"Hah! Hah!"
Heavy panting echoed through the forest.
An Orc Soldier clad in armor was frantically running forward.
He wished he had two more legs to escape this terrifying and desperate battlefield as quickly as possible.
Sweat dripped from his forehead;
His clothes clung stickily to his skin;
The heavily breathing Orc Soldier began to discard his armor.
He occasionally glanced behind him, ensuring that the destructive power that had instantly killed his companions hadn't caught up.
What was that just now?
He couldn't understand.
Why, besides himself, were all his other companions taken to the sky by floating islands?
And whose doing were the flames and wind blades that subsequently erupted?
His mind was full of questions, with no answers.
But he didn't continue to ponder, instead focusing his attention on the present.
His stamina was rapidly depleting, and his cardiopulmonary function began to bear heavy pressure, making breathing difficult and muscles sore.
Even so, the Orc Soldier had no intention of stopping.
He used the only remaining machete to hack through the bushes, stepped over rotten tree trunks lying on the ground, and accelerated again in another direction.
Every part of his body was screaming.
Bones, muscles, heart, lungs—they began to 'complain' from overuse.
Just like that, the Orc Soldier stumbled and crashed to the ground.
His head hit a rock, fracturing his brow bone and cutting his face.
Enduring the pain, the Orc Soldier got up again and resumed his steps.
Along the way, he tried to regulate his breathing.
As a result, the metallic smell of blood lingering in his nose made him cough violently.
All these smells came from his companions, who had been instantly killed by an unknown force...!
A short while ago, the Orc Soldier had personally witnessed a commotion beneath his comrades' feet, and floating islands subsequently formed.
Except for him, over a thousand Pig-Headed Soldiers of the vanguard unit were isolated on these islands.
Before anyone could react, a terrifying scene unfolded.
Heavenly fire suddenly erupted, engulfing multiple islands and incinerating all the hog race on them to ashes;
Wind blades were then unleashed, like a meat grinder, sweeping more islands into their grasp, forming a literal storm of blood and gore;
The moment his clothes were drenched by the rain of his companions' flesh and blood, the remaining islands were suddenly kneaded together by an unknown force, and the Pig-Headed Soldiers on them were squeezed and crushed!
The entire process took less than ten seconds!!!
A hog race vanguard unit numbering over a thousand was completely annihilated just like that!
No... he had survived.
Or rather... he was deliberately left alive?
Regardless of the actual situation, the sole surviving Orc Soldier had to convey this important information to his kin.
There was an extremely powerful entity in this forest, and they had to plan carefully!
Thus, the Orc Soldier returned the way he came, running towards the hog race main camp.
As a vanguard unit, they had previously crossed a mountain and a river, so it would take some time to travel back.
However, the Orc Soldier had no intention of resting.
Despite his aching body, his feet kept moving forward.
By the time he saw the smoke rising from the headquarters area, the sun was about to set.
The Orc Soldier, dragging his exhausted body, used his last bit of strength to shout forward,
"Help, help me!!"
With that, he collapsed to the ground.
Before he lost consciousness, he heard footsteps rushing towards him.
— — — —
— — — —
Upon waking, the Orc Soldier saw several tall figures appearing before him.
The Hog King, Pig-Headed General, and several captains responsible for commanding the troops had all come to the scene.
Before they could ask, the soldier began to recount everything he had encountered.
"At first, our plan went smoothly. Vanguard units scattered throughout the Jura Forest all made discoveries, and one team even intercepted a Lizardman action squad."
"After we completely suppressed the Lizardman squad, a bizarre situation appeared..."
"Flames that emerged from nowhere, accompanied by wind blades generated by the atmosphere—these unstoppable forces devoured everything."
"Not a single soldier had the ability to resist; all were deprived of their lives by those incomprehensible abilities!"
"After this abnormal situation occurred, we initially thought it was an enemy ambush and used magic in the forest, but... everyone flew into the air."
"It wasn't magic flight, nor was it flying with wings; rather, the land beneath our feet directly floated into the sky, and most importantly—all the soldiers of the vanguard unit were standing on those islands."
"The enemy, whose location was unknown, seemed to know our movements perfectly, concentrating all the hog race except me on different floating islands, and finally executing them separately!"
"The method of execution was a replication of the previous attacks: flames, wind blades, and finally, 'trampling,' directly kneading the remaining soldiers and floating islands into a ball and crushing everything."
"I can confirm that there is an extremely dangerous entity within the Jura Forest!"
"As for why I survived... perhaps the opponent deliberately let me go, allowing me to report back. Is this a warning to us?"
The Orc Soldier was unsure.
He was very confused now.
He had survived alone and didn't know what to do next.
"You did very well. Now get some good rest."
The Hog King, Grude, patted the soldier's shoulder, telling him to recuperate first.
"Thank you... Lord Grude! I thought... a guy like me, like a deserter..."
"The information you brought back is very valuable."
With that, the Hog King turned and left the resting place.
Outside the tent, the Pig-Headed General beside him immediately said,
"That soldier has no magical aura on him. The enemy should not have used him to track our location."
"Hmm... You continue to train the soldiers. I'll go have another talk."
The Hog King finished speaking and walked towards another tent.
Inside the tent, dim yellow light flickered, casting mottled shadows.
A man slowly turned around, his towering white top hat first coming into view, and beneath the brim, a dark and deep bird-beak mask with cold-gleaming goggles.
His pure white robe fluttered with his movements, revealing the vest and green trousers underneath.
Holding a pickaxe staff, he said impatiently, "Looking at you, the plan must have failed terribly, right? I told you long ago, one thousand isn't enough; we need five thousand, ten thousand! Let them go and exhaust the enemy's energy first!"
"Lord Crumit, the vanguard... one thousand men, ten seconds, completely wiped out."
"Ten seconds?"
"Yes."
"Interesting. Are there such powerful monsters in the Jura Forest? The Storm Dragon should have disappeared... Wait, it seems to have reappeared before. Could it have hidden itself in some way?"
Crumit fell into thought.
Then he shook his head. Instead of dwelling on such things, it was better to move on to the next plan.
For this, Crumit confirmed again,
"Are you sure it was ten seconds?"
His voice was cold as iron, devoid of any warmth.
Under the towering white top hat, the bird-beak mask appeared particularly sinister.
Facing this question, the Hog King nodded again.
"Yes."
The Hog King responded in a low voice, with some confusion in his tone as well.
The reconnaissance team he had dispatched was composed entirely of elites.
Even if they encountered a powerful enemy, it was impossible for them to be completely wiped out in ten seconds.
But according to the explanation of the sole survivor, if the opponent was truly that strong, crushing the vanguard would be normal... It was precisely because of this that the Hog King began to consider whether to slow down the pace.
After all, the hidden powerhouses and indigenous monsters in the Jura Forest must have all prepared for battle.
Just then—
"Useless!"
The demon, Crumit, suddenly raised his voice, interrupting the Hog King.
A cold light flashed in his goggles, seemingly piercing directly into the Hog King's soul through that layer of glass.
"I gave you power, giving you the ability to conquer this land, to evolve into a Demon Lord as quickly as possible! And now, you're telling me that your so-called 'elite troops' were completely wiped out within ten seconds?!"
Facing the scolding, the Hog King did not meet Crumit's gaze.
Because rather than arguing with his namer, the Hog King preferred to focus his energy elsewhere.
The plan to conquer the Jura Forest could not be stopped easily.
Even if they encountered a suddenly appearing formidable enemy, they had to find a way to break through!
Otherwise, the two hundred thousand hog race would have nowhere to go.
So the Hog King slightly raised his voice.
"This failure does not represent the failure of the hog race."
The Hog King admitted defeat but still held hope for victory.
"We can try again... The second time will be different from before; we will dispatch sufficiently powerful Pig-Headed General to accompany the team for reconnaissance. Once we understand the enemy's true strength, we will then proceed to the Jura Forest and wipe them out in one fell swoop."
"Hmph, you are truly foolish, Grude. Are you actually thinking of consuming your own vital forces again?"
Crumit sneered and slowly paced in front of the Hog King.
"Since your warriors are so vulnerable, then let those worthless old, weak, sick, and disabled go. Let them exert their remaining warmth."
The Hog King's heart sank sharply as he looked at the demon in front of him.
"What does that mean...?"
"Very simple."
Crumit's voice was terrifyingly calm.
"Those old men, women, they no longer have value in combat, but they can still serve as scouts, providing us with intelligence. As for the children, they can be nurtured in the future, they can breed new warriors. Isn't this the best way to utilize them?"
The elderly could not be useful in this expedition;
Leaving some women as logistics was enough.
The future of the hog race would be borne by the current children.
But this arrangement was unacceptable to the Hog King.
Because his greatest reason for leading his people to war and conquering other regions was to ensure the continuation of his race.
"I believe Lord Crumit knows very well... The reason I lead my people to war is to give everyone a place to settle, not to sacrifice our elderly, women, or the future of our children."
Hearing this reply, a hint of disdain flashed in Crumit's eyes.
"Incompetent fool! Who do you think you can protect? In my eyes, you are merely pawns on a chessboard, replaceable at any time. If you are unwilling to carry out my orders, then I can only resort to force. 0"
The Hog King frowned and replied,
"I always thought we had a cooperative relationship. I am grateful that you bestowed a name upon me and gave me power, but that doesn't mean I handed over the lives of all my people to you."
"Is that so? When I named you, I said that you needed to evolve into a Demon Lord seed as quickly as possible to truly save your race. And now? Can you not even accept these sacrifices?"
Crumit finished speaking, and a low laugh came from beneath his mask.
"I have only ever had one demand of you: become a Demon Lord quickly. And the sacrifices of those people will be the foundation for you to change everything. Only by stepping on them can you become a Demon Lord!"
"..."
Clearly, Crumit was asking him to sacrifice his companions.
And it was a group of elderly and women.
This was something Grude could not accept.
Under these circumstances, a heavy sense of oppression filled the air.
The Hog King knew very well that the demon in front of him was not 'a bringer of hope,' but rather 'a devil urging him to make choices and sacrifices.'
Of course, the Hog King reaching this point was also a last resort.
In the past, he either succumbed to the Demon Lord, sacrificing more companions in exchange for temporary protection;
Or he chose war, leading his people to a new world, seeking a place for themselves.
"Grude, your choice... Are you not going to disappoint me!"
Crumit began to urge.
"Become a Demon Lord... and become a Demon Lord as quickly as possible, that's what Lord's request is, right?"
"Exactly."
"Then... I have the fastest method."
"Tell me."
At this point in the conversation, Crumit seemed to realize something.
"Grude! You...!!"
"I will bear everything for my people!!!"
With that, the Hog King lunged forward, his massive claws instantly gripping Crumit's body.
Crumit clearly hadn't expected the sudden attack, but he didn't show any panic. Instead, he let out a scornful sneer.
The demon continued to speak with impunity,
"Foolish act, do you think this can stop me?! I am your..."
"I will become a Demon Lord!"
However, the Hog King did not give him a chance to retort.
With a roar, the Hog King opened his gaping maw and swallowed Crumit whole.
The air in the tent seemed to solidify, leaving only the Hog King's heavy breathing.
The Hog King felt the taste of blood in his mouth.
In an instant, memories began to flash like a revolving lantern.
The battles on the field, the wails of his people, and the innocent lives ruthlessly sacrificed... At the same time—
A terrifying power erupted from within his body!!
The surging magic power directly blew the tent away.
The suddenly rampaging airflow attracted the attention of all the hog race in the surrounding area.
No one knew exactly what happened.
But one thing the hog race knew clearly—
Their chieftain;
The emperor of the hog race;
The Hog King who led them on the expedition had become even stronger!!!
— — — —
— — — —
The central area of the Goblin Village.
Next to a huge rock, there was a simple basement.
Chen Hai was currently standing at the entrance, listening to Rigurd introduce the fruit wine he had brewed, when he suddenly looked towards the northwest.
How interesting... Earlier today, Chen Hai dealt with the hog race's vanguard.
After eliminating ninety-nine percent of the enemies, he left two Pig-Headed Soldiers.
One was a Pig-headed Scout imprisoned in the Goblin Village;
The other was allowed to escape, and that individual was then used to locate the hog race's headquarters.
And now, Chen Hai learned through the latter that the hog race's stronghold had experienced a special impact.
Specifically—
The Orc Demon Lord had appeared.
And it was much earlier than in the original plot.
That's why Chen Hai used 'interesting' to describe it.
Once evolved into a Demon Lord seed, one's strength would greatly increase.
Comparing a Demon Lord to a non-Demon Lord was like comparing heaven and earth.
"Lord Chen Hai? Is this... Do you not like the wine I brewed? If you dislike it, I can pour it all out."
"It has nothing to do with that. Also, you can bring out those wines and share them with everyone."
"No problem!"
Receiving the new order, Rigurd quickly called his son Rigur and Gobta to help, bringing out all the wine brewed in the past few days.
"Bring it all out?"
"That's right, Gobta, this is Lord Chen Hai's order."
"I understand! Leave it to me! Heave-ho, heave-ho!"
After giving a perfunctory response, Chen Hai heard the sound of clashing steel from not far away.
That was the sound of monsters engaging in training battles.
Goblins, Ogre race, Dragonewt Race, and Fang Wolves all participated.
With the plot changing at this moment, they trained today, and would likely be on the battlefield tomorrow.
After all, with the Hog King evolving early, he would certainly try to achieve a quick victory.
Chen Hai thought this, and walked over, planning to play with his monster warriors.