| GB | My Orc Mate | 64
Under the cover of night, danger lurked. The moonlight was completely obscured, and the churning red clouds created a suffocating sense of dread.
The autumn wind blew cold and desolate, yet all the orcs, without exception, were drenched in cold sweat.
The wind carried waves of the scent of blood. Even Yu Bai, who was not skilled in combat, could faintly detect the fresh, warm smell of blood in the air.
After a moment of panic, he tightly covered his mouth and nose and peeked his small face through a gap in the tent.
The light of the fire could not penetrate the protective wall formed by the orcs' bodies. The angry howls of beasts in the night sounded like ghostly wails, making his heart tremble.
Yet the orc warriors remained unmoving, their feet as if rooted to the ground. They would not budge an inch until the moment they were breached.
This was the essence of the orc warriors' spirit—their bravery and fearlessness. As long as Huo Duo'er did not give the signal, they would not retreat an inch, determined to resist the beast tide to the death.
Yu Bai's back stiffened, his flickering gaze moving from left to right, observing each orc's body, finally stopping in front of him. He lifted his face completely, gazing deeply at the figure that had stood in front of the tent since the beast tide appeared.
In the silence, he drew an unprecedented strength from each steadfast back.
Yu Bai stared at the tall, powerful orc before him, his lips moving as he tried to say something to Huo Duo'er.
Then he returned to the tent, rummaged through his pack, and pulled out a stone knife and a wooden spear that was just the right length for him.
The fear that had gripped Yu Bai earlier was gone, replaced by a look of determination in his eyes.
His body was no longer as stiff as before. Though his heart still pounded like a drum, he slowly straightened his slender back and sat firmly.
Yu Bai gripped the wooden spear tightly in his right hand, ready to respond at any moment.
Just as he mentally prepared himself to join the fight, the situation outside took a turn.
Boom—
In the distance, countless rocks tumbled down.
Even though Huo Duo'er had not seen his tribe in three years, his coordination with them was seamless.
The power of the mountain god continuously controlled everything in the mountains, and the scope of the counterattack gradually expanded.
The beast tide that had been tearing through the darkness stopped its advance. Realizing they had met a tough opponent this time, they ceased their hunt and retreated as suddenly as they had appeared, like a receding tide.
The clouds and wind seemed to stand still. A cold, full autumn moon hung in the sky, and the surrounding rocks and wild forests revealed dim outlines, like ghostly claws.
Drip, drip—liquid slid down the stone walls, the blood of beasts that had been slain.
Yu Bai listened intently. After a brief silence, the orcs outside let out a collective sigh of relief, sitting down one by one, breathing heavily, their laughter tinged with the joy of having survived a great ordeal.
"We actually repelled the beast tide?!"
"This is the first time we've repelled such a large-scale beast tide, isn't it?"
Some even slapped their own faces or pinched their arms hard, wincing in pain, then incredulously pinched their fellow tribesmen's thighs.
The warrior whose thigh was pinched let out a yelp, "Why are you pinching my flesh so hard?!"
The warrior who had pinched his companion's thigh wiped the dirt from his face with a grimy hand, grinning foolishly, "Amazing! Not only did we repel the beast tide, but none of our tribesmen were injured!"
In the past, the warriors of the Yuan tribe had encountered the beast tide twice, and the one who pinched his companion's arm had been present for both.
In the previous two encounters with small-scale beast tide, even though they managed to find opportunities to repel the attacks by holding their ground with superior numbers, there were still significant casualties among their tribe.
Never before had they faced a situation like this, and the scale of the beast tide assault was larger than any they had encountered previously.
The panting warriors responded to these words one after another. Despite their physical exhaustion, they had won a battle, and their spirits were exceptionally satisfied.
Yu Bai walked over to Huo Duo'er and, by the light of the rekindled fire, could make out the contours of his face.
Huo Duo'er had overused the power of the mountain god, and his sharp features were drenched in sweat, his breathing uneven.
Concerned, Yu Bai found a piece of coarse cloth and tried to wipe Huo Duo'er's face clean.
Huo Duo'er grabbed his hand and pressed it against his face, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Bai, they're here."
The warriors, who had been boasting and chatting, gradually fell silent. "Boss, who's here?"
Yu Bai was equally puzzled. He turned his gaze toward the darkness. The moonlight was hazy, and all around were steep mountain cliffs; he couldn't see anything.
Huo Duo'er's tone was calm, but Yu Bai, who was close to him, detected an unusual hint of joy.
"My tribesmen. It was they who coordinated with us from the other side to repel the beast tide."
Yu Bai's eyes widened. "The Giant Tribe?"
The orc warriors were even more astonished.
They suppressed their curiosity and excitement, scanning their surroundings, trying to spot traces of the Giant Tribe.
Gradually, a mass of dark figures emerged from the left, comparable in size to the beast tide that had just dispersed.
The firelight gradually illuminated the Giant Tribe orcs surrounding the area.
They were as massive as mountains, each wearing animal hide skirts, their broad shoulders bare, revealing their robust and muscular bodies. Their skin was dark, and their faces were fierce.
The expressions of the Yuan Tribe warriors stiffened as they watched a group of mountain-like male orcs encircle them, each with a menacing face. They immediately fell silent, holding their breath.
Under the moonlight, the firelight revealed dozens of fierce faces. Even Yu Bai, who spent every day with Huo Duo'er, felt his heart tighten rapidly at the sudden sight of a large group of Giant Tribe orcs, instinctively feeling fear.
These Giant Tribe orcs looked even more ferocious than the last. Compared to the sharp and cold Huo Duo'er, they even made Huo Duo'er seem somewhat "gentle" in comparison.
This group of Giant Tribe orcs had come over without even cleaning the bloodstains off their bodies. The leader was about the same size as Huo Duo'er, his face almost entirely covered in tattoos, though his arms were clean.
But because the other giant looked too ferocious and his face was covered in tattoos, as he approached, Yu Bai couldn't handle the visual shock. His heart skipped a beat or two, and he hid behind Huo Duo'er like a rabbit.
Huo Duo'er pulled him into his arms and held him. The approaching Giant Tribe orc was somewhat surprised, but more than that, he was filled with joy at their reunion.
"Big Huo, we sensed you nearby and came immediately!"
Huo Duo'er looked at him. "Man."
Man grinned, the tattoos on his face twisting with his smile, making him look even more terrifying.
Yu Bai, who had just peeked out from behind Huo Duo'er's shoulder: "..."
His heart twitched, and he quickly buried his head back into Huo Duo'er's embrace.
Not just him, even the warriors of the Yuan Tribe were not entirely calm.
It wasn't their fault for being speechless; the Giant Tribe orcs before them were simply too ferocious.
The giant orcs appeared as if they could erupt into a frenzy at any moment, their entire bodies exuding a murderous aura. Just standing there, one couldn't help but believe that they would slaughter the other orc tribes in the next instant.
Yu Bai, along with the brave warriors of the Yuan tribe, all turned their gaze to Huo Duo'er. After Man stepped forward first, the surrounding giant orcs began to speak one after another, calling out "Big Huo" in succession.
Huo Duo'er's eyes swept over them, calling out each of their names in turn, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone is here."
Yu Bai managed to remember a few names. Among the twenty-seven giant orcs present, twenty-six were males, and only one was female.
“Big Huo, we've missed you so much."
"Yeah, you have no idea how many times A’Liao mentions you every day!"
"If it weren't for... why would we have fought so hard to leave?"
"Big Huo, do you still want us to go back?"
“Big Huo, I don't want to go back."
The male orc who said this held the hand of the only female giant orc: "A’Yue was finally saved, Big Huo. Please don't force us to go back, okay?"
Huo Duo'er didn't ask when the scattered tribesmen had reunited, nor did he ask why they hadn't come to find him since the beast tide three years ago.
Being able to reunite with all his tribesmen after three years was already the greatest blessing from the mountain god.
Huo Duo'er didn't want to dwell on the past. His eyes swept around the area, and he said, "It's getting late, and the sky is still dark. We'll rest here for half the night. Mao Mao, you take a few tribesmen and take turns on watch."
The space was limited, and the twenty-seven giant orcs crowded together, leaving no extra room to move, it even felt a bit suffocating.
Man spoke first: "When we came, we cleared out the surrounding beasts. There are so many carcasses that the ones outside will have enough to eat and won't come here to fight."
Moreover, with the giant tribe and the Yuan tribe's warriors combined, there were nearly eighty male orcs. Any beast pack that passed by would have to detour, knowing they couldn't afford to provoke them.
There wasn't enough space on the ground, so Man and the other giant orcs took some fire from the Yuan tribe and set up camp in the outer circle to rest.
Man suddenly turned back and pointed at the sub-female orc held in Huo Duo'er's arms.
The giant orcs who hadn't gone far all looked at Yu Bai, equally confused, thinking: Why is Big Huo holding such a small orc cub?
It looked like a cub, but it didn't seem to be one.
Huo Duo'er gently patted Yu Bai, who was cradled in his arm, and said, "This is my mate, Yu Bai."
"What?!"
"Big Huo has formed a bond?"
“Is this... is this a sub-female orc? Big Huo actually bonded with a sub-female orc weaker than a cub..."
Man's fierce face, covered in tattoos, was equally bewildered. He stared at Yu Bai, unsure of what to say for a long time.
Because Big Huo's eyes clearly told him not to speak carelessly.
Huo Duo'er said, "Go and rest first. We'll talk more tomorrow."
Seeing this, the giant orcs dispersed to the outer circle to light fires and rest. The Yuan tribe warriors who remained on the spot exchanged glances and quickly returned to their positions after hearing Huo Duo'er's instructions.
Inside the tent, Yu Bai used a piece of hemp cloth to wipe the mud and dust off Huo Duo'er's body, then hesitantly asked, "Do your tribesmen not like me?"
Huo Duo'er shook his head: "They may look fierce, but they mean no harm. Don't worry."
Yu Bai nodded slightly. He was tired, having gone through a beast tide. It was now the latter half of the night, and his mental and physical strength had reached their limit.
Huo Duo'er picked him up and let him lean against his chest: "Sleep. I'll watch over you."
The orc's chest was warm and broad, providing Yu Bai with a sense of security that soon lulled him into a drowsy state.
—
The next day, Yu Bai regained a sliver of consciousness from his hazy state. The autumn morning was cool, but his hands and feet were warm, and he was still cradled in Huo Duo'er's arms.
At that moment, it seemed Huo Duo'er was whispering to someone.
Yu Bai opened his bleary eyes and saw a fierce face covered in tattoos peeking into the tent, its mouth moving as if speaking, startling him.
Huo Duo'er pulled Yu Bai back into his chest to comfort him, frowning as he said, "Man, pull your face back. You scared Bai."
Man scratched the back of his head. "Am I really that scary?!"
He wanted to argue for a chance to stay, but Huo Duo'er's tone brooked no argument. "Out."
Man: "..."
Man shuffled his large frame outside the tent, his fierce face turned skyward, his eyes filled with confusion.
Big Huo had never treated them like this before.
His deep voice carried a hint of grievance as he muttered, "What the hell..."
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