Great! We're saved! The orcs of the land...

At night, Bai Shui, dragging the heavy load beneath his feet, was silently driven back to the place where adult and semi-adult orcs were housed by the bear-beastmen.

The captured orcs weren't entitled to sleep in warm houses; they only had a makeshift shelter under a snow-covered eave. Their guard, a different bear-orc, had taken over, but remained just as lazy as the one by the river, only occasionally glancing at them.

The bear-beastman guarding them was covered in animal skins, holding his own snacks, taking a bite now and then to pass the time, while his round ears kept a close eye on the movements inside the vine shed.

Bai Shui knew very well that as long as they didn't make any big fuss, the bear-beastmen wouldn't bother with them. She quietly avoided the beastmen from other clans, found the most familiar chieftain, and opened her mouth.

“I…” She instinctively uttered the language of the grasslands that the bear-beastman clan had forced them to use, then suddenly stopped, sweat beading on her forehead.

Why could that squirrel-beastman cub, Lan, understand the language of the bear-beastmen? She belatedly realized that Lan was also speaking the language used by the bear-beastmen.

Was Lan really an orc who came to rescue them, or was he one of the orcs allied with the bear orcs? Had the bear orcs come up with some new idea and wanted to see their expressions of defeat in their rebellion?

Bai Shui trembled uncontrollably, frantically searching his mind for the possibility that Lan was the orc who had come to save them.

Orc clans that speak grassland languages ​​are not limited to the bear orc clan. What if Lan happens to be an orc from that side? The bear orc clan has never had a squirrel orc cub with black and gray hair, nor any orcs like Black Earth and Greysien.

Lan can still move freely underwater, accompanied by the icy and natural beastmen.

The Bear Orc clan had no orcs possessing the power of water or ice. Moreover, the orcs who betrayed them to join the Bear Orc clan were nothing more than slaves in another form.

Based on Bai Shui's understanding of the Bear Beastmen, the proud Bear Beastmen would never leave behind any other beastmen who were more powerful than themselves.

Bear-beastmen have always been determined to trample all other beastmen, including their own kind, underfoot.

After convincing herself, Bai Shui felt somewhat at ease, but was still hesitant about whether to bring up Lan's matter.

The White Squirrel Beastman Chieftain was looking for a familiar beastman when he saw Bai Shui approaching. His eyes lit up, and he pulled the quiet girl along to find the beastman he knew.

Bai Shui stared blankly at the chieftain's hand that was gripping her injured hand. Her gaze shifted upwards, and when she saw the chieftain's back, no longer clad in animal skins, she couldn't help but turn to look at the numerous, deathly silent orcs of various races.

The snow season is coming soon. How many of those who huddled together for warmth last snow season will survive this one?

How long will it take for these days of losing freedom, being unable to act according to one's own will, and having one's life taken away at will to end?

Bai Shui was in a daze and didn't pay attention to her footing, tripping over the orc lying on the ground. She staggered a few steps, then steadied herself with the help of the chieftain, instinctively looking at the orc lying on the ground.

That was the long-eared rabbit-like beastman who had secretly helped her out of trouble last time. He lay on the ground, sick because his wounds hadn't healed.

The orc who knew him well looked up at Bai Shui with numb and desperate eyes, then silently pulled the long-eared rabbit orc toward him, not wanting him to be stepped on by anyone else.

In the very beginning, the orcs who were crammed under the vine shelter had conflicts, arguments, and even fists. However, all the conflicts vanished when the Tanuki-orc clan was wiped out, and they lost half of their people.

Even the most despicable orcs living in the same vine sheds as them were not as despicable as the bear orcs.

The orcs standing beside them were not orcs of any other race, but companions who, like them, had lost their clan, lost their people, had their cubs taken away, and shared the same hatred.

"I'm sorry." Bai Shui apologized to the long-eared rabbit beastman with remorse, only to see the beastman weakly shake his head at her.

He forgave her.

But Bai Shui felt even more pain. What could end this? Seeing the orcs he knew die one after another, not knowing when his turn would come, when would it ever end…

She felt despair when Lan's voice suddenly rang in her ears.

We will take you away soon, so don't be afraid here.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked repeatedly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. Her heart pounded. She wanted to believe Lan. She desperately wanted to leave the Bear Beastman clan.

She longed to leap through the forest as she used to, to live freely under the sun.

Bai Shui made her choice, her eyes hardening. Then, belatedly, she realized that many beastmen, besides the clan leader, had inexplicably appeared around her. One beastman from each clan had come.

A question mark popped into her mind. She saw the chieftain, who had pulled her down to squat, looking around for a while before speaking seriously and in a low voice: "I'm about to say something very important. Don't get excited, and absolutely do not attract the attention of the bear-beastmen."

The orcs, who had tacitly gathered together, showed the same reaction, indicating that they also had something very important to say.

"Today I encountered a transparent, round creature that looked like a water droplet. I guess it must be a nature being. The nature being said that its partner, Lan, has come to rescue us with her people and needs our cooperation."

The air was quiet.

The egret-like beastmen and the others who had seen 022 looked enlightened and blurted out, "So you've seen that Nature too!"

Bai Shui was shocked and excited. He whispered, "I met the natural partner you mentioned, the patriarch of the Xia clan, Lan."

All eyes suddenly focused on her. The White Heron Beastman and the other beastmen were surprised, not expecting that any beastman would directly see the chieftain who had brought their chieftain to rescue them.

Great, we're saved!

The orcs sat up straight and whispered among themselves about how to coordinate with Xia's actions. 022 had already told them the location of their clan's cubs, as well as the location of Zelan, who, like the cubs in their clan, was imprisoned in a thorn cage.

Lan will lead her people to lure away the two bear-beastmen with the power of nature. Then, 022 will lead them to rescue the cub and Zelan.

Without the suppression of the power of wood and wind, they believed they could hold out until the Xia clan orcs charged up to rescue them.

The orcs, including Bai Shui, were actually terrified of the small but incredibly strong bear orcs. However, this was their only chance to escape the bear orc clan.

The orcs' eyes were fixed intently, their expressions resolute.

Trust 022, trust the Xia clan, trust Lan. We will definitely escape from here!

Near the bear-orc clan, Jiang Yunlan received the intelligence transmitted back by 022 and was explaining tomorrow's strategy to all the orcs.

“Lorelei, you are the orcs who lured out the bear orcs with the power of wind and wood. Please be careful. Greysien and Hati will be there to meet you. Don’t worry, we are behind you. I will take Black Earth and the others to meet 022 and the orcs inside while you are on your way.”

After Jiang Yunlan finished speaking, she glanced in the dark at the bear-beastman clan with their fire burning. To avoid being discovered, Xia hadn't lit a fire at night, and she could clearly locate the only bear-beastman clan in the area with a fire.

She pursed her lips, her voice calm: "The best-case scenario is what I just said, that two bear-beastmen with natural powers chased after the Zerans in order to capture them. But the more likely scenario is that one chased after them while the other stayed behind in the clan."

"If that's the case, Freya, and Shida, you'll have to deal with that bear-beastman."

The herbaceous plants, including Hida, which can control plant growth, responded.

Freya, glowing with blue light, agreed. Looking at Lan's body, she said to him with regret, "You are clearly capable of controlling all the forces of nature, but for some reason, your current body is not suitable to receive my blessing."

"If only the earth spirits and forest spirits were here. As long as you can receive the 'life force' they give you, you can withstand the power given by all the spirits, including me."

Hearing the unfamiliar word "elf" that represents nature spirits, Jiang Yunlan belatedly realized that Freya and the others had their own unique name. She happily decided that from now on, she would call them "elf" in Chinese.

After a brief moment of distraction, she smiled and replied to Freya, "It seems we're quite compatible. If I were to be given 'life,' I would definitely come to you first to ask for your blessing."

Freya smiled as she listened to Lante's comforting words.

“Lan, you must be a child loved by the gods, which is why your soul can accept the power of all the elves. I can see your ever-flowing life, which is dazzling,” Freya said with a smile.

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The author's note: The gods spoken of by the elves and the beast gods spoken of by the orcs actually refer to the world consciousness.