At Sang-woong’s signal, the Afua tribe, as if waiting for it, lit hundreds of prepared torches in unison.
The blazing red flames were swiftly moved inside the wooden barriers as per his instructions, forming a dense circle around the firmly sealed entrance.
The intense light from the hundreds of torches illuminated the surroundings like broad daylight, barely holding back the Red Moon’s ominous aura.
Sang-woong waited tensely for the monster assault, but scanning the horizon, no shadows appeared yet.
“What’s going on? Did the message give wrong info?”
Unlikely, he thought. Just then, in the distant darkness, dozens of red gates as threatening as the Red Moon itself materialized simultaneously.
From those red gates, Orcs poured out—fierce faces with jagged fangs, clad in patchwork armor.
They wielded crude but deadly weapons like clubs, axes, and spears.
Under the Red Moon’s influence, their eyes burned crimson with madness, and even their coarse green fur took on a reddish tint.
It was an utterly unexpected method of attack.
This area was clearly the territory of Goblins and Black Wolves.
Sang-woong had anticipated an assault from them, empowered by the Red Moon.
But instead, unforeseen entities emerged from the gates.
This approach meant any powerful monster could spawn from the gates, making it no surprise.
Sang-woong bit the inside of his cheek hard.
Monsters typically lived in hierarchical territories, with weaker ones pushed to the outskirts by stronger ones.
Thus, as the domain of the weakest monsters, Goblins, he’d assumed this place was safe.
But this type of attack erased that geographic advantage entirely.
Before the battle even began, Sang-woong felt as if he’d suffered a massive setback, his morale crumbling.
His blood ran cold, and his body felt drained of strength.
But he quickly steadied himself, steeling his resolve once more.
“I won’t go down without a fight. That’s what life’s about, right?”
In his past life’s final battle, he’d fought to the end despite knowing victory was impossible.
Surrender wasn’t in his vocabulary.
From the multiple red gates, Orcs continued to swarm endlessly.
The vast plain was quickly filled with the savage horde.
As their numbers swelled, Sang-woong’s expression grew increasingly grim.
“How many more are coming?”
His forces consisted of 150 Wood Golems and 30 Stone Golems, with Aria and Leon steadfastly by his side.
It wasn’t a small force, but the relentlessly growing Orc numbers amplified his unease.
Moreover, Orcs were far stronger than Goblins or Black Wolves.
Whether the Wood and Stone Golems could effectively hold them off was uncertain.
The silver lining was that, true to their low intelligence, the Orcs moved in disorganized chaos, jostling each other without coordination.
“An army without a commander is just a mob,” Sang-woong reassured himself, shaking off his anxiety.
But in the final moment, a new entity appeared, shattering his confidence.
It was the Orc King.
Its overwhelming presence crushed the air around it.
As the Orc King revealed itself, the hundreds of Orcs fell silent in unison, as if on command.
With a thunderous roar laced with fury, the Orc King issued an order.
Instantly, several Orc formations tightened around Sang-woong’s forces, while the rest charged ferociously toward the land’s core.
“This is no joke.”
It was a formidable opponent.
Leveraging their numerical superiority, the Orc King executed highly efficient tactics.
Even the sturdy wooden barriers wouldn’t hold long against the frenzied Orcs charging madly.
If that happened, the Afua tribe would be endangered, and the precious land core would fall to destruction.
“What now?”
Sang-woong had to break this unfavorable situation.
His choice was to become a lone striker and take down the Orc King himself.
“Golems, prioritize blocking attackers on the barriers!”
With the command given, Sang-woong took only Aria and Leon and charged forward without hesitation.
His target was solely the Orc King.
Neutralizing it would end this grueling battle.
The moment Sang-woong separated from the Golems, the Orcs attacking them paused in confusion, unsure where to strike first.
This was a golden opportunity for Sang-woong.
In that brief window, he closed the distance to the Orc King.
“Attack!”
The Orc King’s bellowing command rang out a beat too late. Ignoring the Golems, all Orcs surged toward Sang-woong in unison.
The Orc King had the same idea.
But at that exact moment, a cute voice rang out, clashing with the battlefield’s ferocity.
“By my will, plants of the earth, bind the enemy’s feet once more!”
Vines sprouted from the ground, intertwining and thickening into tough tendrils, forming unbreakable shackles.
Unaware of the change beneath their feet, the leading Orcs tripped helplessly, causing a chain reaction as those behind them tumbled like dominoes.
“GRRAAH!”
“GYEEK!”
“KRROK!”
Screams of pain erupted everywhere.
The frenzied Orcs trampled their fallen comrades without mercy, charging onward.
Dozens more tripped in the ensuing chaos.
It was a moment of remarkable effect from minimal effort.
“Aria, well done!”
Thanks to the spirit food and snacks Sang-woong had diligently provided, Aria had finally unleashed powerful magic after recovering her strength.
Leon, too, had been conserving energy and now assumed a battle stance, revealing his seasoned warrior form.
Now 1.5 times larger than usual, Leon crouched beside Sang-woong, baring his fangs and growling at the charging Orcs.
The usually hyperactive pup acted like a loyal guardian.
“Let’s go!”
Sang-woong wouldn’t miss this opening.
With one Orc formation in complete disarray, most were tangled and fallen, leaving few standing.
The downed Orcs became easy prey for the heavy Golems.
As the Golems trampled through, the mad Orcs shattered like glass without mounting a proper defense.
Especially under the massive Stone Golem’s feet, their heads exploded without a chance to scream.
Sang-woong targeted the remaining upright Orcs.
Though empowered by the Red Moon’s madness, they were no match for a seasoned Rank 8 Hunter.
Each flash of his blade sent Orc blood spraying as necks were severed.
But the Orcs’ numbers remained overwhelming.
Fallen ones rose again, charging relentlessly like an endless tidal wave.
Even as the strongest on this battlefield, Sang-woong began to feel a growing sense of helplessness against the sheer volume.