Chapter 96: One Hope

When the orc magi fired a powerful fireball that created a massive explosion and kicked up the dust, Kyros immediately sent his armor into the Temple.

What remained was a regular orc hide armor that Kyros had worn inside. With a full helmet on, Kyros began to merge with the groups fighting. When the order to focus on the main carriage appeared, Kyros took advantage of the commotion by sending two carriages and a small cart into the Temple.

His mother became the distraction that he needed to send these things without drawing attention.

Later, he moved towards the main carriage and pretended to defend it. It was there that Kyros ordered his Coven to focus the attacks on that particular area and even made the surviving ghouls rush towards the main carriage so he could pretend to be one of its defenders.

As everyone was focused on fighting, Kyros entered the carriage to see just what it was guarding.

Kyros killed the orc guarding it on the inside as he activated Time Haste and slashed the enemy.

The object that was being guarded was several large chunks of dark reddish ore. A strange heat was being released by the ore. While most would be amazed at the magical properties of the ore that had fire energy and the large amount of this precious material to appear, what caught Kyros's eye was an ordinary grey stone that was protruding to the side of one of the chunks.

If it was anybody else, they would have ignored the stone. But Kyros knew what it was.

"A dragon egg!" Kyros was amazed at his find.

"Is Fate still helping you?" Calaminus questioned.

"I doubt it. This is just plain luck. This is what it means to win over Fate. In Fate's estimate, my battle with those three Viscounts would have cost me more days inside that mountain. This army of orc, the Blood Calamity, and possibly many others are things that Fate never expected me to have the time and luxury to chase after these things." Kyros grinned.

Kyros took everything. But upon trying to send the last chunk of ore, it failed.

[Sentient beings of Life or Unlife cannot be sent into the Temple.]

"Oh... Right. This egg has life. I can't send this one." Kyros realized and began to chip the ore around the egg to remove it.

After detaching the egg, Kyros sent the ore to the Temple and carried the egg. It was as hard as a rock. Kyros estimated that even his current 60 stat point wouldn't be enough in breaking this egg.

The magic barrier was erected at this point in time, and the group was on full retreat. 

Kyros waited for the group to reach the edge near the forest and finally used that attack once more.

The Orc leader was looking at his retreating team with a sullen expression. His wolf had many wounds from the fight with the Paladin. Near him were the other orc captains. Some didn't even have the opportunity of saving their mounts and were only running aside him. It was a good thing that orcs had little problems with stamina and could continuously run twice as long as their human counterparts of similar levels.

"What is the count?" He asked.

"We lost a total of 78 men in that clash. Thirteen were over level 20. Most of our warriors are wounded. We also lost all our trolls from the poison user." An orc reported.

"Out of the carriages that were transporting goods, we lost three of the five." The orc reported.

"We've lost so many. But we've survived an ambush from a kingdom. They sent a small team to hide their movement in this territory. But they had several warriors at level 40! This is equal to declaring war!"

As the group talked, several carriages suddenly appeared falling in front of them. 

SMASH! CRASH!

The carriages following the main carriage began to make sharp turns to avoid crashing on towards the wreckage that followed from the impossible appearances of these carts.

"What happened?!" The leader roared. He managed to evade the attack, but some of the captain and the main caravan created a chain reaction of crashes and smashes.

Kyros allowed himself to be thrown out of the cart. The body of the orc he killed had already been sent to the Temple. Since Kyros seemed to be the only orc kicked of the carriage, everyone thought him to be the only guard.

"Quick! Reform and retreat! We cannot be careless!" The orc captain began to order.

"Look! At the north! Is that the enemy?" 

[Oration activated.]

Everyone looked towards the distance and found several carriages moving towards them with some armed guards.

"Captains! Get ready for battle! Everyone else, I want those carriages and the items transferred to working carriages! Move! Move! Move!" The orc ordered.

Everyone tried to bring the dark stone that spilled out from the caravan crash.

"Captain! An orc drives that carriage! It's another transport team!"

"Subdue it and force them to serve us by order of the Foreshire army law! And we need as many men as possible!"

But while the group was moving, no one noticed that Kyros had bolted on the other direction, entered the forest, and activated his dark cloak.

He brought out some of the ores he got from the Temple, and in the frantic panic, no one noticed that what they had been moving around were just regular ores of various minerals.

Back at the place of the battle, Mezal ordered his team to move whatever they could keep into the forest. The Coven created more orc ghouls from the orcs that were wounded or incapacitated.

"Great shooting!" Diana praised as she turned to one of the key factors that aided in the battle. It was Martha Bowheart.

"The arrows that Lord Kyros made me use with the thick Entropy helped out in killing those trolls. To think such a tough enemy would fall from a single arrow." Martha was amazed as he looked at the dead trolls.

"What if my son?" Diana asked.

"He is alright. He just stole the items from the main carriage and is on his way here through the forest.

"It's good that he's alive. But he just caused a great war in this region. The orcs will grow mad at this. They might attack human kingdoms!" Diana sighed.

"That was the plan. Kyros is using this war to make it harder for Fate to move. I think I understand now." Mezal joined in on the conversation.

"The human kingdoms have already sent their groups into the mountain. More will arrive ahead of us. But when these forces move, war will erupt on the outside. This means the kingdoms will have a hard time sending in more of their men because they need to prepare for war. As for us, our arrival in the mountain will be accompanied by reports and rumors of being attacked by vampires and the orcs of Foreshire Kingdom! We can even leave lies that we saw the Foreshire Kingdom's army moving to prepare the human kingdoms! And while everyone is busy, the Steele family will rise as the dominant players in the mountain! With Kyros's power and wit, and how our forces can grow stronger, he may even conquer all the humans in that mountain!"

"That's a bit too cruel, grandfather." Kyros chucked as he emerged from the forest.

"Lord Kyros." The Coven reported.

"So what is your purpose if not to devour everything?" Mezal asked immediately.

"To devour the enemy and to strengthen our allies, of course. The Fate of this place is not that easy, grandfather. The Dark Shine Kingdom looms in the horizon, and with it is the rise of Eldrich race! It will not stay at the Lowlands but will spill over towards the Midlands and even the Highlands. It'll be a Second Nether War."

"A Second Nether Wars? That's crazy talk! After their defeat, the beings in the Nether Realms no longer need the Light."

"It goes beyond basic needs, Grandfather. Gods and Fallens are involved. A great war is happening. In the Temple, we found a strange inscription that the powerful Golem army was watching over. It talked about a being known as Beginning and End. There were mentions of an Alpha and an Omega and implied a great war between the two. It was too big for me to comprehend. But this I know, Fate is leading the armies here. So we have to get stronger and create a powerful kingdom and an alliance that will stand and fight. That is our one hope in surviving not only as a fam11ily but as a race!"

Everyone was amazed by Kyros's declaration.

"A war of gods?"

"Lord Kyros, is the Temple related to it?"

"Yes. I don't know how yet, but it surely is. And the Blood Calamity that is raging in Airom Logat is something that could be equally important. I must go there now, especially when Fate has ceased his hand for several days. This is part of how we outsmart Fate. This time that Fate is dormant is the right time to move! Fate is training those associated with the Temple. The trial right now is how we use time. The hardship that we faced may cause us to want to rest, to find peace. But with what's over the horizon, we have to do what we can, when we can."

"Then what kingdoms do we ally?" Mezal asked.

"Those that are righteous. The power that challenges us will be so overwhelming. It will seduce many, and we need not more than the human kingdoms! We need an orc kingdom and even a vampire kingdom or any of those kingdoms on the Dark Sea."

"Even orcs?" Grugnyr asked again.

"Yes. I won't discriminate. You seemed rather unaffected by your actions. Is there enmity between you and the Foreshire Kingdom?" Kyros asked.

"Yes. I belonged to a lesser orc kingdom that they enslaved." Grugnyr answered. There was a strange look in his eyes.

Kyros noticed it.

"Could it be? Is it Fate's working?" Kyros wondered but ignored it.

"Then that's good. The Foreshire Kingdom has to go. It's the most powerful and most abusive orc kingdom. They have to burn. So we will be killing a lot of them." Kyros said seriously. The Steele Family fell from this kingdom.

"It seems that I have to get used to the crazy claims of my son."

"There is a lot at stake, Grandfather. If this kingdom stays, it will become a powerful force if it allies with the distant Dark Shine Kingdom."

"Then I guess we have to hurry." Mezal nodded.

"I will communicate with father through the notebook. The many preparations that happened on this battle are because of their assistance." Kyros explained. He had given orders to his father through the notebook to act quickly and keep emptying the room. Whenever a carriage would appear, Kyros had already given orders to make them quickly remove any important items as soon as possible for Kyros to use as his Caravan Crash.

"Kyros... The items you get from the Temple. Is it freely accessible to my sons?"

"Yes."

"Then these armors that you gave me..."

"Yes. You would have naturally had access to it if you went to the Temple." Kyros gave him a malicious smile.

"You little brat!"

"Honor your vows, Grandfather!" Kyros laughed. 

"Coven. Make preparations. I'll be cleaning up the stuff, but we'll need an orc ghoul squad when we move inside!" Kyros ordered as he ignored his cursing grandfather.

"Son... I will join you." Diana added.

"Of course, mother. Let's have a good trip!"