Chapter 117: Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [117]
Under the frenzied assault of two massive monsters, Rhodes, and two fierce Tigress warriors, the greenskins on the battlefield were quickly wiped out.
The last greenskin ork fell to the ground with a satisfied and happy smile, marking the completion of this grand slaughter.
This time, at least twenty to thirty thousand orks were released into the arena, but unfortunately, the amount of system gold coins they contributed fell short compared to the Dark Eldar!
The contributions were on par with the Tyranids, but still couldn't match the Dark Eldar.
After the battle ended, Rhodes took the opportunity to stash a few chunks of greenskin meat into his pocket. Ork's meat was valuable stuff! This was an incredibly peculiar species.
When members of this species were killed, their flesh and blood would seep into the surrounding soil, and new greenskins would sprout from the ground.
Ork populations didn't reproduce through male-female pairings. Their species was a hybrid of plants and animals.
When a young ork matured, it would unconsciously release greenskin spores. These spores would grow into various types of mushrooms, which served as the primary food source for the greenskins.
In addition to mushrooms, the spores would also grow a type of creature called Squigs. These small creatures served as food for the ork population, as well as mounts, war beasts, or even accessories like braided hair or decorations. The orks could use them however they pleased.
Next, a type of slug would emerge, responsible for cultivating mushrooms and caring for unborn orklings.
Following that, the spores would produce combat units. The weakest among them were called Goblins, followed by Ork Warriors, also known as Ork Boyz.
There were subcategories like Shoota Boyz (ranged fighters), Slugga Boyz (melee fighters), and Stormboyz (flying fighters).
Then there were Painboyz, highly skilled in medical techniques. It's said their skills were so advanced they could attach a wounded person's head onto someone else's body.
If you were injured, they'd simply cut off the damaged part and replace it with another.
Next came Mekboyz, weapon manufacturing specialists who could use piles of scrap metal to produce high-tech weaponry. However, such weapons could only be used by orcs themselves.
These ordinary Ork Boyz would eventually evolve into Warbosses, Ork Warlords, Big Meks, or Painbosses.
The orks possessed a strange kind of energy called WAAAGH! This force was also known as the "Power of Belief."
As long as orks believed in something, it would become reality. For example, painting a weapon purple would make the ork invisible, and painting it red would increase its attack power.
If a near-broken tank was believed by a group of orks to still be functional, then that tank could somehow drive, even without fuel!
Ork Mekboyz could even use scrap metal to assemble advanced weapons or transform a satellite into a battle moon.
In short, this was a race with broken, overpowered abilities, who loved combat above all else. Humans and the Dark Eldar once conducted experiments on orks. If a young ork were captured and locked in a cell without being allowed to fight, within just a few months, it would fall ill, become bloated, and even die of depression.
On the contrary, if allowed to fight, they would grow stronger and stronger.
Today, they might fight you with sticks and stones, tomorrow with melee weapons, the day after with firearms, and soon after that, with tanks and mechs. Eventually, they'd come at you with spaceships.
As the orks fought, they continually grew more muscular, and their strength would grow exponentially. In brutal wars, they could even overpower Primarchs.
Even the Emperor of Mankind was once nearly choked to death by an ork warlord.
These Orks were the only species capable of outnumbering the Tyranids in terms of sheer numbers during a war.
They were practically born to be super-beasts! Imagine the kinds of monsters that could be cultivated using the bodies of orks.
Rhodes thought it was necessary to study them.
Thus, the orks' body parts had to be brought back so his scientists could examine this fascinating and happy-go-lucky species.
"Ahhh!" Lelith raised her weapon high, drenched in blood, and roared.
The other Eldar gladiators in the arena also raised their weapons and began to cheer wildly.
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause once again. This grand monster duel had come to a perfect conclusion.
The two massive monsters were returned to their capsules, and a large group of Dark Eldar entered the arena.
Then, he pulled out a flamethrower and began roasting the remains of the orks on the ground, burning away every last trace of them.
The remains of these orks had to be completely cleaned up; otherwise, in a couple of days, all sorts of mushrooms would start growing in the arena.
The Haemonclus left the arena thoroughly satisfied—it was a show worth every coin they paid for the tickets.
Today, they had witnessed a bloody gladiatorial match that they hadn't seen in centuries, maybe even millennia.
Many Dark Eldar spectators had absorbed enough soul energy to be rejuvenated, and even some of the elderly members of the tribe appeared radiant with vitality.
The Dark Eldar held such brutally bloody gladiatorial matches not merely for entertainment. After such a savage and cruel multi-combatant fight, their soul-draining symptoms would be significantly alleviated.
...
In the resting room, Lelith sauntered in with predatory grace, her battle-flushed skin glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. She began stripping without hesitation, her movements deliberately slow and sensual as she caught Rhodes' gaze. The bloodstained armor fell away piece by piece, revealing expanses of toned flesh marked with fresh battle scars that only enhanced her dangerous allure.
Her breasts bounced free as she peeled off her chest piece, nipples hardening in the cool air. She stretched languidly, arching her back in a way that emphasized every curve. "Mmmmm..." she purred, running her fingers through her disheveled hair. The motion made her muscles ripple enticingly.
"Ahhh~! That was such a thrilling battle," she moaned, voice husky with lingering adrenaline. Her hands slid down her sides as she reached for her new outfit, but she was in no hurry to cover up. "Lord Loki, the only regret is that I didn't get to fight you this time."
She stalked closer to Rhodes, still mostly nude, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her battle-warmed skin. Her eyes raked over his form appreciatively. "I can see your strength is immense," she practically purred, reaching out to trail a finger down his chest. "But when it comes to combat experience, you're a bit lacking, aren't you?"
In the recent battle, this Lord Loki had performed spectacularly. His terrifying strength, unbelievable speed, and abilities—such as firing yellow lightning and flying—made him the most fearsome killer in the arena.
But the issue was that this man lacked combat experience. His fighting style was still very raw. As someone who had been a seasoned gladiator in the arena for millennia, Lelith could see it.
"Absolute power can make up for some lack of experience. For example, take an orks warrior or an ordinary Dark Eldar warrior. No matter how skilled they are in combat techniques, they could never possibly be my match," Rhodes replied.
"You're correct, Lord Loki, but what if you face an opponent of the same level as you? Or one just slightly weaker than you?
You never know what kind of opponent you'll face next. Can you always rely on brute strength and speed to crush them?" Yvraine sheathed her longsword and walked over, saying this.
She, too, had noticed the issue: this Lord Loki had very little combat experience.
Rhodes smiled but didn't say much.
He had only strengthened two beasts so far, and his power had already reached this level. In the future, he could strengthen a third, a fourth, or even dozens more. His growth rate was beyond the imagination of these two women.
However, what they said was true. Combat experience was indeed important. It would allow him to defeat opponents more efficiently and quickly.
When fighting those green-skinned orks earlier, he had completely relied on his overwhelming speed and terrifying strength to crush them.
If he were to face a true expert of the same level, Rhodes estimated that he might be defeated in a few moves. But as he summoned more beasts and grew stronger, this problem would become less significant.
"Lord Loki, how about I take you to participate in some gladiatorial matches in the future? The arena is the best place to hone your skills, and with me watching over you, nothing will go wrong," Lelith suggested while putting on a brand-new outfit.
"Why don't you train me yourself? With the Arena Queen personally training me, I think I'd improve very quickly."
"Haha! Lord Loki! Only someone who doesn't know Lelith would make such a ridiculous suggestion," Yvraine laughed so hard she bent over.
"Lord Loki, I am indeed skilled in combat techniques, but I'm not good at teaching others. If you were to spar with me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to hold back.
Also, training in a practice field won't truly hone your skills.
You need to kill on a real battlefield, and it's best to deactivate your armor and abandon those useless things when fighting," Lelith said.
The armor on Lord Loki could activate a powerful energy shield, even stronger than a psionic shield, with an absurd level of damage absorption.
At least in the recent battle, the ork bosses and ork warriors had posed no fatal threat to him whatsoever.
"I agree with that!" Yvraine, dressed in leather armor over her undergarments, sat beside Rhodes and chimed in.
"Then how about the two of you train me together? As for the arena, we can save that for another time," Rhodes suggested.
"Hahaha, Lord Loki, I'm not good at teaching either. My former swordsmanship teacher was skilled at it, but he's not here now.
By the way, I also need to remind you of something—I noticed earlier that you secretly kept some of the green-skinned orks' flesh.
I know your family is skilled in biological research, but trust me,
the blood and flesh of these green-skinned creatures are utterly worthless for research. You won't gain anything from it," Yvraine said.
The ork species, or green-skin as they were called, were considered one of the most mysterious species in the galaxy. They were born as living biological weapons of war.
Many people had tried to study them, hoping to harness their potential, but all had failed.
There was no way to control these creatures, nor any method to modify their genetic sequences. They were creations of the ancient godlike beings known as the Old Ones, the most ancient race in existence.