Chapter 7: the Fox

Chapter 7: the Fox I held my breath, pressing myself against the rough bark of a nearby tree, heart racing as I waited for the Orcs and Trolls to come closer. The underbrush rustled softly around me, but I remained perfectly still, hoping to avoid detection. The Orcs approached first, their muscular frames moving with a confidence that came from years of hunting in these woods. They growled at one another, their voices low and guttural, filled with a mix of irritation and aggression. I could hear snippets of their conversation, though I couldn’t understand them, but I focused on staying hidden. As they drew nearer, I felt the tension in the air thicken. I glanced to my right, catching a glimpse of the Trolls lumbering toward the same spot. Their massive figures moved clumsily but with purpose, and I could see their beady eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for any sign of prey—or perhaps a rival. I couldn’t help but wonder how these two factions would react to one another. As the Orcs closed the distance, they suddenly stopped, standing mere meters from my hiding spot. "What do you want, you ugly green fools?" one of the Trolls growled, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth as he sneered at the Orcs. "Stay out of our way, Troll. We have business to settle with the humans," an Orc replied, his hand resting on the hilt of his crude dagger. The tension was palpable, and for a moment, it felt like the air itself held its breath. I watched as they exchanged glances filled with hostility, but after a few moments of fierce growling and glares, they ultimately decided to back off. The Orcs grumbled their dissatisfaction and turned to leave, the Trolls doing the same in the opposite direction. It seemed that today, I had narrowly avoided a confrontation. "But I don’t want that!!" "Puddle, attack those uglies!" I commanded, and he nodded eagerly. His small form began to charge up, preparing to unleash his attack. I aimed my own weapon back at the departing Orcs and Trolls, ready to follow Puddle’s lead. As Puddle unleashed his attack, a radiant burst of Light Bullets shot forth from him, arcing toward the Orcs. The moment they realized they were under attack, their expressions shifted from indifference to shock. "Get down!" I shouted, my own weapon drawn and ready. With Puddle’s attack distracting them, I took advantage of the chaos. I dashed forward, aiming for the closest Orc while keeping my guard up for any counterattacks. Puddle’s Light Bullets struck true, hitting one of the Orcs square in the back, causing him to stumble forward with a pained grunt. The other Orcs whirled around, glaring at us with fury. "You dare attack us?" one of them snarled, raising his dagger. "That’s right! We dare!" I yelled back, charging in alongside Puddle, whose body shimmered with energy as he prepared another spell. The ground trembled slightly as the Trolls turned back to see what the commotion was. Their eyes narrowed, and they began to lumber toward us, drawn by the sounds of battle. "Let’s finish this quickly, Puddle!" I shouted, determination flooding my veins as I leaped into the fray. Kyuu~~ Puddle responded with a joyous cry, firing off more Light Bullets as I engaged the nearest Orc in combat, swinging my sword with precision. "Hahaha, those Orcs said they can’t attack you, but I can!" I laughed, playfully acting to provoke them while stepping back. "What?" one of the Troll shouted, his confusion evident as I taunted them. Both the Trolls and Orcs had some semblance of intelligence, but with their limited wit, they were easy to provoke and manipulate. "Catch me if you can!" I said, tauntingly as I began to run toward the direction of the Orcs. I picked up Puddle and placed him on my shoulder, instructing him to keep attacking the Trolls while I focused on the Orcs. As I slowed my pace, I let the Trolls reach a safe distance behind me. Once they were close enough, I shouted, pointing at the Orcs, "Attack!" The Orcs turned to look at me, then at the approaching Trolls, clearly confused by the situation. "Roar!" one of the Trolls let out a deafening roar as they charged toward us. "The human was right; he’s with the Orcs!" one of the Trolls shouted, seeing the Orcs rushing toward them. "Kill them along with the human!" the leader Troll bellowed. Taking advantage of the chaos, I ducked as one of the Orcs slid past me. I began to strike at both Orcs and Trolls indiscriminately, reveling in the confusion I had created. "Attack them!" I shouted again, causing both the Orcs and Trolls to bellow dangerously as they believed I was allied with the other party. Thus, the two sides began to fight each other. The Orcs, resembling walking pigs, had somewhat refined features, while the Trolls looked like oversized goblins with grotesque faces. Unlike the light green hue of Goblins, Trolls had a dark green skin tone that was reminiscent of rotten vegetation, making them appear even more intimidating. Their massive regenerative capacity meant they could withstand considerable damage, making them formidable foes in this chaotic battle. While the Orcs possessed more skills and could wield great swords and other weapons proficiently, they were still simple creatures with low intelligence. This made it easy for me to manipulate the situation, as both sides were too busy fighting each other to notice me. Despite their combat prowess, the Orcs and Trolls were primarily just scouts to engage in battle, making them predictable in their responses. As only weak were given the responsibility to scout, basically they were just disposable targets in their villages. So, now I was simply standing on a tree branch, waiting for them to finish each other off. I only needed one Orc or Troll to max out my level, and soon enough, only one of them would remain battered and bruised. Though the chances of a Troll surviving until the end were high due to their formidable regeneration capacity, Orcs were generally easier to take down, especially since they were the lower-level creatures in this area.