🧚The Lament of the Saintess Chapter 1: Elves and Orcs (2)

"Damn it, are you saying those elves, prancing around with their fancy armor, have stooped so low as to mingle with Lizardmen Desecrators?!" Aunt Ironaxe exploded in rage upon hearing this, her fury generating whirlwinds around her that shattered her broad wooden chair into pieces.

"Ah, you've broken another chair. That's the fifth one this month," came a melodious soprano as a tall, agile figure like a flame dashed into the room.

Gulaba's previously cheerful face fell instantly as if he had seen some formidable predator. He turned to tiptoe away but was yanked back by a muscular, shapely arm.

"Where do you think you're escaping to, you old drunkard?" The arm's owner scolded with a fierce look. She was a fit and beautiful orc warrior, her dusky, flushed cheeks framed by large, round eyes. Her small tusks peeked from her lower lip, and a golden nose ring jauntily hung from her pert nose—she was the epitome of vitality!

Caught in his failed escape, Gulaba quickly switched to a flattering smile, saying, "You know, Grisela, seeing you is always a joy. Your strength has increased again; I'm almost out of breath. Could you loosen your grip a little, beautiful and mighty warrior? I've brought you a gift."

Aunt Ironaxe chuckled as she watched the young ones' playful banter, cherishing the lively and joyful gathering of the tribe's youth around her more than any other matter. Lizardmen Desecrators and the elves' pretentious antics were far from her mind at this moment. Here, Aunt Ironaxe was not the fearsome orc chieftain but the beloved plump auntie everyone adored.

At the mention of a gift, Grisela finally released Gulaba's collar, though she still subtly positioned herself between him and the doorway.

Gulaba fumbled in his large backpack for a while before carefully extracting a long item wrapped tightly in oil paper, which he presented to Grisela with a beaming smile.

The proud and beautiful orc warrior, intrigued by the Sword Saint’s earnestness with the package, carefully unwrapped layer after layer of oil paper.

"What is this? This is an OCD Redemption (katana)," Grisela gasped as her eyes widened in awe. Her already enchanting eyes now sparkled like twin stars in the night sky.

The katana is the world's sharpest weapon but also the most challenging to maintain. A slight nick in the blade required an expert to re-sharpen it completely. A perfectionist samurai, far from his homeland, came to the town of Time and modified his beloved but damage-prone sword into a heavy chainsaw blade to prevent any nicks. This innovative design allowed the sword to strike opponents earlier and enabled skilled samurais to execute multiple slashes in rapid succession. The weapon was not only immensely powerful and fast, but even a clumsy panda rabbit could defeat an enemy with it.

Grisela couldn’t hide her delight. She clapped Gulaba on the back so hard that the old drunkard staggered, his face contorting comically. Then she fiercely kissed the Sword Saint’s cheeks twice, much to Aunt Ironaxe’s amusement.

No wonder Grisela was so excited; the katana’s handle was inlaid with five crystal-like stars, denoting the highest probability of double strikes and critical hits. Five robust whirlwinds wrapped around the blade indicated top-tier attack power. Five large red patches across the blade signified the strongest bleeding debuff curses available. Had the pommel's engraving been of spades rather than hearts, it would have been a perfect, six-star god-tier weapon.

"This OCD Redemption (katana) is a treasured item from the head of the Mercenaries' Guild. I went through a lot to pry it from that old miser's hands. Even though it's marked with hearts rather than spades, making it less than perfect, it's still a rare pinnacle five-star golden weapon," Gulaba laughed heartily as he explained the gift, clearly pleased with the warm kisses on his cheek.

OCD Redemption (katana) weapons, with their long reach and high initial strike rate, coupled with excellent double strike probability and critical hit rates, have always been favored by orcs. Rarely does one find such a weapon also enhanced with storm attributes and bleeding debuff curses, making it especially beloved by orcs.

Knowing the value of the weapon in her hands, Grisela’s earlier annoyance at Gulaba’s abrupt departure faded. Orc warrior women are like the wild winds of the Gobi—quick to anger and quick to forgive.

Having calmed Grisela, the Sword Saint took a deep breath and then addressed the chieftain, who was still watching the scene with amusement:

"Let's get to the point, Aunt Ironaxe. The information I have is likely accurate. The Lizardmen Desecrators seem to have received support from the elves. As you know, elves are particularly vulnerable to storm attributes, which is why they've always been wary of you orcs."

"So those elf dandies have always been trying to cozy up to you humans, right? After all, your kind excels in fire attacks, which we orcs dread," Aunt Ironaxe said, her smile fading as the conversation turned serious.

"But humans and orcs have always had good relations. These elves must be seeking out the Lizardmen in hopes of bolstering their strength because they couldn't secure your support," Grisela added.

"It's not that simple. You humans excel in fire attributes and fear lightning. Therefore, both orcs and elves pose little threat to humans. On the contrary, Lizardmen, who excel in lightning attributes, are the greatest threat to humans. This time, by joining forces with the Lizardmen, those elf dandies probably intend to use this alliance to threaten you humans," Aunt Ironaxe analyzed.

Gulaba nodded in agreement, "Aunt Ironaxe is right. Now, each of the five major races of Time Town has its vulnerabilities. Humans excel in fire but fear lightning, thus aligning with orcs who dread fire. Orcs excel in storms, which the elves fear. Elves are adept at holy attacks, naturally countering vampires. Vampires fear the holy but excel in ice attacks, thus they counter Lizardmen. Lizardmen are strongest in lightning, so they are despised by humans. This has always been the reason for the relative stability among the five races despite their mutual checks and balances."

"But now, if the elves and Lizardmen form an alliance, they could force a rift between humans and us orcs, after all, humans are the best at scheming," Grisela said, flashing her small tusks as if to warn Gulaba against any hesitation.

"Calm down, my beautiful, powerful warrior!" Gulaba quickly gestured with his hands, "You're missing a link here."

"Missing a link? Are you talking about the vampires?" Grisela exclaimed, startled.

"Exactly, vampires are restrained by elves but counter Lizardmen. They are the indispensable link in this chain. If these three races form an alliance, then both humans and orcs are doomed," Aunt Ironaxe pinpointed the crux of the issue.

"But humans and vampires have always been mortal enemies," Grisela pointed out.

"When it comes to victory, humans are always particularly flexible," Gulaba said with a self-deprecating shrug. "Orcs and vampires have always had a decent relationship; originally outside the major conflicts, orcs and vampires suddenly became the most crucial link. Without you, the chain is incomplete."

"So, you're hoping we help you and the vampires forge an alliance?" Aunt Ironaxe narrowed her eyes.

"Aunt Ironaxe, the era of orcs staying out of affairs is over. Now, forming alliances is the only way for every race to survive. The third great war of Time Town is inevitable."