Kano stood in the center of the camp, feeling the air around him grow thick. All the orcs had gathered around, their eyes fixed on him.
Old Chieftain Kro'Gan silently observed. His dark, scarred skin looked almost like stone under the morning sun.
Elgot crossed his arms over his chest and exhaled.
—"This is your last chance to change your mind, Kano."
Kano shifted his gaze to him.
—"I've already made my decision."
The mage sighed and glanced at the old chieftain.
—"You really never performed this ritual without binding the souls?"
Kro'Gan nodded slowly.
—"It's always been a risk. By giving away our strength, we gained unity, but if our chieftain fell — we fell with him."
Kano recalled his doubts.
"How can I bear the responsibility for their lives? What if I make a mistake?"
But now, as he stood before these orcs — not as warriors, but as people who wanted to live — he knew the answer.
—"If there's even the slightest chance to perform the ritual differently," Kano looked at Kro'Gan, "we'll try."
The old chieftain smiled.
—"Good. Then prepare yourself, great chieftain."
The orcs stirred.
They brought out drums, drew patterns on the ground, and gathered in a large circle.
And suddenly, Kano felt as though he had stepped into the unknown.
A massive bonfire blazed in the center of the camp, casting trembling shadows across the faces of the orcs in the circle. The drums beat a rhythm that sent chills down Kano's spine.
Kro'Gan stood before him, holding a long knife with a leather-wrapped handle. His gaze was serious, almost solemn.
—"This blade is not just a knife," he began. "It is the symbol of a blood oath, binding the lives of warriors through the power of the ancestors."
The old chieftain raised the blade, and the fire's light reflected off its dark metal.
—"You said you didn't want to take our strength, but wanted us to become stronger. We've never done this before. But today, we'll try."
Kano nodded.
Without hesitation, Kro'Gan sliced his palm. Dark blood began to drip down, splashing onto the ground, and red symbols flared beneath his feet.
—"Now you," he said, passing the knife to Kano.
Kano looked at the blade.
He wasn't afraid of pain, but it was hard to harm himself.
Slowly, but resolutely, he drew the blade across his palm. Blood dripped onto the ground, and in that moment, the bonfire shot up high, forming a towering pillar of flames.
The magical symbol on the ground blazed with bright red light.
The sensation was... unclear.
At first — nothing.
And then...
Kano felt every orc.
It wasn't like a connection with magic. It was as if invisible threads stretched from his body to each warrior around him, intertwining their souls.
His blood burned.
The world around him blurred.
The orcs lowered their heads, acknowledging him.
The feeling, as though his spirit was leaving his body, nearly made him lose his balance.
—"Don't retreat," Kro'Gan's voice sounded from a distant place.
Kano gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
—"You are our chieftain," Kro'Gan said.
His voice rang out, like a bell echoing through space.
—"Lead us."
Kano didn't know where those words came from, but they burst out on their own:
Kano stood in the center of the camp, feeling the air around him thicken. The orcs had already gathered around, their eyes fixed on him.
Old Chieftain Kro'Gan silently observed. His dark, scarred skin seemed almost like stone under the morning sun.
Elgot crossed his arms over his chest and exhaled.
—"This is your last chance to change your mind, Kano."
Kano shifted his gaze to him.
—"I've already made my decision."
The mage sighed and glanced at the old chieftain.
—"You really never performed this ritual without binding the souls?"
Kro'Gan nodded slowly.
—"It's always been a risk. By giving away our strength, we gained unity, but if our chieftain fell — we fell with him."
Kano recalled his doubts.
"How can I bear the responsibility for their lives? What if I make a mistake?"
But now, as he stood before these orcs — not as warriors, but as people who wanted to live — he knew the answer.
—"If there's even the slightest chance to perform the ritual differently," Kano looked at Kro'Gan, "we'll try."
The old chieftain smiled.
—"Good. Then prepare yourself, great chieftain."
The orcs stirred.
They brought out drums, drew patterns on the ground, and gathered in a large circle.
And suddenly, Kano felt as though he had stepped into the unknown.
A massive bonfire blazed in the center of the camp, casting trembling shadows across the faces of the orcs in the circle. The drums beat a rhythm that sent chills down Kano's spine.
Kro'Gan stood before him, holding a long knife with a leather-wrapped handle. His gaze was serious, almost solemn.
—"This blade is not just a knife," he began. "It is the symbol of a blood oath, binding the lives of warriors through the power of the ancestors."
The old chieftain raised the blade, and the fire's light reflected off its dark metal.
—"You said you didn't want to take our strength, but wanted us to become stronger. We've never done this before. But today, we'll try."
Kano nodded.
Without hesitation, Kro'Gan sliced his palm. Dark blood began to drip down, splashing onto the ground, and red symbols flared beneath his feet.
—"Now you," he said, passing the knife to Kano.
Kano looked at the blade.
He wasn't afraid of pain, but it was hard to harm himself.
Slowly, but resolutely, he drew the blade across his palm. Blood dripped onto the ground, and in that moment, the bonfire shot up high, forming a towering pillar of flames.
The magical symbol on the ground blazed with bright red light.
The sensation was... unclear.
At first — nothing.
And then...
Kano felt every orc.
It wasn't like a connection with magic. It was as if invisible threads stretched from his body to each warrior around him, intertwining their souls.
His blood burned.
The world around him blurred.
The orcs lowered their heads, acknowledging him.
The feeling, as though his spirit was leaving his body, nearly made him lose his balance.
—"Don't retreat," Kro'Gan's voice sounded from a distant place.
Kano gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
—"You are our chieftain," Kro'Gan said.
His voice rang out, like a bell echoing through space.
—"Lead us."
Kano didn't know where those words came from, but they burst out on their own:
—"I will not lead you into death. I will make you stronger."
The earth beneath his feet trembled.
And then, the transformation began.
As soon as Kano's words dissolved into the evening air, the ritual reached its peak.
The magical symbol beneath the orcs and Kano exploded with blinding light, lifting columns of dust and ash as if the very air itself was tearing apart from the power.
The fire in the bonfire trembled and rose higher, attaining an incredible height. It turned almost black, its reflections swallowing the surrounding darkness.
A wave of energy burst outward, like a storm sweeping over everything around. The air vibrated with pure magic.
Kano felt them.
He felt every orc standing in the circle.
Their blood. Their strength. Their essence.
And he felt it all begin to change.
Skin darkened, transforming.
The greenish tint began to fade, giving way to a deep brown — like armor tempered in fire. It was no longer rough; it became smooth, elastic, yet so strong that even a blade could not cut it.
Bodies exploded with change.
The orcs shuddered, their bodies began to transform, each in their own way.
Some grew twice their size, reaching gigantic proportions, their muscles becoming so massive that they resembled living war fortresses. They were no longer just orcs — they had become titans.
Others, on the contrary, shrank, but their muscles took on perfect form. Their movements became lightning-fast, their reflexes reaching the limits of possibility. Their eyes glowed with yellow flame that seemed alive.
Kano felt it.
He felt how some orcs, who had never had access to mana, suddenly received it. They shuddered as their hands glowed with a blue light, as if pure magic had opened to them for the first time. They looked at their palms in astonishment, feeling the currents of mana coursing through their bodies.
One of them raised his hand — and sparks flew from his fingers, hanging in the air, flickering like stars.
Another clenched his fists — and small stones rose around him, as if his very gravitational force had changed.
Kano stared in shock.
Orcs had never been magicians.
But now, they had become more than just warriors.
On each of them appeared magical symbols — black as night, pulsing and shifting shape as the orcs moved.
On the backs of the warriors, runes of empowerment manifested — they had gained even more strength, their blows capable of piercing even the strongest armor of their enemies.
On the arms of the swift fighters, marks of speed appeared — their movements became so rapid that they could vanish from sight in an instant.
And on the foreheads of those who had awakened magic, ancient magical patterns appeared, resonating with their new strength.
The eyes of all the orcs burned with a golden glow that seemed almost mystical.
They had not just become stronger.
They saw the world differently.
They saw energy, they saw power. They felt each other.
Kano felt their strength, but they also felt his.
They had become part of something greater.
He was no longer just their chieftain.
He had become their center.
Their symbol.
Elgot stood with wide eyes, his face pale.
—"This... This wasn't supposed to happen..."
Kano spun sharply toward him.
—"What do you mean?!"
Elgot swallowed hard.
—"They... They're not just stronger. They've surpassed their limits."
Kano looked around.
Before him stood not just orcs.
They had become the Greater Orcs.
Stronger. Faster. More perfect.
And they waited for only one thing.
His words.