"Oh, by the way. I heard something."
"… …?"
Even after the sparring match and while healing the orc warriors, Lokan had their attention. At his words, the orcs who had been arguing amongst themselves fell silent.
"I heard the guys in the neighboring area are bad-mouthing you. Calling you cowards, not warriors."
"Savages!"
"Skinny weaklings!"
"They insult warriors! Kill them!"
'Savage' referred to the humanoid Savages. For some reason, they had a notoriously bad relationship with the Orcs. This didn't mean they were allies with humans; humans also saw Savages as 'prey'. Their white skin and unnaturally long limbs made them feel like cannibals to humans.
'Whatever, I just need to move things along.'
The idea that came to Lokan's mind when he got the 'Honorary Orc Warrior' title was 'instigation'. It was only a matter of time before the two races went to war anyway. While humans hunting in the same forest would get caught in the crossfire ('the shrimp's back bursts in a whale fight'), some could profit by mediating. Strength versus Agility—though their fighting styles differed, their levels and power were comparable. The balance would break if players took one side.
'But there was no option to form an alliance with humans.'
"Come to think of it, I think they said they were planning to attack this place soon."
"Warriors, fight! Chwiik! Show the weaklings our strength!"
"A warrior is not a coward! Fight! Win!"
Even though Lokan was making it up, the orc warriors' reaction exceeded his expectations. They were enraged, not questioning the source or truth of the rumor. However, this wasn't the reaction he wanted.
"Now, everyone, calm down. How about this? We hide and wait for them to come first. If they're going to attack anyway, we can ambush them. I'll help when the fighting starts."
"Chwiik! Good idea!"
"Human, smart!"
He had successfully ignited them. An Orc Fighter acting as chieftain might think twice, but Lokan had successfully incited the warriors.
'If this goes well… … .'
Lokan further fanned the flames among the regular orcs. Hostility towards the Savages was already high, and soon it reached a fever pitch.
"What is all this noise!"
At this point, the Orc Fighter couldn't ignore it. This wasn't the same one from before; a new Orc Fighter had respawned with no memory of Lokan, knowing only that Lokan was an 'Honorary Orc Warrior'. Faced with the building bloodlust and news of the Savages' supposed plans, the Orc Fighter had to act.
"Okay, Chup! We attack first!"
'Done.'
The result was a great success. The Orc Fighter was also furious. This one wielded a long sword and shield instead of a greatsword.
'Good.'
A defensive build was positive. The longer they held out, the more Lokan could rampage.
* * *
"Chwiik! Sound the war horn! I will lead!"
True to their quick-tempered nature, the decision immediately led to action. The Orc Fighter gathered all the orcs, orc archers, and orc warriors from the camp and marched toward the Savage den.
In the process, any players who had sneaked into the Orc Camp for hunting were annihilated, but Lokan felt no guilt. He walked around the camp with a smile, collecting the items they dropped. This was part of his plan. A war causing player deaths, level drops, and item losses would only put him further ahead.
'It's quite a sight.'
The damage wasn't confined to the camp. Players hunting in the 'Rough Forest' between the Orc Camp and Savage Village were also caught in the frost. The orcs ignored those who fled but killed anyone who stood in their way or attacked.
"What are the guilds doing?"
"High-level players said even they can't fight an Orc Warrior one-on-one yet."
"Damn it, they just keep marching through the forest!"
While some players could theoretically win a one-on-one fight, facing the orc horde now was madness. Expecting a fair fight from the enraged orcs was unreasonable. Moreover, the top players had already left Cton to get ahead.
Thus, Lokan was the only one benefiting among the orcs. He hid within their ranks, collecting items dropped by unfortunate players.
'You're all just extras anyway.'
Current players lacked the strength to intervene in the war. As long as he hid his identity while moving, he wouldn't be exposed.
"Prepare for battle!"
"Waaagh!"
Finally, they reached Savage territory.
* * *
The orcs, natural warriors, showed no caution. As soon as they entered hostile territory, they screamed and prepared for battle. The combined roar of hundreds of orc warriors, regular orcs, and orc archers created a tremendous force. Players lingering in the area fled in terror.
'It begins.'
The Savages, of course, noticed the attack. A swift, quiet assault would have caused more damage, but that wasn't the orc way. Instead, they marched proudly toward the Savage village, beating their weapons against their shields.
*Thwack! Whish!*
As they approached, Savage arrows flew. Perhaps because they were still low-level, there was no coordinated volley; they shot individually as soon as the orcs were in range.
"Tch, making a fuss!"
Several orcs fell, but the Orc Fighter just chuckled. He could have countered with his more powerful, if less accurate, orc archers, but he didn't.
"Go! Chung! Kill them all!"
"Heh heh heh heh!"
The orcs and orc warriors screamed and charged the flimsy barricade.
"Loose!"
*Whish! Thud! Thud!*
Many orcs were sacrificed. While an orc could withstand one or two arrows, ten or twenty would bring them down. But they didn't stop; they kept running until riddled with arrows.
'They're like zombies… … .'
Lokan wasn't in the front lines. The real fight would begin at the barricade anyway. As he compared them to zombies, the vanguard reached the wooden wall.
*Thud!*
A mere headbutt made the barricade shake violently. The Savage defenses weren't thick.
'It'll be over soon.'
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
As the orcs clinging to the barricade swung their weapons, the shaking intensified. The Savages were holding it from the other side, but it seemed it would break quickly.
"Throwing!"
*Whoosh!*
The Orc Fighter's shield cut through the air. He threw the round shield he was holding.
*KABOOM!*
Enhanced by skill and strength, the shield smashed a hole in the barricade. Savage spear tips thrust through the gap, but the orcs hammered away to widen it.
"Waaagh!"
Finally, the barricade shattered.
"Charge! Sniff, kill them all!"
Orcs poured into the village.
"I'll join in now."
With the entrance secure, archery was useless. The Savages exchanged bows for melee weapons. Lokan entered through the breached entrance.
'Well, this is quite good.'
The orcs had broken through, but the battle promised to be interesting. While the orcs had distinct classes (Orc, Archer, Warrior, Fighter), the Savages, though fewer in number, each possessed combat power on par with an Orc Warrior. The younger ones were slightly weaker but could still handle multiple regular orcs.
"I want a piece too!"
Lokan scanned the battlefield and jumped into the fray. His main reason for instigating the war was to obtain 'Savage Blood', but he was more inclined to simply rampage. While taking on agility-focused Savages alone was burdensome, fighting several in a chaotic melee was manageable.
"Heh heh heh heh!"
His War Cry made the surrounding Savages tremble. Some were even briefly stunned. The support was helpful, but Lokan wanted more.
"Dash!"
He moved faster than the others, slipping past the orc warriors. He grabbed a slender Savage and slammed it to the ground.
"A human… … !"
"Shut up!"
The Savages were surprised by Lokan's sudden appearance but reacted quickly. Seeing their comrade smashed down, others rushed Lokan. There was no time for one-on-one honor in war. He met them with his axe.
"Hah!"
Blades came from both sides. Lokan sidestepped left, getting so close to one attacker that the other's strike tangled with his ally's weapon.
"Cha-ah!"
*Wrench!*
Lokan exerted his strength, forcing the tangled weapons upward. Unable to withstand the force, the Savage lost his grip, his palm tearing.
"First blood!"
A warrior without a weapon was dead. Lokan's axe found his heart.
*Thump!*
"You're next."
The Savage he had initially slammed down leapt up, but Lokan easily dodged and shoved him away. Off-balance, the Savage crashed to the ground.
"Chwiik! Got him!"
The orc warriors hadn't been idle. Weapons flew, cutting the downed Savage to pieces. Lokan felt a slight sting of regret, but it didn't matter. There were plenty more targets.
"Strike!"
He began slaughtering other Savages who attacked him.
"Whew, working up a sweat for the first time in a while."
The village quickly descended into chaos. Though the Savages resisted fiercely, the orcs' numbers were overwhelming. With only 100-200 defenders, there was a limit. The Savages, whose agility was their weapon, lost their advantage confined within the village.
Lokan enjoyed himself immensely. He had killed over ten Savages alone and provided significant indirect help.
'Now, where is he?'
He had already obtained the 'Savage Blood' quest item and gained three more levels, but Lokan had no intention of stopping. The most enticing prize remained.
'There you are.'
While fighting, Lokan's gaze scanned the battlefield, finally settling on one figure.
[Savage Warrior][Lv 73]