Zankus was moving in a semicircle. Looking at Zankus’s trajectory, he had already guessed where the thunderbird’s nest was.
“Just follow Zankus.”
At that moment, one ogre appeared. It seemed to be a straggler from the group. Their eyes met as the ogre showed its teeth. Crockta pulled out New Slayer. The ogre’s head suddenly exploded as an arrow had passed over Crockta’s head and penetrated the ogre’s skull.
Zankus. Zankus, who was in the lead, turned and shot an arrow with the huge bow. The arrow was also big and looked like a spear. Tiyo stopped and looked around after the arrow hit. For Tiyo, it was really oversized.
“Coarse arrow dot.”
The arrow turned round and round.
“I am also skilled in spear techniques!”
Zankus smiled and turned around. Crockta’s group watched him before following again. They continued through the great forest. Then a mountain rose in the distance. It was a steep slope, as if someone had artificially created it. Ogres were climbing the bottom of this mountain
“Hrmm…”
Zankus loaded an arrow and watched the movements of the thunderbird. He seemed to be thinking about something.
“They are approaching.”
The ogres climbed the mountain like ants. It was an amazing sight. Just a few ogres could cause a disaster in a city, but dozens of ogres had gathered to catch the thunderbird. A few cities would be destroyed if this group was released onto the continent.
“Thunderbird.”
The thunderbird felt the crisis and flew warily around its nest. Gusts of wind blew when it flapped its wings, causing a few ogres to topple over.
“Kuwaaaaaah!”
The angry ogre wizard roared. The thunderbird hurriedly flew higher but was hit by an unknown force. The thunderbird staggered as its feathers scattered every which way.
“They are nearing.”
Zankus and Crockta’s group approached the mountain while watching the battle. Suddenly, one ogre climbed to a flat area. The moment it was going to put its feet on the flat ground…
The thunderbird attacked the ogre. The ogre wielded a club. The huge bird and ogre tangled together. The thunderbird’s claws shredded the ogre’s body. However, the bloody ogre resisted until the end. The ogre wizard’s magic tied up the thunderbird once again, allowing the ogre’s club to hit it.
“The thunderbird is in danger dot!” Tiyo shouted while watching. Meanwhile, other ogres were on their way. Another ogre grabbed the tail feathers of the thunderbird. The thunderbird struggled wildly. The ogres fell down again.
The ogres persistently clung to the thunderbird. Like a swarm of ants, the ogres climbed onto the thunderbird’s body. The ogres used their nails and teeth to harass the thunderbird. The ogres kept attacking.
“I don’t know why it is fighting the ogres…”
Thunderbirds were legendary because of their huge size, beautiful appearance and great speed, not for their strength in fighting. The thunderbird that he knew would’ve flown around snatching the one at a time, instead of tangling together like this.
“I’ll try to drop some.”
Zankus aimed his arrow. His arm muscles swelled up. The giant spear was pulled back to the fullest. Zankus’ archery was different from Shakan’s. He was like a cannon.
“Bul’tarrrr!”
Zankus pulled the bowstring back all the way and let go. The arrow burst out with a roar. It just the mountain just below where the thunderbird was struggling.
Kuaaaaaaang!
The whole mountain shook like there was an earthquake. The ogres barely clinging to the mountain fell at once. The rear collapsed and the bodies of the ogres poured down in layers. The ogres on the bottom were crushed and died. Most of the ogres approaching the thunderbird were washed away.
The thunderbird didn’t miss this opportunity and moved. The ogres clinging to it fell off. Once its wings were free, the thunderbird grabbed two ogres and flew into the sky. It rose to a high altitude and dropped the two ogres. The ogres crashed. Their bodies couldn’t withstand the shock of the fall and smashed to pieces.
The terrible shriek of the thunderbird echoed through the great forest. But the ogres didn’t give up and climbed the mountain again. The ogre wizard was screaming in anger while constantly sending magic towards the thunderbird. As lightning flashed, the thunderbird moved its wings and avoided the attacks. The two of them stared at each other and moved.
Despite the ogres’ persistent attack, the thunderbird flew around its nest without escaping.
Zankus watched it and said, “We must approach first.”
Then he rushed quickly without listening to Crockta’s reply, who followed with Tiyo.
“Uhhhh…”
However, Anor didn’t have the strength to move anymore. The exhausted Anor stopped and caught his breath. He bowed his head and panted for a while.
“Excuse me…?”
But the group had already gone too far. Anor became despondent.
“More than this…”
Anor used his magic power as the power of a necromancer unfolded.
“Ah, this is?”
He stopped when he found what he was looking for. He put his hands together and concentrated his strength. The earth was disturbed and a bony wing popped out. Anor used the power of a necromancer to revive an animal that died not long ago, in order to ride it.
The shape was soon revealed. The owner of the wings that let out an eerie cry!
‘Chirppppp….chirpppp….’
An undead sparrow. The sparrow flew and sat on Anor’s shoulder.
‘Chirpppppppp….’
Anor dropped his arms. The cry was eerier, but it was a cute bone sparrow.
“Ah, I don’t know.”
Anor just sat down. The sparrow kept on chirping on Anor’s head.
***
Zankus approached the rear of the thunderbird’s nest. Some of the ogres exploded because of his arrow. His bow was destructive. Zankus retried the arrows and carried them on his back again. Rather than an archer carrying arrows, he looked like a warrior with multiple spears.
“Go this way.” The thunderbird was distracted by the ogres and wasn’t paying attention to this side. “I will go up my own way. If you are confident, you can imitate me.”
Zankus threw his huge arrow and stuck it in the rock wall. Then he jumped up. The arrow bent and he used the recoil to fly up into the sky.
“Ouh!”
“……!”
He used the tremendous jump and quickly reached a high place. He placed his hand in a rough niche and grabbed on.
“Amazing.”
He climbed up the cliff wall like a spider. He measured his position and where he wanted to go, then immediately jumped up.
“Okay, me too!”
Tiyo jumped on top of the arrow after Zankus. Tiyo bent down and jumped upwards. His body was light, so he could fly much higher than Zankus. His body was small but he climbed quickly. It was a curious sight. The figures of Zankus and Tiyo became smaller.
“Now it is my turn.”
Crockta wiped his nose and jumped on the arrow.
Kwajijik!
But due to the shock that piled up, the part of the rock that the arrow was stabbed in fell down. Crockta also fell.
“Cough!”
His body hit the ground and clouds of dust flew into the air. After a while, the dirt covered Crockta rose.
“Kyahahahahahat!”
Tiyo’s mocking laugh rang out from above.
“Kulkul, kulkulkulkul.” Crockta laughed and said, “I’m angry.”
Crockta glared at the rock. The angry Crockta didn’t use any tricks. He faced the opponent head on. He stuck to the wall like a cicada. Then he started to climb up using his hands and legs. The angry Crockta’s grip was tight as he found corners to support him. It was an unstoppable climb, like there was something sticky on his hands.
Zankus and Tiyo felt an unknown crisis as Crockta climbed the rock like crazy.
“Ohhhhhh!”
“Slow down, s-scary dot!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
“The rock is shaking dot!”
Tiyo and Zankus moved faster as they felt like a monster was chasing them from behind. They soon reached the slope. The torn flesh of the ogres was scattered all over the place. If they kept climbing up, they would reach the thunderbird’s nest. However, the field of view was so clear that they couldn’t avoid being seen by the thunderbird.
The thunderbird already noticed their presence, but it only glanced at Zankus and Tiyo while facing the ogres.
“Weren’t you going to hunt it? It looks okay now.”
Crockta stepped on the slope and asked. It was the perfect timing. The thunderbird wasn’t paying attention to Zankus because it was fighting the ogres. If he aimed for a gap, the thunderbird wouldn’t be able to avoid it.
“I’ll put it off for the moment.” Zankus looked up. He was looking at the thunderbird’s nest on top of the steep mountain. “There is something I want to check.”
Then Zankus once again loaded his arrow. If Crockta’s New Slayer was a greatsword, his bow was a ballista. He fired the arrow. The goal wasn’t the thunderbird. Ogre wizard. The huge arrow hit the ogre wizard’s shoulder. In the aftermath, the ogre wizard collapsed to the ground. Blood flowed from the wounded area. The ogre wizard roared angrily.
“Kuwaaaaaah!”
The ogre wizard became crazy and started to attack the thunderbird with all its power. The ogre wizard wanted to kill everyone on this mountain. It aimed a spell towards the thunderbird. The thunderbird rose and then plummeted towards the ogre wizard.
The ogres clung to the thunderbird. The ogre wizard’s magic power burned the target, not distinguishing between ogres and the thunderbird. The ogres were torn apart by the thunderbird’s claws and wings. Blood splashed and lightning flashed.
It was a melee.
“Let’s go up.”
Zankus distracted the thunderbird and started climbing again. His speed increased.
***
The summit of the mountain. They reached the place where the thunderbird’s nest was located.
“Here dot!”
Tiyo pointed to a cave. It was a space that the thunderbird had carved out directly. It was a nesting place that was protected from bad weather by a hard outer wall.
“Why did we come here dot?”
“Shh.” Zankus raised a finger to his mouth.
“……?”
“This…”
A sound was coming from the nest. Crockta and Tiyo listened carefully.
Crockta asked in a small voice, “Did you know?”
“I just guessed.”
They entered the cave. An unexpected sight greeted them.