BAM!
Verc cleared past the chaos with a single stride, he kicked off with a control strength; but he still moved terrifyingly fast.
The immediate battlefield around him became a complete blur as his boots pushed off the damp earth, leaving a minor indentation in the soil. He bypassed the tangled clumps of fighting orcs and restrained wolf-kins in a fraction of a second, cutting a clean path directly through the center of the frantic skirmish.
He appeared in front of Lunar, the chief of the wol-kins—
SWIIISH!
Then he swung down as fast and heavy as he could!
The [Moon Blade] came down in a perfect, vertical arc, traveling with enough raw velocity to split the heavy night air completely in two.
"YOU BASTARD!"
FWOOSH—!
Lunar didn’t back down, his pride as the chief of a proud race didn’t let him—he attacked upward with both his claws, trying to catch Verc’s blade.
He planted his heavy hind legs firmly into the dirt, channeling all his massive upper-body strength into a desperate counter. His long, dark claws tore through the air, aiming to intercept the descending steel before it could split his skull.
And in a split second—
TIIIING—!!!
Verc’s blade and Lunar’s sharp claws collided, it made an ear-deafening metallic sound.
And from that exchange... Lunar’s arms were flung upward—Verc was stronger than him in term of sheer power!
The concussive force of the downward strike traveled straight through the chief’s thick wrists and into his shoulders, completely breaking his guard and forcing his upper body to lean backward in a defenseless posture.
"?!!"
Lunar’s eyes widened.
He felt the muscles in his forearms throb with a sudden, numbing ache, his claws vibrating from the sheer density of the weight he had just tried to block.
He was proud of being the strongest in everything in the tribe, that was why he was the chief.
He had spent decades defeating every single challenger in the western territory, using his massive physical frame to crush skulls and break weapons with his bare hands. Yet, this pale man had just pushed him back as if he were nothing more than a weak cub.
Then, as he was in that shocked state—SWOOSH!
Verc followed a fluid horizontal attack!
The silver blade reversed direction instantly, capitalizing on the open opening left by Lunar’s elevated arms, cutting straight toward the side of the giant’s thick neck.
"GURGH!"
Lunar had no choice but roll down the ground to avoid it.
He tucked his large frame into a clumsy, desperate dive, throwing his weight sideways onto the dirt road just as the cold edge of the steel shaved a few hairs from his collar.
And seeing him do that—
Verc brought his sword back to a resting position, his breathing completely level as he looked down at the dusty leader scrambling back to his feet.
"Smart choice—your head would’ve been severed by now if you didn’t do that."
He said that with a calm look on his face.
Verc’s tone held no mockery, only a plain, simple statement of fact that made the situation feel even more humiliating.
And hearing this from his opponent, and knowing he was saying the truth—Lunar’s pride took a massive blow.
He could feel the cold sweat bead on his forehead, his instincts fully aware that the trajectory of that horizontal swing would have easily cleaved through his spine if he had hesitated for even a millisecond.
"GRRRR...!"
He glared at Verc, anger evident in his eyes.
The low, rumbling sound vibrated deep within his chest, his lips peeling back to expose his long fangs as he forced his trembling legs back into a stable stance.
’So what if you’re stronger than me—my greatest strength is my speed!’
He thought to himself, and after tensing his legs and crouching down—BOOM!
He launched to himself toward Verc!
He disappeared from his spot—and reappeared behind Verc!
The sheer velocity of his movement left a brief, dark afterimage in the firelight, his body navigating the short distance with the grace of a hunting phantom.
And without missing a beat--SLASH!
He extended his right arm, focusing all his remaining energy into a wide, tearing motion aimed directly at the back of Verc’s unprotected neck!
’DIE!!!’
Lunar swung his claws violently at Verc, a huge grin on his face.
He could already picture the satisfaction of his claws ripping through the pale stranger, tearing away his arrogance of looking down at him and his tribe.
"?!!"
Though, that grin immediately vanished from his face when he saw that instead of his enemy—all his attack hit was nothing but the air.
The heavy claws cut through the empty space where Verc had been standing a microsecond prior, the momentum of his own swing nearly pulling him forward as his target simply vanished from his sight.
And before he could even process what was happening—
"You’re pretty fast, huh."
He heard that behind him, and before he could even do something—SLASH!
"GARRGH...!"
A shallow, but painful attack hit him from the back.
The sharp tip of the [Moon Blade] traced a neat line across his shoulder blades, cutting through the dense layer of protective fur with absolute ease. Verc’s blade ran through his fur and tough skin and opened a small wound on his back!
The dark blood began to seep from the narrow cut, the biting sting of the iron causing the chief’s muscles to spasm briefly from the shock.
"...!"
FWIIISH--!
Lunar quickly turned around and jumped back—and after regaining his footing; he saw Verc, a few meters away from him—holding his sword casually while looking at him with calm eyes.
The man hadn’t even taken a proper combat stance, his weapon held loosely in his right hand.
Lunar was beyond shock, his eyes wide—
The logical foundation of his entire life was crumbling around him, his mind completely failing to comprehend how a person could outpace the natural reflexes of a wolf-kin chief during the peak of the night.
’H—He’s faster than me...?’
His mind was in shambles.
The realization was like a heavy weight pressing down on his chest, draining the remaining confidence from his posture as he stared at the red eyes of his opponent.
"That was a warning attack. Give up and make your warriors stop."
As he was confused, Verc spoke and demanded that.
He raised his blade slightly, the silver steel reflecting the flickering orange glow of the surrounding bonfires.
"There’s no need for needless casualties. Go under my wing."
He added, pointing his sword at Lunar.
"..."
Lunar looked at the tip of Verc’s sword for a while, not saying anything.
The quiet murmurs of the surrounding battlefield seemed to fade as he stared at the sharp point of the iron, his breathing ragged as his mind battled between his deep tribal pride and the survival of his people.
But after regaining his self—
The ancient blood of his ancestors rejected the thought of a peaceful surrender, the raw instinct of a wild predator pushing aside the cold logic of defeat.
"GRRR...!"
He bared his teeth again at Verc, and with a glare in his eyes—PTU!
He spat a glob of blood onto the dirt, his upper body lowering back into a tense, aggressive posture that made it clear he would rather break than bend.
"If you want to take us under you’re wing; then make us submit with strength, not with words."
Lunar declared that and took a fighting stance again.
His voice was a gravelly roar, his claws extending to their absolute limit as he prepared to throw his very life into the final exchange.
Verc smiled after hearing that. He shook his head gently, a look of mild amusement dancing in his crimson eyes as he accepted the stubborn terms of the beastman.
And opening his mouth—
"I guess that’s how you tame wild dogs, huh."
He muttered that.
*****
BAM!
Without a second invitation, Lunar launched himself forward again, his body twisting through the darkness in a frantic sequence of high-speed leaps, attempting to confuse Verc’s vision by bouncing off the nearby tents and wooden stakes.
S W O O O S H—!!!
He moved like a dark gale, his claws executing a continuous barrage of slashes that aimed for every single vital point on Verc’s frame!
But Verc didn’t even need to use his skills to manage the assault.
TING! CLANG! TAAANG—!
He stood firmly in the center of the path, his feet barely shifting as he deflected every incoming strike with minimal, precise movements of his blade. The sharp chimes of steel meeting bone rang out in a rapid, unchanging rhythm.
Verc was one-sidedly beating Lunar at every aspect, showing him his superiority.
Raw power, Speed, Technique, and other else...
Whenever Lunar tried to utilize his speed, Verc would simply appear at his next landing spot before the chief could even plant his feet, delivering a heavy hilt-smash to his ribs or a flat-blade slap to his jaw!
TWHACK!!!
"GRUGH?!!"
"Is this the limit of your tribe’s legendary agility?"
Verc asked calmly, parrying a desperate downward swipe and immediately delivering a sharp kick to Lunar’s stomach that sent the giant sliding backward across the dirt.
"Koff... Koff... UGH!"
Lunar coughed heavily, his breath turning ragged as the continuous blunt impacts began to fracture his ribs and dull his movements. No matter how hard he pushed his core, no matter how much he forced into his muscles, the pale man before him remained an unreachable wall, matching his speed with effortless grace and overpowering his strength without a single sigh.
Then Lunar looked behind him to see what was happening around as well.
"K-KILL THEM!"
"UGH! CUT THE VINES AND SET THE OTHERS FREE!"
"GAH! WATCH OUT FOR THE LITTLE SHITS WITH SPEARS!"
Verc’s force was overwhelming the wolf-kins even though they have advantage in numbers.
The clearing was a scene of absolute, calculated dominance. The initial chaos of the wolf-kins counter-charge had been completely neutralized by the rigid discipline of the invader lines.
The orcs’ coordinated attacks and formations were unbreakable against the chaotic and unarmed wolf-kins.
The thirty orcs moved like a singular iron machine, their heavy shields locked together to form a barrier that the unarmored hunters could not penetrate. Whenever a group of wolf-kins tried to gather for a concentrated push, the gnoll crossbowmen, who went down the hill and now at the flank, would immediately release a volley of bolts, their precise targeting forcing the attackers back into the waiting lines of the vanguard.
The whole battlefield were under their control, specially with the dark elves supporting from the back with their mutated plants.
Every single attempt at a breakout was met with a flying green fruit or a sudden wall of thick, constricting vines that erupted from the earth, pinning the targets before they could even utilize their numbers.
Also, Verc’s generals; Groo, Pwyll, Bernia, Rick, Jagan, Pol, Don, and Epona... they were taking care of the elite warriors.
The highest-tier hunters of the tribe had tried to coordinate an assault to break the center line, but they were immediately intercepted by the strongest members of Verc’s force.
They were even able to restrain most of them already!
Groo’s massive battleaxe systematically shattered the primitive stone weapons of the elite hunters, while Pwyll and Rick utilized their refined human military tactics to isolate individual targets, locking them down. Bernia moved through the flanks like a phantom, her twin blades leaving shallow, non-lethal cuts that allowed the paralytic toxins to take hold, rendering the strongest defenders completely helpless within minutes.
Jagan, Pol, Don, and Epona operated with brutal efficiency, using their immense physical frames to physically tackle the largest elites, pinning their arms behind their backs and forcing them face-first into the dirt until they pass out.
"...!"
Lunar watched the systematic destruction of his entire military force from the corner of his eye, his heart sinking as he realized that not a single one of his people had managed to inflict a serious injury on the invaders. Their strategy was perfect, their equipment was superior, and their overall coordination had completely turned the night into a one-sided containment drill.
"It’s over, Chief Lunar."
Verc stated, his voice cutting through the fading sounds of the struggle as he brought the tip of his blade to rest right beneath Lunar’s chin.
"..."
Lunar didn’t even see nor hear him approach. Verc just appeared in front of him, already pointing the sword against his neck.
The giant beastman dropped his arms, his chest heaving as he looked around the silent clearing. Every single one of his active fighters was either tied up by vines, paralyzed by the poisons, or pinned down under the heavy boots of the steel-armored orcs.
Verc and his group started their attack at night, and just after over an hour—it was already done with all the wolf-kins either subdued, or dead.
The entire campaign had been executed with surgical precision, the absolute disparity in tactical preparation and raw power bringing the wolf-kin tribe to its knees before the moon could even begin its descent.