Chapter 8: Chance Encounter
Su Xiao looked around. He now needed to find a Gray Orc who was both strong and pleasing to the eye.
"You."
Su Xiao pointed at a Gray Orc. The Gray Orc he pointed at was somewhat flustered but still stepped forward boldly.
"Lord, I-I-I..."
"..."
Su Xiao hadn't expected that there would be Gray Orcs who stuttered. Although stuttering wasn't a flaw, it was clearly unsuitable for commanding in battle.
"You, go back."
"Huh? I-I-I..."
"Shut up and step back."
Baha's eyes widened. The Gray Orc glared back, looking ready to fight Baha, but restrained by Su Xiao's terrifying aura, the Gray Orc reluctantly retreated. That was how Gray Orcs were—brutal, but straightforward and lacking in cunning.
"I'm the strongest. You should pick me."
A Gray Orc with a face full of scars muttered quietly. This Gray Orc was clever. He knew Su Xiao was selecting a leader, and he wasn't actually a stutterer—he had just been nervous earlier.
"Is that so? In that case, you are appointed as the Lord of the Chaos Legion's Third Legion."
Below the High Lord were three Lords, each commanding 15 to 30 thousand Gray Orcs. Below them were fifteen Raiders, each leading 10 to 20 thousand Gray Orcs. Below the Raiders, there was nothing.
During the Chaos Legion's peak, each High Lord had as many as five Lords under them.
Yes, the Chaos Legion's officer system was that simple. When battle began, they basically charged in a swarm—either they were routed, or they won.
Given the environment of Chimney Mountain, training these Gray Orcs was extremely difficult. They couldn't even fill their stomachs; forcing them to train would only make things worse.
There had once been an ambitious High Lord who tried to train the Gray Orcs into battle formations. The result was a mutiny. Daily training consumed their already scarce energy, leaving them even hungrier. Going into battle in that state was equivalent to suicide.
Upon hearing that he was appointed as a Lord, the scar-faced Gray Orc straightened his body. From his ugly face, it was clear he was delighted.
"I am Wugu, the mighty Wugu."
Gray Orc Wugu raised his fist. Within seconds, several nearby Gray Orcs were beaten to the ground, groaning.
Bubu Wang stared blankly at Gray Orc Wugu. Clearly, it hadn't yet adapted to how Gray Orcs expressed their strength.
Gray Orc Wugu had no idea how high the mortality rate was for Su Xiao's adjutants.
"Wugu, are you familiar with the battlefield terrain?"
"Yes."
Wugu's hand hooked onto the armor plate on his chest. This armor was almost fused with his body.
Soon, Wugu pulled out a piece of tattered cloth, knelt on one knee before Su Xiao, and presented it.
Su Xiao picked up the cloth and found it was a map—a very detailed one. Seeing the seal of the Doin Empire in the lower left corner, he understood. In his impression, the Chaos Legion couldn't produce such a precise map.
The map had a missing section, but two-thirds of the battlefield was drawn on it.
The entire front line formed a C-shape, semi-encircling the Chimney Mountain region. This meant the Six-Tribe Alliance had pushed the front line right up to the Chaos Legion's face, trapping them in the west.
If the Chaos Legion retreated further, they would reach the Land of Molten Rock—a sea of magma, a forbidden zone for all life.
Seeing this map, Su Xiao felt the Chaos Legion was beyond saving. The total forces of the Six-Tribe Alliance exceeded 6.5 million. The adult males of the Ice Descendants and Elf Race were born warriors, and the Doin people mastered spells, making their soldiers formidable.
Moreover, these 6.5 million soldiers were only the number on the front line. No one knew how many more soldiers the Six-Tribe Alliance had in their own territories.
The Dwarves often slacked off, but they excelled at mining. The Barbarians, needless to say, had a small population but were all warriors.
The Dragonmen, also known as the Lizard Race, were born with the power of crystallization. They were the oldest and most mysterious race, having been the main force during the war against the Dark Lord Agamemnon.
In contrast, the Chaos Legion's total population—Gray Orcs, Ancient Tree Clan, Serpentfolk, and Demon Ghosts—was around 7.6 million. Many of them couldn't fight, and only less than 2 million were actually on the battlefield.
With a threefold disadvantage, continuing the fight made it hard to turn the tide, let alone solve the current predicament. Worse still, the Six-Tribe Alliance had long accumulated massive forces in their territories, just not yet deployed to the front.
"Our warriors who can fight are running low."
Gray Orc Wugu said with some sorrow. He glanced at the Gray Orcs gathered a dozen meters away. He had known for a long time that his race was facing extinction.
Su Xiao now had a basic understanding of the battlefield situation. It was worse than he had imagined, but not completely hopeless. For him, this was actually favorable.
His earlier guess had been wrong. The three High Lords at Chimney Mountain would likely be willing to transfer 200 to 300 thousand troops as a test before a major gamble.
Given the current state of the Chaos Legion, they couldn't afford a full-scale war. But a small gamble? They wouldn't object. The worst outcome was extinction, and that was already a matter of time.
Su Xiao led his newly recruited 625 Gray Orcs and one Ancient Tree Man, heading toward the rear of the battlefield.
After traveling about five kilometers, the setting sun cast its glow, and the ground began to tremble slightly.
Boom!
A fiery red signal flare shot into the sky. The surrounding Gray Orcs immediately fell into chaos. Though panicked, they knew that scattering now would only hasten their deaths. They had to at least locate the enemy, protect their Lord, and then flee in all directions.
Despite everything, these Gray Orcs were still loyal. After all, the glory of the Chaos Legion had once bathed them.
Armor clanked, and the sound of orderly running came from behind. It was a force of over 10,000 heavy infantry from the Doin Empire.
Surrounded by these heavy infantry, a man riding a massive beast and wearing brand-new armor raised his hand. At his signal, the heavy infantry halted.
"Friend, it seems you're out of luck, joining that side."
The man on the war beast spoke. Without a doubt, he was a Contractor. Having just entered this world, he had already obtained an initial identity commanding 10,000 heavy infantry. His name was Hipok, a Contractor of the Apocalypse Paradise.
"A few hundred Gray Orcs? Too few. But every bit counts. Don't blame me—faction hostility, nothing I can do about it. From a 'friend' of the Reincarnation Paradise."
Hipok looked into the distance. The reason he had come to this desolate war zone was to move toward the northern side of the battlefield. After gaining control of 10,000 soldiers, his first thought wasn't to earn battle merits, but to take these soldiers mining. Over 10,000 people, all strong and fit—with a little training, they could run a mine.
Thinking of this, Hipok's heart grew hot, and he almost laughed out loud. As for the Doin Empire, as long as he paid enough, he didn't think there would be a problem. Just 10,000 soldiers—after years of war, he didn't believe the Doin Empire wasn't short on resources.
Encountering Su Xiao by chance, Hipok's thoughts were simple: eliminate Su Xiao along the way. Five world progressions ago, during a World War, he had been dominated by the madmen of Reincarnation.
Now, Hipok had finally caught one alone, a chance to vent. If he didn't let off some steam, he felt he would develop a phobia of the Reincarnation Paradise. Every time he closed his eyes, he could almost see those dozen madmen standing atop a massive pile of corpses, their expressions varied but their eyes glowing red.
Revenge was at hand, plus the upcoming mining trip—Hipok's mood improved even more.
A breeze tinged with the smell of blood blew past. The setting sun on the horizon was like blood. Su Xiao looked at the over 10,000 heavy infantry ahead. He said nothing, only drew the long blade at his waist. Over 10,000 soldiers—he could handle them.
Clang.
Su Xiao drew his long blade. Across from him, Hipok's eyes showed clear surprise. A faint sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart.