Chapter 10 - The Truth Behind the Stone

The dragon took a deep breath and began his explanation.

"A few years ago, I was just wandering through the skies when something struck my wings. I crashed down hard—right here, above this cave."

Ray, Emily, and Kael listened intently.

"When I hit the ground, two orcs stood before me. One was that old geezer… the other was a woman, shrouded in robes. She was powerful—definitely a mage. I could feel her magic restraining me, trying to keep me from moving. But I resisted."

His voice grew bitter.

"She tightened her hold, and that's when the old orc placed a seal on my head. It drained me of my life force, and I knew instantly it was also crafted by her magic."

The dragon's claws dug into the ground in frustration.

"That bastard forced me to keep this stone ignited with my flames. He said that if I stopped, the seal would drain me dry until I was nothing but bones. They even adjusted the seal so it took my energy slowly, keeping me in a state of constant suffering."

Kael frowned. "And what is this stone, exactly?"

The dragon's expression darkened.

"This… is an Ancient Arcane Core. A relic from the era of great mages. It requires massive amounts of energy to function, but in return, it can sustain entire civilizations.

"In places where life shouldn't be possible—like deserts or these frozen mountains—this stone provides warmth, restores broken structures, and even reshapes the land itself. But controlling it requires an immensely skilled mage."

He glanced toward the orc settlement.

"That female orc… she's the one controlling it. Meanwhile, I'm just the power source keeping it alive."

Ray's gaze sharpened.

"And the orc children?"

The dragon let out a low growl.

"They were meant to sustain me. Orcs have long lifespans, and their young hold an abundance of life force. They planned to use them to keep me alive, so I could continue fueling the stone indefinitely."

A silence fell between them.

Then Kael asked, "But if this stone restores buildings, why are so many still destroyed? You supposedly burned this place down years ago, but the stone should've repaired everything by now."

The dragon scoffed. "Because I never burned anything. I was trapped here from the start. The destruction you see? That was orchestrated by the old orc.

"He used fear to manipulate his people. He probably told them something like, 'We must sacrifice our children, or the dragon will burn our land!'"

Ray's eyes flickered with understanding.

"…And the parts of the city that remain destroyed?"

The dragon narrowed his gaze.

"Exactly. That mage must be suppressing the stone's restorative powers—keeping some areas ruined to make the story more believable."

Emily's fists clenched. "But how could the orcs fall for that? Why did they believe it so easily?"

The dragon let out a heavy sigh.

"Simple. The mage created illusions of me burning their homes. And with the stone's power, she could actually destroy parts of the city to make it seem real."

The truth settled like a crushing weight.

Ray, Emily, and Kael immediately returned to the orc settlement and gathered the people.

They confronted the old orc.

He listened to their accusations silently.

Then, suddenly, he laughed.

"…So what?" His voice turned eerie. "You all can do nothing before me."

He reached out, his fingers grazing the orc mage's waist in a possessive grip.

With a twisted smile, he whispered, "She is mine. I did all of this for her and me."

The orcs recoiled in shock.

The old orc's eyes gleamed with madness.

"She was my childhood friend… But when the Goddess of Love blessed her, she became powerful, eternal. She no longer aged. Meanwhile, I withered."

His grip on her tightened.

"I couldn't allow that. I couldn't let her outgrow me. So I built this empire, took control of this stone, and became the ruler of this land! I ensured that we would always be together."

His expression twisted in pride.

"With this stone's power, I have everything. My name is feared. I am the leader. The director of this grand city. And I have her beside me."

Ray stepped forward and ripped the veil from the orc mage's face.

She was beautiful.

But her eyes…

Dead. Empty. Hollow.

Kael's stomach turned. "She looks… abused."

Emily couldn't hold back her rage.

"Why?!" she shouted at the woman. "Why are you with him?! Do you love this monster? Can't you see what he's done—just to selfishly keep you at his side?!"

The orc mage said nothing.

She didn't even flinch.

Suddenly—

The old orc lifted his arm, revealing a glowing gemstone embedded in his wrist.

Power radiated from it.

"Bow."

A crushing force exploded from the gem.

Ray, Emily, Kael, and every orc in the settlement were instantly forced to their knees.

The gravity was overwhelming.

Air was sucked from their lungs.

Their bones creaked.

They could barely breathe.

Except for Ray.

Ray stood.

The old orc's eyes widened in disbelief.

"…What?"

The pressure intensified. The ground cracked beneath it.

Yet Ray remained unmoving.

Then—

A blade flashed.

Blood sprayed.

The old orc gasped as a knife sliced his throat open.

The gemstone was torn from his wrist.

His body collapsed.

The force vanished.

Emily and Kael gasped for air, their limbs trembling.

Ray's eyes flicked toward the attacker.

A man stood there, dagger in hand.

His cloak fluttered.

A familiar smirk played on his lips.

"…You?" Kael whispered.

The man turned slightly, revealing his face.

The leader of the hunters—the same group that once hunted Kael—grinned.

"Long time no see."