The moment the countdown hit zero, an eerie silence settled over the vast maze that had sprung from the earth.


    Lyerin stood atop the Minotaur statue, his eyes closed as though he could feel the pulse of thebyrinth surrounding him.


    Though the towering stone walls blocked his view of the scattered Valley Orcs, he grinned widely.


    "Hehe... I got them," Lyerin muttered to himself, the grin growing more wicked with every passing second.


    The girls and the other human members of the Stonehooves Tribe stood below, bewildered and whispering to one another, casting nervous nces between each other and Lyerin.


    "What does he mean, ''got them''?" Fiona asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.


    "I have no idea," Cornelia replied, her eyes fixed on Lyerin, who was paying no attention to them at all.


    "Is he talking about the Orcs?"


    Corora spected, but before anyone could respond, the ground beneath them seemed to shiver as the distant rumble of footsteps echoed through the maze.


    ---


    Far above, the Asura girl floated in the sky, her excitement barely contained. Her eyes gleamed with a wild fervor as she tracked the movements of the Valley Orcs within the maze.


    "Look at them!" she shouted, pointing toward the monitors that showed thebyrinth from an overhead view.


    "The Valley Orcs—they''re not just savage beasts. Oh no! They''re intelligent, far more cunning than anyone gives them credit for!"


    The screen zoomed in on the pig-like creatures, their tusks glinting as they moved through the maze, their snouts sniffing the air, searching for a way forward.


    At first, they had seemed utterly lost, wandering aimlessly through the maze, crashing into dead ends and snorting in confusion. But now...something had changed.


    "Do you see it?" the Asura girl continued, her voice rising with excitement.


    "They were confused, yes, but look at them now. They''ve found their path. Their instincts are sharp, sharper than any beast we''ve seen so far!


    "The Valley Orcs are no ordinary monsters—they can sense their way through thisbyrinth! Watch as they make their way to the center!"


    She couldn''t help but marvel at their progress, her tone dripping with admiration.


    "Incredible! The Valley Orcs—the first of the Orc monsters to show this kind of intelligence. Who would have thought? It''s as if they know where the center is, as if something is guiding them."


    The viewers on Earth watched in awe as the Orcs moved with increasing purpose, the hesitation in their steps vanishing.


    Each turn they took brought them closer to the heart of the maze, where the Stonehooves Tribe stood with Lyerin at their helm.


    "They''re almost there!" the Asura girl eximed, her eyes wide with anticipation. "And once they reach the center, we''re going to witness a battle like no other.


    "The Minotaur against the Valley Orcs—it''s going to be a war! However, the Minotaur is not currently present; it is roaming in the maze, which means it will only lead to the destruction of the Stonehooves Tribe!"


    The screen flickered as the view changed, showing the Valley Orcs rounding the final corner, their hooves pounding the ground in unison, shaking the very earth with their strength.


    They were fearsome creatures, nearly eight feet tall, their muscr bodies covered in thick, bristling hair, their tusks curved wickedly from their snouts.


    Their eyes gleamed with a dangerous intelligence as they closed in on the center of thebyrinth, ready to tear apart anything in their path.


    ---


    Lyerin stood at the center of the Stonehooves Tribe, his grin still stered on his face. He could feel the approaching Orcs before they even came into view.


    The ground beneath him trembled slightly, the air growing thick with the scent of blood and anticipation.


    He stepped down from the Minotaur statue,nding softly on the ground, and began walking toward the approaching horde without a hint of fear.


    Corora gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Lyerin, what are you doing?!" she called out, but he didn''t respond.


    "He''s walking right toward them!" Maria said, her voice shaking with panic. "Is he nning another thing?"


    From the sky, the Asura girl watched with bated breath.


    "What is he doing? Why isn''t Lyerin attacking? Does he n to face them head-on? Surely he knows these are Orcs—vicious, relentless monsters. They''ll tear him apart!"


    But Lyerin continued his fearless stride, his gaze fixed on thergest of the Valley Orcs as it came into view, snorting and pawing the ground.


    The creature''s eyes met Lyerin''s, and for a brief moment, the air seemed to still.


    The other girls held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.


    They expected Lyerin to summon his magic ormand the Minotaur to strike at any second.


    But Lyerin did nothing of the sort.


    Instead, he approached the nearest Valley Orc, a massive beast with scarred hide and tusks gleaming under the sun.


    The creature let out a guttural growl, its muscles tensing as if ready to charge.


    The tension in the air was palpable, and even the Asura girl was on the edge of her seat, her voice trembling as she spoke.


    "What...what''s he doing? Why isn''t he fighting?"


    And then, in an act that defied all logic and expectation, Lyerin reached out and ced his hand on the Orc''s massive head.


    The Valley Orc flinched slightly but didn''t move.


    Lyerin''s hand moved gently over the beast''s bristled hair, and then, with a calm and almost yful tone, he said, "Piggy piggies."


    The Orc snorted but remained still.


    The tension that had gripped the air suddenly broke, and Lyerin rubbed the creature''s head like a pet.


    The other Orcs, who had been on the verge of charging, stopped in their tracks, their eyes watching Lyerin with a strange calmness.


    ---


    Far above, the Overseer and the other six-armed shadows had been watching the scene unfold with growing interest.


    At first, they had not given Lyerin or the Stonehooves Tribe much attention.


    They had dismissed them as another small tribe that would be crushed under the might of the others. But now...things had changed.


    The Overseer leaned forward, his glowing eyes narrowing as he observed the scene with newfound intensity. "This...this is unexpected," he muttered, his voice low and filled with intrigue. "The Valley Orcs—confused at first, yes—but now they move as if they know the way. And yet...they do not attack. Why?"


    The six-armed shadows surrounding him murmured in confusion as well.


    "Look," one of the shadows said, pointing toward the monitors that disyed the scene of Lyerin rubbing the Orc''s head. "He''s...he''s not fighting them. He''s controlling them, somehow."


    The Overseer''s brow furrowed. "No. He''s not controlling them. He''s...taming them."


    The shadows gasped. "Taming? But that''s impossible! These are wild beasts, savage and—"


    "And yet, he does it," the Overseer cut in, his voice tinged with disbelief. "He rubs their heads like they are nothing more than pets. This is no ordinary magic at work."


    One of the six-armed shadows leaned closer, his eyes wide with shock. "What...just happened?"


    The Overseer remained silent for a moment, his eyes locked on Lyerin, who continued to calmly walk among the Orcs, patting their heads as if they were harmless creatures.


    Finally, in a voice filled with wonder, the Overseer muttered, "What is this boy?"


    ---


    Back on the ground, the girls and the rest of the tribe started in stunned silence, their minds racing toprehend what they had just witnessed.


    The brutal, terrifying Valley Orcs were now standing docile, their heads bowed slightly as Lyerin moved among them.


    "What just happened?" Cornelia whispered, her voice barely audible.


    No one had an answer.