Chapter 80: Into the Red

  The sun hung low in the sky as the party stood at the edge of a jagged ravine, peering down at the makeshift Red Orc encampment below. The wind carried the distant sound of guttural snarls and the sharp clank of weapons against bone. A heavy tension settled over them. This was no ordinary fight.

  “Let’s go over this one more time.” Thalron’s voice cut through the silence, his tone calm but serious. “The rank of a quest doesn’t mean we have to be that rank to take it—it means a single adventurer of that rank should be able to clear it alone.”

  Vira exhaled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “So since there’s four of us, and we’re working together, that technically lowers the difficulty, right?”

  Thalron nodded. “In theory. A Gold-Ranked adventurer could solo this. But since there’s four of us, we just need to be smart about how we approach it.”

  Arixa snorted, leaning on her warhammer. “So basically, don’t be stupid. Got it.”

  Marcus smirked. “That means you should be extra careful, Arixa.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Please. These things won’t know what hit ‘em.”

  Marcus turned his gaze back toward the Red Orc camp and activated Inspect. The moment he did, his vision shifted, his awareness sharpening as Stem’s analysis flooded into his mind.

  [Enemy Analysis: Red Orcs]

  Size: Slightly larger than the average orc.

  Coloration: Deep crimson skin due to immense Ki saturation.

  Behavior: Savage, hyper-aggressive, and territorial. Consider all lifeforms hostile targets.

  Unique Trait: Rage Mode - Engages when critically wounded, dramatically boosting strength, endurance, and pain resistance.

  Hate Target: Standard orcs. They instinctively attack orcs on sight.

  Marcus relayed the information to the group. “Vira, looks like you were right. These guys are more Ki than flesh at this point.”

  Vira frowned. “That explains the rage mode. The more damage they take, the harder they fight. We should try to kill them fast—don’t let them linger in that state.”

  Thalron cracked his knuckles. “Then we eliminate the leader first. Take out their coordination before they can even get started.”

  Arixa grinned, resting her hammer on her shoulder. “Let them rage. I’ll take ‘em all on.”

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  Marcus smirked. “Alright. Here’s the plan—”

  The party moved with careful coordination, using the high ground and sparse trees for cover as they closed in on the encampment.

  Thalron disappeared first, vanishing into the shadows. His footfalls were utterly silent as he darted through the underbrush, shifting between the gaps in the enemy’s vision like a ghost. His objective was the Red Orc leader—a massive brute wielding a crude greatsword, his scarred chest glowing faintly with pulsating Ki.

  Marcus, meanwhile, took a different approach. He strode directly toward the frontline, two Red Orcs spotting him almost immediately. Their snarls turned into feral roars as they charged. Marcus braced himself, meeting their wild swings with raw, unfiltered power.

  A massive fist swung toward his head—he ducked, weaving between their strikes before landing a crushing counterpunch to one’s ribcage. The shockwave from the impact sent dust flying, but the Red Orc only stumbled back, its Ki flaring as it refused to go down.

  “Yeah, that tracks.” Marcus muttered before dodging another wild haymaker.

  On the other side of the battlefield, Arixa charged in headfirst, slamming her warhammer into the ground with enough force to shake the earth.

  BOOM.

  A shockwave rippled outward, sending a handful of Red Orcs staggering. She grinned as the closest ones turned their fury on her, eyes burning with the primal desire to kill.

  “That’s right, come get some!”

  Vira wasn’t far behind, positioning herself strategically behind Arixa. The moment the Red Orcs converged on her, Vira unleashed a barrage of AoE elemental attacks—fire and lightning crackling through the air.

  “Flame Surge!” She raised her hand, sending a swirling inferno into the oncoming wave, forcing them to stagger.

  Arixa didn’t even flinch at the heat, lunging forward with a two-handed swing that sent one of the beasts flying into a tree.

  Thalron had made his way to the back of the encampment. The Red Orc leader stood tall, barking out guttural orders—until he felt a cold blade press against the side of his throat.

  The leader’s eyes widened in shock, then rage.

  SLASH.

  With a flick of his wrist, Thalron’s arcane rapier pierced through the Red Orc’s windpipe, a precise and fatal strike. The leader choked, his Ki flaring wildly before his body collapsed.

  The remaining Red Orcs froze mid-combat, their chaotic rage suddenly lacking direction.

  That was all the opening Marcus needed. He clenched his fist, ducked under another wild swing, and drove an uppercut straight into his opponent’s jaw— sending the Red Orc flipping backward onto the ground, unconscious.

  One by one, the remaining Red Orcs fell.

  The battlefield was silent except for the heavy breaths of the victors.

  Arixa wiped sweat from her brow, looking around at the scattered bodies. “That’s it? Hmph. I was expecting more.”

  Marcus stretched his shoulders. “They hit hard, I’ll give them that.”

  Thalron checked his blade before nodding. “We took them down cleanly. This could’ve been worse.”

  Then—the system notifications rolled in.

  Vira has leveled up to Level 23! Thalron has leveled up to Level 20! Marcus has leveled up to Level 19!

  Arixa crossed her arms, watching the others with a raised eyebrow. “Good. You guys are catching up.”

  Marcus smirked. “You could’ve slowed down, y’know.”

  Arixa scoffed. “Not my style.”

  As the group surveyed the battlefield, Marcus felt a strange pulse in the air—something beneath them.

  Stem’s voice whispered in his mind. “Curious.”

  Marcus narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”

  Stem’s response was eerily precise. “Red Orcs tend to linger around areas of magical significance. Cross-referencing known phenomena… there is an 87% chance that they were guarding something.”

  Marcus frowned. “Guarding what?”

  There was a brief pause. Then—a pinpointed location.

  “There is a hidden cave entrance beneath this battlefield. I suggest investigating.”

  Marcus looked toward the others. “Looks like we’re not done yet.”

  Arixa tilted her head. “Oh? We got treasure?”

  Thalron adjusted his gloves. “Or a trap.”

  Vira exhaled. “Either way… we’re going in, aren’t we?”

  Marcus grinned. “You already know the answer to that.”

  The group gathered their gear and made their way toward the hidden entrance.

  Whatever the Red Orcs had been protecting… they were about to find out.