"Keep pushing forward! Wearing the armor produced by the Orc Craftsmen will protect you from grievous harm!" said a few hunters as they shot the loaded bolts through their imitation Wild-Bow.
The battle was nothing short but exciting as the Orcs and humans are cooperating so well. The gap and differences between two distinct races seem to be gone as they compensate one another in the battle.
"Leader! Behind you!" one of the hunters shot a few bolts as Yzak charged forward like a moving tank. This trick made the Scale Workers that tried to gang up on their target nervous. Since a more meticulous order can't be changed abruptly, this turned into a disadvantage to the Army of Scales.
Their fight continues. Crushing one Scale Nightmare Squadron after another, the battle continued until they defeated four squads. Corpses of the Scales were littered here and there to the point they have to burn some of them right here before leaving.
It was an act of precaution because the Army of Scales is known to be cannibalistic. Be it over their own companion or the others, it seems that as long it was a mixture of flesh, they can be converted into nutrients for their hive and feed.
This is why the Army of Scales seems to be endless.
Based on the philosopher and a few human experts in studying the living cycle of the Scale Creature, they found out that the Scale Worker could expand their numbers even without the hive. But such a trait only works for their first few generations.
Still, a unique trait like this is almost a guaranteed expansion of their numbers. Although it was just a guess, a Scale Worker can divide into seven identical bodies when they harness enough biomass and energy to do so.
Of course, it will still take time for the seven bodies to mature, but the human experts guessed that they could do this for at least three cycles. This means each mature Scale Worker could split into 343 workers as long they managed to secure enough biomass. And the number of biomass wasn't an issue because the cycle would keep going.
"Let's return to Arcadian!" Yzak said.
The moment they mentioned Arcadian, there was a smile on their face. They were so excited to the point they're can't wait. If it was not because they're returning with quite some material in the haul, perhaps they'll be running back without delay.
It took them close to a day's journey to get home. And when they finally reached their destination, their eyes were brightened by the torches and illumination that revealed the attraction of this place known as Arcadian.
To the Orcs, this place was still the old Orc Village they knew, but many changes happened in this gap. Four months is equivalent to a year to an Orc's age, although it was just a third to most human.
With the humans joining them, their technology achievement went through a hasty but steady development stage. Right now, they greatly rely on the concept of fuel-developed technology. By adapting to some of humanity's understanding in a subject called chemistry, the craftsmen from both sides, along with Human's philosopher and Orc's Technician, something unique was created.
It was known as Exalt Broth.
There were two kinds of Exalt Broth. The impure broth, which used in those like the explosive stone, the night fire, and the wax on the bolt's tip. And the pure broth, where it was used for many greater purposes.
As for the ingredients to create this broth, they may come from many sources. But their main one was from the blood they drain from the scale's corpses. This is how a bond between the two was created.
"The few of you will deliver the loot to the barracks. Ziggy, you'll follow me to meet the chieftain. Everyone else, you're free to go around but make sure you return to the barracks after two hours." Yzak gave them a follow-up order before allowing most of them to either dismiss or finish the job in their hand.
Walking through a few buildings about ten meters tall, Yzak and the human hunter called Ziggy reach the grandest building in this Orc Village, now known as Arcadian. Now, not everyone is free to meet Cullen Azog.
There was a test one would have to go to first.
With a hint of Exalt Force gathering in one of his hands, Yzak pushes the door open using the power of Exalt. Both of them headed straight to Cullen Azog's audience hall to speak with this leading individual who owns Arcadian.
"Chieftain," said Yzak as he kneeled before this great personage. Ziggy, who followed Yzak inside, repeated what he sees from Yzak.
"What brings you here today, my Exalt Orc Warrior?" Cullen Azog asked. Recently, his reach over the Exalt Force has grown. This made Cullen Azog somehow more demanding towards the development of his own force.
It started mildly, but the further it went, the voice in his mind gets more consistent as it called him to keep waging war.
"We've fought four squadrons of Scale Nightmare today. The corpses have been taken to the barracks for the craftsmen to process. May I ask for the reward?" Yzak said.
"Four squadrons? That is quite a good performance. Step forward." Cullen Azog smiled as he listened to Yzak's report. Lifting his right arm from where he rests it, the liquid Abominaculm seems to be alive as it slithered all around Cullen Azog's arm. It soon turned into an extension of his limb about the size of his own height.
When Yzak came to Cullen Azog's reach, the limb went forward and seized Yzak's body like a constrictor snake. Four drops of Abominaculm slowly left Cullen Azog as it extended the Abominaculm Armor for a few centimeters.
"And what do we got here?" Cullen Azog asked after he was done with Yzak's strengthening ritual.
"Answering to my chieftain, this human friend is Ziggy, a potential human hunter like Edward. May the chieftain bestow him with some blessing, please?" Yzak said. His word made Ziggy trembled in excitement.
"Step forward." Cullen Azog's extension limb stretched open like the maw of a beast. The moment Ziggy stepped into his reach, all four limbs of his were broken into pieces by force as a hint of pure Exalt Broth is injected into his body.
"Ah??? AARGH!!!" the feeling of pain overwhelmed Ziggy immediately, as he felt that the world is crushing on him.