In the central square of the Blue Axe Tribe village, Kukul was addressing the orcs.
“So, that’s how we managed to eliminate those Black Snake scum on Earth.”
“Wow!”
“What happened next?”
All eyes were on him. Kukul enjoyed the attention for a moment before continuing.
“We crushed them. Every last one, including their leader. Those damn humans who dared to mess with our tribe twice.”
“Wow!”
“As expected!”
The orcs cheered.
They had wiped out those damn humans!
How long had they been waiting for this news?
How much agony had they endured not being able to seek vengeance themselves? If the chief hadn’t forbidden it, they would have grabbed their axes and rushed in immediately.
But now, they finally received the news they had been eagerly awaiting.
Kukul calmed down the excited orcs.
“That’s not the important part.”
“What’s more important then?”
“Our lord has bestowed us with pork trotters.”
“Wow, that sounds delicious.”
The orcs licked their lips.
Thanks to Taehyung consistently ordering food, more orcs were familiar with the taste of that tender, slightly sweet, and chewy meat than before.
Oh, it was so tender, with just the right amount of chewiness and flavor.
The familiar taste made it even more enjoyable, and they wanted to eat more.
However, now the orcs weren’t as excited as before just because they got to eat pork trotters.
They had somewhat grown accustomed to it now.
And Kukul knew that.
“This isn’t the end. We also had chicken.”
“What!”
The orcs were astonished.
“The fried chicken that the chief ate?”
“That’s right. I finally got to taste it too.”
“How was it?”
“Was it really crispy and tender?”
It was different this time. The orcs’ reaction was even more intense.
Indeed, this was the reaction he wanted. A taste worth boasting about.
Thinking so, Kukul smiled triumphantly.
“It really was. The chief’s description of the taste was spot on. Dare I say, it’s even more delicious than pork trotters.”
“!”
The orcs’ eyes widened in amazement.
A meat even tastier than that delicious meat. Just how incredible must it be?
“Kukul, tell us more about it!”
“I want to experience it vicariously since I can’t eat it!”
“Hurry!”
Kukul crossed his arms, looking at the eager orcs.
“That’s…”
“That’s?”
“It’s a secret. It wouldn’t be fun if I just told you easily.”
“Ah…”
“Are you kidding me?”
The orcs glared at him.
“Kukul, were you really an orc like that?”
“I didn’t expect that!”
And that’s where it ends!
Is there any other evil deed in the world?
“At that time, there were fourteen orcs besides me who answered the lord’s call. Ask them. Or work hard to improve your skills and earn the lord’s favor yourselves.”
Saying that, Kukul left.
The listening orcs looked disappointed.
It felt like that unpleasant feeling when you fail to sneeze.
The disappointment quickly turned into anger.
“Kukul, catch him!”
“Get him!”
The orcs clenched their fists and ran after Kukul, who was fleeing.
A sudden chase for life and death broke out in the orc village.
If caught, it meant being beaten to death.
“…”
In a corner of the village, there was someone quietly watching their chase.
They were the elf slaves rescued by Karim.
Among those present, the giants and dwarves expressed their gratitude and left on their own, leaving only orcs and elves.
They had been staying in the orc village for a few days, living as guests.
“The orcs are really lively. The village is very bustling.”
“Is that so? I see them every day, so I don’t notice. How about the elves?”
“It’s much quieter than this. But, shouldn’t we stop that? They might end up fighting.”
“It’s fine. Fighting is normal for orcs. It’s a very natural scene.”
“I see.”
Selena, the elf representing this group, smiled softly as she watched the chase of death unfolding in the village.
Although she had been witnessing this sight for days, it still fascinated her every time.
Different races indeed had different ways of life.
How could they play so violently every time?
The orcs swung their weapons at each other as if to kill, but then they laughed and cheered, patting each other on the back. This happened several times a day.
As an elf, she couldn’t understand this scene at all.
In fact, not understanding was not the only thing.
Knowing that orcs were violent was one thing she was aware of.
But, what about this tremendous enthusiasm permeating the village?
She learned for the first time here that orcs were a race that also knew how to study.
They would gather in groups of three or five all over the village, discussing the contents of books as if they were debating, and it made her feel truly empty-headed just watching.
It was a powerful experience to see her preconceived notions crumbling.
In fact, there were more shocking things. The fact that orcs used magic was also shocking, and the fact that orcs, whom she thought lived scattered around, had a tribe with thousands of members was also astonishing.
Among them, what shocked her the most was seeing an orc shaman.
Moreover, it was not just one, but more than twenty orcs were handling spirits.
“They are truly amazing,” she thought.
Perhaps the image of orcs she had known before might have been biased.
“By the way, I heard they’re leaving now. Is that true?”
“Yes. That’s right. We can’t depend on others forever. Thanks to your help, the injuries have healed.”
“I see.”
“Um… You mentioned Chief Karim, right? Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Is it really okay for you to send us away like this?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean, is it okay for us elves to see your village so openly like this?”
Karim chuckled.
“I don’t understand. What’s the problem?”
“Well, of course, it’s a problem. Allowing outsiders into the village? If we elves were in your position, it would be a major issue requiring a significant council discussion.”
“We have no intention of being hostile to you. And I assume you don’t have any hostility towards us either. We’ve shown you everything about ourselves, and you haven’t rejected us. So, we’re friends. Do elves even hold suspicion towards friends?”
For a moment, Selena’s eyes flickered.
Friends.
For elves, the word ‘friend’ wasn’t something easily spoken.
It was a relationship that could only be expressed towards someone with whom one truly connected.
But this orc, whom they had only met recently, used the word ‘friend’ without hesitation.
“Well, um…”
She looked into Karim’s eyes. Karim stared back at her unwaveringly.
Elves were sensitive to emotions. Selena read strong confidence and firm conviction in Karim’s eyes.
This orc is sincere. He genuinely thinks of us like that.
Selena soon found a faint smile forming on her lips.
“I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn. Of course. Friends don’t question each other like that.”
“There’s no need to apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
She stood up. As she gestured, the elves who had been sitting silently also rose.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. We should go home. I’m sure everyone is eagerly awaiting our safe return.”
“I see.”
“We won’t forget your help.”
“That’s only natural. Those who forget kindness are not civilized beings, but beasts.”
“I am Selena, of the Kiruna Forest elves. The third daughter of the queen and the patrol leader.”
For the first time, she revealed her true identity. For an elf to reveal their identity to outsiders meant accepting the other as a friend rather than a stranger.
“I hope to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
“Friend.”
She gestured to the elves.
The elves bid polite farewells and soon began their journey back home.
A gentle smile adorned Selena’s lips as she escorted the elves away.
*
The elves had departed, leaving behind only sixteen orcs who had been rescued by them.
“What are you going to do now?”
“We have nowhere to go.”
“Nowhere to go?”
“Our village is gone. Our Blackhawk Tribe has vanished into history.”
They were a small tribe of about forty living in the vast plains adjacent to the Kai-sen Great Forest in the northern region, but their village had been destroyed and razed to the ground by human merchants from the Blacksnake Trading Company.
Half were killed, and half were enslaved. Some of the enslaved orcs had died, leaving the current survivors.
“Fellow tribesmen, bring them in.”
“Of course. The doors of the Blue Axe Tribe are always wide open. Especially to our kin.”
Karim readily welcomed them.
Karim didn’t consider accepting fellow tribesmen as a matter of reciprocity. He didn’t expect anything from them.
Liberating their kin was Karim’s destiny.
However, the sixteen who were accepted without any expectations brought unexpected benefits.
“Chief, doesn’t the Blue Axe Tribe mainly engage in farming?”
“That’s right. We primarily hunt and gather for sustenance.”
“Our Blackhawk Tribe has been farming for generations.”
The sixteen orcs who joined were sturdy individuals with farming experience.
This was something neither Karim nor Taehyung had anticipated.
Having lived off hunting and gathering in the forest all their lives, neither Karim nor Taehyung had ever dreamed of Orcs farming. Taehyung, who had little knowledge of the Afroxia dimension, was the same.
Conversely, the orcs of the Blackhawk Tribe were fascinated by the fact that they had survived in such a dangerous forest filled with monsters.
“Chief, after we arrived here, our Blackhawk Tribe orcs roamed around this area. And, we found this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Follow me.”
The place the orcs led them to was about twenty minutes south of the village.
After inspecting the ground around, the Blackhawk Tribe orc stooped and pointed at something long and slender like a weed.
“This is it.”
“Isn’t that a weed?”
“No, it’s called Yadam. It’s edible.”
Karim raised an eyebrow.
“That’s a weed. I’ve tried eating it several times, but it failed. It has no taste and is bitter.”
He even searched through ancestral knowledge, but found nothing.
It was definitely a weed.
“No, you’re not supposed to eat the leaves. It’s the roots that you eat.”
The orc stooped to pull the weed. As he did, the roots came out. But the roots were large and round.
Watching, Taehyung exclaimed.
“Oh? Isn’t that a potato?”
He immediately realized it wasn’t a potato. For one, the color was a reddish-brown, like a carrot. And the size of the roots was much larger than a potato.
It seemed to be a native crop of the Afroxia dimension, not found on Earth.
“You eat these round roots. There are quite a few around here. Maybe we can grow them around the village too.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. They’re quite tasty. They have a nutty flavor, and they’re filling, so our tribe used to eat them often.”
“I see.”
Karim nodded his head.
“I really didn’t know. To think there was food so close by. I thought it was just weeds, never imagined we could eat the roots…”
Even the past High Orcs didn’t eat it. The fact that it didn’t even appear in ‘High Orc’s Will’ meant they didn’t even know of its existence.
“Is it something like sweet potatoes or potatoes? A staple crop? Something like that?”
Taehyung was similarly puzzled.
He had no idea about indigenous crops of Afroxia. How could he know something even Karim and the orcs didn’t?
“That’s great. It’s good to have more food options. Eating only meat all the time would get boring.”
Karim nodded his head.
This was rare news.
“Then, why don’t you guys take charge of this once? We don’t have any experience or enough knowledge about farming.”
“Of course. That’s what we hoped for.”
The BlackHawk tribe orcs chuckled.
*
Somewhere in the central region of Hwansu Province.
A towering mountainous area, as if sliced off.
There existed something massive.
Entirely made of rocks, in the shape of a giant human, it stood still as if dead, without even the slightest movement. Its stillness made it seem like an integral part of nature.
But.
Creak!
The motionless rock giant suddenly moved. It felt as if an earthquake had occurred.
The rock giant lifted its massive face, previously bowed. His will spread in all directions.
“An imbalance has occurred.”
Creak!
The rock giant’s huge eyes blinked. Sparkling glimmers emanated from those gem-like eyes.
His massive face turned, clicking as it rotated. Amidst this, it fixed its gaze on a particular direction.
“The imbalance must be rectified.”
The rock giant stood up abruptly. As his colossal body rose, the ground shook violently.
The rock giant began to walk straight ahead.
Thud!
Thud!
Towards the north.
In the central square of the Blue Axe Tribe village, Kukul was addressing the orcs.
“So, that’s how we managed to eliminate those Black Snake scum on Earth.”
“Wow!”
“What happened next?”
All eyes were on him. Kukul enjoyed the attention for a moment before continuing.
“We crushed them. Every last one, including their leader. Those damn humans who dared to mess with our tribe twice.”
“Wow!”
“As expected!”
The orcs cheered.
They had wiped out those damn humans!
How long had they been waiting for this news?
How much agony had they endured not being able to seek vengeance themselves? If the chief hadn’t forbidden it, they would have grabbed their axes and rushed in immediately.
But now, they finally received the news they had been eagerly awaiting.
Kukul calmed down the excited orcs.
“That’s not the important part.”
“What’s more important then?”
“Our lord has bestowed us with pork trotters.”
“Wow, that sounds delicious.”
The orcs licked their lips.
Thanks to Taehyung consistently ordering food, more orcs were familiar with the taste of that tender, slightly sweet, and chewy meat than before.
Oh, it was so tender, with just the right amount of chewiness and flavor.
The familiar taste made it even more enjoyable, and they wanted to eat more.
However, now the orcs weren’t as excited as before just because they got to eat pork trotters.
They had somewhat grown accustomed to it now.
And Kukul knew that.
“This isn’t the end. We also had chicken.”
“What!”
The orcs were astonished.
“The fried chicken that the chief ate?”
“That’s right. I finally got to taste it too.”
“How was it?”
“Was it really crispy and tender?”
It was different this time. The orcs’ reaction was even more intense.
Indeed, this was the reaction he wanted. A taste worth boasting about.
Thinking so, Kukul smiled triumphantly.
“It really was. The chief’s description of the taste was spot on. Dare I say, it’s even more delicious than pork trotters.”
“!”
The orcs’ eyes widened in amazement.
A meat even tastier than that delicious meat. Just how incredible must it be?
“Kukul, tell us more about it!”
“I want to experience it vicariously since I can’t eat it!”
“Hurry!”
Kukul crossed his arms, looking at the eager orcs.
“That’s…”
“That’s?”
“It’s a secret. It wouldn’t be fun if I just told you easily.”
“Ah…”
“Are you kidding me?”
The orcs glared at him.
“Kukul, were you really an orc like that?”
“I didn’t expect that!”
And that’s where it ends!
Is there any other evil deed in the world?
“At that time, there were fourteen orcs besides me who answered the lord’s call. Ask them. Or work hard to improve your skills and earn the lord’s favor yourselves.”
Saying that, Kukul left.
The listening orcs looked disappointed.
It felt like that unpleasant feeling when you fail to sneeze.
The disappointment quickly turned into anger.
“Kukul, catch him!”
“Get him!”
The orcs clenched their fists and ran after Kukul, who was fleeing.
A sudden chase for life and death broke out in the orc village.
If caught, it meant being beaten to death.
“…”
In a corner of the village, there was someone quietly watching their chase.
They were the elf slaves rescued by Karim.
Among those present, the giants and dwarves expressed their gratitude and left on their own, leaving only orcs and elves.
They had been staying in the orc village for a few days, living as guests.
“The orcs are really lively. The village is very bustling.”
“Is that so? I see them every day, so I don’t notice. How about the elves?”
“It’s much quieter than this. But, shouldn’t we stop that? They might end up fighting.”
“It’s fine. Fighting is normal for orcs. It’s a very natural scene.”
“I see.”
Selena, the elf representing this group, smiled softly as she watched the chase of death unfolding in the village.
Although she had been witnessing this sight for days, it still fascinated her every time.
Different races indeed had different ways of life.
How could they play so violently every time?
The orcs swung their weapons at each other as if to kill, but then they laughed and cheered, patting each other on the back. This happened several times a day.
As an elf, she couldn’t understand this scene at all.
In fact, not understanding was not the only thing.
Knowing that orcs were violent was one thing she was aware of.
But, what about this tremendous enthusiasm permeating the village?
She learned for the first time here that orcs were a race that also knew how to study.
They would gather in groups of three or five all over the village, discussing the contents of books as if they were debating, and it made her feel truly empty-headed just watching.
It was a powerful experience to see her preconceived notions crumbling.
In fact, there were more shocking things. The fact that orcs used magic was also shocking, and the fact that orcs, whom she thought lived scattered around, had a tribe with thousands of members was also astonishing.
Among them, what shocked her the most was seeing an orc shaman.
Moreover, it was not just one, but more than twenty orcs were handling spirits.
“They are truly amazing,” she thought.
Perhaps the image of orcs she had known before might have been biased.
“By the way, I heard they’re leaving now. Is that true?”
“Yes. That’s right. We can’t depend on others forever. Thanks to your help, the injuries have healed.”
“I see.”
“Um… You mentioned Chief Karim, right? Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Is it really okay for you to send us away like this?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean, is it okay for us elves to see your village so openly like this?”
Karim chuckled.
“I don’t understand. What’s the problem?”
“Well, of course, it’s a problem. Allowing outsiders into the village? If we elves were in your position, it would be a major issue requiring a significant council discussion.”
“We have no intention of being hostile to you. And I assume you don’t have any hostility towards us either. We’ve shown you everything about ourselves, and you haven’t rejected us. So, we’re friends. Do elves even hold suspicion towards friends?”
For a moment, Selena’s eyes flickered.
Friends.
For elves, the word ‘friend’ wasn’t something easily spoken.
It was a relationship that could only be expressed towards someone with whom one truly connected.
But this orc, whom they had only met recently, used the word ‘friend’ without hesitation.
“Well, um…”
She looked into Karim’s eyes. Karim stared back at her unwaveringly.
Elves were sensitive to emotions. Selena read strong confidence and firm conviction in Karim’s eyes.
This orc is sincere. He genuinely thinks of us like that.
Selena soon found a faint smile forming on her lips.
“I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn. Of course. Friends don’t question each other like that.”
“There’s no need to apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
She stood up. As she gestured, the elves who had been sitting silently also rose.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. We should go home. I’m sure everyone is eagerly awaiting our safe return.”
“I see.”
“We won’t forget your help.”
“That’s only natural. Those who forget kindness are not civilized beings, but beasts.”
“I am Selena, of the Kiruna Forest elves. The third daughter of the queen and the patrol leader.”
For the first time, she revealed her true identity. For an elf to reveal their identity to outsiders meant accepting the other as a friend rather than a stranger.
“I hope to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
“Friend.”
She gestured to the elves.
The elves bid polite farewells and soon began their journey back home.
A gentle smile adorned Selena’s lips as she escorted the elves away.
*
The elves had departed, leaving behind only sixteen orcs who had been rescued by them.
“What are you going to do now?”
“We have nowhere to go.”
“Nowhere to go?”
“Our village is gone. Our Blackhawk Tribe has vanished into history.”
They were a small tribe of about forty living in the vast plains adjacent to the Kai-sen Great Forest in the northern region, but their village had been destroyed and razed to the ground by human merchants from the Blacksnake Trading Company.
Half were killed, and half were enslaved. Some of the enslaved orcs had died, leaving the current survivors.
“Fellow tribesmen, bring them in.”
“Of course. The doors of the Blue Axe Tribe are always wide open. Especially to our kin.”
Karim readily welcomed them.
Karim didn’t consider accepting fellow tribesmen as a matter of reciprocity. He didn’t expect anything from them.
Liberating their kin was Karim’s destiny.
However, the sixteen who were accepted without any expectations brought unexpected benefits.
“Chief, doesn’t the Blue Axe Tribe mainly engage in farming?”
“That’s right. We primarily hunt and gather for sustenance.”
“Our Blackhawk Tribe has been farming for generations.”
The sixteen orcs who joined were sturdy individuals with farming experience.
This was something neither Karim nor Taehyung had anticipated.
Having lived off hunting and gathering in the forest all their lives, neither Karim nor Taehyung had ever dreamed of Orcs farming. Taehyung, who had little knowledge of the Afroxia dimension, was the same.
Conversely, the orcs of the Blackhawk Tribe were fascinated by the fact that they had survived in such a dangerous forest filled with monsters.
“Chief, after we arrived here, our Blackhawk Tribe orcs roamed around this area. And, we found this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Follow me.”
The place the orcs led them to was about twenty minutes south of the village.
After inspecting the ground around, the Blackhawk Tribe orc stooped and pointed at something long and slender like a weed.
“This is it.”
“Isn’t that a weed?”
“No, it’s called Yadam. It’s edible.”
Karim raised an eyebrow.
“That’s a weed. I’ve tried eating it several times, but it failed. It has no taste and is bitter.”
He even searched through ancestral knowledge, but found nothing.
It was definitely a weed.
“No, you’re not supposed to eat the leaves. It’s the roots that you eat.”
The orc stooped to pull the weed. As he did, the roots came out. But the roots were large and round.
Watching, Taehyung exclaimed.
“Oh? Isn’t that a potato?”
He immediately realized it wasn’t a potato. For one, the color was a reddish-brown, like a carrot. And the size of the roots was much larger than a potato.
It seemed to be a native crop of the Afroxia dimension, not found on Earth.
“You eat these round roots. There are quite a few around here. Maybe we can grow them around the village too.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. They’re quite tasty. They have a nutty flavor, and they’re filling, so our tribe used to eat them often.”
“I see.”
Karim nodded his head.
“I really didn’t know. To think there was food so close by. I thought it was just weeds, never imagined we could eat the roots…”
Even the past High Orcs didn’t eat it. The fact that it didn’t even appear in ‘High Orc’s Will’ meant they didn’t even know of its existence.
“Is it something like sweet potatoes or potatoes? A staple crop? Something like that?”
Taehyung was similarly puzzled.
He had no idea about indigenous crops of Afroxia. How could he know something even Karim and the orcs didn’t?
“That’s great. It’s good to have more food options. Eating only meat all the time would get boring.”
Karim nodded his head.
This was rare news.
“Then, why don’t you guys take charge of this once? We don’t have any experience or enough knowledge about farming.”
“Of course. That’s what we hoped for.”
The BlackHawk tribe orcs chuckled.
*
Somewhere in the central region of Hwansu Province.
A towering mountainous area, as if sliced off.
There existed something massive.
Entirely made of rocks, in the shape of a giant human, it stood still as if dead, without even the slightest movement. Its stillness made it seem like an integral part of nature.
But.
Creak!
The motionless rock giant suddenly moved. It felt as if an earthquake had occurred.
The rock giant lifted its massive face, previously bowed. His will spread in all directions.
“An imbalance has occurred.”
Creak!
The rock giant’s huge eyes blinked. Sparkling glimmers emanated from those gem-like eyes.
His massive face turned, clicking as it rotated. Amidst this, it fixed its gaze on a particular direction.
“The imbalance must be rectified.”
The rock giant stood up abruptly. As his colossal body rose, the ground shook violently.
The rock giant began to walk straight ahead.
Thud!
Thud!
Towards the north.
