Guerrilla Raid on the Orc Village
Temporarily expanded to nine members, the Dorne Party devised a plan to completely clear out the orc village. The three high-status newcomers were useless since it was their first real expedition, and the Dorne Party had no experience in the Northern Labyrinth either, making it hard to gauge the village's scale. They could only roughly estimate its size from the area marked on the map.
Dorne and Eresa sat with their chins in hand, deep in thought.
"How big do you think this marked area is?"
"Way bigger than a labyrinth city. Radius maybe double?"
A labyrinth city was already enormous—a labyrinth, people, near the capital, and so on. Double the radius meant quadruple the area. The orc village probably wasn't as densely packed, but if it controlled that much territory, the population had to be substantial.
There were no natural features nearby like cliffs where the Dorne Party could back up against to hold off a siege, or narrow passes ideal for fighting larger numbers. In other labyrinths, even massive waves were manageable because the solid walls blocked the flanks, but the Northern Labyrinth's natural structure demanded the experience of true pioneers opening up the real world, not just dungeon explorers.
Roden, who hadn't been raised solely for labyrinth delving, offered his input.
"How about operating small detachments for now?"
Dorne perked up at the idea; his head had been aching at the thought of protecting his comrades while battling hordes of orcs.
"How would that work?"
"Select a few with high mobility and personal combat prowess to scout the orc village first. If you encounter manageable orc groups along the way, eliminate them repeatedly to whittle down their forces bit by bit."
Dorne thought the plan made sense. The orc group they'd just taken down had been led by a single well-armed orc—a proper unit. Scouring the territory they controlled thoroughly should turn up more isolated groups moving separately for whatever reason.
He already felt the difficulty drop from fighting the entire village to just one orc unit at a time.
"No need to form detachments."
"Why not?"
Roden questioned Dorne's unexpected counter.
"First, I can carry you all on my back while moving. It's not infinite, but..."
Dorne turned to show the saddle-like setup on his back.
"Ah—"
Roden sighed.
"Second, it'll distribute credit to everyone."
Roden nodded deeply in agreement—he was the one who'd have to spoon-feed achievements to Elisia otherwise.
"Finally, even with detachments, if orc groups keep vanishing, the village will send out a full-scale purge anyway. No point. No lures, and the main force can't function without detachments, so let's go full strength on guerrilla tactics."
The party members, Roden included, nodded at Dorne's words.
"I agree."
"Me too."
Dorne put the brakes on the budding purge plan.
"One condition: if things go south, decide our escape route now."
The Dorne Party pooled their heads to scout escape paths.
"This stream's too shallow, that hill won't help much..."
They eventually settled on a distant canyon.
With the four non-warriors loaded onto Dorne's back, the Dorne Party roamed the forest under orc control. They'd already taken down two more groups. After three orc units—whether out for plunder or routine patrol—failed to return, the orc village halted further dispatches.
The nine-strong Dorne Party hid near the village, ringed by sturdy log palisades. Dorne, especially massive, lay flat on the ground for concealment. His purple-glowing ironclad form was too conspicuous.
These ruthless explorers had fully embraced the hunter's mindset. The Dorne Party, veteran wave-fighters, rarely thought of themselves as predators—facing endless giant monster surges naturally made them feel like prey. But now, lopping off the limbs of this bulky orc village and eroding its strength, they were the hunters.
What were these hunters waiting for? The moment the orcs dispatched a large force to eliminate the unknown threat, leaving the village empty for the taking.
The enraged orc main force would return empty-handed to a ruined home and collapse in despair. Then the Dorne Party could fight a defensive siege against the stunned orcs.
To that end, they'd slain every orc and goblin scout from the village. Devilish thinking indeed!
Right on cue, the orc main force marched out.
-Woooaaarrrghhh!-
Orc warriors bellowed sky-piercing roars. Even non-combat orcs staying behind raised hands in farewell.
Eresa and Inoi bristled at the thought of massacring the defenseless non-fighters without resistance. Human cunning was terrifying...
Once the commotion faded beyond earshot, the Dorne Party sprang into action.
-Shwick!-
Two javelins speared the two orcs guarding the palisade gate.
-Tch, chiiiik!-
The guards uttered death rattles and slumped.
Lilia and Roden emerged first from behind trees, javelins in hand, followed by the scout, mage, priestess, noble lady, and ironclad giant rising from the brush. Madness gleamed in purple afterimages from the corners of Dorne's stealthy steps.
The Dorne Party rested in pristine condition deep inside the neatly cleared orc village. The early-morning op started simply and wrapped quickly; now sunset painted the horizon red.
Eresa and Inoi replayed the morning massacre from the orcs' perspective. Humans casually opening the palisade gate. Kin slaughtered mercilessly. Orcs weaving cloth, forging weapons, picking fruit next door, shaping pots from clay. Warrior females, even orc younglings...
All nine humans butchered them effortlessly.
Eresa dashed from her watch on the palisade.
"Dorne...! The orc main force is back! Th-there's even a huge orc with a massive axe—must be the chieftain!"
The resting party gathered at the gate on her whisper.
The three warriors and two knights would hold the gate firm. Eresa and Lucian would support from behind with spells and arrows—that was the plan. They'd thinned orc numbers repeatedly, but this main force arrived intact.
-Kreeeak-
The orc chieftain—one-handedly hefting a two-handed axe—wrenched open the unmanned, ajar palisade gate.
-Whoosh! Dorne's 30-mana sword cleaved down to bisect the chieftain's skull. Or rather, empty air where its head had been.
The gates flung wide; orc main force led by chieftain faced Dorne Party led by Dorne.
Monsters were dumber than humans, but not idiots—especially the Northern Labyrinth's natural inhabitants. Respawns aside, they lived like any world-dwellers. The labyrinth didn't meddle in their power shifts; humans updated the maps instead.
-Uwaaaaaarghhh!-
The orc chieftain, eyes blazing with the Dorne Party's atrocities, roared in fury and charged Dorne.
In the center, a shaman hefting a body-sized totem. It planted the totem and danced; red energy seeped from weakest orcs to frontline chieftain, buffing them all.
-Boom! Boom!
The chieftain's two-handed axe rebounded off Dorne's shield. Rage and buffs aside, it was just a head taller than a grown man. Dorne neared 3 meters, ironclad giant. The furious axe swings couldn't budge him a step.
Orc warriors clashed fiercely with the Dorne Party's vanguard.
"Ugh, formation's cramping my style."
Unable to swing wide to maintain lines, Dorne missed the chieftain several times already.
-Chiiiik... chiik!
The chieftain rolled aside from Dorne's overhead, catching breath. Fury-fueled shield bashes yielded nothing; the giant didn't flinch.
-Chiik- Tsuhuhu...
Chieftain smirked sinisterly, sharp mind turning—away from the guarded gate toward intact palisade.
Dorne, spotting the monster pivot mid-fight, yelled as it raised axe to smash fence.
"Hey! I'm peeling off! Cover my spot!"
Dorne leaped huge, pulping an orc cluster to gore; Lucian, torching the shaman's totem with 【Flame Magic】, cast once more to temp-fill, then Raon and Roden shouldered in.
-Roooar!-
-Thwack! Fireball trail pierced by arrow; lines sealed.
"That bastard..."
Sweatless in his comfy helm, Dorne hurled iron balls at the chieftain scheming to breach palisade and encircle.
-Pababak!
Chieftain wheeled on Dorne, balls clattering harmlessly.
Its skin pulsed with 【Fighting Spirit】.
【Fighting Spirit】-cloaked chieftain and axe-wielding orc flanked Dorne. Feints and fence pivot—all ploy. Human cunning in orc hands stunned Dorne.
Despite ambushing the village for advantage, Dorne fell back on the defensive. So thought the chieftain.
Under the helm, Dorne grinned madly.
"Think you've won?"
Ignoring the unslashable chieftain, Dorne swept long arms/legs wide, massacring encirclement orcs first. With 【Fighting Spirit】 orcs in trajectory, his sword would've halved/three-quartered; lacking that, sweeps gutted two-three at once.
-Chiiiik!
Enraged chieftain charged; Dorne shield-blocked 【Fighting Spirit】 axe while other hand slaughtered orcs. Specially forged shield scarred from blows, repaired before next.
● Mana (Stamina): 460 → 450 (+150) / 700
Orc warriors' desperate axe blows, body slams—nothing halted Dorne's kin-slaying. He bulked with 【Iron Man】, grew via 【Giant】, swelled further as Ironclad Giant, a colossal warrior in full-body iron plate. No matter the chieftain's skill, raw class gap was insurmountable.