Chapter 341: Orc Fortress!

On Floor 24, the orcs were enthusiastically hunting a lone human.

Josh was currently hiding as best as he could. The landscape of this place was a plain with barely any cover. Luckily there were many spots with a few meters tall yellowish grass growing. He was resting in one such area while holding his breath.

Many orcs were passing nearby, crazily shouting as they tried to locate him. Were they really so bored? Didn't they have anything better to do?

"Where did the pesky human go?!"

"Find him and bring him back for the king!"

"He must be hiding in the grass somewhere!"

Usually, monsters would give after a while, but not those guys! They were so motivated that they could have given a TeD talk about it!

At this rate, it was only a question of time before they found him. Those guys were moving in packs of a dozen units too, each pretty close to one another. How was he supposed to escape them? He could always bury himself in the soil and await them to leave.

But, it would be dangerous in case he got surrounded. No, he would opt for a different tactic, which was way crazier for sure.

A diligent orc soldier suddenly froze as the human they had been chasing suddenly appeared in front of him. Instantly, the prey's face showed shock as he turned heels, trying to run away.

No way that he'd let the human go! He chased right behind him, bellowing happily: "The puny human is here. Catch him!"

The weak-looking guy was panicking, trying to outrun him, but it was utterly pointless. He couldn't help but snort at the weakling desperate struggles. Did he really think that he would outrun a mighty orc warrior? Foolishness!

"I'll have your skin human!!"

A few seconds later, he was already reaching his target. Let's see how he'd run with a broken spine! He gave a sadistic grin as he swung his war hammer at the guy's back.

But just as it was about to connect, the human suddenly tripped. He had been so damn lucky! The orc's hammer passed by the human's head, the wind pressure making him bleed. Then it collided with the soil, gouging it open and destroying a part of the tall grass.

The orc was ready to crush the human once and for all, but something strange happened. Out of nowhere, a spear appeared in the man's hand and seemed to fly out of his grip.

The orc hurriedly took a step backward to evade it but realized with dread that his new position just happened to be the exact spot the weapon had been aiming.

The spear penetrated the orc's throat, preventing him from shouting. As he drowned in his blood, he couldn't understand. How the hell had this happened?! It almost looked like a total mistake too! He died completely shocked by this reversal.

As for Josh, he made short work of the body, hiding it below the soil. He then transformed his morphing weapon into a similar hammer. But that's when another orc emerged.

He was so close that Josh could smell coming out of his muscular body. He was barely dressed and also carried a large weapon. This time it was a battle axe. On his torso, there were magical runes faintly glowing red.

He looked at him directly, instantly growling:

"Where did the hateful human go?!"

It seemed like Josh's medallion had activated just in time! He, too, growled back, seemingly fuming with anger while pointing in a random direction.

"The cowardly human ran that way! Be careful. He's very fast for a weakling!"

That's when the two "orcs" ran after the human, with Josh effectively looking for himself. But, he did it very professionally. He did it so enthusiastically that his "brethren" even began nodding with approval.

They ran after the human, but no one ran faster than Josh.

They insulted the cowardly human who kept running, but none of their insults were as colorful as Josh's ones.

For instance:

"Come back, you bastard! Are your legs the only thing working on your body?!"

"How about you come back, so I insert my mighty hammer deep in your ass?!"

"Go on and try killing me, you human! You wouldn't be able to even if I peacefully stood still in front of you!"

The last one was actually true. How was he supposed to beat himself?

They kept going until the orcs suddenly began gasping as they stared at him. Josh couldn't help but be puzzled about what the fuck was happening.

But then he noticed the line of bone layering the floor, one he had just crossed. The orcs behind slightly shivered as they stared toward his side.

That's when an orc walked right next to him, fist-bumping his shoulder. "I want to kill that bastard too, but it's no use dying over it."

"If he truly went in there, then he's dead for sure anyway."

"Yeah, let's leave it to the deadly cats."

The others all grunted in agreement. Leave it to the big cats?! It felt odd to hear orcs say such a thing. Chances were that powerful monsters inhabited this land.

"Alright, I just really wanted to snap his chicken neck myself." Josh sighed.

"Don't worry. The next time a human appears, you'll get them, haha!"

"There truly are no creatures more hateful than those humans!"

Welp, on the one hand, they all wanted to kill him. But on the other hand, the orcs seemed to really like human-hating orc Josh. Was this what conformism was all about?

Afterward was the time to return home, aka the fortress. The group led him straight to it, and Josh couldn't help but draw a cold breath upon seeing the fortifications from up close.

While the walls were thick and tall, it wasn't all. They were also covered with red magical glyphs akin to the orcs. Somehow seeing this made him have a knot in his stomach. Was this an enchantment, and how powerful was it?

The party crossed the entrance gates under the watchful gazes of stern orcs. There weren't any blind spots at all. Coming here unseen would likely require a damn invisibility cape!

As for disguising oneself, Josh knew how hard it could be. All around, he was surrounded by tons of muscular and shirtless sweaty orcs. What would happen to him if his cover got blown off?

He could only do his best to blend, and he observed his surroundings very carefully. He didn't dare be careless one bit, knowing his disguise wasn't infallible.

Slipping up was way too easy in enemy territory. How many American spies had died in Germany because they didn't "know" how to count to three? Too many! So, whatever the orcs did, he copied:

Talk loudly? He talked even louder!

Fist-bump each other? He did it even more than them!

Roar like complete degenerates for no goddamn reason? He'd fucking roar!

Stand in line with the others to await...something? He would freaking participate! He'd be even straighter than a butterfly enthusiast's dick at an insectarium.

That's when a sound started to resound in the entire courtyard.

— Tack! Tack! Tack! —

It was rhythmical, and the orcs reacted to it instantly. They quieted down as they looked incredibly solemn. They were gazing directly in front of them without daring to twitch a muscle.

— Tack! Tack! Tack! —

Josh managed to barely see what made this sound out of the corner of his eye. It was an ancestral orc. His back was arched, he had more wrinkles than face, and he was slowly heading their way, tapping his wooden staff on the floor.

What was this guy? Was it an orc shaman?

Nearby orcs quickly brought him a few pots that seemed to be filled with a weird and gooey-looking substance. That's when he began inspecting the troops. Every soldier he examined could be seen tensing in fear.

Once he was done checking a soldier, he would turn his attention to the pots and get to work. He dipped his long bony index finger in the red liquid and very carefully began drawing on the orc.

After a few seconds, the soldier began to shake with power, unconsciously letting out a mighty thundering roar!

— ROAR!!!—

But he just happened to be screaming right next to the shaman's ear, who seemed rather displeased. That's when Josh witnessed firsthand how conflict resolution worked in this place.

The shaman took out his cane, stabbed it in the orc's family jewels, and then an ominous red glow began oozing out of the targetted area. That's when the orc started howling in pain, anguish, and primordial fear.

It regretted so much what it had just done, but it was already too late! That's when something crazy happened. The warrior's body began wriggling like crazy as he seemingly was getting...drained?! Holy shit!

The sturdy bulky warrior was nothing more than a decrepit sack of flesh a few seconds later. There was no trace of the previous incredible vitality. As for the shaman, he gave a satisfied burp, seemingly enjoying the meal.

Josh couldn't help but feel that this guy was hella dangerous! He wasn't the only one either. The green orcs looked so livid right now that they were about to change color! Yet, they also seemed used to it, not objecting in the least.

As for the shaman, he seemed to be oozing with energy. A few of his wrinkles had disappeared, and he began energetically walking to expend some of this newfound vitality.

But then it just happened that his little walk made him stop right in front of Josh. Was it his turn now? He had to make sure not to give himself away! Except, maybe it was already too late.

The shaman frowned:

"You....what's wrong with you?"

Oh fuck....

Creator's Thought

Drain magic is incredibly overpowered if you ask me. Not only does it do decent damage but it also helps with sustain and healing. But, there is a slight issue with it: it tends to render its users crazy homicidal maniacs. Is there a better feeling than to return to one's youth by killing others? It's addictive!