As Neo Orcus town began its rejuvenation, the locals made do with a couple of small houses to live inside in the meantime. Although it was basic, it was much better than their original dwelling which had a 50% chance of collapsing and trapping them under.
Not only that, but they had access to all the food and water they could stuff themselves with. Thanks to the refrigeration in Michael's truck, the slabs of meat stored inside could be rationed for a long time without spoiling. And if need be, he could always teleport back to the Nation of Reborn to pick up more food.
So, everyone was energized as they helped the Rebornian Engineers in creating a bigger and better place for Neo Orcus.
"Bread? Anybody?" Beth awakened her talent as a baker and immediately used her skills to create energizing pastries for everyone to enjoy while working.
Michael was even able to teach her how to create one of the most famous bread in his previous life: the croissant.
She spent the majority of her hours in the makeshift bakery the Engineers made for her, and kept on creating amazingly scented goods that made everyone hungry for more.
And like most people Michael awakened, the locals of Neo Orcus found themselves looking at least ten years younger. Their bodies no longer look emaciated, and now look a lot healthier.
Despite the sounds of ongoing constructions and buildings collapsing, this led to a period of peace for the inhabitants of Neo Orcus.
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Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forests surrounding Neo Orcus, was a wooden village made up of the Orcanine tribe.
These Orcs wore minimal armor if any, and only had a loincloth that covered their private parts. Their fur, muscles, and fats were enough deterrents for any attacks that came their way.
Subsequently, this became a point of pride for the Orcs. Those who were able to take swords and spears only with their bare skin would be considered a lot more heroic than others and praised by all.
Their wolf-like ears were decorated with rings and feathers symbolizing their feats and achievements. Performing a successful hunt, siring a child, or showing dominance against their rival tribe were examples of such.
Those that had more ornaments were considered to be 'superior', and were treated a lot better in their village.
None was more superior than their Chieftain, whose fur was thicker than all, fats bulkier than most, and a tusk sharper than any knife.
The leader of the orc-canine hybrid demi-humans sat on his throne decorated with the furs and quills of his enemies, for his ears were already decorated with too many ornaments.
"Have they surrendered?" the Orcanine Chieftain asked his servants, his tone showing his tiredness.
They had been fighting in an ongoing civil war with the Orcupine tribe ever since the Earth goddess showed her wrath and sent a tremor in the lands. They, too, were deeply affected by the earthquakes since their main source of food came from the very forests destroyed by the disaster.
The two tribes had a rivalry since the very beginning, but it was more of a friendly banter rather than a serious grudge. However, the destruction of the forest and the degradation of the Golden Road led to fewer resources for both tribes, eventually leading to a civil war as both tribes wanted to monopolize the remaining resources in the territory.
The forest became a place too small for two tribes.
They knew that if both tribes continued to live in the same territory, then they would all perish from starvation. One of them would have to be cast out from their territory.
But of course, each tribe felt themselves deserving of staying in their land rather than the other. The Orcanine tribe knew they were much stronger than the cowardly Orcupine tribe, while the Orcupine tribe knew the airheaded Orcanine tribe would only destroy the land rather than nurture it.
Each tribe had a claim to their territory, meaning none of them would back down in this fight.
"Chief! Those spineless Orcs refuse to give way. They have shown no intent of leaving our land," an Orc reported.
The Orcanine Chieftain scoffed. "Typical," he said.
The Chieftain thought that it was quite ironic that the Ocupine tribe with bodies full of spines and quills were being 'spineless' and refusing to look for a different land for their tribe.
"Send more troops. Show them that we are the blessed ones," the Chieftain ordered.
Although their grudge ran deep, both Orc tribes refused to settle their feud with violence. They were not savages, after all.
Instead, they opted to show their dominance through worship.
These Orcs revered the Earth goddess as She was the one who gave them the sustenance to survive. And to show their thanks for all the gifts that She has given them, the Orcs smacked their bodies and shouted to the top of their lungs.
The Orcs believed that whoever worshipped the Goddess more was the one who was worthy of staying in her grace.
The Orcanine and the Orcupine tribes both believed they were Orcs superior in worship.
"We shall show them that the Goddess favors us. The trees say so," the Chieftain said as he got up from his throne and got out of his tent.
The Orcs slapped their thighs in respect as soon as they saw him, which also signaled to the others that they were in the presence of the Chieftain.
"Take me to our sacred place," the Chieftain said.
Orc Guards guided their Chieftain deeper into the forest, where their sacred worshipping place was located.
As they walked into the forest, the variety of trees seemed to become more and more homogenous, before eventually having only one type of tree in an entire area.
This particular type of tree did not have thick trunks, wide leaf crowns, nor a tall stature. It was just enough for the Orcs to walk up and pick up one of its fruits growing on the stems.
The Chieftain looked up at the nearest fruit in front of him. After a long time, it had finally turned brown, ready for harvest.
"I thank the Goddess for bestowing upon us this Kakao," he said as he pulled out one of its pods from the stem.
The trees that the Orcs were worshipping turned out to be cacao trees!