On a barren orc desert of gravel and stone, the world stretched vast and desolate. Everything was dyed in a dull yellow. Even the sparse sea-buckthorn shrubs drooped lifelessly with their branches hanging low.
Only a single squad of orcs trudged slowly across the wasteland.
A bound figure struggled violently atop a pack beast.
"Put me down! If you've got guts, untie me and fight me one-on-one!"
Remember the elf Dalrix who stayed behind to cover the retreat of the scouting party?
That's right, it was him.
For some unknown reason, he hadn't died. Instead, he had been captured by this orc squad.
Uluru glanced at the noisy elf with a flicker of impatience in his eyes.
If it weren't for the need to bring him before the Great Chieftain, he would have cut him down long ago.
The Great Chieftain was now the king of the orcs, Ursa Blackstone.
"Put me down!"
Dalrix kept struggling against his bonds.
"Elf!"
Uluru finally spoke.
"You beat me, I let you go!"
"Fine, let's fight! I'm not afraid of you!"
Dalrix's eyes lit up instantly.
He knew his own strength well. Dealing with a brute whose brain was nothing but muscle should be child's play.
*Smack!*
Dalrix suddenly flew forward and crashed face-first into the dirt.
'What just happened?'
He didn't notice anything just now!
"Again!"
*Smack!*
"Again!"
*Smack!*
"I'm not done... Again!"
*Smack!*
"Not... Yet!"
*Smack!*
"Ugh... one... more...!"
By now, his face was bruised and swollen into something resembling a balloon.
Uluru looked at the elf before him, and admiration slowly appeared in his eyes. This fellow's stubborn tenacity matched the orcish spirit of never admitting defeat.
Still, he tied him up once more and hoisted him back onto the pack beast.
Soon, the group crossed the wasteland and arrived at a vast grassland.
On the distant horizon stood a city that looked rough and primitive, exuding a savage aura. Or perhaps it was more accurate to call it a massive settlement.
This was the largest tribe of the current orc kingdom, the Blackstone Tribe.
Ursa did not look entirely like the orcs of legend. His rugged face bore a rare glint of wisdom in his eyes.
He gazed at Dalrix.
His thoughts drifted into memory.
It all began more than twenty years ago during the war between the elves and the orcs.
At that time, he was still a hot-blooded young orc, and the Blackstone Tribe had been a small and insignificant clan.
Not long after he inherited the position of chieftain, the war erupted.
He only remembered that the war lasted for many years.
Responding to the call of the then-Great Chieftain, he had led his people to assault the elven armies.
At the thought, pain crossed his face.
It had been horrifying. Brutal beyond words.
The sky had been drenched in red. His kin fell like harvested wheat, and the earth was scorched by flames.
Countless orcs surged forward like tides against the elven forces, yet they could not shake them in the slightest.
And so, he retreated.
Yes, among the fearless orcs who knew no fear of death, there had finally appeared one who feared dying.
He had forcibly led his people to flee.
Northward they ran, farther and farther, even reaching the polar ice fields.
By then, the orc kingdom had nearly been razed to the ground by the elves, but he and his tribe had survived.
After a long time, he finally led them back home.
With no other tribes left to restrain them, the Blackstone Tribe expanded rapidly. They seized the most fertile lands and ultimately became the largest tribe on the grasslands.
"Sir Dalrix, I trust the journey has not frightened you. Uluru, is this how you treat our honored guest?"
Uluru said nothing. He merely scratched his head sheepishly before untying Dalrix.
Dalrix stared at the Great Chieftain in surprise. He seemed rather different from the orcs he remembered.
"You're writing a letter?"
Rubbing his sore shoulders, he looked at Ursa in astonishment.
"Yes, Sir Dalrix. We orcs have no intention of being enemies with your elven people. I hope you will inform your king."
Suspicion flashed in Dalrix's eyes. The orcs now seemed different from before.
Who knew what scheme they were playing?
He had been thinking about escaping, but now he changed his mind.
The Great Chieftain did not seem intent on harming him, yet he also did not appear ready to release him.
Very well.
He would stay for now and act as a spy. He would see what this Blackstone Tribe was truly up to.
Time passed swiftly.
A new year arrived.
The annual Flower Dance Festival came as scheduled.
The streets were already bustling with life. Vendors and pedestrians wove back and forth and added color to the lively avenues.
Flowers bloomed everywhere, accompanied by the sound of cheerful music.
Alto walked along the street with Helena.
Looking at the scenery in the plaza and listening to the gentle melody drifting through the air, Alto became nostalgic.
Time passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had already been in this world for a year.
The annual newcomer selection competition had begun again.
He was no longer the same person as before and naturally had no need to participate.
The people from the temple had even invited him to serve as a judge for the event, but he politely declined.
He truly had little interest in such administrative matters.
Ark: Survival Evolved had now been fully developed and would be released in a few days.
It was rare for him to have some free time, and Helena immediately dragged the reclusive homebody out for a stroll.
"Alto, look at this!"
Helena picked up a rabbit ear hairpin from a stall and placed it on her head, making a funny face at him.
Like an energetic bird, she lingered at one stall, then was quickly drawn to another.
Soon she grabbed a bracelet woven from wisteria flowers and slipped it onto her wrist, then turned to ask him, "Does it look good?"
Watching her lively expression, Alto couldn't help but smile and nod.
"It suits you perfectly."
After wandering around, they arrived at the competition venue.
It was absolutely packed with people.
Numerous booths had been set up displaying works from many designers.
Viewing it again from the perspective of an ordinary visitor brought a unique experience.
Excited, the two quickly claimed their voting rights and began trying out the showcased works.
"Legend of the Great Swordmaster sounds good. Let's try it."
After finishing that one, Helena pointed to another booth not far away.
"Magic Academy and the Dark Wizard look interesting, too. Let's try this one!"
They moved back and forth between many exhibits and had an absolute blast.
By the time they returned home, it was already very late.
Only then did Alto announce the news on his forum homepage.
With previous experience, and since the Ark world did not involve complicated character storylines, after internal testing by the development team, they decided to release it directly.