EVOLUTION: CONQUEROR

I internally breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Urim nod at me.     

Honestly speaking, the sacrifices in this battle were too much. The newly added Greyeye warriors are mostly half-dead with the rest just being enough to guard this fortress.     

And although I had laid out a plan with Urim and Moz, whether it was coming from around the back or sneaking in , many died.     

"Perhaps I should arrange a kind of mass burial?!"     

Well with this victory, I have gained a mining fortress, enemy members have been annexed, giving me an increase in warrior population.     

Majority of the Greyeye clan's civilians and young, are said to be located in a village not too far from here.     

I just need to go there and take them.     

I watched as my subordinates hustle around in a cheery mood, the Greyeyes remained solemn though. Presently, the defeated goblins and orcs were placed into two areas, and then I had my warriors continued to monitor them as they worked on the Fortress's repairs.     

"Well done, Urim."     

"Too many lives were lost."     

He responded with a long sigh as he shook his head.     

So I told him, "But we were the first in the orc lands to take down this fortress with just these many losses, right? So it's a job well done."     

To be honest, I was anything but cheerful.     

Urim remained silent for a while as we watched the reconstruction in the snow, I look in the direction of white mountain.     

"I think it's almost time for brother to arrive, they should have crossed white mountain by now"      

Urim's head turned to look at the mountain with a smile that was more mischievous than normal.     

"Should we prepare a surprise?" He says while licking his lips.     

I shook my head with a small laugh, before turning back without a word, 'How can I comfortably plan anything when we don't know if he remains the same'.     

"We'll talk about everyone's reward later. You should think about it well.     

Rewards should be properly given to the successful no?".     

Urim looked at me with a strange expression.     

"What?" I asked in confusion     

He walked up to me and gave a thorough inspection, "Brother are you getting old?".     

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean" I smack him on the back, speechlessly.     

"That is something grandfather would say".     

"..." The memory of an elderly orc turning to dust with nothing but a smile, flashed across my mind, "Well... you, where are you going to?!!".     

I grabbed some snow and quickly made it into a ball, before tossing it at his retreating back, he didn't bother to dodge as he ran away in comical manner while raising his hands in defeat.     

Our actions drew the attention of those around us.     

I shook my head while , I thought, "at least we both cheered up".     

After settling down, I began to think about the issue of rewards.     

It could be said that Vass's results in the battle so far are unequalled and Moz was just behind her on the list.     

I'll have to give them a suitable reward.     

"Now then, let's see what I can do with the surviving lieutenants." Muttering this words out loud, I'll walked towards the prison.     

Haji with his curved sword and Tutu with her bow were standing around the captured orcs, paying careful attention to them. Moz sat not too far away as she sharpened her dagger repeatedly, looking absentmindedly at the prisoners as well.     

Perhaps they were too scared to notice that she wasn't really looking at them right now, but they sat there obediently.     

The rest of her team guarded the place from a distance.     

'She still doesn't want to talk to me, I guess I'll have to force the conversation to happen later'.     

"I'll give you your life but In exchange, you will come under the black moon banner."     

The biggest of these orc warriors sat on the ground, his size could rival Urim's, he had an expression on him that seemed to say he would accept anything.     

Words didn't need to be said...     

"Hmm, very well." After a little thinking, I nodded.     

"Send him for treatment," I said to one of the hobgoblins in Moz's team.     

Hearing that, the orc heaved a sigh of relief.     

A female Goblin was soon brought over as she uses some kind of salve made from herbs to tend to his wounds.      

After cleaning the surface, she also used another set of leaves to cover the wounds before wrapping it.     

I watched silently for a while, as it was my first time of seeing someone with the healer profession.     

'what would the second circle evolution look like?'.     

seeing the goblins use medicine shocked me as I have always been relying on my own body's regeneration ability.     

Of course, I didn't let that show on my face. I just naturally glanced at the medicine.     

If the effects of those medicine are good, then the value of this goblin will go up. After all, the variety of my inner circle is severely limited.     

'leveling her up shouldn't be a problem either', I continue to weigh my options, it didn't take long for the medicine to kick in.     

The bleeding on the wound stopped and it was healing albeit slowly.     

________     

"kill me!!." One of the orc's who looked like he was lying on a makeshift stretcher shot a stern gaze that even looked somewhat challenging as he roared those words.     

[Name: Hogg Greyeye     

Race: Orc spear master/ Builder (Iko)     

Level: 32(Order of the third circle)     

Power rating: 46777     

Relationship: Second in command of the Greyeye clan, Greyeye lead Iko.     

Alignment: lawful neutral.]     

_____     

In response, the corners of my mouth rose.     

'Does he think he can go that easily?'     

"boring, I have something else in mind", When I said that, his face changed.     

 'Are you kidding me? Of all that laid here, he's the most valuable.' I decided to resort to messing with his mind slowly, big deal, I brand him in the end.     

"Get me some salt"     

"W...w...what are you doing…"     

"Do you really think of me as a fool?"I said with a sneer while pulling out Eclipse from my side.     

I need to persuade him with fear first.     

I looked down on the astonished orc who was looking up to me.     

"I...I…In case we do follow you, what will you do?".     

'As I thought, he's the one with the most say after Kharag'.     

A sinister smile spread across my face as I said, "I will rule over everything. I will rule all of the very land that we step on, even beyond the ocean and even the heavens that look down upon us"     

"You... you are mad!"     

"What is so great about being normal?, I will become the God of the orc lands, why should I be... Normal?, Such a strange thing...an orc warrior speaking of being normal".     

I laughed Mockingly, trying to undermine hiss beliefs, I wanted to push all his buttons as far as I could.     

The orc went silent for a while.     

From this day on, this fellow here shall probably be one of the leading pillars of my black moon clan, if not I'll just kill him right here and now.     

"If there are any of you dissatisfied, you may speak as well. I won't mind."No one moved an inch.     

Not a hint of the oppressive aura I had been using until now, could be felt in my words.     

Perhaps that's what scared them even more.     

Suddenly, like a tired old man ,he sighed.     

The other prisoners all listened attentively, not even whizzing a cough.     

After some time passed and no one said a thing, He once again looked at his Clan members that were looking at him with hope.     

"I would swear an oath to you but as you can see, my body won't allow it."     

He looked at me once again to check my expression.     

"I do not mind" I said slowly.     

After which, he turned to me, and said solemnly.     

"from this day forth, I shall raise my spear in your name."     

_______     

Hogg bowed slightly, and I quietly nodded.     

And so… I acquired the oath of the most important piece that controls the Greyeye clan, so I can take the village more smoothly.     

The others seemed to be startled by seeing Hogg give a genuine oath. Their eyes darted back and forth between the both of us.