Chapter 376: Luke Has Become a Prize for the Endless Forest?!

"HOW DARE HE?!"

Gorzak erupted once again, his muscular arms trembling with fury as he rose from his chair and turned toward Kroghar.

"KROGHAR, LET ME GO! I WILL PERSONALLY SLAUGHTER THAT BASTARD AND DESTROY THE TEMPLES OF THOSE TRAITOR GODS!"

Unfortunately, Kroghar completely ignored his furious shouting, since he was already considering the implications of everything Elgrun had revealed.

If the destroyed outposts truly belonged to the same attacker, then the number of their fallen warriors had already become considerable, and judging by the complete absence of corpses, many of them might have been devoured through that strange cultivation technique.

Moreover, if the Hero continued attacking at his current pace, their losses would only increase.

However, despite understanding the seriousness of the situation, Kroghar had no intention of personally leading an attack right now.

"We aren’t going anywhere until our injuries have recovered," he finally declared, causing Gorzak to turn toward him with an ugly expression.

"But Kroghar, are we supposed to sit here while that bastard continues slaughtering our warriors?!"

"Do you want to die that badly?" Kroghar asked, giving him a stern look before continuing. "If the three of us leave this place while we’re still injured and that crimson dragon appears again, do you think we’ll be fortunate enough to escape a second time?"

Hearing those words, Gorzak’s expression became even uglier, although he couldn’t immediately refute Kroghar’s reasoning.

After all, their previous encounter with Rhaenyra had already left all three of them suffering from internal injuries, and although Gorzak hated admitting defeat, he understood that fighting her again in their current condition would be extremely dangerous.

More importantly, the three of them were the strongest existences within their tribe, and if they died, the remaining Orcs would have little hope of surviving against the stronger tribes or the Dragons occupying this continent.

As for the dishonor associated with retreating from battle, none of the three particularly cared about such things when their own lives were at stake, since those expectations were generally imposed upon lower-ranked warriors.

Just as Gorzak was reluctantly accepting Kroghar’s decision, a calm, aged voice suddenly came from the remaining chair.

"We will set a trap for this Hero of Light and kill him in one attack."

Hearing those words, everyone immediately turned toward Vradok, the Great Shaman, who had remained silent throughout most of their discussion.

He slowly raised his head and looked across the gathered commanders before continuing.

"We will prepare a ritual formation and gather ninety percent of our forces to eliminate him, including one hundred B-Rank warriors."

"..."

For a moment, none of the Orc commanders knew how to respond, because the number Vradok had proposed was far beyond anything they had expected.

Gathering ninety percent of their forces would require mobilizing Orcs from across their scattered territories, potentially bringing millions of their kin together, while also recalling the warriors stationed at their remaining outposts.

If they actually followed such an arrangement, most of their conquered territories would be left without proper protection, and everything they had gained through their recent invasion of the Dragon Continent could easily fall back into the hands of the natives.

Naturally, several commanders became hesitant upon realizing how much territory they might have to abandon.

Noticing their expressions, Vradok calmly explained his reasoning.

"We cannot afford to underestimate the puppets of those traitors, especially when this one has already demonstrated the ability to destroy our outposts without leaving behind any survivors or corpses."

He paused briefly before adding, "Besides, if we manage to capture or kill this Hero of Light and present his head to the royal Orcs, the rewards we receive could be far more valuable than these territories."

Hearing that, the expressions of several commanders immediately changed as they remembered something important.

According to the ancient prophecies preserved within the Endless Forest, the royal families of various races had long considered the puppets of the traitor gods their enemies, and rewards had been promised to those capable of capturing or killing such beings.

Since the royal tribes themselves rarely ventured onto the surface, presenting them with the head of a Hero could bring extraordinary benefits, perhaps even allowing their defeated tribe to rebuild its former strength and regain a place among the more powerful Orc factions.

Thinking about those possibilities, the B-Rank commanders gradually became excited, although Vradok wasn’t finished explaining his plan.

"Since the three of us won’t be participating personally, we must use sufficient force to ensure that this Hero cannot escape," he continued, looking toward Kroghar and Gorzak before returning his attention to the gathered commanders.

"After all, if we fail to eliminate him and word of his existence spreads throughout the Endless Forest, the other tribes will undoubtedly become interested."

His voice grew slightly lower as he explained the consequence they should be most concerned about.

"If those tribes discover that we have already encountered a puppet of the traitor gods, they will certainly join the hunt, and whoever captures him first will be the one to claim the reward."

Upon hearing those words, the expressions of the gathered Orcs immediately turned ugly, since none of them wanted to share such a valuable opportunity with the very tribes that had previously driven them from their home.

Even Gorzak, who had been furious about the decision to remain behind, gradually calmed down after considering the benefits they could obtain from killing the Hero.

Kroghar also appeared satisfied with the proposal, since it would allow them to deal with their enemy without risking the lives of their three strongest leaders while they were still recovering.

Seeing that no one had any further objections, Vradok finally gave his order.

"Then go and begin preparing the trap immediately. Recall our warriors, gather the B-Rank commanders, and make sure everything is ready before that Hero discovers what we’re planning."

"YES, GREAT SHAMAN!"

The assembled Orcs immediately bowed before the three A-Rank leaders, after which they began leaving the tent one after another to carry out their orders.

Elgrun also followed the departing commanders, feeling rather satisfied that his information had finally received the attention it deserved, although he couldn’t help wondering whether even such a large force would truly be enough to eliminate that monster.

Once everyone had departed, only Kroghar, Gorzak, and Vradok remained seated within the tent, where they continued discussing the arrangements for the upcoming operation.