I stepped forward, whispering a spell under my breath.
My body began turning translucent, like smoke under the sunlight. Within seconds, I turned invisible.
I've perfected this invisibility spell over the years. It came in handy whenever I wanted to sneak out of the castle and train at night. Not many seasoned mages could keep an invisibility spell running for too long because it consumes a great deal of mana.
Fortunately for me, I can stay invisible for hours if I wanted to. I've got enough mana to spare.
The orcs roared, their eyes filled with bloodlust as they charged at us with their cleavers raised to strike.
I extended my hand towards them and uttered a spell. The earth beneath them transformed into a swamp, swallowing their legs up to the knee.
The orcs looked around in confusion. The mud was as thick as cement, immobilizing them at a spot that they couldn't bulge their legs free.
While they were distracted, I quietly picked up the sword of the leader laying on the grass and inspected it.
This sword wouldn't leave a scratch on the tough skin of the orcs. It's utterly useless.
However, if I can imbed enough of my magic in the sword, it could cause some brutal damage. I shut my eyes and focused my mana on the sword.
Suddenly, the sword flared up in burning flames. I've successfully reforged this weapon with my magic into a blade of fire.
The orcs sniffed the air. They could sense something was wrong but it was too late for them.
I dashed at them, aiming for their necks. One clean cut and five orcs heads fell, rolling around the grass.
The other orcs dropped their cleavers and roared in pure fear but I wasn't done with them yet. I cut through their necks like scissors and papers, moving around them like a breeze trailing smoke.
They couldn't see me but I could see them.
My flaming blade cleaved limbs, decapitated heads and pierced through hearts of the orcs, killing them instantly. That shows how powerful my magic has grown.
The adventurers and merchants watched with enlarged eyes at what was happening. They couldn't believe it.
"The orcs are being slaughtered," someone said.
"B-but how? There's nobody there!"
"There is no time. This is our chance. Let's escape while we can."
By now, no less than thirty orcs had fallen to their death. That leaves ten more to go.
I glanced at the sword and realized it's been damaged beyond repair. This iron sword couldn't withstand my magic for too long. Its conductivity is too weak.
I dropped the sword. It has served its purpose. I'll finish the rest of the orcs with my hands.
The ten orcs managed to break free from the muddy swamp and turned to run but I wasn't going to let them get away. These guys interrupted my dinner and wounded a good man. They have to pay.
"Hellfire Incinerate!" I thrust my palm forward and the ground before them ignited, flames surging upward like a living wall of fire.
The fire fanned out in a wide arc, trapping them in with me like caged animals and cutting off their only route of escape.
Time to finish this. It won't take long.
Suddenly I came to a standstill. One of the orcs was wearing a purple cape. This wasn't just any ordinary cape. It bore the royal crest of King Godfrey.
My eyes widened as I recognized who this cape belonged to. It's Camilia, my stepsister.
She must've been attacked by these orcs hours before we set up camp here.
* * * *
Something came over me. The thought that Camilia was killed stirred my emotions.
"Where is she?" I demanded, revealing myself before the orcs as I approached them. "What have you done to the princess?!"
The orcs shivered back in raw fear. My eyes were glowing brightly with bloodlust. I had unleashed my mana. Its overpowering aura shook the orcs with terror that they dropped to their knees and cowered away from me.
From the orcs perspective, I was a monster. No human was supposed to have this amount of mana.
"Speak," I snarled, fire licking up my fingers as I leveled my hand at them. "Or else I'll burn you to cedars."
The orcs began speaking in an unintelligent language. I couldn't grasp what they were saying but one thing I understood from their hand gestures is that Camilia was still alive.
The orc pointed at a nearby mountainside. If my intuition was correct, Camilia must've been kidnapped and held captive in the mountain caves.
Whatever, I'm not leaving without her.
I returned my gaze to the ten orcs. "I'll spare your lives if you lead me to her. From now onward, you work for me. Step out of line and I'll make your death so painful you'd wish I had killed you sooner."
The orcs swallowed hard. They bowed to me on their knees and muttered something in their language.
I don't understand the orc language but I knew one thing; They've sworn their loyalty to me.
I turned around to stare at the dead bodies of the orcs I had just slain, scattered around the place. By now, the merchants and adventurers have all fled the scene.
I felt glad at least no other person got hurt. They would inform Godfrey what happened and Godfrey would send a fresh squad of his finest men to find Camilia.
But before that happens, I'll have already rescued her.