A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Without a doubt, it is a primitive tribe that is attached to the city, both past and present.

But as Bray observed along the way, the residents didn't seem to harbor too much resentment; they were still trying to make a living.

The food and lodging were generally poor, not to mention the lack of opportunities to indulge in anything unpleasant.

All of a person's energy is devoted to satisfying the most basic needs of life.

"So that's how it is. No wonder those two brats dared to leave the safe zone." Bray muttered to himself. Perhaps because they hadn't experienced the despair firsthand, the people here still held onto hope for the wasteland.

This is intended to give them the courage to leave the safe zone, rather than having them stay there for the rest of their lives.

It may seem naive and foolish, but Bray sees it as another way of surviving.

Compared to those who huddle in the safe zone like captives, at least the people here dare to step out of the safe zone.

The downside is that their sense of crisis is too weak, incomparable to Anjingcheng. They might be destroyed in an instant because of their ignorance.

“It’s not far ahead,” the wolf boy said to Bray behind him.

"Oh, okay," Bray replied absentmindedly, continuing to look around.

Two orc boys led Bray through the winding roads of the safe zone and arrived at a very narrow alley.

The alleyway is an old road, and the bricks paving the ground still bear traces of their former cracks.

However, it shouldn't have been stepped on by a Silver-ranked creature, because if a Silver-ranked creature could get to that kind of place, there probably wouldn't be any living people left here.

There were many water stains on the ground, and oil was floating on the surface of the water.

Because the light in this place isn't very good, the water stains won't dry easily.

As a result, this place is particularly damp, and there is a lot of moss on the walls of the houses, with the moss even penetrating deep into the cracks in the walls.

If these weren't moss, but some other kind of plant, they might have pried the wall open.

The clutter was piled up haphazardly on the road, which was very inconvenient.

The boys, however, paid no attention to the harsh environment and walked briskly ahead.

There were barbarians and orcs on the road, and some of those sitting on the road looked at the two orc boys with suspicion.

It's rare to see these two boys so excited.

Rather, smiles are a rare sight here.

However, their curiosity only lasted for a few seconds before they went about their own business.

"Grandma! Look what we brought back for you!" The boys were extremely excited when they returned home.

Their home was converted from a former cement house, occupying a quarter of the original building's floor space.

As for the rest? Of course, they are used by other residents.

How could such a large space be used by only one family?

However, even though the boys all said that the old woman in front of them was their grandmother, Bray really couldn't believe that the three of them were a family.

Like any other orc woman, the old woman was very human-like, except that she had no human ears, but instead a pair of cat ears and a cat tail.

But here's the problem: one of them called her grandma was a wolf, and the other was a lion.

Bray couldn't understand the principles behind orc reproduction.

The old woman's kind face easily reminded Bray of the approachable old lady next door.

Although she is called Grandma, the old woman is actually estimated to be around sixty years old.

Orcs generally live shorter lives than humans, with only a few orc races having long lifespans.

Over sixty years old, which is roughly equivalent to over eighty years old in human terms.

"Taji, Tari, where have you two gone again?" The old woman sighed deeply.

"Did you sneak out of the safe zone again?" she said, banging her cane hard on the ground.

"No, Tari and I didn't leave the safe zone," the wolf boy quickly lied.

Taji is the wolf boy, and Tari is the chubby lion boy.

Another point to mention is that Bray actually misunderstood.

Although Taji and Tari call the old woman "Grandma," they are not her biological grandchildren.

Both of them were adopted and had no blood relation to the old woman.

Therefore, Taji and Tari never addressed each other as brothers, since neither of them was much older than the other.

It's important to know that young people love to compare themselves to others in various ways, and age is one of the most important factors.

"Tari, say something!" The wolf boy Taji frantically winked at the chubby boy.

“Yes, yes, we just went to the market to see if there was a chance to make money,” Tari, whose sideburns weren’t particularly thick yet, explained to his grandmother after his eyes darted around.

“You’ve lied again,” their grandmother said irritably.

“We really didn’t lie.”

"Do you think I can't tell whether you're lying or not?" The old woman shook her head helplessly.

"It's really dangerous outside, don't take any chances," she said earnestly.

Taji and Tari's ears drooped, and they stood obediently listening to the old woman's lecture, but dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

The one in the tower was the worst off; he was carrying a wrapped-up monster while he was standing, so he always had a bitter face.

However, the old woman did not speak for long before turning her attention to Bray.

Because there were guests, she didn't continue scolding her two disobedient grandsons.

"Young man, who are you?" the old woman asked.

"My name is Blakelas."

"If it's too much trouble, you can just call me Bray. I want to stay here."

"Where to stay?" This time, the old woman looked at her two grandsons.

She wanted to find out exactly what was going on.

“Yes, yes, this uncle is looking for a place to stay,” Taji chimed in, his wolf tail wagging rapidly.

He also said that he could give us payment.

"Grandma, we have some spare space anyway, so let him stay for a while."

“Young man, you’re not from Claw Fortress, are you? And you’re not from the Eastern Continent either,” the old woman said.

“Ah, right.” Bray paused for a few seconds, then nodded.

Along the way, very few people had actually said these things to him. "Hmm... a traveler?" the old woman murmured softly.

Bray didn't interrupt; he was a little curious about the old woman's reaction.

You should know that along the way, Bray was basically assumed to be someone who lived in the Eastern Continent, and very few people would ask him this kind of question.

She also described herself as a traveler.

When Bray tells others that he comes from somewhere else, they don't believe him.

"It's really strange that someone would come from outside."

"Young man, why don't you stay here for a while?"

"However, our place is very small and the environment is not good, so I hope you can bear with it," the old woman said.

"It's okay, I'm used to it." Bray had lived in the wasteland for a long time, so he didn't mind if the environment was a bit harsh, as long as it wasn't uninhabitable.

"I won't take your payment. Could you talk to me... no, to Taji and Tari about what's happening outside?" the old woman said after a pause.

“No, Grandma, how can you not accept payment?” Taji immediately became anxious.

Their family may be struggling, but they can't afford not to seek compensation.

"Don't worry, I'll pay you properly." Bray pressed down on Taji's anxiously perked-up ears with one hand.

He doesn't intend to stay for free; he'll definitely pay him well.

Of course, he didn't intend to give money, but rather some wasteland resources; resources were much more practical than money.

Because Bray didn't know whether the currency circulation in Claw Fortress had returned to normal.

If there isn't one, the transaction will be very chaotic, so it's better to just give the item directly.

“I will tell you about what’s happening outside, little by little,” Bray said, looking at the old woman.

"After all, I only do this part-time."

"Part-time job?" Taji, who was being held down by Bray's hand, struggled to lift his head.

“Yes, messenger. That’s my side job. I tell people what’s going on in other places.” Bray shrugged and released his grip on Taji.

"Um, can I put this down now?" Tari couldn't hold back any longer and tried to ask, as the thing on his shoulder was very heavy.

In the end, in order to prevent the chubby lion cub from carrying the burden for too long, the wrapped-up monster was thrown to the ground.

Even after seeing the monster's corpse, the old woman still wanted to refuse the expense of staying in Bray.

However, Bray rejected her refusal.

Left with no other choice, the old woman accepted the monster, which could feed the three of them for several days.

After the old woman stood up from the chair, she displayed agility that was completely unusual for someone of her age.

After she picked up the knife, she explained in detail to Taji and Tari how to remove the monster.

It is important to pass on the techniques of hunting and dissecting Leiwu to future generations, so that they will not forget these important skills.

Just like her Kate tribe characteristics, she wields the knife with lightness yet sharpness.

Bray wondered if the old woman was an imposter, or if all orc elders were that powerful.

He also remembered his father-in-law, who was around sixty years old, but had already started sitting in a rocking chair and drinking tea.

"Are all you orcs so vigorous in your old age?" Bray blurted out the question almost without thinking.

The old woman simply smiled.

"Mostly, but it can never compare to when I was forty," the old woman said.

Although I can still move around, I can't compare to when I was in my prime.

"..." Bray wiped away non-existent cold sweat. The implication was that he would be even stronger at forty.

Bray couldn't help but think of the pandas he knew, each one older and stronger than the last.

The last one is ridiculously strong, but it lives on the western continent.

I wonder if I'll be able to encounter any other pandas around here.

"Let's talk about something outside, young man." Although Bray wanted the old woman to call him "Bray," she still felt it was easier to call him young man.

As the old woman spoke, she gestured to Bray with her eyes, indicating that he should only speak to the two children.

She is very old and it's unknown how much longer she can hold on, while the children behind her will live in this world for a long time.

Therefore, more than themselves, Taji and Tari need to understand the current state of the world.

“Well then, let me ask you a question first. Do you know about the ‘Great Enemy of God’?” Brett turned his head and asked the two boys.

"The Great Enemy of God? What is that?"

As expected, no one in Claw Fortress knew about "The Great Enemy of God".

“An organization that provides support to many safe zones on the Eastern Continent,” Bray explained.

"They are responsible for fighting those monsters and also provide other assistance to ordinary people."

“But Claw Castle doesn’t have it,” Talley, the lion-headed man, muttered.

“Because the damage to Claw Fortress wasn’t particularly severe,” Bray said casually.

“What did you say?” This time it was Taji.

“I’m not lying, Claw Fortress is the best-preserved safe zone I’ve ever been to.”

"You haven't had any direct contact with those self-proclaimed demigods, have you?"

"People in other places mostly just hide, with only a very small number risking their lives to search for things."