Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

61  A Rough Gem

Grok trudged wearily through the freezing forest, his breath visible in the cold air. The sound of his boots crunching on the snow echoed as he approached the flag stuck under a leafless grey tree. His team was exhausted from their disorganized and frantic dash through the forest, the uneven ground taking its toll. Although they had Mana to enhance their physical strength and endurance, it was a difficult task for a human being to fight against the cold for a prolonged time, even more so after hours of running in the blistering cold. Even Grok, who had a part of a Winter Orc's endurance and lived almost his whole life inside the Frozen Forest felt tired.

With a steady hand, Grok reached down and grasped the flag, feeling its fabric between his fingers. A sense of accomplishment and eagerness spread across him, knowing that he was a step closer into achieving his objective, beating that crazy woman, and getting a battle against the small man who named himself king. It was a great feeling.

"AHHHH!!" – With a mighty shout that echoed through the forest, Grok lifted the flag high above his head, the fabric billowing in the frigid wind, as he looked at his team members. Soon, the whole team exploded with enthusiasm, covering the whole forest with their roars, like a pack of wolfs howling to the moon.

However, their cheers were abruptly cut short by a sharp, whizzing sound that pierced the air. An arrow streaked through the snowy landscape, swiftly tearing a gaping hole in the flag before lodging itself in the tree just behind Grok. The barbarian's eyes widened in surprise as he turned towards the source of the attack, his eyes landing on those of a woman with piercing golden eyes.

Zahra calmly set aside her bow and flashed a victorious smile in his direction. She gently waved her hand, her lips moving in deliberate mockery, slowly spelling the words – "Nice seeing you, big head". The distance between them rendered the sound faint, forcing Grok to rely on his rudimentary understanding of the Common Language to read her lips.

"N-I-C-E S-E-E-I-N-G Y-O-U B-I-G H-E-A-D" – The words slipped from his mouth like clumsy beats, exposing his struggles with the language. After a brief pause, Grok finally realized the hidden mockery behind her words, aiming at his pride.

Grok's pride swelled as he witnessed the audacity of a woman openly mocking him. It was a first for him, and it ignited a fiery rage within him. The Tribal Tattoo scribed on his body glowed with a green hue, utilizing the Winter Orc's blood to enhance his abilities past a normal human's limits, reaching the maximum power of a Second Grade. He stomped on the ground and charged ferociously towards Zahra, while shouting unknown words in the barbarian's language.

Grok's team members took a few seconds to react, their senses jolted back to reality by Zahra's surprise attack. They breathed a sigh of relief, thanking their ancestors that her arrow wasn't aimed on any of their heads. This sudden turn of events served as a wake-up call that made them realize the gravity of their previous state of mind. If it happened on the battlefield, all of them would be dead. They swiftly regained their composure, rallying behind their leader and joining him in pursuit of Zahra.

Seeing Grok charging towards her, like a crazy bull, Zahra rapidly hung her bow on her back and turned around to run away. She was swift as a fox, her movements resembling those of a skilled parkour practitioner back on Earth. Zahra gracefully jumped over the fallen freezing logs and skillfully dodged the branches hanging low, navigating the uneven terrain effortlessly. Her impressive agility gave her an advantage over Grok and his team as they chased her.

However, Zahra could feel Groak slowly closing in the distance. His determination burned bright as his muscular frame propelling him forward with unyielding force, fueled by the Tribal Tattoo. The chase between the two adversaries wove through the frozen landscape, each twist and turn increasing the tension and anticipation. It was an endless race.

When they entered a clearing, Zahra raised her hand into a fist and glanced backwards, assessing the distance between them. After a short moment, she determined it was the appropriate distance and opened her hand, as if giving a signal. At that moment, her team members sprang into action.

Four men swiftly emerged from behind a tree, gripping a thick rope. They forcefully pulled the hidden rope buried beneath the snow. The sudden movement caught Grok off guard, and his speed made it impossible for him to stop. Time seemed to freeze as he took a deep breath, relying on his reflexes. With a powerful kick against the ground, he desperately tried to escape the trap. He flew almost thirty feet high, like a superman jump.

Grok fell to the ground heavily, resembling a fallen log, but a triumphant smile spread across his face. Lifting his head, he saw Zahra looking at him with a momentarily bewilderment, intensifying his sense of satisfaction.

"Dumb woman... giving up?" - Grok taunted Zahra with a smug smile, raising his axe boldly. If he defeated her, he wouldn't even need to retrieve her flag. Their victory would be assured by eliminating their adversaries. It was perfect.

Thud Thud

Loud sounds echoed from behind, but Grok ignored them, his sole focus fixed on Zahra, convinced of his triumph. However, at that moment, Zahra's bewilderment transformed into pure mockery.

"Are you stupid, barbarian?" Zahra asked, her golden eyes shining with an almost genuine laughter that only fueled Grok's anger.

"Foolish laughter." - he grumbled through gritted teeth, which only made Zahra laugh even harder. However, she only pointed her index finger behind him.

Grok reluctantly shifted his gaze to where she was pointing, his eyes widening with a mix of surprise and fury. His team members lay on the ground, stacked on top of each other due to the rope. They lacked Grok's reflexes to evade the trap. Zahra's team members were perched on trees, bows aimed and ready to shoot them down. It was a loss, a great one at that.

"Useless people" - Grok growled, his teeth grinding together. He wished to use his axe to sever their hands apart, an imbecile group that would die in the Frozen Forest.

"You're on your own. Will you continue?"- Zahra asked, her smile impossible to suppress.

Each word she spoke felt like a dagger piercing Grok's pride. Burning with fury, he turned towards her. He no longer wished to tolerate her taunts, which gnawed at his ego and self-esteem.

"AHHHHHH!" Grok roared, tapping into the full power of his Tribal Tattoo, enhancing his speed. He longed to wipe the smile off Zahra's annoying face. He would defeat her and her team all by himself. He would then battle that king and unmask these people from the kingdom.

However, as he took his fifth step, just a few feet away from Zahra, the snow beneath him seemed to swallow his feet. He lost his balance completely, desperately attempting to shift his weight onto his other foot. To his dismay, another hole in the snow caused him to tumble down right beside Zahra's feet, despite his reflexes.

Before he could recover, Zahra drew a dagger and pressed it against his throat, her golden eyes resembling those of a panther ready to tear its prey apart.

"It seems like the winter winds will have company today," - Henry's voice resonated through the clearing. - "Congratulations, Zahra and everyone. It ended before I expected, but this king was entertained."

The King appeared before them, his black hair blending into the darkness, and his gray eyes carefully assessing everyone, especially Zahra. He regarded her as if she were a raw diamond, poised to become the most precious jewel. She had all the qualities to become one of his greatest commanders. Given more time, she could even lead the entire front. He would have to reward Olaro later.

He had been watching her closely, ever since she found the flag. This woman had managed to track down Grok's group while commanding her team member to stay behind and prepare traps on strategical places, from the holes on the snow to the hidden rope, used to incapacitate all the other soldiers. She had even thought a few steps ahead and planned against Grok in case he managed to get away.

Zahra knew that she wouldn't be able to win in a frontal confrontation, so the best idea would be to lay traps to win against this stupid man. She had perfectly utilized the barbarian's way of thinking against him. A smart woman indeed. Henry's eyes shone with excitement, over the prospect of nurturing such a great commander. It would be great.

"Bring me the flag," Henry commanded, extending his hand, gesturing for Zahra to retrieve it from Grok's back and hand it to him.

Zahra complied, removing the dagger from Grok's throat and reaching for the flag. However, Grok, consumed by anger, made a swift attempt to grasp her hand. Yet, something pressed his head deep into the snow, firmly holding him in place.

Like a serpent, Henry had swiftly moved and stepped on Grok's head, using the sole of his shoe. With a cruel smile, he gazed down at Grok and delivered a chilling warning - "Do not provoke me, young barbarian. You possess talent but lack wisdom. If you wish to survive, you will obey my commands without question. Disrespect my presence again, and I will feed you to the Winter Orcs. Bark when I command you to bark, walk when I command you to walk."

"Do you understand?" Henry asked, exerting more pressure on the barbarian's head, leaving him no choice but to futilely attempt to nod.

"Good" - Henry stated, his tone still icy, finally letting the young barbarian go.- "This mock battle is over. Let's return.

He gazed at Zahra again with a satisfied smile, turning around and walking back towards the mansion.