Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 245 Thorin's Revenge

In terms of size, the orc Azog was several sizes larger than Wayne.

However, when Wayne, clad in blood-red armor and wielding the Excalibur, grabbed Azog by the scruff of his neck with one hand and dragged him out of the mine like a dead dog, it didn't seem out of place at all.

Amidst the carnage, Wayne's image was highlighted as that of a mythical hero, while the orcs before him appeared like ants before a hero, inspiring awe in the members of the expedition team who had been watching him closely.

With a whistle, Deathclaw Robin, having received his master's command, immediately let out an excited roar in the direction of his master.

With a sudden twist of its powerful hind legs, the thick, barbed tail lashed out like a cannonball, instantly spinning in a semi-circle and hurtling towards the orc scum in front of it—one of Deathclaw's most powerful attack methods.

With unimaginable force, the first few orcs hit by the iron tail exploded into a cloud of blood mist, just like crushed red berries.

Then a dozen or so orcs were also whipped until their bones shattered, and they flew off the platform, spitting blood, and fell into the bottomless mine pit.

With just a sweeping attack, he cleared a large area in front of him, killing nearly twenty orcs.

Such efficiency in killing left the surviving orcs around them momentarily stunned. Their already dwindling morale and courage quickly dissipated after losing their leader, the orc king, and their attacks, which were like tickling, became even more powerless.

However, whether it was Wayne, Deathclaw Robin, or the members of the expedition team, they would not show mercy because of the enemy's weakness; on the contrary, they killed even more fiercely.

If they weren't in a cave and unable to use the sixth-circle spell Thundercloud Storm, Wayne would definitely have cast that spell on the orcs as well.

However, even without magic, he has no shortage of ways to attack.

Whether relying on his superior physical abilities to cut through melons and vegetables or using alchemical bombs to blast fish, his killing speed, while not as expansive and powerful as Deathclaw's, capable of taking on ten or a hundred opponents at once, was still something that Thorin and the other dwarves could only look up to.

Soon, before the mirror image disappeared, the passage leading to the mine entrance was completely breached by Wayne and Deathclaw's attacks. Any orcs that blocked their way were either chopped into pieces or fell to the bottom of the mine.

This made Wayne wonder if Gollum, who now possessed the One Ring and lived at the bottom of this mine, would be able to eat his fill for quite some time.

However, this thought was fleeting, and there was no rush to deal with the One Ring.

Once there were no obstacles in front of him, Robin excitedly ran to him, lowered her head, and waited for him to mount her.

Wayne, carrying the still unconscious Azog with one hand, rolled over and sat on Deathclaw's back. After greeting the rest of the expedition team, the group quickly left the mine.

This is, after all, a cave of orcs in the Misty Mountains, and there are probably several thousand orcs inside. Although it's not impossible to continue fighting, Wayne has already achieved his main objective: killing the two orc leaders. For a long time, they will be a scattered mob.

An enemy that is disorganized and disorganized is much easier to deal with than an enemy that is united, organized, and commanded.

The expedition team retreated quickly, and with the orcs in the cave unattended, they easily broke free of their pursuers and returned to their campsite.

Just as I sat down to rest, an old voice excitedly said:

"It was truly an epic feat. The great adventurer Wayne, on his journey to Lonely Mountain, killed the Orc King of the Misty Mountains and captured Azog, the Orc leader of Moria."

Balin, one of the dwarves, stood beside Thorin, his white beard trembling with excitement. He sang as he recounted Wayne's achievements, laughing heartily at Wayne and the other dwarves, saying:

"When I live to see the rest of my people, I will tell them about this great event, tell all the descendants of the dwarves, and let them know what a great expedition our journey to Lonely Mountain was."

Balin was second only to Thorin in prestige among the dwarves, and his words immediately resonated with the other dwarves, who joined in praising, extolling, and singing loudly in hymns of Wayne's power and achievements.

The dwarf prince Thorin stared solemnly at the unconscious, pale orc in Wayne's hands. His expression was complex, a mixture of memories, regret, and disorientation, but mostly a deep-seated hatred.

After hearing the dwarves' praise, Wayne glanced at Thorin, then at Gandalf, who was stroking his beard and smiling.

He coughed lightly, revealed a gentle smile, and said to the members of the expedition team:

"My friends, you can't say that. This success is not solely due to my efforts. Without your valiant fighting and helping me draw the orcs' attention, our plan wouldn't have been completed so well."

"Perhaps this event will be recorded in some legends, but I think it is not just me who deserves praise, but every member of our entire Lonely Mountain Expedition Team. We are all heroes who defeated the Orc Clan of Misty Mountain."

Everyone praises the dwarves, and although the dwarves weren't as important as Wayne claimed, and they hadn't actually killed many orcs, he still generously praised them and shared the credit with everyone present in order to build a good relationship with them.

The others, including Bilbo, did indeed kill a significant number of orcs in the recent battle, more than they had in previous wars.

Hearing Wayne's praise, hearing this powerful adventurer call them heroes, everyone felt incredibly excited. A sense of pride filled their hearts, and the entire expedition team grew even closer through this victory.

After everyone had finished their sighs, Wayne tossed Azog, who was lying there like a dead dog, into the center of the crowd, looked at the dwarf prince Thorin, and said softly:

"Thorin, I have completed one of your requests. Azog is right here, almost unharmed. As for when you wish to duel him, that is up to you."

Thorin stared intently at the pale-skinned, strong orc, whose severed arm had been replaced with a fork, who was lying in the center of the arena. After a few seconds, he looked up at Wayne, his expression serious, and said in a solemn tone:

"Thank you, Wayne, my friend."

"Azog is the orc that our entire tribe of Turin most wants to kill. You have fulfilled my request, and our entire tribe of Turin will always be your friend."

Having said this, the handsome Thorin Oakenshield took a deep breath and turned to everyone present, saying:

"There's no need to wait any longer. We haven't killed enough orcs yet, it's not enough to satisfy our hatred for them."

"Now, I, Thorin Oakenshield, grandson of Thrall, king of the mountains, and son of Thrallin, will fight to the death against this mortal enemy of the Turin family, this filthy orc chieftain Azog."

"His death will also be a great victory for our expedition to Lonely Mountain."

Thorin's bold words immediately drew praise and cheers from the surrounding dwarves, and in this noisy environment, Azog quickly awoke.

The pale-skinned, strong orc first shook his still somewhat dizzy head, and was surprised to find himself in an unfamiliar place, unbound.

Then, he looked warily at the members of the expedition team around him, his gaze lingering on Wayne for more than ten seconds before finally turning to the dwarf prince Thorin, who was standing opposite him in the middle of the crowd.

Seeing the hatred in the other's eyes, the orc immediately understood his situation and the other's meaning. He chuckled and said in Common:

"Thorin Oakenshield, son of the King beneath the mountain."

"It was you who cut off my arm and disgraced my honor."

"Now, you want to kill me while I'm unarmed?"

"It doesn't matter, dwarves are all such despicable and shameless fellows."

"However, as a brave orc, I will not surrender even if it means death. Even if I am unarmed, I will use my fists and teeth to kill you, you despicable bastard."

Hearing Azog's words, Wayne couldn't help but find it amusing. When did the most despicable orcs in the dark forces become so righteous and heroic?

This white-haired orc was able to become a leader, which means he was not only outstanding in martial arts, but also at least not stupid.

His taunts were quite successful, both to prove himself to his companions and to rightfully avenge his father and grandfather.

Upon hearing Azog's provocation, Thorin immediately threw a short sword at him angrily, while he himself remained in his usual setup of oak shield and dwarven longsword. He pounded his chest and roared:

"You orcs are the filthiest race in the world. You are a disgrace and a cancer to Middle-earth."

"I don't want to waste words with you. Pick up your weapons and let's have a duel to the death. I will avenge my family and my people."

"Azog, you will die here today!"

After acquiring a weapon, Azog stopped pretending. He knew that he was likely doomed today, so he was determined to die and wanted to kill the dwarf who had cut off his arm before he died.

Without much talk, the battle between Sonny and Azog erupted instantly. Both the dwarf prince and the orc leader were seasoned warriors, but in terms of physical attributes, Azog, who was even stronger than Wayne, clearly had the advantage.

From the very beginning of the battle, he gained the upper hand. Although he was wielding a short sword that wasn't quite his best weapon, he relied on his incredible strength and fearless fighting style to immediately overwhelm Thorin, forcing him to retreat repeatedly, his expression ferocious as he desperately resisted.

However, Thorin, as a dwarf prince with the excellent bloodline of royalty, was the strongest of the dwarves in the expeditionary force in terms of combat power alone. He was also the most patient and resilient. He quickly found a way to fight Azog in the difficult battle.

That is to take advantage of one's short stature and focus on attacking the lower body, so that the large, slightly less agile orc will be distracted from resisting the attack on his lower body.

Such an attack indeed made Azog very uncomfortable, and he gained a lot of advantage from it.

However, in melee combat, those who are physically strong and powerful still have an advantage.

Azog and Thorin exchanged blows, each unleashing their full fighting power in a life-or-death struggle, but in the end, Thorin was the first to be driven into a corner.

The shield he held, made of oak trunk, could no longer withstand the repeated blows and suddenly burst open and fell off.

In a moment of distraction, Azog's blade slashed fiercely at Thorin's left arm.

Blood splattered everywhere as a large, muscular hand fell to the ground.

Due to the sudden, intense pain of losing his arm, Thorin couldn't help but let out a mournful howl, staggered several steps, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.

Seeing such a critical situation, the other dwarves all turned pale, their expressions a mixture of horror and tension. They instinctively reached for their weapons, but due to the sacredness of the duel, they dared not intervene.

Even Gandalf, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but shrink his pupils, purse his lips, and turn his fingers white from gripping his staff so tightly.

Having avenged his severed arm, Azog showed no mercy. After a wild laugh, he immediately raised his short sword, ready to deliver the final blow to Thorin, who was lying on the ground.

The pale-skinned orc suddenly narrowed his eyes, realizing he had lost control of his body. His sword, which was sure to decapitate Thorin, missed and struck the stone next to the dwarf's head.

Thorin was no coward either, and he quickly recovered from the pain of losing his arm.

When Azog's blade went astray, he immediately seized the opportunity to turn the tide. Despite the pain in his left arm, he thrust his dwarven longsword upwards in his right hand, piercing Azog's heart and delivering a fatal blow to the orc leader.

However, Azog was no ordinary person to have risen above the cruel orc survival system and become the leader of a powerful orc clan, even with a sword in his heart and no chance of survival.

But he still mustered his strength, ignoring the dwarf's longsword stabbing even more thoroughly, and pounced on Thorin, biting down hard on Thorin's neck with his sharp teeth.

With a desperate roar, it used all its remaining strength to tear at Thorin's neck muscles, trying to bite its enemy to death.

At this critical moment of life and death, Thorin unleashed all his will to survive. Even with blood gushing from his severed left arm, he gripped his longsword tightly with his right hand, using all his strength to churn at Azog's heart, trying to damage it as much as possible.

A few dozen seconds later, the strong, pale orc finally lost all his vitality and died.

Thorin, who was pinned beneath him, was in no better shape. He had lost too much blood, his face was pale, and his neck was covered in bite wounds. If he hadn't been lucky enough that his carotid artery hadn't been bitten through, he might not have had the strength to kill the orc before Azog killed him.

Even so, after the other dwarves in the expeditionary force frantically rescued him from beneath Azog.

This once exceptionally handsome dwarf prince was now covered in wounds, his body stained with blood, and he was on his deathbed.

He reached out and grasped Balin and Fili's hands, as if giving their last words, and whispered something. The other dwarves, seeing this, all wept, grieving for their prince.

Standing not far from him, Wayne frowned slightly, pondering whether or not to continue saving the grandson of the King of the Mountain, a prince in the original story who had suffered a mental breakdown and caused discontent among many due to his greed.

In the end, Wayne sighed. After all, they had spent more than a month together. Although their relationship wasn't exactly close, they were still teammates who had fought side by side.

He stepped forward, walked to Thorin's side, glanced at Gandalf, whose face was filled with sorrow at his inability to find a solution, and then spoke to Balin and the other dwarves:

"Everyone, make way, let me try. Maybe I can save him."

(End of this chapter)