"You still haven't told me what you want to do," Aria said as she walked beside Akhil through the settlement.
They hadn't wasted a second after his earlier speech. Akhil had given the orcs a single, baffling order—one that left nearly everyone staring at him like he'd gone mad.
"All we have to do to increase our chances of survival… is to dig a ditch!"
The words had echoed across the camp.
It wasn't a complicated task—not for orcs, at least. Their raw strength made shoveling through the dirt effortless. But the simplicity of the order made it all the more suspicious.
Still, they didn't question him. At least not openly. Even the smallest chance of survival was better than none, and right now, Akhil was the only one who looked like he had a plan.
The sick and wounded were gathered under makeshift tents, while the healthier orcs dug with every ounce of strength they had left.
"It's a sure bet." Akhil smiled knowingly, "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."
His eyes moved over the group. The orcs worked hard, and their tunics were soaked and covered in mud.
The sound of digging in a rhythm filled the air: thump, scrape, thump. Every time they hit the ground with a shovel, they felt like they were fighting against their fate. The system timer was right in front of Akhil's eyes, ticking away like a war drum.
{00:45:20}
As the numbers dropped, the air grew heavier.
The orcs didn't talk anymore. Some kept glancing toward the distant dark mountains that loomed over the horizon like silent gods waiting to unleash judgment.
But they kept going.
They dug deeper and faster, holding on to the thin thread of hope that Akhil's words had given them.
Akhil felt a small smile pull at his lips when he saw how hard they were working.
"That's all... "Just a little more." He looked at Gon, who was sitting by himself with his wrists tied and being watched closely.
"Let's go," Akhil said suddenly, breaking the silence.
Nibo glanced at him. "Now?"
"Now," Akhil replied.
Without another word, the three of them—Akhil, Nibo, and Gon—headed out of the camp. They moved toward the edge of the dark mountains, their shadows stretching long under the dimming sky.
When they stopped, Gon finally spoke, confusion and worry all over his face. "You still haven't told me what we're doing out here."
"Oh, that's simple," Akhil said with a smirk, hands slipping into his pockets. "We're setting up bait."
Gon blinked. "Bait? For what?"
"For them," Akhil said, nodding toward the distant tremors and faint growls echoing from the dark mountains. The sound was growing louder—too organized, too many footsteps to be anything but a horde.
Gon's eyes widened. "Wait, you're not saying—"
"Oh, I am," Akhil said, his tone turning almost cheerful. "You're the bait."
For a moment, Gon just stood there, staring in disbelief. Then his face twisted. "You—you can't be serious! Me? You want me to die out here?!"
Akhil crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly. "Well, think of it this way. The orcs still hate you. You betrayed them, remember? And someone's got to drag those beasts toward the ditch. It's dangerous work. I can't risk losing someone valuable."
"Someone valuable?!" Gon barked, veins popping on his forehead. "So you'd rather send me to my death?!"
"It's not death if you run fast enough," Akhil replied lightly. "Besides, what better redemption story could there be? The traitor who saves everyone else."
"That's not redemption, that's suicide!" Gon snapped.
Nibo couldn't help but snort. "Think of it as… paying your debt in full."
Gon turned to him with desperation in his eyes. "You can't possibly agree with this!"
But Nibo only shrugged, his massive arms folded across his chest. "Orders are orders."
"You can't do this! Please! I—I'll help dig more, I'll do anything else—"
Akhil held up a hand, looking past him toward the mountains. "It's too late for that."
{Players! The first Horde will now begin!}
{Survive for five hours!}
The ground began to shake—subtle at first, then violently enough to send loose stones tumbling down from the cliffs above.
A deafening roar echoed across the forest, followed by the heavy pounding of hundreds of beastly feet. The first horde was on its way.
Gon tore his gaze away from Akhil and Nibo, looking into the distance.
Gon's voice trembled. "A-Akhil…?"
But when he turned around, both Akhil and Nibo were gone.
The wind blew cold against his skin as he looked frantically in every direction. Nothing—no trace of them.
Then he heard Akhil's distant voice calling faintly from behind the trees, "Remember, old man! Run toward the ditch, not away from it!"
Gon's jaw dropped. "You bastard!" he shouted, but it was drowned out by the thunderous roars growing louder behind him.
He turned around—just in time to see the first of the beasts bursting from the tree line. Their red eyes gleamed through the mist.
Gon's face turned pale.
"Oh, for God's sake…" he muttered, then took off running with everything he had.
Behind him, the horde roared and gave chase, the ground trembling with every step.
Far in the distance, Akhil and Nibo watched from a safe spot overlooking the field.
In no time, Aria also joined the two.
She had seen them when they left the settlement with Gon; she had no idea what they wanted to do with the old man.
But seeing the old man now, she couldn't hold back her laughter.
He had tossed his walking staff to the side, running with as much energy as he could toward the camp.
"Do you think he'll make it to the ditch?" Nibo asked.
Akhil smirked. "If he doesn't, at least he'll make a good warm-up for the rest."
Aria chuckled. "Cruel, but effective."
Akhil's eyes gleamed faintly red in the dim light. "Efficiency first, compassion later."
The sound of Gon's terrified screams echoed through the trees as the horde chased him downhill toward the camp.
Akhil stretched his arms lazily. "And that, my friend, is what I call… bait. But the work isn't done yet. The main work is coming. Everyone! Prepare for the worst."
The ditch would be able to trap a few beasts.
But that didn't make lasting five hours against the horde any easier.
And everyone still had that same question in mind.
Would the orcs survive the onslaught that was coming?
And what other plans did Akhil have?