Chapter 349: Wisdom and Courage Combined

“Orcs are people too!”
“But only those who don’t eat humans can be called people.”

Charlot Mecklenburg’s words reached the ears of the elephantman Argon like the whispers of a devil, coaxing him with a vision of the future. Deep down, Argon understood that Charlot’s description might truly represent the best future for orcs.

Agon also knew that whether they returned to the Southern Continent or stayed on the northern shore of the Red Dragon Strait, the orcs had no future.

The Southern Continent was plagued with frequent disasters: an annual season of drought, followed by torrential rains, coupled with attacks from magical creatures, strange phenomena, and vicious giant beasts. Entire orc tribes that had been prosperous one year might vanish completely the next.

But remaining on the northern shore of the Red Dragon Strait was no solution either. The area had almost no food sources, and it was impossible to transport enough provisions from the Southern Continent, which itself barely had enough for its inhabitants. They had already devoured all the nearby humans.

Unless they launched another attack on the Fars Empire, the prospects were grim. But their failed assault on Strasbourg, instigated by Byron, had cost countless elite orc lives, leaving no one willing to risk their lives for Byron again.

This stalemate was one of the main reasons the orc camp remained inactive.

The orcs no longer wished to fight.

Agon shook his head, now muddled by Charlot’s words, and shouted, “I know! It was you who took my people! No matter what you say, it won’t change that fact. Return them to me, or I will kill you!”

Suddenly, Argon struck, his massive hand slamming through the air and crushing more than ten Labyrinth Guards into pulp.

“I mean it when I say I will kill,” he bellowed.
“Your two Saints won’t be able to protect these ordinary soldiers.”

Charlot remained silent for a moment. Just as Argon prepared to kill again to make his point, Charlot gave the order to attack. The Labyrinth Guards charged fearlessly, unflinching in the face of death, launching themselves at the orc prodigy. Herolf the Golden Ram and Tumisan the Leopardman joined the fray.

Agon slew over a hundred Labyrinth Guards, but the soldiers continued to press forward without hesitation, their courage undiminished. Astonished, Argon roared, “Aren’t you afraid of death?”

Charlot’s voice turned icy. “You’re the one who wants to kill. You’re the one who insists on fighting!”

“I don’t know where those orcs went. They left on their own. But since you demand a fight, I’ll give you one!”

“I promise, for every soldier of mine you kill, just as many of your elephantmen will die.”

“Go ahead and slaughter as much as you want!”

Agon hesitated briefly, allowing Herolf to land a sword strike that shattered his defensive combat energy and destroyed one of his energy-condensed war elephants. Though Argon quickly reformed the elephant with combat energy, his aura began to wane.

Howling furiously, Argon leapt into the air, choosing not to engage the Labyrinth Guards further.

Herolf and Tumisan pursued him into the skies. The battle shifted dramatically. Despite being slightly weaker, Tumisan excelled at finding vulnerabilities as a Saint-ranked assassin. With his assistance, Argon found himself constantly pressured. Each time he mustered his full strength to clash with Herolf, Tumisan’s attacks forced him to retreat.

In less than thirty minutes, Argon was on the defensive.

After another seventy to eighty exchanges, Argon suddenly let out a furious roar and turned to flee.

Herolf gave chase, but Tumisan, leveraging his superior speed, intercepted from ahead.

Even so, Argon lived up to his reputation as the greatest orc prodigy, escaping over ten kilometers despite facing two Saints.

Charlot sighed inwardly, realizing that neither Herolf nor Tumisan could kill the elephantman. Even if they could, it would likely cost one of their lives. He didn’t want to lose either of them. Reluctantly, he ordered them to withdraw.

Herolf and Tumisan fell back cautiously, covering each other, while Argon vanished into the distance without turning back to counterattack.

Charlot had used every trick he could think of, yet he couldn’t detain the orc prodigy. It was a bitter regret.

Agon’s stubbornness was unyielding. Charlot had tried every persuasion technique, but Argon’s resolve remained as firm as stone.

As Charlot reappeared on the battlefield, Tumisan landed beside him and remarked, “Agon didn’t use his Dragon Hammer. If he had, his strength would have skyrocketed, and even the two of us together might not have stopped him.”

“You’d best be prepared. You’ve seen his temperament—once he sets his mind on something, no one can change it. The next time he appears, it will be like a storm of thunder and lightning, with no mercy at all.”

Charlot’s eyes lit up. “So he showed mercy this time?”

Tumisan replied, “He didn’t even use his Dragon Hammer, so he must have held back.”

The Leopardman suddenly fell into thought. “Hmm, that’s unusual for him.”

Charlot’s spirits soared. Slapping his thigh, he exclaimed, “The next time he comes, I guarantee he won’t leave alive!”

Tumisan’s skeptical expression made it clear he didn’t trust Charlot’s confidence, while Herolf remained silent, thinking to himself, “If that elephantman returns, he’ll punch Charlot into paste. Guarantee he won’t leave? More like wishful thinking.”

Rubbing his hands excitedly, Charlot muttered, “I’ve breached his mental defenses. Just a little more pressure...”

Before he could finish, a muffled voice erupted from beneath the ground: “Blowhard!”

A massive hand burst through the earth, seizing Charlot by the ankle and yanking him skyward.

Herolf and Tumisan rushed to rescue him but hesitated, wary of harming Charlot in the process. Within moments, Argon had grabbed Charlot and sped off, forcing the two Saints to give chase. The three of them soared across the Red Dragon Strait in the blink of an eye.

Suspended mid-air, Charlot suddenly realized, “That elephantman is cunning. Pretending to flee, he burrowed underground and ambushed me!”

Taking a deep breath, Charlot knew that only his silver tongue could save him now. He whispered, “Brother Argon! Don’t you want to know why the vampires are plotting against your people?”

Charlot had no idea why the vampires were targeting the orcs, but he had to propose a shocking topic to capture Argon’s attention and buy himself a sliver of hope.

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