Human ingenuity was an incredible thing. No matter the odds, human beings would strive even under the harshest condition. It wasn’t any different when they were now up against monsters from another world.

 

A man with a gas mask standing at a distance with his arms crossed over. His companions standing beside him were waiting for instructions. Hakeem kept glancing from Jason to the battle scene while Esther stared at Jason.

 

“We’re not helping them?” asked Hakeem.

 

“They don’t need us,” said Jason while keeping his eyes at the soldiers. “I think.”

 

But Jason’s answer didn’t satisfy Hakeem.

 

“I’m going,” said Hakeem.

 

He remembered how his inaction caused the lives of others. Rather than waiting, he opted in taking action.

 

With the shield and the mallet, he charged into the battlefield engulfed by the yellowish smokes.

 

“Is it okay leaving him like that?” Esther asked.

 

“Aren’t you smarter than me? Use that big brain of yours and think about the military’s new battle tactics,” said Jason.

 

Esther glanced back at the yellow smoke battlefield, as she too realized the importance of tactics.

 

The gasmask-wearing soldiers ran at the four orcs. They utilized their standard titanium cold weapons and attacked the orcs at every angle.

 

Pixie rushed with glowing purplish feet. Her speed went up by another notch as she slashed the orc at the back of its knees. But the orc didn’t go down.

 

“Too shallow,” said Pixie.

 

The thick skin and fatty layer of the orc were enough to hinder the attacks of these soldiers. Having a good weapon didn’t mean that it could compensate for the lack of power of the user, even if it meant using titanium-based weapons.

 

Ryan picked up the slack as he rushed at the orc. The machete in his hand slashed the orc by the flank.

 

“Guoink,” the orc shouted in pain.

 

Its flank bled, but it was hardly a critical strike. Even for Ryan, who put a considerable amount of his points to strength, couldn’t cut the orc properly.

 

The coughing orc turned at Ryan. Its red tearing eyes along with its runny snout showed that the chemical gas was working, but it wasn’t enough. The orc reached out with its huge bulking hands trying to grab Ryan.

 

“Attack it from behind!” shouted Ryan. Three soldiers went for its back, slashing and stabbing it with their machetes and knives. But to their dismay, they barely scratch the creature. A trickle of blood dripped over the minuscule injuries on its back.

 

The orc turned around while swinging its arm hard. The soldiers were taken by surprise as they were swept by the arm swing. All three were thrown to the ground at a distance as some of them groaned.

 

“Shit,” said Ryan.

 

At the other two uninjured orcs, one of them noticed the sound of a screeching blade. It turned and saw a tall man with a muscular figure.

 

“I’m gonna fuck you up pork,” said the Berserker.

 

He hoisted his great sword above his head as veins started popping up on his right arm. The orc noticed the human and charged ahead. The Berserker swung the heavy sword, and upon contact, he could felt the blade cutting the orc’s meat.

 

The orc squealed as half of the blade went deep into its flank. The Berserker glanced at Jason from afar, as his hate and rage fueled his strength. He pulled the greatsword with all his might and swung it another time.

 

The orc didn’t standstill. Even with such injury, it rushed at the Berserker. A beast who only knew to react on instinct. The orc stopped the Berserker’s attack during mid-swing and tackled him straight. The Berserker dropped to the ground, but his hand didn’t let go of the great sword. He looked up and saw the approaching orc with its reeking blood pouring out from the grievous injury he just inflicted. The orc raised up its fist high, preparing to crash the Berserker’s skull, but it flinched. Two other soldiers stabbed the orc from behind as another hacked at the same injury.

 

“Die,” said one of the soldiers as he was hanging at the back of the orc with his machete barely stabbing at the orc. He tried to push it further, but a hand grabbed on to him. The orc found the backstabber as it threw the soldier to the front.

 

The orc then turned and swung its arm, and soldiers were sent flying before groaning on the road. Gushes of blood dropped on the road as the orc still remained standing. It won't’ die without giving a fight. But then something flew at it and struck it cold. Dozens of icicles pierced the skin of the orc as it turned towards the source. A soldier with his arms pointed towards the orc, the one who unleashed a spell at it.

 

“Fuck. It didn’t do a thing,” said Scott. His Ice Needle barely did any damage as he turned around and fled.

 

Another group of soldiers was fighting against the injured orcs. With the orcs sights half-impaired, the soldiers struck at them from their blind spot. They used the hit and run tactic, but it didn’t work. Their measly attacks barely injured the creature. The orc managed to grab a soldier. He was struggling by the neck as the orc raised him up high in the air. This soldier was one unlucky bastard.

 

The orc infuriated due to its damaged eye, opened up its smelly mouth as it pulled the soldier’s head closer.

 

“No, no, no!” the soldiers screamed and struggled, he tried to get free. He was terrified by the impending death as each second, his life was coming closer to death.

 

But then the orc stopped, and the grip on the soldier loosened. The soldier dropped on the road before he scurried out of the way. The orc retreated a few steps as someone smashed at it right at the belly. A burnt mark on its round fat abdomen.

 

“Die,” said Hakeem as his glowing electric bound mallet slammed a few more times at the orc’s torso.

 

Each time his attack connected, the orc was knocked back. The orc grunted and threw a fist at Hakeem. The man moved by instinct, raising up his shield as he took the whole brunt of the fist head-on.

 

CLANG.

 

The sound of metal resonated as Hakeem was knocked back a few feet away. Then another fist came at him. Hakeem side-stepped while parrying the fist with his shield. He went inside in close quarter range, the head of his mallet started to glow in blue electric.

 

“Bolt Hammer!” Hakeem shouted.

 

A combo of lightning-based attacks struck the orc. Hakeem kept fighting zealously against the enemy.

 

The battle in the middle of the road was chaotic. The soldiers were barely putting up a fight against these orcs even when they were affected by the chemical gas. The gas indeed helped as it dropped the fighting capability of the orcs considerably. You couldn’t really fight properly when you’re coughing with teary eyes and a stinging pain at the throat.

 

The gas started to turn thin.

 

“Grenades!” Ryan shouted.

 

The soldiers with the grenade launchers shot out another round of chemical grenades as the whole road was engulfed by a massive influx of yellowish gas.

 

At this point in time, Hakeem was taking aggro from two orcs at the same time, while the rest of the soldiers were aiding him with their hit and run tactic. Some of the soldiers were already down and had been taken away from the fight scene.

 

To Jason’s surprise, he saw a familiar-looking light. Beth, the one who handed out the masks was healing some of the injured soldiers. Jason smiled, knowing that the military was quite lucky, having a healer in their ranks. He guessed that the military's plan in awakening more soldiers proved to be a good choice considering they found a soldier with a healing ability.

 

The battle situation was intriguing to Jason as he learned a few things. He never knew that chemical warfare was capable to be of use against the UC. He even had some thoughts of using some in the future, but he shook his head. Jason had used Scan on the orc from before, and he realized something.

 

Orc Ugly and filthy with its known characteristic of having a pig-like snout. The reeking smell of these creatures is nauseating to the point it will stick on anyone who made contact for no less than a week even after cleanly bathing.      Species: Humanoid Level : 24 S.Ability : Smelly Odour, Thick Fat

 

Even when the soldiers triumphed in numbers, the disparity in levels proved to be a hard obstacle to overcome.

 

The soldiers are too weak. Their average levels are way to low. The highest is surprisingly the Berserker, the one I stole his giant axe at level sixteen and the rest between the range of twelve to fifteen. The use of chemicals is a great tactic, but their firepower is too lacking. They can’t take their advantage well. I guess them leveling for the whole week could only amount this much.

 

“Are we not helping them?” Esther asked once more as Jason could saw the agitation behind her eyes.

 

“Think you can handle them?” Jason asked.

 

“Wait and see,” said Esther with confidence. Her eyes changed into cat eyes.

 

“Here, a present,” said Jason.

 

Brown light engulfed Esther. She then rushed towards the battlefield. Then a few minutes later, an orc went down killed by the combined efforts of Hakeem and the Berserker. One dead but they were still three more for them to handle.

 

“Hmm, that Thick Fat is really troublesome, if it isn’t for that, I think they already won by now,” said Jason.

 

But then a voice came through the earpiece. The drone controller detected movement from the east, and from the panicking voice, Jason bet that some trouble was coming towards them.

 

“I repeat, a group of orcs is heading towards you, I repeat…” everyone was shocked. Even their first battle hadn’t ended yet, and now, more trouble was coming. Jason wasn't surprised considering how much noise they were making while fighting against the orcs. Sooner or later, they would be bound to attract the other orcs.

 

Then Jason cracked his knuckles and started stretching himself. He loosened his whole body up as he was preparing.

 

"I guess it's my time then."