Bang! Bang!
The ground trembled violently as the two Orcs stormed forward, each step heavy enough to shake dust off the nearby trees. Their guttural roars rolled across the open clearing like thunder, pressing on everyone's nerves.
Captain Dalron didn't waste a second. He immediately pulled back, his sharp voice cutting through the chaos.
"Leron, Rann take the one on the left! Don't push too far; hold the line and conserve your stamina!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"You got it!"
The twin brothers tightened their formation instantly. Shields up, heels dug into the soil, they braced themselves before rushing toward the massive Yellow beast barreling through the underbrush.
Dalron jabbed a finger toward the second Orc. "Belnar! You're with me! Take what openings you can, eyes and throat!"
"No problem!" Belnar replied, already pulling an arrow from his quiver.
He drew, inhaling slowly to steady his nerves.
Swish!
The arrow whistled through the air like a streak of silver aimed straight for the Orc's eye.
But the monster reacted faster than expected. Its thick arm jerked upward, instinctively shielding its face.
Thunk!
The arrow buried deep into its forearm, but failed to penetrate all the way through.
"Grr… food!"
The Orc ripped the arrow out with a furious wrench, its dull yellow eyes sharpening with feral hunger. With a roar, it charged toward the archer like a maddened boar.
Dalron clicked his tongue. "Good shot… but damn, that hide is thick."
Even Belnar's deadly accuracy was barely enough to graze it.
The ground quaked again as the Orc thundered closer.
Dalron suddenly halted his retreat. His boots dug deep into the earth. He bent his knees and crossed his twin swords in front of him, breath steadying.
"Accelerate!"
A faint blue glow shimmered across his entire body.
Then...he vanished.
Or rather, he moved so quickly that the eye could barely track him.
Whoosh!
He soared forward, appearing right under the Orc's chin in a blink.
Slash! Slash!
Twin blades flashed twice.
Two deep wounds opened across the Orc's chest, spilling pale green blood in heavy droplets.
But that was all.
Against something that stood nearly three meters tall, the wounds barely counted as scratches.
"AGHH!!"
Enraged, the Orc swung its enormous fist down like a hammer falling from the heavens.
Bang!
Dalron barely managed to raise both swords horizontally above his head. The impact transmitted down his arms like a shockwave. His grip faltered, and a sharp numbness shot from his wrists all the way to his shoulders.
His boots skidded across the ground, carving two deep lines in the dirt.
He was seconds away from losing his grip—
"Double Shot!"
Belnar's voice rang out.
Twanng! twanng!
Two arrows flew, sharp and precise.
The Orc, focused entirely on Dalron, didn't even see them coming.
Slickk!
One arrow pierced its left eye.
The other jammed into the right.
"GRAAAHHH!!"
The beast howled, staggering back while clawing wildly at its ruined face. Its massive frame thrashed like an enraged bull, tearing up clumps of dirt and grass.
Dalron retreated in a single leap, finally breathing properly. "Good timing, Belnar."
"Save it. Twins are struggling, we need to wrap this up!"
He wasn't wrong.
Leron and Rann were slowly being pushed back. Their shields shook with each impact, and even their perfect coordination was beginning to falter under the Orc's raw strength.
Saelran stood off to the side, observing everything with a cold clarity that didn't match his calm face. Deep down, something in him was humming with anticipation.
This is exactly the situation I needed…
His gaze drifted to Grandpa Maray.
How long was that old man planning to sit still?
The Guard team was strong for their level, but…
Humans simply weren't built to fight demi-humans head-on.
Orcs were Subspecies from Trolls. They didn't regenerate like Trolls, but their durability was insane. In the game, this difference was mostly a stat line.
But in reality?
It was a nightmare.
In Oblivion Gate, humans could start catching up around level 50.
But in this world, humans only reached level 40 at best.
No wonder humanity nearly went extinct before the Outer Gods appeared…
Dalron exhaled sharply, ignoring the lingering numbness in his arms. He tightened his grip, focused his gaze, and lunged at the blinded Orc.
He aimed for its heart, the surest killing blow.
He raised his left sword high and thrust downward with everything he had.
Splat!
Greenish-red blood burst outward.
The Orc convulsed violently, then its body sagged and collapsed.
Silence fell over the clearing for a brief moment.
"Haa…" Dalron pulled his blade free. "One left—"
But he didn't finish his sentence.
Because the "dead" Orc's body suddenly jerked violently.
Its arm swung upward in a wild, desperate strike.
"Captain, move!!" Belnar shouted.
Dalron's instincts screamed.
"Accelerate!"
Blue light flashed; he dodged the fatal blow, but not all of it.
The Orc's giant hand caught his ankle.
Crunch!
"AAAGHHH!!"
The sickening crack of bone echoed through the air.
"Captain!" Belnar paled.
Leron and Rann froze for a moment when they heard the scream.
Just a heartbeat.
But that was enough.
Bang!
The left Orc kicked Leron square in the chest. His body flew back, crashing through a small bush before slamming into the dirt.
"Leron!!"
Rann's focus wavered and the Orc pounced.
He barely blocked the next blow, but he was forced into a desperate defensive scramble. His footing slipped. His stance broke.
He couldn't hold much longer.
Belnar loosed arrows as fast as he could, but the remaining Orc was smart. It shielded its eyes with one arm, swatting aside arrows with the other while relentlessly charging Rann down.
Rann's legs shook. His shield was dented. His breathing rapid.
He was seconds from collapse.
Saelran's pulse quickened.
This was the moment.
He stared at Grandpa Maray again.
C'mon… c'mon… do it already.
"Grandfather!" Eidar Shouted from inside the carriage. "They're going to die!"
Maray closed his eyes and exhaled.
"Hmph. With this level of skill and you still dare dream of Rank D?"
He raised a single finger.
A spark of bright blue-white light blossomed at his fingertip.
"Fire Arrow."
Saelran nearly sighed in relief. Finally.
Crackle!
Three blazing arrows formed instantly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The first arrow shot into the arm of the Orc holding Dalron's broken ankle. The monster screamed and recoiled.
The other two Fire Arrows slammed directly into the chest of the Orc attacking Rann.
BOOM!
A burst of scorching flame erupted, engulfing the Orc's upper torso.
When the fire faded, a massive charred hole marked where its heart had been.
Thud!
The beast collapsed backward like a felled tree, shaking the earth one last time.