North of the Ancestral Land of the Orc Empire
"Tatalu, you can't get away. I'll catch you!"
Across the snowy plains, several young orcs raced over the vast white landscape. At their head, a young Ice Fox Tribe boy clutched an enormous slab of Woolly Unicorn Elephant rib meat.
Behind them, an adult orc missing one ear chased after the little troublemakers of his tribe, waving a large club in his hand. The youths ran while 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 Chief will scold you if you're late!"
Tadora cursed as he ran. These little brats never gave anyone a moment's peace.
"Hey! Kids, stop running! The Abyssal Maw is ahead! Come back quickly, or it'll swallow you!"
"Hahahaha! Uncle Tadora, we're not afraid! You can forget about tricking us into going back!"
"You little bastards, I'm going to tell you..."
Rumble, rumble, rumble—the ground shook violently.
Then a dazzling flash of white light burst forth, and Tadora was blown straight into the sky by a tremendous force.
Several days later...
At the edge of an unknown cliff, a group of orcs stood peering down below.
"Taren, have you sent anyone down to investigate?"
The leading Lion-headed orc asked the wolfman chief beside him.
"Prince Kuraldo, I've already sent the Snow Eagle Rider Squad down to investigate. What we know so far is that this fissure likely appeared during that earthquake and explosion. Its full length is still unknown, and we're arranging for people to continue surveying it."
The Lion-headed orc stared grimly at the fissure before him, hundreds of meters wide. The constantly rising white mist made it impossible to see how deep it was.
Imperial Capital of the Orcs—Lagarsad
At the Ancestral Sacred Ground, the five great Royal Families—the Tigerfolk, Lionfolk, Eaglefolk, Behemoths, and Half-Dragons—had gathered alongside the other races at the High Priest's summons. Within the great tent, the orcs quietly exchanged information with tribes they knew well, but no one could say much. Gradually, everyone turned their attention to the five great Royal Families seated above.
However, the arrangement of the seats and the attitudes of the princes revealed much. Even though they were all members of the Royal Family, deep rifts existed between them.
Judging by the distance between their seats, the Tigerfolk and Lionfolk appeared quite close. The two princes occasionally leaned toward each other, whispering back and forth, sometimes letting out soft chuckles.
In stark contrast, the Eaglefolk and Half-Dragons were filled with a strong air of hostility.
At that moment, the Half-Dragon prince spoke in a mocking tone:
"Well, well, well~
Isn't this our incomparably noble Fifteenth Prince? Look at how full of vigor you are now. I suppose your injuries have completely healed? Even His Majesty the Sky-Rending Emperor feels at ease letting you walk around now?"
As he spoke, he deliberately extended his long tongue and slowly licked his eye. A row of fine, sharp teeth appeared within his split-open mouth, glinting with a chilling light.
Naturally, the Eaglefolk prince refused to be outdone by the Half-Dragon's mockery. He sneered and retorted:
"Hehehehe~ I'm doing exceptionally well, of course. Though there are indeed certain things I can't compare to you Lizardmen in.
I never realized before that not only could your tails grow back after being severed, but even after your eyes were gouged out, they could regenerate. That really is quite a useful ability. Next time we fight, I'll enjoy myself even more."
The Eaglefolk prince extended a hand as sharp as an eagle's talons and picked up a small red fruit from the table.
With a slight squeeze, the little red fruit instantly burst apart, scarlet juice spraying everywhere like a fountain and scattering droplets across the tabletop.
At the same time, the Half-Dragon beside him narrowed his crimson-gold eyes into thin slits. His mouth opened slightly as well, and white smoke slowly rose from the corners of his lips, carrying a faint scent of sulfur.
"Sianmos, it seems the two of us truly need to have a thorough, serious exchange!"
The Half-Dragon prince glared viciously at the Eaglefolk prince before him and spoke through gritted teeth.
Hearing this, the Eaglefolk prince threw back his head and burst into wild, unrestrained laughter.
"Hahahahahaha, sure, Alibali!
But this time, I thoughtfully prepared a sturdy, durable stick for you.
That way, when you go blind, you can at least use it to feel your way around. You won't have to stumble about like a headless fly, unable to find your direction!"
With that, he casually flicked the juice from his hand. Several scarlet droplets traced an arc through the air before splattering onto the ground.
"Fine, fine, fine! Since that's the case, let's leave immediately! This time, I'll pluck every last feather you're so proud of and turn you into a bald hen!"
The Half-Dragon prince rose furiously to his feet, while the Eaglefolk prince opposite him also stood without fear.
"Come on~ If I don't beat the shit out of you today, I'll count that as you having a clean ass."
Just as the two were about to head outside to settle the score, the tent flap was lifted, and a small, thin Minotaur with graying fur walked in from outside.
The Minotaur priest looked doubtfully at the silent tent. Raising his head, he saw the two princes standing on the platform, confronting each other.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough~
Your Highnesses are still so energetic and lively. This old man truly envies you~
However, His Majesty Zogomar and His Majesty Atokalo sent the two of you to assist with this meeting. This meeting is quite important, so I hope you can both remain calm."
After hearing the Minotaur priest's words, neither dared continue causing trouble. After all, he was a legend. They hurriedly clasped their hands in apology and returned to their seats.
Seeing that the situation had returned to normal, the Minotaur priest ascended the platform with the support of two Bunny Girls. Carrying his Bone Staff, he sat down beside the Behemoth prince.
"My apologies for summoning everyone here from all corners of the empire. You have all worked hard."
The orcs below hurriedly rose to respond, and the Minotaur waved to indicate that they should sit.
"Alright, everyone. We of the Orc Empire do not stand on human formalities. I have summoned you all because something happened in the Ancestral Land two months ago, and this matter concerns the very survival of our Orc Empire."
Hearing the Minotaur priest describe the matter so gravely, a wave of uproar rose among the orcs below. The Minotaur priest struck the table forcefully several times, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright~ Quiet down. I'm not finished yet. Listen to me!"