Duke and I stroll down the corridor– the corridor similar to the previous one between the Goblin’s resting place to the Storage room., the sound of our footsteps resonating in the quiet surroundings.

image [https://gdurl.com/zCFO]

"So, Raiken," he begins our conversation. "Where are you from?"

I pause my step, my throat feeling parched. "I come from Ezlea Village, a mere three nights' journey from here, nestled in the direction of the forest."

Duke's eyes widen with recognition. "Ah, I've heard whispers of a village near the forest. It must be the one they were speaking of."

I nod, a heavy weight on my heart. "Indeed... The village fell under attack, and I was one of the survivors who found my way here."

Duke gasps, his astonishment evident. "Gods above! Can you share what occurred? Who were the assailants?"

I release a sigh, my shoulders slumping in recollection. "I can't say for certain. Those creatures were unlike anything I'd ever encountered... Aside from the troll we faced earlier."

My gaze drifts to the floor. "That night, these crimson beings brandishing scythes materialized out of nowhere, launching a brutal assault on our village. I owe my life to someone who shielded me from one of them, but..."

My voice trails off, and I fall into a somber silence, haunted by the memories of that dreadful night.

Amy's final moments flash before my eyes, her lifeless form on the ground, her vacant gaze.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push away the anguish.

Duke's voice softens. "I'm truly sorry to hear of your ordeal."

I open my eyes, meeting his gaze, my heart heavy. "Thank you, and It's alright, you couldn't have known..." I shake my head, then look at Duke. "Anyway, what about you? Where are you from?"

Duke's eyes light up as he raises his spear. "The trading city of Matyr! It's a place where races freely engage in trade without discrimination."

"I see..."

"Well, I don't particularly enjoy living in this capital. Once I'm done with this trial, I'll return there."

"Why is that?"

Duke's expression darkens as he gazes ahead. "This capital is deeply rooted in racism! Have you noticed that only humans live here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh," Duke suddenly realizes something. "Forgive me, the village you were in consisted solely of humans, so you wouldn't be aware of it."

Duke then recounts his experiences upon entering the capital. He witnessed guards mistreating and expelling elves, orcs, and lizardmen from the city. Even dwarf traders attempting to enter the walls were subjected to mistreatment.

"Wait a moment... Aren't they also normal beings?"

"That's the point. According to what I heard, there's an old grudge between the humans and other races here, aside from warriors and wizards, so they decided to discriminate against all non-humanoid beings."

I'm shocked. I always believed that all the races coexisted harmoniously in the city. I never expected such discrimination to exist.

"What about Horroundeous?"

"The acting Lord of the capital? Bah! He looks fine with races other than humans, but he despises the wizards the most. He's the one responsible for these discriminatory policies."

"He what!?"

Based on Duke's account, it seems that Horroundeous may be kind towards warriors but harbors prejudice against other races.

"I don't fully understand their motives. Regardless, I just want to leave this place as soon as I finish this trial."

That makes two of us, at least for now. With no place left to call home, I may as well distance myself from their political affairs.

"Anyway," I change the subject in discomfort, "Is this troll the sole creature we're tasked to defeat? Are there any additional challenges?"

"No, this is the sole challenge. Once we proceed beyond this corridor, we'll encounter a small chamber with stairs leading upward. That's where the trial concludes."

"You seem well-acquainted with this place."

"I meticulously gathered information about the dungeon even before embarking on this trial. I'm not that idiot who venture in unprepared."

"Are you referring to me?" I playfully point at myself.

"Who else? Is there someone else here besides us?"

"Enough with that already!"

We proceed in silence for a few minutes until we finally reach the end of the corridor.

As we push open the metal door before us, we step into a room that's a fusion of various stone and brick shades, significantly more spacious than the previous storage chamber where Duke and I vanquished the troll. It resembles more than just a soldier's quarters. A battered table rests to one side, next to a shelf housing tattered books, while an empty shelf stands barren. At the opposite end, an ancient staircase ascends upwards.

Near the staircase stands a figure—a woman draped in a deep purple hood, clutching a book in her right hand. The room's dim lighting obscures her features.

I cast a glance at her, noticing Duke's clenched fist.

"A wizard... here of all places?" Duke grits his teeth in disbelief.

"Are you being prejudiced now?" I tease him.

"Not that, you fool! Look at her! We're inside the castle, and she strolls around calmly in this bigoted capital. Something bad’s amiss."

Duke appears to comprehend something that eludes me: apart from the various races, the term "wizards" is nearly unheard of, with Duke being a rare exception. Wizards, the spellcasters, are scarce in this world. Little does he know, the citizens of Matyr consider Wizards to be harbingers of ill fortune, a belief deeply ingrained in their culture.

While Duke and I discuss the trial, I observe the wizard in the purple cloak. She raises her book, allowing it to float in front of her. Her voice sounds distorted, as if two females are speaking in unison.

"[Jawab panggilanku, dan dengan kekuatanmu, hancurkanlah musuh didepanku.]"

She chants something in a unique language, emanating from her mouth.

"She's casting a spell! Prepare your weapons, Raiken!" Duke exclaims.

In a matter of moments, a blue circle materializes in front of her. I watch in amazement as a green hand emerges from within the circle, followed by the appearance of a towering male orc with a menacing face and fangs on each side of his mouth. The orc has large and dark green muscular body and glowing eyes above his fangs. He wields an axe in his other hand.

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"Damn it, not orcs! Out of all creatures!" Duke exclaims.

He points his spear at the orc, assuming a piercing stance, while I ready my sword in an attacking position.

The blue circle vanishes, and the wizard in purple mumbles another incantation before disappearing in a bright white light.

“Wait!” I exclaims, extending my hand toward the cloaked wizard who was just gone.

"Be careful, Raiken. He's stronger and smarter than the troll we just fought."

I nod, my gaze fixed on the orc.

"NOW, NOW..." the orc sneers, "PREPARE TO BE SMASHED, YOU PESKY HUMANS!"

...

The orc lets out a deafening scream, its roar filling the room. It leaps towards us, its massive body crashing into the ground, creating a small crater.

Duke and I quickly step back, our hearts pounding in our chests. The orc's strength is immense, but we cannot afford to falter now.

I take the initiative and charge towards the orc, my sword raised. The orc notices my approach and swings its axe, parrying my attack. Our weapons clash with a resounding clang, and we both recoil, in which I take the most impact of the clash.

The orc seizes the opportunity to strike, landing a powerful punch to my stomach. I gasp in pain, stumbling backward.

The orc lets out a triumphant roar and brings its elbow down upon me. But before it can land the blow, Duke darts in and stabs the orc in the waist.

"Don't forget about me, you brute!" Duke shouts, twirling his spear in an attempt to drive it deeper.

But the orc effortlessly yanks the spear from its side, flinging Duke away. Duke crashes to the ground, his breath knocked out of him.

The orc raises the spear's tip, hoisting Duke into the air.

"Crap..." I mutter.

With a powerful swing, the orc hurls Duke aside. Duke's hand slips off the spear, and he crashes to the ground.

The orc stands tall, its chest heaving. "COME ON! GIVE ME A REAL CHALLENGE, YOU PATHETIC WEAKLINGS! IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT!?" he taunts.

The orc grabs my hair and hauls me towards Duke. He drops his axe and grabs Duke by the hair, viciously smashing our heads together before hurling us to the ground.

We slowly start to regain our footing, but the searing pain in my head makes it difficult to maintain my balance.

"We're... outmatched," I tremble.

"Fuck... At this rate... he'll finish us off," Duke adds.

"THIS IS GETTING BORING. I BETTER PUT AN END TO ALL OF YOU NOW!" the orc bellows with his glowing red eyes.

I find myself unable to move, paralyzed by the pain in my head. Duke, too, is stunned and struggles to stand.

Is this how we meet our end? Will I die in this place?

The orc retrieves his axe from the ground and approaches us with deliberate steps, ready to deliver the final blow.

We are overwhelmed!

I close my eyes slowly, the image of Amy's face appearing in my mind.

Is she waiting for me?

Yet, her expression seems filled with concern for my well-being.

A faint smile tugs at my lips as I close my eyes.

I'm sorry... I won't be able to fulfill your last request...

...

Just as I resign myself to my fate, a blood-curdling scream pierces the air, coming from the orc.

An arrow is lodged in his shoulder, and he struggles to remove it.

"WHO DARES USE SUCH A CURSED PROJECTILE AGAINST ME!?" the orc bellows while looking back.

A figure dressed in blue descends the stairs, rapidly firing arrows from his bow.

The orc effortlessly deflects the arrows this time.

"J-Josh..."

The orc howls in anger and charges towards Josh.

Meanwhile, a red-clad swordsman steps forward, parrying the orc's axe with his own blade.

He skillfully maneuvers his sword, executing a momentary pause.

"Deadly fangs of Ergardia, [Crescent Slash]!!" Alpha declares.

He unleashes a swift V-shaped slash towards the orc, cleaving through his torso.

The orc staggers backward, clutching his wounds, a wide grin forming on his face.

"FINALLY, SOMEONE STRONG ENOUGH TO ENTERTAIN ME!!" the orc exclaims.

"Rai!! Are you alright!?" Josh shouts, rushing to my side. Meanwhile, Alpha and the orc engage in a fierce exchange of blows.

"I'm... fine," I manage to reply.

Reaching into my pouch, I retrieve a potion and swiftly drink it down.

"Do you happen to have any spare potions...? Duke's taken some hits too," I inquire of Josh.

"Hold on, I think I've got some. Here."

Josh offers the potion to Duke, who playfully pushes it away with his hand.

"No, not this shit again," Duke protests.

"He prefers a bit of coercion to drink it," I clarify playfully.

"Oh, got it~"

Josh playfully twirls the potion bottle, removes the cap, and firmly brings it to Duke's lips.

Duke's expression conveys his resignation as he reluctantly stops resisting and drinks the potion.

Glug… Glug…

His eyes meet mine, as if to silently promise, "I'll get you for this once we're through."

I, at the other hand, expand both my hands and shake my head briefly in a made-up terrified expression.

"All set! Take your time while we deal with this fellow," Josh announces, rising to his feet and readying his bow.

However, his aim falters when he witnesses Alpha swiftly beheading the orc, rendering it motionless.

The orc's body gradually disintegrates into ashes.

"Summoning magic..." Alpha comments. "Could it be that the mage summoned him here?"

"I caught a glimpse of the mage," I respond, feeling the pain in my head easing as I attempt to rise.

"Where is she now?" Alpha inquires, sword at the ready.

"She vanished right after summoning the orc," I explain.

Alpha and Josh exchange glances, while I feel a tough grip on my right shoulder.

...

Uh-oh.

"Do you have a death wish, you fucking brat?" Duke seizes my shoulder, his voice trembling with a chill-inducing tone.

"S-Sorry, I had no other choice! I couldn't bear to see you die for real!" I reply.

Duke sighs and releases his grip. "Are they your friends?" he asks after calming himself down.

"Yes, they're my childhood friends, Alpha and Josh. Guys, this is Duke."

"Pleasure to meet you. I hope you don't mind if my friend here is a bit foolish," Josh says, extending his hand.

Duke shakes his hand. "Truth be told, I've had my fill of his idiocy. But I must admit, when it comes to fighting as a team, he's not half bad. Anyway, thanks for that bitter concoction, I suppose."

Both Josh and Duke burst into laughter.

Alpha approaches me, his gaze steady. "I'm relieved we arrived in time, Rai," he says. "I had heard rumors of a certain mage lurking in this area, and it gave me a bad feeling. So we hurried to your aid from the other end."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I was actually considering joining Amy in the afterlife, you know..."

"You'd better not," Alpha responds sharply.

"Anyway, I believe both of your trials end here. Let's leave this place. His Majesty is waiting for us above."

Alpha proceeds towards the stairs, with Josh following closely behind. Duke and I exchange nods before trailing after them.

#

End of Chapter 13