It's him, it must be him!
That human!
"Damn it, we've been tricked again!"
The sub-leader flew into a rage and immediately raised the cleaver in his hand, shouting toward Levi's direction: "We—"
Behind him, a large group of wargs and orcs showed fierce expressions, just waiting for the leader's command to charge back and chop that human into pieces.
"We retreat!"
The leader made a big turn and was about to run toward the distance. The surrounding orcs were confused, and after coming to their senses, their eyes were full of defiance.
Just one human, and we have to run?
We have over a hundred people!
"You're not worthy to be our leader, coward!"
Immediately, a relatively strong orc stepped forward in opposition.
"Shut your mouth, scum. If you want to die, I can grant your wish!"
The sub-leader grabbed the opposing orc, his powerful arm strength lifting him entirely off the ground. One hand tightly clamped around his neck, choking him so he couldn't break free or breathe, and he was about to stop struggling and suffocate on the spot.
Thud.
The leader ultimately didn't deliver the killing blow. The opposing orc was thrown to the ground and gasped desperately for air.
With this example made, the other orcs immediately became obedient, at least not openly opposing anymore.
"You have no idea how terrifying he is. Go find reinforcements—we need more manpower to deal with him!"
Despite the many grievances, the large group of orcs still retreated like this.
On the other side.
Firelight illuminated the destitute faces of the refugees.
Looking at the black-armored warrior who seemed to have descended from heaven, the refugees couldn't tell for a moment whether they were dreaming or still awake.
Similarly, they couldn't tell whether this fierce warrior was friend or foe.
Few orcs remained to guard the captives—only a ragged band armed with crude weapons. Levi dispatched them efficiently, some falling to his sword while others fled in terror, leaving the area clear.
"My lord..."
An old farmer tremblingly walked to the front, steeling himself to speak with Levi. Drawing on all his life's knowledge, he imitated the manner of people with status and bowed.
Levi removed his helmet and gently helped the old man up.
Seeing that this valiant warrior seemed to have no hostility and appeared quite friendly, the refugees all breathed sighs of relief.
"Are you residents of this area?"
"Yes, my lord. We have lived here for generations," the old man replied.
Levi kicked the orc corpses on the ground a couple of times and said, "This place doesn't look very suitable for long-term living."
The old man didn't know what to say for a moment. Actually, he had no idea what had happened.
He only knew that living here had been fine before, but suddenly a group of orcs had destroyed their living place. Some people were killed, some were eaten alive, and the rest were captured here.
"Don't live here anymore in the future." Levi shook his head.
"This place will become very dangerous soon."
"But my lord, our homeland has been destroyed. We have nothing and nowhere to go. The things here are all we have."
Levi looked at the group of refugees before him and was silent for a while.
"Go south, follow the river south. You can walk all the way to Rohan. South of Rohan is Gondor—these are human kingdoms that can shelter and protect you."
"Even if you don't want to go south, you can go east, all the way to the east of Mirkwood, to Dale. You can also find places there where you can live."
However, considering various factors, after hesitating slightly, Levi added, "If you really have nowhere else to go, you can also choose to go west across the mountains, through the wilderness. There's a territory there."
"We'll remember, my lord."
Without much more communication, the refugees asked for Levi's name and, after solemnly expressing their gratitude, prepared to begin their long journey.
However, looking at this group of disheveled people with nothing to their names, Levi shook his head and called them back.
"Take these. They'll make your journey smoother."
Levi pulled out a large pile of bread to distribute, and also crafted some iron swords on the spot to give to the young people among the refugees who looked decent and capable of fighting.
Although he didn't know how much good it would do, at least this would prevent them from suffering hunger on the road and wouldn't leave them completely defenseless when encountering danger.
These supplies were just a drop in the bucket for Levi, but for the refugees, they were quite precious and useful.
After the refugees left, the reputation system also displayed notifications.
As these refugees found new places to live, Levi's reputation would continue to spread among related factions and regions.
The more people he saved, the more reputation he would gain.
"An unexpected harvest indeed."
On the other side.
In a place where the footsteps of plunder had not yet reached.
A gray figure was arguing with some people.
"But we've always lived here. We've never heard of any orc army."
"That's because they were once cleared out by the dwarven army. Now they've returned, and they're nearby. If you don't want to lose your lives, quickly gather the people in the village, pack your things, and leave immediately. There's still time!"
Just as the crowd was wavering, a scruffy, somewhat slovenly man pushed forward and retorted harshly: "No, we won't leave. You wizard who only brings rumors and gossip—telling us to leave definitely means you're up to no good!"
"I think you've had your eye on our village for a long time, just waiting to drive us out so you can—"
Thud!
Gandalf frowned and directly gave this persistent troublemaker a blow with his staff, knocking him unconscious.
"I'll say it once more—leave this place quickly, or it will be too late!"
Gandalf spoke loudly, his words seeming to carry some kind of magic that made the villagers unconsciously feel convinced.
"But the land that sustains our lives is right beneath our feet. Even if we leave, where should we go?"
Even so, someone still raised questions.
"This isn't the only place where people can live." Gandalf looked at the villagers and pointed in a direction.
"To the north, not far north of the river, there are some larger settlements with more people living there. You share common ancestry—gathering together, you'll surely be able to exert greater strength."
Compared to Levi, Gandalf obviously knew the local situation and history better. He knew there were some human settlements north of the river valley, not as distant as Rohan or Dale, where the people had some armed forces and could deal with a certain number of enemies.
Although the Free Peoples living in this region weren't strictly speaking very numerous, if they could be united together and condensed into a whole, they could form a considerable resistance force, effectively resisting orc invasions.
This way, they wouldn't need to depend on others or wander everywhere but could continue living in this region, being self-reliant.
Soon, the villagers gathered with their belongings, discussing which route to take.
Gandalf lit his pipe on the side and took a couple of puffs.
Of course, it wasn't just his pipe that was lit.
There was also a certain hope in people's hearts.
Discover, guide, unite.
This had always been the wizard's duty.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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