Roars began to rise from within the walls. These were the war cries of Alyon's warriors. Moving like wild beasts, they launched their attack. They charged mercilessly at their enemies, who were only just recovering.
The mood of the troops was quite interesting. Although Khan's Judgment had lost its validity, its effect on them seemed far from over. They were stronger than they had ever been, feeling the blood in their veins driving them toward a madness-fueled desire for battle. This effect was especially evident in the members of the Elite Ten. It was impossible to stand before these individuals who had turned into war machines.
When Nafız and his warriors attacked again, it was an undeniable fact that their hearts, burning with desire, craved the enemy's blood. The battle had ceased to be a fierce struggle and evolved into a one-sided massacre, and there was only one person capable of resisting this.
The square-jawed man returned to what he did best: running for his life. Taking advantage of being at the very rear of the front, he was striving to leave these cursed lands at full speed.
"I never imagined I would have to use this. Our account is not settled here!"
Looking at Nafız, who was thirty steps away, the large-nosed commander muttered in disappointment, like someone about to sacrifice something important. Without wasting time, he reached into a pocket close to the chest of his high-quality camouflage; when he pulled his hand back, he held a red ruby surrounded by green emeralds in the center of his palm.
"I had to work for half my life for this. When I return, my revenge will be immense!"
The commander of the Gray Hyenas spoke with a pain that seared his heart. From his words, it was understood that the item in his hand was expensive equipment used for escape in dire situations.
The square-jawed man moved to crush the red ruby between his thumb and index finger; he couldn't be late, for Nafız had come within five steps. If he closed his eyes and sent his remaining strength to his right hand, he would end this day full of torment that had started with the first lights of the sun and felt as if it would last forever. He wanted to surrender himself to the comforting feeling of drifting through the void, but all he felt was terrifying pain coming from his right shoulder.
"Aaaaaaaaaa!"
The square-jawed man bellowed toward Nafız's face, at which he stared with blank eyes.
"Shut up, you idiot!"
His voice was cut off the moment he received a slap across the mouth. He couldn't figure out what was going on; how had the arm holding the red ruby been torn off from the shoulder just as he was about to escape?
"Don't come closer, don't come, don't come!"
Trying to scramble backward with his face turned toward Nafız, the square-jawed man couldn't even get up from the ground; he was crawling, supporting himself with his left hand.
"Thud!"
Suddenly, his back hit a hard object. He was experiencing moments where he felt the fear of death down to his marrow; he had to quickly turn his head and find a way to clear the obstacle. The large-nosed man would be astonished once more. There was nothing where his back had struck, only a vast, endless emptiness.
After looking back at Nafız in astonishment, he involuntarily turned around again. This time he witnessed something completely different: an orc warrior in dark brown armor slowly emerging from the nothingness.
Kuyag, who had not been seen since the beginning of the battle, had made his move. He had finally ensnared the man he hadn't been able to hunt down earlier due to various misfortunes. After his initial observation, he had designated the large-nosed commander as his target and, using the feature of the armor he obtained from the reward dungeon, had mingled among the enemy unseen.
Although his movement speed decreased, it was very difficult to notice him. It was impossible for someone without high spiritual power or perfect energy control to detect him while under the invisibility protection of his armor.
There were two people on the battlefield who could meet these requirements: Nafız and the old man with coal-black hair. While the old man was far away, the Blood God had spread his attention across the entire front, and until the last moment, no one knew where Kuyag was.
The brown-armored orc, one of the first two warriors to enter the reward dungeon, would come to the brink of death many times for this reason. Just as he was about to make a move, the course of the battle would change, and he would become the target of large-scale attacks from both his own side and the enemy. Fortunately, he managed to survive all of them successfully and was now watching his friends sweep the enemy before them, while stepping on the head of the enemy commander attempting to flee like a cockroach.
"You sneaky devil! How dare you steal prey from the lion's mouth!"
Contrary to the smile on his face, Nafız used scolding words as he walked toward his warrior who had taken down the man he had been chasing since the start of the battle. Although he wanted to appear displeased outwardly, he was inwardly delighted. Now that his business here was done, he could quickly go to check on the events inside the walls. He didn't know the cause of the sudden change, and it disturbed him to death.
"Wait by this one, make sure he doesn't escape. There are many things I want to learn from him!"
Kuyag received his order and began pressing down more violently on the head of the man struggling under his feet. Nafız turned his direction toward the place where Alyon and his family were fighting, the Main Orc Tribe inside the ruined walls.
The effects seen in everyone as a result of Khan's Judgment were also visible in him. He just wasn't caught up in a frenzy of savagery like the other orcs. Since the energy he had spent all day was miraculously replenished, it took him very little time to reach where he wanted to go.
Upon arriving, there was a scene he hadn't expected to see. While he had guessed that things weren't going well for them, he found Alyon's warriors navigating the peaks of brutality.
His eyes immediately sought out the enemy's most important man, the Orc Lord. No matter what, he had to be destroyed first. Before long, he got what he wanted. He saw the old orc fleeing, dragging the black bear pelt he held in his hand along the ground. As the Orc Lord moved with limping steps, he stumbled from the shoulder checks of his warriors passing by him. One didn't need to be an expert to understand he was in a physically exhausted state; Siyahayı seemed to be trying to steal one more moment from death, which had merged with his own shadow.
"Nafız, leave this place to us!"
While his attention was on the fleeing enemy leader, a familiar voice from the area behind him reached his ears. It was Yarmagül speaking, with whom he had a relationship that was sometimes hostile, sometimes peaceful, but usually tense. She called out without leaving the side of the unconscious Khan.
When Nafız saw her, he was forced to relive the feeling he experienced after entering the ruined walls. He scanned Yarmagül from head to toe in great astonishment. Not a single piece of clothing remained on the female orc's body; she was covered in dried blood and pieces of flesh. These stood on her almost like a garment. With the giant Halberd in her hand, she looked like a demon straight out of hell.
Then his gaze shifted slightly to the side, toward his friend lying heavily wounded five steps away. Alyon was in very bad shape; he was clinging to life thanks to Khan's Judgment, but with every breath, it was possible to hear the sound of his broken ribs tearing his lungs.
A moment later, Nafız was beside him; he realized that if he didn't treat him first, he wouldn't live long. Upon manual examination, he sadly realized the situation was even graver than it appeared. It was as if there wasn't a bone left unbroken or a tissue undamaged in the giant orc's body.
What he could do right now would be limited to ensuring his survival; he would need to undergo a long treatment process in Dilber's healing water. He forced his friend to swallow a few pieces of medical poultice he took from his interspatial ring and laid him on his back, then slowly dragged him over to his daughter's side.
"Keep an eye on both of them; I'm going to finish this!"