Chapter 783: The War Changed Masters (Patreon)

“Holy shit...” he muttered. “They're the treasure.”

There were two orc children inside the vault.

“So, human, what was the treasure?” Franky asked as he wandered over. He stopped dead when he looked inside. “Wow. Those are the ugliest human kids I’ve ever seen.”

The little orc girl growled at them. Then everything clicked into place.

The Orc King is invading the continent because his children are missing.

His gaze shifted to the girl. And the Orc Lord wants them for leverage.

The orc boy, smaller than the girl, looked up at Luke. He tried to scoot away, but his body gave out. He toppled backward and went limp. Luke’s expression changed. The children were thin, not just hungry. Their arms looked like sticks, and the boy’s ribs showed beneath his skin.

Luke pulled a healing potion from his inventory and approached. The girl growled louder, then lunged and sank her teeth into his arm. He ignored her, crouching beside the boy to examine him while she hung from his arm, biting down with everything she had. Her teeth barely tickled.

Franky smacked the girl on the head. “I’m the only one allowed to bite the human!”

Luke frowned.

The potion isn’t working.

The boy wouldn’t wake up. There were no injuries serious enough to explain his condition. Then a loud noise echoed through the vault, a growl straight from the little orc girl’s stomach.

Luke looked at her. “Oh.”

He glanced at the unconscious boy.

“Your brother isn’t hurt. You’re starving.”

He picked up the orc boy and slung him over his shoulder.

“My brother! Put my brother down!” the girl screamed, immediately pounding on Luke’s stomach with both fists.

“So you can talk, orc kid?”

“Put my brother down!”

She kept hitting him, frantic now. Luke sighed and pulled a seed from his pocket.

“I’m about to do something that’d get me arrested back in America.”

Using [Plant Growth], he made the seed bloom into a flower in the blink of an eye. With one quick motion, he jabbed the sharpened tip of the stem into the orc girl’s neck. Her body went limp, and Luke caught her before her head hit the floor. The flower withered almost at once, its stem shriveling in his hand. He’d altered it with [Botanical Transmutation] to carry a sleeping toxin.

“Kidnapping children now, Luke?” Artemis commented.

Luke walked out of the vault carrying both orcs.

“What, are you Jeffrey—”

He cut her off before she could finish.

It took Luke and his army less than half an hour to prepare their escape. He used the sleeping toxin on the orc boy too, then hid both children beneath a sheet and placed them on the spider-shaped spectral beast.

“Every single one of you needs to be covered in mud. Don’t leave anything exposed. Got it?”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

Dwarves, ratmen, goblins, and spiders started scooping mud from the swamp. Luke helped them prepare a mixture to mask their scent. It wasn’t perfect, and it didn’t need to be. It just had to make the orcs work for the trail. The spiders left first, carrying as many passengers as they could through the swamp’s waterways. With no footprints and almost no scent left behind, the others would follow the river.

“Lord Luke,” Tarvik called.

Luke turned. The Ratman king stood with Mivi and Kren beside him. Tarvik stared at his children for a long moment before meeting Luke’s eyes.

“You saved my children.” His eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.”

Luke opened his mouth, but nothing useful came out, so he gave Tarvik a short nod.

“Keep them close.”

Mivi’s face was gaunt, her body thin and covered in wounds.

“Thank you for saving us,” she said.

Kren stayed silent. He only lowered his head in a small bow.

Nara led the group onward, and a short while later Angie landed beside Luke carrying what remained of the orc general.

“You sure this is going to work?”

“I am.”

“Here, Master Luke,” Charlie said, handing him the Orc King’s banner.

A lot of them had died fighting the orcs beneath that banner.

“Good.”

Luke took it and went back to work. He followed the retreating group long enough to wipe away their trail, then doubled back toward the fortress. Using severed orc feet, he laid false tracks in several directions. After that, they stopped at the dwarves’ cave to pick up those who’d been too badly injured to join the battle, then finally left.

Luke brought everyone back to his village and immediately discovered a new problem. There were too damn many people.

Joseph showed up not long afterward and took in the chaos around him.

“Lord Luke, that’s... a lot of monsters.”

“Yep.”

“And there are already a lot of people we brought into the village. Most of them lost their homes. We still need to check those other villages too, in case anyone who went missing came back.” Joseph took a deep breath. “What do we do?”

It wasn’t just monster refugees. There were humans too. Luke rubbed a hand over his face.

“Give me an hour to figure everything out.”

Nara stayed outside the castle with her spiders while Luke tackled the worst problems first. He took Tarvik and his children to the cave where the rest of the ratmen were hiding, with Norn protecting them alongside Boggy. When their king arrived, the ratmen erupted into celebration, and it got even louder when they saw Mivi and Kren. Luke didn’t stay long. There was too much to do.

On the way back, he ordered the other scattered groups of ratmen into his territory as well. The orcs might return, and not just the Orc Lord’s forces. If the Orc King’s soldiers managed to track the heirs here, Luke could end up with an entirely different army at his gates.

That entire day was hell. Tents went up wherever there was room, and wounded dwarves, displaced humans, ratmen, and goblins all needed food, shelter, healing, and space. When Luke finally sat down with the two dwarven leaders, he asked the question that had been bothering him.

“How did you two manage to find the children if you were prisoners?”

The dwarven chief, still weak, answered in a hoarse voice.

“Sometimes they let us out to work. Search for ore, cut trees, gather coal, haul equipment back to the fortress.”

“Just like that?”

“What were we going to do?” The dwarf stared at him. “They had our children.”

Luke pulled out one of the axes he had taken during the battle of Nyvma and showed it to him.

“That’s one of ours...” the dwarven chief confirmed.

Luke put the axe away. “All right. Then tell me about the orc children.”

The dwarf went still.

“From what I’ve heard, only the two of you knew they were there. None of the other dwarves did.”

The chief hesitated.

“We found a wounded orc with them in the forest. We helped him. When we learned who the children were, we took them and locked them somewhere... safe.”

Luke’s expression didn’t change.

“Why?”

“To bargain. We needed a way to get our children back.”

“Bargain, huh?” He narrowed his eyes. “Then why didn’t you do it sooner?”

“They would’ve taken those orc children from us,” the dwarf replied. “And we would’ve stayed slaves.”

“We were waiting for the Orc Lord,” the dwarven woman said. “For the day we could meet him ourselves.”

Luke let the silence stretch. Neither dwarf said anything else.

“Fine.”

He dismissed them.

Once the door closed, Charlie spoke first. “They imprisoned those two children.”

Her hands curled into fists. 

“That’s not the part bothering me,” Luke said.

Charlie stared at him.

“The Orc Lord would’ve killed them on the spot if he found out they’d been hiding the heirs while his soldiers died looking for them.”

Angie frowned. “So you think they were lying.”

“About part of it.” Luke tapped a finger against his arm. “They probably weren’t waiting for the Orc Lord.”

Charlie’s eyes narrowed. “Then who?”

“That’s the question.”

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then Luke sighed.

“My guess? Generals loyal to the Orc King. Maybe they thought they could trade the heirs directly.”

“But you’re not sure,” Angie said.

“No.” He shook his head. “And I really don’t like not being sure when two royal hostages are sleeping in my territory.”

Charlie glanced toward the door again. “They still locked up two children.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Angie said. “I’ll have Theron and Caleb tighten security too.”

After that, Luke summoned the four remaining goblin leaders. The fifth had died in orc captivity, and his people would have to join one of the other tribes unless they chose a new leader.

“Lord Luke,” Boggy said. “My son find old friend again.”

“The goblin Nim. Yeah, I heard.”

“Thank you. And thank you for bringing captured goblins back too.”

“We all did this together.” Luke addressed the group. “But now I need your help.”

They listened.

“Help the new tribes settle in. Start with the ratmen. Figure out what they eat, what they can grow, and what kind of work they can help with.” He pointed toward the village. “And keep the humans from acting like idiots around them.”

One of the goblins blinked.

“Introduce everyone slowly. Don’t just dump food in their laps and call it done. Give them ways to help. People handle being refugees a lot better when they don’t feel useless.”

That part, at least, Luke understood. He was going to need all the help he could get. The newcomers now outnumbered everyone who’d already been living in the village, and they needed more houses, more food, more defenses, more rules, and more space. Everything was hitting at once.

Later, Luke used [Message] to call the five goblins into the room.

“Have you decided what you want to do?”

“We have,” Pip replied.

“And?”

“We’re doing it.”

“All right.” Luke turned to Boggy. “What about you?”

“Me...?”

Boggy looked genuinely bewildered.

“You sure want spend power on me? Why me, not others?”

“Because the skill evaluates loyalty, performance, potential, and dedication. It doesn’t mean the others aren’t loyal, but you’ve put in more than they have because you’re a leader.” Luke shrugged. “And the other leaders didn’t join us in that last big battle.”

Of all the goblins, six were eligible for evolution. Luke raised his palm, and a black flame appeared above it.

“So. Who’s first?”

The goblins stared at the flame, but no one moved. He raised an eyebrow. Pip glanced at his father, and Boggy hesitated. Pip swallowed, then stepped forward.

“I go.”

Luke almost smiled. “Good enough.”

He placed a hand on the young goblin’s head, then activated the promotion.

[Promoting Soldier Pip to Warrior!]

[Evolving Pip!]

White light exploded around Pip. The other goblins stepped back, but Boggy didn’t. He stared into the light without blinking. When it faded, Pip looked different. He was sturdier now, without the strange, scrawny build common among goblins. His drooping ears had straightened into sharp points. More hair covered his head, and his features looked more balanced, less warped, more... complete.

Then another message appeared.

[Warrior Pip is awakening a Class...]

Luke froze. He’d never seen that message before.

What?

The room went silent. He read it again.

That can happen?

[Warrior Pip has awakened the Class: Goblin Archer]

[Warrior Pip has unlocked the Class Skill: Basic Archery (Common)]

Nobody moved. Pip slowly looked down at his hands, then back up at Luke. His eyes were shining.

“Thank you, Lord Luke.” His voice shook. “I stronger.”

He seemed almost overwhelmed.

“And I got Class. I have new skill!”

That broke the silence, and every goblin started talking at once.

“A Class? What mean?” Mina asked.

“Lord Luke! I want go next!” Ribbo shouted.

“Hold on.” Luke raised a hand. “Let’s hear what Pip has to tell you first.”

He said it like this was all perfectly normal.

What the fuck do you mean they can awaken Classes?

He opened Pip’s information.

Name: PipLevel: 18Race: GoblinRank: FClass: [Goblin Archer Lvl 0]Dark Rank: WarriorRace Skills: [Coward’s Reflex (Common)], [Pack Nerve (Ultra-Rare)], [Far-Seer Eye (Ultra-Rare)]Soldier Skills: [Trajectory Eyes (Rare)]Class Skills: [Basic Archery (Common)]

There it was: a Class. Now that Pip had reached Warrior Dark Rank, Luke could see both his Race Level and his Class Level.

[Goblin Archer]: A goblin archer useful for defending their tribe or hunting in the forest.

I still don’t have access to Pip’s full interface. But I’m guessing he can use the Free Point he got from his Class.

Angie watched him curiously.

I didn’t know this would happen, Luke told her through their mental connection.

Pip wasn’t an isolated case. Rilo, who had the Soldier Skill [Sharp Ears], awakened the Scout Class. Ribbo, who had [Determined Fist], became a Fighter. Mina, who had [Scrapfire Spark], became a Mage. Boko, who had [Ambush Instinct], became a Ranger. Four more evolutions, four more Classes.

A pattern was starting to emerge.

So that’s it. Warriors awaken Classes.

Then it was Boggy’s turn. Luke promoted him, and when the light faded, Boggy stood there while everyone waited.

No Class message appeared.

Boggy glanced down at himself. Luke frowned.

Nothing?

Then another notification appeared.

[Warrior Boggy is awakening a Profession...]

Luke stared at it.

A Profession?

Name: BoggyLevel: 11Race: GoblinRank: FProfession: [Goblin Herbalist Lvl 0]Dark Rank: WarriorSkills: [Coward’s Reflex (Common)], [Pack Nerve (Ultra-Rare)]Soldier Skills: [Ugly Harvest (Rare)]Profession Skills: [Herbology (Common)]

After the meeting, Luke spoke with Nara. She agreed to keep her brood nearby for the night, at least until they knew whether the orcs were coming back. Only then did he head to the Great Tree’s cave.

“Looks like it’s time we talked.”

The next second, the orc girl leaped out of the tree and started biting him. Luke stared at her, completely unimpressed.

“Hey, kid. You need to work on your ambushes.”

Her brother sat nearby, eating the fruit Luke had left for them. At least he looked better, and more importantly, he didn’t even seem worried anymore. His sister was trying to chew through Luke’s sleeve, and the boy just kept eating. Either way, it was progress.

Luke looked at the two of them again. They were the Orc King’s children, the reason an army had crossed the continent, and possibly the key to ending the invasion. More importantly, they might be his best chance of finding the Teleportation Array.

The girl growled around his sleeve. Luke sighed.

Yeah. This is going to be complicated.

***

War Wolf Kargan ran through the forest, every step sending pain tearing through one side of his body. He didn’t care. Orc General Ruax had thrown him from a massive waterfall, forcing him to circle the ravine before he could climb back up, and that had cost too much time. Kargan pushed harder until he found the wolves from his pack.

“What happened to the orc heirs?”

The wolves crouched low. They couldn’t answer him. They’d come running the moment they sensed something was wrong, and part of Kargan wanted to snarl at them, bite them, curse them for leaving the heirs behind. He stopped himself. They hadn’t understood what was at stake. They were beasts, but they were his pack.

When they reached the dwarves’ cave, Kargan smelled the blood before he saw the body. One of his wolves lay motionless near the entrance, the gray male he’d found years ago half-starved and bleeding beneath a fallen tree, barely more than a pup.

Ruax had killed him.

Something inside Kargan twisted. Grief came first, then fury, and he lifted his head and howled, deep and savage.

“I’ll avenge you,” he growled. “I swear.”

For one furious second, he wanted to forget everything else, find Ruax, rip out his throat, and make him suffer. Then Kargan looked toward the forest. The heirs came first. They had to.

His wolves were his family. Every one of them had been an orphan, just like him, and every one of them had suffered because orcs had slaughtered their families. Some had nearly been eaten alive. Kargan had saved them, and after that they had become a pack.

He lowered his muzzle and sniffed the ground.

No sign of Ruax.

The earth had been churned into mud, with too many feet and too many scents for any track to remain clear enough to follow. Kargan still knew where Ruax would go. The fortress was the obvious choice. Ruax wouldn’t tell any orc he didn’t trust that he’d found the Royal Family’s Treasure. If he did, they’d try to take it from him. First he’d retreat, then call in soldiers he trusted. Kargan could already see how it would play out. Ruax and the others would return the heirs to earn the Orc King’s forgiveness, throwing away the leverage their Lord had been trying to gain.

Kargan crossed the swamp. By the time he reached the fortress, Ruax was probably long gone, but it didn’t matter. This was where the trail started.

Then he stopped.

Something was wrong. There were no guards, no movement, only smoke. Kargan stepped closer and found the fortress destroyed. Walls had been shattered, buildings crushed, trees torn down, and the smell of blood and battle still hung heavy in the air. His wolves began to growl.

Around the fortress, stakes had been driven into the ground, each one holding the severed head of an orc. He stared at them. That was how orcs treated defeated enemies.

Which meant...

Ruax killed everyone?

No. Something about that felt wrong. Kargan moved through the ruined wall, and the deeper he went, the worse the smell became. Too much blood. Too many dead. Then he caught a familiar scent.

Ruax.

His head snapped toward the center of the fortress. Kargan followed the scent as it grew stronger, fresh enough that Ruax couldn’t have been gone long. He quickened his pace. Maybe Ruax was wounded. Maybe there had been another battle. Maybe...

The scent led him to the largest stake. Kargan slowed as he approached and stopped beneath it. Ruax’s severed head stared down at him. For several seconds, he couldn’t move. Then Kargan noticed the banner standing beside the stake, and his stomach dropped.

The Orc King’s banner.

A howl tore out of him, carrying rage, grief, and despair all at once.

They took them.

The enemy had found the kingdom’s heirs. They’d killed Ruax, and now they had the children.

Kargan spun and tore back into the forest, his pack racing behind him. He searched for anything that might give him a trail: a scent, a footprint, broken grass, mud, blood. He found nothing. He couldn’t fail now, not after finally finding them.

Losing the heirs could cost them the war. But as his claws tore into the earth, an even worse truth hit him.

No. It’s worse than that. Much worse.

Whoever controlled the heirs controlled the Core of the Orc Kingdom.

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