The Indomitable Martial King

They passed a lavish mansion and entered a shabby stone building nearby. Inside, a crude space surrounded by plaster walls emerged. Iron bars were everywhere, behind which dozens of burly orcs were either resting or training their bodies.

The guards opened the bars and shoved the green orc inside, shouting,

“Fresh meat! You beasts!”

After locking the bars again, the guards left. The green orc briefly surveyed his surroundings before silently moving to sit in a corner. The orc gladiators eyed him and shouted in Orcish.

“A new one has arrived.”

“Welcome to hell, kid! Heh heh heh!”

Mocking voices poured in from all sides, but the green orc remained unmoved.

An older orc with gray skin approached and asked,

“You’ve certainly come to the wrong place. What’s your name, youngster?”

The green orc raised his head. The elder orc flinched for a moment.

The previously docile face had vanished, replaced by an intensely fierce gaze gleaming on a cold expression.

“I am the son of Krota and heir to the sword of Kalken, Tassid.”

* * *

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a faint glow inside the gladiators’ quarters. In the dim light, the orc gladiators, having finished their day, gathered in small groups to roll dice or chat.

“We survived another day.”

“But who knows what tomorrow will bring.”

“Hey, did you hear what happened when Berik died? That bullshit our master August spewed?”

“What did he say?”

“Looking at dead Berik, he said this.”

An orc gladiator lifted his head and mimicked August’s voice, shouting,

“If you were going to die anyway, you should’ve avoided the armor and taken the hit! Now you’ve wasted a perfectly good piece of armor!”

The listeners ground their teeth in fury.

“Son of a bitch.”

“Damn bastard…”

The orc gladiators vented their helpless anger, soon slumping their shoulders. It was no mere story—it could be their reality in just a few days.

A cursed fate, a cursed life, a future with no hope in sight…

Suddenly, one of the orcs spoke up.

“Our situation is indeed pitiful. They say there are orcs blessed by the spirit of battle, who can stand toe-to-toe with humans…”

“Isn’t that about the Duchy of Antares? Founded by the Fist King Repenhardt…”

Everyone wore a dreamy expression. They had heard the rumors of orcs in Antares living freely, standing proudly against humans instead of being despised. They had fantasized about living like that themselves.

“They say they have the pride of true warriors…”

“That they possess the soul of a true orc…”

An older orc gladiator shouted in frustration.

“Stop spouting nonsense and go to sleep, you idiots! It has nothing to do with us anyway!”

At that moment, a solemn voice came from the corner of the quarters.

“What if it does?”

The orcs turned their heads in confusion. It was the newcomer from today who had spoken. He stood up and looked around at the orcs before continuing.

“I’m asking what you would do if a path opened for you to live like the orcs of Antares.”

“What are you talking about, Tassid?”

At the elder orc’s question, the green orc, Tassid, raised his shackled arms. A turquoise light surged from the shackles.

Boom!

A burst of intense light shattered the iron shackles into pieces, scattering them across the floor. The orcs cried out in astonishment.

“Aura?”

“Gods! He’s a warrior!”

Panic rippled through the quarters. Other orcs, who had been lounging around, rushed over in shock. The elder orc exclaimed in surprise.

“Who… Who are you?”

Tassid slowly opened his mouth.

“I am from Antares. I have come to open a path for my brothers.”

“I can break the walls that confine us. After that, we can rush to the armory and equip ourselves. We can easily deal with the mansion guards. Then, we can escape the city. I know the way. If you follow my lead, we can safely escape.”

Tassid calmly laid out his escape plan. The orcs looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Escape? From here?”

“Can we really leave this hell?”

None of them had ever stopped imagining what it would be like to escape. But now that the possibility was real, they hesitated. They had lived as slaves since childhood, following human orders all their lives.

“But… If we get caught by humans…”

“We’ll be subjected to terrible torture and fed to the beasts…”

The fear of humans was deeply ingrained in their bones, making it impossible to shake off easily. Seeing the hesitant orcs, anger lit up on Tassid’s face.

His thunderous voice boomed over the orcs.

“Are you warriors or talking livestock? Does not a single drop of warrior’s blood run through the hearts that beat within your chests?”

It was a cry mixed with anger, lament, and sorrow. Gradually, the light of shame began to appear on the orcs’ faces. Their lifelong experience as slaves was overshadowed by the spirits of their great ancestors flowing through their veins.

One by one, the orcs began to resolve themselves, their eyes shining with determination.

“I… I am…”

“Of course, I am a warrior…!”

Tassid stood tall, his chest out, raising his fist blazing with aura. He faced the dozens of orc gladiators and shouted.

“If you truly call yourselves warriors, then stand up! Rise, take up your weapons, and fight!”

Orcs revered the strong. And Tassid, blessed with the spirit of battle, possessed a strength they could never have imagined—a true strength. A great warrior was now calling on them to rise. Excitement spread, and one by one, they began to stand.

“I am a warrior!”

“A true warrior with a free spirit!”

“I will follow you, Warrior Tassid!”

Most of the orc gladiators shouted in agreement with Tassid’s call. Though some orcs still had fearful expressions, they couldn’t help but join in the prevailing atmosphere.

“Then, brothers, I shall now open the way.”

Tassid walked to the window where the moonlight streamed in and reached out his hand. He shouted.

“Come forth, my loyal companion, Dakar!”

Whoosh!

A gust of wind howled, and something struck the wall.

Boom!

A thunderous noise echoed. The thick stone wall crumbled like a sandcastle, with dust rising all around.

From within the dust, Tassid raised his hand. The enormous soul weapon, Dakar, shone brilliantly in the moonlight.

“That…”

“The soul weapon that only true warriors possess…”

The orcs shuddered with awe. The legendary figures they had heard of from their slave parents were now a reality before their eyes.

Tassid raised his sword and shouted.

“Let us go, brothers, proud descendants of warriors!”

* * *

Blood and screams flowed like a river from the lavish mansion of Wildbane. The mansion guards swung their spears, their cries filled with despair.

“Aaah!”

“These filthy orcs!”

A fierce roar from the orcs followed closely behind.

“Graaaah!”

“Die, filthy humans!”

The orc gladiators mowed down the guards like savage beasts. Armed as planned from raiding the armory, their strength was far beyond what the mansion guards could handle.

One orc gladiator, swinging his sword wildly, suddenly noticed something and his eyes gleamed. Beneath a table, a terrified servant cowered in fear.

“Human!”

His eyes turned blood-red as he prepared to thrust his sword. Suddenly, a massive soul weapon intercepted his strike.

Clang!

The clash of metal made the orc gladiator turn his head. He looked at Tassid and shouted, his voice filled with excitement.

“Warrior, why do you stop me?”

“That one is just a servant.”

“He is still human!”

Grinding his teeth, the orc gladiator raised his sword again. Tassid shouted.

“Brother! Do you seek freedom or revenge?”

Of course, he wanted both. But he understood this was not the answer Tassid sought. The orc gladiator lowered his sword, replying in a subdued voice.

“…Understood.”

Leaving the servant behind, the orc gladiator moved on. Tassid sheathed his soul weapon and shouted to all the orcs.

“Avoid unnecessary killing!”

The orc gladiators looked confused. Tassid continued.

“If you spare one, ten humans will stay to care for him. If you kill one, ten humans will bear grudges and pursue us.”

In a calm and persuasive voice, he imprinted his message into each orc’s mind.

“For our freedom, we must show them mercy!”

Not everyone was convinced, but they understood that sparing lives was more beneficial than taking them. Though still excited, the orcs respected Warrior Tassid’s opinion. Leaving the trembling servants behind, they regrouped around Tassid.

They continued to fight the guards as they ran towards the outside of the mansion. Initially, they killed everyone in their path, but after Tassid’s declaration, they only wounded the guards, sparing their lives.

Once most of the guards were incapacitated, they saw August, half-dazed, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“You ungrateful beasts! How much care I took to raise you! Orcs are truly just ungrateful animals!”

He was truly furious with the orcs. He believed that he had genuinely cared for them.

With each roar, the expressions of the orcs grew more and more twisted. One orc gladiator gritted his teeth and looked at Tassid.

“Should we show mercy to him as well?”

Tassid shook his head without hesitation.

“Mercy, when overused, becomes cheap.”

Unlike a mere employee, August was responsible for the entire gladiator training center. Tassid had no intention of sparing August either.

As soon as Tassid gave his permission, a murderous intent began to gleam in the eyes of the orcs.

“Is that so!”

“Hehehe…”

“I’ve always dreamed of this day…”

With rage and hatred, the orc gladiators rushed towards August. Shortly after, a desperate scream erupted.

“Aaaargh!”

After dealing with August, Tassid and the orcs walked towards the outside of the mansion. A man in his early thirties watched the retreating backs of the orcs. He was Denverd, a freelance mage employed by August.

Being only a 3rd circle mage, Denverd couldn’t conduct research in the Magic Tower, nor was he skilled enough to join dungeon expeditions or hunt monsters. Thus, he had to cling to influential figures in the city, handling minor tasks just to get by day by day.

Even in the mansion, he was treated poorly, receiving the most secluded and shabby room. However, this mistreatment actually allowed him to survive. He had been locked up in his little room, only realizing the orcs had revolted when it was too late. The orcs didn’t know he was there and simply passed by.

Hiding behind a pillar, Denverd smirked as he watched the orcs.

‘Heh heh, no matter how strong the orcs are, they fall to a simple mental spell.’

Most humans didn’t know that orcs were extremely vulnerable to magic. But working in the orc gladiator training center, Denverd was already aware of this fact.

This was a golden opportunity to change his fortunes. If he could suppress the orc rebellion, he would gain significant fame.

‘The city will surely offer a generous reward, heh heh.’

Dreaming of a rosy future, Denverd carefully began chanting his spell.

“Ginoe Fr Wiphaen Relf, may you be stopped, be frozen like a statue…”

As he cast, Denverd calculated the range of his spell. Luckily, the orcs were gathered in one place, making it easier to target them. He raised his hand and uttered the activation phrase.

“Wide Paralyze!”

The area-wide paralysis spell shot towards Tassid and the orc gladiators. Tassid turned his head, realizing his mistake.

“…Ugh!”

Currently, he was in disguise as a slave and had removed his usual anti-magic amulet. He had sensed Denverd’s presence earlier but thought he was just a hiding servant and paid no attention.

The magical field of the Wide Paralyze spell enveloped the area around the orcs.