Chapter 34: Friendly Fire
In the heart of the Dark Lands, the clash of armies echoed across the battlefield. Aiden's dark lightning crackled through the air, striking down waves of monsters with terrifying precision. Olga stood beside him, directing her own magic to support her forces, though she couldn't help but scowl at the damage being done to her troops.
Olga raised her hand, a barrier of shadow magic forming around her. "Hey, you're hitting my army as well!" she yelled, clearly frustrated.
Aiden paused mid-attack, his eyes scanning the battlefield as his lightning ceased. "Are they Dark Elves?" he asked, his tone indifferent, but his focus sharp.
Olga narrowed her eyes in irritation. "No, they're Goblins and other monsters that I command."
Aiden's gaze turned back to the chaos he was wreaking. "Then it doesn't affect me," he said flatly. "In the contract, my village and I are responsible for eliminating your monster population after this is done. So, I'm just doing my job."
From behind, Celestine's voice rang out, calm and soothing as she moved among the fallen, healing and buffing her allies. "You know, Olga, this reminds me of the good old days... when we were friends."
Olga turned her head, her smirk almost bitter. "The good old days? Those days are long gone." Her eyes flickered to Aiden, still letting loose his devastating magic. "You and your village are so eager to kill off everything that doesn't fit into your plans."
Just then, a powerful magical blast struck nearby, and Kin's voice called out from behind the lines. "You two have it easy," he said sarcastically, his form visible as he chanted another spell. "Us Humans actually have to say our spells."
Olga shot Kin a knowing glance. "As it should be," she said with a smirk. "For lonely Humans."
Aiden let out a dry chuckle at the exchange, though his mind was already moving on to the next phase of his strategy. The alliance with Olga was temporary, and the battles ahead would only grow more complicated.
On the battlefield, Chloe moved gracefully through the swarm of Orcs, her blades slicing through their ranks with expert precision. An Orc lunged at her, mouth open wide as it sought to devour her, but before it could reach her, it was sliced clean in half by a series of razor-sharp strings. Kotarou appeared at her side, his hands still weaving the threads of death.
Kotarou glanced at Chloe, his eyes cold yet focused as he wiped the blood from his face. "Keep your eyes open," he said, his tone sharp. "And watch out for my strings."
Chloe, still catching her breath from the battle, blushed slightly at the sudden attention. "Yeah, yeah, I will," she muttered, her voice a little embarrassed.
Just as another wave of Orcs charged, a gust of cold air swept through the battlefield, and a barrage of ice spells exploded into the Orc horde, freezing them in place. The attackers quickly scattered, and as the smoke cleared, the graceful figure of Tamamo stood tall, her nine tails swaying elegantly behind her, her smile radiant as always.
Kotarou raised an eyebrow at her entrance. "You sure like to show off, Spirit Fox," he remarked dryly.
Tamamo winked at him, unfazed by the comment. "A little showmanship never hurt anyone," she teased, clearly enjoying herself. "Besides, it's fun to make an entrance."
From behind, the low growl of Fenrir rumbled through the air as he emerged, flames burning brightly around him, incinerating a few Orcs while leaving others alive for interrogation. "She's only trying to embarrass Aiden to become one of his lovers," Fenrir said with a smirk, his sharp eyes watching Tamamo closely.
Tamamo chuckled lightly at Fenrir's comment, then looked at him with a playful glint in her eye. "As expected from the first ally of Lord Aiden," she said, her tone affectionate. "He chose well with you, Inferno Wolf Fenrir."
Fenrir snorted, the flames around him flaring up as he turned his attention back to the Orcs. "Just make sure you don't get too carried away. Aiden won't appreciate you showing off like that when there's work to be done."
The small group moved as a seamless unit, each playing their part in the fight as they cut through the Orcs and prepared for what came next. It was a temporary alliance, a necessary one for now, but beneath the camaraderie was the understanding that each of them was playing their own game. And as the battle raged on, Aiden's ultimate plan would unfold—one that none of them could predict entirely, not even him.
The clash of steel, the crackle of magic, and the roars of Orcs filled the air as the battle continued to rage across the battlefield. The alliance of humans, goblins, and monsters pressed on, cutting through the Orc horde with brutal efficiency. But despite the overwhelming numbers on their side, Aiden knew this was only the beginning.
A few hundred meters away, the situation in the heart of the battle was just as chaotic. Aidan, standing alongside Olga and Celestine, surveyed the battlefield with a cold, calculating gaze. He had to maintain control, manage his forces, and ensure that no one got too caught up in their personal vendettas. The plan needed to remain intact.
"I'll be the one to kill the Orc King," Aiden muttered under his breath, but his tone was laced with a mix of contempt and indifference.
Olga, her expression unreadable as always, glanced at him. "You're sure that's what you want to do?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern. "You know how difficult that will be."
"I don't need your concern," Aiden snapped back, his eyes narrowing. "I've handled worse, and besides, once I kill their leader, the rest will scatter."
Celestine stepped forward, raising her hand to stop the exchange. "Aiden's right," she said, her tone firm. "The Orcs will lose their will to fight once their King is dead. They're nothing but a pack of wild beasts following a leader. Once that leader falls, so will their morale."
Aiden gave her a brief nod but didn't respond, his mind already focused on the task ahead. His eyes briefly flicked over to the group—Tamamo was still dazzling the battlefield with her magic, Kotarou was expertly weaving his strings, and Fenrir's infernal flames were burning through the Orcs with relentless intensity.
The Orcs were beginning to retreat in small pockets as their lines began to break. This was it—the Orc King was about to make his move.
Suddenly, Aiden felt the ground tremble beneath him. His senses sharpened, and in an instant, he saw the massive Orc King charging through the battlefield. His body was adorned in thick, jagged armor, and his eyes glowed with a fierce rage. The Orc King was bigger and more intimidating than anything Aiden had encountered up until now. But that didn't matter. He was going to end this once and for all.
Olga stepped forward as well, her dark magic swirling around her as she prepared for the upcoming confrontation. "This is it," she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Stay focused."
Without another word, Aiden launched himself forward, his body shifting and flowing with the deadly energy he controlled. The air crackled with lightning as Aiden called upon his vast stores of magic, summoning bolts of pure power that tore through the ranks of the Orcs and created a clear path for him to reach their leader.
The Orc King roared, slamming his massive club into the ground, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. But Aiden didn't hesitate. With a burst of speed, he was on the Orc King, his hand reaching out to grab the beast's arm.
"You are nothing," Aiden hissed through clenched teeth, his power surging as he wrapped the Orc King in a cage of black lightning. The creature roared in agony, but it couldn't break free. Aiden tightened his grip, pulling the Orc King into the air.
"You think you can stop me?" the Orc King bellowed, his voice a deep, guttural growl. "I am the leader of these monsters! You will never defeat me!"
Aiden smirked. "You're right about one thing—you're not going to survive this."
With that, Aiden unleashed the full force of his magic, a torrent of destructive energy cascading from his hands. The Orc King's body writhed in the electrical storm, his screams drowned out by the roar of thunder. The power surged, and in a final flash of blinding light, the Orc King's body disintegrated into nothingness.
Back with Maia, Claudia, Gobta and Prince they took down there Orc, and even capture some.
Maia frowned as she wiped the sweat from her brow, surveying the battlefield littered with fallen Orcs. Her blade still gleamed with blood, but her mind was already racing ahead, thinking of the next steps. "So where exactly is Vault?" she repeated, her impatience creeping into her voice.
Claudia, ever the composed one, glanced at Maia before answering, "He's in the heart of it all—the Neutral Area. The very center of this whole mess." She gestured vaguely toward the horizon where the chaos still raged. "But it's not a place anyone can just walk into without consequences."
Gobta, riding on his Inferno wolf and wiping blood from his face, added, "Well, consider him dead. No way he's surviving in there, especially with Sion and Sakura helping. Even they won't be able to hold everything back for long."
Prince, who had been quietly scanning the battlefield, finally spoke, his voice low and thoughtful. "And then there's her." He paused, as if the name alone made him uneasy. "Radomira. Lord Aiden sent her to help Vault. But why? No one's seen her, no one knows anything about her, not even the princess knights. It's all too... strange."
Maia raised an eyebrow at Prince's words, sensing a layer of tension in his tone. "What do you mean by that? You sound like you know something more."
Prince avoided her gaze, choosing instead to look off into the distance, where the sky was starting to turn a dark purple with the onset of twilight. "Nothing that matters. Just... be careful who you trust around here," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Claudia watched him carefully, but didn't press further. She knew there were things better left unsaid, especially if it involved Radomira. Maia, though, couldn't help but feel a growing curiosity.
"Fine," Maia finally said, sheathing her blade. "We need to find Vault, and we need to do it fast. If Radomira's involved, then things are more complicated than we thought. We can't afford to waste time."
Gobta, his mood visibly lighter after the fight, nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we'll figure it out. I'll track his scent!" He patted his wolf's neck, giving it an affectionate scratch.
Prince rolled his eyes but didn't object. "Alright, then. Let's go find Vault and finish this."
As the group set off toward the Neutral Area, the sky darkened further, the sound of their footsteps mingling with the distant roars of the remaining Orcs. Maia's thoughts lingered on Radomira, and what role she truly played in all of this. Something about the enigmatic woman didn't sit right with her, and she had a feeling that sooner or later, Radomira's hidden motives would come to the forefront.
But for now, their mission was clear: find Vault, neutralize the threat, and deal with whatever darkness awaited them in the heart of the battle.
Back with Aiden, he kicked away the Orc king as then the Orc king charges to him ready to slammed him down, as Aiden turned back to a slime and blasted him with a lot of lighting, the orc king grabbed his arm and ribbed Aiden arms of, it was during this time he was a slime and thank Truth for it, Aiden then slammed his hand on the ground as nature came out as it sent him black, as Aiden then used a few nature abilities as he started to use the tree's and everything.
Aiden just sighed as he spoke to great sage. "I think it is time I eat him up".
Great sage then spoke. "The orc king also has Glutiny, your Glutiny + his Glutiny may make a new skill".
Aiden then tunred his body into a slime, as his yellow body both shocked and covered the Orc as now they were in his mental mind
Aiden looked at the Orc king. "So tell me why are you doing this".
The orc king sad down as he looked at him. "My people were hungry, woman, children and men were dying under my watch and I can't do anything about it".
Aiden, still in the form of a slime, hovered over the Orc King, his yellow body pulsating with energy. The powerful orc, who had just moments ago been in a fierce struggle with Aiden, was now seated on the ground, looking utterly defeated and resigned. His once-burly form sagged with the weight of his words, as if the fight had drained more than just his body.
Aiden's voice, though distant and ethereal, held a sharp edge. "So you're telling me you're doing this out of desperation?" He floated closer to the Orc King, his glowing slime body twisting and pulsating with an almost predatory air.
The Orc King, who had been attempting to regain some form of pride in the heat of battle, now seemed to collapse inward, lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts. "I wasn't always this way," he grumbled, his voice rough with regret. "I was once a protector of my people. But when the famine came... the food... it became scarce. The women and children suffered the most. I couldn't watch them starve. I had to find a way to save them, even if it meant turning to this dark power." His eyes, bloodshot from fatigue and sorrow, met Aiden's.
Aiden's form hovered still for a moment, processing the information. The Orc King's desperation was palpable, his soul raw with guilt and grief. Despite the threat he posed, Aiden could sense the primal instinct for survival that had driven the king to make the choices he did.
"But you don't have to keep doing this," Aiden said softly, his voice almost calm for a moment. "You think power will solve everything, but it only fuels the cycle of suffering. Your people aren't the only ones hurting—you're just passing the pain on. This... gluttony of yours, it isn't the answer. It's a curse."
The Orc King's hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles white from the internal conflict. "I know! But I couldn't let them die... I couldn't bear the screams of the children. The hunger... it was like a beast tearing at my insides. I thought... if I could take more, if I could feed them with what I took... maybe it would be enough."
Aiden listened to the orc's painful confession, his slime form pulsating with an eerie understanding. The truth of it all was that the Orc King had been a victim of his own choices—corrupted by hunger, driven mad by the need to protect his people at all costs. It was an old story, one Aiden knew too well, but that didn't mean he would let it continue.
"Enough," Aiden said, his voice sharpening as he turned his attention inward. "You've had your chance at redemption. It's time to face the consequences of your actions."
Before the Orc King could protest, Aiden's slime body surged forward, encasing the orc in his yellow form. The Orc King attempted to resist, but his body was powerless against the grip of Aiden's slime.
The Gluttony... Aiden thought to himself, activating the ability as Great Sage's voice rang in his mind.
"Warning: Gluttony + Gluttony combined. A new skill is forming..."
Aiden's mind whirred as the skill took shape. The orc's gluttonous hunger, combined with Aiden's own, began to warp the environment within the Orc King's mental space.
"Give in," Aiden spoke, his voice reverberating through the Orc King's mind. "Let me consume your hunger, your regrets, your pain. Let it end."
The Orc King's figure trembled in response, his body growing weaker as Aiden's slime form consumed the power that had driven him—his hunger, his despair, and his gluttonous lust for more. Slowly, Aiden's body absorbed all that remained of the orc's power, growing stronger with every moment, as his gluttony merged with the Orc King's.
Suddenly, the mental realm shifted. Aiden was now standing face-to-face with a strange, monstrous form—an amalgamation of both his and the Orc King's desires, a distorted fusion of gluttonous hunger and raw, untamed power. The beast stared at him, its eyes filled with a strange mix of fear and longing.
Aiden grimaced. So this is what happens when gluttony merges. Interesting...
But he didn't need to test the new power further. Aiden took a deep breath, and with one final push, he rejected the overwhelming hunger that tried to take over his mind. The Orc King's essence shattered into nothingness, and the monstrous form that had emerged crumbled into dust.
Back in the physical world, Aiden floated in the air, his slime body reverting to its normal yellow hue. The struggle was over. The Orc King's power had been consumed, and his reign of terror had come to an end. The battlefield was silent, the only sound now being the distant echoes of battle as his allies continued to fight.
Aiden looked around, noting the aftermath of the chaos. "One more down... But the job isn't done yet," he muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the battlefield. He could feel the weight of his new power, a twisted combination of hunger and strength, but he knew he couldn't afford to linger on it.
The war was still raging, and there were more battles to fight.
"Aiden..." Great Sage's voice broke into his thoughts. "You have successfully gained the Gluttony skill, but be cautious. Its power is not to be underestimated. Use it wisely."
Aiden nodded, feeling the dangerous surge of energy within him. "I know, Sage. But right now, I have more pressing matters to deal with."
And with that, Aiden set his sights on the next enemy, ready to continue the war.
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones and enjoy