"Looks like I found something to use as a toothpick!" The orc laughed, eyes fixated on Luke's arms with animal delight.

He was massive, the largest Luke had ever faced. Muscles like tree trunks, green skin marked by dark tribal tattoos, and bones forming a crude armor across his chest and shoulders. A human skull hung from a cord around his neck. It was him. The boss of the event.

[Orbald, Orc Captain – Level 20]

Luke rose slowly, breath ragged. Mounted atop a giant black bear, Orbald let out a roar perfectly in sync with the beast. The sound rippled through the forest, shaking the trees. Luke gripped his kukris, sweat trickling down his brow. He'd come face to face with the invasion boss and he was riding a monster.

No time for strategy. The bear charged, a runaway train tearing through the trees. Branches snapped and the forest screamed from the impact.

Think! Think! Fighting a captain alone was near-suicidal. With a bear? Insanity.

He began to retreat, then froze.

Angelica lay still on the ground, her abdomen split open despite the armor. The blow had been brutal. Leaving her meant leaving her to die. But trying to carry her meant dying too.

The answer hit him as clearly as the beast's roar: I can't back down.

He turned, gritted his teeth and ran toward the bear, not out of recklessness but to distract it. He needed to draw its focus, buy time. Maybe the others would regroup. Maybe…

The bear roared.

Luke dove sideways. The paw smashed a tree beside him, wood exploding like shrapnel. He circled the creature, looking for blind spots, an opening, anything.

"INVENTORY!" Orbald's voice tore through the air.

Luke froze for a second as a spear materialized in the orc's hands.

He has a system!

The bear charged again, crushing bushes and tree trunks alike.

Luke activated Dark Dash, vanished into a blur, and reappeared at the creature's flank. He aimed for the mount. Kukris sank deep—nothing. No blood. Like striking stone. Skin like armor.

Before he could retreat—WHAM! The spear's shaft cracked against his skull. The world flipped. Luke fell, vision spinning, just in time to see Orbald lean forward on the bear's head, yellow teeth bared in a grin.

The spear twirled. The paw came down.

Luke twisted—SLASH.

The spear stabbed into his abdomen. Pain exploded like liquid fire. He was flung, spinning through the air, slammed into the ground, rolled, and came to a stop at the base of a tree.

Blood. Dizziness.

Should've worn the damn crocodile chestplate...

Orbald laughed. "Time to die, human!"

The spear flew.

Luke rolled just in time—

'BAM!'

The impact blasted the dirt apart, rocks and soil raining down.

But the bear didn't stop.

Luke sprinted through the trees, dodging like a desperate acrobat. Branches snapped behind him, leaves flew, the bear was right there. Relentless. Heavy as a runaway train.

He leapt onto a fallen trunk, vaulted off it, grabbed a branch, and swung himself higher. Branch after branch, gaining elevation.

He had to pull the beast away from Angelica. That was all that mattered now.

He leapt high and in the air stretched out his hands. The kukris returned, whistling through the air back into his grip.

Luke landed hard on the bear's back, kept his balance, and ran along its spine, heading straight for the orc.

Orbald didn't expect it. Caught off guard, he turned his head too late.

CLANG! CLANG! Kukris met spear. Steel against steel. They fought atop the unstable back of the mount. Every swing a gamble. Every stumble, a death sentence.

"You can talk?" Luke gasped.

Orbald grinned, wild eyes gleaming. "The only dumb beasts here are you."

The spear spun like a windmill. Luke blocked with both kukris, arms trembling from the force. But then Orbald reached into the air.

Luke understood instantly. Inventory access.

A massive axe appeared, crackling with magical energy.

SWOOSH! The blow came. Devastating.

Luke didn't have time to counter. He was launched off the bear's shoulders, flying through branches like a ragdoll. The trees punished him on the way down as if they, too, wanted him dead.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

He hit the ground hard. Crawled. Everything hurt. Vision swam. His lungs burned. And when he looked up, Orbald was still smiling.

Luke tried to rise.

WHAM! The bear's head slammed into him like a battering ram. He crashed into a tree and collapsed. Coughing. Bleeding.

But still, he forced himself to move. He dragged his legs underneath him. The kukris flew back into his hands.

Luke sprinted along the bear's flank, slashing when he could. Each strike tore into thick hide. The beast roared. But Luke knew he was losing. Fast.

He triggered Dark Dash, escaping into the canopy once more. Higher ground. Always safer.

Fighting both at once was suicide. But something was wrong. A whisper in the air. The hum of metal slicing wind.

He looked up. The axe. Incoming.

BAM! The tree above exploded. Luke plummeted, and before he hit the ground—

THWACK! The spear struck him mid-air.

Orbald had faked him out. A perfect feint.

Luke screamed. Instinctively, he threw a kukri.

SLASH! It slashed Orbald's cheek. Blood sprayed.

The orc roared, stumbling.

Luke crashed down hard. Rolled. Called the kukri back with a flick. And ran.

Mission accomplished. Angelica was far. The orc was distracted. That was enough. He could retreat. Grab her. Escape.

But then, "KILL HIM!" Orbald's voice ripped through the forest.

The bear roared, a surge of muscle and bone charging like a freight train, ripping through trees.

Luke leapt through branches, desperate, but saw it. Orbald was already preparing another throw.

"Shit. This bastard isn't dumb!"

Luke dove to the ground. It was easier to dodge down here. The bear was gaining fast.

Orbald crouched atop its head, spear in hand, grinning wide.

But then BAAAM! A silver force slammed into the beast's side. It stumbled, crashing into a tree.

Charlie emerged from the treeline, fists blazing with spectral light.

Moments later, from the sky, a streak of death.

Allison.

She fell like thunder, katana humming.

SLASH! Her blade hit Orbald with surgical precision.

The orc and the bear were separated, flung in opposite directions.

Luke crawled to a nearby tree, laughing through bloodied teeth.

Reinforcements had arrived.

"Let's kill the captain!" Allison shouted, landing beside him.

Luke gave a broken laugh. "What, you think I didn't try?"

He spit blood. "The bear and him, they're one hell of a team."

Charlie approached, his armor stained with blood. The orc was getting back to his feet.

"Let's hit him together. Now," said Allison, already sprinting. No plan, just instinct.

Charlie nodded and took off right behind her. Luke followed. It didn't matter. If he tried to run, the bear would get him anyway. This was their opening. Maybe their only one.

Allison struck first. Her feet barely touched the ground as she lunged, katana slicing across Orbald's chest in a deep, clean arc. The orc staggered, growling.

Charlie followed up, a Spectral Charge, then a blade driven into Orbald's flank. Luke leapt, spun midair, and plunged both kukris into the orc's left shoulder.

The three retreated, forming a loose circle. Orbald turned, trying to keep track of them, but he was too slow. The wounds began to add up. Every time he went for one of them, another struck from his blind spot. His legs started to falter. His arms bled freely now.

Charlie slashed under his forearm, then followed with an Iron Fist punch. A dull thud. The orc howled in pain.

"RAAAAAGH!!" The roar shook the forest. A red aura burst from him like a firestorm.

Luke froze. "Shit. He's got a berserker mode."

Orbald charged forward in a sudden blur of motion. One punch sent Charlie flying like a cannonball. Trees exploded in her path as she vanished into the foliage.

Luke struck, only for the orc to catch his kukri with a raised arm and answer with a brutal hook.

BAM! The ground shuddered. Luke was flung through the air. Something tore inside him. Blood flooded his mouth.

Before he could draw a breath, Orbald jumped. Midair. A crushing blow landed square on Luke's chest. Bones cracked. No air. Like drowning in nothing. He spun through the air.

"INVENTORY!" Orbald bellowed. Another bone spear. Thrown with monstrous fury. It struck Luke while he was still airborne.

The impact slammed him against a tree. He hit the ground hard, the blade lodged deep. Blood erupted from his mouth. Dark crimson bubbled up in panic. He gagged, clawing at the spear, trying to pull it free.

Orbald landed in front of him, the forest trembling beneath his feet. He snarled, eyes glowing like embers.

But then Allison struck him from behind, spinning with her katana.

Luke rolled to the side, coughing, trying to steady himself.

And then he heard it. Footsteps. Branches breaking. He looked up.

The bear! It was coming back.

They were running out of time. They had to finish Orbald before his mount returned.

Allison now faced the orc alone. Her katana danced through the air—fast, precise.

But Orbald's strikes were changing. Faster. Heavier. Every block made her arms shake.

She tried to time a Perfect Parry, but his rhythm was chaos. Brutal. Like a shattered war drum.

Then the bear's roar. Primal. It tore through the air like living thunder.

Luke rose with effort. His chest was on fire.

With a guttural scream, he tore the spear from his gut and snapped the bloody tip off with a dry crack.

Charlie burst through the trees, eyes wide as she spotted him.

"I-I'm fine," he lied, gasping.

He wasn't.

"We have to kill this bastard!" he shouted, eyes fixed on the battlefield.

Charlie was furious. He could feel it.

As the orc charged toward Allison, Luke darted into the branches. He needed momentum. Climbing fast, he leapt and came down with his kukris aimed low.

Steel tore through Orbald's leg mid-air. The orc roared, and a fresh pulse of red aura exploded from him—thicker, hotter. Full berserker mode.

In the clearing, the bear rammed into Allison. She staggered, nearly toppled. But she stayed standing, even through the impact.

They were surrounded now. Orbald and the bear stood side by side, like war titans, unshaken.

Luke drew a shaky breath. A choice had to be made.

"I'll take the bear!" Allison shouted, already sprinting.

Luke nodded without hesitation. That left him and Charlie with the orc.

Orbald spun his axes with deadly elegance, his eyes hungry, stance aggressive. Then he lunged. Diagonal strikes turned into a storm of steel.

"Help Allison!" Luke shouted to Charlie.

She hesitated, but looked at him and trusted. She ran.

Now it was just him and the captain.

Orbald stopped, twirling the axes with unnerving calm.

"You might've stood a chance if the knight had stayed," he growled. Then grinned. "But now... it's just you. And I like it that way."

Luke wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I wanted to fight you one-on-one anyway."

But inside: If Charlie helps Allison take down the bear, the three of us can beat him together.

He tightened his grip on the kukris. That was it. Endure. Force mistakes. Survive.

His body ached. Breathing was shallow. But Angelica was far away now. Luke had done his part.

Still, he wanted more. He wanted to pull Orbald farther away from the others, toward the surviving defenders, where backup might still exist. But it was a risk.

If Orbald reached them, he might rally the other orcs too.

Luke glanced at the sky. Still dark. But not for long.

If I make it until dawn, they'll retreat. All of them.

He drew a shaky breath.

"Can I ask you something?" he said between gasps. "Can we... negotiate?"

He had to use that moment. Had to get answers. Answers none of the leaders here had. But now, he had a new source of truth.

Orbald froze. Then burst into cruel, hollow laughter.

Luke held his gaze.

"We're trapped here. We just want to activate the castle's mechanism. Open the portal. Leave. You can keep the land. Rule it. We just want to go."

It was true. But it was also a tactic. A few more seconds could make the difference.

"You have your mission," Orbald said, the grin gone. "We have ours."

Luke stiffened.

The way the orc said it—it wasn't a bluff. It wasn't posturing. It was sorrow. It was duty.

The orc knew about the secrets of the tutorial.

Orbald's voice dropped lower. Darker. "As decreed by the King."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.