The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 90

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Countless orcs exist across the continent of Second.
Among them, the orcs that players encounter first are, naturally.
“Squeal, hungry.”
“Want boar meat.”
“Squeal.”
Green-skinned orcs standing roughly 1.8 meters tall with muscular builds, wielding primitive equipment like wooden clubs.
The Green Moss Tribe, the Hidden Meadow Tribe, and others.
Most were orcs from small tribes scattered not far from Labelt.
Then came.
“Screech! Grog Marsh! Two, ah!”
“Karash Doom!”
“Squeal, Luga Nosh?”
“Cack Tun Ka!”
Orcs covered in fur to survive in the biting cold, their bodies adorned with byproducts from countless monsters—hides, teeth, and bones.
These were the orcs called Snowfield Orcs.
And then.
“Loo- Taum, Ba.”
“Squeal.”
“Ah Saum- Ba.”
Bare-bodied orcs from the southern continent, wielding weapons crafted from marine monster byproducts—the Southern Orcs.
Beyond these were the sharp-featured Western Desert Orcs covered in scars across their bodies, and the Eastern Orcs clad entirely in iron armor.
An incredibly diverse array of orcs existed, each tribe possessing distinct characteristics, temperaments, and cultures.
And all these countless orcs.
“Squeal, we greet the great Orc Lord, Grashtar.”
“Where do you hail from?”
“Squeal, from the Black Mud Tribe of the Rotting Marshlands. We have brought giant mudskippers from the Rotting Marshlands as tribute to you, Grashtar.”
“Good. I shall incorporate the Black Mud Tribe into the Third Division of my legion. Seek out Aruet of the Wave Veil Tribe and receive your assignment.”
“Squeal, thank you, Grashtar.”
Beneath the Gorge.
Orcs bowed their heads and knelt before the Orc Lord.
How did orcs scattered across the continent come to know of the Orc Lord’s existence and gather here?
The reason was simple.
‘Orc Shamans.’
Every orc tribe possessed at least one orc shaman, and these shamans received prophecies of the Orc Lord’s birth.
Once the prophecy was received, it became the instinctive priority for all orcs to join the Orc Lord.
Following the shamans’ guidance, all orcs across the continent converged upon the Orc Lord.
Thus, the number of orcs gathered beneath the Gorge to answer the Orc Lord’s call was.
‘Roughly thirty thousand, I’d estimate.’
Approximately thirty thousand.
The Subjugation Commander and his squad members, who cautiously peered down into the gorge behind me, could only gape in shock.
“An absolutely staggering number.”
“Insane, what in the world is this….”
“Why are there so many?”
“There are so many it’s unsettling just looking down at them.”
“In all my years, I’ve never seen that many orcs.”
“If this many flood into Labelt… isn’t that genuinely dangerous?”
Their shock was entirely justified.
Looking down at thirty thousand soldiers from above, the sheer oppressive weight of their numbers exceeded anything imagination could conjure.
While historical chronicles spoke of armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands, this was far from a normal figure.
However, I shook my head and corrected the squad’s misconception.
“We’re still far from the full picture.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Orc Lord’s forces have only just begun to gather.”
Thirty thousand soldiers?
This was nothing.
When I witnessed the Orc Lord in First, its forces easily exceeded one hundred thousand.
Of course, the orc numbers might have dwindled in Second, or other factors could be at play, but there’s no way they would stop at merely thirty thousand.
As evidence of this.
“The Orc Lord likely chose this gorge as its gathering point with the total number of orcs it expects to assemble in mind. Judging by the gorge’s width….”
“It hasn’t even filled half the gorge yet?”
“Correct. It appears capable of accommodating at least double, if not more.”
“Good heavens….”
The gorge was still not full.
Fresh waves of orcs continued to pour in ceaselessly from the gorge’s entrance.
At this pace, within mere days this vast gorge would be completely overflowing with orcs.
“Jenny, ride at once to Labelt and deliver this news.”
“Yes, Commander!”
One of the squad members received the commander’s orders and departed for Labelt.
Yet the commander’s expression remained grim.
And with good reason.
“Every moment is critical, and all we can do is watch the orcs gather.”
With each passing minute and second, the orc count within the gorge swelled.
If this vast horde were to launch an assault on the Empire, the very thought of what would unfold filled me with dread.
Yet there was nothing to be done.
As commander of the 2nd Subjugation Squad defending Labelt, I had never felt more helpless.
Standing there beside the commander, gazing down at the orcs in the gorge below.
‘There must be some way.’
I began searching for a solution.
During my time in First, I did not single-handedly defeat a hundred thousand orc army with my bare hands.
No matter how strong I was, it would have been impossible to bring down that many orcs alone.
I received support from various nations, and utilized every item and environmental advantage available.
‘Gorge terrain. One hundred members of the Subjugation Expedition. Items were… abundant.’
Games are not won through physical prowess alone.
Every battle has a strategy, and a player must discover that strategy to complete the mission.
In that sense.
“I have a method in mind. Would you be able to assist me?”
A way to defeat the thirty thousand army in the gorge below had just occurred to me.
* * *
The Guard Corps and the Subjugation Expedition.
Raven Dracar, the Supreme Commander of Labelt’s Capital Defense, oversaw the dangers that existed both within and beyond Labelt.
As always, Raven Dracar was consolidating information pouring in from all directions.
“The recent movements of the orcs seem unusual.”
All news of the Empire reached his desk.
Powerful named monsters appearing in the east.
Monster waves occurring periodically in the west.
Monsters fleeing from the northern winter.
Monsters ascending the rivers connected to the southern sea.
So much information flowed in that it could be said there was no incident in the Empire he did not know of.
However, recently, reports of orc appearances and movements had been coming in excessively.
“Order the 8th Subjugation Squad to subjugate the orcs in the Twilight Plains.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“The 4th Subjugation Squad has not yet returned?”
“The number of orcs appears to be greater than the initial report, so it seems to be taking longer.”
“At this rate, the security around Labelt will be compromised. Mobilize the Guard Corps, and submit an orc subjugation request to the Hunter Guild.”
“Yes, Commander.”
The commander handled the situation with practiced efficiency, yet the unease in his mind would not dissipate.
The source of that unease was none other than.
‘The Orc Lord.’
The natural sovereign of the orcs.
The existence of the Orc Lord.
What if the reason for the increased orc movements was the emergence of an Orc Lord?
A situation far more dangerous than imagined might unfold.
However, there was no evidence.
In fact, based on historical records of Orc Lord appearances, it would have been impossible for an Orc Lord to be born at this time.
While suppressing that unease and consolidating the continuously arriving information.
“Supreme Commander.”
“What is it?”
“An urgent report has come in from the 2nd Subjugation Squad.”
“Let them in.”
An urgent report had arrived.
The 2nd Subjugation Squad was the unit dispatched to subjugate the orc swarm that had emerged in the Savage Forest.
At the 2nd Subjugation Squad’s level, they should have been able to crush orcs without issue.
I wondered what could possibly warrant an urgent report.
“Your honor! Erik of the 2nd Subjugation Squad reports to the Capital Defense Commander!”
“Skip the formalities and give your report.”
“Yes! This is the shoulder of an Orc Rider discovered in the Savage Forest!”
What Erik had brought was an orc’s arm and shoulder.
I initially wondered why he’d brought such a thing, but before Erik could even finish his report, I recognized the mark carved into the orc’s shoulder.
“…Could it be the Mark of Submission?”
“Correct! Beyond the mark itself, we observed the orcs gathered in the Savage Forest employing strategic tactics and tribes acting in unison!”
“That means the 2nd Subjugation Commander is certain of the Orc Lord’s existence?”
“Well, that is to say….”
Erik hesitated in his response.
True, Subjugation Commander Lugard was certain of the Orc Lord’s existence, but he hadn’t anticipated reporting directly to the Commander so soon.
What if the report given to the Commander was wrong?
What if the Orc Lord didn’t actually exist?
Lugard would surely face severe punishment.
This was why Erik hesitated in his response.
“Mobilize every available soldier we can assemble immediately and deploy to the Savage Forest.”
The Capital Defense Commander of the Empire.
Raven Dracar rose from his seat as he spoke.
“Commander, the Orc Lord is a legendary being that appears once every 300 years. The last Orc Lord appeared 80 years ago, so….”
“I’m aware.”
“Given that, mobilizing all forces based on a single report seems like an unwise decision.”
The Commander’s secretary attempted to offer counsel.
“Nevertheless, the birth of an Orc Lord is not a matter to be hastily overlooked. Now that the Mark of Submission and abnormal orc behavior have been confirmed, time is of the essence.”
“But….”
“Mobilize every soldier at once. The Imperial Army and the Knight Order—all of them.”
“…Understood, Commander.”
The Commander’s resolve was unwavering.
The unusual orc movements I had already investigated beforehand.
Combined with the urgent report from my trustworthy subordinate, 2nd Subjugation Commander Lugard.
I was already certain of the Orc Lord’s emergence.
“Prepare for immediate deployment.”
The Capital Defense Commander of Labelt.
Raven Dracar personally prepared for deployment.
* * *
“A method? What method are you referring to?”
“Of course, it’s a method to wipe out the Orc Lord’s forces.”
“Is such a thing truly possible?”
“If everyone helps, there is a possibility.”
The Subjugation Commander fell into contemplation.
With merely a hundred subjugation squad members, how many of the thirty thousand orcs could they possibly fell?
Even if they fired arrows or dropped wooden pillars and boulders from here, the number of orcs they could kill would not be substantial.
To squander such an opportunity and expose their position would be foolish.
It would be far more advantageous to wait quietly for the Imperial Army’s reinforcements and then launch a surprise attack.
And yet.
“Very well, let me hear it first. I’ll make my judgment afterward.”
Lugard had already developed trust in Mir.
It seemed unlikely that Mir would speak empty words.
As I nodded, Mir began explaining the strategy as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“As you can see, the Orc Lord’s forces are gathering below in the gorge. It likely serves as their assembly point because the space is vast, and the sunken terrain reduces the risk of detection.”
“That would be the case.”
“But what if boulders were to fall from above the gorge?”
The Subjugation Commander shook his head at Mir’s words.
A strategy of dropping boulders from above the gorge.
It was already a thought the Subjugation Commander had entertained.
“Such a plan is infeasible. Even if our subjugation squad were to drop wooden pillars and boulders, we could only kill a few hundred orcs at most. That falls far short.”
“That would be true.”
“It would be far more advantageous to wait for reinforcements and employ this strategy all at once with a much larger force.”
“However, the longer we delay waiting for reinforcements, the more the orc forces will swell. They may even launch an assault before the reinforcements arrive.”
“Even so, for us to attack alone would be….”
“I’m not suggesting we simply roll a few boulders down.”
“Then what?”
To Lugard’s question.
Mir pointed to the massive cliffs standing on both sides of the orc assembly point, befitting the gorge’s name, and spoke.
“We collapse the cliffs themselves.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————