The triumphant cries of “Lok’tar Ogar!” had barely faded when an eerie, bone-chilling laughter echoed through the cavern, reverberating off the dark, jagged walls.

“Kekekekeke…”

The orcs froze, their jubilation cut short as the sinister sound filled the space, setting their nerves on an immediate edge.

The laughter was high-pitched, almost mocking, and it sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest among them.

“Kekekekeke…”

Volk’s eyes narrowed as he instinctively raised his Axe of Dissection, his body tense and ready for any sudden action.

The other orcs followed suit, their hands tightening around their weapons, their eyes scanning the darkness before them.

The sound came from deep within the shadows, where even their keen orcish vision could not penetrate.

Then, from the depths of the darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared.

The eyes were large, blood-red, and menacing, staring at them with an unsettling intelligence.

A growl rumbled through the cavern, low and ominous, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet.

Before they could react, another pair of eyes appeared, then another, until five glowing red eyes stared back at them from the void.

The orcs took an involuntary step back, their hearts pounding.

Whatever creature lurked within that darkness, it was no ordinary beast.

The air was thick with an oppressive energy, and a sense of dread began to creep into their minds.

“Kekeke… An orc with good leadership,” the voice sneered from the darkness, dripping with malevolence.

“But it’s a pity. Your body is so full of hazardous magic particles, you’re useless to me. But you’re laughable. Do you really think you can make your dreams come true?”

The voice was taunting, cruel, and as it spoke, the shape of a massive beast began to emerge from the shadows.

The ground shook with each step it took, sending small rocks tumbling from the cavern walls.

As the creature stepped into the dim light of the cavern, its full form was revealed—a monstrous, three-headed dog, with a muscular body covered in brown fur that gleamed like polished leather.

Each of its three heads bore a pair of those malevolent red eyes, glowing with a hunger that could never be sated.

The beast was immense, towering over the orcs, its sheer size dwarfing them.

Its body was rippling with muscle, every movement causing the ground beneath it to rumble as if the earth itself feared its presence.

The three heads snapped at the air, one could see their massive jaws lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth that gleamed in the dim light.

Drool dripped from its maws, sizzling as it hit the ground, burning holes into the stone.

Volk and the others stared in stunned silence, their hearts racing.

This was no ordinary beast; it was a monster born of nightmares, a force of nature in its own right.

The orcs’ confidence wavered as they took in the sight before them, and a deep sense of dread settled in their chests.

Suddenly, one of the orcs noticed something in one of the beast’s mouths—a limp figure, barely recognizable through the blood and gore.

The orc’s breath caught in his throat as he realized who it was.

“That… that’s a Shadowclaw orc…” he mumbled, his voice trembling with fear.

The orc’s green skin was barely visible beneath the blood and wounds, and his once-proud black leather uniform, adorned with animal claws as a symbol of his clan, was torn to shreds.

His lifeless body hung from the beast’s jaw, as if his fate were now sealed in the beast’s maw.

The sight sent a shockwave through the group.

The Shadowclaw Clan was known for their cunning and stealth, their members some of the most feared assassins among the orcish tribes.

If one of their own had fallen so easily to this beast, what hope did they have?

The voice laughed again, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed in their minds.

“This is Dozer, a distant relative of the legendary Cerberus. He’s really hungry, and his favorite meal is rare Hornless orcs. He only needs seventy heads to reach his full rampage mode, but he doesn’t mind starting with a few now. After all, who can resist a plate of food delivered right to him?”

The orcs looked around frantically, trying to locate the source of the voice, but the darkness was impenetrable, and no figure revealed itself.

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, wrapping around them like a suffocating shroud.

Volk’s grip tightened on his axe.

| Ding!

| Mission triggered.

| Defeat the foe with your tribe!

| Anything works!

| Failure: Random removal of one of your Elemental Nuclear Strikes.

| Rewards: Unknown normal ability in your Hornless Orc state. |

He was surprised with the system mission, but he could feel the fear spreading through his comrades, their resolve wavering in the face of this monstrous foe.

However, Volk knew they couldn’t afford to hesitate now, or the mission would fail.

With a deep breath, he raised his Axe of Dissection high and roared, “Lok’tar Ogar!!!”

His voice cut through the fear, and the other orcs, rallying behind their leader, lifted their weapons and echoed the battle cry.

They had no choice but to fight.

Retreat was impossible with the beasts behind them, and the only way out was through this creature.

With a surge of destructive green adrenaline, Volk charged forward, with a gleaning axe as he aimed for the beast’s massive body.

The ground shook with his steps, but the beast did not flinch.

It watched him with all six eyes, its heads cocked as if amused by the tiny figure charging towards it.

The size difference was staggering.

Dozer was four times larger than Volk, each of its heads as big as an orc.

As Volk closed in, the beast let out a deafening roar that shook the very walls of the cavern.

“ROOOOAAARRRR!!!!”

The sound was like thunder, a deep, guttural noise that seemed to come from the depths of the earth itself.

Volk was undeterred.

With a fierce cry, “HAAAAAA!!” he swung his axe at the nearest head, aiming for its throat. But Dozer was faster.

In a blur of motion, one of its heads snapped towards Volk with terrifying speed.

Swoosh!

Before Volk could react, the massive head struck him with the force of a battering ram, sending him flying through the air.

Bang!

His body slammed into the side of the cavern wall with a sickening crunch, the impact so powerful that it left a deep crater in the stone.

For a moment, everything went silent.

The orcs watched in horror as their leader lay crumpled on the ground, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. The voice laughed again, cold and mocking.

“Dozer doesn’t need an overly hazardous orc. You’re no use to him, little hazard Orc. Dozer’s hazard is different from yours…”

The beast roared again, “ROOOAAARRRRR!!” its three heads snapping at the air, each movement filled with raw, destructive power.

The orcs were frozen, their courage draining away as the reality of their situation sank in.

They were facing a monster, a creature of pure carnage that could tear them apart with a single bite.

They glanced at each other, and they could see fear and uncertainty in their eyes.

Some of them were already thinking of retreating, of running for their lives, but the beasts that lurked behind them made it clear there was no escape. After all, Volk was the only reason those beasts were scared.

They were trapped, surrounded on all sides by death itself.

On the other hand, Volk stirred, his body aching from the impact, but his resolve remained unbroken.

He could see the fear in his comrades’ eyes, he knew those were doubts that threatened to overwhelm them. But he would not let them fall to despair.

With a groan, he pushed himself to his feet, even if his muscles were screaming in protest.

“Lok’tar Ogar!” he roared again, his voice hoarse but filled with determination.

The words were a command, a reminder of who they were and what they fought for.

The other orcs hesitated, but seeing their leader stand once more, bloodied but unbowed, they found the courage within themselves to fight.

One by one, they raised their weapons, their voices joining Volk’s in the battle cry.

“Lok’tar Ogaaaaaar!!!”

They knew the odds were against them, that death was likely, but they would not go down without a fight.

They would face this beast, and they would give everything they had.

“Lok’tar Ogaaaaaaar!!!” they shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the cavern, filling the darkness with the sound of their defiance.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep