The air snapped with tension.
Then the orcs charged.
With thunderous growls and snarls that shook the silence, the gray-skinned beasts stormed forward, their weapons raised and eyes burning with savage hunger.
The ground trembled beneath their heavy footfalls, twigs and loose stones scattering as they picked up speed.
The one closest to Riley let out a deep bellow as it brought its massive club overhead.
The weapon howled through the air with terrifying force, the wind splitting apart with a whoosh so loud it sounded like thunder cracking above.
Riley's eyes flicked upward.
Then he moved.
With a smooth sidestep that was almost casual, he dashed to the right, his figure blending in with the surroundings.
BOOM!
The club slammed into the ground where he had just stood, blasting a crater into the earth with a violent crunch.
Dust and fragments of rock exploded outward, followed by a shockwave that rustled the surrounding trees.
Riley landed lightly on his feet, lips twitching into a half-smirk.
"Too slow," he said.
Before the orc could lift its club again, Riley shot forward.
He ducked low and dashed behind the creature's bulky frame, his dagger gleaming in the filtered sunlight. In one smooth motion, he slashed across the back of its legs.
—80!
A bright red notification flashed above the orc's head.
Riley's eyes narrowed at the notification, a bit dissapointed by it.
The damage he could deal with stealth had now increased, and he was sure it was supposed to be over a hundred at least.
But due to the orc's high magical and physical resistance, his attack only dealt eighty damage.
It was annoying, but then, it didn't mean all hope was lost.
"Arhhh!!" The beast let out a guttural grunt of pain, staggering from the sudden blow. Blood splashed across the moss-covered dirt, thick and dark, as the creature's balance faltered.
But Riley didn't stop.
The orc snarled, enraged. With a wild swing, it hurled its club toward him again, the massive weapon cutting a deadly arc through the air.
But Riley was already gone.
He bent his knees and dashed forward once more, weaving past the incoming strike with effortless precision. His movements were fluid, unbroken. As if the world had slowed just for him.
He surged around the staggering orc and raced toward the next one just behind it.
This second orc saw him coming and snarled, raising its own jagged club high.
'Too late.' Riley thought.
He darted past it, moving behind the beast in a blur. Then, with another swift, controlled slash, he carved his dagger across the back of its knees.
—85!
The second orc let out a deep, pained grunt as its knees gave out beneath it. It staggered, trying to regain balance, but the damage was already done—its footing buckled, weight dropping unevenly, forcing it down on one side.
But just as Riley shifted into a new position—
BOOM!
The ground trembled violently beneath him.
The third orc—the one wielding the jagged sword—had stomped its foot down with brutal force.
The earth cracked outward from the point of impact, sending a tremor spiraling through the terrain.
Riley's boots slid on the disrupted moss.
His balance faltered for the first time.
"Tch—"
In that split second of instability, the sword-wielding orc seized the opportunity.
With a snarl, it twisted its hulking body and swung its blade.
The jagged, chipped edge howled through the air, its arc wide and fast, aimed clean across Riley's torso.
Riley's eyes widened slightly.
But he didn't panic.
'They're quite intelligent!' He thought, stretching his hand at the incoming beast.
'Spike shot!' He thought, a thin broke spike erupting from his palm.
Swoosh!
The spike shot forward with a hiss, sharp and fast.
But the sword-wielding orc snarled and twisted its arm, using the flat of its jagged blade to swat the spike aside.
The projectile ricocheted into a nearby tree, embedding itself deep into the bark.
'Tch. So they can deflect too.'
Riley's eyes narrowed as the orc regained its stance.
He didn't get time to process further.
BOOM!
A massive club came crashing down beside him, tearing through the air like a falling boulder.
Riley's body reacted on instinct—he rolled to the side just as the weapon smashed into the mossy ground, sending dirt and shattered bark flying in all directions.
Another close one.
A roar erupted behind him.
Another orc—gray-skinned and broad-chested—charged with fury, veins bulging along its thick neck.
It had seen enough, wanting nothing more than to squash Riley with its weapon.
And Riley?
He didn't pull back.
Instead, he leaned forward and dashed to meet the orc head-on.
The beast raised its crude weapon high, preparing to bring it down with killing force.
Riley's lips curled into a tight grin.
The moment the club came swinging down, Riley sprang off the ground—not away, but forward.
He launched himself at the orc, leaping up along its club like a ladder, propelling his body upward with momentum and light steps.
The orc's eyes widened in confusion.
Then Riley drove his dagger straight into its eye.
—120! [Critical Damage!]
The beast screamed, a high-pitched, guttural wail that echoed through the trees. It stumbled backward, its hands flying to its face, blood gushing from the socket in a hot stream.
Their skin was tough, but like most living things, their eyes were still soft and vulnerable, which Riley exploited.
But before Riley could even pull free, a flash of movement caught the edge of his vision.
Whoosh!
The sword-wielding orc swung again—right at him.
Riley grunted and kicked off the injured orc's shoulder, flipping backward into the air just as the blade carved through where he'd been.
CRUNCH!
The sword didn't miss entirely.
It slammed into the side of the injured orc's face.
The sound was sickening—a wet crack as metal tore through bone and flesh alike.
—200!
Chunks of gray muscle and blood sprayed into the air as the orc let out one final, tortured scream before collapsing to the ground, its face a mangled ruin.
Riley landed with a soft thud, crouched low, eyes glinting.
A dry chuckle slipped from his lips.
"So much damage… all with one hit," he muttered, wondering what state he would be in now if he hadn't dodged on time.
[You have killed Level 14 Red Orc Warrior!]
[+150EXP]
A notification flashed across his eyes, and his like curled up slightly.
Roarr!
The remaining orcs roared in fury.