Discovery in the Northern Mountains
The scouting party sent toward the mountain paths in the north finally returned with critical news.
They brought back stone samples, shards of iron ore, and even... fragments of pure silver.
In the throne room, the scout leader knelt in front of Arian and delivered his report.
> "Your Majesty, we've found a mining cave... glimmering black metal and white silver seeping from cracks in the rock."
"But… the site lies in the middle of a Mountain Orc settlement."
Silence fell across the room.
Mountain Orcs were no ordinary monsters.
They lived in clans, built camps, understood metallurgy, and forged their own weapons.
They were not beasts—they were a race of intelligence… and aggression.
---
Arian's Decision
Without hesitation, Arian rose from his throne.
> "We need that mine if we're to build fortresses and stabilize the village."
Velmira stepped forward.
> "But they're no ordinary foes. Their lives revolve around war."
> "Then I'll speak with them. Directly."
---
The Mountain Orc Camp
The journey to orc territory took two days. They scaled steep cliffs and trekked through frozen woods.
Arian arrived with only a small team: Velmira, two scouts, and a demon named Kerl—thin-bodied, narrow-eyed, who claimed to understand a bit of the orc tongue.
At the gates of the orc camp, dozens of towering orcs blocked their path.
They wielded steel-tipped spears and stone axes.
Their bodies stood twice the size of an average man—muscled, fanged, and tattooed with tribal markings.
After a series of rough translations from Kerl, Arian was brought before the chieftain of the Mountain Orcs—
a hulking one-eyed warrior clad in wolf pelts.
His name was Brunak, Champion of the Mountains.
Negotiations did not go well.
> "You are human," Brunak growled. "What right do you have to claim our land?"
Arian answered calmly.
> "I am not part of mankind. I am the leader of the Ice Demon race."
Brunak laughed harshly.
> "Leader? You're thin. Fragile. Humans talk well… but don't fight."
> "Give me the mine. I'll provide food and warm cloth for your people. We can coexist."
But the orcs' pride ran deep.
> "We don't accept charity. Only victory. If you want our land…"
Brunak stood, towering over three meters tall.
> "Defeat me in single combat. Orc law cannot be denied."
---
The Duel of Honor
Surrounded by a ring of orcs, Arian faced his opponent without fear.
The cold wind whispered between them.
Brunak raised his massive axe, standing like a living mountain.
> "Prepare yourself, human," hissed Brunak. "I won't hold back."
> "Neither will I."
As Brunak charged, the ground shook.
His axe split the air like thunder.
But Arian had already moved.
His eyes were cold.
His body, steady.
He stepped onto the ice—and with a single graceful motion, he unsheathed Necral.
One slash.
A streak of blue split the air.
The Ice Blade cleaved Brunak… from shoulder to hip.
The champion's body crashed to the earth, freezing the soil around him.
The orcs fell silent.
Their mouths hung open in disbelief.
Before Arian could speak, several fanatical orcs broke the sacred law of duel.
They roared in fury and rushed Arian from behind.
> "Lord Arian, behind you—!" Velmira shouted.
But he didn't move.
In a single breath, Arian swung Necral in a dance of frost.
The Ice Blade curved and spun, leaving a trail of freezing light—
and within seconds, five orcs collapsed in silence, their bodies frozen and sliced clean.
Snow swirled around Arian like a calm blizzard… and then, silence.
---
After the Slaughter
The remaining orcs dropped their weapons.
They bowed—not out of fear, but in respect for the law they themselves upheld.
Whoever won, earned the right to the land.
But Arian only stared at Brunak's corpse. There was no satisfaction in his eyes.
> "I didn't want this…
But I can't afford hesitation. If I show weakness, they won't hesitate to destroy my village."
Velmira looked at him and saw a weight left unspoken.
---
Back at the Castle – Side Effects
That night, Arian lay weak in his chamber. His hands trembled.
Mist of frost escaped from his pores.
> "Necral… why does it feel like my body is being torn apart?"
Necral's voice echoed, like a whisper in a storm.
> "Your body cannot yet contain all of me.
Even I… doubt a mortal frame can carry this burden."
> "It will take time. Perhaps a year… or more."
"Your body must adapt. If it doesn't… my power will consume you from within."
Arian nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the stone ceiling.
> "Then I'll limit its use.
I don't need the power to kill a thousand.
I need the strength… to protect those who believe in me."
---
Closing:
The mine now belongs to the Ice Demon race.
Arian proves his true strength and resolve as a leader.
Necral's power reveals its price.
A critical decision is made: to control the power, not rely on it.