The Ancestors’ Tomb (3)
Rumble…
The dark corridor trembled as ancient dust cascaded from the stone walls.
The battlefield where the chieftains clashed was several kilometers away from this sanctuary, yet the tremors of their battle reverberated clearly through the ground.
”…”
Dalen paused for a moment, shook his head, and continued walking.
A dozen or so superhumans were unleashing their full power simultaneously. The sheer force they emitted could easily reshape the landscape.
Worry for his companions in the heart of the battlefield briefly tugged at him, but he couldn’t afford to let emotions cloud his judgment. It was more rational to focus on swiftly and decisively dealing with the root of this chaos.
The irregular tremors suddenly ceased. At the same time, his heightened senses detected a barrier being crossed.
He had entered the deep underground hall of the sanctuary, where the remains of the High Orc ancestors were enshrined.
Whoosh!
Blue flames ignited from the torches lining the corridor. As he walked past, they flared brightly, only to gradually dim once he had passed, as if the hall itself was awakening to greet him.
Dalen continued at the same pace, his eyes casually scanning the carvings illuminated by the flickering torchlight.
The High Orcs ruling the mountains in peace. The monsters invading their territory. Skirmishes, tribal battles, alliances against demonic forces, and eventually, a war involving the entire race.
The carvings along the long corridor depicted the history of the High Orcs, culminating in a scene where various races united against the army of an evil god—a glimpse of the great war that had set the continent ablaze thousands of years ago.
Dalen stopped before a massive stone door at the corridor’s end. Carved into it was the back of a High Orc warrior leading the charge of the allied forces.
[The First Great Chieftain. Our Great Ancestor.]
The ancient Orcish script above the warrior’s head was read aloud by a voice in his mind.
‘You can read ancient Orcish too?’
[I have lived a long time. Just because I’m in this state doesn’t mean I wasted those years.]
The ancient dragon’s voice carried a hint of a smile. With a low chuckle echoing in his mind, Dalen placed his hand on the stone door. It groaned and slid open on its own.
Creak… Thud.
Inside was a vast circular hall. Dozens of stone sarcophagi lined the perimeter, and a beam of light from a hole in the domed ceiling illuminated the center.
In the center, under the beam of light, lay a sarcophagus twice the size of the others. It wasn’t hard to guess whose it was. The carvings along the corridor had led to this point, and the figure depicted on the stone door confirmed it.
As if to affirm his guess, a High Orc sitting atop the sarcophagus spoke.
“Not all the Great Chieftains, including the First Great Ancestor, met a peaceful end.”
His face was shadowed by the light streaming down from above, his deep voice resonating through the hall.
“Some couldn’t even preserve their bodies, leaving behind only a finger or a tooth. Instead of becoming guardians of the sanctuary, they were enshrined here for sacrificing everything to protect their kin.”
Thud.
The High Orc leapt down from the sarcophagus, his massive frame becoming more apparent as he stood.
He towered over four meters, his bulk and muscles matching his height. He was easily twice the size of Dalen, larger than any other High Orc chieftain.
His skin was a deep green, covered in intricate white tattoos—a testament to his status as the strongest High Orc in the mountains.
“To the High Orcs, this place is a sacred tomb of ancestors to be defended with their lives. But to me… it’s nothing but a loathsome enemy.”
Crack.
He clenched his fist, the size of a watermelon, and swung it back.
Boom!
With a simple gesture, the massive sarcophagus at the center shattered into hundreds of pieces.
Dust rose like a shroud, obscuring the figure of the Great Chieftain under the beam of light.
Dalen watched the dust cloud and spoke.
“Are you done with the theatrics?”
“Heh, yeah. I thought swallowing the leader of a foolish warlike tribe would be enough. Didn’t expect an uninvited guest to interfere.”
”…”
“But it doesn’t matter. It’s just a noise I had to deal with eventually. I’ll kill you, take over the body of Tarum, the Great Chieftain’s successor, and fill the chieftain’s seat with my loyal minions.”
The voice faded slowly, and beyond the settling dust, the massive High Orc had vanished.
[You must be curious how I, the Duke of the Corpse Swamp, broke the Great Chieftain’s will. It was simple. The ability to glimpse fragments of the future is both a privilege and a burden for those who can seize the seat of transcendence. Even a member of the foolish green-skinned race, upon reaching the fifth rank, realized his fate.]
The demon’s voice echoed from somewhere unseen.
Ignoring it, Dalen tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling where the light streamed down.
This was another tangled mess to unravel.
He had anticipated that Ztanc, the Duke of the Corpse Swamp, would be involved.
Only the demons under Suum, who were equally obsessed with battle, could appeal to the warlike nature of the High Orcs.
And among those brutes who knew nothing but brawling and bloodshed, Ztanc was the only one with any brains.
He was one of the six dukes under Suum, known for his prowess in battle, yet he was also the only one who could weave cunning words instead of simply beating others into submission.
He had tried to sway the High Orcs in previous cycles, but this was the first time he had truly succeeded.
Moreover, Dalen hadn’t expected him to go beyond a mere contract and actually possess the Great Chieftain’s body.
[The realization of one’s destined fate breeds fear, and at the end of fear lies helplessness. I merely offered him a deal. In exchange for everything, I promised to save the High Orc race.]
”…”
Dalen felt a surge of anger welling up from deep within.
Why was it always like this?
The more he tried to untangle the threads, the more they seemed to knot.
He had slain several demons in less than a year and even felled a true dragon.
He had prevented the granary of the labyrinth city from burning down and thwarted the rebellion of the Paladin Order—quests that should have taken years to complete.
Wasn’t that enough? How much longer did he have to walk this tightrope?
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Dalen swiftly drew his axe and turned to his left.
Pouring all his pent-up frustration into the swing, he struck with all his might.
Crack!
The floor split open, nearly cleaving the Great Chieftain who had been lurking in the shadows.
The chieftain barely managed to block the axe with a greatsword held in both hands, his form becoming clear as his purple-tinged black eyes widened in shock.
Despite blocking the blow, a long gash ran from his collarbone to his side, blood streaming down.
“How… how is this possible? You’re supposed to be at the fourth rank!”
As the chieftain gritted his teeth and tried to hold his ground, the edge of his sword chipped, and fine cracks appeared.
His arms trembled violently. Dalen applied more pressure, sparks flying between the axe and sword as the chieftain’s stance lowered.
The two pairs of eyes, once separated by a great height, now met on a level plane. Dalen’s black eyes bore into the chieftain’s as he spoke.
“Screw your ranks and all that.”
Crack!
Sparks flew once more between the axe and sword.
“I’m stronger than the body of the Great Chieftain you’re wearing. That body isn’t built for strength, you idiot.”
With a knee surrounded by blue lightning, he struck the chieftain’s side.
「Technique Armor: Blue Thunder Armor」
「Blue Wheel」
Crackling―!
The chieftain’s body skidded across the floor, leaving a trail as it crashed into the remnants of the massive sarcophagus he had once sat upon.
A massive boulder exploded with a deafening crash, sending the chieftain soaring almost to the ceiling.
“Hahaha! Incredible! No wonder Enaxagus has been keeping an eye on you!”
Despite being on the defensive and taking a hit, the fierce determination in his eyes remained unchanged. Any momentary confusion vanished, replaced by a burning, almost mad desire for battle, his eyes flashing a deep purple.
It wasn’t just because he was a demon under Sume, the god of violence and fire. He was confident in his victory, even after a brief moment of surprise. His rapid healing, closing the gaping wound on his side and the gash on his knee, was the source of his confidence. Even the sword he wielded, once chipped and cracked, was now fully restored.
“But nothing changes! The outcome is still decided!”
His eyes, now a vivid purple, radiated power. Magic surged through his body, emanating an aura the same color as his eyes. Waves of energy rippled through the hall, forming a pattern that enveloped the entire sanctuary.
“Behold the power of this body, forged through millennia of struggle! Warrior under the gaze of the gods!”
As the purple waves passed over the stone sarcophagi, shadows took shape, forming the distinct outlines of figures. Soon, where dozens of sarcophagi once lay, stood the spectral forms of high orcs.
“Domain Unleashed: Footsteps of the Ancestors”
The specters drew their weapons in unison. Staffs unleashed torrents of flame, and silent incantations raised boulders, shaping them into golems. Spears split into dozens of projectiles, dominating the space, while a two-meter-long double-headed axe descended like a storm.
In the midst of the onslaught, Dalen took a deep breath.
Exhale.
Time seemed to slow. He countered each deadly attack with precision.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a hand axe upward, activating the artifact’s power, shattering the spear barrage with a golden explosion.
“Ice Crystal”
“Flowing Branch”
A white ice crystal hovered above his palm, transforming into dozens of petals that absorbed the incoming flames.
“Flame Serpent”
A lone spear, wreathed in fire, lashed out like a serpent, disrupting the area.
“Erase Origin”
Crackling—!
The storm clashed with his holy sword, tearing apart the specter and its axe, splitting them in two.
”······!”
The chieftain’s expression twisted again. His frustration seemed to fuel the specters’ attacks, but it didn’t matter.
“Eye of the Shadow”
The magic in his eyes pierced through illusions, revealing the truth, while the phantom slayer of the dark moon shattered the tangible illusions.
With a gesture, a wind barrier formed, deflecting projectiles, while he cut down the warrior specters charging through the flames with his holy sword.
A massive stone golem, conjured by the shamans, reached out to grab Dalen, but—
“Crimson Flame Pillar”
A column of fire erupted from the ground, engulfing the golem’s hand and upper body, reducing it to ash.
“Impossible! How can a mere human wield such diverse powers within a domain?”
The chieftain, unable to contain his frustration, shouted as Dalen, protected by the flame serpent, struck down the shamans with his combined fists.
Hearing the chieftain’s near-scream, Dalen finally straightened up after crushing the head of the shaman specter that had first raised the golem. More than half of the summoned specters had already been vanquished. Though the sarcophagi seemed to glow with a faint purple, hinting at another summoning, it was of no concern.
He possessed the memories of a warrior who had once fought alongside the chieftain in this sanctuary against the demon god’s army. Naturally, he knew the chieftain’s power, its source, its limits, and how to counter it.
“If you’re so upset, why don’t you raise your own character instead of stealing someone else’s?”
Mocking the demon’s cries, Dalen took a light step forward.
Boom.
A heavy resonance belied his light movement. From beneath his feet, a colorless wave spread outward. Small stones began to rise from the ground around him.
“Your domain…!”
The demon’s eyes widened in disbelief as Dalen’s second step touched the ground.
And then—
“Domain Unleashed: The Inverted Waterfall”
The colorless wave engulfed the entire sanctuary.