In their one-on-one duels, Pehlivan had constantly defeated his master. The Power Animal couldn't figure out how Alyon was causing several times more destruction than himself on the battlefield right now.
Although the big bear couldn't understand, there were a few very simple reasons for this: first, Alyon had never used his lineage power; second, neither side used weapons in these fights to avoid severely injuring each other.
The orc warrior competed only through brute force without involving his axe, and Pehlivan without his terrifying claws.
The third and biggest difference was the years Alyon had spent on the battlefields; the Power Animal only had a few combat experiences gained on the Wild Swamp continent.
These were usually hit-and-run style tactical maneuvers; now, being surrounded by many times more enemies, it was impossible for him to compete with his master.
Alyon was pruning the enemies he suppressed with his lineage power like a farmer entering the field with a sickle at harvest time. As he couldn't find anyone to resist him, the hulking orc was becoming even more savage.
On the other hand, Nafız's coal-black daggers had long turned blood red; while her friend was tearing bodies apart, she was just cutting throats and moving on.
People writhing in pain on the ground had turned into fountains, spraying their blood around; you can guess what kind of effect this scene would leave on the troops waiting behind.
The two Power Animals were still dealing with their enemies, but the front of the walls defended by the orcs had already turned into a bloody slaughterhouse where fresh meat was displayed.
"Attack, you cowards, or I'll have all your skin flayed!"
The enemy commander had completely lost control; he was threatening his uneasy soldiers, grabbing them firmly by the fears they were driven by.
While the people stuck between a rock and a hard place didn't know what to do, what was happening was a classic case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.
In the few minutes spent amidst the commander's shouting and the soldiers' indecision, both Power Animals had managed to finish their jobs. When they turned their eyes to focus on their new enemies, they would witness a very interesting scene.
"Shut up!"
Blood was pouring from the mouth of the furiously roaring commander; the shadow of his deputy appearing right behind him and a dagger stuck in his side completed the picture.
We had said that survival was the most basic feature of the Mercenaries' command section; indeed, driven exactly from this point, the deputy commander hadn't hesitated at all to kill his superior.
"Sir, I and my soldiers surrender. Please spare our lives!"
The deputy commander's skills were below average; he had acquired this position due to his superior ass-kissing ability and his appropriately used intelligence.
This person wasn't ignorant; he had closely followed the latest situation on the continent and researched the prominent names. Because he had learned all the recorded actions and characteristics of Blood God Nafız and the Rebel Leader Alyon like the back of his hand, he had been able to make the decision to rebel so easily.
"Look at that, turns out there's someone among you with a working brain!"
The highest authority wasn't breathing; the person who would take over the duty in his stead had already announced they surrendered. The helpless soldiers were experiencing mixed emotions in the moments when there was nothing left for them to do but drop the weapons in their hands.
With this move they made, they had signed their death warrants, but they also knew very well that the result wouldn't change if they had to face the enemy in front of them.
Unlike the impasse they fell into, the deputy commander clung to a hope, however small. To him, if an enemy who could easily kill them wanted them to surrender, it meant there was an opportunity, however slight, to live.
"Don't touch the dead, the rest of you gather together calmly. There might be friends with different ideas passing through their minds; let those with courage put it into practice, maybe then they might have the honor of meeting my bow!"
After all these events, who could act contrary to what the female orc said? The only thought of the soldiers moving to their places obediently had become saving their lives.
"Alyon, you organize the inside, we will start advancing with the druids. The kids will take care of the remaining work and return after us!"
After telling her friend what needed to be done, Nafız came with quick steps to the captives looking at her while kneeling.
She would swing her right hand rapidly with a sudden movement. Although everyone thought this event happened once, during this time the female orc had splashed blood collected in her bracer onto the group at least ten times.
There was now a drop of blood on the foreheads of the captives. A few breaths later, while Nafız smiled with joy, the skin of the soldiers was forced to absorb this blood.
They hadn't felt much pain, but the indescribable pressure forming on their wills soured their faces, and they doubled over due to a cramp coming from their stomachs.
"From this moment on, you will say and do what I want; the penalty for fleeing without my permission is death, no questions asked!"
After the ritual lasting a minute, Nafız would turn her back and start walking towards the outpost. The soldiers, aware that something had happened just now, were watching the person leaving them alone with bewildered gazes.
"Now is the time, everyone run in a different direction!"
"She can't kill us all at the same time, let's run all together!"
When she came to the door of the outpost, the female orc had dispersed the Blood Dome surrounding them; she no longer needed to worry about the people on whom the Blood Seal was placed.
Seeing this as an opportunity, a few hundred people would quickly leave their places and start running. According to them, no matter how terrifying the enemy was, it wasn't possible for her to destroy this many targets one by one.
On one hand, they were right; it was very difficult for one person to hunt down a few hundred fleeing soldiers, but what they didn't know was that this job was as easy as breathing for Nafız.
"Die!"
The heads of the soldiers under the effect of the Blood Seal would explode at the same time. When the dust raised by their dead bodies falling to the ground mixed with the blood coming out of their heads to form a crimson mist, the soldiers who remained where they were, lacking the courage, gulped in fear.
How stupid those dead ones were; would someone with the power to subdue them ever leave them alone without holding any trump card in hand?
They were right to the end in their thoughts. The Blood Seal was a technique she learned from Mora during her two-year seclusion. The user forcibly inserted blood essence into the target's brain, enslaving them and making it impossible for them to make any movement against their will.
This wasn't zombification; it could only be defined as the stronger one forcibly making the weak submit.
Once you entered the effect of the technique, to get rid of it, either the owner's permission or someone with a higher skill level possessing the same technique breaking the bond was required.
Nafız was very happy because she was able to take soldiers numbering four thousand under her command this way, but the druids inside the wall did not hesitate to express that they were not pleased with this business.
"Those soldiers are the murderers of our people, how can we fight on the same side!"
"Let's go out and kill them one by one!"
Although the words of all one hundred and fifty druids were different, their attitude in the face of this situation was common. Their honorary leader Conlaoch had to step forward as their spokesman.
"Sir, we started fighting alongside you to save our continent; we made great compromises from our essence by destroying all the truths taught to us for years, but if you ask us to fight together with these people, our hearts will not consent to this!"
This outburst would drag Nafız into mixed feelings. While on one hand, she was angry about her business being meddled with, at the same time, she liked that the druids could stand tall and speak up against a situation they didn't like.
"It is understood that I will have to ask you glorious druid warriors a few questions!"
While Nafız spoke rolling her eyes looking at the one hundred and fifty druids clustered in front of her, a thick wave of arrogance was coming out of her body and rushing onto these people.