Chapter 5: Orcs

The journey from our village to Baiqi City takes approximately five days on foot. First, we head north, crossing Wildcat Mountain, then follow the official road eastward until we reach Baiqi River. From there, we travel along the riverbank northward to Baiqi City. Baiqi River is the main waterway running through the city, originating from the northernmost Wo Ma Mountain and flowing southward through Baiqi City. When Baiqi City was built, its founders deliberately excavated channels to divert the river around the city, creating a moat before the waters continued southward to the sea.

"We've passed Wildcat Mountain. We should head east at the next crossroads," Lu Xi said, wiping sweat from his brow as he looked up at the scorching sun.

"We've been walking for most of the day. Let's take a break under that tree," I suggested.

The three of us leaned against a large roadside tree, each taking out dry rations and water to replenish our strength. The forest behind us was said to be vast—so vast that even experienced hunters dared not venture deeper than half a day's walk for fear of getting lost.

The shade under the tree was noticeably cooler. The dense foliage blocked most of the sunlight, and occasional breezes from the forest provided a refreshing chill. After finishing my food, drowsiness crept in, and before I knew it, I had dozed off.

In my dream, I heard someone calling my name.

"Ah Zheng."

The voice was old and deep, as if echoing from the depths of the forest. I jolted awake, only to find Lu Xi and Zhang Yi nowhere in sight.

"Ah Zheng."

The call came again, clearer this time. I stood up and followed the voice into the forest. The deeper I went, the denser the trees became. The light filtering through the leaves grew dimmer, and the air gradually turned cold.

"Ah Zheng."

The voice sounded closer now. Frustrated, I quickened my pace, hoping to catch up with whoever was calling me.

Then, I saw him.

A gray-robed elder with graying hair was walking swiftly ahead of me.

"Who are you?" I shouted. "I see you!"

But no matter how fast I ran, I could never close the distance between us. His figure remained shrouded in a faint mist, making it impossible to discern his features.

I pursued him for a while before, suddenly, he vanished.

Looking around, I realized with a sinking feeling that I might have gotten lost.

Then, a rustling sound came from the trees nearby.

I turned toward the noise—and froze.

A monster emerged from the woods.

I had never seen such a creature before. Its body was covered in shaggy, dark-yellow fur, and it stood significantly taller than me. It was muscular and powerful, and though its fur obscured most of its face, I could still make out a nose, eyes, and mouth. Its ears were indistinguishable, lost in the thick fur. It walked with a hunched posture, muttering in a deep, guttural voice.

Before I could react, it suddenly lunged at me.

With a swipe of its massive hand, I was knocked to the ground.

Then, it raised its foot—about to stomp on me.

"Ah!"

I woke with a start, gasping for breath.

Lu Xi and Zhang Yi rushed over.

"What happened? Nightmare?" Zhang Yi asked.

I shook my head, still shaken, and glanced around. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, and everything appeared normal.

Just a dream.

"What a ridiculous dream…" I muttered, rubbing my temples. But as I recalled the old man's silhouette, a dull pain throbbed in my head. Why did just thinking about that dream make my head hurt?

Zhang Yi and Lu Xi pressed me for answers, but I had no idea how to explain it—so I simply dropped the subject.

"Let's get going." I stood up and dusted off my clothes.

Just then, a cry for help came from the forest.

"Help!"

The voice belonged to a girl, laced with fear.

The three of us exchanged glances, momentarily stunned.

"Help me!"

The plea came again, trembling with desperation.

"Let's go, we have to check it out!" I said without hesitation. No matter the danger, a human life was at stake—we couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

We ran toward the source of the voice, the memory of my eerie dream still lingering. But unlike my dream, the forest was bathed in sunlight, and the air was warm. To avoid getting lost, I warned Lu Xi and Zhang Yi to stick together and stay aware of our surroundings.

The girl's voice came from deep within the forest. She was running, her cries growing more frantic, as though something was chasing her but had yet to catch up.

"If we keep going, we might really get lost," Lu Xi suddenly said, stopping to grab mine and Zhang Yi's arms.

"Then what? We just leave her?" Zhang Yi countered.

"Don't look at me. I don't know either," I admitted. Looking around, I saw nothing but trees. We had already run quite far—if we turned back now, we could still make it out. Any farther, and we'd truly be lost.

"Help! Ah!"

The girl's scream abruptly turned into a startled cry—as if something had grabbed her.

"No time to think. We have to go!" I clenched my jaw. I couldn't stand by and do nothing.

We ran further in pursuit, but the girl's voice had vanished. The only sound remaining was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"Wait!" Zhang Yi suddenly bent down and picked up a cloth shoe.

"She's been taken! We have to hurry!" I urged.

"Look, footprints!" Lu Xi pointed at the ground.

Large footprints, far bigger than a human's, trailed through the dirt. Judging by their shape, they belonged to something bipedal—not a typical wild beast.

Following the tracks, we ran until the trees thinned out, revealing a small grassland. Beyond the clearing lay an immense forest—towering trees so massive that their trunks would take several people to encircle. Their thick canopies nearly blocked out the sky. Compared to this, the woods we had passed through felt like mere shrubbery.

"I've never seen trees this massive before!" Zhang Yi exclaimed. "No one's ever mentioned a place like this."

"Look over there!" Lu Xi suddenly pointed toward the edge of the forest.

A towering figure was retreating into the shadows.

It was enormous, draped in animal pelts, gripping a massive wooden club in one hand. In the other, it carried a girl in a blue dress—her body limp, unconscious.

As if sensing our gaze, the creature turned around.

We finally saw its face.

It was hideous—two large tusks jutted from its mouth, making it look monstrous.

The creature cast us a cold glance before disappearing into the depths of the forest.

"What was that?" Zhang Yi whispered, clearly shaken.

"It looked like a half-orc," I murmured.

It was only a guess, but the creature matched the description given by Old Man Yu—larger than a human, capable of wielding weapons, dressed in animal pelts, and bearing tusks.

"We have to follow it." I tightened my grip on my dagger. Though fear gnawed at me, there was no turning back now.

Lu Xi and Zhang Yi gripped their weapons and followed.

As we stepped into the forest, we quickly realized—these trees were even taller than they had seemed from a distance. Their vast canopies swallowed the light, plunging us into eerie darkness. The air turned icy cold.

It felt like we had entered another world.