The ground trembles, and the orcs advance through the forest, cutting down and toppling the trees.
Ravage! Ravage! Ravage! Ravage!
Shouting loudly, their eyes turn murky and yellow, the orc army moves through the forest.
To them, normal thought does not exist.
Anything that moves before their eyes is prey.
They are always hungry, and their thoughts are focused solely on eating their prey.
Thud.
Another companion falls.
They rejoice, thinking that more prey has been created.
The one who was once their companion, now nothing more than prey to them.
Though it still breathes, to them, it is merely proof of its freshness.
Those walking beside it immediately begin to dismember the prey.
The liver is given to the leader of the group, and the other parts are claimed by whoever gets to them first.
Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.
The surroundings are filled with revolting sounds.
They are always starving.
And the hungrier they get, the stronger their combat abilities become.
This is the power of the Unique Skill, "The Starving One (飢餓者ウエルモノ)."
The more they eat their starving companions, the hungrier they get, and the stronger they become.
They, the 200,000-strong orc army.
They are an army of destruction, tormented by the hellish hunger under the rule of the Orc Lord.
There is no salvation for them.
They merely act to satisfy their own hunger, but their hunger will never be filled...
It is an endless hell.
Before them, there was an ogre village.
They are D-rank monsters.
Normally, they would fear the B-rank ogres and would never dare to attack them.
However...
Ravage! Ravage! Ravage! Ravage!
Their steps do not stop.
Instead, they accelerate, driven by their hunger for prey.
The ogres charge with their immense strength!
Several companions are flung away, and some are killed by axes...
But to them, this only means that fresh prey has been produced.
They rejoice.
Hoping that their hunger will be slightly satisfied.
An ogre falls.
Quickly, several orcs surround it and begin to dismember it.
Bathed in blood, they seek out the meat. Ah... but it will never be enough.
However, the bodies of the orcs change, imbued with the strength of the ogres.
The ogres, swept away by the lower-ranking orcs, meet their end in despair, lamenting the futility of their overwhelming power...
Gradually, among the orcs, those with prominent strength begin to emerge.
Eating the strength of their fallen companions, making it their own!
Eating the strength of their fallen enemies, making it their own!!
And they continue to eat.
Ultimately, they do not fear death. Someday, their strength will be passed on to their king.
Their king.
To the side of the ultimate Orc Lord!
They continue their advance.
For the next prey is right before their eyes.
The lizardman chief, upon hearing the report, turns pale.
What he feared has become reality.
According to the report, a powerful ogre village, unable to hold out for even a day, was annihilated.
It seems they were overwhelmed by the orc horde.
There is no longer any doubt.
The Orc Lord has appeared.
Even if we compare numbers, 200,000 D-rank orcs are still D-rank. If we have 10,000 C+ rank lizardmen, we might be able to fight them on equal terms.
However, if the Orc Lord has appeared as feared, they are no longer D-rank.
We must assume their abilities have risen one or two levels.
At the very least, C-rank. There is even a possibility they have reached C+ rank.
Even with the numerical advantage, attacking them while we are weakened is difficult. If there is a power gap equivalent to one soldier, there is no chance of victory.
If the Orc Lord exists, we cannot expect them to run out of food.
Their numbers may decrease, but as an army, they will become stronger...
Furthermore, if reinforcements are possible, a siege might be effective, but if the exits are sealed, we will starve to death.
We have no choice but to charge out...
The chief is forced to make a bitter decision.
The response from Gabil, sent to seek the cooperation of the goblins, has not yet arrived.
However, in the current situation, the longer we wait, the more we risk strengthening the enemy.
Just as he felt the need to lead his army and set out...
He sensed the approach of a presence exuding a powerful aura, something he had never felt before.
The chief, sensing the aura that was not trying to hide, realized it would be best not to resist.
He called his subordinates to guide the being.
Even if this place is a labyrinth of the front lines, destroying the passages and sweeping through would render it meaningless.
He instinctively felt that the owner of this aura was capable of such a feat.
After a short wait,
Guided by his subordinates, a monster appeared.
With pale black skin, dark blue hair, blue eyes, and a height of about 190 cm, the monster was not particularly large for a monster. However, the aura it exuded was calm and flawless.
It was a monster that exuded overwhelming power.
About 100 lizardman warriors were on standby around it.
At his command, they were ready to attack en masse... but that would mean their death.
The chief, upon seeing the monster, felt a sense of resignation.
"Excuse me, I am currently busy and cannot offer proper hospitality.
What is your business here in such a place?"
The young lizardman warriors, their faces flushed, thought there was no need to be polite to such a suspicious monster.
The chief, while appreciating their emotions, felt it was dangerous now.
If they provoked this monster, there was a risk of being wiped out.
The young lizardmen lacked the overwhelming experience to gauge the enemy's capabilities.
Having lived long, the chief had developed a sense of crisis and could not gauge the strength of the monster before him.
However, as if reading the chief's thoughts,
"It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it.
My 'name' is Soue.
My master hopes for an alliance with you.
I have been ordered to arrange it. You can think of me as a messenger.
My master said he does not like the idea of abandoning you.
That's why I am proposing an alliance. Please give me your answer."
Without breaking his nonchalant attitude, he spoke.
Regardless of the content of the message...
It was concise. But it sounded as if the answer was already decided.
However... the chief thought.
Soue, the monster who called himself that, a "Named" monster with overwhelming power.
If the being he serves becomes our ally, we might be able to stand against the Orc Lord.
By calling it an alliance, it means it's not a one-sided subjugation. We will be treated as equals.
There is no choice but to accept this offer. That's what he thought.
At that moment,
"Chief! There's no need to let this guy talk however he wants!
We, the proud lizardmen, will not bow to some stray!"
"That's right! Gabil will return soon. We can handle the pigs on our own!"
"Hmm. That guy's master probably came running to us out of fear of the pigs.
Honestly, it would be better if he just asked for help. How pathetic!"
And so on, some of them spoke.
They were Gabil's subordinates, sent to seek the cooperation of the goblins.
The chief felt like he wanted to smack his tongue.
Even if they don't know the opponent's strength, to reject an alliance offer so casually...
Certainly, the messenger is rude, but as a messenger, it's not right for those without authority to act rudely.
Moreover, the messenger's rudeness is offset by the fact that a high-ranking being came here in person...
Thinking they were too hotheaded to be sent on negotiations, they came back to haunt him.
Did I anger him?
Thinking this, the chief looked at the monster who called himself Soue.
He was still looking at the chief, showing no intention of dealing with the noisy ones.
The chief felt relieved.
It would be disastrous if this offer was lost due to some hotheaded individuals.
"Be quiet!"
He shouted, silencing the noisy ones.
He instructed his guards,
"I will decide what to do. You have no right to speak! Reflect on your actions for a night!!!"
He had the young subordinates of Gabil taken to the dungeon.
It was noisy, but now was not the time.
Then, turning to the messenger,
"My kin have been rude. I want to accept this alliance. However, the situation is urgent.
Normally, I would set a place to meet your master, but there is no time for that.
If you come here, will there be any problems?"
He asked, suppressing his inner unease.
He was clearly asking the high-ranking being to come.
The messenger, ignoring the chief's unease,
"I understand. I think my master will be pleased with your answer. I leave it in your hands.
We will prepare and join you here.
When we meet, we will present you to my master. Do your best then!"
He accepted the answer as if it were natural.
It was as if he never considered the chief would refuse.
Or, if he had refused, would the fate of the lizardmen have been sealed on the spot? The thought crossed his mind.
It might not be an exaggeration.
The monster before him had that much power...
"We will join in five days. Until then, please stay alive. And do not engage in battle prematurely!"
Leaving those words, the monster disappeared from sight.
Silently, as if swallowed by a shadow.
Five days...
If we can hold out, we can manage somehow.
The orcs might have become stronger, but reinforcements are coming.
I don't know how many, but even one monster named Soue would be enough help.
It's wiser to wait for reinforcements and preserve our strength rather than rushing into battle with a slim chance of success.
The chief made his decision and declared to all,
"We will hold out! We will endure until reinforcements arrive!!!"
And the lizardmen, facing the impending decisive battle, quietly hid deep in the labyrinth.
Gabil opened his eyes.
It took some time to piece together what had happened.
Then, he rose angrily.
"You have awakened!"
His worried subordinates, the lizardmen.
"I caused you worry. It seems I fell into a trap..."
"A trap, you say?"
"Hmm. The Arang used a clever method...
They had their subordinates pretend to be the boss while the real boss fought me!
A dirty trick to make me let my guard down. They call themselves the conquerors of the plains, but they are just beasts.
Cowards, using such despicable means!
I was wrong to try to fight them honorably!"
"Indeed... that must be it. Otherwise, Gabil would never have lost."
"Exactly! Those Arang scum!!! What despicable acts!"
He reacted, and Gabil agreed.
That must be it. If he didn't think that way, he had no reason to lose.
But to think that a proud race would resort to such despicable acts...
Gabil was disappointed in the Arang.
"But, those who use such despicable means are not worth recruiting as allies!
Thinking that way, it might be for the best."
"You're right!"
"Indeed, indeed."
And Gabil and his group laughed heartily.
"However, I think it's strange that Gabil has been a warrior chief for so long."
"What?"
"No, it's not that you are lacking as a warrior chief, quite the opposite!
Isn't it a waste to be under that old chief forever?
"Continue."
"Yes. It's time to make that old man retire and let Gabil rule as the new chief of the lizardmen.
If you did, the ogres would never have looked down on us, I respectfully suggest."
"Indeed!
Using Gabil's strength to eliminate the inflexible among you and usher in a new era for the lizardmen would be the greatest joy!"
Gabil agreed.
"Do you all think the same? I have also been thinking that it's time for me to take action!
Will you fight with me?"
He looked around.
They all had the same gleam in their eyes, lost in thoughts of a new era for the lizardmen.
At that moment, there was no doubt that they would become the center of power.
Then,
"Will you represent us?"
One of them asked.
Gabil nodded confidently,
"Has the time come...? Very well! Let's fight together!!!"