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After obtaining the Divine Weapon "Tiger Essence," I could finally cut through Hydra scales and bones. This thrilled the alchemy-obsessed female mage, Hai Ruo, and the old Shaman at Blizzard House. With a steady supply of materials, construction of the stronghold, Qing City, began in full swing. The old architect promised to complete the first phase by next spring, constructing the main body of the fortress to defend against attacks from the Duchy of Langton.

However, instead of staying in the city, I ventured into the Devouring Swamp with Ice Wind for a particular reason. It all stemmed from an old tale that the local snake-in-the-grass, Old Hake, had mentioned.

"When I first arrived here and started my mercenary career, there was a legend about an 'Abandoned Temple.' Back then, many mercenaries entered the swamp in search of safer routes. It was rumored that a beautiful meadow, free of mutated monsters and swamps, existed like an oasis. In the center of this meadow stood the ruins of a temple. A group of mercenaries exploring the area stumbled upon it. However, just as they were about to investigate, numerous red-skinned, strange half-orcs emerged from the ruins, wielding metal weapons and possessing martial skills and battle auras. Despite their fierce resistance, most were slaughtered, and only one thief managed to escape. He returned to the 'City of Corruption' but died from his wounds after recounting his experience."

"Though this tale seemed absurd, like a bard's fabrication, the mercenary team the thief belonged to was well-known, and their sudden annihilation piqued people's interest. But despite following the dying thief's directions, no one found the meadow or temple, let alone these red half-orcs. Eventually, the story was dismissed as the delirious ravings of the dying thief and faded from memory."

This casual conversation turned into a quest when an idle, lecherous shaman who had lingered in the area added his two cents.

"Sir Xuanfeng, I've actually come across some intriguing records regarding that temple. Legend has it that the largest orc race inhabiting the Green Fields weren't the current cow and wolf tribes, but rather – the pig tribe."

"Pig tribe? I've heard of them. Weren't they wiped out during the Glorious War?"

"Well, you could say that, since the pig tribe doesn't exist anymore. But history and legends often differ. Records show that due to their exceptional reproductive and survival abilities, the pig tribe had a vast population. Although they were timid and lacked organization, making them poor warriors, their sheer numbers, relatively sturdy bodies, and low maintenance requirements made them the backbone of the orc infantry."

"However, after years of war, especially with the rise of humanity, the pig tribe suffered the highest casualties among all races. Unable to withstand the losses, their chieftain foolishly sought peace with humans. As expected, cunning humans seized the opportunity, entrapping the chieftain in a web of deceit. In the decisive battle on the Golden Great Plains, the pig tribe's massive army inexplicably collapsed, leading to the orcs' total defeat. Enraged, the orc leadership exiled the surviving pig tribe members to the devastated Green Fields. After a century of chaotic cursed magic, the survivors, along with other lucky organisms, mutated. They became more foolish, cowardly, yet resilient. These green-skinned outcasts became symbols of the wilderness and were rejected by their own kind, thus called 'half-orcs.'"

"I bring up this sealed tale because there are three intriguing points in Mr. Hake's anecdote. First, before the Glorious Battle, the Pigmen indeed constructed a mysterious temple, situated roughly a hundred kilometers north of Fontainebleau. Second, despite their general lack of combat prowess, the Pigmen had an elite unit, the Crimson Boar Guard, known for their entirely crimson skin. Third, to deceive the Pigman Chief and gain his trust, humans once gifted him a grand protective magic array crafted by the Twelve Sages. It was said that anyone, even a magic novice, could activate a twelve-layered magical shield capable of defending a city by inserting magic crystals. Among these defenses was an illusionary barrier that could conceal objects within the array."

The Twelve Sages were mythical names across the entire Xinghai Continent. Even though the Beastmen held an irreconcilable hatred towards them, and most races, including some humans, criticized them for using forbidden spells that harmed the world's essence; despite their annihilation under the wrath of the Earth Mother Gaia, their names, powers, and deeds continued to inspire admiration and storytelling among later generations. They were known as "TheTwelve Closest to the Divine."

All the Twelve Sages were half-elves. In the elf society, where history and tradition were highly valued, half-elves were marginalized and constantly ostracized. This situation naturally drew them closer to the rising human race, who also needed these talented mages to counter the vast elf mage corps and the formidable Beastman armies. With the innate magical talent of elves and the audacity and creativity of humans, the half-elves produced many heroes and extraordinary magical achievements, eventually developing the "forbidden spells" to rival both elves and Beastmen.

After the "Dusk of the Gods," besides the death of the Twelve Sages and the modification of the forbidden spells, half-elves were cursed. On one hand, they were forever denied the right to chant incantations. Though they could still sense and gather magical power, they couldn't use magic, limiting them to become magic swordsmen or magic archers. On the other hand, the Earth Mother stripped half-elves of their ability to pass on their bloodline. From then on, only the union of elves and humans could produce half-elves, while any pairing involving a half-elf would result in offspring of the other race. Two half-elves joining together would either produce an elf or a human. This curse was to prevent the complete assimilation of elf blood into humanity, potentially leading to more terrifying creations. Hence, in the four centuries following that event, despite gathering countless elites and expending immense resources, humanity could never recapture the brilliance of the era of the Twelve Sages without their half-elf mages.