Return of the Woodcutter

After Aito was officially acknowledged as the Khan, his first order of business was to gather every citizen of Krukhanon to give them his "blessing."

It took hours because of the sheer number of orcs. By the end of it, only one sun shone in the bright sky, indicating it was already "night time."

However, no citizens went off to sleep. 

A huge party was thrown to celebrate the crowning of a new Khan. Krukhanon was bound to be noisy tonight.

People danced on the streets. Orcs drunk alcohol brewed with cactus juice in a festive atmosphere. Some competed against each other in friendly bouts. 

Wrestling matches, armwrestling, weapon throwing, etc. 

Musicians played joyous tunes all around with their weird wind instruments crafted from stone. Those were like long didgeridoo and made for a low tone music but were extremely pleasing to the ears. 

Bards told ballads to those who wanted to hear them. The Legend of the Khül, the Birth of Krukhanon, the Epics of the Destroyer, etc.

Amongst those stories, they incorporated a new one, that of the new Khan, a human wielding great power. Of course, they improvised it on the flight, since no songs or tales had yet to be exactly recorded. 

Accompanied by Krugan, Aito walked in the city streets, squares, and small alleys, his eyes shimmering with wonder. For a short moment, he forgot about his current predicament. 

Orc children were playing around the river. Splashing, swimming, diving, competing against each other. A smile appeared on Aito's face as he recalled fond memories of his childhood from watching them. 

An orc suddenly came running towards Krugan and whispered a few information to his ears before Krugan dismissed him.

Apparently, dozens of humans were spotted in the desert. 

Since three days ago, they started coming out the 5th floor en masse. The vastness of the 6th floor and the harsh environment prevented them from reaching the city, for now. 

Even so, what could they do against thousands of orcs? 

"I'll let you deal with them, Krugan," Aito said. He couldn't bother taking care of his fellow humans. There were more pressing matters at hand. "All I ask is that you show mercy to those who deserve it. Remember that they are also puppets of the gods and that, compared to you, they don't come back to life." 

"Yes, my Khan." 

Aito's current situation felt weird to him. He was the Khan, leader of orcs, but he was also a human. How was he supposed to deal with this situation where challengers had no choice but to kill orcs to reach higher floors? 

And so he left it up to his second in command to decide the humans' fate. He had no time for this.

"Enjoy the celebration, for now, Krugan. You deserve a little rest," Aito declared. He tapped Krugan's large shoulder then went back to his room. 

Although he liked strolling the streets and the vibes of festivities, it didn't sit right with him to be enjoying himself while his teammates were probably fighting for their lives on the 7th floor.

Moreover, he wanted nothing more than to rest. 

***

The next morning, Krugan guided Aito to the best blacksmith in the city where his repaired equipment awaited him. 

There, he took back his weaved mail and donned his new armor that was based on the old one. Heavy type. It was mostly crafted from steel reinforced with luzli, giving it a yellow-golden luster.

The armor set had a simple rough design, a little rectangular on the edges like most orc armors, but did its job to perfection. 

Its sole drawback was its mass. Although it offered near-perfect defense, he could feel it weighted more than double his previous armor's weight.

Apparently, the orc smith had managed to repair his morpho-shield despite their lack of knowledge. However, Aito was warned by the blacksmith that the mechanism might mess up at times. Nothing the orc could do about it. 

The last item he picked up from the smithy before leaving was his ainium hammer. His morpho-ax was broken, but the hammer was still useable. The orc smith had changed it into a one-handed hammer Aito could strap to his belt. It could always come in handy if need be.

Fully equipped, carrying inventory bags stuffed with food for the rest of his journey kindly provided by his subordinates and two backpacks filled to the brim with soul cores, Aito left Krukhanon in direction of the 7th floor's staircase. 

No one but Krugan and a few guards were allowed to accompany him there. 

Along the way, he discussed future plans with the ekä. While he was gone, Krugan would take Aito's place as the orc chief. As the ekä, no one should question Krugan acting as the temporary Khan. 

Krugan was supposed to train his people as well as progressively tell them the truth about this world in a way it wouldn't cause panic.

While the Khan had obligations to his people, Aito had obligations to his friends and to himself. To avoid pointless questions, no orcs other than Krugan and a few chosen would know of his whereabouts. 

Along the way, Aito talked to Krugan about what really happened in the coliseum, that he had been the one who rendered the orcs mad for his tanned ass. 

He figured he owed the orc the truth.

Surprisingly, Krugan didn't berate or accuse him of treason or mass murder. How could he when he now knew that every orc was in fact immortal and that the real culprits behind their misery were the gods.

Thanks to that, Aito could journey to the next floor with a little less burden.

After a few hours, they finally arrived at the edge of the canyon where a staircase carved in the stone was located. 

There, he ordered the orcs to return to Krukhanon, leaving his second in command with a few parting words. "We shall meet again soon. Prepare yourself." 

To which the orc replied by striking his broad chest, "I'll be waiting, my Khan."

Aito watched the orcs' backs disappear into the distance until he could no longer see them, then turned towards the staircase, ready to join his allies he hoped were doing okay.

In a hurry, he strode with a determined expression. However, before he could enter, a man wearing a dark cloak appeared out of thin air, blocking his path. 

Behir Lamat, the moderator of the 6th floor.

Aito had heard of him. An archer who reached the Transcendence realm. A person he could not afford to offend. And yet…

"What do you want? I'm in a hurry, so if you gotta say something, I'd rather you say it quick," Aito said.

He was tired of moderators appearing in front of him on every floor. 

"Hum, I see your temper resembles Gwen's. How fitting for her to be your teacher," Behir said calmly with his arms crossed. 

Aito strode past him. "If that's all you're going to say, I'll take my leave." 

The moderator reappeared in front of him inside the staircase. Behir stretched his hand. Inside his palm was a token of a carving depicting a volcano. 

"If it's strength you seek, assign yourself to Brulmär in 12 days. You won't be disappointed." 

Aito clicked his tongue. Wishing to continue to the 7th floor, he quickly reached for the token but before he grabbed it, Behir's hand seized his. 

"I thought moderators could not impede or act against challengers unless they disobeyed the law. This is a clear violation of the law on your part," Aito said, staring back into the Behir's eyes. 

The moderator ignored his statement, "In the coliseum. You did something. What was it?" 

"My business. Not yours, moderator." 

"It is when I think it interferes with my floor. You've changed something. I can sense it."

Behir peered through Aito's dark eyes, then smirked while he released his Domain. A familiar feeling pressed Aito against the ground, the same feeling he had sensed from a certain god. 

However, it was far less potent. 

He managed to resist. Clenching his fist, he prevented himself from punching the moderator's face because it would give him an excuse to push things further. 

"You cocky bastard can resist this?" Behir spat, "Interesting. Truly interesting. Gwen picked her disciple well this time, it seems." 

"Go Itchkack… yourself," Aito replied, using an orcish word. 

"How rude of you, black challenger. You thought I wouldn't understand orcish? Really?" Behir looked at him, seemingly amused. "Let me correct something, black challenger. On the 6th floor, I am the Law. If I ask you to bark, you bark. If I ask you to kneel, you kneel." 

An invisible pressure stronger than before showered Aito, forcing him to his knees. 

"If I ask you to tell me what you did in that coliseum, you answer." 

Behir expected him to break, plead for mercy. However, all he heard was a chuckle that soon turned into a laugh that echoed in the staircase. 

"What's so funny?" 

"You are, Behir Lamat," said a woman's voice coming from behind. "'I am the Law' bahaha! How incredibly ballsy of you to say that! Even more when you know that this staircase is under my jurisdiction." 

A petite, dark skin woman wearing a mage cloak descended the stairs.

"Segolene, you…" 

"Yes, Behir? You want a face off? Come on, we already know that besides Gwen, no one can compete against me in this Tower," the petite woman with said. "Now, release the kid so he can continue his ascension. Otherwise…," she paused, staring at him with a serious face, "I'll have to kick your ass." 

Behir clicked his tongue, then released Aito before vanishing without leaving a single trace behind.

"Pfff, show off," the petite woman said. She turned towards Aito, "So you are the one getting one achievement after another, hum?"