Orakh didn’t know what to make of their current situation. They had gone into one of the Apex Domains in the Great Valley. If Sharina were to know about this . . .

Orakh had a headache. Why was Draki so pushy today?

But since he didn’t have a choice, Orakh followed Draki deeper into the tall shrubs. “Stay close. Don’t fall behind and get lost in the jungle. Be careful of your surroundings and refrain from touching anything.”

Evie and Ragnar looked over at Ren, waiting for his confirmation.

“Let’s go.” When Ren followed Orakh deeper into the left fork, Evie and Ragnar didn’t have a choice but to follow him.

After pushing through the trees and series of towering plants, the group came across a wide clearing with nothing but a house at the center.

It was a small hut with a chimney and thatched roof with brick and stone walls. A contrast to where it nestled, the house was pleasant looking and homey, like where fairy tales happened.

Some of the Orcs shook their head and took a step back.

“That’s the old Hag’s lair. We have to get out of here.”

Draki paused and addressed the half-frightened Orcs. “Listen up. The Old Hag doesn’t come out of its lair in the daylight. What’s more, as long as we don’t enter its house, it won’t initiate an attack.”

The Orcs’ faces at least regained a little of their calm at what Draki said. Indeed, the Old Hag didn’t come out from its lair until daylight was gone. That at least left them some time to check the area. But still . . . they couldn’t get the fear out of their system.

Everyone knew that the old Hag was a powerful witch that commanded potent magic drawing from the dark. Her ways were evil and mysterious, able to control the minds of her enemies on a whim. Their numbers wouldn’t do them good. In fact, it would do them more harm than good.

“Let’s keep our eyes open and search the area. We might find something,” said Draki, and the Orcs split to cover more ground.

That was the clue that Ren was waiting for. He then went after Orakh, who was searching by the well. At his back were Evie and Ragnar.

“I don’t know what we’re doing. Care to enlighten us?” Ragnar asked while gazing at Ren with narrowed eyes. The guy in question wasn’t leaving his gaze at Orakh the slightest, watching the Orc’s every move.

“I think we shouldn’t stay here longer than necessary.” Evie hovered at her surroundings. She didn’t know why . . . but did the light dimmed the more they stayed here? Or were her eyes playing tricks on her?

“Don’t worry. Everything is going according to plan.”

Ragnar rolled his eyes. “Just because you said not to worry, we won’t, especially since we don’t have specific details as to what we’re doing here.”

Even after what Ragnar said, Ren didn’t spare him a glance. His focus was on Orakh, and his eyes shone in delight when the Orc found the item near the well. And that was only when Ren faced Evie and Ragnar.

“We’re getting that mask,” he said with a smile before he went to Orakh.

Ragnar took a deep breath and released it in one breath over the sky. Ren really had this uncanny ability to irritate people and he even pride himself in remaining calm under any circumstances and pressure.

Ragnar blamed his edginess at the mask. The mask was his saving grace in this new world. It was his last chance to live in peace –– so explains his irritability. The soonest he got the mask the soonest he would be back to normal.

On the other hand, Ren stared at the item in Orakh’s hand with lazy grin on his face.

Orakh was just looking at the necklace in his hand. It was just a simple bone necklace with nothing remarkable in it and quickly forgotten after he looked at it within seconds. It was not even colorful and could easily pass out as trash.

But Orakh stood frozen on his spot with a face confused before his expression gradually changed to one of fear. It was like a knife was pointed at his back from how he stopped breathing entirely.

“What is it?” Ren asked.

Orakh flinched and hid the necklace in his hands. He blinked rapidly and stuttered, “T-this . . . ugh . . . n-nothing. This is nothing. Just some trash.”

Orakh cleared his throat. “Nothing to concern yourself with.”

“Is that so?” Ren hid his chuckle behind a concerned face before screams pierced the stillness of the forest.

Everyone looked to where the noise came from, and their eyes rounded in surprise when out of nowhere, there was an ugly old Hag with hunched back standing not far from the forest, and her wrinkly finger with sharp black nails held the head of the Orc she killed.

“My . . . visitors?” The Old Hag’s voice was throaty, like the sharp nails of a cat scratching a chalkboard. “Why didn’t you knock at my door? We can have tea over the warm fire.”

Orakh gasped. “The Old Hag.”

Draki was confused. “That’s not possible. How could she be walking under daylight?”

The Old Hag’s eyes narrowed when her mouth stretched so wide, displaying her sharp jagged teeth. The nostrils in her pointy, crooked, warts-filled, nose went big when she inhaled. “Daylight?”

It was only when everyone noticed that the light where they drew their confident from was disappearing and reflecting on their eyes were the dusk sky.

“How is that possible?” Draki didn’t know what sorcery the Old Hag used that she could control even day and night.

The Old Hag laughed, laughter that shook their bones in fear.

“Ehehehehehe! Have you forgotten Orcs?! This is my domain! I can control whatever you see here.”

With a snap of her hand, the scenery changed. The house turned old, with walls falling down, holes on roofs, and cobwebs loitering around, thick and full of crawling creatures with dozens of red eyes.

What little light the area had was snapped out like a candle blown by the cold wind, and its place was the twin blood moon high in the sky.

The Orcs that were thrice the size of the Old Hag all backed away. They were like ants in front of a mammoth, and the fear on their faces was so visceral.

The Orcs weren’t known to fear anything, as evident by their fight with the Night Crawlers and Night Thing. They weren’t even threatened by the Gods.

But in the face of the Old Hag, they were shaking on their knees and almost wet their loincloth.

They had reasons to fear the Old Hag. Ren thought after he used [Probe] on the abominable creature in front of them disguised as an ugly old lady.

—-

A/N

BONUS Chapters to follow. Just going to get a quick nap 😴

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