Chapter 802: The Ascended Orc (Patreon)

If you clicked on this chapter, just know this is the SECOND CHAPTER posted today, so you need to read the previous one first or you’ll be lost.

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Luke barely got clear before the massive fist slammed into the ground and the building exploded. Dirt, timber, and stone blasted in every direction, throwing him through the cloud of debris. He hit the street shoulder-first, rolled, and came back up with blood running down one forearm.

That’s like one of Charlie’s punches, except it uses explosive force instead of pure mana. An explosive punch?

The orc emerged from the cloud of dust with a grin. “Do not underestimate an orc like me.”

Luke flexed his injured arm. The cut was shallow. Better.

[Cloak of the Arcane Witch] had already adapted to the blast, making Luke a little more resistant to that kind of elemental damage.

The general charged again, another earthen gauntlet forming around his fist. He leaped at Luke. Luke crossed his kukris and ripped them through the air.

[Artemis’ Spirit Slash activated]

A blue arc ripped through the space between them and struck the orc. Another explosion of dust and earth swallowed the street. As the dust settled, the Orc General stumbled into view. A deep wound split his chest, but the arm he had used to attack was completely gone.

He survived. Smart. He used his arm as a shield and detonated the slash before it reached the rest of his body.

“Dangerous...” the orc muttered. “I can’t take that head-on.”

Earth gathered around the severed stump, forming a new arm. “I can regrow my arm later. I’ll devour as many beasts as it takes.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. That’s strange. He’s only level 131, and he isn’t even wearing full armor like the Orc War General. He’s still this strong, and he’s got several abilities on top of that.

“You humans aren’t the only ones with classes worth showing off!”

The Orc General attacked again.

Time to change tactics.

[Horns of the Demon of Darkness activated]

[Lethality Infusion activated]

[Arcane Infusion activated]

The general charged again, but Luke vanished from his path. The orc barely managed to turn before a kukri sliced into his side. He swung blindly and found nothing. By then, Luke was already behind him, cutting across his back.

Stone surged over the general’s forearms as he braced himself. “You were holding back.”

Luke appeared in front of him. “I told you this would be quick.”

The general raised his guard, but Luke’s kukris tore straight through the stone. A heartbeat later, both arms hit the ground, followed by his legs. The orc collapsed onto the street and stared up at Luke.

“Norn.”

The spider bounded over. “Norn is here, Boss!”

She slammed her legs down on the general, pinning him to the ground, then wrapped his body in webbing. He wouldn’t stop screaming.

Luke opened a healing potion and poured it into the general’s mouth. The bleeding slowed almost immediately.

“I haven’t given you permission to die yet.”

Norn sank her fangs into the general and injected venom, then lifted him off the ground as his body convulsed.

“I told you what was going to happen,” Luke continued. “Now you answer my questions. Does the Orc Lord have orc larvae?”

The general roared and refused to answer, so Norn sank her fangs deeper and injected more venom.

“Yes! Yes!” he screamed.

Luke tilted his head. “See? That hurt, didn’t it?”

The orc struggled to breathe.

“Now tell me what makes you so special.”

Despite the pain, the general smiled. “I am one of the elite. An Ascended.”

The general laughed. “You humans aren’t the only ones who can have classes and professions. We can too.”

More orcs came running toward the screams, but Charlie and Angie cut them down before they got close.

Luke kept questioning the general until he got what he needed, then signaled Norn. The spider threw the orc onto the ground.

“I’ve got everything I need.”

Charlie stepped forward and finished him off.

[Charlotte Vespertilio’s Class [Royal Blood Knight] reached Level 124!] (+28 Strength, +27 Lethality, +24 Vitality, +21 Agility, +18 Toughness, +15 Perception, +12 Willpower, +28 Free Points.)

Luke picked up the severed head. “Norn, eat the body.”

He headed back alone through the main streets, the Orc General’s head dangling from one hand. The soldiers intercepted him as soon as he approached their positions.

“Mercenary, where did you come from?”

“I’m here to turn in a head and collect the bounty.”

“You aren’t wearing the Federation’s insignia. How did you get into the city?”

“Doesn’t matter. I want my reward.”

“Turn the head in at one of the payment posts. They’ll give you one large silver coin.”

Luke lifted the bloody head a little higher. “This is the head of the Orc General who was commanding the invasion.”

For a moment, nobody said anything. Then the questions stopped, and Luke was escorted to a separate tent where five people were waiting. They went over what had happened and did a decent job pretending they weren’t impressed. Luke sat across from them while the general’s head rested on a tray in the middle of the table.

One of the men examined the orc’s face and sighed. “It really is that bastard.”

Two of them wore gear far better than anyone else’s. They looked enough alike that Luke assumed they were brother and sister.

“Lord Karlton, Lady Priscilla,” Luke said. “Now that you’ve confirmed his identity, I’d like my reward.”

“Ten Federation gold coins,” Lord Karlton replied, handing him a small pouch.

Luke took it. Ten gold coins? That’s the equivalent of a million dollars. Way too little.

“I’m sure retaking the city, not to mention all the money you’ll stop bleeding into this operation, is worth considerably more than ten gold coins.”

“There’s still an army inside that city,” Karlton replied. “You may have killed their leader, but that doesn’t mean you’ve solved all our problems.”

Luke slipped the coins into his pocket. “Then I’ll be on my way. I’m sure someone else will value my blade more.”

He stood, pushing his chair back.

“How would you feel about joining the Federation army?” Lady Priscilla asked.

“That’s more commitment than I’m interested in. And I’m not for sale like that.”

“We would rather you didn’t leave here telling people the Federation doesn’t value its mercenaries.”

Lord Karlton placed another pouch on the table, this one much larger. “One hundred gold coins.”

Ten million dollars? Luke almost smiled. Now you’re speaking my language. Still not enough, though. Not for me.

Luke pulled a letter from his pocket and placed it on the table. “If you want to stay on good terms with me, I’d appreciate it if you delivered this to your leader.”

Priscilla looked at the letter. “And what is it?”

“A proposal. The Moonlight Kingdom would be more than willing to become one of the Trade Federation’s partners.”

The return trip went much faster. Luke spent it sorting through what he had learned from the general. The orcs weren’t marching toward Rosemark, which meant the Moonlight Kingdom wasn’t in their path either. That war wasn’t his problem, but if the Federation wanted him to solve it, they would have to pay him very well.

Maybe the Federation could foot the bill for bringing the refugees into my kingdom without even realizing it. Now I just need to figure out how much this war is worth to them.

***

Charlie, Angie, and Norn had gone on ahead to the village built around the castle. Luke still needed to choose a name for the place, since it would eventually become the capital of the Moonlight Kingdom. Thousands of people were already living there, and if his plans worked, thousands more would arrive soon. That meant the territory needed defenses that didn’t require soldiers standing everywhere.

As Luke walked through the forest, he noticed a thin mist hanging in the air and caught a strange smell. Poison.

In places, the mist thickened. For an ordinary person, stepping into one of those pockets could mean death. The danger was easy to miss because the plants themselves released a poison subtle enough to go unnoticed at first, but deadly enough that by the time symptoms appeared, it was already too late.

“Another dead fox.”

Luke found the small animal among a cluster of roots, picked it up, and stored the body in his pocket dimension.

This section of the forest was his living laboratory. He had planted several [Trees of Mother Freya] and altered their properties with [Botanical Transmutation], creating an entire ecosystem built around poison. The forest obeyed his will and could defend the kingdom without needing to sleep, eat, or get paid. On top of that, every creature killed by the plants granted Luke Profession Experience Points.

“In the Moonlight Kingdom, even the trees will help defend the territory.”

He spent some time tending to the plants, pouring liquid fertilizer into the soil to accelerate the trees’ growth and strengthen them. The mist also responded to his commands. He could lace it with compounds that caused confusion and disorientation.

When he finished, he returned to the castle.

“A letter from Veyra arrived for you, Lord Moon,” Teresa told him as soon as he entered. “I already gave it to Lady Angie.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Teresa.”

The letter had come through Nyvma.

The nobles of Veyra have probably made a decision about my proposal.

Later that night, Luke stood on the castle roof, looking out over his small kingdom. Below him, torchlight and the glow from the houses illuminated the village. Tents were scattered everywhere as families gathered for dinner, workers settled in for the night, and guards patrolled between the buildings.

There are already three thousand people here.

He studied the growing settlement.

At this rate, we can reach ten thousand before the deadline.

Not all of them were registered citizens yet. Farther below, Angie was distributing new [Citizenship Cards] as quickly as she could, and the number on Luke’s interface kept climbing.

[Citizens: 1997/2000]

[Citizens: 1998/2000]

[Citizens: 1999/2000]

[Citizens: 2000/2000]

[Your Kingdom Core has reached Level 13!]

[Your Kingdom Core has unlocked a new skill!]

Excellent.

Luke started toward the Core, then stopped as something the general had said came back to him: the descendants of awakened orcs.

He changed direction and opened the door to one of the bedrooms, where he found Kobi, Rheera, and Franky asleep in their beds. Franky had somehow managed to kick half his blanket onto the floor, Kobi was sprawled sideways across his bed, and Rheera was curled up against the wall, hugging her pillow. Luke watched them for a moment.

Both orc children are descended from awakened orcs.

Awakened orcs were much stronger than mindless ones, but their descendants had the potential to become even stronger. New mutations appeared with each generation. Some awakened a class, others awakened both a class and a profession, and there might even be some capable of awakening two classes.

The orcs I’ve fought so far, even the awakened ones using weapons, didn’t have classes.

Their strength came almost entirely from race levels and raw power.

Luke looked at the sleeping children again. That’s why Kobi and Rheera aren’t just tiny murderous cannibals.

They were different from the other orcs Luke had encountered. They were far more civilized, able to understand people, form real bonds, and live alongside humans.

Maybe they’re Ascended.

That would explain a lot. If Ascended orcs could develop a Class and a Profession on top of their Race, they’d be far more dangerous than the ones Luke had fought so far.

How strong would an Orc War General like that be?

If Kobi and Rheera could inherit that kind of potential, so could the Orc Lord. So could Gurgal.

Luke smiled. That just means they’re even bigger bags of Experience Points.

When he stepped outside, Luke asked Charlie for a favor. “I need you to take this letter to Nyvma as my royal representative and deliver it to the Emerald Cloaks.”

Apparently, kings weren’t supposed to show up in person for every minor matter. He thought it was stupid, but Angie insisted it mattered.

“Leave it to me.”

Charlie smiled, then activated her new skill.

[Royal Blood Steed (Epic)]

Crimson light flared beside her. Two heavy hooves hit the ground from within the glow.

Luke raised an eyebrow. Okay. That’s actually pretty cool.

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