Chapter 17: Devour It Alive
The Ogre was in a deep sleep and didn’t wake up even after all the fiddling Li Meng had done.
Li Meng used five ropes to tie the Ogre’s legs tightly, looping them over and over.
"Come here, push it over!"
The Goblins quickly ran to their leader's side, their faces full of fear as they pressed their hands against the Ogre's back.
The Ogre was lying on its side, leaning against the mountain, making it relatively easy to push.
At Li Meng's command, the Goblins exerted their strength together.
The Ogre's massive body limply rolled over and fell flat on the ground, stirring up dust with its heavy breathing.
"Quick, bring the bark ropes over."
Li Meng hurriedly began tying the Ogre's hands from behind.
To restrain the Ogre effectively, he needed a good binding technique.
First, Li Meng tied the Ogre’s hands together.
Then, he used three ropes to connect the hands and the neck, wrapping them tightly.
This way, if the Ogre struggled, it would make its neck feel extremely uncomfortable.
The harder it struggled, the tighter the rope around its neck would become.
Even with the Ogre's immense strength, it couldn’t fully exert its power.
"Not enough, I need an extra layer of security!"
Li Meng used a few more ropes to tie the Ogre’s feet to its neck.
Now, if the Ogre tried to break the ropes on its feet, the ones on its neck would tighten.
And if it pulled against the ropes on its neck, the bindings between its hands and neck would constrict even further.
Looking at the Ogre now bound tightly like a dumpling, Li Meng nodded in satisfaction.
"Let's hide in the forest."
Whether it worked or not would only become clear when the Ogre woke up.
Hearing that they could get away from the terrifying Ogre, the Goblins dashed back into the forest without hesitation.
For the next few hours, Li Meng patiently waited for the Ogre to awaken.
Time passed slowly, one hour after another, until the sun was about to set and darkness was falling.
Finally, the Ogre woke up.
A panicked roar echoed through the forest, scattering flocks of birds.
Near the fruit tree, the Ogre thrashed on the ground in terror.
Its immense strength caused the bark ropes to creak under strain.
The more it struggled, the tighter the ropes around its neck became, causing increasing suffocation.
After two hours of frantic struggle, the Ogre collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
By this time, a third of the ropes around its neck had snapped.
Seeing the Ogre stop struggling, Li Meng, who was hiding in the bushes, let out a sigh of relief.
If the Ogre had continued, the ropes would have broken eventually.
"Alright, time for me to step in!"
Li Meng stood up, stepping out from the bushes, holding a whip made of bark ropes in his hand.
The whip was entwined with thorny vines.
These vines were a toxic plant found in the forest.
They had only one effect: extreme pain upon contact.
Though not lethal, the pain could last for several days.
Even Goblins were not immune to its effects.
Though the Ogre had high defense, its body wasn’t invincible.
As soon as Li Meng appeared, the Ogre spotted him.
Its enormous eyes fixated on Li Meng, and it let out a resounding roar.
Li Meng grinned and cracked the whip.
The "snap" echoed far into the distance.
He lashed out again, striking the Ogre’s back.
The Ogre howled in pain, rolling its body toward Li Meng in an attempt to crush him.
Li Meng cracked the whip again, this time hitting the Ogre's rear.
A bloody welt appeared instantly.
Though it only grazed the surface, it was enough.
"Stop resisting and just become my subordinate."
The forest resounded with the sound of whipping and the Ogre's anguished cries.
As the sun set and night descended, the whipping continued.
Even in the dark of night, the sounds did not cease.
The next morning, near the fruit tree in the forest:
"You stubborn mule, still being fierce?"
Li Meng, out of breath, tossed aside the now misshapen whip.
After an entire night of whipping, the Ogre still appeared as fierce as ever.
Its gaze toward Li Meng was filled only with hatred.
Beside him, Gobuge quickly handed over a new whip.
The forest, briefly silent, was once again filled with the sound of whipping.
Over the next few days, Li Meng devoted himself to "training" the Ogre.
It was torture for the Ogre and equally exhausting for himself.
On the fifth day, under the same fruit tree:
"Be good. If you become my subordinate, you won’t regret it. I’ll make sure you live the good life."
Li Meng held out a purple fruit, attempting to lure the Ogre.
The Ogre lay on the ground, weak and spiritless.
However, its gaze toward Li Meng remained filled with hostility.
When Li Meng tried to feed it, the Ogre let out a roar.
Its massive body suddenly flipped, attempting to crush Li Meng.
Li Meng frowned, stepping back a few paces to avoid its charge.
His expression darkened, and impatience flickered in his eyes.
"Looks like you’re only fit to become a meal!"
Li Meng tossed aside his whip and gestured to the Goblins behind him.
After five days of sleepless effort, Li Meng was at his wit's end.
He simply wanted to end the ordeal and get some rest.
Hearing their leader’s command, the Goblins were stunned for a moment.
Then, their faces lit up with excitement, their mouths curling into grins that revealed sharp teeth.
With cheers, the Goblins lunged greedily at the Ogre.
The Goblins frantically tore into the Ogre’s body, ripping off chunks of flesh with every bite.
The Ogre let out a feeble roar of pain as the Goblins devoured it.
Its weakened state left it powerless to resist.
Yet, something miraculous happened.
The wounds caused by the Goblins’ bites began to heal visibly, new flesh growing rapidly.
This sight astonished Li Meng.
"Could this be the effect of the Flesh Regeneration skill?"
Eyes gleaming, Li Meng lunged forward, biting into the Ogre’s thigh and tearing off a piece of meat.
The Ogre's flesh was incredibly chewy, like hardened rubber.
Despite its unpleasant taste, Li Meng persisted, determined to gain a skill.
However, the system notification he was expecting never appeared.
"Do I need to eat the heart for the best chance of acquiring a skill?"
Both Steel Skin and Wind Blade skills were gained by consuming hearts.