Mythology: Ragnarok

Chapter 227 The Dark Region

The Tauren and the Abyssal Hydralisk marched at a very fast pace, and in just a few days they arrived in the Underdark and rushed towards the orcs' territory. In fact, the orcs, who were slightly weaker, had been the ones who attacked the dungeons the most in recent years. This was because the drow elves had been secretly encroaching on the few remaining territories of the Underdark. The orcs, as their neighbors, had suffered greatly and were eager to find a new habitat. Although the orcs had been winning on the front lines, the real threat from the drow elves lay in their intelligence.

The drow elves, also known as dark elves, share a similar status and fate among elves as the grey dwarves among dwarves. They were also driven to the underworld by their own kind. In the harsh environment, their abilities did not diminish but rather increased. They could hide in the darkness and silently assassinate any life in the underworld. Under the cover of the underworld, they were natural assassins and night killers who instilled fear in all species.

Meanwhile, the orcs suffered greatly from the various ambushes and poisonings by the drow elves. As a result, they were forced to abandon large tracts of undefended land and settle in open areas where the drow elves could not easily attack. However, these areas were not rich in resources, and even common fungi, which were their staple food, were scarce. The food shortage forced the orcs to try to expand their territory. During this time, the orcs did consider launching a counterattack, but they were always firmly defended by the drow elves' capital, Brenda, and ultimately failed. Brenda was protected by the supreme magic of the drow elves, which made them invincible from the start. They only needed to wage a war of attrition to wear down the poorly supplied orcs. In the end, after several crushing defeats, the orcs had no choice but to abandon their homeland and seek other ways to survive.

The underground world is the world of giant beasts, and orcs will surely die there. Therefore, the surface is the best and only choice for orcs. This is why they still attack the underground city again and again, even though they know there is a high probability of a crushing defeat. The orcs do not want to submit to their fate.

But the world is so cruel. Even though the orcs tried their best, they couldn't find a way to survive. And this time, the orcs finally met their demise.

The tauren, weapons in hand, and the abyssal lizards marched with a thunderous roar, exerting immense pressure on the orcs even before their army appeared in sight.

Then the abyssal lizards appeared on the horizon, followed by the minotaurs and trolls, and then the gray dwarf legion. The gray dwarf legion was originally at the forefront, but due to their size, they became the last army to be discovered by the orcs. When the orcs saw the monster legion in front of them, they all came out of their dwellings. Looking at the vast army, for a moment, not a single one of them felt even the slightest thought of resistance.

Minotaur led his army to the front of the orc tribe. Seeing the orcs who hadn't even picked up their weapons, he was at a loss. Minotaur unleashed a war cry, ordering his army to halt their charge. Then, Minotaur stood before the orcs and questioned them: "Reptiles, why don't you pick up your weapons? Do you look down on us? I don't kill unarmed trash because it's a disgrace to me. Pick up your weapons, or I'll unleash the Abyssal Hydralisk and crush you into mincemeat!"

The strongest orc at the front, 'Orog,' stepped forward and replied, 'I remember you, the powerful clan that resides in the upper echelons. After the last siege, our clan was severely weakened, and the drow elves took advantage of our misfortune. Now our numbers have shrunk further and further, and we are no longer able to fight. If you would allow it, we hope you can accept the orcs' surrender. We... just want to live.'

Minotaur watched as they simultaneously exhaled hot breath from their nostrils, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, Minotaur pointed his battle axe at the orcs and asked, "Give me a reason to be certain of your loyalty?"

The orc chieftain took a deep breath, drew his stone sword, and said, "May I use my head?"

At that moment, Agreed's voice transmission appeared in the Minotaur's mind. Upon hearing this, the Minotaur immediately shouted, "My lord Lonhen is now giving you a good opportunity. Every single warrior of your race can challenge me together. There is no limit to the number, but I will only fight once. If you defeat me, my lord will not only spare you but also grant you a rich fiefdom in the mortal world. However, if you lose, all the orcs who participated in the challenge will naturally die at my hands. Nevertheless, the orc race will still be incorporated into our ranks and become servants of our master, just like us. The fear caused by those fallen warriors will be our proof of your loyalty."

The orc chieftain, looking at this seemingly benevolent offer, could hardly believe his ears. He asked again, "Are you sure? You want to challenge our tribe's warriors alone, and whether you win or lose, it will be a good place for us. Your master... loves doing charity?"

Minotaur narrowed his eyes and said with some anger, "Don't question that lord's decision. Give me a straight answer: fight or die? If no one challenges me, my lord has decreed that the orc tribe has no value and will only face destruction."

At this moment, a strong orc immediately raised his hand and shouted, "I will challenge you!" With that, he picked up his weapon and stepped forward.

At the same time, the orc chieftain shouted, "Me too!" Countless orc warriors stood up, but the younger orcs were driven back by the older, battle-hardened orcs. They did not want the children to take risks, even if they lost, these children could take their place and continue the orc lineage.

Finally, 312 orcs stepped forward to challenge the Minotaur, who gladly accepted their challenge. The abyssal lizards then stepped aside and formed a huge circle to create a dueling arena for both sides. The Minotaur calmly removed his armor and decorations and threw his double axes aside.

Seeing this, the orc chieftain felt slighted and shouted at the Minotaur, "You underestimate us! You're not even wearing armor, do you think we orcs are easy to bully? You're doomed to defeat!"

Minotaur scoffed dismissively, "Why don't you try and see if you can win?"

The orcs remained silent, but gripped their weapons tightly, staring at the Minotaur, ready to fight. The gray dwarves beside them struck their war drums, and as the drums abruptly stopped, the duel officially began.

As soon as the war drums ceased, the orcs roared and charged forward. The Minotaur simply lowered its head, braced itself on the ground to gather strength, and instantly unleashed its War Stomp, charging towards the orcs. In the instant of contact, more than ten orcs were sent flying, their bodies broken and rendered incapacitated. The Minotaur then emerged unscathed from the orcs' encirclement, looking at them defiantly and saying, "If I keep charging back and forth like this, I'd like to ask you, do you have any way to stop me?"