"I am Shennong," the man finally spoke, his voice calm and deliberate, almost too smooth for soone standing in a place like this. "And as I said earlier... this woman next to is Yenissa."
Yenissa rely tilted her head with a slight smile. It was small—barely a shift of her lips—but it sent a strange chill crawling down Ka’ra’s spine. There was sothing unnerving about her. Ka’ra looked away quickly, as if avoiding a predator’s gaze.
Then Shennong stepped forward, hands loosely clasped behind his back. His eyes didn’t glow with power, but they carried weight. Confidence. Authority. "So... how was your battle with the boar?" he asked, voice curious. "Was it any different from a normal one?"
Ka’ra narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
He continued, unfazed. "I assu it was a little more... stimulating?"
She didn’t want to speak. Not to him. Not now. But sothing told her this man wouldn’t let her go until she did. The fact that he stood here as if this entire forest belonged to him, the way he spoke with the composure of a ruler addressing a guest—it all made her uneasy. And curious.
"My tribe is close to this place," she muttered finally. "So I need to know what you are."
Shennong gave a slight nod. "Reasonable but learn manners first. I asked you a question so I hope for an answer from you."
Ka’ra sighed through her nose. "The boar wasn’t like any other. It was hard. Tough skin. Fast. It wasn’t just prey. A normal boar would fall under our arrows easily, but that thing... It was more like a beast from the salamander hills—those that breathe fire."
"Salamanders..." Shennong repeated the word like it was a delicacy on his tongue. "Interesting. I’ve yet to find one of those."
"They’re east of this forest, near the Great Mountain," Ka’ra said. "Their eggs are... delicious."
Shennong chuckled softly. "I’ll have to explore that way soon."
Then his expression shifted, growing serious again. "By the way... this forest isn’t called the Deep Blue Forest. It’s the Moonlight Forest."
Ka’ra frowned. "What?"
"I made it," he said casually. "It’s my creation. You could say I’m a crafter. But instead of weapons or tools, I build things like this, well I also built weapons and tools but that’s beside the point."
Ka’ra blinked at him. "You... made this forest?"
He nodded. "From soil to sky."
She didn’t know what to say. Her mind reeled from the idea. A man making a forest?
"And how do you even understand ?" she asked. "I’ve never seen a human speak orc tongue."
Shennong tapped a small, tallic device fixed like a diadem on his head. "I don’t. This little thing is called a Real-Ti Language Translator. It makes sure we understand each other, no matter the tongue. You could think of it as a magic item, if that helps."
"A magic device..." Ka’ra mumbled, staring at it with suspicion.
"Now then," Shennong said, folding his arms and tilting his head, "What should I do with you?"
Ka’ra stiffened. "Why did you bring here?"
"What else?" he said. "I want to bring orcs into the Moonlight Forest."
All color drained from her face. Her stomach twisted.
"What... what do you an by that?" she whispered.
Yenissa finally spoke. Her voice was low, sultry, and disturbingly pleasant. "Why do you think he only lit the walls of your tribe on fire?"
Ka’ra’s eyes widened as the mory ca crashing back. The outer walls of their village—ablaze, not enough to kill, but enough to terrify.
She stared at Shennong. "You wanted us to feel unsafe in our ho."
Shennong smiled. "You’re smart."
Ka’ra’s fists clenched. Her muscles tensed. Every fiber of her being wanted to lunge at him, to tear his throat out.
But she didn’t move. Not yet.
Not because of fear.
But because of curiosity.
What kind of human is capable of creating a forest filled with monsters stronger than anything they’ve known?
She forced her voice to steady. "Do you want to kill our tribe by tossing us into this forest?"
Shennong laughed lightly. "Far from it. I want to see your tribe evolve."
"Evolve?" she echoed, her voice tight.
"Yes," he said, almost warmly. "Orcs are strong, yes. Proud. But in this forest... you’d be nothing more than prey. At first."
He stepped closer, eyes gleaming. "But imagine what you could beco after evolving just like other creatures."
Ka’ra didn’t want to answer him, but even she was curious about what Shennong was talking about.
Shennong then kept talking knowing Ka’ra is not very talkative. "You might think this all sound too good, but I do have rules. Once you evolve you’re not allowed to leave this forest until I say so,"
Ka’ra narrowed her eyes. "You’re saying none of us will return to our forest after this so-called evolution?"
"Correct," he said. "No one who changes should go back. That’s the rule."
Ka’ra stared at him. "How can you say it will even happen? That we’ll evolve, not die? What proof do I have you’re not tricking ?"
Shennong didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at Yenissa.
She raised her hand.
Ka’ra’s instincts scread danger—she clenched her eyes shut as a gust of wind blew past her face, followed by a sharp clang.
She opened her eyes.
The chains binding her wrists lay broken on the ground.
"I gain nothing from tricking you," Shennong said calmly. "I don’t know you, Ka’ra. I don’t know your tribe. I don’t hate you. I don’t pity you. I’m simply... curious."
He stepped back. "Are you okay being weak?"
Ka’ra flinched.
"Are you okay," he continued, "knowing that soday, when I release the monsters of this forest into the world, they’ll outclass every orc in your tribe? Stronger. Faster. More intelligent."
Her fists trembled.
"I..." she whispered. "I’m not okay with that."
"Then stay," he said. "One week. That’s all I ask. Stay and see why this is the best path for your kind. I’ll show you what trust ans. What potential lies hidden inside your people."
Ka’ra looked at him, then at Yenissa, then at the endless trees of the Moonlight Forest.
Everything she thought she knew—the natural order, the strength of her tribe, the safety of her forest—had been broken the mont she t this man.
He had created a forest. Made creatures stronger than anything she’d seen. Learned their language with a machine. Broken her chains without effort. And now he spoke of evolution like it was a certainty.
One week, he said.
Could she afford not to see what that ant?
"Fine," Ka’ra said at last. "One week. But if I see one sign of lie..."
Shennong raised a hand with a smirk. "You’ll gut like a fish. Yes, yes. Understood."
"Well, that will be just a dream for her," Yenissa muttered looking rather displeased, that Shennong was okay with her looking so hostile.
Ka’ra looked away, unsure whether to be impressed, scared, or furious.
Probably all three.
But deep inside her—beneath the rage and mistrust—sothing stirred.
A small flicker of sothing dangerous.
Hope.
And with that she was given one week to explore the place. In that ti, she had the complete freedom to leave the main room and explore the forest, but she was not allowed to go back.
Ka’ra’s bare feet touched the smooth stone floor as she stepped into the room prepared for her to say. It was enormous—far beyond anything she had expected. A bed larger than the chieftain’s throne back in her tribe, draped in thick, soft furs, dominated the space. Faint blue lights humd from crystals embedded in the walls, bathing the chamber in a soft glow.
She turned slowly, running her hand along the carved edges of the doorway.
"How in the spirit’s na... did they even build this place underground?"
There was no torch smoke, no draft, and the air didn’t sll of moss or decay. It was fresh—fragrant even, like the petals of night lilies. She muttered under her breath, half in awe, half in fear.
"That Shennong human... he’s no re human. He’s got the power of the spirits. Maybe even... blessed by one."
She laid her axe on the corner of the bed, tension slowly leaving her shoulders. But the quiet was short-lived.
Laughter echoed from the main hall.
Curious, Ka’ra left her room and padded down the polished hallway, following the soft giggles until she ca upon the two succubi lounging on what looked like a shimring couch of woven vines and silk.
Rilith had beautiful looking hair cascading down her back, eyes glowing softly like embers. Velara’s gorgeous skin was offset by her dark, glistening curls, her smile sly yet oddly inviting. Ka’ra had seen them before—briefly—but only now did she get a sense of who they really were.
"Look who decided to wander out," Rilith chid with a wink. "Was the bed too small for our big lady?"
Ka’ra narrowed her eyes. "Was just... looking around."
Velara patted the seat beside her. "Then co look here. Sit with us. We don’t bite."
"Not unless asked," Rilith added, and both burst into soft laughter.
Ka’ra sat stiffly at first, arms crossed. She wanted to refuse, but at the sa ti, she wanted to see why these powerful sccubi were obeying this human. What was there relationship with him.
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