Ben stopped a respectful distance away, his expression calm, his new golden tie catching the light. "I am the System's enforcer," he stated, his voice resonating with an authority that wasn't his own, but the very fabric of the world. "I am burdened with a responsibility to audit all of which is within its jurisdiction. And your son, has been caught with an illegal injection of EXP and stats. Do know he is currently detained and is not dead. He is up for investigation on who may be the primary suspect, the source of this illicit power."
The Orc Chief, feeling a mix of fear and a strange, almost involuntary compliance under Ben's unwavering gaze, asked, his voice now lower, less aggressive. "W-What's an EXP and stats? If I may ask? What is this… illegal injection?"
Ben stared at all the orcs, their green hides and crude armor. He could see it now, a faint, shimmering red energy orb, like a parasitic growth, swirling within their bodies, visible only to him. It pulsed with power, but also with a subtle corruption. "It is that which you call power. The life essence, as you may be familiar with." Ben then activated his Ledger View, scanning the entire horde. Rows of data, glowing with damning evidence, flickered across his vision. "As you may know," he continued, his voice calm, clinical, "all of you are also suspected of the same method of illegal EXP and stat injection, including you, Chief."
The Orc Chief wasn't surprised at all. Instead, a grim calm settled over his face. He looked at his kin, then back at Ben. Ben, observing his reaction, said, "I assume you lot didn't know it was quite a taboo, a violation of the System's natural order?"
The Orc Chief let out a heavy sigh, a sound of resignation. He reached into a pouch on his belt and revealed a pulsating red crystal, glowing like molten sap. "This is the thing you seek, human. Yes, I admit, we have been using it as a way to gain strength quickly. Even all of my other sons and daughter did so, desperate for power. But my youngest, Shirka… he was drawn by it, particularly for the succession tournament, to prove himself, not to be looked down upon again. He was a bit careless and lost control after using too much of it. We use it sparingly, in order not to lose control, to not become… mindless beasts." He glanced at the spot where Shirka had been dragged into the void. "But in the end, we had to use it. The humans have been encroaching in our territory, raiding our hunting grounds, and we lost more of our kin every day. We had to fight back."
Ben nodded slowly, his expression softening almost imperceptibly. He understood the desperation, but not the justification. "I understand your plight, Chief. But you have to know, it is illegal. No one is above the law, not even those fighting for survival. If you comply with the procedure, if you surrender the illegally obtained EXP, I will extract all of it, and I will let this matter go. Or I can always go the hard way if you prefer. My methods are… less pleasant."
An orc behind the Chief, a burly warrior with a scarred face, stepped forward, axe held defiantly. "Who are you to tell us what to do, human?! You may be strong, but all of us orcs would like to die in honor in battle!"
The Chief roared, a sharp, authoritative sound. "Silence, Sugram! This is not the battle even I can win! I don't think this is even a battle at all. This is… an audit."
Ben smirked, a genuine, almost amused glint in his eyes. "Surely you jest, Chief. I'm just a tax collector."
The Chief's gaze, though still wary, held a flicker of respect. "You're too modest, human. I will agree to do what you bid, but only if you release my son, Shirka."
Ben nodded. "I can do that, Chief. But I am compelled to do the judgment. I can release him, his body will become anew, free from the infectious mutation. But he will also be like a baby, a blank slate. He will have to hone his strength again, from the very beginning." He was explaining that Shirka would be Level 1 again due to the Account Reset.
Another orc, a calmer, more thoughtful one named Shinma, stepped forward. "That is fine, father. We all thought Shirka was still a child, to the point we didn't know that he desires power not to be looked down upon again. He always felt small compared to all of us."
The Chief looked at Shinma, then at the other orcs. Another orc, a chill, laid-back warrior who had been idly flaunting his axe, added, "We'll just train Shirka again, Chief. Though I have to agree with Shinma, we do forget that he was already an adult. We always treated him like a cute brother."
A female orc behind him, her eyes sharp and intelligent, spoke up. "I agree, father. We will have to avoid those humans from now on, if that is enough to rebuild our family again. I am fine with surrendering the power I didn't work hard to obtain. It makes me feel guilty, knowing it came from… that."
Shinma nodded. "I do too. This power felt… wrong." The chill orc shrugged. "I will too. It's better than being a mindless beast." Other orcs grumbled in agreement, a collective sigh of resignation and relief.
The Chief's stern face broke into a wide, booming laugh, a sound that echoed through the cavern. "Hahahhaha! This is the best day to have ever happened to our clan! We will agree to your bidding, human! No, we ask you to extract it from us! Cleanse us!"
Ben smiled, a genuine, almost warm expression. Jordan, watching the entire exchange, chuckled silently. He had never thought orcs could be so honorable, so willing to admit their mistakes. He'd always thought orcs were just monsters they had to kill, mindless brutes. He just met Ben, and from this first party raid alone, he learned new things, things that shattered his preconceived notions. He felt a surge of admiration for Ben, a man who could command respect and compliance from even the most savage of beings.
Ben then said, "Then I will start with you, Chief." As Ben stared at the red orb swirling around the Chief's body, he reached out, his hand passing through the Chief's hide as if it were smoke, and grabbed the pulsating energy.
[ 27,250 Illegal EXP and 55 Illegal Stat Extracted ]
Above the Orc Chief's head, his level visibly dropped, from Level 51 to [ Level 40: Orc Chief ]. Jordan witnessed this absurdity alone, a dungeon boss de-leveled by an accountant.
Ben continued with the other orcs, moving to the calm orc Shinma.
[ +16,750 Illegal EXP and +50 Illegal Stat Extracted. ]
Shinma's level dropped from 35 to 25.
Ben continued with the remaining 53 orcs on the field, systematically cleansing them of their illicit gains, one by one.