Chapter 363: Unexpected Delight - The Steel Stomach
"We will always only follow the orders of Lord Matthew!"
Beelzebub's face instantly turned icy as he responded bluntly, then immediately turned and stood by Matthew's side.
Seeing Carlos' slightly disappointed expression, Matthew couldn't help but curl his lips.
As expected, it's still the same.
Matthew instantly altered certain thoughts in his mind and said nonchalantly:
"We have other tasks to complete, so we'll part ways here."
"If it's on the way, feel free to visit the Bay Territory sometime."
As soon as Matthew finished speaking, he gestured for departure, not caring about Carlos' reaction.
His arcane robe flapping in the wind, Carlos, who had just been preparing to say something, closed his mouth immediately.
Watching Matthew's retreating figure, the adjutant couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine and muttered softly:
"When did a new mid-level arcanist appear in the Carl Plains, and someone this young!"
Hastily gathering his men, Carlos wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and subconsciously said:
"Quickly look into it later. Who exactly is this arcanist, and should we pay a visit to apologize?"
Shaking his head in some confusion, the adjutant felt a touch of relief.
Fortunately, when Carlos spoke earlier, it had seemed like a joke; otherwise, things could have taken a nasty turn.
"Probably not necessary. Maybe they don't want to see us at all?"
Carlos nodded in strong agreement and scurried away, completely unaware that a curious gaze was fixated on his retreating back.
Watching the elite cavalrymen of the Eighth Legion depart, the adventurers cleaning up the aftermath began chatting.
"So these are the elites of the Empire's regular legions? Their combat power is really something!"
"Isn't that obvious? At least mid-level professionals, trained since childhood—they're definitely strong!"
"But why do I feel... they seem not quite as good as the Bay Territory soldiers?"
"You felt that too? I think so as well…"
"Haha, the reason is simple—they don't have Lord Matthew and an entire territory backing them like the Bay soldiers do."
"Just think about it. Even these elite soldiers probably don't train for several hours every day!"
"That's true. Plus, the resources poured into training them are astronomical; other armies just can't compete."
"Haha, the Bay Territory has just one army, so of course, they can afford to go all out…"
"…"
The adventurers' conversations carried a relaxed tone.
This mission was already completed.
They had prepared themselves for a tough battle, but the most dangerous part ended up being chasing after demoralized orc stragglers.
Recalling the times they had fought alongside the Bay soldiers, the adventurers quickly realized:
This was a reward!
This was the Bay Territory's reward for the contributions they had made!
Every adventurer couldn't help but feel a sense of joy in their hearts.
Successful in capturing his prey, Matthew "looked" at the paralyzed orc high chieftain, his heart rejoicing.
Horak.
Race: Orc.
Status: Ironhand Orc High Chieftain.
Profession: Level 16 Warrior!
Talent: High-level Frenzied Blood LV2!
Inheritance: None.
Feats:
…
Advanced Feat - Resilient Bones LV2.
Constitution +2, Bone Strength +50%, Strength after Fracture Recovery +15%, Activation Cooldown: 3 months!
Advanced Feat - Demonic Muscles LV2.
Strength +2, Strength Check +2, Strength after Injury Recovery +20%, Activation Cooldown: 3 months!
Extraordinary Feat - Steel Stomach LV2, Constitution +2, Immune to Most Food Toxins, Able to Digest Almost Any Food, Improved Nutrient Absorption, Physical Recovery +40%.
Attributes: ???
Luck: -3.
Evaluation: Someone always has to be unlucky—why not this guy?
"Steel Stomach? There's a feat like that?"
"What exactly are these orcs eating daily?"
"But compared to a true dragon that can stomach raw and cold, their diet should fall short."
"After all, some can even live by eating dirt and surviving on the cold north winds."
"Wait, Steel Stomach?"
Pondering, Matthew's eyebrows lifted with pleasant surprise.
Though this feat wouldn't drastically improve combat power, Matthew could easily envision its benefits.
First, it would greatly enhance the soldiers' endurance.
After all, soldiers in the wild face various unforeseen challenges.
Cold or raw food—these are situations they could easily encounter, leading to non-combat casualties.
With Steel Stomach, they could make use of any food more efficiently.
Not to mention, there's another benefit—
Not detoxification!
But a faster rate of physical recovery!
For this reason alone, this feat could be considered a battlefield miracle!
Gazing at the pale orc high chieftain, Matthew collected information on the feat, marveling as he said:
"Indeed, the longer one survives on the battlefield, the more special abilities one gains."
Although learning "Steel Stomach" would be challenging,
Matthew felt there was still room for modification and enhancement.
These two advanced feats provided higher-level data, which was enough to satisfy Matthew.
Reaping unexpected gains, Matthew glanced at the busyness outside the window and smiled as he said:
"Proceed with the original plan. Hopefully, the orcs over there can bring me more surprises."
That's right!
Matthew had mobilized so many people and created such a disturbance; it couldn't have been just to capture one orc high chieftain.
At the very least, there should be more!
Based on the information provided by the adventurers, Matthew and Yaya advanced further to the target area.
Interestingly—
This orc high chieftain, unlike others, wasn't fleeing in panic from Carl's forces or the Eighth Legion's pursuit.
He was holed up in a rundown town, leisurely enjoying various foods.
The thousand-plus orcs under his command were also busy stuffing themselves.
When orc stragglers showed up, instead of retreating urgently, they were enjoying the feast.
Faced with such a "special" orc high chieftain—
Matthew wasn't polite and immediately mobilized everyone. When the orcs were in the midst of their feast, he spiked their food.
Even though orcs have strong digestion and some even possess abilities like "Iron Stomach,"
They still fell victim to the special paralyzing agent provided by Old Li.
Most orcs didn't manage to mount any resistance and were simply eliminated.
Beelzebub, eager to find a worthy opponent, happily took on the ailing orc high chieftain.
Strike while the iron is hot!