Deep within the dense forest, within a fenced area supported by tree branches, a dozen or so gnolls were entrenched, the leader of which was noticeably larger than the others.
Outside the fence, there were about several dozen gnolls scattered around the dense forest.
The gnolls, armed with a variety of weapons, hid behind the trees.
The sudden appearance of a group of people shattered the afternoon's tranquility.
This was a small group of adventurers, four men and one woman, hurrying through the woods.
Judging from their tense expressions, it seemed that something was chasing them from behind.
Sure enough, a few seconds later the shrub was crushed flat, and a raging giant bear pounced out from it.
After a chase, the five-person team finally decided to disappear into the dense forest in front of them.
The giant bear saw the annoying humans hiding in the dense forest and instinctively wanted to chase after them. However, considering the creatures in the forest, it hesitated for a few seconds and finally left unwillingly.
Some territorial creatures live in the dense forest; that is their territory.
They once fought over territory, and the battle ended in a draw.
After their last encounter, the two sides agreed to use the end of the forest as the boundary: the dense forest belonged to them, and the wooded area belonged to them, and they would keep to themselves and not interfere with each other's affairs.
After running a distance, the group of five realized that the giant bear was not chasing them and breathed a sigh of relief.
But they were too happy too soon. The gnolls in the dense forest smelled the unfamiliar scent and rushed over.
Just as the man who appeared to be the team leader was about to say something, an arrow suddenly struck the female healer in the team.
The fragile cloth armor was no match for the arrows; once pierced, they went straight into the flesh.
The woman's face glowed green, indicating that the arrows had been coated with poison.
The other combat classes in the team reacted quickly and soon surrounded the woman. The woman endured the pain, took out a bottle of antidote from her pocket, and drank it down.
After the healers finished treating their wounds, they found themselves surrounded by a pack of gnolls.
The gnolls were tall and wore long robes made of various linen, carrying all sorts of weapons. They drooled with excitement as they looked at the five-man team in front of them.
For them, fresh meat is far more delicious than rotten meat that they would have to dig up from graves to find.
Although they are omnivorous, their meat is still more delicious than wild fruit.
The jackals worked together to gradually surround the five people in the center.
Seeing their perfect teamwork, the five-person team broke out in a cold sweat and didn't know what to do.
In the end, the leader regained consciousness first, pointed in the direction they had come from, and told everyone to concentrate their firepower to break through.
The leader, wielding a two-handed hammer, charged forward and unleashed a cleave attack on the gnolls that surrounded him.
The high lethality of two-handed weapons was on full display at this moment, and the gnolls dressed in linen were almost equivalent to unarmored units.
In an instant, the men and horses were knocked down, and several jackal-men let out their unique cries.
The others followed closely behind, attacking the breach, leaving a shield bearer/healer to cover the rear.
It must be said that those who have survived two zombie hordes are not ordinary people. Apart from the gnolls with crossbows in the distance posing a certain threat to them, the weapons of the other gnolls could at most leave a mark on the leader's armor.
Despite being hit by numerous weapons, they only felt a little pain. Relieved, they gradually broke through the encirclement in the direction they had come from, led by their leader.
An accident is bound to happen if nothing unexpected happens.
Just as they were about to break through, a group of gnolls wearing leather armor and with human skulls hanging around their necks rushed out of the dense forest.
Leading the group was Hogg, a gnoll who held a fine one-handed axe and wore chainmail. He was eyeing the group with his lewd little eyes.
It had been hiding in the shadows, observing everyone, until they were about to break through when it emerged from the shadows and blocked their way. How could it let the duck that was already in its mouth fly away?
It knew that the most difficult opponent was the man wielding a double-handed hammer, so it roared and charged towards the leader with its back hunched over.
Both men shared the idea that "to catch the thief, first catch the king."
Adjusting his breathing, the leader launched the first attack on Hogg.
A cunning glint flashed in Hogg's eyes as he dodged the leader's heavy hammer.
After the attack, the leader was left wide open, and Hogg, wielding a one-handed axe, chopped it down on the leader's armor.
The armor cracked as it was cleaved, and the leader lost his balance, taking a few steps forward to dissipate the force.
He then braced himself against the ground with the hammer handle to barely stand.
Unfortunately, after he moved forward, the rest of the group became separated from him and were surrounded again by the elite gnolls.
Now that he's tied up with Hogg and can't spare any attention, it's only a matter of time before the other four are eliminated without his cover.
Hogg seemed to have anticipated this as well, standing between him and the team, calmly observing him.
The leader, concerned for the safety of his team, kept glancing towards them. Seeing that Hogg had no intention of attacking, he began to grow impatient.
He brandished his weapon, intending to sweep Hogg aside to rescue his team.
This time, Hogg did not dodge, but instead swung his one-handed axe and two-handed hammer, clashing together.
With a clang, Hogg remained motionless, while the leader took several steps back, clearly demonstrating the difference in their abilities.
Hogg gave the leader no time to breathe this time, hacking at him with his axe again and again.
After barely managing to parry several slashes with his weapon, the leader's arm grew sore, and Hogg knocked the weapon away.
Hogger became excited upon seeing this, his eyes gleaming green, and he tirelessly swung his axe at the leader.
Despair flashed in the leader's eyes, and he could only use the heavy parts of his light armor to block Hogg's attack.
Hogg exhaled heavily from his nostrils, and with a few swings of his axe, the light armor was shattered. Then the leader was struck in the chest by Hogg's one-handed axe.
Blood flowed down the one-handed axe, staining the ground, and the leader's corpse slowly slid to the ground.
In his final moments, he witnessed his squad members being killed by the combined efforts of other gnolls.
"No..." Before he could finish speaking, Hogg grabbed a one-handed axe and chopped down, splitting the leader's head in two and killing him instantly.
The remaining gnolls excitedly brandished their weapons, dismembering the adventurers' corpses.
A few minutes later, Hogg led his underlings back into the depths of the forest.
The remaining gnolls licked up the bloodstains on the ground and then left.
The scattered clothes on the ground are a testament to the unfortunate events that once took place here.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the other side, and the gnolls who were keeping watch on this side became excited again.
This is the sound of a creature passing through a branch.
Haha, fresh food has been delivered to my door again!
It then gestured to the other gnolls to walk toward the source of the sound.
As the sound drew closer, the gnolls around them grew increasingly excited.
The gnoll, perched on a tree trunk with a crossbow in hand, had already aimed it in that direction, waiting for its prey to emerge from the shadows.
The arrows gleamed coldly, eager to draw blood.
Finally, the creature that made the noise stepped out of the shadows, and the gnoll was stunned.
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