Cataclysm

North of the Orc Empire's ancestral lands.

"Tatalu, you can't escape! I'll catch you!"

On the snowfield, several young orcs were sprinting across the vast expanse of white. The Ice Fox Tribe youth leading the pack clutched a massive slab of Woolly Unicorn Elephant rib meat.

Behind them, a one-eared adult orc was chasing the little rascals of the tribe, swinging a large club. The youths ran, turning back to make faces at the adult orc behind them.

"Uncle Tadora, give up! You're old, you can't catch us. Hurry back and prepare the feast, or Grandpa Chieftain will scold you!"

Tadora cursed as he ran; these brats were never a moment's peace.

"Hey! Children! Stop running, the Abyssal Maw is ahead. Come back quickly, or it'll eat you!"

"Hahahaha, Uncle Tadora, we're not scared! You can't trick us into going back!"

"You little brats, I'm going to tell you..."

Rumble rumble rumble The ground shook violently.

Immediately after, a dazzling white light flashed, and Tadora was blown high into the sky by a powerful force!

Several days later~

On the edge of an unknown cliff, a group of orcs stood looking down.

"Taren, have you sent anyone down to check?"

The Lion-headed orc leading them asked the Werewolf leader beside him.

"Prince Kuraldo, I've already arranged for the Snow Eagle Rider Squad to scout. The current situation is that this rift likely appeared during that earthquake and explosion. Its length is still unknown, and we are arranging for personnel to investigate."

The Lion-headed orc looked grimly at the rift, which was hundreds of meters wide. The constantly rising white mist made it impossible to see how deep the rift was.

Imperial Capital of the Orcs - Lagarsad

Ancestral Sacred Ground. The five great royal tribes: Tigerfolk, Lionfolk, Eaglefolk, Behemoth, and Half-Dragon, gathered here at the summons of the High Priest, along with other tribes. Inside the large tent, the orcs quietly exchanged information with tribes they were familiar with, but no one could say much. Gradually, everyone looked towards the five royal families seated above.

However, the seating arrangement and the demeanor of the princes revealed the underlying tensions. Even as members of the same royal family, the gaps between them were significant.

Judging by the distance between seats, the Tigerfolk and Lionfolk seemed quite close. The two princes occasionally leaned slightly to the side, whispering to each other, and sometimes let out soft chuckles.

In stark contrast, there was a palpable tension between the Eaglefolk and the Half-Dragon.

Just then, the Half-Dragon prince spoke sarcastically:

"Well, well, well~

Isn't this our incredibly noble Fifteenth Prince! Look at you, so full of vigor. I assume your injuries have fully healed? Even Emperor Sky-Rending feels confident enough to let you out and about?"

As he spoke, he deliberately stuck out his long tongue and slowly licked his eye. A row of fine, sharp teeth flashed in his gaping maw, emitting a chilling glint.

Facing the Half-Dragon's cold mockery, the Eaglefolk prince naturally refused to back down. He sneered and retorted:

"Hehehehehe~ Of course, I'm doing wonderfully. But there are some things where we're indeed not as good as you Lizardmen, are we?

I never thought before that not only can your tails regrow when broken, but your eyes can also regenerate after being gouged out. That's quite an impressive ability. Next time I strike, I'll have even more fun."

The Eaglefolk prince extended his sharp, eagle-claw-like hand and picked up a small red fruit from the table.

With a slight squeeze, the small red fruit instantly burst open, its bright red juice spraying out like a fountain, dotting the tabletop.

At the same time, the Half-Dragon prince's golden-red eyes narrowed slightly, like two long, narrow slits. His mouth also opened slightly, and a wisp of white smoke slowly rose from the corner of his lips, carrying a faint scent of sulfur.

"Sianmos, it seems we really need to have a serious, thorough, and in-depth discussion!"

The Half-Dragon prince stared fiercely at the Eaglefolk prince before him, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

Hearing this, the Eaglefolk prince threw his head back and let out a wild, unrestrained laugh:

"Hahahaha, fine, Alibali!

But this time, I've thoughtfully prepared a sturdy and durable stick for you.

That way, when you go blind, you can at least use this stick to find your way, instead of running around like a headless chicken, lost and disoriented!"

He then casually flicked the juice from his hand, and a few drops of red water arced through the air before splattering onto the ground.

"Fine, fine, fine! If that's the case, let's set off right now! This time, I'll make sure to pluck every single one of those proud feathers of yours, turning you into a completely bare hen!"

The Half-Dragon prince stood up in fury, and the Eaglefolk prince opposite him also stood up, unafraid.

"Come on~ If I don't beat your shit out today, it means you're clean."

Just as these two were about to go settle their differences, the tent flap was lifted, and a small, white-haired Minotaur entered from outside.

The Minotaur priest looked around the quiet tent with confusion. As he looked up, he saw the two princes standing on the high platform, locked in a confrontation.

"Cough, cough, cough~

Your Highnesses are still so energetic and vigorous, it truly makes this old man envious~

However, Your Majesty Zogomar and Your Majesty Atokalo likely sent the two of you to assist in this meeting. This meeting is quite important, and I hope you two will remain calm."

Hearing the Minotaur priest's words, the two dared not cause any further trouble. After all, he was a legendary figure. They quickly cupped their hands in apology and returned to their seats.

Seeing the situation return to normal, the Minotaur priest, supported by two Bunny Girls, walked onto the high platform. He placed his Bone Staff beside him and sat down next to the Behemoth prince.

"I apologize for summoning everyone from all over the empire. You have all worked hard."

The orcs below quickly stood up to acknowledge him. The Minotaur waved his hand, signaling them to sit down.

"Alright, everyone, we Orcs don't have the superfluous formalities of humans. I've called everyone here today because something happened in the ancestral lands two months ago, and this matter concerns the very survival of our Orc Empire."

Hearing the Minotaur priest state the matter so gravely, a clamor arose from the orcs below. The Minotaur priest rapped on the table several times, drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright~ Quiet down, I haven't finished. Listen to me!"