The Second Dragonoid's Tale

Chapter 2: The Storm Dragon, The Slime, & The What?

Two weeks have gone by since I arrived in the village of Ogres and have found them to be peaceful days filled with hunting, gathering, and training. Wanting to work while I stayed, I joined the hunters and took the dangerous game head-on while they supported me from the rear. The small agile animals needed more than brute strength to capture and so I learned on my first day out how to set up traps. Which were used to attract the larger game as the Ogres were not satisfied with bagging small fries. That's partly why they took a liking to me, the strength of my body far exceeds theirs.

To see how well I did in an actual fight the old ogre had me face off against the red ogre and others there were interested at the time, including a busty ogre with a thick black horn poking out of her forehead. The purple tint of her skin matched her hair that was tied back in a ponytail. She was pretty attractive by Human standards. If there was a perfect target for [Lover's Embrace] she would be the one. I struck that thought from my mind and fought fairly every time we trained, using none of my skills. This made it a contest of strength and speed that I couldn't lose.

"He really is strong," The purple one was on the ground after I had punched her into another one of the Ogres.

The red one commented as he stood between us, "That's why I told you to be serious from the start."

"The young master is right," The old one said, stepping in from the sidelines. "It is vital that you properly evaluate your opponent. See what he possesses and figure out what is lacking."

"Hey, hey," I spoke up. "I don't mind training with them, but you're not seriously going to join the fight. I don't want you to throw your back out, old man."

The old ogre's aura leaked out as he drew his sword, "As a teacher it is only right I lead by example. Now let's begin."

It would have been more fun if they were all on the old man's level, the only one that came close was the red one. Surely, he trained under him for years. I don't know anything when it comes to swords, but his form looked similar to the old man's and so must have been good. Winding down, roasted boar was brought out for lunch by one of the Ogres. I had gotten used to the lack of flavors that I remembered from modern cooking. The village didn't produce any sauces or salt, though the small variety of fruits and vegetables helped. There isn't much in terms of entertainment either.

Asking the red one if there were any games he played when he was younger, I was given a look asking what I meant. So I thought of something simple they might have tried, arm-wrestling. A different way to test each other's strength. Bringing out a wooden box, I placed it between us and took his hand. With our elbows on the box, one holding it while the other grasps the opponents tightly, I gave him the rules, as simple as they were.

"The goal is simple, make the back of your opponent's hand touch the box. No skills. No more than one arm. Ready?" I smiled, seeing his interest in it.

He confidently answered, "Yes!"

"Then begin!" I shouted.

He immediately put all of his strength into it, with the force causing the box to crack beneath his elbow. To keep it from breaking completely, I ended the game. I was the only one he lost to, not counting the old man since he merely watched. The others had their chance against me, including the purple one. All of them met the same fate as the red one. From then on the people were more social with me and joined in. By the end of the day, everyone in the Ogre village knew about it and wanted to try it. I would have to wait before I could introduce any more games to them.

Multiple bonds established. Connection is too weak for Strong Bonds to take effect.

Or so the [Voice of The World] said. I asked that it only notify me when the bonds are strong enough, I didn't need to hear that all the time. While the Ogres may allow me to walk around their village, that didn't mean we were friends. A level of trust and fun was missing that's found between friends, and it appeared that the game helped. I should keep that in mind if I find someone I want to establish a bond with.