Volk’s axe swung through the air, slicing cleanly through the writhing black roots that erupted from the ground like dark serpents.

“Ha!” “Ha!” “Ha!”

His muscles strained, sweat beading on his brow as he hacked and slashed with relentless fury.

The battlefield was a chaos of tangled roots, Orcs shouting battle cries, and magic crackling in the air like static electricity.

“Haaaaaa!!”

His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was sharp, his focus singular.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw them—familiar figures emerging from the shadows of the catacomb entrance. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he faltered.

The axe hung mid-swing, his arms frozen as recognition struck him like a hammer to the chest.

The Dreadmaw Clan.

The ones he had left behind at the entrance before taking on his mission of the system. And among them, his wife—Solluha’r, the Elven Witch.

Her pale skin glowed softly in the dim light, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance.

Beside her, other Elven witches stood, their gazes darting around the battlefield in disbelief.

“Solluha’r…” Volk muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his axe. His heart twisted, a sudden wave of emotion threatening to overpower him.

Why are they here? he thought, panic creeping into his mind.

They were supposed to stay safe.

Away from all of this.

Suddenly, Urza’lin’s voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding. “Who are the husbands or partners of these Orcs?” she asked, her tone laced with curiosity and mockery. “Or are they even truly part of the Dreadmaw Clan?”

The words hung in the air like a challenge, and for a moment, no one moved.

Then, slowly, Solluha’r stepped forward. Her face was pale, but there was a determined set to her jaw.

She walked with grace, despite the weight of fear that Volk could see in her eyes, she was obeying the Dark Elf for some unknown reason.

Behind her, Mishina, the wife of Grounad, followed suit, along with several other Elf witches who had been with the Dreadmaw Clan for years.

They stood before Urza’lin, their heads held high, though their bodies trembled with the weight of the moment. Continue your adventure at m|v-l’e -NovelBin.net

Urza’lin’s smile widened, her dark eyes gleaming with malicious amusement. “And who are your husbands among them?” she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.

For a brief, agonizing moment, there was silence. Then, as if summoned by some invisible force, Solluha’r and the other Elves turned and pointed directly at Volk and the Orcs behind him.

Urza’lin’s laughter filled the cavern, echoing off the walls like the cawing of some great, malevolent bird. “Is that so?” she chuckled, her voice filled with mock surprise.

“How delightful. And tell me, why is it that their skin…” She paused, her eyes narrowing as she gestured toward Volk and the other Orcs.

“…is it so different from the rest of the Dreadmaw Clan? Why do they look nothing like the Orcs I’ve seen in other clans?”

Solluha’r hesitated, her eyes flicking nervously to Volk. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice came out as little more than a whisper. “I… I don’t know, Master Urza’lin.”

Urza’lin’s expression darkened at that, her amusement fading into annoyance. Her lips curled into a snarl, and for a moment, Volk felt his blood run cold.

Was she going to kill Solluha’r?

Would she punish her for not knowing the reason why the skin looked like this?

Volk’s heart pounded in his chest, panic rising like bile in his throat. His grip tightened on the axe, his knuckles white. No… no, she can’t. I won’t let her!

But then, to Volk’s surprise, Urza’lin’s face softened. She let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

“So be it,” she said, waving a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t matter.” Her eyes flicked back to Volk and the other Orcs, and her smile returned, cold and calculating. “But tell me this,” she said, her voice growing sharper.

“Why do you Orcs and Elf witches fear Dark Elves witch like me? You cower before me, and yet here you stand, defiant. Why?”

Volk didn’t answer.

He couldn’t.

He didn’t trust himself to speak, not when his mind was consumed by thoughts of Solluha’r.

His hands moved on instinct, his axe swinging through the air as he continued to slash at the roots trying to entangle them. But his eyes… his eyes never left Urza’lin.

He could feel her gaze burning into him, waiting for a response. Yet he refused to give her the satisfaction.

Urza’lin’s expression twisted with irritation.

She was used to having power over others, to being the one in control, and Volk’s defiance grated on her like sand in an open wound.

She watched him, her dark magic still swirling in the air around her, and she seethed at his refusal to acknowledge her.

“Answer me!” she snapped, her voice echoing with fury. “Why do you resist? Why do you not fear me?”

Still, Volk remained silent, his focus unwavering as he cleaved through another wave of roots.

Suddenly, he would freeze.

His eyes widened in surprise.

The other Orcs around him did the same, their attention entirely on surviving the relentless onslaught.

Urza’lin’s face contorted in rage. Her hands shot up, fingers cracking with dark energy, and the roots suddenly stopped moving, as if frozen in time.

The battlefield went eerily quiet, save for the sound of labored breathing from both sides.

Volk’s muscles tensed as the roots fell away, retreating back into the earth.

For a brief moment, the Dreadmaw Clan stood in place, their weapons at the ready, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Urza’lin hadn’t stopped her attack out of mercy.

No, there was something more at play here.

As the silence stretched, Volk found himself standing still, his breath coming in slow, controlled waves. His heart pounded, but outwardly, he remained calm.

Beside him, the other Orcs mirrored his stance, their faces impassive, unbothered.

They were not afraid.

Not anymore.

In Volk’s mind, however, there was only one thought: I don’t need to answer her questions. I don’t need to understand her. Because her life… her life will end here.

The thought filled him with grim determination, his body tensing with the anticipation of battle.

He was ready.

Ready to bring down his axe with the force of a storm, to shatter whatever defenses she conjured, and to bring an end to this nightmare.

And then, as if in response to his thoughts, something strange began to happen.

Behind him, the crystal that had been pulsating faintly in the background suddenly flared to life.

A low hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing second, until the ground beneath them began to tremble.

Urza’lin’s gaze snapped to the crystal, her eyes widening in shock and confusion. “What…?”

Volk’s breath caught in his throat as a massive shockwave erupted from the crystal, a pulse of pure energy radiating outward like the detonation of a bomb.

BOOM!

The entire cavern shook with the force of the explosion, and everything was thrown into chaos once more.

However, the shockwave did nothing.

But Volk wouldn’t let this opportunity go! He immediately charged straight at the Dark Elf, disappearing in front of her and reappearing behind her.

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