Fairy Tale: With Sin Of Pride

"I've left a magic barrier around this city. For the next ten years, you won't need to fear monster invasions," Rhodes said, his voice devoid of emotion.

He gestured toward the stone tablet he had erected. "And if you seek power, this tablet will guide you."

Having done his part, Rhodes turned and walked away. This city, with its ordinary people, now had ten years of stability—enough time to grow stronger.

Whether his actions disrupted their peaceful lives was irrelevant to him. Weakness, in his eyes, was the ultimate sin.

In this world, the weak exist to be dominated by the strong. If these people wanted to join his magic network, they had no choice but to follow his will, even if it meant paying a steep price.

If he had wanted to, he could have razed the city to the ground with a single gesture. Instead, he had given them a decade of safety and the means to rise above their circumstances.

What more could they possibly ask for?

"Do you think this stone tablet can really help us fight the orcs?" someone in the crowd whispered.

"With power like that lord's, why would he lie to us?" another replied hesitantly.

The crowd murmured, curiosity mingling with fear. Some edged closer, their apprehension giving way to temptation.

While most lacked the talent for magic, a select few glimpsed the magical inheritance carved into the tablet. Their eyes burned with newfound fervor.

Soon, a wave of believers dedicated to the God of Magic began to emerge.

---

In this era, belief in gods was often shallow—a token offering, a whispered prayer, nothing more. After all, what did faith bring? Food? Strength? No. Only vague promises of an afterlife, far removed from the brutal realities of daily survival.

But if belief could grant power? That changed everything.

In a world where humans teetered on the bottom rung of the food chain, most would become fervent believers in an instant if it meant gaining the strength to survive—or dominate.

For power, humans would sacrifice anything. Including their lives.

---

The stone tablet had planted seeds of ambition within those who witnessed its magic. Desires for power, knowledge, and divine favor burned within their hearts.

Once the elites of this city embraced the God of Magic, their beliefs would cascade down to the common folk. A city aligned under one faith was inevitable.

And in this age, Rhodes thought, nothing cultivated belief better than desperation.

---

Not long after Rhodes left, the ground began to tremble.

The two guards stationed at the city gates paled as they saw the approaching legion. Their knees buckled, weapons shaking in their hands.

Orcs.

Not the half-orcs who shared human traits and temperaments, but true orcs—towering, beast-like creatures with sharp fangs and feral eyes.

These were beings caught between the primal strength of ancient orcs and the intelligence of modern ones. While their brutish forms were smaller than their predecessors, their cunning and savagery made them even deadlier.

---

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The city's alarm bells rang out in desperate, heavy tones.

Inside, humans scrambled to hide in their homes, fear etched on every face. The city had only survived because of the Orc Empire's protection. Now that its guardians were gone, retaliation from the orcs seemed inevitable.

All anyone could do was pray that their lives would be spared.

---

While most cowered, a few crept onto the walls, watching the incoming army with a mix of fear and fascination.

The sight was awe-inspiring. Giant wolves, three to four meters tall, clad in iron armor, charged forward with wolf-headed orcs astride their backs. These wolf cavalry were the pride of the Orc Empire—swift, coordinated, and merciless.

"Those are the Wolf Cavalry," someone whispered. "The elite of the Orc Empire. Even the Troll and Elf Empires fear them."

Leading the cavalry was a golden lion-headed orc, his face twisted with disdain.

"I've come for the magic stone mine," the lion growled, his voice filled with contempt. "I wonder how prepared my half-breed brother is."

He spat the words as if the mere thought of his human kin disgusted him. If not for their shared blood, his half-brother would have been eaten long ago, like his "despicable" mother.

But familial hatred wouldn't distract him. "The clan is at war with the trolls. This shipment of magic ore is critical. Fail, and you die!"

---

As the wolf cavalry approached the city, a golden barrier suddenly shimmered into existence.

"What now?" the lion orc sneered.

The cavalry surged forward, but the moment they touched the barrier, golden lightning struck. The entire army was obliterated in a flash, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth.

On the city walls, the humans gaped in stunned silence.

"This... this is magic?" someone stammered, staring at the barrier in awe.

For the first time, hope flickered in their hearts. If they could master this kind of power, what use were the orcs to them?

---

Meanwhile, Rhodes trudged through a dense forest.

"This doesn't look like a place where humans live," he muttered, frustration mounting.

The sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy, and every shadow seemed alive.

A sudden gust of wind broke the silence. From the treetops, a cat demon lunged at him, claws gleaming.

Clang!

The creature's claws shattered against Rhodes' skin, which had been reinforced with magic.

"Brave, but stupid," Rhodes sighed, pale magic flickering around him.

His display of power didn't deter the creatures—it attracted more. From the shadows, a pack of minotaurs emerged, their massive totem poles slamming into the ground.

And then he felt it—a familiar, oppressive aura.

"The Mother of Evil," he murmured, eyes narrowing.

A massive, spider-like creature stepped into view, its body covered in glaring red eyes.

---

"Another lair," Rhodes muttered.

Without hesitation, he attacked. A brilliant flash of magic pierced the Mother of Evil's incarnation, but the creature retaliated, lashing out with frenzied abandon.

Though powerful, its attacks were clumsy, driven more by instinct than strategy.

"This thing calls itself a god?" Rhodes scoffed, his magic tearing through the creature's bloated form again and again.

Eventually, the Mother of Evil retreated into the forest, its incarnation too battered to continue.

"First time I've seen a god run away," Rhodes said, shaking his head.

If not for its eventual fusion with the Original Witch, this so-called god would've been destroyed ages ago.

---

Rhodes resumed his journey, the forest thinning until sunlight broke through.

At the edge of the woods, a group of armored adventurers appeared.

Both sides paused, wary.

"Are you from the Adventurers Guild?" the leader asked.

Rhodes didn't answer immediately. His eyes flicked to the emblem on their gear.

"We are believers of the God of War," the man continued. "Which god do you follow?"

Rhodes raised an eyebrow. The God of War? If he remembered correctly, wasn't that the god with the highest mortality rate?

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