As Thorian finished his training, he looked out the window to see the two suns about to set. His control over the elements had improved over the few hours he had spent in his room. Now, he was able to control three miniature fireballs simultaneously while keeping the others stable atop his fingers. The moment he could control all ten, he would switch his training regimen to other elements.

Stepping outside, Thorian was promptly joined by Alacritas. “My lord, Zogarth has completed his mission and is en route to the village,” he announced.

A chuckle escaped Thorian. “That's encouraging,” he said, swiftly steering the conversation towards Alacritas’s own endeavors. “And what of your progress with Nox? Have you conquered the twentieth floor?”

“We have,” Alacritas smiled. “All of us have reached the necessary level to advance our classes. I was about to go to the guild right after telling you about the news.”

“Then let's not dally,” Thorian replied with a hearty laugh. “After you've advanced, there's a matter I need you to attend to. Fetch Mart, the son of Hewer, and bring him to the storage house. He's to select an item of his choosing, as agreed with his father.”

Alacritas nodded solemnly. “Consider it done, my lord.”

With a mutual nod, they parted ways, Alacritas vanishing as swiftly as he had appeared.

Thorian then made his way to the northern gate. Perched atop the ledge, he surveyed the advancing force: more than two hundred orcs, led by Zogarth, emerged from the forest’s dense embrace.

Zogarth landed beside him with a thud, the wooden structure groaning under his weight. “My lord, I bring new allies,” he declared.

Thorian’s initial concern for the ledge’s integrity quickly turned to amusement. “Impressive,” he admitted, eyeing the orcish throng. “I anticipated a modest number, yet you’ve significantly bolstered our ranks. Well done.”

“This was nothing,” Zogarth laughed heartily. “We orcs pride ourselves on our strength and numbers. What you saw when we first fought was but a small warband compared to others, my lord. There are still many other settlements filled with orcs that we can bring to our cause.”

Hearing this, Thorian nodded with appreciation. It's true that I was confused by the small number of orcs we had encountered until now. I guess they were mostly situated in the north where my troops rarely ventured.

Looking back at the hundreds of orcs below, Thorian felt the need to make an introductory speech. Jumping down from the ledge, he walked towards the horde.

“Today is truly a blessed one for all of you, as you join my great kingdom,” he began. “You will gain power beyond your wildest dreams. You will be bathed in honor from legendary battles, and people will sing tales of your glory all over the world.”

As he uttered those words, an orc general approached with a challenging glare. "We've rallied behind Zogarth for his proven valor in combat, not to serve under an untested leader," he declared, his tone inciting a wave of uproar among the orcs.

Zogarth tensed, ready to intervene, but a calm gesture from Thorian halted him. "A king's worth is not followed blindly," Thorian said, a smirk playing on his lips that only seemed to irritate the general further. "Allow me to demonstrate the strength that commands your allegiance."

Harnessing his mana, Thorian's display sent the orc stumbling backward, awash with apprehension. Focusing a substantial portion of his power, he summoned a blazing sphere within his palm, rivaling the ferocity of a fire arrow. With a casual flick, the orb soared over the horde and detonated in the forest, its blast resonating through the clearing and igniting a widespread inferno.

Observing the blaze, Thorian sighed, "Now, let us address this problem."

Thorian surveyed the unfolding disaster with a sigh, "This requires correction." Without delay, he cast Cascading Deluge, a spell of immense power. Dark clouds gathered, unleashing torrents of rain upon the flames, but the fire's wrath outpaced the downpour.The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Undeterred, Thorian invoked Aqua Vortex. A colossal whirlpool of water materialized, devouring the flames with its ferocity, while the remaining embers were extinguished by the rain.

"Can you command the weather and summon rain?" the general asked, his earlier defiance replaced with a mix of awe and trepidation. The surrounding orcs shared his sentiment, their eyes wide with a newfound respect. "Are you a deity?"

"I am no deity," Thorian corrected with a humble shake of his head. "I am but your king."

As the clouds dispersed, revealing the two moons illuminating the forest once more, Thorian motioned for the orc horde to enter, "Now, let's proceed. There are many protocols you need to become acquainted with."

Turning to Zogarth, Thorian instructed, "Take them to the Village Hall for Melina to register them as citizens. Afterwards, they can attempt the dungeons."

Following Thorian's orders, Zogarth directed the kobold guards to open the gates. Leading the way, the horde of orcs entered the village, prepared to become the newest citizens of Wolvendale.

As the village embraced its newest members, Thorian remained by the gates, seizing the moment to refine his elemental prowess. Concentrating, he managed to sustain nine water orbs before his control wavered—an indication of his growing mastery.

It seems there's some overlap in manipulating different elements. Since mastering fire control, my ability with water has also significantly improved.

Deciding to evaluate his progress visually, Thorian accessed his display panel to review his skill progression.

Fire Manipulation I

Description

Fire Manipulation grants the wielder great control over flames, enabling the manipulation of fire in limitless ways. This ability transcends boundaries, allowing for the creation of diverse fire-based abilities, limited only by the user’s creativity, mana reserves, and mastery. Within this form, the user can conjure free-form abilities akin to those found in Initiate-level skills, harnessing the potent forces of fire at their command.

Proficiency

.54%