Chapter Twenty: Big Trouble Ahead

"I told you we shouldn't have chosen that boy! See, something's gone wrong just as I expected." Lighthearted voices drifted over suddenly, and then, as if by magic, the White Tiger King—who should have already been on the battlefield—appeared on the field alongside another elf.

The White Tiger King's arrival was abrupt, but it seemed that only Zhou Tian found it surprising. Yet, with the sudden appearance of the White Tiger King and the elf, the orcs and elves, who had been locked in chaotic combat, instantly separated at that very moment.

Casting a curious glance at the orcs, the White Tiger King let out a soft "Hmm," then said seriously to the elf beside him, "There is indeed something amiss. If their purpose was merely to deal with our tribe's youngsters, I doubt they would remain so calm upon seeing us arrive."

Ignored...

Despite the White Tiger King's repeated attempts at conversation, the elf at his side simply dismissed him each time, as though he weren't there. Witnessing this exchange, the others remained indifferent, but Zhou Tian found his curiosity piqued by the interaction between the White Tiger King and the elf.

Perhaps the repeated snubs embarrassed the White Tiger King, for in a fit of fury, he shot a withering glare at the orcs before charging toward them.

"Whatever your scheme, once I've captured you, I'll get the answers I seek." No sooner had these words left his lips than the orcs, who had previously overwhelmed Zhou Tian and his companions, collapsed one after another as if poisoned, dropping to the ground.

"What happened?" Zhou Tian was certain that the orcs' sudden collapse must have something to do with the White Tiger King, but even after all the orcs had fallen, he could not fathom what exactly the White Tiger King had done to vanquish them so swiftly.

Only after the last orc hit the ground did Zhou Tian notice a distinct fist mark slowly appearing on each of their bodies. Upon seeing that mark, even a fool would have realized how the White Tiger King had dispatched them in an instant.

A low, rumbling laughter broke out among the defeated orcs before Zhou Tian could consider how to explain his own changing abilities to the White Tiger King. The lion-man who led the orcs had begun to laugh darkly.

"Retreat!" cried the elf, realizing what was happening. He immediately turned to withdraw. Yet, caught off guard by the bewildering turn of events, Zhou Tian and the elves hesitated for a split second.

Seeing that no one but themselves had managed to fall back in time, neither the White Tiger King nor the elf hesitated—they rushed back without a second thought.

Just then, not a second after the White Tiger King and the elf spun around, a white light erupted from the bodies of the orcs. The lights converged on the ground, forming a complex sigil, and as soon as the symbol was complete, every living being within its bounds vanished in an instant.

Only after everyone had disappeared did an elder elf emerge from the shadows.

"I never imagined we would fall into their trap after all. Still, I've altered the spatial coordinates. Now it remains to be seen whether any of you are lucky enough to escape alive from within the Orc Empire. It's a pity, though—if only that little snake had been rescued in time! If we could have learned the shamanic arts from that serpent, that would have been something." With that, the elf turned, a magic circle forming beneath his feet, and in a flash, he too was gone.

———Dividing Line———

Zhou Tian was furious, but there was no one left to bear the brunt of his rage.

From the beginning, Zhou Tian had never intended to involve himself in the war between elves and orcs. If he had not been the White Tiger tribe's prisoner at the time, he would never have followed the White Tiger King to the battlefield.

Even after he was brought to the front, Zhou Tian's only wish was to keep himself quietly out of the way until the fighting ended. Yet trouble sought him out, no matter his intentions.

First, he failed to hide inside Mu Zhan in time. Then, acting on impulse, he joined the battle. He barely survived, only to discover that everything he had experienced seemed anything but accidental. In the end, when the elves had the upper hand, he was inexplicably teleported to an unfamiliar place. One mishap after another had placed him in danger time and again. Now, with so much behind him and worse ahead, Zhou Tian could not help but feel a heavy resentment as he calmed down.

"I really am a fool, aren't I? If orcs could so easily slip behind the elven lines, the elves would have been wiped out ages ago. Their numbers are so small—even one attack from behind could devastate them. Why did I have to play the hero? Why didn't I just stay on the sidelines and watch? Now look at me, teleported to this godforsaken place—who knows if I'll even survive?"

After wallowing in self-pity for a while, Zhou Tian was forced to accept reality. He looked around curiously at his surroundings, then began crawling in a chosen direction.

He didn't know exactly what had happened, but since he was not with the White Tiger King and his companions, it was clear that something had gone awry with the orcs' teleportation. He had no idea what situation the White Tiger King and the others were facing, but for now, at least, he was safe.

Zhou Tian knew that if he stayed put, he probably wouldn't run into danger. But he couldn't trust his fate entirely to luck. If nothing happened, he would be fine—but what if something did? Besides, he couldn't hide there forever. The orcs were after the White Tiger King and the elves, not him. They were unlikely to notice such a small player as himself. Rather than wait to die, he'd rather go out and take his chances.

"Let's hope there are no people—please, no people..." he muttered, eyes darting nervously around as he crept along. The slightest disturbance would have sent him scurrying back the way he'd come.

Unfortunately, even though Zhou Tian wished to avoid all contact, unless this place was utterly uninhabitable, it was inevitable he'd encounter someone sooner or later.

"Look, there's a snake over there. We've found our supper for tonight." Voices carried from nearby, and Zhou Tian realized, to his dismay, that a group of a dozen or so orcs had appeared on his right, though he had no idea when they had arrived.

These orcs were not the ragtag band Zhou Tian had met before. This group was made up entirely of werewolves, and seeing the blood kin their mounts rode, Zhou Tian knew at once that he had run into the famous wolf cavalry of the Orc Empire.

At the sight of the wolf cavalry, Zhou Tian's first instinct was to turn and flee. He didn't know where he was, but he was certain it was orc territory. Since he had recently fought alongside the elves against the orcs, he counted himself among the elves by default. Now, on enemy ground, running into orcs could only mean danger—so, of course, Zhou Tian wanted nothing more than to escape unnoticed.