Chapter 44
“Mok! Mok! Mok! Mok! Mok!”
The open field located right in front of the capital of the Empire.
Gathered in that vast plain were numerous Orcs, armed with weapons stolen from the Imperial Army. Their grand force, totalling up to 40,000 troops, was chanting one Orc’s name at this moment.
A being who had achieved victory over humans and was now turning what was once considered a mere illusion into a reality.
Mok.
Seeing him raise his axe high on the platform, the Orcs’ cheers grew even louder.
“For the Mok!!!”
“Waaaaaaa!!!!!!!”
The ground seemed to shake under the deafening roar of the Orcs.
However, despite the enthusiastic cheers, all of the Orcs present were already aware.
The upcoming advance toward the Imperial Capital.
The battle where the appearance of the Goddess was all but certain.
They knew that this would be the hardest and most difficult undertaking yet.
Perhaps, none of them here would return alive from this path.
But, even so, their resolve was unwavering.
The Orcs, who had been unable to put up proper resistance due to the brainwashing magic and had to swallow their anger all this time.
Yet, even if their minds were oppressed, and chains were wrapped around their bodies—
Their anger at being exploited by humans had never disappeared.
The rage of having to endure exploitation by humans.
The rage of losing their children at the hands of humans.
The chance to resolve all those emotions with their own hands…
Even if it led to a path of death, it made the Orcs feel a strange sense of elation.
“For the Orks! For victory!”
“Waaaaaaa!!!!!!!”
And so, with Mok’s declaration, the Orcs began their advance.
Watching the countless waves of green surging forward like a tidal wave, the general defending the fortress, Roa, unconsciously swallowed dryly.
The Orcs possessed an overwhelming force, four times larger than their own.
The pressure alone made even Roa, who was seasoned in battle, feel a momentary fear.
Although they were in a defensive position, the truth was that the fortress’s defenses were not very strong.
The fortress walls, more ornamental than practical, were absurdly low, and the soldiers’ morale was at rock bottom.
Furthermore, their forces were overwhelmingly inferior to the enemy.
If the battle were to proceed normally, it would undoubtedly end in their defeat, a fact they were well aware of.
And in fact, things started to unfold that way.
“Kuaaaah!”
“Damn it! Shoot! Keep shooting arrows! We have to stop them from climbing up somehow!”
Soldiers shouted urgently.
Arrows were being shot desperately at the Orcs from the fortress walls.
However, despite such efforts, the Orcs continued their advance without flinching.
The thick, sturdy hide of the Orcs easily deflected a few arrows.
Their movement speed was terrifying, and their brute strength was unmatched in close combat, making them monstrous opponents.
Trying to hold off such foes like this was an act of sheer madness, as if they were voluntarily stepping into a coffin.
Indeed, it hadn’t even been that long, yet Orcs were already climbing up the fortress walls one by one.
Even the fortress gates were barely hanging on and were on the verge of breaking.
The fortress, seemingly about to fall at any moment.
But.
Despite this harsh reality, Roa knew.
In this war,
No matter what happened, they would not lose.
Even if the Orcs killed his subordinates right now, it didn’t matter much to him.
They were all just offerings to be used for His movements.
And soon…
Once the number was matched…
‘It’s here!’
—KABOOM!!!
A terrifying explosion suddenly echoed.
It came from the fortress gates that the Orcs had been desperately trying to destroy just moments ago.
The gates, now shattered into pieces, revealed a clear path into the Imperial capital.
However.
Despite this, the Orcs could not advance any further.
The massive explosion that had just occurred.
It came from inside the gates and had swallowed dozens of Orcs in an instant.
Realizing what had caused it, the expressions of the Orcs began to stiffen.
“Wh-what is that?”
“A human… woman?”
“No… No! That… that’s…”
A woman with red hair fluttering in the wind slowly approached.
At first glance, she looked like a very tall human woman, but in this moment, the Orcs could instinctively feel it.
That she was exactly what Mok had warned them about.
The Goddess.
“She’s a Goddess!”
“The Goddess is here!”
“Kill the Goddess!”
“For Seraphim!!!”
Despite the appearance of the Goddess, the Orcs’ fighting spirit only burned brighter.
They began swinging their clubs and axes at her, charging forward against the being that was almost twice their size.
The Goddess swung her hand lightly toward the rushing Orcs.
Then—
—KABOOM!!!
A blinding flash of lightning.
Accompanied by a terrifying sound that tore through their ears, an explosion erupted.
With a single strike, dozens of Orcs who had charged at her were instantly killed, their bodies torn apart by the lightning.
Thud, thud, thud…
The remains of the Orcs fell in pieces in front of her.
Faced with such a horrifying and overwhelming scene, the Orcs at the back hesitated for a moment.
{How foolish and futile you are. If you had obediently remained as slaves, you would not have had to die like this… How can you not see that?}
“Grrr… Grrrr…”
“You…!”
{But… I am merciful. If you kneel and apologize even now, I might let you keep your lives.}
Her words were full of mockery and confidence.
The Orcs felt an even deeper anger at her seemingly provocative words, but…
In that moment, they couldn’t take another step forward.
Their instincts were screaming.
That they would die.
That they should run away from here.
Or else kneel immediately and beg for mercy from this being.
{Come on, kneel.}
If they were ordinary humans, they would have already surrendered long ago.
But.
“…Ugh… Aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!”
Even in the face of extreme fear, the Orcs let out a battle cry.
At that moment, a golden Divine Power began to shimmer on their bodies.
It was the power they had received after drinking Seraphim’s holy water.
As the power engraved into their souls activated, the Orcs shook off their fear and reignited their fighting spirit.
“We will no longer be slaves!!!!”
“Die, Goddess!!!!”
“For Seraphim!!!!!”
Shouting the name of the god who had offered them salvation, the Orcs charged forward once again.
With golden Divine Power blazing around them, they brandished their weapons wildly, almost in a frenzy, as they attacked the Goddess.
But.
{Even after I’ve given you a chance to live, you still choose death…}
With those words, the Goddess Isiris’s body began to crackle with what looked like a burning flame of lightning.
She extended her hand toward the charging Orcs.
With a cold expression filled with fury.
{You refused mercy, so death is your only fate. Witness the price of your foolishness, mortal beings! <Arrow of Judgment>}
A bolt of lightning shot out from the Goddess’s fingertips.
A devastating flash of destruction that no mortal could dare to resist.
It leapt and danced wildly as if alive, blowing apart the bodies of the charging Orcs.
“Guaaaah!!!”
“For… the… Orks…”
“For… Sera… phim…”
With each strike of lightning from the Goddess’s hand, dozens of Orcs perished.
Even though they hadn’t even touched a single hair on the Goddess’s body, the damage only continued to grow, like a snowball rolling downhill.
Yet…
Even so, the Orcs’ advance did not stop.
Even as their comrades died right before their eyes,
Even as the flesh of their fallen companions flew towards them.
Even as the shadow of death loomed closer and closer over them.
They burned their own bodies, relentlessly marching forward.
Even though they had not fully broken free from the chains of slavery,
This was the Orcs’ way as warriors.
No matter how strong the enemy, they would fight bravely until the last one fell.
Following the instincts flowing in the red blood within their bodies.
They did not stop advancing until the very end as warriors.
And they died.
Against the overwhelming power of the Goddess.
Without leaving a single scratch on her body.
Meanwhile.
The one standing against such a reckless charge.
The Goddess Isiris found her expression gradually growing more and more irritated as time passed.
‘Why…? Why do these creatures continue…?’
The Orcs, who continued to charge without any semblance of order, despite knowing they would die.
Their behaviour began to sow doubt in the Goddess Isiris’s heart.
She had seen many humans before.
Among them were those who sacrificed themselves for their families,
And even those who offered their lives for the sake of a great cause.
But.
No matter how well-trained a military unit was, no matter how brave the warriors were—
“They’ve never thrown away their lives so recklessly in a battle they couldn’t win before.”
“Not hundreds or thousands, but tens of thousands at once.”
“Why?”
“What could possibly be driving these creatures to act like this?”
The moment her doubts about the nature of the Orcs’ behaviour continued to grow—
“Hyaaaahhh!!!”
{!}
—Clang!!!
Something struck her fingertips with a sharp sound.
Realizing what it was, a faint smile appeared on Goddess Isiris’s lips.
{So… it’s you. You must be the one called Mok.}
“Guh…!”
A being that gave off a completely different impression from the other Orcs.
It wasn’t just because of his appearance or demeanour.
The density of his Divine Power.
While the other Orcs only had a thin layer of it around them, this one was different.
It was as if an invisible hand was directly enveloping him.
If he were human, it would be akin to having a level of divine power that surpassed even that of a High Priest.
That’s why he was able to dare strike her fingers with his mortal body…
{I commend you for making it this far.}
“Kuhk!!”
Even so, her fingers didn’t break; they didn’t even suffer a scratch.
No matter how much a mortal struggled, it was fundamentally impossible to inflict meaningful damage on her.
Even though stopping her for a split second might seem impressive in itself, the result was just a hint of surprise.
That’s all it was.
{Well then… since things have come to this, I’ll ask you just one thing before I kill you. It would be wise to answer if you want a quick death.}
“Krrr… Urk…”
With just a gesture, the Goddess Isiris slowly lifted Mok into the air.
It would be easy to simply snap his neck right now, but since it had come to this, she wanted to solve this small mystery first.
{What are you thinking? You, more than anyone, should know that even if tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of you gathered, you cannot defeat me. Why, then, do you drive your people into such meaningless deaths?}
“Krrr… Kkk… Kkkk…”
{?}
Suddenly, Mok began to laugh.
Perplexed by the incomprehensible situation, the Goddess decided to inflict some pain on him.
If she gave him just a light shock, perhaps he would become more compliant…
“It’s… because of this. All of this… was to turn your attention away.”
{What are you talking about…!?}
In that instant, an incredibly sinister aura began to emerge.
Isiris’s gaze shifted from Mok to the sky above.
‘!… C-Could it be? Did they break the Barrier Stone?’
One fact flashed through her mind.
And at that realization, her expression quickly shifted from curiosity to shock.
It was disappearing.
The barrier that had enveloped the Empire.
The power that blocked the direct interference of other gods.
And immediately after—
From the sky, accompanied by a brilliant light.
‘It’ began to Reveal itself.
[Be Not Afraid]
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