Island God: Going From Level 1 To World Ruler-Chapter 70: Orc Siege (Episode 3)
The wind soared high, higher than even the tallest peak within the Karak-O mountain range.
There, the immense palace of the Orc King stood tall, carved into the mountain itself.
A long platform of stone stuck outward from the palace’s entrance gate, reaching a hundred feet (thirty meters) in length and fifty feet (fifteen meters) in width.
In the center of the stone platform stood a water fountain, with nothing else around it. The fountain did not release water. It was still, old, and broken.
A long and terribly large hall stretched out on the other side of the tall gates guarding the estate.
The wind of the mountain howled, soaring within the gates.
Inside, a corridor with many tall stone pillars led to a throne platform.
It resembled the throne of Meniras’s king, but more grungy and isolated. It felt cold, empty, and lifeless.
The ceilings reached over sixty feet (18 meters) in height. Six pillars of the same stature stood tall on either side of a long walkway leading up to the platform atop which the throne lay.
A single orc sat on the throne. His face was shadowed and pointed toward the ground.
He was similar in stature and overall size to Dorhal, but fully clad in armor, unlike the former.
His aura was menacing. One could easily tell by a glance that he was no ordinary orc.
He rested the side of his head atop the palm of his left hand, the elbow of which was supported by the armrest. Simply staring at him was enough to give one the chills.
He oozed a menacing energy that seemed to float around the entire peak.
Just then, the floor before him on the pathway leading to the platform suddenly began to tremble.
A massive earthworm dove up, only revealing twenty feet (six meters) of its body. The rest was hidden underground.
Speaking of the ground, the beast hadn’t just torn through. Instead, it looked to be warping through. The floor around its body was curved inwards, like rubber.
"Hmm?" The king groaned, his tone rough. "Ulyskethsar... you captured him, right? Just like I told you to?" He said.
The earthworm wiggled its body, a grotesque noise escaping its maw. Then, it threw up a large mosquito from its mouth.
Bzzrt slid across the ground, his entire body drenched in a slimy red substance. It looked to be a mix of mucus and blood.
The orc king raised his head. A deep scar was slit across his forehead horizontally. His eyes were a rich green color, his lips curling into a smile as he flashed two large canine fangs.
"Good..." He said, "Don’t try to run either, lord of the mosquitoes." He spoke with a brash arrogance, "If you attempt to flee, you will be killed."
Bzzrt’s eyes widened with shock. His brain was racing to find solutions to escape this situation, and he was thinking of escaping that very second.
"You see... as the king of the orcs, I have been granted a special power by those who deem me worthy." The king orc said, his smile unwavering.
Bzzrt metaphorically furrowed his brows with confusion and then perplexity.
’W-what!? By those who deem him worthy? He is talking about the primordial beings that exist outside of our realm. The ones hosting this game upon our world.’ He quickly surmised.
"What do you mean? Has the game given you an ability? The rules did not state this would happen..." Bzzrt said, confused.
The orc king’s smile only grew on hearing this.
"You are a fool of a leader, bug." He retorted, "Regardless of your comprehension of the rules, what is true is true. If you think I am bluffing, go ahead and try to escape." He smirked.
Bzzrt’s mind raced.
’He could very well be bluffing. After all, I am also a king of a species, yet I have not attained a special ability.’ Bzzrt thought to himself, ’But... that voice I heard earlier. The one that sounded from nowhere before the worm attacked me. It was unmistakably the voice of Dormon, the Orc King.’ This fact threw him off.
How could the king communicate with him from so far, and from what seemed to be out of thin air?
Was it some trick? Some type of illusion? Or... was it a special ability?
Bzzrt could not risk his life here by attempting to flee.
"What is it... this ability you have been granted?" He asked instead.
"It is called Absolute Dominator. The power to dominate the very souls of all those within your domain. No matter how powerful one is, even if their strength surpasses my own, I can dominate their body and make them freeze in place. Above that, I can even control their body as if I had telekinesis." The orc king, addressed as "Dormon," said with pride.
Bzzrt’s eyes widened with realization.
The explanation seemed to be too good for this all to be a bluff.
’I haven’t met Dormon in many years, but that doesn’t mean he has suddenly turned into a coward. He would never go as far as to make up such an elaborate lie just to make sure I don’t flee. His pride in himself would prevent it!’ Bzzrt thought inwardly. Concern began to quickly build up.
’How could I escape? Unharmed is probably out of the question. Only by betraying lord Midas could I most likely go without any wounds, but even that is questionable at this point.’ He didn’t know what to do now.
A short moment of silence fell over the room.
Then, a series of steps began to echo across the throne hall.
A large orc with a round red tattoo made his way into the corridor.
"Brother!" Dorhal shouted with a deep and commanding voice, "How much longer will you hide in the safety of your stone walls? Our people have already been massacred, and yet you cower here, encased in stone like the rest of them!" His expression was serious, his eyes wide.
