Creation System: Reborn As A Fantasy Worldsmith

After a ten-minute walk, Lyrian and the others soon reached a denser part of the forest.

This plot of land was next to the mountain slope, which they were quickly nearing.

The sun's rays disappeared as they walked further in, darkness surrounding them.

Their steps also became slightly muffled, as Lyrian finished up what he was saying to them on the way there.

"And that is all the information that you need to hear. It's also everything Outimbe told me," he said, breaking branches along his path as he walked forward.

"I see... so these Orcs aren't normal huh?" Solvir rhetorically asked.

"Well, that explains why they are capturing people and not killing them on the spot. That's odd... only odd Orc would do odd things like that," Rothis added.

Cylline also spoke, "Not just random people, but kids and young adults. That may have to do with something."

Lyrian replied to her, "Yes... it also correlates with the disappearances in the city. They are young adults, are they not? Those in the academy? Same age as Hyst..."

They all knew what Lyrian was trying to imply. It could have been that these Orcs were the ones causing the large disturbance in the city. Although it was unlikely, it made sense.

Soon enough, they came across a looming cavern hole within the mountainside, where the forest ended.

They stepped inside without any hesitation, as Cylline lit a fire in her fingertip, allowing for light to guide them all.

They walked inside for a while longer, as the cave expanded its walls. It soon became very spacious, extending 50 feet in width and length.

Cylline's light was no longer needed, as amber crystals lit up the path.

As of yet, they hadn't seen anything unusual. However, when facing forward, all of them could feel an ominous feeling ahead.

"This doesn't feel good..." Rothis spoke in a low tone, "Fighting an unknown number of Orcs was already scary, but now we are going up against abnormally powerful ones." He crossed his heart with his finger, lifting it up toward the roof.

"I just hope I survive to tell the tale." He said, as Solvir humorously added, "Yeah... me too. Hell, at this point, I'm more afraid of the Domain Alpha than the orcs. If I knew there was such a beast here, I would have never even stepped foot on that carriage, let alone entered this cavern."

After taking a few more echoing footsteps, Cylline replied, "Geez... when will you boys become men?"

Rothis didn't hesitate to reply, "What!? Are you saying you aren't afraid right now? Anyone would be."

"No... of course I'm afraid." She looked at Lyrian, who was leading the three, "But we don't have a choice right now."

Solvir and Rothis also faced Lyrian, who spoke at that moment, "You have a choice. You can leave right now if you want. I only needed you three to get this quest, but at this point, I'm not even completing a damn quest..."

'More than anything, I want to investigate.' Lyrian told himself.

On hearing this, Rothis and the other two looked at each other.

With resolve in their eyes, they faced forward once again, as Rothis proclaimed, "No! I've already come this far, I will trust you and enter here. I wouldn't leave you to die like this... it is not becoming of a man." He spoke with determination, as Solvir nodded in agreement.

Lyrian smirked, "Oh... so you are a man then." He emphasized the 'are' as he chuckled softly.

Before anyone could reply, Lyrian suddenly halted, making the three behind him abruptly stop as well.

"Those... are bones." He said, seeing a small pile of bones to the side of the cavern a few hundred feet in front of them.

As they arrived at the bones, a flock of bats suddenly flew out from further in the cave.

It startled Rothis and the other two, but they quickly shrugged it off.

Lyrian, however, understood that something inside had changed.

'That bat wouldn't move on their own. Something noticed our presence already, and I can't even notice it. That means... it's pretty damn strong.' He mused, looking at the pile of remains beneath him.

"Human bones. Small ones... they are of kids." He surmised, spending not even ten seconds looking at the pile before moving on.

Rothis covered his nose as he walked past the bones, gagging slightly.

"No matter how long I hunt, I can never get over human parts..." He admitted.

Out of nowhere, loud and fast footsteps quickly echoed from the inside of the cave, increasing in sound.

"They are approaching... get ready to fight." Lyrian calmly spoke, as the adventurers hurried to unsheath their weapons.

Rothis took out a blade wrapped in white cloth. Solvir wielded a massive battle axe with a red gem encrusted into it. And Cylline harnessed two double-edged blades from her back, duel wielding it.

From the inky darkness ahead, a group of orcs emerged, their muscular forms silhouetted against the dim glow of luminescent fungi clinging to the cavern walls.

The flickering light played tricks on the jagged edges of their armor, casting menacing shadows that danced across the rocky terrain.

The orcs moved with an eerie unity, their heavy footsteps resonating like a war drum in the confined space.

Their eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, fueled by the primal instincts of battle.

Lyrian could see the glint of weapons, each orc armed with a lethal combination of swords, axes, and jagged war hammers.

As the orcs closed in, Rothis and the others could feel the oppressive weight of their presence, the air thickening with their spiritual energy and also the anticipation of impending conflict.

"Here they come..." Lyrian said, slightly taken aback by just how fearsome these creatures really were.

At that moment, a smile played on his lips, "Maybe I can have some fun here." He said, raising his hand in front of him.

"Flame... Wheel!"