Hiro, Lena, Lucia, and Cassian were hidden behind a thick bush, discreetly observing from afar.
An orc.
He was doing jump rope.
With a large snake.
Instead of a rope, it was the snake serving as the rope.
And the snake was still alive, weakly writhing with each rotation.
The orc jumped on one leg, faster and faster. He varied the positions. The figures. With an almost artistic grace.
Cassian was inwardly stunned by his appearance.
He’s… beautiful.
Even more beautiful than Hiro.
She hadn’t thought orcs in this world would be like this. She had imagined a much more classic appearance. Monstrous. Like in video games.
His green skin glistened under the sweat that ran in neat rivulets along his pectorals, his finely carved abs. His muscles were well defined. Not huge, but present. Sculpted.
He’s even better built than when I was a guy on Earth.
Obviously, orcs were known for being strong. But she was still a little jealous.
Lucia discreetly observed Cassian.
Now that she looked more closely, she noticed no fatigue in Cassian at all.
Does getting milked dry really not affect her?
She frowned, confused.
The orc was tall. Muscular. Long pink hair was tied in a loose braid that swept his back with every jump.
His face wasn’t fully adult. Young. His long lower white canines protruded from his mouth without disrupting the harmony of his features.
He was draped in elegant white fabrics, leaving his muscles visible.
The orc continued his figures. He grabbed the snake by the tail in a fluid motion, spun it above his head like a lasso before bringing it back to the ground and resuming the jumps. The reptile hissed in protest, but didn’t really struggle.
CRACK.
Lucia stepped on a branch by accident.
Everyone froze.
The orc stopped jumping, the snake hanging limply in his right hand. He slowly turned his head toward the bush.
“It’s probably just wild beasts,” he murmured.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The group collectively sighed in relief.
“Sorry,” Lucia whispered. “Why do branches snap so easily?”
Then the orc stopped completely.
He sniffed the air.
“Wait. I smell something.”
Silence.
“It smells… female.” He sniffed again. “I’ve never smelled a female before, but my body is telling me there’s one nearby. The scent is close.”
“How is that even possible?” Hiro murmured, incredulous.
The orc suddenly leaped. High. Very high.
He grabbed a branch five meters off the ground, propelled himself even higher, and disappeared into the dense foliage.
“We should probably leave,” Lena said quickly. “Get away before he finds us.”
But before anyone could move, Cassian’s legs gave out completely. She collapsed onto her knees, then onto her butt, hands in the damp earth.
“What…?”
She didn’t understand. Why can’t I move?
Then she heard someone counting behind her.
“One.”
The group spun around abruptly.
The orc was there.
“Two.”
He was counting casually, smiling.
“Three.”
He towered over them.
“Four.”
He wore a gentle, friendly smile.
Hiro drew his sword with a metallic shing. Lena took a step back, hand on the hilt of hers. Lucia positioned herself in front of Cassian.
Except Cassian. Strangely, she had no will to fight at all.
“I’m surprised to run into people,” the orc said cheerfully. “My name is Kasama.”
Hiro, Lena, and Lucia looked at Cassian.
“What’s going on?” Lena asked. “Why aren’t you moving?”
Cassian couldn’t offer any explanation. “I… I just feel weak.”
Kasama looked at Cassian. “Oh. An elf.”
Then at Hiro, Lena, Lucia. “Three humans.”
Seeing their general confusion, he explained:
“It’s well known among elves and orcs. Elves become weak in the presence of orcs. They lose all will to resist.”
He smiled. “That’s why elves fight with bows and long-range magic. To stay far away from orcs.”
“I heard about it when I was younger,” he continued, “but this is the first time I’ve witnessed it.”
Hiro, Lena, and Lucia exchanged glances.
Is he hostile or not? Should we lower our guard?
Kasama didn’t seem to care at all about their obvious hostility.
Hiro looked at Cassian in confusion.
The mere presence of this orc puts her in that state. She looks so vulnerable.
He didn’t like it.
Seeing Cassian so vulnerable, on her knees, gaze unfocused, disturbed him deeply.
It’s like Cassian is under the orc’s spell.
If Cassian reacted like that toward me, it would be better.
Then he refocused. This isn’t the time to get lost in my thoughts.
“It’s a nice surprise to have met you,” Kasama said. “Tell me about your adventures. I’d like to hear them.”
He completely ignored Cassian on the ground.
Cassian was in total incomprehension.
Why is my body acting so weird?
Lucia was the first to speak. “We’re just adventurers. We’re in the middle of a quest.”
“Interesting.” Kasama smiled.
He was about to talk about himself, but stopped.
I can’t tell them I was banished from my clan. Because I was the weakest. Because I didn’t meet the clan’s standards of strength.
It’s not me who’s weak. It’s the clan that’s abusive.
To prove them wrong, I planned to capture a woman and bring her back to the clan.
There were no females in the orc species. Same with goblins and all the other green humanoid creatures. They had to rely on other humanoid species to perpetuate their kind.
“I’m just a lone traveler,” he said finally.
He glanced at Cassian on the ground and sighed.
Then looked more closely at the three humans.
This is the first time I’ve seen an elf, but I already find her annoying.
He examined the humans more attentively.
“Now that introductions are done,” he said with a smile, “you’d better scream and struggle properly. I want reactive partners.”
He pointed at Cassian. “I don’t want that kind of reaction. There’s no fun in it.”
Cassian felt something break inside her.
Why does it always end up weird whenever I meet a green creature?
Hiro didn’t wait another second. He lunged, sword aiming for Kasama’s neck in a perfect arc.
His blade flashed, targeting Kasama’s throat.
CLANG.
The blade didn’t cut. Not even a scratch.
“What…?”
Kasama swept his arm.
WHAM.
Hiro flew backward, crashed through two bushes, slammed into a trunk, and disappeared into the vegetation with a muffled cry.
“Oh.” Kasama seemed surprised. “I didn’t mean to hit that hard. Humans really are fragile.”
He turned toward Lena and Lucia.
Then paused, frowning.
“Wait. The other one didn’t look quite like you two.”
He scratched his head. “Was that a male human?”
“At first glance, there’s no difference.” He sniffed. “Now that I think about it, he had a slightly different scent.”
Kasama was so overwhelmingly masculine that he hadn’t even noticed the appearance at first glance.
The level of masculinity he had been accustomed to his entire life was enormous.
---
Hiro had stopped himself by driving his sword into the ground to avoid rolling farther.
He was seriously dazed.
This is the first time I’ve been hit like that.
He tried to stand, but stumbled and fell back to his knees.
I can’t believe it.
He had to get back to help the girls, but he was struggling to find his balance.
He stayed still, giving his body time to stabilize.
---
Cassian, on the ground, was relieved that Kasama didn’t seem interested in her.
Maybe that’s why elves become like this around orcs. Because they prefer victims who struggle.
She was gravely shocked that Hiro had been swatted away so easily.
She hated thinking this way, but Hiro better come save us.
Lena and Lucia definitely won’t stand a chance. And if Kasama decides to turn to me afterward, I’m screwed.
Ever since I came to this world, I’m either seen as premium food or as a breeding tool.
She hated the monsters for seeing her as a meal.
And the greens for being uncontrollable walking perverts. Degenerates.
I clearly don’t want to be a victim of these green creatures.
On Earth, people aren’t this insane.
Is there a limit to their madness?
