Orc Hero Story - Discovery Chronicles (Orc Eroica)

Chapter 17.2: Hero vs. General

BOOM. Double release motherfuckers.

And thank you all for your well-wishes about my wrist! It’s not fully recovered, but the pain has subsided enough for me to function normally.

Now here!

We!

GO!

Thunder Sonia couldn’t wrap her head around what was going on.

Why was Bash standing there as if he was protecting her?

And why was he pointing his sword towards General Baraben, who was supposed to be his ally?

Did she interpret the situation wrong? Or was there some kind of internal conflict going on?

Or perhaps, was Bash, just like most Orcs, so dazzled by her Elven beauty that he wanted her in one piece in order to take her home?

But if that was the case, why didn’t he kidnap her the first time they had met, during the events of the Nightmare of Siwanasi Forest?

No way… could it be true that she really smelled ancient?

If that was the case… she wanted to be anywhere else but here right now.

“I am Bash, warrior formerly from the Orc Country’s Boulder’s Company, and Hero of the Orcs!”

But one thing was clear: the Orc Hero was about to fight General Baraben.

“I am Baraben, General of Orc Country, Head Commander of the Orc Army’s 2^nd Division, and Clan leader of Siwanasi Forest!”

“I am Gunda Guza, Great War Chief of the Orc Army’s 2^nd Division!”

Back during the war, Sonia had heard Orcs announcing their names countless times on the battlefield, their voices resonating alongside the clings and clangs of swords and spears.

Their self-introduction was the bell that signaled the start of combat.

After that, the Orcs would either win or die.

Her opponent this time was General Baraben.

This man was famous enough to be known to even the Elves – they all knew how essential he had been to the success of the Orcish war effort.

In the past, the first thing a new recruit would learn about the Orcs was the name of the Orc King, Nemesis, followed by the Great General, Baraben.

A fierce warrior that had led his people to victory many-a-times and had fought bravely until the end.

Among the Orcs, he was considered just as influential as the King himself.

Moreover, Gunda Guza, the Orc’s most outstanding mage, was fighting alongside the General.

He was the most dangerous element in this battle.

If the Lich were not defeated, Baraben would rise again indefinitely.

However, reaching the undead mage would be challenging, to say the least. He was constantly on his guard, keeping his distance and hiding away behind the giant zombie’s humongous body.

[But…]

Thought Thunder Sonia, as she looked at Bash’s well-defined deltoids, his bulging trapezius, and hard-as-rock latissimus dorsi…

[What…what a reassuring and reliable back!]

“ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

“UUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!”

The combatant’s warcries rang out, sending echoes through the trees; a palpable wave of violence and intimidation imposing enough to make small rodents keel over in fright.

General Baraben was a hair quicker, stepping in ahead of Bash.

The head of his war hammer, a condensed mass of barbarity so massive it seemed unstoppable, came rushing down at the Hero like a meteorite.

But Bash moved in response with such speed that it was hard to believe he was an Orc.

It was not to evade.

He resolutely strode forward widening his stance and priming his hips as he brought his greatsword in line with the incoming war hammer.

“DING!”

The most deafening metallic sound Sonia had ever heard reverberated throughout the forest.

The echoes lingered on, “ying….iiing….iiinngg…”

Bash’s blade had successfully repelled Baraben’s hammer, launching it away.

Though the undead General did not lose his grip on his weapon, he was pulled by its mass and had to take a step back, his foot landing heavily and digging into the dirt.

But he wasn’t the only one affected by the blow’s recoil.

Bash’s sword was also repelled as his arm was sent reeling back along with his weapon.

Yet his stance…

“ORAAAA!!!”

His stance remained unbroken.

The Hero’s muscles bulged as he used every iota of his strength to not lose his footing.

Just what kind of freaky superorcish leg strength did one need to achieve that?! thought Sonia.

Striding forward once more, Bash swung his greatsword down at Baraben, who was still trying to regain his balance.

The blade cut through the air at speeds beyond mortal comprehension, slicing cleanly through the General’s chest.

It left a deep, gouging injury into his flesh, lacerating his heart and lungs.

The strike was nothing short of brilliant – a perfect blow.

A fatal wound…

…had the other party been a living person.

“UUOOOOOHHHHH!!!”

Baraben replied with a flurry of blows, attacking with even more fervor, as if to say that his wound didn’t matter.

His onslaught struck like a hurricane.

And yet, Bash did not back down even for a second.

Sometimes he dodged. Sometimes he struck back. Other times he parried, and other times he snuck in a stab in the gaps that presented themselves.

His moves were rough and devoid of grace, but they were effective.

And sure enough, the Hero eventually found an opportunity, carving out a wide gash into the zombie’s guts.

However, General Baraben did not stop.

Though his heart was mangled and arteries severed, he kept on trudging forward.

Because he was a zombie.

Zombies needed to be, at the very least, decapitated in order to stop them from moving.

Some individuals may even be able to move despite having lost their head, but this usually wouldn’t last long.

But the circumstances were different right now.

So long as the Lich was still around, any wounds inflicted on the General would be immediately regenerated, and he would be able to fight indefinitely.

Bash completely outmatched Baraben.

Were the General still alive, he would have died many times over already.

In addition…

“Hyehegegege, “Earth Bind”!”

“Hmm?!”

Bash’s suddenly lost his balance as Gunda Guza cast his spell.

The Hero’s ankles had been caught by the animated dirt.

“UUOOOHHHH!!”

Bash’s actions were delayed for a split second, and the undead General did not miss this opportunity.

Though the smaller Orc managed to guard against the incoming attack with the broad side of his sword, the strike still sent him barreling through the air as he spun twice before crashing into a tree.

Of course, this wasn’t something the Hero couldn’t handle.

He immediately bounced back up, charging back into battle as if nothing had happened.

But that didn’t mean he was unharmed.

Sonia was reminded of their previous battle.

The Orc had come at her as if he were immortal, always standing up again no matter how many magical attacks he endured, but by the end, he was definitely slowing down.

Bash had monstrous strength and endurance, but neither were limitless.

“Gege…guhu…you dumb, stupid man…Hero Bash…”

Not to mention Baraben wasn’t the only opponent.

His second-in-command, Gunda Guza, was also providing support from the rear.

No matter how many times Bash successfully struck at Baraben, he had no chance of winning if the Lich wasn’t taken out of the picture.

With the Orc Hero Bash on Sonia’s side, victory was definitely more than possible.

She was intimately familiar with his strength, after all, having experienced it firsthand.

However, Orc warriors generally had little to no knowledge of magic.

Did Bash even know that this battle would never end if he didn’t defeat the Lich?

Bash “the Quadfather”, not skipping leg day.