Truly, no matter how much she boasted, it wouldn't be enough; in a place like orc society where strength was the only valid currency, she had valued his intelligence and perseverance, taking him under her wing when his father had abandoned him, but it seemed her work wasn't done yet.
"If even you froze when there was no one left, what can I say? Hueso, this trap is seriously damn good!"
Nafız, who pulled the others inside with claws extending from the surface of the Blood Dome, acted differently when it came to her student. The exact same corridor that Five Roots had once created for them to pass through the enemies, she was now creating for Bookworm.
A piece of energy detaching from the Blood Dome surged forward, taking its final shape the moment it engulfed her student. When the frail-looking orc came to his senses, he was first surprised to see the tunnel created for him to reach the others, and then he made a fist with his right hand and placed it over his heart.
"Stop posing and get over here, we still have to deal with this Yellow Passion or whatever her name is!"
Accustomed to his master's way of showing appreciation, Bookworm was walking back with quick steps, but he had already made his plan regarding the matter Nafız mentioned.
"I saved her specifically for someone I love. Sis, you can finally get rid of the enemy who continues to live in your subconscious even if she dies!"
He and Hammerstriker didn't have such luck. Back then, Soul Stealer, the Leader of the Elite Ten, could only trap the souls of wild beasts in his totem.
"Really? Can I kill her?"
Wind of Death was stunned; she couldn't believe her ears and asked once more to be sure.
"You're too damn surprised, here, a gift from your brother!"
The question was directed at Bookworm, but the answer came from Nafız. The red curtain around Yellow Passion, who was eroding the Blood Dome with her tongue strikes, was lifting.
"I'm going to tear you apart with my bare hands!"
Leaving her axe inside the Blood Dome, Wind of Death grabbed the yellow hair that looked like horse shit on asphalt a breath after stepping outside, and from that moment on, her opponent could only let out agonizing screams. The woman, who had killed her enemies amidst moans of pleasure her entire life, was hearing her own screams once again.
Fortunately, the ear-piercing sonic boom didn't echo inside the trap for long. Wind of Death was so enraged, so full of ambition, and so strong that she had no trouble tearing the woman to pieces with her bare hands, just as she said she would.
When she was done, she returned with the help of Nafız's claw. The show was coming to an end; the lesson the high-ranking figures of the Orc Empire had given the rookies was over.
"The ten orcs deemed worthy by the Orc Military Academy—which we founded with great dreams and hopes—for this journey to conquer the Mercenaries' Lodge, have you figured out the meaning of the saying 'the strong rule'?"
The nine orcs, whose leader had been heavily wounded in the previous trap, were silent, but the one ready to give his life for this cause was going to speak.
"I understand, I've seen how the strong rules!"
The words chosen by the orc, whose blood hadn't yet dried on his body, were very important; he didn't say the strong rule, he said he saw how the strong rule.
"Good for you! Since you managed to understand my blood techniques even at the cost of your life, you have some brains in your head, but you've learned that if there's someone in your team who can manage your current situation better, you need to hand over the command to them now, right?"
This was exactly what the Blood God wanted to convey. Even if the strong earned the right to rule, it didn't mean they had to do everything themselves. They needed to possess the skill to assign the person who could best lead their team, unit, or army according to the circumstances.
"Of course, you can choose not to do this and want to handle everything yourself, but first, you need to have the strength to pull it off!"
The moment she finished her words, the spikes shooting out from the surface of the Blood Dome completely smashed Hueso's trap. They struck with such violence that the cavity's width doubled. The spikes erupting from the Blood Dome had blown the ceiling, floor, and walls to pieces.
Nafız didn't say anything else, nor did she need to. The best way to say, "If you're as strong as me, if you can smash the trap you fell into without breaking a sweat, you can act alone; otherwise, you'll know how to lead your team," was hidden in her action just now.
Since the trap was gone, they could keep moving forward, and they set off without losing any time. Each group took turns destroying the traps in their path, and the first day ended like this. When the next day began, the chain of command noticed a change; the Military Academy group of ten orcs was taking their turn after destroying one extra trap with the others' permission.
Following the second day, passed with a sequence of two for them and one each for the others, the system changed again to three to one, and the next day to four to one. By the fifth day, only they were entering the traps, and the others had stepped back, leaving them the opportunity they needed for their training.
"Alright, I get the Elite Ten, but what's up with you, Elemental Ten? How much combat experience do you even have to be skipping your turns?"
When Hueso said they would set foot in the Mercenaries' Lodge in half a day, Nafız yelled at the druids watching the fighting orcs from the sidelines. Her call wouldn't go unanswered; Alator, leaving his team's side, quickly came to her and started to explain.
"Our reliance isn't on ourselves, but on you!"
It was short, clear, and realistic. While next to someone holding the title of Blood God, they could show courtesy and give their turns to those who needed it more. The explanation was short, but it was enough to piss some people off; Alyon's face had fallen, the man who would be traveling together with the ten orcs constantly dealing with traps to shake off their rookie status.
As soon as Alator sensed the changing atmosphere, he returned to his subordinates; the druid warrior's instincts and capacity for comprehension were impressive. Upon this, Nafız didn't speak again, settling for calmly watching what was happening while the traps were destroyed one by one.
She sped up when the faint, thin beam of light piercing through the endless gray hit her eye; they had reached the exit, and inside the tunnel that had reached the peak of gloom, no one could hold her back for another minute. Hueso was about to say something, but Nafız, drawing her bow, neutralized the final trap with dozens of blood arrows she sent in a single shot, then shattered the bone wall with a single punch.
"Oh man, finally some fresh air! My lungs dried out from breathing in dampness!"
Right after taking a deep breath, she threw herself down the precipice that was meters long. The exit of the secret passage inside the Great Fishbone Mountain Range on the Mercenaries' Lodge side was at least a hundred meters above ground level, and forming blood wings amidst the astonished gazes of the others, Nafız glided through the sky and began her descent.
"My esteemed friends, I believe there are only a few among us who can use this method, so I will create a bone staircase extending to the ground for you!"
Hueso knew Nafız's show wasn't suitable for everyone and offered a solution to get the others to the ground, but Bookworm had a better plan.
"We, as the Orc Society, offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Supreme Hueso, Sheikh of the Holy Bone Sect, for his help thus far. We don't want to tire you any further; we can handle the rest ourselves!"
"King Cobra, come forth!"
Along with Bookworm's call, a giant snake appeared on the surface of the mountain, and its head, with gold-colored protrusions on both sides, was right in front of the orcs standing at the tunnel's exit.
"Everyone get on my power animal, we're going down!"