Half-Orcs

Sol soared through the air, his wingspan of over twenty-five feet filled with air, making him look like an enormous red bat.

A single rabbit was nowhere near enough to satisfy his rapidly developing body, so after "persuading" his stupid sister through physical means, he set out to hunt for the day.

He planned to try his luck at the place where he had previously stumbled upon a herd of giant-horned cattle.

More than three months had passed, and judging by their habits, the creatures should have left long ago. But perhaps he would find a new herd?

Unfortunately, luck was not on his side this time. After circling in the sky for over an hour without finding anything, he had to settle for the next best thing and caught an unlucky wild deer.

Not long after he finished eating and left, a small squad of Half-Orcs emerged from the increasingly lush grass in the distance.

After leaving the blue dragon's Blackrock Fort, Bulaka had not dared waste a moment. Bulaka immediately returned to the tribe and relayed the blue dragon's orders to its members.

As the mixed-blood descendants of humans and orcs, Half-Orcs had always been seen by humans as monsters and mongrels, while orcs regarded them as weaklings and looked down on them for their impure blood.

That made it difficult for them to gain a foothold in human civilization or orc tribes. Only the rarely visited wilderness could offer them a place to live.

There was one such small Half-Orc tribe on the Kaqino Grassland, with a population of around a hundred.

Their powerful physiques, inherited from orcs, combined with human intelligence and ways of thinking, meant that all Half-Orcs, male or female, could become capable warriors once they reached adulthood.

They could also take up a variety of classes.

Besides being natural-born berserkers, some Half-Orcs could also change classes to become assassins thanks to their innate darkvision.

They were a far superior race to the Boarfolk, yet even they had to rely on the protection of the strong to establish themselves in the wilderness.

Thus, the entire Half-Orc tribe pledged its loyalty to Kalundak Selaris, the powerful blue dragon known as Storm Fang, and tended herds for him on the grassland.

After receiving the blue dragon's orders, almost every warrior in the tribe had set out to search everywhere for traces of the unidentified young dragon.

The three Half-Orcs who had just emerged from the grass were one of those squads.

They had spotted the dark shape circling in the sky from afar and quietly followed it all the way here.

Seeing that Sol was about to disappear over the distant horizon, the three Half-Orcs exchanged a few words and decided that two would continue tracking him while the other went back to report.

Thanks to the powerful physiques they inherited from orcs, these Half-Orcs could run at full speed for hours without rest. The two trackers would also leave markers along the way to guide the tribesmen who followed.

Sol had no idea he had two "tails" behind him. Having lived in this region for over half a year, he was no longer as constantly vigilant as he had been at first.

By now, the horizon had begun to pale, and the clouds reflected the light of the sun yet to rise, taking on a peculiar gradient from purplish-black to orange-red.

Sol was no longer sleepy, so he picked up the sack of potatoes and flew with a rush of wind toward the gentle slope where the Boarfolk lived.

"It's already light out! How long are you lazy pigs going to sleep? Get up, all of you, now!!"

The resounding roar carried far into the distance. Grok, who had been sleeping soundly in the cave, jolted awake and sprang off the ground.

The old Boarfolk remembered well who had given him the chance to stay alive. He grabbed a thorny branch beside him and lashed it hard against his companions.

"Damn it! Get up! All of you, get up! Didn't you hear the master calling us?"

The flexible branch, covered in tiny thorns, struck their tough pigskin. Though it could not cause any serious injuries, it sent waves of intense pain through them.

In the blink of an eye, miserable howls filled the cave.

Seeing the Boarfolk around him scrambling to their feet, Grok turned and rushed into another cave.

Before long, he had driven all the Boarfolk before Sol like a sheepdog herding sheep, then led them in kneeling on the ground.

"Great master, your loyal servants are all present. What are your orders?"

Sol looked at the old Boarfolk. The fellow had grown shrewd with age and was quite clever, making him a capable enough "lackey."

That alone, however, was not enough for Sol to value him.

He raised his head and growled at the Boarfolk before him:

"Merciful as I am, I've found you another crop. You lazy pigs, get moving and clear more farmland for me."

After spending nearly half a year with Sol, the Boarfolk had long since learned his temperament. Not daring to resist in the slightest, they scurried back into their caves, picked up their tools, and rushed to the spot he had designated.

Potatoes were planted a little differently from corn. They needed high ridges and plenty of potassium fertilizer.

To that end, after the Boarfolk had cleared the land, Sol had them gather a large amount of weeds, burn them into plant ash, and scatter it over the field.

Only after that did he have them cut up the sackful of potatoes, keeping the eyes intact, coat the cut surfaces in plant ash, and bury the pieces at intervals in the soil.

With their previous experience planting corn, the whole process did not take long.

Boarfolk were not very intelligent, but they had thick skin, tough flesh, and great endurance. For farmwork, they were even more useful than black slaves.

At the same time, precisely because they were not very intelligent, their loyalty and gratitude were easy to win as long as they were given enough to eat.

The day passed quickly. When Sol returned to the cave, he happened to find Xisitana and Kalpu preparing to go hunting.

The two hatchlings gave Sol a wary glance and silently made up their minds: This time, we'll eat all our prey before coming back.

But immediately afterward, they saw Sol reach into the folds of his wing with a claw. When he drew it out, he held a glittering fragment of Dragonvein Crystal between his fingertips, which he waved at them.

A hazy glow flickered across the enchanting magic crystal. In an instant, it captured Xisitana and Kalpu's attention, and they could not help taking half a step forward and asking:

"Dear elder brother, are you planning to trade this insignificant scrap of magic crystal for the delicious prey we bring back this time?"

"Please give it to me! I'll be sure to bring back food that satisfies you!"

Sol looked at the two eager hatchlings and curled his mouth into a nasty grin:

"Take a guess!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Xisitana and Kalpu's expressions became uncertain.

What if they brought back prey, but the hateful fellow had no intention of trading and instead decided to take it by force?

But if they did not bring any back, they would miss out on a magic crystal fragment they might have obtained. Whenever they thought of it afterward, their regret would surely be so painful they could not breathe.

It was as though two little figures were fighting fiercely in their minds, leaving them wildly torn. Before long, they felt a surge of intense anger toward Sol.

"That damned fellow!"

"Once I'm an adult, I'll definitely get him back for this!"