The rumbling sound suddenly ceased.
The half-orc Stone Fist had a terrifyingly gloomy expression. He swung his wrist, which had been numbed from the blows, and remained silent.
He was a warrior who had fought his way out of the Beastmen's territory in the Devouring Gorge. Only two tribes, the Thorn Tribe and the Poison Sting Tribe, remained from the half-orc's once thriving clan. He was considered the most likely to break through the fifteenth level and even surpass the twentieth level to reach the peak.
He knew that he had given it his all, but how could his opponent remain completely unaffected? His opponent only defended, never once counterattacking.
If it had been his own attack that rendered his opponent unable to fight back, it would have been one thing.
But the barbarian was mocking him, deliberately allowing him to attack at will. He was known as the Iron Fist of the Thorn Tribe, capable of smashing rocks with a single blow. Even if his opponent was a strong barbarian, shouldn't his powerful attacks have at least drawn some reaction?
Feeling the impact of Stone Fist's strikes, Black Axe secretly marveled at the strength of his runic armor. Every warrior who remained had chosen to accept Kent's magical contract and donned the powerful armor that increased their strength.
The surge of power in his body was irresistible.
"Done? My turn now!" Black Axe laughed and threw a rapid punch.
"Come on! Hah!" Stone Fist understood the strength of the barbarian tribe, but after being completely disregarded by him, he was determined to resist. He let out a furious roar, crossing his arms in front of him, his veins bulging, ready to face the attack head-on.
With a loud crash and a grunt, Stone Fist was sent flying through the air and crashed heavily to the ground, landing not far from Kent.
The slaves watched in disbelief. None of the 70-80 half-orc slaves had seen how Stone Fist was thrown, but they were sure of one thing: the mighty warrior of the Thorn Tribe could not even withstand a single punch from the barbarian.
"Again!" Stone Fist spat blood, trying to rise despite the pain in his chest.
But as soon as he tried to sit up, he collapsed back to the ground. His chest and arm bones were broken in several places.
"Black Axe, be more gentle," Kent said, shaking his head, stepping forward.
"Sorry, Kent! I got a little too carried away," Black Axe apologized. He hadn't fully gotten used to the power boost from the runic armor and had misjudged the strength of his punch.
"I'm done for!" Stone Fist glared at Kent, "Even if I serve you for a year, what difference does it make?"
Hearing this, Kent bent down in front of the half-orc warrior, saying nothing, but extended his hand. Suddenly, blue flames appeared in his palm.
"You're a mage? But why are you wearing heavy armor?" Stone Fist asked, both shocked and delighted. He had always thought Kent was just a heavily armored warrior, but now he saw that he was a mage, and a divine mage at that. The joy came because his injuries could now be healed.
Kent, having spent a thousand satisfaction points to upgrade his Intermediate Prayer spell, quickly alleviated the pain in Stone Fist's bones. Though not fully healed, Stone Fist could now rise to his feet.
"Two more times, and you'll be fully recovered," Kent said, not paying attention to Stone Fist as he called out to Black Axe, "Keep going, Black Axe."
"Got it, Kent!" Black Axe replied, then shouted to the half-orc slaves, "Who else wants to try?"
"No need!" Stone Fist shouted, "I told you, I'm the strongest warrior among them. If I lose, they're not going to win either."
The half-orcs glanced at each other, and no one objected.
"You've saved me and now you're giving us a chance to shed our slave status. The half-orcs won't be ungrateful," Stone Fist looked at Kent. "But I have a few questions I'd like you to answer."
"Go ahead," Kent responded.
"If we serve you for a year, can we really leave afterwards?" Stone Fist asked loudly, making sure the others could hear.
"Yes, after serving for a year, you can leave. But I'll correct one thing..." Kent said. "You're not slaves now. You're soldiers of the Free Legion."
Stone Fist paused, not understanding what "Free Legion" meant, but he didn't pursue the matter further and continued with his questions.
"In that year, what will we be required to do?"
"Fight my enemies, guard my territory," Kent answered, "And do some heavy work."
"Heavy work?" Stone Fist wasn't bothered. The half-orcs were incredibly strong, so no amount of heavy labor was a concern.
"Will we be attacking the half-orc tribes?" Stone Fist asked.
This was something all the slaves dreaded. If they had to fight their own people, it would be better to die.
"Of course not. But if they come to attack me, I think you have an obligation to help me talk them out of it. If persuasion fails, then it's not my fault," Kent answered.
This answer was logical to Stone Fist, and he nodded.
"Since we're no longer slaves, will we have our own caves or will we return to the dungeon?"
"You'll have houses in my territory, just like the humans and barbarians," Kent smiled. "And there'll be meat to eat, wine to drink, and money to earn."
The slave group erupted in astonishment.
Did they hear that right? This human was treating them like brothers?
They had never heard of slaves being given houses, food, wine, and money.
"Good! Stone Fist has gotten his answer." Stone Fist knelt down on one knee. The other half-orc slaves nearby followed suit, kneeling as well, their backs straight. "Kent, your answer has earned my respect. Then, for a year, Stone Fist and my brothers will serve you!"
"To serve you!" The half-orc slaves shouted in unison.
"Alright! Welcome to the half-orc brothers! Now..." Black Axe's gaze landed on his fellow barbarians. "How about you, brothers?"
"Black Axe! Barbarians don't lie. We believe you," a gravelly voice roared. A burly barbarian with several terrifying scars on his chest stepped forward.
"Black Hammer! I'm glad you trust me! We can fight together again!" Black Axe laughed heartily and walked over.
"Wait!" The barbarian named Black Hammer shouted, waving his arms and twisting his neck, causing it to crack, "I trust you, but before that, I want to test your strength."
"Hahaha, Black Hammer, we've wrestled before, and it's always been a draw. Today, I'll let you see for yourself," Black Axe laughed.
"Come on, Black Axe," Black Hammer said, standing firm.
The two barbarians crouched, like two massive beasts waiting for the other to make a move.
With a roar from Black Hammer, the ground beneath them exploded. The two figures collided like two mountain ranges...