Ashen Dragon

North of the Black Stone Mountain Range, southern Wuge Prairie, Binder River.

"It hurts so much..."

"Ah!"

"D-Damn those Imperial People, on Father God Guosh, my leg..."

"Help me, my lord, please save me! Don't leave me here!"

By the gently flowing river, everywhere was filled with the agonized groans of the wounded, their blood once again staining the river red.

These Orcs had either lost their legs to artillery fire, had their bodies burned by flames, or worse—half of their bodies charred black from explosions, clinging to life by mere threads.

The Shamans of the tribe wandered around, tending to the lightly wounded, applying herbal remedies and casting Spore Witchcraft, while those gravely injured were left without aid.

When someone died, the Orcs mercilessly tossed their corpses into the river, letting them become a part of the Binder River. Even heavily wounded Orcs who remained unconscious but were still breathing were shoved into the water.

This was a practice in line with Guosh's doctrine—the Orcs were eternal warriors, all who were sick, weak, crippled, or unfit for battle were meant to be purged.

"On Father God..."

"Are we truly doomed to die here?"

Watching the corpses, and even their still-living kin being thrown into the river, a sense of shared sorrow spread among the Orcs, making the surrounding atmosphere increasingly oppressive and despairing.

In a concealed valley, the chieftains of clans such as Black Crow, Frost Wolf, and Rock Lizard gathered for a clandestine meeting.

"Are we really going to do this? Solo, he..." The Rock Lizard Clan Leader hesitated, having witnessed Solo's strength firsthand.

After receiving that mysterious "blessing," Solo's power was no less than that of the former Great Chief Batu.

"What's there to fear? Do you think he'd dare defy the entire clan and kill us all?" The Black Crow Clan Leader sneered coldly.

The Frost Wolf Clan Leader stepped forward, speaking bluntly: "We must leave the Red Blood Tribe! If this goes on, the elites of our clans will be utterly depleted!

After Lord Batu's death, the Red Blood Tribe is already nothing more than a shadow of its former self! Only Batu could have led us Orcs to conquer the world!"

Though the Frost Wolf Clan and Black Crow Clan harbored deep-seated blood feuds spanning generations, they were now united on the same cause.

Solo had cultivated Low-level Beastmen, letting those unworthy of being called "Orcs" rampantly exploit the resources of the Wuge Prairie, which had stirred the dissatisfaction of various Orc Clan Leaders.

Before this war began, they still held a sliver of hope for Solo, enduring for the sake of the greater good of the Orc race and remaining within the Red Blood Tribe.

But with the war ending in total defeat for the Orcs, the Low-level Beastmen slaughtered to the last, the Clan Leaders could no longer contain their rage—particularly against Chief Solo, whose oppression was beyond endurance.

They wanted to reclaim autonomy for their clans!

They wanted to return to the Wuge Prairie, slaughter those greedy Low-level Beastmen, and take back their respective clan's pastures and hunting grounds!

"Indeed, Solo's mind has been corrupted by the power of those Low-level Beastmen. He is no longer fit to be our leader."

"I even suspect... the strange power that created those Low-level Beastmen wasn't bestowed by Father God at all, but rather came from sacrifices of our clansmen, in secret trade with an Alien Clan!"

"This insults Father God, insults the proud Orc race!"

"Before Lord Batu's sacrifice, Solo was merely a general within the Red Blood Tribe. What right does he have to command us Clan Leaders?"

"He is unworthy! This bastard has exhausted the grasslands' resources, producing millions of trash, and the result? We couldn't even touch Aivendel's walls!"

"Solo is no longer worthy of being called an Orc! He is a chieftain of Low-level Beastmen, but not ours!"

Immediately, the twenty-plus Clan Leaders present erupted in fury, pounding their chests and unleashing their hatred for the Red Blood Tribe and Chief Solo, wishing nothing more than to hack him to pieces.

Within Orc society, a primitive democratic system existed—only an Orc recognized by all Clan Leaders could become their shared leader, the so-called "Great Chief."

Centuries ago, a Great Chief had aroused public anger and was ousted by vote among the clans' Orcs. That deposed chief had ultimately frozen to death in the wilderness.

Now, while the Clan Leaders might not be able to exile Solo, they could lead their tribes away from the Red Blood Tribe, leaving this so-called "Great Chief" with no followers.

The Frost Wolf Clan Leader, Sak, raised his weapon solemnly and declared: "Gentlemen, let us return to our tribes over the next few days and communicate swiftly. At dawn three days from now, we will rise up together.

Remember, divide into dozens of routes, fleeing in different directions, so he cannot concentrate forces to stop us.

By then, the so-called Red Blood Tribe... heh, let Solo and his bastard offspring keep it."

The Earth Beast Clan Leader clapped in approval: "Agreed, let's do it! I've long said those greedy, stupid bastards don't deserve to be among us!"

"Hahaha, since Solo and Mo Ke love Low-level Beastmen so much, let them stay with those mongrels for the rest of their lives!"

The Clan Leaders roared with laughter, hands on hips, having long grown tired of living such lives of hiding and running, fed up with Solo's humiliation and scorn.