Chapter 124 – Decisive Battle (2)

The earth shook as the world tree raised its body. The roots rose from the earth and the branches shook the atmosphere. The orcs stepped backward for the first time at the spectacle. The dark elves forgot their words and gazed blankly at the shocking sight. It was the wrath of the world tree.

“Kuhahahahahat!”

Calmahart laughed like he was enjoying the sight before him. He lifted his axe. The world tree was around the size as a mountain, but he didn’t care at all. Instead, the red energy around his body increased in intensity as he prepared to fight against the world tree.

“The day has come!”

Calmahart was emitting a dark red aura from his whole body. His voice was mixed with an insidious aura. It didn’t seem like Calmahart, but something else in his body.

“I have been waiting for today, Lulenka!”

Calmahart’s voice rang through the battlefield. The world tree waved its branches. The thick trunks moved like the tentacles of a creature. The dark elves and orcs withdrew. It was a fight between Calmahart and the world tree.

Huuuuuuong!

The world tree struck at Calmahart, scattering green energy. The branches caused blasts of winds to blow. The ground shook and debris was scattered. But Calmahart wasn’t in that place. Calmahart avoided all the branches and moved ahead, aiming his double-edged axe towards the body of the world tree. The bark of the tree was broken and the interior was revealed.

“Kuhahahahahat!”

Calmahart went after the rest of the world tree, which would tear every time the double-edged axe hit it. The world tree mourned. Just like a woodcutter, Calmahart hit the world tree with its double-edged axe.

The world tree angrily waved its branches. This time, Calmahart was unable to dodge and was hit.

Kwaaaaang!

His body was thrown and he slammed into the ground. He was in shock for a while. However, Calmahart rose again and wildly rushed the world tree again like he couldn’t feel any pain. The world tree tried to stop him several times, but Calmahart just received the blows with his double-edged axe. The branches were cut and sap flowed down.

“Kuaaahhhh!”

Calmahart roared.

Once again, the world tree and Calmahart confronted each other. The fight of transcendent beings!

The dark elves and orcs recovered from the sight and started to fight again. The battle of the world tree and the great chieftain. The melee between orcs and dark elves. Bodies piled on top of each other.

Crockta felt lost in the middle of this scenery. There were no more orcs running towards him. There were countless orc bodies around him. He turned his body. Orcs and dark elves wielded their weapons. Sometimes arrows flew. The arrows of the dark elves pierced the orcs while their weapons pierced other dark elves.

The chaos continued.

He could see the exhausted Tiyo in the distance. He was leaning against Anor due to the aftermath of General’s rampage. A weary face. It was the same for Anor. The necromancer was active in raising bodies but there was a limit to the power. Right now, he could only raise a handful of bodies to keep the nearby orcs in check.

Crockta shifted his foot.

He saw the dead among the dark elves. There were some familiar and unfamiliar faces. The guard he met at Spinoa, the captain those name he discovered in Nameragon. A dark elf with only one eye was grieving as he looked at a corpse on the battlefield.

Such a tragedy was continuing.

Suddenly, he found a familiar face. Crockta fell to his knees.

It was Caska. Her eyes stared at the distant sky without seeing anything, her stomach torn apart. All animation was drained from her body, making her seem like a doll. She always smiled like she was provoking him, and he never knew if her confession was a joke or not. Crockta forced this feeling down.

He couldn’t wallow in sentimentality on the battlefield. Crockta looked at her with burning eyes. She still had a tight grip on her bow. He laid her hand on her chest and closed her eyes.

He got up. He found Radet facing an orc with his bastard sword. Crockta ran towards him. Just before Crockta arrived, the orc’s halberd broke one of his wrists and his hand flew through the air. Radet winced as blood flowed. The orc’s halberd didn’t stop and headed towards his neck.

Crockta ran and attacked the orc. Ogre Slayer pierced the orc’s body. The orc had moderate skills and survived Crockta’s attack, but lost his balance and fell down. Crockta’s greatsword descended towards his head.

There was no resistance. The opponent died without a sound. Radet grabbed the hand that he lost and gazed at Crockta. Crockta patted his shoulder instead of talking. The dark elves in charge of medical tasks ran to Radet.

Crockta passed through them and headed for Calmahart, who was fighting the world tree. He needed to cut Calmahart down. The world tree wielded its branches and struck Calmahart. Calmahart struck them. Every time the axe cut one of the branches, the sap dripped out.

Calmahart gradually became more overwhelming. The movements of the world tree became dull and more branches were cut off by Calmahart’s axe. The evil red energy springing from Calmahart’s body seemed to shatter the green vigor of the world tree.

“Crockta.”

Caburak approached him and said, “Calmahart is strange.”

Crockta turned to him and Caburak continued, “The spirit has taken over, with the help of Calmahart’s lust for power, and the spirit’s power has become his power. That is no longer Calmahart, it is just a devil wearing the mask of an orc.”

Crockta nodded. He could feel it. He had felt it as Calmahart emitted a terrifying power. Behind him, there was always an unknown shaman.

Caburak stared at Crockta and said, “He will destroy the north.”

“Yes, if it continues like this.”

Crockta didn’t take his eyes of Calmahart. Calmahart was laughing madly as he aimed his axe at the mighty body of the world tree. Every time his axe moved, the surface of the world tree would burst. He would trample on everything himself.

“Yes, if this continues. Kyulkyulkyul.” Caburak laughed, “Crockta.”

“Caburak.”

“Will we act?”

“Of course.”

Caburak laughed and then led the way. “Then let’s go.”

He didn’t know what Caburak, who lost his power, was capable of doing, but his back was resolute. Crockta followed him.

Calmahart continued to strike the world tree without being aware of the existence of Crockta and Caburak. Calmahart was on the offensive against the world tree. However, eventually, the world tree was damaged by the double-edged axe. The battle against the world tree was dominated by Calmahart’s power. In the first place, the nature of their powers was different.

Calmahart’s strength was the power of destruction.

“Get started.”

Caburak started to chant a spell. He didn’t have much magic power left. But the atmosphere changed. Crockta’s eyes widened. It was obvious that magic power he shouldn’t have was continuously emerging.

“Caburak!”

Crockta realized something. Caburak was casting the magic with his remaining life force.

“The more you use your magic power…!”

Caburak grinned instead of answering. Crockta was silent. He couldn’t stop Caburak. It wasn’t just Caburak, Crockta himself would risk his life. In order to stop Calmahart, everyone had to put everything on the line.

This fight could only end in someone’s destruction.

Within a short period of time, Caburak’s mysterious magic power tangled up with the world tree. Calmahart’s gaze turned towards him. The presence inside Calmahart had finally noticed them. His expression changed upon finding Caburak.

“You──────!”

Caburak’s magic wound around Calmahart. Then it started to push at his red energy. The broken cross pattern flashed on Calmahart’s forehead. As if separating the two of them, the shape of the being inside Calmahart’s body started to rise above his head. It twisted and resisted the magic.

“Impossible──────!”

Crockta watched carefully.

The strange image of a demon was above Calmahart. This was a true darkness. The image of an ugly demon in the darkness. The captured demon glared at Caburak and Crockta. As if trying to be separated from Caburak’s power, the form repeatedly overlapped on Calmahart. It was like an out of focus blue as two shapes overlapped over one.

Caburak shouted, “We meet again!”

“Kuaaaah!”

“You are neither Calmahart or an orc!”

Calmahart grabbed his head. Caburak’s magic drove him.

“Reveal your identity!”

“Kuaaah!”

“Who are you?”

“I…!”

Calmahart’s eyes turned red. At the same time, the illusion of the demon above Calmahart disappeared. It became quiet. At the sudden situation, both the dark elves and orcs stopped fighting and watched Calmahart.

Calmahart stood tall and said, “I am a tribulation.”

He took one step. The world tree, which had already been struck again and again by the axe, spilled its sap. The branches tried to attack him but when Calmahart raised his axe, it paused and stopped.

Calmahart laughed as he looked at Caburak and Crockta. Now the being had completely taken over Calmahart’s flesh.

“I am the one who makes the world starve, the one who cleanses the world with screams, the nightmares you have made yourself, the tribulation.”

“The greedy and stupid Calmahart has accepted me; and with his body, I will fill this world with endless tribulation.”

“I will kill you, remove the foolish Lulenka and drive the continent back into the flames of endless war.”

“Scream. I am here to help you do that.”

He held his axe. There was already a lot of fatigue.

“Now, kill. Orcs, follow me and throw the world into chaos. Repeat the endless tribulations.”

Caburak flopped down. His hair had turned white. He had exhausted all his strength. Then he said, “Crockta. Stop the orcs. I know that it is huge…”

The war was already lost. There were many more orcs standing than dark elves. The dark elves were barely holding on, and if the fight continued, only the orcs would be left standing. It was flowing according to the will of the demonic existence.

Crockta looked around at the orcs. The orcs were perplexed by Calmahart’s strange attitude.

“Drop the futile hope. Crockta.”

Calmahart approached. Crockta hurriedly retreated. Calmahart looked down at him with the axe on his shoulder. The image of the demon seemed to be reflected in Calmahart’s ugly face.

“The orcs follow the great chieftain.”

As the wickedness in Calmahart’s eyes exploded, the red power around the orcs strengthened. The orcs growled. The madness that longed for blood was spreading once again. It wasn’t a normal appearance.

Calmahart roared loudly. The orcs raised their weapons and responded to him, “The great chieftain Calmahart commands you──────!”

Calmahart pointed to Crockta and Caburak as he commanded, “Kill those bastards!”

The orcs encircled them slowly. The dark elves no longer had the power to fight back. All support troops were killed or wounded. It was the orcs’ victory.

“Kuoh…”

Caburak closed his eyes. Calmahart’s true colors might’ve been revealed, but the orcs still didn’t give up their allegiance to him. To the orcs, the command of the great chieftain was absolute. Right now, their loyalty to the great chieftain was combined with the demon’s madness. No matter Calmahart’s identity, his commands were the top priority.

“There is no way,” Crockta muttered.

He couldn’t see a path. Calmahart was a monster and defeated the world tree. The dark elves were mostly wiped out. Strength and numbers, everything was lacking. The north would soon fall into the hands of the demon.

“It is up to here.”

He couldn’t always win in wars. This was an extremely unfavorable war they had struggled to win, but there was nothing more he could do.

At that moment.

“Everyone stop──────!”

An orc from the Great Clan walked out. All eyes turned to him.

He lifted his axe towards Calmahart.

***

Surka couldn’t believe his eyes when the image of the demon appeared above the great chieftain’s body.

That was Calmahart. There was something above Calmahart’s head. It called itself the tribulation.

All his uneasy feelings and suspicions so far were true. One of the countless gods in the world, but it was one of the old villains that had been buried long ago and whose origins had been forgotten.

“Kill those bastards!”

The great chieftain commanded. He started moving. The Great Clan followed the great chieftain. It was a law that had kept for a long time.

At the same time, the red aura covered Surka’s head so that he could no longer think clearly. The combat instincts, the craving for blood and violence filled his head. He wanted to kill the enemy and drink their blood.

Surka desperately resisted. This was a battle between the fate of the north and the northern orcs. He had to stop this. He was the son of a great warrior, Shiktulla of the Steel Axe Tribe.

‘Where is your honor as a warrior?’

He remembered Crockta’s words that caused him to feel a thrill.

Honor. They had honor. But the demon was covering the eyes of the northern orcs.

Surka stepped forward and shouted with all his power, “Everyone stop──────!”

The orcs stopped for a moment, multiple red eyes turning towards him.

He couldn’t help laughing. It was a strange thing.

When he followed the words of the great chieftain, he kept doubting himself. Even though all the orcs of the Great Clan did the same thing, his mind continued to shake like they were making a terrible mistake.

Now he was going against the great chieftain and putting himself in danger. A strange confidence filled his mind. This wasn’t wrong, even if he ended up dying. He would never be ashamed. It was an emotion he hadn’t felt for a long time.

Self pride. He had confidence in his decisions. As he thought this, the madness disturbing his head faded.

Surka said to Calmahart. “I no longer recognize you as the great chieftain.”

Calmahart laughed, “Surka, my stupid child. It doesn’t matter if one of you disappears.”

“Don’t call yourself my father when you have already sold your soul! My father was a real warrior!”

Surka raised his axe and ran towards Calmahart. He used all his power. However, he was thrown back by Calmahart. It was the overwhelming power difference. Surka rolled to the ground. He barely managed to get up. It might be a single blow but the insides of his body were shaking and blood emerged from his mouth.

“That’s enough.”

A monster. He looked around. The orcs of the Great Clan were still looking at him with red eyes filled with madness.

There was only one way to save them all. And it was something that he couldn’t do. Surka looked at Crockta.

“Crockta.”

Surka had watched him from a distance, but this was the first time facing him directly. Crockta’s eyes turned to him. An orc with full body tattoos, a red headband, and a greatsword. An honorable warrior from the continent.

Surka called him over. Crockta narrowed his eyes and approached. Surka whispered to him.

“……”

Crockta’s eyes grew bigger as he heard Surka’s words. He looked down at Surka.

“Really.” Surka smiled and spat out blood. “Crockta, we are orcs.”

“……”

“The great chieftain has fallen to the wicked god, but we have our honor. We won’t forget our roots just because of the evil energy. It is true for all the orcs here.”

Surka’s eyes shone.

“We will remember this much.”

As Surka and Crockta talked, Calmahart raised a hand, as if he didn’t like it. It was an order for the orcs to exterminate them.

“Crockta.”

Surka grinned. Then he grabbed Crockta’s arm.

“Please, save us.”

Crockta nodded. Then he looked at the great chieftain. It was an intense gaze.

Calmahart laughed in an insulting manner. “Kuhuhu, the ones who will soon die are having a conversation among themselves. Watch the world fall into tribulations.”

“Calmahart.” Crockta ignored his taunts and raised his greatsword. “I came from Orcrox on the continent.”

Calmahart cocked his head at Crockta’s words.

“What nonsense is this…?”

But that didn’t stop Crockta.

“My teacher is the great warrior Lenox. He taught me the laws of a warrior. I believe in that and won’t run away from a fight, even if it means my death. I know that honor is greater than death.”

Crockta’s voice rang through the battlefield. He aimed the tip of Ogre Slayer at Calmahart’s heart.

“I am an orc, a warrior.”

Calmahart’s face stiffened as he realized the situation. The most important law of the northern orcs. The sacred duel that no one could interfere with.

“My name is Crockta.”

Killing intent flashed in Crockta’s eyes.

“Calmahart, I challenge you to the position of great chieftain.”

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