Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !

Chapter 86 Orc army approaching

The valley, littered with orc corpses, seemed quiet now.

Everyone was quietly catching their breath, saying little.

Maxime stepped into the middle of the mercenary group, his aura beginning to fade as he deactivated his talent, but the strong impression he gave off remained and drew everyone's gaze.

He was also the only person who had no bloodstains on him and who hadn't had his armor damaged.

"Don't forget to take the ears of these orcs as evidence in case the Count doesn't believe us, as we did at the village of VentBois."

"Those ears are very valuable."

Jean, who was particularly tired, suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Chief, we'd better get out of here fast."

Everyone looked at Jean suspiciously, including Maxime.

Suddenly, a distant thud was heard.

An eerie echo, like the steady beat of a giant drum.

The silence that had pervaded the valley broke, replaced by a palpable tension. The mercenaries looked at each other, concern painting itself on their tired faces.

Rodrigo frowned and turned to Maxime.

"Chief, it looks like... that was just the vanguard of an orc army."

Maxime took a deep breath, watching the horizon where shadows were beginning to appear. A wave of larger, better-armed orcs was approaching.

Andrew, frowning, stepped up beside Maxime.

"What do we do, boss?"

Maxime didn't hesitate and shook his head.

"Obviously we're taking a detour, but confronting an army of orcs isn't part of our job. We'd be risking the loss of many mercenaries, and that's not the point."

"Everyone hurry up and grab the ears of these monsters and let's get the hell out of here!"

Maxime's loud voice roused the mercenaries from their worries, and everyone set about cutting off the ears and storing them in their bags.

In less than a minute, Maxime's order was carried out and everyone started running towards the valley entrance.

Scouts including Tena and Ultia were sent to the front to secure their route, while other mercenaries took up positions around the recruits to protect them in case of need.

The footsteps of the orc army seemed farther and farther away, but no one felt safe.

Jean approached Maxime, fear etched on his features.

"Chief, I feel we're being followed."

Jean's feelings were proving right every time for the moment, so Maxime decided to trust them and find a solution.

Maxime looked around, searching the rugged landscape for an idea.

Then he spotted a steep path winding up to a small rocky plateau, out of sight.

"We should be able to hide up there," he said, pointing to the path.

The mercenaries quickly deployed, each knowing that the slightest misstep could cost them their lives.

The sun was already declining, turning the valley a dark, oppressive red.

The rumble of orc footsteps echoed once again, louder than before.

A pungent smell of blood and death spread through the valley.

A few minutes passed, and the orc scouts finally arrived.

There were only about thirty of them, but they seemed stronger than the vanguard they had faced.

These orcs also seemed to possess certain skills.

Maxime and the mercenaries could see from their position as they stopped near the corpses, wary expressions on their faces.

A few of them sniffed the air, analyzing the mutilated bodies.

Among them was a strange orc.

This orc was small, wore a strange black robe and had a bent back.

From his position, Maxime couldn't see his face, but somehow he sensed an intense feeling of danger coming from this orc.

This orc approached one of the orcs killed by Maxime, and used his clawed fingers to graze the corpse's still-fresh wound.

Then he put the green blood he'd collected via his fingers into his mouth, as if that might give him some clue.

He muttered something in an unfamiliar language, his eyes crinkling in cold anger.

When he noticed that the orcs' ears were missing, he became even angrier, muttering something to the orcs accompanying him.

Charles, who, like everyone else, was watching every move from his hiding place, felt the tension rising inside him.

The new recruits weren't in the best of moods either.

The slightest clue found by these orcs could give them away. The mercenaries remained perfectly still, their chests barely heaving with controlled breathing.

The orcs began to inspect the area, stirring up the corpses and looking for traces.

Maxime frowned, his mind racing to anticipate their actions. He knew that if the trackers picked up their trail, their position might be discovered.

If they really were discovered, then most of the mercenaries here would undoubtedly die.

Just as an unbearable tension was building up, an unexpected movement turned the tide.

Further down, crows, attracted by the fresh flesh of the orcs, began cawing and fighting over a corpse, creating a commotion that diverted the orcs' attention.

The trackers looked up and exchanged glances before grunting in annoyance.

The shaman, clearly disconcerted, made a curt gesture, ordering the troop to continue their march towards the valley's exit.

The main army soon reached the saber-toothed tigers' position.

Almost all the mercenaries began to sweat profusely as they saw the endless column of orcs.

Maxime could tell that there were at least 500 orcs in this army.

Such an army would be enough to take down any baron's territory, especially as there were several particularly large orcs in this army.

Generally speaking, the bigger the orcs, the stronger they were.

If they were smaller than average, then they were generally more intelligent than others and could possess special abilities.

This was what was taught in real-world courses.

All beginners had to face orcs at one time or another.

Some even chose to fight them from the start, because they couldn't bear the thought of killing human beings.

But these beginners usually met with a bad end, as their physical strength was far too inadequate to survive against the monstrous force of the orcs. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

In any case, given their size, these large orcs should be able to rival knights, at least in terms of sheer strength.

Including the mysterious orc, it was a force not to be underestimated.

The hidden mercenaries watched in silence as the army passed beneath them.

The steady beat of the orc march eventually faded into the distance, leaving the valley to fall back into an almost unreal silence.

Rodrigo exhaled slowly, his muscles finally relaxing. Henry glanced at Maxime, who was still surveying the terrain, ready to react to the slightest contingency.

"That was hot, boss," Henry murmured.

Maxime nodded, his gaze as piercing as ever.

"Yes, but we'll have to keep moving. Those corpses won't lie forever."

He turned his head towards the mercenaries.

"Get ready, we're leaving in five minutes. Let's leave no trace."

The men and women of the group rose cautiously, erasing their footprints and ensuring that their passage would remain invisible.

Daylight was fading, and darkness would soon become their ally as they moved away from the valley that had become the graveyard of a battle that could have become their graveyard.