Episode 93: Orc Extermination (1)
The relentless pounding of hooves echoed in his ears, while the wind whipped past, tugging at his clothes.
The orcs, once distant, were now alarmingly close. Demian shouted to his knights.
“Leave none alive!”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights responded in unison, their voices booming with resolve.
“Charge! Let’s wipe them out!”
All except for Veronica Sanchez, who was already brimming with excitement before even drawing her sword.
“How crude…”
Michael cast a disapproving glance at Veronica’s exuberance.
Meanwhile, Demian, leading the charge, reached the orc horde. He swung his holy sword with precision.
The blade flashed repeatedly, slicing through the thick necks of the orcs as if they were mere twigs.
“Forward! Aid Sir Demian!”
“Ha! These beasts are thick-skinned, but they cut nicely!”
Michael Lionbloom and Veronica Sanchez kept pace with Demian, supporting his assault.
“Follow Sir Demian!”
“Crush these savage monsters!”
The knights followed, swiftly dealing with the remaining orcs. The horde began to split apart.
The orcs, realizing the threat too late, let out guttural cries, but Demian and his knights had already broken through to the other side.
Demian pulled on the reins, turning his horse around. The knights mirrored his actions.
Once more, they charged at the orcs, who howled in defiance.
The initial charge had shattered their formation, but the orcs’ spirit seemed undiminished, perhaps even stronger.
‘Their leader must be formidable,’ Demian thought, recognizing the orcs’ increased ferocity and coordination.
“Break through!”
Despite the orcs’ renewed vigor, Demian charged again.
The orcs stood firm, determined not to let him pass, but it was futile. Demian’s holy sword cut through them effortlessly.
“Take that!”
“Die! Die!”
Michael and Veronica were relentless, their skills overwhelming the orcs.
The second charge was even easier than the first. Demian and his knights emerged on the other side once more.
The orc horde, pierced twice, was on the verge of collapse. Demian knew it was time to finish them off.
“Spread out! Annihilate the orcs…”
A whistling sound cut through the air, growing louder.
Demian raised his sword just in time to deflect a flying axe. The impact reverberated through his arm, despite his enhanced strength.
He looked towards the source of the attack. A massive orc was glaring at him from afar.
“Interesting,” Demian mused, eyeing the greatsword the orc wielded, its surface shimmering with a red aura.
“An Orc Warrior, here of all places.”
Orc Warriors were rare, their title reserved for those who had mastered aura.
With their natural strength and ferocity, an aura-wielding orc was a formidable foe.
“Michael!”
“Yes, sir?”
“Take command of the knights.”
“Now? Just like that?”
Demian’s gaze remained fixed on the Orc Warrior.
“I have a personal matter to attend to.”
Without another word, Demian charged at the Orc Warrior.
The orc charged back, the ground shaking with each step.
‘If I take him head-on, my horse won’t survive.’
Demian’s horse was no magical beast, just a regular warhorse.
He leaped from the saddle, bringing his sword down on the charging orc.
The Orc Warrior blocked with its greatsword, but the force of Demian’s strike pushed it back.
Undeterred, the orc lunged again, swinging its sword wildly.
The orc’s technique was crude, but its raw power and instinct made it a dangerous opponent.
Demian parried each blow, assessing the orc’s skill.
“Could easily take down a low-class warrior.”
But it fell short of a mid-class opponent. Still, its threat was undeniable.
The Orc Warrior’s frustration was palpable, its attacks growing more frenzied.
With a roar, it swung its greatsword with deadly intent.
Demian met the attack with his holy sword. The blades clashed, but suddenly, the orc’s sword veered off course.
The Orc Warrior, caught off guard, lost its grip on the weapon.
In that moment of confusion, Demian struck, severing the orc’s head.
Even in death, the orc’s face was a mask of bewilderment.
With the Orc Warrior defeated, Demian surveyed the battlefield.
“Don’t let your guard down until their spirit is completely broken!”
Michael was leading the knights with precision, cutting down orcs with ease.
Meanwhile, Veronica fought with reckless abandon, her skill unmatched.
“Ten more minutes should do it,” Demian estimated.
He was wrong.
The battle ended in less than five minutes.
Victory belonged to the humans.
With the battle over, Lord Walnut emerged from the gates to greet Demian and his men.
“Prince Oliver! I cannot thank you enough!”
Lord Walnut was nearly prostrate with gratitude, the tide having turned just before his city fell.
“To arrive just in time to save us! It’s as if angels sent by the gods themselves have come to our aid!”
He lavished praise on Oliver Apple, his words overflowing with admiration.
“I’ve never seen such brave knights! To decimate the orc horde with so few!”
He praised not only Oliver but the knights as well.
“And to see that one cut down an Orc Warrior in a single stroke! May I ask your name, sir?”
Lord Walnut turned to Demian.
“Demian Haxen.”
“Demian Haxen… Could it be? The one who vanquished the necromancers with the Order?”
Demian nodded, and Lord Walnut’s jaw dropped in awe.
“Incredible… The rumors were true! Truly remarkable!”
Lord Walnut gestured towards the gates.
“Please, come inside! We must prepare a feast in your honor!”
At the mention of a feast, Oliver Apple’s face lit up, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Thank you for the offer, but there may still be orcs lurking. It’s too soon for celebrations.”
Demian, standing behind Oliver, couldn’t help but be impressed.
Not long ago, Oliver would have jumped at the chance for food and drink, yet here he was, showing restraint.
“You are wise and prudent, Your Highness…”
“Tell us more about the orc horde. When did they appear? How large is their number? The more details, the better.”
“Of course. According to our scouts…”
As the two conversed, Demian called Michael over.
“Michael, do you have those items I asked you to distribute to the knights?”
“Oh, you mean the antidotes?”
“Yes, make sure everyone gets them right away.”
“Understood. But is it really necessary?”
Michael Ryanbloom asked, looking puzzled.
Orcs weren’t known for using poison, at least not anything particularly dangerous. Most people worried about how to fend off an orc’s axe, not their poison.
“Better safe than sorry, right?”
Damian replied evasively, though he was certain in his heart.
‘They’re definitely going to use poison tonight.’
Among them was a dark sorcerer from the School of All Poisons, alongside the School of Strange Arts.
During his time as a Death Knight, Damian had observed the tactics of these sorcerers many times. The School of All Poisons wasn’t strong in direct combat, so they resorted to underhanded tactics to catch their enemies off guard.
“Make sure the knights patrol the area. If any orc acts suspiciously, track them down and eliminate them.”
“What the hell? Why are they here already?”
A bald woman watching Walnut Castle from afar spoke in disbelief.
“Even at top speed, it should take at least a week to get here from Apple Castle, right?”
“Probably longer…”
A woman with sunken cheeks, so thin she looked sickly, spoke in a quiet, raspy voice.
“Damn it! We planned to isolate Walnut Territory before the extermination squad arrived… Now the whole plan’s ruined from the start!”
The bald woman, Noctis, fumed, punching the air in frustration.
“Screw it, I can’t stand this. I’m calling everyone! We’ll bring them all and crush those bastards!”
“Noctis, calm down. You saw them just now. They’re not ordinary.”
Noctis, still seething, turned to Marina.
“Marina! But they wrecked our plan! If this keeps up, Leona’s going to be furious with us!”
“Don’t worry. Leona sent me here to handle situations like this.”
Marina set down the backpack she was carrying. When she opened it, it was filled with suspicious-looking vials.
“I’ve made plenty of poison with the ingredients Leona gave me. Once we use this, they won’t stand a chance.”
Noctis reached out to touch one of the vials, her curiosity piqued.
“Touch it wrong, and your hand will rot off.”
At that, Noctis quickly pulled her hand back.
“Noctis, get the orcs ready.”
“Why the orcs?”
Marina leaned in and whispered something in Noctis’s ear. As the conversation went on, Noctis’s eyes widened.
“Marina, you’re a genius! I’ll get them ready right away!”