CHAPTER 38: MASKED MAN

Akhil took a long moment to think through the situation.

There were too many unanswered questions.

How did they find out about the crude oil?

Did they see the flames?

If they saw the entire fight, why didn’t they interfere then?

And if they didn’t, why would they suddenly want to help now?

Too many things just didn’t add up.

Without answers to those questions, joining the humans didn’t seem like the best idea.

He had initially planned to use their resources to trade with the humans.

The orcs were living in terrible conditions, with wood for walls, stones for tools, and basic equipment that barely held together. It felt as though they had traveled back in time to the stone era.

The humans, on the other hand, lived far better. Though the chaos and fear from the transmission had caused civilization to crumble, their technology still existed.

The metallic ball was proof enough of that.

It wasn’t just the technology; most of the hidden quests with great rewards were also within the human settlements. Leveling up would’ve been much easier if he’d stayed there.

There were a lot of benefits to working with the humans, and at the same time, a lot of risks. But those risks were only temporary.

At the end of it all, Akhil’s main goal was to create a better living condition for the orcs.

Langdon had made it clear that if they didn’t cooperate, the orcs wouldn’t receive any supplies or materials to refine and build with. His words weren’t threatening, but they were carefully structured—just enough to keep Akhil on edge.

After a while, Akhil finally reached his conclusion.

"We’ll not be working with the humans..."

Aria smiled, confidence lighting up her face. She even threw a side glance at the old orc. His boldness, even after everything, was almost amusing.

If it weren’t for Akhil, she would’ve killed the old fool a long time ago.

He was a selfish bastard.

"...Until we’ve all become strong enough to protect ourselves."

A grin tugged at the corner of Akhil’s lips.

"You still plan to work with them?" Aria asked, her brows raised.

The orcs stared at him in confusion.

"The only way their actions can affect us," Akhil began, "is if we remain weak. But if we grow strong, we’ll be able to stand on equal ground with them."

The orcs nodded slowly in understanding, though uncertainty flickered in their eyes.

"How do we become strong in such a short time?" an orc asked from the crowd.

Akhil calmly placed his hands on Aria’s and Nibo’s shoulders.

The orcs looked at him, puzzled—until one of them suddenly caught on.

"Master Nexus has the serum!" he shouted.

Understanding dawned on the others almost instantly.

"That’s right! The serum he gave the others. He can give it to us too! We’ll all become strong!" another orc added, his eyes shining with excitement.

While they didn’t show it, some of the orcs who had missed the chance to take the serum the first time Akhil offered it couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy after seeing how it transformed the others.

Not only had it made them stronger—it even made them look more striking, giving them distinct, sharp features. They all looked cool.

The orcs didn’t care about the pain anymore. They wanted that strength. They wanted that power.

"But will it be enough to go around this time?" Aria asked worriedly. She already knew the serum required coins to purchase, but she had no idea how many Akhil still had left.

"Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to go around this time either. It’ll have to be selective," Akhil said, his tone calm yet firm. "Strength is the priority, so I’ll personally handpick those who’ll receive it this time—of course, only if everyone’s fine with that."

He paused for a moment, scanning the small crowd before him.

The orcs exchanged glances, then nodded resolutely.

They were ready to go through it together.

Akhil smiled at their determination.

"The second horde is going to be fiercer than the first," he said, his eyes gleaming with conviction, "but we’ll win this time."

"Yeah!" J shouted from the back.

At first, the crowd was quiet, but slowly, voices began to rise one after another.

"We will!"

"Indeed!"

A chorus of growls and cheers filled the air. The orcs were ready to fight tooth and nail—ready to face whatever came next alongside Akhil.

---

Meanwhile, elsewhere in a dimly lit office filled with the hum of machinery and flickering holographic screens, a small figure sat before the glowing projections.

"Isn’t he going to destroy the ball?" Langdon muttered, scratching his hair as he stared at the image on one of the screens.

"Ahhh," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I forgot to add sound features to the drone. I can’t even hear what they’re saying..."

His piercing green eyes returned to the feed, watching the orcs gathered around Akhil.

After a short silence, Langdon sighed in defeat. "Well, if they’re not going to join us, let’s see how long they’ll last against the horde."

---

"Close the gates and keep watch. If any beast comes near this area, kill it immediately," Samxon’s cold voice echoed through the stale night air.

"Yes, Sir Samxon!" the guards replied in unison.

Samxon turned, stepping down from the wall, but froze the moment he saw the figure standing ahead—a man cloaked in black, his golden hair tied into a sharp ponytail that pointed upward.

A sleek black mask with intricate gold patterns hid his face.

Samxon’s gaze sharpened as he eyed the mysterious figure.

"What do you want this time?" Samxon asked flatly.

"Isn’t that rude of you?" the masked man replied with a casual shrug. "After all, our interests are aligned. Your gains are my gains—and vice versa."

"That’s not what I asked," Samxon said coldly. "Why are you here again?"

The masked man let out a quiet sigh. "Our plans from before failed, so I came to make a few adjustments."

Samxon’s brow furrowed. "Don’t you think fighting the orcs now is unnecessary? And why did you tell the others not to attack them, but told me to?"

Though he despised Akhil, Samxon couldn’t afford to be careless with this man.

"Killing the orcs?" the masked man said, laughing softly. "Who said that was what I wanted?" He tilted his head slightly, the faint glint of amusement in his eyes. "As for why I told you to kill them—well, I don’t know," he added with another shrug before his tone darkened. "But I think you already know the answer yourself. You killed a few, didn’t you? I’m sure you enjoyed the system rewards that came with it."

Samxon stared at him for a long moment before exhaling sharply.

"Alright then," he said. "What do you want this time?"

"What I want this time..." the masked man’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Let’s just say..."

He walked closer, shortening the distance between them.

Telling him the new plan.

A few moments later, he straightened up and sighed. "I guess that’s all."

Without another word, he turned to leave.

Samxon watched him go, his eyes narrowing. ’I didn’t check it the first time...’

{Character: Nexus1}

{Mutant Level: ???}

"Curiosity often kills the cat."

The sudden voice made Samxon flinch.

The masked man was already gone—vanished into thin air.

Samxon clenched his fists. "No mutant level? Who the heck is that guy?"