Ahhh!
Swiish!
Splat!
Nibo charged into the horde of beasts madly, swinging his large axe and leaving howls, blood, and limbs in his wake.
The battle between the humans and orcs versus the beasts was reaching its climax.
With barely an hour left for everything to come to an end.
Right now, no one took a rest.
It was blood and carnage in every direction.
Sweat dropped from their faces, but with the blazing sun as their witness, these orcs remained resilient.
No one needed to speak. No one needed any words of hope.
They all understood this was the final line.
Knowing that everything would soon end, giving up now wasn’t an option.
They were fatigued, yes. They were tired, yes.
But they knew one thing...
They had to survive. They had to win at all cost.
Chiiwwiik!
A beast screamed in agony as J ran his crude spear through its chest.
Quelch!
The creature showed no resistance as the spear tore cleanly through its body.
Matching its weight, J ruthlessly dragged the spear back out of the now lifeless beast.
Bodies piled up, and their blood washed over the earth, staining it red.
Aria quickly scanned the battlefield. She could see some orcs slowing down.
The exhaustion was reaching its peak.
Splat!
"If you’re tired, fall back!" she roared right after slashing another beast down.
Some of the orcs, stunned by the order, glanced at her in confusion.
"The numbers have reduced. Those of us still able to fight can handle it. We can’t afford to lose anyone now," Aria added sharply.
Understanding flickered in their eyes.
Her words were true.
The beasts’ numbers had dwindled greatly, and it didn’t look like more were coming since the scenario was almost over.
Victory was already at their doorstep.
The exhausted orcs finally turned back toward the settlement.
As they returned, they saw the other orcs watching them with admiration and gratitude.
Those eyes refilled the weary warriors with confidence and pride.
They had fought—and they came back valiant.
Shouts echoed through the settlement as they marched in.
"Heew! Then don’t mind if I join them as well," J said as he moved to follow, but Aria’s cold voice sliced through his intentions.
"J, you don’t look tired to me."
"I’m just kidding. Look... there’s a beast over there—that’s what I wanted to deal with," J replied with a wry smile before rushing toward the beast, muttering to himself as he went.
"They’re just a few more left. We should be done with them in no time," Ryan said, letting out an exhausted sigh.
"Well, it’s a good thing we managed to last this long."
"Get out of the way!"
Aria was just about to focus back on the fight when a voice rang from the settlement.
She turned and saw some humans making their way inside.
Thankfully, the orcs didn’t attack them outright and only allowed them to enter.
"Those humans sure like looking for trouble," Ryan muttered, catching sight of the scene as well.
"Yeah, I just hope Akhil comes back quickly. I believe he’ll best know how to handle this."
The quarrel between the humans and the orcs in front of the settlement didn’t seem to stop.
"Can you hold back the beast, so I’ll go and know what’s going on there?"
"Yeah, sure."
With his permission, she quickly left to go and know what started the quarrel.
{00:15:00}
’Fifteen minutes left... Akhil, you better not let anything happen to you. There’s no way I’m handling this camp alone,’ Aria thought as she neared the camp.
Meanwhile, Akhil and the others were still trapped within the cavern.
The entire space was dimly lit.
With the old ancient branches covering up every escape route.
The only bright source of light was at the core of the tree.
Shining brightly at its center.
With the pathway Hale made with her flames, Akhil finally found the opening he was looking for.
He swiftly created a blood sword from the blood of the dead beast.
Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, building momentum as he raced toward the core.
He slashed the blade in the air, sending out a powerful bloody arc that cut through the roots hanging on the branches like hairs.
With nothing left to block him, Akhil jumped with all his might.
’If I destroy the core, then it’ll all be over,’ Akhil thought, his eyes shining with determination as he came down with brute force.
He aimed the blade toward the opening in the trunk—
Where the bright core glowed faintly.
The blood sword pulsed in his grip, energy rippling outward.
But just as he was about to strike, his pupils tightened.
The blade faltered.
In an instant, it was as though all the energy he built up was taken away as he saw the sight before him.
Previously he couldn’t see it before, but after getting so close to the glowing orb—
He could see it.
It wasn’t just the core that was at the center of the trunk.
The glowing orb illuminated the space so brightly that he was unable to see the figure.
Yes... a figure, and it wasn’t a beast.
It was a human. A young lady.
A breathtaking beauty.
Skin pale as snow, long hair spilling over her shoulders.
Clotheless, suspended as though submerged in some liquid inside the trunk.
But that wasn’t what stopped him.
It was the horror behind the sight.
She wasn’t trapped in the tree.
She was the tree.
Her arms had already transformed into thick roots merging into the trunk.
And her legs—while hidden—needed no explanation.
This wasn’t what he had seen in the game... and this was a brutal reminder of what they had all been ignoring all along.
Akhil felt all his muscles die out instantly.
While he stood frozen in shock, the roots he had slashed regrew at an alarming speed.
While he was still mid-air and still lost in his thoughts, unable to dodge, the root swept at him brutally.
BANG!
It smashed him into the wall, the impact rattling his bones as roots coiled around him.
Their sharp spikes sinking into his body.
Yet even through the pain, the truth echoed louder than anything else.
’The beasts... they were once humans as well.’