Strongest Radioactive System

However, just as he took a step forward, ready to confront whatever lay hiding in the darkness, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Volk, wait," one of the orcs behind him called out, his voice laced with hesitation.

Volk halted, turning to face his comrades.

The sight that greeted him was unexpected—expressions of uncertainty, fear, and doubt written across their faces.

It was a look Volk recognized all too well, a look that stirred memories from a life he had long since left behind.

He remembered being confined to a wheelchair, yearning to do things others took for granted, but being held back by his own limitations.

It was a look of someone wanting to speak, but unsure if they should.

"I am your leader," Volk began, his voice firm yet gentle. "You\'re all my responsibility. What is it?"

The orc who had stopped him hesitated, glancing at his comrades before speaking.

"We\'ve been thinking... Maybe we should go back and apologize to the Bloodfang clan for what we did. We don\'t want enmity with them, Volk. They\'re one of the strongest clans, and... and we\'re just hunters, not warriors."

The words hung in the air like a stone dropped into a still pond, the ripples of their meaning spreading through the group.

Before Volk could respond, Lhum\'Baggar, a fierce warrior with a fiery temper, stepped forward and shoved the orc who had spoken, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lhum\'Baggar roared, his voice echoing through the cavern. "That\'s the talk of a coward! A weakling! You\'d rather grovel at the feet of the Bloodfang than stand tall as an orc? Have you forgotten what it means to be one of us? We are the Dreadmaw!

We do not bow! We do not apologize! To show weakness like this is the most shameful thing an orc can do!"

Lhum\'Baggar\'s outburst sent a shockwave through the group, the raw fury in his voice silencing all but the bravest among them.

The orc he had pushed was quickly helped to his feet by his comrades, who glared back at Lhum\'Baggar with defiance in their eyes.

"We\'re not all like you, Lhum\'Baggar!"

One of them shouted back, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger.

"Not all of us were raised by a warrior father who taught us weapon-handling from the time we could walk! Your father had a name, a reputation! Our fathers were not warriors—they were hunters, farmers, craftsmen! We were never meant to be bloodseekers like you!"

Another orc joined in, his voice rising in support of his friend.

"We\'ve followed you this far because we believed in you, but we never asked for this! We don\'t want to die here, in some godforsaken dungeon, just because you\'re too proud to admit when you\'re wrong! We don\'t want to make enemies we can\'t afford to have!"

The argument escalated quickly, the group dividing into those who supported Lhum\'Baggar and those who sided with the hesitant orcs.

Grashk and Grok\'Thar, both seemed loyal to Lhum\'Baggar, stepped forward to back him up, their voices joining the fray.

"Lhum\'Baggar\'s right!"

Grashk shouted.

"We\'ve come this far because we\'re orcs, and orcs don\'t back down! We don\'t show weakness to anyone, especially not the Bloodfang! If we go back now, we might as well be dead already!"

Grok\'Thar nodded in agreement, his voice booming through the cavern.

"This is a test! A trial to prove ourselves! If we turn back now, we\'ll never be more than hunters and farmers! We\'ll never earn the respect of the clan, never be seen as true warriors!"

The shouting grew louder, the tension within the group mounting as each side refused to back down.

It was a scene Volk had seen before, in a different life—a life where he had been a helpless observer to the arguments of his cousins, sisters, and brothers, each of them quarrelling over what was best for him, for the one who could not help himself.

In that past life, Volk had hated being a burden, hated being the cause of strife and division among those he loved.

He had vowed that in this new life, he would never be the source of such conflict again.

He would not be a burden to those who followed him. However now, he realized, the conflict was inevitable.

He could not avoid it by remaining silent.

"Wait," Volk said, trying to regain control, but his voice was drowned out by the continued shouting.

The argument raged on, neither side willing to give ground.

Lhum\'Baggar\'s supporters accused the others of cowardice and betrayal, while the hesitant orcs defended their right to choose their own path, to survive rather than be sacrificed on the altar of pride.

"ENOUUUUUGH!!!"

Volk\'s voice cut through the noise like a blade, echoing off the cavern walls with a force that demanded silence.

The orcs stopped, turning to face their leader, their expressions a mix of shock and shame.

The sheer power in Volk\'s voice was enough to remind them of who led this group, of the respect they owed him.

Volk took a deep breath, steadying himself before he spoke. "I am not a warrior," he began, his voice low but filled with the weight of his confession.

"I am a Labor Orc. We are said to only strengthen ourselves in the second form once we\'re in the Grum-gar form, and even then, only one percent of us or one of my offsprings of one hundred percent, will ever awaken to that form. And because of that, when I return to the clan, my current partner will be taken from me."

His words hung in the air, heavy with the truth of his situation.

The orcs looked at him, their anger and fear momentarily forgotten as they absorbed the reality of what Volk was saying.

"But I won\'t just accept that," Volk continued, his voice growing louder, more resolute.

"I, Volk Mog\'ger, refuse to be constrained by what others think I should be! I refuse to let them take what is mine without a fight! I want to know how strong I really am, even if it means facing death! I won\'t stand idle while my fate is decided by others!"

He looked each of them in the eye, his gaze unwavering.

"I know it sounds crazy. I know what I\'m asking is more than what most would consider reasonable. But that\'s who I am. I won\'t care if I offend the Bloodfang Clan, or even if I offend every single one of you. I am done living by the expectations of others."

Volk\'s words resonated in the hearts of his comrades, their earlier fears and doubts now overshadowed by a deep, growing respect for their leader. He had laid bare his soul before them, revealed his vulnerabilities, and in doing so, had shown them the strength of his conviction.

"You can decide," Volk said, his voice softening. "Go back if you want. I won\'t blame you. But I\'m going forward. I have to."

The orcs stood in silence, their minds racing as they processed everything Volk had said.

They saw in him not just a leader, but a fellow orc who was willing to fight for his place in the world, to challenge the fate that others had tried to impose on him.

They saw a reflection of their own struggles, their own fears, and their own desires for something more.

One by one, they began to nod, their earlier hesitation giving way to a steely resolve.

Lhum\'Baggar, Grashk, Grok\'Thar, and even the orcs who had been most afraid, all found themselves moved by Volk\'s words.

They realized that in following Volk, they weren\'t just following a leader—they were following an idea, a belief that they could be more than what they were told to be.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, one of the hesitant orcs stepped forward. "We\'ll come with you, Volk," he said, his voice steady. "We won\'t let you fight this alone."

The others nodded in agreement, their expressions firm.

They had made their choice.

Volk felt a swell of emotion in his chest—pride, gratitude, and a fierce determination that burned brighter than ever. He had faced his fears, his doubts, and had come out stronger. And now, with his comrades by his side, he knew that they could face whatever lay ahead.

There was a long pause as they all looked at one another, the bond between them stronger than it had ever been.

Then, with one voice, they roared the words that had become their rallying cry, the words that signified their unity, their resolve, and their defiance in the face of any challenge.

"Lok\'tar Ogar!"

The cavern walls shook with the force of their cry, the sound echoing into the depths of the darkness that lay ahead.

"Lok\'tar Ogar!" "Lok\'tar Ogar!" "Lok\'tar Ogar!"

Together, they would face whatever waited for them, knowing that they were not just orcs, but warriors—warriors who had chosen their own path, and who would fight for their right to walk it.

"LOK\'TAR OGAR!!!"

And with that, they turned as one, following Volk as he led them forward into the unknown

With the expression written on their faces, one could see their hearts must be filled with a renewed sense of purpose and a fire that nothing could extinguish.