"We’re here," Ryze said casually.
As he spoke, he led Link out onto a vast, erald-green prairie. Beneath the silvery glow of the moonlight, a gentle breeze stirred the blades of grass, sending rippling waves of green and silver dancing across the land.
In the distance, on a hill at the far end of the grassland, several tent-shaped shadows could be faintly seen silhouetted against the skyline. And if one listened closely, the faint, muffled sound of horn blasts could also be heard echoing through the night.
Ryze extended a finger, pointing toward the shadows of the tents ahead, and spoke in a hushed tone. "That’s the Skullsplitter Clan’s territory."
"Skullsplitter Clan..."
Link silently mouthed the na to himself, noting it with care. His gaze shifted further beyond the tents, where he noticed a towering cylindrical structure rising hundreds of ters into the sky.
The thing was so bizarre and out of place that Link couldn’t imdiately process what he was looking at.
Thankfully, Lib kindly attached a brief explanation for him.
Only then did Link understand what he was seeing—this sky-piercing column was called the Babel Tower, one of the few tall structures built by the Skullsplitter Clan. It was where all of the clan’s shamans resided.
They believed that the higher you stood, the farther you could see. The Babel Tower allowed the orcs to survey the borders of their territory for potential enemies and also amplified the shamans’ perception capabilities to the fullest.
"Link, now’s the perfect ti to test the perception-shielding technique I taught you earlier. It might feel awkward at first, like wearing clothes for the first ti, but trust , you’ll get used to it."
"Understood, ntor. I’ll try it right now."
Without hesitation, Link activated the Infinite Void Domain, enclosing the domain within a half-ter radius around his body.
By limiting the domain’s range to such a small space, the energy consumption was minimal. Maintaining it for twenty-four hours straight wouldn’t be a problem for him—and even keeping it up year-round wouldn’t drain him much.
Ryze gave him a quick once-over, then narrowed his eyes in approval. "Not bad at all. On your first try, and you already grasped the core technique—minimize the radius to minimize exposure. I knew it—you’re a genius."
Link responded with a modest wave of his hand. "ntor, could you try sensing now?"
Ryze nodded and settled into a more focused state.
Although he didn’t possess a perception-type talent himself, Ryze was a veteran warrior with years of battlefield experience. He had his own ways of detecting people or danger—naly, sensing auras.
Every being, be it human or moonfolk, emitted an aura upon entering a space. It was intangible and hard to define, sothing only seasoned combatants could perceive.
And Ryze, without question, was one of them.
After a mont of silent sensing, Ryze smiled. "Perfect. I can’t detect the slightest trace of your aura. It’s as if you’re invisible, even when standing right next to . Excellent work, Link."
"No no, it’s thanks to your great teaching, ntor. If it weren’t for your friendship with Mr. Nate, I never would’ve learned this special application of the Infinite Void Domain."
"I’m sure nobody else besides you and Mr. Nate could’ve thought to use a domain talent this way."
"Alright, alright, enough flattery," Ryze chuckled. "Let’s focus on the task at hand."
Link nodded and fell silent, keeping the Infinite Void Domain active as he followed closely behind Ryze.
The two of them crossed the vast prairie swiftly and arrived at the heart of the Skullsplitter Clan’s stronghold.
Several orcs were patrolling the area with torches raised high, their eyes alert as they scanned the darkness stretching beyond the borders of their camp.
Link paid little attention to the massive green-skinned orcs on guard. They weren’t the targets of their mission.
He stayed close to Ryze as they circled around the Skullsplitter Clan Highlands multiple tis, until they finally located the area where the orcs kept their slaves imprisoned.
Calling it a prison was generous. It was little more than a makeshift enclosure—crudely built using wooden stakes and mud walls, exuding a primal, barbaric atmosphere.
Ryze jumped easily over the four- to five-ter-tall fence.
Link, however, had so trouble. His leg strength wasn’t yet enough to launch himself as Ryze had. So instead, he crouched at the base of the enclosure and began climbing slowly, digging his fingers and toes into the gaps in the wall for grip.
"Lok’tar! Ogar!"
Suddenly, the patrolling orcs let out a thunderous roar toward the moon above, all in unison.
Link, caught mid-climb, nearly fell off the fence in surprise.
He glanced back nervously, only to see the orcs resu their patrols as if nothing had happened.
It seed the shout was so kind of orcish slogan or warcry—ant to boost morale or maintain unity among their ranks.
Still, the sheer volu of their voices had left Link’s ears ringing.
Inwardly, he sighed at the might of the orcs. Despite their brute strength and crude manners, they were by no ans brainless savages.
In fact, historical records often noted that the stronger mbers of the orc race were not only formidable warriors but also masterful tacticians—equal in wit and skill to any human commander of their tier.
If one were to encounter such an orc—both intelligent and monstrously strong—on the battlefield, victory would be next to impossible.
Thankfully, the orcs had always remained neutral throughout history. They followed a simple principle: if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you.
They had never once initiated a conflict with humanity.
But if they ever did—if a horde of orcs, each wielding a club or spear, marched into battle—the threat to humanity would be considerable.
"Lib, show the data on these Skullsplitter Clan orcs."
Seeing was believing. Link’s curiosity got the better of him, and he wanted to know just how powerful these orcs really were.
"As you wish, Master."
[Race: Orc]
[Affiliation: Skullsplitter Clan]
[Power Value: 5758 (Tier-5 Esper, mid-stage)]
[Talent: Brutal Strength (C-Rank)]
[Racial Trait: This Orc subtribe, based in the Hubel Prairie, is known for...]
[Weakness: Soft tissue at the back of the neck—vulnerable to slashing...]
Link quickly scanned the data but didn’t linger. He resud his climb and finally reached the top of the fence, joining Ryze on the other side within the orcish prison camp.
What awaited them inside were rows of wooden cages, filled with imprisoned moonfolk.
At that mont, Link finally understood why his ntor had chosen this place for the second talent-copying operation.
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