Rage swelled in the heart of every orc, building and building until it reached a breaking point.
"ROAR!!"
In an instant, like a dam bursting, this infernal orc army roared forward like a flood, unstoppable, surging toward the lone figure ahead.
No creature could endure such contempt, least of all the naturally violent and bloodthirsty orcs. They screamed and howled with unbridled fury, brandishing their weapons like madmen, striking and pounding to vent the rage and bloodlust in their hearts.
Their armor was pitch-black and spiked, their weapons smeared with poison and caked with dried blood, and their faces twisted with greed and savagery.
It was a sight that would freeze the blood of any mortal.
"Impressive momentum."
There weren't many orc legions in Middle-earth with this much ferocity.
Garrett bit into a golden apple, downed a strength potion, and drew his longsword.
Alone in this vast, dark, and magnificent hall, he charged headlong into the onrushing orc army. His armor was darker than the blackest orc mail, as if it could absorb all light. But the gleam of his blade was brilliant, so much so that the orcs closest to him snapped out of their frenzied rage for a split second, breaking free from the grip of collective madness.
But it was already too late.
The warrior in dark armor had already collided with the army.
Crash.
Several orcs were sent flying, their bodies erupting in flames. Some crashed backward into the ranks behind them, others smashed into the hall's grand stone pillars before plummeting down in agony.
Like falling stars across a night sky, they flashed briefly, illuminating the area around them for just a moment.
The dark warrior stood firm where he was, like a boulder in a raging torrent, unmoved. Only the spray of water, no, the fury of the orcs, crashed against him and was hurled back into the air.
"Move aside!"
A guttural voice roared from the rear of the orc horde. A cave troll came charging forward, dragging behind it a massive spiked iron ball bound in heavy chains. A few unlucky orcs clipped by the spikes were immediately crushed and trampled by those behind them.
With each swing of the troll's iron ball, it rose higher and higher, until it filled Garrett's entire field of vision.
Boom!
Dust exploded into the air. The hall echoed with the chaotic cries of orcs. The massive iron ball, several meters wide, seemed to have flattened the man and his sword entirely.
All went silent.
No light remained.
Just as the orcs were about to cheer, a golden light suddenly blazed from beneath the iron ball, brilliant, solid, and unyielding.
The two rings on Garrett's fingers glowed brightly, runic shields lighting up all over his body. With their power, he shoved the massive iron ball aside.
"Rings!"
In the rear of the army, an orc captain, clearly the most composed, suddenly widened his eyes.
"The master will reward us greatly for this... Kill him! Take his fingers!"
"GRAAAH!!"
The troll roared again and swung its giant weapon once more. Garrett raised his sword defensively.
Block!
CLANG!
The blade met the iron ball's spiked surface. The tremendous force pushed Garrett back half a step, but he successfully deflected the blow.
Seizing the moment, he lunged forward with a thrust, cutting through the orc blocking his path. Then, with a rising slash followed by a sudden upward strike, the troll's massive body was lifted clean off the ground in a physically impossible arc. He leaped up with it, and before landing, delivered a devastating overhead strike, splitting the troll's hide and igniting it in flames. The impact sent a nearby cluster of orcs sprawling, robbed of all strength.
The now-burning troll, no longer concerned with strategy, wildly swung its massive weapon, desperate to crush the human who had wounded it.
But the effort was doomed to failure.
Just as Garrett landed, he threw an ender pearl upward, it sailed atop a stone pillar. As particles shimmered and drifted down, he materialized mid-air. In a fluid motion, click, he placed a block against the pillar, giving himself a foothold.
The orcs followed the trail of purple light and spotted Garrett above. They began swarming up the pillar, trying to bring him down.
Others readied their bows, aiming upward.
In this brief moment of break, Garrett quickly scanned his surroundings.
Thump, thump.
Seven or eight arrows struck his armor, but none could make him budge even an inch.
One particularly powerful arrow had come from quite a distance. Following its trajectory, he spotted a remarkably composed orc, its calm demeanor stood out sharply in the middle of the frenzied army.
"Found you."
It was the same orc that had been issuing commands earlier.
Snap!
Several glowing red blocks dropped along the pillar's base, catching the orcs' attention. Taking advantage of the distraction, Garrett threw another ender pearl, this time directly toward the orc captain.
BOOM!
An explosion erupted beneath him, creating a large crater in the floor and blowing chunks off the stone pillar. Before the second TNT could detonate, a swirl of purple particles descended, he teleported into the midst of the distant orcs, leaping off their heads and tossing yet another pearl.
As he soared toward his next destination, the orcs at the original site finally realized the glowing red blocks were dangerous. They scrambled to flee, but it was too late. A rapid series of explosions followed, drawing the attention of every combatant on the battlefield, including the orc captain.
"Fall back! Let the trolls handle him!"
The commander quickly changed tactics, barking orders to nearby cave trolls. But as he squinted toward the top of the shattered stone pillar, he realized, the figure had vanished.
"Where is he?"
The captain's eyes widened in alarm, heart pounding, an ominous premonition surged through him.
Whoosh!
A burning orc flew past from behind and crashed to the ground before him.
"He's here!"
The voice came from directly behind. The captain instantly drew his blade and slashed backward, only to see a flash of golden light.
[Runic Shielding activated!]
Shunk.
A longsword pierced through his chest. Flames burst from his body as he let out a wailing cry.
The blade flashed again, an orcish head was cleanly severed from its shoulders, the cut smooth and precise, as if done by a master executioner.
Engage the army → Demonstrate power → Locate the commander → Eliminate leadership → Sow chaos.
After countless battles, he had developed an effective strategy for dealing with orc legions.
Thud.
The headless body collapsed. Garrett, holding a torch in one hand and the orc head in the other, shouted, "Look who this is!"
But this time, he had miscalculated.
"RAAAGH!"
A cave troll swung its giant club at him. Garrett dodged to the side just in time. With a sickening crunch, the headless body's armor was crushed where Garrett had just stood, its contents turned to pulp.
Hot on the troll's heels came the rest of the orc army. They had finally realized their target had somehow slipped behind them, and now, with frenzied screeches, they surged toward him.
No one seemed to care about the death of their captain.
These weren't disciplined soldiers, they were savage beasts who lived for violence and slaughter. The loss of leadership meant nothing to creatures driven purely by bloodlust and the promise of man-flesh.
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150 = +1 bonus chapter
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70+ Advance chapters!