On The Hunt

Rumble!

The ground trembled and stones cracked, rose up, and swirled around Gerald. Scorching flames were born from nothingness and expanded outward like hungry snakes, and with the help of heavy wind, they carried the heat outward.

The remaining Orcs didn't dare to come close at first. However, when they realized Gerald was not aware of their presence and was seemingly weak and unguarded, they rushed forward and tried to attack regardless.

Alas, after a few steps, a sudden pressure descended on their shoulders and made it difficult to advance. Each step was heavy, and their feet sank into the muddy soil. Their skin sagged under the immense gravity, and their bones creaked with every movement.

Their aggressive attack was instantly slowed down to a crawl, but that was not all!

Circling stones and flames were expanding and contracting, almost like a heartbeat, and the strongest among the Orcs were also the first to taste the pain.

Red-hot stone shards lacerated their flesh and cauterized the wound at the same time. No blood was lost, but the pain was unimaginable. Unable to retreat and unable to advance, the Orcs were stuck waiting for their slow death.

With each wave, massive amounts of Mana were consumed, but weirdly enough, Gerald showed no signs of exhaustion.

With each wave of Mana that left his body, even more, took its place immediately after.

His skin became red and started to crack, and steam started escaping from his pores. He was starting to boil from the inside!

"Kill...the...humans…?"

Hoarse words left his mouth ever so slowly, almost as if speaking amounted to unimaginable pain.

Woosh!

There was suddenly a ring of fire that spread out with a flash, and every living being ten meters around Gerald was turned to ashes.

Then everything returned to tranquility.

"Kill...the...humans…?" Gerald mumbled on his knees, his head hanging down on his chest without strength.

His body suddenly shook, and with trembling hands, he slowly stood up. His expression was pain mixed with confusion, but his crimson eyes and bloody skin made him look like a devil.

He stared blankly at the Orcs around him and glanced at the humans in the Ice Barrier from time to time.

"Kill the…?" His words turned silent.

A sword appeared in his hand. The Orc Slayer.

Both human warriors and the Orcs observed him from a distance warily. Nobody knew what exactly happened, but it was clear that Gerald was not all there.

"Kill...the...Orcs!" he suddenly roared, and his fingers gripped the handle with immense strength.

Boom!

There was a sudden explosion, and an Orc's head was blasted apart like a watermelon. The silver hand was opened, and thin smoke was coming out of the cannon's barrel.

Gerald took a heavy step forward and moved his hand.

Boom! Boom!

An Orc suddenly lost an arm, and then another shot landed on his chest, tearing a hole through him.

Gerald took another slow but steady step forward, and his eyes were burning with madness and bloodlust.

"C'mere!" he grinned as blood trickled down his face. But the few remaining Orcs didn't want to listen to him, and neither did they wish to remain fighting.

The majority of their force was annihilated already and the human in front of them was scarier than any beast. They quickly decided on a tactical retreat and escaped underground.

The humans that went in before them should already mostly be taken care of. If they could meet up with the rest, victory would come easy.

They rapidly retreated into the darkness, shouting and screaming and pushing each other to go faster. It was the first time that the Orcs expressed fear. Genuine, deep-rooted fear!

Gerald advanced forward slowly and descended underground after them. His movements were slow but steady, almost as if he was moving on instinct. Blood was slowly dripping from his cracked skin, but he didn't seem to notice.

He simply advanced slowly and quietly, step by step, into the darkness.

***

While Gerald descended into the darkness in a daze, Tabbris and his group decided to go back to the surface.

They sustained too many losses and were already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Any further battles would simply result in even worse outcomes, so they decided to regroup.

Ravian's group didn't do that much better. Their advancement was stopped by an impenetrable wall of flesh and a lack of manpower. The beasts entrenched themselves at a strategic location, just behind a narrow hallway with a sharp bend.

It was impossible to attack them with arrows or spells, and there was only space for one or two to move at a time. But on the other side, Hobgoblins and Goblin Shamans waited patiently to turn any advancing human into a live torch filled with arrows.

"It's useless!" Ravian said. "Let's go back before an accident happens and regroup with Tabbris... if he is still alive."

But then suddenly, they heard sounds of a large group running. They left the narrow hallway and went towards the sound.

"Tabbris? Is that you? There is a blockade at the…" Ravian shouted, but then the words got stuck in his throat. A large group of Orcs just entered the cavern and was running at full speed toward them.

In the shadows of the lanterns, they appeared extremely menacing and dangerous.

"Shit! Another ambush! Get into position! Ready your swords and prepare-!" He was once more left speechless.

The Orcs just ran past their shields and swords, even though their eyes told of the desire to fight. They simply ran along the narrow hallway while shouting unrecognizable words.

There was a bit of a commotion, but soon they disappeared behind the rocks.

"God damn it!" Ravian threw down his shield in anger. "What the fuck was that?! Is this how they receive the reinforcements? What bullshit!"

"Uh…" The warriors also didn't know what to think about it. It was a weird sight, to say the least.

Usually, the Orcs would always fight to the death so simply getting ignored was a truly bizarre experience. Not to mention, they appeared scared!