The village chief and the other elders gathered in another elven house to hold a meeting with the human. Inside the room, the other village leaders were also present, eager to listen to the discussion. Meanwhile, outside the house, a commotion filled the air as the villagers eagerly awaited the arrival of the human hero.
The chief sat on a carved wooden chair at the head of the room, with the other village leaders standing respectfully behind him. Everyone waited patiently for the human hero to arrive. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and the human hero entered the room. The chieftain quickly stood up to greet him.
"Welcome, Human Hero. My name is Calthain. I am the chieftain of this elven village," he said in a formal tone.
The human hero gave a polite nod and replied, "Greetings, sir. My name is Drek, from the Federal Earth Alliance."
Both extended their hands and shook firmly, marking the beginning of their discussion.
The village chief gestured for the hero to sit in an empty chair. Drek sat down, and the others followed, taking their seats as well.
Drek spoke with confidence. "Mister Chief, I'm here to hear about the problem your village is facing. I'll gladly do what I can to help."
The village chief was stunned by his straightforwardness. His words left an impression on the elders, who widened their eyes and exchanged surprised glances. However, the chieftain, though shaken, was grateful. He sighed deeply and began to explain.
"Sir Human Hero, I truly appreciate your willingness to help. But I must ask for your assistance not just to resolve the immediate issue but to address the root cause. You see, the king of the orc clan… he is my friend. I don't understand what has happened to them. They were once helpful and kind—partners who even helped us build this very infrastructure. They've never done anything like this before. But now…" The chief's voice cracked, and tears welled up in his eyes. "Now, I don't know what to think. Their actions have traumatized us all."
A random village elder suddenly shouted, "They've been using us as tools! They only helped us because we gave them food and resources. This is outrageous!"
Another elder interjected, "That's not true! The orcs saved us in the past—when those evil wolf-like creatures attacked. They protected us with their lives!"
A heated argument erupted between the two opposing elders. Voices grew louder, and tension filled the room as the discussion spiraled into chaos.
Drek stood up and shouted, "Everyone, calm down! I'll investigate this matter, and I'll do exactly what I've promised."
Drek turned around and left the house, leaving the elders standing in shock. As he stepped outside, he raised his hand, which began to glow faintly. Suddenly, the air was filled with the rumble of thunder, and a floating craft appeared above him, descending gracefully to the ground.
The sight of the airship drew a crowd of onlookers, all murmuring in awe. Among them, Ushu broke through the crowd, running toward Drek.
"Drek! Are you going to leave?" Ushu shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
Drek turned to her and replied, "Yes, Ushu. I need to uncover the true cause of this madness with the orcs."
Ushu hesitated before asking, "Can I come with you?"
Drek shook his head firmly. "No, Ushu. I need you to stay here. I'll give you something to help us stay in touch." He pulled out a small device and handed it to her. "This is called a CCD—short for Continental Communication Device. It's used for secure transmissions between command centers and higher-ups. Place this in your ear. With it, you can relay any updates or emergencies from the village directly to me. Does that sound good?"
Ushu nodded solemnly. "I understand."
Drek smiled warmly. "Good. To ensure your safety, I'll also leave behind an ASD—an Armed Service Drone. It will stand by for quicker responses if anything happens here."
As the craft's ramp lowered, Drek stepped aboard, leaving Ushu and the villagers behind. The airship began to ascend, its engines humming softly as it disappeared into the sky, leaving a renewed sense of hope among the crowd.
Drek suddenly issued a command to the system. "System, I need the map, and I need to be at a high altitude where we'll be undetectable. Get us above them."
He touched the holographic interface and manipulated the map, adjusting the flight path. "I need us positioned here. Also, make sure we have good visibility down there."
The system responded promptly. "Yes, Major Drek. Proceeding to high altitude. Cockpit oxygen will engage once we enter the no-oxygen zone."
The jet climbed higher, piercing the thin atmosphere, and then came to a halt. "Major Drek, we have reached the designated altitude. Cockpit oxygen online. Commencing reconnaissance maneuvers. Target Acquisition and Pilot Thermal/Night Vision Sensor (TAPT/NVS) online."
Drek responded with a nod. "Copy that. Engaging Target Acquisition and Pilot Thermal/Night Vision Sensor (TAPT/NVS)."
As he spoke, a camera extended from the front of the fighter jet, activating the system's targeting capabilities. The TAPT/NVS system allowed the pilot to acquire precise targeting with thermal and night vision enhancements, offering superior visibility even in the darkest environments.
Drek spotted unusual activity below them in the dark. "System, activate Thermal and Night Vision in the area."
The system responded promptly, "Yes, Major Drek."
The environment cleared, revealing a mass of movement below. Orcs were forming a line, heading toward a dark, shadowy figure.
Drek's voice was filled with surprise. "What is that?! Is that… a devil or something? System, can you scan that being?"
The system responded, "Yes, Major Drek. Scanning the entity. It will take a short time. Please wait."
Drek quickly spoke again, "Copy. I need to send a transmission to HQ. Connect me to the village."
The system replied, "Yes, Major Drek. Connection established. You can now transmit your message."
Drek nodded, "Copy, System."
He touched his ear and spoke. "Ushu, this is Major Drek. Come in."
There was silence. No response.
"Drek to Ushu, can you hear me? Touch your ear to send a message over."
Suddenly, Ushu's voice shouted through the comms, "AHHH! HELLO, HELLO! MAJOR DREK!"
Drek flinched and pulled the earpiece away for a moment due to the loud sound, his ears ringing with a bit of tinnitus. After a second, he put the earpiece back in. "Ushu, chill down! Don't shout into the mic—it's in my ear, and it kinda hurts."
Ushu's voice came through again, much softer this time, sounding cute and apologetic. "Wahh, sorry, Major Drek. It's my first time using this kind of device. I'm so sorryyy."
Drek responded, "Don't worry, Ushu. Everything is fine for now. I need you to relay this to the chieftain: I'm in orc territory and observing them. There's someone—or something—here that looks like a devil. It's surrounded by a super dark smoke, almost like a spirit. Whatever it is, it seems to be touching the orcs and turning them into… dark spirits or something similar."
As Drek scanned the area, his eyes widened in shock. "Relay this as well: there are orcs in cages—and piles of dead orcs. Wait…"
Drek's voice turned urgent as he witnessed something horrifying. A dark spirit floated toward the pile of dead orcs, its hands emitting a sinister black smoke that seeped into the lifeless bodies. Slowly, the corpses began to stir.
"The dead orcs… they're rising! They're being controlled by that black entity!" he exclaimed.
Before Drek could continue, the system interrupted.
"Sir, Major Drek, the scan results are complete. This entity is confirmed to be 100% similar to the Unknown we've encountered in our world. It's a dead demonic being corrupted by the Unknown."
Drek's expression hardened, his voice now calm and serious. "Ushu, listen carefully. Relay everything I just said to the chieftain. Warn them to protect the village and stay on alert. If anything happens, report to me immediately. I'm going to attack this area. Over and out."
Ushu replied without hesitation, "Yes, I'll do it now."
The transmission ended as Drek prepared to engage the sinister threat before him.