As Zen stared at the system's quest panel, an overwhelming sense of unease washed over him. Something felt wrong, but the adrenaline pumping through his heart made it impossible to think clearly.
"Kill dua Elves?" he muttered. He searched his memories for a reason to refuse, but his mind drew a blank.
"Move! Watch it! Form ranks, quickly!"
The savage horde of Ogres surged forward, shoving Zen so hard he nearly stumbled.
"Ouch!" Zen regained his balance. It was then that his eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Damn it! This system wants me to be a killer!"
The [Ogre Soul] buff began to take hold. His breath grew heavy, and a hot spark of anger ignited easily within him.
[Ding! Completing missions provides great benefits, including new skills and attribute increases.]
The blue panel flickered, whispering like a temptation in Zen's ear. He paused for a moment, looking at the small village in the distance. It was already being consumed by flames from the mindless rampage of his "Ogre" comrades.
Zen's mind raced, trying to find a compromise with what remained of his Earthly morality.
'Only two people... that wouldn't be so bad, right?' he thought. 'Besides, in a world like this, not all Elves are good.'
He didn't want to overthink it. He knew that if he spent too much time philosophizing in the middle of a battlefield, his own head would be the one ending up on the tip of an arrow.
"I promise, just two," he said firmly.
He moved with the flow of the Ogre horde. Thanks to the active buff, his body felt incredibly light and powerful. He checked his status window.
[Buff: Ogre Soul]
Ogre fighting spirit flows through your blood.
Base Attributes (STR, AGI, RES) +25 & (+10% User Attributes).
Duration: 10 minutes.
"Incredible... a 25-point increase!" Zen smirked. He couldn't wait to make this power permanent.
The battle at the forest's edge grew more intense. A formidable Elven Captain managed to hold back the main Ogre force, but the sheer number of monsters eventually overwhelmed them. Meanwhile, other Ogre squads had already breached the settlement, destroying homes and looting the gardens.
Zen saw rows of Elven villagers beginning to evacuate in the opposite direction.
"I have to move... at least two targets," Zen muttered as he began to sprint.
The village was already twenty percent destroyed. The Elven guards used retreat tactics to buy time for the refugees. In the chaos, Zen broke away from the main group. His eyes caught a mysterious figure running in a different direction.
The figure wore a black hood and carried a large bag. Strangely, the other Ogres didn't seem to notice them. Suspecting they weren't an ordinary villager, Zen decided to follow them into the woods.
Deep in the lush forest, the hooded figure moved with agile grace.
Sap! Sap! Sap!
They vaulted over fallen logs with acrobatic ease, as if they knew every inch of the terrain. Once they were far enough from the village, they slowed down and scanned their surroundings.
Confident they weren't followed, the figure pulled out a small whistle and blew it. It was a signal. Soon, several similar hooded figures emerged from the shadows of the trees.
"Is everything going smoothly?" one of them asked.
"Fulan Village has already—"
Unbeknownst to them, Zen was hiding behind a large tree, observing their every move. He opened his skill details once more.
[Skill: Fireball]
Gathers mana into a ball of fire in the palm. Deals burn damage to the target.
Cooldown: 1 Minute.
'Too slow,' Zen complained. 'System, can I see their stats?'
[Ding! Of course, Master. However, your current level is insufficient. Complete the mission to obtain the Appraisal Skill.]
"Damn it," Zen cursed under his breath.
He took a deep breath, hardening his resolve. Zen lunged out from his hiding spot and sprinted toward the hooded group. Despite his bulky size, Zen's current speed was nothing to scoff at.
Hearing heavy footsteps, the group turned. Fear flashed in their eyes as they saw a muscular giant charging at them. Without a word, they scattered in all directions.
"Good, my guess was right!" Zen shouted. The fact that they ran proved they weren't strong enough to face an Ogre head-on.
He stopped for a moment, chanting his spell.
[Casting Fireball...]
[Fireball ready to release. Say "TEBOKA" to fire!]
A fireball the size of a basketball materialized in his hand, radiating heat that scorched the air.
"TEBOKA!"
Zen's shout echoed through the woods. The fireball streaked through the air, slamming into the back of the nearest hooded figure.
BOOM!
"ARGHHH!"
The figure's back was engulfed in flames. They fell face-first, groaning in agony on the ground. Zen shuddered slightly at the sound, but the system panel immediately drew his attention.
[Fireball hit the target!]
[Successfully killed a foreign creature...]
[1 more kill to complete the Main Quest.]
Zen ignored the smell of burning flesh and immediately locked onto his second target. His thigh muscles tensed as he lunged forward.
Wush!
The scenery blurred as he accelerated. He chased an Elven male who was trying to escape across a small river.
"Water? You think I'm afraid of water?!" Zen growled.
The Elf glanced back and was horrified to see Zen nearly upon him. He came to a sudden halt and raised his hands.
"Sir! Please... I surrender!" the Elf cried out, his face pale with terror.
Zen understood his words, but he simply shook his head. He didn't want to speak, fearing that if he opened his mouth, his conscience would waver again. Without hesitation, Zen launched a melee attack.
The Elf searched for an opening. Realizing there was no room for negotiation, he threw off his black cloak and took a combat stance. Zen, brimming with energy, launched a powerful kick toward his opponent's chest.
Splash!
Water sprayed into the air. However, the Elf was surprisingly skilled. He evaded with a narrow margin and tried to lock Zen's arm.
Zen was surprised—this Elf was incredibly fast. But he had forgotten that his AGI (speed) had skyrocketed. Just as the Elf tried to grapple his neck, Zen smashed his elbow into the Elf's face.
BAK!
The Elf was thrown into the river, coughing up fresh blood.
"Die... you must die!" the Elf screamed in a rage.
Suddenly, a green aura enveloped his body. His eyes turned a blinding, brilliant white.
"EFASI!"
Zen felt a shift in the pressure. The Elf's silver hair turned bone-white, and his wounds closed with impossible speed.
"I will kill you!"
Before Zen could react, the Elf was already in front of him, unleashing a flurry of punches to Zen's chest.
DUG! DUG! DUG!
Zen gasped. He tried to grab his opponent, but the Elf moved like a shadow—vanishing from the front and reappearing behind him, slamming a heavy blow into Zen's back.
"Ugh!" Zen leaped away to create distance. 'Damn, what kind of technique is that?'
However, Zen noticed something. While the Elf's speed had increased drastically, his attack power felt weaker than before.
"Hahaha... trying to blow yourself up? I'll wait until you wither," Zen challenged.
He just had to survive until the technique wore off. The problem was, his [Ogre Soul] duration was also ticking down—only 6 minutes left.
The Elf lunged again with a rapid side kick. Zen blocked it with both arms. He predicted the next strike would come from the same side, but the Elf suddenly shifted his aim toward Zen's thigh.
Jleb!
Zen felt his thigh muscle burn as if pierced by thousands of needles. But that pain only triggered his animal instincts. Quickly, he snatched the Elf's leg before he could retract it.
"Got you! Don't even think about running again!"
Zen yanked the leg violently. The Elf's body felt light. Zen slammed him into the river water and pinned him down. He held the Elf's head and entire body deep into the shallow riverbed.
The Elf thrashed wildly, but the grip of Zen's Ogre-like hands was far too strong. Beneath the water, the green aura continued to glow, desperately trying to heal and provide oxygen to its user.
But every power has its limit. A minute passed, and the Elf's resistance began to weaken. The green aura faded, and slowly, the body stopped moving.