Nug found Daku escaping the creature. Man Trees from his Muse Records were terrible creatures. They were sentinels of the forest and vicious protectors. If he were to reach Daku, it would be through him.
Nug Used Taunt
It worked, and the towering Man Tree's bark-scarred limb swung with relentless force, its massive hand crashing down toward Nug. The ranger dodged just in time, but the shockwave rattled through his bones. His breath was ragged, desperation thick in his chest as he looked into Daku's eyes, eyes filled with anguish, confusion, and rage. Nug tried again, voice pleading, "Daku, listen to me! You don't have to do this, please, we can get out of here, just trust me—"
But Daku's voice was raw and trembling, "You don't understand, Nug. I… I can't control it. I'm weak. I'm supposed to be stronger, but I'm not. My dad said I was special. I'm just a Half-Orc, and I'll never be enough."
The Man Tree roared, a deafening sound that shook the earth as it struck again. Nug threw himself aside, trying to reason past the furious pounding in his chest. "No! That's not true! Your strength isn't just muscle, it's in your heart, in your mind—"
The beast's trunk slammed down, connecting with Nug's Shell Back Pack. The impact sent him sprawling, darkness blooming at the edge of his vision. His Magi, the living record of every battle, registered the blow as a K.O. The world dimmed, and for a moment, everything was silent.
When Nug awoke, it was Daku's trembling hands pulling him free from the debris. His voice cracked as he whispered a shaky apology. "I… I'm sorry, Nug. I can't, I don't know how to do this anymore," Daku said, tears streaking his dirt-covered face.
Nug looked up into Daku's eyes, and suddenly, the world shifted. The boy's words spilled out, carrying the weight of a lifetime. "I've got two names," Daku whispered fiercely. "One's Donghai, my human name. Means 'East Sea' in Xin. That's the name my mother gave me." His voice quivered as he remembered. "My father was an orc, a sailor...he saved her from drowning. She couldn't see after that, blinded by the sea's chaos... she didn't know he was an orc. She loved him, even with his gift and curse."
The boy paused, eyes distant but fierce. He slowly moved Nug as the beast regathered himself. "When we were on the road, a monster attacked us. I absorbed its attack… and fired it back. It was my Enemy Skill ability. That's what my magi said. I didn't even know I had it. My father saw it and warned me to hide it, cover up my orc side. So, I wore masks, cloaks, and hoods. Anything to hide my hair, my skin. I looked through my Magi, my records, and found out I was one of the Blue Orcs, that my gift was rare. Back then, I thought strength was everything. I looked up to my father, who was a Level 35 Beast Tamer. He had Tharknin, the great wolf. We went on quests, monster slayings, hunts, to find a cure for my mother's blindness. I saw how strong he was at fighting, commanding, and hunting. I watched him beat monsters I only dreamed of facing."
Images flickered in Daku's mind: battles with massive wyverns, slaying corrupted beast-men, harvesting their remains. "He was so much stronger, faster than me, even without my gift. I was just a kid, but I learned everything. Especially how to survive because of him. And I hated myself for not being enough, for not being like him. I thought I was weak… and yet, he loved me anyway."
Daku's voice cracked, silent tears falling. "He's the reason I kept fighting. We made that cure, my father's strength, my pain, all for her. But when she finally saw me for what I was, she looked at me and screamed. She saw the orc inside and ran. She left crying, telling everyone I was a monster. And then—"
The memory shattered in his mind, of the villagers' angry mobs and his mother's betrayal, his father's murder, and the bloodshed that followed. "They hunted my father down in the end. I ran, but Gabbas, my uncle, came from Galba to avenge my father. He destroyed the village, killing my mother along with all the people I knew."
He ran, dragging Nug, and continued, "I sought vengeance, hunting him for over a year. When I found him, he beat me and took me into his horde as an outcast. That's how I ended up here, how I lost everything. He slaughtered my village, even my mother. I see their faces every night, their screams… It's all my fault."
His voice broke into a cry, raw and hopeless. "I hate myself… I hate all of us. I thought I was doing right, but I only made it worse. I just… want to tear myself apart." Tears streamed down his face, a turbulent storm of grief and guilt.
A gentle, warm light seeped into the deepest shadows of Daku's mind, like the first rays of dawn piercing through a long night. It was Gaia's voice, soothing and kind, flowing like a breath of wind through a quiet forest. Her words reached him with soft reassurance, a balm for the ache within him.
"Who loved you the most?" she asked, her voice tender yet profound. "The one who raised you, the Orc who fought to teach you, or the mother who turned away in fear?"
Daku felt a warmth spreading through his chest, melting the icy layers of guilt and shame. Tears welled up, blurring his vision, but this warmth kept him from drowning in despair. It whispered of connections beyond the pain, of love, sacrifice, and the complexities of a broken world.
"Was Gabbas truly bad?" Gaia's voice continued. "Or was he a grieving brother, lashing out at a world that would condemn an innocent Orc? Sometimes, what appears evil is merely pain in disguise."
The words resonated deep within him, stirring a tumult of feelings, confusion, regret, hope, and sorrow. The swirling thoughts battled in his mind. Was Gabbas a monster, or a brother lost in the storm of grief? Was his mother's rejection the fault of her blindness, or something darker? Did the hatred he now bore lie entirely within himself, or was it born from the hatred others had shown him?
A tear trickled down his face, cold and burning at the same time, but amidst that ache, the warmth of Gaia's presence whispered comfort. It was enough to ignite a spark, a tiny ember of purpose within his trembling soul.
Then Nug's voice broke through the storm, steady and urgent. "Please, Daku. You use your gift. Save us." The simple truth cut through his anguish, sealing his resolve. Nug's faith in him was the anchor he needed, more than words, more than memories; it was the belief that he could still be something more.
Daku's fists clenched, fighting against the dark tide threatening to drown him. With a shuddering breath, he lifted his head, eyes blazing with renewed purpose. This is what I was meant for: to protect, to fight, to find the truth buried beneath so much pain.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then lifted his voice in quiet prayer to Gaia, asking for strength, clarity, and courage. The words welled from his core, a vow to honor the love he had known, the love he could still give.
And with that prayer, his body tautened, nerves steel. The chaos of the battle awaited; his resolve was now a weapon as fierce as any claws or fangs, ready to stand against the darkness. The fight had truly begun.