[Trantor - Peptobismol]


    [Proofreader - Demon God]


    <strong>Chapter 203</strong>


    “What the hell?”


    “Damn it! What’s with the loud whistle?”


    Despite their grumbling, the Awakened members of the Red Storm quickly gathered at the entrance of the Steel Fortress.


    The whistle was the most efficient means of conveying signals.


    Especially when warning of danger, there was no better method.


    At the entrance, essible only by a basket lift, a Red Storm member was gasping for breath.


    He was the one who had blown the whistle.


    Urtian approached him and asked.


    “Juying! What’s going on?”


    “Haa... Haa... Orcs.”


    “Orcs?”


    “Yes, Orcs have appeared nearby.”


    The Awakened member, called Juying, barely caught his breath as he replied.


    “Orcs, you say?”


    “Yes! We spotted a small group about twenty kilometers away.”


    “Damn it! Those Orc bastards have no fear…”


    Urtian’s face darkened ominously.


    He wasn’t afraid of Orcs.


    Neither were his subordinates.


    The Red Storm had previously killed and looted Orcs.


    To them, Orcs were not something to fear but prey to be hunted.


    Urtian looked at his second-inmand, Kormac.


    “Kormac!”


    “Yes, boss?”


    “Take the guys and go exterminate those Orcs.”


    “Understood.”


    Kormac responded immediately.


    As the second-inmand of the Red Storm, exterminating Orcs was no big deal for him.


    “Let’s go!”


    Kormac and thirty Awakened members descended from the Steel Fortress.


    Zeon spoke to Urtian.


    “Shouldn’t you send more people?”


    “Why, are you worried?”


    “It’s better to be sure about these things.”


    “No need to worry. Kormac is well-versed in dealing with these monsters.”


    Urtian responded nonchntly.


    Having already faced Orcs, he could say this with confidence.


    Orcs were no match for the Red Storm.


    “At most, there might be a few injuries. We just need to be ready to treat them when they return.”


    “But…”


    “That’s enough. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”


    Urtian indicated he didn’t want to hear any more, sticking his fingers in his ears and walking among the people.


    Zeon didn’t push further.


    Urtian was the leader of the Steel Fortress.


    It was his judgment and decision.


    Questioning it any further would undermine his authority.


    ‘Let’s just hope nothing goes wrong…’


    * * *


    Kormac and his men headed to the location where the Orcs had been spotted.


    “Arrogant pig bastards. How dare they target our home?”


    Having stayed in the Steel Fortress for the past few days, Kormac had enjoyed the stability of a safe residence.


    For someone who had lived a nomadic life constantly threatened by monsters, the few days in the Steel Fortress felt like a dream.


    He didn’t want to lose thisfort again, hence his anger toward the Orcs.


    Kormac asked Juying, who was running ahead.


    “Juying! Are we there yet?”


    “Almost there. We should see them once we cross that sand hill.”


    “Did you hear that? Everyone, prepare for battle.”


    At Kormac’smand, the Awakened members readied themselves forbat while running.


    As they reached the top of therge sand hill Juying had indicated, the scene beyond came into view.


    Kormac’s lips curled into a grim smile.


    As Juying had said, dozens of Orcs were visible.


    They were poorly armed and had terrible discipline, looking like a ragtag group.


    Kormac didn’t see the need to deliberate or make ns.


    “Let’s go! We’ll kill them quickly and return to the fortress.”


    “Yes!”


    “Hurrah!”


    Kormac and his men charged down the sand hill at terrifying speed.


    “Chwiit!”


    “Humans!”


    The Orcs btedly noticed and drew their weapons.


    “Toote. Kill them all!”


    Whirr!


    Discs flew from Kormac’s waist toward the Orcs.


    His unique skill, Death Discs, had been activated.


    The pair of discs swiftly sliced through three or four Orcs.


    “Chwit!”


    “Kwiit!”


    The Orcs fell, screaming their distinctive cries.


    While the remaining Orcs were still in shock, the Awakened members descended upon them.


    sh!


    Swoosh!


    With chilling slicing sounds, the Orcs’ bodies were dismembered.


    The sand turned crimson with Orc blood.


    “Burn them.”


    Juying, a magic-type Awakened,unched a fireball at the Orcs.


    An Orc hit by the fireball was set aze and iled wildly.


    “Serves you right.”


    “The battle isn’t over yet. Stay alert.”


    “Yes!”


    At Kormac’s voice, Juying regained focus and continued attacking the other Orcs.


    Within moments, the dozen or so Orcs were wiped out, and Kormac and the Awakened members were covered in blood.


    Kormac finally smiled and spoke to his men.


    “Well done, everyone. Let’s return to the fortress and enjoy a nice bath.”


    “Haha!”


    “Just thinking about it makes me happy.”


    The Awakened members allughed.


    Over the past few days, they had enjoyed the luxury of abundant water.


    For the first time in their lives, they had experienced bathing.


    They had indulged in the extravagance of immersing their bodies in water.


    [Trantor - Peptobismol]


    [Proofreader - Demon God]


    The sensation of the water was still vivid in their minds.


    They were eager to return and immerse themselves in water once more.


    Just as Kormac and the Awakened members were about to leave.


    “Chwiit!”


    “The humans took the bait.”


    Suddenly, voices of Orcs echoed from all around.


    “What?”


    “Were there still more Orcs?”


    Kormac and the Awakened members were shocked and looked in the direction of the voices.


    Orcs began to emerge from the sand dunes. Their numbers were overwhelming.


    Even a rough count suggested there were over a thousand of them.


    In the center stood an exceptionallyrge Orc.


    An Orc with a massive battle hammer slung over his shoulder, exuding an overwhelming presence.


    He was Ashanka, the second-inmand of the Orcs.


    Boom!


    Ashanka took a heavy step toward Kormac.


    “My name is Ashanka, human!”


    “Ashanka?”


    “I am looking for the humans who killed our tribe’s children.”


    “Children?”


    “Yes! The children who were inmunal care. Have you seen such humans?”


    “If you mean the Orc children…”


    Kormac’s expression hardened.


    He recalled massacring some old and young Orcs not long ago.


    Ashanka didn’t miss the change in Kormac’s expression.


    “It seems I’ve found them.”


    “Arrogant Orc bastards…”


    “Where is the rest of your group? There must be more humans.”


    “How dare you interrogate me, you pig…”


    “They say humans don’t listen unless spoken to with force. Seems it’s true.”


    Ashanka was surprisingly articte for an Orc.


    Watching Ashanka, Kormac bit his lip hard.


    ‘Damn it! Looks like we’re screwed.’


    They were outnumbered, and Ashanka’s presence was daunting.


    If they fought relying solely on brute strength, escaping would be easy. But the Orcs had lured them in with a cunning n.


    It wouldn’t be easy to escape.


    Kormac spoke to his men.


    “Listen carefully. From now on, don’t think about anything but escaping. Don’t try to save yourrades. Just run to the Steel Fortress and report this.”


    No one responded, but all the Awakened members took Kormac’s words to heart.


    Kormac thought he had spoken quietly, but Ashanka heard everything.


    “Steel Fortress? Is that where yourrades are?”


    “Damn it! Did he hear that?”


    “You’ll tell us whether you like it or not, human!”


    “Damn it! Die!”


    With Kormac’s shout, a pair of discs flew out.


    He unleashed his Death Discs at Ashanka.


    Until now, the Death Discs had never failed Kormac. But this time, they did.


    ng!


    The discs were deflected by Ashanka’s battle hammer.


    “Damn it!”


    Kormac tried to control the discs to attack Ashanka again.


    “You’re weak, human!”


    Ashanka mocked Kormac as he charged.


    Boom! Boom!


    The giant figure,rger than a camel, moved with the speed of a ming wolf.


    Escape was impossible from the start.


    Kormac controlled the discs to attack Ashanka again.


    Whirr!


    The spinning discs targeted Ashanka’s neck. But without even looking at them, Ashanka struck them away with his battle hammer.


    ‘What the…?’


    As Kormac’s eyes widened in surprise, Ashanka’s battle hammer struck.


    Boom!


    “Aagh!”


    With a thunderous impact, Kormac’s body was flung backward.


    Bloodied, Kormac’s limbs twisted grotesquely as he tumbled across the ground.


    The Martial Artist Awakened Kormac was incapacitated with a single blow.


    ‘Damn it!’


    The shock of feeling his entire skeleton shattering made Kormac’s mind foggy.


    He tried to stay conscious, but it was futile.


    Thud!


    Kormac bounced several times like a skipping stone before crashing to the ground.


    Ashanka approached the fallen Kormac.


    “Vice-captain!”


    “Damn it!”


    The Awakened members tried to save Kormac, but they were surrounded by countless Orcs.


    Ashanka grabbed Kormac by the neck and lifted him.


    Regaining consciousness, Kormac shouted with hisst strength.


    “Run! At least one of you must survive and report this to the fortress.”


    Hearing this, the Awakened members finally scattered and fled.


    Seeing this, Ashanka bared his yellow fangs andughed.


    “Heh heh! I’ll let one of you live. That way, you can lead us to your fortress.”


    “No way! No, don’t!”


    Kormac’s eyes widened in horror.


    He hadn’t anticipated that an Orc could be so cunning.


    Ashanka looked into Kormac’s eyes and spoke.


    “What’s wrong? Did you think only humans could use their brains? You’re sorely mistaken. We Orcs are capable of this level of thinking, human!”


    Ashanka raised Kormac higher and grabbed his legs with his other hand. Then, using his immense strength, he pulled.


    Rip!


    With a tremendous force, Kormac’s upper and lower body were torn in half.


    Ashanka stood there, arms raised, drenched in Kormac’s blood.


    His entire body was now stained red with the human’s blood.


    He tossed aside Kormac’s mutted corpse. Lower-ranking Orcs immediately pounced on it, tearing it apart and devouring it.


    “Chwiit!”


    “Meat!”


    Ashanka paid no attention to the lower-ranking Orcs.


    His eyes were fixed on the backs of the Awakened members fleeing through the Orcs'' encirclement.


    “Yes! Lead us to your fortress.”


    [Trantor - Peptobismol]


    [Proofreader - Demon God]