The orcs felt their understanding of the world shaken throughout the entire afternoon. Those well-trained half-orcs, bravely slaughtering the zergs, couldn’t possibly be half-orcs, could they? No way could they be the so-called worthless half-orcs. They must be smaller orcs in a half-orc form, right? Please tell me that the ones with strange weapons diving into the zergs’ bellies aren’t half-orcs.
However, facts are facts. No matter how confused the orcs were, they couldn’t deny that this was a group of half-orcs.
“Old Marshal,” Colin, who had been saved by Shao Qian and his team earlier, was also a member of this legion. His face was stiff as he pointed at the group of half-orcs who had broken through the line, his voice trembling, “Did you train these half-orcs?”
“No.” Honestly, Derek was a bit stunned as well. He never expected that the two kids who were left alone would return with such a great surprise.
These half-orcs, who specifically targeted the weak points of the zergs, were now more efficient at killing zergs than the orcs. Often, they would kill with a single blow, moving swiftly and without any unnecessary actions.
This level of skill couldn’t possibly have come from the training Derek gave to Diudiu and Adolf back then. So, these combat techniques were developed by Diudiu and Adolf over the past three years? If that were the case, one would have to admit that Diudiu and Adolf were indeed geniuses in combat.
“I’ve never seen such fierce half-orcs in my life,” Colin said, his face expressionless. This group of half-orcs had truly overturned the planet’s previous perception of half-orcs. If they had such skills all along, who would dare to look down on half-orcs?
I always thought that Diudiu was the only exceptional one I’d ever met. Of course, Derek didn’t say this out loud. He maintained his beast form, sitting on the ground and looking up, snorting, “Look at who their commander is. Do you think anyone trained by me would be subpar?”
Ade, who had been standing next to Derek, couldn’t help but laugh. He realized that although his brother was getting older, his heart seemed to be growing younger.
Derek shot a warning glance at Ade and then continued to observe the battlefield, “Always keep an eye on the flying zergs breaking through the line.”
“Don’t worry,” Colin assured him. They had chased the zergs from the battlefield, killing many along the way. In reality, the remaining orcs were injured, and it was fortunate that Shao Qian and his team arrived in time, or they might not have survived.
The fighting half-orcs lost count of how many swings they had taken or how many zergs they had killed. The wounds from the zergs, initially painful, had turned numb, and their arms felt heavy. They were now mechanically swinging their arms.
As the half-orcs were nearing exhaustion, a large number of orcs came to take their place. Shao Qian took the opportunity to call the half-orcs back to rest.
The half-orcs were at their physical limits, and the logistics team, who had stayed in the rear, had prepared and skewered the zerg legs on iron rods, roasting them over a fire…
For the next couple of hours, the enticing smell of roasting meat wafted far and wide. Derek, who had caught the scent, had already come over with Ade, eager to eat.
The orcs fighting in the distance were stunned when they heard that the half-orcs were eating zerg legs. They felt their worldview had been shattered that day. First, a group of well-trained, fierce half-orcs had cut a path through the zerg army, and now those same half-orcs were eating the zergs?
Now, the orcs had a bit of admiration for the half-orcs. They truly were a group at the top of the food chain. Then, the orcs caught the scent of the roasting meat, a mix of charred and smoky flavors that made their mouths water.
As a result, many orcs began to eye the zergs’ legs. They realized… This was essentially fresh, living food.
War is ultimately cruel. No matter how much Shao Qian and Adolf wanted to take all these half-orcs back with them, it was ultimately unrealistic.
On the third day after their arrival at the front line, two half-orcs were impaled through the chest by zerg pincers and died despite rescue efforts. Shao Qian silently gazed at the two corpses for a long time before quietly removing the bladed gauntlets from their hands and writing their names on the sturdy leather.
The number of orcs and half-orcs on the front line was dwindling, and some orcs began to feel despair. They were fighting against the zergs not only to save their own lives but also for the millions of families behind them. But why wasn’t the Empire sending reinforcements? Did they want these people to die on the front line?
Orcs at the border started to become agitated, and there were even deserters, who were promptly executed when discovered. This only deepened the despair among the warriors on the front line.
Of the initial 493 half-orcs who could fight, only about 380 remained, and some of the half-orcs in logistics donned chest protectors and spare gauntlets to join the battle.
This situation persisted for more than half a month. Shao Qian even wondered how many of these half-orcs would be able to return, or if they would all perish in this barren desert.
Thinking of this, Shao Qian felt a pang in his heart. In a moment of distraction, a high-level zerg took the opportunity to thrust its sharp pincer toward Shao Qian’s forehead.
“Howl!” The pincer didn’t hit Shao Qian. At the critical moment, Adolf, in his beast form, dashed in front of Shao Qian, biting down on the pincer and snapping it with a forceful bite.
“Howl!” Adolf stood in front of Shao Qian, his sharp wolf eyes glaring at the high-level zerg, baring his teeth and growling menacingly.
Seeing Adolf’s beast form, the fighting orcs were moved to tears. A wolf-shaped orc, the only ones of such a giant wolf species on the planet were members of the royal family. This meant they hadn’t been abandoned by the royal family or the Empire. The royals had been fighting alongside them all along.
At that moment, Adolf’s presence filled the orcs with hope. Hearts that had grown numb with despair were reinvigorated with strength, believing that the Empire had not forsaken them and that reinforcements were on their way.
The orcs’ speculation was correct. The Empire’s reinforcements were indeed on their way.
The three Grand Marshals had always believed that they controlled the Empire’s military power, which made them complacent and arrogant. But they overlooked the fact that among their troops were the children of various court ministers, many of whom held significant positions and could even command small units.
The news of the zerg queen’s appearance spread rapidly across the planet. High-ranking officials immediately sought an audience with the Emperor, requesting reinforcements for the front line.
At this point, the Emperor deflected, essentially saying that the military power was not in his hands and that if they wanted to survive, they should help him depose the three Grand Marshals.
So, what was more important: the ambition of the three Grand Marshals to dominate the planet, or the survival and prosperity of each family? The answer was obvious. Many high-ranking nobles promptly defected, declaring that they and their subordinates would follow the Empire’s commands and would not align themselves with traitors.
Thus, in the shortest time possible, the royal family used the power of the noble families to uproot the three Grand Marshals. The younger members of the royal family then joined the reinforcements heading to the front line.
At this time, the warriors on the front line were already struggling. Even though Adolf’s appearance had rekindled their hope, their physical exhaustion was hard to overcome.
Shao Qian still had the power of his soul to alleviate physical fatigue, but he couldn’t use this ability on the orcs. He could only warn them of danger and try to rescue them to the best of his ability.
Thus, the border warriors endured for another two days. Just when many felt they had reached their limit and were about to collapse, the first group of flying orcs arrived at the front line.
Seeing the dusty, half-beast flying orcs swoop down on the zergs, the exhausted orcs and half-orcs at the front line fell to their knees, their vision blurred as they watched the flying orcs engage the zergs.
At this moment, all the warriors at the border had a single thought: the Empire knew they were fighting; the Empire had not truly abandoned them. The Empire’s army was merely too far from the border.
Shao Qian supported Adolf, who had reverted to human form, as they retreated step by step. He loudly called for any warriors who still had some strength to help move the exhausted soldiers to the side. They truly needed a good rest.
After the first wave of flying orcs arrived, the second wave of faster beast-formed orcs also arrived, taking over the front line entirely.
The replaced warriors, watching the newly arrived orcs join the battle, had blurred vision. Slowly, some began to sob quietly, which eventually turned into loud weeping.
Their tears were not just for their own rescue but for their fallen comrades. If they could have held out for another two days, would they also have been able to lie on the ground and watch the Empire’s reinforcements fight?
The third group to arrive consisted entirely of wolf-formed orcs. This group was small, only about twenty or thirty. They merely glanced at Shao Qian and Adolf before joining the battle.
Shao Qian found a spot to sit with Adolf. As soon as they sat down, an orc nearby handed him a flask of water with trembling hands.
After thanking him, Shao Qian gave some water to Adolf and then drank some himself. After over twenty days of fighting, the front line no longer distinguished between half-orcs and orcs. They only knew that those who fought beside them were their comrades.
At this point, any prejudice between half-orcs and orcs had vanished. They fought together, ate together, and rested together. The survivors now regarded each other as family.
So, if anyone now spoke ill of half-orcs to the orcs fighting at the front line, they would likely get beaten up. The long-term, subtle influence had undeniably made a significant impact.
