Chapter 3: First Circle
Inside my mind, everything was pitch black. Yet, the sensation of my muscles bulging and shifting wouldn't stop. A feeling like silently flowing water coursed through my body, running deeper and deeper until it automatically soaked right into my bone marrow.
'What's happening?!' My thoughts echoed sharply around me. I willed myself to take a single step forward, and I immediately felt like I was treading on wet tiles.
Drip!
Cloonnk!
The sound of dripping water became distinct, echoing through the void. I tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, but I couldn't see a single thing in this pitch-black space.
After what felt like a lifetime, the energy refining itself inside my body swelled to its absolute limit. I had hit a boundary.
Suddenly, the agony of tearing muscles spiked. At the exact same time, a maddening itch penetrated straight into my bone marrow. This terrible, dual sensation made me feel like death would be a mercy.
Pop!
"Haha... it broke through?! Finally... the pain stopped."
Relief washed over me, leaving me entirely surprised. I had completed the very first step toward becoming strong enough to protect myself. Even though the speed of it felt incredible, a wave of solemnity hit me. From the moment I was reborn into this world, I had just been struggling to survive and trying to make sense of the chaos around me. Honestly, even with this upgrade, I didn't feel safe or satisfied yet.
As the refreshing, post-evolution feeling subsided, a transparent blue screen flickered to life right in front of me, illuminating the darkness.
[Ding! Evolution quest has been Completed.]
Quest: Defeat Knight Jethro (1/1)
Reward: Evolution, New Title, and One Random Reward.
[Calculating possible Evolution Directions...]
...
[Four basic evolution pathways found]
Race: Orc
Warrior Orc: 67% Compatibility
Orc Shaman: 43% Compatibility
Lesser Orc (Balanced): 52% Compatibility
Great Orc: 77% Compatibility
[Please make your selection...]
[Warning! Once an Evolution pathway is chosen, it cannot be reversed! Choose wisely.]
I carefully read through the notifications line by line. Since I happened to be a somewhat slow reader, I took my time, letting out a long sigh while the light of the blue screen bathed my face.
Without wasting too much thought, I focused directly on the pathway with the highest compatibility. From what I could see, I figured that the original owner's past actions and character traits had contributed heavily to the choices available to me now.
: A breed of Orcs renowned for their overwhelming strength and natural charisma. They are deeply respected within their respective hordes, often holding high leadership positions. In the World of Luegad, these creatures are feared; their unique tattoos serve as a symbol of terror for their enemies.
[Perks:]
12% Boost in Strength
7% Increase in Agility
5% Increase in Intelligence (-)
2% Increase in Leadership
Luegad.
I stared wide-eyed at that single word, and my mind reeled. I finally understand where that massive feeling of déjà vu was coming from!
"It finally clicked," I muttered breathlessly, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. "It turns out I've reincarnated into one of my favorite web novels! But if my memory serves me right... it is definitely not a good thing to end up as an orc!"
I sighed, a wave of depression settling over me. Great. Just great. To think I was reborn into the worst possible race with the most tragic fate in the entire story.
While I was lost in my own thoughts, the blue screen flashed aggressively.
[Warning!]
[Please choose quickly. Failure to do so due to delay will lead to possible Evolution failure].
My eyes snapped to the countdown. I didn't want anything crippling my growth in this brutal world, so I quickly tapped the pathway with the highest compatibility.
I lost track of time as the liquid energy circulating within my body finally fused with my soul.
[Ding!]
[You've unlocked three skills:]
Leap (Uncommon) Lv1: Apply explosive force to the legs to jump a distance of 16 meters. (2/2 uses before cooldown). Cast time: Instant. Cooldown: 6 seconds.
Orc's Charge (Common) Lv1: Charge forward with the strength of a battering ram for a 4-meter distance, dealing 150% damage based on Strength stats. Cast time: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Sigil (Unique) Lv1: A sacred tattoo permitted only to those on the Great Orc path. It serves as a personal identity and a mark for followers.
Personal Effect: Adds a 5% bonus to all base stats at level one.
Horde Effect: Adds a 2% bonus to the base stats of all followers.
[Ding!]
[New Title Obtained: Savage]
Effects: Grants the skill 'Savage', providing a temporary 15% damage buff for 2 minutes when activated.
Side Effects: Lowers Intelligence by 50% while active. Triggers a 70% weakness debuff lasting 13 hours after use.
[Calibrating Random Reward...]
[Ding!]
[You have gained Ayasey's Attention.]
[New Title Obtained: Orhani (Unknown Soul)]
[Yoln's Reach (Sealed) {1/8}]
Weapon Type: Battle Axe
Damage: 28–35
Effect 1: When engulfed in darkness, attack speed increases by 0.4% every 4th attack.
The exact millisecond the last notification popped up, my eyes snapped open.
I found myself lying exactly where I had fainted in the mud. But this time, a deep-black battle axe rested on the ground beside me. It had a rough, dark handle and exceptionally eerie, wicked-looking blades.
"Really? This is just great. Why would she notice me?!" I spoke aloud, letting out a heavy, dragging sigh before forcing myself to calm down. The 'Night Mother' was a deity who stood at the absolute pinnacle of this world. Still, looking at the weapon, I couldn't deny that this wasn't a bad starting line at all.
"Now I should have a clear understanding of my own strength," I muttered to myself. "As for my next step, I need to figure out exactly where I am on the timeline and compare it to my knowledge of the novel. I'd be a total fool not to use that information to ensure my survival."
The only real issue was that the novel had been written entirely from the perspective of the human factions. I possessed very little knowledge about the internal workings or history of the orc race.
With those thoughts anchoring me, I pushed myself up and looked down at Jethro's mutilated corpse. A cold sneer touched my face. "I must thank you," I said to the dead knight. "You taught me a highly valuable lesson today: never underestimate any opponent in this world."
I shook my head and turned my gaze away, only to notice something strange. Strands of hair were now growing on my head. I quickly pulled up my status interface, a small wave of relief washing over me. "I'm so glad the baldness is gone..."
Name: Torug (Alex Radwell)
Race: Great Orc
Level: 11 (Order of the First Circle)
Power Rating: 2330
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Skills:
Leap (Uncommon) Lv1 (2/2 uses)
Orc's Charge (Common) Lv1
Racial Skills:
Sigil (Unique) Lv1 (Passive)
Intimidation (-): A natural suppressive aura against creatures of a lower evolution realm. (Passive)
Staring at the screen, I realized there was a qualitative change not just in my race, but in my power rating as well. I glanced back at Jethro's body with a strange expression. From what I remembered of the novel's lore, each natural evolution spikes a creature's power rating by a specific baseline. Entering the First Circle had boosted mine by a clean 1,000 points. When I eventually reached the Second Circle, it would skyrocket by a few thousand more, eventually ranging somewhere in the ten-thousand-ish mark.
A character's initial power rating at the start of their journey is always critical. Ratings are calculated based on total stats, equipment, practiced cultivation manuals (which are incredibly rare), and any relics in your possession.
Unfortunately, the inhabitants of this world have no system interface to check these numbers, meaning they perform their evolutions completely blind, like headless flies.
Even I couldn't see my fully broken-down attributes yet, but luckily, this body had possessed an incredibly strong foundation, sitting at the 1,000+ mark before the evolution ever took place. Furthermore, entering the First Circle opens up two distinct skill slots for other monstrous races, unlike humans who unlock theirs at level 5—a trait that honestly gave those damn knights a massive mastery advantage early on.
""M... Moongret family," I muttered, my deep baritone vibrating through the quiet grove as the orange reflection of distant fires danced over my sweaty, green skin.
The main reason I kept looking back at Jethro's corpse with such a strange expression was his unusually high power rating. Sitting at over three thousand points meant the Moongret clan must have poured an immense amount of resources, gold, and effort into nurturing him as a premier talent.
And if I remembered the novel's plot correctly, this exact noble family served as the very first stepping stone for the Main Character back in the story. Killing Jethro meant I wasn't entirely far from where the MC's journey would begin. More importantly, since the Moongret clan was still fully intact and active, the timeline was lingering in the peaceful period right before the start of the book.
According to the original plot, the tragic incident that initiated the swift decline of the Moongret clan was a political marriage. An alliance was supposed to be forged between the Moongrets and the Grics by marrying off a high-born bride. However, while the vanguard was moving the bride across the borders, they were heavily ambushed by a savage warband of orcs.
After a frantic rescue party was dispatched, the knights successfully recovered Lady Suffia of Gric. But they were tragically late; she had already been sullied by her orc captors. Though the political marriage was still held to save face, her standing within the rigid clan became incredibly strained and hostile, eventually leading to her fated encounter with the MC. She would become the very first heroine to join his ever-growing harem.
I rubbed my temple as the pieces fell into place. Now, against my own will, I was part of the exact orc clan that had just single-handedly enraged two great dukedoms, paving the way for the MC to eventually hunt us down and slaughter us for experience points.
"Haaaa... something must kill a man," I sighed bitterly, a dark, cynical expression twisting my features. I reached down and hoisted the heavy, pitch-black battle axe, resting its wicked blade casually against my massive shoulder. "At least I finally know exactly where I am on the map."
"The Cilldean Kingdom... which means these are most definitely the lawless orc lands north of Thann's End," I continued my deduction. I couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly in-depth the world-building of the novel had been, and just how much detail my brain actually managed to retain from my past life.
"Salvation in Pride was the name of the book, wasn't it? If the timeline matches up, Queen Hawise Salman should be the ruling monarch on the throne right now," I mused aloud.
With a clearer understanding of the chess board, I turned my back on the dead knights and began walking with heavy, purposeful strides back toward the burning settlement.