Chapter 30: The culprit behind zombification

[You knew about the ambushing goblins that were hiding, pretending to be dead bodies. You walked straight towards them. You were fatigued, but not to the extent that you couldn't fight a few goblins. However, right now, your actions said otherwise. You fell to one of your knees and trembled.]

[Seeing this, the greedy goblins who were cowering just a second ago jumped out from the pile of dead bodies. They had swords, nails, and bones ready to attack you.]

[Your ogre brothers, who were spared from the trouble of engaging in battle thanks to your great feat, noticed this. Simultaneously, they screamed at the top of their voice, "Warrior Chilly!", "Brother Chilly!", "Sir Chilly!", "Watch out!" and "Be careful!"]

[But despite hearing their calls, you remained immobile. It was as if you were ready to embrace death... what an act!]

[You allowed all the goblins to approach you, and when they were within the range of your attack, you raised your predatory gaze with a face that looked no less monstrous than a mountain boar and no less ugly than a swamp dweller. With an evil grin that almost made you compare to the grim reaper, you bodied the idiot goblins with the least amount of effort.]

[You have killed 20/20 goblins mercilessly. Even their souls are trembling in the afterlife.]

[You didn't care much about the system's message as now, you still had an unfulfilled purpose.]

[You scanned the surrounding once before starting your long walk.]

[Their intestines were your war-medals, and their other organs served as flowers on the road as you simply walked on their corpses, heading towards the camp.]

[Such disrespectfulness... your fellow brothers were impressed.]

[The bulky and refined muscles that stretched with each of your movements had once again made you a fan-favorite. All the female ogres who saw you instantly fell to their knees as they drooled. You even overheard one of them say, "I want his seeds!"]

[You ignored the useless remarks and walked straight towards the Ogre General who stood with a smiling face. He seemed proud and happy about your achievement.]

["Great job Warrior Chilly! Your accomplishments are excellent, and your skills were just superb. I will inform your feats to the lord. Hopefully, you get a reward," the general winked and whispered this before giving out many more commands to the ogres who still remained on the battlefield.]

[You were surprised by such words. 'Was the general so lenient and kind?' - you questioned before your gaze fell on the Healer ogres that stood not too far. Amidst them was an old, skinny female ogre who kept rubbing her palms. You noticed that she was sweating profusely as her eyeballs moved from one place to the other vigorously.]

['She was the first one to react to the zombie thing... hmm, is she related to this or am I simply overthinking?' you thought to yourself.]

[You didn't want to take a risk, so you walked close to her. You knew how menacing you were, especially after the brutal massacre, but you made no effort in hiding this aggressive visage of yours.]

["You want help, right?" you whispered at the lowest audible voice that reached the old female ogre, as you passed beside her.]

[The moment your words reached her ears, she instantly turned left and right, in search of the one who said that. She was both astonished and surprised, the expressions of which were clearly seen on her shriveled face.]

["Behind you. Follow me," your words were short and cold. It was as if you gave a command. The old female ogre turned and noticed your fearsome gaze. Her legs involuntarily took a step back, but she managed to pause it when she heard your next words: "It's about zombies, isn't it?"]

[She gulped a large chunk of saliva before following you closely. A few ogres, out of respect and curiosity, decided to follow you. But you shunned them by simply glaring at them and saying, "I want privacy." You said this specifically when you looked at the female ogre who had previously claimed to be your girlfriend, that cheater.]

[Terrified, she ran away with the same words as earlier, "I never expected my boyfriend to talk in such a manner!" as you hadn't hesitated in voicing your thoughts, "Who the heck are you, bitch?"]

[After having her isolated, you wanted to ask her about the zombies and if she knew about it or was somehow related, but before you got a chance, she asked, "How do you know about the zombies?"]

[You merely stared at her, not replying initially. It was to make her know that she couldn't question you. You successfully created the image of a fearsome, strict, and dominating warrior.]

["F-forgive me," she instantly apologized, averting her gaze after just one glance. It was partially because you were scary, but more because you were somewhat ugly.]

["I need to kill the zombie in the infirmary, right?" you asked, guessing by her reaction that one may have already been zombified.]

[She abruptly raised her gaze again and nodded vigorously. To that, she added, "Not only the zombie, but also the caster of the spell."]

[Your eyes widened when you heard that. Swiftly, you approached her as you asked, "You know who the caster is?" You repeatedly gulped a large chunk of saliva, awaiting an answer and hoping to get some clue.]

[The old hag moved her head upwards and then downwards, nodding in agreement before saying, "I know."]

Ding!

[Congratulations, you are close to the truth!]

["Who is it!?" uncontrolled and hesitant, you asked in haste, wanting to know the truth and the real culprit of the downfall. You noticed the old female ogre lifting her gaze. This time, she approached you, closed the gap, and brought her tiny head close to your shoulders.]

[There she whispered: "Elder Jerka."]

A/N: Just a simple comment like ‘TFTC’/‘Thank you for the chapter’/’Thanks’ will also help. It keeps me motivated! Do comment!