Luk’Tar was in a bad mood.

The creatures released this time were Earth Moles, notorious for being elusive to strong warriors like him.

These moles only hunted creatures weaker than themselves, making them difficult to catch. He clenched his fists in frustration. “I need to find and capture a lot, or at least get the skinless venomous earth mole to surely win this competition,” he muttered.

In this competition, Luk’Tar wasn’t just competing with his strength.

That was his first problem.

The challenge was designed to test not just strength but also their strategic thinking. So, the Earth Moles gave even the weaker warriors a chance to outshine him.

“The challenge was not to be the strongest one, but to be the wisest leader. As the moles are the ones being sent, it means we have to show them who among us has the greatest strategic thinking to take that position,” Luk’Tar mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, he heard a roar.

“ROOOAAARRR!!”

The roar echoed through the forest, and it was unlike any he had heard before. It was deeper, more resonant than the typical orc roars.

Luk’Tar gripped his weapon tightly and moved towards the source of the sound.

When he reached his destination, Luk’Tar saw a massive, muscular green figure afar with no weapon. “Hmm… a Labor Orc that awakened Grum-gar?” he mumbled, then he smiled in amusement. “Interesting.”

Labor Orcs in their tribe were typically builders. They didn’t possess Mana and were relegated to construction and manual labor. Only by awakening their Grum-gar form could they become Warrior Orcs. This transformation made them five times stronger, three times larger, and granted them natural healing capabilities.

“It seems another warrior was born from Labor Orc ranks,” Luk’Tar mumbled. Though rare, it wasn’t impossible for Labor Orcs to awaken their Grum-gar form in life-and-death situations. He had seen it happen three or four times before in each awakening.

Suddenly, Luk’Tar noticed something on the Labor Grum-gar’s body. “Skinless venomous earth mole?!” he exclaimed, he couldn’t help but had his eyes widening in shock. He took a step back to this incredulous scene, and his face was beyond contorted in disbelief.

“How did he get that?”

The skinless venomous earth moles were prized in this event.

Their elusive nature made them incredibly difficult to capture. Although they are weak, they could dig tunnels quickly, their venom was potent enough to kill any warriors among them in this blood rite event, and their skinless bodies made them even more slippery and hard to grasp making it even more harder to capture them.

These creatures were the ultimate test for the warriors, an ultimate symbol of their skill and cunningness when captured by them.

Seeing the Labor Grum-gar slowly transforming back to his normal Hornless Orc form, Luk’Tar thought about what he should do. It would be disrespectful as a warrior to take the mole from him.

Although not forbidden, it was a shameful action that would tarnish his honor. But then, Luk’Tar remembered Solluha’r.

Solluha’r was his childhood friend. They had grown up together, sharing dreams and promises.

They had sworn to marry each other.

Solluha’r was beautiful and fierce, and Luk’Tar loved her deeply. But she had been chosen to become one of the wives’ trophies in this competition because of her talent.

That’s why he joined even though he wasn’t confident he could win her over others as some families were more powerful and cunning than him.

However, he couldn’t help but recall their moments together vividly. They had played in the fields, trained side by side, and shared secrets.

Solluha’r had a smile that could light up the darkest days and a laugh that was music to his ears. Her determination and strength matched his, and together, they were invincible.

Luk’Tar’s heart ached at the thought of losing her to another. He clenched his fists, with his mind trying to think of what he should do. If he took the skinless venomous earth mole from this newly transformed Labor Orc, he would surely have her in his arms.

The thought was tempting, the prospect of finally being with Solluha’r overwhelming.

But was it worth sacrificing his honor? He struggled with the decision. His warrior’s pride battled with his love for Solluha’r. The shame of taking the mole from someone who had earned it would haunt him, but the thought of Solluha’r marrying someone else was unbearable.

Soon enough, his thoughts began to churned like an acid that it hurt his chest, making his heart pound heavier than usual.

The internal conflict he was feeling was fierce. He remembered Solluha’r’s eyes, the way they sparkled with determination and warmth. He remembered their promise, their dreams of a future together.

Suddenly, his body moved almost on its own, as if driven by the desperation to fulfill his promise to Solluha’r. He stepped towards the direction of the Hornless Orc, with the skinless venomous earth mole still clutched in the orc’s hand.

“Forgive me,” he whispered with barely audible sound.

The heaviness of what he was about to do was pressing down on his shoulders, but the thought of losing Solluha’r somehow gave him the strength to move forward to go get what he wants.

…

On the other hand, Volk was oblivious to the fact that someone was watching him. Once he finished roaring with all his might, he saw a system screen appear before him:

| Ding!

| Duration: Zero.

| The host will now turn back to being normal, or if the host wishes, the host could stay a rampaging mindless beast. |

Volk swallowed hard. He immediately wished to return to his normal state.

Slowly, his body began to transform from the muscular titan to his lean, normal lean muscled Orc form. Before this, his massive arms shrank, the bulging muscles receding. His chest, broad and powerful, slimmed down, each rib and sinew realigning. His legs, tree-trunk thick, diminished, becoming the sturdy limbs of his normal self.

Finally, his feet, which had been like those of a giant, returned to their usual size.

Once back to normal, Volk felt his whole body drenched in sweat and was still trembling slightly from exertion. He took a good look to the skinless creature in his hand.

“With this, I would be crowned as a champion and get the best and most talented elf, and then I will be able to gain magic faster!”

After that he laughed heartily, “Hahahah! I can finally become strong!”

Suddenly, he sensed something and turned just in time to see a crude shield approaching him.

The shield was battered and rough, made from scraps of metal and wood.

Clang!

The shield slammed into his head, sending him hurling in a not so far away distance. Immediately, he crashed into a nearby tree with a thud.

With difficulty, Volk looked back in the direction the shield had come from. He saw a hornless Orc similar to himself and the three from earlier, but this one was heavily armored.

The armor was pieced together from various sources, creating a patchwork of steel plates and leather straps.

Volk could see the Orc’s eyes were cold and calculating.

The armored Orc spoke, his voice deep and commanding. “My name is Luk’Tar Durghan, son of Lak’Ran Durghan. Tomorrow, you can challenge me and take this creature back, but I suggest you don’t, because you won’t be my match. You are not the only one who awakened the Grum-gar form, because I, too, have awakened it and I am far better than you, Labor Orc!”

Volk struggled to rise, his vision felt along with his head swimming.

Luk’Tar turned around and ignored him, dragging the skinless venomous earth mole that Volk had hunted.

The creature’s lifeless body scraped against the ground, leaving only a trail in the dirt.

Soon, Volk’s head throbbed. He watched Luk’Tar disappear into the forest, dragging away his prize. The pain in his head intensified, and his vision began to blur. The edges of his sight darkened, creeping inwards until all he saw was black. His body also gave in to exhaustion, and he slumped against the tree, unconscious.

The forest around him was silent, the only sound being the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze.

The sky above darkened as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the land.

Volk lay still, with his breathing shallow and labored.

As the night deepened, the forest came alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures. Owls hooted, their calls echoing through the trees. Crickets chirped in a steady rhythm, a symphony of nature. Volk’s mind was a haze of pain and confusion, but even in his unconscious state, he felt the deep sting of loss and humiliation.

Hours passed, and the forest slowly quieted.

Slowly, the moon rose high, casting a pale light over Volk’s still form.

Gradually, his breathing steadied, and his body began to heal.

The natural resilience of the Orcs worked to mend his injuries, though the mental and emotional wounds would take longer to heal.

In his dreams, Volk saw flashes of his past life, the experiments that had brought him here, and the faces of the doctors who had tortured him. He relieved the pain and fear, his body writhing as the memories played out. But through the nightmare, a new determination began to form.

When dawn finally broke, the first rays of sunlight touched Volk’s face, stirring him from his restless sleep. He groaned.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, the world coming back into focus. Immediately, he stood up and opened his eyes, and with a maniacal rage, he screamed at the top of lungs!

“You son of a biiiiiiiiiiiittttttcchhhhhhh!!!!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep