The following day, the construction of the new settlement continued under the Old Potato's leadership. Rryk led a group of gnolls on a hunting expedition, while Luarin observed everything from the same spot she claimed yesterday.
The morning passed peacefully, with everything going according to plan, until a group of gray orcs appeared at the entrance of the settlement. As the goblins and gnolls noticed the imposing figures approaching, they ceased their work and prepared to defend their settlement, with Old Potato in the lead.
While they knew they stood no chance against the orcs, who were towering above them with their huge builds, they were determined to hold their ground using their numbers until Wain returned.
However, to their surprise, the orcs didn't attack. Instead, they halted in front of the settlement, and one of the orcs stepped forward to speak to them.
"Our lord, Dagorad, mighty Chieftain of the Mountain Orcs and ruler of the mountains, has declared that every clan must pay him a tribute in the form of gold, mana cores, slaves, or other valuables," the orc leading the group proclaimed, halting in his speech for a moment before he added. "Anyone who disobeys will be obliterat-"
Before the orc could finish his sentence, his head suddenly exploded, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
The remaining orcs were thrown into a state of terror. Their leader was a powerful orc at the higher realm of 1st-grade and yet, he died in a second. Panic immediately overwhelmed them as they desperately searched for the cause of their leader's death, when several black fiery spears were unleashed in their direction, mercilessly ending the lives of every orc in the group.
"What did they want?" Wain, who just arrived, indifferently asked as he stopped in front of Old Potato, waiting for explanation.
Old Potato, trembling with fear, knelt before Wain. His master's growing strength was already beyond his comprehension, and he couldn't help but worry that he was becoming less useful to him.
"My Lord," Old Potato began to explain, "the mountain orcs, under the rule of Dagorad, the ruler of the mountains, came to force us to pay tribute."
He looked at the dead orcs, terrified, worrying what would come next. Although Wain was powerful, he learned from Rryk that Dagorad was a selfish and arrogant ruler, who definitely wouldn't let their disobedience go unpunished. Wain's actions might have just brought doom upon all of them.
However, Wain didn't seem to care. "Dagorad, I see. Prepare forces, we will deal with him immediately." He announced and the goblins stared at him in disbelief.
Dagorad was the ruler of the mountains, could their little forces deal with someone like that? They questioned, but taking a glance at the dead burning bodies of the orcs, none dared to disobey him, preparing for their impending assault.
Meanwhile, Wain took a seat at his secluded spot and began absorbing the mana cores from the tribes he had exterminated during the night. While they might not be enough to allow Wain break through again, they would still help him grow significantly stronger.
…
Before the sun setted and Dagorad would learn the news about his missing men, Wain had already informed Rryk about their plans and waited near the entrance of the cavern that the Mountain Orc Tribe occupied.
Although mountain orcs weren't the most intelligent species, their tall and muscular build compensated for their shortcomings. Moreover their natural affinity with the element of earth made them hard as stones, increasing their defense significantly.
However, after reaching 2nd-grade, even these monsters stood no chance against Wain, who closely observed the entrance of the cavern, which measured about six meters in width and five meters in height. It was guarded by six orc sentinels.
[Mountain Orc] (Humanoid, lower 1st-grade)
Level 32
Hp 491 / 491
Wain wasted no time and by casting [Barrage of Fire], he unleashed dozens of fireballs, taking the guards by surprise and killing five of them on the spot.
The sixth one managed to survive, by relying on his exceptionally tough skin, but Wain expected such a situation might happen and before the orc could shout and alert others, dark tentacles emerged from the ground, pulling him beneath the earth, effectively silencing him.
With the entrance guards neutralized, Rryk took charge of the situation, leading his strongest troops into the cavern, ready to confront the Mountain Orc Tribe within.
…
Dozens of orcs raced down the cave's corridor, fleeing from a torrent of flames which followed closely behind. They had to alert their leader of the intruders, who mercilessly slaughtered the orcs in the underground passages!
"Aarg!" cried one of the slower orcs, when the black flames caught up to him and burned him on the spot. The terrifying sight of the approaching dark flames instilled fear in the rest of the orcs, intensifying their desire to escape as they increased their pace.
They were already close to the main cavern! As long as they get there, their master will save them. They thought, when they suddenly noticed their path was blocked by several black meaty pillars.
They were tentacles?!
Confusion and helplessness gripped the orcs as they desperately tried to break through the blockade. But despite their efforts, the tentacles remained still, until the torrent of flames engulfed them.
"Excellent work, Octader," Wain commended his familiar. With the assistance of the octopus, they had successfully decimated most of Dagoran's forces without the orc leader knowing. And now, they had arrived at the main hall, where a massive orc sat upon an imposing throne
Adorned in expensive garments and numerous golden accessories, the orc chieftain was the embodiment of gluttony as he sat with his fat belly, surrounded by tables full of various foods and numerous female slaves, who appeared to already lose all will to live.
"So, this is the mountain's ruler," Wain observed, carefully studying the orc leader who appeared dumbfounded by the unexpected intrusion.
[Mountain Orc Chieftain, Dagorad] (Humanoid, higher 2nd Grade)
Level 83
Hp 5 849 / 5 849
At this moment, Dagorad slowly began to realize the situation and became enraged. "Intruders! How dare you invade my territory!" His massive frame rose to a towering height of over four meters. But before he could take any further action, several dark fiery spears streaked through the air, striking his colossal body.
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…
The projectiles struck Dagorad with tremendous force, causing him to stagger back and retake his seat, while Wain used the moment to chant another spell.
2nd-grade spell, Barrage of Fire!
He unleashed the spell at the orc chieftain, while he was still defenseless, causing him to lose several hundreds Hp.
"Rryk, deal with his underlings, I can handle the leader!" Wain commanded, and the gnolls breathed sighs of relief, grateful they wouldn't have to confront the massive orc chieftain, focusing their attention on his minions scattered throughout the hall.
However, the orc chieftain refused to become a punching bag, and with an unexpected speed, considering his body frame, he grabbed his mace and closed in on Wain in an instant.
Fortunately, Wain had anticipated such a move and had already prepared a spell for it in advance.
3rd-grade spell, Fire Impact!
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With a resounding explosion, Wain's spell successfully knocked back the orc chieftain, pinning him once more to his imposing throne.
"I am the ruler of this mountain!" Dagorad's growls echoed through the cavern as his bloodshot eyes fixed on Wain, the intruder who had been one-sidedly beating him thus far.
Attempting to strike back, he rose from the throne, when several tentacles wrapped around his body and pushed him down once again, while several dark fiery spears pierced through his massive frame, causing his Hp to drop below half.
At this moment, Dagorad's body burned with the relentless Chaos Flame, his HP depleting continuously, while Octader was relentlessly biting his back. However, the orc wasn't the lord of the mountains for no reason, and although he grew a little fat, his strength still remained formidable.
With a powerful push, he freed himself from Octader's grip and slammed his mace into the stone floor, sending a devastating shockwave towards Wain.
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Unable to dodge in time, the powerful shockwave struck Wain head-on, causing him to lose a quarter of his Hp.
"If even a shockwave is this powerful, I can't afford to get a direct hit," Wain frowned, swiftly changing his location as he continued his relentless assault on the orc chieftain.
No longer obscured by Octader, the orc chieftain rushed at Wain, who dodged his attack using [Flame Dash], however, now all of his life saving skills were in cooldown and Dagorad still had a quarter of his Hp remaining.
2nd-grade spell, Torrent of Flames!
Without hesitation, Wain channeled a vortex of flames. But to his astonishment, the orc chieftain walked through the ravaging flames unhindered, rapidly closing in on Wain.
"Octader!" Wain called out desperately, realizing he couldn't afford to take a direct hit, but he also lacked means to avoid the next attack.
"Your pet can't stop me!" Dagorad bellowed, casting a skill, his skin turned bloody red. It was evident his strength had greatly increased, and even Octader wouldn't be able to obstruct him anymore.
But Octader's true target was never Dagorad as Wain ordered it to eat him and not the orc chieftain!
Just as Dagorad was close enough to attack Wain, several tentacles emerged from the ground and saved Wain in the crucial moment, hiding underground.
"Where is he?!" Dagorad roared in frustration. His Hp was quickly depleting due to the Chaos Flame, but Wain was nowhere to be seen.
"Raagh!" With a mighty bellow, Dagorad began hitting the ground with his mace, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth.
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…
Despite being hidden in Octader's stomach, Wain was continuously losing Hp from Dagorad's relentless assault. He couldn't let the situation continue since he would die before Dagorad would.
"Octader, resurface!" Wain commanded, and the octopus obediently carried him back to the surface, while Wain chanted a spell.
Meanwhile, Dagorad continued his frenzied assault on the ground, when several tentacles suddenly emerged behind him, piercing through his body, together with several dark spears.
"Ughr" Dagorad spat a mouthful of blood from the strike he received, but he still wasn't dead. Turning around, he swung his mace toward Wain, but before he could complete his attack, he dropped his mace and his eyes rolled back in his head.
"System: You have killed a Mountain Ogre Chieftain, Dagorad, obtaining 284 192 experience and 72 Chaos Point."
"System: Congratulations you have reached level 42."
Although Wain's final attack hadn't been enough to deliver the finishing blow, the relentless effect of the Chaos Flame took its toll. After receiving so many attacks from Wain, the effect of Chaos Flame stacked on and the orc chieftain was losing over hundred Hp every second from the burning effect.
"We won," Wain declared, victoriously looking through the situation in the hall.