Chapter 224: “We take slaves!”

As his momentary confusion passed and read the notification, Aiden quickly closed the system interface and returned his attention to the two uninvited guests in front of him. Although they were addressing him, or more likely COMMANDING him if going by the talking orc's tone itself. The orcs were looking towards the bushes where he came from, ignoring the small green scrawny being in front of them.

Seemingly ignoring the blatant disrespect they were showing him, Aiden gave the friendliest smile he could muster, looking at two tall dark-brown-skinned girthy giants in front of him. Opening his arms in a wide, inviting manner he stepped closer, speaking with a calm tone using the Goblin language for lack of better options.

"[Goblin] Sorry, but I really can't understand what you just said. What did you guys come here for? And as we are at it, could you please tell me how did you find our little spot? It was quite far away from your tribe…"

Reaching the latter half of her greeting, his calm tone gradually equipped a slightly colder more rigid undertone, earning a mocking look from the so-far silent orc and a huffing smirk from the right-side one.

[Orcish] Teg okag muargh' wa'arthalak! Mogag Toga SNARG!" The right side one sneered as he uttered another slew of words, sounding complete gibberish to Aiden. Still, it seemed there was some systematic order behind the gurgled blather as the system's notification resounded in his mind once again, informing Aiden of the new progress the analysis has reached.

[Analyzing Language: Orc. Progress: 5%]

'Hmm… Not that difficult language I guess… Or maybe languages, in general, are easier to analyze?' He thought as he made a quick check on the note before closing it back down.

"[Orcish] Teg sor! Mogag toga snarg! SNARG!" Joining in the 'conversation' the orc on the left spewed out some another slew of words with a heated tone. This time, even without the system's assistance, Aiden could recognize some repetition, as if they kept glancing at their camp, and repeating the same phrases over and over. 

Turning sideways, Aiden pointed towards his own camp, and with a questioning tone, he inquired with an innocent look on his face.

"[Goblin] What do you guys mean? That's the camp me and my companions have set up. What business do you have with us?"

Contrary to his earlier theory, the orcs seemed to understand his words, at least to some degree as they became visibly annoyed as he spoke. 

Shifting their gazes from the bushes behind him, both Orcs turned to look at the small green long-haired goblin with ugly, menacing stairs. The one on the right, pointing his big and wide right index finger at the goblin groaned, and in the next moment, to Aiden's shock and surprise, spoke in slightly broken, but still understandable Goblin tongue.

"[Goblin] You. Small one. Stand away. We take slaves!" He spoke in a commanding tone as if what he just proposed was the natural order of things. His partner nodded heavily on his words, ignoring the green scrawny fellow already and giving a lick on his lower lips high with expectation.

Thinking that the conversation was now completed, and the frail little creature understood the order of his superiors, the duo was about to step forward and go forward to enjoy their newest spoil, when they felt a small, but firm hand pushing against both of them.

Halted in their steps, both orcs looked down with a surprised look on their faces, seeing the lush-haired goblin pushing against them, with the same friendly smile on his face, shaking his head as he shifted his gaze towards the ground. 

"[Goblin] You see, there are a few problems with what you just said. Not to mention that what you said was barely even coherent, it also had a few misconceptions that I think we need to correct before I send you off." Although his tone sounded calm, there was a terrifying coldness under it, that quickly soured the orc's previously happily grinning expressions. Before they had a chance to further react, the frail-looking goblin continued as he slowly lifted his gaze from the ground looking at the both of them.

His brightly brimming, glowing eyes basked in its golden luster looked eerie and terrifying. Aiden's previously calm tone gradually shifted to a low-toned otherworldly menacing tone, startling and stunning both orcs in the process.

"[Goblin] You see, those two back there are my friends, and not my slaves. Even if that weren't true, you can't just barge in and demand anything. But you know… I get it. In your society, I guess it might prove right after all... If that's the case, then allow me to demonstrate…"

Only understanding half of his words, the orcs were caught off guard when suddenly they both felt a heavy hit at their abdomen, where the little goblin's frail hand was before. In the next moment,both orcs, as sturdy and brawny as they are, were flung back several meters in the air before crashing against the ground and tumbling backward like a pair of broken kites.

Still, born and raised in harsh and cruel environments throughout their lives, neither orc crumbled under the surprise attack, and quickly stood back up, regaining their footing. Reaching for their weapons on their backs, they both let out a violent cry, charging at the little goblin with their axes raised above their heads.

Already expecting the attack, Aiden simply smirked as he cocked both of his arms slightly back, and planted his right feet slightly behind, and leaned against his frontal left one. His gnarled scepter was already put back in his inventory, leaving him bare-handed.

As the distance rapidly closed between them, Aiden's figure suddenly vanished from the orc's sight, putting a startled halt on their charge. In the next moment, feeling the dread wash over them from behind, they instantly dodged to the side, barely avoiding the abruptly reappearing Aiden's two-pronged thrust from behind. 

Ignoring the one on the left, Aiden shifted his focus to the one on the right. From the way he presented himself and from the body posture, it seemed that he was the leader of the two, he probably had more useful information than his friend on the left.

Jumping after the falling orc, he raised his right hand in the air, and struck down in the next instant, not giving any chance for the orc to get his bearings. Activating his [Mystic Martial Arts] innate and guided some of his flowing energy towards his flying clenched fist. 

Watching as the air began to slightly distort around the scrawny goblin's approaching strike, the orc could only wildly flail his axe swinging horizontally and hoping to open up some distance between them, not really keen on experiencing the mystical energies swirling around the dark green hand.

Unfortunately, his attempt was easily thwarted with Aiden's left hand easily blocking the hit. Although not transformed, a slight gnash appeared as the crude tip of the weapon's blade slightly edged itself into the goblin's flesh. Still, even that caused some damage, firing up and sending fiery signals through Aiden's nervous system, carrying the jolting pain to register in his mind. 

At the same time, the notification alerted him of the resulting loss in his condition.

[You have received damage, your condition has deteriorated!]

[Current Condition: 97%]

Luckily the damage was minimal, but the pain still wasn't overly pleasant, Aiden gritted his teeth as his right hand collided with the orc's barren chest.

For the first time, the orc stared at the little, scrawny, frail-looking dark-green creature with disbelief and horror settling on his expression, watching as the frail hand easily tore through his thick skin and flesh. Feeling an incredible, sharp and searing pain, he didn't even register the crunching sound of his bones as they were crushed to splinters. 

Aiden's hand tore through his skin and flesh with ease, continuing its submerge through the Orc's organs, searching for the most important one of them all: his waning, but still beating heart next to his Monster Core.

Thanks to the crystallized essence the heart refused to stop its desperate attempt to pump more blood and provide the faltering body with more and more life. However, in the next moment, its attempts were put to an abrupt halt as the goblin's delicate fingers wrapped themselves around the precious organ, and with one decisive tug, it was pulled out of its socket with a tremendous force.

Feeling the pulsating organ in his clutches, Aiden grabbed the orc's still-beating heart, and just like he did with the human's back in the underground base, he pulled it out of the Orc's body.

The last thing the Orc saw before the light left his eyes and his lifeless body fell back on the ground with a loud thud kicking up a sizable amount of dust, was the sight of his own palpating heart in the palm of the weak-looking little goblin. 

The second orc only had time to get up from the ground on the other side, as the entire sequence of events didn't take longer than a couple of seconds. He had no chance to save his partner before it died right before his eyes literally by the hands of this small creature.

Seeing his partner fall back down lifelessly, his eyes turned bloodshot and with an even louder shout, he lounged himself in the air, charging towards Aiden's back...