News of the Demon Orc spread throughout the city. Everyone in the guild were preparing to fight this 'final boss'. However, I knew of something that none of the other adventurers knew.
The Lizardmen clans were also preparing for war and they would be marching against the Orc army soon. After I left the guild the next day, I immediately headed towards the Lizardman encampment an adventurer had scouted out yesterday. Once, I neared their camp, I caught sight of a Lizardman running towards the camp with an urgent look about his face.
"That Lizardman must be the scout." I mused.
Quickly, I snuck behind the scout and jumped on his back. While the Lizardman bucked about trying to shook me off, I wrapped my hands around his head and twisted with all my strength.
*SNAP!*
Once I broke his neck, I removed his face and made it into a mask. After hiding the body in some bushes, I donned on the Lizardman Scout mask and transformed. When the pain from the transformation subsided, I mused over what to report, before I pretended to stumble into the camp.
"Chieftain report!" I exclaimed.
"What is it? Have you found their fortress?" An old Lizardman asked impatiently. Apparently, he was the Chieftain of the Lizardman clan.
"Yes, but I found out that humans and other Beastmen are preparing to attack the Orc armies as well. I heard that these humans call themselves adventurers and that they are part of an 'Adventurer Guild'." I reported.
"Oh really?" Another elderly Lizardman rubbed his chin in thought. "Chieftain, what should we do? Should we call off the attack? What if those hairless monkeys decide to attack us as well? We can't suffer a pincer attack from both adventurers and Orcs!"
"If I may, Elder...I overheard that these adventurers' leader is asking for the help of many Beastmen as well as other races during their march towards the Orc encampment. I also heard that they even considered asking us for help." I added.
"Is that so?" The Chieftain asked. "I heard that the humans have a saying - 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Apparently, the humans treat the Orc army to be of an even more threat than we are. We can make use of this. If they see us attack the Orcs and leave us alone, then fine."
"But what if they attack us?" The Elder asked, bringing about a mutter of doubt from the other elders.
"What are you afraid of? If they attack us, we'll slaughter them too! Okay, it's settled. Warriors! Take up your weapons! Le's march!"
The Chieftain was worthy of being a leader. Just a few simple words and he could dispel all forms of hesitation in the eyes and hearts of his warriors. All the Lizardmen cheered as they raised their weapons and started marching towards the Orc army.
*******
An hour later....
The Lizardmen army had arrived. In the distance, they could see many humans and Beastmen engaging in a fierce battle with even more Orcs. Without a moment of hesitation, the Chieftain urged his warriors to attack those pig bastards.
All the Lizardmen roared as they rushed towards the huge battle. Initially, there were many adventurers including Shiyo, PK, Quilink, Shadow, Mistral, and Speary who saw the approaching Lizardmen and tensed up with fear and worry.
However, when they saw that the Lizardmen were only attacking Orcs, they calmed down a bit. So, three separate armies - the Lizardman army, the Beastman tribes, and the adventurers - attacked the Orc army in a three-pronged formation. There were a few skirmishes between the Lizardmen and the Adventurers, but the main focus was on the Orcs.
Seeing the chaos of the battlefield, I decided to quietly retreat and approach my target destination. However, a greedy thought appeared in my head as I saw the Lizardman Chieftain fight near me.
With no one looking, I hurried over to the Chieftain. I switched my Lizardman mask with my Orc mask while no one else was looking. Raising my skinning knife, I chopped off the Lizardman Chieftain's tail. With a yelp, the Chieftain turned around. As soon as he turned around, a light streak appeared and his head tumbled onto the ground.
Many Lizardmen saw the head and roared in grief. "Chieftain!!! Warriors! We must avenge our Chieftain. KILL those pig bastards!!!"
With new vigor, the Lizardmen continued slaughtering Orcs left and right using their teeth, claws, and whatever weapons they could get their hands on...making the battlefield reek with blood and gore.
In the midst of their berserk, I switched to my Ghost mask and turned invisible. Storing away the Chieftain Lizardman's head, I quietly left the scene.
Finally out of the battle, I ventured deeper into the Orc camp. Since most of the Orcs were on the frontlines battling Lizardmen and adventurers, the camp was loosely guarded.
I stealthily approached each guard and killed them by phasing their hearts out of their bodies. Quick and silent...no one heard a thing. After finishing off the last Orc guard, I surveyed my surroundings. Spotting a huge hut, I phased through the entrance. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I see an Orc King sleeping soundly.
"This lazy pig is sleeping while his soldiers are out fighting." I muttered. "Hmm, apparently this must be one of that dead Orc King's brothers. If I kill him, I can use it to my advantage."
Slowly, I took off my Ghost mask and approached the Orc King. With a swipe of my skinning knife, I slit his throat...or so I thought. Right as my knife reached the Orc King's throat, the Orc King woke up and rolled to the side.
The Orc King stood up and shouted for help. "Guards! Guards! There's an assassin!"
"Hahaha," I chuckled, "no one is going to come to your aid. They're all...how should I say it...heartless."
"You! You are one of those hairless monkeys!"
"What is with you monsters calling us humans 'hairless monkeys'? You're bald as well!"
"You! Hmph, no one has ever insulted me before and get away with it! You will pay for that!" The Orc King sneered as if I had just touched his reverse scale. The Orc King picked up his battleaxe and lunged towards me.
Easily dodging the first strike, I prepared to counter with a thrust, but never did I knew that this fat pig was very fast. Before his first strike finished, it suddenly changed direction and rushed towards me in a horizontal slash.
I dodged in the nick of time - my hair cut short on one side. I jumped back to add some distance and took out my Basilisk Mask. The Orc King stared in astonishment as I transformed into a Basilisk.
As I opened my Basilisk Eye, I found that the Orc King had already averted his eyes as if he knew what was about to happen. It seemed that this Orc King has had some experience in dealing with Basilisks.
With a humph, I rushed towards the Orc King and thrust out a kick. He dodged it and swung at my feet. I jumped up to avoid, but the battleaxe changed directions again, slashing upwards at me.
*SLASH!*
The attack tore at my body and a big, fatal wound appeared. I collapsed there on the ground, blood pouring and organs spilling out. The Orc King saw that I was near death and loosened his guard. He approached me with a sneer on his face.
"Hahaha, you weak trash! Trying to attack me with cheap parlor tricks and this measly amount of attack power? Ha!" The Orc King lifted his head back and laughed.
Just at this moment, my mask wore off and I reverted back to human form. All the damage dealt to me while I was wearing the mask disappeared when I changed back. At 100% health and 100% stamina, I sprung back up and aimed my skinning knife at the Orc King's throat.
*Puchi!*
The Orc King tried to block with his battleaxe, but his weapon arm was dismembered instead. In pain, the Orc King grabbed his wound with his remaining hand and looked at me in terror and panic. "You! Why are you still alive?!"
"Hahaha, this is just a special trait of my masks. It is your fault for being too careless." I laughed heartily. "Now...give me your face."
With a lunge, I expertly and swiftly removed the Orc King's face. The Orc King fell backwards and rolled around in pain. With so much blood loss, he died in a matter of minutes.
Once I witnessed his death with my own eyes, I dried and preserved the Orc King's face. Once the preservation step was completed, I activated my Maker's Domain and started converting the Orc King's face into a mask. Quickly, I finished the mask and appraised it.
|
Orc King Mask: A-Rank
Abilities:
Special Attribute: Charisma increases by 500% - all orcs under Orc King rank will listen to you without question |
Satisfied with the mask, I deactivated Maker's Domain and put on the Orc King mask. In a minute or two, I transformed into the Orc King. Picking up the battleaxe on the ground, I immediately felt an increase in power. I walked out of the hut in my disguise and activated War Cry of the Orc King.
"RRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!! THE DEMON ORC HAS ABANDONED US TO THE ENEMIES!! ALL ORCS RETREAT BACK TO THE FORTRESS AND ATTACK THAT INSOLENT BASTARD!!! THE DEMON ORC IS THE ENEMY!!!!!!"
With this roar resounding in the Orcs' ears, their minds...as if hypnotized...began to play one sentence...'The Demon Orc is the enemy!'. The eyes of all the Orcs flashed with anger and their hearts burned with rage. The Demon Orc has abandoned us? He is the enemy! KILL HIM!
The Orcs ignored the enemies before them and immediately rushed towards the camp with the Lizardmen and adventurers following closely behind. The Orcs arrived at the fortress and started to attack the Demon Orc's guards and the Demon Orc.
Satisfied with my work, I reverted back to my original form and joined the ranks of my fellow adventurers in battle.
