Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 218

Orca, the Orc Great Chieftain, stood atop a sand dune, surveying the desert below.

His gaze fixed on the thousands of Orcs gathered in the distance.

More were still joining from various parts of the desert. Though they numbered only in the thousands now, in a few days, their numbers would swell to tens of thousands.

With an army of that size, there would be nothing they couldn't achieve.

"We will destroy the cities of humans and claim them as our own. We, the Orcs, are the true rulers of this world."

It was his duty to make the Orcs the masters of the world.

That was the reason for his existence as the Orc Great Chieftain.

At that moment, a shaman approached Orca.

"What is it, Shaman?"

"We have lost contact with Gangkara."

"Gangkara… is dead?"

"It seems so."

"And what of the Iron Orcs that went with him?"

"I can't sense them either."

Orca's expression hardened instantly.

"They were all defeated?"

"It appears so. The energy of the tattoos we inscribed on them has completely vanished."

Through the tattoos inscribed on the Iron Orcs, the Shaman could sense their life force.

A short while ago, the mana flow connected to the Iron Orcs' tattoos had been severed.

The cessation of mana flow meant that the Orcs who bore the tattoos had died.

"Who killed them?"

"I cannot say."

"So the Iron Orcs have been annihilated, just like the Red Hammer Tribe before them."

"My apologies."

The Shaman bowed his head in apology as if it were his fault. But Orca didn't spare him a glance.

His gaze turned westward.

"The Red Hammer Tribe and the Iron Orc Tribe were wiped out there. There is a threat to our Orc kin in that direction."

"Great Chieftain."

"I can feel it. He is our sworn enemy."

"An enemy?"

"Yes. As long as he exists, there is no future for our Orc kind. He must be killed."

No one had told him this.

It was a feeling, an instinct, deep within Orca that told him so. And the Shaman had great trust in Orca's instincts.

Orca had a sense that defied explanation.

It was an almost prophetic sense that had been the driving force behind the Orcs' rise to power.

"Head immediately to where the Iron Orcs were killed."

"Understood."

The Shaman gestured to a nearby Orc. The Orc promptly blew a large horn with all his might.

Bwooo!

The sound of the horn echoed across the desert, and the resting Orcs rose to their feet, looking toward Orca.

Orca pointed westward and spoke.

"There is a threat to our Orc kin over there. Let us go! To kill our enemies."

"Uwooo!"

"Kill the enemy!"

The Orcs roared in unison, raising their weapons high.

Their cries stirred up a thick cloud of dust.

The march of the Orcs began.

Orca led them from the front.

He muttered to himself.

"Wait for me, enemy of the Orc kin. I, Orca, will devour your flesh and drink your blood."

Orca believed that by consuming the flesh and blood of his mighty enemies, he could grow stronger.

And indeed, that was how he had grown stronger.

"I will kill you and destroy the cities of the humans."

* * *

Arriving at the village entrance with her subordinate, Lafuna spoke with difficulty.

"Invisible light, veil of illusions, unopened door, water that flows backward. Oh, gate of truth hidden by deception, reveal your true form to me."

Pop!

As soon as she finished speaking, an entrance to the village, protected by a magical barrier, appeared.

As soon as they entered the village, Seina greeted them.

"Are you alright? What about the other rangers?"

Lafuna weakly shook her head.

Seina's face turned pale.

Although she knew they had gone on a mission they might not return from, the reality of seeing only two return left her mind blank.

The rangers had been close friends of Seina's as well.

The thought that they had all died because of the elders' decision filled her with both sadness and anger.

It was then that someone approached.

"What happened? Did the Orcs change their course?"

"Did the humans all die?"

The Dwarf and Elf elders had come to them.

The elders showed no concern for the lives of the rangers who had gone with Lafuna.

Their only interest was in the outcome of the battle between the Orcs and the humans.

"Uhm…."

"What's the matter? Speak clearly."

"The operation… failed."

"Failed? What do you mean, failed?"

"We succeeded in luring the Orcs to the humans."

"But why then?"

"The Orcs were annihilated by the humans."

"Impossible! How could mere humans defeat Orcs…?"

"The other humans were strong, but that Sand Mage in particular…."

Lafuna couldn't continue.

Even now, the thought of Zeon made her heart race uncontrollably. The memory he left behind was so intense.

She felt she would never be able to shake off the fear he had instilled in her.

"Are you sure the village's location is hidden?"

"Why did he let you live? Could it be a trick to find out our village's location?"

"Quick, check outside. The humans might have followed you."

The elders were in a panic.

Seina and Lafuna felt a sense of revulsion at the sight of the elders.

Not one of them asked about the rangers who had not returned with them.

The village had survived thus far because of the rangers' sacrifices. But seeing the elders now, Lafuna wondered what those sacrifices had been for.

'We should have been honest with the humans and asked for their help. Then they wouldn't have had to die.'

Just then, Elves who had gone outside to check for human pursuers came rushing back.

"We're in trouble!"

"What? Have the humans followed us?"

"No, it's not that…."

"Then what? Speak up!"

"The Orcs have appeared."

"What?!"

"A large Orc army is heading towards our village."

"A large army?"

"Yes! There seem to be at least several thousand of them."

The elders' faces turned as pale as sheets at the Elf's report.

"Oh no!"

"The Orc army is heading for our village."

The elders quickly ran to the village entrance.

They slightly opened the protective barrier and looked outside. In the distance, they saw the Orc army approaching.

"It’s true. What do we do?"

The elders looked at each other in desperation.

But there was no easy solution.

They had focused on hiding the village, never preparing for a direct confrontation with a threat.

In the end, they played their final, desperate card.

"Rangers, mobilize."

"What?"

"Lure the Orcs elsewhere. Yes, lure them to the humans."

"But that plan has already failed."

"Are you going to just sit here and let the villagers be slaughtered? We must protect the village at any cost."

"Understood. We will mobilize the rangers."

In the end, Seina and Lafuna led the rangers out of the village.

The Orc army had come even closer by then.

Seina gave the order.

"Let's go! We must lure the Orcs as far from the village as possible."

"Yes!"

With a shout, the rangers made themselves visible to the Orcs.

Naturally, the Orcs spotted the Elf rangers.

"Elves."

"Chwit! Kill them."

The Orcs shouted in excitement.

The Shaman gave an order.

"Chase them down and kill them. Leave no Elf alive."

"Graargh!"

"Kill them!"

Some of the Orcs, now worked into a frenzy, immediately began pursuing the rangers.

Orca watched the pursuing Orcs for a moment, then turned his gaze back to where the Elf rangers had emerged.

While the other Orcs mindlessly chased the rangers, Orca wondered why the Elves had suddenly appeared.

As he looked more closely, he noticed something strange.

"The mana flow is unusual."

"It’s a magical barrier."

"Is that so?"

"Let’s see."

The Shaman looked ahead and muttered to himself.

"No power can deceive my eyes, so let the hidden truth reveal itself before me. The Eye of Mysteries!"

A red light burst from the Shaman's eyes.

He could now see the true form of the magical barrier, which distorted the flow of mana.

"It’s a protective magic barrier that conceals their true form."

The Shaman's lips twisted into a sneer, revealing his yellow fangs.

Orca laughed.

"So, they were hiding a village here."

He was already in a foul mood after the destruction of the two tribes that had followed him.

Orca needed an outlet for his anger.

And a perfect target had appeared.

Orca held out his hand. An Orc warrior nearby respectfully handed him a massive spear.

It was a giant spear crafted for hunting enormous beasts.

The spear, large enough to pierce through a ten-meter beast in a single strike, filled Orca's hand.

Orca gripped the spear tightly and pulled his arm back.

His back and arm bent like a bow.

As his strained muscles felt like they were about to snap, Orca hurled the spear with all his might.

Whoosh!

Like a meteor, the massive spear tore through the sky at terrifying speed.

In the blink of an eye, it reached the protective barrier around the village and struck it directly.

Crash!

The barrier, which had protected the Dwarves and Elves' village for over a century, shattered from a single strike of the spear Orca had thrown.

With the protective barrier destroyed, the village was fully exposed.

In the middle of the desert, the village lay in a large basin with hundreds of houses clustered together.

Among the houses were countless Elves and Dwarves.

Their faces were filled with terror and dread.

The barrier that had protected them for so long was gone, and the rangers who had defended them had left the village to lure the Orcs away.

The realization that they were now defenseless left their minds blank with fear.

Orca grinned and gave the order.

"Kill them all. There is no place for Elves or Dwarves in this desert."

"Raaaah!"

"Graargh!"

At his command, the Orcs let out wild roars and charged toward the village.

"Da-damn it!"

"Attack! We must stop them from entering the village."

The elders, coming to their senses too late, gave orders.

Among the Elves in the village, many were capable of using magic.

"Wind Cutter!"

"Magic Missile!"

The Elves hurriedly cast their spells, and the Dwarves fired giant crossbows designed for hunting monsters.

Some of the Orcs were hit directly by their attacks.

"Chwit! That tickles."

"Is that all you’ve got, pointy-ears?"

The powerful bodies of the Orcs easily deflected most of the attacks.

A few Orcs fell, but the rest charged forward without hesitation.

The Orcs eventually stormed into the village, and a brutal massacre began.

"Aaah!"

"Ugh!"

Elves and Dwarves fell one after another under the Orcs' brutal weapons.

Not even the elders were spared.

The Orcs killed everything in sight.

Elves, Dwarves—it didn’t matter.

This was the end of the village where Elves and Dwarves had lived together in harmony.

Orca looked westward.

"Next is your turn, human!"