64: Against the Orcs

Under the guidance of the Sea God Clan guide, the main force of the allied army avoided open areas and quietly shuttled through the dense jungle in the northern part of Shattered Star Island. After several days of cautious marching, they arrived deep in the dense forest on the outskirts of the Orc tribe and quietly assembled there.

Soon after, Clay also successfully completed his mission, leading a messy servant army of over three thousand Minotaurs, including captives and recruited elderly and weak, to converge. Driven by their enslaved leaders, these Minotaurs had numb eyes and only knew how to obey orders.

Looking at the Orc fortress built in the mountain hollow, constructed with thick logs and rocks and filled with a primitive aura, Linn's gaze was cold. This time, he did not design any complex ambushes or lure-and-trap schemes. In the face of absolute strength and an unexpected alliance, sometimes the simplest and most direct frontal crushing was the most effective.

The allied army lined up at the edge of the dense forest. At Linn's command, the enslaved Gold Intermediate Rank Minotaur leader, with a dull gaze, led more than three thousand muddled Minotaur servant troops, like an out-of-control mudslide, surging grandly toward the open space in front of the Orc tribe's gate.

Such a large-scale army approaching immediately alerted the Orcs. The sound of heavy horns echoed within the fortress, and countless green, muscular figures quickly gathered on the wooden walls and in front of the gate. The Orcs truly lived up to their reputation; their average height exceeded two meters, making them more robust and agile than the Minotaurs. With protruding tusks, green skin, bulging muscles, and fierce eyes, they wore relatively uniform coarse leather armor and held sharp battle axes, spears, or heavy swords. Their discipline was clearly stronger than that of the Minotaurs.

Soon, the gate swung open, and two exceptionally burly Orc leaders, clad in heavy armor inlaid with bone fragments, walked out surrounded by elite guards. They were the two leaders of the Orcs, Grom and his younger brother Grommash! Both were High Gold Rank Berserkers, exuding a suffocatingly ferocious aura.

Grom looked at the dark mass of Minotaurs with their scattered formation, and then at the leader with hollow eyes whom he vaguely recognized as a chief of the Minotaur tribe. His rugged face was filled with doubt and rage as he roared with a voice like a booming bell, "You stupid cattle! Instead of staying in your own territory, what madness are you running here for?! Where is Malok? Tell him to come out and see me!" He tried to find the Minotaur leader's figure but found nothing.

The enslaved Minotaur leader did not respond to Grom's questioning. He only followed Linn's final command, raised his weapon, and let out a hoarse, monotonous roar: "Charge...!"

At the command, over three thousand Minotaurs, as if driven by an invisible whip, let out a chaotic howl and recklessly launched a charge toward the Orc positions that were ready and waiting! They completely ignored the difference in strength between the two sides and had no tactics to speak of, simply executing the order by instinct.

"Madmen! You're all damn madmen!" Grom was both shocked and angry, completely unable to understand the Minotaurs' suicidal behavior. But the enemy had already rushed before him, and he had no choice but to roar, "Prepare for battle! Tear these crazy, stupid cattle to pieces! For the Horde!"

"For the Horde!!" More than three thousand elite Orcs let out a unified war cry, meeting the Minotaurs' chaotic impact like Bedrock!

In an instant, the two Orcish armies collided fiercely! The sound of weapons clashing, roars, and miserable screams instantly filled the sky. Relying on brute force and numbers, the Minotaurs did cause some chaos in the Early Stage, but the gap in individual strength and discipline quickly became apparent. The Orc warriors cooperated tacitly, often in groups of two or three, efficiently harvesting Minotaurs who were isolated or had charged too far. The Minotaur army collapsed and fell at a visible rate.

Linn calmly observed the battlefield from the edge of the dense forest; the time had come!

"Form ranks!"

With his command, the soldiers of the Star Sea Territory quickly emerged from the forest, forming a neat array at the edge of the clearing. At the very front were dozens of heavy crossbows disassembled from warships and reassembled, their cold bolts aimed at the rear of the Orc camp currently fighting the Minotaurs.

"Mage Corps, prepare!"

The Sea God Clan Mage Corps, led by Sebastian, began to chant collectively behind the crossbow array, and thick fluctuations of magic power gathered.

"Ballistae, target the Orc rear, fire!"

"Mage Corps, carpet fire, release!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"Whoosh!"

The deadly bolts, like black lightning, flew over the heads of the chaotic Minotaurs and pierced fiercely into the relatively dense rear ranks of the Orcs, instantly clearing out paths of blood! At the same time, countless Ice Roars, Chain Frostbolts, and other wide-area spells descended upon the Orc positions like a natural disaster! Especially the ice magic that the Sea God Clan excelled in, it not only caused casualties but also greatly slowed the Orcs' movements, making them feel as if they had fallen into a mire.

Grom and his brother, who were hacking away at Minotaurs on the front line, heard the huge commotion and the screams of their clansmen from behind. They snapped their heads back and finally discovered the well-equipped human army with distinct banners at the edge of the forest!

"Humans?! When did a human army come to Shattered Star Island?!" Grom's heart shook violently, and a strong premonition of ill omen surged in his heart. He instantly understood that the Minotaurs' crazy behavior was entirely controlled by these humans! It was a trap!

"Steady! Defend against those humans!" Grom tried to adjust the deployment, but it was already too late.

The Star Sea Territory's long-range strikes were like a storm, giving the Orcs no chance to breathe. The enchanted arrows of the Divine Arrow Army also fell like a swarm of locusts, precisely sniping the Orc officers who were trying to organize a counterattack. Under Linn's deliberate "assistance," the Minotaurs became cannon fodder to delay and exhaust the Orcs' physical strength, while also making the Orcs' formation even more chaotic.

Seeing the Orcs suffering heavy casualties and their formation in disarray under the terrifying long-range firepower of the allied army, Linn knew the decisive moment had arrived.

"Commander Sebastian, Ocean Jack, Hogan! You lead the other experts to tie down the leaders who pose a great threat to us!"

"Aivi, High Priestess! Leave Grom's younger brother to you!"

"Grom... I will deal with him!"

Linn's command surprised everyone. Aivi even grabbed Linn's arm anxiously: "Linn! Don't be impulsive! Grom is a battle-hardened High Gold Rank warrior, and you haven't even reached the Gold Intermediate Rank yet. It's too dangerous!"

High Priestess Sea Song also showed a look of concern: "Baron, this is no small matter. It's better if we..."

Linn gently patted Aivi's hand and gave her a reassuring look, but his gaze was as firm as iron: "Don't worry, I have my own ways. Your quick resolution of your opponents will be the greatest support for me."

His confidence was not blind. The breath of life space, the large reserve of potions, the divine spring that restored life, and his greatest trump card—the Forbidden Spell.

Seeing that Linn's mind was made up, everyone said no more. Ocean Jack let out a roar and, along with Hogan, Sebastian, and others, pounced like tigers down a mountain toward Grommash and the other Gold-rank Orc leaders. Aivi and High Priestess Sea Song also immediately joined forces, and a deep blue magical glow lit up, enveloping the roaring Grommash within a Domain of ice and water.

As for Linn, holding his staff, he walked step by step toward the center of the battlefield, toward the Orc Great Leader who was like a malevolent god—Grom.

Grom's crimson eyes stared fixedly at Linn, his huge battle axe pointed at him as he let out a furious roar: "Human! It's you! You're the one behind this! I'm going to tear your bones out one by one!"

Linn remained expressionless, the tip of his staff beginning to shine with a heart-palpitating magical light, his voice cold:

"Your opponent is me."