The Orc Totem Array

 Chapter 83: The Orc Totem Array

Barok's heart pounded violently as he stared almost manically at the phenomenon on the totem pole. The wolf-shaped light stopped its spinning and running, leaping to stand atop the totem pole, head raised as if howling. In a trance, Barok heard a resounding wolf howl within his soul sea...! The next moment, beams of light shot out from five locations around the Quicksand Lake, accompanied by a faintly similar aura. The frost giant wolf, Rak, lay eerily motionless at the base of the totem pole. Barok's attention was not on Rak; otherwise, he would have noticed that Rak's eyes had dimmed, as if he had instantly lost his soul, leaving only an empty body...!

Though the light and aura were incredibly faint due to the obstruction of the quicksand, Barok could clearly sense through his soul sea and the ubiquitous elemental power's pull that there were five totem poles identical to the one before him, arranged in the pattern of a hexagram... This was the most precious relic left by the ancestors. The fact that the ancestors established a [Totem Array] in the sandy wasteland was unbelievable! Barok had anticipated all possibilities but never imagined finding an orc totem array relic.

From the shaman records in the animal hide scrolls, Barok learned that among orc shamans, there was a high rank, much higher than [Battle Priests] and [Shaman Healers], even higher than [Six-Colored Beast Robe Priests], only slightly inferior to the most esteemed [White Robe Great Shaman]. Orcs revered them as [Star Priests]. These Star Priests could not only communicate with natural elemental forces but also, through some means, establish a connection with the stars, thereby gaining mysterious star power. The [Totem Array] was the bridge through which Star Priests communicated with elemental forces or celestial stars, called the stairway to heaven by the orcs, representing the pinnacle of orc shaman culture.

However, for unknown reasons, the once-glorious orcs suddenly declined rapidly. Their major tribes and clans disintegrated. Humans suddenly rose, declaring the decline as [Divine Punishment], and allied with other races to oppress the orcs, reducing the once-proud orc race to the lowest, most humble third-class race, nearly on the brink of extinction.

That great disaster happened countless years ago; the ancient history is untraceable, but the interruption of numerous orc shaman traditions is an undeniable fact. Star Priests completely vanished, and the [Star Totem Arrays], which connected with the heavens, were buried in history.

Barok certainly did not naively think that the totem array buried in Quicksand Lake before him was a [Star Totem Array]. It should be a simplified version created by later generations, but even so, it was enough to make him wake up smiling from dreams... All the essence of the totem array lay in those six poles. Until recently, Barok had accidentally discovered a record in an animal hide scroll, realizing how foolish he had been to discard the totem poles initially. If the orc ancestors knew of his actions, they would surely rise from the grave to tear him apart!

In the Soren continent, there was a race called [Elves]. They dwelled in forests and were the darlings of the woods. Every major elven tribe had a sacred [Tree of Life], which served as the guardian and source of power for their tribe. The Tree of Life was an ancient wisdom entity, almost able to exist for eternity, with its essence concentrated in the central trunk... The ancient Star Totem Arrays were entirely made from the heartwood of six Trees of Life. To fell six Trees of Life, considered the lifeblood by the elves, meant facing the wrath of the entire continent's elves, but the orcs still managed to construct the Star Totem Arrays, and not just one... This demonstrated the immense and terrifying power of the orcs back then. Of course, after the sudden decline of the orcs, it was no wonder the usually peaceful elves would join forces with humans to annihilate the orcs.

Though the six totem poles before him couldn't possibly be the heartwood of the Trees of Life, they were undoubtedly at least sections of their branches. It was certain. Perhaps even the orc brethren in the northern tundra lacked a complete totem array.

His totem pole could resonate with the other five totem poles under the quicksand, with each point of the hexagram standing a totem pole... So that's it! It was clearly a part of the totem array beneath.

Barok was thrilled. Although he didn't know the array's exact purpose, the ancestors must have had a significant reason to build it here after traversing thousands of miles from the northern tundra to the arid desert wasteland. He had to find a way to unearth the totem array. Barok walked around Quicksand Lake incessantly. Only then did he notice Rak's abnormality.

The huge body, as large as a horse, lay motionless at the base of the totem pole, eyes dull and empty. If it weren't for the faint heartbeat and body temperature, it would seem lifeless. Barok, having spent so much time with Rak, had developed a brotherly bond with the innocent and somewhat foolish giant wolf. Panicked, he used shaman techniques to examine Rak's body, attempting to communicate with his soul through spiritual power, but found no response from Rak's soul. In other words, Rak's soul was gone...!

Instinctively, Barok looked up at the totem pole before him. The wolf-shaped light at the top still howled, but it was dimming. The light from the other five underground points was also weakening, about to retract. Rak's body temperature quickly faded, eyes seemingly covered with a layer of frost. If Rak's body stiffened, he would be truly dead!

Barok suddenly thought of something, hurriedly standing under the totem pole, chanting shamanic incantations, using his soul power to communicate with the wolf-shaped light, preventing it from dissipating. As the incantation recited, the light wolf regained vitality, standing tall atop the totem pole and howling. Indeed, Rak's body warmed up again. There was a connection between the two, with Rak trapped in some mysterious state within the totem pole.

Barok breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although he didn't know when Rak would wake up, he could sense it wasn't a bad thing, probably a great opportunity.

He continued chanting the incantations, benefiting immensely from the process. His soul sea showed slight signs of growth. Since hosting a nest of Hebreden wolves in his body, his shaman power had stagnated. Whenever he painstakingly communicated with elemental forces at night, meditated on the totems, and accumulated a bit of soul power, it would be absorbed entirely by the three phantom beast eggs in his chest. Sometimes even the silver wolf on his arm would take a share. Moreover, these creatures were picky... They only absorbed the essence containing thunder power from Barok's soul power, leaving the rest to disperse back into elemental form, which Barok's body absorbed, enhancing his abdominal combat energy. He now possessed high-level beast battle energy! But his shaman rank had stagnated.

A once still soul sea began to ripple. The totem pole, urged by the incantations, grew increasingly radiant, driving the five lights beneath the quicksand lake to shine brightly again. In his mind, the mournful wolf howl echoed! Barok, overjoyed, responded because he recognized the howl as Rak's!

Indeed, it was Rak. The light wolf atop the totem pole looked back at Barok, nodding slightly, sending a message of longing in his mind. Barok, suddenly realizing something, reacted even more excitedly than Rak, hastily accelerating his incantation recitation, using his soul power to stimulate the totem pole's power.

The totem pole was no longer black but covered in a layer of white light, almost as clear as crystal. The different colored lights from the other five directions converged, all gathered here, swallowed by the light wolf Rak had become...!

For a brief period, the quicksand lake beneath trembled violently. Amidst Barotan and the others' startled cries, the area seemed to boil, quicksand churning vigorously. At this critical moment, Barok, unconcerned by the cause, continued channeling his soul power to help the light wolf absorb the power projected by the other five totem poles.

Finally, the five lights abruptly cut off. Barok could no longer sense their presence, as if some force had concealed them. Fortunately, Rak's light wolf, now satisfied, leaped from the totem pole, diving into his body, eyes suddenly opening, even emitting a dazzling brilliance.

"Barok, Barok..." In the distance, Barotan and the others scrambled back in disarray, almost being swallowed by the churning quicksand. They hurried back to see what was happening.

Barok stowed the totem pole. Although Rak's appearance hadn't changed, Barok sensed a miraculous transformation within the frost giant wolf's body, almost like an evolution.

Before he could explain to Barotan and the others, the quicksand lake behind them suddenly surged, yellow sand forming a giant humanoid body, swinging a massive hand several times larger than an orc's body, slamming down hard!

"Damn, it's a Earth Elemental Giant! Run...!" Barok shouted, leading his tribe in a hurried escape. He instantly understood everything. No wonder the ancestors' relics were buried beneath the quicksand; an Earth Elemental Giant had claimed the area. Such elemental beings lacked advanced wisdom, driven purely by instinct.

 Perhaps it wandered beneath the desert sands, one day stumbling upon the orc ancestors' totem array... Even partially damaged, the totem array naturally gathered all surrounding elemental forces, including the essential earth elements, which the Earth Elemental Giant favored. It then settled here, unwilling to leave!

These elemental beings were tough to deal with; unless all the sand was cleared or the giant's elemental heart was found, they were nearly indestructible.

Having occupied the area for over a decade, the Earth Elemental Giant had grown sluggish from the totem array's elemental nourishment... Its entire body was the quicksand lake, making it impossible to find a fist-sized elemental heart in hundreds of acres of sand, a mere dream!

The only fortunate aspect was the giant's extreme slowness, unable to leave the quicksand lake area. Barok didn't have to worry about losing the other five totem poles left by the ancestors.