At the stroke of midnight, a colossal black silhouette stealthily made its way into the cemetery on the outskirts of Wildfire City.
Standing two and a half meters tall, with the snow's reflection, one could clearly discern that the parts of its body exposed from the simple clothing were covered in thick hair.
Each breath it took resonated dully in its chest, and every step it took on the snow - covered ground elicited a muted thud from the earth. With every movement, a raw, violent power seemed to course through it.
On the continent, there was only one type of humanoid creature with such a fearsome physique: the orcs. And these were not the civilized orcs who inhabited the Red Cloud Plateau and had established the Orc Empire. These were the savage orcs that had long dwelled in the Thunder Mountains, engaged in battles with various beasts, and reigned supreme at the top of the food chain!
It was incredibly powerful!
The orc entered the cemetery and gave its large, ugly nose a gentle twitch. It caught a whiff of blood in the air.
The scent was fresh, and to the orc, it smelled absolutely delicious.
The orc followed the trail of the smell and eventually arrived at a tomb. Here, the smell of blood was the most intense, and even the soil seemed to exude this enticing fragrance.
The savage orc had no qualms about desecrating the tomb. It set aside the wooden club in its hand, which was as thick as an average person's thigh, and extended its palm - like hand, plunging it into the soft soil to grope around.
Sure enough, it found a piece of fresh "meat." The powerful orc hoisted it up and forcefully yanked it out of the ground. It brought its huge nose close and inhaled deeply, intoxicated. Finally, it couldn't help but let out a laugh.
The heavy breath reverberated in its massive chest, generating a series of muffled airflow sounds. It was evident that the orc was in a rather jubilant mood at the moment.
With a sickening snap of bones, the orc effortlessly twisted off the brawny man's arm with one hand, as if it were a mere matchstick. It then stuffed the arm into its mouth and began chewing with a "crackling" sound.
This noise carried far in the stillness of the night, sending chills down one's spine.
Simultaneously, in the darkened night - watchman's wooden cabin, two icy - white lights suddenly flared to life, shining outwards like solid beams for half a meter. It was Robin, roused from his slumber!
A torrent of complex data rushed through Robin's mind like a flood. After undergoing an intricate process of permutations, combinations, analysis, and reasoning, they finally crystallized into a profound statement that cut to the heart of the matter.
"Elements are the bedrock of this world, and spirit is its cornerstone!"
The holy light elements, belonging to the Lord of Holy Light, coursed through the Justice Rune Stone and the Holy Light Rune Stone. They existed due to the spiritual belief in this deity. The green life - force elements flowing within the robe were similar to the holy light elements but were attributed to another, as - yet - unknown god. The black aura in the cemetery was a fusion of the dead's obsessions and the elements. From this chain of phenomena, Robin traced back to the origin and deduced the existence of four fundamental elements: water, fire, wind, and earth. These formed the basic framework of this world and, simultaneously, gave rise to four great spiritual entities in the void.
Robin would come to refer to them as the four elemental gods of creation! The elements they represented formed the basic structure of this vibrant, colorful world.
In the presence of these four mighty beings, both the Lord of Holy Light and the unknown God of Life were but mere fledglings. The elements of faith that emanated from their spirits could only influence the world, falling far short of the power to dominate it.
Perhaps, when humanity advanced to a certain pinnacle, capable of shattering this world, the Lord of Holy Light, as a human faith, might just about reach the stature of an elemental god.
But by then, would humans still seek solace in the comfort of a faith in the void? No one knew, not even Robin, who hailed from the Milky Way. In the Milky Way, religion still held sway. When humans confronted the vastness of the universe and realized their own insignificance, many turned to the illusory Lord for spiritual sustenance. In the past, Robin had held a scornful view of these religious believers, but now, he found himself adopting a more neutral stance.
There were great forces at play in the world, and the more one mocked and belittled them, the more it revealed one's own ignorance.
From this moment on, there were numerous mysteries in this world that awaited his discovery, and countless power - using methods that he needed to master. But as long as he grasped this fundamental essence, it would be like erecting a towering edifice upon an unshakable foundation.
Inside the wooden house, the light that had banished the darkness gradually faded away, and a pair of silver eyes slowly materialized.
The eyes had originally been black, but the cold, white light that lingered within had tinted them a silvery - white, lending him an air of coldness and detachment, like that of a god.
The eyes flickered a few times, the white light gradually dissipated, and the wooden house was once again plunged into darkness.
A soft exhalation, the rustling of clothes, and then a figure emerged outside the wooden house. It was Robin.
The once - resplendent leather robe on his body had now turned a dull gray and was far less conspicuous. The patterns on it had lost their dark - green luster, now resembling the discarded rune stones.
On his face, the unhealthy sallow complexion, along with the tiny wrinkles and crevices that had been the result of a hard life, had vanished, replaced by a smooth and flawless visage.
His thoughts were clearer than ever before, even surpassing those of his previous life. The headache that had plagued him when he first occupied this body and used his brain had now completely disappeared.
This told him that, with the aid of the mysterious emerald - colored flame, his body had undergone a qualitative transformation.
It wasn't just his brain that had benefited. His entire body had been revitalized. All the hidden injuries within his body had vanished, his physical strength had more than doubled, and his endurance had increased even more remarkably. As long as he managed his physical energy rationally, alternating between exertion and rest, he would not tire until his energy was completely depleted!
The moment Robin stepped outside the wooden house, the orc not far away immediately ceased its chewing. Its massive body spun around with surprising agility, much like a startled deer.
This was likely what was known as the beast's instinct.
In previous years, it wasn't uncommon for orcs to break away from the raiding parties and venture out alone in search of food. In the wild, human warriors, unless they had a significant numerical advantage and a well - planned ambush, had no means of slaying such solitary orcs and could only focus on self - preservation.
If a migrating civilian group happened upon an orc, they would be completely defenseless.
Just imagine a nearly half - ton fighting machine, possessing peak strength and agility. How could humans, with their frail bodies, hope to resist?
Now, as soon as the orc laid eyes on Robin, it promptly discarded the corpse in its hand and grabbed its weapon, the thick wooden club.
Compared to the tender, living, warm, and delicious prey standing before it, the orc suddenly found what it had just eaten rather unappetizing.
After all, it had some semblance of intelligence and knew how to make comparisons, always hoping to obtain more delectable sustenance. If it were a purely wild beast, it would be content as long as it could sate its hunger, regardless of the taste. If there was an abundance of food, it wouldn't spare Robin a second glance.
There was no bloodthirsty glint in the orc's eyes; only the calm resolve of a hunter before pouncing on its prey.
The orc had no concept of underestimating the enemy. Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it exerts its full strength. Orcs, whose behavior was more in tune with that of beasts, naturally adhered to this prudent approach.
For the orc, this battle was not about honor or gain; it was a matter of survival.
Kill the prey, devour it, and assimilate the opponent's body into its own. It was as simple as that!
Robin's only weapon was a hardwood sword.
The disparity in their strength was palpable, and a confrontation between the two was now inevitable!
This would be a clash between the raw, primal instincts of a wild beast and the calm, calculating wisdom of a human!