Chapter 79
The light that illuminated the last basement floor was slowly fading away, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The velvet knight was able to remove their hands from their eyes, and eager to see what just happened, what they saw amazed them: the huge turtle creature turned to petrified stone, the expression on its face was calm. Netherborn stood silently as his real persona entered his consciousness and conversed with the spirit of the ancient Aspidochelone.
It manifested in the form of an old man. The old man thanked Dane as he was able to set him free. The old man extended his hand and gave Dane a firm handshake. As the old man touched Dane's hand, he smiled and felt the reason why he trusted this young man in the first place.
"Ah, you are truly a remarkable person. I never expected to meet a very interesting and very complex person."
Dane was a bit confused by the old man's words as he asked, and the old man smiled and explained that everything he did had a definite effect on the tower, whether it was good or bad. He must never get emotionally bound to this responsibility but rather approach it with a clear mind and a strong sense of purpose. The old man's wisdom resonated with Dane. As the old slowly faded, he gave Dane a parting gift. As he pointed out that the seed sapling skill in his body, was growing healthy and would soon grow bigger and stronger, he told Dane to use one type of nourishment to ensure its growth was not stunted and gave Dane a skill relating to water.
the skill sapling that was growing at the center of his subconscious library. It was similar to a famous library in Michigan; it was a new construct when he upgraded the subconscious library with a larger capacity and more advanced and personalized features. As he thanked the old man for his guidance, he promised to follow his advice closely in order to nurture the sapling into a strong and healthy skill tree.
Soon Dane reverted back into reality, while the velvet knights were seen blocking the hole in the wall as goblins and orcs were able to reach the lower floor because they were running away from the hundreds of Alraune humanoid flesh-eating plants scattered all over the castle. The slow-moving creatures were now more agile and vicious than the orcs and goblins; their long arms filled with sharp, pointy thorns were wounding the prey with whipping and slashing attack patterns.
The goblins were severely wounded, like the few orcs among their ranks who were defending as the Alraune plants have surrounded them. The hole on the wall where the Netherborn entered was being torn open because the goblins were trying to escape the Alraune plant, seeing how this harmless plant just killed many of their kind.
The velvet knights were just slashing any goblin that squeezed into the wall hole, desperately escaping their attackers. The panic in the goblins eyes was seen, but seeing players inside the chamber never made the goblins hesitate. Seeing their kind getting eaten right in front of them broke their spirits, driving them to fight even harder for survival. The goblins knew they had no choice but to face the velvet knights head-on, determined to make it out alive no matter the cost.
Netherborn activated his chaos energy as he fulfilled his promise to nurture the skill sapling in his body with just one type of energy, knowing that chaos energy is far more potent and raw, and saw the huge difference in its power output. When a notification came in saying the conversion of the divine beast was fully absorbed and had increased his mana capacity to a staggering 40 thousand .
This was as strong as a young primordial dragon. Melgil, unknowingly connected to Dane, felt the change and smiled with delight and informed the Ogre hunters that they should leave immediately to congratulate her future partner, who was in the Netherborn form. Nukra wasn't confused and understood what the white hair calamity wanted to gain; she saw Dane as the perfect partner, and the physical changes that happened to her were related to him.
The ogre hunters swore loyalty to Bralthor, knowing he was strong, but when they faced Netherborn in battle, they understood that he was beyond their reach, and gaining the affection of one of the few calamities must be something truly extraordinary.
She wanted to leave immediately, but something was making it hard for her to do so. While the events above the gorge had started, a very annoying and unpleasant guest arrived toward the Grey Ogre hidden village. It was a two-headed troll that seemed to know the current chief, Thurak Grey Ogre. Nukra and Bralthor heard rumors that the chieftain was being secretly recruited by another tribal race to gain more support in expanding their territory. It looked like the known two-headed commander of the Red Rock War Trolls, who is one mile away from the Grey Ogres home, suddenly appeared to finally gain the Thurak Grey Ogres answer to submit to their alliance.
The rumors concerning this were finally confirmed. Nearly 100-plus of the Grey Ogre already knew about this, but they excluded the hunting group that Bralthor and Nukra were currently in. The hunting group realized they needed to decide now if they were going to fight or get killed by the fifteen-foot rock war troll.
All of the ogres were receiving their unexpected guest while they were in the middle of a heated argument; those who were guarding the cave entrance could not alert their chieftain. The fifteen-foot-tall war troll was the strongest. Those few days after awakening in their current home, the war trolls had already established their domain many months earlier.
These trolls were slightly intelligent. And they wanted to expand their domain by gathering disposable soldiers and using them as cannon fodder in their conquest of neighboring parts of the 4-kilometer gorge. The ogres were powerless as they lacked many things, especially a large war force and weapons. Their skilled warriors dedicated their talents to hunting for food rather than waging war with other sentient creatures that came before them.
In Nukra calculation, they awakened from their so-called slumber a few days ago, roughly 17 days. After the death of the evolved drake that turned into a dragonoid. The war troll leading the group was highly arrogant but reasonable and truly wanted the Grey Ogre tribe to join its force, being the last to awaken and become new residents of the gorge.
The war troll wanted to leave the gorge and claim a bigger land to conquer and expand. Like other tribes, their number was not unlimited. The monsters residing in the gorge were strong, and the identity and information about these creatures are limited. The war troll already gave the grey ogre time to decide if they would join its force or get trampled on by these monsters and get eaten or killed.
This was a very unusual mannerism coming from a monstrous being that was depicted to be a brute and ignorant and was solely focused on eating and destroying everything in its path. The Grey Ogre tribe knew they had no choice, as they lacked many essential things, mainly food and additional weapons. Getting a visitor five days after waking up inside a massive underground cave was unexpected and brought more hardships in the ogre's future. And being visted the second time was the war trolls delegated time.
Chief Thurak Grey Ogre had painstakingly convinced the vast majority of his tribe to embrace the war trolls' audacious proposal. It wasn't merely a matter of survival against the relentless spider demons that had ravaged their subterranean village countless times; it also promised an unprecedented expansion of their territory and power. The war trolls, with their incredible regenerative abilities, offered food, formidable weapons, and vital protection in exchange for the ogres' allegiance in the coming battles.
Indeed, without these monstrous allies, the ogres would have long since been annihilated, for the demon spiders, ironically, found a perverse delight in devouring the trolls, growing to immense sizes themselves and thus satisfying their insatiable hunger. However, the gravest oversight now overshadowed Thurak's carefully laid plans: the unexpected, deeply problematic appearance of a lone human woman within their underground cave village. And, in a cruel twist of fate, Thurak had completely forgotten that this very day marked the arrival of the war troll commander, awaiting their definitive response.
As if on cue, the ground began to tremble, and a smaller, ten-foot-tall war troll moved among the dwellings, herding all members of the Grey Ogre tribe, including the formidable Bralthor, the wise Nukra, and their crucial hunting parties, outside their crude tents and homes. Looming behind it was the commander himself, a truly terrifying, fifteen-foot-tall, two-headed war troll, clad head-to-toe in heavy, impenetrable armor, its dual personalities a volatile mix of brute violence and cold, calculating reason.
Despite their speed, agility, and even weaponry, the ogres—especially Bralthor's specialist twelve-member hunting team (levels 25–30)—were completely helpless against the war trolls' superior strength and quick regeneration. The war trolls' power levels were far higher than the majority of Grey Ogres, who stayed below level 20.
Daimvu Ergren, the war troll commander, sat outside the main gathering hall, as it never liked associating with the other Orge, as it sees them as inferior and having lower status than their troll kind, even if both races have similar traits. Bralthor's mother was human, as were the other members of his hunting group. The reason they banded together was because their physical form derived from their human ancestry, making them outcasts among their own tribe. Despite their differences, they found strength in their shared struggles and banded together to survive in a world that often rejected them.
They were asked to come out, and many came out and assumed this was the time when they finally moved out of hiding and became part of a stronger group. The atmosphere was mixed with different reactions, but none of the ogres could fully grasp the situation, as they were all just following what their chieftain told them to do.
The visit of the war troll was seen as a survival move. In their minds, they had a bigger chance of living under the protection of the trolls, who were far stronger than them. Their limited resources and manpower pushed them to accept the troll invitation, even if they were hesitant. Seeing the troll come back again to hear their answer, this was the day they needed to accept their given fate, but Nukra and his grandson Bralthor were already influenced by the grimoire. Those were their grounds, and they didn't want to just leave their clan out of respect for their clan law.
Thurak grey ogre chief, walked outside and was greeted by Daimvu with a nod, while Ergren stared at him with contempt. The two-headed troll commander was seated on a rock facing the cave entrance. As more of the ogres came out to answer the troll leader's summons and gather in the open area outside. Most of the Ogre tribe were already outside, and because they didn't have any children among them, they were already suitable to join the war trolls forces.
Nukra was firm on his decision to separate themselves from the main tribe, as he firmly believed they were created for a bigger purpose and was awaiting that sign to come, and meeting Dane or Netherborn was that sign. As the 12 hunter members ate the food their clan members prepared with malice and distrust toward them, even if they were the ones that they hunted,.
Seeing and knowing the ogre stand was relatively unstructured, Nukra saw an opportunity to unite them under a common goal and lead them in a more organized and purposeful way. If they all just open their minds to change and accept that they can be more, sadly their minds will be stuck on the question of how they came to life.
Daimvu Ergren, with a dozen of his strongest warriors, orders the orcs to prepare to leave, as they need to travel back to their stronghold before the young offspring of the demon spider queen awaken and start looking for food to eat.
The trolls were ordered to treat the ogres as their equals just to give them a sense of unity and respect among the different factions in the trolls army. This strategic decision by Daimvu Ergren aimed to create a curtain to block what they were truly planning with the other various different races under them. The assumption that the war trolls were the ones commanding the entire united force was correct.
Nukra was against joining another tribe, knowing even if they came from the same ancestry, their values and goals may not align. But being branded as a recluse and a dissenter, Nukra had no choice but to reluctantly comply with the orders given by his own son, being their tribe chieftain. Despite his reservations, Nukra has already planned to leave their clan.
Daimvu Ergren was explaining to the grey ogre chief Thurak. After a few minutes, he orders those who are there to begin the plan, as they are going to leave their secret dwelling to join a stronger tribe.
The troll was very peculiar and suspicious with the way they interacted with the Ogre tribe, but everything fell into silence when
"You ogres really think these trolls will treat you equally? All this nonsense is getting on my nerves."
"Honestly, the manner in which these trolls act is quite unsettling. I fear this alliance they were speaking about didn't come from the jungle-looking brute."
"You ogres are too self-centered and reluctant to even search for your own reason. They might have a certain amount of intelligence, but those trolls will never lower their heads and ask for help."
"Not unless another higher-ranking being is commanding them to do so."
Melgil Veara, in her human form, frankly spoke her mind about the trolls and ogres. She knew that their allegiance was not genuine and that they were likely being manipulated by a more powerful force. As she continued to observe their behavior, she grew increasingly concerned about the potential consequences of their actions.
The air crackled with tension as the ten-foot-tall troll subordinate lumbered towards the comparatively petite human woman. He towered over her, casting a long shadow that seemed to swallow her whole. Assuming Nukra was merely a captured slave, the troll unleashed a guttural laugh, mocking her with crude insults. Nukra, clutching the grimoire, trembled, knowing full well the terrifying power lurking beneath the woman's fragile appearance. Visions flickered through the grimoire, glimpses of the other twelve hunters, their shared dreams, and the moment she had accepted the chieftain's invitation, a calculated move to glean information about why she, a stranger, had been welcomed into their isolated home.
The white-haired demon spider queen, despite her changed personality, radiated a suppressed power that could obliterate the entire cavern with ease. Yet, instead of unleashing her wrath, she merely expressed her concern, even suggesting that the ogres were suitable servants for her and her future husband. Nukra and the twelve ogre hunters exchanged knowing smiles, a stark contrast to the troll subordinate's growing annoyance. He watched as the thirteen ogres
inexplicably loyal to the frail human, began packing their belongings, choosing her path over joining forces with the war trolls. The troll commander observed the scene unfold, his frustration mounting as he witnessed the ogres abandoning their cavern home, a place where survival had become a constant struggle due to the relentless attacks of spider demons and the scarcity of food. The domesticated animals were insufficient to feed them all, and the hunters' provisions were dwindling, leading many to consider the risky prospect of farming outside.
The ogre tribe had tragically lost their will to fight, clinging desperately to those they had once considered outcasts—their hunters, their providers. This shift in power dynamics created a palpable tension within the cavern, lasting almost three weeks. Now, they were contemplating following a war troll, fully aware they would be reduced to mere laborers in his army, yet many deemed it a more viable option than their current state of slow starvation. The thirteen, long ostracized for their human-like features, saw this as an opportunity to finally be valued for their skills, even if it meant enduring the contempt that simmered beneath the surface. They would hunt, they would fight, and they would provide, even if it meant remaining forever on the fringes of acceptance.
Nukra bowed his head and asked the queen to forgive his actions. Nukra pleaded to ignore the troll. At the same time, Bralthor, who was on her left side, stepped forward and shielded the woman from what the troll subordinate might do.
Daimvu Ergren stood up as it ordered the chief, Thurak,
"Are they the ones you mentioned before?"
"Yes, it's my father's and my older brother's only son."
"The situation we are in is far more important than my own bloodline; they are seen as outcasts by most of our tribe.,"
"Ah, I can see that these ogres are offspring of human females. We trolls did try to do the same, hoping to breed a stronger, more adaptable subrace, but human females are weak, and many died in the process of conceiving and receiving our seed."
Melgil heard the two-headed troll and reacted. She walked around the troll that was standing in front of her. The troll was about to attack her when the two-headed troll raised its hand, gesturing to let the woman be. Melgil walked closer, and the ogre chief introduced the troll. Melgil, being a queen, ignored the chief's introduction and asked the two-headed troll that she and those 13 will leave this place, and she asked the fifteen-foot troll to let them pass without any further confrontation. The two-headed troll nodded in agreement, allowing Melgil and her companions to continue on their journey without any trouble. As they passed by, the chief couldn't help but feel confused as the massive troll was like holding its fear while looking down, as the human woman just walked past while the 13 ogres followed her with just their hunting equipment and were mumbling a single word over and over again.
"The White Queen is unbound!"
The troll subordinate rushed toward their commander and asked, Why let them leave? Daimvu Ergren looked at his soldier and told him that they did not awaken. And came to this place like the other troll race, who were brute and mindless. The commander pointed out that the moment they woke up in the gorge 200 days ago, they already knew they were different, as they can think beyond trolls normal capacity.
Daimvu Ergren asked all his soldiers to step down and leave them alone, as he explained that making the woman mad will be the end of everything. Daimvu Ergren saw her massive power as she came close; even if it was just a split second, it was enough to confirm that she can kill everybody in an area with ease. But the troll soldier insisted that their leader wouldn't accept such behavior.
"Commander, Lord Hasterien will be upset if he receives news about this."
"The only person that will share this information will come from within your ranks. We accepted his rule because he is far stronger than us, but you are mistaken."
"The woman walking out of this hidden cavern is far more powerful than Lord Hasterien."
"She is a force compared to calamity, and if provoked, she will not hesitate to show her true power."
"And even if you tell Lord Hasterien about this, he will just ignore that person the moment I mention what I saw in her."
"Unless you want me to rip out your tongue, you will keep quiet and just escort the ogres who are joining our ranks."
But the troll didn't accept his commander's wishes and saw that their commander was getting too rational and thinking too rationally and had forgotten that they were trolls and not born to rationalize situations. Like the ogres, they two were faced with the same problem as they all suddenly awakened on the bottom ground floor of the gorge with all 300 of them with no female or young troll with them. This happened nearly 100 days ago in the swamp area of the gorge.
They fought desperately to protect their race from other beings and creatures in the area. The troll race notes they were far more intelligent and could strategize better than the other creatures. Despite their rational thinking, they knew that brute force alone would not solve their problem and that they needed to come up with a plan to survive and thrive in this new environment.
Melgil, along with the 13 Orges, was already about 50 meters away and nearing the large tunnel entrance leading out of the cavern. Nukra was walking beside Melgil on the right while Bralthor was on her back. Walking among his fellow hunters, the path on which they walked was uneven and had different elevations. The long line of ogres that walked on the other side of the cavern path, going out of the cavern that became their home for the past few days, as they walked carrying their few possessions, never uttered any word as they all silently contemplated their new arrangement that they needed to fully accept.
Thurak was at the back when he saw the young troll soldier grab a longbow and position himself toward the opposite side, where Daimvu Ergren wouldn't notice what he was about to do. The soldier troll was convinced his action was right. Being a troll, he wanted to point out he wasn't like the commander, who was now rational and keen on being reasonable and somewhat civil. Their change irritated the young troll. To the point, he was holding in his frustration until now.
Among the twenty that followed Daimvu Ergren, the two-headed troll, this particular troll felt like he was the only one who still held onto their old ways of thinking and behaving. He knew he had to do something to prove that the changes in their race were actually making them weak and vulnerable. As he watched his fellow trolls adapt to the new ways, he felt a sense of duty to uphold the traditions and values that had always been important to their kind. It was only a matter of time before he would make his stand and show them the strength in their old, brutish, and violent ways. even if it meant going against Daimvu Ergren.
Melgil and the 13 orcs were nearing the tunnel exit, about 60 meters away, with a high elevation that could be seen as a perfect distance and vantage point for a long-range attack. The arrow that flew alerted Daimvu Ergren, and they scanned the area thinking they might be being attacked by an unknown enemy, but they saw the same young troll soldier on the other side holding what seemed to be a longbow. The two-headed troll became furious and quickly stood up and ran, but the arrow had already been fired, and intercepting it was out of the question. Mentally evolved trolls might have a significant amount of intelligence to socially interact with others with a rational thought process, but when it comes to speed, this is where they fall behind.
The arrow flew like a bullet, and the force was strong enough that it created a piercing sound that many heard as it whizzed through the air towards its target. The young troll soldier on the other side braced himself, knowing that he had only a split second to react before the arrow hit its mark. When the target vanished and appeared in front of the troll that shot the arrow,
Daimvu Ergren! He shouted and drew out his weapon, knowing that he needed to stop what might happen. Melgil swung her arm. and cut the young troll's head without resistance. As his head rolled down his body, the arrow struck the cave wall, and the sound of the stone shattering
Daimvu Ergren had already drawn his weapon and raised it above his head, and the mana the war troll commander imbued the large axe with was enough to cleave through solid rock. The troll's eyes widened in fear as he realized the power of his opponent, but it was too late. With a swift and powerful grip, Daimvu Ergren's sharp weapon shattered into pieces.