The orcish horde, a sea of muscular flesh and iron, surged through the gates of the town that was in dire need of repair. Ten thousand prisoners, their faces pale with fear, shuffled along, guarded by the triumphant orcs.
Arkagarr, the Warband Master of the 1st Warband who had tipped the scales of the battle, carried by some Rakshas at the head of the procession. His armor now non-existent, his bare chest riddled with gashes was on full display, a testament to how brutal the fight was . The cheers of the orcs echoed around him, a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the town.
Khao'khen, the chieftain, descended from the ramparts. He approached Arkagarr, his eyes full of pride for the hero of the battle.
"You have earned the admiration of the horde, Arkagarr," Khao'khen boomed, his voice a rumble that could be felt as much as heard. "You are a warrior worthy of your title"
Arkagarr grunted, a deep, guttural sound that belied his weariness. "It was all thanks to the chieftain's protection, that mysterious power, that protected me" he replied, his gaze turned towards the figure of the golden wolf not fa away.
Khao'khen's face had the look of confusion. "But your strength was the hammer that shattered their defenses. You brought us the victory we needed." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the captive army. "Tell me, Arkagarr, do you know anything about the shield that protected the horde from their magic?"
It was now Arkagarr's turn to be confused. "Wasn't that your doing, chieftain?"
Khao'khen's brow furrowed.
"It all came from the golden wolf," Arkagarr said. "You were the one who had given us the figure of the golden wolf to protect us. A totem which was an extension of your power."
Khao'khen scratched the back of his head, "Ah! So that was it", he acted as if he just remembered it now that he was reminded by Arkagarr, "Must have slipped off my mind."
Khao'khen turned to the crowd, a look of of confusion still flickering in his eye. "Tonight, We will celebrate," he declared, his voice regaining its authority. In the midst of the raucous celebrations,
Khao'khen, the enigmatic chieftain of Yohan, stood apart, his mind still grappling with the origin of the mysterious power that had shielded the horde during the battle. It was a conundrum that intrigued and perplexed him. Little did he know that his silent companion, the long-dormant system, was about to stir back to life.
The system, which had lain dormant for an extended period, suddenly sprang back into action, its screens casting an eerie glow upon the chieftain's face. He had assumed it to be defunct, plagued as it was with errors, yet here it was, unexpectedly reactivated. The system's assistance had been invaluable to him in the past, and he knew that with the horde's support, he could persevere without it, but the ease and efficiency it provided would be sorely missed.
The system's reactivation added a new layer of security to him, and he wondered if there was some connection between the two occurrences. The chieftain's curiosity about the totems and their connection to the mysterious power remained unabated, and he was determined to uncover the truth. Little did he know that this silent system reactivation would soon provide him with the answers.
//Greetings host!//
//I believe a proper introduction has long been overdue//
The familiar voice in his head came once again, telling him that the system had finally sprung back to life.
//Assessment Completion Detected//
//Calculating Results of the Assessment...//
//Calculating Remaining Host Life Force//
//Scan Complete//
//Current Host's Number: 5,271,997//
"That's a lot of previous hosts" Khao'khen was shocked seeing the number of more than 5 million.
//As I have said before, none have passed the creator's arrangement before. You are the first, perhaps by luck or fate. You being brought to this world by those chaotic entities have played a crucial part in you passing the creator's assessment.
//Total Life Force: 49 years//
//Number of Life Force Expended: 4 years//
//Life Force: 45 years//
//Result: Excellent//
Khao'khen stared at the displayed information on the screen. He just had 49 years to live at this new world which was not that bad considering the state of this world. "Why appear again just now?"
//My core's energy was replenished just now//
"Replenish how?" Khao'khen was puzzled on how was the system's core able to replenish its energy.
//Have you forgotten quickly what is my core, host. It's a spark of divinity that feeds on the power of faith.//
"Faith? I am no deity nor a god", confusion still consuming Khao'khen's mind.
//Yes, you are no deity nor a god, but some treats you as one//
Khao'khen's raised an eyebrow on the system's statement.
//The orcs under your leadership host. You seemed to have underestimated their power to believe on things that they want to believe in. They believe that you are powerful with some treating you as a new god with the things that you have displayed to them.//
Khao'khen's eyes widened as the realization of the orcs' faith in him sank in. He had not considered the extent of their devotion, nor the impact it could have on the system's core. "So, it was their faith that revived you?" he asked, his voice a mixture of awe and curiosity.
//Affirmative// The system replied.
//Their unwavering belief in your power and the golden wolf that they treated as an extension of you served as a conduit, channeling their collective faith to recharge my core.//
A wry smile formed on Khao'khen's face as he considered the implications. "It seems I owe a lot to their belief. Their faith has quite literally become my shield and my strength."