Chapter 208 – War of the Gods (6)
The Colosseum.
It was the power of the war god that pushed a designated opponent into an intangible prison. The prison wouldn’t disappear until one of them died. In this intangible prison, Crockta and the war god were in a frenzy.
The clash between the two was now at the level of a cannon. The Colosseum meant that the aftermath didn’t spread out beyond the intangible wall, but the fight between the two affected morale. The situation changed depending on who was superior between the two.
When Crockta took the offensive, the orcs slaughtered the gods and the expedition troops. When the war god had the advantage, the power of the expedition members rose and he killed the orcs.
The war with deaths and killing continued.
“If the current situation continues, we will be destroyed.” Hoyt muttered as he smashed the bones of a knight in front of him.
Miracles difficult to see were happening in succession. This was truly the battlefield of the gods. Even now, the dead were rising and blindly attacking the expedition forces.
However, the number of expedition troops was still more than the orcs, and they were being assisted by the gods. The gods, who he saw for the very first time, were strong and the expedition had swords and magic. The morale of the orcs gradually declined.
Hoyt smashed the chest of the soldiers running towards him.
“Why are the gods doing this?”
At that moment, someone appeared before Hoyt. It was an unidentified person wearing a robe.
“This is due to the grey god.”
Hoyt reflexively raised his hammer, but he didn’t feel any hostility from the man. He asked instead of attacking, “What do we have to do with the grey god?”
“She came back and the power of death was detected. Is there really no relationship between you and the grey god?”
“The grey god, that’s such bullshit.”
“Is it a smokescreen, or are you serious? If you are really serious, then are you her puppet without even knowing?”
“Huh, you don’t even know properly yet you are trying to get rid of us!”
“It doesn’t matter if it is a premature guess.” He smiled faintly as the mouth revealed under the hood curved upwards into a smirk. “The gods don’t want to leave any possibility that the grey god can be resurrected. They don’t care if innocent deaths occur in the process.”
Hoyt’s mouth distorted, “I have a rough idea. They think we have a relationship with the grey god and started this war?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t care about the grey god and I don’t know why they think we have a relationship with that god.”
Hoyt emitted killing intent.
“I have no intention of participating in the play of the gods.”
Then he tried to rush forward. At that moment, the robed man lifted his hands.
“Slow down, I’m not a god.”
“Then?”
“I am just a bystander.”
“I don’t understand your words.”
“It is better for you not to know.” He stepped back and said. “The day that you understand, it will be the end.”
The expedition army was approaching. They hesitated because they didn’t know the identity of the man. Therefore, they surrounded Hoyt and the man at the same time. One of them was a powerful warrior, and the other had an unknown power.
A soldier shouted, “Are you a friend or an enemy?”
“Friend or foe…” The man laughed. “Maybe that is causing the problem.”
When the man didn’t answer, the soldiers exchanged looks and one of them sprang forward. The man’s robe was pierced by a spear.
“Die…!”
But that only lasted for a moment. The man ended up behind the soldier and cut the soldier’s neck. A huge attack! The soldiers fell and scattered blood everywhere. A believer among the soldiers responded immediately. A divine power emerged from his body.
However, the man seemed fine as he avoided the attack and stood beside Hoyt. Then he whispered to Hoyt, “I will watch this fight to the end. Hopefully, you can win. The gods aren’t well.”
“They aren’t well?”
“Aren’t the gods weaker than you think? Enough for you to hold on?”
“Their power…”
“It shouldn’t be just this much.”
The opponents were all the gods of the world. They organized an expedition to invade the orcs, but they couldn’t easily win. The power of the gods was limited and the power of the orcs was incredibly strong. A long battle didn’t match the gods’ expectations.
“The gods are fighting for themselves. Everyone believes that they are right and that the result will be judged by the world.”
“Who are you?”
“You asked me that twice already. As I said before, I…” The man looked at the expedition members surrounding him and said to Hoyt. “I’m no one’s friend or enemy, just a bystander.”
The expedition members exchanged looks and attacked Hoyt and the strong man. The man didn’t stay here and ran away from this place. He disappeared somewhere into the battlefield. He was like the wind.
Hoyt watched his back while holding his hammer.
“The gods and the grey god…”
He didn’t know the man’s identity, but he had some idea of why this fight started. In the end, they were dragged into the matter of the gods.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Hoyt wielded his hammer. The heads of the expedition members were smashed all at once, with blood and brain matter scattering. Hoyt looked at the scene and snorted. In the end, the orcs and expedition members were merely a means to an end for the gods.
Thus, his anger turned towards the gods. The world slowed. He saw the face of a powerful believer staring at him among the flying brain matter. The believer flashed Hoyt a ridiculing smile, as if he knew Hoyt’s fate.
Hoyt snorted again.
“The gods aren’t normal…”
The masterpiece of the Golden Anvil Clan, Mountain Slasher cried out in his grasp.
“Kill.”
Hoyt jumped towards the believer. His hammer aimed at the head of the god’s soldier.
“Huup!”
But Hoyt’s attack stopped just above the enemy’s head. The god’s power pushed at him with a strong pressure. Hoyt was forced to step back. The god walked towards Hoyt and said.
“Look at your friends.”
“……”
“They are all the same.”
Hoyt took a deep breath and looked around. As the number of casualties increased, the visibility did as well. The battlefield situation entered his eyes. The orcs were still confronting the expedition members, while others were desperately resisting the gods.
However, they were at a disadvantage in the battle.
“Kuaaaaahhhhh!”
Kumarak shouted and rushed at a dwarf. Both of their bodies weren’t intact. But Kumarak was exhausted, while his opponent was still going strong.
He aimed at Kumarak, causing Kumarak to fly through the air and roll against the ground. The dwarf’s hammer descended. Kumarak blocked with Destroyer. However, he was unable to counterattack.
A little further away, Anya was bound by the goddess of mercy. When the goddess possessed hostility towards someone, it became chains that bound Anya. Anya cursed while resisting, but the goddess of mercy just looked down at her with a cold expression
Zankus, who killed the sun, was rising again and fired his bow. However, his body had two wounds on them.
Then a light beam flew from somewhere and penetrated his thighs. Zankus fell down. There was a loud sound as his iron bow struck the ground. He tried to stand up again, but his body flinched like it wasn’t listening to him.
The god of light, who had been swallowed by Wallachwi’s abyss, opened the space and emerged. Wallachwi was caught in his hands.
Wallachwi thrashed against his hand as he was dragged across the ground. The god of light also wasn’t in a normal state. He kicked Wallachwi with an angry expression, causing Wallachwi to roll across the ground.
Everyone was losing.
“Just a little bit more.”
If only they were a little bit stronger. The results might be different if they had a bit more strength. However, the lack of one inch meant they would lose. As soon as the battle tilted to one side, the orcs couldn’t overcome the difference and started to break down, leading to defeat.
“God…”
Hoyt paused as he was about to pray. The gods were their enemies. The gods gathered strength to kill them. Something close to despair filled his chest. However, Hoyt laughed instead of dropping his head.
“Are you looking for a god now? Then kneel down before me. I might forgive you because I am a merciful god.” The god in front of him laughed.
Hoyt replied to him, “Shut up. You don’t deserve the title of the gods.”
“Dirty orc scum.”
“You can never be our god. Our god is here.”
Hoyt raised his hammer.
Yes, he was there. Their god was watching Hoyt from the hammer.
“I had forgotten for a while.”
Anyone who became a warrior would face him. Hoyt then realized that he was always there, and always watching them. They didn’t offer gold or treasures, or have huge temples for their god. Just… the seven commandments that they followed.
Their honor. That was the most valuable thing they could offer. Everything they had. The death in front of him was so small that he didn’t need to be afraid or sad.
Hoyt took a deep breath. He looked at the orcs dying, the warriors dropping their weapons and falling down. Then he shouted.
“Warriors, listen to me──────!”
Hoyt’s shout shook the battlefield. The orcs raised their heads. Hoyt, the warrior instructor of Orcrox after Lenox died.
“You can die today──────!”
The orcs laughed. At that moment, this was Orcrox’s training ground instead of the battlefield. The harsh instructor Hoyt was giving them an order. It was so severe that they could die. The orcs listened to his next words.
Hoyt yelled again, “So, prove yourself──────!”
The orcs nodded. Prove themselves. Indeed, he truly was a harsh instructor.
Orcs only had one certificate. It was the skin and blood of their enemies. This was the contents of their life, until their deaths. It was a privilege for warriors who proceeded without cowardice, and there was only one reward.
Honour.
Hoyt raised his hammer. The orcs raised their weapons.
There was the sound of Kumarak’s Destroyer hitting something. Zankus got up again and aimed his arrow. Anya’s axe rose into the air, while Wallachwi fell into the abyss again. All the warriors raised their axes or swords towards the sky.
They roared at the same time, “Bul’tarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr──────!”
Even the gods stepped back at this moment. The orcs started to resist with their indomitable spirit. The battlefield shook.
Hoyt smiled at the sight. His role was over. There were no regrets. Anyway, he should’ve died that day. Lenox would be waiting for him. The moment he was about to carry out his final assault against the gods and enemies in front of him…
Suddenly. There was an echo.
Buuuuul’taaaaaar…
Hoyt flinched. Then he looked towards the north. This was a vast plains area. There was no echo of the echo. But then the sound continued again.
Bul’tarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
Bul’tarrrr…”
Bul’tar…
The sound gradually came closer. The ground started to vibrate.
“This…!”
“What?”
“Crazy!”
From the horizon, there was a huge cloud of dust and hundreds of flags filled the sky. They all had the same equipment. Orcs wearing steel armor and a helmet. They were approaching. The orc at the forefront raised his hand. Then the flags stirred at once. It was tranquil conduct with no yelling. The orcs started their assault on the battlefield, moving as one body according to the command.
The expedition was shocked by the unexpected assault. The orcs gradually got closer. Their momentum was like a tsunami heading towards the battlefield. The expedition army, who were stranded in battle with the orcs, fell down forcefully from the clash.
They ran like crazy and crashed like a tank. Their goal was clear. It wasn’t the orcs. Their blades stuck into the weary expedition members. The tired enemies were slaughtered without resistance.
The angry gods exercised their divine power. It was an unreal sight.
Hoyt was able to find an orc walking towards him. He was the one who led the army at the front. There was a long scar across his face.
Hoyt asked, “You are?”
“I came from the north. The great chieftain.”
Hoyt now understood the situation. He heard about it from Crockta. The northern orcs. The orcs with a different culture from the continent, who followed ‘Northern Conqueror’ Crockta. They rebelled against the divine message, crossing the limit line to come here.
Hoyt nodded. He extended his fist. “My name is Hoyt. Thank you for the help.”
The man stared for a moment before beating his chest once. Then he reached out his fist to Hoyt.
“I am Surka. You’re welcome.”
Against the backdrop of the battlefield where gods and mortals converged. The two fists touched.