The Record of Orc Civilization - Chapter 456: The Ambush at Bog Forest

Ash and charred magical residue fell like gray snow, blanketing a narrow valley on the fringes of the Old Battlefield. Diru, now clad in captain’s armor with a silver-fang emblem emblazoned on his shoulder, crouched behind a thicket of bioluminescent moss clinging to the stone cliffs. Behind him, a dozen Asura soldiers breathed in a synchronized rhythm—calm, steady, and ready to strike.

After assisting the two Queens in the capture of Leon, Diru had been redeployed to the front. This time, he held command over his own unit: twenty-three young Asuras who had only recently completed their evolutions.

Instead of being thrust into the most lethal zones of the front line, they were tasked with severing enemy supply chains. While Kuja had been sent to the New Battlefield, Diru was stationed at the Old Battlefield. The fundamental difference between the two lay in their proximity to the Demon legions currently battering the Human Alliance at the vanguard.

For a fresh unit like Diru’s, the Old Battlefield was relatively safer, as the Human Alliance’s attention was fractured by the relentless Demon onslaught. Nevertheless, Goku had ordered Diru to remain vigilant—not just against humans, but against the movements of the Demon forces.

Diru still remembered Nerphyl’s warning during the investigation of Leon; the traitor’s aura had felt identical to that of the Demon race. That was why, even though they were currently providing indirect aid to the Demons by sabotaging human supplies, Diru remained on high alert for a sudden strike from any direction.

“Wait…” Diru whispered, his sharp eyes tracking the human supply caravan below.

Carts pulled by mutated, rhino-like beasts lumbered through the dense Bog Forest. Their predatory hooves gripped the wet earth firmly; the towering trees shook violently every time the creatures’ heavy treads hit the ground.

These creatures were Wolf Rhinos. They possessed the massive bulk of a rhinoceros but were capable of moving with the agility of a wolf. Though technically herbivores, their sharp fangs and talons suggested they didn’t mind the occasional taste of flesh.

The Wolf Rhino was the most common mount used by the Human Alliance to navigate the Bog Forest, and Diru was well-acquainted with their combat patterns. Typically, they attacked with a lethal charge using the pointed horn atop their snouts. Combined with their incredible speed, such a charge could pierce even iron shields. If a target managed to dodge, the Wolf Rhino would pivot nimbly and strike with its claws. However, they possessed one fatal weakness: their neck muscles were so thick that their head movement was restricted—they could not look upward. This was exactly why Diru had positioned his men on the higher ground.

He waited until the enemy was directly beneath them.

“Ambush!” Diru bellowed.

In an instant, he plummeted like a black arrow, followed by twenty-three other Asuras moving in perfect synchronization as if they were a single organism. The Inner Eye allowed the unit to read each other’s movements, enabling the entire group to move based solely on Diru’s intent.

Their fists began to vibrate, shrouded in a biofield that caused the air around their knuckles to frictionize at incredible speeds. Heat capable of melting iron was generated just before the twenty-four Asuras unleashed their strikes. However, their targets were not the guards or the Wolf Rhinos, but the very ground the enemy stood upon.

Supply lines were always protected by Mages, but the earth beneath their feet had no defense.

Twenty-four Brajadenta mantras slammed into the earth, creating a massive explosion accompanied by a searing heat that incinerated the surrounding trees. Instantly, the supply line fell into chaos. The panicked Wolf Rhinos bolted from the blast zone; though their thick hides resisted the heat, the sensation of being roasted alive caused them to lose all control.

By the time Diru and his unit touched down, the scene before them was a shambles. Wolf Rhinos dragged supply wagons in every direction—crashing into cliffs, trees, and other carts. With a single opening strike, Diru had torn the enemy formation to shreds.

But the battle had only just begun. Diru felt waves of mana beginning to surge. The protector Mages were reacting.

They outnumbered Diru’s unit two-to-one, though their quality was lacking. The strongest among them was only at the 4th Constellation level, while the rest were mere 1st Constellation mages—nothing more than cannon fodder for the Asuras.

“Eradicate them!” Diru ordered.

“Yes, Sir!”

Without wasting a second, the twenty-four Asuras lunged after their respective targets. Before the Mages could even chant their spells, the flaming fists of the Asuras had already punched through their chests. Within minutes, the human mage count dwindled drastically.

Diru didn’t stay idle; he immediately targeted the veteran 4th Constellation mage. The moment the Brajadenta shockwave had hit, the mage had already activated his Mana God Form.

Despite this, Diru felt no need to trigger his Vivid Dream technique for an opponent of this caliber. Through a combination of mantras and Body Forging, he was more than enough to press the mage into a corner.

However, just as Diru prepared to deliver the killing blow, a sudden chill raced down his spine, making his hair stand on end. He glanced away and saw the surviving mages pulling small white pills from their pockets. Without hesitation, they swallowed them, and the mana atmosphere within the Bog Forest turned deathly cold.

The horrific sound of cracking bone echoed through the valley. The mages’ bodies began to swell unnaturally; their veins protruded and glowed with a blinding white light. The surrounding mana was forcibly siphoned into them, creating a vortex of wind that tore up the ground.

The same effect gripped every surviving mage. Those who had been cornered just moments ago now rose with overflowing energy—even as that very energy seemed to be shredding their bodies from the inside out.

“THE BODY-EATING PILLS!” Diru cried out, his eyes wide with horror.

News of Nevare’s battle against Artur in Heles had spread throughout the Wilwatikta military. Every unit had been issued an ultimatum: be on high alert if an enemy consumes a white pill that causes a massive siphon of mana. It was the same substance Artur had used to nearly kill Nevare.

The R-18 Division had dubbed the substance the Body-Eating Pill because its effects provided an absurd boost in power and regeneration at the cost of the user’s physical vessel. Though Diru had studied the theories on how to counter it, this was the first time he had faced the horror of the pill firsthand on the battlefield.