Alden's POV – The True Battle Begins

The battlefield should have been silent. The enemy should have been dead.

Yet, the moment Leon drove his spear through the Orc Warlord's chest, Alden felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Something was wrong.

A new presence loomed over them—a towering shadow emerging from the trees.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air, making the already trembling goblins freeze in terror.

A second Orc Warlord.

Alden's stomach twisted.

This… wasn't in the game.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

The male warlord stepped forward, its blood-red eyes burning with fury.

"You… killed… my mate."

Alden barely had time to process before the massive axe in the orc's hand slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the ruins.

Dust and debris scattered.

Alicia took a step back, her grip tightening on her sword.

Leon's expression hardened, already raising his spear.

Luca let out a low growl, his beastkin instincts on high alert.

Seraphina's Ice Griffin flared its wings, sensing the true battle had just begun.

Sylvara's green eyes shimmered, already preparing her magic.

Elena clutched her staff, lips pressed into a thin line.

Reynard clicked his tongue. "Great. Just what we needed."

Alden exhaled, his mind racing.

This orc… was stronger. Faster. Angrier.

And unlike the female, this one wouldn't fall so easily.

They would have to give everything just to survive.

---

The Fight Begins

Leon charged first, spear crackling with lightning as he thrust forward.

The warlord didn't dodge.

It caught the spear with its bare hand.

Leon's eyes widened in shock—just as the orc swung its axe.

Alicia lunged in, her flaming blade slicing through the air, intercepting the attack before it could land.

Sparks erupted as her sword clashed against the warlord's brute strength.

Luca came from the side, his claws raking against the orc's ribs, but his attack barely left a scratch.

Sylvara's vines erupted from the ground, trying to bind the monster's legs, but the orc simply ripped through them with sheer power.

Seraphina's Ice Griffin unleashed a hail of ice spears, piercing the warlord's skin—but it barely flinched.

Reynard blurred into motion, his illusions creating multiple copies of Leon, all attacking from different angles.

The warlord swung wildly, destroying the fakes in an instant.

Elena chanted rapidly, sending waves of healing magic to keep the fighters standing.

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Alden stood at the back, watching. Analyzing.

This wasn't enough.

They were strong, but the warlord was stronger.

At this rate, they would lose.

Unless—

They turned the battlefield against it.

---

Alden slipped his hand into his coat, fingers brushing against the mana cores he had stored.

He had been saving them.

For emergencies.

And this…

This was the perfect moment.

With a deep breath, he activated his Eclipse vision beneath his glasses.

His vision sharpened.

Every detail of the battlefield became clear. Precise. Calculable.

And most importantly—

He saw the goblins.

Dozens of them, trembling, cowering, their weak minds already overwhelmed by fear.

Alden's voice was barely a whisper, yet it carried through the air like a command.

"Kill the warlord."

His eyes glowed, locking onto the weakest-willed among them.

Their fear twisted into rage.

And then—

They turned on their own master.

A shrill battle cry erupted from the horde.

Hundreds of goblins charged the warlord, weapons raised, eyes glowing red from Alden's influence.

It wasn't full control—but it didn't have to be.

All they needed to do…

Was slow it down.

---

The Turning Point

The orc's eyes widened in rage as its own minions swarmed it.

"TREACHEROUS VERMIN!"

With a single swing, it cut down ten goblins in an instant.

Blood sprayed across the ruins.

Screams filled the air.

But the goblins kept coming.

Dozens of small blades stabbed into its flesh.

It wasn't enough to kill it—

But it was enough to weaken it.

Alden clenched his fists, pushing more mana into his Eclipse vision , reinforcing his hold.

His cores drained rapidly.

He wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

But it didn't matter.

Because the real attack was coming.

---

After more than a hour.

The warlord's deep, guttural growl sent shivers down their spines. Blood dripped from the dozens of wounds scattered across its massive frame, yet its crimson eyes still burned with rage.

It refused to fall.

Leon gritted his teeth, wiping sweat and blood from his brow. His muscles ached, his arms felt like lead, but he wasn't about to back down.

"This thing just won't die," Luca muttered, his claws twitching. His body was covered in cuts and bruises from narrowly dodging the warlord's axe swings.

Alicia took a deep breath, gripping her sword tighter. Her flaming blade flickered weakly—her mana reserves were running low.

"We need to finish this now," Seraphina said coldly. The Ice Griffin at her side let out a strained cry, its wings battered from the fight.

Elena pressed her staff against Reynard's shoulder, healing his injuries. "You can't keep rushing in recklessly."

Reynard only flashed a weary grin, his fox-like golden eyes narrowing. "I wasn't planning on getting hit. The damn thing is just too fast."

Sylvara stepped forward, her emerald gaze locked onto the warlord. The vines she summoned had been torn apart too many times to count. But she wasn't giving up.

Alden, standing at the back, breathed heavily. His control over the goblins had wavered.

The horde that had slowed the warlord down was now dead—slaughtered by their former master.

And the worst part?

The orc had adapted.

It learned from their attacks.

The goblins' interference had wounded it, but they had also made the warlord more cautious, more enraged.

It was no longer mindlessly swinging its axe—it was predicting their movements.

It was still the strongest one here.

And they were running out of time.

Alden adjusted his grip on his katana, his mind racing. How do we kill it?

Leon and Alicia had landed the most direct blows.

Luca was the fastest, but his attacks lacked lethal force.

Sylvara and Seraphina had magic, but the orc had resisted both nature and ice.

Reynard's illusions only worked for brief moments before the warlord adjusted.

Elena could keep them alive, but they needed to end this.

Then an idea struck him.

"We need to force an opening," Alden called out. His voice was calm, steady—a leader's voice, even if he didn't want to be one.

The others turned to him.

Leon gave a sharp nod. "What do you have in mind?"

Alden's gaze locked onto the warlord's wounds. "We've been attacking it from all angles, but it's too durable. It keeps adjusting. So we have to stop it from moving."

Sylvara's eyes widened in realization. "You mean… trap it?"

He nodded. "We don't need to overpower it. We just need to make sure it can't dodge."

Seraphina's lips curled into a smirk. "That… I can do."

Alicia inhaled deeply. "Then what?"

Alden met Leon's gaze. "You and Alicia will finish it."

Leon exhaled, adjusting his grip on his spear. "Alright."

Alicia cracked her neck. "Let's end this."

---

Seraphina and Sylvara moved first.

The Ice Griffin unleashed a powerful frost storm, while Sylvara's thickest vines erupted from the ground, aiming for the warlord's legs.

The orc snarled, trying to shake off the bindings—but that was the mistake.

Reynard's illusions flickered in, surrounding the warlord in a maze of false enemies.

The monster's red eyes darted, momentarily confused.

That was all the time they needed.

Alden's dagger shot forward, guided by his telekinesis, slicing through the warlord's shoulder.

The orc roared in pain, twisting toward him—

And that's when Luca struck.

The beastkin warrior lunged, his claws sinking deep into the warlord's ribs, tearing at its exposed flesh.

Blood sprayed, but the warlord refused to go down.

Its axe swung wildly, aiming to cleave Luca in two—

Alicia intercepted.

Her flaming blade clashed against the axe, sparks flying as she held her ground.

"LEON!" she shouted.

Leon's eyes flashed.

Lightning crackled around him.

With a deep breath, he vanished—his speed boosted by both his aura and magic.

The next second—

His spear pierced straight through the warlord's chest.

Lightning surged through its body, frying it from the inside.

Alicia twisted her blade, driving it deep into the orc's neck, flames erupting from the wound.

Luca, still holding onto the orc's back, sank his claws deeper, ripping through flesh and tendons.

Seraphina's Ice Griffin unleashed one final, freezing blast, sealing the warlord's wounds with a layer of frost—locking the damage in place.

Sylvara's vines tightened around its throat, choking the last bit of life from it.

And Alden—

He sent his katana flying with telekinesis, aiming for the orc's skull.

SHINK!

The blade buried deep, right between the warlord's eyes.

The orc staggered.

It shuddered.

Then—

It collapsed.

Dead.

The battlefield was eerily silent. Only the sound of their ragged breathing filled the air.

Leon let out a shaky laugh, dropping to one knee. "That… that was insane."

Alicia wiped sweat from her forehead, her grip on her sword loosening. "Yeah. No kidding."

Luca, still catching his breath, cracked his neck. "Took everything we had."

Elena wasted no time, channeling healing magic into their wounds, her hands glowing with soft golden light. "Just sit still for a moment. You're all barely standing."

Seraphina sheathed her sword with a sigh. "This was supposed to be the last fight, right?"

Sylvara frowned. "Then why do I feel uneasy?"

Reynard scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "Because something doesn't add up."

Alden, still gripping his katana, stared at the orc's corpse, his mind racing.

"…Why did the goblins turn on their master?"

The group froze.

Leon blinked, his expression shifting to confusion. "Wait… yeah. Why would they do that?"

Sylvara's green eyes narrowed. "That's not normal. Even for weak-willed creatures, turning on their leader like that is… strange."

Alicia crossed her arms. "It doesn't make sense. Warlords have absolute control over goblins. They wouldn't suddenly betray their master unless they were forced to."

Luca frowned, his ears twitching. "I've never seen anything like it before."

Reynard exhaled sharply, his fox-like golden eyes flickering with suspicion. "Something doesn't feel right."

Alden kept his expression carefully neutral. He let his gaze move across the battlefield as if he was just as lost as them.

"…Maybe it was fear?" He finally suggested. "We did kill the first warlord. Maybe without their leader, their instincts told them they had to obey the stronger force… and when they realized the second warlord was a bigger threat, they turned on it instead."

Reynard raised an eyebrow. "That's a convenient explanation."

Alden shrugged, giving him a tired smile. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Unless someone here has some mind control magic we don't know about?" He chuckled lightly, keeping his tone casual.

Reynard narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything else, Leon groaned and stood up, stretching his sore muscles. "Whatever the reason, it worked in our favor. We won."

Elena sighed in relief. "Finally."

Alicia nodded. "Yeah. Let's get some rest."

Alden followed them back toward the ruins.