Slaughter in the Valley

As the only passage to Avendell Dan, the Path of Glory is exceptionally narrow, allowing only five or six orcs to pass at a time.

There were no guardrails on either side of the road, and the steep rock walls next to it were riddled with tunnels dug by the Dwarf, as well as various carefully arranged traps.

If one is not careful, the orc will fall into the Abyss under the watchful eyes of several Dwarf statues. It is said that a "River of Bones" has long been accumulated beneath the Path of Glory, piled with hundreds of thousands of white bones.

The orcs were panting heavily, their eyes bloodshot, and they let out a series of noisy, frantic battle roars.

"Hahaha! Avendell Dan is just ahead!"

"Once we've completely taken over this place, I'm going to smash these Dwarf idols to pieces!"

"Just as the great Father God Gruumsh said—the weak and those who fear death should be pierced by the spear!"

Clearly, they had been blinded by the desire for war and were utterly unafraid of death.

The orcs, brandishing their Bone Spear and scimitars, plunged headlong into the perilous territory meticulously prepared by the Dwarf craftsmen.

"They're here!"

"Slaughter these orc bastards and let their blood irrigate the Path of Glory!"

With angry roars, the figures of Dwarf Fighter emerged from the tunnels in the rock wall.

They either drew their bows and arrows or pulled back their Hand Crossbow, firing burning arrows at the orcs below.

"Whoosh—"

"Whoosh—"

With a short, sharp sound as they cut through the air, countless rockets crisscrossed the cliffs, like a dense net woven from flames.

The orcs, struck by the arrows, howled in agony, their bodies ablaze. They rolled on the ground and soon tumbled off the stone path.

The orcs' wails continued for a long time before a series of dull thuds were heard as they landed on the ground, and fresh corpses appeared in the River of Bones.

An orc officer was struck in the shoulder by an arrow. The wound burst into flames thanks to the powerful gunpowder made by the Dwarf, emitting a smell like smoky meat.

The orc follower beside him exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward, "Monk!"

"Ignore me, it's just a little trick by the Dwarf, keep charging!"

The orc known as "Monk" casually pulled the arrow from his shoulder and extinguished the flames with his palm.

"But these are the weak."

Monk stared bloodshot at the Dwarf hidden in the tunnel—who, too, had only one eye! The orc's thick arms bulged with veins, and he hurled his Double-Headed Axe, unleashing a furious blow.

Under this immense force, the axe blade spun in mid-air, instantly tearing through the air, and the Dwarf Fighter, unable to dodge in time, let out a cry of alarm.

The Dwarf's breastplate was suddenly shattered, and his short but exceptionally strong body was forcibly embedded in the cliff face, never to live again.

"How dare you provoke me like this, humiliating a brave and fearless Gruumsh Fighter!"

Monk roared, his powerful body bursting with incredible strength as he leaped across the cliff, about to land in the rock tunnel dozens of meters away.

Looking up at the orcs attacking from the sky, the Dwarf in the tunnel were somewhat panicked, but not afraid.

"He's coming!"

"Hold on! Push that bastard Gruumsh into the Abyss!"

"Let him fall into the River of Bones, just like the other orc bastards!"

The Dwarf dropped their bows and crossbows, raised their round shields, and stepped forward, hoping to take the opportunity to shoot down the orc general.

"Boom--"

However, Monk landed with a thud, the immense force of which shattered the oak shield and knocked the Dwarf beneath him unconscious.

"Weaklings, I will crush you all! The orcs will become the masters of Avendell Dan!"

Monk slammed his fist down hard, smashing the Dwarf's head open like a shattered watermelon, splattering red and white debris all over the ground.

"Moradin!"

"Bes is dead! What on earth was that thing?!"

Upon witnessing their companion's gruesome death, the surrounding Dwarf finally felt fear and nervously scattered, carrying their round shields.

"Fear, tremble, shudder, for this is the power the Father God has given us!"

Monk grinned and charged forward, grabbing the Dwarf by the hair, lifting him up, and then throwing him into the Abyss.

"In the name of Moradin, avenge our people!"

"Brothers, let's go together and send this damned orc bastard to meet his Gruumsh!"

As the Dwarf howled, the surrounding Dwarf Fighter finally lost their patience. They brandished their warhammers and charged from all directions, wanting to smash him into mincemeat.

But this tall, strong orc was not clumsy. He leaped high into the air, pulled out the Double-Headed Axe embedded in the rock wall, and casually tossed down the Dwarf corpse on it.

The blood-soaked Double-Headed Axe swung through the air, scattering flesh and blood, shattering armor, and filling the air with the screams of the Dwarf.

"Orc bastard, pay with your life for your brothers!"

A Dwarf Fighter picked up the short spear from it, abandoned all defenses, and charged at him from behind with bloodshot eyes.

But Monk didn't even turn his head. He simply swung his Double-Headed Axe behind him, and it struck the Dwarf directly in the face, splitting his hard skull in two.

Soon, only the orc general, who was just over two meters tall, remained standing on the cliff platform, while the Dwarf corpses, bleeding profusely, were piled up at his feet.

Monk raised his Double-Headed Axe, stood in the pool of blood, licked the warm blood from his face, then roared as he raised the axe:

"Those who fear death will be eternally burned in the flames! Those who die bravely in battle will live forever in the kingdom of the Father God Gruumsh!"

Monk the Maimer, Red Fang Tribe warrior known for severing the limbs of his enemies, is the younger brother of the Orc Chieftain Batu and an extremely powerful "Eye of Gruumsh".

The Eye of Gruumsh is a fervent follower of the Orc God, and only the most powerful Fighter can enjoy such an honor.

Each Eye of Gruumsh must undergo a bloody and painful ritual—removing their own right eye.

If the candidate speaks out during this process, he will lose Gruumsh's favor and become truly crippled.

If he remains silent during this process, it will balance their impaired vision with that of their God, thereby gaining the most violent and evil power to see what he cannot see.

Monk was such a warrior, and he was therefore revered by the entire clan.

Just now, the orc warrior who received Gruumsh's blessing could have easily dodged that arrow, but he didn't.

—Because he hadn't tasted the bitterness of being hurt for a long time, which made him somewhat intoxicated.

Monk brandished his orc Double-Headed Axe, leaping into the air once more, letting out a loud roar as he did so:

"For the great Father God Gruumsh, for the glory of the orcs, crush these Dwarf!"

Under Monk's call, the orcs' offensive grew even fiercer, and they poured into the Path of Glory regardless of death or consequences.

"For Gruumsh!"

"We will conquer the world!"

The Dwarf kept firing rockets and throwing down explosive barrels, instantly killing or blowing away hundreds of orcs.

But these orcs, fueled by adrenaline, paid no heed, roaring as they charged forward, offering their cheap, worthless lives to hasten the legion's advance.

The giant eagles and vultures kept by the orcs will launch another attack, disrupting the Dwarf Fighter on the cliff and even causing them to fall into the Abyss.

Furthermore, the orcs later developed corresponding tactics, with Hill Giant and half-orc giants carrying heavy shields and walking on both sides of the formation to block the rain of arrows shot down from the rock walls.

The orc infantry, under the cover of their giant shields, advanced rapidly and soon reached the end of the Path of Glory, almost arriving at the "Orc Tombstone."

On the towering city walls, squads of Dwarf heavy infantrymen appeared, wielding long-handled hammers and massive shields, and clad in heavy steel armor.

These Dwarf stood like a low, imposing steel wall, blocking the orcs' path.

Undeterred, they resolutely blocked the orc legion's path, led by none other than the Dwarf general, Toru Aaron, who had just finished a hearty drink.

Unlike ordinary Dwarf Fighter, although he was less than 1.5 meters tall, the long-handled hammer in his hand was an exaggerated five meters long.

"Fellow countrymen, for three thousand years Avendell Dan has never fallen—even when we fought alone."

"In Moradin's name, stop these orc bastards at the Orc Tombstone! Send them to Gruumsh!"

"Send them to Gruumsh! Die, you orc bastards!"

The Dwarf heavy infantry roared in unison and charged forward like a mobile fortress, clashing with the surging tide of orcs.

Meanwhile, the orcs climbed the ladders brought by the Hill Giant and Half Giant, attempting to scale the city walls.

Although these Dwarf were short, they were extremely stocky and far stronger than ordinary orcs. In just one exchange, dozens of orcs were smashed down by their hard, long-handled hammers.

The tipsy Toru raised his long-handled hammer high, leaped up, and swung the heavy hammer in mid-air with great force.

"Bang!"

A dull thud rang out, and the head of the half-orc giant was instantly smashed to pieces. Its body, several times larger than Dwarf, crashed down, crushing many orcs beneath the city wall.

"You disgusting bastard, go to hell!"

Toru laughed loudly, and swung his long-handled hammer, stained with blood and brains, at the dozen or so orcs that rushed forward.

Under the terrifying power of the long-handled hammer, the orcs were bruised and sent flying backward, their teeth, eyeballs, ears and other bloody parts scattered all over the ground.

The surging orc tide was actually stopped by the Dwarf heavy infantry, and hundreds of orcs were crushed flat by heavy hammers.

They even showed a rare panic, instinctively retreating, but ended up jostling and shoving each other with the orcs who were rushing in from behind.

In the end, dozens of orcs fell with mournful cries, plunging into the Abyss and becoming fresh corpses in the River of Bones.

"Children, do not fear death, for it is the glory of orc Fighter!"

"If you die here in battle, you will gain eternal life in the kingdom of Father God Gruumsh! But if you die in cowardice, you will become meat and wine at a feast!"

The Orc Shaman rode a giant eagle, circling in the air. He raised his scepter, inlaid with an orc skull, and chanted an ancient song.

"Blood is their wine, heads their cups, wailing their pleasure, and fear their food."

"When the bones of our enemies litter the earth, and the orcish empire embraces the world, the great Father God Gruumsh will descend upon the world—"

Orc society is built on the ideals of power, survival, fear, and war, principles that are instilled in the worship of Gruumsh and taught to young orcs through brutal experiences.

Shamans passed down the legends of the orcs from generation to generation, spreading their faith through intimidation, encouragement, and iron-fisted tyranny, and making the orcs believe in it wholeheartedly.

The Dwarf on the city wall fired arrows, trying to shoot down the giant eagle circling in the sky, but there was an invisible shield beneath the eagle.

Orc Shaman finished singing his song, he chanted incantations, and a crimson light emanated from the empty eye sockets of the skull on his scepter.

A single, crimson eye hangs high in the sky, looking down upon the savage beings fighting below.

Suddenly, a thin red mist swept in, filling the entire valley. As the beastmen inhaled the bloody mist, they became even more ferocious.

They had completely lost their minds and could no longer utter a single complete, logical sentence.

"Aww—"

"Kill! Kill Dwarf!"

The orcs launched a frenzied attack; they had completely forgotten about death and only wanted to kill the Dwarf.

Time passed amidst the frenzied war. The corpses of orcs piled up beneath the city walls, gradually forming a small hill. Those who came later did not hesitate to climb up the pile of corpses and reach the top of the city.

"Hmph, hmph, these damn bastards, there are just too many of them. Is war and mating all they think about?"

Toru, panting heavily, exhaled hot breath reeking of alcohol, and swung his hammer again, sending the orc trying to climb the city wall flying.

The Dwarf's skin was soaked with the blood of his enemies and his own sweat. He had lost count of how many times he had swung his long-handled hammer and how many orcs he had crushed.

Perhaps it was three hundred, perhaps five hundred; he forgot the exact number long before he reached one hundred.

But there were far too many orcs, far more than he had imagined, and the Dwarf Fighter on the left side of the city wall were almost unable to withstand the orcs' overwhelming offensive.

Just then, Toru heard a deep, frantic voice that easily drowned out the cacophony of screams on the battlefield, filling him with dread.

"Dwarf, your head is perfectly suited for sacrifice to the Father God!"

He suddenly turned his head and saw a burly orc with Double-Headed Axe on his shoulder, smiling and staring at him from the left side of the city wall, his eyes like those of someone sizing up prey.

Even more terrifying, the orc was toying with the head of a Dwarf with wide-eyed stares in one hand, chuckling, "I hope you're not as bored as these weaklings."

That was Monk the Maimer, the powerful and insane "Eye of Gruumsh"! Beneath this orc general lay the corpses of Dwarf, the most elite soldiers of Toru, his brethren whom he regarded as brothers.

The head that the orc was toying with, the one with its eyes wide open in death, belonged to Glando Toru's closest comrade-in-arms!

Toru Aaron felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his flushed face suddenly darkened.

"Heh, is he that important to you? That's good, it just makes you more interesting."

However, Monk raised his ferocious lips, the veins on the back of his hand bulged, and he suddenly exerted force with his five fingers.

"Bang!"

Another head exploded like a watermelon, with bone fragments, flesh scraps, and brain matter splattered all over the ground.

Instantly, Toru Aaron's eyes turned bloodshot, his hand gripping the long-handled hammer trembled, and his teeth nearly ground to powder. "Orc bastard, you... you're courting death!"

The enraged Dwarf raised his long-handled hammer and swung it down violently, while Monk, with great interest, gripped his Double-Headed Axe horizontally to parry.

"When--"

The clash of metal produced a sharp, explosive sound and a shockwave that terrified the surrounding Dwarf and orc soldiers.