BONUS Chapter for the Super Gift

Thank you to Darted_Table for the Super Gifts

Number of left

Super Gifts = 2

GT = 1

PS = 3

Total = 6

When the list presented itself, Ren asked, "Why do you defend this clan so much if they go against what you believe? Is it also part of your calling to bring stray clans back to the faith of the Gods?"

Zukulum was silent for a moment before the skin around her eyes wrinkled when a sad smile made its way to her lips. "Sharina's mother is my long-time friend. We go back way before Sharina was even born.

"The thing is . . . we got separated one day. I was lost in the forest. Hungry and scared. When all hope was lost, and I was at my deathbed, a God saved me . . ."

Zukulum sharply inhaled and released her breath in one go. "My path is to become a Shaman ever since, and her mother's path was to become the wife of a chieftain. And I knew that I could never return to the clan ever since. That's how we came to be.

"But when I heard the news of my friend's passing and that her daughter is in trouble, I couldn't stomach not to help."

Zukulum took another large breath. "Sharina is stubborn like her mother. But I couldn't fault her since all Orcs were like that. I was like that. Too prideful for our own good. Never really understanding that survival in the Great Valley is allying to a God."

Ragnar and Evie looked at each other. "Allying to a God?"

"Seventy percent of the clans in The Great Valley are already worshipping a God or more. It's no longer a question of pride. It's a necessity to survive. One which Sharina failed to see."

Zukulum shook her head in dismay. "I have watched too many clans perish in the hands of many fiendish Gods, all because of pride. But at the end of the day, a chieftain's greatest task is to protect his people. What's left to protect if all are burnt to the ground?"

". . . But . . ." Evie thought for a moment and said, "Slaving for a God isn't right either. Are there other options to live in peace in The Great Valley without allying with a God?"

Ren crossed his hands with an amused expression as he watched the little woman get curious about the story of the Orcs. Her line of questioning didn't pose any threat to their quest at hand, so he let her be.

In fact, she was in the right direction in her line of thought.

"Live in . . . peace?" Zukulum was startled for a moment at Evie's question before she laughed. "Peace is impossible in The Great Valley. As powerful clans, unstable Gods, ravaging beasts, and all manners of threats looming from all sides, it was essential for any clans to make allies. That's the only solution to survive in here."

Zukulum laughed some more. Her voice rasped and groggy before her face turned serious. "But . . . if you can defeat the evil God, Rakshat Parah, who resides in Blood Mountain, then the Night Crawlers will stop following its command, and a little peace might come in the nights."

"Just the Night Crawlers?" questioned Ragnar. "How about the Night Thing?"

Ren was glad that Ragnar and Evie finally took an interest in the story behind the quest. He guessed explaining to them about the information of the quest did help.

Zukulum massaged the back of her neck. Her blood suddenly rose at the thought of the Night Thing. "Those things . . . they're very deferent from the Night Crawlers. The Night Thing is formed by the inhabitants of this world. Those whose heart is shrouded by darkness and care little for their soul. In exchange for power, they traded their soul with the Gods."

"So . . . They are originally inhabitants of this world?" Ragnar asked.

Zukulum nodded. "That's right. One with no regard for their life after death as long as they get what they wanted. Death isn't the end but only a new beginning. But giving your soul to the Gods meant eternal death."

Zukulum shook her head in dismay. "Poor things. Only thinking about the present."

[New Information Acquired!]

"So, how do we defeat Rakshat Parah?" Ren asked the impossible.

". . . Defeat . . . Rakshat Parah?" Zukulum blinked before she bent and burst into laughter. "OhohohohoOgh! My aching back!"

A crackle of bones stopped the short Orcish old lady from laughing, and she groaned in agony from the pain that shot through all parts of her body.

"Ogh . . . oghf . . . old bones could be a dangerous thing," she huffed.

Ren and the others looked at each other.

Zukulum tried to straighten her hunched back to no avail. She patted her staff against the ground and cleared her throat while her face turned serious as her voice.

"Defeating Rakshat Parah . . . is impossible."

". . . Impossible?"

"Rakshat Parah is the ruler of Blood Mountain, while the area around where that accursed mountain is located is home to dozens of fiendish Gods under its command.

"Once upon a time, dozens and dozens of clans rallied together to kill Rakshat Parah backed by Gods who wanted the demise of the powerful fiendish Gods. However . . . They hadn't even reached the foot of the mountain when they perished at the hands of the Evil Gods under Rakshat Parah's command.

"That Armageddon was known as the Bloodbath in The Great Valley."

"That's . . . that sounds strenuous." Evie didn't know what to say, and her lack of social skills got in the way.

She then gazed at Ren and whispered, "Is Rakshat Parah a World Boss?"

Ren shrugged. "Seems like it."

Ren recalled that it was indeed the case. Rakshat Parah was indeed a World Boss. One that wasn't easily defeated because of its high difficulty. Before reaching Blood Mountain, they had to travel days from dangerous terrains while fending off beasts, wage war with clans, defeat evil Gods, and climb Blood Mountain while defeating mini-bosses until the Final Boss.

As much as possible, Ren wanted to avoid anything to do with Rakshat Parah. As much as the rewards were great, the mission was tedious and required months of in-game time.

What's more, Rakshat Parah wasn't the problem . . . There was a much greater threat looming at the top of Blood Mountain.