Return of the Woodcutter

Around one hundred black-skinned creatures previously lying in ambush emerged from the sand, surrounding Aito's team, barring their way to the staircase. As tall as Ogoro, with bulging muscles, they looked extremely intimidating.

Every one of them was wearing metallic protections with cloaks to protect them against the two suns' heat. Some held war hammers that seemed to be crafted with intriguing yellow rocks.

Others had long crossbows charged with bolts and bolas resilient enough to trap a challenger with a level 2 strength, maybe level 3.

Never would have Aito imagined that orcs would wait for challengers right next to the staircase.

Aito immediately spread his domain, automatically activating his gift's other ability, enabling him to sense those orcs' danger level.

His five senses went on high alert when he felt their power. At least half of the orcs were at level 2. He would be fine, but his teammates were in serious danger. Before he could warn them and get into formation, the orcs started their attack.

"Kru Kul Ka!" A particularly large orc who appeared to be the leader said. Surprisingly, Aito understood a part of its sentence. If he guessed it right, it meant "Capture them!"

Immediately after, the orcs' armors and weapons glowed yellow, attesting to their use of a skill challengers knew too well.

They launched a volley of bolts to probe the team's defense. Next to Sheyla and Ogoro, George shielded one side with a water wall.

However, the orcs' bolts managed to get through but were deviated from their original trajectory due to the water pressure.

With no time to reorganize, Aito released his shackles, lengthened his morpho ax, and dashed towards orcs charging at him with their huge ass hammers. Trying to cut down as many of them as possible to reduce the risk of danger for his team.

The imposing orc leader saw its soldiers' predicament, but, somehow, a glint of interest flashed by its eyes as he literally contemplated the strength of the man wielding an ax.

Slashing and hacking, Aito obliterated their first line of offense in a matter of seconds, despite their armor being coated in durability.

However, Orcs proved to be worthy foes. Expert in close-quarter combat and smarter than hobs, they immediately reviewed their battle tactics.

They encircled Aito, trying to trap him with their numbers. Perfectly synchronized, the orcs attacked him at the same time, narrowing Aito's possibilities. But they widened their eyes with shock when they were met with a real tornado of blade and wind.

—Active skill: Cyclone Lv2—

Rotating at unbelievable speed, Aito cut through their armor with more difficulty than he would with hobs. A flurry of wind blades progressively wounded nearby orcs, cutting shallow wounds on their tough black skin.

"KLA!" The orc leader ordered, its rough voice echoing throughout the entire battlefield. Too busy dealing with orcs, Aito couldn't understand what it just said.

Immediately after, thirty orc archers positioned on dunes charged their bolas, aimed, and concentrated their fire on the team, without targeting Aito on purpose. With their high ground, they would be able to avoid trapping most of their allies with bolas.

Amidst this mess, Sheyla and the others barely had time to see bolas arrive from behind enemy lines. Some bolas wrapped around warrior orcs' bodies, who fell with an angry expression on their faces, pissed to have been shot by their own allies.

George summoned another water wall to block the incoming projectiles, adding Aqua Pressurization for more power, repelling five or six bolas.

Ogoro and Sheyla managed to dodge the volley, more by luck than skill. Orcs all around them were able to use durability. They couldn't get through their tough glowing armor with ease as they had done with hobs and goblins.

One orc was already hard to overpower, but a hundred of them? It was hell.

Fortunately, Aito probably occupied half of their numbers. If it weren't for him, the team would have already fallen.

However, having difficulty pushing them back, Sheyla, Ogoro and George's formation was starting to waver.

A few orcs could even contend with George's brute force. When it came to technique, the siblings had the upper hands on them, but they compensated that with their numbers and thick armors.

"KLA!"

Another volley of bolas coming from all around flew over the enemy lines, trapping a few orcs. George managed to block some. Fighting orcs with his wires and sword, Ogoro barely had enough time to say shit when he felt something wrapped around his upper body. Thanks to her agility, Sheyla remained out of reach.

Surprisingly, orcs didn't outright kill Ogoro. Instead, they dragged him out of the battle.

"Give him back!" Sheyla shouted, losing her cool, sending one frozen arrow after another. Unfortunately for her, with the scorching heat, the orcs' durability, and their numbers, it did little to get her brother back.

On his side, Aito heard Sheyla's voice, deployed his shield ainium side, loaded it with durability, and bashed the shit out of orcs, creating some breathing space to take a quick look at the situation.

"KLA!"

A new volley of bolas flew straight for George and Sheyla. Without Ogoro, their formation was messy, filled with openings. Swarmed, there was nothing they could do when bolas trapped their upper body and orcs dragged them towards their leader.

Seeing this, Aito hastily ran at his teammates' rescue, furiously sending orcs flying on his way.

Standing on a small dune with its mighty war ax and huge tower shield, the orc leader nodded with content at Aito's display of power.

Orcs revered power, brute strength, and martial prowess above all. Although it knew it had almost chances of winning against the human, following their tradition, it truly wanted to have a proper duel with it.

However, now was not the time. It needed to capture humans for the Sacred Event happening soon. Hopefully, the Khan would be content with its find. Humans have rarely ventured on their territory. Luckily, they had captured eight of them a few days ago, plus these four and those already in their cells, it should be enough to hold their Sacred Event.

Ogoro was brought next to the leader, who immediately seized him, removed his helmet, and placed its ax blade on Ogoro's throat.

"No!" Aito said, rushing towards the orc leader. The sand under his feet did not provide enough support for him to fully take advantage of his stats. 

The orc leader shouted something, and the orcs around Aito halted their step, backing away from him.

Seeing the huge orc tightening its hold on Ogoro, the black challenger himself stopped in his tracks. It then opened its wide, toothy mouth with two husks pointing upward. Aito managed to pick up a few words.

"I… Krugan. You… Stop… kill him," Krugan declared. The orc then pointed towards Sheyla and George, who had been made hostages by orcs holding daggers to their throats.

'Shit, this is bad,' Aito thought. It didn't take a genius to figure out those orcs were threatening to kill his teammates if he continued rampaging. 'What should I do? A flash ball? No… their eyes are already accustomed to the light. A boom ball? Idiot… it won't be of any use here. The Suicidal Horn? No, if I move that thing might just cut Ogoro's throat and I don't even know if it works correctly on level 2 monsters."

Aito's brain was working at full capacity, rapidly analyzing how they could get out of this mess. However, no matter how he looked at things, there was no way THEY could escape. But HE could.

On his own, that is.

If he were to surrender now, what guaranteed the orcs would keep them alive? Maybe they had captured his teammates to stop him. Once he was unarmed, perhaps they'd try to kill him.

Even on the off chance they kept them alive, Aito didn't know what they intended to do with them. It was too risky a choice to listen to Krugan or whatever that orc was called.

Aito's best bet would be to leave his teammates behind, clear the sixth floor's mission that consisted of killing 30 orcs and make a run for the seventh floor.

That would be the most logical solution he could think of.

However, was it the best choice? Was it what he wanted to do?

[If it is power you seek, go with them. Lay down your weapon and surrender.] Valinar said through the system.

'You again!? Don't you have anything else to do but try to use me?' Aito said mentally. 'I don't need your help, goddess. Just get out of my head.'

After his Ascension, Valinar had kept silent, watching from the side and maybe digesting her failure at gaining Aito's trust.

[Indeed, you don't need it. But I need yours. I'm sorry if I previously offended you mortal. However, I simply wanted to lend a helping hand in order to gain your trust. That is my most sincere thoughts.]

'Are you just… apologizing? In this time and place? Really!?'

"Human!" Kugran exclaimed, "Surrender… or… kill him!"

Aito tightened his grip on his ax. His gaze traveled from Ogoro to George and finally Sheyla, who kept shaking her head. Telling him not to obey Krugan.

'Although I'm surprised by your apology, know that I will never trust you, goddess,' Aito said mentally, gripping his ax with so much strength his palm shone white and bones cracked. 'I don't know what your goal is or what you want. But I know what I want right now.'

He loosened his grip on his ax. It heavily dropped onto the sand in a loud thud that seemed to reverberate on the entire battlefield.