The massive creature stood before Thane with its eyes locked on him, and in two strides, it was upon him.
A giant among the tall orcs.
"So this is what David felt when he stood before Goliath..." Thane thought.
"Man-child! Where is the Dungeon Core?!" its voice thundered, guttural yet chillingly articulate.
Thane's fingers twitched, trying to call up the Channel World portal, but the hated message blinked across his vision like a curse:
[You cannot access the Channel portal if there are enemies nearby.]
"Of course… classic fast-travel restriction," Thane muttered bitterly.
"Welp... Time to face my giants. And there is only one thing I can do!" Thane thought boldly.
Almost instantly, he dashed to the back and fled faster than John, outrunning Peter.
But his opponent was not just a giant.
It took a step even faster than Thane, and Thane could sense the giant hands reaching for him!
He sprang forward, arms extended away from his torso, feigning panic. Supreme Perception thrummed in his mind like a sixth sense, warning him of the approaching hand.
Thane extended his two hands as far away from his torso as possible.
But as expected, his quick leap was nothing compared to the speed of the gigantic creature.
SNATCH!
The giant hand lashed out like a striking serpent. Despite predicting the movement, Thane was caught off guard. Fingers like iron clamps squeezed his chest, lifting him into the air with ease.
FWIP!
The Celestial TV was turned on.
Thane needed time to think.
He glanced around and could see that apart from the gigantic Orgrath, dozens of Oroks surrounded him, but there were also several Orcs among them! Oroks were the first form of this race, similar to how Groundlings appear before they evolve to being Goblins. But even in that situation, an Orok was far stronger than an average Groundling!
And these were evolved creatures who were 11-20 creatures!
"At level 15, an Orc would have higher stats than mine, even with the Ambrosia fruit's effects! If I don't play this right, I'm screwed!" Thane thought as the Celestial TV vanished, and he was facing the gigantic creature.
"Ahhhh! Help! Help!" Thane cried, thrashing like a terrified child.
The surrounding orcs laughed cruelly at his squeal.
"A pathetic human! Squeals like pig!" one jeered.
"Break bones! Crack like firewood!" snarled another.
"He will be dinner!"
"Meat is back on menu!" Another Orok cried that caused the flailing and thrashing Thane to almost break character, and gave the orc a rather strange look.
The Orgrath could have indeed crushed Thane with one hand.
Thane could feel the vast difference between their powers.
It would take a party of high-level knights to bring this beast down!
Even the former party that he joined would only be massacred by this beast!
But inside, Thane's Spirit was coiling, burning hotter and hotter.
He had seconds, maybe less, to strike the beast and wound it. He knew His Celestial TV's time dilation only slowed reality twofold since the Amrbosia's power is no longer in effect.
But even then, against this monster of high dexterity, that was a blink!
The Orgrath's rancid breath washed over him as tusks framed its snarling maw.
"Answer, or be crushed! Where is Dungeon Core! Where is Groundling Dungeon Core!"
Thane continued to thrash about to buy more time.
Core hunting. Thane had seen this in one episode. It was one of the fastest ways to feed a Dungeon Core. The King Orc, who had transcended being a Dungeon Core to becoming a King Orc, was on its way to becoming an Orc Emperor. And to become one, it needed to create powerful soldiers. A Dungeon Core was a primary ingredient in creating these beasts.
"Answer!" The Orgrath roared.
"Don't eat me! Don't eat me! I'll tell you everything! I'll tell you where they took it! I'll tell you where those mages took it!" Thane wailed, voice shrill with desperation.
The Orgrath's brow furrowed.
"Who they? Tell me now!"
But Thane closed his eyes, trembling.
"Who took it?" The Orgrath demanded again.
But Thane only kept screaming and thrashing in fear.
"No answer?! Then let me eat!" The Orgrath motioned to move Thane close towards his mouth.
But of course, Thane knew this beast would never really eat him, not until he got the information about the Dungeon Core. As he was being drawn close, Thane knew that this was the moment.
The Orgrath's guard was down!
The hide of the Orgrath was tough. Its skin would probably only leave a minor cut if Thane attacked it, but the eyes? Those have always been the weaknesses of the Orc race!
Thane appeared to be flailing wildly as he was being drawn closer to the mouth.
Thane knew his speed could not match the incredible dexterity of a level 21 creature! So he had plotted to leave a mortal strike to the eyes from the very start.
He fled with his hands pointed away from his body so that when the Orgrath would snatch or take him, his arms would not be caught in this giant's hands.
This allowed him to pretend to be flailing and moving around. And with such swinging motions, even the high dexterity of this beast could not catch up with Thane's trick.
Thane's arms, kept free by his clever flailing, flickered with light. From his inventory, Thane brought out one of his marked spears from the pile of spears he had acquired.
"Pointy Justice" and "Pointy Justice 2: Electric Boogaloo" appeared in his grip. Spirit erupted, coating the tip of the spear.
STAB! STAB!
Thane drove the spear deep into the Orgrath's eyes with both hands, pushing deep.
Even then, Thane had felt such a great resistance that it was as if Thane stabbed through something like wood!
A hideous, bone-shaking roar tore through the cavern. The Orgrath staggered, flinging Thane away.
CHUNK! CHUNK!
The two spears were pulled as Thane was being thrown away.
As Thane was being thrown back, Celestial TV was activated.
FWIP!
[ENEMIES DETECTED.]
[Celestial TV shutting down...]
[5]
[4]
[3]
Time slowed, but without the time's fifteen bonus of the Ambrosia, Thane continued to fly mid-air, and the creatures were still moving.
Thane adjusted his body with the time he had with the spears disappearing back to his inventory.
Stabby Boi and Stabby Boi Jr. appeared, and Thane quickly aimed as he landed.
[2]
[1]
STAB! STAB!
The two daggers struck the orcs, but they almost blocked them!
Had their master's cry not drawn or surprised them, they would have managed to block the attack!
Thane exploded forward. His stomp unleashed [Spirit Dispersing Deflection Strike], propelling him like a cannon shot. He dodged left as the axe of the orc he hurled a dagger at, and still managed to make a desperate strike! The axe swished above Thane, with Thane barely managing to avoid it as he rushed past the Orc.
"Get boy!" The orc cried.
The horde erupted into chaos.
"Master wounded!" Another orc bellowed.
"Kill the human!" another shrieked, frothing with rage and directing his rage on the fleeing Thane.
The Oroks and the Orcs rushed towards Thane.
A chorus of snarls and curses rose as weapons were raised, axes glinting in the half-light.
The incredible dexterity of the orcs showed itself as they were hurling axes with great precision!
Thane wasn't looking back, but thanks to his Supreme Perception, he could feel the incoming weapons.
It was this perception that allowed him to learn there were Groundlings behind him in the previous battle and allowed him to fight the Groundlings appearing on both ends of the tunnels.
But now, with his refreshed and focused state, the effect of Supreme Perception grew even more powerful.
CHUNK! CHUNK! CHUNK!
The axes landed where Thane was supposed to be, but Thane stepped on the floor as if he was stepping on the brakes.
He continued forward as more axes landed where he was standing.
Thane suddenly felt a large object approaching, but it was right on time as his Spirit released the explosive boost.
BOOOOM!
A massive axe crashed on where Thane was as the Orgrath hurled its weapon.
Axes and spears flew like rain. Thane's Supreme Perception screamed warnings in his head, flashes of red intent appearing like streaks in his vision. He twisted at the last second, narrowly ducking under a hurled spear, his cloak ripping as the weapon grazed him.
"Their Dexterity is insane!" he spat, zigging, zagging, diving low as he evaded the flying objects.
As he was approaching the entrance to the other chamber of the former Groundling Dungeon, several Oroks appeared, but Thane already knew they were coming out and had already sent several Stabby family members flying mid-air.
STAB! STAB! STAB!
The Oroks cried in pain, and another charged at Thane with an axe in hand.
But Thane made a sidestep, and from behind him, a flying axe that an Orc hurled flew straight at the Orok.
STAB!
The Orok was killed with an axe that penetrated deep into his head.
Thane moved past him and entered the room.
What was before him was a dead end and a deep river!