Chapter 377: “THE MONSTER IS HERE!”

20th day of Aestas, the Eight month of year 50,001.

BOOOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the surrounding forest as another outpost belonging to the Zhurkhal Tribe collapsed, sending broken timber, shattered stones, and thick clouds of dust into the air.

“Done.”

Luke exhaled and surveyed the destruction beneath the afternoon sunlight, although instead of looking satisfied with another successful raid, he seemed rather disappointed.

“Why haven’t these recent outposts had any higher-ranked Orcs? I’m starting to wonder where they’ve all gone.”

Emberlyn, who had just landed beside him, glanced toward the ruined outpost and found herself wondering the same thing.

The Orcs had fought stubbornly to conquer these territories, and considering how much effort they had invested in their invasion, it was difficult to believe they would suddenly abandon their positions without a proper reason.

Yet over the past several days, the number of D-Rank and higher Orcs stationed at the outposts had noticeably decreased, with some locations containing almost nothing but ordinary warriors.

“An ambush, perhaps?” Nyx suggested while floating near Luke’s shoulder, prompting the other Titan spirits to consider the possibility as well.

Luke rubbed his chin thoughtfully, remembering the group of Orcs he had allowed to escape more than a month ago.

“Hmm, now that you mention it, those scouts have also been getting more annoying. They keep watching us from a distance, but whenever I try approaching them, they run away.”

During the past month, Luke had destroyed numerous Orc outposts and killed many warriors ranging from D-Rank to B-Rank, although his progress had gradually slowed as the stronger Orcs became increasingly difficult to locate.

Another thing he had noticed was the declining number of native prisoners, since the more outposts he cleared, the fewer captives he encountered.

‘Maybe they’ve started moving the prisoners somewhere else.’

Thinking about all these unusual changes, Luke increasingly suspected that the Zhurkhal Tribe was preparing something for him.

Unfortunately for the Orcs, he had no intention of abandoning his hunt merely because an ambush might be waiting ahead, especially when his cultivation still required a considerable amount of Blood Essence.

‘As long as those A-Rank monsters don’t show up, I should be fine.’

With that thought, Luke gestured toward Emberlyn, and the two departed for the next outpost.

However, this time, his confidence would prove to be a serious mistake.

THUD!

Luke landed on a rocky hill overlooking a medium-sized Orc outpost, while Emberlyn descended a short distance beside him.

Below them, wooden watchtowers rose above reinforced earthen walls, and several dark banners bearing the Zhurkhal Tribe’s insignia fluttered in the wind.

Compared to the smaller outposts they had recently destroyed, this one appeared considerably better defended, with Orc guards patrolling the walls and several buildings concentrated around a broad central clearing.

Luke had originally hoped that raiding so many outposts would provide him with valuable resources, but most of what he had discovered so far consisted of raw materials such as ores, which occupied far too much space in his storage rings.

Rather than wasting his limited storage capacity, he had decided to prioritize strengthening himself, since obtaining better treasures would become easier once his cultivation improved.

Emberlyn quietly observed the outpost, paying particular attention to its guards and the activity near the central clearing.

Nothing appeared especially unusual, since the Orcs were performing their duties normally, while the center of the outpost seemed rather crowded.

“Finally, an outpost with some decent Orcs.”

Luke’s disappointment immediately disappeared as he sensed several B-Rank auras coming from below, and a pleased smile gradually appeared on his face.

After spending so much time clearing smaller outposts, he was more than ready to hunt stronger enemies.

“All right, be careful,” Emberlyn reminded him before moving toward a distant tree, where she settled onto one of its thicker branches to observe the coming battle.

By now, this arrangement had become familiar to them both, since Luke generally handled the Orcs himself while Emberlyn remained nearby in case something unexpected happened.

Moreover, her earlier suspicions about his cultivation technique had almost completely disappeared over the past month.

Although she had personally witnessed Luke turning the bodies of slain Orcs into Blood Essence Pills, he had never attempted to use that technique on innocent captives, and what surprised her even more was that she couldn’t detect any accumulated bloodlust or negative aura around him.

For someone practicing such a disturbing cultivation method, his condition was unusually clean.

Meanwhile, Luke rolled his shoulders, flexed his fingers, and looked down toward the outpost’s main entrance.

“All right, let’s get started.”

BANG!

With a powerful kick against the rocky ground, he launched himself down the hillside, leaving a shallow depression beneath his feet before landing directly in front of the outpost’s main gate.

The impact sent dust rolling across the entrance, while the nearby wooden barricades rattled and several guards standing on the walls stumbled.

“What was that?!”

“INTRUDER!”

The Orc guards immediately raised their weapons, although the moment they sensed a living presence within the dust cloud, their expressions changed.

During the past month, rumors had spread throughout the Zhurkhal Tribe about a mysterious individual who was destroying entire outposts, and according to the surviving scouts, the attacker had been operating alone.

Now, with a single person suddenly appearing outside their gates, the guards couldn’t help remembering those reports.

“Don’t tell me he’s the one…”

“GO! INFORM THE COMMANDERS!”

Instead of rushing forward to attack, several guards immediately abandoned their positions and hurried toward the inner section of the outpost.

Luke, who had expected the usual reckless charge, couldn’t help raising his eyebrows at their reaction.

“Oh? Looks like I’ve become pretty famous.”

Previously, the Orcs would immediately attack him after recovering from their initial surprise, but this time, their first instinct was to run and alert their superiors.

Before Luke could think much further, a deep sound suddenly echoed from somewhere inside the outpost.

DUM! DUM! DUM! — DUM-DUM-DUM! — DUM! DUM! DUM!

War drums!

The heavy, rhythmic beating spread across the outpost, followed by hurried footsteps and shouted commands as the Orcs began responding to the warning.

“INTRUDER AT THE MAIN GATE!”

“EVERYONE, GET INTO FORMATION!”

Luke could hear the commotion beyond the walls, along with the clattering of weapons and the sound of Orcs rushing across the packed earth.

However, rather than worrying about their preparations, his attention shifted toward something much more interesting.

‘Hmm, which Titan should I use today? Or should I try another fusion?’

He considered the possibility briefly before shaking his head.

‘Nah, a fusion would be too much. Let’s go with Voltrax.’

A smile appeared on his face as he raised his head toward the open sky.

“Thunder Titan Ascension!”

KRRRRRRAAAAAK—BOOOOOOM!

A violent crack of thunder erupted overhead, causing the guards on the watchtowers to instinctively look upward.

Without warning, a thick bolt of lightning tore through the daylight and descended directly toward Luke, illuminating the walls and surrounding trees in a brilliant flash.

BOOOOM!

The lightning struck his body, sending a circular shockwave across the entrance and throwing loose stones and dust outward.

However, instead of being injured, Luke’s body began expanding within the brilliant electrical radiance, his flesh transforming as black, armor-like plates spread across his growing physique.

KRRRKKK! ZZZZK—CRACKLE!

His arms thickened, his shoulders broadened, and the ground beneath his feet gradually fractured under his increasing weight, while arcs of lightning raced across his body before gathering around the horns protruding from his head.

Those horns curved upward in the shape of a crown, their edges glowing with concentrated electrical energy as the last traces of the descending lightning disappeared.

When the blinding radiance finally faded, a fifty-foot-tall Thunder Titan stood before the outpost.

His black, plated body towered above the entrance, while thin streams of lightning continued traveling across his armor-like skin and crackling around his crown-shaped horns.

The guards on the watchtowers stared at him in horror, with several instinctively retreating from the wooden railings.

“W-What kind of monster is that?!”

Luke ignored their frightened voices and slowly clenched his right fist, causing the lightning around his arm to flicker as his muscles tightened.

“HAAH!”

He stepped forward and drove his fist directly into the reinforced gate.

BAAAAAAANG!

The wooden doors burst apart under the impact, while the packed earth and supporting timbers surrounding them cracked and collapsed as the force traveled through the entire entrance.

KRRRRAAACK! THUD! CRASH!

Broken planks flew into the outpost, and chunks of earth scattered across the ground, forcing several nearby guards to throw themselves aside as the gate’s remains crashed around them.

A thick cloud of dust immediately rolled through the opening, accompanied by frightened shouts from the Orcs inside.

“AAAAH! THE MONSTER IS HERE!”

Luke slowly lowered his fist and stepped through the ruined entrance, expecting to find the usual group of Orc warriors charging toward him with their weapons raised.

Instead, something rather strange greeted him.

The guards who had been stationed near the entrance were retreating toward the center of the outpost, while others were hurriedly moving toward the outer sections, leaving the broad clearing unusually open.

‘What are they doing?’

Luke became suspicious as he looked around, because the Orcs weren’t behaving like warriors preparing to defend their base.

More importantly, eight figures were waiting near the center of the clearing, standing confidently with their arms folded or weapons resting beside them.

Unlike the retreating guards, none of them seemed particularly frightened by his fifty-foot Titan body.

Luke immediately recognized the strength of their auras.

‘Peak B-Rank?’