The Boss is Born

A cowardly voice emerged from the suppressed crowd of Greenskins. Though small and lacking conviction, it remained clearly audible within the silent dueling circle.

The Orks looked toward the source of the sound, naturally parting to create a path for its owner.

It was a scrawny, malnourished Ork boy. His skin was shriveled and covered in patches of coarse hair. The skin on his face sagged, his teeth were riddled with deep cracks, and his withered limbs resembled dry firewood. In his hand, he clutched a thick wooden stick.

Doom had been observing the battlefield for a long time and had spotted this anomaly in the sea of green. Unlike other Orks, he was not bellicose; his frail frame was always retreating, constantly searching for a way to survive.

A cowardly Ork boy stepping up at a critical moment to defeat a powerful enemy and becoming a hero who turns the tide—that is an indomitable "legend"!

This was the script Doom had written for him.

The scrawny Ork looked bewildered. He did not understand how his arm had been raised; even though he hadn't opened his mouth, his own voice had emerged, declaring a challenge against that human!

His wrist felt as if it were gripped by pliers, hoisted by a tremendous force. Before he could react, he received a kick to his backside, causing him to stumble forward a few steps.

"Not choosing to flee, but instead approaching me?"

The human spoke then, his voice still tinged with disdain, yet mixed with a hint of interest.

Harlan's expression beneath his helmet was grim. The undefeated honor of a Champion Swordsman was about to end here today, ruined at the hands of a stunted Ork.

"Ork! What is your name?"

There was no chance for the Ork to retreat; once he had stepped out, there was no reason to go back.

Like a director of a play, Harlan naturally asked for the protagonist's name, much like a villain waiting for the hero.

"Gu Ya! It's Gu Ya! That runt! The spineless coward who always runs away!"

Some Orks recognized the scrawny boy. His name was "Gu Ya," and his fellow Orks mockingly called him a "runt" and a "spineless coward."

In Ork society, runts are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, symbols of cowardice and timidity.

Orks are a strange race, born from spores like mushrooms, and the first units to emerge are runts.

The cowardice of runts is etched into their DNA; they are naturally inclined to stay away from other intelligent species, avoiding detection while scavenging for supplies.

Once Ork boys appear, they attach themselves to the boys, living at the lowest rung of Ork society.

Because of the bellicose nature of Orks, the hardworking and long-suffering runts are deeply despised by the others.

There is no insult more contemptuous among Orks than calling someone a runt; if there is one, it is "spineless coward."

With both labels applied to one Ork, one can imagine his standing in Ork society.

"Boo~"

Jeers rang out incessantly. Upon learning of Gu Ya's status, some Ork boys even covered their eyes to avoid being tainted by the sight, wanting nothing to do with his humiliating display.

Gu Ya's sagging, down-turned eyes were filled with terror. He didn't know what had happened; he had inexplicably stepped into the dueling circle.

In the invisible air behind him, Erica turned her camouflage device to the maximum, carefully concealing her form, and pressed the precious conversion device on her belt.

The dimensional rift of the Nul Crystal was propped open, creating an independent space for entry. Although it could only hold for a few seconds, it was enough for her to enter or leave the crowded Orks.

"Come! Gu Ya! Fight me to the death!"

The impassioned challenge awakened Gu Ya from his terror. He wanted to cry—to wail like a runt—and then scramble away from this place.

He was less than half the height of the human Champion; how could the wooden stick in his hand break through that armor?

And there was that glowing weapon, which the Mekboyz could neither decipher nor understand, capable of killing without leaving a trace.

He was dead! There was nowhere to run this time!

With things having reached this point, under the gaze of the masses, Gu Ya still grabbed his wooden stick and charged at the human Champion.

The Orks covering their faces, though disdainful, still peeked through their fingers, waiting to see the spineless coward splattered across the ground.

Gu Ya's desperate charge was chaotic; he swung the thick wooden stick wildly without any technique, rushing forward with his eyes shut.

Harlan lowered his stance, carefully observing the trajectory of every wild swing of the stick, calculating when to intercept it.

Finally, at the perfect moment, the Champion Swordsman let out a long sigh and swung his light blade.

The sword moved with extreme speed, too fast for the Greenskins to track.

At the instant the stick and the blade made contact, something happened that left the Greenskins in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock.

As the stick swung and touched the light blade, the human's iron-slicing, unstoppable sword was deflected!

Basic swordsmanship!

At the moment the weapons met, Harlan perfectly halted his blade, then tensed his muscles sharply to perform the motion of being deflected.

"This must be the mighty power of Gork and Mork!"

The timely roar rang out once more, instantly attributing that incredible moment to the divine power of Gork and Mork!

"Waaaaaagh!!!!!!!!!!!"

The brains of the Orks on the field instantly boiled over, erupting into roars of extreme excitement!

Such a miracle! It could be nothing other than the blessing of Gork and Mork!

Gork and Mork be praised, for allowing a scrawny boy to deflect the sword of a human big-un with a single wooden stick!

"Gu Ya! Gu Ya!"

Tens of thousands of Greenskins roared the same name, leaving Gu Ya looking bewildered in the center of the dueling circle.

He did not understand why the big guy's sword was so flimsy. He even wondered inwardly if he possessed some unknown talent.

Under the gaze of the masses, he foolishly scratched his head and grinned.

Over a dozen kilometers away, Doom also smiled; he could feel that energy unifying amidst the cheers of the Orks.

Gu Ya felt a surge of power, causing him to grow stronger by the second.

He stepped forward cautiously and, just as before, swung his wooden club at the human big guy.

Under Harlan's helmet, the corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly. He executed his sword technique once more, letting his blade precisely catch the wooden club before being knocked away.

A miracle had occurred once again!

The Orks went hysterical! Their grotesque faces twisted together, and they could only clutch their heads and shriek in excitement.

Time and again, the two beings of mismatched size clashed weapons, and the scrawny Greenskin kept repelling the human big guy.

Harlan was panting; the continuous basic swordsmanship had left his muscles aching and drained his stamina.

To the Orks, this looked exactly like the big guy running out of steam, about to be defeated.

"Gu Ya! Gu Ya! Boss! Boss!"

The Orks stood shoulder to shoulder, their chants coming in wave after wave, their short, thick legs stomping the ground as they waited for Gu Ya to defeat the human and become the Boss!

Gu Ya remained clueless. Amidst the high expectations, he broke into a small run, leaped high, and swung his club toward the big guy's head.

In the helmet, Harlan's eyes showed relief. This performance was humiliating to the extreme; playing house with a Greenskin was truly pathetic.

He shielded his head with his lightsaber, controlling it with finesse to make it appear as if he were being overwhelmed by the club. He exploded with power at point-blank range, slamming his head into the club with a violent clatter.

Then, he pushed off with his legs, creating the illusion of being sent flying.

In the eyes of the Orks, Gu Ya had leaped high and swung his club, the big guy's sword failing to withstand the force, resulting in a strike to the head that sent him flying away.

"The Champion Swordsman has been defeated!"

This time it was the humans shouting, their frantic screams filled with terror as the humans launched a treacherous attack!

In the dueling arena, the "Wraiths" under Erica, the infiltrators, suddenly appeared and threw smoke bombs to create chaos, covering Harlan's rapid retreat.

The Night Watchers withdrew quickly, leaving the dueling circle to the Orks, for they had other things to do.

"Gu Ya! Gu Ya! Boss! Boss!"

The humans retreated into thin air, and the Orks did not pursue. They tossed Gu Ya high into the air, calling his name and hailing him as "Boss."

With the scrawniest of bodies, he had defeated a formidable foe that even the strongest lads could not overcome. Blessed by the attention of Gork and Mork, he was destined to be the Ork Boss!

With every toss and catch, Gu Ya's gaunt body visibly expanded, eventually far surpassing that of an average Ork lad.

The concept of being the Boss had been planted, and his size would continue to swell.

"Respected Warlord, just as you predicted, the Orks spread across the southern hemisphere seem to have received some kind of guidance; they have changed their original routes and have begun to slowly advance toward your position."

Reports from scouts in multiple directions converged in the command room.

Doom nodded in satisfaction; his inner suspicions had been confirmed.

The birth of an Ork Boss creates a reaction that spreads through the psychic field, which the Orks can sense, drawing them to gather around the Boss.

This was exactly what Doom had been waiting for.