Austronesia Empire, Imperial Majahapit, Jayapura Papua

1st Year of God, Monday, 1st Week, Month Of Abraham.

In the heart of the land lies a city called Jayapura Papua within the Imperial Majahapit. Once bustling, it now stands eerily silent as the only sounds being the whisper of the wind and the creak of doors swayed by its force.

Like many cities, towns, and villages, this city was one of many that fell on the first day of the New Year Tragedy, and went into darkness for a long time.

After the war, the Liberation Army moved in, tasked with purging any trace of demons and searching for survivors. But, as with most of the abandoned cities they encountered, they found none.

Suddenly, the plan to decimate the city for its materials changed when a worker uncovered a massive deposit of mana crystals.

Nearly a month has passed, Jayapura Papua had transformed into a massive mining facility, rivaling the Imperial Majahapit’s largest ones known as Grasberg mine.

The city, once thought to hold little beneath its surface, revealed a wealth of new ores and minerals after being transported to this world, minerals like Mithril and Mana Crystals, alongside familiar elements from Earth, such as Nitrate.

While this discovery was a boon for the Empire's economy, it was what they uncovered next that would soon etch itself into the annals of Austronesian history.

On the outskirts of the mining facility, a convoy of half-tracks rumbled down the road, their path hugging the coastline as they ferried miners to the renowned site.

Among them sat Odysseus Von Aston, a nobleman, a General, and a powerful Level 6 mage. Right now, he sat quietly on his padded seat, staring at the fleeting seaside scenery flying past his window, while absently rubbing his small beard.

Odysseus was a staunch supporter of Melian, the Elf Queen, though he initially harbored deep doubts about her ideals. The very notion seemed ludicrous to him. However, his perspective shifted dramatically after he witnessed the political structure and inner workings of this human nation. Despite the tangled mess of its bureaucracy, he began to see the wisdom in her views.

He recalled waking up in this foreign land, confused and disoriented, only to be questioned by a strange human man in some kind of uniform. Soon after, a healer came in and informed him that he had collapsed due to severe magic exhaustion and minor blood loss.

His memory drifted back to the battle in the Ironclad fleet, how he had expended nearly all his magic fighting off demons and sea monsters. He remembered the moment when their fleet fired upon the metal ship, only to be met with a devastating counterattack that obliterated their ironclads within seconds.

As he struggled for survival, submerged in the cold depths, Odysseus had used the last of his mana to cling to life. When he finally found refuge on a wooden plank, his body succumbed to mana exhaustion, which caused him to enter into a coma for several days.

Upon awakening, his first instinct was to attack the human doctor attending to him, to take him hostage as leverage against the guards. But before he could act, Melian intervened, calming his turbulent thoughts.

After listening to her explanation, Odysseus felt a wave of disappointment wash over him, regret for the time lost during his unconsciousness. However, something else stirred within him, such as a growing curiosity about these strange humans from another world. Over time, he found himself willing to aid them, sharing his knowledge of this world and its mysteries.

With each passing day, his belief in these humans deepened as he observed the remarkable ways in which they navigated both the magical and mundane aspects of their existence.

Now he sat in an unadorned, form-fitting and unfamiliar uniform in light gray tones that made him resemble one of this nation's merchants, or “businessmen” what these humans referred to. In his hand, he held a piece of paper, which had perfectly printed letters in the Common tongue, instructing him to report to the mining station, complete with detailed directions and information.

He carefully folded the precious document and slipped it into the pocket of his government-issued suit, alongside the few possessions he had been allowed. Finally after more than an hour of traveling, both the vehicles finally pulled up before a heavily fortified compound. The metal grill gates rolled open, and guards in black armor waved the convoy inside before securing the entrance behind them.

Odysseus disembarked with the group of burly, amiable miners and slowly took in his surroundings. The compound was orderly, with squat buildings arranged neatly along a gray wall that was punctuated by towers at regular intervals. Under a nearby shed, several arcane machines hummed, and a pair of metal tracks extended from a large, barn-like structure with several tall chimneys that spewed clouds of smoke.

His gaze followed the thin metal tracks as they disappeared into the side of the sea cliffs, leading into a gaping hole in the rock. The compound’s walls ended abruptly at the cliffs, and beyond them, he noticed the same metal wires he had seen during his visit to that one city in Aceh. Four large, peculiar windmills spun rapidly against the sea breeze, and he wondered why such devices were necessary here.

"Mister Aston?" Somebody’s voice called out, breaking his thoughts. He turned to see a middle-aged, suntanned human male in a red jacket waving at him. "I am Director Letif, in charge of construction and mining." The man extended his hand.

"Please, call me Odysseus," he replied, shaking the offered hand. He had learned this gesture of greeting from observing these humans over the past month. "I was told to come here to assist with some construction and mining?"

"Yes, indeed," Letif responded with a warm smile, clearly pleased with his new acquaintance. "I was instructed to welcome you here. Come, I'll show you to your room first, and then we’ll take a quick tour of the facilities."

The room assigned to Odysseus overlooked the seaside, modest but functional. It was furnished with a single bed, a desk and chair, and a cupboard. A simple bathroom was also included, and Odysseus felt a sense of relief knowing that he had already learned how to use the bathing facilities while under the healer’s care.

Letif waited patiently in the room as Odysseus inspected his new quarters, then proceeded to show him the communal canteen, the kitchens, and the recreational room. Afterward, he brought him to the offices, explaining that Odysseus would be stationed in the office next to his during working hours unless he was on-site. Work began at 9:00 AM in the morning and ended at 7:00 PM in the evening, with a midday break of an hour and a half for lunch.

Next, Letif led him to a place he referred to as the "Locker Room," where equipment for entering the mines was stored. Letif glanced at Odysseus’s crisp uniform and remarked, "Hmm, we’ll need to get you some work clothes. Don’t want to dirty your uniform in the mines."

Odysseus was handed a pair of slightly oversized overalls and sturdy work boots. It took him a few minutes in the changing room to figure out how to put them on. Once dressed, Letif assigned him a locker and instructed him to store his uniform and any personal belongings he didn’t want to take into the mines.

In addition to the work clothes, Odysseus received a safety helmet equipped with a magical device that illuminated the surrounding area, a handheld magical communication tool, and a face mask. He couldn’t help but think these humans must be extraordinarily wealthy as he carefully clipped the communication tool onto his belt, copying Letif’s actions.

Letif took a moment to teach him how to operate the communication tool and the lamp on his helmet. Once satisfied that Odysseus was proficient enough, he led him out of the locker room and toward the barn-like structure.

Inside, dozens of workers were busy pouring cartloads of soil into large vats, the smell of shit and urine overpowering the workspace. Remembering the face mask, Odysseus quickly put it on and took a deep breath. He noticed that Letif was already wearing his mask and grinning at him from behind it.

"Come, this is where we process the soil they dig out for Nitrate," Letif explained. "We dig the soil out and transport it with carts on those rail tracks. Then we pour it into these vats and add water."

"We leave the mixture for several days to let the nitrates dissolve into the water, before draining the liquid and boiling it," he continued, pointing to workers in white frocks and masks who were stirring the vats with long sticks. "We add wood ash to the mixture and boil off the water. The remaining substance is then sent off to the gunpowder mills for further processing."

"I see," Odysseus replied, only understanding most of what Letif explained.

"Haha, don’t worry about all the technical stuff just yet," Letif laughed naturally. "You’ll learn it all in time!"

Next, Letif led him toward the entrance of the mining cave, where several carts rumbled down the tracks toward the processing plant.

"Remember to stay outside the yellow line," Letif pointed to the ground, where yellow lines were painted beside the tracks. "Keep within the designated path and out of the yellow zone, because those carts can come barreling out of the caves at any moment." Just as he finished speaking, a cart emerged from the cave, filled to the brim with soil, and rolled down the tracks toward the plant.

As they entered the mines, Odysseus was immediately struck by how brightly lit the caves were, which is different to the dim, torch-lit tunnels he was familiar with from his time assisting the Kingdom's mining service with his magic.

Dozens of lamps emitting a bright white light hung from the ceiling, their cables and wires securely fastened to the cave walls. Faint music echoed down the tunnels, accompanied by the cheerful voices of workers singing and laughing as they worked.

"Watch your step, now, this way!" Letif instructed as they made their way deeper into the mine.

They descended steadily for nearly 30 minutes, with Letif pointing out various details and providing explanations along the way. Finally, they arrived at a dead end, where there was a fissure in the wall which caught Letif's attention, and he knelt down, shining his handheld light into the crack to reveal what lay inside.

"Look, can you see that?" Letif's face took on an eerie cast as the light cast shadows across his features.

Odysseus crouched down and peered into the crack. Inside, he saw a narrow passageway, its walls glowing red as fist-sized crystals reflected the light from Letif's magical torch.

"Oh, are those Dragonite crystals?" Odysseus asked, recognizing the telltale gleam.

"Dragonite crystals?" Letif and the nearby miners exchanged confused glances. "We never got specific details from our employers or the government about them. They told us they'd be sending you instead. Can you explain what that is?"

"Dragonite is a very rare mineral," Odysseus began, "It is suspected to form from the bodies of dragons over countless years, specifically, I'm not just talking about any dragons, but Commander-Level Dragons, or Dragon Commanders, which are all Transcendent Tier 1 entities. That’s why these ruby-like crystals contain such immense magical power."

"What are its uses for?" A miner nearby asked, feeling slightly disappointed that it wasn't crude oil that he was expecting.

"Hmm, well, Dragonite has many properties," Odysseus explained, listing out a few he can think of, "It's highly flammable, can significantly enhance magic usage, and is also explosively reactive. It is quite rare to find, and several nations from the Second Civilization Zone used them as fuel to power their floating castles."

"Fuel?" Latif’s eyes lit up at the word, "How much trouble will it take to mine it? Is it dangerous?"

"Hmm, yes and no," Odysseus replied thoughtfully. "It can be mined like how you mine ores, but because it's flammable, we’ll need special tools to extract the Dragonite crystals carefully. A single spark could ignite it, causing an explosion powerful enough to not only kill everyone here but also destroy this entire mining facility."

"Holy fuck, we're dealing with a literal nuclear bomb, aren't we?" one miner exclaimed, his face pale with horror as several others instinctively took a step back.

"I wouldn't say it's on the same level as your weakest nuclear weapons, but it's still extremely dangerous," Odysseus said in a grave tone.

"Yeah, these literal bombs sure are beautiful," Letif replied, admiring the Dragonite crystals. "Now, here's where we need your help. I heard from our employers that you’re a Level 9 Magician, a peak level for any ordinary mage, right?”

"Yes, that's correct," Odysseus replied. "I possess several skills and spells like [Lancelot], [Morgan], [Mordred], and [Chain Lightning] though they’re primarily combat-oriented, with one being Lightning-Based Magic. However, most of my abilities are Earth-based."

“So that makes you a Geomancer?” one miner remarked, intrigued.

“Huh, a magical ability involving earth manipulation,” another added. "Seems like it's mostly used to destroy enemy fortifications or create gaps, allowing allies to break through."

"So, he's like some sort of magical combat engineer?" a third miner speculated, raising an eyebrow.

"Interesting," Letif said with a smile. "That sounds very useful indeed. In that case, we need you to help expand this hole so we can safely mine the crystals."

Odysseus stood up, dusting off his hands and knees, and activated his headlamp while walking in a circle around the area as he began to look around the cave. "Hmm, it shouldn't be a problem."

"You know we can’t use traditional tools to widen the passageway, as they might ignite the crystals," Letif cautioned. "We need you to do this nice and safe."

"I understand," Odysseus replied. "Shall I begin now?"

"Now?" Letif looked startled. "Don’t you need to prepare or something?"

Odysseus laughed. "No, no. It’s quite simple. You just want the hole widened enough for people to enter and for your carts to pass through, correct?"

"If possible of course!" Letif nodded excitedly, "You can do that?"

"It’s easy," Odysseus assured him with a smile. He placed his palm against the rock wall and began chanting softly. A brownish-hued magic circle appeared over his palm and flickered as the spell took effect.

The wall slowly crumbled into dust, as if disintegrating into ashes, and an opening large enough for a jeep to pass through appeared. A soft red glow shone through the small mound of crumbled rock dust. Letif knelt down, gently swept away the dust, and picked up an egg-sized Dragonite crystal towards his face, who looked with an open mouth expression of pure astonishment.

Odysseus chuckled. "You humans have never seen magic before? I weathered the rock into dust so there wouldn’t be any damage to the surrounding area."

Still speechless, Letif shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously, not until we came to this world. You really just broke down the rocks into soil?" he blurted out.

"Yes," Odysseus confirmed. "So, is this good enough?"

"Oh, absolutely! YES!" Letif exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. "This is incredible! Thank you!"

Odysseus laughed. "No need to praise me so much. That gets boring quickly. Anyway, shall we see what’s inside?"

"Yes, of course! Wait, I need to report this first!" Letif quickly pulled out his walkie and began communicating with the mining control team.

Odysseus stepped over the pile of rock dust and ventured further into the newly revealed passageway with the help of his headlamp which casted light into the darkness. The passage stretched out far into the distance, with several other tunnels branching off. As he walked, he noticed fossilized bones edged with mana crystals jutting out from the rock surfaces, and even the ground he walked on beneath his feet was littered with more Dragonite crystals.

The passage eventually opened into a massive cavern, and the sight that greeted Odysseus left him stunned. Hundreds upon hundreds of massive dragon bones lay scattered across the cavern floor. His headlamp illuminated the Dragonite crystals that had formed over the bones and on the cavern walls, casting an eerie red glow over the entire area.

But what shocked him most was not the crystals or the ancient dragon bones. It was a door, a 10-meter tall giant door set at the end of the cavern, now fully illuminated by his headlamp.



"Is that… a dungeon?”

——————————————————

Shortly after the discovery of Dragonite crystals and a mysterious dungeon in the mines, the news spread across the nation, reaching every corner within weeks. The news brought much discussion within all of the citizens of Austronesia.

Every broadcasting network was talking about the discovery, and everyone was debating about the discovery of the valuable Dragonite crystals and the news of the dungeon, which spread like wildfire.

The most controversial part of the debate centered on whether they should venture into the dungeon to harvest the newly discovered valuable resources, with the potential to transform the entire country into something great, or prioritize securing it. Many were highly cautious about the dangers, repeatedly reminding everyone of the horrors they endured during the New Year Tragedy.

This tragic event, still fresh in their memories, served as a warning against rushing into the unknown without proper precautions.

And that topic is currently discussed in the government.

“So, what exactly is a dungeon?” Emperor Julian Maximo asked, his eyes wandering around the office of Floria Melian Shelberry they made for her. The room was a curious sight, filled with oddities that might be found in a museum, haphazardly arranged on the shelves. Ancient tomes and scrolls made from animal hide were crammed into every available space imaginable.

Melian, seated behind her desk, furrowed her brow in thought about the question as she sipped her tea.

Right now, Emperor Maximo decided to not communicate with the Elf Queen through video display, which is getting boring, so he and other government officials decided to visit her in person. Right now, he is lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed while two of his guards, armed with Heavy Machine Guns, stood vigilant by the door.

Though such weapons posed no real threat to a being of Melian’s caliber, and despite the fact that she was their greatest ally, the guards remained cautious.

"Hmmm, well a dungeon, or labyrinth, is a construct left behind by the gods," Melian explained, " To be exact, it is an ancient spell the gods used to forge their strongest warriors."

The humans in the room grew alert as they absorbed her words.

"Are there really gods?" one man groaned skeptically. "Or just people with power like everyone else in this damned world?"

Melian’s expression remained calm as she replied, "That depends on your perspective and how you define gods or goddesses. We revere Rasera as a Goddess because she’s woven into our culture and guards my family’s bloodline. Of course, that is unless another deity dares to interfere in our affairs." She dismissed the man's blasphemous tone as she continued, "To give you a brief understanding, there was a civil war among the gods thousands of years ago, vying for dominance over the heavens, you know, all the usual divine drama."

"During the war, the gods split into three factions, those who defended the established order in heaven, the other who wanted change and challenged the old regime, and the neutral gods who simply sat by the fence and watched the show from the sidelines."

"Massive armies, forged from both magic and mortal recruits from the mortal realm, waged war among themselves under the gods' commands," Melian appeared to be giving a lesson in history to the humans. "But what the two warring sides didn’t realize was that the neutral gods were observing and learning as they began creating these dungeons and labyrinths to forge the perfect soldiers, capable of advancing from Level 1 to Transcendent Tier 3 in less than a year."

"And when the time came when both parties were weakened, the supposedly neutral gods attacked with their armies, crushing all opposition from both sides and ending the war, which at the same time, destroyed the whole continent in less than a week as a result.”

"So, you're saying these dungeons were created by gods?" one scientist asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief, hearing such things that he would consider ridiculous stories if he heard it back on earth, "Even the people?"

"In a way, yes," Melian nodded. "The magical creatures you see now are the descendants of the gods' armies. As for us, we are the children of the gods, carrying a small fraction of their power."

"Wait, hold up," a government official interjected, "I've heard that during the war of the gods, the Orcs suddenly appeared, and from what I’ve gathered from one of your elven people, none of the gods in this world created them. So how did they come to be?"

Melian thought carefully, "If my sources are correct, they first appeared after a massive rock from the Celestial Sea, what you humans call a ‘meteor’ from ‘space’, crashed into a small, unfortunate kingdom. The impact destroyed everything, from the ecosystem to all its inhabitants. Then the Orcs began wreaking havoc, moving from one kingdom to another, then across continents, seemingly drawn to the war as if it was the cause of their arrival."

"Wow," Emperor Maximo spoke up, intrigued by the lore, which sounded like a mix of myth and fairy tale. "But the question is how do the dungeons fit into this? How do they work to create the best warriors?"

"Oh, I'm not entirely sure," Melian admitted with a sheepish smile. "All I know is that it's a maze where creatures constantly battle, and the victor is chosen by the gods."

"Wait, that sounds familiar," a member of the general staff said. "Isn’t that similar to the Japanese Kodoku? Or what the Chinese call Gu? Except for poisonous insects, monsters and Magic Beast are used instead?"

"Now that you mention it, it does sound similar," Emperor Maximo frowned. "So we’ve got an ancient construct from a god sitting in our backyard. Great..."

"Kodoku? Gu? I’d love to learn more about them," Melian said with interest. "And you’re searching for more sources of mana stones, yes? Well, the monsters inside the dungeon will drop mana stones after getting defeated."

"What?" The humans cried out in unison. "There’s something so convenient?"

"Yes," Melian confirmed. "Each dungeon or labyrinth has a heart, it's basically a massive mana stone that attracts the dead spirits of creatures. It requires a large, abundant supply of magical energy, like a fey line, for this to happen."

"A massive magic formation is created at points where magical energy was naturally gathered, and this powers the dungeon heart," she continued, "Using these energies, the dungeon heart will use the spirits of creatures it gathers, forming bodies and bringing them to life with flesh and blood." She frowned slightly. "As to how it all originally worked, you’d have to ask the ancient gods."

"Does it act as a kind of magnet to attract spirits and souls? That’s incredible!" a researcher exclaimed. "I can’t wait to study it! Or perhaps possibly inventing soul-manipulating weapons or technology!!"

"I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Doc," a military officer cautioned. "How deep or large might the dungeon be?" he asked the Elf Queen.

"I explored a few dungeons in my younger days," Melian said proudly. "Depending on the magic source, they can range from three or four levels underground to a hundred! In my kingdom, there were a couple of small dungeons mostly used by adventurers for monster hunting."

"For this dungeon, I suspect it should be around 10 to 15 levels deep," she estimated. "We’ll know more once we explore it."

"Wait, so the dungeon has creatures inside, what happens if we kill everything?" a staff member asked. "And what if we remove the dungeon heart?"

"Oh, most countries forbid the removal of the dungeon hearts," Melian explained. "Even if all the creatures inside are defeated, they will reappear, usually taking two days or more. Adventurers normally use dungeons to hunt for materials and items from monsters this way, and the country with the dungeon charges an entrance fee."

"So, the monsters respawn?" A scientist’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "Does that mean we can continuously farm the monsters for mana stones and other resources?"

"Yes," Melian nodded, "But the treasures and magical artifacts don’t respawn once taken out of the dungeon."

"Wait!" Emperor Maximo interrupted, "There are treasures and magical artifacts?"

"Of course!" Melian nodded again. "The gods used treasures and artifacts to entice mortals and creatures to join their armies in the past, so it’s common to find them stored inside dungeons."

"As for the heart," she continued, "Removing it will destroy the dungeon. The monsters wouldn’t respawn anymore, and the dungeon would become a lifeless structure. So, if you want a constant source of mana stones, I strongly advise against touching the heart."

"Great..." Maximo muttered, glancing at everyone, who exchanged grins. "Should we lock down the dungeon first to prevent anyone from entering until our forces clear it first?"

"Well, you could charge a fee for anyone willing to enter the dungeon," Melian shrugged. "That's how it was done normally."

"How difficult would the dungeon be?" one member asked again. "Do many people die exploring a dungeon?"

"That depends on the dungeon type," Melian replied. "

Also, it does get harder the deeper you venture into the dungeon, especially if you encounter champions or even bosses inside. Some dungeons are notorious for mechanical traps and devices."

"There were many deaths in the past until adventuring guilds tend to assign a grade to known dungeons, from F-Class to S-Class, with S-Class being the hardest and containing Transcendent Tier 2 creatures or above," Melian continued. "This grading system helped reduce the number of death casualties greatly, as the guilds also assign a rank to each adventurer, so they know the approximate difficulty level they can handle."

"They have champions and bosses?" the same scientist asked, his excitement barely contained as he then turned to Emperor Maximo. "Your Majesty! I request permission to join the exploration team!"

Maximo shook his head. "It’s too dangerous, and you all know it."

"I’ve been in a dungeon myself when I was younger," Melian interjected. "It was alright, my father and I fought against some undead creatures, and one might have been a Lich."

"Your Majesty, you're not helping," Maximo muttered, shaking his head.

"Hahaha," one staff member laughed. "Oh, your Majesty, let the troops assess the danger level first. If it seems manageable, then we can organize a team to enter the dungeon. How does that sound?"

Maximo nodded. "Yes, and your Majesty, no, you don't get to go either. You still have important work to do."

Melian pouted. "Fine. What about Odysseus? He’s a strategic genius, and I could send him along with the team."

"I think that's fine," Maximo sighed. "Alright, so to sum it up, this dungeon can provide us with a steady supply of mana stones, along with the possibility of finding treasure and magical artifacts. But we don’t yet know what grade the dungeon is."

"How do the guilds grade dungeons?" he asked further.

"By the number of levels and the types of monsters," Melian explained. "Generally, a dungeon less than 5 levels deep is F-Class, a dungeon up to 5 levels deep is E-Class, up to 10 levels is D-Class, up to 25 levels is C-Class, up to 50 levels is B-Class, 100 levels is A-Class, and anything deeper than 100 levels is S-Class."

"So you estimate our dungeon to be D to C-Class?" Maximo asked, and Melian nodded. "Great! So, who wants to form a party?"

"Me! Me!" most of the scientists shouted.

"That’s still a no," Maximo sighed, knowing all too well why they were so eager to join. "Alright, onto the next topic, how are the test results on the Dragonite crystals?"

"Oh, I'll say they’re beyond what we imagined," one of the scientists explained. "Despite the size of an egg, each crystal holds revolutionary power. Just one could alone potentially power an entire major city for decades, probably far surpassing nuclear energy, though that’s still theoretical."

Maximo nodded in satisfaction, "Now we have discovered a new type of energy resource, we need to solve our gunpowder issues.”

————————————————————————

Unidentified Location, Unidentified Location, Unidentified Location, Unidentified Location

1st Year of God, Monday, 1st Week, Month Of Abraham.

Within a thousand-meter-tall meteorite that had rested among nature for millennia, lay a hidden city, which is none other than the stronghold of the Orc Horde.

Isolated from other kingdoms, this place was a fortress of terror. Despite the countless attempts by powerful kingdoms to obliterate it using their most powerful magicians, every effort ended in inexplicable failure somehow.

In the vast throne room of the giant meteor, a giant, ten-feet-tall, green-skinned brute sat on a skeletal throne full of pokey bits or jagged spikes.

This was an Orc Warboss, a monstrous killing machine of sheer power and malice, a monster at the Transcendent Tier 2, who had that massive grin that split his face as he reveled in his supposed invincibility.

"MUAHAHAHAHA... *Snort*... HAAHAHAHA!" he chortled proudly, his laughter echoing through the chamber. "None kan stop 'da might uv me! 'da mighty Goreaxe Strurruilk! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!"

The thunderous cheers of thousands of Orcs filled the room as they clashed their weapons, sending sparks flying as their war cries reverberated through the fortress.

Meanwhile, the "Weirdmeat Boyz," as they called them, were engaged in unspeakable atrocities, violating countless women who had the misfortune of falling into their hands. Not even the young were spared from their depravity.

Though many Orcs despised these vile acts, knowing they would displease their revered Twin Gods and their culture only for war and bloodshed, not these things they are committing, they turned a blind eye, driven by the desperate need to bolster their dwindling numbers they somehow notice.

Strurruilk leaned back on his throne, wincing internally from a particularly sharp poke from a piece of metal jabbed into his back, but he kept his face expressionlessly, as befitting a king! He reached over and picked up a joint of a roasted human male and ripped the juicy flesh off with his teeth as his people had a celebration feast on countless different meals from human flesh, elf, magic beast, their own, and literally everything, which depended on the spoils they got from countless ships and lands they invaded.

Inwardly, however, Strurruilk felt a pang of annoyance. A goblin had just returned with unexpected news. Initially, he assumed the 'Panzees' (elves) had defeated his army again, but what the goblin reported surprised him.

The goblin claimed that while they were patrolling a certain ocean area, they had left briefly before BAM! Only to return and discover a new land where none had existed before.

Strurruilk didn’t know what to make of this mysterious land, but he suspected it might be a sign from the mighty Twin Orc Gods! If not, perhaps it was related to those other puny ‘gods’ of this world, that they've been hearing from these little legs for many moon counts. Either way, he felt assured that his people were still mighty!

With centuries of experience behind him, Strurruilk knew when to seize an opportunity. This unknown land could be conquered like all the others by his big army! For even the divine could not kill an Orc blessed by the Mighty Twin Orc Gods!

"Send Jiak 'da Skullkrusher! Get 'dat land an' let ‘em tell me wot's ‘n 'der!!"