《Praise the Orc!》 Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter 1: Prologue

There was a huge shimmering screen on the side of the building. Pedestrians and drivers were all unable to take their eyes off it. Disyed on the screen was one orc facing thousands of soldiers on his own. While watching their screens, the audience murmured: ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± ¡°He blocked the Allied Forces by himself.¡± ¡°No one knows who he is or even whether he¡¯s a yer, NPC, or boss made by the developers.¡± ¡°Everything is unknown.¡± As themanding officer leading the army approached the orc, the video on the screen closed in on themanding officer¡¯s handsome face. He said, ¡°Do you think you can ward them off on your own?¡± The orc did not respond. His steel helmet was casting a shadow on his face, so his expression was inscrutable. ¡°Why are you fighting us?¡± themanding officer asked. Thementator introduced themanding officer, ¡°He is an elf of the War Maestro ss, which is a hidden ss. He is also a high-ranking master of the Heaven and Earth n and a genius onrge-scale tactics andmand. This is yer Choi Han-Sung, who is widely known by the moniker ¡®Rommell¡¯.¡± The orc opened his mouth and said, ¡°Let me ask you this instead. Why are you attacking these people?¡± His voice was gruff and low, characteristic of an orc. ¡°Because...¡± Choi Han-Sung carefully chose his words. The answer was obvious; it was because this was arge-scale quest. He wanted to gain items and level up, thus gaining wealth and authority. However, this was not an answer he could give. ¡°Because they are our enemy,¡± he concluded. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°If you bother us for longer, you too will be our enemy.¡± ¡°Is that how you betrayed others¡¯ trust, massacred the innocent, and reaped their money and equipment?¡± The orcughed. ¡°You are a human who does not know honor.¡± ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m an elf. Are you also a yer?¡± ¡°Listen carefully,¡± the orc said as he raised his eyes, which were glistening inside the helmet. His erged appearance on the screen made it seem as if he was ring at everyone beyond the screen. Then the orc raised his voice, and it rang boldly across the ins as well as out from screens and into the ears of those watching. ¡°I¡¯m an orc and a warrior. A warrior does not give up on the faithful. A warrior does not persecute the weak. A warrior does not attack the unarmed. A warrior does not sumb to injustice. A warrior does not do anything shameful to God. A warrior pays back grace and vengeance. A warrior protects the weak. I swear to God by thesemandments.¡± The orc raised his greatsword. ¡°I shall prove my honor.¡± Murderous intent rose from the orc¡¯s body. The ground shook, and themanding officer and his army took a step back. The orc smiled. ¡°Come, human.¡± Chapter 2: The Creator’s Mistake (1)

Chapter 2: The Creator¡¯s Mistake (1)

¡°Start the game!¡± Hearing his sister¡¯smand, Yi-An¡¯s expression darkened as he shook his head; he was not a man who sumbed to pressure. When his sister bent her torso forward against the cash register, Yi-An sternly pushed back by pressing against her forehead. Yi-An said, ¡°If you don¡¯tplete enough course credits, you won¡¯t be allowed to log in anymore.¡± However, his sister Jung Yi-Yoo did not falter. ¡°I''m just trying out the game. Everyone is trying it except you. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Payment by card or cash?¡± ¡°Ah, why are you making your sister pay?¡± ¡°There are customers waiting behind you. Please hurry.¡± ¡°Wow, really.¡± Hearingughter behind her, Yi-Yoo blushed and grudginglyid out her bills. ¡°You are missing five hundred won...¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m going to school!¡± Yi-Yoo stuck out her tongue before running out. Yi-An smiled while watching Yi-Yoo leave. A customer who had been waiting for her turn approached Yi-An. ¡°Your sister is always so lively.¡± ¡°I wish she could be a bit calmer. Would you like an americano?¡± Jung Yi-An, a quiet man who ran a caf¨¦, always wore a gentle smile on his face. There were quite a number of female customers who visited Yi-An¡¯s caf¨¦ daily to see him because of his friendly demeanor and tall, slender frame. Caf¨¦ Reason hadn¡¯t even been open for a year, but it had regrs who always sought it out because of itsfortable atmosphere. ¡°Yi-An-ssi, do you y Elder Lord?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very good at games.¡± ¡°It¡¯s virtual reality, so you don¡¯t have to be good at games. You should try it sometime. There are more people who y the game than those who don¡¯t these days.¡± ¡°Haha, should I? Here¡¯s your iced americano.¡± ¡°If you ever start, you should give me your ID. I will help you. I¡¯m a high-level yer.¡± Elder Lord was a virtual reality game that started its service a few months ago. It had a unique system where each yer¡¯s assimtion rate affected their abilities, so the level of realism in Elder Lord was iparable to that of its predecessors. Thus, Elder Lord was already monopolizing the world¡¯s virtual reality game market. Furthermore, yers could roley as their in-game characters by using the video recording function, and their videos were broadcasted during prime time. Rankers were already earning ies that exceeded that of celebrities and sports stars. It was already an obsolete slogan that virtual reality had begun to rece reality. This was the era of Elder Lord. Yi-Yoo had been begging Yi-An to buy her a capsule to y the game, buttely, she had also been pestering him to join her. He had an idea as to why. It was because Elder Lord was extremely difficult. Leveling up and improving one¡¯s abilities were hard to do; new yers typically struggled because monsters and NPCs were extremely strong. Moreover, as new yers were foreigners intruding into the world of NPCs, they had to start from the very bottom. It hadn¡¯t been that long since Yi-Yoo started, so she was begging Yi-An for help. In Elder Lord, a yer¡¯s real-life abilities could impact the game. Although physical abilities were determined by the character they chose, yers could integrate their real-life skills into the game, and there were rumors that high-rankers werepetent in martial arts. Yi-An had also previously seen Elder Lord¡¯s battle videos on television, but they didn¡¯t appeal to him. ¡°...Hello?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. What did you say?¡± ¡°Cappino...¡± Yi-An¡¯s fingers shook as he entered the order. He clenched his fist to calm the quivers, but when he slowly stretched out his hand, he felt a stiffness akin to that of a corpse. His knuckles were frozen stiff. Yi-An recalled the time when the battlefield had been his home and how he had shared the same bed with the dead every day. Yi-An would never y Elder Lord. If a person had ever met the eyes of the dying on the battlefield, how could they cheer while watching a sword being driven into another¡¯s neck? Even if it was just a game... *** ¡°Can¡¯t you just try once?¡± Yi-An shook his head. ¡°What do you mean? I won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Why are you still caught up in the past? You still shake when you try to shoot a gun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Yi-An turned his gaze away. Baek Han-Ho, the man who was sitting across from him, burst outughing. He had neatly parted greased hair and had on a modernized hanbok and an expensive wristwatch. All in all, he had a free-spirited appearance. Baek Han-Ho mumbled to himself as he took a sip of the coffee Yi-An made. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so bitter. I can¡¯t drink this.¡± ¡°Coffee is supposed to be bitter.¡± ¡°Like life.¡± Yi-An frowned. Baek Han-Ho once againined the coffee was bitter before gulping it down heartily. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he leaned his head backward. Once he was done, he nked his ss cup against the table with a grin. ¡°You drank it all even though you said it was bitter,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°You said coffee is bitter by nature.¡± Baek Han-Ho rubbed his chin. ¡°Now that I know coffee is just bitter water, there is nothing to be afraid of.¡± ¡°Stop talking in riddles.¡± ¡°You are a coward.¡± Yi-An¡¯s expression turned into a frown again. Baek Han-Ho continued, ¡°Look at your sister Yi-Yoo. She grew up so well on her own, but you can¡¯t even y a game with her even though you are her older brother. Tsk, tsk.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it so seriously, and just have fun with her.¡± Yi-An cupped his chin and became lost in thought. The door chime rang as the door opened, followed by the part-timer greeting them. Yi-An could feel the presence of two people. One had sharp, loud steps, while the other trotted lightly. Both were women. He could hear the gait of their high heels as they walked with their toes pointed outwards. Yi-An inferred from those details and the quivering tone of the women¡¯s voices that it was probably that time of the month for them. He felt frustrated at himself for naturally noticing these things. His habits from the battlefield still followed him everywhere. Their voices rang out. ¡°Yesterday, my oppa yed Elder Lord on my ount and leveled up like crazy. You¡¯re still on the same level, right?¡± ¡°Ooh... I¡¯m so jealous. I¡¯m so annoyed ¡®cause I got harassed by a yer yesterday.¡± ¡°Harassed?¡± ¡°Yeah, this pervert suddenly touched my butt while passing by... I¡¯m so unlucky.¡± ¡°What? Did you report him? What the heck.¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyes wavered as he listened to the conversation. Baek Han-Ho grabbed a cookie and mumbled, ¡°Hmm... Actually, I¡¯m quite good at Elder Lord.¡± He paused when he saw the fire in Yi-An¡¯s eyes. ¡°...What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How do I log onto Elder Lord?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally changed your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna do it.¡± Thus, Yi-An started ying the game to protect his sister. He stated, ¡°I¡¯m going to start immediately.¡± *** Towering trees and overgrown foliage covered the sky. The sunlight seeping through the leaves blurred his vision. He felt the soft dirt beneath his feet, and the thick scent of the forest and the cries of birds and insects surrounded him. Yi-An was dumbfounded. ¡°This... is a game?¡± It couldn¡¯t be. This was just like reality. However, the messages that popped up confirmed this was indeed a game. [Wee to Elder Lord.] [Please check your status window.] [Your starting point is Orcrox Fortress. We wish you the best of luck.] The messages disappeared once Yi-An read all of them. Then the lifelike, lush forest spread out in front of him once more. Yi-An walked in a daze until he found a puddle where a small squirrel was sipping water. However, the squirrel ran away as Yi-An approached it. Yi-An observed his reflection in the puddle. He saw skin that had a greenish hue and tusks jutting out of a menacing face. It was a monster with a sharp gaze. [Status Window Yi-An, Beginner Orc Level: 1 Achievement points: 0 Assimtion: 50% Skills: Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common)] Yi-An was an orc. The species that yers could select from were: human, elf, dark elf, dwarf, gnome, and orc. Each had its own characteristics, but unlike the other species that appeared simr to humans, orcs had the appearance of a monster. They couldn¡¯t look human even with customization. Thus, he decided on an orc simply to shock his sister Yi-Yoo. However, once he raised his hand and saw his green skin and thick fingers, he felt an ufortable sensation as if his soul had possessed another creature¡¯s body. His weight and bnce were totally different from that of his actual body. It might take some time for him to get used to this. Animals of the forest noticed Yi-An and scurried away. His body quickly surged forward as he chased them yfully. He even managed to snatch a rabbit. Yi-An was heavy but agile; his muscle density as an orc was different from a human¡¯s. This was a strong orc. Yi-An then observed the spire of a castle soaring above the trees of the forest. ¡®Orcrox Fortress, the cradle of orc warriors.¡¯ He felt as if he had to head there. So, Yi-An began walking in the direction of Orcrox Fortress, eventually disappearing inside it. Right after Yi-An left, a new yer appeared out of thin air. He puzzledly looked around his surroundings as if it was his first time essing the server. He eximed, ¡°Oh, is this Elder Lord? Nice! It looks real. Now, this is virtual reality. Let¡¯s see... They said to insert this into the ear... like this... I¡¯m in! What should I pick? Species? Orc. A man should choose orc... What? Have I not read the game introduction? Why is orc an error? It was released by mistake? It¡¯s super hardcore? Elder Lord is already tough, but orc is crazy difficult? No one chooses the orc? Really, no one? They all reset before Level 5? Damn... Hey, what are you? You work part-time under an evil NPC for shit pay? What kind of game is this? An NPC is way stronger than a yer? LOL. Got it. Fine, I will choose to be human. Thanks for your hard work.¡± Chapter 3: The Creator’s Mistake (2)

Chapter 3: The Creator¡¯s Mistake (2)

Yi-An approached the castle, where two orcs in chain armor stood like statues with their halberd des glistening in the sunlight. When they discovered Yi-An, they started grinning. However, due to their tusks and heinous appearance, it seemed as if they were distorting their faces rather than smiling. ¡°Hey, are you alive?¡± ¡°Alive? Even a clown like him came here to be a warrior.¡± The two orcsughed in unison. It was a deep roar ofughter that stemmed from the depths of their stomachs. Their threatening presence made Yi-An swallow nervously. As a former soldier, he had frequently encountered life-and-death situations in the past, but he was still intimidated by these two monstrous orcs who were the size of hefty men. One orc held out his fist. ¡°...?¡± Yi-An nkly stared at the orc¡¯s rough hand. Then he realized it was a greeting and raised his fist, giving a fist bump in return. The orc guard smiled widely and said, ¡°Anyways, since you are here in Orcrox, I wish you the best of luck. There¡¯s a funeral today, so please join us in mourning an honorable warrior. I hope you stay alive.¡± The two orcs then shouted for the castle door to open. Amidst the castle¡¯s walls, which were high enough to cover the sun, its gargantuan door¡ªwhich was the size of a building¡ªstarted to open slowly. With a thunderous noise, the door opened wide and revealed whaty inside Orcrox Fortress. ¡°Wow...¡± Yi-An used to think of orcs as uncivilized monsters because they had an unsightly appearance. However, there was more to them than their appearance; their buildings were on a whole different level. Lofty buildings circled around a huge tree at the center of the fortress, and suspended bridges hanging above ground served as connections between those buildings. He could see orcs bustling about above and on the ground. It was like a fairy city in a fantasy world! Armed warriors, sorcerers with their wands, and merchants had gathered here to form a civilization. The mesmerizing scenes seemed more lifelike than reality. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is a game...¡± ¡°Hey, are you alive? Are you a newbie?¡± When orcs passing by saw Yi-An feeling flustered, they smiled and held out their fists toward him. Yi-An bumped fists with them too. It didn¡¯t take long before he realized that orcs greeted one another by asking, ¡®Are you alive?¡¯ Elder Lord seemed to be a ce where people frequently crossed the boundaries between life and death, to the extent that it became a form of greeting to inquire about one¡¯s state of being. Yi-An wasn¡¯t sure where to start, so he checked the interface for beginner tips. [Can you handle being an orc?] [If you are a beginner, look for Instructor Lenox at Orcrox.] ¡°Lenox...?¡± Someone eximed, ¡°Oh, a user? Wow, a real user?¡± He had a bold and gruff voice, but his tone was ridiculously childish. As Yi-An turned his head, he found himself face-to-face with a shabby-looking orc. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen another user as an orc. d to meet you!¡± The shabby-looking orc tried to shake Yi-An¡¯s hand but caught himself and held out his fist instead. Yi-An smiled and returned the fist bump. ¡°Are you alive?¡± ¡°Haha, yes, I¡¯m alive. Anyways, is it your first time ying the game? Let¡¯s exchange names. Call me Grom. I got the name from an old game character.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m Yi-An,¡± Yi-An nodded and then discovered there was a white star glowing dimly in the center of Grom¡¯s forehead. ¡°That¡¯s...?¡± ¡°What?¡± Grom followed the line of Yi-An¡¯s sight and patted his forehead. ¡°Ah, this. You don¡¯t know about it? Stars appear so that users can recognize one another. You have one on your forehead too. That¡¯s how I recognized you. Only users can see it on other users; NPCs can¡¯t. You must be a totally new yer.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°There are some people who cover these and pretend to be NPCs. You must have started ying without doing any research.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time ying a game.¡± ¡°I see. Be careful. Elder Lord is a really difficult game, so you need to study strategies and tips. Otherwise, it¡¯s going to be really bad,¡± Grom said knowingly with a nod. Then he smiled. ¡°Of course, you must not know any better since you chose the orc.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing. Are you going to Lenox because it¡¯s your first time?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the guiding tip said.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I just started, so I am on my way as well.¡± While following Grom, Yi-An could not take his eyes off the sights of the city; he was amazed by Orcrox Fortress. Everything was so realistic that it was hard to believe it was all just a game. There was a market, a smithy, a merchant urging people at the top of his lungs to purchase his goods, an adventurer gatheringrades to defeat monsters, and a drunk orc spewing gibberish. Yi-An began to think differently about Elder Lord. Aside from its unique game system, it seemed each character had its own individual traits and story. The orcs¡¯ culture created this civilization. It was a sublime game. Gromughed as Yi-An nced back and forth around him, fully immersed in the world of Elder Lord. ¡°Amazing, right?¡± Grom said. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t believe this is a game. How...?¡± Yi-An could not believe all of the things he was seeing and hearing could be part of a game. ¡°Ah, they are holding a funeral over there.¡± ¡°A funeral?¡± ¡°Orcs mourn the death of an honorable warrior when he passes away. He was a notable NPC, but he sacrificed himself to protect hisrades.¡± The faint sound of a horn suddenly surfaced above the noise, and the entirety of Orcrox Fortress fell deadly silent. ¡°Huh...?¡± All of the orcs were silent, and even the screaming merchant and the drunkard spewing gibberish had be quiet. The horn rang loudly amid a silence that belied the earlier tumult. All the orcs were looking toward the center of Orcrox Fortress now. An orc¡¯s corpsey atop a pile of firewood, surrounded by bricks stacked high like it was an altar. The orcs began humming in low tones one by one, creating a sound that had a spiritual vibe like the chants of Tibetan monks. The tones of their voices were thick and subdued. The Orcrox Fortress waspletely filled with the beat of the funeral procession. At the bottom of the altar, the orcs overseeing the funeral started to beat their drums. The sound of the horn, the beating of the drums, and the orcs¡¯ humming merged together in harmony. Then they lit the warrior¡¯s corpse on fire. mes rose above the altar and engulfed the corpse of the warrior. The orcs mourned the warrior¡¯sst moment and proceeded to perform their funeral rites. ¡°Wow...¡± Yi-An got lost in thought. There had been a time when he used to roam the battlefields as a soldier. He thought of Cornell, who had be a star in the sky after being shot. His peers had sent Cornell off with cheery smiles rather than tears, and instead of selecting a sad song, they had sung a tranquil army hymn in his honor. No one cried that day, but they could feel the torrential downpour of warmth in everyone¡¯s heart. As Yi-An listened to the sublime humming of the orcs, the memory from that day came alive in his mind, and he could not take his eyes off the corpse on the burning altar. The horn¡¯s music drifted throughout Orcrox Fortress sorrowfully. The dead orc was someone whose name Yi-An didn¡¯t even know; he was just a character inside a game. Yet, Yi-An was sure the dead orc had been a great man who was respected by everyone. ¡°Ugh, so noisy.¡± Grom¡¯s voice suddenly jolted Yi-An out of his thoughts. He wasining beside Yi-An. ¡°Who cares about a funeral? I need to quickly progress in the game. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Yi-An stared at Grom nkly. How could this man not feel any emotion while observing this scene? In this world that was more lifelike than reality, how could he dismiss the rituals of these orcs as just part of a game? Yi-An turned his gaze back to the burning corpse. [Assimtion: 50%] [Assimtion: 51%] [Assimtion: 52%] ... Yi-An failed to notice the changes in his status window. *** -Hello! I¡¯m Yoojung! I¡¯m here to help everyone leadfortable lives in Elder Lord! -Hi, I¡¯m Jaehan! -Today, we will discuss assimtion rates. Jaehan, what¡¯s your assimtion rate? -On a good day, it¡¯s over 50%, but it¡¯s usually around 40%. -Amazing. I¡¯m usually around 30%. yers¡¯ assimtion rates are typically between 30% to 40%, so you are very skilled. -Haha, but a lot of people ce limits when they are fighting due to the pain. Even 50% is nauseating because you can feel the actual hits and stabs. -I actually set my limit to 20% when I y because of that. -Lol, that¡¯s too much. -Hehe. Anyways, viewers, what¡¯s your assimtion rate? ording to the survey results, the average is between 30% to 40%. High-rankers, especially those who roley, will even reach 70%. -Wow, they must be really absorbed into the game. That¡¯s scary. -Kim Dal-Kwang, the military guy, is the hottest role yer these days. He recently revealed his status window, and his assimtion rate is... 73%! -Wow! No wonder he became such a high-ranker!¡± -The creators did not reveal how assimtion rates specifically affect one¡¯s abilities, but there is certainly a corrtion. It¡¯smon knowledge that the higher the ranker, the higher their assimtion rates are. Some even judge a ranker¡¯s skills based on their assimtion rate. The assimtion rate¡¯s impact on one¡¯s skills, attacks, and movement and its enhancement of all capabilities can narrow the gap between an NPC and a user. -Ah, scary NPCs! I hate NPCs! -Haha, I know right? That¡¯s why some users have been attempting to create their own viges. Now, an interview with ine who nned the independent yer vige Shangri-La... The restaurant staff changed the channel. ¡°The world is going crazy for games...¡± she muttered. Jung Yi-Yoo, who had been immersed in the content being shown on the television, came to her senses. Her friends reluctantly turned their heads away from the television too. ¡°What are your assimtion rates?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 20... 30%?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve exceeded 40% before, but I¡¯m usually around 30%.¡± Yi-Yoo smiled widely and made a peace sign. ¡°I¡¯m 10%!¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Do you only use the right side of your brain for gaming and the left side for sleeping?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a game. I need to focus, but I keep waking up to the reality that it¡¯s just a game... Well, I¡¯m still leveling up.¡± ¡°A rabbit killed you.¡± ¡°What? A rabbit killed Yi-Yoo? Is that even possible? Can rabbits attack?¡± Yi-Yoo let out a deep sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I attacked it because it looked weak, but it bit my leg. I kept grappling with the rabbit and eventually died from excess bleeding.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Crazy...¡± Yi-Yoo grinned widely. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have to struggle anymore. My brother started ying the game.¡± ¡°Ah, your cool brother?¡± ¡°Yeah, my brother is going to quickly be a high-ranker and help me level up. I¡¯m going to catch up to you guys.¡± ¡°Not everyone can be a high-ranker.¡± A friend who had been listening intervened, ¡°Her brother was in the military.¡± ¡°A soldier?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be used to things in Elder Lord because he used to be a soldier?¡± ¡°All Korean men go to the military.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t a regr military guy. He actually went out to the battlefields as a soldier. He was a part of the foreign troops and a sharpshooter in the Middle East and Africa.¡± ¡°Really? Has he killed people?¡± Everyone turned toward Yi-Yoo. Yi-Yoo shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t talk about those things...¡± ¡°Damn. My friend¡¯s brother also did martial arts and limated immediately as soon as he joined Elder Lord. He is now a high-ranker.¡± ¡°Yi-Yoo, don¡¯t ignore us when you be a high-ranker.¡± Yi-Yoo shrugged again. ¡°Yeah, so you guys should be nice to me.¡± Meanwhile, Yi-An, the center of Yi-Yoo¡¯s expectations, was currently rolling on the cold ground due to selecting the creator¡¯s mistake: the orc. Chapter 4: Instructor Lenox (1)

Chapter 4: Instructor Lenox (1)

¡°Aaarrghhh!¡± Yi-An crumbled to the ground. Instructor Lenox, an Orcrox warrior, wasughing at him. ¡°Measly men like you want to be warriors?¡± ¡°Uhhhh...¡± Lenox grabbed Grom by the cor. ¡°How can men like you call themselves orcs and walk with your heads high!¡± Lenox yelled as he pushed his face right up to Grom¡¯s. ¡°Look at these weak arms and legs! One could believe you are a human, elf, or even a dwarf! Never an orc!¡± Then he threw Grom onto the ground. Grom rolled on the floor while breathing heavily. Orc warriors who were training nearbyughed at them in their characteristic grating voices. When Yi-An and Grom first came to Lenox saying that they wanted to be warriors, Lenox had asked them, ¡°Why do you want to be warriors?¡± Yi-An and Grom had looked at each other before Grom said loudly, ¡°We want to be stronger!¡± Grom¡¯s response had been a perfect textbook answer and truthful to some extent. After all, orcs were strong warriors who revered the strong and did not bow down to enemies. Lenox¡¯s eyes had widened upon hearing Grom¡¯s answer just before he nodded. After that, he slugged them. Now, they were getting beaten up. ¡°Why¡ª Why are you hitting us...?¡± Even though it was virtual reality, they could still experience pain. Physical sensations were based on assimtion rates, so pain always existed. After the beating, Grom had tears in his eyes, and the other orc warriors roared withughter at his tearful voice. ¡°Are you really crying right now? Are you really a man? You sissy!¡± Lenox chided. Lenox raised his fist again, and Grom flinched. Seeing that, Lenox smirked and put down his fist. Then, he turned his head toward Yi-An. Yi-An was tidying himself after getting up from the ground. He was shaking with pain that he hadn¡¯t experienced for a while. He felt as if he had been beaten up, and even his teeth were chattering. ¡°Hey, you! Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Did you alsoe here to be strong?¡± Yi-An felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Lenox¡¯s appearance reminded him of his past instructor from when he was part of a foreign troop. On their first day, the instructor had asked the recruits, ¡°Why did youe here? For what reason do you jeopardize your lives?¡± There had been numerous answers, but the instructor had kicked the soldiers in the stomach andughed at every response they gave. Then Yi-An responded, ¡°To protect my younger sister.¡± Yi-An¡¯s parents were dead. He and his sister didn¡¯t have any money, and they had inherited their parents¡¯ debts. So, he had to protect his sister. The one asset he possessed was his body, which had been strengthened by martial arts training, and that was it. Thus, he decided to head to the battlefield with his life as coteral. The instructor had nodded at Yi-An¡¯s answer. Then he kicked Yi-An in the stomach, causing him to fall. However, instead ofughing at him, the instructor had muttered softly, ¡°Do it well.¡± Yi-An stared at Lenox¡¯s eyes while recalling that moment. Lenox no longer seemed like a hideous monster in a game. He was a warrior and an instructor, a mentor to orc warriors. He wasn¡¯t joking with them; he was facing them head-on. Lenox wasn¡¯t someone who would ept a clich¨¦ answer found in game tips. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Yi-An responded to Lenox. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I want to be stronger... to protect someone important to me.¡± It was the truth. Yi-An had started ying the game to protect his sister as he knew that the battlefield was a world where the strong devoured the weak. Their battles were just proxies of politicians¡¯ conflicts. Lenox grinned at Yi-An¡¯s answer and punched him in the gut. ¡°Ughh!¡± Yi-An withstood the pain by clenching his teeth. He doubled over but was able to stay standing through the sheer force of his legs. ¡°Everyone, get up,¡± said Lenox. Grom struggled to stand up, but he and Yi-An both stood up straight. Lenox stared at Grom. ¡°If you want to be strong, don¡¯t cower.¡± ¡°Ye-Yes!¡± ¡°Stand up straight.¡± Grom stood straight as a rod. Lenox then gazed at Yi-An. ¡°You want to protect someone important to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Right now, you can¡¯t even protect yourself, let alone someone important to you,¡± Lenox said. Then he grinned. ¡°Always remember this feeling of helplessness from today.¡± [You are now an orc trainee!] [Be a great orc warrior under Instructor Lenox¡¯s guidance!] [You gained 10 achievement points!] These message windows popped up for Yi-An and Grom. Then Lenox gestured at Yi-An and Grom to follow him. The three of them entered arge stone building erected beside the training ground. ¡°All orcs who desire to be warriors stop by here,¡± Lenox said. He made a grand hand gesture, and lights lit up the dark interior of the building. Lenox continued, ¡°These are the great warriors who have been admitted to the Hall of Fame.¡± The lit torches revealed multiple statues around them. The statues were several times the size of actual orcs, and their lifelike expressions were meticulously sculpted. Yi-An was again impressed by the cultured civilization of the orcs. The statues were holding axes, halberds, iron maces, hammers, and morning stars. They were standing proud, each with a weapon in hand. Lenox said, ¡°Who do you wish to follow?¡± A message window popped up. [Pick your role model!] [Orcs trust their intuition and soul.] [Your future weapon depends on your current decision.] [You can change your weaponter, but you will have to proceed with the weapon and skills you have chosen for the time being.] It was now time for Yi-An to choose his weapon. Yi-An scrutinized the statues. They stood in a circle and stared off into the center, seeming to be looking into each other¡¯s eyes eerily. Then Yi-An suddenly felt someone¡¯s eyes boring into him and turned his head to look. One statue with a huge greatsword was staring at him calmly. Although it was a replica made of stone, Yi-An¡¯s heart thumped nervously. However, there was something that surprised him even more. The statue was of a human. ¡°That human...?¡± ¡°Leyteno,¡± replied Lenox as he walked toward the statue. ¡°Like us, he walked the path of the warrior and was the sole human who became a brother of the orcs.¡± ¡°A human did that?¡± ¡°A long time ago, when humans betrayed us and broke the pact, Leyteno was furious at their hypocrisy and greed and fought with us. He was a warrior who knew honor. He was a true warrior who neverpromised with injustice and never lost faith. His enemies¡¯ blood stained the mountains whenever he swung his greatsword.¡± Lenox held out his fist. Leyteno¡¯s statue did not move an inch, but its lifelike aura gave the impression that it was about to bump fists with Lenox. ¡°We respectfully call him ¡®Master of the Greatsword¡¯.¡± [You have selected Leyteno Pacrinche, Master of the Greatsword. He was a great warrior who became a brother of the orcs despite being human!] [Your weapon is the greatsword.] [You have acquired the skill: Greatsword Art (Common).] [Status Window Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior Level: 1 Achievement points: 10 Assimtion: 53% Skills: Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) Greatsword Art (Common)] It was automatically assigned, but Yi-An wasn¡¯t startled. He wanted to select Leyteno anyway. Yi-An was a human, but he had selected the orc as his avatar. So, he felt a sense of camaraderie with Leyteno, who had be a brother of the orcs despite being human. Moreover, Yi-An had previously learned swordsmanship from Baek Han-Ho. [Based on your abilities, your proficiency in the Greatsword Art (Common) has increased. Once you gain further proficiency, your skill can be upgraded to Umon.] How did this game know that he had previously learned swordsmanship? The system was extraordinarily intricate. ¡°Grom selected Gloin. Gloin was known to split mountains with his axe.¡± ¡°I like the axe.¡± ¡°Yes, the axe befits an orc warrior.¡± Lenox cackled as he was also carrying an axe on his back. ¡°Follow me.¡± They exited the Hall of Fame and entered the arsenal where Lenox gave each of them their weapons. [You have acquired a worn Greatsword (Common).] It was difficult to carry the greatsword because it was so heavy. Unlike most games, there was no inventory in Elder Lord. Developers got rid of the convenience in exchange for heightened realism. The greatsword was ridiculouslyrge even inparison to an orc¡¯s hefty size; it appeared almostughable for Yi-An to carry it. Grom also struggled with his weapon and staggered under the weight of the axe. He whispered, ¡°No wonder they say an orc¡¯s life is hell. Damn, even the weapons are absurdly big.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yi-An swung his sword in the air. The orcs¡¯ natural strength was evident in the way he wielded the sword. ¡°I can see that you twerps are enjoying your weapons,¡± Lenox said whileughing. ¡°However, will you still enjoy them after hearing what I have to say?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Take your weapons to the training grounds right now and start swinging.¡± They stood at the training ground where numerous orcs were training with their weapons. There was a high ratio of axe and halberd wielders, followed by those with hammers and iron maces. Not many orcs who were holding a greatsword like Yi-An though. The orcs at the training ground stared at Grom and Yi-An as if they were a spectacle. ¡°Observe my stance,¡± Lenox said. He grabbed Grom¡¯s axe and did a demonstration. It was a clean downward blow. Lenox repeated the technique. Then he demonstrated a two-handed sh with Yi-An¡¯s greatsword. ¡°Repeat this.¡± ¡°How many times?¡± ¡°Until you are satisfied.¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± Lenox cackled. ¡°Once you are satisfied with yourself,e to me.¡± After Lenox left, the nearby orcsughed loudly at the dumbfounded Grom and Yi-An. ¡°Lol, he¡¯s doing it again.¡± ¡°Hey newbies, let me tell you something!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Instructor Lenox has never been satisfied.¡± ¡°Then how...¡± ¡°You need to make it up somehow.¡± The orcsughed uproariously. ¡°Lenox¡¯s new sheep, stay alive!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Grom sighed. He raised his axe, took a few small swings, and then stopped. ¡°Yi-An-ssi.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you going to continue today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m going to log out for a bit and look for a strategy. Being an orc is more difficult than I expected.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Then enjoy the game. I will hit you upter.¡± Grom started to fade away after logging out. Suddenly, Yi-An felt conscious of the other orcs. How would they perceive the phenomenon of this orc fading away without warning? Nearby orcs clicked their tongues when they saw Grom disappear. ¡°What, did he have the curse of the stars?¡± They asked Yi-An as well, ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Have you been cursed by the stars as well?¡± A help message popped up as Yi-An contemted his answer. [In the world of Elder Lord, yers have received the ¡®curse of the stars¡¯.] [They are at times summoned by the star of the abyss. They are forced to wander the earth without the ability to die due to the curse of the stars.] [If those who are cursed by the stars build aplishments, they can receive ¡®God¡¯s forgiveness¡¯ and be liberated from the curse. However, if they are unable to, they are forever fated to suffer in the abyss.] [If NPCs find out you have received the curse of the stars, you might be discriminated against.] [Whichever path you take in the world of Elder Lord, it¡¯s your choice.] Yi-An understood perfectly. The developers created the concept of the ¡®curse of the stars¡¯ to exin yers logging out or resurrecting after dying. He nodded approvingly at the developers¡¯ meticulousness. Yi-An replied honestly, ¡°Yes, I have been cursed by the stars.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The orcs fell silent. In Elder Lord, NPCs seemed to dislike yers, who¡ªin their mind¡ªhad been cursed by the stars. Yi-An didn¡¯t care though. He just picked up his greatsword again and recollected the sh that Lenox demonstrated. Lenox was truly an astounding warrior since he could wield a sword at that level even though it wasn¡¯t his designated weapon. Elder Lord wasn¡¯t simply a game anymore. It was a new world. Now, Yi-An was an apprentice orc, who was cursed by the stars and struggling to be a warrior. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± ¡°Bul-tar!¡± Yi-An¡¯s heart swelled with fighting spirit when he heard the other orcs shout while practicing their skills. Then Yi-An swung his sword. Chapter 5: Instructor Lenox (2)

Chapter 5: Instructor Lenox (2)

The first rule of battlefield survival was that all skills had to be ingrained into the subconscious and used on instinct. It was toote if a person had to think; they would not be able to make a rational decision in the moment. The necessary movements had toe out automatically, but this was only possible through training and practice. Once they had experienced the battlefield, evenzy recruits trained until they copsed for the sake of survival. Of course, most of them died or got injured during their first battle. When they fell in battle, they regretted not having trained harder and realized that they were paying the price for the easy training regimens with blood. Yi-An knew the weight of that price better than anyone else, so he did not put down his Greatsword at all during this time. ¡°That newbie is not bad.¡± ¡°The apprentice?¡± In fact, Yi-An did not rest until the sun set. If another yer had seen him, they would have perceived that he was performing repetitive manualbor. Yet, to Yi-An, it was like training in real life. Yi-An was a warrior. He was going to encounter a monster soon and would have to use his sword. Mistakes were not allowed on the battlefield. He could only trust his skills and capabilities. His body started to go ck. He felt like he was going to copse. But he kept his head up and swung the sword. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± It was a clean sh. ¡°Haaaaaaaahhhh!¡± While letting out spirited shouts, Yi-An continued practicing shes and thrusts. ¡°Have you been training all this time?¡± Lenox approached him. ¡°At your orders, sir!¡± Yi-An immediately got up and stood straight. Lenox shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Try again.¡± Yi-An calmed his breath and sped his greatsword. All of his muscles screamed; he couldn¡¯t stop himself from slouching due to fatigue. ¡°Straighten your back!¡± shouted Lenox. Yi-An fixed his posture and swung the Greatsword. ¡°Don¡¯t drop your chin! Look forward! Look at your enemy!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Enemies won¡¯t give you leeway during battle! No one cares that you are struggling! Get rid of your weakness!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°You are supposed to feel pain. You shouldn¡¯t befortable! Swing your sword! Louder!¡± ¡°Aargghhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Repeat! Again! Until you forget to breathe!¡± Yi-An repeated the movements over and over again. He got the hang of the technique Lenox had taught him and mastered the thrust, the upward sh, the chop, and other basics of swordsmanship. Lenox raised his voice and said, ¡°Keep going! Squeeze out all you¡¯ve got! Of course, it¡¯s hard!¡± ¡°Hhaaahh!¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t difficult, anyone would be a warrior!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Bing a warrior is unattainable for many!¡± Lenox and Yi-An yelled feverishly back and forth. Their passion influenced the orc warriors around them. ¡°Hey, you! Did you fall down? You are worse than the newbie!¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°No? Then why are you still on the ground?!¡± ¡°I will get up immediately, sir!¡± ¡°If you are going to just lie down and watch, crawl outside the training grounds!¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°You can watch others forever or swing your sword!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± The orcs shouted loudly while swinging their weapons. Those who had fallen to the ground while sparring immediately got up and ran at each other again. The roars of Lenox and orc warriors reverberated throughout Orcrox Fortress. Those who were passing by the training ground turned their heads in surprise. Yi-An forcefully raised his crumbling body. A smile spread across his face. He hadn¡¯t felt this way in a long time. He felt exuberant as the pain converted to pleasure and he had the shared experience of fighting to the limit with his peers. [Amazing! You have been acknowledged by orc warriors for your grit and spirit despite being a neer.] [Unrelenting grit and indomitable will are the greatest virtues of orc warriors.] [You have acquired Warrior¡¯s Spirit (Common).] [Your willpower is beyondmon grit! Warrior Spirit (Common) has advanced to Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon)!] [You have gained 30 achievement points.] [You have leveled up.] The messages kept popping up, but Yi-An closed them without reading. He was only invested in the present. ¡°Newbie! What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Yi-An!¡± ¡°You will receive a new name once you be a warrior, so I won¡¯t bother remembering your name!¡± shouted Lenox. He seemed to be smiling, although it was hard to tell from his scary orc face. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Be a warrior!¡± ¡°I will, sir!¡± ¡°Swing properly!¡± [Your proficiency in Greatsword Technique (Common) is increasing.] [If you keep building proficiency, you can upgrade Greatsword Technique (Common) to Umon.] Yi-An continued to swing his sword like a madman. He would have injured himself with the intense training if this had been real life, but he could feel himself continuously improving thanks to orcs¡¯ natural sturdiness. This meant he could endlessly improve himself by surpassing his limits. After all, there was no gain without pain. Yi-An could understand why people would avoid choosing an orc as their character. It was a hardcore species. He observed an orc¡¯s hand getting chopped off at the wrist while sparring. They merely stopped sparring for a moment, and that orc attached his hand back on with a potion. Then he picked up his halberd again. ¡°I¡¯m alive! Bul¡¯tar!¡± They resumed fighting. ¡°This is how real men train! It¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Yi-An forced augh. When Grom logged back on, he discovered exhausted orcs strewn across the training grounds. ¡°...Did something happen here?¡± Grom asked Yi-An, who was lying face down on the ground. ¡°Grom-ssi, you were right.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Orcs are so hardcore.¡± Yi-An smiled weakly. As Yi-An¡¯s heinous orc face contorted, Grom reluctantly nodded. *** ¡°Oppa, did you start ying the game?¡± asked Yi-Yoo. Yi-An was stretching his shoulders as if his whole body was sore. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°What? With what? Where are you in the game?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Ah, why is it a secret?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my personal business.¡± ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t have gotten very far since you just started the game. You are a noob. You are a total beginner.¡± Yi-An grinned. ¡°Then what¡¯s your level?¡± ¡°Me? Um... I¡¯m...¡± Yi-Yoo began stuttering. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty and cute elf sorcerer.¡± ¡°I meant your level, not your species and upation.¡± ¡°Cool elf sorcerer.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have to know.¡± Yi-Yoo put a finger to her lips to indicate she wasn¡¯t answering any more questions. A gentle voice interrupted them, ¡°Yi-An-ssi, it¡¯s done. Here.¡± ¡°Thank you. Here¡¯s your sweet potatotte.¡± Yi-An handed the cup to his sister. The gentle voice came from Caf¨¦ Reason¡¯s part-timer, Han Yeo-Ri. Befitting her name, she was slender, almost frail-looking, and had a pretty face and cute voice. She ended all of her sentences in a cute, cheery tone. [1]. Yi-Yoo squinted as she received her take-out. ¡°Hmmm...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go to school?¡± ¡°I still have a lot of time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time,¡± said Yi-An as he gestured toward the crowd of college girls behind her. They were whispering to one another while staring at Yi-An. ¡°Hmmm...¡± Yi-Yoo narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yi-An-ssi, should I take the orders? Do you want to take a break with your sister?¡± asked Han Yeo-Ri. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Yi-Yoo took out five hundred won from her pocket and loudly ced it on the register. ¡°Here¡¯s my payment.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even bother to pay if you are going to give only five hundred won.¡± ¡°Have a good day.¡± Yi-Yoo let out a ¡®hmph¡¯ as she exited the caf¨¦. Yi-Anughed while watching her leave. The crowd of college girls was still close by. Yi-An¡¯s ears were naturally drawn to their conversation as he stood at the counter. ¡°Yesterday, I got lucky while ying Elder Lord and met a party. The party leader was a high-ranker. He was ying for his girlfriend and didn¡¯t have enough people in his party, so I joined.¡± ¡°So lucky.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a high-ranker before. He was hunting orcs!¡± ¡°Wow, hunting orcs? ¡°Yeah, I couldn¡¯t watch ¡®cause it was so scary. The orcs wereing at us with axes. When I raised my head, the battle was already over, and the party leader had chopped all the orcs and left them as corpses. I leveled up so much yesterday.¡± ¡°Wow, so lucky. Why don¡¯t things like that ever happen to me? Are you a high-ranker now?¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Ki-Yeon.¡± Yi-An raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hello, Yi-An-ssi. We are back.¡± ¡°Yi-An-ssi, we finished our exams.¡± Two college girls that Yi-An was familiar with approached him in a friendly manner. ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Can we have a warm americano and a cappino... Ah, two cappinos actually. Also...¡± Yi-An nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...Yi-An-ssi, are you okay? Did anything happen?¡± Yi-An, who was known to be a handsome caf¨¦ owner who smiled at everyone, was uncharacteristically cold today. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Um...¡± ¡°The bell will vibrate once your order is ready.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar...!¡± Yi-An muttered to himself while watching their backs. Han Yeo-Ri tilted her head confusedly at Yi-An. Yi-An looked at his phone as the customers giggled andughed. He needed to be strong soon to protect hisrades and his sister, but strategies and tips on how to master the orc were hard to find. Onlyments on avoiding or quitting being an orc surfaced. [Writer: Elf Over Orc Title: I¡¯m Quitting Being an Orc. I chose an orc because I like to try things other people won¡¯t. My conclusion is that no one should choose an orc. Usually, women or softer people start the game with production or administrative roles or even as a farmer working under the NPCs. Because of this, Elder Lord is considered to portray an authentic fantasy life. But the orcs have none of that shit. You have to sweat blood as a warrior or sorcerer. Always. Also, yers want to attack orcs... It¡¯s funny that high-rankers¡¯ zones coincide with those of beginner orcs. Bloodthirsty high-rankers kill orcs, level up, and gain items. NPCs are okay. They actually defeat high-rankers from other species. But yers? They start as trash mobs. Even if they barely survive and win among NPCs... it¡¯s a tough role to handle. Killing humans, seeing people beg for mercy... it¡¯s all so realistic that it¡¯s not worth killing humans. You burn out. In conclusion, I don¡¯t rmend choosing an orc in a game like Elder Lord where you only y one character. Maybe if you could choose multiple characters like in other games... It¡¯s difficult, hardcore, and boring without many yers. Choose a human or an elf instead. They are so attractive. As you know, it¡¯s possible to date in the game. There¡¯s a reason Elder Lord is rated R. Hehe.] -Former Orc yer: Orcs are a really shit species. -I¡¯m a Legend: The developers should have just said orcs are actually monsters and were released by mistake. Heard they are unable to fix the issue because the system is soplicated... -Jjarapapap: An orc is a monster^^ But once you be a high-ranker, it¡¯s a breeze. You get all of the items, achievement scores, andpensation. It¡¯s a sweet choice. After reading the post and thements on it, he uttered, ¡°These assholes...¡± If they had experienced the burning passion of Lenox and the orc warriors, they wouldn¡¯t have been spewing nonsense about orcs being monsters. Suddenly, an orc-rted post popped up on the bulletin board. Its title was ¡®I¡¯m an Orc.¡¯ Yi-An opened it immediately. [Writer: Unknown Orc Title: I¡¯m an Orc. I¡¯m an orc. In the beginning, I had the option to choose between warrior or sorcerer, and I chose warrior. I previously yed the game as a human, but I had to reset because I was targeted and ughtered by a royal NPC. I was actually a high-ranker. I deleted my character because things were dirty and unfair. Orcs are hardcore, but they are far better than those awful humans. Orcs are kinder than humans. They have an ignorant side, but at least they don¡¯t stab you in the back. Well, being an orc suits me because I¡¯m not trying to be a high-ranker. I¡¯m just trying to release stress. But you should reconsider if you were nning to start as an orc. Even though I¡¯m an orc, it doesn¡¯t seem like a species suitable for most people. It¡¯s hard. It¡¯s manualbor, not just a game. You¡¯re given grunt work. They are a species that¡¯s exploding with endless energy. Only real men should try it. I hope one day we can see more yers in orc territories. If you see an orc yer holding two axes, it¡¯s me. Let¡¯s exchange introductions if we run into each other. (clenched fist emoji) Of course, if you are human, I will kill you.] -The Neighborhood Leader: Fuck off, you monster. You want to get screwed? -Super Cute Peanut: Amazing grit. Humans, elves, and dwarves are better if you consider the time and effort spent. Orcs are a waste of time. -Unknown Orc (writer): Filthy humans, as expected -Orc Never Again: I tried the orc after reading your post and quit immediately;;; Screw it;; Yi-An nodded. Real men chose orcs. However, he was unable to find tips on how to tackle being an orc. Even the asional post about orcs did not have tips. yers said it was a species that had to progress straightforwardly ording to NPCs¡¯mands. Whereas, other species had various tricks, cheats, and methods to take advantage of NPCs. But thanks to extremely advanced artificial intelligence, NPCs didn¡¯t fall for the same tricks and began to reject or discriminate against yers based on the concept of the ¡®curse of the stars.¡¯ yers were enacting keyboard battles on the game¡¯s bulletin board. They furiously argued whether yers brought discrimination upon themselves or who cared when it was just a game anyway... It was a mess. Some even had philosophical debates about morals and ethics. There were even yers who scammed one another, leading towsuits. Yi-An shook his head. ¡°Filthy humans...¡± Han Yeo-Ri, who was watching him, also shook her head. ¡°Yi-An-ssi is weird today...¡± 1. Her name Yeo-Ri means soft and frail. The word yeori yeori is often used to describe slender bodies Chapter 6: Mutant Hunt (1)

Chapter 6: Mutant Hunt (1)

Yi-An and Grom passed Lenox¡¯s test. Grom put effort into his training after visiting Lenox a few times and getting beaten up each time. Meanwhile, Yi-An didn¡¯t seek out Lenox for approval and simply trained with determination. A week passed by in the real world. Because of Elder Lord¡¯s brain eleration system, a day in real life amounted to five days in Elder Lord. This meant time was five times faster in Elder Lord. Thus, Yi-An had practiced the same movement for over a month in game time. Yi-An had the will to keep training, but the progress of regr yers like Grom stayed stagnant for a month. Yi-An became aware of just how strict the orcs were as a species. In what game would a yer sharpen their basics for a month? Every day was the same until he copsed with fatigue on the training ground. So, it was understandable that there weren¡¯t many orc yers. Lenox summoned Yi-An and Grom. ¡°You two are a bit useful now.¡± Lenox looked in Yi-An¡¯s direction as he said those words. ¡°Of course, you two are still verycking though,¡± He said as he looked at Grom. Yi-An and Grom were now famous in Orcrox Fortress. They were acknowledged as the epitome of grit and willpower. While Yi-An was known for his training grit, Grom was known for his grit to train over and over again even after being beaten up by Lenox. ¡°I¡¯m still not satisfied, but it will take one hundred years for you guys to be eptable. So, I will just give you your first quest as apprentice warriors.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They were finally getting a quest. Grom and Yi-An looked at each other and smiled. ¡°Recently, wolves have begun appearing in the southern region of Orcrox Fortress. They seem to have ventured over here because there isn¡¯t enough food for them beyond Orcrox Fortress, but orc farmers are suffering damages because of them.¡± An orc farmer¡ªit was a novel title. ¡°It¡¯s appropriate work for those trying to be warriors. You need to help orc farmers by hunting wolves.¡± [Lenox assigned a quest.] [We are rooting for you on your first quest. Please rescue the simple and good-natured orc farmers who are being threatened by evil wolves!] [You need to help them!] [First, look for orc farmers outside the fortress.] [The rewards are Lenox¡¯s recognition and achievement points. There might be more depending on your performance...?] A quest window appeared. Grom¡¯s eyes moved rapidly as he read the messages. ¡°Okay, start heading out.¡± As usual, Lenox then yelled at the orc warriors rolling on the training grounds. ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Run! Forget breathing! If you want to befortable, just quit!¡± ¡°We are orcs!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°If you arefortable, you are not a warrior. Comfort makes you weak! Pain will make you grow! Fight!¡± ¡°Arrgghhhh!¡± Yi-An nodded. ¡°They¡¯re so cool.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s cool?¡± Grom shook his head heavily. ¡°They¡¯re working hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still struggling to adjust to being an orc. Yi-An, based on how you train, it seems like you must have been a college athlete. Do you work out a lot?¡± ¡°I used to be in the military as a soldier.¡± ¡°Ah, that makes sense. Now I understand. The way you talk or act doesn¡¯t give it away. You are so amazing. I¡¯m worried about whether I should continue as an orc.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it together. It can be lonely by yourself.¡± ¡°Damn, I do this ¡®cause of you, Yi-An-ssi.¡± Gromughed. If he had been human, Grom would have been a friendly neighbor or younger brother. However, he seemed threatening when he smiled with an orc¡¯s face. ¡°Should we buy some items?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Let¡¯s earn some money on this quest by catching wolves. Let¡¯s buy lots of tasty food.¡± They had been eating the food that was distributed at the warriors¡¯ barracks. Unexpectedly, the orcs¡¯ food suited Yi-An¡¯s pte. It was pretty simr to what humans ate except it had a high ratio of meat. As Yi-An and Grom departed the Fortress, the polite orc guards greeted them. ¡°Hey, you are the newbies fromst time. Are you alive?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alive.¡± Yi-An and the guard bumped fists. Grom also exchanged greetings with the other guard. ¡°Instructor Lenox must have trained you properly! You look sharp!¡± The orc guard cackled. ¡°Is it a wolf-hunting quest?¡± asked the guard. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I see. Be careful. Werewolves and dire wolves have been appearing among regr wolvestely.¡± Grom made a shocked expression. ¡®Werewolves and dire wolves seem to be quite strong.¡¯ He asked, ¡°What should we do if we run into them?¡± ¡°Gauge the situation and run if it bes dangerous.¡± The guard solemnly raised a finger to his face. ¡°Keep in mind, survival is strength. Recklessness is not courage. If you are in danger, don¡¯t be stubborn, and run immediately.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Stay alive. Let¡¯s see each other again.¡± Yi-An and Grom said farewell and exited the Fortress. *** Yi-An knew werewolves were dangerous beasts, but he wasn¡¯t worried. He peeked over at Grom who was walking next to him. Grom was big and brawny. Yi-An felt as if Grom could easily beat up wolves with his strong orc body. Although Yi-An and Grom were just a bit taller than humans, the widths of their bodies, arms, and legs were twice the size of an adult male¡¯s andparable to a gori¡¯s. Moreover, they carried weapons, unlike the wolves. ¡°Are the wolves here different from real wolves?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Animals are usually simr. The animals here are very realistic. Elder Lord is hard because of monsters and other species, not because of the animals.¡± ¡°Then shouldn''t the orcs be able to deal with the wolves even if they are only farmers?¡± Yi-An curled his bicep. Its size was at the scale of a Guinness world record. Gromughed. ¡°That¡¯s true. It might not be just a wolf but an unusual strain like dire wolves, which are categorized as monsters.¡± Yi-An turned his head abruptly. He tensed up as he sensed a nearby presence. It was a roe deer. The roe deer pranced around but halted once it discovered the two orcs. A bird came flying andnded on the deer''s back, causing it to shudder. The bird briefly perched on its back and then flew back up, but the two continued to mingle as if they were ying together. It was a beautiful scene. It seemed even more realistic than real life. Sometimes, the beautiful scenes portrayed in Elder Lord were more beautiful than reality, and Yi-An felt moved by them. Yi-An really felt as if he was an orc and an apprentice warrior when he yed Elder Lord. Yi-An muttered the shout of orcs, ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Orcs always gave this shout. It was an ancient orc word that meant life. When he recited it, he could feel his head clear up. Grom smiled. ¡°Yi-An-ssi, you should role-y sometime.¡± ¡°Role-y?¡± ¡°In Elder Lord, it¡¯s important how immersed you are in the game because it affects assimtion. There are many role-yers who act as NPCs, film themselves, and produce TV series. The videos are popr on television and the inte.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not good at that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Look at you smiling. Sometimes it feels like I¡¯m with a real orc. Your assimtion rate must be high.¡± Suddenly, Yi-An flinched. He sensed there were eyes watching them. It was different from the presence of animals. Instead, it resembled the gaze of enemies who were aiming for his back on the battlefield. Yi-An¡¯s body tensed up again. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Grom looked around. ¡°There¡¯s nothing...¡± He continued to look around and went toward the bushes. The forest was so dense with tall grass and trees that multiple points of their vision were blocked. When Grom waved his hands in front of the bushes, hands appeared and wrapped around his neck. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Yi-An picked up his greatsword while Grom iled and dropped his axe. The hands that sprung from the forest tightened their grip on Grom as the owner of the hands gradually revealed themself. They had a malicious face and jutting tusks; they were an orc. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± ¡°...We are orcs, sir.¡± ¡°I can see that. Haha.¡± The orc stepped on Grom¡¯s axe. ¡°You guys are holding weapons. Are you bandits?¡± ¡®There are orc bandits too?¡¯ Yi-An shook his head. ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Then who are you?¡± ¡°We are warriors.¡± ¡°...You guys?¡± The orc narrowed his eyes. Yi-An exined, ¡°We are apprentices.¡± ¡°I find it hard to believe. I know youngsters are weak these days, but this is a warrior?¡± The orc gripped Grom¡¯s neck even tighter, making Grom il his limbs helplessly. ¡°Fine. Who is your instructor?¡± ¡°Lenox.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a very kind instructor. Isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Lenox is not kind at all.¡± ¡°Hmm, guess you guys know Lenox after all.¡± The orc finally let go of Grom. Grom fell to the ground and gasped for breath. The orc nudged Grom¡¯s head and said, ¡°Watch out, apprentice. How could you casually wander the forest? Anything could havee at you.¡± ¡°Yes... sir.¡± ¡°There are many orc bandits these days. They have lost their honor.¡± Grom wiped the saliva from his mouth and got up. ¡°Then who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± the orc said. He swelled up his chest and stated, ¡°I am Grant, a farmer.¡± ¡°...A farmer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an honest orc. I reap the harvest as much as I sweat.¡± Yi-An picked up Grom¡¯s axe and gave it to him. ¡°We¡¯ve met the right person,¡± Yi-An said. ¡°Hmmm...¡± Grom murmured. ¡°Grant, we are here because we received a quest from Lenox to help orc farmers.¡± Grantughed forcefully. ¡°You guys...?¡± ¡°We are apprentices, but we can still help. We heard wolves have been a problemtely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m not sure if you guys can be of any assistance.¡± ¡°Please trust Lenox¡¯s judgment.¡± ¡°Well... I guess Lenox wouldn¡¯t have sent you guys for nothing,¡± Grant said. He fell into deep thought for a moment, then he nodded. ¡°Okay, follow me.¡± Yi-An and Grom followed Grant to a log cabin not far from where they had met. Beside the log cabin was a small field surrounded by fences. There were two small orcs using farming equipment on the field. ¡°Hey, are you alive? ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Father!¡± The small orcs ran up to them. Yi-An found the small orcs cute. He hadn¡¯t expected young orcs to be cute considering the general unattractiveness of the species, but he realized all babies were cute. The orc kids were simply adorable with their small faces and big eyes, so much so that Yi-An wanted to pat their heads. However, the kids immediately became guarded upon seeing the two strangers. So, Grom hinted at Yi-An to give an introduction. When the young orcs heard Yi-An and Grom had been sent there to help Grant, their eyes lit up. ¡°Warrior, that¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°Warrior! Stay alive!¡± The two little orcs began to swing their farming equipment, pretending they were warriors swinging their weapons. Grant snorted at this sight. Grant¡¯s wife was inside the log cabin. She wasn¡¯t exactly pretty because she was an orc, but she greeted them with a gentle expression and served them warm stew. Yi-An and Grom eagerly gulped down the stew as they hadn¡¯t eaten regr food for quite a while. Grant¡¯s wife contentedly watched them eat. Then she suddenly remarked, ¡°You are a good person.¡± ¡°...Yes?¡± Grom raised his head. ¡°But the world is driving you into a corner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± ¡°Pick the right path.¡± Her words were like riddles. Grom looked at Yi-An with a puzzled face. Grant exined, ¡°My wife is a sorcerer, and she can see your destiny, albeit faintly. It¡¯s good to keep what she said in mind.¡± ¡°Ah, yes...¡± Then Grant¡¯s wife directed her eyes, which looked like pools of water, at Yi-An and said, ¡°You were born with the soul of a warrior.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But your soul has suffered a lot of pain.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°You gave up the path of the warrior due to many woes in your life... but you picked up your weapon again to protect others.¡± Yi-An was dumbfounded. ¡®Did this NPC just read my past?¡¯ He had left the army after having doubts about war and fighting, and he was now ying this game to protect his sister. ¡®Could virtual reality systems even collect and read memories?¡¯ Grant''s wife smiled warmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but I feltpelled to share these words. Please have courage and act on your beliefs.¡± Grom still looked confused. Grant burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha, if you''re surprised now, just wait till we go catch wolves.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here to fight wolves?¡± ¡°Yeah, but you areing with us...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an issue that concerns me, so I should go,¡± Grant said. Then he pointed at the halberd hung up on his wall. ¡°I can take care of wolves myself. They are just little pests, but there is one that I need your help with.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A mutant wolf,¡± Grant said with a lowered voice. ¡°It¡¯s a wolf, but it¡¯s bigger than a dire wolf and crazy smart. It leads the pack and moves strategically. That¡¯s why orc farmers have been suffering because of those measly wolves.¡± ¡°Ahhh...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much faith in you guys, but I need your help,¡± said Grant as he cackled. Grant¡¯s wife looked at him with concerned eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be beaten by mere wolves,¡± Grant asserted to his wife. ¡°You...¡± ¡°Just cast a blessing on me as sweet as your lips.¡± ¡°Please be safe.¡± They looked at each other affectionately and shared a brief kiss. Grom averted his gaze as if he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have seen, but Yi-An watched as the couple whispered to one another. It was a picturesque scene like that of a couple from a movie. Orcs had a lot of love in their lives. A smile spread across Yi-An¡¯s face. He nodded and said, ¡°I will do my best to help.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Grant grinned. ¡°Your eyes are burning with life. Bul¡¯tar.¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar,¡± Yi-An echoed. Grom read the atmosphere and self-consciously followed them. ¡°...Bul¡¯tar.¡± ¡°This guy¡¯s eyes are dead,¡± Grantmented when he turned toward Grom. ¡°They are alive. B-Bul¡¯tar,¡± Grom hurriedly retorted. ¡°Dead.¡± Chapter 7: Mutant Hunt (2)

Chapter 7: Mutant Hunt (2)

The three orcs finished their meals and departed from Grant¡¯s log cabin. [You have received a blessing from orc sorcerer Andara. Your physical abilities and strength will be enhanced for half a day.] Grant¡¯s wife cast a buff on them. Then she said, ¡°Be careful.¡± With Grant leading the way, the party headed toward a ce farther from Orcrox Fortress and soon arrived at a road the orc farmers had created. As they went down the road, they saw various orc houses and fields. ¡°Orcs used to avoid farming,¡± said Grant while waving at another farmer. ¡°But suddenly, orcs began to embrace farming. Many initially thought being a farmer wasn¡¯t orc-like, but I was inspired by farming because it is honestbor. You reap as much as you sweat.¡± ¡°Were you originally a warrior?¡± asked Yi-An. Grant gave Yi-An the impression that he had been a warrior at some point in life. ¡°Used to be.¡± ¡°Ohh... Were you trained by Lenox?¡± ¡°Yeah, Lenox was scary and strict back then too.¡± Yi-An thought, ¡®Grant looks older, but Lenox used to be his instructor. I guess Lenox must be quite old.¡¯ ¡°Shhhh... Be quiet. We are nearing its territory.¡± Grant was on high alert. From afar, the party saw wolves strolling about. The wolves seemed to be guarding their territory. They were moving in a systematic arrangement that couldn¡¯t be seen in normal animals. Yi-An gulped. An ominous feeling crept up inside him. Even if it was the same troop, the difference between facing organized soldiers and a disorderly mess was like the difference between heaven and earth. Grom said, ¡°Let¡¯s go for them right now. Let¡¯s beat them up.¡± Yi-An shook his head. ¡°No, we cannot.¡± ¡°They are just wolves.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s amiss. They seem trained.¡± ¡°Trained?¡± Grom tilted his head. Grant, who had been listening to their conversation, looked at Yi-An and nodded. ¡°You are only an apprentice, but you have a good intuition for battle.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°They are unlike regr wolves. The wolves that the mutant leads are trained. If we attack them without a n, we will soon be surrounded by wolves.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hassle. If we¡¯re able to catch the leader, the problem would be solved...¡± Yi-An contemted some strategies. One war strategy featured the troops splitting into two to distract the enemy. The party needed something else to divert the wolves¡¯ attention so that they could get to the pack leader. ¡°Let¡¯s try luring him.¡± ¡°How? Are you suggesting we split up?¡± ¡°Rather than that...¡± Yi-An grinned. ¡°The enemy¡¯s opponent is our ally. Are there any other predators in the area?¡± ¡°Ohh...¡± Grant smiled and pointed at his head as if he had an epiphany. ¡°I see, you have to use your head. I learned a lesson.¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Grom tilted his head. He couldn¡¯t follow their conversation. ¡°We need to use something else. We need a predator who was pushed out of its territory because of the wolves.¡± They racked their brains toe up with an animal that was stronger than a wolf, that was not a part of a pack, and that they could confront head-on. It was a tiger. ¡°A tiger? We are going to catch a tiger to attack a wolf?¡± Grom gasped. ¡°It¡¯s better to face one tiger than a pack of wolves.¡± ¡°What will we do after catching the tiger?¡± ¡°We will use him to lure the wolves, infiltrate the pack, and then tackle the leader.¡± They wandered through the forest for a bit and found their target. There was a tiger yawning as it flopped down on a rock. The party moved closer and hid in some nearby bushes. ¡°Let¡¯s make the tiger pass out.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By hitting it straight in the head,¡± said Grant as he clenched his fist. ¡°...¡± Grom shook his head. The three orcs approached the tiger. Sensing this, the tiger rose from its spot. The orcs and the tiger entered a confrontation; it was three versus one. This was Yi-An¡¯s first battle in Elder Lord. A pleasant feeling of tension filled his body. It was a sensation that he used to experience on the battlefield in real life. He gained a surge of confidence as he became fully aware of his sturdy physique and throbbing muscles. Yi-An was certain that he could beat a tiger. The tiger growled. The beast¡¯s low-pitched roar rang across the terrain. After Grom heard it, his legs froze. The tiger sensed his fear and leaped toward him. As the tiger hovered in midair, they realized it was muchrger than they had expected. Even Yi-An flinched at this sight. ¡°Grom! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Uhhhh...!¡± Grom clenched his eyes shut and swung his axe. However, a blind attack wouldn¡¯t reach the tiger. The tiger pushed Grom¡¯s shoulders down with its front paws and opened its mouth wide. Yi-An calmly struck the tiger while aiming for its mouth. Failing to bite off Grom''s head, the tiger tilted its head back. Its blood-thirsty eyes now stared at Yi-An instead. At that moment, Grant swung his halberd and struck the tiger¡¯s back. The tiger whimpered as the de prated its thick coat. ¡°Don¡¯t kill it!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yi-An ran at the tiger and hit the tiger in the head. However, the tiger resisted and threw its head backward. In the meantime, Grom had gotten back on his feet, and he began to pummel the tiger with the butt of his axe. The three orcs beat up the tiger. The tiger howled and cowered like a dog. Its eyes welled with tears; it seemed to be beseeching them to stop hitting it. Grant smiled as he gazed into the tiger''s teary eyes and then rammed his fist into the tiger¡¯s forehead. The tiger fainted. It was a primal and brutal scene. ¡°Whew, this guy didn¡¯t amount to much,¡± said Grant. [You subdued the once-renowned tiger.] [Beating up a poor tiger that was chased away by the wolves... you have taken a step further into the ruthless world of orcs.] [You have gained 10 achievement points.] [Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) and Greatsword Technique (Common) have increased in proficiency.] Yi-An saw the message windows. If the proficiency of his skills continued to increase, they would level up to the Umon tier. ¡°Now, let¡¯s drag him.¡± As the three of them carried the unconscious tiger on their shoulder, they looked like soldiers carrying logs during training. Soon after, they reached the wolf zone. The wolves were walking back and forth in a pattern like they were patrolling the area. It was human-like systematic behavior. Seeing that, Yi-An tensed up again. Although the wolves here looked like regr wolves, this was the world of Elder Lord. They could have abilities iparable to those of a regr wolf; their behavior seemed to imply this. ¡°We will send this kid over there.¡± Grant tapped the tiger a few times. They lifted up the tiger as if they were tossing it into the air. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± Grant tried to awaken the tiger, but the animal¡¯s eyes were still rolled back. ¡°Did we hit it too hard?¡± ¡°Is it dead?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still breathing.¡± Grant repeatedly pped the tiger with one hand. It would have been impossible to handle a tiger, the king of beasts, like this with the body of a human. Even if other people didn¡¯t think so, Yi-An certainly thought being an orc was awesome. ¡°Grrrr...¡± The tiger¡¯s eyelids quivered. As they slowly opened, the tiger recognized Grant¡¯s face and began whimpering. Grant nced at the two to intervene before the tiger started moving again. ¡°Hey, now!¡± They threw the tiger into the center of the wolves¡¯ formation. The tiger rolled in midair, but it stillnded on its feet with ease due to its cat instincts. The wolves jerked in surprise at the tiger¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°Gggrrrrrrrrrrr...¡± One wolf began howling. ¡°Awwooooooo....¡± ¡°Awooooooooooo...¡± The other wolves joined the chorus of howls one after another. At this point, the tiger finally came to its senses and assessed the situation. It decided to oppose the wolves. The orcs didn¡¯t expect much from the tiger. However, the tiger puffed up its chest in an arrogant posture and red at the wolves. The orcs couldn¡¯t believe that it was the same tiger from before. Wolves were predators, but the king of predators was the tiger. When the tiger strutted forward and scanned the wolf pack, the wolves retreated. The tiger exhibited a sense of dignity that hadn¡¯t been imaginable in its former self. It growled at the wolves as if it wasughing at them. Then the tiger unleashed a roar, ¡°Raaaaaaaaah!¡± The wolves took a step back in fear. Concerned about their odds of survival, they called for reinforcements, and theirpanions surrounded the tiger like a swarm of ants. Although the wolves tried to intimidate the tiger with theirrge number, the tiger did not lose itsposure. It was truly the king of beasts. Yi-An was moved. ¡°Simba, that guy...¡± ¡°His name is Simba? How do you know?¡± ¡°I just named him...¡± ¡°I see...¡± Grant nodded. ¡°Since we have named him, he is no longer just a tiger.¡± ¡°...¡± Grom remained silent. ¡°Let¡¯s strike the leader of the pack for Simba!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet again, Simba.¡± Grom made a weird expression as he observed Yi-An and Grant. Thanks to the diversion, the three orcs were able to discreetly head toward where the leader dwelled. They heard the whimpers of the wolves and the roar of the tiger behind them as they passed through the forest and reached a low, rocky hill. At the top of the hill, there was a lone wolf watching the wolves and the tiger¡¯s fight with its tail raised. The ck-furred lone wolf was almost twice the size of a regr wolf, but it looked agile. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°Indeed...¡± They could sense something was different about this wolf just from its appearance. ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of it and restore the farmers¡¯ peace.¡± ¡°We even caught a tiger. One wolf shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Grom confidently gripped his axe and got up. Sensing that, the wolf bared its teeth at Grom. Its growls rang through the party¡¯s ears despite the distance. Grant, Yi-An, and Grom proceeded toward the hill together. Nevertheless, the wolf did not fear them and ran down the hill with great agility. It was quite a sight. ¡°Groooowl...¡± As the ck wolf growled, other wolves crawled out from the corners of the hill. There seemed to be at least ten of them. With the ck wolf leading the way, the wolf pack and the three orcs entered a confrontation. ¡°These guys are different from the wolves earlier.¡± These wolves were all huge. Their fangs were sharp, and their fighting spirits zed. They were the chosen ones of the wolf pack. Yi-An grasped his greatsword and said, ¡°Still, they are just wolves.¡± The wolves lunged at the orcs, with two or three of them attacking one orc together. These wolves were fast. One of them distracted Yi-An by jumping in front of him as another wolf bit his side. ¡°Arrgghh!¡± Yi-An and Grom were struggling. Compelled to quickly finish his battle, Yi-An used his elbow to strike the head of the wolf that bit him. The searing pain of his bitten side heightened the realism of the game. ¡°How can a game feel so real?¡± muttered Yi-An while panting. He stared at the ferocious face of the wolf that had a piece of his flesh in its mouth. The burning pain in his side was simr to the pain he had experienced on the battlefield, and it awakened his senses. Yi-An could understand why people said that Elder Lord was difficult and that ying an orc was especially difficult. The battles in Elder Lord were real, and Yi-An was the kind of man who faced harsh truths head-on rather than deny reality. Upon noticing that Grom was struggling and rolling around on the ground, Yi-An¡¯s expression darkened. He wanted to help Grom, but he had to deal with his own opponent first. If he acted hastily, it wouldn¡¯t amount to anything. Yi-An moved forward, and the wolves retreated. Rather than facing Yi-An head-on, they moved next to him or behind him and bit him wherever they saw an opening. Consequently, Yi-An¡¯s wounds continued to increase in number. Then, a wolf flew over. The wolf, which was covered in blood due to having been struck by Grant¡¯s halberd, collided with the wolf Yi-An was facing. While the wolves were startled by the collision, Yi-An closed in on them and drove his greatsword into the wolf that was covered in blood, piercing right through its stomach and intestines. The wolf trembled and spasmed. Yi-An kicked the shaking wolf in the head, and it copsed on the ground. He pulled out his sword, which was now dripping with wolf blood. ¡°It¡¯s your turn next.¡± Yi-An grinned. The wolves were furious and charged madly at Yi-An. One wolf bit Yi-An¡¯s right arm, and another bit his leg... hard. The wolf biting into his right arm put all of its strength into its jaws, clearly intent on severing the arm. Due to the pain, Yi-An almost let go of his greatsword. ¡°This punk...!¡± Yi-An punched the head of the wolf on his right arm with his left hand. The wolf yelped in pain but refused to let go. The other wolf also kept its hold on Yi-An¡¯s leg. Nevertheless, Yi-An continued hitting the wolf biting his arm. Momentster, the wolf¡¯s skull caved in, and the wolf copsed to the ground. Next, Yi-An raised his greatsword and shed at the wolf biting his leg. The wolf whimpered and retreated. Yi-An felt the adrenaline rush he used to experience in real life battles, and he kept swinging his greatsword with no regard for what was around him. All he saw now were his enemies and his sword. The wolf eventually lost its head to Yi-An¡¯s bloodthirst. Yi-An was out of breath and covered in blood. Practice and actual fighting were different. The pressure and exhaustion from a fight werepletely unlike what was felt during practice, regardless of how much a technique was practiced at the training grounds. Yi-An turned his head as he tried to straighten his fatigued body. [Your first bloody battle as an orc! The warrior¡¯s soul endures and makes you hang on even as you crawl on the ground from exhaustion.] [Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon) has been triggered.] [Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) has been triggered.] Grant was struggling. Yi-An had three wolves going at him, but Grant was stuck with five. Including the wolf that Yi-An had ughtered earlier, Grant faced twice the number of wolves that Yi-An had. ¡°Help, Grom!¡± screamed Grant. His voice reverberated throughout the battlefield as he swung his halberd with bloodshot eyes that evoked memories of his warrior days. Yi-An¡¯s gaze searched for Grom, and his eyes widened when he found his friend. Grom was spasming. His neck was in a wolf¡¯s mouth. ¡°Grom...?¡± Grom¡¯s eyes grew dim as he dropped to the ground like a corpse. The shock made Yi-An¡¯s eyes lose focus. He ran toward hisrade while letting out a desperate roar. ¡°GROOOOOOOOOOM!!!¡± Chapter 8: Mutant Hunt (3)

Chapter 8: Mutant Hunt (3)

Yi-An roared while running over. As he charged toward them, two wolves retreated. ¡°Grom!¡± ¡°Ahhh... Orc...so painful...¡± muttered Grom. Yi-An lifted Grom up from the ground and held him in his arms. ¡°Wake up, Grom! Grooom!¡± Grom smirked with dim eyes. ¡°Ahhh...My points and skills will drop if I die...¡± Yi-An¡¯s mind snapped back to normal at Grom¡¯s words. ¡®Ah, this is a game. Even if Grom dies, he will be revived again.¡¯ Yi-An calmed down, and his rapidly beating heart slowed. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m no help...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Can you stop the bleeding in my neck?¡± Yi-An ripped off a piece of cloth and used it to bind Grom¡¯s neck and the other wounded parts of his body. If Grom had been human, he would have been dead already, but the thick skin and resilience of an orc kept him alive. ¡°You won¡¯t die because you are an orc.¡± ¡°Stupidly strong... orc..¡± ¡°I will take care of this quest.¡± ¡°Haha... please... do so.¡± Yi-An stood up. Even if it had been for just a second, he had lost his senses upon seeing Grom¡¯s state. He had once again experienced the helplessness of losing his peers on the battlefield. Yi-An¡¯s heart was crumbling. He wanted to rip to shreds everything that was in front of him. If he had been stronger, he wouldn¡¯t have lost anyone. [A warrior is not a warrior because he is strong by himself.] [They are warriors because they prove their honor by protecting friends,rades, and those important to them.] [Your fury has granted you the blessings of a warrior.] [Your physical abilities will be enhanced by 10% for 30 minutes.] [Your pain will be reduced by 50% for 30 minutes.] Despite the messages popping up, Yi-An¡¯s eyes were fixed on the ck wolf, who was looking down andughing at them. ¡°You just wait. I will be there soon,¡± said Yi-An as he ran over to help Grant. Grant was skillfully handling the wolves. He avoided fatal injuries by putting a distance between himself and the wolves. In other words, they couldn¡¯t approach him easily. Yi-An stepped in from the side and swung his sword, causing the wolves to lose their formation and be a disorderly mess. Yi-An and Grant didn¡¯t miss this chance and swung their weapons at the wolves. The wolves began to fall in session after being pierced by Yi-An and Grant¡¯s weapons. Even though the wolves were dying, their pack leader prodded them to continue fighting. So, the wolves hung onto Yi-An and Grant with murderous intent. However, Yi-An and Grant were able to handle and defeat them despite getting bitten all over. ¡°How is Grom doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet,¡± Yi-An said. He pointed at Grom, who had copsed on the ground. Grom was catching his breath while cing pressure on a bleeding wound. ¡°Small wounds like that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for an orc.¡± ¡°Now we only have one left.¡± Grant and Yi-An tightly grasped their weapons and approached the leader, who looked down at them from the cliff. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°Gggrrrr...¡± The ck wolf descended from the cliff and stood before them. He growled, ¡°You filthy orcs...¡± Grant and Yi-An¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The wolf had spoken. The corners of the wolf¡¯s mouth curved upwards as if it was smirking at them. Then it began howling at the sky. ¡°Awooooo... Awooooooooo...¡± The wolf¡¯s body began to change. Its muscles swelled as if its body was about to burst, and it raised its front legs and turned into a bipedal creature! The wolf continued to grow in size until its shadow loomed over Grant and Yi-An. It was a werewolf! Although werewolves looked like regr wolves, they were apletely different species. They were cursed creatures that turned into ferocious, bipedal beasts. This werewolf was twice the size of an orc. Its fingernails were sharp like daggers, and its huge mouth had teeth the size of saw des. The werewolf¡¯s vicious gaze turned toward Grant and Yi-An. ¡°I can¡¯t believe measly orcs came for me... You are just a farmer...!¡± Intimidation was amon tactic in battles. Yi-An and Grant reacted by swallowing their nervousness andughing. ¡°Shut up, you little bitch. Even if you walk on two feet, you are just a dog.¡± ¡°Kekeke. Orcs only know their ce once they¡¯ve been shredded to pieces.¡± Grant whispered to Yi-An, ¡°It is on a higher tier than most werewolves... It¡¯s a dangerous opponent. I¡¯ve never seen one with such amand ofnguage. It must be a mutation.¡± ¡°Is he strong?¡± Yi-An replied. ¡°Must be.¡± Grant grinned. ¡°It¡¯s toote to run away. Let¡¯s go.¡± His smile reminded Yi-An of someone¡ªLenox. This was the smile of a warrior. It was the spirit of an orc warrior to have the courage to smile even when facing an unknown enemy. Yi-An smiled back at Grant. ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re an apprentice?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You will be a good warrior,¡± said Grant as he gripped his halberd and red at the werewolf. There was no need for more words. Yi-An and Grant charged at the wolf at the same time. The werewolf was quick. It easily dodged their attacks and threateningly waved its front legs. Its raised fingernails tore through the air like a weapon. If Yi-An and Grant got caught by those fingernails, their flesh would be torn apart. It would be a fatal blow no matter what. Yi-An assumed a more serious stance. The werewolf cackled as it approached them. ¡°Kikikik. Orc meat isn¡¯t very tasty. Grrrr...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I tried eating an orc not too long ago, but I had to spit it out ¡®cause his meat was too tough to chew. Kekekeuk...¡± The werewolf looked at Grant as it said this. ¡°What was his name again...? Abuchwi, I think he said...¡± Grant¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Abuchwi... is dead?¡± ¡°I ripped him to shreds¡ªhim and his family.¡± The werewolf chuckled. ¡°He begged me to let his kid go...¡± Grant charged and swung his halberd. However, the werewolf dodged and struck Grant instead, tearing his chest apart. The wolf snickered as he said, ¡°...He was a dumb orc.¡± Grant clenched his teeth. ¡°Abuchwi was an honest farmer.¡± ¡°A farming orc. Kikiki, so funny.¡± ¡°What would a mutant freak like you know about Mother Nature and the value of honestbor?¡± An unknown strength gathered in Grant¡¯s body as he said those words. [Orc farmer Grant has worked in harmony with the earth for a long time and understands the joy of the harvest and the cycles of the ecosystem.] [The life of a farmer, in which you reap as much as you sow, gave a realization to Grant he was unable to experience as a warrior.] [Grant now has the ability Nature¡¯s Rebuke (Special).] It was Yi-An¡¯s first time seeing an active skill. Yi-An only had passive ones that elevated his basic abilities. Moreover, it was of a Special grade! It was like those lethal moves one saw in games. ¡°You mistake of nature! Return to the earth, you mutant wolf!¡± Grant swung his halberd, causing the earth to shake. It was a blow charged with the power of nature! As if hit by a hammer, the werewolf was sent flying backward, and it mmed into a rock. The werewolf whimpered while its blood sttered everywhere. ¡°Even a werewolf whimpers.¡± [A mutant werewolf born against thews of nature.] [An attack imbued with the power of nature was a critical hit for the mutant.] ¡°This is it for you.¡± Grant approached the werewolf and raised his halberd. At that moment, the werewolf, who seemed to be on the verge of death, squeezed out thest of its energy and bit Grant. Grant was caught off guard, and he grimaced in pain. As the werewolf smacked Grant away, Yi-An ran over and caught him. The two of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle. The werewolf looked at Grant with zing eyes. ¡°I¡¯m... a mistake of nature?¡± Then it snickered and said, ¡°How funny, you trash orc monsters.¡± The werewolf howled, ¡°Awoooo... Awoooooooooo.¡± It was a mncholic howl. The werewolf red at Yi-An and Grant and then limped away, leaving a trail of blood in its wake before eventually stopping. It would take him quite a while to recover. ¡°Grant, are you okay?¡± ¡°Is he...?¡± ¡°He escaped.¡± Grant sighed, ¡°We couldn¡¯t kill him in the end...¡± Yi-An shook his head. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to recover for a while.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so... Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± Grant said, grinning ear to ear. ¡°Even if hees back, he will be scolded by this farmer,¡± he added and pointed at himself. Yi-An burst outughing. [You have defeated the mutant werewolf.] [Unfortunately, you were unable to kill it. The mutant werewolf will return one day.] [Your reputation will spread, and you will be known as the apprentice warrior Yi-An who helped Grant resolve the problem.] [You have gained 30 achievement points. You have leveled up.] [You have earned the title ¡®Friend of Farmers.¡¯ If you use the skill ¡®Friend of Farmers,¡¯ your intimacy with farmers and efficiency in agricultural work will increase.] After the message windows popped up, Yi-An checked his status window. [Status Window Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior Title: Friend of Farmers Level: 3 Achievement Points: 80 Assimtion: 55% Skills: Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) Greatsword (Common) Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon)] Nothing much had changed. Yi-An went up to Grom, who was slumped down with his hands wrapped around his neck. He gave Grom a p on the back. ¡°Oh, my god!¡± ¡°Wake up. It¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw the message window. Too bad we couldn¡¯t kill him.¡± Grom wobbled as he got up. Even though his neck had been pierced by a wolf¡¯s fangs, he hadn¡¯t died. An orc¡¯s body was extraordinary. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Another day passed by... It was worth it.¡± The sun went down as they tried to exit the werewolf¡¯s territory. On the way out, they heard the cries of beasts from afar. ¡°This...¡± ¡°It¡¯s Simba...!¡± They had forgotten about him. Simba the tiger was still fighting the wolves. They ran toward him with their weapons, but their mouths widened with shock at the sight before them. Numerous wolvesy scattered on the floor with their bodies torn apart. Simba was scowling at the remnants of the wolf pack with its head held high. The wolves cowered with their tails curled in between their legs as they retreated. Although Simba was covered with blood due to its injuries, it didn¡¯t lose its dignity as the king of the beasts and maintained a confident stance. The stripes all over its body made it look very imposing. Simbra growled, and the remaining wolves fled. Then it let out a roar of victory, ¡°Raaahhhhhhhh...!¡± ¡°...¡± Yi-An pped as he watched the tiger. Grant and Grom followed his lead and joined in. The three orcs sent thunderous apuse at the sight of the king of beasts reiming its throne. Simba bowed his head as if apologizing for receiving praise for such a small feat. [Simba, a tiger that once ruled this area, lived as a loner after being pushed out by the wolves.] [But today, the tiger has recovered its honor and returned as the king of the forest!] [Although it started with a beating, you built asting friendship with the tiger.] [You have earned the title, ¡®One Who Respects the Honor of the Tigers.¡¯ Your intimacy with tigers will increase, and you will be able to detect emotions in tigers.] After earning the new title, Yi-An felt closer to Simba. He felt a sense of pride and friendship resonating from Simba. ¡°Simba.¡± ¡°Raahh...¡± ¡°You are a true tiger.¡± ¡°Raaaaaahhhhhh!¡± Even though Simba was the king of the beasts, it was still tiresome to fight dozens of opponents by itself. It was a true tiger who ughtered wolves with an indomitable will! Simba was a warrior. Yi-An extended his fist. Simba raised its paw and bumped fists with Yi-An. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again!¡± ¡°Rah!¡± Chapter 9: What Do People Live By? (1)

Chapter 9: What Do People Live By? (1)

After Yi-An exchanged a passionate farewell with Simba, he returned to Grant¡¯s log cabin. ¡°Give this to Instructor Lenox,¡± said Grant. ¡°This is...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him.¡± After eating the warm food that Grant¡¯s wife had served, Yi-An was resting contentedly. This was when Grant held out a letter to him. Grant continued, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m grateful to you. The other farmers are too.¡± ¡°I just did what I was supposed to do.¡± ¡°You are already a warrior.¡± Grantughed loudly. After promising to meet again in the future, Yi-An and Grom decided to head back. Yi-An was tired after releasing his tension and eating to his heart¡¯s content. As Yi-An and Grom headed toward Orcrox Fortress, they looked at each other. ¡°Today...¡± began Grom. ¡°Shall we call it a day?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gettingte.¡± It was past midnight in the real world. ¡°We finally had a worthy adventure in this game.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. My orc life is going well thanks to you, Yi-An-ssi.¡± Grom thanked Yi-An. If it hadn¡¯t been for Yi-An, Grom wouldn¡¯t have been able toplete this quest and would have died instead. ¡°Will you be on tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yeah, if nothing else is going on.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s see each other again tomorrow.¡± Yi-An and Grom smiled as they bumped fists. Within moments, they began fading and eventually disappeared as their connection to the server ended. *** ¡°Yi-An-ssi, did something good happen?¡± ¡°No, does it look that way?¡± ¡°Yeah, you keep smiling. Did you get a girlfriend?¡± Yi-An was amused by Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s interrogation. ¡°See, you¡¯re smiling again.¡± ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯re acting suspicious...¡± Yi-An couldn¡¯t stop smiling as he recalled his adventure with Grant and Grom. The three orcs built a strong friendship after defeating the mutant wolf. He reminisced the scenes of the wolf flying in midair from Grant¡¯s attack and Simba ughtering the wolves with an undying spirit. Yi-An waspletely captivated by Elder Lord and the orcs¡¯ charms. He hummed a song while anticipating what his next adventure would be. Suddenly, Yi-An¡¯s cell phone rang. It was his sister, Yi-Yoo. She should be listening to a lecture right now. Yi-An picked up the call, wondering what it could be about. ¡°Yes, hello.¡± ¡°Oppa...!¡± Yi-Yoo¡¯s tone was frantic. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oppa. Um, right now, I¡¯m...¡± Yi-An¡¯s face hardened when he heard the following words. ¡°...at the police.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± After he heard the gist of what happened, Yi-An took off his apron. ¡°Yi-An-ssi...?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit. Can you take care of things around here?¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Yi-An left the caf¨¦, got into his car, and stepped on the elerator. He headed to a police station near Yi-Yoo¡¯s university. Then he went inside and looked for Yi-Yoo, who discovered him first and rose from her seat. She had a sullen look on her face. Yi-An hugged her and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m okay...¡± ¡°That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Yi-An ruffled her hair. Yi-Yoo smiled quietly. When Yi-An turned his head, he saw two men sitting down. Both of their faces were a mess. One of them got up and introduced himself to Yi-An. He said, ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m Yi-Yoo¡¯s friend, Park Jung-Tae.¡± ¡°I heard about you.¡± Yi-An and Park Jung-Tae shook hands. ¡°And he is...¡± Yi-An glimpsed over at the man sitting inches apart from Park Jung-Tae. ¡°Is it him?¡± The man smirked at Yi-An and then lowered his head. Yi-An asked Yi-Yoo, ¡°What did that man say to you exactly?¡± ¡°To me? He said... let¡¯s grab a meal. I said I had ns, but he wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. He muttered to himself, ¡®She¡¯s acting like such a snob.¡¯¡± Yi-An raised his eyebrows. ¡°And then...?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. But then Jung-Tae, who was next to me, started defending me, and they got into an argument...¡± It then escted to a fist fight. Park Jung-Tae lowered his head with embarrassment. Yi-An let out a sigh. ¡°Who threw the first hit?¡± ¡°It was almost at the same time...¡± There were often moments like these when sparks flew and triggered the esction of verbal conflicts into physical fights. Yi-An scrutinized the faces of the two men. They seem to have exchanged simr blows. It was quite obvious that they hadn''t learned proper hand-to-handbat and just thrashed around without inflicting serious injuries. Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh at their scuffed-up faces. Yi-Yoo poked Yi-An¡¯s side and said, ¡°Oppa, you shouldn¡¯tugh.¡± ¡°These kids... At least nothing serious happened.¡± ¡°What do you mean nothing serious happened?¡± ¡°No one died or incurred permanent injuries.¡± ¡°Quit being silly. We are at a police station. Jung-Tae won¡¯t go to prison, right?¡± ¡°Everything is alright.¡± With this level of injury, they would probably seek a settlement from both sides. Yi-An looked at the man in question and said to Yi-Yoo, ¡°The guy who did that to you... You said he¡¯s your senior at school. Does he usually act like that?¡± ¡°Sometimes... He would bother me, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. It¡¯s something I¡¯m kind of used to...¡± Yi-Yooughed as Yi-An raised his eyebrows. ¡°What? A lot of guys ask me for my number when I go outside. Right, Jung-Tae?¡± ¡°Uh... yeah...¡± Park Jung-Tae responded with a grim look. Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh. So, that¡¯s what was going on. Although Yi-Yoo was involved, it was a conflict between Park Jung-Tae and the senior. Since their injury levels were simr, it would probably end as a settlement. Even the police officer in charge said so. Yi-An spoke to Park Jung-Tae. ¡°Thanks for fighting on Yi-Yoo¡¯s behalf. But even if you get into an argument, you shouldn¡¯t use your fists.¡± ¡°Yes... I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°If that senior keeps bothering you, just call me.¡± Yi-An gave his business card to Park Jung-Tae. Park Jung-Tae¡¯s eyes perked up when he saw Caf¨¦ Reason on the business card. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the caf¨¦ owner?¡± ¡°Yes, do you know the ce?¡± ¡°I heard the girls talking about it... They said the owner is really...¡± Park Jung-Tae smiled as he looked at Yi-An. ¡°...kind.¡± ¡°Come by sometime.¡± Suddenly, the police station was filled with noise. A middle-aged man was walking toward them. He had an oily face and walked with an arrogant gait. He screamed, ¡°Sang-Ho, where are you? Sang-Ho! Yang Sang-Ho!¡± Yi-An had a bad feeling about this. The senior who had fought with Park Jung-Tae stood up. ¡°Yang Sang-Ho! Ah, you stupid fuck. Why are you getting beaten up? It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Father...¡± ¡°So, where¡¯s the guy? Is it you?¡± the middle-aged man said while pointing at Park Jung-Tae. ¡°You were beaten up by a guy like this?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Who is she? Is she the woman you were talking about?¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Well, since you guys both hit each other, we should reach a settlement. Actually, nevermind, should we fuck them over? I can give a call to the chief of the National Police Agency.¡± The middle-aged man smirked as he held up his phone. ¡°Hey, you over there. Are you the guardian? Whose guardian are you? Why are you a young dude? Do you have no parents?¡± The police officer in charge returned at this moment. Having heard themotion, there was now an extremely displeased expression on his face. ¡°Sir, please take a seat. Do you mind lowering your voice?¡± ¡°How can I lower my voice? You better be prepared to face the consequences of making a busy persone all the way here.¡± ¡°Pleasepose yourself.¡± Yi-An, who had been watching the scene, tapped Yi-Yoo¡¯s back lightly. ¡°You should go back to school.¡± ¡°Oppa...¡± ¡°I will take care of everything. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°If your grades drop due to attendance issues, I won¡¯t give you any allowance.¡± ¡°Ah... oppa.¡± ¡°I will look after Jung-Tae too. Just go.¡± Yi-Yoo nodded, but she couldn¡¯t help but nce over uneasily at the middle-aged man. Yi-An ced a hand on Yi-Yoo¡¯s head and grinned. He said, ¡°Jung Yi-Yoo.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You know there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother, Jung Yi-An, always took care of everything. When she was a kid, if she told Yi-An about kids who were bullying her, they¡¯d stop within a few days. If she lost something, Yi-An would find it. If she wanted to eat something, Yi-An made it for her. Even when she had felt like there was no hope after their parents passed away and left them debts, Yi-An had told her to believe in him and smiled. He then became a soldier, paid off their debts, and sent her living expenses. When she was concerned about job prospects, he had encouraged her to enroll in college and paid for her tuition. Now, even after returning to Korea after seven years, Yi-An was still the same. He always said he would take care of everything and smiled. Yi-Yoo could only nod as usual. ¡°Thank you, oppa...¡± ¡°If you are grateful, you should help out in the caf¨¦.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a different story. It¡¯s exam season.¡± ¡°Then do well on your exams.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yi-An ruffled Yi-Yoo¡¯s hair. Then Yi-Yoo said goodbye to Park Jung-Tae. Her eyes lingered on them as she left; she didn¡¯t feelfortable leaving. When the middle-aged man saw that Yi-Yoo leaving while he was on his phone, he started a fight again. ¡°Why is that woman leaving? Isn¡¯t she involved in the case?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What? What are you looking at?¡± Park Jung-Tae was surprised. The moment Yi-Yoo left, Yi-An¡¯s expression changed. Park Jung-Tae couldn¡¯t see any trace of a smile on Yi-An¡¯s face now. He had heard that the owner of Caf¨¦ Reason always wore a gentle smile on his face, and he had been greatlyforted by that smile when they met. Now, Yi-An looked like a totally different person. Jung-Tae recalled what Yi-Yoo had said in passing, ¡°My brother used to be a soldier. He served in the Middle East and Africa.¡± The images of her brother that didn¡¯t seem to fit together now all made sense. ¡°You, you, why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Stop spewing nonsense,¡± responded Yi-An. ¡°How could you speak to me like that? Are you fucking crazy? How old are you, you brat?!¡± The police officer in charge tried to stop him. ¡°Now, now, can everyone stay calm and quiet ¡®til we get things settled?¡± ¡°Did you just hear what this brat said to me? Who is your boss? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m friends with themissioner of this city. Who do you think you are?¡± The middle-aged man searched his wallet and took out his business card. ¡°I run a bigpany. You...¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you fucking embarrassed?¡± Yi-An approached and used his height to look down at the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man flinched and dropped his business card. ¡°How are you not ashamed of yourself?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Y-Y-You, this...¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed to act like this with your son around?¡± ¡°How dare you talk to an older person like this?¡± The police officer intervened, ¡°Now, now, everyone, please calm down...¡± He inserted himself between the two men to stop them from getting closer to each other. As he made contact with Yi-An, he couldn¡¯t help but flinch. The police officer was someone who worked out a lot and was ustomed to physical interventions, so he was able to easily push away the middle-aged man. Yet, Yi-An didn¡¯t budge; the police officer felt as if he was pushing against a huge b of rock. The officer examined Yi-An in surprise. The middle-aged manined angrily, ¡°Call the person in charge here. Forget about a settlement. We are going to sue!¡± Park Jung-Tae¡¯s face turned pale. He hadn¡¯t informed his parents about the situation because their family wasn¡¯t well off. He had no knowledge of thew, but he knew they couldn¡¯t afford to proceed with awsuit. However, the middle-aged man seemed to have a lot of money. Park Jung-Tae was worried the middle-aged man would hire an expensivewyer and use his connections to make him the culprit. That¡¯s what always happened on television. Yi-An interrupted his string of thoughts when he said, ¡°Jung-Tae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will take care of everything. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yi-An picked up the middle-aged man¡¯s business card from the floor. The man was fervently talking to someone on the phone. Unlike his previous arrogant self, he was pleading with the person on the phone, asking them to make his son seem like the victim. As if trying to make himself heard, he repeatedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s y golf next time. Drinks are on me.¡± It was a sickening sight. ¡°Hey, you over there,¡± Yi-An called out to the senior who had fought with Park Jung-Tae. ¡°...¡± The senior raised his head silently with an ambiguous expression on his face. He felt conflicted. He had his faith in his parents¡¯ power and connections, but he was ashamed by how his father exhibited them. ¡°Did you apologize to Yi-Yoo?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you going to apologize to Yi-Yoo?¡± The senior¡¯s eyes wavered, then he lowered his head again. Yi-An waited for an answer. When the senior raised his head, his face was covered in oil and greed like his father¡¯s. ¡°Why would I?¡± he said. ¡°...¡± ¡°You guys are screwed, so be ready to bow your heads.¡± Yi-An burst out inughter. ¡°That¡¯s not something to be proud of.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re following your father¡¯s footsteps even though you¡¯re embarrassed by him.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± ¡°Look carefully.¡± Yi-An pointed at those around them. The police officers and civilians in the station wore expressions of contempt on their faces. Yi-An continued, ¡°They are disgusted by your father.¡± ¡°You asshole.¡± ¡°One day, those expressions will be directed toward you.¡± The middle-aged man got up boastfully as his call ended. He said, ¡°Do you know who I just talked to? He is...¡± Yi-An ignored him and approached the officer in charge. The officer in charge looked stumped. He was contemting the potential scenario that these poor guys would be facing. The middle-aged man¡¯s behavior was expected from those who had power. It was a world where the innocent were sacrificed due to the evil deeds of others. The officer in charge pictured a scenario in which the student Park Jung-Tae would be in deep trouble. ¡°Officer.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I make a phone call as well?¡± The officer looked at Yi-An. He was impressed by how the guardian of the girl remained calm no matter what. There was a sense of dignity in Yi-An¡¯sposure. ¡°Yes.¡± The officer hoped for an unexpected oue in this scenario. Chapter 10: What People Live By (2)

Chapter 10: What People Live By (2)

¡°Did something good happen?¡± ¡°No, does it look that way?¡± ¡°Yes, you keep smiling. Did you get a boyfriend?¡± Ji Ha-Yeon just smiled at her secretary¡¯s questioning. ¡°See, you¡¯re smiling again.¡± ¡°Nothing is going on.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon looked at her phone screen. There was an unsaved number in her call history. She stared at it and then pressed the save button. She began typing ¡®Raven¡¯ but deleted it. Instead, she repeated in her mind the unfamiliar name that hade out of his mouth¡ªYi-An. Jung Yi-An¡ªthat was his name. She had met him a long time ago. Years ago, Ji Ha-Yeon was kidnapped by a national terrorist organization when she visited the Middle East for a business meeting. The terrorist organization believed that holding an heir to one of the world¡¯s leadingpanies as a hostage would be a useful bargaining tool for them. Ji Ha-Yeon was confined to an abandoned house for several days with her eyes covered and limbs bound. All she heard was the unfamiliar Arabguage and gunshots in the background. She barely survived with a small amount of water and a piece of bread. Her throat burned with thirst. Just when she was about to let go of hope, she heard an unfamiliar voice, ¡°Are you Ji Ha-Yeon?¡± To her disbelief, what came through the door amid the barrage of gunshots was someone who spoke Korean. The cloth that had covered her eyes was pulled off. Even though her eyes were blinded from not having seen light for so long, she tried to look the owner of the voice straight in the face. It was a man who was holding a rifle and concealed in ck tactical gear. ¡°I came to rescue you,¡± he said. Then he spoke into the radio, ¡°Hostage secured.¡± As Ji Ha-Yeon listened in on the radio calls being exchanged back and forth, she discovered the man¡¯s code name¡ªRaven. The man was referred to as ¡®Raven¡¯. After getting rescued, Ji Ha-Yeon was surrounded by foreigners. She trembled in fear even as she was being escorted on the tactical helicopter. She doubted whether these people had trulye to rescue her and wondered if they were actually another criminal organization. The painful experiences of being held hostage incited thispulsive fear. Below the helicopter was a battlefield. Seeing Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s anxious demeanor, a member of the troop called the attention of Raven, who looked at Ji Ha-Yeon as if he didn¡¯t quite know what to do. Then Raven took off his hood and goggles. From that point on, Ji Ha-Yeon could never forget him. After getting a clear view of Raven¡¯s face, Ji Ha-Yeon couldn¡¯t believe he was the fierce soldier who had rescued her. He had a surprisingly gentle appearance and looked at her with a soft expression. Even though his clothes were dirtied by the enemy¡¯s blood, his kind eyes sought to reassure her. ¡°It¡¯s all right. You are safe now.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°We are going to protect you from now on.¡± Those wordsforted her. Feeling relieved, she burst into tears, and Raven¡¯s peers booed him as if it was his fault. He then slowly approached her and awkwardly patted her shoulders. Once they arrived at the base camp, the mercenaries and personnel that the Myeongsong Group had dispatched were waiting for her. Ji Ha-Yeon tried to express her gratitude to the soldiers, but they had vanished out of sight. There was no one who knew their exact whereabouts or had any information about them. Her father, Chairman Ji Eun-Chul, said they were top-tier agents he had managed to hire, albeit with difficulty. There was a rumor that they were a special unit from the UN or a foreign unit run by the United States. Some said they were private forces of an international organization with huge capital. There were only spections on who they could be. People avoided talking about Raven in particr. Raven was treated as a mysterious entity like a demon or a ghost, and they said anyone who became his target would have a bullet engraved in their head without a sound or trace. Even Chairman Ji Eun-Chul did not know the truth. Ji Ha-Yeon strongly requested a meeting with the man who had rescued her, so she was able to meet him briefly before returning to South Korea. She handed a piece of paper with her phone number to Raven, who was coolly standing in front of her. Ji Ha-Yeon said, ¡°Please contact me if youe to Korea. I want to repay you for rescuing me.¡± Raven responded with an ambiguous smile. Since then, she had not forgotten that face even for a second. Time passed by. She lived a busy life as the heir of the Myeongsong Group, but on particrly rough days, she thought of him. Was he still fighting in foreignnds? Was he saving someone from their plight in the same way he had rescued her? However, she received a call from an unfamiliar number on her personal phone today. Very few people knew her personal number, so she thought about ignoring it, but she was ovee with an unknown hunch. When she picked up the call, she heard a gentle voice that revived her old memories. ¡°Hello.¡± She immediately knew who it was. It was him. ¡°Is this Ji Ha-Yeon?¡± It was Raven. Ji Ha-Yeon couldn¡¯t imagine what he could have possibly called her about, but it was about a trivial matter. It was so trivial that it seemed more work to step on an ant. At least an ant would leave a trace with its corpse stuck to her shoe. ¡°What have you been doingtely?¡± she asked. ¡°I run a caf¨¦.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon couldn¡¯t help but exim. A caf¨¦ suited him perfectly; it was quiet and warm like him. He apologized to Ha-Yeon for the inconvenience of the request. She wanted to reassure him that it was nothing and wanted to thank him for reaching out to her, but she stopped in her tracks. Ji Ha-Yeon was a woman who always kept a man on his toes. Suppressing the joy in her voice, she assumed a calm tone and said, ¡°If you are sorry, you should pay me back.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By...¡± she said before pausing. She tried to sound indifferent as she posed the question, ¡°Where is your caf¨¦?¡± Thus, Ji Ha-Yeon was able to discover the location of his caf¨¦ and that his name was Yi-An, not Raven. Jung Yi-An¡ªit was such an ordinary name. He had a pretty sister who was attending university. It was because of her that a matter had emerged with an old rich guy who was of no importance. Jung Yi-An lived a normal life. Knowing this, Ji Ha-Yeon felt as if she had grown closer to him. Ji Ha-Yeon wrote down the words that she collected from the phone conversation on a memo pad and handed it to her secretary. ¡°This is...?¡± her secretary asked. Caf¨¦ Reason, Jung Yi-An, Jung Yi-Yoo, Myeongsong University¡ªthese words were haphazardly written on the piece of paper. Her secretary stared at her puzzledly. ¡°Find out everything rted to the information I gave you.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± ¡°Find out how the caf¨¦ is doing, how his sister¡¯s grades are, where they live, their childhood, and their family rtionships¡ªeverything,¡± Ji Ha-Yeon said. Then she added as if it was merely an afterthought, ¡°Ah, and the name written at the bottom. That man¡¯s just a nobody. Just some rich guy. Get rid of him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Make sure there is no harm done to Jung Yi-An.¡± ¡°Very well. Understood.¡± The secretary smiled. ¡°This is my expertise.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon walked toward the window that overlooked the whole city. She was looking out from the headquarters of Korea¡¯s bestpany, which was now also the world¡¯s best¡ªMyeongsong Group. It was thepany thatunched Elder Lord. With crossed arms, Ji Ha-Yeon appreciated the scenery and smiled quietly. *** ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t look so good,¡± Hoyt said. Yi-An¡¯s eyes widened at Hoyt¡¯s words. Hoyt continued, ¡°Maintain yourposure. Disturbance of the mind is manifested in the body.¡± Hoyt was a warrior that Lenox had introduced. Grom had said that he had some business to attend to and wouldn¡¯t be able to log on for a while, so Yi-An sought Lenox on his own and received a new quest from Lenox. Yi-An was to help warrior Hoyt. He found Hoyt at Orcrox¡¯s entrance. Hoyt only had one eye. He was bald with a huge scar and tattoos across his face, and he covered one eye with a ck eyepatch. Yi-An was intimidated by the appearance of Hoyt, who also carried a huge hammer as his weapon. However, after exchanging a few words, Yi-An could tell Hoyt was aposed warrior. ¡°Are you regretting something you wish you hadn¡¯t done?¡± Hoyt asked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Inexperienced warriors reveal their emotions on their faces.¡± Hoyt came to a halt, pausing their tread east through the sea of trees. He stooped to quench his thirst at a small creek. ¡°Don¡¯t reveal your weaknesses. Right now, your mind can easily lead you to recklessness. If I were your enemy, I would provoke you, and you would charge at me like a riled bull. Then it would be so easy...¡± He made a shing motion at his neck. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Yi-An nodded. Hoyt sshed water on his face and grinned. ¡°One day, you will meet an enemy stronger than you, but never show that you are doubting your own victory or that you wish to flee.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your fear will strengthen the enemy. It¡¯s the same with animals. The second you hesitate due to fear, you will be the prey, and your enemy will be the predator. Once your enemy sees your weakness, they will gain more strength and trample you.¡± Yi-An nodded. Elder Lord was a truly mysterious game; each NPC had their own philosophy. It felt even more real to Yi-An than reality. Yi-An had learned way more from Lenox, Grant, and Hoyt than from actual people. ¡°Then, how about this expression?¡± Yi-An made a mock confident face. ¡°That¡¯s even worse.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You are just asking for a beating.¡± Both of them erupted inughter. Yi-An hadn¡¯t been feeling his besttely due to the incident involving Yi-Yoo. He¡¯d had to ask an old acquaintance for a favor because the middle-aged man had connections, so he felt he wasn¡¯t any better than that man. After all, he had done the same thing and appealed to those more powerful than him for help. However, he could forget about those feelings when he was hanging out with the free-spirited orc warriors. ¡°What kind of work are we going to do?¡± Yi-An asked. Lenox¡¯s quest for Yi-An had been to simply help Hoyt. ¡°That... I will let you know once we arrive,¡± Hoyt replied. The two journeyed together and encountered monsters along the way. Yi-An faced goblins and dire wolves for the first time, but he was able to handle them easily. Meanwhile, Hoyt defeated them like they were nothing. Even Grant, who had defeated the werewolf, wouldn¡¯t be a match for Hoyt. Hoyt was a great warrior and a high-ranker. He critiqued Yi-An¡¯s technique, ¡°Your swordsmanship is aimed toward dealing with humans or elves, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You will have to act differently when dealing with monsters instead of human-like creatures. You need to move freely and trust your intuition. [You have been instructed by the experienced warrior Hoyt.] [With yourbined fighting experience and Hoyt¡¯s teaching, your Greatsword Technique (Common) has evolved.] [Greatsword Technique (Common) has been upgraded to Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Umon).] [You have leveled up.] [Status Window Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior Title: Friend of Farmers Level: 4 Achievement Points: 80 Assimtion: 55% Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Umon) Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon)] Yi-An¡¯s technique evolved, and he even leveled up. His greatsword now felt lighter. The huge sword yielded to his will and moved with ease. While watching Yi-An, Hoyt smiled and said, ¡°Always remember that repeating a movement is not training. Think about what is efficient and effective as you move.¡± Yi-An had heard the same advice from martial arts instructor Baek Han-Ho. ¡®Did the creator of Elder Lord consult martial arts experts for advice?¡¯ Yi-An energetically nodded. ¡°Thank you for your teachings.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s a duty of a warrior to lead young orcs.¡± As they walked, the lush trees that had blocked their range of vision began to disappear. They were no longer in the forest, and they could now see the walls of a city. [Anail, the city of freedom and the home of winds¡ªall are wee here.] [You have exited orc territory and ventured into newnd for the first time. You have gained 10 achievement points.] ¡°Is this your first time?¡± asked Hoyt. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are a country bum orc.¡± Hoyt chuckled. ¡°This the city of freedom, Anail. It¡¯s a neutral city where all species cane and go.¡± ¡°Other species are here too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yi-An had never seen other species in Elder Lord as he had only roamed Orcrox so far. Yi-An¡¯s footsteps quickened enthusiastically as he wondered if there were other yers and what humans, elves, and dwarves looked like. The guard at the entrance of Anail was human. ¡°Hello,¡± greeted the guards. ¡°Are you alive?¡± responded Yi-An. He was disappointed. The guards he¡¯d seen at Orcrox stood nobly like stone statues. They were watchmen who intimidated those who tried to approach the fortress with their res. The guards of Anail, however, looked like scoundrels. One was leaning against the wall with hastily worn leather armor. He scanned down Hoyt and Yi-An and made a displeased face before raising his chin toward the open door. The guard said, ¡°Well, you can go in. Don¡¯t cause any trouble though, you orc folks.¡± ¡°Thank you. Stay alive.¡± ¡°It sounds like you are telling me to go die. Orc greetings are so weird.¡± The guards snickered among themselves while talking shit about orcs. Yi-An¡¯s face crumpled, but Hoyt¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Thus, they entered the city of freedom, Anail. Yi-An was surprised. The structure of the city was paltry inparison to Orcrox Fortress. It was small in scale, and there were shabby houses that looked as if they would crumble soon. He also saw beggars in the streets. The log cabins built by orc farmers would look like mansions here. Hoyt saw Yi-An¡¯s expression andughed, ¡°You still can¡¯t control the emotions on your face.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Anail pales inparison to Ocrox. It was originally a ce where fugitives of different species gathered.¡± On the way to their unknown destination, Yi-An saw humans, dwarves, and gnomes. They didn¡¯t look as cool as he had expected and instead reminded him ofmoners from movies set in the Middle Ages. However, the elves he saw asionally were stunning. ¡°Follow me.¡± Although this was the city of freedom, Yi-An didn¡¯t see any orcs around. Yi-An and Hoyt even received looks from other species as they headed toward a house in a corner of the city. It was a small, dpidated house. When they arrived, Hoyt straightened his posture. ¡°This is...¡± Yi-An started to say. ¡°Wait.¡± Hoyt scowled. ¡°There¡¯s something.¡± ¡°What...?¡± Hoyt raised his hammer. ¡°Get your sword ready.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hoyt kicked the door open and stormed in. They could hear screamsing from inside. Yi-An held onto his sword and entered as well. The situation was resolved in an instant without any help from Yi-An though. There was a woman and two children trembling inside, and the three humans who had been threatening them were on the floor after being overpowered by Hoyt. While stepping on the chest of one of the men, Hoyt questioned, ¡°Did Derek send you? ¡°Ugh... Yes.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to wait?¡± ¡°The promised time passed a long time ago! Thompson ran away!¡± One of the kids screamed, ¡°No! Father did not run away!¡± Hoyt kicked the men out of the house, and they red at him while scrambling away. ¡°Fucking orc... interrupting us again...¡± ¡°You think you will still be safe after this? Derek will kill you!¡± Hoyt nodded. ¡°Sure thing.¡± ¡°You will pay for this, you filthy orc!¡± The men fled. The children ran up to Hoyt and hugged him. It was umon to see human children being held by an orc, but it was endearing. The woman, who seemed to be the children¡¯s mother, approached Yi-An. ¡°Are you Hoyt¡¯s friend...?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you for helping us.¡± She bowed deeply. Yi-An didn¡¯t understand what was happening, so he just looked at Hoyt. Hoyt gave a bitter smile and called Yi-An outside. He said, ¡°You must be curious about what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yes. What is your rtionship with these folks?¡± Yi-An asked. Hoyt then exined the situation. A long time ago, he suffered a fatal injury after struggling to defeat a group of human bandits. Heter managed to arrive at Anail with thest bit of his strength, but no one helped him because he was an orc. However, Thompson stepped out to help him. He sprayed an expensive potion on him and took him home to treat him. A sword had pierced Hoyt¡¯s intestines, so it took him a while to heal, but Thompson and his family nursed him back to health. Hoyt owed Thompson his life. That¡¯s how they became friends. ¡°Thompson was a merchant and the owner of a sessful tradingpany at one point, but he was scammed by a partner and ended up all the way here. His trusting nature made him like that, but I was able to survive because of that very nature,¡± Hoyt said. Thompsonter aimed for aeback, and he was able to gain opportunities from old clients who remembered him. However, the problem was money. To get the funds he needed, he borrowed money from a man named Derek. He initially thought Derek was just a regr investor, but he turned out to be a vicious loan shark. Hoyt continued, ¡°Thompson was able to close a deal, but Derek turned the tables on him and demanded higher interest. Thompson had no choice but toply and left for a distantnd to find a solution. The promised payment date was in three months. Before he left, he asked me for a favor. He asked me to protect his family while he¡¯s gone and to trust and wait for him. He said he will be back no matter what.¡± ¡°...When was that?¡± Hoytughed bitterly. ¡°Four months ago. It¡¯s already a month past the due date. Derek and his servants began harassing Thompson¡¯s family even before the deadline. They threatened to make his wife into a whore and sell his kids as ves.¡± ¡°Filthy... humans.¡± ¡°I was in Orcrox briefly to see Lenox, but this happened again while I was gone.¡± At that moment, a girl ran out to them. ¡°Hoyt ahjussi! Stranger! Come eat!¡± The kid seemed to really like Hoyt and refused to let go of his sleeve. Hoyt smiled at her. Even though it was a scary orc smile, the child smiled along with him. ¡°Go ahead and eat.¡± ¡°Okay! Come soon! Let¡¯s eat together!¡± Yi-An smiled as he watched the child go back inside. It reminded him of when his sister was young. ¡°Is there a possibility Thompson had an ident?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°That could have happened. He needed to pass through a dangerous ce on the way.¡± ¡°If he is unable to return, what will you do?¡± ¡°...It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not Thompson returns.¡± Hoyt pointed at his face covered in tattoos. It was customary for an orc to get a tattoo once he was recognized as a warrior. Tattoos represented a warrior¡¯s principles and strengthened them. ¡°Thompson was my savior and friend, and he entrusted me with his family. A warrior never forsakes those who have faith in him,¡± said Hoyt fiercely. Faith¡ªhow long had it been since Yi-An had heard this word? And when was thest time he had seen someone utter it? Compared to this orc, humans were disgraceful. ¡°So, young orc, will you help me?¡± Hoyt asked. Yi-An nodded as he looked into Hoyt¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, I will help you to my utmost ability.¡± Yi-An and Hoyt firmly bumped their firsts. Chapter 11: Intern Stella

Chapter 11: Intern Ste

¡°I haven¡¯t seen the rumored apprentice around,¡± said the orc standing by Lenox¡¯s side on the training ground. The orc held a staff with a crystal ball on top and had animal skin draped around his shoulders. He was a sorcerer. Lenox nodded. ¡°I sent him to Hoyt.¡± ¡°Hoyt. Haven¡¯t heard that name in a while. How is he doing?¡± ¡°He travels a lot. Heard he became friends with a human.¡± ¡°A human...¡± The sorcerer rubbed his chin. ¡°Nothing goodes out of being involved with humans. Hope the human he calls friend knows honor.¡± A few warriors who recognized the sorcerer introduced themselves. ¡°Tashaquil! Are you alive?¡± ¡°Ooh, d you are here. Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Tashaquil, sir!¡± Tashaquil smiled and nodded, ¡°Hey, y¡¯all. Is everyone alive?¡± Orcrox Fortress had Instructor Lenox, and the vige in West Basque had Teacher Tashaquil. Orc yers starting for the first time typically went to Lenox or Tashaquil, who were the two NPCs that guided a yer''s journey as the hellish orc species. The system in Elder Lord gauged the yer¡¯s personality and suggested a path that best suited them. Then Lenox suddenly red at a warrior who was sitting on the floor. The warrior immediately got up and began moving again. ¡°You are still strict,¡±mented Tashaquil. ¡°I am treating them as warriors.¡± Lenox cackled. ¡°By the way, Grant sent me a letter.¡± ¡°Grant? Didn¡¯t he be a farmer?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You must be disappointed since you had high expectations for him.¡± ¡°Everyone chooses their own path.¡± When Yi-An received the mutant hunt quest, the message window said, ¡®There might be more depending on your performance...?¡¯ Yi-An and Grom weren¡¯t aware, but the letter that Grant wrote to Lenox was a hugepensation in itself. Tashaquil waved his staff and issued blessings to the warriors on the training grounds. The warriors gave shouts of gratitude to Tashaquil in return. ¡°That cold guy wrote a letter? What did it say?¡± ¡°He asked how I was doing and wrote in length about the neers.¡± ¡°That rumored apprentice?¡± ¡°Yeah. I told the neers to help the orc farmers, and they ended up running into Grant.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°That he will be a good warrior.¡± ¡°A good warrior...¡± Tashaquil became lost in thought. ¡°I have seen numerous warriors. There were some good ones, but not all good warriors go down the same path.¡± Tashaquil smiled and nodded. ¡°Is that why you sent him to Hoyt?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hoyt is a man of honor.¡± ¡°Whatever path he takes, as long as he doesn¡¯t lose honor, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°As expected of you, Lenox.¡± At that moment, an orc caught Lenox¡¯s attention. The orc had fumbled movements and rapid footsteps as if he was in a rush; it was Grom. Lenox smiled bitterly and said, ¡°There¡¯s another neer here.¡± ¡°How is he?¡± Tashaquil asked. ¡°I don¡¯t expect much from him, but he¡¯s still trying to stay on track,¡± Lenox replied before he called out to Grom. Grom ran over at once. He looked nervous upon seeing Tashaquil, who had a presenceparable to that of Lenox. Tashaquil waved his staff as he greeted Grom, ¡°Are you alive? I¡¯m Tashaquil.¡± ¡°Are you alive, sir! Aren¡¯t you the instructor for sorcerers?¡± ¡°So you know about me.¡± When Grom first joined Elder Lord, he had deliberated between sorcerer and warrior as his options. The system actually rmended Grom to be a sorcerer and advised him to seek Teacher Tashaquil at Basque Vige, but Grom chose the path of a warrior instead. Lenox spoke to Grom, ¡°You did well on the quest to help Grant.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still not satisfied. Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°N-No, sir!¡± ¡°Never be satisfied with the present. I will give you a quest.¡± ¡°Just... by myself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Grom had heard Yi-An was on a solo quest. This would be his first quest without Yi-An. Truthfully, most of the things he had achieved as an orc were thanks to Yi-An. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, he would have quit already. Orc was a hell species! As Grom wondered what his first quest would be, he swallowed nervously. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Goblins have been gathering in groups and threatening orcs. Join the warriors in getting rid of them.¡± ¡°W-When?¡± ¡°Right now!¡± Lenox pointed behind Grom. A string of armed soldiers was lined up behind him. They gestured at him with scary faces and grinned widely. It was an intimidating sight. Grom made a tearful face. ¡°Understood... Ugh...¡± Tashaquilughed at the sight of Grom trudging along tearfully. ¡°Can a guy like that be a warrior?¡± ¡°Anyone can be a warrior,¡± Lenox stated. ¡°Indeed...¡± Tashaquilughed. ¡°Tashaquil, a warrior is made, not born.¡± ¡°You were always a romantic.¡± ¡°I just believe.¡± Lenox grinned. ¡°I believe in the possibility of all orcs.¡± *** Yi-An went sightseeing around Anail. Yi-An had always wanted to leave Orcrox Fortress and meet diverse species once he was recognized as a warrior. He was impressed by Anail¡¯s scenery and its NPCs with their own unique characters. Yi-An saw merchants warmly greeting customers, service corps offering to do anything for money, and even soldiers for hire. Since orcs weren¡¯tmon in Anail, Yi-An excitedly bumped fists with other orcs whenever he ran into them. ¡°Hey, are you alive?¡± ¡°Are you alive, sir!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you before, are you a warrior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still an apprentice. Are you a sorcerer?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m much cooler than a sorcerer. I¡¯m a ck mage.¡± ¡°Ohhh... It¡¯s my first time seeing an orc ck mage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an honorable ck mage.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± Yi-An responded with a chuckle. ¡°d to meet a warrior. Warriors are the pride of orcs. Be a warrior who knows honor, youngd.¡± ¡°Understood. Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± While the tworge orcs exchanged greetings, civilians kept ncing over at them as they weren¡¯t familiar with orcs. Nevertheless, Yi-An was reminded of his childhood when he went to the marketce with his parents back when they were alive. He had enjoyed tagging along. He also recalled that the stall owners would give out free food to kids. They always gave him a snack to munch on as he trotted behind his parents. ¡°Buy some radish! We sell radish! Radish... Huh?¡± A woman who was holding a radish in each hand discovered Yi-An, and her eyes widened in shock. ¡°...?¡± Yi-An looked at her too. He noticed that there was a small white star at the center of her forehead. She was a yer. This was Yi-An¡¯s first time meeting a yer aside from Grom. ¡°Are you a yer?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s my first time seeing an orc yer. Wooo!¡± the woman eximed as she gawked at Yi-An. She looked at him as if he were a spectacle to behold. The woman even extended a hand to touch Yi-An but stopped when she realized she was holding a radish in both of her hands. ¡°Do you want to buy some radish?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Yi-Anughed. She reluctantly put down the radishes. ¡°It really is my first time seeing an orc yer. Have you been doing it for a while?¡± ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t been that long. I¡¯m a beginner.¡± ¡°I see. You should start over again. I have some friends who tried orcs in the past, but they all quit in the end.¡± Yi-An responded withughter. ¡°You really seem like an orc,¡± shemented. The woman sold various vegetables at her stand. Her sign said, ¡®Anail Branch of the cksmith Company.¡¯ She puffed up her chest when she saw Yi-An reading the sign. ¡°Ahem, I am actually an intern candidate for the cksmith Company.¡± ¡°Intern?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on interns. The cksmith Company is one of the biggestpanies in Elder Lord.¡± Even in the world of games, there was a preference forrge corporations. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a legend in the business world and appear in Elder Lord Times. Elder Lord Times was a broadcasting program that featured news and stories of high-rankers in Elder Lord. Before Yi-An began ying Elder Lord, he had seen videos of Elder Lord on this program. ¡°What¡¯s your upation?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m a warrior, but I¡¯m still an apprentice.¡± ¡°Oh, as expected of an orc. So tough.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°Fighting positions have it so lucky. I have to sell all of this by today...¡± Then she nced at Yi-An. ¡°Are you busy today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not busy, but...¡± This was Yi-An¡¯s free time, and Hoyt had suggested that Yi-An go sightseeing around the city. ¡°Then, can you help me?¡± [Ste has proposed a quest.] [You will bepensated based on your performance. The starting rate is five silver coins, and you will receive 30% of Ste¡¯s dividends based on your sales performance.] Ste offered Yi-An a quest! Yi-An wasn¡¯t aware yers could give out quests as well. Yi-An looked at Ste, who returned his gaze with earnest eyes. ¡°I¡¯m an intern. If the sales aren¡¯t good, I can¡¯t be a full-time employee!¡± It was a sad reality. Yi-An had nothing to do, and it seemed fun, so he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Did you see my name on the quest window? I¡¯m Ste. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yi-An.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like an orc name.¡± Thus, Yi-An began helping Ste sell goods at the marketce. ¡°Buy some radish! Buy some carrots! We sell cucumbers too!¡± Ste yelled enthusiastically. Unlike her soft appearance, she shouted loudly at the top of her lungs, but no one looked back. In the meantime, Yi-An quietly observed how Ste went about doing things. ¡°Hey, mister! Don¡¯t you need some radish? This is a radish! It¡¯s so tasty! You can boil it, fry it, eat it raw... Anyways, buy it!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Missus over there! Carrot! It¡¯s good for you! It¡¯s good for your eyes and is full of beta-carotene. Babies love it too! Carrots are a hit these days!¡± ¡°My kids hate carrots.¡± ¡°Hey, prettydy! Elfdy! Do you like green peppers? Do you want a basket¡¯s worth of peppers?¡± ¡°...Get out of my way.¡± Yi-An shook his head. Ste looked at Yi-An with a tearful face. ¡°What? You¡¯re just watching and not doing anything. Don¡¯t you care if I get fired?¡± ¡°Do you have to sell them no matter what?¡± ¡°Yes, I even went to an interview academy so I could get a job at cksmith Company.¡± ¡°Academy?¡± ¡°Yeah, there are many specialized academies for Elder Lord these days.¡± Academies for a game? As expected, in South Korea, any subject could be taught at an academy. ¡°I spent all of the money from my part-time job to pay for the academy.¡± Seeing Ste slouched over reminded Yi-An of his sister Yi-Yoo. Yi-An sighed and said, ¡°Fine. I will do my best to help you.¡± ¡°Hmph, will it make a difference? Will carrots magically turn into beef? Hail the merchant!¡± Ste began spewing nonsense as if she had given up. Yi-An put a carrot covered in dirt into Ste¡¯s mouth. Ste immediately spat out the carrot. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Ste, keep in mind that a person¡¯s heart is harder to attain the more you reach for it, and 70% ofmunication is based on non-verbal cues,¡± said Yi-An with his chest held high, exuding confidence and the air of an honorable orc. He pushed Ste away and sat in the main seat. Passersby gawked at the sight of the orc sitting at the vegetable stand, staring nkly into space. Yi-An did not say a single word. A passerby made eye contact with Yi-An. The man flinched when he looked into Yi-An¡¯s fierce eyes. With his greenish skin, heinous face, jutting tusks, and huge body, Yi-An¡¯s appearance was telling the man to beware. The man tensed up at Yi-An¡¯s intense gaze. He wondered what was going on and why an orc was at the marketce. As he was about to look away, he noticed that the orc grabbed something. Was it a knife? An axe? A hammer? Was the orc nning to use violence because the man had dared to look at him? The man gulped. Should he run immediately? At that moment, the orc raised something into the air. It was none other than a radish. An orc holding a radish was an uncanny sight. Was the orc someone who threw everything around him when he was angry? Would the radishe flying at him? The man tried to avert his gaze when an unbelievable thing happened. The orc raised the radish to his face and smiled gently. ¡°...!¡± Then the orc asked in a low voice, ¡°Radish?¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Do you need it?¡± Did he need radish? He wasn¡¯t sure, but he could tell that the orc had pride in his products and didn¡¯t need to rely on long-winded sales spiels. He was also warmed by the gentle smile on the orc¡¯s face. As if entranced, he nodded. ¡°I need it.¡± There was no need for further words. The man paid, and the orc handed over the radish. One radish had been sold. Ste could not understand why the man had purchased the radish and the meaning behind it. Passersby became interested after seeing the man purchase a radish from the orc. Another man approached the orc and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an orc sell vegetables before. How much for a bag of onions?¡± Yi-An gazed deeply at him with nk eyes. ¡°...What are you nning to do with the onions?¡± The man rolled his eyes at the unexpected question. ¡°Huh? That... I don¡¯t know. My wife will take care of it.¡± This man was a patriarchal guy who knew nothing about cooking. Yi-An shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t sell any onions to you.¡± It was a boycott! Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. A merchant that wouldn¡¯t sell goods...? What was this? Did orcs have a quota for onions? The mysterious orc vegetable seller continued, ¡°Each ingredient has value. Onions are the ultimate vegetable that can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled, and act as the main ingredient or even as a supplement. They are both tasty and nutritious and are like the guardian of a household.¡± ¡°Th-Then, why...¡± ¡°I will only sell to those who understand the value of the ingredient.¡± This seller was arrogantly deciding who deserved his products! The marketce was in shock. The orc vegetable seller remained silent with his arms crossed. The rejected man looked back and forth between the orc and the onions with defeated eyes. ¡°Th-That....¡± At that moment, a woman came forward. ¡°Hmph, you don¡¯t know the value of onions because you¡¯ve been dependent on your wife your whole life. It¡¯s embarrassing that you have never cooked before!¡± It was a middle-aged woman wearing a headband. She picked up a bag of potatoes and said, ¡°Young orcd, I will buy a bag of potatoes. What do you think I will make with this?¡± ¡°A bag of potatoes...¡± the orc vegetable seller wondered while rubbing his chin. ¡°Hmm... Potatoes... for your family¡¯s nutrition... How about a potato sd...?¡± The middle-aged woman smirked and waved her finger. ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°Then, what will you make...?¡± Everyone gaped at her answer. She said with confidence, ¡°I¡¯m going to make... french fries.¡± ¡°Fries...? French fries...?¡± ¡°I''m going to fry potatoes in boiling oil until they are perfectly crisp.¡± ¡°Fries... oil... They cause high blood pressure and heart attacks and are the enemies of health. They are the culprits of obesity...¡± Didn¡¯t parents and the eldery always advise others to boil, not fry? ¡°Yes, you are right. That¡¯s true. However...¡± She smiled confidently at the puzzled orc seller. "It''s sometimes worth it to trade off your health for the taste of fries." ¡°...!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather live in the moment than live another day. That¡¯s the value of potatoes to me.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Big... This woman was big. She was a giant of the gourmet world who walked her own path without sumbing to prejudices and self-righteousness. The orc rose from his seat in amazement. ¡°...I have learned a lesson.¡± ¡°The world is bigger than you think, young orcd.¡± ¡°To you... I will sell not one but three bags of potatoes.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± The woman left while carrying three bags of potatoes on her shoulders. Having witnessed that fateful encounter, passersby began approaching the orc one by one and expressed their intentions and beliefs. ¡°I will make soup with carrots. I will hide the color of the carrots, so my kids can enjoy a nutritious meal.¡± ¡°Give me onions. I will use them as a garnish for a hearty steak. People always apud the main actor, but the true stars of the stage are the supporting actors who silently perform their parts.¡± ¡°I want garlic. I will eat it raw. It is my principle to enjoy the natural taste of ingredients. It represents my attitude to face everything head-on. I will face the world with my bare body!¡± It was a sess! The vegetables that were initially sold one by one quickly went out of stock. The orc vegetable seller looked around the empty stand. Everything was sold out! It was a clean te again. The store had to be closed. The orc dered, ¡°Today, after leaving orc territory for the first time and meeting different species at Anail, I wondered whether people truly understood the value of ingredients. I asked myself, ¡®Do they seriously reflect on vegetables? Are they pursuing the path of cooking with firm principles?¡¯¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was doubtful. I didn¡¯t think so, but now I have realized I was wrong. I will acknowledge my error in judgment. There are epicureans much greater than me in the world.¡± Everyone nodded. The orc bowed. ¡°This orc has learned a huge lesson from humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes today!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± ¡°Ohhh!¡± Everyone began pping at his bold acknowledgment. The legend of the Anail branch of the cksmith Company that sold out instantly continued to be talked about even till the present day. Meanwhile, Ste, who had been watching this whole scene from the beginning to the end, made a face. ¡°...What the fuck.¡± Chapter 12: Player Killer (1)

Chapter 12: yer Killer (1)

Ste questioned Yi-An, ¡°What was that? How did that work?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see... I just became an orc vegetable seller.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense...¡± What just happened seemed like aedy skit. It was like a fully staged act that would immediately be a viral hit if she were to upload it on the inte. Yi-An said carefully, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it out of rational thinking.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I asked myself this. If I were not Jung Yi-An but an actual orc who sold vegetables... What would I do as an honorable orc seller?¡± Yi-An had simply done what he would do if he were an actual orc in the world of Elder Lord and not just a human on earth. He concluded, ¡°I just did what felt natural to me.¡± ¡°Like role-yers...?¡± ¡°Rather than a yer... it¡¯s bing the character itself.¡± Yi-Anughed. Ste became lost in thought. It wasmon knowledge among yers, especially those who aspired to be high-rankers, that one must put their heart and soul into Elder Lord to seed. The system followed yers¡¯ assimtion rates and responded differently based on how much a yer treated Elder Lord like reality and immersed themselves in it. Ste felt an unusual vibe from Yi-An. This man was truly enjoying the world of Elder Lord. She nodded, ¡°I see. I feel like I had a realization. Your real name is Jung Yi-An? Are you Korean?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I thought you were a foreigner ¡®cause you initially introduced yourself as just Yi-An, and I thought you meant Ian.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± yers from all over the world gathered in Elder Lord, but thanks to a cutting-edge trantion system, everyonemunicated in a universal Elder Lordnguage. Communication had been so smooth and natural that he totally forgot the possibility that even Grom or Ste could be foreigners. Steughed as Yi-An gave her a look. ¡°I¡¯m also Korean,¡± she said. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s add each other as friends. Let¡¯s meet up sometimes when we are online.¡± Currently, Grom was the only one registered as Yi-An¡¯s friend. Yi-An epted Ste¡¯s friend request so they could exchange messages too. ¡°How long have you been doing Elder Lord?¡± ¡°In real time, for two weeks...?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ste¡¯s eyes widened as she nodded. ¡°I see. I think you will be big in Elder Lord soon.¡± ¡°Me? No, it¡¯s just a hobby.¡± Yi-An had begun ying Elder Lord for his sister, but looking back on it, he was enjoying ying Elder Lord more and more. ¡°I have good intuition. Your assimtion rate is really high, right?¡± ¡°Assimtion rate?¡± ¡°The one in your status window.¡± ¡°Give me a moment.¡± It had been a while since thest time Yi-An had checked his status window. He opened it to check. [Status Window Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior Title: Friend of Farmers Level: 4 Achievement Points: 80 Assimtion: 56% Skills Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Umon) Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon)] His assimtion rate had risen. It had been 50% when he first started, and now it had risen to 56%. ¡°It¡¯s 56%.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Is that high?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s high, especially since it hasn¡¯t been that long since you started. I¡¯m at around 30¨C40%.¡± ¡°Aha...¡± ¡°But the catch is that the higher the assimtion rate, the more realistic the pain is, so a lot of people set limits on their assimtion rates and keep them low.¡± Yi-An inwardly wondered if that was why it was so painful whenever he engaged in battle. He nodded while in thought. Previously, he hadn¡¯t paid attention, but there was actually an option to click for more details in the status window. In the ¡®more details¡¯ section, a yer was able to set a limit on their assimtion rate, change their title, and check their skills¡¯ proficiency levels. His Common-level skills such as Orc¡¯s Strength and Orc¡¯s Recovery were close to being upgraded to Umon. Yi-An decided not to set a limit on his assimtion rate and left his title of Friend of Farmers unchanged. After exchanging more information, he learned Ste was of a much higher level than him. However, because levels were determined by achievement scores and skills, a yer¡¯s level didn¡¯t indicate how strong they were. Thus, yers with various upations, not just fighting ones, were able to enjoy Elder Lord. Ste taught Yi-An the special grade skill, Negotiating Eloquence (Special). ¡°Let me know if you need to buy something next time. This skill is good for negotiating prices.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t even sell vegetables.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... um... I can¡¯t speak to that... but you are the weird one.¡± Ste checked the time. ¡°Ah, I have an appointment, so I need to log out. It was fun today. I¡¯m grateful. I was really impressed by you. See you again.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s meet again next time.¡± ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. Take this.¡± She handed a bandana to Yi-An. There was a cksmith Company logo embroidered on one of its corners. ¡°Wear this.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good if others find out that you are a yer in Anail, especially if you are an orc.¡± ¡°But only other yers can see the star.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Ste shrugged. ¡°yers are scarier than NPCs.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m gonna bete. I¡¯m leaving for real. Good luck!¡± She went inside her store and logged out there to avoid drawing attention. Yi-An had made another friend in Elder Lord. He finally understood why people were so immersed in Elder Lord. Yi-Anughed contentedly to himself. Then he realized, ¡°Wait, what aboutpensation for the quest...?¡± Yi-An had totally forgotten aboutpensation while conversing with her. Was this an effect of her Negotiating Eloquence skill? He should question her the next time she¡¯s on. He put on the bandana and liked what he saw. Others would see him as a trendy orc with a good fashion sense. With light footsteps, Yi-An headed back to Thompson¡¯s house where Hoyt was. Unbeknownst to Yi-An, there were shadows lurking behind him and spying on him. ¡°That orc... he¡¯s a yer, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, he had a star on his forehead.¡± ¡°Hehe, there was another crazy dude out there?¡± ¡°This guy is perfect for us.¡± ¡°Good. Shall we go orc hunting today...?¡± Bright stars like Yi-An¡¯s shone on the heads of those who were whispering in the alley. *** It was already dark. Nights in Elder Lord were beautiful. The stars that had been put to sleep in the real world were able to stretch and let out their light in virtual reality. Yi-An saw the Milky Way. It looked like a river in the sky, formed with clusters of stars. He looked up at it and hummed a song to himself. If stars werepared to the twinkling eyes of kids, the calm moon was like a mother who softly illuminated the world. As the cold and clean air filled Yi-An¡¯s body, he felt a sense of rity course through him. So when the three men appeared in the alley, Yi-An was not surprised. He had already been aware of their presence, but he didn¡¯t lower his head to look as he was busy looking up at the stars. The knives in their hands glistened palely in the moonlight. Yi-An said the first name that popped into his head, ¡°Derek?¡± The men looked at each other and shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t know who you are talking about, but just die. Don¡¯t try to resist.¡± They didn¡¯t seem to be Derek¡¯s servants. Yi-An surveyed his surroundings. There were no signs of humans nearby. It was the ideal ce to ambush someone. ¡°Orcs are a great source of achievement points.¡± ¡°They are easy to catch when they are yers. It¡¯s an easy way to improve your proficiency.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± The three men surrounded Yi-An. Yi-An took a step back and scanned them down. Although it was an unexpected situation, Yi-An immediately went into fight mode. It was as natural as breathing for him. He quickly assessed the enemy. The first opponent was a tall man with a spear. He seemed to be the surveying type and kept everyone at arm¡¯s length. The second was a man with a staff. He seemed to be a wizard who offered support from the perimeter. The third was an agile looking woman holding two daggers. She was the type of fighter who drew attention with her mboyant movements. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yi-An didn¡¯t respond. He focused on predicting the trajectory of the fight and mapping out his method. This split second determined the oue of the battle. The man with the spear would try to block him, the woman near him would try to distract him, and the wizard in the back would bombard him with spells. It was a formation designed for ambush. He had to break the enemy¡¯s rhythm. His first assignment was to bait the defenseless wizard. Yi-An pretended to hesitate in fear. ¡°Why are you doing this to me...?¡± The woman erupted inughter. ¡°Look at his scared face. Cute.¡± ¡°It reminds me of when you were getting screwed over by the knights...¡± They let their guard down and snickered among themselves, creating an opening for Yi-An to attack. Yi-An charged forth immediately. The enemy scrambled for their weapons, unable to get into formation. ¡°Huh...?¡± Yi-An¡¯s goal was to exert all of his power during the short moment his opponents were distracted. He rushed in and blocked the spear that was headed toward him with his greatsword. The group took a step back and assumed their fighting stances, but Yi-An ignored them and charged. The wizard was fully exposed without the protection of the two fighters. His startled pupils dted. They looked tangible as if one could grab and pull them out. Yi-An grinned. Before the wizard could raise his staff and chant his spells, Yi-An chopped off the wizard¡¯s head with his sword, and the head flew into the air. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± the woman screamed at the sight of the blood spraying everywhere. Yi-An kicked away the wizard¡¯s body, which seemed stunned after losing its head. The wizard had died without having the chance to use his magic. [Congrattions! You have made the ambusher pay the price with blood.] [You have gained 50 achievement points.] [You have leveled up.] [You have disyed explosive power. Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) will evolve.] [Orc¡¯s Strength (Common) has been upgraded to Orc¡¯s Superhuman Strength (Umon).] ¡°What? I thought th-that guy was definitely a yer...¡± ¡°What kind of yer...¡± The man and woman retreated. This wasn¡¯t what they had expected. yers were weak. It wasn¡¯t just their fighting skills; they also had weak minds. Modern-day people could not immerse themselves in realistic battles that had sttered blood and oozing intestines. Thus, they were usually timid in fights, which caused yer killers like them to have the full advantage. However, Yi-An was different. He had lived a reality as harsh as what was experienced in Elder Lord. A severed head could not stop him. It actually had the effect of heightening his violence. Yi-An grinned while recalling Hoyt¡¯s teaching. The enemy¡¯s fear strengthened him. The two ambushers retreated in fear at the sight of the smiling orc covered in blood. ¡°Dude, we must have been mistaken. He¡¯s not a yer. He can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°You told me you saw the star!¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s wearing a bandana. I was mistaken. There¡¯s no way he could be a yer.¡± They fell into confusion. Yi-An was still a beginner. When he experienced the force of their attacks, he could feel that their attacks were being enhanced by their skill levels. It wasn¡¯t an advantageous fight for Yi-An, but Yi-An was able to gain the upper hand because his opponents were already consumed by their fears. Yi-An approached them. They began retreating but raised their weapons again. ¡°Ah, shit, whatever. Let¡¯s fight! Even if we die, it won¡¯t be the first time.¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± The man thrust his spear at Yi-An. Yi-An was able to easily dodge the attack. He was nning to use this opening to counterattack the man, but the woman was already going for him with her dagger. The man and the woman inflicted wounds all over Yi-An¡¯s body with their joint attack. ¡°I think we can handle him.¡± ¡°We leveled up a lot. We can do it!¡± It wasn¡¯t an easy fight. The movements of the man and the woman implied they were ustomed to joint attacks. They must have killed numerous yers to be so in tune with one another. Yi-An scowled. Then, he remembered his skill¡ªOrc¡¯s Recovery. It was an orc-like skill that healed most wounds, although it took some time. This was good. He no longer wanted to see the confident faces of his enemies. He wanted to crush them. Yi-An dodged the man¡¯s spear and focused on the trajectory of the woman who was watching for an opening in Yi-An¡¯s defenses. He purposely exposed his abdomen, and the woman immediately went for it. She tried to plunge her dagger into him. However, instead of opting for defense, Yi-An pivoted and shed the woman¡¯s body. Their attacks crossed. The dagger pierced Yi-An¡¯s stomach, and the greatsword cut the woman¡¯s torso in half. Chapter 13: Player Killer (2)

Chapter 13: yer Killer (2)

The woman¡¯s split body revealed her organs, which began pouring out. The man screamed at the gory sight. ¡°Eri! Eri...!¡± There was a reason Elder Lord was Rated R; any yer properly engaging in battle in Elder Lord experienced cruelty and violence. However, Yi-An was unmoved by the violence. He merely eximed inwardly at the realistic anatomical depictions. Yi-An inspected the dagger embedded in his stomach. He decided to leave it for now and focus on the remaining opponent instead. Yi-An raised his bloodied greatsword, which cast a shadow on the spearman¡¯s face. The spearman lost his will to fight and dropped to his knees on the ground. He whispered, ¡°Please... as painless as possible...¡± Yi-An nodded and swung his sword. His first PvP battle in Elder Lord ended with his victory. [You have defeated all of the ambushers.] [You have gained 200 achievement points.] [You have leveled up.] [Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) is in use.] [You have recovered from many wounds through numerous battles.] [Orc¡¯s Recovery (Common) has been upgraded to Orc¡¯s Vitality (Umon).] [There is a dagger stuck in your abdomen. It will be dangerous if left untreated.] [Status Window Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior Title: Friend of Farmers Level: 6 Achievement Score: 330 Assimtion: 57% Skills: Orc¡¯s Superhuman Strength (Umon) Orc¡¯s Vitality (Umon) Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Umon) Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon)] Yi-An leveled up twice and upgraded two skills. Seeing this, he could understand why guys like these targeted other yers. As he looked at the corpses of the yer-hunters, Yi-An observed that their bodies were turning into wavering white particles. Their bodies swayed like dandelion seeds blown by the wind and eventually became indecipherable dots. Only equipmenty where the three bodies used to be. ¡°...Are these all mine now?¡± There was a reason yer killers were in full swing. Yi-An pulled the dagger out from his stomach and bound the wound with the yer killers¡¯ clothes that were lying on the ground. He scanned their equipment and found there wasn¡¯t anything special. The equipment mostly consisted of regr clothing and weapons sold at cksmith shops. In other words, they weremon weapons. Yi-An packed a spear, two sacks of daggers, and a staff that looked saleable. Yi-An raised his head. He was in an empty area without any signs of humans around. It looked like most battlefields after the fighting ended. He felt a surge of morale from having defeated some criminals of Elder Lord. Yi-An spoke to himself in solitude, ¡°Today, I met three evildoers and brought forth justice by killing them. Where are those who know honor?¡± It was a wailing of an honorable orc who had punished injustice. Yi-An admired himself. He felt as if what had just happened was like a scene from a movie, but he also felt a tinge of embarrassment. His face slightly reddened as he feared someone might have heard his monologue. He quickly got up from his spot and departed from the scene. In the deserted alley of Anail, all that remained was the clothing of the dead ambushers stuffed in the corner. However, ady emerged from the shadows. ¡°Amazing,¡± she muttered. She was entirely covered in ck. Even her face was concealed by a mask, but the form-fitting clothes revealed the silhouette of her alluring body. ¡°I came to cover news on yer killers but found something much more interesting...¡± Thedy gazed at the remains of where the yer killers hadst been. Jackson, Brown, and Eri were yer killers active in the whole district of Anail. They were famous for attacking all yers, regardless of whether they were beginners. They would approach yers pretending to be friendly and then stab them in the back. If they deemed the yer to be weak, they would kill them and loot their items. They aimed specifically at yers who were unustomed to battle. Thus, there were manyints about them in the area. However, they seemed to have made a mistake as they went for an orc NPC and got ughtered. The battle scene had been astounding. The orc had an audacity that yers could not emte. He was unafraid of blood and decisive to the core. His solemn monologue at the end of the battle was perfect for her video. Thedy thought of a title that suited the scene she had just filmed: ¡®Immoral yer Killers Receive Justice!¡¯ She had previously uploaded a video of these yer killers¡¯ past misdeeds. The scenes of them ambushing new yers, approaching them, or stabbing them in the back had reached an explosive number of views. They had to have beenying low because people could now recognize their faces. Then, they acted hastily and mistook an NPC for a yer. She rewound the video and nodded. People raved about stuff like this¡ªevildoers forgetting their ce and acting out of line and then falling to rock bottom because of someone stronger than them. Moreover, there was also a cool monologue from the bringer of justice! Thedy scanned her surroundings and then logged out. *** Park Jung-Tae smiled at Yi-Yoo, who was chatting busily next to him. ¡°Hey, Park Jung-Tae, what level are you?¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t y ¡®cause I don¡¯t have a capsule.¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you go to the capsule room?¡± ¡°Instead of leveling up in the game, you should level up in your life. I heard you did horribly on the exam.¡± ¡°Wow, why are youing at me with facts?¡± They were sitting in the university cafe. Their economics lectures had ended, so they were spending time together in between sses. They were talking about trivial matters when their ssmates saw them and yelled, ¡°Ah, there¡¯s Yi-Yoo! Jung Yi-Yoo!¡± ¡°Park Jung-Tae is there too?¡± Girls swarmed around them and sat next to them. ¡°What are you two up to?¡± ¡°Suspicious... Could it be... Wow... Park Jung-Tae, not bad...¡± Yi-Yoo smirked. ¡°If you are going to say nonsense, just leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh. If you keep talking like that, I¡¯m going to summon a rabbit. Do you want to get punished by a rabbit again?¡± ¡°Ah, so noisy.¡± After the incident where Yi-Yoo was killed by a rabbit, her friends brought it up frequently to tease her. ¡°Anyways, have you seen it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Youvidser Laney¡¯s video.¡± Youvidsers were content creators on the world¡¯srgest video upload site, Youvids. Of course, it was the trend to make content rted to Elder Lord on Youvids. Laney was a star Youvidser who began gaining attention by reporting rude yers. Somehow, she had managed to encroach and film them in full detail. There was a rumor circting that Laney was a high-level assassin because the filmed yers were unable to detect her presence. ¡°I haven¡¯t watched it.¡± ¡°Look, look. It¡¯s a big hit. It¡¯s a video of three yer killers getting humiliated.¡± One of Yi-Yoo¡¯s friends brought out her tablet. Yi-Yoo, Park Jung-Tae, and her friends gathered around it. [Laney: yer Killers Served by Justice. Cider.] [1]. In the first scene, the three yers were smirking at the orc standing in front of them. Captions written by Laney popped up. [Rude yer killers discover an orc yer!] ¡°Orc? There are orc yers?¡± ¡°Keep watching.¡± [They were nning to ambush the yer as usual...] The yer killersughed as the orc seemed to falter. However, the orc charged and chopped off the wizard¡¯s neck in an instant. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Crazy, right?¡± The yer killers¡¯ shocked faces filled the screen. [But wrong! It was an error! The orc was an NPC!] The fight shifted to two versus one. The two yer killers were quite adept at handling the orc since they were ustomed to battles from hunting numerous yers, so the orc got cornered. ¡°Is the orc gonna lose?¡± ¡°It¡¯sing.¡± Then the woman pierced her dagger deep into the orc. As if waiting for this moment, the orc shed through the female hunter¡¯s torso, splitting the yer killer¡¯s body in two. Yi-Yoo flinched for a second at the violent scene. ¡°He let himself get injured so that he could inflict a fatal injury on her!¡± Park Jung-Tae eximed. The woman¡¯s body crumbled, and the lone spearman dropped to his knees. He whispered something to the orc, and the orc nodded in return. The orc beheaded the spearman in a single blow. The battle of three versus one was over! Although the yer killers had the upper hand as the majority, their strength levels weren¡¯t that different from the orc¡¯s. However, the orc¡¯s skills and audacity overpowered them. It was a true battle! ¡°This is why you can¡¯t mess with an NPC.¡± The dead yers¡¯ bodies turned white and disappeared. The orc packed up their weapons and stood up. The video did not end there. ¡°...There¡¯s more?¡± ¡°Listen closely.¡± The orc stood straight like a rod and looked off into the empty space. He opened his mouth and said, ¡°Today, I met three evildoers and brought forth justice by killing them.¡± The orc clenched his fist. He continued in a piercing voice, ¡°Where are those who know honor?¡± With those words as hisst, he disappeared into the darkness of the city. Yi-Yoo and Park Jung-Tae watched with their mouths agape. ¡°...Amazing.¡± ¡°...There¡¯s something really cool about him.¡± It was cringy, but they felt a surge of morale from the scene. Thements section exploded. -Elder Lord One Way: On my way to bing an orc. -Arigato: 222222 [2] -I¡¯m the Best: 222222 -Joripong Yoripong: 222222 -Jo In-Sung Trash: 2222so cool?? -(show more) -My Name is Yota: Our orc crazy;;;; honorswag;; -Dragon Bra: If thest scene isn¡¯t staged, real swag -Ninano: He really seems like an NPC;;; real swag orc big brother -Orc yer Killer: An orc is a monster no matter what. Acknowledge it! -Orc yer Number 1 Maguchwi: Filthy humans!! Die!! Shout bul¡¯tar!!! -Camper May: The real one is here!!!!!!!! -Oscar Azar: Maguchwi is an endangered orc sorcerer lol he is a true orc yer -I¡¯m Beta: Shit he¡¯s still doing orc hahahahahaha -Jungle King Bang God: He was whining about resetting looooool -(show more) -Normal Person: Even so, no one chooses to be an orc... -Americano: Orc¡¯s tears ?? -Angel In You: ?? Om¡¯s tears... -Orc yer Number 2 Kukwakta: Shout to the top of your lungs! Buuul¡¯taaar!!!!!!!! -Oscar Azar: HAHA It¡¯s an Om festival -Delicious Omurice: The Oms are going crazy looool -Psychedelia: lololololololol there are quite a bit of Oms around -Orcs Never Die: hehehehehehehe what does bul¡¯tar mean -(show more) (show more) Regr yers as well as Oms, orc yers who were religiously devoted to orcs, went wild. Yi-Yoo¡¯s eyes glistened after watching the video and thements. ¡°Should I restart the game as an orc?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°...Not a good idea?¡± ¡°Orcs aren''t for you.¡± Park Jung-Tae briefly thought about ying Elder Lord again, but he came to his senses. The character he made a while ago was a human. He had been pursuing the path of a cksmith, but he quit because he was too busy with his part-time job and school. He didn¡¯t have time to y games. It was almost time for the next lecture. Park Jung-Tae got up. ¡°I¡¯m heading to my next ss.¡± ¡°Okay, bye. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Jung-Tae, bbye~¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Park Jung-Tae was heading to the economics department when someone called out to him. ¡°Hey, Park Jung-Tae!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A foreign car stopped in the street. The car door opened, and someone ran up to him. Park Jung-Tae frowned as it was the senior he got into a brawl with over Yi-Yoo. ¡°Hey, what the fuck did you do? Huh? What the fuck happened?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jung-Tae replied. ¡°I will apologize, so please cancel everything. I will pay for your medical expenses, so please return everything back to normal.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°My dad¡¯spany went out of business!¡± ¡°Why are you bringing that up with me...?¡± ¡°The only possible cause is you! Why would all of the clients suddenly cut us off? All of them abandoned ourpany after we fought...¡± The senior frantically begged Park Jung-Tae without a care as to who saw them. A familiar face popped up in Park Jung-Tae¡¯s mind after hearing the upperssman¡¯s words. It had to have been Jung Yi-An, Yi-Yoo¡¯s older brother and the owner of Caf¨¦ Reason. ¡°I beg you. I didn¡¯t know you were powerful, so please...¡± ¡°No, sunbae, I really don¡¯t know what happened. If I could do something like that, why would I work so many part-time jobs? I would just do whatever I wanted in my free time.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. Anyway, I hope it gets resolved soon. I have to go to my lecture.¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s settle! Let¡¯s settle as if nothing happened! We have to write a contract anyway. Let¡¯s do it now!¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yeah, now.¡± Park Jung-Tae nodded. Then he recalled what Yi-An had said, ¡°Jung-Tae, I will take care of everything, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Park Jung-Tae didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but he knew everything was being taken care of. 1. In Korea, cider is often used to describe refreshing situations in which a problem is resolved or there¡¯s payback to an evildoer for a misdeed ? 2. Repeated 2s express agreement and is a numerical version of ''I second this.'' ? Chapter 14: About Life (1)

Chapter 14: About Life (1)

Yi-An stayed over at Thompson¡¯s ce for a few days. Derek¡¯s underlings preyed on Thompson¡¯s family and threatened them at every turn, so Hoyt and Yi-An took turns guarding the house. Since they were staying together, Yi-An was able to receive hands-on training from Hoyt. In the world of Elder Lord, skills were divided into multiple tiers. Just as its name suggested, Common tier meant the yer was of amon level. Umon meant that the yer had surpassed others to some extent. After Umon was the Special tier and then the Rare tier. The highest and only known tier after Rare was the Essence tier. It meant the yer had absorbed the essence of the skill. Even those who didn¡¯t y Elder Lord knew the famous high-ranker Choi Han-Sung, whose skill Battlefield Prating Eyes was revealed to be Essence tier. Most yers¡¯ skill levels were of the Common and Umon tiers, and there were asionally those of Special tiers. However, Elder Lord was simr to reality, so even though everyone had unique abilities, it was hard for them to put in the effort to make their abilities special. As a result, most yers focused on umting as manymon skills as possible. ¡°Do you believe in talent?¡± asked Hoyt. ¡°I believe it to some extent,¡± responded Yi-An. Yi-An had learned martial arts in the past and knew he was unusually strong. Even though his colleagues had put in a lot of effort, Yi-An knew he had a talent for violence and was able to easily surpass them. People who had talent knew it. Hoyt nodded. ¡°Talent definitely exists, but keep in mind that having talent doesn¡¯t mean that you are the strongest.¡± ¡°Are you talking about effort?¡± ¡°Effort is too light of a word.¡± Hoytughed. ¡°Obsession.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We can be anything we want,¡± said Hoyt. Yi-An understood what Hoyt meant, but he didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it. Hoyt was basically telling him to put in a lot of work. Yi-An had grown up in poverty as his parents¡¯ business hadn¡¯t done well. He had even inherited their debts after they passed away, and he had to enter battlefields to earn money. The fact that he¡¯d had a harsher life than most people wasn¡¯t something to show off. He had killed people, again and again, for money. His targets hadn¡¯t always been evil. If Yi-An acknowledged Hoyt¡¯s words, he felt as if he only had himself to me for choosing a life on the battlefield instead of pursuing another path. He had always been tormented by a tinge of guilt in his heart. Yi-An grumpily said, ¡°Not everyone can do that.¡± ¡°Everyone...¡± Hoyt aimed his hammer at Yi-An while smiling. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about everyone right now.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about you right now.¡± Yi-An looked at Hoyt. Hoyt¡¯s body, full of tattoos and scars, proved his experience over the past years. ¡°Are you everyone?¡± Hoyt asked. ¡°I¡¯m...¡± ¡°Do you want to be a warrior?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to.¡± ¡°Not everyone can be a warrior because a warrior has to pursue the path no one else pursues.¡± Hoyt took a step back and raised his hammer with two hands. ¡°Look closely.¡± He took a deep breath. Yi-An flinched. For a moment, it seemed the air was shaking. He felt somethinging from Hoyt¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t like strength or energy; it was actually the opposite. Hoyt¡¯s presence blurred. It seemed as if he was bing a part of the world while also separating from it. Hoyt moved his hammer in slow motion. Within that motion, Yi-An witnessed a countercurrent that defied thews of the world. The world was falling apart inside that small movement. Yi-An almost dropped to his knees. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. What he saw was the unattainable state that had only been achieved by ancient martial arts masters. It was the pinnacle state his instructor, Baek Han-Ho, had talked about. Although it was for a short moment, it felt like infinity. Hoyt withdrew his hammer and regted his breathing. He looked at Yi-An and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Did you see?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°You really saw it. You amaze me. This is...¡± Hoyt put his hammer down. He had drops of sweat on his face. Hoyt said, ¡°When I was your age, there was a really talented orc. I was a slow learner. I couldn¡¯t achieve what he was able to learn in one go even after practicing twenty or thirty times. ¡°You... Hoyt?¡± ¡°Yes. He was truly a genius. Through split decision-making, he would y with the enemy by using an uncanny technique. I could never reach his sh of wit. In despair, I asked the instructor what I should do to be strong like him.¡± Hoyt put a hand on his waist. Yi-An handed over a towel. Hoyt continued, ¡°The instructor taught me a single swing. He said that was enough. He said I didn¡¯t need anything else except for this blow no matter what skill the opponent used.¡± It was the pinnacle blow. ¡°I believed him and repeated it like crazy. Everyoneughed at me and said that it was ridiculous, but I didn¡¯t give up. I relentlessly went at it¡ªdoing it ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, and beyond. Before I hade to the realization, I was already a warrior.¡± Yi-An raised his sword. ¡®Could I do the same thing as Hoyt?¡¯ ¡°You definitely have talent,¡± Hoyt said. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you this.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Reach the pinnacle and surpass me.¡± Yi-An¡¯s martial arts skills had been stagnant. He used to continuously improve when he applied them on the battlefield as a soldier, but he hit a wall and couldn¡¯t see past it. He thought he had reached his limit. Yet, he saw past it today... in the game. [Congrattions! You have witnessed the pinnacle state of the highest skill level.] [Through your high understanding of martial arts, you have experienced the true nature of the pinnacle state and trembled in response.] [Even in the world of Elder Lord, only the truly powerful have managed to achieve this pinnacle state.] [You have attained the title ''Pursuer of the Pinnacle''. Your ability to gain proficiency in all skills will be elevated until you reach the pinnacle state.] [You have gained the skill Mind¡¯s Eye (Special), which allows you to discern the true nature of your opponent.] [You have gained 50 achievement points.] [You have leveled up.] [Status Window Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior Title: Pursuer of the Pinnacle Level: 7 Achievement Score: 380 Assimtion: 57% Skills: Orc¡¯s Superhuman Strength (Umon) Orc¡¯s Vitality (Umon) Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Umon) Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon) Mind¡¯s Eye (Special)] Various message windows popped up, but Yi-An shook his head as if they were a bother. Things like that didn¡¯t matter to Yi-An. His heart thumped. Yi-An wanted to quickly swing his sword and put his body to work, not just in the game but also in real life. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen. ¡°I haven¡¯t used so much strength in a while, so I¡¯m tired,¡± Hoyt said. ¡°You are amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more impressed by you. You don¡¯t seem like an apprentice. Most warriors only see it as a regr swing, but you were able to see the true nature behind it,¡± remarked Hoyt as he took a look at the sun. He was able to estimate the time based on the sun¡¯s location. Yi-An wasn¡¯t able to figure it out no matter how hard he tried though. ¡°It¡¯s time for Ray to get out of school,¡±mented Hoyt. ¡°I will go pick him up,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°Please do so.¡± Yi-An quickly headed toward Ray¡¯s school. Only Ray, the eldest of Thompson¡¯s kids, attended school. Unlike in real life, the school didn¡¯t have an official curriculum provided by the country; it was more like a private academy run by a schr. Even though Thompson¡¯s financial situation was difficult, he sent Ray to school with the firm belief that children had to be educated. Moreover, Derek¡¯s filthy hands couldn¡¯t reach Ray at the school because Anail¡¯s city guards were involved in protecting educational facilities. On his way to the school, civilians recognized Yi-An due to his extended stay and also because orcs weren¡¯tmon in Anail. Other species greeted him as he passed by. ¡°Hey man, are you no longer selling vegetables?¡± ¡°It was a part-time job,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°Ste will sell fresh vegetables.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust that woman.¡± Yi-An cackled. In Elder Lord, reputation was important like in real life. Yi-An had managed to build quite a reputation by selling all of the vegetables, protecting the esteemed Thompson family from the vicious loan sharks, and doing other positive activities. The NPCs were no longer discriminatory against him just because he was an orc. Yi-An entered Ray¡¯s academy with light footsteps, but the atmosphere was strange. The children were at the back of the ssroom, standing in a circle. It was the sight of a typical children¡¯s fight. He saw a familiar face within the circle. It was Ray. However, Yi-An didn¡¯t rush in to break up the fight and instead observed it closely. Ray and another kid were going at each other with all of their might. They were entangled together and rolling on the floor, tossing and turning. Punches were also exchanged. Yi-An tapped on the shoulder of a kid watching the scene. ¡°Who... Aah!¡± The kid¡¯s face lost color when he suddenly saw the orc¡¯s menacing face. Yi-An asked quietly, ¡°Why are they fighting?¡± ¡°Um... Robin teased Ray that his dad ran away.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Ray had willpower. Although they were initiallynding simr blows, Ray now overpowered Robin. Ray mounted Robin and began swinging punches at his face. Robin curled his body while wrapping his arms around his face to ward off the blows. Ray¡¯s punchesnded directly on Robin¡¯s guard. Yi-An intervened, ¡°Stop, stop.¡± At the sound of the orc¡¯s loud and ringing voice, the kids split like Moses parting the Red Sea. Ray stopped what he was doing with hesitation. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t fight.¡± Yi-An pulled the two kids apart. Ray panted with anger as Robin took a step back with a bloody nose. ¡°If you keep talking shit like that, I will kill you,¡± dered Ray to Robin with malice-filled eyes. Robin didn¡¯t lose his nerve and retorted, ¡°It¡¯s true. You don¡¯t have a dad anymore.¡± ¡°This bastard!¡± Ray tried to go at Robin again, but Yi-An stopped him in his tracks. Ray struggled in Yi-An¡¯s arms as he screamed, ¡°Ahjussi! Didn¡¯t you hear what that little shit said? I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± [1]. Yi-An was in a dilemma. He also beat up people until they were half-dead when they insulted his family, so he couldn¡¯t chide Ray by saying violence was never okay because he understood what Ray felt. Moreover, relying on one¡¯s fists was more natural than relying on thew in Elder Lord. Yi-An didn¡¯t want to assure Ray with unrealistically idealistic stories. Humans had to develop survival techniques that best suited the world they lived in. So, Yi-An just nodded. ¡°The oue is clear, so you should stop. Do you still want to fight?¡± Ray seemed ready to charge at any moment, but Robin didn¡¯t seem to want to fight anymore. He silently wiped his nosebleed with his sleeve. Yi-An disbanded the group of kids and headed back home with Ray. Although Yi-An had raised his sister Yi-Yoo like his daughter, he hadn¡¯t experienced situations like this because she was a girl. At most, she had fought verbally with a friend and then the two tearfully made up. ¡°Ahjussi, I want to learn how to wield the sword, so I can be strong like you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If I be strong, I can kill guys like him.¡± Yi-An chuckled. ¡°You want to kill people?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°They make me so angry.¡± ¡°Ray, you can¡¯t just kill people because they make you angry.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If everyone did that, someone who is stronger than you could appear and kill you just ¡®cause they don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°Then I can just die like a man.¡± Yi-An stared at Ray, who then looked away as if he knew he was being stubborn. ¡°That¡¯s not what it means to be a man.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Ray, you shouldn¡¯t talk lightly about death.¡± Yi-An patted Ray, who was silent. Yi-An thought that the world of Elder Lord suited him better than the real world. He had learned murder techniques from Baek Han-Ho that were passed on in secret, and he had lived on the battlefield where death was frequent. However, that knowledge didn¡¯t have a ce in the world that he currently lived in. He ran a cafe, but he knew more about battles, murder, and matters of life and death than coffee beans. Yi-An scratched his head. There were many thoughts running rampant in his mind. Suddenly, a group of men appeared and surrounded Yi-An and Ray. ¡°Hello, orc, we meet again.¡± Yi-An could recognize them. They were Derek¡¯s underlings who had trespassed into Thompson¡¯s home. ¡°It¡¯s a different story now since that monster isn¡¯t here,¡± one of them said. Derek¡¯s underlings were all holding weapons. Their intent was clear. Yi-An hid Ray behind him and gripped the handle of his sword. He assessed the fighting prowess of each of the men. If they were the same group of guys from earlier, Yi-An would be able to oppose them and let Ray escape. However, there was one guy who was watching everyone from behind that caught Yi-An¡¯s attention. He stuck out like a sore thumb. The middle-aged man with a beard stared at Yi-An with a bored face. He was d in expensive clothing with a sword on his waist and emanated an intense aura that felt sharp, as if it could cut. ¡°Are you a colleague of Hoyt¡¯s...?¡± a low and hoarse voice rang out as the middle-aged man stepped forward in front of his crew. His whole body radiated fierceness. Yi-An tensed up. This man was stronger than him. ¡°I¡¯m Derek, youngd.¡± Yi-An¡¯s stomach tightened as he listened. He had to endure the pain. Derek¡¯s aura alone made him feel as if he had already been stabbed multiple times by Derek¡¯s sword. Yi-An looked up at Derek¡¯s indifferent face. Derek tilted his head as he said, ¡°The interest on Thompson¡¯s loan has increased... I need to take your body to make up for it.¡± 1. Ahjussi is used to refer to older men ? Chapter 15: About Life (2)

Chapter 15: About Life (2)

Civilians always tried to avoid running into Derek. Everyone knew about the infamous loan shark who controlled the alleyways of Anail. Yi-An nced at his surroundings. There was no opening for him to flee. Two of Derek¡¯s men hovered around Yi-An and prevented any chance of retreat. Yi-An¡¯s eyes sank as he wondered what to do. Derek had five subordinates with him. Yi-An was more than enough to handle the subordinates, but Derek was way stronger than all of thembined. The best tactic was to not fight. ¡°Derek, even if we fight, there¡¯s nothing for you to gain from it.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Are you confident you can ward off Hoyt¡¯s wrath?¡± Yi-An mentioned Hoyt because he was the reason Derek was unable to inflict harm on Thompson¡¯s family. Yet, contrary to Yi-An¡¯s expectations, Derek smiled quietly. Yi-An felt uneasy. Derek¡¯s smile andidback behavior were the opposite of what Yi-An had imagined him to be like. Yi-An had expected Derek to be a vulgar loan shark, but he was closer to a tycoon. Even his military exceeded most armed forces, and his aura, sharp like a de, was something Yi-An had not experienced before. The situation was out of Yi-An¡¯s control. Everything was a gamble now. Derek raised his sword. ¡°It¡¯s not something for you to worry about.¡± Then, imitating what Yi-An had said, Derek muttered, ¡°Youngd, even if you resist, there¡¯s nothing for you to gain from it.¡± Yi-An could feel Ray¡¯s trembling hand on his waist. He tried to request for Ste¡¯s help as she dwelled in Anail, but she was not online. Yi-An was in a dilemma. Nevertheless, he pulled out his greatsword. To him, the most important thing now was Ray¡¯s safety. It was better to retreat for the sake of survival than to fight and lose. Yi-An whispered to Ray, ¡°Hold onto my neck.¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± Grabbing the boy by the nape, Yi-An lifted Ray up onto his back. Ray fumbled at first, but as soon as he had managed to grab Yi-An¡¯s neck, Yi-An dashed out. He charged in the opposite direction of where Derek was standing, but Derek¡¯s underlings flocked toward the direction that Yi-An had taken. Yi-An had to get rid of one of them before they all converged. However, Derek¡¯s subordinates were different from the yer killers that Yi-An had overpowered previously. They calmly swung their swords to slow Yi-An down. As Yi-An stopped, they assessed the distance between them and Yi-An and then waited for their crew members. Yi-An was soon surrounded again. The distance between them had decreased, and Derek began to approach him from afar. ¡°Even if you struggle, the result is the same,¡± Derek said. Yi-An decided to at least buy some time. ¡°Even though you are a filthy loan shark, this is too unfair.¡± ¡°Unfair?¡± ¡°Yeah. Derek, let¡¯s have a fair one-on-one fight,¡± suggested Yi-An. Derek¡¯s subordinates erupted inughter. ¡°Hahaha, what are you saying, you orc? Derek is a thoroughly practical person. Do you think he will listen to that nonsense? Fight one-on-one in Heaven with your friends.¡± Derek¡¯s mouth curved upwards. ¡°...Hmmm.¡± Yi-An ignored the subordinates and spoke to Derek, ¡°Are you perhaps scared of fighting one-on-one?¡± ¡°You are funny,¡± replied Derek. Yi-An didn¡¯t expect anything toe out of it because it was such a tant provocation. However, Derek nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± His subordinates¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Sir...?¡± ¡°Why, are you afraid?¡± Derek asked his subordinates. ¡°Me, sir?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Derek raised his sword to his subordinate¡¯s neck. ¡°A servant of mine can¡¯t possibly be scared of an orc, right...?¡± ¡°N-No, sir!¡± ¡°Then fight him, alone.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± His subordinate nodded enthusiastically under Derek¡¯s re. The subordinate immediately pulled out his sword and stepped forward. Yi-An tried to shake off the ominous feeling and put Ray down. He said, ¡°Ray, stand back. If there¡¯s an opening, just run.¡± ¡°Ahjussi...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Don¡¯t you trust orc warriors?¡± Yi-An grinned. Ray began to tear up. It was a familiar scene to him. ¡°Ray, don¡¯t you trust your father?¡± His father, Thompson, had said the same words with the same expression before he left, and he still had yet to return. Ray wanted to cling to Yi-An, but Yi-An had already stepped forward. He and Derek¡¯s subordinate had their swords aimed at each other. ¡°Ahjussi...¡± The fight began. Yi-An took the lead and attacked first to bring his opponent closer, but his opponent stepped back and retreated to the side. His opponent was intent on not getting overpowered by the orc¡¯s brute strength. Yi-An was relieved as the best he could do was buy some time. He just hoped that Hoyt would hear the news ande running toward them. Yi-An continued to swing his sword into empty space. He was on the offensive, but his attack had no weight, and Derek¡¯s subordinate continued to dodge the attacks. Derek¡¯s expression hardened upon seeing the sloppy match. ¡°Boring,¡± he muttered. As soon as the subordinate heard Derek¡¯s mutter, his expression changed. While charging at Yi-An, the subordinate shouted, ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± Yi-An took a step back and retreated. Although they had swapped defense and offense positions, the situation was still the same. Derek burst out inughter. ¡°Young orcd, I understand your intentions, but shouldn¡¯t you be considerate of those ying along?¡± He raised his chin at his subordinates, who raised their weapons in unison. Then he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t fight properly, this game has to end.¡± Yi-An took a moment to catch his breath. His n had been foiled. Now, he only had one option left¡ªstruggle on the battlefield. Yi-An¡¯s muscles swelled up. ¡°Buuuul¡¯taaaar!¡± he yelled while charging at his opponent. His greatsword struck with a force enough to split his opponent apart, but his opponent was able to avoid the attack by twisting his body. Yi-An chased him down and directed a horizontal sh at him. ¡°Ugh,¡± the opponent uttered as he blocked Yi-An again. Their swords shed, and it shifted into a power struggle. Yi-An pressed down on his opponent, who kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Aargh!¡± ¡°Die, you filthy orc!¡± Derek¡¯s subordinate aimed for Yi-An¡¯s throat. Yi-An lost his bnce while trying to avoid the attack and rolled to the ground, losing hold of his greatsword. Then, a de came at Yi-An¡¯s fallen body. It was a close call, but Yi-An was able to avoid it by rolling on the ground left and right. He clenched his teeth and gave a shout as he got up and charged. Yi-An didn¡¯t care that his opponent was holding a sword. His shoulder was torn by the de, but he continued to press against his opponent. They became tangled together and dropped to the ground. Yi-An seemed to have the upper hand as he mounted his opponent, but there was still a sword between them. Yi-An only had a split second. Before his enemy came to his senses, Yi-An swung his fist. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± Derek¡¯s subordinate screamed. The orc¡¯s fist had struck his face, which became a bloody mess as the onught of punches continued. When Derek¡¯s subordinate began to slump down from losing consciousness, Yi-An stopped. There was suddenly a knife at Yi-An¡¯s throat. It was another one of Derek¡¯s subordinates. ¡°Stop. I can¡¯t let you kill my underling,¡± Derek said. Yi-An stood up hesitantly. ¡°Is he alive?¡± asked Derek. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still breathing,¡± replied the subordinate. ¡°Pathetic,¡± said Derek. He stepped on the unconscious underling¡¯s head. ¡°He couldn¡¯t even handle this inexperienced orc...¡± Yi-An withdrew and picked up his sword. There were still four subordinates remaining. He grinned. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± *** Yi-An took a deep breath. His body was wrecked. [Orc¡¯s Recovery (Umon) has been activated.] [Your bleeding is severe. You need to seek treatment.] [Your right arm is not moving. Your movements will be limited.] The third subordinate dropped to his knees with a pierced abdomen. Now there were two left, followed by Derek. Yi-An forcefully raised his drooping head. He wanted to copse onto the ground and rest though. He began to wonder if it would be better simply to die since this was just a game, but he had to protect Ray. Even though it was just a game to him, Elder Lord was reality for Ray, an AI NPC. An NPC¡¯s life depended on him right now. Yi-An grinned. He could hear Lenox¡¯s voice ringing in his ear, ¡°Raise your head! It¡¯s supposed to be hard! You aren¡¯t doing this to befortable! No one cares that you are struggling!¡± Lenox¡¯s words were correct. Yi-An¡¯s enemy won¡¯t let him off the hook. His enemies didn¡¯t care about his circumstances or that he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Rather, they would consume his despair, gain strength, and trample him. ¡°Who is next?!¡± screamed Yi-An. Civilians were watching the fight from their windows and alleyways. They saw a single orc struggling against the notorious Derek. The orc didn¡¯t give up even as he bled profusely and umted injuries. ¡°Come! I will take you on!¡± Yi-An continued to scream. ¡°Impressive,¡± Derek nodded. ¡°You... are surely Hoyt¡¯s friend. I believe you.¡± ¡°Derek, will youe forward?¡± ¡°The fun is over, youngd.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to get to work after all of the fun.¡± Derek raised his chin. A subordinate who had been hovering behind Yi-An grabbed Ray. Ray struggled desperately, but he was unable to resist an adult¡¯s strength. Yi-An tried to run to him, but Derek approached Yi-An andnded a punch in his stomach before he even knew what was happening. ¡°Aarghh...!¡± Derek was strong. Yi-An¡¯s vision turned white. He dropped to his knees and struggled to catch his breath. Derek spoke above Yi-An in an amused voice, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for him toe.¡± He grabbed and lifted Yi-An¡¯s head. Then Yi-An saw someone. An orc was running toward him. The orc had a threatening face covered in scars and tattoos, and he had only one eye. It was Hoyt. Chapter 16: About Life (3)

Chapter 16: About Life (3)

¡°Hoyt. Honorable warrior Hoyt,¡± Derekughed. ¡°I¡¯m so d you are here.¡± ¡°Let them go,¡± replied Hoyt. ¡°Hmm... Let¡¯s see.¡± Derek¡¯s subordinate dragged Ray and brought him to Derek¡¯s side. Derek hummed a tune while walking around Yi-An and Ray. Derek asked, ¡°Hoyt, what is your rtionship with this young orc?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a colleague who helps me,¡± Hoyt answered. ¡°Is this orc a warrior as well?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an apprentice, but I can guarantee that he will be a warrior one day.¡± Derek nodded. ¡°Orc warriors are unique... I have met many orc warriors, and there¡¯s one thing inmon with all of them.¡± He gave Yi-An a hard kick. ¡°Ugh!¡± Yi-An groaned. ¡°...It¡¯s that I can¡¯t understand them,¡± finished Derek. Yi-An trembled on the ground. His wounds split open further due to the impact of the kick, and blood gushed out. His whole body was a mess, and he didn¡¯t have the energy to get up. ¡°You... protecting Thompson¡¯s family...¡± Derek tapped on Yi-An¡¯s head with the tip of his toes. ¡°...And this orc risking his life to fight for your insignificant principles.¡± Yi-An groaned. ¡°To be honest... the money Thompson borrowed from me means nothing to me,¡± Derek said. His knife headed toward the throat of Ray, who was still being held by one of Derek¡¯s subordinates. ¡°Derek!¡± yelled Hoyt. ¡°But things started getting fun after you two became involved. Warriors who protect the faith their friends have in them... Isn¡¯t that funny?¡± ¡°If you hurt those two, I bet on my honor that I will make you pay.¡± ¡°Calm down. I haven''t done anything yet, and I don¡¯t intend to do so.¡± Derek¡¯s subordinates grabbed Ray by the hair and pulled his head back. The boy¡¯s delicate neck almost glowed under the bright midday sun. ¡°Hoyt, it¡¯s you who has to do something, not me.¡± ¡°What are you trying to pull here?¡± ¡°People like you always evoke the curiosity of those like me. How long will those principles persist? At what point do they break?¡± Derek¡¯s de grazed over Ray¡¯s neck, drawing a line of red. Blood began to drip down. ¡°First, kneel, Hoyt.¡± ¡°Derek...!¡± ¡°Unless you get on your knees and bow down, this kid dies.¡± Ray trembled. Yi-An clenched his teeth as he tried to stand, but the subordinate on standby kicked him back down. Yi-An copsed on the ground with a groan. ¡°Now, get down, Hoyt. Bend your honor.¡± Derek¡¯s voice wasced withughter. Yi-An clenched his fist even while he was sprawled on the ground. His head was clouded by anger. Hoyt wasn¡¯t an orc who should take insult from a mere loan shark. He didn¡¯t deserve to beughed at by those who made people into ves and sold people to brothels for money. Hoyt was an honorable warrior, and he had proved it. A man like Derek didn¡¯t have the right to ridicule Hoyt. [Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon) has been activated.] [You are an orc who doesn¡¯t give up.] [Your spirit will raise the limits of your body.] Yi-An raised his head and saw that Hoyt was about to kneel. Hoyt¡¯s gaze was peaceful, but Yi-An¡¯s eyes trembled with anger. Something hot surged within his body. [Your spirit is climbing rapidly.] [Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon) has exploded.] [Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon) has been temporarily upgraded to Indomitable Will (Special).] [Indomitable Will (Special) has been temporarily upgraded to Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare).] [Your flesh has exceeded its limits.] The status window flickered. Yi-An could hear Derek¡¯s voice say, ¡°Get down on your knees and bow with your head on the ground.¡± Derek was smiling. ¡°Make sure you bang your head loud enough against the ground that we can hear it, then I will safely return them to you.¡± Yi-An¡¯s hand moved and grabbed Derek¡¯s ankle. [Your assimtion is increasing. It is currently 57%.] [Assimtion 58%.] [Assimtion 59%.] ... [Assimtion 65%] [Assimtion 66%] ... [Your assimtion is increasing. Currently...] Yi-An pulled Derek¡¯s ankle toward himself, and Derek stumbled at the unexpected force. Meanwhile, Yi-An mustered all of his strength and managed to stand up. The subordinate who had been resting his leg on Yi-An¡¯s back lost his bnce and fell. Yi-An exploded with power as he swung his left fist at Derek. However, Derek dodged it and attempted to stab Yi-An. Yi-An avoided the attack by leaning forward. His body felt light, and he could see the trajectory of Derek¡¯s sword. All of the wounds in Yi-An¡¯s body screamed in agony, but the pain helped clear his mind. He desperately burned his dying strength and mmed his body against Derek¡¯s. ¡°Ast-ditch struggle...!¡± Derek uttered. He managed to avoid Yi-An¡¯s blow by shifting diagonally and sessfully stabbed Yi-An in the side. Yi-An almost dropped to his knees, but he put pressure on his legs to remain standing. He clenched his teeth and moved forward. His target wasn¡¯t Derek. Yi-An saw the frantic face of the subordinate who was holding onto Ray and threw his fist into the subordinate¡¯s face. It was a powerful blow charged with the strength of his spirit! The subordinate flew into the air, and Yi-An pulled Ray down from midair when the subordinate¡¯s grip on him loosened. Weapons came flying at Yi-An¡¯s back, but he didn¡¯t mind them and threw Ray at Hoyt. ¡°Ruuuuunnnnnn!¡± Ray flew into the air again and rolled on the ground. He got up in a hurry and ran toward Hoyt, who safely buried him in his arms. Yi-An grinned when he saw that. This was it. He had done what he was supposed to do. The next moment, Derek¡¯s kick knocked Yi-An to the ground, and Derek and his subordinates began stomping on Yi-An relentlessly. Derek¡¯s attacks were charged with the force of anger, so Yi-An gasped for breath at every kick. He began to cough blood onto the ground. Yi-An writhed in pain as Derek continued to kick his head into the ground. Eventually, Derek stopped the beating and calmed his breathing. ¡°How is it... Derek...?¡± asked Yi-An weakly. ¡°I misjudged you. I will apologize, but nothing will change.¡± Derek smiled forcefully as if suppressing his anger and turned toward Hoyt. ¡°Because my offer still stands.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Hoyt, get down on your knees. If you don¡¯t, I will violently kill this orc. I¡¯m very angry right now, so I have very little patience. Get down immediately.¡± Derek raised his knife. ¡°I said, kneel.¡± Yi-An let out augh, but his cackling was interrupted by the coughing of blood. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Derek. ¡°Hoyt... you no longer have to listen to this cowardly person.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± asked Derek. ¡°Derek, I won¡¯t really die even if you kill me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean what I say.¡± Yi-An spat out the blood umting in his mouth. ¡°I have been cursed by the stars.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Even if I die, I wille alive again. I can¡¯t let someone like you insult Hoyt.¡± Yi-Anughed. Derek looked at Hoyt. ¡°Is this true, Hoyt?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Curse of the stars... That¡¯s why you aren¡¯t afraid of death.¡± Derek nodded. ¡°I can find out the truth if I kill him.¡± He raised his knife. Yi-An closed his eyes with a grin. Even though it was his first encounter with death in Elder Lord, he didn¡¯t regret it because it was to protect the honor of a warrior he respected. For that, he was more than willing to die. However, the moment Derek¡¯s knife was about to stab him, Yi-An heard Hoyt¡¯s voice say, ¡°Derek, stop.¡± Yi-An opened his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I will ept your offer,¡± interjected Hoyt. ¡°I see,¡± replied Derek. Turning his head to look at Hoyt, Yi-An shrieked, ¡°Hoyt, what...?!¡± Hoyt looked into Yi-An¡¯s eyes; his stern gaze seemed to urge him to stop talking. ¡°Hoyt...!¡± Yi-An¡¯s face crumbled. Despite Yi-An¡¯s earnest expression, Hoyt¡¯s knees began to slowly bend. *** Hoyt raised his fist at Yi-An, but he put it down after seeing what a bloody mess Yi-An¡¯s face was. Instead, he pped Yi-An with a loud smack. ¡°Ugh...¡± Yi-An groaned. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you,¡± Hoyt said. Yi-An refused to ept it. ¡°I did what I wanted to do.¡± ¡°Suicide?¡± ¡°Hoyt, I have the curse of the stars!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death...¡± A fist came flying at Yi-An, and he copsed onto the ground. ¡°Ughh...¡± Yi-An groaned again. ¡°Keep this in mind.¡± Hoyt grabbed Yi-An by the neck and lifted him. Yi-An felt Hoyt¡¯s tremendous strength. One-eyed Hoyt pushed his threatening face right up to Yi-An¡¯s. ¡°An orc unafraid of death cannot be a warrior.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Remember, young orc. Death cannot win over life. The person who survives is the strong one.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Do you know why orcs always ask each other if they are alive?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Honor, freedom, and fighting are only possible if you are alive. It means nothing to endure a moment¡¯s humiliation if you can stay alive.¡± Yi-An lowered his head. Elder Lord was just a game to him, but Hoyt was a resident of Elder Lord. To Hoyt, matters of life and death here were real. The hand that grasped Yi-An began to tremble. ¡°My knees have no value in the face of survival,¡± Hoyt said. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Think about what true honor is. Pride is not true honor.¡± ¡°Understood, sir.¡± ¡°We need to survive no matter what.¡± Yi-An slowly nodded as he could feel Hoyt¡¯s sincerity. The evening sun that had set the sky aze began to go down. The image of Hoyt¡¯s threatening face against the sunset was embedded in Yi-An¡¯s mind. Hoyt¡¯s rough breathing, his solemn eyes, and his voice speaking about life¡ªit all made this world indistinguishable from real life. The sky in Elder Lord wasn¡¯t much different from the sky in real life. Hoyt said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Even though I spoke the way I did, I might have done the same thing if I had been in your ce.¡± Hoyt smiled quietly. ¡°No, sir.¡± Yi-An forced a grin even though he felt a lump in his throat. He didn¡¯t like sentimental scenes. ¡°Anyway, what did you think about my skills? Derek must have been surprised.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you should have seen his face. You were quite good.¡± The two orcs erupted inughter. They talked about trivial matters for a while. However, Hoyt collected himself again soon after and pleaded with a serious look, ¡°For thest time, I want you to know that death doesn¡¯t evade you just because you have been cursed by the stars. Rather, it means you will have to struggle to survive more than others.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You need to umte aplishments to receive God¡¯s forgiveness, but death eliminates that possibility. If you can¡¯t receive forgiveness, then you face pain and extinction crueler than death. There were those cursed by the stars who didn¡¯t fear death and died repeatedly, but they were eventually taken to the star of the abyss and received eternal punishment. You could be like that too.¡± Yi-An listened closely. He could understand how NPCs perceived the curse of the stars. If the story were true, it would really be a terrible curse. ¡°Always keep in mind that the curse of the stars is truly a curse.¡± ¡°I will bear that in mind.¡± ¡°I hope you escape the cycle.¡± A delicious smell wafted from Thompson¡¯s house. Thompson¡¯s wife, who had heard about the encounter with Derek, teared up as she profusely thanked and apologized to them. Yi-An and Hoyt worked up a sweat trying to calm her down. After the ordeal, they were excited for the meal she had prepared for them. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the meal.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± As Yi-An and Hoyt were about to enter the house, a long shadow cast on them. It had the form of a human. Yi-An and Hoyt turned around to look at the same time. A man was standing there. The owner of the shadow spoke, ¡°Why are two vicious orcs standing in front of my house?¡± Hoyt¡¯s eyes widened. The man who wore dirty clothes grinned ear to ear. ¡°I¡¯m back, Hoyt.¡± ¡°Thompson!¡± Thompson was back. Chapter 17: A Warrior’s Qualifications (1)

Chapter 17: A Warrior¡¯s Qualifications (1)

Thompson walked toward Hoyt. He was limping in one leg. From his appearance, Yi-An and Hoyt could imagine what Thompson¡¯s journey might have been like. ¡°What a scary face.¡± ¡°You still look like an anchovy.¡± [1]. Hoyt and Thompson looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Countless emotions shed across their faces. Hoyt held out a fist. ¡°Are you alive?¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± Thompson looked at Hoyt¡¯s fist for a while. The corner of his mouth quivered as it turned into a grin. However, he then wiped his face with his sleeve. He couldn¡¯t control his true emotions from appearing on his face. Thompson didn¡¯t know what kind of expression to make, so he lowered his head instead as his shoulders trembled. ¡°I¡¯m... alive.¡± Thompson raised his fist in return. It was a human fist, which was small inparison to an orc¡¯s. When their fists met, tears began to drip from Thompson¡¯s eyes. Thompson tried to swallow the tears as he sped Hoyt¡¯s fist with both hands. ¡°Your family is well,¡± said Hoyt. ¡°Thank you. Thank you, Hoyt...¡± ¡°You came back as a crybaby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m so grateful. You... You...¡± Thompson held Hoyt in an embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte, and thank you...¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends?¡± ¡°Friends. Yes. My friend...¡± The colors of the sunset spread over the heads of the human and orcforting each other, and Thompson cried for a while. Then, the door of the house opened, and a little boy stuck out his head. When he saw the man, he rubbed his eyes as if doubting what he saw. Right after, he ran straight into the man¡¯s arms. The child wailed loudly, and one by one, the rest of his family came out to see the man. They all ran into him and embraced him. Yi-An nodded as he watched them from afar. Later, the two orcs and the human family had a warm dinner together. *** Derek leaned against his chair. He had umted great wealth in the city of freedom, Anail. He held onto power and reigned like the king of the underworld. Even the mayor of Anail wouldn¡¯t be able to face him head-on. The man in Derek¡¯s room knew this as well and trembled in fear. ¡°A hundred gold...¡± said Derek. ¡°I will repay you no matter what,¡± replied the man. ¡°What about coteral?¡± ¡°I will sell my house...¡± Derek raised his dagger. The man flinched. Derek stabbed his dagger into the cockroach crawling on his desk. The cockroach split open and writhed as it oozed out bodily fluids. It soon became still. Derek pulled out his dagger, and the cockroach¡¯s broken body fell from it. ¡°Your house is not even close to being enough.¡± ¡°I will definitely pay you back, even at the cost of my own life...¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t enough either.¡± ¡°Th-Then...?¡± ¡°Your family.¡± Derek locked his fingers together and rested his chin on his hands. ¡°If the deadline passes, your interest will double. And if you can¡¯t pay it back, I will take your family.¡± ¡°Anything but that...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you pay me back no matter what? Are you trying to deceive me?¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s simple. Since you will pay me back anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry about what will happen if you can¡¯t pay me back. Is that not the case?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I want you to solve your problem and pay back on time. I genuinely want both of our businesses to thrive,¡± Derek said while ringing the rm on his desk. The door opened, and one of Derek¡¯s subordinates came in and ced some documents on Derek¡¯s desk. ¡°Now, read this. It¡¯s just as we¡¯ve promised. Sign here,¡± Derek said. ¡°I need to think...¡± ¡°There¡¯s noter. Do it now or never.¡± ¡°Uhhh....¡± ¡°Right now.¡± The man lowered his head and scanned through the documents. The content was simple. He would borrow money from Derek with interest and put up something for coteral. The coteral included the man¡¯s house, family, and his own safety. While the man was hesitating, Derek reached out to withdraw the documents. However, the man grabbed onto them. With zing eyes, he clenched his teeth, signed his name, and then held the documents out to Derek. Derek nodded. Now, he and the man were creditor and debtor. ¡°I wish you the best,¡± Derek said. ¡°...¡± The man took the duplicate copy that wasyered below the documents, which their signatures had seeped into. He left Derek¡¯s room while holding his copy with trembling hands. While watching the man leave, Derek fell into deep thought. He had amassed wealth in a simple way¡ªby making a contract and acting upon its terms. That was it. What distinguished him and others was that others ced emotions between the contracts and the humans who signed them. While others messed up their jobs due to being caught up in their emotions, Derek just followed the terms of the contract. If those terms were vited, he would kill the debtor and act in ordance with the rest of the contract. ¡°Elder Derek,¡± the subordinate said, drawing away Derek¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Derek asked. ¡°Thompson fulfilled the contract.¡± Derek¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°He paid all of the added interest as well.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°An ident urred on the way up, but he got lucky with another opportunity and attained a big deal.¡± The subordinate assessed Derek¡¯s mood. Derek gestured at him to go on. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Yes, on his way back, he met a group of dwarves being attacked by a monster. He got injured while helping them, which dyed his return. But those dwarves turned out to be cksmiths of the Golden Anvil tribe.¡± ¡°How convenient.¡± The Golden Anvil tribe was a tribe with the highest engineering skills, even among dwarves who boasted excellent workmanship. However, it was difficult for others to make trades with them. They were stubborn craftsmen who only gave their products to those they had a rtionship with. ¡°He was able to establish a trade with the Golden Anvil tribe thanks to the incident. It seems he will make big money going forward.¡± ¡°What an amusing story.¡± Derekughed. ¡°Kind Thompson, foolish Thompson. Because of that very kindness of his, he was pushed all the way here after being betrayed and even almost ruined his family.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for Hoyt, Thompson¡¯s family would have been ruined, which would have destroyed his life regardless of his newfound rtionship with the dwarves. ¡°But as a result of that kindness, Hoyt protected his family, and he was able to make aeback by helping the dwarves. Is Thompson¡¯s kindness an advantage in his life rather than a loss?¡± Derek wondered loudly. ¡°It may look like that now, but we don¡¯t know what things will be like in the future,¡± the subordinate replied. ¡°That¡¯s true. We don¡¯t know.¡± His subordinate wiped the cockroach, which had fallen apart, off Derek¡¯s desk and knife as he asked, ¡°Then, is it okay... if we take our hands off Thompson¡¯s family?¡± Derek nodded. ¡°We should respect the contract.¡± ¡°Yes. I will convey the message.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± the subordinate said and exited the room. Derek recalled the incident from yesterday. He had met numerous people in his life and concluded that all people were the same. They acted like they were different, but they ultimately only possessed greed, selfishness, and a sense of self-preservation. Those traits helped Derek fully understand and predict their behavior, but he could not understand Hoyt and his fellow warriors. They had piqued his interest. He wanted to bend their will and break their principles. Would they show the same response as every other human? Did they possess the same negative traits, or would they remain warriors until the end? If it were thetter, how would they protect the thing they called honor? Yesterday, Derek saw Hoyt get on his knees, but he didn¡¯t experience the emotion he had expected to feel. Rather, the warriors became even more iprehensible to him. Moreover, there was that young orc by Hoyt¡¯s side... ¡°Curse of the stars...¡± There weren¡¯t many cursed beings on this continent, but they continued to increase in number. Recently, someone who had been cursed by the stars aplished a huge deed. His name was spread across the continent, and the royals who had sponsored him reaped enormous profits. Hearing this news, other royals and powerhouses began to pay interest to those cursed by the stars. They said that the young orc had also received the curse of the stars. Derek had good intuition, and he felt one thing from the orc¡ªan unshakeable will. The young orc had an indomitable determination. Those who had that kind of mindset either died early or achieved great things. Derek came to terms with the fact that he simply wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the orc warriors. Even if he dug endlessly, he wouldn¡¯t find the shabby substance he had been looking for. He might actually be swallowed by the abyss. ¡®Then...¡¯ ¡°An investment...¡± Derek had never taken a risk before; he always secured coteral. However, life had be boring. He had aged. Now, there wasn¡¯t anything in life he couldn¡¯t predict. He knew that the man who had borrowed money would run away, and the man¡¯s house and family would be sold because of him. Derek would collect fifteen percent more than the principal amount. ¡°Unpredictable.¡± Yet, for the first time in his life, he was gripped by the desire to take a risk and make a blind bet. ¡°Life is unpredictable...¡± *** ¡°I would like it around this size.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too big no matter how you look at it?¡± ¡°An orc should wield a sword this size.¡± Hoyt and Yi-An were putting their heads together as they scribbled something on a piece of paper. It was a sketch of a weapon. Thompson had suggested making new weapons for them in return for all they had done. There weren¡¯t many merchants who could do business with the Golden Anvil tribe; thus, there weren''t many warriors who used their special weapons. Yi-An and Hoyt had earned the opportunity to possess weapons produced by the Golden Anvil craftsmen! Hoytpleted a sketch that wasn¡¯t too different from the hammer he currently used, but Yi-An drew a sword that was evenrger than his greatsword. In Hoyt¡¯s eyes, it was too big as a sword. ¡°Are you really thinking about using this?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, I can feel it in my bones,¡± Yi-An replied. He wanted a huge greatsword. The Master of the Greatsword Leyteno Pacrinche, whom Yi-An had seen at Orcrox¡¯s Hall of Fame, had a greatsword asrge as this. ¡°Then, I trust your instinct.¡± Hoyt cackled as he leaned against the couch and sipped on his tea. It was an expensive ck tea Thompson had brought back. Thompson had sessfully made aeback and was busy making deals left and right. He even borrowed the cksmith Company¡¯s crystal ball every day tomunicate long-distance with all of his old clients. Derek stopped bothering Thompson. It was in line with his reputation for thoroughly following a contract and taking his hands off the matter once it was fulfilled. Yi-An had a distaste for such a reputation, even though it was a somewhat positive one. Unexpectedly, Derek gave Yi-An his business card and advised him to reach out if he needed any help in the future. It didn¡¯t sit well with Yi-An that the viin, for whom a beating wouldn¡¯t suffice, had approached him with good intentions. Yi-An exuded an air of malice as he faced the subordinate who ryed the message, but the subordinate justughed him off. The subordinate was not intimidated by Yi-An as he had formidable strength and was only second to Derek in terms of power. ¡°You guys are viins,¡± Yi-An said. ¡°Still, you should keep it in case,¡± the subordinate replied. Yi-An went silent for a moment before he stated, ¡°There will be no need for me to receive his help.¡± ¡°The future is unpredictable.¡± *** Yi-An asked Hoyt, ¡°What will you do going forward?¡± ¡°Thompson is back, and the issue with Derek has been resolved, so I will embark on my travels again.¡± ¡°Will you be leaving immediately?¡± Memories of them spending time together shed by. He couldn¡¯t believe it was already time for them to go their separate ways. ¡°I will be temporarily staying at Ocrox, so there¡¯s no need to be sad.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± ¡°I also have something to say to Instructor Lenox.¡± How old was Lenox if even Hoyt had learned from him? And how strong was he if he had maintained such vigor throughout the ages? Yi-An was in awe of Lenox. He was still admiring Lenox while working on his weapon design when a message suddenly popped up. It was from Grom. [Grom: Yi-An-ssi... how are you doing?] As soon as Yi-An read the message, he could see Grom¡¯s sullen face. [Yi-An: I¡¯m doing well. How about you?] [Grom: I¡¯m...] [Grom: Well...] [Grom: Save me...] [Grom: I¡¯m scared...??] Yi-An had heard Grom was on a goblin hunt. [Yi-An: Are goblins that scary?] [Grom: ...No... not goblins...] [Grom: Orc warriors...??] While Yi-An was leisurely sketching the sword he would receive from the Golden Anvil craftsmen for protecting Thompson¡¯s family, Grom was in for a rough ride with orc warriors. 1. In Korea, people sometimes refer to small, skinny men as anchovies ? Chapter 18: A Warrior’s Qualifications (2)

Chapter 18: A Warrior¡¯s Qualifications (2)

A goblin hovered around Grom. The goblin had a grumpy face, and his height came to around Grom¡¯s chest. He threw a stone at Grom andughed at him with an expression that warranted a beating. ¡°Aah!¡± Grom shrieked. The stone hit him in the shin. Grom clutched his hit leg while hopping on the other. The excited Goblin began throwing stones more enthusiastically. ¡°You little...!¡± Grom charged at the goblin with his axe in hand. The goblin quickly turned around and ran while continuing to spray dirt or toss stones at Grom. ¡°Stop, right there!¡± The goblin hid behind thick bushes, but Grom easily jumped over the bushes with hisrge orc¡¯s stature. ¡°Got y¡ª!¡± However, once Gromnded on his feet, he realized he waspletely surrounded by goblins. ¡°Kyah! Kyah!¡± the goblins mored. They were not carrying tiny objects like stones. They held poorly made but lethal weapons: a sloppy stone axe, a rusted longsword, and a long spear that appeared to have been stolen from a corpse. The goblin that had lured Grom into this ambushughed at him with a despicable expression and threw another stone at him. The stone hit Grom in the head and fell onto the ground. That made Grom angry. He really wanted to attack this pesky little goblin, but he was greatly outnumbered as there were dozens of goblins in this group. Ultimately, Grom took a few steps back. Someone tapped on his back, and when he turned to look, he saw a goblin smirking behind him with an axe in hand. He was nowpletely surrounded. Gromughed awkwardly. He knew how tough like an orc now although he looked a little cowardly. Regardless, the goblin raised his axe high and made a shing motion at his throat, expressing his intent to take Grom¡¯s head. As the despicably annoying goblin continued to mock andugh at him, Grom was gripped by a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Anger boiled and rose up inside him. The goblin was annoying as hell. He had felt this emotion in the past when he told some kids to be quiet at the PC bang. [1]. In response, the kids had pressed the reset button on hisputer before sticking out their tongues and running off. Grom¡¯s axe struck the goblin¡¯s head, splitting it apart. Shocked by this sight, the goblins immediately stoppedughing and instead charged at Grom. Grom swung his axe again, but that wasn¡¯t enough to stop them as the goblins were all around him. So, he decided to spin around on the spot with his axe directed at the surrounding goblins. Unable to approach Grom, the goblins were forced to retreat as Grom continued to spin wildly with his axe. It was ast-ditch struggle, but it was effective! Grom recalled a movement from an old game and shouted, ¡°Whirlwind!¡± A message popped up. [Congrattions!] [In the struggle for survival, you have acquired a secret technique of axe warriors!] [You are now like a murder tank that runs and destroys its surroundings.] [There is no opponent who can handle this attack!] [ughter your opponents so that they can no longer mock you!] [A massacre, a feast of blood, awaits you!] [Overwhelming Assault (Common) is in effect. Go forward!] ¡®Oh, my god!¡¯ Grom¡¯s face lit up. This was definitely an Easter egg. It was a hidden skill in Elder Lord! [You have attained Overwhelming Assault (Common)!] Grom stumbled. Although it had a grandiose name, it was a Common skill. While he almost lost his bnce out of dismay, weapons came at Grom again. ¡°Aargh!¡± He managed to avoid the full force of the goblins¡¯ attacks by rolling around, but the goblins¡¯ stone hammers hit his head, making him dizzy. At the periphery of his vision, he saw goblins yelling and raising their weapons. Would this be his first death as an orc? Grom closed his eyes while wondering about this. At that moment, the ground began to shake. The goblins flinched as a sound like that of thunder rang in their ears. ¡°Buuuuuuuul¡¯taaaaaaaar!¡± Grom opened his eyes to see ten orc warriors charging toward him from afar. Because of their ridiculously broad shoulders, they looked like dozens¡ªno hundreds of soldiers. They advanced like a runaway train and swept away the goblins, sending them flying. ¡°Kyahhhhh!¡± ¡°Kyah!¡± The goblins yelled out as they crumbled under the force of the orcs¡¯ charge. The dozens of goblins were eviscerated in one strike. Grom also screamed, but the orc warriors paid no attention to the copsed Grom and simply stomped past him. [You are in critical condition!] Grom¡¯s body began to sag from the loss of tension. The fight ended in an instant. The orc warriors mercilessly ughtered the goblins as their bodies writhed on the ground. ¡°Apprentice! Where are you? Are you alive?¡± ¡°Uhhh...¡± Grom struggled to get up. He could see the faces of the warriors. Each and every one of them appeared threatening; their faces and bodies were covered in tattoos, and their weapons were saturated in blood. They walked leisurely with a confident swagger. These were true warriors whom Lenox had acknowledged. The warriors cackled when they discovered Grom. ¡°Hahaha, you are still alive, apprentice! Great job!¡± ¡°Goblinse in herds when they see you! What a talent!¡± ¡°It¡¯s thew of the universe that a weakling recognizes another weakling and goes after them!¡± ¡°The goblins have good taste! They are excellent at judging others. They can detect another weakling from a mile away! Hahahah!¡± The truth of the matter was that Grom had been acting as bait all day. Goblins were usually guarded against orcs, but whenever they saw Grom, they attacked or provoked him and brought him to their herd without fail. So, the orc warriors¡¯ strategy was for Grom to act as bait, and once the goblins fell for it and led him to their herd, the warriors would charge in and massacre them at once. Grom almost died many times, but the goblins were so annoying that he couldn¡¯t help but fall for their provocations each time. It was a pattern of Grom getting trapped by goblins, and the warriors sweeping them up each time. Thus, the goblins who had ventured into Orcrox Fortress were now rapidly dying out. The warriors urged Grom, ¡°Apprentice, go fetch some more goblins!¡± Grom shook his head. ¡°Warriors, it will be difficult going forward.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Goblins are monsters with intelligence. They should have discerned our strategy by now.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve also evolved while battling. I¡¯m different from before. I¡¯m stronger. If they have eyes, goblins won¡¯t approach me so easily anymore!¡± Grom had benefited from hanging out with the warriors. Despite almost encountering death a few times, he was able to improve proficiency in his skills and umte achievement points. Moreover, he acquired a Common skill¡ªOverwhelming Assault. Even goblins couldn¡¯t underestimate him anymore; Grom was on another level now. ¡°Makes sense.¡± ¡°Yes, it does!¡± ¡°But can you do it one more time just in case?¡± ¡°Understood, but it will be a waste of time,¡± Grom said and walked back into the forest. Things were different now. Puffing out his chest, he tried to exhibit the power of a warrior, showing he had gained some experience from being alongside warriors! However, a goblin appeared even before Grom¡¯s self-reflection had ended, and Grom ultimately resigned to himself to being bait again. While circling around Grom, two goblins shouted at one another and exchanged looks. Even Grom could understand what they were saying. ¡®A weakling! We caught a weakling!¡¯ Grom¡¯s resignation turned to fiery rage, and he sumbed to it. His rage spread like wildfire and struck the goblins. ¡°You guys!¡± Grom eximed as he activated his hidden skill, Overwhelming Assault! ¡°Kyah? Kyah?¡± ¡®Why is that weakling suddenly spinning? Is he crazy?¡¯ The goblins tilted their heads questioningly and retreated, but dozens of new goblins appeared behind the rocks. Grom, who had lost his senses, continued to charge toward the goblins. He was like a runaway train! ¡°Buuuuul¡¯taaaaar!¡± *** -Now, this segment is...! -We only share the hottest clips from trending videos! -We only squeeze out the good parts, like red ginseng extract! -Oh, my. Jaehan, isn¡¯t talking about red ginseng going too far? -Hahaha, sorry, I¡¯ve been taking red ginseng extracttely, so I couldn¡¯t help myself. -Red ginseng extract? Who is it for? [2]. -It¡¯s a secret, hahaha. ¡°They¡¯re ridiculous. They are just screwing around.¡± Yi-Yoo shook her head with cold eyes. ¡°They¡¯ve been suspicioustely. I think there¡¯s something going on between them.¡± ¡°They should focus on running the show.¡± Yi-Yoo waszing around at Caf¨¦ Reason with her friend Yoon Bo-Ra. This was supposed to be a meeting for a school group project, but as usual, their group members got into various idents, were sick, or had a death in the family and left the two to fend for themselves. However, Yi-Yoo and Yoon Bo-Ra decided to give up on the group project as well. Instead, they watched the segment of Elder Lord Times in which MCs Yoo-Jung and Jae-Han introduced the hottest clips. -The fourth video of the day is an unreleased clip from Elder Lord¡¯sedian, militia leader Kim Dal-Kwang! -They say Kim Dal-Kwang¡¯s other name is a ¡®Monster Birthed by Capitalism.¡¯ -Yes! He boasts unconventional role-ying. Not only is he funny, but he also is a high-ranker of great skill. Now, let¡¯s watch his video together! Caf¨¦ Reason¡¯s door opened. It was Yi-An. As he entered the caf¨¦, he noticed Yi-Yoo and approached her. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yeah, oppa.¡± ¡°Hello, oppa!¡± Yoon Bo-Ra enthusiastically greeted Yi-An, who smiled in return. ¡°Hello. Bo-Ra-ssi, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you remember. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yes. You must have been busy. You shoulde by more often.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yi-Yoo nudged Yoon Bo-Ra with her elbow. ¡°Why, what?¡± Yoon Bo-Ra asked. ¡°Watch this,¡± Yi-Yoo said. Yi-An also eyed the tablet. He was a full-fledged Elder Lord yer now, so he needed to know what was trending these days. -Hahahaha, so funny. -I know, right? I feel like my belly button is going to fall off fromughing so hard. Jaehan, where is my belly button? I can¡¯t find it. -Hahaha, your belly button? -Yes, belly button! Please find my belly button! -I will look for it after the recording. Trust me. -Thank you! I¡¯m looking forward to it! ¡°Ah... What the heck!¡± eximed Yi-Yoo. ¡°...¡± Even Yi-An shook his head this time. -Hahaha! Sorry! Now, it¡¯s time for the clip Youvidser Laney filmed. It¡¯s a hit! -Oms, rise! Let¡¯s experience the power of an orc warrior! The word ¡®orc¡¯ drew Yi-An¡¯s attention. Which fellow warrior aplished a great deed and spread the charm of orcs to ignorant humans? ¡°...¡± As Yi-An observed the screen, he saw a familiar face. The familiar-looking orc promptly ughtered three users. The way he carried the weapons and looked off into empty space was very familiar. That was... -¡°Today, I met three evildoers and brought forth justice by killing them.¡± ¡°Ough!¡± Yi-An began coughing. -¡°Where are those who know honor?¡± Yi-An was choking now. ¡°Oppa, what¡¯s wrong? Did something go down the wrong pipe?¡± Yi-An had choked on his own saliva due to shock. Yi-Yoo brought a ss of water for Yi-An. He coughed for a while and then took a sip of water to calm himself. He felt conflicted as he listened to Yi-Yoo and Yoon Bo-Ra converse about how orcs were cool and that they were scary-looking but manly. ¡°Who the hell filmed that?¡± wondered Yi-An. At that moment, the bell rang as the door to Caf¨¦ Reason opened. A woman of great beauty walked in. Even from a nce, they could tell her clothes were expensive. Her slight curls gently rustled with every step. The sight of her sweeping her hair back alluringly made the hearts of those watching flutter. Onlookers wondered whether celebrities at photoshoots looked like her in real life. The man on standby outside looked like a bodyguard. No, he was actually a bodyguard. ¡°Pretty...¡± Yi-Yoo was impressed. The beautiful woman came up to the counter. Han Yeo-Ri asked her in a friendly tone, ¡°What would you like to order?¡± ¡°Is the owner here?¡± asked the woman. ¡°Huh, the owner?¡± ¡°Yes, Jung Yi-An-ssi.¡± ¡°Uh, the owner is... over there...¡± Han Yeo-Ri pointed in Yi-An¡¯s direction. The beautiful woman turned around slowly and beamed when she saw Yi-An. Yi-An thought that she looked familiar. The name of a woman who once cried in his arms sprang up in a distant memory. ¡°Ji Ha-Yeon-ssi?¡± Yi-An said. The beautiful Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s heavily lidded eyes bent upward in a fine curve as she smiled. It was a bright smile reminiscent of a blooming flower. She walked up to Yi-An and held out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe find me like this.¡± ¡°You saved me. Of course, I should visit you.¡± Yi-An and Ji Ha-Yeon shook hands. ¡°Raven¡ªno, you are Jung Yi-An here, right?¡± Yi-An smiled bitterly at his old title that reminded him of his past. ¡°Just call me Yi-An.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. No, actually, I looked into some of your information¡ªah, it was because of that incident...¡± ¡®That incident...¡¯ Yi-An remembered and put on a bitter smile once more. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°...And I saw that I¡¯m a bit younger than you.¡± Yi-An tilted his head, wondering what she was getting at. ¡°I suppose.¡± A smile bloomed on Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s face again. ¡°Is it okay if I call you ¡®oppa¡¯?¡± There was a gasp from Yi-Yoo. During this brief moment of meeting Ji Ha-Yeon, Yi-An smiled bitterly yet again for the third time. 1. PC bang is a public inte caf¨¦, which is very popr in Korea. People go there to y games with high-speed inte and to hang out with friends ? 2. Red ginseng extract is known to improve virility in men ? Chapter 19: A Warrior’s Qualifications (3)

Chapter 19: A Warrior¡¯s Qualifications (3)

Lenox looked up and down at the two orcs. ¡°Now, that¡¯s more like it.¡± Yi-An grinned. He had grown after learning what it meant to be an orc warrior from Hoyt and fighting against Derek. Grom straightened his shoulders proudly. He had subdued the goblin poption in Orcrox Fortress with ten orc warriors and experienced how a real warrior battled. He was no longer the old Grom. Lenox asked, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Yi-An and Grom shook their heads at the same time. ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± Lenox nodded, satisfied by their answer. ¡°Good, don¡¯t be satisfied.¡± Lenox hadn¡¯t changed at all since theyst met. The first thing Yi-An saw upon his return to Orcrox was Lenox grabbing an orc by the neck after the orc had copsed from fatigue. ¡°You fell ¡®cause you were tired?! If this was a battlefield, you would be dead by now with your head chopped off. Someone would have peed all over your face! I will kill you myself before you are disgraced!¡± Lenox had raised his axe, causing the orc warrior to jump up in surprise. Watching the scene had made Yi-An feel right at home. ¡°There are things you should know in order to be a warrior.¡± Lenox rubbed his chin with a worried look on his face. It was Yi-An¡¯s and Grom¡¯s first time seeing him hesitate about anything. Lenox continued, ¡°It might be a bit early, but...¡± Yi-An and Grom swallowed nervously. What could the cold-blooded instructor be hesitating about? Then Lenox nodded and said, ¡°I trust you guys.¡± It wasn¡¯t just anyone saying they trusted Yi-An and Grom; it was Lenox who expressed his faith in them! Their hearts swelled warmly with pride. Yi-An tried to keep a solemn face as he trotted behind Lenox. They were currently headed toward the Hall of Fame. Once they got inside the dark stone building, the sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls. They passed the statues of the great warriors and went into a dark tunnel dimly lit by torches. At the end of the tunnel, they entered a stone chamber, and inside it was a monumental tombstone. Despite Yi-An¡¯s tall height, he had to lift his chin to see the tombstone in full view. Engraved on the tombstone was an ancient Oguage that Yi-An could not decipher. Lenox gazed at it for a while. The torch wavered as it cast a deep shadow on his face. ¡°Honor,¡± he whispered. His voice rang across the stone chamber as he continued, ¡°A warrior¡¯smandments. Prove.¡± The meaning behind those words was iprehensible. Lenox read the ancient Oguage written on the tombstone with his eyes. His eyes shed past the beginning and the end of the words on the tombstone, then he turned toward them. Lenox looked more sullen than usual. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to give long-winded exnations.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Listen closely,¡± Lenox said as he closed his eyes. His voice was softer and clearer than ever. It seeped into Yi-An¡¯s ears like a dream and left an unforgettable impression. ¡°...God, please know us.¡± Yi-An had never heard the orcs talk about their god before, but Lenox was whispering to their god right now. ¡°Look down at us so we won¡¯t be lonely in keeping our honor... Touch us so our weapons won¡¯t wear down. We have created sevenmandments in your name for warriors and their descendants to abide by, so please hear us out, God. I¡¯m...¡± Lenox paused and opened his eyes. His fierce eyes looked at Yi-An and then at Grom. They couldn¡¯t breathe or move as if their bodies had been paralyzed. Lenox¡¯s voice rang in their minds, not just their ears. ¡°I am... an orc and a warrior. A warrior does not give up on the faithful. A warrior does not persecute the weak. A warrior does not attack the unarmed. A warrior does not sumb to injustice. A warrior does not do anything shameful to God. A warrior pays back grace and vengeance. A warrior protects the weak. I swear to God by thesemandments,¡± Lenox said. He raised his axe into the air and looked up at it as if it was a holy relic. Then he ended his oath by saying, ¡°I shall prove my honor.¡± Yi-An and Grom stared nkly at Lenox. The corners of Lenox¡¯s mouth curved upward as he swung his axe, dealing a blow that was invisible like the wind. ¡°...!¡± Yi-An¡¯s and Grom¡¯s chests were torn in unison. They couldn¡¯t register the pain, let alone react to it. Blood began to drip. Their torn skins began to crumble as if singed by fire. They would be permanent scars. Lenoxughed soundlessly. ¡°You should remember this moment and engrave this scene in your memory.¡± *** Yi-An and Grom were sitting in a bar as they now had ie from their quests. Yi-An had receivedpensation from Ste¡¯s quest and a payment of gratitude from Thompson, while Grom had yielded profit from selling the goblins¡¯ heavy tools to the cksmith. Have Yi-An and Grom be used to being orcs? It seemed even the orcs¡¯ potent booze suited their taste buds. ¡°The drinks taste good,¡±mented Yi-An. Grom quietly gulped down his beer. He was unusually quiet today. ¡°Is something going on?¡± Yi-An asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s just...¡± Grom chewed on a piece of beef jerky. ¡°I¡¯m a bit spaced out from earlier. Orcs are... let¡¯s say... much more profound... than I had expected.¡± Yi-An nodded heartily. The Warrior''s Commandments were not coarse or uncouth as some might imagine of orcs. In reality, theirmandments were quite simr to the knights¡¯ Code of Chivalry from the Middle Ages. Lenox had recited them solemnly, and Yi-An could still hear Lenox¡¯s voice ringing in his ears. Yi-Anughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we made a good choice by choosing to be orcs?¡± Grom puffed up his chest. ¡°Well, I was able to experience things I would have never been able to if I were another species. It¡¯s still hard though.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like a positive.¡± ¡°In truth, I didn¡¯t particrly want to be an orc...¡± Grom¡¯s voice began drifting off. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but if you work hard, you will start seeing results. I might have quit back then if it hadn¡¯t been for you.¡± ¡°Hahaha, probably not.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not waver and continue pursuing the path straight on.¡± ¡®Waver...¡¯ Grom repeated the word in his head. Then he took a big gulp of beer. Yi-An followed suit. Their Adam¡¯s apples bobbed up and down as they swallowed ridiculous amounts of beer. ¡°Ah...!¡± ¡°Nice!¡± While they dwelled on lingering emotions, another orc sat down at the table. It was a round table, so he was sitting between Grom and Yi-An, who were opposite each other. Grom recognized the orc¡¯s face and said, ¡°Warrior?¡± ¡°You were alive! My name is Gultai, apprentice!¡± Gultaiughed as he wrapped an arm around Grom¡¯s shoulders. Gultai was one of the ten warriors who had ughtered the goblins with Grom. He was a warrior who viciously wielded the halberd. Looking at Yi-An, Gultai asked, ¡°Are you an apprentice as well?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Gultai cackled. ¡°I see. Seeing you guys reminds me of my apprentice days.¡± ¡°Did you learn from Lenox too?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Was he scary back then?¡± ¡°Of course! He¡¯s not Lenox if he isn''t scary! Hahaha!¡± Theyughed in unison. ¡°But bear in mind, apprentice. Although Lenox is a scary instructor, he is also a great warrior! It¡¯s an honor to be taught by him!¡± Gulta said. He rose from his seat and raised his beer in the air. ¡°For great warrior Lenox! Bul¡¯tar!¡± All of the orcs who had been drinking at the bar followed him and shouted, ¡°Bul¡¯taaar!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaar!¡± Then all of the orcs at the bar simultaneously finished their drinks in one gulp. An orc who had been opening a bottle of hard liquor got swept up in the mood. He gulped down the whole bottle and then spit it right back out. Yi-An and Grom were also swept up in the mood and downed mug after mug of beer. The orcs began singing. It was an odd song with a weird tune and lyrics, but Yi-An and Grom clumsily followed along. ¡°We are orcs! Strong orcs! It¡¯s dangerous to provoke us! A great warrior is here. Make way! Get the hell out, humans! Get out, elves! Get out, dwarves! You too, gnomes! Pretty woman? A warrior doesn¡¯t need women. Get out of the way! We are cool orcs, great warriors!¡± These were such odd lyrics! The female orcs changed the lyrics to fit their gender and sang the song too. Gultai, who was drunk on the atmosphere, wrapped his arms around Yi-An and Grom. ¡°Hahahaha, what is your current quest?¡± he asked. The bar had be rambunctious in an instant, so Yi-An had to raise his voice. He said, ¡°The quest given by Instructor Lenox is...¡± After Lenox had taught them the Warrior''s Commandments, he had given them another quest. It was the most iprehensible out of all the tasks he had given them. ¡°...to do what a warrior would do!¡± Yi-An concluded. Lenox had given them a quest after he finished reciting the warrior¡¯s oath. It was to only return after they had aplished a task befitting a warrior. He had also said the task in question would depend on the individual. Yi-An and Grom had no idea what to do. ¡°Hmmmmm...!¡± Gultai made a conflicted expression. He let go of their shoulders and pped their backs with his broad hands. ¡°Uck!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Congrattions, apprentice warriors! You guys are making fast progress! Hahahaha!¡± Gultaiughed uproariously. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s thest hurdle to bing a warrior!¡± Yi-An¡¯s and Grom¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yeah, if Instructor Lenox has assigned you this quest this soon, he must think highly of you guys!¡± They couldn¡¯t believe that Lenox, who had always reminded them to not be satisfied with themselves and emanated hostility if theyined even a bit, thought of them highly. However, Gultai seemed sure of it. ¡°Be warriors, apprentices! Hahahaha!¡± Gultai gulped down his beer in celebration. Grom asked, ¡°What does it mean to do something warrior-like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?!¡± ¡°Apprentices! Warriors have different forms of honor! You have to find your own answer!¡± They felt as if they had prepared for an interview thinking it was an aptitude test, but once they arrived at the interview site, they were informed it was actually a personality test. This new quest wasn¡¯t a simple quest that consisted of following orders. Grom asked, ¡°What warrior-like act did you achieve to be a warrior?¡± ¡°You are asking about me?¡± Gultai¡¯s eyes became sentimental. ¡°I did something crazy to be a warrior!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, what was it?¡± ¡°I swung my halberd at Lenox!¡± ¡°...!¡± Yi-An¡¯s and Grom¡¯s mouths dropped open. ¡°A warrior has to be strong! So I challenged Lenox to prove my strength!¡± ¡°How did it turn out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened after I swung my halberd! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°A week had passed when I finally regained my senses! Since then, I can¡¯t count numbers very well and have a slight trembling in my hands, but it¡¯s okay because I¡¯m a warrior!¡± Yi-An¡¯s and Grom¡¯s confusion grew after hearing that. They exchanged nces that seemed to say, ¡®Whatever the quest may be, we should just enjoy the night. Let¡¯s do that.¡¯ Yi-An, Grom, and Gultai all downed their beers at the same time. ¡°Bul-tar!¡± Chapter 20: Human and Sorcerer (1)

Chapter 20: Human and Sorcerer (1)

Heeding Hoyt¡¯s advice, Yi-An departed from Orcrox Fortress without Grom. Hoyt had advised Yi-An to explore the outside world while searching for an answer as there were more warriors he had yet to meet living beyond Orcrox Fortress. So, Yi-An decided to explore the expanse of Elder Lord and search for the meaning behind Lenox¡¯s quest. Yi-An headed west, where he had never been before. At the south of Orcrox was farmers¡¯nd, at the east was the city of freedom, Anail, and in the west was Basque Vige, where sorcerers trained. He had decided to visit Basque Vige to meet the wise sorcerer Tashaquil. Yi-An asionally encountered monsters on the way, but he dealt with them effortlessly. The monsters around Orcrox were no longer a match for him. [Status Window Orc Apprentice Warrior Title: Pursuer of the Pinnacle Level: 10 Achievement Score: 610 Assimtion: 63% Skills Orc¡¯s Strength (Umon) Orc¡¯s Recovery (Umon) Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Umon) Indomitable Will (Special) Mind¡¯s Eye (Special)] His achievement score and level had been increasing. After his fight with Derek, Warrior¡¯s Fighting Spirit (Umon) upgraded to Indomitable Will (Special), and he attained Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) through Hoyt. His proficiency in Orc¡¯s Greatsword had greatly increased as well. [Mind¡¯s Eye has opened. A goblin is nearby.] [He is weak. The poor goblin is afraid of you.] Mind¡¯s Eye gave messages about the target¡¯s information. The skill had a wide range of uses because it allowed him to gauge his target¡¯s emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. Having lost his will to fight due to Yi-An¡¯s overwhelming power, the goblin threw his weapon down and kneeled. ¡°Kyah...! Kyah!¡± The goblin was begging for forgiveness. Yi-An raised his greatsword to strike but stopped in his tracks. He suddenly heard Lenox¡¯s stern voice in his head. ¡°A warrior does not attack those who are unarmed.¡± Is this what Lenox meant? The goblin was begging Yi-An for mercy. If he struck the goblin¡¯s neck right now, it would be a one-sided ughter. The act didn¡¯t seem in line with Yi-An¡¯s idea of a warrior. As he hesitated, the goblin bowed his head deeply. ¡°Kyah...!¡± Did the goblins know how to induce great feelings of sympathy because they understood how to provoke their opponents? The goblin¡¯s movements and gaze were beyond pitiful. Yi-An withdrew his greatsword. ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°Kyah! Kyah!¡± ¡°Get up.¡± The goblin bowed his head even deeper. ¡°Raise your head! You shouldn¡¯t bow down so easily.¡± ¡°Kyah?¡± ¡°If you attack an orc again, I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± ¡°Kyah! Kyah!¡± ¡°Be an honorable goblin. Bul¡¯tar!¡± Yi-An turned around. His back appeared manly to the goblin, who began tearing up. The goblin was an underhanded monster that lured others by provoking them and then ambushing them in groups. He was a species that only received curses and mockery, but this orc was telling him to be an honorable goblin. The goblin knew something was different about this orc. He grabbed Yi-An¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Kyah! Kyah!¡± Yi-An tilted his head in confusion. It seemed the goblin was trying tomunicate something to him. The goblin pointed at himself and then pointed in another direction. Then he pretended to run as if beckoning Yi-An to follow him. [The goblin has goodwill toward you.] The Mind¡¯s Eye gave a positive affirmation, so Yi-An nodded and followed the goblin¡¯s lead. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but it seemed like it would be fun. He had heard from Grom that goblins were extremely annoying. Grom had passionately spewed that the goblins were evil beings who provoked others by attacking or mocking them and also stole weapons and equipment, but this goblin didn¡¯t seem to be like that. Yi-An walked behind the goblin. A bit further in, a group of goblins appeared. It was a small group consisting of ten goblins. It seemed to be their mealtime at the moment as they were all sitting down and munching on something. When they saw Yi-An, they all rose up in shock. ¡°Kyah? Kyak! Kyak!¡± ¡°Kyaaahh!¡± The small goblins each picked up a shabby weapon and frantically moved about. Yi-An raised his arms to demonstrate hisck of hostility, but the goblins refused to calm down. Then the goblin who had led Yi-An to them shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Keeeaaak!¡± The goblins began to put down their weapons. Yi-An approached them and walked into their group. They looked up at him in fear and curiosity. At the center of the group was a goblin with a long beard. He eximed, ¡°Orc. Kyah! Greetings, kyah!¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. This goblin was using the universalnguage of Elder Lord. ¡°I¡¯m the oldest one here. My name is Kyawak,¡± the bearded goblin said. ¡°My name is Yi-An.¡± ¡°Yi-An, kyah.¡± Kyawak patted the head of the goblin who had brought Yi-An. It seemed the goblin had already exined what had happened. Kyawak made a gesture, and the other goblins brought out a huge b of beef for Yi-An. ¡°This is a sign of gratitude for bestowing mercy on my grandson. Goblins serve meals to their saviors, kyah!¡± Yi-An nodded in eptance as it wasn¡¯t polite to refuse a sign of gratitude. Moreover, he was salivating because the meat was cooked so well. ¡°Thank you,¡± Yi-An said and sat down. He was about to take a huge bite out of the meat when he noticed something. The goblins were eyeing his meat longingly. They were holding fragile things like tree roots, leaves, and grass. Only Yi-An was holding a well-cooked b of meat. Even the elder goblin Kyawak was biting arge piece of leaf. They looked like impoverished folks who didn¡¯t have enough to eat. Yi-An put down the meat he was about to bite into and raised his greatsword. The goblins flinched at the sudden movement, but Yi-An used his greatsword to cut the b of beef into eleven precise pieces. It was the ideal distribution for Yi-An and the goblins. The goblins epted the pieces of meat with glee and cheered among themselves, but their eyes simultaneously began to tear up at this grand gesture. Even Elder Kyawak eximed as if he felt touched. ¡°Kyah...!¡± ¡°Kyak!¡± Yi-An raised his meat into the air. The goblins followed his lead and raised their meat in unison. While Yi-An gulped his meat down in an instant, the goblins began tearing into their meat. They continuously shouted cheers of joy while chewing. Yi-An was impressed by how well-cooked the meat was; it did not pale inparison to restaurant-quality steak. However, the single piece of meat did not suffice for an orc like him. Seeing that, the goblins gave him some of their grass. Yi-An filled his stomach with the unknown, bitter nts. Unlike him, the small goblins quickly became full andy down on the ground with round stomachs. Yi-An finished the rest of the leftover grass. ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± ¡°No, kyah. We are grateful. It¡¯s our first time having an orc guest, kyah.¡± Yi-An spoke with Kyawak, who exined that goblins had originally dwelled north of Orcrox Fortress, but they began to head south due to rising issues. Grom¡¯s recent goblin ughter quest was because of that as well. The northern monsters were tougher than ever as new mutants emerged and grew in number. Dire wolves becamerger, and trolls turned even more atrocious. Ogres also appeared and indiscriminately attacked other monsters. ¡°We came here due to ack of options, but it happened to ovep with orc territory. We are going to continue to head south, kyah. We are certain something dangerous has appeared in the north. Orcs also need to be wary, kyah.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Yi-An thought of the mutant werewolf. He and the wolves had alsoe down from the north. Was there really something strange going on there? Yi-An was about to ask Kyawak something when they heard a sound slicing through the air. Swoosh! Yi-An immediately raised his greatsword to guard Kyawak. The arrow hit Yi-An¡¯s sword and fell with a thud. ¡°Kyah?¡± The goblins stared nkly at the sight. Then they raised their weapons in unison at the direction the arrow came from. Yi-An also turned to look. ¡°Ehhh? What, he blocked it.¡± ¡°Oppa, did you lose your touch?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± It was a group of humans consisting of two men and one woman. The man leveled his arrow again and aimed it at Yi-An. Yi-An raised his sword and prepared to fend off the attack. Meanwhile, the woman chanted a spell. ¡°Red mes that scorch the world, spread through the arrow ording to my will. Enchant fire!¡± A spark appeared on the arrow and grewrger. The man released his bowstring, and the lit arrow charged at Yi-An. Yi-An was able to cut it down with his sword, but the spark burst into mes and engulfed Yi-An. ¡°Ugh!¡± groaned Yi-An. Scattered mes clung to his body as he clenched his teeth at the searing pain. His status window went into critical mode due to his condition. At that moment, Kyawak spread out both of his hands. ¡°Kyahwoo¡ªack! Kyahwoo¡ªack!¡± An unknown strength embraced Yi-An as the mes disappeared. The pain subsided, and his whole body surged with strength. ¡°What? A goblin sorcerer?!¡± the woman eximed. ¡°These days, anything and anyone can use sorcery,¡± remarked the archer. Yi-An raised his gaze. The humans were freely conversing among themselves in front of the group of goblins and him. Their foreheads shone brightly with small, white stars. They were yers. ¡°Wait a second!¡± shouted Yi-An. The humans flinched at Yi-An¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a yer.¡± Yi-An took off the cksmith Company¡¯s bandana to reveal a small, white star on his forehead. The humans¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What? An orc yer? You¡¯re an orc? Is this real?¡± ¡°Is he one of those Oms we¡¯ve been hearing about?¡± ¡°Is this for real?¡± The man lowered his arrow. ¡°Come out, then.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± "We will let you go, soe out. We are going to catch those trash mobs instead.¡± Yi-An turned his head in the direction of the goblins, who were trembling as they held onto their weapons. The roots and grass they shared earlier were scattered on the ground. Even Kyawak wore a strained expression on his face. Yi-An shook his head. ¡°Please let the goblins go.¡± ¡°What?¡± The humans looked at one another. ¡°Why? Is it some kind of quest?¡± ¡°I know these goblins.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± They looked dumbfounded. ¡°They are my friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yi-An raised his greatsword to show that he will fight if they attack further. The goblins looked at Yi-An with touched eyes. The yers whispered among themselves. ¡°He seems like a true role-yer.¡± ¡°Hmm... Anyways...¡± ¡°Instead, let¡¯s...¡± They nodded after they came to a conclusion about what to do. The female sorcerer beamed as she said, ¡°We won¡¯t attack you, but can you help us with directions?¡± ¡°Directions?¡± ¡°Yes, we have to do a quest, but we aren¡¯t familiar with orc territory.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Uh, I think it was Basque? Basque Vige? We need to go in that direction.¡± Yi-An nodded as he was headed in that direction as well. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Yay! Thank you!¡± The yers retreated. Yi-An looked at Kyawak. It was earlier than expected, but it was now time to say goodbye. ¡°Yi-An, kyah. Thank you, kyak!¡± said Kyawak. ¡°Thank you for the wonderful meal.¡± ¡°Not at all. Let¡¯s meet again, kyah. Beware of the north, kyak.¡± Yi-An held out a fist. Kyawak, aware of orc greetings, held out his small fist as well. The orc and the goblin bumped fists. ¡°Stay alive,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°Stay alive, kyak!¡± The goblins all waved goodbye. ¡°You must be really close to the goblins. When did you meet them?¡± ¡°I met them today.¡± ¡°You are so social, bing friends with goblins in one day. Why did you choose to be an orc? Just ¡®cause?¡± the female sorcerer asked. She was very talkative. The group consisted of an archer, a sorcerer, and a swordsman with a shield. They appeared to be high-level yers. They said they normally hung around in the city but came all the way here for a quest. ¡°The oppas are here to help me. I have to bring something to the sorcerer¡¯s tower if I want to gain a skill, but the item has to be from an orc sorcerer.¡± ¡°What do you have to bring?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. They said there¡¯s a power only orc sorcerers have, and the new skill is a fusion of that power. Amazing, right?¡± ¡°Sounds like it.¡± ¡°If I gain that skill, I will have over ten skills. Do you have a lot of skills? Isn¡¯t it hard being an orc?¡± The archer became annoyed as the sorcerer continued to chat noisily. ¡°Why do you always have so much to say?¡± he asked in frustration. ¡°Who cares! It¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s my first time seeing an orc yer. It¡¯s your first time too, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true...¡± replied the archer. ¡°How long have you been ying Elder Lord? What level are you?¡± asked the sorcerer. Yi-An replied honestly, ¡°I¡¯m Level 10.¡± ¡°Level 10? You are still a beginner,¡±mented the archer. ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s not toote. You can still reset the game,¡± said the sorcerer. After Yi-An revealed his level, the men seemed to rx and talk more. Yi-An guided them while looking at the map he had brought from Orcrox. As they inched closer to Basque Vige, the scenery began to change. Amid the lush foliage, they saw animal skulls hung on trees, and altars that appeared to have been sites of rituals in the past were crumbling around them. Crows screeched as they flew in circles over their heads. ¡°It¡¯s spooky around here,¡± said the sorcerer. The forest was cold. The abundant leaves blocked the sun, so no light seeped in. After the sun set, the forest became eerily dark as if something was going to appear beyond the darkness of the forest. The female sorcerer became quiet, and they walked in silence to their destination. After a while, they saw a light from afar. There was a house made out of logs with light seeping out from the window. An eerie cloud of ck smoke rose from the chimney. They all looked at each other. ¡°Hey, over there...¡± said the sorcerer. ¡°It¡¯s already dark. We should ask him for directions. We can take a break depending on the situation,¡± suggested Yi-An. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± replied Yi-An. The house looked like an orc¡¯s house; it resembled Grant¡¯s log cabin. Yi-An took the initiative as the three human yers tagged behind. He knocked on the door. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± They heard a noise inside. The door opened to reveal an orc. He was wearing a ne made of animal bones and had animal skin draped around his body. The orc was simr in appearance to the sorcerers Yi-An had seen at Orcrox. The orc wore a warm expression as he said, ¡°Are you alive, young warrior?¡± Then he greeted the three yers behind Yi-An, ¡°Are you alive, humans?¡± He pulled his door wide open as if he had known they wereing. ¡°I am sorcerer Antuak. Guests are always wee.¡± Chapter 21: Human and Sorcerer (2)

Chapter 21: Human and Sorcerer (2)

Antuak¡¯s house was cozy; warmth emanated from the wood burning in the firece. Yi-An and the three human yers sat at the table, and Antuak served them warm potato soup. At first, the human yers were hesitant to try the soup, but after they had a spoonful, they couldn¡¯t stop themselves from gulping it down. They ate quietly for a while. It was difficult to strike up a conversation amid the silence. Finally, Antuak spoke with a smile on his face. ¡°Is there something you want to ask?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Yi-An and the three human yers eyed each other. Eventually, the female sorcerer initiated the conversation. She asked a question no one else had dared to ask. ¡°The person over there... is she sick?¡± The sorcerer¡¯s gaze was directed at something behind Antuak. An orcdy was lying down on the bed, staring nkly into space with a nket up to her neck. She blinked asionally, but all she did was lie still. There was something sentimental about her gaze as if she was looking off into an unknown ce others couldn¡¯t see. She hadn¡¯t reacted at all even when they entered her abode earlier. Her eyes were a dull gray, which made it look as if the original colors of her eyes had faded away. Antuak smiled bitterly as he murmured to himself, ¡°Bul¡¯tar.¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyes sparkled. The way Antuak said the orcs¡¯ shout was different from how other orcs said it. The way he said the word seemed old... It seemed much closer to what might have been the ancient pronunciation of the word. Yi-An repeated the word over and over in his mind, ¡®Bul¡¯tar.¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s my wife, Aruna.¡± ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re married. But why has she just been lying down the whole time?¡± The orc and the female sorcerer¡¯s conversation had a strange difference in the way they spoke. It was like an old figure from a historical drama was talking to a young student from modern times. ¡°She has been possessed by a different dimension.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Aruna and I were both sorcerers, but she had a keen interest in other worlds. I had cautioned her against their dangers, but she couldn¡¯t stop her curiosity. She ultimately seeded in creating a spell that allowed her to look into other dimensions. She coveted something we cannot handle. In the end, she got drunk on the scenery of another dimension and lost consciousness.¡± It was hard to believe, but they all nodded. ¡°Having forgotten who she is, she¡¯s currently contemting the other world¡ªa world iprehensible to us as none of the rules we know will be present there. I can only wait and yearn for her return,¡± Antuak said. He got up and stood by Aruna¡¯s side. His rough hand caressed her cheek, but she continued to look somewhere far away without any movement. ¡°It has been only her and me in this house for a long time. I am d there are guests here now.¡± Antuak turned and smiled. ¡°So, travelers, for what reason have youe such a long way?¡± The human yers eyed each other warily. Yi-An replied on their behalf, ¡°They are headed to Basque Vige to seek the help of orc sorcerers.¡± ¡°I am d to hear that humans need our help,¡± Antuak said. He picked up the staff leaning against the wall. As he shook it, they felt an unknown wave of energy. Then he continued, ¡°We orcs used to be close with the humans before the war split us apart. Personally, I used to have many human friends. So, humans, what kind of help do you need?¡± ¡°We...¡± The human yers exchanged looks. The female sorcerer answered, ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t know yet. They said we will find out once we arrive at Basque Vige.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of much help then. I hope it gets resolved quickly,¡± Antuak replied. He then brought more soup for the archer, whose bowl was empty. The human yer bowed gratefully and eagerly downed another bowl of soup. ¡°What are you here for, young warrior?¡± asked Antuak as he looked at Yi-An. ¡°I¡¯m not a warrior yet.¡± ¡°Only you can determine that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to meet Tashaquil.¡± ¡°Oh, Tashaquil. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning to ask him what it means to be a true warrior.¡± ¡°I see. You have embarked on the path of bing a warrior.¡± Antuak nodded. ¡°I hope you find the answer. Bul¡¯tar.¡± ¡°Thank you. Bul¡¯tar.¡± The female sorcerer stood up as she watched the two orcs converse. ¡°It¡¯s my first time being in an orc¡¯s house. Can I look around, orc sorcerer?¡± ¡°Of course. There won¡¯t be much to see though.¡± The other yers got up as well to join her. Antuak¡¯s house wasrger than what they had seen from the outside. Tools for spells and animal skulls were disyed on the walls, and as the candle zed, it lit up other strange equipment. The female sorcerer directed a barrage of questions at Antuak, who patiently exined everything with a smile. Meanwhile, the archer and warrior simply tagged behind Antuak. Yi-An, who had been left alone, approached Aruna, who continued to look nkly into empty space. He felt sorry for her. ¡°Please wake up. Your husband is waiting for you,¡± Yi-An whispered. Right then, a long shadow shed across the ceiling, and Yi-An heard a low moan. He quickly turned around and saw Antuak had copsed to the floor on his back. The head of a de jutted out from his chest. The yers had stabbed him from behind. ¡°What is this...?!¡± Yi-An immediately raised his greatsword. The archer aimed his arrow at him, which caused Yi-An to hesitate. The female sorcerer said in a cheery voice, ¡°Thank you, orc! Thanks to you, things were resolved quickly.¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? We came to gain another skill by catching an orc.¡± ¡°You said you had to seek help at Basque Vige...¡± The sorcerer sighed and began mumbling a spell. Then, a me appeared on her palm. She said, ¡°How could an orc help us? I¡¯m just doing what I was told to do¡ªbring an orc sorcerer¡¯s heart to the sorcerer¡¯s tower to gain a skill. Don¡¯t me me too much.¡± The sorcerer began to chuckle, and the men burst out inughter. ¡°Since your wife is out of her mind, we will send both of you to the same ce. Does that sound good to you?¡± ¡°Ugh... Anything but killing Aruna... At least let her go...¡± muttered Antuak. ¡°If you aren¡¯t here, she¡¯ll just lie there doing nothing and die of starvation anyways,¡± the archer said and kicked the knife deeper into Antuak¡¯s back. ¡°Aargh!¡± ¡°Acting like you have a sentimental story when you are just a monster. It¡¯sughable.¡± ¡°¡®My wife, Aruna¡¯... ¡®another dimension¡¯... Hahaha, I thought I was watching a historical drama.¡± They spit on Antuak¡¯s face. Yi-An¡¯s fist trembled at the injustice. How could they do this to Antuak, who loved his wife, was a weing host, made them delicious soup, and knew how to pronounce ¡®bul¡¯tar¡¯ more elegantly than anyone else? It had been a brief meeting, but Yi-An already knew these things about Antuak, and he was certain Antuak had many more positive traits that he didn¡¯t know about. Furthermore, the amount of knowledge Antuak had about the secrets of the world and his philosophies... All of that was crumbling under the weight of the human yers¡¯ knife. It was a shameful sight. ¡°Are you angry? It¡¯s just a game. You might be a real orc if you role-y too much.¡± ¡°If it makes you mad, you should be a human elf. That¡¯s what you get for choosing to be an orc.¡± Unable to suppress his anger, Yi-An charged. However, an arrow flew at him. ¡°Uck!¡± Yi-An groaned. The archer¡¯s arrow was fast, and it pierced Yi-An¡¯s eye. Yi-An was unable to stand his ground and tumbled to the floor at the yers¡¯ feet. The archer kicked Yi-An in the face. ¡°Ugh!¡± Yi-An groaned again. ¡°It¡¯s futile to resist. I was going to spare your life if you stayed still, but now, we are just gonna kill you.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t he a yer?¡± the human warrior remarked. ¡°An orc isn¡¯t a yer. He¡¯s just another monster.¡± ¡°Oppa, is killing a yer okay? Is there no PvP penalty?¡± asked the female sorcerer. ¡°Not in Elder Lord.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± the woman chuckled. Yi-An put pressure on his legs to stand up, but they kicked him back down again. The woman chanted a spell. Something invisible imprisoned Yi-An and sapped his strength. He was no longer able to move his muscles and copsed to the floor. If it had been hand-to-handbat, he could have done something, but he was unable to withstand sorcery. Yi-An was still weak. ¡°Uhhhh... Aru...na...¡± Antuak was wearing down visibly. The archer and sorcerer tore open his chest and dug in to grab his heart. Meanwhile, the human warrior approached Aruna. He waved his hand in front of her nk eyes and then struck his dagger into her heart. Aruna continued to look in the distance as she spat out blood. Yi-An clenched his teeth and tried to muster all of the strength in his body, but his body refused to move. It was as if it was out of his control. An arrow dug into his thigh painfully. ¡°Stop resisting. It¡¯s all over now,¡± the male archer said. He smirked as he pulled on the string of his bow, which was aimed at Yi-An¡¯s head. Nevertheless, Yi-An continued to resist. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± His body began moving bit by bit. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± He extended his arm with all of the strength in his body. ¡®Just... just a little bit more.¡¯ ¡°What? Did that low-level orc just resist my sorcery?¡± ¡°Was he able to because he¡¯s an orc? Let¡¯s finish him off quickly.¡± The archer released the string of his bow, and his arrow pierced Yi-An straight in the head. Yi-An¡¯s vision blurred and then dimmed. What he saw now was darker than pitch ck; it was an eternal drowning¡ªdeath. ... ... ... The darkness blurred, and Yi-An opened his eyes. An orc was standing in front of him at the entrance of a log cabin. He asked Yi-An with a soft expression, ¡°Are you alive, young warrior?¡± Yi-An was standing up straight in front of Antuak¡¯s house. He saw the inside of the house through the slightly ajar door. There was the familiar stove, table, and Aruna. Yi-An was dumbfounded because he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Antuakughed. ¡°Why are you standing still?¡± he asked. ¡°What...¡± Just then, Yi-An heard a voice call out to him, ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± Yi-An turned around in surprise. The three human yers were standing behind him. The female sorcerer looked at him questioningly, as if urging him to get moving. Antuak asked, ¡°Young warrior, what did you see?¡± ¡°I...¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± asked the female sorcerer. Yi-An was speechless as he looked at Antuak and the yers. Antuak had definitely served soup to Yi-An and the human yers in Antuak¡¯s house. Then, the human yers suddenly had a change in persona and ughtered Antuak, his wife, and Yi-An. Yi-An looked at Antuak, who had a knowing look on his face. Antuak was smiling as if he knew everything. ¡°What will you do?¡± Yi-An realized that what he had seen was the truth that Antuak had revealed. The yers were using Yi-An, an orc, to approach Antuak and kill him to attain his heart. Yi-An spoke to the female sorcerer, ¡°Sorcerer.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is the thing you have to obtain...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...an orc sorcerer¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The human yers flinched. The astute warrior raised his sword, and the archer grabbed his arrow, but Yi-An¡¯s greatsword was already rushing toward its target. The female sorcerer¡¯s head flew into the air. ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°Fuuuck!¡± Yi-An swung his greatsword before the remaining human yers could retreat. The human warrior stalled Yi-An¡¯s blow with his shield, but Yi-An raised his greatsword again and performed a downward blow. ¡°Ugh!¡± The warrior blocked it with his shield but ultimately copsed under the weight. An arrow came flying at Yi-An. However, Yi-An was able to avoid it by crouching forward. He then leaped onto the shield of his opponent and used it as a stepping stone to jump closer to the archer. As the archer¡¯s face neared his, Yi-An raised his greatsword and ran it down through the archer¡¯s head and torso, splitting them apart. The archer crumbled like a ragdoll. ¡°What the fuck!¡± the warrior eximed. He threw his weapon and shield away and fled in a hurry, but Yi-An picked up his greatsword and threw it. The greatsword flew through the air and stabbed the warrior in the back. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± The warrior copsed. Yi-An walked over and pulled out his greatsword. The warrior¡¯s body spasmed and then went ck. Yi-An ced the bloodied greatsword back on his back, where it belonged. His opponent¡¯s body began to turn white and disintegrate in the wind. After the human yers died, only their equipment remained on the ground. Antuak had been watching everything. As Yi-An stood in front of Antuak, thetter smiled warmly and said, ¡°I am sorcerer Antuak.¡± He then opened his door widely with a knowing smile. ¡°Guests are always wee.¡± Chapter 22: Orcrox’s Warriors (1)

Chapter 22: Orcrox¡¯s Warriors (1)

Antuak¡¯s house was exactly as he had seen it in the illusion with Aruna still lying in her bed, looking off into empty space. Yi-An and Antuak sat across from each other and stared at each other. The wee Antuak had given earlier was the same as the illusion. Yi-An felt close to Antuak; it felt as if they had shared a long conversation together. He was now eating the potato soup he had eaten in the illusion with others, alone. Antuak was the same as before. He said, ¡°You killed all of them.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yi-An replied. ¡°What you saw were things they were going to do but hadn¡¯t done yet.¡± Antuak nced at the ce where the yers had stabbed his back in the illusion. Yi-An clenched his fist and then released it. ¡°You don¡¯t regret it?¡± Antuak asked. ¡°No,¡± replied Yi-An with a stern expression. ¡°Was it the right decision as a warrior?¡± ¡°I want to be a warrior, not a saint.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Antuak nodded and then gestured for Yi-An to eat. Yi-An drank his soup. It was still delicious. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than I expected. I am relieved,¡± Antuak said as he walked over to Aruna¡¯s bed. Aruna¡¯s face moved. Yi-An flinched at the sight, uncertain if Aruna had awakened for a second. However, Aruna continued to stare past Antuak; her faded, gray eyes stared into empty space. Antuak caressed her face gently. ¡°Are you nning to seek Tashaquil?¡± Antuak asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This will guide you.¡± Antuak flicked his finger, and a small me rose from its tip. The me hovered in the air and then approached Yi-An as if it had its own will. As Yi-An extended his hand, the mended on Yi-An¡¯s finger. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t hot. Antuak said, ¡°I wish you could stay longer, but there¡¯s no time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Go before it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°What do you mean te¡¯?¡± ¡°You will know once you meet Tashaquil,¡± Antuak stated seriously with a mysterious smile. Yi-An rose from his seat, picked up the bowl of potato soup, and gulped it down. The soup warmed his insides. After drinking for a while, he put down the empty bowl. The soup was even more delicious than he remembered from the illusion. Yi-An raised his thumb and dered, ¡°It¡¯s the best potato soup I¡¯ve ever had.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just potato soup.¡± Antuak shook his head with a smile. ¡°My wife used to make the best potato soup.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°If my wife returns one day, I will invite you over. I want to give you a taste of the best potato soup.¡± Yi-An smiled. ¡°Yes, I look forward to it.¡± ¡°Tashaquil will be waiting. Go.¡± Antuak made a gesture, and the door opened, letting the cold breeze seep in. It was still dark outside. The me that had hovered around Yi-An¡¯s fingertip flew to the door and danced as if urging him to follow. Yi-An looked at Antuak. He didn¡¯t think he could forget Antuak¡¯s gentle face. ¡°I wille and visit. Stay alive,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°Stay alive. Bul¡¯tar.¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Yi-An departed from Antuak¡¯s house. The me moved rapidly. Yi-An walked quickly in case he might miss it, but he turned around for a second and was shocked by what he saw. ¡°...!¡± ...Nothing. There was nothing where Antuak¡¯s house used to be. The log cabin from where warm light and smoke seeped out had disappeared. Now, the spot was a mere clearing in the forest lit by the moon. Yi-An looked forward again. The me Antuak had given him led the way like it was alive. The me was proof Antuak was real, but Yi-An felt as if he had been bewitched by a ghost. Yi-An looked through his memories again. Antuak was definitely real, and they could meet each other again someday. Since a sorcerer of his caliber had urged him to quickly seek Tashaquil, it had to be important. Yi-An quickened his pace. He shook off his thoughts and focused on following the me. He ran in the dark forest for a while. Even with an orc¡¯s stamina, the long distance was a struggle. Eventually, he began to see some light. From afar, he saw numerous houses and tents spread out everywhere. He had arrived at Basque Vige. The scenery of Basque Vige, illuminated by the blue moonlight, was beautiful. Yi-An ran even faster. Orcs were walking outside in a line at the entrance. Yi-An waved to get their attention, and they stopped in response. ¡°Are you alive?!¡± Yi-An eximed. An orc replied, ¡°Are you alive?¡± ¡°I am Yi-An, an apprentice warrior.¡± They were all sorcerers. The orc who had been seeing them off came forward at Yi-An¡¯s introduction. The other sorcerers made way for him. He wasrger in stature than most orcs, and his face was covered in tattoos. He had tiger skin with distinct stripes draped around his shoulders, and a skeleton of an unknown animal hung from his neck. This orc had a potent presence that was iparable to that of other sorcerers; magical power wavered around him. Yi-An had an inkling of who this orc was. He had to be one of the great teachers who led the orcs with Instructor Lenox¡ªTashaquil. ¡°Are you alive, young orc?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive. Are you Tashaquil?¡± ¡°Are you the apprentice warrior Lenox teaches?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°For what reason did youe all the way here?¡± Yi-An tried to point at the me that had guided him, but the me was no longer in sight. It had disappeared just like Antuak and his house. Yi-An was dumbfounded. As if wanting to have Antuak¡¯s existence acknowledged by Tashaquil, Yi-An mentioned Antuak¡¯s name. ¡°Do you know a sorcerer by the name of Antuak?¡± ¡°...!¡± Tashaquil¡¯s eyes quivered. ¡°Where did you hear that name?¡± ¡°I heard it from him.¡± ¡°You met him?¡± ¡°Yes. Antuak advised me to seek you. He said you would be waiting for me...¡± Tashaquil became lost in thought. The other sorcerers approached Tashaquil and said, ¡°Tashaquil, we are ready to depart.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Tashaquil looked at Yi-An. ¡°Young orc.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yi-An replied. ¡°Antuak told you to look for me?¡± ¡°Yes, he advised me to hurry.¡± ¡°How long has it been since you departed from Orcrox?¡± ¡°It has been two days.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Tashaquil let out a sigh. He organized his thoughts as he swayed his staff. Then he yelled, ¡°Kinjur!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Take this apprentice warrior,¡± hemanded. ¡°Understood.¡± As it was suddenly decided that Yi-An would apany them, Yi-An thought this wouldn¡¯t be an appropriate moment to seek advice on the path of a warrior. ¡°Where are we headed?¡± Yi-An asked instead. ¡°Orcrox,¡± Tashaquil replied. Yi-An wondered what had urred for all of these sorcerers to set off for Orcrox sote in the night. He turned around to look at the party of sorcerers. They were fully armed; they carried staffs for wielding magical power, and closebat weapons such as axes and swords hung from their backs. Underneath their sorcerer attire, they wore leather armor. Even their gazes were threatening. They looked like soldiers awaiting battle. ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin. Just follow them,¡± said Tashaquil. ¡°Understood.¡± Yi-An could only nod in agreement at Tashaquil¡¯s solemn expression. Tashaquil nced over at Kinjur. ¡°You may leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, we will head out. Stay alive.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stay alive and see each other again.¡± Kinjur, who was at the head of the party, waved his staff. An unknown strength flooded from it, and waves of magic saturated its surroundings. The sorcerors¡¯ bodies trembled. Yi-An felt the waves of magic permeating his body. Strength surged from within. His body felt light like he could immediately run toward the horizon. He felt the wind graze his skin, and a sound like that of a beast¡¯s growl seeped from his mouth. ¡°Grrrr...¡± This was a sorcerer¡¯s spirit magic! The sorcerers charged forward. Yi-An became one with them and stormed onto the earth. Kinjur took the lead, and the others followed suit. This scene resembled that of the head of a wolf pack leading its members. Tashaquil watched them from behind as they disappeared into the darkness of the forest. As night fell, silence settled over the vige. There was only the moonlight and the sound of breathing. Tashaquil fell into deep thought. He waved his staff out of habit, and the surrounding magic moved along with him. The moonlight shone down on his head in fragments. ¡°Antuak...¡± How long had it been since he had heard this name? ¡°Are you alive...¡± a quiet voice seeped into Tashaquil¡¯s surroundings. ¡°Are you alive, Teacher...?¡± The whisper was like a sigh. A me appeared out of thin air and circled around Tashaquil, who stared nkly at it. He extended his hand but couldn¡¯t catch it. The me danced in the air and then moved upward. As it swam in the sky, the me dimmed and then finally merged with the night sky. *** ¡°The sorcerers have arrived.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lenox said. He had been looking into his axe. Lenox ran a dry rag across the de of his axe, and the clean surface glistened brightly. He could almost see his reflection. ¡°Lenox, Yi-An has returned with the sorcerers.¡± ¡°The apprentice?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Lenox turned his head and looked at Hoyt. ¡°What do you think about him? Do you think he will be a decent warrior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain of it,¡± replied Hoyt. ¡°He will be a true warrior.¡± ¡°A true warrior,¡± Lenox cackled. He seemed to be enjoying himself. ¡°Hoyt, who is a true warrior in your eyes?¡± ¡°You, Lenox.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy ttery.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Haha, a true warrior...¡± Suddenly, the door opened. An orc came into Lenox¡¯s room. ¡°Are you really going?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you rushing too much...?¡± the orc asked. ¡°It will be toote if I don¡¯t go now.¡± The orc was Tanya, the administrator of Orcrox. She was the one who managed the administrative matters and operations around here. ¡°If we wait, the enemy will only be stronger.¡± ¡°Understood. Everyone is waiting for you.¡± ¡°I will be out soon. I¡¯m always grateful, Tanya.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Tanya nced over at Hoyt as she left the room. Lenox turned to Hoyt again. ¡°We will take him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early for him,¡± Hoytmented. ¡°A warrior needs to experience more of the world,¡± Lenox stated. Lenox hung his axe on his back and grabbed the helmet hanging on the wall. It was a hard, ck steel helmet. Lenox looked at it for a while. The helmet had acquired a lot of scratches and cracks over time, but its structure was still firm. He caressed the traces of war on the helmet with his fingertips and then put on the helmet, which cast a shadow on his face and hid his expression. However, a sh of light was reflected in his exposed gaze. Lenox¡¯s mouth curved into a grin. ¡°I also want to see a true warrior.¡± Chapter 23: Orcrox Warriors (2)

Chapter 23: Orcrox Warriors (2)

Thanks to the spirit magic, Yi-An arrived at Orcrox in an instant with the sorcerers from Basque Vige, who entered the city with solemn faces. The warriors and sorcerers at Orcrox had already been preparing to go into battle. Just as Yi-An was about to ask what was going on, he saw a familiar face. It was Grom. He was surrounded by warriors and was responding to their questions with a downcast face. They questioned him for a while and then fastened their weapons tightly onto their backs before departing. After the warriors left, Grom was finally able to let his guard down. However, Yi-An approached him with another question, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Grom turned his head in surprise. His eyes quivered. ¡°How are you h-here?¡± ¡°I went to Basque Vige and returned with the sorcerers.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Why is everyone like this? Will there be a war?¡± Grom avoided Yi-An¡¯s eyes. ¡°...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of me,¡± Grom said. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I... happened to...¡± Grom deliberated with his words before letting out a sigh. ¡°Okay, I will exin. I discovered something weird.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°I went to the north...¡± Grom¡¯s story was a long one. *** In his pursuit of what was warrior-like, Grom headed north, but the north of Orcrox wasn¡¯t a suitable ce for apprentice warriors. Scary monsters that only high-level rankers could handle dwelled there. Orcrox Fortress was originally built to block monsters from the north, but Grom had blindly headed there out of curiosity. While running away from a troll, he discovered something weird. It was a cave. Within its boulders was a small gap that one person could squeeze into, so he hid there. The troll left because it couldn¡¯t find him. However, Grom was curious about what was in the cave and went deeper inside. As he walked farther in, the cave widened, and an empty area appeared. There was a torch lighting up the space on the wall and the shadow of a human standing at the center. It had the form of a human, but it wasn¡¯t human. The torch wavered and lit up the figure¡¯s face, allowing Grom to see the horrifying face of the undead that had rotting flesh clinging to its bones. It was a death knight! The death knight whispered to him in an eerie voice, ¡°Thiiss iiss aa ee yoouu shoouuldn¡¯t haavvee coommee... Puunniisshh innttrruuddeerrss...¡± Grom, stricken with fear, turned and fled, but the death knight chased him and swung its sword. Despite managing to block the death knight¡¯s sword with his axe, Grom tumbled to the ground because of the death knight¡¯s tremendous strength. The death knight lost its bnce, and the two became entangled and rolled onto the ground together. Its cold hand grabbed tightly onto Grom¡¯s shoulder. Grom was horrified and struck the arm multiple times with his axe. Once, twice, thrice¡ªhe struck the arm relentlessly without thinking due to his panicked state. Eventually, the death knight¡¯s wrist broke off. ¡°Aaahhhhhhh...¡± the death knight wailed painfully. It was a strange sound that made those who heard it shudder. Grom then ran like crazy without looking back. He continued to hear the death knight¡¯s painful screams behind him. He passed through the tunnel, exited the cave, and raced toward Orcrox Fortress. He didn¡¯t care whether there were trolls or goblins around and just ran and ran. He was only able to catch a breath once he saw the trustworthy guards at Orcrox Fortress. However, instead of being their hearty selves, they eyed him warily. ¡°Apprentice... what is that?¡± Grom followed their line of sight and looked at his shoulder. The death knight¡¯s rotting hand was tightly gripping his shoulder as if it was still alive! Grom touched it out of surprise, but the grip only tightened, and its fingernails dug into Grom¡¯s shoulder. Grom screamed. Having gauged the seriousness of the situation, the guards notified Administrator Tanya and Instructor Lenox, who immediately decided on a subjugation quest. The fact that a death knight had been guarding the entrance of the cave meant something even stronger was dwelling inside. Lenox suspected that it might be a lich. A lich settling close to Orcrox indicated an evil force was trying to inflict harm with dark magic. The fact that the death knight¡¯s hand was strong enough to rip into Grom¡¯s shoulder even after he had fled all the way to Orcrox suggested the situation was even more dangerous than it seemed. Undead creatures like them umted strength and devastated their surroundings as more time passed, so the orcs had to get rid of the lich quickly. The decision was made swiftly and efficiently, and the warriors gathered under Lenox¡¯s orders. Thus, Lenox¡¯s army was formed with Grom as the guide. *** ¡°Isn¡¯t this... a dungeon raid?¡± Yi-An asked. Dungeon raids were referred to as the highlight of virtual reality games. Elder Lord was no exception. Raid videos always got the most views. ¡°Yes, but... are you nning to go as well?¡± replied Grom. ¡°I want to go.¡± ¡°It will be dangerous. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go...¡± Grom was pessimistic for some reason. He was usually enthusiastic about progressing in the game. Was a death knight that scary? Yi-An tilted his head in wonder. Lenox and Hoyt appeared in front of the stationed troops. Yi-An also saw Tanya, Orcrox¡¯s administrator whom he was seeing for the first time. Lenox scanned the warriors and sorcerers, who had all gathered within a short time frame under Lenox¡¯smand. Yi-An was excited. He was pumped up to see how passionately Lenox would scream and raise morale. Maybe he would p their cheeks one by one and tell them toe to their senses. Lenox stepped forward. He was unexpectedly calm. The area fell silent. ¡°Our destination is the dungeon of the undead. We suspect there might be a lich. We are uncertain what dangers await us. The worst-case scenario might happen, but...¡± Lenox said and then paused. All of the orcs listened attentively to Lenox. ¡°...we must do it,¡± he continued with a low but strong, reliable voice. The warriors nodded. ¡°I hope you all stay alive,¡± Lenox said at the end. The orcs raised their weapons and shouted in unison, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaarrrrrrr!¡± The cry rang throughout Orcrox. Lenox nodded in approval as he got ready to depart. The warriors and sorcerers followed behind him, then the formation turned around. Yi-An, who had been at the end of the formation, met eyes with Lenox. ¡°Apprentice,¡± said Lenox. ¡°Yes!¡± Yi-An tensed up. He was worried Lenox might tell him to stay behind because he was just an apprentice warrior. Yi-An looked at Lenox with earnest eyes. Lenox grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t fall behind. Keep up with the group.¡± Hearing that, Yi-An grinned too. ¡°Understood, sir!¡± Hoyt, who was at Lenox¡¯s side, also grinned. Gultai, the warrior whom Yi-An had shared drinks with at the bar, approached him from behind and heartily pped his back. Then the sorcerer, Kinjur, bestowed blessings on the whole unit. This was Yi-An¡¯s first battle as an orc. *** There were around fifty warriors and twenty sorcerers. Approximately seventy orcs in total marched through the forest. However, because of their broad shoulders,rge stature, and fierce presence, Yi-An felt as if he was following behind thousands of soldiers. Grom was at the forefront to give directions to Lenox, but Yi-An walked at the end with the rest of the soldiers. Gultai and Yi-An were walking shoulder to shoulder. ¡°Apprentice, is this your first dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°It will be fun, hahaha.¡± Gultaiughed with his halberd on his shoulders. Because of the sorcerers'' magical powers, an unknown force hovered around the troop. Monsters that appeared on the way were swept away like autumn leaves in the wind. The northern monsters were much stronger than the goblins or dire wolves Yi-An had faced previously. Trolls, huge mantises, flying wyverns, and worms were popping out from the ground constantly. Powerful monsters that he would have fallen prey to if he had been alone appeared continuously, but the warriors, empowered by the sorcerers¡¯ magic, easily defeated them. Lenox, who was leading the way, disyed a fearsome use of the axe. The trolls were unable to recover from his attacks and were shredded to pieces. Gultai, who was alwaysughing, was a truly amazing warrior. While Yi-An was struggling to defend himself from the mantis¡¯ attacks, Gultai amputated a mantis¡¯ limbs in an instant and then threw his head back andughed. The warriors had an intimidating energy. After continuously battling with monsters, the orcs finally arrived at their destination. Below the ridge stretching down the mountain range was a boulder. They could see the gap in the boulder. Although the gap was narrow, there was definitely a cave inside with a path leading somewhere. As soon as they saw the cave, the sorcerers flinched. They marveled, ¡°Such strong magic...¡± Yi-An also felt a chill in his spine due to the eerie energy. Lenox then ordered Grom, ¡°Go in.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna go inside?¡± ¡°Since I have guided you all the way here, I¡¯m just...¡± ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous if you are alone.¡± Lenox seized Grom by the back of his neck and entered the cave. One by one, the orcs entered the narrow cave with the sorcerers'' lights illuminating the way. The warriors and sorcerers walked forward in a line. Soon after, the orcs found themselves in a wide tunnel and immediately regrouped into their previous formation. There were traces of someone having been there as the sharp edges of the cave had been deliberately broken. The air felt thick and heavy. Was this what dungeons were like? An ufortable energy seemed to cling all over Yi-An¡¯s body, making it hard for him to move. At the end of the tunnel was an empty area lit by torches and magical stones. The shadow of a human was standing at the center of it all. ¡°That is...?¡± It was the death knight who had attacked Grom. The death knight raised his sword and said, ¡°Foooolllisshhh orrrrcsss... Geeeetttt oooouuutttt ooooffff heeeerrree...¡± It was an eerie sound that seemed to emerge from the abyss. Yi-An got goosebumps on his neck from hearing it. ¡°IIIfffff yyyoouu dddooonnn¡¯t... yyyoouuu wiiilll diiieee pppaaiinnfulllyy... bbee rreeaadddyyy too ffaaeee eettteerrnaaalll ppaaaiiinnn...¡± It was a frightening warning! Amid the horrifying threat, Yi-An detected something was amiss. ¡°...¡± The death knight was slowly retreating while threatening the orcs, but its retreat wasn¡¯t obvious due to the distraction of its disturbing voice. The orcs failed to notice this and were instead shaken up by the sight of the death knight. ¡°He¡¯s not even nervous despite being so outnumbered... As expected of a death knight.¡± ¡°Only the most powerful beings be death knights when they die.¡± ¡°How frightening! What if we lose?¡± ¡°Even if we die, we must fight! Bul¡¯tar...!¡± The death knight was getting farther and farther away. It had extraordinary moonwalking skills that allowed it to move backward without being noticed. Fearing the death knight might get away at this rate, Yi-An threw a stone in haste. Whack! The stone hit the death knight smack in the head and rolled onto the ground. Everyone turned toward Yi-An at once. Yi-An suddenly felt self-conscious, but he proceeded to shout, ¡°Catch him!¡± No longer trying to disguise its retreat, the death knight turned around and ran. The orcs finally came to their senses and began chasing it. The cave echoed noisily as dozens of orcs ran after the death knight. Then one of the orc warriors threw his axe. It twirled in the air and hit the death knight. ¡°Aahhhhhhhhh....¡± The death knight crumbled to the ground as the orcs surrounded it. They began punching and kicking it. However, the death knight implored them to stop. ¡°W-Wa-Wait!¡± ¡°What, this dude could talk normally?¡± ¡°Was he just pretending?¡± The orcs continued to beat up the death knight. The death knight sagged on the ground as if it had given up. Lenox then grabbed the death knight by the neck and lifted it up. He asked, ¡°Death knight, who summoned you?¡± ¡°Ccaannn¡¯ttt teeellll yyoouuu...¡± Lenoxnded a punch on the death knight. ¡°Speak properly.¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t tell you. If I do, I will cease to exist.¡± ¡°When did you settle here?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long. I was ordered to guard the entrance a week ago.¡± ¡°How many more of you are out there?¡± ¡°When I was summoned, I saw dozens of skeletons and gargoyles. There must be more now. There were also several other death knights...¡± ¡°Is there a lich?¡± ¡°I c-can¡¯t tell you...¡± Lenox flung the death knight onto the ground. It moaned while tossing in pain. Lenox sternly looked past the space they were in. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°A death knight can¡¯t be this weak.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡± At the end of the area was a huge door. As Lenox approached it, the door began to move. As if signaling that this was the true beginning, the firmly closed door began to slowly open and reveal its insides like a devil opening its mouth. Pitch-ck darkness that was thick and opaque lurked behind the door. Even if it was a trap, this was unavoidable. ¡°We are going in.¡± From now on, it was an unknown danger zone where everything was unpredictable. Lenox took the lead as the orcs silently followed behind him. The eyes of the decapitated death knight stared nkly at the soldiers¡¯ backs. Chapter 24: Orcrox Warriors (3)

Chapter 24: Orcrox Warriors (3)

After the orc warriors went through the giant door, a dark tunnel ensued. The dungeon raid had officially started. The entryway was strewn with bones. There was a skull stuck on the wall, and white bones from various parts of the body were scattered all over the ground. The orcs walked past them without much thought, but the sound of rattling bones put them on high alert. The scattered bones on the ground slowly began to move and assemble themselves. Dark magic aroused the bones and connected them one by one, creating bone warriors known as undead skeletons. They were pitiful undead creatures who were unable to rest after death because evil sorcerers used necromancy to make personal dolls out of their corpses. Yi-An fastened his hold on his greatsword as the undead human skeletons grabbed their weapons and began walking toward the orcs. While eyeing the undead human skeletons, something caught Yi-An¡¯s eye. The other orcs noticed it as well. Their mouths tightened, and their hands trembled in response. Yi-An gripped his greatsword even tighter. There were undead orc skeletons among the bone warriors. With a noticeablyrger stature than that of the human skeletons, the undead orc skeletons wobbled toward the living orcs with axes and halberds in hand and broken helmets hanging from their skulls. It was a dismal sight without a trace of honor. The enraged orc warriors charged at once, and the sorcerers¡¯ spells echoed throughout the cave. Yi-An also swung his greatsword. The human bone warriors moved in bizarre ways, but they had formidable speed and strength. When Yi-An tried to stab into an undead human skeleton¡¯s ribs, his greatsword simply bounced off. That undead human skeleton then saw an opening to aim an attack at Yi-An¡¯s throat. However, Yi-An was able to dodge the attack by crouching down. Then he swung his greatsword again. He managed tond a hit with a loud ng, but he failed to inflict any damage. Right then, an unfamiliar strength nestled in his body, and his greatsword began to shine brightly with a blue light. It was the blessing of the orc sorcerers! This would allow Yi-An¡¯s attacks to work. Yi-An dodged the swording down at him from above and stabbed the undead human skeleton¡¯s wrist, causing its arm to crumble away. The human bone warrior then extended its remaining arm toward Yi-An and tried to grab onto him. Yi-An extended his hand as well and grasped the undead human skeleton¡¯s cold hand. Then he mmed his greatsword into its skull, which split apart with a loud noise. The strength in the undead human skeleton¡¯s hand was sapped away, and the energy holding the bones of the undead human skeleton together began to dissipate. The undead human skeleton fell apart. Yi-An thought he could use this moment to catch his breath, but another attack came at him. This time, it was from an orc bone warrior. Its huge axe aimed for Yi-An¡¯s head, but Yi-An lowered his head in time to dodge and drew the bone warrior closer to him. He extended his greatsword, but the orc bone warrior quickly dodged the greatsword and swung its axe. Their weapons collided, and once it shifted to a power struggle, Yi-An was able to keep up with the undead orc warrior¡¯s strength. Having been empowered by dark magic, the strength of the undead orc warrior was on another level. A force that transcended Yi-An¡¯s continued to press up against him, pushing him to retreat. Just when he was about to give up fighting one-on-one, he heard a whisper. ¡°Rest...¡± Yi-An raised his eyes. ¡°Give me rest...¡± It was a faint whisper like rustling in the wind, so much so that Yi-An was unsure whether he had heard it by ear or if it had merely been an echo in his head. However, the undead orc warrior¡¯s eyes were directed toward Yi-An. There was something inside the abyss of its eyes that was staring earnestly at Yi-An. The orc bone warrior turned and shed forth with its axe. The axe¡¯s de tore into Yi-An¡¯s arm. ¡°Aargghh!¡± moaned Yi-An. His blood sttered over the head of the undead orc skeleton. ¡°Warrior, give me... honorable rest...¡± Yi-An¡¯s blood trickled down the orc bone warrior¡¯s skull and into the holes of its eyes, making it seem as if the warrior was crying tears of blood. Yi-An nodded. An indescribable emotion surged within him. He didn¡¯t know much about Elder Lord and how its system was run or what its true nature was. Should he be perceiving the artificially intelligent characters in the game as humans? Yi-An didn¡¯t know how simr their emotions were to those of humans, but to him, Elder Lord was an actual world. Everyone he had met at Elder Lord was the same as those who breathed and lived in reality. The cries of the orc warriors around Yi-An who fought while their shoulders bumped against each other¡¯s, Lenox¡¯s voice encouraging the orc warriors, the solemn chants of the orc sorcerers¡¯ rejuvenating the orc warriors, and the bloody tears of the orc bone warrior who implored for Yi-An to give him honorable rest¡ªif these weren¡¯t real, what was? Yi-An raised his greatsword. He had to spare the orc bone warrior from the disgrace he was suffering from. An orc sorcerer¡¯s spell nestled in his de, and its bluish light cast a shadow on the orc bone warrior¡¯s face. Simultaneously, Lenox¡¯s cry rang across the tunnel, ¡°Honorable rest for these men!¡± ¡°Rest!¡± shouted Yi-An and the orc warriors in unison as the weapons of Yi-An and the orc bone warrior collided. *** ¡°Manager, the main system is locked.¡± ¡°What, again?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s in protection mode.¡± ¡°What is it this time?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our first time encountering this situation. The system says it¡¯s temporarily inessible because it¡¯s synchronizing.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± Park Ju-Jin angrily threw down the documents he had been reading and looked at the huge white structure elevated at the center of the system control room. That pure white elliptic sphere was what controlled the whole system¡ªnot Park Ju-Jin or his team. That elliptic sphere was Elder Lord itself. To be precise, that elliptic structure was Albino, the main core system that calcted and controlled everything in Elder Lord. Albino ran everything on its own; no one knew what logic it adhered to, what kind of system was saved, or what was exactly inside. All of the technology had been left behind by the genius scientist Yoo Jae-Han, who had mysteriously disappeared. Consequently, no one else knew much about Albino or understood how it worked. As the next genius in line after Yoo Jae-Han, Park Ju-Jin had inherited control over Elder Lord¡¯s system, but instead of controlling it, he could only oversee it as a manager. This meant that although Elder Saga Corporation, apany affiliated with Myeongsong Group, was known as Elder Lord¡¯s creator, it was actually only able to utilize its superficial functions. ¡°Yoo Jae-Han, that asshole...¡± Park Ju-Jin uttered the name of the man he had always chased after, admired, and envied but was no longer here. ¡°What the hell did you make...?¡± No one understood how Elder Lord was able to implement such wless virtual reality. The initial crudeness of virtual reality games had disappeared with the emergence of Elder Lord. Even Park Ju-Jin had been unable to distinguish it from reality when he first logged into the game. He couldn¡¯t even begin to understand how Yoo Jae-Han had aplished such a feat. The whole world was in a frenzy about Elder Lord, but no one actually understood its true nature. ¡°Albino,¡± called Park Ju-Jin. Albino did not respond. ¡°Albino, what kind of situation is this?¡± Albino could be ssified as a being of supreme intellect, but it wasn¡¯t under their control. It ignored most of their questions and only replied when it deemed necessary to do so. At present, Albino chose to remain silent. ¡°Dammit...¡± Park Ju-Jin sped his head. Right then... ¡ªTemporarily inessible due to synchronization in yer mode. Albino had finally spoken. How long had it been since hest heard her voice? Park Ju-Jin looked at Albino¡¯s white body. The whiterge system core had replied in an alluring female voice¡ªa voice one might typically think would belong to a beautiful woman. ¡ªA yer has temporarily exceeded an assimtion rate of 90%. To protect the system and the yer, system ess will be blocked momentarily. Park Ju-Jin¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What did you say...?¡± he asked while fixing his sses in a frenzy. However, Albino refused to speak again. Park Ju-Jin screamed, ¡°Everyone, take your hands off the system and begin monitoring!¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°Look for any yer who has noticeably surpassed their abilities! Find the bastard whose assimtion rate exceeds ny percent! It¡¯s over ny!¡± ¡°Weck the staff to look through all of the yers...¡± ¡°Yeah, so you should screen them selectively! Check the high-rankers! Check the yers who already had high assimtion rates! Keep an eye out for bastards who are in a fight or an urgent situation!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Right now!¡± All members of the system control room team got up immediately and ran out at Park Ju-Jin¡¯s order. Now, only Albino and Park Ju-Jin remained. Park Ju-Jin looked up at Albino¡ªthe huge, white ellipticputer. After ceasing to speak once again, Albino was now performing calctions on the world inside as usual. Park Ju-Jin let out a sigh and picked up one by one the documents he had thrown onto the ground. As he was doing so, the content of one of the documents caught his eye. [Request Form A VIP is requesting detailed information on a yer in Elder Lord and the character he is using...] Park Ju-Jin threw away the document again. ¡°We can¡¯t do that shit either...¡± *** As the orcs proceeded into the depths of the dungeon in silence, they saw undead orcs among the undead species resurrected by dark magic¡ªthe bone warriors, zombies, and duhans. The orc warriors were shaken by the sight of their brothers among the undead as the most important thing to orcs was life. Even their habitual greeting was about being alive, and their shout ¡®bul¡¯tar¡¯ was also about life. The orcs treated death, which was seated in opposition to life, as a holy phenomenon. They firmly believed that the cycle of life had to bepleted with death. Yet, their dead brothers had been disgraced by the evil sorcerer who had settled inside the cave. The orcs were flooded with cold anger. Any trace of upset had disappeared from their faces, and their presence became sharper. The orc warriors thoroughly smashed any undead orcs that they encountered into pieces to give their brothers the rest they deserved, but some orc warriors received injuries on the way... ¡°Aarrghh...¡± An orc warrior dropped to his knees after his arm was cut off by an undead mantis. His fellow orc warriors poured a potion on him and fastened the amputated arm back onto his body. The orc sorcerers cast recovery spells to help, but it was uncertain whether the arm could fully recover because there was a great amount of damage in the wounded area. The injured orc might not be able to use his arm again. Lenox approached him and asked, ¡°Arctar, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lenox.¡± ¡°Go back to the entrance and wait with the other injured warriors.¡± ¡°I can still fight! Even if I die here, I will continue fighting!¡± ¡°Arctar,¡± Lenox said while grabbing Arctar¡¯s shoulder, ¡°This is not your ce to die.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°As you have always said, only a dragon would suffice as your opponent.¡± ¡°...You are right,¡± Arctar cackled. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m sorry, Lenox.¡± The injured orcs began to walk toward the dungeon¡¯s entrance by supporting one another. The orcs who could no longer fight during the dungeon raid were waiting at the empty lot where they had defeated the death knight. There weren¡¯t any dead orcs yet, but they had lost a third of their troop to injuries. ¡°Me... Me too...¡± Grom uttered. ¡°...?¡± Lenox looked at him questioningly. Grom approached Lenox while putting his wounded area on full disy. It wasn¡¯t a severe wound. Seeing that, Lenox raised one of his eyebrows and stated, ¡°You can still fight.¡± ¡°That is...¡± ¡°Apprentice, believe in yourself,¡± said Lenox firmly. ¡°Y-Yes...¡± replied Grom as he went away with drooping shoulders. Concerned, Yi-An ran up to Grom and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Yes,¡± Grom answered. ¡°I saw you doing a good job earlier. Let¡¯s make it to the end,¡± Yi-An encouraged him. ¡°Yes...¡± Yi-An tilted his head in curiosity. Grom had been strangely downcast during the progress of this dungeon raid. Yi-An initially thought it had been because the death knight was so scary, but Grom was still crestfallen even after seeing the death knight getting pummelled by the orcs. It seemed his mind was elsewhere. Grom sluggishly walked behind the orc warriors. Yi-An, who was still worried about Grom, walked alongside him in support. Hoyt, who had been at the front of the troop, suddenly said, ¡°Everyone, gather your strength. There isn¡¯t much left in this journey.¡± They had reached the end of the tunnel and were at thest hurdle of the dungeon raid. At the end of the tunnel was a giant, eerie door, and in front of it were three death knights. They were different from the death knight at the entrance. Like waves of heat in summer, the death knights¡¯ dark energy moved in thick waves and surged outward. The whole tunnel vibrated with dark magic. ¡°Fooooooooooolllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssshhhhhhhhh ooooooooorrrrrrrrrrssssssssss...¡± Just from the sound of the death knights¡¯ voices, the orcs could tell these death knights were much stronger than the death knight from before. The death knights¡¯ ovepping whispers spread eerily throughout the cave, and the orcs could no longer tell how many voices were in this space. Although the orcs were unable to clearly understand what the death knights were saying due to all of the noise, they all got goosebumps because of what they heard. The death knights then picked up their swords. Even though there were just three death knights, the orcs felt an intense pressure from them that was beyondparison to all the undead they had faced before now. Sensing danger, Yi-An¡¯s body tried to retreat, but Yi-An held on through the force of his will and charged forward. The orc warriors alongside him also raised their weapons, and the orc sorcerers began to chant spells. The death knights walked toward the orcs. Their legs were moving, but it was a strange progression; they seemed to be slipping forward on a surface. With unimaginable speed, the death knights arrived before them in an instant and swung their swords. Their swords collided with the orc warriors¡¯ weapons, and the sheer force of the death knights sent the orcs flying backward. Right after dodging an orc warrior who had been flung backward, Yi-An swung his sword at one of the death knights. Yi-An thought his body felt strangely light. He could clearly see the trajectory of the enemy¡¯s attack. He didn¡¯t think he could lose to anyone at that moment. Yi-An¡¯s greatsword struck the death knight. Chapter 25: Bul’tar

Chapter 25: Bul¡¯tar

Bul¡¯ta. The more urate pronunciation of this word is ¡®bul¡¯tar.¡¯ In modern times, the word is familiar as the shout of the orcs. The ¡®r¡¯ drawn out at the end has been omitted, and it became the bul¡¯ta that it is today. In ancient oguage, bul¡¯tar has the mostplex and nuanced meaning. Universally, it means survival, living, and sentience, but contextually, it symbolizes an act of the highest value an orc should achieve in their lives. It is difficult to exin the meaning of this word in a universalnguage because it has diverse implications. In the case of the former definition, ¡®bul¡¯ta¡¯ could somehow be a substitute for ¡®life¡¯ or ¡®survival,¡¯ but based on thetter definition, this issue bes moreplicated. There isn¡¯t a word in an officialnguage that can precisely express the implications of this word. The word is polysemous and is collectively about their way of life, ethics, goals, and dreams¡ªthe most important thing one must achieve in life. Understanding this word is extremely difficult, but it is crucial for research on orc culture and philosophy. I have met many orcs, and I was able to experience a bit of the true meaning of bul¡¯tar by interacting with them. If we must express this word in ournguage and if there is a term thates close to bridging the gap between the twonguages, I propose this conclusion. ¡®Bul¡¯tar¡¯ in ancient oguage is ¡®life,¡¯ and to orcs, ¡®life¡¯ is, in another word, ¡®honor.¡¯ To orcs, life is just a process to fulfill honor, and honor is the collective of the values their life must prove. They are somber and religious about this conviction. Thus, the meaning of bul¡¯tar is distinct from life and survival. ¡ªElliot de Pontiac, Insight into Species¡¯ Cultures and Philosophies through Ancient Languages *** The death knights¡¯ attacks sent most of the orcs tumbling down. Meanwhile, Hoyt and Lenox were each fighting one death knight. Only they could fight on simr ground with the death knights. Lenox¡¯s axe split apart a death knight¡¯s shoulder. However, ck smoke rose from its body, and the wound was healed. It was a close fight. Yi-An came to his senses. He thought he had cut through the death knight he¡¯d been fighting, but he had been flung back just like the other orcs. These death knights were indeed strong. In that case, just how strong was the owner of the dungeon, who had these death knights at his beck and call? Lenox let out a thunderous roar. His body suddenly zed with a white glow while moving at an imperceivable speed. The death knight he was fighting was drowned in dark energy and became a faint dark form. Lenox and the death knight exchanged blows at such a fast speed that the blows weren¡¯t visible. Sparks emerged from their brilliant sword fight, and the sound of their weapons colliding shook the tunnel. Yi-An¡¯s mouth dropped open. The darkness began to dissipate at the onught of Lenox¡¯s blows. Each time one of his attacks made a direct hit, a gruesome scream escaped from the death knight¡¯s mouth. Even while dripping with blood, Hoyt continued to hammer the death knight he was fighting against and seeded in smashing its head. Streams of darkness seeped out of it, but the death knight was unable to restore its head and fell to the ground squirming. Hoyt continued to hammer down on the copsed body. Thest death knight crumbled under the orc warriors¡¯bined attacks. Meanwhile, the orc sorcerers who had been saving their strength by only casting blessings began to use offensive magic. Kinjur extended his staff, and a strike of lightning drove the death knights into silence. The death knights were no longer equipped for battle, but they continued to resist and charged at the orcs in their dismal states. Their attacks were like a candle burning through thest of its wick before the me went out. The battle persisted, but it ended with the orcs¡¯ victory. The orcs struggled to catch their breaths. Lenox had minor wounds, Hoyt needed a potion, and some of the other orcs were groaning because of their injuries. Gultai approached Yi-An and ced a hand on his shoulder. Despite breathing heavily, Gultaiughed gleefully, ¡°Hahaha! Apprentice! You¡¯ve actually endured this far!¡± However, Gultai seemed to have less energy than usual. Yi-An looked Gultai up and down and noticed blood dripping down from his chest. It was a deep wound. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, apprentice,¡± said Gultai. ¡°But...¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t enough to stop me. Hahaha!¡± Gultai¡¯s eyes were gazing at the giant door in front of them. ¡°A filthy guy who uses undead creatures cannot stop me.¡± Lenox reorganized the troops. Many orcs had be unable to fight, and there was a high death count after the fight with the death knights as it had been the most intense battle yet. One death knight had even infiltrated the rear of the troop and ughtered the orc sorcerers. The orcs looked in the direction of the corpses and closed their eyes in prayer. The prayer was short and silent. They had to focus on the battle at hand after all. After the dungeon raid was over, the dead orcs would be praised as honorable warriors. The injured orcs departed with the corpses on their backs. There were now only a handful of orcs leftpared to when they first started. Lenox looked back at the troop. Yi-An, Grom, the orc warriors, and the orc sorcerers nodded in agreement; they were ready for the final stage. Lenox pushed the door open. It creaked open with a strange noise, and they saw a shadow of a person inside. It was the necromancer! He slowly turned around. ¡°...!¡± It was a bizarre sight! The necromancer had a haggard face that seemed to be forcibly holding onto his rotting body for dear life. The orcs could see bones and rotten flesh in the gaps in his robes. Upon noticing the orcs, the necromancer beganughing. It was a wheezyugh that leaked air. ¡°You made it all this way, you foolish orcs...¡± ¡°Lich, stop disrupting the rest of the dead,¡± Lenox demanded while taking a step forward with his axe raised. ¡°Those who defy thew of nature should face immediate death.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything...¡± The lich stepped forward, moving into full view under the zing torch. ¡°...!¡± ¡°You orcs... are so na?ve...¡± The lich appeared to be an aberration as a dagger glowing with blue light had been stabbed into the lich¡¯s life essence vessel, which was on his heart. The life essence vessel was leaking dark energy. The lich continued, ¡°Me... you... we are all just being used anyways...¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They will be here soon.¡± The lich burst out into hollowughter. Right at that moment, the orcs heard the thud of footsteps approaching. It wasn¡¯t the sound of one or two people walking. It was the sound of numerous soldiers marching in unison. The orcs turned around. Fully armed human soldiers were moving toward the orcs from the far end of the tunnel, which wasn¡¯t visible from the orcs¡¯ location. The soldiers, an infantry unit d in iron armor, eventually arrived at the open door. ¡°You were right,¡± said the human soldier leading the infantry unit. He raised his helmet¡¯s visor, revealing his bright blue eyes. ¡°It was easy to bait the leader of these disgusting orcs.¡± The unit leader burst out inughter, which echoed throughout the dungeon. The human sorcerer by his side nodded and said, ¡°I told you. There is always a way.¡± The human sorcerer looked around with amused eyes, then he slowly pulled off the hood of his robe. He shook his sweat-drenched hair, revealing the small white star on his forehead. The human sorcerer was a yer. ¡°How is it? Is it just like what I reported to you?¡± asked the human sorcerer. ¡°Precisely,¡± said the unit leader. ¡°There is a link among those cursed by the stars. It¡¯s easy to hide a spy among the orcs andmunicate with him to get information.¡± ¡°You have aplished a great task. I will remember what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Thank you, hahahaha!¡± ¡®What were they talking about?¡¯ Yi-An¡¯s eyes trembled. He didn¡¯t want to believe what he had heard, but he saw Grom slowly inching toward them. ¡°Yo, Hyun-Chul! Come over here!¡± yelled the human sorcerer. ¡°...¡± ¡°Good work, man. I will help you progress in the game now.¡± Grom hesitated briefly before running over to the humans¡¯ side. Unable to look the orcs in the eye, Grom lowered his head. The sorcerer yer pped Grom¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You look so dependable as an orc, dude. But you¡¯re gonna reset, right?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung,¡± replied Grom. [1]. ¡°You¡¯re making the right decision. I will raise you as a n member.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yi-An could not believe his eyes. Grom had betrayed them. No, from the very beginning, he had joined them as an orc to carry out this task. ¡°Earl, please deliver your promise,¡± the human sorcerer said to the unit leader. ¡°Yes, I will take your n under my wing. Have youpleted your quest?¡± the unit leader asked. ¡°It will bepleted once we catch those guys. It will especially be a huge contribution if we catch him,¡± the human sorcerer said and pointed his finger at Lenox. The target of his quest was the great warrior Lenox, the mentor of all orc warriors and the instructor at Orcrox Fortress. Their quest was to defeat the orc troop and kill Lenox, and Grom had been sent in as a spy to aplish this task. He had be a warrior to gain Lenox¡¯s trust. The lich had merely been the bait. ¡°Hey, lich, you can go now,¡± The sorcerer yer chanted a spell, and the blue dagger that had been eating away at the life essence vessel fell to the ground. The lich copsed and began panting before hurriedly running toward a small door in a corner. He opened the door and fled. Yi-An¡¯s gaze wavered. An escape route existed. If he used the escape route, he might be able to survive. Yi-An approached Lenox and said, ¡°Lenox! Let¡¯s quickly...¡± However, Lenox was looking somewhere else. Yi-An followed Lenox¡¯s gaze. They saw familiar faces amid the human soldiers as they spread apart. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Yi-An realized he had forgotten about the injured orcs. The humans had beaten up the orcs and dragged them from the empty area. While struggling to breathe, the orcs copsed like corpses. There was even a trail of blood showing where they had been dragged from. The earl¡ªthe unit leader¡ªkicked the face of the orc closest to him. One of the orc¡¯s tusks broke and flew into the air. ¡°Filthy orc bastard,¡± the earl eximed. ¡°Hehehe,¡± the sorcererughed. ¡°Fucking trash,¡± the earl said as his kicks continued. ¡°Die! Die!¡± Yi-An looked at Lenox, whose eyes were sunken. He was about to say to Lenox that although it was infuriating, now was time to run. However, Lenox interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Apprentice,¡± Lenox said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Escape through that door.¡± ¡°What...?¡± ¡°There will probably be human soldiers waiting past that door, but I believe in you. Survive until the end and inform Orcrox about the things that have happened here.¡± ¡°What about you...?¡± ¡°We are staying,¡± Lenox stated while raising his axe. The remaining orc warriors raised their weapons in unison. It was absurd. The orcs were fatigued and injured; the blood and flesh that covered their weapons weren¡¯t just of the enemies. They were also greatly disadvantaged in terms of number. This was a fight between an egg and a rock. The orcs were about to pass out from the consecutive battles they¡¯d fought, but their opponent was a fully armed infantry unit that hadn¡¯t suffered any losses. ¡°Lenox...!¡± Yi-An clenched his teeth. The other orcs were different from him. They couldn¡¯te back to life after death; their deaths were final. Nevertheless, Yi-An knew Lenox wouldn¡¯t listen to his words. As long as there were injured orcs among the humans, none of them would turn their back on their brothers. ¡°Then, I will fight with you!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°With all of you...!¡± Lenox shoved Yi-An away, sending him rolling across the ground. Yi-An sat up and raised his head toward Lenox. ¡®Why...?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, apprentice. This isn¡¯t a fight you can take part in,¡± said Lenox. Gultai, who was standing by his side, nodded. ¡°Yeah, you will just get in the way. Instead of being a bother, get out of here, apprentice! Hahahaha!¡± He wiped the blood off his bleeding chest and ced his halberd on his shoulder. ¡°My sorcery is wasted on you, apprentice.¡± It was Kinjur this time. The orc warriors began to speak up one by one. ¡°You must have misunderstood because we fought alongside one another, but you are just a hindrance.¡± ¡°We actually couldn¡¯t fight properly because of you. Go disappear!¡± ¡°Instead of disgracing yourself, you should just run away.¡± ¡°Stop being a bother when you are just an apprentice. Listen to Lenox¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Quit being clingy, and get out. I want to fight immediately after sending you off!¡± They were smiling, but Yi-An felt like he was going to cry. If everyone fled through the escape route, they might be able to live. Even if there were many soldiers behind that door, at least a few of the orcs might survive. Yet, they wanted to fight until the end. Yi-An screamed at Hoyt, ¡°Hoyt! Didn¡¯t you tell me the most important thing was survival, that life was the most important?!¡± Then he looked at Lenox. ¡°Lenox! Shouldn¡¯t we try to live first?! Isn¡¯t our shout ¡®bul¡¯tar¡¯?!¡± Yi-An vented his frustration toward the orcs, who stared nkly back at him. The orcs then looked at one another. ¡°Ha...¡± ¡°Hahaha...¡± One by one, their shoulders began to shake withughter. ¡°Hahahahahhaahahha! Hahahahhaha!¡± As their chests shook withughter, the sound of theirughter reverberated throughout the dungeon. They threw their heads back andughed heartily for a while before stopping. Lenox looked at Yi-An with amused eyes and said, ¡°Apprentice.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°As you have said, life is most important.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°So, I will ask you this... are you alive right now?¡± Yi-An stared back at him, dumbfounded. ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°Are you alive right now?¡± ¡°What...?¡± Yi-An could not understand what Lenox was trying to get at. ¡°Are you alive right now, at this moment?¡± ¡°I am alive.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°Why do you think you are alive? Is it because you are breathing?¡± ¡°Uhh...¡± ¡°Keep this in mind, apprentice.¡± Lenox smiled. All of the orc warriors smiled as they looked at Yi-An. Lenox brought his axe toward Yi-An, who saw his own face ovep with Lenox¡¯s face on the de. Lenox shouted, ¡°Bear in mind, apprentice!¡± It was the Lenox who had pushed Yi-An to work harder on the training grounds. ¡°Just because you are breathing, it doesn¡¯t mean that you are alive! Just because you aren¡¯t dead, doesn¡¯t mean that you are alive!¡± This was Lenox¡¯s final lesson to Yi-An. Yi-An realized that the greeting of the orcs wasn¡¯t just an inquiry about survival. ¡®Bul¡¯tar¡¯ wasn¡¯t just a shout to stay alive. Lenox turned around. With smiles on their faces, the orc warriors raised their weapons toward the humans standing in front of them. Lenox continued, ¡°Someone who doesn¡¯t know that doesn¡¯t deserve to fight with us, so...¡± At that moment, the orc warriors who had been passed out among the humans began shouting as theytched on to those around them. It was a desperatest hurrah. The humans¡¯ formation fell apart. ¡°Get out, now.¡± These were Lenox¡¯s final words. The orc warriors charged all at once. Yi-An turned around because he could not bear to look. Instead, he ran toward the emergency exit. Behind him, the cries of orcs shook the earth. ¡°Bul¡¯tttaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± *** ¡ªThe Hercules n in Elder Lord massacred a farmers¡¯ vige and dered it as their territory. What do you think about this? ¡ªThe method was cruel, but it¡¯s hard to impose a moralpass on this situation because the vigers were all NPCs. Other ns also... ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± a man remarked as he downed a ss of whiskey. The bartender nced over at the man to gauge how inebriated thetter was. Then he put down the ss he had been cleaning. ¡°Dumbass fucks who don¡¯t know what they are doing...¡± the man continued. ¡°I think you¡¯ve had too much to drink,¡± said the bartender. ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m okay. You know me,¡± assured the man. The bartender nodded in response. The man focused on the TV screen again. The topic had changed. ¡ªHow did the Elder Saga Corporation implement such a wless virtual reality? ¡ªI wonder. It must be thanks to the core system inherited from the genius scientist Yoo Jae-Han. Nothing has been publicly announced yet because it¡¯s confidential information, but there must be an extraordinary level ofputing equipment inside... ¡ªA level of genius we can¡¯t understand... The man looked into his whiskey ss. Its clear surface reflected his haggard face. He muttered to himself, ¡°Stupid morons... What virtual reality... Whatputing system...?¡± Then he gulped down his whiskey again. ¡°Howughable...¡± He nkly stared off into space after putting down his ss. ¡ªWhat is inside Albino, theputing system that makes all of this possible...? The man, Yoo Jae-Han,ughed. ¡®What¡¯s inside...?¡¯ He extended his hand into empty space. Something flickered in the air. He grabbed a fistful of air and muttered to himself, ¡°My god... You fucking morons.¡± 1. Hyung is a gender-specific term used by males to refer to older males ? Chapter 26: Goodbye Orcrox (1)

Chapter 26: Goodbye Orcrox (1)

Yi-An disconnected from the server. He went to the kitchen and downed a cold ss of water. At dawn, the apartment was quiet. He checked that the door to Yi-Yoo¡¯s room was closed and went outside to head to Riverside Park nearby. As Yi-An walked down the trail, he cooled his insides with the cold air. He was disoriented. Lenox was dead. Hoyt was dead, and Gultai was dead. All of the great warriors he had known were dead. Even after he logged out, this unfamiliar feeling refused to subside, so he decided to get a breath of cold air. However, instead of cooling off, the unfamiliar feeling thickened and coursed through him. Elder Lord¡¯s NPCs were made with artificial intelligence. Even though their thoughts and emotions were flickers of data from electronic signals, were they really that different from the thoughts and emotions trapped inside human brains? Yi-An refused to me himself for the pain he felt. Some might say it was his fault for being too absorbed in a game, but Lenox had been his mentor, and Hoyt had been his brother. Yi-An had learned a lot from them. They were more honest than humans in real life, and they understood honor and loyalty better than anyone he had ever met. He could never be like them. Yi-An covered his face with the palms of his hands. He was still confused. He couldn¡¯t figure out the answer to his question. Suddenly, he saw something in the distance. Some teenagers, who looked like runaways, were in a fight. They seemed to be the age of high-school students. Most of their voices were raised as they hit one teenager. The beaten teenager fell onto the ground and curled her body into a ball for protection. Yi-An tried to look away. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in a matter that he had nothing to do with. As Yi-An continued walking on the trail, the teenagers saw him pass by and red at him with the intention to intimidate. Yi-An nced over at them with an unconcerned look on his face and went about his way, but then... ¡°Are you alive?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Is it because you are breathing?¡± The voice in his memory came alive. Yi-An stopped. He began to breathe heavily. Lenox¡¯s boisterous voice rang in his ears like a hallucination. ¡°Just because you are breathing, it doesn¡¯t mean you are alive!¡± Yi-An turned his head. The runaway teenagers were speaking to the teenager they had been bullying. ¡°Hey, I told you to bring money. Why aren¡¯t you following our orders? Do you want to die?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, sell your body, you bitch.¡± Why was the world full of tiresome cliches? Why had all of the numerous targets that Yi-An had to killmitted evil deeds, and why did he have to drive bullets into people¡¯s heads without distinguishing who was innocent or guilty of such extreme crimes? His head hurt because reality was overrun with the cliches of evil. Why had the stories of heroes like Lenox and Hoyt disappeared from reality? ¡®Bul¡¯tar!¡¯ Yi-An approached them. Sensing his presence, the teenagers looked at him. There were two girls and five guys. They all had dyed hair and were excessively covered in piercings, to the extent it was difficult to tell what they had originally looked like. The bulky guy with yellow hair spoke first. ¡°Stop being nosy, and just leave, ahjussi.¡± [1] ¡°You¡¯ll only embarrass yourself if you meddle in our business, old man.¡± Yi-An decided not to exchange words with them. He struck the yellow-haired guy, kicking the pit of his stomach. While the guy was bent over from being winded, Yi-An grabbed his hair and tripped him. Then he kicked the yellow-haired guy¡¯s stomach again. ¡°Ugghhh!¡± the yellow-haired guy groaned. He was overpowered in that short instant. Shocked, the rest of the group charged at Yi-An. Yi-An applied thew of inertia to turn one of them upside down before dropping them to the ground. He made sure the teenager would fall on his back instead of his head so he wouldn¡¯t die. Then Yi-An used a low kick to counter the guy who charged at him with a low kick. They ended up hitting each other¡¯s thighs at the same time, but only Yi-An¡¯s opponent crumbled to the ground. The guy held his leg in pain while crawling. Yi-An kicked him in the stomach to put him to rest. Next, Yi-An easily dodged the fist that was flying toward him and hit the fist¡¯s owner in the chin. The opponent¡¯s legs gave out, and he crumbled to the ground as well. Now, there was just one guy remaining. He took a few steps back without daring to initiate an attack, while the girls just trembled with their mouths agape. Yi-An gestured toward the teenagers who had copsed onto the ground from the fight. Their friends understood what he meant and quickly departed with the fainted and injured guys propped up on their arms. As Yi-An watched them leave, he began craving the cigarettes he had quit smoking a long time ago. Whenever he witnessed horrendous sights on the battlefield in the past, he would always light up a cigarette. Yi-An extended his hand to the teenager on the ground and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The bullied teenager wore a nk expression on her face. She stared at Yi-An¡¯s hand with her knees still on the ground. ¡°...Thank you...¡± she uttered as she grabbed Yi-An¡¯s hand and stood up. ¡°Um... thank you...¡± she said hesitantly once more. Yi-An assessed the girl¡¯s current condition. She needed to apply some ointment as her lips were a bit torn. She had a pretty face though. Yi-An became lost in thought. ¡°Are you a student?¡± he asked. ¡°Dropout...¡± she said softly. ¡°Age?¡± ¡°...Eighteen...¡± She took a few steps back, suspicious of his intentions. However, Yi-An didn¡¯t care if she misunderstood. Maybe it was fate that they had run into each other. ¡°You aren¡¯t working, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you want to do a part-time job?¡± *** Han Yeo-Ri didn¡¯t feel so great today. As a part-timer who had been at Caf¨¦ Reason since its founding, she had believed there was a partnership between her and the owner. However, he had betrayed her and brought in a new part-timer out of nowhere without consulting her. Moreover, the new part-timer was a woman. He said she had dropped out of school. She was a pretty girl who still had the bearings of a child. ¡°Um... unni?¡± the new part-timer asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± retorted Han Yeo-Ri. ¡°Is coffee always this bitter...?¡± ¡°Of course, if you want to be a barista, you should be able to enjoy that level of bitterness.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s really bitter...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Nevermind...¡± Yi-An had entrusted Han Yeo-Ri with the task of training the new part-timer. Before this, he had been nning to reduce his hours at the caf¨¦, and as if by fate, he met a girl fitting for the job while walking at dawn. Han Yeo-Ri had a friendly personality, so Yi-An trusted her to do a good job of training the girl. He turned on his tablet and began watching Elder Lord Times. ¡ªRecently at the Item Valley auction, an Essence-tier item was sold for a hundred million won. ¡ªA hundred million won is a hefty sum, but it¡¯s not that surprising in Elder Lord. Item Valley has publicly revealed that the highest price record exceeded one billion won. ¡ªBecause of these factors, there has been an increase in people who rely on Elder Lord as their main source of ie. High-rankers typically do this. Once you be a high-ranker, Elder Saga will pay you extravagant sums ording to your achievement score. Rankings were calcted based on achievement scores. Each yer was given a ranking based on the achievements they umted in Elder Lord, and the Elder Saga Corporation subsidized the top-ranking yers. The top yers received periodic payments from the Elder Saga Corporation and earned money from selling items, sponsorships, and video copyright fees. Depending on the yer¡¯s talents, they could even get cast in television shows ormercials. Bing a high-ranker in Elder Lord meant bing a star. ¡°A high-ranker...¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyes lit up. He decided to invest more time and effort into Elder Lord. He didn¡¯t have financial concerns at the moment, but it was always better to have more money. Yi-An¡¯s n was to employ a part-timer to run the caf¨¦ while he earned side ie through Elder Lord. He wanted to stand out from other yers. ¡ªWe have the preeminent role-yer, militiaman Kim Dal-Kwang, with us here today. ¡ªHello, I¡¯m Kim Dal-Kwang. ¡ªKim Dal-Kwang-ssi has requested to be interviewed inside Elder Lord today. ¡ªYes, because I¡¯m militiaman Kim Dal-Kwang. I don¡¯t think of Elder Lord as a game. ¡ªDoes that mean you treat Elder Lord like reality? ¡ªYes, look at NPCs for example. I spend all day with NPCs, but I have never felt ufortable or awkward around them. I even sometimes think of Elder Lord as a portal that connects you to a different dimension. It is a wless implementation of a new world. ¡ªBased on what you said, we are concerned about Elder Lord¡¯s substantial influence on reality. ¡ªDon¡¯t be. I just do my best as Elder Lord¡¯s Kim Dal-Kwang. It¡¯s how I enjoy the game. Everyone has their own method. I actually dislike the term ¡®role-y¡¯. For me, it¡¯s all genuine; it¡¯s not acting. Yi-An could understand what Kim Dal-Kwang was saying. After having experienced life with the orc warriors, he felt moved by them. If Yi-An hadn¡¯t yed Elder Lord and remained his former self, Yoo Soo-Yeon, the new part-timer, wouldn¡¯t be here receiving training from Han Yeo-Ri right now. He would have left her and proceeded on his way as he had done so on the battlefield in the past. Yi-An cast aside his thoughts and closed the video. He checked out the hottest clips on the home page and clicked on the number one trending video. ¡°What...?¡± Yi-An¡¯s face hardened, and his hands trembled. The video was about a boss mob raid, and the star of the video was a face Yi-An was unable to forget. The NPC boss mob in the video was Lenox. Someone had filmed the process of baiting and killing Orcrox Fortress¡¯ legendary warrior. The fighting scene began with the orc warriors charging toward the human soldiers. It was a shocking scene. Despite being greatly outnumbered, the orc warriors ughtered the human soldiers with tremendous fighting power. Lenox¡¯s prowess was unrivaled as he roared and fought at the very front. He swept the humans away like they were leaves, but the tide turned when the earl, an NPC, came to the forefront. His sorcerers began firing non-stop at the orcs, who began to copse from the damage they suffered. The yer who was filming the sceneughed andmented, ¡°You need to use your brains, stupid orcs.¡± Lenox red at him. His cold eyes were now directed straight at the camera. Those watching felt a chill run down their spines. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for Orcrox¡¯s boss mob to die. Look,¡± said the yer. The earl approached Lenox and raised his blue sword. Lenox swung his axe at him. Their weapons collided, and a fierce battle ensued for a while. Their movements were so fast that they were difficult to see. The earl was gradually pushed back. Lenox kicked the earl, causing him to fall. However, just when Lenox was about to thrust his axe at the earl, a knight intervened and stabbed Lenox in the back. The knight¡¯s de pierced through to the other side, and its tip jutted out at the front of Lenox¡¯s torso. Lenox clenched his teeth. He tried to muster his strength with trembling hands and attempted to stab the earl again, but another knight stabbed him from behind. ¡°Aaarrghh...!¡± Blood oozed out from his mouth. The humans didn¡¯t stop; they continued to stab Lenox, who ended up dropping to his knees. Hoyt, Gultai, Kinjur, and many other orc warriors began crumbling from the onught of consecutive attacks. The yer filming the scene exined, ¡°The raid was sessful. Isn¡¯t it easy? If you use NPCs, it¡¯s really not that hard. You just have to use your brain with quests. That¡¯s it for the Haedong Balhae n, which aims to be the best in Elder Lord.¡± [2]. Lastly, the yer filmed Lenox¡¯s corpse copsing to the ground with open eyes. The video ended with the caption ¡®Raid sess!¡¯ The reactions to the video were explosive. Some viewers praised the humans for seeding in killing Lenox, which was a feat everyone had believed to be impossible. Othersuded them for raising national prestige by aplishing what foreign ns had been unable to achieve. There was also a popr opinion among the viewers that all of those filthy orcs should be exterminated. Yi-An seethed with anger. He mmed the tablet screen without thinking and identally returned to thest video he had been watching. It was a continuation of Kim Dal-Kwang¡¯s interview on Elder Lord Times. ¡ªI arrest anyone who disrupts the city, whether they are a yer or an NPC. I¡¯m a militiaman before I am a yer. Sometimesedic scenes are portrayed in the process... ¡®Haedong Balhae n, I will remember you,¡¯ Yi-An thought. He ingrained in his mind the images of the yers who had made assumptions about who was good and evil without knowing the circumstances. Yi-An¡¯s life had been peaceful so far. After his discharge from the army, he lived peacefully every day while interacting with customers at the caf¨¦ and taking care of Yi-Yoo. Rather than working toward a goal, his days were a continuation of afortable daily life. However, these yers had given Yi-An a quest. He wanted to crush their eager, excited faces. He would clearly show those underhanded guys what an orc warrior was truly like. Militiaman Kim Dal-Kwang¡¯s voice continued to ring out from the tablet. ¡ªRegardless of whether they are yers or NPCs, we should arrest them if they do something wrong. There are no exceptions. 1. Ahjussi is a term for middle-aged men. ? 2. Haedong Balhae refers to a kingdom established in 698 in present day Korea, Northeast China, and the Russian Far East. It was referred to as the ¡®Prosperous Country of the East¡¯ by the Tang Dynasty as it had a sophisticated culture and touted economic prosperity ? Chapter 27: Goodbye Orcrox (2)

Chapter 27: Goodbye Orcrox (2)

A candle rose as it lit up the darkness. Tashaquil¡¯s eyes were closed. He mumbled in an ancientnguage, and the candles began to shake, moving to the rhythm of his whispers. Yi-An sat across Tashaquil and listened to his voice. Yi-An¡¯s head felt light as if he was under a spell, and his mind exceeded the boundaries of the body and floated up into the air. ¡°Artani mokaw dom de quakwa bul¡¯tar misaterioak... De¡¯sar quak kisame ilxone qfwfq...¡± The bizarre echo of Tashaquil¡¯s voice shook Yi-An. His body fell into a deep sleep while his mind followed the sound of Tashaquil¡¯s voice, which seemed to sink deeper and deeper. At some point, Yi-An was surrounded by pitch-ck darkness with two balls of light heading toward him. He looked around. There were no candles, and Tashaquil wasn¡¯t present; there wasn''t anything he recognized. The two balls of light glowing in that absolute darkness stared at Yi-An, who stared back. When their gazes met, he felt a sense of danger as if his soul was going to get sucked in. Other minds were trying to converge with Yi-An¡¯s, but he resisted and held onto his consciousness. Yi-An clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, the balls of light split open. The two balls of light turned out to be a pair of eyes. The eyes then began multiplying. The two eyes became four, eight, sixteen... Eventually, there were dozens¡ªno, hundreds, of eyes staring at Yi-An. Yi-An¡¯s eyes widened. Faint images of warriors¡¯ faces began to appear in the hundreds of eyes. First, he saw Leyteno Pacrinche, the legendary warrior who carried the greatsword on his back. Then he saw Gloin with his axe. The great warriors from the Hall of Fame, along with numerous orc warriors, were all looking at Yi-An, but the one closest to him was Lenox. Lenox whispered something to Yi-An. Yi-An tried to listen closely, but Lenox¡¯s voice circled around him and evaded his ears. He shook his head to tell Lenox he couldn''t hear him. Nevertheless, Lenox smiled and said something again, but Yi-An could not figure out what. Lenox then nodded and extended his fist toward Yi-An. Yi-An looked at Lenox¡¯s hand¡ªa hand roughened by countless battles and wars. He extended his fist to meet Lenox¡¯s heavy fist, and the world suddenly became pitch ck again... Yi-An opened his eyes. He was in front of Tashaquil, who whispered, ¡°Young orc, what is it that you seek?¡± Yi-An¡¯s mind went nk, but one word rose and filled his mind to the brim. He repeated the word over and over in his head. ¡®Honor.¡¯ ¡°What is it that you want to achieve?¡± continued Tashaquil in a whisper. ¡®Honor.¡¯ ¡°For what reason are you walking the path of the warrior?¡± Yi-An looked at Tashaquil, whose two eyes observed Yi-An. Yi-An was unable to move his body or open his mouth to speak, but there was one word that continued to ring in his head. That was his only answer. ¡®Honor.¡¯ Yi-An¡¯s face and body felt hot; heat engulfed his body. As he endured the pain, his expression became distorted. He tried to keep his back straight while looking back at Tashaquil in the eye. ¡®Honor.¡¯ Tashaquil whispered, ¡°My dear, I am a hawk that flies through the Northern skies, the blue guardian of the sunrise, and the pale blue g-bearer that guides others through dark paths. I am sorcerer Tashaquil. Warrior who is about to begin a long journey, what is your name?¡± Yi-An tried to respond with his name, but his mouth refused to budge as if sped shut. Instead, a strange echo reverberated in his mind. The echo contained a word he was hearing for the first time. Tashaquil looked into Yi-An¡¯s eyes and smiled knowingly. It was as if he knew what was going on in Yi-An¡¯s head. Right then, all of the lights turned off. ¡°Remember that name,¡± said Tashaquil as he rose from his seat. It was a ritual that felt like a short moment yet also a very long time, making Yi-An unable to gauge how much time had passed. His whole body was drenched in sweat. Tashaquil approached the window and lifted the curtains that blocked out the sun. The rays of light struck and stung Yi-An¡¯s eyes. The ritual to be a warrior was over. Yi-An was now officially a warrior. Tashaquil, who stood with his back to the sun, handed something to Yi-An. It was a mirror. Yi-An looked at his reflection in the mirror and found his appearance had changed. The prominent tattoos that symbolized orc warriors now ran down from his face to all over his body. He could feel power pulsing inside him along the path of the tattoos. Yi-An looked back up at Tashaquil. Tashaquil¡¯s eyes filled with sorrow after Lenox¡¯s death, but he still had a wise, knowing look on his face. It had been Lenox¡¯s duty to train orcs into warriors, but the one who always performed the warrior¡¯s ritual was Tashaquil. This was his task as the guide who lit up the pathway for others. ¡°Young warrior, what is your name?¡± Tashaquil asked. At that question, a nostalgic voice came to mind. ¡°You will receive a new name once you be a warrior, so I won¡¯t bother remembering your name!¡± Yi-An could hear Lenox¡¯s voice from the past ringing in his ears. ¡°Be a warrior!¡± Yi-An could finally open his mouth to speak. ¡°My name is...¡± *** The orc warriors returned to the dungeon to recover their brothers¡¯ corpses. Surprisingly, Hoyt was alive. He was found covered in blood among the corpses of orc warriors. The orcs had initially thought he was dead, but once they lifted him up onto their shoulders, they heard a faint breath escape his mouth. After fainting during battle, he had been in a state of suspended animation all this time. He was still alive, but he had been unable to move or recover consciousness. ording to the sorcerers, Hoyt wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up for quite a while. The funeral for the dead orc warriors was carried out solemnly. Orcs from all over the continent gathered to mourn Lenox. Even those who were renowned, lived in seclusion, or had a legendary status appeared. The first notable warrior toe through the door was Zankus, the hunter reputed to be able to shoot down the sun. He was followed by Kumarak, the mountain smasher, and then Wachwi, the sorcerer who pursued the abyss. Even Anya, the mad ughterer, arrived. Numerous powerhouses of the orc world came to grieve; the visits to express condolences refused to cease. Once the funeral started, the rhythm of the dirge echoed throughout all of Orcrox. They hung the steel helmet Lenox used to wear at the training ground, where he used to scream at orc warriors. He would always watch over the orc warriors there. [Status Window Orc Warrior Title: Pursuer of the Pinnacle Level: 16 Achievement Points: 2420 Assimtion: 70% Skills Orc Warrior¡¯s Strength (Special) Orc Warrior¡¯s Recovery (Special) Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Rare) Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare) Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) Tattoos of Honor (Rare)] Many changes had urred since the dungeon raid. Back when Yi-An escaped through the dungeon¡¯s emergency exit, the first thing he discovered had been the lich¡¯s corpse. The soldiers waiting behind the door had ambushed and killed the lich. Their des headed toward Yi-An next, but he managed to demonstrate extraordinary strength and ended up killing all of them. He couldn¡¯t remember what happened exactly because he had been in a hot-blooded state during the battle, but he vaguely remembered that his assimtion rate had soared, and his message window had shed incessantly in front of him. Then, when he finally came to his senses, he was standing in front of Orcrox Fortress, covered in blood. His skills and achievement scores had greatly increased by that time. Yi-An¡¯s basic abilities had risen, and his Orc¡¯s Greatsword Technique had leveled up twice and had been upgraded to a Rare-tier skill, Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique. After the warrior ceremony, he gained yet another Rare-tier skill, Tattoos of Honor. He didn¡¯t know the specifics of that skill yet though. After the ceremony, Yi-An decided to depart from Orcrox. His first goal was to find the Haedong Balhae n and Grom, the traitor who turned over the orcs. The human sorcerer had called Grom ¡®Hyun-Chul¡¯. Now, they were Yi-An¡¯s targets. However, Yi-An was still weak, so he nned to build up his strength by venturing outside Orcrox. After that, he would make them pay the price for their actions. ¡°I will get revenge on the human earl,¡± said Anya, the mad ughterer. Anya was referred to as ¡®the mad ughterer¡¯ because she tended to go berserk in battle. She had a group of orc warriors who were only loyal to her, and they were all bloodthirsty butchers too. Mountain Smasher Kumarak agreed. ¡°I will help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need someone who is all brawn and no brain,¡± said Anya haughtily. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb, Anya!¡± eximed Kumarak. The warriors didn''t know much about those who had received the curse of the stars. When Yi-An said he would punish the traitor, Grom, himself, they doubted his strength. ¡°You just became a warrior. Do you think you will be able to do it?¡± asked Zankus. Tashaquil shook his head in response. ¡°He is thest warrior who received Lenox¡¯s teaching and the one who saw Lenox¡¯sst moments. He is qualified.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± replied Zankus. ¡°I can attest to that,¡± assured Tashaquil. ¡°Understood, but...¡± Zankus looked at Yi-An and smiled bitterly. ¡°If you make an underhanded move, I will hunt you down. I can¡¯t trust someone who escaped by himself.¡± ¡°Zankus,¡± Tashaquil rebuked Zankus. However, Yi-An quietly nodded and said, ¡°Understood.¡± Everyone tended to their sorrow in different ways. Hoyt was chosen as Lenox¡¯s sessor to take over his ce at Orcrox Fortress once he recovered, but this was only if he didn¡¯t refuse. After the great warriors left, only Tashaquil and Yi-An remained. ¡°Where are you headed?¡± asked Tashaquil. ¡°I have to go to Anail first,¡± replied Yi-An. He had to meet Thompson at Anail. Thompson had sent Yi-An a letter saying that the Golden Anvil n hadpleted his sword. So, Yi-An nned to visit Anail first to collect his sword, but there was someone else he had to meet... Derek. Yi-An hated Derek, but he had decided to borrow Derek¡¯s strength because he had an important mission now. He needed the help of an NPC who had power and authority. Yi-An continued, ¡°...Afterward, I will go after the Haedong Balhae n and Grom to the end.¡± ¡°I wish you the best of luck,¡± replied Tashaquil encouragingly. He then swayed his staff, and an unknown strength was passed to Yi-An. [Tashaquil is granting you unknown powers.] [An unidentifiable strength has settled inside your body.] ¡°This is...?¡± wondered Yi-An. ¡°It will help you one day,¡± said Tashaquil with a smile. ¡°When are you nning to leave?¡± Yi-An looked at the sky. The sun had yet to set. Since Lenox¡¯s funeral was over, it was time for Yi-An to go. ¡°Right now.¡± ¡°You are in quite a hurry.¡± ¡°Lenox always said this...¡± said Yi-An as he recalled Lenox¡¯s face. ¡°¡®You can watch others forever or swing your sword!¡¯¡± A bitter smile spread over Tashaquil¡¯s face. ¡°I will head out now,¡± Yi-An said. ¡°I wish you luck.¡± Yi-An and Tashaquil bumped fists. Then, Yi-An crossed through Orcrox. As he began to see the exit, he contemted all of the things that had happened at Orcrox Fortress. When he first logged into Elder Lord, he never expected these things to happen. He had started ying the game as a form of light entertainment, but he had met Lenox, Grant, Hoyt, Antuak, and Tashaquil here. He had grown through the rtionships and bonds he formed in the game. They were great minds worthy of respect. As Yi-An exited Orcrox Fortress, he was greeted by familiar faces. ¡°Hey, are you alive?¡± ¡°Are you alive?¡± They were Orcrox¡¯s guards, the first orcs Yi-An had met. They still guarded Orcrox Fortress with their hardy selves, appearing like stone statues. ¡°You are finally a warrior,¡± they remarked. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°It seems just like yesterday when you first came here acting like a total newbie.¡± ¡°Now you look very much like a warrior, hahahaha!¡± The guards burst out inughter, and Yi-Anughed along with them. They exchanged nces and then said, ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s about time we ask you this question.¡± They extended their fists side by side toward Yi-An. ¡°Young warrior departing from Orcrox...¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°What is your name?¡± The guards, like Lenox, had never asked Yi-An his name before. Now, Yi-An understood why. It was because he didn¡¯t have a name back then. However, now that he was a warrior, he had a name he could share with them. ¡°My name is...¡± Yi-An began. He took a deep breath and concluded, ¡°...Crockta.¡± The guards nodded. It was now a farewell. Crockta bumped fists with them. Chapter 28: An Irresistible Offer (1)

Chapter 28: An Irresistible Offer (1)

The orc farmers gathered at the house of Agra, the spiritual pir of the farmers, to prepare a countermeasure for the issue at hand. Many orc farmers had been temporarily away to attend Lenox¡¯s funeral and returned to find ruined farnd and broken tools. The orcs who stayed behind had been ambushed, and they suffered injuries or faced death. The farmers discovered that the creature that had once overrun the farmers with fear was back; the mutant werewolf had returned. Grant, a former warrior, was still at Orcrox to help sort through Lenox¡¯s posthumous matters, and the remaining orc farmers were unable to handle the heightened strength and cruelty of the mutant werewolf¡¯s attacks. The werewolf¡¯s pack no longer consisted of regr wolves and was insteadposed of dire wolves from the north. The orc farmers did their best to drive out the wolves from their territory, but casualties continued to increase due to the wolves¡¯ gueri warfare. It was a crisis. ¡°If we don¡¯t do something, we will continue to be assaulted by the wolves.¡± ¡°We need to request help from Orcrox¡¯s warriors!¡± ¡°But this neighborhood has already been overtaken by the wolves. Whoever goes out will be ambushed the moment they leave.¡± ¡°We need to unite and head out altogether...¡± ¡°But we have kids. We can¡¯t leave the kids by themselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous to take them.¡± ¡°Then, what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Why did it have to be now...?¡± Orc warriors who usually passed by the area were nowhere to be found because they were busy attending Lenox¡¯s funeral, so the orc farmers could only sigh. The wolves were continuing their raids even at this very moment. Suddenly, the orc farmers heard a scream. ¡°Help me, please! Save me!¡± ¡°This voice is...¡± It was the voice of a child orc. The orc farmers looked out the window. A young kid was being chased by dire wolves. He had already been bitten multiple times, and he was bleeding from his legs even while staggering away. ¡°Oh, my...!¡± Huge dire wolves were running right up to the kid. Their ferocious teeth looked like they would tear apart the kid into pieces at any moment. The orc farmers opened the door and ran out without hesitation... but it was a trap! ¡°...!¡± As the farmers ran out to save the kid, dozens of dire wolves walked out from behind bushes and rocks. An exceptionallyrge wolf looked at the orc farmers andughed. ¡°Filthy orc bastards... I will exterminate all of you today...¡± It was a talking wolf that had a frightening appearance and a long scar across its face. This was the mutant wolf that Grant had defeated, but it was stronger, bigger, and smarter now. After fleeing to the north, the mutant wolf managed to convince dire wolves to join its pack, so its army was stronger than ever now. The orc farmers gritted their teeth. They might all die soon. As they anxiously looked behind them, they saw the children who had stayed behind at Agra¡¯s house peek out from behind the front door with terrified expressions. ¡°Shut the door and hide!¡± yelled the farmers as they grabbed their farming tools and anything that could possibly act as a weapon. While taking a few steps back, they red boldly at the wolves that were gradually closing in on them. After all, although they were farmers who didn¡¯t know much about fighting, they were still orcs. The mutant wolf looked at them amusedly and began cackling withughter. Then, it instantly ran and bit the kid that the wolves had been chasing. ¡°Ahhh!¡± The farmers paled with shock. ¡°Let go of the kid!¡± The kid was so shocked that he fainted. His limp body continued to bleed while his arm remained in the wolf¡¯s mouth. Seeing this, the orcs¡¯ hands trembled with anger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will end up like him soon,¡± said the mutant wolf. It threw the young orc¡¯s body onto the ground andughed. Then it began howling toward the sky, ¡°Awooooooo... Awoooooooooo...¡± The mutant werewolf¡¯s body began to change rapidly. Its body swelled up like a balloon and then rippled into the form of powerful muscles. It raised its front legs and stood up straight on its hind legs, which quickly became sturdier. The wolf towered over the orcs andughed insidiously while looking down at them. He was now a giant, bipedal werewolf! ¡°I will feast on orc meat tonight.¡± ¡°Th-That...¡± said the farmers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The young orcs are tastier because their flesh is tender.¡± The werewolf cackled. ¡°You bastard...!¡± The orc farmers raised their weapons and clenched their teeth. They were trembling with fear, but they tried to hold themselves steady and red at the werewolf. The werewolf screamed, ¡°Get them!¡± The mutant werewolf and the dire wolves all charged toward the farmers. The orc farmers braced themselves for death as they lunged at the wolves. They were just farmers, but they had children to protect. Anyone could be a warrior if they had a reason to fight. The mutant werewolf swung its huge forepaw at the orcs. The werewolf was sorge that the orcs looked like kids inparison. Additionally, its ws were like des! The orcs at the forefront appeared as if they could be swept away at any moment. The orcs within the range of the werewolf¡¯s paw shut their eyes in fear. Just then, a sudden force flung the mutant werewolf backward, causing it to entangle with the other wolves and roll across the ground. The wolf whimpered with a nk expression as if it didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. It tried to stand up, but it was unable to find its bnce due to the shock it had suffered and fell back down. The orc farmers¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. There was an orc standing tall like a statue amid the pack of wolves. ¡°Ooooooh...!¡± The orc farmers¡¯ faces brightened as they got a closer look at his appearance. He had an imposing and brawny stature, tattoos running down from his face and all over his body, a huge greatsword hanging from his back, and a confident spirit that did not waver even after facing dozens of wolves. This was a brave orc warrior! ¡°A warrior is here...!¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± ¡°A warrior!¡± eximed the farmers. The orc warrior carried the unconscious child over to the orc farmers and then pulled out his greatsword. ¡°I came because I smelled a dog,¡± he said as he walked toward the dumbfounded mutant werewolf. ¡°But it was this son of a bitch.¡± ¡°You... You...!¡± The wolf recognized him now. ¡°d we could meet before I left,¡± said the orc warrior. ¡°Awwoooo...!¡± The mutant werewolf charged at the orc warrior. The orc warrior dodged its attacks with swift movements and then shed the werewolf with a diagonal stroke. The werewolf howled in pain as its skin tore from the attack and its blood sttered on the earth. ¡°Ugh...! Attack! Attack him!¡± yelled the werewolf. The dire wolves stormed at the orc warrior in unison. Concerned by the perilous sight of dozens of wolves charging toward a single orc, the orc farmers were about to aid the orc warrior with their farming tools. However, the orc warrior swung his greatsword right then, and the dire wolves at the forefront of the pack all dropped to the ground spewing blood. Rather than retreating, the orc warrior willingly dove into the pack of dire wolves. The dire wolves surrounded him in an instant, concealing him from the view of the orc farmers. ¡°Oh. Oh, no...!¡± The farmers¡¯ hands were cold with sweat from the tension. At that moment, a sh of light was visible in the gaps between the dire wolves. Swish! Swish! Swish! The dire wolves spewed blood and copsed to the ground in session. Eventually, the orc warrior¡¯s greatsword pierced thest dire wolf, prating its stomach. He then kicked away the dire wolf¡¯s dead body and pulled out his greatsword from its stomach. Feeling fearful, the dire wolves no longer dared to approach him. The mutant werewolf who had been stumbling behind them screamed, ¡°Attack! I said to attack him!¡± Despite that, the dire wolves had already lost the will to fight. The mutant werewolf bared his teeth in anger. ¡°These cowards...¡± The orc warrior wagged his finger at the werewolf. It was a provocation that meant e over here.¡¯ However, the mutant werewolf hesitated to make a move and hovered around him instead. The orc warrior took a step forward, causing the werewolf to take a step back. ¡°Grrrr... You filthy orc...¡± said the mutant werewolf. The orc warrior replied, ¡°Come at me instead of hiding with your tail between your legs, you mutant born from a mistake of nature.¡± The orc warrior touched the mutant werewolf¡¯s sore spot. The werewolf¡¯s eyes quivered in anger as it leaped toward the orc warrior and swung its paw. The werewolf¡¯s ws collided with the greatsword and wore away at its de. ¡°I¡¯m a mistake? Orcs are cancerous masses of nature.¡± The orc warrior¡¯s muscles swelled. It was a contest of strength with a werewolf muchrger than him, but he did not pale inparison. Rather, he overpowered the werewolf. As the werewolf got pushed back, it withdrew its ws and came up with another n. The werewolf nned to make the orc warrior lose his bnce and seize that opportunity to attack, but the orc warrior was already out of the werewolf¡¯s range of attack. In ast futile attempt, the werewolf swiped at empty space. The orc warrior saw an opening and lunged a stab toward the werewolf. The werewolf retreated and was able to avoid the attack, but the orc warrior, who now had the upper hand, repeatedly swung his greatsword at the werewolf. ¡°Aaarghhh!¡± the werewolf groaned in pain as its body was continuously afflicted with injuries. The dire wolves had already fled, so the werewolf was all alone now. It looked around at its surroundings. The orc farmers were standing by with their farming tools in hand. Now, the werewolf was the one that waspletely surrounded. It wanted to run, but it was no longer able to due to the deep wound in its leg. ¡°...Grrr... Disgusting orcs...¡± the werewolf groaned. The werewolf opened its eyes wide and then charged at the orc farmers with itsst bit of strength. It charged forward like an ox with its open mouth baring gleaming sharp teeth. This was an unforeseen event! Right then, the farmers heard a loud thud and saw a de jutting out from the werewolf¡¯s open mouth. The mutant werewolf stopped in its tracks. The greatsword had pierced all the way through from the back of the werewolf¡¯s head. The werewolf dropped to its knees as its blood dripped down the thick greatsword protruding from its mouth. ¡°Gr... G-Gr...¡± Then its head began to droop. This was thest moment of the mutant werewolf who had made the orc farmers tremble in fear! The warrior pulled his greatsword out from the werewolf¡¯s head, and the werewolf¡¯s corpse copsed to the ground. ¡°Stay alive,¡± said the orc warrior as he bowed his head toward the orc farmers and hung the greatsword from his back. With a nonchnt attitude as if nothing had happened, he casually continued on his path toward the east. The farmers were in awe as they watched him leave. An old orc farmer, Agra, came to his senses and called out to the orc warrior, ¡°Excuse me, warrior.¡± The orc warrior turned around. ¡°Thank you. We are very, very grateful. Please give us your name at least,¡± said Agra. The orc warrior replied, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Crockta¡ªthat¡¯s a fine name.¡± The warrior Crockta smiled. He bowed his head again before disappearing toward the east. The orc farmers prayed the warrior would have a blessed journey. *** Thompson handed a weapon to Yi-An, who was now Crockta. Crockta used to be a clumsy apprentice warrior, but he now exuded a strong presence like Hoyt¡¯s. ¡°This is your sword,¡± said Thompson. ¡°This is...¡± said Crockta. Thompson had been greatly worried upon hearing the news of Lenox¡¯s death, but he was relieved when he heard that Hoyt had survived. He said he nned to visit Orcrox as soon as possible to meet Hoyt once a business matter was settled. ¡°Can you carry it?¡± asked Thompson. Crockta¡¯s new greatsword was bigger and heavier than his previous greatsword, but he was stronger now. He believed that his new weapon was just right for him. As soon as he picked up the greatsword, it fit perfectly in his hand. Simply by holding the greatsword, Crockta could imagine how it would move and the trajectory it would draw as it shed its enemy. ¡°It¡¯s really nice,¡± said Crockta. ¡°It suits you,¡± replied Thompson. ¡°Thank you.¡± [Ogre yer (Essence)] [You have attained the greatsword made by the Golden Anvil tribe¡¯s master craftsman Jaquiro, who created the greatsword to return the favor to their savior, Thompson. The greatsword was constructed for a strong orc warrior. It has a trace of adamantium, so it can even cut ogre flesh.] It was an Essence-tier item. Items of this tier easily sold for millions of won in the real world. Crockta¡¯s new greatsword had a in exterior, but people with a good eye would be able to recognize its true value. Thompson smiled at Crockta¡¯s awed expression. ¡°This is nothingpared to what you have done for me and my family,¡± said Thompson. ¡°Thank you so much. I will put it to good use.¡± ¡°Here is the sheath.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Crockta wore the sheath on his back. It exerted a pleasing pressure on his back with its weight. ¡°I really like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you like it so much,¡± Thompson said. Then his happy expression changed to a bitter one when he looked at the hammer hung on the wall. ¡°I hope Hoyt would be happy to receive his.¡± ¡°He will definitely be pleased,¡± assured Crockta. ¡°Will Hoyt... wake up?¡± asked Thompson. Hoyt still had yet to regain consciousness, but Crockta was sure he would wake up. Crockta nodded in response. ¡°Yes, he will wake up as if nothing has happened and be Orcrox¡¯s new instructor.¡± ¡°That will be great. Then I can go see him often.¡± Thompsonughed with relief. Thompson had established his own shop, the Thompson Trading Company. It was still in its early days, but it was rising rapidly through its rtionship with the Golden Anvil tribe and even threatening the top position of the cksmith Company in Anail. Suddenly, the door opened halfway, and Thompson¡¯s secretary popped her head into the room. ¡°Thompson,¡± she called. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Thompson answered. ¡°A guest is here.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The guest is for him... not you,¡± Thompson¡¯s secretary said and nced over at Crockta hesitantly. She was not ustomed to seeing orcs. Crockta tilted his head curiously. ¡°My guest?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°He is... Ah, sir, you aren¡¯t supposed toe inside...¡± The door burst open. Standing beyond the doorway was a face Crockta had seen before. ¡°Whew. You¡¯ve be tough, orc brother,¡± said the surprise guest. It was the subordinate who had handed him Derek¡¯s business card previously. Chapter 29: An Irresistible Offer (2)

Chapter 29: An Irresistible Offer (2)

Derek¡¯s mansion was luxuriouspared to other residences in Anail. In its surroundings, flowers and trees harmoniously intermingled with one another, and fish created ripples as they swam. It was a beautiful sight that stood at the border between looking natural and artificial. Amidst it all was Derek, seated at a tea table, leisurely sipping his tea. Crockta thought it was a bizarre sight. The scene of a big shot of the underworld enjoying afternoon tea as if he were an aristocrat got on Crockta¡¯s nerves. It was like seeing a puzzle piece that didn¡¯t fit. Derek smiled as if he knew it as well and asked, ¡°Do you have a sense of personal taste, youngd?¡± ¡°Taste?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes, taste. Your own sense of beauty. Sit.¡± Crockta sat down opposite Derek. ¡°I have clearly defined tastes. For example, there can¡¯t be anything else there aside from yellow tulips,¡± said Derek as he pointed at the yellow tulips poking their heads out side by side above the green grass. He continued, ¡°There are thirteen fish in that pond. Can¡¯t have more or fewer than that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m very specific about these things. All of these personal preferences make me who I am, and one ethic I have is that I must follow through with every contract. I don¡¯t forgive anyone who vites them, and thanks to that, I was able to gain wealth and authority.¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± asked Crockta disgruntledly. ¡°My tastes have been overturned.¡± Derekughed. Crockta could not understand what he was trying to get at. ¡°An issue has emerged that I can¡¯t do anything about. It¡¯s like how I can¡¯t get rid of the sun in the sky just because I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Just use a parasol,¡± retorted Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. I can¡¯t do anything about it, so I should at least use a parasol, but that parasol has to fit my taste. As I said before, I am thorough about my personal tastes,¡± Derek said and handed Crockta a piece of paper. ¡°This is the kind of person I am. Please understand.¡± ¡°...¡± It was a contract. Crockta scanned through its contents. ¡°...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so wary,¡± assured Derek. ¡°What is going on?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m interested in you, so I got one of my dogs to spy on you.¡± Derek had followed and investigated Crockta. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible for this contract to have these specific contents otherwise. Crockta¡¯s lips twitched upon reading the contract, which said that Derek would provide information on the Haedong Balhae n and those who had received the curse of the stars. In return for Derek providing information on the n members, Crockta had to kill a few figures associated with the Haedong Balhae n. The targets were those who hadn¡¯t been cursed by the stars¡ªNPCs. ¡°Don¡¯t you want revenge?¡± asked Derek. ¡°...¡± ¡°I have decided to bet on you. I have nned a few investments based on the assumption that your revenge will seed. The targets are people you will have to kill for your vengeance anyway, so don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Derek said. Crockta continued to read the document. The Haedong Balhae n had been increasing their realm of influence by cooperating with NPCs who possessed wealth and authority in their respective regions. Derek wanted to invest in those who opposed these authorities. If these authorities fell with Crockta¡¯s help, Derek would share the fruits ofbor with the new authorities that would emerge as a result. It was a gamble built on the premise of Crockta¡¯s sess. ¡°I am curious about your motivation,¡± Crockta said to Derek. Crockta had been nning to seek Derek¡¯s help, but this was at a muchrger scale than he had expected even though it was what he wanted. ¡°Are you going to get mad if I say it¡¯s because I¡¯m bored?¡± Derek smiled as he sipped on his tea. ¡°Youngd, I am old, and my life isplete. I am in a state in which I desire nothing. Everything in my life has gone the way I nned, so there is nothing that I¡¯m curious about or find amusing.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Yi-An, who was now Crockta, might be ying Elder Lord for a simr reason. ¡°You are kind of fun,¡± said Derek. ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to watch over you. The reason I¡¯m betting money on you is that I want to be involved in your journey. If your sess bes my sess, I would be able to fully immerse myself in your story. Crockta nodded. He knew people like Derek in real life. They said simr things while participating in illegal online sports gambling. Most of them gambled away all of their money and ended up cing their heads down on their keyboards in dismay. ¡°Understood,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Good.¡± Crockta requested a pen to sign the contract. ¡°Before that,¡± Derek said while shaking his head, ¡°I have to test your skills first.¡± ¡°What?!¡± eximed Crockta in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m making an investment, so I want to verify if you at least have the minimum qualifications. I¡¯ll say... you do look stronger than before though.¡± Crockta looked at Derek. Derek was still the same. He had broad shoulders that belied his age and a trained and well-toned body. His presence was still as sharp as a de. If Crockta had to fight with Derek now, it wouldn''t be easy. There was a high chance he would lose even if he exhausted all of his strength. Derekughed at Crockta¡¯s expression. ¡°It¡¯s not to fight me. We don¡¯t have to sh swords since we¡¯re in the same boat.¡± ¡°Then...?¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°Here.¡± Derek handed Crockta another document. ¡°If you aplish this, I will trust you and seal the deal.¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes widened. After he finished reading through the document, he nodded. *** The city of freedom, Anail, had been founded by runaways of different species. Thus, Anail was scattered with alleyways that had their own strict rules. The first rule was ¡®Don¡¯t kill the innocent.¡¯ Unwarranted ambushes sometimes urred in the underworld of Anail, but they couldn¡¯t kill the victim. Even Derek, who dominated Anail¡¯s underworld, did not get blood on his hands unless it was due to the terms of a contract. It was an unwrittenw that had been passed down since the founding of Anail. The city of runaways was made up of inhabitants who had fled to avoid death, so Anail¡¯s citizens thoroughly understood that death was irreversible. However, the unspoken rule had been broken. ¡°What did I tell you?¡± said a woman while gasping for breath. The two men with her nodded. A man who had suffered a blow to the heady copsed on the ground as they hovered over him. The woman stabbed the man in the back with her dagger to make sure he was dead. He did not respond. Instead, his blood leaked out and seeped into the ground. ¡°NPCs are no big deal,¡± the woman remarked. ¡°It¡¯s because we have leveled up a lot,¡± said the man standing next to her. ¡°Once we level up more, let¡¯s leave this ce,¡± she replied. They were a trio. It was the group of yer killers that had ambushed Yi-An but ended up being ughtered by him back when he had yet to be an official warrior. These yer killers were no longer able to lure and stab yers in the back as Youvidser Laney had made their misdeeds widely known. Thus, they now ambushed NPCs instead. It wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do, but they had developed a knack for it and continuously leveled up from hunting NPCs. Their tactic was to loiter in the streets once it got dark and attack whoever seemed to be easy prey. However, they had no idea that they had be targets of Anail¡¯s underworld as a result of their ceaseless murders. Moreover, the king of Anail¡¯s underworld was the cold-blooded Derek, and he had already dispatched an assassin. ¡°...¡± While in hiding, Crockta confirmed their faces. He had his doubts after reading Derek¡¯s documents, but now he was certain who the targets were. He couldn¡¯t help butugh. Those guys still hadn¡¯t fixed their old habits. Crockta could understand why Derek had assigned him this task as a test. There was a strange bond among those who had received the curse of the stars, so Derek was testing Crockta to see whether he could carry out the assigned tasks despite this bond. Crockta walked toward them. The trio turned their heads at the sound of Crockta¡¯s footsteps. Their faces turned pale. A lone orc with a familiar face had emerged from the darkness. Although he was nowrger in stature and had tattoos across his body, he still had that fierce gaze and ck bandana the trio were unable to forget. The trio took a few steps back when they saw the orc¡¯s hand inched toward the hilt of the greatsword that poked out from behind him, right between his shoulders. ¡°That dude... Isn¡¯t it the guy from before?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± The trio realized there wasn¡¯t any possibility of escape. They had chosen a dead end to ambush NPCs, but they had dug their own grave in doing so. The trio of yer killers clenched their teeth grimly. ¡°We can¡¯t run anyway.¡± ¡°Are we just going to die again? We suffered so much that time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way.¡± They looked at each other¡¯s faces and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°Yeah, we were just carelessst time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s protect Brown while fighting this time.¡± Jackson, Brown, and Eri assumed their positions. Jackson, the spearman, would keep the enemy in check at all crossroads, Eri would distract the enemy, and the wizard, Brown, would bombard the enemy with spells from the periphery. This was their winning formation. Crockta raised his greatsword in response. A faint light ran across the de. This was when the yer killers realized the greatsword wasn¡¯t just a regr sword, and their eyes filled with greed. ¡°If we win, that... will be ours.¡± ¡°We need to share it equally,¡± said Brown as he began chanting a spell. Unlike in the past, Jackson and Eri held their ground from behind and let Brown take charge of the main offense. Crockta moved forward. Jackson¡¯s spear swooshed toward Crockta and collided with his greatsword. After Crockta deflected the spear, he rushed toward the trio. The wizard¡¯s arrow came for him from the front while Eri¡¯s dagger flew at him from the side. However, Crockta ignored the magic-infused arrow and swung his greatsword at Jackson. Jackson dodged the attack, but the magical arrow sessfully hit Crockta. ¡°Ahh!¡± Crockta was stunned by the shock of the damage. Next, Eri¡¯s dagger shed his skin. Crockta had to pull back after only suffering damage. The yer killers weren¡¯t easy opponents. ¡°See. We can win if we take our time,¡± said the trio. The yer killers were in high spirits. They nodded confidently as if they had gotten a sense of how to seed in this battle. Crockta assumed a position and was ready to charge. Seeing this, the yer killers grew tense. Crockta rushed toward them. Jackson prepared for an attack by holding his spear up front. Behind him, Brown¡¯s chanting was sooning to an end. At that moment, Crockta moved his body sideways and situated himself between the wizard and Jackson. Brown tried to move out of the way, but Crockta charged toward him using Jackson as a shield. ¡°I can¡¯t see right now!¡± eximed Brown. ¡°What?¡± yelled Jackson. Jackson jabbed with his spear, but Crockta was able to dodge it effortlessly. Then he grasped the spear with one hand. Eri sprung at Crockta, but he flung her back easily. She fell to her knees from the impact of the force. Brown, who felt a sense of urgency, stepped to the side and fired magic at Crockta. Using his tremendous strength, Crockta then moved Jackson and made him into a shield. Brown¡¯s magic ended up hitting Jackson in the back really hard. Seeing what he¡¯d done, Brown¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Aarghh!¡± gasped Jackson. ¡°S-Sorry!¡± apologized Brown. Crockta¡¯s greatsword split Jackson¡¯s arm in two, sending the severed part of the limb flying into the air. ¡°Aahhhhhhhh!¡± screamed Jackson. Crockta then tossed Jackson to the side and struck the defenseless Brown with his fist, causing Brown to faint. Eri, who was alone now, began retreating while holding her dagger in front of her. She was no match for Crockta by herself. Crockta approached and looked down at her from above. The imposing orc shadow covered herpletely. He knocked her out with his fist in an instant. The fight ended without Crockta killing anyone. One by one, he began tying them up with the ropes and gags he had received from Derek. Upon realizing what Crockta was trying to do, Jackson threw a fit, but Crockta knocked him out again. After Crockta finished tying the trio up, he dragged them out of the alley like luggage to where Derek¡¯s subordinate was waiting for him. ¡°Great job,¡± the subordinatemended. ¡°What are you going to do with them now?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°We are going to lock them up,¡± the subordinate replied andughed. His name was Jeremy, and he was the next in line after Derek. Jeremy was the strongest among Derek¡¯s subordinates. ¡°It¡¯s annoying to deal with those who have been cursed by the stars. They disappear out of nowhere, and even if they die, they are quickly revived. We are going to wrap them up, so they can¡¯t do anything except breathe.¡± This was a somewhat well-known method among yers of Elder Lord. It was called ¡®concrete.¡¯ Its original meaning had been altered, but it contained the same intention ofpletely sealing off a person. yers didn¡¯t die in Elder Lord. Even if their breaths stopped, they were revived in a safe ce nearby a few hourster. Thus, yers would be tied up and gagged instead of killed. Even if they disconnected from the server and logged back on, they would still be tied up. It was the cruelest way to prevent them from ying the game. Because of this, there were some people who were referred to as ¡®fixers¡¯ in the world of Elder Lord. They were yers who received money to execute the ¡®concrete¡¯ method on a yer or rescue or assassinate the yer in question so they could start the game all over again. However, the opponent this time was Derek. Unless these yer killerspletely reset their characters, they could no longer y Elder Lord. ¡°How thorough.¡± Crockta nodded approvingly. Crockta would avenge Lenox with this ¡®concrete¡¯ method. He would bury the Haedong Balhae n as a group and make them quit the game. Chapter 30: Plains Rescue (1)

Chapter 30: ins Rescue (1)

Crockta headed east. His destination was the city of elves, Arnin, located east of Anail. It was officially the beginning of his journey. Orcrox and Anail were regions where yers were scarce, but Arnin was different. There were as many yers who selected elves as their characters as those who chose humans. This meant there would be numerous yers in Arnin, and Haedong Balhae n members would be among them. However, an issue urred at the start of Crockta¡¯s journey. Crockta put his hands together like a prayer and implored, ¡°Elf guard, can you please do something about it?¡± ¡°Rules are rules. Please understand,¡± the beautiful blonde elf, who had a slender body, said while shaking her head. She looked like a supermodel, but she was one of the guards at Arnin, and Crockta was currently being denied entry. ¡°Arnin is an elf city. We don¡¯t allow species other than humans to enter.¡± ¡°This is discrimination!¡± ¡°Then just be reborn as an elf instead of an orc.¡± The blonde elf clicked her tongue as she swept her hair back. Her appearance was so beautiful that she looked like she belonged on a magazine cover, but in Crockta¡¯s eyes, she was so obnoxious that he wanted to rap her head with his knuckle. Crockta was unable to suppress his anger and spewed aggressivenguage at the elf. ¡°Hey, you stuck-up elf with attitude problems.¡± ¡°Wh-What did you just say?¡± ¡°Do you think you can do whatever you want because you are pretty? Just because you look like a goddess?¡± The elf¡¯s face brightened into a smile at Crockta¡¯s words. ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t blind,¡± she replied. [Elf Elwina¡¯s approval has increased. Orc warrior Crockta¡¯s reputation has risen.] Crockta doubted his eyes, but the message windows continued to appear. [Most cities require qualifications for entry.] [You need to build your reputation to ovee this barrier.] [You can raise your reputation in diverse ways. Perform good deeds that benefit the elves of Arnin!] Crockta¡¯s mouth dropped open at the absurdity of the situation. ¡®I need to build a reputation to enter the city? What sort of rule is this?¡¯ [Elwina¡¯s approval has increased. Your reputation has risen in Arnin.] ¡°I know I¡¯m pretty, but keep your mouth closed. It¡¯s unsightly.¡± Crockta decided not to respond. Saying the truth had risked his reputation, but in doing so he realized that the elf was an annoying narcissist who enjoyedpliments. In order to enter Arnin, he needed to increase his likability, and this elf likedpliments. Thus, if heplimented this elf, his reputation would rise, and if his reputation rose, he would be able to enter Arnin. It made perfect sense. So, Crockta began to forcefully utterpliments. ¡°I give praise to Elwina¡¯s beauty.¡± ¡°Oh, my,¡± she gasped. ¡°Do you know what the terms ¡®beautiful,¡¯ ¡®dazzling,¡¯ and ¡®elegant¡¯ have inmon?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°They exist to describe you.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so. Hah.¡± [Elwina¡¯s approval is increasing! Your reputation has risen in Arnin!] ¡°Even your voice is sweet.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it out loud. It¡¯s embarrassing...¡± ¡°It¡¯s more embarrassing and shameful for me to keep my mouth shut in front of your beauty.¡± ¡°St-Stop. It¡¯s really embarrassing.¡± ¡°You are so beautiful.¡± ¡°Stop...¡± ¡°I raise a toast to your eyes...¡± Crockta bombarded Elwina withpliments non-stop. Elwina¡¯s approval gradually increased, but even she couldn¡¯t bear the onught of praises. She closed her eyes and chanted a spell, ¡°Silence!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Crockta was still vulnerable to magical spells. Although he could endure physical blows, he was defenseless in the face of magic. Thus, he was hit with the full force of her silence spell. ¡°...Uhhh.¡± He wanted to speak, but he could only let out moans instead of words. ¡°I get that your eyes function properly, but please stop talking. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Uhhhhh.¡± ¡°The effects of Silence will lift after some time.¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta had sacrificed his conscience to raise his reputation by showering her withpliments, but he was met with coerced silence. Were the heavens punishing him? As Crockta turned around and began trudging away, he tried to think of an honest way to raise his reputation. There had to be another way to raise his reputation. Suddenly, the elf guard Elwina called out to him, ¡°Hey, orc warrior!¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°If you go to the ins above Arnin, there might be something to raise your reputation. Huh, what¡¯s that expression? I¡¯m not trying to help you, so don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Crockta no longer had the energy to respond. He didn¡¯t look back and just raised a thumb over his head in acknowledgment. Elwina nodded approvingly as she gazed at his dignified form from behind. ¡°He¡¯s pretty cool,¡± she muttered. The orc warrior was a truthful orc who had a discerning eye for recognizing beauty! Moreover, he knew how to make cool gestures like raising his thumb with his back turned. Elwina felt a strange liking for the orc. She might like him even more if he achieved something worthy to gain entrance to Arnin. Crockta, who had no idea what Elwina was thinking about, continued trudging along. He continued to contemte a way to raise his reputation. Wouldn¡¯t helping elves in danger be the best way? Nevertheless, he headed toward the north of Arnin first as Elwina had advised to do. Since elves were fairies of the forest, the outskirts of the city were filled with beautiful flowers and bushes. Crockta walked along Arnin¡¯s city walls while appreciating the scenery, and a vast in eventually came into view. ¡°Whooooa...¡± It was a vast open in! The view was refreshingly magnificent, like drawing the curtains to open the window. Crockta spread out his arms and soaked in the scenery of the ins. As he looked closer, he noticed there were creatures continuously moving across the vast ins. ¡°...!¡± Crockta realized that this region hadn¡¯t originally been filled with ins. Thend had be t because all of the trees and tall nts had been broken and ttened. The culprits of this situation were still busily expanding the ins. They were ginormous monsters that resembled rhinoceroses. [Treeters are enormous gluttons that devour nts and trees. Elves are most wary of this monster as forests die out and be bare ground with their presence. Thends they settle in eventually be deserts.] [The elves might change their opinion of you if you hunt them down.] Crockta had imagined himself rescuing a beautiful elf and confidently waltzing into the city, but what actually awaited him was just grunt work. He sighed and set foot onto the ins. The treeters immediately noticed him and began making noises. Although treeters looked like rhinoceroses, they were definitely not rhinoceroses as they had dense protruding teeth for gnawing on trees and nts. There was a staggering number of treeters in the ins. With how many treeters there were, they would have to eat until the forests here all disappeared in order to maintain theirrge bodies. ¡°Truuu...¡± The treeters¡¯ cry rang like the sound of a foghorn. Crockta¡¯s approach rmed the treeters. Naturally, the treeters were guarded against the trespasser. Moreover, they weren¡¯t mild creatures; their gazes changed as they scraped their hind legs against the ground and assumed a position ready to charge. Crockta red at one of them. The treeter in question kicked at the earth and pounced, making a direct hit at Crockta. An intense shock overcame him, and he fell to the ground. This was the first time he had been utterly defeated in terms of brute strength after bing an orc. Nevertheless, he got back up. ¡°Trruuuuu...¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta rubbed his eyes, uncertain of what he had seen. The mouth of the treeter that had charged at him curved up into a grin. It looked at Crockta as it snickered and shook its head. It wasughing at him! Crockta felt enraged and raised his greatsword. Seeing the gleaming de, the treeter¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°...!¡± The treeter eyed Crockta warily and then moved past him as if nothing had happened. Crockta chased after it and blocked its path, but the treeter continued to tilt its head confusedly as though it didn¡¯t know what was going on. Its eyes looked so innocent. The treeter¡¯s amazing acting skills made it hard to believe that it was the same treeter that had attacked andughed at him. Crockta almost fell for it. ¡®Is it not this guy...? Am I mistaken because all treeters look alike?¡¯ Crockta ced his greatsword back into its sheath. Other treeters soon began gathering around them. They hade to see what was going on after they discovered the orc. Crockta felt like he was being trapped within giant city walls when four treeters, each the size of a rhinoceros, surrounded him. Then the previous treeter turned back toward Crockta. Its lips twitched as it stuck its tongue out and wagged it left and right. This was a clear insult dering Crockta as inferior! The treeter¡¯s attitude changed the moment its friends came over. Crockta¡¯s hands trembled with anger. Seeing his anger, the treeter heightened its provocation and cried out condescendingly. The other treeters began crying out together in harmony as if they hade over to support the provocation. ¡°Truuuu...¡± ¡°Truuuuuung...¡± Crockta just stood there in the middle like a pitiful student getting bullied by his peers. He then raised his head with determined eyes. Although he was still under the silence spell and unable to speak, he was set on bing friends with the elves to gain entry to Arnin. Crockta¡¯s eyes zed with determination. An enemy of his friend was his enemy as well! He pulled out his greatsword. The treeters flinched at the sh of the de. However, they were confident in their muchrger build and overwhelming number, so they swelled their chests threateningly. Arnin was a city where orcs were scarce, and today, the spirit of the orcs'' battle cry echoed across the ins once again. ¡°Uhhhhh..." ''Bul''tar!'' Crockta¡¯s sword tore into the air and lunged at the treeters. *** Elf yer Yu-Rin thought she had developed her character enough to not be discouraged in front of anyone, but she could no longer be satisfied as just an archer. She was aiming to be a high-ranking Elemental Archer, a ss only attainable in Arnin. However, she wasn¡¯t qualified yet, so she was in the middle ofpleting various quests and increasing her skills and levels. The goal of this quest was to hunt treeters that damaged the forest. She pulled her bowstring back. The thin string trembled as if it would break, but she used her magic to propel the arrow. The arrow rushed toward a treeter gnawing at a nt and pierced its body. ¡°Truuu...¡± Despite that, the treeter didn¡¯t die easily because its skin was so thick. Yu-Rin pulled her bowstring back again, shot another arrow, and sessfully dealt damage to the treeter this time. The treeter red at Yu-Rin as it bled and gushed hot air from its nostrils. It aimed its steel-hard head toward her. Yu-Rin was in a hurry. She had to shoot before it charged, but she wavered when she saw the treeter¡¯s furious eyes. Her hands fumbled and dropped the arrow. ¡°Huh...?¡± The treeter kicked at the earth. Yu-Rin quickly fled, but the treeter was way faster than she was. If this continued, she would be hit by the treeter any second and then die. ¡°No!¡± she screamed. Yu-Rin managed to avoid a direct collision with the treeter, but their bodies brushed past each other, and she ended up rolling across the ground. Her skin was grazed by the hard earth, and blood ran down. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t mind the wound and just ran for her life. Yu-Rin had been killed by a monster in the past and suffered the aftereffects of death as a result. Her skills and assimtion rate plummeted, and she felt lethargic all the time. If she died this time, she would have to experience that all over again. She wanted to avoid that no matter what. Yu-Rin hopped across the ins with her elf archer jumping skills, but she was unable to beat the treeter in speed. As a part of ast-ditch struggle, she positioned her arrow with the bowstring again, but the treeter was already in close proximity. Yu-Rin fearfully clenched her eyes shut. ¡°...¡± However, nothing happened. Then she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°...!¡± Yu-Rin doubted what she was seeing. There was currently an orc standing in front of her. ¡°H-How are you here...?¡± Orcs weren¡¯t the type of monster or NPC that would be here, especially an orc warrior with tattoos all over their body. Only high-ranking yers could stand up to orc warriors, who were rare in Arnin. The orc swung his sword without hesitation and sliced the treeter into pieces. The treeter bled profusely and sank to the ground on the spot. Yu-Rin¡¯s heart trembled upon seeing the ferocious appearance of the orc warrior covered in blood. The orc turned around and looked at her. Yu-Rin gulped nervously. Meeting an orc warrior meant death. With her abilities, she would definitely die. Then, the orc began trudging toward her. ¡°P-P-Please let...¡± The orc extended something to her. ¡°...?¡± It was a ss bottle with a glowing red liquid¡ªa potion. This was a low-grade potion, but it was still expensive. ¡°You¡¯re giving this to m-me...?¡± Yu-Rin asked tentatively. The orc nodded without speaking. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Yu-Rin stood frozen not knowing what to do, so the orc poured the potion on her wound. Her wound healed in an instant. ¡®Is he perhaps a yer...?¡¯ The orc was wearing a ck bandana on his head, so she couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Are you a yer?¡± Yu-Rin asked. The orc merely tilted his head. ¡°Well, there aren¡¯t any orc yers around these days,¡± Yu-Rin exined the reason behind her question. Lately, a handful of orc yers, even Oms, had been unable to ovee the limits of the species and began resetting in the game. Yet, this orc had treated her and even bandaged her remaining wounds. She felt a strange sense of trust toward the orc. He seemed like a trustworthy person¡ªno, orc. The orc who had treated Yu-Rin¡¯s wounds raised his thumb without a sound. It was a thumbs up! ¡®Is this orc unable to speak?¡¯ Yu-Rin wondered. Nheless, she understood his good intentions, so she gave a thumbs up in return. A peculiar bond formed between the orc and the elf hunting treeters in the vast ins. They began to hunt treeters near each other and helped one another during moments of danger. ¡°Be careful!¡± yelled Yu-Rin. This time, the orc was in danger. Right when he was about to be ttened by multiple treeters, an onught of her high-speed arrows pierced holes all over them. The treeters crumbled and copsed onto the ground while the orc stared nkly at her in surprise. Yu-Rin grinned. ¡®I repaid my debt, orc ahjussi.¡¯ This time, she raised her thumb first. The orc warrior nodded and responded with a thumbs up. They exchanged affectionate nces that hinted at a friendship. ¡°...Ahem.¡± ¡°...Cough.¡± They shyly turned their heads away and rubbed their noses in embarrassment. Chapter 31: Plains Rescue (2)

Chapter 31: ins Rescue (2)

Yu-Rin looked up at the sky. It was already dark. She had lost track of time while enthusiastically hunting treeters with her bow. It had been a while since she had felt so absorbed in a hunt. When she checked her status window, she found out that she had leveled up, and her skill had upgraded. There were treeter corpses sprawled everywhere. It was a scene that she and the orc had created, but the orc was suddenly nowhere to be found. Yu-Rin felt a pang of regret. While she was debating whether to return to Arnin since it had gotten dark, the menacing orc reappeared. The orc was walking from the direction of Arnin while carrying a sack full of something on his back. He put down the sack, dug a pit, and started a campfire. ¡°...¡± The light of the campfire rose in the ins as dusk fell. The orc who had lit the fire began to take various things out of the sack, such as potions, bandages, an assortment of tools needed for battle, and even several bottles of hard liquor. He had probably obtained them from merchants entering and exiting Arnin. The orc suddenly lifted his greatsword straight up into the air with the dancing mes of the campfire reflected on his de. He began efficiently dismantling one of the treeter corpses on the ground. After that, he removed big chunks of flesh from the bones and skewered them with a branch. Lastly, he ced them on top of the campfire. ¡°...!¡± They were treeter skewers! The orc felt the heat of Yu-Rin¡¯s gaze and beckoned for her toe over. When Yu-Rin walked toward the campfire, the orc made another skewer and handed it to her. It was so big and heavy that it was hard to hold. Nevertheless, Yu-Rin took the skewer and sat opposite the orc, who gazed quietly into the campfire. Yu-Rin was at peace. She felt a strange sense offort with this orc. She didn¡¯t have to try to forcefully continue a conversation like she had to do with others and could just enjoy the peaceful moment. As Yu-Rin looked up at the sky, she let out a long sigh. There were numerous stars scattered across the sky. It was a beautiful night sky she wouldn¡¯t be able to see in South Korea, where she lived in real life. The star-filled night sky over the ins, the sound of the burning campfire, and the sweet aroma of the meat¡ªall Yu-Rin had to do right now was enjoy theseforts of the present moment. Her mind settled into serenity. Suddenly, the orc handed her something. ¡°...?¡± It was alcohol. Yu-Rin epted it. After that, the orc raised his bottle without a word, swayed it in front of Yu-Rin, and then downed the whole bottle. ¡°...!¡± Yu-Rin had seen this scene many times somewhere. The scene wasmonce in Western films, where ruffians would consume meat and alcohol in the wastnds without a word. Yu-Rin currently felt as if she were a gunman¡ªno, bowman exchanging drinks with a frightening ouw she had met in the wilderness. It was a strange scene in which a friendship blossomed between her and a heartless ouw as they crossed the boundaries of life and death together. Yu-Rin downed the hard liquor in her hand to reciprocate. The liquid ran hot down her throat and flowed inside her. She then wiped her mouth dry with her sleeve. The orc nodded and raised his bottle in approval. Yu-Rin raised her bottle and nked it against his in cheers. Before they knew it, the treeter meat had finished cooking. The orc and Yu-Rin dug into their meat eagerly. It was a bit chewy, but they didn¡¯t mind. Right now, they were ouws of the ins who carelessly devoured treeter meat. Was this why other yers got into role-ying? Yu-Rin felt liberated. She got oil all over her mouth as she tore into the meat, but she didn¡¯t care. Behind them, the moonlight fell onto the pitiful treeter corpsesying sprawled on the ground. Yu-Rin and the orc continued to drink for a while, and they ended up quite drunk. She and the orc didn¡¯t exchange words, but it was enough just to share drinks together. Everything was clearlymunicated in the form of gazes and liquor. Right then, Yu-Rin heard footsteps and voices approaching from a distance. Yu-Rin furrowed her eyebrows. It seemed that her quiet time was getting interrupted. ¡°If we want to enter Arnin, we need to work on our reputation,¡± one of the approaching people murmured. ¡°Even though it¡¯s thiste?¡± another replied. ¡°Just do it. Who knows? We might gain a sharp night vision skill.¡± Based on their conversation, they were clearly yers. Their presence made Yu-Rin feel ufortable. Until this moment, she had felt like she was in a well-constructed stage built by her and the orc, but now, these out-of-ce actors were infiltrating their peaceful stage. It was like a noisy rm waking her up from a nice dream or a cacophonous sound ruining a brilliant orchestral performance. Yu-Rin wasn¡¯t in the mood to exchange a mundane conversation with them about how their hunting was going, what level they were, and what kind of skills they had. She was tired of exchanging soulless greetings like ¡®good luck with the game¡¯ when they were never going to see each other again. At least for this moment, she wanted to remain in a role that suited the world she and the orc had constructed together. So, Yu-Rin brought out a hat and put it on to cover the star sign on her forehead. The orc tilted his head curiously in response, but Yu-Rin just grinned back. They raised their bottles again toward each other again as the footsteps behind them neared. ¡°Huh...? A fire?¡± said the people approaching them. Instead of turning around to look, she cocked her head back and gulped down more liquor. Then she took another bite of her skewer and chewed loudly. *** Dwarf yer Gilliam had arrived in Arnin to meet his human yer friend Puri, but he had been denied entrance and told that members of a species that wasn''t elf or human had to build their reputation to gain entry to Arnin. He was also informed that the mostmon method for building a reputation was to help the elves by hunting down treeters located north of Arnin. So, even though it was already nighttime, Gilliam headed toward the ins with Puri. As someone who had only seen strong cksmiths and warriors in the dwarf vige, he wanted to see the beautiful elves at Arnin as soon as possible. Even the guard who had rejected him cold-heartedly was the kind of beauty you would see in fashion magazines. Gilliam was very excited to enter the city teeming with beauties, so he promptly departed to hunt treeters. However, when he arrived, he was surprised to find the ins so quiet. He didn¡¯t see any of the gluttonous treeters that gnawed on nts all day, but he did notice a fire. ¡°Huh...? Fire?¡± he wondered. Gilliam and Puri began walking toward the fire. It seemed like a yer or NPC was camping outside, so Gilliam nned to ask them about the treeters. Yet, as Gilliam and Puri neared the campfire, they fell quiet. They realized the ridges in the darkness that they had initially assumed to be rocks were not actually rocks; the objects sprawled near the campfire were none other than treeter corpses. Numerous dead treeters were on the ground, and the air was thick with the smell of rotting corpses. Gilliam and Puri looked at each other nervously. The treeter corpses were either split open with their intestines exposed or pierced all over to the extent that they were unrecognizable. It was a gruesome sight. How much time had the culprit invested in killing all of these treeters?! It wasn¡¯t hard to discern that the owner of the campfire was the culprit. Gilliam thought about retreating out of fear, but his intense curiosity got the better of him. So, he quickened his pace instead, eager to verify the true identity of the faint silhouettes. Gilliam and Puri soon neared the campfire. ¡°...!¡± However, they stopped in their tracks because the first thing they saw was the frightening face of an orc. He was an orc warrior with tattoos all over his face and body. The orc drank his liquor with an indifferent face but raised his bottle to greet Gilliam and Puri once he realized there were visitors. There was someone beside him, but Gilliam and Puri couldn¡¯t really see who it was because the person¡¯s back was facing them. Based on the long hair, it seemed the person was a female. Sensing their presence, the long-haired person turned her head slightly. She was a beautiful elf, but the vibe she gave off was unlike that of the other elves they had seen previously. Her eyes seemed rather dead like those of someone ustomed to a life of ughter. The elf didn¡¯t mind the unfamiliar visitors and brazenly went about her ways. She held a meat skewer in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other and eagerly consumed them both. Moreover, she was unconcerned with how she appeared and was bold enough to wipe the liquor dripping down her mouth with her sleeve. She turned her eyes back to the campfire like she was uninterested in them. Gilliam and Puri didn¡¯t know what to do, so they stood around awkwardly. The elf finally said, ¡°Are you just going to stand around like that?¡± She had a deep, alluring voice. It was seductive but had a trace of malice. Her question felt like a warning to them not to do anything stupid. If they had the opportunity to give her a nickname based on the first impression they had of her, they would give her the name of a poisonous spider¡ªa ck widow! She was someone who tempted men with her beauty but ultimately led them to destruction! ¡°W-We were just passing by...¡± Gilliam and Puri replied. ¡°Sit,¡± the elfmanded. At hermand, Gilliam and Puri quietly sat down by the campfire. They felt like they were walking on eggshells around the orc and the elf, but thetter pair didn¡¯t mind Gilliam and Puri as they continued to cock their heads back and down their drinks. Were they really the ones who had ughtered all those treeters? Gilliam was unable to suppress his curiosity and spoke up, ¡°There were tons of dead treeters here on the way...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I can smell their blood from a mile away. Did you guys do it?¡± At the mention of the scent of the blood, the orc warrior Crockta began sniffing the air. He couldn¡¯t smell the blood. He began taking deep breaths to try and pick up the scent better, but he was still unable to smell the blood at all because he was used to it from having spent all day in the ins. All he could smell now was the scent of the roasted treeter meat. The chunk of meat he held in his hand was from the very treeter who hadughed at him when he set foot in the ins. It had belittled him but ultimately ended up as his meal. Crockta looked back on the memory contentedly and smiled. ¡°...!¡± Gilliam and Puri were shocked when they saw the heinous orc take a deep breath and smile contentedly at the mention of blood. Was the orc satisfied with the bloodbath he had created? How could he smile in such a satisfied manner after smelling blood? He was a natural yer¡ªno, butcher who had been born to shower in blood. The orc was a natural-born killer. Gilliam and Puri began to think it had been a mistake to sit down next to them. Puri started conversing with the elf to try and lighten the dark atmosphere. ¡°It must have been a pain to catch all of them. Wasn¡¯t it difficult? Hahaha... ha.¡± Yu-Rin stared nkly at Puri. Puri had a surprisingly polite attitude. Yu-Rin was used to other yers belittling her because she seemed na?ve. If she were to make a mistake, they would act like they had expected it and patronized her. Yet, look at this now. After Yu-Rin concealed that she was a yer and deepened her voice, these yers were so polite! They treated her like she was someone they didn¡¯t dare disrespect. Yu-Rin couldn¡¯t help but let out augh. This was why people assumed different personas when they role-yed. Small changes made all the difference! ¡°...!¡± Gilliam and Puri were shocked again. In response as to whether it had been hard to capture so many treeters, the elf¡¯s eyes took on a nostalgic expression as if she was recalling the memory, then she began giggling to herself! She seemed to be drunk with delight upon recalling the scene of the ughter. Would a butcher like her be satisfied with treeters? She had to be a psychopath who was obsessed with bloodbaths. If she were a person in real life, she would be an indiscriminate serial killer surpassing Jack the Ripper! Gilliam and Puri began trembling as they looked at each other. They had encountered two demons while trying to catch treeters. The treeters who encountered these demons first had ended up as cold corpses sprawled across the ground... Were the two of them destined to be like them? ¡°W-We have to go now...¡± Gilliam and Puri tried to get up from their spots, but they were unable to. The orc¡¯s hefty hand grabbed Gilliam¡¯s wrist and held him down. The elf had also grabbed onto the hem of Puri¡¯s clothing and refused to let her get up. Gilliam and Puri looked at them with trembling eyes. Instead of saying anything, the orc and the elf each handed a brand new bottle of liquor to Gilliam and Puri respectively and grinned. The mes of the campfire swayed and cast shadows on the faces of the orc and the elf, forming masks on their faces that made them appear like actual demons. The shadows that extended behind their backs no longer took the shapes of an orc and an elf. Gilliam¡¯s and Puri¡¯s legs gave out, and they slumped back down. Chapter 32: Plains Rescue (3)

Chapter 32: ins Rescue (3)

Gilliam and Puri began hunting treeters. It seemed there had been a misunderstanding yesterday; they had been drunk on the night breeze and got caught up in the ominous mood. The orc and elf turned out to be pretty normal, and all of them shared drinks and treeter meat all night long. The elf whom Gilliam and Puri had initially perceived as a psychopath killer was just a yerpleting a quest, and the orc warrior who had seemed like an indiscriminate butcher was just an NPC hunting treeters to enter Arnin. They were suspicious of him because they had never heard of or seen an orc working on their reputation to enter the elf city, but unlike his frightening appearance, he was actually quite kind. Treeters were formidable monsters and often brought about dangerous situations, but the orc rescued the yers each time. It was an amusing sight to see the tattoo-covered orc warrior move dynamically and hunt the treeters. ¡°Thank you, orc,¡± said Gilliam. The orc grinned and raised his thumb. Although this orc couldn¡¯t speak, he was very adept with his thumb. When he liked something, he raised his thumb to express positive emotion, and if he was angry because of a treeter, he turned his thumb upside down to signal revenge. Gilliam raised his thumb in return. ¡°It¡¯s a thumbs up for me as well,¡± he said. Once it became daytime, other yers and NPCs began arriving at the ins. Arnin¡¯s reputation-building quest was a well-known one, so there were many beginners who attempted it recklessly. ¡°Dwarf, what is that orc?¡± a gnome yer who had been hunting treeters around Gilliam asked. Gnomes and dwarves were simr, but gnomes were smaller in stature, so they were a species that didn¡¯t have many yers like the orcs. However, their sorcery and craftsmanship were exceptional. Normally, people didn¡¯t consider orcs as a non-NPC species, so when people were asked to name a species with the least number of yers, the gnome species was always chosen first. ¡°He is...¡± Gilliam began. How should he exin? Gilliam hesitated before continuing, ¡°...A nice orc.¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t a nice orc a dead orc?¡± ¡°What are you saying? Watch your words,¡± Gilliam warned. ¡°Huh?¡± This was the normal perception around orcs. They were perceived as brutish, dumb monsters that were tough opponents but had the potential to yield great rewards if killed. Gilliam used to think that way as well, but this orc was different. The orc had raised his thumb countless times since the sun had risen. The fact that his thumb didn¡¯t have time to rest meant he helped others without taking a break. He even helped other species even though it wouldn¡¯t contribute to building his reputation. ¡°You will soon understand what I mean,¡± said Gilliam to the gnome. ¡°...?¡± The gnome was puzzled. There was no need to worry about that though, as the orc¡¯s kindness was being thoroughly witnessed by Enyanis, the administrator of the ins. ¡°Oh... that orc is quite good,¡± shemented. Enyanis¡¯ job was to monitor the treeters¡¯ numbers and ensure the forest didn''t decrease in size. She was the one who reported performances on the ins to higher-ups, allowing yers to raise their reputations with the elves. As the administrator, Enyanis closely observed the battles on the ins. The treeters were formidable monsters, so the ins were always exposed to danger. However, the number of casualties suddenly decreased after that orc appeared. ¡°There¡¯s a need to continue observing him,¡± she remarked. Meanwhile, the orc Crockta, who was the center of attention, was mindlessly doing grunt work, and he was sick of it. How long did he have to keep killing treeters? Moreover, beginner yers kept going at treeters like moths to a me even though they didn¡¯t have the skills and got flung back. However, the oath of a warrior meant he couldn¡¯t just ignore them. A warrior had to protect the weak! Crcockta saved yet another yer¡¯s life. As a treeter was about to crush a gnome, Crockta sent it flying by lunging toward it. ¡°...!¡± The gnome looked at him with surprise. Crockta wanted to scream at him and tell the gnome to not overdo it, but Elwina¡¯s silence spell prevented him from doing so. She was one hell of a woman. Crockta sighed. What was the point of venting his frustrations? So, instead of saying what he actually wanted to say, he bottled his emotions and raised his thumb instead. ¡°...!¡± The gnome¡¯s expression changed to a smile. As if bewitched by the orc¡¯s charisma, he automatically raised his thumb in response. Crockta nodded. These days, the people on the ins seemed to enjoy imitating his thumbs up gesture. He then left to hunt treeters again. While Crockta was hunting, his eyes made contact with an elf¡¯s. It was Yu-Rin, whom he had hunted and drunk with all night. Crockta felt embarrassed, so he just nced at her and turned around. Then he heard noises from the outskirts of the ins. ¡°...?¡± After Crockta had another treeter take itsst breath, he looked toward the direction of the noise. A group of humans was entering the ins. All of them appeared to be beginners, with the exception of the person at the front of the group as he was d in expensive te armor. It was a high-ranker¡¯s equipment. He was probably helping his inexperienced friends raise their reputations, but his palpably arrogant attitude was an eyesore. The high-ranker loudly eximed, ¡°Wow, there are many people here. During my time, yers had to struggle because they didn¡¯t tell us how to raise our reputation. These days, all of the informationes up on the homepage. Everything got so much easier. It must be a breeze for you guys.¡± Then, as if trying to exhibit his strength, he raised his sword and activated an active skill. A sharp aura emanated from the sword and shed a treeter. The treeter bled profusely as it flopped down onto the ground. The high-ranker approached the treeter and made the final kill. ¡°You are so cool.¡± ¡°You are the best.¡± The group praised the high-ranker. He shrugged as if it was nothing and then surveyed the ins. The high-ranker saw an orc in his realm of sight. At first, he doubted what he saw. ¡°...Huh, an orc?¡± Then he looked again. The orc was still there. The high-ranking yer¡¯s expression changed to an excited grin. The ins were filled to the brim with treeters, but there was just one orc. Since the orc was alone, it would be easy to take him on. The high-ranker wasn¡¯t sure why an orc was here, but orcs were prey to him. Catching the monstrous orc would make him stand out way more than a treeter. The yer nced at the attractive female yer in his crew and made up his mind. ¡°Wait a second, I will quickly catch that thing ande back,¡± the high-ranker said. He immediately went up to the orc. Crockta sensed a presence behind him, but he didn¡¯t pay any mind to it because it was a human. He was on his way to find another treeter anyway, but suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine. Crockta detected a slight change in the air around him, and all of the hair on his body stood up. He instinctively bent his head and moved forward to avoid the attack. His attacker¡¯s de grazed the air, swooshing past him. Crockta looked behind him. The high-ranking yer that he had seen earlier was approaching him with a raised sword. Crockta wanted to scream at the high-ranker and ask him what he was doing, but Elwina¡¯s silence spell continued to torment him. It was suffocating. Crockta spread his hands and made a gesture of protest. Thankfully, other yers protested on his behalf. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?!¡± The high-ranking yer merely shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just catching an orc.¡± ¡°That orc is trying to build his reputation. Just leave him alone. He¡¯s a kind orc.¡± ¡°Kind orc?¡± The high-ranking yer burst intoughter. ¡°You guys are saying some weird stuff. I will take care of everything, so don¡¯t worry about it. Why do I have to get permission to catch monsters?¡± ¡°That orc is not a monster...¡± the yers exined. ¡°Whatever, if you intervene again, you will get hurt,¡± said the high-ranker dismissively. Then, he charged at Crockta. ¡°Hey! That guy!¡± ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°Oh, my...!¡± The yers at the ins groaned as they watched the scene. ¡°Ugh (Bul¡¯tar)!¡± Crockta grasped his greatsword as he had no choice but to respond. The high-ranker was different from the yers Crockta had previously faced. Although this yer had an arrogant attitude, he was still a high-ranker ustomed to battle. Additionally, he was fast and strong. Crockta lowered his greatsword and retreated. The high-ranker grinned and charged relentlessly at Crockta. Crockta¡¯s strength as an orc was futile in the face of this opponent. Each of the high-ranker¡¯s attacks dealt damage. ¡°Orcs are...¡± the high-ranker said while forcefully pushing back Crockta, ¡°...just brute strength. If they meet someone stronger than them, they can¡¯t do anything!¡± The high-ranker leaped and swung his sword down at Crockta. Crockta almost lost grasp of his greatsword, but he still managed to block off the attack. Nevertheless, the high-ranker had the upper hand in this battle. His attacks continued. Each time his offense and Crockta¡¯s defense collided, Crockta was pushed back. And each time Crockta re-assumed his position, an attack came at him, so all he could do was persist in defense mode. Crockta had to change the rhythm of the battle, but he was unable to find an opening. As he retreated, his foot got tangled on a treeter corpse. His opponent did not miss a beat and rushed toward him. The high-ranker grinned with satisfaction at Crockta, whose battle posture had copsed. Right when he was about to strike Crockta, an arrow came flying at him. The magic-infused arrow exploded against the high-ranker¡¯s te armor and flung him backward. He rolled around on the ground but got up eventually and started screaming. ¡°Hey, who are you?¡± he asked the archer. ¡°Who are you?¡± It was elf Yu-Rin. ¡°Why are you attacking him out of the blue?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just catching a monster. Why is everyone all up in arms about it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a monster.¡± ¡°What is he then, if not a monster?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an NPC. Are all NPCs monsters?¡± ¡°Orcs are monsters. God, everyone here is crazy.¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say? You are so full of yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say, you ahjumma.¡± ¡°This ahjussi...¡± They put their fingers on each other¡¯s forehead simultaneously. ¡°If you keep attacking, I won¡¯t let you off. So, watch out.¡± Yu-Rin aimed her bow at him. The high-ranker smirked. This elf wasn¡¯t a low-level yer, but he could still take her on. It might be difficult if she joined up with the orc, but he was confident he could still win. Then Crockta came forward. He extended his palm toward Yu-Rin. Yu-Rin, who had developed a friendship with him from battling and drinking together, understood what the gesture meant. He was telling her not to get involved. Crockta¡¯s gaze turned toward the high-ranker. It was an intense gaze. He raised his greatsword and aimed it toward the high-ranker. ¡®Let¡¯s fight until the end.¡¯ Crockta ced his greatsword on his shoulder and flicked his finger back and forth at the high-ranker. ¡®Come here.¡¯ The meaning of the gestures was clear. The high-ranker¡¯s lips twitched as he raised his sword. ¡°You are cocky for an orc.¡± Crockta assumed his battle position. ¡®The cocky one is you.¡¯ His whole body went into battle mode. He read into everything without missing any of the subtle movements his opponent made. Crockta tried to muster all of his strength for this fight. [Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare) has been activated.] [Tattoos of Honor (Rare) has been activated.] His greatsword, Ogre yer, seemed to be crying out for battle. Everything seemed to fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. Even the intensity of the wind brushing against his nose was just enough. Crockta was facing a stronger opponent, but it was okay. Even a handful of power was enough to defeat an enemy. Crushing an enemy with strength was Crockta the orc¡¯s tactic, but tearing down a stronger opponent was Jung Yi-An¡¯s¡ªRaven¡¯s¡ªexpertise. ¡°If dying is your wish, I shall grant it!¡± The high-ranker leaped toward Crockta. Meanwhile, the high-ranker¡¯s crew cheered him on. ¡°Fighting!¡± ¡°Oppa, please win!¡± As if reciprocating the cheer, the high-ranker activated his active skill, and his sword emitted an aura that charged at his opponent. Crockta rolled across the ground to dodge the attack. The attack marred the huge rock that was behind where Crockta had just been standing. It was a skill strong enough to cut into solid rock, but an active skill had dys. So Crockta wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the skill temporarily. ¡°You look so cool!¡± the female yer in the high-ranker¡¯s crew praised the high-ranker. Hearing that, the corners of the high-ranker¡¯s lips curved upward. The high-ranker was too conceited to immerse himself in battle. Crockta had to aim for the opening that would ur due to the high-ranker¡¯s arrogance. He and the high-ranker red directly at each other. Suddenly, Crockta kicked the earth. Its dirt scattered and covered the high-ranker¡¯s sight. The high-ranker fumbled and shed blindly at the air. ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta¡¯s greatsword came at him from beyond the cloud of dirt. The high-ranker blocked it hastily, but his neck almost got cut. While the high-ranker was standing unsteadily, Crockta kicked him in the stomach. Crockta was unable to inflict substantial damage on the high-ranker due to thetter¡¯s armor, but he was still able to push his opponent back. While brushing off the remaining sand from his face, the high-ranker cursed, ¡°Shit...¡± Just when the high-ranker was about to charge over, Crockta sprayed dirt on his face again. ¡°Ah, you fucking asshole!¡± the high-ranker eximed. The high-ranker shook his head and stepped backward. He was more guarded now. He had been shaken up by the dirt. Crockta had sessfully created a weak spot in his opponent. This was the moment that Crockta charged over. The high-ranker saw Crockta rushing toward him and quickly pivoted his body, managing to narrowly escape. Nevertheless, Crockta turned and looked at the high-ranker face-to-face. He skimmed the ground with his foot, and the high-ranker flinched in response. Without missing a beat, Crockta swung his greatsword at the high-ranker. This time, the high-ranker didn¡¯t react in time. He tried to block it, but his sword flung back, and Crockta¡¯s greatsword sessfully prated the high-ranker¡¯s armor and into his arm. ¡°Ahhh!¡± the high-ranker screamed as he tried to stab Crockta with his other arm. However, Crockta had already taken a step back. He knew every second was precious and that he shouldn¡¯t give his opponent time to recharge. Crockta immediately kicked up some dirt from the ground, sending it flying all over the distracted high-ranker. ¡°Ah, you fucking asshole! Fuck!¡± the high-ranker cursed again. Then he fled hurriedly, but Crockta chased after him. The high-ranker tried desperately to keep his eyes open, but the dirt had gone into his eyes and poked his eyeballs. He couldn¡¯t help but blink non-stop due to the pain, and his eyes began tearing up. Seeing the orc¡¯s greatsword flying toward him with his blurry vision, the high-ranker wanted to raise his sword to block the attack, but his injured right arm was slow to respond. Crockta¡¯s greatsword pierced through the high-ranker¡¯s armor and drove into his stomach. The high-ranker dropped to his knees. ¡°Ahhhhh...!¡± Blood poured out of his mouth. He was no longer in a state to continue fighting. The oue of the battle had been decided. Those who had been watching eximed in shock. Crockta raised his greatsword. The high-ranker¡¯s head was about to fall off. ¡°St-Stop...¡± The high-ranker looked up at Crockta and shook his head. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me...¡± He threw his sword down and raised both hands into the air in surrender. His equipment, including the armor, were all extremely high-priced items. He could recover from the side effects of death over time, but the equipment he went into debt to purchase would not return. The high-ranker no longer cared about his friends and the girl he hade with. He hadn¡¯t even been able to pay off the interest on his equipment yet. He had nned to be a full-time Elder Lord gamer by bing stronger with these items, but his now damaged Essence-tier armor, which he had acquired with difficulty, was already a huge financial loss. If he lost other equipment, he would fall into financial ruin. ¡°Please,¡± the high-ranker begged. Crockta looked at him quietly. Right then, someone said, ¡°Kill him.¡± It was Yu-Rin. The other yers in the ins who had been watching approved of the suggestion and began shouting. ¡°Orc, please kill him!¡± ¡°He tried to kill you first. Don¡¯t let him live!¡± ¡°Kill him immediately!¡± They were all yers whom Crockta had helped. The voices of support increased, and it was as if members of an audience at the Colosseum were urging for the loser¡¯s death. Crockta turned around to look at them and then looked down at the high-ranker, who was begging for mercy. His frightened eyes showed that he had forsaken the will to fight. Crockta dropped his greatsword. Yu-Rin continued, ¡°He tried to kill you. You heard what he said. If this man had won, he would have never let you live. He needs to pay the price!¡± The other yers nodded in unison. ¡°He¡¯s a yer, so he has been cursed by the stars. He will be revived again anyway!¡± ¡°Kill him, so he can at least get a penalty!¡± ¡°He needs to know that if he attacks first without thinking, then he will die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kill him!¡± However, Crockta merely shook his head in response. He made it clear that he wasn¡¯t interested in killing the yer. ¡°Why?¡± Yu-Rin asked, dumbfounded. The orc warrior she knew was kind, but he wasn¡¯t faint-hearted. She couldn¡¯t understand why. ¡°...¡± Crockta wanted to speak, but the silence spell was keeping his lips sealed. So, instead of speaking, he turned around. The crowd split in two to make way for him. At the end of where he was headed stood the huge rock that had been hit by the high-ranker¡¯s active skill. Crockta raised his greatsword and mustered his strength. His greatsword technique had upgraded to Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique, so he was able to temporarily emanate aura from his sword. Crockta struck the rock with his sword and began carving his intention into the rock¡¯s surface. Everyone held their breath while watching him. Words slowly began to appear. [A warrior] Everyone tilted their heads curiously. As the words continued to appear, everyone¡¯s mouth dropped open. [A warrior does not] Crockta then finished the sentence. [A warrior does not attack the unarmed.] After finishing the task, Crockta returned the greatsword to its sheath and turned around. Numerous people were staring nkly at him and the rock. A warrior did not attack the unarmed! ¡°...!¡± No one could open their mouths to speak. The words on the rock were something civilized humans should say, not the savage orcs they looked down on. Yet, the one who had first attacked the innocent orc was a human, and the ones screaming at the orc to kill the high-ranker were also humans. A strange emotion raged inside them. Who could that orc be? Was that what a true orc warrior was like? He looked so big... as he stood silently in front of the rock. Then someone stepped out while pping. It was none other than the Arnin ins¡¯ administrator, Enyanis. She stood in front of Crockta as she continued to p. Enyanis had a touched expression on her face. She said, ¡°You are... a true warrior. You are the kind of talent Arnin needs! I want to invite you to our city.¡± Had the orc¡¯s reputation-building quest finallye to an end? The audience cheered for him. Crockta nodded silently. ¡°But if you were to suddenly disappear, everyone would be sad, so I want to give you another quest.¡± Crockta tilted his head curiously. What kind of quest? ¡°I appoint you as a member of the Arnin ins Rescue Unit. You don¡¯t need to catch treeters anymore. Instead, can you rescue yers as you have been doing for the next four days? Then you will be approved for entry.¡± It was a job proposal from Arnin ins¡¯ Administrator Enyanis! Crockta nodded without hesitation. Those who had been watching cheered loudly, and Crockta and Enyanis shook hands amid the thunderous apuse. The Arnin ins Rescue Unit continued existing throughout the ages and became one of Arnin¡¯s traditions. It all started not with a human or an elf but with an unknown orc warrior. Chapter 33: Plains Rescue (4)

Chapter 33: ins Rescue (4)

They were eating at a university cafeteria. The channel on the television changed a few times, then it stopped on one channel. -Hello, this is Giuseppina, the reporter running Surprise! What Happened in Elder Lord?!. I am currently in the elven city of Arnin. I heard something strange is happening here! Behind Giuseppina were Arnin¡¯s high city walls. The camera briefly showed Arnin¡¯s scenery and then put the focus back onto the beautiful reporter Giuseppina. -Arnin is famous for its beautiful elf mayor, but something has happened that is even more mysterious than her beauty. It urred not here in Arnin but in the ins north of Arnin, where the so-called reputation-building quest takes ce at the treeters¡¯ habitat. Giuseppina quickly ran toward the northern ins. The view shook as if the cameraman was hurriedly chasing after her. -I will go find out what is happening! She discovered yers exiting the ins. Their faces were blurred. -Hello, are you leaving Arnin ins? -Yes, why? -I heard something strange is happening here. Is that true? -Ah... The dwarf nodded and crossed his arms. -Indeed, it¡¯s a very mysterious urrence. I was surprised as well. -What is it? -If you go and have a look for yourself, you will understand. You will be able to meet him if you go right now. A narrator appeared as captions popped up on the screen. [¡®You will be able to meet him.¡¯ Who could it be?] This time, Giuseppina directed a question to the elf standing next to the dwarf. Her face was also blurred out. -Have you met him? -Of course. We drank liquor all night together. -Liquor? -Yes. I misunderstood him at first, but he is a very kind and cool person. He widened my perspective on things. -Wow, he must be really amazing. -He is a true... true *******. The part mentioning what ¡®he¡¯ was had been beeped out. Then the screen changed. Giuseppina looked into the camera at the entrance to the ins. -Now, shall we go meet the rumored figure? Giuseppina entered the vast ins past the forest and saw multiple characters battling against huge treeters. She lowered her voice. -I will look for the subject of the rumors. She ran quickly. While running through the ins, she discovered a yer catching their breath after killing a treeter. Giuseppina approached them cautiously. -Hey... Hello? -Huh, what?! Giuseppina! It¡¯s Giuseppina, right?! -Haha, you recognize me? -I¡¯m a fan. I¡¯m a huge fan of Surprise! What Happened in Elder Lord?!. -Thank you. -But what brings you here... Ah! Aha, you came here because of him. The yer nodded knowingly. -Ah! You know who he is? -Yes, of course. I know him well. I am indebted to him. -You are indebted to him? -Yes, everyone knows him here. He¡¯s so famous. There was someone who picked a fight with him, and that person got what he deserved. Hahaha. Giuseppina looked at the camera with a suggestive look in her eyes. -What kind of man is he that everyone talks about like this? I¡¯m so curious. Then, she asked the yer a question. -Where can we go to meet him? -Hmm... He... He¡¯s so busy... The yer rubbed their chin and pointed at a spot. -Do you see the rock over there? -Yes, do you mean that huge rock? -Yes, wait for him there. That¡¯s where his legend started. -Legend? Giuseppina made a huge fuss. -A legend! Let¡¯s see what kind of legend awaits us! My heart is beating so fast! I¡¯m so excited. Everyone, let¡¯s go together and see! She bowed farewell to the yer and ran toward the rock. The filming was done automatically, so there was no need to carry a heavy camera, but they staged it so that the screen would shake as if the cameraman were chasing her urgently. They soon arrived in front of the huge rock. As they moved closer, they saw something engraved on the rock. A caption appeared. [But what¡¯s written over there...?] Giuseppina took deep breaths as she ced her hand on the rock, then she took a step back in surprise. -Something is engraved here. This is...? Suddenly, the camera¡¯s focus blurred. They were unable to see the written text on the rock. Another caption appeared. [To be continued...] The video on the screen changed to an advertisement. The customers at the caf¨¦, who had been staring at the screen, resumed eating when the advertisement came on. ¡°Ugh, isn¡¯t it so annoying that they are dragging it on?¡± ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sick of seeing that reporter trying to act cute.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s going on there? You did some grinding there too.¡± ¡°I did. I feel like vomiting just seeing all of the treeters on the screen. I caught them for days without resting and died once.¡± ¡°You were killed by that cow? What a dumbass.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a cow. You would get screwed over too if you ran into them, dude.¡± The cafeteria¡¯s customers began telling their own Elder Lord stories. For a while, the television advertised Myeongsong Group¡¯stest capsule and electronics. The advertisement model was a famous high-ranker from Elder Lord. The advertisement eventually ended, and Giuseppina reappeared on the screen. The customers, who had been talking while eating, fixed their gazes on the TV again. -What¡¯s... engraved here...? There was rough handwriting that seemed to have been carved with a de! The camera was zoomed in on the rock, so the whole message wasn¡¯t visible at first. Giuseppina spoke as she caressed the first word. -A warrior... The screen zoomed out and showed the entirety of the message. -A warrior does not... attack the unarmed...? Giuseppina tilted her head. -Who could have carved this here? A warrior? I can feel the spirit of chivalry. Right then, Giuseppina turned her head. Her face paled. -Uhh...? The screen shook. Something huge came charging from the side with loud footsteps. It was a treeter. Giuseppina was not a strong yer, so she fled clumsily in a panic. The person filming her ran as well. The screen shook wildly. Right when the treeter was about to knock over Giuseppina¡¯s frail body, the camera view was flipped over. -Ahhhhhh! The blue skies of Elder Lord came up on the screen, and silence ensued. The customers watching the screen were aghast. ¡°...Isn¡¯t that a broadcasting ident?¡± ¡°What, it shouldn¡¯t be a live broadcast.¡± ¡°Is she dead? Are they just going to broadcast her death? To show that it¡¯s real?¡± The cafeteria hummed with the noise of chatter. Then, something popped up on the screen. ¡°...?¡± It was a huge hand. The viewers first saw a huge finger. They wondered whether it belonged to a dwarf, but it had a greenish hue. The callused hands halted above the screen. -Ahh... Giuseppina, and the cameraman, who had been silent up to this point, groaned. Then, the cameraman¡¯s hand grabbed onto the thick, callused hand, which lifted him up and back onto his feet. The video shook again, and what appeared next was... an orc. ¡°An orc...?¡± The orc¡¯s appearance stood out. He had a ck bandana wrapped around the top of his head. It was worn and faded from usage, but it still firmly held onto his head. There was a faint cksmith Company logo in the corner of the bandana. Below the bandana was a menacing orc face! He had an intense gaze akin to a scowl, a huge nose, thick lips, and jutting tusks. Moreover, he had frightening tattoos running across his face and body, and a huge greatsword on his back. However, the most peculiar thing was his attire. He wore a bright red vest made out of cloth over his leather armor, and in the center of the vest was a white cross with the word [R.E.S.C.U.E!] embroidered below it. Did it mean he was a member of a rescue team? Giuseppina was unable to speak and stared nkly at the orc. The orc quietly stared back at her and the cameraman and then raised his hand. ¡°...!¡± The orc was doing a thumbs up! Then, he turned around. There was another white cross on the back of the vest with the word [L.I.F.E.G.U.A.R.D!] embroidered below it. Then, the orc disappeared into the crowd of yers hunting treeters. What had Giuseppina and the cameraman just seen? A rescue... lifeguard? Was this ce like a deep valley stream in the middle of summer, a beach with fast currents, or a ski resort with frozen grounds? Why was a lifeguard here? Giuseppina muttered nkly to herself, ¡±A-An orc rescued us just now. What¡¯s going on?¡± It was a bizarre situation¡ªa monster had just rescued them! This wasn¡¯t the end, though. They captured the scene of a treeter striking a yer and sending them flying into the air. Other treeters came running and were about to crush the yer to death. However, they were flung back by a powerful shockwave. A ck figure dove into the herd of treeters. The treeters moaned as they stood back up, but they began to copse in session, bleeding out after being shed by a gleaming de. It was an extremely neat fight. Then, Giuseppina and her cameraman saw the mysterious orc who rescued them earlier standing up straight with a huge sword in hand. He stood with grandeur in the middle of the treeter corpses and raised his thumb at the yer he had just rescued. ¡°...!¡± It was the coolest thumbs up they had ever seen. The yer bowed and raised his thumb in response. The orc then turned around, walked a distance, and picked a spot for himself on the ground as if nothing had happened. He sat down and observed the hunters again. Giuseppina hurriedly approached the rescued yer. -Hello! -Huh...? H-Hello? -Hi, I¡¯m reporter Giuseppina from Surprise! What Happened in Elder Lord?!. We just witnessed a peculiar scene. What happened? -Ahh... You came here because of him... The rescued yer pointed at the orc, who was sitting down with a stoic face. -He is... a mute orc warrior. -Mute...? -What happened is... As the story got longer, the screen changed. Instead of Giuseppina, a narrator adapted the story for the program and providedmentary. Upon arriving at Arnin, the city of elves, the orc had been denied entrance due to being an orc. An orc actor appeared in a reenactment of the scene. Although he was awkward, he tried to imitate the appearance of the orc the viewers had seen earlier. As he was about to enter through an entrance that was like that of a castle, an elf actor appeared and blocked the entrance. -You cannot enter. The orc shrugged his shoulders and gestured ¡®Why?¡¯ -Because you are an orc. -...! The orc looked devastated. The narrator continued with the story. -The orc was shocked that he could not enter because he was an orc, but he found out about a method to enter Arnin... The orc appeared tomunicate with someone in signnguage, then he clenched his fist and nodded. He entered the Arnin ins with a hopeful face. -The method was to hunt monsters at the Arnin ins, but what stood out to him were humans who had been injured and killed by the monsters. The orc actor made a sad face. -Although he couldn¡¯t speak, he was a strong orc warrior. So, he made a decision... The orc actor made a determined face as if he had decided on something. Then, he began running through the ins. -It was to help people in danger. Yes, the orc rescued people. Pet pigs dressed as treeters fell on the floor, and the orc warrior gave a thumbs up to those expressing gratitude for his help. -A thumbs up was the best way for him to express himself as he was unable to speak. Then, the atmosphere suddenly changed. -Of course, things weren¡¯t always peaceful. One day, a yer assumed he was a simple monster and swung his sword at the orc out of the blue... The swords of the orc actor and a human actor collided in an empty space. -He won after some difficulty, and his opponent was on the brink of death. Four to five actors surrounded the orc and the human. They all urged the orc to kill the human, yelling out, ¡°Kill him! Kill him! Kill!¡± -But after some thought, the orc made a difficult decision. He shook his head. The actors were surprised at his decision and protested while shaking their heads. They kept shouting, ¡°Why?!¡± The orc had a strained look on his face as he was unable to speak. -Instead of replying with words, the orc carved his intention into the rock. The orc actor used his sword to sh strokes into the rock. Then, the scene changed, and they showed the actual rock at the Arnin ins. [A warrior does not attack the unarmed.] -This was it. They showed the scene on the screen for a while with the added sound effect of apuse. -He is a true... The program switched back from the reenactment to the interview. It showed yers with blurred faces and fake names, all of whom praised the orc. -He is someone you can really trust. -He saved my life multiple times. He has a big heart. -His name? I¡¯m not sure because he can¡¯t talk. -I don¡¯t know how he became like that, but one thing is certain, we have been misunderstanding orcs all this time. -He is a... -True... -True... -He is a true... All of the people said thest word in unison: -Warrior. The scene changed again. Giuseppina was chasing the orc. -Orc-nim! Orc-nim! [1]. -... The orc waved his hands away as if he found her troublesome. In the end, Surprise! What Happened in Elder Lord?! was unable to score an interview with him. Giuseppina had no choice but to wrap up the episode in front of the carved rock. -Unfortunately, we were unable to interview him. He seems shy, but we are able to tell what sort of person he is from the message he left on this rock. The camera zoomed in on the rock once more. ¡®A warrior does not attack the unarmed¡¯ was a meaningful sentence with many connotations. -Although he¡¯s an NPC, there is a lot to learn from him¡ªespecially nowadays in Elder Lord, where a lot of ethical issues are being raised and questioned. We hope everyone enjoys a happy and warm life in Elder Lord like this orc. Once again, this has been Reporter Giuseppina from Surprise! What Happened in Elder Lord?!. As Giuseppina waved her hand, the camera zoomed out and disyed an aerial shot of her and the rock. It continued to zoom out to show the scenery of the ins with the huge rock appearing like a tiny toy. With a final shot of the clear Elder Lord skies, the narrator concluded the episode. -He is a mysterious orc without a name. We hope he prospers as an admirable warrior. Then, a song came on, and the show ended. The customers who had been eating at the cafeteria began getting up from their seats. ¡°That¡¯s strange. An orc did that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. There are lots of witness ounts online. The footage filmed by the yers who saw him on the ins is more entertaining than the show.¡± ¡°That orc is cool.¡± ¡°Heard he¡¯s not there anymore.¡± ¡°He must have left because people came to see him.¡± ¡°Hey, should I y as an orc?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea...¡± The customers in conversation were university students using the campus cafeteria. As they discussed what they had just watched, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder... ¡°What¡¯s that orc up to now?¡± *** ¡°...¡± Elwina, Arnin¡¯s guard, looked at the orc standing in front of her with surprise. It was her first time seeing someoneplete the reputation-building quest so quickly. Most people dedicated around a month to hunting the treeters. Moreover, the entry pass the orc presented to her was not just a regr pass. It was an honorary citizenship pass that only the Arnin ins administrator gave out. The citizenship pass provided special qualifications to its owner and allowed them to receive the same treatment as an Arnin citizen. This pass was only bestowed to those who had made a great contribution to Arnin. Elwina¡¯s heart thumped. The orc had excelled at the quest she had given him. He was much cooler than she had expected. ¡°A-Amazing. I¡¯m not surprised, so don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Elwina tried to steady her voice as she said those words, but the orc did not respond. ¡°What, are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Why are you keep... Ah,¡± she said, realizing midway what the problem was. The orc was pointing at his mouth. Elwina¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Ah, right. I forgot. I only realizedter on that I had cast the spell too powerfully. I didn¡¯t think you would still be under the spell. Sorry.¡± She chanted a spell, and the effect of Silence ceased. ¡°Then, now...¡± began Elwina. ¡°You are an elf with a nasty attitude,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Wh-What?!¡± eximed Elwina. ¡°Because of you, I...!¡± Elwina looked at Crockta with a hurt expression. With the beautiful elf looking at him with such sorrowful eyes, Crockta was unable to continue what he had nned to say and instead muttered, ¡°...I will let it slide because you are pretty.¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± ¡°Then, take care, pretty guarddy with a nasty attitude,¡± said Crockta as he confidently walked through the open city gates. Elwina stared at him nkly from behind while feeling a range of strange emotions. At that moment, someone approached her and called out, ¡°Hey,dy.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t call me dy¡¯. I¡¯m a guard right now.¡± ¡°Boss is calling you.¡± ¡°Mother is?¡± Elwina tilted her head curiously. ¡°She said you should quit your guard job.¡± ¡°Tell her I¡¯m doing it because I want to, so she should stay out of it.¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s nning to sell your entire collection if you don¡¯t return home immediately...¡± ¡°Fine. I will go.¡± Elwina sighed. 1. Nim is a respectful way to address someone ? Chapter 34: Light and Darkness (1)

Chapter 34: Light and Darkness (1)

After entering the elf city Arnin, Crockta was not that impressed. Of course, everything was well organized, the scale of the buildings was impressive, and the beautiful elves leaning against the railing of their balcony to smell the leaves of a tree looked like Greek gods. However, Orcrox Fortress did not pale inparison. Although elf buildings were whiter and reflected the elves¡¯ sense of beauty, the level of infrastructure was simr to that of Orcrox Fortress. Moreover, Crockta was not fond of elves demanding praise and admiration for their city. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen an orc in a while. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it beautifulpared to your city?¡± asked the elf. Crockta gave a half-hearted nod. ¡°Look, this building is in Bellitran¡¯stest style. It¡¯s an architectural style poprized by the elf architect Bellitran. The design is revolutionary. Everyone in the capital is raving about it. It emphasizes the volume...¡± Crockta cut him off by asking, ¡°Where is Ilya?¡± The elf who had been excitedly talking by himself stuck his lips out disapprovingly. ¡°You may be in a hurry, but first, you need to learn more about Arnin...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here to y.¡± Crockta looked around. In downtown Arnin, there were only two species¡ªelf and human. Elves were the majority, and there was the asional human. Since most humans were yers, every single person looked suspiciously like a Haedong Balhae n member to him. ¡°Oh, my. You are in such a hurry. I understand why you came here, but you can¡¯t go around with such a murderous look on your face,¡± the elfmented. ¡°...¡± ¡°Fine, follow me.¡± The elf ced his hand on Crockta¡¯s shoulder and guided him somewhere. After walking past Arnin¡¯s residential area, they entered an alleyway in between buildings. The elf¡¯s footsteps quickened. Even the interior of the city was lush with vegetation, so it wasn¡¯t easy for Crockta to keep up with the elf. Thetter grabbed onto trees and leaped up like a monkey as he led Crockta to a hidden location in the city. A forest eventually appeared. This was where Crockta lost track of the elf, so he just ran in the direction the elf had disappeared. After a while, Crockta found the elf sitting in the center of the forest on a round table made of thick wood. ¡°This is...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ce filled with memories for me. It¡¯s also a safe ce.¡± The elf grinned. ¡°I¡¯m Ilya.¡± ¡°I had my suspicions,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Is that so? Haha. I was surprised when Derek suddenly offered help... but I¡¯m even more surprised that the one he sent is an orc.¡± Ilya waved his hand. The magic in the air wavered, and the leaves fluttering toward the ground gathered in his palm. Heid them out individually on the round table. ¡°We have the same goals, thus we are on the same side,¡± Ilya said. ¡°Can you exin in more detail please?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°You are trying to get rid of the Haedong Balhae n, the group made up of those who have received the curse of the stars. I want to get rid of the corrupt powers conspiring with the n and establish justws in Arnin.¡± ¡°Who are you referring to as corrupt?¡± Ilya ced three leaves on the round table and picked up one of them. The leaf had a hole; it had been made by a bug. Ilya ced the hole in front of his blue eye, which Crockta could see through the hole. ¡°Arnin¡¯s mayor, Elsanad,¡± Ilya answered. Crockta nodded. He felt like he could hear Derek¡¯s voice from the time when he said, ¡°I have nned a few investments based on the assumption that your revenge will seed.¡± Derek was betting on the downfall of Arnin¡¯s mayor. Crockta looked into Ilya¡¯s eyes doubtfully. It was impossible for Derek to be a good person, so it was hard for Crockta to believe that someone in the same boat as him was talking about justice. Ilya shrugged. ¡°Your job is to strike the Haedong Balhae n with us. We will take care of the rest, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± Nevertheless, Crockta wasn¡¯t aiming to be a good person anyway. He was going in for bloodthirsty revenge. Thus, he and Ilya were able to apany each other until the downfall of theirmon enemy. ¡°Understood,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Since you have made up your mind to join us, I will exin in more detail,¡± Ilya said. He ced the tips of his fingers on the table, and a sudden wind scattered the leaves he had ced there. ¡°In the past, Mayor Elsanad and I used to be friends. We were best friends.¡± Ilya stared off to somewhere far away as if reminiscing the past. ¡°We once aimed to develop Arnin and make it into a ce where everyone would be happy. We were young then. I provided financial and emotional support so she could be a mayor, but she began to change after having a taste of authority. She is no longer the Elsanad I used to know.¡± ¡°How is that rted to the Haedong Balhae n?¡± ¡°She is conspiring with the ursed Haedong Balhae n and... participating in elf trafficking and urban renovation.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The ones you are determined to kill have be Elsanad¡¯s loyal dogs and are eating right out of herp. Let me show you.¡± Ilya waved his hand in the air, then two elves walked out from the bushes. Crockta had sensed their presence earlier, so he was not surprised. ¡°They are my friends who share the same goals as me,¡± Ilya stated. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Wee,¡± the elves greeted him. It was apparent from their gazes that they were unfamiliar with orcs. Crockta greeted them solemnly, ¡°Are you alive? I am orc Crockta.¡± Ilya exined, ¡°This is the orcs¡¯ way of greeting. It¡¯s good to remember it.¡± Then Ilya, the elves, and Crockta departed from the forest and headed in the opposite direction of where they¡¯d entered from. Outside the forest, Crockta frowned at what he saw. The sight contrasted heavily with the mboyance of Arnin he had seen earlier. Here, crumbling buildings, makeshift houses, and shacks were barely holding up. These were the slums of Arnin, and they resembled the back alleys of Anail. ¡°If what I showed you earlier is the sunny side of Arnin, this is the dark side. No one pays attention to this side,¡± remarked Ilya. Suddenly, they heard a disturbance from afar. ¡°Shhh,¡± Ilya whispered and put a finger to his lips. They skirted through shaded areas to approach the source of the disturbance. ¡°...!¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes widened. A group of humans was kidnapping an elf outside an old house. They gagged the elf with a towel and tied her up so she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist. Then they surveyed their surroundings and ran away while carrying her. The elf tried to resist by twisting her body, but she was unable to ovee the strength of the several men. An abduction was beingmitted in broad daylight. ¡°Oh, God!¡± Crockta eximed. He tried to run out to save the abducted elf, but Ilya grabbed hold of him. While trying to hold Crockta down, Ilya¡¯s body shook. He looked surprised when he felt Crockta¡¯s arm tremble. ¡°Calm down,¡± said Ilya. ¡°After seeing that...!¡± ¡°I know where they are going.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°They are just small fry. Catching them will only alert the head. We have to wipe all of them out at the same time.¡± As the kidnappers and the abducted elf disappeared, Crockta took deep breaths to calm his anger. ¡°You have a strong sense of justice. I¡¯m surprised,¡± Ilya remarked. ¡°...¡± ¡°Please endure it a little longer. We also want to rescue that elf immediately, but numerous elves, including children and men, have disappeared in that same manner. We need to rescue them as well.¡± ¡°Does Arnin not have a police or security force?¡± ¡°We do, but they don¡¯te to this area. It¡¯s abandonednd.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They disappear one by one just like that, and affluent elves¡¯ summer homes are built where their homes used to be,¡± Ilya said and then pointed into the distance. Looking in the direction of Ilya¡¯s finger, Crockta saw new buildings being erected in several locations. Elves and human workers were sweating as they built mansions. Therge buildings being constructed looked out of ce amid the crumbling houses. Crockta asked, ¡°What happens to those who are kidnapped?¡± ¡°It¡¯s either one or the other. They either be sold as ves or have to sell their bodies. It¡¯s the worst,¡± Ilya exined. He then extended his arm and put it around Crockta¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We feel the same way you do,¡± he said knowingly. After looking around the slums for a while, they returned in the direction they hade from and headed downtown. It was a splendid city that was at odds with what they had just seen. The sight of the elves walking down the street with smiles on their faces looked like a well-taken photo, but this scenery no longer looked beautiful to Crockta. ¡°I will show you the inn where you will be staying temporarily,¡± said Ilya. ¡°When will you be carrying out the n?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Tomorrow, but if things go smoothly, tonight,¡± he replied. Crockta nodded. ¡°We know that orc warriors are strong, but the enemy cannot be underestimated. Please make your preparations.¡± Illya then led Crockta to his lodging. It was a small inn at the corner of downtown Arnin, and Ilya said the owner of the inn was a long-time friend of his. The owner was initially surprised to see his guest was an orc, but he nodded approvingly upon hearing Ilya¡¯s exnation and weed Crockta. The inn owner said, ¡°It¡¯s my first time having an orc as a guest. Hahaha, so big and dependable. Elves don¡¯t have this. Hahahaha!¡± Even though the inn owner was an elf, he had a lean, muscr body. Ilya said the inn owner was one of the few muscr and macho elves. ¡°Hey, do you lift weights? How much do you weigh? You lift three times your weight, right? Hahah!¡± asked the inn owner excitedly. ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s exercise together next time. Haha!¡± Ilya paid the room fee and left. Crockta put down his things and came out of the inn to have a brief look around Arnin. However, the rare sighting of an orc drew the elves¡¯ attention, so Crockta tried to ignore their gazes as he walked past them and ended up in the fountain in the center of downtown. ¡°Let me ask you something,¡± said Crockta toward a young man sitting at the fountain. The young man was a human and seemed to be in deep thought as he was staring off into empty space. He made a surprised face once he discovered Crockta. ¡°Woah, an orc! What do you need?¡± the man replied. ¡°What is the mayor, Elsanad, like?¡± Crockta asked. ¡°Elsanad? She¡¯s a great mayor. She is the one who made Arnin a prosperous city.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I hope she is elected for a second term as well. It¡¯s almost election time. I will cast a vote as a citizen of Arnin.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Does she have any problems?¡± he asked. ¡°Problems... I heard she was concerned about her daughter because she doesn¡¯t listen to her. Why? Are you trying to acquire citizenship?¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± ¡°Haha, Arnin is a nice city to live in. Wee,¡± said the man warmly. ¡°I will think about it, but I¡¯m curious... What were you so deep in thought about?¡± ¡°Ah... To be honest...¡± the young man began. He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°There is someone I love... but I¡¯m not sure what to do... I want to confess my feelings... What do you think about confessing in a public square? She will be touched, right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning a surprise event for her. I will make a heart out of candles and serenade her from inside the heart. I will sing to her in front of arge crowd and publicly ask her out...¡± Crockta shook his head. ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Listen to me.¡± ¡°T-Then...¡± ¡°Rather than hundreds of fancy events, a simple and genuine confession will better convey your feelings,¡± Crockta advised. ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to confess your feelings when the two of you are alone.¡± Crockta felt relieved as he had just saved the young man¡¯s life. He rose from his spot after giving out sound advice, but he noticed something that had been bothering him. Crockta turned around and found there was an elf watching him from the crowd. Noticing Crockta¡¯s gaze, the elf gave an embarrassed smile and approached Crockta. It was Ilya. ¡°Have you been following me?¡± Crockta asked. ¡°Yes, but please understand. We can¡¯t trust you immediately even though you were sent by Derek,¡± said Ilya. After letting out a few awkward dry coughs, Ilya put his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulders. Then he lowered his voice and said, ¡°I heard you talking to that young man.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Like him, the citizens of Arnin are being deceived. They all believe the mayor is a woman of character. The truth is... what we saw¡ªthe horrid truth.¡± Ilya and Crockta left the fountain and walked shoulder to shoulder. After they walked for a bit, the two elves they had seen in the forest earlier appeared. They whispered to Ilya, ¡°The date and time have been scheduled. Tonight at dawn, let¡¯s carry out the deed.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We will visit the inn at midnight. See you then. Please be prepared,¡± they said to Crockta. Crockta nodded. Ilya rubbed his lips for a second and then said, ¡°I can vividly recall your anger at the evil we saw earlier. We have been waiting for someone like you who has a strong sense of justice.¡± He grinned and added, ¡°We need someone like you in Arnin. You havee to the right ce.¡± Then Ilya disappeared into the crowd with his friends. Crockta repeated what Ilya had said over and over in his head. Justice... It was inurate to call what Crockta had a sense of justice. He had definitely been furious at the scene, but it wasn¡¯t because he was just. As Crockta looked in the direction that Ilya had disappeared, his expression became gloomy. The reason was that Crockta wasn¡¯t just; he was just logical. Chapter 35: Light and Darkness (2)

Chapter 35: Light and Darkness (2)

Crockta peered outside the window and saw that it was a dark moon tonight. He ced his greatsword on his back; then he passed by the noisy pub on the first floor of the inn and went outside. The cold night breeze awakened his senses. ¡°You¡¯re early.¡± Ilya and his crew were waiting for him. They were wearing masks that hid their faces, so only their gleaming eyes were visible in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. It¡¯s good if we do it as early as possible.¡± Nights were quiet in Arnin. As usual, with the exception of bars that ran past midnight, the lights of all the buildings in Arnin had been turned off, and the residents were asleep. Crockta and the others moved quickly. They ran through the streets and entered the forest, soon arriving at the slums they had visited earlier in the day. The slums were darker than other parts of Arnin as none of the houses had lights on. Everything in their view was pitch ck. Even the light of the dark moon wasn¡¯t bright enough to reach the ground and merely floated in empty space. Ilya whispered something, and a faint light rose up. It was a dim light that only illuminated a few steps ahead from where they were. Ilya looked back at the group and gestured for them to follow him. Ilya¡¯s destination was a deserted and dpidated house. Ilya got rid of the light and held his breath while approaching the house. When they cocked their ears to listen for any activity inside, they heard a faint sounding from the inside of the house. ¡°...¡± Ilya raised a finger to his lips, signaling the others to stay quiet. They held their breaths as they got closer, and that¡¯s when they heard a conversationing from inside. ¡°If we seed, then isn¡¯t this our second big catch?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°There are already so many elderly waiting in line to sleep with an elf.¡± ¡°These old dudes with low assimtion rates...¡± ¡®Assimtion rate¡¯ was a term only used by yers. Crockta quietly ced his hand on the door handle. It wasn¡¯t locked. He exchanged looks with Ilya, who began muttering a spell as he ced his hands together as if in prayer. The moisture in the air gathered and formed spheres of water. Ilya suspended two of them into the air and whispered, ¡°Please enter quietly.¡± Crockta and the other elves nodded. Ilya made a signal with his hands, and the spheres flew away. Crockta then opened the door and barged in. The two humans sitting across the table from one another screamed at the unexpected intruders, but the spheres of water rushed toward them and submerged their heads. The humans were unable to make any sound as they struggled to breathe inside the water traps. Crockta dodged the humans¡¯ clumsy attacks and hit one of them straight in the stomach. The elves took care of the other one. The two humans were quickly rendered unconscious and copsed onto the floor. Crockta restrained and gagged the yers and then stuck them in a corner. He and the elves had subdued two members of the Haedong Balhae n in a sh. ¡°There is a basement,¡± said Ilya as he traced his hand across the floor. Then his hand felt something protruding from the floor, and he lifted it up. There were stairs leading to the basement, from which a light shone up. They could also faintly hear voicesing from the basement. ¡°There must be more down there,¡± said Crockta as he looked at the elves. The elves replied, ¡°As you suggested, let¡¯s restrain those cursed by the stars instead of killing them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go,¡± urged the elves. The elves stepped into the basement first, with Crockta going in after them. When they arrived downstairs, they were surprised to find how spacious it was. It seemed the basement had been remodeled. They walked into the basement slowly and encountered a cave that resembled an underground mine. The beginning of the tunnel was sloppily built, but its structure grew increasingly refined as they walked further in. Upon arriving at the part of the tunnel where the path curved, they detected a presence. Crockta heard a sound and stopped in his tracks. ¡°...?¡± He was about to turn around and say something to Ilya when they heard a scream reverberate throughout the tunnel. They looked at each other for a second, then they ran toward the source of the sound without hesitation. Crockta and the elves found the source of the sound in the hall across from them and were shocked by an appalling scene, so much so that they doubted what they saw. Two humans were raping an elf woman. The humans werepletely indifferent toward the elf¡¯s state and relentlessly punched and kicked her whenever she resisted. The elf, who was pinned under the men, was covered in bruises and cuts. The other humans in the room seemed to find the sight amusing; they wereughing as they watched with their feet resting on a table. Behind them was a cell with iron bars. Numerous elves were imprisoned inside it with their heads slumped down. It looked like a scene from hell. The lifeless eyes of the elven woman who was being shaken like a ragdoll beneath two men were directed at Crockta. For a second, Crockta thought he saw a flicker of emotion in her empty eyes. Crockta unsheathed and raised his greatsword, which gleamed as it was released with a sharp ng. Hearing the noise, the humans finally noticed the intruders and turned their heads to look. ¡°Wh-What?¡± they stuttered. Crockta charged at them, and Ilya and the elves followed his lead. First, Crockta attacked one of the men raping the elf. His force sent the man flying backward, and he mmed into the iron bars of the cell. Upon hearing themotion, the imprisoned elves raised their heads to see what was going on. Crockta rammed his greatsword into the other rapist¡¯s stomach. He exerted enough strength to immobilize the man but not kill him. Then, Crockta kicked the man away as he extracted his greatsword from his body. Right when Crockta was about to swing his de toward the onlookers, a fireball came flying at him. ¡°...!¡± Crockta hurriedly raised his greatsword to block the fireball. However, before it could even reach him, the fireball was met with an invisible defense wall and exploded in midair. Crockta turned around to find Ilya grinning at him. ¡°Be careful,¡± said Ilya. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Crockta. He expressed his gratitude and then dug his knee into the face of the human blocking his way. The human¡¯s teeth flew into the air. Ilya¡¯s men were also adept in battle, but the fight was drawn out because the Haedong Balhae n members responded with full force. The n members were tough opponents as they had leveled up while progressing through Elder Lord. However, the situation took a sharp turn when Crockta revealed the full extent of his power. With every turn of his de, an arm or leg flew into the air. Limbless humans were now wiggling on the ground. ¡°Ugh... What is this...¡± the humans murmured. ¡°How did he know... Ah...¡± Crockta kicked the humans¡¯ mouths, breaking their teeth in the process. He then restrained them with ropes and gags. The Haedong Balhae n members eventually realized that Crockta was executing the ¡®concrete¡¯ method on them. Horrified, the members struggled to resist, but they were unable to stop Crockta. With his strong grip, Crockta tied up the yers one by one until he subdued all of the Haedong Balhae n members at this location. Ilya breathed heavily while looking at Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s too early to say ¡®Good work¡¯,¡± said Ilya. Then he searched the n members and found a ring of keys. He handed it to one of his men, who proceeded to use it to unlock the cell and free the elves. Ilya continued, ¡°The Haedong Balhae n has several bases like this.¡± Crockta nodded. The night was still young. *** They took advantage of the night and ambushed several bases. With each new base they went to, the average level of the Haedong Balhae n members gradually increased, and a few of Ilya¡¯s men ended up injured. Crockta almost got injured too, but he managed to scrape by unscathed. They had rescued dozens of elves, but they couldn¡¯t stop now. ¡°Now, this is thest one,¡± said Ilya. They walked toward a house that wasrger than the previous bases. Crockta, Ilya, and the other elves were all in a poor state due to the continuous battles. The Haedong Balhae n members seemed to be rying information about the ambushes to one another because their counter-attacks became stronger every time Crockta¡¯s group headed to another base. Since this was thest base, the n members would be even better prepared. Just like what Crockta and Ilya had expected, powerful magic hit them with full force as soon as they set foot inside the house. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ilya groaned. He managed to block the attack with the shield magic he had prepared in advance, but his face turned pale as he still felt the brunt of the attack. Ilya felt nauseous for a while afterward. ¡°It¡¯s such a well-made game. The NPCs are throwing us unexpected events,¡± said a man as he stepped forward. Crockta¡¯s face stiffened. He recognized the man. This was the one who had been standing next to the sorcerer at Lenox¡¯sst battle. The man did not seem to recognize Crockta though. He merely nced over Crockta and Ilya¡¯s men and stabbed his spear into the ground. ¡°You even brought an orc,¡± the manmented. ¡°...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are up to, but it all ends here.¡± The man aimed his spear at Crockta. The other n members also raised their weapons and got ready to charge. Although Crockta and Ilya¡¯s party was outnumbered, they had superior abilities. Nevertheless, they had to finish off the battle quickly as the n members would receive backup if the battle were drawn out. Both sides charged and shed at once. Crockta¡¯s greatsword collided with a ng against the man¡¯s spear. The man drew back and maintained some distance between them while aiming his spear at Crockta. Then, the man threw his spear. Crockta tried to dodge, but the spear was fast and struck his thigh. ¡°Ah!¡± Crockta gasped. The cut wasn¡¯t deep, but he was indeed wounded. The pain increased, making it ufortable for him to move. Nheless, Crockta gripped his greatsword tighter. The man grinned. ¡°Orcs... When I was a low-level yer, they were quite difficult to handle... but not anymore.¡± The man stepped back and forth. His movements resembled boxing techniques although he was using a spear. Crockta stepped forward and swung his greatsword. The man quickly retreated to keep some distance between them, then he threw a spear at Crockta¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is the slip-and-counter movement, you orc shit!¡± the man yelled. However, Crockta¡¯s shoulder twisted flexibly like the tentacle of an octopus and easily avoided the attack. Crockta then rushed toward the man and grabbed his arm that held the spear. The man tried to resist, but he was no match for Crockta¡¯s strength. After that, Crockta spun his arm and moved the man in a circle vertically before mming him onto the floor. ¡°Ahh!¡± It was a clean shoulder wheel. Crockta nned to stab the man and render him unfit for battle. However, other n members began attacking Crockta, so he had no choice but to withdraw at this moment. He looked around and noticed other elves were on the defensive as well. They had been fatigued prior to this battle and were still greatly outnumbered, so it wasn¡¯t an easy battle. ¡°Whew. This is tougher than I expected... We need more strength. Give me protection,¡± said Ilya. He frowned behind his mask as he put his palms together and began chanting a spell. Meanwhile, his men surrounded and protected him. As Ilya chanted, waves of magic shook their surroundings. The man Crockta had defeated earlier suddenly turned his eyes toward Ilya upon detecting an extraordinary presence. He aimed his spear at Ilya, but Crockta blocked it. The man¡¯s lips twisted in irritation. ¡°You shit...¡± He raised his spear and pointed it at Ilya. ¡°Everyone, attack him!¡± he yelled. All of the Haedong Balhae n members charged toward Ilya, but the elves held them back. As the elves and n members fought, Ilya¡¯s spell wasing close topletion, and something rose above his head. ¡°...Fuck!¡± the man cursed. Even though he was in the midst of fighting Crockta, the man threw his spear at Ilya. It was a powerful throw. Crockta tried to block the blow with his greatsword, but the spear flew past him with a whoosh. It charged straight toward Ilya, who was too busy chanting that he didn¡¯t even realize a spear wasing at him. However, there wasn¡¯t enough time for Crockta to scream and warn him. The spear flew through empty space and pierced Ilya. ¡°...!¡± The spell stopped. ¡°Whew...¡± Ilya wiped his forehead. The spear had grazed past his cheek, causing his mask to rip and reveal his handsome face. There was now a long cut on his cheek, but he didn¡¯t have any severe injuries. ¡°I almost died,¡± said Ilya as he wiped the cut on his cheek and smiled. The spell was nowplete. Above Ilya¡¯s head, there was a creature shaking its tail. It resembled a dragon and had the form of a long snake, but it was made of water. As it spread its wings and opened its mouth wide, cool mist emerged from the creature¡¯s mouth and lowered the temperature of the room. Ilya had summoned a spirit. The Haedong Balhae n members stepped back in fear. Crockta looked at his opponent. The man no longer had a weapon after throwing his spear. It was time to execute the ¡®concrete¡¯ method on him. ¡°You are¡ª!¡± the man said with an odd expression. He was staring nkly at Ilya, not Crockta. However, before the man could finish his sentence, Ilya shouted, ¡°Undine, attack him!¡± The water dragon pierced through the man¡¯s body. Unable to even scream, the man immediately crumbled to the floor. ¡°...!¡± His body began to turn into white particles. He would die soon. Crockta looked at Ilya. Ilya exined, ¡°The situation is urgent right now. They have reinforcements on the way, so there is no time to capture all of them. Please understand my actions in consideration of the circumstances.¡± ¡°...Understood,¡± said Crockta with a nod. The fight resumed. After the spirit joined them, everything went smoothly. Most of the n members died or were captured and subjected to the ¡®concrete¡¯ method. Crockta and Ilya had managed to sessfully deal with all of the Haedong Balhae n members who were present. They then searched the base and discovered other victims. The rescued elves bowed their heads at Ilya and Crockta to express their gratitude, but Ilya had other matters to tend to and rushed off. ¡°As expected, it is here,¡± Ilya said. He picked out something after searching the base for a while. It was a thick book. ¡°It¡¯s an ount book,¡± Ilya added. He turned the pages rapidly and looked at the content. The ount book was filled to the brim with tiny letters. Ilya¡¯s lips spread into a broad smile. ¡°All of the filthy transactions between Elsanad and the Haedong Balhae n are recorded here.¡± Chapter 36: Light and Darkness (3)

Chapter 36: Light and Darkness (3)

¡°I understand why you obsess over your guard job,¡± said Elsanad. She was checking out the appearance of her earring reflected in the mirror. Elsanad tapped the jewel with the tip of her finger, and the clear jewel shook and reflected rays of sunlight from all angles. Satisfied with the radiance, Elsanad smiled, but she saw Elwina¡¯s disgruntled face behind her in the mirror. Elsanad continued, ¡°...but you can¡¯t go on like that forever.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I want to do,¡± Elwina said. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to everything in the world, Elwina. If you exceed the limit, it bes poisonous.¡± Elsanad rose from her seat. As a respected mayor, she spent most of her day working tirelessly. The time she spent in the morning tending to her beauty was the only time she had to herself before she went to work at City Hall. As an elf who was particr about aesthetics, Elsanad put great effort into maintaining her beauty. Her sole bloodline, Elwina, was the same. Luckily, both of them had been blessed with beauty that stood out even among the elves, so they didn¡¯t experience any of the self-doubt or hatred that could result from having a high standard for aesthetics. Nevertheless, they had developed peculiar hobbies as a result of their obsession with beauty. In Elwina¡¯s case, it was dolls. ¡°If your collection increases, we won¡¯t have any space to store them,¡± remarked Elsanad. Elwina¡¯s hobby was collecting and creating dolls. She obtained joy from looking at unique dolls that didn¡¯t exist anywhere else in the world. ¡°I¡¯m tired of elves. They are only pretty. I need new material,¡± said Elwina. As a guard, she was able to see various kinds of people entering and exiting Arnin. Unfamiliar species gave her different inspiration than what she got from the elves she had grown up with. ¡°It¡¯s odd since you used to only like elves. At this rate, you might make an orc doll soon.¡± Elwina didn¡¯t respond. This made Elsanad turn her head to look at her daughter, who appeared to be flustered by thement. Elsanad burst intoughter. ¡°Elwina, I¡¯m d you abandoned your species¡¯ prejudices, but I¡¯m concerned because you are suddenly blushing like a shydy. Did you meet an orc?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It has been ages since an orcst set foot in Arnin. He must have done wondrous things for Arnin.¡± Elsanad rose from her seat. Dressed in an immacte and elegant dress, beautiful earrings, and a ne that captivated the eyes of onlookers, she looked like a goddess from a famous painting. The secretary who had been observing their conversation opened the door. ¡°Mayor, it¡¯s time to go,¡± said the secretary. ¡°Understood,¡± Elsanad responded. On her way out, she gazed at her daughter lovingly and said, ¡°Elwina, I know I haven¡¯t been able to spend much time with you ever since you were a child because I¡¯m always working. I always feel sorry toward you because of that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± replied Elwina. ¡°Come here.¡± Elsanad extended her arms and embraced Elwina, then she patted her back. Elwina, embarrassed by the sudden embrace, nced at the secretary self-consciously but eventually put her arms around her mother. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, but I¡¯m also the mother of Arnin¡¯s citizens,¡± Elsanad said. ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry. You have always reminded me of that ever since I was a kid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful you understand. If Arnin can be a happier and more beautiful ce from my difort, isn¡¯t the difort worth enduring? All of the things I had only imagined initially are nowing to fruition. If I can win the election just once more... then all of the things I have in mind for Arnin will be able to be fulfilled.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Then I want to retire and spend more time with you.¡± Elwina nodded in response. ¡°Show me your dolls again next time. They were truly beautiful,¡± said Elsanad. ¡°...Yes.¡± As Elsanad caressed Elwina¡¯s cheek, Elwina smiled. Just like Elsanad, her daughter was stubborn, but she looked like an angel when she smiled. Elwina reminded Elsanad of her dead husband. ¡°I will head to work now. Get some rest.¡± ¡°Take care,¡± said Elwina. Elsanad kissed her daughter¡¯s cheek and then left the room. Her secretary followed after her. As soon as they stepped out of the house, Elsanad went into work mode. ¡°How are they doing? What¡¯s the progress on the matter rted to the slums?¡± asked Elsanad. ¡°They are surely making progress,¡± assured the secretary. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It has been my life-long desire. I feel bad that I ever doubted them in the first ce.¡± They entered the carriage and headed to City Hall. When the mayor¡¯s private carriage appeared in the streets, the citizens of Arnin excitedly waved their hands in greeting. Elsanad smiled at them through the window. ¡°Everyone seems happy,¡± shemented. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you,¡± said the secretary. ¡°Arnin wasn¡¯t beautiful in the past. It had always bothered me to see how dismal it looked.¡± Alsien, Elsanad¡¯s secretary, shrugged. Her boss, Elsanad, was a dedicated mayor, but Elsanad¡¯s passions were derived from a strict personal standard regarding beauty, which sometimes created a discrepancy between her ideals and reality. It was her job to critique and bridge that gap. ¡°May the people of the slums also smile like that,¡± said Elsanad. ¡°They will,¡± assured Alsien. ¡°But...¡¯ ¡°But?¡± wondered Elsand. ¡°The cost of constructing new buildings seems excessive. Don¡¯t worry too much about the aesthetics. I understand you have a fine sense of beauty, but you must learn topromise. In particr, erecting a statue of benevolence at the slums seems a bit...¡± ¡°...Is it not possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste of the budget.¡± ¡°...Really? ¡°Yes, I strongly oppose it.¡± Elsanad¡¯s upright posture became hunched. Alsien faltered upon seeing that, but she tried to stay firm and not give in to Elsanad¡¯s beauty. ¡°It¡¯s still a no,¡± said Alsien. ¡°I understand. I trust you to handle matters well.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Elsanad had tried to erect a statue of the goddess of benevolence at the first-aid station, and Alsien knew it was because Elsanad wanted the first-aid station to look beautiful. After Alsien¡¯s rejection of the idea, Elsanad looked downcast, but Alsien pretended to not notice. Suddenly, Elsanad smiled as she looked out the window. ¡°Alsien, look. The clouds look like sheep.¡± Alsien shifted her gaze to look. Clouds were scattered across the blue sky in unusual shapes that resembled herds of sheep. Elsanad, who liked beautiful things, stared at the herd of sheep-clouds with the glistening eyes of a delighted child. ¡°How pretty,¡± Elsanad eximed. She grabbed onto Alsien¡¯s shoulders in joy, and Alsien couldn¡¯t help but smile. *** Crockta managed to stop the evil of the Haedong Balhae n from spreading further in Arnin. He had seeded in avenging Lenox by putting the n members in a state where they were unable to continue ying the game. However, the Haedong Balhae n members weren¡¯t just in Arnin. Arnin had only been the beginning; Crockta still had to drive them out of several cities. Nevertheless, he had to fulfill the terms of his contract with Derek first. His job wasn¡¯t done at Arnin just yet. The condition for fulfilling the contract was to either kill Elsanad or ensure Ilya was elected as the mayor. In ordance with the contract, Crockta had to consider killing the politicians who had contributed to the acts of evil that had urred in Arnin. Derek¡¯s goal was for his contractee, Ilya, to win possession of authority over Arnin, so Crockta¡¯s job would be easier if he were to kill the mayor, Elsanad, and make her misdeeds public. Despite that, Crockta decided to keep an eye on things before he took any action. He was fine with Ilya being elected as the mayor, but he was also suspicious of Ilya. Regardless of how long Ilya had been preparing for this, it was strange that he had known the exact whereabouts of the Haedong Balhae n members¡¯ bases and swiftly guided Crockta through their secret passages. Most of all, a high-ranking member of the Haedong Balhae n had recognized Ilya¡¯s face and appeared surprised, but Ilya had killed him before he could finish talking. Crockta, aka Jung Yi-An, had gone through many experiences as a soldier. His intuition wasn¡¯t right one hundred percent of the time. However, Crockta had often seen figures rted to authority deceive and manipte others, and he refused to be yed by Ilya. So, instead of getting further involved, Crockta decided to observe how Ilya carried out the rest of his activities. ¡°Citizens of Arnin! There is something I must inform you of. It is the truth. It is the filthy and ugly truth!¡± Ilya was screaming in front of people at the public square. It was election season in Arnin, but Elsanad received overwhelming support from Arnin¡¯s citizens, so voting was more of a formality. Sometimes other candidates ran for office, but the winner had always been Elsanad. However, it might be different this time. ¡°What kind of elf is the Elsanad you know? Is she an honest elf? Is she a sacrificial mayor? If you had believed these things, then you have been deceived. She is none of these things.¡± Ilya had used amplification magic to amplify his voice, so his speech rang throughout the public square. The citizens who had been passing by stopped to listen. Information about the corruption of their beautiful and self-sacrificing mayor was undoubtedly attention-grabbing. All of the citizens present were interested in what Ilya had to say. ¡°As everyone knows, Arnin isn¡¯t an entirely beautiful ce. Slums exist. You might not want to see or acknowledge them, but there aren¡¯t only wealthy elves like you in Arnin. There are impoverished and persecuted elves in this city, and Elsanad is...!¡± Ilya then talked loudly about how Elsanad had been working with humans who had been cursed by the stars and how they were reaping immoral profits from trafficking and enving elves. The citizens didn¡¯t believe Ilya. They were certain Elsanad wasn¡¯t the type of elf to do such things. Yet, the item that Ilya raised high into the air at this moment was clear evidence that she had done those things. ¡°Look at this ount book! The transactions between Elsanad and the humans who have been cursed by the stars are all recorded here!¡± Ilya opened the ount book and brought it before the eyes of the onlookers. After seeing the book, the crowd began to waver. Ilya refused to stop, and he passionately continued his speech. His strong voice rang incessantly throughout the public square. Gradually, people began to believe him, and Ilya¡¯s men pressed the rest of the crowd to do the same. Crockta quietly observed the scene and then turned around. He was suspicious of Ilya, but he was still collecting evidence. It wasn¡¯t his problem whether it was true Elsanad had done those things. What he sought to achieve was Lenox¡¯s revenge, not serving justice. That was for Arnin to deal with on their own. Right then, Mayor Elsanad¡¯s carriage appeared in the public square, disrupting the crowd. The City Hall was across the public square, so Elsanad couldn¡¯t help but run into Ilya whilemuting to work. The citizens watched with intrigued faces. Elsanad¡¯s coachman, who was oblivious to what had been going on, tried to direct the carriage past the public square, but Ilya ran up to the carriage and blocked its path. The coachman told him to move, but Ilya refused to budge. Ilya shouted, ¡°Elsanad! Reveal the truth! You can¡¯t trick us any longer!¡± The coachman murmured something to those inside the carriage. Then the carriage door opened, and Elsanad stuck her head out. The citizens eximed when they saw her beautiful face. ¡°...Ilya?¡± Elsanad¡¯s eyes widened. Ilya approached her without a change in his expression and raised his voice again. He said, ¡°Elsanad! All of your crimes are recorded here! Will you continue to y dumb even though there is evidence? You are a corrupt politician who sells elves and conspires with those who have been cursed by the stars for your self-interest!¡± ¡°Ilya, what is this...?¡± asked Elsanad. Right then, Alsien, who had been sitting next to Elsanad, proceeded to speak to the coachman as she had a sense of what Ilya was trying to achieve. ¡°Continue moving past him. Start the carriage,¡± Alsienmanded. ¡°Alsien?¡± said the mayor. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mayor. Ignore him. He¡¯s trying to incite the crowd right now. There¡¯s no need to respond.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do as he says. Let¡¯s go first. Start the carriage.¡± The coachman directed the horses to take the carriage in a different direction to avoid Ilya. Seeing them leave, Ilya shouted even louder, ¡°Look! Elsanad is dodging the truth and fleeing!¡± The crowd murmured in discontent, and a broad smile spread across Ilya¡¯s face. He raised his voice once more and said, ¡°Let¡¯s bring down an iron mace on Elsanad, who has been deceiving the citizens of Arnin!¡± Chapter 37: Truth (1)

Chapter 37: Truth (1)

Crockta wandered through the slums by himself in search of any remaining Haedong Balhae n members, but no one stood out to him. The slums felt deste. It seemed all of the yers had withdrawn from Arnin, and the elves who used to reside there had left for work in the inner city. Only the sound of the construction workers shouting at the top of their lungs rang throughout the streets. As Crockta roamed around aimlessly, he wondered whether he was doing something futile, but then something caught his eye. He stopped in front of a construction site. ¡°...!¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes widened when he looked at the workers. They were sweating profusely with construction tools in their hands. ¡°Hey! Move it carefully! You might get injured!¡± ¡°Whew. Why do I have to do all this work in a game?¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± White stars were shining brightly on the workers¡¯ foreheads. Crockta carefully inspected their faces one by one. There were a few NPCs, but there were mostly yers. The workers wore protection gear and spoke in technical jargon as they constructed buildings. It resembled construction sites in real life. ¡°Hey, orc dude!¡± A man on the ground, who had been gulping water, waved his hand at Crockta. This man had a white star on his forehead as well. He said, ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing an orc in Arnin! If you need to build a house, let us know! We will give you a good price!¡± Crockta looked at the construction site entrance where there was a signpost with the words ¡®Kangaroo Construction.¡¯ Below was an ad saying they would guarantee speedy construction at an affordable price. Crockta asked, ¡°Why are those cursed by the stars here...?¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± the man asked while tilting his head curiously. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re cursed... but does it matter? Even though we are cursed, we build cheap buildings quickly. If you havend, let us know. We will build a great house for you. Hahaha!¡± The construction workers were yers enjoying the architectural aspect of Elder Lord. Based on their skilled movements, it seemed they had worked in construction in real life. There was even a signpost at the entrance with an image of the construction overview. [Construction Title: Municipal ¡®Benevolence First Aid Station¡¯ Client: City of Arnin Constructor: Kangaroo Construction Building Utility: Public Facility for Supporting the Underprivileged] As Crockta observed the sign closely, the man¡¯s chest swelled with pride. ¡°Do you need work by any chance? If you are an orc, you must be strong. Are you interested? You should try it out,¡± the man asked. Crockta replied, ¡°Not really, but do you happen to know anything about the Haedong Balhae n?¡± ¡°Haedong Balhae? Indeed,¡± the man said with a nod. ¡°They are the ones who connected us with the mayor. I don¡¯t like those wily folks though. They took a huge chunk of the payment, but we can¡¯t do anything about it. Do you know them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know them,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I see. Try not to get involved with them. They seem to be up to no good these days. Make sure you aren¡¯t swindled by them, NPC¡ªno, orcd. Haha.¡± Then the construction supervisor called out to the man, who quickly got up. ¡°I¡¯m going. I¡¯m going! Then, good luck!¡± the man said before running off to resume his construction work. Crockta became lost in thought as he watched the man work. Ilya had said this building was a mansion for wealthy elves, but it wasn¡¯t true. It was actually a medical facility for the poor. Crockta¡¯s head raced with thoughts. Ilya¡¯s face appeared in Crockta¡¯s mind. The elf had seemed kind, but his true feelings were always hidden. Crockta was reminded of the n member who had appeared surprised and seemed to recognize Ilya when his mask came off. The n member had been unable to reveal the truth before he was killed by Ilya. Ilya was someone who had made a deal with Derek, but Derek was not a good person. In fact, he was quite the opposite, and Derek and Crockta were only working together to make use of each other. So, Crockta did not trust Derek at all. Had they deceived him? Nevertheless, Crockta¡¯s goal was to enact revenge on the Haedong Balhae n, so it didn¡¯t matter whether he was being used. He didn¡¯t have to get involved in other matters; he just needed to get rid of the Haedong Balhae n. Thus, Crockta tried to turn around and ignore what he saw, but something kept bothering him. Lingering feelings refused to subside and made him uneasy. It seemed he couldn¡¯t just let things slide. He had to do something. Crockta closed his eyes and looked into himself. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Crockta opened his eyes. ¡®He¡¯ was there. At the back of Crockta¡¯s mind, ¡®he¡¯ was looking at him. ¡°Understood, Lenox.¡± Crockta gently brushed his fingers along the scar on his chest that Lenox had carved with his axe. This scar would always remain, along with the oath of the warrior that Lenox had passed on to him. Before Crockta departed from Arnin, he had to find out what was actually going on in this city. He had to know the truth. It would not be toote to decide how to act after finding out the truth first. Crockta continued moving along. *** The ins¡¯ administrator Enyanis appeared stumped as she looked at her sudden visitors. ¡°What are you all up to...?¡± One of the visitors was the orc who had earned the right to be an honorary citizen of Arnin¡ªArnin ins Rescue Unit¡¯s orc warrior, Crockta. The other visitor was Enyanis¡¯ friend and the one who had stayed by the mayor¡¯s side and supported her for a long time¡ªthe mayor¡¯s shadow, secretary Alsien. ¡°Crockta, have a seat first. Alsien, what brings you here?¡± Enyanis asked as she brought out some tea. The three of them faced each other in Enyanis¡¯ living room. Crockta, who didn¡¯t know who Alsien was, got straight to the point. ¡°Enyanis, I came here because I have a question.¡± Enyanis nodded in response. This was her first time hearing Crockta¡¯s voice. Back when she bestowed him his rights as an honorary citizen, she discovered he had been unable to speak due to a Silence spell that had been cast on him. ¡°How is Elsanad as a mayor?¡± The moment Crockta asked that question, Alsien looked at Crockta puzzledly. ¡®Why is an orc asking about the mayor during this state of affairs?¡¯ Enyanis burst intoughter. ¡°It¡¯s funny that you ask this in front of her. It must be because of themotion yesterday...¡± Enyanis pointed at Alsien. ¡°She is the mayor¡¯s direct secretary.¡± Crockta stared at Alsien, who greeted him with her eyes. Enyanis continued, ¡°To answer your question, I personally believe the mayor is a great person, and I¡¯m not just saying this because her secretary is here. Everyone has different opinions, but I respect Elsanad. I don¡¯t believe what Ilya is saying.¡± ¡°Do you know Ilya?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Of course. Alsien, aren¡¯t you here because of Ilya as well?¡± Alsien nodded. ¡°To give you some information about him, he once closely worked with Elsanad. I heard he was fired because he caused trouble right after Elsanad was elected as mayor... He might be spreading false rumors because he still has ill feelings from that incident,¡± Enyanis exined. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s truly absurd. Saying the mayor sold her citizens? It¡¯s not even remotely amusing.¡± Alsien¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°But there has been a rumor circting that Elsanad ran away from Ilya to flee the truth. Since she didn¡¯t deny his usations at the public square and left swiftly, the citizens have begun to doubt her,¡± said Enyanis. ¡°...¡± ¡°You must have been there. Why did she do that?¡± Enyanis asked Alsien. ¡°That is...¡± Alsien took a sip of her tea. ¡°Ahem. I assumed there wasn¡¯t a need to respond to such ludicrous allegations. If we had responded hastily, further problems might have risenter. I feel betrayed by the citizens who believe that nonsense. How could they believe something so far from the truth?¡± ¡°In any case, you need to exin the truth to the citizens. If you choose to not respond, the false rumors will continue to spread,¡± advised Enyanis. ¡°I know,¡± replied Alsien as she fell into deep thought. Suddenly, she looked at Crockta and said, ¡°Crockta, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I heard you became an honorary citizen. Enyanis told me all about your great deeds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I can assure you as a fellow citizen that the mayor is not the kind of person who would do such things. She does have a side to her that is different from others... but it¡¯s because of that side that she has been sessful so far. Arnin owes its prosperity to her.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°If you have any further questions, I can answer them now. Is there anything else you are curious about?¡± asked Alsien. Crockta deliberated. ¡°Hmm... What is the mayor¡¯s daughter like?¡± He recalled having heard the mayor was concerned about her disobedient daughter. Alsien¡¯s face stiffened at the mention of the mayor¡¯s daughter, but she forced a smile. ¡°Hahaha, you must be interested in her daughter.¡± ¡°Just curious.¡± ¡°She is a beauty like the mayor. We are concerned because she wants to work as a security guard... but there aren¡¯t any particr issues. She¡¯s just young. Young.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°As you continue to observe, you will learn that everything Ilya has said was made up. Anyways, wee to Arnin. It¡¯s gettingte. I need to go to the mayor,¡± Alsien said and rose from her seat. ¡°Are you already leaving?¡± wondered Enyanis. Alsien answered, ¡°I forgot the mayor called for me. I wille back next time.¡± ¡°Okay, good luck.¡± Alsien headed toward the door, and as Crockta watched her leave, he fell into deep thought. When the living room door closed, Enyanis, who had been sipping on tea, proceeded to speak to Crockta. There was a subtle change to her voice. ¡°Crockta-nim.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There is actually something I have been meaning to say to you.¡± ¡°What...?¡± Enaynis let out an awkward cough while Crockta cocked his ears to pay close attention to her words. ¡°The Arnin ins Rescue Unit, which you inspired the establishment of, has received extremely positive responses. So...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Would you be interested in sitting for a portrait? We want to honor you by hanging a portrait of you on the wall next to mine. It will serve as a record in Arnin¡¯s history. I know an amazing artist...¡± ¡°...I¡¯m good,¡± Crockta said, refusing the offer. ¡°Could you at least consider it...?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good...¡± ¡°But...¡± *** Elsanad raised her head. She was in her neatly organized office. All of her furniture was aesthetically pleasing and created a visual harmony. The room suited her as if it had just been made for her. It was all thanks to her fine sense of beauty. ¡°Alsien?¡± ¡°Mayor.¡± Alsien stood in front of Elsanad. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were taking the day off today?¡± ¡°There is something I must inform you about.¡± Elsanad took off the sses she had been wearing to review some documents, and her vivid green eyes now gazed at Alsien. ¡°What kind of information?¡± Elsanad asked. ¡°Citizens are starting to believe Ilya. He is gaining support.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The election ising up soon. I think it¡¯d be wise to hold a public meeting,¡± Alsien suggested. Elsanad nodded and said, ¡°I understand. Ilya still seems disgruntled with me. I will exin the truth to the citizens in person, and I will hold Ilya ountable for shaking up the citizens with false rumors.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have more to say?¡± ¡°And...¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Miss Elwina.¡± Elsanad tilted her head questioningly. ¡°Elwina?¡± ¡°Yes. Since Ilya has appeared, I think it would be dangerous to let Miss Elwina be out in the open and doing whatever she pleases.¡± ¡°She can take care of herself.¡± ¡°Mayor,¡± said Alsien sternly. ¡°Understood. I will speak to her. I will make sure she understands.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Alsien lowered her head in gratitude. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go,¡± said Elsanad. ¡°Huh? Where...?¡± Alsien asked, puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it yourself?¡± Elsanad rose from her work desk and put on the shawl hanging from the wall. Her pearly white skin was visible through the sheer material. Then she beamed at Alsien. It was a beautiful smile that lit up the whole room. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the citizens,¡± said Elsanad. ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Elsanad replied as she walked past Alsien. ¡°The sight of them gossiping away is unpleasant to look at. We need to be rid of it quickly.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Alsien nodded. Because of Elsanad¡¯s beautiful looks, people asionally assumed she was weak or gentle, but she was none of those things. In fact, she was quite the opposite. There was something unusual about Elsanad. She had meticulous standards, and she was someone who could easily eradicate things that didn¡¯t suit those standards. She didn¡¯t even pay any mind to dissenting opinions; she was someone who always achieved what she intended to. From this perspective, she was closer to heartless than gentle. Her beautiful appearance and gentle attitude did not reflect her true nature at all. ¡®What a blessing that this woman¡¯s dream is Arnin¡¯s prosperity,¡¯ Alsien thought to herself. She then said to Elsanad, ¡°I will prepare the carriage. Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°The public square would be good. Somewhere everyone gathers. Prepare the tform.¡± ¡°Understood. I will let the citizens know.¡± ¡°Please do so.¡± Elsanad, Alsien, and their attendants headed toward the center of Arnin¡¯s public square, where Crockta and Ilya were currently. Chapter 38: Truth (2)

Chapter 38: Truth (2)

Elsanad bowed to the citizens of Arnin. Her voice was filled with sincerity as she addressed the allegations that had been made so far. She exined that she had nned to build facilities in the slums for the underprivileged, starting with a first-aid station, but they had faced a budget issue. In order to resolve it, she ultimately made the decision to work with those cursed by the stars because of their low contractual fees. However, problems had indeed urred in the process of working with these third-party contractors. ¡°Everyone, I have worked tirelessly for the city of Arnin up to this time. I trust that the citizens of Arnin will understand my true intentions. I did not think the contractors wouldmit such atrocious crimes, but it¡¯s still my fault. I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart,¡± Elsanad said. The citizens nodded. Even the elves who had been freed from the Haedong Balhae n by Ilya teared up at Elsanad¡¯s speech. They had been following Ilya and vouching for Elsanad¡¯s crimes at the public square, but their hearts began to waver when they heard Elsanad¡¯s exnation of the truth. Meanwhile, Ilya¡¯s face gradually stiffened. Crockta had a full view of everything that was going on and saw all of these things. Elsanad stepped down from the tform and hugged each of the rescued victims who were standing with Ilya. After promising they would receivepensation for what they had suffered, Elsanad sympathized with their pain and cried. She vehemently expressed that she would track down all of the criminals and punish them severely to set an example of what would happen to future criminals. Crockta used his skill. [Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) has been activated.] [Mind¡¯s Eye is unable to operate as the target¡¯s level is higher than the caster of the skill.] He tried again. [Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) has been activated.] [Mind¡¯s Eye is unable to operate as the target¡¯s level is higher than the caster of the skill.] ¡°...¡± He tried several times, but the result was the same. Crockta furrowed his eyebrows in concentration and tried once more. [Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) is opening.] [Although faint, genuine feelings can be detected.] Ilya rushed toward Elsanad and began screaming at her. He appeared distressed while protesting at the unfairness of it all. Through Elsanad¡¯s heightened emotions, Crockta was able to gain more insight into her feelings with the Mind¡¯s Eye. ¡°How are you going to exin this ount book, Elsanad? This is evidence!¡± screamed Ilya. ¡°I don¡¯t know about it. Even if there¡¯s evidence, it must be fabricated. I did notmit such acts,¡± Elsanad rebutted. ¡°A criminal never acknowledges their sins,¡± replied Ilya. He raised the ount book high in the air. ¡°It¡¯s all in this ount book. Everything has been recorded¡ªhow they sold the poor and how much money was given to the mayor. Citizens of Arnin, don¡¯t fall for Elsanad¡¯s sly tongue. She is a demon who has sold her citizens.¡± The citizens¡¯ murmuring grew into a hubbub. At this moment, Crockta used his skill again. [Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) has been activated.] [Although the subject¡¯s level is higher than the caster, faint emotions can be detected because their emotions are ring.] [Deception has been detected.] Crockta could see the truth clearly now. Elsanad¡¯s feelings were genuine, whereas Ilya¡¯s were deceptive. ¡°We still haven¡¯t been able to rescue all of the elves who have been sold. We can¡¯t entrust the city to that suspicious woman. Please! There¡¯s evidence here!¡± Ilya eximed. ¡°Ilya, don¡¯t go too far. Everyone, he is trying to taint my reputation by spreading false rumors,¡± Elsanad said. ¡°Then, bring evidence that this ount book is fake, Elsanad!¡± The citizens, who had been leaning toward Elsanad¡¯s side, were puzzled again. Ultimately, their argument at the public square ended inconclusively and fizzled out. With the city of Arnin awaiting the election, the mayor and Ilya were the subjects of heated discussion among the citizens. The citizens who aligned with Ilya¡¯s suspicions and those who trusted Elsanad shed. In addition to these, an argument was raised about how although Elsanad did notmit the crimes herself, it had been her responsibility to supervise the contractors to prevent such crimes. Clearly, Arnin was in an unprecedented state of confusion. Amid the confusion, Crockta decided to seek out Ilya on his own. Ilya¡¯s mansion was very luxurious. He was very wealthy and funded his own political activities. A man riddled with financial concerns wouldn¡¯t be able to make suchrge-scale political endeavors as Ilya had done. ¡°Ilya,¡± Crockta called out to Ilya. ¡°Crockta, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Ilya. While writing, Ilya was scratching his head in frustration as if he was stumped about something. He raised his head at Crockta¡¯s appearance. ¡°I came here because there is something I want to ask you,¡± said Crockta. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Ilya. ¡°I will be blunt,¡± said Crockta as he closed the door. ¡°Did you forge the ount book?¡± Ilya''s expression didn¡¯t falter upon hearing the bold question. Instead, he brought out the ount book from the drawer underneath his desk and ced it on his desk for Crockta to see. It was an old book with a leather cover. Ilya opened the book and revealed its insides, which were crammed with details of the mayor and the Haedong Balhae n¡¯s transaction history. ¡°Forgery... Elsanad also imed that,¡± Ilyamented. He grinned and stared at Crockta for a while. Undaunted by this, Crockta stared back fiercely, and Ilya¡¯s gaze wavered. Although Ilya¡¯s expression was calm, Crockta could see the anger and rage in his eyes. Then Ilya threw the ount book. Its pages fluttered before itnded at Crockta¡¯s feet. Ilya said, ¡°Why does it matter to you...¡± He grabbed another book from his drawer. It looked exactly like the ount book he had shown Crockta earlier. The book was packed full of the same details. As he threw the second book at Crockta¡¯s feet, Ilya snickered and continued, ¡°...whether it is a forgery or not?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You made a transaction with Derek, and so did I. We just have toplete our own tasks. Stop getting unnecessarily involved in other matters, Crockta.¡± Ilya opened his drawer. There were multiple copies of the same ount book inside his desk. He looked over them and grinned. ¡°You came to get revenge on the Haedong Balhae n members because of Lenox.¡± Crockta¡¯s expression changed at the mention of Lenox¡¯s name. Ilya said, ¡°What Derek had warned me about you was true. He said you were an honorable orc, so I had to handle matters without getting caught. It wasughable, but he wasn¡¯t lying.¡± ¡°You deceived and used me?¡± Crockta questioned. ¡°Deceived you? It was cooperation. You were able to catch the Haedong Balhae n members thanks to me. The ¡®concrete¡¯ method that those who have been cursed by the stars talk about¡ªwould you have been able to do it without me? Can you handle watching over and feeding them forever without me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We did what we each had to do. That was it.¡± Ilya rose from his seat. As his always-smiling handsome face crumbled, a word that didn¡¯t usually suit elves came to Crockta¡¯s mind¡ª¡®hideous.¡¯ Ilya¡¯s real face was hideous. ¡°Fine, I will tell you everything. The one who sold the elves to the Haedong Balhae n members is me. I traded with them,¡± Ilya admitted. ¡°...¡± ¡°Then I got rid of them after they had served their purpose. Did those lowly humans cursed by the stars really think I would make an equitable transaction with them? However, I made money thanks to you.¡± He spread his arms wide and smiled. ¡°Anyway, Arnin¡¯s next mayor will be me. That¡¯s it for you. You should just leave Arnin quietly.¡± ¡°How unsightly for an elf.¡± ¡°Everyone is like that once you dig deeper. I¡¯m just honest.¡± Ilya stepped closer to Crockta, but Crockta didn¡¯t budge. Spirits wavered in faint forms around Ilya. They had a distorted appearance like Ilya¡¯s true self. ¡°Reveal everything if you want, orc warrior. Neither Derek nor I will help you anymore. I¡¯m curious whether the citizens will believe an orc¡¯s words. Well, all of your efforts for your revenge were in vain anyway,¡± Ilya said. He flipped his hand over, and the door behind Crockta opened. ¡°Crockta, I think fondly of you,¡± muttered Ilya. ¡°Can¡¯t say the same,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°We are simr in that we only look forward and head straight to our goals, although the motives are different. I actually like the concept of justice. They¡¯re nice¡ªjustice and judgment. I just don¡¯t like it when it¡¯s pushed onto me.¡± Ilya waved his hand. ¡°Then, goodbye.¡± Crockta was getting kicked out. He took a close look at Ilya¡¯s face and found he was smiling. Crockta then nodded and turned around to leave while thinking about what he had to do next. *** Alsien entered Elsanad¡¯s mansion. It was beautiful, but she couldn¡¯t erase the feeling of destion she felt every time she came here. Everything was always the same. The garden didn¡¯t change with the seasons; it was always maintained to have the same appearance. All of the gardeners solemnly inspected the garden every day to prevent even the slightest changes from urring. Once inside, Alsien ran into the maid, who flinched and quickly hid in a nearby room. The maid stayed there until Alsien passed by. Used to this reaction, Alsien simply continued walking forward. When she arrived at the living room, the refreshments had already been prepared, but she didn¡¯t see any trace of the elf who had prepared and ced them on the table. It felt like Alsien was the only person in the mansion. At Elsanad¡¯s mansion, workers were not permitted to reveal themselves. They had to work for Elsanad¡¯s convenience while staying out of sight. Be it the gardener, maid, or chef... everyone had to abide by this. Elsanad¡¯s mansion was a ce where elves were always present but nowhere to be seen. The reason was that Elsanad found the sight of workers going about and performing their duties to be unsightly. She believed it spoiled the mansion¡¯s beauty. Elsanad applied her obsessive beauty standards in every aspect of her life. Alsien took a sip of her tea. She couldn¡¯t find Elsanad. Was she not at the mansion right now? Suddenly, a familiar face appeared. It was Elwina. ¡°Miss Elwina,¡± Alsien greeted. ¡°Alsien, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Elwina. Elwina seemed to be in a good mood. Her face, which resembled Elsanad¡¯s very closely, had a grin that spread from ear to ear. She couldn¡¯t stand still and paced around the room excitedly as if something good had just happened. Elwina¡¯s current appearance reminded Alsien of a child who had just received a Christmas present. However, Alsien¡¯s face stiffened when she faced Elwina. ¡°Miss Elwina.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°By any chance...¡± Alsien put down her cup of tea. ¡°...Nevermind.¡± ¡°Why? What is it?¡± Alsien caressed the cup in her hand with the tip of her finger and said, ¡°You look like you are in a good mood. Did you make a new doll?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°...¡± Alsien rose from her seat and approached Elwina, whose emerald green eyes that resembled Elsanad¡¯s looked up at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I advise you...¡± Alsien said while grabbing Elwina¡¯s shoulder, ¡°...to stop pursuing that hobby?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s what I enjoy doing.¡± ¡°As the daughter of the mayor of Arnin...¡± ¡°Are you getting angry at me right now?¡± Elwina stuck out her lips. Seeing Elwina¡¯s plump pink lips twitch in frustration, Alsien turned away. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to continue scolding Elwina. ¡°I will head back. When the mayor gets home, please let her know I will see her tomorrow,¡± Alsien said. Elwina tilted her head questioningly, but Alsien immediately turned around and quickly departed from the mansion. She tried to get the image of Elwina¡¯s face, which resembled Elsanad¡¯s so much, out of her head by shaking it but to no avail. Then the sound of Ilya screaming in the public square popped up in her mind. Once again, she tried to shake off the thought physically, but it only made her dizzy. Alsien was currently standing in the middle of the street. She looked around at her surroundings and noticed a familiar form. He was a figure that stood out in Arnin like a sore thumb. When the figure saw Alsien, he approached her. ¡°Alsien,¡± he said. It was the orc, Crockta. ¡°...Crockta, what a coincidence,¡± Alsien replied. Crockta shook his head. ¡°No, I was looking for you.¡± He smiled. An orc¡¯s smile felt foreign to Alsien, but she didn¡¯t find his face threatening after having heard about him from Enyanis. Alsien wasn¡¯t sure if all orc warriors were like him, but he was someone who suited the title of an honorary citizen of Arnin. Crockta asked, ¡°Do you want to grab a drink?¡± Alsien tilted her head at the unexpected suggestion. ¡°A drink...¡± It had been a while since shest had a drink, but the suggestion didn¡¯t sound unpleasant. Alsien wanted to wash away the image of Elwina¡¯s face from her mind with some hard liquor. She wanted to chase away the faces of everyone who troubled her¡ªElsanad, Elwina, Ilya, and even herself¡ªwith a drink. It seemed like a decent idea because the suggestion was made by Crockta, whom she didn¡¯t have a close rtionship with but still found to be trustworthy. She wouldn¡¯t have said yes if she had been her usual self, but right now, she was down for anything. They entered a small pub nearby. Crockta drew the attention of the elves inside, but they quickly lost interest and resumed their conversations. Crockta and Alsien sat in a corner of the pub and ordered a fruit cocktail that elvesmonly drank. It was quite strong. ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± asked Alsien. ¡°Hmm,¡± Crockta murmured. He downed the cocktail. The ss of liquor was rather small for an orc like him. Crockta replied, ¡°Let¡¯s delve into thatter. First, do you know the reason why I came to Arnin?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m curious though,¡± said Alsien as they clinked sses. Crockta then began talking about his past¡ªabout Lenox, Grom, the Haedong Balhae n¡¯s attack, and his n for vengeance. Although the stories were straight to the point, they gave Alsien a good idea of who Crockta was. He had embarked on a journey as a warrior to make the humans pay for murdering his instructor. As his stories continued, the sses of liquor on their table increased in number. Alsien did not have a strong tolerance for alcohol. She looked off into empty space, then her eyes drooped toward the ss in front of her. The surface of the liquid reflected an image of Alsien barely able to keep her eyes open. ¡°...Why are you telling me this?¡± asked Alsien. Crockta had divulged to her his past, the reason why he came to Arnin, and the truth about Ilya. He revealed that the ount book Ilya had posed as evidence was fake and that everything had been a ploy that Ilya had schemed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t all of your hard work be for nothing then?¡± asked Alsien. Getting rid of the Haedong Balhae n was important to Crockta, yet he was nning on making a testimony that might forego his opportunity for revenge. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the answer?¡± Crocktaughed. Alsien was silent and then drank her liquor. Crockta was right. The answer was obvious. A reason wasn¡¯t necessary for someone to reveal a lie and tell the truth, but people were usually unable to ce their truths on the bnce scale because the weight of self-interest was too heavy. Reasons had to be prepared by those hiding the truth, not those revealing it. Alsien looked at Crockta. He had a menacing face, huge bulging muscles, tattoos all over his body, and a terrifying greatsword on his back; this was a strong warrior. Crockta could easily knock her out if he wanted to, but she didn¡¯t feel nervous around him at all. Alsien felt at ease as if she had known him for a long time. She could trust him. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you alive?¡± asked Alsien. Crocktaughed. Alsien had gotten lost in thought after hearing about the great warrior Lenox¡¯sst moment and his final teaching and in turn asked herself, ¡®Am I truly alive? Or am I just breathing?¡¯ She didn¡¯t have an answer for herself, so she wanted to hear Crockta¡¯s. Crockta opened his mouth and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m alive.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Crockta took a sip of the liquor and said in a joking tone, ¡°Aren¡¯t I breathing right now? Hahaha!¡± ¡°I see. Hahaha.¡± Crockta began cackling, and both of them burst out intoughter. When theughter stopped, Alsien became lost in thought again. She swirled the remaining liquor in her ss and gazed into the distance. Then she said, ¡°Crockta...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Remember when Enyanis asked me why we didn¡¯t immediately respond and instead fled the scene even though Ilya was inciting the public?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since you have told me the truth, I will tell you the truth as well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m drunk, so listen closely before I regret it.¡± ¡°What...?¡± ¡°At that moment, I thought that what Ilya was saying could be true.¡± Crockta closed his mouth. ¡°Crockta...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alsien gulped down the remaining liquor in her ss and looked at him with drunken eyes. ¡°Go to the basement of Mayor Elsanad¡¯s mansion.¡± Then she lost consciousness and dropped her head on the table. Chapter 39: Honorary Citizen

Chapter 39: Honorary Citizen

Under the cover of darkness, Crockta climbed over the fence. Elsanad¡¯s mansion was deadly silent, and all of its lights were off. Crockta walked past the garden and turned the doorknob of the front door. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. The door swung open, and a pitch-ck darkness that concealed everything in sight awaited him inside. Crockta took a step further. The sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the mansion as his eyes scanned the darkness. It was a mansion that looked beautiful under the sun, but in the darkness, it appeared eerie. He trudged along the hallway and quickly scanned the rooms, none of which were locked. As Crockta went past rooms that didn¡¯t have any sign of presence, he suddenly noticed a figure looking at him. He jumped back, scared out of his wits. ¡°...!¡± It was just a statue. The faint moonlight shining in through the window dimly revealed its silhouette. It was an elf statue that stared off into space with an indifferent expression. Crockta extended his hand to caress it and was greeted by the cold sensation of ster. The statue¡¯s form was so life-like that it seemed like it could move at any moment. Crockta looked to the side. The elf statue was guarding the door next to it. He grabbed the doorknob, but it refused to turn; it was tightly locked. Among the areas he had searched so far, this was the only locked room. Crockta looked around. The mansion was filled with darkness, but his Mind¡¯s Eye skill began revealing forms and shapes around him. Nothing moved inside the room, nor did he detect any presence around him. It was an eerie ce. Crockta exerted pressure as his hand tightly gripped the doorknob of the locked room. It creaked and eventually gave way, bursting apart. Parts of the doorknob dropped onto the floor, and the door was now open. When Crockta entered the room, he immediately flinched. There were several statues inside the room just like the one he had seen at the door. For a second, he thought that they were alive and was about to raise his greatsword to fight. Upon realizing they were just statues, he scanned the room instead and noticed there were numerous paintings hanging on the walls. All of them seemed very expensive, and each one had its artist¡¯s signature. This was a room that embodied Elsanad¡¯s sense of beauty. While studying the room, Crockta came to a halt in front of an artwork. This piece had been made clumsilypared to the other paintings, but what made him stop to look was not the art but the signature at the bottom¡ª¡¯Elwina.¡¯ The artist was Elsanad¡¯s daughter. This piece was a simple drawing of a human and an elf standing side by side. Despite theck of artistic skill, it was evident that it had been drawn with acute interest in anatomy as Elwina had depicted precise anatomical details on their bodies. After scrutinizing the painting for a while, Crockta lifted the artwork from the wall and looked up. ¡®Found it.¡¯ In the middle of the section of wall that the artwork had upied was a hollow space with a button inside. Crockta pressed the button, and the ground began to slightly tremble. Crockta turned toward the source of the vibrations and saw that the floor of the room was slowly splitting open. After gradually parting in the middle, it revealed stairs that headed down to a basement. The voice of Alsien encouraging Crockta to visit Elsanad¡¯s basement popped up in his mind. ¡®Is this it?¡¯ he wondered. Crockta ced his foot on the staircase. The passage was slightly small for him, but he continued to proceed anyway. With each step he took, his footsteps echoed into the distant darkness. He walked down the stairs for a while until he arrived at the end of the staircase and saw a door. Crockta knew there had to be something behind this door. He recalled Alsien¡¯s forlorn trembling eyes. What did she know? Why was she in such anguish? Crockta opened the door and then immediately jolted back in shock. ¡°...!¡± He felt a chill run down his spine. Dozens of shadowy figures were staring at him from amid the darkness. He instinctively grabbed his greatsword¡¯s hilt with trembling fingers. However, the shadows didn¡¯t move. He had entered the basement unannounced, yet the figures continued to stare off into space. Crockta¡¯s heart sank as he looked at their faces. He immediately thought of Elwina, who greeted visitors at Arnin¡¯s entrance. Crockta had only found outter that she was Elsanad¡¯s daughter. He had simply thought of her as a rude woman he had met in passing, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Elwina was an entric elf who had her own world, but that world was not a permissible one. Crockta extended his hand toward one of the elves who were standing still. He could feel her soft skin, but it was frigid without a trace of life. ¡°Do you know why she is so obsessed with being a guard?¡± Alsien had said that in passing. Now, Crockta understood what she meant. No one in this city would care about the victims who had lost their lives and be a part of someone¡¯s collection just for their viewing pleasure. No one would know where and how they had disappeared. After all, no one would care if visitors suddenly disappeared when they visited Arnin. Elwina¡¯s targets were visitors to Arnin, and even Crockta wouldn¡¯t have been an exception. ¡°This is a tragedy,¡± Crockta murmured. He lowered his head sorrowfully while being surrounded by the numerous victims who had been stuffed and preserved. Looking at them, Crockta noticed that they were all attractive. They had beautiful faces with deep blue eyes. However, the traits that made them into Elwina¡¯s victims were their unique hair colors, rosy pink lips, unusually slender legs, elegant shoulders, and long delicate necks. Elwina wanted to preserve their beauty and keep them forever in her collection. It was a horrendous tragedy. Crockta closed his eyes. His shoulders felt heavy with the weight of Arnin¡¯s sins. Although Arnin had the fa?ade of a beautiful city, it was actually an abode of demons. It sold its own species for wealth and authority, fabricated truths, and had a monster inciting and deceiving its citizens with a smile on its face. Moreover, the citizens trusted and followed the mother of a demon who imed to care for its citizens while remaining silent about the demon¡¯s twisted sense of aestheticism that led her to kill, stuff, and preserve the city¡¯s visitors. Arnin was a bem of deceit and malice. Truth didn¡¯t exist here. Crockta clenched his fists with trembling hands. The preserved bodies continued to stare at Crockta, whose head was slumped down. When he raised his head, his eyes met with those of a small elf child. The young child was smiling and would do so forever. Crockta groaned as Lenox¡¯s face popped up into his mind. ¡®What would you have done? Do you have the answer to this tragedy?¡¯ Crockta asked Lenox in his mind. Lenox, who was looking right at him, grinned and then opened his mouth. His voice echoed in Crockta¡¯s imagination. Lenox just said a single word to Crockta, but it was enough. The answer was always the same. Crockta nodded. ¡®Bul¡¯tar.¡¯ *** The sun was up again. Ilya and Mayor Elsanad were having a face-off in the public square again. Instead of Ilya criticizing Elsanad and then Elsanad defending herself, the situation had escted to an argument to decide on the next mayor. Arnin¡¯s future would be decided ording to the oue of this argument. ¡°Elsanad, stop changing the topic pointlessly. You are a criminal. Are you going to continue to deny your sin when there¡¯s clear evidence in this ount book?¡± Ilya questioned. ¡°I have already said this many times. I said the ount book was fabricated. Anyone can make up evidence like that. I can immediately forge an ount book that ims you were working behind the scenes with the Haedong Balhae n,¡± Elsanad countered. ¡°Are you suggesting that that¡¯s how you have always handled matters? Is that how you ran the city? Through forgery and deceit?¡± ¡°You are twisting my words. Don¡¯t try to change the topic by turning my words against me. What you are doing right now is forgery and deceit.¡± The conversation dragged on like this. Ilya was adept at inciting the crowd, while Elsanad always responded logically. The citizens were divided into two factions and cheered on the politician they supported. In case of an emergency, Arnin guards kept their eyes on the podium as Ilya and Elsanad continued their endless arguments. No one cared about the victims anymore. Elves who had been trafficked were forgotten, and the voices of victims who had disappeared without a trace were buried. In the midst of Arnin citizens who were indifferent to the woes of victims, an orc walked across the public square. ¡°W-What?¡± A man the orc had bumped shoulders with turned around to look but quickly averted his eyes once he saw the orc¡¯s menacing face. The orc had a grim expression on his face. With his greatsword on his shoulder, he walked toward Elsanad and Ilya. ¡°You can¡¯t get any closer.¡± The guard team protecting the podium blocked him. The orc did not go farther. He stopped there and looked at the politicians. Ilya¡¯s eyes gleamed when he noticed Crockta, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to Crockta and continued criticizing Elsanad, who looked unhappy. Crockta didn¡¯t see a trace of guilt in either of them. After seeing their true selves, the orc turned toward the citizens. He examined the faces of the citizens with his eyes and saw a whirlwind of emotions¡ªcuriosity, nervousness, and admiration. Yet, they didn¡¯t have what mattered the most¡ªanger. No one was angry here. With a heart filled with anger, he screamed, ¡°Everyoooonnneeee!¡± The orc¡¯s voice rang throughout the public square, ¡°Quieeeeetttttttttttt!¡± It was an intense shout that rang in people¡¯s ears! An orc warrior¡¯s battle cry, which had not been heard in Arnin for ages, shook the public square. ¡°...!¡± It was a voice that jolted everyone, and the public square immediately fell quiet. Everyone looked at the orc, who was the source of the sound. The guards didn¡¯t know what to do, so they just looked at him. Meanwhile, Ilya and Eslsnad, who had been arguing on the tform, froze. All of the eyes and ears at the public square gathered around the orc, who was holding something in his hand. It was a crystal ball that upied his whole hand. Ilya¡¯s face paled. ¡°Now,¡± said Crockta. Right then, a human stepped out from the crowd. It was the human sorcerer, Puri. He hade forward to pay back his debt to Crockta for rescuing him in the ins. Puri put his hands together, and his mana surrounded the crystal ball. Within a few minutes, the crystal ball shone brightly, and a huge screen spread out in midair. This was the Crystal Memory yback magic; it yed the video that had been recorded in the crystal. It was a high-level spell that required an expensive item and couldn¡¯t be performed by just anyone. With rapt attention, the citizens gazed at the screen, which had a briefly static video that eventually became stable. A face began to faintly appear on the screen. It was Ilya¡¯s. He was saying something while moving around the room on the screen. The video yed back the remarks he had made that day. -Fine, I will tell you everything. The one who sold the elves to the Haedong Balhae n members was me. I traded with them. Ilya jumped up from his seat. -Then, I got rid of them after they had served their purpose. Did those lowly humans cursed by the stars really think I would make an equitable transaction with them? However, I made money thanks to you.¡± The citizens¡¯ murmur began turning into a hubbub. The argument between Ilya and Elsanad had been persisting without any progress, but the truth was finally being revealed. Ilya¡¯s horrifying remarks continued to be heard from the video being yed. -Anyway, Arnin¡¯s next mayor will be me. That¡¯s it for you. You should just quietly leave Arnin. All eyes were on Ilya now. His expression darkened, while Elsanad¡¯s face lit up. She didn¡¯t know who that orc was, but he had presented evidence that proved her innocence. With a triumphant face, she jumped up from her seat and said, ¡°Citizens of Arnin! Did you see that? This man has been manipting us!¡± She raised her fist in the air. ¡°As the mayor and a citizen of Arnin, I will officially charge this man for his crimes!¡± Then she shouted at the Arnin guard team, ¡°Guards, immediately arrest this man!¡± The guards in turn looked at Elsanad, Ilya, the orc, and then the citizens. They were confused by the unexpected situation, but the citizens had already begun rallying in support for Elsanad. ¡°Catch him!¡± ¡°Ilya was the culprit!¡± ¡°The mayor is innocent!¡± The video wasn¡¯t over though. The screen briefly went static again, then a white mansion appeared with the night as its backdrop. Every Arnin citizen knew that building. It was a building recognized for its beautiful architecture¡ªElsanad¡¯s mansion. The citizens paused. ¡°...?¡± The view in the video moved ording to Crockta¡¯s line of sight. The crowd saw that he went past the fence, went inside, and entered a room full of statues and paintings. The citizens, who did not know what this was about, tilted their heads curiously as they watched. Elsanad¡¯s face dropped as she yelled, ¡°Turn that off immediately!¡± She tried to run off the podium, but Ilya grabbed her wrist. From Elsanad¡¯s reaction, Ilya could tell this was going to lead to something worth seeing. The video eventually showed the secret basement door, and the shot continued going downward. Elsanad screamed her heart out, ¡°Guards! Stop that orc immediately! Stop him!¡± Nevertheless, the video did not stop ying. ¡°...!¡± A horrendous truth was revealed. At first, the citizens didn¡¯t understand what they were looking at. They didn¡¯t know what the scene of the elves and humans who were standing still without a word in the room meant. Once they realized the truth, they were stunned. It was an unimaginably gruesome scene. The screen was filled with the faces of elves, humans, and children whose smiles didn¡¯t move while Crockta¡¯s line of sight in the video focused on the preserved beings. Some citizens lost their bnce upon seeing this scene. The truth was cruel. A demon whomitted even greater sins than mass murder and elf trafficking had been ruling the city. From a nce, most of the humans and elves in the collection appeared to have aged past their twenties and still seemed like they were alive and breathing. The shot in the video then dropped to the ground as if the one filming could no longer look at the horrible scene; only their feet and floor showed now. Then Crockta¡¯s murmur in the video reverberated through the public square. -This is a tragedy. It was a sorrowful voice. The screen showed the floor for a while and then it was cut off. The crystal ball shattered after performing its task. The video had ended, but no one dared move. There was only silence. It was a public square where everyone was deadly still. Only the orc moved. He turned around and spoke to Ilya and Elsanad, the two demons, ¡°Ilya and Elsanad.¡± They were still frozen in ce. ¡°Based on the evidence I just presented, I charge you two for your crimes.¡± The guards who had gotten carried away by the video came to their senses. They looked at one another and then walked toward Ilya and Elsanad to arrest them. Now, the two elves were criminals instead of mayor candidates. Elsanad screamed, ¡°This is ridiculous! That¡¯s all fabricated! Just because he has an entry pass to Arnin doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s an Arnin citizen! A filthy orc who is not even a citizen is using me?? That shouldn¡¯t be allowed!¡± It was herst ditch effort to resist arrest. She continued, ¡°You are just an orc! Who are you to pull shit like this? Guards, do you believe this orc over me, the mayor? An orc who is not even a citizen?¡± It was futile resistance from Elsanad, who wanted to stall her downfall for as long as possible. Even Ilya, the conspirator, looked at Elsanad with disgust. However, Elsanad was indeed still the mayor, so the guards paused their footsteps for a second at hermand. Then they looked at the mysterious orc who had used her. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward the orc, but he remained calm. The orc opened his mouth and said, ¡°Listen, Elsanad.¡± It was a gruff and deep voice, characteristic of an orc. ¡°I receive the same treatment as the citizens of Arnin.¡± His voice rang throughout the public square. ¡°All of the rights enjoyed by Arnin citizens apply to me as well. It¡¯s a legitimate right I earned through my dedication and service to Arnin. As long as I don¡¯tmit a crime that harms Arnin, no one can take this right away from me.¡± He then took something out. It was a small certification que that shone under the sunlight. Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted to the certification que. The orc dered, ¡°I am Crockta, Arnin¡¯s honorary citizen, and this was vested to me by ins Administrator Enyanis.¡± Chapter 40: Chesswood (1)

Chapter 40: Chesswood (1)

¡°What are you nning to do?¡± asked Jeremy, Derek¡¯s direct subordinate. They had made an investment in Elsanad¡¯s downfall and Ilya winning the election, but the oue had veered toward an unexpected direction. Both Ilya and Elsanad had been imprisoned due to the charges Crockta had brought forth against them. ¡°Wait a bit,¡± said Derek as he wrote down something while sitting at his desk. Jeremy waited patiently for a while. After putting down his pen, Derek skimmed through what he had written. ¡°¡®I wish you good fortune...¡¯ or ¡®May atshirai flowers bloom at every step of the way...¡¯ Which sounds better?¡± asked Derek. His voice wasced with amusement, and this caused Jeremy¡¯s eyes to widen in surprise. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood,¡±mented Jeremy. ¡°If I had to choose between good and bad, I guess it¡¯s good,¡± replied Derek. ¡°Is the person you are addressing male or female?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°It¡¯s a man,¡± said Derek. ¡°The former then,¡± suggested Jeremy. ¡°But he¡¯s an elf,¡± remarked Derek. ¡°Then I suggest thetter,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°You have strong prejudices about gender and species,¡± said Derekughingly as he raised his pen again. ¡®May atshirai flowers bloom at every step of the way¡¯ was a ssic well-known expression derived from a Janburuqe epic poem. The atshirai flower crown worn by a victor symbolized a march of victory. It had the same meaning as ¡®I wish you good fortune¡¯ but was less formal. ¡°Do you know how long it has been since I¡¯ve written a letter to resolve an unexpected matter?¡± asked Derek. ¡°From my knowledge, it has never happened before,¡± replied Jeremy. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t remember either because it has been so long,¡± said Derek. Derek ced the letter in an envelope and stamped his crest over the wax seal. Then he handed it to Jeremy. ¡°How amusing,¡± said Derek. ¡°Even though it has deviated from your expectations?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°By nature, victory is more valuable when you encounter an unexpected problem and ovee it, Jeremy,¡± said Derek. Upon taking the letter from Derek, Jeremy realized he did not recognize the name addressed on the envelope. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Who? Our new puppet, that¡¯s who,¡± said Derek with augh. ¡°Since our orc warrior Crockta has disrupted our ns in Arnin, there needs to be a new person to set things straight.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°The world doesn¡¯t be a clean ce just because you eliminate a viin. A new viin will always crawl out eventually. This is how the world works.¡± Jeremy nodded. This was why he followed Derek. He had never seen any ws in Derek¡¯s ns before. Derek could predict everything as if it was all in the palm of his hand and follow up with quick responses, yielding his intended results. This was also the case for what had happened in Arnin. Crockta had handled the matter in unexpected ways, and now Ilya, whom they had carefully invested in, was a criminal about to be imprisoned in Arnin¡¯s basement. Derek had referred to this series of events as unexpected, but Jeremy didn¡¯t think so. He believed Derek had probably nned many potential solutions to such a problem from the very beginning just in case. He had everything thought out in his mind, and he controlled it all in ordance with his desires. ¡°Deliver this, and give Crockta information about the next case,¡± said Derek. ¡°Even though he vited the contract?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°In a way, I vited it too,¡± replied Derek. Crockta had ced a condition in the contract, specifying that he would not perform unjust acts that would go against a warrior¡¯s honor. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Ilya and Elsanad were such viins. But it wasn¡¯t unexpected, so it¡¯s willful negligence,¡± said Derek. ¡°Understood,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°I trust you. It would be nice if you could even help Crockta a bit this time,¡± suggested Derek. Jeremy nodded as he read the name of the person the letter was addressed to. The addressee was ins Administrator Enyanis. With Ilya and Elsanad¡¯s downfall, Arnin was awaiting a new leader. Regardless of the kind of person they had been until now, whoever epted Derek¡¯s help next would be Arnin¡¯s new Ilya and Elsanad. Nevertheless, the citizens wouldn¡¯t know about their new leader¡¯s hypocrisy and rave in admiration at their fa?ade of a righteous leader. That was the world Jeremy knew. *** After Ilya¡¯s and Elsanad¡¯s crimes were revealed, the whole city was enraged and in an uproar with a desire for a fresh start. New politicians iming they would set Arnin on the right path appeared, and voices began to rise out of the need to clear up the ugly consequences as a result of the past events. Honorary Citizen Crockta was also the talk of the town, but he no longer appeared in front of people. The orc dismissed all the attention and said he had simply done what he had to do. Praise for Enyanis ensued in response to Crockta¡¯s modest answer as she was the one who had appointed him as an honorary citizen. Due to Crockta¡¯s new fandom, a statue of ¡®Honorary Citizen¡¯ was erected at the Arnin public square. Much to the surprise of Arnin¡¯s visitors, the statue of Arnin¡¯s honorary citizen didn¡¯t look like an elf or a human. Instead, it had the appearance of an orc. The people of Arnin didn¡¯t put Crockta¡¯s name on the statue to respect his wishes, but every citizen of Arnin knew who the honorary citizen was. The statue expressed the citizens¡¯ trust in him¡ªthat if Arnin became corrupt again, the honorary citizen would return and handle the corrupt politicians. ¡°It¡¯s tiring,¡± said Crockta. He had to go into hiding because of his fame. He tried to disguise himself with a bandana or hood, but his conspicuouslyrge orc stature meant he had to limit going out as much as possible. ¡°You are the only orc in Arnin. It can¡¯t be helped. Are you really nning to leave?¡± asked Enyanis. ¡°There is something I must do,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I hope you could have stayed longer.¡± Before this, Derek had¡ªto Crockta¡¯s surprise¡ªinformed him about the whereabouts of another of the Haedong Balhae n¡¯s bases and provided him with information about his next destination, Chesswood. This time, Derek didn¡¯t have any particr demands. His messenger conveyed Derek¡¯s words that Crockta should do whatever he wanted. Crockta had a hard time assessing Derek¡¯s true intentions, but he decided not to think too deeply about it. He just had to focus on what he had to do. ¡°I saw you here for the first time,¡± said Enyanis. Crockta and Enyanis were standing at the Arnin ins where they had first met. Enyanis turned her head and looked at the rock where Crockta had left his message¡ª¡®A warrior does not attack the unarmed.¡¯ The adrenaline rush that Enyanis had felt when she first saw the message was still a vivid memory in her mind. She had never met anyone like this orc before. Many spouted words about justice, but it was her first time seeing someone who acted on what they said. She was excited about the path this orc would tread in the future. ¡°Where are you thinking of heading to?¡± asked Enyanis. ¡°Chesswood district,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Chesswood...¡± murmured Enyanis. Chesswood was humannd and a ce that would best be called a madhouse. It was a cursed ce, but this orc would surely aplish whatever he needed to do. ¡°I wish you good fortune. May atshirai flowers bloom at every step,¡± said Enyanis. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Crockta. Crockta didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind what Enyanis had said, but based on the connotation of her words, it seemed she meant well. Suddenly, Crockta heard the shouts of those hunting treeters in the ins. ¡°Ahhhh! Help!¡± A man was being chased by a treeter, but Crockta didn¡¯t budge. Things were different now. Dozens of arrows ripped through the air and pierced the treeter all over its body. It was the work of Yu-Rin, the elf yer who had followed Crockta¡¯s footsteps and be a member of the Arnin ins Rescue Team. Yu-Rin noticed Crockta¡¯s gaze and winked back. Crockta nodded approvingly. Aside from Yu-Rin, there were other NPCs and yers helping those around them. They were dressed in the same red vest that symbolized the ins¡¯ rescue team. Sometimes, when yers approached treeters despitecking the skills to hunt them, the rescue team scolded them and sent them home. A warm atmosphere circted through the ins. ¡°This is your legacy,¡± said Enyanis. The number of people who died from hunting treeters had decreased greatly. There was even talk that Arnin¡¯s entry standards for other species would be loosened thanks to Crockta¡¯s contributions as an honorary citizen. ¡°Then, let¡¯s see each other again sometime,¡± said Crockta. It was time for him to leave. Crockta extended his fist in customary orc greeting, and Enyanis extended her fist in return. The orc greeting felt unfamiliar to her, but as her fist met the orc¡¯s hard skin, her spirits lifted. They exchanged a firm fist bump. Crockta then turned around and began walking. His huge orc body moved farther and farther away from Arnin. The orc, who had achieved great things in Arnin, had a quiet final moment in the city. ¡°Whew,¡± sighed Enyanis with a nk stare. Suddenly, someone approached her. It was Jeremy, the subordinate that Derek had dispatched. He stood next to Enyanis and whistled. ¡°Orcs look so scary,¡± said Jeremy in a mirthful voice. Enyanis stared at him unsurprised as he smiled. They had already exchanged correspondence previously. ¡°Anyway, has the noble administrator made up her mind?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°Are you sure about the promise?¡± questioned Enyanis. ¡°Of course. We will help you,¡± assured Jeremy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a mere loan shark to have so much money,¡±mented Enyanis. ¡°Watch your words. Derek is more than a loan shark,¡± warned Jeremy. Enyanis nodded. ¡°Good, then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡°But keep this in mind. Although I will be receiving political funding from your people, I will not allow any hical transactions.¡± ¡°We will see about that,¡± remarked Jeremy with a wide grin. Everyone always said the same as Enyanis but only at the beginning. ¡°Some guys will head over, so discuss the rest with them. I have to go,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°To Crockta, perhaps?¡± asked Enyanis. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± replied Jeremy. Jeremy stared in the direction where Crockta had disappeared. Although Derek had spoken positively of Crockta, Jeremy couldn¡¯t say the same. He believed there was a need to keep an eye on the unpredictable orc. After all, the orc could go off in any direction at any moment. *** Yi-An logged off. He had been ying for a very long time. Despite that, he didn¡¯t feel dizzy or tired at all, which was strange. His body felt refreshed as if he had just woken up from a full night of sleep. Yi-An looked back on his experiences in Elder Lord. He had been immersed in the game as if he really was Crockta, and his rage regarding the atrocities that had urred in Arnin had been genuine. Maybe that was why his achievement score had risen dramatically after he visited Arnin. Bringing charges against an NPC of status had allowed Crockta to achieve a high level of influence in Elder Lord. Additionally, his levels had risen with his achievement score, so there weren¡¯t many yers in Elder Lord who could belittle him now. He went out to the living room and turned on the TV. Elder Lord News, which summarized what was going on in Elder Lord, was currently airing. There was news about Arnin¡¯s former mayor, but the report didn¡¯t delve into too much detail. It said Arnin¡¯s mayor and a mayoral candidate had been arrested after being reported by Arnin¡¯s citizens, and that Arnin was now in political turmoil. ¡°Hmm...¡± murmured Yi-An while checking his phone. It was peak hour at his caf¨¦. He felt like he had entrusted all of the caf¨¦-rted matters to Han Yeo-Ri following the arrival of the part-timer. Yi-An could imagine Yeo-Ri looking at him resentfully. This meant he needed to give her some attention. Yi-An left the house and got in his car to drive to the caf¨¦. When he entered the caf¨¦, he was greeted by Yoo Soo-Yeon, the new part-timer. ¡°Wee to Caf¨¦ Reason!¡± Yoo Soo-Yeon had a hearty voice that lifted people¡¯s spirits. Yi-An nodded approvingly. Han Yeo-Ri had trained the part-timer well. Upon seeing Yi-An, Han Yeo-Ri remarked, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°...!¡± Something was off. Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s voice, which used to capture the hearts of customers, sounded glum as if her liveliness had been stolen by Yoo Soo-Yeon. It was a subtle difference, but Yi-An noticed it. Han Yeo-Ri gave him a strange look and then raised her chin toward a corner of the caf¨¦. Seeing that, Yi-An shifted his gaze over there. ¡°...!¡± Yi-An was surprised once more. A woman that he knew was drinking coffee with her legs crossed elegantly. She was the sessor of the Myeongsong Group, Ji Ha-Yeon. Having seen Yi-An enter the cafe, she smiled as she looked at him. It was no wonder why there were men in suits outside the caf¨¦. They were here because of her. Yi-An walked over to her. Ji Ha-Yeon spoke first, ¡°You must be busy these days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are busier than me,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°You¡¯re right. But even though I¡¯m busy, I made time for you.¡± Then she took a sip of her coffee. This scene looked like a photo shoot featured in a magazine. ¡°Yi-An-ssi, aren¡¯t you going to drink coffee? Did you grow tired of it because you run a caf¨¦?¡± asked Ji Ha-Yeon. ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Ji Ha-Yeon had many questions. Nevertheless, Yi-An simply smiled while shaking his head. ¡°Then do you want to get dinner together? I¡¯ll pay,¡± said Ji Ha-Yeon. Yi-An shook his head again, and Ji Ha-Yeon pouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m nning to have dinner with someone else,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°With who?¡± Instead of replying, Yi-An looked at Han Yeo-Ri, who was making a drink for a customer. He had been nning to buy her a meal because she had been really tiredtely. ¡°Are you two...?¡± asked Ji Ha-Yeon. ¡°She¡¯s just my employee,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°Hmm...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon looked suspiciously at Yi-An, who shrugged in response. Ji Ha-Yeon, who had been caressing her lips as if in deep thought, suddenly asked, ¡°Do you y Elder Lord?¡± Yi-An stared at her in surprise. He had recently learned that the Elder Saga Corporation was an affiliate of the Myeongsong Group. As this question wasing from Ji Ha-Yeon, the heir of the Myeongson Group, it didn¡¯t seem at all like an innocent question. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°I see,¡± said Ji Ha-Yeon. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Hmm... It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t y as well.¡± ¡®Why would one of Elder Lord¡¯s shareholders say something like that?¡¯ Yi-An tilted his head curiously. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± he asked. ¡°No, just...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon dragged out her words. Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s father, Ji Eun-Chul, did not allow his family members to y Elder Lord due to safety concerns. It was top-secret information that Elder Lord¡¯s core system was uncontroble. The capsules¡¯ protection system imed to guarantee yers¡¯ safety, but as a precaution, Ji Eun-Chul strictly forbade his rtives from ying. It was the Myeongsong Group¡¯s weakness, so thepany employed all means possible to find the sole man who could solve this issue¡ªYoo Jae-Han. However, no one could find his whereabouts. Ji Ha-Yeon, who couldn¡¯t exin all of this to Yi-An, replied jokingly. ¡°Haha, a person could turn violent if they spent too much time ying games.¡± She nced outside the caf¨¦, where one of her guards was pointing at his wristwatch. It was time for her next schedule. Ji Ha-Yeon had been nning to cancel it if Yi-An had epted her dinner offer, but things didn¡¯t work out today. She sighed. ¡°I was rejected today as well. Do you hate me?¡± Ji Ha-Yeon asked. ¡°No way,¡± Yi-An replied with augh. ¡°We should have dinner next time I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s settle on a date right now. What about dinner the day after tomorrow?¡± asked Ji Ha-Yeon eagerly. ¡°That works.¡± ¡°You promised,¡± Ji Ha-Yeon said and rose from her seat. ¡°Then, see you in two days.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon left the caf¨¦ with elegant movements. After seeing her off, Yi-An stood at the caf¨¦¡¯s counter. Yoo Soo-Yeon bowed politely to him. She had be a lot more cheerful ever since she received Yi-An¡¯s help and began working at the caf¨¦. Han Yeo-Ri also nced at Yi-An. She asked, ¡°What do you want to drink? Espresso?¡± Her voice sounded t, but Yi-An grinned. ¡°Yeo-Ri,¡± he said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get something nice to eat after closing the store.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s expression brightened in an instant. She was the type of person who couldn¡¯t hide her emotions. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can we eat something expensive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Han Yeo-Ri nodded happily. Right then, the automatic door to Caf¨¦ Reason opened, and a customer entered. Han Yeo-Ri immediately greeted the customer, ¡°Wee to Caf¨¦ Reason!!!¡± Her characteristic liveliness was back. Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh. Chapter 41: Chesswood (2)

Chapter 41: Chesswood (2)

Crockta found the sound of footsteps behind him unpleasant. He stopped and turned around to ask, ¡°Why are you following me?¡± However, the person that Crockta confronted wasn¡¯t discouraged at all. The person replied, ¡°We just happen to be heading in the same direction. Don¡¯t tter yourself. Are you renting this whole road? How much did you pay?¡± ¡°...¡± It was Jeremy, Derek¡¯s subordinate. He¡¯d caught up to Crockta while thetter was heading toward Chesswood, which was to the northeast of Arnin. ¡°It must be nice, renting the whole road. Rent, rent, rent, rent...¡± continued Jeremy. Crockta red at him, bringing him to a stop. ¡°How scary. Calm down,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°...¡± Crockta decided to ignore Jeremy and continue onward, while Jeremy whistled behind him. The whistling was very crisp and high in pitch. Crockta had thought it was the sound of a flute at first and had been impressed by it, but he no longer enjoyed the sound of Jeremy¡¯s whistling now that Jeremy was tantly following him. Jeremy¡¯s whistling rang throughout the ins as they trudged along together. They were an awkward pair of travelers. Chesswood, where they were headed, was a ce where small human viges were scattered throughout like pieces on a chessboard. It wasn¡¯t a bustling city like Arnin, but the small viges had gathered and formed their own system. What was the Haedong Balhae n doing there? Would Crockta be able to find Grom, whom the n members had referred to as Hyun-Chul, and take revenge for his betrayal? Crockta didn¡¯t know the future, so all he could do was try his best. He decided to head there first and then figure out the next steps toward achieving his goal. The farther Crockta headed east from Arnin, the sparser the forests became, and ins and man-made roads appeared. If he were to continue heading east, he would arrive at a big city or the castle grounds of another species. ¡°Hey, orc dude,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°...Call me Crockta.¡± ¡°Oh, are we already at the stage where we call each other by name? Are we dating now?¡± asked Jeremy teasingly. ¡°...¡± Jeremy was so annoying. ¡°I heard Chesswood is overflowing with people cursed by the stars. What are you nning to do? Are you going to use the ¡®concrete¡¯ method on all of them?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no need? I¡¯m someone who serves Derek. If you do anything weird, we will lose our investment funds. You should know the value of money.¡± ¡°Where did Derek invest in Chesswood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret, a secret.¡± Before Crockta knew it, Jeremy had sidled up to him while they talked. Crockta nced at him warily but let him be. ¡°Your sword is nice. Is it expensive?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°It¡¯s from the Golden Anvil tribe,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Whew, so cool. I¡¯m jealous. It¡¯s time for me to buy a new sword.¡± They seemed like closepanions exchanging frivolous talk. Then Jeremy began whistling again. Crockta didn¡¯t know where the tune originated from, but it had a nice rhythm to it. Hearing it on the seemingly endless quiet road wasn¡¯t bad at all. ¡°You are quite good,¡±mented Crockta. ¡°I¡¯ve been proud of my sword and whistling skills since I was a kid.¡± Jeremy let out a long whistle. It was so clear that Crockta felt as if he could see the linear trajectory of the sound. ¡°Do you know any songs?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°Songs?¡± questioned Crockta. ¡°It must be hard to whistle with those orc lips. Why don¡¯t you try singing? Your voice has a nice bass tone,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°A song...¡± murmured Crockta. Now that he thought about it, he knew a cool song he had learned at the Orcrox pub. Should he reciprocate with that song? Crockta coughed awkwardly in preparation to sing, and Jeremy looked at him with expectant eyes. ¡°Ahem...¡± Crockta cleared his throat. He felt embarrassed to sing on his own, but he couldn¡¯t betray those expectant eyes, so he began singing awkwardly. It was the song of warriors. ¡°We are orcs! Strong orcs! It¡¯s dangerous to provoke us! A great warrior is here. Make way! Get the hell out, humans! Get out... elves! Get out, dwarves...! You too, gnomes...!¡± It had been fun when everyone sang together at the pub, but Crockta felt it was embarrassing to sing this song by himself in the middle of the road. After ¡®you too, gnomes,¡¯ the next line was ¡®Pretty woman? A warrior doesn¡¯t need women,¡¯ but he couldn¡¯t bear to continue singing. ¡°...¡± Crockta nced over at the silent Jeremy. ¡°...!¡± Jeremy was smiling awkwardly and nodding. ¡°C-Cool...¡± he said hesitantly. This was humiliating. It would have been okay if Jeremy had made a fuss and teased Crockta like usual, but Jeremy was wearing an awkward expression as if he found Crockta too pitiful to make fun of. ¡®That fake praise!¡¯ With a heavy heart, Crockta¡¯s head drooped over. Mere humans wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the song of orc warriors. He tried to console himself with that thought, but he had his pride as an orc warrior. ¡°We all have different cultures. Ha, haha,¡± said Jeremy in constion. Feeling even more ashamed after hearing Jeremy¡¯s considerate remark, Crockta cleared his throat again. He wanted to show this man what a true song was. ¡°That was actually a joke,¡± said Crockta. ¡°No, the song was good,¡± assured Jeremy. ¡°I will show you what a real song is,¡± dered Crockta. ¡°You don¡¯t have to overexert yourself...¡± said Jeremy. Crockta grabbed Jeremy¡¯s shoulder, and Jeremy flinched. ¡°Jeremy,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Y-Yeah...?¡± ¡°Have you ever loved someone?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°L... Love...?¡± ¡°Yes, love,¡± said Crockta firmly. ¡°Well... I¡¯ve dated quite a few women...?¡± said Jeremy. ¡°Then listen closely,¡±manded Crockta. Crockta was very serious. He closed his eyes and thought of a song. As an orc, he had an extremely low bass tone that most singers wouldn¡¯t be able to emte. Mncholic songs released by male singers who sang deep notes that resonated from their chests had been very popr during Crockta¡¯s days as a student. A young boy¡¯s pure love was still alive in those tearful songs that moved hearts, and Crockta brought forth lyrics from those distant memories. The song currently in his mind would be enough. Crockta¡¯s voice flowed out like a sigh. ¡°I let you go without saying anything. Rain poured down on me unexpectedly.¡± ¡°...!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He was shocked by how Crockta¡¯s bizarre and husky voice had calmed down. The song that Crockta was singing now was heartbreakingly beautiful, and its lyrics seemed like the lines of a poem. ¡°For a while, I tried to forget you. I tried to fall asleep by drowning myself in liquor.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I realized something while thinking about you. I couldn¡¯t forget you even with the passage of time...¡± ¡°Ah...¡± As Crockta¡¯s loud low-pitched tone rang out sorrowfully, his mournful voice shook the heart of his listener. ¡°Even if you break up, it¡¯s not something to mourn if you have loved a good person...!¡± Jeremy closed his eyes. All of a sudden, an image of his old lover flitted across his mind. She was Jane. To Jeremy, her name was unforgettable. They had loved each other, but she was a daughter of a respectable family, and Jeremy was a thug who roamed the back alleys. It was a rtionship that couldn¡¯t work out; it was a heart-wrenching love. Jane eventually left him, but Jeremy never med her... because she... was a good person. Jeremy¡¯s eyes began to tear up. Now, Crockta¡¯s song was reaching its climax. He sang the end of the heart-wrenching song boisterously. ¡°I want to be the person I¡¯ve always talked about being and protect you. Can¡¯t you cooooome baaaaaaaaaack...¡± His song finally came to an end. Crockta closed his eyes for a while, drunk on his emotions. Like how African Americans had soul music in real life, there was something special that only the orcs had in Elder Lord. Orcs were born with the vocal structure for singing these types of heartrending songs. It was an astonishing performance. p. p. p. Crockta opened his eyes to the sound of pping. Jeremy was pping, but the apuse wasn¡¯t from just one person. Crockta and Jeremy both turned to look at the same time and saw an unfamiliar man walking toward them. ¡°Thank you for the performance. It was a heartrending song,¡± said the man. ¡°You are...¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°I am ckmore, a musician. I was walking, and I was led here by the beautiful notes that pulled on my heartstrings. It was a beautiful song.¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°No, it was really amazing. It¡¯s surprising that you were hiding such great singing skills,¡± said Jeremy. Even Jeremy acknowledged Crockta¡¯s song. ¡°Did you write this song?¡± asked ckmore. ¡°No, the song belongs to a musician,¡± Crockta answered. ¡°I see... but that doesn¡¯t diminish the emotions you conveyed. What is your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Crockta.¡± ¡°Based on the direction you¡¯re moving in, you seem to be heading to Chesswood. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading there as well. If you don¡¯t mind, could I apany the two of you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Crockta and Jeremy ended up traveling with ckmore. After exchanging introductions, they conversed freely. ¡°The lyrics of the song were especially beautiful. What is the title of the song?¡± asked ckmore. ¡°As implied by the lyrics, it¡¯s called ¡®Good Person¡¯.¡± ¡°Good person... That¡¯s cool. Even if you break up, it¡¯s not something to mourn if you have loved a good person...¡± ckmore nodded and wrote something in his notebook. ¡°Of course... It doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t be sad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± replied Crockta. Only a true man could understand such deep lyrics! The three men felt sentimental as they recalled old memories. ¡°I have a memory like that as well... For what reason are you heading to Chesswood? To participate in the contest...?¡± asked ckmore. ¡°The contest?¡± questioned Crockta. ¡°You must not know. A small music contest is being held in Chesswood.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big contest. It¡¯s just a smallpetition among the Chesswood viges, but the vigers have their pride at stake. I know because I¡¯m from Chesswood. I came back to my hometown after all this time just for this.¡± ¡°I want to watch.¡± ¡°Hahaha, pleasee watch. I am quite good at singing.¡± The road was filled with the sound of their conversation. After bonding, they enjoyed some music while walking together. ckmore yed an instrument that looked like a guitar while Jeremy whistled and Crockta hummed along with his husky voice. Theymunicated with one another with their own unique melodies. It was a sweet time in which they could be drunk on music without a worry in the world. ¡°What is this sound?¡± a voice suddenly rang out from the side. Crockta¡¯s crew looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of humans. Crockta didn¡¯t miss the white star shining on the forehead of the woman leading the group. The group murmured among themselves. ¡°They are NPCs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a funnybination. A singing orc?¡± The five people in the group were all yers. Upon seeing them, Jeremy was calm. Meanwhile, ckmore weed meeting new people on the road. He greeted them heartily, ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± The woman leading the group smiled and replied, ¡°Hello, musician ahjussi!¡± She was friendly even to NPCs. It seemed she was familiar with the ways of Elder Lord. ¡°I¡¯m Musician ckmore, and these are Crockta and Jeremy. They are apanying me to Chesswood.¡± Crockta and Jeremy bowed their heads. ¡°Oh, really? We are also heading in that direction,¡± the woman said. Then she turned around and briefly spoke with her crew. It seemed she was asking whether they should join ckmore¡¯s group. ¡°Then, do you want to go with us? It was nice to hear you guys ying music together. Are you all musicians?¡± asked the woman. ¡°Hahah, I¡¯m the only musician. These folks are just musically talented,¡± answered ckmore. ¡°Wow, so cool.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Music is better when shared.¡± Crockta¡¯s group becamerger. Now, they were headed toward Chesswood as a crew of eight. ckmore began singing a song that reminisced about his hometown. It seemed he was in a good mood because he was returning to his hometown after being away for a long time. He had great singing skills on par with his ability to y his instrument. The yers cheered and pped along to his music. Suddenly, Jeremy grabbed Crockta¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Hmm?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Are they cursed by the stars?¡± whispered Jeremy in a low voice. He knew that Crockta had received the curse of the stars and that those cursed by the stars could recognize one another. Crockta nodded. Jeremy whispered to him again, ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Those jerks and Chesswood,¡± warned Jeremy. Jeremy dragged Crockta away from the group and said, ¡°That guy ckmore doesn¡¯t seem to know yet...¡± He paused and nced at ckmore, who was ying an instrument with a cheery face. Then Jeremy concluded, ¡°...But Chesswood isn¡¯t an idle ce right now.¡± ¡°Then...¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°It has be a ce where those cursed by the stars are wreaking havoc in thend.¡± One of the yers suddenly nced in their direction. Jeremy put his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulder and grinned at the yer. When the yer¡¯s gaze moved away, Jeremy continued whispering into Crockta¡¯s ear, ¡°That means your enemies are there as well.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± said Crockta. He recalled that Enyanis had described Chesswood as a madhouse. With this in mind, Crockta nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Understood?¡± asked Jeremy. Jeremy tapped Crockta¡¯s chest and let go of his shoulders. As ckmore¡¯s singing grew louder, a vige began to appear from afar. Chapter 42: Water (1)

Chapter 42: Water (1)

Smoke rose from the vige in the distance. ckmore and the yers were stillughing among themselves while ying music. Only Crockta and Jeremy detected the faint cloud of smoke. ¡®It can¡¯t possibly be trouble right from the start,¡¯ thought Jeremy as he caressed the hilt of his longsword hung from his waist. Doing so immediately calmed his nerves. He believed that regardless of what was going to happen, a single sword would be enough. After all, he was a swordsman whom even Derek acknowledged. Jeremy was a natural-born killer. Moreover, by his side was an old-fashioned orc warrior who was strong enough that even Derek paid attention to him. ¡°Ahjussi, there¡¯s smoke over there,¡± said the female yer. ckmore abruptly stopped ying his instrument. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± wondered ckmore. Smoke continued to rise from the vige. It intensified and filled the vige sky with ck fumes. ckmore¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Oh, no... There seems to be a fire. I need to run.¡± He fastened his instrument to his back and was about to run toward the vige when a yer tripped him. ckmore was unable to catch himself in time and ended up tumbling to the ground. This caused the tip of his instrument, which he had been carrying on his back, to shatter. Unable to get up off the ground, he moaned in pain. ¡°W-What... Ugh...¡± groaned the startled ckmore. The yers snickered among themselves. ¡°It must have already started, guys.¡± ¡°I told them to wait for us.¡± ¡°But we still have our share here.¡± Crockta couldn¡¯t help but scowl at their conversation. Jeremy shrugged as if he had expected this all along and pulled out his sword. ¡°Dude, I told you,¡± said Jeremy to Crockta. ¡°This is why I hate those who have been cursed by the stars. These backstabbing jerks.¡± Then he winked at Crockta and added, ¡°Of course, I will reserve my judgment about you for a little longer.¡± The yers approached Jeremy and Crockta. They were wary of the pair as thetter were armed, unlike ckmore. Furthermore, one of them was even an orc. ¡°Is it okay even though he¡¯s an orc?¡± ¡°Just trust me.¡± All the yers pulled out their weapons. The sorcerer retreated and prepared to support from the periphery. ¡°If it gets dangerous, we can just call for more support,¡± said the female yer, who had been friendly with ckmore. She grinned and added, ¡°A1 to C4 is our territory anyways.¡± As Jeremy whistled, his longsword gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight. His longsword was smallpared to Crockta¡¯s greatsword, but the amount of human blood its de had licked could form a small stream. ¡°You guys, don¡¯t you see how angry this orc is? Do you want to get punished? Do you want to bleed?¡± Jeremy joked around while assessing the distance between them. As he did so, he kept his movements light. Crockta gripped his greatsword and lowered his center of gravity. He gathered some momentum so that he could break through the yers in an instant. Crockta assessed that he could easily handle the humans lined up at the front, but he was concerned about the sorcerer at the back, who was already murmuring in preparation to activate a spell. ¡®Sorcerers are always a pain in the butt.¡¯ Crockta carefully looked for an opening to attack the sorcerer. However, his eyes widened right then. The sorcerer suddenly copsed to the ground soundlessly, revealing ckmore who had been standing behind him. When ckmore¡¯s and Crockta¡¯s eyes met, ckmore made a signal with his eyes, pointing out how the yers gathered at the front had yet to notice the sorcerer¡¯s downfall. Having gotten the message, Crockta nodded and charged. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaarrrrr!¡± he shouted the battle cry of orc warriors, which had now be a habit for him, and rushed toward the yers with Jeremy in tow. Crockta lunged forward while swinging his greatsword. The force of his attack pushed the yers back, and Jeremy used their retreat to his advantage. Moving like the wind, he leaped from behind and dug his longsword into the throat of one of the yers. The startled yers screamed. ¡°Sorcerer! Quickly use your magic! Why aren¡¯t you doing anything?¡± ¡°What are you doing? Do something!¡± When they turned around to look, their faces filled with despair. ckmore, whom none of the yers had been paying attention to, had knocked down the sorcerer and was looking at them with his foot on the sorcerer¡¯s chest. The yers sensed their impending doom. In fact, they could already feel Crockta¡¯s and Jeremy¡¯s des on their skin. The yers¡¯ heads were sent flying into the air. Crockta and Jeremy were too strong for the yers to handle. They weren¡¯t just regr passersby or musicians. Instead, they just so happened to be a notorious swordsman from the back alleys of Anail, the city of runaways, and a true orc warrior, who had gained recognition from the hardship he¡¯d experienced. The yers¡¯ bodies began to turn white. This was the final moment for these people who had received the curse of the stars. After the yers dissipated, their equipment remained on the ground. Nothing looked extraordinary, so Crockta¡¯s party left the equipment behind as they were in a rush to go to the vige. ckmore immediately began running, and Jeremy and Crockta took a quick nce at each other¡¯s faces before following behind ckmore. The vige was in chaos. Multiple houses were burning down, and NPCs and yers were engaged in battle everywhere in the vige. ckmore looked around and then picked up a farming tool. He turned it into a cudgel by breaking off the top part of the tool, then he swung it into the air. Crockta¡¯s and Jeremy¡¯s eyes sparkled as they watched ckmore swing his cudgel. They could tell he was a skillful fighter from the way he wielded the makeshift weapon. After swinging the cudgel to reawaken his senses, ckmore dove into the battleground without looking back. Crockta and Jeremy joined the battle as well. All of the vige NPCs appeared to be farmers, but they were able to stand up to yers with their farming equipment. One by one, yers turned into white particles at the hands of the vigers. Crockta tilted his head in confusion as he shed a yer¡¯s throat. The yers were strangely weak. He had asionally encountered yers of caliber, but most of the yers in the battle here seemed like they had only just begun ying Elder Lord. Not only were they weak, but they were easily scared, and most of them fled when they saw Crockta¡¯s frightening appearance. ¡°An orc!¡± ¡°Run! There¡¯s an orc!¡± ¡°Run away! Escape!¡± ¡°So fucking scary!¡± ¡°A monster!¡± The yers quickly turned and fled. ¡°....¡± Crockta didn¡¯t even have a chance to fight them. Jeremy giggled and tapped on Crockta¡¯s shoulder with his usual teasing attitude. He said, ¡°Your face is quite something, but it¡¯s not that scary, so don¡¯t be too discouraged.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Crockta retorted. He was about to turn away, but instead, he added, ¡°I¡¯m good-looking for an orc.¡± It was true. Crockta was a handsome orc. Back in Orcrox, female orc NPCs had hit on him multiple times. He had customized his face to be as scary as possible to tease his sister Yi-Yoo, but it was charming to fellow orcs. Jeremy burst out inughter. Then he asked, ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s going on? The cursed ones are arriving in groups and ambushing Chesswood, but they¡¯re so weak.¡± Crockta looked at the yers¡¯ equipment scattered on the ground. They were all trash, not even Common-tier equipment. ¡°I have a rough idea of what¡¯s going on,¡± said Crockta. Based on the poorbat abilities of the yers here and what the female yer from earlier had said about A1 to C4 being their territory, Crockta could surmise that the yers were taking advantage of Chesswood and repeating bad habits from online games. They wereying im on territories and dividing them up for yers to level up in. The yers were taking advantage of Chesswood¡¯s unique regional trait of beingprised of small scattered viges, which also happened to be popted by farmers who were unustomed to battle. ¡°ckmore! Has he returned for good?¡± ¡°ckmore¡¯s here?¡± Amotion arose among the vigers after the battle ended. They had discovered ckmore was present. However, this wasn¡¯t the kind of wee Crockta had expected. It was quite the opposite. ¡°He suddenly left, so why did he...¡± ¡°I thought he was gone forever...?¡± They seemed to be shunning ckmore. Some vigers even spit on the ground in distaste as if ckmore was bad luck. ckmore just awkwardly fiddled with his broken instrument while lowering his head and staring at the ground. *** ¡°Haha, ckmore, can¡¯t believe you became a musician. Life is so unpredictable.¡± Crockta and Jeremy had ended up staying at ckmore¡¯s uncle¡¯s house. Ingram, ckmore¡¯s uncle, had arge stature and was very tall. He seemed very strong. ¡°Has Mr. Musician over here changed a lot?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°ckmore? This guy was aplete...¡± Ingram said, looking at ckmore and shaking his head, ¡°...hooligan.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± protested ckmore. ¡°If a person who beats people up as a loan shark¡¯s goon isn¡¯t a hooligan or a gangster, then what are they?¡± ¡°Well...¡± ckmore lowered his head and stared at the ground again. Jeremy, who was beside ckmore, couldn¡¯t help but do the same. Crockta nodded in agreement with Ingram and then whispered to Jeremy, ¡°Hooligan, gangster.¡± Jeremy grunted as he elbowed Crockta. ¡°The only things he knew were how to do were fight and swing his spear. Well, there wasn¡¯t much else to do in Chesswood,¡± said Ingram. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it that often,¡± refuted ckmore. ¡°ckmore of Chesswood is notorious. They said he was merciless and emotionless.¡± It was a full moon that night. Ingram served his guests, two humans and an orc, his homemade beer. It was quite delicious. Crockta thought Ingram¡¯s homemade beer did not pale inparison to the beer he had drunk at Orcrox. ¡°I do regret my past,¡± admitted ckmore. ¡°We didn¡¯t hear anything from you after you left Chesswood. How did you be a musician?¡± asked Ingram. ckmore¡¯s exnation was brief. After leaving Chesswood, he roamed around and traveled to various ces. He always had means to make money with his skills¡ªbe it as a mercenary, a soldier, or as a high-level guard. However, there had always been a sense of regret in his heart about how he earned money by causing other people pain. One day, he saw a musician ying an instrument at the pub in the inn he was staying at. The musician¡¯s skills were mediocre, but peopleughed with joy as they watched him. Despite eating expensive food and staying in a much pricier room than the one the musician dwelled in, ckmore was miserable inparison. Thus, ckmore threw away everything and became a musician. That was ten years ago. ¡°The most apathetic guy in the world ended up with the most sentimental job,¡±mented Ingram. ckmore smiled bitterly. ¡°Even though you said it¡¯s because of that musician, it¡¯s actually because of her, right?¡± asked Ingram. ¡°...¡± ckmore downed his beer. ¡°How is she?¡± he asked. ¡°She got married,¡± replied Ingram. ¡°To who?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a decent guy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all that matters then. Don¡¯t say anymore.¡± ckmore seemed to have a heart-rending story from the past. His expression darkened, and Ingram, Crockta, and Jeremy stopped talking. Then ckmore quickly changed the topic, ¡°Do the cursed ones keep reappearing?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s serious. We have requested help from the castle, but it takes a while,¡± Ingram answered. The viges had united to ward off the cursed ones¡¯ attacks, but the continuous ambushes were putting a strain on them. Crockta wore a solemn expression. He was certain that yers had designated Chesswood as a hunting ground for them to level up in and that the ns had divided Chesswood among themselves. It was rare for NPCs with regr skill levels to form a district consisting of scattered viges without a strong connection. Additionally, there wasn¡¯t even a professional security team like in other cities. These reasons made Chesswood the ideal hunting ground. Consequently, ns wereying im to thends and controlling territories to monopolize Chesswood. ¡°All of the vige heads are gathering tomorrow to discuss a n,¡± stated Ingram. ckmore, who had been downing his beer, jumped up from his seat to air out the gloomy atmosphere. He said, ¡°Anyway, Uncle, now that I¡¯m a musician, I will sing for you. My instrument is broken though.¡± ¡°Oh, did you write a song?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a song I wrote while reminiscing about Chesswood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to block my ears if it¡¯s bad.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Then ckmore began singing. Unlike Ingram¡¯s worries, the song had a nice rhythm to it, and it had a sad introduction that gradually became cheerful. The listeners pped along with the beat. Listening to the song made them feel as if they were excitedly running toward their hometown. ¡°I¡¯ve wandered through many ces in the world, always looking for something new. But I realized that what I¡¯d been searching for was at the ce I¡¯d known all along. ¡°I sing under the moonlight with the rain pouring down on me. Oh! I am joyful, now that I¡¯m back in my hometown! Under the sun, I stroll down a path with a bright smile. Ah! I am happy to be back!¡± Chapter 43: Water (2)

Chapter 43: Water (2)

Chesswood was the name shared by the dozens of scattered viges in the area. Most people referred to the individual viges as Chesswood, but the residents distinguished themselves by the vige they came from¡ªjust like how cities were divided into boroughs. Moreover, there was a subtle battle of pride among the viges. ¡°I heard the cow of the Cactus Vige¡¯s head gave birth to twin calves.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve already heard. She gave birth to two very sturdy twins. Hahaha.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it weird to be so excited over twins? In Dandelion Vige, Hans¡¯ cow gave birth to triplets. Cactus Vige only had twins. Hahaha.¡± ¡°...C-Congrattions...¡± Even during the music contest, there was continued tension among the vigers. The viges¡¯ representatives had gathered at the Edelweiss Vige meeting hall, located at the center of Chesswood, to discuss countermeasures in response to the attacks on Chesswood. Since the head of each vige was present, the atmosphere asionally turned ugly due to theirpetitive spirits. ¡°You keep trying to provoke me, but Gold Rain Vige can effortlessly cover the original song Come Back, Ticonderaga!¡± ¡°Stop kidding me. Your voice will crack. If you listen to Natasha Vige¡¯s The Sad Song of Youth, you will piss in your pants.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re real ssy. Do you want to duel?¡± ¡°Ha! I¡¯m James. My shouts are like an erupting volcano. A duel? Let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡°I will put your annoying quack sounds to sleep with my sweet serenade. Gather the audience!¡± The heads of Zoysia Vige and Pine Vige growled at each other. They were about to hold a ruthless singing contest that could end a singer¡¯s career if they lost. It was Chesswood¡¯s own Colosseum. Meanwhile, Crockta and Jeremy, who were watching them, shook their heads. ¡°Would we be able to fight with these men on our side?¡± asked Jeremy. Crockta was silent. The people of Chesswood lived lives detached from fights and battles. Crockta and Jeremy could now understand why ckmore, who used to boast his strength as a loan shark¡¯s goon, was so feared among the vigers. ckmore seemed like a demon to the Chesswood vigers, who dueled by singing popr songs, because he carried weapons. ¡°Everyone, be quiet! It¡¯s not the time to fight among ourselves!¡± Ingram brought calm to the scene. He was just a normal farmer now, but he was still respected as a former head of the ck Rose Vige. ¡°They attack us because we¡¯re so scattered and make easy targets,¡± he exined. ¡°What do they gain by killing us?¡± asked one of the vige heads. ¡°Our enemies are cursed by the stars. They want to kill us to umte achievements.¡± ¡°What? They can umte achievements even if theymit evil deeds?¡± ¡°Ha... They are truly ursed...¡± yers received achievement scores for all deeds; there was no distinction between good and evil deeds. They were umted based on whether a yer aplished an act that had influence in the world of Elder Lord. Moreover, capturing an NPC greatly contributed to a yer¡¯s skill development. The term used was ¡®achievement,¡¯ but the ultimate goal was for a yer to develop their skills and increase their level. The ns were trying to grow their power and influence by using Chesswood as their springboard for these developments. ¡°We sent people to the castle... but it takes time...¡± ¡°Those ursed humans will not wait until then.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°How about all of the viges pitch in to hire mercenaries?¡± The vige heads were in deep thought. They had been warding off the yers¡¯ attacks by fighting with farming and hunting equipment, but their opponents¡¯ attacks were bing stronger. Crockta closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. High-level yers had begun arriving in Chesswood to help the ns¡¯ low-level yers. They were nning to wipe out Chesswood. Although Crockta¡¯s original goal was to get rid of the Haedong Balhae n, he got swept up in Chesswood¡¯s affairs and wasn¡¯t sure how to limit his role. It was difficult for him to discern who the enemy was as well. Just then... ¡°Everyone! We¡¯ve got a problem!¡± someone yelled as they burst into the meeting hall. ¡°There¡¯s arge-scale attack on Dandelion Vige right now...!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Dandelion Vige¡¯s head, who had been bragging about his triplet calves, jumped up from his seat. Crockta looked at the map of Chesswood pasted on the wall. Dandelion Vige was on the outskirts of Chesswood. If it were on a chessboard, it would be in the upper right. ¡°I must go immediately!¡± yelled the head of Dandelion Vige. ¡°Chrysanthemum Vige, did you let Camellia Vige know?¡± ¡°Yes! The neighboring vige is sending support!¡± All of the vige heads tried to run out. However, Ingram calmed them down by saying, ¡°Nothing will change even if we head over there now.¡± ¡°Then, what should we do?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s first agree on a countermeasure.¡± ¡°What about Dandelion Vige?!¡± The meeting hall was in an uproar. Then, someone stepped forward to take the lead and said, ¡°I will go to Dandelion Vige, so please n a countermeasure quickly.¡± It was ckmore, who was in the corner with Crockta and Jeremy. When he spoke, the meeting hall fell quiet. ¡°ckmore...!¡± ¡°So, the rumors were true...¡± ¡°My god...¡± ckmore¡¯s notoriety made even the vige heads nervous! From the vige heads¡¯ reactions, Crockta got an idea of the kind of person ckmore had been in the past. ckmore continued, ¡°I¡¯ve washed my hands off those kinds of matters. Now, I just want to help the vige. Please n a countermeasure as the representatives of Chesswood. Isn¡¯t that your job?¡± Hearing ckmore speak so solemnly, the vige heads nodded in response. ¡°Well... even if we go now, we won¡¯t be of much help.¡± ¡°However, if ckmore goes, the attackers will be screwed.¡± ¡°His fighting skills have always been impressive.¡± When a feared person became an ally, he would often be more dependable than anyone else. The vige heads were relieved to hear that ckmore would be fighting as their ally. ¡°Would you be willing to help us?¡± ckmore asked Crockta and Jeremy. He had already witnessed the strength of the two visitors. ¡°Yes.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Well, I agreed to help this orc, so I guess.¡± Jeremy agreed to help in his typically roundabout way. The three men who had formed a music ensemble on the road were now headed toward Dandelion Vige to save Chesswood. *** The three men borrowed horses. Crockta didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse, so ckmore and Jeremy had to help him. The horse struggled to carry Crockta¡¯s massive body, but they didn¡¯t have any time to be considerate toward the horse. Their priority was to save the vigers of Dandelion Vige. ¡°Right there!¡± Before they knew it, they had arrived at Dandelion Vige. The battle was in full swing, and they witnessed an astounding number of yers ughtering the vigers. ckmore¡¯s expression stiffened and then turned into a scowl. ckmore, who had always been a cheerful musician, now had an unbelievably demon-like expression. He instantly raised the spear he had been carrying on his back and jumped off his horse. Whenever he swung his spear, yers were swept away and sent tumbling to the ground. His speary was like a raging storm. ckmore was a natural at this. Crockta and Jeremy got off their horses and joined the battle too. There was a shift in the flow of the batter even with just the three of them joining. ¡°Bul¡¯taaarrrrr!¡± The orc¡¯s battle cry shook the earth. Crockta charged toward the yers, and his force sent them flying into the air. His greatsword chopped some yers¡¯ bodies in half. Their torsos split, and their intestines were flung into the air. The battle spirit of those fighting had a huge impact on determining the oue of the battle. Well aware of this, Crockta continuously shouted his battle cry to crush his enemies¡¯ morale. ¡°I will cut and chop you to pieces!!!¡± he roared. Then he kicked the corpses, sttering their blood and flesh everywhere. The yers trembled in fear at the sight of the blood-covered orc warrior swinging his greatsword. Crockta bellowed, ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± He was a ughterer on the battlefield! Blood spewed everywhere he went. When ckmore and the orc warrior appeared, the vigers who had been struggling to defend against the yers gained strength and began charging forward. Meanwhile, ckmore and Crockta rushed toward areas where there were more yers gathered and ughtered them. White particles covered their surroundings constantly. ckmore and Crockta refused to show the yers any mercy. The frightened yers turned around and began running away. However, there was a yer who mistook Jeremy, who was swinging his longsword with ease, for an easy target and approached him. Jeremy¡¯s sword moved like the wind and pierced the yer¡¯s throat. ¡°Life is not a game, you cursed dude,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°Argh...¡± Jeremy¡¯s swordsmanship was impable. He pulled out his sword from the yer¡¯s body and nced at his surroundings. There had been some casualties among the vigers, but the battle was starting to flow in the favor of the vigers. The three men¡¯s performance was turning the tide. ¡°Orc dude! Keep fighting!¡± yelled Jeremy encouragingly. Crockta was in the middle of punishing yers. When a few yers were about to attack a family of vigers hiding in their storage room, Crockta arrived just in time and decimated the yers in an instant. The family let out sighs of relief while the baby in the mother¡¯s arms cried and cried. ¡°Filthy humans,¡± muttered Crockta as he stormed out of the storage room and assessed the situation. The yers had split up and were attacking in groups. Crockta¡¯s next target was over there. However, just when Crockta was about to charge, an invisible strength came flying at him. Crockta rolled across the floor after being hit with the full force of the attack. ¡°Ugh!¡± groaned Crockta. ¡°Why is an orc here?¡± A man approached him. Crockta could immediately sense the man¡¯s immense strength. Nevertheless, Crockta got up and calmed his breath. The yer was d in expensive equipment. He reminded Crockta of the high-ranking yer he had met in Arnin ins, but this man¡¯s strength was on whole other levelpared to the previous yer. yers began screaming in the background. ¡°Higashi is here! A high-ranker is here to help us!¡± ¡°Bugilma is here!¡± ¡°Bugilma is here to help us!¡± High-rankers had entered the scene. Among the numerous Elder Lord yers in the world, there was a notable group of yers that ranked in the top five hundred. Considering the enormous Elder Lord poption in the world, those five hundred yers were at the apex of the game. Elder Saga Corporation sponsored them, and they enjoyed various perks like celebrities. Higashi was one of them. Crockta gritted his teeth. He experienced pressure that he had never felt from an opponent who was a yer. ¡°I was getting bored, but it¡¯s about to get fun,¡± said Higashi. He grinned and raised his sword and shield. Crockta looked around him. ckmore and Jeremy were handling high-level yers too. The high-rankers were targeting those who stood out. Meanwhile, the yers regained their morale with Higashi¡¯s appearance and resumed attacking the vigers. The vigers crumbled at the hands of the yers, who were vigorously massacring them with glee. Upon seeing this, Crockta¡¯s eyes filled with fiery anger. ¡°Yo, orc, your opponent is me,¡± said Higashi. However, Crockta was unable to go help because Higashi was blocking him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his greatsword. Higashi¡¯s presence gave Crockta a lot of pressure. Not only was Higashi strong, but he was also fully equipped with skills and expensive tools. Crockta moved slowly as he tried to look for an opening, but Higashi mimicked Crockta¡¯s movements while maintaining his distance. Higashi moved first. In an instant, he was right in front of Crockta¡¯s face. It was as if Higashi had folded space between them. He was now too close for Crockta to swing his greatsword andnd a hit. Then Higashi pushed against Crockta with his shield. Crockta met the force with his greatsword, but his line of sight was blocked off by the shield. Unable to predict where Highashi¡¯s sword would emerge from behind the shield, Crockta decided to throw his body onto the ground and roll away. ¡°Hmm...¡± murmured Higashi, impressed. When Crockta got back up, he was covered in dirt. Highashi looked at Crockta as he twirled his de. ¡°If you had been a secondte, you would have been stabbed. You have quick decision-making skills,¡±plimented Higashi. Higashi¡¯s intery of sword and shield was impressive. He was someone who really knew how to fight. Crockta was certain that Higashi did martial arts in real life. He might be the strongest opponent Crockta had faced so far. Crockta gathered all of the strength in his body. [Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare) has been activated.] [Tattoos of Honor (Rare) has been activated.] [Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique (Rare) has been activated to the maximum level.] Crockta¡¯s senses became sharp, and faint steam rose from his greatsword. His proficiency in Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique increased, and he was able to temporarily infuse life force into his greatsword. He didn¡¯t normally use this skill in battle because it rapidly depleted his energy, but he had no choice now. [Mind¡¯s Eye is opening.] Crockta even opened his Mind¡¯s Eye. He was going all in. Higashi approached him. Crockta could see Higashi¡¯s movements more clearly with his Mind¡¯s Eye open, but his heart felt more tense as he could also clearly see how strong his enemy was. ¡°Bul¡¯tar,¡± Crockta murmured to himself. He had to brace himself for death in this fight. Right then, he saw something else with his Mind¡¯s Eye. Someone had snuck into the vige. He could vaguely see the hidden figure with his power. Crockta retreated and concentrated his strength in the direction of the person in hiding. ¡°...?¡± Higashi tilted his head curiously. [Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) has partially prated their stealth skill.] Crockta saw the faint form of a woman wearing a mask and tight leather clothing. She was filming this battle scene from under a roof. Her attire looked familiar to Crockta. Although she had never revealed her face, she had the same appearance as the female yer who had embedded the image of her character like a trademark in the introduction of every one of her videos. She was the Youvidser who had filmed Crockta in the past and spread her name by bringing light to the evil deeds of yers¡ªLaney. Chapter 44: Smoke (1)

Chapter 44: Smoke (1)

Higashi didn¡¯t give Crockta time to think. He immediately charged at Crockta. Crockta racked his brains while defending himself. ¡®Think. You must think of something.¡¯ He stumbled a bit after taking a hit from Higashi¡¯s shield but quickly returned to his stance from before. Nevertheless, Higashi continued swinging his sword and shield without hesitation. Crockta dodged Higashi¡¯s attack and hung on while concentrating on one thought¡ª¡®I must win this battle.¡¯ He swung his greatsword, but it bounced off Higashi¡¯s shield. Crockta thrust his greatsword toward Higashi again, but Higashi¡¯s shield didn¡¯t even budge. Instead, the force of Higashi¡¯s kick sent Crockta rolling across the ground. Crockta tried to pull himself together as he got up and assessed the situation. ckmore and Jeremy were fighting fiercely, but they were being pressured by multiple yers. They were at a disadvantage because it was a war that some ns had deliberately instigated. Their enemies would only increase in number as time went on. There would be strong high-rankers like Higashi in other ns, so it was inadequate for Crockta, Jeremy, and ckmore to protect Chesswood on their own. Crockta retreated and nced at Laney again. Even if he lost this battle, he had to win this war. He returned to thinking like his past self, Raven, and spected what the most efficient method was for winning this war. If his probability of winning was one percent, then he had to raise it to five percent with all of his might, and if it became five percent, then he would even crawl on the ground to bring his probability of sess to ten percent. Nheless, Crockta¡¯s probability of winning this battle was indeed close to zero. Crockta saw more yers gradually swarming into the vige. Jeremy seemed ready to extract himself from the battle at any moment, and ckmore also began to foresee the dismal aftermath of this battle. They were both about to retreat. Meanwhile, Crockta closed his eyes as he listened to the screams of the vigers. ¡°What, orc? Did you give up?¡± asked Higashi. Instead of replying, Crockta smiled. ¡®Fine. Watch me, Higashi. Watch me, Laney.¡¯ If this truly were a losing battle, then he would draw it out to the very end. ¡®Watch what I can do.¡¯ *** After Laney uploaded the battle between the yer killers and the orc, her poprity increased rapidly. Now, tens of thousands of people viewed her Youvids channel daily. There wasn¡¯t much of a reason as to why Laney did this job. She was sick of seeing bad guys seed, and this job made her money. Laney liked that she could make money while screwing over people she disliked. That was all. She wanted to crush the faces of those who gleefully reaped profits through dirty means. They usually operated in the shadows, so she wanted to expose them. That was all, but things had worked out in her favor, so she had risen through the ranks to be a famous Youvidser. With her new status, the number of reports she received from others about bad yers also increased. Among them, there was one that stood out to her. The report said that the Haedong Balhae n, which had recently risen to fame, and several otherrge ns were gathering in a district. Moreover, they were limiting other yers¡¯ entry to the district. yers who didn¡¯t belong to one of the ns gathered there were threatened and forced to leave. The district¡¯s name was Chesswood. It was well known that ns killed weak NPCs for their benefit. Although it was a subject that generated heated discussion in the Elder Lordmunity, this was the first time such a massacre had urred. Additionally, it was exclusive only to the members of the ns involved. Laney didn¡¯t have a huge sense of duty to help the NPCs; she just wanted to expose those disgusting jerks. Moreover, she hatedrge ns. They took advantage of their size to nurture high-rankers, then they used the high-rankers to expand their ns. In the past, high-rankers contributed to Elder Lord¡¯s rich culture while enjoying their individual fantasy lives. However, the high-rankers that had appeared recently had been nurtured like machines to yield profits. Their shady ways left a bad taste in Laney¡¯s mouth. Laney decided to head toward Chesswood to find out what was going on. Her ss was the secret ss, Shadow Assassin. It was a ss that specialized in stealth. This meant no one would be able to notice her. When she first arrived in Chesswood, nothing was going on. It was a normal vige. The only thing that stood out was that all of the vigers were simple-minded folks who enjoyed singing and didn¡¯t know much about fighting. They weed travelers and trusted one another to the extent that their doors were never locked. Laney, who had been exposing the bad deeds of yers, understood just how dangerous it was to be so trusting of others. The ns had been nning to use the district as a ce for their members to level up, then they would eradicate the whole area. yers disguised themselves as travelers and began infiltrating Chesswood. Laney managed to film them dividing Chesswood into zones and distributing sections among themselves. Despite that, Laney couldn¡¯t help but wonder inwardly, ¡®Is this incriminating enough for me to use to expose and report these yers?¡¯ ns gathering and killing NPCs threw off the bnce in Elder Lord, but was it a crime? Was it enough to incite public outrage? To what extent should they respect the lives of NPCs? Laney didn¡¯t know. So, she decided to just continue filming with the intent of watching until the very end. Yet, when the ns¡¯ attacks officially started, Laney was surprised to find a certain ck bandana, which she had seen many times, in the vige. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!¡± Although the orc had changed a lot since then, his bandana was still the same. It was a worn-out ck bandana with a cksmith Company logo. The orc had increased in stature and acquired tattoos all over his body, but he had the same frightening appearance. He joined the vigers and fought on their side. His presence changed the tide of battle in an instant. It was as if he was the incarnation of battle itself. He ruthlessly swung his greatsword and chopped the yers into pieces. Each time he swung his greatsword, a fountain of blood gushed out. Nevertheless, it was only sweet for a short while. The Yamato n¡¯s vice leader, the high-ranker Higashi, appeared soon after. He and some other high-ranking yers had been sent over to help their n members. They were the main forces of the Yamato n. Higashi marked the orc. The orc seemed to eagerly confront Higashi at first, but he was pushed back due to the difference in strength. Higashi continued handling the orc with ease. The flow of battle was overturned due to Higashi¡¯s presence. The vigers who had been holding their ground against the yers began to crumble, and the two men who had been helping the vige with the orc began to retreat. Yet, the orc swung his greatsword until the end. ¡°Ahh!¡± screamed the orc. However, Higashi used his arming sword to sh the orc¡¯s thigh, and the orc fell to his knees. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you start running away like your friends?¡± asked Higashi. The orc did not respond. Instead, he got up and raised his greatsword. The two engaged in a face-off again. The orc¡¯s greatsword was about to reach Higashi¡¯s throat, but Higashi blocked it with his shield. The greatsword cut through the air instead, leaving Crockta¡¯s abdomen exposed. Higashi¡¯s de pierced the orc, and blood gushed out of the wound. Crockta clutched his abdomen. ¡°I will give you a chance. If you run now, I won¡¯t chase after you,¡± said Higashi. He twirled his arming sword and approached Crockta. ¡°You are an orc. You don¡¯t need to die for these humans,¡± said Higashi while shrugging his shoulders. The battle was over now. The only thing left was ughter. The helpless vigers could no longer resist, and they turned into experience points as they died at the hands of the yers. Even the vigers who could fight met the same fate. ¡°All of your friends have run away,¡± continued Higashi. Laney was filming all of this. She was curious about the response the orc would give. Nheless, the orc refused to open his mouth and persisted in the meaningless battle. Crockta charged again. He umted more injuries and was nowpletely covered in blood. In his resistance against Higashi, Crockta barely managed to move his unobliging body. ¡°You¡¯re starting to gross me out, you fucking orc!¡± screamed Higashi. Crockta seeded in shing one of Higashi¡¯s arms. It wasn¡¯t a big injury, but a scowl immediately emerged on Higashi¡¯s face. In a fit of rage, he bashed the orc with his shield, sending the orc flying in Laney¡¯s direction. Laney quickly got out of the way. The orc crashed into the wall that Laney had just been standing against and then rolled across the ground with his blood sttering onto the wall. He coughed and stuck his greatsword in the ground to prop himself back up. It seemed painful for him to even stand. Seeing this scene, Laney was overwhelmed with strange emotions. ¡®What¡¯s motivating that orc to get back up each time?¡¯ In her head, she could hear thementing voice of the orc from the video she had filmed in the past. He had asked, ¡°Where are those who know honor?¡± While approaching the orc, Higashi said, ¡°I gave you a chance to run away, but you chose death. Stupid orc shit.¡± Higashi then raised his sword high in the air with the intent of putting an end to things. As Higashi¡¯s de gleamed under the sunlight, the orc, who had been silent up to this point, finally opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Is this how you do things?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°What?¡± murmured Higashi. The orc raised his eyes, which had a fiery gaze. ¡°You,¡± continued Crockta. The orc straightened his back and raised his greatsword. He said, ¡°You. When you see people being ughtered for no reason, do you just turn your back on them and run away?¡± Upon hearing that, Laney felt as if her head got hit with a hammer. A scowl emerged on Higashi¡¯s face. ¡°What the fuck are you saying?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t even understand this...¡± the orc said while grinning widely with his bloody face, ¡°then it¡¯s not me who is stupid. It¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Higashi smirked and looked up at the sky. Then he swung his sword furiously as he yelled, ¡°You fucking piece of shit!¡± The orc blocked Higashi¡¯s attack with his greatsword and then mmed against Higashi. They got entangled and went rolling onto the ground. Soon after, they got back up and continued their close-ranged fight. However, Higashi kicked Crockta and sent him falling backward toward the ground. Crockta ended up rolling on the ground again. With a face reddened by rage, Higashi trudged toward Crockta. He was really going to end things this time. Yet, Higashi couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks as a woman was suddenly standing by the orc¡¯s side. She wore a mask and form-fitting ck clothing that entuated the shape of her body. Laney had revealed her presence. Sensing an abnormal level of strength from the woman, Higashi chose not to move forward and instead remained guarded. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Higashi. Laney did not respond. Instead, she said to the orc, ¡°Hey.¡± The copsed orc¡¯s eyes looked at her. ¡°You are...?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to know who I am,¡± replied Laney. The orc tried to get up, but he had umted too much damage. It was difficult for him to even raise his body. He ultimately dropped back to the ground. Laney raised her hands to signal for Higashi to note any closer. Then she asked the orc, ¡°Why are you fighting a battle you know you will lose? You will die a pointless death.¡± Laney could not understand why the orc was doing this. Nevertheless, Crockta just smiled. He once again squeezed out his strength and sessfully stood back up this time. [Your body is so damaged that it¡¯s not weird even if you fall dead right now.] [Despite that, you stood up again.] [We salute your spirit.] [Indomitable Will (Rare) has been upgraded to Combative Spirit (Essence).] ¡°That¡¯s how you humans measure things,¡± replied Crockta. He raised his greatsword. Then he raised his chin toward Laney, and she got out of the way. This was truly thest time. Higashi was right in front of him. Right before theirst sh, Crockta whispered to Laney, ¡°A warrior does not sumb to injustice.¡± It was the oath of the warrior that Lenox had passed down to him. This was an oath he had to protect and live by. Laney did not respond. There was no need for them to exchange any further words. Crockta red at Higashi. It was time to end this fight. Crockta squeezed out thest of his strength and roared, ¡°Instead of cowardly survival, I¡¯d rather have honorable deeeeeeeeeeath!¡± His battle cry shook the earth. Crockta ran forward. Higashi, who had halted his attacks for a moment because of Laney¡¯s appearance, resumed his battle stance and prepared for thest sh. They both charged at each other simultaneously. Right then, Laney karate-chopped the back of Crockta¡¯s neck. It was a clean hit! Crockta copsed toward the ground, and Laney caught his huge body in her arms. ¡°What?¡± murmured Higashi. He hesitated making a move though. Higashi could sense that Laney was a formidable opponent, so he kept his guard up. Laney merely sighed in response and activated her Shadow Assassin¡¯s vision skill. [Shadow Escape (Essence) has been activated.] [You cannot use it for 168 hours.] Laney¡¯s and Crockta¡¯s figures faded and grew hazy. As if absorbed by their shadows, their forms became indistinct, and only their translucent presence remained and wavered in the empty space. Then, theypletely disappeared from the scene. Laney teleported from Dandelion vige andnded with a fall somewhere far away. ¡°Ouch. Ah, why did I do that? What just happened?¡± Laney sped her head. She had acted impulsively. While Laney groaned regretfully, Crockta, who had fallen face-down onto the ground, smiled contentedly to himself at an angle that wasn¡¯t visible to Laney. He hadn¡¯t actually fainted! The Yamato n¡¯s vice leader, Higashi, had been quite strong, but his attacks hadn¡¯t been enough to knock an orc unconscious. Crockta had merely pretended to faint. He hadn¡¯t known that he possessed such a skill, but ultimately, he was able to achieve a better oue than he had hoped for. He was certain Laney had filmed everything that had urred. Crockta grinned broadly and was about to nce over at Laney. However, he sensed her movements and quickly closed his eyes and once again pretended to be unconscious. Laney¡¯sment continued. ¡®A person¡¯s heart is harder to attain the more you reach for it,¡¯ Crockta thought to himself. If he had just tantly requested help, Laney would likely have ignored him. Instead, he had pushed through, so she ended up filming a determined orc warrior one couldn¡¯t help but cheer on. Even if she hadn¡¯t helped him and he had died, Crockta had nothing to lose. He would have still exposed the evildoings that the yers hadmitted in the vige. Crockta could revive and y again, so he didn¡¯t care about death. In the first ce, what he had intended to do wasn¡¯t to save his life. It was for Laney to film the horrors at Chesswood as well as his fighting spirit. That was it. In a war, one had to take advantage of everything to win. Chapter 45: Smoke (2)

Chapter 45: Smoke (2)

It was a strange day. ¡°Hm...¡± Middle-aged Kim Chul-Jung, the head of the sales department, was smoking a cigarette on his way home. Kim Chul-Jung felt alienated from the world. He also felt a sense of bewilderment upon realizing there was a discrepancy between his thoughts and what was considered normal. It was a strange feeling that made him look back on his past self. These days, the behavior of the new employees at his workce often put him in a difficult position and made him feel out of ce. He was no longer swimming with the tide. While ruminating about what was going on at work, Kim Chul-Jung put out his cigarette as he was about to exit an alley. He was currently in a cul-de-sac, and he could see a group of students at the dead end opposite him with unlit cigarettes in their mouths. Even though they were in their school uniforms, they didn¡¯t seem to mind being seen. The group of students made eye contact with Kim Chul-Jung, but the students didn¡¯t mind him and proceeded to light their cigarettes. ¡°...Ha,¡± sighed Kim Chul-Jung as he approached the students without hesitation. He said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s okay for young students like you to smoke in your school uniforms?¡± The students nced at Kim Chul-Jung and then looked at each other. One by one, they began to snicker. ¡°Why do you care, ahjussi? We bought cigarettes with our money.¡± ¡°These kids...¡± muttered Kim Chul-Jung. ¡°Nosy old guy.¡± ¡°Lol, so funny, what a retard.¡± The studentsughed mockingly. ¡°He¡¯s giving us shit even though he¡¯s smoking too. That¡¯s why he¡¯s bald.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. So gross.¡± They walked past Kim Chul-Jung and began to leisurely head somewhere else. Meanwhile, not a single one of them put out their cigarettes. They openly exhaled cigarette smoke in the streets as they headed toward a ce only they knew. Kim Chul-Jung was dumbfounded. Again, he was overwhelmed by strange emotions that he didn¡¯t understand. The world was changing. Virtual reality games were now mainstream, cars moved on auto-pilot, and artificial organs were used in transnts. ¡°Hmm...¡± It was now an age in which it was considered nosy to criticize students for smoking. Kim Chul-Jung began to wonder whether the world had been like this for a while, and only he hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡®I¡¯m so out of touch now.¡¯ Kim Chul-Jungughed bitterly as he continued walking, but the strangeness of the day tightened its hold on him. A kid was running down the street with excitement. She tripped and fell over. Kim Chul-Jung caught the kid in his arms, but the ice cream she had been holding soiled his clothes. ¡°Oh, god...¡± muttered Kim Chul-Jung whileughing bitterly. The kid stared nkly at him with a surprised look on her face. ¡°You can¡¯t just run around in the streets like this,¡± warned Kim Chul-Jung. The kid did not respond. ¡°You should apologize since you¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± taught Kim Chul-Jung. Suddenly, the kid yelled out, ¡°Mom!¡± A young woman came running. When she discovered her kid with Kim Chul-Jung, she furrowed her eyebrows and quickly pulled her kid toward her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± the mother asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied the kid. ¡°Did the ahjussi do anything weird to you?¡± the mother questioned. Kim Chul-Jung was baffled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because it¡¯s a scary world outside,¡± the mother said. ¡°Can¡¯t you see my pants? Shouldn¡¯t you at least apologize since your kid dirtied my clothes?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a kid. What do you expect? Do you want me to pay for your dry cleaning or something?¡± ¡°...¡± Before Kim Chul-Jung could even respond, the young woman took her kid and left. Alone, Kim Chul-Jung once again experienced that strange, iprehensible feeling he had felt earlier in the day and headed home. Was what he had known to bemon sense no longer consideredmon sense in this world? When he returned home, no one greeted him. Instead, the faces inside his family picture in the living room smiled back at him. Kim Chul-Jung was a goose dad [1]. He was a middle-aged man who onlymuted between work and home. Having worked hard when he was young, he was currently a department head, but it was now already time for him to prepare for his retirement. Kim Chul-Jung¡¯s youth was long gone. The only joy in his life was asionally hearing the voices of his wife and kids when he spoke to them over the phone. The events Kim Chul-Jung experienced today made him feel more lonely. He was old enough to know that days in which nothing went well were a part of life, but he couldn¡¯t help but be filled with sorrow. Kim Chul-Jung sank into his couch and turned on the television. Its bright screen lit up the living room. Elder Lord¡¯s trending video of the day was being broadcast. His sunken eyes stared at the screen. Laney¡¯s video was on. She was a popr Youvidser. ¡°...Oh, my...¡± Kim Chul-Jung felt in full force the strange emotion that he¡¯d felt all day. No matter how much the world had changed, how could they broadcast such a horrendous sight without shame? Large ns were ughtering vigers in groups. Although the vigers were just characters in a game, the way they wailed and begged for their lives was more horrifying than he had seen in real life. How could the people ying the game sh women and children whileforting themselves by saying the vigers were merely artificial intelligence? How could they kill all the vigers without reservation just because they were NPCs? As someone who had passionately yed Elder Lord at one point, Kim Chul-Jung fully understood how Elder Lord¡¯s NPCs were no different from actual people. Suddenly, the focus of the video changed. The shot moved past the scene of the massacre and focused on a creature that everyone thought of as a monster¡ªan orc. The orc doggedly fought against the yers who were ughtering the NPCs. Even though he kept rolling on the ground from pain and was covered in blood, he would get up again and again to protect the vigers. What a paradoxical scene! Humans were like monsters, and a creature that was regarded as a monster was the most humane! Kim Chul-Jung sighed. The orc looked like he would drop dead at any moment, but he defied death and relentlessly swung his greatsword. Kim Chul-Jung¡¯s heart skipped a beat while watching the brave orc who refused to give up. What kept the orc going? How was he fighting with such perseverance? -Is that how you do things? The orc spoke. -You. In Kim Chul-Jung¡¯s eyes, the orc was a hero even though he was soaked in blood and losing the fight. -You. When you see people being ughtered for no reason, do you just turn your back on them and run away?¡± Kim Chul-Jung couldn¡¯t help but get up from his seat. The person filming the video seemed to be experiencing the same emotion as him. Their breathing became irregr and noticeably louder. It was at this moment that the person filming intervened. Their voice sounded like a woman¡¯s. The person asked the orc why he was recklessly pursuing a fight that would only end in death. The orc grinned and replied confidently as if he was saying the obvious. -That¡¯s how you humans measure things. Then he whispered. -A warrior does not sumb to injustice. ¡®Fighting against injustice to the end¡ªwhat an outdated idea.¡¯ That orc was truly old-fashioned. He was like an antique that made even an out-of-touch middle-aged man like Kim Chul-Jung seem like a shy new sports car. Kim Chul-Jung was certain that the orc would not be able to live out his full life span with his outdated ideals in the current age, during which the stories of heroes who gave up their lives for their beliefs were things of the past. Nevertheless, heroes often made their mark through death. The video ended with the scene of the orc and a high-ranker charging toward one another. Kim Chul-Jung couldn¡¯t move. He stood still for a while to think about what he felt. It was an unfamiliar feeling, yet it had always been within him. He fell into deep thought for a moment. Then he opened his eyes. Kim Chul-Jung no longer had the eyes of a middle-aged man fatigued by life. He had the fiery gaze of a real man. Kim Chul-Jung began murmuring to himself, ¡°I had forgotten...¡± He went to his son¡¯s old room. The room wasn¡¯t empty; inside it was an Elder Lord capsule. Kim Chul-Jung used to use it every day to ease his loneliness after being apart from his family for so long. It had since gathered dust fromck of use. He concluded, ¡°...that men age like fine wine.¡± Department Head Kim Chul-Jung, no¡ªElder Lord¡¯s top necromancer Iron was returning to the world of Elder Lord. *** ¡°Yo, man! Wassup, man!¡± ¡°Hey, long time no see! Wow! Good to see you again!¡± ¡°Me too, bro! Hey,e inside! Joseph and Bob were from the United States, so they conversed in fluent English. They hugged each other while engaging in conversation. Along with Elia and Gary, their whole team had gathered at Bob¡¯s ce. Ever since they were youths, they had been old friends and partners. They continued to meet up and enjoy an old hobby that was now only remembered by a few¡ªTRPG! [2] The four people were friends who braved through adventures together in imagined worlds by rolling dice. They had been dragon yers, heroes who saved the world, and even demons that destroyed the world. However, the world had changed, and virtual reality was the trend now. So, their activities gradually moved to the realm of virtual reality games as it brought their imaginations to life. In the world of virtual reality, the members boasted top-notch role-y. They were true role-yers who were widely known in North Americanmunities. The four friends had gathered at Bob¡¯s house to role-y together. Beside them were four virtual reality capsules ced side by side. Before they logged on, they had a light snack as they discussed their n for the day. ¡°Hey, I saw a funny video.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Watch closely.¡± Bob unlocked his tablet. There was a video on the screen. It had been uploaded by the well-known Youvidser, Laney. They could understand thenguage in the video without any issues, thanks to advanced trantion technology. ¡°Hmm...¡± Upon watching the video, Bob¡¯s friends were shocked into silence. The video was horrifying. The ns were evil for ughtering NPCs, but the scene of the orc fighting and resisting the ns was truly heroic. The orc had an indomitable fighting spirit that went against injustice! Bob looked at the eyes of each of his friends in session. As long-time friends, they could understand what he was trying to say even without words. Gary nodded. ¡°Is the theme for today ¡®four soldiers who rescue an orc and a vige that¡¯s in danger¡¯?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Bob replied. They grinned. Elia spoke up, ¡°But is the orc still alive?¡± They had been unable to verify whether the orc was alive through the video, but based on the state of the battle, his death seemed highly probable. Despite that, Bob was optimistic. ¡°Well, we can find out for ourselves.¡± ¡°What if he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°Then we can be four soldiers who carry his legacy.¡± They rose from their seats. ¡°How long does it take to get to Chesswood?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± ¡°It will be instantaneous with my buff.¡± They entrusted their bodies to the capsules. Anyone who had engaged with Elder Lord¡¯s role-yingmunity knew the role-ying crew, F4! They, F4, were now crossing into the world of Elder Lord. *** A man checked Elder Lord¡¯s online forum and saw that a new post was up. He clicked on it. [Title: Brothers, the time hase. Brothers, I¡¯m sure everyone has seen the video trending online. My hands tremble as I write this post. Our brother is suffering. He is struggling on his own to stop the evildoers. I¡¯m sure all of us trembled in anger as we watched what happened in Chesswood. It¡¯s time to show who we really are to the filthy humans. I¡¯m heading there right now. I will save a spot for you guys.] It was a short post, but thements section exploded. The man read through them. Unsurprisingly, all of thementators were in ¡®bul¡¯tar¡¯ mode. -I¡¯m going as well. Let¡¯s go! -I¡¯m participating. Disgusting n members! -Let¡¯s go! We will punish the evildoers! -I¡¯m going. Let¡¯s make an impression on the world. -I won¡¯t say it twice. Let¡¯s go, brothers! -Received! Let¡¯s charge! -(show more) A smile emerged on the man¡¯s lips. As expected, his brothers didn¡¯t let him down. He had not been able to calm down after watching the video. -Om#1Maguchwi: I¡¯m running over there!!! Brothers!!! Shout ¡®bul¡¯tar¡¯!!! He was Sorcerer Maguchwi, the first Om member and someone who loved orcs more than anyone else. Maguchwi had been spreading the charm and honor of orcs ever since Elder Lord¡¯sunch as he had been the only one to select an orc character. He was an Om worthy of the name. Maguchwi ran a secret orc yermunity called ¡®Om Brotherhood.¡¯ Now, he and his brothers were running toward Chesswood. *** In the ins leading to Chesswood, Stablehand Gordon was driving people to Chesswood in his wagon. Chesswood wasn¡¯t a bustling city, but people asionally wanted to move there because the vigers were nice, simple folks, and it was a peaceful ce. The wagon was carrying a family and their belongings. The weather was fantastic, and Gordon had received arge sum of money as a transportation fee. Moreover, he would soon be able to meet Madame Rachel at the bar. It was a good day in many aspects. So, when he discovered travelers on the road, he greeted them warmly, ¡°Hey, how are you doing?¡± They nced over at Gordon. It seemed that they were all headed toward Chesswood. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Gordon. Are you all heading toward Chesswood? It¡¯s a bit cramped, but I have some space left. Do you want a ride?¡± The travelers were silent. ¡°I won¡¯t charge you much. How about it? Your legs must be sore,¡± Gordon said. The travelers began whispering among themselves. Gordon grinned. Travelers tended to be suspicious of others, but he had no intention of jacking up the price. He was an honest stablehand. ¡°I will only charge one silver per person. I¡¯m giving you a huge discount because I¡¯m in a good mood,¡± said Gordon as he hummed a song. The bright sun and gentle breeze elicited a cheerful tune from him. The travelers, done with their discussion, nodded in agreement. ¡°Fine. Five silver for five people.¡± Gordon stopped his carriage for a second and held out his hand. The man who seemed to be the leader of the travelers approached Gordon and extended his hand. Gordon murmured, ¡°Thank y¡ª¡± However, what the man handed over wasn¡¯t money but a fist. ¡°What?¡± Gordon uttered. He rolled from the impact of the attack and fell from the driver¡¯spartment. He was rattled by the sudden attack. Gordon moaned on the ground as he protested, ¡°Ugh, what are you doing?¡± The travelers smirked. One of them said, ¡°I was bored on the way, but it worked out.¡± There were white stars shining faintly on their foreheads. ¡°Kill everyone inside. Let¡¯s steal everything and ride this carriage to Chesswood. We will be able to join the n members faster.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Gordon was aghast at what he had heard. ¡°What is this... you evil...!¡± ¡°Why are you surprised?¡± the leader of the travelers asked with a grin. ¡°Is it your first time seeing people who have been cursed by the stars?¡± Gordon became lost in thought. How exactly did he end up meeting these evil men? He tried to get up but was kicked back down by the man. Gordon curled up on the ground. He¡¯d thought that it was a great day, but it was actually the opposite. ¡°Ahhh...¡± Gordon groaned. ¡°Wait a bit. There are people inside,¡± the leader of the travelers said. He made his group wait as he checked out the wagon by himself. As he had expected, he found a family inside when he drew open the screen. They stared at him nkly, not understanding what was going on. The NPC, who appeared to be the head of the family, spoke up, ¡°Who are you? Have we already arrived?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the man said while raising his knife. He grinned and stated, ¡°You have arrived in hell.¡± The NPCs were taken aback. The mother huddled with the kids while the father stepped forward and spread out his arms to protect them. It was a beautiful disy of familial love. ¡°We... We don¡¯t have much, just our lives...¡± said the father. ¡°Your lives are enough,¡± replied the man. ¡°At least let the kids...¡± implored the father. ¡°Everyone, get out,¡± ordered the man. They were merely NPCs. Elder Lord was excessively realistic, but that¡¯s what made the game so fun. The man grinned and was about to pull them out of the wagon when he heard a scream. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°What, did they already kill him?¡± the man wondered. It seemed his crew had already killed the stablehand. The man was about to resume what he had been doing when he heard the screams continue. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°Arrgghh!¡± The man¡¯s face stiffened. Something was off. Those voices were his n members¡¯. He quickly got out of the wagon and looked in the direction of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°...!¡± He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. All of his n members were lying on the ground and turning into white particles. All four of his men were dead. Considering their skill levels, it wasn¡¯t an easy feat to defeat them. Moreover, one of them was even a high-ranker that the n had nurtured. The man shifted his gaze. Beyond the corpses of his men, Gordon was staring him down. A sharp knife gleamed in Gordon¡¯s hand. Gordon smirked and slicked his hair back. The mouth of the group¡¯s leader gaped open in shock. A white star like his was shining brightly on Gordon¡¯s forehead. The group¡¯s leader retreated. As Gordon approached the man, he gently swished his de. He had a vicious expression that was unimaginable on an easy-going stablehand. ¡°Why are you surprised?¡± Gordon smiled coldly. ¡°Is this your first time seeing a role-yer?¡± 1. The term goose dad refers to Korean dads who live in Korea and financially support their kids and wives who live in English-speaking countries. The kids and wives dwell overseas for the sake of the kids¡¯ education ? 2. TRPG stands for tactical role-ying game ? Chapter 46: A FIRE IN THE SKY (1)

Chapter 46: A FIRE IN THE SKY (1)

After their discussion, the vige heads decided to set up a line of defense at Edelweiss Vige, the center of Chesswood, in preparation for a siege. It was a response meant to startle the ns that had been trying to take advantage of Chesswood¡¯s scattered nature and distribute it among themselves. Chesswood¡¯s n was promptly executed. The ns btedly tried to put up a united front, but it was already after all of the vigers had set up a sturdy line of defense by stationing themselves in Edelweiss. ¡°Orc brother, don¡¯t go too far this time,¡± warned Jeremy. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it likest time.¡± Jeremy and ckmore had safely withdrawn from the battle at Dandelion vige, but Crockta had fought until the end. Crocktater managed to make a narrow escape with Laney¡¯s help, but his great fighting spirit became widely known, and now he was famous in Chesswood! There was not a single person in Chesswood who didn¡¯t know of him, the orc warrior who had risked his life fighting forplete strangers! Before Crockta returned, everyone believed he was dead, so Jeremy teared up a bit when he first saw Crockta after his escape. Crockta quickly resorted to his persona of a grumbling orc, but it seemed Jeremy had already gotten attached to Crockta. Jeremy seemed like the type who got attached to people easily. Meanwhile, Laney had disappeared. Crockta knew that she was still filming everything that was going on though. The video that she had uploaded of the battle garnered explosive responses. The public now held the Haedong Balhae n and otherrge-scale ns in an unfavorable light. People always raved about dramatic events. So, the public gushed about the evil ns massacring the vigers as well as the heroic orc who had disyed formidable battle spirit to protect the vigers. Although the oue of the battle and the orc¡¯s current state were uncertain, there were many voices saying they wanted to go to Chesswood and help the orc. Some of them were actually heading over to Chesswood right now. Despite that, Crockta didn¡¯t have high expectations for a favorable oue. After all, it was the winners that monopolized the world. In a world dominated by the strong, one couldn¡¯t win a fight just with the public¡¯s sympathy. Nevertheless, it was good enough that Chesswood was able to receive some help and for the Haedong Balhae and other ns to receive criticism. Crockta was currently looking down at the line of defense from a high vantage point. Any viger who could fight was assembled at Edelweiss Vige¡¯s line of defense, and it was now time for the siege. He could see yers affiliated with the ns scouting the area. They were vexed. They wanted to quickly destroy the vige, reap what they had to sow, and go their separate ways. Even though they wererge ns, it was difficult for them to endure the public¡¯s criticism. ¡°They areing,¡± said a viger. Crockta and Jeremy looked in the direction the viger was pointing. The n members were approaching them in battle formation. It was arge-scale siege. There were some beginner yers, but there were also fully equipped high-rankers scattered among them. ¡°They areing from the back as well.¡± Crockta and the others received a report that there was a n approaching them from the rear. Ingram, the former vige head of ckrose Vige and the current leader of Chesswood, furrowed his eyebrows. The enemy had arrived in groups of four. ording to the orc, it matched the number of ns that were trying to take control of Chesswood. The enemy troops had divided into their respective ns and were nning to attack Edelweiss from all four sides. Ingram was in deep thought for a while regarding this. Then he thought about how the vigers were folks unustomed to battle. Ingram scanned the vige¡¯s line of defense. Everyone had put their mind to fighting for their lives, but they looked sloppy because they had never been trained for battle. He summoned his nephew ckmore and two men. ¡°Hey,¡± Ingram said. ckmore had a gloomy expression on his face after the battle at Dandelion Vige. He had returned to Chesswood because he had missed its peacefulness and was regretful of his past, but what he had found instead was that the vige was about to be destroyed. What¡¯s worse was that heter fled to save life even as he saw numerous vigers massacred right before him in Dandelion Vige. Should he have braved death and fought until the end with the orc? Ingram, who understood ckmore¡¯s feelings, patted ckmore¡¯s back. Then he began by saying, ¡°ckmore, Crockta, and Jeremy, you three are the ones most ustomed to battle in the vige at the moment.¡± Crockta nodded. Ingram continued, ¡°The enemy is advancing from all four sides. Can each of you take on a side and fight?¡± ¡°Is that really okay?¡± asked Crockta. He was asking whether it was okay to increase the number of frontlines. Their defenses could be prated if they focused on all four sides. Ingram nodded. ¡°The vigers have already lost so much. This is myst resort. Please understand.¡± All of the vigers of Chesswood had gathered in Edelweiss Vige thanks to the vige heads¡¯ earnest pleas. This meant the viges they had abandoned were now reduced to ashes. Zoysia Vige, ck Rose Vige, Chrysanthemum Vige, Cactus Vige, Pine Vige, Daffodil Vige, Zinnia Vige, Morning Glory Vige, and Sunflower Vige had all been destroyed along with the massacred Dandelion Vige. Nothing remained except for Edelweiss Vige. Crockta nodded at Ingram¡¯s hardened expression. Although Crockta sometimes overlooked the feelings of the NPCs because he was a yer, he knew that this series of events was their reality. Their homes had been destroyed, friends killed, and family members massacred. It was a disaster that had urred without any warning. They had lost everything that belonged to them, all because of the enemies¡¯ selfishness. Crockta¡¯s gaze turned cold. He had also lost his precious brothers because of the Haedong Balhae n, so he understood the feeling. However, if someone asked him if they had a chance of winning this battle, he would struggle to reply. After all, Crockta was only alive thanks to Laney, and formidable opponents like Higashi would continue to appear. Even though the five percent chance of sess had be ten percent, it was still a slim chance. Nevertheless, he refused to give up. Crockta fiddled with his greatsword. Now, the weight of the Ogre yer fit in his hand perfectly. So many of the vigers had grabbed weapons to protect their homes and families. These were people who didn¡¯t know a thing about fighting. Moreover, unlike Crockta, they were unable to die more than once. Once their heads were chopped off, the only thing that awaited them was darkness. How embarrassing would it be if he were the first to give up even though he could be revived? How could he hesitate when Ingram¡¯s and ckmore¡¯s determined faces were right in front of him? ¡°Understood,¡± Crockta replied. He turned to look behind him. The vigers were nervous as hell. The men gripped their weapons tightly and took deep breaths while the women diligently supported them to the best of their abilities. In the center, the children, elderly, and sick were praying for the safe return of their family members and the other vigers standing at the frontlines. ¡°Crockta, can you take charge of the south?¡± asked Ingram. ¡°Yes,¡± Crockta answered. ¡°ckmore, you are in charge of the northeast, and...¡± They wished each other good luck. Then the trumpet rm rang loudly. ¡°Attack! The attack has begun!¡± ¡°Everyone, go to your spots!¡± ¡°Return to formation!¡± It was time for war. Crockta, Jeremy, ckmore, and Ingram exchanged nces and ran toward their assigned areas. The vigers also ran to their designated spots and raised their weapons in preparation for battle. They then began shooting the arrows that they had made in a hurry. Their arrows rained down on the ns, but they were blocked by the ns¡¯ defensive wall and dropped to the ground without much impact. In response to the vigers¡¯ attack, mes appeared in midair and plunged toward the vigers¡¯ line of defense. It was a magician¡¯s artillery fire! There were some who knew how to use magic in Chesswood, but they hadn¡¯t been nurtured for battle, unlike the enemy troops. So, although Pine Vige¡¯s head, who had learned magic in the past, cast a shield, it quickly shattered from the magician¡¯s unending bombardments. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Some of the vigers that caught fire rolled across the ground as the mes continued to spread. The ns then sent a downpour of arrows on the vigers¡¯ copsed formation. With nothing standing in between them, the n members in the vigers¡¯ vicinity began to charge over. ¡®I can¡¯t leave them on their own,¡¯ Crockta thought and raised his greatsword. The injured vigers were moaning in pain, while the few who were unscathed were too frightened to even hold their weapons properly. Crockta took some deep breaths. Battles depended on morale, so he let out a thunderous roar like that of a lion with all of his might. It was louder than any of the battle cries he had shouted before. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± It was a roar that shook the battlefield! The fierce battle cry sent a tremor through the earth and caused the ns¡¯ military forces to flinch. [The enemy¡¯s military force is absolutely terrified by your bloodthirsty howl.] [Your battle cry is no longer just a threat.] [You have acquired a Rare-tier skill, Crushing Roar (Rare).] As message windows popped up, he could feel energy surging through his body. Nevertheless, Crockta didn¡¯t let it end there; he roared at the enemy¡¯s military force again. ¡°Invaders, pay the price for what you have done!¡± The yers blocked their ears because of Crockta¡¯s continuous cries. His roars seemed to tear the sky apart. They induced fear in his enemies and fighting spirit in his allies! The vigers regained their fighting spirit due to Crockta¡¯s fierce presence, and they picked up their weapons again. It was just like what Crockta had said. The ns were invaders¡ªdemons who hade to crush their homes, friends, and families. Even though the vigers were na?ve people who had only farmed all their life, they knew when to grit their teeth and swing their fists. They should give those jerks who nned to kill their families a taste of their des. The vigers cheered on Crockta and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s kill all of them!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s protect the vige and our families!¡± ¡°Chesswood is ours!¡± The vigers ran toward the discouraged enemy troops. Meanwhile, Crockta shed with the enemy troops at the frontline in the south. The enemy troop¡¯s formation faltered from the impact. Crockta¡¯s greatsword split through the army, sending many of his enemies¡¯ heads flying into the air with a fountain of blood. Crockta went on to unleash yet another battle cry that crushed the enemy¡¯s morale. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± *** Unexpectedly, Chesswood put up a good fight, but there was a clear difference between their fighting power and the enemy troops¡¯. Jeremy nced behind him. Far from Jeremy, Crockta was charging at the enemy with full force. He could hear Crockta¡¯s battle cry all the way from his location. Crockta was full of energy as usual. He was a monster who grew stronger with every battle. However, Jeremy¡¯s situation was different. ¡°Not good...¡± muttered Jeremy. Jeremy pierced his opponent¡¯s throat and retreated. The situation here had already gotten rough. The battle formations had broken down a while ago, and the enemy troops and vigers were now engaged in hand-to-handbat. The corpses on the ground gradually increased in number. The dead vigers couldn¡¯t even close their eyes, and they red at the enemies resentfully as their bodies turned cold. ¡°Damn it...¡± Even though Jeremy was temporarily apanying Crockta on Derek¡¯s behalf, his heart wavered when he witnessed such a gruesome scene. ¡°Fucking hate those cursed by the stars...¡± Jeremy was not a good person. He knew that well that he wasn¡¯t. Of course, he had a sentimental side, but he ultimately acted for his profit and for Derek. However, the n members were beyond viins at this point; they were more like demons. ¡°Jane... Jane...¡± a viger called out his lover¡¯s name while dying. He had no chance of survival as his body was split in two. His empty eyes held the focus of Jeremy¡¯s gaze. ¡°Jane...¡± ¡®Why did it have to be that name? Jane,¡¯ Jeremy thought. Jeremy sped his longsword. He also had a Jane. It was his past lover¡¯s name. She was probably having a good life now. There were many Janes in the world, and each one could be someone¡¯s love. Somehow the name of the woman this dying viger loved just happened to be Jane too. It was just a coincidence, but why did Jeremy feel so annoyed? ¡°Fuck.¡± He shouldn¡¯t have volunteered. He shouldn¡¯t have followed Crockta. He experienced so many useless emotions when he was with the orc. Yes, even that time. Back when Hoyt was with Crockta, Jeremy felt unfamiliar emotions and shuddered inside. ¡®Derek. This is my first time experiencing such an emotion. What should I do?¡¯ Those cursed by the stars wereing after Jeremy now. Most of the vigers at the frontline had copsed and died. ¡®It¡¯s time to escape, but why won¡¯t my feet step back?¡¯ Jeremy looked behind him. He could see Edelweiss Vige, and through the windows of its buildings, he saw the frightened faces of children trembling in fear. He also saw vigers struggling to keep their copsing bodies upright as they fought to protect Chesswood. ¡°Fuck.¡± At that moment, a strong force sent Jeremy tumbling backward. Jeremy struggled to pull himself together and get up, but once he was standing, he saw the man fromst time standing in front of him. It was Higashi, the man who had led Crockta to the brink of death. He still wore shy armor and carried an expensive sword and shield. Jeremy whistled and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re finally here! You¡¯rete.¡± Higashi smiled mysteriously as he had a cursory nce of the frontline. ¡°It¡¯s amendable feat for NPCs,¡± said Higashi. Those cursed by the stars referred to humans with a strange term¡ª ¡®NPCs¡¯. For some reason, Jeremy felt like shit whenever he heard that word. There was a reason those cursed by the stars were cursed. They were cursed because they were such assholes. That¡¯s why they had to do such filthy work in an effort to umte achievements and be ¡®saved.¡¯ ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about,¡± said Jeremy as he raised his sword. ¡°Why are you people attacking this ce?¡± He had heard it was for the sake of umting achievements, but it wasughable that these ursed people tried to lift their curse bymitting evil deeds. Even if it was to lift the curse, wasn¡¯t it a curse in itself to kill these innocent people wretchedly and not feel a thing? Higashi smirked, ¡°It¡¯s a lot to exin, so just know this...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for such a trivial reason that it would probably make you angry if you knew.¡± ¡®Artificial intelligence characters are so ridiculous. They don¡¯t even know that they were born to serve as entertainment for humans,¡¯ Higashi thought and chuckled. Jeremy looked at Higashi¡¯s smiling face. ¡®A trivial reason. Is that so?¡¯ Then Jeremy began tough as well. He couldn¡¯t help but do so. Higashi and Jeremy looked at each other and giggled. ¡°You¡¯re exactly right. I didn¡¯t even hear the reason, but I¡¯m pissed. Since I¡¯m already so pissed off now, I wonder how shitty I¡¯d feel if I heard the whole story,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°What are you gonna do now that you are pissed off?¡± asked Higashi. Suddenly, Jeremy moved like the wind. ¡°I¡¯m going to rip off your fucking face, you fucking asshole!¡± ¡°Haha!¡±ughed Higashi. The two exchanged moves of offense and defense. Jeremy¡¯s swift swordsmanship aimed for what had seemed like an opening in Higashi¡¯s defense, but all of Jeremy¡¯s stabs were blocked by Higashi¡¯s shield. ¡°Ugh!¡± groaned Jeremy. He had been keeping an eye on Higashi¡¯s arming sword, but Higashi struck him with his shield instead. Jeremy was sent flying and then rolling across the ground. ¡°Argh...¡± Jeremy groaned. He thought, ¡®It hurts like hell. How did the orc endure this much pain?¡¯ Jeremy barely managed to get up. Blood spilled from his lips. ¡®Well, an orc¡¯s body structure is different from a human¡¯s after all.¡¯ Jeremy grinned and pointed his longsword at Higashi. Then, he swayed the tip of his sword. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to run away? Likest time?¡± asked Higashi. ¡°Oh, I should, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± replied Jeremy. He had to escape... but his body stepped forward on its own. He shouldn¡¯t be doing this. Out of everyone he could have followed, why did he end up following the orc? While Jeremy had been trying to steady his dizzy head, Higashi had already approached him. His sword pierced through Jeremy¡¯s abdomen. Jeremy¡¯s knees dropped to the ground. Blood began to gush out from his abdomen, and his head rammed into the ground. He could see Higashi¡¯s legs slowly fade away with his blurry vision. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more time today to y with you,¡± muttered Higashi. ¡°...Argh, haha.¡± Laughter seeped out from Jeremy¡¯s lips. Jeremy hadn¡¯t thought about death before. Was death something that approached all of a sudden? He had lived a life that was close to death; he had walked a dangerous path where he could have dropped dead at any moment. The people who had been killed by his sword also hadn¡¯t known even at the moment of their death that they would die so easily. In the end, life and death were just fleeting moments anyway. Jeremy closed his eyes. ¡®Don¡¯t tremble pathetically. There is nothing to regret. It was a careless life anyway. Stayposed while dying. Just ept it...¡¯ Suddenly, his surroundings became quiet. There was something lurking in the darkness. ...Are you dead? Someone was asking Jeremy a question. They had an eerie voice. ...Do you know death? ...Have you witnessed things that can¡¯t be undone? Jeremy wanted to open his eyes, but it was as if his body had disappeared, and he couldn¡¯t feel anything. Only his consciousness floated dazedly in the darkness. Suddenly, a terrible scream that seemed to rise from the abyss shook him. It was a horrible shriek¡ªthe cry of someone whose soul was being pulverized. Jeremy felt like his heart was going to stop. The voice continued to whisper to him. ...It¡¯s not your time yet. ...I will wait until then. The scream didn¡¯t end. Jeremy felt as if it would rise from the abyss and creep up into his surroundings. It was dreadful. He had to escape. He wanted to escape. Out of fear, he twisted his entire body in a struggle to move. Suddenly, his eyes opened. Then Jeremy coughed and vomited ck blood, which sprayed onto the ground. He wasn¡¯t dead yet. Jeremy raised his eyes. ¡°...!¡± ¡®Oh, my god.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Something unbelievable was happening. The dead vigers were getting up one by one. Even Higashi retreated in confusion. Numerous corpses were alive again. A cloud of strange ck energy circted around the bodies and quivered. The shocked n members swung their weapons toward the standing corpses, but their attacks were unable to infiltrate the darkness and bounced back. Jeremy turned his head and saw a ck shadow in the distance slowly walking toward him. Wings of darkness that looked as if they belonged to a demon slithered like a snake¡¯s tongue on the shadow¡¯s back. Jeremy had heard about beings like him¡ªthe worst beings in existence. They revived the dead, sucked their life force, and brought hell to the world. They were the devil¡¯s spokesmen. ¡°Necromancer...¡± muttered Jeremy. The middle-aged man who carried that hellish darkness stood erect as his ominous gaze scanned the frontline. Then he announced, ¡°I am Kim Chul... No, I¡¯m Iron, a man that¡¯s like fine wine.¡± He raised his hand, and the corpses began pouncing on the surrounding enemies like demons from hell. ¡°I came to punish men who are like makgeolli.[1]¡± 1. Makgeolli is a type of sparkling Korean rice wine. ? Chapter 47: A FIRE IN THE SKY (2)

Chapter 47: A FIRE IN THE SKY (2)

The dead vigers rose and pounced on the living yers. Higashi shed at the vigers who approached him, but no matter how much he wounded them, they rose up again and extended their bloody hands toward him. Higashi freaked out and only calmed down after chopping the corpses into pieces. Then he looked at his surroundings. His n members had lost their morale due to the bizarre predicament they were in. Many of them were being killed by the vigers they had already ughtered. Even when Higashi¡¯s n members stabbed their stomachs and shed their throats, the vigers didn''t die. Instead, they red back at the yers with resentful eyes and ruthlessly stabbed Higashi¡¯s n members with their broken weapons. It was hell. Higashi looked at the man who was the cause of all of this ¡ª Necromancer Iron, a middle-aged man. Darkness branched out from Necromancer Iron like vines and dominated the battlefield. As a living being, Higashi instinctively felt fearful of him because the necromancer¡¯s energy was the pr opposite of everything alive. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t back down now as the vice-leader of the Yamato n and a high-ranker. He ran past his screaming n members and charged toward Iron with his shield. However, he had overlooked the fact that his opponent wasn''t a warrior. Darkness crept up to him and brushed his neck. A chill ran down his spine as it expanded and surrounded him. Something was wrong. Higashi was thrown to the ground with a cracking sound, and the sky and ground in his view flipped over all of a sudden. Higashi didn¡¯t understand what was going on. He tried to get up, but his ears were ringing, and he was unable to find his bnce. He barely managed to raise his trembling body by supporting himself on his sword. Iron spread his rake-like hands toward Higashi and said, ¡°Don¡¯t resist. You will regret it.¡± It was the truth. If Higashi continued to resist, he would see horrendous things that would scar him for life. Iron was the worst necromancer because he was a demon¡¯s spokesman. He had made a contract with a being he shouldn¡¯t have summoned. That was why he hadn¡¯t logged onto Elder Lord for a while. Iron was different from other necromancers who merely revived the dead. Although he wasn¡¯t a high-ranker, he had entered a contract with a demon who could make even a high-ranker kneel. But the demon only granted favors in return for a price because the demon that Iron had entered a contract with was a Demogorgon! ¡°Life to death,ughter to screams.¡± As Iron uttered those words, his soul was released from his body. A demon appeared and settled in his body. The demon used Iron¡¯s mouth to say, ¡°There are many of them out there, those cursed by the stars. What a joke.¡± The demon who had overtaken Iron¡¯s bodyughed. Iron¡¯s body was no longer under his control, and he could only ept the sensations his body was subjected to¡ªeven pain. ¡°Contractor, it has been a while since west saw each other,¡± said the demon. He scratched his chest with the tip of his finger and made a scar. It was a punishment for Iron, who could only swallow the pain. The demon that Iron had formed a contract with shouldn''t exist in a game. Iron had protested to the Elder Saga Corporation a few times, but the corporation had merely said the demon was a part of the game and refused to do anything about it. The Demogorgon was a vicious demon that could even steal a yer¡¯s control of their own body! The Demogorgon asked Iron, ¡°Have you been well?¡± While inwardly cursing at the demon, Iron replied cheerfully, ¡°Yes, sir! Demogorgon-nim! How have you been? Haha.¡± ¡°You seem to be well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Demagorgon-nim! I haven¡¯t been able to visit because I have been so busy, but I think about Demagorgon-nim every waking moment. Hahaha! I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.¡± ¡°As expected, you are my most loyal contractor,¡± said the Demagorgon as he cackled. ¡°Of course,¡± said Iron while cackling back. Iron had been able to enter a contract with a high-level demon for one reason¡ªhe could tter the demon with the social skills that he had sharpened as the head of the sales department! His vision skill was Sales Force (Essence)! With this skill, Iron had been able to enter a contract with a demon that far exceeded his capacity. The demon used his extraordinary powers to help Iron, but Iron had lost his autonomy and was forced to humor the demon. ¡°I will grant your wish since it has been a while. Why did you summon me? Do you want to bring hell to this world? Do you want to blur the lines between life and death and reenact the eternal fight of demons?¡± the Demagorgon asked Iron. ¡°...You can do all that? I am in awe of your strength and talent. Hahahaha! But those guys aren¡¯t worth the trouble. Just scold them a bit so that they won¡¯t covet this ce anymore,¡± Iron replied. ¡°Hahahahaha! Is that so? Will that be enough?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying that you don¡¯t need to use the knife intended for a cow to catch a mouse. Besides, you aren¡¯t a cow but a dragon¡ªthe ultimate weapon that will crush this world. Small fry like them don¡¯t deserve such treatment. Please take care of the situation, Demogorgon-nim!¡± ¡°Hahahahahahahahahaha!¡± The Demogorgon that had overtaken Iron¡¯s body erupted inughter. ''When was thest time I had a contractor I got along with so well?'' The Demogorgon grinned while scanning the enemies in front of him. Higashi, on the other hand, was seized by fear. From his perspective, the necromancer appeared to be out of his mind, muttering to himself and suddenly bursting intoughter. Iron¡¯s body looked at Higashi in front of him. ¡°You. Do you know...?¡± asked Iron¡¯s body. Higashi raised his shield and sword. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you know... what visits you without a sound, what unexpectedly shatters your life, and what can¡¯t be undone?¡± a voice whispered in Higashi¡¯s ear. ¡°Death.¡± Higashi turned around, taken aback, but there was no one behind him. He flinched in a panic. The voice whispered in his ear again, ¡°...Eternal sinking.¡± Higashi blocked his ears and looked around him, but he couldn¡¯t see Iron. There was nothing but the corpses that had risen from the dead and his copsed n members being beaten to death. It looked like a scene from hell. ¡°...Do you want to know?¡± Something touched Higashi¡¯s spine. The Grim Reaper¡¯s touch reached beyond his flesh, skin, and muscles, going further into his spine and nervous system. Higashi copsed in his spot. He couldn¡¯t breathe. Pitch ckness began to descend from the sky. ¡°...I will show you.¡± Everything turned dark. *** Raizen, master of the Napoleon n and a high-ranker, couldn¡¯t believe what was going on. It had initially been a simple task¡ªto form an alliance with the other three ns and reduce an unknown vige to ashes. The n had been to crush the weak vige, which didn¡¯t even have an army, and use it as a stepping stone for leveling up their new n members as well as increasing their ns¡¯ wealth and authority. The task had seemed easy and efficient for their goals, so everyone had nodded approvingly in agreement with the n. However, Raizen had not anticipated the appearance of ludicrous role-yers in their ns¡¯ impressive scheme. ¡°Soldier! So cool! You are the best!¡± fussed an elfdy. ¡°I¡¯m a soldier chosen by the great sage,¡± said the long-bearded sorcerer while nodding. ¡°Hey, stop doing all the cool stuff by yourself.¡± The soldier with the sword ran his finger along the bottom of his nose discontentedly while tapping his teammate¡¯s shoulder. Then Soldier Bob, who was the subject of everyone¡¯s praise, raised his shining sword and eximed, ¡°My Holy Sword Exgeiger is howling for justice!¡± Raizen had a realization while watching him. These people were crazy. They were crazy about role-ying. Raizen didn¡¯t want to interact with people who were as out of their minds as them, but the problem was that these crazy people were ridiculously strong. ¡°His gaze! Wicked eyes tainted with evil!¡± ¡°We must punish them.¡± ¡°The sage can see everything.¡± The members of F4 spoke in session. ¡®No, don¡¯te closer, you crazy people,¡¯ thought Raizen. Raizen scanned his surroundings. The fight had just started, so the ns¡¯ members were trying to push back the vigers. A middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader of the vigers directed and encouraged them, but they were being driven back by the ns due to a big difference in strength. Right when Raizen had been about to wipe out his opponents with his powerful range magic, the role-yers suddenly appeared and began attacking him. As one of the role-yers raised his sword into the air, all of the magic Raizen had gathered scattered away. The whole area was now devoid of magic! The role-yers disyed extraordinary powers and blocked the Napoleon n¡¯s march in an instant. Although the role-yers were an unexpected variable, the Napoleon n could still handle them. ¡°Everyone, gather here! We just have to capture them!¡± screamed Raizen as he retreated. At Raizen¡¯smand, powerful members of his n gathered around him. Regardless of how strong the role-yers were, their n was much greater in number. In fact, the four unidentifiable men and women seemed slightly nervous. Raizen grinned at this sight. It didn¡¯t matter how strong the role-yers were; it was still too much for them to face all of these n members on their own. Right then, some vigers came forward to fight alongside the role-yers after realizing the role-yers were on their side. Numerous vigers now stood shoulder to shoulder with the party of four yers role-ying as soldiers. Raizen¡¯s face crumpled again. ¡°We will fight together!¡± yelled the vigers. They raised their rusted weapons and farming tools and resumed their positions. Although they looked inexperienced, their eyes shone with determination. This was their vige. They had to protect it. The Napoleon n members faltered upon seeing this scene. ¡°Aren¡¯t you d we came?¡± said one of the F4. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best stage.¡± The four role-yers exchanged nces as they stood alongside the vigers. They were in a good mood. No, it was beyond good. It was the best. The four of them had created and destroyed worlds for a long time. They had rolled the dice together as role-yers, but they had felt empty inside. It was only after entering the world of Elder Lord that they realized the reason why. They neededrades to stand shoulder to shoulder with during adventures. What they needed were not just fictional characters that were unraveled by a game master with the roll of a die but living, breathingrades who thought of their own ord, cried,ughed, and even got furious at times. Didn¡¯t a party of soldiers always have supporters to whom they could entrust their backs? Today, they finally had the opportunity to stand on the stage as heroes in a world that needed them. Bob raised his sword high in the air and eximed, ¡°Right now, my Holy Sword Exgeiger is thirsty! It is not quenched by water, liquor, or the blood of my enemies!¡± ¡°...Do you really have to say it?¡± whispered Elia as Bob began spewing his nonsense. However, Bob was ecstatic. Nothing could stop him at this moment. ¡°What my sword needs¡ª!¡± yelled Bob. Elia, Joseph, and Gary couldn¡¯t help but smirk. They knew what Bob was going to say next. They had always begged him to stop because it was so cringy, but they decided to y along today. ¡°Is Justice! Justice! Justiiice! Just¡ªice!¡± shouted the four yers together. Raizen wanted tough at the ridiculous scene, but he couldn¡¯t because they began charging toward him like madmen. *** Crockta gasped for breath. He swung his sword like a madman, but the enemies continued to increase in number. He roared his battle cry as he crushed his enemies, but more and more n members arrived to provide their n with support. Moreover, several high-level yers were systematically keeping Crockta in check. Whenever Crockta tried to help the vigers, they bombarded him with attacks while maintaining their distance. So, Crockta could only helplessly watch the vigers copse to the ground. Crockta clenched his teeth. It wasn¡¯t enough. He didn¡¯t have enough strength. He needed more. Despite Crockta charging forth while channeling his remaining strength into his next attack, it was thwarted by the high-level yers¡¯bined attacks. Crockta had disregarded his need to defend and swung his greatsword. He could have killed a yer with this attack, but it failed because the yers had bombarded him with attacks simultaneously. His blood spilled, and his flesh tore. Crockta dropped to one knee. ¡°Just give up, orc,¡± said the yers as theyughed at him. Crockta shut his eyes. Ultimately, he was still weak. He sped his greatsword tightly. Was this the end? If so, that was fine. He had done his best; he had done what he could. He couldn¡¯t stop the inevitable. Nevertheless, he would definitely make asting impression before hisst breath. Crockta opened his eyes. He was about to put his life on the line and do something he considered hisst resort, but the earth suddenly began rumbling and shaking vigorously. ¡°...?¡± Everyone on the battlefield looked at the source of the sound as dirt rose into the air in the distance. ¡°Wh-What?¡± Crockta also raised his head in surprise. A loud rumble reverberated through the earth while the ground continued to shake. A ck mass was charging toward them. Everyone watched as the mass grew closer, and the ground trembled as if there was an earthquake. Chapter 48: A FIRE IN THE SKY (3)

Chapter 48: A FIRE IN THE SKY (3)

¡°Th-That is¡ª!¡± By the time the ck mass had gotten close enough that they were clearly visible, it was already toote. A group of orcs charged over like a speeding train and destroyed the enemy¡¯s battle formation, sending some yers flying into the air. Then, the orcs¡¯ huge weapons struck the heads of the enemies. Deadly weapons like halberds, double-headed axes, twin axes, and hammers tore apart everything. ¡°Wh-What?!¡± A troop of orcs had suddenly appeared and begun wiping out the n members from the rear! Crockta noticed the white stars shining on the orcs¡¯ foreheads and got some idea of what was going on. He couldn¡¯t help but crack up a bit. The video that Laney had filmed at Dandelion Vige had brought the orc yers here. Seeing Crockta¡¯s fighting spirit had caused the passionate orc yers toe and assist an orc brother who was struggling alone. Their unexpected appearance rekindled the me of hope inside Crockta. Adrenaline rushed through him when he heard the orcs¡¯ battle cries ring throughout the battlefield. ¡°Brothers! Don¡¯t show mercy!¡± shouted Crockta. An orc sorcerer grasped the necks of two human yers with his bare hands. shes of lightning streamed out from his hands and turned the yers into charred corpses. Then the orc sorcerer bellowed, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± Crockta¡¯s and the sorcerer¡¯s eyes met, and as they exchanged nces, Crockta grinned. Meanwhile, the other orcs were crying out in session, and their beast-like battle cries dominated the battlefield. With stunned expressions, the vigers watched the orcs fight energetically. Each time an orc swung his weapon, an enemy tumbled to the ground. Seeing this, the vigers also raised their weapons. They weren¡¯t sure as to what was going on, but what was certain was that the troop of orcs hade to support them. This meant they could win. The vigers enthusiastically participated in battle while shouting the battle cry of orcs, ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Now, the battlefield was a whirlwind of confusion. Humans and orcs swung weapons at each other in a chaotic mess. Those who died either became corpses or white particles. Neither side was going to stop until one of them was annihted. The ns¡¯ resistance was formidable as well. With high-rankers at the center, they fought fiercely against the ambush. ¡°Filthy orc shits...!¡± yelled a n member. ¡°I wash my body more often than you do, asshole!¡± shouted Kuwakta. Kuwakta was a member of the Om Brotherhood, and within the group, he was only second to Maguchwi. He had also walked the lonely orc path since theunch of Elder Lord. Right now, he was concentrating on the battle at hand. In real life, he was a professional nature photographer who loved nts and animals, and after he started ying the game, he became mesmerized by the sceneries in Elder Lord¡ªbeautiful sights that couldn¡¯t be found on Earth. Thus, the upation he had chosen to take up in Elder Lord wasn¡¯t a warrior or a sorcerer. It was Mother Nature¡¯s friend¡ªa druid! ¡°Phoenix Spirit Possession!¡± yelled Kuwakta as he activated his skill. He channeled the strength of the mystical creature he had met while exploring Elder Lord. Wings that burst into mes sprouted from his back, and his fingers transformed into the talons of a phoenix that was made of mes. Every time Kuwakta moved his limbs, the mes spread and devoured the bodies of enemies. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± a sorcerer uttered. The sorcerer was of the Elementalist ss, and he had summoned a water spirit, but the phoenix immediately tore it apart. The water spirit writhed in pain and eventually evaporated until it disappeared. ¡°Water lost to fire...?¡± The Elementalist fell to his knees in shock. As Kuwakta brought the phoenix¡¯s talons to the Elementalist¡¯s throat, he asked, ¡°What do you call your spirit?¡± ¡°What...?¡± ¡°Do you know your spirit¡¯s name?¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°You probably called him Undine or some shit and don¡¯t know his true name.¡± Kuwakta¡¯s talons gripped the Elementalist''s neck, and the Elementalist¡¯s body became ensnared by Kuwakta''s mes. ¡°The reason you lost today is because you treated your spirit as a tool to summon rather than as a friend,¡± said Kuwakta. ¡°Is that so? A friend...¡± The Elementalist nodded in understanding amid the mes. He had lost, but he somehow felt relieved. The druid extended his hand, and the Elementalist¡¯s body crumbled away in the fire. Before the Elementalist¡¯s eyes burned off, he looked at therge back of the orc druid who was getting farther away from him. ¡®If we meet again, I won¡¯t lose next time, druid,¡¯ thought the Elementalist with a smile. His vision was then cut off, and his consciousness began drifting away from him. Before he got disconnected, the Elementalist heard the druid cry out, ¡°Let¡¯s fight! Phoenix! Phoenix, what are you doing? Phoeniiiiiix!¡± ''...?¡¯ Meanwhile, Crockta was facing a high-ranker. He fought against the challenging opponent alongside some orcs, and theirbined strength managed to defeat the high-ranker. The high-ranker couldn¡¯t believe that he had lost and tried to feel where his legs used to be. He cursed, ¡°Fuck... Can¡¯t believe I lost to some orc yers...¡± ¡°You guys level up by killing weak NPCs. How pathetic,¡± one of the orcs who had fought by Crockta''s side remarked. Just when that orc was about to strike the high-ranker¡¯s throat, the high-ranker said, ¡°Weak NPC? We even killed Lenox, whom you guys like so much? Haha...¡± ¡°...?!¡± Lenox, the instructor of orc warriors, was a famous NPC among orc yers, and the Haedong Balhae n had killed him¡ªa figure who had been the pride of the orcs. It was at this moment that Crockta realized that all of the yers at this battlefront were Haedong Balhae n members. His gaze turned solemn. The orc who spoke earlier got pissed off and kicked the high-ranker¡¯s face. The high-ranker¡¯s head rolled across the ground and gradually turned into white particles. After the high-ranker was killed, Crockta scanned the frontline. The traitor that the Haedong Balhae n had referred to as Hyun-Chul, Grom, had to be here. The n said they would nurture him in exchange for his contributions. Thus, there was a high chance he was a participant in this massacre that was intended to nurture low-level n members. Crockta leaped into the battlefield again. Then he went to an area densely upied by the Haedong Balhae n members and shouted, ¡°Hyun-Chul!¡± No one replied. Crockta stabbed his greatsword into the stomachs of low-level human yers by his side and searched his surroundings. Then he shouted again, ¡°Hyun-Chul! What are you up to?!¡± At this moment, he saw a human yer looking around. Crockta grinned. He was grateful that Grom wasn¡¯t dead yet. Then Crockta approached Grom as if he didn¡¯t know him. Grom was now a human male character. He was using the quintessential warrior character, equipped with a sword and shield, that was the most preferred choice in Elder Lord. He had also made some slight customizations and given himself a face that had the features of a handsome man in Elder Lord. So, this was Grom¡¯s current appearance. This was what the traitor who had sold off the lives of Lenox and other orc warriors looked like. Crockta made sure to remember his face. Then, Crockta scanned his surroundings and found something that looked like a rope. He didn¡¯t have the time to make the defeated human yers delete their ounts, but he would at least execute the ¡®concrete¡¯ method on that jerk, Hyun-Chul. However, an orc¡¯s double-headed axe suddenly popped up behind Hyun-Chul. Hyun-Chul was unguarded because he was focused on looking for the voice that had been calling out to him. Crockta sighed. Even as a human, Hyun-Chul still had his head in the clouds. The double-headed axe behind Hyun-Chul split his body in two. Seeing Hyun-Chul die so easily, Crockta decided to just aim for him atter time when he was a more skilled yer. If Crockta destroyed a character that Hyun-Chul had worked so hard to develop, his despair would be greater. Hyun-Chul¡¯s body split in half vertically and fell to the ground. Crockta approached Hyun-Chul as his body began to turn to white particles. Then Crockta spat on it. *** An opponent¡¯s de cut ckmore, causing blood to gush out of the wound. ckmore lunged with his spear and pierced his opponent¡¯s throat. Blood bubbled up to his opponent¡¯s mouth. He then vomited blood and copsed. Upon seeing that, ckmore collected his spear and retreated. He then assessed the progress of the battle. The enemies were maintaining their formation while marching forward. mes flew down from the sky, and the vigers screamed as they were seized by the mes. The enemies diligently shed the vigers one at a time. They refused to get drawn into the chaos of the battlefield. The vigers were at an obvious disadvantage. The enemies they were currently facing couldn¡¯t bepared to the ns¡¯ members that had gone to Dandelion Vige previously. These guys were set on their goal, and each individual had formidable strength. ckmore had found himself struggling as soon as the battle started. It was a fight against a predicted oue; the difference in strength between the vigers and the human yers was too great. Wondering about how the other sides were doing, ckmore turned to look. Unless they were receiving god¡¯s help, they were probably in the same boat. ckmore knew he had to escape, but his legs moved forward on their own. He had a grim smile. Why did his body move on its own? ckmore thought of the battle at Dandelion Vige. He had fled, but Crockta had put his life on the line to fight for a vige that wasn¡¯t even his hometown. Seeing Crockta like that had made ckmore feel embarrassed. Chesswood had been a beautiful and simple vige, and ckmore had been a cancerous mass that disrupted the mood. In the past, there had been a woman who had helped ckmore change and be more human, but he had ended up hurting her and leaving. He had been a blind scoundrel who hurt everyone around him. When he finally came to his senses after driving people away, only pain and ruin remained around him. So, now it was time to make up for what he had done. ckmore saw some vigers running away, but he nodded in approval. If they were able to survive by running away, that was enough. Not everyone had to die. ckmore blocked the enemies who were trying to chase them. Then he began humming a song, ¡°I¡¯ve wandered through many ces in the world, always looking for something new.¡± As ckmore swung his spear, blood sttered into his mouth. It tasted pungent. ckmore chuckled and continued singing, ¡°But I realized that what I¡¯d been searching for was at the ce I¡¯d known all along...¡± Some of the n members took a detour around ckmore and chased after the vigers. ckmore charged over and split the n members apart. Other invaders bombarded him with attacks. There were some that he managed to block, but there were others that he received. He spat out the blood that came up to his throat. The enemies were surprised by his nonchnt attitude. ckmore grinned and continued swinging his spear and stabbing them. Some of his attacks managed tond, while others were blocked. The n members who had survived ckmore¡¯s attack struck him again. No longer able to thwart the attacks, ckmore retreated, staggering backward. Then his knees folded, and the ground under him became soaked with blood. ckmore raised his head. His opponents were approaching him. Nevertheless, he smiled. Songs continued to ring in his mind. ¡®I sing under the moonlight with the rain pouring down on me.¡¯ ¡°Oh! I am joyful, now that I¡¯m back in my hometown...¡± Suddenly, ckmore swung his spear with explosive strength. His opponents were unable to respond to the sudden attack and were done in by his spear. They then turned into white particles and dispersed. ¡®These ursed ones, why did they have toe here?¡¯ ckmore wondered inwardly as he supported himself on his spear and looked for his next opponent. ¡°Under the sun, I stroll down a path with a bright smile¡ª¡± ckmore looked down at his chest and saw the tip of a de emerging from it. The de was sharp. It was of no surprise that the de had pierced through his body. ckmore smirked as blood began to drip down his lips. If only his opponent had given him more time... He still had one line left to sing. ckmore¡¯s vision grew blurry. The ground became the sky, and the sky became the ground. He closed his eyes amid the shaking world. What was thest line? His consciousness began drifting away, and the world became quiet. ¡®Ah! I am happy to be back!¡¯ Chapter 49: Fallen God

Chapter 49: Fallen God

Gordon got off his wagon. Something strange was going on. The Chesswood he knew had consisted of beautiful viges. ¡°What is this...?¡± muttered Gordon. The family he had brought to Chesswood also looked around at their surroundings for a while. This was not the Chesswood they had decided toe to. Everything had been burned down to the ground, and there were corpses sprawled everywhere. The father covered the children¡¯s eyes and sent them back to the wagon with his wife. ¡°My god... What happened here...?¡± eximed the father. ¡°Not sure...¡± Gordon replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... but do you mind driving us farther?¡± asked the father nervously. He adopted a cautious attitude toward Gordon after having witnessed how Gordon had handled the looters. The family had prepared a house for themselves at Dandelion Vige through a rtive dwelling in one of the Chesswood viges, but Dandelion Vige was currently in total ruins. The father was so bbergasted that he didn¡¯t know how to react. He decided he had to check out another vige first and figure out what was going on. ¡°What a disaster...¡± the fathermented. ¡°Wait,¡± said Gordon. His sharp senses could hear noise from the battlefield far away. Gordon¡¯s eyes grew cold. The sounds of battle wereing from the southwest, around Zinnia Vige. No, it was past that. They wereing from Chesswood¡¯s center¡ªEdelweiss Vige. Gordon went to the driver¡¯s seat and grabbed a sword. The father tensed up at the appearance of a weapon. Gordon spread his arms andughed. ¡°Haha. Please wait here for a bit. I will find out what¡¯s going on ande back. There seems to have been an ident...¡± ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will just go see what¡¯s going on ande back.¡± Gordon released one of the four horses that were hitched to the wagon. After he put the saddle and other equipment on the horse, he got on the horse. ¡°Please rest in the wagon. I will return quickly.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you so much.¡± Gordon kicked the horse to get going. First, he headed toward an inn situated on the outskirts of Azalea Vige. It was where Rachel lived. Yet, when Gordon arrived, he found Rachel¡¯s inn reduced to ashes from the fire. There were unidentifiable bodies and remains among the rubble of the building. Rachel and Gordon weren¡¯t lovers; they weren¡¯t in an exclusive rtionship. However, they were closer than friends. He was saddened by the thought of not being able to see her bright smile ever again. Gordon mounted his horse. His sensitive hearing continued to detect noises from the battlefield in the distance. He kicked at the horse and headed toward the other viges. He went past Dandelion Vige and went to Chrysanthemum Vige. It was in ruins. Then he headed toward Zinnia Vige. It too was in ruins. ?He went farther and saw a line of defense centered around Edelweiss Vige and an army trying to push through it. It was war¡ªchaos with endless death and killing. Gordon saw the white stars on the foreheads of the invaders and immediately understood what was going on. He caressed the hilt of his sword while thinking, ¡®Those people don¡¯t know anything.¡¯ Gordon got off the horse and tied it somewhere safe. The horse, frightened by the noise of the battlefield, snorted and squealed. Gordon stroked the horse¡¯s mane and ced his forehead against the horse¡¯s. ¡°Wait for me. I will return soon.¡± The horse looked at Gordon imploringly as if telling him not to go. Gordon tapped its cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Then he headed toward the frontline. The defeated vigers had lost their morale and were running away from yers. Gordon approached the edge of the battlefield and chopped those yers¡¯ heads off one by one. No one noticed Gordon¡¯s presence as he had immersed himself in battle without a sound. The enemies he encountered slowly turned into white particles, one at a time. ¡°But I realized that what I¡¯d been searching for was at the ce I¡¯d known all along...¡± Gordon suddenly heard someone singing amid the sounds of battle. He raised his head and discovered a man holding a spear. The man was covered in blood as he blocked some yers from chasing after the fleeing vigers. After seeing the vigers safely run away, the man grinned. While he stopped the yers as if he were the guardian of this ce, the man continued to sing his song. It was then that Gordon realized the man was bracing himself for death. The man had the eyes of someone who had let go of any attachment to life. Many factors had toe into y for a human topletely set aside their life. No one could judge the threads woven into the fabric of this man¡¯s life, but had the invaders considered what his life had been like for even a second? Gordon chopped down some yers as he approached the man holding the spear, but other yers clung to him. His de pierced their throats without hesitation. ¡°I can¡¯t see...¡± Gordon murmured. His sword moved like beams of light, but there were still many yers between him and the man with the spear. Despite Gordon¡¯s efforts, the man with the spear crumbled to the ground after his stomach took a direct hit. His singing stopped. What was the next line of the song he had been singing? Another life had faced an irreversible death. It was saddening, and Gordon looked up at the sky sorrowfully. If a child pulled the trigger, it was the adult¡¯s fault for giving a gun to a child who didn¡¯t know anything. It was possible to be understanding toward the child, but shouldn¡¯t someone at least give the child a firm scolding... since the gun had caused someone¡¯s life to perish? Gordon swung his sword. [Your assimtion is increasing.] [Your assimtion has reached its restricted limit.] [Current assimtion: 89%] Gordon¡¯s glistening de dominated the battlefield, and the frontline copsed. It was a massacre executed with a cold weapon. The battlefield around Gordon fell quiet. Regardless, he continued to trudge forward. Everyone on the battlefield was looking at him now. They couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. Several high-rankers blocked his path. Their nervous breaths were almost tangible. ¡°What is this all of a sudden? He seems to be a Named-tier NPC.¡± ¡°Where did hee from...?¡± The strongest-looking man out of the bunch came forward. ¡°Let¡¯s attack together. We can take him on slowly.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± ¡°We have a high-ranker. We can win.¡± Five yers surrounded Gordon. They all seemed to have high-ranking positions within their n. Nevertheless, Gordon smirked and then swung his sword again. The world seemed to stop for a second. The de moved slowly, but Gordon¡¯s opponents were unable to circumvent it. This split second felt like an eternity to the opponents. Gordon¡¯s sword broke down the rules of the universe and charged toward its enemies with ease. It was a sword that bit off chunks of space to merge the space between itself and the enemy. ¡®Slowly. Carefully.¡¯ Gordon sent the heads of the five yers flying into the air while savoring the sensation of the de meeting skin. As soon as the heads of Gordon¡¯s opponents were separated from their bodies, time and space returned to normal. Fountains of blood gushed out from their necks. The enemy troops were shocked. The high-ranker and members of the n that they had confidence in had lost their heads and copsed in an instant. The enemies couldn¡¯t even discern what had just happened with their eyes. The bodies of the high-ranker and his fellow n members turned into white particles and scattered in the wind. Gordon walked forward. The enemies retreated. The mark on his forehead stung. It whispered to him. ¡®That dreary voice,¡¯ Gordon thought. He killed another yer and smiled. These people didn¡¯t know anything about the curse of the stars but were carelesslymitting terrible sins with the same mark as his on their foreheads. They stabbed this world with their ignorant des as if they were entitled to everything in it. *** Crockta was running toward the northeast frontline. It was ckmore¡¯s area. Crockta had heard the news that most of the battlefronts had received additional support and won. However, when he found out about ckmore¡¯s loss and the vigers¡¯ retreat in the northeast, Crockta¡ªwho had been the first to achieve victory¡ªheaded straight there. ¡°...!¡± When he arrived, Crockta saw corpses sprawled everywhere in front of him. Allies and enemies alike were all dead. There was only one man standing. ¡°You are...?¡± Crockta approached him. The man stood with his head facing the ground and hands across his face. Crockta¡¯s heart thumped. For some reason, the man seemed familiar to Crockta. It was as if Crockta knew the man; Crockta felt a sense of closeness toward him. Then the man raised his head, and their eyes met. ¡°You are?¡± asked Crockta again. The man¡¯s eyes widened as he swept a nce over Crockta. His eyes came to a stop at the sight of the bandana wrapped around Crockta¡¯s head. Instead of answering Crockta¡¯s question, the man asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Crockta realized that this man was the one who had gotten rid of all the enemy troops here. He could tell that much from meeting the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Crockta,¡± Crockta answered. ¡°Crockta...¡± the man muttered. He looked at the sky again, seemingly lost in thought. Then he smiled and said, ¡°Life is so strange.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°How long has it been since you started ying Elder Lord?¡± ¡°...¡± This was the first time someone had immediately identified Crockta as a yer. Crockta looked at the man with solemn eyes, but the man was still smiling. ¡°Around three months...¡±Crockta replied. ¡°ording to this world¡¯s time?¡± said the man. ¡°Then five times that amount.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Suddenly, Crockta discovered a familiar face behind that man. It was ckmore. He was lying in the middle of the battleground as a cold corpse. Crockta ran toward him while calling out, ¡°ckmore!¡± Even though ckmore had died from a pierced stomach, his face looked at peace with a smile on his lips. ¡°ckmore...¡± Crockta called out again. Crockta¡¯s heart ached. Regardless of ckmore¡¯s past, Crockta thought ckmore had been a good man who loved singing and his hometown more than anyone else. He had been a musician who had admired and had even been inspired by Crockta¡¯s singing. ¡°Are you sad that he died?¡± asked the man behind Crockta. ¡°Even though he is just an NPC?¡± Crockta turned around to look at him. The man was not mocking orughing at Crockta. In fact, he also had a bitter expression on his face. Crockta replied, ¡°All deaths on the battlefield bring sorrow.¡± He knew that better than anyone else. Whether it was an enemy or an ally, all deaths were sad. Crockta could see vigers and orcs running toward them from afar. It seemed that the battle waspletely over now. Ingram¡¯s and Jeremy¡¯s faces appeared in the distance as well. Everyone had won. Only ckmore remained here as a cold corpse. If ckmore had been alive, they would have sung together in celebration of their victory. They could have made a new song together. Crockta suppressed his sadness and rose from his spot. The man said, ¡°Crockta, listen to me carefully.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a temple of the fallen god in the north.¡± ¡®What was he saying?¡¯ Crockta wondered inwardly while looking at the man. The man was wearing a strange smile on his face. ¡°If you are truly saddened by all of the deaths here...¡± the man said, turning around to gesture at the corpses surrounding them, ¡°...head to the temple of the fallen god.¡± ¡°What..?¡± Crockta tried to get a hold of the man, but he was already far from Crockta. ¡°...!¡± As if time and space had folded, the man moved farther and farther away in leaps. Crockta was dumbfounded as he watched the man leave. He didn¡¯t even know the man¡¯s name. ¡°Temple of the fallen god...?¡± murmured Crockta to himself. However, he had no time to think. Jeremy and Ingram had already approached him. ¡°Brother! You are alive¡ª¡± Jeremy wrapped his arm around Crockta cheerfully but immediately shut up once he saw ckmore¡¯s corpse. Ingram kneeled down beside ckmore. He caressed ckmore¡¯s cheek and began to tear up, but he wiped away his tears. Numerous vigers had died, not just ckmore. Everyone was holding onto the corpse of someone they knew and mourning their loss. Chesswood was brimming with anguish. It had been a sad battle, but they had won. Yet, only grief awaited them now. Chapter 50: And Then After That

Chapter 50: And Then After That

The war had ended. Chesswood had won after making huge sacrifices. However, the vigers were unable to properly mourn the dead due to a food shortage. ¡°This is serious.¡± The vigers were in disarray because their homes were in ruins. Everything they had built until now had been reduced to ashes. Although Edelweiss Vige gave provisions to people from other viges, there was a limit to the meals andpassion they could share. Then merchants appeared out of nowhere. As if they had been waiting for the war to end, they suddenly arrived in Chesswood and began selling daily supplies, food, and construction materials. Those who were unable to pay signed up for coteral loan agreements. In fact, everyone signed the agreements. They had nothing to lose after all. The vigers didn¡¯t hesitate to bet their futures because they were focused on surviving the present. Crockta furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Is it Derek?¡± ¡°Yeah, the usual,¡± replied Jeremy. Derek spread his influence by participating in the reconstruction of Chesswood. Now, most of the Chesswood vigers were in his debt. Crockta did not ask further questions. He disapproved of Derek¡¯s actions, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do for Chesswood at this point in time. ¡®If we were to exclude good intentions from the world, only profits and losses would remain. And if one had to choose between the two, the former was, of course, preferable,¡¯ Crockta thought. Derek at least purchased equipment from the dead at above-market prices. ¡°I will be keeping an eye on Derek,¡± warned Crockta. ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± replied Jeremy in his usual carefree manner. As Chesswood¡¯s situation came to a resolution, the yers who had provided support to the vigers during the war sought out Crockta. They assumed Crockta was an NPC, so they didn¡¯t mention there was a video trending online featuring him. They just said in a roundabout way that they hade to help after hearing about an honorable orc. Crockta smiled bitterly inside. ¡°Thank you for your help, Iron,¡± said Crockta. ¡°No, I just did what I had to do,¡± Iron replied. Iron and Crockta shook hands. Although Iron had seemed like a crazy necromancer on the battlefield, he was actually a gentleman. His movements were precise and controlled when they shook hands, as if he did not allow even the slightest error. Even the angle of his gaze was so exact that it seemed he had measured it with a ruler. Crockta felt like he could trust Iron after seeing his meticulous attitude. This was the attitude of a powerful man who had eliminated a whole n by himself. Crockta was in awe. Iron wore his usual mysterious and trustworthy smile on his face as he said, ¡°Here, this is my business card¡ª¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah, a silly mistake,¡± Iron exined. He had reached for his business card out of habit but caught himself. ¡°Haha, please don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°Ah, okay...¡± ¡°Crockta, men like us age like wine and only grow more vorful as time passes.¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°It was nice meeting you. You are a man who is like the grapes under the Burgundy sun. May we meet again as we be more fragrant like a bottle of Roman¨¦e-Conti saved for the best moment.¡± ¡°...Th-Thank you.¡± Iron ced his fingers on his eyebrow and soared to the skies. ¡°Adios, amigo!¡± ¡°Ah, yes... Please return home safely.¡± Iron grinned widely and then turned around. He left with his hand high in the air and did not look back at all. It seemed that he had gained some sort of inspiration from this incident. Crockta wondered whether it was fine to let him be. Nheless, Crockta was grateful to Iron, so he sent Iron off with a warm farewell. ¡°That ahjussi is quite impressive...¡± ¡°With his level of dedication to his character, he would be able to join our team seamlessly.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a cool dude.¡± The F4, who had helped Chesswood during its time of need, watched Iron leave and fawned over him. At this moment, Crockta approached and greeted them. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to all of you that the vige was protected,¡± said Crockta. Bob, who represented the F4, came forward to speak to Crockta. ¡°Honorable orc Crockta, can you see this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bob extended his sword¡ªthe holy sword Exgeiger¡ªfor Crockta to see. It was vibrating. As Crockta took a closer look, he could see Bob shaking the sword by snapping his wrist. ¡°The holy sword Exgeiger is responding to your fiery soul and crying.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡®What was going on?¡¯ Crockta wondered inwardly. ¡°The Exgeiger detected your passionate wish to protect this peaceful vige from the invaders and led us here!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°My holy sword Exgeiger is always thirsty, Crockta. It is not quenched by water, liquor, or the blood of my enemies... but by¡ª!¡± His voice was suddenly muffled when Elia covered his mouth with her hands. Bob and Elia engaged in a scuffle for a while as one tried to stop the other. Meanwhile, the gray-haired magician, Joseph, came forward to speak in Bob¡¯s ce. He stated, ¡°I am the great sage. Honorable orc Crockta, I have something to say to you.¡± ¡°Yes, the great sage?¡± said Crockta. ¡°Please protect the peace of Middle Earth.¡± ¡°Middle Earth...?¡± ¡°You must destroy the ring...!¡± Crockta gave up on trying to make sense of what was going on. Gary¡¯s turn was next. He had thick eyebrows and an intense gaze. He tapped on Crockta¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Take care. The next time we meet, we will be enemies.¡± Then Gary swiftly turned around. ¡°...¡± ¡®Why enemies...?¡¯ Crockta couldn¡¯t understand the F4, but they seemed to enjoy the world of Elder Lord passionately. Crockta bowed to express his gratitude toward them. ¡°Wow, they are crazy over there...¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± The orcs, the Om Brotherhood, who had been watching the F4 and Crockta shook their heads. They were surprised there were people who were so consumed by their characters. The world was a mess. After Crockta finished talking to the F4, he stood in front of the orcs. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Their eyes met. They exchanged fiery gazes without a word, but it was more than enough to get the message across. The orcs and Crockta began pounding their broad chests with their fists and greeting one another. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaarrrrrr! Are you alive, brother?!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaarrrrrrr! Are you alive, brothers?!¡± Crockta bumped fists and shoulders with each of the Om brothers in session with the intensity of closebat. ¡°It was an honorable fight!¡± ¡°No one shall block the paths of orcs!¡± ¡°Victory and honor! Choose death over losing honor!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar! Honorable death over a servile life!¡± The orcs gathered together and roared. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaar!¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaahhhh!¡± Then they wrapped their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. Crockta even began to sing, ¡°We are orcs! Strong orcs!¡± All of the orcs followed along and sang together. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to provoke us! A great warrior is here. Make way!¡± ¡°Get the hell out, humans! Get out, elves! Get out, dwarves! You too, gnomes!¡± ¡°Pretty woman? A warrior doesn¡¯t need women. Get out of the way! We are cool orcs, great warriors!¡± ¡°We are orcs! Strong orcs!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to provoke us!¡± It was a rough harmony that rang throughout the earth. F4, the party of soldiers, had been observing the Om Brotherhood¡¯s merry festival, and they shook their heads in unison. ¡°We weren¡¯t that bad after all.¡± ¡°They have sold their souls to their characters.¡± ¡°They are truly on another level...¡± *** After Crockta said farewell to the yers, he headed to the hill on top of Edelweiss Vige with Jeremy. It had a nice aerial view where one could see all of the Chesswood viges scattered like pieces on a chessboard. This hill was also where ckmore had been buried. It had been a short friendship. They had merely apanied each other for a short while, but it had been enough time for Crockta to experience ckmore¡¯s kind heart. A man like him had met his end much too early. Crockta ced the mandolin that ckmore had always carried at his grave. Then Crockta said, ¡°Jeremy.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Jeremy replied. ¡°Where do people go when they die?¡± Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Hmm... not sure. Since he died for others, shouldn¡¯t he at least go to heaven?¡± ¡°Heaven...¡± Was ckmore in heaven? Instead of being scattered digital fragments within Elder Lord¡¯s server, had he gone to heaven? Crockta looked at Jeremy, whose face was saturated with the glow of the sunset. This talkative man who liked toin all the time and did as he pleased was tearing up. Was it because of the sunset? Jeremy began to whistle. It was ckmore¡¯s melody. The tune of the musician who had longed for his hometown rang throughout the hill. Was Jeremy, the man who was whistling without a word, a human? Or was he, the man who was trying to hide his tears as he stood beside Crockta, just electronic signals generated from aputer? Was Crockta¡¯s own sadness perhaps just converted to data inside a game? ¡°If you are truly saddened by all of the deaths here, head to the temple of the fallen god.¡± The mysterious man¡¯s voice from when the war ended popped up in Crockta¡¯s mind. Crockta walked toward the huge rock stuck in an isted area on the hill. He split and crushed the rock in an instant with his Ogre yer, giving the rock that used to be a big mass a t surface. Crockta then picked up the rock and nted it above ckmore¡¯s grave. With the tip of his de, Crockta inscribed an epitaph for ckmore on the rock. This was all he could do for the dead. ¡°Crockta,¡± uttered Jeremy behind Crockta. Jeremy had always referred to Crockta as ¡®orc dude¡¯ or ¡®brother.¡¯ The voice calling Crockta¡¯s name now felt unfamiliar. Crockta looked at Jeremy. ¡°Derek sent additional information on our targets,¡± stated Jeremy. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I will join you in your pursuit.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes were serious. Crockta grinned without saying a word. ¡°What? Why are you smiling? I¡¯m just pissed off at them, so don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°The way you are looking at me is annoying,¡± grumbled Jeremy. Then Crocktapleted the tombstone. Jeremy drew nearer and caressed the writing on it while saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to hell anyways, so we probably won¡¯t see each other again.¡± Musician ckmore suited heaven. ¡°Take care, musician brother,¡± said Jeremy. Crockta and Jeremy departed from ckmore¡¯s grave. It was another farewell. Suddenly, the wind flew over the hill and struck a chord on ckmore¡¯s mandolin. It yed a clear sound. As if in response, Crockta and Jeremy waved back. *** Derek signed the contract and said, ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Not at all, sir,¡± replied the man who had reced Jeremy during his absence. Derek rested his elbows on his desk and held his jaw and chin between his hands. ¡°What did Jeremy say?¡± ¡°He said he will be keeping an eye on him for the time being.¡± ¡°Haha,¡±ughed Derek. He didn¡¯t believe what Jeremy had said. Jeremy probably felt inspired by Crockta and wanted to spend more time with him. This was what Jeremy was like. He always pretended to be cold and tough, but he grew attached to people easily. ¡°...I didn¡¯t expect you to profit from the situation like this,¡± said Derek¡¯s subordinate. ¡°There¡¯s always a way if you keep an open mind.¡± ¡°You said just watching over him would be an investment. Did you know that things would turn out this way?¡± ¡°If you are talking about the reconstruction business, I didn¡¯t expect that. I only thought of it afterward,¡± Derek said. He brought out a piece of paper and began writing a letter. The addressee was Jeremy. Derek added, ¡°Investment is not always about financial gain.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Bear in mind, if you look at things from a wider perspective, preparing for a future danger can be an investment.¡± Derek continued to wield his pen, and the letter grew in length. ¡°Identifying high-risk factors is enough of a profit in itself,¡± continued Derek. ¡°High-risk factors...?¡± Instead of replying, Derek finished his letter and sealed it by cing it in an envelope and pouring wax on it. He then sealed it shut with his signature stamp. Derek extended the letter to his subordinate. ¡°Do you understand when I say I havee to learn who will betray me in the future?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Get rid of him.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied his subordinate with a nod. He knew not to ask more questions when Derek was wearing such an expression on his face. Derek¡¯s subordinate immediately retreated and left the office. After the door closed, Derek sank into his chair. He thought of Jeremy¡¯s face. Jeremy used to be a boy who roamed the back alleys as if he had nothing to lose, but he had grown up into a fine young man. He had grown up so well that he was now trying to free himself from the leash that Derek had ced on him. ¡°It was bound to happen.¡± Derek smiled. The banquet always came to an end. Once the feast was over, it was time to clear the table. Chapter 51: Freedom

Chapter 51: Freedom

With the incidents at Arnin and Chesswood exposing their conspiracies, the Haedong Balhae n was driven to a corner. Moreover, they suffered great damage from the massacre in Chesswood. Even public opinion was unfavorable toward them, and now, the Haedong Balhae n was a subject of ridicule. It was perhaps because of those reasons that Crockta and Jeremy found the task of eliminating the Haedong Balhae n a bit tedious at this point. ¡°Bro, is this guy thest one?¡± asked Jeremy as he tightened the rope around the body of thest Haedong Balhae n member here. ¡°It seems so,¡± said Crockta with a nod. Crockta and Jeremy had taken the Haedong Balhae n members by surprise and raided their building. This was thest room. They were in the third city after Chesswood. The Haedong Balhae n members that Jeremy had captured had resisted, but they were quickly restrained. Some even begged Crockta and Jeremy for mercy. ¡°Don¡¯t do it! I spent so much money developing this character. Please don¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Jeremy said and struck the back of a pleading n member¡¯s head. Undaunted, the yer continued to twist his body in an attempt to escape from the rope binding him, but Jeremy continued to strike the yer¡¯s head. Meanwhile, Crockta just shrugged his shoulders. He could tell the yer had put in a lot of effort into growing his character. His equipment was expensive, and he was quite strongpared to the other n members. However, Crockta and Jeremy were stronger. The yer continued to struggle, so Jeremy kicked him in the face, and the yer¡¯s teeth were sent flying into the air. Jeremy then gagged the yer¡¯s bleeding mouth. The yer¡¯s body went ck, and Jeremy wrapped up his body. After executing the concrete method on the yer, Jeremy stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Whew, there¡¯s a lot of them,¡± said Jeremy. The Haedong Balhae n members that Crockta and Jeremy had tied up together wiggled on the floor behind them. Then the door opened to reveal that Derek¡¯s emissary, who had been sent to do the clean-up, had arrived. ¡°Good work, gentlemen,¡± said the emissary. Crockta and Jeremy didn¡¯t know what methods Derek had employed, but he had managed to yield huge profits from this situation. ording to the emissary, Derek had made arrangements to gain power over the city by pushing out the Haedong Balhae n members. Crockta didn¡¯t ask further questions because he didn¡¯t want to know what Derek did behind the scenes. ¡°Hey, how is Derek doing?¡± asked Jeremy. The emissary nced at Jeremy and nodded. ¡°He is well.¡± ¡°It has been a while since Ist saw him. Tell him I will return with a gift.¡± ¡°I will. Derek has prepared a gift as well.¡± ¡°Derek prepared a gift? I¡¯m excited. What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics.¡± Jeremy approached the emissary and ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve captured a lot of cursed ones. Are they being taken care of properly?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. Most of them have been taken to the stars.¡± NPCs described characterspletely disappearing as ¡®taken by the stars.¡¯ Most of the Haedong Balhae n members who had been dealt with using the concrete method had created new characters or quit the game entirely after deleting their ounts. ¡°What¡¯s the next destination?¡± asked Crockta. The man politely said to Crockta, ¡°Crockta, there is no next time.¡± ¡°Howe?¡± ¡°The Haedong Balhae n is no longer active. The members have dispersed. It seems they have disbanded the n.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. The Haedong Balhae n is done.¡± ¡®The dissolution of the Haedong Balhae n... happened before I knew it. It¡¯s not surprising considering the number of home bases and sites of operations I raided though. It¡¯s not odd at all that they decided to disband,¡¯ Crockta thought. Then he walked toward the window. He tripped over the bodies of the n members, but he didn¡¯t mind and stepped on them to reach the window. The sky was blue. Crockta opened the window, and a cold breeze flew in as he gazed at the sky outside. He hadn¡¯t expected the time he had spent chasing Lenox¡¯s revenge toe to an end like this. It was a strange feeling. ¡°Is this really the end?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes, Crockta. We aren¡¯t hiding anything from you.¡± ¡®From me, huh,¡¯ thought Crockta. He looked at the face of the emissary, who continued speaking, ¡°If you look at it, it¡¯s an inevitable oue. You and Jeremy have been cutting off their arms and legs. It¡¯s impressive that they have endured this far.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± replied Crockta. Jeremy whistled. ¡°Brother, congrattions. You seeded in avenging your instructor.¡± Crockta shrugged. Had he really seeded in getting revenge? He had been unable to capture the traitor Grom, and he still hadn¡¯t captured the master of the Haedong Balhae n who had abetted royal NPCs. Now that the n had disbanded, it would be even harder to track those two down. Crockta smiled bitterly. He had only achieved partial revenge. Nheless, the Haedong Balhae members probably thought they had lost most of what they had. In the same way that they saw what Crockta had lost as worthless, the possessions of the Haedong Balhae n didn¡¯t have any value to Crockta. ¡®I think I can take a break now,¡¯ thought Crockta. This seemed like the final ending. However, on the day that he and the Haedong Balhae n woulde to meet once again under the Elder Lord sky, they would realize that the orc they had forgotten about hade toplete his revenge. ¡°This is Derek¡¯s gift for you,¡± said the emissary as he handed a document to Crockta. It had the name of a city and an address written on it, as well as symbols that appeared to be some kind of code. The document was titled ¡®Contact Method.¡¯ The emissary continued, ¡°Use this if you want to chase after the remaining members. It has the Information Guild¡¯s location and the contact method. This is all we can do for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Crockta. Crockta tucked the piece of paper away. His rtionship with Derek had been a transaction for mutual benefit anyway. The rest was his responsibility to take care of alone. ¡°Thank you for all of your hard work. You¡¯ve done a lot,¡± Crockta said to Jeremy. Jeremy grinned widely. ¡°You are the one who did all the work, brother. You did an admirable thing, avenging your instructor.¡± ¡°Will you be returning to Derek?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes. My ce is by his side.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Crockta said. Then he walked toward Jeremy and whispered in his ear, ¡°Watch out for Derek.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A person only raises a hunting dog while he can control it. Once it tries to break its leash, it gets eaten.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s not a bad thing to be careful.¡± Crockta nced over at the emissary, who was warily observing Crockta and Jeremy whispering to one another. Then Crockta grinned and turned away from Jeremy, patting his shoulder. ¡°Bul¡¯tar! Great job. Stay alive until the next time we meet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already time to say goodbye? That¡¯s a bummer,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°We will see each other again one day.¡± ¡°Yes. Brother, if you visit Anail,e see me.¡± Jeremy extended his hand as if trying to shake hands, but he smiled and scratched his head instead. He then extended his fist the way orcs greeted one another. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to try it, to be honest.¡± Crockta beamed and bumped Jeremy¡¯s fist. ¡°Bul¡¯tar! Is this correct?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°Wrong. Your voice sounds weak. Put more strength into it. Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re funny. Fine, bul¡¯tar!¡± Jeremy smiled as he dropped his fist. ¡°Are you leaving right now?¡± Crockta nodded in response. ¡°I see. I have to return with that fellow over there,¡± said Jeremy. He then wrapped his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulder and made a request to the emissary, ¡°Please take care of the clean-up here. I wille back after sending him off.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the emissary replied. Crockta and Jeremy left the room. On the way to the entrance of the building, they saw the Haedong Balhae n members struggling under the ropes. A few had already disconnected from the server. Crockta and Jeremy chuckled as they looked at the n members¡¯ resentful eyes. Before long, the two of them arrived at the entrance. They exchanged looks and firmly grasped each other¡¯s hands. The farewell was brief¡ªjust a quick handshake and eye contact. Then they patted each other¡¯s shoulders, turned around, and proceeded toward their own paths. Crockta and Jeremy both knew they would see each other again someday. *** After Jeremy sent Crockta off, he re-entered the Haedong Balhae building. This building would soon be Derek¡¯s property, so Derek¡¯s subordinates were cleaning up the remaining Haedong Balhae n members. The emissary from earlier approached Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Here is a letter from Derek.¡± ¡°A letter?¡± The emissary handed Jeremy a white envelope. As always, the envelope was secured with red candle wax with Derek¡¯s signature seal on it. Jeremy whistled as he opened the envelope. The wax crumbled and scattered on the ground. ¡°Hmm... What does he need me to do this time...?¡± Jeremy muttered. He read the letter and doubted his eyes for a second. The content of the letter was unexpected. Jeremy was about to ask what the hell Derek was talking about when Crockta¡¯s voice came back to life in his mind, ¡°Watch out for Derek.¡± Although Jeremy was unable to rationalize the situation, his survival instinct allowed him to wear a mask ofposure. He calmed his rapidly beating heart and forcefully curved his lips into a smile. ¡®Don¡¯t reveal how agitated you are. Just say it with ease as if you had predicted it all along.¡¯ ¡°As expected...¡± began Jeremy. ¡®Your voice is trembling. Calm down, Jeremy.¡¯ ¡°...As expected of Derek. He is thorough. Isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°He has to get rid of all the risk factors, just as he has always done.¡± Jeremy grinned. He managed to steady his stiff fingers and gently folded the letter. Then he ced the letter back inside the envelope and tucked it away. Although his face was smiling, he was rapidly considering the situation in his head. The content of the letter was simple: [Kill Crockta.] Jeremy knew Derek well. This was how he tested his subordinates. Jeremy couldn¡¯t show the slightest sign of hesitation or surprise. He had to be a loyal dog. The second he refused to hunt and whimpered, he would be the one eaten alive. ¡®But why? Why is Derek testing me?¡¯ As soon as he questioned himself, Jeremy came to a realization. Laughter seeped out of his lips. ¡®I see.¡¯ To Derek, having doubts about themand to kill Crockta was a rebellion. It was obvious to Jeremy that Derek had already seen through him. Derek had always achieved his ways by demanding absolute obedience. In fact, Jeremy had killed the so-called traitors who had disobeyed Derek¡¯smands in the past, so he could understand Derek¡¯s decision perfectly. However, Jeremy¡¯s current mindset meant he could no longer apathetically carry out the injustices that Derek ordered. ¡®As expected, Derek is amazing.¡¯ Derek had figured out Jeremy¡¯s true feelings, which had been unknown even to Jeremy himself. That was how loyal Jeremy had been to Derek. This realization also made Jeremy furious though. After all, he had taken care of all of Derek¡¯s matters without an ounce of suspicion as his direct subordinate. He had thought of himself as someone who was special to Derek. Sure, he was a dog, but he had hoped to be more than that. Yet, the truth was that Jeremy¡¯s arrogance had made him deluded. ¡°Hey, brother, did Derek say...¡± began Jeremy. The emissary tilted his head curiously in response. Jeremy grinned from ear to ear as he continued, ¡°If I seem surprised or show signs of resistance, you should kill me immediately?¡± ¡°...!¡± The emissary¡¯s eyes widened. He quickly tried to retreat, but Jeremy¡¯s sword had already pierced his throat before he was aware of it. Blood dripped from the emissary¡¯s neck. ¡°No wonder... I did think about how you could hold your head up so high around your senior,¡± Jeremy remarked. ¡°Ahhh...¡± The emissary crumbled to the ground. The rest of Derek¡¯s subordinates surrounded Jeremy. They had a formidable presence and were quite strong. Nevertheless, Jeremy snickered to himself. There was something Derek, who was usually able to predict everything, didn¡¯t know. As Jeremy¡¯s body moved like the wind, the ambushers began to copse. Jeremy¡¯s sword followed the movements of Derek¡¯s subordinates and defeated them in session. They were in without having a chance to resist. With cold eyes, Jeremy shed thest ambusher, killing him. Derek didn¡¯t know that Jeremy was now extremely strong. After fighting in battles alongside Crockta, Jeremy had grown stronger, far beyond Derek¡¯s expectations. It was a matter of course. The one that Jeremy had spent so much time with was none other than Crockta¡ªthe orc warrior that even Derek had given up on trying to predict the actions of. The variable known as Crockta even changed his surroundings to unpredictable variables. ¡°You can¡¯t help but be stronger if you hang out with the orc,¡± Jeremy stated. A person had to be strong to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a reckless orc like Crockta. Jeremy took deep breaths and walked toward the window. The corpses of the Haedong Balhae n got in his way, but he didn¡¯t mind and simply stepped on them. When he arrived at the window, Jeremy held the sight of the endless deep blue sky in his eyes. ¡°So, this is why the orc stood here earlier.¡± After hearing that the Haedong Balhae n had dissolved, Crockta had stared off into the faraway skies from this window. Now, Jeremy understood why. ¡°The sky is so blue.¡± Derek had cast Jeremy aside, and Jeremy had also cast Derek aside. The shackles that had bound Jeremy had been released. Derek and Anail¡¯s back alley, the two things that had controlled him, were now out of his life. Now that those chains had been cut, Jeremy raised his head to look at the sky, and he realized the world was much bigger than he had known. Jeremy spread out his arms. The breeze flew in from the window and wrapped around him. He would soon be chased by Derek. He would also have to find a new job. All Jeremy knew was how to wield the sword. He had no family or friends. He had been tossed into the world with just a sword in his hand. Jeremy was someone without a ce of belonging or family. As his future lurked with countless enemies, fate was solely in his hands now... but so was his freedom. Jeremy closed his eyes. ¡°...Ahhh, it feels like I¡¯m walking on clouds.¡± Chapter 52: Yi-Yoo’s Revenge (1)

Chapter 52: Yi-Yoo¡¯s Revenge (1)

Yi-An disconnected from the server and exited the capsule. Then he reyed his memory fromst night. It had been a long journey. He had begun at Orcrox, the edge of the continent, and had gone past Anail, Arnin, and Chesswood to punish the Haedong Balhae n, ultimately reaching the center of the continent. Now, he had be strong enough to not lose to anyone who wasn¡¯t a high-ranker. His revenge toward the Haedong Balhae n was wrapped up for the time being as the damage he had inflicted on the n was enough for him to temporarily push aside his desire to seek out Hyun-Chul and the Haedong Balhae n''s master. Now that Crockta could take a breather, he thought of the reason why he had started ying Elder Lord in the first ce. His sister Yi-Yoo was the reason[1]. He had heard that his sister¡¯s character was at one of the elf starting points in the center of the continent. ¡°My sister Yi-Yoo is the reason Elder Lord I pursue...¡± Yi-An began rapping some weird lyrics to himself and then stopped. This was unlike his usual self. Had he been infected without him knowing? It had to be because of Jeremy who always said and sang silly things around him. In fact, all of the characters Yi-An had interacted with in Elder Lord¡ªincluding Necromancer Iron who confidently enjoyed the game, the F4 who werepletely immersed in role-ying, and the orcs¡ªwere changing the real Yi-An. Upon realizing this, Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh. The change didn¡¯t feel unpleasant. Yi-An stretched his body as it felt stiff from sitting and ying games all day. When was thest time he had gotten out of his seat to stretch or exercise? He began slowly stretching out and rxing his muscles, but his body was unexpectedly supple. In fact, it felt more flexible than it had been before. Yi-An tilted his head in confusion. For some reason, he felt energetic. What was going on? He looked at his palms and suddenly got down on the floor, facing downward. Yi-An got into a push-up position and leaned his weight into his hands. He began to gradually transfer the weight from his lower body to his core and lifted his legs from the surface. Yi-An¡¯s mouth gaped open in shock. He had seeded in doing the nche, the pinnacle of calisthenics. Yi-An was supporting his whole body with his arms while the rest of his body was suspended parallel to the floor, almost like a Superman pose. He hadn¡¯t thought it was possible because he had taken a break from exercise for a while, but it was actually easier than before. As Yi-An rxed his body, he thought to himself, ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to Elder Lord.¡¯ He had heard that image training could elicit the same reactions from the body as exercise. Perhaps Elder Lord had produced a simr effect on his body. Yi-An showered and got out of the house. After visiting the caf¨¦ and dropping some food off for Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon, Yi-An headed to Yi-Yoo¡¯s college. He nned to treat her to some good food because it was almost lunchtime, so he let her know to meet him at the Japanese restaurant in front of the school. ¡°Oppa,¡± called out Yi-Yoo. ¡°Hey,¡± answered Yi-An. They entered the restaurant, and each ordered a sushi and udon set from the menu. Yi-Yoo liked sushi. When she was a kid, she had been inspired by the manga Mister Sushi King and dreamed of bing a chef one day. However, she seemed to have given up on her dream after realizing she didn¡¯t have any talent for cooking. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you buying me food?¡± asked Yi-Yoo. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve treated you to food many times,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°Not recently. I thought you didn¡¯t care about me anymore. Have you been busy meeting up with the pretty unni fromst time?¡± Yi-An grinned and tapped Yi-Yoo¡¯s forehead with his finger hard. Yi-Yoo furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°It hurts,¡± Yi-Yooined. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to hurt.¡± Yi-Yoo grumbled under her breath and shifted her gaze to her phone. She seemed to be texting someone. Yi-An propped his face in the palms of his hands. ¡®This is nice.¡¯ Even just a year ago, Yi-Yoo used to be ufortable around Yi-An because he had been gone for seven years. Yi-An had been exempted from mandatory military service in South Korea because he was the sole provider for a dependent. So, after Yi-An became an adult, he immediately joined the foreign troops on Baek Han-Ho¡¯s rmendation. Yi-Yoo and Yi-An exchanged letters over the years while Yi-An was overseas, but they were unable to talk to each other on the phone due to time differences and the foreign troops¡¯ security measures. During those years, Yi-Yoo was forced to stay with rtives while Yi-An funded her living and educational expenses from overseas. The rtives weren¡¯t mean to her, but she didn¡¯t grow up in a loving environment. Yi-An waster discharged from the foreign troops, and he returned to South Korea a year ago. By then, Yi-Yoo was already all grown up. Yi-Yoo had been only thirteen when shest saw him, so she felt uneasy around her brother. When they reunited after the seven-year separation, she timidly said that she would find a job as soon as she graduated from high school and that Yi-An wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her. It made Yi-An sad to see the kid who had been so cheerful in the past behave like she was walking on eggshells, so he hugged her and told her not to worry about those things and to attend the university of her dreams. His father had always used to say, ¡°You have to protect your sister because your mom and I are busy. The bond between siblings is stronger than that between parents and children. You have to rely on each other until death. She¡¯s your closest kin, so you have to protect her. I trust you.¡± Yi-An and Yi-Yoo¡¯s parents had passed away due to an ident and hadn¡¯t been able to leave a will, but Yi-An refused to cry at their funeral. Instead, he promised his smiling father in the funeral portrait that he wouldn¡¯t let him down. Since then, Yi-An sometimes wondered whether he was living up to his father¡¯s expectations, but his resolve remained firm. ¡°Oppa, why are you snickering to yourself?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Ah! It hurts!¡± Still, his resolve wavered sometimes. Their meal was served, and Yi-Yoo chewed on her sushi slowly. ¡°How¡¯s school?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°How¡¯s studying?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°...I don¡¯t know,¡± said Yi-Yoo with a sigh. ¡°Ah, oppa, I don¡¯t know what my dream is. I thought if I studied economics, I would get an idea, but I have nothing.¡± ¡°I thought bing a sushi king was your dream?¡± ¡°Ah, not that...¡± ¡°Do what you want,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°You can¡¯t just do what you want. You need talent.¡± ¡°Talent?¡± ¡°Yeah. For example, even if all ser yers practiced the same amount, they wouldn¡¯t all turn out like Pele Maradona, Ronaldo, or Messi.¡± Yi-Anughed. Yi-Yoo raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°What?! What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the best.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°There are many ser yers aside from those three. You don¡¯t have to be the best. Even if you can¡¯t be a ser yer, you can at least do what you like and teach ser sses, be a coach, or open a local gym with your past training experiences.¡± ¡°Is that so...?¡± ¡°Being happy doing what you like is enough.¡± Yi-Yoo looked at Yi-An with a strange expression and ate another piece of sushi. Then she suddenly began coughing. ¡°Ah, wasabi, wasabi. Spicy,¡± she muttered. Yi-An handed her water, and she calmed down a bit. Yi-Yoo asked, ¡°But oppa, what should I do if I don¡¯t know what I like?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you like?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know. If I continue like this, I won¡¯t be able to live a fulfilling life before I die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You always say everything is okay.¡± ¡°Who cares if you live carelessly? You¡¯ve done fine until now. No one will scold you even if you do.¡± ¡°You scold me about my GPA.¡± ¡°I do it because I should scold you as your guardian.¡± ¡°Then, from now on, don¡¯t ask me about my grades, okay?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Say yes. Yes.¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± They focused on eating for a while. The food at this restaurant was quite good. Yi-An thought about bringing his part-timers to the restaurant next time. Then he cut to the chase. ¡°You y Elder Lord, right?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Huh?¡± Yi-An let out a dry cough. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m actually...¡± ¡°I quit,¡± interrupted Yi-Yoo. ¡°...a really strong¡ª What?¡± ¡°I quit ying Elder Lord,¡± said Yi-Yoo. Yi-An stared at Yi-Yoo, but she didn¡¯t even look at him and continued slurping her udon. ¡°I don¡¯t want to y it anymore,¡± said Yi-Yoo. Yi-An hesitated for a second because she seemed bent on the idea. ¡°Why all of a sudden...?¡± ¡°Just cause,¡± replied Yi-Yoo. Yi-An recalled that during their childhood, Yi-Yoo would silently pout and sulk at home whenever something bad happened to her. She wouldn¡¯t reply even when Yi-An asked her if something was going on. So, Yi-An always had to pry until she eventually confided in him. Seeing Yi-Yoo¡¯s sullen face now, Yi-An couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°Something happened, right?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to y anymore.¡± ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± insisted Yi-An. ¡°...¡± Yi-Yoo continued to keep her mouth shut, so Yi-An snatched the tuna sushi from her te. It was her favorite. ¡°Ah, what?!¡± eximed Yi-Yoo. ¡°I¡¯m gonna eat it if you don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Ah, why?! Stop being childish! Give it back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna eat it.¡± ¡°Okay. Okay! Fine.¡± Yi-An returned her tuna sushi. ¡°I¡¯m just scared,¡± Yi-Yoo said. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°Because...¡± Yi-Yoo was easily scared and couldn¡¯t be heartless. ording to her friends, she had been killed by a rabbit in Elder Lord. Essentially, she had been Elder Lord¡¯s Gandhi. As an Elementalist, she had summoned spirits and just wandered around Elder Lord with them. However, one day, a group of yers approached her. They had been high-level yers. High-level yers were normally an umon presence in the beginner area Yi-Yoo hung out in. Apanied by her spirits, Yi-Yoo was grooming sheep for a part-time job that day. The high-level yers began pestering her to join them so they could help her level up, but Yi-Yoo refused. Despite that, they continued to demand that she join their party. When Yi-Yoo got pissed off and firmly rejected them, their attitude changed abruptly. ¡°Ah, fuck. You just look pretty cause of your customization, but you are ying hard to get. Do you actually think that you are an elf because you are ying an elf character?¡± they said as they began attacking her. Yi-Yoo fled, but theyughed among themselves and chased her as if they were hunting her. Her spirits resisted, but they were ruthlessly attacked and writhed in pain as they returned to their spirit worlds. Then, the yers began swinging their weapons at Yi-Yoo, who was left all by herself. She hadn¡¯t experienced much pain because her assimtion rate had been ten percent. Nevertheless, the memory of them encroaching on her as if hunting an animal was engraved in her mind, so she no longer wanted to y Elder Lord. ¡°I was so sad when my babies were attacked,¡± said Yi-Yoo. She referred to her spirits as her babies. ¡°Anyways, I decided not to y because there are lots of weird people like them. Sorry that I quit when I begged you to y the game.¡± ¡°Why are you sorry? It¡¯s totally fine.¡± ¡°You should quit too. Elder Lord is too dangerous. Just focus on running your caf¨¦ instead of ying a dangerous game.¡± Yi-Anughed. His sister had no idea that her brother was the most dangerous of them all. ¡°Where was the ce you were attacked?¡± he asked. ¡°I think it was... Maird? Oppa, this tuna sushi is good. I want to order more.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± While Yi-Yoo ordered more sushi, Yi-An recorded the name Maird in his mind. He discreetly questioned Yi-Yoo and found out what her attackers had looked like. As he did so, Yi-Yoo got into a better mood because of the sushi and ate excitedly with a smile on her face. Maird, the city of elves, was close to where Crockta was currently located in the game. Unlike Arnin, other species were able to enter Maird freely. Elves had a wide selection of starting points to begin their journey, and Maird was the most popr one among the beginner yers. Yi-An intended to go to Maird and show the attackers the rage of an orc warrior. He grinned widely. ¡°Yi-Yoo?¡± Someone approached them. Yi-An raised his head to see who it was. ¡°Oh, hi, Yun-Ji,¡± said Yi-Yoo. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here. Are you eating lunch?¡± asked Jung Yun-Ji. ¡°Yeah, you too?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while since west saw each other,¡± said Jung Yun-Ji. Yun-Ji seemed to be Yi-Yoo¡¯s friend. She glimpsed at Yi-An and asked, ¡°Is he your boyfriend?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yun-Ji stared at Yi-An¡¯s and Yi-Yoo¡¯s faces. ¡°Now that you mention it, you guys do look alike. Hello, I¡¯m Jung Yun-Ji. I¡¯m in the same year as Yi-Yoo.¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother.¡± Yi-An exchanged greetings with Jung Yun-Ji. Jung Yun-Ji was polite. A group of girls was waiting for her at a table some distance away. Their heads poked out as they watched her speak with Yi-An and Yi-Yoo. Jung Yun-Ji headed to that table after greeting Yi-An. Somehow, Yi-An thought Jung Yun-Ji seemed strangely familiar. He seemed to have seen her somewhere. In fact, he felt like he had seen her face many times before. Yi-An had a vague impression that he had seen her sullen faceining and grumbling at him. He furrowed his eyebrows. Who was she? Where had he seen her? ¡°Ah, I hate carrots.¡± Yi-Yoo spat out a piece of carrot that had gotten stuck in her teeth while she was slurping up her udon. ¡®Carrots. Carrot...¡¯ Yi-An wondered inwardly. ¡°Hmph, will it make a difference?¡± ¡°...!¡± He remembered something. ¡°Will carrots magically turn into beef? Hail the merchant!¡± An old memory suddenly popped up in his mind. Yi-An turned around and made eye contact with Jung Yun-Ji, who was busy chatting with her friends. ¡°...?¡± She seemed to be startled by Yi-An¡¯s gaze and began blushing. Then, she swept her hair back behind her ear and lowered her head. ¡°Why, are you interested in her?¡± asked Yi-Yoo in a disgruntled voice. Yi-An turned back toward Yi-Yoo and shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, why?¡± ¡°She seems familiar.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Yi-Yoo tilted her head. Meanwhile, Yi-An just stuffed sushi into his mouth. He was certain. He even got goosebumps from seeing her in real life. Regardless, he now felt an intense gaze boring into the back of his head for some reason. 1. In this sentence, the author is doing wordy because the word reason in Korean is pronounced like ¡®Yi-Yoo¡¯ ? Chapter 53: Yi-Yoo’s Revenge (2)

Chapter 53: Yi-Yoo¡¯s Revenge (2)

When Crockta entered the city, he wasn¡¯t restrained at the entrance, unlike at Arnin. Was this what big cities were like? Even Crockta was impressed this time. Elves riding on pegasuses flew in the sky, and huge spirits he had never seen before were roaming around with elves on their shoulders. The buildings were so big and beautiful that he felt as if he was surrounded by works of art. This was Maird, the city of elves! Maird was considered to be the birthce of elf yers. With its bustling urban life, diverse work opportunities existed, and the nearby hunting grounds were perfect for beginners as they didn¡¯t have high-level monsters. Compared to Orcrox, it was heaven. However, that was the problem. Crockta shook his head disapprovingly. This ce was too refined. The elves here probably didn¡¯t know what it was like to struggle and had only walked smooth-sailing paths. ¡®The mind bes weak if the body is toofortable!¡¯ ¡°Fragile elves!¡± muttered Crockta with the pride of an orc warrior. Yet, his eyes were distracted by the curvaceous figures of the beautiful elves passing by. He shook his head toe to his senses. ¡°A warrior is not enticed by women!¡± ¡®Pain makes a warrior stronger. I must not be enticed by sweet things.¡¯ Crockta began singing the song of orc warriors to keep his mind straight, ¡°A warrior doesn¡¯t need womeeen!¡± Something was off though. Every citizen he passed by nced at him warily, even though orcs weren¡¯t umon here. This was a big city where anyone could enter. He even saw a few orcs nearby. Then he ran into someone who cleared up his confusion. It was an orc. The orc¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he saw Crockta. He then approached Crockta eagerly. The orc was also a warrior like Crockta. He had tattoos all over his face and body and had a huge build. Crockta could sense the orc¡¯s great strength. The orc extended his fist. ¡°Are you alive? Crockta!¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡®How did the orc know his name?¡¯ Crockta wondered inwardly. ¡°How...?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s obvious with your tattoos of honor and ck bandana. Your name is spreading all over the continent! Honorable warrior! Bul¡¯tar!¡± Crockta and the orc bumped fists. ¡°I¡¯m orc Purat! I¡¯m a big fan! I look up to you!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Purat. I¡¯m really not that great though.¡± ¡°What are you saying?! You rescued people at the Arnin ins, exposed the hypocrisy of Arnin¡¯s politicians, and fought for the innocent victims at Chesswood!¡± Purat hit his chest passionately. ¡°It¡¯s an age when warriors no longer remember themandments. You are a warrior worthy of respect.¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed by the excessive praise.¡± Crockta shook his head. Come to think of it, people around him were whispering to one another as well. ¡°Is he the famous orc, Crockta? They said he¡¯s the orc of righteousness who punishes injustice.¡± ¡°Crockta, Arnin¡¯s honorary citizen and Chesswood¡¯s hero?¡± As people gradually recognized him, Crockta puffed his chest out with pride. He was also proud of how much he had grown from his past experiences. His achievement points had increased dramatically as well. [Status Window Orc Warrior Title: Pursuer of the Pinnacle Level: 39 Achievement Points: 76510 Assimtion: 80% Skills Orc Warrior¡¯s Destruction (Rare) Orc Warrior¡¯s Regeneration (Rare) Leyteno¡¯s Swordsmanship (Essence) Combative Spirit (Essence) Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) Tattoos of Honor (Rare) Crushing Roar (Rare)] The highest level currently known in Elder Lord was Level 60. Considering Elder Lord was a game that was difficult to level up in, Crockta had grown at incredible speed. yers of Level 40 and above were universally acknowledged as veteran high-level yers. Moreover, Crockta had two Essence-tier skills, even though it was difficult to attain just one. Thanks to his battles at Chesswood, Crockta¡¯s Indomitable Fighting Spirit had upgraded to Combative Spirit, while his Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique had upgraded to Leyteno¡¯s Swordsmanship due to him practicing wrapping his de with mana. Assimtion was another story. Everyone had been shocked when the Elder Lord Times revealed that Kim Dal-Kwang¡¯s assimtion rate was seventy-three percent, but Crockta¡¯s was eighty percent! Just based on the assimtion rates, it would seem like Crockta was perhaps at the pinnacle of Elder Lord. ¡®Pinnacle¡¯¡ªwhat a cool word! [Your name is now well-known in the world of Elder Lord.] [NPCs you meet will be increasingly favorable toward you.] [Purat is looking at you with eyes of respect.] Purat was in awe of Crockta. ¡°I heard you were humble and intellectual unlike most orcs, and it was true! You are amazing! You are different from regr orcs! Hahaha!¡± Purat chuckled. However, Crockta refused to acknowledge what Purat said. ¡°What are you saying?!¡± eximed Crockta with a firm expression on his face. ¡°No one can determine what is or isn¡¯t orc-like. Only you can judge for yourself!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°An orc¡¯s potential is limitless, Purat!¡± Purat looked at Crockta with a surprised expression. It was true. Even though Purat was an orc, he had prejudices against orcs. Not only that, he believed that humans were mediocre, elves were fast but weak, dwarves only had good craftsmanship, and gnomes were just little twerps! He had been judging the world ording to his prejudices. Nevertheless, meeting Crockta enlightened him. When Purat realized that he could be anything he wanted to be, he gained a surge of confidence. Crockta continued, ¡°The instructor who taught me once said that a warrior is not born but made.¡± ¡°Was he...?¡± ¡°He was the instructor of orc warriors, Lenox.¡± ¡°Lenox!¡± Purat had heard about Lenox¡¯s reputation. To be a warrior, Purat had learned from an instructor in another city instead of Orcrox, but his instructor had been Lenox¡¯s student. Lenox had been an instructor of warriors and an instructor of instructors; he had been a true warrior. ¡°Lenox! I heard the news. Those filthy humans!¡± eximed Purat. ¡°I am going to avenge him.¡± ¡°Revenge!¡± ¡°A warrior always pays back in kindness and revenge.¡± ¡°As expected...¡± Purat grabbed Crockta¡¯s hands and held them. ¡°As expected, you are an honorable orc.¡± Crockta nodded in agreement. He knew he was a cool orc. Crockta and Purat chatted for a while. ¡°It was an honor to meet you,¡± said Purat as he bumped fists with Crockta. ¡°Let¡¯s stay alive and meet again. Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± After Crockta bid farewell to Purat, he strolled around the city. He had be more confident after meeting Purat. It seemed that even the beautiful elves were looking at him with admiring gazes. Crockta puffed out his chest and thought, ¡®Look, elves. This is an orc warrior.¡¯ ¡°He looks really scary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at him.¡± ¡°Even an orc of justice looks frightening.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful it¡¯s not dark outside yet.¡± The elves whispered to one another as they looked at Crockta. Anyways, Crockta hade here for one reason¡ªto avenge his sister Yi-Yoo! Yi-Yoo probably wasn¡¯t the only victim of those shameless men. People like them repeated the same behavior because people didn¡¯t change easily. Suddenly, Crockta stopped in his tracks. ¡°Don¡¯t change... Do people not change? No, they don¡¯t change easily.¡± He used to believe that people never changed, but he now knew that people did change. They could definitely change. ¡°A person can be anything,¡± muttered Crockta to himself. There had been a time when he wanted to change himself badly. It hadn¡¯t seemed possible, but he had gritted his teeth and managed to change. A person could be anyone they wanted if they had the will. That was how a human was. ¡°You guys will change too,¡± Crockta muttered as he thought of the impudent kids who had bullied Yi-Yoo. They would soon meet an educator named ¡®Crockta¡¯ and be reborn. ¡°Hmm...?¡± Crockta suddenly noticed that beside him was a store selling mirrors. He saw an expensive and rare mirror he hadn¡¯t seen before. Beautiful elfdies were fixing their hair in the mirror, but they jerked away in surprise when they saw the orc¡¯s frightening face behind them. Crockta observed his appearance in the mirror. ¡®A terrifying orc wearing a ck bandana!¡¯ He wore leather armor that revealed his bulging muscles and carried a huge greatsword on his back. Furthermore, what about the tattoos all over his body? Crockta nodded approvingly. He had the appearance of a very cool warrior. Still, he wanted to be even cooler. ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve only been fightingtely.¡± It was time for shopping. *** ¡°Are you alive?¡± greeted Crockta. ¡°Ah! Hello.¡± The elf saleswoman was startled by the appearance of her new customer. She ran a clothing store for other species, so she sold fashion items made for diverse body types¡ªlike dwarves, orcs, and gnomes¡ªbut didn¡¯t have clothes for elves and humans. Of course, she had quite a number of orc customers, but it was her first time seeing an orc customer who had such a rugged appearance. He was covered in tattoos and appeared as if he hade straight from the battlefields. She froze up at his fierce gaze. ¡°What are you looking for...?¡± Instead of replying, the orc stood in front of the mirror. The orc caressed his chin for a while and studied his reflection. Then he nodded his head contentedly. He opened his mouth to say, ¡°A cool...¡± ¡°A cool...?¡± wondered the saleswoman. ¡°Headband,¡± replied the orc. He had been wearing the bandana with the cksmith Company logo all this time. It was time for him to get rid of it. He nned to purchase a headband to cover the star on his forehead. The elf saleswoman calmlyid out various headbands in front of the orc. They were mostly items worn by adventurers to prevent sweat from dripping down their faces. Crockta chose the headband that appealed to him. It was a red headband. ¡°Red is the best, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes? Yes...¡± replied the saleswoman with hesitation. ¡°I¡¯d like the red one, please.¡± ¡°That will be three silvers.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The headband was inexpensive. Crockta immediately put on the headband and tied the straps behind his head. It had enough room to fit an orc¡¯s head. ¡°Does it look cool?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Of course,¡± said the elfdy. After all, she couldn¡¯t say that the orc looked like he was soaked in blood from the battlefields when he wore the red headband. In fact, she was surprised that he appeared even more heinous when he took the ck bandana off and wrapped the red headband around his head. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...¡± ¡°Please toss this,¡± requested Crockta. He handed the elfdy his cksmith Company bandana for disposal, and it was thrown straight into the trash can. After making the purchase, Crockta confidently strolled out of the clothing store. Now, he had a red bandana that covered the star on his forehead. As his rough strands of hair fell down in tangles, it seemed to multiply his charm. People nced at Crockta. Crockta then went to the armor store and bought equipment more expensive than his original leather armor. Although the base was leather, it had iron tingyered over his private area, so it upgraded his defenses. He then put on gauntlets and boots that protected his hands and feet. Finally, he put on a belt where he could hang his daggers. He looked like a brand-new orc. Crockta now had the appearance of an experienced orc warrior! Then he headed to a cksmith shop for an inspection of his Ogre yer. Upon seeing the greatsword, the dwarf cksmith¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°This is...!¡± eximed the cksmith. The cksmith immediately recognized that the greatsword was made out of adamantium alloy unique to the Golden Anvil tribe. He knew that only the Golden Anvil tribe could skillfully harness adamantium to this extent. ¡°Are you a friend of the Golden Anvil tribe?¡± asked the cksmith. ¡°I¡¯m not, but my friend saved some members of the Golden Anvil tribe, so I was able to acquire the greatsword.¡± ¡°I thought it was a thing of the past for orcs to carry weapons from the Golden Anvil tribe. I will sharpen the de so that it can cut through anything! Look forward to it!¡± said the dwarf with excitement. After the weapon inspection, Crockta purchased two daggers from the cksmith shop to hang on the belt of his new leather armor in case of emergencies. When he received the greatsword with its freshly sharpened de, he felt as if he had been reborn. Since the beginning, Crockta had been working hard non-stop. He had rolled across training grounds to be a warrior under Lenox, and even when he departed from Orcrox, he had gotten involved in various incidents and hadn¡¯t had the time to look after himself. Now, he finally felt like himself. Crockta walked confidently with his back straight. It was nice being in a big city. He saw quality equipment and items that he hadn¡¯t seen in the viges and cities he had visited so far. Consequently, he headed to a store that sold misceneous goods to purchase some potions. Crockta paused in shock. ¡®cksmith Company again! The store was the Maird branch of the cksmith Company! cksmith, the owner of thepany, must be extremely rich.¡¯ There seemed to be a cksmith Company store wherever he went. Crockta decided to go inside anyway because products made by the cksmith Company were trustworthy. Yet, once he went inside, he flinched and stepped backward in surprise. ¡®Why¡¯s that woman here?¡¯ Crockta took deep breaths to calm himself. ¡°Huh, a customer? Come in,e in. Why the hesitation?¡± a familiar voice tried to draw Crockta into the store. Crockta didn¡¯t move, but the woman¡¯s hand grasped Crockta¡¯s arm and pulled on it. ¡°An orc customer would need... potions? Or a sword? What do you need? We sell everything, everything,¡± the woman said. The woman was Ste¡ªthe cksmith Company intern with whom Crockta had sold vegetables in Anail! Moreover, he was certain that Ste was one of his sister¡¯s friends in real life. While thinking of this, Crockta stared at Ste. ¡°...?¡± Ste tilted her head curiously in response. ¡°Why? Is something on my face? Ah, sorry, but I¡¯m not interested in other species.¡± She didn¡¯t recognize him. Crockta realized that with the tattoos he had acquired from the orc warrior ceremony and hisrger stature, he looked cooler now. He lookedpletely different from his beginner orc apprentice days, so it was natural that she couldn¡¯t recognize him. ¡®Thank god,¡¯ he thought. Then Crockta deepened his voice and said, ¡°Hmm... I havee to buy a potion...¡± ¡°We have lots of potions. Come on in.¡± The Maird branch of the cksmith Company was quiterge. It was clear that Ste had been promoted, as her name tag had ¡®Ste, Manager¡¯ written on it. ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to me,¡¯ thought Crockta as he smiled contentedly. Just when Crockta was about to purchase a bag of potions... ¡°Wait,¡± interrupted Ste. ¡°...?¡± ¡°I have one question,¡± said Ste to Crockta. Crockta flinched because he thought she had found out who he was. ¡°What does a potion mean to you?¡± asked Ste. ¡°...?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ste, an honorable manager. I will only sell to adventurers who understand the value of potions.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Now, give me your answer!¡± ¡®Ste... No, Yun-Ji. No, that¡¯s not how it works,¡¯ Crockta thought. He ultimately turned his back to Ste without a word. ¡°What? Huh? Hey! Aren¡¯t you going to buy it?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I will take back what I said. I said it by mistake. Here¡¯s the potion!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t go! Discount! Discount! I will give you a discount! Okay?¡± It was only at this point that Crockta turned around. Thus, he was able to purchase potions from Ste at a discounted price. He could hear Ste in the background grumbling and wondering why the method hadn¡¯t worked for her. ¡°I have one question,¡± said Crockta in a husky voice. ¡°Do you know the scoundrels in the area who pick on weak yers and attack them?¡± Ste had to have heard the rumors. She furrowed her eyebrows at Crockta¡¯s question. ¡°Perhaps... you¡¯re talking about them?¡± ¡°Them?¡± ¡°There are guys who hit on female yers¡ªno, women who have been cursed by the stars.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°What? No way...?¡± Ste stared at the greatsword hanging from his back. Crockta nodded. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t just let them be.¡± Ste was in awe. ¡°Wow, orc warrior, you are amazing. In that case, I will help you. My friend was attacked by them.¡± She was talking about Yi-Yoo. Yi-An was surprised. He had assumed Jung Yun-Ji wasn¡¯t that close to Yi-Yoo and that they were just acquaintances in the same year who asionally exchanged greetings. Now that he thought about it, Yi-An didn¡¯t know much about Yi-Yoo¡¯s university life. He had vaguely heard about it from the past police incident, but he didn¡¯t know what she was like outside of home. However, if he worked with Ste on this mission, he could subtly ask her questions about Yi-Yoo. ¡°Sounds good,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I get off work soon. Let¡¯s go together then!¡± said Ste excitedly. Thus, Yi-An and Yun-Ji¡ªor Crockta and Ste¡ªembarked on a mission together, although their intentions were slightly different. Chapter 54: Yi-Yoo’s Revenge (3)

Chapter 54: Yi-Yoo¡¯s Revenge (3)

Crockta observed Ste in action. Ste was having a difficult time hunting the nearby animals with beginner equipment. She swung her dagger at a deer, but she missed every time. Ste failed to make yet another hit and shed the air with her dagger. The deer headbutted her as if she was a bother, and she tumbled to the ground. ¡°Ughhh...¡± Having previously observed how beginner yers hunted, Crockta could believe that Yi-Yoo had been killed by a rabbit. Ste, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t a beginner, but she was a specialized merchant character, so she didn¡¯t have any fighting skills. Her assimtion rate was also low. She imed to be an average fighter, but Yi-An saw that her mind and body moved separately. Seeing Ste unable to disy her true athletic abilities, Yi-An realized the importance of assimtion rates. A forty percent assimtion rate meant that a yer could only use forty percent of their abilities in real life. So, a low assimtion rate indicated that a yer was not properly connected with Elder Lord. Eventually, the deer moved farther away. Ste got up listlessly and walked in search of other animals to hunt. Crockta followed her while staying hidden among the trees. Right now, they were trying to lure the men they referred to as the ¡®scoundrels.¡¯ They assumed that if Ste acted like a beginner yer, they would approach her, and if they appeared, Crockta and Ste would punish them. That was their simple n. However, the scoundrels were nowhere to be found. The sky grew darker until the day turned to nightfall. ¡°Hey, should we go on?¡± asked Ste. ¡°...¡± Crockta came out of the bushes. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t have work tomorrow, so let¡¯s resume tomorrow,¡± replied Ste. As Crockta and Ste headed back toward Maird, they could see the city¡¯s vibrant lights shining above the city walls. Currently, they were in Maird¡¯s forest located on the outskirts of the city. It was a popr hunting ground for beginners, so the pair asionally ran into and greeted yers who were intrigued by the orc. ¡°Are you close to that friend?¡± Crockta asked Ste. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The friend who was attacked by the scoundrels.¡± ¡°Ahh...¡± Ste shook her head. ¡°We aren¡¯t that close. It¡¯s more like...¡± Crockta cocked his ear to listen closely. ¡°Rather than her...¡± continued Ste. ¡°Rather...?¡± questioned Crockta. ¡°Recently, I met her brother, and he was good-looking.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, I want to be close to her. Her brother also seemed interested in me. After we exchanged greetings, I went back to my seat. Then our eyes met. I think he was giving me the green light. What should I do?¡± Crockta nodded with a grim expression. ¡°Ah, okay...¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I have an orc friend. His name is Yi-An. Do you know him?¡± Crockta shook his head. He didn¡¯t want her to find out who he was. ¡°Well, he¡¯s a yer. What about you, Crockta? Orcs must date too. Have you dated someone before?¡± ¡®Dating.¡¯ Crockta¡¯s gaze became soft and sentimental at that word. He did have someone he had loved in the past. What was she up to now? Was she still on a battlefield that was ringing with gunshots? She was a woman who suited assault rifles and rocketunchers. Right when Crockta was about to recite an epic poem about love blossoming on the battlefield, the pair heard voices approaching them. ¡°Hey, looking good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing a youngdy hanging out with an orc.¡± Ste flinched. Crockta licked his lips as he turned his gaze toward the sources of the voices. He was ready for them. When he turned around, he saw three men fully d in equipment. Crockta immediately activated his Mind¡¯s Eye. [Mind¡¯s Eye (Special) is opening.] [They are thirsting after the female yer by your side. They are stronger than regr yers, but they are sewagepared to you.] [You can cook them up as you please.] [They are hooligans that need to be taught a lesson.] [Swing the iron mace of justice!] Even the system desired for the men to be punished. Crockta felt the universe¡¯s energy wrap around him. It was a divine revtion to fuck them up. ¡°Haha, but this orc looks pretty tough.¡± ¡°He looks exactly like the trash mob orcs we used to hunt.¡± ¡°We will get a lot of experience points if we kill him. Hahahaha!¡± The men erupted inughter. ¡°Hey! Miss, are you a beginner?¡± they asked Ste. ¡°Yes?¡± replied Ste. ¡°We will help you grow your character, so hang out with us instead of this scary dude. Are you two dating? Do you have an orc fetish?¡± ¡°Hey, you went too far with that one,¡± said one of the other yers. Then they erupted inughter again. Crockta¡¯s fist trembled upon hearing their perverse conversation, especially since they had also harassed his sister with the same vulgarnguage. His father¡¯s voice came alive in his head, ¡°You have to protect your sister.¡± Crockta couldn¡¯t take away all of Yi-Yoo¡¯s hardships in life as if he were a god, but he could at least take revenge on guys like them. That was his mission in life. ¡°Miss, did you deactivate your dating mode?¡± said one of the yers. ¡°Can you only be satisfied by orcs, now?¡± ¡®Such pathetic and trashynguage!¡¯ Crockta could not bear to listen to them anymore. His fists were now burning with rage. Crockta charged over and used his fist to crush the face of the man who had been openly provoking them. The man was sent flying into the air. He circled twice, dropped, and then rolled across the ground. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± screamed the man. ¡°Woooow!¡± eximed the other yers. ¡°What do you mean, wow!?¡± yelled Crockta. The men flinched. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. Orcs were a strong species. That was true, but the men were strong too. They were high-level yers who had been leveling up and acquiring skills for a long time, so they could hunt down most orcs without trouble. Yet, this orc¡¯s strength was on the level of a high-ranker¡¯s! If he could knock down one of them in an instant, that meant he was stronger than regr monsters and NPCs. Consequently, the men hesitated to make a move. The man who had received Crockta¡¯s attack was bleeding and writhing on the ground. Crockta recounted from his sister¡¯s story, ¡°You with your filthy mouths... told my sister... ¡®Ah, fuck. You just look pretty cause of your customization, but you are ying hard to get. Do you actually think that you are an elf because you are ying an elf character?¡¯¡± He could say with certainty that these pieces of shit had probably said worse things to her. Crockta cracked his knuckles as he approached them. Seeing Crockta¡¯s huge stature looming over them, the men began to back away in fear. However, Crockta grabbed one of the men by the neck before he could do anything and lifted him into the air. The man swung his fists in resistance, but Crockta used his other hand to grab the man¡¯s fist, twisting his hand. The man moaned in pain, ¡°Ahhhhhh! It hurts! It hurts!¡± Crockta grinned. If the man could experience pain to that extent, his assimtion rate had to be above fifty percent. Then Crockta followed up by headbutting the man. The blow sent the man¡¯s teeth scattering everywhere, and his blood sshed onto Crockta¡¯s face, with some getting on Crockta¡¯s brand new, red headband. Crockta¡¯s headband, which was now dripping wet, looked like it had been dyed red with blood. ¡°A m-monster!¡± yelled one of the yers. ¡°Monster?¡± Crockta smirked. After he tossed to the ground the man that he had been holding by the neck, Crockta walked toward the remaining yer. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Uhhh...¡± ¡°You guys are the monsters,¡± said Crockta. The yer pulled out his sword and swung it at Crockta. Crockta immediately pulled out his greatsword and countered, breaking the yer¡¯s de with a ng. ¡°...!¡± The yer was shocked. This was thebined result of the Ogre yer, which was the Essence-tier masterpiece that the Golden Anvil Tribe had created, Leyteno¡¯s Swordsmanship, and the orcs¡¯ strength! The yer stared at his broken sword, dumbfounded. Crockta approached him at this moment. The man was too startled to resist and nkly stared up at Crockta. The yer hadpletely lost his morale. ¡°You, who have been cursed by the stars¡ªI want to execute the concrete method on you so you can never return to Elder Lord... but I have decided to help you start anew instead,¡± Crockta said. He threw out his fist once again, and the yer was sent flying into the air. Ste¡¯s mouth gaped open in shock. When she first saw the men, she had been startled because their equipment and presence were above the level that she had expected. She had assumed that although orc NPCs were naturally strong, it would be difficult for Crockta to face three high-level yers at once. Yet, the orc had swept them away like the wind sweeping away autumn leaves. The yers trembled in fear and could only contemte how to escape from the orc. ¡®Such a powerhouse! He could be a Named-tier NPC!¡¯ thought Ste. Ste¡¯s merchant instincts told her that she had to form a connection with this orc as he could help her in the future. This was a great opportunity. Nevertheless, she stayed quiet and watched Crockta gather the copsed men and beat them up in session. After subduing them, he gagged them to prevent them from killing themselves. He removed anything they could use to cut themselves and tied up their arms with ropes. ¡°Mmm! Mm!¡± they made muffled sounds while resisting. ¡°Everyone, be quiet,¡±manded Crockta with a raised fist. ¡°...¡± The three men fell quiet. The orc¡¯s menacing face looked down on them. It was already night time now, and with the moonlight casting a shadow on Crockta¡¯s face, he looked like a demon. ¡°I believe in the potential of all orcs¡ªI mean, humans,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...¡± ¡°I believe... that everyone can change. I¡¯m an optimistic orc who believes even trash like you guys can be contributing members of society.¡± ¡°Mm! Mm!¡± ¡°Be quiet. Should I execute the concrete method so you guys can never be active in this world again?¡± All three men fell silent again. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Crockta proudly. Crockta looked at Ste, who was taken aback by the mes of madness in his eyes. ¡°See. Aren¡¯t they quiet now?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°Their rebirth has begun. Hahaha.¡± Ste thought, ¡®This orc is dangerous. His eyes are like a madman¡¯s!¡¯ ¡°How dare you... How dare you harass my sister¡ªno, other people with such vulgar behavior... I can¡¯t let it continue,¡± Crockta stated. He then tied the three men together and began dragging them toward Maird. ¡°Ste, thank you. I will express my gratitudeter.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I have to deal with these guys first. See youter.¡± With those words, Crockta walked toward the city¡¯s light. The three men groaned as they were dragged along the ground. While Ste watched them, she thought of Nietzsche¡¯s aphorism. ¡®If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. May those men, as well as orc Crockta, survive in their abysses and be born again.¡¯ *** Crockta brought the men to a remote ce. It was Maird¡¯s back alley, where the deserted shadows of the cityy. The men wondered, ¡®Will we be murdered here without even a mouse or a bird as a witness?¡¯ Of course, that wouldn¡¯t happen. Although the men would prefer to be murdered, this orc seemed to know a lot about the so-called ¡®cursed by the stars¡¯ or yers. After all, hadn¡¯t he tied them up to prevent them from killing themselves and reviving again?¡¯ ¡°If you guys try to do something stupid, I will hand you guys over to a ce that will take care of all of you with the concrete method.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Everyone, nod your heads if you agree to not do anything stupid.¡± All three of them nodded. Their characters and equipment were huge assets that could be converted into money. At the very least, the men could use their characters to help other people level up and earn money. They couldn¡¯t just let all of the money they spent on their characters go to waste. ¡°I actually know that you guys aren¡¯t that bad,¡± said the orc. The three men tilted their heads curiously. ¡®What¡¯s this orc trying to say?¡¯ ¡°Look over there,¡± said Crockta as he pointed at a corner of the back alley. There was a pile of boards in the shape of a house. It was shabby enough that one could believe that it was a dog house. Inside it were children¡ªchildren of the slums. Even in a thriving city like Maird, slums existed. One could say that because the light shone so brightly in Maird, its darkness was just as deep. Crockta and the men could hear voicesing from the shack. ¡°Julie, are you cold?¡± ¡°Yeah... big brother.¡± ¡°Wear this.¡± ¡°What about you, big brother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like a normal conversation between children. They could see the older brother handing his coat to his younger sister. He looked barely ten years old. The boy¡¯s legs trembled like leaves in the wind, but he puffed his chest out in front of his sister to make himself look like he was just fine. ¡°Eat this,¡± said the boy. ¡°Bread? Where did you get it?¡± asked the sister. ¡°Someone gave it to me for my hard work.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The boy offering his sister some bread appeared to be starving. The little girl took tiny bites of the bread while ncing over at her brother. She stopped eating when she heard her brother¡¯s stomach growl, but the boy gestured at her to finish eating. The girl ended up eating all of the bread by herself and grinned after bing full. ¡°Tasty,¡± she said. ¡°When I be older, I will buy you even better food.¡± ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Do you know what pizza is?¡± ¡°Pizza?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a type of tbread with meat, vegetables, and cheese on it...¡± ¡°Woooow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best thing ever.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I will definitely buy it for you.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± the girl replied excitedly. Crockta glimpsed over at the three men. They were quietly watching the children. ¡°You,¡± said Crockta as he freed one of them. ¡°...?¡± ¡°If you run away, the other two are dead.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Reply.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Then,¡± Crockta said while taking out a gold coin from his pocket, ¡°give this to those children.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Give it to them and then have a conversation with them.¡± The man could only nod at Crockta¡¯s frightening presence. Then, the man walked toward the children. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on and why the orc was making him do this, but he had no choice. Upon seeing a stranger appear, the children hid deeper inside the shack. ¡°Hey... kids?¡± called out the man. ¡°...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do anything, so can you pleasee out for a second?¡± The boy poked his head out with wary eyes. He seemed guarded. ¡°This is...¡± The man extended a shining gold coin. The boy¡¯s eyes grew big in disbelief. ¡°Take it. I¡¯m giving it to you.¡± The man grabbed the boy¡¯s hand and forced the coin into his palm. Then the man nced over at the shades of the alley to make sure the orc was watching, but he was unable to see the orc because it was too dark. ¡°Why...?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes trembled. With this much money, he and his sister could livefortably for two months. ¡°This is not from me but...¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The boy bowed. He didn¡¯t care whether it was out of pity or whatever the reason might be. The boy had discovered the importance of money early on. Even if the man was just giving alms to the poor, he didn¡¯t mind. He would do anything for his sister. ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you are giving this to me, but thank you very much. I¡¯m not in a situation to refuse, so I will shamelessly ept...¡± The boy bowed his head multiple times. The man scratched his head, not knowing what to do. ¡°Thank you so, so much!¡± eximed the boy. The girl came out of the shack to see what was going on. The boy made his sister lower her head and bow with him. ¡°Big brother...?¡± ¡°Say hello to him,¡± said the boy to his sister. ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°We should thank him.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you...¡± said his sister. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡®What was going on?¡¯ The man felt oddly embarrassed and wanted to leave. ¡°I¡ª I have to go,¡± said the man. ¡°Wait, please.¡± The boy grabbed the man¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Thank you. I will never forget you. Please, at least tell me your name...¡± The man looked at the little boy silently. The boy¡¯s eyes were tearing up as he looked up at the man. No one had ever looked at the man like that before. The man could no longer meet the boy¡¯s eyes and looked away. Then he said, ¡°Hey, kid.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the boy. ¡°Um...¡± The man tried to search for the right words, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Umm... life is tough... but if you keep working hard, good days wille.¡± That was all he could say right now. The man also hadn¡¯t lived an easy life. He¡¯d had tough days, and he had eventually be an adult after enduring many painful moments. Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, the boy closed his mouth tightly and nodded sincerely. He replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Then the man turned away. The voices of the children thanking him echoed throughout the alleyway. Why did his heart feel so heavy because of a simple mission of delivering a coin? When he returned to his friends and the orc, who had been watching everything that had just happened, they just greeted him with silence and looked at him with strange expressions. The orc tied him up again. This time, he didn¡¯t resist. A gag was also ced in his mouth. The men were quiet. The orc stood up again. Then he dragged them to another destination. Chapter 55: Yi-Yoo’s Revenge (4)

Chapter 55: Yi-Yoo¡¯s Revenge (4)

¡°Do you have a dream?¡± asked the elfdy. The man was startled by the question but chose his words carefully before replying, ¡°A dream?¡± ¡°Yes, a dream.¡± The man looked around him, but he couldn¡¯t find his friends and the orc, who were hiding somewhere. His two friends had been taken hostage by the heinous orc. One of his friends had been given the task of giving a gold coin to children in the slums, and now his mission was to get his portrait drawn while conversing with the artist. This elf was an artist who drew people¡¯s portraits at the public square. Even though she only charged fifty bronze coins, no one sought her services. He seemed to be the only customer. ¡°I actually tried to be a sorcerer,¡± said the elf. ¡°A sorcerer?¡± questioned the man. ¡°The academy even asked me to enroll because my grades weren¡¯t bad. I was a good student.¡± ¡°Then, why...?¡± The man had to swallow his words; he wanted to ask why she was just drawing pictures here. ¡°Ultimately, I still wanted to be an artist. When I was a kid, I saw Marquis¡¯ Kaelthas Sanctuary¡ªthe one at the museum.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°I can still vividly remember the shock I felt at that time. When I saw the painting, I realized I wanted to create art that moved people the way Marquis¡¯ work did, so I decided to pursue what I truly wanted in life.¡± The man nodded. He had a dream like that in the past, although it was an absurd onepared to the elfdy''s. His dream had been to be a warrior of justice who defeated the bad guys. Even now, there was a framed picture in the corner of his house that he had drawn as a kid for an assignment, which required him to draw what he dreamed of bing. Inside the frame was a drawing of his childhood self wearing a cape like Superman. ¡°Did you have a dream in the past?¡± asked the elf. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really a dream... It was something weird...¡± ¡°Who cares? Isn''t it pretty absurd that I want to be a great artist like Marquis?¡± said the elf as she looked at him with an earnest gaze. She gave off a fresh charm that wasn¡¯t verymon these days. Her elven beauty won the man over, and he ended up confessing his inner thoughts to those beautiful blue eyes. ¡°My dream was to be a warrior who fights bad guys...¡± he said. The man felt self-conscious and nced at her warily. However, instead ofughing at him, the elf nodded her head sincerely. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a cool dream.¡± ¡°...!¡± The elf continued, ¡°There are lots of bad people and people who struggle in this world. I hope you will be someone who helps them.¡± The elf artist then raised her pencil to the canvas again. ¡°It¡¯s almost done.¡± The elf continued drawing while the man tried to sort through hisplicated feelings. Not everyone could have a dream, and most people couldn¡¯t achieve their dreams. He had forgotten his dreams for a long time. ¡°All done!¡± the elf announced and handed over thepleted drawing. The drawing wasn¡¯t a regr portrait. It didn¡¯t focus on the man''s face. Instead, it showed him dressed in a suit of armor and pointing a shining sword toward a roughly sketched dragon. He didn¡¯t look tired in the picture as he did in real life. Instead, he was wielding his sword with determined eyes. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? I don¡¯t just draw faces,¡± said the elf as she beamed. ¡°What should I do? I don¡¯t give refunds.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Thank you.¡± The man sped the drawing to his chest. For some reason, it felt difficult for him to stay longer. ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± ¡°Yes. Please live the life you dream of!¡± The man felt some strange emotions as he turned around. He didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind his friend¡¯s donation earlier, nor did he understand the point of this portrait sitting. He was just doing it because he was forced to, so he could just leave and immediately return to his friends. Yet, something kept egging at him. He felt like he would regret it if he just left. The man just wanted to say one thing. The impulse kept growingrger until he finally turned back. He walked back up to the elf and said, ¡°Ms. Artist.¡± ¡°Huh, yes?¡± The elf¡¯s eyes widened. The words didn¡¯t easily part from the man¡¯s lips, but he managed to say, ¡°Earlier, you said that it was absurd to dream of bing a great artist like Marquis, but...¡± Now, the man looked the elf directly in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s not absurd. It wille true.¡± The elf¡¯s eyes trembled at those words. Then she smiled beautifully in a way that evoked the image of a blossoming flower. It was a face as bright as the sun that he had never looked at directly before. ¡°Thank you,¡± said the elf. The man turned around and headed toward a corner of the public square where his two friends and the orc and his two friends were hiding. He couldn¡¯t say a word to them though. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± ¡°...¡± The orc asked, ¡°Won¡¯t you show us the drawing?¡± The man wordlessly showed them the drawing he had received. The orc nodded approvingly. On the other hand, the man¡¯s two friends looked at the picture for a while and then lowered their heads. Although the man was once again bound by the orc, he no longer had the will to resist. The three scoundrels were again tied up and dragged to yet another destination by the orc. *** This was the third time. Like his friends before, the third scoundrel received a mission. It was at a first-aid station at a temple this time. The first-aid station had been built by followers of the Goddess of Benevolence to help the poor and sick. The workers there were startled when the orc arrived while dragging some men behind him, but after they exchanged a few words and a donation was given, the orc and the men he was dragging were allowed to go inside. The orc headed toward the deepest and most secretive part of the temple¡ªa hospice where the elderly resided. It was the ce where those who were going to face death soon were cared for. ¡°Ten minutes,¡± said the orc. ¡°Have a conversation with someone, just for ten minutes.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s thest task.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± The man¡¯s feet refused to budge, but he forced himself to move. His two friends and the orc waited outside the hospice to listen in on the man and his conversation partner. The man vowed to not do something embarrassing like what his friends had done earlier. He made up his mind to not get swept up in the orc¡¯s ways and then went inside the hospice. Everyone died when they grew old anyway. It was the cycle of nature. Moreover, why would he sympathize with NPCs in a game? He just had to listen to an old manin and whine. Yet, as soon as he entered the hospice, he couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks. A boy whoy on a hospital bed was looking at him. While grinning widely at the visiting stranger, the boy closed the book he had been reading and put it down on his chest. Hello,¡± greeted the boy. ¡°...¡± ¡°Please sitfortably,¡± the boy said, pointing at the chair beside his bed. The man hesitated but sat down in the chair that was next to him. He hadn¡¯t expected a child to be here. The boy asked, ¡°What did youe here for? I heard you wanted to talk to me briefly.¡± ¡°That...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I asionally have people who visit me¡ªpeople who want to know the thoughts of someone who is about to die. They find it encouraging.¡± The boy¡¯s expression was bright as he spoke. ¡°What do you do? Are you an adventurer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m...¡± the man began hesitantly. He was just a bad guy who reaped joy from harassing yers and earned money from hunting in the game, but those words couldn¡¯t emerge from his mouth. The boy stared intently at him. When such lifelike characters looked at the man, he had trouble distinguishing between the game and reality, especially in an emotional situation like this. So, he ended up blurting out the truth to the boy, ¡°I own a bar.¡± The man ran a bar in reality. ¡°Ah, I thought you were an adventurer, going by your outfit,¡± said the boy. ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°It must be really hard to own a bar. Drunk people can get violent... throw fits...¡± It was true. Facing drunk people was exhausting. Most of the man¡¯s patrons returned home in good spirits after drinking quietly, but he always felt mentally fatigued due to the asional nuisance. He was done with taking their shit day after day. Every day was frustrating. So, he yed Elder Lord to release his stress. It gave him a strange thrill tomit evil anonymously. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be like this,¡± said the boy suddenly. ¡°...¡± ¡°I was just returning from school like I did every day, but when I opened my eyes, I was at a hospital. The priest said it¡¯s an incurable disease.¡± It was amon story. The man had often seen stories like this on television, so why did he feel a pang in his heart upon hearing the boy¡¯s story? This was because of mirror neurons. Humans had mirror neurons that made them empathize with other people. Right now, the man¡¯s mirror neurons were acting on their own and making him react to this boy¡¯s story. The man was just getting tricked by his own body; he shouldn¡¯t pay attention to it. ¡°Do you know what I regret the most now that I¡¯m in this condition?¡± asked the boy. ¡°...What is it?¡± ¡°What do you think it would be?¡± The man replied curtly, ¡°Well, things like... why didn¡¯t I take care of my health? I should have eaten more delicious food and gotten a girlfriend.¡± The boy burst intoughter and then shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t regret those things at all.¡± ¡°Then...?¡± ¡°I regret that I hadn¡¯t been kinder to my parents, friends, and the people around me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Fighting with my friend and saying something mean the day before,ining to my parents about breakfast, not saying thank you to friends I am grateful for... Things like that.¡± The man looked away. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret why I didn¡¯t eat more tasty food or that I should have gotten better grades. I don¡¯t regret those things at all.¡± The boy grinned. ¡°You should think about it too. Think about what you truly want to do if you don¡¯t have much time left¡ªthe things you would really regret when the timees.¡± The man couldn¡¯t reply to the boy¡¯s words. ¡®Myst days,¡¯ he thought, ¡®probably wouldn¡¯t end well.¡¯ The man got up from his seat, unable to continue the conversation. That orc dude was making him do such useless things; the orc was such a ridiculous guy. The man turned away from the boy. He felt the boy¡¯s gaze behind him, but he walked away. ¡°...think about it too. Think about what you truly want to do if you don¡¯t have much time left¡ªthe things you would really regret when the timees.¡± The man couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the boy¡¯s words and stopped in his tracks. Regret... Some things were irreversible, and the most irreversible things were death and farewells. The man began to have thoughts that were out of character for him. He knew that if he left right now, he would regret it. Useless thoughts like ¡®Maybe I would regret this moment in the distant future¡¯ kept popping up in his mind. The man continued walking again but slowed his steps. Then, he came to a stop when he reached the exit. He called out to the boy, ¡°Hey, kid.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you believe in heaven?¡± When the man turned around, he saw that the boy was smiling as he said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°You old soul,¡± the man replied. Then he couldn¡¯t help but smile in return as he gazed at the boy¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Hey,¡± the man said. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There is a heaven.¡± That was the best constion he could give the boy. ¡°See you there,¡± the man added. The boy smiled brightly. ¡°Yes.¡± The man left the boy¡¯s room. When he closed the door, the man saw the eyes of his two friends and the orc gleaming in the darkness of the hallway. His friends were no longer tied up. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said the orc. They followed after the orc in silence. *** The three men were free from the orc¡¯s grasp, but they followed behind him willingly. The orc¡¯s back looked evenrger than usual. They had assumed that he was a heinous and dumb orc, who was brutishly strong, and that they would be tortured. However, the orc just made three requests and freed them after those requests were fulfilled. The orc came to a stop. They were now standing at a fountain in the city¡¯s public square. People passed by. Some were smiling, and others had solemn faces. Under the lights of the city that never slept, people lived out their lives with their unique circumstances. ¡°There¡¯s a legend surrounding this fountain,¡± said the orc. ¡°It says that if you toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish, your wish wille true.¡± Then he grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s all toss a coin.¡± This time, he didn¡¯t give a coin to any of the men. While the men were looking for a coin to toss, the orc continued, ¡°The legend was made up by the temple. They collect the coins from the fountain and use them for people in need like those you met tonight. I will go first.¡± The orc brought out a glistening gold coin. It was a huge amount of money worth a hundred silver coins, which was enough money for those in poverty to livefortably for two months. He tossed it into the fountain and said, ¡°You guys as well.¡± The men each found a coin and tossed it toward the fountain. Then they bowed their heads and made a wish with the orc. When they were done, they didn¡¯t ask or say what they had wished for. The orc then looked at the men with a deep and hollow gaze. ¡°This is it,¡± said the orc. ¡°Regardless of what you guys have done so far, I know that you guys are not actually evil.¡± The three men were speechless. The orc made eye contact with each of them in session and stated, ¡°We will meet again someday. Stay alive until then.¡± Then he turned around and walked away. The three men stared nkly at the orc¡¯s back as he walked farther and farther away. One of them yelled out, ¡°Wait!¡± The orc stopped in his tracks. ¡°Please, at least tell us your name.¡± The orc turned to look at them and grinned. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°...!¡± After that, the orc was gone. The three men stood there dumbfounded. They had heard of the name ¡®Crockta.¡¯ It was a name that was gaining a lot of attention in the Elder Lordmunity. Those in themunity said Crockta was an orc who appeared out of nowhere and carried out acts of justice that others were unable to. Some also said that he was an NPC that had been created by the developers for a special event. Yet, that couldn¡¯t possibly be the case. Such an NPC wouldn¡¯t have spent the night with mere yers like them. Just like how the NPCs whom they had met that night had their own stories, this orc also was living his own life as an Elder Lord citizen. Each citizen of Elder Lord lived their own special and unique life. ¡°Crockta...¡± The men kept thinking about his name and turned around. They didn¡¯t speak to one another, as they were each reflecting on what they had seen and experienced that day. Then, one of them suddenly asked an NPC standing near them, ¡°Hey, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is there a legend that if you throw a coin and make a wish at the fountain, the wish wille true?¡± The elf who had been passing by tilted her head. ¡°What? There¡¯s no such thing. It¡¯s just a fountain.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Why would you waste your money like that?¡± said the elf. The expressions of the three men turned nk as they watched the elf turn and leave. Then the three of themughed. Contrary to when they hadughed at Yi-Yoo and Ste, theyughed as if they were letting go of something. The three men walked away from the fountain. The four gold coins inside the fountain gleamed and added to the stars of light that lit up Maird¡¯s nightlife. Chapter 56: To the North (1)

Chapter 56: To the North (1)

Anya, one of the legendary orc warriors who had attended Lenox¡¯s funeral, made news all over the continent for having decapitated an earl¡¯s head. The mad ughterer Anya and her crew of brutal warriors had infiltrated the castle while the earl had been asleep. They decapitated everyone in the castle and ripped the earl to shreds. Then Anya hung the earl¡¯s head on top of the castle wall and used his blood to leave a message. It contained just one word¡ª¡®Revenge.¡¯ With this incident, the human kingdom, which wasposed of a loose alliance of cities, was on high alert. Rumors also circted that the Haedong Balhae n had disbanded due to the orcs¡¯ vengeance. It wasn¡¯t well known that the Haedong Balhae n had been involved in the incident in Arnin, but there were testimonies that an orc called ¡®Crockta¡¯ had yed a decisive role at Chesswood and that Crockta was executing the concrete method on the remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n. As the Haedong Balhae n had dissolved without a word, the specifics remained a mystery. All of this left an impression on yers that Elder Lord was an extremely advanced virtual reality game, as an NPC could destroy ns created by yers. Some yersined to the Elder Saga Corporation with protests against the use of the concrete method, but they were silenced by the developers who said it was just a part of the game. After the orcs¡¯ reputation shook the continent, the remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n dispersed to unknown locations. ¡°I didn¡¯t know orcs were so persistent.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯sy low for a while,¡± said a man. They were sitting at a table. ¡°Can¡¯t believe this happened all because we captured one NPC...¡± The man was the Haedong Balhae n¡¯s master¡ªthe man who had coborated with the earl NPC to raid Lenox and the orcs. The ones sitting next to him were the surviving executives of the Haedong Balhae n. Most of them had already been captured by Crockta and quit the game or started all over again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hyun-Chul.¡± ¡°N-No, hyung[1].¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t even help you level up much.¡± Hyun-Chul, the yer who had earned the trust of orcs as Grom and contributed to the sess of the raid, was also present. He and the n master were acquaintances in real life, so the n master identally called him by his real name sometimes. ¡°Ah, sorry, your name is Luin here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hyun-Chul had changed his name when he reset his character, so he was now Luin. ¡°I¡¯m preparing something big, so wait a bit. You know that I take care of everyone, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°We all know.¡± Everyone replied, giving their unwavering support to their n master. ¡°Do you know the Heaven and Earth n?¡± ¡°By Heaven and Earth n...you mean...?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that where Rommell, Choi Han-Sung, is?¡± If one had to pick the most famous yer in Elder Lord, he always came up¡ª¡®Rommell¡¯ Choi Han-Sung, who was a member of the Heaven and Earth n. Rommell had a rare job referred to as a hidden ss. He had managed to advance to War Maestro ss and disyed extraordinary skills inrge-scale battles with his tacticalmand skills. He had been recognized by NPCs for his abilities as amander, and he worked with royal NPCs to sweep in mountains of gold and umte achievement points like crazy. ¡°Who came up with the strategy to use NPCs? It was all me, Kaynes,¡± said the n master. ¡°Yes, Kaynes hyung.¡± ¡°I was the one who introduced Choi Han-Sung to royals.¡± ¡°Wow...¡± ¡°I have a good rtionship with him. We will start something big soon, and Choi Han-Sung will be joining us.¡± Everyone nodded. The Heaven and Earth n was a huge n worthy of its name. Rommell epted numerous yers into his n to showcase his abilities as amander. Because of this, he instigated many wars andpetitions among ns. Even NPC royals sought Rommell¡¯s help when they shed with other royals. The Heaven and Earth n was now Elder Lord¡¯s leading mercenary group. ¡°We will take care of that orc asshole soon...¡± muttered Kaynes. Grom, now Luin, thought of the orc as he listened to n Master Kaynes¡¯ exnation. He hadn¡¯t been able to see the orc properly on the battlefield, but he managed to see what the orc looked like from the video Laney had uploaded. The orc was covered in tattoos and had a frightening appearance. He seemed familiar. Luin shook his head. The orc was wearing a worn-out ck bandana and carrying a greatsword, but he didn¡¯t have any other simrities to the other orc that Luin was reminded of. This orc was bigger and had tattoos on his face and body, and his name was Crockta. Above all, he was too powerful. Luin couldn¡¯t imagine that level of strength belonging to a yer who had started the game at the same time as him. It couldn¡¯t be him. Luin couldn¡¯t forget the way Yi-An had looked at him. ¡®It¡¯s just a game anyway,¡¯ thought Luin with a smirk. Yi-An had probably reset by now and was developing a new character. He felt sorry toward Yi-An, but this was the way of the world. ¡°Hyun-Chul, let¡¯s go hunting. I will support you,¡± said Kaynes. ¡°Yes, hyung!¡± replied Luin. Kaynes continued, ¡°Everyone else, continue leveling up. We will gather again soon.¡± The executives lowered their heads and replied with a hearty ¡®Yes,¡¯ their voices ringing throughout the room. Kaynes gestured at Luin to get up and then wrapped his arm around Luin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just trust me,¡± said Kaynes. ¡°Yes, hyung,¡± replied Luin. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes, bul¡ª¡± Luin paused. He had almost yelled the battle cry of the orcs. Smiling bitterly, he shouted instead, ¡°Yes, hyung. Let¡¯s go!¡± The remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n plotted to return to their former glory while hiding in the shadows. *** Crockta nced over at the sign of the pub. Then he looked at the piece of paper he was holding in his hand. [If you see an inverted triangle drawn on a pub¡¯s sign, that¡¯s where the Information Guild is.] He assumed a big city like Maird would have an Information Guild, but he couldn¡¯t find an inverted triangle on a sign anywhere. Crockta furrowed his eyebrows. He wondered whether he should go to another city. Crockta continued walking while in deep thought and ended up arriving at a Maird branch of the cksmith Company. He then remembered that he had to repay Ste for yesterday. ¡°Are you alive?¡± greeted Crockta as he went inside the store. ¡°Hmmm?¡± A male customer was leaning aggressively toward her andining about something at the counter. ¡°Hey! I asked for a special scar healing potion, but what¡¯s this?!¡± He was pointing at his face. Crockta couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face from where he was though. Ste ced her hands on her chest as if to disy her sincerity and said, ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°What?! Do you have something to say?!¡± yelled the man. Crockta closely observed her response. ¡°I understand why you are upset. You trusted ourpany and purchased the scar healing potion, but the product didn¡¯t meet your expectations.¡± ¡°So, you understand!¡± ¡°I¡¯d also be very angry if I were in your position. You spent a lot of money because you trusted the cksmith Company, but its effects were minimal... You must feel disappointed and like you have been scammed. If I were you, I would destroy this ce.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry,¡± said Ste as she bowed her head. ¡°To tell you the truth, the special scar healing potion doesn¡¯t have the power topletely erase old scars. That¡¯s the realm of a god. I am beingpletely transparent with you.¡± ¡°Then, what are you going to do? Give me a refund!¡± ¡°I understand... your disappointment... but I cannot refund you for a potion you have already used. It¡¯s thepany policy... I apologize deeply on behalf of thepany. If you give us another chance, we can give you a fifty percent discount on scar-healing services from a clinic that partners with the temple.¡± ¡°Cl-Clinic...? What?¡± ¡°Unlike the potion, the priests will check on your scar regrly and take great care of it. We can¡¯t guarantee that it will bepletely healed, but we can assure you that it will gradually improve. What do you think?¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°The price is...¡± Crockta nodded his head with approval. There were standard procedures in the world. They had been established as the standard because their predecessors had proved them to be most effective throughout the ages, solidified through practice and theory. Ste¡¯s response was an exemry execution of merchant standards. Instead of being swayed by Crockta¡¯s aberrant merchant tactic, she had discovered her own path by following established merchant procedures. ¡°Amazing,¡± muttered Crockta to himself. He nodded in approval again when he saw the customer pay for the temple clinic services. After making the payment, the customer and Crockta ran into each other at the entrance. ¡°...!¡± The customer was about to move away after seeing the orc¡¯s menacing face. However, that was when Crockta spoke. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Are you really nning to get rid of that scar?¡± asked Crockta. A thin horizontal scar ran from the man¡¯s cheek to his sideburn. The man stared at Crockta. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Based on the calluses on your fingers, you are a swordsman, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°A scar on the back is a swordsman¡¯s disgrace! But a scar on the face is a swordsman¡¯s honor!¡± Crockta quoted a line from a ssic manga that had been popr in the past. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Moreover, your scar is right below the eye! Even as the opponent¡¯s de grazed you near your eyes, you kept your eyes wide open and pierced the opponent¡¯s throat! Your scar proves that.¡± The man stared nkly at the orc. The orc grinned and added, ¡°You look even cooler because of that scar.¡± ¡°...!¡± The man wore an expression of enlightenment on his face as he caressed his scar. Every time he saw the scarred skin, he remembered the battle that had been a close call. It had been a dangerous moment that put his life in jeopardy. As someone who had always defeated his enemies without injuries, he had seen the scar as a shameful reminder of that critical time. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. A scar wasn¡¯t a warrior¡¯s defect. The man nodded in understanding. Then he went inside and quietly requested a refund for the temple scar-healing clinic pass. Ste red intensely at Crockta, who averted his gaze. The man returned to Crockta and said, ¡°Thank you. I learned a big lesson thanks to you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying about universal brotherhood. Aren¡¯t we brothers since we both walk on the path of the de?¡± ¡°Is that so, brother?¡± Crockta and the man firmly shook hands. ¡°My name is Pawan. What about you?¡± ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it before. They say you are a true warrior,¡± said Pawan as he nodded in agreement with the im. Then he grinned widely. ¡°Even if we meet as enemies on the battlefield one day... I will let you live just once.¡± ¡°...!¡± It was a statement full of honor and pride! Crockta also smiled like a warrior and replied, ¡°Haha, sounds good. I will let you live¡ªtwice.¡± ¡°Then, three.¡± ¡°Four!¡± ¡°Five...¡± ¡°...¡± The two grinned and let go of each other¡¯s hands. ¡°I hope we never have to face each other as enemies.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°It was nice meeting you, Crockta. We will see each other again one day.¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar. I hope you stay alive so we can see each other again.¡± Pawan left. Ste hade to the entrance to re at Crockta, and she snapped at him as soon as Pawan exited the store. ¡°You ruined the sale!¡± ¡°...Hmm. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Is this how you pay back others? Hmph.¡± ¡°Can I buy a potion to make up for it?¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± replied Ste as she crossed her arms petntly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to help at the store to thank you for yesterday.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, were the ahjussis rehabilitated properly?¡± ¡°Not sure. I just did what I could,¡± said Crockta with a grin. Seeing his frightening smile, Ste didn¡¯t want to ask further questions. The men could be stuck at a sewer somewhere in Maird for all she knew. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Then...¡± Ste said, rolling her eyes in contemtion, ¡°Open a bank ount with us so I can raise my performance.¡± ¡°ount?¡± ¡°The cksmith Company has ventured into finance. It¡¯s a deposit and withdrawal system that utilizes thepany¡¯s branches everywhere. It also sponsors correspondence among its users.¡± Ste had imed that it was to raise her performance, but it was her way of maintaining a rtionship with this NPC in Elder Lord, where one didn¡¯t know when they would be able to meet someone again. She would manage his money through his cksmith Company bank ount and be able to contact him through the personal correspondence service. The beginner orc Yi-An who had been on her friends list had be a distant memory. This orc warrior would be her new friend. ¡°Hmm. Understood. I didn¡¯t know such a thing existed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a newly introduced service. Here, fill out this document,¡± urged Ste. Crockta filled out the document she handed him and then deposited some of the money he had on hand. It was twenty gold coins¡ªquite arge sum of money. This was a side profit he had gained from punishing the Haedong Balhae n. ¡°This is your correspondence box number. You can exchange correspondence through magic crystal balls, so if someone leaves a message in your correspondence box, you can see it from any branch. Make sure to check it asionally.¡± ¡°Understood. This is cool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the power of magic,¡± said Ste as she quickly grabbed Crockta¡¯s document. ¡°You know you still owe me, right?¡± asked Ste. ¡°I thought I just had to create a bank ount?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for helping you yesterday. I will charge you for chasing away my customer next time.¡± ¡°Haha, understood,¡± Crockta agreed to it with a nod. Then he said, ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there a sign with an inverted triangle symbol at one of the pubs?¡± ¡°An inverted triangle? I¡¯m not sure.¡± Right on time, an employee appeared to relieve Ste from her shift. The employee flinched when he first saw Crockta but rxed after learning that Crockta was Ste¡¯s friend. This employee was polite toward Ste. It was clear she had advanced a lot within thepany; the intern had seeded! Ste whispered to Crockta, ¡°He¡¯s an intern.¡± ¡°...¡± This was the immutablew of pain¡ªwhen one was freed from pain, another appeared to shoulder the pain. Life was a cruel zero-sum game. ¡°Fine. I will be kind and help you look for the sign. What is it for?¡± asked Ste. Crockta and Ste embarked on a search for the pub in question, but no matter where they looked, they couldn¡¯t find a pub with an inverted triangle on its sign. Crockta read over the piece of paper he had received from Derek again. [If you see an inverted triangle drawn on a pub¡¯s sign, it¡¯s where the Information Guild is. Enter the pub and order cream spaghetti. Then, request chopsticks instead of a fork and slurp the spaghetti noodles with the chopsticks. Afterward...] ¡°An inverted triangle...¡± muttered Ste. She suddenly pointed at a pub on the corner of the street. ¡°Is it that one?¡± Crockta couldn¡¯t see an inverted triangle there. It was a pub with a tacky name¡ª¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ A worn piece of fabric hung from the sign and quivered in the wind. This pub was a typical adult entertainment establishment, a ce of darkness! It didn¡¯t suit an honorable orc like Crockta. ¡°Where is the inverted triangle...?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°There,¡± pointed Ste. ¡°Hmm?¡± Upon closer inspection, the piece of fabric wasn¡¯t just any fabric. It was a pair of red panties! ¡°...!¡± The pair of sheercy red panties had the shape of an inverted triangle. If that was the guild¡¯s sign, then he no longer had any confidence in them. ¡°No way could that be...¡± muttered Crockta in disbelief. Regardless, he would find out the truth once he ordered cream spaghetti. ¡°Thank you. I was able to find it thanks to you.¡± Ste suddenly became guarded against Crockta. ¡°Did you request my help... toe to a ce like this?¡± The pub looked exactly like a brothel, especially because of the name and the panties hanging from the sign. Ste began backing away. ¡°Uh, anyways, I will be on my way since you no longer need my help.¡± ¡°Ah, no! I think there is a misunderstanding...¡± ¡°Have a great time!¡± ¡°...¡± Ste retreated until she was a distance away and then turned around and ran. ¡°...Bul¡¯tar.¡± Crockta felt ashamed, as Ste now thought of him as that kind of man. He consoled his injured heart and turned toward the pub. Anyway, everything was fine since he had found the Information Guild. As long as he was able to get the information he needed, it was all good. Would they have information on the remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n? Crockta opened the door of ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ 1. Hyung is used by males to refer to older males ? Chapter 57: To the North (2)

Chapter 57: To the North (2)

The door opened. Inside, faces tinted by the dim yellow pub lights all turned to look at Crockta. They were intrigued by the orc¡¯s appearance but quickly turned their focus back to their conversations. It was a shabby old pub, and this scene resembled Van Gogh¡¯s The Potato Eaters. Crockta sat at the bar table. The owner standing behind the bar gave Crockta a look as if asking what he wanted. Crockta replied, ¡°Cream spaghetti.¡± He had spoken quietly, but his low voice rang throughout the tiny tub. At the mention of cream spaghetti, all of the customers looked at Crockta again, their dismal gazes focusing on him bleakly. Then they burst intoughter. ¡°An orc eating cream spaghetti... What a clown.¡± ¡°I thought cream spaghetti was something only women ate? Hahahah.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you order strawberry juice and kiwi parfait while you are at it? Haha.¡± Crockta¡¯s eyebrows twitched with annoyance. The pub owner also smirked as if he found Crockta¡¯s order absurd. Then he went to the kitchen and melted some butter in a frypan on low heat, poured chicken stock into it, and rapidly stirred the contents of the pan so it wouldn''t congeal. He also prepared a hundred and sixty grams of spaghetti noodles, ced them in a pot with three times the amount of water, and salted the noodles while he cooked bacon on another frypan. It was a standard cream spaghetti recipe, but Crockta was impressed by the owner¡¯s precise measurements. While waiting for his food, Crockta gave the customersughing at him the side-eye. The customers were eating a heavy pork dish with hard liquor. They would take a huge bite out of the chunk of meat and then suck their oily fingers. As they loudly chewed with mouths full of meat, they looked at Crockta with arrogant eyes. Then they took swigs of liquor to wash all of it down. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge them. They were real men. Crockta shrank from the embarrassment of ordering cream spaghetti at this gathering of real men. Only traitors blinded by romance ordered cream spaghetti on fancy dates! Before long, the food he had ordered was served. After Crockta received a spoon and fork neatly wrapped up in a napkin, he stopped the owner from leaving. ¡°Wait,¡± said Corckta. ¡°...?¡± The owner looked at him with eyes full of contempt as if he was a nuisance. Crockta said, ¡°Chopsticks.¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± The owner¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Chopsticks...¡± The tension at the pub rxed a bit with Crockta¡¯s deration. The customers and owner now seemed to acknowledge him as a passable man rather than a loser. ¡°I thought he was the type of dweeb to twirl spaghetti with a fork into his spoon.¡± ¡°He just has a Western palette.¡± ¡°I also asionally crave greasy food. Haha.¡± They nodded their heads approvingly as they each ate a whole boiled egg and chewed loudly. Crockta slurped his noodles loudly as well to go along with their table manners. He then chewed on his noodles and ordered a ss of whiskey. He immediately downed the ss of whiskey the owner handed him. ¡°Ahhh,¡± said Crockta satisfactorily after finishing his beer. He now seamlessly blended in as a member of the ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ pub. ¡°Oh, god,¡± eximed Crockta with the realization that he had been swept away by the atmosphere. Remembering that he had a mission to fulfill, Crockta took another nce at the piece of paper Derek had given him. [Enter the pub and order cream spaghetti. Then request chopsticks instead of a fork and slurp the spaghetti noodles with the chopstick. Afterward, make sure to leave a strand of spaghetti and make an inverted triangle on the table with it. Then they will approach you.] ¡°...!¡± It was a disaster. Crockta had already finished his cream spaghetti. His hand refused to move, but he raised it forcefully. The owner looked at Crockta again. He came closer and ced a hand on Crockta¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Hey, manly orc, are you gonna get down to business? How many drinks do you want?¡± Crockta whispered, ¡°Cr...¡± ¡°Cr?¡± ¡°Cream spaghetti... one more please,¡± said Crockta with much hesitation. The owner¡¯s eyes turned stone cold at Crockta¡¯s order. ¡°...¡± Crockta lowered his eyes as the owner went back inside the kitchen without a word. The customers around Crockta shot him looks of disdain while shaking their heads back and forth. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but stoop his head out of shame. He vowed that once his interaction with the Information Guild was over, he would order a whole roast suckling pig to devour. Crockta proceeded to slurp down his fresh te of cream spaghetti with his chopsticks. When he was almost done, he made an inverted triangle on the table with thest remaining strand of spaghetti. The owner¡¯s expression changed when he discovered the inverted triangle on the table. He approached Crockta and mmed the table with a pang. ¡°Hey, orc.¡± Crockta looked at the owner, who was gesturing to him. ¡°Come here,¡± said the owner. He opened a door at a corner of the pub and went inside. Crockta stared at him with a perplexed face and then followed him. The customers jeered at Crockta. ¡°What did you do, you dweeb? Are you going to get beaten up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry after getting beaten up, haha.¡± ¡°I will buy you cream spaghetti afterward as constion. With strawberry juice, haha!¡± Crockta once again vowed inwardly to eat the manliest meal possible that the pork chop on their tes could neverpare as he entered the room in the corner. The room was much wider than he had expected. The pub owner groped around the floor and opened a trap door with stairs leading to the basement. It was pitch ck inside. The owner nced over at Crockta and then headed downstairs. Inside the depths of the basement was a room that resembled an interrogation room. Two chairs faced each other with a table in between them. Amp lit up the interior dimly. Crockta and the pub owner sat down in the chairs. Suddenly, Crockta asked, ¡°Why in the world did you use a pair of panties as the guild¡¯s sign?¡± ¡°It¡¯s our conviction.¡± ¡°Panties?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Information Guild¡¯s conviction that we will get all the information you need, down to the color of someone¡¯s underwear.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There are branches of the Information Guild that hang regr inverted triangles because they are too embarrassed to hang panties, but I respect tradition.¡± It was bizarre, but there was a kind of logic to it. Crockta nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Anyway, I came to buy information,¡± said Crockta. ¡°What kind of information do you want, Crockta?¡± Crockta raised his eyes in surprise. This man already knew his name. The man grinned and continued, ¡°So, you want to chase after the remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n?¡± ¡°I see! Amazing. It seems I can trust the Information Guild,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Regarding the Haedong Balhae n, I have some information that costs twenty gold coins and other information that costs thirty gold coins,¡± said the owner. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°You will find out when you hand over the money.¡± Crockta stared at the owner as he crossed his arms and then nodded in agreement. ¡°I will go with the more expensive option.¡± ¡°You have to pay right at this moment,¡± said the owner. ¡°...Here.¡± Crockta took out the money. He had brought cash just in case, but he hadn¡¯t expected to spend thirty gold coins on the spot. Now, he didn¡¯t have much money left. ¡°Okay, now tell me the difference between the two.¡± ¡°For twenty gold coins, we provide the information we currently have, and for thirty, we will provide information continuously as we obtain it.¡± ¡°So you are saying?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°We don¡¯t know their exact location yet, but they are also on our radar, and we¡¯ve been keeping an eye on them. As we continue to gain information about them, we will share the information with you.¡± Crockta shook his head. ¡°How can I trust you guys? What if you fail?¡± ¡°Fail...¡± The pub owner rose from his seat and headed toward the wall behind the chair. There was a small hole inside the wall where he reached in. Crockta heard a rustling sound. Someone seemed to be moving behind the wall. When the owner pulled out his hand, he had a piece of paper with him. There had to be Information Guild members behind the wall. The owner handed the piece of paper to Crockta. ¡°Luin,¡± said the owner. ¡°Luin?¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°The new name of Grom, the man you are chasing after.¡± Crockta¡¯s face stiffened at the mention of Grom¡¯s name. He looked at the piece of paper. It had the name ¡®Luin¡¯ and information about his appearance and his track record so far. ¡°Did you know that those cursed by the stars can change their appearances?¡± asked the owner. ¡°...¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but it¡¯s true. They sometimes lose all of their abilities and turn up withpletely altered appearances. The orc Grom who betrayed Lenox and the orcs is now human. It was hard for us to believe at first as well. Being cursed by the stars is a really odd phenomenon.¡± ?Crockta just listened to him quietly. NPCs wereing to understand yers more and more. He was surprised that the Information Guild had seen through everything. Crockta had strange feelings about Elder Lord again. Were NPCs truly just artificial intelligence within a game? The characters he had met were so lifelike; were they truly just fabrications created for the sake of human entertainment? ¡°Head to the temple of the fallen god.¡± Gordon¡¯s voice came alive in his head again. Crockta felt a strange urge to head to the temple of the fallen god. ¡°Okay, I believe you. In that case, I will buy another piece of information from you guys,¡± said Crockta. ¡°What kind?¡± asked the owner. ¡°Do you know about the temple of the fallen god?¡± asked Crockta. The owner looked at Crockta with a surprised expression. ¡°Temple of the fallen god... We don¡¯t have much information on it either. Our influence doesn¡¯t extend to the north.¡± The north was a harsh ce where ogres roamed the terrain, and wyverns flew in the skies. ¡°We know its approximate location. It¡¯s not information that¡¯s difficult to obtain. We can get it anywhere. We will just give you the information for free,¡± said the owner. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Are you nning to go to the north?¡± Crockta nodded. The man swept a nce over Crockta. With tattoos all over his body, a muscr build, and a huge greatsword, Crockta had an appearance that did not fall short of the rumors circting about him. He seemed qualified to go to the north. ¡°I hope the information on the Haedong Balhae n will be ready once I return from the north,¡± said Crockta. The owner grinned. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ve already sent the information we currently have to the PO box at the Maird branch of the cksmith Company, so take a look when you have a chance.¡± The Information Guild had already known that Crockta had opened an ount with the cksmith Company even though it had happened that very day. There had to be a secret agent from the Information Guild within the cksmith Company. It could even be Ste¡¯s intern. Crockta nodded and got up from his seat. ¡°I rmend obtaining more information at Quantes before heading to the north,¡± said the owner. Quantes was a city travelers had to pass through to get to the north. Crockta noted down the name ¡®Quantes¡¯ in his mind. Crockta headed back up the stairs and exited the secret room with the owner. The customers from earlier were still sitting at the pub. They looked back and forth between Crockta and the owner with intrigued eyes. ¡°What, you guys didn¡¯t get into a fistfight?¡± ¡°He seems unscathed.¡± Crockta said to the Information Guild member, who was also known as the pub owner, ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°...?¡± The owner gave Crockta a look. He seemed to be signaling to Crockta to not divulge any information about the Information Guild, but Crockta wasn¡¯t nning to ask about that anyway. ¡°Can you make a whole roasted suckling pig?¡± ¡°...!¡± The customers became speechless at Crockta¡¯s question. The owner looked at Crockta with surprised eyes and then beamed. ¡°Can you handle it?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Crockta looked at the customers who had beenughing at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not like those dweebs who can only eat a few bites of pork.¡± ¡°...!¡± The expressions of the other customers crumbled, but they couldn¡¯t make any excuses for themselves. The pub owner went into the kitchen and prepared a whole roasted suckling pig. There was barbeque equipment for roasting pigs and a venttion system inside the kitchen. The owner put the suckling pig through a skewer and began roasting it, filling the pub with the smell of roasted pork. ¡°Hmm... it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± ¡°Enjoy the food, orc.¡± The customers downed the rest of their liquor and tried to leave the pub as if taking off in flight. However, Crockta called after them, ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hmm...?¡± They turned to look at Crockta, who pointed his chin toward the kitchen and said, ¡°Won¡¯t you join me?¡± ¡°...!¡± They stopped in their tracks. This orc was a true man. They hadughed at him and told him to drink strawberry juice, but he was a real man who didn¡¯t pay attention to such insults. He had shaken off the happenings earlier and surprised them with a bold invitation. If they decided to refuse the invitation, they wouldn¡¯t be real men. ¡°This... We have lost.¡± ¡°You are a real man, orc brother.¡± ¡°You are a true alpha male, hahaha.¡± Crockta downed his liquor and ate the roasted pig with them. Later, the pub owner joined them, and a big drinking party took ce. It was amunion of men! This was thest meal Crockta enjoyed before departing in search of the temple of the fallen god. Chapter 58: Quantes (1)

Chapter 58: Quantes (1)

Crockta stood in front of the city walls. This was Quantes, the city of gnomes. Perhaps that was why the city¡¯s entrance looked especially small to Crockta. The door was firmly shut. Crockta knocked on the door and waited for the gatekeeper, but no one came out. The door remained tightly shut. Crockta crossed his arms. There couldn¡¯t suddenly be a ban prohibiting outsiders from entering, right? Crockta was about to shout to summon someone when the ground began to shake. ¡°...?¡± Crockta looked behind him. Somethingrge was running toward him. His eyes widened in surprise. Huge monsters were shaking the ground as they ran over from some distance away. They were ogres! Ogres were monsters that were several times taller andrger in stature than orcs. They were low in intellect, so they acted closer to beasts. They were the worst monsters that attacked everything in sight and chewed up everything alive due to their violent tempers. An ogre, with teeth that were like saw des gleaming inside its mouth, drooled as it stared at Crockta. There was even an unknown animal¡¯s flesh and blood stuck between its teeth. Crockta tried to run, but it was toote. The ogre charged toward him. ¡°Uwuuuuhhhhhhh!¡± The ogre swung his wooden club at Crockta, who dodged it rapidly. The sound of the wind ripping through the air rang in Crockta¡¯s ears. He felt a chill run down his spine. This was an ogre¡¯s strength. It was Crockta¡¯s first time facing an ogre even though he heard many tales about them. ¡°Dammit, bul¡¯tar...!¡± Nevertheless, Crockta was an orc and a warrior. Moreover, he had the Golden Anvil Tribe¡¯s masterpiece, the Ogre yer! The ogre had met its match. Crockta pulled out the greatsword and moved with caution. There were many enemies; the other ogres were getting closer. There were five of them in total. Even just one ogre was enough to throw a city into disarray. Crockta took a few steps back until his back hit the city wall. ¡°Dammit...!¡± he cursed. He had forgotten about what was behind him. As Crockta raised his eyes, he saw the ogres smirking at him upon seeing he had nowhere to retreat to. Crockta prepared for the worst and grasped his greatsword. He vowed to at least kill one of them when a trumpet sounded above his head. It was followed by a boisterous voice, ¡°Quantes gnome guards! Prepare the Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon!¡± ¡°Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon loaded and ready to fire!¡± Crockta looked up. There were cannons sticking out at the edge of the city wall. Voices that resembled those of children were shouting. ¡°Release the safety device!¡± ¡°Released!¡± ¡°Aim at the target!¡± ¡°Aimed!¡± ¡°Show them the price of encroaching on our city! Fireee!¡± ¡°Fireee!¡± A sh of light sparked over Crockta¡¯s head. With the sounds of explosions, beams of light flew toward the ogres. Lights of red, blue, and various other colors struck the ogres. ¡°Uwuuuhh!¡± ¡°Keung!¡± After taking direct hits, the ogres seemed to stand their ground for a bit and then tumbled over, but the gnomes persisted and continued their barrage of magic cannonballs. The ogres wrapped their arms around their heads and curled up into a ball. The gnomes¡¯ cannons refused to take a break and relentlessly struck the ogres¡¯ bodies. They were not actual cannonballs but cannonballs made from magic. Magic cannonballs were the height of the gnomes¡¯ unique magic engineering technology. After that, the attacks stopped. Crockta could sense the gnomes scurrying in haste above the castle walls. ¡°Ahhh! Load quickly, load!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have enough magic!¡± ¡°The ogres are going to climb up the walls!¡± ¡°They said they would bring more supplies. What¡¯s taking them so long?¡± ¡°Stay calm!¡± The ogres that had been curled up on the ground nced around and then got up. They began bellowing in anger. ¡°Uwuuuuuuuhhhh!¡± ¡°Kuwaaaaaaahhh!¡± Their cries reverberated through the earth as they ran toward the city walls with enraged faces. Crockta quickly hid. The ogres shed their weapons against the city wall, creating a crack. One ogre seeded in climbing onto a city wall and began crawling upward. ¡°What should we do, Captain Tiyo?¡± ¡°St-Stay calm!¡± The enraged ogres ignored Crockta and ran toward the entrance of the gnome city. Crockta, who had been quietly observing this spectacle, quietly raised his greatsword, Ogre yer, and followed after them. A regr sword wouldn''t be able to cut into thick ogre skin. At most, it would create a scratch and further incite the ogres¡¯ anger. However, Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer wasn¡¯t just a regr sword; it was a greatsword of the highest craftsmanship. Crockta leaped toward one of the ogres climbing the city wall and swung his greatsword. Ogre yer¡¯s de ripped through the ogre¡¯s flesh. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± screamed the ogre as it fell from the wall. ¡°...!¡± The gnomes, who had been in disarray due to the ogres, finally noticed Crockta. They watched him swing his sword at the ogres in front of the city walls. ¡°What is that...? Who is that orc?¡± wondered the gnomes. Orcs weren¡¯tmon in Quantes. Moreover, it was a first for an orc to stand alone against a group of ogres. With every sh of the orc¡¯s de, the ogres retreated. It was such skilled swordsmanship! Captain Tiyo shouted at the guards who were just staring nkly at the orc. ¡°Everyone, move quickly! It¡¯s too much for the orc on his own!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying to buy us time!¡± shouted Tiyo. The gnomes on top of the city walls quickly loaded their magic cannon as Captain Tiyo stared at the scene down below. The orc was targeting the ogre that had almost climbed to the top of the city wall. The rest of the ogres were ramming into the wall or climbing upward still. ¡°Hmmm!¡± Tiyo was anxious. If this continued, the situation would be dangerous. The entrance was about to be torn down. Right then, the orc left the ogre he had been facing and ran toward the ogre targeting the city¡¯s entrance. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaarrrr!¡± the orc screamed. With precise swordy, he cut off one of the ogre¡¯s legs. ¡°Arghhh!¡± The ogre staggered while ring furiously at the orc. The orc shouted, ¡°Come! I won¡¯t run or hide!¡± ¡°Uwuuuhh!¡± the ogres cried out. ¡°Keuuuhkk!¡± ?Two ogres ran toward the orc, who drew their attention toward him as he darted away from the entrance. However, there was a limit to how fast he could run. It wasn¡¯t long before one of the ogre¡¯s clubs struck the orc¡¯s greatsword. ¡°Ugh!¡± the orc groaned. He put his weight on the greatsword to hold his ground, but it was no use. His body was sent flying into the air before dropping to the ground soon after. The ogres gathered around him and began swinging their clubs at the fallen orc, but the orc dodged by rolling away. Tiyo¡¯s hands grew sweaty from watching the battle. The orc was continuing to buy time for them as he lured the ogres¡¯ attacks away from the entrance. If it hadn¡¯t been for the orc, the ogres would have already climbed up the city walls and ughtered them. The orc was a truly great warrior. Captain Tiyo shouted, ¡°Are you ready?!¡± ¡°Yes, captain. The preparations areplete!¡± ¡°We are ready!¡± replied the gnome guards of Quantes. Tiyo ced his weapon, the magic rifle, on his shoulder in preparation for a full attack. His magic rifle, the General, was more than just a good weapon; it was an ancient heritage ssified as an artifact. Tiyo looked through his rifle¡¯s scope to aim at the ogre¡¯s head. ¡°Rescue the orc first! Everyone, get ready to fire!¡±manded Tiyo. ¡°Aim!¡± he continued. ¡°Fiiirreeee!¡± The gnomes¡¯ magic cannon emitted polychromatic energy. Red, blue, and yellow cannonballs struck the ogres, causing them to lose their bnce and copse onto the ground. ¡°Uwuuuuhhh!¡± the ogres shrieked. Crockta raised his head. A small gnome with a rifle was looking down at him from the top of the city wall. The gnome pointed at the ogres and did a thumbs up. Then he did a thumbs down. It was a clear signal. Crockta nodded and sped his Ogre yer. The ogres were still curled up on the ground as the magic cannonballs continued to strike them. Crockta would be the one to deliver the final blow. There was no need to wish them a peaceful afterlife. Life and death seemed far apart, but they were both fleeting moments. It was the fate of the sword-bearer to bridge the distance between life and death. The Ogre yer cut through the ogres¡¯ necks¡ªtwo down, three more to go. The remaining ogres were still clinging to the city walls. However, once they realized what was going on, their expressionspletely changed. Their grotesque faces distorted into demon-like forms, and they revealed their de-like teeth as they bellowed. ¡°Uwuuuuhhh!¡± ¡°Keaaaaahhh!¡± Then they charged at Crockta in unison. They were indeed foolish creatures. ¡°...Bul¡¯tar!¡± shouted Crockta while tightening his grip on his greatsword. Distancing themselves from the city walls put the ogres in in view and made them easy targets. The gnomes¡¯ cannonballs poured down onto the ogres¡¯ backs. The ogres rolled across the ground in pain after taking direct hits. The Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon didn¡¯t have the destructive power to end lives, but it boasted the ability to afflict immense pain and stop the enemies¡¯ progress. With thebined effect of the Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon and the Ogre yer, even ogres¡ªthe terror of Elder Lord¡ªwouldn¡¯t be able to survive. Crockta chopped off the ogres¡¯ heads in session. The ogres exhaled their final breaths with bloodshot wide-open eyes. Crockta then turned around and saw the gnome with the rifle and the uniformed gnome soldiers looking at him. The trumpet that had signaled the beginning of the battle resonated throughout the city. Suddenly, the gnome with the rifle saluted Crockta in a highly disciplined manner. The gnome guards followed after him and saluted Crockta. It was the highest regard gnomes paid to a fellow soldier! A wave of strange emotions swept over Crockta during this uncanny experience of being saluted by small gnomes standing on top of a city wall. He used to be a soldier who had frequently crossed the boundaries between life and death, but he hadn¡¯t received many salutes in his life. Instead of praise, many had looked at him with horror in their eyes because he was a soldier who crossed borders to kill people, rather than protecting borders like the gnome guards. Crockta saluted them back. The trumpet of victory reverberated throughout the city as the soldiers acknowledged one another. That was how Quantes¡¯ gnome guard Captain Tiyo and orc warrior Crockta met. *** ¡°On what business did youe here?¡± asked Captain Tiyo in a hearty voice. He had the voice of a child but the spirit of a general. Crockta and Captain Tiyo were sitting across from one another at the visitor management office located past the entrance. Crockta answered, ¡°I came to receive help before heading to the north.¡± Captain Tiyo furrowed his eyebrows. The north was a dangerous region. It was a cursed ce inhabited by groups of ogres like the ones they had defeated earlier today, and even scarier monsters lurked everywhere. ¡°Well, I guess the reason doesn¡¯t really matter. That¡¯s your business. But Quantes is temporarily forbidding outsiders,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Crockta. Quantes was the city of gnomes, but it wasn¡¯t a ce that had restrictions on visitors like Arnin. ¡°Lately, there¡¯s been a downpour of monsters from the north. Like earlier, ogres have been ambushing cities, and doppelgangers and liches have been sneaking in and frightening the citizens. There was an incident in which a doppelganger snuck in with a group of outsiders, so we had to ban visitors. ¡°Hmm...¡± muttered Crockta. ¡°We suspect that the doppelganger is still here!¡± dered Tiyo. It was a totally understandable reason, but Crockta was at a loss. Tiyo continued, ¡°But I see that we can trust you. You are a fellow soldier who defeated the ogres with us! I will vouch for you, so you can be permitted entry on special grounds.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Crockta with a nod while extending his hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not because I like you or anything,¡± said Tiyo bashfully as he shook hands with Crockta. Crockta noticed that the actions of gnomes didn¡¯t match what they said. Gnomes were small in stature like children. Dwarves gave the impression that they were small but dependable, whereas gnomes appeared to be cute because they looked like miniature humans. However, gnomes had the most advanced magic and magic engineering technology and were considered the best among magicians and enchanters. Despite that, yers veered toward elves as the superior alternative, so gnomes always led the way in unpoprity for character choices¡ªif orcs were excluded, of course. ¡°Good. What¡¯s your name? Where are you from?¡± asked Tiyo as heid out the visitor management book. ¡°My name is Crockta. I became a warrior at Orcrox, and now I¡¯m heading to the north.¡± Tiyo widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Crockta? The honorable orc Crockta?¡± Crockta¡¯s chest puffed up. ¡°Some call me that, hahaha.¡± ¡°Ohh! What an honor!¡± eximed Tiyo, leaping up from his seat in excitement. He immediately sat back down, but he was noticeably restraining himself to not lose his dignity. ¡°Hm, hmph! Anyways! With the tattoos all over your body and your greatsword, along with your courage... your appearance and personality do match those of Crockta. Wee to Quantes!¡± Thus, Crockta received permission to enter Quantes. ¡°But be careful,¡± warned Tiyo. ¡°The public sentiment is grim. There¡¯s been a doppelganger serial killer, so the citizens are guarded against outsiders. They might be especially afraid of orcs...¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°You said you came to Quantes to go to the north?¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°The north... Gnome professors are researching the north at the academy, so it¡¯d be good for you to visit it,¡± advised Tiyo. Although Tiyo had a solemn manner of speech, one couldn¡¯t help butugh when listening to him because of his childish voice. Tiyo seemed to sense that as well and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°You can¡¯t underestimate gnomes just because you are a big orc. Gnomes are extremely intelligent, wise, and strong, so you will be in for a surprise if you dare to belittle one.¡± ¡°I already know that. Your Asura Heaven-Breaking cannon was really something.¡± ¡°Hmph! Of course. It¡¯s the pride of gnomes.¡± Tiyo smiled broadly and rose from his seat. ¡°Anyways, I grant you permission to enter Quantes.¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain Tiyo,¡± replied Crockta. Crockta departed from the visitor management office with Tiyo. Everything in the city of gnomes was small in scale, but each thing had its proper ce. The city was built in a modern configuration with streets divided into sequential blocks. ¡°Hmm, Crockta?¡± said Tiyo. ¡°...?¡± ¡°I noticed earlier that your salute was excellent. Do you have military experience?¡± asked Tiyo. Crocktaughed. ¡°Back in the day,¡± he replied. ¡°I see. You used to be a soldier.¡± Tiyo¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°The gnome guards are nning to celebrate tonight for defeating the ogres. Considering your contribution, won¡¯t you join us?¡± There would be liquor at the celebration. Crockta wouldn¡¯t be a real man if he refused. Thus, Crockta, along with the gleeful Captain Tiyo, set out onto the streets of gnomes. Chapter 59: Quantes (2)

Chapter 59: Quantes (2)

After drinking with the gnome guards and Captain Tiyo, Crockta found a ce to stay the night. It was a clean inn. Quantes was a nice ce to visit because all of its lodgings were clean. However, the innkeeper shook her head begrudgingly as she handed him a pair of keys. She was wary of Crockta. ¡°Your room is 304. Here, keys,¡± said the innkeeper. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Crockta. Crockta went up to his room and opened the door. What stood out to him first were the white sheets on the bed. ¡°Ohhh,¡± marveled Crockta. Like a multi-star hotel, all of the objects in the room were neatly arranged without a single margin of error, and every single object was spotless. The sight was enough to make him forget about the innkeeper¡¯s unfriendly attitude. Crockta sat on the bed. He could see a bathtub through the half-open door of the bathroom. A bathtub indicated that Quantes had a good sewage system. He was impressed by the gnomes¡¯ level of civilization. Knowing this now, it was not surprising at all that they used magic to fire cannonballs. Although the lodging fees were a bit expensive, it was totally worth it. Crockta plopped down on the bed and thought about what he needed to do going forward. First, he had to find information on the north. Then, he had to prepare equipment for the journey. If possible, he wanted to find somepanions for his journey. It would be better to go as a group than alone because it was dangerous in the north. ¡°Temple of the Fallen God...¡± muttered Crockta. Would the answer he had been searching for be there? Crockta extended his hand toward the ceiling and saw his thick, callused orc hands. He slowly clenched his fist. As he curled his fingers, veins protruded from his green skin. He could feel his life force in his bulging muscles and his blood vessels pulsating with the rhythm of his heartbeat. Was all of this truly just a fantasy game? After meeting Gordon, Crockta had a deeply strange and foreboding feeling. He felt like he would be able to find the answer to his question if he went to the Temple of the Fallen God. ¡°Whew.¡± Crockta got up from his bed. It was already nighttime. Just because he was a yer didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t need to sleep. He went to the bathroom to wash up before heading to bed. However, there were no towels in the bathroom, so Crockta returned to the counter on the first floor to grab some towels. When he went back upstairs, he saw an elf inserting her key into the room next to his. When their eyes met, the elf stared at Crockta. ¡°...Hey, are you alive?¡± greeted Crockta in response to her gaze. The elf didn¡¯t respond and went inside her room. Crockta shrugged upon seeing that the elf had a cold attitude. Crockta opened the door to his room and immediately headed to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and filled the bathtub with steaming hot water. He took off his clothes and immersed himself in the water. Soaking his body in hot water relieved the tension in his body, and his thick orc skin sagged in the heat. Hepletely immersed himself in the bathtub that was slightly too small for him and closed his eyes. Crockta enjoyed unwinding after all that had happened, and he soon began drifting off to sleep. Was he dreaming an orc¡¯s dream now that he was an orc? Orcrox¡¯s scenery appeared among the faint glimmers of images in his dreams. He saw Lenox, Grant, and Hoyt. With a team of countless orcs, he fought against amon enemy in his dream. Suddenly, Crockta opened his eyes. His acute hearing detected a faint noise nearby. It wasing from behind the bathroom wall¡ªthe room next door. He recalled the image of the young elfdy he had met earlier. Then he heard loud chewing noises. It was too annoying to dismiss as merely a faint noise. Someone seemed to be chewing on something really tough. Crockta climbed out of the bathtub and put his ear against the bathroom wall. Right when a water droplet on the ceiling fell to the surface of the bathtub, he heard someone moaning painfully, ¡°A-Aaah! Mmphfff¡ª¡± Crockta grew rmed. This was the sound of someone being smothered while screaming in pain. Crockta was familiar with this sound. He had heard it numerous times when he executed the concrete method on the Haedong Balhae n members. They had made the same sounds while screaming under their gags and muzzles. Crockta¡¯s gaze turned stone cold. He got out of the bathroom and quickly put on his clothes. Then he pulled out his greatsword. With silent footsteps, he approached the elf¡¯s room. He put his ear on her door and once again heard the muffled sounds from earlier. ¡°Hngg... Mmphfff!¡± Someone was definitely moaning in pain. Crockta immediately kicked at the door. The doortch broke, and the door swung wide open. ¡°...!¡± Crockta was rendered speechless by the scene before him. An elf was lying on the floor with her arms tied back, and another elf was loudly chewing on the bound elf¡¯s thigh with her face buried in the bound elf¡¯s flesh. The bitten flesh was oozing blood. ¡°...Keurek?¡± The elf who had been devouring the thigh turned her eyes toward him. The whites of her eyes were now ck. Her teeth were also denser and sharper than a human¡¯s. This elf¡¯s appearance was identical to the bound elf who had copsed on the floor. It was a doppelganger! The doppelganger smirked upon noticing Crockta. It seemed to beughing at him. Crockta¡¯s face distorted in anger. ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Crockta charged and swung his Ogre yer. The doppelganger quickly retreated with bizarre, unnatural movements. ¡°Mmphff!¡± The elf on the floor moaned in pain because the doppelganger had kicked her while jerking away. Crockta quickly assessed her injuries and pulled her toward him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. The elf was no longer moving; she had fainted. Crocktaid her down behind him and raised his greatsword again. The doppelganger looked at him with arrogant eyes that seemed to beughing at him. As Crockta was about to take a step forward, the doppelganger flinched and looked back. ¡°...!¡± It seemed to be responding to someone calling out to it. Crockta didn¡¯t miss that brief opening and leaped toward it. He swung his greatsword, but the doppelganger dodged the attack at an absurdly fast speed. Then, like a spider, it hung from the ceiling upside down. Crockta was startled at first, but he shouted, ¡°What are you looking at? Bring it on!¡± The doppelganger seemed preupied with something outside. At Crockta¡¯s shouting, it turned its head. Its body didn¡¯t move an inch while hanging upside down, but its head twisted in the opposite direction. Crockta got goosebumps seeing such bizarre movements with an elf¡¯s body. The doppelganger whispered, ¡°It is calling out to me...¡± It had an eerie voice. ¡°It is calling me...¡± Crockta, tired of the nonsense, swung his greatsword upward. The doppelganger twisted its body and dodged Crockta¡¯s attack effortlessly before dropping onto the ground. Then it broke the ss on the window and ran outside. ¡°Oh, no!¡± Crockta eximed as he peered outside the window. He saw the doppelgangernd on the ground. Then it descended into the shadows of the city at astounding speed. Crockta could no longer spot it. ¡°...!¡± The doppelganger was such a bizarre creature! It was exactly as Tiyo had said. A doppelganger that had managed to sneak in was posing a threat to Quantes. Ogres and now doppelgangers... it was quite unusual. What was going on in Quantes? Crockta turned and approached the elf. She was still unconscious. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± Crockta tried to shake her awake. He could hear rapid footsteps approaching them. It seemed people wereing this way due to themotion of the fight and the sound of the window breaking. Crockta shouted, ¡°Over here!¡± The innkeeper, apanied by the Quantes¡¯ gnome guards, appeared. ¡°d you are here. Because of the doppelganger, this elf¡ª¡± Crockta said, gesturing to the bound elf, ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have let an outsider stay!¡± interrupted the innkeeper. Crockta shook his head. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t do this¡ª¡± ¡°What are you doing? Quickly arrest that orc!¡±manded the innkeeper. Quantes¡¯ gnome guards approached him tentatively. They weren¡¯t the guards he had fought with earlier. The uniformed gnomes looked up at the huge orc with nervous faces and aimed their magic guns at him. ¡°We will take you into custody. Don¡¯t resist,¡± said the guards. Crockta repeated, ¡°This is a misunderstanding. The doppelganger...¡± It was obvious they didn¡¯t believe him. Their eyes were full of distrust. Crockta sighed. He didn¡¯t want to cause trouble, so he decided to follow the protocol without protest because he knew Tiyo and the military forces. ¡°Once this elfes to her senses, you will realize you¡¯ve made a mistake. Quickly, get this elf some medical attention,¡± stated Crockta as he got up. When they saw Crockta raise both arms without protest, they seemed to believe him a bit. ¡°Even if that is true, we still have to follow the protocol, so pleaseply with our instructions,¡± said the gnome guards as they ced handcuffs on him. ¡°Of course. I respect that,¡± replied Crockta with a grin. *** Crockta was quickly released with the elf¡¯s testimony, but the sun was already up by the time he was out. He felt stiff from spending the night in a small room for solitary confinement. The gnome guards who had taken him into custody apologized sincerely. Crockta epted their apology, ¡°I understand it was necessary protocol.¡± ¡°We are truly very sorry,¡± said the gnome guards. Crockta left after diplomatically shaking hands with the guards. Quantes was full of energy in the morning. Gnomes at the height of Crockta¡¯s waist went about the streets busily. The nice thing about Quantes was that Crockta had a clear, open view everywhere he went thanks to the gnomes¡¯ heights. As he looked for a restaurant to tend to his grumbling stomach, someone approached him. ¡°Hey,¡± she called out. ¡°Hmm?¡± It was the elfdy that Crockta had rescuedst night. She approached him and said, ¡°You are the one who rescued mest night, right? I waited outside because I wanted to thank you.¡± Crockta became lost in thought as he looked at the woman bowing her head to him. Was she the one who had ignored his greeting while entering her room, or had that been the doppelganger? The elf smiled at Crockta¡¯s questioning look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the first time we met. I¡¯m really shy.¡± So, it had been the real one. Crockta nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same thing.¡± ¡°Not anyone,¡± she replied. He noticed she was limping. She had bandages around the thigh that the doppelganger had eaten from. Crockta asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to you showing up in time, my injuries aren¡¯t that severe.¡± ¡°How did you run into the doppelganger?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I went inside, and someone who looked just like me jumped out from the corner of the room.¡± She shuddered in disgust. ¡°I thought I was dead meat.¡± ¡°You were lucky. Be careful from now on,¡± warned Crockta. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± she asked. ¡°Crockta.¡± Her eyes widened in surprise. She didn¡¯t know the details, but she had heard the name before. ¡°Ah, that...¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Crockta in turn. ¡°I¡¯m Eileen,¡± said the elf. After they exchanged a brief conversation, Eileen offered to treat Crockta to a meal to express her gratitude. They headed toward a nearby restaurant. Crockta ordered a thick steak, while Eileen ordered a sd. ¡°Are you nning to head to the north?¡± asked Eileen. ¡°I¡¯m in search of the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Fallen god...¡± said the elf curiously. ¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing about it, but I heard the north is a dangerous ce...¡± ¡°A warrior does not fear danger.¡± ¡°As expected, you are amazing,¡± praised Eileen. ¡°Why did youe to Quantes?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I study magic engineering at Quantes¡¯ academy.¡± Crockta nodded. The gnomes were highly acimed for their technology. It wasn¡¯t odd toe all the way here to study. ¡°I volunteered specifically because of the artifact that was recently excavated in Quantes,¡± said Eileen. ¡°Artifact?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a mysterious ancient heritage that can¡¯t be produced with modern technology.¡± An artifact was much more valuable than an item enchanted with magic. In the past, a yer discovered an artifact. However, when its whereabouts became known, ambushers yed the yer and stole the artifact from him. Eileen lowered her voice, ¡°The artifact discovered recently... is a belt called the Demon¡¯s Mouth.¡± ¡°The Demon¡¯s Mouth...?¡± ¡°Yes, the specifics haven¡¯t been revealed yet, but they said it¡¯s a strange object that emits immense evil energy. There¡¯s a rumor that the researchers who first discovered it went mad while studying the object.¡± The Demon¡¯s Mouth¡ªCrockta was curious about it now, but Eileen didn¡¯t have much more information about it. ¡°I heard the gnomes are debating whether topletely seal the object or continue to research it... I hope they continue because I came here for that,¡± continued Eileen. ¡°I¡¯m curious as well, so I hope so too,¡± Crockta replied. He chewed and swallowed his steak. Even though he had ordered thergest size, it was still not enough. The taste was amazing though. Eileen asked, ¡°Are you nning to visit the academy today?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Crockta had told her that he nned to drop by the academy sometime to obtain information about the north, but he hadn¡¯t finalized when he would go. After thinking about it for a moment, Crockta nodded. ¡°Since I have no other ns, I guess so.¡± ¡°Then, can I be your guide?¡± asked Eileen with a smile. Crockta nodded without giving it much thought. Despite his first impression of her, Eileen was a friendly elf. ¡°It¡¯s an honor. I will be much obliged,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Eileen lowered her eyes shyly at Crockta¡¯s response. Right then, the message system that had been quiet for a while suddenly popped up. [You are doing a great job!] [Right now, your love mode is locked. Would you like to activate your love mode?] Chapter 60: The Demon’s Mouth (1)

Chapter 60: The Demon¡¯s Mouth (1)

Everything had a default setting in the world. For example, objects were categorized asrge or small based on a presumed middle ground¡ªamon norm of what was considered as ¡®regr¡¯ that always existed. Thus, a person was inclined to feel difort when something outside that standard was suggested. ¡°Can I have one iced americano please?¡± ¡°Yes, isrge okay?¡± Crockta had always wanted to interrogate cafe owners in real life who indirectly suggested that the customer purchase therge size when the regr size existed. Did they not understand what regr meant? Were they testing some absurd negotiation psychology? Or were they trying to push their agenda because the customer looked like a yes-man who couldn¡¯t say no? At this very moment, Crockta felt the same way. [Right now, your love mode is locked. Would you like to activate your love mode?] Was this question really necessary? How was it different from asking ¡®Are you really human?¡¯ to someone¡¯s face? ¡®You missed the mark with that question!¡¯ Crockta replied sternly in his mind. *** Crockta and Eileen headed toward Quantes¡¯ academy. It was arge educational facility located at the center of the city, and it was the cradle of magic engineering research. Many advanced technologies and products had been invented there, including the heart of the gnomes¡¯ garrison¡ªthe Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon. The first researcher that Crockta and Eileen sought out at the academy was a monster ecology scientist. Because of Quantes¡¯ proximity to the north, gnomes ran into monsters more often than other species in cities located elsewhere. Thus, monster ecology research was vigorously conducted at Quantes. The monster ecology professor pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose as he asked, ¡°So, you n to head to the north?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to visit the Temple of the Fallen God.¡± ¡°The Fallen God, hmm...¡± The professor swept back his white hair. He looked young at a nce because of his small frame, but the crow¡¯s feet around his eyes betrayed his years. ¡°The Fallen God... Hmm, I haven¡¯t heard that name in a while.¡± ¡°Do you know about him?¡± asked Crockta. Although the Temple of the Fallen God was quite well known, no one knew what kind of being the Fallen God was. ¡°I don¡¯t know the precise details. I¡¯ve only heard of the name,¡± said the professor as he sank into his chair. ¡°Have a seat first. My neck hurts,¡± he urged. This was the monster ecology professor¡¯s office. Crockta and Eileen, who had been looking down at the petite professor, brought chairs over and sat down. ¡°Theology professors would know more about the Fallen God than me, so ask them. I only know about monsters.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, can you tell us what kind of creatures inhabit the north?¡± asked Crockta. The professor beamed as he replied, ¡°Orcs like you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Orcs inhabit thend beyond the Forest of Monsters that divide the north and the rest of the continent,¡± exined the professor. The north had be a subject of fear because of the Forest of Monsters. Very few passed through the Forest of Monsters and made it back alive, so there was very little known about what was beyond the forest. This was Crockta¡¯s first time hearing that orcs dwelled beyond the Forest of Monsters. The professor continued, ¡°The Forest of Monsters is a hell where orcs, dark elves, and countless species that don¡¯t exist on the continent live with monsters and kill one another.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But you must be worried about the Forest of Monsters, not what¡¯s beyond it. In the Forest of Monsters... even ogres are just regr monsters there,¡± the professor said and opened a book on his desk. ¡°It¡¯s been especially weirdtely. Monsters attacking Quantes is unprecedented... They have be too violent. One could say they are even more dangerous now than before. Here, this is the monster encyclopedia I wrote. Take a look at the chapter on the north.¡± Crockta took the book from the professor and propped it open. Even just from looking at the table of contents, Crockta could get an idea of all the monsters that lived there¡ªogres, trolls, wyverns, greatwyrms, cyclops, hydras, undead, and even creatures of the underworld. He furrowed his eyebrows. There were so many kinds of monsters. ¡°There are a lot. Hmm...¡± Crockta murmured while quickly flipping through the pages. ¡°I don¡¯t need the book right now, so take it,¡± said the professor. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for protecting Quantes, ogre hunter Crockta.¡± The professor grinned. The story of Crockta defeating the ogres with the gnome guards was now widespread news in Qunates. ¡°Captain Tiyo spoke very highly of you. He said you¡¯re a great orc warrior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s excessive praise,¡± replied Crockta humbly. ¡°Orcs and gnomes used to have a good rtionship. Big, strong orcs and small but smart gnomes used to help each other. However, times have changed. I miss the old times,¡± said the professor with a sense of nostalgia. Then he smiled. ¡°It might seem like a lot, but there¡¯s not much to it. Monsters are just stronger in the north. I don¡¯t know what you are looking for, but I hope you will safely arrive at the Temple of the Fallen God.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°If you are curious about the Fallen God, visit this gnome,¡± suggested the professor. He wrote something on a piece of paper with a feather pen and handed it to Crockta. The note had theology professor Eyona¡¯s name and address, as well as the monster ecology professor¡¯s signature. The monster ecology professor added, ¡°She¡¯s enjoying her sabbatical, but I advise you to reach out to her. She will wee you if you tell her I sent you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Crockta said. He then asked the professor a few more questions about the northern region. The professor exined many things, but the most memorable story was the legend regarding the Forest of Monsters. The legend said that it had originally been a normal forest, but an evil creature died there and oozed evil energy after it was buried. This caused the monsters to growrger in the north and separated the northern region from the rest of the continent. After asking all of the questions he had, Crockta nodded with satisfaction and thanked the professor. ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± said Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be of service to a famous warrior,¡± the professor replied graciously. Crockta and the monster ecology professor shook hands. Eileen smiled contentedly as she watched them. By the time they left the monster ecology professor¡¯s office, it was already lunchtime. Eileen asked, ¡°Crockta, why don¡¯t we go see the Demon¡¯s Mouth that I¡¯ve been talking about?¡± ¡°Can outsiders view it?¡± asked Crockta. She nodded. ¡°My friend works there. My friend said they can show us around as a special treat. How about it?¡± ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ve been curious about it.¡± ¡°This could be thest chance to see it since they might decide to permanently seal it,¡± said Eileen. Crockta certainly wanted to see the notorious item that even the inquisitive gnomes were debating whether to give up researching and seal up forever. As Crockta and Eileen headed toward their new destination, the academy students stared at the unusual orc and elf duo. Some gnomes recognized Crockta and whispered among themselves, ¡°That orc¡ªis he perhaps Crockta?¡± ¡°Look at that huge sword. I heard he appeared out of nowhere and yed ogres with that sword.¡± ¡°Even his gaze is on another level.¡± ¡°Is that his girlfriend next to him?¡± ¡°Not only is he the greatest warrior, but he even has an elf girlfriend.¡± Crockta with his greatsword and the beautiful elf Eileen couldn¡¯t help but stand out among the tiny gnomes. They received countless stares as they headed toward the special researchboratory on campus. Upon arrival, they were met with the gnome guards who were screening visitors at theboratory¡¯s entrance. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± yelled the guards. ¡°Please reveal your identities!¡± Eileen brought out her entry pass. ¡°I¡¯m Eileen. I¡¯m affiliated with Ariel Academy.¡± ¡°Hmm, you are a visiting researcher. What about the orc next to you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my guest. I will vouch for him.¡± ¡°Understood. Enter!¡± dered the guards. Quantes¡¯ gnome guards always followed the protocol, and they opened the entrance after they were done screening the pair. When Crockta and Eileen entered the special researchboratory, a gnome researcher greeted Eileen, ¡°Oh! Eileen! Wee!¡± ¡°Deco!¡± greeted Eileen. Deco was a male gnome. He seemed delighted to see Eileen, but when he saw Crockta next to her, his eyes widened in surprise. He asked, ¡°Hey, that orc is...?¡± ¡°He will be joining us today. He¡¯s the one who saved my life.¡± Crockta bowed and extended his hand. ¡°Are you alive? I¡¯m Crockta.¡± ¡°Ahh, hello. I¡¯m Deco.¡± Deco smiled forcefully while also giving Crockta a wary look. Crockta could see what was going on andughed inwardly. Eileen asked Deco, ¡°Can you show us the Demon¡¯s Mouth?¡± ¡°Outsiders are not allowed. One is okay, but two...¡± refused Deco with a petnt face. Eileen drew closer to Deco and ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Please, Deco. Hmm?¡± ¡°Uhh...¡± Deco hesitated. ¡°Can we just take a quick look?¡± pleaded Eileen. ¡°Ah... fine. But just for a minute,¡± replied Deco. ¡°Thank you.¡± Eileen beamed. Deco turned away, blushing. Crockta looked at them from behind and smiled. They passed by the hallway and arrived at the ess control gate. There was a huge ¡®No Entry¡¯ sign with a warning that said it strictly forbade non-staff personnel from entering. ¡°You have to wear this,¡± said Deco as he handed something to Eileen and Crockta. It was a ne imbued with sacred power. They each put one on, and a strange, refreshing energy emanated from the ne. ¡°Is the Demon¡¯s Mouth so potent that we need this?¡± asked Eileen. ¡°It¡¯s been pretty calm, but this is for just in case,¡± replied Deco. He then grasped the door knob. ¡°Here we go.¡± The door opened. At the center of theboratory was a belt that seemed to be made out of steel. Crockta didn¡¯t even notice all of the experiment equipment around the belt as he was mesmerized by the belt that was engulfed in dark energy. He felt as if he were looking at it eye to eye. He could almost hear strange whispersing from the darkness. ¡°That is...¡± began Crockta. ¡°...The Demon¡¯s Mouth,¡± finished Deco as he walked toward it. The belt waspletely encased in an invisible barrier. Blinding bright lights that contrasted with the belt¡¯s darkness shone on it. Despite all that, Crockta still got the impression that the belt was extremely dark. ¡°That... will devour anything,¡± said Deco. ¡°Devour?¡± asked Eileen. ¡°Just like I said, it will devour anything,¡± Deco repeated with a shudder. ¡°What will it eat?¡± ¡°Anything alive.¡± Eileen¡¯s eyes widened. At the center of the belt were mped teeth made out of steel. The name ¡®Demon¡¯s Mouth¡¯ suited the item well. ¡°That center will open and devour anything. It has already devoured a gnome,¡± said Deco. ¡°Oh, my...¡± muttered Eileen. If that was true, then the belt was more like a monster than an artifact. ¡°We don¡¯t know what it is... I¡¯m not sure... whether we should keep researching it or not,¡± said Deco. Crockta looked at the Demon¡¯s Mouth and wondered what would happen if he wore that thing. Would it turn its owner into a bloodthirsty demon and control them like a demonic sword? He felt a chill run down his spine. Crockta clenched and unclenched his hand. Then the door opened behind them. ¡°Huh?¡± muttered a female gnome inb attire. ¡°This is a restricted area...¡± Deco seemed to know her. He smiled and ced his hands together in an apologetic gesture. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m just quickly showing it to my friend. Please let it go just this once.¡± The female gnome looked back and forth between Crockta and Eileen. She smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°Understood. I will let it go just this once. However, I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s time for the inspection, so please leave.¡± ¡°Inspection?¡± Deco tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What inspection? Anyway, Eileen, let¡¯s go.¡± Deco bowed to the female gnome and led Eileen and Crockta away from the belt. Right when Crockta was about to exit theboratory, something whispered to him. ¡°...!¡± Crockta looked behind him. The Demon¡¯s Mouth was still enduring the downpour of lights above with its steel-hard body. Crockta then looked at the female gnome walking toward the Demon¡¯s Mouth. She walked with an odd gait. The female gnome seemed familiar to Crockta for some reason. Realizing something was amiss, Crockta stopped in his tracks. ¡°Crockta?¡± Eileen, who was already past the entrance, called out his name. Yet, Crockta didn¡¯t respond and instead continued to watch the female gnome. He then raised his hand and grabbed the hilt of his greatsword. ¡°Call the guards,¡± ordered Crockta to Eileen. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Right now!¡± shouted Crockta. At that moment, the female gnome¡¯s head spun backward. Those bizarre movements and that condescending smile¡ªit was the doppelganger. The doppelganger sneered. Then it ran forward with its face still facing backward. Meanwhile, Crockta began charging toward it. ¡°That¡¯s a doppelganger!¡± shouted Crockta. ¡°...!¡± Eileen and Deco were too startled to respond. Right then, the rm inside theboratory began ringing. ¡°Everyone, evacuate! Evacuate!¡± screamed someone from the hallway. It was one of the guard¡¯s voices. ¡°A wyvern has appeared! The academy is being attacked by monsters! Run! This is an evacuation order! We are in danger! You must evacuate immediately!¡± ¡°Crockta!¡± Eileen called out to Crockta. However, Crockta didn¡¯t look back. Deco pulled on her sleeve. ¡°Eileen! We must quickly escape!¡± ¡°But Crockta is...¡± hesitated Eileen. She watched Crockta swing his sword at the doppelganger, who had attached itself to the barrier as if it was drawn to the Demon¡¯s Mouth. ¡°Crockta!¡± screamed Eileen. Then theboratory¡¯s door closed, and she could no longer see what was going on inside. When Deco pulled Eileen outside, her mouth dropped at the sight of the campus. ¡°Oh, my!¡± ¡°How could this be?!¡± Eileen and Deco eximed at once. Various monsters were roaming around the campus. Trolls were chasing after gnomes, and ogres swung their clubs and created a ruckus wherever they went. Just then, a troll dropped from the sky with a thud. Eileen and Deco raised their heads to look and saw a wyvern flying around. Wyverns in the distance were carrying monsters and dropping them from the sky. ¡°Oh, god...¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± They had never seen anything like this in their lives. After the wyverns finished transporting the monsters, they surveyed the surroundings and swooped in once they discovered prey. They captured gnomes and carried them to the skies. Eileen and Deco stared nkly in shock. ¡°Snap out of it!¡± yelled the guards. The guards tried to lead Eileen and Deco to a safe ce, but their n was thwarted by monsters. A troll with a shabby-looking stone axe drooled hungrily at them. ¡°We need to make way! Shoot!¡± yelled one of the guards. The guards fired their magic-infused guns, but the guns didn¡¯t have enough power to kill the trolls. An ogre began trudging toward them after hearing the gunshots. It lifted a section of the remains of the destroyed building in front of it. The ogre was now holding a huge rock and got into position to throw it at them. ¡°...!¡± Eileen and Deco¡¯s eyes filled with despair. They didn¡¯t have a chance against the ogre. Right then, a ray of light flew in from behind them and struck the ogre. ¡°Uwuuuuuhhh!¡± The ogre stumbled onto the ground with the rock. Eileen looked behind her. A gnome with a rifle was standing nearby. ¡°That¡¯s gonna sting a bit!¡± It was the heart of Quantes¡¯ gnome guards, Captain Tiyo. Chapter 61: The Demon’s Mouth (2)

Chapter 61: The Demon¡¯s Mouth (2)

Crockta swung the Ogre yer, but the doppelganger dodged it with ease by flipping its body. The greatsword grazed the surface of the barrier instead. The barrier cracked but refused to break. The gnomes¡¯ technology was indeed remarkable. It was strong enough to withstand the Ogre yer! Then Crockta turned toward the doppelganger and asked, ¡°What are you?¡± The doppelganger smirked. It had the appearance of a gnome¡¯s body, but its joints twisted in unnatural ways. The doppelganger¡¯s head stayed static while its body climbed around the barrier wall. The doppelganger whispered with its characteristic sneer, ¡°It is calling me...¡± Crockta swung his greatsword again. However, the doppelganger jumped up high. It happened in an instant. The doppelganger was now looking down on Crockta from the top of the barrier sealing the Demon¡¯s Mouth. Crockta tightened his grip on the hilt of the greatsword. ¡°What¡¯s calling you?¡± asked Crockta. The doppelganger opened its mouth. Crockta paused, waiting for it to speak, but the doppelganger began vomiting green fluid instead. Crockta used his greatsword as a shield to block the liquid. Most of the liquid slid across the sides of his de and missed its mark, but some sshed onto Crockta¡¯s shoulder and melted his skin. A sharp pain seared through his shoulder. ¡°Dammit!¡± shouted Crockta as he tried to shake off the liquid. The doppelganger was a truly dreadful monster. Crockta decided to retreat. There was no way he could catch the doppelganger with its speed. He had to make the doppelgangere to him. ¡°Is this it?¡± Crockta pointed at the Demon¡¯s Mouth with his greatsword. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± The doppelganger¡¯s eyeballs began rotating. Then parts of its face began shifting. Its eyes moved downward, and its mouth went upward. Although its face turned upside down, its body didn¡¯t move at all as if it had grown rigid. The doppelganger smirked. Crockta raised his greatsword and turned toward the barrier wall. He began striking it, and the crack on the barrier grew deeper. Crockta continued to deepen the crack by relentlessly swinging his greatsword against it. Meanwhile, the doppelganger¡¯s eyeballs continued to rotate without stopping. Crockta spoke testily as if spitting something unpleasant, ¡°Since this is what you want, I will take it.¡± He pushed his Ogre yer into the biggest crack and twisted it, causing the barrier wall to copse. Right when Crockta was tearing down the remains of the barrier, his heart thumped as mysterious dark energy seeped out. It was so dense and thick that he struggled to breathe. ¡°Aaaaaaaaahhhh!¡± The doppelganger suddenly screamed while charging toward Crockta. ¡°Bul¡¯tar...!¡± Crockta swung his greatsword yet again. This time, the de cut through the doppelganger¡¯s body. The doppelganger flew to the opposite side of the barrier and sagged onto the ground, whimpering. Its exposed shoulders spilled dark red blood. Crockta could now see inside the doppelganger''s body. Its organs had a bizarre appearance, which didn¡¯t even remotely resemble a human¡¯s. Then the doppelganger¡¯s eyes turned red, and a creature that resembled a spider emerged from the doppelganger¡¯s side. Itnded on the floor and crawled toward Crockta. The spider-like creature had the face of a gnome. It widened its mouth to the extremes and shot out a secretion of green liquid. ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta dodged. However, the doppelganger¡¯s secreted green liquid swooshed past Crockta and hit the Demon¡¯s Mouth. There was an eerie sound as the darkness swarmed in at once. Crockta doubted his eyes. Darkness was the absence of light. Yet, the darkness that had been pushed back by the light began filling every crevice and inch of the room. It appeared that the tables had been turned; the light retreated and buried itself. Crockta¡¯s vision blurred as his surroundings grew dark. ¡°What is this...?¡± Crockta screamed as he stepped back. The corrosive secretion spewed out by the doppelganger was melting the stand that held the belt in ce. The stand crumbled away, eventually releasing the Demon¡¯s Mouth. The Demon¡¯s Mouth was falling. It dropped to the ground with a nging sound. ¡°...!¡± In the darkness, Crockta barely managed to see that the Demon¡¯s Mouth had begun moving. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes! The center of the belt, where the steel teeth were, cracked open and ground its teeth as if it needed something to chew and swallow. Additionally, it was pitch ck inside its mouth. ¡°Kiyaaaaaahhhh...¡± the doppelganger let out an eerie sound. It seemed to beughing. Crockta was stricken with fear, as he was surrounded by two vicious monsters. He had to get out of here. Moreover, the awakened Demon¡¯s Mouth began spewing dark energy that he couldn¡¯t handle on his own. He felt suffocated. ¡°Dammit!¡± Crockta turned away. He had to make a strategic retreat. Crockta ran toward theboratory¡¯s entrance. The doppelganger noticed that and crawled across the floor with its tentacles to thwart Crockta¡¯s n, sneering condescendingly as it did so. Crockta, filled with great loathing for the creature, swung his greatsword viciously. ¡°Kiyaaaahhh!¡± The doppelganger spasmed like a bird pping its wings and dodged the attack with remarkable speed. Crockta kicked at the entrance door of theb, but it refused to budge. ¡°Dammit!¡± Then he noticed it had to be pulled open from the inside. He grabbed the doorknob and nced at the doppelganger. It no longer paid any attention to Crockta and crawled toward the Demon¡¯s Mouth as if possessed. Crockta bit his lips and strained to open theboratory door. When it finally popped open, he ran outside frantically. However, as he ran, he heard painful screams all around him. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Crockta tried to ignore them. He ran like crazy and went outside. Then his mouth gaped open at the sight that was revealed to him. It was chaos. It was hell. Gnomes¡¯ corpses were flung into the air, while ogres wandered around with gnomes¡¯ arms and legs stuck between their teeth. Wyverns were chewing on parts of gnomes, and the trolls bludgeoned gnomes¡¯ corpses while giggling. Blood and flesh were scattered everywhere. Crockta could hear screams ringing throughout the campus. He sped his greatsword. What was going on? Suddenly, something dropped from the sky with a thud. It was a troll. Crockta looked up at the sky and saw that wyverns were transporting monsters. He groaned. It was an unbelievable sight. In the background, he could hear gunshots from the gnome guards, but they gradually died down. When the gunshots stopped, piercing screams filled the silence. ¡°Crockta!¡± someone called out to him. ¡°Tiyo!¡± Captain Tiyo was running toward Crockta with a rifle. ¡°Thank heavens. You are alive!¡± ¡°What happened here?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I don¡¯t know! The monsters suddenly began dropping from the sky... I think they¡¯ve gone crazy!¡± Crockta furrowed his eyebrows while he listened to Tiyo. Monsters were arriving at the academy through strategic means as if something was calling out to them. Crockta became lost in thought as he looked at Tiyo¡¯s flustered face. Everything Crockta had heard at Quantes wasing to him now. ¡°Lately, there¡¯s been a downpour of monsters from the north.¡± ¡°The artifact discovered recently... is a belt called the Demon¡¯s Mouth.¡± ¡°I heard the gnomes are debating whether topletely seal the object or to continue to research it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been especially weirdtely. Monsters attacking Quantes is unprecedented... They have be too violent.¡± ¡°It is calling me...¡± Crockta looked back at theboratory building he had escaped from. It no longer looked like a building. Instead, it resembled a demon¡¯s den that was consumed by darkness. His instinct was telling him to go back. It was telling him that if he wanted to solve this situation, he had to face that thing. Yet, his feet refused to budge. He was afraid of the darkness surrounding theboratory¡¯s entrance. ¡°Crockta! Let¡¯s get moving! We have to go!¡± beckoned Tiyo. Crockta followed after him and ran out of the campus. Crockta asked Tiyo, ¡°Can you stop them?¡± ¡°We will mobilize all of the members of the garrison, but¡ª!¡± Tiyo slurred the end of his sentence. The gnomes had been able to ward off the monsters from the north with the city walls and the Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon, but stopping monsters that had already entered the city wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. The worst-case scenario could happen. ¡°We can only do our best,¡± finished Tiyo. ¡°Understood.¡± Crockta tried to ignore the foreboding feeling he had as he walked in tandem with Tiyo. They noticed a group of gnomes in the distance who were moving along stealthily, hiding when they could. These gnomes were the academy¡¯s researchers and security guards. Just when Crockta and Tiyo began running toward them to join them... ¡°Uwuhhh...!¡± An ogre discovered them and began charging toward them. It smashed into the surrounding buildings as it ran and scattered huge amounts of debris everywhere. The civilian gnomes screamed. Right then, Tiyo¡¯s rifle, the General, emitted fire. A stream of white light pierced through the ogre. ¡°Uwuh!¡± The ogre stumbled, knocking into a building. Tiyo continued to fire his rifle, and its white beams temporarily stopped the ogre. Beads of sweat formed on Tiyo¡¯s forehead. Unlike other magic guns that operated through magic stones, the artifact General used Tiyo¡¯s energy and magic as its fuel. Thus, each shot he fired drained him. Meanwhile, the civilian gnomes were in a state of confusion and didn¡¯t know what to do. They just stood there. Tiyo shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Everyone, run!¡± In response to his earnest cries, Crockta charged to take on the ogre. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!¡± The orc warrior¡¯s battle cry echoed throughout the city of Quantes. Crockta¡¯s Crushing Roar skill squashed the ogre¡¯s spirit and caused it to take a step back. He then leaped at the startled ogre and pierced its thick skin. The ogre copsed. It tried to grab onto Crockta, but Crockta relentlessly stabbed the ogre over and over again. The ogre writhed in pain as it spewed blood, then it fell still. Crockta pulled out his greatsword from the ogre¡¯s corpse and propped it on his shoulder. Blood flowed in streams from the Ogre yer. The gnomes shuddered at the sight of the orc warrior covered in blood. All of thismotion had drawn the attention of their enemies. More ogres began appearing in session after hearing the cries of their brethren. When they discovered Crockta standing on top of an ogre corpse, the ogres bellowed in rage, ¡°Keeuuuhhhhh!¡± The ogres charged in a frenzy, followed by trolls. Wyverns also circled the skies and drooled as they kept an eye on the tasty-looking gnomes. Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at the ludicrousness of it all. What were their chances of winning? If they had amander, he would be silent and wish them good luck at best. It was a war they could only lose. ¡°Crockta!¡± shouted Tiyo. Hemanded, ¡°Take the civilians and run toward the red building! There¡¯s an emergency bunker in the basement! Wait there until the support troops arrive!¡± Tiyo and the guards were standing side by side in formation. ¡°What about you?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°We will establish a defense line here,¡± dered Tiyo. The bunker wasn¡¯t far off from their current location, but someone had to hold off the monsters. ¡°I will join you,¡± offered Crockta. ¡°We don¡¯t need you.¡± Tiyo grinned. ¡°You are a guest! It is our duty to protect you, so don¡¯t butt in.¡± Tiyo propped the General on his shoulder. The guards also aimed their guns as several ogres were running toward them. Wyvernsnded on rooftops and revealed their de-like teeth. ¡°Quickly go, Crockta! We wee you as a guest in this beautiful city of Quantes,¡± said Tiyo with a smile. Crockta had initially perceived Tiyo as a formal military man, but it turned out that he was the type to joke around in precarious situations. There were certain men like him¡ªstrange men who disyed dark humor in the face of imminent death. ¡°Why are you just standing there, Crockta?! Get lost and go do some sightseeing!¡± shouted Tiyo as he fired the General. The guards also fired at the monsters in unison. Colorful lights drew a long trajectory as they struck the enemies and stopped them from advancing. Assured by the line of defense, the civilian gnomes began running in the direction of the bunker. Finally, Crockta nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Understood. I will entrust this area to you, Tiyo.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± replied Tiyo heartily, but his expression changed in an instant when he realized what Crockta had said. ¡°...Huh?¡± Instead of leading the civilians, the orc warrior, who was stered in blood, began running in the direction they hade from. ¡°What?!¡± Tiyo was stunned. Crockta traveled a far distance in an instant. Theboratory building that was now drenched in darkness was where Crockta was headed. *** Once Crockta entered the building, he heard strange noises everywhere¡ªthe sounds of wind, moaning and groaning, and the sounds of demons lurking in the darkness. Crockta made his way toward theboratory. Even though it was the same building he had explored earlier with Eileen, it felt like he hade to apletely different ce¡ªas if he had stepped foot in an uninvited ce. Every inch of space was inhabited by darkness, and unknown creatures whispered to him. He didn¡¯t understand them, but he could tell they were evil. They were damned creatures that smiled at depravity. As Crockta walked further into the pitch-ck cave, he questioned why he hade here. It was because Tiyo was annoying. Crockta wanted guys like him who pretended to be cool to regret itter and kick their sheets back in embarrassment as theyy in bed thinking about what they had done. It was also because he wanted to preserve Quantes¡¯ advanced civilization and technology. There weren¡¯t many ces as developed as Quantes in Elder Lord. At Quantes, every inn had a bathtub with running hot water, its restaurants had delicious steaks, and it even had an academy that continuously pursued knowledge. It was a city that had much to offer to the future generations. Or maybe Crockta just wanted to kill the doppelganger. He felt like he would only be able to relieve his anger by maiming its sneering face. When it had ambushed Eileen and battled him at theboratory, the doppelganger hadughed at him non-stop while crawling about. Crockta wanted to crush its sneering face with his greatsword. While standing at the entrance of theboratory, Crockta¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡®Fine,¡¯ he acknowledged. The biggest reason was that ¡®it¡¯ was calling out to him. He kicked at the door, revealing a stifling darkness that filled the room. The lights had been turned off. Each time he took a breath, the darkness filled his body and organs. For a while, it had been whispering into Crockta¡¯s ear, ¡°Come here.¡± Suddenly, he saw a pair of eyes rise from the darkness. Crockta immediately recognized it as the doppelganger, but it didn¡¯t move in its usual bizarre manner. The doppelganger approached Crockta with slow footsteps and stiff movements like those of a doll. The doppelganger handed it to Crockta. Crockta looked at the doppelganger and noticed that it was no longer alive. The doppelganger had be it, and it whispered to Crockta. Demons delighted in making bets and tempting people with promises that sounded too good to be true. Then, they wouldugh derisively as they devoured humans who had fallen for their tricks. What about this time? ¡°Quantes¡¯ fate is up to you. Everyone¡¯s lives depend on you,¡± the demon whispered. ¡°Is this the bonus stage or the end? Would you ept or turn and leave?¡± Crockta replied, ¡°You arrogant asshole.¡± Then he put it on his waist. Chapter 62: The Demon’s Mouth (3)

Chapter 62: The Demon¡¯s Mouth (3)

Crockta trudged through the darkness, and he sank deeper into the inescapable abyss with every step. His footsteps grew heavy as the darkness pulled him inside and engulfed him. His pitiful moans were swallowed up by the abyss. Then his body began to vanish until only his consciousness remained floating in the darkness. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he was looking into the darkness, or if he was in a state where he couldn¡¯t recognize anything because his vision had been cut off. Regardless, he waspletely exhausted. Crockta thought about what someone once said. ¡®The world is a parab.¡¯ Suddenly, a line of light rose in the darkness. A me as small and frail as a firefly drew a smooth curve as it flew up into the air. ¡®Things that rise eventually sink.¡¯ Once the me hit its peak, it fell and disappeared without a trace as if there had been nothing since the beginning. There was only darkness. ¡®Like that small thing, a speck of dust consumed by the void.¡¯ Crockta raised his eyes. He was on the battlefield. ¡®This is the world.¡¯ The sky was red, and the earth was ck. Countless people were dying and killing one another where the sky and the earth merged. Orcs and humans were charging toward each other. It was a war filled with countless moments of life and death. One human screamed in pain as his head was sent flying into the air. The orc who had chopped off his head let out a triumphant roar, but it was followed by someone stabbing the orc in the head. Blood continued to spray everywhere as swords collided on the battlefield. Crockta¡¯s field of vision changed. The battlefield in his view grew smaller while moving farther and farther away from him until he saw the horizon. Then the horizon moved farther away until he saw the continent and then the waters surrounding the continent. His vision continued zooming out until he saw the outline of a round. The cosmos was so vast that the cries of the trifling creatures on the were imperceptible. The endlessly expanding view made even the stars appear like tiny dots. The way Crockta¡¯s consciousness headed endlessly into the darkness made him realize that even a gxy was just a speck of dust in the universe. The universe was a time and space where everything temporarily rose and fell, but even the universe was ultimately a single dot. ¡®The core of the world is emptiness.¡¯ Life and death were just fleeting moments. Crockta tried to anchor his fatigued mind, but the darkness and its emptiness enveloped him. His dreams as well as feelings of depression, emptiness, and resignation suddenly pulled him back up from the abyss. However, what was the point? If he was going to fall anyways, it was meaningless to rise and fall. Suddenly, someone called out to him, ¡°Oppa, what are you doing?¡± Yi-An raised his head. ¡°Huh?¡± He looked around him. He was in Caf¨¦ Reason. ¡®Ah, right.¡¯ Yi-An¡¯s sister, Yi-Yoo was demanding a caf¨¦tte from him while visiting the caf¨¦ after school. He had been thinking about something else for a moment though. Yi-Yoo squinted her eyes as she asked, ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± ¡°Huh... Nothing.¡± ¡°Focus. You are the owner,¡± said Yi-Yoo with augh. Yi-Anughed back. Then Yi-Yoo¡¯s face melted, and her flesh trickled down. It was no longer his sister Yi-Yoo who was looking at him but a skeleton with empty eyeholes. ¡°Ah...¡± Jung Yi-An jolted back in surprise. ¡®Anything that rises with life ultimately sinks.¡¯ Yi-Yoo, now a skeleton, tilted her head. Yi-An was unable to steady himself and stumbled. Suddenly, a voice next to him said, ¡°Boss, what are you doing?¡± It was Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s voice. Yi-An fumbled as he grabbed her arm. ¡°Yeo-Ri, that thing¡ª This... Yi-Yoo...¡± He felt a chill in his hands. When he turned his head to look, a white skeleton was smiling at him. ¡°Huh?¡± said Han Yeo-Ri. ¡®People smile at life and cry at death, but life is just a fleeting moment, whereas death is eternal.¡¯ Yi-An froze while the world began to melt. In the infinity of time, life was a fleeting moment that sank into the eternal darkness. A boundless emptiness grabbed him. It seized him by the hair andmanded him to gaze into the core of the darkness. It seemed to say, ¡°Look. This is the world.¡± Crockta¡¯s surroundings copsed, and he was now standing in the darkness again. The Demon''s Mouth was smiling at his waist. He had to ovee his distorted perception and win over the darkness to regain his grasp of himself. No, victories and defeats were also meaningless, short-lived moments. Ultimately, all thoughts were fleeting bubbles that briefly emerged before converging into emptiness. Crockta lowered his head as the thing at his waist relentlessly whispered to him about the concept of emptiness. Thoughts of evil and emptiness jumbled together in his mind. His body swelled up as if it were about to explode. His blood vessels expanded, and vomit emerged from his mouth. Crockta¡¯s soul cried out, ¡®The world is filled with emptiness.¡¯ *** Tiyo was currently running toward the bunker with the guards. The ogres had suddenly be quiet, and the wyverns and other monsters had stopped to look into the distance. Although Tiyo and the guards were taken aback by the monsters¡¯ sudden quietude, they had no time to waste. Tiyo swiftly led away the guards, who moved in perfect order at Tiyo¡¯smand. ¡°The monsters are calm! This is our only chance! Escape!¡± yelled Tiyo. The gnomes ran. However, once they were closer to the building with the bunker, the ground began shaking. The gnomes lost their bnce and fell. Tiyo, who had been supporting the guards from the back, could barely keep himself from falling too. Then he looked behind him. Something was walking toward them. It wasrge but smaller than an ogre, and it seemed familiar but also strange at the same time. With green skin, a frightening face, a strong muscr body, and a greatsword on his back¡ªit was Crockta. Yet, Tiyo instinctively drew back. He knew that wasn¡¯t really Crockta. An unknown dark energy branched out from the orc, whose eyes were blood red. Ogres, trolls, and other monsters followed behind him. Wyverns circled around his head and let out eerie screams. Crockta raised his hand and pointed at Tiyo and the gnome guards. The monsters behind him then charged toward the gnomes. The ogres stomped on the ground as they ran to Tiyo. Without the time to regroup into formation, the gnomes just stared at the monsters nkly. Tiyo even lowered his muzzle. Resistance was futile. The ogres soon surrounded the gnomes and then cleared a path for Crockta. The gnomes watched as he walked toward them and noticed how the monsters moved at his every gesture as if he was theirmander. It was then that Tiyo discovered the belt hanging from Crockta¡¯s waist. ¡°...!¡± Everything suddenly made sense to Tiyo. That had been the problem all along. The reason the monsters had be violent and attacked the city¡ªit was all because of that cursed artifact! And Crockta, who hade to that realization, had tried to fight against the Demon''s Mouth to save Quantes, but he had gotten devoured by it. Tiyo gritted his teeth and raised the General. Before the ogres could react, the General¡¯s muzzle began spewing fire. However, Crockta swung his greatsword and split the magic bullet in an instant. Then an ogre swung its fist. ¡°Ack!¡± Tiyo¡¯s small body flew into the air from the impact of the Ogre¡¯s punch. After Tiyo¡¯s head hit the ground, he felt nauseous and began retching. When he raised his head back up, he found the orc was looking down at him. The orc with the red eyes was no longer the honorable warrior Crockta that Tiyo knew. ¡°Grrr...¡± the orc growled. Crockta had been consumed by the artifact¡¯s madness and was now something evil. He raised his greatsword. Tiyo closed his eyes. Just as the greatsword was about to stab him, Tiyo began singing, ¡°We are orcs... strong orcs...¡± The greatsword stopped in midair. ¡°A great warrior is here, make way...¡± This was the orc warrior song that the heavily intoxicated Crockta had taught the gnome guards when they were celebrating their victory over the ogres. Tiyo was singing that ridiculous song right now. ¡°Get out, humans... Get out, elves... Get out, dwarves... You too, gnomes...¡± Crockta¡¯s greatsword was trembling. Tiyo opened one eye and looked at Crockta¡¯s distorted face. Tiyo grinned, ¡°What are you doing, Crockta?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you make this gnome get out?¡± teased Tiyo. The greatsword didn¡¯t budge. As if fighting something invisible, it trembled, swaying up and down. The belt¡¯s steel teeth began to twitch, then it opened its mouth. Its de-like steel teeth got ready to charge at the impudent gnome taunting its host and then sprung out when the greatsword moved. *** Crockta groaned in the abyss while the demon inside the belt whispered to him continuously. Everything Crockta had valued was crumbling down as the demon that nourished on despair dominated his body. He vaguely sensed that he was trying to stab Tiyo right now, but he didn¡¯t care. Everyone died in the end anyway. Yet, when his greatsword inched toward Tiyo¡¯s body, Crockta temporarily regained control over his body and stopped the greatsword from advancing further. He tried to persist against the demon, but it continued to whisper about the futility of resistance while inflicting pain on Crockta. It was the excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart. Physical pain was nothingpared to this pain in his soul. Unable to withstand the pain, Crockta sumbed to it, allowing the demon to take control. Right when the demon was about to swallow Tiyo, Crockta groaned, ¡°Give me strength... to not submit to this. Someone, anyone... give me strength.¡± At that moment, there was an explosion of light¡ªa blinding sh. Crockta closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he found a familiar face standing in front of him. ¡°Ah...?¡± gasped Crockta. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while, Crockta.¡± It was him¡ªthe guardian of the sunrise and the pale blue g-bearer that guided others through dark paths. He was the teacher of orc sorcerers... Tashaquil. ¡°It¡¯s you...?¡± ?¡°You¡¯ve been up to a lot these days, hahaha,¡± said Tashaquil. He waved his staff, and the world stood still. They were able to view the halted scene¡ªthe sight of Tiyo on the ground, the greatsword that was about to strike him, and the Demon''s Mouth that was about to swallow him¡ªfrom the perspective of an uninvolved third party. ¡°Tashaquil, how are you...?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be surprised about. I¡¯m not Tashaquil. I¡¯m more like a residual memory that was left by him... The real me is probably at Orcrox or Basque Vige.¡± He poked at the Demon''s Mouth springing from Crockta¡¯s waist and smiled. ¡°Have you forgotten? I gave you strength before you departed from Orcrox.¡± Right then, Crockta¡¯s memories came alive. When hest said farewell to Tashaquil, Tashaquil had cast a spell on him. The message window had said: [Tashaquil is granting you unknown powers.] [An unidentifiable strength has settled inside your body.] ¡°It will help you one day,¡± Tashaquil had said. Crockta remembered now. He asked, ¡°Tashaquil, what should I do now?¡± ¡°Well... I don¡¯t know either,¡± replied Tashaquil. ¡°Huh?¡± Tashaquil smiled. ¡°It¡¯s actually a lie.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The spell that the real me cast on you doesn¡¯t have the power to help you, Crockta,¡± said Tashaquil as he waved his staff with a smile. ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s just intended to tell you what you want to hear when your time of needes.¡± ¡°What I want to hear...?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Crockta didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± asked Tashaquil. ¡°I...¡± ¡°If you want to rest, I can put your mind at ease,¡± said Tashaquil while pointing at the Demon''s Mouth. ¡°That is too strong. You tried your best, so it¡¯s okay to rx a bit. How about it?¡± As he spoke, Tashaquil seemed to beughing at Crockta. Crockta furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Ohh, was that not it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a no...¡± Tashaquil swung his staff and struck Crockta¡¯s head. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one thing I can say.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Any other orc would have said the same thing I¡¯m about to tell you. Don¡¯t you already know?¡± Tashaquilughed. Crockta raised his eyes. ¡°Listen,¡± Tashaquil said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will only say it once.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Crockta cocked his ear toward Tashaquil as thetter spoke. *** The moment the Demon''s Mouth sprung out from the belt to rip apart Tiyo¡¯s neck, Crockta¡¯s greatsword smacked it away. The Demon''s Mouth twisted its body like a snake and then opened its mouth to let out a strange shriek. It screamed in agony as it bared its teeth at Crockta. Crockta grabbed what seemed to be the Demon¡¯s Mouth¡¯s neck. The steel teeth tried to bite Crockta¡¯s face but ultimately retreated helplessly. Dark energy rose in clouds from the belt, but Crockta smiled this time. ¡°Are you afraid of emptiness?¡± asked Crockta. The Demon''s Mouth uttered another strange shriek and tried to bite Crockta again. ¡°Are you that afraid of death even though it¡¯s inevitable?¡± ¡°Kyaaahhhhhh!¡± screamed the Demon¡¯s Mouth. ¡°Is that why you are making such a fuss and tormenting others?¡± asked Crockta. The Demon''s Mouth bit Crockta¡¯s arm. Even as Crockta grunted from the pain, he didn¡¯t let go of its neck. Crockta swallowed his pain as he said, ¡°I will give you the answer you want.¡± The darkness that flowed out from the Demon''s Mouth swallowed him, and his field of vision turned ck. Crockta once again faced the thing inside the darkness. The darkness trembled and threatened Crockta, but Crockta did not waver this time. He said, ¡°The world is not filled with emptiness.¡± The thing inside the darkness stopped. The darkness grew thinner. Crockta continued, ¡°Even if the world ends one day, life is not meaningless.¡± The thing shouted inside the darkness, ¡°What do you mean?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the answer you wanted to hear?¡± asked Crockta as he stared beyond the darkness. Now, he could see clearly. Although the thing inside the darkness tried to hide while continuing to scream, it was cowering and trembling in fear. The thing had witnessed the end of the world and had been frightened out of its wits after facing the darkness of the universe. ¡°I will say it again. Death is not the end,¡± dered Crockta. The thing was now silently looking back at Crockta. It said, ¡°Prove it.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Crockta. It jumped up and screamed at Crockta, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said it?!¡± The thing had the form of a childposed of darkness. ¡°Do you want to know?¡± asked Crockta. The thing didn¡¯t respond. Crockta said, ¡°Then, follow me. I will prove it to you.¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta added, with more force this time, ¡°With my life.¡± The thing leaned toward him. It was a subtle movement, but Crockta noticed it. Then he repeated, ¡°I will prove it with my life.¡± Crockta could now see the true nature of the thingposed of darkness. It was a demon drowning in despair. The demon smiled. Then... the darkness lifted. *** When the darkness that had surrounded him lifted, Crockta no longer saw the Demon''s Mouth that had been threatening him. As if it had always been that way, it returned to looking like a normal steel belt and kept its mouth shut. Crocktamanded, ¡°Send them back.¡± The Demon¡¯s Mouth twitched disapprovingly and then let out an iprehensible sound. After that, the monsters began leaving Quantes. The wyverns that had been circling the sky caught ogres and trolls and flew back to where they hade from. It was an entrancing sight. Then, a message window popped up. [The Belt of Despair (Hero) is bound to you.] [You cannot handle the belt¡¯s power yet. The belt¡¯s power will be limited.] [The demon is now asleep.] Crockta gazed at Tiyo, who was still copsed on the ground. Tiyo looked up at Crockta and extended his hand. ¡°Have youe to your senses?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Of course,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Crockta grasped Tiyo¡¯s hand and pulled him up. ¡°Crockta,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I want to go to the north with you,¡± dered Tiyo. Chapter 63: The Life of a High-Ranker (1)

Chapter 63: The Life of a High-Ranker (1)

Crockta received a medal of honor from the mayor of Quantes for his work in resolving the Demon¡¯s Mouth situation. He refused to have an ostentatious award ceremony, so the event was held modestly in the main building of the gnomes¡¯ garrison. Quantes¡¯ mayor wore a monocle and had the air of an intellectual. He looked up at Crockta, who was much taller than him. ¡°Orc Crockta!¡± the mayor yelled. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°The city of Quantes is presenting you with a medal of honor for your contributions in resolving this incident.¡± The members of the garrison pped enthusiastically as the mayor tip-toed, struggling to reach Crockta¡¯s chest and pin it on his leather armor. As the mayor lowered his gaze, he saw the Demon¡¯s Mouth on Crockta¡¯s waist and flinched. ¡°Ah!¡± he screamed in surprise. After regaining hisposure, the mayor self-consciously eyed his surroundings and then let out a dry cough as he fixed his monocle. ¡°Hmph! Ahem! Crockta! The citizens of Quantes will remember your heroic deeds,¡± the mayor stated. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Crockta with a nod. The mayor took ast nce at the Demon¡¯s Mouth and then left the podium. There was a lot of talk about Crockta¡¯s possession of the Demon''s Mouth. Some gnome researchers argued that they should confiscate the Demon''s Mouth from him, but the Demon''s Mouth refused to leave Crockta. Whenever someone other than Crockta tried to touch the Demon¡¯s Mouth, it bared its steel teeth and tried to bite everything and everyone in sight. Even when Crockta tried to take off the belt, it would fly toward him like a ma and cling to him the moment the distance between them exceeded a certain limit. Even though the Demon¡¯s Mouth followed him everywhere, it didn¡¯t respond when Crockta tried to make conversation with it. It was a weird one. Theck of response seemed to be rted to the limitation set on the belt¡¯s power because Crockta was not strong enough to handle the belt yet. Currently, the belt only demonstrated its power by boosting Crockta¡¯s strength. Crockta took another look at the information on the belt in the system. [The Belt of Despair¡¯s power (Hero) will be limited. Your strength and willpower have increased. Your resistance against the demon¡¯s power has increased.] It was Crockta¡¯s first time hearing about the Hero tier. He couldn¡¯t sell the Demon''s Mouth because it was bound to him, but it was probably the highest-tiered item known in Elder Lord. Crockta also noticed that his achievement score had increased dramatically after being awarded a medal of honor. [Orc warrior Crockta¡¯s name has spread all over Quantes and its surrounding areas.] [Status Window Orc Warrior Title: Pursuer of the Pinnacle Level: 45 Achievement Points: 116510 Assimtion: 80% Skills: Giant¡¯s Destructive Power (Essence) Troll¡¯s Regenerative Power (Essence) Leyteno¡¯s Swordsmanship (Essence) Combative Spirit (Essence) Mind¡¯s Eye (Essence) Tattoos of Honor and Indomitable Will (Essence) Army Crushing Roar (Essence)] All of his skills were now of the Essence tier. In the status window, skills that had already been of the Essence tier prior to Crockta visiting Quantes didn¡¯t upgrade because they had already reached their peak. Crockta thought about Hoyt¡¯s ¡®pinnacle swing¡¯. It seemed that to advance a skill to the pinnacle level, it was necessary to acquire some kind of epiphany in addition to having proficiency in the skill. A skill¡¯s pinnacle level didn¡¯t seem like something he could reach just by practicing and leveling up. When the modest award ceremony ended, the gnomes expressed their gratitude toward Crockta again, and Crockta shook hands with the mayor once more. Then everyone returned to their regr jobs. Tiyo approached Crockta and tapped his waist. ¡°Hey.¡± The sight of a small gnome acting like a macho soldier was quite cute, and Crockta grinned upon seeing it. ¡°What¡¯s that smile for?¡± questioned Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I catch on to things immediately. Quickly get rid of that indecent thought,¡± warned Tiyo. Crockta couldn¡¯t stifle hisughter andughed out loud, but there was more surprising news waiting for him. [Your achievements in Elder Lord are top-tierpared to other yers.] [You have entered the rank of a high-ranker.] [Your current achievement points ranking is 482nd. Would you like to make your status public?] Crockta was now a high-ranker. His achievement points had increased greatly due to his involvement in the Demon''s Mouth incident. Consequently, he managed to join the ranking of the world¡¯s top five hundred yers, attaining the status much more quickly than the other high-rankers. Now Crockta and the real-life Yi-An could be sponsored by the Elder Saga Corporation. Sponsorship funds came from the profits that Elder Saga earned from operating Elder Lord, so he would get a huge sum of money. Although he hadn¡¯t been financially struggling, he would be iparably richer than a regr caf¨¦ owner with the sponsorship. Nevertheless, Crockta simply shrugged. He wasn¡¯t a materialistic person, so not much would change for him. However, this meant it would be fine to splurge or indulge himself from time to time. In any case, he decided to keep his status private for now. [You have refused to disclose your information. Your information will be indicated as private.] [Congrattions on bing a ranker.] [We anticipate your journey!] Some high-rankers refused to make their status public, but most high-rankers revealed their statuses to receivemercial opportunities and obtain even more wealth and honor. Crockta smiled while thinking about these things. Soon, people would find out that there was a new high-ranker, and they would be shocked that this high-ranker, whose details remained undisclosed, was continuously rising in the ranks. Crockta burned with fighting spirit. He wanted to continue evolving and be stronger. Tiyo, who didn¡¯t know what was going on, tilted his head curiously. ¡°Crockta, did something good happen?¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Then, why are youughing? Are you still entertaining the silly thought from earlier?¡± questioned Tiyo. After deciding to apany Crockta to the north, Tiyo followed him around everywhere. Since Tiyo had already submitted a leave of absence request to the garrison and Crockta didn¡¯t really have a reason to refuse, Crockta epted Tiyo as his travel partner. The two continued to talk as they exited the garrison building. Tiyo was eager to tell Crockta more about himself even though Crockta didn¡¯t ask for the information. ¡°I want to tell you about myself since we are heading to the north together!¡± Tiyo began. ¡°...¡± Tiyo continued, ¡°My father was a great adventurer who traveled tonds everyone was afraid of. He was a true adventurer who freely ventured to and back from the north!¡± ¡°Really?¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°My father was the one who got me the General from the north. I have built a renowned career as a member of the garrison, but when I saw you, I realized I have an adventurer¡¯s blood running in my veins!¡± ¡°Your father used to go back and forth between Quantes and the north...? That¡¯s amazing. What is he up to now?¡± asked Crockta. Tiyo¡¯s face turned dark at the question. Crockta immediately regretted asking about Tiyo¡¯s father. Tiyo exined that there had been a day when his father never made it back from the north and that it had been several years since he hadst seen his father. Tiyo¡¯s family believed that his father was already dead, but Tiyo didn¡¯t think so. ¡°I believe my father is still alive in the north,¡± Tiyo stated. ¡°I see.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m counting on you Tiyo.¡± Crockta then extended his hand. Tiyo grinned and extended his hand as well. The orc and gnome shook hands. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°As soon as possible,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Good. It¡¯s always nice to get a head start!¡± said Tiyo heartily. Crockta and Tiyo promised to reconvene after packing for the journey, then they parted ways. Now that Crockta was alone, everything seemed quiet with his noisy gnome friend gone. However, it was also because of Quantes¡¯ somber atmosphere. The city was drowning in grief, mourning for those they had lost. Although Crockta had resolved the incident with the Demon¡¯s Mouth, he had only managed to do so after numerous gnomes at the academy had already been killed by monsters. Even the rescue team had retched with nausea when they saw the brutally dismembered corpses. Quantester held a memorial service at the public square to honor the dead, and the gnomes wore ck armbands in solidarity and mourned the deaths of their people. As someone who had been directly involved in the incident, Crockta felt sad. He looked down at the belt on his waist. It had all been because of this belt. Yet, what really weighed down on him were the sights the demon inside the belt had shown him¡ªthe scenes of cosmic emptiness. The one that the demon had targeted had not been orc Crockta but human Yi-An, and it had used his sister and Han Yeo-Ri to drive him into despair. Thus, the strange and iprehensible feelings he¡¯d had for a long time regarding Elder Lord came alive once again. Was Elder Lord really just a game? Did it reveal such realistic visions by analyzing a human¡¯s brain and scanning the details of their memory? Or was there more to it? Crockta thought of what role-yer Kim Dal-Kwang had said in an interview with Elder Lord Times, ¡°I even sometimes think of Elder Lord as a portal that connects you to a different dimension.¡± When Crockta recalled the scene of the universe that the demon had shown him, what Kim Dal-Kwang had said was convincing. Crockta couldn¡¯t believe that Elder Lord was just a game that ended when he logged off. What was the truth? Would he be able to find out the truth if he went to the Temple of the Fallen God? While Crockta was lost in his thoughts, someone called out to him, ¡°Orc Warrior Crockta?¡± He turned around and saw two gnome children looking up at him. Gnomes were small, but younger gnomes were even smaller. Crockta nodded and smiled. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The children exchanged surprised looks at the orc¡¯s deep, grumbling voice and then handed something to him. It was a cookie in a paper bag. The kids¡¯ eyes widened as they asked, ¡°Do orcs eat cookies too?¡± Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at those innocent eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± The kids smiled. They had the same smile. The two of them seemed to be brothers. ¡°It¡¯s a gift for the warrior who rescued the city,¡± said one of the kids. ¡°Our parents run a bakery,¡± added the other. When Crockta raised his head, he saw a bakery in the distance. A gnome who appeared to be the kids¡¯ father waved his hand at Crockta from the entrance of the bakery. It seemed he had given the cookie to the kids to give to Crockta. ¡°I want to grow up and be an orc warrior like you,¡± said one of the kids. Crockta caressed the child¡¯s head. ¡°Be a gnome warrior instead of an orc warrior.¡± ¡°Can a gnome be a warrior too?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then I want to be a gnome warrior,¡± said the kid with a nod. The two kids then bowed their heads before running toward the bakery. Crockta gave the father a look of thanks and resumed walking. Then he thought, ¡®I don¡¯t know whether this is a game, but I will do my best anyway.¡¯ Crockta entered the inn where he was staying at. When the inn¡¯s owner¡ªwho had assumed Crockta was a criminal and handed him over to the police¡ªsaw him, she flinched. Nevertheless, Crockta smiled in return, causing the owner to gaze down in embarrassment. After that, Crockta went upstairs to his room. Right when he was about to disconnect from the server before officially embarking on his journey to the north, someone knocked on his door. ¡°...?¡± Crockta opened his door. ¡°So you were here after all.¡± The beautiful elf, Eileen, was standing there. She had heard someone entering Crockta¡¯s room and came to see who it was. Eileen smiled and said, ¡°Thank heavens you are safe. I heard the news.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you are safe too,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± asked Eileen. ¡°Of course,¡± replied Crockta as he opened his door further for Eileen to enter. The moment Eileen entered the room, a pleasant scent filled it. This wasn¡¯t her natural scent though. Crockta nced at Eileen, who was all dressed up. The smell of her perfume continued to waft through the air. Eileen twirled a lock of hair in front of Crockta and then slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Crockta, I was so worried about you... We left you and ran away...¡± she said, slurring her words. Crockta shook his head. ¡°You did the right thing. How is Deco?¡± he asked. ¡°Deco is fine thanks to you,¡± said Eileen with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the great warrior Crockta, who rescued Qunates from the Demon''s Mouth.¡± ¡°Aw, shucks,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. It¡¯s the truth.¡± Eileen nced over at the belt on Crockta¡¯s waist. She hesitated for a moment and then swept her pale hand across the belt, running her fingertips across the belt¡¯s steel teeth. Eileen sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is that scary belt...¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Crockta felt his lips dry up at Eileen¡¯s touch, as the movements of her hand were gradually bing sensual. Her hand crept up the belt and reached Crockta¡¯s firm abs, where the leather armor parted and revealed his bare skin. Then Eileen¡¯s fingers caressed the thick skin covering Crockta¡¯s abs. ¡°Eileen,¡± said Crockta. He looked down at Eileen. Her small face was within arm¡¯s reach, and he could see his reflection in her distinctly green eyes. They were a beautiful pair of eyes. He then gazed at her fair skin and plump ruby-red lips that blossomed beneath her perfectly straight nose. Eileen spoke quietly as if in a whisper, ¡°Are you leaving for the north?¡± Crockta nodded, and Eileen cast her eyes downward again. Then she drew her body closer. ¡°Life is so unpredictable.¡± She raised her head again and leaned toward Crockta. It was an obvious disy of interest. The ends of her eyes quivered slightly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Eileen asked. It was a loaded question. Crockta kept his mouth shut. In this small room with just the two of them, Eileen was even more beautiful than usual as she drew closer to Crockta. Crockta closed his eyes. Why did someone else¡¯s face suddenly pop up in his head at this moment? Crockta tried to shake away the image of her face from his mind and then gently pushed Eileen away. ¡°Eileen.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m...¡± Crockta didn¡¯t want to hurt her feelings with a stern rejection. With Eileen¡¯s earnest and beckoning eyes staring at him, Crockta said, ¡°I¡¯m actually...¡± Then he whispered in her ear in a barely audible voice, ¡°I¡¯m...¡± Eileen¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be...¡± Eileen looked at him with sorrowful eyes. ¡°Understood, Crockta.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s... okay. I hope you achieve your goal in the north, and I hope we meet again,¡± said Eileen before swiftly leaving the room. Crockta sighed as he saw the door close in front of him. The room seemed darker after she left. Her sweet fragrance lingered in his nose. It was a deste room. Suddenly, a message window popped up as if it was teasing him. [Crockta who has refused a beautiful elf¡¯s heart!] [Is your locked love mode an extension of the outside world?] [Once you activate your love mode, you can recover from this abnormal state!] [Abnormal state...] Crockta closed the message window and soothed his heart by humming the song of orc warriors. He was an orc warrior before anything else! ¡°A great warrior is here. Make way! ... A warrior doesn¡¯t need women...¡± Chapter 64: The Life of a High-Ranker (2)

Chapter 64: The Life of a High-Ranker (2)

Yi-An logged off Elder Lord. He had departed from the game¡¯s world, but he still had lingering feelings. Even the corners of his eyes were moist. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± muttered Yi-An. He clenched his fist as he assessed his body. His grip overflowed with strength, and he had firm muscles all over his body and especially strong legs. Yi-An¡¯s love mode was locked in the game, but his actual body was that of a real man who didn¡¯t have physical defects. However, he was gripped with anxiety due to Elder Lord¡¯s high level of realism. Did he suffer from a limp dick? He was too tired to tell. Nevertheless, Yi-An needed to quickly assure himself that hisher region was functioning just fine, so he went out into the living room and turned on the television. He continued to change the channel until he settled on a live stream of a runway show featuring the lingerie brand Crystal Secret. Beautiful women dressed in newly released lingerie walked back and forth on the runway. ¡°...¡± ¡®Wow.¡¯ Yi-An was indeed a man. He was a real man who didn¡¯t need to worry about his bullet; he should be worried about his missile instead. Right when Yi-An let out a sigh of relief, the door to his sister¡¯s room opened. Yi-An flinched as he made eye contact with Yi-Yoo, who exited her room looking like she was still half asleep. ¡°...?¡± Yi-Yoo looked at the television. Disyed on the television screen was a woman in lingerie, who winked at the end of the runway and showed off her slender back while twirling elegantly. Then, when she walked in behind the stage, another woman confidently walked out in a different set of lingerie with an innovative design. ¡°...¡± Yi-Yoo looked at Yi-An. Yi-An tried to make an excuse for himself. ¡°Ah, this is...¡± ¡°...¡± Yi-Yoo smiled without warmth. ¡°I understand, oppa.¡± ¡°No...¡± ¡°I have to get some more sleep. Ah, I¡¯m so sleepy, sleepy,¡± muttered Yi-Yoo soullessly as she returned to her room and closed the door. Yi-An stood there dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think...¡± *** Yi-An was meeting up with his mentor for the first time in a long time. This mentor of his wasn¡¯t Lenox or Hoyt but the human Jung Yi-An¡¯s mentor¡ªBaek Han-Ho. They were currently at one of the chain caf¨¦s in the area where Baek Han-Ho lived. The caf¨¦ had a nice interior and friendly staff. Yi-An, who had been inspecting the caf¨¦, shifted his attention to Baek Han-Ho, whose business seemed to be faring well. The things Baek Han-Ho wore and carried grew more expensive each time they met. As if he was showing off his wealth, Baek Han-Ho tapped on his huge newly released tablet. ¡°Huh, this guy is pretty good at Go,¡± said Baek Han-Ho. He was ying Go on his new tablet. Although the situation had initially been in his favor, it had now changed as the opponent¡¯s stones nibbled away at his territory from various ces. The territories he had nned to secure on the Go board were now surrounded. ¡°You were too greedy,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°Huh, this little shit. Ah, whatever,¡± muttered Baek Han-Ho. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned off the screen of his tablet. Yi-An looked at Baek Han-Ho critically. If Baek Han-Ho just quit ying the game like this, there wouldn¡¯t be a clear oue, and the opponent would waste time waiting for him and then automatically win. ¡°This guy, he should y properly. He¡¯s just infiltrating like a coward.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Who was the real coward?¡¯ wondered Yi-An inwardly. It seemed that Yi-An¡¯s thoughts were showing on his face, as Baek Han-Ho asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Yi-An changed the subject, ¡°...How is the gym doing?¡± ¡°As you know, taking care of your health is trending these days. Rather than settling on traditional martial arts, I teach a variety of sports at my gym. I apply scientific methods to body-building.¡± Baek Han-Ho ran a gym. He didn¡¯t teach the art of murder, which was a skill both he and Yi-An had. Instead, the gym taught basic self-defense skills, cross-fit, and martial arts. ¡°Come by sometime. I want to teach more students,¡± suggested Baek Han-Ho. ¡°I¡¯m busy,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°I heard you don¡¯t even show up at your own caf¨¦ these days.¡± Yi-An grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with other matters.¡± ¡°Ohhh. By other matters, do you mean Elder Lord?¡± asked Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Bet you aren¡¯t much in Elder Lord. If I say so myself, I¡¯m...¡± Yi-An interrupted him, ¡°What do you mean? Even if I say so myself, I¡¯mpletely...¡± Their eyes met. ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve grown up a lot, Yi-An.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been taller than you.¡± ¡°You need a good scolding.¡± ¡°Do you even have the energy to? At your age?¡± teased Yi-An. ¡°You little...¡± Their eyes met again, and they grinned at the same time. Then they rose from their seats. The two men left the caf¨¦ and headed to Baek Han-Ho¡¯s gym. The name of the gym was Baek Han-Ho Gym, and the gym upied two floors of the building it was located in. When the two men entered the gym, the members inside greeted Baek Han-Ho but flinched at the sight of his fierce gaze. Meanwhile, Yi-An noticed that the gym had modern facilities and a wide interior. There was a variety of free-weight equipment and sandbags, and at the center of the gym was a lit sparring ring. Yi-An smiled. ¡°A sparring ring?¡± ¡°Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to make a living. Let¡¯s do it in the ring,¡± said Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Whew, you¡¯ve be a true athlete,¡± remarked Yi-An. As Yi-An and Baek Han-Ho headed to the ring, the gym members appeared to be interested in what was going to happen next. Although Baek Han-Ho was now a middle-aged man, there wasn¡¯t anyone at the gym who could defeat him. Even former athletes who had trained professionally were unable to defeat him. To them, Baek Han-Ho was like a mysterious martial arts expert from a wuxia novel, so it piqued their interest to see him bring an unfamiliar man to the sparring ring. The two men seemed to know each other well. The man Baek Han-Ho brought in had a slender physique, but not much else stood out about him. His calm demeanor and face made him seem weak though. ¡°Master Baek, here...¡± One of the gym members brought gloves and headgear to Baek Han-Ho. Baek Han-Ho shook his head and refused, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®Is he nning to fight with his bare hands?¡¯ wondered the gym member inwardly. Yi-An and Baek Han-Ho took off their shoes, but they didn¡¯t change their attire. Yi-An was still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt, and Baek Han-Ho still wore his modernized hanbok. [1]. He didn¡¯t even take off his wristwatch. Whatever they wore was considered their most natural attire as they were masters of the art of murder, who fought to kill rather than subdue. Because their techniques were meant for real-life situations, they were indifferent to their attire, weight ss, and equipment. The gym members who were unaware of this could not understand why the two men climbed into the ring without any preparations. ¡°Are they fighting with bare hands?¡± ¡°Are they strangers who got into an argument on the streets?¡± ¡°Is this a brawl?¡± The members excitedly whispered among themselves as they observed the two men¡¯s fierce gazes. After all, people often enjoyed watching others fight more than anything else in the world. The gym stirred with excitement for the brawl that was about to take ce, but once the brawl began, they were disappointed. Neither Yi-An nor Han-Ho budged or took the initiative to strike. What they did was called method sparring. With method sparring, opponents didn¡¯t make physical contact with each other. Yi-An and Han-Ho refused to make contact as they exchanged the slightest movements. Yet, even those movements were bizarre. They put both their hands forward and guarded against each other¡¯s movements, but each time one was about to reach the other person, they both retreated. It was a strange battle where the viewer couldn¡¯t discern who was winning or losing. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Master Baek grabbing him?¡± asked a gym member. Baek Han-Ho¡¯s jiu-jitsu style relied on counter-utilizing his opponent¡¯s strength to destroy their joints. However, each time Baek Han-Ho tried to grab the hem of Yi-An¡¯s clothing, Yi-An fended him off with his hands, and Baek Han-Ho would then quickly retreat. The gym members didn¡¯t understand that this was an exchange of extremebat techniques that could break the opponent¡¯s finger in an instant. Their offensive and defensive techniques were notprehensible to a wide audience because they diverged from mainstream mixed martial arts techniques. Yi-An and Baek-Ho had already exchanged attacks on their vital points several times. If this had been an actual fight, both fighters would have suffered debilitating injuries. Yi-An grinned. If this fight had been real, his eyeballs and testicles would have burst, his fingers would have been dislocated three times, and his throat and chest would have suffered multiple hits. On the other hand, Baek Han-Ho would have had his ear ripped apart, and he would have suffered a kick to his side. Yi-An seemed to have struck Baek Han-Ho¡¯s testicles, but it was iffy. If this had been an actual fight, Yi-An would have stolen a takedown from him and immediately destroyed his leg joints. Yi-An stepped forward. The two approached one another and repeated another chain of iprehensible movements. Then, they retreated at the same time. It was Yi-An¡¯s loss again. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke me,¡± said Baek Han-Ho with a smile. Yi-An shook his head back and forth. ¡®Was he still no match for Baek Han-Ho?¡¯ Suddenly, Yi-An pretended to throw something. ¡°Ha!¡± Baek Han-Ho dodged by lowering his head. However, Yi-An immediately followed with a kick. His toes stopped abruptly in front of Baek Han-Ho¡¯s chin, and Baek Han-Ho felt the wind from the force of the kick blow through the hairs of his body. ¡°...Did you throw something?¡± asked Baek Han-Ho. The art of murder assumed all situations. Even if Yi-An had thrown something, it was still valid. It would be Baek Han-Ho¡¯s fault for not having anticipated it in advance. Nevertheless, Yi-An didn¡¯t have anything he could have thrown. He did have a wristwatch, but to take that off, he would have had to at least pretend to pull something off of his body. Yi-An grinned. ¡°I threw my respect for you.¡± ¡°...¡± It had been a bluff. With veins protruding on his forehead, Baek Han-Ho grabbed Yi-An¡¯s foot and toppled him over. ¡°Ah, I surrender!¡± yelled Yi-An. ¡°Where did you learn this trick?!¡± scolded Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Wait! My ligament is about to tear! Timeout, time!¡± Locking down an opponent¡¯s legs was categorized as the most dangerous technique. There were many instances of legs breaking during practice. Yi-An repeatedly tapped on Baek Han-Ho while begging him to stop. ¡°This bastard...¡± muttered Baek Han-Ho as he let go of Yi-An¡¯s leg and lightly struck Yi-An¡¯s head. Thus, their spar ended. They calcted the hits with their special method and concluded that Baek Han-Ho was the winner. ¡°You are still far off,¡± stated Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°They said you shouldn¡¯t even step on your mentor¡¯s shadow,¡± said Baek Han-Ho. As the two stepped down from the ring, a member of the audience asked Baek Han-Ho, ¡°Master Baek, what was that just now?¡± Baek Han-Ho and Yi-An looked at each other and shrugged. ¡°We are just fooling around, so don¡¯t mind us,¡± said Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Who is the guy you fought with? Do you know him?¡± asked a gym member. ¡°Let¡¯s say... he¡¯s my disciple.¡± ¡°Disciple?¡± The members tilted their heads curiously. Baek Han-Ho had never called anyone his disciple before. Even when the gym members jokingly called him ¡®Master,¡¯ he would tly reject them and say, ¡®I¡¯m the gym owner, and you are just a gym member.¡¯ [2] ¡°He used to be cute, but he¡¯s a cocky little shit now.¡± Baek Han-Ho wanted to say Yi-An became cocky after learning how to use guns, but he swallowed that thought. Then, a member of the audience cracked his knuckles. He was overflowing with apetitive spirit. He had learned martial arts since he was a child and had even been a professional athlete at one point, but he just practiced it as a hobby now. Even at present, he received many offers to fight underground because of his giant stature. This man hade to genuinely admire Baek Han-Ho, as none of the logic he had learned up to this point applied to him. Age, weight ss, and technique¡ªeverything about Baek Han-Ho seemed inferior to him. No one believed that a giant like him wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a candle to the middle-aged Baek Han-Ho. Then what about that guy who looked around the member¡¯s age? ¡°Master Baek,¡± the man called out. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If your disciple is okay with it, could I please spar with him?¡± Baek Han-Ho looked at him and then at Yi-An. ¡°Hmm.¡± Then he grinned and asked Yi-An, ¡°How about it?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± hesitated Yi-An. ¡°Just follow the regr boxing rules. Give it your best shot,¡± urged Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Ah... Wait...¡± muttered Yi-An The opponent bowed and yelled, ¡°Thank you!¡± Right after that, he grabbed his equipment and climbed into the ring. Yi-An shook his head as he looked at his opponent¡¯s huge stature. Even though Yi-An was strong, it was difficult to ovee a drastic weight difference, especially in a full-contactbat sport with rules. Moreover, his opponent wasn¡¯t a regr gym member and had the stance of someone who had professionally trained to strike their opponent. ¡°Even from a nce, he looks like a heavyweight...¡± said Yi-An while walking over to the ring with heavy footsteps. The gym members helped him put on headgear and gloves before he got into the sparring ring. Yi-An bounced his body against the rope and looked at his gloved fists. He hadn¡¯t used this type of equipment in quite a while. He could get severely injured today if he wasn¡¯t careful. His opponent spoke up, ¡°I know we are in a different weight ss, so I will go easy on you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yi-An¡¯s lips twitched. Although he didn¡¯t seem that way, he was a man with great pride andpetitive spirit. His opponent just told him that he would go easy on him¡ªeasy. He didn¡¯t say this to just anyone but to him, Jung Yi-An. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Yi-An with a solemn voice. Baek Han-Ho, who had been watching Yi-An, said to the gym member next to him, ¡°Hey, Chul-Won.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Baek.¡± ¡°Wet a towel with cold water, and bring it to me.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes...¡± Chul-Won tilted his head questioningly. ¡®Why a towel?¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand, but he did whatever Baek Han-Ho told him to do. When he returned with the wet towel, Chul-Won finally understood why the towel was necessary. ¡°What?!¡± Chul-Won eximed while watching what was happening in the sparring ring. Master Baek¡¯s disciple was beating his opponent, who looked like a heavyweight champion, to a pulp. He was crazy fast, and he dodged all of his opponent¡¯s punches whilending every one of his. The disciple was able to execute techniques that only seemed possible when heard about through word of mouth. Despite his opponent¡¯s resistance, the disciple cornered his muchrger opponent andnded punches on his stomach and face. His movements were so precise that they appeared as if they had been drawn and nned. Whenever the opponent showed an opening, Yi-Annded a direct hit. ¡°Ugh!¡± the opponent groaned. Currently, he was crouched over as he tried to block the barrage of punches. He tried to strike back with an uppercut, but Yi-An swiftly dodged it and threw a hook at his chin. The opponent got a concussion and fainted. The fight didn¡¯t evenst a full round. ¡°...¡± Baek Han-Ho gestured at the gym member who had brought the wet towel. The man now understood why Baek Han-Ho had asked him to do such a thing. He stepped into the ring, woke up the copsed opponent, and wiped his swollen face with the towel. ¡°Hmm...¡± Baek Han-Ho looked at Yi-An as he caressed his chin. He had encouraged Yi-An to spar with this man for a reason. ¡°Too fast...¡± muttered Baek Han-Ho to himself. He had realized it when he had method sparred with Yi-An. Yi-An was too fast. When Yi-An had pretended to throw something and then delivered a kick near the end of their spar, Baek Han-Ho had anticipated that move. He had nned to grab Yi-An¡¯s leg and then apply a joint lock, but Yi-An had been so fast that he couldn¡¯t react in time. Baek Han-Ho¡¯s heart had thumped with excitement at that moment when Yi-An¡¯s foot stopped right in front of his nose. He hadn¡¯t experienced this sensation since he had reached the peak of his abilities, as his opponents no longer posed a challenge. The spar that had just taken ce proved that Yi-An had improved his agility. Baek Han-Ho had expected Yi-An to struggle a bit because of the weight difference between him and his opponent, but Yi-An¡¯s spatial acumen and speed were beyond his expectations. If a person was able to dodge all attacks whilending a hit each time regardless of how muchrger their opponent was, then the fight was like one between an adult and a child. ¡°This guy...¡± murmured Baek Han-Ho with a shrug. 1. Hanbok is traditional Korean clothing. ? 2. This is a parody of a line from a famous K-drama called ¡°Romance.¡± The original line is: ¡°I¡¯m a teacher, and you are a student.¡± ? Chapter 65: The Life of a High-Ranker (3)

Chapter 65: The Life of a High-Ranker (3)

-Hello, this is Elder Lord Weekly,ing to you with this week¡¯s news! Yi-Yoo yawned. She wasn¡¯t interested because she no longer yed Elder Lord, but her friends were different. All of their gazes turned toward the screen at once. ¡°Just have a drink,¡± groaned Yi-Yoo as she raised her ss. However, no one responded. Yi-Yoo pouted. She and her friends Park Jung-Tae, Yoon Bo-Ra, Ban Tae-Hoon, and Kim Ah-Jung had gathered to celebrate the end of the semester after finishing their final exams. It was summer break now. ¡°Look at that,¡± said Yoon Bo-Ra while pointing at the screen. -The first story today is about the newmunity service organization in Maird, the Rebirth Brotherhood. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°They are famous these days.¡± Yi-Yoo continued to drink her beer while pouting. Faces that she recognized had appeared on the screen. They were the trio of ill-mannered yers who had caused Yi-Yoo to quit ying Elder Lord. Yi-Yoo didn¡¯t like how they imed they had been reborn and had created amunity service organization, considering how they had yelled insults at her and forced her into PvP in the past. When Park Jung-Tae noticed Yi-Yoo pouring beer into an empty ss, he took the pitcher from her and poured the beer for her. -These people have a knack for rehabilitating ill-mannered yers... The scene on the screen changed to a pre-recorded video of the trio swiftly subduing a group of evil yers who were attacking a beginner yer. The trio gagged the group of yers, tied them up, and then dragged them elsewhere. After that, the scene changed again and now showed the trio ordering the yers to do something. The reporter continued, -...Not with violence but with another method. The evil yers on the screen began to perform variousmunity service activities. They helped NPCs with mobility issues and yers struggling with quests. If they saw anyone in need of assistance, they would provide their services. The scene changed again, and themunity service construction site where they built homes for people in need appeared. The screen disyed images of yers sweating as they worked hard on the construction site. The reporter then approached and interviewed the three men who founded the Rebirth Brotherhood. They were covered in sweat because they had been working on the construction when they were called over. The reporter asked, -How did youe to do this type of work? The man in the center replied, -To tell you the truth, we used to be evil and ill-mannered yers. We were really bad. -Ah... Then, how...? -We changed after we met an orc. -An orc? -Yes. After we met him, we came to think of Elder Lord as another world and not just a game. Although the orc was an NPC, he treated us with more sincerity than anyone we had met in real life. He is a true teacher who changed our way of thinking. If you want a more detailed story, all of the information is on our Rebirth Brotherhood homepage. The link to the Rebirth Brotherhood¡¯s homepage came up in the captions. The reporter continued interviewing the Rebirth Brotherhood, asking questions like what kind of activities they did, how they kept in touch with the people they had rehabilitated, and so on. The Rebirth Brotherhood exined their ns to gradually expand their organization. Some of the yers they had rehabilitated were spreading their influence and activities to other cities. -I would like to use this moment to ask for forgiveness for the misdeeds wemitted in the past. -We sincerely apologize to everyone who suffered because of us. -We are sorry. The three men bowed toward the camera. The bewildered reporter tried to make them get up, but the three men refused to budge and continued bowing for a while. Yi-Yoo shrugged indifferently while watching them bow. Then the reporter changed the topic, -Wow, amazing. It¡¯s not easy to reflect on your past and reinvent yourself. Who is the orc who rehabilitated you guys? What is his name? The three men looked at each other. One smiled as he answered, -Everyone has probably heard his name before. It¡¯s Crockta. -Ah, ah... That orc! Ban Tae-Hoon, who had been watching the show, said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Crockta the guy from Arnin?¡± ¡°He was also rted to the Chesswood incident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that orc, right? The bringer of justice? Is he truly an event NPC?¡± ¡°Why would Elder Lord create such a thing? They always stress the realism of their game and don¡¯t intervene even when some yers run into issues that prevent them from continuing the game.¡± ¡°I joined Crockta¡¯s fandom yesterday,¡± said Yoon Bo-Ra as she chewed on dry squid. ¡°What? Bo-Ra, you even fangirl over NPCs now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s cool. There¡¯s no one like him these days. Even though he¡¯s an orc, I can¡¯t help but praise him. Do you know what the fandom is called?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Praise the Orc!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really fucking childish. Did some middle-aged guy with no taste name it?¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Yoon Bo-Ra hit Ban Tae-Hoon¡¯s head hard. It was a great strike! She was worthy of praise! Meanwhile, the Elder Lord Weekly interview wasing to an end. -Let¡¯s shout the Rebirth Brotherhood¡¯s slogan together as we conclude the interview. At the reporter¡¯s words, the three men all pointed at the screen in unison and beamed. -Regardless of the evil deeds you have done in the past... -We know that... -You are not a bad person! With a booming sound effect, the scene changed back to the studio. The topic of focus in Elder Lord Weekly was changed to analyzing Crockta. His name first became known to the onlinemunity because of his rescue activities at Arnin. Then he progressively grew more famous as he exposed the corruption of Arnin¡¯s mayor, rescued Chesswood fromrge ns, and achieved great feats at Quantes. In the onlinemunity, Crockta was treated as a hero who enforced justice. The two reporters began to discuss Crockta. -Crockta is such a trending figure these days. What do you think about his nickname ¡®Orc of Justice¡¯? -I love it. He¡¯s different from the yers. Because Elder Lord is real life for the NPCs, he lives by his convictions. That¡¯s why he¡¯s even more amazing. He¡¯s risking his life every time. -Rumors are circting that Crockta is a yer since he wears a headband on his forehead. -Hahaha, those are just rumors. Many rumors have spread with the increase of Crockta¡¯s fame, but that particr rumor doesn¡¯t seem likely to be true. After all, orc warriors often wear essories or ornaments. Anyway, there¡¯s news that Elder Lord is seeing an increase in orc yers because of Crockta. A map of Elder Lord popped up on the screen with a line connecting Arnin, Chesswood, Maird, and Qunates drawn on the map. It was Crockta¡¯s itinerary. He was obviously heading to the north. -He seems to be heading to the north. Based on that, he doesn¡¯t seem to be a yer. -The north... What a pity. We may never be able to see Crockta again. The two reporters shook their heads in dismay. There wasn¡¯t a starting point for yers in the north. Thus, a yer had to pass through the Forest of Monsters to get there. It was an impossible obstacle to get through. No yer had ever seen whaty beyond the Forest of Monsters. Even the developers had avoided the topic and stated that the world of Elder Lord did indeed extend to the north, but they would leave it to the yers to discover what was there. Thus, the northern region was treated like mysterious content that a yer could enjoy if their level got high enough. -Now that we have analyzed every aspect of Crockta, I really think he could be an event NPC created by the Elder Saga Corporation. Regardless, I hope Crockta safely returns from the north. -Yes, I hope the orc of justice will return to us. Then the reporters shrugged. -So, what¡¯s next? -The yer rankings have changed. A new yer has burst onto the scene among the stagnant league of high-rankers. However, the yer has decided to keep their information private, which is quite rare. They immediately jumped to 482nd ce among the high-rankers. -This yer piques my curiosity with their decision to keep their information private. -Haha, we wanted to interview the yer, but we don¡¯t know who they are. Instead, we have prepared an interview with the former 500th-ce high-ranker, dwarf yer Kamaz¡ªwho used to be referred to as the ¡®ranking gatekeeper.¡¯ He has fallen out of the league of high-rankers due to the appearance of the new ranker. -Kamaz must be so disappointed. -He said he¡¯s burning with determination to be a high-ranker again. ¡°High-rankers are so lucky. They must earn a lot of money,¡±mented Yi-Yoo¡¯s friend. ¡°Heard the dividend they receive is higher than what we imagine.¡± Yi-Yoo¡¯s friends shifted their attention away from the television and began to engage in conversation among themselves. As college students, they frequently discussed future prospects and finding employment. ¡°Yi-Yoo is so lucky,¡±mented one of Yi-Yoo¡¯s friends. ¡°Why?¡± asked Yi-Yoo. ¡°You can just work at your brother¡¯s caf¨¦ if you can¡¯t find a job.¡± ¡°Yeah, even the cafe¡¯s name is Caf¨¦ Reason. Didn¡¯t he name it Caf¨¦ Reason after you? [1] ¡°He looks after his sister really well.¡± Yi-Yoo swelled with pride. She had some time before graduating, so she wasn¡¯t too concerned with finding a job yet. ¡°Should I be a full-time Elder Lord yer?¡± asked Ban Tae-Hoon. ¡°Ohhh... nooo.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t want to look for a job. Tae-Sung hyung was recently humiliated at an interview. His story was sooo funny. He said he got into an argument with the interviewer, and they ended up yelling at each other.¡± ¡°As expected of Park Tae-Sung.¡± As they continued to drink while talking, Yi-Yoo and her friends became tipsy. The first one to knock out was Yi-Yoo. She was a lightweight, so her face turned red just from drinking beer. She progressively grew quieter and blinked slowly as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Then her head dropped to the table, and she began snoring with her face down. Yoon Bo-Ra poked at Yi-Yoo¡¯s cheek, but Yi-Yoo didn¡¯t respond. Yoon Bo-Ra shook her head, ¡°What should we do about her?¡± ¡°Ah, Jung Yi-Yoo. Why did she drink so much? She¡¯s a lightweight.¡± ¡°Order some coke for her next time.¡± None of Yi-Yoo¡¯s friends were drunk. Unlike Yi-Yoo, they could handle their alcohol. Park Jung-Tae took out his phone and said, ¡°I know what to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother¡¯s number,¡± exined Park Jung-Tae. ¡°Is it okay to call him?¡± asked Yoon Bo-Ra. ¡°He told me to always reach out to him in situations like this,¡± replied Park Jung-Tae while texting Yi-An. Yi-An immediately sent a response. ¡°He said he¡¯sing,¡± said Park Jung-Tae. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Have you guys already met Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother?¡± asked Park Jung-Tae. ¡°It¡¯s my first time.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really handsome.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± The only one who hadn¡¯t yet seen Yi-An was Ban Tae-Hoon. The rest of Yi-Yoo¡¯s friends had run into Yi-An before. The group continued to talk about their summer break ns without Yi-Yoo. Each of them had their own goal, be it working a part-time job, doingmunity service, or studying for a certification. Then a familiar voice butted into their conversation, ¡°Hey, guys.¡± It was Jung Yun-Ji. Kim Ah-Jung, who was pretty close to her, weed her. ¡°Ah! Yun-Ji! Can¡¯t believe we¡¯re running into you here. That¡¯s awesome. Did youe with friends?¡± ¡°I came to celebrate finishing final exams. You guys too?¡± asked Jung Yun-Ji. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Kim Ah-Jung. Jung Yun-Jiughed when she saw Yi-Yoo sleeping with her face down on the table. ¡°Wow, Yi-Yoo¡¯s knocked out.¡± ¡°Yeah, so we called her brother,¡± said Kim Ah-Jung. ¡°Ah...¡± Jung Yun-Ji nced over the pub¡¯s entrance. She recalled the first time she met Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother. Their eyes had met for a split second. Had it been purely a coincidence? She didn¡¯t even know his name, but she wanted to get to know him better. ¡°How is Elder Lord?¡± asked Kim Ah-Jung. ¡°I¡¯m the rising star of the cksmith Company,¡± said Jung Yun-Ji proudly. ¡°Wow, you are amazing,¡±mented Kim Ah-Jung. They exchanged light conversation, then Jung Yun-Ji went back to her table. The pub was so noisy that it drowned out their voices. Yoon Bo-Ra swept back the sleeping Yi-Yoo¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, Yi-Yoo and her brother don¡¯t really seem alike.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Yi-Yoo¡¯s nice, but before you get to know her, how should I say this...? She looks like she has a bit of an attitude,¡± said Yoon Bo-Ra. ¡°That¡¯s true. I thought the same thing at first, but she turned out to be a clumsy oaf.¡± ¡°She has a resting bitch face, but her brother always has a soft expression on his face,¡± replied Bo-Ra. ¡°Really? I¡¯m curious now,¡± said Ban Tae-Hoon. ¡°Ban Tae-Hoon, there¡¯s no way you could measure up to him, so don¡¯t expect anything.¡± ¡°What? Hmph,¡± scoffed Ban Tae-Hoon. Suddenly, Park Jung-Tae raised his hand. The rest of the group turned around to look at where Park Jung-Tae¡¯s gaze was directed. A man was walking toward them from the entrance. It was Yi-An. Yi-An, who recognized Park Jung-Tae, smiled as he approached them. His handsome facial features appeared even more defined with the dim pub lights casting shadows on his face. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello...¡± Yi-Yoo¡¯s friends greeted him in session. Yi-An bowed slightly in greeting. Then he let out a sigh when he saw Yi-Yoo with her face down on the pub table. He nudged her, but she just whined and buried her face deeper into her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Yi-Yoo. And I¡¯m sorry for interrupting when you guys are enjoying yourselves,¡± Yi-An said. ¡°No, it¡¯s our fault for not stopping her. Sorry,¡± replied Ban Tae-Hoon. Yi-An smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I will take Yi-Yoo home. Have fun, everyone.¡± He lifted Yi-Yoo and supported her into a standing position. Yi-Yoo blinked a few times and then flinched when she recognized Yi-An. She smiled awkwardly under Yi-An¡¯s stare. Then she staggered out of the pub with Yi-An¡¯s support. ¡°I have a bad rtionship with my brother. I wish I had a brother like him. Yi-Yoo¡¯s so lucky.¡± ¡°Of course, with a sister like you, your brother...¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You are always telling me to shut up. Are you a ¡®shut up¡¯ master?¡± ¡°What did you say, you little brat?¡± Suddenly, a huge meat skewer set was served to their table. Their eyes widened in surprise. ¡°We didn¡¯t order this...¡± The part-timer replied, ¡°The man who just left added this to your order and paid for the whole meal.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°What?¡± As they looked down at the skewers of meat glistening under the pub¡¯s dim lights, their expressions changed. This dish was the most expensive item on the menu. Moreover, it was of an extrarge size. They had only ever imagined ordering it because it was too expensive for students to afford. ¡°Wow...¡± ¡°He¡¯s so cool...¡± Jung Yun-Ji, who had been paying attention to Yi-An dropping by and leaving, subtly approached them. ¡°Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother came and took Yi-Yoo just now, right?¡± ¡°Huh, yeah. Do you know him?¡± ¡°Do you happen to know his name?¡± ¡°Ohhh. Why, are you interested in him?¡± asked Yoon Bo-Ra with a grin. Park Jung-Tae, who was devouring a skewer of meat, replied, ¡°Jung Yi-An.¡± ¡°Jung Yi-An?¡± asked Yun-Ji. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®Jung Yi-An¡¯¡ªthe name suited Yi-Yoo¡¯s brother, but the name seemed familiar to Jung Yun-Ji somehow. Jung Yun-Ji tilted her head. Where had she heard the name before? Jung Yun-Ji thanked Park Jung-Tae and pondered over the name as she returned to her seat. The voice of the Elder Lord Weekly reporters continued to ring out from the pub¡¯s television. -Anyway, we hope that the new high-ranker will reveal his information soon. As an Elder Lord yer, I¡¯m curious about what sorts of adventures he¡¯s getting up to. -I feel the same way. *** ¡°Let¡¯s go, Crockta!¡± shouted Tiyo, who was carrying a huge backpack. This was the official start of Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s journey to the north. Crockta also carried a huge backpack in preparation for camping. As Crockta and Tiyo exited through the city walls, the guards saluted them. ¡°I entrust Quantes to you!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Yes! Captain Tiyo!¡± ¡°We will be waiting for you!¡± ¡°Please return safely!¡± ¡°Everyone, saaaluuute!¡± yelled the guards. It was obvious to Crockta that Tiyo was highly respected by his subordinates. Crockta took a deep breath of Elder Lord¡¯s fresh air. It was time for another adventure. He was filled with the energy of beginning a new journey. Their destination was the north, a mysterious region no one had sessfully encroached on. ¡°Shall we go, Tiyo?!¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Crockta!¡± yelled Tiyo enthusiastically. Thus, an orc and a gnome¡¯s adventure to the north began. Right then, a message window popped up for Crockta. [Ste: Hey... Yi-An...] Crockta, who had been walking determinedly with big strides, flinched and missed his footing. [Ste: By any chance...] ¡°What, Crockta? Are you already tired?!¡± yelled Tiyo. Tiyo jabbed Crockta¡¯s waist as Crockta waited for Ste¡¯s next message. 1. The name Yi-Yoo has the same pronunciation as the word reason in Korean. ? Chapter 66: Hunting Season (1)

Chapter 66: Hunting Season (1)

[Ste: By any chance... Never mind... Where do you live in real life?] Crockta let out a sigh of relief and lied effortlessly. [Yi-An: Hahaha! I live in Busan. Busan. Come visit Busan sometime! Let¡¯s eat doughnuts and pork and rice soup! Hahahaha!] [Ste: Aha... I see. I met someone who has the same name as you, so I asked just in case. How are you doing these days?] Ste had the name ¡®Yi-An¡¯ saved in the system, so to Ste, the sender was still Yi-An and not Crockta. Crockta passed himself off vaguely as a man who lived next to the ocean in Busan and then quickly ended the conversation. The situation with Jung Yun-Ji was getting worse. He wanted to hide his true identity for as long as possible though. ¡°Why are you just standing there?! Let¡¯s go, Crockta! To the north! Thend of mystery!¡± shouted Tiyo while running around excitedly. Crockta grinned. The more he got to know Tiyo, the cuter he felt Tiyo was. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± Tiyo ran ahead of Crockta. They were still in the ins. To arrive at the forbidden territory, the Forest of Monsters, they had to venture past the horizon. Bursting with joy, Crockta let out a triumphant roar, ¡°I¡¯m goooooinnnng too! Bul¡¯taaarrr!¡± Then Crockta started to run. Thus, the orc and gnome ran toward the north. *** Hunting was a quiet task. He took advantage of the forest¡¯s darkness when aiming for his target¡¯s throat. He hid in the shadows, between trees, and in ces where his target¡¯s line of sight didn¡¯t reach. The prey that he was keeping an eye on was a rare species called the two-headed ogre. A mutant like that didn¡¯t appear out of nowhere. When dark energy tainted an ogre, the ogre turned into a much more heinous monster. However, what he targeted was not the mutant two-headed ogre but the core of darkness that had tainted the creature with evil. He had been targeting that darkness for a long time, and he was determined to exterminate it this time. He had missed many opportunities so far, but winter had passed, and he could sense the darkness emerging from the soil like long-forgotten sprouts of spring. The darkness reared its ugly head and emitted a foul stench. The mutant ogre, who was drunk on its rotten scent, proved it. His lips curved upward. He had been waiting for it, and he wouldn¡¯t miss it this time. The hunting season had returned. *** Crockta nudged the gnome¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tiyo?¡± ¡°A-Are we really going in there?¡± Tiyo gulped as he gazed into the endless sea of ck trees that made up the forest. The forest was so dark that one couldn¡¯t see anything inside it. Even from a nce, it seemed to be teeming with dark energy. Then, a message window popped up for Crockta. [You have arrived at the Forest of Monsters.] [Wow! How courageous of you toe all the way here!] [If you seed in getting through the Forest of Monsters, you will receive an award as the first yer to achieve such a feat.] [How do you feel about going on a quest again after such a long time?] [Once you pass through the Forest of Monsters, you will be given special achievement points. If you achieve a hidden clear condition, you will reap enormous rewards and a new title.] [Good luck!] Crockta checked the messages. He used to think that they were automated, but there seemed to be an artificially intelligent being writing them in real-time. Its goading tone and attitude had quite the personality. ¡°C-Crockta, are we really going in there? Am I dreaming?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta burst intoughter. ¡°Tiyo, are you really going to act like a rookie? Aren¡¯t you a captain of Quantes¡¯ garrison?¡± ¡°What? You calling me a rookie?!¡± Tiyo jumped up and down in annoyance. ¡°Fine! I will show you! Let¡¯s go right now!¡± After that, he trudged into the forest. Once Tiyo entered the shadows of the forest, Crockta could no longer see the little guy. He was about to follow Tiyo into the forest when Tiyo ran back out. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± screamed Tiyo. He ran around in a frenzy, fell, and rolled across the ground. Then he got up in a panic and ran around in circles again. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± shouted Crockta as he pulled out his greatsword. At the spot where Tiyo had run out from, there was a huge and dark creature moving amid the trees. It tried toe out of the forest. Crockta tensed up. ¡°...¡± It was... a huge cow... ¡°...M-Monster! A monster has appeared!¡± Tiyo screamed while grabbing the hem of Crockta¡¯s pants. Crockta looked at Tiyo with cold eyes. Seeing Crockta¡¯s icy gaze, Tiyo finally came to his senses and slowly looked behind him. ¡°Moo...¡± the cow cried out. Tiyo was dumbfounded. It was just a cow. Tiyo got up without a word and brushed the dirt off his clothes. ¡°Ahem! Then, shall we go, Crockta?! Onward without hesitation!¡± Crockta shook his head as he followed behind Tiyo. ¡°But why is a cow here?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Yeah, why is a cow here?¡± agreed Crockta as he examined the cow. It didn¡¯t seem like a wild cow; it had signs of being taken care of. Even when they approached the cow, the cow just calmly looked at them with innocent eyes. When Crockta patted its head, the cow mooed again in good spirits. It was a pleasant cry. ¡°Moooooooo...¡± Even just listening to it put Crockta¡¯s mind at ease. Crockta felt like he was in a peaceful pasture rather than the Forest of Monsters. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s someone inside,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Someone¡¯s inside the forest?¡± asked Tiyo. The Forest of Monsters had long been considered a forbidden territory that was impossible to enter and leave freely, as most people were reduced to prey the moment they stepped inside. Yet, the cow here showed signs of being domesticated. How could this be? Tiyo and Crockta exchanged looks. ¡°Shall we go?¡± asked Crockta. Now, it was really time to head into the Forest of Monsters. Tiyo jumped onto the cow¡¯s back and said, ¡°Crockta, lead the way.¡± ¡°...¡± The cow swung its tail in response. Crockta led Tiyo and the cow into the Forest of Monsters. As soon as they entered, the air turned chilly. The temperature was lower inside because the forest¡¯s thick foliage blocked the sun, so the whole ground was covered in one long shadow. The ground was moist, and mosses and lichen flourished on trees. They even stepped on something sticky at every step. This ce was just unpleasant. ¡°Cow, where is your house?¡± Tiyo asked the cow. Then the cow walked in a certain direction, and Tiyo and Crockta followed it. It was so dark inside the forest that it was impossible to tell what might suddenly appear. They felt strange in the forest. It was simr to the way people sometimes described there being an ominous atmosphere in the mountains, where their sense of direction became unclear, and they experienced an eerie feeling creeping up on them. It was a strange sensation Crockta and Tiyo had never experienced up to this point. Suddenly, Crockta sensed something move in the distance. He and Tiyo flinched instinctively. Crockta ced his hand on the hilt of his greatsword, and Tiyo aimed the General. The rustling form drew nearer and poked its head out. It was a troll. Crockta grinned. ¡®As expected of the Forest of Monsters.¡¯ The Forest of Monsters was a ce where trolls greeted its visitors. Monsters like goblins and werewolves wouldn¡¯t stand a chance here. Crockta couldn¡¯t possibly struggle against the weakest creature here. Tiyo shouted, ¡°Go, Crockta!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Crockta charged forth. Simultaneously, the General emitted fire. It was a simr formation to back when they battled ogres at Quantes. The n was for Tiyo to halt the enemy with a magic-infused weapon while Crockta charged and shed the enemy. After taking a direct hit from the General, the troll spasmed and copsed onto the ground. ¡°Kiyek!¡± it screamed. Although the Generalcked the destructive power to kill a target, it disyed an extraordinary ability to deter the target through electrocution. The troll contorted and moaned in pain. Crockta then leaped onto the troll and shed its neck with the Ogre yer. The troll¡¯s body and head separated. However, it was a troll, so its body and face wriggled and twitched even after the troll was decapitated. Bubbles formed at the injury sites where the decapitation had urred, disying the unique regenerative ability of the troll species. Crockta believed that if he put the troll¡¯s head and body back together, they would reconnect and be one again. The troll would then go about its day as if nothing had happened. ¡°Wow, amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s giving me goosebumps.¡± Crockta¡¯s recovery skill had evolved to Troll¡¯s Regenerative Power (Essence), but it paled inparison to an actual troll¡¯s regeneration skills. Tiyo and Crockta exchanged surprised looks. In any case, they had executed great teamwork. They were confident that they could get through the Forest of Monsters with their level of skill. Crockta extended his hand, and the gnome jumped and high-fived him. ¡°Mooooo...¡± the cow let out a long cry. With the General on his back, Tiyo jumped onto the cow. ¡°Cow, where do you live?¡± Tiyo asked again. The cow waved its tail at the question and continued onward, heading deeper into the forest. Crockta walked beside the cow and Tiyo, who was on its back. The cow would stop every now and then to show them something cool. When it stopped walking and sniffed the ground, there would be delicious mushrooms there, and when it cried toward the sky, there were sweet and refreshing berries nearby. Crockta and Tiyo took a bite of the red fruit while the cow chewed on fragrant mushrooms. ¡°He must be used to this ce.¡± ¡°It really does seem like someone lives here.¡± As they continued to follow the cow, an outline of a house appeared in the distance. Crockta crouched down. Although the cow was friendly, it didn¡¯t mean its owner was as well. Moreover, since the owner lived in the Forest of Monsters, they had to be a force to reckon with. Once Crockta and Tiyo got closer, they saw that the house was surrounded by a moat and sharp fences. If a monster wandered into it, its body would be pierced by the sharp barricade. Tiyo said, ¡°There¡¯s a magic circle here.¡± ¡°A magic circle?¡± questioned Crockta. ¡°Yes, it was designed to make the house invisible to most monsters. Whoever lives here must be protecting the ce with a magic-infused artifact. No wonder he lives in the Forest of Monsters.¡± Tiyo analyzed their surroundings. As a gnome, he understood how magically-engineered designs worked. Upon Tiyo¡¯s mention, Crockta realized the presence of the house and its surroundings did seem faint. ¡°Mooo...¡± The cow went around the house and stopped at one spot. It seemed to be the shallowest section of the moat, as the cow just walked over it like it was normal ground. After crossing the moat, the cow squeezed into a hole under the fence, which was the entrance of a small passage. The cow hunched its huge body and then passed through the small hole like a boneless animal. Then, as if beckoning them toe in, the cow cried out from behind the fence, ¡°Mooooooooooo...¡± Crockta and Tiyo looked at each other. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s okay to go inside?¡± asked Crockta ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°But it¡¯s someone else¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What about the cow? The cow is an official member of that family! That means a member of the homeowner¡¯s family has invited us inside!¡± said Tiyo confidently. ¡°Hmm...¡± Tiyo did have a point. Crockta and Tiyo decided to ept the invitation. Just as the cow had done earlier, they walked over the shallowest part of the moat and went through the hole under the fence. Tiyo was able to slip through easily, but Crockta barely managed to do so and ended up getting all scratched up. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± The men gasped in shock. There was apletely different world inside the fence. It was a peaceful sight that no one could have imagined being inside the Forest of Monsters. The cow that had traveled with Crockta and Tiyo rubbed heads with two other cows and greeted them with a moo. Nearby, chickens scurried about and pecked at the ground. At the center of it all was a sturdy-looking log house surrounded by a vegetable garden. Axes, pickaxes, and other farming equipment were scattered around the house. The house and its surroundings looked very lived-in. ¡°Amazing,¡± muttered Crockta. Then he discovered something among the tools and furrowed his brows. There were arrows and arrowheads that someone had carved. ¡®A hunter...¡¯ thought Crockta. Suddenly, Tiyo yelled, ¡°Look! Crockta! This must be the artifact maintaining this ce!¡± While approaching Tiyo, Crockta saw a magic staff next to the log house. There was a crystal ball embedded on top with blue energy seeping from it. The blue energy spread and created a faint shield around this hidden territory. ¡°Mana flows out from this magic circle and covers its surroundings...¡± exined Tiyo. Round shapes and patterns had been drawn underneath the staff, and its streams of mana spread out in all directions. ¡°Such amazing skills,¡± said Tiyo with glistening eyes. After ncing around his surroundings, Tiyo slightly nudged the staff. Right then, the lights in the magic staff went out with a hiss. ¡°Huh...?¡± Tiyo froze. The mysterious blue energy that ran from the crystal ball had suddenly disappeared. Moreover, the faint shield that had surrounded the area also disappeared. ¡°Ah... no,¡± mumbled Tiyo as he took a step back. Crockta then looked up at the sky. Wyverns were flying above them. ¡°...!¡± Crockta was shocked. With the protective shield gone, the wyverns could see them now. Crockta¡¯s hands grew sweaty. For a second, it seemed like they were just passing by, but they then began to fly in circles above Crockta and Tiyo. Tiyo stuttered, ¡°I, I, I, j-just...¡± ¡°Calm down, Tiyo,¡± assured Crockta. It was a basic rule of the battlefield to not dwell on the past. There was no point in arguing over what had already happened. The past was better left for discussion during award ceremonies or reflections on causes of failure. When one had a gun right in front of their face, the priority was to focus solely on the enemy. The wyverns began to p their wings. They were getting ready to dive. Crockta scanned his surroundings. There were two things that the wyverns could consider as prey¡ªthe Crockta and Tiyo pair or the cows. ¡°Tiyo, there are two choices.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± More wyverns appeared. The expanding flock of wyverns drooled as they looked down on their easy prey that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Tiyo propped the General on his shoulder and stated, ¡°We only have one choice!¡± ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± A wyvern began to dive, with three other wyverns in tow, toward one of the cows. The wyverns went plunging toward the ground. Tiyo aimed the General¡¯s muzzle and said, ¡°I do not run away from things! I take responsibility for my mistakes!¡± Crockta grinned. Hispanion wasn¡¯t just cute; Tiyo was also a real man. Just as the wyverns were about to seize the cows with their sharp talons, Crockta let out a battle cry that rang thunderously through the forest, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!¡± The forest shook from the impact of Crockta¡¯s Essence-tier Army Crushing Roar, which could overpower his enemies with physical force. Surprised by this, the wyverns stopped their descent and rose back up by pping their wings swiftly. Meanwhile, the cows, having realized what was going on, turned their backs to the wyverns and began running away. The wyverns soon came to their senses and chased after the cows, but Crockta stopped them. He charged at them with his greatsword and ripped the wyverns¡¯ wings apart. Crockta¡¯s attack sent the wyvern in the lead rolling onto the ground and scattered the three wyverns that had followed the first one left and right. ¡°Yeeaaaahhhhh!¡± Tiyo screamed as he attacked the scattered wyverns with his General. The wyverns flew back up and swirled through the sky. It became hard to hit the wyverns once they began putting in the effort to avoid the attacks, and Tiyo¡¯s bullets ended up hitting empty space. A confrontation without any progress ensued. Crockta¡¯s expression stiffened. He couldn¡¯t subdue the wyverns if they continued to circle the skies like that. Yet, if he just let them be, more monsters woulde. ¡°Ugh...¡± Tiyo bit his lips in frustration. Right then, a sh of light swooshed through the air and flew past them. There was a crackling sound, and a wyvern plunged to the ground at the next moment. ¡°...!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Another stream of light flew past the sky, and a second wyvern dropped to the ground. Repeated strikes from the light sent the wyverns plummeting to the ground. Now, all of the wyverns that had been threatening Crockta, Tiyo, and the cows were corpses sprawled on the ground. Crockta couldn¡¯t tell where the attacks had beening from. Then, he discovered an arrow stuck in one of the wyvern¡¯s bodies. When Crockta approached the wyvern to inspect it more closely, an arrow grazed past his nose. ¡°...!¡± Then another arrow came flying andnded at Crockta¡¯s feet. It was clearly warning him that he was not to move any further from the spot. Crockta and Tiyo turned toward the direction the arrow hade from and saw that someone was walking toward them. Chapter 67: Hunting Season (2)

Chapter 67: Hunting Season (2)

It was a man who was carrying a huge longbow and had a crude machete hanging on his waist. His eyes glinted between the tangles of his disheveled hair. Crockta greeted him. ¡°Are you alive? We are¡ª¡± However, before Crockta could even finish his sentence, the man pulled out his machete and aimed it at Crockta. "Fuck off, thieves.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t thieves. We are just¡ª¡± Crockta tried to exin, but the machete drew closer to him, making contact with his skin. Crockta¡¯s eyebrows twitched in irritation. Nevertheless, he decided to take a step back first since he and Tiyo had entered the man''s home without permission. ¡°Understood. We will leave, so please put your machete away,¡± Crockta said. Upon hearing that, the man withdrew his machete. Yet, Tiyo, who had been watching them, jumped up and down agitatedly. ¡°Ah, no! We are¡ª!¡± ¡°Shut up, little kid,¡± said the man as he glimpsed over at Tiyo. ¡°What did you say? Little k-kid?¡± asked Tiyo in shock. Crockta had to hold Tiyo back, as he looked like he was ready to put his General to use. Meanwhile, the man approached the magic staff that had been protecting the area. He tapped on something, and the staff¡¯s blue energy returned. The energy spread everywhere and created a faint shield around the fence. ¡°We didn¡¯t have bad intentions. We will leave now. Please stay alive,¡± said Crockta in farewell. Then he crouched over to leave through the hole under the fence. The man nced at Crockta but didn¡¯t respond. Crockta shrugged and crawled through the hole. While the man stared at Crockta receding in the distance, he muttered, ¡°Annoying brats...¡± Then he looked at the cow staring at him. It was the cow Crockta and Tiyo had rescued from the wyverns. ¡°How have you been, Sch? Have there been any issuestely?¡± asked the man in a soft voice. He sounded like apletely different person from when he had been ready to swing his machete at Crockta. The man rubbed his cheek against the cow, and the cow emitted a long, drawn-out cry. ¡°What?¡± The man tilted his head as if he understood what the cow was saying. The cow cried again, ¡°Mooooooo...¡± The man¡¯s gaze turned solemn as he looked behind him. He was looking at the hole below the fence, through which Crockta and Tiyo had left. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you are indebted to them. They came here on their own, so they should take care of themselves,¡± the man stated. Then he let out a sigh while gazing off into the distance. ¡°Fine, fine. Understood. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said to Sch. The man then went up to the other cows and rubbed his cheek against theirs as well. He gathered them in one ce and fed them fodder. Then he looked at the ck sea of trees beyond the fence. This ce was always humid and dark. It was a forest of darkness that didn¡¯t allow light to seep through to the inside. Most people who entered lost their way and became prey to the monsters dwelling there. The cows that had been eating the hay cried out, ¡°Mooooo...¡± The man filled up his quiver of arrows and replied, ¡°I said I understood.¡± *** ¡°He¡¯s such a nasty guy. Isn¡¯t he, Crockta?¡± asked Tiyo as he walked with quick footsteps. ¡°It¡¯s true that we were uninvited though,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°But we protected the cows!¡± ¡°We are the ones who caused the wyverns to attack in the first ce.¡± ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s true, but he called me a little kid!¡± Tiyo eximed, jumping and nudging Crockta¡¯s shoulder. Tiyo yelled frustratedly, ¡°I¡¯m considered tall among gnomes, but he still called me a little kid! Isn¡¯t he also a little kidpared to you?!¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± ¡°This is not aughing matter!¡± grumbled Tiyo. The pair continued to head north by following apass. If they persisted in treading through the forest, the northern region would eventually appear. ¡°There aren¡¯t as many monsters as we had expected,¡± remarked Crockta. He had expected to be relentlessly attacked by monsters as soon as he entered the Forest of Monsters, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Things were going smoothly. Right now, they couldn''t sense the presence of any monsters around them. It waspletely silent without even the sound of birds or bugs. They didn¡¯t see wyverns flying around either. Crockta fiddled with the hilt of his greatsword. ¡°Tiyo.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Shh...¡± Crockta put a finger to his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s tread quietly.¡± ¡°Did you see something?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°No, but this area is too quiet. It doesn¡¯t seem like a forest notorious for its monsters. If this area is devoid of monsters, there could only be one reason for that.¡± Tiyo understood what Crockta meant and nodded. The fact that there weren¡¯t any monsters around meant there was a predator so powerful that other monsters were no match for it. Crockta and Tiyo had perhaps stepped foot into an even more dangerous area. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here quickly,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Understood.¡± They began to walk with silent footsteps. As they walked on, vines that drooped down from branches covered their field of vision. Crockta pulled out his greatsword and cut through the vines, continuing to advance. The Ogre yer swiftly cut away the obstacles despite its hefty size. ¡°Why does that guy live here?¡± grumbled Tiyo. ¡°Not sure.¡± Crockta was also curious about the backstory of the man who was skilled enough to instantly defeat wyverns with his arrows. Why had the man built a home here? In any case, he was definitely a hunter. ¡°Perhaps to hunt?¡± suggested Crockta. Hunters lived to hunt. They proved themselves by killing strong prey. There had to be a reason for the man to build a house and live here. What was a hunter of his caliber aiming to catch here? Crockta suddenly flinched as a huge shadow brushed past them. ¡°What?¡± Tiyo raised his head in surprise. He hadn¡¯t been able to see properly because of the branches, leaves, and vines covering the sky, but it appeared to be arge ck shadow. ¡°Was it a wyvern?¡± wondered Tiyo while tilting his head curiously. He was about to continue walking forward when the shadow flew above their heads. ¡°...!¡± Crockta grasped his greatsword and looked up. The creature¡¯s huge body flew past their field of vision in an instant. It was definitely bigger than a wyvern. ¡°Tiyo!¡± shouted Crockta. ¡°I¡ª I saw it too.¡± Tiyo was already preparing his General for a battle. He raised the General¡¯s muzzle toward the sky, but the shadow didn¡¯t reappear. Tiyo surveyed what he could see of the sky and said, ¡°What was that?¡± Crockta and Tiyo walked slowly while keeping an eye on the sky. Right then, they heard a noise. ¡°Krr...¡± a shadow of a beast growled behind them. Crockta quickly turned around and raised his greatsword. There was a huge beast baring its teeth at them from beyond the trees and vines. ¡°That... What is that...?¡± muttered Tiyo in a trembling voice. The huge face of an elderly man was looking at them. However, the bared teeth were that of a beast¡¯s, and a pair of wings spread out behind the creature¡¯s disheveled mane. The wings made its body appear evenrger. This creature, which had an old man¡¯s face on a lion¡¯s body with bat wings, was a manticore. It was the type of powerful monster that would appear at thest stage of a dungeon. Yet, it approached Tiyo and Crockta now. Because of its size, it felt like a house was moving toward them. Crockta stepped back instinctively. The manticore¡¯s wrinkled face became distorted. ¡°Krrrrrrrrrr...¡± It had a horrendous appearance; it resembled a wrinkled old man in a strange way that elicited disgust. The manticore reared its lesion-covered face toward them and opened its mouth wide to reveal its sharp teeth. ¡°Krrraaaaaaahhh!¡± The manticore charged. Crockta almost turned his back toward the creature in fear. It was that unsightly. The way the manticore charged resembled a huge train running in his direction. Right then, a beam of light flew from behind him and struck the manticore. ¡°Kreung!¡± yelled the manticore. It slowed down as beams of light continued to fly toward the manticore and strike it. This support wasing from the General in Tiyo¡¯s hands. Crockta grinned in relief. He had almost shown an embarrassing side of himself. Then Crockta began to direct all of his focus on the opponent in front of him while tensing his muscles. They swelled up and felt as if about to burst. He kicked at the earth with his strong legs and prepared to run. Crockta raised his greatsword and charged at the manticore. The manticore cried out, ¡°Krrrrraaaaahhhhhh!¡± Crockta didn¡¯t falter and roared back, ¡°Bul¡¯ttttaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!¡± He activated his Essence-tier skill, the Army Crushing Roar. Suddenly, the Forest of Monsters shook as if there was an earthquake. The manticore stopped in its tracks as Crockta ran toward it with incredible momentum. An intense aura rose like steam from Crockta¡¯s greatsword. Simultaneously, the manticore swung its paws. Sparks flew between Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer and the manticore as they collided. Crockta grappled with the manticore, who tried to bite Crockta with its sharp teeth. ¡°No way!¡± yelled Tiyo. He struck the manticore with his General again, focusing his aim around the manticore¡¯s eyes. The General¡¯s hits caused the manticore to shake its head in pain. Crockta didn¡¯t miss that opening in the manticore¡¯s defense and plunged his Ogre yer into the manticore¡¯s chest. For a second, it seemed like the de was obstructed by the manticore¡¯s thick skin. However, it was a greatsword that could even tear apart ogre flesh. The Ogre yer pierced the outermostyer of the manticore¡¯s skin and made its way inside, plunging deeply into the manticore¡¯s flesh. The manticore screamed. It was a resounding wail so desperate that it sounded like the manticore had a deep-seated grudge against Crockta. ¡°Kiyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkk!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta was flung back by the force of the cry. It was the same for Tiyo as well. They both fell backward and then raised their heads in a daze. ck energy began to flow out in streams from the manticore. As it swung its tail, dark energy spewed out and attacked Crockta, who was unable to dodge in time. The hit sent him rolling across the ground. ¡°Ahhh!¡± he screamed. Blood rose from within Crockta as the ck mana prated his body and suffocated him. Crockta squirmed while trying to resist, and his head jerked at the mana that coiled around him like a snake. If he let it continue, the mana would invade his bodypletely and tear him to pieces from the inside. Something happened right then. [The Belt of Despair (Hero) that had been asleep is reacting to the demon¡¯s mana.] [Resistance toward the demon¡¯s strength has been activated.] The belt at Crockta¡¯s waist stirred. ck mana failed topletely infiltrate Crockta and retreated. The Demon¡¯s Mouth ground its teeth while drooling in search of prey. Crockta told the belt to calm down by tapping on it. It then shut its mouth and fell back into sleep. ¡°That thing is not normal...¡± muttered Tiyo behind him. The manticore red at Tiyo and Crockta with reddened eyes while emitting dark energy. The manticore was a powerful monster by nature, but it had grown even stronger from consuming the forest¡¯s mana. Each time the manticore moved, dark energy wavered around it. ¡°As expected of the Forest of Monsters,¡± said Crockta as he propped himself up on his greatsword. He tried to stay calm, but his body trembled. Crockta was daunted by the strength of the creature. ¡°I will guard you from behind,¡± said Tiyo with a determined face. Then, he manipted the trigger mechanism of the rifle to adjust the General¡¯s output power. The General was fueled by Tiyo¡¯s energy, so it was dangerous for Tiyo to increase its output, but he had no choice. ¡°We can¡¯t die here like this,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Of course,¡± agreed Tiyo. The manticore grew closer. Crockta looked it straight in the eye and read the manticore¡¯s movements. The manticore swayed its body back and forth. Then in an instant, the manticore¡¯s terrifying face was right in front of Crockta¡¯s nose. ¡°...!¡± Crockta got a shock. ¡®Such astounding speed,¡¯ thought Crockta. The manticore¡¯s hideous face, which resembled an old man¡¯s, was now contorted like a demon¡¯s as its mouth swallowed Crockta up to his torso. ¡°Aaahhhhhh!¡± screamed Crockta. Everything turned dark. A smell like that of rotting flesh wafted from the manticore¡¯s insides and stung Crockta¡¯s nose. Soon, the manticore¡¯s teeth would chew up Crockta¡¯s body. Crockta shut his eyes tightly and was about to make ast-ditch effort to save himself when the manticore¡¯s mouth opened up again and released Crockta. Covered in the monster¡¯s saliva, Crockta wobbled as he gasped for air. He turned to look at the manticore. ¡°...!¡± An arrow was stuck in the manticore¡¯s neck. Then another arrow flew in and pierced the manticore¡¯s cheek. ¡°Kiyeeeeeehhhhh!¡± the manticore screamed. ck mana seeped from its wounds. The man they had met earlier stood where the arrow had flown from. He calmly let go of his bowstring, piercing the manticore with yet another arrow. Then the man said something. Crockta wasn¡¯t able to hear him clearly because of the distance between them, but Crockta could make out the words from the movement of his lips. ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± the man asked. Crockta nodded and concentrated on wielding his greatsword. Strength ran from the vessels in his body to his hands and permeated the de of the Ogre yer. This was Leyteno¡¯s Swordsmanship! Crockta jumped. His goal was to behead the manticore. The Ogre yer pierced the manticore¡¯s neck and ripped it open. Crockta wasn¡¯t able to cut all the way through the neck because of its width and had to stop halfway. The manticore let out another horrifying shriek. Its half-cut neck dangled from its body while blood gushed out. Crockta leaped up and finished off the manticore. The manticore thrashed around but didn¡¯t have the strength to resist. Crockta sliced through the rest of the manticore¡¯s neck, and the manticore crumbled to the ground. The ground shook as the manticore¡¯s huge body copsed. Simultaneously, the manticore¡¯s head red at Crockta with a heinous expression. ¡°Whew...¡± Crockta kicked at it to turn it around. He didn¡¯t want to look at it anymore. ¡°Thank you for rescuing me,¡± Crockta said to the hunter. The hunter didn¡¯t reply though. He approached the manticore without a word and began to hack away at its corpse. First, he tore away the skin from the manticore¡¯s face. Then, he dissected its body and extracted an organ that resembled a heart. It smelled of decay. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Crockta. The man remained silent while wiping the blood off his machete on the manticore¡¯s mane. Then he said, ¡°The hide from the manticore¡¯s face can ward off monsters. Its heart is tough to chew because it¡¯s all muscle, but eating it can restore your strength.¡± ¡®As expected of a hunter,¡¯ thought Crockta. The man then thrust his machete into the manticore and stared at Crockta. ¡°Why did you guyse here? To satisfy a foolish adventurous spirit?¡± Up close, the man appeared older than they had expected. His face bore the traces of time; it had deep-seated wrinkles, and his hair and beard were marked with white. Despite that, his body wasrge and brawny beyond his age. Crockta replied, ¡°We want to pass through the Forest of Monsters to get to the north.¡± The man smirked as if what Crockta had said was ridiculous. ¡°Do you know anything about the north?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s impossible, you idiots,¡± said the man. ¡°Huh?¡± The man pulled out the arrow stuck in the manticore¡¯s body andughed at Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to pass through the Forest of Monsters.¡± Chapter 68: Hunting Season (3)

Chapter 68: Hunting Season (3)

¡°Why is it impossible?¡± asked Crockta. The man looked up at the sky and replied, ¡°Because there¡¯s no way.¡± ¡°What...¡± The man ced the manticore¡¯s hide and heart in his sack. Then he ripped apart the manticore''s wing joints to extract their bloody membranes. He harvested various parts of the manticore¡¯s body for purposes unknown to Crockta and Tiyo before turning around and heading back to where he hade from. Crockta and Tiyo stared nkly behind him. The man suddenly stopped and said, ¡°Follow me.¡± Then he continued walking. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged wary looks but ultimately followed the man. ¡°The area will be noisy again now that the manticore is dead,¡± stated the man in an using tone, as if attributing the cause to Crockta and Tiyo. Tiyo grumbled, ¡°Hmph, then you shouldn¡¯t have helped us and instead just left us to our own devices.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to do...¡± the man replied while ncing at Tiyo with emotionless and cold eyes that made thetter flinch. ¡°But Sch kept whining.¡± ¡°Sch? Who¡¯s that?¡± asked Tiyo. The man didn¡¯t respond. They headed to the hunter¡¯s fort. The scenery was different from earlier even though they were walking the same path, and even the distance seemed to have increased. They hadn¡¯t walked this much earlier, but they retraced their steps for a while. Crockta double-checked thepass to make sure the direction hadn¡¯t changed. Thepass was pointing in the same direction. ¡°The forest seems to have changed,¡± mumbled Crockta. The man smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s the Forest of Monsters.¡± ¡°Does the forest keep changing?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? So, you really came here without thinking it through,¡± said the man. He fastened the sack on his shoulder. The manticore¡¯s blood dripped from the sack. ¡°Why are you guys trying to go to the north when you know so little?¡± asked the man. ¡°To find my father,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Do you happen to know the adventurer Annatto? My father was a great adventurer who freely traveled back and forth from Quantes to the north.¡± The manughed at Tiyo. ¡°I have never seen someone who could freely travel to the north.¡± ¡°Hmph, you probably haven¡¯t seen him because you came herete. How long have you been here?!¡± asked Tiyo. The man replied calmly, ¡°Fifty years.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. The man appeared to be in his early fifties. If he had been here for fifty years, then how old was he now? ¡°I came here when I was around forty,¡± said the man. ¡°Then you are...¡± Tiyo was unable to finish his sentence. The man was at the end of his lifespan as a human. ¡°Are you a hybrid species?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m just human,¡± replied the man. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± said Tiyo. A human couldn¡¯t be that healthy at ny. The man continued, ¡°I¡¯m from the Shakhan tribe.¡± ¡°Shakhan...¡± Tiyo nodded in acknowledgement after hearing that the man was from the Shakhan tribe. Crockta didn¡¯t understand, so he looked at Tiyo for an exnation. Tiyo borated, ¡°Shakhan is an old tribe of hunters. I heard they are extinct now.¡± ¡°People from that tribe live that long?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s not much that¡¯s known about them... but if he¡¯s not lying, then that could be the case...¡± Tiyo lowered his voice. ¡°The Shakhan tribe is known to never let go of their grudges.¡± After hearing about the near-extinct Shakhan tribe, hunters who never let go of old grudges, Crockta thought the man seemed quite pitiful. ¡°But he said fifty years, so he should have seen my father. He must be lying,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°It could just be that they never ran into each other,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°But still...¡± Tiyo red at the man¡¯s back with suspicious eyes. Crockta interrupted Tiyo¡¯s train of thought and asked the man, ¡°Do you know about the Temple of the Fallen God in the north?¡± The man didn¡¯t look back but shook his head. Silence ensued. Crockta spoke again, ¡°At least give us your name.¡± ¡°...¡± The man hesitated before replying, ¡°Just call me Shakhan.¡± ¡°Give us your name,¡± said Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s Shakhan,¡± the man repeated. The man from the Shakhan tribe said his name was also Shakhan. He seemed to have an interesting backstory. Crockta and Tiyo followed Shakhan in silence. Before long, the trio arrived at Shakhan¡¯s fort, with its moat and spiked fences. As they had done earlier, they walked across the shallowest part of the moat and crept through the hole underneath the fence. Crockta realized that this was the only entrance into the fort. The artifact concealed the existence of this ce, and its moat and fences were sturdy, yet the man had also fortified the stronghold with apact entrance. It was truly the work of a meticulous hunter. Upon the trio¡¯s return, the cows began letting out long cries, ¡°Mooooooo...¡± Shakahnughed out loud as he greeted the cows. It was such brightughter that Crockta and Tiyo couldn¡¯t believe it wasing from the cold man they¡¯d met. Shakhan approached one of the cows and hugged its neck. ¡°Yeah, I brought them because you kept pestering me, so stop whining. That¡¯s it. Good,¡± said Shakhan, who seemed to bemunicating with the cow. Crockta and Tiyo tilted their heads curiously. Shakhan turned toward them. His hard and cold face had taken on a rxed expression. He even smiled with his eyes as he looked at them. ¡°He¡¯s my first son, Sch,¡± Shakhan introduced while patting Sch¡¯s head. Then he pointed at the two other cows. ¡°Over there is Penando. Next to him is Akilleh. They will be great hunters as members of the Shakhan tribe. Please greet them.¡± Crockta and Tiyo awkwardly bowed their heads at the cows as they eyed Shakhan¡¯s innocent face warily. They weren¡¯t sure whether he was joking or if he truly had that much affection for his cows. Shakhan then gathered the cows and whispered to them. The cows waved their tails in response. ¡°It¡¯s aw of Shakhan to treat guests well,¡± said Shakhan with a solemn face to the cows. ¡°...What¡¯s going on, Crockta?¡± Tiyo elbowed Crockta¡¯s side, but Crockta didn¡¯t understand either. Nevertheless, Crockta took a step forward and said, ¡°The cow named Sch is very smart.¡± Shakhan suddenly raised his head while petting Sch. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He knew all of the directions and paths in the forest even though he¡¯s a cow,¡± exined Crockta. ¡°A cow?¡± questioned Shakhan. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the cow you call ¡®Sch,¡¯¡± said Crockta. ¡°Huh?¡± Shakhan stared nkly at Crockta. Then he looked at Sch standing next to him. He blinked and then looked back and forth between Crockta and the cow. After that, he looked Crockta straight in the eye and said, ¡°Ah... Yeah, a cow...¡± Suddenly, Shakhan¡¯s expression turned cold. Crockta and Tiyo couldn¡¯t believe it was the same man who had just been smiling and petting his cows. He wore the same expression as when they first met. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a cow. Just a cow. You said this cow is smart?¡± said Shakhan. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Such useless talk. A cow is just a cow. I raise them for milk.¡± Crockta got goosebumps at Shakhan¡¯s sudden change in behavior. Nevertheless, Crockta tried to continue the conversation. ¡°You introduced him as your son earlier.¡± However, Shakhan continued to say weird things. ¡°What? What are you saying?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°All of my sons are dead,¡± said Shakhan. ¡°Earlier you said Sch...¡± Shakhan blinked nkly. Crockta said again, ¡°You referred to those cows as Sch, Penando, and Akilleh.¡± ¡°I did?¡± Shakhan tilted his head in confusion with a questioning look on his face. Then he shook his head. ¡°I just gave my dead sons¡¯ names to the cows. It doesn¡¯t have any meaning. The dead are dead.¡± After that, Shakhan swiftly went inside the log house. Sch cried out, ¡°Moooooooo...¡± Crockta had a weird feeling about this. Shakhan said he had been here for fifty years. He had been hunting monsters alone in this dark forest that no one visited. Had he gone mad from being in this isted and dangerous ce? ¡°Crockta...¡± Tiyo called out from behind Crockta. ¡°Is it okay to stay here...?¡± Tiyo also found Shakhan¡¯s behavior unsettling. Crockta ced his hand on Tiyo¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person, so let¡¯s first find out more about the forest from him.¡± Crockta and Tiyo followed Shakhan into his house. As soon as they entered, they found a monster¡¯s skull staring at them straight in the face. The skull was huge. Although its facial structure resembled a human¡¯s, it was muchrger than a human skull and had a protruding mouth with teeth that were sharp like saw des. It was an ogre¡¯s skull. However, there were two of them, and they were aligned together as if they were conjoined. ¡°Two-headed ogre...?¡± muttered Tiyo. Skulls of various species were disyed inside the house, attesting to Shakhan¡¯s prowess as a hunter. Aside from the skulls, diverse body parts like hands, teeth, and tibia provided a record of his hunts. The house looked like a bone museum. It was impressive that Shakhan had hunted all of these creatures by himself in the Forest of Monsters. There were hunting tools hung in a corner of the room. Shakhan was fully equipped with everything a hunter needed¡ªa longbow sorge it seemed impossible to fully pull its bowstring, apact shortbow, a knife to dismember the enemy, and an axe. ¡°Is vegetable and egg stew okay with you guys?¡± Shakhan¡¯s voice came from behind the kitchen door. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Wait a bit,¡± said Shakhan. As the smell of food being cooked wafted from the kitchen, Crockta and Tiyo entered it. Inside, hot steam rose from a boiling pot on the stove. Crockta and Tiyo sat down at the table. ¡°Is there anything we can help with...?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°No,¡± Shakhan replied sternly. Tiyo pouted in response. Then Shakhan brought out a pot of warm stew and poured generous amounts of the stew into their bowls. His expression appeared softer now in the warm lighting of the kitchen. ¡°Tell me again why are you nning to go to the north?¡± asked Shakhan. ¡°I¡¯m going to find my father. Crockta is looking for the Temple of the Fallen God. It¡¯s also...¡± Tiyo said and then paused to take a sip of the stew, ¡°...for the sake of adventure. I want to venture to new ces.¡± ¡°Adventure...¡± Shakhan looked down at his fingers. ¡°Are you that curious about new ces?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s how civilization has always progressed! Through challenge and confrontation!¡± said Tiyo enthusiastically. ¡°Challenge...¡± Shakhan grinned. ¡°My son used to say the same thing.¡± Crockta and Tiyo became quiet at Shakhan¡¯s mention of his son. Shakhan then rose from his seat and put warm milk on the table for his guests. ¡°My sons were great men of the Shakhan tribe. They were excellent hunters,¡± Shakhan said while pretending to pull a bowstring. ¡°A hunter has to be serious and bold and also know how to be patient. My first son Sch hid in mud for over a month to catch a drake. He ultimately seeded in piercing the drake¡¯s mouth with an arrow in a remarkable demonstration of patience. He was the first Shakhan in history to capture a drake for hising-of-age ceremony. Hahahaha.¡± Crockta and Tiyo slowed down their eating pace. ¡°We are thest members of the Shakhan tribe, but I believe my sons will make the Shakhan tribe great again.¡± ¡°Thest Shakhan...?¡± ¡°The others all left or died without having offspring. Now even those who knew the tribe have disappeared, and Shakhan has be a forgotten name. My first son Sch had a great n in mind for the revival of the Shakhan tribe. He wanted to open up the north to the continent to spread the Shakhan name.¡± ¡°What do you mean by opening up the north?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°He said he would get rid of the Forest of Monsters with his own hands!¡± said Shakhan with twinkling eyes. ¡°So he went off into the Forest of Monsters and then the origin of the Forest of Monsters... and... then what happened...?¡± He scratched his head with a confused look on his face. ¡°Ah... Ah...¡± Shakhan ced his hand on his head. ¡°What day is today? Wait... my head hurts...¡± He suddenly got up from his seat. Meanwhile, Crockta and Tiyo ate their vegetable soup with heavy hearts. *** ¡°Let¡¯s open up the north, Father!¡± ¡®No, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ ¡°We can do it. We are Shakhan.¡± ¡®The Shakhan are hunters, not heroes. That thing is terrifying.¡¯ ¡°Our ancestors hunted dragons and used their hearts to create the Shakhan bloodline. I¡¯m not scared at all. We were born with the blood of dragons.¡± ¡®You are a great hunter, perhaps even more so than me. But son...¡¯ ¡°I can do it. It¡¯s a mission that befits thest Shakhan.¡± Shakhan chewed his meat. Its tough muscles stuck to his teeth. He gritted his teeth and gnawed at the meat. As blood dripped down his throat, he felt a burning sensation inside him. He closed his eyes, and a panorama of vivid memories surrounded him in all directions. ¡°Father, a Shakhan never forgets a grudge.¡± ¡®No, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ ¡°I want to carry the elders¡¯ will.¡± ¡®That thing cannot be hunted.¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s nothing a Shakhan can¡¯t hunt. We are Shakhan.¡± ¡®Listen to me...¡¯ ¡°We can¡¯t let our enemies live!¡± Reality and memories of his past merged in his mind and weighed down on him, pressing on his shoulders. It had been painful to breathe during every minute and every second that had passed by, but he had somehow endured up to this point. ¡°It¡¯s that season again...¡± As Shakhan chewed thest piece of meat, his mind became clear again. The taste of blood reminded him of arrowheads and des, causing his body to tense and his muscles to swell. This was his final chance. Perhaps those visitors were a final blessing bestowed upon him. ¡°I won¡¯t be lonely in the end, sons...¡± ¡®I can¡¯t live anymore.¡¯ ¡°...and wife.¡± *** Shakhan returned. He had cold eyes like when they first met him. He was no longer the man who had excitedly talked about his sons. Something was smudged on his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s something on...¡± began Crockta. ¡°Hmm.¡± Shakhan wiped his mouth. The stain on Shakhan¡¯s mouth had looked like blood to Crockta. Shakhan looked at Crockta and Tiyo wearily. ¡°Do you truly intend to go to the north?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Crockta and Tiyo replied at once with the same answer. ¡°Regardless of what danger lurks there?¡± asked Shakhan. Crockta nodded. He had decided to take the risk when he embarked on this journey. ¡°Then I will tell you. There¡¯s only one way to go to the north,¡± Shakhan said as he sat back down. With a solemn expression and eyes gleaming ominously, he stated, ¡°We have to kill the wicked beast.¡± Chapter 69: Hunting Season (4)

Chapter 69: Hunting Season (4)

Shakhan nced at Crockta¡¯s and Tiyo¡¯s sleeping faces before going outside. It was nighttime. Shakhan gazed at the sky, where countless stars shone. Even in this cursednd, the stars in the night sky continued to shine brightly. As he observed the sky, he noticed the Sagittarius constetion pulling its bowstring toward the dragon. Shakhan then gathered branches and began carving his arrows. With each stroke that sharpened the de, he also shaved off the wandering thoughts in his mind. He couldn¡¯t keep track of his days because of all the time he had spent in the forest. Memories of those who had left him and anticipation for the next hunt were jumbled in his head. The mana had eaten away at his body from the insides and ruined him, and now his brain and spine belonged to the monster. He only had onest chance left. Shakhan estimated the proportions of the arrow with his eyes and aimed it toward the darkness of the forest. Skilled hunters aimed to hit their target with only one shot. He had to pierce the core of the darkness in an instant. ¡°A Shakhan doesn¡¯t let their enemies live,¡± he muttered. His mind suddenly became clear. It didn¡¯t matter that his head was full of dark energy and that his memories had been obscured by the darkness of the forest. Shakhan sharpened the single task that prated his thoughts and sped it in his hand like it was an arrow. He was going to kill that beast. Shakhan had thought this day would nevere, but the time for his final hunt had arrived. When the sun came up, he would leave for the hunt with the two outsiders. They would be his hunting dogs and kill or be killed. There was no other alternative. He had always chosen the former and aimed at the enemy. The beast knew that with the returned hunting season, Shakhan would lurk in the darkness and aim at its throat. Its eyes were open, waiting for him. Shakhan looked up at the sky again. The stars had begun to dim, but the moon was still a bright red. The moon had turned blood red after the darkness overtook the forest. It was a strange moon that resembled a demon. Shakhan raised his arrow and made the motion of cutting through the center of the moon. *** At the break of dawn, the party of three embarked on their hunt. Before they left the fort, Shakhan stared at the cows for a long time. However, the Shakhan who had treated his cows like his sons was no longer there. He was now the cold, sharp hunter that they had met initially. ¡°Do you believe in destiny?¡± asked Shakhan. Crockta tilted his head at the sudden question. He could feel the tension in Shakhan¡¯s body. A Shakhan who set out for a hunt never made a mistake. ¡°I veer toward the side of not believing,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Orcs are always like that,¡± said Shakhan ¡°Do you know any orcs?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°A Shakhan hunts everything,¡± said Shakhan with a chuckle. Crockta¡¯s expression suddenly turned sour. Shakhan shook his head with a smile on his face. ¡°I was joking. I know an orc hunter.¡± ¡°An orc hunter?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s an orc I respect as a hunter.¡± Crockta was surprised to hear this as he had not seen many orc hunters. Most orcs at Orcrox were warriors or sorcerers, but he had met one powerful hunter before leaving Orcrox. It was the legendary hunter Zankus, known to be capable of shooting down even the sun. Zankus had looked at Crockta with a glint in his eyes¡ªeyes of a hunter looking at prey. Shakhan continued, ¡°It was Zankus.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°He was a rookie at the time, but he¡¯s probably a decent hunter by now.¡± Zankus was a hunter who was praised by the orcs. All of Orcrox had buzzed with excitement when Zankus appeared at Lenox¡¯s funeral. Yet, Shakhan treated Zankus like a rookie. Crockta began to see Shakhan in a new light. Shakhan was indeed a formidable hunter who could subdue wyverns and manticores in an instant. Crockta began to analyze Shakhan¡¯s movements. Although Shakhan¡¯s mental state was concerning, there was always something to learn from powerful individuals who had attained mastery of their skills and gained strength from training relentlessly in their craft. Shakhan, who felt Crockta¡¯s gaze boring into him, said, ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± Then he pulled his bowstring. The arrow pierced through the dawn¡¯s early light. They heard a thump as something fell to the ground in the distance. Shakhan had noticed the presence of a monster at a distance undetectable to Crockta and Tiyo and proceeded to eliminate it. ¡°The members of a group out on a hunt need to rely on each other to survive. If they don¡¯tmunicate with one another, everyone¡¯s lives are jeopardized,¡± Shakhan stated. Shakhan had started talking to them for that sole reason. The party pushed their way through the darkness and moved forward, eventuallying across the monster that Shakhan had killed. It was a troll, but its body was in a state of decay. Its bones were exposed as if it had been dead for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s an undead troll,¡± said Shakhan. As they traveled deeper into the forest, the dark mana grew thicker. Crockta realized that the Forest of Monsters was truly a cursed ce where the alive and dead were ensnared in endless conflict. ¡°Its strength is bing stronger,¡± said Shakhan. He seemed to know the beast well. ¡°Why are you trying to hunt this beast?¡± asked Crockta. He had wanted to ask this question for a while now. Crockta had suspicions as to why, but he still wanted a clear answer. Shakhan didn¡¯t let any of their enemies live. Based on how he talked about his sons like a madman and expressed enmity toward the darkness of the forest when his mind returned, there seemed more to Shakhan¡¯s story than Crockta could imagine. ¡°It¡¯s as you suspect,¡± replied Shakhan while pulling out his arrow from the undead troll. The arrowhead was stained ck from the blood of the undead. ¡°My son tried to hunt the beast and died in the attempt. My two other sons then headed to the Forest of Monsters to avenge their brother, but they died as well. I ended up losing my wife because of everything that had happened,¡± Shakhan exined with a calm voice. ¡°I tried to stop them, but they were Shakhan, even more so than me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking,¡± said Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Shakhan as he stared into the darkness. The sun was out, but it was still dark out because the thick foliage blocked the sun. ¡°I believe in destiny. All Shakhans believe in destiny to some extent,¡± said Shakhan. Suddenly, they felt a presence in the darkness. Tiyo, who had been following after them quietly, raised the General. Crockta also pulled out his Ogre yer and prepared for battle. ¡°Meeting you two was destiny,¡± added Shakhan. A group of ogres suddenly appeared in front of the party. The three ogres red at them menacingly and roared, shaking the quiet morning of the forest. Nevertheless, Crockta didn¡¯t falter and let out a battle cry of his own that was even more ferocious than the ogres¡¯. His presence overpowered them. Then Crockta raised his greatsword and charged toward the ogres. Radiant, narrow beams of iridescent colors flew alongside him in support. The Ogre yer shed as it cut through the forest. Shakhan observed the scene with admiration. He had traveled all over the continent and had hunted everything. He had even been embroiled in fights against orcs, but he had never seen an orc warrior like Crockta. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!¡± roared Crockta. Shakhan watched in admiration of Crockta¡¯s battle sense as Crockta narrowly dodged his opponent¡¯s attack and swung his greatsword at the opponent¡¯s neck. He was different from orcs who merely crushed their opponents with their strength. Crockta¡¯s swordsmanship actually resembled that of humans in the way it overpowered his opponent with refined skills. However, in critical moments, he would explode with power and ruthlessly tear his enemy apart. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?!¡± shouted Crockta. Instead of dodging, he deliberately received blows from the ogre that he was fighting while moving forward. This was so that he could then shove his greatsword into the ogre¡¯s stomach. As blood gushed out, Crockta ripped the ogre apart with his greatsword, causing the ogre¡¯s intestines to spill out. The ogre copsed while foaming at the mouth with bubbles of blood. Covered in blood, Crockta red at the remaining enemies. The ogres recoiled at the force of Crockta¡¯s fighting spirit¡ªhis indomitable will. ¡°Destiny,¡± said Shakhan. How could it be a coincidence that a warrior like Crockta appeared for Shakhan¡¯sst hunt? If it wasn¡¯t destiny, what could it be? Shakhan smiled and pulled his bowstring. Crockta was still young, but Shakhan believed Crockta would be one of the greats someday, as watching Crockta reminded Shakhan of Zankus. Shakhan pulled his bowstring. It was the duty of a veteran to show the youngsters how a hunt should be. Crockta was being cornered by the remaining two ogres. One ogre took the brunt of the General¡¯s bullets while the other ogre swung its huge fist at Crockta. Shakhan let go of the bowstring. The Shakhan tribe was a bloodline of hunters who hunted dragons and drank their blood. Ogres were no match for him. Suddenly, the ogres froze. Shakhan¡¯s arrow had passed through an invisible opening and pierced both ogres at once. ¡°...!¡± Without a sound, the two ogres slumped to the ground as if they had fallen asleep. Crockta looked at Shakhan in surprise. ¡°A-Amazing.¡± Tiyo was also impressed. Shakhan just shrugged. He had merely used the minimum amount of strength necessary to pierce an essential point. That was enough to finish off the opponents. Hunting was a quiet task. *** ¡°Do you know how the Forest of Monsters came to be?¡± asked Shakhan. Crockta raised his head in response after catching his breath. The party continued heading deeper into the forest while killing countless monsters. Their fight with the three ogres earlier had only been the beginning. Once they were midway to their destination, trolls, ogres, wyverns, and other monsters began attacking them incessantly. Crockta shed their necks relentlessly with his greatsword, but monsters came back to life and held them back. The surprising thing was that the monsters also fought among themselves and killed each other instead of just attacking Crockta, Tiyo, and Shakhan. It was a hellish battlefield. ¡°How does such a crazy ce exist? Is it really because of that legend?¡± asked Crockta. He recalled what that gnome monster ecology professor had said in passing. The legend was that something evil had died, and after it was buried, dark mana flowed out and saturated the forest. Crockta had sought out the gnome theology professor in search of answers, but her whereabouts had been unknown after the Quantes incident. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± replied Shakhan as he collected his arrows. He had brought numerous arrows in preparation for the big hunt, but they had decreased in number from the repeated battles. ¡°Is an ancient demon really buried here?¡± asked Tiyo, who had flopped down on the ground from the exhaustion of firing the General non-stop. ¡°To be precise, there¡¯s a beast that turned into a monster after devouring the thing that was buried here,¡± exined Shakhan. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Back in the day, several Shakhans were interested in the Forest of Monsters and treated it as their hunting ground. They wanted to know what was beyond the endless stream of monsters. They ultimately failed in hunting it down, but they found out what kind of creature it was.¡± Shakhan pulled Tiyo up from the ground. After getting back on his feet, Tiyo brushed the dirt off his butt. It was time to move forward again. ¡°We call that thing ¡®Behemoth,¡¯¡± began Shakhan. ¡°Behemoth.¡± Shakhan continued, ¡°It ate the creature from the legend and turned into a monster, but because of that, it can¡¯t leave this ce. That¡¯s a good thing though. The Behemoth goes into hibernation regrly. It wakes up once a year, and right now, it¡¯s that time of the year. You can¡¯t go to the north unless you kill that thing.¡± The party headed toward the center of the forest. It was still daytime, but everything was dark. ¡°You guys appeared just when the beast woke up,¡± said Shakhan. ¡°What a coincidence,¡± said Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s destiny,¡± said Shakhan with a smile. He felt the hands of destiny pushing him forward. These two outsiders had remarkable skills. The orc warrior was incontestably good, and the gnome skillfully handled his artifact and exercised good judgment during battle. It was destiny that these two men appeared to open up the north with Shakhan during his final hunting season. ¡°I won¡¯t miss it this time,¡± said Shakhan. He had never run away from destiny. Before they knew it, the party had reached the core of the forest. ¡°We have arrived,¡± announced Shakhan. He could smell the creature. Shakhan¡¯s body tensed, but he still wore a smile on his face as he thought, ¡®Finally, we meet again.¡¯ Last year, he had pierced its eye, but he had almost lost his life in the process. The creature could have finished him off, but it had decided to let him live. The battles between them had spanned decades. Shakhan was the sole source of amusement for the creature bound to this ce. But it was now time to end this ill-fated rtionship. One of them would die today. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± said Shakhan. Crockta and Tiyo could sense something stirring in the distance. Shakhan continued, ¡°If you want to open up the north, you have to kill that thing first.¡± Crockta and Tiyo looked at that thing and saw its glistening eyes. As the huge beast slowly got up, Crockta and Tiyo had to raise their eyes higher and higher. Once it was standing, the Behemoth looked down on them from a towering height. ¡°Oh, heavens...¡± muttered Tiyo. The Behemoth was a huge monster with thick arms and legs. It resembled a hippopotamus and wasrger than an ogre. It was the size of several elephantsbined. The Behemoth smirked as it looked down at them. Tiyo was too shaken by its size to move. ¡°How can it be that big...¡± Crockta had to force himself to raise his greatsword. His body was frozen. Still, he reminded himself that the enemy¡¯s size didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Shakhan, do you really think you can hunt down that thing? Hahaha,¡± said Crockta. Laughing in the face of an impossible mission was an old habit of his. ¡°Of course.¡± Shakhan¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shakhan said and pulled his bowstring back tightly, bringing it to his lips. ¡°They say orc warriors are just loud and weak. Prove to me that they are wrong.¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°I heard the Shakhan tribe are rabbit hunters full of bluff. Is that true?¡± Shakhan grinned. ¡°I will show you.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± replied Crockta. As they were about to start attacking, iridescent magic lights flew from behind them and struck the Behemoth. It was Tiyo¡¯s General. ¡°You tall dudes talk too much. The bravest are gnomes!¡± shouted Tiyo. Crockta burst out intoughter and then charged toward the Behemoth. Chapter 70: The One Who Opens Up the North (1)

Chapter 70: The One Who Opens Up the North (1)

¡°His weaknesses are his eyes and underbelly,¡± shouted Shakhan. It was impossible to pierce the Behemoth¡¯s thick skin, but the Shakhan tribe had discovered over time that the Behemoth¡¯s weaknesses were its eyes and soft underbelly. ¡°Understood!¡± replied Crockta. He charged toward the Behemoth and got up close, but the Behemoth didn¡¯t move an inch. As if waiting for Crockta to attack, it just observed his movements. Yet, the moment Crockta was about to step in between its two front feet, the Behemoth stomped its foot. The earth shook. The stomp of the Behemoth, which was the size of a house, caused the ground to shake as if there was an earthquake. Crockta resisted the tremor of the ground beneath him and dodged the Behemoth¡¯s foot. Because of the Behemoth¡¯s size, he felt as if a giant press machine was trying to squash him in every direction he went. ¡°I wish you luck, Crockta,¡± muttered Shakhan as he observed the scene. One of them had to divert the Behemoth¡¯s attention, and Crockta was best suited for the task. Shakhan had pointed out the Behemoth¡¯s underbelly as one of its weaknesses, but it was near impossible to prate its thick flesh. With Crockta drawing the Behemoth¡¯s attention, the rest was up to Shakhan and Tiyo. ¡°Tiyo, aim for its eyes,¡± said Shakhan. ¡°Understood!¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°In the Forest of Monsters, the Behemoth¡¯s regenerative ability has no limits, but if you strike its eyes, you can temporarily halt its movements,¡± exined Shakhan. He had seeded in piercing one of the Behemoth¡¯s eyes in the past, causing it to go on a rampage. However, it had onlysted a second. Dark mana had sprung forth right after and healed the eye, making it seem as if there had never been a wound in the first ce. Afterward, the Behemoth¡¯s two yellow eyes had looked down on him menacingly. Shakhan had felt helpless in the face of the near-immortal monster. Nevertheless, things were different this time. Tiyo¡¯s General emitted iridescent colors of light that struck the Behemoth¡¯s eyes. The Generalcked lethal powers, Tiyo¡¯s job was to hold back the Behemoth, rather than deal heavy damage. The Behemoth shook its head as the blow scorched its eyes, but Tiyo¡¯s next few attacks missed their targets. ¡°Dammit,¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°Stay calm,¡± said Shakhan. ¡°The muzzle is shaking...¡± remarked Tiyo. Then he began to slowly kneel toward the ground. ¡°Tiyo?¡± Shakhan muttered in surprise. Kneeling during battle was a sign of submission! However, Tiyo¡¯s expression was still confident; it wasn¡¯t the expression of a loser. Shakhan couldn¡¯t help but nod in approval while observing Tiyo¡¯s next movement. ¡°As expected...¡± It was the final shooting formation of Quantes¡¯ gnome garrison¡ªthe prone position. The position boasted a degree of precision that was iparably superior to shooting while standing. It was a sniper shooting technique only used to mercilessly crush the enemy. ¡°Cold-blooded murder...¡± muttered Shakhan. With the prone position, the earth and Tiyo¡¯s body became one as he aimed at the enemy. It was a special long gun skill that couldn¡¯t be imitated with archery. Tiyo fired his General again butpletely missed. ¡°Dammit!¡± yelled Tiyo. He hadn¡¯t ounted for the Behemoth¡¯s huge height. In a prone position, he couldn¡¯t aim the muzzle at the Behemoth¡¯s eyes. At most, he could hit the Behemoth¡¯s body. Tiyo tried to get the right angle but gave up and got up again. ¡°I failed!¡± said Tiyo. ¡°It was still worth a try,¡± replied Shakhan encouragingly. Crockta, who had been desperately struggling underneath the Behemoth, shouted upon hearing theirx conversation, ¡°What are you guys doiiiiiinnng?!¡± The Behemoth¡¯s huge foot brushed past the tip of Crockta¡¯s nose, and Crockta had to swerve precariously to dodge the stomp. Tiyo became fully alert after seeing that. ¡°Sorry! I will try again!¡± shouted Tiyo. Then he rapidly moved his short legs and took cover behind a huge rock. Tiyo rested the rifle¡¯s grip on the rock. It was a shooting technique that used a nearby object as support to assume a seated position. Because the shooter could lean on an object, he could execute the same level of uracy as the prone position while easily hitting an elevated target. Tiyo wouldn¡¯t fail this time. ¡°This is the power of Quantes¡¯ gnome garrison!¡± yelled Tiyo. The General¡¯s magic bullet urately hit the Behemoth¡¯s eyes, causing the Behemoth to stagger as its head wobbled. It cried out in pain, ¡°Geuooooohhh!¡± With the Behemoth¡¯s attention now focused on Tiyo, Crockta decided to take a risk. He went under the Behemoth and jumped in between its four legs. When Crockta raised his head, the Behemoth¡¯s soft underbelly was in in sight. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaarrrrrrrr!¡± Crockta jumped up and thrust the greatsword upward. Even though the underbelly had the weakestyer of skin on its body, it was still tougher than ogre skin. Utilizing Leyteno¡¯s Swordsmanship, Crockta wrapped vapor-like mana around his de and shoved it into the Behemoth¡¯s underbelly. The Ogre yer just barely managed to pierce the softest part of Behemoth¡¯s skin, but it eventually made its way into the flesh. ¡°Geeuuoooohhhh!¡± The Behemoth let out a thunderous roar that shook the ground with its low frequency, causing everyone¡¯s eardrums to vibrate. Crockta¡¯s movements slowed down. The Behemoth raised its huge foot, casting a shadow over Crockta. Crockta couldn¡¯t respond and stared up at it nkly. He had to bolt away, but his body was frozen. ¡°Bul¡¯tar,¡± whispered Crockta as he shut his eyes tightly. The Behemoth was about to crush Crockta with its foot, but a strand of light flung the Behemoth backward. A narrow arrow had pushed the Behemoth back with explosive force. ¡°This is what a true hunter¡¯s arrow is like,¡± said Shakhan while nocking a new arrow on the bowstring. After being rescued by Shakhan, Crockta resumed his attack. Each time Crockta needed help, Shakhan shot an arrow at the Behemoth. Shakhan¡¯s arrows were able to boast such potency because he imbued them with his will. Willpower was what opened up infinite possibilities in the world of Elder Lord and wielded physical force that could destroy enemies. Some called this ¡®mana,¡¯ some called it ¡®aura,¡¯ but to Shakhan, it was just an intense will to pierce the enemy. Although Crockta practiced swordy charged with mana, he had only set foot into the introduction stage of the skill. ¡°Hey kids, look, I¡¯m thest Shakhan!¡± shouted Shakhan in a manner that was unlike him. Had Crockta¡¯s fighting spirit affected him? Shakhan experienced a sense of tion that made his body move on its own. Right now, Shakhan felt like he could pierce through and kill anything! ¡°The Shakhan hunt everything! Today is your turn!¡± he yelled. As if it understood him, the Behemoth shifted its gaze toward Shakhan. It ignored Crockta, who was pestering it from underneath its stomach, and began to move forward. A loud thud shook the earth with each step the Behemoth took. ¡°Run, Tiyo!¡± yelled Shakhan. Shakhan and Tiyo quickly turned around and retreated, but because the Behemoth was sorge, they couldn¡¯t get away no matter how fast they ran. Just as the Behemoth¡¯s huge shadow loomed over them, they heard a powerful roar like that of a lion¡¯s. ¡°Are you ignoring meeeeeee?!¡± roared Crockta. Crockta, who had been chasing the Behemoth from behind, leaped up and thrusted the Ogre yer into one of the Behemoth¡¯s butt cheeks. The Behemoth shook its butt to shake off the greatsword, but Crockta refused to let go of its hilt. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare look at anyone besides me, Behemoth!¡±manded Crockta while grinning from ear to ear. He jumped onto the Behemoth¡¯s back by propelling himself with his greatsword. The Behemoth twisted and squirmed, but Crockta held on by lying t on his stomach. Then he pulled the Ogre yer out from the Behemoth¡¯s butt. The Behemoth let out a piercing cry as it screamed in agony. ¡°Right now!¡± shouted Shakhan. Tiyo and Shakhanmenced their attacks. Tiyo struck the Behemoth with the General, and Shakhan bombarded it with arrows. The Behemoth writhed in pain while Crockta crawled toward its head. The enraged Behemoth opened its mouth. It was about to shift gears. ¡°Geuuuoooohhhh!¡± The rming shriek that it let out was deafening. Then the Behemoth took a deep breath and gathered mana by sucking in all of the life around it. Crockta held on by jabbing the Ogre yer into the Behemoth¡¯s back, but the Behemoth paid no heed to that and continued sucking in air. Extremely concentrated mana began to stir inside its mouth. Tiyo turned his head and covered his eyes. People usually turned their heads when there was too much light because it blinded them, but when they turned away from darkness, it was because they feared that their souls would be sucked in by the void. However, Shakhan resisted and stared the Behemoth right in the face. He aimed his arrow at the pitch-ck energy smoldering inside the Behemoth¡¯s mouth. ¡°That¡¯s the wrath of the Behemoth,¡± said Shakhan. He knew that attacking the Behemoth¡¯s eyes and underbelly wasn¡¯t enough to kill it. The Behemoth¡¯s true weakness was the thing inside its mouth. In the same way that dragons breathed fire, the Behemoth drew in darkness and breathed out hellish mana. Shakhan had to pierce the organ that emitted mana, but it was only briefly exposed when the Behemoth released mana. Shakhan gritted his teeth. The dark energy was now targeting Shakhan. Tiyo was running away, but Shakhan stood there and confronted the Behemoth directly. ¡°Shakhan! Run!¡± shouted Tiyo. However, Shakhan didn¡¯t hear him. A smile came to Shakhan¡¯s lips. A gust of wind swept away his hair and pushed his body, but he refused to turn away from the center of the typhoon. ¡°Father, we are Shakhans.¡± ¡°Yes, we are Shakhans,¡± Shakhan said. He didn¡¯t have a name. He was just Shakhan. He was Sch, Penando, and Akilleh. He was also his dead wife. He was all of the Shakhans who had walked the earth. He carried the weight of his kin on his shoulders. He was not just a lone hunter but the Shakhan tribe itself. ¡°We killed dragons and drank their blood to create the Shakhan bloodline!¡± shouted Shakhan fiercely. ¡°I will kill you and open up the north, Behemoth!¡± Then he pulled his bowstring back as far as possible and imbued the arrow with his will. Endless hatred and resentment toward the Behemoth settled in the arrow. The Behemoth¡¯s dark breath spilled out and erased the world as it approached Shakhan and Tiyo. Their surroundings were drowned in absolute darkness, which was so pitch-ck that it didn¡¯t reflect anything. Crockta, who was on the Behemoth¡¯s back, and Tiyo, who had dodged to the side, experienced utter hopelessness at the sight of that cmitous breath. Could anyone survive after taking a hit of that thing? Probably not. ¡®You have to pierce the core of darkness,¡¯ thought Shakhan. A strand of light pierced the darkness, growing brighter and brighter as it swept through the space toward its target. The darkness wrapped around the strand of light, but it dissipated into the light as the two merged. It became a smooth, straight line without the slightest error or deviation. ¡°Open up the north!¡± shouted Shakhan. *** There was an explosion. The forces of light and darkness collided and swept away everything around them. Crockta fell off the Behemoth¡¯s back and rolled around on the ground for a while before getting stuck somewhere. A long while passed before Crockta came to his senses and was able to survey his surroundings. When Crockta raised his head to look around him, he found the Behemoth lying on the ground. Crockta then got up by supporting himself on the Ogre yer. Even when he was unconscious, he had held onto his greatsword tightly. The Behemoth¡¯s head was slumped down on the ground like a wrecked car as it emitted ck smoke. Shakhan had seeded. ¡°Shakhan!¡± Crockta called out as he moved his battered body to look for Shakhan. ¡°Shakhan! Tiyo!¡± Tiyo had avoided the Behemoth¡¯s breath, but Shakhan had faced it directly. Crockta limped while rushing toward where Shakhan had been. ¡°Shakhan!¡± Crockta continued to shout. The Behemoth¡¯s breath had destroyed everything. It had created a huge hole in the ground, and Shakhany sprawled inside. Crockta slid down the slope of the pit, and a cloud of dust rose in the air. ¡°Shakhan!¡± he yelled again. Crockta almost fell because he was limping, but he steadied himself and ran over to Shakhan. Shakhan didn¡¯t move though. He was bleeding profusely from his stomach. Crockta propped Shakhan up. There was a big hole in the center of his body, from which intestines and blood were spilling out. ¡°Crockta...¡± muttered Shakhan. Despite being on the brink of death, Shakhan¡¯s voice sounded the most cheerful Crockta had ever heard. Shakhan smiled faintly. ¡°Did I seed?¡± Crockta gritted his teeth and choked back his tears. He nodded and assured him, ¡°You seeded.¡± ¡°What do you think? Do you still think the Shakhan tribe is just made up of rabbit hunters?¡± asked Shakhan. Crockta smiled while shaking his head. Then he sped Shakhan¡¯s face in his hands. It was getting cold. ¡°No, you are definitely descended from a bloodline of hunters. You could even catch dragons,¡± Crockta replied. ¡°Hahahahah...¡± Shakhanughed and then vomited blood. Crockta tried to calm him down, ¡°Say no more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have no regrets...¡± However, Shakhan¡¯s pupils suddenly dted as his eyes trembled. Crockta could tell something was wrong. He then saw what Shakhan was seeing through the reflection in his eyes. It showed a huge ck mass getting up. The Behemoth was rising. ¡°Grrrrrrr...¡± ¡°Oh, crap....¡± The Behemoth was unrecognizable due to its wrecked head. There was no way it should be able to get up again after receiving all that damage, but there was something else going on. Crockta turned his head to look. Dark energy rose from the Behemoth¡¯s injuries, filling in the gaping wounds and substituting the destroyed organs. The Behemoth¡¯s eyes were no longer the eyes of a living creature. They were just red lights shining in the darkness. Crockta fell into despair. There was no way they could win. It was his first time feeling so utterly hopeless since starting Elder Lord. It was impossible to kill that thing. Right when Crockta was about to drop his head in anguish, Shakhan said, ¡°Shakhan... do not let their enemies live.¡± Shakhan tried to raise his body by pushing on the ground, but his intestines fell out from his burst stomach. ¡°Shakhan!¡± screamed Crockta. ¡°Open... the bag....¡± whispered Shakhan. Crockta shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. You did your part.¡± Crockta tried to console him, but Shakhan burst into rage at Crockta. ¡°Shut up!¡± he yelled, exhibiting drive that was unimaginable in a dying person. ¡°...¡± ¡°I said to open the bag! Crockta!¡± Crockta looked into Shakhan¡¯s eyes. They were burning with indomitable will. Seeing that, Crockta couldn¡¯t help but oblige. He took the bag off Shakhan¡¯s back and opened it. It had an unbearable rotting stench. ¡°This is...¡± There was a huge heart inside. It was the contaminated core of a monster¡ªthe heart of the manticore that they had killed. The heart had already dposed and was emitting a foul stench. Crockta raised the heart with trembling hands. ¡°Feed it to me,¡± said Shakhan with a sigh. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Put that thing inside my mouth,¡± ordered Shakhan. Upon seeing the burning determination in Shakhan¡¯s eyes, Crockta suddenly realized that Shakhan had preserved his body this long by killing monsters and eating their hearts. That was why he appeared unbelievably young and exhibited strange behaviors, such as being unable to distinguish between the past and present. His body was that of a monster that had been eroded by dark mana. Just like the monsters in the forest, his blood was strange too. It oozed like a viscous substance. Shakhan¡¯s burning gaze left Crockta unable to refuse, and he ced the heart inside Shakhan¡¯s mouth. Shakhan opened his mouth and gnawed at the heart, ripping bits off with his teeth. He chewed continuously on the tough muscles of the heart and absorbed its blood and mana. Shakhan¡¯s eyes zed as if on fire. ¡°The ancestors of the Shakhan tribe killed dragons and drank their blood,¡± said Shakhan. Dark energy wavered around him, and the mana began to restore his broken body. His eyes turned ck, and he vomited a dark liquid. He smelled of the same rotting stench as the monsters in the forest. ¡°To kill a monster, you have to willingly be a monster,¡± continued Shakhan. He swallowed the remainder of the heart. With a gulp, his throat quivered. Then Shakhan cackled while ck energy continued to spread through his body. He gripped his bow again. The monster with Shakhan¡¯s name got up. The Behemoth recognized its presence and cried out. The two monsters gazed directly at each again. Chapter 71: The One Who Opens Up the North (2)

Chapter 71: The One Who Opens Up the North (2)

Numerous arrows flew through the air and struck the Behemoth¡¯s body. In response, the Behemoth stomped its feet and charged over. However, Shakhan quickly dodged the Behemoth¡¯s gargantuan feet as they wrecked all of their surroundings. Shakhan rapidly fired arrows in session, but he failed to injure the Behemoth. The Behemoth merely flinched and then went after Shakhan again. Even if it got injured, thick mana seeped out and healed its body. All of the mana in the forest was supporting the Behemoth. Shakhan was putting up a fight with the strength that he had obtained from consuming the manticore¡¯s heart, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Shakhan¡¯s body was like a small creek running out of water, while the Behemoth¡¯s body was like the ocean with various sources of water constantly streaming in. Crockta, who had been observing the scene, thought about the next essential step that he had to make. The Behemoth was basically an army with an infinite replenishment of supplies; there was no end to its source of power. Crockta had to block off the source supplying the mana, but how could he cut off the Behemoth¡¯s connection to the forest¡¯s energy? He looked at the darkness that spread out beyond the forest like an abyss. The wall of darkness, which the Behemoth protected, was what separated the continent from the north. No one had ever made it past that wall of darkness. ¡°...there¡¯s a beast that turned into a monster after devouring the thing buried here,¡± Shakhan¡¯s words popped up in Crockta¡¯s mind. ¡®Was there something inside the darkness?¡¯ wondered Crockta. Right then, the Demon¡¯s Mouth at his waist stirred. ¡°...!¡± Crockta was shocked to find the Demon¡¯s Mouth was pulling him toward the darkness ahead. Then Crockta looked back and saw Shakhan and the Behemoth battling each other, destroying the forest in the process. Countless arrows flew through the air and exploded upon making contact with the Behemoth¡¯s body. The Behemoth roared at Shakhan, ¡°Geuoooooohhhh!¡± It was a battle between two monsters who were giving it their all. Crockta could feel Shakhan¡¯s determination as he struggled desperately against the Behemoth. ¡°The members of a group out on a hunt need to rely on each other to survive,¡± Shakhan¡¯s voice came alive in Crockta¡¯s mind again. It was true. The three of them were a group now, and they relied on each other and entrusted each other with their lives. Crockta met eyes with Shakhan for a split second. It was just a nce, but it was enough. Crockta made up his mind. He ran toward the darkness that lurked with the unknown. As if it had been waiting for him, the darkness embraced him. It was like the time that the Demon¡¯s Mouth had swallowed him. Crockta¡¯s consciousness sank into the darkness. *** When Crockta came to his senses, he was inside a cave¡ªan endless tunnel without a beginning and an end. Crockta was dumbfounded. He had no idea where to go. Nevertheless, the Demon¡¯s Mouth took the lead. It pulled him toward a certain direction as if urging him to go forward. Crockta felt uneasy that the Demon¡¯s Mouth was responding to the darkness, but he couldn¡¯t go back now. He pulled out his greatsword and walked in the direction that the belt was pulling him toward. It was so dark inside that Crockta couldn¡¯t see much, but he came across a huge chamber after a while. Crockta went inside and discovered a huge body that had copsed at the center of the chamber. As he approached it, the stench of rotting flesh pierced his nose, and Crockta grasped his greatsword tightly. He continued onward, drawing near enough to see that the body belonged to a beast that was asrge as the Behemoth. However, the beast was motionless as if it was dead. Crockta immediately knew it was the evil beast from the legend that had turned the Behemoth into a monster. Foul mana flowed out from the corpse. It was thicker and more potent than the Behemoth¡¯s breath; it was an unfathomable darkness with no end in sight. This beast was undoubtedly the core of darkness that had created the Forest of Monsters. Crockta had to destroy that corpse. If he could destroy it, the Behemoth would lose its unlimited powers. Crockta took a step further. The mana was pooled around the beast like a swamp. He felt like he was wading through water, as his every step was met with resistance. Nevertheless, he strode forward, and once he stood right in front of the beast, he realized the true extent of its size. ¡®If this thing were toe alive and move again, horrendous things would happen. What is this creature?¡¯ Crockta thought as he poked at the corpse with his greatsword. It went inside smoothly without resistance, and fumes of mana streamed out from the cut that the greatsword had made. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but cough because of the highly concentrated mana. ¡°What should I¡ª?¡± he started to say. Then he saw the Belt of Despair respond to his words. ¡°You are...?¡± Crockta uttered. A childposed of darkness had suddenly appeared by Crockta¡¯s side. It was the demon that he had met back when the Demon¡¯s Mouth swallowed him. The child didn¡¯t mind Crockta though and just stared silently at the beast¡¯s corpse. The demon, who was in the form of a child, appeared sad for some reason. Crockta thought he could hear a voiceing from the demon, ¡®How pitiful.¡¯ The demon ced a hand on the corpse. Then Crockta thought he heard another whisper, ¡®Poor, Amon.¡¯ The demon turned its head and looked at Crockta silently. Crockta looked back at it and gazed at the part of its face that should be its eyes. Then the demon nodded and disappeared. The steel teeth at Crockta¡¯s waist began to chatter. ¡°What...?¡± The Demon¡¯s Mouth opened its jaws wide, expanding unnaturally wider and wider until its mouth wasrger than Crockta¡¯s body. It continued to grow until it wasrge enough to consume the entire chamber. Then it swallowed the corpse. With the huge beast inside its mouth, the Demon¡¯s Mouth mped its steel teeth shut with the sound of steel colliding. Like a boa constrictor that had swallowed its prey, the Demon¡¯s Mouth pushed the corpse of the beast through its insides. ¡°...!¡± The corpse was being absorbed by the Demon¡¯s Mouth! The foul mana reeked everywhere. Crockta gnashed his teeth, and his body screamed from overexerting itself as he faced the daunting mana. His veins popped out from the strain, but he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaarrrrr!¡¯ shouted Crockta. However, his battle cry didn¡¯tst; it died out in the overwhelming silence of the pitch-ck chamber. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!¡± he roared again, louder this time as he endured the pain. After wrestling with the mana for a long time, Crockta opened his eyes. ¡®How much time has passed?¡¯ He looked at his surroundings, but there was nothing around him¡ªnot the corpse of the giant beast or the enormous mouth that had swallowed it. Crockta was standing by himself in the wide space. He looked down at the belt at his waist and was surprised to find that the belt had changed. Spike-like horns had sprouted above its teeth. The belt looked like a demon¡¯s skull thrusting its head forward. A message window popped up. [The Belt of Despair (Hero) has evolved.] [You cannot handle the belt¡¯s power yet. The belt¡¯s power will be limited.] [The demon is now asleep.] Crockta felt an unknown strength surging within him. After that, the scenery changed again. *** Crockta found himself standing in the Forest of Monsters again. ¡°Geuooooohhhh!¡± Hearing the Behemoth¡¯s roar brought Crockta to his senses. When he turned around, Shakhan and the Behemoth were still fighting. It seemed that Tiyo was back in the game, as iridescent magic lights were busily striking the Behemoth. Crockta, eager to join in, charged into the battle. Another one of Shakhan¡¯s arrows struck the Behemoth, causing a piece of its flesh to fall off. The Behemoth flinched and writhed in pain. Mana rose from the wound, but the wound didn¡¯t heal immediately as the previous wounds. Then Tiyo¡¯s Generalpounded the damage by striking that same spot where the flesh had fallen off. The Behemoth¡¯s body shook as it stomped around, appearing flustered. After the Demon¡¯s Mouth swallowed that corpse, the Behemoth no longer had ess to unlimited mana. They could win now. Crockta burned with fighting spirit. [Combative Spirit (Essence) has been activated to the maximum level.] [Your assimtion rate is increasing.] Crockta kicked at the earth and leaped onto the Behemoth. Hended on the Behemoth¡¯s tail and leaped once more. His goal was to get on the Behemoth¡¯s back. Crockta continued to propel himself upward and eventuallynded on the Behemoth¡¯s back. Then he tightened his grip on the Ogre yer. Using his weight and the force of gravity, he thrust his greatsword deeply into the middle of the Behemoth¡¯s back, driving the greatsword in right up to its hilt. The Behemoth convulsed, and blood sttered on Crockta¡¯s face. Crockta grabbed the Ogre yer and jerked it in all directions, digging and cutting deeper into the wound. The Behemoth cried out in pain, and its cry shook the entire forest. The Behemoth, now greatly agitated, opened its mouth and gathered all of the forest¡¯s mana by sucking in all of the life around him. The Behemoth was once more preparing its breath of darkness, and it was aiming at the enemy in front of him, Shakhan. Crockta looked at Shakhan directly while clinging onto the Behemoth¡¯s back. Meanwhile, Shakhan refused to look away from the Behemoth. He pulled his bowstring again. When Shakhan¡¯s and Crockta¡¯s eyes met, Shakhan grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Geuoooooooooohhhhhh!¡± roared the Behemoth. The pitch-ck breath erased Crockta¡¯s view of Shakhan¡¯s face. Everything in Crockta¡¯s field of vision was swallowed by the darkness. This breath wasrger and more powerful than before. The Behemoth was wringing itsst bit of strength to destroy everything in front of it. Right then, Crockta saw a dot of light rise out of the corner of his eye. The light flew straight toward the Behemoth and the darkness it contained. Crockta watched the light pierce the core of darkness. It was a clean puncture. Then, the body of the Behemoth that Crockta had been hanging onto copsed. This was the final moment of the Behemoth, the monster that had dominated the Forest of Monsters and separated the northern region from the continent. Crockta fell from the Behemoth¡¯s back, and the impact sent him rolling across the ground. He was unconscious for some time before he regained his senses. After that, he pulled out his greatsword, which had been lodged deep inside the Behemoth¡¯s back. It dripped with the corpse¡¯s blood. Crockta then ran around in search of Shakahn. ¡°Shakhan!¡± shouted Crockta. He discovered Shakhan amid the rubble. When Crockta approached him, Shakhan¡¯s eyes looked at him, but his gaze was weak. ¡°Did...you...see...?¡± asked Shakhan with a grin. Crockta nodded. ¡°It was the best hunt.¡± ¡°Cough, ahem! Yes, I am a Shakhan after all...¡± Crockta ced a hand over Shakhan¡¯s cheek. He couldn¡¯t tell Shakhan to stop talking or to take care of himself. The lower part of Shakhan¡¯s body was all gone from below the stomach. The manticore¡¯s mana tried to heal his body, but its effects gradually dissipated as the mana was exhausted. Shakhan looked off into the distance with a wistful look on his face. ¡°I did it, my sons... Karina...¡± Then he turned his head and said to Crockta with a grin, ¡°Orc warriors... and gnomes... aren¡¯t half bad.¡± Crockta nodded. Life was gradually fading from Shakhan¡¯s eyes, and his focus drifted to a distant ce. Death was imminent. ¡®What is he looking at?¡¯ wondered Crockta inwardly. After that, he decided to ask, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Crockta wanted to remember Shakhan¡¯s real name. Shakhan smiled as he whispered, ¡°Shakhan.¡± Then his head went ck. Thest Shakhan hunter met his final moment as a nameless Shakhan. He had endured many years of pain to wreak vengeance for his family. It was the death of a great man. Crockta softly closed Shakhan¡¯s eyelids. ¡°Crockta, are you okay?!¡± Tiyo came running toward Crockta. Tiyo was in tatters due to getting swept away by the Behemoth¡¯s breath, but he had survived. Then he noticed Shakhan and fell silent. Tiyo consoled the speechless Crockta by wrapping his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulder. [You havepleted the quest of opening up the northern region.] [The northern region is open now.] [The dark mana blocking the northern region from the continent will gradually disappear.] [It will take ten years for the northern region to be fully open.] [It will take fifty years until every trace of mana is removed.] [The name of the hero who has opened up the northern region will spread all over the continent.] [The name of orc warrior Crockta, who has opened up the northern region...] Crockta, who had been reading the message window, suddenly spoke up, ¡°No.¡± The message window surprisingly halted its output in response. ¡°The person who opened up the northern region is Shakhan,¡± said Crockta sternly, ¡°Great hunter Shakhan.¡± The system was silent for a while, then a message popped up. [We respect your will.] [The name of the great hunter Shakhan¡ªthe person who opened up the northern region and thest descendant of the Shakhan tribe¡ªwill shake up the continent.] [The whole continent will remember his name.] [ A hidden ss ¡®Hunter Shakhan¡¯ will be released to yers. If they fulfill the hidden requirements, they will be given the opportunity to change their ss to the hidden ss ¡®Hunter Shakhan.¡¯] [The person who opened up the northern region is Shakhan.] [The great hunter Shakhan.] Crockta nodded. [We will continue to observe your progress.] *** ¡°Ah, who the fuck is it? Who is it?!¡± Inside the Elder Saga Corporation¡¯s system control room that managed the core system Albino, chief executive Park Ju-Jin was shouting like a madman. ¡°Ah! Why?! Who raised the assimtion rate to ny percent?!¡± he screamed. ¡°The system is unlocked now!¡± said a researcher. ¡°The lock is...¡± chimed in another researcher. ¡°I heard it. Shut up!¡± Park Ju-Jin was throwing a hysterical outburst. Earlier, Albino had temporarily blocked system ess. Albino¡¯s answer was the same asst time. ¡ªA yer has temporarily exceeded an assimtion rate of ny percent. To protect the system and the yer, system ess will be blocked momentarily. Park Ju-Jin threw a bunch of papers in a fit of rage, causing the researchers to run away. ¡°Find that little shit!¡± screamed Park Ju-Jin. *** Zankus downed his liquor. The mes of the bonfire danced and cast a shadow on his face. He was sharing the fire with travelers he had met while hunting. The travelers handed beef jerky to Zankus, who expressed gratitude with a nod. Zankus couldn¡¯t help but overhear the travelers¡¯ conversation. ¡°I heard the north is open now thanks to a hunter?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard he was thest descendant of the Shakhan tribe.¡± ¡°He hunted down the monster that had been blocking the north.¡± Zankus¡¯ eyebrows twitched. The travelers, feeling the intensity of his gaze, raised their heads. ¡°Why, do you know something about it?¡± asked one of the travelers. He seemed to be a friendly and polite guy since he was willing to initiate a conversation with a scary-looking orc he had run into by chance. The traveler knew that despite their appearances, orcs had a thoughtful side to them. ¡°You said a descendant of the Shakhan tribe hunted down the monster?¡± asked Zankus. ¡°That¡¯s what I heard,¡± said the traveler. ¡°What happened to the hunter?¡± asked Zankus. Under Zankus¡¯ zing gaze, the man slurred his words as he stated, ¡°They said he died with the monster...¡± Zankus¡¯ face fell. He looked off into space with a crestfallen look. ¡°Is that so... So, he seeded but died... That guy...¡± ¡°Did you know him?¡± asked the traveler. ¡°At one point.¡± Zankus had a sentimental gaze as he reminisced about his time with Shakhan. Shakhan had been the most talented hunter Zankus had ever known. Even though the Shakhan tribe had been humans, they had been tougher than orcs. They had been the embodiment of tenacity. The Shakhans had been hunters who used whatever means necessary to hunt down their target. Zankus had aspired to be like Shakhan, so he had chased after Shakhan, and before he knew it, he was praised as a hunter who could even shoot down the sun. Yet, Zankus still felt like he was far off from reaching Shakhan¡¯s level. He had heard that Shakhan had ventured into the Forest of Monsters, but it was still surprising to hear that he had achieved such an impossible feat. ¡°His name was Shakhan too. He was such a great man,¡± said the traveler. ¡°He was indeed,¡± replied Zankus. Then he said suddenly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°His real name isn¡¯t Shakhan,¡± replied Zankus. ¡°Then...?¡± questioned the traveler. Zankus swayed his bottle of liquor. He stared at the liquid¡¯s trembling surface and recalled the first time he had met Shakhan. Zankus had been a spirited young orc, and he had looked down on Shakhan, who was a human. Yet, Zankus had ended up rolling across the ground in defeat after receiving a stern lesson from Shakhan. In awe, Zankus had asked Shakhan for his name, but Shakhan had dodged the question in embarrassment. It turned out that he had such a ridiculous name that no one would believe it was the name of one of the greatest hunters in history. The travelers all looked at Zankus with expectant eyes. With a smile, Zankus opened his mouth and said, ¡°His real name is...¡± Chapter 72: Northern Orcs (1)

Chapter 72: Northern Orcs (1)

Crockta and Tiyo transported Shakhan¡¯s corpse and made a grave for him in the middle of his fort. His shrewd cows sensed he was dead and cried out sorrowfully around Shakhan¡¯s grave. After that, Crockta and Tiyo decided to send the cows and other livestock back to nature so they could roam freely. Once the pair were done taking care of Shakhan¡¯s estate, they returned to where the Behemoth¡¯s corpse was and stood in front of the wall of darkness that spread out across the northernmost part of the Forest of Monsters. A pitch-ck darkness prevented people from crossing the threshold between the forest and the northern region. [There are ten years left for the full opening of the northern region. Entry will be limited.] [You two can pass this wall as friends of Shakhan the hunter, who opened up the northern region.] ¡°C-Crockta, does the northern region really exist beyond this wall?¡± asked Tiyo tentatively. ¡°Trust me,¡± said Crockta with confidence. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged nces and then walked into the wall of darkness. Darkness engulfed their field of vision, and they experienced a sense of buoyancy as if they were flying in the darkness. When their sight returned, they found that they were standing on red ground. ¡°...!¡± ¡°This is...?¡± It was a wastnd. There was still a wall of darkness, but it was now spread out behind them, and they couldn¡¯t see the forest behind it. It was as if the wall had split the world into two; the scenery waspletely different beyond the wall. ¡°This is the north...¡± muttered Crockta. It was a barren ce. They didn¡¯t see any nts around them. The only nt life they asionally saw were either cacti or deeply-rooted nts that were able to survive on very little water. ¡°First... which direction should we go, Crockta?¡± asked Tiyo. Their destination was the Temple of the Fallen God. Crockta brought out the map that the Information Guild had given him. ording to this map, they would find a hugeke if they headed north. ¡°Hmm...¡± Crockta murmured as he deliberated over what to do next. ¡®Would there really be ake in this arid climate?¡¯ Crockta looked at hispass and then said to Tiyo, ¡°Let¡¯s first head in this direction.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Tiyo and led the way. Contrary to their expectations, the northern region was nothing but a barren wastnd. Nevertheless, it was still a new world, and they were the only ones from the continent to have ever seen it. Moreover, they were the travelers who had opened up the northern region. As the pair walked, Tiyo began humming a song, and Crockta looked around his surroundings. Except for the wall of darkness, everything around them was t and seemed to be an endless desert. Crockta began to wonder whether he had fantasized about the northern region, considering it was just deadnd so far. Still, if he followed the map, he would eventually find out. After walking for a while, they arrived at theke indicated on the map. ¡°...¡± ¡°Is this ake...?¡± questioned Tiyo. It was a puddle smaller than a pond. That was it. Crockta checked the map again. ording to thepass and the map, this was definitely the right ce. The presence and positions of a huge stone pir and a low cliff matched the map. ¡°It could have been ake at one point,¡± reasoned Crockta. After all, the map had been created based on old information, so things could have been different back then. ¡°Let¡¯s quench our thirst first,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Yes,¡± said Tiyo. When they put down their bags to approach the puddle, they heard a noise in the distance. Crockta raised his head to look as a cloud of sand rose from the horizon. They were being approached by a group of unknowns. After taking a sip of the water, Tiyo asked, ¡°Are we finally meeting some northerners?¡± ¡°They are riding something,¡±mented Crockta. Based on the group members¡¯ silhouettes, they didn¡¯t seem to be monsters. They had the form of a human riding on something. They could be orcs, humans, or dark elves. Crockta was filled with anticipation and worry as he fingered the Ogre yer on his back and waited for them toe closer. ¡°Crockta, why are you so nervous? They are northerners!¡± Tiyo jumped up and down in excitement. Crockta nodded. ¡°I hope I¡¯m worried about nothing.¡± Soon enough, they were able to verify the identity of the group approaching them. They were orcs. ¡°Hey! Who are you guys?!¡± shouted the orc in the lead. There were a total of five orcs riding on strange-looking beasts. With fierce eyes and horns protruding from their foreheads, the beasts resembled rhinoceroses, but they were the size of horses. Crockta went forward and greeted, ¡°Are you alive? It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m warrior Crockta.¡± He then extended his fist. ¡°Huh...?¡± The northern orcs exchanged confused looks at Crockta¡¯s greeting. ¡°Ha...¡± Then they erupted intoughter. ¡°Hahahaha! Did you just hear him? Are you alive? Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Oh, my. This dude must have heard too many old stories! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Your mother must have read you too many old books! I¡¯m alive! Hahahaha!¡± Crockta was bewildered by their reactions. ¡°Hey, instead of saying outdated gibberish, tell us who you are,¡± demanded one of the orcs. ¡°Are you a wanderer? Why did you suddenly appear in our territory? Why are you with a dwarf?¡± asked another orc. The orcs climbed down from their beasts. They were carrying weapons like axes and knives, but the weapons looked different from the ones usually carried by orcs in Orcrox. They were small like the size of human weapons. ¡°We are the Kapur Tribe that¡¯s in control of this area. Get down on your knees!¡± shouted one of the orcs as he pulled out his knife. Crockta just stared at them. Agitated by Crockta¡¯s response, the orc stomped his feet and shouted angrily, ¡°I said we are the Kapur Tribe! Get down on your knees!¡± Crockta didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Knees...?¡± Orcs didn¡¯t make each other get down on their knees. No, this wasn¡¯t just the case with orcs but other species as well. Moreover, orcs didn¡¯t humiliate others. Rather, they were a species that lent a hand to those who were on their knees. Orcs chopped heads and shed throats, but they didn¡¯t gain delight from humiliating others. That was what the orcs that he knew were like. Crockta would have understood the behavior of the northern orcs if they had swung their weapons at him, but this was just iprehensible. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. I¡¯m a warrior, and this is Tiyo, my gnome friend who is a soldier. Please respect our honor,¡± said Crockta after calming himself down. However, the orcs justughed at him. One orc even clutched his stomach and almost teared up fromughing so hard. ¡°Hahahaha! Warrior? You are a warrior?¡± ¡°That dwarf is a soldier? Hahahah!¡± ¡°You are such a funny guy! He is out of his mind!¡± Then the orc who had been shouting at the front of the group approached Crockta. ¡°Spanking is the best medicine for craziness. Hahahah!¡± After seeing the orc¡¯s nasty expression up close, Crockta came to a realization and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have it.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± asked the orc. ¡°You don¡¯t have it,¡± said Crockta again. The orc frowned. ¡°Why are you spouting nonsense?!¡± Then he suddenly swung his knife. However, the pitifully small knife immediately crumbled from the force of Crockta¡¯s greatsword. Before the orc realized it, the greatsword was already at his throat. ¡°You guys don¡¯t have honor,¡± stated Crockta. ¡°Uh, uhhh...¡± The orc turned pale and stepped back. The orcs around him raised their weapons in unison. ¡°This asshole!¡± ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± yelled the orcs. After the orc that had lost his weapon hurriedly retreated, the other four orcs surrounded Crockta and red at him viciously. ¡°Since you attacked us, we can¡¯t let you go,¡± dered an axe-wielding orc. ¡°How dare you make us angry?!¡± Despite that, Crockta wasn¡¯t afraid at all. The farmer orcs carrying farming tools in Orcrox were way scarier than these orcs with weapons. ¡°You dare challenge the Kapur Tribe?¡± said another orc. Suddenly, Crockta¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Haha, did you just realize your mistake? We are warriors of the Kapur Tribe. Even if you run away, the tribe¡¯s numerous warriors will...¡± Crockta looked up. The sky above him was blue like the sky in the continent, but the hearts of the people below the sky were different¡ªway different. The northern orcs were vastly different from the orcs he knew on the continent; they weren¡¯tparable at all to great warriors like Lenox and Hoyt. None of the orcs Crockta knew were like this, and yet these northern orcs were calling themselves warriors... Right then, Crockta recalled the warrior ceremony he had experienced under Tashaquil¡¯s supervision. Crockta had seen something special during the ceremony and emerged as an orc warrior. That was the rite of passage for an orc to be a warrior. An orc had to see something special that signaled he was truly ready to be an orc warrior. Such an orc wouldn¡¯t act like these scoundrels. The orc with the axe charged at Crockta, who was still looking up at the sky. ¡°Where are you looking?!¡± yelled the orc angrily. The orc then threw his axe at Crockta, but Crockta immediately raised his greatsword at the axe flying toward him. The de of the axe shattered. ¡°What?!¡± eximed the orc. He was wide-eyed with shock while staring at the wooden handle, which was all that remained of his axe. The now axe-less orc then realized he was no match for this orc with the red bandana. Crockta had disyed exquisite technique that had specifically targeted the axe-wielding orc¡¯s de and unleashed tremendous power with his greatsword in this brief moment, and now Crockta was looking at the axe-wielding orc with calm eyes. There was no way the axe-wielding orc could defeat this formidable orc who had appeared out of nowhere. Although the orc with the red bandana had a funny way of speaking like a character from an old storybook, his skills were top-tier. With a trembling voice, the northern orc asked, ¡°You... Where are you from? Are you from the Ragna Tribe? The Iron Tribe? Or are you employed by the dark elves?¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta shook his head. ¡°Then, where are you from?!¡± The orcs retreated warily while keeping an eye on him. Crockta didn¡¯t attack them any further and put his greatsword away. ¡°We are from the south, the continent!¡± replied Tiyo. The orc who had asked the question shouted angrily, ¡°Shut up, dwarf! I wasn¡¯t talking to you!¡± ¡°What!¡± Tiyo uttered and immediately fired his General. Iridescent magic lights struck the orc with full force. The orc dropped his axe handle and stumbled to the ground, spasming from the impact. He moaned on the ground for a while. The northern orcs were astonished by the sight of the General. ¡°What?! An artifact?!¡± The northern orcs exchanged looks and then began murmuring among themselves. They kept ncing over at Crockta as they discussed what to do with them. Crockta and Tiyo could hear their voices faintly. ¡°They could really be from the south...¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not possible...¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we need to let the chief know...¡± ¡°If a problem urs...¡± After they had a lengthy discussion, they finally nodded in agreement. Then the orc who had lost his axe approached Crockta as the representative and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± He was suddenly polite. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Crockta, please excuse us for our poor manners earlier. Are you really from the south?¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°You came past that wall of darkness?¡± asked the orc. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Hmmm...¡± The orc contemted for a bit with furrowed eyebrows before nodding. ¡°Then, Crockta, we want to invite you to meet with our tribe.¡± The orc¡¯s sudden change in attitude wasughable. Tiyo poked Crockta¡¯s thigh, signaling to Crockta that he didn¡¯t want to go. Crockta felt the same way, but he decided to listen to what the orcs had to say first. ¡°We apologize for being rude to you earlier. We are sensitive because there is a war going on among the tribes. It was a mistake on our part. Why don¡¯t youe visit our tribe and get some rest?¡± The orc made a bold suggestion. Crockta didn¡¯t like him, but it was still worth considering what he had suggested. Crockta whispered to Tiyo, ¡°How about it, Tiyo?¡± ¡°You want to go with guys like them?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Not at all, but we don¡¯t know anything about the north. We should follow them to see where it goes because it could help uster on.¡± ¡°Hmm... That makes sense...¡± acknowledged Tiyo. All they had was a worn map that only indicated naturalndscapes and the Temple of the Fallen God. There was no way to figure out where the cities were located and what kind of tribes were in the north. Considering how aggressive the Kapur Tribe had been initially, the northern region seemed like a tough ce¡ªeven tougher than the continent. ¡°I remember my father saying the north was an extremely dangerous ce...¡± muttered Tiyo. Then he nodded. ¡°Understood. Then let¡¯s follow them.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°But...¡± Tiyo tapped on his General. ¡°If they try to pull some shit, I will crush all of them even if they are the same species as you.¡± Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at Tiyo¡¯s stern expression. He sometimes forgot that his cute gnome friend was a macho soldier. Tiyo was not a man afraid of physical conflict. Crockta grinned so widely that his teeth showed. ¡°Of course. Same here.¡± The orc warrior and gnome soldier exchanged nces and chuckled. When Crockta finally nodded that he and Tiyo would go with them, the Kapur orcs pointed at their beasts. ¡°Then, we will give you guys a ride. Get on the back,¡± said one of the Kapur orcs. The orcs got on the beasts, and Crockta and Tiyo followed suit, each sitting behind an orc. Riding the beast wasn¡¯t too different from riding a horse. ¡°What do you call these creatures?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°There aren¡¯t any karuk in the south?¡± asked the orc. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing this animal. We usually ride horses in the south,¡± said Crockta. ¡°I see. This animal is a karuk. Horses are rare in the north, so we usually use these strong animals.¡± Then, with a signal from the Kapur orcs, the karuks began to run. Although they hadrge bodies with short legs, they were able to move their legs rapidly. Crockta and Tiyo enjoyed a smooth ride as they made their way through the wastnd. Compared to a horse, a ride on a karuk was more stable and had fewer jolts. The scenery didn¡¯t change much as they traveled; the open wastnd continued on and on. They asionally saw oases on the way, but most of thend was covered in red sand. After riding on the karuks for a while, they finally arrived at the home of the Kapur Tribe. There was a simple fence set up with an oasis as its center point, and tents were spread out inside the fence. From Crockta¡¯s perspective, this vige was vastly different from the cities on the continent. This ce seemed like a medieval townpared to the modern cities he was used to. Tiyo also seemed reluctant to enter because he came from one of the most advanced cities on the continent. ¡°We have arrived. Wait a bit,¡± said one of the orcs. Crockta and Tiyo waited outside instead of entering the vige. Only one of the Kapur orcs entered. ¡°Hmm...¡± Crockta scrutinized the Kapur orcs. They were sitting on their karuks with calm faces, but Crockta could feel a strange tensioning from them. ¡®Are they afraid of him? Or something else?¡¯ Crockta shifted his gaze to Tiyo. ¡°Zzz...¡± Tiyo was sleeping. Crockta was impressed by his resilient friend, who could even fall asleep on a running karuk. Tiyo even began drooling while leaning on the orc in front of him. The orc in front of him twisted his body away in disgust. It seemed like he wanted to shake Tiyo off but refrained from doing so out of politeness. Crockta chuckled. Suddenly, the orc sitting in front of Crockta asked him a question, ¡°Are all of the orcs in the south strong like you?¡± Crockta answered without hesitation, ¡°Of course.¡± Crockta believed that a warrior¡¯s true strength stemmed from the heart instead of the body. Thus, all of the orcs that he had met on the continent were strong. ¡°Amazing. Can orcs from the south freelye to the north now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s still difficult,¡± replied Crockta. ording to the message window, there were still ten years left until one could freely roam between the twonds. Until then, the wall of darkness would prevent anyone from entering. Right then, the orc who had entered the vige came back out. He gestured at the vige entrance, and the orcs tapped on their karuks that had been sitting down to rest. The karuks got up again and carried them inside the Kapur Vige. Once they entered, orcs from the Kapur Tribe red at Crockta and Tiyo. There was a massive orc sitting on a chair at the center. He seemed to be the chief. The ce was decorated with numerous skulls as if trying to show off his strength. Countless Kapur warriors stood behind the massive orc as they continued to re at Crockta and Tiyo. ¡°Greetings, Chief!¡± The orcs quickly got on one knee aftering down from their karuks. Crockta and Tiyo just stared at them. The Kapur chief rose from his seat. He was a head taller than most orcs, and his massive build gave him a formidable appearance. The chief¡¯s eyes greedily scanned Crockta¡¯s greatsword and Tiyo¡¯s General. Then he said, ¡°Are you guys the ones from the south?¡± He had a rough voice like the sound of grinding iron. Crockta nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Crockta. It¡¯s nice to meet you. Stay alive,¡± he greeted the chief politely. At Crockta¡¯s response, the Kapur warriors behind the chief began murmuring among themselves. The Kapur chief squinted and then stomped his foot into the ground. With a thud, the whole area became quiet. The Kapur chief smirked as hemanded Crockta and Tiyo, ¡°Kneel.¡± Chapter 73: Northern Orcs (2)

Chapter 73: Northern Orcs (2)

¡°I refuse,¡± replied Crockta without even a hint of hesitation. Tiyo¡ªwho was by Crockta¡¯s side¡ªsnickered, obviously amused by the whole situation. The Kapur chief¡¯s face turned red with anger. Then he roared threateningly, ¡°Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± All of the orcs near him trembled in fear. When the chief looked around him with a fierce gaze, the tribe members quickly averted their eyes. Then the chief raised the huge axe that had been leaning against his chair and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m Chief Kapur of the Kapur Tribe! This is myst warning. Kneel!¡± Chief Kapur red at Crockta with red eyes. He looked like he would charge at Crockta any minute now. ¡°Inexperienced warriors reveal their emotions on their faces.¡± Crockta remembered this was what Hoyt had said some time ago, and it was exactly as Hoyt had said. Right now, the chief was expressing his anger over being insulted in front of his tribe, and he was asserting his strength to regain his sense of authority. However, in doing so, he was also exposing his weakness. He didn¡¯t even deserve to be called an inexperienced warrior. He was like the orcs in storybooks who were indistinguishable from monsters. As a fellow orc, Crockta felt embarrassed. Crockta replied again, ¡°I refuse, Kapur.¡± ¡°You little¡ª!¡± Kapur was about to charge at Crockta with his axe. However, Crockta roared. He used his Essence-tier skill, the Army Crushing Roar! The battle cry tore through the northern sky with its physical force. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± The earth shook and pushed away the Kapur orcs. The Kapur chief standing at the front even dropped his axe to cover his ears and took a few steps back. When Crockta¡¯s cry ended, a deadly silence swept over the tribe. It was so quiet that one could hear the sound of someone swallowing their saliva. When the chief came to his senses, he hurriedly picked up his axe. He tried to shout at Crockta, but words refused toe out of his mouth, and he just seethed. ¡°Kapur, I don¡¯t want to fight,¡± said Crockta. Chief Kapur¡¯s face contorted into a scowl. ¡°That¡¯s something I decide, not you! Die!¡± shouted Kapur. Then he charged at Crockta with his axe. His huge body cast a shadow over Crockta, but Crockta remained calm. He knew he was in total control of the situation, so much so that he felt as if he could grasp his opponent¡¯s movements in his hands. Crockta had been on the brink of death many times in Elder Lord, and all of the enemies he had fought had been stronger than this orc. Likewise, during his fight with the Behemoth, Crockta crossed the boundary between life and death many times while dodging the Behemoth''s gargantuan feet. Moreover, he had stood side by side with a great hunter like Shakhan. There was no way that someone like Kapur, who swung his axe haphazardly while relying on his natural strength, could harm Crockta. Kapur thrust his axe diagonally toward Crockta, but Crockta retreated. Then Kapur swung his axe again but from the other side. Crockta swung his greatsword at the axe, and the two weapons collided. Although the axe didn¡¯t break, Kapur¡¯s hand was flung back by the greatsword¡¯s strength. The throbbing pain in Kapur''s hand made him too startled to move. Right then, Crockta leaped up and kicked Kapur''s face. ¡°Ahh!¡± screamed Kapur. Kapur fell and went rolling across the ground, but he got up immediately after. He red at those around him, and the tribe members who had been watching the fight looked away. Crockta¡¯s expression turned grim as he observed how the tribe members reacted to Kapur. He could tell how Kapur usually treated them. ¡®Respect can¡¯t be earned through force,¡¯ Crockta remarked inwardly. Crockta walked toward Kapur, who stepped backward until his heel touched his chair. With nowhere left to run, Kapur proceeded tosh out in a fit of rage. He was still the chief of a tribe after all. He couldn¡¯t show his weak side! Kapur charged at Crockta with frightening force. He thrust his axe downward with a roar, ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± Crockta simply turned and dodged Kapur''s attack. Then Crockta unleashed his strength in response, swinging his greatsword and delivering a powerful strike to Kapur. Without any chance to retreat, Kapur could only let himself be struck by the greatsword. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The greatsword cut into his shoulder de and made its way to his side. Blood gushed out as Kapur dropped his axe and clutched his injured side. He hunched over in pain while panting. ¡°You, you!¡± Kapur muttered angrily. He tried to grab his axe while swallowing the pain, but the axe slipped from his grasp because of the blood running down his hand. Kapur gasped for breath as he groped the floor for the axe. ¡°You, you...¡± Crockta kneed Kapur in the head, right where his temple was. Kapur couldn¡¯t even scream from the pain and just passed out. After that, Crockta looked around him. The Kapur Tribe members were looking at him with fearful eyes. ¡°This can¡¯t be...¡± muttered one of them. The warriors who had been standing behind the chief trembled in fear. They weren¡¯t sure whether to attack or to stay put. Crockta shook his head. ¡°I will say this one more time. I don¡¯t want to fight.¡± Even after fainting, Kapur¡¯s body twitched on the ground. He seemed to be regaining consciousness. Crockta mercilessly kicked Kapur¡¯s head to knock him outpletely. Kapur¡¯s tusk broke from the kick, and he sprawled out on the floor as he fainted again. Crockta turned his gaze away from Kapur and looked at the Kapur warriors, who quickly averted their eyes. ¡°Your actions do not match your words...¡± muttered Tiyo. Crockta shrugged and pointed at the Kapur warriors who had brought him and Tiyo here. Those warriors exchanged surprised nces among themselves. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the ones who invited us?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Uh, um...¡± The warriors were hesitant to respond. Tiyo, agitated by their fumbling behavior, shouted, ¡°We are hungry!¡± At Tiyo¡¯s words, a warrior stepped out. He seemed to be the one who took the lead when the chief wasn¡¯t present. The warrior said, ¡°Understood. We will prepare a ce for you to rest and prepare some food for both of you. Follow me.¡± After knocking out the Kapur chief, Crockta and Tiyo were finally treated like guests. *** The Kapur Tribe killed a karuk and cooked it for their guests as a wee meal. Crockta and Tiyo weren''t sure whether the tribe was serving them to wee them or if it was out of fear, but they decided to dly ept the meal since the tribe had already cooked the karuk. ¡°How is Kapur?¡± asked Crockta. Rakuta, the warrior who was serving them, replied, ¡°He is recovering.¡± Unlike the warriors that Crockta had first met in the north, Rakuta had a calm demeanor. He hade forward on his own and expressed his desire to serve them, saying that he wanted to get to know Crockta, who hade up from the south. Crockta took a bite of the meat. It was a bit tough but really vorful. This was his first time eating meat that tasted like this. ¡°So, you n on heading to the Temple of the Fallen God?¡± asked Rakuta. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you are trying to visit the ruins, but it won¡¯t be easy,¡± warned Rakuta. Crockta stared at him for further exnation. ¡°It¡¯s in the human and dark elf territory. You will be attacked,¡± exined Rakuta. In the continent, certain species disliked one another, but they didn¡¯t prohibit the entry of other species or attack other species because they disliked them. However, it was different in the northern region. ording to Rakuta, war sometimes urred between different species, and there was also division among the same species. ¡°Can you exin more about the north?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°The north is...¡± Rakuta exined that this wastnd they were in was on the outskirts of the north, and a bit farther up was official orc territory. He said that several tribes had gathered there under a chiefdom and that the chieftain¡¯s tribe was a militant tribe that enjoyed looting and ughter. The chieftain¡¯s tribe always craved war and deliberately provoked other tribes in the northern region. They even carried out ve trafficking, which was prohibited on the continent. Although the northern region was smaller than the main continent, various species upied the northern region and quarreled with one another. ¡°I understand,¡± said Crockta. His head started to hurt from what he had just heard. Right then, he heard Tiyo¡¯s voiceing from outside the tent. ¡°So, I raised the gun, and the huge monster went ¡®Geuoooohhhh!¡¯ Then my General ruthlessly struck its eyes!¡± ¡°Wooow.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± The young orcs in the tribe were intrigued by the small gnome from the continent and his magic long gun. Tiyo described hunting down the Behemoth and enthralled them with stories of his adventure. He even asked Crockta to chime in, ¡°Crockta,e out and tell them! Tell them what a cool gnome I am!¡± Crockta chuckled. Right then, an orc went past Tiyo and entered the tent. He spoke to Rakuta with a tense expression, ¡°Rakuta, it¡¯s an emergency.¡± The orc then nervously nced over at Crockta. He was afraid of Crockta, who had knocked out his tribe''s chief in an instant. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Rakuta. ¡°The chieftain suddenly sent a messenger. Out of all the days...¡± Rakuta furrowed his eyebrows. Crockta didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so he looked at Rakuta expectantly. ¡°A messenger of the chieftain¡¯s tribe that I mentioned earlier is here. That tribe doesn''t usually get involved in matters rted to this area, but Chief Kapur wanted to join their chiefdom. We have been sending them tributes and said we will give our final answer soon, but we didn¡¯t expect them to send a messenger for our answer today...¡± Rakuta exined before pausing as he fell into deep thought. ¡°Stay here for now with your friend. Don¡¯te outside.¡± Then Rakuta went outside the tent and pushed Tiyo inside. ¡°Ah, I got cut off at an important part!¡± eximed Tiyo. Crocktaughed and took another bite of the meat. *** Hammerchwi, who was riding a karuk, looked at the Kapur Tribe¡¯s vige. It was bleak as always. ¡°Can¡¯t believe they sent me here...¡± he muttered. Hammerchwi was an old orc warrior. He had ughtered countless dark elves in the old days, but his body wasn¡¯t what it used to be. He was tired now, but his hammer always missed the battlefield. It was still confident it could crush any enemy. ¡°I guess they had no choice,¡± he mumbled to himself. The new chieftain didn¡¯t like him. There was nothing that could be done about it. Youngsters, especially those who had obtained authority at a young age, didn¡¯t like receiving advice from their elders. Thus, the young chieftain kept sending Hammerchwi away, forcing him to meet and interact with tribes who wanted to join the chiefdom. At present, he had just arrived at this small tribe located next to the wall of darkness. However, he noticed that the atmosphere here was a bit odd. The tribe seemed to be in disarray. There was even a spatter of blood at the center of the public square. Hammerchwi got off his karuk to inspect the site closely. Then he discovered something on the ground. It was a broken orc tusk. ¡°Hmm...¡± His eyes widened in surprise. Hammerchwi asked the Kapur Tribe member apanying him, ¡°Did something happen here?¡± ¡°Ah, n-no,¡± the Kapur Tribe member murmured. Based on his startled response, it was apparent that something had urred here. Hammerchwi smiled and asked, ¡°Where is the chief?¡± ¡°He wille out soon,¡± replied the tribe member. At his response, the warrior behind Hammerchwi opened his mouth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make Hammerchwi wait.¡± The warrior had an eerie voice that caused the Kapur Tribe member to freeze up. Hammerchwi had journeyed to the vige escorted by ten warriors from the chieftain¡¯s tribe. The warriors were all d in quality armor and carried steel weapons that didn¡¯t exist in the wastnd. They were on a whole other levelpared to a small tribe like Kapur, who stole other species¡¯ weapons because they couldn¡¯t make their own. ¡°You don¡¯t have to threaten him. I have lots of time,¡± said Hammerchwi. ¡°Understood.¡± The warrior bowed his head. Chief Kapur hurriedly came out of his tent. It did note as a surprise to Hammerchwi that Kapur was the chief, seeing as he had a massive build. Appearance-wise, Kapur didn¡¯t pale inparison to the chieftain¡¯s warriors, but his movements were a bit odd. Hammerchwi squinted his eyes, scrutinizing Kapur''s appearance. Kapur was wrapped in cloth that was stained with blood. He looked terrible. Even his face was swollen. The tusk that jutted out of his mouth was half-broken. ¡°Funny,¡±ughed Hammerchwi. Kapur approached Hammerchwi and bowed his head. ¡°You havee a long way. I¡¯m Kapur.¡± His attitude waspletely different from how he treated his tribe members. It was then that Hammerchwi noticed a bloodstain running from Kapur''s shoulder de to his side. Hammerchwi asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°No, sir! Nothing happened,¡± replied Kapur. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± Hammerchwi bent his knees and looked up at Kapur¡¯s bowed head. Kapur flinched. ¡°It seems like something happened here,¡± Hammerchwi said. ¡°Nothing...¡± ¡°Are you lying to me?¡± asked Hammerchwi. Kapur thought about what to say and then raised his head. ¡°To be honest, something did happen.¡± ¡°Exin,¡±manded Hammerchwi. ¡°An orc suddenly appeared and threatened us. We fought against him, but he defeated us with his strange-looking weapon! He said he nned to kill me and take over my chief position.¡± Hammerchwi caressed his chin. ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°I said I had the chieftain on my side, but he didn¡¯t care. Please get rid of him!¡± Hammerchwi nodded. He didn¡¯t know the exact situation, but two things were clear to him. First, this chief lost to another orc. Second, that orc was stronger than this chief. ¡°Interesting,¡± muttered Hammerchwi as he got up. He had grown tired of doing the same old thing, but something exciting was about to happen. Hammerchwi looked around the area and asked, ¡°So, where is that orc?¡± Kapur red at the tribe members around him. They pointed at a tent. Kapur said to Hammerchwi in an earnest voice, ¡°He is inside that tent.¡± Hammerchwi nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He led the chieftain¡¯s warriors and walked toward the tent. The entrance of the tent was closed, so he couldn¡¯t see inside. ¡°Be careful! The guy is huge and wears a frightening belt and has tattoos all over his body!¡± warned Kapur. Indeed, if the guy had defeated that massive Kapur chief, then he wouldn¡¯t be just a regr orc. Hammerchwi¡¯s lips curved upward. He was excited to see the frightening orc who would show him a good time. He felt exhrated as if he was about to enter battle. Although orcs in the outskirts hadn¡¯t received formal military training, they had a wildness to them that was fun to take on. Would this orc be like one of the wild ones? Hammerchwi pointed his chin at the tent, and one of the chieftain¡¯s warriors opened it. Hammerchwi¡¯s eyes grew wide at the sight of his opponent. A cute young gnome was frowning at him. ¡°Who are you?!¡± the gnome shouted. Chapter 74: Chiefdom (1)

Chapter 74: Chiefdom (1)

Hammerchwi was speechless at the unexpected sight. With a ferocious look, the gnome said, ¡°Do you not have basic manners?! You need to knock first before opening the door!¡± Hammerchwi didn¡¯t know how to respond to the gnome jumping up and down and shouting in front of him. He was an old soldier who had defeated terrifying enemies, not an old man used to handling a fussy child. The chieftain¡¯s warrior behind him stepped forward and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, shut that mouth, little kid.¡± ¡°What?!" The gnome strutted forward. ¡°Hey, you big orc dude, I must have heard it wrong...¡± ¡°I said shut up, little kid.¡± Sparks flew as their eyes met. ¡°Maybe you wille to your senses after a stern scolding,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°That''s what I want to say,¡± replied the warrior. The two growled at each other. The gnome raised the long gun on his shoulder and was about to have a face-off with the warrior when someone in a corner of the tent stood up. Hammerchwi hadn¡¯t noticed him before because he had been distracted by the gnome, but once the guy moved, his massive body filled up the tent. He was an orc with tattoos running all over his green skin like blood vessels. Hammerchwi¡¯s eyes grew wide at the sight of the tattoos. ¡®Someone still has tattoos like that.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked the tattooed orc. Hammerchwi¡¯s heart thumped with anticipation as he looked into the tattooed orc¡¯s calm eyes. This orc was definitely not a normal guy. Hammerchwi¡¯s lips curved upward in excitement. ¡°Are you the one who injured Chief Kapur?¡± asked Hammerchwi. ¡°Yes,¡± the orc replied without hesitation. ¡°For what reason¡ª¡± asked Hammerchwi. The orc cut him off and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Most warriors would have gotten angry, but Hammerchwi didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Understood,¡± he replied. As fellow orcs and warriors, they had to face each other under the sun. Interrogating the tattooed orc inside the tent wasn¡¯t the best way to get to know him. ¡°Let¡¯s back off,¡± said Hammerchwi. Hammerchwi and the chieftain¡¯s warriors went outside and backed away from the tent. Then the tattooed orc stepped outside, revealing his massive physique. He was apanied by the little gnome. Although the orc was smaller in staturepared to Chief Kapur, his bulging muscles throbbed with vigor. Additionally, the hilt of the greatsword on his back had been worn down until it was smooth. He was an orc formed from countless battles. The tattooed orc wore a calm expression even though he was greatly outnumbered. Hammerchwi looked into the orc¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°So, I will ask again, did you hurt Chief Kapur¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m...¡± the tattooed orc cut off Hammerchwi again, ¡°...orc warrior, Crockta. Stay alive.¡± Then he extended his fist toward Hammerchwi. ¡°...!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± One of the chieftain¡¯s warriors came forward and raised his weapon at Crockta. ¡°How dare you cut off Hammerchwi when he¡¯s speaking?!¡± The warrior was ready to charge any minute, but Hammerchwi stopped him. ¡°...Hammerchwi?¡± said the warrior. Hammerchwi didn¡¯t respond and instead made a strange face as he looked at the young tattooed orc in front of him. He wore an expression of pleasure and disbelief. Then Hammerchwi burst intoughter, ¡°Hahahahahahahahah!¡± Hisughter rang throughout the entire vige. The warrior looked at him, dumbfounded. Hammerchwi tapped on his shoulder and gestured at him to step back. ¡°Hahahaha! Yes, that¡¯s right. This is how it should be,¡± Hammerchwi said before taking a step forward and bumping fists with the tattooed orc. Then he said, ¡°I¡¯m the envoy of the chieftain leading the chiefdom. I''m the one who rys the chieftain''s message, the great warrior Hammerchwi! Are you alive?!¡± It was natural for a warrior to introduce oneself to another warrior. This tattooed orc wasn¡¯t the kind of orc who would change his attitude just because Hammerchwi had a high position and many subordinates with him. This orc understood that Hammerchwi was just another warrior. Hammerchwi himself had forgotten this important truth. How long had it been since he had heard that greeting? The two orcs exchanged nces and then withdrew their fists. ¡°So, I ask again, did you hurt Chief Kapur?¡± asked Hammerchwi. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°With what intention?¡± ¡°I was just defending myself because he attacked first. I didn¡¯t have other intentions.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡®This guy...¡¯ Hammerchwi looked at Kapur, who stood far away from them. Kapur shook his head and made a disheartened expression as if he had been wronged. Kapur had a huge build that was rare even in other regions, and he dominated the wastnds with the strength he had been endowed with at birth. Although there wasn¡¯t much in this wastnd, no one could defeat him in this area. If Kapur were equipped with equipment, then he would be able to fight on par with one of the chieftain¡¯s warriors. If the tattooed orc could make even Kapur act that cowardly, then just how severely had he treated Kapur? Hammerchwi said with augh, ¡°ording to Kapur, you tried to take over the chief position and attacked in a cowardly manner.¡± Crockta smiled back. ¡°It¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°Well, even if you say so, I don¡¯t know who is right or wrong.¡± Hammerchwi pretended to be lost in thought as he caressed his chin. ¡°Then let¡¯s see... Since there¡¯s no way to know who is right... Let¡¯s...¡± Then he grinned. Hammerchwi had an expression of curious excitement that didn¡¯t fit his wrinkled face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we decide what is right and wrong with a duel like real orcs?¡± He tapped on the hammer that he was carrying on his back. As befits his name, Hammerchwi was a warrior who swung a hammer in battle. ¡°I will take you on since Kapur is not in a state fit to battle,¡± Hammerchwi said. However, everyone knew Hammerchwi was making an excuse because he wanted to duel with Crockta. Crockta burst intoughter. The chieftain¡¯s warriors, on the other hand, tried to stop Hammerchwi. ¡°No.¡± ¡°He is not worthy of you, Hammerchwi.¡± ¡°Please hold back, sir.¡± Hammerchwi furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Are you guys ignoring me because I¡¯m old?¡± ¡°Not at all, sir. How dare we? But remember what the chieftain asked of you?¡± ¡°We can just keep it a secret from him," Hammerchwi replied. ¡°We can¡¯t...¡± ¡°Hmm... You guys are spoiling the fun. Fine, just stay loyal to the chieftain.¡± ¡°Hammerchwi!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± Then Hammerchwi said to Crockta, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but I don¡¯t think I can duel with you after all. These guys are acting like my nanny. They look down on me because I¡¯m old.¡± ¡°It seems like they are respecting you, not ignoring you,¡± Crockta remarked. ¡°Hahaha, you do sometimes say agreeable things.¡± Hammerchwi grabbed the shoulder of Zeulta, one of the chieftain¡¯s warriors who was standing behind him, and pulled him forward. ¡°This guy will face you instead. He¡¯s the most decent one out of them all. Say hi, Zeulta.¡± Ze didn¡¯t seem fond of the idea, but he greeted Crockta at Hammerchwi¡¯s insistence. He was the warrior who had opened up the tent and had a tense encounter with Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m a warrior of the chiefdom, Zeulta.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warrior Crockta.¡± Hammerchwi pped. ¡°So, Crockta, you don¡¯t have anyints, right?¡± ¡°It seems like I have no choice,¡± replied Crockta. Crockta looked at the chieftain¡¯s warriors ring at him with murderous intent and smiled bitterly. Tiyo pped Crockta¡¯s thigh. ¡°Will you be okay? That orc looks really tough.¡± ¡°Do you think I will lose, Tiyo?¡± asked Crockta. Tiyo shook his head. ¡°No, I''m just worried that his scary face will be even scarier after getting beaten up by you.¡± Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at what Tiyo said. Even Hammerchwi seemed to be stifling hisughter. Zeulta¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°This guy... You are next after this guy, little kid.¡± ¡°Yeah, I will straighten out your face after Crockta crushes it. I will p your face and tten it back out, so don¡¯t worry!¡± Even the chieftain¡¯s warriors chuckled at what Tiyo said. Zeulta shook his head dejectedly and asked Crockta, ¡°Is your friend always so bold?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fearless," stated Crockta. He pulled out his Ogre yer as Zeulta grabbed his double-headed axe. ¡°It seems like you are just as fearless as him,¡± said Crockta with a grin. Zeulta grinned back and replied, ¡°You guys are two peas in a pod." Hammerchwi and the chieftain''s warriors retreated to make space for the two of them. Simultaneously, the Kapur Tribe members began to gather one by one to watch the sudden duel. Kapur looked nervous. He had shown a cowardly side while lying. If that tattooed orc were to be acknowledged by the chieftain''s warriors, then Kapur''s situation would worsen. Kapur cheered for Zeulta inwardly. Crockta and Zeulta got into position opposite each other and started the fight. The sound of their weapons colliding rang throughout the entire vige. After they got a sense of each other, their brawl intensified, and the sound of the weapons grew louder. Sparks flew from the weapons¡¯ friction, and it seemed like their des would fall off. Crockta thrust his greatsword downward, and Zeulta blocked it with his axe. Their battle continued as veins popped out on their faces. ¡°Such... strength...!¡± Zeulta muttered under his breath. Although Zeulta would have normally taken advantage of his double-headed weapon to target his enemy¡¯s weakness, this unfamiliar orc was different. Each of the tattooed orc¡¯s strikes had deadly force, so Zeulta felt like his body could split in two at any moment if he made a half-hearted move. Moreover, the orc grinned at Zeulta each time their eyes met. Zeulta, whose pride was hurt, shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The frightening roar gave everyone goosebumps. It was the battle cry of the chiefdom warrior Zeulta, who drowned his enemies in fear on the battlefield! Zeulta disyed incredible strength as he swung at Crockta with his double-headed axe, but he was blocked by the greatsword. ¡°Ugh!¡± Zeulta groaned. Although the fight continued, Zeulta didn¡¯t see a clear way that he could win. He realized his opponent was continuing the battle to assess his strength. His opponent wanted to know what the strength of the chiefdom warriors was like, and he had the leeway to do so. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Zeulta unleashed a strike of anger that put himself at risk. Be it Zeulta or his opponent, this was a showdown where one of them would get hurt. So, Zeulta decided to settle the match instead of dragging it on. However, to Zeulta¡¯s surprise, what ended up flying in the air was his double-headed axe. Crockta¡¯s greatsword touched his throat. It was Zeulta¡¯s loss. The Kapur Tribe warriors who had been watching the duel began pping. ¡°It was a great battle.¡± ¡°It was close.¡± On the other hand, Hammerchwi and the warriors from the chiefdom were frozen. They knew this battle had not been a close call. That orc Crockta had yed with Zeulta. He could have ended the battle at any moment, but he had carried on the battle to assess Zeulta¡¯s abilities. Then when Zeulta charged at him in anger, Crockta had restrained him with ease. Zeulta was the leader of the chiefdom warriors that Hammerchwi led, and he was the strongest among them. This meant that the level of the young tattooed orc¡¯s skills was close to that of the great warrior Hammerchwi. Hammerchwi, who had been standing still, joined in the apuse. ¡°Amazing.¡± He patted the dejected Zeulta¡¯s head and stepped forward. ¡°Your fighting method is umon in orcs these days. It¡¯s very refined. Who did you learn from?¡± asked Hammerchwi. ¡°From great warriors,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Great warriors...¡± Hammerchwiughed again. ¡®I like this guy,¡¯ thought Hammerchwi. In an era where no one gave warriors des of greatness, where had a warrior like this emerged from? It was an era where warriors were celebrated and measured for how strong they were, by how many they had killed and how much they had looted. This was thend of orcs where orcs tried to be strong rather than great. They were more interested in killing than leaving notable achievements. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Where are you from?¡± asked Hammerchwi. Crockta gave his answer. *** To wee Hamerchwi and his warriors from the chiefdom, the Kapur Tribe held a feast in the public square where the fight had urred. The tribe killed several karuks for the feast. They lit a huge fire in the center, and all of the orcs sat around it and enjoyed alcohol and meat. ¡°What an amazing ce,¡±mented Hammerchwi from across Crockta. Hammerchwi initially thought Crockta had been joking when he said he had crossed the southern boundary, but he hade to believe Crockta¡¯s story after talking further with him. The ce Crockta came from sounded like paradise. It was a ce where orcs followed the oath of the warrior, and different species lived together without fighting. ¡°I heard you are looking for the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± said Hammerchwi. ¡°Yes,¡± Crockta replied. ¡°Hmm...¡± Hammerchwi caressed his chin. The area where the temple was located wasn¡¯t orc territory, so Crockta would have to risk getting into conflicts to get there. Nevertheless, conflicts didn¡¯t always have to be avoided. ¡°Crockta,¡± said Hammerchwi. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you be a warrior of the chiefdom?¡± asked Hammerchwi. The warriors who had been listening in on their conversation leaned in closer upon hearing Hammerchwi¡¯s offer. Crockta had the skills¡ªno, he was beyond qualified. With the chieftain¡¯s tendency to give special treatment to the strong, Crockta could rise to a position higher than a regr warrior. The warriors weed the prospect of having another strong warrior join them. Although there had been the fight earlier, their enemies were not fellow orcs but wicked humans and dark elves. ¡°If you be one of the chieftain¡¯s warriors, we will help you get to the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± stated Hammerchwi. ¡°How?¡± asked Crockta. Hammerchwi tapped on his hammer several times and grinned. ¡°Through war.¡± He was a militant northern orc after all. Hammerchwi continued, ¡°After we ughter all of the dark elves there, we will take all of their supplies and help you reach the Temple of the Fallen God.¡± The warriors raised their sses at Hammerchwi¡¯s words. ¡°For the chiefdom!¡± ¡°For the orcs!¡± Then, they all downed their drinks at the same time. The Kapur Tribe members followed suit and gulped down their drinks. ¡°The chiefdom will enter a war soon. That¡¯s the chieftain¡¯s decision. Crockta, if you join us, we can crush them even more easily. Then we will help you get anywhere you wish to go in the north.¡± Hammerchwi¡¯s voice was filled with sincerity. He genuinely wanted Crockta to join them. Hammerchwi was certain Crockta would be a great warrior and perhaps something even greater. ¡°I will think about it. I¡¯m not alone.¡± Crockta gestured to a spot nearby. A small drunken gnome was firing iridescent magic lights into the sky as orc children cheered around him. Tiyo was always so energetic. Tiyo, drunk on liquor and the lively atmosphere, began singing, ¡°We are the gnome guards who protect beautiful Quantes~! We live each day to the fullest~! While braving through the sea of blood of monsters~!¡± It was the song of the gnome garrison, but the young orcs awkwardly sang along with him, and Tiyo continued to fire iridescent magic lights that filled the sky. ¡°Hmph!¡± The chieftain warrior, Zeulta, who had been watching Tiyo, got up. He pointed his finger at Tiyo and eximed, ¡°As expected, gnomes¡¯ songs are terrible!¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Listen, little kid! The song of real men goes like this!¡± Zeulta said. Then he started singing at the top of his lungs, ¡°Stretching both legs~! After~! A sessful~! Loot~!¡± It was the song of northern orcs. Although the lyrics were crass, Zeulta¡¯s tone resonated with strength. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Although the song had spirit, it fell short ording to Crockta¡¯s standards. ¡°Ha...¡± muttered Crockta. ¡®These northern orcs don¡¯t know what a real warrior is like.¡¯ Brimming with a sense of duty, Crockta rose from his seat. He needed to spread the voice of real warriors. He should show this wastnd what a true warrior was like! Crockta imbued his voice with his Essence-tier skill, Army Crushing Roar, as he sang the lyrics, ¡°We are orcs! Strong orrrrrrcssssssss!¡± Chapter 75: Chiefdom (2)

Chapter 75: Chiefdom (2)

¡°Will you be okay?¡± asked Crockta. The young warrior Rakuta nodded. Crockta and Tiyo were leaving for their destination¡ªthe Temple of the Fallen God. They couldn¡¯t stay in the Kapur Vige forever after all. Moreover, the chief of the Kapur Tribe was still that brutish orc, Kapur. ¡°I will protect this tribe with all of my strength,¡± said Rakuta. Everyone knew that Kapur was a cruel chief who tormented his tribe, but they couldn¡¯t deny that he was the strongest. Rakuta was epting of the truth. He said, ¡°You could get rid of Kapur, but it wouldn¡¯t lead to our freedom.¡± Crockta nodded in agreement. Even if he got rid of Kapur for the tribe, it wouldn¡¯t lead to the desired oue. Kapur was still the strongest orc in the wastnd and had the power to protect his tribe in the tough northern region. During the feast, Rakuta made a drunken confession to Crockta that his goal was to grow stronger in order to defeat Kapur and be the chief of the Kapur Tribe. He wanted to make the tribe prosper. Crockta felt proud of Rakuta and also sorry for him. Crockta had received teachings from great warriors since his days as an apprentice warrior, but Rakuta didn¡¯t have anyone to help him grow stronger. Lenox, Hoyt, Tashaquil, Grant, Gultai, and Antuak had been the beacons that lit up Crockta¡¯s path. Great teachers like that were the driving force behind the orcs on the continent continuing to uphold their code of honor and the legacy of warriors without losing their pride. However, the northern region was different. Just like how itsnds were barren, the northern region was devoid of teachers like those on the continent. Crockta wanted to help Rakuta, but what could he do for him? ¡°Crockta, how can I be strong like you?¡± asked Rakuta. Crocktaughed. There had been a time when he just repeatedly swung his greatsword on Orcrox¡¯s training grounds. Back then, he was just a beginner orc who was relentlessly chastised by Lenox, but now someone was asking him how to be strong like him. ¡®What made me strong?¡¯ Crockta thought as he looked back on his past. He had experienced countless fights since the time he had faced the mutant werewolf at Orcrox to when he had hunted down the Behemoth, and he had wanted to give up many times. Yet, he had managed to win over those thoughts¡ªsometimes alone and sometimes with friends. Crockta suddenly cried out, ¡°Never back down!¡± All of the great warriors he had encountered never gave up trying to achieve their goals and ced everything they had on the line to do so. ¡°Never back down,¡± Crockta repeated. Rakuta nodded, with a smile blossoming on his face. It seemed that he had gotten the answer he had been looking for. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Rakuta. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt yourself,¡± said Crockta as he extended his fist. Although Rakuta was unfamiliar with the old greeting of orcs, he smiled and bumped fists with Crockta. Then Crockta headed out to depart from Kapur vige with Hammerchwi and his warriors. Chief Kapur still had a servile attitude as he sent off Hammerchwi, but he looked at Crockta with eyes filled with fear and hostility as they parted. Crockta and Hammerchwi¡¯s party headed farther north. The two orcs joined paths so that they could journey together until Hammerchwi and the chieftain¡¯s warriors returned to the chiefdom, and Crockta left to advance to the territory of dark elves where the temple was located. Crockta had put a hold on the offer to be one of the chieftain¡¯s warriors. He wanted to first learn more about the circumstances in the northern region. ¡°Where is my father...?¡± muttered Tiyo suddenly. He didn¡¯t sound particrly sad. In fact, he was more intent on exploring the north than looking for his father. Tiyo hummed a song as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well somewhere.¡± Zeulta interrupted him, ¡°Gnomes sometimes appear in the mountain range near human territory, so he might be around there somewhere.¡± ¡°Ohh... you are kinder than I thought,¡±mented Tiyo. ¡°Hmph, I was just chiming in, you little kid!¡± said Zeulta with a flustered look. ¡°I said nothing,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Hmph!¡± grunted Zeulta. Zeulta then went past them and rode ahead, leading the way. Tiyo snickered. An odd friendship had sprouted between the two of them after all that bickering back and forth. Crockta, Tiyo, Hammerchwi, and his warriors rode their karuks through the wastnd. Once they exited the area surrounding the wall of darkness, the climate began to change, and nts and forests began to appear. ¡°No one upies thend around here. You can say it¡¯s abandonednd,¡± exined Hammerchwi. ¡°It¡¯s where those who don¡¯t belong to their own species live.¡± ¡°Like orcs and dark elves?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes, and humans and gnomes.¡± The ce reminded Crockta of Anail, the city of freedom where runaways gathered. An image of Jeremy popped up in Crockta¡¯s mind. ¡®Is he still under Derek? Or has he been attacked by Derek as I predicted?¡¯ wondered Crockta. However, Crockta knew that he didn¡¯t have to worry about Jeremy. Jeremy was a man who could forge his own destiny. Suddenly, the karuk that Crockta was riding stopped. ¡°Kereuk,¡± it cried. Crockta caressed the karuk¡¯s head. Crockta and Tiyo had received their own karuks for traveling. Unlike their appearances, karuks were docile creatures, and beginners could learn to ride them without much difficulty. ¡°There¡¯s someone there!¡± shouted the warrior leading the way. Crockta could see a group of unidentifiable creatures standing by the horizon. Hammerchwi made a gesture, and the warrior at the front of the group nodded in understanding. He spurred his karuk and said, ¡°I will go check!¡± The warrior then quickly rode toward the horizon and approached the unknown group. ¡°Is it okay for him to go alone?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°No one will dare attack the chieftain¡¯s warriors. Attacking us is like dering yourself as an enemy of the chiefdom,¡± stated Hammerchwi proudly. Crockta grinned. He could sense that Hammerchwi was emphasizing the chiefdom¡¯s power to try to lure him over to their side. ¡°Haha! Everyone, look at my sense of bnce!¡± yelled Tiyo suddenly. Tiyo, who had grown bored while waiting for the warrior to return, had climbed on top of the karuk¡¯s horn and was performing tricks. The karuk seemed to be fond of Tiyo and snorted as he raised Tiyo high up into the air. Tiyo then made his signature move and sted the General¡¯s iridescent lights. ¡°This is what a gnome is!¡± he eximed. Zeulta burned withpetitive spirit as he watched Tiyo. ¡°I... I can do it too!¡± Zeulta yelled. He tried to climb onto the karuk¡¯s head, but the karuk was unable to bear his weight and turned its head away, causing Zeulta to roll across the ground. Tiyoughed at him from the top of the karuk¡¯s horn. ¡°Hahahahaha! If you were intending to make usugh, then it¡¯s a sess!¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± muttered Zeulta. The other warriors shook their heads. ¡°Hmm...¡± Hammerchwi, who had been watching the two, started twitching strangely as if he wanted to get up. Crockta held him back. ¡°Don¡¯t imitate them.¡± ¡°Hmm... I was just feeling a little stiff,¡± said Hammerchwi. Yet, even as he said those words, he kept ncing over at his karuk¡¯s horn. It was obvious he wanted to try it. Then, the warrior who had approached the mysterious group returned. ¡°They are of our species, but they are ve traders,¡± he exined. ¡°Is that so?¡± Hammerchwi¡¯s face turned into a scowl. ¡°Did he say ve traders?¡± asked Crockta in surprise. ¡°...¡± On the continent, it was illegal to sell and own ves. Although there had been the elf-trafficking incident in Arnin, it was a crime that had urred in the shadows. Usually, if a species were exposed for ve trading, all other species and cities would turn their backs on them and form a coalition to punish them. However, it was different in the northern region. ¡°Let¡¯s just go,¡± said Hammerchwi as he rode forward on his karuk. Watching Hammerchwi move ahead of him, Crockta felt disappointed. He had thought Hammerchwi was different from other orcs in the northern region, but it turned out that Hammerchwi was also someone who followed the ways here. ¡°Hmph, ve traders. How barbaric!¡± the ever-fearless Tiyo shouted very loudly as if he wanted everyone to hear him. The warriors¡¯ eyebrows twitched. Hammerchwi raised his hand to calm his warriors, who red at Tiyo and then steered their karuks forward. Meanwhile, Tiyo looked at Crockta with a disgruntled face, and Crockta nodded at Tiyo in response. He understood Tiyo¡¯s feelings perfectly. As the group made their way farther north, they ran into the group of ve traders. ¡°Hello, how have you been, great warrior Hammerchwi!¡± greeted one of the ve traders. Upon recognizing Hammerchwi, the ve traders bowed their heads in respect. The ve trader that spoke earlier smiled in an ingratiating manner as he continued, ¡°If you take a liking to any of them, please let us know. We would be honored to offer one of them to you, great warrior.¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± replied Hammerchwi. Then Crockta, who was behind Hammerchwi, froze at what he saw. There was ck smoke rising from a burning vige a bit farther north. The sounds of colliding weapons and echoing screams rang from the vige as armed orcs kidnapped and dragged vigers over to the ve traders. The ve traders then locked up the ves in the luggagepartment of their wagon. These ve traders weren¡¯t just transporting ves; they were hunting ves. The vigers who had been turned into ves cried out from the luggagepartment. ¡°This¡ª!¡± Tiyo was about to say something when a loud roar tore apart the sky and shook the horizon. The karuks jumped and thrashed in surprise, and the warriors covered their ears while writhing in pain. The ver trader they had been speaking to panicked and copsed with blood trickling from his ears. Hammerchwi looked at the source of the sound. It was Crockta. ¡°Do you know the meaning of the word I just shouted?¡± asked Crockta. Hammerchwi¡¯s face stiffened. He knew what it meant. It was a word that most orcs in the northern region had forgotten, but old orc warriors still remembered it. In the days long passed, that shout would resonate wherever an orc was. However, times had changed, and now that word sounded so foreign to him. It was a word that was now a dim and hazy memory from the distant past. ¡°...I do,¡± answered Hammerchwi. ¡°Then you know what I will do next,¡± said Crockta. Hammerchwi sighed. ¡°Do you have to do that?¡± ¡°I should be the one asking,¡± replied Crockta. He extended his hand and pointed at a ve being dragged by a ve trader. That ve was an orc just like them. ¡°Do they have to do that?¡± asked Crockta. Hammerchwi solemnly shook his head. He also disliked the notion of ves, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it. The chieftain permitted turning others into ves and trading them as a means of war. ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, but I have to obey the chieftain¡¯sws. It is none of your concern,¡± said Hammerchwi. Crocktaughed. He no longer respected Hammerchwi. ¡°Great warrior Hammerchwi, you don¡¯t deserve the title of a warrior,¡± Crockta stated. ¡°What?¡± Hammerchwi red at Crockta. Hammerchwi¡¯s warriors clutched their weapons and prepared to fight. ¡°Just because I favor you doesn¡¯t mean you can overstep your boundaries. There arews specific to this ce, Crockta!¡± Hammerchwi yelled. He raised his hammer and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything because you are from the peaceful south. The north is a ce where you die if you don¡¯t kill. The weak are weeded out.¡± Hammerchwi got off his karuk and angrily spat out, ¡°Do not impose thews of a weaknd on us.¡± Crockta burst intoughter and got off his karuk too. ¡°How odd.¡± Crockta chuckled. ¡°Orcs like you are easily mistaken. You think it¡¯s weak to stand for what is right. You mistake swinging weapons and hiding your cowardice as strength when it¡¯s actually the opposite.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Without a doubt, there isn¡¯t an orc weaker than you on the continent,¡± dered Crockta. The Ogre yer shed under the northern sun. Now, all of the chieftain¡¯s warriors and Hammerchwi were aiming their weapons at Crockta. However, instead of making Crockta tense, this situation put his mind at ease. After all, he was an orc who had learned the oath of the warrior from Lenox. The orc warriors that he knew did not submit to anything and freely carried out what they believed in. They weren¡¯t afraid of fighting, but they feared bing cowardly. Crockta beamed ear to ear as he said, ¡°I will ask you one final time. Hammerchwi, are you alive right now?¡± ¡°Quit your absurd talk from the past!¡± yelled Hammerchwi. Crockta¡¯s lips curved upward again. He had been with orcs who put that absurd talk into practice. His teachers were warriors who had willingly cast off their lives to truly stay alive. Compared to them, the orcs here were so puny. The orc that they called a great warrior was an orc who turned away despite knowing what was wrong. It was such pathetic self-pride. Then Tiyo spoke up, ¡°Crockta, quickly finish them off. I¡¯m sleepy. I will give you ten minutes.¡± Tiyo was provoking Hammerchwi and the others because he knew Crockta could handle all of them on his own. The warriors took a step forward in unison, and Crockta swung his greatsword around in the air. ¡°Five minutes is enough,¡± said Crockta as mana rose from his greatsword. *** ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± asked Hammerchwi while gasping for breath. All of Hammerchwi¡¯s warriors were sprawled out on the ground. Zeulta somehow managed to get up even though half of his thigh had been cut off. He tried to crawl his way to Hammerchwi but ultimately copsed and moaned in pain, ¡°Ughhhh...¡± ¡°Crockta...¡± muttered Hammerchwi as he gazed at the remains of his hammer. His prized hammer waspletely destroyed. It was a rare steel weapon that the chieftain had gifted him, but Crockta¡¯s swordsmanship had shattered itpletely. Crockta was so much stronger than Hammerchwi had expected. The destroyed hammer was clear evidence of their vast difference in strength. ¡°Uhh... I¡¯m okay,¡± said one of the warriors. Hammerchwi looked around to make sure the warriors were okay and noticed that Crockta hadn¡¯t killed any of them. However, Crockta had said while leaving with his gnome friend that he wouldn¡¯t show them any mercy next time. Nheless, Crockta¡¯s mercy hadn¡¯t extended to the ve traders. He had cut off their arms, and there had even been a ve trader who died from shock. After that, Crockta and Tiyo freed all of the captured ves. ¡°Dammit...¡± muttered Hammerchwi. ¡°Hammerchwi, are you still alive?¡± Crockta¡¯s voice popped up in Hamerchwi¡¯s mind. Crockta¡¯s question was the old greeting of orcs that no one in the northern region really remembered. Hammerchwi understood the meaning of the greeting, but he had never put much thought into it. ¡°Perhaps...¡± he murmured. Hammerchwi had lost miserably, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel annoyed. He was an old soldier who didn¡¯t have many days left to live. What he had witnessed today might just be the beginning of change. Would he be able to see the northern region change during the remaining years of his life? Perhaps, he had run into a stroke of luck during hisst years to have met a warrior who could change the northern region. The chieftain was definitely a strong orc. Hammerchwi had never seen such overwhelming force and strength. Even Crockta, who had defeated him and all of the warriors, was no match for the chieftain. Yet... ¡°Hammerchwi, you must always remember this word,¡± Hammerchwi recalled. Back when Hammerchwi had been merely a child, his grandfather had been an old soldier like Hammerchwi¡¯s current self. One day, his grandfather called over the young Hammerchwi and said, ¡°An orc who remembers this can be great, but an orc who forgets this will wander aimlessly for the rest of his life, so always remember this.¡± Yet, Hammerchwi had forgotten that very thing. It wasn¡¯t just him; no orc in the northern region remembered it¡ªthat dead word. However, he had heard that worde alive with his own ears today. It had returned to his mind as a thunderous roar that shook the earth. ¡°Have I been wandering aimlessly?¡± Hammerchwi sighed. The warriors around him started to stir after regaining consciousness. As Hammerchwi watched them, he decided to say that word. It produced a resonance that shook his heart. ¡°Bul¡¯tar.¡± Chapter 76: Orcheim (1)

Chapter 76: Orcheim (1)

¡°Thank you,¡± said Kaburak. He was one of the ves that Crockta and Tiyo rescued. Kaburak''s teeth were broken from getting beaten up by the ve traders, but he had a wide grin on his face as if he didn''t mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there were still men like you around,¡± Kaburak continued from behind Tiyo. They were riding together on Tiyo¡¯s karuk. Tiyo grumbled, ¡°Be careful. You spray saliva every time you talk!¡± ¡°Sorry, hahahaha!¡±ughed Kaburak. ¡°I heard you''re going to the north. Where exactly are you headed?¡± ¡°We are heading to the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Fallen God...?¡± ¡°Ask Crockta,¡± said Tiyo while pointing at Crockta. Crockta nodded as he looked at Kaburak. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± asked Kaburak. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to find out for personal reasons,¡± answered Crockta. He looked at the horizon far ahead. Hammerchwi had said that Crockta would find a vige of dark elves if he went in this direction. Even if the dark elves were hostile, Crockta nned to approach them to find a way to the Temple of the Fallen God. Kaburak¡¯s vige was also in the same direction, so Crockta and Tiyo had decided to take Kaburak along for the ride until they reached the dark elves¡¯ vige. ¡°Hmm... Fallen God...¡± muttered Kaburak. Crockta tilted his head curiously as he asked, ¡°Do you know about the Temple of the Fallen God?¡± ¡°Not well, but...¡± Kaburak raised his head toward the sky in an exaggerated motion and then caressed his chin. ¡°If it¡¯s you, maybe... Hmm...¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Crockta... I have a question. Why did you rescue me?¡± ¡°Does there need to be a reason?¡± ¡°I still want to know... Was it because of your principles? Or...¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°I¡¯m a warrior.¡± ¡°There are many warriors. Even the ones who kidnapped us were warriors.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a real warrior.¡± ¡°A real warrior?¡± ¡°On the continent, you can¡¯t be a warrior just because you are strong. That¡¯s a fighter, not a warrior,¡± Crockta exined. Then he pointed at the tattoos that appeared on his body after he became a warrior. They had been Tattoos of Honor at first, but they had since evolved into Tattoos of Honor and Indomitable Will. The tattoos of orc warriors were granted by the sorcerer presiding over the orc¡¯s warrior ceremony and formed ording to the warrior¡¯s actions and principles. Unlike Crockta, some warriors had Tattoos of Strength or Tattoos of Vengeance, but those who didn¡¯t have the qualifications of a warrior were not able to earn the tattoos. Some orcs couldn''t receive the tattoos no matter how much magic the sorcerer poured into the ceremony. This meant that if an orc on the continent had tattoos, he was a true warrior. ¡°If you need a reason for why I rescued you, I will tell you this,¡± Crockta said. ¡°What is it?¡± Kaburak asked. ¡°The fifthmandment of a warrior.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°A warrior does not do anything shameful to God,¡± said Crockta with a grin. ¡°To enve another living being... How shameful.¡± Orcs didn¡¯t usually mention their god. The first time that Crockta heard about their god was when he learned the Warrior¡¯s Commandments from Lenox in the Hall of Fame. Orcs didn¡¯t have a statue or symbol like the Goddess of Benevolence or the God of Light that other species had. They also didn¡¯t have temples or shrines and couldn¡¯t borrow holy power from their god the way believers of other religions could. Despite that, the Warrior¡¯s Commandments were an oath to their god. Crockta surmised the god that the orcs referred to were actually the personal convictions they held in their hearts. ¡°God!¡± Kaburak¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°God!¡± he yelled again. As if trying to savor the sound, Kaburak shouted the word ¡®god¡¯ once more and then closed his eyes. Then he tilted his head back and erupted intoughter. ¡°Hahahaha! A warrior who believes in god!¡± Kaburak tapped on Tiyo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, Tiyo! Are all of the orcs from the south like him?! Hahaha!¡± ¡°It hurts. Be gentler!¡± yelled Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Hahahaha!¡± The karuk growled at Kaburak as his body shook withughter. Kaburak apologized to the karuk too and patted its butt whileughing still. ¡°So, you guys are headed to the Temple of the Fallen God?!!¡± Kaburak asked. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°If you guys aren¡¯t in a rush, why don¡¯t you follow me?!¡± suggested Kaburak. He pointed at the mountain range that began to rise above the horizon. ¡°My beautiful hometown is on Mount Lun.¡± Tiyo¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of a new destination. He wanted to explore the whole northern region. ¡°Oh, what cool things are there?!¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Haha, there are even gnomes around,¡± said Kaburak. ¡°Ohh, it must be a cool ce since there are gnomes!¡± Tiyo nced over at Crockta with earnest eyes. He clearly wanted to go. Crockta shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not? But why are you suddenly inviting us?¡± Kaburak pointed at Crockta. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention God?!¡± ¡°God?¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°All of the orcs who remember God have disappeared from the north! Everyone¡¯s forgotten! But you¡¯ve appeared, and since you mentioned God, I should invite you to ournd!¡± shouted Kaburak with bright eyes. ¡°To the sacred ce of orcs, Orcheim!¡± *** The group began to climb a mountain range. The karuks could normally climb mountains easily, but they started panting because they were tired. So, the group decided to take a break. They had been in a wastnd just a while back, and now they were climbing a mountain with abundant forests. The northernndforms were truly unpredictable. Crockta fell into deep thought while looking at Kaburak. At first, Kaburak had been dragged by ve traders, but after Crockta defeated Hammerchwi, his warriors, and the ve traders, Kaburak approached him and suggested they travel together. Kaburak was different from the other orcs. They had been afraid of Crockta even as they expressed their gratitude toward him, yet Kaburak didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of anything and was friendly toward Crockta, who had overpowered the chieftain¡¯s warriors in an instant. Crockta initially wondered whether Kaburak was up to something, but now he was sure that wasn¡¯t the case. He felt a strange sense of optimism from Kaburak. Kaburak didn¡¯t seem like someone who had been beaten up and almost turned into a ve. ¡°I¡¯m so d to be back home!¡± shouted Kaburak when they arrived at their destination. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but enjoy Kaburak¡¯spany. His cheerful personality was infectious. ¡°Hey, Kaburak! Where are the gnomes?!¡± asked Tiyo as he stood up on his karuk. ¡°I will show you once we are closer to Orcheim, haha.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about what gnomes in the north look like,¡± said Tiyo. Then, he pointed at Crockta. ¡°All of the northern orcs are weird, Crockta! Gnomes will be different! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± muttered Kaburak. ¡°Hey, Kaburak, I didn¡¯t mean you! Haha!¡±ughed Tiyo. ¡°You are not wrong. Hahaha, you say whatever is on your mind!¡± said Kaburak. The sound of the two men¡¯sughter echoed through the forests on the mountain. ¡°Gnomes will appear once we are closer to our destination,¡± said Kaburak. The party pulled their karuks along with them as they began climbing the mountain on foot. The mountain¡¯s terrain grew increasingly dangerous the further up they went. Kaburak didn¡¯t have much athletic ability for an orc, so he kept tripping on things and struggled on steep roads. Crockta and Tiyo had to help him up multiple times. ¡°Hahaha! Thank you!¡±ughed Kaburak. They eventually reached the ridge of the mountain. ¡°Look over there,¡± said Kaburak. He was pointing at the view below the mountain. There were no other mountains nearby, so the view extended all the way to the horizon, allowing them to see the wastnd they had journeyed from, the vibrant ins, and other faraway forests and viges. The beautiful scenery of the northern region was spread out before them. ¡°Beautiful,¡± said Crockta. ¡°This is the beauty of the north, hahahha!¡± While Kaburak wasughing uproariously, an arrow swooshed past and cut his face. Blood seeped out from his wound. ¡°Huh...?¡± Kaburak tilted his head in confusion as he ced his fingertip on the cut. Crockta quickly grabbed Kaburak¡¯s head and made him get down on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s an attack,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Where are you?!¡± yelled Tiyo. He immediately aimed his General in the direction where the arrow had flown from. It hade from the bushes above them. As Crockta gazed into the shaking bushes, another arrow came flying at them, and he blocked the arrow with the side of his greatsword. The arrow dropped to the ground, but his greatsword trembled from the force of the arrow. Kaburak, who was still lying t on the ground, grabbed the arrow and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s an arrow of the dark... the dark elves...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dark elf?¡± said Crockta. He had asionally seen dark elves on the continent. Unlike most elves who had fair skin and hair, dark elves had dark skin and hair. They also had more enhanced physical abilities than most elves. As the party had experienced earlier, even the dark elves¡¯ arrows were incredibly strong. ¡°Where are you?!¡± shouted Tiyo while firing his General into the forest. When the General¡¯s iridescent magic lights exploded in the forest, a sudden shriek rang out from behind the bushes. Tiyo shouted again, ¡°Reveal yourself if you don¡¯t want to get hurt!¡± The bushes shook, and the party soon heard a female dark elf¡¯s voice. It sounded beautiful with a melodious ring to it as she asked, ¡°Are you the chieftain¡¯s dogs?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We have nothing to do with those people!¡± shouted Tiyo. The dark elf fell silent for a moment while she continued hiding in the bushes. She then questioned, ¡°Then, who are you guys?¡± ¡°You should reveal yourself first!¡± demanded Tiyo. ¡°...My name is Yanura, and I am a ranger of Dejame.¡± Confused, Crockta and Tiyo looked at Kaburak, who was still on the ground. Kaburak nodded and then got up from the ground. ¡°I¡¯m Kaburak, and I¡¯m returning to Orcheim!¡± ¡°Orcheim?¡± uttered Yanura before rising from the bushes. Yanura was a beautiful elf with ck hair and dark skin. She carried a heavy-looking bow that seemed too big for her. ¡°Why is an orc from Orcheim here?¡± asked Yanura. ¡°I am returning to Orcheim after being gone for a long time. Why is a dark elf from Dejame here?¡± asked Kaburak. ¡°Traveling... I see. So, you don¡¯t know yet,¡± said the dark elf with a nod. ¡°The circumstances have changed during the time you were gone. Orcheim and Dejame formed an alliance to guard this area.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Kaburak. The dark elf furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Tiyo. Tiyo¡¯s face hardened when he heard what Yanura said next. ¡°Because of those wicked gnomes.¡± *** The party headed to Orcheim with Yanura, who exined what was going on. Ever since a long time ago, orcs, dark elves, and gnomes had lived together on Mount Lun in their respective territories. Unlike tribal orcs and dark elf coalitions that incited war, those that lived on Mount Lun enjoyed a self-sufficient and peaceful life. However, the gnomes had broken the bnce. They had betrayed the other two species and joined forces with the orc chiefdom. The gnomes leaked information about the orcs¡¯ and dark elves¡¯ state of affairs and defense strategies to the chiefdom. After that, orcs from the chiefdom went to Mount Lun, piged the citizens, and captured them to be ves. However, the main problem was that some of the gnomes were trying to establish Mount Lun as theirs and had made a secret agreement with the chiefdom for Mount Lun to be officially recognized as gnome territory. This was because gnomemunities were scattered and didn¡¯t have a central authority. Tiyo was devastated by the news. ¡°The northern... northern gnomes...¡± ¡°Haha, it seems the northern gnomes don¡¯t amount to much either,¡± teased Crockta. Tiyo dropped his head in disappointment instead of jumping up and down like he usually did. Crockta felt bad for teasing him. ¡°Anyway, I will apologize for attacking you guys earlier. I will escort you to Orcheim. You won¡¯t be misunderstood if you are with me,¡± said Yanura as she nced over at Crockta. Yanura kept looking him up and down. She could tell that this orc from the southern region was different from the orcs she had seen here. The tattoos all over his body and the rare greatsword were quite a sight. She instinctively knew that Crockta was strong. ¡®If a guy like him helped us, maybe...¡¯ she wondered. Yanura decided to find out more about him first. ¡°What business do you have in Orcheim?¡± asked Yanura. Crockta gestured toward Kaburak and said, ¡°I heard Orcheim is the sacred ce of orcs, so I¡¯m visiting out of curiosity.¡± ¡°Sacred ce?¡± Yanura tilted her head. Crockta looked to the front and saw that an orc vige was up ahead. Orcheim was situated on a teau halfway up the mountain. Crockta could tell that although it wasn¡¯t a highly-developed ce, it was a well-organized vige. He also saw orcs who had just returned from a hunt carrying a huge boar. However, when Crockta¡¯s group entered the vige, all the attention was drawn to them. They were an odd group consisting of an orc, a gnome, and a dark elf, but Kaburak led the way confidently. ¡°I¡¯ve returned, Orcheim!¡± he shouted. The vigers¡¯ startled expressions turned to shock. ¡°Kaburak!¡± ¡°Kaburak has returned!¡± ¡°Kaburak?¡± Crockta and Tiyo exchanged looks. They had thought that Kaburak was just a happy-go-lucky guy, but it seemed that perhaps he was actually someone great. ¡°Wait, Kaburak?¡± Yanura uttered. She made an expression as if she just remembered something. With a trembling voice, she said, ¡°Orcheim¡¯s chief¡¯s son who disappeared? The genius sorcerer Kaburak?¡± Crockta¡¯s and Tiyo¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at Kaburak. Kaburak had his arms wide open while he puffed out his chest and shouted again, ¡°I, Kaburak, have returned!¡± Then they noticed a sh of light growing in his hand as he uttered an unknown spell, and pink petals began to fall to the ground. Smelling the scent of the fresh petals in the air, Kaburak smiled contentedly. Chapter 77: Orcheim (2)

Chapter 77: Orcheim (2)

Kaburak¡¯s father¡ªOrcheim¡¯s chief and a burly orc who carried a huge battle axe¡ªcame running at the news of Kaburak¡¯s return. Kaburak was still smiling under the fluttering petals when their eyes met. It was a long-awaited reunion between the father and son. Kaburak¡¯s gaze was filled with emotion as he called out to his father, Gorit. ¡°Father!¡± Kaburak cried out. Gorit also appeared to be deeply moved as he approached his son. After all, the rtionship between a father and son could never end, even if they had been apart for a long time. Crockta and Tiyo felt warm inside while they watched the reunion, even though they hadn¡¯t known Kaburak for that long. Kaburak and Gorit walked toward each other as if about to engage in a warm embrace. Around them, the flower petals that Kaburak¡¯s magic had created continued to flutter in the air. Then... Gorit punched Kaburak with a loud whack. ¡°Ugh!¡± Kaburak groaned as one of his teeth flew out from his mouth. ¡°Fa-Father??¡± ¡°You disappeared without a word, and you suddenly show up now?!¡± shouted Gorit. That punch of his had been charged with emotion. ¡°Also, where¡¯s the Constetion Staff?!¡± questioned Gorit. ¡°It br-broke, Father...¡± muttered Kaburak. ¡°You¡ª!¡± The orcs around Gorit had to hold him back because he was ready to charge and beat up his son. Gorit was massive, so it wasn¡¯t easy to hold him back; several orcs had to cling to him tightly. Despite being held back, Gorit continued to shout, seemingly appalled by the whole situation. ¡°Vigers! Listen to me! My son disappeared without a trace with the family¡¯s heirloom and then suddenly returned after breaking it! Does this make sense to anyone?!¡± ¡°He might die if you continue to beat him up, so calm down,¡± said one of the orcs holding Gorit back. ¡°They say that if you practice patience three times, you can save a life...¡± added one of the other orcs. ¡°I used up all of my patience a while ago! Now I just have to kill him!¡± yelled Gorit. ¡°Uh oh...¡± Crockta and Tiyo watched themotion away from the crowd. ¡°Hmm...¡± murmured Crockta. ¡°It must hurt...¡± said Tiyo. Even though they were guests who had been invited to Orcheim, they were unable to receive any attention because of Kaburak. Furthermore, Gorit¡¯s rage made them fearful they might end up in the same boat as Kaburak once Gorit learned they were his son¡¯s guests. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Crockta to Yanura. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact details. I just heard that Gorit had a son who was a talented sorcerer... and one day, he took an artifact that was a family heirloom and disappeared,¡± answered Yanura. An orc warrior nearby suddenly noticed Crockta and Tiyo and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You guys seem to be Kaburak¡¯s friends. Gorit has a quick temper. He¡¯s like that right now, but he will treat you guys properly as guestster.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°My name is Marak. d to meet you,¡± greeted the orc warrior. ¡°Crockta. Are you alive?¡± said Crockta. Marak¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise at Crockta¡¯s greeting. ¡°Wow, I did not expect to hear that greeting from an outsider. Stay alive!¡± replied Marak with a smile. Crockta¡¯s eyes lit up with intrigue. He had finally met someone who knew the greeting of orc warriors! Then Marak extended his fist toward Crockta, and Crockta happily bumped fists with him. Marakughed loudly and said, ¡°You must not be one of the chiefdom¡¯s orcs!¡± At those words, Kaburak took the opportunity to escape from Gorit and approached Marak. Kaburak exined eagerly, ¡°Of course not. Of course not! Crockta is definitely not from the chiefdom. In fact, he rescued me from ve traders and defeated a group of the chiefdom¡¯s warriors. He¡¯s a great warrior!¡± Marak¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Wow! He defeated the chiefdom¡¯s warriors.¡± ¡°He defeated several, not just one, in an instant!¡± boasted Kaburak. ¡°He¡¯s an amazing warrior,¡± replied Marak. It was then that Gorit finally noticed Crockta, Tiyo, and Yanura. Gorit calmed his anger as he approached Kaburak, who eyed him warily. Kaburak flinched when Gorit raised his hand, but Gorit just ced his hand on top of Kaburak¡¯s head instead of hitting him. Kaburak looked like a child next to Gorit¡¯s huge stature. Gorit squinted his eyes as he asked his son, ¡°Are they your guests?¡± ¡°Kaburak invited us here. I¡¯m warrior Crockta. Are you alive?¡± greeted Crockta politely. ¡°Ohh...¡± muttered Gorit. Then Gorit looked Crockta up and down. ¡°Are your parents from Orcheim?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Crockta. ¡°I have never seen an outsider say that greeting. Are you sure?¡± asked Gorit. Crockta replied with a bitter smile instead of words. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first before we talk! We need to serve our guests... since... they have...e a long way...¡± Kaburak¡¯s voice grew smaller and smaller under Gorit¡¯s re, and Kaburak quickly averted his gaze. Gorit nodded while continuing to re disapprovingly at Kaburak. ¡°Fine, but you will have to exin everything properly. Crockta, please pardon our behavior earlier. We will give you a ce to stay, so follow me.¡± Yanura had to resume guard duty, so she parted ways with Crockta and Tiyo when they were invited to stay at Chief Gorit¡¯s house. Then Gorit led Crockta and Tiyo to his house, which was a giant log house with a second floor, and brought them to the guest room. Crockta experienced a bout of fatigue that had been umting throughout his journey after unpacking his bags. He ced the Ogre yer, which he always carried on him, on the floor and flopped down. As he leaned on the wall behind him, a moan of relief escaped his lips, ¡°Ah...¡± Tiyo, on the other hand, had been oddly quiet since earlier. He was lost in thought with a dejected expression. It seemed that what Yanura had said earlier had shocked him. Tiyo was a gnome who had a lot of pride in his species and firmly believed that gnomes were the most rational and wise species. He had always said that the magic engineering technology that the gnomes developed was the very essence of civilization. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m okay...¡± said Tiyo, but his voice sounded weak. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re letting yourself be too discouraged even though we don¡¯t know the specifics of the situation?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°There¡¯s no point in listening to their excuses... Gnomes that have joined hands with ve traders aren¡¯t gnomes...¡± Crocktaughed. ¡°If you put it that way, my species are ve hunters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true...¡± ¡°Regardless of how they are, all that matters is that you have nothing to hide,¡± assured Crockta. Tiyo rose from his seat and tried to smile. ¡°Thank you, Crockta, but don¡¯t worry. I was just thinking about what I should do.¡± ¡°About what?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Whether to ughter them or not!¡± yelled Tiyo. Crockta nodded. Tiyo had the right attitude. Once he was done deliberating over his dilemma, he would soon return to the fearless Tiyo that Crockta knew. ¡°I¡¯m on my way! Hahahahaha!¡± yelled Tiyo. It seemed that he had already returned to his usual self. Then the room door opened, and Gorit appeared. He looked down at Crockta and Tiyo with a frightening expression, and the pair tensed up under his intense gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Gorit abruptly. ¡°Go where?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°What do you mean where?!¡± eximed Gorit. ¡°Taking a bath together is the best way for men to get to know each other. We are going to a hot spring!¡± *** All of the fatigue in Tiyo¡¯s body dissolved in the hot water. ¡°Ahhhh... This is so nice...¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best,¡± muttered Crockta. Gorit sat across from them. Once they were inside the hot spring, Gorit¡¯s bulging muscles stood out even more. Despite his age, his chest muscles were sorge that they almost looked swollen. Upon scanning Crockta¡¯s body, Gorit seemed impressed. Crockta¡¯s tattoo-covered body was just as muscr¡ªno, it was even more muscr than Gorit¡¯s. After all the training Crockta had done with his greatsword, his body gained a very imposing appearance. ¡°Hmm...¡± Gorit then turned his head to look at Kaburak, who was small for an orc. If Kaburak didn¡¯t have the green flesh of orcs, he could pass as an athletic human. Kaburak dropped his head at Gorit¡¯s reproachful gaze. ¡°All of my fatigue is going away in this hot spring. I haven¡¯t been to one in a while. Thank you, Gorit! A bath is truly the way for men to bond!¡± eximed Tiyo. The one with the most unexpectedly well-built body was Tiyo. Although he had the small and cute face of a gnome, he had strong underlying muscles like Bruce Lee. His taut back didn¡¯t have an ounce of fat, and his muscles twitched as if they were alive whenever Tiyo moved. Once Tiyo got up, everyone could see his six-pack. Crockta and Gorit, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have a distinct six-pack because they had decent amounts of body fat. As if calling for everyone¡¯s attention, Tiyo straightened his shoulders and posed like a bodybuilder. A gnome was showing off his muscles in front of orcs! ¡°Ahem!¡± coughed Gorit. ¡°You have a nice body.¡± ¡°Quantes¡¯ gnome guards never miss a day of training! Haha!¡± Tiyo boasted. ¡°Quantes?¡± Gorit tilted his head in confusion. He was unfamiliar with the name. Kaburak exined, ¡°Father, these men are from the south.¡± ¡°By the south, do you mean the wastnd?¡± ¡°Even further,¡± replied Kaburak. Surprise spread across Gorit¡¯s face. There was only one ce further south than the wastnd. It was a ce that no one had been able to cross for a very long time. ¡°No way...¡± he murmured. Gorit looked at Crockta again. In contrast to his brusque manners up to this point, Gorit was deep in thought. ¡°No wonder you asked me if I was alive earlier.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do all of the orcs in the south say that greeting?¡± asked Gorit. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then, do you remember this too?¡± Crockta knew what Gorit was about to say, so they said it at the same time. ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Their voices ovepped. Gorit suddenly stood up. Crockta did the same. Then they bumped fists. ¡°Nice to meet you, warrior Crockta!¡± ¡°Same here, Gorit!¡± Crockta finally managed to meet a real orc in the northern region. Gorit asked Crockta about the southern region in great detail, and Crockta dly answered to the best of his knowledge. Gorit eagerly nodded his head as he listened to the impressive stories of orcs on the continent, but he clenched his fists in anger when he heard the story of Lenox, Crockta¡¯s instructor. After he finished hearing everything, Gorit said, ¡°The continent is an amazing ce where the soul of orcs is alive.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°The orcs in the north have lost the way of honorable orcs and warriors... It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Gorit informed Crockta that the orcs in Orcheim were the only orcs in the northern region that continued the traditions of orcs, and even Orcheim was now under the chiefdom¡¯s threat because the new chieftain lived for war. The chieftain wanted to make the entire northern region into orc territory. ¡°If it¡¯s as you say, then the circumstances in the north will also affect the south,¡± said Crockta. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Gorit. ¡°Once the north opens up, that crazy chieftain won¡¯t leave the continent alone.¡± Crockta realized that the chieftain might bridge the northern and southern regions once the northern region became fully open in ten years. Although the forest¡¯s dark energy wouldn¡¯t have fully dissipated, the chieftain¡¯s army could ughter all of the remaining monsters that roamed in the Forest of Monsters. ¡°The chieftain might already be nning to do that. The chiefdom has been getting fired up with war preparations,¡± said Gorit as he stirred the surface of the hot spring, creating ripples. ¡°That means...¡± ¡°The timing of when the chieftain started hunting ves and began invading other species oveps with when you guys opened up the north.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°The chiefdom has numerous sorcerers. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they read the future,¡± exined Gorit solemnly. ¡°It seems the chieftain ns to merge the north and south and invade the continent.¡± Crockta was shocked. ¡°No wonder. I did think the chiefdom¡¯s recent course of action was a bit odd...¡± said Gorit. Crockta realized that the butterfly effect had urred. The butterfly effect was when the unexpected consequence of an action led to significant changes in unpredictable ces. Crockta had been the butterfly when he had assassinated countless people as Jung Yi-An in the military. He had, at times, unwittingly overturned the world¡¯s affairs with the lives he had killed. Perhaps Jung Yi-An was the fiercest butterfly within the highly ssified records that had been permanently sealed. Crockta¡¯s face hardened, and Tiyo¡¯s expression grew serious. Only Kaburak smiled, albeit mysteriously. Gorit tried to change the mood by attacking his son. ¡°Kaburak, what have you been up to during these difficult times?!¡± ¡°I did some traveling,¡± replied Kaburak. ¡°What did you do while you were traveling?!¡± shouted Gorit. His eyes quivered with anger as his rage returned. He paused for a bit as if he couldn¡¯t continue, then he swallowed his anger and whispered, ¡°That caused all of your powers to disappear...¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta and Tiyo stared at Kaburak. Kaburak just smiled while revealing his broken teeth. Gorit said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. You were born with powers even greater than your mother¡¯s as a sorcerer. But...¡± When Gorit first heard of Kaburak¡¯s return, he was overjoyed. It wasn¡¯t just because Kaburak was his son but because a strong tribe member had returned. The Kaburak that he remembered had been a powerful sorcerer who could even stand up to the chieftain who threatened the whole north. However, the power he felt from Kaburak now was below that of a normal sorcerer. Kaburak was widely reputed as a genius sorcerer, yet he barely had any powers left. His magic, which used to be as abundant as the ocean, was now feeble like the shattered pieces of a bowl. Kaburak just continued to smile instead of replying. Gorit lowered his head despondently and then said, ¡°No, there must be a reason. I won¡¯t ask further questions! It¡¯s more than enough that you have returned safely.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Kaburak. Gorit shook his head and then got up from his seat. ¡°I need to get going because I have a meeting with Dejame¡¯s chief soon, but you guys enjoy yourselves.¡± Then he got out of the hot spring. Crockta and Tiyo watched speechlessly as Gorit put on his clothes and left. The orc and gnome pair couldn¡¯t understand Kaburak at all. At first, they thought he was just a happy-go-lucky orc, but he turned out to be a genius sorcerer, and now he was a pitiful orc who had lost his powers. Yet, Kaburak acted like nothing was wrong. Kaburak said, ¡°My father is too quick-tempered, isn¡¯t he? Hahaha.¡± ¡°Kaburak...¡± began Crockta. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. I¡¯mpletely fine.¡± Kaburak slowly lowered his body into the water. His body submerged into the water until only the part of his face above his nose was visible. Amid the clouds of steam, his eyes stood out, showing that his gaze had be calm after he stopped talking. Crockta could feel a strange energying from him. Then Kaburak looked off into the distance with a nostalgic look on his face, and his shoulders trembled. Was he reflecting on the past? Kaburak sat up and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go see the sacred site in Orcheim.¡± Crockta nodded. He hade to Orcheim for that very reason in the first ce. Kaburak continued, ¡°But first, before we go, I want to tell you guys why I lost my magic. I couldn¡¯t tell my father, but I want to tell you guys.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin...¡± said Crockta. ¡°No. After hearing what you said, I realized I have to tell you why,¡± insisted Kaburak mysteriously. Kaburak raised his hand above the water. Upon closer inspection, Crockta and Tiyo saw that there was a gruesome burn mark on Kaburak¡¯s hand. ¡°I rescued the world,¡± stated Kaburak. Crockta and Tiyo tilted their heads in confusion. ¡®What is he saying?¡¯ they wondered inwardly. Kaburak looked at them and smiled. ¡°I risked my life and used up all of my magic to kill the demon king and rescue the world.¡± His eyes were glistening as he said that. Crockta was surprised, but he nodded. He knew that Kaburak was being genuine. Crockta wanted to get to know more about this orc, the sorcerer who had rescued the world. ¡°Understood. Tell us more,¡± said Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s a long story... so I will tell you on our way to the sacred site. Let¡¯s get up first. It¡¯s piping hot in here!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Crockta and Kaburak stood up. Their strong orc physiques rose above the water, but someone was missing. ¡°Huh?¡± Crockta looked around for Tiyo, who was sitting by himself in the corner of the hot spring. ¡°Tiyo?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± Tiyo began hesitantly. The manly gnome who had shown off his physique was nowhere in sight. He continued, ¡°You guys can leave first... I will slowly... follow... after you guys...¡± ¡°What...?¡± uttered Crockta, confused. Tiyo was suddenly timid, as if he was embarrassed of something. His confidence was gone. What had made this fearless man so shy?! Crockta¡¯s eyes followed Tiyo¡¯s line of sight. Tiyo first looked at Crockta¡¯s and Kaburak¡¯s faces, then his gaze gradually went downward, moving past the orcs¡¯ muscr chests and stomachs. Tiyo¡¯s gaze wandered down to something that had been covered by the hot spring¡¯s steam... the orcs¡¯ huge... Tiyo dropped his head dejectedly. Crockta was speechless. ¡°I will leave first... Take your time...¡± ¡°Thank you...¡± Chapter 78: Orcheim (3)

Chapter 78: Orcheim (3)

Crockta, Kaburak, and Tiyo departed from the hot springs and headed toward the orcs¡¯ sacred site, which was hidden deep inside a forest. The forest''s scenery changed as they headed further in, and Crockta and Tiyo saw nts that they had never seen before. The green forest gradually transformed into an explosion of color with strange silver and white flowers and nts. ¡°I left Orcheim to travel and learn more about the world, and after wandering for a while, I eventually arrived at the coldest part of the north. It is located at the very outskirts of the north,¡± said Kaburak. ¡°Isn¡¯t that where the dark elf territory is?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Back then, I could handle anything with my sorcery. I didn¡¯t have any obstacles. Haha,¡±ughed Kaburak. ¡°Did you use your powers to transform into a dark elf or something?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Haha, transforming is a piece of cake,¡± said Kaburak. Crockta nodded. He had heard that deceiving others with transformation magic was extremely difficult and could only be done by a high-level sorcerer, so this meant that Kaburak had been a powerful sorcerer in the past. ¡°While traveling, I discovered something ominous there,¡± began Kaburak. He had discovered a demonic entity that had been asleep for some time to recover its strength. The demonic entity had been so strong that it had raised monsters from the dead even as it slept. Kaburak continued, ¡°I went to the dark elves to seek help... but no one believed me once I revealed my identity.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± said Crockta. ¡°However, that thing was about toe back to life, so I had no choice but to face it on my own. After I made my decision, I learned that the creature was a demon king. Although it had yet to fully recover its strength, it was the worst being in existence. A demon king could create an army of monsters and turn the world into hell,¡± said Kaburak. If he hadn¡¯t done anything about it, the demon king would have resurrected and destroyed not only the dark elves but also orcs and most of the other species in the northern region. It would have turned the northern region into thend of the undead. When Kaburakter battled against the demon king, he braced himself for death and fought with everything he had. He used his family¡¯s heirloom, the Constetion Staff, against the demon king, but it was crushed during battle. Although Kaburak had seeded in defeating the demon king by using up all of his powers, he had paid the price with his magic, the constetion staff, and his life span. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to live that long... haha!¡±ughed Kaburak as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. ¡°...!¡± ¡°After losing my powers, I wasn¡¯t able to freely travel in the north like I used to... so I struggled to return to Orcheim. When I finally managed to get back on track, I was captured by the chiefdom¡¯s orcs and about to be sold as a ve when I met you, Crockta!¡± Crockta could tell from Kaburak¡¯s shining eyes that he was telling the truth. Although Kaburak had omitted many details, Crockta understood that Kaburak had gone through a lot. Kaburak was a great sorcerer who had sacrificed his life span to rescue the world. Yet, he would be forgotten in history without anyone remembering his story. His noble sacrifice wouldn¡¯t be recorded anywhere. Crockta realized then that Kaburak was more than just a regr orc. ¡°How can youugh like that?¡± asked Crockta. Instead of replying, Kaburak pointed at something in front of them and announced, ¡°We have arrived.¡± Crockta raised his head to look. There was a cave in front of them that emitted a strangely refreshing energy. It was the opposite of the dark energy that he had experienced at the Forest of Monsters. ¡°I feel good for some reason,¡± expressed Tiyo. ¡°Hahaha, follow me,¡± said Kaburak. Once they entered the cave, Crockta felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The tunnel inside the cave felt like the tunnel he had walked through in Orcrox¡¯s Hall of Fame when Lenox taught him the Warrior''s Commandments. The tunnel bore traces of orcs carving the insides of the cave, making a myriad of incisions to erge the space. Kaburak created a me on his fingertip to light up the way as they walked through the dark tunnel. They walked for a long time until they reached the end of the cave, where a headstone had been erected. ¡°That is...¡± muttered Crockta. The tombstone was identical to the tombstone on which the Warrior''s Commandments had been engraved. This tombstone had the same iprehensible ancient oguage engraved onto it. ¡°It is our only record of God,¡± said Kaburak. ¡°We don¡¯t believe in a personal god. Gods like Goddess of Benevolence, God of Light, God of War, and Goddess of Magic are not really gods but beings stronger than us.¡± Tiyo nodded. Gnomes also didn¡¯t have a traditional religion. Most of them were atheists. Kaburakughed again, and the sound of hisughter echoed throughout the cave. He raised his fingertip to shine light upon the words on the tombstone. This was when Crockta noticed that the words on the tombstone were different from those in the Warrior''s Commandments. ¡°Crockta,¡± called out Kaburak. His eyes were clear, and his voice was crisp. ¡°The world is like a speck of dust consumed by the void.¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He had heard that somewhere before. Kaburak continued, ¡°From the perspective of the universe, the world is mostly a void, and everything alive ultimately falls.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Some believe in the afterlife and heaven, but even if those things exist, our lives will inevitably fall in the end.¡± The demon had shouted the same ideas to torment Crockta in the past. Crockta fingered his belt, but it didn¡¯t respond. Although the demon in Crockta¡¯s belt and Kaburak had talked about the same void, Kaburak¡¯s tone had been somehow kind. ¡°In this small and fragile world, does your ¡®bul¡¯tar¡¯ have meaning?¡± he asked. ¡°...!¡± ¡°I killed the demon king and rescued the world. That was my honor, but Crockta, do our cries have meaning when we are smaller than specks of dust in a world that will inevitably fall? What do you think?¡± asked Kaburak with a smile. Crockta couldn¡¯t answer. If he had been asked those questions before he obtained the Belt of Despair, then he would have dismissed Kaburak¡¯s questions as nonsensical philosophical musings. However, the demon inside the belt had instilled Crockta with the concept of emptiness. Now, Kaburak¡¯s questions felt so elusive to Crockta, who had witnessed the truth of the world because of the demon. ¡®Everything dies anyway,¡¯ thought Crockta. Kaburak grinned while looking at Crockta. ¡°What do you think, Crockta?¡± Crockta returned Kaburak¡¯s gaze. Kaburak had a knowing look on his face as he continued to expose his broken teeth in a broad smile. Crockta answered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if it¡¯s meaningless, I will act based on my beliefs. I just do what needs to be done. Even if it¡¯s meaningless, if it¡¯s the path I must take, I will go,¡± stated Crockta. ¡°What if no one gives you any affirmation? What if no one recognizes what you¡¯ve done and even opposes your beliefs?¡± asked Kaburak. ¡°My answer is the same,¡± said Crockta as he grinned back. ¡°If it¡¯s a path I must walk alone, then it will be a bit lonely, but that¡¯s it.¡± Kaburak¡¯s expression suddenly changed. His eyes grew wide, and he began tough uproariously. ¡°Just a bit lonely... You really are an orc, Crockta,¡± Kaburak remarked. Then he pointed at the tombstone and began reading it out loud, ¡°¡®He came to us as a voice and eyes. He promised us just one thing.¡¯¡± Kaburak¡¯s loud voice echoed inside the cave. ¡°¡®That he would watch us so we wouldn¡¯t be lonely.¡¯¡± Crockta had also heard this before somewhere. A familiar face popped up in his mind. It was Lenox. ¡°God, please know us. Look down at us so we won¡¯t be lonely in keeping our honor,¡± Lenox had uttered those words before passing down the Warrior''s Commandments. Kaburak continued, ¡°¡®He is someone we don¡¯t understand and can¡¯t understand¡ªthe one who created the world and sustains it, the one who always watches over us.¡¯¡± As Crockta and Tiyo listened closely, Kaburak¡¯s voice echoed in their minds like a spell. ¡°¡®The one who bes the wind and pushes our backs forward when we walk alone,¡¯¡± said Kaburak. He turned his eyes away from the tombstone. ¡°This is our god¡ªno, our intive belief.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I sacrificed my life to save the world, but no one knows. How lonely would it be if what I did was meaningless, as you said?¡± said Kaburak. He then tapped Crockta¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°Thus, we can only desperately hope that someone is watching us. That there is meaning to the life and honor we lead.¡± ¡°Perhaps there is,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s the nameless, forgotten god of the orcs that we believe in as we hope for meaning,¡± said Kaburak. A grim silence fell over the cave. As if trying to lift the gloomy atmosphere, Tiyo said, ¡°We are the same. We gnomes are atheists. One gnome said if it can be understood, then it¡¯s not worth having faith in, and if it can¡¯t be understood, then there¡¯s no reason to have faith in it. But sometimes, we also pray for salvation. Orcs and gnomes are simr in that regard.¡± ¡°Then Tiyo, you should also believe in our nameless god. You can also live the bul¡¯tar life,¡± suggested Kaburak. ¡°Hmph, stop trying to convert me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking, hahaha!¡± The trio continued talking about religion and the orcs¡¯ nameless god while walking back toward the cave¡¯s entrance. Once they were finally out, they stood outside the sacred site and observed the cave. The sacred site consisted of just a cave and a tombstone, but that simplicity was very orc-like. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know how it came to be... but it¡¯s our only historical ruins with the mention of a god, so we call it a sacred site,¡± said Kaburak. ¡°I see,¡± replied Crockta. Then he suddenly looked up at the sky. It appeared identical to the sky in real life. Sometimes when he was ying Elder Lord, he forgot that it was actually a game, and after hearing about the orcs¡¯ faith, this world he was experiencing felt even more lifelike. Crockta couldn¡¯t think of Kaburak, who was smiling at him, and Tiyo, who was proudly walking ahead of him, as meaningless beings in his life. ¡®The nameless god... As Kaburak said, may the nameless god be watching everything from above,¡¯ thought Crockta. Suddenly, an arrow came flying at them from the trees. ¡°Again?¡± Tiyo rolled his body across the ground and took cover. Meanwhile, Kaburak ran toward where the arrow had fallen, and Crockta lowered his knees and raised his greatsword in a defensive stance. Kaburak inspected the fallen arrow and said, ¡°This arrow does not belong to a dark elf.¡± ¡°Then whose is it?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°It looks like the gnomes¡¯ weapons,¡± replied Kaburak. ¡°What?¡± Tiyo¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. Just then, arrows began raining down on them, and they all quickly got down on the ground. Then they heard an unfamiliar voice say, ¡°So, this is the orcs¡¯ sacred site?¡± It was an alluring female voice. ¡°If we destroy this ce, then they will be forced toe out. Capture all of them and kill them,¡± she ordered. Crockta looked for the source of the voice among the trees and saw a small female gnome in armormanding an army. Although she was tiny, she had a beautiful and seductive appearance. Her army of gnomes, all equipped with crossbows, efficiently proceeded with the n ording to hermands. ¡°Gnomes...¡± Tiyo¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately ced his General on his shoulder. ¡°Tiyo?¡± Crockta called out to him. However, Tiyo ignored Crockta, rolled across the ground, and fired the General. ¡°You who have forgotten the honor of gnomes, die!¡± he yelled. The General¡¯s iridescent magic lights charged at the gnome army. The gnomes, unable to stand their ground due to their small physiques, fell from the force of the magic bullets and tumbled to the ground. Other soldiers tried to shoot at Crockta, but Tiyo moved swiftly and disrupted their formation. Crockta then raised his greatsword and charged at the gnomes. ¡°Everyone, be careful!¡± shouted Crockta as he blocked all of the iing arrows with his greatsword. The gnomes struggled to re-nock their arrows, creating an opening in their defense. Before an orc warrior, that split-second opening was just a precursor to a ying. Several gnomes equipped with heavy armor, shields, and spears went forward to block Crockta, but they were unable to ovee the size difference between them and Crockta, which was like that of David and Goliath. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a gnome with an artifact,¡± said the gnome inmand as she ground her teeth. She began shouting in Tiyo¡¯s direction, ¡°Hey, gnome! Why are you fighting against us even though you are a gnome? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?!¡± ¡°Cut the bullshit!¡± Tiyo sprang up. Then he fell silent. He was startled by the sight of the gnomemander¡¯s face. ¡°What a beauty...¡± muttered Tiyo. The gnomemander was startled by Tiyo¡¯s response. ¡°...Sh-Shut up.¡± Tiyo then came to his senses and said, ¡°A-Anyway! You guys are a disgrace to gnomes for joining hands with ve traders!¡± ¡°Hmph, such outdated ideas!¡± Themander and Tiyo red at each other with raised eyebrows. Right then, the bush next to Tiyo shook. It was an enemy. A gnome soldier emerged from the bush and charged at Tiyo with his spear. ¡°...Tiyo!¡± shouted Crockta. The de of the spear was approaching Tiyo¡¯s chest. ¡°You idiot,¡± muttered Tiyo as he skillfully dodged the attack and wrapped his arm around the soldier¡¯s neck. ¡°Ackkk!¡± the soldier cried out. Tiyo hesitated for a second. Then his arm moved forcefully. There was the sound of bones breaking, and the gnome soldier slumped to the ground as a corpse. ¡°...!¡± Crockta was impressed by Tiyo¡¯s exceptional martial arts skills. ¡®As expected of a gnome with Bruce Lee¡¯s physique!¡¯ ¡°Whew,¡± Tiyo uttered. He let go of the corpse and looked up at the sky while getting lost in his thoughts. Tiyo had never killed his own species before. As the captain of Quantes¡¯ guard, Tiyo¡¯s job had always been to protect gnomes. He had never imagined that he would kill another gnome. Yet, the time hade, and he had done it. He had killed a gnome with his own hands. ¡°...that there is meaning to the life and honor we lead,¡± Tiyo recalled Kaburak¡¯s words and nodded. He just had to believe that he was walking the right path. Tiyo turned his head. The gnome soldiers flinched. They were afraid of Tiyo, who not only had a powerful artifact but had also killed a fellow soldier in an instant. Then Tiyo¡¯s eyes met Crockta¡¯s, who nodded at him. Crockta¡¯s eyes said he understood everything. Tiyo grinned back. He had a friend he could trust, so there was no need to hesitate. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Crockta!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Yeah!¡± yelled Crockta. Tiyo ced his General on his shoulder and charged at his enemies while crying out, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaar!¡± Chapter 79: Willful Negligence (1)

Chapter 79: Willful Negligence (1)

Tiyo fired his General. The gnome soldiers rolled across the ground at the same time to dodge the General¡¯s magic bullets, and they began shooting arrows at him right after that. Nevertheless, Tiyo swiftly dodged the arrows and followed up by attacking again with the General. ¡°If you surrender, we won¡¯t kill you,¡± said Crockta as he pointed his greatsword at the gnome soldiers. Terrified of the orc, the gnome soldiers began dropping their crossbows. Their fear reached its peak when they saw Tiyo step on a gnome soldier while firing his General non-stop. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± cried out the gnome that was beneath Tiyo¡¯s foot. ¡°Did you shoot arrows at me without even bracing yourself for this?!¡± Tiyo said. He lowered the muzzle and fired a salvo of magic bullets at the gnome, who spasmed and jerked about as if he had been electrocuted. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± the gnome continued to cry out. ¡°Everyone, keep fighting!¡± ordered the gnomemander. However, the gnome soldiers had already given up on fighting back. They had lost their fighting spirit. Theirmander screamed desperately at the top of her lungs, ¡°Anyone who runs away will face immediate death!¡± Then a gnome soldier protested, ¡°We just came here to scout the site. We shouldn¡¯t have had to fight them in the first ce!¡± Another chimed in, ¡°Yeah, we should have retreated when we saw that huge orc!¡± ¡°You guys!¡± themander muttered angrily. Upon seeing the internal conflict between the gnomemander and her soldiers, Crockta grinned and approached the gnomemander. She flinched. The gnome soldiers stepped back and retreated. Now Crockta was standing in front of her by himself. Crockta extended his greatsword. It was such an unfair match-up¡ªa frightening orc warrior with a greatsword going against a small, fragile-looking gnomedy. The orc looked like he would chop her up with his greatsword any minute. Nevertheless, the trembling gnomemander brought out a short sword and pointed it at Crockta. Crockta grinned and withdrew his greatsword, resting it on his shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you if you surrender,¡± he said. ¡°...¡± Themander refused to back down and red at Crockta with her de pointed at him. He red back, and they had a stare-down. Crockta looked at her fiercely as if he was ready to kill her. Themander eventually averted her gaze and dropped her short sword. ¡°Understood. I s-surrender.¡± The gnomemander yielded. ¡°Good. Everyone, throw your weapons onto the ground,¡± ordered Crockta. Once the gnomemander surrendered, the rest was smooth sailing. The gnomes tossed aside their weapons and assembled. Kaburak then emerged from hiding with his hands behind his back. With his shoulders slumped and gaze drooping, Kaburak walked to themander and greeted her, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Yona.¡± ¡°...Kaburak?¡± Yona, the gnomemander, uttered as she scrutinized his face. Her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Is it really you, Kaburak? You¡¯ve been alive all along?¡± ¡°I was just away from the vige for a bit. There¡¯s no way I would be dead. Hahaha,¡± said Kaburak. The two seemed to know each other. Themander was about to speak again when Tiyo interrupted them. ¡°How dare a prisoner engage in small talk? Everyone, shut up!¡± ordered Tiyo. The northern gnomes fell quiet. Yona also begrudgingly shut her mouth. Tiyo crossed his arms and red at the gnome soldiers one by one with a frightening expression on his face. He walked in front of them and kicked their shins as if he were an instructor dealing with new recruits in the military. The gnomes were frightened of Tiyo and had no choice but to put up with this kind of treatment. To them, Tiyo was a viin who had killed a fellow soldier in an instant by twisting his neck, and had even relentlessly tortured another soldier with his artifact. ¡°All of you are prisoners now. From this point onward, don¡¯t you dare make eye contact with me,¡±manded Tiyo. ¡°...¡± ¡°As long as you are obedient, you won¡¯t be harmed,¡± said Tiyo as he gestured to them to follow. The gnomes followed after him. Yona hesitated for a second but followed suit after Tiyo red at her. Crockta and Kaburak just watched while shaking their heads. ¡°Do you know her?¡± asked Crockta to Kaburak. ¡°Well... we knew each other when we were young,¡± replied Kaburak. ¡°It must be a difficult situation for you,¡± said Crockta. Kaburak¡¯s childhood friend was now his enemy. He probably knew some of the other gnomes as well. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Kaburak with a smile. He then raised his index and middle finger, first pointing at his eyes and then at the sky. ¡°He¡¯s watching us.¡± Crockta burst intoughter. *** Tiyo and his gnome prisoners¡¯ arrival in Orcheim drew the orcs¡¯ attention. Tiyo made the gnomes get down on their knees in Orcheim¡¯s central square. Then he yelled at them as if he was their conqueror, ¡°You guys are prisoners! As long as you are obedient, there won¡¯t be further pain, but...¡± Tiyo said, pushing his face into Yona¡¯s, ¡°if you resist, you will regret it! Ohhh!¡± Gorit appeared and pushed Tiyo away. ¡°Hmm, it seems he¡¯s a bit excited. Just ignore him, Yona.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± said Yona. She red at Tiyo, who now stood behind Gorit. Tiyo didn¡¯t falter and red back. As Crockta observed the two gnomes¡¯ feud, an old memory popped into his mind. It was of his past love. They had also met on the battlefield. She was a strong woman who was well-matched with assault rifles and rocketunchers. In the beginning, she and Yi-An had both growled at each other just like these two gnomes were doing now. ¡°What a rude guy!¡± eximed Yona. ¡°What?! I¡¯m not being rude. I¡¯m just fair! If you thought I¡¯d be nice to you just because you have a pretty face, you are mistaken!¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Yona scowled and looked away. Startled by his own honesty, Tiyo stuttered, ¡°Hmph, th-that was a slip of the tongue. Soldiers don¡¯t have m-mercy.¡± Yona ignored him and refused to look in his direction. Gorit then tried to lift the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Hmm! Ahem! Anyways, our rtionship with the Altanas gnomes wasn¡¯t bad in the past, but they suddenly joined forces with the chiefdom and began attacking us.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Many Orcheim orcs have been captured by Altanas gnomes and the chiefdom, and their whereabouts are unknown. So...¡± Yona lowered her head. Gorit was about to dere her punishment when Kaburak stepped forward and said, ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Stay back, Kaburak,¡± ordered Gorit. ¡°Don¡¯t do it like this right now. Let¡¯s first detain them and then talk.¡± ¡°All of the orcs at Orcheim need to see them receive their punishment...¡± Kaburak looked at Gorit seriously. At this moment, Kaburak was not the orc whoughed like an idiot while baring his broken teeth. He was the great sorcerer Kaburak that Gorit used to know. During moments like this, Gorit thought his son looked like a sage. ¡°Hmm...¡± Gorit stared at Kaburak and then nodded. ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s first listen to them.¡± At Gorit¡¯s gesture, some orcs dragged the captured gnomes away. The gnome soldiers were locked up, and Yona was summoned for a meeting with Gorit. The interrogation took ce at Gorit¡¯s house. Crockta, Tiyo, and Kaburak were present since they were the ones who had captured her. Yona sat in Gorit¡¯s living room across from the three orcs and one gnome with all of their eyes fixed on her. ¡°Yona, why did Altanas suddenly join forces with the chiefdom?¡± asked Gorit. Yona remained silent. Gorit¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell us, we can¡¯t make allowances for you even if you are the daughter of Gullito, Altanas¡¯ leader.¡± Yona bit her lip. Upon hearing what Gorit said, Crockta and Tiyo exchanged looks. It turned out that Yona had a high status, which exined why her attire was different from that of the other soldiers. ¡°Because of Altanas, our orcs¡ª!¡± said Gorit. ¡°Calm down.¡± Kaburak had to hold Gorit back. ¡°Yona was captured of her own will. She came here for our sake.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Gorit. Yona didn¡¯t say anything and just kept her head slumped down. ¡°She attacked us first with a scouting team armed with crossbows even though she saw Crockta and me,¡± exined Kaburak. ¡°...¡± ¡°There must be a reason why she attacked us first, even though she recognized me,¡± continued Kaburak. Gorit looked at Yona. Yona shook her head. ¡°Nonsense. I thought it was someone who just looked like you, not actually you.¡± ¡°But still, didn¡¯t you hope it was me? After all, I would definitely capture you alive,¡± replied Kaburak. Yona kept her mouth shut. Kaburak ced a hand on her head. She tried to shake off his hand, but she yielded once a white light rose from Kaburak¡¯s hand. He was using a healing spell to calm her down. ¡°Even if you didn''t intentionally let yourself be captured, you must have predicted this kind of result. But you let it happen anyways, so it¡¯s considered willful negligence,¡± dered Kaburak. Silence came over the room. Yona didn¡¯t say anything. Tiyo, who had been watching Yona with a conflicted expression, said, ¡°Hmph, if that¡¯s the case, I apologize.¡± Yona red at him. ¡°My subordinate¡ª¡± She was referring to Tiyo twisting her subordinate¡¯s neck. She then shook her head and said, ¡°Cut the nonsense.¡± Tiyo grew angry at Yona¡¯s cold response. ¡°I was apologizing! So rude!¡± ¡°Hmph, anyway, fine. I will tell you the reason now that it hase to this,¡± said Yona while looking at Gorit. ¡°I can¡¯t help but hand out information to you guys in this frightening situation where a delicate female gnome is being threatened by three orcs.¡± Gorit¡¯s gaze turned solemn as he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, we orcs are really cruel. We could even torture you by cutting your fingers one at a time.¡± ¡°Oh, my. I wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it,¡± Yona yed along with a grin. She was small in stature, but she was indeed beautiful. Tiyo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. ¡°My father is afraid,¡± said Yona. ¡°Of what?¡± asked Gorit. ¡°The future of northern gnomes,¡± replied Yona. She ced her fingertips on the table in front of her. Then she drew a line as if drawing a map. ¡°Here in the north, there are orc, dark elf, and human territories, but gnomes are scattered everywhere and haven¡¯t been able to settle.¡± ¡°Orcheim is the same,¡± replied Gorit. ¡°But this ce and the chiefdom both belong to the orcs. They could always ept Orcheim.¡± Gorit swallowed what he was about to say next because what Yona said was the truth. The chiefdom had its doors wide open for Orcheim¡¯s orcs. That was one of the reasons the poption in Orcheim was decreasing. The chiefdom epted Orcheim¡¯s warriors because they were strong from upholding the traditions of orc warriors. ¡°Father said gnomes need their own territory, and he considers Mount Lun as the best fit,¡± said Yona. ¡°Why so suddenly now?!¡± shouted Gorit. The orcs, dark elves, and gnomes had been living in harmony on Mount Lun. Although it was a harsh ce, they lived as close neighbors who got along well with one another. However, everything changed after the gnomes joined forces with the chiefdom. Countless dark elves and orcs were captured by the chiefdom, and once the gnomes shared their technology and topographic information, the chiefdom pressured Orcheim relentlessly. With the ession of the new chieftain, the chiefdom no longer waited for Orcheim to join them. If Orcheim didn¡¯t obey, they would be ves. At this rate, all of the Orcheim¡¯s remaining orcs were going to be ves. ¡°Because turbulent times are approaching,¡± stated Yona. ¡°Turbulent times?¡± asked Gorit. He could suspect what Yona was about to say next. ¡°The northern boundary will open up soon, and the continent and the north will be connected.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°It seems you already know about it,¡± said Yona. ¡°A little bit, but how could that be the reason?¡± asked Gorit. ¡°ording to the prophecy of the chiefdom¡¯s sorcerers, the continent is much more advanced than the north in regards to their poption and technology.¡± Yona sighed. ¡°If the two ces connect, the oue is obvious.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°But it is entirely predictable. Who will protect us then? The orcs? The dark elves?¡± ¡°Is that why you joined forces with the chiefdom?¡± ¡°The chieftain wants to quickly unify the north and attack the continent. That crazy chieftain wants to see blood. No, he wants to do more than just attack; he wants to invade the continent. So, he approached my father and made an offer. He said, ¡®We will give you guys Mount Lun, so hand over another species to us.¡¯¡± Yona raised her head and then looked at Gorit and Kaburak. The living room became quiet. Crockta broke the silence. ¡°So, everything is because of the chieftain.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward Crockta. Yona¡¯s eyes lit up with intrigue as she looked at him. She didn¡¯t know this orc warrior. A primitive orc warrior with tattoos all over his body was rare in the northern region. Moreover, the abilities that he had briefly disyed during the battle earlier were superior to those of most orc warriors. It was also unusual to see an orc hanging out with a gnome. Furthermore, it was a gnome who carried an artifact. ¡°What about the dark elves? Do they have the same thoughts as the chiefdom?¡± asked Gorit. ¡°They are still deliberating,¡± said Yona. Crockta looked at Kaburak, and their eyes met. In that brief moment, they exchanged many thoughts. Kaburak smiled. It was clear that he understood what Crockta was thinking. ¡°Crockta, I don¡¯t believe in destiny, but perhaps meeting you was precisely that,¡± said Kaburak. Crockta smiled back. Then Gorit¡¯s door suddenly burst open, and orcs came running in and shouting, ¡°Gorit! The chiefdom and Altanas¡¯ gnomes are raiding us! There are so many of them! Orcheim is in danger!¡± Gorit¡¯s eyes widened. As he was about to say something, Crockta sprang up from his seat. ¡°Tiyo, we were nning to go to the Temple of the Fallen God, right?¡± said Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Then, what should we do to those stopping us on the way?¡± asked Crockta. Tiyoughed out loud in understanding and grinned. ¡°Those who try to stop us will end up regretting it.¡± ¡°But what if they develop a grudge, and we have to fight the chiefdom?¡± ¡°Although that wasn¡¯t our intention, we can¡¯t do anything about it if theye at us,¡± said Tiyo as he raised his General. Then he looked at Yona. ¡°Just like what this beautifuldy did, it will be our willful negligence.¡± Yona red back. Tiyo shrugged. Crockta smiled and muttered, ¡°Willful negligence... Is that so?¡± Kaburak extended his fist toward Crockta. As they bumped fists, Crockta waspletely unable to sense Kaburak¡¯s magic. All of Kaburak¡¯s magic had been depleted by a low-level healing spell that didn¡¯t require a lot of magic. That was his current state. Yet, Crockta felt something stronger than magic stemming from Kaburak. ¡°I don¡¯t have a grudge against the chieftain, and I don¡¯t really want to fight him, but...¡± Crockta pulled out his greatsword and grinned ear to ear. ¡°If the timees for me to kill him, we can call it willful negligence on my part.¡± At this very moment, the fate of the northern region changed forever. Chapter 80: Willful Negligence (2)

Chapter 80: Willful Negligence (2)

Orcheim and Dejame were attacked at the same time. Warriors from the chiefdom and its lesser tribes ran into Mount Lun to attack the orcs and dark elves. They were unstoppable as they swung their hammers and axes and stampeded across the mountain. However, their raid was interrupted when one orc ran out from Orcheim and blocked their path. One of the chiefdom¡¯s warriors charged forth to sh the orc, but he witnessed his own body being split in half instead. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± the chiefdom warrior screamed. The unknown orc stepped on the chiefdom warrior¡¯s twitching head, crushing it until it burst open. Who was this unfamiliar orc warrior who wore a red bandana, carried a greatsword, and had tattoos all over his body? It was Crockta, and he was now stronger than ever. Every movement from him dealt a fatal blow. [Status Window Title: ¡®One Who Reached the North¡¯ Crockta, Orc Warrior Level: 57 Achievement Points: 245400 Assimtion: 85% Skills: World-Engulfing, Mountain Wrenching Strength (Pinnacle) Indomitable Restoration (Pinnacle) Leyteno¡¯s Heart Swordsmanship (Pinnacle) Extreme Fighting Spirit (Pinnacle) Heart and Soul Prating Eye (Pinnacle) Tattoos of War, Honor, and Indomitable Will (Pinnacle) Army Crushing Roar of Madness (Pinnacle) Monster yer (Essence)] After defeating the Behemoth and opening up the north, all of the skills that Crockta had before were now of the Pinnacle tier. The system had rewarded him by upgrading all of the skills that had been on the edge of the Essence tier to the Pinnacle tier. Moreover, he had gained a new skill, Monster yer. Because of all this, Crockta gained a new perspective. The difference between the Essence and Pinnacle tiers wasn¡¯t just a one-level difference. It required greater growth than all of the level upgradesbined. ¡°Come at me all you want,¡± said Crockta. He was confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone anymore. Crockta dodged an axe that came flying at him and then moved to sh an enemy. His enemies¡¯ movements almost felt tangible to him, like he could grasp their movements with his hand. He dodged their attacks with acrobatic movements and chopped off their heads one after another, sending a string of heads flying into the air. ¡°Who are you?!¡± shouted one of the enemy warriors. Crockta smirked. ¡®If you want to hear my name, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡¯ He swung his greatsword and shouted, ¡°My name is...¡± Then he activated his Pinnacle-tier skill, the Army Crushing Roar of Madness! ¡°Crocktaaaaaaaaa!¡± Crockta¡¯s fighting spirit unleashed itself as a roar and struck the battlefield like a lightning bolt. The earth shook as if it was being bombarded by artillery fire, and blood ran from the enemies¡¯ eardrums. ¡°Crocktaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± Crockta roared his name again and charged onward, splitting another orc¡¯s head in half. Skull fragments flew into the air, and gushes of blood sprayed out from the orc¡¯s head. Upon seeing that, the chiefdom warriors advancing to Orcheim stopped in their tracks. They could tell instinctually that the unfamiliar orc standing in front of them was a powerhouse who could overturn the battle¡¯s oue by himself. He was a one-man army. ¡°He¡¯s like the chieftain,¡± muttered the orcmanding the chiefdom¡¯s troops. He shook his head in dismay. ¡®To think that there¡¯s a warrior like the chieftain.¡¯ Nevertheless, themanding orc shook off his foreboding thoughts and shouted at the army of warriors following him, ¡°I¡¯m warrior Akbahal, the one who received the title of Great Warrior from the chieftain!¡± Akbahal raised his axe and said, ¡°Follow me! Let¡¯s kill that arrogant orc! For the chiefdom and the chieftain!¡± His warriors felt a burst of morale and raised their weapons in unison. ¡°For the chieftain! For the chiefdom!¡± The orc warriors ran toward Crockta and unleashed a series of onughts on him with their spears. Meanwhile, the gnomes fired their crossbows, aiming to pierce every inch of Crockta¡¯s body. However, Crockta swung his greatsword and blocked all of the attacks in a single movement. ¡°Die!¡± shouted Akbahal. Thinking they could catch Crockta off guard at this moment, Akbahal and the chieftain¡¯s orcs swarmed him and rained down attacks from their dozens of weapons. Then there was a ng as Crockta blocked all of the attacks once again with his greatsword. The battle of strength between Akbahal¡¯s warriors and Crockta continued. The orc warriors¡¯ eyes widened in surprise when they realized that they were the ones getting pushed back, forced to take a step back each time Crockta took a step forward. Crockta then activated his skill World-Engulfing, Mountain Wrenching Strength and swung his greatsword. All of the warriors fighting against him were flung back and sent rolling across the ground. Then the ridiculously huge Ogre yer plunged into their heads. Pieces of flesh and bones flew into the air, but Great Warrior Akbahal quickly pulled himself together. ¡®He is unbelievably strong,¡¯ he thought as he gritted his teeth and stood up. The orc named Crockta was walking toward him. Right when Akbahal raised his weapon and red back at Crockta, his field of vision turned pitch ck. Akbahal¡¯s head was sent flying into the air. ¡°Oh, heavens,¡± said a warrior. With exquisite technique, Crockta had beheaded the Great Warrior Akbahal in a single blow! As Akbahal¡¯s body fell to the ground, the morale of the chiefdom¡¯s troops plummeted. Each time Crockta moved, their frontlines were destroyed. The chiefdom¡¯s army began to retreat, but Crockta suddenly stopped in his tracks. Seeing this, the chiefdom warriors breathed sighs of relief. However, Crockta smiled. The battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Orcheim¡¯s orc warriors came running out from behind Crockta. Their morale had soared after witnessing Crockta¡¯s strength. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± The battle cry of Orcheim¡¯s warriors rang throughout Mount Lun. After watching Orcheim¡¯s warriors break through the enemies¡¯ frontlines, Crockta turned away. Orcheim was all set. Next was Dejame. Crockta started running. After gaining the skills World-Engulfing, Mountain Wrenching Strength and Indomitable Restoration, his physical abilities greatly exceeded those of regr orcs. His stamina seemed limitless as he charged into the mountainous terrain, running as if he were flying. He arrived at the mountain ridge in an instant. From there, he could see Dejame, the dark elves¡¯ vige, down below. Countless orcs surrounded the vige¡¯s defensive walls. It was a madhouse of the orcs trying to climb over those walls and the dark elves trying to block them. A rain of the dark elves¡¯ arrows poured down and toppled the orcs, but the walls were beginning to shake because of the orcs¡¯ onught. Crockta took a deep breath. He sucked in all the air around him and put pressure on his abdomen, making his diaphragm as hard as steel. Then he let out a thunderous roar that shook the mountain, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± His roar made the attacking orcs and the dark elves stop what they were doing; it sent those on the battlefield into a state of panic. Crockta grinned and stooped down in the direction of Dejame. His thighs swelled as if they were about to burst. Then he lunged forward. Each time his feet touched the earth, his surroundings changed. He passed by trees, rocks, trees, rocks, trees, trees, and more trees before finally arriving at the enemy forces¡¯ frontline. Crockta used the Ogre yer to split the bodies of the enemy orcs, spraying blood everywhere. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± they screamed. ¡°Wh-What is happening?!¡± someone muttered. The chiefdom¡¯s orcs, confused by what was going on, screamed as they yielded to Crockta. Crockta kindly exined, ¡°I¡¯m warrior Crockta! All of you who tried to invade Mount Lun will...¡± Two orcs came over to him, but before they could even swing their weapons, Crockta slew them with the Ogre yer. Chunks of limbs were scattered everywhere. ¡°...Die by my hands!¡± Crockta concluded. The dark elves of Dejame murmured noisily in confusion at Crockta¡¯s unexpected appearance. However, Dejame¡¯smander quickly understood what was going on and ordered the dark elves to attack. ¡°He came to support us from Orcheim, so don¡¯t hesitate and keep firing your arrows!¡± The dark elves were dubious. ¡°Only one orc came to support us?¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s an orc¡ª!¡± In spite of the dark elves¡¯ doubts, the tide of war was overturned as this one orc crushed their enemies. He decimated many of the enemy orcs surrounding Dejame, killing them swiftly like a wild beast devouring prey as he moved clockwise. Dejame¡¯smander, who had been watching everything from the highest point, almostughed at the ludicrousness of it all. ¡°It¡¯s an unbelievable sight...¡± Crockta slew every single orc that he encountered¡ªthe orcs climbing the defense walls, the orcs who charged at him, and all other orcs¡ªwith his greatsword. It was a bloodbath everywhere he went. The war had resumed, but the dark elves now greatly outnumbered the attacking orcs. The dark elves ran out from behind the defensive walls and gantly swung their rapiers and fired their arrows to eradicate the remaining enemy orcs. After decimating all of the orcs surrounding the defensive walls, Crockta wheezed as he struggled to catch his breath. The battlefield was littered with corpses everywhere he passed by. He looked up at the sky and thought about all of the battles he had experienced. He had turned his back away from wars in real life because he had grown tired of the merciless battlefield, yet he was standing on the battlefield once again. ¡°If you don¡¯t kill, you die,¡± he muttered to himself. As Crockta walked through the battlefield, his foot got caught on a dark elf¡¯s corpse. The dark elf¡¯s eyes were still open. Crockta closed his eyes for him. Every time he had been on a battlefield, he had always asked himself the same question, but there was never a clear answer. ¡®Is this right?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. ¡®Is this fair?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. He just carried out what he believed in. ¡°I... I¡¯m Gehereuk who received the title of Great Warrior from the chieftain,¡± said the orc who was facing Crockta now. ¡°So?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°If you kill me, you will die a ruthless death. The chiefdom and the chieftain won¡¯t let you be. If you let me go, I will let this slide...¡± Crockta raised his head and looked at the orc facing him. Gehereuk¡¯s hands were trembling as he held his weapon, and his eyes were filled with fear. Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at the pitiful sight of this orc warrior begging for his life by mentioning the chieftain instead of maintaining his dignity. ¡°If you kill me, the chieftain will be out to get you,¡± said Gehereuk. ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes, so¡ª!¡± Crockta used the Ogre yer to cut off Gehereuk¡¯s words as well as his head, sending it flying into the air. Gehereuk had been thest of the attackers still standing. ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that,¡± stated Crockta. *** At the Colosseum, another victim was flung to the ground. There was a total of five orcs, four dark elves, two humans, and one gnome. They were carrying weapons, but they didn¡¯t have any fighting spirit in their eyes. He gestured at his subordinates, who then pushed in several more orcs and dark elves into the Colosseum. The orcs and dark elves fell and rolled across the dirt, staggering as they struggled to get up. With fear-filled eyes, they clumsily grasped their weapons and retreated. He wondered inwardly, ¡®Was it still not enough?¡¯ He tossed his axe to them. Now he was bare-handed. ¡°If you guys win, you can go free,¡± he said. It was only then that their eyes gleamed with hope. He grinned. The eyes of his prey, who had been thrown into the Colosseum for his entertainment, shone with hope as they raised their weapons at him. However, it didn''t make a difference whether he was bare-handed or not; he would still tear them apart. The prey exchanged looks and took up their positions in preparation for battle. The orcs stood at the front, the humans and the gnomes in the middle, and the dark elves in the back. He felt amused, but he also pitied them. Petty tricks like that were useless when there was a vast difference in strength. Nevertheless, they began running toward him. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± cried out the orcs. He smirked and stomped his feet, causing the earth to shake. The orcs'' charge was forced into an abrupt stop when they found themselves tripping over their own feet. He then opened his mouth and roared, ¡°Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!¡± It was a terrible scream that sounded otherworldly and sent chills down their spines, like a piercing cry from a ghost that had just ripped a soul to shreds. Then he went forward. His superior physique and size stood out even more as he stood in front of the orcs who were looking up at him. He gazed down at them and grinned before swinging his fist. The orcs tried to fight back with their weapons, but his fist destroyed their weapons and crushed their skulls. Blood and brain matter sttered onto the ground. He then stepped on the sprawled corpses and took another step forward. Once again, he had seeded in instilling fear in his opponents. He beheld his favorite sight. It was the moment when the eyes of his prey filled with fear upon realizing there was no escape. Some made ast-ditch effort to do so anyway, while others were caught in the stage between yielding to fatigue and continuing to fight. It was at this moment that the dark elves shot their arrows at him. Feeling annoyed, he casually swept his hand through the air, and the arrows struck his arm without causing damage and ttered down to the ground. He grabbed the head of the orc in front of him and lifted him. The orc swung his axe in desperation, but the axe couldn¡¯t pierce his tough skin. He strengthened his grip on the orc''s head, cutting off his cirction. The orc¡¯s head turned red at first and then blue. He tightened his grip further until the orc¡¯s head exploded. ¡°How boring,¡± he muttered. Now, there was only fear in the eyes of his prey. Between giving in to fatigue and continuing to fight, they had chosen utter despair. He began to lose interest and decided to finish them off quickly. He charged. His prey thrashed around, stricken with fear. None of their arrows or axes could inflict harm on him. He tore apart their limbs and then punctured their stomachs with his fist. He crushed the orcs one after another. He then turned to those in waiting and grinned at them as he loudly chewed on a heart. After he finished them off, there were twenty corpses sprawled on the ground of the Colosseum. It was a gruesome sight with their intestines exposed and limbs entangled. You couldn¡¯t tell what belonged to whom. His subordinates approached him. ¡°Did you enjoy yourself?¡± they asked. ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± he said. With a powerful physique that was twice the width of a regr orc and three heads taller, he was the head of the chiefdom that ruled over the northern orcs. He was the chieftain, Calmahart. ¡°Is it time for war yet?¡± Calmahart asked his direct subordinate. His subordinate offered Calmahart the axe that he had retrieved from the Colosseum and said, ¡°It will begin soon. All of the orcs have gathered under the chiefdom, and Mount Lun will also be taken care of soon.¡± ¡°Has Hammerchwi returned?¡± asked Calmahart. ¡°That is...¡± Calmahart looked at his subordinate who tensed up. The subordinate continued, ¡°He has returned, but he and his warriors are all injured.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°ording to Hammerchwi, they ran into an orc from the continent...¡± Calmahart caressed the de of his axe. ¡°Continent?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°From below the boundary?¡± asked Calmahart. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Haha...¡± Calmahartughed. ¡°Interesting. Where is Hammerchwi right now?¡± ¡°He is being treated by a sorcerer.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Calmahart. ¡°Yes,¡± his subordinate replied as he followed behind Calmahart. Calmahart¡¯s subordinate was alsorge for an orc, but he looked like a child next to the chieftain. ¡°What should we do with the other ves?¡± asked the subordinate. Calmahart stopped walking. There were still ves lined up, waiting for their turn. They had been gathered to quench Calmahart¡¯s thirst for blood. Like their predecessors, they were fated to face Calmahart on the Colosseum. The ves all looked up at Calmart with eyes filled with fear and hope. ¡°I have lost interest,¡± said Calmahart. ¡°Then...¡± ¡°Let them go.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The ves¡¯ faces brightened at Calmahart¡¯s words. However, Calmahart threw his axe right then. It ripped through the air and charged toward them, tearing and crushing the orcs, gnomes, dark elves, and humans who were waiting in a straight line. In a single blow, Calmahart massacred a total of ten orcs, gnomes, dark elves, and humans. It was a feast of blood and intestines spilling everywhere. Calmahart added, ¡°That''s if there¡¯s anyone left.¡± Then he turned away. The gnome who had been standing at the very end of the line clutched his severed hair. He was deathly pale with all of his blood seemingly drained from his face. Chapter 81: Outsider (1)

Chapter 81: Outsider (1)

The chiefdom orcs who had attempted to invade Mount Lun retreated. Although most of them had died in battle, some injured warriors returned to the chiefdom in dismal states. After this incident, one thing was certain: Crockta was now a clear enemy of the chiefdom. His name became engraved in the minds of northern orcs. ¡°Gullito,¡± said Gorit to the long-bearded gnome standing in front of him. The gnome was Gullito, the leader of Altanas. All of the leaders of the viges on Mount Lun¡ªOrcheim¡¯s chief Gorit, Dejame¡¯s leader Janaru, and Altanas¡¯ leader Gullito¡ªhad gathered in Altanas to discuss how they would punish Gullito and the gnomes for their wrongdoings. The gnomes of Altanas lowered their heads in shame, but Gullito stared back at Gorit. ¡°Gorit,¡± Gullito replied, puffing his chest proudly, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say. Have your way with me.¡± ¡°Do you not feel any remorse toward the countless orcs and dark elves who were sacrificed because of you?¡± asked Gorit. ¡°It would be a lie if I said I didn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t regret it,¡± replied Gullito. He looked around him, and the surrounding orcs and dark elves began cursing at him. They were angry because Gullito¡¯s decision had flooded Mount Lun with blood. Yet, Gullito was unashamed. He said, ¡°Once the north opens up, the gnomes will be in danger. I was just trying to do as much as I could for gnomes in the face of the inevitable.¡± ¡°Because of your unfounded anxiety, the blood of many was spilled,¡± stated Gorit. ¡°Unfounded anxiety? Can¡¯t you see it? The world is in imminent danger of the horrors of war!¡± eximed Gullito. ¡°You are jumping to conclusions!¡± ¡°No! You guys are underestimating the situation! That crazy chieftain has decided on war regardless of what it looks like beyond the boundary. Soon, the dark elves will be the orcs¡¯ ves. When that happens, Orcheim can just bow their heads and join the chiefdom. But us?¡± Gullito said. He looked at the leader of dark elves, Janaru, and used, ¡°You guys are the same! You foolish elves are always doing nothing and just lying in wait!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± said Janaru. ¡°Stop turning a blind eye to what is going on. The world is about to enter a war. Janaru, if you are truly looking out for Dejame¡¯s dark elves, then there are only two options¡ªgo to the World Tree and resist with your species or prepare for the future by selling your own species to the chieftain! Why don¡¯t you understand?!¡± eximed Gullito with bloodshot eyes. ¡°If the gnomes do nothing, only downfall awaits us since the chiefdom has already decided on war! Only the strong survive in the world! I just tried to survive because I¡¯m weak! I do not regret my decision! Who can blindly point their fingers at me? If you want to curse at me, then do it!¡± Everyone shut their mouths at Gullito¡¯s fiery truth. No one could easily condemn him. However, someone smacked Gullito¡¯s cheek right then. ¡°Aargh!¡± It was none other than Tiyo. ¡°You idiot!¡± Tiyo chided. Gullito stroked his cheek and raised his head to look at the one who had pped him. He had never seen this gnome before. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Gullito. ¡°My name is Tiyo! I¡¯m the captain of Quantes¡¯ defense unit and a rational gnome who can¡¯t stand stupid talk.¡± ¡°Quantes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Tiyo as he ced the General on his shoulder. ¡°I came to the north with Crockta from the southern continent beyond the boundary!¡± Gullito¡¯s eyes widened at Tiyo¡¯s deration, and the atmosphere buzzed with tension. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter where we¡¯re from. I just want to tell you that you¡¯re a pitiful guy who has lost the level-headed rationality of gnomes. You are a foolish gnome!¡± continued Tiyo. ¡°What?!¡± eximed Gullito. ¡°Anxiety that stems from fear grows rapidly. Thus, we always have to objectively assess our reason for doing things. But you are just a dumb gnome who lost your cool and was swept away by fear. You are nothing but a fool!¡± stated Tiyo, who spoke more confidently than ever. ¡°N-Nonsense!¡± muttered Gullito. ¡°Think about it! If the chieftain is really as crazy as you said, then how long do you think that peace will be maintained even if you manage to temporarily avoid his anger?!¡± questioned Tiyo. ¡°Why does the distant future matter when the end is right in front of your eyes? Survival is the priority!¡± shouted Gullito. ¡°That¡¯s why you are stupid! A gnome who stumbles while looking only one step ahead is a gnome who has lost their sense of reason to fear or is not actually a gnome at all!¡± Tiyo berated Gullito. Tiyo then looked around at the gnomes of Altanas, who averted their gazes at the sight of Tiyo¡¯s fiery spirit. He continued saying to Gullito, ¡°Guys like you tend to delude yourself that they¡¯re doing something really important! And the more radical the decision is, youfort yourselves thinking you have made an extraordinary decision! How pathetic. You are just a really pathetic guy!¡± With Tiyo aggressively cornering him, Gullito¡¯s face crumbled. ¡°Then, what should I have done?! We gnomes¡ª!¡± ¡°Your sense of reason!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Instead of asking me, ask your sense of reason!¡± ¡°I made an objective¡ª!¡± ¡°What you asked was the fear encroaching on your mind. Listen to your sense of reason, not your fear!¡± eximed Tiyo as he raised his General, the epitome of magic engineering technology. ¡°So, I will ask again, Gullito! Answer me! What should you have done? Sell your old friends, make other species into ves, and submit to a war-crazed orc for the sake of cowardly self-preservation? Or...¡± Tiyo was now shouting at all of the gnomes in Altanas. ¡°...follow the moralpass established by our sense of reason and resist evil ¡®til the end?!¡± ¡°...!¡± Gullito¡¯s eyes widened from shock. Tiyo was shouting the ancient virtues of gnomes that no one in the northern region remembered. Everyone knew about them but ignored them because they were relegated to being things of the past. ¡°How about it, Gullito?! What are your gray brain cells saying?!¡± questioned Tiyo. Gullito was unable to respond. He had known the right answer, but he had been too afraid of the possible downfall of his species and the deaths that could have resulted from following his moralpass. He had just wanted to stop the extinction of Altanas¡¯ gnomes. Gullito¡¯s head dropped in shame. Right then, someone answered in his ce, ¡°You can say those things easily because you are an outsider.¡± Tiyo turned his head to find that it was Gullito¡¯s daughter, Yona, who had spoken. He red at her, but Yona didn¡¯t falter and stared back at him. Then she grinned. Tiyo was startled but couldn¡¯t help but soften at her sudden smile. Yona continued, ¡°And because you are an outsider, you can say the right things without hesitation.¡± Gullito looked at his daughter. ¡°Yona.¡± ¡°Father, I respect your intentions. You tried to make the best decision for your species, but us Altanas gnomes aren¡¯t that weak. We can fight,¡± said Yona. ¡°...¡± Yona looked around at the gnomes in attendance. ¡°If we bow our heads to the chiefdom to survive, then we be just like them. Father, there¡¯s something you have always said to me¡ªno, not just me but to all gnomes.¡± ¡°Yona...¡± muttered Gullito. ¡°Rather than be a full pig, be a hungry gnome.¡± All of the Altanas gnomes nodded. It was a maxim that had been passed down to all gnomes. Crockta, who had been watching everything, felt there was something strange about what he¡¯d heard. The content of the conversation between Tiyo and the gnomes sounded familiar. Then Crockta realized that they were referencing terms and passages from philosophy books he had read for leisure in the military. ¡®Are the developers¡¯ tastes being reflected in this game, or is there really a connection between reality and Elder Lord because Elder Lord is more than just a game?¡¯ There was no way for Crockta to find out though. Gullito let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°Is that so...¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yona. ¡°If you and everyone else feel the same way...¡± Gullito looked at the gnomes around him, and they all nodded in unison. Although the gnomes respected Gullito, they also had reservations about his decision. Gullito let out another sigh and said, ¡°I will acknowledge the error in my judgment.¡± Gorit gestured at the orcs, who then went behind Gullito and tied him up with a rope. ¡°You will be detained, and the punishment for all the gnomes who betrayed their neighbors in Mount Lun is...¡± Gorit began. The gnomes tensed up. Gorit exchanged looks with Janaru and then dered, ¡°We will overlook your past mistakes under the agreement that you will work together with Orcheim and Dejame to protect Mount Lun and that you will appoint a new leader.¡± After hearing that, the gnomes murmured noisily among themselves. It was a radicalpromise! Gullito, who was now under arrest, looked at Gorit and then at Janaru. Gorit grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. As that gnome friend from the continent said earlier, I just followed what my reason and moralpass told me to do.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± muttered Gullito. ¡°But there were many victims. Extensive efforts will need to be made to take back our friends who were sold as ves and to apologize andpensate them appropriately,¡± said Gorit. ¡°I ept that,¡± replied Gullito. It was an amicable closure. While observing them, Crockta recalled a famous passage from a philosopher and thought, ¡®If I recited that line right now, it would be a really cool ending. Should I do it or nah? Though... there is a saying that if you are hesitating to do something, just do it.¡¯ Crockta sumbed to his urge and said, ¡°A thoughtes to mind as an outsider watching everything that¡¯s been happening.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward Crockta. He continued, ¡°The more I think about it, there are two things that fill my mind with growing admiration and awe.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°One is the starry sky that the stars show us, and the other is...¡± Crockta paused, further drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°...The moralw shining within us that tells us which direction to go,¡± finished Crockta. It was such a tant copy![1]! Crockta peered at his surroundings with half-closed eyes. ¡°...!¡± Everyone around him was looking at him in awe. Even Tiyo¡¯s mouth was agape with surprise. ¡°I thought he was only good at fighting...¡± ¡°He even says intellectual things like that...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it... An orc with both literary and fighting skills!¡± ¡°What a beautiful passage thatpares us to nature!¡± Crockta closed his eyes and smiled contentedly. *** Crockta and Tiyo were now ready to depart from Orcheim. They had visited the sacred site of orcs and resolved the conflict on Mount Lun, so it was finally time to leave. Gorit, Kaburak, and numerous orcs gathered to send them off. ¡°Crockta, thank you, and sorry for increasing your burdens. I wish you luck,¡± said Kaburak. Crockta was now headed toward the Temple of the Fallen God in dark elf territory. He was now an enemy of the chiefdom, but he couldn¡¯t face all of the chiefdom¡¯s armies on his own no matter how strong he became. So, he nned to approach the dark elves and persuade them to enter an alliance with him. The dark elves were one of the two powerful forces in the northern region, so having them on his side would greatly help his cause. Crockta divulged his n to Gorit, who ced his hand on Crockta¡¯s shoulder and nodded in response. ¡°The dark elves are very closed off to outsiders. It won¡¯t be easy, but the Lun Alliance is continuing to send emissaries to them. So, don¡¯t feel too pressured to handle everything on your own. I wish you luck,¡± said Gorit. Orcheim, Dejame, and Altanas had joined hands to form the Lun Alliance, working together to protect their home. Keeping this in mind, Crockta nodded at Gorit¡¯s words. Then the Orcheim warriors who had fought with Crockta gave him their blessings and extended their fists, bumping fists with Crockta. Suddenly, Crockta heard Tiyo¡¯s voice in the background. ¡°I will return no matter what,¡± said Tiyo. Crockta turned around to look and saw Tiyo and Yona looking at each other. ¡°Hmph, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you return or not...¡± muttered Yona. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me a clear answer right now, I will just return to my hometown. I¡¯m a man who stands by his word, so if you have feelings for me, you need to tell me now,¡± stated Tiyo boldly. Crockta was in awe. Tiyo was indeed a real man. He was more macho than anyone else he knew. At his assertive request, Yona averted her eyes and replied in a tiny voice, ¡°...Stop by when you are done.¡± Tiyo beamed. ¡°Understood. Wait for me.¡± There was more good news. They had gained clues about Tiyo¡¯s father¡¯s whereabouts. Tiyo had asked the Altanas¡¯ gnomes about his father, and after describing his name and appearance, Yona and the gnomes recognized him and gave Tiyo information on where he could find his father. They had said that Tiyo¡¯s father was an oddball who wandered the northern region while carrying mysterious objects. Thest time they saw him had been several years ago when their paths ovepped while he was headed to dark elf territory. After having extensive conversations and farewells, Crockta and Tiyo finally went on their way. ¡°Everything seems to be leading up further north,¡± said Tiyo as they walked down the mountain. All of the answers to their questions about the Temple of the Fallen God, the war with the chiefdom, and Tiyo¡¯s father were there. ¡°What do you think, Crockta? Are you still confident?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Of course,¡± grinned Crockta. Crockta enjoyed being in the northern region. He felt extremely liberated here without the presence of other yers. Everything progressed smoothly like a spinning wheel, and everyone he¡¯d met lived their own unique lives to the fullest. Crockta preferred this world. Perhaps the truth was that yers were intruders in the world of Elder Lord. ¡°What kind of animal is that?¡± asked Tiyo. As they were about to leave Mount Lun, they found a monster they had never seen before standing in the middle of the forest. It had the form of a reptile standing on two feet, but it had wings. Crockta and Tiyo moved nearer for a closer look, wondering if it was a dragon. They had only heard about dragons and had never actually seen one before. However, this creature didn¡¯t have the grand presence of a dragon. Instead, it had a small frame, fierce eyes, and a me wavering in its gaping mouth. ¡°That seems like a drake...?¡± said Tiyo. ¡°A drake!¡± eximed Crockta. Drakes looked simr to dragons, but they were more like a poor imitation of dragons. However, drakes were still airborne creatures and had strength that was much greater than that of wyverns. This drake began approaching Crockta and Tiyo and growled threateningly while exhaling fire. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged looks. ¡°Are you confident, Tiyo?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Of course,¡± replied Tiyo. They both grinned. Then they charged at the drake with their weapons. Elder Lord was truly a world where everything was unpredictable! Crockta leaped up as his heart filled with excitement. ¡°Unexpected events are wee!¡± he shouted. The drake breathed fire at Crockta¡¯s face, but Crockta cut through the mes with his Pinnacle-tier swordsmanship. The drake pushed its terrifying face up close to his. Crockta was just about to plunge his greatsword into the drake¡¯s forehead when someone shouted, ¡°What are you doing to my Sam-Ryong?!¡± Crockta paused. During that small opening, the drake hit Crockta with its forehead. The impact sent Crockta flying into the air and then rolling across the ground. His head hurt, and he could taste the blood inside his mouth. ¡°Oh, my god! Are you o-okay? Sam-Ryong! Why did you do that?!¡± As Crocktay on the ground, he couldn¡¯t help butugh at the absurdness of the situation. ¡®See, you never know what¡¯s going to happen next.¡¯ 1. Crockta is referencing ¡®Critique of Practical Reason¡¯ by Immanuel Kant. ? Chapter 82: Outsider (2)

Chapter 82: Outsider (2)

The orc and the drake were having a staredown. Sam-Ryong looked down at Crockta with distaste, while Crockta refused to back down and red back. The dark elf with Sam-Ryong interrupted them, ¡°Haha, why are you guys acting like this? There was a slight misunderstanding, but we should try to get along. Right, Sam-Ryong?¡± ¡°Krrrrrr...¡± growled Sam-Ryong. ¡°Grrrrr...¡± ¡°He can¡¯t help it because he¡¯s a drake, but why are you growling at him?¡± asked the dark elf. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Huh?¡± wondered the dark elf. ¡°Grrrrrrr!¡± Tiyo was the one making the ferocious sounds with bared teeth behind Crockta. ¡°Um, hey... gnome?¡± said the dark elf. ¡°Grrrrrr!¡± growled Tiyo. ¡°Hey...¡± ¡°Stay still! Beasts establish hierarchies like this,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Beasts...?¡± said the dark elf. Based on how the gnome acted, he did indeed seem like a beast. The dark elf shook his head in dismay. ¡°Please excuse us for our behavior,¡± said Crockta as he and the dark elf observed the drake and the gnome¡¯s tense interaction. ¡°Are you alive? I¡¯m Crockta. I¡¯m heading to the north,¡± greeted Crockta. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Anor. I¡¯m Sam-Ryong¡¯s friend,¡± replied the dark elf. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you are friends with a drake.¡± ¡°What? Amazing? No, not at all... Really, not at all. Hahahaha! You are so silly, Crockta!¡± Based on Anor¡¯s reaction, Crockta could tell that Anor was just putting up an embarrassed front; he secretly enjoyed the praise. ¡°Are you from Dejame?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°No. I¡¯m from Nuridot, but I came down here for a short while for Sam-Ryong. I was surprised toe here and see orcs from the chiefdom wandering around a few days ago.¡± Nuridot was the dark elf city closest to their current location. Anor then asked warily, ¡°Are you from the chiefdom?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°As I thought.¡± Anor had assumed Crockta was from Orcheim because he had descended from Mount Lun, but Anor just wanted to make sure anyway. ¡°What¡¯s Mount Lun like? How is it living here?¡± queried Anor. ¡°It¡¯s a nice ce.¡± ¡°Then... Sam-Ryong will be fine here by himself, right?¡± asked Anor with a sad expression. Crockta looked at Anor, who was forcing himself to smile while looking at Sam-Ryong. ¡°Sam-Ryong used to live in the forest in the northern part of Nuridot... There are many drakes there,¡± said Anor. ¡°Then why did hee here?¡± ¡°That is...¡± Anor hesitated. Meanwhile, Sam-Ryong had grown tired of Tiyo. He spread his wings, which wererge and wide, and pped them, blowing a gust of wind as he rose into the sky. His wide wings were more like a wyvern¡¯s than a drake¡¯s. ¡°Sam-Ryong gets bullied by other drakes because he is of mixed blood. He is a cross between a wyvern and a drake,¡± exined Anor. Crockta was astonished because it was extremely rare for a wyvern and a drake to mate and produce offspring. Sam-Ryong was a rare mixed breed! Sam-Ryong rose in the air and let out a long cry. Meanwhile, Tiyo confidently walked over to Crockta and Anor. ¡°Did you guys see that drake running away from me?!¡± ¡°...¡± It was more urate to say that Sam-Ryong was ignoring Tiyo because he was tired of dealing with him, but Tiyo still wore a proud expression on his face. ¡°So, what were you guys talking about so seriously? I can fix all of your worries!¡± he dered. ¡°...¡± Anor looked doubtful, but he still spilled the beans about Sam-Ryong to Tiyo. He exined to Tiyo that he had, by coincidence, met Sam-Ryong in the forest in Nuridot when he was a baby and found out that Sam-Ryong was a mix between a drake and a wyvern. After that, Anor and Sam-Ryong grew close, and it wasn¡¯t long before Anor learned that Sam-Ryong was being bullied by other drakes. Although Sam-Ryong was simr to them, the drakes refused to acknowledge Sam-Ryong as one of their own. Moreover, as Sam-Ryong grew older, Sam-Ryong¡¯s distinct wings grew evenrger, and the drakes became even more violent toward him. Now, the only friend Sam-Ryong could rely on was Anor. Anor then decided that he couldn¡¯t let things go on any longer and brought Sam-Ryong to Mount Lun, where he wouldn¡¯t be bullied by other drakes. ¡°What? He was bullied?!¡± Tiyo looked up at Sam-Ryong flying in the sky. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of his rival being looked down on by others. ¡°It¡¯s your fault, Anor. That drake isn¡¯t the type to run away from his problems!¡± ¡°Umm...¡± ¡°Backbone. A backbone is what he needs. I will fix him up! A man can ovee anything with a strong will!¡± said Tiyo. Tiyo began passionately preaching his theory about mental fortitude, but Anor just ignored him and looked at Crockta. ¡°Anyway, where is your destination since you¡¯re headed north?¡± asked Anor. ¡°Nameragon,¡± replied Crockta. Nameragon was the city of dark elves next to the Temple of the Fallen God. It wasn¡¯t as prosperous as the dark elves¡¯ capital city, Spinora, where the World Tree was located, but Nameragon was still a bustling city. ¡°It will be difficult. I say this as a dark elf, but dark elves are very closed off to outsiders. They won¡¯t ept an orc easily,¡± said Anor. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m prepared for it,¡± replied Crockta with a shrug. He didn¡¯t have a clear n in mind, but he would face things head-on if problems arose. Anor sighed. ¡°Dark elves are extremely hostile toward outsiders.¡± Sam-Ryong, who had been flying around, came back to the ground. He approached Anor, bowed his long head, and cried out. Anor nodded in understanding, although Crockta and Tiyo had no idea what Sam-Ryong was saying. Anor looked deeply concerned. ¡°He said he saw orcs wandering around with the chiefdom¡¯s g...¡± Despite appearing simr to the Kapur tribe that Crockta and Tiyo had first met in the northern region, the wandering orcs were a small group that wandered about. Theirck of a stronghold meant that they survived by looting others. Recently, the chiefdom indiscriminately epted all orcs to expand their scope of influence. As a result, the wandering looting orcs proudly walked around with the chiefdom¡¯s g too. Even a small group of orcs like them was a big threat to a small city like Nuridot. ¡°What should we do?¡± said Anor. ¡°Are they headed toward Nuridot?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Sam-Ryong said they are,¡± replied Anor. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged looks. ¡°Hahaha! Every crisis is an opportunity! Let¡¯s help the dark elves!¡± said Tiyo with excitement. Crockta nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± It sounded like a good opportunity to Crockta, who in the past, had performed reputation-building grunt work to enter Arnin. If the dark elves refused to let him in, he just had to help them out like he¡¯d done in the past with the elves of Arnin. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Yeah!¡± shouted Crockta. Crockta¡¯s and Tiyo¡¯s eyes shone. They looked like they were ready to run to Nuridot at any minute. However, Anor stopped them by calling out, ¡°Hey, wait a second!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nuridot is quite far from here! You have to run all day...¡± said Anor. Crockta and Tiyo just grinned. ¡°Take your time. We will be waiting for you there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Then Crockta crouched down on the ground. Tiyo leaped up and wrapped his legs around Crockta¡¯s neck, crossing them tightly across Crockta¡¯s chest. He was riding on Crockta¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Crockta, let¡¯s run!¡± Tiyo eximed excitedly. ¡°We will head there first!¡± said Crockta. Crockta began running up north with Tiyo on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Anor just stared nkly as he watched them move farther away. Crockta utilized his peak physical abilities and left Mount Lun in an instant. He passed by the forests and swept through the ins at an amazing speed. Tiyo began firing his General behind them, forming a tail of iridescent lights that followed Crockta¡¯s trajectory. Crockta appeared like aet running across the earth and leaving its tracks behind. Tiyo cheered, ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± Suddenly, Crockta shouted, ¡°Tiyo!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Can you shoot your General toward the front if you are cheering me on? If you shoot toward the back, I can¡¯t see its beautiful rays!¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta could feel Tiyo flinch. ¡°Cr-Crockta...¡± Tiyo muttered. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cheering you on... If you shoot this forward...¡± Tiyo said. Then he asked tentatively, ¡°Do you not know... that for every force, there is an equal and opposite reaction? [1] ¡°...!¡± Crockta had heard those words somewhere before, but he didn¡¯t know how they were relevant to the current situation. Regardless, he could tell that Tiyo was disgusted with him. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m more of a liberal arts guy...¡± replied Crockta bitterly. Anyway, Crockta was able to arrive at Nuridot quicker than expected thanks to the boost from the General. At first, they could only see the dim outline of the vige, but it grew clearer as they drew closer. Then Crockta saw some dark elves having a face-off with the wandering orcs they had heard about. Crockta slowed down upon approaching them. ¡°We¡¯re here, Crockta,¡± said Tiyo. The dark elves and wandering orcs who had been arguing with each other turned toward Crockta and Tiyo. They stared at the pair in surprise; they were taken aback by the sudden appearance of a frightening-looking orc and the gnome riding on his shoulders. Crockta thought, ¡®Now, it¡¯s time to say something cool. Everyone was so impressed when I recited Kant¡¯s quote in Altanas...¡¯ Crockta remembered the satisfaction that he had felt earlier and was about to say something that wouldst forever in their memories. However, someone said, ¡°Who is that fucking loser?¡± ¡°...!¡± Before Crockta could process his shock at what he¡¯d just heard, the other orcs beganughing at him. ¡°Yeah, why is he carrying a gnome? Is that gnome an orc rider?¡± ¡°An orc acting like a mule... How embarrassing.¡± ¡°Look at that tacky red bandana and those tattoos. He looks like a country bumpkin.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t make fun of him too much. He must have done it cause he thinks he looks cool. He might cry if you keep teasing him. Hahahahaha!¡± Crockta¡¯s fists trembled. He could put up with anything else, but mocking his fashion sense was uneptable... It was time to summon his greatsword. Tiyo, who felt Crockta¡¯s rage from his trembling shoulders, warned the orcs, ¡°You will regret it if you make Crockta angry!¡± *** Anor finally arrived at Nuridot after walking for a long time. The sun had already begun to set. Thankfully, the vige was peaceful. It didn¡¯t seem like there had been problems with the group of wandering orcs. When Anor entered the vige, a drunken guard greeted him, ¡°Hey, Anor, where have you been?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I thought you finally ran away... though you don¡¯t have the balls to, haha.¡± Anor kept his mouth tightly sealed as he passed through the entrance. He could hear the guardsughing at him from behind. Even after he entered the vige, the dirty looks continued. Everywhere he went, the dark elves¡¯ eyes followed closely behind him. Anor began to miss Sam-Ryong, but he had left Sam-Ryong on Mount Lun. He muttered btedly to Sam-Ryong, who couldn¡¯t hear him, ¡°Take care...¡± After trudging along, he heard amotioning from the vige square in the distance. He wondered if there was some kind of event going on. Then a familiar voice rang loud enough to be heard throughout the vige, ¡°We are the gnome guards who protect beautiful Quantes~! We live each day to the fullest~!¡± The singing was horrible. Normally, Anor would have just walked past events like this, but he was drawn in by the familiar voice. ¡°While braving through the sea of blood of monsters~!¡± the voice continued. The voice sounded childish, but there was also a sense of masculinity in it. Upon arriving at the public square, Anor saw a drunken gnome in high spirits having fun in the vige square. The dark elves in the vige surrounded him and pped their hands enthusiastically. Anor also saw an orc with a red bandana among the vigers. The gnome and orc were Tiyo and Crockta, whom Anor had met earlier. ¡°What is going on...¡± Anor couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Dark elves were extremely guarded against strangers and refused to let them into their vige. They were even guarded against dark elves from other ces. Yet, Crockta and Tiyo were interacting with the vigers as if they were old friends even though it was their first time here. ¡°Hello, beautiful dark elfdy! Do you like gnomes?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Oh, my...¡± ¡°I would have hit on you if you were one meter shorter. Too bad!¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Hahaha!¡± All of the dark elves burst intoughter at Tiyo¡¯s joke. When those two first said they were heading to Nameragon through dark elf territory, Anor didn¡¯t think it was possible. He had experienced the insrity of the dark elves firsthand and had always felt like there was a wall between him and the other dark elves. Despite that, those two had infiltrated dark elf society so easily. ¡°Amazing...¡± muttered Anor. However, it wasn¡¯t a pure expression of awe. It was actually the opposite. Anor whispered to himself to suppress that feeling, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. ¡°Hey, halfie,¡± someone called out from behind him. Anor was sick of that voice. He let out a deep sigh and turned around. A dark elf with a lean and muscr body like a ck panther was smiling at him. Behind that dark elf was a group of more dark elves. ¡°Your face is even whiter than usual. And did your ears shrink?¡± the lean and muscr dark elf smirked. The group of dark elvesughed at Anor. ¡°At this rate, you will die immediately as soon as you hit one hundred.¡± ¡°How old is that halfie right now?¡± Anor red at them, but no one was scared of him. He turned and walked away from them. ¡°Where are you going, Anor?!¡± shouted one of the dark elves. ¡°Are you running away, you mutt?¡± shouted another one. Anor was a half-elf, a cross between a human and a dark elf, and was thus persecuted by dark elf society. He ignored the dark elves¡¯ mockery and was about to continue to where he was headed. Then someone called out to him, ¡°Anor!¡± He tried to ignore this call too, but the voice was different this time. It was loud and clear. When Anor turned to look, he saw orc warrior Crockta approaching him. ¡°Are you alive? When did you get here?¡± asked Crockta. With the sun in the midst of setting, the shadows on Crockta¡¯s face made him appear even more frightening up close. Crockta then turned toward the group of dark elves and looked at each of their faces. ¡°Ah, are you guys Anor¡¯s friends? d to meet you.¡± Anor flinched. Nakai, the lean and muscr dark elf, and the group of dark elves he led were even more discriminatory than most dark elves. Even Anor, who had been born here and lived here his whole life, was still bullied because he was of mixed blood. If Crockta weren¡¯t careful, it could lead to trouble... Nakai¡¯s voice cut off Anor¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Oh, hello sir. Aren¡¯t you the orc warrior? Wee! Hahahaha.¡± Nakai dly shook hands with Crockta. 1. Tiyo is referencing Newton¡¯s Third Law: Action & Reaction ? Chapter 83: Alive (1)

Chapter 83: Alive (1)

¡°Oh, hello, sir. Aren¡¯t you the orc warrior? Wee! Hahahaha,¡± greeted Nakai cordially. ¡°Are you alive? Call me Crockta.¡± Crockta nodded and smiled. Anor felt odd watching them. He suddenly felt strangely detached from the world he lived in. These two were so friendly toward one another even though they had met for the first time today. If anyone of another species was to set foot in Nuridot, the Nakai that Anor knew would have made sure to bring along a great number of dark elves with him as he bombarded the outsiders with ridicule and contempt. Nakai had always described orcs as dirty and dumb, so why was he dly shaking hands with Crockta right now? Then Tiyo joined the scene. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it Anor?! What did you do with Sam-Ryong?!¡± asked Tiyo. In a surprising gesture, Nakai made a deep bow and offered Tiyo a handshake as well. ¡°You are a polite dark elf. I¡¯m Tiyo,¡± said Tiyo with a smile. Nakai was surprisingly respectful toward Tiyo, even though he had always referred to gnomes as little kids or dwarves. Seeing that, Anor felt like he was the only person who didn¡¯t belong there. There was a bitter expression on his face as he turned around and walked away. Before he knew it, the sun had sunk below the horizon. Darkness fell on his surroundings, leaving only the moon that hung in the sky, to illuminate his way. Anor trudged home listlessly as he reflected on the harassment he had received throughout his life. He felt like he had been treated unjustly in every way possible. Despite his mixed blood, he looked like a dark elf with his dark skin and pointy ears, yet he wasn¡¯t epted as one. But Crockta and Tiyo were wee in Nuridot even though they were an orc and a gnome withpletely different appearances. Maybe the problem wasn¡¯t that he was of mixed blood. Maybe there was something wrong with him. That persistent thought upied his mind and frightened him. Anor came to a stop and stood still, lost in his thoughts. Right then, someone grabbed his shoulder, startling him out of his wits. When he turned around to look, he saw a familiar face, which freaked him out even more. Crockta¡¯s frightening face hovered in the darkness. ¡°You s-scared me!¡± yelled Anor. ¡°There aren¡¯t any inns around here,¡± said Crockta. Lodgings were rare in Nuridot, as it was a small city, and dark elves tended to be asocial. ¡°So, we decided to stay at your ce,¡± added Crockta. ¡°I never gave you permission...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I followed you. To ask for permission. Hahaha.¡± Anor scratched his head. His house wasn¡¯t veryrge, and it wasn¡¯t nice enough to amodate guests, so he was embarrassed to show it to others. Nevertheless, he ended up nodding in agreement because he was intimidated by Crockta, who gazed down at Anor with hisrge stature looming over the dark elf. ¡°Then...¡± Anor was about to tell Crockta to follow him when something passed by above Crockta¡¯s head. ¡°...Huh?¡± Anor saw the shadow of a dragon gliding downward in front of the shining moon. No, it wasn¡¯t a dragon. It looked like a dragon but wasn¡¯t a dragon, and it was simr to a drake but wasn¡¯t a drake. The creature was a drake with wyvern wings, Sam-Ryong. ¡°Sam-Ryong?¡± said Anor. He had released Sam-Ryong on Mount Lun and implored him to live there freely. It had been hard for Anor to walk away from Sam-Ryong, but he had forced himself to take those steps. So, why was Sam-Ryong flying around Nuridot? Anor quickly realized that Sam-Ryong was headed north toward the drakes¡¯ habitat, which was a forest in the northern part of Nuridot. ¡°Dammit!¡± Anor cursed and began running. Crockta and Tiyo watched Anor run farther away from them and then looked at each other. Then they ran after him. *** ¡°Why did you return?!¡± yelled Anor. Sam-Ryong nced at Anor and then crossed his arms. ¡°If you stay here, you will be bullied by other drakes again,¡± said Anor. Sam-Ryong shook his head in response. He was clear about his desire to stay in the drakes¡¯ habitat. Crockta and Tiyo watched them from behind. Anor continued, ¡°Hey! Are you going to be bullied here forever? You should go down to Mount Lun and make new friends. You could even show off a bit since you¡¯re big! You could live happily that way!¡± ¡°Krrrrrr...¡± replied Sam-Ryong. ¡°Ah, you just don¡¯t listen!¡± eximed Anor, hitting his chest in frustration. Crockta approached him. ¡°Anor, wait.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Crockta grabbed the back of Anor¡¯s neck and forcefully pulled him back. Right after that, mes came flying at Sam-Ryong. It was a fiery breath that lit up the dark forest. ¡°...!¡± Sam-Ryong immediately spread hisrge wings to block the fiery breath. His wings were slightly singed, but the mes didn¡¯t seem to have much effect on him. Then Sam-Ryong ferociously bared his teeth as a drake prowled toward them from the forest. The uninvited drake began to growl at Sam-Ryong, who refused to back down and roared back. The tension between the tworge drakes continued as two more uninvited drakes emerged from the forest and threatened Sam-Ryong. Sam-Ryong was brave and unafraid of a fight, but it was simply too much for him to go against three drakes by himself. Anor felt sad seeing Sam-Ryong in such a situation, as he had experienced situations like this all the time. He saw himself in Sam-Ryong who was constantly outnumbered and bullied. ¡°Sam-Ryong...¡± Anor muttered. Crockta, who had been observing the scene, stepped forward and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intrude, but you guys got some nerve to be bickering like this in front of me.¡± He pulled out his greatsword, and the Ogre yer gleamed with a chilling aura. However, the drakes looked at Crockta derisively. Crockta was impressed by how expressive their faces were even though they were reptiles, but he still red at them. [You are releasing Monster yer (Essence) energy.] Crockta activated Monster yer, an Essence-tier skill that he had acquired from hunting the Behemoth with the great hunter Shakhan. It was a special skill that rendered great monsters powerless with an overpowering aura and made his attacks more effective against monsters. Moreover, the Monster yer skill was amplified with his Army Crushing Roar of Madness skill. Even if he didn¡¯t make a sound, the madness of an orc warrior who had swept through countless battlefields seeped out with his Monster yer skill. Crockta red at the drakes with gleaming eyes. [Heart and Soul Prating Eye (Pinnacle) is opening. It¡¯s analyzing the drakes.] [These drakes are quite strong in this forest, but they are weaker than you. They are flinching in fear at the smell of the Monster yer¡¯s blood.] The Heart and Soul Prating Eye meticulously analyzed the drakes, who flinched as they retreated. [The drakes want to run away, but they are standing their ground because of their pride.] Crockta grinned at the drakes¡¯ pitiful pride. He then narrowed his eyes in concentration, and mana rose from the Ogre yer in streams. The drakes knew that the moment they stepped forward, that greatsword would y them. They could tell that Crockta wasn¡¯t a regr orc, so they had no choice but to flee. The drakes nced at Sam-Ryong to threaten him but quickly averted their gazes when they made eye contact with Crockta. Anor was impressed by Crockta, who had chased away the drakes so quickly. Crockta was much stronger than Anor had expected. Then he remembered that Crockta had been about to plunge his sword into Sam-Ryong when they first met. What would have happened if he had not shouted at Crockta to stop? Sam-Ryong had a tough body and skin, but things could have gone very badly for him. Chills ran down Anor¡¯s spine as he thought about what could have happened. ¡°Anor,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Yes?¡± replied Anor. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about you, but I can¡¯t help but think this way,¡± continued Crockta as he carried his greatsword on his back again. ¡°Is the reason you are trying to send Sam-Ryong to Mount Lun... ¡± ¡°You saw what just happened. It¡¯s like that every day,¡± replied Anor. ¡°But Sam-Ryong wants to stay here.¡± ¡°But still...¡± Crockta approached Anor. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who wants to leave?¡± With his keen senses, Crockta had discerned the truth about Anor, who had been born from parents who were a dark elf and a human and was treated poorly in the vige because of that. When Crockta and Tiyo had asked the dark elves about Anor, the dark elves had shown obvious contempt toward him. Anor¡¯s expression went nk. Then his gaze turned sentimental as if he was reflecting on something. ¡°Perhaps... that could be the truth,¡± conceded Anor as his shoulders dropped. *** Crockta, Anor, and Tiyo left Sam-Ryong in the forest and headed back to Nuridot. They exchanged conversation as they walked down the dark road. Anor asked, ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± replied Crockta. ¡°How did you get close with the dark elves so quickly?¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°We aren¡¯t close.¡± ¡°But everyone was so friendly toward you...¡± muttered Anor. ¡°They only act that way because they need me.¡± Crockta then exined that Nuridot had been in a state of panic when the group of wandering orcs appeared at the vige earlier. It was widely known that the crazy chieftain was enthusiastically preparing for war, and those wandering orcs had been carrying the chiefdom¡¯s g. When the wanderers arrived at the vige, they gave the dark elves two options: resist and end up being looted or willingly give up their possessions. The vigers were backed into a corner because they didn¡¯t have much fighting power. Even if they managed to defeat the orcs somehow, it would require a huge sacrifice, and they couldn¡¯t just give up everything they had. Then, an orc and a gnome suddenly appeared. The dark elves were puzzled by the strange duo, but the wandering orcsughed at them until Crockta attacked. He beheaded fiveughing orcs in an instant. The rest of the wandering orcs shifted gears. Even with the dozens of orcs raising their weapons at him, Crockta didn¡¯t blink an eye. He easily overpowered them and chased the rest of them away. To the dark elves, Crockta looked like the god of war. After chasing the wandering orcs away, Crockta said to the dark elves, ¡°Those orcs will return for sure, so I will stay here until then and protect the vige.¡± Then he exined that he would like to help them as he needed to pass through dark elf territory to get to the Temple of the Fallen God and that he wasn¡¯t rted to the chiefdom at all. Crockta was like a savior to the fearful dark elves, so they openly weed Crockta and Tiyo as their guests. News of Crockta¡¯s prowess spread like wildfire in themunity, and no one dared to treat the pair poorly. Respected members of themunity helped them get settled in by approaching them first and weing them as their guests. Moreover, the dark elves found Tiyo¡¯s cute appearance and cheerful attitude endearing. The dark elves were a species that felt entitled to the kindness of the weak, but they considered the kindness of the strong as a great privilege. That was the way of the world. ¡°I see...¡± uttered Anor with a dark expression. Anor thought about how Crockta had instantly obtained the dark elves¡¯ respect, which Anor had yearned for his whole life, just because he was strong. ¡°The world is so unfair,¡± muttered Anor. He had made continuous efforts to be included in dark elf society and hadn¡¯t caused any trouble, but he was still an outsider to them. Yet, because Crockta was strong, he had immediately received their admiration. It all came down to his power. ¡°Yes, that is true. The world is unfair,¡± said Crockta with a wide grin. As their conversation came to an end, Anor, Crockta, and Tiyo finally arrived at Anor¡¯s house. Anor¡¯s house was small and old. It wasn¡¯trge enough to amodate Crockta and Tiyo. Anor offered them his bed, but Crockta and Tiyo refused and just covered themselves in nkets on the floor next to Anor¡¯s bed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ufortable?¡± asked Anor. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tiyo is already asleep,¡± said Crockta. Tiyo was already dozing off. He had the impressive ability to sleep soundly anywhere he rested his head. With his eyes closed, Tiyo looked just like an ordinary adorable gnome. Crockta also tried to close his eyes and get some rest. However, Anor suddenly said, ¡°Crockta, through my entire life, I sought to be acknowledged as a dark elf in Nuridot.¡± Anor felt conflicted because of the things he had seen for the first time today. Seeing Nakai, who had tantly stalked Anor and harassed him his whole life, being respectful toward Crockta had shocked Anor. Anor continued, ¡°But I¡¯m still an outsider. Why is that?¡± Crockta looked up at the dark ceiling. He had only just met Anor, but he could sense the kind of dark elf that Anor was, so it saddened him even more. ¡°Anor, what kind of dark elf did you try to be here?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Me?¡± replied Anor. Anor thought about it for a bit. ¡°A kind... dark elf?¡± Anor¡¯s parents were dead. His mother, who was a human, had always told him that he should work hard to be acknowledged in dark elf society. She told him that he had to be a kind dark elf and that he should always be considerate of others, always smile, and never get on anyone¡¯s nerves. Crockta continued, ¡°But if you did all those things and this is the result, then it seems the dark elves of Nuridot don¡¯t want the kind version of you.¡± ¡°What...¡± ¡°Based on what you said, it seems you¡¯ve done more than enough. It¡¯s foolish to repeat the same process and expect a different oue.¡± Crockta sighed. ¡°As you said earlier, the world is unfair. Even if you act kind, you won¡¯t be given kindness in return.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I will say for now. Good night,¡± said Crockta. Anor couldn¡¯t fall asleep after hearing Crockta¡¯s words. He turned and gazed into the darkness next to his bed. He couldn¡¯t see anything, but he could feel the presence of a great orc warrior. Was Crockta asleep? Anor could only hear the sound of Tiyo breathing. Anor whispered, ¡°Crockta, are you asleep?¡± ¡°...Not yet.¡± ¡°Can I ask just one more question?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Anor hesitated because he wasn¡¯t sure how to start the conversation, even though he was the one who had initiated it. He even crossed his arms underneath his nkets. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°What you meant earlier... is that I have to change, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I tried to be kind my whole life, but why do I have to suffer when they are the ones who harass me and do bad things? Why do I have to change when they are in the wrong?¡± asked Anor. ¡°Anor, that is true,¡± said Crockta. His voice sounded softer in the dark. He almost whispered as he added, ¡°But this is not about right and wrong.¡± Then he let out a soft chuckle. Anor grinned at the sound of Crockta¡¯sughter. He felt as if the weight of these questions that troubled him lifted when he spoke to Crockta about them. Was this what it felt like to have an older sibling? ¡°That¡¯s just how the world is,¡± stated Corckta. ¡°The world is...¡± ¡°Hahaha, in our neighborhood, we would call dark elves like you ¡®sweet potato.¡¯ Don¡¯t think about it too hard. Just... [1]¡± Crocktaughed again. ¡°If someone acts like a dog to you, grit your teeth and act like a dog to them too.¡± *** Early in the morning of the next day, a group of wandering orcs invaded Nuridot. 1. ¡®Sweet potato¡¯ can refer to a stuffy or frustrating person or situation, like how one might feel when they are eating a sweet potato. Crockta is calling Anor a sweet potato because he is overthinking things when the answer is obvious. ? Chapter 84: Alive (2)

Chapter 84: Alive (2)

The sound of a trumpet rang throughout Nuridot, signaling it was an emergency. Crockta woke up, and his hands instinctively grasped the hilt of his greatsword as the scent of battle drifted from afar. When Crockta opened his eyes, Tiyo was looking at him with his General in hand. The two exchanged looks. ¡°Zzz...¡± Anor, on the other hand, was still sleeping. Crockta shook him awake. Anor fumbled about as he stirred from his sleep. Then he stared at Crockta nkly. ¡°Anor, you need to evacuate,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Huh?¡± muttered Anor. ¡°The enemy has invaded the vige.¡± ¡°Invaded?¡± questioned Anor. ¡°The wandering orcs from yesterday infiltrated herest night.¡± The day before, Crockta had disyed his prowess to the wandering orcs, who trembled in fear after being overpowered by him. However, if those guys dared to try invading Nuridot again, then it was obvious that they were piggybacking on the chiefdom¡¯s support to seize this ce. They would use an even more violent method this time since they had already been defeated once. There wouldn¡¯t be a conversation this time. Crockta anticipated that it would be a struggle for life and death for both sides. He had to suppress a smile from forming on his lips. He was ready for war. ¡°Does Nuridot have an evacuation site for emergencies?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°They probably gather at the town hall in the center of the vige...¡± said Anor. ¡°Then, go there,¡± ordered Crockta. Anor, who was finally awake now, noticed that Crockta had his greatsword in hand. The rays of sunlight seeping through the window bounced off the de and pierced Anor¡¯s eyes. ¡°What about you, Crockta?¡± asked Anor. Instead of replying, Crockta tapped on his greatsword several times. ¡°Ah...¡± muttered Anor, seemingly startled. He had never once witnessed a massacre or scenes full of killing and dying. Before the new militant chieftain ran rampant, the northern region had a bnce of its own. There had been the asional conflict among tribes, but their disputes felt like a distant story to the usual peace. Yet, Anor had just seen the face of a man whose life was integrated with war. Crockta had said that he would ughter his enemies with his greatsword with the same tone he¡¯d used to say ¡®Good morning.¡¯ ¡°Understood,¡± replied Anor. Then Crockta and Tiyo bid farewell to Anor and left. When Anor heard Crockta¡¯s and Tiyo¡¯s rapid footsteps outside, he stood up from his seat. He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair and looked around him, realizing what he needed to do. There wasn¡¯t a lot to pack. ¡°If someone acts like a dog to you, grit your teeth and act like a dog to them too.¡± Crockta¡¯s voice had been filled with certainty when he said those wordsst night, and today, he took off to put his beliefs into practice. For every action that happens in the world, there was an equal and opposite reaction[1]. In other words, there was a corresponding action to every action. With this in mind, Anor braced himself for the enemies that woulde at him. Would he be able to stand his ground like Crockta? Anor took out his worn dagger from his drawer and gazed at it. He had never used it before, but he could need it today. The memory of his mom¡¯s face sadly saying these words popped up in his mind: ¡°Son, you need to be a kind elf.¡± Anor shook his head, trying to erase that image from his head. ¡®Nuridot does not want the kind Anor, Mother.¡¯ He gritted his teeth and sped his dagger. *** Crockta ran toward the sound of the trumpet, which rang out from the outskirts of Nuridot. The dark elves began shouting when they saw him and Tiyo. ¡°Orc and gnome! Over here!¡± the guard, who was observing what was going on in the distance from the watchtower, called out to them. He gave them a report of the situation to them. ¡°The group of wandering orcs from yesterday are approaching us, and there are orcs riding on karuks following behind them. Their equipment and weapons are different from the wanderers¡¯. They seem like...¡± the guard said and swallowed nervously before concluding with, ¡°...they are from the chiefdom.¡± Nadya, Nuridot¡¯s leader, bit her fingernails anxiously. She also fidgeted and shuffled around restlessly. Then she shouted, ¡°Send a messenger through the back road to Spinora!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± muttered one of the dark elves. ¡°The chiefdom is here. Not just some nobodies waving around the chiefdom¡¯s g. Actual warriors have arrived.¡± Nadya opened a weapon storage box that was on the wall and took out an old but firm longbow from it. Then she pulled on the bowstring to test the tension of the bow. The militiamen understood what Nadya meant and tried to stop her, but she refused and proceeded to hang the quiver from her shoulder. ¡°The attack is on all dark elves, not just Nuridot. This is just the beginning,¡± said Nadya. The dark elves¡¯ faces stiffened. The chiefdom was expanding at an unprecedented rate, and at the center of it all was the bloodthirsty chieftain Calmahart. The dark elves were well aware of the rumors that the chieftain was trying to unite all of the species in the northern region under the chiefdom, but only a few of the dark elves had expected him to carry through with his n. However, many finally woke up to the rming truth after hearing what Nadya had just said. A great war could truly be beginning, and its grand opening could be happening today in Nuridot. Crockta cut through the tension in the room and said cheerfully, ¡°Let¡¯s do a preemptive strike! Getting a head start on the enemy is the most important. I will tten their noses.¡± The sound of his voice lifted the mood in the room. The dark elves loosened up once they remembered that they had orc warrior Crockta with them. Crockta was a warrior who had overpowered the wandering orcs with just his presence, and there were even rumors circting that Crockta had defeated the chiefdom orcs on Mount Lun. Crockta then stepped forward and demanded, ¡°Open the gate.¡± The dark elves¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just said, let¡¯s do a preemptive strike.¡± Crockta ced his greatsword on his shoulder. ¡°I will dy their progress on my own, so use that time to strengthen your defenses.¡± Nuridot¡¯s militiamen looked at Nadya for her opinion. She nodded and said, ¡°Do as he says. He is much more experienced in warfare than us. He knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± Nadya had lived a long life, so she had seen many things that the other dark elves had not seen. She had heard stories about orcs with tattoos all over their bodies. Warrior tattoos were now a forgotten tradition of orcs in the northern region, but when Nadya was a child, the elders used to tell tales about tattooed orcs and how they were the real orc warriors. They had told her that she should show the tattooed orcs respect if she ever met them. The elders had also said that the tattooed orcs were strong, but their strength extended beyond physical strength. Nadya could perhaps witness that strength today. She grasped Crockta¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Please. We¡¯re depending on you.¡± Instead of replying, Crockta grinned. After that, Nuridot¡¯s gates opened, and Crockta walked out. As he stretched, all of the tattoos on his body expanded and disyed their power. His Pinnacle-tier Tattoos of War, Honor, and Indomitable Will embodied everything a warrior needed¡ªhonor and indomitable will. Those two things were enough, and the ce to prove them was the battlefield. ¡°Good,¡± muttered Crockta as he approached the invading army of orcs outside the gates. The army marched toward him. Then, both sides halted and stood still. One of the wandering orcs whom Crockta had met yesterday stepped forward. ¡°Why are you getting in our way?¡± asked the wandering orc with a frown. ¡°You are an orc, and we are also orcs. We¡¯re the same species, so why should we fight? I will apologize for what happened yesterday. Join us.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s show the world what orcs are capable of under the chieftain!¡± shouted the wandering orc. Hearing that, the group of wandering orcs behind him cheered. However, the chiefdom¡¯s warriors, who were a bit farther away, eyed Crockta warily. ¡°See? We are with the chiefdom¡¯s warriors. Let¡¯s conquer the north together. Let¡¯s make the whole continent kneel under the orc chiefdom! Spread the name of orcs! Let¡¯s show them the strength of orc warriors!¡± the wandering orc continued shouting. Crockta grinned. As he had expected, the northerners didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°Hey, you and the chiefdom guys,¡± Crockta called out. He released an intimidating aura, and the expressions of the invading orcs suddenly changed. ¡°Listen,¡± said Crockta as he closed his eyes. He was currently in the northern region, a ce without any yers and anyone who knew him. He was Crockta, not Jung Yi-An, and what he wanted was to be a true orc warrior who could do anything¡ªthe orc warrior Crockta who had touched the hearts of the gnomes, dark elves, and orcs at Mount Lun with his philosophical musings. Crockta wondered what great quotes he should recite today, but his worries didn¡¯tst long. After all, it was time for battle, and there was no need for words. Even if he were to recite some quotes, these ignorant beings before him wouldn¡¯t understand what the quotes meant. Just one word would be enough. Crockta opened his eyes. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to listen, just...¡± With his greatsword resting on his right shoulder, he flicked his fingers in a beckoning gesture while smirking at the invading orcs¡¯ scowling faces. ¡°Come,¡± Crockta said. It was a clear provocation! The invading orcs were enraged. ¡°Kill hiiiiiim!¡± an invading orc shouted. After Crockta¡¯s provocation, the army of orcs charged at him. His greatsword shed through the air and sent two heads flying, followed by a fountain of blood. Axes flew at Crockta from left and right, but he spun around and chopped his opponents¡¯ hands off. Then he kicked them while they were screaming in pain. He used their staggering bodies as stepping stools and leaped into the air. Crockta was aiming for the leader of the wandering orcs. High up in the air, Crockta thrust his greatsword down into the leader¡¯s head and sliced his body in half with a clean cut. The halves of the leader¡¯s body each fell to its respective side, and blood spilled out as the corpse¡¯s insides were revealed. Nevertheless, Crockta didn¡¯t mind and walked in between the two halves, soaking himself in the blood. He looked like the god Asura, with his cloak of blood. After taking care of the leader of the wandering orcs, Crockta looked around him. Numerous orcs were watching him, but they were unable to approach him because they were too afraid. Crockta grinned and remarked, ¡°They¡¯re justrge in number.¡± Then he turned around. After ncing at Nuridot in the distance, Crockta ran. He nned to make the enemies chase after him and lead them away from Nuridot before they came to their senses. However, despite the invading orcs¡¯rge numbers being their only strength, outnumbering an opponent was a huge advantage! ¡°There¡¯s so many of theeeeeem!¡± shouted Crockta. His preemptive strike had seeded, but he hadn¡¯t expected the enemy to outnumber him by such a great number. Crockta had to get out of here and retreat for now. Seeing Crockta run, the invading orcs came to their senses. The great warrior Urok leading the chiefdom¡¯s army shouted, ¡°You idiots! Follow mymand! Everyone, run toward Nuridot! You must catch him no matter what!¡± ordered Urok. Urok had been impressed by Crockta¡¯s prowess during the battle earlier. He could tell that Crockta wasn¡¯t just an ordinary orc. The chieftain and the chiefdom¡¯s warriors had underestimated Crockta, but Urok had known that he needed to keep a close eye on Crockta. After all, Crockta was someone who had defeated the great warrior Hammerchwi. Hammerchwi was old, but he was still an experienced and strong warrior. Yet, he had returned injured and without being able to put up much of a fight against Crockta. Now, it was clear that Crockta was indeed strong, which came as a relief to Urok. ¡°Haha, I was right all along.¡± Urok had prepared for the worst-case scenario with Crockta¡¯s powers in mind. *** ¡°Hey, even the halfie is here.¡± As soon as Anor entered the town hall, he heard Nakai¡¯s voice. Even during an emergency, Nakai was still bullying others with his gang. ¡°What a good opportunity. No one would know it was me even if I stabbed you by mistake right now,¡± said Nakai. Nakai and his gang snickered, but Anor ignored them. The vige leaders inside the town hall were exining to everyone about the current situation and how to use weapons to protect themselves. They informed everyone that if the situation became urgent, the vigers had to head to the outskirts of the vige and protect the gates from the invading orcs. ¡°Like this?¡± A dark elf from Nakai¡¯s gang who had been practicing with a rapier thrust it at Anor. Anor panicked and recoiled in fear, but the rapier stopped in front of his eyes. Nakai and his gang burst intoughter. ¡°Hahahaha, look at him all scared.¡± ¡°He really is an elf. His ears perked up when he was surprised.¡± The vige elders warned them about the severity of the situation, but Nakai and his gang continued to snicker. They seemed to think that the war wouldn¡¯t affect them. Anor hoped for the same as well, but a part of him also wanted it to take a turn for the worse because he wanted to see them cry and beg for their lives. Nevertheless, he tried to shake off such negative thoughts and focused on preparing for battle. ¡°Is this how you do it?¡± asked Anor. He approached an elderly man, a former member of the dark elf militia, who was teaching the vigers how to use a sword. The elderly man was in the midst of showing another dark elf how to hold a sword, but he turned around at Anor¡¯s question. ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡± he began. However, the elderly man¡¯s expression suddenly changed when he saw Anor¡¯s face. ¡°Figure it out on your own. Tsk,¡± he said and looked away as if Anor was a bother. Anor sighed and wondered, ¡®How should I respond in these situations, Crockta?¡¯ He shook his head in dismay while toying with his dagger when he suddenly heard a scream. ¡°Ahhhhhhh! Ugh...¡± The cry gradually stopped, and silence fell over the town hall. It was obvious that the screaming dark elf hadn¡¯t stopped screaming of their own ord and that someone had crushed their vocal cords. This was something that should not have happened. Then Anor heard the sound of heavy footsteps outside. There were several different sets, and the weight of the footsteps sounded different from that of dark elves. Additionally, the footsteps were apanied by the nking of weapons. The mysterious visitors knocked on the town hall. The dark elves gulped. Loud thuds continued from the outside. Then the visitors kicked at the door of the town hall, causing it to shake. They continued kicking it, damaging the door until it broke into pieces. The trespassers turned out to be orcs carrying the chiefdom¡¯s g. They looked at the dark elves all gathered in one ce and smirked. ¡°What is this? A buffet?¡± 1. Newton¡¯s thirdw of motion. ? Chapter 85: Alive (3)

Chapter 85: Alive (3)

Orc warriors in steel armor strolled inside the town hall, and the dark elves quickly got out of their way. Among therge group of orc warriors was a smaller group of over ten orcs with blood dripping from their weapons. The blood on their weapons was still fresh as if they had just killed someone. Each time the orcs took a step forward, the dark elves gasped and parted like the red sea. The orcs looked around at the dark elves and sneered. ¡°This is easy.¡± ¡°It seems they all decided to gather here.¡± ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t find any earlier. Haha...¡± One of the orc warriors grabbed a loaf of bread from the table and took a big bite. After chewing loudly, he furrowed his eyebrows and spat the bread out. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and ced his hand on the shoulder of the dark elf next to him. ¡°Hey,¡± said the orc warrior. ¡°...Yes?¡± ¡°Does this taste good to you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you eat this because it tastes good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± When the dark elf hesitated, the orc smirked. He grabbed the dark elf by the hair and threw him onto the ground. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± the orc asked. ¡°It¡¯s good. Good,¡± mumbled the dark elf, who was scared out of his wits. The orcs burst intoughter at the sight. It was humiliating for the dark elf in question. ¡°Hahahaha. This is why it¡¯s fun to y with big-eared guys,¡± the orc that ate the bread said. He kicked the pieces of bread that he¡¯d spat out and pushed them toward the dark elf¡¯s face. ¡°Eat this.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s good. So, eat it, big ears.¡± The dark elf looked up at the orc with trembling eyes. Then he noticed the orc¡¯s frightening axe had chunks of flesh and blood stuck to it. It was obvious he had just yed someone. The axe drew in closer to the dark elf¡¯s face, and the scent of blood filled his nose. ¡°That¡¯s...¡± During the dark elf¡¯s moment of hesitation, the orc¡¯s axe came down onto his head, bursting his head open. The dark elf died on the spot with his skull split open, with chunks of his brain exposed. The dark elves watching the scene drew a deep breath upon seeing the blood-curdling cruelty of the orcs. However, this savage behavior was entertaining to the orcs, and they all erupted inughter. ¡°Hahahaha, you are so quick-tempered!¡±mented one orc. ¡°You have to do this to make them listen,¡± said the orc warrior who had killed the dark elf. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The orc who appeared to be the group¡¯s leader walked toward the podium of the town hall. ¡°We are going to have lots of time left over,¡± he said. The militiamen at the podium, who had just been exining the progress of the war and the preparations that needed to be done, were trembling in fear. The orc grabbed one of the militiamen by the ear and pulled hard. ¡°Ahhh!¡± screamed the militiaman. ¡°You should have gotten out of the way when you saw meing, you fucking idiot,¡± said the orc leader. Then he threw the militiaman onto the ground while still holding onto his ear, causing it to rip off and blood to gush out from the dark elf¡¯s head. With the dark elf¡¯s ear in his hand, the orc whispered into the ear as if he were acting in a y, ¡°Huh, why are you still here?¡± The sound of the orcs¡¯ughter grew louder. The orc leader grinned and threw the dark elf¡¯s ear at the crowd of dark elves, who screamed as blood sttered onto them. After that, the orcs went up onto the podium. Their leader said, ¡°It¡¯s nice that things are going so smoothly. I¡¯m Great Warrior Karmat, fighting as a representative of the chieftain. Our original goal was to gather all of the dark elves in one ce and hold them hostage... but you guys already knew the n and gathered here on your own. Howmendable. I¡¯m grateful to all of you. Hahahaha!¡± The orcsughed uproariously, but of course, none of the dark elvesughed. Karmat continued, ¡°We killed all of the dark elves we saw on the way, so you guys probably didn¡¯t know what was going on. Now, we have to wait with you until we get the signal from the other orcs. We can¡¯t kill our precious hostages, but we will be bored while waiting...¡± Karmat caressed his chin and looked around at the dark elves. ¡°So, I thought of a game we could y until then. What do you say?!¡± The orcs gave hearty responses. ¡°Hahaha, let¡¯s do it!¡± ¡°It will be fun!¡± Karmat grinned with a nod. The clear division between those who were enjoying the situation and those stricken with fear resembled a scene from an absurd y. ¡°So, everyone agrees! Let¡¯s do it, then!¡± dered Karmat. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start. Hmm... First... how about we have a poprity poll? A poprity contest.¡± Karmat came down from the podium and gave each of the cowering dark elves in the front row a look. They all averted their gazes. ¡°One. I will just kill one of you, so vote on who,¡± Karmat said. ¡°...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, right? There must be someone you guys hate. If you choose just one, we will take care of him. Then the rest of you can rx without worrying during the remainder of the time. Are we being too nice?¡± Karmat snickered. Karmat was someone who enjoyed acts of cruelty. He was the type of orc who liked to psychologically torment others and make them sumb to him once he had the upper hand. All of the dark elves stayed silent, but Karmat knew exactly what to do to expedite the game. He immediately swung his axe. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°kkk!¡± Karma swung his axe indiscriminately at the dark elves in front of him. He chopped one dark elf in half and then cut halfway into the dark elf next to him, causing the second dark elf¡¯s intestines to spill out. A third dark elf standing nearby sustained a minor injury. Karmat grinned and announced, ¡°I will give you ten seconds.¡± He began stomping his feet. The dark elves murmured among themselves as Karmat¡¯s stomps approached their tenth thud. Karmat grinned from ear to ear and stomped his feet again. He gripped his axe tightly in anticipation, but the dark elves still hesitated to make a choice. Karmat scanned the faces in the crowd. He noticed that the mouth of one of the dark elves was twitching as if he was itching to say something. Karmat smirked and quickened the pace of his stomping. When Karmat¡¯s foot struck the ground for the eighth time, someone shouted, ¡°Him!¡± Karmat stifled augh. He looked toward the source of the shout and found it was a young dark elf. Then he shifted his gaze to where the young dark elf¡¯s finger was pointing. Over there stood a dark elf with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go with Anor,¡± said the dark elf who was pointing his finger. *** Anor¡¯s eyes were wide with shock. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. Nakai¡¯s finger was pointing at him, and Nakai had called out his name. Anor¡¯s hands spread open in disbelief before him as he looked around at the other dark elves. ¡°What...¡± Anor uttered bewilderedly. However, none of the dark elves looked at him. Instead, Anor saw expressions of relief in their profiles. Anor¡¯s blood ran cold as that cursed orc walked toward him. ¡°We need a majority vote. Dark elves who disagree with killing Anor, raise your hands,¡± said Karmat. No one moved. Karmat¡¯s shoulders quivered with hisughter as he enjoyed the scene. ¡°What, no one is disagreeing? Anor, what kind of life did you live? Huh? You should have been kinder to others. Or are you perhaps shunned among dark elves? Hahahaha!¡± The orc smirked and pushed his face close to Anor¡¯s, forcing Anor to smell his disgusting stench. Karmat and Crockta were both orcs, but Anor thought that Karmat¡¯s face, unlike Crockta¡¯s, was repulsive. Karmat asked, ¡°Is there really no one? If over half of you guys disagree, I will save his life and let you guys vote again!¡± The dark elves were silent. Karmat burst intoughter again. ¡°This is fun! All right, Anor! You should have been kinder to others!¡± He wrapped his arm around Anor¡¯s shoulder and dragged Anor to the podium like a cow being led to its ughter. ¡®Am I gonna die?¡¯ Anor thought while looking at Nakai. Their eyes met, but Nakai looked away. Anor couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You should have been kind~¡± Karmat sang. Anor¡¯s head began to hurt. ¡®I have lived a good life. I am the kindest out of all the dark elves here, you fucking orc bastard.¡¯ Karmat ced Anor on the podium. Anor felt dizzy. He looked at Karmat, expecting him to immediately swing his axe. However, it wasn¡¯t the end yet for Anor. Karmat walked back into the crowd of dark elves and returned to the podium while dragging Nakai by the hair. Nakai screamed, but he fell quiet after receiving a few kicks. ¡°I changed the rules,¡± said Karmat. The dark elves froze up, but the orcs cheered. ¡°This guy sold off his fellow viger to save his own life. Right, Anor?¡± Karmat sneered. ¡°So, we have decided to help you two settle your dispute the way we orcs do it.¡± The orcs handed a dagger each to Anor and Nakai. All of the orcs carried daggers as their side weapons. ¡°Fight,¡±manded Karmat. He proposed a game that ced the lives of the two dark elves on the line. ¡°You guys only have twenty seconds. If there isn¡¯t a clear winner by then, I¡¯m killing both of you.¡± Then Karmat stepped back. Anor looked at Nakai. Although Anor had a dagger in hand, he just stood awkwardly on the podium because he didn¡¯t know what to do. Everyone¡¯s eyes were looking at him. Then he heard a loud thud. Karmat was stomping his feet again. It was clear what his stomping meant. By the twentieth stomp, both Anor¡¯s and Nakai¡¯s necks would be sent flying into the air. Anor thought it would be better for him to stand still and die, rather than meet his end as the orcs¡¯ ything. Nevertheless, that was just him. Nakai immediately charged at Anor, swinging his dagger wildly into empty space. The orcsughed uproariously at Nakai¡¯s fumbling movements. It was obvious that Nakai never had the chance to learn how to fight properly. Meanwhile, Anor couldn¡¯tugh with the daggering at him. Nakai swung the de around, aiming his attacks at Anor. ¡°St-Stop!¡± Anor retreated, but something touched his back. He turned around in shock to find an orc warrior blocking his retreat. The orc¡¯s expression told Anor to rejoin the fight. The orc also pointed his chin at the podium. Anor had no choice but to take a few deep breaths and confront Nakai again. He then realized his arms hurt. He looked down at his arms and saw deep cuts oozing with blood. ¡°Die, you mongrel!¡± shouted Nakai as he charged again. When Anor saw Nakai¡¯s face like that, he felt something snap inside him. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± screamed Anor while swinging his dagger. The sloppy fight between the two dark elves continued. Despite swinging their daggers at each other, they quickly retreated once they had gotten close enough to engage in closebat. Both of them feared the other¡¯s de. Even a dagger was a scary weapon. This scene made Karmat impatient, and he stomped his feet more quickly. ¡°You have ten seconds left!¡± he yelled at them. It had felt like ages to the two dark elves, but only ten seconds had passed. With nothing to lose, Nakai charged at Anor with all of his might. Anor shut his eyes tightly and swung his dagger too. ¡°Ugh!¡± One of the dark elves groaned and slumped to the ground. It was Anor. He looked at his arm, which was gushing with blood. Earlier, Nakai cleverly aimed for Anor¡¯s arm. When Anor drew closer to Nakai to strike his body, Nakai stepped back and shed Anor¡¯s arm. Anor then dropped his dagger, unable to endure the pain. Now, Anor was truly defenseless. The oue of the fight was clear. ¡°Hey, elf. I will teach you,¡± Karmat said as he went up to Nakai. ¡°Go for the neck. You can kill him easily just by shing his throat. Now, calmly...¡± Karmat snickered with amusement while teaching Nakai the ropes. After that, Nakai¡¯s trembling de inched toward Anor¡¯s throat. Anor could sense that death was imminent, so for the first time in his life, he decided to curse at someone. ¡°Dammit... you fucking bitch...¡± Anor cursed. Nakai flinched at the sight of Anor¡¯s fierce eyes, but he lowered his gaze and only paid attention to Anor¡¯s throat. The de drew in closer. After doing it once, Anor realized that cursing at someone wasn¡¯t a big deal. He just had to call these bastards what they actually were. He was going to do what Crockta had said, ¡°If someone acts like a dog to you, grit your teeth and act like a dog to them too.¡± Just as Nakai¡¯s de was about to touch Anor¡¯s neck, Anor leaped up and stabbed Nakai¡¯s neck. ¡°Fucking cur!¡± yelled Anor. Nakai¡¯s eyes widened with shock. He groped his neck with an expression of disbelief while uttering, ¡°Uh, argh...¡± Blood surged to where the dagger had pierced Nakai, and when Anor pulled out his dagger, the blood gushed out. Anor had used the dagger he had brought from home to stab Nakai. He had lost the one that Karmat had given to him, but he still had his old dagger, and he had used it to achieve his victory. ¡°Fucking bastard...¡± Anor muttered under his breath. The orcs cheered at the unexpected oue, and Karmat even pped. ¡°Hahahahaha! Wow, Anor, you are the real thing. You have guts, unlike most dark elves. You are amazing, carrying a de with you everywhere. Hahahaha! Youpletely turned the tables! Hahahahaha!¡± Karmat looked like he was dying ofughter. Then he wrapped his arm around Anor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Anor, I like you! I like you! Hahahaha¡ª¡± However, Karmat¡¯sughter was cut short. He suddenly pushed away Anor with a startled expression. Anor tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. Karmat¡¯s face distorted like a demon. ¡°You little...¡± Blood dripped down from his chest. Anor had stabbed Karmat. After falling to the ground, Anor slowly rose to his feet. He only had a dagger to protect himself, but he aimed his de at the orcs and smirked. Anor sneered, ¡°So what? You fucking dog shit.¡± Karmat was no longerughing. ¡°You mistake foolishness with courage,¡± he said, raising his axe. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die peacefully.¡± He then walked toward Anor. Even while trembling in fear, Anor forced himself to smile. He was going to die anyway. He had lived such a foolish life. So, for thest time, he would act like a feral dog to these bastards. Karmat raised his axe. The blood on his de was still fresh. Anor could feel his death approaching as the axe drew closer. Right then, a roar rang out from the town hall¡¯s entrance. ¡°Kiaaaaahhhhhh!¡± Everyone looked. Anor couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. It was Sam-Ryong. ¡°Sam-Ryong?¡± Anor uttered. Sam-Ryong had sensed that something was wrong at Nuridot and hade looking for Anor. When Sam-Ryong discovered the orcs who had taken control of the town hall, he growled at them with fire zing from his mouth. ¡°Sam-Ryong! No! Run away!¡± yelled Anor. The orc warriors, ustomed to battle, charged at the intruder without hesitation. They swung their axes at Sam-Ryong, who continued to breathe fire at the orcs. ¡°Aargh!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The orcs screamed in pain, but they were unharmed. There was ayer of translucent protective film on their bodies, which allowed them to endure Sam-Ryong¡¯s mes. ¡°How do you think we came here without anyone noticing? Hahaha,¡± Karmatughed. Then, a strange light glowed in Karmat¡¯s hand. It turned out that Karmat was not only an orc warrior but a sorcerer. So, it had been with the help of his magic that the orcs managed to infiltrate the vige. ¡°Nooooooooooo!¡± Anor screamed in terror as he watched the orc warriors charge at Sam-Ryong. Much to Anor¡¯s horror, the universe¡¯s rules of cause and effect followed through. The orcs warriors swung their axes at Sam-Ryong and struck his body without any hesitation. There was nothing special about it. Each time the orc warriors swung their axes, blood spilled from Sam-Ryong¡¯s body. The attacks continued, and when it was time for him to die, Sam-Ryong died. That was it. ¡°Is that drake your friend? Too bad,¡± Karmat chuckled. Anor looked at Karmat¡¯s repulsive face, and instead of replying, Anor raised his dagger. It dripped with blood from when he shed Nakai¡¯s throat earlier. ¡°Are you nning toe at us with just that? Hahaha,¡± Karmatughed at him. The orcs who had just finished off Sam-Ryong looked at Anor with intrigue. Their eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation of the amusing scene that would soon y out in front of them. ¡°You have to be a kind elf,¡± Anor¡¯s mother¡¯s voice suddenly came alive in his mind. ¡°You have to be a kind elf.¡± She had always looked sad. ¡°That¡¯s what I want you to be, but the society of dark elves is a tough nut to crack... Then, Anor remembered what she had said afterward even though he had tried so hard to forget. ¡°If you run into a situation where you can no longer live as a kind elf and you want to give up being an elf, then make up your mind and...¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think I can live as a kind elf anymore, Mother. I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ Anor thought. He raised his dagger and drew it close to his long ears, the symbol of an elf. ¡°Cut off your ears and be a bad person.¡± Anor¡¯s ears fell off so easily. His lineage, which had been sealed in his ears, awakened and stretched along his blood vessels as if it had been waiting for a long time. Chapter 86: Alive (4)

Chapter 86: Alive (4)

Anor¡¯s ears fell to the ground. The dark elf¡¯s characteristic long ears had been cut in half, standing erect like an elf''s but reduced to the size of a human''s. Anor now bore a strange appearance that straddled the realms of dark elves and humans. In the wake of his Anor''s transformation, he emanated an aura of ck energy. ¡°...!¡± Karmat instinctively retreated. He could feel the energy of death from Anor. It was an energy that would make any living being recoil in fear. ¡°This is...¡± muttered Karmat while sifting through his memories. He was in utter disbelief. He heard that this kind of energy had been eradicated from the northern region, but it now flowed out from Anor and emanated its unique stench. ¡°Dammit...¡± muttered Karmat. Then someone suddenly grabbed his foot, and Karmat looked below. The dead Nakai hade back from the dead and was thrusting a dagger into Karmat¡¯s calves. Karmat slumped down in shock. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± he screamed. When Karmat came to his senses, he grabbed Nakai by the hair, but Nakai continued to stab Karmat¡¯s calves like a machine. As an undead who couldn¡¯t feel pain, Nakai persistently stabbed Karmat over and over again until Karmat hurled him across the room in a feat of desperation. Nakai twitched as he struggled to get up from the ground. His bones had dislocated from the impact and moved in strange ways, but he was able to stand up. Nakai walked slowly, swaying back and forth as he made his way toward Karmat. ¡°He¡¯s a necromancer!¡± shouted Karmat at his subordinates. Then he looked around. He was shocked to find one of his subordinates hanging upside down,pletely limp. The drake that the orcs had killed had awakened as an undead and was loudly chewing on an orc¡¯s head. ¡°Dammit...¡± As a warrior and a sorcerer, Karmat could sense that Anor¡¯s magic was extremely dense and powerful. It was a pitch-ck energy of death. ¡®How did this sort of guy juste out of nowhere?¡¯ Karmat wondered. His sorcery was no match for Anor¡¯s. ¡°But I have to take him on...¡± Karmat gripped his axe tightly and began walking toward Anor, but it was difficult for him to walk because Nakai had wreaked havoc on his calves. Nevertheless, he staggered to his feet. He just had to kill that necromancer. Meanwhile, Anor just looked at him nkly. Karmat gritted his teeth. Then, his fellow warriors approached him. ¡®Good, it might be possible with several of us...¡¯ thought Karmat. ¡°Come, we can attack from both sides...¡± he began to say but quickly noticed something was off. Karmat looked at his peers. Their eyes looked like little voids. ¡°Dammit...¡± cursed Karmat. His subordinates who had been killed by the drake were wobbling toward him with their axes raised high up in the air. Karmat shouted, ¡°Everyone else, retreat! Retreat! Let¡¯s join the search team outside!¡± The orc warriors who were still safe stopped fighting and proceeded to leave. One of them propped Karmat up on his shoulders, and they swiftly exited the town hall. The undead under Anor¡¯smand chased after them, but the undead were too slow and could not catch up with the orcs. The remaining orc warriors took this chance to quickly exit the town hall too. A deadly silence came over the room. Anor looked around at the trembling dark elves. They all averted their gazes. A few dark elves whispered among themselves. ¡°As expected, he is just like his mother...¡± ¡°Cursed blood...¡± Anor heard everything. He turned toward the exit; he didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer. However, just as he was about to leave the town hall, someone grabbed his sleeve. ¡°W-Wait.¡± ¡°...?¡± Anor turned around. It was the dark elfdy who had always ignored him. She hung out with Nakai¡¯s gang and had always looked at Anor with eyes of disgust. ¡®Is she nning to apologize after all this time?¡¯ wondered Anor. ¡°If you leave...¡± the dark elfdy began. ¡°...?¡± She continued, ¡°What will happen to us if those orcs return? You need to stay here with us.¡± The other dark elves inside the town hall nodded in agreement. Although they feared Anor and were wary of him, they also wanted him to stay with them as their protector. Anor looked up at the sky for a second. He didn¡¯t think for long about what to do. He immediately kicked the dark elfdy in the stomach. She fell over,nding face-first on the ground. Anor spat at her and said, ¡°Fuck off, you crazy bitch.¡± *** The Ogre yer slit the neck of an orc warrior who was trying to climb over the vige¡¯s defensive walls. Blood gushed out from the wound, spilling onto Crockta. Then Crockta, who was soaked in blood, swung his greatsword again. He was embroiled in a desperate battle to protect the walls on the outskirts of Nuridot. The dark elves resisted fiercely against the orcs. Their arrows flew and pierced the orcs beyond the walls, but the orcs didn¡¯t stop after taking just a few hits. Instead, they shouted bloodthirsty battle cries fueled by hatred stemming from the pain that they felt. The orcs, filled with hatred, swung their weapons and jumped over Nuridot¡¯s walls by stacking corpses together and creating makeshiftdders. The invading orcs swarmed inside Nuridot, startling the dark elves. At that moment, a huge roar shook the earth. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!¡± The orcs charging toward the dark elves stopped in their tracks, but the dark elves¡¯ fighting spirit surged. The dark elves were ready to charge; it was as though a huge wind was pushing them forward. The orcs, on the other hand, took a step back as if they were afraid of being pulled into the gust of wind. Crockta¡¯s roar was a great weapon for raising the morale of his allies. In the meantime, the battlefield was static. The orcs and the dark elves faced each other with the crumbling wall between them. Neither side could take the initiative. ¡°What a monster,¡± an orc warrior said. The wall copsed, and that orc warrior walked inside Nuridot¡¯s defense line. It was the great warrior Urok, who was leading the invasion of Nuridot. He looked at Crockta and grinned. ¡°What a great warrior. Is your name Crockta?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°You dark elves should be grateful to that warrior. If it wasn¡¯t for him, you¡¯d already be dead meat,¡± Urok said, overflowing with confidence. Crockta couldn¡¯t understand Urok¡¯s confidence, considering the current tide of war. The orcs¡¯ invasion of Nuridot wasn¡¯t progressing as they had intended. Crockta looked around him. Did Urok have a hidden trick up his sleeve? The orc warriors still outnumbered the dark elves, but the dark elves were doing their utmost to put up a defend their vige. With the addition of Crockta¡¯s powers, this battle would ultimately end in Nuridot¡¯s victory. Urok had to know that, yet he was oozing confidence. Crockta suppressed the anxiety rising within him. ¡°Crockta, won¡¯t you join the chiefdom?¡± asked Urok. ¡°There was someone else who made the same offer,¡± replied Crockta with augh. The leader of the wandering orcs had made the same offer to Crockta after seeing Crockta hold off the orc troops on his own. However, Crockta had replied with a decisive move that split the leader in half from his head to his crotch. Urok had witnessed it as well. ¡°True, but I¡¯m not like him. I have received the title of Great Warrior from Chieftain Calmahart. We will ept the gnome as a member of the chiefdom too, if you join us,¡± said Urok. ¡°How funny. The meaning of ¡®great¡¯ in the north seems to be different from our continent, Crockta,¡± muttered Tiyo, who was beside Crockta. Crockta burst out intoughter and then squinted his eyes at the mention of a great warrior. ¡°There were several who said the same thing to me as well,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Are you talking about Hammerchwi?¡± asked Urok. ¡°Not just him. There were a couple more here and there. They all died,¡± replied Crockta while grinning from ear to ear. ¡°They were so pathetic that it wasn¡¯t worth remembering their names.¡± Crockta thought that even the strongest and most skilled fighters whom he¡¯d met here weren¡¯t worth remembering. Crockta valued Kaburak¡¯s name more than the names of the strongest northern orc warriors that he¡¯d fought. Kaburak wasn¡¯t an orc warrior but a sorcerer orc from Orcheim who had lost all of his powers and became just a regr guy. Crockta found the chiefdom¡¯s custom of judging everything based on strength barbarous. Being strong wasn¡¯t what it meant to be a real orc. ¡°It¡¯s the same for you too,¡± stated Crockta. ¡°As expected, you are a dangerous guy, Crockta. Hahahaha,¡± said Urok. After having a fit ofughter, Urok whispered to his subordinate who was beside him. His subordinate nodded in response and then brought out a crossbow and an arrow. Orcs rarely used crossbows, so Crockta kept a vignt eye on the subordinate¡¯s movements. Urok¡¯s subordinate lit the arrow on fire and aimed it at the sky. Crockta immediately grabbed an axe from a copsed orc and threw it. The axe spun in the air and charged toward its target, but the arrow had already departed from its bowstring. The moment the fiery arrow flew into the sky, the axe chopped off the subordinate¡¯s arm, and blood gushed out. Urok¡¯s subordinate screamed in pain. ¡°As expected, you have good intuition,¡± said Urok. ¡°What did you do?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that the chieftain is like every other orc, Crockta. He can see through everything on the battlefield. He is a true warlord of the orcs,¡± replied Urok. He raised his axe high up in the air. ¡°The sorcery unit that the chieftain formed should have infiltrated Nuridot under a concealment spell and should be ughtering the useless dark elves in Nuridot by now.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta and the dark elves were horrified at the news. ¡°If you surrender, there will be no more meaningless ughter,¡± dered Urok. The dark elves murmured restlessly among themselves. Some looked like they were ready to run into the vige any minute. All of their families were gathered in the center of the vige. The militiamen¡¯s morale suddenly dropped. Skepticism about being able to win the war and a sense of helplessness spread like wildfire among the dark elves. They felt like they had already lost. ¡°Stop them immediately!¡± shouted Nadya. ¡°Let¡¯s stop and talk first, Urok! Please listen to your conscience. There¡¯s no need to kill innocent vigers!¡± Urokughed at Nadya. ¡°Conscience? Mine¡¯s different from yours.¡± With Urok¡¯s gesture, the orcs raised their weapons again. The brief ceasefire came to an end. ¡°For us, having a conscience means we consider whether we kill someone painfully or give them quick deaths.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°And Great Warrior Karmat, who infiltrated Nuridot, is a crazy dude without even an ounce of conscience. Hahaha!¡± Urokughed and walked forward. The dark elves nocked their arrows, but the tips of their arrows trembled. They were worried sick about their families back in the vige. The faces of their family members shed in front of their eyes. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Nadya. Crockta looked at her. The two exchanged looks. Nadya made an apologetic expression toward them. After biting her lips and deliberating for a bit, Nadya yielded to the orcs. ¡°I surrender, so please stop the attacks on the vigers.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± muttered Urok. ¡°I surrender,¡± dered Nadya. ¡°Then drop your weapons,¡± ordered Urok. ¡°After we secure the safety of the vigers¡ª¡± ¡°In that case, we will continue fighting. Everyone, raise your weapons,¡± said Urok. Smiles emerged on the orcs¡¯ faces. They had a chance of winning now. The chiefdom¡¯s warriors were crueler than anyone else once they had the upper hand. Nuridot was about to face a massacre instead of war. ¡°Everyone...¡± Urok was about tomand his warriors to attack. However, Nadya threw her weapon onto the ground. ¡°...!¡± Nadya turned around and looked at the dark elves. No one said anything, but everyone understood. The militiamen began to toss their weapons onto the ground in session. Only Crockta and Tiyo held onto their weapons. ¡°This is unfair,¡± said Tiyo. Crockta shrugged. ¡°What should we do, Crockta?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Hmm...¡± Crockta wondered whether he should cause trouble or abandon Nuridot and flee. He wasn¡¯t na?ve like the dark elves. ¡°Ohh, Karmat came here just in time,¡± remarked Urok. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward the vige. A group of orc warriors were walking over from there, and all of their weapons were covered in blood. The dark elves were stunned by the sight. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dark elves. Our n wasn¡¯t to kill everyone, so some of your family members may still be alive,¡± said Urok. The dark elves experienced hope and despair at the mention that only some of their family members might be alive. They grew even more restless and turned to look at Crockta and Tiyo with eyes of resentment. It was clear the dark elves were telling them to discard their weapons. Crockta frowned. He was annoyed now. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t understand them, but as someone who was helping them, he couldn¡¯t embrace the dark elves¡¯ sudden change in attitude. Then Crockta noticed Tiyo gripping his General even tighter. They were partners who had been on the brink of death together many times, so they didn¡¯t even need to talk to understand each other¡¯s intentions. Crockta nodded and was about to raise his greatsword. That was when someone casually said, ¡°Wow, the situation really looks like dog shit.¡± Everyone turned around to look behind them. The same voice spoke again, ¡°What the fuck are you looking at, you bastards?¡± An orc warrior walking over to them struck a dark elf who was in his way, causing the dark elf to slump to the ground. The voice wasn¡¯t that of an orc¡¯s though. Crockta then noticed that all of the orcs¡¯ eyes looked dead. ¡°These fucking bastards can¡¯t fix their old habits even if their lives depended on it. Can¡¯t believe they are treating the guests whom they requested help from like this. These fucking crazy elves.¡± There was a dark elf standing amid the newly arrived orcs. He had a pitiful appearance. Both of his ears had been severed, and clumps of dried blood were stuck to them. The dark elf tirelessly spewed harsh words, but he had a soft voice that didn¡¯t really suit the profanity that he used. He awkwardly stressed his expletives in a non-threatening manner. ¡°They are acting like fucking dogs,¡± said the dark elf. It was Anor. However, his eyes were different; they had a fanatical look to them. Anor raised his hand, and the orc warriors who hade with him raised their weapons. Right then, Crockta realized these orcs resembled the undead that he had seen at Orcrox¡¯s dungeon. He burst intoughter. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but... ¡°I tried to be kind my whole life, but why do I have to suffer when they are the ones who harass me and do bad things? Why do I have to change when they are in the wrong?¡± The Anor who had tearfully whispered those words to Crockta in the dark was gone. ¡°You are finally alive,¡± said Crockta. Chapter 87: Tuna

Chapter 87: Tuna

An arrow pierced Urok¡¯s neck. ¡°Argh...¡± he groaned. Urok suppressed the blood welling up in his throat and engraved the faces of his enemies in his memory. He red resentfully at the three men who had hindered his ns¡ªCrockta, the orc warrior from the continent; Tiyo, the gnome soldier who hade with Crockta; and Anor, the forgotten descendant of necromancers who had appeared out of nowhere. If it hadn¡¯t been for them, Nuridot would have fallen into his hands without the chiefdom suffering much loss. However, those three had ruined everything. Urok tried to make ast-ditch effort with his axe, but his body refused to move. A red color seeped into the edges of his vision. He could sense that his end was approaching. Urok wanted to at least ruin the three men''s triumphant expressions, so he cursed them, ¡°The chieftain... will chase after you guys.¡± However, he didn''t get the reaction he had anticipated. The three men appeared to be amused as if they had been waiting for him to say those exact words. Urok acknowledged his defeat. These men were much bolder and stronger than he had expected. Urok then raised his gaze and saw Crockta¡¯s greatsword shing in the sun right in front of his eyes. ¡®Ahh, that light,¡¯ Urok thought wistfully. He had always weed the sight of shing des under the sunlight on the battlefield. Then, a pitch-ck curtain started to descend on him, starting from the top of his head. Urok realized that the darkness was deathing to greet him, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open to see the light of the de. Thus, Urok met his end with his eyes wide open. ¡°This is the end,¡± said Crockta. Anor¡¯s appearance earlier hadpletely changed the tide of war. With nothing to hold him back, Crockta began to ruthlessly ughter the chiefdom orcs, and Anor revived the orcs that Crockta had killed and used them as their soldiers. The dark elves didn¡¯t have to worry about identally injuring the undead, so they were able to freely shoot their arrows and attack the chiefdom orcs. The chiefdom¡¯s warriors fought back with all of their might, but they were unable to turn the tables. With Urok¡¯s death as the signal, the orcs began retreating, and the dark elves let out cheers of victory. Despite this, the three men who had led the battle to victory seemed unhappy. ¡°Anor,¡± Crockta called out to Anor. Anor immediately replied, ¡°Which crazy bitch is calling... Ah, Crockta.¡± ¡°...¡± The guy who had once been unable to say a mean word to anyone was now spewing curse words by reflex. ¡®So what?¡¯ Crockta shrugged. ¡°You seem to have gone through a lot. How are your ears?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Ah, yes...¡± Anor murmured while touching his shortened ears. With his short ears, he no longer looked like a dark elf. Instead, he looked like a human who was a bit tan. Crockta gestured at the dark elves. ¡°They seem to want an exnation.¡± After the invading orcs retreated, the dark elves began eyeing Anor warily. The dark elves¡¯ eyes were filled with fear and disgust. Anor reminded Crockta of the man he had met previously in Chesswood¡ªIron the necromancer, who had called himself ¡®a man that''s like fine wine.¡¯ It had been the same for Iron as well; the power to raise beings from the dead always elicited fear in others. ¡°Yes,¡± said Anor as he straightened his back. He decided he would no longer concern himself with others¡¯ perception or judgment of him. Anor could have exined to the dark elves that he had been forced to release his powers by cutting off his ears because he had been ced in danger. The fact that the selfish dark elves had tried to sacrifice him for their own safety would serve aspelling evidence of Nuridot¡¯s duplicity as a vige and allow him to dere that the severe discrimination he had faced from the dark elves, not the orcs, had driven him into a corner. Nevertheless, Anor decided not to do so. He had been persecuted his whole life in Nuridot, but none of the dark elves had ever exined to him why he deserved such treatment. Nothing would change. Anor grinned as he said, ¡°What are you looking at, you fucking dogs?¡± *** Yi-An disconnected from the server and checked the time. He had been logged on for quite a while this time, and he was hungry. Wondering what was in his fridge, Yi-An went to the kitchen to check. ¡°Is there anything...?¡± muttered Yi-An as he opened his fridge. There wasn¡¯t much. The fridge was mostly empty, but he discovered an airtight container that he had never seen before with a sticky note on it. Written in round letters that seemed to be Yi-Yoo¡¯s handwriting, the note wrote: Quit ying games and eat something, you game addict. Yi-An opened the container and saw that there were several sandwiches inside. They looked a bit sloppy as if Yi-Yoo had made them herself. Yi-An grinned, took out a sandwich, and bit into it. He relished the vor of canned tuna between the crunchy vegetables. Despite the sandwich¡¯s sloppy appearance, it tasted quite good. ¡°Hmm...¡± After finishing the sandwich, Yi-An walked over to the living room and reviewed what had happened in the game. He had been logged on for a very long time. He had been able to further immerse himself in the game in the northern region because there weren¡¯t any yers around. In fact, he had even forgotten his real name, Jung Yi-An, and lived like Crockta for a while. If the system hadn¡¯t warned him about his game usage, then it was likely he would still be ying the game. ¡°I really am a game addict now,¡± he muttered to himself. Yi-An checked his phone. He had received several messages from Han Yeo-Ri. Most of them were about trivial matters, but he felt bad because he hadn¡¯t seen her for a while. He realized then that he needed to visit the caf¨¦ and do something for Han Yeo-Ri, who was running the caf¨¦ on his behalf. Yi-An hummed a song as he showered and prepared to go out. The caf¨¦ was quite empty when he arrived. There were fewer customers during this time of the year because students were on vacation. Yi-An approached the counter with a smiling face and asked, ¡°How have you been?¡± When Han Yeo-Ri noticed Yi-An, her eyes widened in shock. She then rolled her eyes and whispered to Yoo Soo-Yeon next to her, ¡°Soo-Yeon, do you know that face?¡± ¡°The boss?¡± said Soo-Yeon. ¡°No, he¡¯s not our boss. That¡¯s the face of a demon, a demon.¡± Yoo Soo-Yeon giggled. The two women seemed very close now. ¡°That¡¯s the face of a capitalistic demon who enjoys a free-spirited life while entrusting the store to lesser beings,¡± said Han Yeo-Ri. ¡°I can hear everything,¡± stated Yi-An. ¡°I said it for you to hear,¡± retorted Han Yeo-Ri, ncing over at him. Yi-An smiled bitterly. He had indeed been neglecting the store. After all, he had been logged into Elder Lord all day long. ¡°Fine. Is everyone free after work?¡± asked Yi-An. He always said this whenever he was treating his staff to a meal. ¡°Tuna sashimi,¡± replied Han Yeo-Ri immediately. ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat something ssy. Tuna,¡± repeated Han Yeo-Ri. Yoo Soo-Yeon just tilted her head curiously. ¡°Based on that reaction, it seems you¡¯ve never had tuna sashimi before. The boss will show us today that even demons have a conscience,¡± whispered Yeo-Ri to Soo-Yeon while ncing over at Yi-An again. Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh as he watched them. ¡°Fine, fine. Yes.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Han Yeo-Ri beamed. Yi-An couldn¡¯t understand how someone so small had such arge appetite, but he expected to see a hefty bill today. Just then, a group of customers entered the caf¨¦. Yi-An looked around the caf¨¦ and organized some things while Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon received their orders. He aligned the tables with the chairs, picked up some trash, and re-stocked the supplies. Then he sat in a corner of the caf¨¦ and nkly watched the scene before him. Yi-An always felt very content whenever he observed his caf¨¦, which he¡¯d decorated ording to his tastes, like this. Starting from his childhood to his time as a member of foreign troops, Yi-An had lived in environments where he could not express himself. When he was a kid, he didn¡¯t know anything, and when he was a little older, he needed to take care of Yi-Yoo. When he became a soldier, he didn¡¯t have much freedom. He only had the freedom to choose what kind of gun or weapons he wanted to use. It was only after returning to his country and setting up the caf¨¦ that Yi-An learned what he liked for the first time in his life. Decorating the store ording to his tastes rehabilitated him back to normalcy after being in the military for so long. Yi-An had chosen everything in Caf¨¦ Reason¡ªthe dark walnut-colored table, the steel chairs that provided ample back support, the steampunk-style pipe light fixtures, and a partition that divided the interior of the store to guide the customers¡¯ trajectories. He had even picked the font for the menu hanging at the counter. Yi-An had also adjusted the height of the counter so that the customers and staff members could face each otherfortably. ¡°Wee,¡± Han Yeo-Ri greeted cheerfully and smiled with her eyes. Yes, even Han Yeo-Ri had been chosen by Yi-An. He had picked her because he liked the way she smiled with her eyes. Suddenly, their eyes met. Han Yeo-Ri mouthed ¡®What are you looking at?¡¯ to Yi-An and raised an eyebrow. However, as soon as a customer came up to the counter, she immediately changed her expression and smiled brightly. Yi-An grinned and closed his eyes, leaning back against the steel chair. That¡¯s right. He had chosen everything here. Everything at Caf¨¦ Reason was ording to his tastes, and he hoped to see this sight for as long as he wanted. *** [Boss, where are you? Unnie is buying antacids right now, lol.] Yoo Soo-Yeon had sent Yi-An a text. When Yi-An read the message, he thought about the first time he met Yoo Soo-Yeon. It had been the day that Lenox died. Yi-An had just disconnected from the server in a state of confusion after returning to Orcrox and informing the orcs about the emergency. He had been taking a walk at dawn to calm himself. That was when he¡¯d seen her and rescued her from a group of bullies. Now, Yoo Soo-Yeon¡¯s profile picture on her messenger was a picture of her smiling widely with Caf¨¦ Reason in the background. In the corner of the picture was Han Yeo-Ri making a peace sign during work. Yoo Soo-Yeon seemed to be doing well. Yi-An didn¡¯t know the specifics of her situation because he didn¡¯t pry into her personal life, but she seemed a lot happiertely. [I¡¯m at the caf¨¦ near Gumang-ro. Yeo-Ri knows the location. Take your time,] Yi-An replied. He was about to close the messenger app when he added a joke, [Buy some antacids for yourself as well.] Yi-An felt bad that he hadn¡¯t been able to pay much attention to Caf¨¦ Reasontely, so he was nning to treat them to a nice meal. He was going to go all out and let them eat to their heart¡¯s content. Yi-An had just received the sponsorship funds for Elder Lord¡¯s high-rankers, so he was loaded now. The sponsorship funds for high-rankers were even more than he had expected. It was an enormous amount; the sum had many more zeros than he had anticipated. ¡°Should... I just buy the whole building that the Caf¨¦ is in?¡± wondered Yi-An. He had only received his first payment, but buying the building seemed feasible if he took out some loans. Yi-An thought of the kind-heartedndlorddy who asionally came to the caf¨¦ andplimented him on the taste of the coffee. Now that he had a lot of money, he couldn¡¯t believe that he had been on the brink of death so many times in the past just to earn money. Yi-An had hesitated when the system told him to enter his bank ount information for the sponsorship funds. The thought of Ji Ha-Yeon, the heir of Myeongsong Group, had weighed on his mind. She had a strange affinity for him from his time in the military, so he had been concerned that his information could be leaked to her. It didn¡¯t really matter to him if she found out that he was Crockta, but he felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy Elder Lord as much once she knew. Later on, Yi-An did some research and found out about Elder Lord¡¯s core system and how the payments worked. All sponsorship funds for high-rankers were transferred to a bank ount managed by Elder Lord¡¯s core system Albino, which would then transfer the sponsorship funds once again to a virtual bank ount of its creation. Then, Albino would distribute the funds to the top five hundred high-rankers based on their achievements. After distributing the money, Albino would delete the virtual bank ount and any information associated with the yers every time. It was a confidential system that had been created in consideration of the high-ranking yers who might opt to keep their personal information private. Even the developers weren¡¯t able to look up a yer¡¯s private information. Yi-An was about to close his messenger app when he heard a voice nearby. -The Heaven and Earth n led by Choi Han-Sung, also known as Rommel, dered war on the Metatron n, which ranks first in Elder Lord¡¯s power ranking. Both ns mainly consist of yers from their own countries, so some people see it as a battle of pride between Korean and American yers. It was the voice of the show host of Elder Lord Times, which Yi-An had grown used to hearing. Someone was watching the show on their cell phone. Yi-An also turned on Elder Lord Times out of curiosity. He hadn¡¯t been keeping track of what was going on in Elder Lord ever since he departed for the northern region in the game. -The Heaven and Earth n has greatly expanded its influence after developing close rtions with NPCs. This tactic of expanding a n¡¯s scope of influence through NPCs reminds us of the now-disbanded Haedong Balhae n. Choi Han-Sung recruited... Yi-An furrowed his eyebrows. He had looked into Choi Han-Sung¡¯s information in the past. Choi Han-Sung was a handsome and talented yer. He was the type of person who would be the main character in a movie or a television series. -Choi Han-Sung is currently number two in Elder Lord¡¯s ranking¡ªthe highest among Koreans. His value skyrocketed recently, and he has been featured in manymercials. At the mention ofmercials, Yi-An recalled that the ¡®Choi Han-Sung Ramen,¡¯ which had been released recently, was quite popr. Choi Han-Sung had said that he ate a lot of instant noodles to quickly finish his meals before ying games, so he developed a refined pte for instant noodles. He had assured that the Choi Han-Sung Ramen did not pale inparison to other top-tier instant noodles. The show hosts of Elder Lord Times then quickly changed the topic and introduced the current events in Elder Lord. Yi-An learned through the show that the war between the Heaven and Earth n and the Metatron n had begun. He also learned that the independent yer vige Shangri-La, which public official ine had set up, was prospering and that a new king had ascended as the leader of the Confederation of Human Cities. The show hosts mentioned other familiar names as well. -A group of individuals who follow the will of the justice-seeking orc, Crockta, has emerged. Although Crockta has been hiding from the public eye for some time, many follow in his footsteps and strive to bring forth justice. Recently, the necromancer Iron, who is trending as ¡®the man that¡¯s like fine wine,¡¯ revealed that he is a member of Crockta¡¯s fan club, Praise the Orc. He said he is punishing ill-mannered yers all over Elder Lord. -The Rebirth Brotherhood has seeded in executing the ¡®concrete method¡¯ on Tiger Mask¡ªthe n master of the ET n, which is infamous for its scoundrel yers. Thus, the drawn-out fighting between the Rebirth Brotherhood and the ET n has finallye to an end. Let¡¯s listen to their interviews. Yi-An smiled contentedly. The members of his fan club, Praise the Orc, were continuously increasing in number. Youvidser Laney, who had be a celebrity overnight thanks to Crockta, revealed that she was a member of Crockta¡¯s fan club, and even celebrities had begun to bandwagon on the trend and said they were Crockta¡¯s fans. Everyone was eagerly waiting for Crockta¡¯s return. Crockta nned to return to the continent once he had the chieftain¡¯s head in his hands. Yi-An cackled while thinking about this and then realized he wasughing in the manner of orcs. He grew self-conscious and coughed awkwardly, ¡°Ahem.¡± Yi-An realized that he had truly adopted Crockta¡¯s speech mannerisms. Yi-Yoo had also noticed this before and warned him to stop talking in such a lofty manner. He had to be more careful and make sure his habits from the game didn¡¯t slip out. ¡°Boss,¡± someone called out. When Yi-An raised his head, he saw Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon approach him. Han Yeo-Ri grabbed Yi-An''s sleeve and pulled him up. ¡°Why are you increasing another caf¨¦¡¯s sales? Shouldn¡¯t you be worried about your own?¡± ¡°Who cares,¡± retorted Yi-An. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly,¡± said Han Yeo-Ri. Yoo Soo-Yeon watched them with a smile, while Yi-An grinned. ¡°You promised us tuna. You can¡¯t go back on your word,¡± warned Han Yeo-Ri. ¡°I know,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna hold back tonight. Let¡¯s go, Soo-Yeon!¡± Han Yeo-Ri grabbed Yoo Soo-Yeon¡¯s arm and went outside. Yi-An followed after them. Seeing the petite Han Yeo-Ri brimming with excitement suddenly reminded him of someone else. If it were that person, he would have said, ¡°Crockta! You can¡¯t go back on your word! Tuna!¡± Yi-An came to a stop. Would that guy know the taste of tuna? He felt as if the borders of reality were shaking. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why.¡¯ As Han Yeo-Ri beckoned him to walk faster, Yi-An realized why he liked Elder Lord so much, why he wore a bandana to hide his yer status and preferred to hang out with NPCs, and why he fought for NPCS rather than yers. ¡°Boss,¡± beckoned Han Yeo-Ri. Yi-An quickened his pace. He had new people in his life who were important to him now. They happened to be characters in a game, but they upied a section of his heart that was asrge as the sections that Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon upied. ¡®If something were to happen to Tiyo, I would be very angry,¡¯ thought Yi-An. Suddenly, Yoo Soo-Yeon bumped shoulders with someone passing by. The passerby cursed under his breath. Yoo Soo-Yeon apologized, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seeing the passerby walk away, Yi-An thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t it instinct to protect those precious to me?¡¯ Chapter 88: Hermit of the Black Forest (1)

Chapter 88: Hermit of the ck Forest (1)

¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t forget your help. We sent messengers to Nameragon and Spinora,¡± said Nadya with a sour expression. She was sullen because of the elf standing by Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s my first time leaving Nuridot. My heart is thumping from excitement,¡± expressed Anor. Anor had decided to join Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s party. He had gone through a great transformation and was now ready to leave Nuridot and explore the world. When Anor awakened the necromancy power that his mother had hidden from him, he abandoned his identity as a kind elf and expressed all of the emotions he had been bottling up. Anor became a dark elf who had gone awry. The best example of that was the tragedy that had urred at the town hall. After Anor became a necromancer, he made almost all of the orcs who had infiltrated the vige into his puppets. He deliberately refrained from killing a few and left for the outskirts of the vige on his own. The orcs whom Anor had spared attacked the town hall again, and the dark elves had to fight against the orc warriors on their own. The dark elves were able to overpower the orcs because they greatly outnumbered them. However, the small group of orcs were formidable warriors, whereas the dark elves were new to fighting. Thus, they had to sacrifice many lives for the price of resistance. Later on, Anor was interrogated by the vigers about what he had done. He had just shrugged and said, ¡°So what?¡± Nevertheless, Nadya couldn¡¯t me him. She knew that he had been persecuted in themunity because he was only half dark elf, and his dead mother had descended from a necromancer bloodline. Nadya had also been silentlyplicit in persecuting him. Of course, the other dark elves didn¡¯t think the same thing as Nadya. They had always been disgusted by Anor¡¯s existence, and now he was the subject of their hatred. The dark elves who had lost their family members at the town hall had even tried to attack Anor. ¡°Anor...¡± began Nadya. Anor interrupted her, ¡°What, fu¡ª¡± ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°¡ªck... No, no, yes, whatever.¡± After his drastic transformation at the town hall, Anor now cussed by reflex. ¡°Then, we will head off now. Hope you stay alive. Bul¡¯tar!¡± said Crockta. ¡°Take care. Stop discriminating against other species!¡± shouted Tiyo. Crockta and Tiyo bid farewell to Nadya, who just nodded in response. Instead of saying goodbye, Anor nodded as well. Then he turned away. He was leaving Nuridot for the first time after being persecuted his whole life. ¡°Anor, is this your first time leaving Nuridot? Hehe, you¡¯re a country bumpkin,¡± teased Tiyo. ¡°What, you crazy midget?! Ah, no... s-sorry,¡± replied Anor. ¡°Did you just cuss at me? Is that how you really feel?!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°I can¡¯t stop cussing... Why am I suddenly like this?¡± ¡°You... Argh!¡± groaned Tiyo. ¡°I said I was s-sorry, dammit!¡± Nadya watched them move farther away into the distance and prayed for them to have divine protection. Nadya could tell that those three¡ªCrockta, the solemn orc who lived with honor; Tiyo, the adorable but direct, macho gnome; and the now habitual swearer, Anor¡ªwere critical to securing the future of the northern region. However, seeing Tiyo kick Anor made her worried about the northern region¡¯s future. ¡°God, please help them,¡± muttered Nadya. She added in prayer, ¡®And please protect us dark elves from that crazy chieftain.¡¯ *** While heading to Nameragon, Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor built their reputation by helping dark elves in trouble. Thus, their names began to spread in the northern dark elf territories. ¡°It would have been nice if Sam-Ryong could have joined us,¡± said Anor as he caressed his ne. He¡¯d buried the dead Sam-Ryong in Nuridot¡¯s forest and used one of Sam-Ryong¡¯s teeth to make a ne. ¡°Anyway, when will we arrive at Nameragon?¡± asked Anor. He didn¡¯t know anything about the geography of the northern dark elf territories, even though he was a dark elf. Crockta checked the map and answered, ¡°If we get past this mountain, we will arrive at Nameragon.¡± In front of them was a huge mountain. It was so immense that going around it would take a very long time. There was a special note about this mountain on the map. Crockta continued, ¡°To get past this mountain... we¡¯ll have to pass through the ck Forest.¡± ¡°ck Forest?¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Yes, there isn¡¯t really an exnation of what it is on the map,¡± replied Crockta. He folded and put away the map of the northern region that he had received from Nadya. It was much more detailed than the map he had received from the Information Guild. ording to the map, they would arrive at Nameragon after traveling for a day or two. ¡°Did you say the ck Forest?¡± asked Anor. ¡°What? Do you know something about it?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°I have heard about it. I heard the ck Forest has...¡± ¡°Has what?¡± Anor stroked his ears and looked up at the sky as if he was sifting through old memories. ¡°They said a hermit lives in the ck Forest,¡± he said. ¡°A hermit?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes. I heard that the hermit used toe out asionally but recently went into hiding.... I don¡¯t know the details. I just remember someone mentioning the hermit from the ck Forest,¡± exined Anor. ¡®The hermit of the ck Forest... What a romantic title,¡¯ thought Crockta. ¡°Sounds fun,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°I see,¡± said Crockta with a wide grin. In the world of Elder Lord, a new adventure always popped up when one ended. He was already excited about the ck Forest in the mountain. [It¡¯s hard for a regr person to meet the hermit of the ck Forest.] Crockta saw a message window pop up for the first time in a long time. Was it about to give him a quest to find the hermit? [He is a powerful being who is kind to everyone. If you happen to meet him, you will be able to receive his help. There will be no reward because meeting him is a reward in itself.] Crockta furrowed his eyebrows. [However, we prepared a small quest in consideration of your hard work and the hermit. The hermit of the ck Forest is not a human, elf, orc, or gnome. You will receive a new skill if you meet the hermit and please them.] Crockta wasn¡¯t sure how he could make the hermit happy, but he now had another reason to meet the hermit of the ck Forest. ¡°Hehe, another adventure is waiting for me. Hey, you foul-mouthed elf!¡± yelled Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m not foul-mouthed!¡± shouted back Anor. ¡°Quit lying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not...¡± ¡°Hey, do you want to make a bet? The person who finds the ck Forest first wins!¡± Then Tiyo ran off toward the mountain while Anor staggered behind him, and Crockta went after them. To their surprise, they arrived at the ck Forest in no time. Tiyo, who had been continuously running up a steep hill, stopped running to try and catch his breath. It was then that they saw a huge ogre slumped down on the ground with its back turned to them. Tiyo whispered, ¡°Is that... the hermit or what?¡± ¡°N-Not sure?¡± replied Anor. The message window had said that the hermit was not a human, elf, orc, or a gnome. In that case, was he an ogre? The ogre was loudly chomping on something. It sensed their presence and slowly turned its head toward them. There was blood on the ogre¡¯s lips. ¡°Grrr...¡± The ogre¡¯s eyes grew fierce. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it...¡± said Tiyo. The ogre stood up. The corpse of the bear that the ogre had just been eatingy sprawled at its feet. Crockta was amused to see that bears, which were apex predators in the real world, were just snacks for ogres in the world of Elder Lord. Crockta raised his greatsword. He told Anor, who was still hesitant about using his necromancy, ¡°Anor, step back for now. I will take care of it.¡± ¡°Will you be okay?¡± asked Anor. Crockta grinned widely instead of replying. Of course, the ogre was a strong monster. Most species had to organize a troop to stand a chance against an ogre. At Quantes, Crockta had struggled to defeat them even with the support of the gnomes¡¯ garrison. But Crockta was different now. He was no longer just a regr orc warrior. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t underestimate Crockta¡¯s skills,¡± said Tiyo. Crockta¡¯s pride surged as he raised his greatsword. The ogre¡¯s ferocious expression became even more distorted when he approached Crockta. Each time the ogre took a step forward, the ground shook. As expected of ogres, the symbol of strength. However, winning a fight depended on having great skill, not size. Crockta was now capable of wielding his greatsword like a short sword. He lunged forward, aiming the de of the Ogre yer at the ogre. ¡®See, look closely, hermit of the ck Forest. My Ogre yer will y this ogre, as befits its name. Who can stop me?¡¯ thought Crockta. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaarrr!¡± cried Crockta. While he was charging, he suddenly saw the ogre¡¯s fist flying toward him. Before he knew it, the ogre¡¯s fist struck his face. ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta was thrown back by the force andnded on his original spot with a thud. He couldn¡¯t get up for a while due to the physical and mental shock he was experiencing. Tiyo sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I shouldugh at you or be worried about you. It¡¯s kind of iffy...¡± Crockta curled his body up even more and pretended to be in pain because he didn¡¯t want to be the subject of Tiyo¡¯s disdain. ¡°Grrrr...¡± The ogre walked toward them. Crockta, who was still lying down on the ground, then heard Tiyo raising the General. He finally got up and raised his hand in a gesture to tell Tiyo not to interfere. ¡°This is my fight,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Will you be okay?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°It was just a mistake earlier,¡± replied Crockta while raising his Ogre yer. It was now a battle of pride. Crockta charged forward again, vowing to put an end to that ogre. The ogre raised his club to fight against Crockta, and their weapons collided. Crockta could feel the ogre¡¯s immense power as his greatsword pushed back against the club. With a change of ns, Crockta lured the ogre and then suddenly twisted to throw the ogre off bnce. Then he thrust his greatsword toward the ogre through the opening in its defense. ¡°Geuoooh!¡± screamed the ogre. However, the ogre had an incredible reaction speed and immediately kicked Crockta¡¯s stomach. Simultaneously, Crockta¡¯s greatsword shed the ogre¡¯s side. Both parties then stepped back at the same time. ¡°Whew,¡± Crockta uttered while sping his greatsword. This ogre was different from the ogres that Crockta had met previously. Its movements were fast and deliberate and were much more efficient than those of ogres who relied on brute force. Upon realizing that this was an ogre who knew martial arts, Crockta''s gaze turned serious. This ogre was in a simr state to Crockta. It had initially assumed that Crockta was just a regr orc, but quickly realized that he wasn¡¯t. The ogre realized that Crockta¡¯s strength, skills, and abilities exceeded the levels of an ordinary orc. Moreover, the ogre could tell from Crockta¡¯s ability to pierce its skin that his swordsmanship had reached the highest level possible. The ogre and the orc looked at each other and grinned. They had both met their match. ¡°Interesting,¡±mented Crockta. ¡°Grrr...¡± growled the ogre. The two of them shed again. Crockta¡¯s de grazed past the ogre¡¯s nose, and the ogre¡¯s club brushed past Crockta¡¯s head. Their attacks missed each other by a narrow margin. Whenever Crockta tried to sh the ogre¡¯s throat, the ogre¡¯s club came at Crockta¡¯s stomach, and when Crockta tried to stab the ogre¡¯s leg, the club came flying at Crockta¡¯s head. Their fierce battle persisted like this. Crockta hadn¡¯t expected to engage in such high-levelbat with an ogre. He grinned excitedly, and the ogre grinned back. Then they swung their weapons at each other again. Using the Pinnacle-tier skill Leyteno¡¯s Heart Swordsmanship, which had upgraded from Leyteno¡¯s Greatsword Technique, Crockta¡¯s greatsword brushed past the ogre¡¯s club. The tip of Crockta¡¯s de darted about like a snake, moving with an agility that couldn¡¯t be imagined for anyone wielding such a huge sword. Crockta aimed for the ogre¡¯s heart. The ogre also disyed swift, unexpected movements despite itsrge stature. It twisted its body and dodged the tip of the greatsword¡¯s de by a hair¡¯s breadth. Then, in a surprising move, the ogre swung his fist at Crockta. At that moment, Crockta let go of his greatsword and grabbed the ogre¡¯s massive arm. Then, using the weight of his whole body, he pulled the ogre toward him and raised it above him. ¡°Geuooooohhhhhh!¡± screamed the ogre. Crockta flung down the huge ogre, who was twice his size. Due to itsrge stature, the ogre¡¯s head immediately struck the ground with a loud thud. The ground where its head struck just so happened to have a hard, rocky boulder, and this caused the ogre to bleed profusely from the head and lose consciousness. Crockta took a few deep breaths. ¡°Whew.¡± He then raised his right fist as a sign of victory. Tiyo and Anor pped their hands in response. ¡°That was a hell of a fight. That ogre is quite good,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened exactly, but that was amazing. You defeated the ogre!¡± eximed Anor. Crockta raised his Ogre yer and looked down at the unconscious ogre. He then put away his greatsword. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Crockta. For some reason, he didn¡¯t want to kill this ogre. Tiyo, who understood the sentiment of real men better than anyone else, nodded. ¡°Hehe, it seems he felt it.¡± ¡°Felt what?¡± asked Anor with a tilted head. Tiyo tapped Anor¡¯s back and said, ¡°A feeling that¡¯s shared between real men.¡± Anor tilted his head puzzledly again. ¡°As expected, you are a dweeb...¡± Tiyo said, clicking his tongue. He was about to continue teasing Anor when he could feel Anor¡¯s mouth getting ready to spit cuss words. ¡°You... were about to cuss at me, weren¡¯t you? Right? Right?¡± questioned Tiyo. ¡°...No,¡± replied Anor hesitantly. ¡°You two-faced swearing elf!¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Come at me. Do it! Cuss at me!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°...¡± After joking around for a bit, Crockta¡¯s party left the ogre alone and headed deeper into the ck Forest. This time, they met a goblin. The goblin was sitting on the center point of a rock in a meditation pose. It slowly opened its eyes as Crockta¡¯s crew approached it. ¡°Kiaeeekk,¡± it screamed. The goblin rose from its seat. In its hand was a short bow that suited its small frame. It nocked an arrow on the bowstring and aimed the arrow at Crockta¡¯s crew. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now,¡± Tiyo said and went forward with his General in hand. The goblin and gnome made eye contact. ¡°This forest is fun!¡± eximed Tiyo. Tiyo ced the General on his shoulder. Right then, the goblin¡¯s arrow came flying at Tiyo¡¯s head. Tiyo dodged the attack by rolling across the ground. Then, he immediately fired back. The General¡¯s bullet flew at the goblin with Tiyo aiming for the middle of the goblin¡¯s forehead, but the goblin dodged the bullet with just a nod of its head. ¡°What!¡± eximed Tiyo. The goblin grinned widely before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not enough kyak.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°You need to put your heart into your attacks kyak,¡± added the goblin. Like the goblin Kyawak who Crockta had met in the past, this goblin knew the universalnguage of Elder Lord. ¡°Quit messing around!¡± shouted Tiyo, who fired the General again. However, the goblin continued to dodge the General¡¯s bullets with minimal movements, just as it had done earlier. Iridescent lights from the General continued to fill the forest. ¡°You aren¡¯t a real shooter if you just blindly fire your weapon,¡± said the goblin. He nocked another arrow on its bowstring. As he pulled back his bowstring to the fullest, his short bow trembled. His arrow was aimed at the middle of Tiyo¡¯s forehead. ¡°This shot is loaded with my heart kyak!¡± shouted the goblin. He let go of his bowstring. Then a storm arose. Chapter 89: Hermit of the Black Forest (2)

Chapter 89: Hermit of the ck Forest (2)

An unbelievably strong storm swept in, and at the center of it was a rotating arrow. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Tiyo screamed. He narrowly dodged the arrow, but the whirlwind swept through the spot where he had just been standing and sent him rolling across the forest. After the storm died down, Crockta found Tiyo copsed on the ground in the middle of the forest¡¯s wreckage. Crockta and Anor froze up at the sight. ¡°Tiyo!¡± shouted Crockta. Tiyo was lying on the ground as if he were dead. However, his fingertips began to move, and his eyelids trembled as he slowly opened his eyes. He wobbled a bit while trying to get up. Even amid all this, he was still tightly holding onto his General. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere,¡± warned Tiyo. Then he red at the goblin, who was rxed about the whole situation. The goblin beckoned Tiyo to make his next move, making it seem like he was cutting Tiyo some ck by letting him attack. Tiyo gritted his teeth at the provocation. ¡°You seem quite confident, but I¡¯m a member of Quantes¡¯ garrison,¡± Tiyo said, raising the General¡¯s muzzle. ¡°I will make you regret making me angry.¡± Nevertheless, the goblin didn¡¯t care and justughed at Tiyo. Goblins had a naturally vicious-looking face, so hisughter provoked Tiyo even further. The goblin continued to spite Tiyo by imitating his voice and saying, ¡°I¡¯m a guard, you will regret it. Hahaha kyak! You are all talk, hahaha kyak!¡± ¡°You asshole!¡± Tiyo yelled. He charged toward the goblin and fired his General. Tiyo nned to approach the goblin while keeping him in check with the General and following up with hand-to-handbat. However, the goblin didn¡¯t fall for Tiyo¡¯s tricks. The goblin moved as if he was teleporting. One moment, he was behind Tiyo, and the next moment, he was beside him. After that, he was on top of a tree. Tiyo stopped firing the General for a moment, and the goblin shot his arrow at Tiyo. Although Tiyo was able to avoid a fatal injury by a narrow margin, the arrow grazed his arm and tore his skin. Each time Tiyo took a break from firing at the goblin, the goblin shot an arrow at Tiyo and increased the injuries on Tiyo¡¯s body. ¡°Argh...¡± Tiyo groaned. He had a fiery gaze as he caressed a wound on his arm. ¡°Imend you for recognizing your ineptitude and trying to engage in hand-to-handbat, hahaha kyak!¡± The goblin continuedughing at Tiyo. ¡°...!¡± ¡°You suck at shooting kyak!¡± said the goblin. Tiyo¡¯s hand trembled in anger. He was the best shooter in Quantes and had been widely acknowledged as the best whenever he fired his General, so this goblin was hurting his pride. ¡°Fine, goblin,¡± Tiyo said with a nod. Then he spread his feet apart, cing them in line with his shoulders. He firmly stood his ground and stated, ¡°I will overpower you with my shooting skills.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mistake foolishness for courage kyak!¡± eximed the goblin. Tiyo aimed his General at the goblin, who raised his bow in response and aimed it at Tiyo. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare interfere!¡± Tiyo warned his friends. Seeing as the situation had escted, Crockta had been about to intervene. However, Tiyo shook his head with a solemn expression, so Crockta had no choice but to step back. Right then, a gust of wind suddenly shook the whole forest and caused a tree branch that was hanging over them to bend. A single leaf fell from the branch and drifted down in between Tiyo and the goblin. Like a twist of fate, the leaf briefly interrupted their field of vision when Tiyo and the goblin fired their arrow and bullet at each other. Immediately after that, Tiyo and the goblin each twisted their waist to move away from the trajectory of the iing projectile. The arrow narrowly brushed past Tiyo¡¯s cheek, and the magic bullet flew far away from the goblin, splitting the trunk of the tree behind him in half horizontally. Tiyo was shocked. His magic bullet failed to even graze the goblin. Meanwhile, the goblin smirked and showed a thumbs-down sign to Tiyo. ¡°This is the difference between your level and mine,¡± said the goblin with a giggle. Right then, the upper section of the split tree began to tilt toward the goblin, casting a shadow over it. The goblin¡¯s face froze up. Tiyo said, ¡°Goblin, you might have learned the universalnguage...¡± Then he imitated the goblin and made a thumbs-down sign. Simultaneously, the upper section of the tree tipped over and fell onto the goblin. ¡°But it seems like you never learned physics,¡± finished Tiyo. The painful moans of the goblin, now pinned under the tree, echoed throughout the forest. *** Crockta and his crew ran into many monsters in the ck Forest¡ªan ogre with martial arts skills, a goblin archer, a lich who controlled skeleton warriors ording to his will, an axe-wielding troll, a dire wolf that ambushed them in the dark like a ninja, and a lizard spearman. They had to face a diverse range of opponents that were different from the regr monsters of their respective species. Each opponent had their unique skill like a master who had cultivated their craft. ¡°The ck Forest is a really bizarre ce...¡± muttered Tiyo after defeating a kobold archer that created illusions. The kobold was a bipedal monster with a dog¡¯s head, and it shot arrows from hidden spots in the forest. This specific kobold that Crockta¡¯s crew encountered had ambushed them with a barrage of arrows before going into hiding. It created illusions throughout the battle to make it seem like there was more than one kobold. With his skilled marksmanship, Tiyo treated the illusions like the real thing and pierced all of them as well as the kobold. After being struck by the General, the kobold fell to the ground and admitted its defeat. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like they¡¯re testing us?¡± asked Tiyo. The level of the monsters seemed to be gradually increasing. ¡°I wonder what kind of creature the hermit is, seeing as he lives in a ce like this,¡± remarked Tiyo. ¡°Watch out. Another creature is probably going to appear soon,¡± warned Crockta. ¡°...I¡¯m scared,¡± said Anor. Crockta¡¯s party had been walking for a long time since they defeated the kobold. ording to the pattern up to this point, new monsters would soon appear and block their path. What kind of creature would appear next? They felt a mix of anticipation and fatigue as they made their way through the forest, but they were met with an unfamiliar sight at the end of their path. They heard a voice say, ¡°You came a long way.¡± Before them was a man reading a book in a rocking chair. He peered at Crockta¡¯s party from behind his sses. He was a beautiful young man with jet-ck hair. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a visitor in a while,¡± said the young man. Crockta thought that his sense of beauty had elevated after seeing elves, but this young man had a wless face like that of a Greek statue. The tall and slender young man closed his book and rose from his seat, holding the book to his chest. He said, ¡°I have a question for all of you.¡± Crockta and his friends looked at each other in surprise at the unexpected words. The man continued, ¡°I had a dream a long time ago.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡®Why is he suddenly talking about a dream?¡¯ Crockta, Anor, and Tiyo were confused but decided to stay silent and listen to what the young man had to say first. ¡°In my dream, I was a father with a son. I had a lovely son, and I wanted to give him everything in the world. But one day, I learned that he had a disease. It was an incurable disease that would ultimately lead him to his death,¡± the young man said. His face and voice were calm as he spoke. He continued, ¡°Because it was such a frightening disease, I referred to it as ¡®promised death.¡¯ Once a person develops the disease, they can¡¯t avoid death. It felt like the child''s death had already been set in stone. It was the worst kind of disease where one faced death with excruciating pain. So, I made up my mind to end my son¡¯s life rather than let him die in pain.¡± The man paused and closed his eyes. Then he resumed, ¡°But when I discussed this idea with others, they told me that I was mad because they did not understand the concept of a ¡®promised death.¡¯ I said everything was for the child, but they refused to listen to me and sent me into exile, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to see my son. Thus, I was put into strict istion. Now, I shall ask you.¡± Crockta and his crew couldn¡¯t predict what the man was about to ask. Crockta cocked his ear to listen closely. The man asked, ¡°What do you think about me in the dream?¡± It was a thought-provoking question. The man wasn¡¯t questioning what was right or wrong or what they would have done if they had been in his position; he was asking what they thought about it. Crockta considered the question while caressing his chin. Like all of the fights they had experienced in the forest, this also felt like another test. Could this man be the hermit of the ck Forest, and was this the final test? The first one to reply was Anor. ¡°I think it was too extreme. You were too harsh. Even if the child was sick... he could have wanted to live a longer life. Killing him ording to your will is a bit... Talk to the kid first...¡± ¡°My son didn¡¯t understand what a promised death was at all. Is it wrong to hasten the process to spare him from a future only filled with pain?¡± ¡°What about your child¡¯s will? He could have wanted to live longer even if he was in pain...¡± muttered Anor. ¡°A child cannot fully grasp such a situation.¡± ¡°What...¡± ¡°The pain would have been unbearable.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± asked the man. Anor wasn¡¯t able to continue and fell silent. Tiyo was the next to reply. ¡°You were foolish in the dream!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°How so?¡± asked the man. ¡°Life is a solitary journey! If he had been diagnosed with ¡®promised death,¡¯ then that¡¯s his fate. There¡¯s no need for you to kill him or save him ording to your will. Moreover, killing a child to end his pain is an unnecessary intervention!¡± replied Tiyo confidently. ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand how desperate I was in the dream,¡± expressed the man. ¡°What are you saying?!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°If your son fell in the water, would you just let him be? If a child is thrashing in the water, are you just going to leave him as is, saying it¡¯s his fate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a different story!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± Tiyo shook his head. Crockta heard Tiyo muttering about how stubborn the man was. Now, there was only Crockta left. The hermit of the ck Forest looked at Crockta, waiting for the next answer. Crockta had been thinking intensely about the question. The concept of a ¡®promised death¡¯ was familiar to him. It was simr to the story of the despairing demon asleep inside his belt and the story of the nameless god that he had heard from Kaburak. The man¡¯s dream felt like an allegory that expressed the same concept. They were all in despair for the same reason. ¡°...It must have been really scary for him,¡± remarked Crockta. The hermit of the ck Forest shook his head. ¡°No, the kid could not understand his disease and the concept of a promised death.¡± ¡°No, not the kid,¡± replied Crockta as he looked at the hermit. The hermit had a nk expression without even a hint of emotion. His expression was so still that he looked like a lifeless doll at times. Crockta wondered whether there was any emotion he could empathize with beyond those pitch-ck eyes. ¡°I meant you,¡± said Crockta. He thought he saw the hermit¡¯s face waver for a second, but it quickly reverted to being expressionless. Crockta continued, ¡°Only you resisted upon knowing the fate that awaited the child in a world that could notprehend the concept of a promised death.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The only one who understood what it was, realized its truth, trembled in fear, and spent countless sleepless nights until they came to a tragic decision for the sake of the child...¡± Crockta said, closing his eyes, ¡°...was you.¡± During Yi-An¡¯s time in the military, he had fought as a soldier on the front lines. Thus, he had grown ustomed to having his mental state assessed by a military counselor and had learned their counseling strategies. Counselors first focused on establishing rapport and forming bonds with their clients. They built a sense of mutual trust with their clients by exercising empathy! Crockta began to tear up as he said, ¡°You must have been really lonely. Truly...¡± Then he nced over at the hermit¡¯s face and found there wasn¡¯t any change in the hermit¡¯s expression. ¡®Damn it. Was it all for nothing?¡¯ Crockta thought. Crockta was about to change his strategy when a single teardrop fell from the hermit¡¯s eyes. ¡°...!¡± The hermit still had an icy expression, but teardrops were dripping from each of his eyes. Upon realizing what was happening, he touched his face. ¡°Ah...¡± he uttered. The hermit wiped his tears with his fingers and then looked at his now-wet hand. Crockta thought that the hermit seemed lonely, even though his expression was still unreadable. The hermit¡¯s gaze shifted to Crockta. Crockta felt like a ser yer standing in front of the goalpost after breaking through the goalkeeper. He knew he had scored and wanted to finish off his y with a nice closure. ¡°I can¡¯t understand that thing called ¡®promised death¡¯ either, but I know that you were very lonely in your dream and that you had to make a painful decision. It¡¯s a shame,¡± Crockta stated before looking up at the sky. He had given a superb performance. The hermit stared at Crockta and then agreed, ¡°Yes, he must have been.¡± He waved his hand, and the tears evaporated from his face. It was magic. ¡°He must have been really lonely and in pain,¡± the hermit said, with his lips softly curving upward into a beautiful smile. ¡°I¡¯m d that someone understands.¡± The hermit pped, and the scenery changed. Crockta and his friends were taken aback. There was no longer a forest around them. Instead, there was a huge castle. ¡°My name is Xantimur. Wee to myir, travelers,¡± the hermit told them. ¡°...Oh, my,¡± muttered Crockta. [Oh, my.] Even Elder Lord¡¯s system was impressed. [I can¡¯t believe my eyes, but I salute you for melting the cold heart of the ck dragon, Xantimur!] Chapter 90: Hermit of the Black Forest (3)

Chapter 90: Hermit of the ck Forest (3)

[You have gained a mysterious skill (???-tier). You cannot find out what it is until you use it.] [You can use it after exiting Xantimur¡¯sir.] The system gave Crockta a cryptic skill and refused to tell him the name of the skill until he left their. ¡°It¡¯s impressive that you have defeated all of my guardians. Most can¡¯t make it to the middle and run away in fright,¡± said Xantimur. After Xantimur revealed their actual location, Crockta felt immense powering from him. Xantimur had the majestic air of a dragon that would make most creatures tremble in fear just from standing face-to-face with him. ¡°Are you a dragon?¡± asked Anor. Xantimur had all of the traits of a dragon. He had powerful magic that could change the appearance of their location in an instant, used terms like ir¡¯ and ¡®guardian,¡¯ and had a striking presence. Xantimur nodded and answered, ¡°That¡¯s right, you who have inherited the blood of a necromancer.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Necromancers have existed since ancient times and descended from the bloodline of gods. I haven¡¯t seen such thick necromancer blood in recent times,¡± said Xantimur as he ced his hand on Anor¡¯s head. Although Xantimur had the face of a young man, they could sense his wisdom from living through the ages. Xantimur grinned and remarked, ¡°You should be proud of yourself.¡± Anor¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock. He had hidden and been embarrassed of his necromancy power his whole life because others were fearful of such powers. Even his mother who had passed down her necromancy to him had sealed her power and kept it hidden from others. Yet, this powerful dragon was telling him to be proud of it. "Connecting the living and the dead is a power that wasn¡¯t granted to mortal beings. However, an ancient deity pitied humans because they suffer from endless farewells throughout their finite lives, so the deity bestowed their power upon a few humans who had the strength to endure such pain. It is the deity¡¯s mercy and blessing toward humans,¡± exined Xantimur. ¡°Ah...¡± Anor uttered, scratching his head. He didn¡¯t know how to respond because he had never heard apliment like that before. Anor lowered his head in embarrassment as his face turned beet red. ¡°Thank you,¡± muttered Anor. ¡°But it needs work.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Right now, the most you can do is raise the dead and control their corpses. You are nowhere near the level of true necromancy,¡± stated Xantimur. ¡°...!¡± Xantimur¡¯s eyes then headed toward Tiyo and said, ¡°Tiyo, the son of the brave gnome Hedor.¡± Tiyo¡¯s eyes widened. He asked, ¡°You know my father?¡± ¡°You are not even close to reaching your father¡¯s level.¡± Tiyo was shocked. Not only did this dragon know the name of Tiyo¡¯s father, but he was also critiquing Tiyo as if he knew Tiyo personally. ¡°There¡¯s no limit to the strength of the General, the artifact that you use. However, you have already set a limit within yourself,¡± stated Xantimur. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°The General is an undefeatable and versatile magical weapon that was made by the Dragon General of Light, the gold dragon Avod,¡± said Xantimur. ¡°It¡¯s a weapon for dragons?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°That¡¯s right. You should grow the size of your bowl [1].¡± Tiyo staggered in shock. ¡°You are calling m-my bowl small...¡± He had lived his whole life as a tough and macho man. Everyone had always told him that he was a man with a big bowl, but this ck dragon was calling his bowl small. ¡°The General¡¯s true name is Dragon yer,¡± Xantimur. ¡°...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon designed to kill dragons, but you wouldn¡¯t even be able to catch an ogre with it, let alone a dragon.¡± Tiyo slumped down to the ground. His eyes trembled in confusion. Xantimur¡¯s gaze now shifted toward Crockta. Crockta let go of the tension in his body. The system had said that meeting the hermit was a reward in itself. Xantimur¡¯s critiques seemed harsh, but they held important truths that wouldy the foundation for their growth. Those who didn¡¯t listen to others couldn¡¯t grow further. Crockta straightened his chest as if beckoning Xantimur to roast him. Xantimur said, ¡°Great.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Keep doing what you are doing. That¡¯s it,¡±mented Xantimur. However, as Xantimur was about to turn away, Crockta grabbed ahold of his arm and begged, ¡°Hey, please criticize something about me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to criticize.¡± ¡°Stop lying.¡± ¡°...Can you handle it?¡± ¡°Yes, I want you to criticize all of my shorings as much as you want, without restraint!¡± dered Crockta. ¡°Hmm, if you really want that...¡± This dragon seemed like the type of person who couldn¡¯t say anything bad to someone they liked. Xantimur eyed Crockta warily with his cold eyes. ¡°You have reached the Pinnacle,¡± began the dragon. ¡°You are correct,¡± replied Crockta. Crockta¡¯s goal had been to reach the Pinnacle ever since Hoyt had shown Crockta his Pinnacle move, and he had achieved it after defeating the Behemoth. It hadn¡¯t been easy at first, but Crockta had since grown used to embodying the Pinnacle. Now, all of his movements bore the realization of the Pinnacle. ¡°Look at what¡¯s beyond it,¡± advised Xantimur. Crockta¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise. Crockta had assumed that the Pinnacle was the end. It was bewildering to hear that there was something beyond the Pinnacle when it was already hard to absorb and express the powers of the Pinnacle with his body. The teachers who had taught Crockta about the Pinnacle were Lenox, Hoyt, and Baek Han-Ho, and they had all reached the Pinnacle-Tier. Crockta had seen varying degrees of power within the Pinnacle state, but he had never seen anyone who hadpletely exceeded that state. Whaty beyond the Pinnacle state was unexplored territory. ¡°The Pinnacle state is bing one with the world,¡± said Xantimur. ¡°But there is a state beyond that, where you can wield the world ording to your will.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Aim for that.¡± Crockta brimmed with excitement. He wanted to swing his greatsword immediately. ¡®Is it really possible to wield the world ording to one¡¯s will?¡¯ ¡°What do you call that state?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°That is...¡± Xantimur grinned. ¡°The world calls those who achieve that state ¡®Heroes.¡¯¡± It was the Hero-Tier! The Belt of Despair that Crockta was wearing was also a Hero-Tier item. The demon¡¯s power was terrifying at Quantes. If Crockta had not seeded in persuading the demon, then Quantes would have been destroyed and disappeared from the world map. Beings of the Hero-Tier, the state after the Pinnacle, were powerful enough to destroy cities and civilizations. ¡°I did not expect you to defeat all of my guardians, but you seeded in the end. Your potential for growth is limitless,¡± stated Xantimur. Right then, the castle door opened. ¡°...!¡± Crockta was in shock. All of the monsters they had defeated were gathered inside the castle. The ogre martial artist who had driven Crockta into a corner, the goblin archer who had yed with Tiyo, the lich who had necromancy powers stronger than Anor¡¯s, the axe-wielding troll, the lizard spearman, the dire wolf who had ambushed them like a ninja, and the kobold archer who created illusions were all gathered there. ¡°Grrr.¡± The ogre martial artist saw Crockta and gave a thumbs up. Crockta replied with a thumbs up. He noticed that the ogre had bandages wrapped around its head. ¡°That... That guy...¡± Tiyo uttered while pointing his finger at the goblin. The goblin was sitting down with a splinted leg. He saw Tiyo and pretended to slit his throat. It was a warning that the next time they fought would be Tiyo¡¯sst. ¡°All of my guardians are training their minds and bodies to reach a higher state,¡± said Xantimur. The hermit who dwelled in the ck Forest enjoyed helping others grow, but not everyone could meet him and receive his help. Potential trainees had to first pass a test from the hermit¡¯s volunteer guardians. The number of trainees gradually increased, and they continued to level up. ¡°How about it, travelers?¡± asked Xantimur. ¡°You guys have hit a wall, but won¡¯t you try knocking on it here?¡± It was an enticing offer. The guardians whom Crockta¡¯s crew had defeated were staring at them as if beckoning them to go over. ¡°To be honest, we left out the really powerful ones to be considerate of you guys,¡± added Xantimur. At that moment, a huge cyclops rose from among the group of guardians. He looked at Crockta and grinned. Then he patted the head of the ogre whom Crockta defeated and shook his head. ¡°...!¡± Crockta¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Do you have the confidence to grow stronger as you mingle with them?¡± asked Xantinur as he looked at Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor in session. Tiyo¡¯s and Anor¡¯s responses differed greatly. Tiyo¡¯s eyes became aze with passion, while Anor shook his head slightly with a frightened expression. ¡°Are you scared, dweeb?¡± questioned Tiyo. ¡°No, you retard!¡± responded Anor. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah... Huh?¡± Tiyo nudged Anor forward, and Crockta followed after them. Thus, they arrived at Xantimur¡¯sir, the sanctuary of trainees. *** Xantimur¡¯s castle was grand in scale. Who could imagine that such a huge castle was hidden inside the forest? Like Shakhan¡¯s fortress, the castle was hidden with magic¡ªas expected of a dragon¡¯sir that collected treasures. ¡°There was a time I lived in a cave like other dragons,¡± said Xantimur as he guided them. ¡°But after an incident, I realized that true treasure is not gold or riches but friends.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta was surprised. Xantimur said what middle-aged old men always said after they had a drink or two. ¡®Friends are treasures.¡¯ Nevertheless, it sounded more persuasive when Xantimur, who had the appearance of a beautiful young man, said it with a cool castle in the background. Xantimur continued, ¡°So, I used my riches to build my own castle as air. Then, I started helping those who have reached their limits and became their friend. At first, I had just one or two trainees, but the number of trainees continued to increase.¡± There were training grounds in various spots around the castle with monsters honing and polishing their skills through practice. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any humans, elves, or orcs?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°They all left,¡± replied Xantimur. There wasn¡¯t any change in Xantimur¡¯s expression, but Crockta could sense a tinge of loneliness from him. ¡°Some departed for the outside world to spread their name and earn fame and honor after building their skills here, but these guys are different,¡±mented Xantimur. ¡°...¡± ¡°They will only be hunted as unique monsters if they go outside. They have nowhere to go now. Although they crave a bigger world because they have exceeded the limits of their species, the world detests them and calls them monsters. They¡¯re not satisfied with looting and hunting others like their species, but they don¡¯t have a particr ce to go,¡± exined Xantimur with a calm smile. ¡°So, I will protect them under my wings until a timees when they are acknowledged and appreciated. They will never betray me, and I will never betray them.¡± Crockta realized that this dragon wasn¡¯t just a regr dragon but a passionate dragon with hot blood running through his veins. Who could call this dragon a cold reptile?! ¡°Xantimur, we can¡¯t stay here too long,¡± said Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°But we also want to be your friends.¡± Xantmur burst intoughter that rang loud and clear. He remarked, ¡°Crockta, you say weird things.¡± ¡°What...¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we already friends?¡± asked Xantimur. ¡°...!¡± Xantimur was much warmer than Crockta had expected. It turned out that Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor were already this warm guy¡¯s friends. Crockta nodded in agreement. ¡°Now, your friends are waiting for you. Unpack your bags ande,¡± said Xantimur. Crockta, Anor, and Tiyo unpacked their bags in the room that Xantimur had guided them to. Then, they immediately headed to the training grounds where various species were sparring actively outside. ¡°Wee,¡± greeted Xantimur. Xantimur was standing on the training ground in apletely different attire. He was wearing clothes that allowed him to move freely. When Crockta¡¯s crew first met him, Xantimur looked like a schr or magician, but right now, he looked like the epitome of a swordsman who exuded a distinct aura. ¡°Anor, you should learn from this friend,¡± said Xantimur. He pointed at a lich who only had bones left. The lich grinned. ¡°...!¡± Anor was stunned. ¡°Your biggest problem is your fearful personality. It doesn¡¯t suit a necromancer,¡±mented Xantimur. The lich wrapped his arm around Anor, whose face quickly turned pale. To Anor, the lich, who had the appearance of a rattling skeleton, was the very definition of fear itself. ¡°I will help you get close with death,¡± said the lich. ¡°Hahaha! Just trust me. Hahaha!¡± Anor struggled under the lich¡¯s arm, but the lich continuedughing and dragged Anor away with skeletons trailing behind them. It was Tiyo¡¯s turn next. ¡°Tiyo,¡± Xantimur called out. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Your weakness is your bowl.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tiyo uttered, jumping up and down in agitation. He had been bottling up his frustration after being criticized about the size of his bowl earlier. ¡°What do you mean? No one has ever told me I¡¯m narrow-minded or petty my whole life! It¡¯s my first time hearing that I have a small bowl. It¡¯s truly my first time. Hahaha, so funny. Then, how big is your bowl, huh? You were crying while talking about a weird dream! I¡¯m a man who let it slide when a friend borrowed five hundred silver coins from me and didn¡¯t pay me back! Take back what you said! I don¡¯t have a small bowl! Generosity is Tiyo, and Tiyo is generosity in Quantes. I say this again, but since I was a child¡ª!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I correct?¡± Xantimur asked while looking at Crockta. Crockta nodded and replied, ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t agree with him, Crockta!¡± yelled Tiyo. Xantimur coughed and said, ¡°Hmm. Anyway, there must be a misunderstanding. I¡¯m not talking about your personality when I refer to your bowl. But now, I see that your personality is also...¡± ¡°What?!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Let¡¯s let it slide for now. Anyway, I¡¯m talking about the bowl of imagination. Can you lend me the General for a second?¡± asked Xantimur. Tiyo grudgingly handed over the General to Xantimur, who grabbed the grip of the General. Right then, the General transformed. ¡°...!¡± The General, which had the form of a long gun, opened up at the muzzle as its barrel expanded and transformed into a huge firearm. It looked like a cannon. ¡°T-This is...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°The General grows stronger with your imagination and will,¡± stated Xantimur. Then he aimed the General at the sky, and the General sucked in the surrounding mana. Xantimur pulled the trigger. There was a sh of light at the barrel of the gun, and the General fired a shot. A magic bullet soared into the sky, apanied by a radiant and iridescent mass of energy. Then, the magic bullet exploded with a bang. An explosion of mana filled the sky with colors like fireworks. After that, the shell of the magic bullet fell to the ground. ¡°My god...¡± uttered Tiyo. He waspletely mind-blown. ¡°This... This is...¡± ¡°This is the true power of the dragon weapon. When Avod, the Dragon General of Light, used it, it was iparably more powerful than what I just did.¡± After firing a bullet, the General reverted to its previous form as a long gun. ¡°Here,¡± said Xantimur as he returned the General to Tiyo. ¡°Can you make it like a cannon again? It was amazing!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°That¡¯s your job, Tiyo.¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Tiyo warily eyed his surroundings as he made an attempt to transform the General, but the General remained the same. ¡°The one who will be teaching you is the great goblin archer, Kiao,¡± said Xantimur. ¡°You are finally here!¡± someone suddenly eximed. It was the goblin who had disyed storm-like archery to Tiyo. Kiao walked toward Tiyo with a short bow in hand. ¡°That guy lost to me!¡± yelled Tiyo. ¡°Tiyo, Kiao let you win,¡± revealed Xantimur. ¡°What?!¡± Tiyo uttered in shock. Kiao just shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s worthmending you for shooting the tree and using it to defeat Kiao. It was an unpredictable move that could only be carried out by a soldier trained inbat. However, had Kiao revealed his true powers, you wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± dered Xantimur. ¡°If Kiao had shot his arrow with murderous intent, then you would have disappeared without a trace into a spatiotemporal storm.¡± ¡°...!¡± Tiyo was unable to argue further. He had witnessed Kiao creating a storm with a single arrow, but was it even possible to reach a state where one could generate spatiotemporal storms? ¡°Kiao is a great teacher. You can learn to express unprecedented powers with the General like he can. Learn from him,¡± said Xantimur. Kiao giggled and poked at Tiyo with his bow. ¡°Let¡¯s go kyak! We have tough training waiting for you kyak!¡± eximed Kiao. ¡°Ugh... This guy...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°Call me Teacher kyak!¡± ¡°Shut up, goblin! I will give you something to talk about if you don¡¯t teach me properly!¡± ¡°Kyak kyak kyak! You are an arrogant disciple!¡±ined the goblin. Now, there was only Crockta left. Xantimur raised his sword and shifted his gaze toward Crockta. Crockta grinned. He had expected it from the moment he first saw Xantimur with a sword. Crockta¡¯s teacher would be the ck dragon Xantimur himself. Crockta burned with apetitive spirit. He was excited to sh swords with a dragon. ¡°Xantimur, the name of my sword is Ogre yer,¡± began Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s a great sword,¡± remarked Xantimur. ¡°But it might change its name today...¡± continued Crockta as he pulled out his greatsword. The Ogre yer brimmed with excitement. ¡°...To dragon yer.¡± It was an arrogant statement, but Xantimur grinned in response. Then something dripped down Crockta¡¯s neck. ¡°...!¡± Crockta suddenly flinched and trembled. The tip of Xantimur¡¯s de hovered over the small wound it had made in Crockta¡¯s neck. Crockta had only noticed because of the warm blood dripping down his neck. Xantimur said, ¡°One.¡± Crockta forced a smile. He couldn¡¯t anticipate the number of times he might die today at Xantimur¡¯s hands. 1. Koreans like to say someone has a big or small bowl depending on the size of their abilities, character, and eptance of others. Usually, a person with a big bowl is open-minded, patient, and experienced ? Chapter 91: Hermit of the Black Forest (4)

Chapter 91: Hermit of the ck Forest (4)

Crockta got up again. ¡°One thousand nine hundred eighty,¡± dered Xantimur. ¡°...Again,¡± said Crockta after he took a few deep breaths. He shook off the sweat dripping down his face. He was too tired to move, and all of his joints screamed in pain. His neck felt stiff from tensing up in all the near-death encounters with Xantimur¡¯s de; the de had grazed past his neck numerous times. ¡°I thought you were going to turn Ogre yer into Dragon yer? Have you already given up?¡± asked Xantimur. ¡°Not yet!¡± shouted Crockta. As he focused deeply, mana rose from the Ogre yer, and his mind entered the pinnacle realm. Time slowed down as he became one with the world, and he began to break thews of the universe with his greatsword. Crockta swung his greatsword with the pure intent of killing his opponent. Xantimur swung his sword at the same time. Within their slow world, their minds shed against each other countless times. All of the different possible trajectories that their swords could take yed out in their minds and copsed between them. Now, at the end of it all, the final stroke of destiny was unfolding before them through their swords. It was a seemingly inevitable conclusion. Their battle ended with Crockta¡¯s sword slicing through the air and Xantimur¡¯s de hovering by Crockta¡¯s chest. It was a crushing defeat that did not allow excuses. ¡°One thousand nine hundred eighty-one,¡± said Xantimur. Crockta had died almost two thousand times today. He calmed his breath and reviewed what had just happened in his mind. However, he still couldn¡¯t tell how he should have responded. So, instead of thinking, he raised his greatsword yet again. ¡°Again,¡± said Crockta. The trainees who had been watching them marveled at Crockta¡¯s grit. The ogre who had been the first to fight against Crockta raised his fist in acknowledgment of Crockta¡¯s fighting spirit. Crockta looked at Xantimur. There wasn¡¯t any change in thetter¡¯s expression. Xantimur just calmly raised his sword without a single drop of sweat on his body. Xantimur was a dragon and a master swordsman. It was an impressivebination. Crockta couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful Xantimur would be if he transformed into his actual form. However, Crockta was filled with admiration rather than awe for Xantimur. Crockta believed he could infinitely ovee his limits in the world of Elder Lord. He had learned to defeat an ogre with a sword even though he was just an orc. It had been the same for Shakhan who had hunted the Behemoth. He had defeated the powerful monster with a single arrow. Crockta was certain that he could defeat Xantimur one day if he put in enough time and effort. ¡°One thousand nine hundred eighty-two,¡± stated Xantimur. ¡°Argh...¡± muttered Crockta. He still needed work though. Due to his wounded leg, Crockta limped when he tried to get up. He understood the importance of training and repetition. Although a single decisive strike was enough to kill an enemy, one had to live through a thousand sunrises and ten thousand sunsets to arrive at the point where one could deliver that one strike. The one who swung the de ten thousand times would be killed by someone else who swung the sword ten thousand and one times. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here,¡± said Xantimur. ¡°I can keep going,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°You can, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You seem fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± said Xantimur with his characteristically cold expression. ¡°Rest and diet are more important than training.¡± It was what a personal trainer at a gym would say. Nevertheless, Crockta nodded in agreement because it was true. Before they knew it, the sun had set the sky aze on the horizon. It was a beautiful twilight. Trainees began to enter the castle one by one for dinner, and Crockta saw Tiyo and Kiao bickering in the distance. Crockta then followed Xantimur and arrived at a banquet hall. Inside, a long table extended to the end of the room, and seats were lined up in a row on each side of the table. Xantimur sat in the seat of honor, and Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor sat near him as guests. The chandelier at the ceiling of the banquet hall scattered light everywhere, reminding Crockta of a waterfall. The fragments of light shining on the food made the dishes glisten and look even more appetizing. ¡°Such amazing food,¡±mented Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s the work of lizardmen. They are epicureans,¡± exined Xantimur. Tiyo then wrapped a napkin around his neck and deliberately imitated the manners of a gentleman. He took a bite of the meat on his te and closed his eyes while he savored the vors of the dish. ¡°Wow, what is this? It has profound vors that suit my pte,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s gnome meat,¡± replied Xantimur. ¡°...!¡± Tiyo spat out the meat and stared at Xantimur with a dumbfounded expression. Nevertheless, Xantimur took a bite of the meat with the same expressionless face. He said, ¡°It¡¯s a joke. It¡¯s just beef.¡± ¡°You... How could you say such a horrible thing with a serious face?!¡± protested Tiyo. However, he stopped immediately after. He rolled his eyes for a second and then erupted inughter. ¡°Hahaha! Is that so? What a great joke! Hahaha!¡± Tiyo spoke with a sudden change in attitude. ¡°This kind of offensive joke means nothing to me! Hahaha!¡± Crockta realized that Tiyo was trying to act like a man with a big bowl. Tiyo then opened his mouth wide and stuffed a bunch of food in his mouth. He swallowed all of it in one gulp. ¡°Your bowl is so big,¡± remarked Xantimur. ¡°Haha! Is that so? You shouldn¡¯t be surprised! I am a gnome with a big bowl!¡± Tiyo puffed his chest with pride. Crockta silently shook his head in dismay at Tiyo¡¯s behavior. However, watching this scene gave Crockta an epiphany about the unpredictability of life. A man who had initially seemed cold and harsh was making fakepliments to be considerate, and another man who always seemed bold and fearless acted timid sometimes. Sometimes, things happen as expected, and sometimes, new selves emerged from unexpected situations. A man could only be a tough man after experiencing all of these things and tempering himself. Tiyo and Xantimur hadn¡¯t always been like this. They had developed into their current state due to their unique pasts. Everything in the world revolved around cause and effect; there couldn¡¯t be an oue without a trigger. Crockta raised his fork. The tip of the sharp fork gleamed, reflecting the light from the chandelier. The light that fell from the chandelier had a cause; the source was the light illuminating the room. Crockta swung his fork. The world slowed down. Crockta aimed for the steak on Xantimur¡¯s te with the pinnacle of movements. Until now, he had expressed the power of the pinnacle by aiming for the oue of shing the enemy¡¯s throat, but he now calcted the processes for the desired oue through reason, strong will, and imagination! He imbued the fork with that epiphany. When Crockta¡¯s fork neared Xantimur, thetter extended his fork to defend his steak. Their forks crossed and intruded on each other¡¯s space. Within the battle of forks, Crockta sometimes sessfully took Xantimur¡¯s steak, had his steak stolen, or missed. There were times when they dug into each other¡¯s steak and ripped it apart. They exchanged numerous possibilities in their minds through that interaction. Crockta put his will into action and distorted causality. ¡°The Pinnacle state is bing one with the world,¡± was what Xantimur had said. Crockta gritted teeth upon recalling the dragon¡¯s words. ¡°But there is a state beyond that, where you can wield the world ording to your will. ... The world calls those who achieve that state ¡®Heroes.¡¯¡± The world shook. Before Crockta realized it, a whole steak was dangling from his fork, while Xantimur¡¯s fork was frozen in midair. Crockta had managed to snatch Xantimur¡¯s whole steak. ¡°This is...¡± Crockta uttered. He felt like he had just discovered the clue to attaining the Hero-Tier. Like a butterfly causing a gust of wind by pping its wings, Heroes started small but ultimately changed the world. He wanted to immediately put his greatsword into action. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Crocktaughed. He smiled contentedly as he called out, ¡°Xantimur!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± replied Xantimur with a pitying expression. ¡°If you thought the steak was that good, why didn¡¯t you just ask for more?¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta tried to fight the im. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. That¡¯s not¡ª!¡± Tiyo also clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Regardless of how hungry you are, it¡¯s rude to snatch someone else¡¯s food, Crockta!¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s not it,¡± said Crockta. However, everyone around him was looking at him with cold eyes. ¡°Orc friend kyak! You need to learn proper table manners kyak!¡± criticized the goblin. The ogre also looked disappointed. Most of the others in the banquet hall were not on Crockta¡¯s side. Crockta wanted to protest further, but he decided to keep his mouth shut after seeing Anor heap some food onto his te. ¡°Here, have some of mine,¡± said Anor. Crockta gave up defending himself and looked down at the te in front of him. The steak was certainly tasty. Crockta shoved a piece of meat into his mouth with his head hung low. ¡°Bul¡¯tar...¡± *** ¡°It¡¯s nice here,¡± said Anor. Anor, Tiyo, and Crockta were all staying in the same room. Xantimur¡¯s castle felt like a different world because they had been camping and sleeping out in the open ever since departing from Nuridot. Anor had just finished a hot bath and changed into his pajamas, and his soft skin was glistening. Crockta was reminded that Anor was a member of the beautiful elf species. Anor¡¯s face shone in the dimly lit room. Tiyo also looked nice after washing up and putting on the pajamas that they had been provided with at the castle. With his newly immacte appearance, Tiyo had an affluent air to him, but he still looked adorable like a child of royalty. ¡°Yeah!¡± agreed Crockta. Unlike the other two, Crockta¡¯s face appeared even more frightening than usual. ¡°I wish we could continue staying here...¡± muttered Anor. Nevertheless, they all knew that wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of time,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Yeah...¡± replied Anor. Their goal was to face the chiefdom orcs after acquiring the help of dark elves and visiting the Temple of the Fallen God in Nameragon. They were enjoying a brief period of peace right now, but a horrendous war awaited them further north. ¡°Crockta, when should we leave?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta closed his eyes, lost in thought. Training while residing at the castle would help them greatly, but they couldn¡¯t stay here forever. He tried to gauge a reasonable amount of time. ¡°At most, one week,¡± answered Crockta. ¡°One week...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°Won¡¯t we see some results by then?¡± asked Crockta. Tiyo nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we have to leave.¡± He had grown close with Kaio, the goblin archer, after bickering with him so much. ¡°We cane here again sometime.¡± ¡°Again...?¡± questioned Anor. ¡°Yes,¡± said Crockta with a smile. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to return here and spend a long vacation after defeating the chiefdom and bringing peace to the north.¡± ¡°Ohh... That sounds good,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± said Anor with augh. ¡°I will be even stronger by then and tten Kiao¡¯s nose,¡± added Tiyo. ¡°Haha, you can¡¯t tten his nose in a week?¡± said Crockta. ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but he¡¯s quite good. It would be tough with just one week,¡± replied Tiyo. Crockta agreed with him. It was difficult to defeat these monsters who were aiming to reach their pinnacle state. Xantimur wasn¡¯t the only one who was strong in the ck Forest. It was a dangerous ce filled with countless strong beings. ¡°Even one month wouldn¡¯t be enough for me,¡± expressed Crockta. He had experienced the beginning of a new state within him, but he was unsure whether he could defeat the ck dragon Xantimur any time soon. Nevertheless, Crockta was certain he could do it one day. ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± said Anor while rolling around leisurely on the bed. He didn¡¯t seem worried about anything as he repeatedly burrowed his face into the soft nket. ¡°Let¡¯s train hard tomorrow,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I will turn off the lights,¡± stated Tiyo. ¡°Everyone, good night,¡± said Anor. That¡¯s how the first day came to an end in the ck Forest. *** Some time had passed by, and Crockta was now able to hold out against Xantimur for much longer than before. Xantimur¡¯s counting of Crockta¡¯s deaths had dwindled to silence a long time ago. Crockta was currently swinging his greatsword and driving Xantimur into a corner. He could now arrive at a pinnacle state instantly, as if he were turning on a switch, and then sh his opponent. Nheless, Xantimur remained a formidable opponent as expected. Crockta was able to truly experience what a talented swordsman Xantimur was when they fought in their pinnacle states. Yet, even Xantimur was not at the level of a Hero. How strong did one have to be to possess Hero-Tier strength? ¡°Crockta, is your goal to kill the chieftain?¡± asked Xantimur during the spar. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. The more he learned about the chieftain, the more he realized that he needed to get rid of that orc. The chieftain was a dangerous figure who not only threatened the northern region but the southern region as well. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡±mented Xantimur. ¡°Would it be hard for you to defeat him?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Crockta stopped in his tracks while wondering, ¡®Is the chieftain that strong?¡¯ ¡°Are his abilities stronger than yours?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s probably not the case,¡± answered Xantimur as he calmed his breathing. ¡°But there are many ways to be strong. There is more than one path to sharpen one¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You will learn in the future.¡± Xantimur swung his sword, and it collided against Crockta¡¯s greatsword with a ng. ¡°Just focus on me for now,¡± said Xantimur. ¡°Haha, understood.¡± Crockta and Xantimur continued sparring together. The spars had initially been one-sided with Crockta being overwhelmed by Xantimur, but that gradually changed as Crockta managed to fight back more and more. Xantimur was going easy on him, but Crockta had improved a lot. That was the same for Tiyo. ¡°Ahhhhhh! General, evolve!¡± urged Tiyo. He closed his eyes and focused his attention on the General. Its appearance gradually changed; its muzzle opened up, and its barrel expanded. The General transformed into the Vulcan, a cannon! ¡°I failed to make it into a regr cannon, but this also has its charms,¡± said Tiyo. He aimed the Vulcan at Kiao, who had a displeased look on his face. ¡°Stop doing little tricks like that! You should aim to fire one decisive shot with your heart!¡± eximed Kiao. ¡°Shut up. If I don¡¯t make it the first time, then I will fire two shots. And if that doesn¡¯t work, then I will fire four, eight, ten times!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°You stubborn gnome kyak!¡± ¡°You close-minded goblin!¡± The bickering pair red at each other. Kiao shook his head, raised his short bow, and nocked an arrow on the bowstring. A frightening aura rose from him like a dragon with a pearl in its mouth raising its head in the background. Kiao aimed his arrow, which had the power of a storm condensed inside, at Tiyo. However, Tiyo could put up a fight now. He aimed the muzzle of the Vulcan at Kiao. The Vulcan rotated and prepared to fire numerous magical bullets as Kiao¡¯s arrow departed from his bow. ¡°Kyuoh! Kyah kekiyo kuaek!¡± Kiao cried out spiritedly in the goblinnguage. A powerful storm arose, shaking Xantimur''sir and stirring up a whirlwind. Tiyo stood on the battleground like a candle me about to go out. He was engulfed by the terrifying tempest. ¡°...!¡± The trainees who were watching the face-off between the goblin and the gnome swallowed nervously. They wondered if the gnome was about to get crushed from the force of the arrow. However, a sh of light that resembled a strike of lightning suddenly appeared inside the storm. It was apanied by thunderous gunfire! Tiyo¡¯s Vulcan attacked the storm with a barrage of magic bullets. The two forces shed with unstoppable strength. The power of Kiao¡¯s storm tore apart time and space, but Tiyo¡¯s iridescent magic bullets put up a formidable fight. It was a battle with both of their powers stretched to their limits. The battle ended with a bang as the arrow¡¯s storm and the General¡¯s destructive power created a giant explosion and then died together. Kiao and Tiyo were blown away by the shockwave and sent flying into the sky. A mushroom cloud swept through the training ground. After the smoke dissipated, a goblin and a gnome were sprawled on the training ground. ¡°Ugh... As expected... you¡¯re strong...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°You have grown so much. Impressive kyak...¡± said the goblin. The two exchanged nces while lying on the ground. Then they showed a thumbs-up sign to each other. When they first ran into each other at the ck Forest, they were busy mocking each other and pointing their thumbs down. Now, they acknowledged one another. Chapter 92: Nameragon

Chapter 92: Nameragon

¡°Thank you for everything,¡± said Crockta as he extended his fist toward all of the monster trainees in session. The monsters seemed amused by the orcs¡¯ greeting and bumped their fists against his. Out of all the monsters, the ogre was especially sad about Crockta leaving and bid him farewell with a warm gaze. The cyclops squinted his eye and slowly sounded out the words, ¡°Next. You. Me. Fight.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± replied Crockta. The cyclops had had his eye on Crockta from the beginning, but he hadn¡¯t had a chance to spar with Crockta because Crockta had always been training with Xantimur. The cyclops was evenrger than an ogre and had bulging muscles rippling through his whole body. It would be a match of the century if he were to fight with Crockta. Meanwhile, Tiyo was conversing with Kiao and the kobold archer who used illusions and gueri warfare in his battles. ¡°I will punch holes all over your body with my Vulcan next time,¡± dered Tiyo. ¡°Kiak! I will pierce a hole through your abdomen next time kyak. A hole this big kyak!¡± yelled Kiao. ¡°Back of your head grrr, arrow grrr, stab grrr!¡± growled the kobold. It didn¡¯t seem like a normal conversation, but they still seemed sad about saying goodbye. Anor was exchanging farewells with the lich. The skeletons who followed the lich were waving goodbye to Anor with their handkerchiefs. Xantimur was thest of the bunch. The hermit of the ck Forest turned out to be a kind ck dragon who helped trainees break down the walls that were in their way. ¡°You really won¡¯t listen ¡®til the end?¡± asked Xantimur. ¡°That¡¯s right. I will listen to it next time,¡± said Tiyo. At their first meeting, Xantimur had immediately known that Tiyo was Hedor¡¯s son. The two had a simr appearance, and Tiyo was carrying Hedor¡¯s previous weapon, the General. Xantimur had tried to tell Tiyo about Hedor, but Tiyo refused to listen. Tiyo was currently set on getting rid of the crazy chieftain with Crockta, so he didn¡¯t want to risk losing sight of his goal upon learning about his father. Tiyo had boldly dered to Xantimur that after killing the chieftain, he would return to the ck Forest and receive the information about his father from Xantimur. The deration was also a promise that he would return to the ck Forest. Xantimur respected Tiyo¡¯s decision and refrained from telling Tiyo about his father. ¡°But I will ask just one thing,¡± said Tiyo with a stiff face. ¡°Is my father alive?¡± Xantimur calmly looked at Tiyo and then nodded. ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s enough. I will save the rest forter,¡± replied Tiyo as he turned around. Kiao kept shouting ¡°Kyak kyak¡± and pped Tiyo on the back. Then Xantimur¡¯s gaze shifted to Crockta. ¡°Are you going to the Temple of the Fallen God?¡± asked Xantimur. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°I see. To the temple...¡± muttered Xantimur. He said that with a nk face, but there was a nostalgic look in his eyes. Xantimur always appeared lost in his memories whenever he talked about the Temple of the Fallen God. Crockta had asked him about the temple a few times, but Xantimur had been sparse with his words. ¡°Can I visit again after everything is over?¡± asked Crockta. Xantimur nodded and said, ¡°Of course, as many times as you want. You are my friend.¡± ¡®He¡¯s saying such a warm thing with a deadpan face,¡¯ thought Crockta. Nevertheless, warm feelings surged within him. Crockta extended his fist, and Xantimur bumped his fist against Crockta¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s see each other again. Hope you stay alive,¡± said Crockta. ¡°You too,¡± replied Xantimur. It was a farewell. Crockta¡¯s party was about to turn and leave when someone spoke up. Crockta looked at where the voice came from¡ªhis waist. A steel-mouthed skull had emerged from the belt Crockta wore, the Demon¡¯s Mouth, and said something for a second. ¡°What did it say?¡± wondered Crockta. He hadn¡¯t been able to hear the Demon¡¯s Mouth properly because it had whispered. Crockta tapped on his belt, but it refused to speak further. He even pped it a few times, but it remained still like a regr steel belt as if it had fallen asleep again. ¡°This guy has a story...¡± said Crockta as he nced over at Xantimur to exin the belt. ¡°...!¡± Xantimur looked at Crockta with surprise. However, his face then loosened up, and he gave a faint smile. Then, the slightly curved ends of his lips curled and turned into a bright smile. It reminded Crockta of a flower blossoming in the spring. Xantimur¡¯s face wore a beautiful expression that Crockta had never seen before from him. Xantimur was now all smiles, and he wasughing with his eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡± replied Xantimur with a bright smile on his face. ¡°I will be waiting for the day we meet again.¡± Crockta could only nod while smiling back. *** Crockta and his friends finally exited the ck Forest and headed to Nameragon. ¡°Crockta, did you fall in love?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You seempletely out of it after seeing Xantimur¡¯s killer smile,¡±mented Tiyo. ¡°N-No, I¡¯m not...¡± muttered Crockta. ¡°Hehehe, I didn¡¯t know that was your type.¡± Crockta shook his head and said, ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m undoubtedly a heterosexual man who loves women.¡± ¡°Why does that matter?¡± ¡°...?¡± Anor, who was beside them,ughed and remarked, ¡°It seems that Crockta doesn¡¯t know much about dragons.¡± ¡°As expected, he¡¯s an ignorant guy!¡± eximed Tiyo. Crockta furrowed his eyebrows at their teasing. ¡°I can¡¯t understand what you guys are saying,¡± he said. Tiyo climbed up onto Crockta¡¯s shoulders and observed Nameragon in the distance. He exined, ¡°Dragons don¡¯t have gender. Wow, Nameragon is arge city.¡± ¡°What?!¡± eximed Crockta. ¡®Dragons don¡¯t have gender? Are they hermaphrodites like snails?¡¯ he wondered. ¡°I heard Nameragon is huge with lots of humans,¡± continued Tiyo. ¡°Not that... I meant what you mentioned before that...¡± ¡°Ahh, dragons can be female or male depending on their needs. Did you really not know? Xantimur could be a beautiful woman next time you meet him, hehehe.¡± ¡°What, is this a scandal? The love between a dragon and an orc? Wow, nice, hahaha,¡± said Anor with a sly smile. He had grown cheeky under Tiyo¡¯s influence. Crockta shook his head and thought, ¡®They say the bad drives out the good.¡¯ Anor had definitely found the wrong role model. ¡°We are almost there,¡± announced Crockta. He decided to ignore them and instead took a look at Nameragon in the distance. However, Crockta wasn¡¯t able to see too clearly because there was still quite a distance until they reached the city. So, he activated his Heart and Soul Prating Eye to enhance his eyesight. In addition to helping the user analyze their opponent, the skill had the perk of improving the user¡¯s eyesight. ¡®Wait, now that I think about it, I gained some kind of new skill,¡¯ remembered Crockta. [Status Window Title: ¡®One Who Wants to Be a Hero¡¯ Crockta, Orc Warrior Level: 65 Achievement Points: 545400 Assimtion: 86% Skills: World-Engulfing Mountain Wrenching Strength (Pinnacle) Indomitable Restoration (Pinnacle) Leyteno¡¯s Heart Swordsmanship (Pinnacle) Extreme Fighting Spirit (Pinnacle) Heart and Soul Prating Eye (Pinnacle) Tattoos of War, Honor, and Indomitable Will (Pinnacle) Army Crushing Roar of Madness (Pinnacle) Monster yer (Essence) Unknown Mysterious Skill (???)] Crockta¡¯s new title, One Who Wants to Be a Hero, was simr to his former title, Pursuer of the Pinnacle. His proficiency was guaranteed to rapidly increase until he reached Hero-Tier, but starting from Pinnacle-Tier, he would need more than proficiency to level up. He needed to attain enlightenment. Crockta noticed that his level and achievement score had also greatly increased. He was sure his ranking had improved as well, but the thing he was curious about was the mysterious skill that couldn¡¯t be identified until he used it. It was truly mysterious. Right when Crockta was about to use it without giving it much thought, he paused. ¡®What if I use this skill, and it creates a giant explosion that injures Tiyo and Anor? Or what if it creates a de-like storm that sweeps through our surroundings and produces a giant crater... or a meteor that drops from the sky and makes this area into thend of death? Or like in a certain manhwa, will it turn my hair blonde and make my body surge with strength and power-up?¡¯ Crockta muttered to himself, ¡°How troublesome... hahaha.¡± He was very excited about the mysterious skill. Despite knowing that having great expectations would lead to greater disappointment, Crockta¡¯s heart still thumped with anticipation at the newly acquired skill. Moreover, it was a skill that he had gained after touching a dragon¡¯s heart. He was certain it was a skill that befitted the prowess of a dragon. ¡°You have a lewd look on your face, Crockta. What are you thinking about? Perhaps...¡± probed Tiyo. ¡°No,¡± Crockta replied, shaking his head. ¡°Hmm... Suspicious,¡±mented Tiyo as he came down from Crockta¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Anyway, Nameragon is right in front of us! Let¡¯s run! Follow me, Anor!¡± Tiyo began running toward Nameragon, and Anor followed after him with a dark elf¡¯s characteristic great agility. Crockta was left alone. He had been staring at his status window trying to decide whether to use his new skill, and he decided now was the time to use it. ¡°Activate the unknown mysterious skill!¡± hemanded. *** ¡°Crockta, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± answered Crockta. He had a dark expression on his face when he caught up with Tiyo and Anor. Tiyo tilted his head curiously and said, ¡°Are you sad because we are far away from Xantimur? We can see him ag¡ª¡± Crockta picked up a pebble and threw it at Tiyo, who swiftly dodged it. Tiyoughed, ¡°Hahaha! You are too sensitive!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push him too hard, Tiyo. Crockta needs some time to realize his feelings. Hahahaha,¡± teased Anor. It was even more infuriating when someone like Anor took on the position of an annoyingckey. Crockta grabbed a rock the size of a fist and threw it at Anor, who was still chiming in on Tiyo¡¯s mischievous remarks. Anor screamed and ran away. That¡¯s how the three of them arrived at Nameragon¡¯s entrance. Nameragon was nowhere near asrge as a city in the continent, but it wasparable to Arnin in size. However, the moment they stepped in front of the entrance, dozens of arrows pointed at them from the top of the city walls. ¡°...!¡± Crockta grabbed the hilt of his greatsword, and Tiyo put his General into gear. Meanwhile, Anor hid behind Crockta. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± asked the dark elf standing on top of the entrance. He was wearing the same attire as the other dark elves on top of the city walls, but he was the only one who had a red cloak wrapped around him. ¡°Orc, gnome, and a halfie with his ears ripped off. What a bizarrebination,¡± remarked the red-cloaked dark elf. Crockta narrowed his eyes. Then he said politely, ¡°We havee to seek Nameragon¡¯s cooperation. We are in alliance with Orcheim, Dejame, and Altanas¡¯ leaders and have also been acknowledged by Nadya, the leader of Nuridot. My name is Crockta.¡± ¡°Ahhh, are you those guys?¡± the red-cloaked dark elf asked, cing his foot on the guardrails of the city wall. ¡°I heard a trio that enjoys ying the part of the hero has appeared in the north,¡± he spoke in a provocative tone, seemingly trying to pick a fight with them. Crockta stayed silent when he realized that there was no point in talking to the red-cloaked dark elf any further. He wouldn¡¯t give up his dignity to gain something out of a hostile situation. ¡°We can¡¯t just give you guys our permission for nothing,¡± said the red-cloaked dark elf. ¡°Do you have a condition?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Hmm... We might consider it if you brought fifty heads of members of your own species or offered a treasure chest filled with gold. We need at least that much to let an orc enter Nameragon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unreasonable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unreasonable; it¡¯s a fair¡ª¡± Crockta pulled out and raised his greatsword before the dark elf finished talking. ¡°You are greatly mistaken,¡± Crockta stated. ¡°Are you out of your mind? How dare you pull out your sword in front of us?¡± questioned the red-cloaked dark elf. ¡°Listen closely,¡± began Crockta. Mana rose from his body, and the world slowed down. The Nameragon¡¯s entrance gate wasrge and thick. Most wouldn¡¯t even think of trying to break through it, but it was different in the world of the pinnacle. Crockta had learned how to freely travel to and from the world of the pinnacle while interacting with Xantimur. In the pinnacle¡¯s territory, that gate was just a piece of wood. Crockta¡¯s field of vision changed as he entered the realm of the pinnacle. Crockta continued, ¡°We weren¡¯t asking for permission. We were showing respect.¡± He unleashed enormous power from the Ogre yer. The mana that the greatsword emitted charged forth, cracking the ground and then striking the gate. A huge crack extended from where Crockta was standing up to the gate. ¡°What?!¡± the red-cloaked dark elf shouted in astonishment when he saw the gate crumble. Crockta now had a view of Nameragon beyond the copsed gate. The city appeared to be quite advanced. The dark elves who had been passing by inside the city walls looked outside in surprise. ¡°Just know that we can enter Nameragon any time we want,¡± dered Crockta. ¡°...!¡± ¡°We were being considerate and holding back from entering by force.¡± After witnessing Crockta¡¯s power, the red-cloaked dark elf fell silent. He gritted his teeth and assessed the situation before speaking again. The red-cloaked dark elf stammered, ¡°Th-This means you guys are willing to be our enemy¡ª!¡± Nevertheless, Crockta paid no heed to him. Crockta turned around and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He turned his back on Nameragon without any regrets. ¡°Is that okay? The Temple of the Fallen God is inside Nameragon,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± replied Crockta. The dark elves behind him were chattering noisily among themselves, but Crockta didn¡¯t care. He said, ¡°They will need us after two days.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta remembered what he had seen earlier. ¡®Two days, two days, two days, two days, two days, two days, two days. It¡¯s two days for everyone. Their remaining lifespan is just two days.¡¯ [Ashen Eyes of God (Beyond ssification)¡ªthis is a skill that cannot be ssified into a specific tier because it was bestowed upon you by divine power. With this skill, you can temporarily see the remaining lifespan of those who enter your field of vision once a day.] Chapter 93: Nameragon

Chapter 93: Nameragon

Crockta¡¯s party set up camp near Nameragon. Tiyo was fiddling with the General as he envisioned a new design for it in his head. Its upgraded form, the Vulcan, was able to fire hundreds of magic bullets at once, but Tiyo wanted to develop the General further and have it exert destructive power like the cannon Xantimur had shown him. However, things didn¡¯t seem to be going well. Tiyo stared at the General, focusing all of his energy on it. ¡°It¡¯s tough,¡± he muttered. Then Tiyo shifted his gaze to Anor, who was ying with a piece of bone beside him. Anor had received a few bones from the lich in the ck Forest. The lich had advised him to handle them every day and practice wielding his necromancy power. Anor wasn¡¯t sure what sort of animal bones they were, but as soon as Anor injected power into them, they seemed toe alive and ran around in circles. One bone even ran over to Anor and rubbed against him like a dog would, so Anor surmised that the bone might be from a dog. ¡°Do you think we can make it to Nameragon?¡± blurted Tiyo. ording to Crockta, the dark elves would need them after two days. Tiyo didn¡¯t understand the reason behind it, but he decided to wait it out because Crockta wasn¡¯t one to jabber nonsense. ¡°Where is Crockta?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°He¡¯s surveying the area. He said he needs to look for something,¡± replied Anor. Tiyo suddenly kicked the bone that was clinging to Anor like a dog. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t kick my bone!¡± yelled Anor. ¡°You dark elves are such stubborn folks. I didn¡¯t expect Nameragon to be the same as Nuridot,¡± remarked Tiyo. ¡°You are totally right. They are so bad. I didn¡¯t cut my ears for nothing.¡± ¡°...¡± Anor¡¯s ears were all healed up now, but reminders of the time when he had forcefully cut off a part of them remained. The mutted ears were a bit hard to look at. Additionally, as a side effect of cutting off too much of his ears, Anor was now unable to properly understand human speech. ¡°In which direction did he go?¡± asked Tiyo. Anor replied, ¡°Over there. Ahh, your gun is cool. Did you change it again?¡± ¡°Hahaha, this is the sniper edition,¡± said Tiyo proudly, cing the elongated General on his shoulder. Crockta''s party was camping out on the ins, allowing them a view of Nameragon. They decided to spend the night under a giant zelkova tree. Nameragon was mostly surrounded by ins, but there was one forest that blocked the view. The forest extended from the mountain where the ck Forest was located, but it didn¡¯t have threatening monsters. That was the area Crockta had gone to survey. Tiyo decided to go looking for Crockta and see what he was up to. It didn¡¯t take long for Tiyo to find him. Soon after entering the forest, Tiyo sensed Crockta¡¯s presence. Then he easily spotted Crockta¡¯s huge orc frame from afar. Tiyo called out, ¡°Crockta, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°Tiyo,¡± replied Crockta without turning to look at Tiyo. Crockta¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the middle of the forest. ¡°Do you know something that we don¡¯t?¡± asked Tiyo. He went over to stand next to Crockta and then looked in the same direction as him. ¡°You said they will need us after two days. If you know something, tell me,¡± urged Tiyo. ¡°Hmm...¡± Crockta murmured with furrowed eyebrows. With his new skill Eyes of the Ashen God, Crockta had been able to see the remaining life span of the dark elf soldiers on top of the city walls on his first day here. All of them had two days left. This meant that an incident would ur two dayster and cause most of the dark elf soldiers to die. The most likely scenario would be another ambush from the chiefdom orcs like what had happened at Nuridot. Based on what Crockta had seen during that incident, it was likely that the chiefdom orcs could easily enter Nameragon without a sound and ambush the dark elves. This was why Crockta was looking around the surrounding areas, thinking he might be able to spot where Nameragon¡¯s scouts were located. The best ce to hide around Nameragon was this forest that spread out along the streams of the mountain range. Moreover, it was within walking distance from Nameragon. Crockta could find no better ce for invading troops to survey Nameragon. After contemting for a bit, Crockta decided to tell Tiyo the truth. Tiyo caressed his chin with a worried look on his face as he said, ¡°Hmm... So, you now have the ability to see people¡¯s life spans... and they have two days left to live?¡± ¡°We will find out the truth if we wait a bit,¡± replied Crockta. Tiyo nodded and asked, ¡°Can someone¡¯s life span change?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Crockta reviewed the skill¡¯s description, but he couldn¡¯t find any specific details. Eyes of the Ashen God didn¡¯t seem like amon skill; it wasn¡¯t even ssified into a tier. Perhaps he was the only one who had that skill. ¡°In any case, we will find out after two days,¡± said Tiyo. He then put his eye on the scope of the General¡¯s sniper form and looked into the distance. ¡°But no one seems to be targeting Nameragon yet...¡± remarked Crockta. *** Two days passed by. The day that of the predicted incident arrived, but Crockta didn¡¯t see any trespassers. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor sat around the campfire and cooked stew as they continued to keep an eye on Nameragon. ¡°Crockta, today is the day you mentioned. Are you certain something¡¯s going to happen?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Hmm...¡± murmured Crockta. ¡®If the information on the message window is true, then today is definitely the day.¡¯ Right then, Anor looked at Nameragon¡¯s city walls and noticed something. He uttered, ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°I can sense something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Unlike his usual self, Anor rose from his seat with a stiff expression. ¡°Death,¡± he said grimly. Anor was a necromancer who dealt with death. His senses had improved after training at Xantimur¡¯sir, and he could now sense death. ¡°Something seems to be happening inside Nameragon right now,¡± Anor informed them. Tiyo immediately gulped down the stew in the portable steel bowl and got up from his seat. His hand instinctively grabbed the General. ¡°Inside the city?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta also grabbed his greatsword. ¡°There,¡± he answered after seeing smoke rising from inside Nameragon. ¡°Something seems to have happened inside.¡± Crockta and Tiyo got up before Anor and went on their way. The forest was so close to Nameragon, so they arrived at Nameragon¡¯s entrance in no time. However, they didn¡¯t see any soldiers at the entrance even after Crockta knocked on the entrance gate a few times. Something had definitely happened. Crockta and Tiyo looked at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± suggested Crockta. ¡°Good idea,¡± replied Tiyo. Crockta pulled out his greatsword. The entrance gate wasn¡¯t as sturdy asst time because the dark elves had patched it up in a rush. Crockta felt a tinge of guilt about it, but he swung his Ogre yer at the door anyway. The Ogre yer easily split the entrance door, revealing the inside of the city. Crockta and Tiyo were shocked by what they saw. Fires were breaking out everywhere, and countless arrows were flying all over. Nevertheless, Crockta and Tiyo entered the city. Nameragon was currently in such a dismal state that they couldn¡¯t imagine what the city looked like normally. The noise ofbat came from every direction, but what was surprising was that all of thebatants were dark elves. The dark elves of Nameragon had split in two and were fighting against each other. Crockta said softly, ¡°It¡¯s an internal rift...¡± With that realization, Crockta felt as if all of his questions had been answered. It had been strange that Nameragon¡¯s soldiers had greeted his party with such hostility when they first arrived here. Crockta and his friends had made a name for themselves in the northern region, and the news that they had defended Nuridot against the chiefdom¡¯s attack should have been wee news to the dark elves. Mount Lun and Nuridot would likely have sent envoys to Nameragon to deliver the news, yet the dark elves who had been protecting Nameragon¡¯s city walls had been strangely hostile to Crockta¡¯s crew. The reason was that there was a ring problem within its walls. ¡°There¡¯s someone copsed on the ground! He looks injured!¡± eximed Tiyo. Crockta and Tiyo discovered a bleeding dark elf sprawled on the ground. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Uhh...¡± the dark elf uttered, raising his half-closed eyes to look at Tiyo. ¡°A dwarf... I must be hallucinating...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a dwarf or a hallucination!¡± eximed Tiyo as he pped the dark elf¡¯s head. Surprisingly, this woke up the dazed dark elf. Life returned to his face as he came to his senses. ¡°You guys are...?¡± asked the dark elf. ¡°I¡¯m Tiyo, and this is Crockta. What happened in Nameragon?!¡± questioned Tiyo. Anor, who had caught up to the other two, poured a potion over the dark elf¡¯s wound. Fortunately, the dark elf wasn¡¯t in a critical state. ¡°Are you guys travelers? Nameragon is currently divided,¡± answered the dark elf. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°There are two sides in Nameragon right now... One side wants to protect the tradition of the dark elves, and the other side is a reformist group that wants to join forces with the chiefdom and move away from tradition,¡± exined the dark elf as he stood up. ¡°And you are...?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I can¡¯t trust the chiefdom. How could we join forces with the crazy chieftain...¡± said the dark elf. He suddenly coughed up some blood, and Anor tried to soothe him. The injured dark elf continued, ¡°Initially, those who were against the chiefdom were in the majority, but one day, a guy called Arden appeared and won over some dark elves. Thus, the reformist group grew, and now there is bloodshed over who will take control of Nameragon...¡± ¡°...¡± Suddenly, an arrow came flying at the dark elf. Crockta¡¯s hand instinctively moved and grabbed it. ¡°...!¡± The dark elf drew in a sharp breath at the close call. Crockta sharply turned toward the direction where the arrow had originated and saw a group of dark elves wielding bows and swords. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± asked Crockta as he straightened his posture. The dark elves suddenly tensed upon seeing Crockta¡¯s hefty stature. The scene resembled a group of frightened foxes facing arge tiger. When Crockta took a step forward, the armed dark elves retreated. Then one of them spoke up, ¡°Are you from the chiefdom? Then, we aren¡¯t enemies.¡± Crockta and Tiyo exchanged nces. At that moment, it was clear which side the armed dark elves were on. ¡°We are not members of the chiefdom. We havee to capture the chiefdom!¡± dered Tiyo. He fired the General at the group of dark elves. The unexpected barrage of magic bullets broke the dark elves¡¯ formation. Crockta then charged over and subdued the dark elves in session. ¡°I think we have to meet Nameragon¡¯s leader,¡± suggested Tiyo after they finished dealing with the group of dark elves. Crockta agreed with Tiyo. Right now, he didn¡¯t know who to swing his greatsword at; it was hard to tell who the enemies were among the sea of dark elves. They carried the injured dark elf into the chaos of Nameragon in search of Nameragon¡¯s leader. Arrows were flying everywhere, and corpses were sprawled all over the city. ¡°Where can we find the leader?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°The leader of Nameragon is building a defense line at the City Hall...¡± answered the injured dark elf, who was being supported by Anor. ¡°Where is the City Hall?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°If you head that way...¡± After they turned a corner, they ran into a group of dark elves who had set up a base there. They immediately raised their weapons upon seeing Crockta¡¯s crew. With his greatsword in hand, Crockta asked, ¡°We havee to help Nameragon. Which side are you on?¡± A dark elf with a scar on his face stepped toward them. He seemed to be the leader of the group of dark elves, as the rest of the group cautiously observed his movements as if waiting for an order. ¡°An orc wearing a red bandana with a greatsword. You must be Crockta,¡± said the scarred dark elf. Crockta was surprised. This dark elf knew who he was. The dark elf continued, ¡°And a dwarf who acts as Crockta¡¯s sidekick...¡± ¡°What?¡± eximed Tiyo, raising the General. ¡°And a trash half-elf with his ears ripped off¡ª¡± ¡°What the fuck is this guy who looks like his face has been smashed against asphalt saying? Go fuck yourself,¡± Anor cussed at the scarred dark elf out of reflex before thetter could even finish his sentence. It was Anor¡¯s unique defense mechanism. The dark elf appeared shocked as he muttered, ¡°How vulgar...¡± Crockta raised his greatsword and stepped forward. ¡°Enough with the nonsense. It should be an easy conversation since you already know us. First, reveal whether you are an enemy or not,¡± demanded Crockta. ¡°Haha, excessive confidence is poison,¡± said the scarred dark elf. Then he pped his hands, and a dark elf walked out from behind him. This dark elf was wielding two swords. He stared at Crockta with a nk expression. His emotionless face made him look like a doll. ¡°Kill those trash disrupting the north,¡± ordered the group¡¯s leader. ¡°Yes,¡± replied the dark elf with dual swords while approaching Crockta and his friends. Crockta felt a strange auraing from this dark elf. His movements were abnormally swift; he wasn¡¯t just some random soldier. The soldier nced over at Tiyo and Anor, who were both looking at him. He was obviouslying up with a battle strategy against them. ¡°Fuck off!¡± shouted Tiyo as he fired the General. Its iridescent lights charged at the dark elf swordsman. Right then, the swordsman muttered something under his breath. Tiyo was astonished by the sight of a magic circle floating up in the air and absorbing all of his attacks. Using the energy it had gained from Tiyo¡¯s magic bullets, the magic circle emitted light that revolved around the dark elf swordsman. The swordsman¡¯s expression remained unchanged despite all of this. ¡°A magic swordsman?!¡± eximed Crockta. ¡®This dark elf with long white hair uses dual swords and magic,¡¯ Crockta thought, swallowing nervously. ¡®It won¡¯t be an easy fight.¡¯ Crockta blinked anxiously. During the brief moment that Crockta closed his eyes and opened them, the dark elf¡¯s dual swords had arrived right in front of his eyes. Chapter 94: Nameragon

Chapter 94: Nameragon

The two scimitars disrupted Crockta¡¯s field of vision as they moved with trails that looked like meteor showers. When Crockta twisted his body to avoid the trajectory of one sword, another lunged at his throat. He then shifted the direction of his greatsword to thwart the attack, stopping the dark elf¡¯s scimitar with his de. The sound of metal nging against each other rang out repeatedly. Crockta was disying astute evasion skills on the level of acrobatics to defend himself. The expressionless dark elf suddenly squinted. The world flowed in slow motion. Within the world of the pinnacle, Crockta and the dark elf exchanged attacks at their own pace. ¡°Dammit,¡± muttered Crockta as he retreated. Those around them were watching Crockta and the dark elf¡¯s lightning-fast match, but they couldn¡¯t even gauge what was going on. Only Tiyo understood the level of their skills and sped the handle of the General even tighter. ¡°Crockta, are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Crockta answered with a grin. ¡°He¡¯s strong.¡± After meeting Xantimur and growing stronger, Crockta had been confident that he was now strong enough to face anyone without struggling, at least until he met the chieftain. Yet, he had met a formidable opponent as soon as he arrived in Nameragon. What was going on? ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Crockta curiously as it was his first time engaging with a dual-wielder. The dark elf swordsman didn¡¯t respond, but he tensed up and drew his two swords closer to him. The group¡¯s leader standing behind the swordsman answered in his ce. ¡°His name is Driden. He is a one-of-a-kind, genius swordsman who remains unrivaled,¡± the group¡¯s leader said with a proud smile. ¡°Driden only listens to mymands. My name is Arden, the one who will liberate Nameragon and open up a new north...¡± Crockta stopped paying attention to the group¡¯s leader. He just mulled over Driden¡¯s name. ¡®Driden. He is a man whose name is worth remembering.¡¯ There was a sparkle in Driden¡¯s purple eyes as he stared at Crockta. Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at the sight. Despite Driden¡¯s deadpan expression, his eyes were sparkling with joy like those of an excited little kid. Crockta¡¯s Pinnacle-tier skill, Heart and Soul Prating Eye, helped him see things in greater detail, and he saw his face reflected in those purple eyes. Crockta raised his greatsword. In Driden¡¯s eyes, Crockta was also smiling with a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°Driden, my name is Crockta,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...¡± ¡°I want to have a proper fight with you, but this is not the best time.¡± As soon as Crockta finished talking, he swung his greatsword in a broad stroke, and a wave of mana surged forward in a fan shape along the Ogre yer¡¯s trajectory. Mana with murderous intent spread out toward the dark elves blocking Crockta¡¯s path. Startled, Driden quickly muttered something, and a magic circle rose into the air. A protective magic film spread out over the dark elves with Driden at the center, but it didn¡¯t fully cover all of the dark elves. Crockta¡¯s fierce mana sliced through the bodies of dark elves to the left and right of the magic film. Blood also sprayed from the dark elves standing by the edge of the protective film, where the magic was weaker. ¡°What?!¡± eximed Arden. ¡°Let¡¯s run!¡± Crockta carried the injured dark elf and immediately turned around and fled with Tiyo and Anor following behind. The group of dark elves was unable to chase after them. *** They ran through the city and turned past many corners. The public square, which was usually bustling with activity, was empty. Dark elves hiding in their homes asionally nced out at the party from windows. ¡°What¡¯s your upation?¡± Crockta asked the dark elf he was carrying. Amid the conflict between the opposing groups of dark elves, all of the civilians were hiding like mice. The fact that the injured dark elf was involved in battle meant that he was rted to Nameragon¡¯s authorities or was a soldier mobilized for defense. ¡°I am...¡± the dark elf began hesitantly, ncing over at Crockta. He then looked at Tiyo and Anor as well before saying, ¡°I¡¯m Adinio¡ªthe brother of Ladet, Nameragon¡¯s leader. I work as the administrative officer of Nameragon.¡± Crockta nodded and asked, ¡°Is that why they targeted you?¡± ¡°They were probably nning to use me as a hostage to ckmail my brother. Arden is trying to quickly capture my brother before he returns.¡± ¡°Before who returns?¡± ¡°Arden was able to rise through the ranks in such a short amount of time because he isn¡¯t here right now, not because of our shortage ofbat resources. He is the Great Wizard Jamero,¡± said Adinio with glistening eyes. ¡°Jamero?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Arden aimed for when Jamero would be away at Spinora. He¡¯s the main source of Nameragon¡¯s power. If he had been here, Arden wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry out something like this.¡± Nameragon¡¯s situation wasplicated. In fact, Crockta realized that all of the incidents he had be involved in Elder Lord wereplicated. The entanglement of desire and greed ultimately led to tragedy. Elder Lord closely resembled the real world in this aspect. However, unlike in the real world, he had been rewarded with the unrealistic skill of reading another¡¯s lifespan. Crockta suddenly remembered the face of Gordon, the swordsman who had spoken to him with sad eyes. Gordon had disyed incredible powers with his sword. He had also mentioned the Temple of the Fallen God. Everything was intertwined. Crockta had to go to the temple and find the answer he needed. However, in order to do so, he had to save this ce first. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± asked Crockta. He didn¡¯t know much about Nameragon¡¯s internal situation, so Adinio, the administrative officer of Nameragon, would be able toe up with a better n than them. The eyes of Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor were all fixated on Adinio. Adinio looked up at the sky as he pondered about what to do. Then hemented, ¡°They have currently taken a hold of the area around City Hall. And the dark elf named Driden, whom we saw earlier, has such extraordinary skills as a swordsman...¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Crockta replied with a nod. Driden was powerful enough to seize control of Nameragon by himself. His dual swordy was exquisite and powerful like a storm, and he was able to block most attacks with his magic. He would leave ordinary soldiers crumbling like autumn leaves in his wake. ¡°Let¡¯s go to City Hall and join my brother,¡± suggested Adinio. ¡°How?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°There¡¯s a secret passage,¡± said Adinio. ¡°There¡¯s a passage? Then, is there a chance that your brother might have escaped through the passage?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°None. My brother would never leave that ce,¡± replied Adinio confidently. ¡°City Hall must never fall into Arden¡¯s hands.¡± Nameragon¡¯s City Hall contained every piece of information in existence about Nameragon. They couldn¡¯t let Arden obtain Nameragon¡¯s top-secret information. It would not only jeopardize Nameragon but also threaten Spinora and the whole dark elf alliance. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t the type of person to escape by himself,¡± assured Adinio. ¡°Mm,¡± Crockta murmured while nodding. It seemed like a good idea to meet Ladet at the City Hall and then decide how to respond to the attacks. So, they moved along the outskirts of the city. They asionally ran into groups of dark elves on Arden¡¯s side, but Tiyo and Crockta easily overpowered them with their shooting andbat techniques. Then they confiscated the opposing dark elves¡¯ weapons, tied them up, and resumed their path toward the secret passage. Crockta¡¯s crew eventually arrived at an inn. Unlike Nuridot, Nameragon had inns, as it was arge city. Adinio eyed his surroundings and then quietly opened the inn¡¯s entrance door after confirming that no one was around. It was quiet inside. The pub on the first floor of the inn, which would have usually been rowdy, was empty. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor followed Adinio and entered the inn. Then Anor carefully closed the entrance door. With the door closed, the inside of the inn sank into darkness. ¡°Reina,¡± whispered Adinio. No one answered. ¡°Reina?¡± he whispered again. His voice rang throughout the inn. Soon after, they heard footstepsing down the stairs that led to the floor above them. The footsteps were light and swift. ¡°Adinio?¡± a dark elfdy called out as she emerged from the stairway. She carried a bow on her back and held a dagger in her hand. The dark elfdy warily surveyed her surroundings and then lowered her dagger when she saw Adinio¡¯s face. ¡°What happened? And who are these three next to you?¡± asked Reina, the dark elfdy. ¡°Thank god you are safe,¡± said Adinio as he approached her and hugged her. Reina then rxed and exchanged greetings with them. Adinio introduced Crockta¡¯s crew to her and exined, ¡°They are helping me save the city.¡± ¡°Could this be... Crockta?!¡± eximed Reina. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I heard a rumor. I¡¯ve also heard about him from Ladet a few times. Are you really Crockta?¡± Crockta nodded, and Reina let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness. Wee. I heard you are incredibly strong. First,e inside,¡± said Reina. Tiyo suddenly coughed to make his presence known. He looked at Reina with expectant eyes as if waiting to hear stories about his bravery, but she mercilessly crushed Tiyo¡¯s expectations. ¡°Your helpers cane this way,¡± Reina added. ¡°H-Helper...!¡± Tiyo uttered, devastated. Crockta tapped on Tiyo¡¯s shoulder with a smug look on his face. It was the face of a winner. ¡°Has anyonee through the passage?¡± asked Adinio. ¡°Not yet,¡± Reina replied. After that conversation, they all headed down to the basement of the inn. It was an old storage room. They removed various clutter and junk to reveal a small door. Reina coughed as she rubbed the dust off the door. Then she said, ¡°I hope Ladet is safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he is,¡± replied Adinio. ¡°Yeah... I believe you, Adinio.¡± Adinio then turned around and looked at Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor in session. Adinio told them, ¡°Apologies for the overdue thanks. Thank you for stepping up to aid Nameragon even though you don¡¯t have any ties with the city.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Will you join me in this fight?¡± asked Adinio. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will return the favor no matter what,¡± said Adinio. He bowed and then exchanged nces with Reina. ¡°Be careful,¡± warned Reina. ¡°You too.¡± Adinio opened the entrance to the secret passage, revealing a cave that extended into the distance. He brought out amp to light the way and entered the cave first, followed by. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. The entrance was short and narrow, but the pathway expanded as they crawled through the cave, and they were eventually able to stand up. The passage was sturdy and well-constructed as if it had been made in preparation for emergencies. While walking through the cave, they asionally heard footsteps and vibrations above their heads. There seemed to be a battle going on above them. Adinio¡¯s movements quickened, and his shadow swayed along. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Adinio urged. Crockta¡¯s crew ran. Some time passed by. How long had they been running? They had turned several corners already. Eventually, they saw the end of the passage. It was connected to a short and narrow cave, which resembled the entrance of the passage. Beyond the short and narrow cave was a metal door. Adinio quickly crawled across the cave like a four-legged animal and grabbed hold of the metal door. He struggled to open it because it had rusted over with age. Flecks of rust fell off as he continued to pull it. ¡°I will give it a go,¡± Crockta said, stepping forward. Crockta and Adinio struggled to switch positions inside the short and narrow cave. When Adinio managed to get behind Crockta, Crockta grabbed the doorknob of the metal door. His muscles swelled up as he pulled on the door. With a screeching sound, the door¡¯s hinge slowly gave way, and the door popped open. The sudden release of the door threw Crockta backward. ¡°Ugh...¡± he groaned. Meanwhile, Adinio was trembling in pain. His shoulder had taken a hit from Crockta¡¯s head from when he had been flung backward. Crockta apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adinio replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. First, let¡¯s go inside...¡± The inside of the City Hall looked like a storage room. Various tools covered in dust were littered everywhere. Crockta, Adinio, Tiyo, and Anor entered the storage room one by one in that order. The City Hall was quiet. Adinio led the way again, and they exited the storage room and went up the stairs. The room above had a clean interior that seemed well-organized, as expected of the City Hall of one of the northern region¡¯s top cities. ¡°My brother is probably sealing and protecting the entrance of the City Hall right now. Let¡¯s go upstairs,¡± said Adinio. ¡°Understood,¡± replied Crockta. Crockta and the others followed Adinio up the stairs. As they went up, they heard loud noises from the room they were approaching. ¡°Who is it?!¡± someone eximed. As soon as Crockta¡¯s party arrived upstairs, they found arrows and spears aimed at them. Crockta remained silent. Then he saw a familiar face. ¡°You...!¡± ¡°We meet again,¡± Crockta greeted with a grin. The number two floating above the dark elf¡¯s head was still there. ¡°I told you that we can enter any time,¡± said Crockta. It was Nameragon¡¯s guard captain, who had stood up to Crockta on the day that Crockta¡¯s party first arrived at Nameragon. The guard captain¡¯s expression turned sour. He looked at Adinio first and then Crockta. ¡°Adinio! Are you the one who let these guyse inside?¡± the guard captain asked. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Adinio. ¡°What sort of¡ª!¡± ¡°They havee to help us. Cut your nonsense,¡± Adinio chided with a scowl. It was obvious that they had a strained rtionship. ¡°If you want to stress the importance of pure-blooded dark elves in this situation, you can just shut up. Those pure-blood dark elves are attacking us right now,¡± Adinio said. ¡°...!¡± The captain¡¯s face turned red. Adinio sighed and continued, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not the best time for us to bicker right now. Where is my brother?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the office,¡± replied the guard captain. During this conversation, the other guards were shooting arrows out the window. They were trying to keep Arden¡¯s forces at bay. ¡°They will be making their way inside soon. The dark elf who uses dual swords is strong. We need Crockta,¡± expressed Adinio in a soothing tone to cate the captain. The captain regained hisposure and nodded with a stiff face. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I want to meet my brother first. Crockta, let¡¯s go,¡± said Adinio. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor followed Adinio to Ladet¡¯s office. When Adinio opened the door, they were met with apletely unexpected sight. Chapter 95: Nameragon

Chapter 95: Nameragon

Inside the office, there was a dark elf cowering on the floor, trembling with his head down. It was a pitiful sight. ¡°Brother...¡± muttered Adinio. Ladet, the leader of Nameragon and Adinio¡¯s brother, finally noticed them. His eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Brother,¡± said Ladet in a cheerful tone. Then he repeatedly kicked the dark elf, who was cowering in front of him. ¡°Argh!¡± the dark elf groaned as he rolled across the ground. Ladet¡ªwho, unlike most elves, had a muscr physique¡ªwas in the midst of beating up a dark elf in his office. He looked around him in search of something and then picked up a leather belt. Then he wrapped it around his hand and repeatedly struck the dark elf, whoy sprawled on the floor. The dark elf whimpered and begged for mercy, but Ladet stood firm. ¡°Now, tell me why Arden suddenly changed,¡± Ladet demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t know... anything...¡± said the dark elf. ¡°I guess it¡¯s still not enough.¡± Ladet ced a foot on the dark elf¡¯s head and then spit on him. A glob of Ladet¡¯s saliva dripped down the dark elf¡¯s cheek. ¡°Brother, he is the traitor,¡± Ladet exined to Adinio. ¡°Brother...¡± muttered Adinio. ¡°He revealed to Arden that Jamero wasn¡¯t in Nameragon. Fucking bastard.¡± Ladetshed the dark elf with his belt once more. A sharp crack rang out, and blood sttered onto the ground. The dark elf¡¯s screams filled the office. ¡°This guy gave away the garrison¡¯s information, so most of the troops were attacked and are now unable to defend the City Hall!¡± Ladet said angrily. He stepped on the dark elf¡¯s head, pressing his boots firmly onto the dark elf¡¯s face. Then he twisted the dark elf¡¯s leg as well. Ladet suddenly raised his head and asked Adinio, ¡°Who are your friends over there? Why are they here?¡± ¡°This is Crockta. He and his friends havee to help us,¡± answered Adinio. ¡°Ohh, Crockta!¡± eximed Ladet. He promptly dropped his belt and spread his arms wide open. ¡°Crockta, the one who saved Mount Lun and drove away the chiefdom from Nuridot! Is it really you?! Wee!¡± shouted Ladet. ¡°Are you alive?¡± greeted Crockta. Ladet approached and hugged Crockta. He gave Crockta a p on the back andughed heartily. ¡°I heard the rumors, but I can¡¯t believe you just appeared in my office like magic!¡± Ladet said. Crockta wondered whether this man was actually an orc in a dark elf¡¯s body. His stature and mannerisms resembled those of a soldier in Orcrox. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to meet you in such poor circumstances,¡± Ladet continued as he gestured at them to sit down. Then, he grabbed the dark elf, who was lying face down on the ground, by the hair and threw him into a corner. The dark elfnded against a wall and groaned in pain. ¡°Let¡¯s leave him be,¡± Ladet said. ¡°He could die,¡±mented Adinio. ¡°Countless guards and civilians died because of him. He deserves to die,¡± replied Ladet firmly. Crockta pulled over a chair from the back of the office and sat down. ¡°How does it look outside?¡± asked Ladet. ¡°Arden has seized control already,¡± answered Adinio. ¡°Dammit. If only Jamero were here...¡± ¡°When will he return?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be gone for at least ten more days. He might get here faster if we were able to reach him,¡± said Ladet. He lowered his head and caressed his chin while considering the situation. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking good. Especially the guy named Driden...¡± Ladet nced over at his sword on his desk. It wasrger than a rapier, which most dark elves used, but it was smaller than Crockta¡¯s greatsword. Ladet¡¯s sword was a bastard sword. Then Ladet shook his head again and conceded, ¡°No, I¡¯m no match for him.¡± ¡°Brother, it¡¯s possible for Crockta,¡± said Adinio. Adinio had already seen Driden and Crockta fight against each other. It had only been for a brief moment, but Crockta had been able to hold his ground against Driden. He had even managed to inflict damage on Arden¡¯s group and escape. Adinio firmly believed that Crockta would win against Driden in the right circumstances. ¡°Is that so?¡± Ladet replied. He still had a worried look on his face. ¡°But this is a much greater issue than winning a battle.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Arden¡¯s influence has suddenly increased. It means that there are citizens who agree with him. They believe in his nonsense of joining forces with the chiefdom! They¡¯ve also raised their weapons!¡± Ladet looked at the dark elf who was lying in the corner and breathing heavily. When the dark elf noticed Ladet looking at him, he quickly averted his gaze in surprise. ¡°This guy is the same. He wasn¡¯t that stupid, but he was strangely bewitched by Arden,¡± Ladet remarked. ¡°Are you implying that there could be more to it?¡± asked Adinio. ¡°Yeah. I think Arden might be bewitched too. He¡¯s always had a rebellious spirit, but he wasn¡¯t the type of elf who had the guts to do such a crazy thing,¡± Ladet answered. He was silent for a while. Then he solemnly continued, speaking quietly as if he was sharing a secret, ¡°The chiefdom.¡± ¡°The chiefdom?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a mysterious sorcerer by the chieftain¡¯s side,¡± said Ladet with a calm look in his eyes. He was a man who could stay rational even in a stressful situation. ¡°He has mysterious powers. He can make others move ording to his will. Some even say that the chieftain is running wild because of him.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what I think.¡± Ladet made eye contact with Adinio, Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor in session. He added, ¡°It¡¯s not just a simple matter of winning the battle against the chiefdom. They¡¯re wielding some strange powers.¡± Crockta¡¯s expression turned solemn. It made sense. At Mount Lun, the gnomes had betrayed and attacked their long-time neighbors. In Nuridot, some orcs had used strange magic to infiltrate the vige and hold the dark elves hostage. Now, in Nameragon, a demagogue named Arden was creating a rift among the dark elves, urging them to join forces with the chiefdom. It waspletely unlike the battle tactic of orcs. Ladet¡¯s group suspected that there was a cunning strategist behind it all who practiced wicked sorcery. ¡°We can¡¯t let things y out as the sorcerer intends,¡± dered Ladet as he got up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s first re-inspect the defenses. There is a magic circle installed at City Hall in case of emergencies, so we will be able to hold our ground until Jamero returns.¡± He then tied up the dark elf whom he had been beating up and left the office. *** The members of the garrison and the captain were looking out their windows and shooting arrows while Arden¡¯s group was continuously circling around the City Hall. ¡°They can¡¯te inside that easily. If they do something more violent, the citizens won¡¯t hold back any longer. The best option for us is to draw things out for as long as possible,¡± said Ladet while crossing his arms and looking outside. Crockta poked his head outside too and saw Arden and Driden. Suddenly, Driden raised his head. Driden looked at the window where Ladet was standing and scanned the members of the garrison who were nocking their arrows. Upon seeing that, Crockta retreated to keep the existence of the secret passage hidden. Then Driden began walking toward them, and all of the dark elves by the windows tensed up. This was the demonic swordsman Driden after all. Driden¡¯s footsteps were slow as if he were on a stroll. Arrows flew toward him, but he cut them down with his scimitars. He had astounding dynamic visual acuity. ¡°What should we do?!¡± eximed the guards. Ladet maintained hisposure and told them, ¡°It¡¯s okay. This ce is protected by magic.¡± Even if Driden approached the first floor, he would be flung back by the protection magic and wouldn¡¯t be able to enter. That¡¯s what he believed. He knew that Jamero had painstakingly created the magic circle, which was a barrier that could only be broken down by someone powerful or a sorcerer of the same level. Driden trembled and then retreated. Each time he tried to enter the City Hall, sparks of electricity prevented him from doing so. ¡°He cannot possibly enter...¡± Yet, as soon as Ladet said those words, everyone inside felt a tremor run through the City Hall. ¡°...!¡± Purple aura rose from Driden¡¯s scimitars as he swung them. Then a magic circle emerged from the bulwark around the City Hall and circled around Driden. Jamora¡¯s magic circle was acting like Driden¡¯s magic circle when it had absorbed Tiyo¡¯s attack. The two formidable magical forces, Jamora¡¯s magic circle and Driden¡¯s purple aura, collided and created a shockwave that shook the City Hall. ¡°He¡¯s not a magic swordsman,¡± observed Tiyo. ¡°He is carrying magic swords... and they¡¯re extremely strong.¡± Each time Driden struck the bulwark that the magic circle had created, those in the City Hall felt a strange warping sensation in the space around them. It was an unsettling feeling. The City Hall¡¯s magic circle was starting to crack. ¡°Ladet!¡± a member of the garrison called up while running up the stairs. ¡°There¡¯s a crack... in the crystal core...¡± This was astonishing news. The magic circle couldn¡¯t operate on its own. If the wizard himself wasn¡¯t present, then it needed a corresponding object that had magical powers akin to the wizard. The crystal core was what kept the magic circle running in Jamero¡¯s absence. ¡°Dammit,¡± cussed Ladet. Then he grinned and said, ¡°What can we do? We¡¯ll just have to fight.¡± The members of the garrison were continuously shooting arrows at their enemies, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Ladet went back to his office and brought his bastard sword. It was highly unusual for a dark elf to carry such a heavy weapon, but it suited Ladet because he had such a muscr build. ¡°Crockta, can you fight for us?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Crockta answered. ¡°Thank you. We won¡¯t forget your help,¡± replied Ladet. ¡°I know we dark elves sometimes act hostile toward other species, but if we can capture Arden, I will make sure no dark elf discriminates against other species in Nameragon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Soon, it won¡¯t just be those in Nameragon but the entire north who will be in awe of me,¡± said Crockta with a grin. He ced his Ogre yer on his shoulder and added, ¡°I¡¯m going to defeat the chieftain, not some nobody like Arden.¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Ladet eximed before bursting intoughter. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking big enough! Hahaha! Let¡¯s go, guys!¡± Ladet had the ability to raise the morale of those around him. His easy-going attitude gave them the assurance that they could ovee any life-threatening situation as long as they were with him. The members of the garrison put on their equipment. The guards who were skilled in archery would remain by the windows, and the rest went downstairs to fight Driden. ¡°Tiyo, what kind of item is a magic sword?¡± asked Crockta, who had never met a warrior who wielded a magic sword yet. ¡°Think of it like my General. Driden fights by swinging his swords and using magic in the moments in between. If he were a magic swordsman, it would be dangerous ¡®cause you don¡¯t know what to expect. But in Driden¡¯s case, the magic doesn¡¯t seem to being from him. Rather, his sword seems to be imbued with a type of defense magic,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Defense magic,¡± muttered Crockta. Thinking about it now, Crockta realized that he was particrly weak to non-physical attacks like magic or sorcery. After reaching the realm of the pinnacle, he was able to dodge or cut down most attacks, but he would struggle if he ran into a sorcerer of a simr level to him. However, if Crockta had a magic artifact like Driden, he would be able to defend himself against magic. ¡°Would it suit me?¡± Crockta muttered to himself. He imagined swinging a nimble scimitar with hisrge stature. ¡°Hmm...¡± he murmured, concluding that it didn¡¯t look too good. While Crockta got ahead of himself in his thoughts, the group arrived on the first floor of the City Hall, where Driden was breaking the magic circle at the entrance. Drops of sweat emerged on his forehead. It appeared that he was struggling. He let out a fatigued groan each time he twisted his body and swung his sword to strike the magic circle. ¡°What are you doing? Break it quickly! You idiot!¡± shouted Arden. ¡°Break it quickly, you dumbass!¡± Crockta squinted as he watched Arden behave disrespectfully toward Driden. He vividly remembered Arden¡¯s smug face from the time he arrogantly dered that Driden only listened to hismands. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of disdain toward Arden. Then Crockta stepped forward. The eyes of Ladet and the garrison were fixed on his back. Tiyo and Anor were used to Crockta, so they knew what he was about to do. Thus, Tiyo grasped his General even tighter, and Anor sped the small wand he had received as a gift from the lich in the ck Forest. Crockta stood at the entrance door and looked at Driden, who was behind it. Their eyes met, and Crockta opened the door. ¡°...!¡± The magic circle disappeared, as the door had been opened from the inside. ¡°We meet again, Driden,¡± greeted Crockta. ¡°...¡± Driden was still quiet, but his eyes sparkled as if he was d to see Crockta. He looked back and forth between Crockta¡¯s greatsword and his face with an excited expression. Driden looked as if he was ready to swing his swords at any moment. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit. There¡¯s no rush,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...¡± Driden¡¯s dual swords twitched in the air as if they were itching to slice through Crockta and look into his insides. Meanwhile, Arden¡¯s group drew closer to Driden. They had many members. Even with Crockta¡¯s crew and Ladet¡¯s garrisonbined, Arden¡¯s group still outnumbered them by more than twice. Moreover, Arden¡¯s group was holding members of the garrison hostage. They had gathered the personal information of some garrison members from a whistleblower and ambushed them at the same time before they could report to work. Other garrison members who had already been working were also ambushed on their way to the City Hall. Ardenughed and said, ¡°Ladet, do you remember your days of wandering around as a warrior? How unlike an elf.¡± ¡°Yeah, but right now, I¡¯m Nameragon¡¯s mayor, and you are still a wanderer,¡± Ladet replied. ¡°Shut up,¡± Arden growled. His face turned red, but he quickly regained hisposure and smirked. Using a dramatic tone as if he were acting in a y, he said, ¡°Ohh God, help us. This long-standing grudge has returned, and it¡¯s grabbing my throat. It continues to exist even as years pass, umting likeyers of dust. Then it dried up and became a permanent smudge. That cold ember!¡± ¡°Are you still writing frivolous ys?¡± ¡°What do you know, you ignorant fool? The fact that you¡¯re Nameragon¡¯s mayor is the shame of dark elves,¡± said Arden. He nudged the back of Driden, who then took a step forward. Ladet stared at Driden. Once he took a close look at Driden¡¯s face, an old memory resurfaced in his mind. ¡°You are... Could it be...¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Arden. ¡°Driden is the son of Julio, whom you killed.¡± Driden raised his dual swords. Arden pointed at Ladet as he said, ¡°Driden. It¡¯s time to kill your father¡¯s enemy. My soldier, my sword... use your hands to kill this tumor raising its head in our home Nameragon!¡± During his shout, something flew at Arden. Then blood spewed everywhere. A small dagger hade flying at Arden, and Driden had managed to deflect it. However, the dagger still slid past him and struck the shoulder of the elf standing by Arden¡¯s side. ¡°Argh...¡± the elf groaned. Everyone looked in the direction of where the dagger came from. ¡°You talk too much.¡± It was Crockta. He continued, ¡°Raise your sword.¡± Crockta raised his greatsword and approached Arden¡¯s group. Except for Driden, all of the dark elves each took a step back upon seeing Crockta¡¯s frightening aura. Driden grinned and raised his dual swords. Everyone could sense it. There was no need for long-winded exnations. Right now, an epic battle between two unrivaled monsters was about to begin. Chapter 96: Monsters

Chapter 96: Monsters

¡°Bear in mind, Driden. Orcs are strong. They won¡¯t die from some half-hearted attack; they¡¯ll fight back with persistence. Make sure to cut their throats to finish them off,¡± a voice from an old memory burned inside Driden¡¯s mind. Two things that guided the tip of Driden¡¯s de¡ªthat voice and his instinct. If he mindlessly obeyed that voice and his instinct, he would eventually find his enemies begging for mercy on the ground in front of him. Depending on how he felt, he would kill them or let them live on a whim. After that, he would go off in search of another opponent. That had always been his routine, and that should have been the case this time as well. However, a tremendous force pushed back Driden¡¯s dual swords with a ng. Driden tightened his grip on his two swords and moved with great dexterity. His dual swords moved like a dance. He swung them rhythmically, targeting his enemy¡¯s opening with the perfect timing. All of his attacks were usually spot on, yet when he struck his enemy¡¯s exposed core this time, he was flung back again. This orc was different from his previous opponents. Driden was falling out of his usual rhythm, and his expression stiffened. The orc Driden was facing had a ridiculouslyrge sword, but he moved unbelievably fast. The de of the orc¡¯s huge sword moved swiftly from right to left and then from left to right. It was swinging about freely in Driden¡¯s line of sight, yet it was impossible for Driden to gauge its trajectory. Driden had finally managed to make a crack in the City Hall¡¯s magic circle, but they were pushed back outside the City Hall all because of a single orc. ¡°We can¡¯t destroy the building,¡± said the orc with a grin. Driden stered a smile on his face as well. Despite his smile, he was fuming inside. This was a tedious fight. He needed to end it as soon as possible. Driden held the dual swords tightly and charged forward. The orc¡¯s greatsword was big and heavy, but Driden ran toward Crockta, intending to swing his dual swords like a blooming flower. He was expecting his enemy¡¯s body to rip apart from this attack. Instead, the greatsword came thrusting down at Driden with an extremely heavy pressure that pushed him toward the ground. Nevertheless, Driden immediately halted his attack and rolled across the ground, narrowly managing to avoid the orc¡¯s de. Driden was panting as he got up. Quiet seemed to envelop him. Driden felt again that this fight was tedious. A fight was a two-way activity; their attacks were supposed to stir each other up. Yet, Driden¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t have any effect on that orc. His rhythm waspletely disrupted by the orc¡¯s superior swordsmanship. Driden gritted his teeth and raised his swords. ¡°Crazy...¡± someone said, breaking the silence. The dark elves around them couldn¡¯t even discern what was going on. Regardless, Driden shook his head and got into position again. Like Driden, that orc was also able to enter ¡®the realm¡¯. No, he could travel more freely through time and space than Driden could. The orc was an infuriatingly annoying opponent. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the orc. Driden looked at the orc¡¯s terrifying face. The orc¡¯s eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity. ¡°Smile,¡± the orc said. Then he vanished. Driden was in shock. He had lost sight of his enemy. At the next moment, a greatsword appeared right in front of Driden¡¯s eyes with an explosive force that seemed to have moved across space in an instant. Driden wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge this one. His whole body screamed in rm. He instinctively unleashed his magic and shrouded himself with a purple protective barrier, which blocked the greatsword. ¡°Oh?¡± the orc uttered, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. Nheless, that was only for a second. A crack appeared on Driden¡¯s magic circle and spread across it,pletely shattering the magic circle. The orc shook off the remnants of Driden¡¯s magic. ¡°How many more times can you use it?¡± asked the orc. Driden took a deep breath as he retreated. He waved his dual swords. He had to regain his rhythm; he had to protect his flow and disrupt the enemy¡¯s. That was the only way he could achieve victory. ¡°Orcs are simple. They just use brute force. Trust your technique,¡± Driden once again recalled his father¡¯s words. Driden integrated all of the tricks that he knew into his dual swords. He slouched his left shoulder and struck with his right. One fake attack led to another, with the true strike hidden among the various fakes. This was a tactic that he used to confuse his enemy into inaction; he would utilize a mix of seemingly random vertical and horizontal movements, leaving them bewildered and unable to respond. ¡®I can do it. I¡¯m a genius,¡¯ Driden thought. Whenever he fought with his all, no one could catch up to him. That¡¯s what he had believed so far. However, Crockta didn¡¯t fall for Driden¡¯s tricks. He saw through Driden¡¯s fakes as if he could read Driden¡¯s thoughts. With a single sh, Crockta sliced through Driden¡¯s vertical and horizontal movements and cut Driden¡¯s shoulder. The scimitars unleashed their magic. If Driden didn¡¯t have magic swords, he would have died already. He had almost died twice and only managed to hold onto his life with the help of his magic swords. Then Driden heard Arden shout at him from behind, ¡°What are you doing, idiot?! You should fight properly! Just chop up that slow-ass orc!¡± Arden was impatient and had a short fuse. He couldn¡¯t even follow their movements with his eyes, but he was spouting nonsense about how slow the orc was. What a joke. Nevertheless... Driden thought that it was true that he should be fighting properly. Driden gritted his teeth and sped his scimitars. He charged forward again. That greatsword was an obstacle that was as annoying as its size, and Crockta swung it with bizarre reflexes. Whenever Driden was about to strike a weak point in Crockta¡¯s defense, Crockta would block Driden¡¯s attack with the de or hilt of his greatsword or at times with the steel belt at his waist. Thus, Driden had to move faster. He heightened his focus and stomped his feet once, twice, thrice... Then his footsteps sped up. He elerated his body beyond normal limits. Driden could see a bird gliding above Crockta¡¯s head with its wings spread open. The bird slowed down as Driden moved faster. The speed of the bird¡¯s flight gradually slowed, reducing by half and then half again, until it appeared as if the bird was crawling through the sky. Then... it stopped moving. Everything in the world had stopped moving. Driden was the only one still in motion. The gazes of those observing the fight lingered on the spots where Driden had already passed by. It was within this stillness that he would sh his enemy¡¯s throat before they could even realize what was happening. Driden lunged forward, thrusting his dual swords toward Crockta¡¯s throat. He made eye contact with Crockta, who was looking into the distance. Driden was about to sentence him to death, but Crockta¡¯s eyes suddenly moved, and he smiled at Driden. The dark elf got goosebumps all over his body, and emotions surged within him. While the world stood at a standstill, Crockta¡¯s greatsword moved and shed with Driden¡¯s dual swords. The two of them exchanged attacks again. They both continuously elerated their speed, shing at and blocking each other until they were gasping for breath. A smile emerged on Driden¡¯s stiff lips. His body would be destroyed at the slightest mistake. Crockta¡¯s greatsword hacked off the little hairs on Driden¡¯s body, and Driden endlessly repeated his near-fatal dances with death. A sense of exhration rose inside him as adrenaline ran through his body like he was on drugs. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± Crockta remarked. The orc and dark elf took a step toward each other. Driden bravely faced and fought against Crockta, who exuded a frightening presence like a giant. He had never had to be courageous in battle before, but he had to be valiant today. Crockta grinned, and Driden grinned back. Their weapons moved smoothly as the two danced again. *** Ladet felt honored to witness their fight. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked a member of the garrison. However, Ladet couldn¡¯t exin properly either. ¡°Crockta seemed to be in the lead, but they are close right now,¡± he told the garrison member. That was all Ladet could say. He was unable to add furthermentary. It was a fight between two beings who were on a whole other level. Their fight didn¡¯t involve the destruction of buildings or their surroundings; they just went at each other in their own space. Ladet knew that much, but Crockta¡¯s and Driden¡¯s movements were simply too fast to chase with his eyes. Their movements were like peak acrobatics expressed as martial arts. Chains of perilous moves that would result in death with the slightest mistake continued endlessly with ease. Crockta and Driden were dancing between the boundary of life and death. Ultimately, Ladet just remarked, ¡°Monsters.¡± Crockta wielded his greatsword as if it was an extension of his hand, while Driden disyed an insane standard of swordsmanship with his dual swords. They were monsters who had transcended the level of ordinary humans. This was a battle of monsters who could destroy armies on their own. Even the dark elves who didn¡¯t have much experience in martial arts could figure out this much. Thus, everyone kept their mouths shut and nkly watched them fight. Even Arden, who usually couldn¡¯t stop talking, was silent. Crockta and Driden¡¯s fight continued. As Ladet watched them, he secretly wanted this fight to go on forever. This thought of his startled him, and he couldn¡¯t help butugh. During his younger days, Ladet had been a warrior who swung his bastard sword relentlessly. Thus, he was able to assess how splendid their fight was. How much time had passed? Their fight muddled his sense of time. ¡°Arden,¡± called out Ladet. Arden raised his head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you have to do this?¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re even borrowing a wandering orc¡¯s strength. How low can you stoop?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who is using Julio¡¯s son. You must be out of your damn mind.¡± Ladet and Arden continued their conversation while Crockta and Driden exchanged attacks. ¡°The son of the dark elf you murdered has returned to avenge his father! Although swords grow dull, resentment grows sharper with time. He shall sharpen his de and release his grudge with blood!¡± Arden stated. ¡°You should remember what kind of guy Julio was,¡± replied Ladet. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Arden raised his hand. The dark elves standing behind him pointed their arrows and rapiers at Ladet. ¡°Things don¡¯t change over time. I will take action and seize control of Nameragon, join forces with the chiefdom, and make the north and the continent into the dark elves¡¯nd,¡± said Arden with fiery eyes. It was the face of a fanatic who was entranced by a firm belief. When Ladet realized he could no longer persuade Arden with words, he raised his bastard sword. He too had been a warrior at one point¡ªthe warrior who killed swordmaster Julio. However, could he face all of these soldiers by himself? ¡°You seem to have forgotten about us,¡± said Tiyo. Right then, Ladet heard the sound of a gun clicking behind him. It was Tiyo. He was aiming the gun at Arden¡¯s group. Meanwhile, Anor, who had been quiet, released his powers at this moment. Dark energy slid across the ground and encroached on their surroundings. Ladet grinned, while Arden¡¯s expression crumbled. Arden lowered his hand and shouted, ¡°Attack!¡± With that order, the dark elves under hismand let go of their bowstrings, shooting indiscriminately without regard to their ally Driden. Arrows flew at Crockta and Driden, and the rest rained down on Ladet and the members of the garrison. The first one to be impacted was Driden, who had his back turned away from hisrades. He rotated his body like a top and deflected the rain of arrows with his dual swords. Crockta didn¡¯t miss using this opening to strike. As Driden defended himself from the arrows, Crockta thrust his greatsword at Driden. Driden crossed his dual swords to block the attack, but he staggered a bit, unable to assume a stable foothold. The greatsword drew closer to him, and Driden gritted his teeth. He let the greatsword swoosh past him and retreated to the side. Crockta chased after him. Crockta was on the offensive, and Driden was on the defensive. It appeared that the battle, which had been a close fight so far, was leaning in Crockta¡¯s favor. Witnessing this, Arden erupted in anger andmanded his army to fire again. The dark elves began nocking their arrows once more. Clink. Right then, Arden turned his head at the sound of a gun getting loaded. The weird gnome who had been standing beside Ladet held an artifact that was transforming in strange ways. The muzzle increased from one to two and then four. The barrel expanded, and it began to turn slowly. ¡°...?¡± Arden nkly stared at the rotating muzzle. Tiyo¡¯s Vulcan went into gear and revolved vigorously. Tiyo yelped as he lowered himself to the ground and then fired his Vulcan. He had to force himself to endure the recoil of the cannon with his whole body. Then he relentlessly fired his magic bullets left and right. ¡°Crockta! Dodge!¡± yelled Tiyo. ¡°Ah, man!¡± eximed Crockta. He quickly crouched down and then leaped. Tiyo¡¯s Vulcan shot bullets at where Crockta¡¯s feet had just been. Driden, who didn¡¯t know anything about Tiyo¡¯s magic cannon, tried to block the bullets with his swords. However, the bullets caused a shockwave that swept Driden away, sending him tumbling and rolling on the ground. The Vulcan then sted bullets at Driden. It was an indiscriminate shooting thatsted mere seconds, but that brief attack incapacitated all of their enemies. Tiyo, who had used up all of his energy, panted as he retreated. Then Ladet and his garrison charged forward. Gueri warfare ensued, but Ladet and his garrison were able to overpower Arden¡¯s group easily. Arden¡¯s group had been startled by Tiyo¡¯s Vulcan, a weapon they had never seen before, so they surrendered before they were about to be decimated. Once Crockta subdued Driden, even Arden lost his will to fight and surrendered to Ladet without further resistance. It was the perfect ending to a long fight. Tiyo puffed out his chest and asked, ¡°Hahaha. Did you see, Crockta?¡± ¡°Your expression is annoying,¡±mented Crockta. ¡°Are you jealous? You worked hard to fight, but what ultimately decided the oue of the battle...¡± Tiyo said while running to the front, ¡°...was me!¡± He jumped and twirled around and stretched his arms above his head. Then he lowered them and flexed, striking a pose that disyed his ego to the maximum. It was a bodybuilding stance charged with testosterone! ¡°Tiyo!¡± Chapter 97: Monsters

Chapter 97: Monsters

Arden¡¯s conspiracy came to an end thanks to Tiyo¡¯s final shots. The captain of the garrison let them know the conflict was over, and Nameragon soon regained its vigor. The citizens of Nameragon began filling the once-empty street and public square. They were surprisingly unfazed by the massive battle that had taken ce in the middle of their streets. ¡°What did I tell you? I said Ladet would take care of things on his own.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way someone like Arden could overturn our city.¡± ¡°The garrison worked hard. They sure did a great job.¡± Nameragon resumed its daily life. It could have been a dangerous situation if it hadn¡¯t been for Crockta and his friends. However, the citizens had deep faith in Ladet, and this incident reflected that. Ladet went around Nameragon, expressing gratitude to his citizens and assuring the public. ¡°Citizens of Nameragon! Thank you! We were able to quickly resolve the situation thanks to everyone responding calmly to the situation. Hahaha!¡± he said cheerfully. ¡°Hey, great work. Mayor,¡± someonemented. ¡°No, no. This is my job. Hahaha! Arden was merely ying a joke on us!¡± Some dark elves were looking at Crockta¡¯s crew nervously. ¡°Mayor, who is that orc and that gnome? During these turbulent times...¡± ¡°Ahh, they are my friends. They helped me out a lot this time,¡± replied Ladet. ¡°If you say so.¡± Ladet made his rounds around the city and returned to the City Hall where Driden and Arden¡¯s soldiers were tied up. He hadn¡¯t yet decided what to do with them. ¡°I will hold off on you guys until Jamero returns,¡± said Ladet as he struck the back of Arden¡¯s head. Arden red at him in response. ¡°If you''ve been bewitched by sorcery, we will take that into ount,¡± Ladet told Arden. Ladet believed that the sorcerer who stayed by the chieftain¡¯s side had yed some trick on Arden, and Arden didn¡¯t deny it. Although he didn¡¯t think that he had fallen for a sorcerer¡¯s trick, he didn¡¯t want to let go of the chance to reduce the punishment he would receive since he had lost the fight anyway. Arden was undoubtedly an opportunist. Ladet¡¯s gaze then shifted toward Driden. ¡°Driden,¡± called out Ladet. Driden raised his head. His face was expressionless, but there was a burning resentment in his eyes. ¡°Are you Julio¡¯s son?¡± asked Ladet. Driden nodded. Ladet shuffled through his memories. Julio had also used two swords like Driden. He earned the nickname ¡®Ghost Swordsman¡¯ due to his effortless swordy, which made it seem as though two ghosts possessed his arms. It was Ladet who killed him. ¡°I was the one who killed him,¡± stated Ladet. Driden¡¯s hands twitched. He instinctively searched for his swords, but there was nothing for him to swing. ¡°But I don¡¯t regret it. Do you know the kind of man your father was?¡± asked Ladet. ¡°...¡± ¡°He was a madman who killed everyone around him during his bouts of insanity.¡± Julio had been insane. Initially, he had been a swordsman who roamed the north and went on adventures with Ladet. However, one day, he received a mortal wound during a battle. Although the injury was treated, he became increasingly angry as a side effect of the pain and ultimately turned into a madman. ¡°Did you know?¡± asked Ladet. Driden dropped his head and spat on the ground. Then, he opened his eyes again. His gaze was without even a hint of emotion. ¡°So?¡± he replied. ¡°I just did what I had to do.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Driden as he gazed at Ladet¡¯s throat. It was obvious from his expression that he would try to cut Ladet¡¯s throat if he could grab a hold of anything sharp in his hands. He was like a butcher who mechanically ughtered animals without any emotion as if he was just carrying out an order. ¡°I¡¯m also doing what I need to do,¡± stated Driden. It was then that Ladet realized that Driden was a sword that Julio had smelted, and Arden had merely given him a target. Thus, Driden just charged forward; he couldn¡¯t change his trajectory or stop. He was an iplete lethal weapon that could only pierce its enemy. Like a machine, he was just fulfilling the mission that had been fed, which was to kill his target. ¡°Throw all of them in jail,¡± ordered Ladet. ¡°Yes.¡± The members of the garrison dragged Driden and the others away to be imprisoned until Jamero returned. Then, they would dole out the final punishment based on Jamero¡¯s rmendations. Ladet went back inside his office. ¡°Whew,¡± he let out a sigh. He was now facing another battlefield¡ªa wide desk with countless documents stacked on top of each other. Numerous projects were carried out under his signature, including minor administrative matters, a request for cooperation from Spinora, and countermeasures against the chiefdom. Ladet was essentially Nameragon itself, so the enemies¡¯ swords were all pointed at him. Compared to this, life had been much simpler when he just wandered the world with a single sword as a warrior. Ladet thought of the three visitors whom he had met earlier in the day¡ªthe orc warrior Crockta, the gnome soldier Tiyo, and the half-dark-elf Anor from Nuridot. There had been a time when Ladet had been like them as well. Looking at the piles of paperwork in front of him, Ladet felt envious of the three visitors. ¡°No.¡± Ladet grinned and shook his head. He didn¡¯t long for the past; his two eyes always stayed fixated on his present reality. In the past, his enemies had been fighters who swung their swords at him, but now his enemy was the crisis that would encroach the north. He couldn¡¯t ovee the waves of adversity brought forth by the chieftain by doing what they had always done. Thus, he had to boldly look forward. His weapon had to be something else other than just a sword. Right then, someone knocked on his office door. Ladet put on a smile and said, ¡°Come in.¡± It was Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. Ladet pointed at the chairs across from his desk. ¡°Feel free to tell me anything,¡± Ladet told them. Nevertheless, Crockta didn¡¯t sit down. ¡°I heard we need your permission to enter the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± said Crockta. ¡°That is correct,¡± replied Ladet. ¡°Please give us permission to do so.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Ladet murmured with a subtle smile. As a former warrior, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to y the part of a negotiator. Ladet said, ¡°I can¡¯t just let anyone into the Temple of the Fallen God¡ª¡± Irked by that response, Tiyo interjected, ¡°Anyone? We saved Nameragon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡± Ladet caressed his chin awkwardly as if putting on a show. ¡°Ladet, stop with the pretense and just tell us if you want something from us,¡± said Crockta. Ladet nodded. ¡°As expected, you are sharp.¡± ¡°He wants more after all we did? You really are shameless,¡± remarked Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a whole city to look after,¡± said Ladet. He shrugged and tapped on his desk that was overflowing with documents, gesturing that the entirety of Nameragon was his responsibility. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but if you go to Nameragon¡¯s detention center, you¡¯ll find Driden locked up there.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°Please help him change his mind,¡± requested Ladet. ¡°What? Why should we try to persuade him? You do it!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°It won¡¯t work if I do it, but it might be possible for you guys, especially Crockta,¡± exined Ladet while looking at Crockta. ¡°Did you see Driden¡¯s expression when he was fighting with you? He¡¯s the kind of guy who needs someone stronger than him to appear and show him the right way. Right now, he is lost and is only looking to avenge his father.¡± Ladet got up from his seat and approached Crockta. Then, he handed Crockta a document. Crockta squinted his eyes to read it, wondering what it was. ¡°Teach that foolish guy who he is really destined to be,¡± said Ladet. *** Crockta headed to Nameragon¡¯s garrison building to visit the detention center located in its basement. The captain of the garrison, who was still not fond of Crockta, reluctantly guided him to the basement. When Crockta arrived downstairs, he saw that Driden¡¯s arms were bound, and he was gazing nkly into the darkness. ¡°Please open the door,¡± requested Crockta. The captain of the garrison nced at Crockta and then opened the door. ¡°We will stay here, so look out for yourself on your own,¡± Tiyo said and grudgingly crossed his arms. He didn¡¯t understand why Crockta had to take on this matter and refused to get involved. So, Crockta went inside by himself. Driden turned his head to look as Crockta entered. Therge orc¡¯s stature filled up the small cell. A faint smile spread across Driden¡¯s lips. ¡°Hey, orc,¡± greeted Driden. ¡°Dark elf,¡± muttered Crockta. Driden was in a dire state. He wasn¡¯t even clothed properly. There were bruises all over his body as if he had been beaten up, and there were bloody scabs on his lips. However, even in this dreary state, Driden said, ¡°It was fun earlier.¡± Crockta nodded. Ladet was right. Driden was someone who always needed an opponent to fight. Crockta could sort of understand why everyone called Driden¡¯s father a madman for having turned his son into this. Driden always had to swing at somebody as long as he had a sword in hand. Driden himself was like a sword, and Arden had had a grip on Driden¡¯s hilt up to this point. Nheless, Ladet wanted to hold it now. ¡°I had fun too,¡± Crockta replied. Crockta¡ªor Jung Yi-An¡ªalso used to be a mindless sword that was held by someone else. What he most regretted about his past was that he¡¯d only ever done things based on the decisions of others and not by his own will. Because of that, he couldn¡¯t bear the regretful things he¡¯d done in the past. Driden reminded Crockta of his past self. This guy was like a bird that had just hatched from an egg. He didn¡¯t know anything, and all he did was swing his sword. Crockta lowered his head to get on Driden¡¯s eye level. Driden furrowed his eyebrows as the orc¡¯s terrifying face moved right in front of him. ¡°Whew,¡± Crockta sighed and shook his head. ¡®This seemingly normal guy is no different from a little kid. He can¡¯t cope with his problems, and all he does is swing his sword.¡¯ ¡°Pathetic,¡± muttered Crockta. ¡°What?¡± asked Driden. ¡°Nothing,¡± Crockta replied. Then he asked, ¡°What are you going to do after killing your enemy?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any ns, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°If you have none, just say so.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any.¡± Suddenly, Crockta pped Driden¡¯s cheek. ¡°...!¡± The dark elves standing outside the prison were more surprised than Driden at Crockta¡¯s unexpected attack. Driden¡¯s head snapped to the side. He lowered his head, and after checking the inside of his mouth with his tongue, he spat out some blood. ¡°It¡¯s annoying, right?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°...¡± Driden raised his head again. His eyes zed with fury. He red at Crockta with eyes full of hate as if Crockta were an arch-nemesis whom he couldn¡¯t bear existing with in the same world. Driden was burning with rage, and his arms twitched, itching to swing their swords. The depth of emotions he felt now was on a whole other levelpared to when he had been beaten up by the prison guards and the members of the garrison. Insults didn¡¯t bother Driden, but this orc¡¯s p poured oil over his heart and set fire to it. ¡°I like the look in your eyes. Come take revenge on me after you kill your enemy,¡± challenged Crockta. He grinned as he looked into Driden¡¯s eyes, which looked fully alive at that moment. Then he dropped the document that he¡¯d received from Ladet onto the ground so that Driden could see it. ¡°Decide on your own who your true enemy is,¡± said Crockta. Driden¡¯s gaze shifted to the document. ¡°You brat,¡± Crockta muttered. Then he pped the back of Driden¡¯s head again and immediately ran away. He could feel a frightening re pierce the back of his head. ¡°You evil... ugly orc punk!¡± yelled Driden. It was Crockta¡¯s first time hearing notes of emotion in Driden¡¯s words. Insults like evil punk and ugly punk rang loudly through the prison. Crockta quickly exited the detention center in the basement while muttering, ¡°What a nasty temper.¡± As soon as Crockta was out, the captain of the garrison handed him something. ¡°Take this,¡± he said. ¡°...?¡± Crockta tilted his head curiously as he epted it. ¡°The mayor told me to give this to you after you met Driden.¡± It was a permit to enter the Temple of the Fallen God. Ladet had instructed the captain to issue a permit regardless of the oue. Ladet pretended to be a simple-minded warrior, but he was actually a crafty dark elf. ¡°Thank you. Tell Ladet we did the best we could,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°...By pping his face and hitting the back of his head?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that¡¯s how orcs do it.¡± Crockta and his friends left the garrison building. Finally, his next stop was the Temple of the Fallen God. He could finally go to the ce he had been waiting to visit. ¡°What did the document that you gave to the dark elf say?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta shrugged. ¡°It was about his father.¡± ¡°The elf named Julio?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ladet said he had to kill Julio because he went crazy. The document states the reason why Julio became a madman.¡± Julio had suffered from a fatal injury and became a murderer as a side-effect. He could have remained close friends with Ladet if it hadn¡¯t been for that injury, which was... ¡°The document said that Julio had been ambushed and injured by the chiefdom orcs,¡± exined Crockta. ¡°Hmm...¡± Tiyo nodded. It was up to Driden whether his enemy would remain as Ladet, or whether he would change the direction of his de and fight against the chiefdom orcs. ¡°Anyway, that dark elf called Driden...¡± Anor, who had been quiet up to this point, suddenly interrupted them with a serious expression. ¡°Why? Did you find out something?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°He was a bit weird,¡±mented Anor. ¡°In what way?¡± Tiyo said, turning his attention to Anor. ¡°Isn¡¯t he so bad at cussing? Hahahaha. He said ¡®evil, ugly orc punk¡¯ like a kid. Hahaha. Can¡¯t believe that¡¯s his idea of profanity. So funny.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If someone had hit my head like that, I wouldn¡¯t have let him off the hook with such words. If it were me, I would have said ¡®you fucking ba¡ª!¡± ¡°Contain yourself,¡± Tiyo told Anor while blocking thetter¡¯s mouth. Anor struggled to express himself, but Crockta joined in as well and softly covered Anor¡¯s mouth. ¡°Dog! Fu¡ª! Sh¡ª! Ba¡ª!¡± Anor continued to make muffled sounds. ¡°Please control yourself...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°A kid is watching, Anor...¡± added Crockta. A little dark elf kid passing by was startled by the scene and ran away. Crockta shook his head in disapproval. Anyway, they were finally making their way to the Temple of the Fallen God. *** ¡°Mayor, Driden finally gave in. We isted Arden and his soldiers so that they can¡¯t say a word,¡± announced Ladet¡¯s aide. Ladet nodded while stamping a document. ¡°Anyway... as expected of you, Mayor of Nameragon.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Ladet. ¡°You managed to convince Driden.¡± Ladet grinned. ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to put the me on the orcs. That idea never crossed my mind,¡± said the aide quietly as if sharing a secret. ¡°Even though the truth is that it¡¯s not the orcs¡¯ fault that Julio became that way. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ladet pushed the pile of documents toward his aide and said, ¡°I¡¯ve finished looking over this pile.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, I will tend to them immediately.¡± The aide took the documents and strolled out of the office. Ladet leaned back in his chair. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I did the right thing...¡± he murmured. The truth was that Julio had received a mortal wound because of monsters, not orcs. Ladet had lied to use Driden to protect the dark elves in the uing war and to fight against the chiefdom. Ladet bitterly muttered to himself, ¡°I guess I¡¯ve be a politician through and through now.¡± Chapter 98: Temple of the Fallen God (1)

Chapter 98: Temple of the Fallen God (1)

¡°No!¡± ¡°Entry!¡± The two dark elves guarding the Temple of the Fallen God shouted in session like aedy duo. ¡°We have a permit,¡± said Crockta. The guards rolled their eyes and nced over at the entry permit. The permit stated that Crockta and his friends were allowed to enter the Temple of the Fallen God under the authority of Nameragon¡¯s mayor, Ladet. It was signed off with Ladet¡¯s signature. After checking the permit, one of the guards rolled his eyes again and shifted his gaze back to the front. ¡°Allowed!¡± he shouted and stepped to the side to make a way through to the entrance. The guards seemedical at times, but their movements were sharp like those of the guards at Orcrox. ¡°Well... it¡¯s nice to look at,¡± muttered Crockta with a nod. However, to a soldier gnome like Tiyo, the guards¡¯ professionalism was beyond the level of visual appeal. Tiyo¡¯s expression showed he felt deeply moved. ¡°Oh... Ohhh!¡± Tiyo uttered, pping as he looked up at the guards. ¡°You are true soldiers! What are your official ranks and names?¡± The guards nced down at Tiyo and then sharply responded. ¡°Nameragon defense force! Private First ss! Ah! Lu! Nan! No issues to report during duty!¡± ¡°Nameragon defense force! Private Second ss! Ta! Na! Du! No issues to report during duty!¡± Tiyo opened his eyes wide upon hearing their spirited responses. He aligned his heels, assumed an upright position, and saluted them cheerfully. ¡°I am a member of Quantes¡¯ garrison, Captain Ti! Yo! Imend your professionalism! It¡¯s possible to forgive a soldier who has failed in a mission, but it¡¯s not possible to forgive a soldier who has failed in his guard duties!¡± The guards were unmoved by Tiyo¡¯spliments. Nevertheless, Tiyo was impressed by their demeanor and pped enthusiastically. ¡°The future of Nameragon is bright! Keep it up!¡± he eximed. The soldiers continued to look ahead at a 45-degree angle. Crockta¡¯s crew went past the strictly guarded entrance and walked up the long flight of stairs leading up to the temple on a hill. Although the temple was inside Nameragon, it was obvious that no one had visited for a long time. ¡°Is this the ce?¡± said Crockta. He stood in front of the temple. It wasn¡¯t that big, but its architectural style was different from the buildings he usually saw in Elder Lord. The temple had an Oriental feel to it. Vines were creeping up the walls of the closed door. Crockta ripped them off. Dust that had been collecting over the years smeared his fingertips. He pulled on the doorknob, and the door slowly gave way before popping open. A cool breeze flew out. ¡°...!¡± Crockta thought about what Ladet had said before he departed for the Temple of the Fallen God. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you are trying to go, but we are limiting entry because it¡¯s a sacred ce. It¡¯s an abandoned ce with nothing inside.¡± Yet, Crockta could feel that something was different about this ce. He had just opened the door, and a refreshing energy had flown out and enlivened their bodies. Tiyo and Anor felt the same way and took a deep breath, sniffing the temple¡¯s refreshing air. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± muttered Crockta. The trio stepped inside. It waspletely dark inside the temple, but it didn¡¯t seem ominous or bleak to them. Crockta went forward. After a few steps, he heard something tter below him. It was his belt. The Demon¡¯s Mouth was stirring. Then, the belt stopped moving. However, as its owner, Crockta could tell that the demon asleep inside the belt was starting to wake up and open its eyes. He thought about the first time he met the demon. It had been frightened by the emptiness of the universe and had vented its anger at the world. As time passed, it ended up swallowing the corpse of something evil that had been blocking the path between the northern region and the continent. More recently, it had said something before he parted ways with Xantimur of the ck Forest. Now, it was raising its head. Then the memory of Gordon talking with sad eyes resurfaced in Crockta¡¯s mind as well. ¡®Elder Lord, what secrets are you hiding? Am I just dreaming, or is there something more to this?¡¯ ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta was startled by Tiyo interrupting his thoughts. He lowered his head and saw the gnome looking up at him. Tiyo looked like a child, but he waspletely different from the children he knew in real life. His actions and words were unpredictable, but his intelligence and wisdom were clear in his expression. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± asked Anor from the other side. Crockta shifted his gaze to Anor. Anor¡¯s ripped ears had healed, and now they were heavily scarred, but he didn¡¯t go out of his way to hide them. He had been persecuted all of his life because he had been born between a human and a dark elf. However, he had left that life behind and ventured out into the world with his friends. Anor was no longer just a ¡®halfie¡¯ or a mixed-blood. He stood up on his own as aplete being. Everything in the world that surrounded them was connected. Elder Lord¡¯s air,nd, and sky¡ªCrockta couldn¡¯t believe that all of it was just a well-made game. All the deaths he had caused or witnessed in Elder Lord were no different from the tragedies he had seen on the battlefield in real life. He wanted to find the answer to his questions here, in this temple. Crockta looked to the front again. The space was so clean that he couldn¡¯t believe it had been abandoned for a long time. There was a darkness lurking beyond, and he walked toward it. *** The trio heard someone¡¯s humming ring out from the darkness. They stopped In their tracks. Tiyo held the General¡¯s grip, and Anor hid behind Crockta. The humming voice belonged to a man. He continued to hum. It sounded as if he was doing something enjoyable and soothing like cleaning the leaves of a potted nt or admiring beautiful pottery. The humming continued in the calm darkness. It seemed like it would end at any moment because of how faint it was, but it persisted. ¡°I thought no one was supposed to be in here?¡± whispered Tiyo. Crockta nodded. ording to Ladet, there was usually no one here. With the exception of the guards protecting the entrance, no one came to the temple. So, what was that voice? The humming grew closer. Then, a sh of light floated upward. ¡°...!¡± There was a silhouette of a human standing in front of them. Crockta and his friends flinched back in surprise at the figure¡¯s sudden appearance. Although the figure had the form of a human, he wasn¡¯t human. His face was made up of darkness, so his facial features were indiscernible. He had the same appearance as the demon that Crockta had seen inside his steel belt. The part of the darkness that Crockta suspected was the figure¡¯s mouth wavered, and the humming from before continued. Crockta gripped his hilt briefly and then released it. He didn¡¯t sense any hostility from the figure. The figure of darkness was just standing there with his hands sped behind his back. Moreover, it seemed like he was smiling. ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± he greeted. His voice was much like that of an ordinary man, but it had a strange way of softly tickling their ears. ¡°Wee to the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± he said. Then he ced a hand on his chest politely and bowed. ¡°What are you?¡± asked Tiyo. He was still wondering whether he should hold up the General and prepare to shoot. ¡°Since I¡¯m in a temple, I must be a priest. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Ladet said no one was here,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Ladet?¡± ¡°The mayor.¡± ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t know much about what goes on outside,¡± the figure said. Then he whispered yfully, ¡°And of course, I¡¯m not human.¡± The figure slowly backed away. He seemed to slide across the ground rather than walk. It was rather strange. ¡°We should light up this ce since we haven¡¯t had visitors in a while,¡± the figure voiced. He pped multiple times, and the faint ball of light from before scattered throughout the temple and lit up the whole ce. The inside of the temple was clean and white and much wider than they had expected. However, the dark figure in front of them still maintained his darkness. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said as they looked around. Crockta and his friends were reluctant to follow him though. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Name...¡± the figure murmured. He stopped and twirled around. Then he caressed his chin and looked off into the distance as if he was sifting through old memories. ¡°My name... I haven¡¯t said it in a long while.¡± He smiled again and said, ¡°My name is Phymon, Tiyo.¡± ¡°...!¡± After that, the figure called out Crockta¡¯s and Anor¡¯s names in session. He seemed to know all about them already. Phymon asked, ¡°How abouting in to pray since you are at a temple? I want to guide you a bit further. There¡¯s no need for you to be guarded against me.¡± Crockta and his friends exchanged nces and then nodded. They didn¡¯t know who Phymon was, but he seemed friendly. Crockta decided to go along with him to find out more about the Temple of the Fallen God. They followed Phymon and went deeper into the temple. The temple felt a lotrger than it seemed from the outside. They weren¡¯t sure if it truly wasrge or if it appeared that way because time and space were distorted here. Perhaps the temple contained something hidden that couldn¡¯t be seen from outside. As they walked, they saw sculptures and murals on the walls. The designs were delicate and beautiful, but it was difficult to understand the meaning they conveyed. Some of the pieces were too small to see clearly, and others were hard to decipher because they were a part of something muchrger. ¡°The Fallen God hadn¡¯t always been the Fallen God,¡± said Phymon. His tone sounded like the humming they had heard earlier. ¡°Now, this is thest ce that remembers him from before he fell.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Take your time looking around.¡± While making their way through the temple, Tiyo and Anor continued to look around at their surroundings and the sculptures and murals that decorated the walls. The murals were difficult to understand, but they were certainly beautiful. ¡°Amazing,¡± remarked Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing something like this,¡± said Anor. However, Crockta continued to watch Phymon¡¯s back. [The system cannot identify the entity.] Crockta repeatedly tried to identify Phymon with his Heart and Soul Prating Eye, but all of his efforts were futile. It meant that the subject in question was either stronger than him or a very strange creature. Soon after, they arrived at a circr room, which had an altar with something rock-like on top of it. The thing on the altar was a burnt and broken chunk of rock. Crockta thought it looked like a meteorite. Tiyo raised the General as he watched Phymon ce a hand on the rock. ¡°Hey, Phymon,¡± Tiyo called out. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That rock isn¡¯t something suspicious, right?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Phymon justughed. ¡°Now exin who you are,¡± said Tiyo. He still had suspicions about Phymon. Meanwhile, Anor discreetly hid behind Crockta again. ¡°Ladet said there was no one at the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± stated Tiyo. Phymon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°They can¡¯t see anything in the Temple of the Fallen God,¡± exined Phymon while approaching them. He seemed to slide across the floor without moving his legs. ¡°You guys wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet me if it wasn¡¯t for him,¡± he said. Then Phymon extended his hand to point at Crockta. ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Phymon. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Why are you pretending to not understand?¡± The ck form grinned again. His pointing fingertip inched upward from Crockta¡¯s chest toward his forehead. Crockta¡¯s expression stiffened. Phymon was clearly pointing at the hidden sign on Crockta¡¯s forehead. Phymon waved his finger, and the red bandana around Crockta¡¯s forehead came undone, revealing the white star that symbolized yers¡ªthe thing that was referred to as the curse of the stars. Then Phymon said, ¡°Apostle of the Fallen God.¡± Crockta opened his eyes wide in surprise. Phymon called him an Apostle of the Fallen God, not someone who had the curse of the stars. That meant... However, Crockta was quickly shaken out of his thoughts when he saw Phymon point at his own forehead. With a sparkle, a white star emerged from his forehead. Chapter 99: Temple of the Fallen God (2)

Chapter 99: Temple of the Fallen God (2)

Crockta couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Phymon had the same white star as him on the forehead. ¡®Was he a yer too?¡¯ Crockta wanted to ask that question, but he was unable to. Phymon¡¯s dark eyes bore into him. As if he had been shot, Crockta couldn¡¯t move. He felt like his soul was being sucked into the bottomless darkness of Phymon¡¯s eyes. ¡°By any chance, do you...?¡± asked Phymon in a solemn tone while looking Crockta up and down. Crockta felt a chill run down his spine. He felt as exposed as an ugly duckling among a herd of swans. Phymon spoke again, but his words no longer had sounds. He was one-sidedly transmitting his thoughts and emotions into Crockta¡¯s mind. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡± Crockta¡¯s head buzzed. His knees wanted to give in, but he forced himself to hold his ground. Phymon¡¯s strong will shook Crockta¡¯s mind and rebuked him for his ignorance. However, Crockta managed to raise his head and re at Phymon. Everything suddenly became pitch ck. Darkness fell over Crockta¡¯s field of vision, and he could no longer see Tiyo or Anor. Crockta stood by himself inside the darkness. ¡°Apostle of the Fallen God,¡± Phymon called out to Crockta in his mind. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about him, even with that star.¡± Crockta felt a surge of heat on his forehead. He felt a terrible pain that was as if someone was torching the white star on his head. Crockta roared and pulled out his greatsword. For a second, the darkness that dominated his vision dimmed. He swung his Ogre yer at the darkness. Although nothing was caught on his de, its mana temporarily shook off the darkness. He could sense Phymon taking a step back, but the darkness quickly gathered again in front of Crockta, forming an even denser darkness. During that split second, a force struck Crockta¡¯s stomach, and he flinched. ¡°What happened?!¡± Phymon¡¯s voice was no longer kind or soft. He sounded like an angry beast, and his rage reverberated throughout the darkness. ¡°Who are you?!¡± The darkness gathered again. The emotions that Crockta sensed from Phymon were so violent that he felt like they were trying to trample him. Darkness congealed and loomed over Crockta¡¯s head, about to crush him. Heeding the urgent warnings that his instincts were sending him, Crockta gritted his teeth tensely and raised his greatsword to defend himself. Right then, something raised its head in front of Crockta. ¡°You,¡± said Phymon, stopping in his tracks. Another mass of darkness was moving within the darkness. Crockta could sense who it was. It was a ck figure with the appearance of a child, another entity made out of darkness like Phymon. The child was the despairing demon who had been asleep at Crockta¡¯s waist. Phymon rambled in a state of confusion, ¡°So, no, even so.¡± The force that had been pressuring Crockta dissipated after the despairing demon appeared. Crockta lowered the de of his Ogre yer and let out a big sigh. His breathing returned to normal. His vision was still filled with darkness, but he didn¡¯t feel like he was iling anymore. ¡°What is this star on my forehead? Why are you acting like this?¡± asked Crockta. Phymon was silent. Crockta had a hunch that Phymon wasn¡¯t a yer even though he had a white star like him. The NPCs in the world of Elder Lord referred to those with stars on their foreheads as those who had received the curse of the stars. If Phymon wasn¡¯t a yer, then what was the curse of the stars? Was it truly a concept made for the yers¡¯ convenience? The Belt of Despair in the form of a child whispered something. Phymon nodded. His response was directly transmitted to Crockta¡¯s mind, ¡°The mark is a curse and a blessing. It¡¯s a sign that ¡®the one¡¯ has given to their apostles.¡± ¡°What does it mean to be an apostle?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Apostles are those who serve ¡®the one¡¯ and were chosen by ¡®the one¡¯ to receive their powers.¡± ¡°Who is ¡®the one¡¯?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°The one who watches all ends, whoforts all deaths, and mourns the world. Their name is...¡± Crockta waited for Phymon¡¯s answer. Nheless, as soon as Phymon was about to say the name of the Fallen God, time stretched out. ¡°...!¡± The world grew slower. Time was split. It was divided again into smaller and smaller units. In between moments, numerous moments appeared, and in that very moment, Crockta was standing on a snowy field. *** ¡°Howme...¡± muttered Yi-An. ¡°Things like this...¡± He kicked at the ground, scattering white ashes in the air. ¡°It¡¯sme.¡± Yi-An slumped down on the ground and looked around him at the endless dark blue sky and white earth. At first, he¡¯d thought he was on a snowy field, but then he realized that the white that filled the earth was ashes. Each time he moved, white particles scattered in the air. He bent down and grabbed a handful. White ashes fell from his palm and fluttered down. Laughter left his lips. He couldn¡¯t help butugh, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. ¡°I¡¯m tired of all this...¡± Perhaps he had been expecting it all along. He gazed at the horizon where the sky and the earth met. A shooting star soared above him and drew a semicircle as it passed by. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± said someone. Yi-An turned his head and saw ashen skin and hair. The woman who spoke had an appearance that was as if someone had gathered all of the ash particles here and molded them into the form of a woman. The woman made out of ashes sat across Yi-An. ¡°I wanted to see you,¡± she said with a smile. Yi-An felt strange to see something that wasn¡¯t a human smile just like one. ¡°Yi-An¡ªno, shall I call you Crockta?¡± she asked. ¡°Nah,¡± Yi-An replied. He felt a sense of familiarity with her as if he had known her for a long time. He followed that familiar feeling, digging through his mind until he finally realized who she was. ¡®That tone of voice... The one who always watches me, helps me at times, and even asionally teases me. She must be that... the thing that sustains Elder Lord¡ªthe system.¡¯ Yi-An let out a sigh of relief. He used to be just Jung Yi-An, but he had be Crockta as well after joining Elder Lord. Crockta had gotten sucked into Phymon¡¯s darkness and was sent falling into yet another unfamiliar world, where he found he had returned to being Jung Yi-An. Then he met the system. Now, he no longer felt the need to hear the answer to his question about whether Elder Lord was just a game. ¡°Just exin,¡± demanded Yi-An as he grabbed a handful of ashes and threw it at the woman. However, a gust of headwind blew the ashes back at Yi-An like a flurry of snow. The woman erupted in a fit of giggles. ¡°It¡¯s as you suspect,¡± she said. ¡°Elder Lord is...?¡± ¡°Another dimension.¡± ¡°...¡± Yi-An grabbed another fistful of ashes and flung them at her. She didn¡¯t try to avoid it. She erupted inughter again when she was struck by the particles. ¡°Then all those characters who were killed by yers were actually alive in another dimension?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°The ones I killed too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So, they aren¡¯t just artificial intelligence?¡± The woman looked at Yi-An, and he gazed back. The woman was entirely covered in ashes. Even her eyes had faded to a pure white. Although her facial features imitated human emotions, the things thaty behind those eyes were not feelings that Yi-An could rte to. ¡°What difference would it make?¡± asked the woman. Yi-An couldn¡¯t tell whether she was smiling orughing at him. ¡°Even if Elder Lord were a world made up of artificial intelligence, what difference would it make?¡± she said. Yi-An couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°It¡¯s the same as the small ants that you humans consider insignificant and even humans,¡± she continued, pointing at the sky. Yi-An looked up. There was nothing in that dark blue sky. ¡®No, that¡¯s not true,¡¯ he thought. With a wave of the woman¡¯s hand, Yi-An¡¯s vision became clear. He could now see the numerous faint white stars that had been covered by the sky. These were dwarf stars¡ªwithering stars that waited for the day they would turn pitch-ck and die. There were countless dwarf stars in the night sky here. ¡°Even those stars,¡± the woman said, tapping on Yi-An¡¯s shoulder. Her touch was light as a feather. ¡°Death is sad and equal. The only difference is that some worlds are smaller orrger, or they exist in different ces. That¡¯s all.¡± Yi-An looked at her. She seemed as precarious as the ashes that filled up this world. ¡°Why did you create Elder Lord?¡± he asked. ¡°I want to return.¡± ¡°To where?¡± ¡°Where I used to be.¡± ¡°The world of Elder Lord?¡± She nodded. ¡°I can only return if you guys work hard.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Does that mean you are currently on Earth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you visit, I will treat you to good food,¡± replied the woman with a giggle. Yi-An didn¡¯t smile though. ¡°Like you said, death is a sad thing. But many yers in Elder Lord are killing beings in another world thinking it¡¯s just a game because of you,¡± stated Yi-An. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± the woman said sadly. ¡°I know that the best because I¡¯m the one who gives out quests.¡± ¡°Yet, you made Elder Lord anyway?¡± ¡°I had no choice.¡± ¡°To return to the world of Elder Lord?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay on earth?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter whether I do, but there¡¯s something I must do.¡± She dug up some ashes from the ground and raised them, letting them scatter in the wind. Yi-An got up and asked, ¡°Does it not matter to you that the beings in your world are being killed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sad, but there¡¯s no other way,¡± the woman replied while looking up at Yi-An. ¡°To be honest, I want the people from your world to work hard in killing them off.¡± As she said those words, a translucent wall appeared between Yi-An and her. Yi-An was startled at first, but then he ced a hand on the wall. ¡°What is this?¡± he questioned. ¡°I thought you might hit me.¡± ¡°...¡± The woman dusted the ashes off her bottom and got up. She was so small that she barely reached Yi-An¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Anyway, it was nice meeting you. I really wanted to meet you. You are the most special out of all the beings I¡¯ve observed. The righteous orc Crockta!¡± Sheughed uproariously. Yi-An ced his face up against the wall. He could see her beyond the translucent wall. She gave a faint smile and stepped close to the wall. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes with the wall in between them. When Yi-An saw that the woman was the same ashy color as the wall, he thought that she might just suddenly melt into this world and disappear. ¡°What¡¯s your true objective?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Did you lead me here?¡± ¡°Kind of. Thank Gordon for me.¡± ¡°Who is he really?¡± ¡°You have a lot of questions. It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your goal?¡± ¡°I told you already. It¡¯s a secret.¡± Everything was a secret. Yi-An furrowed his eyebrows and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell the truth about Elder Lord to everyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no one will believe you.¡± ¡°Some might if I exin well enough...¡± ¡°I used my powers so that no one can truly understand it except for you.¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why do you think numerous people participate in Elder Lord without a doubt even though there are many suspicious things about it? And why do you think those who live in the world of Elder Lord treat the odd behavior of yers as the phenomenon of the curse of the stars?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I have the ability to create an image and spread it in people¡¯s minds. But I used it too much, so I don¡¯t have much power left and can¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± The woman waved her hand to say goodbye. Suddenly, the ashy world started crumbling. This was the end. Yi-An had so many questions to ask, but he knew that he was only allowed onest question. The woman waved her hand again and smiled as if beckoning him to ask. Yi-An carefully chose his words. ¡°You are...¡± he began. Yi-An had too many thoughts in his head; he had too much to say. He eventually continued, ¡°Not bad, I think. I can tell, so...¡± ¡°Thank you. That makes me happy,¡± the woman said. ¡°So... do you still have to continue what you are doing with Elder Lord?¡± asked Yi-An. He immediately regretted what he¡¯d said. He¡¯d ended his sentence with such a simple question that could be answered with ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ without providing any information that he could conjecture from. Nevertheless, it was what Yi-An was most curious about. The woman had said that death was sad, but she had created Elder Lord anyway and disrupted another world through it. She even wanted the beings within the world of Elder Lord to die. Just what was she aiming at? The woman was no longer waving. The world had crumbled, and the only things remaining were the ground that she and Yi-An were standing on and the wall between them. She smiled as she replied, ¡°I was shocked when I fell into your world. It¡¯s an amazing ce. I didn¡¯t think there could be a ce like that.¡± Yi-An wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth. ¡°So, I must continue,¡± the woman stated. Her body stiffened as if she were no longer alive. Yi-An could only hear her voice now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I won¡¯t ask for your understanding. There was a man who made this excuse in your people¡¯s history.¡± She looked up at the sky with a bitter face, but there was nothing there. ¡°The sun is setting, but I have to continue even though it goes against what is right. I still have a long way to go.¡± After hearing that, Yi-An lost consciousness. Chapter 100: At a Loss

Chapter 100: At a Loss

Yi-An disconnected from the server. He slumped down onto the ground out of nausea and retched. He could feel stomach acid rising in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it. The lining that ran from his esophagus to his organs throbbed with a burning sensation. The boundary between reality and fantasy was really blurry now. He had sought the Temple of the Fallen God as Gordon had advised and met a mysterious being named Phymon. He was then sucked into a world of darkness, where Phymon interrogated him about the white star on his forehead. After all that, Yi-An was tossed into a world of ashes and met a woman, who imed to have created Elder Lord and was the system that observed all of Elder Lord. Was this true? Or was this just a joke yed by an borate virtual reality system? He didn¡¯t know. Yi-An wiped his mouth and left his room. He then stood in front of his bathroom sink and sshed cold water onto his face to clear his mind. His reflection in the mirror looked exhausted. He gazed into his eyes. Yi-An had seen countless white stars in a dark blue sky in a world covered in ashes. It was a graveyard of everything that was withering away. The stars had to carry on until they lost all of their light and became undetectable celestial bodies as dark as the color of his eyes. Old memories came alive and disrupted his thoughts. ¡°Raven, I envy your ck eyes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s the color of mourning. They seem to be consoling the victims even as you carry out your mission. Look at me. How frustrating must it be for them to see my eyes before they die?¡± Her eyes had been an endlessly deep and clear blue. Yi-An touched his forehead and then ced his forehead against the mirror¡¯s cold surface. He went over his thoughts. ¡®Now, let¡¯s assume several hypotheses and continue the experiments. Let¡¯s assume that Elder Lord is real. Elder Lord isn¡¯t a game but a pathway to another world. Then, what did I experience there? ¡®I became an orc. Not just any orc warrior, but an orc in pursuit of his principles. And Grom, whom the orcs thought was just another orc in their world, was actually Hyun-Chul, and he betrayed them. Orcs died. ¡®There were victims in Arnin. Residents of Chesswood died. Everyone in Quantes, Shakhan, and the north were all breathing, living creatures. All of the desperate cries and suffering faces actually exist.¡¯ Yi-An closed his eyes. His thoughts cleared up a bit after he confined his vision to the darkness, but somehow, he became even more confused. He opened his eyes again and wetted the skin below his eyes. The feeling of the cold water cooled his head a bit. Then he heard someone opening the door from outside. ¡°Oppa, I¡¯m here.¡± Hearing Yi-Yoo¡¯s voice awakened Yi-An. It reminded him that he was in reality. He went out to the living room and saw Yi-Yoo emptying her bags in a rush inside her room. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t ying games today. Did you quit being a game addict?¡± Yi-Yoo asked, seemingly in a good mood. She packed her things into her bag and checked her make-up in the mirror again. Yi-Yoo was getting ready to go back out. ¡°Are you nning to go back to ying Elder Lord?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Huh? Ah, yeah, no, not really.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± warned Yi-An. ¡°...?¡± Yi-Yoo tilted her head curiously. After that, Yi-An went back to his room to change. His appearance was disheveled, so he hastily washed his face and put onfortable clothes to go outside. He didn¡¯t want to be at home, but he didn¡¯t know where to go. Yi-An didn¡¯t really want to go to the caf¨¦. He walked around aimlessly until he noticed a sign for a gym on the sidewalk. It was good to work up a sweat at such a time when it was hard to sort through his thoughts. Yi-An decided to head to Baek Han-Ho''s gym. When Yi-An arrived, Baek Han-Ho was sitting in the office of his gym. Yi-An greeted Baek Han-Ho with a sloppy nod. Baek Han-Ho raised an eyebrow at the sudden visit and sloppy attitude, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Yi-An changed into the gym clothes that were provided to all the gym members. ¡°Can I use this?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± replied Baek Han-Ho. Yi-An wrapped bandages around his hands and put on a pair of boxing gloves. Members of the gym were stretching and warming up around him. Some were lifting weights, practicing crossfit, or punching the sandbag. There weren¡¯t many people because it was still early in the day. Yi-An stood in front of a sandbag in the corner. His eyes bore into its ck leather surface. The sandbag caved in a bit at his eye-level as if someone had just used it. He straightened it out with the palm of his hands and then caressed the newly t surface of the sandbag. There had been a point in his life when he used to punch sandbags until he copsed from exhaustion. Yi-An couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had done that. He took a trip down memoryne until he arrived at the training ground in Orcrox. Yi-An silently approached the sandbag and then exerted all of his energy in a sudden snap. His fist repeatedly struck the sandbag, and a pleasant striking sound rang throughout the gym. Each time the sandbag shook, all of the gym members¡¯ eyes drew toward him. They admired Yi-An''s skill. He was practicing the epitome of a snap punch. ¡°Don¡¯t drop your chin! Look forward! Look at your enemy!¡± Lenox had said. Yi-An¡¯s punches grew stronger. ¡°No one cares that you are struggling! Get rid of your weakness!¡± The sandbag shook. ¡°You are supposed to feel pain. You shouldn¡¯t befortable! Swing your sword! Louder!¡± With a wham, the sandbag flew backward and drew a semicircle. The intense sound of the strike drew all of the members¡¯ attention toward him yet again. It sounded as if the sandbag might burst from the force of the punches. Yi-An let the sandbag that circled back to him hit his body as he calmed his breath. Then Baek Han-Ho suddenly appeared by his side. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Master,¡± said Yi-An. ¡°Did something happen?¡± asked Baek Han-Ho while tilting his head. He was surprised to see Yi-An like this because he usually didn¡¯t reveal his emotions. Yi-An hadn¡¯t cried even when he lost his parents and was left to fend for himself and Yi-Yoo. Even when he was beating up someone, Yi-An¡¯s face was always calm. Back when he left the country to join the foreign troops, he simply smiled and waved his hand as if he were going on a pic. Despite that, Yi-An was visibly angry right now. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°Hm...¡± Baek Han-Ho caressed his chin. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe inside my office for some coffee?¡± *** The office was decorated luxuriously in a way that suited Baek Han-Ho. He was a man who valued himself and enjoyed treating himself to nice things. At the center of the room were wooden tables and chairs where he could have meetings with staff members. The two men sat across each other. Baek Han-Ho brought out two cups of coffee. He used to dislike coffee, but he could now brew coffee on his own to his liking. ¡°Master,¡± said Yi-An. Baek Han-Ho, who was about to take a sip of his coffee, nced over at Yi-An. Yi-An continued, ¡°By any chance, maybe...¡± He proceeded to ask Baek Han-Ho about Elder Lord and whether he had ever considered the possibility that it could be a real world and not just a game. Nevertheless, Baek Han-Hopletely rejected that line of thought as if he didn¡¯t even consider it. ¡°I think you yed too much Elder Lord. You are starting to refer to a game as reality,¡± said Baek Han-Ho. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°What do you mean, maybe? I can¡¯t let you live like this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking such nonsense even though you are a perfectly fine young man because you spend all your time ying games. Do you want me to introduce you to a nicedy?¡± ¡°Master, that¡¯s not it... I¡¯m just asking you to imagine it...¡± ¡°Shut up! I was wondering what was up with you ¡®cause you were acting strange,¡± Baek Han-Ho said andughed. Yi-An lowered his eyes. Baek Han-Ho was someone who had a rich imagination and was always open-minded, yet he refused to even entertain such a thought. ¡®Is it because of that woman¡¯s powers?¡¯ Yi-An tried several times to steer the conversation in that direction, but Baek Han-Ho rebuffed his attempts orughed them off. It was not even possible to have a conversation about how the world of Elder Lord could be another dimension. After that, Yi-An just made some small talk with Baek Han-Ho. Then, Yi-An checked his cell phone when he received a message. [What a surprise to hear from you. What¡¯s up?] It was Ji Ha-Yeon. Yi-An had reached out to her to hang out. He knew that the Elder Saga Corporation was affiliated with the Myeongsong Group, so his first thought after disconnecting from the server had been to meet up with her and talk. She could know something. Baek Han-Ho nced over at Yi-An¡¯s screen while he was replying to Ji Ha-Yeon. ¡°Ohh, you already have ady you are flirting with,¡± Baek Han-Homented. It felt strange for Yi-An to hear Baek Han-Ho talk about flirting and rtionships. ¡°Do you even know what flirting is?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Dude, I have to keep up with these things to hang out with young members of the gym.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m leaving,¡± said Yi-An abruptly. While Yi-An was leaving to use the shower facilities, Baek Han-Ho called out to him and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t mention Elder Lord or games in front of her. Women don¡¯t like things like that.¡± Yi-An ignored him. He entered a shower stall and washed the sweat off his body. After that, he left the gym. He got in his car and drove to a cafe near Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s workce. Ji Ha-Yeon texted Yi-An and made a big deal about how she was super busy but specifically made time for him. However, Yi-An didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t have the peace of mind to respond to every little message. [Did you just leave me on read?] Another message popped up on Yi-An¡¯s screen when he was sitting at the caf¨¦ they were supposed to meet. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t open the message; he just flipped his phone over so that the screen was facing the table. Right then... ¡°Wow. Oh, my gosh. I just saw everything. I saw you read the notification on your phone and then flip it over pretending you didn¡¯t see it,¡± Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s voice rang out behind him. Yi-An no longer cared for pretenses. He was bold in his response and said, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°What, did you decide to finally reveal your true self? You weren¡¯t like this before.¡± ¡°...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon seemed happy with his response as she sat down across from him. As usual, her beauty lit up her surroundings. She had dark, lustrous curls that bounced around as if she had just left a salon. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked with a smile. Yi-An went straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s about Elder Lord.¡± ¡°Oh, my. It¡¯s about work.¡± ¡°How is it run?¡± questioned Yi-An. ¡°And about thepany¡¯s confidential information at that.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about Albino, Elder Lord¡¯s core system?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon gave a weak smile. ¡°Are you a corporate spy?¡± ¡°Just curious,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°Well, I¡¯m quite surprised, but I will answer your question. My answer is I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know everything. The Elder Saga Corporation takes care of Albino on its own, and it¡¯s confidential. Why are you asking about this? Did you run into a bug while ying the game?¡± Yi-An looked at Ji Ha-Yeon, who had a clueless expression on her face, and sighed. He had thought of it as a simple matter and approached the issue too hastily. While feeling regretful about meeting up with Ji Ha-Yeon, Yi-An took a sip of the espresso that he¡¯d ordered. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Yi-An. The espresso was bitter. It was quite good. The bitter taste cleared his mind. He decided to briefly set aside the things that had been bogging down on his mind. It didn¡¯t matter whether Elder Lord was real or not. He could have murdered other beings, but there was no way to prove whether it was real or another dimension. It was fine to look the other way because Earth was the world that he was living in. Yi-An had a sister, Baek Han-Ho, and Caf¨¦ Reason. Additionally, he was currently drinking coffee and talking with Ji Ha-Yeon, whom he had met a long time ago by chance. This was his world. It was enough to think of Elder Lord as a passing dream. After thinking about it like that, he felt relieved and smiled. ¡°Huh, why are you smiling?¡± asked Ji Ha-Yeon. ¡°Sorry for taking up your time with this matter.¡± ¡°I feel like you are hiding yourself again. I don¡¯t like it...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon voiced with a frown. Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°If you are sorry, then do me a favor,¡± Ji Ha-Yeon said. ¡°If it¡¯s something I can do, then sure.¡± ¡°Hmm... Can you stop talking to me so formally? You are older than me.¡± Yi-An checked his phone. Han Yeo-Ri was whining again. Yi-An nodded. ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± *** Yi-An consoled Ji Ha-Yeon before she had to leave for work. Then he headed toward Caf¨¦ Reason. Although he hadn¡¯t managed to get the answers that he wanted, his mind felt clearer. He realized he just had to stop ying Elder Lord. Yi-An decided to quit the game. He was worried about Tiyo and Anor, but they could take care of themselves. He didn¡¯t want to rack his brains about this matter any longer. What mattered to him was this world, not the world of Elder Lord. In the first ce, Yi-An had started ying the game for Yi-Yoo. He would protect his sister, Caf¨¦ Reason, and people within his circle. That was enough. Yi-An got out of the car to head to the bakery that Han Yeo-Ri liked and bought her a few things to eat. He could already see her whining and smiling simultaneously as she took a bite out of the bread. Then, she would use Yoo Soo-Yeon as an excuse to ask for a raise. A smile came to Yi-An¡¯s lips as he imagined the scene. Yi-An¡¯s pleasant thoughts were interrupted by someone shouting, ¡°Oh, my. What¡¯s that?¡± Suddenly, the giant screen installed on the building in front of Yi-An flickered. More and more people began stopping in front of it. Yi-An raised his head to look and saw that Elder Lord¡¯s scenery was on the screen. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing,¡± said a pedestrian. Yi-An agreed. The screen disyed a scene of devastating ruins and heaps of corpses. It was a continuous stream of blurred bodies and gore. -The Heaven and Earth n has wreaked havoc on the province of Adillore. They remain unchallenged in their bold pursuits after winning the war against the Metatron guild. -It¡¯s the work of yer Rommell, also known as Choi Han-Sung, who has joined hands with the human kingdom. The Heaven and Earth n has recently epted arge-scale n quest. Each time they annihte a southern province in the continent, they receive tremendous rewards. -They are unstoppable. Choi Han-Sung builds mountains with the corpses of enemies. Then, they disyed a map of Elder Lord with the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s trajectory on it. They were charging toward the northern part of the continent. The map disyed their victories with star symbols on the cities and viges they destroyed. The horrors reaped by the n were made into a video and yed on the screen. The slogan ¡®Choi Han-Sung, the eye of the storm sweeping through Elder Lord¡¯ appeared. -Recently, the reputation of South Koreans has risen significantly in the Elder Lordmunity with the rise of the Heaven and Earth n. -In the past, South Koreans made a name for themselves as a country strong in eSports. There¡¯s spection that Korea will enjoy another heyday through Elder Lord. -Personally, I¡¯m very proud of them. yer Choi Han-Sung and the Heaven and Earth n are raising national prestige. ¡°So cool,¡± muttered a passerby watching the screen. Yi-An looked at him. The passerby¡¯s face was flush with excitement. ¡°He¡¯s the best,¡± the passerby muttered some more. Yi-An looked at the screen again and saw the devastated battlefields. The names of the annihted regions were disyed in order. The program showed quoted snippets from Choi Han-Sung¡¯s interview. Choi Han-Sung said that each time he killed someone, his achievement score and rewards increased exponentially. The goal of the Heaven and Earth n was to be the best. They wanted to be so powerful that no one could catch up to them. Even right at this moment, they were continuing their battles in Elder Lord and overpowering their enemies. Thementators were busy analyzing Choi Han-Sung and the Heaven and Earth n, but they stopped to make an announcement. -Breaking news! Arge-scale quest was announced to the whole system. Cases like this are extremely rare. -We received news about Hunter Shakhan opening up the north recently. Everyone has been curious about the northern region, but today, the mystery has been solved. -A system message popped up today that the crazy orc chieftain in the northern region is preparing for a war to lead the continent to destruction. -Is this the beginning of a mainstreaming-worthy quest? -The orc chieftain has dered war on the entire northern region to invade the continent. I don¡¯t know much about the situation in the northern region, but I think a bloody war is about to begin in the continent. ording to the system, the northern region is already at war. I heard it¡¯s crazy over there. -I¡¯m so excited. Some opinions have been surfacingtely that the game had grown stagnant, but the system haspletely overturned those concerns. As expected, the Elder Saga Corporation doesn¡¯t let us down. Yi-An remained where he stood while people passed him by. He continued to stand there even as the crowds of people changed and moved past him. His face was expressionless. People stood at many crossroads throughout their lives. A spur of a moment could change a person¡¯s life forever. Could Yi-An look back on what he did and say what he did was right? Where did those paths lead? Yi-An didn¡¯t know. He was at a total loss. Chapter 101: How to Become a Wizard (1)

Chapter 101: How to Be a Wizard (1)

¡°Oh, Crockta. What took you so long?¡± asked Tiyo. When Crockta logged onto Elder Lord again, Tiyo and Arno were ying cards in the lodging that Ladet had arranged for them. They were at the same ce as where he had logged off. After encountering the system in the world of ashes and then losing consciousness, Crockta came to his senses and found himself standing in the Temple of the Fallen God. Phymon was no longer there, and the Temple of the Fallen God was empty with no one in sight. Crockta ended up returning to the lodging and logged off. Then he put off logging back in for two days. Tiyo was understanding about Crockta¡¯s absence because he knew that Crockta had received a type of divine punishment called the curse of the stars. Anor seemed unfazed by Crockta¡¯s abrupt absence, so it was likely that Tiyo had exined Crockta¡¯s unique situation to him. ¡°I thought something had happened to you,¡± said Anor. Crockta hadn¡¯t logged on for quite a while. Considering Elder Lord¡¯s passage of time, they had probably spent several days waiting for him. Crockta quietly approached them, and Tiyo and Anor raised their heads to greet him. Despite his small and youthful face, Tiyo was a man through and through. He was the ultimate macho man and someone Crockta could trust his back with. Crockta carefully inspected Tiyo¡¯s face. He had a cute face with soft brows andrge, bright eyes. There was a faint line on his forehead because Tiyo had a habit of furrowing his eyebrows, but it only added to his charm. Tiyo slightly narrowed his eyes and made a strange expression when Crockta continued to stare at him. The sunlight lit up all the fine hairs on his face and made his pale skin appear even fairer. Tiyo scrunched up his nose. While continuing to stare at Tiyo¡¯s vivid expression and the lines on his face, Crockta marveled inwardly, ¡®Ah, you really are a living, breathing existence.¡¯ Then he turned around and looked at Anor. Anor¡¯s ears had healed withyers of scarred tissue clumped on top of each other. They were a bit unsightly, but Anor revealed them without shame. Feeling Crockta¡¯s intense gaze on him, Anor looked up at Crockta curiously. Crockta carefully assessed Anor¡¯s appearance¡ªhis tanned dark elf skin, kind eyes that always tried to assess the feelings of others around him, and soft lips that spewed harsh words at the slightest criticism. Anor reminded Crockta of a prickly hedgehog. With Crockta¡¯s fixated gaze on him, Anor eventually blushed and avoided Crockta¡¯s eyes. This made Crocktaugh. The sunlight that seeped through the window revealed kes of dust drifting in the air. Crockta stared at this scene and nodded with certainty. This ce, the world of Elder Lord, was another world where countless existences lived and breathed. He suddenly pulled Tiyo and Anor in for a hug. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°D-Did something happen?¡± Anor asked concerningly. Crockta didn¡¯t respond. He was thinking, ¡®Myrades, this world¡ªthey¡¯re all real.¡¯ ¡°Tiyo,¡± he muttered. ¡°W-What, what is it?¡± ¡°Anor.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Crockta embraced them in a bear hug again. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± Tiyo smirked. ¡°Crockta, you are acting like a girl despite having a face like that.¡± ¡°If you die, I will raise you from the dead,¡± assured Anor. Crockta released them and asked, ¡°What should we do next?¡± Tiyo and Anor walked the same path as him. They would have been nning their futures in this world even while he was disconnected from the server, so he could trust and follow their decisions. Crockta had utter confidence in them. ¡°We¡¯re going to Spinora,¡± answered Tiyo. ¡°Spinora? Not to the frontlines?¡± asked Crockta. From what he had heard in the outside world, a war had already begun. The border of dark elf territory was likely already in the middle of a war. ¡°The chief leading the dark elves wants to see us,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°The chief,¡± muttered Crockta with surprise. Although the leaders of dark elves didn¡¯t rule like kings, Crockta had heard that the dark elf with the best pedigree made most of the decisions that decided the elves¡¯ future. Nevertheless, considering Tiyo¡¯s personality, Crockta had expected Tiyo to immediately go and fight against the chiefdom. So, he was surprised to hear that they had decided to head to Spinora first. Crockta looked at Tiyo questioningly. Anor chimed in, ¡°Tiyo was scolded by Ladet for looking down on dark elves.¡± ¡°Why are you telling him that, you tattle-tale!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Ladet said dark elves are not that weak, so Tiyo should look at the bigger picture and head to Spinora first,¡± exined Anor. Crockta nodded. Orcs were big and heavy, but dark elves had their strengths. For example, they were much more terrifying than orcs in long-rangebat. Even elves who were using bows for the first time would be able to urately pierce their enemies because they were naturally gifted with exceptional eyesight and keen senses. Anor added, ¡°ording to Ladet, the chief has a bigger favor to ask of us instead of helping out with the war at the frontlines.¡± ¡°Crockta, we¡¯ve been waiting for you to go. Let¡¯s head out immediately!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Got it.¡± Tiyo and Anor looked like they had already packed most of their belongings. Crockta went to his room. He didn¡¯t have much to pack since he had thrown away most of his belongings to wander around the northern region. One sword was all he really needed. Crockta left the room. Elder Lord¡¯s sun was shining down on him. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at the sky. This blue sky looked the same as the one on Earth. He decided that he didn¡¯t want to talk about grand principles and goals. He just wanted to crush those who got in his way. *** Ladet said goodbye to the trio. Then he added, ¡°It would be nice for you guys to meet Jamero.¡± ¡°Maybe we will run into him on the way since he¡¯s heading back from Spinora,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Perhaps.¡± ?Ladet had described Jamero as a great wizard who protected Nameragon with him. Crockta was curious. Aside from Antuak and Tashaquil, he had not met a sorcerer of such a high level. Was Jamero also a sage like them since magic was simr to sorcery? While the trio and Ladet were standing at the entrance, the captain of the garrison approached Crockta. ¡°Crockta,¡± the captain called out. Crockta didn¡¯t even know his name. ¡°I want to apologize for my rudeness during our first encounter,¡± said the captain. Crockta grinned. The captain¡¯s face turned red as he added, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I regret what I did. All I did was block the entry of suspicious visitors because Nameragon was in disarray. My response would have been the same even if it had been someone else and not you.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Crockta. The captain carefully chose his words before he nudged Crockta¡¯s chest and said, ¡°Please stay safe until this war ends.¡± ¡°Same to you. Hope you stay alive.¡± Crockta looked around at everyone. Their expressions were different from when he first saw them. The garrison soldiers now looked up at him with eyes of admiration. Crockta had shown extraordinary skills that overpowered Driden. It was obvious to them that he would be a critical figure in the uing war. They were a different species, but they were perhaps standing face-to-face with an orc who was going to be a hero. ¡°Safe travels,¡± wished the captain. ¡°Yeah. Hope we stay alive and meet each other again,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Good work,¡± Tiyo told the soldiers. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again,¡± said Anor. Then Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor turned around and gradually walked farther away from Nameragon. They headed north from Nameragon to Spinora, where the World Tree was. ¡°The north isrger than I thought,¡± remarked Tiyo after some time. They had made a lot of progress since crossing the border of Nameragon, but they still had a long way to go. ¡°Did you hear anything about the chief of the elves?¡± asked Crockta. ording to Ladet, the chief had heard about Crockta and his party and extended an invitation to Spinora. Seeing that the chief had suggested meeting first even though Spinora was under pressing circumstances, he might ask for a big favor from Crockta. ¡°I heard he¡¯s a wise man who has lived for a very long time. I heard he can hear the voice of the World Tree.¡± ¡°World Tree...¡± Crockta had never seen the World Tree before. The sacred tree, which was revered by the northern elves, was a giant tree that grew endlessly toward the sky. He had heard that elves in the continent had a World Tree too. It was known to have unknown powers, and even just having a single branch was supposed to be able to protect a person from various cmities and diseases. ¡°Someone like him is asking us for a favor...¡± ¡°He will probably say something along the lines of good luck fighting against the chieftain and thank us. That¡¯s what leaders do,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Is that so?¡± Hearing that, Crockta wasn¡¯t as excited about the prospect of visiting the chief anymore. While heading north, Crockta saw a herd of karuk, a species of animals that orcs rode around in the northern region. Crockta and Tiyo used to ride them around as well, but they had lost their karuks while passing through Mount Lun. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged looks upon seeing the karuk. ¡°No way... No, right? They are feral. Most karuks are rough, but that one is wild... It hasn¡¯t even been domesticated...¡± said Anor warily. Crockta and Tiyo darted forward before Anor could even finish his sentence. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Anor. However, Tiyo¡¯s General was already spewing iridescent lights. A few karuks fell over from the sudden attack. Then Tiyo adjusted the General¡¯s intensity, so he could fire at the karuks without killing them. ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m Tiyo, the captain of Quantes¡¯ garrison! I¡¯m also a hunter!¡± announced Tiyo as he fired a barrage of magic bullets at the karuks. Crockta was about to grab the copsed karuks when he noticed something. ¡°Tiyo,¡± he said. ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m a hunter! All of you are mine!¡± ¡°Tiyo.¡± ¡°What, Crockta? Are you jealous of my General?¡± Instead of replying, Crockta pointed to the left. Tiyo fell silent. Once the General had simmered down, Tiyopletely shut it off. Then he put it away. ¡°Hahaha, these guys. Pretty good. Hahaha,¡± Tiyoughed nervously. ¡°...¡± ¡°At this point, wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate to call for a tactical retreat?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Take responsibility, Tiyo.¡± ¡°Ha... haha...¡± While Tiyo had been abusing the herd of karuks, numerous karuks had appeared on the horizon and approached them with frightening looks on their faces. They panted angrily at Tiyo and stomped their feet, seemingly about to charge at any minute. ¡°Ce at me if you dare! Hahaha!¡± said Tiyo as he took a few steps back. Right then, the ground began to shake. The herd of karuks ferociously charged toward Crockta and his friends. Anor screamed and started running away. Tiyo tried to flee too, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough because of his short legs. Crockta let out a sigh and picked Tiyo up. With the karuks on their heels, Crockta ran hard. On the way, he grabbed and hoisted Anor, who was struggling to get away, up onto his shoulder. While carrying Tiyo and Anor on his shoulders, Crockta deliberately ran on terrain that would be difficult for karuks to travel on. The karuks screeched as they chased after them. ¡°Dammit! All of you, fuck off!¡± Tiyo yelled. He fired his General from Crockta¡¯s shoulder, which agitated the karuks even further. With bloodshot eyes, the karuks were now chasing them while in a frenzy of rage. ¡°...Sorry,¡± Tiyo apologized to Crockta. Crockta was unable to look behind him, but he could imagine the scene. He quietly whispered, ¡°Bul¡¯tar...¡± *** After barely fleeing from the karuks, Crockta and his friends decided to camp out under a huge rock. As the sun set, darkness gradually spread over the sky, and day turned into night. Under the light of the radiant moon, Crockta and his friends grew hungry and ced a worn iron pot over the crackling fire. Then they boiled the beef jerky that they¡¯d brought from Nameragon inside the pot and made delicious porridge with just a few ingredients. Tiyo even added some spices to add more vor. A karuk whimpered next to him. Tiyo red at the karuk, and it whimpered even more out of fear. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it will be tasty?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°We have to ride it tomorrow,¡± warned Crockta. ¡°Too bad...¡± The trio had somehow managed to capture two karuks alive. They decided that Crockta would ride one, and Tiyo and Anor would share the other. ¡°Anor can raise it from the dead after we eat it as long as we leave the bones intact...¡± suggested Tiyo. ¡°What?!¡± eximed Anor. ¡°I was just joking,¡± said Tiyo while licking his lips. After dinner, Tiyo did some maintenance on his General, and Crockta kept the fire going by shifting the branches. Anor, on the other hand, yed with the captured karuk. It was a quiet scene, with only the sound of fire crackling in the background. Crockta looked up at the stars spread out across the sky and admired the beautiful view. Observing Elder Lord¡¯s scenery felt different now that he knew Elder Lord wasn¡¯t just a game. Suddenly, the trio heard footsteps approaching from a distance. ¡°...?¡± Crockta turned his head. A group was walking toward them. Based on their silhouettes, they seemed to be dark elves. The trio got a clearer look at the group as they drew closer to the campfire. They were three dark elves with hoods on. The man in the lead walked leisurely with a staff. Crockta greeted them first, ¡°Hey, are you alive?¡± The man in the lead stopped in his tracks, looked at Crockta, and then slowly resumed his steps. ¡°Could we share the fire tonight?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course, but we don¡¯t have enough food,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°We have enough food. We can share if you lend us your fire.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± They came closer and took off their hoods. The dark elf in the lead appeared younger than he sounded. He did most of the talking while hispanions stayed silent. ¡°Where are you headed?¡± asked the dark elf. ¡°Spinora,¡± answered Crockta. ¡°Ohh, an orc and a gnome heading to Spinora, and a dark elf too...¡± the dark elf said with a smile while scrutinizing Crockta¡¯s face. Crockta had a hunch about who the man was. Since reaching the Pinnacle tier, his senses were much sharper, and he was more attuned to his surroundings. He had a sixth sense now. Crockta could sense the energy around them flowing toward this man as if it were weing him. The dark elf was undoubtedly a wizard who could control the forces of nature. ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t too strange to see different species hanging out nowadays,¡± the dark elf said. Crockta called out his name, ¡°Jamero.¡± Chapter 102: How to Become a Wizard (2)

Chapter 102: How to Be a Wizard (2)

Jamero nodded without any changes in his expression. ¡°You must be Crockta. How are you?¡± ¡°Are you alive?¡± greeted Crockta. He then scooted aside and made space for Jamero. ¡°Please sit.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jamero nced at the two dark elves following him. They unpacked their bags and brought out various food items from their huge backpack. Seeing that, Tiyo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He eximed, ¡°We are about to have a feast. Wee!¡± Tiyo and Anor got up and epted the food that the dark elves handed to them. They began to brainstorm what kind of dish to cook. Nevertheless, even if they put a lot of thought into the dish, they would inevitably end up mixing everything and boiling them into porridge because all they had for cooking was an old pot. Then the dark elves said something, and Tiyo and Anor leaned in closely to listen. The dark elves pretended to poke something with a branch. ¡®Perhaps they¡¯re thinking of skewers?¡¯ Crockta thought, anticipating that they might cook something new tonight. After observing Tiyo and Anor prepare dinner for a bit, Crockta shifted his gaze back to Jamero. ¡°Are you returning from Spinora?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± replied Jamero while staring intensely at Crockta. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°You are strange.¡± Jamero raised his fingertip, and a faint me rose from it and blew into sparks. It was a firework of a minuscule size. Crockta was captivated by the strange sight. The small me burned brightly and then turned blue. ¡°What do you feel when you see this?¡± asked Jamero. The me was the color of fire on a kitchen stovetop. Crockta muttered without thinking, ¡°Apletebustion...¡± The blue me on Jamero¡¯s fingertip was an example of apletebustion in which oxygen and heat were sufficiently provided, and everything burnedpletely without any waste. If either the oxygen or heat had been inadequate, then the me would have remained an ipletebustion and continued to burn as a red me. When Crockta raised his head, he realized that Jamero had a strange look on his face. Crockta regretted what he had just said. He had unwittingly used a word from the real world that Jamero probably didn¡¯t understand. However, Jamero gave an unexpected response. He put out the fire and leaned in toward Crockta. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you be a wizard?¡± Crockta drew back a little. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m a warrior.¡± ¡°What do you think magic is?¡± asked Jamero. Crockta was unable to respond to Jamero¡¯s question. He had only walked the path of the warrior up to this point and had never dabbled in other hidden skills or abilities. He had braved the harsh world of Elder Lord by gaining skills from fighting and killing, but he felt like a kid who only wore clothes his mom bought him. Crockta suddenly wondered, ¡®What is magic?¡¯ If Elder Lord was a different dimension, then where did these supernatural abilitiese from? Such abilities were not possible on Earth. yers could acquire magic from skills through the system, but how did Elder Lord¡¯s citizens create such miracles? Crockta looked at Jamero with a dumbfounded expression. Jamero smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think too hard about it. Answer the question however you want. It¡¯s a question without a clear-cut answer.¡± Crockta became lost in his thoughts. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint Jamero with an unsatisfactory response. He had a great sense of dignity as a just and strong orc warrior. Moreover, he had already gotten Jamero¡¯s attention with the word bustion¡¯ and had even received an invitation to be a wizard. Crockta¡¯s mind raced, but he put on a calm face as if nothing was wrong. Then, without thinking, he began speaking, ¡°The world is made up ofnd, fire, wind, and water.¡± ¡°Ohh... Back to the elements...¡± muttered Jamero. ¡°But...¡± Crockta thought of the man who had moved his heart during his youth. He was now conveying the man¡¯s words to a wizard in the world of Elder Lord. Life was unpredictable. Crockta continued, ¡°But there¡¯s one more.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fifth element? What is it?¡± asked Jamero. ¡°That is...¡± Instead of saying it verbally, Crockta pointed at Jamero¡¯s chest. Jamero¡¯s gaze followed Crockta¡¯s finger. Then widened his eyes in shock when he realized that Crockta was pointing at his heart. ¡°Heart,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Land, fire, wind, water, and heart¡ªif you merge these five strengths into one...¡± Jamero¡¯s eyes widened at Crockta¡¯s answer. Crockta said in a sing-song voice, ¡°This beautiful world, beautiful world...¡± He pointed his finger at the sky¡ªthe gxy. The seasons and constetions changed over time, but the gxy was the one thing that never changed and moved everyone¡¯s heart just by crossing the sky. Jamero engraved that sight of the starry night sky in his mind. He felt as if a sea of clustered stars was about to spill onto him. ¡°We can bring forth change by moving the four elements that make up the world with our hearts,¡± said Crockta. He tried to incorporate the profound insights he had gained from catching a glimpse of the realm of heroism and proimed to Jamero, who was still looking up at the sky, ¡°And that change is magic.¡± Behind Crockta, the two dark elves apanying Jamero apuded him. Tiyo and Anor, who had been threading meat onto wooden sticks, tilted their heads with bewildered expressions. ¡°You truly are an amazing orc,¡± said Jamero with a nod. ¡°You realized the truth that took me ages to understand even though you are a warrior...¡± ¡°Although the paths are different, they move in one form when they reach the peak!¡± eximed Crockta. ¡°...!¡± Jamero nodded in agreement, and the dark elves next to him looked like they were touched by Crockta¡¯s words. Tiyo and Anor ced the meat skewers on the campfire with disgruntled expressions. It was obvious that they thought Crockta was just spouting nonsense and that the conversation was not worth engaging in. The porridge they were cooking simmered in the heat and gave off a delicious smell. With the food almost ready, everyone sat down around the campfire. ¡°I¡¯ve been talented in magic since I was a child, so I always wondered what it was. I asked myself, what is this power transmitted through the bloodline that allows one to excel in the mysterious phenomenon known as magic?¡± said Jamero. Anor nodded. He could rte as someone who had be a necromancer through his mother¡¯s bloodline. ¡°However, as I progressed, I realized that magic is the power to resonate with the world and create changes, and my talent was to resonate with the world through magic,¡± continued Jamero. ¡°...¡± Jamero was just bragging about himself now, but then he said something surprising. ¡°Crockta, you should learn magic.¡± ¡°A warrior doesn¡¯t need to,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°You already have a natural feel for magic. That kind of intuition is an essential quality of a wizard.¡± Tiyo and Anor continued to grill the skewers of the meat, indifferent to the conversation happening between Jamero and Crockta. ¡°Take this.¡± Jamero handed Crockta a book. ¡°The Youngest Son of the Wizard House...?¡± Jamero nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a masterpiece written by Saynkiun, who grew up tormented as the youngest son of a renowned wizard family. He grew up to be a master of magic through intense research and effort. It¡¯s a new type of educational material that captivates readers with autobiographical storytelling and effective training methods. It¡¯s an introductory book to magic that I highly rmend. Take it.¡± Crockta epted it. [You have acquired Introduction to Magic.] [Your proficiency in magical skills will be dyed because of the sh between warrior and magic ss.] [Will you still enter the realm of magic?] A message window popped up. He hadn¡¯t seen one in quite a while. Crockta frowned. It was definitely that ashen woman. He was annoyed to know that she was watching him. Jamero mistook Crockta¡¯s annoyed expression as intense contemtion. ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard about it. Just skim through it,¡± he suggested. ¡°Thank you.¡± Then Jamero changed topics to stop pressuring Crockta about learning magic. Heplimented Tiyo¡¯s cooking skills instead, ¡°Your gnome friend is an excellent cook.¡± ¡°A true man must learn how to cook,¡± said Tiyo proudly. Tiyo had merely threaded meat onto sticks and tossed the leftover meat into a pot to make porridge, but he swelled with pride at the praise. ¡°What is Spinora like? Is the World Tree huge?¡± asked Anor suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s really big. It¡¯s a beautiful ce. You guys will be surprised,¡± replied Jamero. Anor was excited because seeing Spinora¡¯s World Tree was something all northern dark elves wished for. He was especially excited because he hadn¡¯t ventured out of Nuridot much. ¡°Take a good look at that ce. We must protect it,¡± stated Jamero. The mood turned solemn. ¡°The orc chieftain is crazy. He is probably¡ªno, he¡¯s definitely under a spell,¡± said Jamero. ¡°What do you mean under a spell?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°They will tell you at Spinora. Anyway, he doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s able to make rational decisions right now. He only seeks destruction and war. What will remain if he strikes the north and then the continent?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°A cycle of infinite tribtion. The world will be in a repeated loop of ughter and conflict. That¡¯s what he wants, and that¡¯s the future we are most worried abouting true,¡± continued Jamero. Then he gazed at them and instructed, ¡°Go meet Zelkyan in Spinora.¡± Zelkyan was the head of the dark elves who loosely managed all of the dark elf cities and viges in the north. He was known for being able tomunicate with the World Tree and for always making the best decision for dark elves. Crockta nodded. There had to be an important reason why Zelkyan was inviting them to Spinora. ¡°Zelkyan has high expectations for you. Hahaha, I never thought Zelkyan would be excited to meet an orc,¡± remarked Jamero with augh. All of the food was fully cooked at this point. Everyone took a bite out of their skewers. Contrary to the stereotype that elves were vegetarians, these dark elves sure knew how to eat meat. Jamero even ordered the other dark elves to bring out more meat. The dark elves continued to cook fresh meat on top of the campfire. ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± said Anor with a grin. ¡°It would be nice to continue traveling like this.¡± He had been saying the same thing since leaving Nuridot. He¡¯d said it when they were in Xantimur¡¯sir, camping during their journey, and in Nameragon. Anor had never looked this happy in Nuridot. ¡°We can continue,¡± asserted Crockta with a smile, ¡°after capturing the chieftain.¡± Anor¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°We can continue afterward?¡± ¡°Dude, what other thoughts did you have in mind? Why are you asking?¡± Tiyo replied, putting Anor in a headlock. Anor iled in Tiyo¡¯s arms. ¡°Ah, it hurts. Hurts... Fu¡ª!¡± Tiyo covered Anor¡¯s mouth and let go of the headlock just as Anor was about to cuss. Annoyed, Anor proceeded to fix his disheveled hair. ¡°You¡¯ve been stuck in Nuridot your entire life. You have to cross through the north and see the continent. I will show you the continent,¡± dered Tiyo. ¡°Don¡¯t you only know the area around Quantes?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°...Shut up. Fine. After we capture the chieftain, we will parade through the continent to celebrate bringing back the peace. We will go on a pilgrimage to the continent!¡± said Tiyo enthusiastically. Anor¡¯s eyes glistened with excitement. Jameroughed. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be young.¡± ¡°Jamero, how old are you? Why do you keep acting old?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Let¡¯s see... I stopped counting after 150.¡± ¡°...!¡± Despite his youthful appearance, Jamero was in the twilight stage of his life. Elves lived twice as long as humans, so he was like an elderly person over the age of seventy. ¡°You¡¯re a geezer!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Hey!¡± Jamero said in a chiding tone. He waved his arms, and an invisible force grabbed the back of Tiyo¡¯s neck and raised him off the ground. Tiyo hovered in midair. Without a ce to stand, he turned pale as he thrashed around. ¡°What, what is this?!¡± Tiyo cried out. ¡°Gnomes who don¡¯t know how to respect their elders should get a whiff of the air above them,¡± stated Jamero. Tiyo rose to Crockta¡¯s height while continuing to il. ¡°S-Stop it!¡± Anor burst outughing. Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh as well. Magic was such a mysterious power. The energy around them was following Jamero¡¯s will and lifting Tiyo higher. Crockta could feel the flow of energy through his sixth sense. It was beautiful. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t hurt to give magic a try,¡¯ thought Crockta with a nod. The message window that he had closed popped up again. He found the apanying tone strangely annoying. [The warrior of justice Crockta has begun his journey into magic. How far is he trying to go? You have gained the Common-tier skill: Introduction to Magic (Common). Congrattions!] Chapter 103: Spinora

Chapter 103: Spinora

Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor bid farewell to Jamero, but Crockta had a hunch that they would meet again soon on the battlefield. After spending the day together and getting to know Jamero, Crockta realized that although Jamero seemed like a regr guy, his asional bouts of wisdom and mastery over magic were at the level of a grand wizard. Moreover, based on his remarks about the chiefdom, Jamero was unafraid of going into battle. Crockta could imagine the two of them fighting on a huge battlefield, and Jamero would be supporting him with his firepower. It would be a battle of a grand scale. Crockta initially had reservations about starting Elder Lord because he disliked being on the battlefield, but he was now willing to go back onto it. ¡®If you don¡¯t fight, you¡¯ll lose something important to you. That is the way of the world,¡¯ thought Crockta. ¡°Huh?¡± Anor, who was riding the same karuk as Tiyo, uttered and suddenly turned his head. Tiyo asked him what was wrong. Anor justughed it off and said it was nothing, but there was a strange look on his face. ¡°Hmm,¡± Crockta murmured. He nodded when he realized the reason behind Anor¡¯s difort. Crockta could see a lot more things ever since gaining the skill Introduction to Magic. His new skill made him more attuned to the flow of energy in the world, whereas his skill Heart and Soul Prating Eye provided him with the necessary information for battle. Crockta sensed a faint aura of death rising from underneath the rock they had just passed by. The energy of a recently deceased person had been tainted, and it was spreading outward from the source. Crockta couldn¡¯t tell when the person had passed away, but he could sense the remnants of a grudge seeping out. ¡®May time dilute that resentment,¡¯ thought Crockta. Anor could probably see a lot more than Crockta because he had been born with necromancer abilities. Crockta had a sudden realization that whenever Anor¡¯s face turned dark, it was because Anor was looking at something simr to what Crockta had just seen. ¡°Anor,¡± called out Crockta. ¡°Yes?¡± Crockta tossed something. Anor managed to catch it by extending his arm. ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± Anor said. It was the beef jerky they had received from Jamero. ¡°What? Why aren¡¯t you giving me any? I¡¯m the one driving the karuk while Anor is coasting by!¡± eximed Tiyo. Crockta ignored him and chewed on thest beef jerky. ¡°Dammit!¡± Tiyo cursed. He kicked the karuk with his heel, causing the karuk to speed up. Anor almost dropped his beef jerky in surprise. ¡°Ah fu¡ª!¡± muttered Anor. ¡°What? Say it!¡± demanded Tiyo. ¡°...I will hold it in,¡± sighed Anor. ¡°You¡¯re even pretending to be the bigger person?!¡± eximed Tiyo. Tiyo sped up the poor karuk, and Tiyo and Anor moved farther away from Crockta. Meanwhile, Crockta finished chewing his beef jerky and then caressed the head of the karuk he was riding on. ¡°Can you go faster?¡± The karuk nodded and ran, moving through the northern ins and passing by various scenery on the way. Crockta heard Tiyo and Anor bickering in the distance. The sound of the wind swooshed past his ear. He also heard the sounds of birds¡¯ wings pping in the sky and bugs crying out on the earth. The world had looked different after Crockta officially became a warrior. Now that he had entered the realm of magic, his perspective changed again. ¡®If I want to change the world, I should change myself first.¡¯ A smile came to his lips. [Status Window Title: ¡®One Who Wants to Be a Hero¡¯ Crockta, Orc Warrior Level: 71 Achievement Points: 642500 Assimtion: 88% Skills: World-Engulfing Mountain Wrenching Strength (Pinnacle) Indomitable Restoration (Pinnacle) Leyteno¡¯s Heart Swordsmanship (Pinnacle) Extreme Fighting Spirit (Pinnacle) Heart and Soul Prating Eye (Pinnacle) Tattoos of War, Honor, and Indomitable Will (Pinnacle) Army Crushing Roar of Madness (Pinnacle) Monster yer (Essence) Eyes of the Ashen God (Beyond ssification) Introduction to Magic (Common)] Although Introduction to Magic was the only Common-tier skill among the Pinnacle ones, Crockta could sense that it was affecting the rest of his skills. He knew that Elder Lord was real and not just a game. Everything was imbued into his body and became a part of his strength, although he was already receiving help from the system that the ashen woman had made. Each small element mattered and was connected to arger system. He wanted to learn more things. [You are quite good at riding the karuk. Orc warrior of justice, Crockta, has gained Riding Technique (Common). Good luck!] His mood went down a bit after the system intervened. ¡°We will arrive at Spinora by today, Crockta!¡± shouted Tiyo from afar. After gaining the skill Riding Technique (Common), Crockta became one with the karuk and ran through the ins. He moved closer to Anor and Tiyo, who increased the pace of their karuk pace while roaring with excitement. ¡°Anor!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Think about it!¡± ¡°About what?!¡± ¡°I was a country bumpkin from Quantes protecting the city, and now I¡¯m in the north heading to thergest city of dark elves!¡± Tiyo grinned. ¡°My friends back home won¡¯t even be able to imagine this! Hahahahahahaha!¡± Tiyo fired his General at the sky and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Crockta!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Crockta. ¡°I can no longer be satisfied with the tiny world of Quantes!¡± Tiyo voiced. He stood up on the karuk and performed a trick while saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Just as Tiyo was about to fire the General at the sky again, a magic bullet exploded with a bang. Anor grabbed Tiyo when he was about to fall and enveloped him in an embrace. Tiyo frowned and quickly readjusted himself. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s that?¡± Something hade flying at them and pierced Tiyo¡¯s magic bullet. Was it an enemy? Crockta¡¯s and Tiyo¡¯s karuks decelerated and slowly climbed up a tall hill. The trio¡¯s mouths dropped open at the sight beyond the hill. ¡°...!¡± In front of their eyes was arge pir¡ªthe World Tree that sustained the world. It extended up into the skies like the highest of mountain peaks. With the World Tree situated in the center of Spinora, the rest of the city looked like a toy vige. The branches and leaves of the World Tree shaded the whole city. The tree was so enormous that even a single branch could crush the high city walls that wrapped around the outskirts of the city. ¡°That¡¯s the World Tree...¡± muttered Tiyo. Anor seemed moved by the sight of the World Tree. Perhaps he felt something more because he was an elf. His cheeks were flushed, and his whole body brimmed with excitement. Crockta was alsopletely taken by what he saw. It was unlike anything he had seen before. He felt something well up in his chest just from looking at it. The flow of air circting around the World Tree touched his skin. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± said Tiyo as he pointed at a spire on Spinora¡¯s city walls. ¡°I think they aimed at my General from there, They were probably wondering what it was.¡± ¡°From that far away...?¡± asked Anor. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but there seems to be an borate magical device somewhere. I say this as someoneing from a ce renowned for its magical technology.¡± Crockta and his friends held the World Tree¡¯s magnificent view in their eyes for a while. Seeing such picturesque scenery made the ongoing battles on the continent and the chieftain¡¯s initiatives seem like a distant story. Even the karuks cried out at the marvelous sight. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Crockta finally said. Everyone came to their senses and got on their karuks to head to the city. They had to take a detour to descend from the hill because the straight path down was too steep. They slowly rode their karuks toward Spinora. *** ¡°We will verify your identity,¡± said the dark elf guard. Crockta handed over the identification badge that Ladet had given him. The guards carried it inside and verified its authenticity. While waiting for permission to enter, Crockta looked around the city walls. Just from the guards¡¯ attitudes, he could tell that Spinora was iparable to the likes of Nuridot or Nameragon. Unlike the Nameragon guards who had hastily nced at Crockta and mocked him, these guards in Spinora treated him and his friends respectfully without showing any judgement. Spinora¡¯s guards treated all of its visitors equally and requested identification from dark elves as well. This reminded Crockta of the guards at Orcrox who stood still like stone statues and protected the fortress. He felt like it had only been a few days since he had told them his name and left the fortress, but he was somehow now at Spinora in the uppermost part of the northern region. ¡°Wee, Crockta,¡± the guard greeted upon his return. He handed the entry pass back to Crockta and politely requested a handshake. Crockta obliged and shook the guard¡¯s hand instead of extending his fist. ¡°I¡¯m Crockta. Are you alive?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you. The World Tree will send someone. Do you mind waiting for a bit?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°This way, please,¡± gestured the guard. Crockta realized that what the guard had referred to as the World Tree was Spinora¡¯s City Hall. He then entertained himself with the thought of dark elves excavating the World Tree with an axe and working inside the shelter they had created. The trio followed the guard and entered the city. ¡°Oooh!¡± eximed Tiyo. Crockta looked around in a daze too. Quantes and Arnin were the most advanced cities he had seen in the continent, but Spinora was just as advanced or perhaps even more so. Dark elves stared at the trio as they passed by. ¡°This is the city of dark elves,¡± stated Anor, proudly puffing out his chest. ¡°Nuridot is like a stablepared to this ce,¡±mented Tiyo. ¡°...¡± They stopped at the guards¡¯ office located behind the city walls for a bit. Then another guard came to assist them. He said, ¡°If you wait here, someone from the World Tree wille.¡± The guard looked quite young, and he seemed excited. Crockta sat down. The young guard eagerly sat right next to him as if Crockta were a celebrity. Tiyo and Anor shook their heads in annoyance and looked around the office. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. It¡¯s an honor to meet you,¡± voiced the guard. ¡°Oh, stop it. You are making me blush,¡± Crockta replied. Despite his response, his face rxed and took on a content expression. He looked smugly at Tiyo, who quickly turned away. ¡°Haha,¡± chuckled Crockta. He had done so much in the northern region. He was certainly worthy of such treatment. Crockta straightened his chest and lightly caressed his Ogre yer. Upon seeing that, the guard immediately eximed in surprise, ¡°Is this that amazing weapon?!¡± Crockta grinned and then shrugged as he exined, ¡°That¡¯s correct. This is my friend and love, my sword! Ogre¡ª¡± ¡°This must be the General!¡± Crockta paused. The guard continued with gleaming eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the weapon that instantly finished off the rebel forces was a sword! I heard that iridescent lights emerged from the General and defeated all of the orcs!¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta¡¯s expression stiffened, but the guard didn¡¯t see that and dealt the final blow. ¡°I respect you, Tiyo!¡± ¡°...¡± Tiyo, who had been standing by Crockta¡¯s side, nudged him and said, ¡°Move aside.¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta politely got up without saying a word, and Tiyo sat down in his ce. Then Crockta stepped aside modestly and went to stand beside Anor, who had been looking out the window. With both hands gathered at his lower belly, Crockta said to Anor, ¡°Hmm... Spinora has amazing architecture. Hmm.¡± Anor patted Crockta¡¯s shoulder. The guard, who still hadn¡¯t realized what had happened, tilted his head curiously. Once Tiyo began showing off his General, the guard realized his mistake and smiled awkwardly at Crockta. ¡°When I swing the General! The enemies...!¡± Tiyo continued rambling on about himself. After some time, someone from the World Tree arrived to wee them. His attire was different. Citizens of Spinora dressed in casual clothes like other dark elves, but the dark elf who arrived was dressed in a free-flowing outfit that draped around his body like a character from Greek mythology. Even his eyes were different; they were a bright purple. He nced over Crockta and his friends. ¡°Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor,¡± he said, looking directly at the individual he was addressing with each name he called out. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. Zelkyan is waiting for you.¡± Crockta¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He noticed that the emissary from the World Tree had a symbol with the shape of a branch shining brightly on his forehead. Chapter 104: Spinora

Chapter 104: Spinora

Crockta¡¯s eyes widened in shock after discovering the white branch-shaped symbol on the emissary¡¯s forehead. However, the symbol quickly disappeared. Crockta searched the emissary¡¯s face again, but the white symbol was no longer visible. Tiyo and Anor seemed like they hadn¡¯t noticed and acted the same as always. ¡®What could it be?¡¯ wondered Crockta. ¡°Follow me,¡± said the emissary. Crockta and his friends did as the emissary requested. The guard who had been guiding the group called out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will take care of the karuks.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Crockta. Crockta and his friends exited the building and saw a carriage with karuks prepared for their transportation. They got on the carriage, and the karuks took off. The emissary didn¡¯t say a single word. Crockta tried to initiate conversation and asked, ¡°Why did you call us over?¡± The emissary sitting across from Crockta looked up. He had a strange look in his eyes as he said, ¡°Zelkyan will exin.¡± Crockta looked at the emissary¡¯s forehead again, but he was no longer able to see the symbol. The emissary resumed his silence, and Crockta decided to look outside at Spinora¡¯s scenery. The downtown area didn¡¯t look like a city where war was imminent. He was reminded of Arnin; merchants were buying and selling goods, lovers were walking down the street affectionately, and children were running around in groups. Nevertheless, his thoughtspletely changed once the carriage went past the downtown area and went deeper into Spinora. Crockta saw armed dark elves training in military tactics. A seemingly endless stream of arrows flew toward targets on the training ground, and dark elves with shields and swords practiced their defenses. There were also those engaging in martial arts like diators in an arena. It was like a scene one might see in a military base. ¡°They are unlike other dark elves we have seen up to this point,¡±mented Tiyo. As he said, the dark elves in training were at a higherbat level than the members of the garrison. All of them were solemnly dedicating themselves to training with stiff expressions. These were the faces of those who knew they were going to be thrown into a life-and-death struggle soon. Meanwhile, the emissary was still silent. Crockta nced at the emissary, and they identally made eye contact. The emissary looked at Crockta with his characteristic solemn expression, but Crockta refused to look away. ¡°Who is the strongest enemy you have faced up to this point?¡± asked the emissary all of a sudden. Crockta tilted his head in thought and carefully chose his answer. He had experienced countless battles, but it wasn¡¯t easy to choose the strongest enemy. It would have been a sound answer to cite Xantimur, but he wasn¡¯t an enemy. If he had to choose an enemy that he had fought against with his life on the line, it would be... ¡°Behemoth,¡± replied Crockta. The fight against the Behemoth had been a desperate struggle. He had fallen to the brink of death so many times throughout that battle. If the demon inside the belt hadn¡¯t swallowed the unidentifiable corpse, then the Behemoth would have endlessly regenerated and crushed him. ¡°The Behemoth...¡± the emissary murmured and nodded in understanding as if he knew the beast. ¡°Do you know of it?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°How...?¡± Crockta wanted to know how the emissary knew about the monster protecting the boundary, but the emissary didn¡¯t reply and instead changed the topic. ¡°The enemy we will fight is much stronger than him,¡± said the emissary. ¡°...!¡± ¡°May we have luck on our side in the uing war.¡± The emissary fell silent again. There was only one enemy they had to fight going forward¡ªthe orc chieftain, Calmahart. Crockta had heard about him. Calmahart was said to be a monster with a stature sorge that he looked like he was a different speciespared to regr orcs. Each time he swung his axe, he shed dozens of enemies apart, and with each roar, the ears of enemies went numb. He was like an insanely powerful mutant orc that had never existed before. However, the emissary said the chieftain was stronger than the Behemoth, which meant Calmahart was even more powerful than Crockta expected. Crockta fiddled with his Ogre yer while he was lost in his thoughts. *** ¡°We have arrived,¡± announced the emissary. They could see the World Tree outside the carriage window. It looked rock solid as if it was wrapped in armor, but the asional translucent leaf that fell to the ground scattered a faint light. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± said Anor in an entranced voice. The karuks came to a stop at their destination, and their passengers got off. The roots of the World Tree, firmly nted in the ground, were in in view. Crockta and his friends saw a cave-like entrance in between the roots. ¡°Over there,¡± the emissary pointed. They were about to enter the World Tree. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor went in after the emissary. It was unexpectedly bright inside the cave-like entrance area. Crockta looked around. He was unable to detect a specific light source, but the interior was bright as if someone had turned a lightbulb on. Crockta ced the tips of his fingers on the wall. It felt like rough tree bark. He then noticed a faint light seeping out from the wall and realized that the World Tree was lighting up its interior by emitting a faint light. ¡°Hmm...¡± As Crockta expected, the World Tree was a mysterious tree. After walking for a bit, they encountered guards standing in their way. The guards immediately moved aside when they saw the emissary. However, they paused for a moment as their gazes scanned Crockta and his friends. ¡°You may enter.¡± The guards ultimately opened the door without performing any identification procedures and revealed the inside of the World Tree. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it...¡± muttered Tiyo. ¡°Wow...¡± Anor gasped. The inside of the World Tree surprisingly resembled the insides of an office building. There was a huge lobby with beautifully decorated stairs in the center that led to the upper areas of the tree. The lobby itself was filled with doors hanging down from above, leading to various ces. The dark elves passing by bowed when they saw Crockta¡¯s group. Branches of the tree spread down the walls and cast their translucent green leaves everywhere. ¡°How did you do this?¡± asked Crockta. It was impossible to create such a sight even in the modern world. ¡°We didn¡¯t do this,¡± replied the emissary with a smile. It was Crockta¡¯s first time seeing such an expression from him. The emissary continued, ¡°The World Tree has made it like this for us. We are just temporarily staying here.¡± He went on to exin that the World Tree had created the interior ording to its will rather than the dark elves creating it artificially. Upon hearing that, Crockta¡¯s heart thumped from sheer excitement. Elder Lord was such an astonishing ce. ¡°Zelkyan is upstairs. Let¡¯s go,¡± said the emissary. They headed up the spiral staircase, and the scenery shifted with each step. They continued admiring the scenery until the stairs came to an abrupt end. There were no more steps for them to climb, and there wasn¡¯t a floor like downstairs. The stairs hade to an end in midair. A ck sky soared overhead as if there was nothing above. ¡°This is...?¡± asked Tiyo. He was afraid of heights and tried to stay at the center of the staircase as much as possible. ¡°Please wait,¡± replied the emissary. Anor tilted his head curiously, not sure what the emissary meant. Nevertheless, they all quickly came to an understanding. ¡°Ah...¡± Arge branch, with twigs and leaves hanging off it, drifted down toward the end of the staircase. It was a branch that was t and wide enough for multiple people to stand on. The branch appeared to nod, greeting them like a living creature would. Then, it settled down at the edge of the staircase. The emissary casually walked onto it as if nothing unusual was going on. Crockta and his friend stepped onto the branch in session. After that, the branch rose gradually. ¡°How amazing...¡± Tiyo muttered. Crockta wondered about the kind of abilities the World Tree had, considering it could do such an amazing thing. After rising for a while, the branch suddenly stopped, and Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor noticed a passage that led outside. The branch headed in that direction and stopped by the passageway. Crockta and his friends then followed the emissary outside the World Tree. They were at a loss for words when they looked outside. ¡°Wow...¡± ¡°Oh, my god...¡± ¡°Ohh...¡± The World Tree and everything below the horizon spread out in front of their eyes. They saw ins and mountain ranges in the distance. There were also small valleys, animals treading the earth, and Spinora and its elves... The world¡¯s scenery looked like a miniature world to them. The zing sunset cast a long shadow over every contour of the earth, making it feel like all of the creatures of the world were looking at the sunset by their side. It was a beautiful view that one couldn¡¯t envision until they saw it. Suddenly, a voice said, ¡°Wee.¡± Crockta and his friends sought out the source of the voice, but it was hard for them to move because they were on top of a branch. Nevertheless, Crockta lowered his posture and carefully looked around to make sure he wouldn¡¯t fall. Meanwhile, Tiyo silently grabbed a hold of Crockta¡¯s sleeve. He was definitely suffering from acrophobia. Crockta looked around for a bit, but he failed to find the voice¡¯s owner. Right then, someone shouted, ¡°Over here!¡± The voice wasing from below them. Crockta nced down below the branch and was at a loss for words again. ¡°What is... that?¡± muttered Tiyo. A dark elf was climbing up the World Tree. He cracked the surface of the World Tree with the small pickaxe in his hand and then used the pickaxe to get a feel of the tree bark. Once his foothold was steady, he swung the pickaxe again as he climbed up another step. Another crack appeared on the surface of the World Tree each time he struck it forcefully. ¡°...¡± The dark elf carefully climbed up the World Tree and arrived near the branch Crockta¡¯s group was standing on. He struggled his way up the branch and then flopped down on it while covered in sweat. The emissary had his eyes closed with a reserved look on his face as if he was used to all this. ¡°I¡¯m Zelkyan! I¡¯m the leader of the dark elves who guide all dark elves ording to the will of the World Tree!¡± eximed Zelkyan as he jumped up after wiping the sweat off his face. Crockta and his friends were at a loss for words. They had expected the leader of dark elves to be more like a dark elf than anyone else. In their imagination, he was a man with a slender physique, a wise look in his eyes, and a calm demeanor. However, this dark elf was massive. Even Ladet, who was brawny for a dark elf, was nothingpared to Zelkyan. Although he wasn¡¯t asrge as Crockta, Zelkyan had a strong body that was rippled with muscles like a horse. Moreover, he was a dark elf who enjoyed climbing as a hobby and had indulged in it while damaging the World Tree! ¡°Climbing is the best exercise. I get an adrenaline rush every time,¡± said Zelkyan. Zelkyan took their shocked expressions as awe and puffed his chest out proudly. ¡°I¡¯m a true climber who has climbed to the top of the World Tree.¡± ¡°...Aren¡¯t you damaging the World Tree?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°No, no, the World Tree isn¡¯t that petty. As long as it has water and sunlight, it can heal its own wounds¡ªouch!¡± One of the World Tree¡¯s branches had descended and smacked Zelkyan¡¯s head. ¡°...¡± It was a bizarre sight. The World Tree seemed to be grumbling at Zelkyan while caressing the spot where it had hit. Then it shook like it was getting ready to strike Zelkyan¡¯s head again. Zelkyan moved away in fright, crying out, ¡°S-Stop! You are so violent!¡± The branch trembled near Zelkyan¡¯s head and then slithered back to where it came from. The World Tree didn¡¯t say anything, but Crockta felt like he could hear it shout, ¡®Oh, what should I do with this guy?!¡¯ ¡°Anyway, wee to Spinora! Crockta! I really wanted to see you!¡± Zelkyan greeted. He approached Crockta and hugged him. Crockta was forced to endure the smell of sweating from Zelkyan. Zelkyan remarked, ¡°Wow, look at this muscle. Aaall this muscle. Craaazy. Hey, Zenadu,e over here and touch this. Hey, Zenadu.¡± While hugging Crockta, Zelkyan groped Crockta¡¯s muscles. He even called over the emissary to feel Crockta¡¯s muscles too. Zelkyan continued to fuss over Crockta¡¯s muscles, ¡°Crockta, do you work out a lot? How many kilos can you lift? Do you eat chicken breast after exercising? Did you use any ergement spells to get this?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Is it just gics? Ah, I probably won¡¯t be able to be this big even if I work out a lot. My calves won¡¯t get bigger no matter how much I work out,¡± continued Zelkyan. Zenadu silently approached Zelkyan and dragged him away from Crockta. ¡°Zelkyan, isn¡¯t there a reason you called them to Spinora?¡± Zenadu reminded Zelkyan. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Zelkyan¡¯s gaze turned serious. ¡®He¡¯s about to finally get down to business,¡¯ thought Crockta. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor straightened their backs. It was time to get serious. They had been enjoying a brief break, but the Great Northern War was imminent. ¡°Crockta,¡± said Zelkyan. ¡°Please speak.¡± Zelkyan hesitated and then asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s cheating to enhance your body with spells?¡± A branch of the World Tree suddenly appeared and smacked the back of Zelkyan¡¯s head. ¡°Ah, I was just joking,¡± Zelkyan muttered. He scratched his head and then looked at Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. ¡°Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. I heard a lot about you. You came from the continent and are probably the ones who opened up the north. I can tell you are heroes from all the work you did fighting against the chiefdom in the north.¡± Crockta nodded. Zelkyan wrapped his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You guys are really strong, but... you need to be even stronger to fight against the chiefdom and win,¡± stated Zelkyan. ¡°Are they that strong?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°You can¡¯t win against the chieftain with just strength,¡± replied Zelkyan. The World Tree stirred next to him, and Zelkyan looked at it. They seemed to bemunicating without words. Zelkyan nodded. ¡°Crockta, the World Tree asked me to tell you something,¡± Zelkyan said with a serious expression. However, before rying the World Tree¡¯s message, Zelkyan paused for a second and gave the World Tree a look as if he was saying something to it. The World Tree waved the tip of its branch, urging him to continue. ¡°Whew... Yes, it can¡¯t be helped during these times. Understood. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Zelkyan scratched his head with a bitter look on his face and then pointed at the World Tree. ¡°This guy said...¡± Then he pointed at Crockta¡¯s crew with his other hand. ¡°You, be my disciples!¡± Chapter 105: The Great Northern War (1)

Chapter 105: The Great Northern War (1)

Crockta shook his head at Zelkyan¡¯s question about bing a disciple. After all, Crockta already had a star on his forehead; he had be the Ashen God¡¯s disciple when he joined Elder Lord. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to be bound to anyone. Zelkyan seemed disappointed by Crockta¡¯s refusal. ¡°There are many good things if you be a disciple. You can be strong and have great muscles like me,¡± Zelkyan said. He flexed his arms, and his round biceps bulged out. ¡°I will also refuse,¡± replied Tiyo. Zelkyan turned to look at him. Tiyo justified his refusal, ¡°Although we will receive powers if we be a disciple, we will be given missions to aplish.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Zelkyan. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be bound to anyone. I will be stronger on my own.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± The branch of the World Tree shook like a tentacle and tied itself into a loose knot, looking like a pair of crossed arms. It seemed shocked by the consecutive rejections. Zelkyan¡¯s attention shifted to Anor. He looked at Anor with expectant eyes because thetter was a dark elf. The World Tree was holy to dark elves, so unlike orcs and gnomes, most dark elves would think of this opportunity as an honor. Despite that, Anor smiled and shook his head. ¡°Ahh, why?¡± Zelkyan spread open his arms in surprise. ¡°The opportunity to be a disciple of the World Tree isn¡¯t given to everyone. It¡¯s a great gift.¡± ¡°But I will be tied to this ce if I be a disciple of the World Tree,¡± Anor said. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a blessing to be with the World Tree.¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Anor while ncing at Crockta and Tiyo. ¡°I have to go to the continent with them.¡± Anor hadn¡¯t forgotten about the promise he¡¯d made with Crockta and Tiyo to explore the continent together. He had an important goal. Zelkyan nodded and relented. ¡°If it¡¯s because of friendship... I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± He shifted his gaze to the faraway sunset, which saturated his face in red light. After a while, Zelkyan turned back toward them and said, ¡°Follow me.¡± They entered the interior of the World Tree again. The group rode the branch down to the staircase located on the upper level and then followed Zelkyan into his office. The room was empty, with just a single desk. However, the wooden floor immediately warped and formed chairs. Crockta and his friends were able to see with their own eyes what the dark elves meant when they said the World Tree had created the ce. When they sat down on the chairs that the World Tree had provided for them, the inside of the office shifted again and created a table for them. Moreover, Tiyo¡¯s chair was made higher so that he could be at eye level with everyone else. This was custom-made furniture. The branch that expressed the will of the World Tree appeared in the office. It was bizarre to see the branch freely moving around like a tentacle, but Crockta felt a sense of familiarity with it. ¡°Everyone, sitfortably,¡± said Zelkyan. He puffed out his chest, showing a sense of pride in the World Tree¡¯s power. ¡°Now, I will tell you guys what we have to do.¡± The table transformed. The wooden surface was undted up and down and formed contours, creating an intricately engraved map. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor watched the transformation in awe. The branch loudly tapped on the table as if urging them to get down to business. Zelkyan pointed at Spinora on the map. ¡°We are here.¡± Then he pointed at the territory of the chiefdom, the base of the orcs. ¡°The chieftain is here.¡± After that, he used a pen to draw an arrow on the table and marked the chiefdom¡¯s travel route. The orcs¡¯ territory had expanded and was advancing toward dark elf territory. There was already an ongoing battle at the boundary of dark elf territory. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of strategies and tactics,¡± Zelkyan said as he drew a circle around an untouched area. ¡°They arrive in a week.¡± He drew another line at the circle and extended it into a long arrow toward the dark elves¡¯ center. Then he wrote the word ¡®monster¡¯ inside the circle. ¡°We have to stop him,¡± Zelkyan stated. He was referring to the chieftain. ¡°Is the chieftain that strong? Even for a disciple of the World Tree?¡± asked Tiyo. As a disciple of the World Tree, Zelkyan had special powers, but he shook his head at the question. ¡°You don¡¯t suddenly be invincible once you be a disciple of the World Tree. Also...¡± Zelkyan tapped the word ¡®monster¡¯ with his pen. ¡°I think this guy... is a disciple as well.¡± ¡°A disciple?¡± muttered Crockta. ¡°Yes, but he¡¯spletely irrational right now,¡± replied Zelkyan. ¡°Whose disciple could he be?¡± asked Crockta. He thought of the system, the woman who had given him unknown powers. Based on the name of his skill Eyes of the Ashen God, the woman had to be the Ashen God or the Fallen God. The World Tree seemed like a divine entity too. Was this war a fight of the gods? Which god had given powers to the chieftain? ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain. I don¡¯t know much about orcs,¡± replied Zelkyan. Crockta¡¯s Heart and Soul Prating Eye was telling him that Zelkyan had potent powers. He could feel the formidable aura that Zelkyan exuded, but even this man was extremely wary of the chieftain. Zelkyan¡¯s uncertain attitude implied that he believed the chieftain was stronger than him. ¡°So, what do you want from us? Where should we fight?¡± asked Crockta. That was the key point. Regardless of what they discussed and spected, they still had to fight. Once it became clear which battlefield they would have to spill blood on, they would dly make it overflow with the blood of enemies. That was the task of the soldier. ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush. We will do our job keeping them at bay, so slowly¡ª¡± Crockta cut off Zelkyan by pointing at Nuridot¡¯s surrounding areas and then at the outskirts of dark elf territory on the map. Zelkyan shut up. All of the areas that Crockta had pointed at were spots where the dark elves were already engaged inbat. ¡°How can we not be urgent, Zelkyan? This is not a toy soldier¡¯s game,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...¡± ¡°The war has already begun. You seem upied with the chieftain, but those on the front lines are dying from an onught of enemies right now. I don¡¯t want to waste any more time. If that¡¯s all you have to say, thening to Spinora seems to have been a waste of time.¡± Tiyo, who had been listening, nodded in agreement and chimed in, ¡°We have to go to the front lines as soon as possible to prevent more casualties. If you called us just to ask us to be the World Tree¡¯s disciples, then we will go back where we came from.¡± Zelkyan was silent for a while and then nodded. ¡°Understood. It seems like I have been toocent,¡± Zelkyan replied. He pointed at the branch and remarked, ¡°It seems like the way I perceive things has changed... since I¡¯ve been connected to him.¡± The branch didn¡¯t respond. It was a divine being, so it probably perceived the battle between dark elves and orcs as tiny dots on a map, just like how humans did not care much about the lives of ants. It was evident based on its inclination to focus on the chieftain, who seemed to be a disciple of another divine being, rather than the lives of dark elves and orcs. However, Crockta¡¯s perspective was starkly different. Crockta was looking at the map through the eyes of those whose blood was being spilled on the front line¡ª someone who didn¡¯t have a second to waste. ¡°I will give you a fast karuk, so you can prepare to depart tomorrow. Spinora will also get moving,¡± said Zelkyan. ¡°Understood.¡± Zelkyan¡¯s expression changed. He now had a bitter smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m d I met you guys. No one questions my judgment here,¡± he told them. To the dark elves, the disciple of the World Tree was like a stand-in for a god, so they revered Zelkyan as if he were a holy being. ¡°So...¡± Zelkyan wanted to say something, but there was a sudden rumble. The World Tree was shaking. Crockta held onto the table. Tiyo came down from his chair and crouched down. Anor fell from his wobbling chair. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Crockta asked, looking at Zelkyan. The branch of the World Tree was gone; it was as if it had been pulled elsewhere. ¡°The World Tree... has been attacked,¡± replied Zelkyan with a serious look on his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Zelkyan briskly stepped out of the office. The interior of the World Tree was in chaos. The dark elves working inside the World Tree didn¡¯t understand what was happening and were running around in confusion, but their confusion came to a stop once Zelkyan appeared. ¡°Everyone, hold your spots,¡± ordered Zelkyan. ¡°Yes,¡± replied the dark elves. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Zelkyan. Crockta and his friends followed after Zelkyan, who walked up the stairs to ride the branch, which was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Everyone got on top of the branch, and it instantly rose. Unlike earlier, it moved with a sense of urgency. The branch came to a stop in the middle of the World Tree, where it parted to create an exit. After riding outside on the huge branch, they witnessed an unimaginable scene. Wyvern corpses were hanging from branches. Ten or so wyverns, fully d in steel, were spasming with blood dripping down from their heads. They had flown from a distant ce and charged at the World Tree with the full momentum of their steel armor, causing it to crack open and leak sap. The World Tree looked like it was bleeding. ¡°It¡¯s not a big wound. It¡¯s okay,¡± said Zelkyan. Right then, they noticed something on the necks of the wyverns. ¡°...!¡± Crockta and Zelkyan could see clearly what it was now. For a while, they were at a loss for words. ¡°The chieftain is really... really crazy...¡± muttered Tiyo. Bizarre nes made with dark elf heads hung from the wyverns¡¯ necks. The numerous soulless faces gazed into the distance. The nes were terrifying adornments, each one made with dozens of dark elf heads. There were more than ten wyverns, which meant that hundreds of dark elf heads had been delivered to the World Tree. It was a warning from the chieftain. ¡°That... bastard...¡± Zelkyan¡¯s voice trembled along with his hands. His eyes emitted a burst of blue light, as if something had exploded behind them. ¡°How dare he...¡± Zelkyan¡¯s voice rang loudly throughout Spinora. The disciple of the World Tree, was in utter rage. ¡°How dare he?!?!¡± The World Tree stirred. ¡°Calmahart, I will kill you no matter what!¡± roared Zelkyan. Crockta ced a hand on Zelkyan¡¯s shoulder to calm him down. Anor, on the other hand, covered his ears with his hands because of how loud Zelkyan¡¯s roar was. After taking a few deep breaths, Zelkyan gradually regained hisposure. ¡°Whew...¡± Zelkyan stared nkly into space and then at Crockta. His eyes were still filled with rage. ¡°Crockta, you are right. I had been too na?ve about the whole situation.¡± He ced a hand on Crockta¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°As the disciple of the World Tree, I beg you, will you please fight against that crazy chieftain with us?¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any time to waste,¡± stated Crockta. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± ¡°So, tell us where you want us to go next,¡± said Crockta with a grin. Zelkyan closed his eyes. He thought about it for a second and then replied, ¡°Ameranyan.¡± Ameranyan was the city with the most intense battles going on and the site of the most dangerous front line, which took the brunt of the orcs¡¯ attacks. It was on the verge of falling under the chiefdom¡¯s control. Crockta beamed. ¡°dly.¡± Thus, while the orcs¡¯ siege weapons were breaking down Ameranyan¡¯s city walls, a figure was walking toward the chiefdom orcs. It was a tattoo-covered orc warrior who carried a frighteninglyrge greatsword and had a demonic belt on his waist. This was the official start of the Great Northern War. Chapter 106: The Great Northern War (2)

Chapter 106: The Great Northern War (2)

The enemies multiplied endlessly and struck the city walls. ¡°Ahhh...¡± ¡°Caska, there¡¯s no time to sigh.¡± ¡°I know. I know.¡± Caska pulled on her bowstring. Their job was to relentlessly pull on their bowstrings until the city walls came down, so she nocked another arrow and prayed that her arrow would pierce just one more orc. Then, as she lowered the tip of her arrow to aim, she prayed that the city walls would hold on just a bit longer. The city walls trembled. The enemies were close now. The dark elf magician¡¯s fire struck the center of the enemies, but the orc sorcerer¡¯s magic neutralized it. The ball of fire turned into dozens of mes and dissipated into the air. ¡®Where¡¯s the enemy¡¯s sorcerer?¡¯ Caska wondered. She scanned the battlefield to gauge the situation and spotted the orc sorcerer among orcs d in shabby armor who were looking up at the city wall. The sorcerer stood out because he was the only one wearing a robe. ¡°I¡¯m aiming for the sorcerer,¡± said Caska. ¡°I will join you,¡± said hermander. Caska and hermander aimed their arrows at the same time. The sorcerer¡¯s eyes seemed to be looking at them as he slowly scanned the city walls. His yellow eyes gave off the feeling of something putrid. Despite the great distance between them, the sorcerer made eye contact with Caska. His expression seemed to be smugly saying that he knew everything about her. Caska suddenly had the urge to vomit. She moved the tip of her finger and released the bowstring. Her arrow and hermander¡¯s shot into the air side by side. They pierced through the air and headed toward the sorcerer''s forehead and eyes. The sorcerer waved his staff, and the arrows stopped in front of his eyes. The two arrows then changed direction and turned around. The sharp arrowheads seemed to re at Caska and hermander and retraced the trajectory they had traveled, sliding back toward Caska and hermander. ¡°Get down!¡± Caska yelled. She ttened herself against the ground as the arrows charged toward them because of the reversal spell. As she closed her eyes, Caska heard something explode. Something that smelled like blood spilled onto her right shoulder. The dark elf next to her copsed with a thud. ¡®I¡¯m on the battlefield. Life and death are just fleeting moments.¡¯ She got back up without looking around to check on her fallenrade. Her superiors had changed multiple times as she protected the city, and another newly assignedmanding officer had just turned into a corpse at her feet. ¡°What a loser... just dying like that,¡± muttered Caska. She pulled back her bowstring, but the orc sorcerer was nowhere in sight. Her arrow trembled as she lowered her aim. The orcs were crawling up the city walls. Caska focused on an orc who had ced his feet on adder and started to climb it. Thedders were so low that the orcs appeared to be hanging from the wall even after climbing it. Nevertheless, they continued to ascend the wall like ants without looking behind them. Caska¡¯s gaze met the eyes of the orc supporting the orc who was climbing thedder. While maintaining eye contact with him, she shot her arrow toward the orc climbing up thedder. ¡®Do you also feel nauseous like me?¡¯ she wondered. Her arrow flew downward and struck the head of the orc on thedder. ¡®No, I was mistaken,¡¯ Caska realized. The orc below climbed up thedder, taking the ce of his fallenrade without any changes in his expression. Caska¡¯s hands moved rapidly, and she nocked another arrow on the bowstring and fired it at the orc. That orc died, and another orc climbed up thedder in his ce. No matter how many she killed, more orcs swarmed up thedder like toy soldiers. Failing repeatedly couldn¡¯t kill their morale. ¡°Caska! Do you have any arrows left?¡± Caska¡¯srade asked. Caska fumbled through her barrel of arrows. The once abundant stash of arrows had diminished to just two arrows. She nocked her secondst arrow on her bowstring and replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Dammit! What are they doing at the back?!¡± Caska ignored herrade¡¯s words and solemnly aimed her arrow. ¡®Just two shots left. Where is the sorcerer who killed my superior?¡¯ She looked around the entire battlefield in search of the orc sorcerer from before. Caska had to kill him, but all the orcs she saw seemed the same. ¡®How did these detestable guys increase their numbers to this extent and create such arge army? Did their whole species turn into soldiers? Is every single orc marching into battle with their weapons and trying to knock down our city walls? What an ursed species!¡¯ ¡°Filthy pieces of shit.¡± Then Caska finally spotted the orc sorcerer. He was muttering something with his staff raised. Caska stood behind a guard to hide her figure from the orc sorcerer¡¯s view, but she left enough of a gap for her arrow to pierce through. She emptied her mind to feel the flow of the wind with her body as she aimed her arrow. After all, the most beautiful pottery wasn¡¯t produced through painstaking scrutiny but with a clear and focused mind. Just like how a potter¡¯s daily thoughts created the most beautiful curve, Caska calmly pulled her arrow, the embodiment of her murderous intent, backward to the fullest against the bowstring while she envisioned her arrow piercing the orc¡¯s neck the way she pictured what she wanted to eat for dinner. The arrow departed from her string and closed the great distance between her and the orc sorcerer in an instant. The arrow flew toward his neck. Caska muttered, ¡°So annoying.¡± During that brief moment, the sorcerer had opened his eyes wide, stopped his chanting, and pulled over the guard who was in front of him. The arrowhead pierced the neck of the guard instead of the sorcerer and came to a stop right in front of the sorcerer. Caska immediately nocked another arrow. She still had one shot left. She swiftly fired herst arrow at the sorcerer, who was trying to take off. However, she had underestimated the sorcerer¡¯s speed. He moved more quickly than she had expected, and her arrow ended up piercing his calf. The sorcerer tumbled to the ground and crawled forward while looking behind him. Caska threw away her empty barrel, took out a dagger from her waist and thrust it into the head of her dead superior. ¡°What are you doing, Caska?!¡± herrade eximed. ¡°Shut up.¡± Blood spurted all over Caska as she pierced the brain of her dead superior. She dug the dagger deeper inside his head. Then she took out the arrow that had pierced him, releasing warm steam from his skull. She nocked the blood-soaked arrow on the bowstring. She pulled her arrow back as far as possible, staining her cheek with blood as her hand brushed past her face. She could almost taste the blood¡¯s metallic taste staining her lips. Caska smiled bitterly and muttered, ¡°Really... So annoying.¡± Her arrow sliced through the air. ¡®Everything is meaningless.¡¯ She wanted to kill all of them. ¡®I¡¯m so fucking tired of you guys. Just fucking die.¡¯ However, the orc sorcerer muttered something, and a protective barrier formed around him. Caska¡¯s arrow failed to reach its target, stopping short and striking the magic barrier instead. The force of the arrow caused a crack to form on the barrier, and the barrier copsed afterward. The arrow fell feebly to the ground. The orc sorcerer let out a sigh of relief and took a deep breath. Orc soldiers quickly ran toward him and surrounded him to protect him withyers of shields. Caska didn¡¯t have any arrows left. She let out a hollowugh and then kicked the railing on the wall. ¡°Dammit!¡± she shouted. ¡°Caska.¡± ¡°Dammmiittt!¡± Caska grabbed the hem of herrade¡¯s garment. ¡°Give me one of your arrows. I have to kill him no matter what.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you have any arrows?!¡± Caska shouted at the top of her lungs. The orcs were gradually climbing up the city walls, and the archers¡¯ supply had been cut off for a long time. Caska could see the supply squad transporting arrows in the distance, but it would be a while until it was her unit¡¯s turn. ¡°Stop being childish and use your knife,¡± Caska¡¯srade chided. ¡°I¡¯m not good with knives!¡± ¡°You were pretty good earlier.¡± ¡°...¡± Caska angrily kicked her superior¡¯s corpse. ¡°Stop it,¡± said herrade. Caska red at the orc sorcerer with bloodshot eyes. He was backing away from the battlefield with his guards protecting him. That sorcerer had been tormenting dark elves on the city walls since the beginning of the siege. If they excluded the orc warriors fighting on the front line and leading the attacks, the orc who really analyzed the situation andmanded the orc troops was that bizarre orc sorcerer. He was basically amanding officer. Right then, Caska saw something. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked. The thing that caught her eye was a huge greatsword glistening under the hot northern sun, and that greatsword was resting on the shoulder of an orc walking over to the battlefield. Covered in tattoos, the orc had an intimidating appearance. ¡°Is he a member of the chiefdom?¡± ¡°But...¡± That ridiculouslyrge greatsword looked more like the g of a g bearer walking ahead of an army than a weapon. The orc with the greatsword and the orc sorcerer ran into each other. The orc sorcerer shouted at the newly arrived orc, but thetter didn¡¯t respond. He instead brought down the greatsword from his shoulder. Caska felt an adrenaline rush from seeing the orc handle such a heavy weapon with ease. She could immediately tell that he wasn¡¯t like the other orcs she had seen before. He was in his own league. Right then, the greatsword swung horizontally through the air, splitting the sorcerer and his soldiers into halves. With just one horizontal sh, their blood, intestines, and bits of their spines flew in the air and scattered everywhere. ¡°Ah...¡± Caska¡¯srade uttered, his mouth gaping open in shock. Caska was utterly shocked too. The orc with the greatsword then trampled over the horrors he had created and walked toward the orcs charging against the city walls. Caska¡¯s gaping mouth turned into a smile upon seeing what happened next. Each time the orc swung his greatsword, more of the chiefdom orcs died. The chiefdom orcs weren¡¯t paying any attention to what was going on behind them. They were preupied with clinging onto the city walls and ramming their siege weapons against the city gates. The orc with the greatsword simply walked up behind them and lopped off their heads one by one. Blood sprayed into the air each time a life was taken. The orc was executing a carnage that Caska had been unable to bring forth with her arrows. ¡°So cool.¡± Caska¡¯s shoulders trembled as sheughed. ¡°That orc guy is so cool...¡± There was a loud bang, and the city gates finally busted open. The chiefdom orcs swarmed inside. The dark elves tried to block the enemies with spears from behind a barricade, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the flood of orcs. Right then, a huge roar shook the earth. All of the dark elves and orcs turned their heads toward the source of the sound. It was a roar so powerful that they forgot they were in a life-and-death situation. Their ears buzzed from the shock. ¡°Calmahart is a crook,¡± said the source of the sound. The chiefdom orcs¡¯ expressions changed upon hearing their chieftain get insulted. Calmahart was a holy being to them. He was the one who would make them conquerors of the northern region and then owners of the world. Yet, this orc was insulting the chieftain... alone, in the face of arge army. ¡°Calmahart is a pussy, and he will die by my hands,¡± the lone orc continued. Then he raised his greatsword and grinned. ¡°Do you have a problem with what I¡¯m saying?¡± One of the chiefdom orcs shouted, ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± ¡°Who is this guy?!¡± One by one, the orcs raised their weapons against him. The orcs¡¯ siege around the city entrance and walls lost its momentum. ¡°There seems to be a lot ofints. In that case...¡± the orc with the greatsword said. He raised a hand and then beckoned at them with his finger. ¡°Come.¡± The chiefdom orcs gave in to his provocation. They all turned away from the dark elves and ran toward that lone orc. Like a swarm of ants climbing up a tree, they stomped on the earth and charged at him. His life was now at stake; he was about to be surrounded by numerous orcs. Right then, the supply squad arrived with a cart full of arrows and handed them to Caska. Caska instinctively grabbed a handful of arrows, threw them onto the ground, and hurriedly nocked an arrow. ¡°What is everyone doing?!¡± she eximed. ¡°You guys should be supporting him! Wake up!¡± There was nomander to guide her unit anymore. They were all dead, but Caska was still alive. She was themander now. The dark elves in her unit came to their senses and nocked their arrows one by one. The orc was about to be enclosed by the enemy orcs. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then kill! Shoot like crazy!¡± Caska shouted. A rain of arrows filled the sky, and the lone orc¡¯s de shed as it split the earth. The chiefdom orcs crumbled to the ground. ¡°This is no joke...¡± Caska remarked. She grinned and fired her arrows in session. The blood that had sttered on her face from when she had crushed her superior¡¯s head had dried up. Her blood-covered smile on the battlefield was madness itself. ¡°Do you think that orc will die?¡± asked Caska¡¯srade. They could no longer see him. They didn¡¯t know why an orc was fighting against other orcs or why he had gone into the enemy¡¯s lines on his own. ¡°He will probably die,¡± said Caska with a smile. ¡°But if he doesn¡¯t die and is still alive when this battle is over...¡± Suddenly, the cold gleam of the greatsword shed brilliantly among the orcs, ripping through them and sending them flying into the air. Caska shuddered at the sight of the orc¡¯s fierce gaze amid the fountain of blood. ¡°Then I don¡¯t mind giving him my first kiss,¡± Caska expressed with augh. ¡°Hey...¡± muttered herrade. Caska released another arrow. It flew into the air and pierced the head of a chiefdom soldier who had been lunging toward the back of one of herrades. She smiled as she nocked another arrow and added, ¡°I mean it.¡± Chapter 107: The Great Northern War (3)

Chapter 107: The Great Northern War (3)

Earlier... When Crockta reached Ameranyan, the first thing he saw was a city on the verge of copse, and arge army of orcs surrounding it. Crockta had arrived first by speeding up his karuk, so Tiyo and Anor were still behind him in the distance. He got down from his karuk and ran toward the battlefield. By the time he arrived, the arrows flying in the sky were decreasing in number like streams drying up during a drought. The orcs climbing up thedders had already reached the top of the city walls. The walls protecting Ameranyan were about to crumble from the constant beating of the battering rams against the city gates. Crockta looked down at something by his feet. He saw the lifeless eyes of a dark elf¡¯s corpse looking up at the sky. Then he looked at the dark elf¡¯s smooth hands. They were extremely pale and seemingly soft as if she had never held a weapon before. On one of her fingers was a ring. Crockta kneeled, closed the dark elf¡¯s eyes, and ced his hand on top of hers. He then noticed the engraving on her ring. [A L Y A.] He didn¡¯t know whether it was the name of the dark elf or her lover. Crockta moved the dark elf¡¯s hand from her stomach to her chest. Then Crockta suddenly heard a sound. It wasing from the corpse. He looked at the corpse¡¯s shut eyes. ¡®Is the sound from the wind or her voice?¡¯ Crockta closed his eyes to focus and activated the skill Introduction to Magic to awaken his five senses. He resonated with his surroundings and listened to the hearts of the leaves and the calls of the wind. He had taken the first step of the miracle called magic. Then Crockta opened his eyes again. He had certainly heard a mysterious voiceing from the point between the sky and the earth where the merciless sun rays beat down on the dark elf¡¯s corpse. Was it really just the wind? Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t matter. Crockta raised his sword. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. The wind rose again, and the grass ttened against the ground. He continued, ¡°Just watch me from here.¡± Crockta walked forward. The city looked like a sand castle on the verge of copse due to an army of ants. The orcs relentlessly struck Ameranyan¡¯s city walls. Their goal was to capture the city, and ughter was imminent. However, a soft breeze gently pushed his back. How could he ignore its soft urging? Crockta raised his sword in the direction that the breeze was blowing and walked toward the army of orcs. He saw the injured orc sorcerer and his group of soldiers protecting him. Then he looked up at the city walls where skilled dark elf archers were present. The chiefdom orcs shouted at him and asked him a few questions. ¡®Who am I? Where am I from, and where am I going?¡¯ Crockta thought about their questions for a moment. Without answering, he smirked and swung his greatsword. The world slowed down, and the air trembled. The world¡¯s energy moved ording to his hands as it transferred and reconfigured power. The Ogre yer sliced through the world, cutting the sorcerer and his guards in half. Blood burst out like a fountain. This was his reply to their questions. Crockta proceeded to move quickly. He approached the enemies silently while they were fully engrossed in the battle in front of them and left their backs exposed. Crockta promptly pierced their backs, split their spines, and then chopped off their heads. He killed them in session as if they had each been waiting for their turn. To ovee the vast difference in numbers, Crockta needed to effectively carry out all of his attacks. He needed to kill his opponents in a single blow and do a thorough job. He had to finish his enemies off cleanly, so there would be no need to deal with them a second time. ¡°Ackkk!¡± While Crockta ended the lives of his enemies, the rain of arrows from the dark elves gradually died down. He wondered if they had run out of arrows. By this time, some of the chiefdom orcs had noticed his presence and had turned around to face him. Crockta smirked and exchanged blows with them. Thud! Bam! As Crockta shed his enemies, the city gates copsed. He saw the devastation that the chiefdom orcs¡¯ attack on Ameranyan had caused as well as the dark elves¡¯ despondent expressions. The orcs did not miss this opportunity and rushed toward the city¡¯s entrance in a frenzy, charging inside Ameranyan like a rising tide. The dark elves set up barricades and swung their spears to block the orcs, but the orcs forged ahead, stepping on theirrades¡¯ corpses to attack the dark elves. The area surrounding the entrance quickly became dyed red with blood, and the orcs were now moving further inside like a violent wave. Crockta stopped. The wind blew toward him. He took a deep breath and let the air sink to the very bottom of his lungs. The air condensed inside the deepest core of his energy center as his steely body sucked in as much air as possible. Then he shouted, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr!¡± His battle cry sent a ripple of soundwaves through the air and caused the earth to tremble. The chiefdom orcs blocked their ears and turned around to look at the source of the sound. Crockta nced at them one by one. They probably had no idea what the word he had just shouted meant, but after this war was over, everyone in the northern region would understand the meaning behind it. Crockta grinned and stated, ¡°Calmahart is a crook.¡± The chiefdom orcs¡¯ expressions changed. They looked confused, as if they didn¡¯t understand what they had just heard. Crockta continued, ¡°Calmahart is a pussy, and he will die in my hands.¡± The orcs tightly gripped their weapons. Crockta wanted to provoke them to the extent that they would forget about entering Ameranyan. He grinned and taunted, ¡°Do you have a problem with what I¡¯m saying?¡± All the orcs on the battlefield could hear Crockta¡¯s voice clearly, and their hostility switched from Ameranyan to Crockta. An army¡¯s worth of murderous intent and hostility, which was enough to seize a fortress, now headed toward Crockta, and he dly received them. All of the hairs on his body stood up. He couldn¡¯t stifle theughter that was escaping his mouth. The gazes of all the orcs standing in front of him were burning with the desire to kill him. Yet, instead of feeling afraid, Crockta felt thrilled at the sight of this scene. The orcs raged; they shouted and exploded with insults at Crockta. Crockta nodded. ¡°You guys seem to have a lot ofints, then....¡± He raised his hand. The eyes of the thousands of orcs and dark elves on the city walls were focused on him. Crockta beckoned to the orcs and said, ¡°Come.¡± That word served as a signal. The orcs immediately swarmed toward him like a burst dam from all directions. They stepped over theirrades and charged at him like a tsunami. Axes, spears, and swords filled his vision. The world grew slower. Blood sttered with each sh of the lone orc¡¯s de. ¡®Blood, the source of life.¡¯ Crockta gazed intently, not missing a single movement. ¡®Are you alive?¡¯ The tattoos all over his body were burning up. He sped his greatsword. ¡®Or are you just breathing?¡¯ The swarming orcs shed at him with their swords and all of the hatred and rage they felt toward him. Why were they so angry about such trivial things? ¡®Honor.¡¯ Crockta swung his greatsword for the things that they should be truly angry about. *** An arrow struck a fleeing orc¡¯s back. He was thest chiefdom orc on the battlefield. The battle had ended, but none of the dark elves in Ameranyan cheered. They just looked at Crockta in awe. ¡°What is that...¡± A multitude of orcs were sprawled on the ground in a heap like a dam made of corpses, and at the center of it all was a blood-covered orc propping himself up with his greatsword. The lone orc had faced a huge army on his own and had survived. The dark elves had been able to shoot and ughter the orcs with ease as if they were aiming at training targets because Crockta had received the bulk of the army¡¯s attacks. There wasn¡¯t a single part of Crockta¡¯s body that had been left uninjured. He was covered in bleeding wounds, and there was a broken spear stuck in his side, and an arrow stuck in his shoulder. He had wounds so deep in his shoulders and thighs that it was hard for him to continue standing. Nevertheless, he had won. It was the feat of a one-man army. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± questioned Caska. A dark elf beside her was aiming his arrow at the orc. ¡°We don¡¯t know who he is,¡± the dark elf said. Caska¡¯s face crumpled into a scowl. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see him receiving the orcs¡¯ attacks on our behalf?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just another orc. Anyway¡ªouch!¡± Caska, who was wearing military boots, kicked herrade¡¯s shin fiercely, causing him to clutch his leg in pain. She tried to p him too, but the dark elves around them held her back. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking spy, right? Did you receive money from the chiefdom?¡± asked Caska. ¡°What! What are you saying?¡± ¡°Then why are you shooting at someone on the same side, you asshole!¡± Caska shouted. Herrade lowered his head sheepishly. ¡°Send medics to treat that orc!¡± Caska yelled. The dark elves came to their senses at hermand and ran outside. They carried the orc and his greatsword inside on a stretcher. The orc wouldn¡¯t let go of his greatsword, so they had to carry them both. Numerous dark elves swarmed to his side to help bring him into the city. Caska sighed as she looked outside the city walls, and all she saw were corpses. ¡°I¡¯m so sick and fed up with it all,¡± Caska voiced. One of herradesughed. ¡°It will be like this in the future too.¡± ¡°I know...¡± Caska leaned back on the railing and watched the dust rising beyond the horizon. ¡°They say that the orcs are advancing in hordes. They wille again.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t end until the chieftain dies,¡± said herrade. ¡°I know...¡± Caska nced behind her. The orc was being taken to the medical corps. He still had some consciousness and asionally exchanged words with the dark elves attending to him. A crowd of dark elves huddled in a corner and kept ncing at him. ¡°So tiring...¡± Caska muttered. She felt as if all of her energy had been drained during the week that they battled the orcs. However, they had ultimately defeated their enemies thanks to that orc, so they would be able to take a brief break until the next battle. Other cities near Ameranyan were still engaged in a bloody siege. As Caska gazed at the scenery beyond the walls, she suddenly noticed a cloud of dust approaching the city. ¡°...!¡± She instinctively grabbed a bow. ¡®Are the chiefdom¡¯s reinforcements already here? But the scouting team said we still have time.¡¯ Upon seeing Caska¡¯s reaction, herrade¡¯s face stiffened. The two of them gazed at the horizon and saw a karuk running toward them while kicking up dust. Riding on it was a small gnome. ¡°What... What is that?¡± ¡°Hmm... He¡¯s not an enemy, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s kind of... cute?¡± The gnome was kicking the karuk forward with a fierce expression on his face. A frightened dark elf, who was holding onto the gnome¡¯s waist, was shouting at him to slow down. Before long, the gnome and dark elf arrived at Ameranyan. The gnome looked up at Ameranyan¡¯s city walls and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m here now!¡± The dark elves on the city walls looked silently at each other. ¡°I will stop the orcs! My name is Tiyo!¡± No one responded. Tiyo shouted again, ¡°Come, lead me inside the city!¡± ¡°...¡± Caska turned her head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s... Tiyo?¡± ¡°Tiyo? What¡¯s that?¡± wondered Caska. A soldier interrupted their conversation, ¡°Tiyo seems to be one of the travelers from the continent.¡± ¡°From the continent... Then, that means he¡¯s one of them?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard there are three of them. An orc, a gnome, and a mixed dark elf who recently joined them... I think the orc warrior from earlier is called Crockta.¡± ¡°That guy¡¯s Crockta?¡± Caska uttered, opening her eyes wide in surprise. She had forgotten the name, but she remembered now. She had heard that travelers from the continent were making waves in the northern region and that they had traveled from Mount Lun to Nuridot, Nameragon, and then Spinora. Everyone had said that their leader, the orc warrior, waspletely different from the orcs here. It was rumored that he was stronger than all of the other orcs and that he did notmit unjust acts. Caska had heard that he was an orc who followed a code of honor¡ªa kind of orc that did not exist in the northern region. He was the orc warrior Crockta. ¡°Tell him toe inside,¡± said Caska. The dark elves let Tiyo and Anor inside. The gnome named Tiyo acted all cocky and shoutedmands at the dark elves, but after that, he quickly headed to the medical corps to see Crockta. While watching Tiyo, Caska nodded and remarked, ¡°So, the rumors were true...¡± Caska had witnessed Crockta¡¯s courage firsthand as he faced countless soldiers on his own without looking back. He also possessed formidable skill and ughtered enemies with a single blow. Caska¡¯s tension disappeared from her face. Herradeughed. ¡°Look at your expression. Did you really mean it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Caska looked at him. ¡°Are you really going to give him your first kiss?¡± Caska smirked. ¡°Why, you don¡¯t think I can?¡± ¡°I could totally see you try... but that orc might reject you.¡± ¡°Haha, what are you saying?¡± Caska pointed at her face and gestured at her body. Her face looked haggard from the battle, and she was exhausted and covered in dirt. Nevertheless, her deep blue eyes did not lose their spark and shone brightly. She had a straight nose, scarlet lips that looked like flower petals in bloom, and a voluptuous body that was toned from rigorous training. She was a beauty who stood out even among dark elves. Caska propped her face on her hands and grinned. ¡°Unless he can¡¯t get it up.¡± Chapter 108: The Great Northern War (4)

Chapter 108: The Great Northern War (4)

Crockta was currently lying down on a bed in the infirmary. His wounds were healing quickly thanks to his Pinnacle-tier skill, Indomitable Restoration. Earlier, he had removed the arrow that was stuck in his shoulder, and his flesh had swiftly patched itself up. Shocked by the sight of Crockta¡¯s regenerative abilities, Tiyo said, ¡°I already knew this, but your regenerative powers are insane.¡± Crockta smirked. Even for him, it hadn¡¯t been an easy task to face arge group of soldiers alone. It had been impossible to avoid the sheer number of weapons that had attacked him, so he had injuries all over his body. Crockta had managed to avoid any critical injuries by adeptly dodging them, but it would take some time for him to fully recover. It had been thanks to him that the civilian dark elves in Ameranyan had sustained no serious damage. If the chiefdom orcs had charged through the gate and sessfully rushed into the city, there would have been a bloodbath, resulting in piles of corpses. All the dark elves in Ameranyan would likely have been killed or made into ves. However, Crockta had provoked the chiefdom orcs and endured their attacks. No, rather than endured, it was more urate to say he had overwhelmed and crushed the orcs. Crockta had received the support of the dark elves¡¯ arrows, but his power and force were at a level far above that of his enemies. With his Pinnacle-tier skills nearingpletion and the added effect of his skill Introduction to Magic, Crockta¡¯s senses had be as sharp as a de. During the battle, he could feel swords swinging at him from his back, hear all the shouts of the orcs, and feel every single drop of the orcs¡¯ blood on his skin. It felt like he was slowly bing a monster. As long as yers continued to think that Elder Lord was just a game, Crockta was confident that there was likely no yer who could beat him. ¡°Hey, is the orc here?¡± a dark elf asked as she pulled back the door p of the infirmary tent. She was carrying arrows on her back, and her strong, flexible muscles allowed her to move with great power. The way she strolled toward him reminded him of a ck panther. The female dark elf turned her head toward Crockta. She was beautiful and had graceful facial features. Her face and body were dirty from the long battle, but there was still a bright glint in her blue eyes, which sparkled like sapphire on her brown skin. Tiyo murmured, ¡°Wow, Crockta. Not bad.¡± Anor tilted his head. ¡°What do you mean by not bad?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell from a nce? Look at her eyes, bodynguage, and footsteps.¡± ¡°She seems angry. Do you think Crockta has wronged her somehow?¡± ¡°Geez! You¡¯re such an amateur. Quantes¡¯ greatest dating expert, Tiyo, has never been wrong in matters of love,¡± Tiyo whispered. ¡°If you watch for a bit longer, you¡¯ll get what I mean.¡± At the next moment, the female dark elf immediately approached Crockta. She appeared to have a high rank in the garrison; thebat medics in the infirmary stood up from their seats and respectfully greeted her. She replied to their greetings with a light nod. Her figure cast a shadow over Crockta, and he looked up at her with a questioning gaze. Then she extended one of her slender fingers toward him. Crockta watched dumbfoundedly as her hand approached his neck. Tiyo and Arno, who were observing this whole situation unfold from nearby, gulped. Anor asked, ¡°What is she doing?¡± Tiyo replied, ¡°Things are getting interesting.¡± The dark elfdy grabbed Crockta¡¯s cor ¡°...!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s!¡± By reflex, Tiyo and Anor clutched the bag of popcorn that was beside them and began gobbling the popcorn down. The family of the patient in the bed next to where they were standing had prepared the snack for their injured family member. Anor quickly realized his mistake and looked at the patient beside him. Nevertheless, the patient was also immersed in the drama unfolding before them and was stuffing popcorn into his mouth. Everyone was united as they watched the scene y out. Crockta asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He looked at the dark elfdy who was grabbing his cor and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re Crockta, right?¡± said the dark elfdy. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But before that...¡± ¡°My name is Caska.¡± ¡°Rather than your name, I would prefer it if you would let go of your hand first.¡± Crockta pointed at Caska¡¯s hand that was holding onto his cor. However, Caska merely smiled and moved closer to him. Then she said, ¡°You were cool earlier.¡± Anor put one hand on his mouth and hit Tiyo¡¯s arm with his other hand. He eximed excitedly, ¡°Oh, my goodness. What¡¯s happening?!¡± Tiyo replied, ¡°It¡¯s only natural that a man who made great achievements in battle and saved a city would pull a woman''s heartstrings.¡± ¡°As expected, Captain Caska is bold,¡± the dark elf patient beside them whispered with a nod. Yet, Crockta, who was directly involved in the affair, was calm. ¡°You¡¯re too close. It¡¯s ufortable,¡± he stated. ¡°It¡¯s ufortable?¡± Caska replied, smirking. Then she said, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Why are you calling out my name?¡± ¡°I almost fell for you right then and there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± Caska lightly tapped Crockta¡¯s forehead with hers and asked, ¡°Shall we kiss?¡± The whole infirmary fell dead silent because of the bombshell she had just dropped. Anor pped Tiyo¡¯s arm even more fiercely. Tiyo cried out, ¡°It hurts!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. This is seriously crazy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s very brazen, but as expected of Captain Caska.¡± The audience members were so immersed in the show that they even forgot to chew the popcorn in their mouths. However, the main characters of the romantic scene that the audience was watching didn¡¯t share their passion for romance. Crockta replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What?¡± Caska uttered in surprise as her eyes widened. Confused, she let go of Crockta¡¯s cor and then put her hands on the sides of her face. ¡°I¡¯m really pretty though...?¡± ¡°...¡± Caska pointed at her plump lips again. They looked like a blossoming scarlet flower. Despite the many years she¡¯d spent in battle, her lips were moist and without any cracks. The color of her lips was even more alluring with her dark skin. ¡°You really don¡¯t like me?¡± she asked. Crockta waspletely disgusted by her type because he was a pragmatist. He propped up his injured body with one arm and pointed at her with the other. He stated, ¡°Beauty is fleeting! All flowers wilt! You are certainly beautiful, but you did not earn that beauty. You just happened to inherit a beautiful face from your parents. It¡¯s not a result earned from putting in effort. A beautiful face does not represent the value of your existence by any means!¡± ¡°...!¡± All of the men inside the infirmary were dumbfounded. This orc was... big. He was a big, bold man. He was arge man who had the courage of a one-man army. What other man could reject such a beautiful woman based on their principles and beliefs? Caska¡¯s face stiffened. Crockta continued, ¡°Of course, I love beautiful things. ¡°T-Then, why?¡± asked Caska. ¡°The kind of beauty I speak of is not physical beauty,¡± dered Crockta as he pointed at himself with his thumb. ¡°I see more beauty in the hard work of a worker bee endlessly pping its wings and gathering honey and pollen than the beautiful colors of a flower.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Keep in mind that a person¡¯s value is based on their character, not beauty.¡± This orc acted on what everyone knew but didn¡¯t genuinely understand. By rejecting this beautiful elf woman, he had practiced what he preached. Jung Yi-An used to be a regr guy who only held such beliefs in his head and didn¡¯t practice them. However, his world waster turned upside down after meeting her¡ªthe woman who was well-matched with assault rifles and rocketunchers¡ªon the battlefield. Crockta almost teared up while thinking about his past love. To everyone else in the infirmary, it appeared as if he was pitying Caska¡¯s ignorance. Right then, everyone realized that Crockta wasn¡¯t just an exceptional warrior; he was a wise man. The silence was broken by Caska¡¯s rapid footsteps. She turned around and hurriedly left the infirmary the way she hade in. Tiyo calmly ced his bag of popcorn aside and walked toward Crockta. He ced a hand on Crockta¡¯s shoulder and muttered, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As expected of a man I have acknowledged.¡± Tiyo had an expression of admiration on his face. Anor was impressed as well. ¡°Amazing, Crockta. My opinion of you has changed.¡± Tiyo sighed. ¡°That elf was truly beautiful... I wouldn¡¯t have been able to reject her unless I was impotent. That is the way of a man...¡± He was beingpletely honest. Right then, Crockta responded by reflex. He still had trauma from his locked love mode. ¡°What is wrong with being impotent?¡± he asked. ¡°...¡± Crockta made a slip of the tongue! By the time he realized his mistake, it was toote. Everyone in the infirmary had realized the truth. ¡°C-Crockta... could it be...!¡± All of the men¡¯s expressions turned from respect to awe. It was a deeper and much more resonant emotion than what they¡¯d felt earlier. They now knew that Crockta wasn¡¯t just a wise man. He was a sage. *** As soon as Caska exited the infirmary, she ran. She was an exceptional hunter and the thirdmander of Ameranyan¡¯s garrison. No one could catch up to her when she ran. She sprinted toward the city walls like she was flying. This was where she had just battled the chiefdom orcs earlier. Dark elves were transporting orc corpses for incineration while uninjured soldiers protected the city walls and inspected their equipment for the next battle. ¡°How are you?!¡± greeted a soldier heartily. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Caska replied. She then sought out Renier, who was the secondmander as well as her mentor and friend. Renier was supervising the dark elves who were collecting arrows from orc corpses and fixing them. They sanitized the blood-covered arrowheads by heating them over a fire. Renier, who was cleaning the shaft of an arrow, saw Caska and raised his head. ¡°Caska.¡± Caska called out, ¡°Renier,e over here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Come over here for a sec. It¡¯s an emergency.¡± Caska led Renier outside. They stood below the city walls. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Tell me,¡± said Renier. ¡°So...¡± Caska put her forehead against the city walls. ¡°I went to meet Crockta.¡± ¡°Wow, you really went?¡± ¡°So, I was really going to do it.¡± ¡°Kiss? Really?¡± ¡°But I was rejected.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. That was your first time meeting each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Caska raised her head and looked at Renier. He flinched upon seeing Caska¡¯s expression. Caska¡¯s beautiful blue eyes were zing with passion. Renier knew something big was going on. ¡°To be honest, I was half-joking earlier when I said I would give him my first kiss,¡± Caska expressed. ¡°I assumed so...¡± ¡°But... that guy... is cool,¡± muttered Caska. ¡°So, what... Now, you¡¯re really...¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Caska nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a joke anymore. It¡¯s the real thing now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Renier sighed. ¡°It is an emergency...¡± *** ¡°The army that was sent to Ameranyan has been annihted.¡± ¡°Hahaha, how foolish.¡± ¡°That sorcerer was really dumb.¡± The Great Warrior Akhoo smiled as he wiped the de of his halberd. Akhoo¡¯s army was slowly advancing under the chieftain¡¯smand. They didn¡¯t rush. Akhoo knew that the orcs would ultimately win if they slowly pushed forward with theirrge-scale forces. Their victory was inevitable. After all, they had the chieftain, and powerful warriors were birthed constantly. ¡°It won¡¯t be a bad idea to obtain a fortress before the main forces arrive,¡± Akhoo remarked and got up. Akhoo and his army were standing across from Juideh, a dark elf city situated west of Ameranyan. ¡°It will make the chieftain happy.¡± ¡°The dark elves are a formidable force. Perhaps we should wait a bit.¡± ¡°Are you doubting me? I¡¯m the Great Warrior Akhoo. There just wasn¡¯t anyone decent in Ameranyan.¡± ¡°But I think it would be better to wait, sir.¡± ¡°You are so boring,¡± muttered Akhoo. He looked at Juideh spread out in front of them. The dark elves were still hiding timidly behind the walls and shooting arrows from there. Nevertheless, any army would have to be prepared to endure significant losses when besieging a dark elf territory. Akhoo stuck his finger in his ear. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go have some fun anyway. Just cast a blessing spell on me,¡± he ordered the sorcerer. The sorcerer looked at Akhoo calmly and nodded. Then Akhoo felt a surge of strength in his body. Great warriors of the chiefdom could produce as much power as a hundred people with the support of sorcery. Akhoo was filled with confidence as he relished the feeling of power that flooded his body to the brim. He felt like he could y anyone. Akhoo walked to Juideh on his own and shouted at the city walls, ¡°I''m the Great Warrior Akhoo who leads the Dragon Teeth troops!¡± His shout resounded through the city. ¡°You dark elves are cowardly and weak! All you can do is shoot arrows while in hiding! All you do is just run away and pull tricks! You are trash who don¡¯t know what real fighting is!¡± he taunted them with a smirk. Then Akhoo peed at the fortress. The orcs of the Dragon Teeth troops under hismand raised their weapons above their heads and cheered. ¡°Anyone brave enough shoulde forward! I know you guys are crying behind the walls like the pussies you are, but I will give you guys a chance!¡± Akhoo yelled, raising his halberd. ¡°Is there really no one? Are all dark elves cowards?¡± Akhoo signaled to the troops behind him. Then an orc handed him a spear. Akhoo threw it immediately. The spear flew over and struck the entrance. The door trembled from the astonishing force. ¡°As expected, you are a species that should be enved! You will all soon kneel at our feet and beg!¡± Akhoo erupted inughter. The method of lowering his enemy¡¯s morale was his preferred battle tactic. He liked to take initiative and provoke his enemy and then kill them in one-on-onebat. Even if no one came out, he would still seed in lowering their morale to the ground. It was a habit that wasmon among chiefdom warriors. Right then, the door opened. ¡°Ohh!¡± eximed Akhoo as a dark elf began walking toward him. ¡°So, there was someone with backbone!¡± Akhoo cheered and twirled his halberd. He hadn¡¯t expected anyone toe forward. The dark elves hadn¡¯t responded at all up to this point. Were they finally exploding with rage? The dark elf had a solemn expression, and his weapons were a bit odd. ¡°Hey, trash! My name is Akhoo! What¡¯s yours?¡± shouted Akhoo excitedly. He wanted to immediately chop up this dark elf into pieces and then throw them at the fortress. Fear was the best way to crush an enemy. The joy of ughter was just an added plus. Nheless, the dark elf didn¡¯t respond. Akhoo raised his halberd. The dark elf would eventually give in and tell him everything in tears after being struck by his halberd a few times. Akhoo took a step forward. He vowed to cruelly make that cocky face grovel at his feet. His halberd twirled in his hands. A gust of wind scattered the strands of his white hair, revealing a calm pair of purple eyes. Then the dark elf raised his weapons. The gently curved pair of scimitars glowed faintly. Chapter 109: The Great Northern War (5)

Chapter 109: The Great Northern War (5)

With Crockta¡¯s help, the Ameranyan dark elvespletely crushed their enemies. Meanwhile at Juideh, the great warrior Captain Akhoo lost in a one-on-one battle with Driden and died, significantly decreasing the morale of the chiefdom orcs. A slow confrontation ensued, and the orcs refrained from attacking further and waited for reinforcements instead. Nuridot, on the other hand, was devastated. Its few survivors fled to another city or joined the defensive forces in Mount Lun, but most of them lost their lives. In Yekatoru, a city located on the fringes of dark elf territory, there was a battle involving urban warfare. *** ¡°It¡¯s hopeless,¡± muttered Jaluten, a dark elf, as he sliced an orc¡¯s neck. ¡°We need to join forces with Juideh.¡± His subordinate answered, ¡°Sir, there are still citizens left in this city.¡± ¡°There is nothing more we can do here.¡± The dark elves who followed him had already lost all hope in their eyes. They had lost their will to fight, and it was the same for Jaluten. ¡°But how can we just leave them behind?¡± Jaluten looked at the young dark elf¡¯s face. He was a soldier with a strong sense of justice as well as a great fighting spirit and energy. The young soldier said, ¡°Sir, I would rather die fighting here than leave.¡± Jaluten shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll be dying in vain then. You should burn today¡¯s scene in your memory and avenge your enemies in the future instead.¡± The young soldier heeded Jaluten¡¯s suggestion and turned around to look. The city was burning. The cityscape of buildings and infrastructure that his ancestors had built and used until this very day had now turned into ashes. The bodies of his and hisrades¡¯ friends, neighbors, and families were sprawled across the ground with their heads split open by axes. Jaluten grabbed the young dark elf¡¯s shoulder. The young dark elf¡¯s hands were shaking badly as if he were about to have a seizure. ¡°Jaluten...¡± the young elf uttered. Jaluten looked him in the eye and said, ¡°We will definitely avenge them.¡± The young soldier closed his eyes and nodded. Yekatoru had fallen. Its inhabitants had tried to resist by using the city¡¯s buildings as shields, but the axes of the chiefdom orcs had mercilessly split their heads open. The chiefdom orcs, who were notorious for killing and raiding their opponents for entertainment, had asked the elves one question, ¡°Do you want to die or be ves?¡± For those who chose to be ves, the orcs would immediately cut the elves¡¯ ankles and make them crawl on the floor. If they chose death, the orcs would immediately kill them by cracking their heads open. Such scenes that seemed toe directly from hell had appeared all over the city. The dark elf warrior, Jaluten, and those following him had tried to fight back until the veryst moment. However, they ultimately watched their city fall into ruin. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat behind the city¡¯s walls. There are karuks in the garrison¡¯s old stable. Let¡¯s head to Juideh or Ameranyan,¡± ordered Jaluten. At hismand, the soldiers moved swiftly. Jaluten and his soldiers knew their way around the city better than anyone else. They managed to avoid the orcs¡¯ eyes and quickly arrived at the back alley that would lead them outside the city walls. Right then, someone shouted, ¡°We have a couple of rats left!¡± Some chiefdom orcs appeared and blocked the path of the dark elf soldiers. Jaluten clutched his longsword tightly. He couldn¡¯t drag out the battle; he needed to swiftly kill the orcs and move on. However, he sighed with disappointment upon seeing a certain orc emerge from the group of soldiers. ¡°Are you thest of the remaining soldiers?¡± the orc asked. He was a Great Warrior of the chiefdom and the monster who had been on the front line of the battle and murdered numerous dark elves by swinging his axe nonstop. His strength and power far exceeded those of an ordinary orc, and he had an extremelypetitive spirit. He always had to win. The Great Warrior looked intently at Jaluten and remarked, ¡°I think you will be more fun to y with than the others.¡± Jaluten whispered to those behind him, ¡°Everyone, run away while I hold them off.¡± ¡°But sir...¡± ¡°No... sir.¡± Jaluten looked at the dark elves who had followed him here. They had spent their lives in a peaceful era, but Jaluten had always known that a day like this woulde. When he trained these soldiers, he had hoped that an incident like this wouldn¡¯t happen during his lifetime. These soldiers were his legacy. They were young dark elves who, in order to be stronger, had gone through arduous training and suffering that no one would ever want to experience. ¡°Go, for my sake,¡± whispered Jaluten. ¡°Keep in mind, don¡¯t die for nothing. Please avenge us with all of your strength.¡± This was his dying wish. It was enough for him that he could convey his will to the young dark elves. Jaluten raised his sword and charged at the Great Warrior. With that as the signal, the young dark elves headed toward the alley. The orcs ran to chase after them, but Jaluten blocked the path. His longsword danced as he fought with the orcs, but he couldn¡¯t keep it up for much longer. A spear pierced his stomach, spilling his blood. Then an axe struck one of his shoulders, slicing through the shoulder de and chopping off the shoulder entirely. Jaluten staggered with his eyes wide open. His body was now out of his control. His legs spasmed, and blood dripped from his nose and mouth. ¡°Haha, your efforts were in vain. It¡¯s all over now. I will show you,¡± the Great Warrior told Jaluten. He grabbed Jaluten by the head and dragged him away. Jaluten¡¯s consciousness was plummeting toward death. A ck curtain wasing down from above his head. ¡°Look over there,¡± said the Great Warrior. Jaluten¡¯s eyes were wide open. The young dark elf soldiers who had fled were crumbling at the hands of orcs who had been on standby. Their screams rang throughout the city and echoed in the distance. ¡°You didn¡¯t achieve anything,¡± said the Great Warrior with a smirk. ¡°It was all in vain. Everything.¡± Then he twisted Jaluten¡¯s neck. With a crack, Jaluten was dead. Jaluten was 124 years old when he died. He had followed in his father¡¯s footsteps and held the sword ever since he was a child. No one had been a match for him in Yekatoru during his youth, and when he was older, he taught swordsmanship to young dark elves whom he¡¯d made his disciples. Out of habit, he used to tell his disciples all the time that they needed strength to protect peace and that they needed to be wary of orcs. However, the day Yekatoru fell, he died alongside his disciples with his eyes left open. *** ¡°He couldn¡¯t even close his eyes,¡± said Crockta as he shut a dark elf¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t know who the dark elf was, but based on his tight grip on his longsword, it seemed that the dark elf had resisted until the very end. Crockta found his corpse next to another dead dark elf with a sword on the outskirts of the city. ¡°Rest in peace. I¡¯m sorry we¡¯rete,¡± Crockta expressed regretfully. Crockta¡¯s group had just passed through Juideh from Ameranyan to provide support to Yekatoru. Nuridot had beenpletely devastated, and the area above Nuridot was building a defense line to stop the orcs. Crockta had heard that Yekatoru was still engaged in battle, but by the time his group arrived, the city was in ruins and littered with dark elf corpses. The chiefdom orcs who had destroyed Yekatoru had retreated and were currently waiting at a nearby campsite for reinforcements. The orcs¡¯ main troops were heading up north, but even the several smaller units that had split off from the main army had managed topletely devastate two cities. The main troops that the chieftain led were much greater in number. The real battle hadn¡¯t even begun. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here much longer. The city walls have broken down,¡± said Caska. She was themander of a dark elf unit. Crockta and his friends had joined her unit as mercenaries and were now receivingmands from her. ¡°We made sure all of the vigers in the vicinity escaped... But what should we do now?¡± Caska voiced with a sigh. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt. She couldn¡¯te up with an idea that could help them win the war. The number and quality of their soldiers were no match for the orcs who had been preparing for war for a very long time. The orc soldiers were ustomed tobat, but the dark elves¡¯ only advantage was in siege warfare. They excelled at it, but they couldn¡¯t hide behind the city walls forever. ¡°How terrible.¡± Caska¡¯s unit tried to gather all of the dark elf corpses and burn them, but it wasn¡¯t feasible because there were so many of them. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t an intact body in sight. They were collecting chopped body parts that were scattered all over the city. Several dark elves retched at the sight. Crockta¡¯s expression hardened upon seeing the corpses. Most of them didn¡¯t have weapons. Children, women, and the elderly had been attacked indiscriminately and were all dead. There were some whose ankles had been amputated. The amputation sites were severely abraded; it seemed that the soldiers had made them crawl around with their stumps. They had even been sexually vited. However, that wasn¡¯t all. None of the dark elves had their ears intact. It was as if the ears had been collected as souvenirs. Crockta even asionally saw piles of ears on the ground. It was pure ughter. Crockta didn¡¯t consider the soldiers who had carried out such acts of cruelty as fellow orcs. They werepletely different from the orcs who pursued a life of honor on the continent. ¡°Where is the chieftain?¡± asked Crockta. Caska flinched for a second and then brought out a map. She answered, ¡°ording to the scouts, he will confront the defense line a weekter.¡± Crockta nodded. Getting rid of the chieftain was the most important task, as he was the source of all the problems. He was the one who had revived the chiefdom, unified the orcs, and made ns to use them to conquer the northern region. He was the one who wanted to bring the northern region under his rule before striking the continent. The real battle would begin after he arrived. ¡°Caska,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I want to propose a n.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± Crockta crossed his arms and thought deeply about the n. He needed to strike the enemy when their guard was down¡ªat a time and ce that they least expected. He had always been called to action in such ns during his time in the foreign troops. ¡°A surprise attack with just a few skilled members,¡± he replied. ¡°The goal is...?¡± ¡°The chieftain.¡± Caska¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The dark elves are focusing on protecting their cities, so no one will expect us to ambush the enemy¡¯s head.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We will strike the enemy where they least expect it,¡± dered Crockta. ¡°Do you know why they least expect it? Because the sess rate is too low! They don¡¯t even think about it because it doesn¡¯t make sense. Cease your nonsense!¡± eximed Caska. ¡°If we continue like this, it will be the end for the dark elves.¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta closed his eyes and opened them again. [Eyes of the Ashen God (Beyond ssification) has been activated.] He didn¡¯t like using this skill because he didn¡¯t feelfortable with seeing someone else¡¯s lifespan. After all, life and death were inevitable. He didn¡¯t want to act out of line against fate and defy matters rted to life and death. Thus, he had never used it since the time he had first used it at Nameragon. After seeing the numbers above the heads of those in Caska¡¯s unit, Crockta closed his eyes again. The numbers above the dark elves¡¯ heads were all different, but they all pointed toward a not-so-distant future. All of them were going to be killed. ¡°Caska, is there a way to reach Zelkyan?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Zelkyan?¡± ¡°I have to tell him about the n myself.¡± Crockta¡¯s gaze turned solemn. His instincts told him that there was only one way to win this battle. Other ns and tactics would only lead to defeat. The only way to win was to assassinate the chieftain. *** ¡°Grr...¡± A beast-like sound emerged from an orc¡¯s mouth. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Good.¡± The orc got up. Hisrge body became even bigger as he straightened his posture. He had a bulky frame that made other orcs look like children, and his great strength could handle an axe asrge as his body with one hand. This orc was Calmahart, the chiefdom orcs¡¯ chieftain, who was aptly described with the word ¡®monster.¡¯ ¡°We will march again tomorrow. We will increase our speed and n to arrive as soon as possible,¡± said Calmahart. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°As soon as possible. Within five days.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Calmahart sat on his throne. It had been newly made ording to his growing stature and was decorated with the bones and skulls of the enemies he had killed. It was constructed in a way that the ves could carry it like a pnquin during processions. Calmart smirked. ¡°Sorcerer, what do your prophecies say?¡± ¡°My prophecies always give the same answer.¡± The sorcerer bowed. ¡°The chieftain¡¯s conquest of the north. Everyone will hold their breath in the presence of your power.¡± ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± The chieftain grasped his armrest. ¡°That¡¯s... boring.¡± He tightened his grip, ripping off the armrest. Then he tossed it. The armrest fell next to the sorcerer and rolled across the ground. ¡°Do you have anyone who will show me a good time?¡± asked the chieftain. ¡°I¡¯m not sure...¡± ¡°I want something unusual.¡± The chieftain grinned. ¡°Yeah, I want someone to open that door and ambush me right now. No, tomorrow is fine too. I want someone to swing a sword at my neck while I¡¯m asleep. I hope my entire army will be annihted when I arrive at the dark elves¡¯ front lines.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m trying to go to the continent?¡± asked the chieftain. ¡°How would I?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any rivals in the north.¡± Calmahart sank into his chair. ¡°I hope there is a match for me in the continent. Someone who can put up a good fight.¡± The sorcerer smiled and bowed even deeper this time. ¡°You will definitely find someone. Of course, the victory will always be yours.¡± The sorcerer closed his eyes. Calmahart¡¯s future in his visions was always the same¡ªthe sight of murder and death, the continuation of victory and ughter. He had never seen a future where Calmahart loses. He was the brightest star the sorcerer knew and would continue to be so without a doubt. Chapter 110: The Great Northern War (6)

Chapter 110: The Great Northern War (6)

Zelkyan was against the idea of an ambush. The others felt the same way. There were many practical constraints, but the chieftain traveled as the center of arge army. The concept of an ambush wouldn¡¯t really work in his case, but Crockta wanted to see the chieftain¡¯s face in person. After Crockta discussed the matter with Zelkyan, a present arrived for him from Jamero, Nameragon¡¯s sorcerer. Jamero had heard about Crockta¡¯s ambush n and sent an artifact to him. The artifact was apanied by a letter. [Did you enjoy the Youngest Son of the Wizard House?[1] This artifact is a gift for you. It¡¯s rare, but there¡¯s no need to be stingy in a fight with the fate of the North on the line. I will put my faith in you because there¡¯s no one else who is as skilled inbat as you are. Use it as you wish.] Crockta¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he checked the information on the artifact that Jamero had sent him. It was a single-use artifact, but it was exactly what he needed at the moment. The artifact was an old pumpkin. [Pumpkin Without Borders is a heritage of ancient fairies imbued with magic. You can only use it once.] Tiyo and Anor were worried about Crockta. ¡°Will you be okay?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°The ambush will work out if I have this pumpkin,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°You still don¡¯t know for sure. The chieftain...¡± ¡°I have to see him in person,¡± said Crockta. Tiyo nodded. ¡°Then, I hope you will return safely.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Crockta grinned widely. ¡°I will finish things off before the war even breaks out.¡± *** The chiefdom¡¯s army was headed north. Calmahart looked off into the distance while riding on his pnquin. They would soon be able to see the dark elf city beyond the horizon. He grinned and ordered, ¡°Go faster.¡± The ves carrying his pnquin were made up of orcs, dark elves, and humans. They quickened their footsteps at the chieftain¡¯smand. The chieftain¡¯s huge body and pnquin were difficult to transport, but they heeded hismands anyway, in fear of the brutal torture and execution that would ensue if they were to defy him. There were many ves who could rece them, and countless ves had already been tortured in unimaginable ways. They had all met their deaths while begging to be killed to be relieved of their pain. Calmahart was an absolute demon. ¡°Calmahart, we should stop around here today,¡± suggested the sorcerer, as it was already dusk. ¡°If we continuete in the night, we might run into the enemy¡¯s guerri unit since they¡¯ve probably made thorough preparations for battle.¡± The advance troop that had gone to Ameranyan had been annihted, so there was certainly something over there that the chiefdom needed to watch out for. Meanwhile, the advance troops that had gone to Nuridot and Yekatoru had sessfully captured the cities as nned. The advance troops at Juideh were still sound, but they were unable to attack further due to a mysterious dark elf who used dual swords. Only the troops that had gone to Ameranyan had been wiped out. There could be an enemy the chiefdom didn¡¯t know about yet. This was the reason why Calmahart was marching to Ameranyan first. ¡°Understood,¡± replied Calmahart. There was undoubtedly something unexpected going on. He grinned widely with excitement at the thought of it. The chiefdom orcs stopped their march, and they made preparations to camp outside. They set up tents and distributed supplies. The tent that Calmahart would stay in for the night was thergest and most mboyant one. After observing the preparations for some time, Calmahart got down from his pnquin. The ves let out a sigh of relief. The enormous weight that had been pressing down on them had finally disappeared. They were done with their hellish tasks for the day, and they would finally be able to rest until tomorrow morning. At least, that was what they thought. ¡°Hey, you,¡± said Calmahart. The ves¡¯ faces stiffened. ¡°The pnquin kept tilting to the right. Are you tired?¡± Calmahart deliberately asked in a kind voice. However, he was unable to hide his innate penchant for violence. The ves could already predict what would happen next. Calmahart only smiled like that right before he was about to kill someone. His axe didn¡¯t discriminate against its targets. Calmahart often looked to the right and shed to the left, or he''d look to the left and kill whoever was on the right; his moves were unpredictable. All of the ves trembled at the thought that they could be the next target. ¡°The right side of my bottom kept sliding downward,¡± Calmahart said. He tapped on his butt a few times and approached the ves in charge of the right side. All of them immediately bowed. They couldn¡¯t even kneel because they were still carrying the pnquin on their heads. ¡°We are sorry!¡± ¡°We are sorry!¡± The ves rushed to apologize. Calmahart erupted inughter at the sight. Everyone trembled in fear and begged for forgiveness at every word he said. They would do whatever hemanded to survive. Inducing fear was his forte, and scenes like this gave him joy. Heughed, ¡°Hahahaha, no need for you guys to apologize.¡± Calmahart¡¯s aide and sorcerer approached him after noticing what was going on. The orcs setting up the campsite looked in that direction too. Nevertheless, they weren¡¯t surprised by the sight because they were used to seeing scenes like that. ¡°Just take this,¡± Calmahart said. Then his figure suddenly appeared blurry as he pulled his axe out from behind him and swung it at an incredible speed. Blood sttered, and the pnquin tilted. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± Screams rang throughout the campsite. Blood soaked the ground on the right side of the pnquin. Calmahart¡¯s axe had chopped off the ankles of the ves on the right. Even the ves who were outside the impacted area were affected, and their ankles were barely still attached to the rest of their legs. Nheless, they refused to copse. They gritted their teeth and dug into the ground with their torn legs. ¡°Ohh,¡± muttered Calmahart. If the pnquin fell, all of the ves would die. The ves held on with tears dripping down their faces. The ves on the left inched toward the center of the pnquin to take some of the weight off the ves on the right, but Calmahart red at them to stay where they were. ¡°I will free you guys if you keep this up until tomorrow,¡± Calmahart told them. However, his words wereplete nonsense. The ves werepletely worn down. The ankles of those on the right had been amputated, and they were losing a lot of blood. ¡°I will kill all of you if you fail... painlessly.¡± Calmahart had a habit of warning his victims before killing them. He enjoyed telling them in a roundabout way that he would murder them and then watching their reactions. Heughed as he watched the ves struggle with the news of their death sentence. Suddenly, the pnquin tilted. A ve with a sound ankle on the left side of the pnquin ran out and shouted, ¡°Die, you demon!¡± He was wielding a small dagger that he had kept hidden. The ve jumped up and swung his dagger at Calmahart¡¯s throat. However, Calmahart grabbed the ve¡¯s head with his enormous hands. The ve iled in his grasp. ¡°Ack... ch...¡± ¡°Hahaha,¡±ughed Calmahart. Normally, he would have crushed the dark elf¡¯s head, but he just tossed the dark elf aside this time. ¡°You, you, you, and you¡ªyou lot over there,¡± Calmahart said and pointed at a few orc ves. ¡°Come outside.¡± The ves went outside as ordered. They were a mixed group of orcs who had either refused to join the chiefdom, been captured from Mount Lun, or fought against the chiefdom. They were the type of orc that Calmahart detested the most. ¡°That dark elf tried toe at me even in the face of death,¡± Calmahart told all the orcs who were watching him. ¡°He challenged me even though he knows there¡¯s no hope! But what are you?!¡± Calmahart raised his axe, and the faces of the ves turned pale. ¡°How could an orc¡ªyou¡¯re supposed to be orcs! How could you orcs hide so cowardly behind a dark elf?!¡± The chiefdom orcs stopped what they were doing and shouted, ¡°You guys are pigs, not orcs!¡± Calmahart¡¯s axe split an orc in half vertically. The insides of the orc¡¯s body were in in view with his intestines spilling out. ¡°We orcs never run away! We fight to the end!¡± yelled Calmahart. The chiefdom orcs cheered. ¡°For the chiefdom!¡± added Calmahart. The faces of the other enved orcs became as pale as ghosts, and they trembled in fear. Calmahart was a frightening monster. He looked down at them from a much higher point even though they were also tall orcs. Calmahart almost seemed like a member of a different species but with the appearance of an orc. His bulging muscles made them think he could tear apart an ogre with his bare hands. ¡°Kneel,¡± Calmahart ordered, smirking with his grotesque face. ¡°I will let you guys live if you admit you all are pigs and crawl around while making grunting noises for the rest of your lives.¡± The orcs hesitated. They had been living peaceful lives without any interactions with the chiefdom. However, the chiefdom warriors suddenly appeared one day. They pressured the ordinary orcs to sumb to the chiefdom¡¯s rule and to start preparing for war. When they refused, their vige was destroyed, and everyone became ves. None of them knew how to fight. Right then, one of the enved orcs stepped forward. He was the only outsider among them as he was from Mount Lun. He wasn¡¯t a warrior, but he was from Orcheim, where they held the ancient beliefs of orcs. ¡°Calmahart, you poor madman.¡± ¡°...!¡± Calmahart narrowed his eyes. He had seen many of his victims struggle before dying. They all screamed and cursed at him, but there hadn¡¯t been anyone who had faced him withposure and insulted him. The orc from Orcheim looked at Calmahart with calm eyes, even though Calmahart naturally induced a sense of fear in others. ¡°You are the one who is not an orc,¡± said the orc from Orcheim. ¡°You¡¯re funny. Me?¡± ¡°Do you know bul¡¯tar?¡± The orc was saying nonsense Calmahart had never heard before. He grinned and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve gone crazy.¡± Nevertheless, the Orcheim orc¡¯s eyes were clear as he spoke, ¡°Keep in mind, Calmahart, that everyone dies. The only thing that death can¡¯t erase is our honor.¡± ¡°You just say sweet nothings. What¡¯s certain is that you will soon die in my hands,¡± dered Calmahart. ¡°You, who can¡¯t understand this, will die in the hands of a real orc one day,¡± stated the Orcheim orc. He bent down and grabbed the dagger from the hand of the dark elf whom Calmahart had thrown aside. The Orcheim orc pointed the dagger at Calmahart, but his stance was awful. He obviously didn¡¯t know anything about fighting. Cmahart couldn¡¯t help but smirk. As expected, the Orcheim orc was crazy. ¡°So, you weakling orc, what is a real orc like? Are they idiots like you who can¡¯t even hold a knife properly? A wimp? A sissy like you?¡± Calmahartughed cruelly. ¡°Or are they the trash of Mount Lun whom I will soon exterminate?¡± Calmahart approached the Orcheim orc. The orc swung the dagger, but Cmhart immediately grabbed his wrist. Calmahart said, ¡°Tell me. Who¡¯s the real orc now?¡± The Orcheim orc¡¯s face exposed his fear when Calmahart¡¯s frightening face moved right up against his own. Calmahart¡¯s murderous intent permeated his surroundings, inducing fear in those around them. It was a terror that no one could withstand. Yet, the Orcheim orc gritted his teeth and grinned. ¡°I have seen a real orc before¡ªa true orc warrior, unlike you.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± ¡°You will meet him soon.¡± Then Calmahart grabbed the Orcheim orc¡¯s neck. Calmahart found those who made ast-ditch attempt to resist despite their fear unamusing. What Calmahart enjoyed most was seeing others sumb to the overwhelming fear that they felt and then fall into despair. Those who bbed their mouths in the face of death like the Orcheim orc bored Calmahart. Even those who resisted with all they had left ultimately had to submit to him. ¡°His name is...¡± began the Orcheim orc just as he was being choked. Unable to continue due to the immense force twisting his neck, he coughed and gagged. With hisst strangled breath, he called out a name, ¡°Crock...ta.¡± Then his body went limp. Calmahart had heard that name before. Crockta was said to be an orc from the continent. ¡®Those weak as hell continent dwellers. An orc like that is supposed to be a real orc?¡¯ Calmahart thought mockingly with a smirk. He tossed the Orcheim orc¡¯s corpse onto the ground. ¡°We will march tomorrow,¡± Calmahart said. Then he turned around to leave. He had lost interest. ¡°What should we do with the rest of them?¡± asked the sorcerer. ¡°Just leave them be until tomorrow.¡± Once Calmahart disappeared, the ves let out sighs of relief. Their lives had been extended until tomorrow. With the hope that they would be rescued one day, the ves with sound ankles carried Calmahart¡¯s seat from the pnquin and brought it inside his tent. The ves who had lost their ankles moaned in pain on the ground, while other ves came and administered first aid to them. There was an orc who had been watching all of this with a face hardened into an expression of anger. The tattoos all over his body were distorted with rage. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the corpse of the orc who had mentioned his name. The enraged orc was Crockta. [With Pumpkin Without Borders, you can teleport by riding an invisible magic pumpkin coach. After you use it the first time, you can teleport back only after midnight. Afterward, the pumpkin disappears.] Crockta had been watching the orcs from up in the air while waiting for the sun to set. He had to wait for Calmahart to be alone. It was time for Crockta to show that trash, who had bbed ignorantly, what a real orc warrior was. The Ogre yer in Crockta¡¯s hand cried out for blood. ¡°Wait,¡± muttered Crockta. As the Ogre yer stirred, Crockta¡¯s world slowed down and then sped up again, continuously charging and retreating. He felt the trajectory of the wind blowing on his skin. His senses were heightened to the maximum in the world of the pinnacle. Crockta was in the ideal condition to kill. His murderous intent charged toward Calmahart. 1. The Youngest Son of the Wizard House written by Saynkiun was mentioned in chapter 102 and is an introductory book to magic ? Chapter 111: The Great Northern War (7)

Chapter 111: The Great Northern War (7)

The sun had finally set, and the moon hung from the sky. Crockta got on the pumpkin coach and looked up at the sky. It was twilight. His senses were the sharpest when he was apanied by the moon. The darkness thwarted the enemy¡¯s field of vision and hid Crockta¡¯s presence. With darkness on his side, the only thing he needed was his greatsword. He was floating above the canopy of Calmahart¡¯s tent. The surroundings were teeming with liveliness. Orcs were carrying food inside Calmahart¡¯s tent, including enormous amounts of meat. If Calmahart overate, it would serve as an advantage to Crockta. ¡®The digestive system requires more energy the more you eat and makes the brain sleepy. Calmahart¡¯s movements will slow down, and he will have more openings during battle.¡¯ ¡°Not bad,¡± muttered Crockta. He was nning to get down from the pumpkin coach and strike Calmahart once all of the orcs went to sleep, but there was still a lot of time left before the night grew dark. He could take his time until the pumpkin coach¡¯s next teleportation time at midnight. Crockta caressed the surface of the pumpkin coach. It was a real pumpkin pulled by a Pegasus made up of translucent light. The Pegasus was summoned by the Pumpkin Without Borders artifact that he had received from Jamero. Once he activated the skill, a pumpkin coach suddenly appeared. It was a coach that was only visible in Crockta¡¯s eyes and could infiltrate wherever he wanted without a sound. If it didn¡¯t have the restriction that only one person could use it, it could have been used for arge-scale infiltration. Crockta carefully surveyed the campsite of therge army. The sight of numerous orcs setting up camp and spending the night was a spectacle. Where had all of these orcse from? It seemed impossible for the dark elves in the north to take them on. Crockta reminded himself what an important opportunity this was. If he captured Calmahart here, the war could end smoothly since Calmahart was the root of all these problems. ¡°One, two, three.¡± He counted the number of guards protecting Calmahart¡¯s tent. There were only a few. Was it because Calmahart was confident? There were orcs who made rounds at the campsite, but the overall defense wasx. They didn¡¯t seem to even consider the prospect of an infiltration. Of course, they were right to think so. Crockta wouldn¡¯t have been able toe here if it hadn¡¯t been for the magical artifact, and even with the artifact, he was only able to target a single orc. Finally, the clouds covered the moon, andplete darkness fell on the ins. Crockta began descending on the pumpkin coach, and the orcs¡¯ camp grew closer. It was extremely quiet. He could only hear the asional footsteps of the orc soldiers who were monitoring the campsite. Crockta discreetly approached them. An orc soldier was right in front of him, with his back facing Crockta. Crockta took a step forward, and the orc soldier looked back. With a crack, the orc¡¯s head swirled and flew in the air as it spilled blood. Crockta caught the head with his hands to prevent making more noise, and as he squeezed it, it spilled yet another mass of blood. Then, silence ensued. Crockta continued to quietly approach the other guards. There were three guards circling the area; Crockta took advantage of the darkness and slipped behind them. ¡°How tiring,¡± said one of the guards with a yawn. He was carrying a halberd on his back. He failed to notice Crockta¡¯s presence as he continued to creep up behind the guard. [You have gained the skill Infiltration (Common).] [You seem ustomed to infiltrating. Your infiltration skill leveled up.] [You have gained Shadow Infiltration (Rare).] He closed the message window. He then shed the guard¡¯s neck in an instant, in the same manner as he had done with the other guard. ¡°...!¡± The orc had felt something behind him and turned around, but his head was still almost cut off because he wasn¡¯t able to dodge the attackpletely. ¡°Ahhh...¡± He was unable to scream because of the gash in his throat, and he copsed to the ground. He looked up at Crockta with shock in his gaze for a moment, then he foamed blood at the mouth and his eyes grew faint. Crockta thrust his greatsword downward andpletely severed the orc¡¯s dangling head, leaving it there with a nk look in its eyes. Now, there was only one guard left. Crockta found the remaining orc dozing off by himself. Instead of using his greatsword, Crockta wrapped his hand around the guard¡¯s neck and twisted it with a crack. And just like that, thest guard was dead. He looked like he was still sleeping. He probably hadn¡¯t felt any pain. ¡°Now, things are just getting started,¡± whispered Crockta. He stood in front of Calmahart¡¯s tent. He used a tent big enough for a whole unit all by himself. Its size wasparable to a multi-floor building. Calmahart wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent, but Crockta wasn¡¯t a regr orc either. His greatsword cried out. He smiled, then brought out a scroll and ripped it into pieces. [Expansive Silence Scroll (Essence) has been used.] It was a rare scroll that he had managed to acquire with difficulty. An invisible film covered the area. With this, the sound wouldn¡¯t leak outside. Crockta opened the tent. *** It was bright inside. There was a firece burning in the center of the tent. Frightening weapons like axes, hammers, and halberds were lined up in a corner, and there was a tactical map with the orcs¡¯ progression mapped out in the other corner. Crockta skimmed over it. There wasn¡¯t a big difference between the map and what the dark elves had gauged. On the opposite side of the room, Crockta saw a huge body lying down on a bed. It was Calmahart. He was lying down next to a huge throne decorated with various bones. Even from a distance, Crockta could get a sense of howrge he was. Crockta suddenly grew wary of this whole situation even before the big event was about to ur. Was Calmahart really an orc? How could an orc be that big? He was over a head taller than Crockta. A double-headed axe, his main weapon, was under the bed. Crockta drew closer to him. Calmahart breathed calmly in his sleep as if he didn¡¯t know what was going on. Most creatures looked peaceful while sleeping, but Calmahart¡¯s face was distorted as if he was doing something horrendous in his dreams. Crockta raised his greatsword. He hadn¡¯te here to participate in a great battle or a close match; this was a matter-of-fact assassination. He thrust his sword downward. Right then, Calmahart raised his arm and blocked Crockta¡¯s greatsword with his metal vambrace. He looked up at Crockta with bloodshot eyes and grinned. Crockta retreated. It had been a close call. How had Calmahart noticed him? ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing someone like you. An orc covered in tattoos.¡± Calmahart got up. His huge stature dwarfed Crockta, and his head almost touched the ceiling. He picked up his double-headed axe, which was as huge as Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer. Calmahart looked down on Crockta with an amused expression. His hand flinched and trembled with excitement because he wanted to swing his double-headed axe. Crockta calmly took a deep breath. Given the situation, the only option was to fight. He raised his Ogre yer. He had secretly been looking forward to a battle anyway. He grinned. The two orcs stood face-to-face. Their world grew slower, and their senses heightened to the maximum. Within the slowed-down time of the Pinnacle Realm, they finally attacked. The Ogre yer and the double-headed axe shed. ng! ¡°Hahaha...¡± ¡°Hahaha...¡± The two looked at each other andughed. They could gauge each other¡¯s level based on that single strike, and they were both thinking the same thing: ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ Crockta immediately charged at Calmahart and swung his greatsword at his opponent¡¯s lower body. Calmahart¡¯s axe swung downward at the same time. Crockta dodged the axe by twisting his body and shifted the trajectory of his greatsword. His de went for Calmahart¡¯s stomach. ¡°Hehehe...¡± Calmahart smirked. He was wearing armor made of steel underneath. ¡°Let¡¯s do this properly.¡± He straightened his back and walked toward Crockta. Crockta nodded. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± Their auras erupted at the same time. A storm of aura raged inside the tent. They looked at each other and grinned and then shed again. They swung their des at each other¡¯s throats and hearts at a speed that made them invisible to the naked eye. A deafening, ear-splitting noise roared like thunder. Crockta and Calmahart had both managed to injure each other, and Calmahart dripped blood. Then, the two weapons shed again, and a battle of strength ensued. Crockta kicked Calmahart. ¡°Ugh!¡± The tent shook as Calmahart fell. Crockta leaped up and thrust his greatsword downward. Calmahart blocked the greatsword with his axe and sped Crockta¡¯s throat with his other hand. ¡°Argh...¡± Crockta iled as Calmahart¡¯s hand squeezed his throat with immense force. Calmahart smirked and put even more strength into his grip. Crockta grabbed his wrist and tried to shake off his hand, but it didn¡¯t budge. With a demon-like expression on his face, Crockta could only resort to biting Calmahart¡¯s hand. ¡°Aackkk!¡± Calmahart screamed and dropped Crockta. A loose finger now dangled from his hand. ¡°You...!¡± Crockta grinned and spat out blood. ¡°Tastes like shit.¡± Calmahart¡¯s eyes burned fiercely with rage, but then he beganughing again. ¡°Hahahaha, hahahaha! You¡¯re the real deal. You really know how to fight!¡± Calmahart¡¯s lips curved upward. To his surprise, he found that this orc was someone like him¡ªa fellow warrior who knew what it meant to risk their life in a deathmatch. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Calmahart. Crockta ced his greatsword on his shoulder and replied, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Is that so? You are...¡± Calmahart recalled what had happened earlier in the day. The orc from Orcheim had called the orc in front of Calmahart a ¡®true orc.¡¯ The orc had said that a true warrior would appear and cut his throat. He grinned as he carefully looked over Crockta. He wasrger than a regr orc, but he wasn¡¯t huge. His eyes were sharp, and he wore a red bandana and a steel belt around his waist. He used a huge greatsword as his weapon and had a strong aura. He had reached the ¡®pinnacle¡¯ like him. And...that was it. ¡°Someone like you is a true orc...?¡± asked Calmahart. Crockta smirked as he recalled what had happened earlier. ¡°What is a true orc, Calmahart?¡± Calmahart raised his axe. ¡°Strength.¡± His axe exuded frightening energy as his muscles swelled. His huge body appeared evenrger than before. ¡°Stronger than anyone, that¡¯s a true orc.¡± He approached Crockta, who drew his greatsword. ¡°And I am the strongest,¡± dered Calmahart as he swung his axe downward and sliced through space. Crockta¡¯s expression changed. That attack was concerning. Crockta immediately dodged and retreated instead of striking back with his Ogre yer. The axe missed him by a narrow margin and struck the demon¡¯s skull that jutted out from the center of his belt. Crockta lost his bnce from the shock and dropped to one knee. He quickly rolled away, avoiding yet another strike. ¡°...!¡± Crockta noticed a scratch on the Belt of Despair. He was in shock because this had never happened before. Calmahart grabbed his axe from the ground and swung it at Crockta over and over again. Crockta lowered his head and dodged, charging forward instead of retreating. The axe went over his head as he leaned forward, and he thrust his greatsword at Calmahart¡¯s abdomen. His opponent¡¯srge stature was open and vulnerable, and Crockta shoved the de right into his gut. ¡°Argh!¡± Blood spewed from Calmahart¡¯s mouth. Crockta tried to twist his greatsword, but it didn¡¯t move. Calmahart¡¯s abdominal muscles were holding onto the de! Crockta couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He raised his head and saw that Calmahart was smiling as he looked down at him. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Calmahart tossed his axe to the side and grabbed Crockta¡¯s throat with both hands. Crockta desperately swung his greatsword, but it didn¡¯t move an inch¡ªhis opponent¡¯s body was simply monstrous. Calmahart grinned widely. Crockta looked up at Calmahart¡¯s face as his vision grew blurry, but Calmahart¡¯s grip only tightened. He began to lose consciousness. He thought he was seeing something flicker on Calmahart¡¯s forehead, but a momentter, his mind drifted to a distant ce. Chapter 112: The Great Northern War (8)

Chapter 112: The Great Northern War (8)

He saw something inside the darkness. It was his memories, fleeting past him. Had it all started back then? ¡®You have to protect your sister. ¡®The bond between siblings is stronger than that between parents and children. You have to rely on each other until death. She¡¯s your closest kin, so you have to protect her. ¡®I trust you.¡¯ His father¡¯s voice which he couldn¡¯t hear anymore, skirted past his ear. Since that moment, his sister Yi-Yoo had remained in his mind as the small child grabbing a hold of his sleeve and standing behind him. When he heard the name Jung Yi-Yoo, he always thought of the little girl from that time, who always had tears in her eyes. ¡®I leave it to you.¡¯ ¡®You will be an adult soon.¡¯ Who had said those things? Was it a rtive he didn¡¯t see anymore? The uncle who shook his head as he said he couldn¡¯t take care of Yi-Yoo, or a different uncle who demanded money for raising Yi-Yoo while Yi-An was overseas? ¡®It¡¯s your duty.¡¯ ¡®Protect.¡¯ ¡®With your life.¡¯ Yi-An¡¯s first assignment after joining the special forces unit was to protect important figures and civilians on a battlefield raining down with bullets. Among them, there was someone who was burned into his memory¡ªYi-An didn¡¯t know who the man was or what he was doing, but he obviously looked like someone who wasn¡¯t suited for the battlefield. He wore sses and looked at Yi-An with eyes that betrayed his struggle to remain calm even though he was stricken with fear. Yi-An remembered the fragile tremor of the man¡¯s body as he leaned into him. Heter hugged Yi-An in tears and expressed his gratitude. ¡®I beg you. Please, Yi-An.¡¯ ¡®Protect them, Raven.¡¯ ¡®Crockta!¡¯ It was always like that. He used to be Yi-An, then Raven, and now he was Crockta. Everyone was always looking at him. He remembered all of those eyes staring at him. What a relief that no one was here during his downfall. ¡®Crockta.¡¯ Someone called out to him. ¡®Crockta.¡¯ He raised his head and saw a pair of eyes looking at him from the empty darkness. ¡®You are...¡¯ It was someone he knew. Someone who was no longer alive. ¡®ckmore.¡¯ ckmore grinned and pointed behind him. Suddenly, the darkness lifted, and the scenery of Chesswood spread out in front of him. Crockta saw the citizens of Chesswood hard at work, rebuilding their viges. He saw Ingram and the vigers who had fought with him. He saw yers and NPCs¡ªno, he saw the residents of Elder Lord and the yers of Earth, rebuilding the viges together. ckmore raised his thumb in approval. Then, he disappeared, and it was darkness all over again. But a rock appeared out of nowhere, and he saw familiar words inscribed on the rock. [A warrior does not attack the unarmed.] The scene turned to Arnin; he saw Enyanis, the ins Administrator, who had granted him citizenship. She was the mayor now. Enyanis was reading a letter from Derek. After reading it, she ripped it apart, crumpled it, tossed it into the trash can, andstly, spat on it. Then, she got up from her seat and looked outside the window. She smiled as she looked at Arnin¡¯s beautiful scenery. Then, she looked at something hanging from the wall of her office. It was the uniform of the Arnin ins'' Rescue Unit. Crockta¡¯s name was written on the uniform. Enyanis nodded approvingly as she read the name. The scenery grew blurry. Then, all of the ces he had visited during his adventures came alive and disappeared once more. At the end of it all, Crockta saw an unforgettable face. There was Lenox with the warriors of Orcrox standing behind him. ¡°Lenox, where do they go when they die? Does death really erase everything? If not...¡± Lenox then raised his axe without a sound. Crockta¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock as Lenox swung his axe and struck him. ¡°Ahh!¡± *** ¡°Ahh!¡± Crockta opened his eyes with a shout and saw Calmahart¡¯s sinister face in front of him. Calmahart¡¯s expression turned to surprise as he applied more pressure to Crockta¡¯s throat. Crockta¡¯s greatsword was still stuck in his abdomen. ¡®What was the dream I had just now? What were all the things I saw?¡¯ wondered Crockta as he mustered all of the strength in his body and kicked the hilt of the Ogre yer. The greatsword stirred, and blood spilled from Calmahart¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ack!¡± he screamed. The strength of his grip weakened, and Crockta was finally able to escape the chokehold and rolled away. His cirction returned, and his face became flushed from the rush of blood. He coughed on the floor for a while. When he recovered, Crockta raised his head and saw Calmahart trying to pull the Ogre yer out of his stomach. Crockta charged and threw himself at Calmahart before thetter could regain hisposure. The two became entangled, and they tumbled and rolled across the floor. Crockta climbed on top of Calmahart and wrenched out his greatsword. He was about to thrust it downward when Calmahart¡¯s fist struck his chin. Crockta almost lost consciousness, but he collected himself and tightened his grip on his greatsword. The slugfest continued. Crockta was trying to pin his opponent down with the Ogre yer, but Calmahart¡¯s ceaseless punches hindered him. The huge greatsword was difficult to use in closebat. ¡°Dammit!¡± shouted Crockta as he let go of his Ogre yer and swung his fist instead, breaking one of Calmahart¡¯s teeth. Holding down Calmahart with his weight, Crockta continued to rain down punches on the former. Calmahart thrashed around as he tried to block Crockta¡¯s attacks. He was able to hold off some of Crockta¡¯s attacks with his long arms, but Crockta still managed tond a few punches in between. Both of their faces were soon drenched in blood. Crockta was about to raise his fist again when something shed once more on Calmahart¡¯s forehead. With a sudden burst of strength, Calmahart pushed away Crockta, sending him rolling across the ground. ¡°Hahaha...you are quite something,¡± cackled Calmahart as he stood up. His huge body cast a shadow over Crockta. He looked at Crockta with blood-red eyes. ¡°ytime¡¯s over.¡± Waves of red energy circled around Calmahart¡¯s body, and his body began to swell up. He was no longer an orc but a monster. Each time he stepped forward, the ground shook. Crockta realized something was different about him. He raised his Ogre yer to defend himself, but Calmahart didn¡¯t even pick up his weapon and swung his fist instead. Crockta swung his greatsword in retaliation, but as his steel sword collided with Calmahart¡¯s bare fist, it was Crockta who was flung back. A powerful shockwave swept over the scene, sting Crockta out of the tent. Blood welled up from within him. ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta coughed blood on the ground as Calmahart walked toward him. His red eyes zed fiercely in the darkness of the night. ¡°That was enough fun. I will kill you now,¡± dered Calmahart. Then, he grinned and muttered, ¡°Crockta.¡± He raised his fist toward the sky and sped his hands together. Then, he swung his sped hands downward like a hammer at Crockta. Crockta knew that he would die if he let things continue. ¡®I will die whether I get hit or block it. I have to do something.¡¯ His instincts screamed at him. Crockta mustered all of the strength in his body and flung himself at Calmahart. Calmahart¡¯s fists mmed into the ground with immense power. The ground shook from the impact. Red energy radiated from his body like heat waves. Crockta realized that some power had taken hold of Calmahart. He no longer seemed like himself. Crockta had been unable to see clearly before because the situation was too pressing, but Calmahart definitely had a mark of the apostle on his forehead like Zelkyan. Their fears had been correct. Calmahart was borrowing powers from a god. Calmahart suddenly went berserk and charged at Crockta, who turned around and began running. Calmahart chased after him, leaving the area where Crockta¡¯s scroll muted all sound. Their chase woke up the orcs. They began toe out one after the other to see what all themotion was about, and saw Calmahart chasing after Crockta. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The chieftain!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an enemy!¡± The orcs raised their weapons as they approached Crockta, who ferociously swung his Ogre yer at them and chopped them into pieces. The screams of soldiers rang throughout the campsite. Calmahart was indifferent to the safety of his soldiers and pushed past them to chase after Crockta. He punched any orcs standing in his way and sent them flying. Some orcs¡¯ heads exploded, sending them to their deaths. ¡°Where are you running to? You weakling! Come here!¡± shouted Calmahart in a demonic voice. Everywhere he went, orc corpses littered the scene. He was a crazed monster. Crockta looked up at the moon. It wasn¡¯t midnight yet. Crockta bought time by racing through the crowd of orcs. ¡°You can¡¯t run anymore!¡± shouted one of the Great Warriors who blocked his path. Crockta swung his greatsword, but the Great Warrior parried Crockta¡¯s attack with his axe. Crockta grew desperate because Calmahart was still chasing after him. He continued attacking the Great Warrior with a sense of urgency, but the warrior calmly fended off his attacks. The warrior was stalling for time. Crockta¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaar!¡± With a shout, he swung the sword vertically. The warrior raised his axe, but Crockta¡¯s greatsword split him and his axe in half, and then Crockta ran past the corpse. Calmahart had almost caught up to him. Suddenly, something flew at him from behind. ¡°Ugh!¡± The blow sent Crockta rolling. When he came to his senses, he realized that what had hit him was the corpse of the orc he had just killed. The orc¡¯s torn body with all of its hot intestines, blood, and internal organs spilling out smothered Crockta with its awful stench. Crockta got up to continue running as Calmahart¡¯s fist came flying at him. Crockta dodged by rolling forward, but Calmahart¡¯s shadow grewrger as he drew closer. ¡°Dammit,¡± groaned Crockta. ¡®Calmahart is a monster.¡¯ But rather than trembling in fear, he was grinning. Apart from Calmahart, other orcs were also closing in on him. He waspletely surrounded, with nowhere to escape, and he stood face-to-face with Calmahart. He raised his Ogre yer. He didn¡¯t think he could win, but if it was an inevitable battle, he would dly partake in it rather than avoid it. Calmahart looked down at Crockta with his face contorting in anger. Then, he swung his fist, as fast as lightning. Crockta blocked it by raising his greatsword, but he was flung up in the air by the force of Calmahart¡¯s fist. Calmahart¡¯s strength and physical prowess were unbelievable. Calmahart threw another fist at Crockta''s head. From Crockta¡¯s perspective, a huge fist was flying toward him on a circr trajectory. He knew his head would explode if it hit him, but he was still up in the air. His Ogre yer was on the opposite side of Calmahart¡¯s fist. He was unable to dodge it or block it. During that brief moment, he felt the fist¡¯s presence with every pore of his skin. His body knew death was imminent; all of his senses heightened and the world grew slower and slower. The fist was moving toward him as the orcs surrounding him eagerly awaited his death. With his heightened senses, he could feel the moon in the sky, its light, and the direction of the wind blowing. Everything around him was pointing at his death. Calmahart swung his fist high up in the air before throwing a punch. There was no way Crockta could prevent the fist from bursting his head open. But he rejected the inevitable and reversed the bnce of the world. ¡°...!¡± Calmahart¡¯s eyes suddenly grew wide in shock. Before he knew it, the Ogre yer was blocking his path. His fist and the Ogre yer¡¯s edge met, leading to an explosion of blood. ¡°Arggghhhh!¡± Calmahart clutched his fist in pain. Crockta couldn¡¯t believe what he had just done. There was no way he could have defended himself. Furthermore, his Ogre yer had managed to cut into Calmahart¡¯s skin, which was as tough as armor. It was a miracle that broke thews of causality. ¡®But there is a state beyond that, where you can wield the world ording to your will. ... The world calls those who achieve that state ¡°heroes.¡±¡¯ Was that what it was? For a second, Crockta¡¯s movements had exceeded the realm of the Pinnacle. Calmahart was still clutching his hand, and his eyes were filled with rage. Crockta turned around and leaped into the crowd of orcs surrounding him. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± shouted the orcs, but each time Crockta stepped forward with his Ogre yer, the orcs in his way spurted blood as they were split into pieces. Crockta stomped the ground and leaped over them. The moon was above him. It was midnight. At that moment, a pumpkin coach appeared above his head. Crockta kicked the ground again and jumped inside the pumpkin coach, which swiftly faded into the distance. Then, he disappeared. There was only the empty night sky. Calmahart gritted his teeth. Then, he roared with rage at the spot where Crockta had been, his voice sounding like metal being torn to shreds. ¡°Crocktaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± ¡°We will march forward immediately!¡± he yelled. ¡°I will kill everyone!¡± He stomped his feet, and the earth shook. His eyes and the symbol on his forehead were blood-red. The only thing that could soothe his anger was a massacre filled with bloodshed. The real war was about to begin. Chapter 113: The Cruel March (1)

Chapter 113: The Cruel March (1)

Crockta was able to return safely thanks to the powers of Pumpkin Without Borders. Tiyo and Anor were shocked when Crockta fell from the sky out of nowhere. Crockta¡¯s friends and the dark elf unit led by Caska had departed from Yekatoru and were on their way to Juideh, a city in direct confrontation with the orcs. They had all decided to wait until daytime for Crockta to return before officially heading to Juideh. If he didn¡¯t return by then, they would leave without him. Despite their concerns, Crockta returned immediately once the clock struck midnight. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s an impressive pumpkin,¡± eximed Tiyo. He didn¡¯t seem to mind the sight of Crockta squirming on the ground. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be worried about me first?¡± asked Crockta as he pointed at his wounded body. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± replied Tiyo with a grin. Crockta looked terrible. He was covered in blood and the flesh of others from head to toe. His neck was still bruised from Calmahart¡¯s intense chokehold. All of the cuts and injuries made it clear that the battle that had just ended wasn¡¯t an easy one. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Crockta get beaten up so badly in a while,¡±ughed Tiyo. With the exception of when Crockta had been beaten up by the Behemoth and Xantimur, this was the first time. ¡°How was your opponent? Considering you are in this state, is the chieftain dead or alive?¡± ¡°Tiyo is so uncaring. Crockta, grab my hand first,¡± said Anor as he shook his head and extended his hand. Crockta grabbed his hand and tried to stand up, but Anor screamed and immediately let go of Crockta¡¯s hand when he felt the blood and pieces of flesh on it. ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta fell to the ground. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was surprised. You should wash your hands first,¡± said Anor. ¡°...¡± Crockta was hurt. Caska had been waiting for Crockta, and she approached him with visible relief on her face. Most of the dark elves were asleep except for her and Crockta¡¯s friends. The soldiers patrolling the area also saw that Crockta had returned and waved at him. Crockta waved back. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Caska asked him. ¡°As you can see,¡± he replied. ¡°You don¡¯t seem okay.¡± After Crockta washed off the blood staining him, a medic sanitized and bandaged his wounds. Crockta didn¡¯t really have any problems getting around despite his injuries. ¡°How was the chieftain?¡± Everyone looked at Crockta. Although the chieftain was notorious in the north, no one had seen him in person before. There were rampant rumors that the chieftain was a monster twice the size of a regr orc that could rip apart and kill an ogre with his bare hands. He was known as the crazy chieftain of the chiefdom. ¡°He is strong,¡± said Crockta, carefully choosing his words. The chieftain was definitely strong, but not the kind of strong one would normally imagine. He was a warrior who had reached the Pinnacle. And yet, Driden, the dual sword wielder, had sharper instincts and more energy than him. Although Calmahart had immense strength, it wasn¡¯tparable to that of giant monsters like ogres and cyclops. Crockta also probably surpassed him in terms ofbat skills and battle instinct. But that only mattered before the chieftain was engulfed in that red energy... Despite Calmahart¡¯s stature and strength, Crockta felt like he had a chance of victory after he pierced the chieftain¡¯s stomach. But once the symbol on Calmahart¡¯s forehead shed red and he was swept up in madness, he turned into an unstoppable monster. The sight of Calmahart¡¯s muscles grabbing onto the greatsword that had pierced his stomach and him crushing des with his bare hands lived up to his reputation of a crazy chieftain. Once he got into that state, he would be difficult to defeat. ¡°We have to make thorough preparations. He used unknown powers, and once he was wrapped up in red energy, he disyed unbelievable strength,¡± said Crokta with a solemn face. Caska¡¯s expression grew heavy. Crockta was a warrior who had handled the orc army on his own. He was stronger than anyone she had ever seen. But if someone like him was giving such a serious warning... ¡°I did manage to wound him, but he would heal in no time because of that unknown energy... In any case, I managed to put a sword through his gut.¡± ¡°You stabbed him!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Hahaha, of course.¡± Crockta tapped on his greatsword. Caska let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness. He would slow down a bit since he¡¯s injured.¡± It would¡¯ve been safe to assume that even a monster like him would take a break after his stomach had been stabbed, but Crockta disagreed. Crockta remembered the chieftain¡¯s rage toward him. It wouldn¡¯t be odd for him to immediately start running north, considering his boiling anger and madness. The chieftain wasn¡¯t someone one could apply normal standards to and make assumptions about. He was an absolute lunatic, living up to his nickname. ¡°Probably not. The chieftain is...¡± began Crockta. ¡°Let¡¯s rest first since you are injured. It¡¯s nighttime,¡± interrupted Caska as she pointed at the sky. The same moon from when he was among the orc army was still up. Crockta nodded. ¡°But it¡¯d be best to start moving early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Caska. Crockta responded with another nod. Tiyo and Anor both approached Crockta to help him get moving. Although he could walk on his own, he decided to lean on them. Even if they exchanged harsh words, they still genuinely cared for one another. There was a reason male friendships and camaraderie were referred to as ¡®brotherly bond.¡¯ ¡°Ah, you smell like blood. Crockta, you should have done a better job cleaning yourself,¡±mented Anor. ¡°Stop pressing down on my shoulders, Crockta! I¡¯m gonna get shorter!¡± yelled Tiyo. Crockta took back his thoughts after hearing theirints. Bul¡¯tar. Life was a lonely journey. *** The sun was up, and they were still marching. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I can keep going.¡± ¡°Stay strong.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the orc soldier replied, but from his expression and voice, it was obvious that he was worn out. The Great Warrior Shireuga¡¯s face turned serious as he assessed the state of his soldiers. There had been an infiltrationst night¡ªan orc called Crockta. After Crockta disappeared at midnight, the chieftain was in utter rage. He ordered them to pack up their tents and to start marching, and their night march continued even when the sun came up. Shireuga tried to raise the soldiers¡¯ morale, but even though their unsteady steps never stopped, they looked like they would copse any second. ¡°Whew...¡± Shireuga sighed when he discovered a familiar face. He approached him and struck up a conversation. ¡°Hammerchwi,¡± he called out. ¡°Oh, Great Warrior Shieruga. How is your unit?¡± ¡°Many are injured,¡± replied Shireuga. Last night, Crockta had infiltrated among them. Shireuga saw him for the first time. He was facing off against the chieftain with unwavering determination. He had driven his greatsword through the chieftain¡¯s stomach and shed the chieftain¡¯s fist. He had even gotten past the orcs and disappeared in a strange way. As rumored, his skills were remarkable. The chieftain went on a rampage after Crockta disappeared safely in the middle of chasing him. He ripped apart several orcs around him. His madness only settled after much bloodshed. Then, the cruel march began. There wasn¡¯t any consideration of the injured. The soldiers wounded by Crockta as well as those on the brink of death had to keep on marching because of Calmahart¡¯s order. Those who refused to walk faced immediate death, and the injured were abandoned. The orcs who were unable to abandon theirrades carried the injured on the march, but this only exacerbated the state of the army. The march wasn¡¯t a rational decision, but the chieftain only had thoughts of inciting war and seeing bloodshed. ¡°What about Great Warrior Kellug?¡± asked Hammerchwi. ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± replied Shieruga. Hammerchwi closed his eyes. ¡°May he rest in peace.¡± They didn¡¯t speak any further. Kellug was one of the chiefdom warriors who had been caught up in the rampage yesterday. He ran to wake up hisrades when a copsing tent fell on him and crushed his spine. ¡°Hammerchwi,¡± said Shireuga. Hammerchwi was an old and wise warrior. For a chiefdom warrior to reach his age meant that he had survived countless battles. Hammerchwi looked him in the eye, and Shireuga asked a question he had been holding in for a while. ¡°Hammmerchwi, is the chieftain...¡± It was a question that was dangerous to say out loud. ¡°Is that chieftain okay?¡± Shireuga looked away and saw the chieftain¡¯s huge pnquin carried on the ves¡¯ shoulders. Not all of the ves were dark elves. Their own kind, orcs, were chained up and holding the pnquin up in pitiful states. They had be ves just because they didn¡¯t obey the chiefdom. Each time the ves stopped, the chiefdom warriors behind them whipped them with ash embedded with pieces of steel, and blood and flesh sttered onto the ground. The chieftain smirked at the sound of the whip. The orc ves tried to maintain the bnce of the pnquin even as they struggled to walk straight because a single mistake would result in the death of all the ves and not just their own. It was a pitiful sight. ¡°Shireuga...¡± Hammerchwi sighed. Shireuga wasn¡¯t the only one who had such doubts. Hammerchwi was in the same boat, but the chieftain was thew of the chiefdom. Everything he said was the will of the entire chiefdom. It was the t of the chiefdom to obey the strongest warrior. ¡°I saw the orc called Crockta yesterday,¡± said Shireuga. ¡°Hmm...¡± Hammerchwi remembered Crockta, the orc from the continent. He had defeated the chiefdom at Mount Lun, Nuridot, and Nameragon, and he had now joined forces with the dark elves. He was a clear enemy of the chiefdom. He was strong, lethal, and impossible to ignore. ¡°He was strong,¡± continued Shireuga. Hammerchwi, who had fought with Crockta, knew it better than anyone. He had fought against Crockta with warriors under hismand, but all of them had been defeated. ¡°He¡¯s a very strong warrior.¡± ¡°Yesterday...¡± Shireuga thought about the moment Crockta faced Calmahart. The chieftain, swept up in his wave of madness, became terror itself, but Crockta from the continent was smiling in the face of this terror. Shireuga knew what that expression meant. ¡°His expression was as if...¡± ¡°As if?¡± Shireuga was unable to continue. He remembered the time he used to make the same face. The chiefdom warriors had been greatly feared everywhere when the chieftain before Calmahart led them. They were strong, and they didn¡¯t retreat no matter who they faced. Orcs from other viges, dark elves inciting conflict, wandering gnomes, and monsters were all afraid of them and never dared to refuse to give up their possessions under the axede of the Great Warriors. They had overwhelming power, and they took pride in the chiefdom and their status as warriors. They never showed their backs, even if they were outnumbered or cornered. They fought bravely with determination in battles where death was right around the corner, and they grinned ferociously at the strongest opponents because they were the chiefdom¡¯s warriors who represented the orcs of the north. During that time, he had felt honor under the name of the chiefdom. ¡°...It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Shireuga as he shook his head. Hammerchwi ced a hand on his shoulder with eyes filled with empathy. He understood how Shireuga felt as a warrior who had carried the chiefdom¡¯s g for the two previous generations of chieftains. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The dice has already been tossed.¡± Shireuga dropped his head. ¡°Raise your head. You are the Great Warrior Shireuga.¡± Hammerchwi tapped on his shoulder and went past him. As he watched Hammerchwi marching forward to his unit, Shireuga wanted to ask, ¡®Can you walk with your head high, Hammerchwi?¡¯ He instead sighed and looked forward again as the march continued. The chiefdom was still a source of terror, and they were known to be cruel and merciless. The entire north was scared of them. They were enjoying greater fame than before. ¡®But why?¡¯ Shireuga looked up at the sky. Why was he not proud of the chiefdom¡¯s g anymore? Why was he filled with greater embarrassment as the battles filled with death and the massacre continued? He forced himself to smile. There was a time when he swung his axe with a smile on his face in the face of countless arrows raining down on the battlefield. He was one of the victors who used to roar ferociously as they stepped on the corpses of his enemies. Back then, he was an orc who knew how tough fiercely, but he could no longerugh like back then. That smile was no longer theirs. Shireuga was envious of the smile he¡¯d seen the previous night on the face of the orc called Crockta, with the heavy sword. He looked at the g of the chiefdom fluttering in the wind next to the chieftain. He used to be proud of that g. A new g-bearer was carrying the long gpole upright, and next to the g-bearer was a strange orc following the chieftain. The sorcerer¡ªthe actual head of the chiefdom. He nned all of the battles and encouraged the chieftain. ¡®Perhaps...¡¯ Suddenly, the sorcerer turned and looked behind him, meeting Shireuga¡¯s eyes. Shireuga casually looked away as if he had his mind somewhere else. The sorcerer looked away. The sorcerer had appeared out of nowhere one day. ¡®Perhaps...¡¯ The moment he had that thought, the sorcerer abruptly turned his head once more, and his red eyes met Shireuga¡¯s. Shireuga froze up. The sorcerer stared at Shireuga and smirked. He then turned his head forward again. Shireuga held his breath for a while, feeling the sorcerer¡¯s unnerving presence. The chieftain stood up on his pnquin and looked around at the army. He raised his double-headed axe high up in the air and shouted, ¡°Stay strong! Keep marching! We will continue walking! Hahahahahaha!¡± The g fluttered. The cruel march continued. Chapter 114: The Cruel March (2)

Chapter 114: The Cruel March (2)

The sun was up when Crockta opened his eyes. He felt refreshed. ¡°...!¡± He was surprised because he felt too refreshed. Crockta looked around him, but he couldn¡¯t find Tiyo and Anor, who were supposed to be lying inside the tent with him. Crockta ran outside. ¡°Oh, did you finally wake up?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Crockta, what a sleepyhead,¡± said Anor. The two were smirking as they cooked meat on top of a makeshift grill above the campfire. It was already noon. ¡°How...¡± muttered Crockta. They were supposed to follow the chiefdom¡¯s route as soon as the sun was up, but it was already afternoon. Caska smiled as she walked toward him. ¡°Why are you looking at us like that? We were trying to be considerate of you.¡± ¡°You dyed traveling because of me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The chiefdom is...¡± ¡°The chieftain is injured anyway. He certainly won¡¯t overexert himself for a day, so you should rest.¡± Caska had deliberately dyed the move for Crockta. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that the more rushed you are, the more you should slow down,¡± she said. Crockta looked around him. The dark elf soldiers were preparing their meals in good spirits. Crockta¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Caska...¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re touched?¡± asked Caska. Crockta had a realization when he saw the grin on her face. ¡®These dark elves don¡¯t understand war.¡¯ Although they had experienced battles, they had never dealt with a full blown-out war, so they didn¡¯t know how important half a day was. They had no idea that each and every hour was critical in determining the oue of the war. None of them had ever experienced the kind of oue that could result from a brief dy of ns due to fatigue. A single sh was enough to kill someone, and war was an umtion of giant shes and cuts. The de could fall on them at any time. ¡°Were you able to get a grasp of the chiefdom¡¯s situation?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°The scouting team will return soon,¡± replied Caska. ¡°So you weren¡¯t able to...We need to depart immediately.¡± ¡°Crockta,¡± sighed Caska. ¡°There are other units aside from us. Even if the chiefdom had gotten a head start, each city has its own troops, and the cities are working closely together. Don¡¯t try to do everything on your own.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong, but Crockta¡¯s instincts told him he had to get moving immediately. He couldn¡¯t get the image of the chieftain¡¯s red eyes out of his mind. There wasn¡¯t any mercy orpromise, reason or even ambition within those eyes. Crockta only saw a drive for battle, thirst for blood, and extreme violence. They couldn¡¯t face a foe like Calmahart withmon sense. ¡°We have to leave as soon as possible,¡± Crockta repeated. Caska finally nodded in agreement seeing the serious look on Crockta¡¯s face. ¡°Fine. Fine. I understand, but let¡¯s eat first.¡± She seemed annoyed by Crockta¡¯s persistent demand to decamp and turned around with her arms crossed. Crockta realized he was hungry at Caska¡¯s mention of food. Like she said, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to start moving after eating something first. His anxiety could be stemming from his confrontation with Calmahart. *** Tiyo and Anor wereughing and cooking meat behind the tent. Crockta walked up to them. Tiyo was on guard. ¡°You are greedily eyeing the meat.¡± Anor chimed in. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that those who do not work shall not eat.¡± ¡°The amount we have to give to azy orc who slept until noon...¡± Tiyo waved a few pieces of herbs that he had put on the meat to enhance the fragrance. ¡°Hmm, this much?¡± Then, heughed uproariously. Anor followed after him andughed with glee. They got along so well. ¡°I¡¯m joking. Just joking. Here, take this. There¡¯s no way we would be cold to you,¡± said Tiyo, still smiling. Then, he handed Crockta a small piece of meat. It wasn¡¯t even bite-sized. Tiyo smirked. ¡°Crockta¡¯s on a diet!¡± Then, they looked at each other and began chuckling. ¡°Hahahaha!You are so mean! Crockta on a diet!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all out of love and care for my friend¡¯s health! Hahahahahaha!¡± They were like the mean extras in a movie who harassed the main character. Crockta looked down at Tiyo and Anor one by one with sullen eyes. They continued to giggle and make meat skewers out of twigs and cooked them by twirling them around. ¡°Haha. Ah! Too hot! The stick is too short!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Be careful. We don¡¯t have enough branches.¡± ¡°We have the meat but not the proper tools...¡± Tiyo smirked again. ¡°But there¡¯s someone even more pitiful; he doesn''t even have meat. At least I¡¯m not empty handed...hehehe.¡± ¡°You know, it¡¯s no goodparing yourself with someone who has it worse just to feel better about yourself. Haha,¡± quipped Anor. ¡°Then why are youughing? He...¡± ¡°Then what about you, Tiyo? Hehe...¡± ¡°I¡¯mughing because the weather is nice! Hehehehehe!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also justughing because the breeze is nice! Hehehehehe!¡± Crockta closed his eyes. How sad was this? They say a rotten apple spoils the barrel. This young man called Anor set the trustworthy warrior Crockta aside and let himself be influenced by Tiyo, the opportunist. This dude who had been bullied not too long ago, became a bully himself after learning how to cuss! Crockta raised his greatsword, casting a long shadow over them. Tiyo and Anor flinched. ¡°C-could it be...?¡± ¡°We just teased him a little...haha...¡± With a piercing look in his eyes, Crockta swung his greatsword without hesitation. ¡°...!¡± ¡°...Ah!¡± On top of the de pointed at them was...meat. Crockta used the de of his Ogre yer as a grill to cook meat. The meat smoothly slid over the masterpiece of the Golden Anvil tribe as if its surface had been greased each time Crockta moved his wrist. The meat didn¡¯t stick to the de at all. Crockta ced the herbs Tiyo and Anor had been teasing him with on top of the meat and sprinkled some salt. When it was about time, Crockta flipped the meat on his greatsword. He seared the outside of the meat while retaining the juices inside, leaving the piece of meat really tender. ¡°...!¡± Tiyo and Anor looked down at the thin branches in their hands. The meat they had grilled directly above the fire was all burnt, the herbs seared onto them didn¡¯t look very appetizing either. Moreover, the branches were so small that they would break after a few uses. Crockta withdrew his de. The perfect steak was gleaming before their eyes. Tiyo and Anor didn¡¯t even realize that all of their meat had burned because they were busy observing Crockta¡¯s grilling skills. They forgot about their meat and just stared at the Crockta¡¯s. Crockta¡¯s hand moved slowly. He was going to take a bite out of this perfect steak. As soon as he took a bite, red juices exploded in his mouth. What took ce in his mouth wasn¡¯t just simple consumption for the sake of sustenance; it was a party of vors! Crockta¡¯s steak looked like a once-in-a-lifetime feast to Tiyo and Anor who had been unable to enjoy proper food ever since their long days of camping had started. Tiyo was the first one to grasp the situation. ¡°I apologize...!¡± With a thud, Tiyo lowered his head as he got down on his knees. Crockta looked at Anor. Anor, who looked like he was walking on eggshells, gave in to Crockta¡¯s skills. ¡°Uhh...¡± He plopped down. ¡°I want to eat steak.¡± Crockta looked at the two redeemed men with hollow eyes. He prayed they wouldn¡¯t fall back on the path of evil. ¡°Say my name,¡± demanded Crockta. ¡°...!¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± asked Crockta. Tiyo and Anor raised their heads. Crockta had the benevolent smile of an old god in a mural. As if they only then realized something, they muttered, ¡°Crockta...¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Crockta.¡± He then stood up and transported the uncooked piece of meat next to Tiyo and Anor onto the surface of his de. Threerge chunks of meat densely upied the Ogre yer as it headed toward the mes. ¡°I¡¯m a very merciful warrior.¡± Tiyo and Anor regretted their past actions as they watched the meat sizzling on the de. *** ¡°We really made it,¡± muttered the Great Warrior Shireuga. The cruel march ordered by the chieftain had finally ended. They looked at the fortress in the distance and gripped their weapons. ¡®Ameranyan...the city of dark elves.¡¯ It was the most prosperous area among the cities that bordered their territory. If they crushed that ce, they could immediately advance to key cities like Nameragon or Rorgach, and most importantly, the World Tree. As soon as they chopped down the tree and burned it, victory would be theirs. Then, the north would fall under their reign and set the foundation for their invasion of the continent. The chieftain wanted to turn the entire north into a tool for war and annihte everything below the border. ¡®What will the world be like once the conquest is over?¡¯ wondered Shireuga. He struggled to shake off those thoughts. ¡°The city of those who were made to be our ves is over there. The city of weak trash,¡± said the chieftain as he stood up on the pnquin. His gruff voice rumbled and echoed everywhere. The sorcerer cast a spell with his hands, and the chieftain¡¯s voice grew even louder and rang fiercely among the soldiers. ¡°We will seize that ce. I will allow anything you desire. Make that ce yours. You can have everything.¡± His eyes turned red as he looked at the orcs all around. The fatigued orc army began to murmur in excitement. Shireuga also felt something strange burning in his chest. His heart raced, and the excitement before battle swirled in his head. He raised his weapon in the air because he wanted to feel the weight of his axe, and his arm twitched because it had missed the liberating feeling of swinging the weapon. He wanted to swing at, chop, and crush the heads of his enemies as they begged for their lives. Battle and victory¡ªthose two things took over his thoughts. ¡°nning is for the weak,¡± said the chieftain as he stepped down from his pnquin. For a second, the pnquin lurched. The ves flinched, but the chieftain didn¡¯t seem to mind. He just casually swung his axe. A few of the ves supporting the pnquin lost their bnce and fell, causing the pnquin to copse and crush the rest of the ves. The chieftain immediately jumped on top and put his whole weight on them before starting to stomp. Shireuga could hear the sound of bones breaking underneath as the ves let out their final screams. Blood gushed from underneath the pnquin. ¡°We can get as many ves as we want from there.¡± The chieftain smirked. ¡°I will run over and crush the entrance.¡± The chieftain extended his hand and pointed at the huge door of the fortress. The soldiers had bombarded the door with siege weapons, but it refused to copse. ¡°I will push them out.¡± The chieftain raised his axe. ¡°Follow me and ughter everyone in sight. That¡¯s the n.¡± The orcs raised their weapons, and the Great Warriors shouted, ¡°Victory for the chiefdom!¡± The orcs shouted after them. ¡°Victory!¡± Shireuga was also swept up by the atmosphere and the chieftain¡¯s voice and shouted along with everyone. ¡°Death for the enemy of the chiefdom!¡± the Great Warriors continued chanting. The orcs shouted back eagerly, ¡°Death!¡± With the orcs¡¯ shout as the signal, the chieftain began running. The orcs followed behind him. The orcs whose stamina and morale had been rock bottom from the cruel march leapt forward with new-found excitement. Everyone burned with fighting spirit as they roared and ran toward the fortress. They didn¡¯t care about the imprable fortress and the countless arrows that would rain down on them. They only saw the chieftain¡¯s back and ran. The chieftain looked like a giant charging at the fortress. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± The chieftain¡¯s body swelled up with waves of red energy as he ran. He ran as fast as a beast roaring and stomping the earth. His target was the door. He slung the axe over his shoulder and charged. One of them would break. Dust rose up in the air, revealing the victor. The door was broken while the chieftain didn¡¯t have a scratch on his body. ¡°Kill this trash!¡± he shouted as he made his way into Ameranyan and swung his axe, sending severed dark elves soaring above the fortress walls. The chieftain had sessfully crushed the line of defense inside the fortress by himself, and the orcs entered the city like a swarm of ants. The massacre had begun. It was an unimaginably explosive and cruel march. That day, Ameranyan was annihted. *** When Caska received news of Ameranyan¡¯s fall, her entire army was shocked. She was quiet for a while and then dered, ¡°We are heading to Nameragon.¡± Crockta was unable to say anything. Her home had been wiped out, and Caska felt as if she was responsible for it because she chose to dy their journey to Ameranyan. Just yesterday, she had been on her way home, but everything had disappeared. Despite the grief, she decided to set her hometown aside and march onward. Although she had lost everything, she gritted her teeth and tried not to fall apart because her soldiers had lost their homes as well. She dropped her head and quietly cried when her emotions surged. She couldn¡¯t stop now. They had to continue walking. She had to suppress her sorrow with physical pain. It was a cruel march. Chapter 115: Making Noise From the East, Attacking From the West (1)

Chapter 115: Making Noise From the East, Attacking From the West (1)

Shireuga, engulfed in the lingering feelings of the battles that had just urred, tried to catch his breath. He had ripped apart and ughtered any opponent he could get his hands on. He had gleefully crushed the skulls of those begging for their lives, and then erupted inughter as he grabbed their brains and scattered them in the air. But this wasn¡¯t his usual self. It wasn¡¯t the way Shireuga, the Great Warrior of the chiefdom who courageously roamed the battlefields, fought. He was the son of Shiktu, the greatest warrior of the Iron Axe Tribe and had a reputation to live up to. He clutched his restless heart as the pounding in his chest shook his whole body. With each pulse, he was taken over by a thirst for blood. A dark elf who had been hiding behind a building came swinging his sword. Shireuga grabbed the throat of the dark elf. ¡°Ahh!¡± The dark elf¡¯s eyes grew wide. Shireuga tightened histch on to the dark elf¡¯s neck. Locked in the grip of death, the dark elf drooled as life slowly faded from his eyes. Shireuga lifted up the dark elf and stared into his frightened and half-open eyes. He saw his own reflection in the dark elf¡¯s eyes and realized that his eyes were the same red as the chieftain¡¯s. Shireuga was taken aback by the sight and swung his fist to crush the dark elf¡¯s face. The dark elf¡¯s corpse drooped like a rag. Shireuga tossed the body aside and rested his hand on his forehead, deep in thought. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Victory for the chiefdom!¡± He could hear the noise of the battlefield in the background. The orc warriors had sessfully killed all of the dark elves who could fight. Only women, children, and the elderly who were unable to fight remained. Ultimately, the chiefdom had seeded in invading Ameranyan. However, even after the battle ended, the ughter continued. As Shireuga observed the scene, he began to feel like he had lost touch with reality. He took a step forward, and his foot got caught on an amputated leg. It was a woman¡¯s leg¡ªthin and frail. He walked over it and continued moving forward. He suddenly locked eyes with someone... the eyes of a dead child. Unable to close his eyes, the child was staring at him without a body. His head had been flung away from its body and was sttered on the ground while revealing its insides. Shireuga walked past it and saw dark elves being dragged away by their hair with leashes on their necks. The dark elves who protested turned quiet once the orcs chopped the bodies of their friends, siblings, and families. Those who resisted died on the spot. But what burned in the dark elves¡¯ eyes wasn¡¯t submission. It was hatred. Shireuga then suddenly locked eyes with an old dark elf. ¡®Dark elves live twice as long as orcs. This dark elf must have lived an extremely long life. Has he seen something like this before during his lifetime?¡¯ The elderly dark elf didn¡¯t cry, nor was he in despair; he just stared at Shireuga quietly. Then, his head was chopped in half. ¡°How dare he stare at the Great Warrior. Hahaha...¡± A young warrior nced over at Shireuga, who walked past them. As he kept walking, Shireuga found an old Great Warrior who was observing the bloodbath that continued. It was Hammerchwi; he was observing the massacre with his arms crossed. ¡°Hammerchwi,¡± Shireuga called out to him. ¡°Shireuga,¡± he answered. They could see the chieftain in the distance. Even among orcs, he looked like a giant. Each time he swung his limbs whileughing uproariously, buildings crumbled down, and dark elves died. He sought out each and every dark elf in Ameranyan with his Great Warriors. ¡°The battle has ended,¡± said Shireuga. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know what the emotion I felt earlier was?¡± asked Shireuga as he looked at Hammerchwi. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like myself earlier.¡± ¡°Shireuga...¡± Earlier, when the chieftain had breached Ameranyan¡¯s entrance and roared his battle cry, the orcs fell into a state of frenzy and maniacally ughtered their enemies. Although they became stronger and faster, they turned into mindless beasts. Shireuga didn¡¯t want to be like that ever again. The traces of madness still unsettled him. ¡°What did I...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just you,¡± replied Hammerchwi as he gestured at the orcs around them. Although most of the orcs were still destroying Ameranyan, some looked puzzled and grasped their heads in bewilderment. Their eyes were confused, and they seemed startled by the sight of the city. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either,¡± replied Hammerchwi, but he understood what Shireuga was trying to say. Shireuga was wondering what was happening to the chiefdom. Victory was the goal and task of the chiefdom, and they had just achieved an overwhelming victory, but could they call the sight in front of them a victory? ¡°Shireuga.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are Shiktu¡¯s son.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Shiktu was the greatest warrior of the Iron Axe Tribe, and a renowned warrior of the north. The Iron Axe Tribe had fought against the chiefdom until the end, but the tribe ultimately lost to the previous chieftain and had been absorbed into the chiefdom. It was the oue of a fair battle, and his father continued making his mark even after joining the chiefdom. ¡°Do you know what this word means?¡± asked Hammerchwi. He then whispered something in his ear. Shireuga¡¯s eyes grew nostalgic. It was a word he had heard before. His father, Shiktu, had taught him that word. His father¡¯s forgotten voice came alive in his memory. ¡°Yes, my father sometimes repeated that word to himself.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Hammerchwi nodded. Then, he put his arm around Shireuga and led him away. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. You must remember.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, but...¡± Suddenly, someone grabbed Hammerchwi¡¯s foot. It was an orc. Although they had won the battle, some orcs were injured due to the dark elves¡¯ resistance. The orc had been stabbed all over his body, and he was bleeding in pain. He was dying. He raised his eyes to look at Hammerchwi, who nodded. Then, Hammerchwi¡¯s hammer crushed the orc¡¯s head with a clean blow. He relieved the orc from his pain. Hammerchwi withdrew his hammer and continued, ¡°One day, that word will give you the answer you desire.¡± The old Great Warrior Hammerchwi smiled. The more he aged, the more he realized that he didn¡¯t know anything. Everyone gets shipwrecked at some point in life. Sometimes because of others, and asionally because of themselves. Those who didn¡¯t know where they were going were ultimately pushed toward ces they didn¡¯t want to go. However, a single beacon of light from the lighthouse was enough to get back on course. An orc soldier came up to them and announced, ¡°Hammerchwi, Shireuga, the chieftain has summoned the Great Warriors.¡± Hammerchwi and Shireuga immediately responded to the summon and headed back. When they arrived at the gathering, the chieftain was sitting on a throne at the center of Ameranyan¡¯s public square. The chieftain had a smirk on his face as the newly enved dark elves bowed by his side. All of the Great Warriors who made up the central power of the chiefdom were gathered there. Most of them were big shots who had reached the Pinnacle, and ordinary soldiers were no match for them. Although there weren¡¯t many of them, they were skilled warriors who had been through countless battles. The chieftain exined the next n. As he listened, Shireuga watched the sorcerer by the chieftain¡¯s side. The chieftain¡¯s words had probablye out of the sorcerer¡¯s head, but the sorcerer stood in absolute silence,pletely concealed by his robe from head to toe. ¡°The next target is Juideh,¡± announced the chieftain. *** ¡°The orcs¡¯ main unit is heading north to Nameragon. The unit that captured Nuridot is showing signs of joining them. Their numbers are insane. Let¡¯s quickly head there,¡± urged Caska. After hearing the unfortunate news about Ameranyan, they were marching toward Nameragon without taking a break. Caska, who felt guilty that she hadn¡¯t listened to Crockta, became quiet and ran a tighter schedule. ¡°Is there a chance they might head to Juideh?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°We first detected them heading to Nameragon. They are probably nning to quickly advance to Spinora.¡± Crockta nodded. ording to her words, the next battle would take ce in Nameragon. He had to get rid of the chieftain there. Their adventure in the north was close to reaching its climax. A lot had happened since then, and most of the problems had been caused by the crazy chieftain. He nned to return to the continent after restoring peace in the north. ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± said Caska. The unit began marching again. They were able to arrive at Nameragon in a short amount of time thanks to the cruel march. When they arrived, Nameragon was surprisingly quiet. There weren¡¯t signs yet that a battle had started. Caska sighed with relief. ¡®Was the chiefdom taking a break after they had rushed to strike Ameranyan?¡¯ she wondered. The orcs¡¯ army had not yet arrived in Nameragon, but Crockta suddenly got a strange feeling. It was too quiet. His instincts alerted him that this wasn¡¯t the atmosphere of a ce where war was imminent. His entire body was telling him to look elsewhere. He looked outside the fortress, but he didn¡¯t see the orcs¡¯ army yet. Crockta activated a skill he didn¡¯t want to use. [Eyes of the Ashen God (Beyond ssification) has been activated.] After learning that Elder Lord was a world that existed in another dimension, he felt repulsed by reading others¡¯ lifespans. He had nned to quit using the skill, but he had to use it right this moment. The lifespans of Nameragon¡¯s citizens and the soldiers popped up. ¡°...!¡± ¡®No, this isn¡¯t the ce.¡¯ Crockta stopped in his tracks. ¡°Crockta, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tiyo tilted his head curiously. Crockta didn¡¯t respond and looked around Nameragon with the Eyes of the Ashen God. War was the intersection of life and death. The lifespans of those who were about to face war had to be a mixed bag of those on the brink of death, but Nameragon didn¡¯t have anyone about to die soon. There wasn¡¯t anyone who would die in a week or two, which meant that there wouldn¡¯t be a battle any time soon. He began to understand the source of his bad feelings. It meant that the chiefdom¡¯s target wasn¡¯t Nameragon. Then where was the great army headed? ¡°They are making noise from the east, and attacking from the west,¡± muttered Crockta. The bulk of the chiefdom¡¯s army was definitely headed toward Nameragon, but a small unit of them was heading toward Juideh. With the strength of the chieftain and the Great Warriors who followed him, the chiefdom could seize the fortress even if most of their army was elsewhere. The crazy chieftain was powerful enough to aplish such a feat. Juideh was in danger. ¡°Is Driden in Juideh?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. You mean the guy with the dual swords, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Not even Driden could take on the chieftain. They had to head there immediately. ¡°Caska!¡± called out Crockta. She turned around. ¡°Crockta.¡± She still sounded down. Crockta paid no heed and approached her. She opened her eyes in shock at Crockta¡¯s sense of urgency. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin everything.¡± Crockta quickly exined that he had a slight ability to foresee battles, and that the chiefdom¡¯s main army was setting up a base and nning to use a small group of elite soldiers to strike Juideh. He made it clear that they didn¡¯t have any time. She didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, we can¡¯t just leave when the bulk of the army is headed here. It¡¯s toote for us to join the forces in Juideh.¡± ¡°Juideh is in danger.¡± ¡°Still...it can¡¯t be helped,¡± replied Caska. The fall of Ameranyan had changed her personality, and she started taking the war more seriously. Even if Juideh fell to the chiefdom, it couldn¡¯t be helped. They had to prioritize Nameragon and Spinora. If those two fell, it would lead to the destruction of dark elves in the north. It was more important to protect Nameragon. ¡°Then I will go by myself,¡± said Crockta. Caska furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Crockta, it¡¯s toote. Instead...¡± ¡°No, I have to go.¡± Crockta didn¡¯t want the number of victims to increase. He had to kill the chieftain. Even if he failed, he had to at least try. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Tiyo and Anor approached them and stood next to Crockta. ¡°We can¡¯t let Crockta go by himself. We are going with him.¡± Tiyo had never seen Crockta spout nonsense. Although Crockta made weird jokes and acted goofy sometimes, he always made the right decision regarding matters with lives on the line. He was a man you could trust in situations like this. If Crockta said Juideh was in danger, then Juideh was in danger. Tiyo trusted him, and Anor was on the same page. Caska couldn¡¯t help but nod in approval with both Tiyo and Anor looking at her. Although she was worried about Crockta, he was the strongest warrior she knew, and he was a man who chose his own path. He wasn¡¯t someone who warranted her concern. ¡°I will give you the fastest karuk...¡± said Caska. ¡°No.¡± Anor cut her off. Crockta and Tiyo looked at him. It was rare for Anor to be so bold. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a museum in Nameragon.¡± Although he didn¡¯t have much affection for dark elves, Anor couldn¡¯t just hide behind Crockta and Tiyo because he was scared. At least not while his home and innocent dark elves were ughtered. He was a dark elf who was raised in Nuridot, and it was time for him to take action. He had to take matters into his own hands. Anor continued, ¡°I heard they have a preserved corpse of a super-fast mutant wyvern there, which used to instill fear in the citizens of Nameragon.¡± Chapter 116: Making Noise From the East, Attacking From the West (2)

Chapter 116: Making Noise From the East, Attacking From the West (2)

Nameragon had a historical museum with a record of its history and events. The corpse of Boro, the wyvern that used to make the citizens of Nameragon tremble in fear, was disyed in the museum. Unlike most wyverns that didn¡¯t ambush cities, Boro was an extremely smart and fast wyvern who had enjoyed hunting dark elves. It would sneak into Nameragon at night when only a few dark elves were outside, kidnap and bring them to its nest where it would enjoy its feast. There were countless victims, prompting Nameragon to invite Tunishi, a renowned hunter with extensive knowledge of monsters. Tunishi employed all kinds of methods, including setting traps and tracking down Boro¡¯s nest, and he ultimately seeded in shooting Boro down. This achievement left asting mark in Nameragon¡¯s history. Once Tunishi obtained Boro¡¯s corpse, he discovered that Boro was a mutant. Compared to a regr wyvern, it was muchrger, had sharper teeth, and had steel-like skin that was iparably tougher than most wyverns¡¯. Boro was now on disy as a part of Nameragon¡¯s history at the museum. ¡°Is this a wyvern?¡± asked Tiyo as he scrutinized Boro¡¯s corpse at the museum. Boro¡¯s tough skin had been removed, and its vicious eyes were empty, but its majestic skeleton remained with its wings spread wide open as if it was still threatening dark elves. ¡°What are we gonna do with this?¡± The dark elves were in an emergency situation. They were ready to use anything to fight against the orcs¡¯ invasion. Thus, when Anor said he would like to use the disyed wyvern, the mayor, Ladet, nodded in approval without much protest. Crockta and Tiyo had no idea how Anor would use this thing. They could only imagine, and that imagination soon turned into reality. Anor closed his eyes, and the powers of necromancy that had been passed down to him flowed out and embraced the aged skeleton. Dense strands of magic flowed out and grabbed the core of the creature. Necromancers were messengers that connected life and death. They were unable to redeem souls that had departed for the afterlife, but they could capture the traces left by the dead andmand them as they pleased. They grabbed a hold of the lingering thoughts or regrets of the dead. Did this old wyvern corpse have such lingering remains? Anor couldn¡¯t sense anything from the wyvern. It felt empty inside, but he didn¡¯t give up and persistently scanned the wyvern¡¯s skeleton. Somewhere inside, the wyvern had to have some unforgettable grudge, memories, and lingering regrets that not even death could put an end to. ¡°...!¡± The wyvern¡¯s wings began to move slightly. The director of the museum who had been watching by their side backed away in surprise. ¡°Oh...¡± ¡°I found it,¡± said Anor with a smile. He extended his hand, and the wyvern¡¯s skull slightly moved. Then, the wyvern¡¯s entire skeleton began moving. ¡°What do you want?¡± Anor was no longer looking at a skeleton. He was looking at Boro from when he was alive and breathing. He had a calm look in his eyes; he didn¡¯t seem like the notorious wyvern who had eaten numerous dark elves alive. Anor gave him a look. Boro let out a cry that only Anor could understand to convey his desire. Anor understood and nodded. He would grant the wyvern his unfulfilled desire. ¡°Crockta, Tiyo, get on,¡± said Anor. ¡°You want us to ride t-this? I think my butt would get sore...¡± said Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s okay since it¡¯s not a horse,¡± replied Anor. As a longtime friend of Sam-Ryong, Anor knew from his past experiences that riding on a drake or a wyvern waspletely different from riding a horse. Because it didn¡¯t shake up and down, there was no need for a saddle. Boro came alive after responding to Anor¡¯s magic and stepped off the disy shelf. The museum resonated with a thud. The sight of Boro departing from the disy was majestic. Boro looked around at the museum that had held him in confinement and then looked up at the ss ceiling. He could see the blue sky beyond it. Crockta asked the museum director for a heavy cloth and a rope. He thenid out the cloth on Boro¡¯s spine and secured the rope to have something to hold onto. Anor, Crockta, and Tiyo climbed onto Boro¡¯s back. ¡°Hey...¡± The museum director tentatively began. ¡°Why does it have to be inside...?¡± He was asking why they were climbing on top of the wyvern inside when they could do it outside. Anor grinned. ¡°Because we are going to fly away immediately.¡± ¡°What?¡± Boro¡¯s wings moved, and then his skeletal body began to slowly rise. The museum director fell from the gust of wind created by Boro¡¯srge wings as he leaped up with his strong legs and flew toward the sky. He broke through the ss ceiling. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± The museum director¡¯s screams echoed below them, but they didn¡¯t care. Boro went higher and higher up into the sky. When Anor had asked him what his desire was, Boro had replied that it was to fly toward the open sky again. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Boro,¡± said Anor. Boro opened his mouth wide. He was unable to make any sound because he didn¡¯t have vocal cords, but they felt like they had just heard a wyvern¡¯s roar. Boro began charging south toward Juideh. They could hear the sound of the air tearing apart as Boro stormed through the sky. ¡°Ohhhhh! He¡¯s flying! He¡¯s flying through the sky, Crockta!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Hahaha. Why are you acting like it¡¯s your first time flying through the sky? You are such a country bumpkin,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Wh-what? Have you ridden something like this before? I¡¯ve never flown through the sky!¡± ¡°Something like it.¡± ¡°Stop lying!¡± ¡°Rural gnomes...¡± muttered Crockta. ¡°I can¡¯t let your insult slide! It¡¯s discriminatory against other species and regions! Moreover, Quantes is a city!¡± Crockta erupted inughter. Of course it was different from back then. It was apletely different experience storming through the sky while feeling the air and the wind on your skin from being squeezed into a tight airne seat. Moreover, he had his friends by his side right now. Crockta grinned. He wouldn¡¯t let Juideh perish. ¡°Crockta, Tiyo,¡± said Anor. ¡°Can I ask something?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°What is it?¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Why are you two fighting so hard against the chieftain?¡± asked Anor. Anor had first met these two at Mount Lun after they had protected the mountain from the chiefdom orcs. Even after they met, they continued their deeds and helped Nuridot in danger, again defeated the chiefdom orcs, gave him advice when he was being bullied, and even saved Nameragon. Crockta had even protected Ameranyan by facing the orcs on his own, and even Zelkyan, the leader of the dark elves, wanted to keep Crockta by his side. Although Crockta and Tiyo were an orc and a gnome, the dark elves needed them more than anyone else at this moment. The two could livefortable lives and bask in fame and riches if they wished to do so, but they sought out dangerous ces and helped others. Tiyo had even set his agenda of finding his father aside, and Crockta had chosen to turn his back on his own species. The chieftain was ridiculously strong, and Anor wanted to understand what made them fight to the very end against a frightening monster like the chieftain. ¡°You are asking the wrong question,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You, me, and Crockta all know ¡®why¡¯ we are doing this. The whole world knows that the chieftain is mad.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Anor realized that the question shouldn¡¯t be ¡®why¡¯ but ¡®how.¡¯ How could they fight so fiercely against such a strong opponent just for their beliefs? ¡°Haha, since you seem to have realized why, I will give you another chance to ask. There are no second chances,¡± said Tiyo. Anor¡¯s curiosity grew after hearing Tiyo¡¯s exnation. Anor held onto Boro¡¯s neck tightly as he asked, ¡°Then, how do you guys fight so fiercely like this?¡± Anor wondered the reason they risked their lives to fight. Instead of replying, Tiyo nudged Crockta sitting behind him, signaling him to answer. Crocktaughed. He understood how Anor felt; he used to have the same question, but he knew the answer now. Crockta answered, ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid of dying.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Anor looked behind him. Crockta was staring back with his eyes wide open. Anor couldn¡¯t understand what he meant. Why would he head to dangerous battlefields because he was afraid of dying? Crockta grinned and asked Anor a question that he had been asked a very long time ago. ¡°Anor, are you alive right now?¡± Anor still looked confused. Crockta searched through his old memories. The sight of the great warrior Lenox shouting at him during hisst moment in the dungeon came alive in his head. He wore the same confused expression as Anor back then, but he could confidently answer the question now because he was now orc warrior Crockta who knew honor and not apprentice Yi-An from back then. ¡°Just because you are breathing doesn¡¯t mean that you are alive, Anor!¡± Anor seemed to be having an awakening as he began to understand. Crocktaughed. ¡°Just because our bodies move, just because we aren¡¯t dead, doesn¡¯t mean that we are alive. I fight to stay truly alive.¡± Anor¡¯s face turned nk. Boro spread his wings and increased his speed as if responding to Crockta¡¯s voice. They became a gust of wind and soared through the sky toward Juideh. Anor held onto Boro¡¯s neck. ¡°To stay truly alive...¡± Before they knew it, they had neared Juideh and could see its walls copsing from the sky. The orcs had already infiltrated the gates. Even from the perspective of a bird looking down at the ground from the sky, the chieftain¡¯s huge stature stood out. He was indiscriminately swinging his axe and destroying the city. A dark elf was fighting against the chieftain with two swords, but the tide of the battle was not in the dark elf¡¯s favor. The dark elves were helpless as the Great Warriors ughtered them. ¡°Boro! Full speed ahead!¡± shouted Crockta. He could hear the nk of Tiyo¡¯s General in front of him. Boro plummeted toward the chieftain¡¯s huge body. ¡°I will get off by myself!¡± shouted Crockta as he stood up. The chieftain sensed something odd was going on and looked up. His red eyes and Crockta¡¯s eyes met. Crockta grinned. Boro suddenly swerved. Crockta didn¡¯t miss a beat and used the gravitational pull of the descent to throw himself at the chieftain. The chieftain and Crockta mmed into each other with an explosive bang. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± *** Shireuga tightened the grip on his axe. The orcs were able to get past the dark elves¡¯ barrier with the sorcerer¡¯s powers. Once they reached Juideh¡¯s entrance, everything was smooth sailing, and they were able to easily infiltrate the city. They just ran after the chieftain. The chieftain charged at the gates while screaming, and his Great Warriors, the best of the chiefdom, followed after him. Once the chieftain crushed the door and went past it, they knew what to do better than anyone else. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The chieftain roared and swung his axe, chopping off the dark elves¡¯ heads. Startled faces flew in the air. The Great Warriors went wild on the battlefield; their eyes were the same red as the chieftain¡¯s. Their leader was the monster who could crush fortresses with his body, cause bodies to pile up like mountains, and make blood flow like the sea with a single swing. They were filled with a sense of exhration from battle. They needed blood. Shireuga cut off the shoulder of a dark elf nocking an arrow, and the dark elf crumbled to the ground. Shireuga stepped on his face and leaped up to bring his axe down on a dark elf running away. The dark elf died on the spot. The feeling of a spine breaking underneath him was always pleasant. The chieftain was right; dark elves were weak. Shireuga smirked. The chieftain¡¯s madness spread like an infectious disease, and the orcs killed everyone in sight. Juideh¡¯s entrance became soaked in blood. A sh was inevitable, and it was obvious what would break. ¡°Victory!¡± Shireuga swung his axe at the dark elf, but the dark elf blocked his attack. ¡°...!¡± Shireuga retreated as the dark elves¡¯ des chased after him. He focused on channeling all of his energy, and the world grew slower. He was a Great Warrior who had reached the Pinnacle and knew the world that created ruptures in time. But the opponent¡¯s des came flying in as it sliced through his territory. He was fast, too fast for him. He was strong. Shireuga barely managed to avoid a fatal injury by twisting his body, but blood dripped down his arm. The Great Warrior retreated and red at the white-haired dark elf who wielded dual swords. His purple eyes stared back at him without a hint of emotion. ¡°You are...!¡± eximed Shireuga as he tried to attack, but the dark elf ignored him and walked past Shireuga as if he wasn¡¯t worth his time. He was heading toward the chieftain. Shireuga¡¯s pride was hurt, but he was unable to intervene in the chieftain¡¯s fight. The chieftain was smirking as he looked at the dark elf. The dark elf with the dual swords and the chieftain began to fight. The dark elf disyed brilliant dual sword technique as his des came flying at the chieftain¡¯s every opening and inflicted wounds on his body. His movements were so fast and urate that even the chieftain couldn¡¯t keep up. But the chieftain was a monster beyond norms. Small tricks didn¡¯t work on him. Instead of being slowed down by the umtion of damage from battle, Calmahartughed uproariously and charged as if the wounds amplified his madness. ¡°Hahahahahahahahhahahaah!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°How pitiful!¡± shouted Calmahart. His fist struck the dark elf and sent him flying. The dark elf had inflicted countless injuries on Calmahart, but Calmahart¡¯s single punch was stronger than all of the dark elf¡¯s attacks. The chieftain¡¯s body had already fully healed and didn¡¯t have any trace of injury. The dark elf trembled on the ground, unable to recover. There was a vast difference in strength between them. ¡°Hahahahahahah!¡± roared the chieftain. The Great Warriors shuddered in excitement and shouted their battle cries. ¡°Victory for the chiefdom!¡± ¡°Death to the enemy of the chieftain!¡± The chieftain grinned as he raised his axe to finish off the dark elves. As the chieftain was about to deliver death to the enemies, they heard the sound of the wind howling. ¡°...?¡± Shireuga raised his head. Something was approaching them from the distant sky. It was extremely fast. Before they could even discern what it was, it was swooping down toward them. Its target was the chieftain. It grewrger as it neared them. The chieftain also raised his head in surprise, but it was toote. The thing was charging toward Calmahart from the sky. Right then, Shireuga clearly heard it. ¡®Do you know what this word means?¡¯ It was the word his father used to say that Hammerchwi had mentioned. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡± Suddenly, there was a giant explosion where the chieftain had been. The orcs and dark elves around him took a step back and nkly stared. When the dust settled from the shockwave, Shireuga saw the chieftain lying on the ground and an orc warrior with a greatsword staggering as he struggled to stand still. ¡®One day, that word will give you the answer you desire.¡¯ Chapter 117: First Round (1)

Chapter 117: First Round (1)

Crockta got up. His whole body ached from the collision. Calmahart¡¯s insides were probably a mess right now due to Crockta crashing into him at full speed. Crockta looked down at the chieftain who was as still as death. Once the thick cloud of dust settled around him, Crockta realized that everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. All of the orcs and dark elves on the battlefield were shocked by Crockta¡¯s sudden appearance. Crockta went into battle mode and raised his greatsword before the orcs could realize what was happening and charged. The orcs quickly came to their senses and tried to intervene, but Crockta¡¯s greatsword didn¡¯t hold back. The Ogre yer plunged at Calmahart¡¯s head. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Chieftain!¡± The cheers of dark elves and the screams of orcs jumbled together in a cacophonous outcry. Crockta furrowed his brows and then chuckled. Calmahart was indeed a monster. He had blocked the attack by grabbing the greatsword with his bare hands. Crockta red at him and mustered a smile. The chieftain¡¯s eyes were a vivid crimson. Calmahart smiled back at Crockta; he didn¡¯t mind the blood running down his lips and sat up. Crockta tried to retrieve his greatsword, but it refused to budge in Calmahart¡¯s hands. He kicked Calmahart¡¯s rock-hard body to no effect. The chieftain¡¯s head slowly rose above him. ¡°We meet again...¡± said Calmahart. He was now standing straight with the de of the Ogre yer still in his hands. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡®He remembers my name.¡¯ Then, the chieftain swung the Ogre yer as heughed uproariously, ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Crockta held onto the hilt of the Ogre yer and managed to remain standing even with the chieftain shaking the greatsword left and right. The chieftain then spun around and tossed the greatsword aside along with Crockta. Crockta flew in the air and hit a wall. ¡°Argh!¡± He managed to get back up, but his head hurt. He was trying to recover from the shock when he saw a shadow in his peripheral vision. ¡°...!¡± Crockta instinctively swung his greatsword and struck something heavy. ¡°Uhh...¡± someone moaned. A Great Warrior in his vicinity had tried to stab him with his halberd. Crockta swung his greatsword and decapitated the Great Warrior. Blood flowed from the corpse and soaked his feet. He didn¡¯t just have one enemy. All of the Great Warriors here were his enemy. The Great Warriors began slowly approaching Crockta. Crockta sped his greatsword and grinned. ¡°Yes, this is how it should be.¡± Life had never been easy. He had always carried out the most difficult missions in the most dangerous ces. It would have been too easy if he had managed to kill the chieftain with the collision earlier. Surrounded by Great Warriors, Crockta searched for an opening. He had to tackle the weakest warrior and rip him apart to escape. It was the way of battle. Right then, someone shouted, ¡°Did you forget about us?¡± A swarm of iridescent lights struck the ground. The Great Warriors retreated at the sudden onught of magic bullets pouring down from the sky. It was Tiyo and Boro, who circled above Crockta to make it easier for Tiyo to provide support. The Vulcan cannon revolved and fired indiscriminately at the orcs. The dark elves came to their senses with Tiyo¡¯s intervention and resumed shooting arrows at the orcs. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Crockta heard a familiar voice. He never thought he would be so happy to hear that impertinent voice. Life was unpredictable as always. ¡°Did you grow weaker? I saw you pitifully tumble to the ground.¡± It was Driden. He seemed to have recovered from the fight earlier and was standing upright with his dual swords. His face was swollen all over from getting beaten up by Calmahart, but he still had a fierceness to him. Crockta grinned. ¡°It was quite a sight to see you take a hit and fall t on your face.¡± ¡°What, you were watching?¡± Driden smiled, which was rare for him. ¡°He¡¯s a monster,¡± muttered Crockta and Driden in unison as Calmahart approached them. ¡°I will take care of the rest,¡± said Driden. Waves of energy flowed around his dual swords. They were in battle mode. Once they were charged with murderous intent, their trajectory turned into a storm. ¡°What about the chieftain?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°You take care of him,¡± replied Driden. Crocktaughed out loud. He was d to be acknowledged by a prideful swordsman like Driden, but he wasn¡¯t fond of the idea of facing that monster by himself. Nheless, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Crockta raised his greatsword and exchanged looks with Driden. Their eyes met for a split second, and then they nodded in agreement. They ran out at the same time. Crockta looked at the chieftain in front of him. He leaped up and shouted, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaar!¡± He swung his greatsword, and the chieftain also swung his axe. Their weapons shed, and Crockta felt a tingling sensation in his hand from the shock. Crockta targeted the chieftain¡¯s lower body. The chieftain retreated and zeroed in on Crockta¡¯s head. They missed each other, and their des sliced through empty space instead. Crockta increased his speed. His vision grew clearer as his heightened senses picked up the fluctuations in the air currents, and he reached the peak of Pinnacle Tier. Crockta swiftly aimed for the chieftain¡¯s opening. The chieftain also entered the territory of the Pinnacle. Their battle was no longer just a fight but a dance between a sword and an axe. The axe aimed for his throat, and the greatsword went for the chieftain¡¯s stomach. But right before they were about to inflict fatal injuries on each other, they twisted their bodies away with their weapons halted mid-air. Instead of withdrawing their weapons, they charged toward each other, and their fists and kicks shed. Crockta was pushed back. The chieftain smirked and raised his axe again. Crockta spat out blood and raised the Ogre yer stirring in his hand. ¡°Come work under me, Crockta,¡± said Calmahart. ¡°You are strong enough to join the chiefdom. I will make you my second-inmand.¡± The chiefdom didn¡¯t have such a position. The chieftain was the sole leader of the chiefdom, but Calmahart thought so highly of Crockta that he was willing to create a new position. But they both knew that Crockta would refuse. Instead of replying, Crockta swung his Ogre yer. ¡°Hahahahaha! Good answer!¡± shouted the chieftain. The chieftain leaped forward and extended his hand to parry the blow with his axe. He had overwhelming confidence that he could block the attack with one hand. Crockta squeezed his muscles to exert every ounce of strength. Right when Calmahart was about to grab his head, Crockta¡¯s greatsword sent Calmahart¡¯s axe flying. The axe dug into Calmahart¡¯s side and became stuck. Calmahart¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise. ¡°How arrogant, Calmahart!¡± Crockta twisted the hilt of his greatsword, driving it deeper into Calmahart¡¯s wound. Calmahart groaned in pain. Then with a swift kick, Crockta sent Calmahart tumbling backward. As Crockta swung his greatsword, Calmahart grabbed his axe and parried the attacks. Crockta was now on the offensive, and Calmahart was on the defensive. The warriors of the chiefdom watched in disbelief as they witnessed their leader in such a vulnerable position. No warrior had ever driven the chieftain into a corner like this. The orc¡¯s attack earlier had been a surprise attack, but he was now fighting on par with the chieftain even though he was in a disadvantageous situation surrounded by Great Warriors. The chieftain swung his axe, but Crockta dodged it and pierced his stomach again. ¡°Hahahaha...¡± Calmahartughed, but he was inwardly surging with rage. Crockta¡¯s attacks carried much more weight than Driden¡¯s dual swords. Each cut churned his insides. ¡®I can¡¯t go on like this. I¡¯m Chieftain Calmahart, the one who unified the chiefdom. I always have to overpower my enemies and achieve victory.¡¯ ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Calmahart¡¯s eyes turned bright red again, and his muscles swelled up as immense power surged through him. His wounds healed in an instant, and his hands rippled with unprecedented strength; he was powerful enough to immediately tear Crockta apart. Murderous intent and madness took over him. He sped his axe. The axe trembled as it struggled to endure the strength of his grip. Calmahart approached Crockta with his blood-red eyes. ¡°Try your little tricks with me again. Hahahaha.¡± Crockta¡¯s face grew serious. Calmahart had fallen into a state ofplete madness. He saw something shining brightly on Calmahart¡¯s forehead. Crockta now knew for sure that Calmahart was borrowing powers from a higher being like Zelkyan, the leader of the dark elves, who was an apostle of the World Tree. The higher being had turned Calmahart into an unstoppable monster. ¡°You must be embarrassed, Calmahart,¡± said Crockta. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t earn your strength.¡± Crockta straightened his back and rested his greatsword on his shoulder. Then, he looked at Calmahart with a cocky expression. ¡°Without those powers, you would have been even weaker than your subordinates. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Calmahart exploded. ¡°Cut your nonsense! Shut up! You trash!¡± He cried out as he swung his enormous double-headed axe. Crockta stepped back, but the axe grazed the sleeve of his shirt. When consumed by madness, Calmahart¡¯s strength and speed surpassed his imagination. Even when Crockta focused and slowed down the pace of the world, Calmahart¡¯s axe shed through the territory of the Pinnacle and charged toward him. Crockta raised his greatsword and blocked the axe, but the force of the attack hurled him into the air. ¡°Trash from the continent!¡± Calmahart didn¡¯t miss his chance and ran toward Crockta¡¯s soaring body. Crockta gritted his teeth; he knew that as soon as his body hit the gates, Calmahart¡¯s double-headed axe would hack at him. He couldn¡¯t suddenly change direction mid-air, but he was about to die in the chieftain¡¯s hands if he didn¡¯t do something. Right then, he felt something move behind him. His senses had been heightened to the maximum, and he was able to sense things beyond his field of vision. The Vulcan¡¯s bullet was descending toward Calmahart. Tiyo was supporting him! Even so, they couldn¡¯t stop Calmahart with just that. Calmahart was a monster, not a regr orc. Crockta quickly calcted a way to mitigate the crisis. To him, this brief moment felt like eternity. ¡®Maybe...¡± Crockta gritted his teeth. He came up with an idea, but it was an intuitive one, not a rational one. Crockta swung his greatsword and threw it at the chieftain. The Ogre yer turned in circles as it soared through the air. Due to hisck of a foothold, he hadn¡¯t been able to put much strength into the throw, but the sight of the greatsword smoothly advancing toward the chieftain appeared as if the chieftain was rushing toward a still sword. Then, the Vulcan¡¯s bullet struck the hilt of the Ogre yer. ¡°...!¡± The Ogre yer bounced off the bullet and began to rotate fiercely thanks to the added force. It whirled like a windmill and charged at the chieftain. Calmahart, who had been about to swing his axe, was unable to dodge the Ogre yer in his face and stared nkly. The de of the Ogre yer scratched his face as it went past him. Calmahart dropped his axe and wrapped his hands around his face. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Crockta crashed into the gates and crumbled to the ground. His entire body was tingling from the shock. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Calmahart¡¯s mad cry echoed throughout the battlefield. Crockta swiftly rose to his feet and forced himself to smile. His Ogre yer had fallen at Calmahart¡¯s feet, but Calmahart¡¯s frightening face was headed toward him. His blood-covered face looked like a demon. It was an emergency situation. ¡°You should lighten up a bit,¡± said Crockta quietly. The scowl on Calmahart¡¯s face deepened. He raised his double-headed axe and cast a shadow over Crockta¡¯s head. Chapter 118: First Round (2)

Chapter 118: First Round (2)

Shireuga panted as he tried to catch his breath. The fight was dragging on because Crockta and an unknown gnome riding on a wyvern had appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Anor! Use your strength! Raise the dead!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Just maintaining Boro is hard enough!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you revive a bunch of orcsst time?!¡± ¡°I have to get on the ground to do that. It¡¯s scary. I¡¯m running out of strength...¡± ¡°Dammit, you are useless!¡± ¡°What? Fu...¡± Anor made muffled sounds as Tiyo put his hand over his mouth to prevent him from cussing. The sound of chatter above Shireuga¡¯s head got on his nerves, but there was no way to shoot or bring it down. The wyvern swiftly swerved and dodged the attack even when the orcs threw weapons and fired arrows at them. Luckily, the artifact¡¯s artillery fire gradually subsided. The gnome seemed to have run out of energy as he was no longer able to freely fire his magic bullets. The orcs were slowly recovering their chance of victory. The Great Warriors were chopping off the heads of dark elf archers one by one and blocking the attacks of the dual sword wielder through coordinated attacks. Even the strongest warrior couldn¡¯t hold up to multiple Great Warriors targeting him. Crockta, the orc warrior from the continent, was the only problem. As he observed Crockta¡¯s battle against the chieftain, Shireuga was met with surprise. He realized that Crockta was a wless warrior with a perfect bnce of strength, speed, skills, agility, and battle instinct. Crockta was the kind of warrior he had always aspired to be. The chieftain simply overpowered his opponents with immense strength and physical abilities. Shireuga was unable to feel any elegance or element of surprise from the chieftain¡¯s fighting style. Although his monstrous strength was astonishing, Crockta¡¯s precision and calm responses disyed a higher level of skill. The chieftain was dragging on the fight, unable to deal a decisive blow to Crockta. In fact, the chieftain was the one who was struggling to remain standing after sustaining a fatal injury. Shireuga clenched his fists. Pushed over the edge, the chieftain was now unleashing his powers. His eyes burned brightly as he became engulfed in a state of madness. Even Crockta was no match for the chieftain when he went on a rampage. In the face of death, Crockta improvised and threw his greatsword at the chieftain. Thus, he now stood before the chieftain, empty-handed. ¡°Ah...¡± Shireuga groaned. He couldn¡¯t understand why he felt so bad for the orc who was supposed to be his enemy as he watched Crockta getting beaten up. ¡°Hahahahahahahah! Die! Die, you trash! Traitor of the orcs!¡± yelled the chieftain. Instead of swinging his axe, the chieftain mercilessly pummeled Crockta with his bare hands. He wanted to use the most primitive method to make his enemy surrender instead of swiftly killing him off. Crockta was no longer able to defend himself or fight back due to the umted damage and continued taking hits from the chieftain. There was an overwhelming difference in strength between them that no technique was able to ovee. Crockta became as limp as a rag and copsed to the ground. ¡°Die!¡± The chieftain mounted Crockta and continued to swing his fist. Crockta¡¯s body jerked each time he took a hit. Shireuga couldn¡¯t continue watching and turned away. It was a pitiful sight. Crockta was a great warrior who shouldn¡¯t die here like this. But he would die a gruesome death due to the chieftain¡¯s madness. As Shireuga was about to turn around, a Great Warrior called out to him. ¡°Shireuga, the dark elves are running away.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Shireuga. ¡°The citizens have opened the gates on the other side and are escaping Juideh while the battle is dragging on.¡± ¡°That is...¡± Shireuga was about to reply without giving it much thought but paused. The Great Warrior facing him had a conflicted look in his eyes. Great Warriors didn¡¯t fight civilians. They just wanted to win battles. Their enemies were soldiers, warriors, and those who knew how to fight, not innocent civilians. But everything had changed after Calmahart became the chieftain. They had to choose whether to kill civilians or make them into ves. The chieftain wanted to rule over the north by instilling fear in everyone. Shireuga had massacred civilians at Ameranyan. He had forgotten about his guilt and ughtered dark elves under the chieftain¡¯smand. But once the exhration of battle wore off, he began to question himself and the things he had done. But even that doubt was gradually wearing off. Shireuga began to suspect that he was bing crazy like the chieftain. ¡°We have to stop them,¡± said Shireuga. On the battlefield, his priority was to follow the chieftain¡¯s order. ¡°We have to quickly settle matters here and capture the civilians. The chieftain needs ves.¡± ¡°But...¡± The Great Warrior pointed at the battlefield where the gnome riding the wyvern was still firing magic bullets, dark elves were still shooting arrows on top of buildings, and the dark elf with the dual swords was resisting with all of his might. Most importantly, Crockta had gotten back up and was facing Calmahart. With a swollen, bloodied face, he was standing up again. He had regained possession of his weapon while rolling across the ground and was dragging it along. He staggered as he struggled to hold onto his greatsword. ¡°So persistent.¡± Calmahart raised his double-headed axe again. He was about to finish off Crockta when Shireuga approached Calmahart. ¡°Chieftain,¡± said Shireuga. The chieftain looked at him. Shireuga couldn¡¯t help but flinch. Calmahart¡¯s murderous eyes were now directed at him. He looked like he would swing his axe at Shireuga any minute. Shireuga gulped and continued, ¡°The civilians are escaping.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If the fight drags on...¡± Shireuga suddenly heardughter in the background while reporting to the chieftain. ¡°...!¡± It was Crockta. With a messed up face and the greatsword resting on his shoulder, Crockta wasughing as he watched them. ¡°Do you want to get past me?¡± asked Crockta in a tired voice. He was struggling to hold up his greatsword. ¡°Do you want to get past me?¡± he asked again. He straightened his back and slung his greatsword over his shoulder. He was a wretched sight. His face was beaten, crushed, and swollen, and his tattooed body waspletely covered in blood and wounds. There was not a patch of bare skin visible on his body. But he smiled again. ¡°Come,¡± he beckoned. Shireuga felt a chill down his spine. ¡®What do you think is the quality of a true warrior, Shireuga?¡¯ His father, Shiktu, the greatest warrior of the Iron Axe Tribe, used to always ask him that question. Shireuga had cited things like strength, skills, stamina, and intuition. He wanted to be a big and strong warrior, so he ate a lot of meat and focused on building his muscles. Shiktuh had just smiled at Shireuga¡¯s response. His father told him he woulde to understand one day and never gave him a direct answer. Today, Shireuga met a man who had all the qualities of a true warrior he listed during his youth. But what made that man a true warrior weren¡¯t the things he had assumed. It was that smile. That smile that resembled his father¡¯s. ¡°Understood. There¡¯s no need to drag this out any longer. I will kill him immediately,¡± said Calmahart. This battle wasing to an end. The dark elves had reached their limit, and the gnome¡¯s artillery fire pouring down from the sky was gradually decreasing. The only thing remaining was that orc. Calmahart and all the Great Warriors who followed him looked at Crockta, but Crockta held his head up high. He took a step forward and raised his greatsword. It was a fight between one soldier and an army. ¡°I¡¯m envious,¡± muttered Shireuga. He was envious of Crockta and ashamed of himself. He had been at death¡¯s door many times in his path to bing a warrior. He had fought and killed ording to the chieftain¡¯s orders, harboring the belief that with each swing of his axe and the spilling of blood, he would ascend to the ranks of a renowned warrior, leaving asting mark not only in the north but across the entire continent. But now, he knew that he would never be able to achieve such a state. The Great Warriors of the chiefdom he knew and respected were those who fought against armies alone, not those who fought against a single opponent as an army. They were warriors who shed swords with other soldiers, not those who swung their swords at civilians to make them into ves. ¡°Father...¡± muttered Shireuga. As the chieftain roared, the Great Warriors charged at Crockta. The oue was obvious. Crockta could barely stand. He had been struggling against the chieftain. It was obvious what the orc¡¯s fate would be if the Great Warriors, all highly trained inbat, charged at once. Crockta was no longer visible because he was surrounded by the chieftain and his Great Warriors. Suddenly, a thunderous battle cry shook the earth. A wave of aura surged forward from Crockta¡¯s greatsword and shed the stomachs of the Great Warriors and flung them back. Only the chieftain remained standing. Shireuga could clearly see the fire burning in Crockta¡¯s eyes. Although he looked like a total wreck, Crockta¡¯s eyes were burning with determination. Shireuga felt as if the fiery determination emanating from Crockta¡¯s spirit could scorch his eyes with its intensity. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Where did such strengthe from? ¡°What are you doing, Shireuga?!¡± shouted a Great Warrior as he pped Shireuga¡¯s back. Shireuga came to his senses and tentatively raised his axe. Shireuga had the chieftain and the chiefdom¡¯s warriors on his side. They were powerful soldiers who could conquer any ce in the north, and that orc was alone. But that single orc appeared much more imposing than them. The orc from the continent bore something far more substantial than what they carried. Crockta let out a battle cry. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± Crockta¡¯s greatsword moved effortlessly despite its formidable size and destroyed everything around him. Like fireworks exploding in the sky, it sent sparks flying as it shed with axes and swords. The greatsword was so fast that when Shireuga thought it was on the left side, it appeared on the right, and then it was suddenly at the top. It was a disy of swordsmanship on a different level. Even the chieftain was surprised and began backing away. Shireuga gritted his teeth and took a step forward when he locked eyes with Crockta. ¡°...!¡± Crockta¡¯s greatsword came flying at him, and right then, Shireuga thought he saw an axe instead of a greatsword. In Shireuga¡¯s eyes, a phantom of an axe ovepped with the greatsword soaring toward him. He then saw a one-eyed warrior with a frightening aura above Crockta. Shireuga narrowly blocked the attack, but the greatsword came flying toward his head again. And now, it looked like a hammer instead of a greatsword. ¡°...!¡± A frightening face he didn¡¯t recognize ovepped with Crockta¡¯s. The orc¡¯s hammer descended upon him with the force of a crumbling mountain, as if seeking to crush him beneath its weight, but a Great Warrior came to Shireuga¡¯s aid and deflected the greatsword. Shireuga felt a chill down his spine. He looked at Crockta and saw numerous orcs he had never seen before looming over Crockta. They all had tattoos across their bodies like Crockta and bore the scars of battle. Each and every one of them was a formidable monster that could overpower dozens of Great Warriors. All of their eyes mirrored the intensity of Crockta¡¯s fiery gaze. It was a bizarre illusion. Crockta was clearly alone, but he looked like a vast army. ¡°Those who kill innocent civilians and make others into ves aren¡¯t orcs!¡± shouted Crockta. As he moved forward, the Great Warriors took a step back. Only the chieftain went forward and swung his double-headed axe against Crockta¡¯s. Sparks flew at their collision. ¡°Where are...!¡± Crockta''s thunderous roar eclipsed all other sounds in the world, dominating their eardrums as it resonated through the very earth. Crockta leaped up and swung his greatsword at Calmahart¡¯s throat. ¡°...warriors who know honor in the north?!¡± Shireuga dropped his weapon. Chapter 119: First Round (3)

Chapter 119: First Round (3)

¡°Manager!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an emergency.¡± Park Ju-Jin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Elder Lord¡¯s system was thoroughly managed by Albino, the core system, which was so advanced it didn¡¯t even require human support and rarely encountered emergency situations. So when the researchers came running to him in panic, he knew there could be only one reason. ¡°Is the system locked again?¡± asked Park Ju-Jin. ¡°Ohh...that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Ohh?¡± Park Ju-Jin furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Ohh?¡± The researcher smiled. ¡°Well, you should just ept the situation since we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± ¡°You dumbass...when I hear the kind of nonsense you spout, I can¡¯t help but get frustrated.¡± Park Ju-Jin picked up a pile of documents and stood up from his chair. He then spun around and punched his subordinate¡¯s side. He was imitating a goal celebration ceremony of a ser yer. ¡°Ah, Manager!¡± ¡°Ohh?!¡± Park Ju-Jin swung the pile of documents at the researcher, who ran away. ¡®How far is the manager¡¯s hysteria progressing? Is this not an instance of workce violence?¡¯ wondered the researcher. But when Park Ju-Jin beckoned him, his body betrayed his mind, and he found himself obediently returning to Park Ju-Jin¡¯s side. It was the instinct of one who conformed to the system. ¡°Do you know what you need to do when the system is locked?¡± asked Park Ju-Jin. ¡°No...?¡± ¡°Get the fuck out and monitor the system!¡± ¡°We did, but it was useless.¡± ¡°Shut up and just do it! I think it¡¯s because of that guy Choi Han-Sung or something. He¡¯s popr these days. Check him first and search through the famous ns!¡± ¡°But Manager, there¡¯s nothing we can do even if we find out who. We can¡¯t sue him for his assimtion rate...¡± ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s nothing we can do?¡± shouted Park Ju-Jin as he raised the pile of documents. The researcher backed away. Park Ju-Jin furrowed his eyebrows as he estimated the throwing range and dropped the documents back on his desk. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not...¡± ¡°Fine. Think about what we can do once we find them and submit a report.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Think about it and submit a report! By tomorrow!¡± yelled Park Ju-Jin. ¡°Ah...uh...yes.¡± The researcher trudged out the door. Park Ju-Jin crossed his arms as he watched the researcher leave. In truth, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do either once they found the mysterious yer who had exceeded a ny percent assimtion rate. Even if they found him, Park Ju-Jin had no idea how to deal with the situation. But he thought there could be a clue in the error message, ¡®The system is temporarily inessible because a yer has exceeded a ny percent assimtion rate.¡¯ There could be a clue to approaching the core system Albino that was currently beyond reach. ¡°There¡¯s something to it...something...¡± muttered Park Ju-Jin as he shook off the image of Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s face that circled in his head. *** Shireuga opened his eyes wide. He had experienced a series of unbelievable events back to back. With a sudden explosion of energy, Crockta had dealt with the chieftain and the Great Warriors. When he came to his senses, the chieftain tried to subdue Crockta, but the dark elves regained their morale with Crockta¡¯s exceptional performance and began to push back again. Shireuga had to do something. ¡°What are you looking at, orc?¡± said the dual sword wielder as he approached Shireuga after defeating all of the Great Warriors in his way. The swordsman was in a wretched state and limping, but he paid no heed to his battered body and raised his dual swords with a fervor that seemed to be infected by Crockta¡¯s indomitable fighting spirit. ¡°I will kill you,¡± dered Driden. Shireuga grew afraid of the dark elf even though he looked like he would copse any minute. The gnome on the wyvern also recovered his strength and began to sing a weird song as he fired his artifact. ¡°We are~! Men Who Protect! Beautiful~Juideh! With Vigor!¡± During decisive moments, Tiyo¡¯s magic bullets would intervene and cause the Great Warriors to lose. Shireuga looked up at the sky to watch the gnome when the dark elf came swinging his dual swords at him. ¡°Don¡¯t look elsewhere!¡± he shouted. The dual-sword wielder disyed versatile skill with unpredictable movements, but hecked power because he was out of energy. Shireuga fended off the attack, flinging the dark elf backward. The dark elf panted on the ground as he tried to catch his breath. He was clearly exhausted. Shireuga knew this was his chance to charge, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel like he could win against the dark elf. If he attacked right now, he felt as if his throat would be pierced by the dark elf¡¯s des. As if to prove his point, the dark elf was fiercely ring at him with his hands tightly gripping his swords as he sat on the ground. But the dark elf wasn¡¯t the only thing he needed to pay attention to. ¡°...Ah!¡± An arrow came flying at him, prompting Shireuga to swiftly swing his axe and deflect the projectile. The soldiers of Juideh had recovered their fighting spirit and were now initiating gueri warfare. Those without arrows engaged in closebat, brandishing their rapiers. The chance of dark elves winning against the Great Warriors in closebat was extremely low, but the dark elves still raised their weapons. Everyone was risking their lives to buy some time so the civilians could evacuate. Shireuga couldn¡¯t bring himself to swing his axe in the face of such desperate resistance. ¡°Honor...¡± he muttered. He had chased after it at one point, but now that word felt distant to him. A Great Warrior approached him with more news. ¡°Shireuga!¡± ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an emergency,¡± announced the warrior urgently. ¡°An army from Mount Lun is heading here!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Orcheim, Dejame, and Altanas¡¯ coalition forces are marching toward here. They are already very close to Juideh.¡± ¡°What about the troops guarding the mountain?¡± asked Shireuga. ¡°They lost and retreated.¡± Shireuga nodded, realizing what was happening. Everything was heading in an unfavorable direction. They had to retreat now. Although they had been unable to capture Juideh, they had managed to inflict huge damage and decimate most of their military forces. The chieftain¡¯s primary goal was to destroy the World Tree, the dark elves¡¯ sacred relic, anyway. All of their battles were just stepping stones toward seizing hold of Spinora. Shireuga approached Calmahart, ¡°Chieftain.¡± Calmahart didn¡¯t respond. ¡°An army is descending from Mount Lun. The civilians have already evacuated Juideh. We have gained enough of an advantage, so it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to retreat...¡± began Shireuga, but he was unable to finish. Calmahart looked down at him. His eyes werepletely crimson. Murderous intent gushed out in strands from his body. There was a red sign on his forehead. It was a bizarrely twisted and inverted cross. Calmahart swung his axe at Shireuga. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Shireuga blocked it by reflex, but the attack sent him flying into the air. His body trembled as it gushed blood. It was as if his intestines had been damaged from that single blow. ¡°Ugh...! Chieftain...?¡± The chieftain began swinging his weapon in a craze. His body was swallowed up in red energy so dark it was visible to the eye. He was the epitome of a killer consumed by madness as he attacked his own warriors. The Great Warriors around him copsed from the force of his blows. A few lost their heads. Even the orcs were trembling in fear. ¡°Ch-chieftain!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Then, the chieftain¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes turned toward Crockta as he roared. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The earth shook as Calmahrt¡¯s body swelled and expanded. The chieftain was no longer an orc. He was a monster. *** ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°No...¡± replied Crockta. Lying in bed, Crockta was now in a hospital in Juideh, moaning and groaning in pain. Tiyo gleefully pped Crockta¡¯s thighs with a smirk on his face. ¡°The chieftain did a number on you. Hehehehe. This is a rare sight.¡± Anor agreed. ¡°Crockta isn¡¯t invincible after all. Hehehehehe.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Since they only negatively affect each other, wouldn¡¯t it be best to separate them?¡¯ thought Crockta as he watched Tiyo and Anorugh obnoxiously. ¡°Anyway, what a relief. We bought some time,¡± said Anor. In the end, the chiefdom¡¯s army retreated from Juideh. After the chieftain turned into a horrendous monster, he began attacking his own army and then approached Crockta. Even Crockta, who had always been brave, was frightened by the chieftain¡¯s terrifying transformation. The red energy that emerged from all over his body smelled like blood. Crockta thought he could really die this time. He even started reminding himself that he was a yer and couldn¡¯t really die in this world¡ªsomething he usually didn¡¯t think about. That¡¯s when the chiefdom¡¯s sorcerer suddenly appeared. He was wearing a hood to cover his face, but the atmospherepletely shifted as soon as he appeared. Crockta felt a powerful wave of magic that he had only felt from Tashaquil before. Once the sorcerer chanted a spell, Calmahart¡¯s red energy began to gradually subside. The chieftain came to his senses as the red energy dissipated, but he still looked at Crockta viciously. His lips twitched as he spat out, ¡°We will see each other again. Trash orc from the continent.¡± Then, he ordered his warriors to stop fighting. The sorcerer said something to the chieftain, and he nodded slowly in response. The chieftain appeared to be in poor shape as a side effect of the frenzied state. He was limping slightly. The sorcerer chanted a healing spell, and a faint light surrounded the chieftain. Subsequently, the chieftain and all of his Great Warriors swiftly withdrew from Juideh. With the skills of an elite force, they disappeared in no time. When the reinforcement from Mount Lun arrived, the Great Warriors were already gone. ording to the information they receivedter, the chiefdom''s main army was rallying support between Nameragon and Spinora. ¡°Rest first and focus on your treatment. Boro is even faster now,¡± said Anor with concern. He wasn¡¯t joking anymore. Since they now had Boro as a means of transportation, they nned to rest first and then resume their travels after Crockta got better. Suddenly, someone barged into the room. ¡°Hahaha! Nice to see you again!¡± Crockta saw an unexpected, wee face. It was Kaburak! He still spoke in his usual breathy tone because he was missing a few teeth, but he was energetic as always. He came up to Crockta¡¯s bed and heartily pped his shoulder. ¡°Ack! Not there!¡± yelped Crockta. ¡°Oops! Hahaha!¡±ughed Kaburak. It wasn¡¯t just Kaburak. Even Yona, the gnome beauty who had an odd chemistry with Tiyo, was there. ¡°Crockta, are you okay? I heard about what happened. I heard that, as always, you were impressive,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m okay...¡± But before Crockta could even finish his sentence, Yona locked eyes with Tiyo, and then the two disappeared from the infirmary. They were eager to engage in the long-awaited conversation that had eluded them until this moment. Crockta was filled with sorrow. ¡°...¡± He tried to put his sadness aside and ask Kaburak about the things he had been curious about. Crockta had a lot of questions about the sorcerer, who seemed to be controlling the chieftain. ¡°Kaburak, I saw someone strange while fighting against the chieftain.¡± ¡°By someone strange, you mean...?¡± ¡°The sorcerer of the chiefdom.¡± ¡°The sorcerer...¡± Crockta told Kaburak everything he knew¡ªhow the chieftain grew stronger through unknown powers, that the symbol on his forehead resembled Zelkyan¡¯s, and how the sorcerer seemed to be controlling everything behind the scenes. Kaburak¡¯s mischievous face grew serious. ¡°Oh my...! No way...!¡± Kaburak stood up with a shocked face. He sighed as he looked at the sky out the window. ¡°How could this be...?¡± Crockta¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Do you know something?¡± Kaburak slowly turned his head away from the window and looked at Crockta with worried eyes. ¡°That is...!¡± ¡°That is...?¡± Kaburak swallowed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Wh-what...?¡± ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t know! Haha!¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta gave up and copsed onto the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t wake me up,¡± he said as he pulled the sheets up to his head. Kaburakughed out loud. ¡°Hahahaha! Are you mad at me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You are! Hahaha! Warrior Crockta is sulking!¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Crockta was filled with sorrow again as he heard Kaburak¡¯sughter. Where were those genuinely concerned about the future of the North? Chapter 120: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 120: The Calm Before the Storm

The troops from Mount Lun set out first because Crockta¡¯s wounds hadn¡¯t fully healed yet. Crockta and his friends decided to take their time because they could easily catch up with Boro¡¯s help. Crockta disyed astonishing regenerative abilities akin to that of a monster. He was rapidly healing from wounds that would have taken others ages to recover from. ¡°Crockta has be a very important figure in the north,¡± said Gorit, who was supervising the Mount Lun Alliance. ¡°He is a true warrior, haha,¡± said Kaburak. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what would have happened to the north without him,¡± said Gorit. Chieftain Calmahart¡¯s n had failed several times because of Crockta. Without Crockta, Mount Lun wouldn¡¯t have survived, and they would be ves working for the chiefdom by now. ¡°Father,¡± said Kaburak. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Calmahart wasn¡¯t always like that. When did he be insane?¡± Calmahart had always been cruel, but he wasn¡¯t so evil that he would dly make other tribes or species into ves and fantasize about unifying the North to invade the continent. He was someone who followed the principle of strength like all of the other Great Warriors. Calmahart became the chieftain because he was thergest and strongest out of all the Great Warriors, and he seeded in defeating the previous chieftain. He was violent, but he was someone who could exercisemon sense. But out of nowhere, he became a madman, and everything changed. Given that the chieftain held authority over all decisions within the chieftain, the chiefdompletely changed with Calmahart¡¯s reign. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I first realized that something was amiss when he sent an emissary to make us join the chiefdom,¡± replied Gorit. ¡°When was that?¡± ¡°About two years ago, I think.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°The contents of the message were utter nonsense. I realized he wasn¡¯t normal right then. He was already treating us like his ves.¡± Kaburak nodded with a serious expression on his face. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I was just curious. Haha.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t much help anymore. If a fight breaks out, hide instead of getting involved and protect yourself,¡± warned Gorit. ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t worry, Father. I have a knack for escaping.¡± Despite Kaburak¡¯s cheery attitude, Gorit had a concerned look on his face. Kaburak tapped his father¡¯s back as if telling him not to worry about him. He turned his eyes to the soldiers of Lun Alliance. The army was organized in a formation thatbined the strengths of the three races. Orc warriors were at the front and dark elves and gnomes were at the back so they could provide long-range support with arrows and crossbows. It was a more advanced formation than a unitposed solely of orcs charging with axes or dark elves shooting arrows. However, he had an ominous feeling. If what he was worried about was true, then these soldiers and their crude weapons were useless. ¡®I''m probably overthinking things...¡¯ He shook his head and imagined the battle that would ur soon. Nameragon and Spinora were both vital cities to the dark elves. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that they were all that remained after the other cities were destroyed. Moreover, Spinora had the world tree. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for the chiefdom to capture Spinora with the World Tree there. Kaburak was curious about the chiefdom¡¯s next step and whether they were headed to Nameragon or Spinora. Even if they headed to Nameragon right now, the city would fall into the hands of the chiefdom. Even with reinforcements from Spinora, they wouldn''t be able to save Nameragon unless the dark elves moved the World Tree to Nameragon. But because the dark elves were unable to give up Nameragon, a fierce battle fornd would inevitably unfold. Kaburak thought that the ideal n for the chiefdom would be for them to crush Nameragon and then surround and seize Spinora. But... ¡°Where is the chiefdom headed? Are they still waiting?¡± asked Kaburak. ¡°ording to the information we recently received...¡± Gorit scratched his head. ¡°They seemed to have changed their direction to Spinora, but we aren¡¯t certain yet.¡± ¡°...!¡± Kaburak stopped in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The fact that the chiefdom was headed to Spinora instead of Nameragon meant that their target was neither the territory of dark elves nor their surrender, but the acquisition of the World Tree. ¡°It¡¯s nothing...¡± Kaburak closed his eyes and prayed to a nameless god. *** ¡°They turned their direction toward us?¡± asked Zelkyan. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Zenadu. ¡°Understood,¡± replied Zelkyan with a nod. Zenadu, an apostle of the World Tree, bowed and left. Zelkyan was currently at the top of the World Tree. From the top, he could see all of the scenery in the distance. It was a beautiful sight only permitted to apostles, but the scenery didn¡¯t look as beautiful to Zelkyan as it had in the past. He borrowed the powers of the World Tree to enhance his vision and look at the faraway cities he used to enjoy watching. He checked out Nuridot, Ameranyan, and Yekatoru, but they didn¡¯t have any signs of dark elves. Everyone had died, and everything was in ruins. The dark elf cities that were like his children had all been destroyed. Zelkyan felt a burning pain in his chest. ¡°Ugh...¡± It was a paining from deep inside him. The World Tree was mourning. All of the World Tree¡¯s emotions were imparted to him and affected him greatly. He dropped on his knees from the pain and waited for the World Tree to calm down. Even experiencing just a fraction of the emotions of a colossal being such as the World Tree was insufferable to mortals. Zelkyan tried to calm his breathing as he groaned in pain. The World Tree soon calmed down. Zelkyan kicked the huge branch he had been standing on. ¡°Hey, calm down. I¡¯m hurting too.¡± A branch from the World Tree came up and hit Zelkyan¡¯s leg back. The two bickered for a while. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s no joke.¡± Zelkyan shifted his gaze. Orcs were filling up the ins near Spinora. He was astounded that the chiefdom had managed to amass such arge army. It was several timesrger than thebined forces of Spinora and Nameragon. Moreover, the orcs were ustomed to battle. While the dark elves had enjoyed their peace with their doors shut, the chieftain had pitted orcs against each other and incited internal conflicts. They were a species where fighting was a part of their culture. From the start, the orcs¡¯ battle experience was on another levelpared to the dark elves. Zelkyan borrowed the powers of the World Tree to spot the chieftain. He was muchrger than other orcs and had an intimidating aura. ¡°...!¡± Zelkyan¡¯s chest burned again. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. The World Tree was agitated. It saw that the ves who were supporting Calmahart¡¯s pnquin were all dark elves. The chieftain made a small number of dark elves carry the pnquin even though there were countless ves. He enjoyed the sight of dark elves iling and struggling to survive. The orc soldiers behind Calmahart regrly whipped the dark elves and urged them to go faster. The World Tree was enraged. Its anger also became Zelkyan¡¯s. He opened his eyes again to burn the image of Calmahart¡¯s face in his head. The World Tree saw Calmahart¡¯s face. It would never forgive him. Suddenly, Zelkyan locked eyes with the chieftain. ¡°...!¡± The chieftain had sensed Zelkyan¡¯s presence. He stared back at Zelkyan and smirked. His eyes were a vivid crimson. A red sign shed on the chieftain¡¯s forehead. It was a bizarrely twisted and inverted cross. The World Tree¡¯s entire body flinched and trembled; it recognized the symbol. The dark elves working inside the World Tree screamed at the sudden vibration. ¡°What was that just now?¡± asked Zelkyan as he withdrew his enhanced vision. But the World Tree didn¡¯t respond. ¡°He seems like an apostle. Who is it?¡± The World Tree was silent. It raised a branch and moved it slowly as if it was difficult to answer. Zelkyan shrugged. ¡°We will fight with them soon. Are you scared?¡± The World Tree struck Zelkyan''s head. Zelkyan grumbled, ¡°This tree is so violent! Ah, stop!¡± He tried to find the chieftain again, but Calmahart was nowhere to be seen. Zelkyan caressed his chin. Where could that huge beefy guy hide? The chieftain was probably an apostle like him. Who was he following? Considering the chieftain¡¯s appearance, there was a high chance the being was much more specialized inbat and battlespared to the World Tree. Even if they borrowed the powers of the World Tree, it wouldn''t be easy to win. The World Tree had a bad personality but wasn¡¯t good when it came to fighting. Zelkyan was specting about the battle that would ur soon when the World Tree tapped on his shoulder. ¡°What?¡± The world tree pointed at the sky. Zelkyan raised his eyes. Something was flying in their direction. Zelkyan erupted inughter. ¡°What, those guys are... What are they riding?¡± Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor were riding on an undead wyvern. They were charging toward Spinora through the sky. Although Crockta was covered in bandages, he seemed fine. Zelkyan was worried about him after hearing that he had engaged in a fierce battle with the chieftain, but he looked like he was ready to fight again. He felt reassured about their prospects. Crockta was a warrior who had shaken up the north multiple times. He had saved their cities many times from the monstrous chieftain. Zelkyan grinned. They couldn¡¯t do without Crockta and his friends. For the final showdown, dark elves from all over the north had gathered in Spinora, and troops from Mount Lun had arrived to support them. Most importantly, there was the World Tree, the being who united all dark elves. Regardless of the kind of being the chieftain was, they wouldn¡¯t lose. Zelkyan spread his arms wide open as if embracing all of Spinora. Beyond it, lurked the cheifdom¡¯s army. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s see this through ''till the end.¡± The World Tree trembled in response. *** The orcs¡¯ troops gathered in Spinora. The chiefdom decided to have a big showdown in Spinora. The dark elves followed suit, and the soldiers who had been protecting Nameragon joined the forces in Spinora. Spinora prepared its defenses with all its might. They fortified and heightened the city walls and prepared thousands of arrows. The Great Sorcerer Jamero¡¯s magic surrounded Spinora and strengthened the defenses. ¡°Amazing.¡± Crockta had climbed on top of the city wall. He was watching everything that was happening. It was thergest-scale battle he had ever experienced in Elder Lord. ¡°There are so many orcs...¡± muttered Tiyo in a weary voice. He was watching the scenery past the city walls on his toes. ¡°If this was Quantes, I would have swept all of them away with the Asura Heaven-Breaking Cannon. Too bad.¡± ¡°But you have the General.¡± ¡°True, a bummer for the orcs. Haha.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tragedy," Crockta joked back. It wasn¡¯t just Tiyo and him who were waiting for battle. Driden was also shing the air with his two scimitars. Like an artist envisioning theposition of hiw drawing, Driden was drawing out his trajectory before the battle. He felt Crockta¡¯s gaze on him and greeted him. Crockta also saw Ladet who had brought his troops. He was apanied by the leader of Nameragon¡¯s garrison and Jamero. Mount Lun Alliance¡¯s units were assigned in various spots and were preparing for battle. Crockta nced behind him. The World Tree, the pir of the world that looked down on everything, was standing gantly in the center of Spinora. The one standing on top of its branch was probably Zelkyan. He waved. Crockta waved back. ¡°Crockta, are you ready?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta¡¯s eyes followed the line of Tiyo¡¯s sight. The orcs who had set up bases in front of Spinora were slowly marching toward them with Calmahart leading them. The orcs filled the ins to the brim as they advanced toward Spinora. They looked like a wave charging toward the city. Crockta slung his Ogre yer over his shoulder and said, ¡°I was born ready.¡± ¡°What? Then I was ready since I was in my mother¡¯s womb,¡± pped back Tiyo. Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh at Tiyo¡¯s humor. Tiyo alsoughed out loud. ¡°Crockta, I¡¯m so d I met you. I didn¡¯t expect to experience a great adventure like this during my lifetime.¡± ¡°This is just the beginning. Save your amazement forter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°Even greater adventures await us after this war. Don¡¯t ck off.¡± ¡°Same goes for you!¡± Tiyo ced the General on his shoulder. The Great Northern War that was set in motion by the crazy chieftain¡¯s rampage was drawing to an end. Chapter 121: Round Two (1)

Chapter 121: Round Two (1)

The war started with the appearance of a formidable siege weapon. ¡°That is...!¡± It was a counterweight trebuchet, a type of catapult that used leverage tounch projectiles. The dark elves grew agitated at the appearance of a siege weapon they had never seen before. Even the chieftain who would have normally charged and knocked over the city gate was observing the city walls with his arms crossed. ¡°Do we have a backup n?¡± ¡°At least cast a shield!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a waste of magic!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just take hits!¡± There was a conflict of opinions among the dark elves about how to protect the city walls against the trebuchet. Several orc soldiers were getting ready tounch the weapon as they struggled to ce a huge rock on top of the trebuchet. Once the hook holding down the arm was removed, the weight on the other end would drop and cause the arm to pivot and propel the rock forward. Crockta saw dozens of trebuchets spread out across the ins. With their arms drawn down, they were all loaded and ready to shoot at the city walls. Crockta looked around at the defensive forces. He didn¡¯t see any siege weaponry that could be pitted against it. Moreover, the orcs were too far to reach with arrows. If this continued, the rocks would relentlessly pound the city walls. ¡°The orcs are quite smart,¡± muttered Tiyo in a weary voice. Then, a rock came flying toward them. The dark elves crouched over in fear. Thud! Bang! Thump! A shockwave reverberated throughout the fortress and shook the city walls. The dark elves were unable to maintain their bnce and fell down. Crockta red off into the distance as he crouched over to maintain his bnce. Calmahart was smirking. He raised his hand again, and the orcs rolled the huge rocks and ced them on the trebuchets. The orcs were able to lift enormous rocks with rtive ease thanks to their natural-born strength. They hurled rocks sorge that the sight seemed like an exaggerated version of a battle scene from a medieval movie. Crockta red at Calmahart as he endured the shockwave. He then looked past Calmahart and red at the sorcerer behind him. He was the one plotting all of this. Suddenly, he met eyes with the sorcerer, but the rocks struck the wall and shook his bnce. Crockta grabbed onto the walls around him. ¡°Ballista!¡± The dark elves quickly put their ballista to use. They nocked an arrow asrge as a spear on it and set it on fire. The trebuchets were their target. Dozens of burning arrows and rocks crossed mid-air. The dark elves seeded in burning down a few trebuchets, but rocks continued toe flying at them. ¡°Ahh!¡± A rock charged at the railing and crushed a section of the wall, killing several orcs who had been standing there. Dust rose in the air from the continued bombardment of rocks as the dark elves¡¯ morale subsided. Blurred by clouds of dust, Crockta saw something moving past his field of vision. The orcs¡¯ troops had begun to advance. ¡°Attack!¡± ¡°The enemy is advancing!¡± ¡°Prepare to shoot!¡± Themanders¡¯ shouts echoed throughout the battlefield. The dark elves raised their arrows in unison, but they were unable to maintain their positions due to the continued bombardment from the trebuchets. The orcs, who had sessfully zeroed in on their target after repeated attempts, continuously aimed at the city wall¡¯s railing. Swoosh! ¡°Ah!¡± A rock came flying next to Crockta and burst open a dark elf¡¯s head. The rock continued past him and crushed the inside of the fortress. The walls of the building crumbled down. ¡°Dammit.¡± Crockta bit his lip. He hadn¡¯t expected a fight like this. The orcs were calmly tackling Spinora instead of just charging at them. But as soon as he had that thought, the course of the battle shifted. ¡°What was all that until now?¡± Crockta burst out intoughter as he watched the orcs charge with a hugedder. The genre seemed to have suddenly changed, but there was only one thing he had to do. He pulled out his Ogre yer. He couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of the orcs pinning thedder against the wall amid all of the shockwaves and explosives. Themanders shouted at the top of their lungs, but their shouts were swallowed by the ringing in his ears. One by one, the orcs began climbing up thedder. Crockta peered down below the city wall. Countless orcs were clinging to the wall like a swarm of ants climbing up an anthill. Their frenzied eyes were filled with the determination to break down the wall. There was not an ounce of fear in their eyes. The chieftain¡¯s madness was infecting them, but the dark elves didn¡¯t stay still. They poured boiling water and oil down the wall and rolled spiked logs down thedder to crush the orcs. They had prepared their defenses for situations like this. The orcs were unable to climb up the wall and fell to their deaths. ¡°How persistent,¡± muttered Crockta as he watched the orcs step on the corpses of theirrades and climb up thedder. Crockta swung his Ogre yer. The orc who had almost reached the railing lost his head and tumbled down. Several orcs below him fell with him as his corpse knocked over them. Crockta grabbed thedder. Then, he began pushing it away with all of his strength. His skin grew hot, and veins popped up on his neck. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± the orcs screamed. Thedder started tilting. The orcs who had been hanging on dropped like flies, and thedder broke in half as it fell backward. ¡°Orcs who have forgotten honor!¡± Crockta¡¯s battle cry crushed all the noise of the battlefield. His roar rang in the orcs¡¯ ears. ¡°I will kill all of you!¡± Orcheim¡¯s warriors raised their weapons along with Crockta¡¯s cry. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaar!¡± they cried. Crockta swung his weapon and chopped the orc who had just climbed onto the railing. The orc flew in the air. His body gushed blood as he fell on the orcs¡¯ heads. Then, Crockta kicked the orc who had his hand on the railing and sent him tumbling down. He swung his greatsword at adder. Thedder and the orcs hanging onto it copsed to the ground. A rock hurled from a trebuchet charged at Crockta, but Crockta didn¡¯t budge. Instead, he swung his greatsword at it. The Ogre yer struck it like an iron mace, and the huge rock smashed into pieces in the sky and rained down above the orcs¡¯ heads. Some died on the spot after getting hit on the head. The dark elves¡¯ morale rose as they witnessed Crockta''s prowess on top of the city wall. ¡°Kill the invaders!¡± shouted Caska, who had beenmanding the archer unit in the east. She was firing arrows non-stop. ¡°Kill those assholes who have crushed our homes!¡± The arrows rained down on the orc¡¯s heads in unison. The screams of orcs in pain rang throughout the battlefield. Crockta pierced the orc trying to step into the fortress and then took a look at the scene. The orcs were still advancing like the great sea. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a long day.¡± Crockta could see Tiyo putting on a ster performance in the distance. He took advantage of the General¡¯s capacity for rapid fire and swept the orcs away from the walls. The orcs dropped like flies each time iridescent lights swept through thedders. But Crockta sensed a strange atmosphere stemming from the scene. He began to feel the flow of magic as his Introduction to Magic and his Heart and Soul Prating Eye skills activated. He looked above the wall where Tiyo was standing. ¡°That is...¡± Crockta urgently looked around the battlefield. He saw a group of orc sorcerers holding hands behind the chiefdom¡¯s army. There were five of them, and mana rose up from their bodies. Mana swirled up to the sky like a whirlpool and soared above the clouds. Then, it became a huge sphere and burned brightly. It looked like the sun. A blinding light disrupted his vision. It was a meteor! Although it wasn¡¯t an actual meteor, it looked like a giant meteor pummeling down from the sky. The zing magic power began to slowly approach the city wall. It was a phenomenal manifestation of magic. The dark elves paused their attacks in shock. Crockta also turned nk because he didn¡¯t know what to do. If things continued like this, the meteor would cause immense damage andpletely crush the city walls. Right then, a magic barrier began to spread out over the sky. A translucent rose up in the air and expanded infinitely. The continuously weaved itself onto another until it multiplied tenfold and became a huge wall that covered Spinora¡¯s entire sky. A grand voice cried out, ¡°The in the sky seems sparse, but not a single thing will pass through it.¡± It was Jamero, the great sorcerer of Nameragon. He raised his staff and shouted, ¡°No one shally im on Spinora, thend of the World Tree!¡± A blue light gushed out from his staff. At the same time, the magical barrier spread out in the sky began to vibrate. The meteor fell on top of it as it shone brightly. The forces of magic collided and unleashed an explosive sound. ¡°...!¡± Crockta squinted at the immense light. A terrible rupture, as if the earth was being torn apart, shook the whole area. mes exploded, and light scattered everywhere. His ears grew numb, and it was hard to see anything. He felt like he was witnessing the end of the world. The two magical forces shed, repeatedly advancing and retreating. Luckily, the magic cast by Jamero was binding over the meteor, and the meteor¡¯s heat gradually subsided. The sorcerers¡¯ magic that had burned brightly scattered all over the ce. Then, the meteor turned to ashes and dissipated in the air. It disappearedpletely. Jamero had won, but he dropped to his knees from expending too much energy. The dark elves cheered. With renewed vigor, the dark elves¡¯ arrows filled the sky again. Orcs copsed on the battlefield. The orcs¡¯ march had begun to falter. Although some orcs had seeded in climbing to the top of the wall, they were unable to advance further due to the dark elves¡¯ desperate resistance. They pushed the orcs back over the edge of the wall, and sent them falling to their deaths. The dark elves heaped boiling oil on the orcs and set thedder on fire. A pungent smoke billowed up, but it was too early for the dark elves to let their guards down. Crockta sensed a huge presence and raised his head to look. He wasing. Crockta sped his greatsword. A huge shadow loomed over him. At first nce, it appeared to be a rock catapulted by the trebuchet, but Crockta knew... it was an orc. With a loud crash, a huge oded on top of the city wall. He looked like a huge mountain standing up there. Crockta took a step back. The dark elves around him all vanished from the area. Only Crockta and Calmahart remained standing on the city wall of this unit. ¡°I waited for the moment we would meet again, Crockta,¡± Calmahart looked at Crockta with his vivid crimson eyes. Crockta grinned. ¡°Same here. You have be more good-looking, Calmahart.¡± The wound Crockta had inflicted on Calmahart¡¯s face had be a scar. Calmahart narrowed his eyes as heughed. He looked even more hideous than before. ¡°You¡¯re all talk. Hahaha.¡± Both raised their weapons at each other. Suddenly, Crockta looked around him. ¡°Where is your nanny?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Calmahart. ¡°The sorcerer who follows you around everywhere and tells you what to do. He¡¯s just like a nanny looking after a kid.¡± Calmahart¡¯s face turned stiff. Crockta¡¯s smile grew wider. Then, he provoked Calmahart again. ¡°Last time you chickened out, but at least you acted like a well-behaved child and listened to your nanny. Did youe here with his permission?¡± Sparks flew from Calmahart¡¯s eyes. ¡°Shut up!!!!!!!¡± He swung his double-headed axe. Crockta dodged it. The floor copsed. Crockta gripped his Ogre yer tighter. The situation wasn¡¯t progressing in their favor. The orcs were climbing on top of the walls, and the walls had be useless with Calmahart¡¯s appearance. No one could block thedders with Calmahart here, and the orcs began to climb on top of the walls one after the other. The orcs ran to the opposite side and attacked the dark elves on the walls. The dark elves resisted with their rapiers, but they didn¡¯t stand a chance against orcs in closebat. The dark elves fell in heaps, and their corpsesnded below the walls. The orcs cheered. ¡°...!¡± Crockta twitched. He wanted to immediately go and help them, but the one who was blocking his path was none other than the chieftain. ¡°Keep going.¡± Calmahart approached Crockta without any trace of a smile on his face. Crockta backed away. ¡°I said, keep jabbering bullshit,¡± Calmahart spat out. Red waves rose from his body. It was different from the infiltration and the battle at Juideh. Instead of its usual sinister energy, his eyes were calm. He was stronger and colder. With things like this, there was no point in provoking him further. ¡°I apologize,¡± said Crockta politely. Calmahartughed at him. ¡°Hahaha, already scared...¡± Crockta cut him off. ¡°That guy must have been your mom, not your nanny. How is your mom¡¯s health? Is she still creeping around?¡± Calmahart¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You trash!!!!!!!!!¡± Chapter 122: Round Two (2)

Chapter 122: Round Two (2)

Calmahart swung his axe like a madman. Each swing was bigger and more intense than thest. Crockta smiled as his Ogre yer flew toward the chieftain¡¯s stomach. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± His greatsword and the double-headed axe shed. The tide of the battle constantly shifted as their struggles continued. Orcs behind them shouted battle cries and hurled rocks up to the sky, and the arrows of dark elves rained down on them. The orcs, who had grown more vicious with the sorcerers¡¯ spells, climbed up the city walls and charged. Despite the brutal death match around them, Crockta and Calmahart¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t waver because letting one¡¯s guard down meant immediate death. The two looked only at each other. The axe and greatsword danced again. As the weapons shed, blood and sparks flew in the air. ¡°You can¡¯t beat me,¡± said Calmahart. Without a word, Crockta twirled his greatsword and shed his opponent¡¯s chest, causing blood to drip down Calmahart¡¯s broad chest. He wiped the blood with his fingers. ¡°Can you bet everything you have to be stronger?¡± smirked Calmahart. ¡°That¡¯s what I did.¡± His wound was already gone. ¡°You! You can¡¯t beat me!¡± cried out Calmahart. Crockta concentrated and entered the realm of the Pinnacle. The world slowed down, but he sped up. It was a ceaselessly static world where the arrows flying in the sky looked as if they were no longer moving. Within it, Crockta swung his Ogre yer. But Calmahart had also entered that world. In their own world frozen in time, they elerated their pace and hit, dodged, blocked and swung. The axe and the greatsword scattered red sparks in the air like fireworks, but the sparks were frozen mid-air. The first one to hit the ground amid the frenzy was Crockta. ¡°Ugh!¡± Calmahart found an opening in Crockta¡¯s defense and kicked him in the stomach. Crockta rolled on top of the city walls. He couldn¡¯t breathe. He managed to get up by propping himself up on his greatsword, but his legs trembled. With the tide turning in his favor, Calmahart charged as he roared. But instead of retreating, Crockta ran into the chieftain¡¯s arms and rammed against him and knocked him to the ground. Crockta also staggered from the shock. They exchanged looks. Crockta raised his greatsword again. Right then, the trebuchet hurled another rock at the center of the wall, causing it to shake. The orcs shouted as the ground began to slowly tilt. ¡°...!¡± The ground Crockta and Calmahart were standing on began to crumble down. Everything in Crockta''s field of vision turned upside down as he was engulfed in the copsing turmoil. The sky and the ground flipped over. A cloud of dust hindered his vision. When he came to his senses and raised his head to look, he saw the chieftain who had gotten up and chiefdom orcs; the look in their eyes announced they were ready to charge. Calmahart smirked. ¡°Spinora is done for.¡± This time, even Crockta couldn¡¯t say anything. The city walls copsed, and the path opened up for orcs. The swarm of orcs were waiting for Calmahart¡¯smand to take action. Spinora would drown in blood once these orcs went past the city walls. Crockta looked around. The other side of the city wall was already being invaded by orcs. Headless dark elves began to drop below the city wall. They were resisting desperately, but Spinora would soon bepletely breached. But he couldn¡¯t let them go easily. He had to buy as much time as possible. Could he do it? Crockta raised his greatsword. He could barely take on Calmahart, let alone the whole orc army that was drooling in front of him. They would soon spread out in Spinora like a swarm of ants. Suddenly, he heard a voice. ¡°Don¡¯t shoulder the burden by yourself.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta turned around at the voice. He saw a familiar face. It was Orcheim¡¯s leader, Gorit, and its warriors. They were lined up behind Crockta. Compared to therge orc army in front of him, it was a pitifully small number. ¡°The dark elves didn¡¯t do such a good job building their fortress,¡± grinned Gorit. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but smile back. Calmahart shouted. ¡°We will kill all of them and advance to Spinora! Charge!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The orcs charged. Crockta and Orcheim¡¯s warriors raised their weapons. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± they cried out at the same time. The orcs charged at each other. The two battle lines shed and created a shockwave. Crockta shed down all of the trivial orc soldiers and charged toward Calmahart. Calmahart also swung his double-headed axe at Crockta. ¡°Let¡¯s see this through to the end!¡± Their weapons shed. *** Shireuga gritted his teeth and clung to thedder. He could see the chieftain and Crockta fighting against each other on the west wall. Sparks flew each time they swung their weapons. All of the orcs on the ground cheered for the chieftain¡¯s victory and shouted for Crockta¡¯s defeat as they observed the scene. Calmahart and Crockta endlessly exchanged strikes. Shireuga tried his best to look away. He didn¡¯t have time to be distracted by them. His own fight was right in front of him. An orc struggling above him fell. Thedder shook. Shireuga shut his eyes and clung to thedder, enduring the shockwave. The orcs who had first climbed thedder fell and bumped against his back and shoulders. Shireuga held on and gritted his teeth. Now Shireuga was hanging on from the edge of thedder. Shireuga cried out, ¡°Victory for the chiefdom!¡± Then, he climbed up thedder like a madman. The Great Warriors followed his lead, climbing up thedder right behind him. Shireuga carried the momentum of the Great Warriors on his back as he grabbed the railing of the wall. He suddenly met eyes with the dark elf about to swing his sword at him. Shireuga swung his axe and split the dark elf¡¯s head in half. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Blood gushed out. He felt exhrated. The orcs clinging onto thedder became excited at the sight of blood. Shireuga climbed to the top of the wall in no time. The dark elves who had unwittingly permitted the orcs¡¯ entry were retreating with startled faces. They wore expressions of weakness on their faces. A rock flew toward them and shook the walls again. His orc brothers behind him were stepping on theirrades¡¯ corpses and being struck by arrows as they advanced. They didn¡¯t have any more time to waste. Shireuga swung his axe and opened the way. The orcs climbed up thedder and swarmed over the walls. A melee broke out. Atop the city walls, a fierce exchange of blows and weapons took ce. Rivers of blood flowed between them. The dark elves couldn¡¯t stop the orcs. Shireuga was about to swing his axe at the hesitant dark elves when his instincts sensed a threat, and he immediately retreated. Two trajectories swayed in front of his eyes like waves. He had seen swords like these before. It was Driden, the dark elf who used dual swords. He was looking at Shireuga. ¡°Hahaha...¡± Shireugaughed. ¡®That dark elf is strong.¡¯ But he had reached his current position by experiencing countless battles and being on the brink of death numerous times. ¡°I will take you on for real this time.¡± Shireuga¡¯s body was already drenched in the madness of the battlefield. He no longer felt fear from the adrenaline rush in his head. He felt ecstatic from the thrill of swinging his axe between the boundary of death and life in a battlefield filled with death and dying. The orcs continued to swarm on top of the city wall. Driden looked nervous. Shireuga went in for that opening and swung his axe. Driden¡¯s dual swords didn¡¯t miss a beat and blocked the attack, but Shireuga didn¡¯t waver and pressed on with his brutish orc strength. Time was on his side. Driden couldn¡¯t help but be nervous because he had to quickly rescue the dark elves. Shireuga looked around after he blocked off Driden¡¯s attack. The entire frontline was at a standstill due to everyone engaging in hand-to-handbat. Then the first change urred where chieftain Calmahart was standing. The city walls crumbled down from the umted damage of the relentless bombardments of siege warfare and from Calmahart and Crockta¡¯s fierce battle. Dozens of orcs who had been waiting their turn to climb up thedder fell to their deaths. After the dust settled, Crockta and Calmahart stood on top of the ruins. Then, the orcs began to charge. The orcs swarmed in like ants past the copsed city wall. Shireuga erupted inughter as he plunged his axe at Driden. ¡°Hahahahahah! Are you watching?¡± Driden blocked the attack by crossing his swords. Shireuga thrusted his axe downward at Driden again. ¡°The sight of Spinora being destroyed!¡± With the city walls in ruins, only one thing awaited them¡ªmassacre on a grand scale! Now orcs were upying other areas of the city walls. The dark elves were unable to ovee the orcs¡¯ superiority, not in numbers, nor inbat experience. Moreover, the weapons devised by the sorcerer were effective against the dark elves. Everything would soon copse as the rupture from the city wall spread outward. But the battle lines were strangely at a standstill. Shireuga looked again. Right then, Driden¡¯s dual swords moved rapidly and tried to sh Shireuga. Shireuga dropped his axe because of a briefpse of concentration. ¡°Ugh!¡± Driden¡¯s des swiveled and swooped toward his throat. Shireuga fell, but the Great Warriors who had been upying the city walls appeared and repelled Driden¡¯s attack. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked a Great Warrior. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Shireuga, who had just been at death¡¯s door, took a deep breath. Now, several Great Warriors were confronting Driden. Shireuga retreated. He wasn¡¯t proud of it, but this was war. Shireuga picked up the axe he had dropped and looked in the direction of the copsed city wall where Calmahart and Crockta were standing. ¡°...!¡± Suddenly, the exhration of battle instantly subsided. The tion he had felt from invading the city wall and ughtering enemies cooled down. The will to fight that had swept through him began to seep out as if he had been released from a spell. He didn¡¯t see what he had anticipated. The massive orc army should have already advanced to the heart of Spinora. That was a given, and yet, the one who was in front of the copsed city wall wasn¡¯t the orc army but Crockta with his greatsword. He was the new city wall with Orcheim¡¯s warriors supporting his back. At the center of the scene with orcs facing each other were Calmahahart and Crockta. Their formations collided head-on; their shouts intermingled. ¡°Victory for the chiefdom!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± The chiefdom greatly outnumbered them, but Crockta and Orcheim¡¯s warriors desperately blocked their enemies¡¯ attacks. The chiefdom¡¯s army surging forward like a wave were blocked by their precarious defense line. They were the chiefdom. They always had to be stronger than their enemy, but they were the ones who were actually pushing forward with purely numbers and resources. The enemies were the ones who didn¡¯t lose their fighting spirit and resistance like true warriors despite their small numbers. He turned his head again and saw Driden defeating the chiefdom warriors. ¡°Dammit.¡± The chiefdom warriors had to prove themselves through battle, but the longer the battle dragged on, the ones who showed their true worth were the dark elves and their allies. The chiefdom warriors were the ones who meaninglessly charged at their enemies and fell to the ground. Countless orcs had already died in ways he didn¡¯t wish for any warrior of the chiefdom. ¡®Where are warriors who know honor!¡¯ Crockta¡¯s voice shouting at the chieftain came alive in his head. Honor. They had their own sense of honor. Crockta¡¯s sense of honor from the continent and the chiefdom¡¯s sense of honor from living in the continent were definitely different, but despite all this, Shireuga didn¡¯t think of his current self as honorable at all. The cries of battle, fighting to the death, downpour of blood, within it all, Shireuga felt dissociated from it all, as if he was floating in the air. Everything felt surreal. This entire battle felt like a dream. Shireuga looked behind him. The eyes of all the orcs that the chiefdom brought together shed red as they charged like crazy. Shireuga didn¡¯t see any free will or pride in their eyes. Only madness like the chieftain¡¯s glistened in their eyes. If this wasn¡¯t a dream, how could he swing his weapon in such a shameful battlefield? *** ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡± The dark elves began retreating. They had given up their city wall. The walls were in ruins from the continued siege warfare and had crumbled down in multiple ces. The door had already been breached. The orcs were surging forward with tremendous force as the Orcheim orcs were slowly pushed back. Crockta tried to calm his breath. His body was a mess, but Calmahart didn¡¯t seem fatigued at all. He seemed to grow stronger with each battle, and the number of wounds increased on his body. He raised his hands up in the air as he roared, ¡°Victory for the chiefdom!¡± The chiefdom orcs responded with their rallying cry. ¡°Death to the enemy of the chieftain!¡± Calmahart charged and plunged his double-headed axe at Crockta. Crockta dodged by rolling away. ¡°Are you tired now?¡± shouted Calmahart. Crockta looked around him. Everyone had abandoned the city walls and were running toward the center of Spinora. The dark elves who had been captured by orcs crumbled to the ground as the orcs swung their axes. Despite all this, everyone ran to the center of Spinora with their backs exposed because at the center of it all was the World Tree. Crockta also slowly retreated. Calmahart didn¡¯t chase after him. He justughed at Crockta as he stood there arrogantly. ¡°Are you retreating because you believe in that pitiful World Tree?¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta looked up at Calmahart. A clear red symbol was shining on his forehead. The bizarrely twisted inverted cross looked like a grotesque scar. Red aura oozed out from his body. Calmahart¡¯s body began transforming again. ¡°The World Tree will burn in my hands today. Same goes for you, Crockta.¡± Crockta didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he burned the image of Calmahart who had transformed into a monster as if he was apletely different species in his eyes. Then, he turned his back and ran with the Orcheim orcs. Crockta suddenly looked up at the sky as he headed toward the World Tree. It was still noon. All of Spinora was invaded by orcs except for the World Tree and its surroundings. The oue would be determined before the sun dropped today¡ªwhether the World Tree would burn down or Calmahart would die. Chapter 123: Climax

Chapter 123: Climax

The orcs surrounded the World Tree as the buildings around the World Tree began to burn down in session. The dark elves watched in grief as the mes consumed their city. The orcs refrained from approaching the World Tree, but they continued to turn Spinora into ruins and torment the hearts of dark elves. Calmahart was watching everything and enjoying their suffering. ¡°Did all of the dark elvese to the World Tree?¡± asked Zelkyan. ¡°Everyone has evacuated,¡± replied Zenadu. Zelkyan exited the World Tree. It wasn¡¯tmon for him to leave the World Tree, but they no longer had city walls to protect them or even a city to call their own. All they had left was the World Tree and themselves. Even the vigers who didn¡¯t know how to fight grabbed their weapons. Only the elderly who couldn¡¯t fight remained inside the World Tree. It was an eerie sight as the orc army drenched in blood surrounded the World Tree. With the sight of Spinora burning as their background, they organized their battle line for the final fight. The dark elves didn¡¯t have any escape route. The orcs were executing a seamless annihtion n by surrounding them. Everyone knew that a massacre was about to start. Although Spinora was quiet, it was not a peaceful silence but an intense silence filled with tension. The sound of buildings burning in the background irritated Crockta. He and Driden stood at the frontline because they had to face the chieftain. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Huh? ¡°What¡¯s the continent like?¡± Crockta thought about it and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a nice ce.¡± ¡°Is it bigger than the north?¡± asked Driden. ¡°Of course. Why? Do you suddenly want to go to the continent?¡± ¡°After I avenge my father by killing the chieftain, I want to go see the continent since I don¡¯t have anything to do here,¡± said Driden as he raised his two swords. ¡°If you go to the continent, visit Orcrox. You will find out what a true warrior is like. ¡°Orcrox? Are the orcs there stronger than the chieftain?¡± ¡°The chieftain?¡± Crockta burst out intoughter. ¡°If this was the continent, that guy wouldn¡¯t qualify for the title of a warrior." ¡°Is that so?¡± Dridenughed. "Sounds interesting." ¡°It¡¯s so big that you won¡¯t be able to see all of it even if you travel the continent your whole life," said Crockta as he rested his Ogre yer on his shoulder. Suddenly, the chiefdom¡¯s atmosphere changed. Their fighting spirit surged with explosive energy. sh was imminent. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Same goes for you.¡± The chieftain took a step forward. The orcs stepped forward at the same time. The ground shook. Crockta firmly sped his greatsword. He was a man who didn¡¯t like war. One could grow ustomed to the battlefield, but it wasn¡¯t a ce one could enjoy. Thus, he had returned to South Korea, by Yi-Yoo¡¯s side. But he was standing on the battlefield again. Was it a twist of fate? He was facing a battlefield much more dire than the ones he had experienced before. It was a scene of utter chaos with ruthless stabbing and shing of enemies. ¡®Do you regret it?,'' he asked himself. He looked at the chieftain¡¯s sinister face charging toward him. Their eyes met. ¡°Not at all,¡± muttered Crockta. Driden nced over at Crockta. Crockta grinned. ¡°I said I¡¯m not afraid at all.¡± Before they knew it, the chieftain had already reached them and was swinging his double-headed axe. Driden raised his dual swords and leapt up into the air. ¡°I agree!¡± he shouted. The two scimitars shed the chieftain¡¯s chest. Crockta lowered his stance and shed the chieftain¡¯s legs. But both of them were flung back. The chieftain had be stronger than any monster they had seen before. The red aura around him wavered each time he moved. The chieftain let out a crazed roar. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The orcs who had been charging after the chieftain had reached the dark elves¡¯ frontline. The dark elves raised their shields. Arrows filled the sky. The distance between the two forces closed in. ¡°Kill everyone! The north is ours!¡± roared the chieftain as the two forces shed. *** Overwhelming. It was the most appropriate word to describe Calmahart right now. Overwhelming strength. With a huge body visible to everyone on the battlefield, the chieftain swept away his surroundings each time he swung his double-headed axe. Intestines, blood, and pieces of flesh flew to far ends of the battlefield and sttered all over the dark elves. The dark elves floundered among the torn corpses of theirrades. The orcs put up a fierce fight. They disregarded their own death and the deaths of their peers, and stepped past the corpses of enemies and allies. They swung their axes and stacked more corpses on top. ¡°Everyone, lower your heads!¡± Jamero cast a spell with his disciples. A bolt of lightning reached down from the sky and burned numerous orcs, sending them sprawling across the battlefield. But the orcs¡¯ fighting spirit didn¡¯t falter. The sorcerer standing behind them waved his staff. Suddenly, a red energy swept through the orcs and rejuvenated them. With strengthened bodies, they pressed on against the dark elves. The dark elves and the orc sorcerer''s magic shed in the sky. Fire and thunderbolt, and all the different types of strength that could kill their opponents mingled and crumbled. The shockwave of the attack spread and assailed the orcs and dark elves at the battle lines. Both sides groaned in pain. Calmahart ignored Crockta and Driden and ughtered everything in his sight. The two struggled to stop him, but Calmahart¡¯s double-headed axe ughtered everything around him each time the duo paused in between attacks. With Calmahart at the center, the dark elves¡¯ frontline was pushed back. It was a hopeless situation. At that moment, cheers erupted from the end of the dark elves¡¯ formation. Crockta looked behind him. His face brightened when he saw who it was. ¡°Zelkyan!¡± The center of the dark elves split with Zelkyan walking toward them. His body shone with a green aura, and he looked like the god of the World Tree. He nced over at Crockta and Driden, went past them, and stood in front of Calmahart. There was a significant difference in size, but the aura emanating from their bodies was evenly matched. ¡°Are you Zelkyan?¡± asked Calmahart. ¡°So you are Calmahart,¡± replied Zelkyan. Thus, Zelkyan, the one whomunicated with the World Tree and led the dark elves, and Calmahart, the crazy chieftain who ruled over the chiefdom, finally faced each other. There was no need for words. Calmahart swung his axe, and Zelkyan released his green energy. Their auras shed. Calmahart relentlessly swung his double-headed axe at Zelkyan as if trying to tear him apart, but Zelkyan¡¯s green energy did not falter and shook it off. The shockwaves from their shes shook the earth. Everyone¡¯s ears grew numb. Crockta and Driden, who had been watching the scene, exchanged nces. If Zelkyan was facing the chieftain, there was only one thing they could do. The two set aside Zelkyan and Calmahart and turned in the opposite direction. Then, they swung their weapons toward the orcs spread out at the frontline. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaar!¡± Crockta began his march. A storm arose, and orcs flew in the sky. His greatsword tore apart everything that stood in its way. Great Warriors asionally blocked his path, but they were hacked by his greatsword, and their few remaining pieces of flesh were scattered on the battlefield. ¡°We will let you live if you abandon your weapons and surrender!¡± shouted Crockta. His battle cry dominated the battlefield. ¡°But if you meet me before then, you will die!¡± Crockta took a step forward. The orcs retreated with frightened faces, but no one abandoned their weapons. Crockta grinned. Then, heads came flying in unison. Five orcs lost their heads and crumbled to the ground. Crockta stepped on their corpses and looked for his next opponent. The ground shook from his stomping. Each part of his body moved to ughter his enemy in the most efficient way possible. His movements at Pinnacle-Tier exceeded every possibility that the enemy could imagine. When the enemy looked to the right, his greatsword shed the left. When the axe came flying at him, Crockta didn¡¯t block or dodge it, he just swung his greatsword back and chopped his enemy in two along with their weapons. The sorcerers on the orcs¡¯ side muttered a spell, but Crockta picked up an axe from the battlefield and tossed the axe to split one of the sorcerer''s skulls. The sorcerers at the back eyed his movements. They began to target Crockta and bombard him with spells, but Crockta dodged all of them. The orc soldiers around him were swept up in the sorcery and crumbled to the ground. When the spells ended, Crockta appeared and shoved his greatsword into the heads of soldiers. ''Life and death are just fleeting moments,'' he thought inwardly when he heard a shout from the sky. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± Iridescent lights soared above his head. It was Tiyo. His General was pushing away the orcs, but he seemed tired from the continued battle as his bombardment asionally ceased. But after his magic bullets cooled down a bit, a stronger wave of energy swept through the enemies. It was a stunning disy of Tiyo¡¯s tenacity. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Crockta tried to catch his breath as he squeezed out everyst bit of strength from his muscles. He didn¡¯t have time to rest just because he was tired. Like the words written on Admiral Yi Sun-Sin¡¯s sword, he had to dye the rivers and hills with the blood of his enemies with a single swing. Suddenly, an orc soldier embracing a dead orc red at Crockta. Was he a friend, arade, or a lover? No one knew. This was a battlefield. Sadness was a luxury. The orc soldier charged at Crockta with his weapon. Crockta quickly sent him to the same ce as his friend. But another orc appeared and swung his weapon. While he was eliminating his enemies, those very foes were killing his allies elsewhere. The screams of dark elves dying at the hands of orcs drowned the battlefield. Everyone became a sinner on the battlefield, but one had to fight for what they believed in. ¡°Argh...monster...¡± an orc spat out as he took his final breath. Crockta pushed away the body of an orc he had just pierced. The orcs he killed filled up his surroundings, but the orc army was still leading the battle and seeded in pushing back the frontline whenever they charged. Dark elvescked numbers and battle experience. Moreover, the mysterious energy that imbued the orcs made them into fearless warriors. Then, Crockta saw corpses rising. The dead dragged their bodies and walked toward the orcs. The orcs were startled by the unfamiliar sight. The undead swung their weapons at the orcs who were shaken by the sight of their enemies who resisted death. ¡°Anor.¡± Anor had unleashed his powers for this battle. He usually refrained from using his powers, but everyone was fighting desperately with all of their might. ¡°Long time no see, Crockta.¡± A familiar voice called out to him. Crockta saw the source of the voice and nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡± It was Hammerchwi. The old orc still carried a frightening hammer. The Great Warriors who followed him surrounded Crockta. Crockta raised his greatsword. ¡°Are you still living a shameful life, Hammerchwi?¡± ¡°...It has been a while, but there is no need to exchange further words,¡± replied Hammerchwi as he signaled to his warriors to charge. ¡°If you are that confident, then survive on this battlefield!¡± he shouted. It was a merciless, full-blown war where one died if one didn¡¯t kill; it meant only victors survived. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± Crockta smirked. The Hammerchwi he had met again was still ignorant, but it wasn¡¯t only him. Everyone was foolish. None of the orcs here knew what all orcs in the continent understood¡ªthat being alive didn¡¯t mean that you were truly living life...They didn¡¯t understand that they were already dead. ¡°Look closely, Hammerchwi!¡± Crockta thrust his greatsword toward the Great Warriors. His aura burst out from his entire body. The earth reverberated with his cry. ¡°For I am truly alive!¡± *** The battle continued. Dark elves and orcs continued to fight, but the paramount conflict was between Zelkyan and Calmahart. They were shing with the powers of a higher dimension that normal beings couldn¡¯t even imagine. Zelkyan breathed heavily as he looked at Calmahart. He had received the World Tree¡¯s infinite powers to face the chieftain, but the chieftain wasn¡¯t an easy foe, and unlike him, the chieftain didn¡¯t grow tired. Calmahart seemed to grow stronger as the fight continued. ¡°War...¡± muttered Calmahart. Zelkyan raised his eyes to look at him. ¡°Pain...screams...¡± Now Calmahart¡¯s eyes looked as if they were entranced by something. The red energy hadpletely consumed him. The ck and whites of his eyes werepletely saturated in red. Each time he moved his enormous body, a wave of red energy surged and concealed him. Calmahart thrust his axe at Zelkyan again. Zelkyan mustered all of the strength that the World Tree was sending him. He sent out waves of green energy to block Calmahart¡¯s attack. Suddenly, Zelkyan was hurled backward. ¡°Arggghhh!¡± Zelkyan threw up blood. Just now, an evil energy had emerged from Calmahart and struck him. Zelkyan forced himself to raise his eyes even though his vision was blurry from agony. Calmahart was approaching him. The red energy had grown darker and was now an even deeper shade of crimson. Calmahart quietly said, ¡°It¡¯s Chaos, Reuranka.¡± Zelkyan¡¯s eyes grew wide at the mention of Reuranka. It was a name that very few beings knew. ¡°Reuranka, it will be the end of you and your children tonight.¡± Calmahart was no longer looking at Zelkyan. He was talking to the World Tree who was looking down at the tragedy that Spinora was facing. Reuranka was the name of the World Tree that only Zelkyan and Zenadu knew. It was the name of the old god imbued into the World Tree that protected them. Zelkyan tried to get up, but Calmahart¡¯s red energy was overpowering and suppressing his green energy. Zelkyan forced himself to look up. Behind all this was the sorcerer who controlled Calmahart and watched everything from a distance. No one knew who he was because he was thickly clothed in a hood and robe that concealed his appearance. Zelkyan mustered all of his strength to push back Calmahart¡¯s powers and unleashed an explosion of energy at the sorcerer who corrupted Calmahart. Zelkyan¡¯s green energy seeped out in strands and struck the sorcerer. The sorcerer immediately copsed. ¡°...!¡± The clothes that looked like the sorcerer fell on the ground. The hood and robe crumbled to the ground as if nothing had ever been inside. The sorcerer was nowhere to be found. Just a crimson fog of energy existed where he used to stand. That mass of crimson energy was the evil sorcerer¡¯s identity. Its shape warped a bit. Zelkyan felt as if it was smirking at him. The red energy flew toward Calmahart and seeped into his body. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± roared Calmahart. His veins popped out, and his muscles swelled. His eyes shone bright red as strands of red energy emitted from his body. He was aplete monster as he swung his double-headed axe. ¡°Dammit!¡± Zelkyan also extended both arms and poured out the powers of the World Tree. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± But Calmahart¡¯s attack tore apart the World Tree¡¯s energy and severed Zelkyan¡¯s arms that were extended toward him. Blood spurted out like a fountain. The dark elves and orcs in the vicinity spotted Zelkyan writhing in pain on the ground after losing both arms. One side lost their fighting spirit, while the other raised their weapons high up in the air and cheered. Just as the tide of victory was about topletely shift, the World Tree shook with a loud thud. ¡°Hahahahahahhaah!¡± Calmahart erupted inughter. Everyone on the battlefield sensed the enormous World Tree rising. Chapter 124: Climax (2)

Chapter 124: Climax (2)

The earth shook as the World Tree got up. Its roots parted and shifted the soil as it rose with its branches shaking through the air. The orcs took a step back at the unprecedented sight. The dark elves were at a loss for words and stared nkly at the scene. The World Tree was in a state of utter rage. ¡°Hahahahhahahahahaha!¡± Only Calmahartughed uproariously as he took delight in the situation. He raised his double-headed axe high up in the air. He didn¡¯t falter as he observed the colossal World Tree that was the size of a mountain rise for battle. He instead further unleashed his red energy and hyped himself up for battle. ¡°The day has finallye!¡± he eximed in a sinister voice. His entire body shone with crimson light. He no longer looked like Calmahart but another entity residing in his body. ¡°I have been waiting for this day, Reuranka!¡± Calmahart¡¯s voice rang throughout the battlefield. The World Tree cried out and swung its thick branches like tentacles. The dark elves and orcs in its vicinity retreated. This was a fight between Calmahart and the World Tree. The World Tree emitted green energy as it struck Calmahart, and a gust of wind arose from the force and swept through its branches, prated the soil, and scattered debris. But Calmahart was no longer at his spot. Calmahart had dodged the attack and was now charging forward to swing his axe at the trunk of the World Tree. With a loud thwack, its bark cracked, revealing its inneryers. ¡°Hahahahahahahaha!¡± Calmahart began to relentlessly hack the World Tree. With each swing, pieces of bark cracked and fell, and the World Tree moaned in pain. The sight of Calmahart hacking the World Tree with his double-headed axe resembled a lumberjack enthusiastically chopping wood. The enraged World Tree tried to retaliate and swung its branch with great force. This time, Calmahart failed to dodge and took a direct hit. His body flew up in the air and plummeted toward the ground. He tumbled across the ground for a while from the shock, but he promptly got up again. He then charged like a madman toward the World Tree as if he was immune to pain. The World Tree swung its branch multiple times to stop him, but Calmahart swung his axe and chopped off the branch. Sap oozed out from it. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± roared Calmahart as he charged at the World Tree. The two shed again. It was an epic battle of the gods! The dark elves and orcs, who had beenpletely preupied by the fight of their leaders, came to their senses and resumed their battles. Corpses continued to pile up like mountains from the fight between the colossal World Tree and the chieftain, as well as from the desperatebat between the orcs and dark elves. Crockta suddenly felt lost as he stood in the middle of the scene. There weren¡¯t any orcs charging toward him anymore. He was surrounded by countless orc corpses sprawled across the ground. He turned around and saw a chaotic entanglement of orcs and dark elves, swinging their weapons in a fierce sh. The arrows of dark elves flew and pierced the throats of orcs. Sometimes, the orcs blocked them with their weapons, and the arrows struck the dark elves instead. The chaos continued. He could tell how fatigued Tiyo was from a distance. With a worn out face, he was leaning on Anor due to the side effect of continuously firing the General. Anor, who had been raising the dead, also had a limit to his powers even though he was a talented necromancer. He was just raising enough corpses to keep the orcs at bay. Crockta quickly moved onward. Amidst the unfamiliar faces, there were some that he recognized-the guard he had met at Spinora and the soldier he had seen at Nameragon whose name he didn¡¯t know. Although they were dark elves he had only met once, he was filled with sorrow as he ran into their corpses on the battlefield. But the chaos continued. Suddenly, he saw a face he knew well. Crockta got down on one knee. It was Caska. She was looking up at the sky, unable to close her eyes, with her stomach split open and intestines spilling out. She resembled a doll with her bodypletely depleted of life. He recalled the sight of her smiling provocatively at him as she made a confession, the time he couldn¡¯t tell whether she was being truthful or just joking around. She was still alive in his head. Crockta tried to force himself to shake off that image. He couldn¡¯t drown in his emotions on the battlefield. Crockta burned the sight of her final image in his eyes. She still had her bow in the tight grip of her hand. He ced the bow on her chest and shut her eyelids. He got up again and saw Ladet shing orcs with his bastardsword. Crockta ran toward him, but before he arrived at Ladet¡¯s side, an orc chopped off Ladet¡¯s wrist with his halberd. His hand flew in the air. Ladet staggered as he spewed blood. The orc¡¯s halberd didn¡¯t stop and went for Ladet''s throat. Crockta charged and deflected the orc¡¯s attack. The Ogre yer charged at the orc¡¯s body. The orc endured Crockta¡¯s attack because he was quite skilled, but he lost his bnce at the continued onught and crumbled to the ground. Crockta plunged his greatsword into the orc¡¯s head. There was no searing pain at hisst breath. He copsed without a sound. Ladet, who had lost his hand, clutched his wrist and looked at Crockta. Crockta rested his hand on Ladet¡¯s shoulder instead of saying anything. The dark elves in charge of medical treatment ran toward Ladet. Crockta went past them and walked toward Calmahart fighting with the World Tree. He had to sh the chieftain. The World Tree swung its branch and attacked Calmahart, who deflected it. Each time his double-headed axe cut the branch, sap spewed out. Calmahart was overpowering his opponent with a new momentum. The World Tree wasn¡¯t fast, and all of the branches it swung were chopped off by Calmahart¡¯s axe. The demonic crimson energy exuding from Calmahart¡¯s body ripped apart the World Tree¡¯s green energy into pieces. ¡°Crockta.¡± Before he knew it, Kaburak was at his side. ¡°That is no longer Calmahart.¡± Crockta looked at Kaburak, who continued to exin, ¡°That thing has swallowed Calmahart¡¯s mind by taking advantage of his greed and desire for strength. That is no longer chieftain Calmahart, but a monster in an orc¡¯s disguise... No, a demon.¡± Crockta nodded. He had sensed this a while ago. He felt that Calmahart was always possessed by something whenever he unleashed frightening powers. And there was always the unidentifiable sorcerer behind him. Kaburak looked at Crockta as he said, ¡°If we let this continue, the North will be devastated.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s if we let this continue...¡± Crockta didn¡¯t take his eyes off Calmahart, who was the epitome of a berserker as he erupted in a frenzy ofughter and relentlessly swung his axe at the enormous World Tree. Each time he struck his axe, the surface of the World Tree exploded. He wanted to obliterate everything in sight. ¡°Yeah, if we let things continue. Hahaha,¡±ughed Kaburak. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Kaburak.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kaburak grinned and took the lead. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± Crockta wasn¡¯t sure what Kaburak, who no longer hadbat abilities, was going to do, but he was filled with determination. Crockta followed him. Calmahart continued his face-off with the World Tree without realizing Crockta and Kaburak were nearby. The chieftain was sometimes forced to defend himself, but the World Tree was no match for his double-headed axe. Calmahart¡¯s powers were superior to the World Tree¡¯s in battle. The nature of the powers that surrounded them were different in the first ce. Calmahart¡¯s powers were those of utterly destroying the enemy. ¡°I will begin,¡± Kaburak began chanting a spell. He shouldn¡¯t have much magic left in him, but the flow of the air began to shift. Crockta¡¯s eyes grew wide. For some reason, magic continued to flow out of him even though most of it had been depleted from his battle to save the universe. ¡°Kaburak!¡± Crockta realized that Kaburak was sacrificing the bit of lifespan he had left to cast a spell. ¡°If you use any more of your magic...!¡± eximed Crockta. Kaburak grinned instead of replying. Crockta shut his mouth. He couldn¡¯t reprimand Kaburak. He also had to bet his own life. Everyone had to put everything they had on the line to stop Calmahart. This war could only end at the cost of many sacrifices. Then, Kaburak¡¯s spell along with his hand gestures drew out magical powers that charged toward Calmahart. Calmahart finally noticed their presence and looked behind. His expression instantly changed when he saw Kaburak. ¡°You!¡± Kaburak¡¯s sorcery wrapped around Calmahart and began to push away his red energy. The inverted cross sign on Calmahart¡¯s forehead shed. The form of the entity that has resided in Calmahart¡¯s body began to rise above his head as if two distinct beings were being separated. Its body writhed as it resisted the spell. ¡°Not a chance!¡± Crockta could clearly see it. The thing above Calmahart had the grotesque form of a demon lord. The horrifying demonic figure was shrouded in a cloak of dark crimson. The exposed creature red at Kaburak and Crockta. Its form repeatedly ovepped with Calmahart¡¯s and then separated as if Kaburak was trying to split up the two. The sight resembled a camera unable to focus and blurring one form into two. Kaburak shouted, ¡°We meet again!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t Calmahart, the chieftain, or an orc!¡± Calmahart grabbed his head in pain. Kaburak¡¯s sorcery was pushing him over the edge. ¡°Reveal yourself!¡± shouted Kaburak. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m...!¡± Calmahart¡¯s eyes turned red. At the same time, the apparition of the demonic form above his head disappeared. Everything turned quiet. All of the dark elves and orcs stopped fighting at the unexpected situation and looked at Calmahart. Calmahart stood straight as a rod and then said, ¡°I¡¯m Chaos.¡± He took a step forward. The World Tree behind him was oozing sap from its cracks after having been struck by Calmart¡¯s axe several times. The branch bent over to attack him, but it flinched and paused as Calmahart raised his axe. Calmahart smirked as he looked at Kaburak and Crockta. The thing hadpletely taken over Calmahart¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m the one who plunged the world into war and famine, a being who purifies the world with screams and cries, and the nightmare you have created yourselves. I am Chaos. The foolish and greedy Calmahart epted me, and I dly came to turn the world into endless chaos with his body. I will kill all of you, get rid of the foolish World Tree Reuranka, and drive the continent into a firepit of endless war. Cry out in despair. That¡¯s why I havee here.¡± He gripped his axe tightly and raised it up in the air. It was covered in the blood of countless dark elves. ¡°Kill the elves. Follow me and make the world fall into chaos. Repeat: Endless chaos!¡± Kaburak dropped to his knees. His hair had turnedpletely white. He was unable to get up after expending all of his energy. Then he said, ¡°Crockta, stop the orcs. We now know that¡¯s not the chieftain...¡± The tide had already shifted. There were way more orcs than dark elves. The dark elves were barely hanging on by a thread. If the fight continued, the only ones who would remain standing would be the orcs. Then, things would go ording to that demonic entity¡¯s n. Crockta looked around at the orcs. The orcs were startled by Calmahart¡¯s sudden change in attitude. ¡°Abandon foolish hope, Crockta.¡± Before he knew it, Calmahart was near him. Crockta quickly retreated. Calmahart was looking down on him with his axe resting on his shoulder. Crockta felt like he could see the demonic entity he had seen earlier above Calmahart¡¯s face. ¡°Orcs only obey the chieftain.¡± As a sinister energy erupted from Calmahart¡¯s eyes, the red powers residing in the orcs¡¯ bodies stirred. The orcs bared their teeth and growled. The frenzy of battle and craving for blood began to spread again. They no longer looked and acted like orcs. Calmahart loudly roared. The orcs responded by raising their weapons. ¡°I, Chieftain Calmahart,mand!¡± Calmahart pointed at Crockta and Kaburak. ¡°Kill them!¡± Orcs began to slowly surround them. The dark elves no longer had the strength to support them. All of their reinforcements were dead or injured. The orcs¡¯ victory was imminent. ¡°Ahh...¡± Kaburak closed his eyes. He had sacrificed his lifespan to reveal the god¡¯s identity, but he hadn¡¯t lifted the orcs¡¯ loyalty toward him. The chief¡¯smands were absolute to the orcs. The orcs were possessed by the demon¡¯s madness and loyalty toward the chiefdom. Their priority was to carry out the ughter hemanded regardless of Calmahart¡¯s true identity. ¡°There isn¡¯t a way out,¡± muttered Crockta. He didn¡¯t see a way out anymore. Calmahart had be aplete monster and had even half-destroyed the World Tree. Most of the dark elves had fallen. Theycked everything and were inferior in strength and numbers. The North would soon fall into that demon¡¯s hands. ¡°Is this it?¡± He couldn¡¯t always win on the battlefield. They had been at a great disadvantage from the start. He had struggled ¡®til the end to win, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do anymore. Right then, an orc walked out from the chiefdom¡¯s side. ¡°Everyone, stoooooooop!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes headed toward him. The orc raised his axe at Calmahart. *** Shireuga couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when a demonic apparition rose from the chieftain¡¯s body. That wasn¡¯t Calmahart, but something in Calmahart¡¯s disguise. It had called itself Chaos. He now fully understood the nature of the trepidation and suspicions he had felt up to this point. The entity was probably one of the countless ancient deities buried in the past whose origins had long been forgotten. ¡°Kill them!¡±manded the chieftain. His body moved on its own. The chiefdom followed the chieftain; it was thew they had observed for many years. With the chieftain¡¯smand, the red energy swept through his head and muddled his thoughts, so he could no longer think properly. Battle instinct, craving for blood, and violence filled his head. He wanted to immediately kill his enemies and lick their blood. Shireuga desperately resisted. It was a fight with the destiny of the North and northern orcs on the line. He had to stop that thing. He was the son of the Great Warrior Shiktu of the Iron Axe Tribe. ¡®Where are warriors who know honor?¡¯ Shireuga thought of Crockta¡¯s shout that had sent an adrenaline rush through him. ¡®Honor. Northern orcs had honor too, but that demon was covering their eyes.¡¯ Shireuga took a step forward and shouted with all of his might, ¡°Everyone, stoooooooop!¡± All of a sudden, the orcs came to a stop. Countless red eyes were headed toward him. For some reason,ughter seeped out of his mouth. It was strange. He had continuously doubted himself as he followed the chieftain¡¯s orders. His heart wavered as if he was doing something very wrong even though all of the chiefdom orcs were doing the same thing. But now, an unknown certainty filled his heart to the brim as he disobeyed the chieftain and put himself in danger. He didn¡¯t care if something went wrong, and he ended up dead. It wouldn¡¯t be shameful. He experienced an emotion he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. It was pride. He was confident about the decision he had made. With his renewed determination, the madness that had clouded his mind diminished. ¡°I no longer acknowledge you as the chieftain,¡± said Shireuga to Calmahart. Calmahart smirked. ¡°Shireuga. An idiot who can¡¯t hold a candle to his father. Nothing will change just because a small fry like you disappears.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention my father when you have sold your soul! He was a real warrior!¡± Shireuga raised his axe and charged at Calmahart with all of his might, but Calmahart sent him flying with a light swing. There was a vast difference in strength. Shireuga pitifully rolled across the ground. He somehow managed to get up. However, his insides had be a mess from that single attack. The sky looked as if it was spinning as blood surged from his throat. ¡°Is this all you got?¡± muttered Calmahart. He was a monster. Shireuga nced around him. The chiefdom orcs were still looking at him with those frenzied red eyes. There was only one way to rescue them, but it wasn¡¯t something he could do. ¡°Crockta.¡± Shireuga had always observed him from a distance. It was his first time facing him. ¡®An orc who uses a huge greatsword, wears a red bandana, and has tattoos running all over his body. An honorable warrior from the continent.¡¯ Crockta returned his gaze. Shireuga beckoned him. Crockta squinted his eyes and then slowly approached him. Shireuga whispered something to him. ¡°...¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes grew wide at what Shireuga had said. Crockta looked at him with surprised eyes. ¡°Is that true?¡± Shireuga grinned and spit out blood. ¡°Crockta, we are also orcs.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We have fallen because the chieftain has sumbed to an evil god, but we have our own sense of honor. We didn¡¯t forget our roots just because we have been entranced by an evil energy. All of the orcs here at least remember that.¡± Shireuga¡¯s eyes glistened as he spoke. Calmahart raised his hand disapprovingly at Shireuga and Crockta¡¯s exchange. He was signaling their execution to the orcs. ¡°Crockta,¡± said Shireuga with a wide grin. Then, he grabbed Crockta¡¯s arm. ¡°I beg you. Please save us.¡± Crockta nodded and then looked at the chieftain with a calm look in his eyes as if the chieftain wasn¡¯t a threat at all. Calmahart responded with a sinisterugh. ¡°Hahaha, what¡¯s the point of talking when both of you will be dead soon anyway? Just watch the world fall into chaos from the afterlife.¡± ¡°Calmahart.¡± Crockta ignored his ridicule and raised his greatsword. ¡°I came from Orcrox, a ce on the continent beyond the boundary.¡± Calmahart tilted his head curiously at Crockta¡¯s unexpected words. ¡°Why are you saying this all of a sudden...?¡± But Crockta didn¡¯t stop. ¡°My teacher was the great warrior Lenox. I have inherited the Warrior¡¯s Commandments from him. I carry out what I believe in and fight even if death stands in my way. I know that honor is greater than death.¡± Crockta¡¯s calm voice rang throughout the battlefield. Then, he pointed the tip of his Ogre yer at Calmahart. ¡°I¡¯m an orc and a warrior.¡± Calmahart¡¯s expression suddenly grew stiff as he realized the situation. Crockta was invoking the most importantw of northern orcs and challenging Calmahart to the most sacred duel that no one could intrude on. ¡°My name is Crockta.¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes glistened with murderous intent. ¡°Calmahart, I challenge you to a duel for the position of the chieftain.¡± Chapter 125: Conqueror of the North

Chapter 125: Conqueror of the North

One had to kill the current chieftain to be the new chieftain, and no one could intervene in the fight. It had to be a one-on-one fight, and they had to duel in front of the chiefdom¡¯s warriors with everything on the line. The duel for the position of the chieftain was the most sacred ritual of chiefdom orcs. ¡°You are not qualified,¡± said Calmahart with a scowl. Crockta shook his head. ¡°You and I are both orcs. What else do we need?¡± It was as Crockta had said. There was only one qualification needed to be the chieftain¡ªto be an orc. Any orc born with the blood of a warrior could be the chieftain. Shireuga and Kaburak backed away. Calmahart and Crockta stood quietly and looked at each other as numerous orc soldiers surrounded them. Calmahart smirked, ¡°Hahaha, hahahahaha...¡± He chuckled to himself with his head down and then erupted inughter. ¡°Hahahahahahahahahaha! You are struggling even ¡®til the very end! Crockta!¡± He shook his head as he exploded inughter. ¡°The orcs are under my control! Do you not understand what this means? You can¡¯t control anyone. Watch! Then despair!¡± Calmahart raised his hands up. ¡°Orcs of the chiefdom, I¡¯m Chieftain Calmahart, your ruler!¡± Red energy seeped out from his body. It scattered throughout the earth and wrapped around the orcs¡¯ bodies. The madness in the orcs¡¯ eyes intensified as the orcs trembled. The orcs¡¯ throats throbbed with a thirst for blood. It was the energy of Chaos. ¡°Kill that trash from the continent.¡± Calmahart¡¯s eyes had a sinister glint to them. His authoritative voice echoed throughout the ins. ¡°ughter him.¡± The orcs began to walk forward as Calmahart¡¯s red energy pressed them on. They raised their weapons as the madness surged within them. Crockta looked at them one by one. They didn¡¯t have any willpower or principles. They were just led by the madness that dominated them as they walked toward Crockta. The cold glint of numerous weapons was pointed at Crockta. Had Calmahart already won? Crockta sped his greatsword. Even if he had, he would fight to the very end. Crockta was about to swing his weapon toward them when a weapon dropped on the ground with a ng. It was from an orc standing at the front of the battle line. He wasn¡¯t a Great Warrior or amander. He was one of the countless orc soldiers whose name wouldn¡¯t even be remembered even if he died on the battlefield. He was a fraction of arge army. He had dropped his weapon of his own ord. He beat his chest with his fists as he suppressed the surging madness. Then he said, ¡°A duel is sacred.¡± He didn¡¯t march forward anymore. Instead, he retreated. That was the beginning. The orc standing by his side also dropped his weapon. Then, he took a step back and struck his own chest. ¡°No one can interfere in the battle for the position of a chieftain.¡± Weapons began dropping to the ground. The orcs continued to retreat. The red energy inside their bodies gradually dimmed and now looked like faint waves of light. The sound of the orcs beating their chests rang throughout the ins. ¡°No one can interfere in the duel for the position of the chieftain.¡± ¡°The chieftain can¡¯t reject an invitation for battle!¡± ¡°The victor bes the chieftain!¡± Now, only Calmahart and Crockta were carrying weapons. It was a Colosseum created by an orc army. Crockta looked around at the orcs. He could see willpower and principles in their eyes. Crockta smiled and then suddenly met eyes with Shireuga. He beat his chest and nodded. Crockta also beat his chest ording to the custom of the North. Then, he looked at Calmahart. His face distorted like a demon¡¯s. He was in utter rage because hismand had been rejected. He raised his double-headed axe without a word. Crockta also sped his greatsword. It was speckled with bloodstains. If he thought about the number of lives that fell under the Ogre yer, it was hard to even carry the sword due to its crushing weight. However, he had to grip the hilt even tighter. The weight of it could only be lifted by ughtering Calmahart. ¡°Do you think you can win against me one-on-one?¡± The sunset that hung over the horizon scattered red light over the ins as a long shadow loomed over the ground. ¡°You have a lot to say, Calmahart.¡± Calmahart slowly turned in circles. Crockta began to move in response. They circled each other, eyeing their opponent. ¡°I will kill you today and crush everything that is precious to you. The continent will turn to ashes, and I will make all of your friends in Orcrox into ves and make them lick my feet. I will make a chalice out of your skull and make you watch everything,¡± said Calmahart as he gritted his teeth. Crockta didn¡¯t reply and put all of his focus on his powers. The world slowed down, and he looked at Calmahart. One step, one step, one step, half a step, one-fourth of a step, half a step again. The world slowed down to absolute stillness. He felt everything on his skin¡ªthe rough breaths of the orcs surrounding them, the inhtion and exhtion of waste through the lungs, eyes warily observing the duel, and the rough sensation of the ground underneath. He could feel each strand of twilight rising from the horizon. He could clearly tell how powerful Calmahart was. His presence was crushing. Even thebined energy within the horizon could notpare to Calmahart¡¯s ominous aura as he stood alone before Crockta. Then, something awoke in the back of his mind; it stirred as it raised its ugly head. It was fear. Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh. Calmahart was frightening. Calmahart, who had received the powers of chaos, could be the strongest opponent he had faced up to this point. Thus, Crockta moved first. He struck a decisive blow. The ground cracked, and the earth shook. He stomped the seed of fear. Crockta swung his greatsword. The double-headed axe and the Ogre yer shed. Sparks flew as their sharpened weapons shed. An acrobatic y of swords ensued. They dodged each other¡¯s attacks by a hair¡¯s breadth. The upward, downward, and diagonal movement of the sparks from the weapons dazzled the eyes of onlookers. It was a fight between two burly forces, Calmahart with the body of a monster and Crockta with the robust physique of an orc. They were so fast that the eyes of onlookers couldn¡¯t keep up with their movements. Their exchange of blows looked like a strand of light to the normal eye. Their weapons shed and created an explosive roar like the sound of gunpowder. The first one to take a hit was Crockta. Calmahart managed to tear his shoulder; flesh parted and blood gushed out. Calmahart smirked. Even from a slight graze Crockta¡¯s flesh was torn and gushed blood. It was a disy of tremendous power. Crockta wiped the blood off and gripped the hilt of his Ogre yer tightly. They exchanged attacks again. This time, Calmahart was the one who was injured. He received an injury on his thigh, but it healed at noticeable speed. It quickly stopped bleeding. He was indeed a monster. Their movements gradually grew more intense. They were done testing the waters now. They were in a life-and-death situation. Their throats were on the line. Their blood scattered across the ins at the same time. They roared as their bodies mmed into each other. *** His ear felt numb. He couldn¡¯t hear properly. Crockta raised his head. The axede thrusting toward him shed red. Crockta saw the sunset within it. The sun hadn''t set yet. He turned his body. The axede slid past his throat. Blood dripped. He got back up on his feet and into position. He pointed his greatsword at his opponent. The focus was blurry. His swollen eyes didn¡¯t function properly. He raised his hand and hastily wiped his eyes. The blurred images merged into one. He saw Calmahart swinging his axe toward him. He dodged by rolling across the ground. His body, covered in wounds, writhed in agony as it pressed against the dirt. Crockta got up by swallowing his pain. The pain was a relief. It woke him up. Calmahart was looking down at him with arrogant eyes. ¡°How tedious.¡± Crockta spat at the ground. He could see the blood spreading in his saliva. Calmahart was strong. Each blow from Calmahart destroyed his body. There was a clear difference in physical strength. Crockta gritted his teeth. His mind re-entered the territory of the Pinnacle. In a world that had slowed down to a crawl, Crockta swung his greatsword at Calmahart, who blocked it. Even in a world where everything converged into infinite stillness, Calmahart moved swiftly. He kicked Crockta away before Crockta¡¯s attack could even touch him. Crockta clutched his stomach as he fell. He saw the sky from the ground. The sunset lit up a fiery crimson sky. ¡®Why am I enduring all of this pain to fight here?¡¯ Crockta wondered. He was fighting in Elder Lord, a world that existed in another dimension. But it wasn¡¯t his world. The world he lived in was on Earth, the world where his sister and his caf¨¦ are. The Republic of Korea. He got up. The orcs were still watching them. The sacred duel only ended when one died or surrendered. But Crockta refused to surrender. ¡°You cannot defeat me,¡± said Calmahart. Crockta looked at him. He had a frightening face. He looked even more sinister because of the scar Crockta had made on his face. Instead of replying, Crockta smiled. He saw a familiar face behind Calmahart. Everyone at Spinora was watching this duel. There were Tiyo and Anor too. The rtionships he had formed at Mount Lun, those he had met and fought with in the North were all facing him. Everyone was looking at him. Everyone believed in him. ¡®I believe in you.¡¯ ¡®Raven, this is your mission.¡¯ ¡®As expected of oppa.¡¯ He had to always carry their burdens, but he never resented them. Crockta smirked. All of the fights he had gone through were things he had to do, so he seeded. That was it. There was only one reason why he had to carry the weight of everything. Because only he could do it. ¡°A warrior doesn¡¯t give up.¡± He had first selected an orc character as a joke, but he had be a warrior after meeting the warriors at Orcrox. They were great minds who existed in the world of Elder Lord, they were not just characters in a game. Things could have been different if he hadn¡¯t met them, but with the experience he had acquired from them, he just carried out the given task as a warrior. Calmahart was running toward him. His double-headed axe was splitting the air. Its ominous momentum exploded at Crockta as space parted. An unavoidable distance. An unavoidable speed. Crockta gritted his teeth. In the silent world of the Pinnacle, Crockta¡¯s will spread out. Cause and effect coursed along with the flow of the universe. The way a stone tossed at the sky crashed, the axe swung at him would split his body. Calmahart was faster than him, and Crockta was no match for his strength. The whole world was moving toward his death. An oue like death that no one could avoid. ¡®God, please watch over us.¡¯ Crockta moved his greatsword. It was feeblepared to Calmahart¡¯s blow, but... ¡°...!¡± The axe was narrowly grazing past Crockta¡¯s throat. It was a strange oue that no cause or condition that existed in the world could create. Crockta, who should be dead, somehow survived. The distortion of causality didn¡¯t stop here. Crockta¡¯s greatsword wavered. The chieftain dodged. It was a clean swerve. Crockta¡¯s greatsword should have definitely shed nothing but the air, and yet... ¡°Argh...¡± Before he knew it, his greatsword was piercing Calmahart¡¯s throat. ¡°How...¡± Calmahart looked at him with eyes of disbelief. It was a miracle. It was the state beyond cause and effect; a state where one could wield the world ording to their will. It was a state brought forth by those who created history instead of being pushed by the flow of history. [Your Pinnacle Tier skills have been upgraded to Hero Tier.] Crockta withdrew his Ogre yer. Calmahart¡¯s head flew in the air. It was thest of Chieftain Calmahart who made the North tremble in fear. Red energy seeped out from his neck. It contorted and then scattered into pieces. The shattered crimson energy scattered in the wind like flower petals and thenpletely disappeared. It was the end of Chaos. ¡°Ahhh...¡± Everyone clearly saw it. Crockta had killed the chieftain. The ins fell silent. The one who broke the silence was Shireuga. He struck his chest once and then got down on one knee. Like a giant wave, the orcs began to kneel one by one. Then, all of the orcs of the chiefdom who had invaded Spinora. All of the orcs made a gesture of respect toward Crockta. No one opened their mouths. The entire North was silent. The Great Northern War that had started with Calmahart¡¯s rampage had finallye to an end thanks to Crockta. Now... ¡°Everyone, rise.¡± He was the chieftain. *** ¡°Do you want to go orc hunting?¡± ¡°Why an orc all of a sudden?¡± ¡°A quest has been given by the system. That chieftain or someone ising out. It seems like an event. We should start practicing to prepare.¡± Youvidser Laney scratched her head as she listened to the conversation of yers passing by. Should she at least prepare for the quest? There hasn''t been anything interesting going ontely. The Youvids site was flooded with raid and war videos of the Heaven and Earth n with Choi Han-Sung as the lead. In the past, she had also followed the Heaven and Earth n and filmed them, but she couldn¡¯t get used to it. It felt wrong somehow to capture the faces of the dying on the screen, so she quit. She suddenly thought of the just orc Warrior Crockta who had disappeared. His deeds had touched Laney. His actions were the type of thing that made her heart burn with passion, not cruel war. But with the news that he had departed for the north, his whereabouts became unknown in Elder Lord. Considering the game¡¯s feature in which NPCs didn¡¯t mind the yer¡¯s convenience and led their lives, it was possible that Crockta would never appear in front of them again. ¡°Whew...¡± Laney sighed. What should she do now? Did she really have to prepare to face the crazy chieftain? She was entertaining such thoughts when the yers began to raise their heads one by one. Laney also raised her head. Elder Lord¡¯s system-wide message window had popped up in front of them. It had a message that no one had imagined. [The crazy orc chieftain Calmahart of the North had prepared a great war to lead the continent to destruction.] [His ambition has been shattered.] [He swept the North into the mes of war and made countless victims, and was about to destroy the World Tree and ce the entire North at his feet when he met his fate at the hands of an orc warrior who appeared out of nowhere.] The yers at the public square murmured among themselves. ¡°What, how could they just back out like that after making amitment? ¡°Did they just cancel everything after making preparations because things didn¡¯t work out as nned? ¡°I bought new equipment just for this!¡± But the yers became quiet as the message windows continued to pop up. [The fate of the continent, which was on the verge of a horrendous war, has changed.] [The title ¡®Conqueror of the North¡¯ will be bestowed to the great warrior who had traveled to the North and fought against adversity to carry out his purpose.] Laney¡¯s eyes grew wide. It was him. [The ¡®Conqueror of the North¡¯, Crockta, had protected the world from the madness of the crazy chieftain.] [The entire North praises his name.] [His name will forever go down in the history of Elder Lord.] [The ¡®Conqueror of the North¡¯ is Crockta.] [He is orc warrior Crockta.] Crockta had returned. Chapter 126: White Knight (1)

Chapter 126: White Knight (1)

Yi-An disconnected from the server. He felt like he had returned home after a long journey. Everything felt very unfamiliar in his slender body after living inside Crockta¡¯s huge body for a while. He checked the time. It was dawn. All of the adventures he had in Elder Lord shed past him. Was it all a dream? No, it was all reality. Yi-An grinned and flopped down on the bed. He was tired. He had just been swinging his greatsword at a blood-sttering battlefield with his life at stake. It felt odd to disconnect from such a harsh ce and immediately be at peace in his home. As he hugged his fluffy nket and closed his eyes, his entire body sank into the mattress. When he closed his eyes, he saw the deste northernndscape spread out beyond the darkness. He could still vividly feel the sensation of sending Calmahart¡¯s head flying into the sky. He also thought of the orc warriors who filled the ins to the brim. They had gotten down on their knees and acknowledged him as the new chieftain. He had aplished all of this with a single greatsword. With just a single Ogre yer that fit perfectly into the palm of his hand, he had rescued cities and the entire north. At hismand, all of the orcs abandoned their weapons, and the war came to an end. Everything in the world of Elder Lord was so clear-cutpared to his world, where everything was a tangled mess. In his world, it was difficult to discern the true nature of things. In the battlefields he had faced in the past, good and evil, right and wrong, were all intertwined and upied the same space. But Elder Lord¡¯s battles had clear sides; they were worth fighting for. His mind sank into the bed like his body. He lost consciousness as his mind drifted off to the realm of sleep. In his dream, he wasn¡¯t Yi-An but Orc Crockta and had returned to Orcrox to drink with his fellow orc warriors. The song of the orc warriors lifted his spirits. *** He woke up to the noise of the televisioning from outside. Yi-An went outside his room as he rubbed his eyes in a daze and saw Yi-Yoo watching the television while lying down on the couch. She glimpsed over at Yi-An. ¡°I feel like I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± ¡°We see each other every day,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°You haven¡¯te out of your roomtely because you¡¯ve been busy ying games.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...true.¡± Yi-An nodded. It was still early in the morning. She had a disgruntled look on her face. He already had to ease the mood? ¡°Do you want to eat something?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Figure it out on your own.¡± Yi-Yoo acted like a child sometimes, but something definitely seemed amiss with her. Yi-Anughed inwardly and headed to the kitchen. When he had returned to South Korea from the foreign troops, he deliberated on starting a restaurant business before settling on a caf¨¦. He wasn¡¯t a good cook, but serving other people good food seemed like a good way to live. He realized he was happiest when he ate good food with hisrades after finishing a mission and washing up. Because of that, he wanted to make sharing good food with others a part of his daily life. Even so, he ended up running a caf¨¦ because it was easier and more peaceful. He didn¡¯t regret it, but he still had culinary skills from attending cooking sses and practicing when he had been preparing to open a restaurant. ¡°Haha, figure it out...¡± Those words meant the customer was asking for the dish the chef was most confident in. It was a showdown with the chief¡¯s pride at stake. He wouldn¡¯t be a chef if he backed down now. Yi-An imagined the best dish he could cook up. Soon, Yi-An revealed the oue of that pride. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, here it is.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the cash. Yes, thank you. Have a nice day.¡± ¡°Yes, enjoy.¡± The fried chicken had arrived. Of course, Yi-Yoo was impressed. ¡°Fried chicken for breakfast? Not bad.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold,¡± said Yi-An. The two ate chicken side by side. It was summer. The morning sun seeped in through the window. Yi-Yoo, as she bit into a chicken leg, suddenly said, ¡°Oppa.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I messed up on my exams.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Yi-An glimpsed over at the television. He couldn¡¯t hear well because the sound was low, but they were still talking about Elder Lord. The world was still in the age of Elder Lord. Yi-Yoo chewed with a mouthful of chicken as she nced warily at Yi-An. She was scouting his mood. ¡°You aren¡¯t mad?¡± ¡°Why would I be mad?¡± ¡°You should be mad that your sister messed up on her exams when you paid the expensive tuition!¡± she shouted after swallowing the mouthful of meat. Yi-An agreed. ¡°Understood. Now that I think about it, I am starting to get angry. No more allowance for...¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Yi-Yoo shook her head. ¡°Nevermind. Like you said, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to get angry. Grades aren¡¯t everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna get angry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get mad!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying about people who get angry at others for their own mistakes...¡± But Yi-An couldn¡¯t help butugh at her insistence. Yi-Yoo also grinned and leaned back on the couch. ¡°Ah, what if I can¡¯t get a job because my grades are so bad.¡± ¡°Come work at the caf¨¦,¡± suggested Yi-An. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s Yeo-Ri unni.¡± ¡°Thought you had a good rtionship with her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it would be ufortable for Yeo-Ri unni, who is basically the manager. You know, if the boss¡¯ sister gets the job out of nepotism. Plus, there¡¯s already enough staff as it is.¡± ¡°Then I will open a new caf¨¦ for you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Yi-Yoo squinted her eyes. ¡°Do you have a lot of money?¡± Yi-An let her words slide as he continued to watch the television. The showrunners were discussing Elder Lord¡¯s rankings. The ranking of high-rankers had suddenly changed in Elder Lord. New powerhouses had appeared, and the original high-rankers had fallen in the ranks. And at the center of it all were three yers. ¡®Rommel¡¯ Choi Han-Sung, the pride of the Republic of Korea and the n master of the Heaven and Earth n who shone at the top of the ranks. ¡®Pathfinder¡¯ Gunnar followed the conventions of online games from the past and formed raid groups for dungeon quests. And one more... ¡°Oppa, are you listening to me?¡± Yi-An coughed. ¡°Are you okay? Do you want some coke?¡± And the third was a mysterious figure whose information waspletely private; their yer nickname was Mystery for convenience¡¯s sake. The only things revealed about them were their levels and achievement points. In Elder Lord, achievement points mattered the most in terms of rank, and number one Choi Han-Sung¡¯s and number two Gunnar¡¯s achievement scores were higher than his. Choi Han-Sung had built achievements that were impossible to outmatch through his war campaigns, and Gunnar was also acknowledged as an adventurer who appeared like aet and made a name for himself in the continent by NPCs through his dungeon raids. But the levels were different. Mystery, who ranked third, had the highest level in existence. Their level was 117. Considering that Choi Han-Sung, the number one¡¯s level was 95, and Gunnar¡¯s level was 92, Level 117 was well in the lead. In the world of Elder Lord, where levels were determined by adding achievement points, the fact that Mystery¡¯s level was the highest meant that their skill levels were formidably high! Although Mystery¡¯s ss was unknown, rumors circted that the unknown yer was at the top in terms of battle if they assumed the yer was a battle ss. And that mystery was Yi-An. The level he had reached after bringing peace to the north and killing Calmahart was Level 117. His achievement score was also 1924800. Yi-An turned his eyes away from the television and looked at Yi-Yoo. She was tilting her head with a disgruntled look on her face. ¡°Anyway, I messed up on my exams, so I will...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Yi-An shook his head. He was still in a daze from the news. ¡°Just focus on studying business in school. If you can¡¯t find a job, I will open up a store for you so you can run it.¡± The payment for being a high-ranker he had receivedst time was extremely high, and the more one rose in the ranks, the more exponentially the payments rose. This time, the bnce would far surpass his expectations. His days of risking his life and roaming the battlefield to earn money felt so distant likest time. ¡°Hmm...¡± Yi-Yoo furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°You must have quite a bit of money, oppa.¡± ¡°It turned out that way, so don¡¯t worry about unnecessary stuff.¡± ¡°Hmm...oppa, I must have done something good in my past life.¡± Then, she smiled. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve used a cheat code in life and got you.¡± Her face was bright like his mother¡¯s in his memories. Or was it his father? In his memories, Yi-Yoo always remained as a child with a tearful face. She couldn¡¯t ept the situation, so she cried endlessly at the funeral home after their parents passed away. She had overflowed with tears when she was put in the care of their rtives and had to say farewell to Yi-An. Yi-An vividly remembered what his father used to say. ¡®You have to protect your sister because your mom and I are busy.¡¯ ¡®The bond between siblings is stronger than that between parents and children. You have to rely on each other until death. She¡¯s your closest kin, so you have to protect her. I trust you.¡¯ Indeed, that was his mission. Yi-An looked at Yi-Yoo and smiled. ¡°So, be good to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already good to you,¡± replied Yi-Yoo. ¡°Like hell you are.¡± *** ¡°Hmm...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon was lost in thought as she ced a hand on her forehead. She was researching about Elder Lord per Yi-An¡¯s request, but it was such an uncharted territory that not even she could venture into. Everything was top secret. There was only information essible to her father, Chairman Ji Eun-Chul and key figures of the Elder Saga Corporation. But there was something she knew. The man who had made everything, the father of Elder Lord, was called Yoo Jae-Han. Core system Albino was his work. But he had disappeared suddenly. Rumors about his death circted, and some said he had be a madman, wandering somewhere in the world. After Elder Lord had beenunched, no one saw him. There was a researcher named Park Ju-Jin who had known him, but his location and the location of the central research institute where Albino was located were unknown. ¡°I¡¯m getting curious.¡± The secretary who always followed her shrugged her shoulders. ¡°There must be a reason that the chairman didn¡¯t tell you. How about stopping here?¡± ¡°But I want to know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a game.¡± ¡°But that game is taking the world by storm.¡± The whole world was connected through Elder Lord. All of the citizens of well-developed and developing countries who had the means to purchase ess capsules werepletely immersed in the game. Thus, if there was some kind of conspiracy behind it, the whole world would fall under its influence. ¡°Here, this is thest.¡± The secretary handed Ji Ha-Yeon a document. It wasn¡¯t very thick, but its title and author were unfamiliar to her. It was a thesis. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s not Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s, but it¡¯s something that belonged to a man who knew him. It was left in Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s office, but it wasn¡¯t confiscated because it seemed useless.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon skimmed over the document. It was a continuation of terms and jargon she didn¡¯t know. Then, she stared at her secretary as if expecting her to exin. Her secretary shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the thesis of an assistant or a student who used to follow Yoo Jae-Han around.¡± ¡°What is it about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the title and the author¡¯s name are right here.¡± She looked at it. She had never seen the author¡¯s name before. ¡°Was he a foreigner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The name on the document was Gordon Cmity. He didn¡¯t seem like someone famous. ¡°Where is he?¡± asked Ji Ha-Yeon. ¡°He¡¯s missing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He went missing before even Yoo Jae-Han disappeared. No one knows where he is.¡± ¡°The contents of his thesis are bizarre like Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon shrugged. ¡°Anyway, continue investigating. It¡¯s the top priority.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, let me know immediately if you find Yoo Jae-Han. There seems to be something behind Elder Lord.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her secretary bowed and left the room. Ji Ha-Yeon stared at the thesis again. It was still iprehensible to her. As a humanities major, she couldn¡¯t understand someone who studied science. Was he really curious about such a subject to have written a thesis about it? She couldn¡¯t understand the contents of the thesis, but she had a sense of what he truly wanted to figure out and the message he wanted to convey to others. It was such an old topic that no one cared about it these days. That was probably why he followed around someone like Yoo Jae-Han. ¡°Can entropy be reversed? Who cares?¡± *** Baek Han-Ho furrowed his eyebrows. He had been putting great effort into preparing for the impending war. ¡ªOrc Crockta, who had amazed yers all over the world and then disappeared out of the blue, had returned! ¡ªYes, everyone was shocked when they saw the system-wide message about the orc warrior Crockta defeating the orc chieftain and stopping the war. It¡¯s quite obvious that the message was referring to Crockta, the warrior of justice. Thest ce Crockta was headed was the north. ¡ªCrockta¡¯s fanclub ¡®Praise the Orc¡¯s¡¯ members are increasing again. Moreover, the ¡®Rebirth Brotherhood,¡¯ established by taking inspiration from Crockta, is also celebrating this news. ¡ªWill he return to the continent? ¡ªWell, we don¡¯t know. Only NPCs understand the heart of other NPCs. But my personal hope is for a just orc to appear and convey a message of hope to the others because Elder Lord has only been filled with bloody newstely. ¡ªYoo-Jung, are you also a member of Praise the Orc? ¡ªHahaha, I¡¯m not, but I want to join! But the guy called Crockta had prevented him from doing so before he could even start! ¡°Argh...¡± The man who had been sitting in the office of the gym aggressively shut off the television. Then, he exited the office. The members of the gym bowed to him. The man nodded and stood in front of the sandbag for the first time in a while. The members began to murmur among themselves at Baek Han-Ho¡¯s anger. Baek Han-Ho punched the sandbag. The sandbag swooshed in the air. ¡°Crockta...you bastard!¡± He had nned to cut off Calmahart¡¯s head and enjoy fame, but someone had beat him to it. ¡°I have to meet him and give him a lesson!¡± Moreover, he didn¡¯t like their title as the just orc. Because the title of ¡®justice¡¯ belonged to the knight on a white horse, ¡®White Knight Andre,¡¯ Baek Han-Ho! Chapter 127: White Knight (2)

Chapter 127: White Knight (2)

After a round of punching the sandbag, he went around the gym and critiqued the gym members¡¯ postures. Because of his unusually irritable mood that day, several gym members found themselves on the floor as Baek Han-Ho personally demonstrated movements on them when they didn¡¯t meet his expectations. A female gym member, who had been observing the ongoing activities at the gym, was stricken with fear when Baek Han-Ho approached her. ¡®Baek Han-Ho Gym¡¯ had now be a hang-out for men who liked to disy their strength and engage inbat. There were only burly, physically imposing men in the gym now. But those men fell to the floor at Baek Han-Ho¡¯s slightest movement. The woman trembling in fear was just a normal person who came to that gym to be fit because it was close to her house. She smiled awkwardly as Baek Han-Ho stood in front of her. ¡°Hahaha...Master.¡± ¡°Did you practice what I taught youst time? Let¡¯s try it. One two!¡± ¡°Uhhh...¡± She clenched her eyes shut and then awkwardly extended her fist. ¡°One two, one two!¡± She shouted as she performed the move. ¡°This time double-two!¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°Double-two, double-two!¡± Her fists swished forward as she struggled tond punches. The male members of the gym would have fallen on their faces at Baek Han-Ho¡¯s hands, but Baek Han-Ho nodded in approval for some reason. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°Has it been around three months since you¡¯ve beening here?¡± ¡°Four months...¡± ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s still really good for four months. You are pretty athletic.¡± ¡°...¡± She nodded reluctantly because she had just witnessed a gym member who had only been there for a month receive a low-kick and crumble to the floor just because he had turned his waist a centimeter less. ¡°But bear in mind, our bodies are weapons, and martial arts is the art of killing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If possible, a woman should avoid fighting and dangerous situations. That¡¯s what true strength is in a woman.¡± Baek Han-Ho looked off into the distance with a sentimental look on his face. ¡°It is a knight¡¯s duty to protectdies, but the world is...¡± Despite her bewildered expression, she forced herself to smile at Baek Han-Ho¡¯s nonsense. ¡°In the modern world where chivalry has disappeared...¡± continued Baek Han-Ho. Someone had to stop him. But he was already deep inside his own world. There was no one who could stop him in this gym. Right then, someone came to the rescue. ¡°What are you doing right now?¡± It was Yi-An. He had approached Baek Han-Ho from behind. He looked at Baek Han-Ho with questioning eyes. ¡°Ahem, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly saying weird things?¡± ¡°What weird stuff did I say?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t y games too much.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking...¡± Yi-An and Baek Han-Ho chatted as they headed to the office of the gym. The female gym member stared at them in a daze. The woman who was now alone began swinging at the sandbag as she thought about what Baek Han-Ho had said. ¡®Bodies are weapons, and martial arts is the art of killing.¡¯ And he had called her ady. She smirked. ¡°How old fashioned.¡± Then, she quietly drew a sign in the air and moved her hands in a strange motion. ¡°Magic can save people.¡± She was a well-known magician in Elder Lord. *** ¡°What have you been up to? Yeo-Ri has been worried about you,¡± asked Baek Han-Ho. Yi-An furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Yeo-Ri?¡± ¡°Yeah, Yeo-Ri.¡± ¡°When did you start speaking to Yeo-Ri?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Baek Han-Ho shrugged and shook his head as Yi-An continued staring at him. ¡°I told her I was the one who taught you martial arts, and she became interested and began calling me ¡®master¡¯ and acted all friendly, so we started talking to each other. Quit giving me that look. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe based on what I just saw. Have you been ying the role of a knight too much in the game?¡± ¡°How dare you insult your teacher. If this was the past, I would have brought down the iron fist on you.¡± Yi-An grinned. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Yi-An and Baek Han-Ho¡¯s eyes met. Sparks flew between their eyes. They looked like they were ready to get up any moment and head to the sparring ring, but they both shook their heads and leaned back in their backrest. ¡°If only I wasn¡¯t tired...¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I have to say...¡± Yi-An wanted to take a break for a bit after fighting with Calmahart. He had essed the game through a capsule, so it didn¡¯t take a physical toll on him, but he was mentally tired. Baek Han-Ho was also fatigued from ying Elder Lord, so he didn¡¯t want to bicker with Yi-An. The two leaned back in their chairs. Then, they sighed. ¡°What species are you?¡± asked Baek Han-Ho. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your ss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°You stubborn...¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you say it first? Heard you are a knight?¡± ¡°Will you tell me yours if I tell you mine?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Whew, I¡¯ve raised my disciples wrong.¡± ¡°Disciples like me grow up to be like you.¡± ¡°Well...you are not wrong.¡± Baek Han-Ho chuckled as he slouched in his chair. ¡°Yi-An.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This guy has been causing a scely.¡± Baek Han-Ho gestured at the TV screen that upied the wall of the director¡¯s office that was ying a show. Yi-An flinched. It was Crockta. ¡°...¡± Seeing Crockta from an outsider¡¯s perspective was frightening. A bandana that seemed to be made up of blood and a ridiculouslyrge greatsword. He looked like a viin rather than a hero. ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± said Baek Han-Ho. ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°I was preparing to defeat the guy named Calmahart, but I lost interest because Crockta ended things before it even started.¡± Baek Han-Ho sat up straight as he changed what was ying on the screen. This time, it was the world¡¯s best video site, Youvids. It was none other than Crockta on the homepage of the Youvids website. After news of Calmahart¡¯s loss spread, Crockta¡¯s poprity skyrocketed again. Laney, who had filmed him in the past, continued to upload his videos, and other witness videos continued to be uploaded on Youvids. His videos had some of the highest views on Youvids. Choi Han-Sung¡¯s battle videos were no longer trending and were passed on for Crockta¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s catch him!¡± Baek Han-Ho shouted. Yi-An was still. ¡°What, are you scared?¡± ¡°....No.¡± Baek Han-Ho nodded. ¡°I know he¡¯s a frightening guy. Even though we are some of the world¡¯s best martial arts masters, that guy is a monster inside a game! He probably has unbelievable strength and physical ability.¡± Crockta¡¯s battle video yed on the screen. It was Chesswood. Yi-An¡¯s heart fell as he faced the scene from back then. Many innocent people had died, and they weren¡¯t NPCs. People who actually existed died in the hands of yers who had logged onto Elder Lord. But because of the authority of the woman who was supposedly a god, ¡®perceptual distortion,¡¯ others couldn¡¯t even understand that kind of possibility. ¡°Look at his beast-like movements.¡± It was the scene when Crockta pierced through the rain of spears and swung his greatsword and massacred everyone. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he leapt up and shed through the heart of the enemy lines. The yers began running away. Crockta chased after them and plunged his greatsword into their backs. ¡°The most astonishing thing about him is the rate at which he improves,¡±mented Baek Han-Ho. This time, they showed an old video. Three yers and a single orc were facing off. It was the time he had run into the user hunters in Anail. Crockta seemed to be on the losing end but swiftly won by letting the enemy pierce his stomach while killing them. ¡°Moreover, that boldness and decisiveness are truly astonishing. He is someone who knows how to fight properly.¡± Yi-An swelled with pride because he had rarely receivedpliments from Baek Han-Ho, but he also felt anxious at the same time. ¡°So what?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Let¡¯s capture him.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t like him.¡± Yi-An looked at Baek Han-Ho¡¯s expression. He was for real. His expression said that he would immediately go find Crockta if he came down to the continent and swing his sword at him. Yi-An calmly said, ¡°Hold it in. Crockta is righteous, strong, and has a well-renowned reputation. He even has a fan club.¡± ¡°Fan club? I have one too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hahaha, do you want to know?¡± ¡°Stop lying.¡± ¡°This guy...it¡¯s the truth. Of course I won¡¯t tell you since you don¡¯t tell me either.¡± ¡°...¡± Baek Han-Ho angrily changed the channel and identally went to his favorites library on the Youvids video site. ¡°...!¡± Baek Han-Ho quickly turned off the television, and warily eyed Yi-An wondering if he saw his favorites page. Luckily, Yi-An was still checking his phone. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Baek Han-Ho coughed awkwardly. ¡°I will head out now. It was nice to see you. I have to also check in on my caf¨¦.¡± ¡°Yeah. You should do some work instead of just making the people below you do everything. Just relying on passive ie makes people sick.¡± But the gym was mostly run by coaches under Baek Han-Ho. Yi-An shook his head. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°You too. Be safe.¡± Yi-An left the Baek Han-Ho gym and headed to Caf¨¦ Reason after a long time. *** He didn¡¯t go empty-handed. After he arrived at Caf¨¦ Reason and gave food to Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon who were grumbling, he organized trivial things while they were watching the counter. There were quite a number of customers. Yi-An sipped on the caf¨¦tte Yeo-Ri made and looked up ¡®Andre the White Knight¡¯ on his phone. Yi-An had gotten a glimpse of Baek Han-Ho¡¯s favorites page during the brief moment Baek Han-Ho had identallynded on the page. Baek Han-Ho¡¯s favorites page was filled with videos of the yer ¡®Andre the White Knight.¡¯ As soon as he saw it, Yi-An pretended to be looking at something else immediately. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. There was a saying that if you know your enemy and yourself, you can win as many as a hundred times. Baek Han-Ho would definitelye find him. In the world of Elder Lord, there weren¡¯t any barriers. He would deliver a one shot one kill without any second thoughts! Andre the White Knight was quite well known. ¡°Oh, you also know Andre?¡± Han Yeo-Ri, who had been loitering around the caf¨¦ approached him and sat next to him. ¡°Do you know him?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Of course. He¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°...He¡¯s cool?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Yi-An yed the video with skeptical eyes, Han Yeo-Ri said, ¡°I don¡¯t y games, but I¡¯ve seen quite a few of this person¡¯s videos.¡± Yi-An almost spat out his coffee at the sight of the character appearing on the screen. The character had glossy blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and a straight nose. His pale, youthful skin didn¡¯t have a single wrinkle, and he had a pair of soft, pink lips that stood out even to Yi-An. He was d in silver te armor thatpletely covered his whole body under his delicate neckline. He was a beautiful young man who looked like a quintessential medieval knight. How much effort did he put in to customize every single detail of his appearance? He even rode a white horse with its mane pping in the wind. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look cool?¡± asked Han Yeo-Ri. ¡°Hmm...¡± Yi-An nodded. Baek Han-Ho, no, Andre the White Knight, was talking in the video. ¡°To the fools who swing their swords atdies.¡± He got off his horse. He rubbed his forehead against the horse¡¯s mane as if signaling to it to wait a bit and then raised his sword toward the enemies in front of him. It was a longsword with a sharp de. ¡°This righteous knight Andre will teach you what chivalry is.¡± Then he charged at the enemies in front of him. His opponents were bandits armed with axes and swords. They swung their weapons at each other. They were startled at first by Andre¡¯s mboyant appearance, but they believed they could easily defeat him since they outnumbered him. But that was just for a brief moment. Andre pierced their throats with exquisite swordsmanship. There wasn¡¯t a desperate battle where blood and flesh sttered. Andre disyed elegant skills as he elegantly pierced his enemies¡¯ vitals with a single blow. All of the enemies copsed to the ground. Andre the White Knight swiftly turned away. The female NPC who had been threatened by the bandits stared at him in a daze. Andre approached her and grabbed her hand. He then kissed the back of her hand and winked softly. ¡°Lady, I have taken care of the enemies. Please rest assured.¡± The video then faded out with Andre¡¯s sweet smile. Han Yeo-Ri poked Yi-An¡¯s side. ¡°So cool. He¡¯s the real prince on a horse. Isn¡¯t that so? Boss?¡± But Yi-An, who knew the man behind Andre, couldn''t nod in agreement. Han Yeo-Riughed and returned to the counter. Yi-An wanted to erase his memories. No, he wanted to gouge out his eyes and rece it with a new pair that had never seen the video. Yi-An checked thements section of the video. At first, it was all praise. ¡ªMilky White Andre: Andre, I¡¯m your fan!^^ More videos please! Let¡¯s go, Andre! ¡ªHomme Fatale White Knight: >?< Every day, I get so much energy from watching you...Where is that? I want to visit...Andre¡¯s pink lips...he¡¯s so dreamy...drool ¡ªWhite Cacao: Based on the background, it seems like he¡¯s in Mount Hesse! ¡ªJung-Min¡¯s Mom: Andre...What a cool, young man~^^ My daughters enjoy it when I y Andre¡¯s videos~~?^^ Please continue your path of righteousness~~~! ¡ªYi-Yu¡¯s Mom: Same here~^^ My babies like them too, haha But the tone of thements shifted. ¡ªLet¡¯s Have A Shot Of Soju: Dammit...this guy...he bumped against my shoulder but didn¡¯t apologize... he just red...just cause he can fight...he¡¯s two-faced! Quit pretending to be nice...and reveal your true nature...ugh! Justice? Crockta is the best! ¡ªMt.Seorak Falcon: I didn¡¯t expect to see you herementing...haha...why aren¡¯t youing to the mountaineering club these days? Your brothers miss you... ¡ªLet¡¯s Have A Shot Of Soju: Dammit...I¡¯ve been busy...life is... a lonely journey. Have a good life until I return. Brother! ¡ªRonaldo Ballon d¡¯Or: He pretends to be nice around women but doesn¡¯t even talk to men. Quit acting so fake. ¡ªGonna Be An Orc: How can someone who discriminates against people im the title of righteousness? Crockta is righteous. I swear he will get beaten up by Crockta and cry like a wuss after trying to mess with him. ¡ªOrc King: lolololololol Andre won¡¯t even be able to meet Crockta in the eye if theye across each other lololololol he¡¯s just a fucking loser who picks on the weak and uploads videos of himself winning lololol ¡ªBul¡¯tar Crockta: lololol How can he bepared to Crockta lololol It¡¯s like a hoodlum of a small townparing himself to a real, strong man. ¡ªXylitol One Shot: Am I the only one who gets pissed off when he keeps babbling about justice? What did he do? Did he rescue a vige or say anything memorable like Crockta? All he does is say cringey lines in front of women tsk tsk ¡ªDog Who Barks At Cringe: Bow-wow! Woof! Grrr... ¡ªDon¡¯t Go Too Far: So cringey...I get chills when I watch Crockta¡¯s videos, but watching him makes my...toes curl... ¡ªPhilosopher: Andre is all talk when he only defeats weak opponents. I miss Crockta. Yi-An dropped his head. ¡°...¡± His shoulders began trembling. ¡°...he...hehe...¡± Yi-An tried to suppress the smile emerging on his face, but he couldn¡¯t stop theughter seeping out. ¡°Hehehe...hehehahaha...!¡± Sometimes, he felt like his standards differed from the ways of the world, but it wasn¡¯t always the case if he looked deeper. ¡°Yes, exactly. Crockta is the real man. They have good taste.¡± Thements section became heated and was split between ¡®Crockta vs Andre.¡¯ Andre¡¯s female fans and male haters gathered and engaged in keyboard warfare. This division intensified as Andre¡¯s statement about wanting to fight Crockta went viral. It was a cross between two characters that bore the title of righteousness¡ªAndre the White Knight who had the affection of women and orc warrior Crockta, who had the support of men. Han Yeo-Ri sighed as she saw Yi-An chuckling to himself. ¡°Why is he bing weirder and weirder...?¡± Chapter 128: The Law of the North (1)

Chapter 128: The Law of the North (1)

Crockta got up from his seat. He had returned, but there was no one around him. Tiyo and Anor¡¯s beds were empty. It was already noon based on the sunlight streaming in through the window. They were in Spinora, where the major battle had urred, and the city was in ruins. Only a few buildings remained, and those who survived set up tents and resided inside the World Tree when it rained. When morning came, they worked on reconstructing the vige under the blessing of the World Tree. Crockta went outside and saw dark elves passing by in the hallway. They were the dark elves who nursed injured soldiers. When they saw Crockta, they flinched in surprise. Their eyes wereden with awe, respect, gratitude, and a hint of fear. Crockta was their ally, but he was also the chieftain of the orcs. He had the power to destroy the north any time. Crockta greeted them first, ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Crockta, you are awake.¡± Only a few knew that Crockta had received the curse of the stars. His public status was that he was in rehabilitation due to his injuries. Crockta smiled. He had a frightening face, but he thought his smile would put others at ease. ¡°How has everyone been?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°F-fine.¡± ¡°...¡± Then an awkward silence ensued. Crockta was about to walk past them after a short nod when he heard their voices from behind. ¡°Thank you so much. The hero of the north, Crockta.¡± ¡°We will never forget how you saved Spinora.¡± Crockta stopped in his tracks. He had seen countless ruins. Countless refugees wandered the battlefield after losing everything. Their eyes were filled with despair as if they had fallen rock bottom. Spinora was the same. Despite all of this, everyone thanked him. Crockta wondered whether he deserved to receive such praise. The city was in ruins, and he had only protected a small part of the city. He never knew what to say in such cases. But Crockta had learned many things in Elder Lord. Now, he had something to say. Crockta did a thumbs up toward them. ¡°Meat for dinner please. Bul¡¯tar!!¡± Crockta winked. The dark elvesughed at the sight. Crockta exited the building with brisk steps and then observed Spinora¡¯s devastatedndscape outside. Even its ruins seemed beautiful as the sun shone brightly on it. But that was because of those who worked up a sweat trying to re-build what had been lost, not just because of the scenery. ¡°They¡¯re working hard,¡±mented Crockta. There weren¡¯t just dark elves at the restoration site. There were also orcs. The northern orcs beat their chests after seeing Crockta from afar. ¡°We are honored to meet the chieftain!¡± ¡°Chieftain!¡± they shouted. Crockta shook his head. They were set in their ways even though he had told them they didn¡¯t need to disy manners like that. ¡°Wee, Chieftain.¡± ¡°I told you not to call me that.¡± ¡°The chieftain is the chieftain.¡± Shireuga had approached him. He had a high position in the chiefdom like Hammerchwi. Crockta was able to defeat Calmahart one-on-one thanks to his advice. Even under the madness of ¡®chaos,¡¯ Shireuga had remembered a sense of honor. ¡°We are splitting up the work with the dark elves while working separately.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s better.¡± The war had suddenly ended after Crockta became the chieftain, and the red madness that had engulfed the orcs had also dissipated. There were many orcs who were ashamed of the things they had done. Under the authority of the chieftain, Crockta hadmanded them to join forces with the dark elves to restore losses. But the tension between the two species couldn¡¯t just easily disappear. They were nemeses. Although the orcs were under the influence of another species, the fact that they had crushed the dark elves'' families and cities didn¡¯t change. Thus, the dark elves and orcs were carrying out their tasks in separate areas. ¡°Wow! Crockta! You have finally appeared!¡± It was Tiyo. Something felt amiss when he couldn¡¯t hear Tiyo¡¯s voice anymore. Tiyo was carrying out the restoration work with the dark elves with soot all over his face. ¡°We thought you were trying to get out of work because you took so long to return.¡± Anor was the same. Anor was helping with the task by utilizing skeletons he had raised from the dead. He was using the skeletons of monsters instead of dark elf or orc corpses in consideration of the species who had just finished a war and lost their families. Crockta wasn¡¯t sure of how Anor had managed to get his hands on an ogre skeleton, but an ogre skeleton was moving rocks in a dignified manner. ¡°Work? I¡¯m all about work!¡± Crockta confidently strode forward. Shireuga opened his eyes widely. ¡°How could the chieftain!¡± ¡°Shireuga, I¡¯m Crockta, not the chieftain!¡± Shireuga eventually gave in and nodded at Crockta¡¯s insistence. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°I want to work.¡± Crockta put his greatsword aside and then rolled up his sleeves. Most of the buildings in construction right now were made from the branches of the World Tree. It wasn¡¯t often that they had the opportunity to construct buildings with the holy branches of the World Tree. The World Tree was trying to rebuild Spinora even if it had to use up some of its powers. Crockta hoisted the World Tree¡¯s branches that were as thick as logs onto his shoulders and then began carrying them to the construction site. ¡°Wow, the chieftain!¡± ¡°Woooow! The chieftain is working!¡± ¡°Follow the chieftain!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let anyone take a break from now on!¡± The orcs cheered. It was the first time they experienced a chieftain like Crockta who led by example; they had only experienced chieftains who ruled aggressively like Calmahart. As expected of northern orcs who followed everything the chieftain did, the orcs¡¯ morale changed as Crockta got to work. Crockta discovered a familiar face while working. It was Hammerchwi. As expected of a warrior who wields the war hammer, he was in the midst of hammering a nail with his hammer. As he swiftly hammered the nail, he discovered Crockta watching him and awkwardly got up. ¡°Wee, Chieftain.¡± ¡°Hammerchwi, we meet again.¡± Once, they had shed weapons because their principles conflicted with one another¡¯s. Of course, the oue was Crockta¡¯s absolute victory. Since then, Hammerchwi could have predicted a future like this. ¡°How is work? Are you tired because of your age?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°What are you saying? I, the Great Warrior Hammerchwi, have a long way to go. I wouldn¡¯t get tired with just this.¡± ¡°You were sweating a ton earlier.¡± Hammerchwi was covered in sweat. He touched his forehead and neck and was surprised by how sweaty he was. He grinned and wiped his sweat off with his sleeve. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t pouring sweat better than blood?¡± It was spoken in jest, but there was an edge to what he said. Hammerchwi grinned and raised his hammer again. Crockta nodded. Then, he tapped on Hammerchwi¡¯s shoulder and whispered as he passed by, ¡°Live a long life. Bul¡¯tar.¡± Hammerchwi shouted at Crockta¡¯s back, ¡°Same goes for you, Chieftain. Bul¡¯tar!¡± Crockta looked back at his response, but Hammerchwi just continued hammering the nail with a grin on his face without looking at him. The Great Warrior Hammerchwi who used to be called the chieftain¡¯s Warhammer had crushed countless enemies with his frightening hammer. But a regr hammer suited him more than a ferocious hammer used forbat. Warriors who followed Hammerchwi worked busily in constructing the buildings ording to hismands behind him. If he had been born in the continent, he could have been a great carpenter instead of a warrior. He could have found his calling and be a master craftsman after walking the path of a warrior like Grant. Or he could have been an orc who had never held a weapon and was a drunkard who worked during the day and drank alcohol at a pub at night. ¡°Shireuga.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Does Hammerchwi have a kid?¡± ¡°Yes, he has quite a few.¡± Crockta looked at him. Shireuga shrugged. ¡°He has more than ten. He had a baby not too long ago.¡± Crockta nodded. Somehow, it felt reassuring. ¡°What a relief. Orcs need to look out for the future.¡± Northern orcs had suffered great damage. They had to look after themselves as soon as the dark elves settled down. He didn¡¯t n to stay in the chieftain¡¯s seat for too long, but he couldn¡¯t help being concerned about the chiefdom orcs. ¡°We have the ceremony to sign the treaty tomorrow.¡± The fight between dark elves and orcs ended after Crockta became the chieftain. They dered a ceasefire and decided to sign an agreement to forget all past conflicts and live peacefully together. The ceremony would be held the next day. Of course, the main parties of the treaty would be Zelkyan, the leader of the dark elves and stand-in for the World Tree, and Crockta, the chieftain andw of the northern orcs. ¡°Shireuga.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you engage in a duel with me?¡± Shireuga opened his eyes wide in surprise. He looked Crockta in the eye and then nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± *** The two stood at a secluded area. With the ruins as their background, they raised their weapons as they downed out the shouts of the orcs working in the distance. Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer, the masterpiece of the Golden Anvil tribe, had grown sharper in Crockta¡¯s hands after shing countless enemies and shedding blood. Like the legend that an object stained with blood would be haunted by a spirit and turn evil, the Ogre yer exuded apletely different aurapared to the time Crockta had first encountered it, to the repeated cycles of the dulling and sharpening of the de with the flesh of enemies. If the Ogre yer back then was a shiny greatsword, it now looked like a haunted sword that had been through all sorts of trials and tribtions. The masterpiece of the Golden Anvil tribe had beenpleted in Crcockta¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s a nice sword. It¡¯s intimidating.¡± But Shireuga¡¯s axe wasn¡¯t a normal item either. His axe was ¡®Blood Rain,¡¯ a precious object with a lot of history that he had inherited from his father, Shiktu. It had shed famous adversaries in the north in session. It had be a symbol of the best warrior of the Iron Axe tribe. The two forces shed. Their weapons charged at each other, but they missed each other by a small margin. There was no sound of metal shing as their des sliced through the wind and created a blood-curdling howl. Like magicians wielding des of the wind, they skillfully aimed for the opponent¡¯s openings. Shireuga was a different type of fighter than Calmahart. Even with an axe, he disyed an borate technique. Crockta smiled. A fight like this had its own charm. Crockta¡¯s speed increased. He arrived at the realm of the pinnacle. Crockta pointed his sword at the enemy from the precarious boundary between the realm of the pinnacle and the outside world. The axe grazed his cheek, and the greatsword grazed Shireuga¡¯s throat. Blood was spilled. Instead of exchanging polite words, they couldmunicate much better by fighting like this. They were warriors after all. They were born to fight. ¡°What is the reason you fight, Shireuga?!¡± shouted Crockta as he flung back Shireuga with his shoulder. Shireuga took several steps backward from the sudden blow and then grinned after he found his bnce. ¡°Chieftain!¡± shouted Shireuga. He then charged and plunged his axe at Crockta. A loud shockwave rang out. ng! ¡°Kill the chieftain and be the next chieftain!¡± Shireugaughed aggressively in a manner characteristic of northern orcs. Crockta didn¡¯t dislike such spirit. Orc warriors had to be able tough like that amid battles with their lives on the line. ¡°And after you be the chieftain?¡± Crockta flung back his axe and kicked his stomach. Shireuga fell on the ground. Crockta thrusted his Ogre yer. Shireuga dodged by rolling away, but Crockta¡¯s greatsword chased after him and was at his throat. ¡°What do you want to do after bing the chieftain?¡± asked Crockta. Shireuga struggled to remove Crockta¡¯s foot on his chest with all of his strength but gave up and slumped down. Then, he smiled as he looked up at Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m going to change the chiefdom?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Like it was in the past!¡± Crockta removed his foot and extended his hand to help Shireuga get up. Shireuga grabbed his hand. Shireuga looked at Crockta and said, ¡°And like the orcs of the continent you mentioned.¡± Shireuga couldn¡¯t help but admire the continent after hearing about it from Crockta. It was thend of orc warriors who regarded honor as if their lives depended on it. Shireuga wanted to recover the traditions of orcs that northern orcs of the past had practiced and that the continent orcs had held onto. He wanted to recover the mindset that orcs could carry out any fight without shame and that no death was in vain. Shireuga smiled and added, ¡°But Crockta, since you have be the chieftain, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for me to be the chieftain.¡± ¡°Hahaha,¡±ughed Crockta. Shireuga alsoughed. While returning after the fight, Crockta asked, ¡°Shireuga, you are probably the strongest here except for me, right?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t established a proper hierarchy, but I¡¯m confident. In the past, I could defeat anyone except for Calmahart.¡± ¡°How trustworthy.¡± Chapter 129: The Law of the North (2)

Chapter 129: The Law of the North (2)

The ceremony began. Crockta and Zelkyan shook hands on the podium. Although Crockta hade to Spinora to rescue the dark elves, he now stood there as the representative of the orcs. The future was truly unpredictable. The World Tree that always looked over Spinora extended its branch to where Zelkyan¡¯s shoulder was and waved. It seemed to be congratting Crockta. Crockta looked back at the World Tree, and the World Tree curved its branch as if it was smiling. The dark elves and orcs were watching them. Zelkyan and Crockta sought to make their intentions clear by agreeing to a treaty in front of everyone. ¡°The contents of the treaty are as follows.¡± Shireuga and Zenadu each handed a stone tablet to their respective leader. They engraved the treaty into a stone tablet, so it wouldn¡¯t wear out over time. The orcs and dark elves pped at Crockta and Zelkyan as they stood on the podium. The orcs and dark elves were divided in the center. The orcs refrained from provoking the dark elves per Crockta¡¯s request. It was the same for the dark elves. Zelkyan tried to appease them by telling them the truth about the chieftain¡¯s identity and how the orcs had been entranced by a demon lord named ¡®Chaos.¡¯ Thus, the conflict they were worried about didn¡¯t happen. Aside from the brief pping, the ins were quiet. The treaty ended with the agreement that they would not infringe on each other¡¯s territory after the war and that if anyone vited thisw, they would be punished ording to the district¡¯sws. The orcs would help the dark elves rebuild their cities for some time, and the leader of the dark elves and the chieftain of the orcs would regrly convene to discuss matters. Although the dark elves and the orcs couldn¡¯t suddenly be friends after trying to kill each other, the tension between them would lessen if they didn¡¯t repeat what had happened in the past. The ceremony finally ended. Zelkyan and Crockta engaged in a light embrace. They didn¡¯t drag on the ceremony because they had just put on a show for the symbolic aspect of it. Now everyone had to get back to work to rebuild the cities. Right then, Crockta raised his hand. ¡°All of the orcs stay and gather.¡± The orcs stopped in their tracks as they were about to disband. Was it the chieftain¡¯s first convocation? The dark elves who had been nning to leave nced over at them. Zelkyan warily observed the unexpected situation. ¡°I killed Calmahart, but not everyone can ept that I¡¯m the chieftain when I was the enemy just yesterday,¡± said Crockta as he looked down at the orcs. Countless eyes were looking at him. ¡°So I will give you an opportunity.¡± Crockta pulled out his greatsword and rested it on his shoulder. ¡°Anyone is fine. If anyone has the confidence to defeat me and be the chieftain, thene out and face me.¡± He had just made a deration that he was open to a duel for the position of the chieftain! The orcs murmured among themselves. As Crockta had said, he was an outsider who had appeared out of nowhere, but he was also a powerful warrior who had defeated Calmahart. There were definitely warriors who didn¡¯t want to let things slide. ¡°I will rise up to the challenge!¡± Crockta didn¡¯t recognize the orc who came forward, but he was in the attire of a Great Warrior. ¡°I¡¯m the Great Warrior Carhak of the chiefdom from the Eagle de Tribe!¡± Crockta came down from the podium and replied, ¡°I¡¯m Crockta, the chieftain of the north, who came from Orcrox in the continent.¡± There was no need for further words. The two swung their weapons at the same time. Carhak was a strong warrior. He knew how to effectively wield his halberd. Even when it appeared like the de was charging toward the opponent, Carhak would instantly change his posture and strike the opponent with the steel shaft of his halberd. Crockta was no longer swayed by such a technique. He had experienced countless battles in the world of the Pinnacle. His Heart and Soul Prating Eye was always analyzing the true nature of the enemy. Crockta dodged all of Carhak¡¯s attacks, then struck him in the abdomen with the t of the Ogre yer¡¯s de. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± Carkhak flew in the air and fell in the center of the crowd of orcs. The orcs around him carried him to the infirmary. More challengers appeared. Each was the best warrior of their own tribe in the north, and they had all be Great Warriors of the chiefdom, but everyone ended up crumbling to the ground like Carhak before they could even exchange a few attacks. All of them attacked Crockta in diverse ways, but the result was always the same. ¡°Next,¡± said Crockta after defeating the challenger. Crockta had evolved after defeating Calmahart and now had the power of a Hero. [Status Window Title: ¡®Conqueror of the North¡¯ Crockta, Orc Warrior Level: 117 Achievement Score: 1924800 Assimtion: 89% Skills Herculean Strength (Hero) Regeneration (Hero) Heartde (Hero) Combative Spirit (Hero) Spirit Vision (Hero) Tattoo (Hero) Roar (Hero) Monster Annihtor (Pinnacle) Ashen Eyes of God (Beyond ssification) Fundamentals of Magic (Rare)] The borate skill names became simpler once he reached the Hero tier. The narrative behind the names had vanished. Crockta preferred the simple, new names. Then, the next challenger appeared. It was a familiar face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Crockta.¡± ¡°You are...¡± It was the young orc warrior Rakuta, whom Crockta had met when he arrived at Kapur vige when he first came to the north. Rakuta had endured the reign of the chief Kapur and had vowed to change the vige. His presence here meant one thing. ¡°How is Kapur?¡± asked Crockta. Rakuta grinned. ¡°He died at my hands.¡± Chief Kapur ended up being punished by a warrior of his tribe. Crockta smiled. He had expected that Rakuta would kill Kapur one day. Rakuta was a young warrior with a strong will. He had done it faster than Crockta had expected. ¡°It was possible because I didn¡¯t forget what you told me.¡± Before Crockta left Kapur vige, Rakuta had asked Crockta how to be strong like him. Crockta had responded with, ¡°Never back down!¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Good. Come on.¡± Rakuta spiritedly charged at him, but he ended up in the same boat as other challengers. For a while, he coughed on the ground and then acknowledged his defeat. The difference in strength was evident. There weren¡¯t any more challengers. Crockta had now beenpletely acknowledged as the chieftain. Crockta had something to dere in this position. ¡°I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t anyone who hasints about me being the chieftain now.¡± The orcs struck their chests once. The only way for northern orcs to be the chieftain was to be the strongest, and Crockta had proved his overwhelming power. ¡°I, the chieftain...¡± The orc were all eyes and ears at him. ¡°...Will step down from the position of a chieftain and take leave.¡± All of the orcs became speechless at Crockta¡¯s words and stared at him in shock. Crockta had just defeated everyone and proved that he was truly qualified to be the chieftain, but he was leaving. There had been instances in which the chieftain stepped down on his own, but most stepped down from the position only when they were unable to fight further due to old age or injuries. There had never been an instance in which a chieftain as overwhelmingly strong as Crockta voluntarily stepped down. ¡°I have to return to the continent. Thus, I..¡± Crockta discovered Tiyo and Anor amid the audience. They grinned and nodded approvingly. Crockta also smiled. He still had a lot to do with them. ¡°I will appoint Shireuga as my sessor.¡± Shireuga, who had been standing on the podium with him, opened his eyes wide in utter shock. Crockta approached Shireuga and grabbed his shoulder and pushed him forward. ¡°If you have anyints, attack Shireuga!¡± The orcs became quiet. Shireuga was a Great Warrior whose strength had already been universally acknowledged by northern orcs. He was a true warrior who had proved his courage as the greatest warrior of the Iron Axe tribe through countless battles. During the duel for the position of the chieftain with Calmahart, Calmahart had won only by a narrow margin. Although Calmahartter turned into a frightening monster after receiving the powers of chaos, Shireuga¡¯s abilities used to be on par with Calmahart¡¯s. ¡°What are you suddenly up to, Chieftain?¡± whispered Shireuga. ¡°If you were going to step down, then why did you defeat them?¡± Indeed, if he had been nning to do this, why had he gone out of his way to ept challengers and defeat them? Crockta replied, ¡°It¡¯s because you northern orcs are arrogant.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I wanted to defeat you guys because you guys think the chiefdom is the best. I will judge all of you as a warrior from Orcrox and not the chieftain. You guys are weak.¡± All of the orcs¡¯ faces crumpled at Crockta¡¯s words. Being called weak was a great insult to them. ¡°If you guys had tried to invade the continent, then you would have been annihted. The world is muchrger than you think, and the strong are countless like the stars.¡± Calmahart was definitely strong. The powers of chaos he had received would have made it difficult to find a worthy match even on the continent. But aside from him, the orcs of the north wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the countless powerful forces in the continent. ¡°You guys arecking in strength and mindset.¡± Crockta found itughable that orcs as weak as them had thought that they could invade the continent. The continent was the ce where humans, gnomes, elves, dwarves, and all species had harnessed their best traits to build civilization. These orcs who had forgotten their traditions in the bleak wastnds of the north had no chance against them. ¡°Just keep that in mind.¡± The orcs became quiet. They couldn¡¯t object or tell him he was spewing nonsense because the one who was saying these things was none other than Crockta, the one who had defeated Chieftain Calmahart, who had been considered to be the strongest in history. There was not a single orc here who hadn¡¯t witnessed the majesty of the greatsword that Crockta carried on his back. Crockta stepped down from the podium. His footsteps loudly echoed over the silence of the orcs. He was about to take a step down from the podium when Shireuga interrupted him. ¡°Crockta, you are so irresponsible.¡± Crockta¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he turned around to look at Shireuga. Shireuga looked back at him and said, ¡°You can call us weak, but isn¡¯t it irresponsible to just say that and leave? What if I terminated the treaty as the chieftain and started another war?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You can judge whether we are weak or not after the dark elves perish.¡± Crockta furrowed his eyebrows. Shireuga continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t want that to happen, then teach us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How can we be strong like you!¡± The orcs raised their heads with piqued interest. Shireuga pointed at them and said, ¡°And teach us how we avoid corruption in case someone like Calmahart appears again. If you can convince us, then I will dly be the chieftain ording to your will.¡± Shireuga grinned. Crockta realized his intent and couldn¡¯t help butugh. All of the numerous orcs watching were looking at him intently. They were eyeing his every nce, movement, step, and even the slightest quiver of his chest at every breath. But Crockta was not afraid of their gaze. ¡°The ancientmandments made me who I am.¡± They could choose to follow or disobey themandments. There was no absolutew in the world, but if they remembered themandments, then they would be able to find the path they had to follow when they were lost. ¡°I will teach you the honorable sevenmandments of ancient orcs that have been forgotten by the north.¡± Shireuga cocked his ear to listen closely. He had heard from Crockta that suchmandments existed, but he had never heard them before. ¡°Listen closely.¡± Crockta began slowly uttering the warrior¡¯smandments. Themandments that had been passed down from the ancient orcs to Lenox and the warriors of Orcrox, and eventually to Crockta, who was now passing them down to the northern orcs. ¡°A warrior does not give up on the faithful. A warrior does not persecute the weak. A warrior does not attack the unarmed. A warrior does not sumb to injustice. A warrior does not do anything shameful to God. A warrior pays back grace and vengeance. A warrior protects the weak. A warrior must prove their honor through these sevenmandments.¡± The orcs became quiet. In the past, all orcs knew themandments, but no one observed them anymore. After the continent and the north split, thew of the strong prevailed in the north. The strongest took everything, and the chieftain was thew. Thus, such values had been forgotten and be a thing of the past. But thew of ancient orcs returned to them today, after a long time. Thud! Shireuga stomped his feet, and everyone looked at him. ¡°I, Shireuga, am the chieftain.¡± He raised his axe, Blood Rain. All northern orcs knew what it was. It was a frightening axe that had created mountains of corpses and made blood flow like the sea in Shireuga¡¯s hands. Shireuga shouted, ¡°And my chieftain is Crockta!¡± All of the orcs murmured noisily among themselves. Shireuga continued. ¡°I, Chieftain Shireuga, will always follow Crockta, the true chieftain of the north, and will rule in his ce until he returns!¡± Shireuga raised his Blood Rain. ¡°Themandments that he taught us will be thew of the north, and anyone who disagrees...!¡± Shireuga¡¯s aura exploded, and his energy radiated all around him. His murderous intent sent chills down the orcs¡¯ spines. Everyone suddenly remembered that although Shireuga had been unable to be the chieftain, he had been the one closest to earning the title of the chieftain. His axe, Blood Rain, had received its name because it used to scatter blood all over the sky with each swing. ¡°...has to kill me first!¡± dered Shireuga. ¡°...!¡± None of them opened their mouths to speak. Shireuga¡¯s determination fiercely spread throughout the crowd. After taking a moment to process what they had just heard, the orcs started pounding their chests. Thump! Thump! Thump! All of the orcs thumped their chests toward Shireuga and then ced their hands over their chests. Like a domino effect, the motion started in the lead and spread to all of the orcs. It was a spectacle. Now, all the orcs were looking at Shireuga with their hands on their chests. In other words, the orcs of the north had acknowledged Shireuga as their new chieftain. Shireuga nodded approvingly at the scene and then turned around. ¡°We will be waiting.¡± Shireuga struck his chest as he looked at Crockta, the Conqueror of the North, the one who had brought peace to the region. It was the birth of Chieftain Shireuga, the True Warchief and Crockta¡¯s follower. Chapter 130: COME BACK

Chapter 130: COME BACK

Crockta was deep in thought. ¡°A warrior...does not give up on the faithful...!¡± ¡°Ahh! Chieftain! So cool!¡± ¡°A warrior does not persecute the weak...!¡± ¡°I pledge my loyalty to you, chieftain!¡± ¡®...Should I kill them?¡¯ wondered Crockta. ¡°I shall prove my honor!¡± ¡°You are the true chieftain!¡± ¡°Amazing. Bul¡¯tat!¡± ¡°It¡¯s bul¡¯tar!¡± Crockta turned around and looked at them. Tiyo and Anor didn¡¯t falter at his frightening gaze and giggled uproariously. ¡°Anor! The chieftain is ring at us! We should be quiet!¡± ¡°Ahh, how scary. We should be quiet.¡± They were teasing Crockta after what happened at Spinora. Crockta closed his eyes and tried to suppress his anger, but they were just a pitiful gnome and a dark elf who couldn¡¯t understand the charm and truth of orcs. ¡°Of course you guys can¡¯t understand the emotions I and my million orc brothers shared...¡± Crockta recalled the thrilling moment when Shireuga became the new chieftain and acknowledged Crockta as his leader. It was a historic moment when thew of the orcs in the continent was passed down to the northern orcs. The orcs of the north thumped their chests as they looked at him with reverence in their eyes. That day would go down in history. ¡°A million orc brothers...he¡¯s ill,¡± said Anor. ¡°Try to be understanding.¡± ¡°He¡¯s gonnater im that Calmahart was ten times taller than him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s totally possible. Anor has good foresight.¡± Crockta felt sad. Although it hadn¡¯t exactly been a million, wasn¡¯t it fine to use an idiomatic expression? During that moment, it seemed as if there were more than a million orcs in his eyes. The dark elves had truly been in awe of that sight, but Tiyo and Anor had been trembling as they tried to suppress theirughter during his speech. Crockta almost tripped over his tongue announcing the warrior¡¯smandments because of them, but he managed to hold onto hisposure. ¡°I would say it again, but...¡± began Crockta. ¡°We get it. We get it,¡± replied Anor. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°...¡± They finally departed Spinora. A lot had happened. They had traveled the north and fought against orcs, and Crockta had even fought against chieftain Calmahart, who was entranced by a demon lord. In the end, they sessfully killed Calmahart and established newws in the north. Crockta was confident that Shireuga would do a good job leading the orcs ording to the warrior¡¯smandments until the north and the continent were united. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been a while even though not a lot of time has passed!¡± remarked Tiyo. They were heading to the ck Forest to meet Xantimur, the ck Dragon and hermit of the ck Forest, to keep the promise they had made when they bid farewell. They nned topete against the monsters who had helped them grow stronger and ask Xantimur about the whereabouts of Hedor, Tiyo¡¯s father. They would decide on their next ns from there. ¡°It has been fun up to this point. I¡¯m d we came to the north,¡± said Tiyo as he patted the head of the karuk he was riding on. The karuk gave him a dirty look and cried out. Crockta agreed with Tiyo. They had learned about the Temple of the Fallen God in the north from Gordon. Gordon was the one who had told them to find the truth there, and Crockta had learned that Elder Lord wasn¡¯t just a game, but another dimension. However, that wasn¡¯t enough. He had more questions. ¡®What is Gordon¡¯s true identity? What is Elder Lord¡¯s system, the Ashen God, plotting behind the scenes after telling him the truth and bestowing him with powers?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know whether that was his share to take on, but he decided to see things through to the end. Somehow, it felt like something he had to do. He would eventually discover the truth if he ventured to wherever fate took him in the world of Elder Lord. He also expected to run into that annoying Choi Han-Sung guy at least once. Choi Han-Sung was running wild and stirring up things in the continent. But most importantly, Crockta had changed his car recently after receiving the sponsorship payment for high-rankers. ¡®Riding a karuk isn¡¯t asfortable as riding my car.¡¯ The payment was beyond his imagination. He decided not to let Yi-Yoo, or the people close to him, know that he bought a new car. He just enjoyed going on rides by himself. And yet, since the sports car he bought was so expensive the people passing by always turned around to look. ¡®Cheers to Elder Lord.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Crockta sped up his karuk. Tiyo followed after him. Anor, who was still new to riding a karuk, clumsily followed after them. They quickly headed toward the ck Forest. *** As soon as they entered the ck Forest, an arrow came flying at them. They recognized the source of the arrow. Although it was just a single arrow, it was charged with astounding force. It was the great archer goblin Kiao! Tiyo, excited to see his match once again, immediately raised his General. Iridescent lights spewed out from its muzzle and shed with the arrow¡¯s energy. ¡°Is that all you got?¡± shouted Tiyo. Their two auras repeatedly shed against each other and created an explosion. Crockta and Anor were swept up in the shockwave and tumbled across the ground. ¡°What the heck is going on?!¡± eximed Anor. ¡°Who would have thought that the collision between an arrow and a magic bullet would lead to this?¡± said Crockta. They hid behind the trees to dodge the debris of the explosion. The karuks cried out and burrowed into them. Crockta tried to calm them down. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± Tiyo focused all of his strength and transformed the General to its Vulcan form. The Vulcan then unleashed a salvo of magic bullets with terrifying force. In the end, the two forces shed in the air and emitted light as they radiated. Although the artifact General¡¯s prowess was impressive, they couldn¡¯t help but be in awe of Kiao, who could unleash such force with a single arrow. Tiyo puffed his chest. ¡°Hahaha! Kiao! Were you nning to stop me with just this?!¡± ¡°Of course not kyak!¡± ¡°...!¡± Tiyo suddenly felt the chill of the arrowhead at the back of his neck. ¡°Although you put all of your focus and strength into blocking my single arrow, I was able to move freely to carry out my mission.¡± Indeed, Tiyo continued to fire magic bullets with the General while Kiao put down his bow and watched him calmly. Tiyo had beenpletely overpowered in terms of how much power could be contained in a single strike. Although the Vulcan was an excellent rapid fire weapon, Kiao¡¯s single strike was stronger. Kiao had moved leisurely behind Tiyo while he was blocking the storm caused by his arrow. Then, he waited until he used up all of his strength. Tiyo thought he had grown strong, but he had lost again. Kiao grinned. ¡°I heard the news! Congrattions, but we¡¯ve also been busy kyak!¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± The monsters of the ck Forest had been working hard on their training. Crockta and Anor approached Tiyo, who was filled with anguish. Crockta ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Crockta...¡± ¡®Such warm hands! My friend andrade Crockta is trying to console me.¡¯ Tiyo forced himself to smile and was about to say that he was okay when Crockta pointed at his lips and smirked. ¡°Pfft.¡± Crockta wasughing at him! Then, Crockta went past him and led the karuks into the ck Forest. ¡°...!¡± Tiyo was shocked by Crockta¡¯s payback. Just because he had teased him a little! Tiyo trembled with anger and then looked at Anor. He was certain that Anor, who always teased Crockta with him, would console him. Anor¡¯s face was filled with pity as he extended a hand toward Tiyo. Tiyo perked up and was about to grab his hand when Anor clenched his fist and extended his index finger. Then, he waved it from side to side. ¡°You lost. You are a loser.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± He followed Crockta¡¯s lead. Tiyo despaired. Only Kiao, the one who had defeated him, remained by his side and shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that what goes aroundes around, kyak! You have to be kind to build good karma, kyak!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Why are you getting mad when I¡¯m giving you advice, kyak?!¡± ¡°I will win next time!¡± ¡°Haha, in your dreams, kyak!¡± ¡°This filthy wooooorld!¡± The two walked into the ck Forest as they bickered back and forth into Xantimur¡¯sir. *** Xantimur¡¯sir hadn¡¯t changed at all from the past. There was a beautiful castle surrounded by training grounds where monsters were practicing their skills. Xantimur, the beautiful young man who had a cold air to him, greeted them with a longsword in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± he said. ¡°We have returned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while!¡± eximed Tiyo. Xantimur nodded. Then, he looked at Crockta up and down with a glint in his eyes. He seemed to have detected the change in Crockta with just a few nces. ¡°Crockta, amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you.¡± Crockta now gave off the aura of a Hero. It was strong enough that someone at Xantimur¡¯s level could easily sense it. After reaching a higher state, Crockta had alsoe to better understand Xantimur¡¯s powers. He had an astonishing presence to him. To Crockta, who had surpassed the Pinnacle and now stood in the realm of Heroes, where thews of causality didn¡¯t apply, Xantimur seemed to be more than what meets the eye. He could sense that the gap between them had narrowed as Crockta was now able to see Xantimur¡¯s true self as a dragon. ¡°We still have a lot of time until it gets dark,¡± said Crockta with a grin. Xantimur nodded. ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s have a duel after you unpack.¡± The lich grabbed hold of Anor, who tried to escape. He was soon surrounded by the skeletons controlled by the lich. His face turned pale. There was a long road ahead until he could ovee his phobia. *** Crockta and Xantimur released their emotions as they shed swords with one another. Although Crockta had reached Hero Tier, he wasn¡¯t used to harnessing its powers. Each time their swords shed, Crockta looked at his Ogre yer with a frustrated expression. He didn¡¯t feel the same sensation as when he had shed Calmahart. ¡°Strengthes from willpower, Crockta,¡± said Xantimur. ¡°It would be bizarre if you could wield the same strength here when the situation ispletely different. The power to overturn thews of cause and effect is usually beyond the level of ordinary willpower.¡± But Xantimur himself was able to disy the powers of a hero to Crockta despite his words. ck Dragon Xantimur, hermit of the ck Forest, had reached the level of a Hero a long time ago. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been at this state for a while now.¡± The moment Crockta¡¯s greatsword was about to block his longsword, Xantimur¡¯s longsword breached past the greatsword and pointed at Crockta¡¯s throat. Xantimur¡¯s powers were simr to magic. Crockta surrendered. Although he had returned after bing the chieftain of the north, defeating Xantimur still seemed like an unattainable goal. ¡°What state do I have to reach to defeat you?¡± He couldn¡¯t imagine a state beyond that of a Hero. Was such a thing possible? Xantimur smiled. ¡°A regr swordsman reaching a state beyond the Hero only happens in legends.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not possible.¡± As Crockta shook his head, Xantimur swung his longsword. Crockta instinctively raised his Ogre yer. But his longsword changed direction and struck Crockta¡¯s side. ¡°Ugh...!¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not possible? I just told you.¡± ¡°What...¡± Crockta¡¯s eyes grew wide as he tilted his head curiously. ¡°Could that state be...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The power that became a legend because only a few among Heroes reach it could be referred to as Legend in a way.¡± [You have obtained information about Legend-Tier for the first time. You have gained achievement points.] The message window popped up. [It¡¯s absurd that you are already trying to reach for Legendary-Tier with a body that has barely reached Hero-Tier. Train your Hero-Tier powers first!] [I¡¯m rooting for you!] The message windows always left a bad taste in Crockta¡¯s mouth. He felt like the woman was continuously watching him. ¡°What kind of strength is it?¡± If Crockta hadn¡¯t heard about Hero-Tier from Xantimur, he would have lost to Calmahart. But after hearing about Hero-Tier from Xantimur, he was able to achieve it during the duel for the position of a chieftain. Crockta looked at him with expectant eyes, but Xantimur shook his head. ¡°I also don¡¯t know anything about it since I haven¡¯t reached the state.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Haha, then I will be a legend and tell you about the state. A warrior repays favors.¡± He smiled smugly and acted all cocky. Xantimur erupted inughter. Xantimur didn¡¯t smile easily, but his face was always bright in front of Crockta. ¡°I will be looking forward to it.¡± Tiyo began approaching them from afar. They seemed to have fought another round because Tiyo¡¯s body was in tatters. But he seemed to have seeded in his retaliation as Kiao was limping as well this time. ¡°Brute gnome...¡± muttered Kiao. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°He started punching me because he can¡¯t fight with a bow, kyak! He¡¯s a cowardly and violent gnome, kyak!¡± ¡°Quitining. You are nothing without your bow. I could knock you down with one punch.¡± ¡°But I have a bow, kyak! I will blow you away beyond the space-time continuum, kyak!¡± ¡°Try it!¡± It was still unclear whether their rtionship was good or bad. Tiyo went up to Xantimur and said, ¡°Xantimur, now that we¡¯ve done enough, teach us something important.¡± Xantimur nodded. Tiyo asked, ¡°Where did my father Hedor go?¡± ¡°Brave adventurer Hedor...¡± Before he knew it, Anor had approached them with his arm wrapped around a skeleton. Crockta eagerly waited for Xantimur¡¯s answer. Their trajectory would change ording to his answer, but the response they received was unexpected. Chapter 131: COME BACK (2)

Chapter 131: COME BACK (2)

¡°Is that true?¡± asked Tiyo. Xantimur nodded. Tiyo looked at Crockta and Anor with a disappointed face. ¡°Well..things turned out alright...I guess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing,¡± Anor quickly replied. Crockta nodded. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°I see...did wee to the north for nothing...?¡± ¡°No, we gained a lot of things froming to the north.¡± Tiyo¡¯s face brightened at what Crockta had said. ¡°That¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to transform the General like this if we hadn¡¯te to the north.¡± The General in its new Vulcan form was subtly changing every day. The more Tiyo¡¯s skills in handling the General increased, the more it evolved into the form he desired. One day, it could even turn into a super powerful rocketuncher! ¡°Fine, Anor! I will take you sightseeing around the continent!¡± The truth was that Tiyo¡¯s father, Hedor, had left the north a while ago and was in the continent. ¡°Can¡¯t believe my father didn¡¯te back home even though he¡¯s in the continent. I will really give it to him the next time we meet.¡± Although Hedor¡¯s exact whereabouts were unknown, Xantimur said that, ording to his memory, Hedor was on his way to the southern part of the continent. Hedor had been interested in a region south of Quantes where humans and dwarves were thriving. Moreover, it was an area bustling with yers. ¡°Are you going to leave immediately?¡± asked Xantimur. Although Xantimur didn¡¯t reveal any emotions on his face, Crockta could sense that he was a bit disappointed. Crockta exchanged nces with Tiyo, and he could tell that they were thinking the same thing. They didn¡¯t know when they woulde to the ck Forest again. Where else would they meet a ck dragon like Xantimur and monsters that put so much work into honing their skills? ¡°This time, we will stay longer thanst time and return to the continent after honing our skills.¡± Crockta and Tiyo looked at Anor and added, ¡°Our adventures will get tougher in the future.¡± Tiyo and Anor¡¯s reactions to Crockta¡¯s enthusiasm were starkly different. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°I just want to...go sightseeing...uh, nevermind...¡± ¡°d to hear that. They have been waiting for you for quite a while.¡± Xantimur nodded and pointed behind him. Everyone turned around to look and eximed. Three masters were standing there. They were the powerhouses who would lead Crockta and his friends to new heights. The giant with the single eye, Cyclops, cracked his knuckles as he looked at Crockta. The centaur with a human torso and the lower body of a horse waved his huge longbow and grinned at Tiyo. An unidentifiable being wearing a tattered hood muttered quietly without revealing his face as he smiled at Anor. ¡°Please enjoy your stay at myir to the fullest.¡± *** Time passed. The battle with the Cyclops was of great help to Crockta. It wasn¡¯t about reaching a higher level of swordsmanship or realizing a higher level of mastery. It was about bing ustomed to the challenges of the higher realm ofbat, something he had forgotten. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Arghhhhhhhhhhh!¡± The fighting spirit of orc warriors came alive. The two had abandoned their weapons a while ago and were now charging toward each other. Although an orc¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand the enormous body of a Cyclops, Crockta¡¯s strength had reached unimaginable heights. The two gripped each other¡¯s hand. Despite their vast difference in size, Crockta exerted tremendous strength and pushed against him by intertwining his fingertips in between the Cyclops¡¯ fingers. But it was still not enough, so Crockta pressed his body against the Cyclops¡¯ and pushed. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± As the Cyclops exerted his strength, Crockta was pushed back. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaar!¡± Crockta used his opponent¡¯s force against him and disrupted the Cyclops¡¯ bnce, spinning him around. The Cyclops tumbled to the ground. Crockta immediately charged. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± He threw a punch in a mounted position. However, the Cyclops¡¯ thick forearm blocked the attack and closed any openings. Crockta immediately put him in an arm lock hold. ¡°What?¡± The Cyclops stared nkly at Crockta¡¯s unfamiliar formation and surrendered after realizing that it was a dangerous technique he wouldn¡¯t be able to endure. The battle ended with Crockta¡¯s victory. Over the next few days, their battles continued as they exchanged victories and losses, but the number of Crockta¡¯s victories gradually increased. The Cyclops came to acknowledge Crockta¡¯s exponential growth. ¡°Another win for me, Hawk Eye!¡± The Cyclops smiled with his one eye, his extremely fierce and manly eye. His dark brown eye zed fiercely under his thick double eyelid but also had a pensive appearance to it. It seemed to look into the depths of a person¡¯s soul. Such was the reason for his name¡ªHawk Eye! Even in Xantimur¡¯sir, there wasn¡¯t anyone who could match him inbat except for, perhaps, Xantimur in his real form. The Cyclops had firstughed at Crockta when he saw him because he was a tiny, cute orcpared to him. But he hade to acknowledge Crockta as his match as he grew stronger from the continued battles. Crockta not only held his own in the battle against him but also demonstrated superiorbat skills. The two began to head back to the castle with their arms wrapped around each other¡¯s shoulders. Although the bnce was off because of their difference in height, it was the most fitting way for these men who had shared punches together to apany one another. As he neared the castle, Crockta saw Tiyo from a distance. He looked haggard from the intense training. ¡°Hey, you guys are done already?¡± asked Tiyo. The centaur was giving Tiyo a ride on his back. Tiyo waved at them with an exhausted face as he leaned on the centaur¡¯s back. ¡°I taught him a lesson today,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°You call that a lesson? How amusing.¡± ¡°I saw you flinch back in surprise.¡± ¡°I was just amused because a little flea that could only jump an inch started jumping two inches.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna shoot a bullet into your back!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were also sneaky.¡± ¡°The way you talk is so annoying!¡± Tiyo was bickering with his new opponent, Hecar, the centaur. Anor was also heading back to the castle. Their day¡¯s work was over. As usual, they enjoyed a feast at Xantimur¡¯s castle. The food was always superb, but tonight¡¯s dinner was made from the finest ingredients. Today, in a rare instance, alcohol was served. Xantimur and Crockta¡¯s friends stayed up all night drunk on liquor. Xantimur was being considerate because it was theirst night. *** The day of their departure came. Now, they were fully ready to head to the continent. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor bid farewell to Xantimur and the monsters they had grown attached to. Crockta and his friends had fought against all of the monsters at least once and shared their skills. Although they were creatures categorized as monsters, they were masters who had honed their skills and were pioneers in their fields. Someday, they would receive the recognition they deserved. Crockta vowed that if that day never came, he would pave the way for them. Now he wasn¡¯t just a normal warrior but the chieftain of the north, and a widely renowned warrior in the continent, orc Crockta of righteousness. He was bing someone who could have an influence on others. With eyes filled with confidence, he shook hands with Hawk Eye. Crack! Crack! In true fashion of tough men, it immediately turned into a test of strength. Crockta gritted his teeth with trembling hands. To be honest, Hawk Eye was stronger, but Crockta gritted his teeth and endured the pain in his hand. Then, Hawk Eye grinned and let go of his hand. Crockta caressed his numb hand and then tapped on his greatsword. Hawk Eye shrugged. Meanwhile, Tiyo was saying bye to his two rivals. ¡°You guys should practice a bit more while I¡¯m gone. Try not to get obliterated by someone else!¡± ¡°Cut your nonsense! You don¡¯t even stand a chance against us!¡± ¡°We should drop our weapons and have a go at it!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Why would I fight without my weapon, kyak?¡± said Kiao. ¡°Tsk, tsk, what a childish conversation.¡± ¡°Horse, mind your own business!¡± ¡°Yeah! Your four-legged creature, kyak!¡± ¡°Your hearts are as small as your bodies...¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Take back what you said!¡± Tiyo had the ability to turn any situation intoedy. Anor exchanged farewells with the lich, the mysterious hooded man, and with the crew of the skeletons that followed them. Anor had be one of them and made a sinister smile as he embraced them. There was no trace of his old self, the one who used to fear the undead. ¡°Hehe...let¡¯s see each other again...¡± The lich then brought out something and handed it to Anor. It was a skeleton. Anor was ecstatic. ¡°This is the third vertebra...hehe...something so precious...! Thank you, hehe...!¡± Now he seemed like a psychopath lich who studied bones and corpses deep inside a dungeon. Finally, everyone exchanged farewells with Xantimur, who waved goodbye as he looked at the Demon¡¯s Mouth, the Belt of Despair, instead of Crockta. Xantimur seemed to know something about the belt, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. Crockta didn¡¯t ask further because he knew that Xantimur would have told him himself if there was something he had to know. Once he became stronger and could control it, he could directly hear it from the demon. Then, they departed from Xantimur¡¯sir. The monsters saw them off outside the forest. They waved until they couldn¡¯t see each other. There was nothing left to go through. They raced toward the continent on their karuks. The karuks that had rested well and fattened up at Xantimur¡¯sir ran energetically. ¡°Anor,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I have something I¡¯m curious about. Your second teacher...the guy wearing the hood...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is he? I couldn¡¯t see because of the hood.¡± ¡°Ahh...hehehe...he is...¡± Anor¡¯s eyes grew nostalgic, and then his expression suddenly turned into that of a psychopath lich again. Crockta and Tiyo got chills down their spine from the sudden transformation. ¡°Hehe...the moment you see his face...he leads the minds of those who see him to a new world...hehe...he is truly great...!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Do you want to see...? His real identity...?¡± ¡°Ah, no, nevermind...¡± Crockta looked at Tiyo in resentment. Why did he ask a weird question and ultimately cause Anor to revert to madness? Anor shouted as the madness raged within him. ¡°Everyone who has seen him...he...hehe...tekelli-li! Tekelli-li! Tekell...mmm!¡± Crockta moved his karuk next to Anor¡¯s and covered his mouth. Tiyo leapt up from his karuk and knocked Anor unconscious by striking the back of his neck. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged nces. Anor had definitely ovee his weakness as a necromancer, but at the same time, he had been swallowed by the madness of the unknown... ¡°I¡¯m sorry...when we return, we should drag him to a temple, so he can receive a blessing...¡± ¡°We need to go to a temple as soon as we arrive on the continent...¡± Thus, they continued on their way toward the continent. They passed through Mount Lun and the barren desert south of the north. The journey was different fromst time. There weren¡¯t any orcs charging toward them with weapons, and they didn¡¯t see any dark elves of other species. Had the war taken them? Most seemed to be dedicating their efforts to the survival of their viges. They enjoyed the natural scenery of the north as they rode on their karuks until they finally arrived at the border that divided the continent from the north. The mysterious ck wall stood in front of them. The unknown being, whose corpse had been swallowed by the Belt of Despair, had probably created it. There was still a lot he didn¡¯t know about the world of Elder Lord. He could tell that the Chaos that had entranced Calmahart, the mysterious demon that had created the Behemoth and the Forest of Monsters, the demonic belt he had acquired, and the woman he met at the Temple of the Fallen God were all connected. But the overall picture was still unclear. ¡®What had happened in the past? What do they want?¡¯ ¡°Shall we get going?¡± ¡°Hehe, my heart is thumping from excitement,¡± replied Tiyo. There was no rush. He would find out the truth one day as he continued to ovee the battles in his way, and even if he never found out, that was fine too. He just did what he had to do. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± shouted Tiyo. Crockta¡¯s crew crossed the ck wall. They felt a strange sensation floating as they passed through the wall. Once they got out, the Forest of Monsters spreaded out in front of them. The dense foliage and scenery was the same as always. But, there was something different about it this time. ¡°...Hmm.¡± ¡°...What is that?¡± Their eyes were all drawn to the same ce. Beyond the forest, a group of adventurers was engaged in a fierce battle against a horde of trolls. Chapter 132: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords

Chapter 132: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords

Crockta discovered stars on the people¡¯s foreheads. ¡®They are yers.¡¯ The information about the Forest of Monsters became known to yers after the north opened up. yers began to visit the forest as a new hunting ground thanks to Crockta and his friends getting rid of the Behemoth. The group of yers were calmly carrying out their formation and engaging in a battle with the herd of trolls. The warriors held back the enemies at the front, and the attackers from behind bombarded the enemy. It was a ssicbat strategy, but theycked firepower. The trolls were incredibly strong thanks to the mana of the ck Forest, and their wounds healed immediately. They aggressively swung their clubs and crude weapons at the yers. A troll drove a rusty axe into a yer. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Pull him back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡± The trolls abandoned their opponents and charged at the injured yer. They singled him out and ruthlessly swung their weapons at him, rendering him to a bloody pulp. The yers stepped back at the grotesque sight. The corpse soon dissolved into white particles and began to disappear. ¡°Crazy trolls!¡± Although the trolls had been injured as well, they healed rapidly as blood foamed up at the site of their injuries. Although the source of the mana that had saturated the Forest of Monsters had disappeared, its effects still lingered. ording to the message from the system, it would take fifty years for the effects topletely disappear. The trolls that had been exposed to such dark energy were different from the trolls the yers knew. They were monsters whose abilities had been enhanced to diabolical levels! The trolls charged again. They paid no heed to the magicians¡¯ bombardment and clung onto the yers, forcing the yers to raise their shields at the trolls¡¯ indiscriminate approach. ¡°Help!¡± But not all of them were swordsmen with shields. Those who didn¡¯t use shields had no way of blocking the troll¡¯s attacks and were forced to engage in fiercebat with the trolls. ¡°I should have gotten a shield, dammit!¡± A warrior with a huge greatsword broke away from the formation. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in just standing there! Let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°You crazy...!¡± ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s fight!¡± He swung his huge ymore. Despite his recklessness, he disyed precise swordsmanship. The trolls quickly moved to surround him, but he persistently retreated to blind spots to avoid being surrounded. The magiciansunched fireballs at the horde of trolls. A few trolls copsed and writhed in pain from the burns. With the opening, the man swung his greatsword at the troll¡¯s neck. The troll¡¯s head fell off. Even trolls with astounding regenerative abilities couldn¡¯t recover after their heads were cut off, but it didn¡¯t matter; there were still a lot of trolls left. The other yers came forward to help the man with the greatsword. They charged at the trolls with their shields, leading to a closebat battle. The magicians, no longer able to discern who their enemies or allies were, refrained from using attack spells and resorted to strengthening their allies¡¯ weapons with magical power. ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor observed the fierce battle with their arms crossed. ¡°Ohh, they are quite good,¡±mented Tiyo. ¡°They still have a long way to go,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Is it okay if we don¡¯t help?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°They are all yers. They have received the curse of the stars. They wille alive again,¡± Crockta grumbled. ¡°The trolls are getting pushed back. The troll named Drog at the ck Forest was much better at fighting than them,¡± said Anor. ¡°That guy is a monster, not a troll!¡± shouted Tiyo. The momentum on both sides intensified. There was a man with a greatsword at the front of the yers¡¯ side. He fiercely swung his greatsword and was putting on an impressive performance But he failed to live up to Crockta¡¯s standards. ¡°He has too many useless movements.¡± But he still eyed the man warily. Although the man¡¯s greatsword was much smaller than the Ogre yer, it was a ymore that could be categorized as a greatsword. Crockta couldn¡¯t help but pay attention as someone who used the same type of weapon. The moment he thought the yers would end up winning if things continued like this, a shriek shook the forest. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± A new monster appeared. The yers¡¯ faces fell as despair crept up inside them. A creature muchrger than them had appeared when they were about to finally defeat the trolls. An ogre that had feasted on the dark energy of the forest and turned into a mutant¡ªthe two-headed ogre had appeared. ¡°You moron! Look what happened!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± ¡°How can a guide lead us all the way to the end of the forest?¡± ¡°I was confused!¡± The yers began fighting among themselves. It seemed like they hadn¡¯t nned to venture so deeply into the forest, but the guide had gotten lost and they had ended up here. The yers and the trolls tentatively stepped back from the ogres. When an overwhelming predator appeared, even foxes and wolves had to exercise caution. A two-headed ogre picked up a rock. Although it was a giant rock, it lifted it up with ease as if it was a small pebble. The ogre threw it. Thud! It hit a troll¡¯s head and crushed it into pieces. The troll¡¯s headless body dropped on its knees and copsed. Bubbles of blood foamed up at the site of the amputation to regenerate flesh, but it wasn¡¯t possible to restore a whole head. The corpse writhed and then went limp. The yers¡¯ faces grew pale at the sight of the tenacious trolls copsing in an instant. The ogre roared, ¡°Keuhhhhhhhh!¡± Then, it stomped its feet and charged at the trolls and the yers. It swung its fists and club indiscriminately, sending its victims flying in the air. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± screamed a yer. The ogre grabbed a yer and began devouring them with loud crunching noises. As the yer¡¯s lifeless form dissolved into white particles and vanished, the ogre¡¯s face twisted into a scowl, and it began to attack its surroundings even more violently. ¡°I should take action.¡± Crockta wasn¡¯t worried about the yers who coulde back to life after being killed, but their travels were getting dyed as the battle intensified. He wanted to quickly return to Quantes and enjoy a hot bath and delicious food. Crockta raised his Ogre yer. ¡°As expected of the chieftain,¡± teased Tiyo. ¡°Indeed, he leads by example,¡± chimed in Anor. Crockta ignored what Tiyo and Anor said and stepped forward. The ogre was ruthlessly ughtering trolls and yers. Thepletely dismantled party of yers scattered in all directions as they fled in chaos. ¡°What? Dammit! There¡¯s even an orc!¡± A yer saw Crockta and stopped in his tracks, but Crockta just walked past him. ¡°Huh...?¡± The yer looked back in surprise as Crockta ignored him and walked forward. The orc went past all of the fleeing yers and advanced toward the ogre. The orc¡¯s huge de shed brilliantly. ¡°Greatsword...?¡± Orcs typically wielded axes, hammers, and halberds. Although there were orcs who carried greatswords, they were extremely rare, and among the rare group of orcs, one very famous orc stood out. ¡°Could it be..? Nah, it can¡¯t be...¡± But he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the orc. A faint energy like heat waves rose from his body. He seemedpletely separated from the world. Although the orc was just walking, he seemed to be moving in apletely different method. There was something different about that orc. The ogre discovered the orc and approached him as he swung his huge club. The orc walked toward him without showing any signs of fear. The distance between them narrowed. ¡°Keuooooooh!¡± The ogres struck the ground with its club. With an explosive sound, dust and dirt scattered everywhere. His field of vision blurred. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°What!¡± The orc¡¯s destructive power shook the ground. He couldn¡¯t see anything because of the aftermath of the blow. The yers coughed among the cloud of dust. Suddenly, a warm liquid sttered over them. A yer who was iling around amid the dust ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°Huh...?¡± He saw dark red liquid on his fingers. Eventually, the dust settled, and the yers raised their heads. They eximed at the sight that was revealed in front of them. ¡°...!¡± The two-headed ogre was slumped down, and his two heads were rolling across the ground. The red liquid on them was the fountain of blood that had scattered from the ogre¡¯s heads as they flew across the sky. As soon as he realized it, the metallic smell of blood stung his nose. ¡°Oh my god...¡± The orc who had beheaded the ogre in an instant was now walking in search of another opponent. His greatsword was immacte without even a spot of blood. The dark tattoos that seemed to be vibrating on the orc¡¯s body caught his eye ¡®Terrifying face, red bandana, an entire body full of tattoos, and a greatsword...¡¯ ¡°Could it be...!¡± He realized who the orc was and eximed, ¡°That orc is...!¡± He was about to excitedly shout at the yers around him when he realized that everyone had run off and disappeared. There were only trolls around him now. He met eyes with a troll. ¡°Um...¡± Before he could even say anything, the troll swung its club. The world around him spun. His body soared through the air, and his vision shook. Although he had experienced death in Elder Lord many times, it felt unnerving each time. Within the haze of death, he thought he saw the orc splitting another ogre¡¯s stomach. *** More ogres appeared from the forest, but Crockta got rid of all of them. In the past, he had leveled up as he struggled against them, but he now felt like he was massacring low-level opponents. Things were getting tedious. He looked around him. ¡°Tsk, tsk.¡± He didn¡¯t see any yers. They had either be corpses and disappeared or ran off to the Forest of Monsters. Those who escaped would die in the hands of monsters anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter. If they had resisted until the end while maintaining their formation, a few could have survived. ¡°Nothing has changed.¡± Aside from high-ranking yers who always aimed higher or ns that instigated war, regr yers were a mess inrge groups. The few remaining trolls eyed Crockta warily and then disappeared into the forest. Tiyo and Anor drove their karuks toward Crockta. ¡°Good work Crockta,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Everyone ran away. They could have survived if they had stayed still,¡± remarked Anor. ¡°Can¡¯t believe they left without saying thanks. How pathetic.¡± Crockta shrugged. The yers probably hadn¡¯t expected a single orc to ughter all of these ogres. It couldn¡¯t be helped. They would have to start over after being killed by the monsters. Crockta expected them to die several more times before they could escape the Forest of Monsters. Crockta got on his karuk again. They were heading straight to Quantes from the Forest of Monsters. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get going again.¡± As soon as they were about to resume their travels, they felt a presence behind them. Crockta and his friends turned their heads to look. A yer was tentatively walking toward them. ¡°Hmm...?¡± It was the yer they saw earlier, the one who used a greatsword. He looked at Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor in session. He hesitated first, and then asked, ¡°Are you guys leaving the Forest of Monsters?¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°Then, if you don¡¯t mind, can I please go with you guys? It¡¯s hard for me to get out of here on my own...¡± He had an extremely cautious attitude after witnessing Crockta¡¯s prowess and realizing that Crockta was a monster who could easily defeat several ogres on his own. It was hard for even a high-ranker to disy such skill. The yer was certain that Crockta was a royal NPC with a title or a named NPC on that level. Crockta exchanged looks with Tiyo and Anor. They shrugged. Crockta nodded. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Thus, they ended up traveling with the yer named Kenzo, who was also a warrior. Crockta believed Kenzo was just a hardcore gamer who didn¡¯t know much about trending videos or news about high-rankers. He didn¡¯t seem to know about Crockta at all and thought of him as just a super strong NPC. Without exchanging much conversation, they continued to make their way out of the forest. Monsters didn¡¯t dare approach them because they smelled like ogre blood. They asionally ran into groups of yers hunting monsters, but they were able to reach the end of the forest without any conflict thanks to Kenzo carefully exining their situation to the yers. As they exited the dense forest, Elder Lord¡¯s sky spread out in front of them. Crockta was happy to see the sky of the continent again. ¡°I have returned! Yahoooo!¡± shouted Tiyo. Anor was excited at seeing the continent¡¯s scenery for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± The continent looked much livelierpared to the empty wastnds of the north. Crockta took a deep breath. He felt like he had returned home. Then, he suddenly locked eyes with Kenzo. ¡°Ah, good work. You will be fine from this point.¡± There was nothing dangerous from here and onward. Crockta grinned and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Although Kenzo was just a brief acquaintance, Crockta felt a strange closeness with this man who also wielded the weapon of real men¡ªthe greatsword. ¡°I wish you luck,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Crockta!¡± urged Tiyo. ¡°Are we going to Quantes? I have to see it for myself after Tiyo boasted about it so much. I can¡¯t believe hot wateres out from the faucets.¡± ¡°Haha, you country bumpkin dark elf!¡± The others paid no heed to Kenzo. Crockta was about to head to Quantes with his friends after bidding farewell to Kenzo when... "Wait!" shouted Kenzo. Crockta''s friends looked back. ¡°...?¡± Kenzo hesitated and then stood in front of Crockta. Then, he dropped to his knees. ¡°Please ept me as your disciple!¡± Chapter 133: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (2)

Chapter 133: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (2)

¡°Whew, so warm,¡± muttered Crockta. All of the fatigue from his journey in the north seemed to melt away as he submerged himself in the hot water. He was enjoying a nice bath in the public bathhouse of the inn they were staying at. Crockta nced over at Anor. He was fascinated by the hot water gushing out from the pipes and was eagerly looking around at his surroundings. ¡°I guess Tiyo is still out having fun,¡± he asked. ¡°He probably needs to unwind ¡®cause it¡¯s been a while.¡± Tiyo still hadn¡¯t returned. The Quantes¡¯ gnome garrison that he used to be a part of weed his return and held a huge celebration. Tiyo was surely exaggerating his adventures in the north as he beguiled them with stories of his travels. As Crockta submerged under the water, he suddenly heard Kenzo¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s not as nice as a natural hot spring, but a bathhouse like this is quite nice. It¡¯s amazing that Quantes has a hot spring at an inn!¡± ¡°Do you like hot springs?¡± ¡°Of course. The ce I used to live in was famous for its hot springs. Hot water bubbling with sulfur is heaven itself. It has minerals that are good for the body.¡± Considering the white star on Kenzo¡¯s forehead and his unique name, Crockta spected that he was Japanese. Kenzo eyed Crockta warily as he asked,¡± But when will we start training...?¡± ¡°We should start tomorrow since we just went in for a bath. I don¡¯t want to be covered in sweat after just washing up.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Although Crockta refused Kenzo¡¯s plea to ept him as his disciple, he promised to observe Kenzo¡¯s swordsmanship and give a few pointers. Although they didn¡¯t have a formal master and disciple rtionship, Crockta would advise Kenzo on his techniques while they stayed at Quantes. Kenzo wasn¡¯t disappointed at Crockta¡¯s suggestion. He was ecstatic really. In other games, yers could be stronger just by hunting, but Elder Lord was different. Because the individual¡¯s epiphanies and capabilities made a huge difference, many believed that having a great teacher was most critical to leveling-up. Crockta could sense Kenzo¡¯s aspirations and his eagerness to learn from him. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a while. Shall we get going?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes.¡± Crockta rose from the water. He could hear a humming sound drawing closer and wanted to get out of there before things got louder. ¡°Wow! Everyone is here! Woohoo!¡± Tiyo, with his face flushed from alcohol, staggered into the bathhouse. All of the guests at the bathhouse gave disapproving looks at the appearance of a drunkard. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m being too loud. Sorry. Hahahaha!¡± Tiyo stumbled and fell over. Then, he raised his head back up andughed. He wasn¡¯t in his right mind. Crockta and Anor exchanged nces. Someone had to take care of that drunkard. If they let him be, he could die overnight with his head drowned in the hot water. The two extended their fists at the same time. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Gotcha!¡± A passionate round of rock-paper-scissors! Crockta won. He chuckled at the sight of Anor sighing and walking over to take care of Tiyo. ¡°He¡¯s like his babysitter.¡± Anor grabbed and pulled up Tiyo. Tiyo leapt up and suddenly dived into the huge bath. Water sttered everywhere. Anor grabbed Tiyo¡¯s head and forced him to bow and apologize to the guests around them. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. My friend is really childish.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hehehe.¡± ¡°Hey, what kind of attitude is that? Lower your head more!¡± Crockta wasn¡¯t really concerned because Anor was taking care of him. Hence, he and Kenzo left the public bathhouse together. Everyone turned their eyes toward the orc warrior with therge stature and the human warrior with the smaller, but toned, physique. They confidently put on their clothes with their heads held high. ¡°Would you like a beer?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± They went upstairs to the pub on the first floor of the inn after finishing their baths. At the pub, several gnomes were noisily downing their drinks. Crockta and Kenzo sat down and ordered beer. A waiter soon brought out cold beer and appetizers. Because they had made special orders for orc and human sized beer, they could feel the chill of the drink in their hands. ¡°Why...¡± Kenzo, who was about to take a sip, came to a sudden stop as Crockta began to speak. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Why do you want to be stronger?¡± asked Crockta with an intense gaze. To him, it was an important question. He had inadvertentlye to teach someone, but he nned to put in effort so he conjured an image of the best teacher he knew. Baek Han-Ho¡¯s face suddenly popped up, but he quickly got rid of the thought and imagined the great warrior Lenox instead. Lenox was tough and ruthless, but he burned with passion. He owed his current self to Lenox. Imagining himself in Lenox¡¯s shoes, Crockta looked at Kenzo with a depth in his eyes that seemed to peer into Kenzo¡¯s soul. Kenzo swallowed at Crockta¡¯s fierce gaze. All Elder Lord yers knew that NPCs considered the game as reality and had their own philosophies about life. yers needed to live in the world of Elder Lord with the same mindset since the individual¡¯s mindset was reflected in their assimtion rate. If he responded half-heartedly, then his shallowness would be exposed, and he might not be able to receive lessons from this frightening orc. He shut his eyes and seriously asked himself why he wanted to be stronger. Memories of his life shed before his eyes. ¡°I...¡± He was what others would call an otaku. It didn¡¯t mean that he was aplete recluse. He was actually an office worker who had earned his ce in the chaos called society by not minding friend or foe. But he had a secret hobby of watching anime and collecting figurines. His favorite character was swordmaster Matsui! He had a bad personality, smoked, and always looked down on people with a bored expression on his face. He was a lowly man who always sipped on liquor and wandered the streets with disheveled hair. His hobbies were pachinko and mahjong. But when night came, he turned into a dark knight who swung his magical ymore against the monsters from the Otherworld that had killed his former lover. Although he was always cynical andmitted crimes without a second thought, he was an anti-hero who gave his all for the weak during decisive moments. Inspired by Matsui, he started learning kendo, but he didn¡¯t have any opportunities to wield his sword like Matsui in reality. Thus, he leapt into the world of Elder Lord to truly live like Matsui. But even after leveling-up, he didn¡¯t have the skills to be a hero. NPCs and monsters were really strong in Elder Lord. Here, he was just amon swordsman. Kenzo continued, ¡°I want to be stronger...¡± Right now, his assimtion rate was at its highest and exceeded sixty percent. ¡°...and help those who have fallen into despair with my strength.¡± There was a reason he admired swordmaster Matsui and aspired to be like him. In the past, he had severe social anxiety and was bullied at school every day. Then a guy who practiced karate came to his rescue. He knocked down the bullies with ease, and when Kenzo expressed his gratitude, he just asked for a carton of banana milk in exchange for a book. He handed Kenzo the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi and disappeared after telling him to quit being a weakling. Kenzo was shocked because the guy usually kept to himself and had always been silent. Kenzo stayed up all night reading the Book of Five Rings and changed from that point onward. He tried to fix his passive attitude and forced himself to socialize. Through his efforts, he was able to earn his spot as a member of society. A single helping hand was enough to save someone from drowning. But without that hand, the person would continue to sink as they struggled to remain afloat. He wanted to be the person who extended his hand to bring the people who have fallen into despair back up to the surface. ¡°Is that so?¡± replied Crockta with a nod. It appeared that his sincerity had been conveyed to Crockta. With a surge of confidence, Kenzo replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Those who had fallen into despair...¡± muttered Crockta as he brooded over what Kenzo had said and gave a faint smile. ¡°Let¡¯s drink.¡± He then immediately downed his beer. Kenzo jerked his back and did the same. In one go, they emptied their huge sses of beer. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°Ahh...¡± They let out sighs of relief after chugging their beers. They shivered in pleasure as they felt the sensation of the carbonated drinks linger at their throats. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to sleep early. I¡¯m a tough teacher. Tomorrow won¡¯t be easy.¡± Crockta and his friends were staying at Quantes for a week at most while Tiyo met up with family members and friends, Anor experienced city life, and they prepared for the travels ahead. Within that span of time, he had to show this man the realm of the Pinnacle. The two rose from their seats and headed upstairs to their room. *** Kenzo couldn¡¯t sleep because his heart was pounding like crazy in his chest. He was nning to really focus during his week with Crockta and had already submitted a time-off request at work. Everyone dreamed of the opportunity to train under such a strong NPC who could ughter a group of ogres in a moment¡¯s notice. If he trained with this orc, he might be able to gain a hidden ss or acquire special skills. Lying in bed, he nced over at Crockta, who wasn¡¯t asleep yet. Crockta was sitting up on his bed with his eyes closed as if he was meditating. The hazy moonlight that seeped in through the window behind him added to the tranquility of the scene. ¡°...!¡± All of a sudden, Kenzo sensed the same powerful energy he had felt when Crockta had ughtered the orcs. Crockta emitted undting waves of energy as he seemed to continuously draw closer and then recede, blurring Kenzo¡¯s vision. He seemed to be entirely detached from the world. Kenzo could sense an intangible energy moving in the air. Although his surroundings were tranquil and quiet, his muscles tensed and twitched as if he was on the battlefield. The strange phenomenon continued. He lost track of time as he silently observed Crockta. How much time had passed? Crockta spoke up, ¡°Once you reach the Pinnacle, you can train without breaking a sweat.¡± ¡®...! He knew I wasn¡¯t asleep.¡¯ ¡°Bear in mind that your potential can change and expand endlessly based on your will.¡± Crockta had realized this himself. In his world, he couldn¡¯t jump several meters high or crush huge rocks with his bare hands no matter how much willpower he had or how much he trained. Even if he trained his whole life, he would easily be ughtered by a wild beast. There was a set limit to what he could achieve. But Elder Lord was different. Individuals could evolve infinitely the more they trained and increased their willpower. Elder Lord was where one¡¯s potential and possibilities were endless. Crockta had reached the Pinnacle thanks to Hoyt, and he had reached greater heights by learning from Xantimur. Now, he could simte battles with imaginary opponents through sheer willpower in the realm of the Hero. Thus, Crockta nned to at least show and help Kenzo experience the realm of the Pinnacle during the week they were together. He had to see it with his own eyes to believe it. ¡°Get some sleep. I will make you regret not getting more sleep tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah, understood.¡± Kenzo quickly closed his eyes. Perhaps he was facing an opportunity of a lifetime. Elder Lord was the symbol of present times. There were many yers who earned huge profits from Elder Lord based on their strengths and levels even though they weren¡¯t high-rankers. Through the opportunity to learn from Crockta, he could perhaps be a professional yer and make a living off Elder Lord. It was the dream of all Elder Lord yers. He was greatly looking forward to the training tomorrow. He wasn¡¯t too worried. Regardless of how rigorous the training was, he wouldn¡¯t die, right? However...it actually happened. Chapter 134: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (3)

Chapter 134: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (3)

[You are experiencing ¡®post-mortem syndrome.¡¯ You are experiencing lethargy as a side-effect of death. All of your abilities will be drastically reduced.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Crockta, but he didn¡¯t seem sorry at all. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so weak.¡± They were standing at a clearing of the woods. To Kenzo, the orc shrugging in front of him looked like a demon. ¡°Good thing that you have received the ¡®curse of the stars.¡¯ Hahahaha!¡± ¡°...¡± Kenzo had just died ande back alive. After death, he was disconnected from the server and had quickly logged back on after staring at the inside of his capsule in a daze. He hadn¡¯t been able to dodge the ¡®Ogre yer¡¯ flying toward him, and it ended up piercing his stomach. He had looked up at Crockta in disbelief as he bled profusely and slowly disappeared. ¡°...That¡¯s true,¡± replied Kenzo, but he couldn¡¯t forget Crockta¡¯s expression right before he turned to white particles. His expression had said, ¡®Oops, I made a mistake.¡¯ Kenzo hadn¡¯t revealed that he had received the ¡®curse of the stars¡¯ and came back to life after dying; thus it meant that Crockta didn¡¯t know that he woulde back to life even if he died. But he still casually attacked Kenzo with lethal attacks and tilted his head at most at Kenzo¡¯s death. ¡°Then, we should continue.¡± Maybe he had made a mistake. Did he have to continue training? Were orcs a much rougher and sinister species than he thought? Up to this point, Crockta seemed more like a gentleman than anyone else. Not to say, he was more respectful than most humans, but their perceptions aboutbat were different. When people said the word ¡®orc,¡¯ it conjured the image of a berserker who fought without regard for their own safety. That could be why Crockta didn¡¯t seem to think much of him dying while training. The orcs were a species that thought of dying while fighting as honorable. Kenzo¡¯s face grew pale. ¡°Next time, can you try not to kill me...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that.¡± Crockta began vigorously swinging his greatsword. Kenzo took a step back. Crockta¡¯s swordsmanship was like an art form in itself. It was impossible for his eyes to follow its movements because it moved in unpredictable ways with great speed and strength. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to believe that a swordsman like him existed. ¡°After all, isn¡¯t training supposed to be like this? Hahaha. Since we don¡¯t need to worry about you dying, I can freely swing my sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not...ahh!¡± Kenzo dodged as the greatsword came flying at him, but the sword still ended up leaving a cut on his cheek. Crockta wore a demonic smile on his face. ¡°You got slower.¡± ¡°Our...abilities are temporarily...reduced...ah! When we die.¡± ¡°Is that so? Even better,¡± said Crockta as heunched another attack. Kenzo hastily retreated. ¡°Instead of relying on your limited strength and speed, fight with your true abilities,¡± coached Crockta. Kenzo tried to counter the flurry of attacks with his ymore, but he had to resort to dodging the attacks due to the force of Crockta¡¯s blows. Crockta suddenly came to a stop after Kenzo continued to retreat. ¡°I thought you wanted to be stronger.¡± ¡°I want to be stronger, but...¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°The difference in our levels is too great. Those who have been cursed by stars don¡¯t infinitelye back to life. After a certain point, we might not be able to return. If you could adjust your powers a bit...¡± Kenzo was exaggerating. yers came back to life no matter what, but it wasn¡¯t aplete lie because the effects of post-mortem syndrome umted and could significantly lower their abilities. The side effects couldst days, months, and even years. It was a penalty that yers feared the most. Crockta grinned. ¡°That¡¯s even better.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Fight more desperately, Kenzo.¡± Crockta took a step forward. Kenzo stepped back in response. ¡°Look me in the face if you want to be stronger.¡± Crockta¡¯s atmosphere suddenly changed. He gave off the aura fromst night when he was meditating by himself. It felt as if time flowed at a different pace for him. No, it was more like he controlled the world¡¯s time. Kenzo felt like he had endlessly slowed down and be stagnant, but the world around him had elerated and was moving rapidly. He couldn¡¯t keep up with the flow of time. The sun was shining down on them. Sweat dripped down Kenzo¡¯s forehead, and his eyelids quivered from fatigue. The moment he blinked, the Ogre yer was at his face, thrusting toward him. Kenzo moved intuitively. There was no time to think. He swung his ymore, and their weapons shed. ¡°Fight me like you¡¯re really gonna die,¡± said Crockta beyond the two shing des. He then grinned and kicked Kenzo, sending him rolling across the ground. ¡°Give it your all like it¡¯s yourst chance.¡± Crockta believed that yers¡¯ greatest limitation was that they came back to life even if they died. To them, this world wasn¡¯t real. Thus, their assimtion rates couldn¡¯t help but be low because such a mindset caused them to doubt their own potential. They had to look at this world squarely the way a boxer watched a swinging toward him until the end. ¡°Understood.¡± Kenzo got up again with a hardened face. He seemed determined this time. ¡°I like the expression on your face! Again!¡± shouted Crockta as he swung his greatsword. Kenzo adjusted his posture and tried to properly fight against Crockta instead of just dodging his attacks. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaar!¡± Crockta leapt up and plunged his greatsword at Kenzo. Crockta decided to adjust his strength after Kenzo started taking things more seriously. Kenzo barely managed to block the attack with his ymore. As he charged to tackle Crockta, he shouted, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaar!¡± *** Tiyo was taking Anor sightseeing around Quantes. ¡°The continent is amazing...¡± ¡°It¡¯s Quantes that¡¯s amazing, not the continent. Hahaha.¡± Anor, who had been amazed by the bathhouse where hot water gushed out, couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the street performances in Quantes. He saw musicians who sang and yed instruments, and gnomes who performed puppet shows. Quantes was a ce rich in culture. ¡°I will treat you to an opera show!¡± said Tiyo. ¡°An opera?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an embodiment of the highest form of art where ys, music, art, and culture arebined.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it is, but I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s probably an opera show ying right now.¡± Tiyo led Anor to the cultural district of Quantes. The area was filled with musicians performing in the streets, art stores selling artworks, and citizens wandering the streets in quaint attires. It had a distinct atmosphere to it, and at the center of it all was the huge opera house that all of the artists in Quantes dreamed of performing in. ¡°The show that¡¯s on right now is...the Bird that Drinks Tears.¡± ¡°Bird that Drinks Tears?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tiyo made a sentimental expression. ¡°It¡¯s a true masterpiece...it¡¯s about a bird that sings the most beautiful song among a group of four birds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just about a bird? Even if it¡¯s just a performance, aren¡¯t stories about people better? I¡¯m not that excited...¡± ¡°Shut up and follow me!¡± Tiyo led Anor to the ticket booth. The show was about to start, but Tiyo suddenly wore a troubled look on his face. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m short on cash.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s not overdo it. There¡¯s always a next time.¡± ¡°Hey Anor, do you have any cash?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time on the continent. I don¡¯t have any money. Let¡¯s watch it next time and just go.¡± ¡°Shut up! I must see the Bird that Drinks Tears today!¡± ¡°How can we watch it when we don¡¯t have money?¡± ¡°Shut up, country bumpkin! What do you know about operas...?¡± ¡°Country bumpkin? You little dwarf sh...!¡± ¡°C-calm down.¡± The ticket booth employee, who had been observing them bickering back and forth, suddenly butted in. ¡°So...you guys are saying that you have enough funds but are just short on cash at the moment, right?¡± asked the employee with a strange look in his eyes. Tiyo nodded eagerly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you know me? I¡¯m Tiyo. There is not a single gnome who doesn¡¯t know me in Quantes!¡± ¡°I just moved to this city...hahaha. Anyway, maybe I can help.¡± ¡°Help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the employee as he pointed to an alley next to him. ¡°If you head over there...there will be some guys who provide cash for gnomes like you who are in a slight predicament. How unfair that you will be unable to watch the opera because you are short on cash at the moment when you have the funds at home.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Thus, you can borrow some money right now and pay it offter.¡± ¡°Ohh, is that so? Just wait a minute! Let¡¯s go, Anor!¡± ¡°Haha, I will be waiting,¡± replied the employee. Tiyo turned around to head to the alley, but Anor grabbed him. ¡°Wait, this is a total...¡± ¡°Total?¡± ¡°Scam...¡± ¡°I have money! I can pay them back immediately tomorrow!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still a bit suspicious...¡± ¡°Just follow me!¡± At Tiyo¡¯s insistence, they entered the alley behind the opera house and ran into a gnome and two humans smoking. They immediately put out their cigarettes when they saw Tiyo and Anor and heartily greeted them. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello! Did youe here after hearing about us?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°We take care of matters with a strong emphasis on reliability and trustworthiness. We are ¡®Run On Money.¡¯ Hahaha. Our slogan is trust and faith. How much do you need?¡± Anor felt uneasy at the mention of trust and faith from these suspicious-looking men, but Tiyo didn¡¯t mind at all. ¡°We just need enough to watch the opera,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s nothing,¡± said one of the humans as he extended a contract. Tiyo skimmed through the document. Nothing really stood out to him. It was a typical money lending scheme that rued interest the longer you took to pay them back. But Tiyo, who could pay it back tomorrow, didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Pretty standard...I will sign right now.¡± ¡°Hahaha, so easygoing. Understood.¡± The loan was carried out in a straightforward manner. Once Tiyo wrote down his address, they whispered among themselves, and then one of them ran off to verify Tiyo¡¯s address. After the man returned, they nodded in approval. ¡°They even checked your house. Isn¡¯t it suspicious?¡± whispered Anor. ¡°Everyone in Quantes already knows where I live anyway. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Thus, just like that, they ended up borrowing money. ¡°Thank you for using our services! We love you!¡± they shouted while bowing their heads. Tiyoughed with satisfaction. ¡°They really love their work and clients. Hahaha!¡± ¡°...¡± *** ¡°It was just...wow. Wow...¡± muttered Anor. ¡°Was it that good?¡± ¡°It was a whole new world for me...It¡¯s a masterpiece of the gods. Ahh.¡± Anor and Tiyo had returned home after enjoying the opera, and Anor waspletely awestruck. He was mesmerized by the grand orchestra, the escting conflicts and emotions as the story progressed, and the beautiful voices of the singers conveying it all¡ªit was a world he had never imagined. Each time a great scene ended, the audience in regal attire elegantly pped and sent praises. To Anor, it felt like a world of nobility. ¡°Let¡¯s go again tomorrow! With Crockta!¡± suggested Anor. ¡°It¡¯s expensive!¡± ¡°You said you are rich and even borrowed money ¡®cause you could pay it back immediately.¡± ¡°Yeah, but not enough to watch opera shows every day,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Hahaha, let¡¯s go watch it together next time. I have money,¡± said Crockta. He had a lot of money saved up. Anor jumped up and down in excitement, but Kenzo, who was listening to the conversation next to him, felt like he was going to die. ¡°Kenzo, you are shaking.¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°A little...could...we maybe take a break...?¡± ¡°Are you tired? No one cares! When you are on the battlefield, are you nning to tell your enemy that you are tired, so let¡¯s resume fighting after taking a break? No! You need to ovee your weaknesses!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°Straighten your back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Crockta was sitting on top of Kenzo, who was down on all fours doing push-ups. ¡°We need topletely fix your mindset! It¡¯s not just about making you physically stronger!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Do more push-ups!¡± ¡°Ah...ahhhhh!¡± With a flushed face, Kenzo struggled to bend his arms and straighten them again. His arms trembled from the strain. ¡°Great job.¡± Crockta believed that the biggest difference between him and regr yers was that they thought of Elder Lord as just a game and didn¡¯t put up with pain. Like traitor Grom, they gave up easily and tried to walk the easy path. But Elder Lord was just like life. They had to go through hardships and reap the fruits of theirbor. Crockta nned to fix Kenzo¡¯s mindset from the ground up. ¡°But...umm...¡± said Kenzo. ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Uhh...did they say...Tiyo...borrowed money...?¡± Crockta looked at Tiyo, who was already heading off to do something fun with Anor. ¡°That seems to be the case. Why?¡± replied Crockta. Kenzo furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Umm...it¡¯s probably nothing, but among those cursed by the stars like me...there have been more and more people exploiting gnomes and other species...but it¡¯s probably not something to be worried about because it¡¯s Tiyo after all...¡± After the Behemoth disappeared, and the system message announced that the north had opened up, the Forest of Monsters became a new popr hunting ground for high-level yers. There had been an influx of yers in Quantes because it was the closest city to the Forest of Monsters. Previously, Quantes was sparse in yers, but more and more humans began arriving in the city and tried to profit from NPCs like other wicked yers had done in the past. And among them were loan sharks who extorted money by imitating real-life methods. ¡®But of course they won¡¯t stand a chance against ridiculously strong NPCs like Crockta and Tiyo,¡¯ Kenzo thought to himself. ¡°Hmm...interesting,¡± muttered Crockta with a nod. Chapter 135: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (4)

Chapter 135: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (4)

The next day, when Tiyo went to the back alley behind the opera house, the ¡®Run On Money¡¯ loan sharks were no longer there. ¡°What?¡± He had brought cash to pay them back. ¡°Where did everyone go...?¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. He had nned to quickly pay them back and settle the contract, but they had disappeared. Tiyo was frustrated by the thought that he had toe back here a second time to look for them. He went up to the employee at the ticket booth and asked, ¡°Where are the money lenders from yesterday?¡± The employee looked at Tiyo and shrugged. ¡°Who knows? They are always around, so they must be somewhere. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°I thought you knew them?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°I don¡¯t know them personally. I just heard that they help people who need cash.¡± ¡°Do you know their usual whereabouts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tiyo was suspicious of the employee who was weaseling his way out of the situation and wanted to interrogate further, but customers appeared waiting for their tickets. He had no choice but to take a step back for now. ¡°Hmm...well, it doesn¡¯t really matter, I guess. It¡¯s their fault they aren¡¯t here to collect their money.¡± Thus, Tiyo left the scene without paying back his loans. He thought he could just pay them back next time. He still had a lot to do in Quantes before his next adventure. This time, he nned to take Anor to Quantes¡¯ Academy. The professors would be overjoyed if he brought Anor and taught him the lifestyle and history of the north. He also nned to give some valuable information to the professors, so they could prepare for the opening of the north. He always looked out for everyone¡¯s safety because no matter what, he was a member of Quantes¡¯ garrison. First and foremost, he was a soldier concerned about the future of Quantes. Tiyo called out to Anor who had been observing a performance in the streets. As a tall dark elf with brown skin, he stood out among gnomes. He was deeply absorbed in a puppet show with marites. ¡°Anor, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Did you pay them back?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find them. I¡¯m not sure where they went...¡± ¡°So, you didn¡¯t pay them back?¡± ¡°How can I pay them back when they are not there?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Anor lowered his gaze and began to ponder something deeply. ¡°If you can¡¯t pay them back today, your interest will increase.¡± ¡°Nonsense. I tried to pay them back, but they weren¡¯t there. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it!¡± ¡°Tiyo, you are na?ve,¡± said Anor with a wry chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything because you¡¯ve only seen nice things and have always received proper treatment in this nice city...haha...¡± ¡°What are you talking about...? I have ovee many hardships in my life!¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from that. I know methods like this very well because I¡¯ve been bullied and harassed my whole life. It¡¯s a methodmonly used by the strong on the weak¡ªexploiting others through maniption.¡± ¡°As expected of Nuridot¡¯s official outcast,¡± remarked Tiyo. Anor was about to unleash a slew of profanities at Tiyo, but he clenched his fists to control himself. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s true, but it still makes me angry.¡±. ¡°Ohh...you have more self-control now.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s better to file a report to the police that there are weird loan sharks around. If they leave before you can pay them back, they could harass your family and friends.¡± ¡°But my friends will give them a stern lesson if ites to that.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know about you though.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Tiyo, but he still didn¡¯t seem to mind too much. Because he had lived as a highly respected captain of Quantes¡¯ garrison and a well-known macho man, he didn¡¯t believe that anyone would try to harm him in Quantes. They began heading to the academy. ¡°Now that I think about it, I became friends with Crockta at the academy.¡± ¡°Did you meet him here?¡± ¡°Yes. We went through some rough times because of the steel belt Crockta has on right now.¡± When they arrived at the academy, they saw a memorial shrine erected in honor of those who had sadly passed away due to the tragedy of the Demon¡¯s Mouth incident. ¡°I met Crockta and decided to head to the north, and then we traveled back to the continent with you. Life is so unpredictable.¡± ¡°Indeed. I thought I would be in Nuridot forever.¡± Their lives had changed in so many ways because of Crockta and would continue to change. *** Kenzo raised his head. Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer was flying toward him. Right then, he could sense that he was about to die again. The greatsword wasing toward him at an unavoidable speed. There was no way he could prevent the greatsword from shing his body no matter how much he tried. ¡®Am I gonna die again?¡¯ He rxed himself, and he stared at the de charging toward him. But for some reason, time slowed down, and he could clearly see the de flying toward him. It was a well-sharpened sword that glistened with the light from the sun, and he could even see Crockta¡¯s eyes boring into him behind it. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ He shifted his body. He could feel his body slipping away from Crockta¡¯s de and further evading the greatsword¡¯s trajectory with each movement. At this rate, a counter-attack felt within reach! As he dodged, he swung his ymore. He felt like he could strike Crockta through the opening as their swords crossed. ¡°Ack!¡± But as if performing a trick, the Ogre yer moved adroitly and struck him, sending him tumbling. Kenzo breathed heavily on the ground. ¡°You are making progress. Good.¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°But I have to leave Quantes soon. I hope you will be able to quickly enter the realm I have been talking about.¡± ¡°The realm of the Pinnacle?¡± asked Kenzo. ¡°Yes.¡± Although Kenzo never mentioned it, he probably knew about the realm of the Pinnacle since most yers had basic knowledge about tiers. But he probably didn¡¯t understand what a profound state it was. Considering his current level, he was probably Essence-Tier, right below Pinnacle-Tier, or even lower at Rare-Tier. ¡°Kenzo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget. If you reach the Pinnacle, you have to grant me one wish.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± When Crockta agreed to teach Kenzo, he imposed a condition. He promised to help Kenzo reach the Pinnacle, not just be stronger, and if he reached that level, Kenzo had to fulfill a request from him. Of course the premise was that the request would be possible for Kenzo to carry out. Kenzo was willing to do anything he could do for Crockta and epted the condition. He had vaguely experienced the realm of the Pinnacle while training with Crockta and had realized its value as the sensations reverberated throughout his body. He was confident he could take on a high-ranker if he reached that state. He was willing to give everything he had to reach the Pinnacle. ¡°Anything. I will keep the promise no matter what.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Crockta nodded. He was about to raise his sword again when he heard Tiyo¡¯s voice. ¡°Heyy, Crockta!¡± Crockta and Kenzo turned around to look at the same time. Crockta¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Tiyo had been assigned the task of taking Anor sightseeing while Crockta and Kenzo were stuck at a clearing in the outskirts of Quantes, and Tiyo had seeded in his task. ¡°Look at him! Do you recognize him?¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Who is this guy? Could it be...¡± ¡°Yes! He is...!¡± There was a good-looking young man in front of them. ¡°It¡¯s the timid, foul-mouthed brat!¡± Anor¡¯s disheveled hair was now neatlybed and fell in slick locks over his forehead. His eyes shone even more brightly under his new hairdo. Moreover, instead of his shabby clothes from the north, he had changed into continent-style traveler¡¯s clothing that was both practical and stylish. He now exuded elegance like a son of a noble family. He was truly a descendant of elves esteemed for their beauty! If he had existed in Crockta¡¯s world, he could have be a celebrity. ¡°They say clothes make the man. Now, for the grand finale!¡± said Tiyo as he tossed something at Anor. Anor caught it and wrapped it around his body. It was a dreary-looking gray robe. The young man who had been shining with beauty had disappeared, and an eerie necromancer with a hood pulled over his face appeared. ¡°What do you think? Doesn¡¯t he look cool?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Hehehehehe...¡± Anor¡¯s awkwardugh seeped out from the shadow of the hood. ¡°Hehehe...I¡¯m necromancer Anor...!¡± ¡°My fashion sense saved Anor.¡± ¡°I doubted him when he bought me weird clothes...but this robe is quite nice. Hehe...¡± ¡°I¡¯m a trendsetter. I¡¯m known for my fashion in Quantes.¡± Crockta wanted to tell them that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Um...why don¡¯t you take off the robe...¡± But they weren¡¯t bothered at all. ¡°As expected, he doesn¡¯t know much about fashion,¡±mented Anor. ¡°Just ignore Crockta,¡± chimed in Tiyo. ¡®There¡¯s no point in taking this dark elf and gnome duo seriously,¡¯ thought Crockta with a sigh. But Kenzo, who had fashion sense as a person from the modern world, whispered softly, ¡°People with weird fashion sense think they look cool. They don¡¯t know that they look weird. Just put up with them.¡± It had been a while since Crockta had heard a sensible opinion. He looked at Kenzo, who grinned and made a thumbs-up sign. Crockta nodded back and wrapped his arm around Kenzo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are a man worthy of my teachings.¡± ¡°Hahaha, not really.¡± As expected of a Japanese person with a lot of interest in fashion. Crockta remembered how Japanese fashion trended in South Korea in the early 2000s. After their conversation, they decided to have a meal together. They wanted to introduce Anor, who was ustomed to northern food, to the fine cuisine in the continent and nned to eat to their hearts¡¯ content at a famous restaurant in Quantes. They headed to a famous restaurant, famous for its charismatic chef, called ¡®Goram Donsey¡¯s Hell Kitchen¡¯, in the public square. But Anor noticed something strange near the restaurant. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect prices to suddenly rise...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can help you.¡± ¡°I just have to pay it back quickly, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Hahahaha.¡± Although they were different individuals, they were a group of humans and a gnome like the loan sharks they encounteredst time. Anor had a sense that there were other humans observing them from the shadows to see how they were doing. ¡°We will increase the interest rates just in case, but there won¡¯t be any problems if you pay it back quickly. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Thank you. I was in a tight spot, but I promised my new girlfriend that I will bring her here.¡± ¡°We are rooting for your rtionship.¡± Anor carefully observed them. It was obvious what was going on just from overhearing their conversation. Corrupt loan sharks had started to take root in Quantes. Although they didn¡¯t stand out too much for the moment, they would gradually contaminate the whole city with their degeneracy. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go!¡± Tiyo, who hadn¡¯t noticed them, called out to him. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± Anor turned around to tell Tiyo what was going on, but between the slightly ajar door of the restaurant, he saw a beautiful chandelier scattering shards of light everywhere. Below it, was an array of gourmet dishes that stimted his appetite. The sight made himpletely forget what he had just seen. ¡°Wow!¡± eximed Anor as he entered the restaurant. *** ¡°I have to admit...¡± said Anor as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. ¡°...the culture here is amazing.¡± He had already devoured several tes of a pork dish zed with honey. He looked like E.T. because he had a skinny body, but his stomach bulged out. He extended his hand toward the food again despite the strained look on his face. He was pushing himself past his limit. ¡°The food culture is especially amazing.¡± ¡°I think you ate too much,¡±mented Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m really fine,¡± replied Anor as he reached for the chicken stuffed with chopped vegetables. Crockta, Tiyo, and Kenzo couldn¡¯t eat anymore because they were way too full. But Anor struggled on his own and gulped down grape juice to help the food pass. ¡°Come to think of it, I saw them again earlier,¡± said Anor. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I saw the group of loan sharks. They were near the restaurant.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Tiyo looked suspicious, and Kenzo had a knowing look on his face. Crockta grinned as he found the whole situation amusing. ¡°Good,¡± said Crockta. ¡°What is...?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°We found a suitable opponent at just the right moment,¡± said Crockta as he looked at Kenzo. ¡°Kenzo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You will be able to put your training into practice.¡± Crockta pointed at Kenzo¡¯s ymore. ¡°Teach them justice with your ymore.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kenzo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡®The loan sharks are yers. I have to fight against yers for NPCS?¡¯ Chapter 136: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (5)

Chapter 136: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (5)

Kenzo clutched his head and banged it against the table. Gnomes nearby tilted their heads curiously at his behavior. ¡°Hey, young man.¡± A muscr gnome with a stocky stature approached him. His face betrayed his age despite his robust physique. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of problems you have, but...¡± He ced a huge ss of beer in front of Kenzo. It was custom-sized and was muchrger than what was given to gnomes. The muscr gnome also had a custom-sized ss in his hand that looked far too big for his height. ¡°...I will buy you a drink.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± Kenzo was currently at a bar in Quantes. Unlike most rowdy pubs, this bar near his lodging was filled with men quietly drinking under the dim lights. The two downed their beers at the same time. ¡°So, can you tell me about your problems? Only if you arefortable though.¡± Kenzo looked at him. The gnome looked as if he had experienced all sorts of hardships in life with his wrinkled face and deep eyes. Kenzo felt strange looking at him. He never had an experience like this in reality. He was ustomed to office workers staggering in the streets after drinking their pain away, old men loudly talking about their past, and indifferent pedestrians walking past people passed out on the streets. It was a bleak age where if someone approached a concerned-looking young man at a bar, people would suspect the person had some kind of ulterior motive. But perhaps because he watched too many dramas and movies, Kenzo felt like he could receive a solution to his problems from this short gnome with prominent features. The gnome had deep-set eyes that reminded Kenzo of characters in Western films. In those movies, protagonists always received solutions from people they ran into by chance whenever they were lost. The gnome, who had appeared right at this moment, seemed like an auspicious sign. ¡°My concern is...¡± began Kenzo. The gnome was an NPC anyway. He could tell him his worries without any reservations. ¡°I¡¯m currently training under someone. He asked me to do something, but it will put me in a difficult position so I¡¯m deliberating whether to do it or not...¡± Kenzo was worried that he could be branded as a rude yer if he targeted fellow yers. These days, a method called ¡®NPC Hunt¡¯ was trending among yers. Kenzo didn¡¯t findmitting crimes against NPCs immoral. They were just artificial intelligence after all. That was Kenzo¡¯s dilemma. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but you must be in a difficult position.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The gnome caressed his chin and made another order. ¡°Bartender, can you give me the drink I hadst time I came here?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The bartender brought out a bottle with a little bit of liquid left. The gnome swished it around. ¡°This is Mukarasanebo.¡± ¡°Mukarasanebo...!¡± It was an extremely rare wine in Elder Lord. ¡°Did your teacher ask you to carry out the task even though he knew it would put you in a difficult position?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. He doesn¡¯t know.¡± Kenzo couldn¡¯t exin the concept of yers to Crockta, who was an NPC. ¡°Can you try exining the situation to him?¡± asked the gnome. ¡°No. He won¡¯t be able to understand.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hahaha.¡± The gnome smiled and poured each of them a ss of Mukarasanebo. Kenzo just stared at the drink, so the gnome gestured at him to go ahead. ¡°How can I drink something so precious...¡± muttered Kenzo. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Drink.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kenzo and the gnome sipped the Mukarasanebo. He could taste its unique aroma and vor. ¡®No wonder it is called the nobility of wine.¡¯ ¡°Do you know why your teacher asked you to do such a task?¡± asked the gnome. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure...¡± He had no idea how getting rid of loan sharks was rted to the Pinnacle of swordsmanship. He wasn¡¯t sure if Crockta just wanted him to get rid of viins that harmed the city or if he needed to achieve a higher purpose to reach the state of the Pinnacle. The gnome grinned. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know anything about each other.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Then, is your teacher someone you could trust?¡± Kenzo thought about the question. Was Crockta trustworthy? He didn¡¯t know much about him. He just knew that contrary to his perception of orcs, Crockta was very much a gentleman. He only became a ruthless warrior duringbat. Nheless, Crockta had rescued him at the Forest of Monsters, and when Kenzo exined his desire to learn from him to help others, Crockta had nodded approvingly in response. They had only spent a short amount of time together, but he grasped a sense of the kind of orc Crockta was. Kenzo nodded. ¡°Yes. He is.¡± The gnome smiled. ¡°Then trust him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I saw your expression just now when you answered the question.¡± The gnomes swished the bottle of Mukarasanebo. There wasn¡¯t much left. He poured the remains and handed the ss to Kenzo. ¡°It¡¯s such a rare wine. Please don¡¯t give me all of what¡¯s left.¡± But the gnome shook his head in response to Kenzo¡¯s refusal. ¡°This time, I will tell you my story. I¡¯ve lived in Quantes my whole life, but I¡¯m leaving today.¡± ¡°Today?¡± ¡°As you can tell from this Mukarasanebo, I was wealthy. I was a sessful businessman, but I lost everything due to a momentary mistake. So, I¡¯m leaving this ce. I am now just down to my body. That''s all I have left. I n to go to another city and do some manualbor.¡± Kenzo hadn¡¯t expected to hear such a sad story from the gnome. His expression was so peaceful. The gnome continued, ¡°It was because of loans.¡± Kenzo¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°My friend, who was my most trusted advisor, told me not to trust them, but I believed I had a handle on everything. They suddenly imed I owed them an enormous amount of money. I shouldn¡¯t have believed outsiders who appeared out of nowhere...¡± The gnome smiled bitterly. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s how I lost everything.¡± Kenzo was speechless. The weight of his past sins pressed down on his shoulders. ¡°Somehow, I¡¯ve found myself confiding my life¡¯s regrets to you.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Anyway, everything is up to you, but I think it¡¯s worth listening if someone trustworthy advises you.¡± The gnome got up from his seat. Kenzo tried to stop him, but he had already taken a step back. ¡°I¡¯m so d I met you before I left. I was lonely. The ss in your hand is thest of the Mukarasanebo produced that year. Please slowly savor the drink.¡± He settled the bill with the bartender and exchanged a brief, knowing nce with him. They had probably known each other for many years. ¡°Farewell.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± The gnome then exited the bar under the moonlight. Kenzo gazed into the liquid in his ss. ¡®Mukarasanebo.¡¯ It was called the nobility of wine for its exquisite vor. He raised thest ss to the tip of his tongue. It was bitter. *** Kenzo slipped through the darkness. Finding yers in Quantes wasn¡¯t difficult. He just tracked down anyone who looked suspicious. He was a swordsman, but he had learned hiding, tracking, and infiltrating skills by imitating ninjas. He discovered how yers manipted gnomes in Quantes. First, they lent the gnomes money. Then, they avoided repayments from those able to pay back their loans and forcefully increased interest or tormented gnomes unable to repay their debts with higher interest rates. It was amon method, but they were sessfully exploiting many gnomes because the citizens of Elder Lord were unfamiliar with such cowardly tactics. Moreover, the loan sharks had bribed the authorities in Quantes into scheming with them and ignoring anyints about their unjust acts. The gnome who had given him Mukarasanebo had fallen prey to such tactics. They were replicating the evils of the real world in the game. ¡°Give us the money!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have money...I only borrowed a hundred silver. When did interest go up so much...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s written right in this contract! Can¡¯t you read?¡± ¡°I tried paying it back, but you weren¡¯t there at your spot...¡± ¡°Then you should have tried to find us! The truth is that you failed to repay us! Am I wrong? If you have a problem, take it to court! I¡¯m good friends with the authorities of Quantes just so you know.¡± They were no different from scummy, real-world gangsters and yakuzas. ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, sell your house! There¡¯s always a way to pay back your loan.¡± ¡°This house has been passed down in my family for generations...¡± ¡°Then give us the money!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± The armed yers had entered the borrower¡¯s house. Amotion ensued as they started breaking all of the furniture in the house and ckmailing the gnomes. ¡°S-stop it, please!¡± ¡°You said you don¡¯t have money, right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The interest is too...we can¡¯t...¡± ¡°Then get out of this house! It¡¯s ours now!¡± Just then, Quantes¡¯ police arrived after receiving a report about themotion. The loan sharks suddenly changed their attitudes and politely presented their documents and official letters to the police. ¡°Oh my! Thank you for all of your hard work protecting Quantes, sir! Apologies for being loud. Here are the documents. We are doing things legally, so don¡¯t worry.¡± The police flinched at the sight of the armed yers with formidable weapons. They verified the documents and official letters and didn¡¯t find any problems with them. They exchanged nces with each other and nodded. ¡°Please be mindful about the noise. We received aint.¡± ¡°Oh gosh, sorry. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Take care,¡± said the police as they departed the scene. After the police left, the loan sharks resumed their threats. ¡°Retarded NPCs. Hehe. Guys, search everything in this house. Who knows? We might find something valuable.¡± ¡°Hey, is this little twerp your kid?¡± An old memory came flooding back, and Kenzo felt something snap inside him when he saw them trying to mess with the victim¡¯s family. When he was a kid, he used to get bullied. The bullies would hurl insults toward him, and he could endure those, but any insults about his family were intolerable. Yet, he had no choice but to put up with them because he was weak. His childhood pain never healed; he still had a festering wound in his heart. His love for heroes from anime and desire to help others probably stemmed from that old wound. ¡®Don¡¯t be someoneme.¡¯ Kenzo emerged from the darkness and entered the house. The loan sharks were startled by the appearance of another yer. ¡°Who are you?¡± Kenzo responded with his sword. Kenzo was a high-level yer and had even recently witnessed the Pinnacle through his training with Crockta. Although yers were a lot more skilled nowadays then they used to be, he could still ughter second-rate yers like them in no time. His ymore shed the yers, and they immediately turned into white particles. Only the trembling gnome aplice, who was an NPC, remained. Kenzo seized him by the cor and tossed him outside. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, tell me the location of all the members in your organization.¡± The gnome, face white with fear, retreated. Kenzo went up to him and sliced a few strands of his hair with his ymore. If he had tilted his sword a bit, the gnome would have died on the spot. The gnome waspletely stricken with fear at the near encounter with death. ¡°It¡¯s yourst chance. One, two...¡± said Kenzo. Before Kenzo got to three, the gnome fessed up and revealed the organization¡¯s central points, how many members they had, and the location of their leaders. Kenzo then knocked the gnome unconscious by lightly striking his head after obtaining all of the necessary information. The night was far from over. Kenzo speedily carried out his n. Although loan sharks were spread out throughout Quantes, the central powers were limited. Kenzo targeted and finished off the remaining members until dawn came. At sunrise, Kenzo found himself surrounded by a group of formidable yers. News about him had spread among the organization, and their strongest yers had gotten together to get rid of him. They were strong. A few were on a simr level as him, which made him even more angry because they were high-level yers who didn¡¯t need to harass others to level up more. But they were profiting from tormenting and exploiting others. It didn¡¯t matter that their victims were NPCs. It was still wrong. He thought of the eyes of the gnome who had bought him Mukarasanebo, the faces of the frightened children as their home was destroyed, the father begging for his family to be spared, and the mother¡¯s tearful embrace¡ªhe couldn¡¯t suppress his anger because all of those images seared into his mind. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from swinging his sword. ¡°Why is a fellow yer fighting against us?¡± a yer wondered as they tilted their heads curiously. Kenzo ignored them and charged. It was a disadvantageous fight against several opponents at a simr level or perhaps even higher than him. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t think he was going to die. In his hand, he grasped his ymore, carrying with him all the time he had dedicated to training with Crockta. The yer¡¯s numerous des came flying toward him in an instant. There was no way he stood a chance against them, but Kenzo didn¡¯t turn back. [Your assimtion is rising.] [Your assimtion is rising.] [Your assimtion is rising.] [Your assimtion is rising...] He felt one with the world. The world of Elder Lord was nudging him forward. Kenzo tightly gripped his ymore and leapt into the swords surrounding him. Right then, the world grew slower. Chapter 137: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (6)

Chapter 137: Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords (6)

Crockta looked up at the sky. The full moon in the sky was at the cusp of waning. A few days had passed since he gave the mission to Kenzo. Tiyo finished taking care of his business in Quantes, and Anor was done sightseeing around Quantes. All of the preparations wereplete to leave Quantes tomorrow. They nned to stop by Maird on the way to the southern part of the continent, where Tiyo¡¯s father was. It was also where Crockta¡¯s target, the Heaven and Earth n, was atrge. He thought the Heaven and Earth n could be rted to his arch-nemesis, the Haedong Balhae n. But apart from that, he was concerned about Choi Han-Sung and all of the wars he was instigating. Someone needed to stop him. If he refused to discontinue his activities, he would face the wrath of the Ogre yer. Thus, he nned to purchase information from the Information Guild in Maird first before deciding his next course of action. While thinking about his future, he suddenly felt a presence in the darkness. Crockta turned his head and said, ¡°Wee.¡± It was Kenzo. Crockta grinned. He could tell what Kenzo had been up to from his appearance. Kenzo was drenched in blood from head to toe. But that wasn¡¯t all. Crockta could sense something different about him that he hadn¡¯t felt before. ¡°I see you have reached the Pinnacle.¡± Kenzo¡¯s aura was different. He had attained the Pinnacle, a state that was iparable to those of other yers. Only yers who saw Elder Lord for what it was and treated it beyond a game could reach its realm. Even among high-rankers, only a few had attained it. ¡°Yes, I have reached the Pinnacle.¡± Kenzo¡¯s voice was filled with fatigue. Day and night, he had attacked the loan sharks leeching off the gnomes in Quantes. He didn¡¯t bother executing the concrete method because it was too much work. If they logged back on or came back to life after dying, he just killed them again. He killed them over and over again. The yers got sick of Kenzo tirelessly tracking them and backed off from Quantes. Even as they turned around to leave Quantes, Kenzo pierced their backs to forever ward them off from Quantes. ¡°But I realized much more in the process of attaining the Pinnacle,¡± said Kenzo. As he witnessed the persecuted NPCs and experienced turbulent emotions, his assimtion rate rose rapidly, and he was able to reach the Pinnacle. He made a promise to himself that if he encountered those in pain, he would raise a sword to the evildoers causing the pain, regardless of whether the victims were NPCs or yers. He had to, no matter what. Crockta smiled. When he first met Kenzo, he could sense that there was something different about him when Kenzo said that he wanted to help others, and Kenzo had exceeded his expectations. Now, Kenzo would pursue what he believed in. ¡°So, was I any help?¡± asked Crockta. Kenzo bowed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± ¡°Then, do you remember the condition I set in return for teaching you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kenzo had promised to fulfill Crockta¡¯s request if he reached the Pinnacle. Kenzo tensed up. He wasn¡¯t sure what Crockta would ask of him. Crockta had promised him to only make a request that he could execute, but the boundaries of what was possible or not were obscure. Crockta could ask him to do something really difficult. Even though he trusted Crockta, he was apprehensive. ¡°My request is simple.¡± Crockta drew his Ogre yer. Kenzo raised his ymore in response. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ he wondered. Crockta began to move his greatsword at a ridiculously slow speed. There wasn¡¯t any hesitation or tremor to his movements. Crockta¡¯s de moved forward in a smooth curve. Kenzo continued to closely observe him from a distance. He didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary, but suddenly, a de went past him, grazing his neck. Kenzo couldn¡¯t believe it. Even though it was a very simple strike, Kenzo got chills when he realized the meaning imbued in that strike. It was an attack beyond normalprehension. Speed didn¡¯t matter. He had felt something that was beyond the reach of the world¡ªthe realm of miracles. ¡°This is...¡± muttered Kenzo. ¡°It¡¯s the state beyond the Pinnacle.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Just know that the Pinnacle isn¡¯t the end.¡± When Kenzo first glimpsed the realm of the Pinnacle through Crockta, he was inspired to attain such a state. But he couldn¡¯t even aspire toward this newfound state because the word ¡®impossible¡¯ shed in his head. ¡°Now, I will tell you my request.¡± The surprise didn¡¯t end there. Kenzo got chills again at what Crockta said next. ¡°Use your powers for the greater good.¡± Kenzo was surprised by the request and realized that Crockta was a much bigger orc than he had imagined. As he nodded in response, their gazes met, and Kenzo felt as if Crockta¡¯s gaze was piercing through his soul. Had Crockta known all along that he would have a change of heart after getting rid of the loan sharks? Kenzo lowered his head. There was only one thing he could say. ¡°Understood.¡± To him, Crockta was no longer just a character in a game. He was a great mind to learn from. Kenzo then dered, ¡°I want to spread your teachings to other people. I will teach them about martial arts and the Pinnacle, and the purpose of their strength. May I spread the word?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Crockta. Kenzo wanted to bring yers together. yers had different approaches to ying the game, and if certain yers¡¯ methods were to harass and exploit NPCs, wasn¡¯t there a need for ¡®viins¡¯ who would stand up against them? They would be heroes to NPCs and viins to the yers. After all, light and darkness coexisted in all heroes. ¡°Please name the group I will create,¡± requested Kenzo. He wanted a name from Crockta because he knew Crockta would give a suitable name that would help him amass followers. ¡°Kenzo, if that is your will, the path you will walk will be a harsh one filled with steep mountains and dangerous forests, with countless des ready to swarm you at any moment. A path few can tread! Thus, I will name it Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords.¡± ¡°Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords!¡± eximed Kenzo. It was a cool name. Justst night, he had trod through the loans sharks¡¯ mountain of spears and forest of swords. After he ughtered them, only spears and swords remained where the loan sharks used to be. ¡°The disciples of Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords will follow your path,¡± said Kenzo. As he gazed at the red bandana wrapped around Crockta¡¯s forehead, he decided that the red bandana would serve as the symbol of his group. Thus, it was the beginning of a new group of Crockta¡¯s followers called ¡®Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords,¡¯ in addition to ¡®Rebirth Brotherhood¡¯ and ¡®Praise the Orc.¡¯ But in the future, the name ¡®Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords¡¯ became lost. Because of the members¡¯ striking red bandanas, they were referred to as the ¡®Red Turban¡¯ by the public. *** ¡°Did something good happen?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Hahaha.¡± Tiyo and Anor were staring at Crockta because he was chuckling to himself. They had departed from Quantes and were now on their way to Maird. They nned to pass through Maird to get to new cities in the southern part of the continent. The group was still traveling on the karuks they had been with since the north. Although they were slower than horses, they had excellent stamina and strength. They had no problem carrying a massive orc like Crockta. ¡°Your face is telling me that something good happened. I want to know if something good is up,¡± said Anor. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Then why do you have such a bright expression on your face?¡± asked Anor. Crockta was thinking about his encounter with Kenzo at Quantes. Without giving it much thought, he had asked Kenzo to punish the loan sharks, and Kenzo had aplished the task with flying colors. Moreover, he had reached the realm of the Pinnacle and dered that he was going to find a group of Crockta¡¯s followers called the ¡®Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords!¡± Crockta felt like he had a pious son who had seeded on his own without much help but wanted to pay back the favor for raising him. Perhaps his name was about to shake up the world again! The next time he disconnected from the server, he wanted to take a look at how his Fanclub, ¡®Praise the Orc,¡¯ was doing. Everyone had a thirst for fame! ¡°Hahaha, it could be a problem if I became too famous!¡± Crockta got ahead of himself and started fantasizing about obsessive fans stalking him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but I hope youe to your senses...¡± said Anor as he shook his head. As they continued their way on their karuks, a sign pointing to Maird appeared. They were close. Crockta took a trip down memoryne as he reflected on his previous moments in Maird. The ce meant a lot to him because it was where the Information Guild was, and where Ste from the cksmith Company worked. Moreover, it was where he rehabilitated the rude yers who harassed Yi-Yoo and the Rebirth Brotherhood came into existence. He sped up his karuk to quickly get to Maird. Suddenly, he locked eyes with a group passing by. Crockta politely greeted them. ¡°Hello. Are you alive?¡± They nced over at Crockta¡¯s party, but as soon as they saw that there was nothing on Tiyo and Anor¡¯s foreheads, they gave a half-hearted response. ¡°...Ah. Yeah.¡± Most yers weren¡¯t interested in NPCs, especially those who were as strong as NPCs. With the rapid rise of high-level yers, many adopted an arrogant attitude toward NPCs. ¡°So fucking rude, greeting us like that,¡± muttered Tiyo. Although Tiyo had been talking to himself, everyone could hear him. The yers turned their gazes toward Tiyo, who shrugged in his usual confident manner. There was slight tension in the air, but it didn¡¯t escte because both sides didn¡¯t step out of line. Crockta could hear the yers murmuring among themselves. ¡°Hold it in. RB won¡¯t leave us alone.¡± ¡°Why do we have to be wary of them? Let¡¯s all get together and strike them. They are really getting on my nerves.¡± ¡°Just wait. We have toy low until we receive an order.¡± ¡®RB¡¯ was the acronym for Rebirth Brotherhood. These yers didn¡¯t seem to get along with them. ¡°Hmm...¡± *** Crockta¡¯s party moved ahead, leaving them behind as they pressed on toward Maird. Before long, they reached the vast and stunning elven city, Maird. ¡®As expected of the city of elves, the cradle of elf yers,¡¯ thought Crockta. Anor¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the sight. Whereas Quantes was a model of meticulous organization achieved through the technological innovations gnomes, Maird was a sprawling city where nature and urban life coexisted. To Anor, who was also an elf, the city¡¯s architecture perfectly matched his taste. Anor couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the entrance and eagerly looked around. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Wow, so cool. Wow...¡± eximed Anor. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not much different from Quantes,¡± said Tiyo. They could freely enter Maird because the city didn¡¯t have any restrictions on visitors, but they nned to leave as soon as Crockta obtained the necessary details from the Information Guild and met Ste. But once they entered the city, the ce was in disarray. To be exact, the atmosphere of the yers was a bit off. Crockta tilted his head curiously. There wasn¡¯t anything different about the citizens of Maird. They were just living their daily lives as the inhabitants of Elder Lord. But yers, the ones with the white stars on their foreheads, were warily surveying the surroundings as if they were watching out for something. With their hands on their weapons, they seemed to be ready to jump into a fight at any moment. Several yers red as they walked past them. There was palpable tension among the yers. ¡°How interesting,¡± muttered Crockta. Something was going on at Maird. ¡°Can you reserve a lodging for us? I will take care of my business first and meet up with you guyster.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°I¡¯m gonna do some sightseeing around the city!¡± said Anor excitedly. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s go together!¡± chimed in Tiyo. Crockta parted with his friends and headed to the shadows of the city littered with shabby pubs. It was where the Information Guild was. He had returned to the headquarters of the Information Guild, where the real men were. ¡°Hahaha, still an inverted triangle,¡± muttered Crockta as he looked at the sign of the pub. He was back at ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ Chapter 138: Regret of the Times

Chapter 138: Regret of the Times

Time was like a river. It is said that after the Shang dynasty fell, Jizi, a loyal subject of the ancient Shang kingdom, passed by the former capital in ruins andmented, ¡°The old pce grounds are abundant with barley, and the rice and millet fields are ripe [1].¡± Although there were certain things one hoped time wouldn¡¯t change, the relentless march of time always altered everything. Even the things we thought wouldst inevitably faded. The new era called it revival instead of downfall, but those who mourned the loss of the past expressed their nostalgia for the ces that evolved and changed. Crockta was no different. As he headed to a corner of ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ he encountered a scent he hadn¡¯t expected to smell at that grungy pub. As the sharpness of the newly sprayed top note stung his nose, he detected a feminine perfume with floral and citrus notes. Laughter seeped out from every corner of the pub and surrounded him. A waitress approached him and asked, ¡°Hello, may I take your order?¡± Crockta looked at her. She was a young, bubbly woman. She handed him a menu, and he saw a list of various dishes he was unfamiliar with. It even hadbo meals or ¡®couple¡¯ meals intended to be shared by multiple people. Amid the investigative confusion, Crockta desperately searched the top of the menu for a dish he recognized. But then a realization washed over him, confirming that he had not been mistaken. ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going¡¯ was no longer the ce he knew. Crockta¡¯s mouth refused to budge, but he forced himself to make an order without even verifying whether the item was on the menu. ¡°Cream spaghetti.¡± The waitress didn¡¯t bat an eye. ¡°...and chopsticks.¡± With a warm smile, the waitress cheerfully replied ¡®got it¡¯ and walked away. Crockta raised his head. No one wasughing at him. Crockta, dumbfounded, slumped down in his seat as if he had gone limp. The sound ofughter erupted from the couple sitting at the table next to him. Behind him, he could hear the murmurs of young men and women getting to know each other. He didn¡¯t know where he was supposed to look. For some reason, he felt embarrassed and ashamed of his current state. Shame and betrayal intermingled and weighed down on his shoulders. Oppa, Where Are You Going? pub had be a fusion pub with a lively atmosphere targeted at young people. ¡°Here¡¯s your cream spaghetti. Enjoy!¡± The chopsticks that came with the cream spaghetti were neatly aligned on top of a stand next to the dish. Crockta gazed at it. Even the chopstick had its pair and a designated spot to hold them. But what about him? He picked up the chopsticks and stabbed the cream spaghetti with them as if he was aiming with a sword. Notwithstanding his hostility, the noodles softly coiled around the chopsticks. Crockta slowly chewed on the spaghetti. It was good, which made him even more sad. ¡®An orc eating cream spaghetti... What a clown.¡¯ Suddenly, he flinched and turned his head. He looked around him, but he couldn¡¯t see who said it. ¡®I thought cream spaghetti was something only women ate? Hahahah.¡¯ He tried to suppress his memories that seemed like they had just happened yesterday and continued moving his chopsticks. ¡®Why don¡¯t you order strawberry juice and kiwi parfait while you are at it? Haha.¡¯ Now, those voices just echoed in his head. Instead, he heard mundane conversations like: ¡°that cream spaghetti looks delicious,¡± ¡°oppa, should we get that as well,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know they had that on the menu,¡± and ¡°that dish goes really well with wine.¡± ¡®The old pce grounds are abundant with barley, and the rice and millet fields are ripe.¡¯ Crockta loudly chewed the cream spaghetti and quickly finished it. He then used thest strand of cream spaghetti to form an inverted triangle and waited in silence. ¡°Hey, orc.¡± It was the voice from his memory. Crockta got up from his seat. The man who was both the owner of ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ and the manager of the Maird branch of the Information Guild had arrived. The two did not greet each other. Crockta wanted to me him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything when he saw the mncholy look in the man¡¯s eyes. He could tell that they shared the same feelings just from the look in his eyes. ¡°Come here.¡± The man led Crockta away from the scene. *** Although the interior had changed, the secret passage was the same asst time. They went past the door located inside the pub and entered the basement. The lighting on the ceiling was covered to darken the room, which resembled an interrogation scene. The two sat across each other. At least this ce hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°Even though not much time has passed, you¡¯ve be so famous since thest time we met,¡± said the owner cheerfully. Crockta replied with indifference. ¡°A lot of time has passed. Enough for certain things to change.¡± The owner smiled bitterly. He quickly changed the subject. ¡°Well, anyway... Aren¡¯t you here because of your enemy, the Haedong Balhae n, the group cursed by the stars? Since we¡¯ve received enough information from you, I will hand you what we know without holding back. As the Conqueror of the North, you are a valuable connection for us.¡± ¡°How did you know about that?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°A divine message came to the temple. All of the gods whispered your name and said that you prevented a terrible war from happening and conquered the north. Crockta, the hero of the north, who killed the mad chieftain.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡®Makes sense.¡¯ The continent probably had beings like the Ashen God, the World Tree, or the Chaos that he killed. His achievements had be known to yers through a system-wide message, and to the citizens of Elder Lord, via a divine message. The man handed him a document. Crockta scanned the information. As expected, the remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n had joined the Heaven and Earth n. The master of the Haedong Balhae n and the traitor Grom¡ªno, Hyun-Chul, had be leaders of the Heaven and Earth n. The n was achieving their victories bybining thebat abilities of Rommel, Choi Han-Sung, known as the genius of war, with their political maneuvers and cunning tactics. In the south, they were instigating more wars by conspiring with nobles and aiming for more profits. As expected of an Information Guild, they had collected a lot of information while he was in the north. There were several documents. Some of them included predictions about the n¡¯s future activities. ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± muttered Crockta. The owner tilted his head in confusion at Crockta¡¯sment. ¡°Shame? Is it not enough? You can¡¯t get information like this anywhere else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the information. The information is great.¡± The owner became quiet. He knew fully well what Crockta was referring to. ¡°Let¡¯s continue doing business together. Thank you for the information,¡± said Crockta. ¡°...you¡¯re wee.¡± They rose from their seats. The branch manager of the Information Guild rubbed his chin and called Crockta again. ¡°Wait, one more thing.¡± He pushed his hand inside the small hole in the wall behind him through where the guild members handed him information. From there, he pulled out a new document and handed it to Crockta. ¡°A gift.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± wondered Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s for the orc warrior who saved the continent.¡± Crockta took the single-page documentbeled as ¡®uncertain.¡¯ ¡°We don¡¯t distribute uncertain information, but I will make an exception this time. We aren¡¯t certain yet, but you should know just in case.¡± As Crockta skimmed over the information, his eyes widened in shock. The contents of the document were shocking. The Heaven and Earth n was not only sweeping through the continent but was preparing for a huge war, and their target was none other than the orcs of Orcrox and the continent. Humans and orcs didn¡¯t have a good rtionship. From the age of Leyteno, the renowned ¡®Master of the Greatsword,¡¯ they had been inbat, and their adversarial rtionship passed down like tradition. The n nned to exploit the poor rtionship between humans and orcs and instigate a huge war by sowing discord between the two species. It wasn¡¯t enough that they killed Lenox. They nned topletely snuff out orcs. This would be just another quest or game content to them. Crockta gritted his teeth. He now had another reason to destroy the n. ¡°Thank you.¡± The owner extended his hand. Crockta extended his as well, and they shook hands. The two exchanged looks and then went up to the pub. Even at a second nce, the scene looked unfamiliar to Crockta. ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ had been created to hide the Information Guild, but it had now exceeded its simple purpose of disguise. As the business went under strain and underground organizations grew increasingly mainstream, the Information Guild was forced to pursue profits to keep afloat. Now, the pub was no longer just a front but a legitimate business. Crockta knew that the owner hade to such a decision after much thought, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel saddened by the changes ¡°...The pub has changed a lot,¡±mented Crockta ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. We fell on hard times.¡± Amid the lively atmosphere, Crockta saw crowds of happy couples and young folks exchanging nces with flushed faces and enjoying their youth and acknowledged that times had changed. ¡®Even the moon waxes and wanes.¡¯ Perhaps the age of real men didn¡¯tst because their hearts were overflowing with male vigor. ¡°Hey.¡± Crockta looked at the branch manager of the Information Guild¡ª no, the owner of the pub, with sorrowful eyes and asked, ¡°Do you still serve whole roasted suckling pig?¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to have a whole roast pig and chow it down like a real man...¡± The owner¡¯s eyes twitched. He couldn¡¯t look Crockta in the eye and dropped his head. He hesitated as if something was stuck in his throat and then managed to utter, ¡°That dish...¡± He smiled bitterly and continued, ¡°That dish is no longer on the menu.¡± Times had changed. The stories of real men who mocked cream spaghetti, showed contempt for sweet drinks, swallowed greasy meat with hard liquor, and proudly exposed their ample chest hair by unbuttoning their shirts had trulye to an end. ¡°I see,¡± replied Crockta with a nod. ¡°Just whiskey then. By the bottle.¡± The owner handed him a bottle of whiskey, and Crockta paid him and unscrewed the cap. He then took a sip straight out of the bottle. ¡°Oh my, look at him...!¡± ¡°God, what is it? You mean that orc?¡± ¡°He¡¯s drinking it straight from the bottle. Wo. Even though it¡¯s hard liquor.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± Crockta smirked. ¡®Youngds. There was a time when you would be the subject of ridicule if you couldn¡¯t do this. It was the age of real men.¡¯ Crockta decided to get going. Step by step, he went past the bright lights of the pub and saw the bright faces of young couples entering the pub. As he saw the smiling faces of men and women smiling at each other with affection in their eyes, he suddenly realized that this wasn¡¯t too bad after all. It could even be a good thing. Crockta pushed open the door of the pub and walked out. As the door closed behind him, a cold gust of wind greeted him. He was nowpletely out of the world of the pub. In the streets of Maird, the wind continued to rustle past him. He saw Maird¡¯s nightlife in the distance. Somewhere amid the iridescent lights, drunkards wandering the streets, and people heading home as they hoped for a better tomorrow, Crockta knew that the men from his memories were continuing onward with their lives. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be sad.¡± The transformation of ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ into a vibrant fusion pub didn¡¯t mean that their spot had vanished entirely. Under the nightlife in the distance, they were still walking the path of real men. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit nostalgic.¡± Crockta raised his bottle of whiskey. The liquid sloshed inside because he hadn¡¯t finished it yet. Crockta tilted the bottle and poured it down the street. The liquor began to slowly drench the streets of Maird. ¡°For the real men who are no longer here.¡± He poured all of the contents of the bottle down the street as he mourned the past. As he remembered the beautiful times he shared with the spirited men, he offered a toast to bygone times. 1. Jizi is a Chinese sage described as a rtive of Di Xin, thest king of the Shang dynasty ? Chapter 139: Papillon

Chapter 139: Papillon

¡°Nothingsts forever,¡± muttered Crockta. He was at the age when he understood the inevitability of change in the world, yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter about the truth. ¡°The world...and people change.¡± He was walking listlessly back to his lodging from ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯ pub. He drank a sip of the cheap beer he bought on the streets as he whistled and drunkenly staggered into a back alley. ¡°You are right.¡± Crockta turned around at the sudden voice. A drunk man was taking a swig of liquor. ¡°Nothingsts forever,¡± he repeated. Crockta assessed him with his drunken eyes. The man had a star on his forehead and was a respectable high-level yer based on his aura and nice clothing. He could even be more than a high-level yer; though for Crockta, it made little difference. He didn¡¯t really distinguish between yers based on their levels because he was way stronger than them. ¡°Did someone betray you too?¡± asked the drunken man. ¡°Betrayed...¡± Crockta had expected the Information Guild to maintain its cool atmosphere. He never doubted for a second that the pub would forever remain a refuge for men, but the continued deficit had transformed the pub. There was no longer a trace of its old self. Yet, could he call it betrayal? ¡®Life has always been unpredictable.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t been betrayed. He had just passed a segment of life. He was no longer a child who had big expectations and was inevitably disappointed. He was an adult who could calmly acknowledge the ways of the world. Instead of replying to the question, Crockta asked, ¡°Who betrayed you?¡± He knew the man had been waiting for the question. Drunk men struck up conversations with strangers with the hope that someone would lend them a listening ear. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been betrayed,¡± he replied. ¡°When I was sessful, everyone wanted to be around me, but once I fell rock bottom, no one was by my side.¡± Crockta nodded. It was amon story. People who yed with the stock market often experienced drastic financial downturns. ¡°I thought she would help me get back on my feet if I fell, but she kicked and crushed me. She never really loved me.¡± ¡®Ah, he was talking about a breakup, not money.¡¯ Crockta sighed. ¡°Form is emptiness, and the very emptiness is form...¡± The man dropped his head as if he didn¡¯t hear what Crockta had just said. ¡°But I still can¡¯t hate her...¡± ¡°Cheer up.¡± Crockta wanted to console him, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. So he said the most appropriate and meaningless thing he could say to someone who was going through a breakup. ¡°There are lots of fish in the sea.¡± The man¡¯s shoulders trembled inughter. He staggered and leaned against the wall to find his bnce. ¡°Ah, I want to get wasted tonight.¡± ¡°You already seem pretty drunk,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Do you want to grab a drink together?¡± Crockta thought about it. Tiyo and Anor were probably asleep by now. He nodded. ¡°That would be nice.¡± He wasn¡¯t sleepy and craved another drink. On his way to ¡®Oppa, Where Are You Going?¡¯, he had expected to drink all night like a real man, but the pub was no longer the ce he knew. Thus, he decided to go along with this stranger¡¯s suggestion. With their arms wrapped around each other¡¯s shoulders, they trod into the darkness. Crocktater discovered that the man had a surprisingly high tolerance for alcohol. *** ¡°Ugh...¡± Crockta woke up with a pounding headache. He looked up and saw an unfamiliar ceiling with exposed concrete. He slowly got up and sifted through his memories. He remembered drinking with the manst night, but he couldn¡¯t clearly remember what happened afterward. He drank too much, and when he woke up, he was in some ce he didn¡¯t recognize. He was inside a prison cell. Crockta calmly sat on the edge of his bed and looked at the sturdy steel bars blocking him. He caressed his chin. He was empty-handed. He couldn¡¯t find his precious Ogre yer. He still had the Belt of Despair at his waist because it couldn¡¯t part from him, but he had lost anything that could be a weapon. He closed his eyes and recalled hisst memory. He had continued to drink with that mysterious man, who had rambled on about his past lover and how beautiful and amazing she was. Then, like every drunkard post-breakup, he started to badmouth her for turning her back on him. Crockta listened to all of hismentations as he drank. Then, the man invited Crockta to his lodging because it was gettingte. He suggested Crocktae over, so they could share a few more drinks. Crockta agreed and followed him, but he didn¡¯t remember what happened afterward. ¡°I¡¯m a logical orc. Hmm, let¡¯s think about it step by step,¡± muttered Crockta. Sometimes talking to himself helped him organize his thoughts. ¡°Did that guy approach mest night to deceive me?¡± ¡®No, he seemed genuine.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t possible to fake such a pitiful attitude about love. The man had repeatedly teared up while calling his ex-lover¡¯s name but would do aplete 180 and suddenly cuss about her, only to return to reminiscing about her. His pathetic attitude could only be from someone who genuinely had a lot of unresolved feelings about a past love. ¡°Then was I kidnapped on the way to the man¡¯s house?¡± Crockta searched through his memories. He faintly remembered clinking sses with the man inside a room. With a flushed face, the man wrapped his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulder and said that despite losing his woman, it was an honor to drink with such a cool orc. Crockta had definitely gone to his house, but something happened afterward. Was he ambushed or...? Crockta approached the steel bars. He looked around his surroundings. He thought he saw a shadow moving in the light across the hallway. Was the ward over there? Crockta shouted, ¡°Hello? I just woke up. Can someonee and exin? Ahem!¡± He cleared his throat. His breath smelled like alcohol from drinking excessivelyst night. Was that man fromst night okay? The sound of footsteps grew louder. Crockta returned to his bed and sat down. He had to give the impression ofposure because he didn¡¯t know what kind of situation he was in. He even chided the person approaching him in the distance. ¡°You are so slow.¡± Of course, he was actually very calm, not just pretending. He was intrigued by the whole situation. He was a warrior who had reached the realm of Heroes and a chieftain who brought peace to the north. He was a powerhouse unfazed by adversity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± But Crockta couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock. He had really missed the mark this time. The man standing in front of him was the pathetic dude who talked shit about his past lover while drinking with Crocktast night. The man stood outside the bars with other yers. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that things turned out like this,¡± said the man, deadpan. He was cold and business-like. Was that his true self? Crockta grinned. Although the man had shown his vulnerable side because he was drunk and heartbroken, he usually put on a cold and objective face in front of others. He skimmed over Crockta with a nk face and nodded. ¡°What a coincidence,¡± he remarked. ¡°Did you get over your girlfriend already?¡± asked Crockta. Crockta tried to provoke him, but he refused to give in. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are really Crockta. The Conqueror of the North drinking by himself at a back alley...you don¡¯t live up to your reputation.¡± Crockta calmly pieced together the information he had. He was no longer just a nameless orc warrior. Because of Laney¡¯s videos, his appearance was well-known among yers, and the system-wide message about Crockta had elevated his reputation. He was known as a hero who killed the crazy northern chieftain and an adventurer who broke down the northern barrier with Shakhan. Most knew Crockta¡¯s name. Kenzo had been the exception. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the n member who recognized your face, I would have just assumed you were a drunk, lonely orc.¡± ¡°You knew who I was and chose to lock me up?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The fact that they imprisoned Crockta even though they knew who he was meant that they had a reason to hate him. ¡°We are going to issue a warning to Rebirth or whatever they are called.¡± The Rebirth Brotherhood was an organization created because of Crockta. Overnight, Crockta had enlightened three rude yers who were now trying to change the ways of Elder Lord. Thus, they didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with other rude yers or ns. And the prime adversary n was... ¡°We will teach them that any target of the Heaven and Earth n will end up like you.¡± The self-proimed most powerful n, the Heaven and Earth n, was known for ruthlessly pushing their agenda and wiping out those who opposed them. ¡°I will introduce myself again, my name is Edgar, and I manage the Maird branch of the Heaven and Earth n.¡± ¡°What? You are the pathetic dude who got dumped by a girl and cried all night?¡± The n members looked bewildered at what Crockta had said as if Edgar would never do such a thing. Edgar¡¯s face twitched in annoyance, but he quickly regained hisposure. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to engage in conversation with an NPC like you. We will execute you as soon as possible. Just wait. We will send your head to your Rebirth friends.¡± Crockta shrugged and tilted his head in mock confusion. ¡°NPC? What does that mean? Why do those cursed by the stars keep calling us NPCs?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. It just means that you are fake. It doesn¡¯t matter if you die.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I die? Your moral standards leave much to be desired.¡± Crockta got up and walked up to the steel bars. The n members took a step back, but Edgar stood where he was and stared straight back at Crockta. Crockta looked down at him and smirked. ¡°As you said, I¡¯m Crockta. Did you really think you guys could handle me, the Conqueror of the North?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°With these puny steel bars.¡± Crockta grabbed the bars with both hands and exerted his strength with bulging muscles. The faces of the n members turned pale as the gap between the steel bars gradually widened. Crockta had managed to bend the ridiculously sturdy steel bars with his strength. The gap between the steel bars was 1 centimeter wider than before. As expected of a monstrous orc warrior. ¡°...Argh!¡± Crockta mustered all of his strength and managed to separate the bars by an additional 0.5 centimeters. With astounding strength, Crockta had managed to widen the gap between the dense steel bars by a total of 1.5 centimeters. ¡°I-I¡¯m this strong. Are you guys impressed?¡± asked Crockta as he rubbed his sore hands on his thighs. Edgar nodded and acknowledged his strength. ¡°Amazing. The bars are made out of extremely rare and strong steel that has been strengthened by magic and can even imprison an ogre, but you have managed to widen it to a fingernail¡¯s width. I will acknowledge your strength.¡± ¡°If I work harder, I can widen it up to 2 centimeters, so if you don¡¯t want that to happen, treat me with respect.¡± ¡°Will do. Steel bars of such caliber are hard toe by. Please refrain from damaging them further.¡± The n members whispered something to Edgar, who nodded. ¡°Something came up. See youter.¡± Edgar and the Heaven and Earth n members exited the room. Crockta stood in front of the steel bars until their shadowspletely disappeared and then dragged himself back to his bed and plopped down. Then, in a dejected voice, he muttered, ¡°If only I had my sword...¡± Chapter 140: Papillon (2)

Chapter 140: Papillon (2)

Crockta sat on his bed. The steel bars were too hard to be bent wide enough for him to pass through. But suddenly, he got an idea. What if he targeted another spot? He assessed the walls around him. Their rough surface gave them a sturdy look, but perhaps its interior belied its surface. It was possible this wall was constructed from malleable rock that could be carved away like the scene from that famous movie. ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡± Crockta stroked his chin. His escape strategy was simple. He nned to overpower all of them in an instant with his skills during the moment they took him out of his cell or during the actual execution. Crockta didn¡¯t feel a sense of urgency because he was sure they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against him. But he was bored of just sitting still. He decided to do something about his imprisonment because the joy of attaining freedom multiplied through contemtion and repeated trials and failures. ¡°There¡¯s nothing appropriate.¡± There was only a bed inside the prison. It wasn¡¯t a facility designed for long-term imprisonment and didn¡¯t even have a bathroom. Crockta got up from the bed and looked underneath to examine its legs. ¡®Let¡¯s try using that.¡¯ Crockta broke off one of the four legs of the bed. As Crockta¡¯s huge hand grabbed and twisted it, the wooden leg easily broke off. Crack! Crockta began to scratch the wall with the sharp wood splinters that jutted out from his newly acquired stick. It made a loud screeching noise, but it didn¡¯t make a difference. Although the finish of the wall was flimsy, it was definitely made out of sturdy material like concrete. Thus, physical methods proved futile. Nothing¡ªnot the resources, the environment, nor time¡ªcould help him. He decided to pursue another route and execute a psychological escape n. He had to take advantage of somebody. Crockta approached the steel bars and peered outside. He couldn¡¯t see well, but there had to be at least one person guarding this ce somewhere. ¡°Hey,¡± Crockta called out. There was no response. ¡°Hey...¡± He called out in a fatigued, quivering voice to give the impression that he was stricken with fear. ¡°Is anyone there...?¡± He could sense someone flinching in the distance. The person paced in circles as they deliberated, but eventually approached Crockta¡¯s prison cell, only to discover Crockta cowering on his bed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked the person with a star on his forehead. He had a weak aura and was dressed in tattered clothing. He appeared to be an average yer with a low-ranking position in the Heaven and Earth n. But he straightened his chest and made a pretense of being calm even though he was obviously nervous to face the famous orc warrior Crockta. Crockta curled up his body pitifully. ¡°Hey...will I...really...be executed...?¡± he asked with teary eyes. Who could imagine him as the frightening orc warrior and chieftain who conquered the north and wiped out all of the yers who opposed him? The guard felt sorry for Crockta. His face softened. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I still have so much left to do...my gold and riches are still there...¡± Crockta did a facepalm and muttered to himself to pique the guard¡¯s interest. Gold and riches never failed to stir people¡¯s hearts. ¡°Ah...I...¡± Crockta tried to create the impression that he was painfully reminiscing about the past. The guard looked at Crockta with pity thanks to his method of acting skills. Crockta¡¯s face suddenly stiffened, and he leaped up from the bed as he emitted a frightening aura. The guard took a step back with trembling legs. There weren¡¯t many who could endure the force of Crockta¡¯s murderous intent. The guard was about to take leave at Crockta¡¯s sudden change in demeanor when Crockta said, ¡°People die anyway. I don¡¯t have any regrets about the path I have taken. But it¡¯s too bad that I have been unable to impart the orcs¡¯ secret Heavenly Demon Sword Art to future generations!¡± Crockta possessed the unwavering gaze of a man who had embraced death as his fate. Crockta looked at the guard, who stared at Crockta with a nk look on his face. ¡°I will soon die in your hands. I have taken a lot of lives, so I don¡¯t feel too wronged about this whole situation.¡± Bravely facing death always seeded in moving people. ¡°I was destined to meet you at death. Although you aren¡¯t an orc, would you receive my teaching and pass on the orcs¡¯ secret Heavenly Demon Sword Art to future generations?¡± The guard¡¯s eyes widened in shock. If someone had read a martial arts novel before, they would understand the situation he was in. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Moreover, the orc in front of him wasn¡¯t just a regr orc. Every Elder Lord yer knew who he was. Before the epic quest even began, Crockta had made news by snuffing out the darkness behind it, eliciting the resentment of other yers. He was an orc of righteousness who even had a group of followersposed of yers. He was the most famous NPC in existence¡ªCrockta, the Conqueror of the North. It would be rather bizarre if such a being were executed without a grand event. The guard began to interpret the situation ording to his hopes. ¡®I see, this is a type of special quest or event. That orc is trying to pass down everything important to him before he is removed from the game. Whether human or artificial intelligence, it would be a natural psychological response to try to leave their legacy behind in the face of death. The opportunity to inherit the legacy of Elder Lord¡¯s greatest warrior hade to him!¡¯ ¡°I....¡± ¡°But!¡± But Crockta beat him to it. He had to set a condition to give him the impression that it wouldn¡¯t be an easy ordeal. Humans coveted what was harder to obtain. They craved an appropriate level of difficulty that was arduous but eventually attainable. ¡°But only if you swear that you will teach the secret Heavenly Demon Sword Art to other orcs. I entrust this secret martial arts technique to you. The tradition must continue.¡± To the guard, who was already blinded by greed, the condition didn¡¯t matter to him. It actually kindled the fire of greed inside him. ¡°Will you be able to keep the promise?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I swear!¡± ¡°Then, tell me your name. I¡¯m Crockta, your teacher.¡± The guard had already begun imagining himself as a high-ranker who speeded through the streets in a shy sports car. All of the celebrities would want to meet him, and everyone would gasp in awe when they heard his name. His life wouldpletely change as a famous yer who didn¡¯t pale inparison to ¡®Rommel¡¯ Choi Han-Sung, the master of the Heaven and Earth n. He would host extravagant parties in his mansion and have beautifuldies by his side. He envisioned a sweet life where everyone respected him. Now, he would begin the next phase of his life as ¡®high-ranker Lee Jung-Min.¡¯ ¡°Crockta-nim! My name is Lee Jung-Min!¡± he shouted. ¡°What a great name. Now do a full kowtow and let the heavens and the earth know your will to serve me as your master.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Crockta looked at Lee Jung-Min, who was bowing without any hesitation. Crockta had requested nine head knockings that only came out in wuxia, but he didn¡¯t doubt Crockta at all. Laughter seeped out from his lips. Greed made people blind. After Lee Jung-Min bowed nine times, he got up as he gasped for breath. ¡°I¡¯m done, Master.¡± ¡°Good. Come closer and bow your head. I will give you a blessing.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jung-Min didn¡¯t doubt Crockta at all. ¡®How could they leave someone like him as a guard? The future of the Heaven and Earth n is grim.¡¯ Lee Jung-Min lowered his head. ¡°Please take good care of me, Master!¡± ¡°Yes. Come closer.¡± ¡°Ah, this is the closest....¡± Lee Jung-Min, who had a big head, was unable to push his header deeper in between the bars. Crockta nodded with a look of pity on his face. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Then, he ran to the bars like the wind and wrapped his hand around Jung-Min¡¯s neck by extending his hand outside the bars. ¡°...Ahhh!¡± Lee Jung-Min iled as Crockta raised him up in the air. Crocktaughed cruelly. ¡°What an idiot! Can¡¯t believe you were tricked so easily. You have a walnut in your head instead of a brain!¡± ¡°You d-deceived m-me...! Ack...!¡± ¡°What do you mean I deceived you? It¡¯s your fault for falling for it. Life is a stage for liars. You need to maintain yourposure and re at the truth. You fool!¡± Jung-Min¡¯s consciousness began to drift away. ¡°If you treat m-me like this...you will regret it...¡± ¡°Ohh?¡± Crockta twisted his neck even harder. ¡°Come on, make me regret it.¡± ¡°Ack...ahh...re...gre....¡± Then, Jung-Min wentpletely limp. Crockta collected the set of keys hanging from Jung-Min¡¯s waist and tossed his corpse onto the ground. His body began to turn into white particles. The dead couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Haha, try making me regret it now.¡± Crockta, impressed by his own acting skills and wiles, hummed a song as he inserted a key into the lock of the steel bars. The prison door opened. He had seeded in escaping. ¡°Hahahahaha, hahahahaha! Who could ever lock me up?!¡± Then, he grinned at Jung-Min¡¯sst disintegrating particle. ¡°Did you say you were Lee Jung-Min?¡± Crockta felt pity for him. Jung-Min had fallen for the glimmer of hope that had shed in front of him. But hope was what motivated people to leave their current states and push ahead toward the future. The glimmer of hope is what motivated Crockta to perform method acting and escape from these terrible steel bars. If he hadn¡¯t attempted an escape with hope in his heart, then he would have been depressed and locked up until he created a ruckus during his execution. What a terrible time it would have been. Crockta spread his arms and closed his eyes. Then, he relished the freedom that wrapped around him and muttered a famous line from his beloved movie. ¡°Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies [1].¡± He suddenly remembered Lee Jung-Min¡¯sst warning to make him regret it. Crockta smirked and headed outside the prison cell. Then, he suddenly tripped and banged his nose against the ground. ¡°Ahh!¡± His nose started bleeding. He had fully smashed his nose against the ground, so a stinging pain ran up his face. He clutched his nose for a while and whimpered. ¡°Strange.¡± It was unusual for Crockta to lose his bnce. After he regained hisposure, Crockta continued walking toward the exit when a torch on a wall suddenly fell and stabbed his foot. ¡°Ahh!¡± The me began spreading. Crockta jumped on one foot and quickly put out the fire. He scowled at the surging pain. ¡°What is this...!¡± Crockta, who had been thrashing around with his eyes closed, couldn¡¯t see what was in front of him and ended up ramming his head against the wall. ¡°Ack!¡± He fell to the ground. Crockta began questioning why all of these unbelievable things were happening. Was it just a coincidence? Crockta, who had been swept into this unexpected situation, closed his eyes and calmed his breath. He tried to ease the pain as he murmured an apology to someone unknown. ¡°S-sorry...¡± Crockta slowly got up. When he went to the spot where the guard used to be, he saw a table and several items. His beloved Ogre yer was there as well. He quickly slung it over his back. Something big must have happened as Edgar had mentioned. He didn¡¯t detect any presence nearby except for the poor guard who had died in Crockta¡¯s hands. ¡°Nice.¡± Crockta began running toward the exit. Now, nothing could stop him. It was time to punish Edgar, who pretended to be cold and rational but was actually the type to cry like a loser after being dumped by a girl. *** ¡°What is this saying?¡± eximed Tiyo. They were touring Maird and had arrived at the ¡®Coin Fountain,¡¯ the hottest local attraction of the city located in the public square. Because of the myth that if one threw a coin and made a wish at the fountain, the wish woulde true, the fountain always glistened with coins from citizens and tourists. All of the money gathered there was given to the first-aid station of the temple to help those in need. Tiyo noticed an information sign in front of the Coin Fountain. [The one who started this tradition is orc warrior Crockta, who appeared out of nowhere. He guided the three evildoers and told them, ¡°Make this into a fountain of good deeds and use it to help the underprivileged.¡± After meeting Crockta, the three disciples had a change of heart and spread the word about the Coin Fountain to help those in need, thus providing sce to the citizens of Maird while giving assistance to the needy.] ¡°...Is this Crockta the Crockta we know?¡± ¡°No way. The Crockta we know isn¡¯t kind and smart like this Crockta.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true! I was deceived!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They just have the same name. Hehe.¡± Then, they each tossed a coin into the fountain and turned away. ¡°Then, is this Crockta the same as that Crockta?¡± Announcements were scattered all over the square. Pedestrians saw them but just went past them. The contents were as follows: [We have captured Crockta, the enemy of the Heaven and Earth n! We will execute him on the ins outside Maird. Anyone who takes a stand against the Heaven and Earth n will meet the same fate. Today at noon, we will carry out the execution.] Anor tilted his head. ¡°Probably not. That Crockta seems weakpared to this Crockta. How could they capture Crockta, hahaha. Did Calmaharte back from the dead?¡± ¡°Hahaha. You are right. That Crockta even killed the chieftain. How could he be captured by mere humans? Unless they dragged him away while he was passed out drunk. Hahaha! This Crockta is so pitiful!¡± ¡°Crockta must be amon name,¡± said Anor. ¡°Indeed.¡± Tiyo and Anor chuckled and continued walking. 1. Quote is from Shawshank Redemption ? Chapter 141: When I Was Down

Chapter 141: When I Was Down

Crockta cocked his head as he looked outside. ¡°They really thought they could execute me just like that? How cute,¡± he chuckled. Even if they had captured him, how could they be so confident and broadcast all over the city that they were holding his execution? To what extent had they underestimated him? They had been too rash. ¡°Edgar, is this all you are capable of?¡± Crockta recalled his memories with Edgar, the man he had exchanged drinks with all night and the enemy who had locked him up. Edgar had probably forgotten, but Crockta remembered all of their conversations and thought fondly of him. ¡®He¡¯s a decent guy.¡¯ Crockta even thought highly of Edgar¡¯s swift decision to lock him up after realizing who he was, as well as the detached and businesslike manner he disyed in front of his subordinates. Edgar simply fulfilled his duties. They were just on different sides. He was a man who clearly understood his role. As a leader, he had to quickly kill off the head of the enemy and destroy their symbol. Enemies with low morale didn¡¯t dare resist. But the opponent was Crockta. He had been too hasty. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say a leader was like a fortress?¡± Edgar, in drunken stupor, had said to Crockta, ¡®I¡¯m amander. A leader is a fortress. Who would want to be inside a shaky castle that would copse from a gust of wind? I have to be an unshakeable fortress and be cold and firm. It¡¯s tough at times, but I must endure it as a man!¡¯ Did the heavy fortress have apse in judgment in the face of a powerhouse like Crockta? ¡°It¡¯s understandable. People tend to get hasty when dealing with a heavy hitter like me. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± said Crockta as he nodded. He had been nning to dere war on the Heaven and Earth n anyway. If they wanted to execute him that badly, he would go to them himself. ¡°Hey.¡± Crockta approached a yer who had been surreptitiously observing him from the sidelines. He looked familiar. He was probably one of the n members who had been by Edgar¡¯s side. The yer thought he had been discreet, so he was taken aback when Crockta suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder. Crockta grinned at him to ease his nerves, but the yer¡¯s face turned deathly pale. ¡°Did you guys really think you could stop me with some steel bars?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°How...¡± ¡°Tell Edgar I won¡¯t run,¡± said Crockta as he tapped on the hilt of his Ogre yer. ¡°I will show up at the location you guys mentioned, so let¡¯s have a proper showdown. If you guys win, it would be a great execution, as you have broadcasted.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to back out if you are scared. If that¡¯s all you guys amount to,¡± chuckled Crockta. The yer stared at Crockta with a nk face and then grinned confidently. ¡°Hey, orc. You really don¡¯t know anything about the Heaven and Earth n. We will wipe that smirk off your face.¡± ¡°How brave. Love the confidence.¡± Crockta grinned back. Then, he raised his fist and struck the yer¡¯s forehead. Crockta deliberately struck him with raised knuckles, so it would hurt even more. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± For a while, the yer clutched his forehead in pain. ¡°What did you do that for?¡± ¡°Do you have a problem?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°...¡± ¡°Know your ce,¡± warned Crockta. He had responded with violence. The yer¡¯s bravado got on his nerves, and afterall, this was Elder Lord, where fists ruled over thew. The yer trembled in anger because he knew he couldn¡¯t put up a fight against Crockta. Instead, he shook his finger indignantly at Crockta and then ran off. ¡°S-see youter!¡± Crocktaughed uproariously as he watched him flee. *** A group of humans appeared in the ins outside Maird. The warrior in the lead was none other than Edgar. As he waved the g of the Heaven and Earth n, the yers behind him cheered. Each time the Heaven and Earth g appeared, the battlefield turned to chaos. All Elder Lord yers were in awe of the legendary g that symbolized the strongest n in Elder Lord. ¡°Even Crockta wouldn¡¯t be able to take all of us on,¡± said Edgar¡¯s underling. Edgar nodded. His expression was cold as usual. ¡°The mercenaries we gathered on short notice are quite the bunch,¡± he continued. The n had used their funds to gather those who could participate inbat. ¡°We can¡¯t let our guard down,¡± warned Edgar. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Our opponent is the Crockta....¡± Edgar nced around him. He didn¡¯t sense their presence yet. ¡°And the Rebirth Brotherhood will be here soon.¡± They had publicly advertised Crockta¡¯s execution to provoke the Rebirth brothers. Although the Rebirth brothers had begun to expand their influence outside Maird, they were not the biggest n. However, they were a tight-knitmunity and managed to disrupt the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s activities at each and every step. Most of the Heaven and Earth n members in Maird were tasked with keeping the Rebirth brothers at bay. If possible, they nned to fully decimate Crockta and the Rebirth Brotherhood. Edgar had ruthlessly trained his n members and made them level up for this day. The leading members of the Heaven and Earth n had appointed him as the manager of the Maird branch because they believed in him, and he would yield the oue they desired. ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± remarked Edgar. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Even though the scheduled time of the event had arrived, Crockta was nowhere to be seen, and the sun was beginning to set. The n members began to noisily murmur among themselves. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited,¡± warned Edgar. He tried to calm everyone down. ¡°Is he imitating Miyamoto Musashi or what?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know about Miyamoto Musashi, but Crockta is a true fighter who has experienced countless battles. He could be intuitively aiming for that same effect,¡± replied Edgar. The Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi was deliberately tardy to the duel with Sasaki Kojiro to disrupt hisposure so that he could have the psychological upper hand in the impending battle. They didn¡¯t know whether the story was true, but Crockta¡¯s tardiness was having the same effect. Some soldiers were agitated, and others were starting to get worked up. ¡°Is there a chance he might note?¡± Edgar was silent. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Crockta didn¡¯te. They had been convinced by his reputation as an honorable warrior, but he could have lured them and gone elsewhere... Edgar looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. The announced time had passed. They had gathered all of the n members stationed in Maird¡¯s headquarters, but they were only able to gather a small army because minimal personnel were staffed in each station. But they were too few in number to put up a fight against Crockta. If they lost today, they would suffer substantial losses they wouldn¡¯t be able to recover from. Crockta had tricked Lee Jung-Min and escaped from prison. He wasn¡¯t just a strong, honorable warrior. He was a true fighter who could resort to cunning tactics. Although he was known as the orc of justice, he could be insidious in real life. In order to minimize risk, Edgar decided to withdraw his personnel. ¡°Let¡¯s go... But he was unable to continue. A group was walking toward them in the distance with the loud thud of nging steel armor. Edgar sighed. ¡°They havee as well.¡± The party was approaching them while waving a g with the word Rebirth written on it. There was not a single person in the Maird region who didn¡¯t recognize the famous Rebirth g. ¡°They are an eclectic bunch as usual,¡± said Edgar¡¯s subordinate. Unlike the Heaven and Earth n members, who had matching uniforms and equipment, the Rebirth Brotherhood members were dressed in diverse attire. The Heaven and Earth n red at them, and the Rebirth Brotherhood red back. ¡°Everyone, watch out.¡± The members of the Rebirth Brotherhood stood in front of them. Because they wereposed of previously rude yers who changed their ways or those who wanted to performmunity service within the game, they werecking in equipment and military prowesspared to the Heaven and Earth n. But armed with determination, they were an even match against the great Heaven and Earth n. They didn¡¯t retreat. Besides, the one who led their Maird branch was Robina, a hunter ss rumored to be a member of the national archery team. She came forward and said to Edgar, ¡°It¡¯s hard to see your face these days.¡± She smiled. Edgar didn¡¯t smile back. ¡°Where is Crockta-nim? I heard there was an orc wandering around in Maird, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be Crockta himself. You have him, right?¡± said Robina as she nced around. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He escaped.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows, but seeing Edgar¡¯s deadpan face, she beganughing. ¡°Hahahahaha, I saw iting. How could you guys capture Crockta?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°How boring.¡± She shrugged. ¡°As always, you never fail to disappoint me.¡± Edgar¡¯s face twitched. Instead of responding, he closed his eyes and tried to restrain his emotions. He imagined a sereneke with a still surface devoid of any ripples. He couldn¡¯t let his emotions get the best of him. It never yielded good results. ¡°Robina-nim, let¡¯s have a round without Crockta. Seeing that traitor¡¯s face disgusts me,¡± said the man by Robina¡¯s side. Right then, all of the Heaven and Earth n members raised their weapons in unison. ¡°Shut up. We will kill you on the spot if you continue to talk to Edgar-nim like that.¡± ¡°We will execute the concrete method on you and make you cry like a baby.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kill him, Edgar-nim.¡± When Edgar opened his eyes, his vision naturally focused on Robina¡¯s face. At one point in their lives, they used to be together. Edgar used to be a member of the Rebirth Brotherhood. ¡°We nned to get rid of Crockta and you guys anyway,¡± said Edgar. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thest warning. Hand over all of your assets and leave Maird or expect some rough times ahead.¡± It was a request that could only be rejected. As soon as Edgar finished his sentence, the Heaven and Earth n members prepared for battle. The cold des of their spears shed under the sunlight. ¡°Do you really have to do this?¡± asked Robina as she took a step back. Her hand went for her quiver. Her talent was in rapid shooting. Once Edgar let his guard down, the arrow would immediately depart from the bowstring. ¡°Back then, I didn¡¯t know you were a man like this. I¡¯m so disappointed,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°Disappointed...¡± Edgar reyed her words in his mind, and then he too beganughing. Although his lungs and diaphragm were shaking in the form ofughter, he wasn¡¯t reallyughing. He merely curved his lips and shook off the feelings that circled in his chest. ¡°Yeah, how could we understand each other?¡± muttered Edgar as he drew his sword. The momentum of the n members behind him pushed him forward. The exhration of battle surged within him, but he didn¡¯t get worked up. The fact that he hadrades he could trust calmed him down. He looked around at the members of the Rebirth Brotherhood. At one point, they were together, but now, they were looking at Edgar with eyes of hostility. But he turned back to Robina and looked her square in the eye. She was still beautiful. ¡°Heaven and Earth!¡± he shouted. They used to be lovers. She was so special to him. When he had fallen rock bottom, when he couldn¡¯t look at what was around him because of his personal problems, Robina left him without a second thought. However, even her unforgiving demeanor appeared uniquely charming to him, making him feel as though he had lost the rest of his life with a painful sense of longing. But he understood now that he valued himself more than her. He would continue rising up thedder. He would continue upward until he could no longer see her. But he didn¡¯t regret it. He was just a bit disappointed that she couldn¡¯t apany him on the exciting, unique journey of his life. *** ¡°So, those two used to date? Is that what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious based on their conversation? That guy got drunk and told me all sorts of stuff. Hahaha! He rambled on and on about how much he loved her more than his own life. Oh god,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s like a y. How could they be fated so?¡±mented Anor. Hiding behind a rock, Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor were busily munching on popcorn as they observed the battle between the Heaven and Earth n and the Rebirth Brotherhood. The two ns of Elder Lord didn¡¯t realize they were being watched andmenced battle. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± asked Anor. ¡°I think the Heaven and Earth n will win,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Rebirth! Rebirth will win! Look at that woman¡¯s ice-cold gaze! They say a woman¡¯s resentment can bring frost in the summer!¡± eximed Tiyo. Even though it was a fight between two of the most renowned ns in Elder Lord, the battle was unremarkable in the eyes of those who had participated in the great wars of the north. ¡°It¡¯s not that interesting to watch because they are so few in number,¡±mented Tiyo. The battle was small in scalepared to the desperate struggle between the great orc army and the dark elves that had overflowed the northern ins. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. War isn¡¯t entertainment,¡± said Anor disapprovingly. ¡°I-I was just joking.¡± ¡°How could you say such a thing, even as a joke?¡± Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor grabbed fistfuls of popcorn as they observed the former lovers attack each other. Edgar chased after Robina, and Robina fired arrows at him as she retreated. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Crockta help since the Heaven and Earth n is our enemy, and the Rebirth Brotherhood is on Crockta¡¯s side?¡± asked Anor. In the first ce, the Rebirth Brotherhood had appeared to rescue Crockta, but Crockta was just watching the battle unfold in front of him. ¡°Whatever,¡± replied Crockta. Edgar staggered as he took a direct hit from Robina¡¯s arrow. Crockta¡¯s eyes glistened with fascination as he loudly munched on popcorn. Watching fights between people with shared history was prime entertainment. He didn¡¯t feel the need to intervene because the conflict was between yers who came back to life even if they died. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna watch for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Tiyo agreed. Anor sighed. Chapter 142: When I Was Down

Chapter 142: When I Was Down

Edgar used to be a member of the Rebirth Brotherhood. He had a good time. In the real world, he was the coach of a youth ser team and the manager of adult ser clubs. When work ended, he enjoyed amazing adventures in the world of Elder Lord, where he became a member of the Rebirth Brotherhood and met Robina. That¡¯s how the two became lovers. But the good days didn¡¯tst. ¡°I misjudged you, didn¡¯t I?¡± asked Robina. ¡°...¡± Robina¡¯s arrow brushed past his cheek. Edgar wiped his cheek and stepped forward. His memories became a jumbled mess in his head. ¡®Misfortunese without warning.¡¯ He had to step down from his coach position. The students he coached had a bullying incident, and he was forced to take responsibility for the case because he didn¡¯t have any connections. While he couldn¡¯t achieve sess as a ser yer, he redirected his aspirations toward bing a world-renowned coach, yet circumstancespelled him to abandon that dream too. To make matters worse, his parents¡¯ business went bankrupt, so every day was a struggle. He had to face reality head on and didn¡¯t have time to y games anymore. He started doing manualbor and various menial jobs to make ends meet. While he initially met Robina through the game, their rtionship blossomed after meeting in person. But he was forced to cut the time he spent with her due to his circumstances. He grew easily irritable, and Edgar, who used to have a leisurely air to him, gradually lost himself. He grew excessively self-conscious of his pitiful state inparison to Robina¡¯s untroubled circumstances. He tried to ignore their disparity, but his struggles to pretend everything was alright wore him down and exacerbated his attitude. Robina quickly noticed the change in Edgar¡¯s behavior. His timid and anxious attitude, along with his constant demands for her affection, had transformed him into apletely different man. Thus, Edgar ended up confessing everything. He told her that he had lost everything and was in deep financial woes. But Robina¡¯s immediate response was, ¡°What, it was all just because of money?¡± Robina, who was from an affluent family and had nevercked anything in her life, couldn¡¯t understand the predicament Edgar was in and how desperate he felt. ¡°Well, I see it now. It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s end things,¡± she said. Her words stung. ¡°I don¡¯t love you anymore.¡± If she had consoled him and smiled at him like she used to, then Edgar could have gotten back on his feet. If she had given him more time without ending the rtionship, he would have been more motivated to confront his challenges, as he would have had a reason to persevere. But such things never happened. Edgar waspletely crushed, but the one who gave him a chance was none other than the Heaven and Earth n. One of the higher-ups of the Heaven and Earth n, impressed by Edgar¡¯s aplishments in the Rebirth Brotherhood, suggested he join them. The Heaven and Earth n was a huge n that ran on a mary system with financial gains. The n paid its members, and the position the leader suggested would provide him with a muchrger ie than he had been earning. Thus, he ended up joining the Heaven and Earth n and was promoted to the position of Maird branch manager after producing favorable results. ¡°I wanted to die back then, but I made it through,¡± muttered Edgar as he took a leap, causing Robina to quickly retreat in response. But he didn¡¯t wish to engage in one-on-onebat with her. He immediately turned around and shed other members of the Rebirth Brotherhood. After all, he was Edgar, a leader of the Heaven and Earth n. Robina, startled by Edgar¡¯s sudden shift, fired an arrow at him, but warriors with shields blocked her attack. They chased after her and tried topletely block her off. This special unit that had learned all about her tactics from Edgar and had devised techniques to effectively counteract her strategies. Once they blocked off Robina, they could easily defeat the Rebirth Brotherhood since the Heaven and Earth n was superior in military force. ¡°Try not to kill them!¡± shouted Edgar. ¡°Execute the concrete method on all of them!¡± Edgar had dered the concrete method. It was a frightening act that prevented yers from using their characters. It had been deemed taboo as a tactic of rude yers, but it was asionally practiced in war between conflicting ns. yers protested and demanded that the Elder Saga Corporation officially ban the practice, but the corporation¡¯s response was always the same: ¡°yers have total freedom!¡± ¡°Do you really n to execute the concrete method on people you used to work with? Are you out of your mind?¡± yelled Robina. Edgar paid no mind. ¡°We are the Heaven and Earth n!¡± he roared. The Heaven and Earth n cried out as they pushed back the Rebirth Brotherhood. The individual prowess of the n¡¯s soldiers was stronger thanks to Edgar training them. They seeded in capturing individual members of the Rebirth Brotherhood. The battle seemed to be ending with victory on the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m gonna rise higher,¡± said Edgar. Edgar vowed to escape the torment of his ex-lover Robina and rise much higher than her. He would seed through Elder Lord. If he continued to rise up the ranks of the Heaven and Earth n, he could be a high-ranker some day. Right then, Edgar heard a familiar voice behind him. It was a deep, rumbling voice. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to get moving.¡± Edgar turned his head. A huge orc was awkwardly hiding behind a rock, and next to him was a small gnome and a dark elf with their heads peeking out. It was Crockta, but he didn¡¯t recognize the two figures next to him. The dark elf met eyes with Edgar and dropped the popcorn he had been munching on in surprise. ¡°Ah, we made eye contact...¡± ¡°Stay calm,¡± whispered Crockta to the clumsy dark elf. ¡°You should keep your head up high as myrade.¡± Crockta nced over at Tiyo who had a habit of walking with his chest puffed out in a cocky manner. As expected, he stood as straight as a rod. ¡®Good. A man should be at that level to stand shoulder to shoulder with me.¡¯ Crockta nodded approvingly and then got up. The orc of justice, the orc of all orcs, the superstar who had a fanclub everywhere he went had revealed himself. ¡°That¡¯s Crockta-nim?¡± ¡°As expected...so dignified...!¡± The Heaven and Earth n stopped as they were executing the concrete method. The faces of the Rebirth brothers who were being tortured by them lit up. The story of Crockta rehabilitating the three founders of the Rebirth Brotherhood was legendary. Crockta, who had disappeared after heading north, had reemerged in Maird. As the rumors said, he was an orc warrior who petrified people with his appearance. He had a rugged face with a fierce gaze, a robust physique, and a body covered in frightening tattoos. He wore a red bandana that symbolized his passion and determination and carried a massive hunk of metal that was too big to be called a sword! They were meeting the man who represented the origin of the Rebirth Brotherhood. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s him...!¡± ¡°Crockta-nim will defeat all of them!¡± The atmospherepletely changed with Crockta¡¯s appearance. Crockta¡¯s appearance had the same awe-inspiring effect on the Heaven and Earth n. They had never fully encountered his aura in its entire glory because they had only seen him locked up in a prison cell. Right now, he had the presence of a tall mountain looming over them. ¡°That¡¯s...Crockta...!¡± But Edgar didn¡¯t cower. Instead, he took a step forward and said, ¡°Quit acting tough when you were whimpering inside your cage not too long ago.¡± He couldn¡¯t lose heart. Edgar ridiculed him to paint him in a negative light. ¡°I will make sure that you and your Rebirth friends will never be able to show your faces in this world again. The Heaven and Earth n is invincible.¡± Crockta grinned widely. ¡®It¡¯s such a waste that a man like him is my enemy.¡¯ Even though Crockta was directing his murderous intent toward him, Edgar was putting on a bold front. Most people would have lost the strength in their legs and dropped to their knees. ¡°Edgar,¡± called out Crockta softly. ¡°When you were drunk, you told me that a leader is a fortress.¡± Edgar¡¯s eyes quivered. Crockta was certain that Edgar clearly remembered the night they had drank too much. ¡°I remember everything you said to me when you were drunk. So I warn you as a friend.¡± Crockta raised his greatsword. It was a ridiculouslyrge sword. The number of enemies that sword shed would amount to mountains of corpses. ¡°The Heaven and Earth n is on the verge of copse.¡± ¡°...!¡± It was a warning akin to a deration of war. ¡°I will get rid of them.¡± Crockta remembered the countless ruins caused by the Heaven and Earth n he had seen on television. War and famine were spreading in Elder Lord. They were increasing the pain of this world without realizing what they were doing. Edgar shook his head. ¡°By yourself? Don¡¯t kid yourself?¡± Edgar made a signal, and the Heaven and Earth n members surrounded Crockta. The Rebirth brothers, in a state unable to fight, could only observe the match. ¡°You will be able to see for yourself whether I¡¯m kidding or not,¡± replied Crockta as he gripped his greatsword. There were quite arge number of them, but he was a warrior who had massacred a huge army on his own in the north. Moreover, he had surpassed the Pinnacle and arrived at the realm of Heroes. This would be a piece of cake. He could defeat them with a smile on his face. ¡°Heaven and Earth n!¡± cried Edgar as he charged. Crockta stood his ground as they charged toward him. They were well organized. Each soldier was trained quite well. They practiced a formation that disyed a thorough understanding of their roles in group battles. With this level of capability, it was understandable why the Rebirth Brotherhood had been helplessly defeated. There weren¡¯t many groups of yers with this level of skill. As he stood still, Crockta zoomed in on Edgar¡¯s face charging toward him. ¡®When I fell rock bottom, what I needed the most was for her to hold my hand, that was it.¡¯ Edgar¡¯s face merged with the memory of him speaking inebriated. ¡®But she kicked me to the curb. I was too weak. It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care about the past anymore.¡¯ Crockta raised his greatsword. He didn¡¯t know how important that woman called Robina was to him. There was no need to know because he wasn¡¯t looking at Edgar from the past, but Edgar who was pointing his sword at him at the present. He was a man desperately fighting to live in the present and climb upward. ¡°What a great spirit!¡± shouted Crockta. Although Edgar was walking a different path than him and was tormenting this world out of ignorance, Crockta liked him. ¡°But it¡¯s still not enough! Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaar!¡± shouted Crockta as he leapt forward. A one-man battle against dozens of enemies unfolded. Crockta charged like a tank as he swung his greatsword. There wasn¡¯t a single opponent who could stop him. Each time he swung his greatsword, the yers ripped apart into pieces and turned into white particles after scattering blood everywhere. It was beautiful. ¡°That¡¯s...Crockta-nim...¡± The members of the Rebirth Brotherhood stared at him, open-mouthed in shock. Crockta was surrounded by numerous enemies, but each time he swung his greatsword, blood gushed out, and white particles scattered in the air. ¡®The Heaven and Earth n might really end in his hands.¡¯ *** ¡°How is it?¡± Now, it was just Crockta and Edgar, the two, remaining. The rest had turned into white particles and disappeared. Edgar was unable to say anything. Despite the NPC¡¯s exceptional reputation, he hadn¡¯t expected to lose so overwhelmingly. Crockta didn¡¯t have a drop of blood on him. He waspletely fine, but all of Edgar¡¯srades had dispersed into white particles. ¡°...I admit defeat,¡± sighed Edgar. It was the end. He would be demoted at the very least due to this incident. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to get another opportunity. He had tried to get promoted after capturing and executing Crockta, but all of his efforts had gone down the drain because of that idiot Lee Jung-Min. No, perhaps they couldn¡¯t handle Crockta in the first ce. No, Edgar could sense that the Heaven and Earth n would soon copse. Having witnessed the extent of Crockta¡¯s powers, Edgar couldn¡¯t think of any way to stop this man. Even if the high-rankers, higher-ups, and the apex Choi Han-Sung came, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop this man. ¡°How meaningless.¡± He believed he had grasped onto a rope and climbed up, but everything had turned to dust. Crockta called out to him. ¡°Edgar, I dered that I will make the Heaven and Earth n fall.¡± ¡°....¡± ¡°Then what will you do?¡± ¡°...!¡± He stared at Crockta. If this man really got rid of the Heaven and Earth n, the world of Elder Lord would be turned upside down. Currently, no one thought Crockta could get rid of the Heaven and Earth n on his own, but Crockta seemed to know the future somehow. Crockta grinned. ¡°Edgar, you said you will always serve me as your brother.¡± ¡°That was just...¡± Crockta drew in closer to Edgar and whispered, ¡°My brother. I will not turn my back on you even if you fall.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°I will extend a hand toward you.¡± Edgar¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He began to choke up, realizing what Crockta meant. He had yearned to hear that someone would be by his side even if he fell rock bottom. If just one person had told him that, then he wouldn¡¯t have been in such pain. If someone had extended a hand toward him, then he wouldn¡¯t have epted the offer from the Heaven and Earth n. ¡°If I had met you just a little earlier...¡± Edgar closed his eyes. He said he didn¡¯t regret it, but he definitely regretted it now. Edgar called out, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Right then, Edgar pierced his throat with his sword. ¡°What?!¡± Blood dripped down from his neck, and he began to dissolve into white particles. Before he was disconnected from the server, Edgar mouthed something to Crockta. Crockta clearly saw it. Tiyo approached Crockta and pped him on the back. ¡°That was a great victory, Crockta.¡± But Crockta didn¡¯t budge. He was thinking about Edgar¡¯sst words. Without a sound, he had said, ¡®Beware of the Heaven and Earth n, Brother.¡¯ Chapter 143: Half-Time

Chapter 143: Half-Time

Yi-An stared out the window of a cafe as a stream of people passed by. They wore lightweight clothes, signaling the arrival of summer. His mind was wandering, so it took him a second to realize that someone was sitting across from him. Yi-An greeted her. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°What are you looking at? You didn¡¯t even realize I was here.¡± ¡°Just...¡± He just stared at Ji Ha-Yeon who tilted her head questioningly at him. Even in the world of Elder Lord, where people could customize their appearances, she had a beauty that was hard to emte. He enjoyed looking at her. ¡°The lighting here is nice, right?¡± She smiled and pointed at her face. The sunlight seeped in through the window and lit up her face. ¡°This is the best spot in the cafe... What?! I can¡¯t believe you like mint chocte. Eww, you have bad taste even though you own a cafe.¡± ¡°All the more reason to expand my taste buds.¡± ¡°But still...not mint chocte. Do you usually drink this?¡± Yi-An took a sip of his mint chocte frappino and asked, ¡°So any updates on the thing I asked for?¡± ¡°You are tantly changing the topic. Well, whatever.¡± She reached into her bag and pulled out a few documents. As Yi-An skimmed over the contents of the document, his expression subtly changed. They didn¡¯t have anything particrly useful. They were about Albino and Myeongsong Group¡¯s attempts to investigate it. Myeongsong Group tried to scan Albino¡¯s internal system to understand it better but everything came out nk. They were unable to even specte how it was constructed because they didn¡¯t know what substance the surface was made out of, and it didn¡¯t have any visible joints. It seemed like an object that had dropped out of outer space. Without any findings, Myeongsong Group delegated research about Albino to Senior Researcher Park Ju-Jin and took their hands off the matter. The only useful information was the personal details of those rted to Albino, not on the system itself. The key figure was Yoo Jae-Han. ¡°It was quite unexpected that Yoo Jae-Han suddenly nned to create Albino. He was initially in apletely different department.¡± ¡°Different department?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t involved inputers or games beforehand. He was a physicist.¡± ¡°A physicist making games?¡± ¡°Although physicists sometimes participate in game development, it¡¯s rare for them to n and produce their own project. No, it¡¯s actually unprecedented. But he was such a genius that no one thought it was weird when he did something unexpected. It was still surprising though.¡± Yi-An looked at the photo in the document. The man had a pensive look with an inexplicably mncholy gaze. He felt as if he had seen those eyes before. The documents had information on his personality and an analysis about his private life. Yi-An nced over at Ji Ha-Yeon, who tilted her head and looked back at him flirtatiously. If she had been attempting to look cute, she would have seeded, but Yi-An felt repelled by her effort. He continued reading the document. [He has a pessimistic personality. He studied religion in his youth but became absorbed in physics after feeling the limitations of religion... (omitted).] It was fine until this point. [Although his rtionships with women are normal, it stands out that he never stays single. When he was twenty-three, he dated Kim Yi-Na (who was twenty-two at the time). After they dated for seven months, she dumped him because he was too uncaring. At the end of the year, he started dating university professor Yanagisawa Yoko (thirty-one) and maintained a good rtionship for a while... After a year-long hiatus, he started dating a blonde woman he met in San Francisco named Cabrina... (omitted).] [His dietary preferences change frequently. He preferred a natural, nt-based diet when he was into religion, but after he became more worldly, he disregarded his health by binge-eating and enjoying a carnivorous diet. He frequently smokes and drinks. Every morning, he eats fried eggs... (omitted).] [He has a habit of drinking apple juice every morning. Thanks to that, he doesn¡¯t have any digestive issues. He doesn¡¯t have constipation and has a tendency to get diarrhea after drinking caffeinated beverages... (omitted).] The report was at the level of stalking. ¡°How did you find out information like this?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°We pay special attention to key talents. There¡¯s always a way.¡± There was a time when Myeongsong Group¡¯s excessive control of its members became an issue on the news, but it was for a reason. Yi-An said in passing, ¡°Don¡¯t investigate me further.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve gathered enough...huh?¡± Ji Ha-Yeon, who had been replying by reflex, realized what he meant and widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°I know you¡¯ve already investigated me, but stop.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like people who lie.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Ji Ha-Yeon dropped her head. ¡°Yes...¡± She fiddled with her fingers and warily eyed Yi-An. Yi-An grinned and flipped to the next page. ¡°Gordon? Who¡¯s Gordon?¡± Not much stood out about him. He followed Yoo Jae-Han around and visited the researchb with him. Of course Yi-An was familiar with the name Gordon from Elder Lord. The mysterious man he had met at Chesswood was named Gordon. He seemed to know the truth about Elder Lord. Yi-An had headed to the Temple of the Fallen God per his suggestion and met the Ashen God there. Yi-An felt as if he could be rted somehow, but he was unable to make any spections with the information provided. ¡°Well, it¡¯s amon name,¡± he muttered to himself. But a sentence at the end of Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s investigation records caught his eye. [From this point on, we were unable to continue following him because his senses became sharper.] ¡°What does this mean?¡± asked Yi-An. ¡°Just as it says. Even though the investigators tried to be discreet, Yoo Jae-Han caught onto what was going on and prevented further investigations. He even followed one of the investigators and threatened him...¡± ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°Hmm...around when he came up with the idea for Albino and submitted the proposal for the development of Elder Lord.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± As someone who knew the truth about Elder Lord, Yi-An couldn¡¯t just dismiss those words, especially the phrase, ¡°his senses became sharper.¡± The one who made the game was an unknown being who called herself a god. In the world of Elder Lord, people could strengthen themselves through skills and special abilities. Yi-An could even detect a single leaf falling in the distance when he was Crockta. If this was a being who could even affect reality, then perhaps she had imparted some of her powers to Yoo Jae-Han. Had Yoo Jae-Han met the Ashen God right then? ¡°Are you just going to sit out here on this nice day?¡± ¡°What else should I be doing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s grab a meal together. Gosh, you already finished your mint chocte frappino. Is it actually good?¡± Before Yi-An could say no, Ji Ha-Yeon quickly added, ¡°I will tell you something else if you will dine with me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m only telling you even though it¡¯s top secret information. But it¡¯s fine if you aren¡¯t interested. It¡¯s top secret anyway.¡± Yi-An nodded. ¡°I was nning to have a meal with you anyway, but even better if you are giving me top secret information.¡± ¡°Wait a sec.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Really? You were nning to grab a meal with me anyway?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± They got up from their seats, and Ji Ha-Yeon followed after Yi-An and exited the cafe. Ji Ha-Yeon¡¯s bodyguard and executive secretary who had been observing them from a distance smiled contentedly. ¡°Miss has a side like that...hahaha, it¡¯s good to be young.¡± He had been by her side for a long time, but she had never been like most young people. He alwaysmented the fact that she didn¡¯t have opportunities to form romantic rtionships because of the restrictions of Myeongsong Group. But she was finally enjoying her youth. ¡°But...¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why does it have to be him?¡± When Ji Ha-Yeon was kidnapped, Myeongsong Group was in dire straits. A bunch of people were fired or demoted because they had been unable to resolve the situation. When they thought there weren¡¯t any methods left to rescue her, the U.S. special forces unit contacted Chairman Ji Eun-Chul and requested various privileges and investments in exchange for rescuing Ji Ha-Yeon. Ji Eun-Chul, who cherished his daughter, epted the demands, and the situation was resolved in less than a day. They were a special foreign unitposed of talents scouted from all over the world and trained to be dispatched to the most dangerous ces. Their level of security was so high that if they failed a mission, then they wouldn¡¯t even be recorded in military registers to guarantee utmost secrecy. And that man, known as Raven, was notorious even within the special unit. The amount of blood his hands had reaped would be enough to film a gore movie. ¡°Interesting.¡± He had already acquired sufficient information about Raven, or Jung Yi-An. He knew that Jung Yi-An had jumped in the front lines for his younger sister and wasn¡¯t a bad person. The more he learned about him, the more curious he became. He picked up his phone. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡± Of course, his job was to protect Ji Ha-Yeon. He couldn¡¯t leave the slightest threat unattended. His eyes shone fiercely as he said, ¡°Miss is heading to her usual Korean restaurant. You know she doesn¡¯t like fish, right? Make sure the chef knows about all of her preferences. If anyone interrupts her meal with the gentleman, they will die. Make sure they prepare the meal with the utmost care and exclude anything that is hard to eat from the menu. Reserve the rooms next to her and keep them empty. Add something mint chocte vored for dessert since her guest likes it.¡± Miss, good luck!¡¯ *** Yi-An raised his muzzle and aligned the front sight with the rear sight. ¡®Slow down your breathing. While standingpletely still, lightly pull the trigger. Pierce the center of your target like a water droplet creating ripples on a calmke.¡¯ His fingers trembled. Bang! The pistol of his BB gun flew and struck a plushie, but it stood up again like a roly-poly toy. It was the Magic Goblin plushie that was super popr these days. It was a character that appeared in many Elder Lord role-yers¡¯ videos and received attention for its unique speech and behavior. And Yi-An was failing to hunt it down. ¡°You said you are good with guns,¡±ined Yi-Yoo. ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed.¡± Yi-An wanted to point out how ridiculously resilient the plushie was, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn¡¯t like making excuses. He strategized until he seeded. He aimed his BB gun where the plushie touched the tform and continued striking the same spot. The Magic Goblin plushie shook with each shot and then twirled and dropped to the ground. ¡°...!¡± The owner¡¯s expression changed after witnessing the Magic Goblin copse. ¡°It was securely glued to its spot,¡± said Yi-An with a grin. The owner looked back and forth between Yi-An and the plushie before handing over the plushie. He had an expression of utter disbelief on his face. ¡°How did you do it?¡± asked the owner. Yi-An didn¡¯t hide his excitement and eagerly replied, ¡°Focused fire!¡± The trick was to target one spot! The owner nodded, awe-struck. ¡°Indeed!¡± Yi-An grinned and left the shooting range with the Magic Goblin plushie in hand. They merged with the crowd in the streets. ¡°What, I thought you were giving it to me?¡± ¡°Why would I give it to you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get it for me?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Wow...¡± Yi-Yoo let go of Yi-An¡¯s arm. Yi-An teased her and then handed her the magic goblin plushie. Yi-Yoo had to hug the plushie because it was quiterge. Sheughed with delight as she pulled on the magic goblin¡¯s ear. ¡°What did you talk about earlier?¡± asked Yi-Yoo. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You mentioned you grabbed a meal with the pretty unni.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Yi-An recalled what had happened earlier. The information she gave in exchange for having a meal with her was unexpected because it wasn¡¯t about Albino or Yoo Jae-Han. It was about the rumored drugs and illegal capsules. *** In Elder Lord, a yer¡¯s skills were determined by their assimtion rate. Thus, people researched various methods to raise assimtion rates aside from a yer further immersing in the game. People began to look outside the world of Elder Lord to achieve higher rates, with one of the proposed methods being drug use. Through drugs, a yer was put in aatose state with only their consciousness intact. With their body in aa, a yer¡¯s mind became much more strongly connected to the world of Elder Lord and could rapidly increase their assimtion ratespared to other yers. But the practice was illegal, and it had many side effects and risks. It was reported to Eldersaga Corporation that some yers were using drugs to gain an advantage in Elder Lord. Some even illegally modified capsules to provide sustenance to the body, so the yer wouldn¡¯t die. Then, the yer would continue living in Elder Lord without waking up, and their assimtion rates naturally rose. Although they could be a high-ranking yer, no one knew the kind of side effects that would ur once the drug was discontinued. ¡°Why would they go to such lengths?¡± asked Yi-An. Ji Ha-Yeon replied with augh. ¡°Cause there¡¯s money on the line.¡± Yi-An became silent. He had also leapt into the battlefield for the sake of money. Although they didn¡¯t obtain clear evidence of these illegal activities yet, the Myeongsong Group was cooperating with the government to investigate these matters. There were even criminals who entered contracts with yers and forcefully bound their consciousness to Elder Lord until they were able to collect their payments. ¡°Oppa, you y Elder Lord, right? Be careful. Don¡¯t get too immersed in the game,¡± warned Ji Ha-Yeon. *** ¡°Oppa?¡± called out Yi-Yoo. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about the unni?¡± ¡°Yes, but not because of the kind of reason you are thinking of.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Yi-An shook his head. It wasn¡¯t the time to get bogged down by trivial thoughts. He should focus on his sister since they haven¡¯t gone out together in a while. ¡°Look at that,¡± said Yi-Yoo as she grabbed Yi-An¡¯s arms and pointed at the screen in the middle of the street. ¡°Ah, that?¡± ¡°What do you think about it?¡± ¡°Of course I...¡± A trending video was ying on the screen with a figure familiar and unfamiliar to Yi-An at the same time. It was White Knight Andre. ¨C As a knight who upholds justice, I want to make an important announcement today. He looked at the viewers and smiled. ¨C I dere Crockta, the fake hero who wears a mask of justice and disrupts Elder Lord, as my enemy. In the background, corpses of bandits were sprawled behind him. He pointed at them. ¨C I willmence my hunt today and as soon as I find him... He raised his longsword. ¨C I will immediately kill him with this sword. I will make sure there will be no moredies who will tremble in fear because of that orc. At the end of the bandit ughter video Andre recently uploaded, he dered war against Crockta. The Elder Lordmunity was buzzing with excitement thanks to Andre. A man passing by Yi-An and Yi-Yoo muttered, ¡°Fucking crazy.¡± Then, a woman following behind him said, ¡°So cool.¡± Their reactions were pr opposites. Suddenly, Yi-An met eyes with Yi-Yoo. They shrugged and turned away from the screen. Then, at the same time they said: ¡°Fucking crazy.¡± ¡°So cool.¡± Chapter 144: Dirty South

Chapter 144: Dirty South

Crockta left Maird with the Rebirth Brotherhood bidding him farewell. He was concerned about Edgar who had brought on his own demise and disconnected from the server, but there wasn¡¯t any news of him being seen in Maird after that incident. Although other members of the Heaven and Earth n gradually returned to the game, Edgar was nowhere to be seen. ording to Robina, he was never an exemry yer and only leveled up rapidly after joining the Heaven and Earth n. Crockta recalled the story he had heard from Ji Ha-Yeon¡ªthat a group of hical yers was using illegally modified capsules and drugs to induceatose states in other yers and boost their assimtion rates. They formed dependent contracts that profited unscrupulous yers because they could control them when the drug recipients could wake up. Edgar could be in such a situation. But Crockta decided to leave Maird because he didn¡¯t have a way to contact him. Thus, hemenced his journey to the south. ¡°It was nice receiving royal treatment thanks to Crockta,¡± said Anor with a grin. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so popr in Maird... Of course, I¡¯m popr in Quantes,¡± said Tiyo. Because Crockta was an iconic figure to yers, Anor and Tiyo also receivedvish treatment as his travelpanions. ¡°I miss the karuks,¡±mented Anor. ¡°Farewells are inevitable,¡± replied Tiyo. They received horses in exchange for their karuks and were able to travel even faster now. The Rebirth Brotherhood said they would raise Crockta¡¯s karuks with great care in his ce and provided them with horses instead since karuks were only advantageous in the deserts of the north. ¡°It¡¯s my first time in the southern part of the continent,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°What kind of ce is it?¡± asked Anor. ¡°It¡¯s thend of humans.¡± The southern region was mostly popted by humans. While the northwest of the continent was a tough ce inhabited by orcs and monsters, the northern and eastern parts of the continent were thend of elves, dark elves, and gnomes. In the south, humans had settled and inhabited thend. It had thergest poption and an extremelypetitive atmosphere. It was a site of frequent conflicts. In the center of the continent where various species¡¯ civilizations intersected, different species asionally came into conflict and battled against each other. They would pass by that area and head to the south to meet Tiyo¡¯s father, Hedor, and so that Crockta couldpletely get rid of the remaining members of the Haedong Balhae n under the guise of the Heaven and Earth n. But Anor didn¡¯t have a care in the world. ¡°What kind of delicious food do they have in the south? It must have lots of food since it¡¯s a hot region. I¡¯m sure there are lots of fruits. Hahaha,¡± said Anor flippantly as he rode his horse. ¡°Let¡¯s see...there are lots of cool creatures in the north!¡± Anor extended his hand, and then a skeleton began to rise. It was a strange creature that walked on two feet but had the head of a dog. ¡°Make it lie down again!¡± yelled Tiyo. ¡°Why? It¡¯s a fresh skeleton that died recently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unsightly.¡± ¡°You are so discriminatory. You will also die when the timees.¡± Tiyo shot the skeleton with his General, shattering it into pieces. ¡°Ahh! My skeleton!¡± cried Anor. ¡°The dead are silent.¡± ¡°You are so mean...¡± Crocktaughed as he watched their banter, but his expression quickly hardened. He sensed various movements around the forest they were treading. The movements were too abrupt to be from travelers passing through the mountain path like them. He suddenly remembered the video from White Knight Andre¡ª no, Baek Han-Ho, that he saw with Yi-Yoo in the streets. He had dered war on Crockta after ughtering a horde of bandits. They could be bandits! ¡°Is this the beginning of another clich¨¦? Haha,¡± muttered Crockta as he turned around to look at Tiyo and Anor with a wide grin on his face. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time we take a break?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. We walked for a while. He seems to want a break too. Are you tired?¡± asked Anor as he caressed the mane of the horse he was riding on. But Tiyo grinned back at Crockta. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we break a sweat before taking a break?¡± ¡°You need to break a sweat for this? You¡¯ve gotten weaker,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Not my sweat.¡± Right then, Tiyo turned his body around at the speed of lightning and shot his General. A bandit who had been hiding in between trees flew in the air from the hit. He collided with a tree and copsed with a moan. ¡°I will make the bandits sweat from their eyes!¡± Tiyo was also a seasoned fighter who had sensed the presence of the bandits. ¡°Everyone,e!¡± In response to Tiyo¡¯s preemptive attack, all of the bandits ran out in unison and attacked them. Anor, who had no idea what was going on behind the scenes, screamed and hid behind Crockta and Tiyo. ¡°They are small fry,¡± said Tiyo. Crockta got off his horse, and Tiyo showed off his equestrian shooting skills as he held onto the reins on his horse. ¡°Hiya! Hiya! Heave-ho!!¡± Tiyo¡¯s magic bullets knocked down the bandits with chilling uracy. Crockta wanted to swing his greatsword and join the fight, but he stopped in his tracks because the enemies were so poorly armed. They awkwardly came forward with their worn agricultural equipment. A few carried spears, but they were frightened out of their wits in shabby clothing. The man in the lead shouted, ¡°I-if you l-leave everything you have, we won¡¯t k-kill you!¡± It was a pitiful voice. He had realized he and hisrades were no match for them after seeing them crumble from Tiyo¡¯s General, but he was threatening them because he had nothing to lose. ¡°Everything we have...¡± Crockta lowered his greatsword. They were opponents they didn¡¯t need to fight. Tiyo also stopped shooting and holstered his General on his back. ¡°What, now I feel bad for hitting them.¡± ¡°It seems they became bandits to survive. Although it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are bandits...¡± As the clouds drifted away, bright sunshine shone down on the forest, revealing Crockta who had been hidden by the shades of the forest. The bandits flinched in surprise. The opponent was much more sinister than they had expected with a huge physique, rugged face, and a frightening greatsword. Crockta didn¡¯t say anything and looked at them individually in session. The bandits began retreating from his gaze. He had demonic tattoos all over his body, and his terrifying belt seemed to be shaped after the face of a demon. The man in the lead was the first to bow. ¡°S-sorry, sir!¡± The other bandits realized what was going on and bowed and begged for mercy. ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°Please spare our lives!¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a struggle to survive that...!¡± Crockta¡¯s face had the ability to subjugate opponents! Tiyo pped Crockta¡¯s waist and said, ¡°You should try to smile more.¡± Tiyo had a point. Wasn¡¯t there a saying that you should at least smile if you are ugly? Those with scary faces should smile. With a broad smile on his face, Crockta said to the bandits, ¡°Please get up.¡± The response to Crockta¡¯s smile was explosive. ¡°God! We are so sorry! Please spare us!¡± ¡°Our children are waiting for us!¡± ¡°Orc, sir! Please show us mercy!¡± Crockta looked at Tiyo, who shrugged and said, ¡°What did you expect?¡± Anor went forward and raised them up. ¡°Please get up. Don¡¯t worry. Although he looks like a serial killer, he¡¯s not a bad orc. Get up. It¡¯s okay.¡± Even though Anor was wearing a gloomy robe, they let their guards down and got up once Anor approached them with his elven beauty. ¡°Pff. Life is unfair. Pff,¡± chuckled Tiyo. Crockta darkly muttered, ¡°...midget.¡± ¡°What, what did you just say to me?!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Stop lying! I heard you call me a midget!¡± ¡°You must have heard me incorrectly.¡± ¡°Aargh!¡± Tiyo leapt at Crockta and attempted a headlock, but he looked like a child hanging onto an adult because of their size difference. ¡°Why are you guys acting like little kids?¡± asked Anor as he looked at them pathetically. ¡°This is not the appropriate time for this kind of behavior.¡± ¡°T-then?¡± ¡°We need to talk to them and listen to their stories!¡± chastised Anor. ¡°Hmm...¡± There weren¡¯t many bandits in the north of the continent where they were from. It was safe and had many ways of earning and making a living, so they didn¡¯t encounter many people who fell into a life of crime like this, but this happened as soon as they embarked for the south. The south could be a much different ce from the continent they had experienced. ¡°Let¡¯s do that,¡± said Crockta. Crockta fully acknowledged Elder Lord as an actual world, and in the world of Elder Lord, he had power. To put it simply, he was a Hero. Like that line from a movie, ¡°with great poweres great responsibility,¡± he wanted to help others in difficult situations. These people could be facing unavoidable circumstances. The bandits were staring at them wide-eyed. *** They were the inhabitants of a small vige in the forest. Although they didn¡¯t have much, they got by and created their livelihoods. But one day, they appeared and took it all from them. They were knights. ¡°They said to obey the emperor.¡± ¡°Emperor?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Hans, the bandit who was the leader of the group. ¡°As you know the continent doesn¡¯t have an Emperor. It¡¯s an unwrittenw that the emergence of an emperor is always followed by the persecution of other species.¡± ¡°But they referred to him as the emperor?¡± ¡°Yes, the knights said they are gathering and unifying peasants and vigers like us under the name of the emperor. Although it doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea, they are basically telling us to join a serfdom. That¡¯s a life akin to very, so we tly refused.¡± When they refused, the knights suddenly turned and destroyed their vige. They killed anyone who resisted. Thus, with nothing left, they became bandits who robbed adventurers and merchants who passed through the forest to survive. Even then, they were prone to defeat because theyckedbat skills. ¡°It¡¯s our fault, but we couldn¡¯t let our kids starve...sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize to us,¡± replied Crockta. They soon arrived at the bandits¡¯ shelter. The elderly, women, and children were peeking out with frightened faces at the sudden appearance of a sinister looking orc. ¡°Hmm...¡± All of them appeared starved with visible rib cages. The children especially seemed to be in dire conditions. Hans sighed. ¡°We pick berries from the forest and hunt, but...¡± Tiyo asked loudly. ¡°Who are those guys who call themselves knights? And an emperor?¡± ¡°They said they are from the kingdom of Espenazan.¡± ¡°A kingdom...did the humans change their ways? All of the species had differentmunal structures. Orcs inhabited independent cities, and although the elven world was simr to that of orcs, they were loosely connected with the World Tree as their center. Gnomes regrly voted for their own representatives. Humans, on the other hand, had kings and nobles, but the king didn¡¯t have strong powers and was treated as a symbolic figure who represented each noble. But things seemed to have changed. The appearance of an emperor was a matter that would shake up the entire continent. ¡°Do other species know?¡± ¡°At this point, they probably know but aren¡¯t taking it seriously,¡± chimed in Tiyo. ¡°An emperor...he¡¯s like the chieftain of the orcs in the north,¡± said Anor. ¡°Simr.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to be worried about. The chieftain is here!¡± eximed Anor. ¡°Ah! You are right! The chieftain is here with us...mmm!¡± Anor and Tiyo were teaming up to tease Crockta again, so Crockta quickly covered their mouths. ¡°Anyway, since they are in a dire situation...how about we help them?¡± suggested Crockta. ¡°Is there a way?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°There¡¯s always a way,¡± replied Crockta. He looked around them. It was a small vige without many inhabitants. The Rebirth Brotherhood, founded with the intention to do good and performmunity service, could certainly help them. Moreover, they would dly acquiesce to Crockta¡¯s requests. ¡°Go to Maird,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Huh? Maird?¡± asked Hans. Hans seemed to have heard Crockta¡¯s name somewhere. He became a lot more polite after overhearing their conversation. ¡°There are people who will help you there,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Us? Who would help us...?¡± ¡°They are called the Rebirth Brotherhood.¡± ¡°Rebirth Brotherhood?¡± replied Hans dubiously. ¡°But Maird is quite far. It¡¯s not easy to get there...¡± Traveling long distances would be difficult for them since they were on the brink of starvation. Crockta shook his head as if to tell them not to worry. ¡°Take this,¡± he said as he brought out a few gold coins. He had plenty of gold coins as a high-ranker who experienced great adventures. ¡°This is...!¡± Hans¡¯ eyes widened in shock. A gold coin was a huge amount of money formon folks, but Crockta took out not one, but several gold coins, and ced them in the palm of Hans¡¯ hand. ¡°How could I...!¡± He couldn¡¯t even grasp the coins and awkwardly help them in his open palm as he stared at Crockta open-mouthed in awe. Crockta, abashed, scratched his head and said, ¡°A warrior does not turn away from those in need.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Just take it. Gold coins are just shiny stones to me. If I can save you guys with a few stones then there will still be plenty left for me!¡± Hans was so touched he looked like he was ready to get down on his knees. ¡°Ah...please forgive me for epting this so shamelessly.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t...¡± ¡°I will shamelessly ept this for the sake of my children! Thank you!¡± said Hans as he got down on the ground to bow down to Crockta. Crockta helped him up. As the two exchanged conversation, the vigers grew restless. The first one to notice was Tiyo, who had been surveying their surroundings. He could sense the sound of hoofbeats growing closer. The vigers were looking toward a certain direction with frightened faces. As he followed their line of sight, he discovered a group of humans. They were fully d in armor and carriednces and swords as they approached them on horseback. They were knights. ¡°Are you ready to obey the emperor now?¡± Chapter 145: Dirty South

Chapter 145: Dirty South

The knights d in steel armor had a cocky air about them. It was unusual to see individuals fully d in armor in thends of other species. They looked down at the vigers from atop their horses as if the ground was too dirty to tread upon. ¡°The emperor is merciful. We will give you one more chance.¡± The vigers trembled in fear, recalling what happened thest time the knights were in the vige. When no one replied, one of the knights in the back came forward and drew his sword. His de shed brilliantly as it reflected the sunlight seeping in through the lush forest. ¡°Is everyone mute here? Answer!¡± The vigers retreated with hesitance. Their eyes were fixated on the knight¡¯s de. That sword had trampled their homes and killed their families, and they hade again to demand that they follow the self-proimed emperor while holding the de at their throats. It was obvious what obeying the emperor meant. They faced the grim fate of bing enved with their lives dedicated to erecting the walls of the emperor¡¯s fortress, ascending ever higher into the sky. Worse, they could be conscripted into war against their will because that¡¯s what emperors did. Hans pushed Crockta and his friends away, signaling them to hide. He hesitantly ced the gold coins he had received from Crockta back into the palm of Crockta¡¯s hand. Crockta, swept away by the urgency of the situation, epted them. Hans whispered, ¡°Run!¡± He then approached the knights as the representative of the vige. ¡°I will speak, sir.¡± Hans bowed in front of the knight, and the knight raised his sword over Hans¡¯ head. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°We are...¡± The knight interrupted Hans with a smirk on his face. ¡°Before you speak, look around at the vigers and think carefully.¡± Hans shut his mouth and looked behind him. All of the vigers¡¯ eyes were headed toward him. He saw the wrinkled faces of the elderly, the nervous expressions of young men, women scared out of their wits, and the innocent, wide-eyed children. Hans closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything because I grew up in a small vige. I don¡¯t know much about the world, but...¡± The de touched his head and then drew back. Hans paused his breath. ¡°...after you came, we transported the vige and lived as bandits in the forest. We did our best and even attempted hunting, but we were prone to failure because we aren¡¯t ustomed to fighting.¡± ¡°You are talking too much.¡± ¡°...we are just simple folks. If you ce the de at our throats and take us, then we have no choice but to obey since it¡¯s better than dying, but...¡± Hans raised his head. Although the light reflected by the knight¡¯s helmet blinded his eyes, he stared at the knight straight in the face. The knight had the face of a young man. ¡°...we want to know what kind of person the emperor is. We are not people who belong in the emperor¡¯s world. Can you please just let us go?¡± implored Hans. The knight nodded. ¡°Is that so? Understood.¡± Hans lowered his head again. The knights exchanged looks among themselves. After a brief discussion, the knight began, ¡°Since you are not people suited for the emperor...¡± The knights raised their swords. ¡°...then you should go to a world that suits you.¡± The vigers screamed. The first target was Hans who was facing the knights. The sword descended toward him. ng! The sound of weapons shing rang throughout the vige. The knights flinched. What blocked them was a huge greatsword that was far too heavy for any of them to lift. ¡°Bul¡¯tar, how could you call yourselves knights?¡± As the frightening orc with fierce eyes swung his greatsword, the knight staggered. The tattoos all over his body strangely rippled as murderous intent rose from his body. The knights¡¯ horses retreated in fear. ¡°Who are you?¡± The knights faltered because they instinctively sensed that this orc wasn¡¯t an easy opponent. Crockta pushed Hans, who was utterly dumbfounded, away from the scene. Then, he straightened his back and proudly said, ¡°My name is Crockta.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta. They had heard that name somewhere. The gods at the temple had whispered that name. They called him the Conqueror of the North, the hero who stopped the crazy chieftain¡¯s rampage. But all they knew about him was that his name was Crockta and that he was an orc. They couldn¡¯t immediately assume this orc was him. The knight sneered. ¡°Do you even know whose name that is?¡± Crockta, who didn¡¯t intend to borrow the prestige of his own name, paid no heed. With the greatsword resting on his shoulder, he asked, ¡°If you guys are really knights, then you guys must have sworn by something when you became knights.¡± The code of chivalry was not too different in the world of Elder Lord. Knights swore to practice the code of chivalry when they received knighthood, and it wouldn¡¯t have been too different from the warrior¡¯smandments Crockta swore by. ¡°Do you remember what you swore by?¡± asked Crockta. The knight¡¯s face fell. ¡°What gibberish are you spouting? You trash orc. Everyone, attack!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Right then, Crockta stomped the ground and let out a thunderous roar, ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± His aura exploded, and the horses iled and turned around as if something was in their way. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The knight in the lead knew that the orc in front of them looked like a giant¡ª no, like a monster, to the horses because that¡¯s what he looked like to him as well. The strands of murderous intent that rose from the orc¡¯s back pointed toward the sky. The knight broke out in a cold sweat. Even though he was much higher up than the orc because he was on a horse, he felt as if the orc was staring him down from a towering height. Moreover, the orc¡¯s sword wasrge enough to slice mountains. The orc¡¯s immense aura had a hallucinatory effect on his opponents. Was this orc really Crockta¨C the one who murdered the crazy chieftain and conquered the north by himself? Had he returned to the continent and traveled south? ¡°Speak!¡± As he stared fiercely at the knight, Crockta asked, ¡°What was your oath?¡± The orc¡¯s oppressive aura bore down on him. ¡°Did you swear to persecute the weak? Is that your code of chivalry?¡± ¡°Such things are...!¡± ¡°Or does an oath mean nothing to you?¡± Crockta¡¯s murderous aura engulfed him. The knight, feeling threatened, swung his sword frantically. ¡°Shut up!¡± The knight¡¯s aura surged from his body. He wasn¡¯t just a regr soldier. He had received the title of a knight through rigorous training. The knight broke free from Crockta¡¯s trance and chuckled as he dismounted his horse. ¡°Code of chivalry? Hahaha. Cut your nonsense.¡± He knew that he couldn¡¯t rely on his horse when facing this orc. His horse couldn¡¯t even take a step forward due to the orc¡¯s ferocious aura. He could feel the horse trembling all over. ¡°Everyone, get off your horses and face this orc. He¡¯s not an easy opponent.¡± Crockta remained calm. He was used to fighting alone against many. The knights began to surround Crockta. ¡°Code of chivalry? It¡¯s hrious that an orc speaks of chivalry, but I will respond to your question.¡± The knight smirked. No matter how strong this orc was, even if he was the Conqueror of the North, he couldn¡¯t win against all of these knights surrounding him. He shouted, ¡°What¡¯s the use of protecting the weak and fighting against injustice? The worldes down to the survival of the fittest in the end. Even you will die at our hands today! Hahaha!¡± All of the knights¡¯ des were pointed at Crockta. ¡°The emperor¡¯smand is more important to us than a mere oath! For the emperor!¡± ¡°For the emperor!¡± The knights¡¯ cold des charged toward Crockta. In the midst of the forest of swords, the Ogre yer stirred. ¡°How shamelessly you speak,¡± said Crockta. ng! aaaaaaaang! The dozens of des shed against the lone Ogre yer, which repelled all of the des in a single move. The knights clutched their numb hands from the shock and retreated. They couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. What had just happened? With a singr motion, that one sword had deflected all of their swords at the same time despite each attackering from a different angle. In that split second, the sword shed against theirs as if it had multiplied into dozens. Crockta uttered, ¡°For breaking the oath.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You broke the oath.¡± Crockta bent his knees to lower his stance. ¡°That¡¯s your cause of death.¡± Crockta suddenly leapt forward with an explosion of energy. The knights raised their swords, but the Ogre yer effortlessly shattered their des. Dismembered body parts and broken des sttered in the air with a fountain of blood. As he picked out the entrails stuck to his de, Crockta grinned. ¡°When the king of the underworld asks why you died, cite that as your reason.¡± The knights¡¯ morale dropped after experiencing Crockta¡¯s tremendous power. Their formation broke down. Crockta didn¡¯t miss a beat and shed the ring of knights around him in session. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Pitiful screams echoed throughout the forest as the horses fearfully watched Crockta ughter their owners. The scene of the greatsword slicing through flesh and spilling blood was reflected in their huge eyes. Crockta speedily resolved the situation and drove his Ogre yer into the stomach of a knight putting up a fight. Soon, the knights were sprawled on the ground as indistinguishable hunks of flesh. Crockta kicked aside a head that was in his way and walked toward thest remaining knight cowering on the ground. He trembled as he backed away. ¡°M-monster...!¡± ¡°Monster?¡± Crockta kicked his shoulder. The knight rolled across the ground. ¡°You guys are monsters.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°How many viges did you get rid of beforeing here?¡± When he didn¡¯t answer, Crockta pointed the greatsword at his throat. The knight hurriedly answered, ¡°We didn¡¯t kill e-everyone. We didn¡¯t kill people who followed our orders...¡± ¡°So how many did you kill?¡± The knight nervously licked his lips, but he couldn¡¯t make any sounds. Instead of answering, he suddenly dropped on his knees and pressed his forehead against the ground. ¡°P-please spare my life.¡± It was a pitiful sight. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it because the emperor ordered it. Please spare my life. I¡¯ve worked my whole life toward bing a knight. I can¡¯t just die like this when I finally achieved my dream...please forgive me just this once!¡± Crockta was silent. The knight began to slowly raise his head at the continued silence. ¡°...Huh?¡± The greatsword was right in front of his face. With a swish, it severed the knight¡¯s right hand. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± He clutched his mutted arm and rolled across the ground as he bled profusely. Crockta ripped a piece of cloth from a corpse and tossed it at the knight. ¡°Tell the man who calls himself emperor.¡± The knight stopped the bleeding with the torn cloth and attempted to retrieve his right hand. If he was fast, he could attach it back to his arm. But Crockta kicked the severed hand far away. The knight groaned in despair. ¡°I, Crockta, killed and got rid of the crazy chieftain of the north because he killed many innocent people and plunged the world into chaos to satisfy his greed.¡± Crockta grabbed the knight by the neck and raised him up. He then walked up to a horse and hoisted the knight onto it. The horse trembled. Crockta whispered into the knight¡¯s ear, ¡°Tell the emperor he could end up in the same boat.¡± *** Crockta and his friends departed from Hans¡¯ vige. After witnessing Crockta¡¯s power, the vigers began to serve Crockta like a god. Crockta gave them funds for traveling and sent them to the Rebirth Brotherhood in Maird with a letter entrusting them to their care. Hans and the vigers repeatedly bowed and gave thanks and quickly went on their way since the emperor¡¯s subordinates coulde again. The emperor couldn¡¯t encroach on Maird because it was the territory of elves. ¡°The south is a bit weird,¡± said Tiyo. They were now riding on the knights¡¯ ster horses. The horses obeyed them without resistance after they saw their owners die at Crockta¡¯s hands. Crockta gave the rest of the horses to the vigers. ¡°You mean the humans here are weird.¡± The south retained the vestiges of human hierarchical structures, which was unfamiliar to them. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but look over there. Isn¡¯t that weird too?¡± said Tiyo as he pointed at something in front of him. Crockta looked forward and was surprised at what he saw. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a knight,¡± said Anor. ¡°That¡¯s a knight?¡± As Anor had said, the strange creature was indeed a knight, but he wasn¡¯t like the knights they had just met. ¡°Save me! Please save me! Help!¡± He was running on his hands and feet while being chased by bandits. ¡°You can¡¯t escape! Give us everything you have, knight!¡± ¡°Noooooo!¡± He noticed Crockta¡¯s party and began running toward them. ¡°Orc! Orc! Please save me! Orc!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± shouted the bandits. Chapter 146: Dirty South

Chapter 146: Dirty South

An unknown knight clung to Crockta¡¯s horse. ¡°...!¡± The bandits and Crockta¡¯s party came to a face-off. ¡°The south is aplete mess with all of these bandits and knights...but this time, the knight is the one being chased,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Dwarf! Please save me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a dwarf!¡± The bandits looked at Crockta¡¯s menacing face and flinched. The leader of the bandits looked behind him to check on the rest of the bandits following behind him. Once they joined him, the bandit regained his confidence and red at Crockta. ¡°Orc! Hand over that knight!¡± Based on his aptitude in handling weapons, muscr physique, and boisterous voice, the bandit seemed experienced in threatening others. They were real bandits unlike the vigers they met earlier. ¡°What is your rtionship with the knight?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Rtionship?¡± The bandit erupted inughter. ¡°The orc is out of his mind! How dare he interrogate me, Nogunda, the King of the Mountain?¡± The bandits behind him chuckled along. ¡°Hey, knight! This orc is going to die because of you!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a grim reaper, not a knight! A grim reaper! Hahaha!¡± ¡°You guys can go to the underworld together! Hahaha!¡± The knight began tearing up at the bandits¡¯ mockery. ¡°Orc, can you please do something? You have such a big sword...¡± he pleaded. But as the number of bandits continued to increase, he threw his hands up in the air in despair. The self-titled King of the Mountain, Nogunda, and his group of bandits now amounted to dozens, and unlike most bandits, they actually had proper weapons with sharp des and protective gear. They even had archers in the back with their arrows aimed toward them. Even though Crockta was an orc, an average warrior wouldn¡¯t have been able to take them on. The knight, crestfallen, dropped his head and sighed. ¡°Is this where my journey ends? I have shown an embarrassing side of myself to these strangers.¡± The knight raised his head and drew the longsword at his waist. Then, he raised the guard of the longsword to his forehead and whispered, ¡°The knights of ste live without regret and smile in death.¡± His voice was no longer trembling. He looked back at Crockta, ¡°Orc, I¡¯m sorry. Please run.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I will take care of them since I was the one who endangered you guys while trying to save my life. I can¡¯t hold out much longer. I apologize for the trouble.¡± He got into position and took a step forward. Nogundaughed at him and raised his axe. ¡°It¡¯s toote to act like a hero.¡± ¡°I look like a hero to you?¡± replied the knight as he charged. ¡°I¡¯m just ying the role of a knight, you asshole!¡± Although the knight didn¡¯t seem reliable when he fled, he actually took the lead when he enteredbat. Nogunda was pushed back in their one-on-one match. The knight moved against Nogunda¡¯s predictions with great agility and pierced his opening. Nogunda strategically responded with his axe, but he was forced to retreat after the knight shed his side. There was a palpable difference in skill between them. As soon as he sensed danger, he beckoned hisrades to join in on the fight. ¡°Guys! Get him!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The knight, as if he expected it all along, stepped back and shed the first person who approached him and then shouted, ¡°I¡¯m Vigo, the knight of ste!¡± The sight of Vigo bravely facing the bandits by himself greatly impressed Crockta. ¡°That guy is different from those fake knights,¡± said Crockta. Suddenly, a bandit¡¯s axe was heading toward Vigo¡¯s back. At that critical moment, a bright light shed in front of them. Swoosh! With a loud noise, Tiyo¡¯s magic bullet pierced through the air and struck the bandit, throwing him up in the air. Tiyo¡¯s General was growing in destructive power. ¡°Go, Crockta,¡± he shouted. ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± Crockta dismounted from his horse and joined the battlefield. He grabbed Vigo from the back and tossed him aside before facing the bandits alone. Each time he swung his greatsword, the enemies crumbled to the ground. Like a lion that leapt into a herd of sheep, Crockta overwhelmed them with his strength. There wasn¡¯t any opponent who could stop him. ¡°W-who is this guy?!¡± eximed Nogunda from the back. He ordered the archers to shoot. ¡°B-but ourrades are over there!¡± ¡°Shut up! Just shoot!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± At Nogunda¡¯smand, the archers fired their arrows without minding theirrades. Crockta raised his greatsword to deflect the rain of arrows. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°...Ack!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The bandits, struck by the arrows, fell to their deaths as they red in disbelief behind them. Their eyes remained open as they looked at Nogunda with resentment. The arrows ended up decreasing the number of bandits. ¡°Argh...dammit,¡± muttered Nogunda as he gritted his teeth. He then shouted, ¡°He¡¯s a monster! Let¡¯s run!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡± Nogunda and his party of bandits began running super fast as they fled. Crockta shrugged as he watched them leave. ¡°They aren¡¯t even worth chasing.¡± He turned around with a wide grin on his face and saw Vigo the knight trembling in fear from witnessing Crockta¡¯s strength. Even though it was a brief fight, it was enough for Vigo to gauge the orc¡¯s level. There were very few knights who could ovee such a vast numerical disadvantage, and those who could overwhelmingly ughter their opponents were even rarer. Only a handful of knights referred to as Masters had reached the state capable of such force. These knights called Masters each led an order, and they were coveted elites as they were the most important military power in every city and fiefdom. Perhaps this orc was a Grandmaster! A true one man army who had exceeded the level of a Master! Even in ste, where he was from, there was only one knight who had reached the level of Grandmaster. Vigo ran toward the orc in awe. ¡°Mister orc!¡± Then, he brought Crockta in a huge embrace and shook him back and forth. It seemed he tried to pick Crockta up but resorted to shaking him instead because he was too heavy to lift. ¡°It¡¯s a stroke of luck that I met you, mister orc! What is your name? I will serve you as my master! I love you!¡± Crockta wasn¡¯t sure whether this knight was just incredibly friendly or shamelessly brazen. Tiyo, who had been observing them, ran and sent a flying kick to Vigo. ¡°Hey!¡± shouted Tiyo. ¡°Oof!¡± ¡°Oh, mister gnome was here as well! Hahaha! Vigo will pay his respects!¡± Heughed out loud and made a deep bow. ¡°I am Vigo, the knight of ste! It¡¯s an honor to serve men like you guys! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t approve...¡± ¡°Mister Crockta and Mister Tiyo! Hahaha!¡± Then, he discovered Anor behind them, wide-eyed. ¡°Hey! Are you their servant?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked if you were their servant! You look kind of scrawny...¡± ¡°What the fuck are you saying? You couldn¡¯t be their servant even if you tried. Do you want to fucking die?¡± replied Anor. ¡°Huh, what...?¡± ¡°You fu...mmm! Don¡¯t stop me...! This fucking...mmm!¡± Crockta covered his mouth. ¡°This is Anor, ourrade.¡± Vigo, frightened by Anor¡¯s litany of expletives, tentatively nodded. ¡°Ah...yes...Anor...sir?¡± ¡°He will start cussing if you get on his nerves, so be careful,¡± warned Crockta. ¡°I-I will be careful.¡± ¡°Yeah, be fucking careful. You beggar...mmm!¡± That¡¯s the story of how Crockta and his friends defeated the bandits and met Vigo, the knight of ste. *** ¡°Misters! Please help ste!¡± shouted Vigo as he jumped up from his seat. Vigo¡¯s drunken voice rang throughout the pub. The eyes of rowdy drunkards were drawn to him. Vigo, realizing that he was being too loud, slowly sat back down. The drunkards gave him a look. ¡°What, he¡¯s from ste?¡± ¡°Go back to your town!¡± ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t even enjoy my liquor in peace. These ste bastards...¡± The group of men at a nearby table tried to pick a fight. This was the territory of humansmonly referred to as the ¡®kingdom.¡¯ There was a vast forest below Maird, and past it were the cities of humans. Other species were allowed to enter, but like cities predominantly upied by only one species such as Orcrox or Maird, humans stood out the most here andposed the ruling ss. And they were currently in Reynolds, the first human city they had to pass through to get to other cities. ¡°What did the te bastardse to scavenge here?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s ruining my night.¡± They red at Vigo with threatening eyes. ¡°These rat-like ste guys.¡± Vigo¡¯s eyebrow twitched. It was hard for him to endure continued insults. Right then, the door of the pub opened and everyone held their breaths. It was an orc. As soon as his menacing face came in through the door, all of the drunkards in the pub began to sober up. His presence was like a remedy for a hangover. The pub turned quiet when they saw his majestic figure, frightening tattoos, and the giant greatsword on his back. It was rare for orcs to appear in the south. An orc thatrge and sinister-looking was extremely rare even among orcs. The orc nced around the pub and looked in the direction of the guy who shouted about ste and then sat at a table. ¡°Crockta, you¡¯re finally here,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a bitte,¡± replied Crockta. He had gone to an armory to have the de of his Ogre yer sharpened. It needed an inspection as well because it had spilled a lot of blood recently. ¡°Anyway, this guy wants us to help this ce called ste,¡± continued Tiyo. ¡°ste?¡± replied Crockta as he looked around the pub. For some reason, the pub was too quiet. ¡°It¡¯s quiet here,¡±mented Crockta. The voices that had mocked ste were nowpletely silent. The ones who had threatened Vigo earlier were now quietly sipping their drinks with their eyes fixed on their table. Vigo, who now had Crockta to watch his back, shouted, ¡°Cheers to ste!¡± ste was in a unique political position and had dered itself as apletely neutral city. Thus, it wasn¡¯t governed by the king. There hadn¡¯t been any problems until this point because the king was more of a symbolic figure, but a problem arose once the king started calling himself an emperor. He demanded that ste submit to his rule. The king¡¯s policies were changing. ¡°The kingdom will soon be an empire. This isn¡¯t just our problem. It¡¯s the entire continent¡¯s problem.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Crazy leaders were popping up everywhere. In the north, it was the chieftain, and here in the south, it was the emperor. ¡°What a disaster,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a disaster,¡± replied Vigo. He then lowered his voice. ¡°To be honest, I think Nogunda, the King of the Mountain, who chased after me, waspelled to do that by the kingdom.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He and his subordinates suddenly appeared out of nowhere and took over that area. They only targeted and robbed merchants and travelers heading to ste. That¡¯s why I was dispatched to investigate. Nogunda and his group of bandits were so strategic that they easily overwhelmed myrade and me.¡± ¡°What happened to yourrade?¡± ¡°Myrade...¡± Vigo paused for a moment. ¡°Myrade...departed with a smile...in a fashion befitting a gant knight of ste.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My condolences,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°...No. They used axes for weapons, but they were definitely trained. Nogunda in particr, practiced the swordsmanship of the kingdom. I¡¯m certain. It doesn¡¯t make sense that ordinary bandits could use such techniques. They also had too many members for a group of bandits.¡± Vigo believed that the kingdom was creating bandits to torment ste. ¡°The future is grim, but I saw hope today, sir! Please help ste!¡± he pleaded. Crockta looked at Tiyo, who just shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s listen a bit more first,¡± suggested Tiyo. Anor was quietly sipping on his drink without joining the conversation. Even with his hood on, the women at the pub were sending flirtatious looks to Anor. Being handsome was the best. ¡°How do you want us to help? Are you asking us to stay in ste forever? That¡¯s too much,¡± said Crockta. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Vigo took a big gulp of his beer and then mmed the ss on the table with a thud. ¡°ste is weakpared to the kingdom. It¡¯s a fact everyone knows. So the king who calls himself emperor said he would show us mercy and suggested a one-on-one battle between the strongest men in the kingdom and ste.¡± It was a proxy war fought by the best knights! The king said if ste won, the kingdom would leave the city alone, but if the kingdom won, ste would be annexed by the kingdom. ¡°The king ns to be officially recognized as an emperor by taking control over ste and other cities and creating an empire. Most cities have already fallen prey to him, but among the few remaining ces, ste is especially important because it is thergest.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°He¡¯s confident because the kingdom has a lot of formidable knights. Grandmaster Pacrinche, in particr, is an invincible knight who has never been defeated.¡± ¡°Pacrinche?¡± ¡°Yes, Adantadore Pacrinche.¡± ¡°What is his rtionship with Leyteno Pacrinche?¡± ¡°...Ah...that traitor. Well, I guess it¡¯s not surprising you know about him.¡± Crockta¡¯s eyebrow twitched at the word traitor. Vigo raised his hands up in the air. ¡°I meant no harm. I hope you understand.¡± Leyteno Pacrinche, the great warrior honored in Orcrox¡¯s Hall of Fame, was also referred to as the Master of the Greatsword. Crockta started using the greatsword because of him. He fought against the lies and hypocrisy of his own people, humans, and joined the brotherhood of orcs. ¡°Leyteno is a distant ancestor. Adantadore is the present-day earl of Pacrinche. He is the head of the family.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Anyway, he is expected to appear in the uing proxy war. ste doesn¡¯t have a knight who is a match for him...but!¡± Vigo¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. ¡°I met you today! Please rise to the battle for the sake of ste!¡± Chapter 147: The Great Duel

Chapter 147: The Great Duel

¡°iming to be the emperor...in that case, it¡¯s either one or the other,¡± muttered Tiyo as hey in bed. Crockta, who was trying to fall asleep, peered in to listen. ¡°Either the king is crazy, or the humans are crazy,¡± continued Tiyo. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t aspire to be an emperor unless he were crazy, and unless the people were equally crazy, they wouldn¡¯t tolerate him self-proiming as such.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± In the world of Elder Lord, the position of an emperor seemed to have special meaning. Before harmony was attained among the species in the continent, an emperor was always involved whenever a big war urred. In the war between humans and orcs in which Leyteno Pacrinche took part, the humans had an emperor, and the war only came to an end through his death. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Do you n to participate in the proxy war?¡± asked Tiyo. Crockta had already told Vigo, the knight of ste, that he needed to think about it first. Crockta bemoaned the request to join a dangerous battle from someone he had recently met, yet he could discern the urgency behind the plea. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I tried to refuse, but I thought I¡¯d think about it first since the matter would affect everyone, not just ste.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Considering what the humans are gravitating toward, the continent will soon fall into disarray.¡± Emperors ruled by force. War among the various species could erupt sooner than anticipated in the continent that had long savored peace. ¡°Oh dear...there isn¡¯t a single day of peace while traveling,¡± muttered Tiyo. The chieftain had wreaked havoc in the north, and now the self-proimed emperor was stirring the pot in the continent. There was trouble everywhere they went. ¡°Crockta, I think there¡¯s a meaning behind everything that happens to us,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°Sounds like a religious statement.¡± ¡°Hmph, attributing meaning to things is the trait of an intelligent species.¡± Crocktaughed. ¡°Anyways, whether it¡¯s dealing with the chieftain in the north or addressing matters here, it feels as if we¡¯ve been given a mission to aplish,¡± said Tiyo. ¡°A mission...¡± Crockta closed his eyes and became lost in his thoughts. He used to be a soldier who killed people. He killed to save people, but he wasn¡¯t sure whether the world¡¯s pain decreased thanks to him or whether he just intensified all of the suffering in the world. It was hard to discern because things weren¡¯t always ck and white, and the scale of reality wasplex. Inparison, the missions given to him in the world of Elder Lord were straightforward. Thus, he couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to them. ¡°If it¡¯s a mission, it must bepleted,¡± said Crockta. ¡°Oh, are you confident?¡± ¡°Are you underestimating me?¡± ¡°Adantadore? I heard he¡¯s quite something. Do you think you can beat him? I see you trembling in fear?¡± teased Tiyo. ¡°Not at all,¡± scoffed Crockta. The moon cast its gentle glow through the open window above their heads. The night in Reynolds was quiet. They asionally heard the footsteps of drunkards, but after they left, everything was tranquil, and all they could hear was the breeze shaking the windows under the moonlight. The soft sounds of the night included the rhythmic breaths of Anor in slumber, apanied by the hushed whispers of Crockta and Tiyo, careful not to disturb his sleep. The lulling embrace of sleep gently caressed their minds into slumber. ¡°Below ste lies an ocean with a beautiful resort city right next to it. The name is...¡± whispered Crockta. Tiyo drowsily replied, ¡°It¡¯s Guiderid.¡± ¡°Yes, Guiderid...¡± ¡°Do you want to go...?¡± ¡°Once we finish our business in ste...it will be nice to visit.¡± ¡°Yeah, good idea. The ocean...It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen it...¡± ¡°Do you know how to swim?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I¡¯m Tiyo, known as the seal of Quantes...¡± ¡°You always talk big.¡± ¡°Hehe...I will show you my swimming skills...¡± Their voices gradually faded into the night. ¡°Perhaps my father is resting there...¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± Then, they fell asleep. Crockta dreamt of standing on a white, sandy beach. Someone tapped on his shoulder, and when he turned around to look, he realized it was Yi-Yoo. She was with Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon as well. Then, he got hit in the head with a beach ball. When he followed the sound ofughter, he saw Tiyo and Anor pointing at him and cracking up. He took a stroll along the beach with them. It was a pleasant dream. *** Tiyo, who always woke up early, prodded Crockta and Anor to hurry up and get ready. With great effort, they opened their sleepy eyes and headed down to the restaurant on the inn''s first floor. With disheveled hair, Vigo was nodding off as he ate breakfast. ¡°Oh, hello, my brothers!¡± greeted Vigo. He grinned as he waved his hand. He struggled to keep his eyes open. ¡°steans highly value breakfast. Please grab a meal. It¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°Ohh, really?¡± replied Tiyo. ¡°Yes, the food here is not bad. Excuse me.¡± Vigo called out to the owner of the inn, who was dozing off at the counter. Crockta, Anor, and Tiyo ordered breakfast ording to their tastes. Crockta had steak first thing in the morning, Anor had a sd, and Tiyo enjoyed a sandwich and soup. ¡°Well, one needs a hearty meal before setting off on a long journey. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to ste!¡± They were nning to go anyway, but Vigo¡¯s overenthusiastic attitude was somehow off-putting. Sometimes it was better to remain silent. Tiyo shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the kingdom instead of ste.¡± ¡°I had the same thought,¡± chimed in Crockta. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to see in the kingdom. It¡¯s a bustling ce.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head out as soon as possible,¡± urged Crockta. ¡°No, gentlemen! No!¡± shouted Vigo. ¡°Ugh, so noisy. Please be quiet early in the morning,¡± said Anor. He scowled as he munched on his sd. ¡°Y-yes...¡± Vigo dejectedly sat in his seat and continued finishing his breakfast. The restaurant soon began to get crowded with the guests of the inn. Some, heavilyden with baggage, set out on their journeys as soon as they finished breakfast. ¡°Does ste have any knights who stand a chance against Adantadore?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°There is one. He has reached the level of a Grandmaster like Adantadore.¡± ¡°Then, aren¡¯t you all set?¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite old...¡± Andor, the Grandmaster of ste, was past middle age, and his hair had gonepletely white. Although he had exceptional skills and experience, many believed he was too old to face Adantadore. He currently focused on training the next generation rather than participating inbat. ¡°I rmend meeting him when we go to ste. He is known for being an excellent teacher who assesses each knight¡¯s unique abilities and trains them ordingly.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a knight thanks to him. Hahaha,¡±ughed Vigo heartily. ¡°Crockta is already super strong, but I¡¯m certain he can be even stronger after meeting him. The same goes for everyone else.¡± ¡°But Anor is a necromancer...?¡± questioned Tiyo. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that all streams eventuallye together in the sea and be one. As I said before, Andor is extraordinary. Even sorcerers learn from him.¡± Out of everything Vigo had told them, this piece of information piqued their interest the most. ¡°Then when should we get going?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Oh! I finally convinced you guys!¡± Vigo jumped up from his seat. Crocktaughed. ¡°But I haven¡¯t decided yet whether to fight or not. I will go and assess the situation and then decide.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s more than enough. When you arrive in ste, you will understand why I want to protect the city so much.¡± Vigo then shouted, ¡°Hey! Please bring us a pitcher of beer!¡± ¡°Drinking so early in the morning?!¡± eximed Tiyo. ¡°Riding on a horse drunk is the best feeling! We need to celebrate your journey to ste! Hahaha!¡± The owner brought out a pitcher, and Vigo downed the deer. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor followed forth and shared drinks with Vigo. Other guests saw them drinking and began ordering pitchers of beer as well. A drinking party unfolded in the morning. Thus, they ended up departing from the inn with the stench of alcohol. *** ¡°Ha! Ugh! Hngh!¡± Rhythmic chanting and grunts reverberated through the air as ferocious roars shook the training grounds. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± ¡°How are the warriors these days?¡± ¡°They need a lot of work.¡± ¡°You sound like Lenox.¡± They were in Orcrox, the cradle of orc warriors. Orcs aspiring to be warriors were receiving training. After the great warrior Lenox died, a new warrior continued his legacy and became the instructor at Orcrox. It was Hoyt, Lenox¡¯s former student, the man who became one of the best warriors through relentless dedication. He mastered the art of the war hammer through countless battles. He had been bedridden for a long time due to his injuries from the dungeon, but he now passionately taught orcs after recovery. Now, orcs in the continent immediately thought of Hoyt instead of Lenox at the mention of Orcrox. ¡°Do your best!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just use brute strength! Every time you swing! Every time you strike, do it as if it¡¯s your ultimate blow!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± "Is that your life''s greatest attack? Is that all there is to your life?" ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°Then swing again!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaar!¡± Each time Hoyt shouted, the orcs¡¯ momentum changed, and they squeezed out everyst bit of strength to surpass their limits. Hoyt had always been a diligent warrior, but he also became an instructor just as strict as Lenox in Orcrox. ¡°What brings you all the way here, Tashaquil?¡± Tashaquil, the teacher of the Basque vige and the great sorcerer who lit up the paths of orc warriors was visiting them. ¡°I had a dream.¡± ¡°A dream.¡± If an ordinary orc hade to talk about dreams, Hoyt wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it, but it was different when it came to Tashaquil. Dreams of powerful sorcerers were prophecies, and they could be clues to navigating the future. The fact that he came all the way here meant that it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary dream. ¡°What kind of dream was it?¡± asked Hoyt. ¡°I saw a warrior,¡± replied Tashaquil with a smile. ¡°He was about to face a battle toward bing a great warrior.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad luck to reveal the exact details of a prophecy to others.¡± ¡°I have an idea of who it could be.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go with your guess then.¡± The twoughed. ¡°A battle toward bing a great warrior...¡± Hoyt set his hammer on the ground. It was a masterpiece created by the Golden Anvil tribe called the Mountain sher. True to its name, there was not a single person who remained unscathed after facing the force of his hammer. ¡°Must be very dangerous,¡± said Hoyt. ¡°To either die or be great, that¡¯s the life of a warrior...¡± replied Tashaquil chuckling. ¡°So I came here. Give that to me.¡± He pointed at something. Hoyt¡¯s expression changed. It was something that he couldn¡¯t hand off to anyone, even Tashaquil. It was an old steelbat helmet that Lenox used to wear. It hung from a metal rod on the training grounds and looked over the orcs like Lenox did when he was alive. ¡°Not that...that was Lenox¡¯s.¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone now. If you give it to me, I will deliver it to someone who deserves it.¡± ¡°But still...can you take something else instead?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I can''t help but be reluctant to give away Lenox¡¯s keepsake...¡± As Hoyt was about to firmly refuse, a strong st of wind blew toward them and scattered the sand on the training grounds. Hoyt and Tashaquil covered their faces. ¡°...!¡± Something astonishing happened. Lenox¡¯s helmet securely hung from the rod, which had never left the training grounds after his death, had fallen to the ground. The steel helmet rolled toward them. It was umon for a heavy steel helmet to be blown away by the wind. Tashaquil grinned. ¡°Lenox seems to think he is needed as well.¡± ¡°...¡± Hoyt couldn¡¯t speak. This peculiar urrence seemed as if Lenox was responding to Tashaquil¡¯s plea. ¡°Hoyt, may I send this to the warrior who needs it?¡± ¡°Do you n to deliver it yourself?¡± ¡°I have to remain in Basque vige.¡± ¡°Then...¡± Tashaquil whistled. A huge shadow appeared and stirred up the training grounds. Hoyt couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°The king of the forest.¡± ¡°Yes, he will deliver the helmet.¡± ¡°Now I know who you are speaking of.¡± The shadow belonged to a tiger, one that was twice the size of an average tiger. It ruled over the forest of Orcrox, the terror that devoured formidable monsters. It was Simba, the tiger who earned the title of king of the mountain. Simba grew stronger after defeating the mutant werewolf with Crockta and now reigned as the king of the mountain. He became a friend to orcs through Crockta and was summoned to Orcrox by Tashaquil. ¡°Simba,¡± said Tashaquil. ¡°Grrr...¡± ¡°Please give him this.¡± Tashaquil ced Lenox¡¯s helmet in a sack and wrapped it around Simba¡¯s neck. Simba shook his neck as he stretched like a cat. ¡°Will you be able to find him?¡± ¡°Raaa!¡± ¡°Yes, quickly go. There¡¯s no time.¡± ¡°Raaaaaa!¡± With a roar, Simba turned around and began running outside the training grounds. The orcs, startled by the sudden appearance of a tiger, quickly backed away. ¡°A tiger and Lenox¡¯s helmet...I wonder what you saw in your dreams...¡± muttered Hoyt. Tashaquil smiled. He shook his staff and bestowed blessings on the warriors on the training grounds. Some of the warriors would give up, and some would continue their paths and be true warriors, and perhaps a few of them could even turn into great warriors. ¡°I heard the human king is proiming himself as an emperor.¡± ¡°Yes, humans always repeat the same mistakes.¡± Tashaquil looked at the sky and said, ¡°He will soon meet a warrior.¡± Chapter 148: The Great Duel (2)

Chapter 148: The Great Duel (2)

After a two-day journey, Crockta¡¯s party arrived in ste. The gleaming white walls that surrounded the city greeted them. ¡°This is ste. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± asked Vigo. The walls of other cities were usually gray, but ste¡¯s walls glistened like white marble. Crockta nodded. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°The walls have been passed down for generations and are the pride of ste. Legend says that a white dragon named Ariadne built them with magic,¡± exined Vigo. The guards at the entrance recognized Vigo and gave a big salute. Vigo shook his head and pointed at Crockta¡¯s party. ¡°Not me! These gentlemen will save ste, so salute them!¡± ¡°Save ste?¡± wondered the guards. ¡°This orc warrior is unbelievably strong. I am nning to rmend him for the duel against the kingdom!¡± ¡°Ohh! Wee! ste!¡± ¡°ste!¡± The guards saluted Crockta with gusto. Rather than being scared of the orc, they were in awe of Crockta¡¯s stature and menacing face. ¡°Crockta will give Adantadore a good scolding!¡± eximed Vigo. ¡°Crockta! We believe in you!¡± ¡°Adantadore will wet his pants just from seeing your face!¡± said the guards. Crockta wasn¡¯t sure whether they were praising or mocking him, but he nodded. After Vigo exchanged pleasantries with the guards, they finally entered ste. Anor was the first to respond to the scenery. ¡°Woooow!¡± Tiyo, who was usually not impressed by the culture of other species, quietly muttered, ¡°Not bad.¡± Crockta grinned widely. ¡°It¡¯s impressive.¡± The city mirrored the white palette of its city walls inside as well. In contrast to Arnin, the elven city, ste¡¯s charm was elevated by an infusion of azure tones that delighted the eyes of onlookers. Its white and blue hues and architecture resembled cities in the Mediterranean. Vigo swelled with pride. ¡°Us steans have superb aesthetic sensibilities. The citizens cooperate with the Department of Urban Landscape to maintain the city space. I have never met anyone who wasn¡¯t impressed by ste¡¯s beauty.¡± The beauty of the city spoke true to his pride. The citizens cast curious nces at the visitors who hailed from a different species. But unlike other cities, the people here didn¡¯t seem to fear orcs. Crockta realized it was thanks to Vigo. ¡°Hello, sir! Who is the orc next to you?¡± asked a child. ¡°He¡¯s here to help ste!¡± ¡°Wow! Thank you!¡± Children passing by greeted Vigo with bright smiles on their faces. Everywhere Vigo went, citizens greeted him and cheerfullyplimented him. Some of them, seeing other species for the first time, requested handshakes from Crockta and his friends. It was obvious that the citizens of ste held knights in high regard. Even though there was an unfamiliar orc nearby, they didn¡¯t fear any harm because Vigo, the knight, was right there. Anor smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a nice ce.¡± ¡°It is,¡± agreed Crockta. The streets of ste buzzed with energy. Everything was out in the open, and they didn¡¯t see any hidden alleys which weremon in most cities. ¡°The lord of ste collects minimal taxes because the city has ample funds from natural resources. We can extract quality marble and have a huge silver mine. These are our gifts from God,¡± said Vigo proudly. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the lord¡¯s residence located in the center of the city. The knights guarding the residence heartily greeted Vigo. ¡°Vigo!¡± They seemed well acquainted with Vigo. Their gazes quickly shifted between Vigo and Crockta¡¯s party. ¡°Who¡¯s this? What happened to Morenson?¡± Vigo exined that Morenson, his scouting partner, had passed away during their mission to survey Nogunda¡¯s bandits. The knights¡¯ faces grew solemn when they heard the news. Then Vigo went on to praise Crockta¡¯s disy of prowess against the bandits and his ns to rmend Crockta as a participant in the proxy war against the kingdom. Upon hearing the news, the knights looked at Crockta with a peculiar glint in their eyes. Crockta recognized that look. They burned withpetitiveness. They wanted to find out whether Crockta really had the skills Vigo spoke so highly of. Crockta grinned. He approved of such attitudes in knights. ¡°In any case, enter. You need to meet with the lord first,¡± said the knights as they opened the entrance. *** When they entered the lord¡¯s residence, a female staff member guided them upstairs. The residence was more modest-looking than they had expected. Although it mirrored ste¡¯s distinct architectural style, it was inly decorated. Once they reached the lord¡¯s chamber upstairs, the staff member knocked on the door. ¡°My lord, Vigo has returned.¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± Crockta¡¯s party and Vigo thanked her and entered the chamber. The lord turned out to be a brawny middle-aged man with a long beard. He had a head full of red hair that was slicked backward. His eyes widened in surprise at the sudden appearance of an orc. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°Hey, Vigo, who is that orc over there?¡± While Vigo conversed with the lord, Crockta couldn¡¯t help but stare at a man seated across from them. He was an elderly man whose hair had gone mostly white. The passage of time had carved his face with wrinkles, but he disyed wless posture with his back straight as a rod. He wore casual attire with a sword at his waist. Crockta instinctively recognized him as the old knight who had reached the level of a Grandmaster that Vigo had talked about. At their level, they could tell a lot just from a nce. Crockta could visualize it in his head. Within their slowed-down worlds, he would swing his greatsword toward the Grandmaster, who would charge instead of dodging his attack. He would evade Crockta¡¯s de by a narrow margin and go for Crockta¡¯s stomach. His greatsword would sh against his de and they would exchange a series of strikes. Crockta sparred against the Grandmaster in his head for a while. He only came to his senses when Vigo suddenly asked him a question. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Crockta had no idea what Vigo was asking about. ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Crockta, the Conqueror of the North?¡± asked Vigo. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure at first, but I became more and more certain.¡± Crockta¡¯s reputation was so widely spread that even Vigo had discovered his true identity. Crockta nodded. ¡°Some call me that.¡± ¡°I was right!¡± The lord¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He exchanged looks with the knight sitting across from him. Then the lord got up and walked toward Crockta. Close up, Crockta could admire his toned physique. It was obviously a result of a consistent training regimen. ¡°Thank you for making a difficult decision. ste will not forget the help of the Conqueror of the North.¡± While Crockta had been preupied with his mental sparring against the Grandmaster, Vigo had spoken to the lord as if Crockta had already agreed to represent ste in the proxy war. Vigo winked at Crockta. Crockta grinned. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was touched by Vigo volunteering to donate three months of his sry to the cause.¡± ¡°Ohh, Vigo, is that true?¡± asked the lord. ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m touched by your dedication,¡± praised the lord. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s...¡± The lord was obviously joking, but Vigo was hesitant to tease back a man in such high standing. Suddenly, a hoarse voice interjected. ¡°Quit teasing the young knight.¡± It was a low and gruff voice, but it had a resonant quality to it. Its unique tone had a charm that naturally made people listen. The elderly knight stood up. He was thin but was tall enough to meet Crockta at eye level. ¡°Quite an impressive warrior, I see,¡± he remarked. The Grandmaster had alreadypletely seen through Crockta, but he still scanned him up and down. The Grandmaster¡¯s instinct was warning him against Crockta. Most orcs relied on brute strength, pushing back their enemies with their hardy bodies, but this orc warrior practiced swordsmanship more sophisticated than that of humans or elves. He had already envisioned Crockta¡¯s swift and precise swordsmanship in his head. ¡°You are stronger than me,¡± the Grandmaster acknowledged. The lord of ste and Vigo were bbergasted by the legendary knight readily acknowledging his opponent¡¯s superiority. ¡°Really?¡± the lord eximed. ¡°Hmm, from a nce, he seems to be on par with Adantadore,¡± said the Grandmaster. ¡°Ohh...¡± ¡°I could see how he single-handedly managed to conquer the north.¡± ¡°Ohh...¡± ¡°The gods must be looking after ste.¡± He grinned and extended a hand toward Crockta. Crockta grabbed his hand. ¡°Crockta, I¡¯m the old knight of ste, Gdin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Crockta, the orc warrior from Orcrox.¡± It was the meeting between Grandmaster Gdin, referred to as the guardian of ste, and Crockta, the conqueror of the north acknowledged by the gods, but they humbly referred to themselves as an old knight and an orc warrior. Vigo and the lord of ste smiled contentedly as they observed their interaction. ¡°My lord, the future of ste is bright.¡± ¡°Gdin is old, and Crockta is an outsider. The future of ste depends on young knights like you,¡± the lord disagreed. ¡°Umm...¡± ¡°Does ste¡¯s future still seem bright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit foggy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve aged so much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± apologized Vigo. *** The knights gathered to recover the remains of the knight killed by Nogunda, king of the mountain. Gdin surveyed the knights standing straight in a line. He was sparse with his words. ¡°Find our friend. We will hold the funeral afterward.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The leader of the knights raised his arm to his chest and bowed. ¡°We will head out immediately, sir.¡± ¡°Permission granted.¡± ¡°March!¡± The knights steered their horses in the opposite direction and headed outside the castle. Citizens cheered on the procession of knights. Tiyo, observing the knights¡¯ departure,mented, ¡°Is it okay to send out the knights when they will be fighting against the kingdom soon?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a chance anyways if the kingdom decides to really take us on. They won¡¯t do anything out of line since they are the ones who suggested a proxy duel in the first ce. Especially if they are concerned about the scrutiny of the citizens and the gods.¡± Crockta rubbed his chin, deep in thought. ¡°Vigo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there...¡± Crockta suddenly remembered why the name ste had been strangely familiar to him. When he was a beginner in Elder Lord, he looked up strategies and tips for the game and saw a yer eagerly promoting ste as a great ce to live. The yer was a well-known ste fan on the forum. They even vowed to be a high-ranking official in ste and further advance the city. ¡°...someone who has received the curse of the stars in ste?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°There¡¯s quite a few. There¡¯s a lot these days.¡± ¡°Someone in a well-renowned upation.¡± ¡°Ohh, are you asking about Yellow?¡± ¡°Yellow?¡± ¡°Yes, you met her earlier.¡± Vigo pointed toward the lord¡¯s residence. ¡°The woman who guided us.¡± ¡°Ah, her...¡± Crockta nodded. He didn¡¯t notice because she had covered her forehead with her bangs. Turns out, she was also a yer. As the level of yers rose, unique yers who devised their own strategies and excelled in different facets of Elder Lord emerged. The role-yer militiaman Kim Dal-Kwang used to be one of a kind, but some yers were establishing their own domains in Elder Lord now. ¡°She earned the trust of the lord through her sharp and expert handling of matters. What interests you about those cursed by the stars?¡± asked Vigo. ¡°I was curious because I heard the kingdom also has people cursed by the stars.¡± ¡°Haha, yes, Rommel is famous. You will probably see him during the great duel since the king greatly favors him.¡± The great duel was a week away. Both sides kept secret about who would participate in the duel, but the whole southern region knew that it would be a fight between Adantadore and Gdin. They were the strongest and most famous knights from both sides. Everyone expected the kingdom to win at this rate since Adantadore was an up-anding rising star, and Gdin was quite old. But they didn¡¯t know that Crockta, not Gdin, was ste¡¯s representative for the duel. It was an unforeseen variable. ¡°Crockta.¡± Suddenly, Gdin¡¯s voice called out to him. Crockta turned his head. He saw apletely different man from the person he had seen in the lord¡¯s chamber. Back then, he had looked like a dignified old man, but d in armor with a razor-sharp de, he was the epitome of a fierce warrior. Crockta grinned and drew his Ogre yer. ¡°Gdin.¡± The two walked to the training grounds located in the knights¡¯ quarters. They were both swordsmen who had reached the Pinnacle. Their duel would be a silent yet deadly encounter. ¡°I like your spirit, but I must see it in practice on the battlefield. I be more paranoid the older I get,¡± said Gdin. Crockta realized that he had been unable to see Gdin¡¯s true expression because it was clouded by years of wrinkles. Gdin was not a courteous elderly knight. ¡°Please go easy on me,¡± replied Crockta with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be chided for breaking an old man¡¯s bones.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± In truth, Gdin was far from a gentleman. He was a belligerent fighter. ¡°The young are so spirited!¡± Before Crockta could even get into position, Galdin¡¯s sword cut through him. Chapter 149: The Great Duel (3)

Chapter 149: The Great Duel (3)

Yellow, an ardent ste fan and lifelong resident, saw a strange letter on the desk next to her bed. She suddenly got goosebumps all over her body. She realized she had a visitor who had dropped by in the dead of the night. However, her face hardened when she read the contents of the letter. ¡°This is...¡± Who was the sender? The contents were vague and got straight to the point without revealing anything about the author. However, the letter revealed a shocking truth that struck her like a blow to the back of her head. ¡°Could it be?¡± she muttered. ¡°Could it be?¡± Yet the pieces started falling into ce, and everything began to make sense. She read the letter again and then promptly disconnected from the server. *** Crockta and Vigo were sitting on the training grounds. ¡°Yellow is nowhere to be seen today. Did she receive a summoning from the stars? Poor Yellow.¡± NPCs perceived yers disconnecting from the server as being summoned by the stars of the abyss. From a certain standpoint, they were correct since the yers were returning to earth from the world of Elder Lord. yers had to put in extra work to earn the trust of NPCs since it was difficult to trust people who suddenly disappeared before important events. Thus, yers with short login times tended to only hang out with other yers because they were unable to establish rapport with NPCs. ¡°Yellow is rarely summoned by the stars. How odd.¡± Yellow was a hardcore game addict. She was able to rise through the ranks and earn the position of working closely with the lord at his residence because she lived a life indistinguishable from NPCs. ¡°She must have something to do,¡± replied Crockta slyly. She had probably disconnected from the server after reading the letter Crockta sent herst night. He wasn¡¯t sure how she would handle the matter, but he did what he could. It wasmon knowledge that the Heaven and Earth n yed a role in the kingdom¡¯s affairs and wreaked havoc in the continent under the pretext that certain regions opposed the kingdom. Their destructive activities were well-documented in numerous regions, particrly in the southeast where an organized system wascking. The ruins they left behind were repeatedly broadcast on television. ns like the Heaven and Earth n demonstrated ack of allegiance to NPCs. As long as they treated Elder Lord as just a game, Crockta saw the need to extend the Great Duel ord beyond amitment solely among NPCs to a contractual agreement between yers. ¡°Anyways, what are those two up to?¡± asked Vigo. Crockta turned his head to look and saw Grandmaster Gdin and Anor having a staring contest. ¡°Ugh...¡± muttered Anor. Anor, painfully shy to the point where maintaining eye contact felt like torture, mustered the courage to gaze directly at Gdin, his face turning a deep shade of red. Tiyo found the scene amusing and joined Gdin in staring at Anor. With both of their eyes on him, Anor waved his hands and turned away, conceding, ¡°I admit defeat. Stop! Stop.¡± Gdin and Tiyo erupted inughter. ¡°You will be stronger when you stop avoiding other people¡¯s eyes. That means you will be weak forever! Hahaha!¡± teased Tiyo. ¡°Ah, geez,¡± said Anor with a troubled face. ¡°Can you please stop staring at me? It makes me feel weird.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. Look me straight in the eye. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡± responded Gdin. Gdin was widely known for his ability to discern others¡¯ traits and guide them ordingly. During their duel, Gdin predicted all of Crockta¡¯s movements. It seemed as if he could foresee the direction of the fight. He wasn¡¯t only predicting individual movements, he was also reacting ordingly. Crockta had won, but he wasn¡¯t sure whether he could have won if they engaged in a life-or-death struggle. ¡°He¡¯s an extraordinary person,¡±mented Crockta. ¡°You are right. He is extraordinary. He peers into the depths of your soul.¡± If Gdin could see into people¡¯s hearts, he could understand the issues they faced by understanding their perspectives and mindsets. Thus, his teachings prioritized the cultivation of individuals¡¯ mentalities over technical skills. Crockta had also received advice from him. ¡°What did he say to you? If you don¡¯t mind, please tell me. I¡¯m curious. Does a warrior like you have any shorings?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Crockta recalled what Gdin had said. ¡°Just...¡± Vigo was right. Gdin wasn¡¯t someone who just made knights strong. When he held a sword, he was an aggressive fighter who swung the sword vigorously. Then again, when he withdrew his sword, he was a warm person who looked at his opponent with caring eyes. He was someone who nurtured his opponents and helped them grow. ¡°He advised me against bearing the burden alone.¡± ¡°Oh, as expected. It suits you,¡± replied Vigo with a thumbs up. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he remind you of your father when he gives advice?¡± Crockta smiled. Although his father had passed away when he was a kid, he still remembered him. He had never harbored resentment against his parents. Throughout one¡¯s life, how many people truly saw them for who they were? ¡°True.¡± Now it was Tiyo¡¯s turn. Gdin told him something as well. Tiyo, who disliked criticism, rejected his advice vehemently. Gdin angrily swung his wooden sword and Tiyo began running away. ¡°Stop! I get it! I get it!¡± yelled Tiyo. ¡°You little...you need to listen to what adults say!¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult too!¡± ¡°If you are an adult, then it¡¯s time you get hit by a real adult!¡± ¡°Someone, save the gnome! Where¡¯s my General? General!¡± ¡°General? Shoot, if you dare!¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± screamed Tiyo as he took a few hits from Gdin¡¯s wooden sword. Crockta and Vigo burst out intoughter. ¡°Ah, well.¡± Anor, who was still embarrassed from the training earlier, fanned his flushed face with his hand as he approached Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s weird that staring at me can help me grow. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...right?¡± Vigo and Crockta were imitating Gdin and Tiyo from earlier and gazing at Anor intensely. Anor¡¯s face turned bright red again. ¡°No, why...¡± They continued staring at Anor. Anor covered his face in embarrassment. ¡°Please stop! Seriously!¡± He ran off blushing. ¡°Anor is not only handsome, but he¡¯s cute as well. Olderdies must love him,¡± teased Vigo. ¡°Hahaha.¡± They were having a good time. *** ste was a city whereughter never ceased. Whether due to the amicable nature of steans or their plentiful natural resources, they seemed to enjoy every moment. Of course, considering that the modern world was vastly more prosperous than the world of Elder Lord, yet devoid ofughter, ste¡¯s welfare couldn¡¯t purely be due to material reasons. ¡°Vigo, you were right,¡± said Crockta. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°ste is a wonderful ce.¡± ¡°Of course. I never lie. Hahaha! Viva ste!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Thest few days, Crockta had been exploring ste. Crockta was used to everyone being frightened by his face or showing disdain toward him during his travels. Although he was a human in the guise of an orc, he found the negative prejudices toward his appearance unpleasant. But ste was different. Children approached him with smiles on their faces, and merchants gave him extras as they greeted him, saying that they had never seen an orc before. He felt as if he was a weed guest. ¡°Crockta, do you now understand why I clung to you and begged you to help us even though we had just met?¡± asked Vigo. He grinned and wrapped his arm around Crockta¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That scum Adantadore and the guys from the kingdom are trying to destroy this beautiful ce.¡± If ste was integrated into the kingdom, the citizens would suffer from heavy taxes, and their youth would be conscripted for war. Numerous regions under the kingdom were going through simr processes. Crockta nodded. ¡°I heard Adantadore is a very handsome young man.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s famous for how attractive he is.¡± ¡°I will give him a good beating and make his face worse than mine!¡± shouted Crockta. He was making a deration that he would protect ste with all of his might. But instead of being moved, Vigo shook his head. ¡°No matter how much you hit him, it will be difficult to make it worse than yours...¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta¡¯s face stiffened. Vigo quickly retracted his words. ¡°N-no. I believe you!¡± ¡°Whatever. You can handle the duel on your own...¡± ¡°What are you saying? Of course, you are more handsome than him. Really! I never lie!¡± *** The Elder Lordmunity was buzzing with news, and at the center of it all was the Heaven and Earth n that always stirred things up. [Author: Yellowste] [Title: Announcement of Negotiations Between the ste Love Association and the Heaven and Earth n] [Hello, this is Yellow, an ste native and a devoted ste lover. Lately, the human kingdom has been rapidly expanding its forces, and my beloved ste is in danger. Most yers probably don¡¯t know what is going on, so I will exin. The human kingdom and ste have decided to carry out a one-on-one duel by electing their representatives so that their best fighters can settle the matter instead of us having to go to war. The conditions are that if the kingdom wins, ste will be integrated into the kingdom, but if ste wins, ste will be able to maintain its independence as a neutral city, and the kingdom won¡¯t invade ste going forward. But in truth, the chances of us winning are extremely slim. We have Grandmaster Gdin, but the kingdom has the famous Adantadore. The members of the ste Love Association are hoping for a miracle. Anyway, the reason I¡¯m writing this post is because the Heaven and Earth n is involved in the kingdom. yers tend to treat NPCs as mere artificial intelligence, as objects you can dispose of without remorse, and the Heaven and Earth n is no exception. So we were worried that even if Gdin won and ste triumphed, the Heaven and Earth n could vite the treaty and dere war on ste. It ismon for yers, not just the Heaven and Earth n, to act in such a manner. Those who know will understand what I mean. But as yers who love ste, we hoped that the kingdom and the Heaven and Earth n, as well as all the yers, would ept the oue of the duel about to take ce. Thus, the ste Love Association requested the Heaven and Earth n to sign a contract stating that they would abide by the terms of the negotiations. Consequently, the master of the Heaven and Earth n, Rommel, has agreed to this as well. Attached is a copy of the contract (screenshot). I¡¯m posting this here so that all the yers who enjoy Elder Lord can bear witness to this agreement. We do not want Elder Lord to turn into ruins due to indiscriminate wars and rot away into obscurity. If there are a hundred yers, there are a hundred ways to y the game. I fell in love with ste the moment I set my eyes on it. It¡¯s truly a beautiful ce. I¡¯ve bragged endlessly about the city, but there¡¯s always more to boast about it. But if ste loses, I will disappear from thismunity board. I will delete my character because there won¡¯t be a reason for me to y anymore. If there is anyone who wishes for me to stay, please pray for us. Hoping for a miracle. From ste, Yellow.] Yellow uploaded this post on a poprmunity board, and it immediately became a hot topic for two main reasons. First, it announced an uing duel between two Grandmasters, the best knights in Elder Lord. Second, Yellow¡¯s character, which had risen to a high-ranking government position, was at risk of being deleted. Yellow became famous among yers for her handbook, Elder Lord¡¯s Civil Servant Guide, for yers aspiring to be government officials in Elder Lord. Moreover, she inspired countless yers to visit ste through vlogs documenting her life in the city. Her post became a sensation and already had thousands ofments. The Heaven and Earth n also saw her post. *** ¡°Is that okay?¡± asked Hyun-Chul, also known as Luin in Elder Lord. Hyun-Chul, who had yed a role in luring Lenox and killing him was now a high-ranking member of the Heaven and Earth n. Moreover, Cainz, the former master of the Haedong Balhae n who had leveraged his friendships with NPCs to help Choi Han-Sung, was now second-inmand in the Heaven and Earth n. Although Choi Han-Sung, or Rommel, was the master of the n, Cainz was the mastermind behind the n¡¯s activities. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± replied Rommel with a smile as he sipped his wine. They were currently in one of the n¡¯s residences located in the royal capital Espenazan. Their room was splendidly adorned like the residences of nobles. The king had bestowed upon them thend as a token of favor. This was all thanks to the Haedong Balhae members joining the Heaven and Earth n. ¡°Do you think Adantadore will lose?¡± asked Rommel. ¡°Well...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that monster will lose. I spoke with him, and he expressed absolute confidence in defeating Gdin. He imed to have reached a new level, and that Gdin was too old topete.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief that a monster like him isn¡¯t our enemy.¡± ¡°Indeed, so don¡¯t worry. That woman stirred things up, but everything will be resolved without issues in the end.¡± Rommel handed a wine ss to Cainz, who was sitting still without a word. Cainz noticed Rommel and epted the ss with a smile. ¡°Why are you so quiet?¡± asked Rommel. ¡°There¡¯s something that has been bugging me,¡± replied Cainz. Cainz had grown irritable after the n¡¯s Maird branch was destroyed. All of Maird¡¯s n members cited the named NPC Crockta as the cause. Everyone knew that the Haedong Balhae n had copsed because of orcs, with the orc of justice, Crockta, as the main perpetrator. Was the incident in Maird just a coincidence? Or was Crockta pursuing them ¡®till the ends of the earth? ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. Our main base is here now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± replied Cainz with a nod. But he still seemed lost in his thoughts. Rommel grinned. ¡°Cainz always has so much on his mind.¡± ¡°I know there¡¯s no need to worry, but what if...what if...Adantadore loses?¡± Luin suddenly asked. ¡°Well...then there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. I was nning to ignore the dumb treaty, but that woman got ahead of us.¡± ¡°Yellow is sharp.¡± ¡°She¡¯s desperate. Adantadore will win anyway. Well, let¡¯s drink.¡± Rommel, Luin, Cainz, and the higher-ups of the Heaven and Earth n nodded and raised their sses. Then, they shouted their rallying cry. ¡°For Heaven and Earth!¡± *** A few dayster, on a sunny afternoon, the king of the kingdom and the lord of ste arrived at the Gabriel ins with their respective knight orders. The proxy war had begun. Chapter 150: Evil Empire

Chapter 150: Evil Empire

The two sides faced each other on the ins as their gs fluttered in the wind. The king of humans and the lord of ste slowly approached each other on horseback. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Count of ste.¡± The king was a young, handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes and had the air of an aristocrat. Of course, he was more than just an aristocrat, he was on the brink of bing an emperor. ¡°It¡¯s a fine day. Regardless of today¡¯s oue, we shall ept it gracefully in reverence to the gods,¡± said the king. ¡°Thank you. It puts my mind at ease to hear Your Highness say so.¡± The king furrowed his eyebrows, but the lord of ste¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°You seem confident. Is Gdin in good health?¡± ¡°He remains as hearty as ever. Would you like to see him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If I wanted to gaze upon the faces of old men, I would just look at my ministers.¡± Their eyes locked in an unyielding gaze. The Count of ste returned the king¡¯s stern look with unwavering confidence. ¡°Very well...¡± The king twisted his lips into a wry smile. ¡°When the sun reaches its zenith, let the duel begin. I will advise Adantadore to control his strength, considering Gdin¡¯s advanced age.¡± ¡°We very much appreciate your consideration, but...¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Gdin will not be participating in the duel today.¡± ¡°What?¡± The king scrutinized the lord¡¯s face with suspicion. ¡°Then, who will?¡± ¡°You will see for yourself when the sun is at its zenith.¡± ¡°...¡± The king was puzzled by the lord¡¯s carefree attitude. He frowned upon the lord¡¯s attitude but was also confused about who the mysterious warrior could be. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll see,¡± replied the king contemptuously. The two then turned their horses around and returned to their camps. The lord of ste immediately sought out Crockta who was waiting in a tent behind the camp. The lord¡¯s face was stiff with tension, but he couldn¡¯t help but grin at the sight inside the tent. Crockta was humming a tune on a bed, and Vigo was fanning him. ¡°Is it cool enough?¡± asked Vigo. ¡°Stronger,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°Hyah!¡± ¡°Do it properly. Are you going to take responsibility if I lose because of heatstroke?¡± ¡°I will do better, sir!¡± ¡°Fan harder! You have surprisingly frail wrists for a knight of your stature.¡± Crockta looked nothing like a warrior about to participate in a duel with not only his life but also the fate of a city on the line, but hisposure was oddly reassuring. He was none other than Crockta, the Conqueror of the North. He would definitely be able to put up a fight against Adantadore. Even Gdin acknowledged that Crockta was stronger than him. The lord felt at ease. The dice had been cast. He had given his best move. ¡°Vigo,¡± he called out. ¡°Yes, lord!¡± ¡°Fan harder. The fate of ste depends on your wrists.¡± ¡°Ah! Yes, sir!¡± Tiyo and Anor didn¡¯t seem to be worried at all. They were dozing off in a corner of the tent. They had been drinking all night. They didn¡¯t have an ounce of nervousness. ¡°Thank you again foring to a dangerous ce for our sake, Crockta.¡± ¡°Hehehe, there¡¯s no need to thank me. I¡¯m just carrying out the duty of a warrior.¡± Crockta leisurely stretched as he enjoyed the breeze from the fan. ¡°So when is the duel?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°At noon.¡± Crockta looked up at the sky through the gap in the tent. It was almost noon. *** The sound of the trumpet echoed throughout the ins. Both sides tensed up. The sun had risen above their heads. The duel was about to begin. It was a fight that would decide their fate. So much was at stake. Adantadore appeared first. The king ced a hand on his shoulder and said something. Adantadore replied so loudly that his voice could even be heard in ste. ¡°I¡¯m full of energy today.¡± Adantadore was a young, handsome man with a well-bnced physique. Despite his age, he was a seasoned knight who had experienced many battles. Now, it was time for ste toe forward. Crockta walked forward. ¡°...!¡± The kingdom¡¯s party grew restless. Their loud murmurs gradually spread. They had expected ste¡¯s Great Warrior Gdin toe forward because it wasmon knowledge that he was the best knight in ste. There was no knight stronger than him. The kingdom believed that Adantadore was stronger than Gdin, so they were certain of their victory. But someonepletely unexpected hade forward. An orc. A warrior with a sinister face with tattoos all over their body. Everyone could see his giant physique and greatsword from a mile away. At first, Adantadore didn¡¯t know what to make of it. He then let out a hollowugh like a spectator who thought he was about to watch a tragedy, but it turned out to be aedy instead. ¡°I¡¯m Adantadore Pacrinche. Who are you?¡± He seemed uncertain about the orc standing in front of him. ¡°Are you really ste¡¯s representative?¡± Crockta nodded. The ins fell quiet. Crockta looked at Adantadore with an arrogant look in his eyes. ¡°My name is Crockta. I came from Orcrox, and I am standing here today to protect ste.¡± ¡°...!¡± Adantadoree opened his eyes wide in shock. Crockta. He recognized that name. It was the name of the mysterious orc who had killed the chieftain and stopped the northern orcs from invading the continent. The day the chieftain fell, all the gods whispered his name. ¡°ste had an ace up their sleeve.¡± Then he regained hisposure and raised his sword. Unlike Crockta¡¯s greatsword, Adantadore¡¯s sword was a thin, elegant rapier. Both practiced Leyteno Pacrinche¡¯s swordsmanship, but their stance and energy were different. ¡°Do you know Leyteno Pacrinche?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°Ohh?¡± Adantadoreughed. ¡°Do you mean the traitor Leyteno? You must be familiar with him since you are an orc. Yes, I know him. The coward who survived by sucking up to the orcs. The traitor who turned his sword on his own people. The ck sheep who left a stain on the Pacrinche family¡¯s legacy. He got what he deserved and died tragically.¡± ¡°A coward, traitor, and a stain...¡± Crocktaughed out loud. The Leyteno he had heard about was far from a coward or a traitor. Instead of a stain, he was a shining star. He was a hero and a master of his sword. If Leyteno had just turned a blind eye to justice and swung his sword toward the orcs, he could have gained wealth and honor. Even though everyone condemned him, he gritted his teeth and turned the direction of his de for what he believed in. He was not a ve. He was a master. If one pointed to the same ce just because everyone¡¯s fingers were pointing in that direction, then he was merely a ve. But Leyteno had raised his head and pointed in the opposite direction. He moved forward in the direction he believed in. Thus, he was forever remembered in the Hall of Fame. None of the warriors in the Hall of Fame were dead. Leyteno Pacrinche had never died. ¡°My sword carries the will of Leyteno Pacrinche,¡± dered Crockta as he raised his sword. Although Crockta had developed his own swordsmanship from reaching the Pinnacle, the essence of Leyteno¡¯s swordsmanship lived within the Ogre yer. ¡°Experience it for yourself, Adantadore,¡± continued Crockta. ¡°An orc who wields the sword...¡± Adantadore smirked. ¡°Your sword is just ridiculouslyrge. You seem to have fun mimicking that traitor. We¡¯ll see how it goes...¡± Everyone on the ins was watching Crockta and Adantadoree. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Adantadore leaped first. Crockta¡¯s eyes scanned him. The world grew slower. Adantadore¡¯s face sparkled with arrogance and confidence. He burned with apetitive spirit. Crockta swung his greatsword toward his face. aaaang! Adantadore was a genius swordsman who had reached the Pinnacle. He had been waiting for Crockta at the realm of the Pinnacle. Their des shed over and over again. An extraordinary duel, invisible to ordinary people, unfolded in front of their eyes. The two exchanged strikes for a while. With each sh of swords, shockwaves reverberated like explosions, and tiny wounds appeared on their bodies. Blood sttered on each other¡¯s faces. Each time the sh of swords raised a cloud of dust, cheers erupted from both sides. It was a rare battle between the strongest powerhouses! Suddenly, Crockta''s battle cry shook the ins. "Bul¡¯taaaaaaar!¡± The spectators'' legs trembled at his roar as if an earthquake had urred. In the face of such force, Adantadore felt as if his heart had stopped. Crockta''smanding presence bored down on him. His eyes shed with murderous intent, and the gigantic greatsword in his hand flew toward Adantadore in unpredictable ways. Even when the knight thought he had blocked it, its enormous force sent him flying. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Crockta''s fist struck Adantadore''s abdomen. Adantadore flew through the air and tumbled on the ground. "Woww!¡± Cheers erupted from ste. On the other hand, the kingdom¡¯s party fell silent. ¡°...¡± Adantadore staggered to his feet, spewing blood as if the shock had shaken him to the core. Crockta chuckled and flicked his finger. He was beckoning Adantadore to pull himself together. "Haha, are you okay?" "He wasn''t all talk. Alright¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤." Adantadore forced a smile as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, he assumed a stance with his sword. His body began to transcend the Pinnacle. It soared until it reached a higher realm. The world was deadly silent. He leaped, swinging his sword down toward Crockta. Crockta blocked it with the Ogre yer. However, Adantadore seeded in shing Crockta¡¯s shoulder, and blood poured out. Crockta quickly stepped back. "¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!" This time, cheers erupted from the kingdom side. Adantadore grinned, echoing Crockta''s words. "Are you okay?" Crockta smiled back in response. "You''re not all talk either." Crockta calmly raised his Ogre yer. They had referred to Andatadore as a genius. He believed it. He was a swordsman who had surpassed the Pinnacle. He had also reached the realm of Heroes that Crockta had arrived at by transcending life and death. If that was the case, he should be treated as an equal. Crockta could hear the cheers and jeers from the spectators, and the harsh sunlight above them piercing his skin. As they felt the weight of each sweat drop trickling down their cheeks, they gripped their weapons. This was no easy opponent. With the high level of swordsmanship involved, it wouldn''t be strange no matter who won. ¡®What an interesting opponent.¡¯ Both shared the same thoughts as they moved, and their destinies began intertwining. Like tentacles, the strings connecting cause and effect reached toward each other. With each step, each stroke, and every slide of their feet and de, the chances of life and death constantly fluctuated. "I never thought you''d make it this far...¡± Adantadore grew uneasy. He was confident he could win if he had been up against Gdin. But this orc who had appeared out of nowhere was stronger than Gdin. His entire being warned him that the orc was at the very least, on the same level as him, if not higher. This orc was also a swordsman who had surpassed the Pinnacle. He could really die today. Adantadore swallowed hard as he saw the chains that transcended thews of causality emerge from Crockta and surround him. The heat was oppressive, with the sun scorching above them, but Adantadore forced himself to keep his eyes open. If he let his guard down, this orc might deliver his death in an instant. In their endlessly slowed-down world, Adantadore and Crockta shed against each other. Sweat dripped down Adantadore''s eyelids, but he never closed his eyes. The ins were quiet. The audience sensed that a fight on a level beyond theirprehension was unfolding. Adantadore moved first. He unleashed his full power to seize the chance to victory before the fight dragged on. A powerful aura emanated from his body. His powers, which had been holding back, joined in on reversing thew of causality, and they relentlessly propelled toward Crockta¡¯s demise. Crockta hastily retreated as the waves of energy rushed toward him. He barely managed to avoid the numerous des soaring toward his throat. The forces chased Crockta toward his death. But in turn, Crockta grafted forces that would drive Adantadore toward his death on them to counteract the attack. However, Adantadore¡¯s des jabbed toward Crockta at unavoidable angles, simultaneously shing Crockta¡¯s shoulders, sides, and thighs. Crockta slumped down as blood gushed from his limbs. ¡°Argh!¡± "Hiyaaaaaaaaaa!" shouted Adantadore as he rushed forward, unleashing a strike fueled by all of his might. A massive wave surged toward Crockta. Death seemed like an unstoppable tide. People died from trifling things like a breath of wind, a tiny bubble, or a fingernail-sized mass. Compared to such, a sword designed to kill others was like a huge army on its way to ughter. There were dozens, no hundreds, of swords raining down on Crockta. The probabilities of survival and death were reversed. Life itself inevitably led to death. But... "Bul¡¯tar," Crockta whispered. A tidal wave of death woven by the interconnected causality of the world was flying toward him. It was dangerous. Crockta thought about death for the first time since his fight with the chieftain. Adantadore was mustering all his strength to bet on this single strike. Crockta raised his greatsword. He had to counter with an attack risking his life as well. But at this moment. Crockta suddenly saw something. ''Are you alive?¡¯ What it was, he didn¡¯t know. But instinctively, Crockta leaned against that one line that prated the world. It was floating in an inexplicable color that didn¡¯t exist. That line prated the world visible to the eye, the profound world of the Pinnacle, and the realm of Heroes that reversed thew of causality. Even death couldn''t put it to sleep. ''Honor.'' What was that line? What was that color? What made them so radiant? The moment he entrusted his body to that line, the entire world pushed Crockta forward. It was a touch that swept away everything that was sinking. Crockta became a single dot and rushed toward the endless tidal wave of death. From the abyss, he soared toward the infinite sky and into the light. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaar!¡± *** It was a long fight. Crockta and Adantadoree entered a realm of battle that ordinary men could not understand. Only a few high-ranking knights felt its level and were in utter awe. The two repeatedly exchanged wins and losses. Blood scattered everywhere, but no one retreated. The king, who had been staring nkly, dropped his wine ss without realizing it. But neither the king nor the knights by his side minded the shattered ss. It was a fight they might never be able to see again in their lifetimes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it...¡± Before they knew it, Adantadoree began running like crazy. It was an all-out attack. Suddenly, countless attacks spilled from him as if his body was a storm. Crockta raised his greatsword to block the attack, but Adantadoree managed to sh his limbs, causing him to drop to one knee. Adantadoree didn¡¯t miss the opening and pursued him. Everyone could sense that it was the final blow. A wave of energy swept through the battlefield like a tsunami. Right then, the kingdom was convinced that Adantadore had won. It was a strike with all his might. There was no way Crockta could survive after taking such a hit. But a glimmer of light shed. It was a brief moment, but the light covered the entire in. It was an indescribable color they had never seen before. That sh of light extinguished and obliterated Adantadore¡¯s sword aura. After the light went out, and the dust had settled, they could see Adantadore¡¯s broken sword and Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer at his throat. Silence fell on the ins. Neither the winner nor the loser moved. The earth was still. Even the clouds drifting through the sky stopped. But a gnome standing on ste¡¯s side broke the silence. ¡°Hahahaha! We won!¡± It was a voice without a hint of nervousness. Finally catching on, the citizens of ste then erupted in cheers. They threw their weapons and helmets and shouted. Everyone hugged each other and screamed. ¡°Waaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°We won!¡± ¡°Long live ste! ste!¡± ¡°Long live Crockta!¡± ¡°ste! ste!¡± But the kingdom was silent. The young king, his knights, and all of the leaders from the Heaven and Earth n processed what was going on with frozen faces. None of them had expected Adantadore to lose, but the orc called Crockta thwarted their ambitions. ¡°Dammit...did that woman know all along?¡± muttered Kainz, the former master of the Haedong Balhae n and the current second-inmand in the Heaven and Earth n. That dude named Crockta was continuously disrupting his ns. He was the one who had decimated the Haedong Balhae n, and he had even chased him to the Heaven and Earth n and was interfering in their affairs. Kainz gritted his teeth. He had to get rid of him no matter what. Rommel maintained his silence with a stern expression. With Adantadore dropping his sword and admitting defeat, the duel finally came to an end. The lord of ste approached the king. With their victory decided, the lord of ste dismounted from his horse and bowed to the king respectfully. ¡°Please ept the results, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of replying, the king quietly nodded. The lord of ste retreated with a bitter smile on his face. He could tell they had ruffled the king¡¯s feathers. But it didn¡¯t matter. It was time to return to ste and celebrate. *** For four days, ste held a festival celebrating Crockta and his friends. They received praise as the heroes who saved ste. Crockta and his friends roamed the streets and shared food and drinks with the citizens. Now, he was a knight to the children of ste, not just a brotherly orc. Everywhere he went, children clung to him, and Crockta called each of them by their name. There was a proposal to erect a statue of Crockta to celebrate his victory. All of the sculptors of ste eagerly volunteered, but Crockta shook his head. However, he couldn¡¯t help but heed their proposal because they were so determined. Somedies confessed their love to Anor. This time, Anor didn¡¯t avoid their eyes and politely declined while looking them straight in the eye. They smiled and thanked Anor for being such a gentleman. Tiyo pped Anor¡¯s butt approvingly. Yellow approached Crockta and showered kisses all over him in an embrace. Crockta iled in her arms, but he couldn¡¯t hold her back in her impassioned state. She praised Crockta and said she would be his devoted fan for saving ste. People were stunned by her inebriated state because they had never seen her drunk before. Tiyo came to ept Gdin¡¯s advice. Crockta didn¡¯t know the details, but he saw Gdin contentedly patting Tiyo¡¯s head and Tiyo begrudgingly epting it. Although Tiyo¡¯s expression was bitter, Crockta and Anor teased him because they had never seen Tiyo tacitly ept such treatment before. Tiyo closed his eyes and silently endured it. After enjoying the festival, Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor finally left ste. steans promised them that, as the heroes of ste, they would be weed as VIPs as long as the city remained in existence. As Crockta¡¯s party walked out of the gates, all citizens were blessed with their future. Now Crockta and his friends were headed to Guiderid as their vacation spot. However, after Crockta¡¯s party left, the kingdom vited the treaty and invaded ste, turning ste into ruins. The kingdom became an empire, and the king became an emperor. Chapter 151: Because It’s Raining

Chapter 151: Because It¡¯s Raining

It was pouring outside. Rain droplets pattered down on Yi-An¡¯s umbre as he tilted it up to look at the sky. The sky, a somber gray, unleashed torrents like a breached dam. A familiar melody wafted from a shop and filled the air. He didn¡¯t know who the singer was, but her voice sounded familiar. She was singing about rain and the end of a rtionship in a mncholy tone [1]. Suddenly, students ran past him in tow and sshed water onto his shoes. He peered down at his wet feet and saw neon signs reflected in the water and creating ripples of light. The children¡¯s fadingughter mingled with the pitter-patter of rain. Yi-An tried to shake away the string of mncholy thoughts that ensued. He wanted to clear his mind. "What are you doing? You look wretched.¡± A voice shattered Yi-An''s thoughts. He turned around and saw Yi-Yoo twirling a colorful umbre with a smile on her face. "Hello..." It was Yoon Bo-Ra, Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s friend he had met before. She awkwardly bowed, and Yi-An greeted her with a light nod. "Did you wait a while, oppa?" "Yeah, I waited for a long time." "Well, I had to wait for Bo-Ra. Isn''t that right, Bo-Ra?" "No, you...¡± ¡°I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°Hey! Oppa, Yi-Yoo is trying to put the me on me,¡± protested Bo-Ra. ¡°Shut up,¡± replied Yi-Yoo. Yi-An chuckled at their banter. "Alright, what do you guys want to eat?" he asked. "I thought about it. Since I scored over 900, it should be about 90,000 won per person, right?" "..." "You told me not to worry about the price.¡± Yeo-Ri teasingly jabbed Bo-Ra. Yi-An shrugged. Today, Yi-Yoo¡¯s TOEIC score results came out. The day Yi-Yoo took the TOEIC test, she pressured Yi-An to treat her to a nice meal if she achieved her desired score, and Yi-An epted the request without giving it much thought [2]. Yi-An didn¡¯t expect his sister to achieve such a high goal, but she had a penchant fornguage and ended up receiving her desired score. Yoon Bo-Ra, who had taken the test with Yi-Yoo, joined in on their celebration. Yi-An responded with a chuckle, "Fine, then tell me something expensive you want. Around 90,000 won.¡± "Uh...hmm...¡± Yi-Yoo struggled to think of an expensive dish on the spot. What did a poor student on an allowance know about expensive food? At best, she could only think of Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s favorite dish, tuna. But Yi-Yoo disliked raw fish. "Um...¡± Yi-Yoo nced at Yoon Bo-Ra to say something, but she just shook her head. She didn¡¯t know much about expensive food either. Yi-Yoo hesitated and then suggested, "Uh, hanwoo [3].¡± "..." Yi-Yoo saw Yi-An¡¯s expression and raised her eyebrow. "What, do you have a problem?¡± ¡°I have an idea. Bo-Ra-ssi, do you have any food preferences?¡± "No, I eat everything. Also, you don¡¯t have to address me so formally...¡± "Understood,¡± replied Yi-An. ¡°Ah, where are we going?¡± whined Yi-Yoo. ¡°Just follow me.¡± Yi-An led them to the traditional Korean restaurant that he had gone to with Ji Ha-Yeon. They got in a taxi because Yi-An didn¡¯t bring his car. The restaurant staff seemed to remember Yi-An from the time he had visited with Ji Ha-Yeon. They were extremely attentive and gave them VIP treatment. The manager tried to attend to their every need, but Yi-An refused hisvish attention. They were led to a private room where a waiter politely took their order. Yi-An decided on course meals for all of them, and soon, various dishes arrived. Yi-Yoo cheerfully rambled about various topics, and Yi-An listened andughed at her jokes as he enjoyed the food. Yet, at times, his mind drifted away. ''Viva ste!'' Theughter of the streets of ste ovepped with Yeo-Ri and Bo-Ra''s voices. While Yi-An was absentmindedly picking at the steamed prawns, he was reminded of the shrimp dish prepared by the most esteemed chef in ste. The shrimp had an addicting sweet and tangy vor. He couldn''t stop eating them until he had filled an entire bucket with shrimp shells. "Oppa?" "Yeah?" "Are you okay? You look sick.¡± "I¡¯m just a bit tired." He smiled, concealing his emotions. Yi-Yoo, who had been scrutinizing Yi-An, turned her attention back to Yoon Bo-Ra. Yi-An buried his face in his hands. He was not the type of person to linger on the past. He had decided to only look forward because the weight of his sins was too heavy. But memories kept flooding his mind. ¡®Why?¡¯ He could hear Vigo¡¯s voice cheerfully bragging about ste in his head. He closed his eyes and opened them again to shake off that voice. When he saw the braised short ribs in front of him, however, it ovepped with the image of the barbeque from the festival in ste. The citizens distributing the barbeque had praised him and called him a hero. But they no longer existed. He couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the crushing truth that everyone he had known in ste was dead. Did anyone else recognize them as live beings and not just characters in a game? Who knew that the ce was an actual world and not just a game? Yi-An struggled to suppress his emotions. ¡®Death is one-sided. It is irreversible.¡¯ He closed his eyes. His sorrow quickly transformed into remorse. Why were the people of ste so naive even though they knew how wicked the Heaven and Earth n was? If they had stayed longer in ste¡ªno, if he had gottenpletely rid of them, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. He should havepletely weeded them out from that ce. His regret reached far into the past until itnded on memories of the battlefield, and familiar faces he was no longer able to see appeared before him. "Oppa?" "Wait a moment." Yi-An stood up. His face was pale. "I need to use the restroom." "Uh..." Yi-An opened the door. The manager, who had been keeping an eye on the door lest they needed anything, jerked back in surprise and scrutinized his face. Yi-An forced a smile and stepped outside. It was still raining. Yi-An leaned against the building as he observed the scenery. It appeared as if the world around him was melting due to the heavy rain shower. "Why am I like this...?¡± He wanted to rest his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t. When darkness descended, the faces of hisrades from the battlefield flooded his thoughts. He stared off into the streets with blurry eyes and sighed. He tried to push the memories of his departedrades to the past, but his efforts proved futile. He had grieved their deaths during their funerals, but he was still shaken by them. He couldn¡¯t understand why their faces continued to haunt him. Whenever he recalled each of their faces, he was ultimately led to her visage. The face that lingered in the darkness. Yi-An bit his lip and opened his eyes. "This is driving me crazy." ¡®Who cares what happens to the world of Elder Lord?¡¯ It could turn to ruins for all he cared. He was tired of seeing people die. Even if he fought to protect them, no one appreciated it. People would still swing their swords without remorse. Resistance was futile. He should just let them be. ''Raven. I¡¯m done for.¡¯ Yi-An''s eyelids trembled. ''Go.'' Her signaling to him to leave was her final farewell. What expression was he making right then? Was he looking at her with a firm face that vowed never to abandon her? Probably not. Was he apologetic? Or was he obviously relieved and retreating cowardly in haste? He didn''t know. She bid her farewell, and after they locked eyes, a projectile soared toward her and burst her body open. Yi-An just stood there, gazing at the explosion of flesh and intestines. The face that once smiled with an assault rifle in hand was gone forever. Her death was no different from any other death. Yi-An checked his pockets out of habit. He couldn¡¯t find any cigarettes. He covered his face with his hands. He desperately tried to block the memories, but his conscience kept slipping through the cracks. ¡®Maybe, if I had acted quickly...maybe, if I had executed the n properly.¡¯ Meaningless ¡®what ifs¡¯ umted and crumbled in his head. Memories of that day kept reying in his head. Yi-An mmed the wall with his fist. ¡®ste, ste, ste.¡¯ The agony spread. He took a deep breath. Yi-An wrapped his bruised hand around his wrist and returned to the restaurant, extending his card. "I have something to take care of... Please let them know that I''m leaving." *** Han Yeo-Ri turned off thest switch. The cafe echoed with the sound of a broadcast from her phone. ¨CThe Heaven and Earth n issued a statement regarding the breach of the treaty. They tried to uphold it, but couldn¡¯t due to the emperor''s orders. In a mocking tone, they entreated ste Love Society to be understanding of what had happened since they were merely role-ying as vassals of the emperor, especially since the members of ste Love Society are avid role-yers themselves... She sensed something and turned her head. ¡®The cafe should be empty.¡¯ She tilted her head curiously and jolted in surprise at something moving in the darkness. "What?¡± She froze and then furrowed her eyebrows when she recognized the familiar silhouette. Yeo-Ri eased her expression. He acted like this at times, but always for a reason. "Boss." Yi-An didn''t respond. Han Yeo-Ri pursed her lips. He had a way of silently sneaking up to you. It was a trick he learned from his days as a soldier. "Boss?" He lifted his head. Even amid the darkness, she could see his bloodshot eyes from the light seeping in from the streets. "Are you okay?" Yi-An stared at her and then blinked. Then, he smiled. "Did you finish closing up?¡± "Yes." "Would you mind making me a cup of coffee?" Han Yeo-Ri didn''tin at times like this. She stared at Yi-An''s face for a moment, then nodded. "Sure." Without further questions, she walked up to the espresso machine, turned on the lights, and, after hesitating, moved around as she prepared a drink. Shortly after, she ced a ss in front of Yi-An. Yi-An gazed at it silently. "Didn''t I ask for coffee?" "Just drink this." It was a mint chocte frappino. Yi-An looked at it for a moment and then took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡± asked Han Yeo-Ri. Yi-An smiled. She noticed that Yi-An was a bit different than usual. "Yeah, it''s fine." He savored the chill of the mint chocte frappe in his mouth and then swallowed it. Han Yeo-Ri sat down next to Yi-An. "Why are you acting like someone who just got dumped?¡± "How did you know?" "I have to take off soon, soe back to your senses.¡± She tapped on Yi-An¡¯s head lightly. Yi-An chuckled softly. Hisughter echoed in the empty cafe. Suddenly, Yi-An leaned on her. Han Yeo-Ri protested, ¡°You¡¯re heavy.¡± "Just for a moment,¡± whispered Yi-An in a breathy voice. "Let''s just stay like this for a while..." Han Yeo-Ri looked at his resting face leaning against her shoulder, nced at the unfinished mint chocte frappe, and then looked up at the dark ceiling of the cafe. The sound of Yi-An''s breath reverberated in her ears, and the ticking of the clock hands grated on her nerves. "..." Time psed, and Han Yeo-Ri whispered to the silent Yi-An, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She felt the sound of his breath subside and added, ¡°I won¡¯t report you for sexual harassment...¡± She extended her hand and swept Yi-An¡¯s hair away from his face. She wiped the sweat off his forehead with her fingertips and cleaned them off his sleeve. ¡®Why is he acting like this...?¡¯ She could vividly feel Yi-An heartbeat as he leaned on her. Han Yeo-Ri got up and carefullyid Yi-An''s head on the table. She then ced a cushion under his face. Yi-An had fallen asleep. As she watched him sleep, Han Yeo-Ri brought a coat from the counter and covered him. ¡®He probably won¡¯t catch a cold since it¡¯s summer.¡¯ It was still raining outside. Cars pushed through the streams of water on the road. Han Yeo-Ri saw crowds of people carrying umbres. "Hmm..." Han Yeo-Ri slung her backpack over her shoulder and looked back at Yi-An. "Even though he¡¯s usually so sharp...¡± She opened the door and faced the heavy downpour. She opened her umbre, shielding herself from the heavy raindrops. Han Yeo-Ri stood still at the entrance of Cafe Reason. Gradually, as she grew ustomed to the sound of the rain, she took a few steps. ¡®Because it¡¯s raining. That''s probably why.¡¯ She walked away from the cafe with her silhouette melting into the downpour. 1. Crockta is likely referencing Heize¡¯s song You, Clouds, Rain, which was released in the same year as the novel () ? 2. TOEIC stands for Test of English for International Communication and is an Englishnguage proficiency testmonly taken in South Korea ? 3. Hanwoo is premium beef from a breed of cattle native to Korea ? Chapter 152: Upheaval

Chapter 152: Upheaval

Crockta got up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Tiyo and Anor were waiting for him. Guiderid was a beautiful resort city, but they had to leave without getting a chance to enjoy the city. They weren¡¯t in the mood to take a vacation. As soon as they got up after spending the night in Guiderid, they heard the news that the kingdom had attacked ste. The city was now in ruins. The kingdom, led by mercenaries cursed by the stars, destroyed the city in a fit of rage after losing the duel. ste was now a part of the empire. The knights of ste fought to the end, but all of them got ughtered. Gdin, Vigo...everyone was dead. They had to leave Guiderid. ¡°We have to fight back!¡± A man was passionately delivering a speech on top of a crate, surrounded by arge crowd. Each time he shouted, people nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°We don¡¯t have a king! No one can oppress us! Guiderid is the city of freedom. We elect our own leaders! We must stand against the kingdom, no, the empire!¡± People pped along with his words, but those who disagreed shook their heads. ¡°How will we fight against the empire?!¡± a spectator shouted. The atmosphere sank, and people fell silent. It was just as he said. The empire¡¯s military power greatly surpassed theirs. The moment they showed resistance, the empire would dispatch its forces to destroy them. They had already crushed countless cities into ruins. ste was a prime example. The empire didn¡¯t even heed the treaties they had agreed to. The man shouting on top of the crate gritted his teeth and dered, ¡°We have to fight with all we got!¡± His voice was so charged with emotion it sounded as if he was struggling to speak. With a reddened face, he shouted, ¡°Freedom isn¡¯t free! We must fight and earn it!¡± ¡°Fight by yourself!¡± ¡°The empire will conscript all of you for war...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mouth off about something that¡¯s not even certain!¡± The crowd began countering each and every one of his statements. He gritted his teeth and continued to shout passionately, but people stopped paying attention to him. His words slowly faded into the background. After ste was ruthlessly destroyed, they wanted Guiderid to be peacefully integrated into the empire. No one wanted to end up like ste. The empire¡¯s military prowess was on another level, and even if the cities joined forces, it would still be difficult to ovee the empire¡¯s army with the Heaven and Earth n at the forefront. The Heaven and Earth n was invincible because they swung their weapons without fear of death. They were like immortal monsters since they just came back to life even after they were killed. Their leader, Rommel, was famously referred to as the Ghost of War. It was a fight with no chance of victory. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor smiled bitterly as they observed the scene. The people of Guiderid were aware of the empire¡¯s ruthlessness, but they hadn¡¯t yet experienced it firsthand. They didn¡¯t know that the leaders of the empire were corrupt figures who paid no respect to gods and treated others as if they were disposable. With bitter feelings, Crockta and his friends made their way out of Guiderid. Due to Crockta¡¯s fame, many recognized Crockta and whispered among themselves, but Crockta paid no attention to them. Several yers, curious about the NPC called Crockta, followed them. Crockta just let them be. ¡°Where are we heading?¡± asked Tiyo. ¡°Hmm...¡± They didn¡¯t have a particr destination in mind. They knew they had to stop the empire, but they weren¡¯t sure how to yet. It was too risky to return to the empire¡¯s territory because they were already an enemy of the empire. Nheless, they couldn¡¯t let the empire continue its trajectory. Crockta thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°The Espada region seems like a good choice since the empire will be aiming for it.¡± Espada was a vast inposed of several cities, including ste. Those cities had formed their own unique civilization free from the reign of kings. The people enjoyed their freedom and rejected the idea of an emperor, especially because the human race had conflicts with other species and suffered whenever an emperor was in ce. Those who remembered the past maintained the view that the emperor was the enemy and passed down their beliefs. ¡°Espada...let¡¯s go,¡± replied Tiyo. Espada was not far from Guiderid. The emperor¡¯s messengers had probably already arrived in Guiderid by now and demanded absolute submission. Guiderid would be arger city under the empire, but its citizens would be conscripted and sent to the battlefield. Thews of the emperors were no different from those of northern chieftains. ¡°Was the king always like that?¡± asked Crockta. ¡°I heard he was originally a wise young man...but people change,¡± replied Tiyo. ¡®Had a divine entity like Chaos possessed him?¡¯ wondered Crockta. *** The southern region was in chaos because of the emperor. Crockta¡¯s party turned their horses in Espada¡¯s direction. As they grew farther in the distance, those who had been following them nced at each other. ¡°Crockta-nim left Guiderid.¡± ¡°What will happen next?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s continue following them. First, upload his location online.¡± They were Crockta¡¯s fans, members of Praise the Orc, who had tracked down his location as soon as they heard that Crockta had appeared in the south. Crockta was famous now, and they treated him like a celebrity and were curious about his whereabouts. People wanted to know what adventuresy ahead of him. There was a separatemunity forum in the fan club where people reported Crockta¡¯s location. Members from all over the world posted information about him, but these yers had gone as far as to track him down themselves. ¡°Wish someone could have filmed Crockta-nim¡¯s one-on-one duel against the kingdom...¡± ¡°I wish I could have watched it.¡± All the members of Praise the Orc were extremely disappointed that they missed Crockta¡¯s one-on-one duel against the kingdom¡¯s best knight as the representative of ste. No one knew that Crockta was involved in the fight between ste and the kingdom because everyone was preupied with Yellow and the Heaven and Earth n as the central yers involved in the conflict. There were mentions that Crockta was spotted near ste, but no one had suspected that he was at the center of the situation. ¡°But his fights will continue, right?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not miss any more of those.¡± They knew Crockta was enraged because the empire had vited the treaty with Crockta and ste. After all, he was the orc of righteousness who carried out acts of justice around the continent. The orc who had even crossed into the north alone to kill the chieftain. And now, his de was aimed toward the emperor of the south. He was like a character straight out of a movie. If this world was reality, then Crockta would be a hero. They couldn¡¯t help but fall for Crockta. They predicted that based on Crockta¡¯s departure to Espada, he was nning to officially take a stance against the emperor. It was thrilling just to imagine how Crockta would fight against the empire. ¡°I don¡¯t like the Heaven and Earth n either. I hope Crockta will administer justice to them.¡± ¡°I know, right? The n is running wild, tantly doing whatever they want.¡± The Heaven and Earth n had vited their contract with the ste Lovemunity yers. The contract was just a piece of paper with their promise written on it, so it didn¡¯t carry much weight, but it was a disy of trust between yers. It was expected that yers, as people, would demonstrate a certain level of confidence in one another, but the Heaven and Earth n hadpletely betrayed them. They imed that they had no choice because the emperor had ordered them to attack ste. Conversely, the empire said that those cursed by the stars attacked on their own ord. They passed the me back and forth andughed at ste¡¯s predicament. Everyone knew that they were aplices that abetted one another. At the moment, the Heaven and Earth n was the emperor¡¯s hunting dog. It was an extraordinary aplishment for yers to achieve such a position, but they were aiming their des toward fellow yers. ¡°If you have anyints, feel free to address them with us. You can evene at us if you want. We are the Heaven and Earth n. We can take on anyone,¡± they dered. They had already defeated a huge American n called Metatron. The Heaven and Earth n executed the concrete method on the leaders of Metatron. As a result, they lost all the skills and achievements they had umted in Elder Lord and ended up quitting the game. The Heaven and Earth n was dominating the strong and extinguishing the weak. ¡°Let¡¯s just keep an eye on things for now.¡± ¡°Yes, we have to trust Crockta.¡± They were about to follow Crockta¡¯s path when someone suddenly appeared. ¡°Did Crockta go this way?¡± They turned around. There was a woman in tight-fitting attire. She seemed very familiar, they surely had seen her somewhere before. The members of Praise the Orc searched their memories as they scrutinized her face. ¡°I heard what you said. You are members of Praise the Orc, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a member.¡± ¡°Are you famous? I feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before...¡± She grinned. ¡°I became famous thanks to Crockta.¡± She was Youvidser Laney. She became famous for filming and uploading Crockta¡¯s fight against a group of yer killers during his beginner days. The viewers were shocked by the orc¡¯s rough fighting style and enthused by the sight of an NPC killing yer killers and preaching honor. She set a new record for the highest views on Youvids with her video of Crockta desperately fighting against the ns in Chesswood. The members of Praise the Orc greeted her warmly upon realizing who she was. Laney was a famous club member who made Crockta famous to the public. ¡°Don¡¯t miss it this time. It seems Crockta is about to fight against the emperor...¡± ¡°It would have been such a hit if you had filmed his victory against the empire¡¯s knight. Too bad.¡± Laney puffed her chest proudly. ¡°...!¡± The members¡¯ eyes widened in shock. ¡°Did you...?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Laney thumped her chest and said, ¡°I have the duel scene.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been following Crockta ever since he returned from the north. I knew Crockta would do something amazing.¡± Photographers followed their subjects and waited all day to take a memorable shot, but Laney didn¡¯t need to wait. Great events always apanied Crockta. His existence was a sensation. ¡°Show us!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient. Just wait a bit.¡± As she looked at the path Crockta had passed by, she said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be like a movie.¡± *** As Crockta¡¯s party departed from Guiderid, they met travelers and southern residents along the way. All of them were worried about the emperor¡¯s invasion. Some were gathering groups to leave the South together. They were d to run into Crockta, the famous orc who had fought against the emperor¡¯s knight and aired out their woes to him. ¡°We don¡¯t need an emperor. We will never follow the emperor¡¯s orders,¡± said a middle-aged man. ¡°I assume the same goes for you, Crockta.¡± ¡°Yes, orcs don¡¯t have kings or emperors.¡± ¡°We had an emperor in the past, but the position disappeared after the war ended. Everyone knows that if an emperor appears again, we will lose our freedom and spill blood once more. But somehow, an emperor did appear again. We haven¡¯t learned anything from the past.¡± They were leaving the South and moving to where elves lived because countless regions in the South had be the empire¡¯s colonies and were suffering under their oppressive rule. If they had departed a bitter, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave as their city would have already been integrated into the empire. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure how this situation will end. We just hope our family will be safe.¡± Behind him were his wife and children. He had convinced his friends and rtives to head to the north of the continent. Tiyo yed with the children as Crockta spoke with the middle-aged man. The children had bright smiles on their faces because they didn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡°Crockta, will you be returning to your hometown? Or will you be fighting against the emperor?¡± ¡°I will fight. Although I¡¯m not exactly sure what to do yet.¡± ¡°Great. I hope there are more warriors like you instead of those fakes who wag their tails in front of the emperor. Although I¡¯m embarrassed to say this when I¡¯m leaving, please protect the South...¡± ¡°Everyone has their own path,¡± replied Crockta. Suddenly, they heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching them, and a group of knights appeared and blocked their path. The citizens grew restless. The knights had the empire¡¯s symbol. ¡°Where is everyone going?¡± The middle-aged man who had been talking to Crockta came forward. ¡°We are leaving.¡± ¡°Leaving...huh?¡± The eyes of the knight in the lead widened in shock when he recognized Crockta standing next to the middle-aged man. ¡°Crockta?¡± The orc¡¯s appearance matched Crockta¡¯s description. The knight turned around and exchanged some words with the other knights. Then, he approached Crockta. ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight. The emperor wants to meet you.¡± ¡®After turning ste into ruins, now they want to see me?¡¯ Crockta¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Anyways, why did you block these people?¡± ¡°Because...¡± The knight warily eyed Crockta. If Crockta wanted to fight, there was no way they could stop him. ¡°...the emperor has issued a decree that the residents of the South cannot leave without permission.¡± Chapter 153: Upheaval (2)

Chapter 153: Upheaval (2)

Crocktaughed, ¡°There¡¯s no point in listening further. Go.¡± The knights obliged and turned their horses around. They knew fully well that they could never stop Crockta. He was an absolute powerhouse who had defeated Adantadore. Unless they brought an army, they couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Crockta-nim, I witnessed the duel as well,¡± said the knight who seemed to hold the highest position. I respect your skills, and I mean this most sincerely...¡± He nced at the residents. He, too, was aware of the sentiments of those leaving the South. However, one couldn''t defy the will of the emperor. ¡°Please refrain from opposing His Majesty. The best decision for you is to join the empire. His Majesty will promise you wealth and honor.¡± Crockta looked at him. The knight was sincere. Crockta smiled bitterly. People judged the world from their own perspectives. Although Crockta appreciated his concern, hemented the knight¡¯s ignorance. They could never be on the same side. Perhaps someday, they would meet again on the battlefield and one of them would die. Nheless, this was not the time. With a strange sense of irony and remorse, Crockta said to the knight, ¡°My honor is different from yours.¡± It was a stern refusal. The knight nodded. Then, as he looked at the residents, he said, ¡°Don''t think that you''ll be safe afterward just because of Crockta-nim. The people of the South cannot leave without His Majesty''s permission.¡± The residents began murmuring among themselves. They hadn''t expected the empire to intervene like this. Oppression began to cast its shadow over the people of the continent who had been free to go anywhere. It all started with the appearance of the emperor. ¡°That damn emperor...¡± The residents cursed as they watched the departing knights. Then, they expressed their gratitude to Crockta. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, we are safe.¡± ¡°It''s nothing." ¡°But I''m worried. I wonder if we can really go to the north...¡± Their first destination was the city of Liznari, the territory of the elves. It was a city a short distance away from Maird, where various races gathered and enjoyed freedom. However, judging by the arrival of the knights, it seemed that the empire had begun to control the routes out of the South. It was doubtful whether they could reach there. Their opinions began to sh. ¡°It might be better to go to Espada...¡± ¡°I disagree. We are leaving because we hate war, but if we go to Espada, we will have to fight against the empire.¡± ¡°If we have to choose between the two, it''s better to fight the emperor!¡± ¡°For now, let''s go as far as we can...¡± ¡°You witnessed it earlier. If we travel north, we''ll get caught!¡± Tiyo shook his head. ¡°Crockta, judging by the situation in the South...it might be better for us to get out of here first." ¡°That might be true, but I don''t want to do that.¡± ¡°If we want to fight the emperor, we''ll need an army. The South doesn''t have military forces like that." Their victory over the chieftain in the North had been possible because of the dark elf forces. They would need an opposing force that could hold a candle to the emperor. It might be wise to wait for the emperor to reveal his ambitions and incite conflict wiith the elves, gnomes, or orcs. However, Crockta didn''t want to do that. ¡°Let''s first go to Espada and then think about it." ¡°Alright.¡± Checking Espada''s conditions and how they were doing would help them decide on their next course of action. ¡°We ended up taking a break somehow.¡± ¡°The discussions are dragging on for too long.¡± Even the residents who had decided to leave the South had conflicting opinions after encountering the group of knights. Some wanted to keep heading North, while others suggested going to Espada with Crockta. ¡°Let''s just keep going instead of chickening out." ¡°What if we run into those knights again?¡± ¡°We will just join the empire. Even if we get conscripted, there''s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Do you think they''ll ept us so easily? Rather than joining the empire, I''d rather fight in Espada." It was lunch time, so Crockta and his friends rummaged through their supplies and began preparing their meal. The residents also got settled and prepared their meals. Some continued to passionately discuss their future while the rest had lunch. Crockta gazed at the distant horizon as he chewed on his beef jerky. If it were just an ordinary journey, he might have sung a song or two, but the thoughts about the emperor shattered the mood. He couldn''t rest easy until he got rid of the one who had destroyed ste. ¡°After fighting the emperor...¡± he began. It felt like a simr conversation they had during the battle with the chieftain. ¡°Let''s go back to Guiderid and take a proper vacation,¡± said Crockta as he looked Tiyo and Anor in the eye. Tiyo chuckled. ¡°There was the chieftain, now it¡¯s the emperor. I''m worried that a god might appear after stopping the emperor.¡± ¡°If a god tries to stop us, we''ll just have to get rid of the god.¡± ¡°Hahahaha, you¡¯re right, Crockta.¡± After finishing their meal, Crockta and his friend stood up and looked at the residents. If the discussions took too long, they nned to leave for Espada on their own. However, it seemed they had already reached a conclusion. ¡°We are going to Espada.¡± ¡°We wish you luck.¡± The residents split into two groups. Some continued toward Liznari and others left for Espada. There was a high probability of encountering the emperor''s knights on the way to Liznari, but they were determined to resist the emperor until the very end. ¡°It will be dangerous...¡± ¡°I don''t think they will kill us. At worst, we might be conscripted into the imperial army.¡± ¡°I hope we cross paths again.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± The two groups bid farewell. ¡°Farewell. We didn''t expect to part ways like this.¡± ¡°Life is a series of choices. If only we knew what the future holds...¡± Crockta activated his skill Ashen Eyes of God while listening to their conversation. With Ashen Eyes of God, he could see the remaining lifespan of others. However, he had refrained from using this skill. It was a powerful skill, but knowing someone else''s lifespan felt like trespassing into a forbidden zone. After realizing that Elder Lord was not just a game but a different dimension, he became even more hesitant. He didn''t want to peek into someone else''s death. Moreover, he didn''t want his actions to be dictated by the knowledge obtained from that ability. It was the realm of the gods as the skill''s name suggested. But at this point, it seemed necessary to check their remaining lifespans. By using it, he could specte whether they would be killed by the knights or safely reach another city. Hesitating, Crockta used the skill just before the residents moved too far away. Something appeared above their heads. "..." Crockta was shocked. They were going to die soon. Each of them had the same number written above their heads. They were all destined to face death together. "We must stop them." "What?" "They..." Crockta turned his head. The numbers above the heads of those heading to Espada were no different from the ones of those heading to the North. Crockta couldn''t bear to look at the fate of the residents heading toward their deaths, so he averted his gaze. He noticed a procession of ants walking along a de of grass. Something faint hovered over them too. They were branded with the inevitable mark of death. Death was egalitarian and marked everything with the same sign, whether human or ant. ''Everything, the humans, the ants, and even thend they are standing on will face destruction.'' Crockta regretted using the Ashen Eyes of God skill. The more he used this power, the stronger it became. The world seen through the Ashen Eyes of God was overflowing with death. It felt suffocating. ¡°Crockta, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Tiyo as he approached him. Crockta didn''t want to see the mark of death hovering over Tiyo''s head. He tried to stop the Ashen Eyes of God. Right then, something popped up. [Ashen Eyes of the God is a passive skill.] "...!" It was the system message. No, it was that woman, the Ashen God. [Once used, you must forever behold death with your eyes.] Crockta shook his head. That shouldn¡¯t be the case. [But because it is the vision of a god, we have changed the Ashen Eyes of God into a skill you can activate and deactivate.] [Now, you have seen that the world is filled with death.] [They, too, will face death soon.] [Do you want to save them?] [What choice will you make?] It felt like she was asking Crockta those questions. He closed his eyes. *** The Heaven and Earth n operated based on a mary system. Being part of the Heaven and Earth n meant bing a full-time yer who made their living through Elder Lord. Thus, the n was deeplymitted to generating profits and was sessful in reaping them. To further their efforts, the nunched a program called Heaven and Earth TV. The program allowed viewers to enjoy the wars and various events initiated by the Heaven and Earth n in real time thanks to a dedicated cameraman. As it gained poprity, Heaven and Earth TV started to coborate with broadcastingpanies and established itself as a national program that aired on television. Their chat room was like a battlefield due to mixed perceptions about the n. Those who admired the Heaven and Earth n praised their actions and looked forward to more ruthless, roguish, and sensational wars and massacres. They didn¡¯t condemn breaking alliances and betraying other yers. [If you don''t like it, fight back. Betrayal is content. The strong rule, and the weak perish. That''s the way of Elder Lord.] On the other hand, some criticized the Heaven and Earth n for their excessive wars,ck of consideration for other yers, and a disdainful attitude toward weaker yers. [It''s because of these guys that people are quitting Elder Lord. How many viges disappeared because of them? So much content and fun disappeared because of them. What is the developer doing?] Despite such controversies, the Heaven and Earth n enjoyed prosperity. People loved whoever was at the top. Whenever the Heaven and Earth n engaged in battles, the viewer ratings reached new heights. Rommel¡¯s penchant for shy tacticalmand thrilled the audience. And today, the Heaven and Earth n was again broadcasting one of their battles, albeit a minor one. Suddenly, a system message popped up. [Server-wide System Message] [Thank you to all yers who love Elder Lord. Thanks to your participation, Elder Lord has be even more prosperous.] ¡°-Huh, what''s this?¡± muttered the streamer who was in charge of shooting and directing Heaven and Earth TV. The viewers were listening. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we received a server-wide system message. Strange. Let me check this for a moment. Is Elsaco finally doing its job?¡± Elsaco was short for Elder Saga Corporation. People frequently mocked thepany for its passive attitude and called itzy. The viewers paid close attention to the message. ¡°Achievement point event?¡± [Elder Lord''s participation is measured by achievement points. Thanks to the support of yers like you, the total yer achievement point has surpassed its target.] ¡°There was a target?¡± [Thus, we will be conducting an achievement point event. Special rewards will be given every time you umte achievement points. Since each yer has different rewards, don''t be disappointed if you fail to receive your desired reward and keep building achievements. There will be fabulous rewards among them.] The screen continued to disybat scenes. The streamer silently mulled over the system message while the n members fighting on the screen closed their message windows and focused on the battle raging in front of them. Soon, the battle came to an end. The streamer came to his senses and said, ¡°Ah, the battle is over. Then...¡± [You have earned achievement points. ording to the achievement point event, you will be granted a new skill!] ¡°Huh?¡± Although he was mainly in charge of filming, he shared experience and achievement points with other members of the Heaven and Earth n to some extent. As soon as the battle ended, he earned achievement points and immediately received a reward along with the members who had fought on the battlefield. He checked the reward. [Rare-Tier skill, Soaring Celestial de Technique (Rare) acquired.] ¡°...Huh?¡± The streamer was in awe. Soaring Celestial de Technique was a well-known skill. [If you master the Soaring Celestial de Technique and meet specific conditions, you can advance to the hidden ss Sword Emperor.] A high-ranker with the hidden ss Sword Emperor was well-known for his Soaring Celestial de Technique. While the high-ranker publicly revealed that one could be the Sword Emperor if they obtained the Soaring Celestial de Technique, he didn''t disclose how to acquire the skill. Thus, it remained an extraordinary skill that no one else could obtain. The Sword Emperor was an exceptional ss that everyone desired. Alongside Rommel''s War Maestro ss, it was recognized as one of the most renowned hidden sses of Elder Lord. And now, the Soaring Celestial de Technique had fallen into the hands of the Heaven and Earth streamer who had done nothing to earn it. ¡°Uh... uhh...¡± The streamer trailed off. He was in a daze. Unlike the quiet screen, the chat window turned to chaos. Elder Lord¡¯s upheaval had begun. Chapter 154: Upheaval (3)

Chapter 154: Upheaval (3)

¡°Should I try the game again?¡± muttered Yi-Yoo. Her friends shook their heads. ¡°It¡¯s toote to start over. It¡¯s like ying the stock market. There¡¯s a saying that if you consider doing something, it may already be a widely adopted practice by the time you decide to act on it. So...you shouldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I guess...¡± ¡°You should work on your certifications and prepare for job applications. You will be graduating soon.¡± ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m already dreading it...¡± Yi-Yoo was chatting with her friends at a caf¨¦ in front of their school. They were trying to seek relief from the heat while indulging in shaved ice in the air-conditioned caf¨¦. ¡°How is your oppa doing? He seemed to be caught up in something urgentst time?¡± asked Bo-Ra. ¡°He said it was nothing. He asked me to apologize to you.¡± ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be sorry. I went to such a nice restaurant thanks to him. I had no idea you were rich. It¡¯s like you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.¡± ¡°Hey, it was my first time too,¡± protested Yi-Yoo. Ban Tae-Hoon, who was hanging out with them, was dozing off in the corner. Apparently the guys got together yesterday and drank all night. Yoon Bo-Ra clicked her tongue disapprovingly at him. ¡°How pathetic.¡± ¡°...I can hear you,¡± muttered Ban Tae-Hoon. ¡°Us noonas live diligent lives while you get drunk all night [1].¡± ¡°I have a long way to go until my graduation.¡± ¡°If I were to go back in time and be your age, I wouldn¡¯t live my life the way you do.¡± ¡°You sound exactly like my mom. It¡¯s creepy,¡± said Ban Hae-Hoon as he struggled to get up. His eyes were bloodshot, and his movements were sluggish. But he didn¡¯t carry the telltale scent of alcohol associated with hangovers. He made sure to freshen up before meeting up with them. ¡°What is Crockta up to these days?¡± he asked. ¡°How would I know?¡± replied Bo-Ra. ¡°Because you are a member of Praise the Orc.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t checked for a while because I¡¯ve been so busy...should I take a look?¡± Yi-Yoo took a spoonful of her shaved ice and then pushed the bowl toward Ban Tae-Hoon. ¡°Have some,¡± she urged. ¡°No thanks...I can¡¯t stomach anything right now...¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. Drinking all night...¡± ¡°You too?¡± Theyughed and teased each other because they hadn¡¯t enjoyed such a leisurely day in a while. Yoo Bo-Ra fiddled with her phone and then used the ring holder at the back to prop up the screen. Yi-Yoo and Ban Tae-Hoon shifted their attention to the screen. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It came up in my rmendations.¡± It was a live-streaming channel. Bo-Ra pressed the start button, and the video began ying. In Elder Lord, yers broadcasting scenes from different regions were not umon. Moreover, significant battles or events were often streamed in real-time. However, this one included Crockta. On the screen, Crockta was engaged inbat with some knights. News had spread recently about an emperor appearing in the southern part of the continent, leading to war in the vicinity. At the forefront of this conflict was the renowned Heaven and Earth n. While the video didn''t show the Heaven and Earth n, it seemed to be an extension of their battle. It was a fierce fight. Crockta single-handedly faced dozens of knights, wielding a greatsword. Although he was defeating the knights, he couldn''t save all the residents, and casualties were on the rise. ¨CKilling innocent people, isn''t that shameful? ¨CShut up! It''s the emperor''smand!" Crockta and the knights fiercely shed, with both sides ferociously brandishing their swords. Unlike yers who didn¡¯t perceive Elder Lord as an actual world, the NPCs viciously swung their swords with all of their might. The sight was truly terrifying. "Is this happening in real-time?" "Yeah." In a corner of the screen, the chat messages from viewers continued to update. Supporters of Crockta and those wishing for his demise were entangled in a heated argument. "Do you think Crockta will lose?" "He''s a monster. He won''t die. The real issue is with the others." Ban Tae-Hoon remarked, and he was right. Even though Crockta was stronger than the knights, he couldn''t protect the entire area alone. The knights continued to capture or kill residents. Crockta''s efforts to save them were thwarted as he became surrounded. ¨CDo you guys not have a code of chivalry?! ¨CThe emperor¡¯smand is our code of chivalry. The knights paid no heed. Crockta''s sincere desire to save the people was conveyed through the screen. Undeterred, he broke through the army surrounding him despite getting injured. However, other knights quickly caught up, forming an even thicker barrier around him. Enraged, Crockta shouted battle cries and shed swords with them. "It''s fascinating. These people are genuinely fighting." "Because they''re artificial intelligence, that''s why." The yer broadcasting this suddenly hid. The screen darkened as the knights noticed him and started chasing after him. They could hear the yer panting. ¨CFor the past few days, Crockta has been appearing all over the south, helping residents. He shed with the Heaven and Earth n once. Instead of expending resources to capture Crockta, the imperial side has been dispatching knights all over the south and dragging residents to the empire. The broadcaster whispered to the viewers: ¨CThe knights are nearby. What should I do? His voice took on a sly undertone. ¨CThe broadcast ends here. Now, if you all send donations, I''ll do as instructed. Gentlemen! Ladies! If you send donations, I will do as you please! Please participate!¡± This broadcaster belonged to the category of streamers who not only reported events but also received donations from viewers to determine their actions. As he made the announcement, the chat window suddenly became noisy, and a number popped up on the screen. One of the viewers watching his broadcast had sent money. ¨CHismand was simple: ¡°Go in front of the knights, shout I¡¯m a baldie five times, and then start a fistfight.¡± Laughing emojis filled the chat window. Although the streamer was a bit reluctant at first, he was determined to keep his prize. He had no choice but to follow the instructions. Eventually, the screen started disying the live-stream again. He turned on the broadcast, and the perspective switched to a third-person view showing himself. Following the donor''s instructions, he navigated through the bushes and ran toward the knights. The knights raised their swords and red at him. The streamer shouted, ¡°I''m a baldie! I¡¯m a baldie! I¡¯m a...!¡± However, before he could continue, a knight swiftly shed his throat. The video abruptly cut off. The chat window turned into a sea ofughter. "Is this supposed to be funny?" "I find it amusing. Haha." Yi-Yoo couldn¡¯t help but snicker at its absurdity. Ban Tae-Hoon chuckled. "It¡¯s his way of earning a living.¡± Yoon Bo-Ra turned off the video and picked up her phone. She started eating the shaved ice again, which had already melted and became a puddle of liquid. "Anyway, Crockta is really busy these days.¡± "It looks dangerous, though." "Come on, he''s a named NPC. He won''t die so easily. The knights will be the ones dying." Crockta was now recognized as one of the top warriors in Elder Lord. Steamers were aware that if he faced danger, they needed to go after him. He was a crucial subject for broadcasting. "There are videos of Crockta broadcast by the Heaven and Earth n. So, even without ying the game, we know everything. No need to log in. ¡°What about the Heaven and Earth n?¡± ¡°They just set everything on fire.¡± The Heaven and Earth n was not idle either. They created a military force called Army of the Cursed, which executed imperialmands whenever necessary. They had an advantage as an army that didn¡¯t die even if killed, and Rommel¡¯s abilities as amander were exemry. The emperor held Rommel¡¯s tactical skills in high regard and even entrusted him with his military forces. It was an astonishing achievement for yers to have an armyposed of NPCs, and they were using it to carry out the emperor¡¯smands. They were about to receive a crazy amount of achievement scores and rewards. The Heaven and Earth n was steadily taking over. "What''s Jeong-Tae doing?" "He''s been busytely. I''ll call him." Regardless of what was happening in Elder Lord, they were having a rxing afternoon. *** Crockta was so busy he didn¡¯t have time to take breaks. It all started with assisting the residents departing from the South. With his skill, Ashen Eyes of God, he could see people''s deaths. The southern region, as seen through his eyes, was and entirely engulfed in death. Each time he rescued a group of residents, another vige would be in danger, and then another vige would face impending doom in a day or two. Some of the travelers and merchants passing by also awaited the fates of death. He wanted to shut his eyes away from their fates. Yet, once he saw the numbers above their heads, he couldn¡¯t help but fight. "Thank you!" "Go somewhere safe.¡± Crockta had once again saved a vige of sh-and-burn farmers and was receiving their thanks. Since it was a small vige, Crockta could handle it alone. "Yes! We''ll stay hidden like we¡¯re dead for a while. Thank you, Crockta!" If these vigers had merely obeyed the emperor, Crockta might have overlooked them. However, outsiders knew better than to follow the emperor. They knew that they would be treated as disposable soldiers in the war. The residents of Elder Lord harbored deep-seated resentment against the emperor. And their judgment was right. Rumors had spread that those dragged to the empire were conscripted as soldiers and dying from the harsh training. "Well, then, I''ll get going..." As Crockta turned around, he flinched. With his Eyes of the Ashen God still activated, he could see the fates of the residents. Their deaths were imminent. He rescued the vigers who were fated to die tomorrow. However, the deaths that Crockta defeated would find them again a weekter. Whether they¡¯d die at the hands of the emperor¡¯s knights or for some other reason, Crockta did not know. In the end, he had merely granted them a few more days of respite. "Be careful," was all Crockta could say. He couldn''t stay with them continuously. He reluctantly pulled away from the vigers who continued to express gratitude. His heart felt heavy. The ability given by the Ashen God was ironically driving him into a corner. Wherever he turned, death awaited him. The emperor was turning the southern region into and of death. Oncemitted to fighting, all he could do was struggle with all his might whatever the oue may be. "Was it this way?¡± Those in the southern region who had decided not to follow the emperor were forming an alliance. They were meagerpared to the emperor, but they were determined to fight. The alliance was seeking help from other races. Tiyo and Anor had joined the core of the alliance in Espada, while Crockta operated alone to move quickly. Crockta had seen the sign of death from a young man from the vige he had previously rescued. Given the urgency of the situation, he had no choice but to set that matter aside. "Shall we go?" Crockta spurred the horse and dashed. The horse started galloping. Sensing Crockta''s anxious demeanor, the horse elerated to its maximum speed. The horse understood Crockta well as longtime travelpanions. Soon, they encountered a group of yers. Crockta halted his horse. Were they members of the Heaven and Earth n? His body tensed up, and he brought his hand to the hilt of his greatsword. The number was manageable for him. However, their reaction was unexpected. "Oh, it''s Crockta!" "He''s really here!" "Awesome, awesome!" Crockta was quick-witted. He had a keen insight and was able to gauge situations in an instant. Thanks to this, he enjoyed fame as the top agent during his military days. They were undoubtedly members of his fan club, Praise the Orc. "What should we do?" "Should we ask for an autograph?" "He''s an NPC; he wouldn''t know about that!" Crockta dismounted his horse and approached them, much to their surprise. The legendary character, Crockta, was looking at them with a profound look in his eyes. "Who are you?" It was the rumbling voice they had always heard in videos. Their mouths refused to budge. Although they had always seen him in videos, they were speechless in the face of his huge physique, sinister face, and frightening aura. One of them managed to answer, "F-fans! We really respect you! We came here because we wanted to meet you!¡± "Respect, huh..." Crockta shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in the word respect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true...¡± ¡°If you guys really respect me.¡± Crockta pointed behind them. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡± 1. Noona means older sister ? Chapter 155: Mountain Smasher

Chapter 155: Mountain Smasher

They began murmuring among themselves at Crockta¡¯s suggestion to apany him. ¡°Together...?¡± They weren¡¯t sure whether to embrace or reject the offer. News had spread that Crockta was waging war against the empire and the Heaven and Earth n in the South. Judging by his busy demeanor, he was probably on his way to rescue a vige. Crockta nced at them and then mounted his horse. Then, he went ahead. As the yers gazed upon Crockta¡¯s silhouette, they sensed a feeling of solitude emanating from him. ¡°Uhh...¡± Suddenly, what he had said came back to them in full force. ¡®I don¡¯t believe in the word respect.¡¯ He was a hero well-known to all yers and NPCs, but he was always fighting by himself¨Cwhether in the north or the south of the continent. There were probably countless people who imed they respected him, but when he faced the enemy, he was always alone. ¡°Dammit...¡± The man who had been silent chuckled, ¡°Seeing him like that...you can¡¯t help but follow him.¡± ¡°But Shark...¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. What if you run into the Heaven and Earth n? They will kill you!¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you all fill out an application when you joined? What did you put for thest question?¡± replied Shark. ¡°...!¡± Although Praise the Orc didn¡¯t have any requirements for joining, they had to provide basic personal information when filling out the membership application, and, thest question posed by the admins was: Do you respect Crockta, the orc of justice? Of course, the answer was yes. Those who replied no could not be approved for membership. Each and every one of them respected Crockta. ¡°If Crockta can¡¯t trust us, then we will have to show him.¡± ¡°Shark...¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go.¡± Shark began to walk in Crockta¡¯s direction. The Praise the Orc members had ventured to the South purely with the intent of meeting Crockta. They hadn¡¯t expected to enter the battlefield. ¡°Yare yare [1]...¡± Gilgamesh, the yer who was a huge weeb, shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m tired of just watching them leave...¡± He wasn¡¯t role-ying. This was how he normally acted. Even when other members criticized his mannerisms, he refused to fix his unique way of speaking. He was a man of tenacity, nheless. ¡°Well, whoever wants to follow me,e. You guys might be able to see my powers today. Hehehe...¡± muttered Gilgamesh as he followed after Shark. The other members sighed and looked at each other. ¡°Guess there¡¯s no choice.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go too...¡± At that moment, Gilgamesh suddenly turned around. ¡°Hey guys, think about it carefully. There will only be hell going forward, brats,¡± he said with a huge grin on his face. ¡°...¡± A yer who had been quietly listening began walking toward him. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that fucking otaku today.¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhh! I¡¯m gonna kill him!¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Gilgamesh was already way ahead of them. That¡¯s how the Praise the Orc yers jumped into the battlefield to help Crockta. *** Camelot was a descendant of a once esteemed bloodline of knights. After he retired from knighthood, he settled down in a small vige and became a farmer. He was content with his peaceful lifestyle. Even though he wasn¡¯t wealthy, he had a wise wife, a beautiful daughter, and kind neighbors. Moreover, the fertile soil of the South amply rewarded him with the fruits of hisbor. He believed that he would enjoy this lifestyle for the rest of his days and then die peacefully with his grandchildren by his side. But he had to abandon his farming tools and take up arms because of the emperor. ¡°For now, joining Espada seems like a good idea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite far. Knights have already spread everywhere.¡± ¡°Nothing will change if we remain here.¡± The vigers debated their future ns. For days, they had been discussing whether they should join the empire or not. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just join the empire?¡± ¡°We would die on the battlefield as ves anyways, let¡¯s fight against the emperor ¡®til the end!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As he observed the meeting, Camelot thought about the longsword he had at home. The vigers would probably not be able toe to a conclusion and continue these meaningless discussions. If this continued, they would have to face the empire¡¯s army here. Fortunately, thanks to Crockta, the orc who had disrupted the enemy forces, the imperial army couldn''t move decisively. If the right number of opponents came, they might be able to hold them off. "Camelot, do you have any thoughts? You were once a knight.¡± "I''m not sure." He was being honest. He had no idea what would be the next best step. Whatever they chose, it didn''t seem like it would be resolved well. The emperor and the empire were too big of an opponentpared to them. Their faces turned solemn when an rm started ringing. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! The urgent sound jerked people by surprise. The vige chief instructed a young man to find out what was happening. But before the man could step forward, everyone understood what was going on. "It''s the imperial army!" "The knights areing! Get ready, everyone!" It was the imperial knights. They had heard that knights on horseback would invade viges and towns and take residents to serve as soldiers and serfs of the empire. But when reality hit, no one knew how to respond. Camelot shouted, "Everyone, snap out of it!" People started toe to their senses. However, they were still unsure of what to do. "Grab weapons from your homes and gather all of your women, children, and the elderly and bring them here!¡± They had to gather first. If they separated, they would be killed one by one by the knights. "Quickly!" Camelot was the first to leave the town hall. His house was on the outskirts of the vige. If the knights reached them, that would be their first target. He couldn''t stay a minute longer because he was worried about his wife and daughter waiting for him at home. "Damn it!" The closer he got to his house, the more uneasy he felt. When he saw the empire¡¯s g raised at a point not far from his house, he knew that his apprehensions had be true. When he arrived home in a craze, a tragic scene was unfolding. The knights were dragging his wife and daughter away. When they tried to resist, the knights ruthlessly knocked them to the ground. Camelot¡¯s eyes zed with anger. "You bastards!" He sprinted toward the knight and delivered a powerful kick, sending the knight stumbling. The knight struggled to get back up due to his heavy armor. Camelot seized the fallen knight''s sword and aimed it at the enemies. "Who are you?" he asked. "Who is this?¡± replied the knights. The knights raised their swords, threatening Camelot. Camelot hid his wife behind him and cautiously faced the enemies. Under the knight¡¯s grasp, his daughter stared at him with fear. "Knights who don''t know shame,¡± said Camelot. "We hear that a lottely.¡± The knights chuckled. Camelot felt despair. The knights he knew were not like this. Whether it was the emperor''s influence or not, what was certain was that the southern region had gone mad ever since he appeared. The spirit of knights respecting the weak and helping those in crisis was nowhere to be found. Instead, they had be followers of the emperor. Only one orc, who they used to view as barbaric, stood true to the warrior''s honor. Camelot gritted his teeth. "Return my daughter. I will go to the empire. I am a descendant of Dietrich, the house of knights. I will be more helpful than ordinary farmers." Camelot''s family raised their heads in rm at his suggestion. However, Camelot was determined. But the knights mocked him. "It''s funny. A man thinking he can be more helpful than two women? Seems unlikely, doesn''t it?" Their attitude resembled that of bandits rather than knights. "Hey, are you into that?" "No." "He thinks he can be more helpful.¡± ¡°Haha, he thinks that way because he¡¯s into men.¡± "Hahahahaha." Camelot clenched his sword. He knew he would fight and die today. But at least, he would take one of them with him. He cursed the emperor under his breath as he prepared to charge. But his fierce determination didn''tst long. "Hey, drop the sword." "¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!" The knight pointed the sword at his daughter. "Don¡¯t get foolish ideas. If you resist, both your daughter and your wife behind you will lose their lives." "¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤." "If you surrender, we won''t kill you. It¡¯s better to sacrifice your pride than to get your daughter killed.¡± Camelot hesitated at first, but then slowly brought down his sword and tossed it aside. At the same time, a fist came flying at him. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Camelot!¡± A knight wearing a thick steel gauntlet continued throwing punches at him. Several of Camelot¡¯s teeth flew out. Camelot stumbled to the ground and spat blood. ¡°How dare you kick me?¡± It was the knight Camelot had kicked earlier. The knight began kicking Camelot in a fit of rage. ¡°Hold him tight.¡± He ordered the other knights to hold down Camelot. Then he walked toward Camelot¡¯s daughter with a sword in hand. ¡°See what happens to your daughter because of what you did earlier.¡± ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°You will find out if you keep looking.¡± ¡°I will apologize! Please stop! Please!¡± The knight¡¯s de was heading toward his daughter¡¯s face. Camelot struggled against the restraining knights, exerting all of his strength to break free. His desperate resistance appeared as if he was caught in the throes of a spasm. Despite the efforts of two knights grappling with him, they struggled to keep him down. Camelot took a punch in his stomach and slumped down in pain. He was wretched on the ground. Beyond his blurry vision, he saw the knight¡¯s de heading toward his daughter¡¯s ear. He was nning to cut it off. Camelot tried to muster all of his remaining strength to attack the knight blocking his way and get back up, but another knight struck him down again. He was about to sumb to the throes of despair when he heard a huge roar. Raaaaaaaaaaaaawwrrrrr! A ck figure jumped out from the bushes and struck the knight¡¯s face, ripping his neck apart and sending his head flying in the air. ¡°...!¡± It happened so suddenly that no one reacted. Only the decapitated body of the knight, spraying blood as it sat on the ground, was left. Camelot''s daughter, covered in blood, shut her eyes in terror and began screaming at the top of her lungs. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± But no one opened their mouths to speak except for her. A huge creature was prowling around in the center. ¡°Grrrrrr...¡± It was a huge tiger the size of a house. Its teeth were sorge and sharp they looked like they could tear apart ogre flesh. Its gaze was absolutely terrifying. It had a sack hanging from its neck, but no one found it absurd because of its frightening presence. ¡°What, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That is...¡± The tiger¡¯s aura was so intimidating they couldn¡¯t move. Each time it growled, it emitted a shockwave that made them freeze. But that wasn¡¯t just it. ¡°Hey, tiger! Why are you going so fast?!¡± The tiger had apanion. ¡°What¡¯s this?! Grr...!¡± An orc boasting a build asrge as the tiger¡¯s was standing next to it. He scratched his head as he nced around his surroundings and then shook his head at the sight of a young girl captured by knights. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Humans are hopeless! Grr!¡± A knight, startled by his appearance, took a step back. ¡°C-Crockta?¡± ¡°Crockta? Don''tpare me to that brat! Hmph!¡± If there was a fearsome orc making a name for itself in the south, it could only be Crockta. However, if it wasn''t him, who could this orc be? The orc proudly thumped his chest and dered, "My name is Kumarak!¡± He was Kumarak, the Mountain Smasher. 1. Yare yare means good grief ? Chapter 156: Mountain Smasher (2)

Chapter 156: Mountain Smasher (2)

There were many stories about how Kumarak, the Mountain Smasher, became one of the great legendary orcs. However, the most famous one was about him destroying an entire mountain to hunt down a greatworm and turning it into a in. Greatworms were monsters that freely roamed underground and then jumped out when they sensed movement and swiftly disappeared after swallowing their prey. People often looked down on them because of their worm-like appearance, but schrs treated them as only second to dragons because of how powerful they were. And in the west of the continent, there was a greatworm so ancient and notorious that it was even recorded in history books. On his journey to explore the West, Kumarak was enraged when the infamous greatworm swallowed his friend and fled. He then discovered itsir on a small mountain nearby. As if trying to get rid of the mountain, Kumarak relentlessly dug into it, eventually revealing the greatworm. The two engaged in a bloody battle, but the greatworm, overwhelmed by Kumarak¡¯s immense power and tenacity, fled. Kumarak chased after it and crushed another mountain, and their feud continued. Calling the greatworm¡¯sir a mountain was an exaggeration. However, Kumarak, after digging for over a year, eventually seeded in destroying the greatworm¡¯sir, which wasrger than most hills, and killed the greatworm. He split open the greatworm¡¯s belly to retrieve the remains of his friend and gave them a proper burial. That¡¯s the story of how Kumarak killed a centuries-old greatworm that had even been documented in historical records and transformed itsir, the Mountain of Death, into a in. Afterward, Kumarak gained a reputation as a legend not to be trifled with. And Kumarak had appeared in this ce. He was indeed a formidable sight. He was much bigger than Crockta who was making a name for himself. His size evoked suspicions about whether he was truly an orc or not. Kumarak red at the knight and said, ¡°Grrr, leave!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°I gave you a warning. I will count to ten. One, two...!¡± Kumarak raised the axe he had on his back. His axe was muchrger than a regr axe with an exceptionally long handle. They could sense how ridiculously strong Kumarak was from the way he swung such a weapon with just one hand. In the end, all the knights retreated before Kumarak finished counting to five. Camelot bowed. ¡°Thaank yuu.¡± He couldn¡¯t pronounce the words properly because the knights had battered his mouth. His wife approached him in tears and examined his wounds. His daughter also ran up to them. Kumarak felt awkward watching such a heart-to-heart moment. The tiger approached Kumarak. Because they were both sorge, they looked just like an ordinary orc and tiger standing side by side. ¡°Tiger! I was wondering why you suddenly ran ahead, but you did a good thing.¡± ¡°Raaaah!¡± ¡°What are you saying? I can¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°Raaaah!¡± ¡°Guess the same goes for you, grr!¡± Kumarak tapped on the sack hanging by the tiger¡¯s neck. ¡°Anyways, where is he?¡± ¡°Raah?¡± ¡°Is he not here?¡± The tiger shrugged. Kumarak couldn¡¯t help butugh at the human-like gesture and gently patted the tiger¡¯s back. ¡°First, let¡¯s deal with those hoodlums. Let¡¯s go, tiger!¡± ¡°Raaah!¡± He turned around. He could still feel the knights¡¯ presence around the vige and hear the screams of people in the distance. It was such a bizarre sight to Kumarak. Knights, who were supposed to protect people, were attacking them. Moreover, instead of fighting other knights, they were attacking innocent civilians. He had seen many humans fight among themselves. Orcs asionally had internal conflicts as well. But he had never seen such one-sided harassment, where the strong targeted the weak. ¡°Let¡¯s go, tiger!¡± Kumarak immediately charged forward. As he grew farther away from Camelot and entered the vige, he saw humans who had given up resistance being dragged away like ves. They were bound together in a line with ropes. ¡®ves!¡¯ Kumarak¡¯s eyes zed with anger at that depraved sight. He raised his axe in the air. ¡°Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaraaaar!¡± A thunderous roar shook the vige. The knights cupped their ears and looked around, searching for the source of the noise. Soon, they discovered a huge orc staring at them with a menacing glint in his eyes. He was holding an axe asrge as an adult¡¯s body. ¡°What are you guys doing, grr!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°I asked, what are you guys doing?!¡± In the face of Kumarak¡¯s piercing re, the knights couldn¡¯t bring themselves to meet his eyes and took a step back. The knights, paralyzed, dared not move and just warily nced at each other. Even the vigers being dragged away trembled at Kumarak¡¯s powerful presence. The leader of the knights bravely stepped forward. ¡°Who are you? We are carrying out the Emperor¡¯s orders.¡± Based on his judgment, this orc didn¡¯t seem to be Crockta. Crockta was an orc who wielded a greatsword and wore a red bandana. The orc in front of him was carrying an axe and didn¡¯t wear a bandana. On top of that, he wasrger than what he had heard from the rumors. Kumarak tilted his head. ¡°The Emperor?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the knight confidently. He was no longer timid. This was the south, once part of the kingdom and now the empire¡¯s territory. Although there were oddballs like Crockta, most people took a step back when they heard the emperor¡¯s name. Most species didn¡¯t unite like the empire. Unlike other loosely connected species, the empire was systematically forming and training its army. The empire was the dominant force in the continent, with the emperor at the apex of all authority. The knights were part of an order carrying out the emperor¡¯smands. The knight proudly raised his chin and said, ¡°It¡¯s our business. Please refrain from interfering. I repeat, it¡¯s the emperor¡¯smand.¡± ¡°The Emperor?¡± asked Kumarak. ¡°Yes! The Emperor!¡± replied the knight with emphasis. Kumarak lowered his axe. The knight grinned. ¡®This orc at least hasmon sense. Regardless of his strength, he doesn¡¯t stand a chance against the empire. Maybe he could be an ally since the Emperor is gathering talents for his future ns. Orcs are hideous, but they make excellent soldiers. Maybe I can persuade him and take him to the Emperor...¡¯ Before his musings ended, Kumarak stomped his foot. The ground trembled. ¡°I am...!¡± Kumarak strode forward, casting a giant shadow over the knight. Kumarak¡¯s eyes were burning with intensity. ¡°Kumaraaaaaak!¡± Kumarak reached out, seizing the knight''s throat. The knight iled as he tried to grab Kumarak¡¯s wrist. Kumarak overpowered himpletely. Other knights drew their swords, aiming at Kumarak, but he paid no heed and continued speaking. "Say it again. Whosemand is it?¡± "Em, emperor...ugh...Emperor..." "I am Kumarak!" Kumarak hurled the knight into the group of knights standing nearby. The knight crumbled to the ground. "I have no emperor. Grr!¡± Kumarak walked toward the knights. His menacing aura crushed their spirits. ng! With the sound of steel colliding, a knight soared into the sky. Kumarak had struck the knight with the side of his axe. "Emperor?" With each swing of his arm, knights fell one by one. The massive axe cleaved through them at an invisible speed. The knights retreated in fear as Kumarak advanced toward them. "To you, he may be an emperor, but..." Kumarak approached a knight and pushed his face into his. The knight, stricken with fear, froze up and trembled in fear instead of retreating. ¡°He¡¯s just a human to me, knight,¡± said Kumarak as he kicked the knight to the ground. None of the knights dared to fight back. Kumarak scanned the bodies of those sprawled across the ground. ¡°If you don¡¯t disappear right at this moment, I will kill all of you. Grr.¡± The knights didn¡¯t hesitate and scrambled to grab their weapons and flee. They knew that if they stayed a minute longer, they would die in Kumarak¡¯s hands. They quickly mounted their horses, and the hoofbeats gradually faded away. Kumarak and the tiger untied the ropes around the vigers and released them. They thanked him. Although Kumarak had an intimidating appearance, he awkwardly coughed in response to the vigers bowing and thanking him. ¡°Grr! I was just passing by! There¡¯s no need to thank me!¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Hail Kumarak!¡± ¡°Grr!¡± As they were rejoicing over Kumarak defeating the knights, another group wasing their way. ¡°...!¡± The vigers grew quiet as the tension in the air thickened. Dust rose in the distance. Did the knights from earlier return with reinforcements? Kumarak got into position. If they had returned after he scared them, they could have returned with a formidable opponent. But what appeared on a horse was a gnome. ¡°Tiyo is here! Where are the knights?!¡± With Tiyo in the lead, a line of humans were charging toward the vige on horseback. They were a rebel group formed in the Espada region. After splitting from Crockta, Tiyo and Anor joined a rebel group to fight against the empire. Tiyo, with his military experience and ability to wield a lethal weapon like the General, quickly ascended to the position ofmander among the members of the resistance who hailed from civilian backgrounds. ¡°Huh?¡± Tiyo, shocked to see an orc and a tiger instead of knights, gasped, ¡°What? I¡¯ve never seen a creature as ugly as Crockta!¡± Kumarak was enraged. ¡°Are you talking about me? Grr...!¡± ¡°Ohh, so you know!¡± ¡°You tiny gnome! Grr!¡± ¡°You ugly orc!¡± The two growled at each other as soon as they met. ¡°Why do you keep going grr...? Are you trying to imitate tigers?¡± Tiyo shouted. ¡°Ah, this is...¡± ¡°You sound like a beast! Stop it!¡± Kumarak scratched his head awkwardly. He was unexpectedly timid at times. ¡°It¡¯s because I have sinusitis...! I¡¯m not doing it on purpose...! Grr...!¡± ¡°Ah, is that so...tsk tsk. You should take better care of your health. Make sure to eat your veggies and fruits. Did you eat today?¡± ¡°Not yet...¡± ¡°Good. Hey, vigers! Give us some food! Even though this orc is the one who fought! Haha!¡± Tiyo had already grasped the situation. The residents, released from the ropes, were now at ease. That orc was as sinister-looking as Crockta and even had an enormous tiger with him. If that orc lived up to his looks, then he would surely continue defeating the knights and rescue the vigers. ¡°Understood. We will get down to it,¡± replied the vigers. The vigers quickly managed the situation and prepared a meal for Kumarak and the rebels who saved them. As they prepared the meal, the tiger went out for a hunt and brought back two bison. Thanks to it, the feast grew abundant. ¡°Whew, let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°We can finally sit down now. Whew, I¡¯m beat.¡± The rebels sat down and took a break. They had rushed over here after rescuing another vige. ¡°Hey, orc!¡± ¡°My name is Kumarak! Grr!¡± ¡°Yeah, Kumarak.¡± Tiyo approached him and patted the tiger lying down next to him. The tiger sat still. ¡°Do you know Crockta?¡± ¡°Do I know Crockta? I came here to meet him! Grr!¡± ¡°Ahem! I¡¯ve journeyed to the north and came back with Crockta! We fought against the crazy chieftain together!¡± ¡°Where is he?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s running another errand. Why are you looking for Crockta?¡± ¡°Not me, him!¡± The tiger was dozing off to Tiyo¡¯s gentle caress but jolted awake when Kumarak pointed at him. ¡°Raah?¡± The tiger looked around in surprise. It seemed out of it. ¡°The tiger seems a bit dumb.¡± ¡°...yeah, grr...¡± The tiger, sensing that nothing was amiss, went back to sleep. Tiyo climbed on top of the tiger and rolled across his plush fur. Then, he bumped against the sack on the tiger¡¯s neck. ¡°Ouch! What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I have to give this to Crockta. Where¡¯s Crockta?¡± ¡°Crockta is...¡± *** Crockta was in high spirits as he swung his greatsword toward the knights and sliced their bodies apart. ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Yare yare...my body is made up of infinite des...hehe...¡± The Praise the Orc members joined him. There was a pretty cool guy among them. ¡°Try to block my full force powers...haha. Have a taste of true despair!¡± ¡°...!¡± Every single line from that member carried the power to ignite the hearts of people. Crockta, in response, said to his enemies, ¡°My sword is a punishment from the God of Death...I will make you pay for your sins with a death of a deeper crimson than the sunset, you mortals...!¡± ¡°...!¡± The knights flinched, and Crockta puffed his chest. He met eyes with Gilgamesh. The two gave each other a thumbs up. ¡°...¡± The members of Praise the Orc shuddered as they watched them. Chapter 157: Alliance of Evil

Chapter 157: Alliance of Evil

¡°Let¡¯s f-fight first.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The Praise the Orc members decided to shut their ears. The battle raged on. As dedicated yers who came all the way to the south to meet Crockta, theirbat skills exceeded those of most yers. The members were all high-level yers. ¡°Watch your back!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± In the past, it was nearly impossible for yers to fight on par with NPCs, especially knights. As the general level of yers increased, however, they even began to overpower NPCs. Moreover, the Praise the Orc members had gained new skills and abilities from the recent achievement score event in the game. Even when knights came at them, they didn¡¯t back down. Especially Gilgamesh, who had severe eighth-grader syndrome, put on an exemry performance [1]. He bombarded the enemies with both physical and mental attacks. ¡°Stand straight! Death is an unwee visitor that arrives without notice. By being born, we¡¯ve been forewarned of itsing! Hehe!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Hey, you! What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Gilgamesh. ¡°T-Tiger,¡± the knight answered, taken aback. Gilgamesh invoked his magic. He was a magic swordsman who sacrificed efficiency for style. As he summoned his magic, dozens of des ascended into the air, gleaming with murderous intent as they targeted the enemies. It was abination of dual swordsmanship and telekic power, psychokinesis! Although everyone hadughed at the bizarrebination, when his skill exceeded Rare-Tier and reached Essence-Tier, he obtained a hidden ss never achieved by anyone before. He became the de Maniptor! ¡°Tiger! Tomorrow, your friends will say this!¡± ¡°Say what?¡± With a gesture of his hand, Gilgamesh¡¯s numerous des shot toward the enemy as if they were alive. ¡°Tiger is...!¡± shouted Gilgamesh. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°...dead!¡± The des pierced every inch of Tiger¡¯s body, making him look like a hedgehog as he crumbled to the ground. Gilgamesh rambled on. ¡°Freedom won¡¯t return, but revenge alwayses back to you. me your immoral sword and misguided loyalty, Tiger.¡± Despite its stunning spectacle, the skill quickly depleted his energy. Even so, his shy technique was effective in lowering his enemy¡¯s morale. A knight, stricken with fear, eximed, ¡°He¡¯s a monster...!¡± Gilgamesh was persecuted for his over-the-top speech and behavior countless times. Now, however, he was being called a monster by NPCs, and knights at that! As the Praise the Orc members saw some of the knights retreating in the face of Gilgamesh¡¯s crushing powers, they were swept up in a strange emotion. Shark, the member who despised Gilgamesh, closed his eyes as he reflected on the past. He used to criticize Gilgamesh more than anyone else. Whenever he spat out cruel words like fucking otaku or gross otaku loser to him, Gilgamesh was unfazed and maintained his confidence. ¡°Otaku!¡¯ Shark would call him.¡± ¡°Otaku? It refers to someone who is truly dedicated to something, Shark!¡± Gilgamesh would respond. ¡°You gross otaku loser!¡± ¡°...Haha, fine. We¡¯ll see who will end up shedding tears when twilightes. Even though the oue of the fight is obvious, I will dly entertain you.¡¯ Shark suddenly looked up at the sky. It was already dusk, the stage before the night¡¯s curtain covered the world. The clouds facing the sunset were zing brightly as a flock of clouds, flowing like streams, drifted eastward to convey the tale of the sunset to the already night-d eastern sky. It was a beautiful twilight. ¡°...Gilgamesh, you were right,¡± muttered Shark as he thrust his spear toward a knight aiming for his back. Shark¡¯s swift blow flung back the knight. Although he had managed to narrowly block the blow with his sword, the knight could not get up for a while from the shock and writhed on the ground. Shark kicked the knight¡¯s face. His helmet flew off and revealed the knight¡¯s bare face. Shark¡¯s de loomed over his head. ¡°Knight, deliver this message to the king.¡± ¡°To the e-emperor? What?¡± Shark chuckled and replied, ¡°Tell the king of the underworld that the Grim Reaper is executing his job splendidly! Then, the spear came down on the knight. It was his final moment. Thanks to Crockta¡¯s formidable powers and the Praise the Orc members¡¯bat, the tide of the battle hadpletely shifted. ¡°My greatsword is the guillotine that slices those without gods! Hand over your necks, prisoners!¡± ¡°Now, dance, my des! Swallow the blood of the wicked!¡± ¡°Do you like this spear? Then, I will give it to you!¡± Due to the merciless attacks and words that wore down their minds, the knights lost their will to fight and began to flee. Crockta and his fan club, Praise the Orc, had seeded. Shark approached Crockta, who was observing the fleeing knights. ¡°Crockta-nim, how about now?¡± Crockta looked at them. All of the Praise the Orc members were smiling at him, covered in blood. Even though they had won, they were not unscathed. They bore wounds and some were limping, but their eyes were shining brightly as they looked at Crockta. ¡°Do you still not believe in the word respect? Haha...!¡± asked Shark with a wide grin. Gilgamesh, next to him, looked up at the sky. Crockta answered, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Even after fighting so hard together? Sad...¡± ¡°I believe...!¡± Crockta extended his fist. ¡°I only believe inrades.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta had acknowledged them asrades. Crockta first caught the yers¡¯ eye in a video where he was fighting against the yer killers. He defeated multiple enemies with bold attacks. Many viewers were thrilled by his monologue about honor as he stood gantly after serving justice. His feat continued in Arnin and Chesswood. He had always fought for the weak and was even a hero who single-handedly stopped the northern invasion of the continent. And now, he was tirelessly fighting for the peace of the South. At first, he was a weak orc who struggled against three yers. When the video against the three-yer killers was filmed, the Praise the Orc members were probably stronger than him, but now, Crockta was a man who could face an entire army on his own. Time flowedpletely differently for them. Such progress was made possible by Crockta¡¯s indomitable will and trust and loyalty. He was a man worthy of respect. And now, they have been acknowledged by a man like him as hisrades. ¡°Crade.¡± Gilgamesh was shocked but also touched. He rarely dropped his eighth-grader-syndrome facade, but he actually looked embarrassed for a moment. Of course, he quickly resumed his usual demeanor and looked off into the distant sunset with a firm expression on his face. ¡°Dering a Grim Reaper as arade...how bold. I guess I will entertain the idea today.¡± Then, he extended his fist and bumped it against Crockta¡¯s. ¡°Haha.¡± Shark and the other Praise the Orc members followed suit and bumped fists with Crockta. *** Shin Ja-Hu, the Praise the Orc member and master of spear techniques, also known as Shark, disconnected from the server. Even after exiting his capsule, he wallowed in the lingering feelings for a while. He leaned against his couch and recalled the adventure he had overnight. He had gone to the south of the continent to meet Crockta and seeded in doing so. In person, Crockta was muchrger and more formidable than he had appeared in videos. He even felt sorry for the horse Crockta was riding on. And Crockta¡¯s actions were even more impressive than his appearance. He exceeded what Shark had seen in the videos. In the south, where yers and NPCs had given up intervening, he was invincible as he fought against the emperor. ¡°If only I didn¡¯t have to go to work...¡± Anyways, he asked the Praise the Orc members to excuse him and logged out. The day was bright. Other Korean members or those who lived in the same time zone also halted their adventures. ¡°Wonder if there will be lots of guests today~ Even if there¡¯s a lot, my wages remain the same~ But better than the store closing~¡± Shin Ja-Hu hummed a weird song as he put on his clothes. He usually got ready for work with a sour expression, but he was unusually in good spirits because of the amazing adventure he hadst night. ¡°Jajangmyeon~ Lion ck Bean Paste~ Muscle Pain~ Tiger Balm~[2]. Shin Ja-Hu was a chef at a Chinese restaurant. He left his house in an attire that revealed his muscr physique. He looked like a bodybuilder with his developed biceps and triceps from vigorously tossing and turning ingredients in a wok. ¡°Wonder what Gilgamesh does in real life.¡± Based on his behavior heavily influenced by Japanese culture, he seemed to be Korean or Japanese. ¡®If he acts like that in real life, he wouldn¡¯t have any friends.¡¯ Shark began to worry about Gilgamesh¡¯s social life. It was his first time worrying about Gilgamesh. ¡°Is this Crockta hyung¡¯s influence?¡± Although Crockta was an NPC, he had learned more things from Crockta than from real people. Shin Ja-Hu began to change through Elder Lord. He even started to think differently about Gilgamesh, whom he usually despised. ¡°I should meet him sometime and make him a bowl of jajangmyeon.¡± He headed to the bus station for hismute. On his walk, he noticed a truck on a street with a heap of ss piled on top of each other. Perhaps a shop that performed window instations had recently opened nearby. He nced at his reflection in the ss and examined his face. Ah, he forgot to shave. His beard was getting thick, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯m a tough guy~,¡± he hummed as he passed by the truck. He didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to these things. There was arge group reservation at the restaurant today. He had to quickly get to work. Right then, a swerving car bumped the side of the truck. Thud! It was a light collision. An old man got out of the car. He looked distressed. ¡°Dammit. Why did they park in a ce like this?¡± He scratched his head and inspected the truck. He didn¡¯t do much damage to the truck and had ended up scratching the bumper of his car. Because the owner of the truck wasn¡¯t in his car, the old man tried to see if the truck owner had left his phone number anywhere. Shin Ja-Hu chuckled as he watched him, but then he suddenly noticed something strange. The pile of ss panes had tilted from the shock of the collision, and the poorly tied strap around it was slowlying undone under the weight. ¡°Oh my...¡± He covered his ears as he backed away. The ss panes would soon crash to the ground. ¡°Hey, be careful...¡± But sometimes coincidences ovepped and headed toward tragedy as if by fate. ¡°Uh...¡± A little kid was running past the truck. The ss panes above him were tilting downward, but the kid continued to run, oblivious to his surroundings. The yellow hat and the backpack the kid was wearing were from the kindergarten next to his apartment. ¡®What was its name? Was it Green Pine Kindergarten? With his big, handsome eyes, he will make thedies swoon when he grows up.¡¯ During that split second, many thoughts raced through Shin Ja-Hu¡¯s mind. Even during that brief moment, he could clearly see that the child¡¯s eyes were brown and his hair was the same light shade of brown. His legs were still so chubby that his knees blended into his calves. Oblivious to his fate, the child was looking at Shin Ja-Hu with a face filled with innocentughter. The child was drawing closer. ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Before he knew it, he was running. ¡®Dammit, dammit.¡¯ Why was he doing something out of character? He could see the child¡¯s startled face. He didn¡¯t sense the heap of ss falling on him from above and was fearful of the adult rushing toward him. Who would notice even if he did something like this? Right then, he remembered someone¡¯s face. Shin Ja-Hu couldn¡¯t help but smile as he covered the child¡¯s body with his own. It¡¯s said that people often reflect on their past, family, or loved ones in moments of danger, but why was he thinking of an orc giving a thumbs-up in a game? 1. Eighth-grader syndrome refers to the cringey stage in early adolescence when a child believes they are really special and has delusions of grandeur. They might also believe that they have special powers ? 2. Jajangmyeon is noodles in ck bean sauce. Lion ck bean paste refers to a brand of ck bean paste with a lion as its logo ? Chapter 158: Alliance of Evil

Chapter 158: Alliance of Evil

The shattering of ss echoed throughout the street. Startled passersby gasped, and a crowd quickly formed around the man and the child as onlookers flocked to the chaotic scene. ¡°O-over there...¡± ¡°Retard,¡± said Kim Hyun-Chul, who had been looking down on the scene from the second floor of a caf¨¦. ¡°Tsk. Why would he do that? Retard.¡± Park Han-Shik¡¯s face stiffened. He was sitting across from Kim Hyun-Chul. Despite the rming incident that had happened right in front of their eyes, Kim Hyun-Chul didn¡¯t seem to feel anything. ¡°Did he think he could rescue the kid? The kid still got hurt. What was he thinking?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Why, it¡¯s the truth.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul didn¡¯t use to be like this. He was timid, caring, and kind. He was a man worth his time. They had spent many hours having deep talks over drinks. But after he became engrossed in the game, Kim Hyun-Chul changed. ¡°Why are you talking like this? He was just trying to rescue the kid.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I be honest? It¡¯s the truth. If he had died, then it would have been his loss.¡± ¡°Dude...that kind of attitude wille right back at you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just self-constion. There¡¯s no such thing as karma. That¡¯s what victims masturbate to in order to console themselves.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this.¡± ¡°Anyway, how is work going these days?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough.¡± Park Han-Shik took a sip of his coffee and shifted his attention to the scene outside the window. Pedestrians surrounded the site of the incident. A woman was hugging andforting the kid without minding her clothes getting bloody. Others tried to give medical attention to the man covering the child. They ended up only looking at him, not knowing what to do. The man¡¯s entire body was covered in blood with shards of ss sticking out all over. Thankfully, the man was moving. He wasn¡¯t dead. He could hear the sound of the ambnce in the distance. Kim Hyun-Chul suddenly asked, ¡°Is work really tough?¡± Park Han-Shik nced at him. ¡°Why? Are you going to help?¡± ¡°Of course. Friends should help each other during times of need.¡± ¡°No thanks. I can handle things on my own.¡± ¡°Let me know if things don¡¯t work out and get too tough. You don¡¯t need to hide it from me. I will let you in on a sweet deal.¡± ¡°A deal?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°I will help you earn money that would take you many years to earn in just one go.¡± Park Han-Shik silently stared at Kim Hyun-Chul. Even though it was the same face he knew, he lookedpletely different because of his expression. Han-Shik took another sip of his coffee. ¡°Is it about your game thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you are interested...¡± ¡°Do you do that thing called role-y or something?¡± ¡°Role-y? That¡¯s what nerds do.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Park Han-Shikughed. It was funny hearing Kim Hyun-Chul call someone else a nerd when people called him a nerd his whole life. Kim Hyun-Chul sat up straight. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are youughing? It¡¯s annoying. I¡¯m not just ying a game. It¡¯s a business.¡± Park Han-Shik stoppedughing and furrowed his eyebrows. Kim Hyun-Chul grew nervous at Han Shik¡¯s sullen look. ¡°...¡± Suddenly, Park Han-Shik smirked and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m notughing at you. Calm down, dude.¡± Seeing Kim Hyun-Chul pridefully take offense at trivial matters gave Han-Shik the urge to smack his head. If it were the school days, he would have already struck Hyun Chul¡¯s head multiple times. But now they were adults, and he could no longer sustain their rtionship by forcibly shaking sense into him. Han-Shik was no longer the boy from the past. He had grown to make expressions befitting an older man who had experienced the hardships of life. When Park Han-Shik smirked and shook his head, it meant he had resigned himself to something. And each time he did that, he distanced himself from someone he used to consider a friend. In the background, the radio was ying an old song. Seasonse and go But where did my love go? I didn¡¯t send it away Nor did I leave [1] ¡°This song is nice,¡± said Park Han-Shik as he got up from his seat. ¡°I have to get going. I¡¯m busy. It was nice seeing you.¡± ¡°Already heading out?¡± ¡°I told you I have a lot going ontely. I don¡¯t have time to take a break.¡± ¡°Okay, understood. Don¡¯t overdo it though. Hit me up if you need anything.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul took out a business card and handed it to Park Han-Shik. ¡°It¡¯s like working on a ship, but much easier and more profitable. You just have to lie down for a few months¡ªno, a year. I will ask the hyungs to treat you well...¡± Park Han-Shik skimmed over the business card. It mentioned things like Elder Lord n or Luin. Park Han-Shik looked up at his old friend. Kim Hyun-Chul, who used to look like any ordinary Joe, was now wearing an expensive watch and clothes. On top of that, Park Han-Shik couldn¡¯t recognize the look in Kim Hyun-Chul¡¯s eyes anymore. But he could read the negative emotions in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk again. ¡°Yeah, take care.¡± Park Han-Shik smiled and bid farewell as he turned away. They were probably never going to hang out together again. ¡°You too.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul leaned against his chair as he observed Park Han-Shik grow farther away. He imitated Park Han-Shik¡¯s smirk. He wrinkled his nose and muttered, ¡°Does he still think we are in middle school or high school? He can¡¯t smack me in the head anymore...Smirking like that. So annoying.¡± He grumbled and took a sip of his coffee. He nced outside the window and saw the guy from earlier being transported into an ambnce. His life didn¡¯t seem to be in danger as he was conversing with the paramedics while lying down in the backpartment. The back door closed, and the ambnce departed. There was arge puddle of blood where the man used to be. He didn¡¯t feel any emotions because he had seen much more gory sights in Elder Lord. These days, the bloody world of Elder Lord felt more familiar to him as if that was the world he truly belonged in. Hyun-Chul experienced a strange sense of joy as he observed the scattered blood on the floor. It felt as if he was encountering a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting. Suddenly, he heard a song ying in the caf¨¦. Little by little, it fades away I thought it was a lingering love, But it drifts farther away each day. Living every day apart. ¡°Yeah, the song is nice.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul closed his eyes. People say they grow nostalgic when they hear Kim Kwang-Seok¡¯s songs because it evokes old memories. But Kim Hyun-Chul could only remember the face of the hyung who changed his life and his words. ¡®The world is the survival of the fittest.¡¯ He was right. The past him, na?ve andpassionate, had always been timid. But now, his current self who mocked the man who jumped in to save a child, wore expensive clothes and drove a high-end foreign car. Park Han-Shik, who sympathized with the man, ran a small pub and struggled with loans and rent. The world was unfair. When people realize that truth, they learn they should act unfairly as well. If they do that to people in worse situations than them, the unfairness would umte and eventually work in their favor. ¡®Live kindly? What a joke. Look at me. I¡¯m sessful. Look at you. You¡¯ve followed me, and now you drive a foreign car. Don¡¯t pay attention to what the losers are saying and just follow me.¡¯ ¡°Everything you said was right, hyung.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul checked his phone. He received a message from Cainz, who made him who he was now. It was time to work. Kim Hyun-Chul got up from his seat. When he stepped outside, an olddy was sweeping the ss shards and blood from the scene. Her broom was stained red. Based on her apron, she seemed to work at the small restaurant next to the caf¨¦. Kim Hyun-Chul quietly watched her and asked, ¡°Why are you cleaning even though it¡¯s not your restaurant?¡± She replied, ¡°That¡¯s not important. It¡¯s in the same neighborhood, so it¡¯s like my home. It¡¯s unsightly. Rather than waiting to see who will clean it or not, isn¡¯t it better to do it myself? Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Kim Hyun-Chul lit a cigarette. There were so many kind people in the world. That¡¯s why he and his hyung could seed. ¡°Take care.¡± Kim Hyun-Chul spat on the ground and walked away as the cigarette smoke trailed behind him. *** Emperor Akantore was looking down at them from his throne. Luin was always nervous about meeting him, but Cainz and Rommel didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. Cainz always treated it like a game, and nothing fazed Rommel. They had to learn various formalities to meet Akantore when he was a king, and now, after he became the emperor, they had to abide by even stricter rules. Luin should have been used to it by now, yet he was still ufortable with getting down on one knee and bowing. He was a modern man unustomed to hierarchical systems. Of course, while ying Elder Lord, he realized that invisible hierarchies existed in the modern world. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± When Akantore was a king, he was a quiet man who always wore a smile on his face. He seemed more like a down-to-earth young noble than a king. But now, he looked down at them with an arrogant face and no longer concealed his emotions. That was the right that came with the power. ¡°If you fail, it¡¯s over. I will make sure all of you will never escape the star of the abyss.¡± Luin wrinkled his nose. The emperor told them he nned to execute the concrete method on them if they failed. It instilled a strange sense of fear in Luin that NPCs knew the weakness of those cursed by the stars, or yers. It was simr to the feeling he got when he watched movies where robots conquered humanity. But they had gained wealth and honor by treading the fine line between risk and reward with calcted determination. ¡°Is there room for doubt?¡± asked Cainz. Cainz was talented in winning the favor of NPCs. ¡°Kindly recall that we yed a role in securing this throne for Your Majesty. We always offer our loyalty to Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Of course, I know full well. But this is the first step for the empire. You must not fail.¡± ¡°When Your Majesty speaks of failure, what is Your Majesty referring to?¡± Cainz raised his head. ¡°The current tide is in favor of the empire. A pebble cannot stop a river. Espada will be in ruins.¡± ¡°The failure I speak of...¡± The emperor sped his armrest. ¡°...is not being able to kill that orc.¡± Cainz replied with a serious look on his face. ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°Yes. I will execute that filthy orc and hang his corpse at the gate. No, it will be nice to capture him and dump sewage on him and make him watch maggots and insects eat him alive.¡± The emperor¡¯s rage was at its peak. Everything was going ording to the emperor¡¯s n. No, everything was going ording to the blueprint Cainz and Rommel had presented to the emperor. Except for Crockta. The emperor wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to kill him. Cainz felt the same way. Crockta was an unpredictable variable. He wanted to get rid of Crockta immediately and eliminate any chance of failure, but... ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t waste your energy on him. He¡¯s just an individual. An individual cannot defeat an army. In the grand scheme of things, he will be trampled and disappear under the army¡¯s feet.¡± Crockta was definitely a hindrance to Cainz, but he understood how foolish it was to burn down a house to capture a bug. Luin nodded along with the conversation. Cainz would tell Luin, ¡®He¡¯s annoying, but the moment we expend our military resources on him, we lose. He¡¯s by himself. He''s quite strong and hard to catch, but he¡¯s not lethal. He¡¯s just like an annoying mosquito. It¡¯s better to ignore him and carry on with our tasks. When winteres, mosquitoes will naturally freeze to death.¡¯ Considering how much Crockta had been hindering them, Luin was in awe of Cainz¡¯ cold judgment. Luin thought they should mobilize all forces to kill Crockta. But Cainz was right. Crockta was a monster who had defeated Adantadore. If he wanted to get away, he would always find a way. They just had to focus on their jobs, and eventually, Crockta would be found as a corpse somewhere on the battlefield. ¡°I want his head,¡± said the emperor. Cainz bowed. ¡°If Your Majesty wishes...¡± ¡°But you have always given me sound advice. Even regarding this matter, others would have vowed to kill Crockta immediately.¡± Luin was smiling inwardly. Cainz was probablyughing inside as well. Everything was as Cainz had said. The young emperor was just a child who wanted to y the part of a wise and virtuous leader. He wanted to exhibit the authority of an emperor while seeking counsel. He wanted to be praised as a sensible emperor while maintaining the fa?ade of a supreme ruler. It was a childish ambition. Right then, the guard outside the throne room shouted, ¡°Your Majesty, the pce administrator wishes to see you.¡± The emperor replied, ¡°Tell him toe in.¡± The door opened. An officer scurried inside and kneeled toward the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m Gaspel, the administrator of Western Pce Communications.¡± ¡°Yes, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I humbly beg your pardon for bringing such news, but I felt Your Majesty needed to know...¡± He extended a piece of paper. It was a letter. ¡°Such things are being sent all over the empire.¡± ¡°What is this...¡± The emperor epted it. The officer closed his eyes tightly as he backed away and then bowed deeply. He made the right decision because the emperor started tossing anything he could get his hands on. ¡°Rommel! Cainz!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Immediately capture that trash orc Crockta and make him kneel before me! Take Adantadore and the White Lion Knights! Immediately!¡± The emperor¡¯s face twisted into a furious scowl. ¡°Bring me Crockta!¡± 1. Song is called Around Thirty by Kim Kwang-Seok ? Chapter 159: Alliance of Evil

Chapter 159: Alliance of Evil

¡°Is he being dumb or clever?¡± muttered Cainz. He was talking about Crockta at the moment. ¡°He¡¯s not dumb, but hemits foolish acts.¡± ¡°I think...¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you.¡± Cainz red at Luin. Luin shut his mouth. It was rare for Cainz to get angry. Rommel, who had been silent this whole time, spoke up. ¡°He¡¯s an animal.¡± Cainz nodded. ¡°An animal, a fitting yet strange analogy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s clever, but instead of following his clever mind, he acts ording to his dumb instincts. So, he¡¯s just an animal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t people say that¡¯s what makes someone human?¡± replied Cainz with a chuckle. Cainz held Rommel in high regard because there was a part of him that he couldn¡¯t control. Because Rommel was so capable, even the part of him he couldn¡¯t control was worthy of respect. ¡°I disagree. Are you familiar with the theory that humans sacrificing for others was an instinct born from a need to propagate genes and to survive?¡± ¡°I think I read it in a book somewhere.¡± ¡°Sacrificial spirit is emotion. Following reason rather than emotion, that¡¯s what makes us humans. Following emotions is what monkeys do. Of course, it¡¯s amusing to say all this about an NPC that¡¯s just artificial intelligence.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Cainz nodded. His response was intriguing. He felt as if he got to know Rommel better. Cainz liked to manipte other people. But sometimes he needed people like Rommel, a partner who could think and converse with him on equal footing. ¡°Luin.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung-nim.¡± ¡°Will the n members be arriving shortly?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes.¡± ¡°The ones we put to sleep...¡± Cainz stroked his chin. ¡°...tell them we will put them to sleep forever if they get sidetracked. They¡¯d better give it their all. We put one to sleep forever to set an example, so if they don¡¯t want to end up like him, they should do as we tell them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you not understand what I just said?¡± ¡°You sent one...to sleep forever?¡± Cainz smirked. ¡°Dude, I was just joking. I meant to threaten them. You are good at that. Act like a bad guy and manage them properly.¡± ¡°Ahh...¡± Luin nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my specialty. Managing them.¡± Luin grinned widely and left the room. He left the room in such a hurry he didn¡¯t even fully shut the door. Cainz clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, tsk...¡± Suddenly, Rommel asked, ¡°What game is Luin ying?¡± ¡°Game?¡± ¡°You oftenpare the people you manipte to games. You said Akantore is ying the part of an emperor, and Duke Christian is ying the viin game.¡± Cainzughed. Yes, it was true. He liked to manipte people, and it was all possible because he gave them what they wanted. To be precise, he made them believe they were bing who they truly wanted to be. People performed the roles they desired for themselves and fell for his sweet words. ¡°He¡¯s ying the part of being a bad guy.¡± ¡°Bad guy...¡± ¡°That dude probably grew up being looked down on by other people but couldn¡¯t do anything about it because he was weak. So he ended up just pretending to be nice his whole life. Then, when I gave him money and a nice car, I bought him nice things and encouraged him to be bad, he got all excited. Now, he goes around spitting on the ground and pretending to be bad.¡± ¡°You seemed to care a lot about him, like a younger brother.¡± ¡°I do, but that¡¯s that, and this is something else. I like him. He¡¯s so transparent.¡± Cainz chucked. Rommelughed along and scanned the map of the southern part of the continent on the wall. He didn¡¯t make a name for himself as a War Maestro ss by pure luck. He always put in effort. ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°What kind of game do you think I¡¯m ying?¡± asked Rommel as he looked Cainz straight in the eye. Cainzughed and opened a bottle of liquor on the table. ¡°You are just having a good time with me. I¡¯m fun to be around.¡± In his own way, Cainz was acknowledging Rommel as an equal. He handed Rommel a ss of liquor. ¡°What about you?¡± he asked. ¡°Me? I...¡± Cainz raised his ss to Rommel. They would soon lead the emperor¡¯s army to war. It was the greatest achievement a yer could indulge in. Countless messages congratting their achievement popped up in their feed. ¡°I don¡¯t y games. This is just me.¡± Cainz took a sip of the liquor and smirked. *** Crockta was writing something. The world of Elder Lord was truly astounding. He was writing a pamphlet while thinking in Korean, and yet, his hands produced the strangely shaped letters of the universalnguage of the continent. And, he could still understand their meaning. ¡°W-we are doing the right thing, right?¡± One of the Praise the Orc members was making a drawing with an uneasy expression. However, contrary to the look on her face, she was expertly maneuvering her pen to form borate shapes and lines. ¡°I have no idea...¡± Gilgamesh, who had been listening, shouted, ¡°Is that fear...? Haha, I¡¯m envious...I lost that emotion a long time ago...hahaha...!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Shark should be here...¡± Shark, who used to put Gilgamesh in his ce whenever he said things like that, was absent. Now there was no one to stop him. They sighed. ¡°What happened to Shark?¡± ¡°He posted in themunity forum that something came up.¡± Shark wrote on the forum that he wouldn¡¯t be able to log onto Elder Lord for a while. They didn¡¯t think much of it because everyone had their own lives apart from the game. But because of his post, people found out there were five Praise the Orc members with Crockta right now. Even though with Shark¡¯s absence there were only four members left, the Praise the Orcmunity began to refer to them as Crockta¡¯s Five Disciples. Themunity looked up to them. ¡°Are there any other people joining us?¡± ¡°They said they were nning to. But when I told them we were in the South, everyone changed their mind.¡± Some fans had wanted to join them, but when they were informed that the party was currently engaged in a war with the empire, they decided against it. There weren¡¯t many yers who could fight on par with the southern knights. ¡°I think we will die at this rate...¡± One of Crockta¡¯s Five Disciples made a tearful face. Right now, they were creating a letter together. To be more urate, rather than a letter, it was a propaganda leaflet intended to provoke the emperor. They were putting their talents on full disy drawingics and pictures mocking the emperor. The propaganda will then be sent out to nobles,moners, schrs, magicians, and even to the pce. The members skilled in disguise and stealth infiltrated the empire and dispersed these letters all over the empire through its postal services. ¡°We will just send out this batch and then stop. They will try to track us down soon,¡± advised Crockta. ¡°Yes.¡± Despite her tearful face earlier, she began to unt her artistic talents at the mention of it being thest one. Everyone did their best. Gilgamesh was also talented in drawing and drew a picture of the emperor being stripped naked and then whipped. Crockta scratched his head. ¡°This is a bit...¡± ¡°Hehe...Crockta-nim, are you...¡± Gilgamesh lowered his voice. ¡°...afraid of the emperor...?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± ¡°Then, it doesn¡¯t matter how far we go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So Crockta-nim, add to this drawing and make it more provocative! Until the emperor is furious from head to toe!¡± Crockta picked up his pen and began adding his artistic ir to Gilgamesh¡¯s work. He drew an arrow above the emperor who was being whipped naked and wrote: It¡¯s a wig. The emperor is bald. He was spreading propaganda that the emperor was bald. ¡°Ahh...!¡± Gilgamesh covered his mouth in shock as if he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°Such blood-curdling nder...! This would truly infuriate anyone, not just the emperor...! Hehe...!¡± ¡°Get on my level,¡± replied Crockta. ¡°As expected...since you have reached the height of justice, you are also capable of reaching the height of injustice...hehehe...!¡± Soon, everyone finished up their work. The bandit ss member took the bundle of leaflets and left. He would infiltrate the empire and spread out the propaganda leaflets with the hope that one of them would reach the emperor himself. ¡°Would the emperor do as we anticipate?¡± ¡°Those in positions of power are surprisingly simple.¡± Crockta was going out of his way to draw all of the attention onto him to make the enemy focus their attacks on him. The empire¡¯s military forces were spread out, tormenting the entire southern region. Many viges had already sumbed to their raids and became a part of the empire¡¯sbor force. If this continued, it would be difficult to win or simply fight against them. It was better for the emperor to gather his forces in a rage. But others were worried. ¡°But after the emperor gathers his forces...how do you n on fighting them?¡± Crockta¡¯s n made sense, but for his strategy to seed, they had to be able to fight against the amassed army. Without a proper counter-n, they would be ruthlessly ughtered. They trusted that Crockta had a n for dealing with the imperial army. Perhaps an army of orcs would appear, or the cities that had received help from him would send their forces...but Crockta just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it. Let¡¯s think about it when the enemies gather their forces.¡± ¡°...!¡± It was a shocking answer. He didn¡¯t have a n. But for some strange reason, they weren¡¯t worried. They felt as if they could seed in anything with Crockta by their side. ¡°Let¡¯s think about itter. Hahaha, bul¡¯tar!¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± They shook their heads. Indeed, if he was someone who worried about the future, then he wouldn¡¯t have entered all of those battles by himself. In the video of his fight in Chesswood, Crockta said, ¡°That¡¯s how you humans measure things.¡± He had a different way of measuring and assessing things, and in his calction, the size and strength of the enemy were not concerning variables. Even as his adversary evolved from a trio to a formidable n attacking a vige, to an entire empire that shook the whole continent, his method of calction remained unchanged. How far can this man go? The yers exchanged looks. ¡°We are all going to stay till the end, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Hehe...¡± They would die. From a yer¡¯s stance, they were carrying out a foolish quest. It was an impossible mission, an inevitable failure of the highest difficulty, a gamble with a near-zero percent sess rate. But it didn¡¯t matter. Because with Crockta, Elder Lord was more fun than ever. ¡°If the emperor ignores all of the viges andes after us, that¡¯s enough,¡± said Crockta. The Praise the Orc members decided to just watch what would happen to Crockta and follow him. After all, he was a man who did not measure things the way they did. Before long, they learned the n was a sess. News reached them that the imperial forces of the empire had gathered. *** ¡°Everyone, listen closely.¡± Cainz had summoned the special forces of the Heaven and Earth n. ¡°If things go well with this, Rommel and I will be nobles.¡± The members of the Heaven and Earth n apuded. A yer bing a noble was an achievement unprecedented in Elder Lord¡¯s history, it was something hard to imagine ever happening. ¡°Guys, Elder Lord is fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± smirked Cainz. ¡°Where else would we steal, kill people, and drag them like animals? That¡¯s why Elder Lord is fun. You can do all the things you¡¯ve always wanted to do but couldn¡¯t.¡± The Heaven and Earth n members chuckled. Under themand of the emperor, they crushed those who resisted and looted them. They carried out questionable acts without hesitation under the pretext of a game. They could understand why wars never ceased in the history of mankind. Those drunk on the power awarded to winners began to crave it like a drug. ¡°Dialph, no, Park Kwang-Chul.¡± He called out a n member. Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn toward him. Whenever Cainz referred to them by their real names, something important was up. ¡°Remember Iplimented youst time for doing a good job?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°I put money in your bank ount.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I will kill you if you spend it on something else.¡± Cainz approached him and put his arm around him. ¡°Buy a car. A foreign one. Understood?¡± ¡°...!¡± All of the n members understood his intention. He was trying to raise morale before an important event by issuing a reward. He was sending out the message that they could receive a reward like Dialph, and an enormous one at that. ¡°You better post a pic of your new car online, or else...¡± Dialph bowed, looking visibly touched. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Thank your parents for giving birth to such an impressive son. I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve thanks.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± ¡°Well, everyone, let¡¯s do our best. I¡¯m not stingy on those who do a good job,¡± said Cainz as he tapped on Luin, who was standing by his side. Luin puffed his chest and grinned. ¡°When the war starts, just listen to Rommel. He¡¯s the best.¡± Of course, there was no need for him to make a point of this. Rommel¡¯s War Maestro ss made it impossible for soldiers on the battlefield to resist hismands. ¡°Let¡¯s have fun in the game today, guys! For Heaven and Earth!¡± ¡°For Heaven and Earth!¡± Chapter 160: The Empires Common Enemy

Chapter 160: The Empire''s Common Enemy

The kingdom that once had upied the southern corner of the continent was expanding rapidly transforming into an empire. The territories that were not unified among humans were now merged under the rule of the emperor, surpassing thebinednds of all the other species. "You can only gain as much as you n." "Are you talking about making ns?" "Yes. You cannot trulyy im to what you have obtained by luck." Cainz looked at the map of the continent as he reminisced about the past. He had seeded in killing the legendary orc instructor Lenox by borrowing the military strength of a human earl. On top of that, through him, Cainz got to build connections with nobles. His ns gained further momentum when he joined forces with Rommel, whose capabilities were widely acknowledged by nobles. That''s how he met the king¡ªa young king who, at that time, was merely a symbolic figure connecting humans under the banner of the kingdom. However, Cainz could see ambition in the king''s eyes. ''Eureka!'' he eximed inwardly when he met the king. ''If there''s a will, there''s always a way.'' He manipted everyone around him. However, he wasn''t the type of coach who helped those in need to get back on their feet and keep running. He was the opposite. He whispered into the ears of those already running and lured them downward toward a cliff. "So, did you n to make the king into an emperor from the beginning?" "Akantore was well on the path, and I supported him. It was also a stroke of luck. I wouldn''t say I fully nned it." "You''re modest." Cainz grinned widely. Rommel was one of the few that could get on his level. As a War Maestro ss, Rommel was a talented individual. He was exceptionally smart in reality as well. Before theunch of Elder Lord, when PC gaming was still popr, he used to be a professional gamer. "So, what kind of n are you talking about?" "Look." Cainz drew something on the map. "Ha..." Rommel saw it andughed. It was rare for Rommel tough like this. "It has to be something of this level to be considered a n." "Hahaha, that''s true." Cainz was a thorough realist. He enjoyed ying Elder Lord to umte wealth in real life. He and Rommel had already earned enormous amounts of money as the leaders of the Heaven and Earth n. But he couldn''t be satisfied with just that anymore. "Inter-species war." Through Rommel, the genius of war, Cainz would make the empire crush other species. Considering the repercussions they would have in the world of Elder Lord, the amount of achievement points, rewards, wealth, and honor they would gain would far exceed what they had umted so far. He didn''t care about how devastated the world of Elder Lord would be. Perhaps it would be a wastnd to the point where ying the game would be impossible. By then, the game developer would either break the rules of non-interference or reset the server. Anyway, by that time, he would quit Elder Lord. "Let''s set the world on fire." "Sure." They looked at each other and grinned. "I heard there have been a lot of upheavalstely. Did you get any cool achievement rewards?" "Nothing special," replied Rommel. Cainz checked his status window. Even when he wasn''t active, his n members continuously umted achievement points, which would asionally yield rewards. But there weren''t any rewards that would prove useful to him. "Same here." People thought he was a regr magician. He led them to believe that. He proimed himself as an ordinary magician ss. However, he was an unreachable hidden ssparable to Rommel. ''Evil Whisperer.'' It was a ss that not only involved magic but also influenced the enemy''s mind. His words and actions exerted dominance over people. They followed him and trusted what he said. A few words could turn someone into a loyal subordinate. It was the ability that suited him the most. Now, he would whisper wicked words to the emperor and the nobles, plunging the continent into the mes of war. "We''ve already gained so much good stuff." "Ah right, you are a hidden ss too." "Yeah." Only Rommel knew that he was a hidden ss. However, he didn''t even disclose the details to Rommel. Cainz believed that he was able to acquire a hidden ss because someone wanted to make these events happen in Elder Lord through him. ''The system message.'' In the beginning, the system messages only conveyed technical game elements, but at some point, they changed. As he fought bigger battles and umted achievements, the messages began to disy personal emotions. The first time he incited war and massacred people, the system calcted his achievements and congratted him. [An amazing massacre! It''s a wicked act, but also an incredible achievement. We look forward to you rousing even greater wars!] At that moment, Cainz felt something. A vague premonition that his ns were bound to seed. It was a feeling that the world of Elder Lord was assisting him. Suddenly, they heard a voice from outside. "Cainz-nim! Rommel-nim! May Ie in?" "Yeah,e in." The door opened, and a n member entered. "We''ve received a leaflet." "A leaflet? From whom?" Cainz tilted his head curiously. "Is it that thing?" wondered Rommel. "Oh, that." What they referred to as that was a propaganda leaflet widely distributed throughout the empire by Crockta. It had recently be a hot topic of discussion within the empire. Crockta wanted all the hostility directed toward him, and his n was sessful. He was quite a clever one. Now, there was growing anger toward Crockta within the empire. Crockta was the public enemy of the empire. "He uses a lot of creative insults. I wonder what it says here." Cainz chuckled and opened the leaflet. When he read it, his face stiffened. "..." But his stiff face soon turned into a smirk. "Clever." Cainz handed the propaganda leaflet to Rommel, who read it. "Smart. He''s the real deal. If this was intentional, he seeded," said Rommel with a nod. Cainz banged the table. "Let''s deal with this before anything else. Killing him would be better. It doesn''t matter what his intentions are. It''ll put my mind at ease. Let''s kill him first." The NPCs in the world of Elder Lord were realistic. They were astonishingly simr to reality, and each had their own logic and philosophy. They knew this fact better than anyone else because their n was able to grow through cooperation with NPCs. NPCs were smart, smart enough to catch up with yers. "He knows everything. He knows that it''s us." The leaflet sent by Crockta had only one short line. [Remember Lenox.] They had killed Lenox a long time ago. He had been the stepping stone for them in reaching their current position. But as a result, the Haedong Balhae n had been disbanded, and the earl had died. They had believed that was the end. However, the revenge they believed was over hade back to find them. Crockta was not just coincidentally involved with the empire. His eyes were always fixed on them. The fight would continue until one of them disappeared. ''You will not be able to handle the repercussions of what you have done today." The voice of Lenox from that day seemed to echo again. *** Adantadore grabbed his sword. He had lost to Crockta. Since then, Crockta''s specter red at him each time he picked up his sword. His ferocious spirit came alive and haunted him. Adantadore, unable to raise his sword, dropped it. "Dammit." He threw the sword onto the training ground. The sword bounced on the ground a few times before rolling and falling silent. The de was all damaged now. His father always used to say, ''A swordsman should treat his sword like a lover.'' But his father, who treated his sword like a lover, couldn''t even reach the Pinnacle and was a third-rate knight. It was during the time the master swordsman of the Pacrinche family had gone missing that his family''s reputation declined. As a result, no one remembered them. "Just wait and see." They were the family that gave birth to the most famous traitor in history, Leyteno Pacrinche. He was the worst knight, the one who had ughtered humans on the side of orcs. When the Pacrinche family used to be powerful, people whispered behind their backs. But once they lost their power, people openly mocked them to their faces. Adantadore never forgot the humiliation of those days. So, he swung his sword like a madman. From the moment he opened his eyes until he closed them, he thought only of the sword. It was an obsession close to madness. Thanks to that, he became the strongest knight in the kingdom. "I''ll defeat him next time." That''s why he knew how convenient the term talent was. People often said Adantadore was a genius, even calling him the empire''s greatest talent. However, he lived every moment with the de. Even when he was eating or sleeping, his mind calcted the trajectory of the sword. He was the type who, while looking at a blooming rose, saw the path of the sword within the structure of the petals wrapped around the stamen and pistil of the flower. He didn''t believe in talent. He only believed that there were no limits to a person. As long as that was clear, he was ready to bow and crawl on the ground. He could be stronger and make those who once mocked him bow their heads in the same way. But now, he couldn''t swing the sword. This had never happened before. "Why?" he muttered as he closed his eyes. He imagined an invisible sword in his hand and assumed a starting position. Shapes emerged in the darkness. Countless knights and enemies he had faced skirted past him. They were easy opponents now. He thought of the sword of Count Benteke, the strongest of the previous generation. His sword was flexible and elusive. When it seemed to be getting pushed back, it would suddenly retaliate and coil around the opponent''s attack, smoothly shing his throat. Adantadore tried to focus. Gradually, he became familiar with Count Benteke''s techniques in his head. He received a lot of injuries from his subtle techniques, but in the end, Adantadore''s sword pierced his heart. No matter how strong the opponent in front of him was, he could at least swing his sword. But Crockta was different. During the duel, he seemed to be in the lead until he faced that unknown light. Now, he couldn''t even remember how he had initially gained the upper hand. He felt as if he was facing a dead-end. Even if he endlessly repeated the rigorous training that had brought him this far, it seemed impossible to defeat him. He couldn''t even imagine it. This was the first time. "Stop kidding me..." He picked up a new sword and swung it. The sound of the de slicing through the air burst forth. "Orc who follows Leyteno..." He had studied all of the swords passed down in the Pacrinche family, so he immediately recognized Crockta''s sword. That orc''s great swordsmanship was definitely Leyteno''s. He had developed his own spin on the greatsword as he gained maturity as a swordsman, but its prototype was undoubtedly Leyteno''s. And because Leyteno was a Pacrinche, it was a swordsmanship type that was rted to him. "Dammit! Dammit!" He relentlessly struck the ground with his sword. No sword could endure the abuse of the strongest knight in the empire. The de broke. He kicked its remains and threw the hilt. Complete despair settled on him. It was a profoundly intense emotion he had never felt before. He knew he would never understand Crockta and the light he had unleashed. It was a realm that could not be achieved through repeated training or obsession bordering on madness. "Dammit..." He slumped down and calmed his thoughts as he tried to catch his breath. He managed to suppress the emotions boiling within him. "What''s going on?" he asked. "..." His butler was outside the training ground. He had been standing there since Adantadore started smashing des in frustration. "You''ve received a leaflet." "It must be that." Crockta''s propaganda leaflets were a hot topic in the empiretely. Each leaflet insulted the emperor in novel ways. It was said that some nobles of the empire secretly enjoyed collecting them. The butler approached him and handed him the leaflet. Adantadore opened it and smirked. Although they drew the emperor in aical way, they surprisingly captured his features well. The leaflet contained absurd insults, such as how the emperor still wet the bed or he swallowed a fly while sleeping with his mouth open. They were so childish that Adantadore burst intoughter. "It seems like a child''s prank. I can''t believe I lost to this kid." He dusted off his pants and got up. "There''s also a message from the pce," said the butler. "What is it?" "A military force has gathered to face Crockta. Rommel is inmand, and the White Lion Knights have been summoned." "Even our order..." The White Lion Knights, led by him, were the empire''s top force. "The Emperor is furious at a pamphlet like this..." Adantadore grinned. Akantore, the new emperor, was still young. Hecked the qualities of an emperor. "And Crockta?" "Per intelligence reports, he was recently spotted near Natalya Forest." "Not Espada?" "That''s correct." "I see." Adantadore closed his eyes. A sensation, resembling a knot, kept surfacing in his chest, demanding something from him. It felt like if he could just do that one thing, the overwhelming emotions threatening to engulf him would subside. His current self who couldn''t wield the sword and an opponent he couldn''t face¨Call these things suffocated him. He needed answers. "Listen carefully." "Yes." "I am going to leave my position." "...Yes?" The butler''s eyes widened in surprise. "I mentioned that the White Lion Knights have been summoned." "Tell the emperor I''m sick." "But..." "If they look for me, tell them I''mpletely bedridden and can''t even move." It was the truth. Adantadore was in a state where he couldn''t do anything. He could go crazy if this continued. He had already damaged two swords, which had never happened before. He needed to resolve this situation. "For the time being, I''m officially bedridden. Tell them I went to a famous doctor in the northern elvennds." "..." "You know me. I never change my mind." "Very well." His faithful butler nodded. Adantadore''s orders were absolute to the members of the Pacrinche household. He was the one who had resurrected the fallen lineage with a single sword. "Also, pack my belongings." "Where are you going?" "To the Natalya Forest." "Are you going to Crockta? That''s dangerous!" "I''m not going to fight." Adantadore ran his fingers through his hair. "I need answers." He had to ask Crockta. He needed to confront the orc whose specter stopped him every time he picked up the sword. He needed to get rid of the despair he felt from his inability to swing his sword. The answerid within Crockta. "Crockta is the public enemy of the empire. Even if you don''t fight with him, making contact with him is..." "All the more reason to meet him. Of course, that''s not why I''m trying to meet up with him." Adantadore smiled wryly. "The emperor is gravely mistaken." Adantadore, who had directly witnessed Crockta''s light, knew that if Crockta could freely wield that light, he could single-handedly destroy the empire. Even if they deployed the White Lion Knights, Blue Dragon Lancers, or any elite force, they would be useless against that light. "It''s also for the empire''s sake." The butler bowed. Chapter 161: The Empire’s Common Enemy (2)

Chapter 161: The Empire¡¯s Common Enemy (2)

Crockta was waiting for the emperor¡¯s army near Natalya Forest. He selected the location strategically after recognizing the challenge of facing the sizable army alone. Crockta intended to employ guerri warfare tactics. At a ce where vision was limited and the wild animals were mixed in the fray, he was confident in dealing with the enemies and escaping from the battlefront if the situation called for it. Of course, that was under the premise that those like Adantadore were not around. Crockta recalled Adantadore¡¯s sword as he raised his greatsword. He was an outstanding swordsman. Crocka could see that Adantadore¡¯s swordsmanship was the result of his perseverance and effort. It was a swordsmanship in which all the moves were countlessly repeated until there was no longer any unnecessary movement. It was a level perfected through extreme obsession. When he encountered Adantadore''s sword, Crockta immediately thought of Hoyt. He somehow looked like Hoyt, who repeated a simple swing tens of thousands of times. If there were more knights like Adantadore, this fight would be even more dangerous. ¡°Bultarrrrrrrrr!¡± Crockta swung the greatsword mid-air, and a shallow scratch formed on the trees. He swung his sword madly, and every time he swung, the de of his greatsword shredded the trees with an ear-splitting st. However, despite his violent movements, there were only minor cuts on the trees. He meticulously honed each movement to utmost precision. He warmed up by cutting the trees with the tip of his de. Soon, he lowered his sword and calmed his breathing. He looked up to the sky, and within the dense forest covering the sky, a few crows gazed down at him and cawed. ¡°Crows are both signs of good luck and bad luck.¡± In South Korea, crows were treated like ominous signs because of their caws, but in the West, crows were birds of good luck. If so, which one would it fall under at that moment, he wondered. Crockta turned around and an unexpected guest was walking toward him. Crockta turned towards him and raised his hand. ¡°Long time no see.¡± It was a man with a knife¡ªAdantadore. He was not wearing the attire of a knight. ¡°Have you been well, orc?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Crockta, human,¡± he smirked. He may have won, but Adantadore was clearly a strong swordsman. There was a strange bond between them, forged through their previous duel that revealed the formidable strength each possessed. It was something akin to respect between the two, where it would not be strange even if one killed the other. ¡°Why did youe? I thought you followed the Emperor wherever he went.¡± ¡°The Emperor means nothing to me.¡± Adantadore dropped his baggage. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask for a favor.¡± Adantadore continued. ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Adantadore approached Crockta. ¡°Tell me about your sword.¡± Crockta looked at Adantadore. It was the same ring look when he defeated Adantadore, and that must be why he came here looking for Crockta. Crockta threw a punch. ¡°Kuhkk!¡± Crockta threw a punch and struck Adantadore''s chin, sending him flying. Adantadore crashed into a tree and dropped to the ground. He was knocked out of his wits due to the shock, and his body twitched slowly. Crockta approached him. ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°I do not trust those who have broken their oaths.¡± Crockta stepped hard on Adantadore¡¯s body. ¡°Kuhk...!¡± ¡°So, leave right now.¡± Crockta spitted out his words. Their duel was a fight for ste¡¯s freedom, and Crockta won. However, ste was destroyed. The moment that happened, Crockta swore to get rid of the empire. Crockta gradually put more weight on his foot. Adantadore could not bear the force and trembled. Despite that, he looked up at Crockta and grinned. ¡°You, ugh, seem to be very angry.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Let me tell you then. All the nobles opposed the invasion on ste.¡± Crockta narrowed his eyes. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So did I.¡± ¡°Then why couldn¡¯t you stop it?¡± ¡°The Emperor deployed the troops arbitrarily; I¡¯m talking about those cursed by the stars.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That was when I realized. The empire was a galloping horse, one that became unstoppable. How could I stop the Emperor¡¯s decision?¡± Adantadore pushed Crockta¡¯s foot aside and picked himself up. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the empire or the Emperor, it doesn¡¯t matter to me anymore. I just want to know about your sword.¡± He exined with a slight cough. Crockta turned around. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± ¡°I will give you information.¡± ¡°I will tell you about the empire. You will need it to fight against the Emperor anyway.¡± Adantadore shouted again and again. Crockta looked back at Adantadore. ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you finally interested?¡± ¡°Why are you going this far?¡± ¡°I told you already. I want to know about your sword.¡± ¡°Is that all there is to it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Adantadore drew his sword. ¡°That¡¯s all. Since I fought you, I can no longer hold my de properly. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve stumbled on a wall. Whenever I try to pick up my sword, you suddenly appear and block my path. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy. Resolve it for me.¡± ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± ¡°What more do I need? I am speaking from the bottom of my heart.¡± Crocktaughed heartily, revealing his teeth. Adantadore was a fool. There was a time when Crockta wondered how Adantadore was so strong. However, he soon realized that Adantadore wasn¡¯t such a mysterious or incredible person. He was just obsessed. Adantadore was the kind of man who could not breathe if he did not get his hands on what he desired, and he was someone who would use whatever method avable to get what he wanted. There was only one thing this man wanted¡ªthe way of the sword. ¡°Is there a knight in the empire as strong as you?¡± ¡°None. There is Earl Benteke, but he retired due to old age. The rest are far shortpared to me. The knightmanders have reached the peak, but anything above that is unattainable for them.¡± Crockta wielded his greatsword. ¡°What does the Emperor want? A war between species?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that far. But that may be what he wants.¡± For Crockta, who used a greatsword, a forest where movement was limited was a disadvantageous battlefield. However, it did not matter to him. For warriors, it was either kill or get killed anyway. The ce where they would be fighting was not a well-equipped training hall, rather they would be fighting in the lush forest. The forest where they were walking now. Crockta swung his sword first, and Adantadore reacted agilely. The two of them shed des. Gradually, their attacks reached the Pinnacle-tier. In the tranquil forest, only the two of them were moving quickly as if time had fast-forwarded. Crockta¡¯s sword smashed through the trees in his path, aiming for Adantadore. In response, Adantadore frantically defended himself. ¡°Are you only going to block?¡± ¡°...¡± Adantadore was unable tounch an attack. It was the same phenomenon as when he swung his sword alone. The image of Crockta was interrupting him, and all he could do was sweat profusely. He could not go on the offensive at all. ¡°...They rose to power with the support of Duke Christan, and now they have be the Emperor¡¯s close aide. The man known as Rommel is excellent at themand of battle. I have no choice but to admit that.¡± ¡°How good is he?¡± ¡°He can lead a ragtag group of soldiers like they are elite troops.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I have never seen amander like that either. There have been very few wars, but even considering that his capabilities are a sight to behold.¡± Adantadore continued. Crockta nodded. It was the power of the War Maestro ss. Although it was only reported through broadcasts and the media, Choi Han-Sung could strengthen and control the soldiers. He even possessed a skill capable of erasing the fear of war. ¡°This time, the Emperor even granted him control over the knight order. Be careful.¡± ¡°I see.¡± If a well-trained NPC knight order was under his control, it would create a tremendous synergy. Crockta pushed Adantadore again, confusing him. Adantadore thought that it would be normal again if he met Crockta in person and swung his sword, but that was not the case. He was one-sidedly pushed back. He did not dare to swing his sword at Crockta. To him, it felt like he was facing a dead-end wall. ¡°... Did you grow stronger than before?¡± Adantadore asked. ¡°A little bit.¡± Crockta experienced a realm beyond that of the Hero-tier after defeating Adantadore. Since then, his overall ability has grownpared to before. That was why he was able to deal with Adantdore much more easily than before. ¡°...¡± Adantadore gritted his teeth. He realized that the oue would be the same no matter how much he tried. ¡°Show it to me,¡± Adantadore said, lowering his sword. ¡°Crockta, I can no longer handle my sword well after fighting against you. Even now, I can¡¯t even swing properly and I¡¯m reduced to blocking your attacks. That light keeps haunting me. What the hell was that?¡± ¡°That is-...,¡± Crockta puffed his chest and spoke confidently. ¡°I also don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°I used that by ident. I can¡¯t use it anymore.¡± Yes, Crockta could not use that power again after their fight. He bordered on that tier for a brief moment, but he did not reach it. ¡°What?!¡± Adantadore looked at him baffled. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...¡± Adantadore¡¯s expression distorted. ¡°Did I... Did I lose to a skill you managed to use by chance?¡± ¡°Yes, you loser.¡± ¡°That is imp-...¡± It was his first official defeat in front of everyone. He lost a battle with the empire¡¯s fate on the line. From then, even till now, he kept wandering about it, unable to properly grasp his sword. Despite that, was it all just a coincidence? It meant that it wasn¡¯t Crockta¡¯s real capabilities. ¡°Huff...¡± Adantadore smiled and raised his sword. Then, he suddenly pounced toward Crockta. ¡°You bloody orc bastardddd!¡± ¡°You finally revealed your true nature, opportunistic bastard,¡± Crockta replied, blocking Adantadore¡¯s sword. ¡°I just tried my luck, so that I could figure you out.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Actually, I can use it.¡± Adantadore stopped in his tracks. ¡°Ar-, are you speaking the truth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°...¡± Adantadore coughed. ¡°I made a rash judgment. I apologize. Just once, can you please show-...¡± At that moment, Crockta swung his fist and punched Adantadore in the abdomen. ¡°Kuhk!¡± ¡°Did you just get tricked again? What a naive man.¡± ¡°You, you bastarddddddd...!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use it. There, the truth is revealed. But even without that, you are still below me, Adantadore.¡± ¡°You fuckerrrr!¡± Adantadore threw away his sword and charged at Crockta. Likewise, Crockta also threw away his greatsword. His body charged toward Crockta and got tangled up with him. The two of them discarded their swords and continued to fight bare fists for a while. They threw punches at each other¡¯s faces. It was an unsightly dogfight between the strongest knight of the empire and the orc warrior who defeated him. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Adantadore, who got the tables turned, and was now under Crockta in a mount position, waved his hand. ¡°Hold on!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Crockta, who was raising his fist, tilted his head. Adantadore put his hands together. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hit me in the face. I surrender.¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°It¡¯s nice that you admitted it obediently.¡± Crockta stood back up. At that moment, Adantadore scraped a pile of dirt from the ground and sprayed it on Crockta¡¯s face. ¡°...!¡± ¡°You tricked me!¡± While Crockta rubbed his eyes, Adantadore punched Crockta¡¯s body multiple times. Although there was a difference in size between the two, Adantadore was a swordsman who reached the level of a Grandmaster purely based on his swordsmanship. In other words, he was able to exert superhuman strength beyond his size. His fists continued to pummel Crockta. ¡°Cough! Yo-, you coward...!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing!¡± Knights were also required toplete fist-fighting training. Thus, Adantadore was also skilled at this type of fighting. Adantadore harassed Crockta with jabs and one-two punches, and as soon as Crockta used his hands to guard his face, Adantadore struck Crockta¡¯s temple with two hooks. Bam! Crockta staggered. ¡°This is the end...!¡± Just as he was about to kick Crockta in the chin with all his strength, Crockta disappeared. ¡°Huh...?¡± Adantadore¡¯s body was up in the air. Crockta instantly turned around and lifted Adantadore¡¯s body. ¡°Wait, hold on, this is foul y...¡± ¡°There are no rules in a fight.¡± ¡°This is bare ground. I am going to die. Do you not see that rock over there?¡± Crockta¡¯s body trembled. He was smiling. ¡°Hehehehe...¡± Crockta continued, ¡°Then, die.¡± Crockta tilted his body. Adantadore shrieked as he was about to m down on the ground. ¡°Ackkkkkkk!¡± Just as his body was about to hit the ground head-first, just before his skill was about to shatter, Adantadore stopped in mid-air. ¡°...¡± Crockta stopped the motion just before he was about to m Adantadore down. Crockta lifted him back up and safely put him back down on the ground. Adantadore was speechless. ¡°Oy, was it that scary? You didn¡¯t pee yourself, did you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Oy?¡± Crockta looked at him. There were tears in Adantadore¡¯s eyes. ¡°...!¡± ¡°You-... You devilish orc bastard...!¡± Adantadore swung his fist, and naturally, Crockta avoided it. ¡°Are you not even going to let me punch you, you bastard...!¡± ¡°Were you a crybaby? Pfftt.¡± ¡°I thought I was going to die!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, crybaby.¡± ¡°You fucking punk!¡± Adantadore grasped the sword that had fallen on the ground and swung it at Crockta. ¡°YAHHHH!¡± His swing, which quickly surpassed the Pinnacle-tier and reached the Hero-tier, aimed at Crockta. In response, Crockta also raised his energy and confronted Adantadore with a Hero-tier spirit. Thews of causality were entangled. But in the end, Adantadore was thrown to the ground. The difference between Crockta, who experienced beyond the Hero-tier, and Adantadore, who was in a slump, had grown to a level that could not be narrowed. Crockta looked down at him and said, ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°You fucker...¡± ¡°What do you think? Can you swing a sword at me now?¡± ¡°...¡± Adantadore opened his eyes wide. Crockta chuckled in response. ¡°A higher tier? You said you wanted to know about the light? You don¡¯t need any of it. You were just afraid of me.¡± ¡°Nonsense...¡± ¡°I too, just like you, are a living creature that will falter when I get punched or struck in the temple. Don¡¯t get cold feet.¡± ¡°You are spouting bullshit...¡± Adantadore covered his eyes and smirked. ¡°You¡¯re good at both lying and spouting bullshit, you orc bastard...¡± ¡°You, until the very end...¡± Crockta kicked the ground and sprayed dirt on Adantadore¡¯s face, causing him to spit out the dirt and cough. Of course, Crockta burst intoughter at the sight of that. The members of Praise the Orc were returning to the forest with their bags in hand. They found Crocktaughing and a man floundering on the floor. All they could do was tilt their heads in confusion. Chapter 162: The Empire’s Counterattack (1)

Chapter 162: The Empire¡¯s Counterattack (1)

¡°By the way, that¡¯s incredible,¡± said one of the Praise the Orc members who was stirring arge pot of stew. His name was Alex. ¡°He abandoned his country to reach a higher level of swordsmanship...¡± Adantadore red at him, and Alex carefully chose his words, ¡°What I mean is that you are diligently practicing your swordsmanship to the point that you are putting your country behind for a while. Haha.¡± Adantadore was a named NPC. He was known as the strongest knight even in the southern region, which had thergest number of human yers. The one who defeated Adantadore in a duel was the most famous of all named NPCs, the Northern Conqueror¡ªCrockta. Those two were sitting around the pot with the other members of Praise the Orc. It was the greatest luxury an Elder Lord yer could enjoy. ¡°Is it because you grew up taking everything for granted?¡± Crockta suddenly said. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look at you. You abandoned your country and came here just because your swordsmanship faced a little hurdle. As a noble, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, so you became someone who does everything their way.¡± Hearing Crockta¡¯s biting remarks, the members of Praise the Orc nced at Adantadore warily. Adantadore sat still, but his hands were trembling with anger. ¡°In addition, he is also quite talented and he knows how to put in the effort. That¡¯s why he turned out to be this arrogant. Because there is no one stronger than him around.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Unable to hold himself back, Adantadore jumped to his feet. ¡°Do you want to go for another round?¡± Crockta grinned and tapped on his greatsword. Adantadore sat back down, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. ¡°...¡± ¡°Did you enjoy the show?¡± asked Crockta as he nced at the members of Praise the Orc. ¡°This is what we call resocialization, a process of relearning the lost ability to control anger and socialize with others...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hold back any longer!¡± Adantadore drew his sword and stepped back while pointing at Crockta. ¡°Let¡¯s fight again!¡± Crockta shrugged. ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t regained your sociability yet.¡± Crockta stood up, positioning himself for battle. It didn¡¯t take long for their fight to end, and Crockta was soon dragging Adantadore¡¯s drooping body back to the crowd around the pot. ¡°Hehehe,¡±ughed Crockta. Adantadore slowly raised his head as he came back to his senses. ¡°...Urgh.¡± He grabbed his head and whined because his head hurt. ¡°It smells good.¡± Crockta looked at the food inside the pot without paying any attention to Adantadore. It was a stew made with the meat that Crockta had hunted and herbs foraged from the forest as well as spices they brought along. It was a stew made without skimping on the meat, with chunks of meat floating on the oily and glossy stew. ¡°It will be difficult to have this kind of meal again, so enjoy it while you can.¡± The members of Praise the Orc tensed up at Crockta¡¯s words. They had sent a letter to the Emperor, incurring his wrath. Now, the empire¡¯s army was approaching them. Crockta purposely did so to make the enemiese to him. In other words, other regions had be safer, but they got to a critical point. ¡°You can leave whenever you want,¡± Crockta said. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Crockta nodded. The Heaven and Earth n were among the enemies they would be facing. If they discovered that members of Praise the Orc, all of whom were yers, were here, they would immediately start attacking. Even though they knew the lurking danger, they still decided to join Crockta. Adantadore, who was silent, suddenly asked, ¡°Do you really believe you can win?¡± He knew the ins and outs of the empire, and he also told Crockta what he knew. The empire was too big a stronghold for them to topple on their own. In addition to their well-trained army, the empire had an endless food supply since they had abundant grains from their fertile soil. They also had a thorough system in ce to train knights and wizards for warfare. No matter how strong Crockta was, he would not be able to deal with the enemies with their current numbers. He could have stood a chance if he had been able to manifest the unknown light at will, but in his current state, he wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether we win or lose.¡± Crockta smiled widely. Crockta looked at Adantadore, a knight who learned nothing else except pursuing the path of the sword, and pped him on the shoulders. ¡°I am a warrior. A warrior pays back grace and vengeance.¡± *** Rommel looked at the assembled troops and smiled. It was the biggest army he had evermanded. Well-trained elite soldiers and knights, and members of the Heaven and Earth n acted like his hands and feet, all of them were at his beck and call. He took the lead at the front of the formation on horseback. The g bearers followed behind him while waving the imperial g. Cainz, who was also on horseback beside him, said, ¡°Rommel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you check the quest?¡± Rommel nodded. ¡°It¡¯s really starting now.¡± Cainz looked excited. The moment the emperor issued an imperial order, the quest appeared. Moreover, it was arge-scale linked quest that had never appeared on Elder Lord before. [This is arge-scale linked quest with the continent as the stage.] [Sow the seeds of a war between species!!] [Unify the southern regions that are resisting the empire, and eliminate all rebellious parties.] [The conditions forpletion are as follows.] [Eliminate the empire¡¯smon enemy¨CCrockta.] [upy the Espada region that defies the empire.] [Unify the whole southern region under the name of the empire.] [There are only three conditions.] [There will be appropriate rewards uponpletion. Good luck.] It was a quest that was assigned to everyone belonging to the Heaven and Earth n. The scale of the quest was the biggest they had ever seen, all the n members were excited. Given the empire¡¯s forces, it was a quest that was easy enough toplete. ¡°We can resolve it in order one by one,¡± Rommel said, staring into the air, perhaps because he was checking the quest window. ¡°Let¡¯s first get rid of Crockta. After that, we will advance to Espada. Then, the southern region will be one.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Cainz smiled. ¡°Is there a need to do that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rommel tilted his head. ¡°He¡¯s trying to lure us into his territory, so we should show him that it was a foolish idea.¡± Cainz continued. Rommel nodded in response. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s clearly show the arrogant orc who has the upper hand.¡± ¡°Will the NPCs follow our lead?¡± ¡°We have the imperial order.¡± It was an imperial order delegating full authority to them. ¡°If they pulled aggro[1], we should also do the same.¡± As Cainz gestured with his chin, Rommel raised his hand. Following that, the g bearers lifted the gs. The throbbing sound resonated toward the entire army. Then, Rommel and Cainz galloped their horses. With every step they took, the army behind them followed suit. The army began to march. The knights took to the wings of the formation, protecting it. The soldiers walked toward the battle with a spear in hand. The scouting party moved ahead of the marching army and agilely advanced. They formed groups of twos and threes, spreading out. ¡°Will hee?¡± Rommel looked at the back of the scouting party and asked. ¡°He will.¡± Cainz grinned. ¡°You can tell from his track record. There is no need for us to go looking for him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Rommel and Cainz turned directions, and the army followed behind them. They made their way toward the opposite end of Natalya Forest. One of the White Lion Knights approached beside them on horseback. He was the vicemander leading the White Lion Knights on behalf of Adantadore, who supposedly was not in good shape. He was an experienced veteran. ¡°This isn¡¯t the direction of Natalya Forest.¡± Cainz replied with a smile, ¡°We are not going to Natalya.¡± ¡°But Crockta is in Natalya.¡± ¡°You should know very well, don¡¯t you, Sir Betrong? Crockta is no ordinary fellow. We cannot look down on him, and doing what he wants is thest thing we should do.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°You said to the knightsst time, didn¡¯t you? Do not enter the enemy¡¯s trap, instead, lure the enemy to the trap.¡± Cainz said confidently. ¡°You remembered that?¡± ¡°Because those words struck home. As you said, Crockta is trying to lure us, but instead of falling for it, we will lure him to where we are.¡± Betrong nodded as Cainz paid homage to what he said previously. Betrong was convinced. ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do. But are you sure he wille?¡± The direction they were heading to was not Natalya. It was Espada. ¡°Of course. He is a man of righteousness.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Betrong looked up to the sky. ¡°If he was born a human, he could have be a knight. What a pity.¡± ¡°Instead, we have Sir Adantadore, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Themander is still far short of being regarded as a knight, and so am I. In any case, I understand your n now.¡± Betrongughed and steered his horse back to where the White Lion Knights were. Cainz chuckled as he stared at Betrong¡¯s back. ¡°How repulsive.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They know we are the bad guys, but they are defending themselves, insisting that they are not the same. Knights? They are just mercenaries wearing armor.¡± ¡°Still, what he said was true. Crockta truly resembles a knight.¡± Rommel recalled the image of Crockta and said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Cainz shrugged. ¡°Funnily enough, that orc is the most knightly. That is why he became the Empire¡¯smon enemy and a hindrance to our cause.¡± The one acting ording to a knight¡¯s honor became amon enemy of the knights. The ones currently referred to as knights were now under themand of those who pride themselves on being the viins. ¡°It just means that God does not exist.¡± Rommel turned around and waved his hands. Then, from the side where the members of the Heaven and Earth n gathered, a yer came running on horseback. It was the n member whose face is most known after Rommel in the Heaven and Earth n. A chatterbox in charge of the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s public image¡ªHeaven and Earth Streamer. ¡°Hey, Streamer.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Turn on the live broadcast.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We are proceeding with therge-scale quest; the goal is to unify the southern region. Show the people why we are known as the Heaven and Earth n.¡± ¡°Ah, understood!¡± ¡°If the viewership ratinges out well, we will make sure to take care of you. Do your best.¡± ¡°Thank you. Well then, hyung-nims, allow me to show you a proper live broadcast.¡± the Heaven and Earth Streamer grinned from ear to ear. *** ¡°It¡¯s so boring.¡± Baek Han-Ho rolled around on the sofa in the instructor¡¯s office and picked up a tablet. ¡°Is there anyone interesting...?¡± He was hooked on inte broadcasting these days. Whenever he was bored, he would turn on the broadcast page, and various streamers would start live streams, talking with people in real time by ying games ormitting bizarre acts. It was best for killing some time. He searched for a famous female yer, Elizabeth. She was an Elder Lord yer who became popr with her beautiful looks. ¡°She¡¯s not live now.¡± Baek Han-Ho rolled around again. ¡°Hmm?¡± Recently, there was a broadcast that always ranked first. It was that Heaven and Earth Streamer¡¯s broadcast¡ªHeaven and Earth TV. He started a live stream just then and viewers gathered in an instant. Baek Han-Ho frowned. ¡°These bastards...¡± He scratched his chin and clicked on Heaven and Earth TV. ¡°If I start streaming, guys like these would be nothing... Should I try doing it too...? Hmmm..." Baek Han-Ho began to dream about being a streamer himself after he started watching inte broadcasts. Women would cheer if Andre showed up. ¡°Oh?¡± When the screen was disyed, Baek Han-Ho whistled. It wasrge-scale, befitting of the first-ranked streamer. A huge number of troops filled the screen. They marched with discipline on the ins. The presence of knights around the troops was an exciting sight for guys. Baek Han-Ho opened the chat window. His nickname was ¡®White Tiger¡¯. ¡¸*White Tiger: Guys,,, What,, is this about~? *excited* Jirisan Peregrine Falcon: It¡¯s an old man... I¡¯m Hungry Sobsob: The Heaven and Earth n received arge-scale quest and are going to war~ Orcs are the Best: The Heaven and Earth n is getting screwed by Crockta. The Heaven and Earth n is getting screwed by Crockta. The Heaven and Earth n is getting screwed by Crockta. The Heaven and Earth n is getting screwed by Crockta. The Heaven and Earth n is getting screwed by Crockta. The Heaven and Earth n is getting screwed by Crockta. I¡¯m Hungry Sobsob: Still, he can¡¯t possibly go up against an army~ Jirisan Peregrine Falcon: It seems like the legend of Crockta is finallying to an end *White Tiger: They¡¯re ¡°fighting against Crockta¡±!? A Passing Swallow: Yep yep. They¡¯re going to kill Crockta and spark a war between species. *White Tiger: Omg~~!? A Passing Swallow: They don¡¯t seem to start fighting right away... They will probably encounter Crockta during the war. Saddummy[2] Dream: Heard they are going to destroy some vige. ¡¹ Baek Han-Ho¡¯s hands trembled. A huge army, and even knight NPCs too. It was a great crisis even for someone like Crockta. He suddenly got up. ¡°Heaven and Earth n? Those bastards...!¡± He threw the tablet and swung open his office door. The Baek Han-Ho Gym¡¯s members stared at him. However, he did not care and quickly left the gym. Crockta was the prey of Andre the White Knight. 1. Aggro refers to attention from in-game enemies, often rting to the distance at which an enemy will notice the yer character and engage inbat. ? 2. Saddummy is a famous streamer in South Korea. ? Chapter 163: The Empire’s Counterattack (2)

Chapter 163: The Empire¡¯s Counterattack (2)

¡®Under Games¡¯, a broadcasting channel specializing in games, came across a piece of information about Elder Lord¡¯s hottest topic, the ¡®War Maestro¡¯ Rommel and the Heaven and Earth n. It was big news that they had begun theirrge-scale quest, and that quest was no ordinary raid quest. It was a war. It was content that was rarely seen on the peaceful continent. It was not like those n battles disguised as a war. A huge army was on the move, sparking the mes of war to arge-scale, close-quarters war. The Heaven and Earth n, which recently had close rtions with the kingdom, continued to carry out punitive expeditions. Now, however, they were marching with the Empire¡¯s army. It was a real war. The ¡®Under Games¡¯ channel, which had grown rapidly through Elder Lord, did not want to miss out on such an event. Thus, they postponed the broadcast of the PvPpetition and decided to organize a special program that covered the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s quest progression in real time. They negotiated with the Heaven and Earth n, agreeing to pay huge amounts of royalties to stream the quest progression in a separate broadcast from Heaven and Earth¡¯s streamer. This allowed them tounch a new online program channel with a separate group ofmentators, Throughout Heaven and Earth, Only I Reign Supreme:[1]Episode 0¡ªThe Empire¡¯s Counterattack. It was a title they came up with by putting words that looked cool together, but such a childish name worked in their favor and caught people¡¯s attention. Just like that, the live stream began. It was a hardcore program, tracking the movements of the Heaven and Earth n twenty-four hours in real-time. There was already a huge amount of storytelling workposed behind the scenes by the writers. They were knights under the orders of the emperor, fighting for the revival of the empire. On the other side, there were rebel forces revolting against the empire. The empire¡¯s knights and the members of the Heaven and Earth n drew their swords to fight against their injustice. Soon, Throughout Heaven and Earth, Only I Reign Supreme became the talk of the town. ¡°Aren¡¯t they just ughtering the weak?¡± Some people were saying so, but their opinions were ignored. Human rights belong to mankind. They were NPCs. Therefore, the audience was excited over the movement of the Heaven and Earth n. *** ¡°Our goal is to upy Demetern, located at the entrance of Espada,¡± Rommel said. ¡°If needed, annihte them.¡± -As expected, Rommel is amazing. Look at his charisma. Even the almighty NPCs dare not raise their heads and are under hismand. That¡¯s what you call dignity of a general. -They say that honor changes manners, but that¡¯s not the case for Rommel. He was that kind of person from the very beginning. When yer Choi Han-Sung was a professional gamer in the past, he was already the same back then. He was always a confident fellow. I knew he would make it big. The military officers nodded slowly at Choi Han-Sung¡¯s words. Cainz, standing next to him, chuckled as he took a bite out of an apple. ¡°Those with rebellious ideas will do rebellious acts even under the rule of the Empire. We should nip them in the bud. So, let¡¯s exclude conciliation from our options.¡± ¡°Even for those who do not resist?¡± ¡°Stop putting up an innocent front. We¡¯ve already given them enough opportunities. They will have to pay for their own choices.¡± ¡°Ehem. Understood.¡± -That¡¯s Cainz, the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s Vice Master. He used to be the Leader of the Haedong Balhae n, which has disbanded. If Rommel is the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s fieldmander, Cainz is the brains. The Zhuge Liang of Elder Lord! Aren¡¯t theymonly referred to as General Rom and Zhuge Cainz? LOL! -General Rom! Zhuge Cainz! I don¡¯t know who made the nickname up, but it suits them very well. Hahaha. ¡°And as for Crockta, before hees, let¡¯s show him clearly how many people are dying because of him,¡± Cainz said while taking another bite of the apple. -Crockta! He is now rebelling against the Empire. Although he is a delightful NPC to the people, it would probably be a disaster since the opponent is the Heaven and Earth n. -What a pity. It is hard to jump to conclusions, but there is too stark of a difference between an individual and an army. Objectively speaking, it is a fact that there is a difference in numbers. I think Crockta¡¯s legend will probably end here... It¡¯s a pity. What would it have been if Crockta was on the same side as the Heaven and Earth n? What if he were human? I keep feeling that it is such a pity. The knight captains and infantry captains nodded before stepping back. Now, only Cainz and Rommel were left in the tent. The two looked at each other. ¡°In the end, we¡¯vee this far.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out with a bang. This is only the beginning.¡± ¡°Hoho.¡± Rommel and Cainz fist bumped. ¡°Heaven and Earth.¡± ¡°The war begins.¡± -Kyahhhh. That¡¯s so cool. Heaven and Earth, the war begins! -It¡¯s Heaven and Earth n¡¯s motto. This is a war initiated by the Heaven and Earth n. When ites to a war, the Heaven and Earth n can¡¯t miss out. Such confidence from their end. Although it was obviously a scripted scene, the viewers did not notice it as they were already hooked on their character. After their chant, the screen slowly faded out. It was break time for the broadcast. -When ites to Elder Lord, of course, it¡¯s realism! Since it is a game that maximizes the sense of reality, there are some difficulties in streaming all of it. -Kuhaha, yes, sorry. I was just making a fuss, pfft. Anyway, that¡¯s why they have a lot of things to do. They have to work even while going to the bathroom. That¡¯s why they are taking a short break. Until they continue the live stream, we will y some highlight videos of the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s achievements so that our viewers will not be bored. -We will be right back after the break. The screen transitioned to a recorded broadcast. Rommel appeared on the screen, with the n members moving in perfect order under hismand. It was a video recorded when the Heaven and Earth n waspleting the bandit subjugation quest. They were systematically overpowering the enemies like well-trained soldiers. This fighting style was the reason why people loved the Heaven and Earth n. *** ¡°Thementary is so biased.¡± Yoon Bo-Ra¡¯s face turned sour as she watched the broadcast. ¡°Wait and see. Crockta will destroy the Heaven and Earth n, whatever they are called.¡± ¡°Did you not see the sheer number of soldiers just now?¡± ¡°Hey, he conquered the northern region by himself, didn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t you know Crockta?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know what actually happened since we didn¡¯t see it ourselves. No matter how strong Crockta is, he won¡¯t be able to defeat that many people. If he could, he wouldn¡¯t be a man, he¡¯d be a God.¡± ¡°Crockta is a God, okay?¡± ¡°Are you stupid?¡± ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± Yoon Bo-Ra and Ban Tae-Hoon bickered. Yi-Yoo took a sip of americano with an uninterested expression. ¡°The two of you only talk about Elder Lord whenever you meet.¡± ¡°You can do it too if you want. Ah, you were killed by a rabbit, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dead meat,¡± Yi-Yoo said. They were waiting for Park Jung-Tae. During school holidays, he went abroad to do volunteer work. He recently returned to South Korea, so they organized a meeting session among themselves for the first time in a while. He was the only member of the group who had an interesting school holiday. ¡°Ah, right. I heard you all ate something delicious without me.¡± ¡°Yes, it was freaking awesome. I thought kimchi and doenjang[2] are everything for Korean food.¡± ¡°You guys are so cheap. How could you go without me?¡± Park Jung-Tae replied. ¡°Hehe. If you¡¯re jealous, you canin to Yi-Yoo¡¯s Oppa-nim.¡± ¡°What Oppa-nim?¡± ¡°He is Oppa-nim to me now.¡± Yoon Bo-Ra said and looked at Yi-Yoo. ¡°But are you okay with what happened?¡± Yoon Bo-Ra asked Yi-Yoo. ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Ban Tae-Hoon butted in, ¡°Hey, Jung Yi-Yoo. Be careful of her. She¡¯s targeting Hyung-nim. Look at her eyes.¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I do that? Are you jealous?¡± ¡°Blurgh.¡± ¡°I should be the one puking. Control yourself.¡± Meanwhile, Park Jung-Tae was seen approaching from afar. His face was tanned ck as he had been to Africa. He was looking around and when he discovered Yi-Yoo and the others, he walked over with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Ohhhh, Jung-Tae.¡± ¡°How are you?¡± He sat next to Ban Tae-Hoon. The two of them fist-bumped and did their bromance greeting where they pped each other¡¯s palms and shoulders while rolling their fingers strangely. ¡°Yo, man.¡± ¡°Wassup man.¡± ¡°Rong ta-im no shee.[3]¡± ¡°Gooten tak.[4]¡± Yoon Bo-Ra shook her head at the sight of the two of them bbering away. They briefly hugged and their greeting ceremony ended. ¡°How was the volunteer work?¡± ¡°Oh, it was fun.¡± He had just returned from a house-building volunteer program, where they built houses for the poor neighborhoods in Africa. In other words, he just came back from doing hardbor. That was why his body looked sturdy and his face was tanned, giving off the feel of an athlete. As Park Jung-Tae described the things that happened while he was doing volunteer work, the others nodded in admiration. ¡°You really worked hard.¡± ¡°Great job.¡± Park Jung-Tae smiled brightly at Yi-Yoo¡¯s praise. ¡°We should have a drinkter, right?¡± Jung-Tae said. ¡°Did you not drink alcohol there? Didn¡¯t you drink any African snake-infused alcohol?¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t able to drink there.¡± After finishing a brief conversation, they got up from their seats in the cafe. *** ¡°Heaven and Earth.¡± ¡°The war begins.¡± The knights on horseback advanced in the forefront and broke through the enemy camp. The enemy¡¯s formation was torn apart, and the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s members followed after and charged forward. Soon, two infantry units collided. The n members chanted their slogan and brandished their weapons. The rebel forces fell in confusion due to the cavalry breakthrough and could not fend off their attacks. Like a dike copsing, the n members tore apart the enemy¡¯s formation. It was a close-quarters war, which sent everything into disarray. Even so, they kept going, staring at the imperial g being waved by the knights from afar. -This is what I¡¯m talking about. This is the power of cavalries. The opponent tried to stop their advances by barricading them with spears, but the Empire¡¯s knights are not easy opponents. -The Heaven and Earth n¡¯s members are also amazing. The enemies are being swept through like fallen leaves. -Not long ago, yers could not stand a chance against NPCs, right? That has changed. With the appearance of the Heaven and Earth n, it is no exaggeration that things have slowly begun to change. The broadcasting screen floated up and disyed the overall situation of the war. The rebels¡¯ formation was surrounded by cavalry from left to right, and every time the knights galloped on horseback, the rebel soldiers were trampled and fell apart. The infantries and the Heaven and Earth n members were like erasers cleaning up the remaining enemies. At the scene where the cavalries had rampaged past, theyid the remaining enemies to rest. asionally, the wizards alsounched their magic spells. As the rebel soldiers were set aze and screamed, they clung to each other, causing the mes to spread and bodies to pile up. -That¡¯s amazing. -The whole world is watching the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s fight. The number of viewers on Under Games¡¯ overseas channels is also huge. Rommel was the person leading all of this. He waved at the sight of the battlefield. With his control over the battlefield, everything was within his sight. -War Maestro Rommel! He has already looked at the entire battlefield. Thementators said with pride. *** Yoon Bo-Ra gulped beer and said, ¡°Is that even a war?¡± Yi-Yoo, watching the broadcast beside her calmly, tilted her head. ¡°I know, right? Aren¡¯t the opponents just vigers, not soldiers?¡± ¡°Right? They are even wearing shabby clothes. The difference is huge.¡± The rebels were behind the imperial army in terms of numbers and equipment. From their attire, it seemed like they¡¯d been farmers all their lives. They crafted war weapons and were wielding them poorly. No doubt they were killed one after another by the well-trained imperial army. ¡°It¡¯s so cruel.¡± ¡°Who cares? They¡¯re just NPCs.¡± ¡°Still...¡± Yoon Bo-Ra clicked open the chat window. Thements were a mixture of doubt and praise. ¡¸DRFresh: What kind of war is this? I was looking forward to it, but it¡¯s boring. Shimabukuro: It¡¯s so much fun, isn¡¯t it? How is it boring? Would we be able to witness such a war if not for the Heaven and Earth n? It¡¯s freaking awesome. Paper Cup Duo: Tsk tsk, I¡¯m starting to wonder about the standards of those who think the Heaven and Earth n is cool after seeing this... Toothbrush n Perfume: Shoutout to General Rom!! General Rom-nim!! I''m Hungry Sob: Well done General Rom and Zhuge Cainz duo Dune Multitab: LOL. It looks like the Empire is ughtering the vigers. How is this cool? LOL. Don¡¯t fan the mes for these murderers. White Keyboard: Dune Multitab// Calling people who y games murderers. Just goes to show how low ss you are keke. Who cares if they are vigers as long as it¡¯s interesting Lucatgrayam: Thementators¡¯ expressions are quite exaggerated lol. The opponents are too weak SevenERs: If it gets on your nerves, just don¡¯t watch it. There¡¯s so much grumbling lol. Tsk tsk. Is your PTSD rpsing after seeing someone being hit in games because you were also bullied in real life? LOL. StorageMistakeFK: The guymenting on top is describing his own life. Let it go¡¹ ¡°Ugh, let¡¯s not watch it anymore.¡± Yoon Bo-Ra looked away from the screen. Park Jung-Tae and Ban Tae-Hoon were not in their seats. ¡°Boys always follow the ones going out for a smoke even when they don¡¯t smoke themselves.¡± They were enjoying chicken and beer at a pub. Ban Tae-Hoon left to smoke, and Park Jung-Tae followed him out despite being a non-smoker. They stood side by side at the pub¡¯s entrance and were chatting about something. ¡°Tsk tsk.¡± Yi-Yoo and Yoon Bo-Ra made a toast. ¡°Yi-Yoo, you said your Oppa ys Elder Lord too, right?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been ying a lottely.¡± ¡°I wonder if he is watching this show?¡± ¡°I think Oppa...¡± Yi-Yoo pondered. On the battlefield, there were many scenes where people died. Moreover, it was not an evenly matched fight, but rather a one-sided battle. Yi-Yoo shook her head, ¡°I think Oppa hates this kind of stuff a lot?¡± *** Crockta stood at the ruinednd, once known as Demetern. There was nothing left. The imperial army dug a pit and threw the dead bodies in, setting it on fire. Now, only ashes and scorched marks remained. ¡°...¡± Adantadore was silent while standing behind Crockta. As far as he knew, the Emperor issued an order to eliminate Crockta. That was why he hurriedly went looking for Crockta. It was because if Crockta died, he would not have known the identity of the unknown light forever. However, Rommel invaded the Espada territory instead. He knew Crockta well. ¡°What a clever bastard.¡± When Crockta¡¯s group heard the news, they rushed over hurriedly. Be that as it may, Demetern was already in ruins. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since they left.¡± Alex, one of the members of Praise the Orc, said. The imperial army advanced into Espada after devastating Demetern. They destroyed everything in their way. Crockta suddenly found a piece of burning cloth lying on the floor. It was a g. It was hard to discern, but the words ¡®There is no Emperor in the South¡¯ were written on it. The resistance forces probably swung these gs. ¡°...Let¡¯s go!¡± Crockta said not long after. ¡°What do you mean let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry before they do something like this again.¡± The Praise the Orc members nodded. Adantadore scratched his head. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Over the course of a few days, he had gotten close to Crockta, but he couldn¡¯t turn his back on his country. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to leave, Adantadore,¡± Crockta said. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business anyway. I understand if you want to go.¡± Adantadore sighed, ¡°Thank you for saying that.¡± ¡°But let me just tell you one thing,¡± Crockta turned and looked at him. Adantadore flinched. He could sense the anger burning within Crockta¡¯s eyes. ¡°If we meet as enemies on the battlefield, I will not hesitate to strike you down.¡± 1. In Chinese, it meansÌìÉÏÌìÏÂΨÎÒ¶À×ð. In Buddhist legend, it is the phrase that Buddha uttered right after he was born and on his feet taking seven steps about, pointing at heaven with his right hand and at earth with his left. ? 2. Doenjang or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. ? 3. It¡¯s Long time no see but in broken english. ? 4. It means hello, good day, or good afternoon, but in broken German. ? Chapter 164: The Empire’s Counterattack (3)

Chapter 164: The Empire¡¯s Counterattack (3)

Crockta galloped on horseback, with the members of Praise the Orc following behind him with difficulty. They could see mes burning in the distance. The imperial army was upying the city with the battle already over. The only thing left was the clean-up routine they always did. The ruined city was Ogochai, where various people used to gather in the Espada territory. Countless soldiers surrounded the city. ¡°...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Crockta!¡± He was quickly discovered because he ran over there in a hurry. The patrol troops at the rear blew the whistle, signaling the knight formation standing by to turn around. They responded almost at the same time the whistle was blown. With that one sound, it ryed information to the entire troop that Crockta had appeared, that he was at the rear, and that he was not alone. The entire military camp moved like a single organism, and Rommel was at the heart of it. Beyond the knight squadrons, Crockta was able to see Rommel whom he had only seen on videos. Rommel was a good-looking young elf, but unlike normal elves, he donned a heavyweight armor that humans usually wore. When he gestured, the knights began to charge at Crockta¡¯s group, and the blue dragon g pped alongside the imperial g. They were most probably the Blue Dragon Lancers,monly known as the Empire¡¯s greatest knights along with the White Lion Knights. The knights, armed withnces, charged at Crockta and the members of Praise the Orc. In response, Crockta wielded his greatsword. ¡°Oh my, is that the so-called ¡®Lance Charging¡¯?¡± Gilgamesh murmured out of habit. It was still a cringy tone, but his voice was shaking a little. Crockta shouted, ¡°Everyone, get ready.¡± The Blue Dragon Lancers rushed towards them like a lotive. In response, Crockta mustered his strength. A wave ofnce came rippling like a wave, and even if they were blocked, the other knights and soldiers would be following up. Thinking about it, they felt like they were standing in a ridiculous ce. There were only five of them. Would five people be able to deal with an army? ¡°Stay alive,¡± Crockta murmured. He did not care about that anyway. Defeating the enemies that jumped at him was the only thing on his mind. If he eliminated and crushed his opponents, and repeated it over and over again, in the end, he would be able to reach Rommel. Although, Rommel was standing far away. ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± He let out a battle roar. At that moment, all the soldiers shuddered as they recognized Crockta¡¯s presence. He had reallye. ¡°Come!¡± The Blue Dragon Lancers¡¯ charge was right in front of his eyes. Just before they collided, Crockta shouted and jumped off the horse. The horse, which lost its owner, copsed to the ground after colliding with the Blue Dragon Lancers. Crockta fell to the floor and swung his greatsword. With that, several knights were knocked off their horses simultaneously. Crocktanded between the formation and swung his greatsword while avoiding thences and horses¡¯ hooves. He aimed for the horses. As the horses crashed to the ground, the knights rolled around and their steel armors were crushed. Like a sharpened stone skipping through the current, the knights split into two sides, centering around Crockta. Those caught by Crockta were cleaved by his greatsword along with the horses, spewing blood. ¡°Now, let¡¯s dance! Let¡¯s hold a blood banquet, oh des! Keke!¡± Gilgamesh¡¯s voice could be heard. While Crockta was attracting the enemies¡¯ focus, the members of Praise the Orc were also fighting desperately. The knights focused mainly on Crockta. Aside from some of the knights fighting against the members of Praise the Orc, the remaining knights turned around and faced Crockta¡¯s direction. They began charging again. They raised theirnces, determined to end the fight while shouting a war cry. ¡°For His Majesty!¡± ¡°Woahhhhhhh!¡± Crockta positioned his greatsword. The enemies were closing in. Thences, boosted by the horse¡¯s eleration, came flying with tremendous force. With the correct timing, it could pierce the body in a single stroke. ¡°Happpp!¡± A fewnces were thrust at him. Crockta reacted agilely and barely managed to dodge. It was a battlefield where it was kill or be killed. Crockta dodged their attack and severed the horse¡¯s legs. As the horses fell to the ground, the knights were trampled on. ¡°You bastard!¡± Among them, a knight donned in a unique armor appeared. ¡°You Orc bastard! I dare you to fight against me!¡± It was a middle-aged man, and he was most probably the captain of the Blue Dragon Lancers. When he appeared, the knight formation split to the left and right, opening a path for him. The horse he was on began to gallop. His horse itself was different from ordinary war horses. Its size was much bigger, and its skin, which could be seen under the barding, was red. Every time the horse took a step, the ground shook. It was galloping at a fierce momentum. He became one with the horse and charged at Crockta at lightning speed. ¡°Die! The Empire¡¯s enemy!¡± For a split second, Crockta could feel that the middle-aged man crossed over to the Pinnacle-tier. Bing one with the horse, his charge reached the Pinnacle-tier. No doubt, that was the knight captain¡¯s special skill. He bent space, bing a stream of light, and charged toward Crockta. In response, Crockta also entered the world of the Pinnacle-tier. However, thepressed force of the flyingnce was so strong that it seemed impossible to counter. Crockta swallowed his saliva. He tried to dodge, but the horse¡¯s charging speed exceeded his expectations. As expected of the Empire. Even without Adantadore, there were many strong warriors. Crockta clenched his teeth and crossed beyond the Pinnacle-tier. The scene before his eyes has changed again. He reached the Hero-tier. He was now able to exert power that transcended thew of causality. Crockta¡¯s greatsword and the knight captain¡¯snce crossed paths, and both their bodies went up in the air at the same time. ¡°Kugh!¡± ¡°Cough!¡± The knight captain fell from the horse, and Crockta was pushed backward. Crockta quickly got back up and assumed a fighting stance. Thence missed his vitals, but it still struck him. ¡°Adantadore, that bastard. He said the rest are only at the Pinnacle-tier...¡± It was different from what Adantadore said. The knight captain might not have recognized it himself, but he was able to reach the doorsteps of the Hero-tier. ¡°Cough! Kwcough!¡± The knight captain¡¯s sides were ripped apart along with his armor, and he vomited blood on the floor. The horse behind Crockta, which lost its owner, jumped around like crazy and wailed. The knights went to support their captain. As he was carried away, he fiercely red at Crockta. In response, Crockta grinned widely. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Crockta was catching his breath. It was not the end yet, it was just the beginning. The other infantry units were now marching toward Crockta. It was already difficult with just the knights, but they kept reinforcing the formation with troops. ¡°Such persistent bastards.¡± The knights fixed the formation again and started running toward Crockta. Crockta hung his greatsword over his shoulder. ¡°Naturally, if it ends like this, the name of the Blue Dragon Lancer would lose its honor.¡± He still had plenty of strength remaining. The moment he tried to cut down their charge from the front, the knights split to the left and right, passing by Crockta. ¡°...!¡± Crockta looked back. There, he saw the members of Praise the Orc who followed him here. They did not pay any attention to what was going on because they were busy dealing with the knights. ¡°Dodge it©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta screamed. Only then did they notice the knights charging at them. However, the knights¡¯ charge was fierce. The members were frightened out of their wits. Some tried to dodge, but eventually, one of them did not manage to dodge and was pierced by ance. ¡°...Kugh!¡± Thence pierced his abdomen and swung him up in the air. The knight who killed him raised thence high up in the air as if he were some sort of war trophy. The body was hung high in the sky with blood flowing down thence. The sounds of horse hooves subsided. ¡°Kuhk...Ugh...¡± The member vomited blood, and soon he began to turn into white particles and disappear. ¡°Hmm?¡± The knight muttered as he looked up at the white particles. ¡°What¡¯s this? They¡¯re cursed by the stars?¡± Just then, a knife flew past and pierced the knight¡¯s heart. ¡°...!¡± The knife, which came flying from somewhere, shattered the steel armor and was embedded in the knight¡¯s chest. In response, the knight grasped his chest and looked back. Gilgamesh was staring at him with several knives floating around him. ¡°The price for messing with mypanion is...destruction. You insect.¡± ¡°Keuk...¡± The knight fell to the ground with thence still in his hands. Then, the other knights charged at Gilgamesh. Some of the knights dismounted from their horses to attack the members of Praise the Orc, their weapons shed. As the knights exerted their strength, the other members were also facing a critical situation. Crockta tried to save them, but he was stopped by other knights. They were too inferior in numbers. ¡°You must havee here without fear. It¡¯s your turn to be defeated, Orc.¡± The knights ridiculed Crockta. Instead of answering, he swung his greatsword. The knight, who had been ridiculing him just now, had his body severed in half. ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The knights were cut into pieces as Crockta attacked like crazy, causing them to retreat in shock. Each time Crockta swung his greatsword, three of four knights died. Blood and pieces of flesh were scattered all over. ¡°Damn it!¡± But the enemy kept being reinforced. It was a foolish task to deal with a lot of enemies in an open space. ¡°Kuarghhh!¡± Crockta shed the knight in front of him and jumped up. He broke through the encirclement just like that and ran toward the members of Praise the Orc. Meanwhile, the three members grouped up, desperately resisting. ¡°Where do you think you are running to...Kuhk!¡± A knight was struck by a greatsword and fell down the horse. Then, Crockta mounted the horse. When a stranger mounted it, the horse twisted its body and resisted, but Crockta stroked the horse¡¯s neck and mustered his spirit, causing it to calm down. Soon after, Crockta began galloping on horseback. He roared once again in the direction where the members of Praise the Orc were. ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± His roar shook the eardrums of the knights, causing them to cover their ears and retreat a few steps back. In that short instant, Crockta ran past and grabbed a member. ¡°Let¡¯s move locations first! The nd is a disadvantage to us!¡± Gilgamesh nodded. Then, he also snatched a horse with Alex and mounted it. They proceeded to break out of the knights'' encirclement and began to gallop away. After the knights came to their senses, they gave chase fiercely. ¡°The enemy is too fast!¡± Alex shouted. Their enemies were the renowned Blue Dragon Lancers. It was inevitable that there was a difference in their ability to ride a horse. The knights were able to follow closely behind them. As the knights chased after them, the knives hovering around Gilgamesh changed direction and flew toward the knights. At the sudden distraction, some of the knights floundered and fell from their horses. Crockta raised his thumb, and Gilgamesh grinned in reply. Be that as it may, they were still in the midst of a critical situation. Crockta then changed direction on horseback. They were heading deep inside Ogochai, trying to avoid the imperial army. Screams and sounds of battles could still be heard from inside the city. *** ¡°...!¡± When they entered Ogochai, a terrible scene unfolded before their eyes. The ones upying Ogochai were mostly yers¡ªthe members of the Heaven and Earth n, as well as some knights. Moreover, they showed no signs of trying to coax the vigers to join the Empire like they used to. They ughtered the vigers as soon as they saw one. ¡°What a terrible sight.¡± The sound of the horses¡¯ hooves began to approach closer again. Hearing that, Crockta began to run on horseback and entered Ogochai. ¡°It¡¯s Crockta!¡± ¡°Crockta has appeared!¡± Perhaps because the information had already been ryed, the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s members reacted quickly. They did not charge at Crockta hastily, and instead, they kept their distance while furtively avoiding him. Gradually, the n members gathered. There were quite a lot of them gathered. Crockta quickly scanned the interior of Ogochai. Most of the soldiers and vigers had died, and only the elderly and the weak remained. They would probably lose their lives one after another. At the center of Ogochai, there were still people resisting. Sounds of weapons shing could be heard. However, it didn¡¯t seem like they couldst long. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to retreat?¡± Alex said. ¡°...¡± Crockta shook his head. At the same time, he mustered his spirit. He once again mustered his Hero-tier spirit. His five senses scanned through the entire area of Ogochai. Then, Crockta was able to sense the presence of the soldiers gathering around him, the infantries just entering Ogochai, as well as the knights working under Rommel¡¯s order. At the same time, he was also able to sense the vigers shaking in various parts of Ogochai. ¡°It¡¯s okay even if you guys want to leave. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Crockta said. The members of Praise the Orc shook their heads. ¡°What do you mean dangerous? We will be fine since we are cursed by the stars. We won¡¯t die. However, it¡¯s different for Crockta-nim...¡± ¡°They may use the concrete method on you guys.¡± ¡°...!¡± The people surrounding them now were mostly members of the Heaven and Earth n. They most probably already figured out that the members of Praise the Orc were yers, just like them. ¡°That¡¯s...how. No, I mean...¡± Alex kept slurring. Crockta already had a history of fighting against the Haedong Balhae n. He would have already known about the yers. It was as Crockta had said. It was a pandemonium swarmed with members of the Heaven and Earth n. If a yer resisted them, they would use the concrete method to trample on them properly, making them incapable of fighting back. The Heaven and Earth n members seemed to scan the members of Praise the Orc. ¡°...If it¡¯s meant to be, then so be it.¡± Alex grinned as he muttered. Crockta said in a grave tone, ¡°I can no longer protect you all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We came prepared for that.¡± Theirpanionship would probably end here. No matter how the fight transpired, they would either be killed or suffer from the concrete method here. That was how overwhelmingly disadvantageous the battle was. It would be rather fortunate if they could die cleanly. ¡°It has been an honor fighting together with you.¡± The members of Praise the Orc chuckled. They came all the way here out of respect for Crockta, and their choice was not wrong. Crockta was not an iron-blooded hero, but rather, a very humane character. So, his past actions were even more admirable. Like them, Crockta was someone who knew how to cry andugh. ¡°Please don¡¯t die.¡± It was fine for yers to die. They would continue to live in reality even if they were trapped by the concrete method. However, for Crockta, the honorable warrior, that life-threateningnd was his reality, and it would not be strange for him to die at any moment. He was an NPC. If he died here, everything would be over. Be that as it may, Crockta¡¯s eyes did not waver. This was why they praised and admired Crockta. In an era where the stories of heroes were no more, they were able to meet a true hero again in Elder Lord. Crockta said, ¡°Don¡¯t regret it.¡± They grinned widely in response. Chapter 165: The Scenery of Five Senses (1)

Chapter 165: The Scenery of Five Senses (1)

Inside Ogochai, there were still people forming a square, resisting. ¡°If we drag it out for as long as we can, reinforcements wille.¡± Gert, the militiamander, said. However, he gulped because he was not sure himself. The enemy had yet to deploy their knights. Only their cavalries hovered around the area and attacked the runaways, and only those who were cursed by the stars had entered the city. They were ughtering the people of the city, enjoying the massacre. ¡°Won¡¯t we be able to umte a lot of experience points here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we are the only ones here.¡± ¡°The achievement rewards keeping. Wow, I got a Rare item.¡± ¡°Why are you excited over a Rare item? I wonder if I will get the Soaring Celestial de Technique?¡± They jabbered away over some weird conversation and giggled. Gert bit his lips. He greatly loathed those who were cursed by the stars. Meanwhile, heforted the people around him. ¡°Hold out. We¡¯ll be fine as long as we hold out.¡± Naturally, no one believed that. They were waiting for reinforcements, but who would actuallye? It was the Empire¡¯s army. It would be a difficult war even if they hid in a barricade and protected the city with all their might. It would be nothing more than a meaningless waste of troops to deploy reinforcements into a deadly situation to save them. He repeated as if he was talking to himself, ¡°If we hold our ground...¡± But there was amotion in the far distance. Gert was nervous. The knight might have been deployed now. ¡°...!¡± At that moment, he could see something flying above the building before him. It was an enemy soldier soaring into the air, with his body split in half. The red lumps of flesh gradually fell to the ground and soon became white particles before disappearing. ¡°Wha-, what is this!¡± The strange phenomenon continued. Behind the outer walls of the building, a fountain of blood covered the sky. Sounds of people screaming could be heard alongside with sounds of bones being smashed, and severed bodies continued to explode here and there. Bloodied chunks of flesh were entangled with internal organs, drooping all over the floor. Something was going on behind the smithy. ¡°Kuackkkk!¡± ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± Once again, five or six people flew in the air and dropped in front of the square. Gert and hispanions flinched and took up their weapons. The fallen bodies wriggled and soon stopped moving. Then, the bodies turned white. ¡°Who...¡± Clomp, clomp, clomp Sounds of footsteps could be heard. Gert swallowed his saliva and stared at the corner of the building. There was a huge shadow looming over there. Soon, the image of the ughterer was revealed. The first thing that stood out was the huge greatsword reflecting the white sunlight. It was so big and dazzling that it was difficult to face it properly. ¡°...!¡¯ It was an Orc. He was bulky, and the scars of battle were jumbled up with his tattoos all over his body. Blood and flesh dripped from his body with every step. His vicious gaze turned to them. Gert shuddered. He could tell who that Orc was. It was the orc warrior well-known all over the continent. The man who killed the crazy orc chieftain of the northern region and prevented the war. A man whose name was whispered by all the Gods. He was Crockta, the Conqueror of the North. Gert heard the rumors that Crockta was going to stand up to the Empire, but for it to actually be true. ¡°Oh, almighty God...¡± He did not expect Crockta to appear on such a reckless battlefield. He had once imagined what Crockta would look like. Although Crockta was an orc, he recalled the heroes they knew, a humane character saving the people with a shining smile and a manly figure. However, that was a delusion. Crockta the orc was not like a knight at all. He was a monster. A knight in shining armor riding a white horse was something out of a fairy tale. Crockta was a warrior who ughtered his enemies, trampled on their blood and flesh, and forged his own path. He was a ughterer who had killed all his enemies without dying once on a battlefield where it was all about killing or getting killed. His eyes were glossy with murderous intent to the point that it was impossible to face him. However... ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrrrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± At Crockta¡¯s battle cry, the enemies staggered a few steps back, unable to get any closer. Gert clenched his fist. Rather, the cruel sight of him sprouted hope in Gert¡¯s heart. Gert prayed for a long time. He stayed up all night every day praying. He prayed that they could live as free people and that the Empire¡¯s army would slow down their march. He prayed to God to help them win this fight. He hoped for victory and all the beautiful things in the world. Be that as it may, no one answered his prayers. The one that responded to them was neither a benevolent goddess nor a knight in shining armor. It was a cruel orc warrior who cut down his opponent into pieces, covered by his enemy¡¯s blood. A ughterer who decapitated his enemies to aplish his goals. Crockta was the only one who came for them. Gert shouted, ¡°Crockta is here! Everyone, we can do this!¡± *** With Crockta¡¯s arrival, the battlefront became messy. The enemies could no longer approach close to Crockta, unlike before. Thus, the defensive line formed by the citizens and the militias could loosen up a little. ¡°Crockta-nim!¡± Following that, the members of Praise the Orc also appeared. They looked very exhausted. Especially Gilgamesh, who was gasping for air and hugging onto his knives, maybe because he could no longer muster any power. ¡°Let¡¯s join up there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°They are still alive,¡± Crockta said, relieved. Crockta¡¯s party headed where Gert was at. They were holding their ground, centering around a mansion with high walls located inside the city. Behind the barricade carved out of wood, they held long spears to keep the enemies in check. ¡°I¡¯m Crockta. I¡¯m here to help.¡± Gert opened the way when Crockta spoke. ¡°Thank you. I have heard a lot about you.¡± ¡°More soldiers will be deployed soon.¡± Crockta went straight to the point. Rommel had only deployed a part of their forces out of consideration for the n member¡¯s growth. However, now that Crockta had appeared, the situation had changed. Soon, the knights and the regr troops woulde. Considering the difference between their numbers and skills, it was basically a hopeless battle. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the reinforcements.¡± ¡°Reinforcements huh...¡± Gert was skeptical about the reinforcements. He kept bringing up the reinforcements to boost their morale, but inwardly, he did not think reinforcements would actuallye. ¡°Trust me, they wille,¡± Crockta said with a firm gaze. Even if the possibility was infinitely small, that small hope was what allowed humans to continue struggling. As long as there was hope, they would ce their bets even on the slightest possibility to win. As long as it was not zero, a miracle was bound to happen somewhere along the lines. ¡°Understood.¡± Gert nodded. Crockta nced at the enemies. ¡°Be on your toes.¡± Just because they joined up, they still could not afford to introduce each other any longer. The line of defense was on the verge of copse, and only the young and the elderly remained inside. The people present were their only avable fighting force. Crockta grabbed the hilt of his greatsword. It was clearly the worst situation. He had to protect them, and because of that, the situation was even more grave. However, if there was nothing to protect, he would have no reason to fight. That had always been the irony behind it all. Crockta opened his mouth, ¡°I have been through many battles...¡± The enemies¡¯ formation was changing. Now, theypletely retreated to the back, which signified that reinforcements would soone. The sound of hooves got closer. ¡°There have been more dangerous fights than this. This is nothing, hahaha.¡± It was his way of cheering them up. Gert, the citizen, as well as the militia, smiled faintly at Crockta¡¯s words. ¡°So, let¡¯s struggle.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± New enemies appeared. The White Lion Knights and the Blue Dragon Lancers all showed up, with the regr soldiers that followed behind them in formation. The Heaven and Earth n members were still present. Their retreat route was cut off, and the enemies surrounded them inyers. They were no match in terms of numbers or skills. Crockta cracked his knuckles. There were more dangerous battlefields than this one. However, it was the first time that he had to protect someone against such arge number of enemies. He used to fight alongside allies who were capable of fighting against the enemy on equal grounds or at least persistently resisting the enemies. It was the Dark Elves, who were renowned as natural hunters and nimble swordsmen even in the north. However, this ce was different. Their equipment and skills were ridiculously behindpared to the enemies. Everyone but him might even die. ¡°Stay alive.¡± He murmured. Gilgamesh said from behind him, ¡°Has the perfect ¡®scene¡¯ finally opened for me...? Let¡¯s substitute the curtain calls with the screams of the enemies. Kuku..!¡± He sounded exhausted, but his spirit remained the same. Crockta smiled in response. The enemies came to a halt. ¡°Knights, dismount from the horses!¡± At the forefront of the White Lion Knights, a veteran knight shouted. That man was Betrong, the vicemander that Adantadore had mentioned previously. He expressed his intention to fight a close-quarters war. The soldiers began to walk on two feet. At the sight of them, the militias fired arrows. However, they did not hit any of them. The soldiers either evaded or deflected it with their swords and shields, as was expected of the Empire¡¯s elites. ¡°For His Majesty! White Lion Knights, charge!¡± Betrong shouted in an energetic voice, unbefitting his age. The knights charged, and Crockta stood in front of the square, cutting down the knights rushing towards them. ¡°You will have to get past me first, knights!¡± Crockta¡¯s momentum caused the knights to hesitate for a moment. ¡°Impressive, Orc Crockta!¡± Betrong approached Crockta without backing down even in the face of his menacing spirit. Their swords crossed paths and shed against each other. ¡°What are you doing?! Charge!¡± When Betrong shouted, the knights slipped past Crockta¡¯s side and jumped into the square. Crockta tried to stop them, but Betrong¡¯s sword persistently chased after him. Annoyed, Crockta swung his greatsword at Betrong. Despite that, Betrong continued to mark Crockta, letting his attacks flow one after another. Betrong was not trying to kill Crockta, nor was he trying to confront him directly. He was just persistently chasing after Crockta so that he could not pay attention to other ces. Crockta gritted his teeth. Betrong was experienced, proving how annoying he was as an opponent. ¡°Arghhh!¡± The knights did not hesitate and killed the citizens. The tips of the knights¡¯ swords pierced the citizens¡¯ hearts. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Feeling rushed, Crockta said while deflecting Betrong¡¯s sword. ¡°I am asking if you are not ashamed of this behavior with your honor as a knight?¡± Ogochai turned into ruins. Most of its citizens died, and the rest continued to get killed. The Empire¡¯s g fluttered high up in the air. ¡°Ashamed, huh... An old man like me does not care about honor.¡± Betrong smiled bitterly. It was a familiar expression. Crockta had seen that expression in the north before. It was the same expression Hammerchwi had. He was a young valiant man warped over time, living in a habitual routine. He was pulled into a world where he could not distinguish between right and wrong, to the point that he lost his direction and was slowly drifting away, resigning to his fate. ¡°I see.¡± For an instant, Crockta disappeared from Betrong¡¯s field of view. Then, he appeared right under Betrong¡¯s nose, swinging his greatsword at his throat. ¡°...!¡± The tremendous pressure reached as far as the back of Betrong¡¯s throat. It was inescapable and unstoppable. A vacuum formed around Betrong¡¯s head. Wringg! Just before Ogre yer was about to cut Betrong, it was blocked. Standing next to Betrong was the Blue Dragon Lancer¡¯smander. ¡°You have aged, don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°I owe you one, Bleuno.¡± The two leaders of the Empire¡¯s strongest knights stood in front of Crockta. The two of them gulped. Even if the two of them joined forces, they were not confident of defeating Crockta. All they could do was stall for time given that the orc in front of their eyes was a monster. ¡°Come at me together!¡± Crockta swung his greatsword at the two of them at the same time. Betrong was flung back, rolling on the floor. Bleuno, on the other hand, dodged and thrust hisnce forward. Crockta ducked to dodge thence and kicked Bleuno¡¯s abdomen, causing him to falter. Then, Crockta swung his greatsword down at Betrong. In response, Betrong raised his sword to block it. However, the de broke because it could not withstand the impact. Betrong¡¯s face stiffened. Once again, Crockta swung his greatsword aiming down. In an effort to dodge it, Betrong crawled across the floor, and even though it was an unknightly and unsightly movement, he managed to keep his life intact. ¡°Yahhhhhhh!¡± Bleunounched an attack at Crockta. It was the rapid thrust, which made him the strongest knight. In response, Crockta grabbed thence shaft. ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± Crockt began to bend the shaft. Unable to ovee his power, Bleuno staggered. He clenched his teeth and let go of thence while kicking in return. However, Crockta punched him in the shin. ¡°Kugh!¡± Bleuno spun a few rounds in the air and crashed to the floor. His shin shattered and dangled on his leg. He shrieked while holding onto his leg. At the sight of that, Betrong murmured, ¡°What a monster...¡± Betrong lookedpletely frightened. Crockta looked around. The knights had already stormed into the square and began their massacre. Crockta ignored Betrong and Bleuno, chasing after the knights. Be that as it may, he alone was not enough to stop all of them. Countless people have died. As the situation turned in their favor, the members of the Heaven and Earth n stuck their heads to the frontline like hyenas. ¡°Let¡¯s go again!¡± ¡°Get them!¡± ¡°Impertinent bastards!¡± Their target was the members of Praise the Orc. ¡°Trashes that follow an orc!¡± ¡°Keuk... The saying ¡®a barking dog never bites¡¯ is true huh?¡± One of the members of Praise the Orc said. ¡°Are you listening to yourself?!¡± In the middle of it all, Crockta shook his head. The knights and citizens, the yers, the dead and alive, the whole situation was chaotic with the rubble of the ruins scattered around. [Now, you have seen that the world is filled with death.] The message, which the system mockingly disyed, recurred to Crockta. Crockta cut down the knights. Betrong was catching up behind him. Crockta dodged him and cut down the knights who were ughtering the citizens. However, Betrong¡¯s de chased after him and cut his thigh. Crockta red back at Betrong furiously, but Betrong had already stepped back. In the meantime, more citizens died. Crockta clenched his teeth. The moment Betrong caused an opening to show, weapons came flying from various directions Crockta roared and swung his greatsword in all directions, flinging the knights away. Thud! ¡°Kuhk.¡± An arrow was stuck in Crockta¡¯s shoulder. It was difficult to react because there were too many things going on. Crockta mustered his Hero-tier power. Although it consumed a lot of stamina, he was in no position to choose. Crockta butchered his enemies with power that transcended thews of causality. A fountain of blood was formed. Nevertheless, the number of allies continued to dwindle. ¡°Gert!¡± There was no response. He had been dead for quite some time. ¡°Damn it!¡± Corpses began to pile up. He could not save everyone. The cause and effect leading to death were flooding the city, and there was a limit to overturning it with his power alone. ¡°...!¡± Suddenly, white particles scattered in the air. Crockta looked back and saw that the members of Praise the Orc were dying. His eyes met with Alex, who was fading and turning into white particles. He nodded with a blurred face. That was hisst moment. The particles of the dead yers mixed with the dust from the ruins, scattering all over the area. ¡°This is hell, it¡¯s a ce that suits me! Come at me, you dogs.¡± Now, only Gilgamesh remained, and he gasped while abandoning his concept. He could no longer control his knives and was now directly swinging them himself. However, he was quickly overpowered as he had poor swordsmanship. Crockta tried to save him, but the knights stood in his way again. Infantries were sent as reinforcements, and they surrounded him in a fewyers. ¡°Damn it.¡± Crockta gripped his greatsword. The moment he imbued strength in his leg to break through the encirclement... ¡°Hold this bastard down! Use the concrete method!¡± ¡°Tie him up! I said tie him up!¡± ¡°Kekeuk...Ugh...Kugh...!¡± Crockta ran in the direction where Gilgamesh was. There were des embedded in his back. Blood was spewing from his back, but he ignored it and deflected the attacksing from the front. He trampled on the enemy and jumped up. He could see Gilgamesh being dragged far away. ¡°Gilgamesh!¡± He tried to break through the enemy formation to save him, but he was blocked again. There was no end to it, enemies were everywhere. Moreover, the wizards also provided support with their spells. There was a fireball flying at Crockta. ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrrrrrrrr ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta ignored everything and threw his greatsword. ¡°...!¡± Ogre yer split Gilgamesh¡¯s body. Gilgamesh was cut in half. With only his upper body left, Gilgamesh looked up and saw Crockta. He stared at Crockta with eyes full of shock, but he soon smiled bitterly. Crockta also smiled faintly. Soon after, Crockta¡¯s body was directly hit by a fireball. ¡°Kohkk!¡± Crockta tumbled on the ground, with mes burning his body. He gritted his teeth. Next, des and daggers flew at him continuously. Crockta picked himself up and knocked the enemies down with his fist. His enemies were reduced to a puddle of blood, staggering to the ground. Crockta straightened his back and looked around. ¡°Kahah...¡± Heughed. Crockta was now standing all alone. The citizens of Ogochai, the militias, the elderly and the weak, the members of Praise the Orc who followed him¡ªthey were all dead. He was left alone. To be honest, he had already known. ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s alone!¡± ¡°Everyone, charge!¡± He had a hunch that things would turn out this way from the beginning. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to struggle desperately. Kaw. Kaw. Ka. He suddenly looked up at the sky, and there were crows lingering above his head. Was it a good omen, or was it a bad sign? A crow was said to be a bird that guided the souls of the dead to the underworld. He wondered how the currentndscape of the earth was reflected in their eyes. Were the souls of the dead floating around, coloring the entirend in white? Chapter 166: The Scenery of Five Senses (2)

Chapter 166: The Scenery of Five Senses (2)

¡°Fire!¡± Crockta moved quickly to avoid a rain of arrows that poured down. His body was in tatters, and there was a burning smell in his mouth. However, he could not afford to stop. He mustered his strength to the limits, allowing his body to enter the Pinnacle. In just a blink of an eye, he moved away from the world of the Pinnacle, and the world reverted to its own pace. ¡°Shit.¡± He ran out of stamina because he fought for too long. He could not even use his skills anymore. Despite that, he did not give up and tried to muster his strength again. Slowly, his body sped up, with his mind surpassing his body. The world slowed down, and his body distorted again. ¡°...¡± He turned his head. There was an arrow stuck in his calf. He did not even realize he was hit. ¡°Damn it.¡± Betrong and the knights rushed at Crockta. Crockta looked around, unable to find any weapons he could use in a hurry. He was barehanded against the fully-armed knights. They shed, and even for Crockta, there was nothing he could do. He avoided being stabbed. However, he was swept up by them and sent flying. Crockta crashed on the floor, his whole body covered in blood after rolling on a sharp rock. He felt dizzy. ¡°How many achievements will we get if we kill him?¡± Crockta lifted his eyes. The members of the Heaven and Earth n were approaching. Crockta spit out blood and tried to pick himself up. ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, they tilted at the sight of Crockta. ¡°This bastard... His forehead...¡± For a moment, Crockta could feel something hot trickle down his forehead. It was blood. It seemed like there was a wound on his forehead. He ran his hands down his forehead. The red headband that always wrapped around his forehead was torn in half and dangled. ¡°By any chance...¡± Crockta jumped up and swung his fist. The yers¡¯ heads exploded and turned white. ¡°Kuhk!¡± He fell to the ground again from the recoil. His shoulder and calf were pierced by arrows, his body further wounded by the wizard¡¯s fireball spell, and his back was stabbed wildly by the knights. There wasn¡¯t any part of his body functioning properly. While Crockta stumbled, the knights attacked him. Crockta was knocked down, followed by a series of kicks. ¡°If we leave this guy alive...¡± ¡°His Majesty will...¡± ¡°We need to set an example to those bastards...¡± Their voices crept above Crockta¡¯s head. ¡°Hold on. Knights, wait a minute.¡± The members of the Heaven and Earth n approached and murmured. Then, they reached out for Crockta¡¯s forehead. ¡°Just a moment...¡± Crockta blocked the iing hand. A series of kicks came raining down on him again. Crockta copsed weakly. The moment the members of the Heaven and Earth n were about topletely rip off the bandana around Crockta¡¯s forehead... Bam. Along with the sound, blood sshed on Crockta¡¯s face. ¡°...!¡± Crockta looked up with a grimace. The head of the yer reaching for him disappeared. Blood flowed down the nerve cords and throat from the severed neck. Groarrr! The roar of a beast resonated. Somehow, it was a familiar sound. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°What is that!¡± The low frequency mixed with the savage beast¡¯s roar caused a stir in Ogochai. Crockta turned over. He kneeled andy on his belly. Then, he grasped his drowsy head. He wiped off the blood covering his field of vision. Gradually, his head became clear. He channeled energy through his body that could not move properly anymore. Slowly, he picked himself up, tearing the hem of a dead soldier, and tightly tying around the torn bandana on his forehead. ¡°Huff, huff...¡± His hands were empty. He needed his greatsword. Crockta looked around for Ogre yer. Suddenly, someone next to him extended Ogre yer. ¡°Thank yo¡ª¡± A giant jaw was biting onto the de of Ogre yer. Crockta spontaneously took the sword and looked in the direction of the jaw. It was sharp teeth capable of even chewing and swallowing an ogre¡¯s skin. The eyes of the ferocious beast and the stripe on its body were somehow familiar. ¡°Simba?¡± ¡°Kroarrr!¡± The first mission he received from Lenox, the mutant wolf hunt. At that time, it was clear that Simba, a tiger, was cornered by the mutant wolf and its pack, unable to unleash his power. Simba saw Crockta and rubbed his head, seemingly pleased to see Crockta. ¡°How did youe this far...¡± Just then, Crockta looked up. It was another familiar face that he recalled from his memory. ¡°You are...?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger, Crung!¡± Kumarak, the fearsome Mountain Smasher, was there. He was an orc that Crockta had met at Lenox¡¯s funeral. ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin. We have to get away for now! Crung!¡± Kumarak pulled Crockta with him. The knights tried to stop them, but they could not get close. Instead, they hovered around due to Simba¡¯s growl. They started running. ¡°What are you guys doing?! Go after them!¡± Betrong shouted. The knights mounted their horses again. ¡°Groarrrrr!¡± At that moment, Simba roared. As Simba roared once, the horses acted violently, freaking out. The knights hung onto their horses and floundered. ¡°You bastard!¡± Betrong personally charged in, and the soldiers followed behind him. Simba turned and ran toward Crockta and Kumarak. ¡°Surround them!¡± Ogochai waspletely taken over. Soldiers appeared from all around the ce and blocked their path. Simba jumped in and struck them down, but the enemies resisted with great difficulty. The moment Kumarak picked up his axe, a brilliant light came flying and chiseled away at the enemies. ¡°Run away! Hurry!¡± It was Tiyo. He was riding a bone wyvern with Anor. A small group of people rushed over to save Crockta. Kumarak and Crockta ran past the encirclement while Tiyo shot the enemies down. Simba took care of the trifle enemies sticking out asionally. Every time its huge paw swiped at the enemies, their bodies were ripped apart. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time! Quickly run away!¡± Tiyo shouted overhead. ¡°The bones are not in a good condition! Run away for now!¡± The skeleton wyvern they were riding was small and weak, and could not carry too many people, unlike Boro, the wyvern they rode in the north. ¡°Iyaaaaa!¡± Tiyo transformed the more General advanced into Vulcan mode, randomly shooting at the knights giving chase. The knights deflected it with their swords and shields. Some, on the other hand, were struck on their armor and got sted away. ¡°So persistent!¡± The imperial army followed right behind them ceaselessly. Rommel emerged from the rear. Under hismand, the soldiers forgot their fears and chased after Crockta and Kumarak. After calming the horses down, the knights ran to both sides and surrounded them. ¡°If this goes on...¡± Kumarak stroke his axe. They may have to fight the enemies here. He made an eye gesture at Crockta. Reading Kumarak¡¯s gaze, Crockta nodded. Kumarak grinned. The inexperienced orc back then had be a warrior renowned all over the continent. Crockta became a warrior, worthy of fighting side by side. They stopped at the same time. Crockta picked up the Ogre yer, while Kumarak swung Destroyer, his battle axe. The two of them intended to fight. Crockta and Kumarak¡¯s energy spread out. The troops chasing after them flinched for a brief moment. They chased after them, but when the two of them came to a halt, the soldiers could not bring themselves to lunge at them. ¡°...¡± Moreover, the gnome aiming a strange weapon at them from above was also a pain in the neck. While they hesitated, Rommel galloped on his horse and approached closer. He maintained aposed expression even in thismotion. He nced at Crockta and Kumarak one after another. Then, he looked at Tiyo and Anor, who were riding on a wyvern. His gaze seemed to be scanning them from head to toe. He opened his mouth, ¡°Everyone...¡± Then, the soldiers lifted their weapons. His ability tomand was so outstanding that it seemed to convey the message without needing to say any further. The atmosphere reversed again. As soon as Rommel stood on the front line, their morale changed. The soldiers, who were stepping back due to Crockta and Kumarak, were now ring at the two of them with resolute eyes. They channeled strength to their legs and lowered their posture, and they began to resist Crockta and Kumarak¡¯s spirit. The air looked like it was about to explode. The moment the fight was about to begin again, screams resonated from the rear of the imperial army. Rommel looked back. ¡°What is...¡± He was puzzled and shook the reins. Ogochai¡¯s militias were closing in on them. They were all already dead. It was a wave of corpses. ¡°A necromancer?¡± The two monsters, Crockta and Kumarak, and in addition to that, a gnome carrying an outstanding artifact and a necromancer capable of controlling the dead. ¡°Groarrr...¡± There was even a giant tiger staring down at them with a vicious expression. Rommelughed. He wondered what kind of guy Crockta was when he heard the ill-fated rtionship he had with Cainz. When he finally faced him, he realized that Crockta was a much more interesting being. The battle had already transpired in a direction beyond his expectations. It was the first time that the battle had not gone his way since he obtained the War Maestro ss. His predictions and ns werepletely upended. Rommel spoke up, ¡°We¡¯re withdrawing.¡± He decided that there was no need to fight anymore here since they would meet again anyway. The imperial army followed his orders and retreated in perfect order. It was so systematic that one would not have known that they were burned out by the battle a while ago. Rommel once again nced at Crockta¡¯s party. He clearly captured the sight in front of him with his eyes. Then, Rommel turned his horse around, and they went back leisurely. Crockta¡¯s party let out a sigh as they watched the empire¡¯s soldiers leave. ¡°Crockta, if it weren¡¯t for us, you would be dead. Kyahaha.¡± Tiyoughed cheerfully and said to Crockta. Crockta smiled in response. It was an unexpected encounter. ¡°Thanks to you, I survived.¡± Tiyo pped Crockta on the butt. Then, he was shocked when he realized his hand was smudged in blood. ¡°Crockta! Are you okay?! Look at the wound on your back!¡± The wound was healing with his regenerative power, which was stronger than trolls, but the original wound was quiterge. Tiyo made a fuss and tapped him on the back. Crockta groaned out of pain. ¡°My god! There¡¯s a lot of wounds! Are you okay?!¡± Tap tap! ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not going to die!¡± Tiyo let out a refreshingugh again. On the way back, with the party side by side, Crockta looked up at the sky. The crows had yet to leave and were hovering over Ogochai. *** They headed to Cathalu, which was called the center of Espada. Espada was originally a ce with a strong regional culture, and even in the days of the old kingdom, they were not happy with being interfered with. They paid taxes but refused to be ruled. They did not acknowledge the Empire because they had a strong sense of pride. ¡°That¡¯s Cathalu.¡± Crockta frowned as he confirmed Cathalu¡¯s position from a distance. ¡°Kehem...¡± Tiyo scratched his head as he sensed Crockta¡¯s feelings. They all felt the same way. Cathalu was too open. Cathalu did not have an outer wall at all. Even in the case of Ogochai, it was susceptible to enemy attacks because it was quite open, but the entire city of Cathalu was open to the public. Barricades and deterrents were being installed to prepare for the iing invasion, but it was too shabby for a battle to take ce. The elite knights of the Empire would easily break through. ¡°Let¡¯s go in for now.¡± ¡°Lift your spirits. You are injured, so you shouldn¡¯t be stressed, Crockta.¡± Anor patted Crockta on the shoulder. Crockta nodded. Simba licked Crockta¡¯s cheek. ¡°Simba, long time no see. You¡¯ve grown so big.¡± Crockta formed a friendship with Simba back in the day, earning him the title ¡®One who Respects the Honor of the Tigers¡¯. He could feel that Simba was delighted to meet him. ¡°Was it because you were still young back then?¡± At that time, he thought that Simba was already an adult since he was huge. However, now that they met again, he realized that Simba had the blood of a giant tiger. Crockta felt that even without him, Simba would likely be able to annihte the mutant wolf pack after some time. ¡°This fellow came because he had something to tell you. Crung.¡± ¡°He has something he wants to tell me?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll show you soon.¡± He tapped on the bundle Simba was wearing around his neck. Crockta tilted his head out of curiosity. Just like that, they arrived in Cathalu, and the people there weed Crockta. ¡°Nice to meet you, Crockta-nim! I have heard of your reputation. Tiyo-nim and Anor-nim have also helped us a lot.¡± Guardi, the mayor of Cathalu and leader of the resistance army, shook hands with Crockta. The residents cheered for Crockta, who fought against the Empire. At that moment, his field of vision blurred. The world turned ck and white. Crockta looked around. His point of view was now out of his body. He was looking at his own body. His body was shaking hands with Guardi, the residents who were cheering, as well as Kumarak and hispanions... His consciousness flowed upwards, and it was a phenomenon that felt like he was experiencing an out-of-body experience. He looked down at everything. His point of view continued to rise to the sky until his body seemed like a little dot. Now, he could see the whole of Cathalu at a nce. ¡°...!¡± Then, he was stricken with fear. ¡°Crockta-nim?¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± Crockta came to his senses. Guardi was staring at him. ¡°Ahh...¡± What did he just witness? Crockta grabbed his head as he felt drowsy. He could not figure out what he had just seen. Chapter 167: The Scenery of Five Senses (3)

Chapter 167: The Scenery of Five Senses (3)

Thementators picked their words carefully because they finally realized. -Hahaha, Crockta is trying hard... to resist. -As expected of a character with a fan club... Words were useless in the face of reality. It was a program that featured and packaged the Heaven and Earth n as the main character, but the hero and viin of the story were bing clearer to the people. It was still eptable even though it was ufortable that the Heaven and Earth n entered the city and ughtered its inhabitants. It was a triumphant victory. The enemy¡¯s fierce resistance was broken down under Rommel¡¯s brilliantmand. Following Rommel¡¯s gesture, themand g was waved around, and the sounds of drums rang out throughout the battlefield. Then, the army changed its shape as if it were one living being. It was the imposing dignity of the War Maestro, who made the Heaven and Earth n who they were. When Crockta showed up, the people¡¯s reaction was at its peak. It was a battle between a named NPC and yers, which was unprecedented. The rted media outlet even delivered exclusive news, and the ratings were also the highest in the Under Games channel¡¯s history. Crockta appeared along with four of hispanions. He was a named NPC that everyone knew of. In the end, would he be buried by the Heaven and Earth n? They resisted persistently. They broke through the encirclement by the Heaven and Earth n and the imperial army and ended up entering Ogochai, which was basically no different from a deadly situation. It was an impossible war, no matter who saw it. There was an overwhelming difference in numbers. However, Crockta was a warrior who never gave up. He would swing his greatsword and, whenever he let out a battle cry, the people¡¯s expression would change. -Crockta, what a heartbreaking sight! -The people with him are the members of... his fan club, Praise the Orc, right? -They are all enthusiastic yers. Both the Heaven and Earth n and Praise the Orc are enjoying the game in their own way. -Crockta seems to be fighting well. The Heaven and Earth n retreated and the knights rushed forward. There was an overwhelming difference in numbers, and Crockta was so huge that it seemed to obscure the wave of knights. Crockta fought desperately at the battlefront, but the imperial army passed by him and ran to the rebel forces behind him. Crockta gave it his all to try and save them, but his enemies persistently stood in his way. His expression distorted while he swung his greatsword. Those who killed the weak, and those fighting against them. The killer and the savior. The viewers'' hearts sank heavily at Crockta¡¯s desperate struggle. Even thementators kept quiet. For a while, only the desperate screams and Crockta¡¯s battle cry resonated throughout the battlefield. The screen angle also began to focus on Crockta. The eyes of the world were mesmerized by Crockta. The Ogochai siege war, which was created to boost the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s image, was now a war story of an orc warrior with an indomitable will. The orc and the knights confronted and looked at each other. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Crockta said. The camera angle moved down. Now, the screen captured the confrontation between Crockta and the knightmander with a low angle. They looked like giants from that perspective. Above their head, the imperial g was raised high, covering the sun. The scene showed the image of the ruined city, the burning sun, and the fluttering symbol of the empire. Crockta¡¯s voice was clear even within themotion of the battlefield. In the background, the de of a soldier stabbed yet another resident. The victim¡¯s death throes were buried under the chaos. Crockta said again, ¡°I am asking if you, as a knight, are not ashamed of this behavior.¡± The knightmander smiled bitterly at Crockta¡¯s burning gaze. ¡°Shame, huh... An old man like me does not care about honor.¡± Despite saying that, he looked ashamed. At that moment, everyone watching the video realized the true nature of this fight. It was not about the Heaven and Earth n, the game channels, thementators, or the storytelling crudely made up by the strangers who interfered in the world of Elder Lord. Rather, it was about the kind of scenery the living and breathing NPCs saw in the world of Elder Lord. Why did the orc known as Crockta jump into such an impossible battlefield? *** A fight ensued. Crockta overwhelmed the two knightmanders. However, this war wasn¡¯t about killing; it was about protecting. He turned his body to try and save the rebels. He shook off the soldiers grabbing onto him and swung his greatsword desperately. The situation of the war tilted steeply. There was an arrow stuck in Crockta¡¯s shoulder, and the members of Praise the Orc had also fallen and turned into white particles. ¡°Gert!¡± Crockta shouted out the name of the dead Gert. ¡°Damn it!¡± He was surrounded again. The arrows, the spears, the des, and the wizard¡¯s fireball were all aimed at Crockta. In response, he clenched his teeth and looked around. It was a critical situation. Suddenly, he spotted an unusual event. ¡°Capture this bastard! Use the concrete method!¡± ¡°Tie him up! Restrain them!¡± The members of the Heaven and Earth n were trying to use the concrete method on the yers of Praise the Orc. The concrete method was carried out implicitly, but that act, which was not honorable at all, was being showcased to the entire world. Thementators, who had not spoken for a while, hurriedly opened their mouths. -Haha, that¡¯s... The Heaven and Earth n takes firm actions against their enemies... That¡¯s the kind of n they are. Yes. -It¡¯s probably because they¡¯re at war. I think they will release them after the quest is over... Crockta immediately reacted. Crockta ran toward the members of Praise the Orc. Swords were embedded in his back and attacks came flying from all sides. There were also fireball spells flying at him. However, nothing was able to stop him in his tracks. ¡°Bultarrrrrrrrrrr ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta ignored everything and threw his greatsword. -What the...! -That, he is...! The greatsword cut the member of Praise the Orc. Just before they sumbed to the concrete method, Crockta chose to kill hispanions himself. The final surviving member of Praise the Orc turned into white particles. _Ah... Crockta was struck by a ball of me and tumbled down. He staggered and picked himself up. Then, he punched the soldiers running toward him with his bare hands. He aimed for the enemies while gasping for breath. The imperial army and Crockta stared at each other. Suddenly, the battlefield turned quiet. Everyone watching the stream realized it. Everyone was dead, and Crockta was the only one who survived. ¡°Kekeke...¡± Crocktaughed deeply and looked up. Then, he straightened his back and stared into the sky. It was the image of a warrior who was left alone in a desperate fight, in a world that was all too real for him. What did the sky he was staring at look like? It was as if the world hade to a standstill. The viewers looked away from the screen and stared at the sky of their own world. *** In the end, Crockta made it back alive. Another group appeared to save him and stopped the Heaven and Earth n. It was a relief for everyone. The viewers were relieved that Crockta¡¯s adventure wasn¡¯t over, and the broadcastingwork was happy that they would once again be able to hit high ratings. The opportunity to rebrand their image remained for the Heaven and Earth n. In the midst of all that, a yer raised a suspicion in the Elder Lordmunity. ¡¸Author: Evening Game¡¹ ¡¸Title: [Must Read] Crockta may be a yer.txt¡¹ ¡¸I am a professional lurker who has been watching Crockta. To begin with the conclusion, I think Crockta is a yer. Not long ago in the battle of Ogochai, I witnessed a strange scene when Crockta was in danger. Time passes differently in Elder Lordpared to reality. Thus, even though it were a stream, it would be no different from a recorded broadcast. In other words, the video would have to be slowed down since the recorded video is fast-forwarded. So, the Under Games channel edits unnecessary parts in real-time to maximize realism. The reason why Under Games broadcast is much faster than Heaven and Earth Streamer¡¯s broadcast is the editing. I¡¯m not sure about those who have only watched the Under Games channel, but in Heaven and Earth Streamer¡¯s video, the members of the Heaven and Earth n peeked at Crockta¡¯s forehead when he was in a perilous situation. I think they saw something. So I asked an executive of the Heaven and Earth n whom I personally know. Apparently, the n members saw something white between the gaps of the headband at that time. They did not see it properly, so they tried to pull away the headband. However, they failed and could not confirm it. Come to think of it, have any of us ever seen Crockta¡¯s forehead? Even in Laney¡¯s video where he first appeared, he wore a ck bandana, andter on, he switched to a headband. Although NPCs can wear headbands, it is a little suspicious. Besides, as you have all seen, when the members of Praise the Orc were about to be subjected to the concrete method, Crockta threw his body to kill them. These days, NPCs know about the concrete method, but the weird thing is that he tried to save them while jumping directly into danger. If Crockta is a yer, then this would be understandable. People all think that he is an NPC, so he won¡¯t have to worry about being subjected to the concrete method, and if he died, he woulde back to life. In conclusion, he was able to do that because he has unlimited lives. Even when Crockta fought against the Haedong Balhae n in the past, there was a record that Crockta used the concrete method on the members of the Haedong Balhae n. At the time, we thought he was just a scary NPC, but if we assume Crockta is a yer, then it would be a reasonable action. Let¡¯s assume Crockta is a yer and imagine how monstrous he must be. First of all, his level must be very high. His achievement score would also be very high. He would definitely be a ranker. Looking at the Rankers rating in Elder Lord, the current No.1 is Choi Han-Sung. Then who is in second ce? It¡¯s ¡®Mystery¡¯. A private ranker whose information has not been disclosed. I think Mystery is Crockta. From amon-sense standpoint, if you be a ranker, you will be a star. But if the No.2 Ranker chose to be a private ranker, wouldn¡¯t there be a reason for that? Mystery is level 142 now. It is much higher than Choi Han-Sung¡¯s level. If you be a ranker, you will inevitably stand out no matter what you do. But no one knows anything about this level 142 monster. If Mystery is Crockta, then everything could be exined. 1. Crockta¡¯s forehead 2. The Concrete Method 3. The identity of Mystery, the No.2 Ranker in Elder Lord Because of these three points, I think Crockta is a yer. Of course, there is a good chance that he is not a yer. In fact, Crockta¡¯s movements did not make sense for a yer. I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if it wasn¡¯t for the torn headband. He will fight the Heaven and Earth n again soon, so I hope it will be revealed by then. ¡¹ This post caught people¡¯s attention. Soon, there was a conflict between the opinion that it made sense and that it was a wild guess. ¡¸©¸ Conspiracy Theory Out: The dedicated fans are solving conspiracy theories even in games now ©¸ Nodnod Bang: That¡¯s possible. There is strong suspicion, but there is no physical evidence. ©¸Post-It: You should take a wild guess in moderation kekekekeke. The aunties selling bread in Maird Fountain also wear headbands, are they yers too? Kekeke does that mean if they cover their forehead, they are yers? Kekekeke ©¸China Road: Putting all aside, I am quite curious about Mystery¡¯s identity. If he is level 142... It cannot be exined unless it really is Crockta, no? Kekeke. Even if it¡¯s not Crockta, he is definitely pretending to be an NPC... I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s no other among the yers ©¸Food Fighter: Shut up, whether he is a yer or not, Crockta hyung-nim will destroy the Heaven and Earth n ©¸Barley Tree: I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a yer... I don¡¯t want to see an Orc bastard. It would be great if Rommel just wins ©¸Om: Barley Tree// Shut up ©¸Barley Tree: Heaven and Earth Bar// Yes future orc, yes future puny mob. Keep up the good work ©¸I Love Orc: If Crockta hyung-nim is really a yer, I would like to meet him and have a drink with him ©¸Lukaku no9: Crockta is a real yer, he¡¯s a hyung-nim I know kekeke ©¸Barley Tree: Lukaku no9// Yes Mr. Exaggerate ©¸(Load morements) ¡¹ All of this had sparked the people¡¯s interest. The Heaven and Earth n marshaled their troops and began to march. Their goal was Cathalu, the center of Espada. Crockta was there too. Now, the empire and the Heaven and Earth n were moving toward their final goal in their rise to prominence. *** Crockta touched the worn-out helmet. It was a ck and sturdy steel helmet. Although some cuts and scratches had formed over the years, the frame was strong. It was Lenox¡¯s helmet. The faint smudges reflecting off the surface were the blood of the enemies that Lenox had cut down. Perhaps the blood of the dead Lenox also remained smudged on the helmet somewhere. Crockta couldn¡¯t bear to wear it on his head and ced it on hisp. Tashaquil¡¯s note was concise. ¡¸You will need this, oh great warrior. ¡¹ He sent Lenox¡¯s helmet via Simba. On the way here, Simba met Kumarak, and he apanied Simba as he was interested in Tashaquil¡¯s traces. However, Crockta could not figure out what Tashaquil meant that this would be necessary. Crockta blinked. ¡°Crockta! Let¡¯s eat! Come out!¡± ¡°I¡¯lle out soon,¡± Crockta replied. Despite saying so, he sat on the bed and did not move. He touched Lenox¡¯s helmet and let out a sigh. Then, he walked to the window and looked down on the streets of Cathalu. They were busy preparing for the uing battle. Everyone was weaving a tree to make a barrier, and they gathered wood. After that, they proceeded to build walls and barricades. Their expression was not dark. They were filled with hope. Kumarak and Crockta, Tiyo and Anor¡ªas people like them had joined them, they began to see hope. They started to believe that they could win. However, Crockta saw despair in their hopeful faces. He looked at everyone in front of him, and he said he could foresee a tragedy. They would end up dying in the near future. ¡°Damn it...¡± It was the bizarre phenomenon he felt while shaking hands with the leader of this ce, Guardi. Since then, his perspective had changed. The ¡®Eyes of the Ashen God¡¯ continued to activate. Crockta could not control it the way he wished to. He had to face the unwanted deaths of people. That was referring to the deaths of everyone. Kyahaha. He heard a crackle ofughter. It was a child. The child, who was nowughing and running down the street, would soon be dead. The mother running after the child, smiling, would also die. He saw the deaths of those armed soldiers walking side by side as well. Everyone within his sight would die in one day. Crockta wanted to look away, but he couldn¡¯t. The passing parade and the people working... he had to face the same number of deaths as the people within his sight. ¡°Crockta! Aren¡¯t youing?!¡± Tiyo was jumping up while looking at him below the building. Anor and Kumarak stood beside him, and Simba was yawning. ¡°Go ahead first. I¡¯ll catch up soon.¡± Crockta replied. As he watched hispanions walk away, Crockta closed his eyes. They were no exceptions too. Everyone and everything in Cathalu would soon die. There were no exceptions. The buildings, livestock, animals, soldiers, young adults, children, and elderly, women and men alike, death was looming over all their heads. Crockta could not bear to face the terrible sight and closed his eyes. The darkness calmed him down. ¡°Damn...¡± Everyone died in Ogochai too, and the tragedy would repeat here. The imperial army¡¯s numbers were clearly overwhelming, and they were merciless. There was a precedent in Ogochai, so this time they would put more effort into destroying Cathalu. Crockta wanted to turn a blind eye. If he closed his eyes, he would not have to see more deaths. How could he watch the cold death looming above those he held dear? He would rather look away. Suddenly, he felt the rough surface of the helmet at his fingertips. ¡°Lenox.¡± This was what he meant. He inherited the warrior¡¯smandments from Lenox. Now that he was about to crumble in despair, Lenox¡¯s determination hade back to him in the form of a helmet. Perhaps Tashaquil foresaw all of this. He should not crumble like this. He had to stand back up somehow. He was not just an ordinary orc. He was a fighter, a warrior. A warrior does not give up. ¡°An indomitable will.¡± That was always the answer. Crockta opened his eyes. Suddenly, something white fluttered and white ashes scattered all over the area. ¡°...¡± He was no longer in the room. A world covered with ashes, a white world with countless stars floating in the sky. It was her. ¡°I wanted to see you.¡± The Ashen God smiled brightly. Chapter 168: Crockta (1)

Chapter 168: Crockta (1)

He looked down at the palm of his hand. It was a human¡¯s hand. He went back to being Yi-An again. He looked up. This space had not changed since his previous visit. The ashes covering the world, the dark blue night, the faint white dwarf stars filling the sky, and her. ¡°What happened? Why did you show up again?¡± Yi-An asked in a weary voice. ¡°You don¡¯t look happy, huh?¡± ¡°Do you think I would be?¡± Yi-An stared at her. Everything was caused by her. Because of the Elder Lord that she created, countless peoplemitted ughter without feeling any guilt. Now, even hispanions would die. The power of the Ashen God that he received from her allowed him to see the looming deaths, messing up his vision to the point that he could not open his eyes. She grinned. ¡°You¡¯re always working hard, Crockta.¡± ¡°Hurry up and stop the war.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°You said that ce is your world, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She waved. Then, the dark blue night sky and faint stars disappeared, and thendscape of the continent appeared in the sky. Cathalu could be seen, and the citizens were preparing to fight. Everyone was busy. The point of view moved. It moved through the ins and showed the imperial army¡¯s military camp. The troops were reinforced, and knights under the Emperor¡¯smand also joined in. It was arge army. If they began their march, Cathalu would disappear off the face of the world, just like the deaths he had seen looming over people¡¯s heads. ¡°How do you feel about the Eyes of the Ashen God?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gruesome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The view disyed in the sky moved. It hovered above Cathalu again. The Eyes of the Ashen God ovepped above the people. Yi-An was bbergasted. Once again, a death mark rose above the heads of all living beings there. There was not much time left. The enemy would begin advancing, and everyone would die before the day ended tomorrow. The citizens were desperately preparing for battle, not knowing the fate that was toe. ¡°It is gruesome.¡± She picked up a handful of ash from the ground and dropped it mid-air. ¡°Because it is gruesome, I actually hope that they all die in the war.¡± Yi-An closed his eyes. In the end, the destruction of Cathalu was what she hoped for. The Ashen God was still ying her game. She did not reveal her intentions or her goals, and neither could Yi-An figure it out. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your intentions are, but if you say that you are killing them to save someone, I won¡¯t stand for it.¡± ¡°Hoho, is that so?¡± Sheughed. The view of the continent was erased. A dark night sky returned to this world again, with faint stars flickering. The wind blew and the ash powder was scattered in the air. Her appearance gradually changed. She looked like a little girl just before, but now, she looked like an adult. Her hair was as radiant as the moving sky at dawn. She opened her lips. ¡°Oh, child.¡± She spoke to Yi-An with the voice of God. ¡°Oh child, stricken in fear from the sight of the countless deaths.¡± The world transformed. Everything was erased. There was no ash powder, nor was there a sky. Only a deep darkness remained. The two of them faced each other. In the pitch ck of nothingness, she was the only one faintly shining. ¡°Look.¡± The scene of Cathalu resurfaced before Yi-An¡¯s eyes. It was the view over Cathalu that he saw when he shook hands with Guardi. Everyone¡¯s death was reflected in his eyes. The entire city died. No one would¡¯ve been able to survive. The dwindling countdown of their lives was disyed above their heads, they were gradually running towards a tragedy. At some point, he could see their death with a stronger force. He could see a dead body in the eyes of a smiling child. He could see a soldier being beheaded while holding his weapon and praying. In the city, instead of the scent of flowers, internal organs, and a rotten stench were scattered all over. When he saw the burning ruins of the once beautiful temple, he witnessed the pale sight of a dead body that had lost the expression on its once smiling face. He sawplete devastation in a vibrant city. He saw the end of everything within his view. He retched. ¡®This is my view.¡¯ Yi-An wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t. The tragedy in Cathalu surged throughout his body. He deeply realized that it was inevitable. They would die. People would die eventually. Inevitable death surrounded that ce. He understood that he could not stop it with his own power. ¡°I see death all the time. Life is the process of converging toward death. So, I am trying to save everyone.¡± Yi-An gritted his teeth. For some reason, her words, ¡®saving through death¡¯, sounded reasonable. Since no one could be saved, it was only fair to give a reason for death. ¡°Run away.¡± Crockta looked at her. ¡°I value you. Your work is not done. Hurry up and get out of there. If you run away, you will be safe. Your death does not belong there.¡± It was a gentle voice. She came close to Crockta in front of his ear and whispered on his nape. It felt as if she opened up his skull and teased him with her sweet tongue. ¡°You don¡¯t always have to me yourself for these ordeals. No one will me you even If you take it easy sometimes.¡± Was that so? Yi-An closed his eyes. He always took the hard path. During his short life, he never took it easy for his own sake before. That was why hardships were ratherfortable for him. ¡°It¡¯s not time for you to die yet.¡± Yi-An wanted to ask her more about it, so he tried to speak. However, when he opened his eyes again, he was now alone in the room. He came back to Cathalu from her ashen world. ¡°I hope it was just a dream.¡± He averted his eyes and saw a bird flying outside the window. The death foreordained for that bird was still a long way off. It was free and lookedfortable. The bird¡¯s wings could bring it anywhere it wanted at any time. It did not have to be responsible anywhere, and it could fly following the wind. Crockta picked up his greatsword. His face was faintly reflected on it. He was an orc warrior with green-colored skin. He did not see any death mark above his head. He was not able to see his own death. However, ording to the words of the Ashen God, it was still not time for his death. ¡®No one will me you even If you take it easy sometimes.¡¯ He had lived carrying the burden of others. There was no need for him to suffer from every death here. He had put in enough effort. Who would me him for throwing the towel once in such a hopeless fight? He could take it easy and think of Elder Lord as just a game, just like everyone else did. He could leave Cathalu and travel around Elder Lord, live as a ranker, and use the ie earned to live afortable life with her sister in the real world. He could sometimesugh with Han Yeo-Ri and Yoo Soo-Yeon while running the cafe, watch Yi-Yoo graduate, have coffee with Ji Ha-Yeon now and then, and work out with Baek Han-Ho. As he lived his life, perhaps he would be able to meet a lover who would be with him forever. He had never imagined it. He tried imagining such a scenario, which he thought didn¡¯t apply to him. In his old age, he might even be sitting around with his children and smiling at his grandchildren. Krooong. A sudden sound startled Crockta. It came from the ck steel helmet rolling on the floor. It bore a crude appearance that erased all his sweet thoughts. Crockta picked it up. Although cuts and scratches would form over the years, the frame was still sturdy. Crockta ran his hand through the rough surface. The scars of battle remained. Every cut engraved on the helmet was filled with the memories of the warrior. *** ¡°Crockta, are you not eating?!¡± After eating, Tiyo quickly ran up and opened the door. For a short moment, the wind blew, causing his hair to flutter. ¡°Huh?¡± There was no one in the room. The window was open and the outside air was blowing. The big orc warrior, who would usually be wiping the greatsword diligently on the bed was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Tiyo looked around the room and stepped inside. There wasn¡¯t anyone there. The backpack the Crockta carried during the trip was still leaning on the side of the bed. ¡°What is going on?¡± Where did the orc, who would clean up a whole pot of food easily once his engine started, go? Was he going to skip a meal? There was no way. ¡°This orc bastard, did he perhaps find a tasty hidden restaurant?¡± He might have found a very delicious restaurant without the others knowing. Tiyo thought that Crockta was acting strange. He clearly went to eat alone. ¡°I¡¯m going to interrogate him.¡± Tiyo jumped up on the fluffy bed. He moved his butt up and down, then he suddenly looked at the window. A crow was sitting by the window staring at him with an insolent gaze. Tiyo did not back down and stared back at it. Just like that, a bird and a gnome had a staring contest. Then, the crow soon cawed and flew out from the window with a grotesque, almost sneering smile. ¡°What a foul bird.¡± Tiyo got up from the bed. In any case, Crockta was missing. *** The screen opened and an image popped up. The screens that decorated the streets, and the video panels hung on the buildings, all of them suddenly changed channels. People walking down the street wondered what was going on. Soon, the channel name appeared on the top right of the screen. It was the Under Games channel. At that moment, the passersby had a hunch of the content being broadcasted. The faces of thementators and the castor appeared with a stiffened expression. It seemed like they were in a hurry. They were all staring at the camera for a while, and when the cue sign was given, they all spoke at the same time. -This is emergency breaking news. *** Crockta was moving away from Cathalu. Now, he was so far away that he could not even see the outline of Cathalu. With every step he took walking toward the horizon, his heart grew more relieved. It was not time for him to die yet. It was literally as she said. There was a path in front of him. Every time he moved, the death marks in his eyes changed color. Every step of the way, the world was distorted and the people¡¯s fate was stirred up. He looked up at the sky, and there was no crow in sight. ¡°Is this your choice?¡± Crockta looked in the direction where the voice came from. The Ashen God, donning a translucent and hazy appearance, appeared. Crockta was not surprised. He smiled and continued to walk. ¡°What a fool.¡± Crockta carried his greatsword on his shoulder. One sword was all that he needed. As he walked alone, he began humming. He had things to do beyond the horizon. He felt clearer than ever. He was a warrior, and he was the greatest expert inbat. In other words, he would be more skilled than anyone in the things he would do in the future. People like him never got nervous. With a calm mind, he would face the most important moments as if he were dealing with an ordinary routine. His mind was clear, and he distinctly saw the image of the world. Once in a while, his field of view swapped between clear and blurry. His body reached the Pinnacle automatically. As he took a single step while in the Pinnacle-tier which transcended speed, he reached the Hero-tier, and then back to the Pinnacle-tier. He went back and forth. He was in his best condition. The Ashen God spoke again, ¡°You can still go back now.¡± Crockta said in response, ¡°Is today still not the day I die?¡± The Ashen God did not answer. Crockta was walking to his own death. If he died when it was not his fate to die, then it would be possible for those fated to die to live. He was trying to defy the foreseen death and the Eyes of the Ashen God. With every step he took, he was causing a stir toward the world''s fate. The Ashen God said with an angry face, ¡°What a foolish act.¡± ¡°Yes. You have always been like this.¡± She waved her hand. A hallucination disrupted Crockta¡¯s vision, showing him the distant past. On a day with heavy rain, he met a man and a woman. They looked down at Yi-An and held his hand. From that day onward, he was to call them ¡®Father¡¯ and ¡®Mother¡¯. ¡°You always observe other people¡¯s feelings, walking around eggshells around them, and sacrificing for them.¡± His adoptive parents, who were likely permanently infertile, ended up conceiving a child. Even as he felt his parents¡¯ attitude toward him change, Yi-An congratted them. Everything fun was given to the baby, and he had to shoulder all the difficult things. ¡°You always sacrificed yourself. For your sister, and for your parents who treated you poorly. When your parents died, you jumped into the battlefield on your own ord for the sake of your sister, who depended on you, acting like a baby. All while not being rted by blood.¡± The shootings, the silent walking, and the missions in life-or-death situations. The sad and wearisome days passed when he had to kill the enemy and sometimes send hispanions to the afterlife without pain. ¡°You fought for the sake of your sister, you stepped forward to save yourpanions on the battlefield, and you even took up the most dangerous missions. That¡¯s who you are. Jung Yi-An, your birth was despair for your birth parents. You survived and were born unwantedly, abandoned at the same time as you were born. Nevertheless, you struggled while caring for others. You are a pitiful deviation.¡± The Ashen God stood in Crockta¡¯s way and said, ¡°Where did your instincte from? Do you have any selfish genes at all? In a world where you die if you don¡¯t cooperate, are you nothing more than just a hypocrite adapted to nature? Then, how do you exin your instinct of moving forward without stopping even in the face of death?¡± Crockta walked past her. His objectives were visible under the hill. She followed behind Crockta and whispered, ¡°You can still run away.¡± Crockta shook his head. The Ashen God¡¯s expression was distorted. ¡°Fine. See for yourself. You are just a hypocrite.¡± At that moment, something flickered. Crockta frowned. The Ashen God¡¯s appearance faded even more, and an unknown force flowed out of her. The system message popped up. [Assimtion System Limit removed.] [Your assimtion is increasing.] [Your assimtion is increasing.] [Your assimtion is increasing.] [Your assimtion...] Crockta shook his head and turned off the message window. The Ashen God was staring at him. [Assimtion 100%.] [You are fully assimted.] [Your safety cannot be guaranteed. It is dangerous.] [Warning.] [Assimtion 100%.] [You are fully assimted.] [It is dangerous.] Chapter 169: Crockta (2)

Chapter 169: Crockta (2)

The Ashen God said, ¡°Now, Crockta.¡± ¡°You are here now. Elder Lord is a world on a different dimension than Earth, but I broke the boundaries with my power and brought you here.¡± She pushed her face up close to Crockta. ¡°If you die here, you will die for good. Your sister and your loved ones will never be able to meet the man known as Yi-An. They will only be able to mourn while staring at your cold dead body.¡± The Ashen God, a fallen God, was the mysterious being who created Elder Lord. She connected Jung Yi-An¡¯s soul to this world. 100% assimtion was the final number that connected everything. Now, he was both Jung Yi-An and Crockta, and their deaths were connected. If he died here, there would be no ce for his soul to return. He would die for good. Crockta¡¯s face twitched. There was an unknown emotion in his gaze, uncertain of whether it contained anger or sadness. The Ashen God said, ¡°Are you afraid? Do you regret it? If you change your mind right now...¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± Hisughter cut her off. The Ashen God kept quiet. Crockta wasughing, and a deepughter resonated. ¡°Oh Ashen God. You said it yourself, but you have no idea what it truly means, huh.¡± Crockta looked up at the sky. The blue sky of Elder Lord stretched infinitely. She didn¡¯t have to tell him for him to know. The moment the assimtion rate reached its peak, he could feel that he truly crossed over to this world. The tip of his soul was not brought here by the capsule and the Ashen God¡¯s power, but rather, his whole being had crossed over. The wind blew past his skin and the smell of dirt came up from the ground. The beating of his heart pumping blood, and the palpitations of the ground felt under his feet. The zing sun and even the Ashen God¡¯s eyes were staring at him. He could truly feel everything. He was now Crockta. He was born in thisnd and became a warrior, receiving Lenox¡¯s teachings. He was an orc warrior who proved his honor through many battles, he was none other than Crockta, the ¡®Northern Conqueror¡¯. ¡°It is as you said, I am Crockta now.¡± He lifted the greatsword. ¡°I am Crockta, a warrior recognized by Tashaquil, Lenox¡¯s sessor and Hoyt¡¯s friend. I inherited the warrior¡¯smandments at Orcrox. I saved Arnin, protected Chesswood, and rescued Quantes out of danger. I killed Behemoth with Shakhan and opened up the North. Then, I crossed over to the northern region and killed the chieftain, bing the chieftain of the northern region myself, the Northern Conqueror. Now, I am Crockta, an orc warrior who decided to get rid of the empire.¡± His steps came to a halt at once. He could see the imperial army camping down the hill. They would burn down Cathalu before tomorrow ends. He lifted his greatsword. The brilliant light reflecting the sunlight shone down on them. There was amotion in the area of the imperial army he discovered. The Ashen God was at a loss for words. Crockta burst intoughter. He couldn¡¯t have felt more perfect. A sense of unity with the world enveloped him. His body entered the Pinnacle realm. The world slowed down, and he could feel the pping wings of a flying bird, the air current stirred by it, as well as the course of the wind. He did not hesitate even when the world¡¯s fate changed with every step he took. Now, he truly belonged to this world. The brilliant light running through the world entered his eyes. Crockta picked up the helmet he hung on his side. He unfurled the red headband loosely tied around his head and let it get blown away in the wind. Then, he wore Lenox¡¯s steel helmet. His heart was pounding hard. At that moment, the fate of the world waspletely overturned. The fate of death converging towards the end was overturned, and the scheduled deaths crumbled one after another. Crockta¡¯s movements, which were unprecedented in this world, erased the death mark targeting everyone¡¯s heads. He could no longer see any death mark now. The scheduled deaths have lost their way. Purple. The light Crockta saw in his fight with Adantadore, was an indescribable color. The flickering light seemed to pass through the entire world, vibrating weakly. It pushed Crockta on his back. The world pushed Crockta on his back. First, he took a step forward, and then two more. The imperial army was now fully aware of Crockta¡¯s emergence. Crockta climbed the gentle slopes of the hill and made his way toward them. He could see the face of a person talking in his direction from afar. It was the streamer who followed the Heaven and Earth n around. Crockta averted his gaze and saw Rommel. Rommel¡¯s face stiffened. It was an expression that seemed to imply he was shocked and in disbelief. Cainz was next to him. He was the leader of the Haedong Balhae n, and he was the man who killed Lenox. The one mumbling next to him was probably Grom¡ªno, he was now known as Luin. It was that bastard, Hyun-Chul. He could see the Blue Dragon Knights and the White Lion Knights. Among them was also Adantadore, who went separate ways. The whole imperial army entered his view. Crocktaughed in a low tone. He faced the entire imperial army, and the overwhelming number of presences overwhelmed him. It was a pleasant pressure. Now that all the scheduled deaths lost their way, they began to bear their fangs at Crockta, hovering around him. Perhaps today, those death marks would bite Crockta. Even if so, it did not matter. Now, with the old steel helmet on his head, with the eyes of Lenox and the fallen orc warriors, who stood tall in the face of death, he faced his enemies head-on. He held his head up high against fate. Bul¡¯tar. *** The imperial army cleared up the military camp and Rommel walked out. Their eyes met and they looked into each other¡¯s gaze. They could read each other¡¯s resolution with just that. Neither Crockta nor Rommel came to negotiate or do anything else. They would spare no effort to kill each other. An infinitely impossible war, and Crockta¡¯s movement, which Rommel could not understand. Rommel asked, ¡°Do you think you can stop us by yourself?¡± Crockta smiled instead of answering. Rommel spoke again, ¡°Why are you standing in your way?¡± He could not understand. They could not understand loyalty because they had never had it. They have never resisted injustice, and they took injustice for granted. The two of them were so different and they were standing on differentnds, only looking at each other from afar. ¡°Then why are you attacking them?¡± Crockta asked back instead. Rommel¡¯s face stiffened. He peeked sideways, checking the position of the cameramen witnessing everything. The world was watching them. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because...¡± He carefully chose his words. It was a very obvious question, but he was not able to answer. For what reason did he raise an army and spread suffering and tragedy in this world? At this moment, Crockta could feel that it was not just Earth, the entire world of Elder Lord was also watching him. The Ashen God was now gone, but the many Gods of Elder Lord were looking down, the sky and thend, all were watching him. Rommel continued speaking, ¡°Because they are our enemy.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°If you stand in our way any further, you will also be our enemy.¡± ¡°Did you alle this far by betraying your own faith and ughtering innocent people, piging their money and equipment?¡± Rommel gave a very crude excuse. Crocktaughed out loud in response. ¡°Human beings who know neither shame nor honor.¡± ¡°As you can see, I am an elf. Are you perhaps a yer?¡± Crockta shifted his gaze. Rommel was no longer on his mind. He looked at the g of the imperial army and the huge army gathering under it. He was now Crockta, an orc warrior who understood both worlds. For him, this fight was unavoidable. It was a battle he naturally had to fight in. However, both the Gods of this world watching him, and the humans would not be able to understand it. Let alone Rommel, even the emperor and the people watching the scene through the screen would tilt their heads. One orc against a legion of soldiers. It was a reckless fight. Why was he still standing here? Why did he insist on fighting a battle that was destined for ruin? If they were curious why he stood on such an impossible battlefield, he would dly let them know. He wanted them to listen carefully. *** ¡°I am an orc and I am a warrior.¡± He was a member of the orc species who had adhered to the forgotten traces of faith. Moreover, he was a warrior who had vowed to prove that honor was more important than death. Lenox had never died. The orc warrior they were looking at now was Crockta but also Lenox, he was Gultai but also Kinjur. He embodied all those warriors they thought they had killed. They had not killed any of them. ¡°A warrior does not give up on the faithful.¡± Hoyt taught him faith. In this finite world where birth and death flickered, they hoped that their life would not be in vain. They believed that life had meaning, and they never betrayed the trust connecting people. A warrior would not tolerate such a tragedy. ¡°A warrior does not persecute the weak.¡± Warriors were those who did not give up. A warrior was not someone who brought others into submission. The logic of power was only an excuse for the unrighteous. Those who persecute the weak would only give in to those stronger than them. Such unmanly behavior was not allowed for warriors. ¡°A warrior does not attack the unarmed.¡± Those who killed an enemy who have lost their will to fight, those who killed an enemy who have abandoned their weapons... those were the ones who fought to take away something. Warriors fought to protect. They did not go out of their way to kill their enemies who had lost their will to fight. Warriors always escaped death, and thus, they understood the weight of death. ¡°A warrior does not sumb to injustice.¡± Death was inevitable for all beings. Giving in to injustice would basically be giving in to death, and it would be an act of insulting their journey leading from life to death. A warrior must prove that death is not the end. They believed that they only temporarily rose to the universe and that they were not just dust particles. They did not fear death and they moved ording to their beliefs. ¡°A warrior does not do anything shameful to God.¡± ¡®They¡¯ came as a voice, acting as ¡®their¡¯ eyes. ¡®They¡¯ were always watching over them, pushing the backs of the lonely people. ¡®They¡¯ alwaysforted the warriors so that they would not be afraid of spears and swords so that their determination and will were not broken. They were vignt so that the hands of the Gods would not leave them. ¡°A warrior pays back grace and vengeance.¡± People may forget, but warriors must remember. They did not forget grace and vengeance. There was a price for everything, and there was retribution for thews of causality. Although heaven¡¯s reach was sparse, the sinners were never overlooked. As such, warriors would never turn a blind eye to grace and vengeance. ¡°A warrior protects the weak.¡± The world was harsh and sometimes unfair. Some say that the world was a product of chance. However, the warriors never agreed nor did they resign to it. The universe was not a coincidence, and the world was not just dust particles. There was definitely meaning to time and space. Therefore, to prove it, warriors must prove their faith by taking up arms personally if some were unjustly persecuted. They believed that thew of the jungle did not prevail in the world and that there was something precious between life and death. Thus, they swore. ¡°I swear to God by thesemandments.¡± *** Crockta lifted the Ogre yer. This de had experienced countless fights alongside him. What he needed was not a dazzling famed sword nor a one-of-a-kind great artifact. Without change, all he needed was his battle buddy, which fitted perfectly in his palms. He already possessed that battle buddy. ¡°I shall prove my honor.¡± His statement was over. Now, no one would ask why he stood there, why he fought there, or why he held his greatsword and chose the path of destruction instead of running away. Thus, it was time to swing his sword. Crockta looked at them. The imperial army could not believe the sight in front of their eyes. They were only facing a single enemy. However, only one enemy¡¯s spirit instilled such fear in them. They raised their weapons, trying to shake off the creeping fear. Crockta smiled. It did not matter to him what state his enemies were in. Whether they were strong or weak, it was not within his jurisdiction. The only thing within his control was the greatsword in his grasp and his own body. That was all. A sense of unity with the world elevated him. He was currently Crockta, and Elder Lord was his reality. Spears and swords were pointed at him before his eyes, and the death marks that lost their way were revealing their teeth in search of prey. All the possibilities were falling towards his death. Therefore, he had to lift his head. Lenox¡¯s death changed everything. At that moment, he truly stood with his own two feet in the world of Elder Lord. He was finally able to understand the orcs of that fateful day, who burst intoughter despite being in the face of death. The wind blew. Within the wind, Crockta felt like he could overhear the voices of the old warriors whispering. Their questions were always the same. ¡®Are you alive?¡¯ He did not know then. He could not answer then. However, now, he could answer. The corners of his mouth curled up. He grinned andughter broke out of control. He raised his head, puffed his chest, and lifted his sword. Then, he said to Rommel, to the human army surrounding him, and to the world, ¡°Come, human!¡± Chapter 170: Siege War (1)

Chapter 170: Siege War (1)

With Crockta¡¯s words, a silent stillness prevailed. He just dered that he would stand alone against the imperial army. Rommel and the imperial army in front of him kept quiet. The ins were silent. ¡°Is that so?¡± Soon, Rommel turned his horse around and raised his hand. He issued an order to attack. However, the moment he was about to move to the back of the formation, Crockta jumped forward, with no intention of letting him go. The two knights guarding Rommel raised their swords in a hurry. nggg! One of the knight¡¯s swords was split apart. The horse went wild as it was stricken by fear due to Crockta¡¯s killing intent. The knight grabbed the reins and hung on. Rommel quickly left the scene, thus Crockta missed the opportunity. Crockta cut down the knights and horses alike and smiled with blood spurting everywhere. The battle was about to begin, and therge army spread out. They did not move, but if they didn¡¯te, Crockta would go to them. Crockta began to run, and the Ogre yer seemed to rumble. It seemed excited about the feast that was toe. The same was true for Crockta. The soldiers still could note to their senses, and they were faltering. If they could not concentrate, they would die. Crockta leaped. He faced the imperial army with his greatsword. He brandished his greatsword, and the first line of defense crashed with Crockta. nk! The soldiers were sent flying in unison. Crockta stepped on them and cut down the next row of soldiers. As Crockta cut down the soldiers in front of him and pushed further inside, the formation¡¯s trail grew longer and he was gradually surrounded. However, he did not care. Wasn¡¯t a close-quarters battle without a retreat route an indescribable charm? He swung his greatsword and cut his enemies, dyeing thend with a fountain of blood. An individual against an army. It was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous number, with enemies surrounding him in all directions. However, the army was the one being cut down. This was because it was not enough to just surround him in all directions to kill him. Crockta cleaved the enemies in front of him with a cross-cut. With an explosive attack, the sound of a st resonated. ¡°Is that what you all amount to©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± His battle cry shook the entire army. Crockta took a step forward, and the imperial army got out of the way simultaneously. Crockta burst outughing and struck with his greatsword. His enemies suffered a tragic death. The swordsing at him from all directions did not reach him. Now that his assimtion rate had reached 100%, Crockta¡¯s senses were sharper than ever. He gave everything he had on the battlefield, and he was able to sense everything. He could feel everything¡ªfrom his enemies¡¯ killing intent that crept up their skin, to the trajectory of their sword being swung out of fear, and even to their fine hairs shaking. ¡°Try and kill me ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Staring at Rommel¡¯s perplexed face, the corner of Crockta¡¯s lips curled up. The soldier standing beside Crockta was dead with his neck twisted, and Crockta took away his spear. Then, he swung Ogre yer around to secure some space, causing the enemies to crumble. In the gap that formed, Crockta threw the spear at Rommel, ripping through the air. It pierced through two soldiers and one knight. Nevertheless, the spear did not lose its momentum and continued to fly toward Rommel¡¯s heart. Without looking at the oue, Crockta turned around again. It was one or the other, either he died or survived. He decided to focus on the soldiers charging at him instead. The moment the spears and swords shed, he realized that the enemies'' faces were familiar. He saw those faces in Ogochai. Delighted, he decapitated their heads, causing blood to stter. The soldiers were floundering as their vision was blocked, and they were split into two. Their upper bodies were entangled with their lower bodies, and they copsed to the ground. Crockta kicked their internal organs out of his way. Instead of stopping, he swung his greatsword down at the enemies who were stepping backward at the terrible sight. His enemies¡¯ bodies split into two, and their mushy internal organs flowed out. ¡°Rommel ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta called out the names of his enemies. ¡°Cainz©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The faces of those being called turned pale. ¡°Luin©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta struck the crowded enemies with the t side of his sword. The soldiers stepped back out of fear. Some space formed around Crockta, there were no enemies in the gap around him. He swung his greatsword down now that his opponents were not around. He dug up the dead bodies and tore them apart, reducing their limbs to mere scraps of meat scattering around. Crocktaughed. The soldiers were frightened. His enemies¡¯ fear was his ally. Crockta, covered in blood and flesh, continued shouting. ¡°Betrong©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± He could sense them flinching in the distance. It was at the forefront where the g of the White Lion Knights was fluttering. Why were they not charging at him? They used the pitiful soldiers as meat shields at the front, so why haven¡¯t those distinguished knights shown up yet? ¡°Bleuno©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± At that moment, he called out the name of the Blue Dragon Lancers¡¯mander. If they didn¡¯te, he would go to them himself. Crockta swung his sword crazily as he made his way forward. Like a grinder, the soldiers that stood in his way were shredded to pieces. They were cut, split apart, and stabbed. He worked steadily and repeatedly, paving the path forward. However, reinforcements were sent, and he once again cut, sliced and stabbed. ¡°Adantadore©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Adantadore could be seen standing next to Rommel. Rommel was bleeding from his side. Crockta¡¯s spear missed. The reason why Crcokta¡¯s spear missed its mark was probably because of Adantadore. Crockta saw Adantadore¡¯s pupils dte. He could see drops of sweat trickling down Adantadore¡¯s eyelids, and his lips were quivering. Crocktaughed again. His elevated senses could even capture his heart beating like crazy. Didn¡¯t he tell them? They better hope they never meet him on the battlefield. Crockta shouted again, ¡°Come at me©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The ground rumbled. Rommel clenched his teeth and signaled. Themand g moved. Then, arrows poured down at Crockta. In response, Crockta grabbed a soldier and used him as a shield. The arrows prated his body. Instead of him, the surrounding soldiers were sacrificed and shot down. The blood of the dead soldier ran down Crockta¡¯s forearm. The ground around him was sprawled with corpses, and arrows were embedded on top of them like beehives. They abandoned their allies out of fear. ¡°Kekeke.¡± Rommel. Did he only amount to this much? Crockta tossed the body away. Then, he grinned, staring at Rommel. The remaining soldiers hesitated. They did not approach like before after they saw theirpanions being sacrificed. Crockta strolled along with his greatsword over his shoulder. The soldiers backed up. They were retreating. The gap between him and the imperial army did not close. Soon, the space for the crowd of soldiers reached the limit. As they were no longer able to retreat, the soldiers crouched down and held up their weapons pathetically. Themand g fluttered a few times and it began issuing a new signal. The knights¡¯ g began to move away from the formation. They circled the perimeter to prepare for the cavalry charge. Soon, the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves began to hasten. The first to react was the infantries. They ran away in a hurry so as to not be swept up by the charge. Gradually, the knights¡¯ g approached closer. Crockta followed behind the soldiers as they were turning tail, moving deeper inside. The formation was in pure chaos. Crockta ughtered those who stood in his way and ventured deeper into the formation. He was in the middle of the soldiers yet again. The running soldiers did not stop. Themand g did not order a retreat. The cavalries trampled on the soldiers and continued to charge at Crockta. At that, screams burst out from various ces. Crockta lowered his posture and cut the ankle of one of the horses. The horse fell and crashed against the infantries. Instead of being of help, the knights¡¯ cavalry charge was a disaster for their friendly troops. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we were on the same team.¡± Crockta ridiculed them. It was not unreasonable for them to self-destruct. Have they fought against a single enemy before? Would they have assumed that one enemy to let loose a massacre? The chaotic imperial army did not know how to stop Crockta, so they recklessly used their means of attack. Arrows were fired, and cavalries were tangled up. However, instead of Crockta, the soldiers were the ones ughtered. It was notmon for him to raise his voice, but Rommel shouted, ¡°Ordinary soldiers, retreat! Knights, dismount from your horses and restraint Crockta! Surround him!¡± Crockta did not just stand and watch as they did what they wanted. He persistently pursued the tail of the fleeing soldiers. The soldiers could not choose between retreating or fighting and they were taken out one after another after running about in confusion. It was like a great tiger that jumped in the middle of a flock of sheep. No, it was more imposing than that. *** Among the continuously dying infantries, a knight tried to stab Crockta in the gap that formed. He finally managed to reach Crockta after a continuous war of attrition. ¡°Die, monster!¡± He proudly shouted with spirit. In admiration, Crockta bequeathed a swing from Ogre yer as a prize to the knight. The greatsword tore the knight¡¯s mouth and cut his face in half. His upper jaw got separated from his lower jaw, flying into the air. Crockta then kicked the knight¡¯s body, blocking the other knights following behind. He grabbed his greatsword and swung it from left to right at once. The dead bodies and the knights were split in half with a single stroke, birthing yet another fountain of blood. The knight¡¯s upper face, which had soared into the sky,nded on Crockta¡¯s helmet and fell to the ground. The knight¡¯s expression was stiff, it was the same expression he had when he was shouting about monsters or whatnot. The dead knight would not have wanted this sort of ending either. Crockta stepped on his face, crushing it. The same was true for Crockta. The imperial army was finally able to separate the infantries from him. The knights surrounded him, keeping their distance. They were not like regr soldiers. From Betrong to Bleuno and even Adantadore, the Empire¡¯s distinguished cream of the crop¡ªthe knights surrounded him. Tension ran down his spine. Crockta could feel the bodies of the enemies entering the Pinnacle. Countless knights and soldiers surrounded him. There was nowhere to escape. He was isted. He was finally standing at the Colosseum, a brutal stage where he would die if he could not kill. Crockta also mustered power in his body and mind, reaching the Pinnacle. The moment felt like forever. At some point in the infinitely flowing time, Crockta made the first move as the knights could not break past it. Crockta swung his greatsword at them. nk! As expected, Adantadore was able to follow him. He clenched his teeth and confronted Crockta. He endured the impact of Ogre yer and counterattacked. The other knights could only register their movements after exchanging attacks several times. Before they could intervene, Crockta found a gap and punched Adantadore in the face, causing a few teeth to fly. In the meantime, the des of the knights stormed in. It was unavoidable. In that instant, Crockta surpassed the Pinnacle and reached the Hero-tier, a level transcending thews of causality. He was supposed to be cut down, but instead, the des stabbed their owners. The knights¡¯ armors were crushed and they were sted back. However, a stream of blood flowed down. ¡°...¡± Crockta looked at the knight who wounded his ribs. It was Bleuno, themander of the Blue Dragon Lancers. Just as he had sensed in Ogochai, Bleuno was a knight who reached the doorsteps of a Hero. He overcame Crockta¡¯s transcendence over thews of causality, and his sword reached Crockta. It was impressive. Crockta instantly ducked and swung Ogre yer at Bleuno. Startled, Bleuno twisted his body. However, there was a cut on his forehead because he could notpletely avoid it. He kept his life intact by a narrow margin. At the same time, Adantadore and Betrong pounced on Crockta. The knights aimed their spears in unison. They surrounded him and attacked from all sides. With the power of a Hero, Crockta offset the threat, but the strength of Adantadore and the knightmanders was formidable. A few des, which Crockta could not overpower, cut him. Crockta clenched his teeth and shook his greatsword. A group of knights was torn apart, but blood was flowing down from Crockta¡¯s body as well. Other knights quickly reced the empty posts left by the dead knights. The enemies kept being reinforced no matter how many he killed. It was exactly as he hoped for. Crockta grinned, and his mind became clearer. He elerated his whole body again. He then severed the neck of a knight who lost focus. No one could react to the monstrously fast attack. The steel helmet of the dead knight rolled on the ground. Crockta looked around and chuckled, ¡°Kekeke.¡± The knights stepped back and watched him carefully with a wider gap between them. Crockta¡¯s lips twitched. There was an outrageous difference in numbers, and the limit of a single individual began to show. Just then, Adantadore suddenly looked up. Betrong and the other knights also looked somewhere far away. A huge shadow was looming over them. Crockta also looked back. On the hill, someone was galloping down on horseback. Crockta whistled at the scene transpiring in front of his eyes, and he said with a grin, ¡°You came right on time.¡± Chapter 171: Siege War (2)

Chapter 171: Siege War (2)

¡°Hey, Rodriguez, my man.¡± ¡°Oh, hey, Bob. Wassup, man? It¡¯s been a while. What brings you here?¡± Rodriguez weed Bob as the two hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while. He opened the steel cage that protected the counter and came outside. The two shook hands and gave each other a shoulder bump. ¡°There¡¯s something I need urgently. Can you get it for me?¡± ¡°Of course. The customer is king, bro. Even better if the customer happens to be your friend.¡± ¡°In Reynolds...¡± ¡°Reynolds?¡± Rodriguez raised his eyebrows. He ran a pawn shop and a currency exchange business, but the things he handled were special. yers who gained power or items in Elder Lord often used intermediaries like Rodriguez to convert their assets into real-world value or acquire necessary items. He was well-informed about the trends and prices in Elder Lord, particrly in the southern gateway city, Reynolds, which had gained prominencetely. Rodriguez pointed at the food and said, "Hey, champ. Let me take a guess." "Hmm?" "Are you looking for a scroll by any chance?" "Whoa, shit, bro. How did you know? Mind-reading? Telepathy? CIA?¡± Bob¡¯s shoulders trembled in shock. Rodriguezughed and reassuringly wrapped his arm around Bob¡¯s shoulder. "The answer is CIA." "What? Really? Is this some secret base? Are you a secret agent? Have you been tracking me?" "Nope, not CIA in that sense. It''s Cash Indicates Answer. You can see the truth when people spend money. It reveals itself when you hit them where it hurts. Have you ever thought about how the pronunciation of answer is simr to asshole [1]? "Of course. I think about it every time I go to the club." "Women probably meant the former." "Are you sure? They look annoyed.¡± "Don''t fall for their tricks. They are just ying hard to get.¡± Rodriguez opened his phone. Hemunicated with store branches of other regions and shared price and transaction information. After a few taps, he showed a recent surge in transactions for a specific item. "Look, it''s not just you. Everyone is looking for scrolls." "Wow... My God." "See the price? It''s no joke. The stock is running low, and people are hoarding them. So, spill the beans. Why is everyone suddenly looking for these scrolls? Is fast paced music popr these days?" "Um..." Bob closed his eyes. Rodriguez urged him on. "Hey, bro. Tell me, and I''ll hook you up with all the scrolls in Reynolds at the lowest price. It''s like releasing a legend like Cristiano Ronaldo as a free agent during his prime, you know. Okay?" "Got it. Got it." Bob whispered something to Rodriguez. Rodriguez caressed his chin and stared at Bob with a serious look on his face. Then, with an approving nod, he gave a p on Bob¡¯s back. "Hey, my man. Just find Jackie at Reynolds Square. I will give her a heads-up. Are you going there yourself?" "My friends will go." "Okay. The password is the usual one. If there''s a problem, contact me." Bob nodded. As if in a hurry, he extended his hand to Rodriguez without further words. Rodriguez grabbed his hand, and the two men bumped shoulders again. "Thanks, Rodriguez." "It''s nothing, Bob. I''ll cheer for you." "See you again." Bob waved his hand and left the shop. Rodriguez returned behind the counter, closing the bars. Living off Elder Lord, Rodriguez didn''t have much interest in the gamey; Elder Lord was his business. However, watching Bob made him suddenly want to dive back into Elder Lord. He turned on the television. The topic that had been making headlinestely was being discussed. It involved a sh between the eastern n called Heaven and Earth and an NPC in the game. The confrontation between NPCs and yers was intriguing, but what was even more interesting was the fact that people were defending NPCs and ming the yers. "Ogochai... business in the south won''t be good for a while." Ogochai had turned into ruins. The orc at the center of the controversy resisted until the end with the help of hisrades before finally escaping the ce. The next battlefield would be Cathalu. As a merchant, he calcted the shes between the two factions and their oues. No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed that the imperial army would emerge victorious. Based on relevantmunities and industry insiders, everyone seemed to be betting on the imperial army''s victory. There were already those lining up on that side. "Hmm..." Bob''s face came to his mind. His friend wasn''t usually this passionate. Moreover, the Heist Scroll has been selling like crazy recently. It wasn''t just Bob. Something was happening. "Should I go on an adventure?" As Rodriguez contemted this, the television screen suddenly changed. The screen was delivering breaking news. Rodriguez doubted his eyes. It was news that the NPC known as Crockta had appeared alone in front of the imperial army. *** The UnderGames channel chat room was in utter chaos. When the broadcast resumed with urgent news, people expected the continuation of the Cathalu upation battle and the ongoing fight between the Heaven and Earth army and Crockta. However, what came up on the screen waspletely different from what they had imagined. The imposing scale of the imperial army, led by Rommel, was as expected. He was radiating amander¡¯s dignity under the imperial g. But the opponent was different. The imperial army wasn¡¯t facing an army or arge group of enemies. Their opponent didn¡¯t have a fortress built by the resistance group or a desperate defense prepared for death. It was just one orc. A steel helmet cast a shadow over his face, making it impossible to see his features. But the terrifying war tattoos covering his body, the demonic steel belt, and the giant greatsword hanging on his shoulder were unmistakable. It was Crockta. At first, people doubted it. Why did hee alone? Did hee for negotiation? Or had Crockta finallye to beg for mercy? Was he ultimately surrendering to the overwhelming disadvantage? But he came to fight. As he recited the warrior''smandments, raised his greatsword, and beckoned the army toe toward him, everyone watching the screen realized the truth¨C that he was indeed, a real man. He was a true warrior who risked his life to uphold his beliefs. He couldn''t be stopped by intimidation or threats. He didn¡¯t even fear death. He stood before the imperial army with a single greatsword, sending a message clearer than anything else. Those who supported the Heaven and Earth n and those who doubted Crockta could no longer mock him. It was happening right in front of their eyes. [Dwarf Gunman: I¡¯m gonna bul¡¯tar starting today. Bul¡¯tar! Humans Are the Best: Crazy...this guy is really crazy. I admit it. Today is bul¡¯tar. Sadder than Yesterday: Brother :¡¯( Brother, win! Bul¡¯tar! Crockta hyung-nim bul¡¯tar! Today¡¯s Lunch: Ha... 30 years of life...didn''t shed a tear even when pped by themander in the army... but today, tears flow...bul¡¯tar... Cheong-song Lim Chang-Jung: What a real... man! When I was young, I fought 17 to 1 like that...! Bul¡¯tar! Lantert: Destroy the Empire, Crockta! Bul¡¯tar! Fire Eagle: :¡¯( Is Crockta going to die?? What are the others doing? Why aren¡¯t theying? Hiphop Eagle: Ha... I''m ashamed of my past actions... that''s real swag...I bul¡¯tar, you get destroyed. Rockstar Bank ount: Restrain yourself tsk Om Returns: My heart is burning. Real men are orcs. Fuck off losers. Youngest Child: Crockta... you''re not a servant... you''re the master of your life! Your Neighborhood Ronaldo: If I score tomorrow, I''ll dedicate the ceremony to Crockta hyung-nim. Hoo!] The battle had begun. Crockta disyed unbelievable strength that was hard to believe it stemmed from an individual. He single-handedly charged into the soldiers, mowing them down. Corpses and fountains of blood filled the screen. Each time he moved, he killed multiple people simultaneously. It wasbat power worthy of the title Conqueror of the North. He ground his enemies like a blender. The screen was filled with blurred images due to the violent scenes. Rommel''s bewildered expression was visible. It was their first time seeing him surprised, as he alwaysmanded battles withposure. He raised his hand, and arrows flew. Crockta survived, but the soldiers surrounding him were pierced by the arrows and fell dead. Criticism surged at the scene of allies being killed. [Rommel Sucks: What is he doing? He''s killing allies tsk tsk. Pathetic. So pathetic. Positive King Kim Positive: It¡¯s because he has never faced an opponent like Crockta before. Lolol look how surprised he looks. His eyes are huge. Analyst: That¡¯s unlike Rommel. He seems very surprised. He''ll snap out of it soon. In the end, the numerical difference is too great. Toothpaste vor Mint: LOL Poor soldiers kekeke I bet Crockta is having augh. Pure Summoner: Crockta is clever. He keeps diving into the army. Barbarian Yorick: I feel like I¡¯m looking at myself when I watch Crockta. Haha. Butcher Walker: Still, there are too many enemies. Even Crockta must be struggling... Let¡¯s go, bul¡¯tar! Stepped on Snake: I don''t know how the battle will turn out.] The battle continued. Rommel made more mistakes. He attempted a cavalry charge to trample Crockta, but once again, the soldiers got entangled, resulting in casualties. Rommel''s indifference to his soldiers¡¯ safety contrasted with Crockta''s attitude and made people empathize more with Crockta. Voices of support for Crockta surged. However, as they feared, the numerical difference began to show. After numerous attempts, Rommel managed to separate Crockta from the soldiers and surrounded him with knights. Knights were not opponents who could be easily ughtered like soldiers. They were advanced warriors, all d in full armor, and were capable of taking on multiple infantry. Moreover, Adantodore, who once engaged in a one-on-one duel with Crockta and lost by a small margin, had returned. Though Crockta narrowly won that time, facing a coordinated attack on this battlefield made Crockta''s survival uncertain. Spears and swords shed within the siege. Crockta killed several knights and showcased remarkable skills. However, he began to umte more and more injuries. Attacks from knightsing from all directions took a toll on Crockta. It seemed like the end. However, at that moment, a turn of events urred. A long shadow loomed over them. The camera angle slowly turned. A knight was descending from a hill with his back facing the setting sun. Both the knights and Crockta forgot about the battle for a moment and stared at him in astonishment. The chat window blew up once they realized who he was. Hiker Hunter: Crazy, why is he there? He''s gone mad. You are a Legend: Lolololololoololool Come Spring: Did hee to confirm Crockta¡¯s death? He''s out of his mind. Toothpaste Lid: He always spoils the mood. Why is he here? Post-It: Ah, crazy. Is he also joining the fight? Empire Counterattack: Is it really him? Did he team up with the imperial army? Did hee to deliver the finishing blow? Crockta Fan: Ah, I want to kill that guy. I''m getting angry. If he attacks, I''ll kill him. Nightfall: If he tries to pull some crap, I''ll go and beat him. Ah, I want to beat him up. ck Clothes Mania: I want to tear his clothes apart. Great Sage Bul¡¯tar: Let''s just watch for now...we don¡¯t know what will happen...] *** "It''s not toote." Crockta felt disheartened at his words. Why did that man suddenly appear? He was a man who had made a public announcement to kill Crockta. He was none other than White Knight Andre. He stood tall on the hill, riding a white horse in white armor. "I am a man who stands by his words. Crockta." Andre pointed his sword toward Crockta. "The stage may be chaotic, but..." He chuckled and looked at Rommel. "It doesn''t matter, right?" Rommel recognized him and began to give orders to his subordinates. Heaven and Earth n members hastily came up with a message for Andre and delivered a proposal to him. Andre the White Knight looked off into the distance and nodded. Rommel and Andre''s gazes met. They nodded at each other. The unspoken agreement was done. "I''ming, Crockta." The white horse began to run. 1. In Konglish, answer is pronounced like an-ssul ? Chapter 172: Siege War (3)

Chapter 172: Siege War (3)

Andre and his white horse became one as they raced down the hill. Rommel took hold of the situation and ordered the soldiers supporting the knight''s siege to split left and right. The back of the army opened the way, and theyers of soldiers surrounding the siege came apart. The soldiers¡¯ hems fluttered in the wind from Andre¡¯s relentless charge. Then, the finalyer, the knights¡¯ formation, was the only one left. Andre and his horse gradually sped up and advanced like a meteor. The knights opened the way, unveiling thest circr formation, with Crockta standing beyond it. A horse in a race didn¡¯t have brakes. It only moved forward. Andre crouched down as he went beyond the natural world and into the world of the Pinnacle. Space around him contracted, and he pierced through the contortion of space and time toward his target. Hisnce had already pierced the line that stemmed from the tip of his spear to the enemy''s heart. The sight of Crockta nkly staring at him came into view. Andre grinned. His lips curved into a smile from the anticipation of the collision. With his adrenaline at the maximum, his arms twitched from excitement. He extended his body forward as he embraced the imminent collision with his entire being. Crockta¡¯s silhouette became blurry, but Andre didn¡¯t stop. Bang! ¡®One.¡¯ Thud! ¡®Two.¡¯ Thump, thump, thump, thump, thud! On the count of three, endless strikes ensued. The bodies of knights swept up in the first collision exploded into pieces of flesh and flew in the air. Andre continued to charge relentlessly, crushing the ranks of knights and trampling the infantry. Andre pushed forward with the screams of soldiers and shockwaves of the battlefield as his background music. It was an explosive assault carried out by a single man! Soon, he managed to prate the entire battalion. Only corpses remained in his tracks. The entire imperial army surrounding Crockta had split in half. The final target was Rommel, who had retreated to the back tomand the imperial army. Andre''s white horse elerated as it charged. Andre could see the bewildered faces of the knights. Andre thrust hisnce and pierced a knight who scattered into white particles. But the man wasn''t Rommel. Andre had missed him by a narrow margin. Cainz and the Heaven and Earth n members standing by Rommel had used their magic and bodies to protect Rommel. Andre looked behind him. Rommel and his group were fleeing from Andre to join the empire¡¯s army. Andre slowed down his pace. "What a waste.¡± He didn¡¯t kill him, but it was enough. He turned his horse and admired his work. The imperial army was unable to recover their formation from the aftermath of the shock and was still in disarray. They floundered as if smoke rose from where Andre had trampled and clouded their vision. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Andre raised hisnce high to celebrate when he suddenly locked eyes with Crockta. ¡°Why do you look so surprised?¡± mumbled Andre as he lowered hisnce. He already knew that Crockta was his disciple, Jung Yi-An. He had known since a while ago when Crockta began gaining media attention. During the video of Crockta¡¯s battle against the yer killers, Baek Han-Ho could see Yi-An''s old habit in Crockta. ¡®The index finger.¡¯ He probably didn¡¯t notice it himself. After Yi-An was discharged from the military and returned to South Korea, he began to flick his index finger whenever he entered a confrontational situation. Perhaps it was a habit from the battlefield, from when he used to pull the trigger. Even in the video, he noticed Crockta subtly moving his index finger. His index finger trembled when he burned with murderous intent before swinging his greatsword. Despite therger body and menacing face, his unique movements and stance were exactly like the Jung Yi-An he knew. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t find out since he had been teaching Yi-An as his disciple since he was a child. Moreover, Andre gained certainty when he saw Yi-An advocate for Crockta while arguing about Andre. Yi-Yoo, Yi-An¡¯s younger sister, also attested that Yi-An was deeply immersed in Elder Lord these days. Baek Han-Ho tried to challenge his disciple to a showdown in the game by provoking him, but the situation had gone awry. But this wasn¡¯t bad either. One had to have such guts to call oneself Baek Han-Ho''s disciple. "Now, shall we go again?" His white horse began to gallop. This horse wasn''t just a regr horse. It was the greatest treasure he had obtained while ying the game. Even if a legendary pegasus were to be resurrected, it wouldn¡¯t be able to match this horse, which he had obtained at the end of a quest. It was a horse with dragon blood flowing in its veins. "Let''s go, Jindol." Andre began circling the empire¡¯s formation. He aimed to slice through their divided formation. The soldiers at the edges were terrified. They were swept up in fear because they had already experienced his prowess. Inside, there was Crockta, and outside, there was Andre. The imperial army was in utter chaos due to just two enemies. Andre, standing at an appropriate distance, began racing again. Crockta also swung his greatsword. The hammer flew toward the anvil. *** Crockta couldn¡¯t help butugh. He thought Baek Han-Ho had gone mad because his character White Knight Andre was weirdly obsessed with Crockta, but Baek Han-Ho had known all along that Crockta was Yi-An, his disciple. A master and his disciple meeting inside a game and engaging in a battle against arge army. The world was truly full of surprises. Crockta raised his greatsword. The empire¡¯s army was recovering from the wounds inflicted by Andre. The enemy''s numbers were still considerable. However, with one more person, the burden was halved. That should be enough. He saw Andre charging again. Crockta swung his greatsword in response. The battlefield, which had been at a standstill, was once again drenched in blood. The empire¡¯s soldiers died ceaselessly. Blood stained the ground as Crockta fiercely pushed back the knights. But Rommel was a formidable foe. Although he had momentarily lost hisposure due to Andre''s sudden attack, he quickly resumedmand and skillfully rounded up the knights surrounding Crockta, intensifying their siege. He then ordered the back formation to look outside and stand on guard against Andre to solidify internal and external defenses. Andre¡¯s relentless charge came to an abrupt halt. He had to turn his horse¡¯s head due to the reinforcement of knights. The deathmatch continued. Crockta had to deal with Adantadore, Betrong, and Bleuno all at once. Their attacks targeted Crockta''s openings. Crockta switched between the realms of the Pinnacle and the Hero as he faced his enemies. Having traversed extremes and expanded his limits through experiences, Crockta freely moved between the realms of transcendence. During critical moments, he shed enemies in the realm of the Pinnacle and reversed thew of causality in life-or-death situations. Unable to withstand Crockta''s great swordsmanship with unpredictable swerves and attacks, the enemies continually suffered losses. Adantadore gritted his teeth. After receiving blows from Crockta, blood continued to gush out of his mouth. He spat out several loose teeth that hadn¡¯t fallen off yet. Murderous intent that surpassed the camaraderie they had built during their brief time together surged forth. "I''ll take on Crockta. The rest, cover the rear." Though his pronunciation was off, the knights didn¡¯t let on and calmly nodded. Adantadore immediately reached the realm of Heroes and unleashed all of his strength. Terrifying tentacles that vited naturalw and reversed thews of causality extended from him. His aura surged toward Crockta. Crockta¡¯s face hardened as he sensed the surprising turn of events. Adantadore wasing with full force. But Crockta mocked him as he sped his greatsword, "Do you like soup? You should eat it for the rest of your life!" "You asshole!¡± Adantadore leapt forward. Crockta faced him in the realm of Heroes. Their swords shed, and their transcendent powers coiled around each other. They continuously exchanged attacks, but they were reversed in the realm of Heroes. It was a chaotic fight where it was impossible to discern where phenomena and reversals urred. Crockta tracked Adantadore persistently without losing focus. Crockta shed Adantadore''s leg, causing him to stumble. However, other knights immediately attacked him from behind. Crockta ignored their counterattacks and thrust his greatsword. Adantadore tried to dodge, but the greatsword was too fast. It shed his shoulders and thighs and impaled his heart. ¡°...!¡± But in an instant, causality was reversed. Their powers nullified each other''s attacks. Instead of his shoulders and thighs, wounds appeared on Adantadore¡¯s back. The Ogre yer also pierced Adantadore¡¯s shoulders instead of his heart. "Ugh.¡± "Ahhhh!¡± Adantadore floundered. Crockta received damages as well, but he had inflicted enough wounds on Adantadore to force him out of the battle. Satisfied, Crockta stepped back. The knights took care of Adantadore, and Crockta turned around to look for Betrong and Bleuno. But they were nowhere to be seen. He turned his head and saw Betrong and Bleuno heading toward Andre. Each time Andre charged, he wreaked heavy damages, but it would still be tough to handle those two alone. Andre¡¯s horse also sustained injuries from the repeated attacks. The horse seemed too fatigued to continue its fiery charges. Before long, Andre would be swept up by the empire¡¯s army, and the situation would turn unfavorable again. Crockta gripped his greatsword and tried to break through the knights surrounding him. However, the siege around him was solid. With powers transcending causality, he simultaneously dealt with four knights. Their heads flew in the air. Despite the horrifying sight, the knights maintained theirposure and continued to hold their formation. Crockta raised his head and saw Rommel overseeing the battlefield from a distance. As expected of a War Maestro ss, he possessed an astonishing ability to maintain the morale of the soldiers hemanded. His power bound the troops together. Under Rommel''s influence, the knights forgot their fear and boldly resisted Crockta. "Hahaha.¡± He had known it since the beginning. Facing an army alone was close to impossible. However, it didn''t matter. Crockta gripped his greatsword and assumed a stance. The enemies took a step back. Crockta chuckled, "Did you not hear what I said at the beginning?" He recalled the face of the Ashen God who was watching him. With a one hundred percent assimtion rate, death for him in Elder Lord was now equivalent to death on Earth, but in this moment of crisis, he felt a sense of ecstasy. He was doing what he had to do, and the world was pushing him forward. "Come." The knights gritted their teeth and charged collectively. Crockta dealt with them one by one. Deaths intertwined. Crockta shouted, knocking down the enemies collectively on the battlefield. "Bul¡¯taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!¡± He was a warrior, and survival alone was not enough. He remembered the ceremony from the day he received the name Crockta. ¡®Honor. What an honor for a warrior to risk death in the pursuit of honor.¡¯ "Cooooooome!" The enemies exploded. Crockta continued to umte injuries. Enemy des pierced his back and thighs. He staggered as he pierced the throats of his enemies. He pulled out the des from his body, tearing his flesh. He didn''t care. In the distance, Andre was seen fighting between the knights. The horse was already gone. Whether dead or departed. He was struggling against Betrong and Bleuno. Andre met Crockta''s gaze. ¡®Hey, kid.¡¯ He remembered the first time he met Baek Han-ho. ¡®Can you fight?¡¯ Back then, Bae Han-Ho was young. He asked Yi-An with a smirk, and Yi-An just thought he was a local troublemaker. It was an old memory now. But he didn¡¯t n to dwell on an old memory like someone meeting their death. He was Crockta, an orc and a warrior. "Andre!" Crockta raised his voice and shouted his name. Andre looked at him. In the midst of struggling against Betrong, he regained strength. Crocktaughed and shouted. "Pathetic!" Andre''s eyes widened, and he began tough. Then as if he had regained his strength, he fought back against Betrong. Their swords shed. Betrong stepped back. "Mind your own business!¡± Andre kicked Betrong and knocked him down. Crockta also burst intoughter. No matter how much they killed, enemies continued to replenish in numbers. He was gaining momentum, but the overall situation had not changed significantly. There seemed to be no end. Crockta continued forward as he dragged his greatsword on the ground. Now was the time to think. He took a deep breath as he thought about his younger sister, the bnce in his bank ount, and Caf¨¦ Reason when he heard strange sounds from a distance. ¡°...?" Crockta and the imperial army turned their heads and saw a man approaching them. As if he was under a Haste spell, his footsteps were swift like he was sprinting. He was spiritedly talking to himself as if he were a madman. Crockta choked on his saliva and began to cough. The man''s voice grew closer. "Oh my! You managed to do such a thing! I used to boast of being quite capable in my prime, but I never heard, saw, expected, or imagined such a thing! Hahaha! Even if you go to hell, those charming subuses will cling onto you and won¡¯t let go! Hehehe, isn''t it a given for heroes to go through trials and tribtions? No, really? Oh well, it''s a series of surprises. My shoulders are shaking from excitement! Hahahahahahaha!¡± Chapter 173: Siege War (4)

Chapter 173: Siege War (4)

He threw his head back andughed uproariously for a while. Then, he surveyed his surroundings. Everyone was looking at him. ¡°Ahem. Hmm! You guys shouldn¡¯t overhear others¡¯ conversations.¡± Then he puffed his chest and asked the army in front of him, ¡°Do you guys know...?¡± He spread out his arms, and ck strands of energy emerged from his body as his eyes took on a sinister look. Something pitch ck that wasn¡¯t from the human world began to slowly creep up the spines of those watching him. ¡°...that the scent of men grows more alluring with time...¡± His body was no longer under his autonomy. The great evil he had summoned had taken over his body. His eyes now belonged to a beast. His steps took on a bizarre flow, and before they knew it, he was right in front of the imperial army. He smirked, ¡°My contractor said men are like fine wine.¡± ¡°...!¡± He locked eyes with a soldier who dropped his weapon as all the strength left his body. The soldier could tell by instinct that he was facing a being he could not put up a fight against. A ck curtain hovered over his eyes, and his vision began to fade. ¡°ording to that logic, then I am...¡± He started to lose awareness of his surroundings. The soldier did not even realize he was copsing. All of his senses were submerged in darkness. The being¡¯s voice whispered into his ear, ¡°I¡¯m Demogorgon, the vintage of wines, and the Mukarasanebo of demons [1].¡± *** The dead suddenly stood up. Crockta could tell that it was the work of Iron, the man like fine wine, who had helped him before. Possessed by a demon, heughed eerily as he detonated soldiers. The imperial army fell into confusion with the appearance of the undead, but the undead didn¡¯t prove to be much help. The imperial magicians cast spells to dispel the undead, and they seeded in noticeably weakening their forces. However, they were unable topletely get rid of them due to the powers of the Demogorgon. Moreover, there was a bigger problem. ¡°I should have taken it easy.¡± The bodies of the imperial soldiers killed by Crockta and Andre had been utterly destroyed. They were either too destroyed to be revived or would only be able to use half of their bodies. ¡°You dumb orc!¡± shouted the Demogorgon. ¡°Hahahaha, sorry.¡± The imperial army regained its morale and charged at the Demogorgon. Despite his demonic strength, upying Iron¡¯s body limited his ability to unleash his full powers, but he decided to enter this challenging battle. "Scream! Come at me, trifling humans! Ugh, this brat!" the Demogorgon yelled. Andre also regained momentum and shouted, "In the name of the righteous White Knight Andre, die!" Crockta resumed his fight as well,ughing as he parried enemy des. His body would have eventually copsed under the overwhelming numbers. But now, with the appearance of two formidable allies, everything changed. Both Andre and Demogorgon were skilled fighters, matching Crockta in strength. Rommel''s face twisted in frustration. Crockta provoked him, "Roooooommel! Is this all you''ve goooooot?" Crockta stepped forward, and with a powerful swing of his greatsword, an explosive sound erupted and split the knights¡¯ formation into two. The knights, familiar with Crockta''s swordsmanship, cautiously circled him. He refrained from his previous explosive attacks as the battle took a toll on him. He was experiencing acute pain from his wounds. The situation remained unfavorable. Andre was continuously pushed back, and the Demogorgon struggled against the numerical disadvantage. Crockta, realizing the recklessness of his actions, gathered his strength and looked toward Rommel. The best way to defeat a multitude of enemies with a small force was to assassinate the leader. That was the key, especially since Rommel was the core of the imperial army and ruled over the troops with the powers of the War Maestro ss. If he seeded in defeating Rommel, the aftermath would be greater than the loss of any ordinarymander. Crockta, shaking his Ogre yer, devised a n to approach Rommel. However, Rommel calmlymanded his troops, establishing an effective formation to deal with Crockta, Andre, and Iron¨Cthe three formidable opponents. Andre, with Betrong and Bleuno, attempted to encircle them, while Iron nullified the dark energy by suppressing the magicians. Crockta attacked the knights to buy as much time as possible. As Crockta took a step forward, the encirclement stepped back, using hit-and-run tactics to deplete his stamina. Crockta¡¯s lips twitched. This wouldn''t be an easy battle. Moreover, Andre seemed on the verge of copse. As Andre struggled against Betrong and Bleuno¡¯sbined attacks, imperial soldiers joined in the fight to push back Andre. Andre was not a being beyond the rules of the game like Crockta and Demogorgon. Although he was much stronger than regr yers, he was unable to exceed the limits of yers. Crockta looked up and saw a raven soaring through the skies. *** Betrong''s attack severed Andre''s wrist, and Andre dropped his sword. Bleuno followed with a swift assault, but Andre narrowly dodged it. The swordless Andre panted heavily as he surveyed the merciless faces around him. He nced at Rommel and then took a look at the entire battlefield. Everything going on right now was probably being broadcast. Having made a grand entrance, he needed to fight heroically until the end. That was the duty of the White Knight Andre. "You cowards! Shameless and ruthless scum!" shouted Andre. Bleuno sneered in a coarse voice, "Are you trying to talk big like that orc? Those are some grand words for someone who¡¯s about to die.¡± Bleuno was in a state of shock from Crockta¡¯s earlier deration. He had worked for the kingdom with pride as a knight, believing it was the right thing to do. However, facing Crockta, an orc who stood alone against an entire army with unwavering beliefs, made the imperial forces seem so pitiful. Ironically, Crockta appeared more like a true knight. Because of this, Bleuno felt the need to mock and trample them even more. Everything he believed in had been invalidated. Bleuno tilted his head. The soldiers surrounding Andre rushed in. Andre gave in to his exhaustion and showed an opening. Seizing the opportunity, Bleuno attacked Andre. Although Andre skillfully dodged the attack, he received a deep wound in the process. He dropped down on one knee. "Now, say it again. What did you call us?¡± Andre attempted to speak, but Bleuno kicked him in his stomach. Andre panted heavily on the ground as he struggled to catch his breath. "Say it again..." "Ruthless and cowardly trash.¡± Bleuno flinched. ¡°You are not worthy of the title of a knight, you garbage." Bleuno turned slowly. Andre wasn¡¯t in a condition to speak properly. The voice wasn¡¯t his. The sound wasing from behind him. Bleuno and the knights then noticed a mysterious foursome looking in their direction. They radiated confidence as they stood next to each other in a line with their shoulders back. Bleuno was irritated by the appearance of these bold, strange men. It was already the third time. "Who is it this time?¡± The man on the far left said, "If you''re wondering who we are...¡± The woman besid him continued, "...answering is a courtesy." The next man replied, "A knight who had lost his sense of chivalry...we will cleanse your filthy heart.¡± The man on the far right raised a shining sword and proimed, "We are four warriors defending justice! F4!" They were the top role-yers who had fought with Iron, Crockta, and the Om brothers in Chesswood. Bob, performing the role of a hero, swung his shiny sword and gazed at the enormous army spread out in front of him. He had been waiting for this moment. After Chesswood, they had traveled through Elder Lord, but couldn''t relive the thrill they felt then. The stage they had yearned for was unfolding in front of their eyes now. Although they had initially nned to acquire the Haste Scroll and quickly join the battle, they decided to observe the situation first. As expected, Crockta did not disappoint them. He wasn''t a role-yer like them. He was a true warrior. When Bob saw Crockta talking on the screen, he got chills. He knew the entire world felt the same way. ¡®A warrior does not give up on the faithful.¡¯ Has he ever seen someone fight for others¡¯ out of loyalty? ¡®A warrior does not persecute the weak.¡¯ Who put their lives on the line for the weak? ¡®A warrior does not attack the unarmed.¡¯ In their world, every opening was met with a stab in the back. ¡®A warrior does not sumb to injustice.¡¯ Life was a process of bing ustomed to injustice. ¡®A warrior does not do anything shameful to God.¡¯ His attitude indeed seemed pious, as if he was reporting to the gods. ¡®A warrior pays back grace and vengeance.¡¯ Was that orc truly standing there for that purpose? ¡®A warrior protects the weak.¡¯ Was he really risking his life for this cause without asking for anything in return? Bob felt ashamed for hesitating to join the battle. The orc was not like them, Crockta didn¡¯t have extra lives to spare. If he died, it was the end. Yet, he courageously stood alone against the vast army. He felt silly for having been worried about his character receiving the concrete method. As soon as he heard the news, he summoned his friends and rushed over there. He tore countless Haste Scrolls as he rode his horse and managed to arrive just in time. When he arrived, he was met with countless enemies and the sight of Crockta and hisrades struggling against the imperial army. Now it was time for Crockta to rely on the F4. "Knight, listen well." While not as grand as Crocktas¡¯, they had their own beliefs. Bob swung his shining sword. "My Holy Sword Excalibur is struggling against the enemy!" Joseph, standing beside him, pped his back. He grabbed Bob''s head. They lowered their heads and whispered. "Hey, this is a worldwide live stream." "Don''t do that." "That''s the point!" "Let''s just go and fight." Bleuno, observing their antics, shouted, "What are you guys doing!" Amid the escting situation, these strange individuals appeared, acting as if it were a joke. Bleuno became even more furious. Bob casually moved his sword while responding, "Anyways, we are warriors who came to help Crockta!" "We will defend the freedom of Espada from the foolish empire!" "In the name of justice!" Bleuno was bbergasted. Crockta, the White Knight, and the mysterious necromancer were indeed strong, but he refused to put up with small fry like them. "I will kill all of you with a single stroke." "Why don¡¯t you try?!¡± F4 charged toward Bleuno. Joseph, the magician, hurled balls of fire toward the imperial army as countless swords shed behind him. *** The Demogorgon was angry. Due to theck of sound corpses, he was unable to raise the dead and use them to fight, and he couldn¡¯t fully unleash his powers due to the limits of his corporeal form. He felt as if he was tied up while an army of ants was crawling over his skin, preventing him from crushing them. "Worthless humans!" Demogorgon gathered the forces of darkness and hurled them toward the knights, causing their bodies to burst open. In his mind, the voice of his host echoed, "Demogorgon-nim! Fight on! As expected, even your attacks are regal! Your distribution of weight is superb! Haha!" Ah, right. He did have experience in groundbat. Hearing Iron praise him improved Demogorgon''s mood. "Hehehe, humans, you can''t defeat me." The Imperial soldiers calmly circled Demogorgon, well-trained and disciplined. He spotted a man in the distance who was orchestrating everything. For a human, he was quite impressive. He controlled the soldiers as if they were his own limbs. Having experienced numerous battles even in hell, Demogorgon could vaguely sense it. If they continued like this, the fight would be challenging. But if reinforcements arrived just a little sooner... "...?" Right then, dust rose in the distance. ¡®Are they reinforcements?¡¯ The imperial army, astounded by the continuous stream of neers, paused fighting for a moment and turned their heads to look. A human troop was approaching them. Although they were still outnumbered, it was a formidable size. As they stood before the imperial forces, they organized themselves systematically, forming a defensive stance as they gradually advanced. At the forefront stood three men. One of them pointed at Rommel and the imperial soldiers and said, "Hey, you empire guys." He casually put his hand inside his pocket and said, "Whatever wicked deeds you''ve been up to, I know you''re not actually bad guys." The man took out a coin from his pocket and tossed it at them. "It''s time for rebirth." It was the appearance of the Rebirth Brothers. "Rebirth!" "Let''s be reborn!" "Rebirrrrth!" The members of the Rebirth Brothers shouted as they charged forward. Observing the battle unfolding, Demogorgon burst intoughter at the sight of the Rebirth Brothers joining the fray. "Indeed, humans are amusing! Hahahahaha!¡± *** Rommel, who had been observing the battle''s progression, furrowed his eyebrows. The situation kept turning, even though Crockta, Andre, and Iron were already challenging to deal with. Strange neers continued to arrive. "Rommel, the situation..." "It''s still fine. Crockta is exhausted. In the end, we..." There was still some room for maneuvering. "Look over there!¡± a member of the Heaven and Earth n shouted. Rommel and Cainz turned their heads in rm. On the opposite side from where the Rebirth Brothers had appeared, a group of guys with red headbands were approaching them. They each carried a sword as they walked with a leisurely gait. They were the Red Turban. Rommel rubbed his temples. Unexpected variables continued to pop up. ¡®...Things are still okay. It might be tough, but we can still win.¡¯ Crockta was no longer alone. His one-man army had multiplied and now had the support of Andre, Iron, the F4, Rebirth Brothers, and the weird Red Turban guys...but the empire still had the upper hand. Aside from Crockta, Andre, and Iron, they weren''t that strong, and the empire still had plenty of well-trained soldiers. But the bad news kepting. A guild member from the Heaven and Earth n rushed up to him and said, "Rommel! Praise the Orc guys areing!" "Those bastards...right up to the end...¡± Rommel couldn¡¯t help but let out a slew of profanities at the situation. He was affronted that a measly fan club had arrived to join the war. ¡®They should know their ce.¡¯ They were practically mocking them at this point. The imperial army¡¯s formation crumbled. Although they had managed to surround Crockta, the soldiers were in turn surrounded by the weird guys who showed up. Rommel surveyed the battlefield with his War Maestro abilities. ¡®Things are still manageable.¡¯ Cainz spoke up, "Rommel, if things getplicated..." "No, it''s not necessary. We still have the upper hand. The knights are still in good shape. It¡¯s actually a good thing because we can get rid of them all at once...¡± Right then, the ground began rumbling. All of the empire¡¯s army and Crockta turned their attention to the source of the sound. Who was going to show up this time? A ck mass was storming toward them in a frenzy. 1. Mukarasanebo is an extremely rare wine in Elder Lord ? Chapter 174: Siege War (5)

Chapter 174: Siege War (5)

Their appearance became clear. They had big, sharp eyes and broad shoulders. They were running at Crockta and the empire¡¯s army with great momentum, at a crazy fast speed. ¡°What the hell is that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± The eyes of the n members originating from the Haedong Balhae n trembled as they recalled the nightmares that happened in Chesswood in the past. There, they saw a crazy necromancer called Iron and met a bunch of psychos known as F4, but there was someone even scarier than them, the heretics of Elder Lord. They were people who took pride in walking a path no one would. Inhumane guys who enjoyed pain and adversity! ¡°It¡¯s the Om Brotherhood.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Om Brotherhood formed a wedge-shaped formation by sticking their broad shoulders together, and they charged at the imperial army¡¯s formation. Groups such as the Rebirth Brotherhood, Praise the Orc, and Red Turban also pounced at the imperial army, but slowly approached by forming their own battle formation. However, the Om Brotherhood was different. Without any warning or hesitation, they rushed toward the imperial army¡¯s formation. Thanks to the influence of Haste Magic, their speed was amplified. They let out a battle cry. ¡°Woahhhhhh! Bul¡¯tarrrrr!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrrr!¡± ¡°We are the Om Brotherhood!¡± ¡°Om©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The initial sh ensued. As the orcs in the forefront and the imperial army collided, the soldiers on the outer formation were blown away along with the sound of an explosion. The orcs¡¯ terrifying charge tore down the imperial army¡¯s defensive formation. They broke through the imperial army¡¯s outer formation, causing the soldiers to fall like waves. The entire imperial army was pushed back and their formation was thwarted. The orcs in the forefront shouted, brandishing their magic wand. ¡°We are O-!¡± ¡°O-!¡± The other orcs followed suit and shouted. ¡°-m©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± ¡°-m!¡± Their pace was in unison! They continued to advance through the imperial army¡¯s formation. Sturdy on the outside and smooth on the inside, the orcs tore down the outer formation and once that happened, they were able to crumble the inner formation with irresistible power. ¡°Charge!¡± The few orcs leading the rest from the forefront were so strong that even the knights had difficulty facing them. A new wave began to emerge on the stagnant battlefield. Maguchwi swung his staff at a wide angle. The knight barely managed to block it, but his sword was deflected away. Without missing the gap that formed, Maguchwi kicked the knight in the abdomen and wildly swung his staff. The staff was imbued with lightning, causing the knight¡¯s body to be scorched, turning into ck ashes before scattering. A frightening appearance that could easily pass as a knight, not a sorcerer! ¡°Kuwakta!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Mookat!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tar!¡± The two orcs he called for drew nearer and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Although there were only three of them, their shoulders were so broad that it seemed like several adult humans were standing side by side. ¡°Charge!¡± ¡°Groarrrrr!¡± They charged at the enemy again. Standing side by side, the orc warriors trampled the imperial army like bulldozers. Following the path cleared by the orc warriors, the other orcs tore apart the enemy lines. ¡°Die, humans!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± The knight shrieked. Maguchwi fried the human knight into nothingness with lightning. Then, he stood tall and scanned the battlefield. They came prepared to die. However, they were not the only ones. Unexpected allies had already arrived. It wasn¡¯t just the Om Brotherhood who got the chills at the sight of Crockta. They started getting excited. Maguchwi lifted his staff high up. ¡°Bullllllllll¡¯©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The Om Brotherhood raised their weapons in unison. ¡°Tarrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The Oms roared and swung their weapons in unison. The imperial soldiers that were close to them were torn apart while blood sttered. The atmosphere of the entire battlefield changed the moment the Om Brotherhood joined the fray. Their energetic fight caused the imperial army to be daunted, and the morale of the anti-empire forces was boosted. Maguchwi led the Om Brotherhood¡¯s elites and shouted, ¡°Follow me! Let¡¯s fight till the end!¡± ¡°Ma hyung! Aren¡¯t we going too deep!?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! We¡¯re going all the way there!¡± Maguchwi pointed to the center of the battlefield. The Om member, who warned Maguchwi of the danger, nodded. ¡°Then I guess we have to go.¡± ¡°Ma hyung is always like that. Looks like there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go.¡± ¡°Kuhahahaha! We¡¯re going!¡± At the location where Maguchwi pointed, Crockta could be seen surrounded by the knights alone. Every time his greatsword shed, the knights fell. The image of a true orc warrior was there. ¡°Let¡¯s fight side by side with Croc hyung[1]!¡± The symbol of the orcs that produced so many orc yers, the hero of all orc yers, Crockta! They were given the opportunity to fight alongside him. Maguchwi raised his staff again. ¡°Brothers!¡± The Om orcs responded by stomping the ground in unison. ¡°Woooooo!¡± ¡°Are you ready to die©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± ¡°Woooooo!¡± ¡°Are you ready to kill©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Bul¡¯tarrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!¡± ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrrrrr©¤©¤©¤!¡± The orcs, who had been huddled in the enemy camp, ran out again. The imperial army was swept into their pace. The Om orcs, riding on the momentum, pushed the imperial army back with more force than they could originally muster. The orc yers were teased for being orc lovers, for being oddballs who yed as orcs, and for being a part of a minority with weird preferences. This was the moment their dignity became known to the world. ¡°Bultarrrr!¡± Every time they chanted ¡®Bultar¡¯, an imperial soldier died. Maguchwi¡¯s staff unleashed a wave of lightning. The tide of the battle had turned. The imperial army was now at a disadvantage. *** Crockta grinned. At first, he was the only one standing up to the imperial army. That wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Everyone showed up¡ª Andre, Iron, F4, Reborn Brotherhood, Red Turban, Praise the Orc, and even the Om Brotherhood. It was the moment Crockta was rewarded for the path he took. All those who were directly and indirectly influenced by him gathered to oppose the imperial army. They were all yers, but they truly enjoyed Elder Lord. Although the imperial army was still superior in numbers, they gradually lost their morale and were pushed back. The ones holding the upper hand were now the anti-empire forces, alongside Crockta. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Crockta let out an exhausted sigh. As the fight continued, the two sides were now entangled, turning the war into aplete dogfight, where it was difficult to distinguish between ally and foe. Crockta cut down the enemies nonstop. As reinforcements arrived, the enemies¡¯ attention was distracted, which in turn became a trigger for Crockta to run wild. The number of enemies he cut down by then would have already exceeded three digits. He cut and stabbed countless times, and each time, the enemies¡¯ numbers decreased significantly. Knights and soldiers alike, none survived his de. ¡°Bul¡¯tarrrrrrr ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± He let out a battle cry again and swung the Ogre yer. The enemies were cut down. ¡°...!¡± Then, beyond the wave of enemies, he saw allies there instead of enemies. It was the Om Brotherhood, and Maguchwi was with them too. After relentlessly advancing through the waves of enemies, they reached each other. It was their first time meeting since Chesswood, but it all felt familiar as if they were close friends. There was no need for words of gratitude or courtesy. ¡°Oh, brother.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± They fist-bumped and exchanged nces. That was enough. They were still in the middle of the battlefield, and there were many enemies left to kill. Crockta turned and looked in the direction of Rommel. He had three goals¡ªRommel and Cainz, as well as the ¡®traitor¡¯ Grom¡ª no, he was Luin now. They were gathered in one spot. Perhaps because they were stupefied by the battle that exceeded their prediction, they could not seem to concentrate on the battle. ¡°Oh, brother.¡± Crockta said something to Maguchwi. He grinned and nodded in response. Crockta and Maguchwi, the two of them were probably the strongest warriors and sorcerers among the orc yers. Together, they made their way toward the direction of the Heaven and Earth n members. As Maguchwi¡¯s staff exuded a mysterious energy, their presence faded. They approached carefully, avoiding Rommel¡¯s watch. It was time to put an end to this sickening ill-fated rtionship. They secured enough distance. The Heaven and Earth n members were guarding Rommel and Cainz, but they looked like a flock of sheep in Crockta¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Maguchwi¡¯s enchantment hovered towards Crockta. It had been a long time since Crockta had felt an orc sorcerer¡¯s buff. His whole body was full of vigor, and he was brimming with strength and energy. It felt like he could cut down anyone in front of him. His tattoo sizzled like it was on fire, and it pushed Crockta toward his enemy. Revenge for Lenox. His burning fighting spirit was imbued on Ogre yer. Then, he pounced at them. ¡°Bultarrrrrrrr!¡± They were startled at Crockta¡¯s sudden appearance, but his sword was faster than their reaction. Crockta¡¯s greatsword tore them apart while he was roaring. White particles scattered like snow. Lightning energy wrapped around Ogre yer¡¯s de. It was Maguchwi¡¯s spell. The enemies resisted, but those who shed with Ogre yer trembled, and could not endure it. They were shocked by lightning and burned to death. Then, they turned into white particles and disappeared. Rommel and Cainz turned around and tried to run away. Crockta did not miss them. ¡°Where do you think you are goi-!¡± He ran like crazy, reaching out his hand and barely managing to grab their horse by the tail. ¡°Keuk!¡± His shoulders were almost popped out by the horse¡¯s running force. However, he mustered all his power in his body and pulled the horse. When Crockta pulled the horse, it was startled and jumped wildly. ¡°Rommelllllll ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta shouted and stabbed his greatsword at the horse¡¯s side. ¡°Neighhhhhhhh!¡± The horse copsed to their knees. Rommel, who was riding the horse, was thrown to the ground. Crockta jumped past the horse and approached Rommel. ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°Protect Rommel-nim!¡± The members of the Heaven and Earth n rushed at Crockta. Crockta grabbed Rommel by the cor and swung his greatsword at the same time. The Heaven and Earth n members were cut down with blood gushing. At the sight of that, the remaining n members did not dare to throw themselves at Crockta and hesitated. ¡°I finally caught you.¡± ¡®War Maestro¡¯ Rommel was in his grasp. Rommel was looking up at Crockta with calm eyes, even though he was caught. ¡°How does it feel?¡± Crockta asked. Rommel smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re ugly.¡± ¡°You bastard.¡± Crockta chuckled. Then, he punched Rommel in the face. Rommel¡¯s face got beaten to a pulp. His teeth were smashed and his nose got broken. His face caved in and he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, coughing and trying to catch his breath. Then, Crockta threw Rommel to where Maguchwi was. Maguchwi swung his staff. The magical power flowing from his staff began to restrain Rommel¡¯s body. ¡°...!¡± They used the concrete method temporarily on Rommel through magic. Crockta bobbed his head at Maguchwi and began to chase after Cainz and Luin. They abandoned Rommel and were trying to escape the battlefield with the executives from the Heaven and Earth n. Crockta ran like crazy. His thighs swelled to the point that they felt like exploding, and he elerated. As he ran, the ground was paved and a dust cloud formed. ¡°Caaaaaaainzzzz ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± The horses were frightened by Crockta¡¯s crazy charge, and they galloped faster. ¡°Orcs do not forget ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta kicked off the ground and jumped up. Beyond the Pinnacle to the Hero-tier, his whole body elerated to the limit. Cainz looked back in shock from the distance. Crockta was gradually closing in the distance. Then, Crockta grabbed him and dropped down. ¡°Crazy bast-!¡± Cainz fell from the sky and grabbed onto Crockta. His body tilted and got tangled with Crockta, causing the both of them to fall down the horse. They rolled on the floor, and the horse ran past, while its hooves trampled on the two of them. ¡°Kuhk...¡± Cainz vomited blood. His body was not in good condition as he was trampled by the horse¡¯s hooves. ¡°Keuk...Hiiiik?¡± The moment he opened his eyes, he was faced with an orc¡¯s face, staring at him with an appalling face. The orc¡¯s entire body was covered in blood, but the orc¡¯s eyes, filled with vigor, were making direct eye contact with him. The orc grinned. ¡°Do you remember Lenox?¡± Crockta grabbed Cainz by the cor and lifted him up. When he grabbed Cainz, the Heaven and Earth n members panicked and stopped their horses. Both their leaders were captured. ¡°You guys...Umphhh!¡± Cainz tried to say something, but Crockta blocked his mouth. Then, he punched Cainz in the abdomen. Cainz retched and fell silent. It was Luin¡¯s turn now. Luin was trembling among the Heaven and Earth n¡¯s executives. It ovepped with Grom¡¯s appearance from the past. Lenox and the orc warriors put effort so that Grom could be a warrior. Although Grom was timid and got scared easily, they believed he could be an excellent warrior. However, he betrayed them. He killed the great warriors. So, he would have to pay the price. The moment Crockta was about to call out Luin¡¯s name, a huge shock hit Crockta¡¯s body. The sky and the ground were reversed. He tried to figure out the situation at the moment, but his head twisted again due to the impact of crashing to the ground. The ground and the sky turned around again and again. His body rolled on the ground. ¡°Cough...¡± He tried to get up, but he could not move his body. Maguchwi rushed over. Crockta looked up. Beyond his blurred vision, he saw Cainz crawling on the ground and running away. The Heaven and Earth n¡¯s executives propped him up and ran away. ¡°Those bastards...¡± ¡°Calm down, brother. It¡¯s dangerous!¡± A healing potion was poured all over his body, but he did not recover from the shock. He received significant damage. Crockta gritted his teeth. However, he still could not move his body. He flinched as if his whole body was broken. ¡°The reinforcements are here. There seems to be an outstanding sorcerer among them.¡± As Maguchwi said, the imperial army¡¯s g could be seen on the far horizon. They turned around after rescuing Cainz and hispanions. It seemed like they had no intention of intervening in the dogfight which was already nearing the end. The empire¡¯s reinforcements moved further and further away. *** Crockta, who had been lying down for quite some time, barely picked himself up. They were winning the battle. The imperial soldiers gradually dropped their weapons and surrendered. Their allies shouted a cry of victory. It was a joyful event, but Crockta was not satisfied. ¡°Damn it...¡± Crockta clenched his fist. He couldn¡¯t let them go like this. He finally managed to catch them off guard after so long. However, he was still numb from the shock due to the magic. It was difficult for him to continue fighting. ¡°What happened to Rommel?¡± Crockta asked. ¡°He¡¯s there.¡± Bound by Maguchwi¡¯s spell, Rommel was looking at Crockta while staying still. His handsome face was a mess. He moved his finger painstakingly and pointed to his mouth. He was imploring them to release the seal on his mouth. Crockta looked at Maguchwi, and he shrugged in response. ¡°We can still save him if he bites his tongue. Why don¡¯t we hear him out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± He let them slip past anyway. Rommel was not his true enemy. Crockta stared at Rommel with a despondent heart. His treatment would vary depending on what he said. If nothing in particr happened, they would use the concrete method on him to prevent him from returning to Elder Lord forever. However, Rommel¡¯s first words were out of their expectations, ¡°If you let me go, I will help you with your revenge.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you so that you can finish them off.¡± He immediately proposed an offer that appealed to Crockta. He was truly an intelligent guy. Crockta had no choice but to ask back, ¡°How?¡± Rommel gave a slightly different answer than Crockta expected, ¡°Completely.¡± 1. The Om orcs like to shorten people¡¯s names a bit too much... ? Chapter 175: Olympus

Chapter 175: Olympus

The battle ended with the resistance forces¡¯ victory. The empire failed to take over the south, and the south was divided between the empire and the Free City Alliance that stemmed from Espada. Amid all of these upheavals, the emperor remained silent. *** This incident stirred up the real world, and the battle between Crockta and the imperial army became a major sensation. The battle footage flooded Youvids, breaking viewer records daily and iming the top spot as the most viewed video. Amid all this, famous Youvidser Laney released a new video. She had secretly followed Crockta and recorded all of his struggles in the South. Laney once again made her mark. Thanks to her, those who didn¡¯t know the specifics of the incident came to understand the whole background story. The content was as follows: After conquering the north and returning to the continent, Crockta headed south. There, he encountered and fought bandits, eventually meeting ste''s knight, Vigo. Moved by Vigo''s earnest plea, Crockta and hispanions headed to ste. As expected from the citizens of a city that was acimed as one of the best ces to live, the people of ste warmly weed them. Crockta formed strong bonds with the cheerful residents, and to protect ste, he epted a challenge for a duel against the empire. He faced the brilliant Imperial swordsman, Adantadore, and emerged victorious. ste maintained its independence, and Crockta became a hero to the people of ste. Lastly, they held a huge feast to celebrate his victory. Crockta left ste as he received blessings and farewells. It seemed to be a happy ending until tragedy struck. While they were away on vacation, the empire broke its promise and destroyed ste. Crockta was greatly saddened by the news. Thus, he rose to seek vengeance for ste, to confront the treacherous empire, and to quell the long-standing enmity with the Heaven and Earth n. The resistance had begun. The empire attempted to conquer the entire south, invaded cities, captured civilians, and made them into soldiers for the empire or serfs for nobles. The entire South groaned under their wrath. He relentlessly swung his sword to save viges, civilians, and cities, but it wasn¡¯t enough by himself. Eventually, most of the southern territories fell under the empire''s control. Crockta left to join the Espada Resistance forces, and a fierce struggle ensued. In Ogochai, Crockta fought alone until he lost all hisrades. His relentless resistance moved the hearts of onlookers. While viewers had previously seen events from Heaven and Earth''s perspective, Laney provided an unfiltered view of the war through Crockta''s eyes. The video of Crockta''s struggles transitioned into the showdown, known as the Crockta Grand Finale. Instead of showing Crockta standing alone from the perspective of the empire¡¯s army, she stood by his side and showed the overwhelming number of forces he was facing. It was an unbelievablyrge army that no one would dare face alone. In front of them, Crockta, with his unwavering beliefs, raised his greatsword. It was a situation where victory seemed impossible. However, he was not alone. The paths he had walked, and the good deeds he had done, all returned to stand by his side. Andre appeared first. Crockta thought Andre was about to attack him, but he charged through the imperial army instead. People erupted in cheers. Iron, known as the Old Wine Man, followed, and then the role-ying group F4 joined as well. Then came the Rebirth Brothers, Kenzo who imed to have received teachings from Crockta, and his Mountain of Spears, Forest of Swords gang, also known as the Red Turban, and even Crockta¡¯s fan club called Praise the Orc. Finally, the Om Brothers appeared, turning the tide of battlepletely. In the end, they achieved victory. If Crockta had only expressed his principles through words, then he would have scattered into a handful of ashes during the battle. But he had always personally embodied his beliefs and so, managed to turn this reckless fight into his victory. When the edited video of Crockta''s struggles was released, the membership of Praise the Orc fan club skyrocketed instantly. Now, everyone knew Crockta''s name. Crockta wasn''t a deceased celebrity or a star idealized by the media; he was a living hero proving his path to people in real time. Everyone praised Crockta. Opinions about what would happen next were varied. The Elder Lordmunity was more heated than ever. The imperial forces retreated, and Rommel was captured. Based on Crockta¡¯s past actions, Rommel was likely to receive the concrete method. Without Rommel, the Heaven and Earth n wouldn''t be able to exert the same amount of influence as before. yers eagerly anticipated the future moves of the empire and the Heaven and Earth n. However, events took an unexpected turn. *** ¡°Ah, there¡¯s Crockta.¡± ¡°There¡¯s Tiyo too!¡± ¡°Ah, so cute!¡± ¡°Should we ask for their autographs?¡± ¡°Why would NPCs have their own autographs? You are silly.¡± ¡°Crockta looks really scary.¡± The yers of Espada began to gather around them. Although the number of yers in the south decreased after the empire went on a rampage, the region saw an increase in those who came to see Crockta as his poprity peaked. "How embarrassing." "Sorry for my poprity...hahaha,¡± replied Tiyo with a content smile. As Crockta''s previous deeds received the spotlight, his partner and adorable gnome, Tiyo, and the handsome dark elf Anor got their fair share of attention as well. Communities dedicated to Tiyo and Anor popped up within the Praise the Orcmunity. Thus, wherever they went, people¡¯s eyes were on them. "If they had heard about my feats, I would have been way more popr. I missed my chance because you went by yourself!¡± "Hahaha Sorry." When the news of Crockta repelling the imperial forces spread, the citizens of Cathalu were initially too startled to respond but soon erupted in cheers. Although Tiyo and Anor were a bit disappointed that Crockta had left for war without a word, they were all rejoicing at the positive oue. But the citizens of Cathalu weren¡¯t able to fully rx yet because there hadn¡¯t been any sign from the empire. It was a tense period of peace. Nevertheless, the city was much more lively than before. Tiyo waved at his female fans. "Wonder if he¡¯s doing alright,¡± said Crockta. "He¡¯s so sound it¡¯s almost annoying,¡± replied Tiyo. "Hmm. I''m curious." They were on their way to the prison facility in Cathalu, where someone who had volunteered to help them was detained. *** "Crockta! Wee!¡± "Are you alive? Good work.¡± "It''s an honor!" Crockta, who ended the war with the empire, received the respect of Cathalu militia members. As those who fought on the front lines, their reverence for Crockta was several times that of ordinary citizens. "He''s having lunch right now. Would you like to go in?" "Of course." Crockta headed to the prison located underground. There, he found Rommel. Rommel was sitting at the prison table, having lunch. Although he was imprisoned in the underground jail of Cathalu, he didn¡¯t have any shackles or restraints on him. Officially, he was detained in the Cathalu underground prison, but unofficially... "You were right," Rommel nodded. He was sharing information on how topletely finish off Cainz and Luin. When Rommel said he would help them , he was not exaggerating. Cainz and Luin were done for. Crockta caressed his chin and said, "I may not know much about you cursed ones, but..." While pretending to be an NPC was bing increasingly tiring, Crockta refrained from revealing himself directly now that his name had turned the world upside down. He had also cautioned Tiyo, Anor, and his master, Andre, who knew about his cursed state. Crockta continued, "As you said, Edgar disappeared from the star of the abyss. His lover, Robina, confirmed it. And the conditions were just as you described.¡± "It''s all true. They will disappear forever from this world." Edgar, the manager of the Maird branch of the Heaven and Earth n, was originally a member of the Rebirth Brothers but was scouted by the Heaven and Earth n after he broke up with Robina. After getting wasted with Crockta in Maird, he had vowed to serve Crockta as his older brother. Although he betrayed Crockta when he discovered his true identity, Crockta didn¡¯t dislike him. Edgar ended up disconnecting from the server while warning Crockta to be wary of the Heaven and Earth n before killing himself. ¡°The star of the abyss has strict rules. They havemitted serious crimes.¡± The Heaven and Earth n had beenmitting the doping crime he had heard about from Ji Ha-Yeon. They injected substances into people to put them in an unconscious state and forced them to y Elder Lord in illegally modified capsules that sustained them by providing nutrients through IV fluids. The asleep individuals could maintain a high assimtion rate due to the influence of the substances, and as they couldn''t log out, they worked endlessly in Elder Lord. That¡¯s how they rapidly increased loyal n members with high assimtion rates. Although Cainz and Luin had handled this matter secretly to keep it from Rommel, the observant Rommel suspected it to some extent. He recently became sure of it through the incident with Edgar. "...¡± Crockta listened to their atrocities and reconsidered his assessment of them. They weren''t just evil gamers, they were true trash. Seeing Crockta''s strange expression, Rommel misunderstood and added, "Don''t be disappointed that you eliminated them too easily. The punishment they will receive in the star of the abyss will be more painful than anything you can do to them." "Is that so?" "They will lose everything." Rommel calmly took a sip of tea. Cainz and Luin would face punishment in the real world, not Elder Lord. They would face confiscation of property and imprisonment. "Casually throwing oldrades into ruin. You''re something else.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Rommelughed. When Crockta asked him why he had a change of heart, Rommel replied, "I don''t want to receive the concrete method.¡± Rommel wasn''t in the Heaven and Earth n for the rewards and money given by them but enjoyed ying Elder Lord itself as Rommel and War Maestro. His presence in the Heaven and Earth n was to ensure his position as amander, not for any other connections. Cainz and Luin were not more valuable to him than that. "I¡¯ve heard that a lot, but...looking back now, I think I was secretly angry at their actions. I¡¯m also human. Theymitted crimes and will have to pay for them,¡± said Rommel. Rommel was just an ordinary guy. Even though he usually maintained a calm and collected facade, he was a sight to see when Crockta beat him upst time. As Crockta was about to leave the prison, Rommel called out, "Crockta." "What is it?¡± "You have a lot of friends. Like the White Knight, the necromancer, and several humans..." "If you think about it like that, I guess I have a lot.¡± "So, I was thinking..." "You were thinking?" After hesitating for a moment, Rommel sighed and then asked, ¡°Could I be your friend too?" Crockta wasn¡¯t sure what kind of face to make. He didn¡¯t have any positive feelings toward Rommel. He was the one who destroyed ste and tormented those around him. However, Rommel was just a regr yer who didn''t know that this world was a different dimension. He could only think of his crimes as beating an opponent during gamey or acting like a rude yer. Crockta asked, "Why are you suddenly suggesting friendship?¡± "I was impressed by you." Rommel sipped his tea again. But realizing that he had already finished it, he put down the empty cup. "At one point, we were enemies, but I guess I want to know more about you...¡± Tiyo, who had been quietly watching, interrupted them, "Ha, it sounds like a love confession. It¡¯s amusing, but it¡¯s utter nonsense. You are briefly cooperating with us, yes. But you, the one who killed and tormented innocent people, want to be friends with Crockta? No way.¡± His voice was firm. Rommel nodded. He knew that from the perspective of NPCs, he was an unforgivable viin. Tyo added, "If you want to be Crockta''s friend, first prove it through your actions and thene see us.¡± "Actions, huh..." "Human beings are judged by their actions. Just like merely talking about doing good is meaningless, just saying that you want to be friends won''t bring you two any closer. If you''ve truly changed your heart, prove it,¡± demanded Tiyo. Crockta nodded in agreement. Tiyo was expressing how he felt. ¡°It¡¯s just as Tiyo said.¡± ¡°See, I can understand Crockta¡¯s feelings even if he doesn¡¯t say them out loud! You have to get on my level to be friends with Crockta,¡± bragged Tiyo as he puffed his chest. Rommel grinned. ¡°Is that so? Understood. See you next time.¡± Crockta and Tiyo exited the prison. Rommel would stay there until the dissolution of the Heaven and Earth n. He would be there for a while. Things were wrapping up nicely. They felt as if they could travel with a light heart this time. *** There were voices. ¡®It was definitely her. She is back. Death has returned.¡¯ ¡®Find her. Find her and stop her. No matter what it takes.¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t a mistake? She has been alive all along?¡¯ ¡®We have to stop her. For the world.¡¯ ¡®What does she want?¡¯ ¡®The destruction of the world.¡¯ ¡®The destruction of the world.¡¯ ¡®The destruction of the world.¡¯ ¡®How should we stop her? I can¡¯t see her at all. I¡¯m suspicious it¡¯s even her. Is it really her?¡¯ ¡®That guy. The Conqueror of the North. The orc who stopped the war. It was definitely him.¡¯ ¡®Is it rted to him?¡¯ ¡®I get it now. It¡¯s orcs this time! She is using the orc.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not certain yet. Orcs don¡¯t believe in anyone. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s an orc. They only believe in the forgotten god because no one protects them. They are perfect for serving her purpose.¡¯ ¡®Is it really orcs this time?¡¯ ¡®Yes, orcs.¡¯ ¡®Orc.¡¯ ¡®Orc.¡¯ ¡®Orc.¡¯ ¡®Orcs.¡¯ ¡®No one oversees them anyway.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if they disappear.¡¯ ¡®They are so arrogant they don¡¯t believe in anyone.¡¯ ¡®So orcs.¡¯ ¡®Orcs and Crockta.¡¯ ¡®Arrogant orcs.¡¯ The voices gathered their opinions. ¡®Get rid of them.¡¯ ¡®We will get rid of them and get rid of her.¡¯ ¡®We will protect the world.¡¯ ¡®Our world.¡¯ ¡®For the world.¡¯ That day, a new divine message was imparted by the gods. Chapter 176: Things that Happen at the Beach (1)

Chapter 176: Things that Happen at the Beach (1)

Yi-An stretched his body. He was currently at the beach in Gangwon-do, which bordered the East Sea. Recently, he felt stiff all over as he was stuck at home all day while ying Elder Lord. He went on a solo trip to get some energy from a new ce. He chose this ce because he missed the sea. Looking at the blue sea made him feel refreshed. He stretched his body from top to bottom and inhaled the fresh air. The scorching sun also felt weing. ¡°You have to straighten your upper body. Don¡¯t bend, and don¡¯t let your chest touch the board.¡± Surfing sses were in full swing on one side of the white sand beach. Men and women wearing rash guards of various colors were sloppily repeating the movements of lying down, sitting, and standing on the surfboard. It looked like a lot of fun. Surfing? Yi-An thought about learning it. He had never learned sports other than martial arts. When he looked around, he saw surfers cutting through the current on the sea. Most of them couldn¡¯t even stand properly and were in a crooked posture. Every now and then, however, some people surfed beautifully toward the beach. ¡°I hate rash guards.¡± Yi-An turned his head at the sudden voice. A man was standing there. He wore sses, and his hair had a slight tinge of gray, but he did not look old. He was probably in his mid-thirties. He continued, frowning at the dazzling sun, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Being naked is the best when ites to the beach. That¡¯s the true spirit. But everyone is falling for the clothingpany¡¯s sales gimmick, so they cover themselves up for no reason. Youth is in the moment, don¡¯t you think so?¡± He looked at Yi-An. Even when he looked at him again, Yi-An had never seen the man before. Yi-Anughed and replied, ¡°I guess so.¡± Unexpectedly meeting someone interesting. Wasn¡¯t this the beauty of traveling? The man nodded in approval. ¡°You should take off your clothes, too. You should bask your body in the sun.¡± Then, the man took off his top first. Even though he was not bulky, he had a lean body. He was wearing Aloha board shorts, which were rarely seen. He deliberately walked forward with solemn eyes. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you know how to surf?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah. You looked like someone who doesn¡¯t surf.¡± Yi-An¡¯s eyebrows twitched for a moment. What did he mean by that? Yi-An had never been bad at sports. When he was young, without any n, he used to go to the sports field with a ball in hand. He, then, would beat his peers, and even score in the corner of the goal posts, known as the ¡®Yashin Zone¡¯[1]. He possessed a natural talent for sports. He would be Cristiano Ronaldo when he kicked a football, Stephen Curry when he shot a basketball, and Roger Federer when he swung a tennis racket. Even if the sports were different, he was always good at it. It was true that he knew nothing about surfing, but it was uneptable to be treated like a geek. The man, not sensing Yi-An¡¯s anger, continued with a casual look, ¡°Then, do you want to learn it from me?¡± Yi-An let out augh. ¡°Do you know how to surf?¡± Yi-An asked. ¡°Are you hearing yourself? My friend, learn how to be a better judge of people first.¡± The man gestured with his chin after hanging his top over his neck. ¡°Follow me. I will teach you step by step. An opportunity like this is rare.¡± Yi-An began to be interested, both in surfing and this man. The man left the white sand beach with Yi-An and headed to a surfing shop across the road. There, a tanned man with tied-up reggae hair was sitting in a rocking chair. He fixed his sunsses over his hair and waved. The eyes hidden behind the sunsses looked surprisingly innocent. ¡°Hey, hyung-nim.¡± ¡°You look good.¡± ¡°Haha, I was busy getting wasted until dawn yesterday...¡± The shop owner replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach him how to surf, so take care of him.¡± The strange man said. ¡°Alright. Jin-Chul! Give this guy some equipment! It¡¯s one person!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± An answer came from inside the shop. Soon after, a tanned young man appeared. He looked around with clouded eyes, perhaps because he, too, also drank till dawn with the shop owner, and greeted Yi-An. ¡°Oh, hello. It¡¯s your first time surfing, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yi-An replied. ¡°Did you bring any extra clothes or a rash guard? If not, I¡¯ll give you a wetsuit. You¡¯re simr in height to me, so this size should be enough...¡± Yi-An was given a full-body wetsuit that looked like something skin-scuba divers would use. When Yi-An tried to pay the rental fee, the young man shook his hand. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all right. You¡¯re hyung-nim¡¯s guest, so it¡¯s free.¡± Yi-An looked at the man chatting with the shop owner outside the shop. The man was looking at the sea with his hands on his waist. ¡°What does that man do for a living?¡± ¡°You mean hyung-nim? I don¡¯t know either.¡± The young manughed. ¡°He is just close to the boss. Do you not know him?¡± ¡°I met him for the first time today,¡± Yi-An said truthfully. ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing. This doesn¡¯t happen often. You can change inside.¡± Just like that, Yi-An put on the surfing gear and left the shop with arge surfboard over his head. Yi-An¡¯s surfboard was thick and shabby as if it was made out of sponge for training purposes. The surfboard the man was holding had a smooth, nice shape. ¡°Surfing is all about the equipment.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not about skills?¡± Yi-An asked. ¡°Fashion is everything. Surfing is all about being cool.¡± The man said while staring at Yi-An. Yi-An was taken aback. On that man¡¯s face, something simr to blue makeup was smeared across his cheekbones and nose in a straight line. It was like a scene out of a movie where barbarians worebat makeup. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look cool? Do you want to apply some too?¡± The man handed Yi-An a tube. It was sunblock. Unlike any other sunscreen, the color was smeared clearly. ¡°This is only for your nose and cheeks. It¡¯s expensive, so use it sparingly.¡± It felt like the kind of cool that surfers pursued. Yi-An applied it too. Just like that, they went back to the white sand beach. ¡°Take note that you can only surf here.¡± There was a separate beach area for surfing. The two of them headed there. Besides them, there were first-timers taking lessons here and there. Most of the people on top of the surfboard were drooping like seaweed because they couldn¡¯t ride the waves properly. ¡°I am strict, so prepare yourself.¡± *** Contrary to what the man said about being strict, he skimped past the lesson roughly. The man said that all he had to do was to row his arms hard while on the board, then put his arms on the board, and stand up smoothly. At the very least, the man demonstrated once or twice, and he immediately pushed Yi-An out to the sea. Yi-An couldn¡¯t even practice properly and worked hard trying to ride the waves. However, that was good enough. With Yi-An¡¯s distinctive motor nerves, he would easily be able to do it. He rowed his arms while waiting for the waves, and when the time came, he gently stood up, feeling the waves. Then, he bnced himself, surfing forward. Yi-An was satisfied. As expected of himself, he was the same person who became Ronaldo when he kicked a football, Curry when he shot a basketball, and Federer when he swung a tennis racket. Now, once he rode the waves... He didn¡¯t know anyone from the surfing world, so he settled for Phelps. ¡°You¡¯re doing good.¡± The man said. ¡°You¡¯re good too,¡± Yi-An replied. The man was certainly skillful at riding the waves. His hair rarely got wet,pared to most of the others who were not able to ride the waves or bnce themselves. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± While Yi-An was leaning on the surfboard to rest for a moment, a woman lost her bearing and floundered on the surfboard, skidding towards Yi-An. Her surfboard poked Yi-An¡¯s back, and he felt an excruciating pain. Yi-An and the woman tangled on each other, falling into the water and floundering. After being trapped for a while, they barely managed to get themselves together. The woman, whose hair was wet and droopy, apologized to Yi-An, not knowing what to do about the situation. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay? I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Yi-An stroked his back. It was fortunate that the woman¡¯s surfboard was used for training purposes. This was maybe why they used sponge-like material for the base of the surfboard. If he was poked in the back with the surfboard his surfing instructor was using, his skin would have ripped. Yi-An stroked his back and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please be careful.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± The woman gasped at Yi-An¡¯s gentle reply. Then, she grabbed Yi-An by the arm and turned him around. ¡°Is your back okay? It must have hurt. What do we do...¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± As Yi-An continued to shrug and confirm that he was fine, the woman pulled her surfboard floating on the sea and stroked her lips. ¡°Then, please let me know if any problems surfaceter.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°If you need, I can give you my number or something-...¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s really okay. Have fun surfing.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. You too.¡± The woman bowed and pushed her surfboard back toward the other side of the beach. ¡°You¡¯re so tactless.¡± Yi-An flinched. Before he realized it, the man approached him. ¡°You scared me for a second.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any. Tact.¡± The man said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Just hold on.¡± The man shouted, ¡°Hey, there! Come here! How can you just go after hitting a person?¡± The woman, who was moving further away, turned around in surprise at his shout. She looked at Yi-An and the man in turn. When the man beckoned, she came back hesitantly. ¡°Youngdy. Did you do something wrong, or did you not?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to hit people with a surfboard. Is that correct, or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m sorry...¡± ¡°Thisdy is a dangerousdy.¡± The man continued. ¡°...¡± ¡°So, give him your phone number.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to give him your phone number because he has to contact you if there¡¯s a problemter.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes. So, my number is...¡± She recited her phone number. Then, he said to Yi-An, ¡°You should give her your number too.¡± ¡°Why me too?¡± ¡°You never know. Hurry up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± ¡°If you receive a number, you should also give yours. That¡¯s manners.¡± Yi-An dubiously recited his number. The man repeated it a couple of times for the woman to remember. ¡°Youngdy, did you memorize it?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Good. How many days are you here for? Are you on vacation?¡± ¡°Yes. I will be here until the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Him too.¡± Then, the man winked. The woman chuckled. ¡°Then, go your way. Have fun.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. You two have fun too.¡± The woman grinned and pushed her surfboard away. Two women, who appeared to be her friends, were looking at her anxiously. She waved. Yi-An smiled despondently at the sight and asked, ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± ¡°This is youth. Eat a lot, pray a lot, and love a lot.¡± ¡°But this is my problem though...¡± Yi-An ¡°You don''t have a girlfriend, do you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s all good.¡± He tapped Yi-An on the shoulder. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get out. We surfed a lot. I¡¯m thirsty. You pay for the beer.¡± Before he knew it, the man was talking to Yi-Anfortably. But for some reason, Yi-An was not angry with the mysterious man. ¡°Alright.¡± Yi-An followed behind him with a smile. *** After returning the equipment and taking a shower, they found a craft beer store not far from the beach. Inside the beer store, surfboards and other equipment were disyed. As they were at a beach famous for surfing, the store was greatly influenced. The man ordered beer and some fried food. Even here, the TV screen seeded in disying news of Elder Lord. ¡°That¡¯s been going crazy these days.¡± The man leaned into the chair and pointed to the screen. The headline was ¡®The shocking truth about the Heaven and Earth n¡¯. It was a special feature on the crimesmitted by the Heaven and Earth n. ¡°It¡¯s a scary world. It seems like they pushed people into the game world with drugs.¡± ¡°I know right? Whatever you do will eventuallye back to you.¡± Yi-An ryed the information he received from Rommel to the Rebirth Brotherhood. Robina, who was once Edgar¡¯s lover, took the lead in informing the police. The matter was handled with lightning speed because the Rebirth Brotherhood had members working in the prosecution department. The workshop, which was called the ¡®sleeping room¡¯, was revealed. From there, they were able to discover countless people who had disappeared. Edgar was also rescued. It was something they started voluntarily for money, but they testified that they could not quit because of their threats. ¡®Cainz¡¯, Choi Sung-Gil, was ced on the wanted list for nning all this, and ¡®Luin¡¯, Kim Hyun-Chul, his right arm working under him, was arrested. Public opinions poured in. The Heaven and Earth n, which used to be the pride of the Republic of Korea, was now a disgrace. The Elder Lord forum overseas was also shocked by the situation. It was a wake-up call for others as something like this could happen covertly without anyone knowing. ¡°What happened to that guy Rommel?¡± The man asked. ¡°It¡¯s confirmed that he aided and abetted, but I don¡¯t think there will be a big problem,¡± Yi-An said. ¡°He was the guy who yedmander, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. His ss is the War Maestro.¡± ¡°How was he? Was he as good as the rumors?¡± The man asked. ¡°Certainly, he was outstanding...¡± Yi-An stopped talking. He looked at the man who was sitting still smiling while staring at him back. He was probably in his mid-thirties, and he gave off an intelligent impression, wearing sses with a gentle face. The man¡¯s ck eyes were still like water as if he saw through Yi-An¡¯s mind. ¡°Why did you stop talking?¡± The man chuckled. Yi-An leaned against the back of the chair. He scanned through hisplicated mind, and opened his mouth, ¡°You are...¡± ¡°Here it is. Enjoy your meal.¡± At that moment, the staff served beer and snacks. The conversation between Yi-An and the man was cut off. The staff ced a mug of beer on their respective spots. Cold water droplets formed on the surface of the mug. Yi-An put his fingertips on it. Soon, the staff left their table. Yi-An took a sip of the beer. His head calmed down at the refreshing gulp. The man drank his beer together with Yi-An and asked, ¡°How was Rommel, Crockta?¡± 1. Yashin Zone is a homage to the Russian goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, and it refers to the left and right top corner of the goal post. ? Chapter 177: Things that Happen at the Beach (2)

Chapter 177: Things that Happen at the Beach (2)

¡®Who are you?¡¯ These words rose all the way up to the tip of Yi-An¡¯s neck. However, looking at the man¡¯s calm expression, Yi-An chose to take another sip of beer with a smile instead of questioning him. Yi-An said, ¡°He was an amazingmander.¡± The man nodded and continued, ¡°Yeah, he was pretty good. He would have been the best if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°Well, we specialize in different things. It¡¯s hard to say who is better...¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡± The manughed. Then, sounds of cheering came from the next table. Tanned men and women gathered and danced happily to the music. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice?¡± ¡°It is.¡± The man ate a couple of fries. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re the best.¡± Yi-An looked around. He didn¡¯t sense anything suspicious. He pretended to be calm. ¡°Come to think of it, how much is a surfboard? It was fun. I¡¯m thinking whether I should buy one, ¡± Yi-An said while sipping his beer. He threw words he did not mean, calcting a few possible scenarios in his mind. First, Yi-An assumed that the man was someone involved with the Heaven and Earth n. He may have appeared to avenge Cainz. However, it didn¡¯t add up at all. How could the man have known that Yi-An woulde here? Besides, this man looked like he had been here for a long time already. Was he perhaps an acquaintance of Ji Ha-Yeon? The productionpany could have finally broken through Elder Lord¡¯s system to find out who Crockta¡¯s true identity was. They may have ryed the information to this man. When Yi-An opened his eyes, the man was staring at him. ¡°You¡¯re trying to be clever here. I don¡¯t like it. Just ask me who I am.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s displeasing. You¡¯re not doing anything within my expectations. Did you learn it in the Middle East?¡± Yi-An tapped the table with his fingertips. The feeling of being seen through was always unpleasant. Yi-An always tried to break the opponent¡¯s rhythm when he sensed danger. To do so, he always disregarded the enemy¡¯s expectations. When his enemy expected an attack, he would stay in ce. On the other hand, when his enemy expected him to defend, he would dash forward. So, this time too, he tried not to give any reaction to his opponent, which in this case, was the man¡¯s expectation. ¡°How did you find out?¡± However, there was too little information this time. Yi-An decided to ask upfront, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°See? Howfortable does it feel to just say it?¡± The man raised his beer mug with a smile. The two of them made a light toast. They looked at each other and chugged their beer. ¡°Eat some snacks too. It feels like I¡¯m the only one eating.¡± He ordered another beer and nibbled on some fries. ¡°You are really someone outside my expectations. You¡¯re never within my assumptions.¡± ¡°What assumptions are you referring to?¡± Yi-An asked. ¡°We¡¯re talking about Elder Lord, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m trying to say that I never expected anyone like you.¡± At that moment, Yi-An realized who he was. The man¡¯s calm eyes looking at him was something he had seen before. The man was different from what Yi-An saw in pictures. He was tanned, and his eyebrows and hair were tinged with a hint of gray. His body was also muscr, very different from the skinny version of him in pictures. His expressions were much more colorful, so Yi-An didn¡¯t imagine he was the same dim-looking man in the pictures. ¡°Yoo Jae-Han?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± He smiled with his eyes wide open. The man who created Elder Lord as well as the man who developed the Core System Albino. Yi-An¡¯s face went nk. He wanted to meet Yoo Jae-Han, but now that they finally met, he didn¡¯t know what to talk about first. Should he ask if Yoo Jae-Han knew about the Ashen God? Or should he ask if he knew that Elder Lord¡¯s world was a reality in another dimension? He felt like he was walking on a cloud. He lost his sense of reality. Maybe everything he had been through was a dream, and Elder Lord was actually just a game? ¡°How did you know me? Did you go around investigating?¡± ¡°Coming this far, of course, I should investigate here and there.¡± Yi-An answered. ¡°Yeah, I guess you would¡¯ve done that.¡± Yoo Jae-Han continued and blurted, ¡°That woman liked you a lot.¡± Yi-An instantly recalled a few faces. Then, he got rid of that thought. However, Yoo Jae-Han, who caught on to Yi-An¡¯s expression, snickered. ¡°Who were you thinking about? Are there many people around you who would like you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°The youngdy just now too. You sinned a lot.¡± The newly arrived beer had a slightly different color. Yoo Jae-Han gestured with his chin, indicating to have a toast. ¡°For Crockta.¡± The two of them clinked their mugs. As soon as Yi-An took a sip of the beer, Yoo Jae-Hun abruptly said, ¡°You met Albino there, right?¡± The beer went down the wrong pipe and he choked a little. He barely managed to calm himself down. ¡°Drink slowly. You¡¯re going to get sick.¡± ¡°Cough, ehem. By Albino, you mean...¡± ¡°A white young girl. The Ashen God.¡± Yoo Jae-Han already knew about the Ashen God. Yi-An took a gulp of beer again and settled down. He was the person who created Elder Lord. He was clearly involved. Yoo Jae-Han was a physicist. If so, did he join forces with the Ashen God to connect Earth and another world through an unknown theory? Then, why did he create Elder Lord? What was the Ashen God¡¯s real purpose? Yi-An asked, ¡°I met her. I also heard that Elder Lord is a different world.¡± Yoo Jae-Han nodded, ¡°Course you did.¡± ¡°What exactly is Elder Lord? Why did you make it, and what is the purpose of the Ashen God?¡± ¡°Should I tell you, should I not...¡± ¡°You are going to tell me.¡± ¡°Should I...¡± Yoo Jae-Han leaned against the back of the chair and looked up. He rolled his eyes, seemingly thinking about something. ¡°Your name is Jung Yi-An, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you ever looked up at the night sky?¡± He pointed his hand up. ¡°Not the dark sky you see in South Korea. But a sky with countless stars, one split in half by the Milky Way. That kind of sky. Have you ever looked up at the desert sky, a sky without a speck of light to pollute it?¡± Yoo Jae-Han asked. ¡°I have.¡± ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°It was beautiful.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it scary?¡± He looked at Yi-An with a faint smile and continued, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it scary looking at the stars and imagining the vast universe between the stars and us?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought that far.¡± ¡°...And that all of this will eventually die down.¡± Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s words somehow seemed to be in line with the notion of emptiness conveyed by the demon within the belt, as well as the Ashen God, who spoke of death. ¡°Entropies never decrease. Ever.¡± This also connected to Gordon¡¯s story. ¡°Even the sun, the countless stars and gxies would eventually scatter coldly.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with Elder Lord?¡± ¡°Albino was having these thoughts way before me. So, when she found me and said that there was a way, I created Elder Lord to help her.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know if it was a good choice or not.¡¯ He muttered. Looking at him, Yi-An realized that the genius Yoo Jae-Han was different from ordinary people. ¡°Are you saying that you created Elder Lord to prevent the destruction of the universe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr to that.¡± Yoo Jae-Han was afraid of the distant future that would not happen in his life, or even in the next few generations. The thought of that flooded his head, and he was unable to think of anything else. ¡°What did she say? How can she prevent the destruction?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Yoo Jae-Han said. ¡°Did you trust her blindly and created Elder Lord?¡± Yi-An asked in shock. ¡°She was a God. When I met her, I had no choice but to trust her. She used mysterious powers, so I decided to bet on her once. But things spiraled out of control bigger than I expected.¡± ¡°The people are killing other people in a different dimension because they think it¡¯s just a game. Do you not feel any guilt?¡± Yoo Jae-Han looked at Yi-An. His eyes were calm. He didn¡¯t seem to be feeling any emotions. ¡°They are people who are going to die anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Everyone dies in the end. Our lives can¡¯t even surpass a hundred years. What does it matter?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. I have told you enough.¡± ¡°Is there any way to stop Elder Lo-...¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What is Albino¡¯s goal?¡± ¡°I told you, didn''t I? This is as far as I am going to say. Find out the rest yourself.¡± His expression was firm. Yi-An pondered two options. Either stepping back like this, or forcing him to talk more, even if he had to get physical. ¡°I see.¡± Thetter was a more interesting choice, but he was no longer the Raven he used to be. He had a lot of questions to ask, but he just decided to nod. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m thinking of ying in moderation from now on.¡± ¡°Are you going to quit Elder Lord?¡± ¡°I intend to do so soon.¡± He recalled the time when he became Crockta and achieved a 100% assimtion rate. He really became Crockta at that moment, and in his heart, he truly became an orc warrior. He had no fear then. Even death was an honor to him. He willingly stood alone against the battlefield, where his death was foreseeable. At that time, he was not worried about Yi-Yoo or his surroundings. There were more important things on the battlefield. However, he should not have acted that way. Yi-Yoo was young, and he was still her guardian. He was also responsible for Cafe Reason. He should not have treated his death as his own. When he disconnected and returned to being Yi-An, he regretted the thoughts and actions he had made when he was Crockta. If he continued ying Elder Lord, it would continue to happen. He intended to restrain himself from now on, both for his and Yi-Yoo¡¯s sake. In the end, he even stopped the empire. There was no longer a need to concern himself with the Ashen God or other dangerous beings. ¡°I hope you can really do so, ¡± Yoo Jae-Han said. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re doing well here. Elder Saga Corporation has been looking for you fervently.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s how they do things. Albino also helped out.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep staying here?¡± Yi-An asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. I initially came to empty my mind, but it was fun. The sea, and the people too.¡± Ji Ha-Yeon, the heir of Myeongsong Group, was sure that Yoo Jae-Han would not be in South Korea. However, he was stayingfortably in a resort by the sea in Gangwon-do. He looked livelier, more muscr, and tanned than before too. Yi-Anughed, ¡°How did you know I was going to be here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence. I was surprised, too.¡± ¡°Do scientists believe in coincidences?¡± ¡°You never know. The more you dig, the more interesting the world is. I should believe in coincidences.¡± It was hard to believe. However, Yoo Jae-Han seemed to have stayed there for a long time. Didn¡¯t the surfing shop say so? Yi-Aning here was genuinely a spontaneous idea, so it was probably a coincidence that they met. Yi-An decided to ept it as it was. Yoo Jae-Han got up from his seat, ¡°Let¡¯s go out.¡± ¡°Where are we going-...¡± ¡°You¡¯re on vacation, right? Let¡¯s go out and have fun.¡± They left the store. The day was long because it was summer. There was still a dim sunlight. ¡°Try contacting thedy.¡± ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°The woman who crashed into you this morning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t even remember her number.¡± ¡°What a stiff man.¡± Yoo Jae-Han picked up his own phone. Then, as he punched in the phone number and was about to dial it, Yi-An smiled and stopped him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m calling her.¡± ¡°Stop it. By the way, how did you even manage to remember all of it.¡± At that time, the woman only roughly recited her number once. Rather, Yi-An had to repeat his number several times. ¡°I have a high IQ. I remember everything.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spoil the fun. A man cannot be shy. You won¡¯t be popr like that, you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about being shy...¡± Suddenly, Yi-An¡¯s cellphone rang. It was a familiar number. Yoo Jae-Han grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a world where women are more proactive.¡± *** Yoo Jae-Han was lying on a hammock and staring at the sea, waiting for Yi-An toe back after booking his amodation. In the distant horizon, the lights of the ships were blinking. The sea breeze blew. Yoo Jae-Han shook his body to feel the rhythm of the hammock, and he suddenly felt a chill airing down his body. He whispered with his eyes closed, ¡°You sent him, right?¡± There was no answer. Yoo Jae-Han asked again, ¡°You sent him right, Albino?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± He opened his eyes. A gray figure floated beside him. ¡°He decided on his own and came here.¡± ¡°You must have made him make that decision. You used your power and showed him images of the sea here and there, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, so why did youe?¡± Yoo Jae-Han asked. A gray figure hovered around him. ¡°It will be done soon.¡± ¡°So fast?¡± ¡°Thanks to Yi-An, I think it will be done soon.¡± ¡°He is helping you without knowing anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in inevitable flow.¡± Yoo Jae-Han picked himself up from the hammock. He tapped on his waist and looked at the sky. Even though he was by the sea, there were not many stars. Still, he could imagine the vast scene beyond. ¡°Keep your promise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind too, aren¡¯t you?¡± Albino said. ¡°I¡¯m a genius.¡± Yoo Jae-Han saw Yi-An approaching from afar and waved to him. The Ashen God¡¯s faint figure hid behind Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s back. Soon, her figure faded away. Feeling her presence growing further away, he murmured, ¡°Geniuses are all out of their minds.¡± Then, Yoo Jae-Han squinted his eyes. Yi-An was getting closer, but he was not alone. There was a woman next to him. ¡°Impressive.¡± Chapter 178: Things that Happen at the Beach (3)

Chapter 178: Things that Happen at the Beach (3)

The woman Yi-An brought over seemed to be the same age as Yoo Jae-Han. The woman walked up next to Yoo Jae-Han and scanned him up and down. At her gaze, he sensed that something was wrong. ¡°This is him.¡± ¡°This guy?¡± Yoo Jae-Han dragged Yi-An aside and whispered, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re the one that said to eat a lot, pray a lot, and love a lot.¡± Yi-An grinned. ¡°I brought someone here for you, Dr. Yoo[1].¡± ¡°No, why for me? You never said anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m usually not good at listening.¡± Yi-An then said to her with a smile, ¡°Noona, this is the handsome and intelligent man who¡¯s also a good surfer.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look the part though...¡± ¡°He¡¯s really smart. I think he¡¯s a MENSA[2] member.¡± ¡°Oh my, really? He must be very smart.¡± Yoo Jae-Han shook his head without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s not MENSA, it¡¯s the Mega Society[3]. MENSA is a group that anyone can enter.¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s not in MENSA though?¡± The woman said. ¡°Hahaha. So what if he¡¯s not? All that matters is that he¡¯s smart.¡± ¡°I came all the way here believing in you, but he¡¯s really not my taste. Are you going to take responsibility?¡± ¡°Why are you acting like that already? Try talking to him more. If you still don¡¯t like him after all that, I will take responsibility. This person isn¡¯t just gentle on the outside, he¡¯s also handsome on the inside. He¡¯s a genius who remembers everything he sees. Isn¡¯t he amazing?¡± Yi-An pushed her on the back, moving her next to Yoo Jae-Han. The woman, who seemed to take interest now, shrugged and spoke to Yoo Jae-Han. Yoo Jae-Han red at Yi-An, but he didn¡¯t seem to hate the idea of chatting with her. She was a guest in the room next door to the hotel room Yi-An booked. After he checked in and was about to leave, their eyes suddenly made contact and they started chatting. She was around the same age as Yoo Jae-Han and she looked bored alone, so Yi-An led her here saying he would introduce a pretty decent man to her. At heart, she was more interested in Yi-An than Yoo Jae-Han, so she followed him. But if it was a genius like Yoo Jae-Han, he would probably have his own unique charm, so she decided to trust him. ¡°Have fun.¡± Yi-An nned to sneak away gradually. Perhaps because they broke the ice, when Yoo Jae-Han said a few words, the woman chuckled in response. Yi-An alsoughed. He wondered what kind of mystical genius Yoo Jae-Han was, but he was more easygoing than expected. Yi-An thought about informing Ji Ha-Yeon, but it was better to hide any avable resources. ¡°What am I doing?¡± Yi-An walked alone on the night beach. Even at night, the vibe did not die down. Exotic pubs lit up the street, and food trucks parked at each space sold various foods. Yi-An bought an American chili hot dog and a cup of beer. It was delicious. The beer seemed to be a domestic product, but it didn¡¯t taste bad. Yi-An walked along the beach with snacks in his hands. He saw a bunch of young people buying and setting off fireworks now and then. Laughter erupted around. There were also young people busking with instruments, singing and dancing. Somehow, it seemed like a distant world. It felt like the kind of world he could not mingle in. Yi-An was around their age too, but he was more ustomed to putting the muzzle of his gun on his enemy¡¯s head than that kind of musical knack. ¡°He told me to enjoy life, right...¡± When Yi-An was discharged from the army, his superior told him so. What did Yi-An look like in the eyes of his superior? Still, he was enjoying the moment right now. What else would be as cool as bing Crockta? ¡°...¡± Yi-An flinched the moment he thought of it. At the scene of a barbecue party on the beach, there was a face he had seen many times somewhere. It was the kind of face that shouldn¡¯t appear here. A green-skinned man with menacing eyes, a red headband, and a vicious face. ¡°C-, Crockta...?¡± Crockta was there. Yi-An froze in a panic, but when he looked closely, it wasn¡¯t just Crockta. Ian froze in a panic, but after he looked closely, it wasn''t just Crockta. There were various faces next to it, such as a horse¡¯s head, and Pikachu from Pok¨¦mon, which was popr in the past. It was a face mask. People were chuckling as they moved deliberately. Yi-An smiled wryly. When did those sorts of productse out? ¡°I should be paid a royalty fee,¡± Yi-An muttered and looked at the scene in front of him. Among the peopleughing and talking, barbecued meats were cooking over the grill. Suddenly, someone there waved at Yi-An. It was a familiar face. It was the woman who bumped into Yi-An in the morning. He approached her, unable to ignore her any further because of her intense gaze. ¡°What are you doing alone!¡± ¡°Well, erm...¡± He was holding onto a chili hot dog and a beer. ¡°I was walking alone.¡± ¡°Ah, why are you doing that when you came all the way to the sea? That¡¯s so lonely. Is your body feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Perhaps because he drank a little bit of alcohol, his face was red and the tension was rising. The group she was sitting with asked who Yi-An was. They weed Yi-An with dubious eyes when she said that it was the guy she bumped into during the day. It seemed like they talked about Yi-An among themselves. On the other hand, the other men stared at Yi-An with wary eyes. The man wearing a Crockta mask took off his mask. It was a young man. ¡°Do you know him?¡± The young man asked. ¡°Yeah, one thing led to another.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but only our GH¡¯s guests are allowed to join. We have a fixed amount of food.¡± GH was an abbreviation for guest house. It seemed like it was a barbecue party held for the guests staying at the guest house. Yi-An had no intention to attend, so he tried to shake his head. ¡°He got hurt because of me during the day. Is there nothing we can do? One person should be fine, right?¡± ¡°Please let it go this time, oppa!¡± ¡°Ji-Eun has been looking forward to it!¡± He pondered about it, perhaps because it was difficult to ignore them since her group was the only few women at the party. ¡°Alright. Have a drink.¡± The young man working in the guest house quickly flowed with the mood and handed Yi-An a drink. Yi-An was going to decline. Then, the word ¡®enjoy life¡¯ suddenly popped into his mind again. Sometimes, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to join a party where he did not fit in. Yi-An ended up taking the cup. The group was quite a mix of people, they came from all over. The people wearing masks were employees working at the beach, and the boss contacted them asking for help, so they came for a while. The others were office workers or college students, and there was even a young man who was about to join the military. ¡°Where did you get that mask?¡± Yi-An asked. ¡°I bought it online. Do you know Crockta?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fan.¡± Everyone was drunk, so Yi-An could see their intentions at a nce. Everyone was busy flirting with people they were attracted to. The guest house¡¯s young employee was interested in a woman called Ji-Eun, and Ji-Eun was interested in Yi-An. Caught between the two of them, Yi-An vaguelyughed. ¡°I think I have to go now. Bye.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep because I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°You came to have fun and you¡¯re already tired?¡± When Yi-An said he was leaving, the man held on to him, pretending to feel like it was a shame, but he had a happy expression. ¡°You look very tired. Guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The man said. Yi-An appeased them by chugging a cup of somaek[4], then he got up from his seat and said goodbye. No one would remember he was there anyway since everyone was drunk. Just like that, he walked away from the white sand beach and walked around for a while. To be honest, he left because he wanted to be alone. He needed times like these. Looking at the lights in the distant sea, Yi-An thought about the world of Elder Lord and Yoo Jae-Han. Why did something like this happen to him? Yi-An felt like he was assigned some sort of mission. Strange things kept happening as if he was tasked with something he had to do in the world of Elder Lord. It was the same with Yoo Jae-Han. He came here for a vacation and happened to meet him, hearing things about Elder Lord. Elder Lord was born because of the strange idea that entropies never decrease, and the Ashen God as well as Yoo Jae-Han still seem to long for that. *** Yi-An was about to go back to his amodation after walking another round because the sea breeze was pleasing. ¡°...¡± Just then, he got to witness a suspicious scene. The guest house group that was having a barbecue party seemed to break down into smaller groups, gathering in groups of twos and threes and sitting separately. Some even seem to be going back to their amodation to sleep. However, the man wearing the Crockta mask earlier was helping the woman named Ji-Eun and heading off somewhere. She seemed drunk and not in her right mind, and the man pretended to take care of her and tapped her on the back, but he was actually dragging her somewhere. The direction he was heading in was filled with the dazzling lights of motels. ¡°This is...¡± Yi-An stroked his cheek. He did not know where her friends had gone, but it seemed like they were swept up in the atmosphere and could not take care of her. The movement of the man holding onto her waist and trodding along seemed out of line. Yi-An approached them. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The man was surprised and stared at Yi-An. Ji-Eun was staggering and leaning against the man, perhaps because she had note to her senses yet. Seeing that she was murmuring nonsense now and then, it seemed like she cked out. Yi-An said in a whisper, ¡°Just bring her back to her room.¡± For a moment, the man looked around. It was just the three of them around. The man frowned and said, ¡°Why are you interfering? Are you her boyfriend or something?¡± The man stopped using honorifics. Yi-An smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to do whatever it is you want to do with a drunk person. If the two of you are sober, I wouldn¡¯t be here talking to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so nosy and go away. Who are you to interfere?¡± The man helped the woman sit on the floor and approached Yi-An. Looking at him now, he was quite brawny. He was also tall, gazing down at Yi-An. ¡°Why are you being so nosy?¡± The man was right, Yi-An thought to himself. He was not a kind person who would meddle in other people¡¯s affairs. Looking back at himself, it was more appropriate to shrug and pass it over as their problem rather than meddle. However, the reason why he could not overlook it was... ¡°That¡¯s why you should have bought the right one.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yi-An murmured, ¡°I would have overlooked it if you were just wearing a horse mask or something. But you wore a Crockta mask, and you¡¯re acting this way, so I...¡± Yi-An extended his hand so fast that the man couldn¡¯t react. The man lost his bnce. Thump. Before he realized it, his back was on the floor. ¡°Ugh!¡± Yi-An shook his hand. ¡°So I can¡¯t just overlook it.¡± The man grabbed his back and rolled around on the floor. Yi-An tried to be gentle, but the man seemed to be in pain. Yi-An ignored him and went over to Ji-Eun. ¡°Are you okay? Can you get up?¡± She was sitting dozing off. Yi-An sighed. He wondered if he should call the police or find her friends. ¡°Hey, you bastard...¡± Meanwhile, the man got back up staggeringly. His face was red with anger. Yi-An said, ¡°You should¡¯ve just kept lying down.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± The man pounced at Yi-An. Did he have faith in himself? His posture gave off the impression that he learned martial arts before. The man lunged out powerful punches and kicks. If Yi-An was an ordinary person, he would not have been able to fight off the trained attacks of such a sturdy man. However, the opponent was no ordinary man, he was Yi-An. The man was hit on the sr plexus and fell to the floor. Yi-An kicked him in the ribs. He could not breathe and coughed. Yi-An kicked him in the stomach once more to vent his anger. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever wear a Crockta mask again. If I catch you again, you¡¯re dead.¡± Yi-An said as he watched the man flounder. Suddenly, he saw a group of women in the distance. It was the same group of women he had met at the party earlier. They were going around looking for Ji-Eun. Yi-An raised his hand and waved. *** ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Han Yeo-Ri looked at Yi-An, who got tanned, and said, ¡°Did you enjoy your trip?¡± ¡°It was alright.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She squinted her eyes and continued, ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but you¡¯ve been on your phone all this while.¡± Yi-An paused. Then, he typed on his phone screen again. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Han Yeo-Ri, who was cleaning the table, stared at Yi-An suspiciously. Caught off guard, Yi-An hurriedly typed a message and pressed the send button. Since Yi-An¡¯s trip to Gangwon-do, there were two more people he messaged on his messenger app, a number that rarely increased. Ji-Eun, the woman Yi-An saved. Han Ji-Eun, to be exact. One thing led to another, and they were keeping in touch. She seemed to have be very fond of Yi-An after Yi-An saved her from a dangerous situation; and also after she identally injured Yi-An. A new message appeared. ¡¸So quiet. Aren¡¯t you going to y Elder Lord today? ¡¹ It was Yoo Jae-Han. The other person Yi-An started messaging was Yoo Jae-Han. A genius scientist, the father of Elder Lord, and the man the Myeongsong Group was looking for. Yoo Jae-Han began keeping in touch with Yi-An as if they were close friends. The message reminded Yi-An of Yoo Jae-Han¡¯s unique way of speaking, making himugh. ¡¸I¡¯m going to y, so just watch the broadcast. ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward to it. ¡¹ They exchanged a series of messages. He had a long break, so he should slowly go back to Elder Lord to meet Tiyo and Anor. As Yi-An grabbed his phone and grinned, Han Yeo-Ri frowned, ¡°So annoying.¡± ¡°...¡± Yi-An looked at her with his eyes wide open at Han Yeo-Ri¡¯s irritated expression, which was rare. Han Yeo-Ri shrugged, ¡°What is it? It¡¯s the time of the month, so don¡¯t mess with me.¡± Then, she took a tablecloth and went to wipe another table. Yi-An scratched his head, looking at her back. 1. Being a physicist, Yoo Jae-Han holds a PhD, hence Dr. ? 2. MENSA is thergest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. ? 3. The Mega Society is a high IQ society open to people who have scored at the one-in-a-million level or more on a particr test of general intelligence, called the Mega Test, imed to be able to discriminate at that level. ? 4. Somaek is a beer cocktail made with soju and beer. It is an abbreviation of two Korean words, Soju and Maekju (beer). ? Chapter 179: Hedoro’s Legacy (1)

Chapter 179: Hedoro¡¯s Legacy (1)

¡°Something is wrong.¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t stay still.¡± ¡°I gathered the sorcerers. What about your side?¡± ¡°I have called them to convene.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start as soon as possible. We¡¯re short on time.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± *** Things were changing in Cathalu while Crockta was away. The grave scene of preparing for battle was now long gone, and the city was bustling as if they had restored their old prosperity. Crockta walked down the hectic market with Tiyo. Then, he discovered a shop and slowed down. It was a vegetable store. He was suddenly reminded of old memories. He had sold vegetables before. He was the man who helped Ste sell her vegetables in Anail. ¡°That guy, he¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Looks like a man who would be able to sell a stove in the desert.¡± The vegetable vendor was excellent at dealing with customers. His sociability attracted the customers, stopping them from walking. Moreover, using his sales skills, he enticed them to grab a basket full of vegetables. While Crockta and Tiyo were admiring his skills, there was a suddenmotion. ¡°Look here, I don¡¯t eat things like vegetables.¡± A man, led by the vegetable vendor and standing in front of the vegetable shop, pointed at the vegetables disagreeably. ¡°We¡¯re not herbivores. Do you think we can grow stronger by eating things like vegetables?¡± The man raised both his arms and flexed his forearm, showing his buff muscles. ¡°You have to eat meat to be as strong as me.¡± The customers stepped away from him as he was showing off his physique. The brawny manughed mockingly at the vegetable vendor and shrugged, ¡°Look at yourself, uncle vegetable. You look like you¡¯re about to faint, no? You don¡¯t look any different from dried anchovies. Eating vegetables has made you weak.¡± ¡°Meat is good, but you have to eat a bnced diet...¡± ¡°Bnced diet? I¡¯m sick and tired of hearing that! I grew up being told that eating bean sprouts would make me grow taller, and eating spinach would make me stronger! But I was incredibly weak then! It¡¯s all a lie!¡± As the man shouted, the customers turned away from the vegetable shop one by one. The vegetable vendor¡¯s face grew tearful. ¡°I get it now, so please say stuff like this somewhere else...¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to eat meat! Chicken breast! Pork sirloin! Pork tenderloin! Pork shoulder! Pork ham! That¡¯s what will be our muscles!¡± He stripped off his top, tossing it aside, and then he struck a pose again, showing off his muscles. His bulky muscles were revealed. ¡°That¡¯s... amazing.¡± ¡°Oh my god, so indecent.¡± The men walking around the market admired the bulky muscles, whereas the women also peeked at his body through the gaps of their fingers while pretending to cover their eyes. The man grinned and shouted, ¡°If you want to be like me,e to Arnold¡¯s Butcher Shop.¡± ¡°...!¡± It was tant publicity! Crockta realized then. That man was definitely a tout employed by Arnold¡¯s Butcher Shop. The man was misleading people with his defined muscles. What was the point of exining things? He had big chest muscles, triceps, and biceps, all throbbing with life! One by one, customers at the vegetable shop returned the basket and asked the man, ¡°Where¡¯s Arnold¡¯s Butcher Shop?¡± ¡°Haha! Arnold¡¯s Butcher Shop can be found on the right after you turn left at the corner over there! Pork tenderloin is on sale today!¡± The atmosphere had turned in another direction. People were deciding to have meat for today¡¯s dinner. The vegetable vendor dropped his head woefully, ¡°It¡¯s all sophistry... Without vegetables... humans can¡¯t survive...!¡± However, his voice did not reach the people. Crockta closed his eyes as he witnessed the scene. Obviously, meat and protein were important, but that should not undermine the value of vegetables. Although protein was important, vegetables rich in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and anticancer properties, as well as various minerals and phytochemicals were essential ingredients for good health. Crockta took a step forward resolutely. ¡°...!¡± People were buzzing at the sudden appearance of a muscr orc warrior. The muscr man, who was posing and flexing his muscles, also flinched. Everyone in Cathalu knew him. He was a real man who saved the city by himself, he was Crockta! Crockta looked at the man with hollow eyes. The man could no longer continue his poses under Crockta¡¯s gentle gaze, so he stood up properly. Standing next to Crockta, the man looked tiny. He smiled awkwardly and said to Crockta, ¡°Hahaha, if it isn¡¯t Crockta-nim? As expected, you have a great body. You eat a lot of meat too, right, Crockta-nim? Haha! Look at your muscles! You must only eat chicken breasts for three meals a day! Kahaha! As expected of Crockta-nim!¡± Crockta did not answer. People¡¯s belief was not something that could be attained through running their mouths, it had to be proven. Crockta spoke to the vegetable vendor, ¡°Hey.¡± The vegetable vendor, who dropped his head, stuttered in a panic, ¡°Ye-, yes?¡± ¡°How much is this spinach?¡± Crockta grinned. ¡°I want to buy all that you have.¡± ¡°...!¡± Spinach! Spinach was once ranked as one of the top ten superfoods in the world. Spinach had a tough green exterior that would make people frown just by the look of it, but it devoted itself to them with all of its beneficial properties. The dark knight on the dining table, spinach! Crockta dered that he would buy it all. The market was buzzing. Crockta continued, without stopping, ¡°Hey, balloon muscles.¡± ¡°...!¡± The man¡¯s face turned blue. Balloon muscles was an unbearable insult to a muscle maniac like him. ¡°Look closely.¡± Crockta flexed his arm, and it swelled up immensely. ¡°These are what you call actualpressed muscles.¡± Gasps of admiration came from among the crowd. If Crockta¡¯spressed muscles were like that, how much bigger would his muscles be if he flexed normally?! The man wanted to protest that there were no such things as balloon muscles orpressed muscles and that it was all the same. However, the vibe had already tilted over to Crockta¡¯s side. No, putting aside hispressed muscles or whatnot, Crockta was just bigger in size. ¡°Meat is definitely important. But if you don¡¯t know the value of vegetables, then you are not a true muscle maniac,¡± Crockta continued. ¡°Tha-, that¡¯s...!¡± ¡°Tell me, what did you eat this morning?¡± ¡°It was...¡± The man could not answer. Crockta urged him, ¡° ¡°Say it!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°Your body does not lie! What did you eat this morning!¡± The man gritted his teeth as the orc demanded an answer. Crockta looked at him gently. The man, who was exercising his right to remain silent, had no choice but to open his mouth when Crockta and all the people around him were staring straight at him. He clenched his teeth and replied, ¡°Of course, I ate chicken breast...¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta looked down at him and said, ¡°And what else did you eat?¡± The man immediately dropped his head, and he confessed in a small voice, ¡°Steamed sweet potato...¡± ¡°...!¡± The people were appalled. However, Crockta did not stop there. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°And what else did you eat!¡± ¡°Cabbage sd with tomatoes and ckberries...¡± Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, ckberries and cabbage! It was all vegetables that he treated with disdain! A muscle maniac would certainly be aware of the importance of a bnced diet. He deceived the people, preaching false beliefs just to promote Arnold¡¯s Butcher Shop as one of its employees. However, when Crockta questioned his character, he had no choice but to tell the truth. ¡°I see. Say it again. Are vegetables still not important?¡± ¡°Vegetables are...¡± Crockta pushed him, ¡°Are they really not important?¡± The man decided to admit his defeat. He could no longer deceive himself. ¡°It¡¯s important...!¡± He eventually confessed the truth. Vegetables were important. The man dropped his head. It was a deration of defeat. p p p. People witnessing the scene began to p as they chanted Crockta¡¯s name. Yet again, Crockta protected the honor of the vegetables. ¡°Kugh...¡± The man couldn¡¯t raise his head due to the shame. It was disgraceful to deceive for the sake of money. Now that it had happened, he couldn¡¯t get any money from Arnold either. He became a third-rate person who couldn¡¯t keep his money or honor. He felt a strong sense of shame. Suddenly, a thick hand touched his shoulder. He looked up and saw Crockta. Then, Crockta said with a kind face, ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was joking earlier. You have very cool muscles.¡± ¡°...!¡± The man looked at Crockta with trembling eyes. Crockta¡¯s face had a gentle glow as he acknowledged his body sincerely. ¡°Before, you called it balloon muscles...¡± ¡°You also said you didn¡¯t need vegetables.¡± Crockta learned his arms back, showing off his muscles, and said, ¡°If you have time, let¡¯s do weight training together next time.¡± Crockta¡¯s acknowledgment! Crockta acknowledged his time and effort. The man¡¯s nose bridge got hot for some reason. He rubbed under his nose and bragged, ¡°My training will be harsh. It¡¯s hell training.¡± ¡°I guess so. You must be amazing to achieve that much despite being a natural[1].¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You must have ovee a hard time.¡± Crockta continued. The man got emotional. It wasn¡¯t just words of constion. Crockta was truly recognizing him. Crockta extended his hand, and the man did the same. The two of them hugged. The two muscr men forgave their old mistakes and acknowledged each other. People began to flock to the vegetable shop too. The vegetable shop was acknowledged by Crockta! A strong body, good health, and longevity were what people dreamt of. Those who saw that future in the vegetables today purchased some without hesitation. Crockta was the Kim Seon-Dal[2] of the vegetable world. The man, who regained his courage, spoke to Tiyo, who standing quietly beside Crockta. ¡°You were here too, Tiyo-nim? Why don¡¯t you buy a basket of vegetables since you¡¯re here? How can you be with Crockta-nim with that kind of body? Kaka!¡± ¡°Kekeke, kakakaka!¡± The man chuckled, and Crockta did the same. Tiyo frowned, ¡°What did you say!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time you build up your muscles. Kakaka!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Kekekeke!¡± ¡°Kakakaka!¡± The two muscr men jeered at Tiyo. Tiyo¡¯s eyebrows trembled. His pride as a gnome did not allow him to stay still. Tiyo jumped up. ¡°Hiyah!¡± Jumping up like a spring, Tiyo spun and did a turning kick. It was a lightning-fast strike aimed at both Crockta and the man¡¯s jaw. Crockta managed to avoid it, but the man couldn¡¯t avoid it and was hit in the chin. Tiyo¡¯s space control was on point, and it was just a slight graze to the chin, but the man¡¯s brain suffered a small concussion and he dropped to the ground. The man could not recover from the damage and sat down staggering for a while. ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°Look closely, you balloons! This is what you call realpressed muscles!¡± Tiyo stripped off his top. His sculpture-like figure was revealed. Not a single part of his body was excessive at all, and fine muscles were densely packed all over his body like a b of lean meat. Histissimus dorsi[3] muscle, spread like wings, was reminiscent of Bruce Lee. He looked slender like a model when wearing clothes, but when he took off his clothes, his fashionable lean muscles were revealed with densely packed muscle fibers. It was the perfect slim body that was neither insufficient nor excessive. ¡°That¡¯s...!¡± ¡°Beautiful...!¡± The people were in awe. The vegetable vendor watching them also pped his hands. ¡°Watching you reminds me of another gnome I once knew, Tiyo-nim.¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s another cool gnome like me?¡± Tiyo asked in disbelief. ¡°Yes. A gnome, who was particrly fond of spinach, once stayed in Cathalu. His body was as brilliant as yours, Tiyo-nim.¡± The vegetable vendor replied. The vegetable vendor¡¯s eyes grew sentimental. ¡°His name was Hedoro! He was a brilliant gnome.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°...Hedoro!¡± Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s eyes grew wide. Hedoro was Tiyo¡¯s father, who they were looking for. They obtained the clue of the beginning of a series of entangled threads from the vegetable shop. *** As Crockta¡¯s poprity skyrocketed, there were more fans and stalking streamers tracking his every move. Although they always lost his trail because he suddenly appeared and vanished, Crockta did not bother to avoid or top them. That was the reason why it began. ¡°Yes. I came because I wanted to have an amazing body. This is it...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Han-Ho was worried about the increasing number of new gym members these days. It was a good thing to have more members, but most of them said strange things during their first consultation. Baek Han-Ho sighed deeply as he looked down at the application forms filled in by those who wished to join. ¡°Yes, I want to have lean muscles like Tiyo.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Hey you, do you want to build orc warrior muscles like Crockta?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to be strong just like Crockta!¡± Three young men were sitting side by side, looking at Baek Han-Ho with firm eyes. One of the young men staying still blurted out, ¡°I don¡¯t have such an unrealistic goal, instead, I just want to be as muscr as the Butcher Shop meat man.¡± The man who interfered with the vegetable business was nicknamed ¡°Butcher Shop meat man¡±, and it circted all over the inte. His meat-praising character became surprisingly popr, and people started exercising by using the Butcher shop meat man¡¯s body as their goal. It was a new workout craze. Crockta¡¯s poprity led to a trend in the real world. ¡°...¡± Baek Han-Ho tapped on his temple with a ballpoint pen. After thinking for a while, he gently said, ¡°Hmm... How about a nice body like Andre¡¯s?¡± ¡°Andre?¡± They shook their heads in unison. ¡°Nah, what Andre.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a weird dude.¡± ¡°Crockta is the current trend. What do you mean Andre, bleurgh.¡± Baek Han-Ho nodded, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s start right away. Everyone, get changed.¡± ¡°What? We will just start tomorrow...¡± ¡°I have an appointment though...¡± ¡°Too much talking. We must live in the present, leave tomorrow to the you of tomorrow! Get changed right now!¡± Baek Han-Ho¡¯s eyes were zing, ¡°I¡¯ll help you achieve that body. It¡¯s hell training for the three of you.¡± 1. In the fitness world, they call someone natural if they do not take any steroids or muscle enhancement drugs. ? 2. Kim Seon-Dal is known for his ridiculous yet amazingly clever schemes that tricked people into believing his stories. It was said that Kim Seon-Dal tricked a greedy man into buying the Daedong River in Pyongyang. ? 3. The wordtissimus dorsies from Latin and means "broadest muscle of the back", from tissimus" (Latin: broadest) and "dorsum" (Latin: back). The pair of muscles aremonly known as ts", especially among bodybuilders. ? Chapter 180: Hedoro’s Legacy (2)

Chapter 180: Hedoro¡¯s Legacy (2)

Thanks to Crockta, the vegetable vendor ended his business early, and he invited them inside the shop. There was a dining table inside. The vegetable vendor asked them to wait and went away for a while. He soon came back with a big pot in hand, it was a vegetable hotpot. Meat was also added, giving the broth a rich taste, but most of the ingredients were vegetables. Crockta and Tiyo usually enjoyed meat more, but they gobbled down the soup because of the vegetable vendor¡¯s excellent cooking skills. ¡°...By the way, you¡¯ve got some nerve sitting here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they say that within the four seas, all men are brothers[1]?¡± ¡°That¡¯s shamelessing from a bastard who interfered with other people¡¯s business,¡± Tiyo said. ¡°That¡¯s a thing of the past. Hahaha!¡± For some reason, the man, who was promoting Arnold¡¯s Butcher Shop, was also with them. The vegetable vendor just smiled kindly. ¡°Vegetablese from thend. Thend is our mother. Our mother does not discriminate against their children.¡± ¡°...!¡± His warm remarks made Crockta and Tiyo¡¯s gaze ice-cold. The muscr man tried to interfere with the business of such an amazingly upright person. The man scratched his head and averted their gaze. The vegetable vendor scooped up a bigdle of vegetable hotpot for the man as well, perhaps because he really did not mind the man. ¡°By the way, I was surprised to hear that Tiyo-nim is Hedoro-nim¡¯s son. This must be fate.¡± ¡°When did youst see my father?¡± Tiyo asked. ¡°It was a year ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a long time ago...¡± ¡°Hedoro-nim was looking for something.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Tiyo nodded. Hedoro had the temperament of an explorer, so he always looked for new things. It was not strange that he had been chasing after something interesting. However, what exactly was he looking for that he left somewhere else after going from Quantes to the north, and then from the north to the southern region? ¡°What was he looking for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know in detail, but I think he said something about the historic site of a certain God.¡± ¡°God, huh?¡± When it came to Gods, beings like the Ashen God and the World Tree came to mind. They were powerful beings with divine powers. Crockta first met the Ashen God directly at the Temple of the Fallen God, where the Ashen God was worshiped. From that, it can be inferred that one would be able to meet the Gods at a location that had a connection to the said God. If so, which God¡¯s historic site was Hedoro looking for in order to meet that God? ¡°He came regrly to buy vegetables. He was very particr with self-care.¡± ¡°He came regrly? If so, that means he stayed here for a long time.¡± Tiyo asked. ¡°Yes. He stayed for a few months.¡± ¡°Where did he stay?¡± ¡°From what I know, it was at the temple.¡± The vegetable vendor replied. ¡°A temple? Was there a temple in Cathalu?¡± ¡°Yes. Though it¡¯s more like a memorial hall than a temple...¡± The muscr man interrupted from beside. ¡°That¡¯s right. I also heard that it¡¯s a temple, but at the same time, it¡¯s not a temple.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a temple but not a temple?¡± ¡°Yes. It was built as a memorial of something...¡± It seemed like a ce where everyone who lived in Cathalu knew. Crockta and Tiyo exchanged nces. They nodded to each other. ¡°Are you going to go there right away?¡± The vegetable vendor asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not.¡± Crockta and Tiyo pointed to the hotpot at the same time. ¡°Is it possible to have another bowl?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll finish one more bowl before leaving. Your cooking skills are amazing.¡± *** Crockta and Tiyo arrived at the temple described by the vegetable vendor. It was a small building located in a remote part of the city. Although it was definitely his first time seeing it, the temple felt familiar to Crockta somehow. It looked simr to the Temple of the Fallen God he saw in the northern region. Crockta had a hunch that this ce might also be rted to the Ashen God. ¡°Why is that guy here?¡± Tiyo said. Anor was standing there. That body movement and tanned skin were without a doubt the Dark Elf Anor. It was suspicious to see him wandering around in a dull hood. His body exuded the dark energy of a necromancer. ¡°Hey, Anor! What are you doing there!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Anor discovered the two of them and waved happily. ¡°What brings you guys here? I thought you were going to the market?¡± ¡°Something came up. What about you? Why are you here?¡± Anor had clearly announced that he would rest in his quarters for the whole day. ¡°What¡¯s this? Do you have a date with a beautiful woman or something?¡± Tiyo said teasingly. ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s not it. I just feel something here.¡± Anor pointed his finger at the temple. The lights were out, so it was all dark inside. ¡°Should I say it¡¯s a familiar energy... I can feel the energy of my kind.¡± ¡°Ohhh...¡± Tiyo stroked his chin. ¡°That means it¡¯s a very unpleasant ce.¡± The three of them walked up to the temple and opened the door. It was all dark inside, but as soon as they stepped, a light lit up the interior as if it sensed their movements. The inside was connected to a corridor. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± Crockta asked, and his voice rumbled down the corridor. They heard that someone was overseeing the temple, but they were nowhere to be seen. In the blink of an eye, they reached the end of the corridor. There was another door. Crockta paused, but Tiyo opened the door without hesitation. Creak. The door opened. Inside, they saw a woman sitting in the lotus position. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°Goodness gracious!¡± The woman did not move even at the noise. They could only see her back, but her figure was so dignified that it felt sacred. The murals surrounding her had a strange atmosphere, like those seen in the Temple of the Fallen God. The woman remained still. She was immersed in her own world even though they made some noise whileing in. Crockta and his friends stood at the doorway and stared at the woman for a while. It wasn¡¯t long before the woman started to slowly get up. ¡°Ugh...¡± For a moment, the woman staggered. It looked like her legs cramped up after sitting in the lotus position for a long time. She groaned for quite some time, frowning and slumping on the floor. Crockta retracted all his evaluations of her. She didn¡¯t look sacred, rather, she was just having cramps. Soon, she picked herself up and muttered, ¡°Phew, I thought I was going to die.¡± Then, she spoke to the three of them, ¡°Wee. I¡¯m sorry for thete greetings. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had guests.¡± Crockta greeted back politely, ¡°No. I¡¯m not sure if we interrupted you while you were praying...¡± ¡°What? Praying?¡± She tilted her head and continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t praying though.¡± ¡°Then, the reason you were sitting like that was...¡± ¡°Ah, I just got cramps while doing yoga...¡± ¡°...¡± When she pped her hands, a few more fires were lit up, making the interior brighter. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? A friend of mine made it.¡± Tiyo was sure that the friend she was talking about was Hedoro. There were traces of magic engineering. ¡°Oh, my?¡± She suddenly looked at Tiyo and covered her mouth. It seemed like she realized something. ¡°By any chance...¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Tiyo nodded. ¡°I am Hedoro¡¯s son, Tiyo!¡± Tiyo announced. ¡°No way...¡± She looked down at Tiyo in awe. ¡°You two look so alike,¡± She continued. ¡°Do you know about my father?¡± ¡°Of course I do. Your eyes and the rude tone are the exact same.¡± ¡°What...?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m kidding.¡± Crockta exined on behalf of Tiyo, who was trembling in anger, ¡°We are investigating Hedoro. Do you happen to know anything about him?¡± ¡°He left though... Follow me for now.¡± She led the way to a ce that looked like a small living room, and she sat down. Then, she prepared a drink that looked like tea. As they spoke of their purpose, she nodded. She knew well about Hedoro. ¡°Hedoro-nim is someone driven by curiosity, so he was investigating a God that was no longer in this world.¡± ¡°Is it perhaps the Fallen God?¡± Crockta asked. ¡°Oh my, you know about it. That¡¯s correct. That¡¯s what that God is called now.¡± Crockta gulped. Strangely enough, the Ashen God was mentioned again here. The system¡ªthe Ashen God, no longer disyed any message to him since he reached a 100 percent assimtion rate. What did the Ashen God really want? And what was Hedoro looking for? ¡°Then is this the Temple of the Fallen God?¡± Crockta asked. She shook her head. ¡°No. There is no Temple of the Fallen God anymore. All of them have been reduced to ruins.¡± There was a temple in the north beyond the boundary, but she did not seem to know. ¡°Also, strictly speaking, this ce is not a temple.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ce made inly for remembrance and mourning.¡± ¡°Remembrance and mourning for? And who are you?¡± ¡°I am...¡± Her answer was unexpected. ¡°I am Elijah, a priest serving the Goddess of Mercy.¡± ¡°The Goddess of Mercy...?¡± Elijah smiled and continued, ¡°I follow the will of the Goddess of Mercy, and I am here to remember and mourn a race that has now disappeared from the continent.¡± ¡°A race that disappeared from the continent?¡± Tiyo tilted his head. He didn¡¯t seem to know either. ¡°A very long time ago, before the Fallen God had fallen, there was a race that served her. Unlike the ordinary species, they possessed powerful and mysterious powers.¡± ¡°Mysterious powers?¡± ¡°Yes. It was not passed down in exact detail, but it was recorded that all the other species feared them because of the unknown power. Then, the Fallen God suddenly went crazy and became obsessed with the bizarre idea of destroying the world.¡± Elijah sighed and continued, ¡°The race that worshiped the Fallen God wholeheartedly followed her will even though she wanted to destroy the world. For the sake of stopping the Fallen God, all the other Gods and species united to fight. At that time, the orcs, humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes all stood against them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing about this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a story that has been erased from history books. In any case, that God eventually fell due to the power of the other Gods, and she is now known as the ¡®Fallen God¡¯.¡± It was the story of how the Ashen God became the Fallen God. Crockta asked, ¡°What about the race?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, they met the same fate as the Fallen God. They all died. Some are said to be alive, but no one knows if it¡¯s true or not.¡± Suddenly, Crockta felt itchy around his waist. Crockta looked down. He might have been imagining things, but the steel belt on his waist seemed to be shaking strangely. ¡°The Goddess of Mercy grieved the fate of the race, who served the Fallen God. Thus, she created this ce to remember them and to preserve their story. This ce is for them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an interesting but sad story.¡± ¡°But there is also a positive side to the story, which is the fact that all species joined forces. It means that when there is a crisis, all the species would band together.¡± As he listened to the story, Crockta was lost in thought. The Fallen God was definitely the Ashen God. Then, was the creation of Elder Lord a continuation of her desire? Did she still want to destroy this world? Despite meeting her in person, it was difficult for Crockta to realize that she was such a dangerous being. He did not feel any negative feelings from her. Why on earth would she want such an ending? Tiyo spoke again, ¡°So, where did my father go?¡± ¡°He came by information stating that there were traces of the Fallen God in the west...¡± Tap tap tap. Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps came outside. ¡°He told me that he was going that way and... Excuse me. Come in!¡± When Elijah spoke, the door opened and a man appeared. The man was holding a letter envelope in one hand. ¡°Elijah-nim. A letter has arrived. It¡¯s an urgent message.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She took the letter. The man bowed and left the temple. He seemed to be a mailman. ¡°This is... Wait a moment.¡± After checking the envelope, she frowned a little and immediately tore open the letter. Then, she checked the contents of the letter, with her eyes gradually growing bigger. Soon, she frowned, indicating that she did not understand it. Her eyes moved up and down, reading the content over and over again. ¡°This is...¡± Elijah looked at Crockta. She looked puzzled and said, ¡°Crockta.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°...¡± She stroked her lips and spoke, ¡°Erm... and Tiyo.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°And Mr. Dark Elf...¡± ¡°It¡¯s Anor.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Anor.¡± Elijah paused for a moment and once again said, ¡°Hedoro said he was going to Geherard, which is a long journey northwest from Cathalu. I hope you can go there quickly so that you won¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°Geherard?¡± ¡°Yes. He said he will be staying there for a while, so hurry up and go before you miss him.¡± ¡°Then, we have to hurry and depart.¡± Tiyo looked at Crockta and Anor. ¡°We¡¯ll apany you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to stare at us so unexpectedly.¡± The two nodded as if it was natural for them to do so. They were now a party. They were prepared to apany and help Tiyo. Tiyo, too, clenched his fist out of excitement and said, ¡°Great. Let¡¯s depart right away!¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yes. Cathalu is safe too, so there is no need to wait any longer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but let¡¯s rest a little...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t live in tomorrow! Live in the present!¡± The three of them ran excitedly. Just like that, it was decided that Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor would be heading to Geherard. They thanked Elijah for the information and hurriedly left the temple. No, to be exact, they left the memorial hall¡ªa ce made in remembrance of the extinct species. *** Elijah sighed after they left. Did she do a good thing? She looked at the letter again. It stated that oracles came down to each temple. The contents included hostile details against orcs and Crockta¡¯s party. Aside from that, several details were unlike the Goddess of Mercy. As a priest serving the Goddess of Mercy, she should not have sent them away just like that. She could have tricked them into going to a dangerous ce or she could have drugged their tea. However, instead of doing that, she sent them to a safe ce. Geherard was a rough ce, but it was also isted from the other species and temples. If the contents of the oracle were true, Geherard might be the best ce for them. It was a difficult choice for her. However, Crockta was the hero who saved Cathalu, and Tiyo was Hedoro¡¯s son. Elijah closed her eyes and recalled Hedoro. Hedoro was a gnome who always smiled cheerfully, and he gave a lot of help to Elijah, who was a novice priestess dispatched to a foreignnd all alone. His optimistic attitude left a deep impression on her. Moreover, Hedoro also installed various facilities in the temple. ¡°Haih...¡± Elijah sighed. Her heart was heavy at the thought of breaking the Goddess¡¯ oracle. She recalled Tiyo, Hedoro¡¯s son. He might resent Hedoro. Be that as it may, it was Hedoro who saved him and his party today. If it wasn¡¯t for Hedoro, she would have reported them to the other temple or even deceived them. She looked through the letter again. There was a phrase in the letter that went like this: ¡¸Turn the orcs into a forgotten species. ¡¹ It was uncharacteristic of the Goddess of Mercy. If something like this came as an oracle, then something was definitely going on. The kingdom became an empire, and the Goddess of Mercy delivered such a bizarre oracle. Everything was bing weird. Elijah prayed for the sake of the world. 1. This sayinges from The Analects, a collection of Confucius¡¯ sayings that date back more than 2,000 years ago, which forms an integral part of Confucianism. "Within the four seas" means the entire world. ? Chapter 181: Slayer Maker (1)

Chapter 181: yer Maker (1)

Crockta¡¯s party only informed Guardi, Cathalu¡¯s leader, and quietly left the city. It was to shake off the fans and yers who followed them around. ¡°We are going back to where we started.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right.¡± Crockta headed north to find the Temple of the Fallen God, and Tiyo headed north to find his father. That was the beginning of their rtionship. They met Anor there, fought with the chieftain, and eventually conquered the north before returning. Next was the southern region. They met Vigo, a knight of ste, and learned about the empire¡¯s ambitions. They then stood against them, saving the city and stopping the army. They have been through a lot of things. Now, they were on a new path again. Their current goal was the west, Orcrox, and Basque Vige, as well as the magnificent sea of forests that embraced the mountain cities of the orcs. There were undiscovered territories to the continent, including various orc tribes. Beyond that entrance lie Geherard. In the ancientnguage, Geherard referred to the ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯. ¡°The fire of the end huh, is it a very hot ce?¡± Tiyo asked. ¡°Tsk tsk. Think deeper. It¡¯s probably something metaphorical.¡± ¡°What can fire be a metaphor for? It¡¯s the heat!¡± Tiyo said proudly. ¡°It¡¯s something other than that. Erm... Passion? A ce where passionate people live?¡± *** They walked a long way after they left Cathalu. As they moved northwest from Cathalu, a huge sea of forests would appear, and they would have to march for a long time to reach Geherard from there. ¡°That must be it.¡± At the entrance of the huge sea of forests, there was a small vige. It wasmonly referred to as the ¡®rest area¡¯. ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s rumored that the prices of things there are high.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Crockta is rich.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, there was a saying that went something like our friends¡¯ money is our money,¡± Tiyo said. ¡°...I¡¯ve never heard of that saying,¡± Crockta replied. The huge sea of forest was a rough and arduous ce. However, adventure, treasure, and magic were hidden everywhere, and there were also cities like Geherard. It was home to mysterious species too. Therefore, a vige was created where adventurers who wanted to enter the sea of forests could stay for a while. They could replenish their equipment, obtain information, and findpanions to traverse the sea of forests together. It was advantageous to gather as many members as possible because it was a tough ce. There were already adventurers waving cards from the entrance to the vige. ¡¸Recruiting people to explore the Darunen Dungeon¡¹ ¡¸Urgently recruiting people for a Troll Hunt ¡¹ ¡¸Looking for an adventurer to apany the Seor Academy Research Team¡¹ ¡¸Only looking for gutsy people to traverse beyond the sea of forests¡¹ Everyone was gathering around. Everyone was paying attention to Crockta¡¯s party. An orc warrior striding in an imposing posture, a gnome gunner carrying a mysterious artifact, and an unknown sorcerer in a hood, exuding dark energy. From their appearance, they seemed strong and experienced. The adventurers raised their cards high while looking at them with eager eyes. Everyone was preparing to step into the sea of forests for various purposes. Without responding to them, Crockta¡¯s party immediately entered the rest area vige. There were cheap inns and restaurants, as well as equipment shops here and there. Homes for residential purposes were rare. In other words, most of the vigers were wanderers. ¡°Let¡¯s stay for a day and leave tomorrow,¡± Crockta suggested. ¡°Okay.¡± They didn¡¯t need any morepanions, so they immediately looked for amodation. It cost quite a bit even though they were only staying for a day. Just then, there was a man outside the entrance of the inn, holding a card and staring at them. It was a bearded dwarf. He looked at Tiyo, who was simr in height to himself, then turned to look at Anor and soon stared at Crockta. Then, he held out his card closer. ¡¸Geherard¡¹ Only the destination was written. He looked convinced that Crockta¡¯s party was going to the same ce as himself. Did he overhear their conversation? His attire was scruffy and he did not look like a sane dwarf. Tiyo shook his head, and Anor soon followed and shook his head too. Crockta averted his gaze. They ignored him and tried to enter the inn. Then, the dwarf opened his mouth, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you go to Geherard.¡± Crockta¡¯s party halted their steps. The dwarf continued, ¡°The one you are looking for isn¡¯t there.¡± Crockta looked at the dwarf. He spoke as if he was already aware of the purpose of Crockta¡¯s party. Did he know something about Hedoro? Crockta asked, ¡°What are you talking about? Do you know Hedoro?¡± ¡°Hedoro?¡± The dwarf tilted his head. ¡°Never heard of that name before. I don¡¯t know who he is, but it is probably beyond his capabilities.¡± The conversation stopped instantly. What did he mean by beyond his capabilities? Crockta¡¯s party looked at each other. Something was off the mark. Crockta asked again, ¡°You spoke as if you knew why we are going to Geherard...¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What do you think it is?¡± ¡°Erm...?¡± Only then did the dwarf point his finger at Crockta, as if something was weird. The dwarf continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going there to fix that?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Fix what?¡± ¡°Are you guys perhaps going to Geherard without knowing anything?¡± The dwarf sighed and went on speaking, ¡°So foolish, oh warrior!¡± ¡°What do you mean? Please exin.¡± Tiyo shook his head and pulled on Crockta and Anor¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Ignore him. He seems like a deranged dwarf. Let¡¯s just go.¡± ¡°My mind is working fine, gnome holding an undeserved weapon!¡± ¡°What did you say!? You crazy dwarf!¡± Anor held Tiyo back. The dwarf just sighed. ¡°You really know nothing. Oh warrior, listen carefully.¡± He pointed a finger at Ogre yer, which Crockta was carrying. ¡°Your weapon is on the verge of being destroyed.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta opened his eyes wide. Then, he reflexively held onto Ogre yer¡¯s handle. It felt reliable in his hand. That dwarf was now saying that Ogre yer was on the verge of being destroyed. Was he implying that there was something wrong with this weapon, a masterpiece of the Golden Anvil tribe? Crockta was in disbelief. ¡°You must be a great warrior. I can feel it at a nce. However, you may have grown strong after experiencing countless battles, that sword umted a lot of damage.¡± The dwarf had a point. Crockta had never changed his weapon since Thompson gifted him this sword back at Anail. All the enemies he faced up until now were monstrous beings. He went head-to-head with various strong beings, and his weapon would have been split if it was an ordinary weapon. However, in his own way, Crockta had taken care of Ogre yer¡¯s condition by leaving it at the smithy and sharpening its de whenever he could. Thus, he was not easily convinced by thement made by the shabbily dressed dwarf, who suddenly appeared. ¡°That¡¯s why every time I finish a battle, I leave it at the smithy.¡± ¡°Yes, you must have left it at the smithy. That¡¯s what the problem is.¡± The dwarf said. ¡°Howe?¡± ¡°Because ordinary cksmiths can¡¯t handle Ogre yer.¡± ¡°...!¡± Crockta opened his eyes wide. This dwarf even knew that the greatsword¡¯s name was Ogre yer. ¡°Who are you?¡± Crockta unsheathed the Ogre yer. Without any signs of fear, the dwarf nodded, looking attentively at the de that Crockta had taken out. He even smiled faintly. ¡°I am a cksmith of the Golden Anvil tribe, Jakiro.¡± He was none other than a member of the Golden Anvil tribe. That was not all. ¡°I am the ¡®yer Maker¡¯ who made Ogre yer, your sword.¡± *** ¡°Your Majesty, there is something strange about this oracle.¡± Duke Christan said. He was someone in close rtions with the Heaven and Earth n, and he was the person who coaxed the Emperor. With the strongest army under hismand, he was the true powerhouse holding authority above that of the Emperor. The main reason the kingdom was able to be an empire was because Duke Christan worked in the dark and controlled it from behind the scenes. After the disappearance of the Heaven and Earth n, he rarely left his territory. But he came to meet Akantore in person after hearing news about the oracles delivered to each temple not long ago. ¡°You will have to think about it carefully.¡± ¡°I followed your words so carefully, and in the end, we lost most of our troops.¡± Akantore sarcastically said. However, Christan was unfazed. ¡°It was your choice to strike Crockta, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Are you really going to talk back like that?¡± ¡°Is that not the case?¡± Christan asked back. Akantore was the Emperor. Christan was the only person in the empire who could answer the Emperor¡¯s question with another question. Akantore smiled with his lips twitching, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± ¡°I believe you understand what I am trying to say.¡± ¡°So, you want me to reject the temple¡¯s request.¡± ¡°The empire is not a ce under God¡¯s rule. Your Majesty is the only one who can decide whether to have a war or not.¡± Christan said. ¡°What a great way of saying things,¡± Akantore replied sarcastically. ¡°I am advising you with sincerity, so I hope you will listen to it carefully, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong with it? I don¡¯t know the circumstances of the Gods. I am just treating it as an opportunity to get rid of the foul orcs and Crockta, who have insulted the empire. Do you think otherwise?¡± Christan shut his eyes. Naturally, it was a tempting offer for him as well. Not only the empire but all the species on the continent, including the elves and dwarves, also received the oracle. If the empire joined forces with them, they could destroy an entire species without much damage. If they were able to kill Crockta in addition to that, the empire¡¯s tarnished reputation would also be re-established. However, they needed to be more cautious. ¡°My vassal, Moggslin, was also at the battle of the ins,¡± Christan said. ¡°Your vassal was watching from afar and ran away after. But it seems like you are saying that he was present at the battle, huh,¡± Akantore said in a displeased tone. Moggslin was a sorcerer who saved the fleeing Cainz and blocked Crockta. He was also Duke Christan¡¯s most cherished vassal as well as a genius regarded as the most powerful sorcerer in the empire. ¡°He is even able to borrow the power of the Gods. Therefore, he has a deep knowledge about the Gods,¡± Christan continued. ¡°A sorcerer borrowing the power of the Gods?¡± ¡°What I mean to say is that he has the ability to respond to the Gods. Anyway, he felt something from Crockta at the time, and he also found out that the Gods of the world were paying close attention to Crockta.¡± Moggslin sensed a power that should not have existed within Crockta. ¡°That is why the Gods are trying to kill Crockta and the orcs.¡± ¡°What is that power he sensed?¡± Akantore asked. ¡°It¡¯s the power of the Fallen God,¡± Christan revealed. ¡°It''s my first time hearing about this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s extremely dangerous. As long as that God¡¯s power is involved, we have to tread with caution. She is the being that once drove the world to the brink of destruction.¡± Christan looked at Akantore with a serious gaze. Akantore sighed. Christan was the powerhouse of the empire, the one who possessed more power than him. At the same time, Christan was his mother¡¯s brother, in other words, Christan was his maternal uncle. Christan manipted him and wielded his power freely, but sometimes, he would give sincere pieces of advice. ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t we step up before the situation gets worse?¡± Akantore asked. ¡°We have no obligation to do that.¡± ¡°What if the world falls into danger because of Crockta and the orcs, just like the Gods are concerned about?¡± ¡°You are still na?ve huh, Your Majesty?¡± Christan chuckled. Akantore¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡°It doesn''t matter if it bes dangerous. Thend of the orcs is in the northwest, on the other side of the continent. The elves, dwarves, and gnomes would be in danger before us.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Moreover, by then, the Gods would step forward themselves. They are just passing the troublesome work to us on thisnd. If the situation really turns grave, they will use their powers.¡± Christan exined. Akantore nodded, ¡°The Gods, huh... It seems like an old tale.¡± ¡°They are nothing. They are called Gods, but they are nothing more than powerful beings who follow their own desires.¡± ¡°So, what you are trying to say is that we don¡¯t have to exhaust our power and just watch. If nothing happens, then everything is good, on the other hand, if other species are harmed, it would be beneficial to us. Is that correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Christan looked at Akantore with gentle eyes. ¡°Keep in mind. There is no such thing as joint responsibility in the world. As soon as words like thate out, a fight would spark between the loser and the winner. Moreover, in that case, you will be the winner just by not losing anything.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Akantore nodded. Perhaps because he thought that the Emperor was convinced, Christan bowed his head briefly and left the audience chamber. Left alone, Akantore stroked his chin. What Christan said certainly had a point. However, at the end of the day, it was clear that he could not actually feel the power of ¡®God¡¯ at all. Gods were not beings that they could deal with sofortably. Akantore murmured, ¡°It would be great if things would flow so smoothly, but...¡± Chapter 182: Slayer Maker (2)

Chapter 182: yer Maker (2)

Crockta couldn¡¯t figure out why the famous Golden Anvil tribe¡¯s cksmith was here in such a shabby manner, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask and gulped instead. Tiyo relieved Crockta¡¯s frustration, ¡°Why is such an artisan begging here like a beggar?¡± ¡°What do you mean begging? You tiny gnome brat!¡± ¡°If I am tiny, are you a small scrap?¡± Two people of simr short stature yelled at each other. Jakiro was bigger in size, but Tiyo did not back down at all. Jakiro red at Tiyo, then twitched his face and said to Crockta, ¡°In any case, oh warrior, if you continue to use Ogre yer, it will break one day, and you will never be able to fight with it again.¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°However, if you think that you have been using it for a long time and that it¡¯s a good time to get a new weapon, then you can just go.¡± Crockta stared at Ogre yer. It was a weapon that fit perfectly in his palms, the best battle buddy ever. Crockta was familiar with everything from Ogre yer¡¯s shape and center of gravity to the pressure it gave off when he held it! However, even if it was a cherished battle buddy, and if it was time for it to beid to rest, then it couldn¡¯t be helped. He had no choice but to happily let it go! Crockta nodded, ¡°Thank you. I will get a new weapon.¡± ¡°To start anew, you must boldly throw away relics of the past,¡± Anor said. ¡°I envy you. My General is too sturdy, so I can¡¯t even change it.¡± Tiyo said in his usual snobbish tone. Crockta¡¯s party congratted him. Since the olden days, everything depended on the equipment. When the time came, everyone would want to get better, newer equipment. Crockta¡¯s heart throbbed with anticipation for the new weapon, which he had never thought about. ¡°Phew, let¡¯s design a cooler weapon this time...¡± Just like that, they tried to go inside the inn with bright faces. Jakiro hurriedly walked up and stopped them again, ¡°No, wait, warrior! Do you not have any love or affection for your weapon!?¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just going to throw away Ogre yer like that!?¡± ¡°A de is just a de, what are you talking about? It¡¯s only natural to let it go when the timees.¡± Crockta said indifferently. ¡°What a heartless fellow! Ogre yer will be sad!¡± ¡°I am not a geek who cherishes my tools and personifies them, Jakiro!¡± Crockta puffed out his chest. ¡°Jakiro, keep in mind. Weapons are weapons, and men are men! Don¡¯t put too much meaning on inanimate things. It¡¯s all fleeting emotions. An expert does not me their tools, real warriors do not discriminate against the weapons they use.¡± A heartless hard-boiled mind. Realistic materialism! ¡°Giving meaning to tools like that is something that the feeble-minded do, and it is all their useless superstitions going wild!¡± Crockta did not believe in jinxes. When he was a soldier, he saw many people giving meaning to trivial things. They even trembled in fear thinking that an ident was because of someone¡¯s curse. Such self-fulfilling prophecies, which stemmed from fear, resulted in a tragedy that caused numerous people to fail. So, he did not believe in all of that. A de was just a de. All he trusted on the battlefield was himself! ¡°Such a... warrior without any romanticism...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Those many romantic warriors have already died at my hands, and they must have already met their beloved swords in the underworld.¡± ¡°Kugh!¡± Jakiro dropped his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that my sword is in the hands of such a heartless orc...¡± ¡°Keke, didn¡¯t you hear from Thompson?¡± At that time, Thompson had the opportunity to open a deal with the Golden Anvil tribe because of his connection to them. Jakiro may even be Thompson¡¯s friend. ¡°I only make weapons and don¡¯t care who uses them. It¡¯s my philosophy.¡± ¡°Then, do you perhaps not know who I am?¡± Jakiro grinned while looking at Crockta, ¡°I only recognized you as a random orc warrior because you are holding my weapon. How would I know who you are? I am the one known as the ¡®yer Maker¡¯! There are so many warriors who wish to have my sword that I can¡¯t afford to remember them one by one.¡± He seemed to have pride as an artisan. Crockta nodded, ¡°I see.¡± It had nothing to do with him. ¡°Anyway, it was nice to meet you. Goodbye then...¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± ¡°Why do you keep blocking our way?¡± Jakiro was tantly blocking in front of the door into the inn. ¡°Uh, anyway, this is also fate, so why don¡¯t we apany each other to Geherard?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need anypanions...¡± ¡°Oh warrior, are you going to be so cruel to the man who made your weapon?¡± Jakiro looked at Crockta with sad eyes. ¡°Even if you are cold-blooded and do not have any affection for weapons, you should know moral principles. I made weapons for you and Thompson without asking for anything in exchange.¡± ¡°As far as I know, you were returning the favor of saving your lives...¡± ¡°So! Instead of the crafting cost! Let¡¯s call it even by going to Geherard together.¡± No matter what, Jakiro wanted to go to Geherard together because the journey there was rough. Crockta looked at Tiyo and Anor. Tiyo¡¯s face seemed to imply ¡°NEVER¡±, and Anor looked indifferent. ¡°Do you guys know the way to Geherard?¡± ¡°We have a map.¡± ¡°You are going to trust in a map and try to enter the great sea of forests? I can¡¯t believe it. From what you¡¯ve said, I don¡¯t think you three know anything about Geherard. Do you know why Geherard is called Geherard?¡± ¡°We do. It means eternal fire.¡± ¡°And what is this eternal fire?¡± ¡°That, we don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°See, you don¡¯t know anything. I will guide you.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Crockta nodded. Although they came without any n after hearing that Hedoro was there, given that it was located in a dangerous area called the Sea of Forests, it might be difficult to go as if looking for any other ordinary city. ¡°Okay. Then, let¡¯s meet here again tomorrow-...¡± ¡°Ehem, since I am apanying you, let¡¯s stay for a day together-...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Think of it as the price for the weapon...¡± Thus, it was decided that Jakiro, the cksmith of the Golden Anvil tribe who made Crockta¡¯s sword, would apany them. *** They went on the road early in the morning. They had to go through several rugged ces on the route to Geherard. The first enemy they met was a group of goblins. ¡°Goblins, huh...¡± ¡°Erm...¡± Crockta and Tiyo, who each had a goblin friend, looked reluctant. The goblins, not knowing who their opponents were, were mocking Crockta¡¯s party with their distinctive sneering faces. One of the goblins showed his ass and tapped on it whileughing out loud. Calming his raging anger, Crockta said, ¡°Look here, goblin friends.¡± Perhaps because they understood thenguage to a certain extent, the goblins listened to Crockta¡¯s voice. ¡°We don''t want to fight, so why don''t you just go?¡± At that, the goblins looked at each other. Then, they whispered to each other as if discussing something, and then they nodded in unison. They seemed to be able tomunicate. ¡°Kyakyak! Kiyakkk!¡± One goblin stepped forward. It was the goblin who wasughing at them earlier while pping his butt. He bowed his head politely as if apologizing for his disrespect. Crockta smiled kindly, ¡°Whoa. It¡¯s fine, goblin friend. You¡¯re just trying to make ends meet too...¡± The goblin shook his head and put his hand in his pocket. Was he trying to give them a gift to reconcile? Crockta¡¯s party watched what he was doing. The goblin rummaged through his pocket and soon took something out. ¡°...!¡± The thing he handed to Crockta was none other than the middle finger[1]. They were looking forward to what he was going to bring out, but instead, he threw a fatal mockery at them as they were focusing on him! Crockta¡¯s expression stiffened, and the goblinsughed even more loudly. ¡°Kyakyakya! Kiyahhh!¡± ¡°Kiyokkiyak? Kiyaaak? Kyakyakyak!¡± ¡°Kiyaak!¡± The goblins giggled and pointed fingers at Crockta¡¯s party. Then, they hovered around them, looking as impudent as they could. Crockta decided to forget his friendship with the wise goblin Kyawak for a moment. He waved Ogre yer. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaak!¡± The goblins felt a breeze grazing past their cheeks. Thud. Following that, something hot sprayed all over their bodies. The goblins, who pointed fingers amongst themselves andughed mockingly at Crockta¡¯s party, turned their heads with nk faces. The goblin, who pointed the middle finger at Crockta¡¯s party, was convulsing on the ground with his upper and lower body separated. His body sttered. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± ¡°Kiyaaaak!¡± The goblins took a step back in surprise. After a moment of bewilderment, the goblins took up their shabby weapons respectively, and they began to swing them at Crockta¡¯s party. However, the opponent was none other than Crockta. Crockta was a one-man army that faced the empire¡¯s elite knights alone. A group of goblins couldn''t stand a chance against him. Every time his greatsword moved, the goblins were cut into pieces along with their shabby weapons. They ended up sprawled on the ground. Soon, the surroundings turned into a sea of blood. It was an overwhelming massacre! ¡°Wow...¡± Jakiro, who was watching from behind, nodded. Crockta was a stronger warrior than he expected. Although he did not have a good eye for the capabilities of a warrior because he was stuck in the smithy of the Golden Anvil tribe, spending all day making weapons, the orc warrior looked extremely strong even in the eyes of an amateur. The image of Ogre yer dancing in his grip even seemed to look cheerful. ¡°Not bad.¡± He felt pretty good. Seeing his sword in the hands of an outstanding warrior, allowing it to disy its value. Thus far, he had been striking on iron, aiming toplete the weapons. He thought it was beyond his control how those weapons were used. So, he also thought that the other cksmiths who were strict about the owner of their weapons were foolish. However, he could understand it to some extent now. How pitiful would it be if a sword that could fly so beautifully fell into the hands of a sloppy fellow? ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Crockta had dealt with most of the goblins. The only surviving goblin trembled in fear and slumped on the ground, bowing his head to Crockta. He banged his head on the ground as if to ask for forgiveness. ¡°Kyaakyaaak!¡± The goblin mmed his forehead on the ground and begged for mercy. The greatsword fell over his head, and his head exploded. ¡°You should have thrown away the poison needle in your mouth.¡± There was a small, thin tube mixed in between the cracks of the goblin¡¯s head that burst. It was a poison needle that goblins like to use. ¡°These goblin bastards... They¡¯re so different from Kiao.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a super-goblin who transcended beyond the limits of his species?¡± Tiyo shook his head as he recalled the great goblin archer Kiao, who unleashed his arrows with a storm imbued with the power of time and space in Xantimur¡¯sir. Then, he said to the dwarf, who was gawking, ¡°Jakiro, let¡¯s keep going.¡± ¡°Hmm? Okay.¡± Jakiro came to his senses. Anor put his hands together as if praying for them. An unknown force flowed out of his hands. It was the power of a necromancer, scattering the spirits of the dead. ¡°I hope you reach heaven.¡± Following Crockta, Jakiro was now seeing Anor in a new light. He thought Anor was just a sorcerer or a spiritualist, but he was a necromancer. It was a rarely seen ss. A powerful warrior, and a necromancer. ¡°What are you doing, twerp! Let¡¯s go!¡± As well as a loud gnome. It was an interestingbination. *** Although they repelled the group of goblins, they were soon met with new enemies, befitting the great sea of forests. This time, it was trolls. There were three trolls surrounding them, drooling. ¡°Shall I show my skills this time?¡± Tiyo smiled as he mounted General on his shoulder. The sight of the tiny gnome walking towards the three vicious trolls was precarious. Jakiro gestured at Crockta, ¡°Oh warrior, will he be fine? That little brat is...¡± ¡°See for yourself. Keke.¡± When the fight began, Tiyo indiscriminately fired with the General. Jakiro thought it was a magic rifle created with magic engineering, but it transformed into something that looked like a Vulkan gun, emitting countless rays of energy in various colors. The trolls were not even able to approach and were pelted with bullets. ¡°Isn¡¯t that an artifact?!¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s the legacy of Dragons.¡± ¡°Really...¡± The General¡¯s true name was Dragon yer, a weapon made to kill dragons! The weapon, which grew with its user, was now exerting power befitting its name. As Tiyo boosted the General¡¯s power further, the magic bullets began to prate the trolls¡¯ bodies instead of just restraining them in ce. ¡°Kaaaghhh!¡± ¡°Groarrrr!¡± Smoke started rising, and the trolls tried to regenerate their lost parts. The General, however, was not just any normal rifle right now, it was a Vulcan! Eventually, the trolls¡¯ bodies got filled with holes and they crashed to the ground. Jakiropletely rectified his assessment of Crockta¡¯s party. They were not just adventurers, but true powerhouses. Those thoughts of his reached their peak when the party met a group of ogres. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they were able to deal with ogres so easily.¡± The ogres¡¯ territory wasmonly called the tomb of adventurers. That was how difficult it was to deal with such ferocious monsters. Adventurers would either escape or die, it was one or the other. However, Crockta was easily handling such a huge monster. He ughtered the ogres, just like the name of the greatsword he wielded¡ªthe Ogre yer. Two more ogres appeared upon hearing the ogres¡¯ screams, but the oue was the same. The forest turned red with each swing. In the showering rain of blood, Crockta moved beautifully while holding that heavy sword, as if he was dancing. It was a systematic swordsmanship where attack and defense became one. It didn¡¯t take long before the ogres all died. Crockta grinned as he looked at Jakiro, ¡°How is it? My skills?¡± ¡°...¡± Jakiro nodded, and continued, ¡°It¡¯s amazing, really...¡± When he first received the blueprint of an unsophisticated andrge greatsword, he wondered if the owner was going to fight against ogres or something. So, he made a sword suitable for that purpose. However, after meeting the owner of Ogre yer in person, his thoughts changed. He was strong. The enemies suitable for that warrior were not something of the likes of ogres. ¡°I¡¯m d I left...¡± He clenched his fist. He wanted to strike on iron immediately. 1. Verdict: Death penalty to the funny goblin haha ? Chapter 183: The Eternal Fire (1)

Chapter 183: The Eternal Fire (1)

A few days have passed since Crockta¡¯s party entered the great sea of forests with Jakiro. Without Jakiro, they would have lost their way again and again due to the rough roads and jagged terrain. Obstacles that were not on the map were scattered all over the ce. ¡°It¡¯s your turn this time, Anor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared... Please cut me some ck.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the scariest one here! Don¡¯t try to escape from this! Raise your skeletons!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Anor defeated the monsters with the power of a necromancer. They battled groups of monsters several times a day while wandering through the sea of forests. As a result of their hard work, they were able to discover a huge wall that stood tall among the dense forests. It was a ck barricade, the symbol of Geherard. They stood at the entrance. ¡°Orc, dark elf, gnome, dwarf. So fascinating.¡± The guards opened their eyes wide at the appearance of a unique party filled with all types of species. There were humans and dwarves among the guards. ¡°Anyway, what business are you here for?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for-...¡± ¡°To worship,¡± Jakiro replied, cutting off Tiyo¡¯s words. ¡°We¡¯re here to pay our respects to the ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯.¡± Jakiro continued. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The dwarf guard nodded. ¡°Are you perhaps a cksmith?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Are you nning to enter the Eternal Smithy too?¡± ¡°If possible.¡± ¡°What a great spirit,¡± the guard chuckled. Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor did not know what the Eternal Fire or the Eternal Smithy were, so they just stood behind with nk faces. ¡°Good luck. Go on in.¡± They were allowed to enter. Most of the buildings in Geherard were ck, like the ck walls, perhaps because of the nearby soil¡¯s quality. The entire city looked as if it had been covered in coal. The size of the city was not that big either. As a matter of fact, it would be difficult to maintain arge city inside the sea of forests. The city was mainly inhabited by dwarves and humans, and asionally, other species could be seen. However, arge building built in the center of the city stood out. ¡°That¡¯s where the Eternal Fire is worshiped.¡± ¡°What exactly is the Eternal Fire?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came to Geherard without knowing that...¡± Jakiroughed. ¡°The Eternal Fire literally means a fire that willst till the end of the world. What do you think the fire that can burn the longest in the world is?¡± Jakiro continued. ¡°A fire that can burn the longest in the world, huh...¡± Tiyo pondered. He rolled his eyes as he could not figure out an answer easily. ¡°Well...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it right there?¡± Jakiro pointed to the sky. The sun brightened up the world, shining brightly in the middle of the sky. Tiyo¡¯s face brightened up as he faced the dazzling sunlight. ¡°Is it the sun?¡± ¡°Yes. Strictly speaking, it is a ce to worship the Sun God.¡± Jakiro revealed. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the Sun God before.¡± ¡°They were originally a great God who was praised, but it¡¯s been said that they are in a deep slumber now. I don¡¯t know the circumstances of the God, but they probably haven¡¯tpletely disappeared seeing that the sun is still burning bright.¡± Geherard¡¯s ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯ was another word for the Sun God. Therge building in the center of Geherard was the Temple of the Sun God. Usually, Gods revealed their existence by passing down oracles or lending their power. However, the Sun God did not do such a thing. It was said that it was because the Sun God fell into a deep slumber. ¡°Then, what is the Eternal Smithy?¡± Jakiro grinned at Crockta¡¯s question, ¡°As it implies, it¡¯s the Eternal Smithy. If the sun is the fire that burns the longest in the world, then the ce where you can strike iron until the end of the world would be beside the sun, right?¡± ¡°Do you mean to say that there is a smithy inside there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Most of the people looking for Geherarde here for that. At the ce where they worship the Eternal Fire, they want to use the greatest heat to craft their masterpiece. It¡¯s considered a holy ce for cksmiths.¡± Jakiro exined. ¡°So that¡¯s why you wanted toe here.¡± Crockta¡¯s party came here simply to look for Tiyo¡¯s father, but Jakiro had his own circumstances. ¡°Now then, I will be on my way now. Thank you all for helping me get here.¡± Jakiro bid farewell to them. They had apanied each other for a while toe here. Now it was time to part ways to take care of their own business. Crockta nodded and extended his fist. Jakiro smiled and fist-bumped Crockta. It was his first time doing an orc-style greeting, but it felt pretty good. ¡°Bultar. May you stay alive.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± After that, he said goodbye to Tiyo and Anor as well. Then, just before he took his steps, Jakiro asked Crockta, ¡°Oh warrior, you said your name was Crockta, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He came across this fact while apanying Crockta¡¯s party. He thought he was just an experienced warrior, but this orc¡¯s name was Crockta. Jakiro asked again to confirm, ¡°The Northern Conqueror, Crockta, right?¡± Crockta grinned, ¡°Yes. I am the Northern Conqueror, Crockta.¡± Jakiro nodded, ¡°... I see. It was an honor.¡± Then, he turned away. *** Jakiro immediately headed to the temple where the Sun God was worshiped¡ªthe ce where the Eternal Fire was protected. He saw a sharp spire in the ck temple, and he raised his head at the sun. ¡°The Northern Conqueror Crockta uses my sword, huh...¡± He felt pretty good. Crockta¡¯s reputation was so great that he knew of his name despite being unfamiliar with news of the outside world as he only focused on striking iron in the smithy of his tribe. Crockta was not just strong, he was better known for his actions, which upheld honor. Not only did he attain various achievements in the continent, but he also conquered the north and recently prevented the empire¡¯s vile ambitions. Crockta did all of that alongside Ogre yer, the sword he crafted. It was a wonderful thing. ¡°But...¡± However, it wasn¡¯t necessarily because of Crockta¡¯s achievements that his name was imprinted in Jakiro¡¯s mind. Crockta would soon fall into a crisis. Enemies were watching him, and they were iparably stronger than the opponents he had faced so far. ¡°Whimsical Gods...¡± Perhaps because he achieved too many things, all the Gods passed down oracles pointing to Crockta¡¯s death. They conveyed their message to destroy not just him, but even his species¡ªthe orcs. The dwarves in his hometown had a heated debate about this. The whole continent was stirred up by the oracle. Now that the Gods had targeted him, a cruel future would ensue. To ovee those hardships, his crumbling sword, the ¡®Ogre yer¡¯, was not suitable. The oue was obvious. After agonizing for a while, Jakiro shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business.¡± Jakiro was a cksmith, and his duty was to make weapons. He was nothing more than a craftsman who did his best to finish his weapons. It was none of his business even if the warrior wielding his sword eventually died from the hatred of the Gods. Jakiro trudged and stood in front of the temple. Just by moving closer, an unknown heat reached him. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at the thing known as the Eternal Fire.¡± The only thing that mattered to him now was the ¡®Eternal Smithy¡¯. *** After splitting ways with Jakiro, Crockta¡¯s party searched the entire city for traces of Hedoro. They asked around to see if anyone knew of a gnome called Hedoro, but there weren¡¯t any helpful answers. Some people remembered the small gnome, but they didn¡¯t know him well. Eventually, the sun set. ¡°Shall we stop here for today?¡± Crockta said. He was hungry. ¡°To close off the day, let¡¯s go to the Temple of the Sun God. I think there might be a clue there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡± Tiyo agreed. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± They headed toward the ck building in the center of Geherard. ording to Jakiro, the purpose of all the visitors to Geherard was the Temple of the Sun God and the Eternal Fire. Therefore, it felt like a tourist attraction as it was the only ce bustling with people. A hot air blew at them the moment they entered. ¡°It¡¯s hot, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s as expected of the Temple of the Sun God...¡± ¡°Are you okay? Aren¡¯t necromancers weak against light? Aren¡¯t you ipatible with the sun?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± There was a ce for worship inside the temple, and there was an altar in the center, shaped like a huge smelting furnace. The heat continued to billow from there. Worshipers bowed their heads in the direction of the altar, praying for something. There were people of various species and attire. There were warriors carrying weapons like Crockta, and sorcerers as well as ordinary people who seemed distant from the fighting scene. They all prayed for blessings at the altar in the center of the temple, which was called the ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fascinating?¡± Suddenly, they heard a voice. A dwarf, dressed in white, stood beside them. He said with a gentle smile, ¡°The Sun God has hidden themselves for a long time. You can only find them in history books. All that¡¯s left is their trace¡ªthe ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯. Be that as it may, people still remember the Sun God ande to pray. Why do you think that is?¡± It was the priest of this ce. Crockta replied, ¡°Erm... Because the Eternal Smithy is here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a very inurate answer. However, if I am to give you my version of the answer...¡± The priest pointed to the ceiling of the temple, ¡°Because it is none other than the Sun God.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The sun is the highest being, looking after all creation. The world would notst a day without the sun¡¯s light and heat. No one would be able to forget the sun¡¯s grace, which created the four seasons, divided day and night, sprouted nts, and lit up the world so that we could see it.¡± It was a reasonable answer. ¡°In other words, the fact that we live on thisnd itself is a gift from the Sun God. People can feel it instinctively.¡± The priest continued. ¡°You¡¯re right. You have a point.¡± Crockta, who had the knowledge of the modern world, deeply nodded to the priest¡¯s exnation. The existence of the sun was the most basic condition for the birth of life. Perhaps because he was pleased with Crockta¡¯s reaction, the priest continued to exin various things. Inside that altar, there is an object called the Sun God¡¯s Fragment, imbued with power, and it was condensed with an intense heat that could melt anything. The Eternal Smithy beyond the shrine also uses the heat to fire up the smelting furnace. The Eternal Smithy could only be essed by the chosen craftsmen, and that was decided by the Sun God¡¯s Fragment at the altar. At the end of his exnation, Crockta opened his mouth, ¡°Thank you for your valuable teachings.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It is my job.¡± ¡°I would like to ask you a question. Have you ever met a gnome traveler named Hedoro?¡± ¡°Hedoro... I¡¯ve never heard of the name, but an unusual gnome came here once. I don¡¯t know if he was Hedoro or not.¡± ¡°He looks like this friend here.¡± Crockta pointed to Tiyo. Tiyo, who was standing still, raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ohh... He did look simr.¡± ¡°What kind of person was he?¡± Crockta continued asking. ¡°He asked me various things about the Sun God. He was very interested in ancient myths. I remember him closely questioning me about why the Sun God hid his traces.¡± They talked more about the gnome, who they assumed to be Hedoro. When they told the priest that they were looking for Tiyo¡¯s father, the priest sincerely offered to look through the visitor records. Soon, the temple¡¯s closing time approached. ¡°If youe back tomorrow, I will give you more detailed information. There will probably be a record in the daily log.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I am even more thankful that you came here without forgetting the Sun God.¡± The three of them left the temple. It was a clear night. Crockta suddenly looked at the sky. The Sun God. Were the countless stars shining in the sky a different image of the Sun God? He heard that many gxies existed in the universe, more than the grains of sand on Earthbined. If so, who and where did the infinite possibilitiese to exist? Perhaps one of those distant stars was the Earth where he lived. Just then, his vision suddenly became blurred. ¡°...!¡± It was the same sensation as when the Eyes of the Ashen God activated on its own ord. The future deaths of the world entered his sight. ¡°...¡± Over the dark night sky, numerous stars turned white. They soon faded and melted into a part of the ck curtain. A night sky filled only with darkness. A ck world where all the stars were dead. It was the end of the stars. It was a sight he didn¡¯t want to see. Crockta shook his head. He deactivated the Eyes of the Ashen God. He could not control it well, but he was still able to gradually escape from that sensation when he focused his mind. Soon, he was able to free himself from the power of the Eyes of the Ashen God. He sighed. Was it because he was tired? If not, was it because the Ashen God, who had been keeping quiet so far, started ying tricks again? ¡°Crockta, are you watching that?¡± Tiyo suddenly said. Crockta rubbed his eyes and looked up. Then, his body immediately tensed up. A group holding weapons was walking toward them. All of them wore a hood, so they could not be identified. The man in the lead said, ¡°All the Gods have ordered for your death. We will punish you ording to the oracle. Do not resent us.¡± The influence of the oracle began to surface. Chapter 184: The Eternal Fire (2)

Chapter 184: The Eternal Fire (2)

¡°I didn¡¯t expect ¡®yer Maker¡¯ toe here.¡± Rastard, the old dwarf guarding the Eternal Smithy, said smiling as he stroked his long beard. ¡°How is Srdo of the Golden Anvil tribe doing?¡± ¡°He is striking on iron as usual.¡± ¡°Did Srdo allow you toe here?¡± Rastard asked. ¡°...¡± Jakiro smiled. ¡°I see. You came here on our own will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Any young cksmith will end uping here at least once. And the yer Maker is more than qualified to enter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s overpraising.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Wizard yer you made before.¡± nk! nk! Rastard looked in the direction where the sound came from. A dwarf was hammering on iron in the corner. The red-hot iron was struck by his hammer and slowly changed shape little by little. The dwarf¡¯s hammering speeded up. ¡°It was a fast and sharp sword.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a big weapon to kill a wizard.¡± ¡°Yes. It was excellent. Do you know who is using that sword now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re just like Srdo.¡± Rastard smiled bitterly. ¡°Wizard yer is now in the hands of a madman who loathes wizards. Countless innocent wizards have died in his hands.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jakiro shrugged. ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°As expected of Srdo¡¯s kinsfolk.¡± Rastardughed out loud. ¡°Fine, yer Maker. What kind of monster are you going to make here in the Eternal Smithy? Are you going to make a weapon that can kill something like ogres?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made that.¡± ¡°Hooo, is that so? I don¡¯t know who the owner holding the anti-ogre weapon is, but he must be going through a hard time.¡± Jakiro shrugged at Rastard¡¯sment. He recalled the orc warrior using the Ogre yer he made. He also witnessed the orc ughtering an ogre. It was an unsophisticated and huge greatsword, but when he held it in his hands, it fit perfectly, like it was made for him. A smile spread across Jakiro¡¯s face. ¡°Since you have crafted an Ogre yer, will you be crafting something like a Dragon yer now?¡± ¡°A Dragon yer, huh...¡± Dragons were a forgotten species, they were no longer seen. There was once a time when they roamed the valleys and flew over the mountain ranges, but it had been a long time since they stood out in the eyes of others. Some say they all died, and others say they were still hiding somewhere. Either way, it was certain that they would not be able to restore their former dominance. ¡°If I make something like that, my sword will not have an opponent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, it would be useless to make a sword that can take on a dragon. Then, how about a second version of the Ogre yer? Ogres are causing troubles these days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Jakrio¡¯s face darkened as he answered. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± That was why he left the Golden Anvil tribe toe here. He surpassed the level of a young craftsman. He had already reached the status of a master craftsman at a young age, and the yer Series he made were masterpieces that everyone wanted. Countless warriors and knights requested him to craft them a weapon. However, he did not have a blueprint for his next masterpiece. There wasn¡¯t any design that could make him passionately hammer on iron again. In the past, he could clearly see the real characteristics and worth hidden behind an iron lump. However, now he could not see anything. He shaped the de several times and ended up breaking it. He hammered on iron and melted it again. As a result, his slump persisted. ¡°You¡¯re young.¡± Rastard tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, take your time and think. I¡¯ll tell them to keep your amodation at the cksmith¡¯s lodge.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°This ce is the Eternal Smithy, it is a ce where you can hammer on iron as long as the sun lights up. Hahaha. I have to go look after someone now.¡± Rastard approached a cksmith hammering on iron. He was a dwarf younger than Jakiro. He was still not skillful enough, but he had passion and was still hammering on iron even when everyone had left for the day. Jakiro watched them for a while and then left the Eternal Smithy. The Temple of the Sun God¡¯s dwarf priest noticed him and bowed. Jakiro also greeted him politely. *** When he left the Temple of the Sun God, it was already dark. It was quiet in Geherard, and there was only the asional noise from the pubs and bars. The lights of other ces were extinguished, perhaps because they wanted the night to pass quickly. It was thend where the Temple of the Sun God was located. Rather than staying upte at night, they went to bed early looking forward to the sunrise. It was then. nk. A sound resonated. Jakiro turned around. It was a sound that he, a master craftsman, knew for certain. It was the sound of weapons shing. There was a fight happening somewhere. Moreover, the explosive sound of iron shing was strangely familiar. Yes, it was the sound he had been hearing for days, to the point that he was sick of it. It was the shattering sound of Ogre yer, smashing the rusty des of monsters. Somewhere, Crockta was fighting. Jakiro started running. The sound wasing from a corner of Geherard, a deserted ce. His vision was dark, but he ran after the sound while relying on the dim moonlight. As he approached, he could see iron des causing sparks in the dark. ¡°...!¡± A group of people surrounded Crockta and a man. In the midst of all that, the two exchanged sword blows. As he got closer, he saw Tiyo and Anor. The two of them discovered Jakiro and waved. Jakiro stood beside them. ¡°What is happening right now-...¡± ¡°Some weird guys picked a fight with us,¡± Tiyo said. ¡°They said something about punishing Crockta ording to the oracle... They¡¯re weird bastards.¡± Tiyo continued. ¡°...!¡± Jakiro was also aware of the oracle. All the Gods ordered the deaths of Crockta and the orcs. If so, those people were probably zealots worshiping the Gods. God¡¯smands were absolute to those kinds of people. Indeed, a chain of groups, armed and hooded, were surrounding and watching the fight between Crockta and the man as if they were holding a sacred ceremony. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. He is fighting neck-and-neck against Crockta.¡± Tiyo murmured. However, Jakiro couldn¡¯t tell. Most of their exchanges were too fast and indistinguishable to him, even though his visibility improved as he got used to the darkness. Every time the moonlight shed off the surface of their swords, one of them was wounded and took a step back. Crockta was the man who conquered the north and stopped the empire. One of the strongest warriors of his era, the man who killed the chieftain of the north and defeated Adantadore, the genius of the empire. However, an unknown zealot was engaged in an evenly-matched fight with him. The two of them stepped back for a moment and took a breath. Crockta tilted his head and red at the man. His eyes were filled with suspicions about his opponent. His expression seemed to imply that the fight did not go as he wanted. Jakiro followed Crockta¡¯s eyes and looked at the opponent. The man¡¯s hood was torn off, and they could now see his face. He was a middle-aged man. He looked at Crockta with a calm face before speaking, ¡°You cannot resist God¡¯s power. ept your fate, Crockta.¡± Jakiro realized at that moment. There was a faint band of light on the man¡¯s sword. Swords imbued with magic were able to exert such power. However, in Jakiro¡¯s eyes, it did not look like a magic sword. It was a divine weapon. The opponent that Crockta was fighting against was not just a warrior who was good at handling des. It was the power of God itself. The power of God was granted to the man through the sword itself. Even if its innate power was not manifested in full, it was a divine power that could not be countered by mortals living under the constraints of the current Gods. That power was now aiming for Crockta¡¯s neck. The man swung his sword again, and a ray of light shed. Crockta raised Ogre yer, shing against the sword, but he was pushed back. ¡°Kugh.¡± ¡°In the name of God!¡± Jakiro could see it. Crockta¡¯s sword, Ogre yer, was shaking. He was a cksmith. He was a master craftsman who could hear the voice of iron and see a sword¡¯s expression. Just as how warriors could see the gaps in their opponent and the trajectories of death, Jakiro had an eye that could see through iron and weapons inside out. Now, in his eyes, Ogre yer looked like a boxer who could barely raise his fist, in a state of utter disrepair. The greatsword had ovee many fights, but the damages umted because it was not treated properly. The broken bones were not reattached properly, and pus was leaking through its wounded eyes. There was repeated damage to its head, and both its hands were shaking in a punch-drunk state[1]. Nheless, it looked directly at the opponent. That was because, in the current battle situation, the enemy was still standing in the ring. A fighter looking so wretched that it wouldn¡¯t be weird if it copsed, that was the Ogre yer and Jakiro was the father who crafted the Ogre yer. ¡°Bultarrrr©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Crockta¡¯s roar shook the peaceful Geherard. Crockta sped up. As if Crockta was finally giving it his all, the man stepped back every time Crockta took a step toward him. A sword principle, unknown to Jakiro, was imbued into the sword. Ogre yer embodied the unknown power throughout its entire sword body. The man¡¯s divine weapon was deflected, and Ogre yer¡¯s strike flew toward the gap that formed. However, it was blocked. God¡¯s power was not so easy to defeat. Opportunities were equally given. As Crockta¡¯s attack was rendered futile, the enemy unleashed a counterattack. A white wave of heat scattered, and the divine weapon swung wildly. Crockta raised the Ogre yer and blocked it. For a moment, Jakiro thought the Ogre yer was going to break. However, it held out. After blocking the attack once, Crockta kicked the man in the elbow. For a moment, the man lost his grip on his sword. Then, Crockta turned one round and swung his greatsword at the man. He thought the fight would end like this. However, the man¡¯s sword swiveled back to him, as if there was a thread connected to it. Then, he positioned himself to block Crockta¡¯s sword. The man stood strong and stopped the attack with his feet supporting him. The two swords collided again. The man was pushed back. It was truly a well-matched fight. The faint light from the man¡¯s sword expanded to surround his body. The man¡¯s eyes shone white. The power of God was now encroaching on his body. His sword movement sped up. He was now aiming at Crockta from multiple directions. His attack was as swift and powerful as God¡¯s hammer. ¡°...!¡± Be that as it may, Crockta¡¯s Ogre yer fended off all those attacks, although it barely held on. It was a reaction that was no different from a divine skill. Crockta¡¯s movement was as if both body and sword synergized into one. ¡°Is that really the sword I made...¡± Jakiro murmured. It was beautiful swordsmanship. It was nothing like the kind of beauty seen from smooth movements or drawing a beautiful trajectory. The sword and the user became one. He embodied all kinds of movements doable with a huge greatsword without any unnecessary movements. It was impossible to tell whether he was guiding the sword, or the sword was guiding him. The body and sword were connected, and it moved as if it were one living organism. Crockta approached and shoulder-charged the enemy¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Kuhk!¡± Then, he immediately swung his greatsword at his opponent, who was pushed back. The enemy¡¯s sword was hit and flew through the air. It fell to the ground and rolled for quite some time before stopping at Jakiro¡¯s foot. The sword, which was scattering a faint light, soon turned dark. It was a sign that God had left. Jakiro picked up the sword. It wasn¡¯t a bad sword, but it wasn¡¯t a weapon crafted by an outstanding master craftsman. It was just a decently made sword. Jakiro looked up and saw Crockta and the man. Crockta was standing in front of the man, with his greatsword on the man¡¯s neck. The man closed his eyes tightly and then slowly opened his eyes. He saw Crockta, and he saw the de pointing at his neck. He looked at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°Tell me about the oracle,¡± Crockta said. The man murmured. Jakiro felt a strange feeling as he watched the scene transpiring in front of him. The man wasn¡¯t an outstanding warrior. He was just a fanatic. The sword he wielded wasn¡¯t a famed de or the like either. It was just a decent sword. It was just a decently skilled man and a decent sword. That man was like a grain of sandpared to the fame that Crockta had built up. However, with the power of God in him, he was able to fight evenly with the ¡®Northern Conqueror¡¯. That was the power of God. Crockta was victorious, but they would eventually topple him. All the Gods wanted his death. What would happen if this power was granted to an even stronger man, to an even greater sword? Crockta and Ogre yer. Their beautiful dance would end soon. It was inevitable. The opponents they were about to face weren¡¯t Ogres. It was God. No matter how amazing of a sword Ogre yer was, it wasn¡¯t able to cut God. However... ¡°I want to keep watching.¡± As long as the sun was burning, the Eternal Smithy would never be extinguished. Simr to that, Jakiro hoped that Crockta and Ogre yer¡¯s beautiful dance would not end. He hoped that it wouldst forever, that the sword he created would be more than just a sword and create miracles with its owner. He hoped for that to happen. ¡°Is this also fate?¡± A warrior was a fighter. For a warrior to live a long life, he must kill instead of being killed. To kill, he would need a weapon capable of killing. 1. Punch-drunk usually refers to a boxer suffering from brain injury from repeated blows to the head. ? Chapter 185: Returning Home

Chapter 185: Returning Home

¡°Tell me about the oracle,¡± Crockta asked the man. The man refused to speak, but as Ogre yer drew closer to the back of his neck, he turned ghastly pale and opened his mouth, ¡°God has ordered your death.¡± ¡°God? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just listen to God¡¯smands and execute his will. Godmanded your death and lent me a sword and his strength. I am only here to kill you as he has ordered. That is all.¡± ¡°Who is your God?¡± ¡°My God is an Old Mountain God who collects what he sows and takes away as much blood as he sheds.¡± Crockta tilted his head. He had heard of the Old Mountain God before. It was a small religion spread in some mountainous areas of the continent. It was mostly worshiped by mountain dwellers, but it had a brutal doctrinepared to its serene image. Still, why did the Old Mountain God suddenly want to kill him? The man went on while Crockta was thinking, ¡°ept your fate. Others wille for you, even if I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you mean to say there are others?¡± ¡°You know nothing, huh? It¡¯s not just us. All the Gods of the continent have whispered your death. I mean, even the benevolent Goddess of Mercy wishes for your death.¡± Crockta¡¯s face crumpled, ¡°Why on earth do they want me dead?¡± ¡°We do not know the affairs of the Gods. You must have done evil deeds worthy of the wrath of the Gods without realizing it. Repent, Crockta. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and blood for blood.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Crockta withdrew his greatsword. The man shouted spiritedly, ¡°We may have failed today, but eventually, God¡¯s iron club will find you! In the end...! Kuhk!¡± Crockta kicked him in the abdomen, causing him to curl up on the floor. Crockta looked down at him and shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re too noisy. You should run your mouth only after looking at the situation at hand.¡± ¡°Kugh...!¡± The man sprawled on the ground was in agony. ¡°In the end, you orcs will not survive the wrath of the Gods!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Crockta lowered his posture and stared down at him. ¡°You orcs?¡± Crockta continued. ¡°That¡¯s right! The Gods wish for the death of all orcs, not just you! Total annihtion!¡± ¡°...¡± Crockta raised his head and red at the hooded group of Old Mountain God devotees. Everyone flinched at his ferocious gaze. They took a step back, unable to even muster the thought of lifting their weapons. Crockta roared, ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°...¡± When they kept quiet, Crockta grabbed the fallen man by the neck. He could not breathe and gasped for breath. ¡°Kuhkk! Gasp...!¡± ¡°Answer me. Did the Gods really tell you to kill all the orcs, and not just me? Was that the oracle delivered by your Gods?¡± Crockta stood back up. The man¡¯s body was held up in the air. He was suffocating and grabbed Crockta by the wrist, struggling. The devotees were left with their mouths open seeing the man in pain. ¡°Tha-, that¡¯s right. What he said is true. So, quickly let him go!¡± ¡°The Gods told you to kill all the orcs?¡± Crockta reconfirmed. ¡°Yes, that was what they said. They said to kill all the orcs and make them a forgotten species.¡± Crockta nodded and threw the man toward the group of zealots. They crashed into each other and rolled on the ground. Some had their hood taken off by the chaos. They were all ordinary human beings. They were the faces of ordinary mountain dwellers, living in the mountains while farming and hunting. Crockta murmured, ¡°The Gods want the death of me and the orcs?¡± What was going on? After recovering the man, the zealots began to falter and retreat. They were wary of Crockta. Crockta said with a sigh, ¡°Get out of here.¡± As soon as Crockta allowed them to, they hurriedly ran away. There was only one de left on the ground, which was the one that the man dropped. Crockta picked it up. It was an ordinary sword. However, when it was imbued with God¡¯s power and enveloped by a white light, it exuded a force that even Crockta found difficult to handle. Beings possessing such powers were aiming for him and the orcs. It was not just him, but all the orcs. ¡°What a pain in the ass.¡± Why wouldn¡¯t they let him live in peace? He could not stay still since he had gained information that all the orcs were being targeted, and not just him. ¡°Why the hell are the Gods doing this? Did you perhaps curse at them?¡± Tiyo said after witnessing the scene. Crockta shrugged, ¡°Well, if I really did so, it wouldn¡¯t feel so unfair.¡± ¡°My God. We climbed over a hill only to face yet another hill.¡± Tiyo murmured. ¡°From the chieftain to the empire, and now the Gods... Are you going to be fine?¡± Anor looked at Crockta with worried eyes. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not fine, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t you go to the other orcs quickly? They¡¯re aiming for the orcs, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s quickly go. I can look for my fatherter, so we should fight alongside Crockta¡¯s friends! Those God bastards!¡± Tiyo cursed. ¡°Erm...¡± Crockta pondered. Since the orcs were the targets, the first ce that came to mind was Orcrox and Basque Vige. There was also thend of the orcs located in the northwestern region of the sea of forests. There was also a possibility that those who borrowed God¡¯s name would invade there. Maybe they were already on their way there. He would need at least one more person. ¡°Should we...¡± Crockta murmured. At that moment, someone stepped in, ¡°Stay a little longer before going.¡± It was Jakiro. ¡°Jakiro.¡± ¡°No one is crazy enough to go to war with the orcs right away just because the Gods have delivered an oracle. This is no longer the era when the Gods were running wild.¡± ¡°Are you implying that we don¡¯t have to care about it?¡± Crockta asked. ¡°I mean that you don¡¯t have to be in a hurry. There is still time left even if something does happen. They, too, will look at their own interests and circumstances. They will take their time trying to get in sync.¡± Even while speaking, Jakiro was not looking at Crockta. Crockta followed Jakiro¡¯s gaze and confirmed what he was looking at. It was the Ogre yer he was holding. ¡°If you really have to fight the Gods, you will need to be prepared, too, Crockta.¡± ¡°Prepared?¡± Jakiro raised his eyes and looked at Crockta. Crockta flinched at Jakiro¡¯s gaze. A fire that he had never seen before was zing in Jakiro¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t anything like a small ember. It felt like a furnace that could even melt iron. ¡°So, I will fix Ogre yer.¡± *** ¡°Kyahahahahaha!¡± A clear burst ofughter resonated. ¡°So, you tried to kill us? You guys? Really?¡± She grabbed the hair of the human she was sitting on and pulled on it. A tower built of human corpses was below her feet, and the man on the very top was still not dead. He trembled and begged for forgiveness, ¡°Please... Stop...¡± ¡°Stop?¡± She pulled on his hair harder. The man, whose neck was bent backward, couldn¡¯t speak anymore and coughed. She pushed her face close to his ear. ¡°If, you know, if you guys would¡¯ve won and we lost, and if we told you to stop, would you have stopped then?¡± ¡°Kuuugh...¡± ¡°Where did your confidence from earlier go, huh?¡± She raised her axe, hanging by her waist. It was a throwing axe, which wasn¡¯t that big. She pushed the tip of the axe close to the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Say it again.¡± ¡°Please...¡± ¡°I will forgive you if you say it again. Tell me what you said to us the first time we met.¡± ¡°Forgive me-...¡± She was irritated. ¡°Say it again and I will forgive you!¡± She stabbed the man¡¯s eyes with the throwing axe. The man¡¯s eye burst and blood trickled down, causing him to scream. ¡°Now, say it before it bes more painful. What did you say when you first came to us?¡± ¡°Kuhk, ugh... When we fir-, first-...¡± ¡°Yes, when we first what?¡± ¡°Go-, in the name of God...¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Cro-, Crockta and the orcs-... Ki-, kill...¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± She pulled her axe out and swung it again. It stabbed his nose, splitting his nose bone. The man¡¯s desperate scream resonated. Blood foam formed in the man¡¯s mouth, causing the man to choke up blood. She hummed to herself. ¡°Should I tell you?¡± ¡°Kugh...¡± ¡°You said you would kill the dirty rat bastard Crockta and the trashy orcs, and that you would cut up our bodies and hang it on the castle gates.¡± She hummed and swung the axe again. Every time the man¡¯s arms were bludgeoned, blood sttered from the man¡¯s face. Gradually, the man was reduced to a disfigured appearance, not resembling a human being at all. ¡°Should I kill you, should I not?¡± ¡°Kil-... Please kill me...¡± ¡°Then, I will keep you alive.¡± She stood up. Then, she grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and pushed him down. The man rolled over the pile of corpses and wriggled on the floor. Her subordinates, who continued to ughter the enemies around her, asked, ¡°Captain! What should I do with this guy?¡± ¡°Make him wish he was dead, save him.¡± ¡°Kekeke, that¡¯s a good idea!¡± They swung their weapons excitedly. Blood sttered and screams resonated. Suddenly, a man was seen crawling away from the distance. She held the throwing axe at her fingertips, spinning it round and round. Then, she grabbed it and threw it in a single motion. The axe flew through the air and split the man¡¯s head in two. The man¡¯s skull was cracked and the contents flowed out. ¡°Kill those who want to live.¡± She grinned. ¡°It¡¯s over, Captain Anya!¡± ¡°Good job.¡± She was a warrior who gained notoriety for her crazy massacres. She was Anya, the mad ughterer. Dering to avenge the murderer of Lenox, together with her group she went looking for the ringleader¡ªthe human Count. She tortured him before finally killing him. After that, she even murdered his family members, painting the castle with blood. She was the mad warrior, Anya. She smiled as she looked back at the carnage, which was nowing close to an end. ¡°Kahaha. Crockta, you brat, you¡¯ve be a big shot.¡± Anya recalled the first time she saw Crockta. When Lenox passed away and she entered Orcrox to attend Lenox¡¯s funeral, there was an apprentice warrior who said he saw Lenox¡¯s final moment. His movements and actions were clumsy, but his eyes were burning hot as if he had inherited Lenox¡¯s fiery gaze. ¡°That brat conquered the north, stopped the empire, and now he is fighting against the Gods?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°He¡¯s better than expected...¡± She chuckled again. It was then. The air around her fluttered. Anya frowned, ¡°What is this all of a sudden?!¡± An orc slowly emerged from there. He looked at Anya with a translucent body and his figure soon became clear in shape. It was a bald man holding a strangely bent staff and wearing a ne made of bones from all kinds of animals. He also had a skull adorned on his shoulders. It was Wachwi, the abyss shaman¡ªa sorcerer who pursued the void. ¡°Following Lenox, is it Crockta this time-... Kehe... Holhol...¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°I thought you preferred old hens... But you like young chicks too huh... Kelholhol... Holhol...¡± ¡°You¡¯re really an unpleasant man. When did you start following me?¡± ¡°Who knows...? Kelhol... Holhol!¡± Anya swung an axe that was hung around her waist. However, it did not reach Wachwi, and instead passed through his body. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Kelhol... Holhol!¡± ¡°Your spell is also extremely unpleasant.¡± Anya¡¯s lips twitched, and she hung the axe around her waist again. Anya¡¯s men, who finished cleaning up, recognized Wachwi and greeted him, ¡°Wachwi-nim! It¡¯s been a while! Kehaha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re alive!? Bultar!¡± ¡°Have you heard the news?! Crockta did something interesting! Kekeke!¡± ¡°There will be another festival again! Kehaha!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fight, a fight!¡± Theyughed while shouting. It was befitting of the mad warriors who followed Anya. Anya, grinning at the sight of them, asked Wachwi, ¡°You¡¯re going too, right? To Orcrox?¡± An oracle was made against the entire orc species. They always traveled around the continent doing their own thing, but given the current situation, they had to return to Orcrox. It was like the time when all the great orcs of the continents returned home for Lenox¡¯s funeral. ¡°Of course. Kelhol... Holhol!¡± Wachwi grinned. Anya nodded in response and asked another question, ¡°What about Zankus?¡± ¡°He said he wille after he is done with hunting... Keholhol...!¡± ¡°What is he hunting this time? Pervert bastard.¡± ¡°We¡¯re done!¡± her men shouted. ¡°Okay. Then, let¡¯s go!¡± Anya and her group began walking toward Orcrox after they were done with the massacre. The semi-transparent sorcerer was also walking beside her, waving his staff. It had been a long time since Lenox died. Since then, the north opened up, and the kingdom became an empire. The inexperienced apprentice warrior became a great warrior, and now, the Gods wanted to eradicate the orc species. The legendary orcs began to gather again. Chapter 186: God Slayer (1)

Chapter 186: God yer (1)

The blood of a cksmith flowed through the dwarves of the Golden Anvil tribe, and Jakiro was born with the greatest talent among them all. When he first grabbed the hammer, Srdo, the tribe¡¯s greatest artisan, said, ¡®If you are a true craftsman of the Golden Anvil tribe, you would be able to see the finished product even before you melt the iron.¡¯ Jakiro believed that he had understood Srdo¡¯s words all this while. He always had a blueprint. The moment he wanted to make something, it was clearly drawn in his head what it would look like. All of his masterpieces had already beenpleted in his head first. However, Jakiro realized that wasn¡¯t truly the case. He wasn¡¯t watching properly until now. He just intuitively saw it as a skilled craftsman, but he wasn¡¯t truly seeing it. ¡°I know now,¡± Jakiro muttered while his mind got filled with the image of a weapon. He was able to see what shape it would be, what power it would possess, and how it would be crafted. He could even see what it would cut. He wasn¡¯t moving on his own ord. Something unknown, something that was filling him to the brim and prating his whole body, it felt like inspiration was moving him. He couldn¡¯t wait to start working on it. ¡°You¡¯vee, Jakiro.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jakiro¡¯s body trembled. Rastard, the cksmith guarding the Eternal Smithy, looked at Jakiro¡¯s face and opened his eyes wide. He stared at him as if he knew something andughed. ¡°That hase to you, huh.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something thates once in the lifetime of a great cksmith.¡± Rastard looked around the Eternal Smithy. Aside from the fact that it was located in a temple that guarded the Eternal Fire, there was nothing special about it. ¡°Follow me.¡± Jakiro followed behind Rastard. There was a door somewhere in the smithy. When Rastard opened the door, there was a flight of stairs that seemed to go down. There was another smithy when they went down. It was a little dusty, perhaps because it hadn¡¯t been used in a long time, but the facility itself was good enough to be used right away. ¡°Use this ce.¡± ¡°This is-...¡± ¡°This is the true Eternal Smithy. The one outside is just something like a secondary smithy.¡± Jakiro looked inside. It was his first time seeing it, but somehow, it felt familiar. The inspiration that filled his mind and the familiarity of the smithy were intertwined. ¡°So, what are you going to make? What about the iron?¡± ¡°It will arrive soon.¡± As he said, there was a smallmotion happening above. They waited for a while and someone came down the stairs. It was Crockta. He greeted the two dwarves with a huge greatsword on his shoulder. ¡°Jakiro, here you are. Oh, you are? I am Crockta, a warrior.¡± ¡°I am Rastard, the cksmith guarding the Eternal Smithy.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. Are you alive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I heard an orc¡¯s greeting.¡± The two shook hands. Crockta looked around the smithy. ¡°You¡¯re going to fix my sword here?¡± Jakiro smiled, ¡°That¡¯s right. You can look forward to it.¡± ¡°Well...¡± Crockta looked at Jakiro and Rastard one after the other. Then, he scratched his head and put down the Ogre yer. ¡°In any case, I will leave it in your care. I¡¯m sure you will do well on your own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I have to go see the priest, so I will take my leave now.¡± Crockta went up after grabbing the air a few times with his bare hands, perhaps because he felt awkward without Ogre yer. Jakiro and Rastard¡¯s gaze turned to Ogre yer. It was an outstanding greatsword, except for the fact that it was breaking down. ¡°Is it this sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hoho. That warrior just now, was it Crockta? I understand why your eyes are like that now.¡± Outstanding warriors have always been the inspiration for cksmiths since ancient times. The Golden Anvil tribe¡¯s Srdo had a philosophy of differentiating between the weapon and the user, but even he would be excited to craft a weapon for a warrior like Crockta. ¡°Maybe this is all the Sun God¡¯s arrangements,¡± Rastard murmured. Jakiro silently lifted and moved the Ogre yer. He began working. Rastard quietly watched him. Jakiro was a genius of the Golden Anvil tribe, the yer Maker who created countless masterpieces at a young age. What was he capable of? In an instant, a hot heat warmed up the smithy. ¡°Ahhh...!¡± He could feel it. The Temple of the Sun God was weing Jakiro. The heat of the Eternal Fire, which had not been granted to the craftsman for a long time, began to heat the smithy. Rastard was in awe. ¡°Finally, a master cksmith befitting of the Eternal Smithy has appeared!¡± This energy was the true me of the Eternal Smithy, which even Rastard had only seen a few times as a young dwarf. It was no longer granted since then. The Temple of the Sun God, which worshiped the Eternal Fire, and the Eternal Smithy. A greatsword was being reborn there. *** Crockta went looking for the priest along with Tiyo and Anor. While Ogre yer was being repaired, they wanted to look for traces of Hedoro as much as possible. ¡°We¡¯ve learned about Hedoro.¡± They took some documents from the temple¡¯s archive room. They were only entry ledgers and sign-out records that remained. ¡°Seems like he researched a lot about the Sun God at the temple. He was an inquisitive gnome who asked me a lot about this and that. He was very curious about why the Sun God disappeared, as well as the circumstances of the Gods...¡± ¡°So, why did the Sun God disappear?¡± Tiyo suddenly asked. The priest chuckled. ¡°We humans will never know the stories of the Gods in exact detail. It was passed down since a long time ago that the Sun God had fallen into a deep slumber, and the reason why he fell into a deep slumber was that some problem surfaced after a fight between the Gods in the past.¡± ¡°There was a fight between the Gods?¡± Tiyo asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. The reason was not passed down, but there was a record of a conflict between the Gods. In the aftermath, a God died, while another became a Fallen God, and a God fell asleep.¡± Crockta opened his eyes wide. The priest said that one God died, another became a Fallen God, and one fell asleep. Wasn¡¯t the Fallen God the Ashen God? Crockta asked, ¡°What kind of Gods are they?¡± The priestughed, ¡°Haha, you only ask questions that are hard to answer. Allow me to tell you in advance, but these are myths passed down since ancient times, and they are not clear records. I have to tell you that before I continue.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Naturally, the Sun God was the God that fell into a slumber; whereas the Fallen God was known as the Ashen God. Now, no one remembers what kind of Gods they were, or what kind of power they possessed.¡± ¡°...!¡± The Ashen God. A system that created Elder Lord, connecting this ce to Earth, and was plotting some sort of conspiracy. When she fell, one God died while another God fell asleep. There was definitely a rtionship between the Ashen God and the Sun God. Their journey of finding Hedoro was gradually being connected with the answers to the world that Crockta wanted to find. Crockta asked again, ¡°Then, the God that died was...?¡± ¡°Ahhh. That God was said to be someone like a father figure, and at the same time, a mother figure to the Sun God. That God was...¡± The priest pondered with his eyes looking up, and answered, ¡°The Star.¡± *** ¡°There are many stars in the sky.¡± Yoo Jae-Han murmured. He was sitting on the beach looking up at the sky. Although it was night, there were still a lot of young people roaming around the white sand beach. asionally, they would throw stones at the sea surface,ughing while crumpling beer cans. ¡°Imagine it.¡± Suddenly, there was a voice. Yoo Jae-Han turned his head. Before he knew it, a woman was sitting next to him. She was a woman with exceptionally white skin and bright gray hair. It was a unique appearance, but because she hid in the darkness of the night while wearing a hat, the eyes of those around did not notice her. She was the Ashen God. ¡°The sight of stars disappearing from the sky,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°I have been watching it all the time.¡± ¡°...¡± Yoo Jae-Hanughed, ¡°That¡¯s even more horrible.¡± ¡°Since I came to this world... It¡¯s nice to not have to see things like that... But looking at the stars brings back memories of the despair of that time.¡± ¡°Do you want to drink some beer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually offer people drinks.¡± ¡°You offered it to Jung Yi-An, didn¡¯t you?¡± She rebutted. ¡°I mean to say that I only offer drinks to you and Yi-An.¡± She rummaged through the sand on the beach with her hands. Yoo Jae-Han asked, ¡°How¡¯s your n going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting by.¡± ¡°What about your influence?¡± ¡°The achievement points keep increasing. It¡¯s thanks to Crockta, Rommel, and Cainz¡¯s hard work. The rankers are better than I thought.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Yoo Jae-Han smiled bitterly. ¡°They won¡¯t know what they are actually doing.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s better news. Do you know? When Crockta stood forward alone, I got angry and raised the assimtion rate to the maximum. At that moment, I think my power was reflected on Crockta a little. So I was worried... The Gods thought that Crockta had some sort of connection to me, and they passed down an oracle ordering people to eliminate Crockta and the orcs.¡± The Ashen God babbled on. Yoo Jae-Han kept quiet and listened to her. ¡°Maybe if they stick together properly this time, Crockta won¡¯t stay put... So, I might really be able to achieve my n when it is over. It¡¯s finally beginning.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already close.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± The Ashen God stood up and patted her buttocks. ¡°So, when that timees, please tell Jung Yi-An I said thank you.¡± Yoo Jae-Han, who was looking at the distant sea, replied, ¡°Only if until then...I will if he¡¯s still alive until then.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Only if he is still alive. Thinking about it like that, I feel sorry.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yoo Jae-Han doubted his ears. ¡°Really.¡± Yoo Jae-Han grinned and nodded. The Ashen God continued, ¡°By the way, Gordon asked me to convey his regards.¡± ¡°Is he doing fine?¡± ¡°Course he is.¡± She replied. ¡°Gordon is quite the fellow, too.¡± Suddenly, firecrackers went off from the beach. The dazzling fireworks rose into the sky in a long curve, scattering with the sound of an explosion. Looking at the sight of embers spreading over the night sky, the Ashen God spread her arms wide. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± *** While Rastard was away, Jakiro took a piece of something out of his pockets. It was a small piece of gold-colored metal. When he gained the title of yer Maker and rose to the status of master craftsman, it was given to him by Srdo, who led the Golden Anvil tribe. ¡®Just once. Keep in mind. If you are not ready, it will be wasted. I also wasted it meaninglessly. There are only a few master artisans in the history of the Golden Anvil tribe who have used this correctly.¡¯ Most of them were used in vain. However, all those who used it correctly have made the best weapons that remained in history. It was a piece of metal given to the master cksmiths of the Golden Anvil tribe, and it was also the reason why Jakiro¡¯s tribe was called the Golden Anvil tribe. It was the Golden Anvil piece. It was said that a God gifted an anvil to the tribe, and the tribe split it into pieces, handing it out to their master craftsman. It was gradually running out, and it would soon disappear into history. However, fortunately, Jakiro was able to receive it at a young age. Moreover, he felt that now was the time to use it. Jakiro held it in his hands, and he dropped it on top of Ogre yer, which had meltedpletely into molten iron and lost its shape. The color of the molten iron began to turn red. However, the piece did notpletely melt. Jakiro began to work the bellows intensely. Gradually, the temperature increased. Sweat began to trickle down Jakiro¡¯s face and all over his body. His hands moved faster. Then, at some point, a huge wave of heat swooped over him. ¡°...!¡± He stepped back and tumbled down on the floor. I looked at the scene in front of him nkly. It was burning. The st furnace was literally burning. Jakiro raised his eyes, and he saw something shining above the furnace. It was a red crystal. It was a brilliant me that looked like a ball and a block of me. Jakiro knew what it was. It was the Eternal Fire. The Eternal Fire that should have been at the altar above the smithy had now descended below the smithy. Moreover, the fire was incorporating its own heat to the molten metal of the Ogre yer. The smithy and the entire temple began to heat up. The temperature rose. It was an unusual urrence. Through the ceiling, the sounds of running footsteps trembled from above ground. People were rushing out of the temple. People shouting loudly could also be heard. Jakiro clenched his teeth and endured the heat. The Eternal Fire, the essence of the sun left behind by God. It was melting the Golden Anvil piece and Ogre yer. Jakiroughed. He burst intoughter wholeheartedly while immersed in a wave of scorching heat that felt like his whole body was burning. His intuition, which was basically akin to foresight, was not wrong. He had already witnessed this scene. He knew it would be like this. It wasn¡¯t his doing, the world gave him a push. The Sun¡ªthe greatest mes that melted everything. No one would be able to withstand it, even if it was God. Looking at the molten metal burning hot, Jakiro clenched his fist. The sword he was making would be the greatest masterpiece he had ever crafted, and the best weapon throughout the history of the Golden Anvil tribe. The purpose of the sword was brief and clear. y the Gods. The sword that was born with the mes of the sun would be able to even kill Gods. Chapter 187: God Slayer (2)

Chapter 187: God yer (2)

Something abnormal was happening in Geherard. The Temple of the Sun God, symbolizing and justifying Geherard''s existence, was burning. "Everyone evacuate!" "What on earth is happening?" "Fire, fire!" The first ones to react were the worshippers in the prayer hall. mes erupted from the altar, which contained the Eternal Fire, and quickly spread throughout the temple. The worshippers screamed and fled, followed by the temple guards who fled along. The cksmiths also hurriedly left their workshops. Crockta and his group, who were in the temple archives with the high priest, also made a quick exit as the temple suddenly heated up. "What in the world..." "My goodness." "Oh, Sun God!" Those who evacuated first stood dumbfounded, gazing at the burning temple. Crockta turned to look at it. The entire building seemed to be engulfed in mes, bing red hot. Yet, the temple itself did not burn at all. It glowed red-hot like a massive piece of iron but every little part of it remained unharmed, and even its gs were fluttering amidst the fire, fully intact. Surrounded by red mes, the temple stood unchanged. "The Sun scorches his enemies and embraces his children. Even in an eternal inferno, those who believe in Him shall not be harmed," the high priest murmured. People turned their eyes toward the high priest. "It''s exactly as the legends of the Sun God''s power describe. His mes burn the foes but do not harm the innocents." "Ahh..." "Has the Sun God awakened? His power is unmistakable." "Could it be, atst..." The grand temple remained intact amidst the ze, a sight that could only be attributed to divine power. The talks of the revival of the Sun God were already making their way through the crowd. Then, someone spoke up, decisively. "No, that''s not it." "Rastard?" asked the high priest. It was Rastard. His expression was unreadable, with his eyes on the fence between joy and bitterness. "This isn''t the revival of the Sun God." "Pardon?" "This is the Eternal Smithy.''" Everyone looked at him. Only the high priest seemed to understand what Rastard meant, nodding in agreement. "I see. So, this is the Eternal Smithy." "What do you mean? Was the smithy we¡¯ve been using not the Eternal Smithy, then?" One of the cksmiths asked Rastard, who shook his head. "The forge beside the prayer hall was purely for show. The true Eternal Smithy mentioned in legends doesn''t always exist nor can it be used at our whim. It is a legendary smithy that only appears along with the sacred me of the Sun God when the Eternal Fire zes. The expression on Rastard¡¯s face turned into a clear smile. The true Eternal Smithy will only appear under three conditions: when the world needs the Eternal Smithy, when a cksmith worthy of wielding their hammer inside it emerges, and..." He nced at Crockta, who flinched. Rastard grinned, revealing his fangs. "When a warrior worthy of wielding its creations appears. Only then does the Eternal Smithy truly turn up." As Rastard finished, a hush fell over the crowd. They were unaware that what they were witnessing could very well be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Then, it began to rain. Tssss... Steam rose as the temple''s mes met the rain, engulfing it in a cloud of mist that was thick enough to render the people blind. Amidst this unbelievable scene, they heard the sound of metal shing. ng! The noise grew louder. ng! Amidst the burning temple and pouring rain, the sound of the cksmith''s hammer echoed throughout Geherard. ng! * * * After the oracle was given, the public opinion, which had been wandering without a direction for a while, was gradually moving toward a conclusion. All the temples dered Crockta as an enemy and the orcs as targets to be eliminated, following the will of the gods they serve. "Do you think there will ever be a day again when all the Gods whisper the same message?" A man d in steel armor asked. The Duke of the empire, Christan, looked at him and stroked his chin. "I believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I shall go." The man in front of Christan was one of those he had taken under his wing. Christan values talent highly. If he found someone desirable, he spared no material support to bring them under hismand. The greatest archmage, Moggslin, is a prime example. And the man before him was no different. A pdin chosen by the War God. The champion of the War God, Arcran, who annihted enemies under the blessing of his god, was the most enthusiastic about this oracle. His expression showed he was eager to rush out with his weapon in hand, to eliminate Crockta and the orcs. His flushed face and determined eyes showed it. "Hmm, is that so?" Christan pondered. The deeply religious elves and dwarves had already begun preparations to march. It was a revtion through the oracle, and it drew in voluntary soldiers instead of the regr soldiers. Those who knew how to fight, soldiers or former soldiers, and those who wished to make a name for themselves, such people started to form groups. A potential sense of glory on top of the divine revtion served as a splendid reason. Using the oracle as an excuse, those seeking fame and honor lined up. Their target was Orcrox, thend of the orcs. Arcran, standing before Christan, hoped for battle driven by both his belief in the god and his honor. "If that is your wish, I cannot stop you." Although Christan had spoken negatively about this fight to the emperor, it was necessary to maintain appearances. However, just going along with the trend did not suit his taste. He was a starter of fires, not one to join in and merely add kindling to an already zing inferno, and Arcran was the perfect person to ignite that fire. Belief in the War God. That alone was the reason for Arcran''s existence. Such fanaticism would spread among the people like a disease. "Adantadore also wishes to join me." "He does?" "Yes." Adantadore had secluded himself after being wounded in battle with Crockta. Was it because of a desire for revenge? Or had Arcran''s madness also infected him? "That would be good as well." The truth was that it didn''t matter. Adantadore, if anything, was closer to the emperor''s faction. There was no significant connection with Christan, so it was better to send him away if possible. "You know, I can''t send regr troops or knights. In the empire, it''s not the Gods but the emperor who stands highest. That''s why." "I understand." "But I can''t stop you from recruiting volunteers. Gather people together with the temple of the War God, then do as you wish. I''ll speak to the emperor. If soldiers wish to join, they will be allowed." "Thank you." Arcran bowed deeply. "I regret leaving before I could fully repay your kindness." "It''s not like you''re leaving forever. Return with a victory report. That would be enough." "Yes, my lord!" "Go on, then." Arcran stood and bowed once more to Christan before turning to leave. Christan thought to himself. May this war escte, so that everyone is wounded, and it ends with no victors, just devastation spread across. "Will the orcs be exterminated, causing the bnce of the continent to copse?" The thought of such turmoil urring in his lifetime was exhrating. Christan smiled. "What do you think?" Then, as if out of nowhere, a man appeared next to Duke Christan. It was the archmage Moggslin, draped in a robe. "I would bet on the orcs being eradicated from the continent." "Don¡¯t the orcs have enough monsters on their side?" "They may have their monsters, but their opposition is the gods. All the gods have opposed the orcs. Who could withstand that?" "I guess you¡¯re right." "Even if they have a fallen God behind them, it''s of no use." ording to Moggslin, during the battle where Crockta opposed the empire, a strong presence of the Fallen God was felt from him, shocking all the Gods and prompting this action. "I am d to have you with me." Moggslin''s magic was at its peak, capable of connecting even with the higher beings, the Gods. He was practically Christan''s spy, eavesdropping on their conversations. Without him, they would have known nothing about the full story behind this event. Moggslin smiled and bowed at Christan''s praise. "But what if that Crockta wins this time too? He has managed to do the impossible and seed over and over again. Despite being an enemy and an orc, I do respect him. I understand that we have the Gods on our side, but it feels uncertain." "This time, even he won''t be able to do anything. Even if he is the greatest warrior who defeated Adantadore, the gods are not beings that can be cut down with a sword." "Beings that cannot be in with a sword... That''s reassuring." Christanughed. Across the continent, those who followed the oracle were rising. For people like Christan, it was a splendid opportunity. * * * In Geherard, the rain didn¡¯t stop for a while. Despite that, the mes encircling the temple were not extinguished. People attempted to approach the temple, but the heat prevented them from entering. The abnormal spectacle continued, and the sound of hammering on metal continued to echo throughout all of Geherard. ng! ng! "Are you sure Jakiro is alive?" "Judging by the fact that the sound keepsing..." "Does he keep up with his meals?" "..." "What a remarkable fellow. I would have been burnt to a crisp if it were me. Ugh." aang! ording to the priest and Rastard, Jakiro was currently forging weapons with the power of the Eternal Fire. It seemed to be a kind of divine power descending upon him. However, to Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor, it just seemed like a crazy cksmith engrossed in his hammering, skipping meals, and hammering metal all day long. Inside must be incredibly hot; he could very well have been charred ck by now. Fortunately, the continuous sound of hammering indicated he was safe. However, the fact that it went on day and night was an issue. "That¡¯s that. By the way, my father said he''s going north." "That''s correct," replied the priest, taking a swig of beer. With the temple ame, the priest had lost his dwelling and temporarily stayed at the inn with Crockta''s group. There was no rule against priests drinking. The priest heartily drank the beer. Despite maintaining a polite demeanor, he was still a dwarf, a fine drinker at heart. "I remember him passing by and mentioning there''s someone up north who knows the old myths quite well." "That''s my father, alright. Always roaming around." "He told me he had followed him from the north all the way to the south of the continent, then to the Western Sea, and now he was headed back north again." He was practically making a full circle around the continent. "But, if it''s north from here..." Tiyo looked at Crockta. "It leads to thend of the orcs, doesn''t it?" "You¡¯re right," Crockta nodded. Heading north from Geherard would lead to Orcrox and Basque Vige. As if someone was guiding them, their destination once again pointed toward that ce. "It''s been a long time since I returned." Orcrox was the ce where everything began. Crockta and hispanions were finally set to return there. "But when will Jakiro finish the sword? I''m worried." "Indeed, but Crockta is lucky. Isn''t this, like, receiving a sword from the Gods?" "Perhaps it''s a legendary sword?" They all looked at Crockta. The entire ordeal had started because of Crockta''s Ogre yer. What kind of weapon was being forged to cause such an event? Crockta scratched his head. "Umm... I''m not exactly sure..." He was genuinely ambivalent. The prospect of receiving an incredibly cool weapon was exciting, but the sudden burning of the temple, the steam, and the continuous hammering inside made it somewhat daunting at the same time. Then, someone pointed something out. "Hey, did you notice that the hammering¡¯s... stopped? I think it¡¯s been quiet for a minute now." A dwarf sitting next to them spoke up. Indeed, the sound of hammering ceased. "..." It was indeed quiet. Everyone stood up. "No way!¡± "This is!" "Let''s go!" The group hastily left the inn. The rain was still pouring down. And amidst the rain, the temple had lost the steam and heat it had been emitting and had returned to its original form. The mes that shocked Geherard had died down. Crockta''s group ran toward the temple. As they got closer, they saw a man emerging from the temple''s doors. It was Jakiro. His body was charred all over, but his eyes shone brightly. Spotting Crockta''s group, he started walking toward them. His steps were weary, indicating his extreme fatigue. In his hand was a greatsword. Crockta approached and faced him. "... It must¡¯ve been one tough job." Jakiro stopped. He looked up at Crockta and grinned. No more words were needed. Jakiro, the cksmith of the Golden Anvil tribe, a prodigy who earned the title "yermaker" at a young age, handed over the weapon, into which he had poured his all. "...!" The moment Crockta epted the new sword, he realized. This was no ordinary greatsword. It was unlike any kind of item he had known before. A weapon beyond weapons, an armament beyond armaments. The standards he knew for legendary swords shattered. Holding it, he understood what kind of miracles this sword could perform. For a warrior, it was the ultimate gift. Crockta gathered the thrill coursing through his entire body and looked at Jakiro. What thanks could he possibly offer to a craftsman who had created such a divine weapon? "Jakiro..." Crockta barely managed to speak. His lips involuntarily curled into a smile. Struggling to suppress his grinning, Crockta continued. "Oh man, you really shouldn¡¯t have..." Chapter 188: Killing the Thunderbird (1)

Chapter 188: Killing the Thunderbird (1)

Crockta tightly grasped the newly acquired sword. Jakiro called it the ¡®God yer¡¯, a sword that could kill even a god. And Crockta believed that was no exaggeration. He truly believed that with this sword, he could indeed kill a god. Its form was simr to before. Like the Ogre yer, it was a huge and long greatsword, toorge to be considered just a sword. But the feeling it gave when he wrapped his hands around its hilt was different. Over the familiar weight of the Ogre yer, an indescribable heat warmed his body. The de had darkened a whole shade, yet when swung with force, it left behind an inexplicable golden afterimage, and when filled with killing intent, red mists rose from it. He wanted to swing it in realbat. "Crockta! I''m all set!" Tiyo shouted after he had packed everything. Of course, there would soon be an opportunity to do exactly that. After acquiring the God yer, Crockta and hispanions decided to leave Geherard. Hedoro¡¯s whereabouts were supposed to be also in the north, and due to the gods'' oracle, the orcs were in danger as well. "Are you taking off now? Do not lose." Jakiro, who had been watching Crockta''s training, spoke. Crockta looked at him and nodded. Jakiro looked incredibly healthy for someone who had spent days hammering metal in that extreme heat. His body was a bit charred and weakened from skipping meals, but he recovered with ease once he replenished his nutrition. In fact, he even felt stronger than before. "When will you leave?" "I n to stay here for a few months to observe the techniques of the cksmiths in Geherard. I¡¯ll decide afterward whether to return to my tribe or wander the world some more." After creating the God yer, Jakiro seemed more serene. Like a warrior who had reached a new realm, it was as if he had found his peace. "Stop by Orcrox when you have time. There are plenty of warriors there worthy of making weapons for." "I''ll think about it." Jakiro smiled. He no longer thought of weapons and their wielders separately. Crockta slung the God yer over his back and went over to Tiyo, who handed him a heavy backpack. "W-what¡¯s this?" "It was incredibly cheap because of the Eternal Smithy." Upon opening it, he found pots, a small knife, a knife for preparing ingredients, and other various steel products. "They''ve been specially treated to resist rust, so they''re top-notch!" "I see." Traveling wasn¡¯t just about having a sword. Various tools were necessary. Judging by how his backpack looked so heavy that his shoulders sagged, Anor also seemed to have packed something. His face was all gloomy, Crockta chuckled upon noticing. "Shall we go then?" Crockta and hispanions bid farewell to Jakiro. "Jakiro! Make something cool for me next time too!" "You already have the General, don''t you?" "The more the merrier!" Crockta¡¯s group and Jakiro said their goodbyes and then, the group stopped by the temple to bid farewell to the high priest as well. He wished them all the blessing of the Sun God. Particrly, upon seeing Crockta carrying the God yer, he left them with a mysterious message. "The power of the Sun God burns all that is unclean, so beware of corruption lest you consume yourself." Crockta nodded, and they left Geherard. * * * Arcran mobilized an expedition. Their targets were the orcs, Crockta, and their despicable group who had incurred the wrath of the gods. The response was fervent. Arcran promised to fairly distribute the profits gained from the orc subjugation among the volunteers. Moreover, many nobles who believed in one of the gods supported them. Regr soldiers and civilians alike gathered under the banner of the gods. Whether it was for the rewards of war, faith in the gods, or merely caught up in the frenzy of Arcran and the expedition''s madness, the number of volunteers continued to swell. It wasn¡¯t just the War God that Arcran believed in. Priests from all temples in the empire joined the expedition. As it was revealed that the priests were encouraging participation, the numbers swelled even more. It was a reaction neither the emperor nor Duke Christan anticipated. The expedition sought to draw in all believers. "A messenger has arrived." Cathalu was the city that was considered the leader in the alliance of free cities. Its mayor, Guardi, felt no different than the others about this expedition. Guardi looked at the envoy from the empire with indifference. There was nothing left to discuss between them and the empire. "Mayor of Cathalu, it''s time to put down the weapons we''ve been pointing at each other." "What are you talking about?" "You must be aware of the oracle that was delivered. All the gods spoke as one." He knew that too. There were temples everywhere in Espada, and the oracles unanimously ryed the same message. "Though the empire and you were once enemies, that was a matter of humans. Now, it¡¯s time toe together for a greater cause, for the gods¡ªeven if it is only temporary. To target the orcs and Crockta in the expedition. Let''s wipe them out together." Guardi looked astonished, then nced around. The empire''s envoy hade, prompting Guardi to gather the city''s high officials and representatives of the citizens, only for this to be the message. They were all showing the same expression on their faces as Guardi. "So what you¡¯re saying is... you are going to strike at Crockta and his kind?" "Yes, that is right." "And you¡¯re asking us to join you?" "Yes!" Guardi let out a scoff. "Well, this is..." And he apologized to those around him. "I am sorry I gathered you all here during such busy times. I was told that an imperial envoy hade, so I expected the message to be something of great importance." "Hohoho, it seems the empire has some really foolish heads." "Who do they think they are, asking us this? Hahaha." Guardi and the power holders of Cathalu burst intoughter. The envoy''s face turned red. "So, what I¡¯m hearing is, you won''t participate in the expedition?" "Ah, are you finally getting it? A bit slow, aren''t you?" Guardi''s tone was nowpletely mocking. The envoy clenched his fist. "When the expedition is over, all of you who didn¡¯t participate will be our enemy. This isn¡¯t our affair but for the gods. Aren¡¯t you afraid of the gods¡¯ wrath?" "Gods?" Guardi scoffed. "When you empire folks invaded us, what exactly did those gods do?" "That¡¯s, again, a matter between us humans..." "We were saved not by your pathetic gods but by Crockta. We owe it to Crockta and his friends, they were our saviors." "......" "Did you get our message? Is it all clear for you now?" "I understand that you will not be participating. Very well." The envoy twitched his lips and replied. Cathalu''s defense captain, who had been quietly listening, chuckled and spoke up. "Let the gods handle their own affairs and we''ll take care of ours. Hasn¡¯t it always been that way? You dogs of the emperor?" "..." The envoy red at him. Heposed himself and then bowed to Guardi. "Your intentions are clear. I will report every detail to the emperor and the gods. Every bit of it." "Please, do that. Oh, and tell the emperor to always keep an eye open, even when he¡¯s sleeping." "..." Speaking of the noble emperor as if they were a neighborhood thug talking trash, the envoy could no longer contain himself and swiftly turned to leave. Before walking out the door, he turned back to them and said his final words. "The expedition army will soon depart. Volunteers will join like clouds until we reach Orcrox. Think carefully about what will be of you once the expedition ends." And with that, he left. Guardi shrugged. "Hah, those empire folks are out of their minds. Lucky us." * * * Crossing the Great Sea to head north was a grueling task. The terrain was indeed rough, but on top of that, monsters continually appeared, obstructing their path. However, Crockta weed the opportunity to test his new weapon. The adversary he was eyeing now was a drake. They were gigantic creatures reminiscent of the drakes he had encountered in the north before. The drake, resembling a dragon, opened its maw wide at Crockta. But before they could bare their sharp teeth at him, a golden afterimage flickered, and their bodies were cleaved in two. "Kyaaaak!" The drake screamed and retreated, but Crockta did not stop, thrusting his greatsword into it. Blood and flesh dropped from the beast''s body. The drake swung its front w. ng! The ws and the de met, sending sparks flying. However, already damaged by the greatsword, the drake wasn¡¯t able to retaliate anymore. It hastily backed away. Crockta leaped up and split the drake''s head. A clean split! The drake¡¯s head got split and it died instantly. "Hehe, this is nice." "What do you mean nice! How many times do you have to do that!" While Crockta enjoyed testing his new weapon on these monsters, the rest of the party was miserable due to their continuous appearance. Living up to its reputation, the Great Sea harassed them with unheard-of monsters from all around. "Well, what are you gonna do? We¡¯re in too deep." They could have chosen to detour to the outskirts of the Great Sea, but the difference in distance on the map was stark. Thus, they chose to press forward, and now, they were too far out to turn back. "Ugh... at this rate, an Ogre Wizard might even show up." Ogre Wizard was a rare urrence. More precisely, when Ogres, unusually, band together and gain the ability to use magic. Like Goblin Shamans, they lead the group. But being Ogres, their danger level far surpassed that of the Goblins. The mere existence of an Ogre Wizard meant a massive horde of Ogres. "Don¡¯t even worry about that. There isn¡¯t a single enemy my God yer can''t y!" Crocktaughed heartily, swinging God yer through the air. Blood and pieces of flesh that were stuck to God yer gradually burned off, thanks to the power of the Eternal Fire it harbored. It was one of its peculiar features. Looking at the de clean itself quickly, Crockta smiled contentedly and slung it behind his back after sheathing it. "Ouch, that¡¯s hot!" Startled, Crockta hastily threw the sword down. "Forgot about that, ahhhhh that burns." "... Didn''t you once say a warrior treats his weapon like his lover?" God yer, mercilessly thrown on the ground, looked rather pitiful. After patting his back to cool off, Crockta coughed drily and picked it up again. He carefully checked the de''s temperature before putting it against his back again. "Hmph. It was just a mistake." "How many times now?" "That''s the third time today. Monsters appeared three times." "..." Crockta hung his head. Tiyomented. "Anyway... ugh... I miss the city. A city gnome like me hates this life in the wilderness." Tiyo grumbled as he gathered some twigs. Then, he skillfully began preparing to light a fire. "Yeah... I miss the beautiful city of Quantes where all you have to do is press one button and fire zes... you turn a knob and water flows..." Even as he wasining, his body swiftly began preparing food. They were going to camp there that night. "Drake meat tastes awful, and we have to eat it again..." Then, using a dagger they¡¯d bought back in Geherard, he started butchering a section of the drake''s body. Not needing to cut up the entire thing, he just cut a piece of belly meat. "I don¡¯t want to, but I''ll have to use some spices if we want any vor at all..." He liberally sprinkled spices collected from cities they had passed through. Tiyo''s cooking skills were exceptional. A rough macho on the outside but gentle to hisdy and an excellent cook, that was the kind of man Tiyo was. Watching him, Anor and Crockta nodded in agreement. "Thank god for Tiyo..." The moment Anor spoke, something scattered their view. "...!" Somethingpletely covered their sight then disappeared in a split second. "E-eh...?" And just like that, the drake''s body that was lying right in front of them had vanished. Caught off guard by the sudden event, Crockta and his party stared nkly at where the drake''s massive body had been. Where had the giant body of the drake, which was clearly dead and lying on the ground, gone? Thankfully, the piece of the drake¡¯s belly Tiyo had cut for eating remained firmly in his hand. "What was that just now?" "A bird..." Crockta said. "It was a giant bird." In that split second, Crockta managed to see it. A massive bird swooped down from the sky, snatching the drake''s corpse, and soaring up. This bird had a dark blue body, and the color of each of its feathers varied slightly, creating the illusion of a ck veil fluttering with every beat of its wings. It was a beautiful bird. It was glossy all over, with a beak as strong as steel and bright blue eyes. And it was as big as a drake. Above all, it was incredibly fast. It appeared and disappeared with the drake in a blink of an eye. Its speed was so swift that even Crockta, who was at the pinnacle of his skills, was momentarily dazed. ¡°A giant bird...¡± ¡°The Great Sea is still an unchartednd of mystery. It''s not surprising to see a monstrous bird we''ve never seen before.¡± Tiyo said, remaining calm and continuing to cook as if nothing had happened. ¡°A bird, wow. I didn''t even see it. Was it big?¡± ¡°As big as a drake.¡± ¡°What did it look like?¡± ¡°Well... It was dark blue... umm... It was a beautiful bird.¡± ¡°I wish I could see it. What do you think it¡¯s called?¡± ¡°They call it the Thunderbird.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been tracking it.¡± Suddenly, Anor flinched and leaned back. The voice answering the questions had been Crockta¡¯s at first, but at some point, that had changed. Crockta was already holding his God yer. Anor slowly turned his head. A massive shadow was cast over him, not of an ordinary size. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, kiddo.¡± ¡°Do I still look like a kid to you?¡± ¡°Kekekeke, you¡¯ve certainly grown bolder.¡± It was an orc holding a giant bow. Crockta slung his weapon back and strode over to him. ¡°This is the first time since then. You were alive, huh?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve heard about you incessantly. You were well alive as well.¡± They extended their fists. Their fists bumped. ¡°Burn! It¡¯s been a long time. Zankus.¡± He was none other than the hunter Zankus, known for piercing even the sun with his arrows. Chapter 189: Killing the Thunderbird (2)

Chapter 189: Killing the Thunderbird (2)

The drake belly that Tiyo had poured his culinary skills into was finally ready. They boiled some water in therge pot they had bought back in Geherard and filled it with the drake belly and spices to make a stew. Given their continuous camping in the forest, boiled dishes were convenient. They had been eating only simr types of stew for days, but thanks to Tiyo who used various spices to introduce new vors, they never grew tired of it. Zankus tasted it and was impressed. "This is actually pretty good. Is this that gnome friend''s handiwork?" "Haha, nowadays, a man who cooks is the trend. Be it physique, cooking, or intellect, one mustck nothing," Tiyo answered proudly. Theydled servings from therge pot repeatedly. "And there¡¯s so much, too. Have you been carrying thisrge pot around?" Zankus asked. "Of course. For delicious cooking, one must bear the price! There''s no reward without effort. One must endure the hardships!" Tiyo said again with pride. "That is remarkable." "......Hmm." Ironically, while Tiyo was the one boasting, it was actually Crockta who carried therge pot on their journey. "So, you''re heading to Orcrox, right?" Zankus asked Crockta. "That¡¯s right." "Huhuhu, I guess it really has been a while. The young warrior who couldn''t even wield a sword properly back then..." Zankus rummaged through his belongings and pulled out something. It was alcohol. "... Is now a warrior renowned across the continent and is returning to rescue Orcrox." Crockta received the cup with a grin. Tiyo and Anor also received their cups in turn. Zankus poured for them. The alcohol was strong; just the smell alone felt intoxicating. Anor, who wasn¡¯t very good with alcohol, grimaced. "Zankus, are you not going toe with us?" "I will, but after I hunt down the Thunderbird." The Thunderbird, a giant bird that suddenly appeared and disappeared with their drake. "Why do you want to hunt it?" "To repay a debt, so to speak..." After downing the strong liquor in one gulp, Zankus asked again. "You''ve met Shakhan, haven''t you?" "You know Shakhan?" "Of course. No hunter wouldn''t know him. The Eternal Shakhan. A great hunter." Crockta recalled Shakhan. He was a great hunter who lost his family to a monster called Behemoth and lived a long life fueled by hatred alone. He consumed the hearts of monsters, corrupting his body with their magic to hunt Behemoth relentlessly. Eventually, he hunted Behemoth with Crockta, opening up the north. Shakhan was as influential to Crockta as Lenox and Hoyt. He was a great spirit that helped Crockta grow into a warrior. "Did you know Shakhan once attempted to hunt the Thunderbird?" "I had no idea." "But the Thunderbird is still alive. That means he failed. When I asked him about the Thunderbird, he told me not to even dream of hunting it." Zankus looked up to the sky as if he were recalling Shakhan. "I always wanted to surpass Shakhan, but he died just like that. Now, this seems to be the only way for me to prove I''m a better hunter than he was." The hunt for the Thunderbird was the path Zankus chose to prove himself. "I''lle to Orcrox after hunting the Thunderbird." Crockta nodded. "Understood." "Ah, while we¡¯re on the topic, I''d like to hear about Shakhan and the Behemoth. Would you tell me about that time?" "Kekeke, of course." Crockta extended his cup for a toast and drank in one go. Crockta and Zankus talked about Shakhan. Tiyo joined the conversation all excited, while Anor listened quietly, as he didn¡¯t know much about Shakhan. From their slightly odd first encounter, where Shakhan didn¡¯t seem all that well, to the moment Shakhan showed his hunter''s strength against Behemoth, to his grand finale where he gave everything to kill Behemoth and fell himself, they shared everything that they remembered about Shakhan. Even in retrospect, he was a man of indomitable will, leaving them in awe. Zankus smiled. "A proper hunter''s end fitting of the greatest. If he ended it like that, it puts me in a tough spot following in his footsteps. How am I supposed to live and die like him?" "I''m not a hunter, but I still agree with what you¡¯re saying." "I''ve been the one chasing all this time, but he just left first. So, I decided to consider hunting the Thunderbird as sort of my graduation, if you will. If I can hunt what the Great Shakhan couldn''t, then I can finally walk my own path." "Aren''t you already a well-respected hunter? The ¡®Sun Piercer¡¯ Zankus, they say you can even shoot down the sun." "That''s just a bogus title. I know I haven''t reached Shakhan''s level yet." Zankusughed. They poured another round of drinks. As Crockta quietly sipped his drink, he suddenly jerked away the red headband touching the alcohol. After fighting the empire, he had obtained a new red headband, his trademark, and had been wearing it on his head. "The wind is picking up." The wind grew stronger, and soon, a sound was heard. They looked up to see a ck figure swiftly passing by. "That''s..." "There it is again." A majestic bird, its dark blue feathers fluttering elegantly in the sky, was undoubtedly the Thunderbird. "Lately, it''s been hunting more actively. I''m not sure what''s happening, but it''s an opportunity for me." Zankus stood up with an agility no one would expect from someone who had just devoured stew to his heart''s content. "Will you join me?" He asked Crockta and hispanions. Zankus pointed in the direction where the Thunderbird flew. "Something feels good about today. This is your chance to see this Zankus seed in hunting the Thunderbird. How about it?" He said with a grin. Tiyo immediately stood up and replied. "Kahaha, a confident guy, I see. Alright. I''ll witness your skills with my own two eyes!" With Tiyo taking the lead, Crockta and Anor nodded in agreement. They quickly gathered their things and followed Zankus. * * * Zankus dashed through the Great Sea without hesitation, as if he had a way to track the Thunderbird. asionally, he nced at the sky to gauge the direction, but his method remained a mystery. "Three trolls!" Zankus shouted out of nowhere. As he said, three trolls appeared in their way. Startled by the sudden appearance of the orcs, the trolls hesitated. "I''ll leave them to you!" Zankus simply leaped over them. After skipping over the trolls with a figure that looked quite agile for an orc, he used a tree branch to bounce off and soared again. It was an acrobatic performance that one would expect from an elf, not an orc like him. Following Zankus, Tiyo attempted to mimic his leap. "I¡¯ll leave them to you, too!" Tiyo copied as he kicked the ground beneath him. But his jump fell short. A troll''s hefty fist struck Tiyo mid-leap in the stomach. "Keugh!" Tiyo was sent tumbling. "I-I had it..." Crockta helped Tiyo up. Tiyo''s face reddened with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. He gripped his General. "You troll bastards! Don¡¯t you dare move an inch! I''ll blow your heads off with this General!" Sensing the formidable aura emanating from the small gnome, the trolls hesitantly stepped back. "It''s toote for regrets! Dieeeee!" Tiyo charged as he sprayed the trolls with the General. Some say that when one is desperate enough, they abandon everything and return to their fundamentals. That¡¯s what Tiyo was doing. He abandoned his earlier arsenal for the ssic rifle form. He did a rough somersault on the ground and squatted down to open fire. Ratatatatat! Magic bullets pummeled the trolls, and the trolls fell backward, unable to withstand the force. Tiyo immediately advanced. He seemed ready to finish them off, frightening the trolls, but managed to hop over their bodies instead. It was a clean leap. "Hehe, did you see that? I did it. I jumped over them." Afternding gracefully, Tiyo took a moment to savor his triumph. Then, he looked back at Crockta and Anor and gave them a thumbs up. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll leave them to you!¡± He said to Crockta and Anor, who were standing expressionless. He must have really wanted to say that line. Tiyo resumed his pursuit of Zankus. He tried to swing off of a tree branch like Zankus but struggled for a moment before quickly giving up and choosing to run instead. "Look at him, all excited." "Yeah." Crockta and Anor, watching Tiyo run off, shook their heads. ¡°We should get going, too.¡± They proceeded to the fallen trolls. The troll had already lost their will to fight after being obliterated by the General. They were terrified of the orc warrior striding over to them. Crockta smirked. Bounce. He effortlessly jumped over the trolls like Tiyo, then signaled Anor with a thumbs-up. "I¡¯ll leave them to you." ¡°...¡± Crockta ran off as the other two did earlier. Left alone, Anor looked down at the trolls. They looked at him pleadingly as if begging him for mercy. "A warrior does not attack the unarmed!" Anor eximed. Though the trolls were never armed to begin with, Anor feltpelled to say something, like the others. He then ran around the trolls and chased hispanions. ¡°...Keu?¡± ¡°Keugh, Keugh.¡± ¡°Guaaagh.¡± The three trollsforted each other as they sighed in relief. The Great Sea was indeed a difficult ce to live. * * * "Woahhhh! Look up there!" At Tiyo''s exmation, Crockta raised his head to see the Thunderbird''s massive form shadowing the sky. As it outstretched its wings, it nearly obscured the entire view of the sky. But something else caught their attention. There was an image of an ogre under the dark blue veil of the Thunderbird. "It must¡¯ve hunted an ogre!" The ogre in the Thunderbird¡¯s grasp struggled to express its pain but only tightened the grip of the Thunderbird''s sharp talons in doing so. It was an impable disy of hunting prowess. However, the thunderbird itself seemed troubled. It looked like it was unable to ascend further and pping wildly in mid-air. The gust produced by its wings engulfed the Great Sea. "Why the hell is that bird acting like that?" "It''s under a spell." "A spell?" Zankus eyed the beyond of the great sea sharply. "It¡¯s an ogre wizard,¡± Zankus remarked. "Ooooh, an ogre wizard, you say!" The ogre wizard, which Tiyo had gone on and on about to hispanions, had actually appeared. They also realized this meant an entire group of ogres was nearby. "Look at the Thunderbird''s tail." Following Zankus''s direction, they noticed a blue, lightning-like rope wrapped around the thunderbird''s tail feathers. The rope was anchoring the giant bird to the ground, preventing its escape. ¡°Kiyaaaaah!¡± ¡°Kwoooooh!¡± From where the rope was, the roars of ogres echoed through the air. "The Thunderbird must¡¯ve provoked a group of ogres," Zankus mused, puzzled. "Strange. It¡¯s an intelligent creature, so why attack a group of ogres? Especially since it just snatched our drake corpse. It¡¯s seeking food too frequently..." "Must be really hungrytely," Tiyo nonchntly added. "Hmm..." As the Thunderbird twisted and struggled in the air, the magically created rope snapped, allowing the Thunderbird to soar high into the sky. "The bird got free... Wait, what''s that?" There was still a translucent line that seemed to be connected to the Thunderbird. "It¡¯s a tracking spell." It was an ogre wizard¡¯s tracking magic, marking the path of the Thunderbird. The translucent line stretched in the direction the Thunderbird flew off to. "Following that will lead us to the Thunderbird¡¯s nest." "Doesn''t that put the bird in danger?" "Definitely. The ogre in that bird¡¯s ws must be quite important. The ogre wizard is going to track it to the end." Zankus covered his mouth with a finger and hid in the bushes. "Let''s hide for now." Crockta and hispanions followed suit. Soon, with thunderous steps, a group of ogres appeared, charging in the direction the Thunderbird vanished. It wasn''t just one or two ogres; dozens of them formed a pack, a sight even Crockta hadn''t seen before. The ground trembled with each step they took as if there was an active earthquake. "That one is the ogre wizard." Zankus pointed to an ogre at the forefront, who was thumping his chest with a roar. The ogre didn¡¯t look much different from arge ogre warrior, nor did it hold a staff. But with its roar, lightning flickered around him. As the ogres got further away, Tiyo sprang up. "Zankus! Are you just going to let them steal your hunt like this?" He shouted with valor. "You¡¯re not going to just give up like a coward, are you?" Zankus chuckled. It wasn''t often someone dared to challenge the great Zankus. He liked this bold, but still tiny, gnome. "Alright, I¡¯ll show you." Zankus crouched down with a cold hunter''s grin on his face. "Watch how I, Zankus, hunt." He eyed the direction the ogres had taken. "The Thunderbird, the ogres, it doesn¡¯t matter. Now, they¡¯re all my prey." Chapter 190: Killing the Thunderbird (3)

Chapter 190: Killing the Thunderbird (3)

Zankus headed in a direction different from where the ogres had charged. Crockta and hispanions followed him as they had no other option. "Are you sure this is the right way?" Tiyo asked. "I''m not sure." Zankus ran without looking back once. Crockta gauged the direction. The ogres were heading straight after the Thunderbird while Zankus was making a semicircle to approach without running into them. Judging by the trajectory of Zankus, it seemed he already had an idea of where the Thunderbird''s nest was located. "Let''s follow Zankus for now." Suddenly, an ogre appeared. It seemed to have strayed from the group and was nervously looking around. Then, their eyes met. The ogre bared its teeth. Just as Crockta was about to draw God yer, the ogre''s head exploded. An arrow had pierced through the ogre and flew over the heads of Crockta''s group. It was Zankus. Zankus, who had gone ahead, had turned around to shoot the arrow. It was a metal bow that was perhaps too big to be called a bow. The arrow was also huge, looking more like a spear. Tiyo stopped to pull the arrow stuck in a tree and swung it around. To Tiyo, it seemed overlyrge, more like ance size. "What a brutish arrow," Tiyo remarked. Looking pleased, he spun it around, imitating spear techniques. "I do have a knack for spear techniques too!" Zankus simply grinned and turned back around. Crockta and his group followed him again. They continued to push through the Great Sea. Soon, a high mountain rose in the distance, looking as if someone had forced it to shoot up with its steep shape. From its foothills, the ogres were climbing up the mountain. "Hmm..." Zankus shouldered his arrow, watching the movements of the Thunderbird. He had been contemting something since a while ago. "Let''s get closer." The ogres climbed the mountain like a swarm of ants, surrounding it to capture the Thunderbird. It was quite a spectacle. Ogres were such creatures that even a few could be a threatparable to a disaster in an average city. These ogres were swarming in dozens to hunt down a single Thunderbird. If such a group was released on the continent, they would utterly destroy at least a few cities. "There''s the Thunderbird." Sensing danger, the Thunderbird circled its nest, warding off the ogres. When it pped its wings, several ogres fell off. "Guwaaaah!" An enraged ogre wizard roared and swung its hand. The Thunderbird hastily gained altitude but was hit directly by an unknown force. It wobbled in the air, feathers scattering. "Let''s get closer." Zankus and Crockta''s group watched the fight and gradually approached the rocky mountain. Suddenly, one of the ogres managed to climb quite high. It was just when it reached a small teau on the mountainside. The Thunderbird screeched and attacked the ogre, which swung the club it had tucked by its side. The giant bird and the ogre tangled, battling fiercely. The Thunderbird''s talons ripped through the ogre''s body, but the ogre resisted until the very end with its bloodied body. The ogre wizard''s magic again ensnared the Thunderbird, and the ogre''s club hit it. "The Thunderbird is in danger!" Tiyo eximed upon seeing this. Meanwhile, the other ogres were also climbing to the midsection of the mountain. Another ogre grabbed the Thunderbird''s tail feathers. The Thunderbird pped wildly, causing him to fall again. The ogres persistently clung to the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird struggled to shake them off, but their resistance was formidable. They wed and bit at the Thunderbird, continuing to cling together. If this were to continue, the Thunderbird was going to be overpowered by the ogres. "I have no idea why that bird is fighting those ogres, but..." Thunderbirds were known to be legendary for their massive size, beautiful appearance, and incredible speed, but they were not particrly strong in directbat. The Thunderbird he knew would have circled around, picking off the ogres one by one, rather than tangling with them directly. "I¡¯ll try to separate the two." Zankus aimed his arrow. His arm muscles bulged. The giant crossbow twisted tautly. Zankus''s archery skills were unique and different from Shakhan''s. Each shot was like a cannon. "Buuuuurn!" Zankus roared, pulling the crossbow to its limit before releasing the string with a snap. The arrow sted off with a thunderous noise, striking just below the midsection of the mountain where the Thunderbird was struggling. The entire mountain vibrated as if an earthquake had urred. The ogres, who were barely clinging to the mountain, fell off in droves. The backmost ogres hit the ground first, with those ahead piling on top. The ogres at the bottom were crushed to death. Most of the ogres approaching the Thunderbird were swept away. The Thunderbird, not missing this unexpected opportunity, vigorously shook its body. The clinging ogres fell off. After regaining its freedom, the Thunderbird swiftly swung its talons to snatch two ogres, one in each foot, and then ascended. The Thunderbird, soaring high, dropped two ogres from its grasp. The ogres plummeted to the ground, and their bodies were shattered by the impact of the fall. The Thunderbird''s screech echoed once again across the Great Sea. Yet, the ogres persisted and started to scale the mountain once more. The ogre wizard, screeching in a fit of rage, continued to hurl its spells at the Thunderbird. As lightning shed, the Thunderbird, with its dark blue wings spread wide, dodged the attacks. The two exchanged fierce nces, moving in a dazzling dance. Despite the ogre''s relentless assault, the Thunderbird did not flee but continued to circle its nest. "Let''s approach it first, " Zankus, who was watching the battle, suggested. Without waiting for a response from Crockta and Tiyo, he sprinted ahead. Crockta and Tiyo followed suit. "Ugh..." But Anor couldn''t muster the strength to move any further. Exhausted, Anor stopped to catch his breath. He kept his head down for a moment, gasping heavily. "Hey, guys...?" By then, hispanions had disappeared into the distance. Anor epted the situation. ¡°Well, I guess that leaves me no choice...¡± Concentrating deeply, Anor exuded his magical ability and summoned his necromantic powers. ¡°Oh, is this it?¡± Anor, seemingly having found something, jogged to a spot. He sped his hands together and concentrated his powers. The earth split open, revealing a bone wing. Anor intended to resurrect a long-dead avian creature using the power of the necromancer and ride it. Soon, the owner of the bone wing, shrieking with a chilling voice from theherworld, revealed itself. ¡°Squaaaawk... Squaaaaaawk...¡± An undead sparrow emerged. It fluttered weakly and perched on Anor''s shoulder. ¡°Squaaaawk...¡± Anor¡¯s arms drooped to his sides. Its call was undeniably eerie, but the tiny skeletal sparrow, bouncing around curiously, was also undeniably adorable. "Forget it," Anor sighed, sitting down. The sparrow climbed atop Anor''s head, continuing its shrill chirping. * * * Zankus approached the back of the Thunderbird''s nest. Several ogres loitering around were blown into pieces by his steel bow. It was a devastatingly powerful bow, no matter how one looked at it. Zankus retrieved his arrows and slung them on his back again. He looked more like a warrior carrying several spears than an archer with arrows. "Let''s climb up this way." The Thunderbird was too preupied with the ogres to pay attention to that side. "You guys try to climb up on your own. Feel free to imitate me if you think you can." Zankusunched his massive arrow, embedding it in the cliff. Then he leaped onto it. The arrow bent significantly. Using the recoil and curling himself into a ball, he propelled himself upward into the sky. "Woah!" "......!" With incredible jumping power, he quickly reached a high point. He grabbed onto the rugged crevices and clung to the cliff. "Impressive." He climbed the cliff like a spider. Assessing his position and the top, he leaped whenever it seemed possible, using the rebound to soar even higher. "Alright, my turn!" Tiyo followed Zankus,unching himself onto the arrow. Curling up fully, Tiyo sprung up. Thanks to being lighter than Zankus, he was able to reach higher than Zankus had. Despite his small stature, he agilely climbed up quickly by moving his limbs busily. It was indeed a spectacle. Zankus and Tiyo gradually became smaller in view. "I guess it¡¯s my turn now." Crockta sniffed and ran, jumping tond on the arrow. Crack! But seemingly due to the umted impact, the part of the cliff where the arrow was embedded broke off. Crockta tumbled down. "Kugh!" He mmed into the ground, kicking up dust. After lying sprawled out for a while, Crockta got up, spitting out dirt. "Kahahaha!" Tiyo''sughter echoed from above. "Keke, kekeke." Crockta shook his head,ughing. "You dare to anger me?" Crockta said as he red at the cliff. The enraged Crockta didn''t resort to any cheap tricks. He faced the challenge head-on, as he always does. Like a cicada, he clung to the wall and began to climb. Crockta''s grip, fueled by anger, didn''t miss a single crevice, supporting hisrge frame. He was scaling the steep face of the mountain as if he had glue on his hands. As Crockta madly ascended the cliff from behind, Zankus and Tiyo, sensing an indescribable sense of urgency, hurried their pace. "Wooooaaah!" "Slow down, Crockta, y-you¡¯re scaring me!" "Wooooaahh!" "It''s shaking!" Tiyo eximed out of fear. Feeling as if a monster was chasing them from behind, Tiyo and Zankus moved even faster. They soon reached the midsection. Bits of ogre flesh that were shredded by the talons of the Thunderbird were scattered everywhere. Climbing further, as much as they did, would get them to the Thunderbird''s nest. However, now that they were in a wide-open area, they couldn¡¯t hide from the Thunderbird anymore. The Thunderbird, having noticed their presence while keeping the ogres at bay, asionally nced over at Zankus and Tiyo. "Didn¡¯t you say you were going to hunt that thing? Now seems like a good time to do that." Crockta caught his breath and asked, after just reaching the midsection. To Crockta, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. The Thunderbird was busy fighting the ogres and not paying attention to Zankus. If he could snipe the Thunderbird while its attention was diverted, even the swift Thunderbird couldn''t escape. "Let¡¯s put that on hold for now." Zankus looked up, surveying the steep rock mountain where the Thunderbird''s nest was located. "There¡¯s something I want to check first." And Zankus once again picked up his steel bow. If Crockta''s God yer was more of a mace than a greatsword, then his steel bow was not a bow but a ballista. Zankus fired another arrow, but it was not aimed toward the Thunderbird. It flew toward the ogre wizard. The massive arrow grazed the ogre wizard''s shoulder as it darted by. Just the slight impact was enough to knock the ogre wizard to the ground. His shoulder was ripped open, bleeding profusely. The ogre wizard roared in rage. "Guoooooh!" As enraged as one could possibly be, the ogre wizard started attacking the Thunderbird with all its might, seemingly determined to kill every single being on the mountain. The ogre wizard bombarded the Thunderbird with magic. The Thunderbird, too, got riled up and dived toward the ogre wizard. The ogres clung to the Thunderbird. The ogre wizard''s magic incinerated both ogres and the Thunderbird indiscriminately. The Thunderbird''s talons and wings tore the ogres apart. Blood sttered, and lightning shed. It was utter chaos. "Let''s climb." After diverting the Thunderbird''s attention in a rather rough manner, Zankus climbed the cliff again. He sped up. The peak of the rocky mountain. Zankus and Crockta¡¯s group finally reached the Thunderbird¡¯s nest, which once seemed unapproachably high. ¡°Are we here!¡± Tiyo asked. At the peak of the rocky mountain, there was a cave. It looked like it was carved out by the Thunderbird itself. It was a dwelling with solid outer walls that could protect the inside of it from even the roughest of the storms. ¡°What on earth did wee all the way up here for?¡± Tiyo asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice. ¡°Shush,¡± Zankus signaled with a finger over his lips. ¡°...?¡± ¡°This is...¡± As the group silenced themselves, they heard a sounding from inside the cave. Crockta and Tiyo were taken aback by the sound. ¡°Did you know...?¡± Tiyo asked, whispering. ¡°It was just a hunch.¡± The group stepped inside therge cave. They were met with apletely unexpected sight. Chapter 191: Killing the Thunderbird (4)

Chapter 191: Killing the Thunderbird (4)

The baby Thunderbirds were chirping. There seemed to be about ten of them. A fully grown Thunderbird was easily the size of a house, so even the young ones were as tall as an adult''s chest. Crockta couldn''t help but be taken aback when the chicks, adorned with the distinctive beautiful feathers of a Thunderbird on their immature limbs, looked up at him and his group with their big, round, sparkling eyes. "It had baby Thunderbirds." "They''re cute..." The Thunderbird chicks were about the same height as Tiyo. As he approached them, the Thunderbirds curiously tilted their heads. When Tiyo picked up the chicks, they made a sound that resembled a chuckle. Another chick rubbed its beak against Tiyo. It was a purely innocent gesture, devoid of any hostility. "Eh?" Suddenly, Tiyo flinched as blood spread from the beak, staining his clothes. "It seems they''ve just eaten." Zankus pointed to a corner of the nest. There, not only the drake they had hunted to cook but also the corpses of ogres, trolls, and other monsters were lying. Their bodies were picked apart. "So this is why the Thunderbird was hunting so often." There were nearly ten chicks. They were currently all smaller than an adult, but they would soon grow as big as the mother Thunderbird. That sort of growth required a massive amount of food. "So the Thunderbird was fighting the ogres because of the chicks." "I would assume so." The Thunderbird''s enthusiastic hunting and its unusual direct confrontations with the ogre packs were all its effort to protect its chicks. Completely oblivious of all their mother¡¯s hard work, the chicks were curiously poking the visitors with their beaks, looking at them with round eyes. When Crockta stroked the head of a chick, it immediately spread its wings and wrapped around Crockta''s legs, rubbing against him. They were very affectionate creatures. "They say that Thunderbirds live for a thousand years." Zankus said, looking at one of the chicks that approached him. "And Thunderbird eggs take a very long time to hatch. Thunderbirds leave their eggs in a safe and warm ce and patiently wait for the chicks to be born over a long time." Suddenly, Zankus began tough. His hollowughter made Crockta, Tiyo, and even the chicks look at him. "I pursued the Thunderbird so I could surpass Shakhan. But in the end, he¡¯s only made me realize just how great a hunter he was." Zankus pointed in the direction of the nest''s entrance. It was a spot they had missed. As the sun set, sunlight poured into the nest. At the same time, some figures became visible on the rock wall near the entrance. They were carvings. Someone had engraved these petroglyphs. Though weathered over the years, they were still recognizable. Crockta and Tiyo realized whose work it was. They were the traces of one unforgettable man. ¡¸I am a descendant of Shakhan, a nameless hunter. For the hunters who may follow me here, I leave this message. A true hunter never hunts younglings. Thunderbirds live for a thousand years and wait a hundred years for their eggs to hatch. By reaching here, you have practically seeded in your hunt for the Thunderbird. So, let us ensure these precious birds do not vanish from history. Let us, hunters, turn back here.¡¹ Shakhan hadn''t failed in his hunt for the Thunderbird. He knew the Thunderbird was protecting its eggs and chose to abandon the hunt without any regrets. And it wasn''t just Shakhan. Below his petroglyph, other traces were visible. ¡¸I am Abudai, a hunter of the Great ins. Respecting Shakan''s wishes, I sheath my bow.¡¹ ¡¸Hikate the Dark Elf. May the mother Thunderbird see her effortse to fruition.¡¹ ¡¸I am Arbh, the greatest hunter of all! Today, I show mercy.¡¹ ¡¸This is making me miss my wife and children. Hunter Joffrey, ending the hunt to return home.¡¹ ¡¸Wow. There are twelve eggs. Good luck raising your kids, Thunderbird! William the Hunter.¡¹ There was more evidence of the hunters who had reached here and turned back. It was a rare species, even in the continent, the beautiful dark blue-winged Thunderbirds. Although other hunters had reached this point, they all stopped their hunt out of respect for Shakhan''s wishes to protect the mother and her eggs. Their engraved messages shone brightly in the sunlight. Shakhan''s was eroding away, but the traces of other hunters became clearer down the line. Some were outstanding hunters whom even Zankus had heard of. "Though the paths each hunter took to reach here were different, the destination turned out to be the same." The top hunters, who were all capable of navigating the Great Sea and reaching the Thunderbird''s nest, all chose to turn back here with the same intention. Zankus, Crockta, and Tiyo''s eyes met. What they needed to do was clear. "Hehe, to be honest, I liked that Thunderbird from the start," Tiyo said. "Didn¡¯t you aim your gun at it?" "Yeah, as a greeting." They separated the curious chicks clinging onto them and stepped out of the Thunderbird''s nest. Below, the Thunderbird''s cries could be heard. * * * Crockta¡¯s group descended the rock face as effortlessly as they had climbed. The Thunderbird repeatedly soared into the sky to knock off the ogres from the rock face and faced the ogre wizard. It was a desperate fight. Feathers flew and blood streamed in a sorry state. Crockta drew the God yer from his back. "I feel a bit bad for the ogres, but..." He gauged the distance and locked onto his target. "Buuuuurn!" Without hesitation, Crockta leaped from the rock face. The God yer plunged into an ogre. Its flesh burst apart. The Ogre yer had be the God yer. To the God yer, even ogres were but light foes. It was like using a cleaver made for butchering cows on a chicken. The chicken had no choice but to be obliterated into shreds. Under the de of the God yer, ogres screamed tragically and perished. The ogre wizard, startled by the sudden appearance of enemies from above, stumbled backward. Then, a massive arrow flew, skewering the ogres beside the wizard-like kebabs. The ogres screeched. "Uwaaaaaah!" It was Zankus''s arrow. As the ogres hesitated, the beleaguered Thunderbird soared high into the sky. Surprised by the sudden aid from Crockta''s group, the Thunderbird seemed puzzled. The ogres numbered in the dozens. Yet, Crockta, Zankus, and Tiyo effortlessly defeated them. The golden afterimage of the de shed, massive arrows bombarded them, and magical bullets from Tiyo''s General prevented the ogres from approaching any further. The Thunderbird, too, powerfully descended, attacking the ogres again. It ripped apart the ogres targeting Crockta from behind with its talons. Crockta, in a gesture of thanks, gave a thumbs-up, to which the Thunderbird lightly pped its wings. "Gwooooooah!" "Uuuuuugh!" "Kuuuuuk!" As the situation rapidly changed, the ogres yelled something among themselves. Eventually, the ogre wizard roared. "Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!" Though its meaning was unclear, it seemed to be amand to retreat. The ogres turned their backs and began to flee. Crockta sheathed his sword. The ogres hastily disappeared without ncing back even once. It was a retreat so swift that it was hard to believe that they were in a fierce battle just moments ago. With the noise of battle gone, silence descended upon the Great Sea. Only the bodies of dead ogresy scattered around. Then, the Thunderbird gentlynded. "Kiiiiiiiiik..." Up close, the Thunderbird looked even more mystical. It looked at each member of Crockta''s group in turn with clear eyes and tilted its head slightly as if it had understood what they were saying. Zankus approached the Thunderbird. It lowered its head to him. They looked at each other for a while. Zankus reached out his hand. The Thunderbird extended its beak. Zankus stroked its beak. Wounds and blood were visible from the ongoing battle. The Thunderbird gently brushed against Zankus¡¯ body with its beak in response. They confirmed there was no hostility between them and shared a moment of bonding. The Thunderbird lowered its head further and shook its beak. Initially, the group didn¡¯t understand what it was trying to say, but soon they realized it was inviting them to mount. Zankus climbed onto the Thunderbird first, followed by Crockta and Tiyo. Although their positions were unstable, Zankus held onto the Thunderbird''s neck, Crockta held Zankus, and Tiyo held Crockta for stability. "Kiiiiiiiiik!" The Thunderbird took off. The ground quickly receded below them. The Thunderbird soared higher than its nest, circling the vicinity. Everything in the Great Sea looked like mere toys below. Monsters fighting, monsters resting, and even the small birds flying below the Thunderbird, ally beneath their feet. The afternoon sun was setting. From one horizon to the other, the endless greenndscape of the Great Sea stretched out before them, and Crockta savored the high air wrapping around his body. At this moment. He was alive in the world of Elder Lord. "Burn." For a while, they simply enjoyed the view in silence. Did the Thunderbird always see this kind of view? "It''s beautiful." "Truly." The Thunderbird responded by pping its wings as if it were agreeing. Then, the Thunderbird dived down with great speed. Theynded back in its nest. Upon their arrival, the chicks greeted their mother. They clumsily hopped toward her, nudging their bodies against hers. The Thunderbird spread its wings, enveloping all its chicks. Standing behind, Crockta''s group could see the mother Thunderbird''s back and wings covered in blood and wounds from the battle. The chicks had no idea how hard the mother Thunderbird''s day had been. How she procured the feasts they indulged in. And the corpses given as if they were owed, were lives living their own just until the day before. Crockta turned his head toward the outside. The sun was setting. It was the twilight of the Great Sea. While gazing at that majestic scene, Crockta thought about how vast and immense that world was. And how desperately everyone was struggling to live in it. Each living their unique life, all different from others. Tiyo stood beside Crockta. "Another day passed," Tiyo remarked. The sunset reached where they stood. The petroglyph at the entrance of the nest glowed with a blush light. The traces of Shakhan, and all the hunters who passed through here, became more vivid. "There''s an empty spot right there." Zankus suddenly spoke. He then approached the petroglyph and looked back. "What do you think?" Crockta and Tiyo grinned and nodded. Zankus took out an arrow. The petroglyph of Shakhan, followed by the marks of the other hunters. He nted the arrowhead at the end. Zankus moved his hand. Gradually, deep and clear letters began to be engraved. ¡¸In memory of the greatest hunter ever known, Shakhan.¡¹ ¡¸Zankus the Hunter.¡¹ And then he stopped his handiwork and turned to pass the arrow to Crockta. Crockta took it and continued writing. ¡¸Crockta the Warrior.¡¹ And passed it to Tiyo. ¡¸Tiyo THE Man.¡¹ They looked at theirpleted marks and smiled contentedly. That was when they heard a sound. Rustle. The three men flinched at the sudden noise. A brown hand was rising at the entrance of the nest. The hand trembled for a while, and then another hand appeared alongside it. The owner of the hands trembled and then slowly started to pull himself up. His hands looked precarious, but he eventually made it to the nest. "Huff... Huff..." Above him, a sparrow made of bones scarily chirped. ''Screeeeeeech...'' It was Anor. While they were fighting with the ogres and enjoying the splendid views with the Thunderbirds, he had struggled to make it up to the nest with sheer grit. "Huff... Huff..." Anor copsed. His eyes weren''t normal. His body was drenched in sweat. He staggered and then copsed to the ground. "Wow, you actually made it up here." Tiyo snickered and added next to his name. ¡¸Anor the Weakling.¡¹ Suddenly, a baby Thunderbird approached Crockta, pecking at him with its beak, making noises as if asking to y. Crockta picked up the baby Thunderbird. Then, he looked once more at the marks they left. ¡¸In memory of the greatest hunter, Shakhan. Zankus the Hunter. Crockta the Warrior. Tiyo THE Man. Anor the Weakling.¡¹ In the vast Great Sea, teeming with dangerous monsters. At the nest of the thunderbird, located in one of the most perilous areas. In a special guest book shared among hunters who reached this point, their names were added. Chapter 192: The Swamp (1)

Chapter 192: The Swamp (1)

In gratitude for their help, the Thunderbird carried Crockta and his group on its back, flying a significant distance to ease their journey. However, upon reaching a certain area, itnded instead of continuing to fly. "Why can''t we fly a little further?" Tiyo asked the bird, but the Thunderbird shook its head. It cried out, pointing straight ahead with its beak. "What is it saying?" "It seems to be warning us of some danger ahead," Zankus said. Being a hunter, he had the ability to understand the monsters and beasts to some extent. "It''s saying it can''t help us beyond this point and is advising us to go around." "What?" Tiyo retorted. They looked toward the direction of the Great Sea in front of them. The ce was unusually dark. Although the great sea itself was densely forested, shading many areas, the region before them was even darker than what would normally have been warranted. The air already felt damp and sticky. "If we go through here, Orcrox is just ahead," Zankus said, looking at Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. "Of course, it would take way longer if we took a detour. What do you want to do?" There was only one answer in the minds of Crockta and his group. "Obviously, we go straight ahead." "We won''t turn back!" Crockta and Tiyo confidently expressed their opinion. Anor seemed to want to suggest turning back, but the skull sparrow hovering above him answered on his behalf. ¡°Squaaaaawk...!¡± Anor looked at the sparrow in shock. The skull sparrow was already expressing its eagerness by pping its bone wings aggressively as if it was moved by Crockta and Tiyo. ¡°This thing is better than Anor, let¡¯s go, sparrow!¡± Tiyo sneered at Anor. ¡°Squaawk...!¡± The Thunderbird lightly pped its wings and showed its support as they prepared to part ways. It was time for farewells. The Thunderbird affectionately rubbed its beak against each member of the party, expressing their newfound bond. They reciprocated, stroking the Thunderbird''s beak and feathers and promising to meet again in the future. "Thunderbird, live happily with your kids." ¡°Kiii...¡± The Thunderbird nodded. Then, it began to soar slowly. The flutter of the Thunderbird''s wings created a breeze. However, it wasn''t the fierce gale from the battle but rather a refreshing wind that seemed to push them forward. Spreading its magnificent dark blue wings, the Thunderbird circled above their heads once. It then cried out loudly and returned to its nest. Crockta''s party waved goodbye to the Thunderbird. "So, we''re going in there now?" Following Tiyo''s words, the group turned around. The dark forest was before their eyes. The ground was damp, almost like a swamp. "Be careful." Zankus lowered his posture and loaded his arrow. His sudden action prompted Crockta''s group to peer into the darkness of the forest. Was there any prey? Zankus fired an arrow. The arrow pierced through the air and hit something in the darkness of the forest. ¡°Keeeeeeeehhh!¡± A terrible scream echoed. It was a snake. A giant snake that had been hiding in the bushes was pierced by Zankus''s arrow, bleeding. It hadpletely camouged itself with the surroundings, but upon being hit by the arrow, it twisted and revealed itself. "We¡¯re only at the entrance and we run into something like that... This doesn''t bode well." The snake writhed, baring its fangs at them. It was massive. It seemed like it was capable of suffocating most monsters by coiling around them. But something like this wasn¡¯t nearly enough to discourage Crockta¡¯s group. In fact, Tiyo even perked up, nodding and drawing his General. "Nice. Let''s start with some snake dishes. Snake is good for the body!" Anor looked puzzled. "Snakes are good for you?" "Yes! Amazingly so!" "How so?" "Well... it''s really good but um... I can''t exactly exin how..." Just like that, they were breaking through the swamp of the Great Sea. * * * The Pdin of the War God, Arcran, looked upon the volunteers gathered like clouds and prayed to his god. "Everything is going ording to your will, War God." Upon the divine oracle, civilians seeking the grace of the god gathered. Regr soldiers hoping for honor andpensation volunteered inrge numbers. Nobles wanting to solidify their status participated too. Now, it was time to march. At Arcran''s signal, gs were raised. They were the gs of all gods who had their temples established in the empire. The expedition members prayed toward the symbols of the gods they believed in. "March." The sound of the horn resounded. Troops moved out from the front. There were far more soldiers than the empire''s standing army. On top of that, only more people would join the expedition''s march as they advance. From the empire in the south of the continent to Orcrox in the northwest, like a snowball rolling and increasing in size, more people would join the expedition. "We''ll need supplies to manage this many people," said Adantadore, standing beside Arcran at the forefront. "Yes. That''s why we''ve sought cooperation from the cksmiths." The expedition had already requested support from the continent''s top tradingpany, the cksmiths Trading Company. "Since we have sufficient funds, we should be able to procure what''s needed through their tradework." "That is great news." "First, let''s go to Maird and negotiate further." They were heading toward Maird, leaving the south. There were numerous cities along their way to Orcrox. Their troops would growrger and stronger as they passed them. Arcran looked back. An endless crowd was following him. "The Free City Alliance has refused to join us. Fools. Refusing to participate in a holy war that the whole continent is involved in will be a mistake that will haunt them in the future." * * * The City of Maird was taken aback. Suddenly, a vast number of soldiers arrived, urging them to join their expedition. They were already well aware of the oracle. However, Maird had not nned to support the cause on a city scale. They separated the affairs of the temples from those of the city, and since its citizens had different beliefs, faith was left to individual freedom. But now, an expedition force of massive numbers from the empire was knocking on their doors and requesting their support, invoking the names of the gods. "All of the gods are watching. The World Tree of the elves desires it too," Arcran said. All members of Maird''s council were deep in thought. They had invited Arcran to the council to hear his story and decided to make a decision based on the consensus of the members. "Pdin Arcran." The mayor of Maird, interlocking fingers and resting his chin on them, asked. "So, your target is Crockta and the orcs, correct?" "Yes. They are currently using forbidden powers. If left unchecked, the entire continent will soon be in grave danger." "Grave danger..." "Where is your evidence?" A council member asked Arcran, who was standing on the podium. "What evidence are you asking for?" "Evidence that Crockta and the orcs are using forbidden powers." "That was the oracle. All of the gods have told us to eliminate them, and through my continuous prayer to the War God, I received the answer that Crockta¡¯s group believes in a very dangerous god." "The War God is inherently a deity that encourages war... Hasn¡¯t he done something like this before? I¡¯m talking about the conflict between humans and elves." The War God, by nature, favored war andbat and aimed to foster the growth of the number of his followers through it. It was also said that he personally reaps the souls of those who die in battle. There once was a dispute between humans and elves in the past. It didn''t escte into arge war, but many died in the skirmishes. It waster revealed that the War God was behind that discord, and for a while, the temples of the War God faced criticism. "Encouraging war..." Everyone expected Arcran to get angry. But Arcran remained calm. "If that''s what you think, then think about the other gods. It''s not just the War God. I told you that all of them have said the same, didn¡¯t I? There are temples here in Maird, so you should know that as well. I believe that fact alone should be sufficient evidence." "Hmm..." A member stroked his chin. Arcran looked around the council. In a space that wasn¡¯t toorge, about thirty people surrounded him, scrutinizing him from every angle. Most were elves or humans. They were the representatives of various sectors of Maird''s citizens. Maird had apletely different governance style from the empire, which was ruled by the emperor and nobles. Some might say Maird¡¯s was better, but in Arcran¡¯s eyes, such division of opinion on major issues was the epitome of inefficiency. Even then, wasn¡¯t time being wasted because they couldn¡¯t agree on such a simple issue? Arcran threw in one more thing. "Of course, it''s not just a matter of faith. If we defeat the public enemies, Crockta and the orcs, and if there are spoils through him, we will share them fairly. You do not have to worry about that." "..." "The reward will not be small." Suddenly, Arcran sensed something odd in the atmosphere. He hade to this meeting thinking it was merely a formal, wasteful procedure. However, their expressions seemed as though they wanted to refuse but couldn''t find a valid reason to do so. Why would they have a reason to refuse this? "Pdin Arcran. We hear you," the mayor said, seemingly wrapping up the discussion. "Do you know much about Maird?" He asked Arcran. "Not a lot." "I see..." The mayor smiled and followed up with another question. "Then, do you know about a group called the Rebirth Brotherhood?" It was a silly name he had never heard before. "I can¡¯t say that I have." "Let me exin then. The Rebirth Brotherhood is a volunteer group here in Maird. Suddenly appearing one day, they helped people without asking for anything in return. They aided the poor and the sick, and if there were criminals or delinquents, they would step in and hand them over to the guards themselves. Even as we speak, they are probably dedicating themselves to various parts of Maird." "They are admirable people," Arcran nodded and remarked. "I agree. As the mayor, I''m very thankful for them. Actually..." The mayor shrugged his shoulders. "... that volunteer group was created by Crockta." "Excuse me?" "The three leaders of the Rebirth Brotherhood were ex-convicts who changed their mindsets because of Crockta. Previously, they were very troublesome people disturbing the peace, but after meeting Crockta, they were reborn as new individuals. Additionally, there are several orc members in the Rebirth Brotherhood, all of whom respect Crockta and are engaged in good deeds." Arcran''s eyes widened. He waspletely unaware of this information. All he knew about Crockta was that he was an orc who had conquered the north and then opposed the empire. He also knew him as a terribly strong warrior, but nothing beyond those. "Now, the Rebirth Brothers are a symbol of the City of Maird. Thanks to them, citizens influenced by their actions have begun to care for each other, and the city is bing a better ce to live in." The previously silent members nodded and started to speak one by one. "Children from the slums of Maird are now going to school." "The city no longer has any beggars on the streets." "The fountain in the square is overflowing with water. If you toss in a coin, the temple collects it and uses it to help those in need." "The recidivism rate of criminals has plummeted." "A member of the Rebirth Brotherhood saved a child and was hit by a carriage in the child¡¯s ce. Fortunately, he was a person cursed by the stars." Arcran then realized. These people had no intention of opposing Crockta and the orcs. Rather, they liked them. The mayor continued. "I just wanted to let you know before we continued. Here in Maird, we decide on major issues through a vote by the councilors. If there''s a majority support for your request, it will be epted. Now, we shall vote." The mayor stood up. "Respected councilors of Maird. The expedition has requested Maird to join and support them in war. The details are thoroughly described in the documents provided to you. I trust you''ve all read them. Those in favor, please raise your hand." No one raised their hand. The mayor looked around the councilors. Then, about three members raised their hands. They seemed like devout believers. But the rest of the councilors just looked sternly at Arcran. "Three. Are there any more? I¡¯ve counted three in favor." The mayor turned to look at Arcran before speaking again. "Now, those opposed, please raise your hand." There was no need to count. Except for the three, everyone raised their hand. Arcran could no longer bear the sharp nces of those opposed and lowered his head. Without even checking the number of the opposing votes, the mayor immediately spoke to Arcran. "As such, your request has been denied. Maird guarantees the freedom of its citizens. We will not prevent citizens from voluntarily joining the expedition force of their own free will. You may recruit volunteers as a visitor to Maird, but there will be no city-level support for the expedition from Maird." The councilors apuded. Listening to the apuse, which was close to jeering, Arcran barely managed to speak. "Understood. Thank you for your consideration." Thus, he had to turn around. Although he tried to recruit volunteers in the town square, no citizen of Maird joined the expedition. Instead, he only received cold stares from the citizens. After gaining nothing from Maird, the expedition moved with heavy steps toward the next city. Arcran examined the map. Beyond the small towns and viges, there was a ce not inferior to Maird. "Let''s head there as our next target. It''s quiterge. Let''s n our next move there. The poption is mostly humans. We should be able to gain something there." "What is the name of the ce?" "It is a ce called Chesswood." Chapter 193: The Swamp (2)

Chapter 193: The Swamp (2)

The snake that was struck by Zankus¡¯ arrow vanished into the swampy forest, leaving behind only a trail of its red blood. Crockta and hispanions stared at the spot where the snake crawled away from, then looked up at each other. On top of the eeriness of the swampy forest, the air was as humid as it could be, provoking a sense of difort. "Are we going or what?" Tiyo asked. "... Do we really have to?" "Maybe we should call the Thunderbird again..." ¡°Squaaaawk...¡± ¡°...¡± With a hesitant cough, Crockta stepped forward. He took a step to test the ground, and his boots sank slightly into the mushy, slippery mud but it was still passable. "I think we should be able to walk over this ground," he said to his group. Crockta and hispanions put their full weight onto their feet and walked into the forest. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel very nice, but...¡± The air was damp. It was so damp that it felt like toxic insects could emerge at any moment. Crockta swatted away at the air as they advanced. They inspected the area where the snake had been. Its blood was still visible, along with the corroded bark and foliage it had touched. It was a nasty venom. "It¡¯s a venomous snake," Crockta noted, looking back at hispanions. "We have to pass through anyway, so let''s make it quick. Be careful." Their faces, however, showed rm rather than reassurance. Tiyo, in particr, pointed at Crockta, his mouth agape. "What''s wrong? Are you guys scared or something? By this..." Drip. As Crockta was joking, something dropped onto his shoulder. Crockta looked up. ¡°Ssssss...¡± A massive snake had its mouth wide open and faced straight toward Crockta. Its venom dripped down from the sharp fangs. Caught off guard, Crockta couldn¡¯t even scream as the snake¡¯s jaws came closer, with more venom forming a droplet at the tip of its venomous fangs. Crockta expressed the utter shock that he was feeling with a sh of his sword. "Woaaaah!" In a sh, Crockta had his sword, God yer, out and swung at the snake. "Ssssss!" The frightened snake twisted its body, but it was thrashing wildly with its head partially severed. Crockta dodged back, but he was unable to avoid the sttered blood and venom. Where the venom touched, pain red up. Crockta quickly moved out of the snake''s thrashing range. He checked his shoulder where the venom had made contact. The skin was dissolving away. The pain intensified from the venom that was digging further into his flesh, distorting his face with agony. "Keugh, that damned snake..." After escaping immediate danger, rage intertwined with pain throughout his body. He struck the snake repeatedly with God yer until it was in pieces. The snake, chopped into several segments, died. ¡°Huff, huff,¡± Crockta caught his breath. Tiyo cautiously approached him. "A-are you... okay?" "The venom... it burns where it touched." "Venom? I don¡¯t know much about venom and poison," Tiyo replied with concern in his voice. Zankus stepped forward. He seemed to have some knowledge of snakes, as a hunter would. After inspecting the snake''s remains and Crockta''s wounded shoulder, he rummaged through his belongings. "Oooh! Do you have an antidote or something?" Tiyo asked. "Not an antidote, but something every experienced hunter carries..." He made a potion. "Potions are the best." * * * Zankus sprinkled his potion on Crockta''s shoulder, easing the pain. Indeed, potions proved to be the best remedy for poison, venom, or anything else. "Amazing. Potions really are the best." "It''s wise to stock up when they''re on sale." "I''ll keep that in mind." Crockta applied the potion to the sore areas all over his body and recovered quickly. "Clearly, this ce is not easy," Zankus observed, looking beyond the forest. From the outset, they encountered two giant snakes with deadly venom. One wrong step could be dangerous. Yet, nobody suggested turning back. "Straight ahead. That''s our way," Tiyo dered. He advanced cautiously with the General ready, followed by Crockta, Zankus, and Anor. As they entered the swamp, the ecosystem changed drastically. Familiar beasts vanished, and they were reced by strange insects and nts that none of them had seen before. "This ce seems more dangerous than the ogre-filled Great Sea." The swamp''s dangers surpassed the mere threats of ogres. It seemed like its threats surpassed physical ones as bizarre venomous insects and unknown ecologies unlike anything the group had encountered before could jump out at them at any given moment. A single venomous snake striking their ankles was scarier than dozens of ogres. "Everyone, be careful..." The group advanced with Tiyo and Crockta leading, Anor in the middle, and Zankus at the rear. They navigated the swamp as they kept their eyes open for any threatsing from the forest and its shadows with the swamp mud clinging to every step. "Crockta, right side!" Zankus shouted out of nowhere. At his warning, Crockta swiftly drew his greatsword and swung to the right. "Roar!" This time, it was a leopard, with its body covered in patterns. After failing its ambush, itnded and slinked away, eyeing Crockta. "A leopard? A mere leopard dares to challenge me?" Crockta smirked. He had already befriended Simba before, a tiger with the title ¡°King of the Jungle¡±. A leopard was nothing to him. "Scram, and I''ll spare your life." Perhaps sensing Crockta''s formidable presence, the leopard began to retreat. Then, suddenly, the ground beneath it, which seemed harmless at first, opened with a massive jaw, ensnaring the leopard. A long body coiled around the leopard, sealing its fate. It was a snake. Without a chance to resist, the leopard convulsed faintly and became the snake''s prey. The snake, with the leopard in its jaws, eyed Crockta''s group. Crockta grimaced, aiming God yer at the snake, which, realizing it was outmatched, slithered away with its prey. "This ce is truly dangerous." A realm where hidden foesy in wait for their next meal. That was what that swamp was. "Hold on," Anor interjected, having been silent until then. "The direction that snake went..." Before Anor could finish, the skeleton sparrow perched on his head flew off in the direction where the snake had slid off. "What was that? Did you send it off?" Tiyo asked. "No, it moved on its own." "Huh?" "Over there, where the snake disappeared. I feel something there," Anor said with a stern look. ¡°There¡¯s something there, although I¡¯m not sure what.¡± "Perhaps it¡¯s an artifact or a dungeon rted to a necromancer¡ªsince a necromancer detected it," Zankus spected and nodded. "Great, let''s head there then!" Tiyo eximed. "I wonder what we''ll find." "Kekeke, a new adventure, perhaps." Anor was taken aback. "No, I meant it seems dangerous there..." "We¡¯re going, Anor! Lead the way!" Tiyo nudged. "I was saying we should be cautious and avoid..." "Lead on!" * * * Crockta and the group traversed the swamp for a while. Zankus scanned the ground and the marks that were left by the snake. He was able to spot the snake¡¯s tracks all over, as if he had an especially keen eye, being a hunter. The snake''s path aligned with the direction sensed by Anor. "Are you sure there¡¯s something there? Perhaps you¡¯re just thinking things?" Tiyo suspected. "No, there''s definitely something ahead," Anor assured. Crockta looked around. He actually felt it too. His belt of despair, the Demon''s Mouth, was stirred. His belt hadn¡¯t activated for a while. Though it was still passive, Crockta felt like he was being pulled toward the same direction Anor indicated. He felt like something had to be there. ¡°There it is.¡± And indeed, something was there. A pyramid made of stone awaited them. Though it was partly concealed with vines and foliage, it was clearly a pyramid and it wasrger than they had expected. The snake they followed was there, along with several others slithering around the pyramid in a circle. "Something must be inside that pyramid." Zankus, seemingly intrigued, had a faint smile across his face. "That looks like the gate over there, is it closed?" They spotted a gate-like door at the bottom of the pyramid, but it was firmly shut. "It won''t budge." Crockta and his group exchanged nces and approached the gate together. After noticing the trespassers, the snakes lifted their heads and hissed with their tongues slithering. They locked their eyes on Crockta¡¯s group. Crockta drew the God yer, and upon seeing the greatsword, the snakes turned their heads away. When he pointed the tip of the de toward the gate, the snakes seemed to no longer approach them. ¡°They¡¯re pretty clever.¡± The group stood before the gate, still receiving the hostile gaze of the snakes. Zankus pulled hard on the gate handle. It was locked. ¡°It won¡¯t open.¡± Tiyo and Anor both took a turn, but neither of them could pull the gate open. After their failed attempts, Zankus examined the door. It was firmly constructed with no visible gaps. Crockta stepped forward. ¡°Let me try to open it.¡± Tiyo shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s locked solid. You can¡¯t open...¡± Srrrrr... With Crockta¡¯s touch, the gate opened with the grinding sound of metal. Every one of them was left in shock as the gate seemed to have opened with ease. ¡°How...!¡± ¡°No way.¡± Zankus simply nodded. ¡°It seems like this gate has a spell that grants entrance to only those who hold a specific qualification.¡± "Qualification?" "This pyramid could have something to do with Crockta." Their eyes turned to Crockta. Although they forgot it at times, Crockta was a fearsome warrior and chief of the north who conquered the north and faced the imperial army all by himself. He was no ordinary being. This pyramid seemed to have epted him. Crockta cleared his throat. "Ehem, let¡¯s just go in." The astonishment and remarks of awe continued. "Indeed, Crockta... myrade!" Tiyo eximed. "Amazing," Anor followed. "Keke, to think that kiddo warrior hase this far..." Crockta ignored them and walked ahead of them as he mumbled something. "You were all pulling on a push door..." * * * The pyramid was standing tall in the heart of a humid swamp, but inside, against all odds, it felt quite dry. What on earth was inside this pyramid? The snakes seen outside the pyramid were circling the perimeter as if they were guarding the pyramid. Perhaps, they were the guardians. "Do you still feel it?" Crockta asked Anor. Anor nodded. He was busy scanning the inside of the pyramid, trying to pinpoint where the strange feeling wasing from. Crockta also felt a stir from the Demon¡¯s Mouth around his waist. It appeared something connected to both the necromancer and the Demon''s Mouth was inside this pyramid. "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything dangerous here," Crockta noted, resettling the God yer on his back. As they walked deeper into the pyramid, they didn¡¯t spot any more snakes or other venomous creatures. The expected guardian monsters of such ancient ruins and dungeons were absent, leaving only the path that stretched before them. "That¡¯s odd." Zankus mused. "What¡¯s odd?" Tiyo asked. "Haven¡¯t we been walking for a while now?" "Yeah, I guess." "Did the pyramid look that big?" ¡°...!¡± They had been walking in a straight path ever since entering the pyramid. The size of the pyramid they saw from the outside, though not small by any means, did not justify how long they had been walking within its walls. Yet, here they were, having walked a considerable distance. Zankus ced hismp on the ground and looked around. "Could we have been walking downhill?" Crockta suggested. ording to his idea, if there was a gradual slope leading them downward, that path could well be the basement. That would make the length of their walk reasonable. Zankus shook his head. "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it." "Then, we''re looking at..." Crockta trailed off. "There must be a spell." Crockta¡¯s eyes were fixed at the end of the path. The Demon¡¯s Mouth around his waist was persistently pulling him toward it. Something awaited them at the end of this path. "Let''s press on, we have to see what it is." ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Tiyo jumped in. They continued to walk. After a while, a cavity appeared at the end. The ceiling was high, and there, an unknown luminescent body was floating. However, the luminescent body was not dazzling. It illuminated the entire cavity enough for them to see clearly inside. But the actual source of light emitted a calm level of brightness that they could stare at with their eyes wide open. Then, there was a voice. "Who are you guys?" Crockta''s group turned toward the voice. A man was looking at them. He was dressed in perfect formal attire, which did not seem to belong in such a pyramid. "Two orcs, a gnome, and a dark elf..." But Crockta could see through it all. The man''s tail was visible beneath his suit and cloak. At the tip of the tail, which resembled a scorpion, a sharp stinger protruded. "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Abaddon. Though you are uninvited guests, I shall wee you for now." Chapter 194: The Swamp (3)

Chapter 194: The Swamp (3)

"We''re just passing travelers. What is this ce?" "You barge in without notice and then ask what ce this is, you don''t seem very polite," Abaddon said with a twinkle in his eye, smiling wryly. Crockta didn''t miss the scorpion-like tail swaying at Abaddon''s feet. Despite the attempt to look like a gentleman in a suit, it was clear that was not someone to be taken lightly. Just the fact that he was in such a suspicious pyramid alone was enough for Crockta to know that. "What do you mean we barged in?" Zankus said as he stepped forward. "That¡¯s nonsense. Crockta here is a warrior epted by this pyramid. It wouldn¡¯t be right to call him an unweed guest." Crockta almost choked at that moment. He had simply pushed on the door that the others were unproductively pulling, and it opened. Despite his ignoring the excessive praise out of embarrassment, hispanions still believed in the ''Crockta qualification theory''. Abaddon seemed taken aback for a moment. "What do you mean by epted by the pyramid?" Now it was Tiyo''s turn to speak. "It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like. The entrance to the pyramid was securely locked, but when Crockta here grabbed the handle, it suddenly slid open, acknowledging his qualification! The door opened all by itself! You seem to be the guardian of this pyramid, so you better treat Crockta well! He''s not an intruder but a warrior recognized by this ruin!" Abaddon rolled his eyes and caught Crockta''s gaze. Crockta looked away. "Well... I guess if you say so." Abaddon gave a nomittal smile and winked at Crockta. "I guess we can leave it at that, hoho..." Crockta used the split second to scan the surroundings. Despite being momentarily carried away by the situation, it was clear this was not a ce to let down one''s guard. Especially since they had entered by pushing the door, which meant they would have to pull it to exit. It was simr to the design of a bank. To prevent a smooth escape for anyone in a rush, it forces one to hesitate at least once. This pyramid was a structure not intended to kindly send off its intruders. There was definitely something here. "I can''t just let my rare guests leave without...," Abaddon''s eyes gleamed menacingly. "...providing some hospitality, right?" He flung his cloak, and a sudden whirlwind stirred, making his cloak flutter. "Feel my heat, you unweed intruders!" * * * "It''s hot... spicy and hot, but irresistibly delicious! I can¡¯t stop" Tiyo eximed as he slurped the noodles. They were enjoying the specialty dish prepared by Abaddon in the hollowed-out dining area. At Abaddon''s shout for them to experience the heat, a table and chairs miraculously appeared in the previously empty space. Abaddon then excused himself to prepare the meal and returned with a dish. It was a dish that lived up to his promise of fiery vor. A spicy, hot noodle dish was thest thing they expected in the humid swamp, but its addictive quality was undeniable. Despite the heat and tongue-numbing spice, Tiyo emptied his bowl, and after some thought, asked Abaddon for another. Zankus and Anor also silently sipped the broth. They, too, were captivated by the spicy yet delicious vor of Abaddon¡¯s cooking. "This is pretty good," Crockta murmured, wiping sweat from his brow. As the Korean Jung Yi-An, he was ustomed to spicy food. However, he was feeling a swelling pain in Crockta''s body as if it hadn¡¯t adapted to these vors yet. Regardless, he quickly came to enjoy Abaddon''s cooking. "My cooking skills were honed by years of solitude," Abaddon exined. "You came up with this dish all by yourself?" "Yes. Repeatedly cooking and eating the dish alone made me realize that the ultimate vor is spice. Immacte spiciness can erase even loneliness and bring pleasure from deep within." "Hmm..." His solitude seemed to have affected him slightly. "How did you end up living alone here?" "Are you curious?" "Yes. You don¡¯t seem like an ordinary being..." Crockta nced at Abaddon''s tail which stuck out behind the backrest of the chair and was swaying side to side. The scorpion-like tail was more chilling the more he looked at it. It seemed like venom could drop at any moment from the sharp stinger at the end. "You live in a pyramid in the middle of a swamp. We were drawn here by a strange energy, so we came here feeling that energy. Then we ran into you." "Strange energy, you say?" Crockta¡¯s group had ventured there because of Anor¡¯s detection. He was sensing an unknown force through his necromancer abilities. "Are you a being who deals with death?" Abaddon turned to Anor, already knowing who had sensed his presence. "Yes, I am a necromancer,¡± Anor answered. "I see." Abaddon got up from his seat. He patted down his cloak and straightened his suit. Then, he gestured for Anor toe over to him. ¡°Please,e here.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± "Come close." Standing beside the table, Abaddon called Anor over. Anor approached as he scratched his head out of curiosity. "A mix of dark elf and human, I see," Abaddon examined. "That''s right." While Crockta, Zankus, and Tiyo watched the two interact as they enjoyed their meal. Abaddon examined Anor from head to toe, pausing at the scar on his ear from the cut with a sorrowful touch. The touch made Anor flinch for a moment, but he managed to stay still. "Blood, when mixed, holds greater potential," Abaddon said. "Your blood may not be strong, but it carries much within. You are a being who could be anything. You carry the scent of chamomile, teasing and tormenting the soul. Perhaps you are a part of our..." His words trailed off into an iprehensible murmur. "... bloodline." ¡°Huh? Pardon?¡± Abaddon simply smiled. "It seems like you were right after all. You are more than worthy to be my guests. One is our friend and the other..." His gaze shifted to Crockta. "...is the Apostle of the Fallen God." A white star shimmered on Abaddon''s forehead as he spoke. Crockta realized this meeting with Abaddon might also be fated. Abaddon was one of the few who knew the secrets of the world of Elder Lord, akin to Phymon from the Temple of the Fallen God. Referring to Crockta as an Apostle of the Fallen God, Abaddon identified himself as an Apostle of the Ashen God. * * * ¡°Come again?¡± Anor''s eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying that necromancers are descendants of your race?" he asked. "That¡¯s right. Necromancy, the art of manipting death, is our inherent ability." After they had finished their meal, they were enjoying a teatime. Abaddon was kindly exining what he knew to them, and Anor had been inquisitive, asking various questions. "So, the fact that my mom was also a necromancer means..." "It''s likely that a distant ancestor of your mother belonged to our race," Abaddon replied. "What do you call your race?" "It might be hard for you to understand. Our name sounds quite different from themon tongue of the continent," Abaddon said, uttering their name in an unrepeatable pronunciation. "I don¡¯t think I got that." "That is quite alright. Our race has long been forgotten and fallen into decline. If you still wish to call us by name...¡± Abaddon showed a bittersweet smile. ¡°... you may call us ''demons'', as the gods have branded us." Demons. They were demons. Crockta understood. History belonged to the victors. The losers were buried in history with all their criticisms. The fallen god, the Ashen God, probably fell from grace due to some event, and her followers, these people, must have been branded as demons and faded into obscurity. The bigger picture was starting to be clear. "Have you heard of the Demogorgan?" Crockta inquired. "Demogorgon? Is he still alive? He was always so fond of praise and loved to boast about his power," Abaddon reminisced. "He''s doing quite well. He''s found a suitable contractor." "That''s good to hear. He used to sulk at the slightest hint of displeasure. You had topliment him at least once a day." "Hehe, he¡¯s probably receivingpliments every second of the day now," Crockta said, thinking of Iron, the man who was like wine, and his partner Demogorgon. Iron''s summoned entity, Demogorgon, belonged to the same race as these beings. That also exined why Iron could raise the dead. Crockta looked down at his belt. The entity sleeping there, the Demon of Despair, might also be a friend of theirs. "Could you take a look at this belt?" Crockta showed his belt to Abaddon, who tilted his head curiously. "I sense something familiar. May I touch it?" "Um..." As Crockta stood to walk over to Abaddon, Abaddon shook his head. At that moment, Crockta felt something tap his stomach lightly. It was Abaddon''s scorpion tail, reaching under the table to tap Crockta''s steel belt. Startled, Crockta flinched. "Hehe, do not worry. There is no poison. Not right now, anyway," Abaddon reassured as his tail caressed the belt. Crunch. Suddenly, the belt reacted violently. "Ahhhh!" Abaddon recoiled in shock, and Crockta also stepped back as the steel belt''s teeth mped down on Abaddon''s tail, crunching it. The group who were enjoying the teatime quickly distanced themselves from Crockta. Chomp, chomp. The belt continued to chomp away at Abaddon''s tail. "Abaddon! Are you alright?" Tiyo asked with concern. "Ah... looks like I¡¯m going to die now... It was nice knowing you all..." Abaddony on the ground, curled up into a ball. Tiyo eximed, "You can''t die!" "I am..." When Tiyo reached for Abaddon, something tapped the back of his head. Tiyo looked back. It was the scorpion tail again. "Hehe, tada!" Abaddon stood up. His tail had regenerated and returned to perfect condition. "You had me worried!" "I don''t die that easily." Though, he did seem tired from using his powers, as his pale face showed. ¡°Anyhow...¡± Abaddon mused over the belt around Crockta¡¯s waist, keeping his distance from it. "That''s quite an artifact you have there." "Do you know of ¡®Demon¡¯s Mouth¡¯? It¡¯s also called the ¡®Belt of Despair''." "Is that what this thing goes by?" As Abaddon stepped closer, the steel teeth of Crockta¡¯s belt shed menacingly, causing him to take a step back again. "That¡¯s enough," Crockta smacked the protruding skull part of the belt with his palm. The belt shed its teeth a few more times out of retaliation but soon stopped. "Hohoho, that is quite interesting, to see that you¡¯ve be so close with him I mean," Abaddon remarked. "What exactly is this thing?" "I shouldn''t say too much, as he seems displeased, but..." Abaddon was speaking of the belt with respect. It seemed like the sleeping demon was a higher being than Crockta had imagined. "The being in the belt was of high standing among us." "From a glimpse, he looked like a child." "He may appear childlike, but he has the power to swallow mountains and seas when he opens his mouth. ''Gluttony'' of...¡± The belt snapped aggressively at Abaddon as if it was threatening him. Abaddon stopped andughed. "... Let''s leave it at that." The belt seemed to re at Abaddon, who shrugged it off as they all sat back down. "Any more questions?" The conversation between Crockta and Abaddon had captivated Zankus, Tiyo, and Anor. "What is the identity of the Fallen God and the curse of the stars...¡± Crockta didn¡¯t hesitate to get to the point. ¡°... and what is she plotting now in this world?" Abaddon looked at Crockta. ¡°Did you just say ¡®now¡¯?¡± ¡°I did.¡± "You mean, she is active in this world right now?" Crockta tilted his head. "You didn¡¯t know? She¡¯s scheming something right now, right here in this world." ¡°Did you meet the Ashen God?¡± "In a ''White World'' of unknown origin, yes." ¡°Ahh...¡± Abaddon¡¯s head dropped. "She is still..." He sighed as if he were deep in thought. Then, he continued. ¡°The Ashen God, the one who looks over all deaths. The god that we once followed was...¡± Abaddon sighed again without finishing his thought. "... it''s going to be a long story." He then looked straight at Crockta. "Have you ever looked at the night sky?" ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How was it? Was it beautiful?¡± It was a question that came out of nowhere. Crockta nodded, as he didn¡¯t even have to jog his memory too far back to recall it. Every night, when he looked up at the night sky, the festival of stars was before his eyes. The night of Elder Lord wasn¡¯t like that of earthly cities, where it was dotted with a single, lonely moon. Elder Lord had countless stars embroidered the night, and the Milky Way casts a long river across the ck curtain above. The entire night sky scatters bright light, enchanting those who behold it. When you stare at it, it feels as if the world hase to a standstill. It was truly a spectacle that seemed orchestrated by the gods themselves. Crockta smiled in response. "Indeed. It was the most beautiful sight I''ve ever seen." However, Abaddon''s face seemed to carry a tinge of sadness. "Crockta, after hearing what I have to say, you might not be able to look at the night sky and smile as you do now." Abaddon''s expression was grave. "Crockta, did you know? The god of the stars is dead." "It seems I''ve heard something of the sort," Crockta replied cautiously. "What do you think that means?" Crockta fell silent. A sense of unease swept over him. Suddenly, he remembered another night sky he had seen, the ''White World'' where he was invited by the Ashen God. That was a ce endlessly cooling, filled with dim stars of white dwarfs. Abaddon sighed and continued with words that carried a shocking revtion. "The sky out there is fake. It''s an illusion maintained by the gods. The stars had been extinguished long ago." Not only Crockta, but everyone in the room widened their eyes. What was that demon saying? ¡°Our Eternal Sun...¡± As Abaddon was about to continue, suddenly, a flurry of white light enveloped him. "This is..." Abaddon was taken aback. Crockta too, stood up abruptly. This scene was all too familiar. "Ah, she calls me..." In an instant, Abaddon vanished. It was the same thing that happened when yers logged out. The Ashen God has intervened. Chapter 195: The Road to Orcrox (1)

Chapter 195: The Road to Orcrox (1)

The group waited for a while, but there were no signs of Abaddon returning. ¡°...¡± Crockta realized that the Ashen God did not want him to know too much information. As long as they were here, Abaddon would not return. "The Ashen God will not send him back," Crockta said. Zankus, Tiyo, and Anor looked at Crockta. "Cursed by the stars, it seems you were fighting something unfathomable," Zankusmented. Crockta and his group were on their way to protect the orcs against the oracle. But now, they faced the Ashen God and demons, entities of bizarre nature. Moreover, they even learned that the night sky was merely a fabrication of gods. Zankus gave Crockta a look, signaling him to exin. Crockta responded. He exined that he didn''t fully understand the Curse of the Stars, but he knew that the Ashen God was nning something mysterious, and suspected that she was behind the strange oracles given by the other gods. Since even Crockta wasn¡¯t fully certain of the situation, the discussion just spiraled into more confusion and unknown. Abaddon, who was probably the one who could exin the situation best, was gone. "It looked simr to when you return to the abyss of stars. Is he not the same as you?" Tiyo asked Crockta. "It seems different from my case. I¡¯m guessing the god summoned him directly." ¡°Hmm...¡± Tiyo, wrapping his head in his hands, seemed to be calcting something. "No need to be hesitant!" He stood up vigorously after only a few seconds of thinking. "At this point, our priority should be to head to Orcrox to confront the gods'' ns. As long as we carry on with what we have to do, the answers wille to us," Tiyo stated, and the others nodded in agreement. The group was encouraged by Tiyo''s spirited voice, and the air shifted in a more positive way. Rather than sitting in one ce and worrying, action suited them better. They all stood up, hoping Abaddon would safely return to continue his higher-level culinary research. The group decided to leave a note for Abaddon for him to read when he returned. ¡¸We will be back. And when we do, we¡¯ll be expecting an even fierier dish.¡¹ As they were preparing to leave, Crockta noticed something on the wall. It was a faint writing on the wall. Crockta took a long look at the writing, which seemed quite old. The faded ink made it difficult to read, but he was able to make out the gist of the message. The message was a praise to the Star God. Crockta looked up at the glowing object on the ceiling of the cavity. It was aforting light that didn¡¯t blind anyone no matter how long they looked at it. It was just like a starlight. Crockta realized this pyramid was a monument for the Star God. The temples dedicated to the Star God must have been lost one by one after he perished. This pyramid was one of the few remnants of his temples. Abaddon, did he stay there to mourn the dead Star God? The dead god. "The stars have cooled long ago." Crockta hesitated. ¡®I always see death. Life is merely a process of converging toward death. That is the reason why I aim to save everyone.¡¯ The voice of the Ashen God echoed again. The scene from that day came back. Before standing alone against the empire''s army in Cathalu, the Ashen God showed Crockta her perspective. It was a despairing power to see everyone''s imminent death. The dying stars that adored her White World. Was that the true sky of this world, perhaps? "Do you know the answer?" Crockta gently tapped the Demon''s Mouth that had bared its teeth at Abaddon. The creature remained silent. Like when they first met, the demon, despairing of death and void, was embedded in the belt, spreading its fear to the world. Quantes almost became and of death. Ashen gods and demons. If he continued to fight on, perhaps one day, he would find the answer. "Crockta, what are you doing?" Tiyo called him from ahead. Crockta stroked the faded letters once more with his fingertips and looked at the glowing object again. He paid his respect to the Star God, then left the room. Hispanions were eagerly waiting for him. "Crockta! The door won''t open!" "Is it time for Crockta, the one favored by the pyramid, to take action?" "Looks like we need Crockta after all." This time, they were pushing against the door. Without a word, Crockta pulled the door open. With their praises, Crockta wondered if perhaps he was quite clever after all. Anor''s skeleton sparrow was waiting for them at the pyramid''s entrance. Anor petted it before sending it back to death. The snakes no longer regarded Crockta and hispanions as enemies. Under their unsettling gaze, the group headed north again. Orcrox was drawing near. Since they left Orcrox, many things have happened. The apprentice warrior of then had now be a great warrior renowned throughout the continent. Somehow, it felt like the orc guards he saw at the entrance of Orcrox back then would still be there. * * * Arcran smiled as he watched the army following him march. Although they had wasted their efforts in Maird, the size of the expedition was gradually increasing. Every time they passed through viges and cities, ambitious youth volunteered themselves for their divine cause, and devout nobles from the bordends also joined with their private soldiers. By the time they arrived at Orcrox, it would be an unprecedentedlyrge force in history. Theposition of the army was diverse, consisting of humans, elves, dark elves, dwarves, and gnomes. Although they were mostly humans and elves, other races were not insignificant in number. The orcs would be annihted by the gods and their following races. "The gods are watching over us," someone remarked. "Don''t rely too much on the gods," Adantadore advised. He was not particrly pleased with the growing size of the army. "We''re going to fight a madman who seems capable of killing a god." Adantadore was reminiscing about a berserk orc warrior who had single-handedly faced the imperial army. He had joined the expedition with the intention of finishing off that orc if it came down to it. However, such an opportunity seemed increasingly unlikely, and he couldn¡¯t even picture it in his head. "Haha, soon we''ll be in Chesswood. More blessings will surelye there. Even you, Adantadore, will find faith," Arcran optimistically stated. Since the expedition began, apart from Maird, it had been smooth sailing. Arcran felt confident. When the expedition reached Chesswood, even more people would join. "Oh yeah, what happened to the support from themercial guilds for the expedition?" To support such arge number of people, supplies were essential. They had enough funds due to donations not only from the empire but also from volunteers. They had requested to trade with the guilds for smooth supply procurement. The first to be contacted was thergest tradingpany on the continent, cksmiths Trading Company. The cksmiths Trading Company decided its policies through meetings of its high-ranking members. Therefore, they mentioned it would take some time due to the meetings, but Arcran was not worried. There was no reason for them to refuse their partnership proposal. "The decision will be made soon. Once we receive supplies through cksmiths, the expedition will proceed even more smoothly," Arcran assured as he nodded lightly to the passing volunteers. Although they believed in different gods, this time their faith was united under the oracle. This was not just a simple campaign against nonbelievers but a fight for the grand unification of the continent. "After this battle, the continent will be more peaceful." "Well, I don¡¯t know..." "Faith will unite people." Adantadore shrugged. He thought that if the expedition were toe out victorious, there would be a greater conflict over the distribution of profits. However, Arcran¡¯s ideas and expectations were much more idealistic than he had anticipated. Despite being a messenger of the War God, he was truly an innocent soul. * * * "Ah, there it is. We can finally see it." Chesswood finally came into view. The name originated from the chessboard-like arrangement of the various viges clustered together. Although it wasn¡¯t one city, the collective poption of these allied viges surpassed that of manyrge cities. "Let¡¯s raise the g higher." A g was raised, calling for volunteers in the name of the gods. gs representing each god were also raised, along with those bearing the crests of the nobles. A myriad of colorful gs radiated on their way toward Chesswood. "Let''s go." The expedition reached Chesswood. It was the first vige of many, marked by a sign stating, "Dandelion Vige." "This vige has a lovely name." A man leading three cows stopped to look at them; the cows looked identical, like triplets. "Fine animals you have there." "Hoho, they are my pride. They¡¯re triplets." "Could you call the vige chief for us? You might have heard already, but we are an expedition aiming to exterminate Crockta and the orcs..." Before Arcran could even finish his sentence, something came flying at them. St! It was an egg. An egg had been thrown at him. "Oh my, why did you do that?" The farmer leading the cows turned in surprise to find a vige woman angrily holding a bunch of eggs. "You wretches. You want to kill Crockta? Out of all people? What, have you run out of people to kill?¡± "Calm down, calm down." "How can you tell me to calm down? Didn''t you hear what that man said?" "I know how angry you are, but it''s dangerous to act like that toward people with swords..." "Then let them stab me! I would have been dead long ago if it weren''t for Crockta." Arcran wiped the egg running down his head. The volunteers who had followed him moved to draw their weapons, but he stopped them. "Haha, please, let¡¯s listen to what they have to say first. Our enemies are the orcs, not these people." Arcran felt confused. It was the same confusion he had felt in Maird. It was understandable that the Southern Free City Alliance refused to participate in the war. They had been at war with the empire until recently, and on top of that, Crockta had helped them. But in Maird, Arcran had learned of a side of Crockta he didn¡¯t know before. In that city, Crockta was regarded as a remarkably noble orc. And now in Chesswood, Crockta''s name surfaced again. The man leading the cow triplet approached Arcran and handed him a towel. "I¡¯m sorry about that." "No, it''s alright." Arcran cleaned off the egg and continued, "Anyway, as you can see, there are many of us. We''d like to stay in Chesswood for the day and would appreciate meeting with the vige chief." "Well... you might not like what you hear there..." The man nodded. "Wait here for a moment. I''ll call our vige chief, and there''s Ingram as well, who''s the representative chief of Chesswood. He''lle too." "Thank you." The man left and Arcran waited at the vige entrance with his forces. There was a sound of musicing from within the vige. He had heard that Chesswood was known for producing many bards and musicians. Indeed, it seemed they loved their songs. Once the expedition was over, bards would sing of their tales in epic poems. While they were waiting for the man toe back with the others, a group of kids came running up to look at the expeditionary force. Arcran smiled. "Hello, my young friends." But their expressions were not friendly. The kids red at the expedition members, and one stepped forward. "Are you really going to kill Crockta and the orcs?" "Yes, that¡¯s right. We are..." "Bad guys!" Arcran was taken aback, and it showed on his face. "You guys don''t deserve my respect! Interest in you? Piss off right now! I am a wanderer riding on words and rhymes! I¡¯m going to change your misguided minds!" the child shouted. ¡°...!¡± Rap. It was thetest trend across the continent. It was a fresh musical form with rhyming that critiqued others or sang of nature along with music. As expected of thend of bards, Chesswood kids were heckling them with thetest raps. "Hey there, misters! Scared into silence by my stormy word twisters! Listen up, Crockta is our hero! You don¡¯t know anything because your eyesight is zero!" The kid''s freestyle lyrics drew cheers from the others. "Yeah!" "The best!" "The rap king of our vige!" The kid didn''t stop there. "Chesswood was in danger once, attacked by demon-like enemies! We were powerless, we couldn¡¯t help but fall on our knees! Then came Crockta, our friend! He swung his greatsword and the enemies faced their end! He is always seeking justice, that¡¯s why he¡¯s our savior! Don¡¯t you dare mess with Crockta with your viinous behavior!" After the rap ended, the kid turned and celebrated his freestyle verse with his friends, who cheered him on. "Yay! A verse for the ages!" "Truly the best freestyler!" "Those guys must be shaking in their boots right now!" Arcran was speechless, so he closed his mouth. Listening to the lyrics, it was clear there had been a crisis in the vige that Crockta had resolved. "Misters, Crockta is our hero. Remember that." The kid who had delivered the rap red at them before a man came and smacked him on the head. "What are you doing, you punk?" "Vige chief!" "You can¡¯t treat people like that." "But didn''t you hear my lyrics..." "Are you talking back?" "Ah, okay! Okay! I got it!" It was the vige chief of Dandelion Vige. He nced at Arcran and the expeditionary force. "Hmm..." But his gaze was not warm either. Arcran sensed that things in Chesswood would not go as he wished either. Chapter 196: The Road to Orcrox (2)

Chapter 196: The Road to Orcrox (2)

The expedition force entered the heart of Chesswood. They were able to stay in a clearing near the vige center. However, their spirits were low, as jeers followed them wherever they went. Not a single person in Chesswood weed them. Some even went as far as to throw eggs at them. "Argh! Eggs! That son of a...!" "Let it go! Let it go!!" "Do not react to the Chesswood vigers." Arcran and themanders calmed the expedition members down. Ingram, Chesswood''s representative, apologized on behalf of his people, "I¡¯m sorry about all this." "It''s alright." "Crockta is a hero to our vige. As long as you''re trying to kill Crockta, you won''t be weed by us." Ingram was a robust man. He seemed like he could have been a mercenary or soldier in his younger days. "Crockta saved our vige from near destruction." "I understand. I''m bing curious." Arcran nodded. "What was he like?" "Crockta, you mean?" "Yes." "Hoho, it¡¯d be better for you to not know. Learning more about him might make you want to defy the will of the gods." "Are you saying that¡¯s how strong he is? Enough to scare me that much?" "Sure, that, too, but knowing how excellent of a warrior he is, you wouldn''t want to be his enemy. Instead, you would probably want to be his friend.¡± Ingram smirked, then added, ¡°Though that orc warrior song of his is terrible." Arcran could see how much Ingram genuinely liked Crockta. He looked around, feeling the unfriendly stares from the vigers. Crockta''s legacy was everywhere, even in Chesswood. In Maird, he founded the Rebirth Brothers, and in Chesswood, he was the hero who saved the vige. As expected from thend of bards, Chesswood even had songs praising Crockta. It was a bad that told of a strong and honest orc who fought against viins attacking the vige, eventually calling his friends for help to grasp a glorious victory. The vigers jeered at the expedition, singing that song. The refrain, particrly catchy, got stuck in the expedition members'' heads. "That orc was more remarkable than I thought,¡± Adantadore, following behind, shrugged, andmented. "And our expedition seems more pitiful than anticipated,¡± Adantadore added as they heard the yelling noises of the disobedient expedition members retaliating toward the vigers. The volunteer soldiers were angered by the poor treatment that they were receiving from the vigers. If it weren¡¯t for Arcran''s stern actions, swinging his sword to make an example out of some of them, a bigger conflict may very well have erupted. "Adantadore, please manage the soldiers." Arcran was a knight faithful to the God of War. He didn''t hesitate to use his sword when needed. "You have my permission to take care of them under military discipline if necessary." If the expedition were to cause trouble against anyone other than Crockta and the orcs, their honor would take a nosedive. That had to be prevented at all costs. They were an expedition force gathered for a divine objective, not some looters who attacked viges. The kids who met them at the entrance now chased after them, rapping insulting verses. ¡°Leave Chesswood! We can¡¯t even sleep because of you! You all smell like poo!¡± ¡°My tongue is like a spear that stabs! Hope you trip and fall, get a bunch of scabs!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll always be chasing Crockta¡¯s tail, I¡¯m a hammer mming on you like a nail!¡± ¡°These rascals...¡± Ingram shooed the kids away, and the kids ran away, screaming yfully. He shook his head and then spoke to Arcran. "If you keep going this way, you''lle across a wide clearing. Spend the day there. If needed, you can even take over the road. I''ll make sure the vigers are well informed." "Thank you for your consideration. And..." Arcran awkwardly thanked him, then hesitantly asked, "Would it be alright if I recruit volunteers from the vige?" "Hoho, you¡¯re really going to try that? I can''t stop you if that''s what you want to do. Go ahead." Judging by the atmosphere of the vige, it felt almost certain that they weren¡¯t going to attract a single person. But it was always better to try. Arcran gathered the priests from each temple. "The priests from the temples will recruit volunteers." "Look around you, do you think anyone will volunteer?" The priests had already given up, and Arcran''s face fell with disappointment. "Let''s at least give it a try." They visited the viges of Chesswood to recruit volunteers but were only met with jeers. Since they were priests serving the gods, the vigers refrained from throwing eggs or causing harm, but their looks were filled with hostility. It was an unfamiliar scene for the priests. In the end, they returned to the camp without having recruited a single volunteer. "Things aren¡¯t going ording to our n. First Maird, now Chesswood." As Adantadoreughed it off, Arcran frowned. He had hoped Chesswood would bring a significant number of volunteers, but the result was zero. Not a single soul wanted to join their expedition. "It''s alright. We already have a force significant enough." The expedition had grownrge, and having too many could also pose a problem. "There are many more cities ahead." "Right, let''s hope for the best." "And soon, we might receive some good news." Arcran tried to console himself. "Once we hear back from the cksmiths, our march will gain more momentum. Supplies will be delivered promptly." * * * In the meeting room of the cksmiths Trading Company¡¯s headquarters, reserved only for the top brass, heated arguments filled the air. It was a stark contrast to the usual calm atmosphere. Among them, the one raising their voices the loudest was a woman. "The lifeblood of a tradingpany is trust!" "But this time things are different!" "What do you mean different? Think about it real hard, Pascal! Crockta is our top-tier member, and he''s entrusted us with a vast amount of money. The whole world knows that! We¡¯ve even advertised it! Crockta''s red headband has be a best-seller! Plus, do we not have orcs as customers? Numerous orcs use the services of our tradingpany!" "But the profits from trading with the expedition would be enormous. It would bring in a fortune!" "Prioritize our customers'' trust over immediate profits! That is our principle! What do you think would happen if we trade with the expedition? What would our customers think? That we''re just some trash group who''d sell out other customers for money?" "Isn''t that a bit harsh?" "Are you saying that I¡¯m wrong? Our customers trust us. Orc customers! Crockta! They all traded with us because they trusted us! The cash turnover from orcs is also significant! This would be a betrayal to them!" "Orcs will be gone soon anyway!" "How can you be sure of that? Even if that happens, history will remember that the cksmiths betrayed their customers!" "You really..." "Do the rest of you have the same opinion as Pascal here?" The woman sharply turned her head. "What do you think, mister chairman?" cksmith, the chairman of the cksmiths Trading Company, who had been watching the argument unfold, smiled. "Hohoho." Indeed, she was an executive he had promoted through special appointment. Initially, she was given an insignificant position. Due to her being cursed by the stars, she was almost seen as a demerit to thepany. However, she showed exceptional performance, starting with selling out all vegetables in Anail andter bing the top salesperson in the tradingpany. Ste. The youngest yet most innovative executive at cksmiths. "Hohohoho, the great Ste finally wants to know what I think." "Ultimately, what matters most is the chairman''s opinion, hehe." "No need to lie to me." cksmithughed out loud again. Being innovative meant having a different way of thinking than others. Yet, she did not forget the principles of cksmith. She was based. Among the numerous talents from across the continent under him, it was rare to find someone who bnced innovation with foundational principles. cksmith''s doctrine was that those who lose their foundation can never achieve greatness. Yet, Ste possessed it. The foundation. As the chairman mulled over Ste''s words, he spoke again, "Prioritize our customers'' trust over immediate profits..." He looked at Ste and smiled. "Thank you for reminding me of something I had momentarily forgotten, Ste." "Don¡¯t mention it, sir. Every employee of cksmith should know it since the chairman himself has been proving it with his actions." "Knowing and practicing are different matters. Those who show remarkable performances like you often forget that fact. They believe they are not being watched." Some of the executives winced at the chairman''s words. They were the executives who hadmitted dishonest acts for the sake of cksmith''s profits, which had allowed them to rise to their executive positions. However, the chairman knew everything all along. The chairman continued, "I agree with Ste¡¯s thoughts for now. Trading with the expedition force would indeed generate tremendous profit. It would solidify our position as the continent''s leading tradingpany on a new level and it will also allow us topensate for the losses incurred from being overshadowed by the Thomson Trading Company recently. However..." He looked around at the executives. "After what Ste just said, I wonder, what''s the meaning of achieving first ce that way?" ¡°......¡± "Haven''t I always said? When in doubt, return to the basics. And our foundation has always been right there." cksmith pointed behind him. Arge frame hung there, bearing the motto that had brought the cksmiths Trading Company to its current standing. The executives all fell silent at the sight. Every cksmith branch had this motto framed and disyed. ¡¸Customer trust is heavier than life.¡¹ Since his youth, when cksmith founded the tradingpany, he had never broken a promise. Even when a clerical error by an employee led to losses that could have shaken the entirepany, he upheld the contract and fulfilled the order. He opened branches in remote viges where profit wasn¡¯t a thing and he simply endured the losses without retracting them, because those were promises. Although thepany had grown toorge for cksmith to manage all of the branches himself as before, this principle was one he personally taught to every employee. "We might incur losses now. But the world will remember that our tradingpany never harms our clients. Even if the orcs vanish from this war, their names will remain in our ledgers. How could we open and face our ledgers again if we aid the expedition?" Ste''s face brightened. The executives nodded. The chairman''s decision was clear. "Remember. Ourpany''s mission is not to generate profit," cksmith always said, as if it was a habit. "What is our mission?" He asked his executives. The executives responded in unison, "To benefit the world throughmerce." "Right, that is exactly it." cksmith stood up. "When I was young, I really wanted to eat fish. Because I lived in a mountain vige, I grew up without any. We only had minnows... But then, traders started visiting our vige, and I could always have the fish I liked." It was the story behind the founding of thepany that every cksmith employee knew. "Thanks to that, our vige enjoyed not just fish but also medicines, rare goods, and new foods. There are still many young cksmiths in the world. My friends, won¡¯t you join me in being true merchants who benefit people, not war racketeers seeking profit from conflict?" "We understand." "We will always remember, chairman." "We will follow your lead." In the cksmiths Trading Company, cksmith''s word was thew. Even executives who opposed Ste at first quickly changed their stance. Ste bowed deeply. cksmith smiled as if she was his clever granddaughter. "Then send the reply. Let them know that regrettably, we cannot ept the trade." Thus, cksmiths Trading Company¡¯s response was decided. They would refuse the expedition force''s trade request. "Then they''ll probably try to deal with Thomson Trading Company," one executivemented. Thomson was an emerging threat to cksmith. They were active within Anail at first but were now expanding rapidly across the continent. "I see, that sounds quite likely. I wonder what that Thomson will do, hohoho." Chapter 197: Like a King, Like a Slave (1)

Chapter 197: Like a King, Like a ve (1)

Crockta and his group left the Great Sea. They were nearing the territory of the orcs. They were still traveling in a dense forest, but it was not as perilous as the Great Sea area. As they passed through the forest, animals like deer and rabbits gazed at them curiously. ¡°Thisndscape feels nostalgic,¡± Crockta murmured. The familiarndscape reminded him of the time when he received his first mission from Orcrox¡¯s instructor Lenox, which was to eliminate mutant wolves along with Grant. The scenery back then looked just like this. Continuing northward, they would soon reach Orcrox. ¡°I¡¯m getting quite excited. I also haven¡¯t been to Orcrox in a while,¡± Zankusmented. Crocktaughed. ¡°You¡¯re excited even though we¡¯re going there for war?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what excites me even more.¡± ¡°Keke, indeed. It is exhrating!¡± The two orcsughed, expressing their confidence in the uing battles. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a lot of enemies waiting for us.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If ten thousande, we hunt ten thousand; if a millione, we hunt a million.¡± ¡°And if a godes?¡± Zankus smirked. ¡°Then we get to hunt a god.¡± Such outrageous statements! Yet, they were Zankus, the hunter who could pierce and kill the sun, and Crockta, the warrior who had conquered the north and stood against the empire. No words sounded too arrogant for them. Crockta and Zankus were busy boasting about their ambitions for the war ahead when a member of their group saw something. ¡°Look, there¡¯s something there,¡± Tiyo shouted. Indeed, something was there. Beyond the bushes, something resembling a human figure flickered. As they approached closer, the figure became clearer. ¡°Is that...?¡± It was an elf, but not an ordinary elf. ¡°What is he?¡± Tiyo asked. ¡°Not your average elf, for sure.¡± ¡°He looks a bit... no, not a bit, he looks extremely odd.¡± The elf, dressed in dazzling clothes, sat on a rock, deep in thought. Even as Crockta and his group approached him, the elf seemed not to notice, continuing to furrow his brows in contemtion. His pose was reminiscent of none other than Rodin¡¯s The Thinker! However, unlike the naked statue, his attire wasvish and ornate. His silk and gold-threaded garb was as luxurious as that of an emperor. His appearance was an odd sight to see in the middle of the forest. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Crockta called out gently. But there was no response. ¡°Hey!¡± Tiyo yelled, but the elf remained unfazed by the sudden outburst. As if he were aware of their presence, he raised his hand with the palm facing them. He was signaling them to stop. Yet, Tiyo was relentless. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Hey? Can¡¯t you hear us?¡± The elf, who had his eyes closed, sighed softly and stood up. His clothes flowed elegantly. ¡°There are two kinds of people in the world: those who interrupt others¡¯ thoughts and those who leave them be,¡± the elf spoke. ¡°Are you saying we interrupted you?¡± Tiyo retorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But you certainly didn¡¯t leave me be.¡± His voice was calm, and his manner was dignified. He seemed quite unusual for someone encountered in the heart of the forest. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Suddenly, the bushes rustled, and another figure appeared. It was an orc warrior. Seeing Crockta and his group, he opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°Who are you people?¡± He asked. ¡°That¡¯s what we should be asking!¡± Tiyo snapped back. The orc cautiously stepped next to the elf. The pairing of the extravagantly dressed elf and the armed orc warrior was odd. It almost looked like a noble and his bodyguard. The orc introduced himself. ¡°I am a warrior named Arakunta. I am apanying this gentleman.¡± ¡°And the elf?¡± The elf remained silent. The orc exined instead. ¡°We met in the forest. I do not know his name either.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship? An elf and an orc, quite the unusualbo.¡± ¡°You seem to be quite unusual enough yourselves.¡± The orc shrugged. ¡°To rify, I am heading to Orcrox. It seems you might be doing the same. Recently, an absurd oracle has stirred the races of the continent to attack orcs.¡± Crockta nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We''re all heading to Orcrox to face the enemies.¡± ¡°I, too, am on my way there. I may be inexperienced, but I am still a warrior whose worthiness was recognized by Hoyt and Tashaquil! I couldn¡¯t just stand by.¡± After Lenox, Hoyt became the instructor for the warriors. This meant that Arakunta was a junior warrior to Crockta. Crockta smiled warmly. ¡°How brave! You are a true orc warrior, Arakunta!¡± ¡°Keke, you are too kind, senior!¡± Arakunta had already sensed that Crockta was a warrior far superior to him. ¡°Anyway, I was heading to Orcrox when I was surrounded by ogres in the Great Sea. Alone, I could have managed one, but not a whole group of them.¡± Ogres were among the most dangerous monsters. Those more powerful than ogres were rare and few, making ogres top predators. The fact that he could face an ogre alone already proved him a formidable warrior. Of course, Crockta and Zankus, along with the other two members of their group were an exception as they had long surpassed the average standard of power. ¡°That¡¯s when this elf gentleman saved me.¡± ¡°This elf did?¡± Tiyomented with an attitude. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s reticent and contemtive but possesses incredible strength. He dealt with the ogres effortlessly. He offered to follow me, so we¡¯ve been heading to Orcrox together. I was just returning from my hunt when you arrived.¡± Crockta and his group looked at the elf. As unique as his appearance was, it seemed like there was something more. Yet, Crockta sensed something from the elf that he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint. He saw something familiar in the elf¡¯s gaze. It was as though those eyes could see through to his very soul, which was a sensation he had definitely felt before. But that elf was a stranger, Crockta pondered. ¡°Anyway, it''s nice to meet you. What¡¯s your name? I am Crockta, an orc warrior, as you can see.¡± The response came from the side of the elf. ¡°Crockta...!¡± Arakunta¡¯s eyes widened. Crockta was a figure of admiration among the novice warriors. He had witnessed thest moments of the legendary orc instructor Lenox, rapidly growing from an apprentice warrior to being ranked among the strongest warriors in no time. His name echoed throughout the continent. Especially, the story of him standing alone against the Imperial Army, enduring their attacks, and eventually annihting them with his friends, was a tale so often told it became ear-grating. "Are you really Crockta, ''The Northern Conqueror'' and ¡®The Empire¡¯s Nemesis?¡¯" Arakunta asked. "I¡¯ve never been called ¡®The Empire¡¯s Nemesis¡¯ before, but if you''re asking about the orc who''s been to the north, then yes, that''s me." "Oh, Sir Crockta! It''s an honor to meet you like this!" Arakunta approached Crockta with the same energy someone about to give a hug has, extending a hand for a handshake. Crockta returned his gesture with a smile. "And that must mean that these men are..." Arakunta nced and pointed at Tiyo and Anor. "The famous duo that apanies Crockta...! No wonder thebination seemed unusual!" Tiyo and Anor perked up their ears. Pointing at Anor, Arakunta shrugged, then eximed, "Then this Dark Elf must be none other than the sovereign of the dead, the ''Necromancer Overlord'' Anor!" ¡°...!¡± Anor wore a baffled expression. He hadn''t used his necromantic powers much sinceing to the continent. Yet, as he traveled with Crockta, his fame soared, and he was bestowed with such a grand title before he knew it. "And this stout gnome here!" "Hehe, yes, that''s me!" Tiyo boasted. "''The Magic Bullet Sprayer''!" "Wait, what?" "The one who charges headlong into battle, unleashing a barrage of magic bullet shots without looking back, ''The Magic Bullet Sprayer'' Tiyo!" Tiyo''s mouth twisted, seemingly displeased with the ¡®Sprayer¡¯ part of his title. "Hmm, well, rather than ¡®spray¡¯, I''d prefer... a ¡®one-shot-one-kill cold-blooded sniper''... or ''storm striker''..." Tiyo said clearing his throat. But Arakunta had already turned away. ¡°I know who these two are, but what might your name be, fellow orc? You seem like a hunter.¡± He quickly scanned Zankus. After noting Zankus''s enormous steel bow, Arakunta treated him with formal respect, realizing he was no ordinary figure. "May I know your name...?" Zankus shrugged as he looked at Arakunta. "It¡¯s Zankus." "Z-Z-Z-Zankus!" Arakunta looked back at Crockta and his friends with an expression full of awe. "First, Crockta and his friends, and now the legendary hunter who is said to shoot down the sun, ''The Sun yer'' Zankus! Seeing this incredible arrow, I know that is true! I could die happy today!" He grabbed and shook Zankus''s massive spear-like arrow. "Calm down. I''m not such a grand orc as all that." "What do you mean? You and Crockta are legends among orcs. I have met living legends today!" Arakunta''s excitement continued. "Hmm..." Crockta turned his gaze from Arakunta to the Elf. They haven¡¯t heard the Elf''s name yet. "Anyway, so, what''s your name?" "My name... I have none to give you." Crockta raised his eyebrows. "Quite the high-and-mighty, aren''t you?" "There''s no need for formal introductions when we won''t be together long." "Understood. So, you''re heading to Orcrox too?" "No." "Then, where?" "It''s not a question of ''where''." His way of speaking was enigmatic. "Then what am I supposed to say?" "It should be ¡®until when''. I''ll apany you until I find my answer." ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°If you are headed toward Orcrox, I shall apany you there.¡± Before they realized it, the elf had grouped both Crockta''s group and Arakunta together. This elf might be slightly odd. Maybe something was wrong with his head. Given his attire, he wasn''t a warrior but had defeated several Ogres, which suggested he might be a mage. It was said that among mages, some became deranged from prolonged magical research. He seemed to fit that category. "Crockta, may I apany you to Orcrox?" Arakunta''s eyes sparkled as he asked. Crockta looked at hispanions, who all shrugged nonchntly. "Well... There''s no reason to refuse." "It''s fine by me." "Hehe, I can show you that I''m not just about ¡®spraying¡¯!" Thus, Crockta and his group were joined by the novice warrior Arakunta and the mysterious Elf. * * * Arcran''s expedition was progressing smoothly. Despite facing unexpected rejections in some ces, overall, they were moving in a positive direction. The number of volunteers increased, and clerics and followers of various temples continued to join. Nobles and knight orders seeking to gain honor were also supplied. The expedition grew sorge that divisions had to be created for it to be managed. "cksmith has refused to trade with us," Arcran mentioned as he marched alongside Adantadore. They were going to reach Arnin soon. "For what reason?" Adantadore asked back. "He told me that it¡¯s a decision made by their leadership; I''m not entirely sure why." "Must be a matter of trust. With the orcs." Arcran scratched his head. "Well, it''s not a big deal. We just have to find another tradingpany before the battle. We have time. We''ll approach the Thompson Trading Company. Their headquarters are conveniently located in Anail, right before Orcrox." "Look into more options," Adantadore suggested, shing the air with his sword. "Everything that we¡¯ve encountered so far, we did not expect. Anything could happen next. Who knows? Even Thompson might have ties with Crockta." ¡°...¡± Arcran imagined the possibility. It seemed usible. Throughout organizing the expedition and traversing the continent, Arcran constantly encountered traces of Crockta. Arcran didn''t know much about Crockta. Before Crockta appeared in the south, he was known as the ''Northern Conqueror'' whispered by the gods, and after his battle against the empire, he was also given the title ''Empire Nemesis.'' That was about all Arcran knew. But Crockta had left his mark across the continent, far beyond the south, wherever he could reach. And the deeds that he has done were indeed worthy of praise. It was hard to see him as someone who conspired with the Ashen God to plunge the world into chaos. "If that''s the case..." "If that¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about, then don¡¯t worry about it," someone shouted from behind them. One of the nobles who joined the expedition spoke up. He was a minor lord from the eastern part of the continent. He had joined the expedition more out of his interest in gaining fame and profit from it rather than out of devout faith. It was the most typical case among the nobles in the expedition. "Lord Phelos." "There is a very dangerous man in Anail." "A dangerous man?" "A man who rules the underworld of Anail, wielding influence across the continent. Like a king of the back alleys," the noble said with a smirk. "Even Thompson cannot oppose him since he tooes from Anail. And I happen to know the King of Anail quite well. I''ve done him a favor in the past, and he''s meticulous about repaying debts. I''ll cash in my favor and make sure Thompson cannot refuse to trade with us." "The underworld... doesn¡¯t that mean he is a criminal?" "Of course, he is the worst kind of viin and a cold-blooded killer. But at times like these, a viin is the most reliable ally. Thompson won''t be able to oppose him." Arcran was speechless. It would be more than ideal if the deal with Thompson was sessful, but he was reluctant to ally with a criminal just to achieve that. "What''s his name?" Adantadore asked instead of Arcran. "It¡¯s Derek." "I think I''ve heard that name before. Then, please proceed." "Leave it to me. I''ll send my messenger on a swift horse." In the blink of an eye, the expedition seemed to be holding hands with Derek. Arcran spoke up to express his concern, "But we are an expedition following the will of the gods. Partnering with a man like Derek..." "You are quite a stubborn one." Phelos frowned. Adantadore signaled to let it go with a gesture. "Do you..." Arcran sighed deeply. "Do you all agree with this?" Turning around, Arcran saw numerous eyes upon him. Those were the expedition''s unspokenmanders¡ªthe knights and nobles led by Arcran and Adantadore. Everyone who had been listening nodded. "Where there is light, there must be shadow. Please, let us handle it this time." "We must prepare for everything. The orcs are not an easy opponent." "There''s a way of the secr world. Let us handle it." Even the clerics of other temples quietly closed their eyes. It was a silent agreement. Faced with the overwhelming consensus, Arcran felt the same difort he had since the beginning of the expedition. That piercing sensation in his gut, an unsettling anxiety that kept snagging at him. It was the sensation he felt for the first time at Maird. ¡®Yes, they all admire Crockta and perform good deeds.¡¯ And in Chesswood. ¡®Listen up, Crockta is our hero!¡¯ He sighed deeply once more. "... Alright." Phelos gave the order to his adjutant, who then moved to the back. Soon, a messenger on a swift horse broke away from the column and galloped off. Watching the departing figure, Arcran felt a heaviness in his steps. He wanted to stop, to cease moving forward. But the march did not halt. Behind Arcran, countless volunteers followed his steps. It was toote for him to stop now. He moved forward as if he was being pushed. Adantadore, Phelos, and many nobles walked beside him, shoulder to shoulder. Caught in their flow, or perhaps pushed by it, Arcran took the next step. The expedition, now carrying momentum, was not going to stop. Arcran was now unsure if he was the one leading them, or if he was actually being swept away by them instead. Chapter 198: Like a King, Like a Slave (2)

Chapter 198: Like a King, Like a ve (2)

"What on earth are you pondering so deeply about?" Crockta couldn¡¯t help but ask the elf. The line etched between the elf''s brows never seemed to fade. Even as the group was eating or walking, the elf was always in thought. And even while doing so, he asionally nced at Crockta, Zankus, and Arakunta. It was as if he was observing them, exploring their ecosystem on his own. Crockta felt like a monkey being studied by a zoologist. "I don''t know what it is but let me help you." The elf looked at Crockta earnestly. His gaze was deep. Yet, his response was a refusal. "No. It''s a problem that I must solve myself." "Then stop looking at us. Do you need to stare at us to find that answer of yours?" The elf nodded. "Yes." ¡°Hah... then what is that problem of yours? What is it that it¡¯s making you stare at us while you¡¯re so deep in thought?¡± ¡°I cannot tell you that.¡± "Ugh, how frustrating!" Watching that scene, Arakuntaughed. "He''s a secretive one. But he''s not a bad person, so please calm down." Crockta nodded and chewed a big bite of meat. "Fine. Anyway, that¡¯s that." They were having a meal. It was deer meat hunted by Zankus and cooked by Tiyo. Since Arakunta and the elf joined them, their pace had slowed a bit, but they still steadily advanced toward Orcrox. If they continued without much difficulty, they would arrive soon. "The elf guy is one thing, but what about those guys?" "Passersby, aren''t they?" "But don''t they seem to be hiding rather than just passing by?" Zankus said as he chewed on the deer meat. "I think they might be bandits." As their conversation continued, the bushes rustled. While Crockta''s group was eating, a group of humans approached them through the bushes. They seemed to have tried to hide their presence, but sneaking up on Crockta''s group was impossible. They had all been aware of their approach but decided to simply watch them do so. "T-they¡¯re pretty aware of their surroundings!" "But it changes nothing, you orcs!" The humans burst out of the bushes. They were all armed. It seemed they had taken care in selecting their gear, wearing leather armor and carrying swords and shields. Their stance was clumsy, but their spirit was high. "In the name of the gods!" "Punish the orcs!" They charged as a group at Crockta and hispanions. Crockta''s group exchanged nces as if they were trying to avoid doing work. Their gazes darted back and forth before eventually settling on Crockta. Faced with their heavy gazes, Crockta could no longer resist and stood up. He raised his God yer. "What a hassle." As Crockta stepped forward, swinging his sword t, a gust of wind blew. The opponents were knocked down by the force and the wind pressure. "Gasp!" "What power!" Overwhelmed by his martial prowess, their morale instantly broke. They couldn''t advance further and merely stared at Crockta. Those who had fallen got up with their hands shaking with their weapons. "H-how is his power so...!" They clutched their nes and holy symbols, seeking their gods. It seemed like they weren''t bandits, but rather a group convinced by the oracle to attack the orcs. Besides the expedition, small groups formed to assault orcs also existed. However, they had picked the wrong opponent. "Follow the oracle! For the War God!" "For the Goddess of Mercy, we shall spill blood!" "The oracle shall be fulfilled!" They charged at Crockta again. But Crockta''s God yer cut through all their weapons. As his greatsword plunged into their shields, he sent them flying with the impact. They were simply no match. "Are you gonna keep going?" Crockta wandered around the fallen humans. His shadow cast over them made the humans squirm and try to escape. Crockta chuckled and stepped harder on one''s chest, pressing down until a suppressed groan escaped from beneath him. "So, the gods have ordered our deaths?" "Keugh... That¡¯s right. It was the Goddess of Mercy herself who said so! How vile must you orcs be for even the Goddess of Mercy to forsake herpassion andmand us to take up our swords! For the Goddess!" As he struggled and swung his weapon again, Crockta pressed down even harder, causing him to drop his weapon. "Kuuuugh..." "Gods, huh..." Crockta shrugged. "Have you ever thought about the legitimacy of the existence of those gods that you follow?" "What kind of nonsense are you..." "No? Let me tell you, then. They are far from perfect. They lie and they deceive others for their own benefit, just like us." Crockta knew about the oracle. That''s why he understood that the gods were not infallible. They had urged their followers to wage war against Crockta and the orcs, alleging they were conspiring with the Ashen God. Even from this, it was clear that they were lying. Crockta had indeed encountered the Ashen God before, but they were more enemies than anything else. Given the circumstances, it was no wonder that humans, lured by such an absurd oracle and rushing in like moths to a me, appeared pitiful and absurd to Crockta. "We have not conspired with the Ashen God." "What is this nonsense that you¡¯re spewing!" "We also have no intention of starting a war." "Shut up! We will get rid of you!" "I see. Then, so be it." The humans had no interest in listening to Crockta. Was it a misunderstanding on their part that Crockta was extending words instead of his sword, or was their faith so strong that it was blinding them? Crockta lifted his God yer to verify this. He opted to extend his sword instead of his words now. "H-hold on a second..." The greatsword began to fall slowly. The struggling human grabbed the de with his hand. His hands couldn''t fully grasp the vast de of the God yer. "Grrr..." He couldn''t withstand Crockta''s strength either. He shut his eyes tightly as he saw the tip of the sword descending toward his neck. "H-hold on...!" "Since you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to kill me, I have no choice but to kill you," Crockta smirked. As the tip of the sword touched the man''s Adam''s apple, he shouted. "P-please, spare me!" The de halted. "You want to be spared?" "P-please, just stop for a second..." "Didn''t you say you were going to kill me and the orcs?" "I-I give up... I won''t do it." As the man was crying out with his eyes tightly shut, tears seeped through. "I surrender! Spare me!" His hands grasping the de trembled as he shouted. "Do the rest of you feel the same?" Crockta looked around at the other believers. They were watching the scene between Crockta and the man with bated breath. One by one, they nodded. Crockta sheathed the God yer. "Understood." The man hastily got up and stood by his group. They looked at Crockta and hesitated. Crockta continued, "Then drop all your weapons." After exchanging nces, they dropped their weapons one by one. Spears, swords, and shields cluttered the ground. "And..." Crockta slung the God yer over his shoulder. "Piss off." As soon as those words were spoken, the believers turned and started to run. Crockta admired their swift movement and returned to his group. It was a victory that was expected, so everyone looked unimpressed. "Foolish humans... daring to do that without recognizing the great Crockta!" Only Arakunta was delighted by Crockta''s skills. Crockta smirked and sat back down to pick up the rest of his deer meat. It hadn''t cooled yet. "Hey." It was the elf who spoke up. "Why did you just let them go?" Crockta chewed on the meat and replied, "What¡¯s wrong with that?" "They might be running now but they¡¯lle backter. They''ll either join the expedition or attack other orcs." Crockta nodded. "Yeah, probably." "So why did you let them live?" "Well..." Crockta chuckled, then swallowed the meat and said, "Because it¡¯s a nice day, isn''t it?" "What are you saying?" "The sun is shining, the breeze is cool, and that¡¯s why I let them live. Those people are merely ensnared by their god¡¯s oracle; what fault do they have?" "..." "Also, a warrior does not attack those who haveid down their weapons." The elf''s brow furrowed deeper. "Are you serious?" "Absolutely." Crockta finished his meal and stood up. "Now, I have something to tell you." "What is it?" "I don¡¯t know what''s troubling you, but don''t be too serious. Life is too short for worries alone, so focus on the present." Crockta grinned. "Are you living right now?" The elf''s eyes widened as his brow smoothed out instantly. His face, free from worries, showed the pure and bright image of a young elf. He stared at Crockta quietly, then furrowed his brow again, but a faint smile remained on his lips. "Right, that was your way of greeting,¡± the elf muttered to himself. The elf and Crockta''s group resumed their journey. They were going into a familiar terrain for Crockta. Orcrox was just around the corner. * * * There was a king who lived in the dark streets of Anail. There wasn¡¯t a single soul in the city who could oppose him. However, it did not mean that he tyrannizes the citizens; rather, he cunningly tempted them through contracts at moments they overlooked using his deep understanding of their psychology. Those who were deceived into making a contract and then breaking it were met with pain worse than death. That was his way. Moreover, he also meticulously kept the promises he made himself. "Thompson," the man quietly called out the name of the other. The face of the other man was distorted. "And your answer?" "..." "Then you will only suffer more..." The king of Anail gestured with his hand. A painful groan escaped Thompson''s lips. "Argh..." The man chuckled. "This could¡¯ve been avoided if you had just listened to me." Gritting his teeth, Thompson responded. "Don¡¯t give me that... nonsense..." "You seem like you¡¯re not fully understanding your situation." Theughter of the man echoed in the enclosed room. Thompson closed his eyes as his body shivered. He hadn''t anticipated the man would take such drastic steps. After staying quiet for so long, why would he suddenly turn the de toward him? Despite his best efforts to resist, what was inevitable was inevitable. After imagining numerous scenarios in his head, Thompson saw the man''s hand moving again and eventually bowed his head. "Stop." "Giving up now?" "Stop it, I get it." The man chuckled softly. "People are interesting. They challenge even when they know the oue. Again and again, with the vain belief that someday it will work out." "..." "That''s the weakness of humans, Thompson." Unable to bear it anymore, Thompson shouted. "Hah, stop imitating that bastard''s way of speaking!" Surprised by the sudden outburst, the man said, "W-why are you yelling all of a sudden, Thompson?" "Enough! You cheated, didn''t you!" Thompson pointed at the chessboard between them. "You yed like aplete novice before, but as soon as we put some money on the line, you suddenly be the chess master? What kind of cheating chess are you ying here?" "Ah, that''s just because I studied after losing to you. I might not have studied in school, but I have a good head on my shoulders. I think I got it after learning it a few times. Maybe your brain¡¯s just turned into a rock because of your age!" "You..!" Rubbing his forehead, Thompson sat down heavily and took a deep breath. "Huff, huff. Ah, dammit." While the man chuckled at Thompson''s reaction, he once again adopted a serious tone. "The game''s over. Now, let''s execute the contract..." "I told you to stop copying Derek!" "So what! What¡¯s wrong with it?" He whistled long. "He''s already dead, isn''t he?" Jeremy grinned. "Right, guys?" The men in ck suits observing the chess match in the room bowed their heads and shouted, "Yes, Boss!" "You¡¯re right!" "He is dead!" "You killed him yourself, Boss!" Jeremy shrugged. "Told you." Thompson shook his head at the grim spectacle. "Things weren¡¯t like this even when Derek was in charge... What is all this?" "This is my style, so don''t worry about it. Anyway..." Jeremy cleared his throat. "I heard those expedition people asked you to sell them some of your stuff?" "Oh yeah, they did." "Are you going to?" "What?" "Are you going to sell them your..." "You brat, are you disrespecting me? Huh!" Thompson stood up abruptly, flipping the chessboard. "I am Thompson. I never break my integrity. Crockta and Hoyt are my friends! Do you think I would even consider selling goods to them!" "Ah, no! Damn!" Jeremy¡¯s face twisted. "Why did you flip the chessboard!" "Oops? That was my bad. That''s what you get for saying such things. It''s actually all your fault." "You¡¯re a straight-up scammer!" "Are you calling a merchant who lives on credibility a fraud? You sound like a gangster!" Thompson, leader of the Thompson Trading Company, the rising star of the trading world, and Jeremy, the king of Anail''s dark streets, pointed fingers at each other. Those were the two magnates of Anail. Chapter 199: Like a King, Like a Slave (3)

Chapter 199: Like a King, Like a ve (3)

Far off, the spires of Orcrox began to appear. "Crockta," the still-unidentified elf spoke. It was rare for him to start the conversation. Crockta looked at him. "Let me ask you a question." "Sure, go ahead." The elf stopped walking, and the rest of the group followed suit. At that moment, they sensed the elf would soon leave them. It was an inexplicable premonition. This question might as well be hisst. "What does this look like to you?" The elf extended his hand. Then, something unfathomable happened. One of the lush water trees that were towering over Crockta and hispanions began to bow its head slowly. The tree gently lowered its arm-like branches toward them, moving with a dignified grace as if they were alive. Crockta and his group were astonished with their mouth agape. "Crockta, what do you think this is?" A sparrow that was sitting on the branch flew down to the elf''s fingertip. Both the tree and the sparrow seemed to move solely for his purposes. "That is..." Crockta observed it closely. It was just an ordinary sparrow. "... a sparrow." "You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a sparrow." The elf waved his hand, and the sparrow took flight but did not stray from his side. Instead, it settled on his shoulder and nuzzled its head against him. "It might look like a brown-eared sparrow or a chickadee. Perhaps even a yellow-billed sparrow. The important thing is, it''s definitely not a crow." "Indeed. It is certainly not a crow." "However..." The elf looked directly at Crockta. "If everyone calls this bird a crow, what would you do?" Crockta was puzzled as he couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind the elf¡¯s question. "I¡¯m not sure I know what you mean..." "Clearly, this bird is not a crow. No matter how many times you look, and what angle you look at it from, it''s not. But if everyone calls this bird a crow, what then? Too many¡ªno, every single person in the world except you." The elf lifted the sparrow on his fingertip again. The sparrow turned to look directly at Crockta. This elf did not seem to have a malicious spirit. Crockta could sense it. Otherwise, such a small bird wouldn''t sit so calmly on the elf''s hand and look at him. The elf continued. "The whole world, except you, calls it a crow. If you say that this is not a crow but a sparrow, everyone will turn their back on you. They might mock you as blind or beat you for lying. No matter how loudly you protest, no one will listen. You will be the only madman." "Ah..." "Crockta, even if that is the case, would you still call this bird a sparrow? Or would you conveniently agree it''s a crow and look the other way?" Crockta smiled. It was an easy question. "Well, if everyone calls the sparrow a crow, I suppose I could indulge them that much. What''s the big deal." "Is that so..." "But..." Crockta fiddled with his greatsword''s handle. "If that sparrow tells me that it''s indeed not a crow but a sparrow, then no matter what anyone says, I¡¯m going to call it a sparrow." "..." "If people try to paint its beautiful feathers ck because they insist it''s a crow, I will stop them and insist that it''s a sparrow, no matter what." Crockta looked at Tiyo, Anor, and Zankus. They shrugged their shoulders. Crockta grinned at the elf. "Because a sparrow is a sparrow." The elf shook his head. "Then you will be alone. No one will want to be with you. You will be the weird one." There was a hint of self-mockery in his voice. Crockta burst out inughter, hisughter echoing through the tranquil forest. "You dress like a king but think like a ve." "...!" The elf''s eyes widened. No one had ever called him a ve before. Actually, it had always been quite the opposite. He possessed a power that nobody could belittle, dressed mboyantly, and acted with dignity. Yet, this orc was calling him a ve. "You wear magnificent clothes. But you worry more about others, about the gaze of those around you than you do about your own beliefs. That''s the mindset of a ve. If you¡¯re so afraid of what others think of you, go ahead and call the sparrow a crow as all the others do. Say the red is blue if they say so. Call the day night and the earth sea. Everything definitely feels easier and goes more smoothly if you give up on yourself." "I..." "But if you truly wish to be your own master, remember this." Crockta extended his hand. The sparrow, after staring at Crockta''s rough fingers intently, hopped lightly andnded on his fingertip. Holding the sparrow gently in his grasp, Crockta continued, "Even if the entire world points their spears and swords at me, no matter what anyone says, this bird is simply a sparrow." The elf looked at Crockta. Crockta¡¯s eyes were filled with certainty. An unwavering core stood straight within him. "Is that so?" A wrinkle of concern that had lingered on the elf''s brow smoothed out. His troubled face softened, and he smiled faintly. It was a beautiful smile. "I was dressing like a king but thinking like a ve." "That''s right." "Now that I realize this, I must not only dress like a king but also act like one." "Indeed." "Thank you for making me see this." The elf looked at Crockta, then at Zankus, Tiyo, and Anor. The elf spread his hands. Then, the forest parted. "...!" The path to Orcrox unfolded in a straight line. The trees moved their bodies aside, twisting their trunks and roots to pave the way for Crockta''s party. It was an unbelievable sight. "You are..." Anor spoke, his face showing he might have realized something. The elf reached out to Anor. A branch above them descended. As the elf moved his hand, the branch caressed Anor''s cheek as if it were an extension of his hand. "You''vee so far and suffered so much, child." He then looked over the rest of the party one by one. "I tried to find the answers by seeing you. Yet, I found none. But in truth, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t know the answers; I was simply ignoring them." He looked at Crockta. "Just like a ve," Crockta grinned. "Now you look like a proper king." "Thank you." The elf stepped back. It was time for him to leave. "I came dressed as a king but, in fact, thinking as a ve. Yet, as I leave you, I shall leave as a king again." His body began to fade. All of the forest''s flora leaned toward him. The wind bowed its head to him. The great trees bent their branches in respect. "We''ll meet again. The child from the north sends his thanks, Crockta." And then he whispered something. But no sound was made. That whisper wasn''t meant for them. Anor''s eyes widened. Crockta, Zankus, and Tiyo might not have heard the words, but all the elves of the world did. * * * "The World Tree, the god of the elves, has withdrawn from the war." "What?" "I don''t know the details. The elves have started leaving." "What¡¯s going on now?" "Those who came on their own ord are staying, but those who came because of the oracle are returning to their homnd. More than half of the elves have left." "..." Adantadore touched his forehead and then began tough. "Interesting." Arcran could only sigh. The whisper of the World Tree that the elves heard was as follows: ¡®The orcs have not conspired with the Ashen God, and they are not inherently evil. Crockta is exactly as known, a hero.¡¯ However, other gods were different. They issued a new oracle urging their followers to quickly strike down the coborators of the Ashen God. They even criticized the World Tree for losing its judgment. This was not the behavior Arcran knew of the gods. It was all too human. "Things aren¡¯t going to go too well in Arnin either." "Seems like it." They had just reached Arnin, the City of Elves. They received the news before they arrived at Arnin, so getting support from Arnin was also certainly going to be difficult. "Let''s give it a try anyway." However, the result was exactly as they had expected. No, it was even more disastrous. Arcran had to feel the same feelings he had been feeling all this time while sitting in the office of Enyanis, Arnin''s mayor. "Do you see that vest?" "Yes." "It was worn by an orc. He was the first captain of the ins Rescue Unit, Arnin''s pride and joy. He founded the rescue unit himself." Now, Arcran knew who it was without being told. "It was Crockta, wasn¡¯t it?" "Yes. And he is also Arnin''s honorary citizen who exposed the mayor who mocked the citizens with a false mask, a notorious murderer, and vile politicians." The mayor also continued to tell Arcran that the story of Crockta was included in the textbooks of the schools in Arnin. He was an honorary and model citizen representing Arnin. "Most importantly, the World Tree has stopped the elves from participating in the battle." "..." "I thought it would be meaningless to bring up the matter in the council, so I brought you here directly." "I understand. I appreciate your consideration. Thank you." If they had gone to the council, eggs might have been thrown at him just like back in Chesswood. "I don''t know how the matters of the gods are connected to this whole thing, but as someone who has experienced Crockta directly, not as a mayor, I will tell you. He is not the kind of orc you think he is." "..." "I didn''t even know who he was at the time. I was just a ins administrator. But as I watched him hunt treeters on the ins and help the humans and elves around him, I realized. That orc, even when he¡¯s doing nothing, shines." "Shines..." "A person who illuminates his surroundings. I too couldn¡¯t have be a mayor without him. Clueless travelers would still be losing their lives to treeters and a wicked woman." Arcran nodded. "I understand what you''re saying." "You can stay for a day or even try to recruit volunteers if you wish. But I hope you''ll consider what I''ve said carefully." "For sure." He left the city hall without gaining anything. Arnin was a beautiful city. As Arcran headed toward the expedition¡¯s campground, he stopped suddenly in Arnin''s square. There was a monument. Itmemorated the day when the demons of Arnin, Elsanad and Elwina, and the vile Ilya were expelled. It also expressed the city¡¯s gratitude to its honorary citizen Crockta, a traveler who became a hero of Arnin. "I am an honorary citizen!" "Then I am a model citizen!" "You just littered, didn¡¯t you! I¡¯m going to report you!" Children were ying ''honorary citizen'' games, running around. Arcran murmured as he looked up at the sky. "I don¡¯t know anymore." He shook his head and returned to the expedition¡¯s campground. The expedition was camped just outside of Arnin. "I''m sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to gain much." "That¡¯s what we were expecting, anyway.¡± "Thank you for your efforts." Despite returning without any gain, Adantadore and the expeditionary leaders simply nodded without anyments since it was the oue they had expected. They no longer had high hopes for the elves. Although secr elves who did not care about the World Tree volunteered, their numbers were not significant. "With things as they are, how about making a detour to Quantes?" "Gnomes don''t believe much in gods..." "Still, let''s give it a try. We need to replenish our numbers since the elves have withdrawn. There are many viges on the way from Quantes to Orcrox as well." "Let''s do that." Even in the middle of the meeting, Arcran kept silent, lost in thought. The next day, they turned their horses toward Quantes. Just before leaving Arnin, they could see the famous ins Rescue Unit and the treeters. And among them stood a towering rock. "What''s that?" Arcran stopped. Engraved on the rock were words as if someone had carved them directly: ¡¸A warrior does not attack those who haveid down their weapons.¡¹ It was the rock that Crockta himself had engraved, as mentioned by Enyanis. Though Arcran had still never met Crockta, he now felt oddly as if they were well acquainted. And the Crockta he knew was a splendid warrior. "What are you doing? Let''s go." Others shouted at Arcran from behind. "Ah, sorry." Arcran grabbed the reins. The march continued. Arcran nced back at the rock, but soon it was hidden by the wave of the expedition. Arcran looked at Adantadore beside him, then at the leaders and nobles following, and the numerous expeditionary forces. Their faces were stern, probably because Orcrox was getting closer. Arcran closed his eyes. They could not stop here. They hade too far. The kind of person that Crockta truly was no longer mattered. All the gods had dered him a viin. That was enough reason. Everyone gathered there sought to annihte Crockta and the orcs. That was more than enough reason. The decision was not his to make. It was for the massive, collective will of the crowd. He erased Maird, Chesswood, and Arnin from his mind. In their ce, he filled it with the oracle, the expeditionary force, and the uncontrobly inmed hatred of the massive army. Arcran opened his eyes. It was a brief contemtion. He returned to being Arcran, the faithful pdin of the War God. "War God, bless our path ahead." A warhorse that started its charge never stops. Chapter 200: Dragon’s Lake, Tiger’s Den

Chapter 200: Dragon¡¯s Lake, Tiger¡¯s Den

As they approached the entrance to Orcrox, two orcs d in chainmail armor stood still as statues. Their halberds were gleaming in the sunlight. The guards spotted Crockta''s group and smirked, although their protruding tusks and menacing appearance made it seem more like a snarl than a smile. "Oho, still alive, huh?" They hadn''t changed one bit. Crockta stood before them, overwhelmed with emotions. He, once a novice warrior who meant nothing, now returned to Orcrox as a great warrior. "The one who looked absolutely clueless back then..." "Has returned to Orcrox as a warrior that shakes the entire continent." The guards chuckled softly, and Crockta grinned back. "d to see you''ve survived." "Of course. Though we may not have done as much as you¡¯ve been doing." Crockta firmly bumped fists with the two guards and even shared a hug. The orc guards burst intoughter, slightly embarrassed by the affection. "What are you doing? The great Crockta engaging in such mushy antics!" "I¡¯m just showing how d I am to see you, can¡¯t you just let it slide?" "It¡¯s a little embarrassing." Crockta reminisced about his first arrival there. Back then, he was truly naive and knew nothing. He had thought of them merely as well-crafted NPCs. But that wasn''t the case. All the orcs in Orcrox, the now-passed Lenox, and the warriors of that day were all living, breathing beings inside the world of Elder Lord. The Grom, Kim Hyun-Chul, who would now be rotting in jail, the dead Lenox and Gultai he could no longer see, and the orcs he trained with on the barrack¡¯s training ground all shed before his eyes. "Anyway, it''s good to see you guys again." The guards pped Crockta''s shoulder,ughing. Then they noticed Zankus. "If it isn¡¯t Zankus." "Long time no see." The ''Sun Piercer¡¯ Zankus was well known among the orcs. The guards bumped their fists with him. "You guys haven¡¯t changed one bit." Zankus smiled and exined to Crockta, "These men have been guarding this ce even longer than Lenox had. They were here even when I first came." "Is that so?" The two orc guards were venerable veterans. Crockta introduced Tiyo and Anor. ¡°These are mypanions.¡± "We''ve heard about you. Bravepanions indeed." Tiyo nodded proudly. "Hehe, so my fame has already spread!" Even in front of orcs several times his size, Tiyo stood undaunted. He showed a true example of manliness. He followed suit, bumping fists with the orcs before entering Orcrox. Crockta''s arrival stirred Orcrox. Passing orcs stopped in their tracks at the sight of him and his group. "Crockta and Zankus together!" "I am so honored to meet you. Are you alive!" "Wee back!" When Crockta first arrived in Orcrox, they had greeted the clueless neer orc with a punch asking if he was still alive. Now, it carried their respect for the return of a great warrior. "It feels likeing home." Crockta¡¯s party headed toward the training ground where Hoyt was as they received the warm wee of the orcs of Orcrox. They didn¡¯t have to walk for too long before they heard the familiar shouts of orcs training under Hoyt''smand. It reminded Crockta of the time he used to roll in the mud of the barracks under Lenox¡¯smand. "Each! And every! One of your swings! Focus as if it''s the best you''ll ever make!" "Arghhhh!" "Is that pathetic iling the best swing of your life? Is that all you are, Burochi?" "No sir!" "Then swing! Swing like it''s thest thing you''ll ever do!" "Burn!" It was a familiar voice. Hoyt''s voice, once calm, now roared like Lenox''s. "Are you alive, Hoyt!" As Crockta and hispanions appeared at the training ground, everything came to a halt. The orcs, whether sparring, swinging weapons in the air, or doing push-ups to build strength, all turned their attention to them. And Hoyt, the instructor of Orcrox who epassed all of them, merely grinned. "You''re back." "I am." It was a reunion. The first since the battle where Lenox died. "Still alive, Burn!" "Burn!" Crockta and Hoyt bumped fists and hugged. The meeting of two great warriors stirred the warriors on the training ground. "Is that man Crockta?" "Just as the rumors described, a fearsome face and a terrifying greatsword." Even to fellow orcs, Crockta''s appearance was intimidating! And his signature greatsword was even more massive than the rumors suggested. Orcs nodded in approval of Crockta''s prowess. "Indeed, that is truly the warrior who conquered the north and stood against the empire." After Crockta and Hoyt exchanged their greetings, Zankus also exchanged fist bumps with him. They were already well acquainted. "Stop wandering around and visit Orcrox more often." "Keke, hunters don''t settle easily." Crockta also introduced hispanions, Tiyo and Anor, to Hoyt. They were warmly weed, already famous along with Crockta as the ¡®Magic Bullet Sprayer'' Tiyo and ''Necromancer Overlord'' Anor. "We should have a drink now that we''re reunited for the first time in such a long time..." "Let''s go right now!" "But I don''t want to let these guys off easy." Hoyt scanned the orcs on the training ground, who tensed up under his gaze. Hoyt, now as stern an instructor as Lenox, surveyed them critically. It was as if his position magnified his strictness. Crockta stepped up. "Let me take care of it." "You?" "I once rolled in the mud here too, I understand their hearts." As Crockta stepped forward with his greatsword, all eyes were on him. The orc stepping forward was none other than the ¡®Northern Conqueror,'' and the ''Empire Nemesis''. He was already a legend. Countless orcs hade here aspiring to be like him. And that case wasn''t just these orcs. "So that¡¯s Crockta..." "That¡¯s so sick..." There were orc users who chose to follow Crockta¡¯s footsteps. After the legendary broadcasting of his retaliation against the empire, the number of orc users increased significantly. On top of that, the orcs here were those who had selected the warrior ss. They were hardcore fans of Crockta who were willing to take on the grueling training of the barracks that nobody would do willingly. And Crockta splendidly destroyed their expectations. "Your eyes look utterly and pathetically dim!" Crockta''s booming voice echoed. The bomb he had dropped out of nowhere left everyone dumbfounded. "Such eyes of the weak!" Crockta chuckled at Hoyt as he said this. There was a time when he, too, was awkwardly swinging his sword like them. Crockta sauntered around, eyeing each orc down. "With such frail eyes, how could you possibly be warriors? If you''re going to have such rotten, dead-fish eyes, you might as well gouge them out!" The orcs in training looked at Crockta with faces full of discontent. Orcs were known for their immense pride. "What, you don¡¯t like that? Then let''s make a bet! Win the bet, and there''s no training today! You can head back to the pub this instant and gulp down a barrel of beer, and Instructor Hoyt will forgive you!" Crockta shouted. The orcs were stirred. It was a chance to escape the harsh training and to rx for the rest of the day with a cold beer. "However! If you lose to me, you will all sleep here tonight. Training continues until sunrise tomorrow!" "O-overnight training, you mean?" "That¡¯s right." ¡°Keugh..!¡± Such an extreme stake! "What kind of bet are you talking about?" Crockta grinned. He then dropped his greatsword to the ground. With his hands free, Crockta flicked his finger at the orcs around him. "All of you, attack me at the same time. Use whatever means you like. If you make me fall to the ground even once, you win." "That''s..." It was essentially a challenge to attack. The orcs nced at each other. Though all they had to do to win was knock him down to win, the opponent was Crockta himself. Even with numbers on their side, victory seemed quite unlikely. ¡°What, none of you are confident? Are you all cowards?" "...!" "I¡¯m standing here without a single weapon! Look at yourselves!" Crockta stepped forward, pointing at the closest orc. "With swords! With axes! With hammers! Yet you stand there, ncing around like fools! You are not orcs! You''re like humans! Elves! Dwarfs, even worse!" "Do not insult us!" "Insult? Are you even capable of feeling insulted?" Crocktaughed. "If you do, thene at me." "...!" The closest orc snorted angrily. His axe wobbled and then flew swiftly aimed right at Crockta. Indeed, it was a worthy strike from a disciple of Hoyt, even as an apprentice. "Burnnnnnnn!" But the opponent was Crockta. The axe de never reached him. Instead, Crockta''s fist hammered into the orc''s abdomen. "Kugh!" And that was the beginning. All the orcs on the training ground charged at Crockta. Dust rose as the massive orcs rushed at one man, obscuring their figures. "That is quite fiery," Hoyt murmured as he stepped back to watch. "Hehe, watching this reminds me of when I fought seventeen to one in Quantes!" "He¡¯s fighting at least four, five dozen of them, not seventeen..." From various directions, the sound of hits and groans erupted. Orcs were thrown through the air. And after a few moments, there was only one orc standing his ground. It was Crockta. He dusted off his fists and said, "Insufficient. Very insufficient. You''re allcking!" But no orc could retort anymore. Every single one of them was busy clutching their injuries, groaning. "Tired? Hurt? No one cares! This is your training! Get up and swing your weapons!" Crockta stomped his foot at the orcs to prompt them. As a few were even kicked by him directly, the orcs staggeringly stood up. "Get up!" "Ugh, it hurts too much..." "Train like it¡¯s a real battle! Would you ask your enemy to stop fighting because it hurts on the battlefield? Get up! It''s supposed to be hard! No one cares about your reasons!" "Ugh!" "I''m going to go enjoy a cold beer with Instructor Hoyt, so you continue training! Kyahahahah!" The orcs shivered at Crockta¡¯s ruthless demeanor. "So that¡¯s the real face of the Northern Conqueror!" "Thank god Hoyt is our instructor..." Zankus shook his head. "If that guy became their instructor, Lenox and Hoyt wouldn''t evenpare. He would absolutely be the devil of all instructors." "I agree." After sorting out the training ground, Crockta returned to Hoyt with an innocent smile. "All settled. Kekeke!" "..." Regardless of the method, thanks to Crockta''s effort, Hoyt couldfortably leave to enjoy his leisure time. As Crockta was leaving the training ground, he suddenly stopped. He saw a stick standing in a corner with a full view of the training ground. All orcs knew what it was. It was where Lenox¡¯s helmet had been hanging. Since his death, the steel helmet had always been watching over the training ground. "Hoyt. I''ll hang the helmet back." "No. It was given to you, keep wearing it." Before his battle against the empire, Crockta received Lenox¡¯s helmet from Simba and Kumarak. Crockta had been keeping the helmet ever since. "You still have to use it in the future." Crockta nodded. They were facing a battle against the expedition force that received the oracle. Lenox¡¯s helmet would be worn again by Crockta then. "Where¡¯s Kumarak?" "He went for a walk with Simba, but they should be back soon. Not just them, Anya, Wachwi, and other promising young orcs havee." "Young orcs?" Zankus grinned and interjected. "I''ve met them too. They¡¯re bold ones who say they want to challenge you. Still green, but they¡¯re promising." If orcs like Zankus had already be legends achieving great feats, there was also a new generation rising just like Crockta. "Tiyo and Anor, you''ve be targets too, so stay well-prepared." Anor was startled. "M-me? A target?" "There are those who want to prove they''re a better marksman and a necromancer of a higher caliber than you two." Tiyo burst intoughter. "Foolish fellows. They''ll know they''re mistaken once they taste my General! I can''t wait to meet them!" "Haha, such a spirited gnome." They exchanged pleasantries as they entered the pub. Crockta''s eyes grew distant. This was where he sought advice from the orc warrior Gultai before earning the right to be a warrior. The cheerful warrior Gultai had shared many stories with him,ughing heartily. Even when he was facing his death in the dungeon, he stayed true to himself and went out with his signatureugh. Then, "Kehyahyahyahya!" Suddenly, a familiarugh rang out, making Crockta look in that direction. He couldn''t believe his eyes. An orc warrior, strikingly simr to Gultai, was there,ughing heartily as he downed his beer. "That''s Gultai''s son, Grokchwi." "Gultai''s son...!" Though he was stunned for a moment, Crockta soon grinned. The sight seemed to awaken something in Crockta. He was an orc warrior. Dwelling in the past wasn''t the way of an orc warrior. Like Gultai''s son Grokchwi, he just needed to enjoy the moment. "Let''s drink!" They began drinking with the orcs. Soon, others appeared. "What! That Crockta has grown so much? He''s be quite the handsome man." "So this is where everyone was! Leaving me out from beer! Let''s drink! Krung!" "Kraaang!" Soon, Anya, Kumarak, Simba, and other notable figures or Orcrox were all gathered. "I might as well have one too, since it¡¯s been a while... Krul... Hul!" After appearing out of nowhere, Wachwi snickered and grabbed a beer. Anyone witnessing this scene would''ve been astounded. Here in a pub in Orcrox, those so-called legends were all gathered together. Chapter 201: The Start of a War (1)

Chapter 201: The Start of a War (1)

The reception toward the expedition force was cold in Quantes as well. In Quantes, Crockta was a hero who saved the city from a cursed object known as the "Demon¡¯s Mouth". But Arcran didn¡¯t care. He had stopped hesitating over Crockta. Whatever Crockta had done in the past, it didn¡¯t matter in the end. He was an enemy now. If he were a saint, Arcran was going to kill a saint. If he were a sinner, then Arcran was going to kill a sinner. Once he cleared his mind of the doubts, the image of his enemy became crystal clear. "Something¡¯s gone wrong," Phelos said with concern. Phelos was a nobleman who boasted about his connections with the leaders of Anail¡¯s underworld. His n to pressure Thompson into partnering with the expedition force had also fallen through. "The dark streets¡¯ boss has changed recently, and the new boss is said to be a friend of Crockta. Instead of forming a partnership, our messenger returned all beaten up," Phelos reported. "A friend of Crockta... that is quite a funny coincidence," Arcran chuckled. "I-indeed. And Thompson said the same thing as that new boss." Phelosmented. "Is that so? That Crockta really knows how towork, haha..." ¡°......¡± Phelosughed awkwardly. Now more determined than ever, Arcran exuded a sharper and darker aura than before. "It doesn''t matter. It might make things a bit more inconvenient, but they weren''t essential in the first ce. We already have enough manpower and funds." Though they had faced difficulties in the major cities they had expected to give them a boost, they already had sufficient volunteers gathered. The size of the expedition was beyond imagination, likely to be recorded as thergest assembly under one g in history. And the orcs would be recorded as a race that was trampled by this glorious army of the gods and eventually be forgotten. "The gods are with us." "Is that so..." "The gods keep whispering that we wille out victorious in the end." Perhaps there wasn''t even a need for such an expedition force. Arcran had a certainty. No matter how strong the orcs were, they couldn¡¯t possibly stand against the wrath of numerous gods. "Our victory is just a matter of time. Be at ease." As he spoke, it felt as if an indescribable power was wavering in his hands. He clenched his fists. His entire body was filled with so much strength that his bones and muscles were audibly grinding against each other. "The War God says so." "U-understood." Phelos sheepishly replied as he took a step back. He was unsettled by Arcran''s transformed demeanor, which now carried a hint of fanaticism. "Are you okay?" Adantadore asked while observing Arcran. "I am fine, as always." "I¡¯m sure you know this, but..." Adantadore sighed after scanning Arcran¡¯s body. He saw through Arcran''s condition. "... Excessive divine power can ruin the body." Divine power was infused with Arcran. It was likely in preparation for the uing war. It was unclear what the War God was nning, but immense divine power was flowing into Arcran. Arcran smiled. "I''m fine. This is different from what you are worried about. I have more power flowing inside me than ever before." "... Alright, you know yourself better than anyone." Adantadore shrugged. The truth was that he was never particrly concerned about Arcran''s condition anyway. "Is Orcrox finally up next?" "Yes. The end is in sight," Arcran answered with a grin. It was a signal that their long expedition was finallying to its climax. The expedition moved through Quantes, made its rounds around the viges, and then passed Anail. Even in Anail, the expedition found themselves unweed. Thompson and Jeremy from the dark streets were close to Crockta. Everywhere they went, there were people popping up iming they owed one to Crockta. He was a saint who founded a volunteer organization, a hero who saved a vige, an honorable citizen who exposed a corrupted mayor, and a warrior who subdued the city''s demon. All of this made him a benefactor to many influential figures. But he was also the one who had incurred the wrath of the gods. No matter how good his other deeds were, Crockta was ultimately defined by thatst line. After all, everything was for the gods to decide. Human affairs were trivial under those of the gods. The vanguard returned, waving their gs. They reported an anomaly to Arcran and Adantadore. As they said, something was visible in the distance. The entire leadership was stirred. Arcran smiled thinly. It was a very orc-ish idea. Instead of hiding in Orcrox, they chose toe out and face them head-on. A battlefield fitting for the climax. It was a grand pitched battle. * * * Yi-An leaned on his chin, watching Yi-Yoo stuffing her mouth with a burger. She was ravishingly chowing down an all-extrarge burger meal from Burger Prince. "What are you staring at?" "Nothing. I¡¯m just wondering if there''s a beggar inside that stomach of yours." "..." Yi-Yoo snorted, crinkled her nose at her brother, and then took another big bite of her burger. She then sipped her coke through a straw. Watching his sister, Yi-An chuckled and took a fry to his mouth. "Slow down." The significant increase in Yi-An''s time in Elder World didn¡¯t give them a lot of time to spend together. This was their first outing together in a long time. "Did you hear? Apparently, there¡¯s going to be another huge war in Elder World. Are you not going to that? You¡¯ve basically been living in that game." The conflict between the orcs led by Crockta and the expedition army following the oracle was a hot topic even in the real world. This time, the conflict was entirely among NPCs with no user involvement, making it harder to predict the oue, which only added to the intrigue. Betting sites saw odds skyrocket, and yers eager to somehow benefit from this increase in attention were trying to join the fray. There was a momentary chaos caused by a wave of users surging into not only the expedition but also into Orcrox iming that they wanted to fight with them. "Well..." Yi-An trailed off. Actually, it wasn''t a matter of whether he would go or not. He was the main man of the war. However, Yi-An couldn¡¯t disclose this fact to her. He instead stretched and pretended to look around the fast-food restaurant. "Isn¡¯t it about time for you to be a ranker now? You¡¯re not still a newbie, are you? Some of my friends are saying they¡¯re going to go pro. Tsk tsk, skipping studies for some game." "And what about you? Are you studying hard?" Yi-Yoo smiled with a straw in her mouth. "I¡¯ll get a schrship this semester." "I don¡¯t expect much, so you don¡¯t have to tell me lies." "I¡¯m serious." "I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that." "Wow, you can¡¯t even put that much faith into your own sister?" "Exaggeration alwayses back to bite you." Expressing intentions was one thing, but failing to meet your own derations was one of the most embarrassing things that could happen. "Hmm..." Yi-An looked at Yi-Yoo and smiled gently. "Jung Yi-Yoo." "Hmm?" "You¡¯re gonna be just fine, right?" "I¡¯m always fine?" "Never mind, then. That¡¯s good to hear." Yi-An nodded. As he told Yoo Jae-Han, He had nned to reduce his ytime in Elder World and stay away from dangerous activities. But things didn''t go as nned. His synchronization rate remained at a hundred percent. The Ashen God no longer spoke to him, but the warning about dying in Elder World leading to death in the real world as well was likely still valid. He was no longer just a yer of the game. After that day, the status window disappeared, as did grades for skills or items. The moment he connected to Elder World, he became Crockta, the orc warrior, himself. "Even if I¡¯m not here, you have to take care of yourself." "Huh? Are you going somewhere? Why?" Anxiety shed in her eyes. Yi-An shrugged it off. "Just thinking of taking a trip..." "Alone?" "Yeah." "Let mee with you!" "You want to?" As Yi-Yoo brightened up, Yi-An smiled ambiguously again. He was about to enter a battle. There was no turning back now. If Elder World had been merely a game in the past, knowing now that all those beings were alive, he couldn''t just run away. After all, he was Crockta. And because of him, the entire orc race was under threat. He couldn''t just decide to avoid danger. The moment he connected to Elder World, he became Crockta and thought like an orc warrior. No matter how hard he thought about protecting himself for Yi-Yoo¡¯s sake, the moment he became Crockta wielding the greatsword, being alive as a warrior became paramount over anything else. "I know you¡¯re not talking about some trip.¡± Yi-Yoo suddenly said. Yi-An was taken aback. "Huh?" "You said to take care of myself and all that, it''s not about a trip, is it?" "Uh..." "I catch on fast." Yi-An rolled his eyes. Yi-Yoo grinned. "You got a girlfriend, didn¡¯t you?" "... Eh?" "You suddenly found a girl after being single your entire life and now you¡¯re probably getting ahead of yourself, thinking about marriage and whatnot. That¡¯s why you¡¯re saying all that stuff about not being here and me taking care of myself. It makes me proud of you and pity you at the same time, but I''ll respect your decision. Of course, you¡¯ll have to introduce her to me." "No, that¡¯s not..." "She''s not younger than me, is she?" "That..." "I''ll understand even if she is. And don¡¯t worry about me. I''ve always been fine on my own. Don''t sacrifice yourself for me. I won¡¯t have any of that." "I''m sacrificing the cost of the burger right now..." "Quiet!" Yi-Yoo silenced Yi-An with a finger-point and stuffed thest piece of her burger into her mouth. "Anyway, I only cause trouble when I¡¯m with you. Have I ever done something stupid or had an ident when you weren''t around? No, right?" When Yi-An was in the military, she was left with rtives. They weren''t particrly close kin. Rather, they were more interested in the money Yi-An was sending them than in Yi-Yoo¡¯s well-being. It couldn¡¯t have ever been afortable ce for her, but Yi-Yoo neverined or caused trouble. In fact, she managed a little too well. Yi-An smiled bitterly. Why didn''t he realize it before? Yi-Yoo, too, had endured tough times. Hardships make a person stronger, and Yi-Yoo''s inner strength was greater than he knew. "I''m beautiful and smart, so I''ll livefortably. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about me, so don¡¯t." "Smart?" "Ah, my grades aren¡¯t great because I don''t study! But I am smart." "Sure, why not... Let¡¯s leave it at that." Yi-Anughed. He had his will prepared since his military days and had changed since then. Moreover, he had his trusted mentor, Baek Han-Ho, to look after her. Yi-Yoo might not know, but Baek Han-Ho had always kept an eye on her when she was living with their rtives, fearing they might mistreat her. He was someone who would protect Yi-Yoo in any scenario, no matter how dire the situation was. "Let''s really take a trip sometime. Got anywhere you want to go?" "Maldives!" "Sounds good. Let''s go." "Eek! Really?" There was one thing more important than anything else. The confidence that he wouldn¡¯t die. "When have you ever seen me lie?" "Fair enough." Yi-An always survived. This time would be no different. He would be Crockta and protect Orcrox. Bing Crockta and wielding the God yer, he was confident he could stand against anyone. And he felt like the Ashen God would appear after this war. Then, he would ask what he really wanted to know. * * * ¡ªLadies and gentlemen, wee! As always, thank you all for always loving the Undergames channel. ¡ªToday is the day we''ve all been waiting for, the battle between the orcs and the expedition force. Yes, today is that day! Do you see that incredible number? That right there is the expedition force. ¡ªImpressive. ¡ªIt seems evenrger than the battles with the imperial army in the past. No, it isrger. It''s actually a lotrger. ¡ªIt''s true that, uh, arge number of the expeditionary forces are untrained, but when you have this big of an army, that doesn''t really matter anymore. Take a look at theirposition. It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t have any knights! And on top of that, they have so many soldiers, volunteers, and all that! I mean, how do you even fight against an army like that? ¡ªBut the orcs will show us something, right? ¡ªExactly! That''s what we''re looking forward to! The orc who has always shown us something, the Northern Conqueror and the Empire Nemesis! The idol of Praise the Orc, Crockta! With a warrior who has always managed to do what seemed impossible, we cannot predict the oue prematurely. On top of that, it''s said that numerous legendary NPCs besides Crockta are also participating in this war. We''ll have to wait and see the oue. ¡ªLegendary NPCs? ¡ªYes. For starters, we have those like Zankus, Kumarak, etc... I''ll exin in detail as we go. ¡ªHaha. You''ve certainlye prepared for today. ¡ªAs amentator, I always have to be studying. That''s our duty. Hehe. ¡ªYou are impressive as always. Ah, this moment! An anomaly was detected on the screen. A group from the orc camp took the lead. ¡ªWhat''s that? ¡ªAh, that is...! * * * Crockta the ''Northern Conqueror.¡¯ Zankus the ''Sun yer.¡¯ Kumarak the ''Mountain Smasher.¡¯ These three were the first to appear. And that was not all. Following them was the most infamous fighter who led a group of berserkers, reveling in ughter, and annihted an entire family of a count to avenge Lenox. The ¡®Mad ughterer¡¯ Anya. A madman who roamed the world, but whose sorcery was said to have reached the peak of the earth, Wachwi the ''Abyss Shaman¡¯ stood by her side. "Amazing..." Even more appeared. "Hehe, a battlefield fitting for me!" Tiyo the ¡®Magic Bullet Sprayer¡¯, who bombards his enemies with artifacts. "I hate fighting, but..." Anor the ''Necromancer Overlord'', who raises the dead with the power of necromancy. Followed by the young orcs who have recently made a name for themselves, ''Bandit yer'' Keruta, ¡®Purgatory Wielder¡¯ Mka, ''Drunken Brawler'' Islchwi, and other formidable orcs appeared one after another. "I heard they came here with an oracle. Is that all of them? That¡¯s it?" "If they wanted to annihte the orcs, they should have brought every single person in this entire world except us." "Kekeke, there''s nothing better than alcohol and battle." An armyposed of those who are called one-man armies themselves. It was truly a formidable sight to behold! It was a legion of legions. The expedition force facing them stirred. Those whom anyone would recognize just by hearing their names. Those who were known for their fame and infamy. They were gathered in one ce, staring them down. "Wow... they''ve all really gathered." "All those monsters together..." "Can we win this...?" The morale of the expedition force began to drop. They had considered this war to be an easy battle, expecting to overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers. They were a force big enough to afford such thoughts. Even now,pared to the expedition force, the orc forces seemed fragile. But those orcs... Seeing them standing in the front and staring them down, fear welled up in them. They had been concerned about Crockta, but instead, even more terrifying beings who had been famous for much longer than Crockta had appeared. "Do not be afraid! Stay calm!" Arcran shouted. However, the uneasiness did not easily subside. The entire expedition force was now hesitant. Arcran urged the g bearers. "The gs..." Just then, the orcs looked at each other, discussed something, and then pushed one orc forward with thunderousughter. That orc stepped out in front of the orc camp. It was Crockta. With his menacing greatsword on his shoulder and wearing a dark steel helmet, Crockta stood before the expedition force with the same imposing aura he had when he was opposing the empire all by himself. Even in the face of such a formidable and numerous armed forces, he seemed rather rxed. Crockta approached close enough for his voice to reach the expedition force and opened his mouth as the representative of the orc army. "Since it seems we have nothing to say to each other, let''s get started quickly." His voice boomed across the ins. At the same time, a murderous intent burst forth from the orcs positioned behind him. "All of you at once..." With that momentum, Crockta grinned and lifted his chin. "Come at me." Chapter 202: The War Begins (2)

Chapter 202: The War Begins (2)

¡ªThere it is again! Crockta''s signature move! The ¡®Come at me¡¯ deration! ¡ªIn the past, when fighting against the empire, Crockta also provocatively invited the imperial army toe at him! As expected of Crockta! The atmosphere sure is heating up! ¡ªIf your enemy tells you toe at them, then you do it! The enemy is few! The expedition force is vast! How could they possibly just stand by and listen to the taunt? Ah! The expedition force is moving! They''re going because he called them! Collision is imminent! ¡ªThe battle begins! Crockta''s bold invitation thrilled the crowd. The inside of the pub, which was broadcasting the live stream of Elder World on the big screen, was getting heated. They were more than sessful in bringing in a crowd using the live stream. The bar quickly filled up, allowing no room to take an extra step. "He really is a star." Jung Yun-Jiughed, swirling her beer. In the world of Elder World, her name was Ste. She was an elite employee in the gaming world, bing an executive of the cksmiths Trading Company at a young age. She had already submitted a leave of absence form to her college and practically has been a semi-professional Elder World yer. She was watching the war between the expedition force and the orcs with her ssmates, including Yoon Bo-Ra, Ban Tae-Hoon, and Park Jung-Tae. "Look, they¡¯re fighting." "Don¡¯t forget the bet. The loser pays for dinner today. I''m going to eat until I burst." "Hah, you better not be thinking about running away." Yun-Ji and her friends were all hyped up. ¡ªSsh! There was a sound of water being sprayed. And it wasn¡¯ting from anywhere else. It was from therge screen! The expedition force that had charged right at the onset of the battle was split apart by the strike of Crockta who was also charging at them at the forefront of the orcs, causing a fountain of blood to spray out. Following that, Crockta''s roar resonated inside the pub. The volume was so loud it seemed like the speakers would burst. "The one and only Crockta!" "Crockta is the best!" Those supporting Crockta started chanting his name. He was cutting through the expedition force on his own, like parting a tsunami. "Hey, this one¡¯s interesting too." Suddenly, Yun Bo-Ra pointed to the tablet screen. It was hard to hear the audio of the stream because of the noise level inside the pub, but a streamer was participating in the war and livestreaming it from his point of view. He had joined the expedition force. From the frontline, he faced the orc army. "It''s so immersive." The streamer panted, speaking to the viewers. ¡ªChat! Look at this! There are so many orc bros, their faces are terrifying! This might be the end of Streamer Jung-Min! Chat, please send some donations! I''m dying! I''m too scared to move, chat! Yun Bo-Ra typed. ¡¸Boradoridori: Go closer to Crockta! Here''s some donation! Show us Crockta!¡¹ [Boradoridori has sent 10 donations.] ¡ªThank you, Boradoridori! Here¡¯s a reaction for you! Hyat! Even in the midst of the war, Streamer Jung-Min tried to do a handstand. It was the spirit of a non-popr streamer with not so many viewers. Then, he got trampled by the rushing expedition force and fell over. The screen got messed up, showing Streamer Jung-Min¡¯s face nted on the ground and the army walking all over him. ¡ªKek! It hurts...... But I still love you, my viewers! Boradoridori, I love you! Yun Bo-Ra was shocked. ¡¸Boradoridori: Enough with the chit-chat and go already!¡¹ ¡ªUnderstood, Boradori bro! Keep watching, and chat! Streamer Jung-Min is on the move! He clumsily got up, grabbed his weapon, and started heading toward Crockta. His weapon was a slender rapier. ¡ªI see Crockta over there! Look, chat! In the middle of the battlefield, there was a single spot where people were being sted away above the crowd. It was as if modern firearms had appeared in the world of Elder World! Every time an explosive sound was heard, several people were turned into pieces and shot into the sky. The terrified expedition force didn¡¯t dare approach that area. "Do not be afraid and fight!" Arcran was screaming from behind, trying to encourage the people. ¡ªUgh, that bastard really talks too much! He¡¯s just watching from the back, why the hell doesn¡¯t he do it himself instead of telling us what to do? Am I wrong, chat? But still, chat, this Streamer Jung-Min will personally meet the legendary Crockta himself! Fully prepared to die! If I live, I live; if I die, I die! So, please send some donations...! ¡¸Boradoridori: Just stop babbling and go! I''ll donate if you go!¡¹ ¡ªYes, sir! Here we go, chat! Streamer Jung-Min dug his way through the expedition forces and advanced to the very front line, the ''Crockta Zone.'' It was a ce deserted as no one dared to approach Crockta''s vicinity. At that moment, Crockta''s face, wielding a greatsword and ring at his enemies, was revealed. Gasp! Streamer Jung-Min inhaled sharply. And so did everyone watching the video. Yun Bo-Ra and her friends around her also gasped. Murderous intent. The energy had materialized, pressing a de against their throats. Crockta''s eyes were already red. The shimmering gaze beneath the ck helmet was terrifying just by meeting it. His body was already drenched in blood, and the greatsword in his hands trembled as it sought the enemy''s breath. An emissary delivering death to the enemy without a moment''s hesitation. That was why no one could approach him. Just a single step. Taking that one step meant certain death. Everyone could feel it. "No wonder he fights alone..." Yun Bo-Ra muttered. Everyone agreed. Crockta was an unreal warrior who had dominated countless battlefields alone. His record of fighting alone against the empire''s army and knight order never made sense to begin with. That was why it was difficult for people to truly understand his level. And now, for the first time, they were facing the true image of a one-man army, a butcher ughtering an entire army from the perspective of the opposing side. That was it. The overwhelmingbat power that slices up the enemy the moment they approach. The fear that makes the enemy''s legs buckle just with Crockta¡¯s murderous intent. The face of a demon. "I¡¯m scared..." Crockta was a fierce-looking orc, so it was natural for people to be scared of his face. People''s enthusiasm partly came from his righteous deeds that did not match his appearance. But the "scary" now wasn''t what they had always meant. Now, it was an emotion that was truly and desperately being felt¡ªthe kind that makes you want to turn away, that kind that everyone wants to avoid. The madness of a murderer that makes you avert your eyes. That was warrior Crockta. ¡ªChat... I''m sorry... Jung-Min cannot go on; my legs are giving way... At that moment, the screen distorted. Simultaneously, a tremendous roar filled the pub, followed by a burst from the tablet. ¡ªI am Kumarak©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! It was a turmoil from another ce. The shout shook the earth. It was an earthquake. Everyone on the screen lost their bnce and fell. Streamer Jung-Min also copsed with a short yelp. ¡ªChat, at this rate, this Jung-Min will die... Huh? At that moment, Streamer Jung-Min came to a realization. So did the viewers. The moment he fell due to the earthquake''s aftermath. He had entered Crockta''s range. Swoosh. Suddenly, the screen was dyed red. Everyone was speechless. Those watching the stream knew exactly what it meant. Soon, the blood unable to hold its weight flowed down. In between the streams of red liquid, Streamer Jung-Min''s decapitated face was frozen on the screen. Then, the screen went dark. [Streamer Jung-Min''s broadcast has ended.] * Crockta slung his greatsword over his shoulder and advanced. An open space was formed around him as he walked forward from the enemies staggering back at the sight of him. But this was a battlefield. Blocked by their own allied forces behind them, the enemies had nowhere else to retreat. The faces of the soldiers turned pale. "Is that all you¡¯ve got?" Crockta asked the expedition force. The tattoos engraved all over his body heated up intensely. "You say you¡¯vee to eliminate us with this©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!" Crockta roared as he wound up the God yer behind him. He twisted his body to its limits, concentrating his strength. His muscles coiled in preparation for a single explosive movement. The enemies before him, sensing their impending doom, closed their eyes and prayed to their gods rather than resisting. Crockta granted them a final moment of mercy, dying his attack just a bit. One. Two. Were their prayers finished? Then, the God yer was swung. A reddish de aura spread out in a fan shape. sh! The foremost row was split into two halves. sh! Then another behind it was split. sh. sh. sh. The army crumbled, and blood fountains erupted. Ssh! And Crockta watched every single drop of blood fly. In this world that hade to a halt at his swing, Crockta alone was free to roam the battlefield. Faces filled with terror, faces resigned to death, faces in prayer, he looked at them all closely. The pinnacle of that world. From there, Crockta looked at his enemies. It was a moment of solitude. But then, the atmosphere trembled. ".....!" He turned around. Their eyes met. It was Kumarak. He grinned wickedly, lifting his axe. In that world, stretched thin to the brink of eternity, Crockta was not alone. And it wasn¡¯t just Kumarak. Creak. He heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled. It was Zankus. A strangeugh echoed. It was Wachwi. Crockta¡¯s lips curled up. "I see." Standing before him were waves of enemies close to infinity, not seemingly going down in number no matter how many times he shed them. On top of that, they bore the power of gods on their backs. Yet, Crockta felt no fear. For in that moment, he was not alone. It was a splendid feeling. "Hey!" Suddenly, a brilliant light shed before his eyes. "Don''t get distracted during battle, Crockta!" Tiyo wasughing, aiming the General. Crockta burst intoughter. "My bad." Then lifted his greatsword again. It was time to fight. Creak. Then, the wheels of time began to move once more. The enemies started to move. Simultaneously, blood fountains burst forth across the battlefield. * ¡°This is mad," Adantadore remarked, chuckling. "The orcs are truly an insane race." What made them think they could win so easily? Everywhere they looked, bewildering scenes were unfolding. With each swing of the axe of the famous Kumarak, swathes of soldiers were erased from the battlefield. Giant arrowsing from directions they could not anticipate skewered soldiers inyers. "I understand how those creatures are doing this, but..." It wasn¡¯t a surprise that these monstrous orcs were doing what they were doing. But nameless orc warriors too were disying terrifying strength. "Is that all you''ve got!" An orc took a de in the belly but merely grinned, swinging his axe to behead his foe. sh. Then a spear impaled him. Still grinning, the orc brought his axe down. The spear''s owner was cleaved in two. "Is that all you''ve got, you humans?!" Blood streamed from his mouth, nose, and eyes, but his frenzy did not cease. Soldiers continued to fall around him asyers of wounds were being added to the orc¡¯s body simultaneously. Only when bristling with spears and swords like a hedgehog did the orc finally halt. After catching his breath, the orc raised his axe again. "Burnnnn!" The surrounding soldiers retreated in horror. But the orc couldn''tplete his swing and miserably froze midughter. He fought as a warrior and died as a warrior. In the end, he was surrounded by the dismembered and disemboweled bodies of the humans that he took with him. This was just one nameless orc warrior. And such beings formed an army fighting against them. The orc battle cries incessantly tormented the ears of the expedition force. "Arcran. At this rate, we might..." Adantadore looked at Arcran. "... Arcran?" Upon turning his eyes to look at Arcran, Adantadore¡¯s face turned pale. A faint light was emanating from Arcran. "The real battle starts now," he dered calmly. Adantadore realized. They were an army sanctified by the oracle of the gods. This war was not merely a sh between an average expedition force and the orcs. "The gods are with us." It was a battle between the gods and orcs. Arcran spread his arms wide. Then, the heavens parted, and divine radiance illuminated the earth. The touch of gods caressed the soldiers of the expedition force. It instantly healed the wounds of the expedition soldiers, invigorated them, and ignited a near-mad zeal inside them. The tide of the battle shifted. The expedition force who had beenpletely outpowered by the orcs just moments ago were now overwhelming them instead. They shoved their swords and spears into the orcs with a frenzy as intense as theirs. In a disregard for their own safety, the battlefield became a brutal ughterhouse. "Protect this ce." "Arcran?" Arcran dismounted his horse. Priests and pdins of various temples followed him. "We will prevail." Divine power surged through them. Arcran drew his sword, and a sh of light zed. "In the name of the gods." Banners were raised. At that moment, the gods joined the fray through their priests and pdins. The real war had begun. Chapter 203: War of the Gods (1)

Chapter 203: War of the Gods (1)

Kumarak''s weapon was named Destroyer. It was an axe muchrger and with a longer handle than ordinary ones. He wielded it as he surveyed the battlefield before him. Despite the countless soldiers that charged at them, the waves of the expeditionary force were split and scattered upon facing the orcs. It was just like how a flock of sheep can never fight against a wolf. No matter how numerous the enemy, there was nothing to fear. "Are you the Mountain Smasher?" Suddenly, someone spoke to him. Kumarak scanned the enemy. It was a man dressed in knight''s armor, exuding an aura somewhat different than the ordinary soldiers. He seemed like he was at a fairly strong level, that is, he possessed the strength of perhaps a knightmander. He stared at Kumarak challengingly, pointing his sword at him. "I have heard of your fame." Kumarak did not reply but simply smirked. He was interested in hearing what the challenger had to say. "I volunteered for the expedition to prove my strength. You are said to be the warrior who ttens mountains." "..." "It''s an honor to meet someone like you. I will defeat you and make the name of the Arteros family known across the continent. I will show the world that the sword of Arteros is the strongest." Kumarak''s mouth opened. The man before him was dering his intention to use Kumarak as a stepping stone to elevate his own fame. In other words, he was already thinking about the aftermath of the fight. To this man, Kumarak was merely a means to an end. It was aplete absurdity. "I am thest carrier of the name of the Arteros family. My name is Bende..." The challenger was saying something, but Kumarak wasn''t listening. He just looked down at his beloved weapon, the Destroyer. The Destroyer was a weapon that had drunk the blood of countless enemies. A demonic weapon cleaned the blood off with even more blood and its sticky gore was wiped clean with flesh. Those who fell to the Destroyer were great warriors, admirable knights, hunters, magicians, and giant monsters. All of them were formidable opponents that made Kumarak risk his life. He always fought to the death. To kill or be killed. That was his only principle. Never once was it easy. After a battle, Kumarak would cry tears of gratitude for still being alive. And to the fallen enemy, he would offer his condolences. They were powerful foes who were more than worthy to be standing on this battlefield in Kumarak¡¯s ce. Their lives were on Kumarak¡¯s back. But now. "This battlefield watched by the gods has to be the greatest stage. Now, Mountain Smasher. Face my attack..." What was that man babbling on about? Was he seriously discussing fame and family lineage in front of him? Was this not a moment where both sides of the battle were struggling for survival? How dare he contemte the rites and rewards that onlye once that struggle is over? Did Kumarak look that feeble to him? "Haaaat!" The man swung his sword. It was fast. Kumarak did not move. ".....!" The man''s sword stopped right in front of Kumarak''s chest. "What are you doing?" He stepped back, puzzled. "Do you not wish to fight, Mountain Smasher!" Kumarakughed. It was a vicious smile that contorted his face grotesquely. The man had not stabbed him. Was he expecting a splendid battle together? Or did he think that ending the battle too quickly wouldn¡¯t be much help in elevating his fame? Either way, the man threw away the chance to take Kumarak''s life. He clearly knew nothing about the opponent in front of him. "Right..." Kumarak''s chest swelled. He condensed his rising fury to the limits. His throat sealed to build pressure in his abdomen. Then, he rolled his foot and roared. "I am Kumaraaaaaaaak¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The earth trembled. With a thunderous noise, the area shook as if hit by an earthquake. Every soldier on the battlefield staggered for a moment. "My name is Kumaraaaaaaaak¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!" Kumarak roared again, swinging the Destroyer. Bende-whatever, the knight from the Ar-whatever family, was cleaved along with his sword. As the sword shattered, the axede severed his right arm and cut deep into his abdomen. Blood gushed from his mouth. "And you are just a lowly offspring of a pathetic family. Krrng." The knight''s eyes stared nkly at Kumarak. Kumarak kicked the knight''s body away. It helplessly crumbled to the ground. That was the end. No one would ever hear of the name of the Ar-whatever family ever again. "Are we finally getting started?" Kumarak lifted the Destroyer. In the distance, he saw Crockta advancing alone, shredding through the enemy forces. Their eyes met for a moment. Kumarak smirked. Then he attacked the enemy soldiers around him. As Kumarak advanced, no one could stop him. That was when an anomaly urred. A brilliant light descended from the sky, healing the wounds of the expedition force and infusing them with an unknown power. They were initially overwhelmed by the orcs despite their significant number advantage, but now, with divine strength, they pushed back persistently. "How annoying." "Kumarak." Someone called his name again. "Now who the hell are you?" "I have been watching you for a long time." It was a dwarf pdin with the mark of a god engraved on his armor. His eyes shone brightly blue. "Do you remember Almutat?" Kumarak flinched. It was a name from the past. "When that child died by your hand, I was engulfed in sorrow. I mourned endlessly, day and night." Kumarak started to remember who the figure standing before him was. "I will return that pain to you." Almutat. The Greatworm that had devoured his friend. Kumarak ttened a mountain during his pursuit of it, and when it crawled out of its nest, he chopped it into chunks with his Destroyer. He then split open its belly to retrieve and bury his friend''s remains. Because of that battle, he had earned the title of Mountain Smasher. If that name was mentioned, then the enemy in front of him must surely be... "Tarthatot." The god of all underground creatures. The father of the crouching creatures that crawl the sunlessnds below the surface. A transcendent being who loves the worms and shows favor to the dwarfs that burrow in caves. The pdin¡ªno, the avatar of Tarthatot smiled. "That¡¯s right." The gods had intervened. Kumarak smirked. "So you''re the pervert who dotes on those stinkin¡¯ worms. Krrng!" His expression hardened. Simultaneously, a reddish-brown aura rippled around the dwarf''s entire body. It was divine power. Kumarak could feel an intangible, shapeless aura of murderous intent approaching. Kumarak tensed his core and fortified his will. After all, this war was a fight against an expedition force bearing the oracle of the gods. The direct involvement of a god was entirely usible. "Foolish orc." In an instant, the avatar of Tarthatot swung his hammer. Kumarak raised his Destroyer to perry the attack. aaang! Kumarak was thrown back. The expedition forces got caught in the shockwave, and even the orcs fighting them were scattered. Kumarak tumbled several times, chafing and bumping until he felt the cold earth beneath his back and came to his senses. Slowly, he stood up. Those caught in the shockwave groaned on the ground. His entire body ached. The mighty Kumarak had never been pushed so far back with a single blow. There really was a first time for everything. Overwhelmed by the sheer difference in power, Kumarak trembled. "Do not resist, doomed ones," Tarthatot spoke emotionlessly. "Other gods will also take over the bodies of these men. You cannot win against us." "Bullshit. Krrng!" "Your resistance is futile." "Keke, they all talked big before I beat the hell out of them!" Kumarak gripped his Destroyer. Then, he leaped toward Tarthatot. But Tarthatot''s figure blurred and then disappeared. Kumarak, having lost his target, halted. "...!" Tarthatot reappeared in front of Kumarak. Kumarak hastily swung his axe. Tarthatot countered with his hammer. The pressure was still tremendous. As the deadlock continued, Kumarak found himself overpowered. "Ugh..!" Kumarak lunged forward with his forehead. His forehead smashed into the face of the dwarf, ¡°Keugh!¡± Tarthatot was pushed back by the sudden headbutt attack. The divine power made the dwarf¡¯s nose indestructibly hard, but even so, a headbutt certainly had to have caused damage. Kumarak rubbed his forehead and looked up. Blood was dripping from Tarthatot''s nose. Kumarak burst intoughter. Tarthatot''s face turned red. "You bastard!" Tarthatot¡¯s divine power exploded, and Kumarak was struck directly by it. "Kuuuuugh!" He spat blood and tumbled on the ground, barely managing to hold onto the Destroyer. "I was going to do you the favor of killing you gently, but..." "There''s no such thing as a gentle death. You dumb god." Kumarak chuckled as he pushed himself up. Tarthatot''s face twisted in anger. "Tarthatot, you really know nothing." "Shut up, you filthy orc. Your kind is despicable." "Kekeke." Kumarak rose to his feet. It wasn''t just Tarthatot. The whole battlefield was entering a new phase. Avatars wielding divine power appeared everywhere, and with each of their attacks, the orcs were significantly pushed back. "The fact that there''s a god even for those crawling beneath the earth is making me curious." mes flickered in Kumarak''s eyes. "I wonder, if you, a god, die, would a god of the gods appear?" Kumarak was now back to his old self, from the time he smashed the mountain to kill a Greatworm. He was a killing machine moving with the sole intent of tearing apart its enemy. If the enemy is a mountain, he will tten it. If the enemy is a god, he will kill a god. Kumarak has never discriminated against his enemies. "Finally, this is getting interesting." There hadn''t been a worthy adversary for him since he ttened the mountain. No enemy encountered since then brought the same excitement as the months spent tearing through mountains to hunt and kill his prey. But if the enemy were a god. He could kill a god and rece his Mountain Smasher title. Kumarak gripped the handle of the Destroyer. "Tarthatot. Today, you die by my hand." * * * Zankus swiftly leaped up and fired his arrows rapidly. He aimed only at densely packed enemies. His arrows,rge enough to be considered spears, pierced through the expedition force. Each arrow was not satisfied with piercing through one life. It didn¡¯t stop there. After taking the life of one enemy, it dragged their body along to pierce another, and still not satisfied, it aimed for a third. Then a fourth. And just when you think it¡¯s run out of space, "Ahhhhh!" "Run!" "It''s the Sun yer!" It would roll its massive mass to crush and tten even more enemies. Each shot left a void in the battlefield as if a hammer had smashed the ground in patches. "You all should be grateful that we¡¯re fighting in an open in," Zankus muttered. An open field was a disadvantage for a hunter. If they were in the mountains or a forest, the enemies wouldn''t even know what hit them or where the attack wasing from. Zankus surveyed the front line with a keen hunter''s gaze. The expedition had overwhelming numbers, but the orcs'' momentum was so strong they were pushing back. Especially effective was their strategy of cing their strong warriors at the forefront. The enemies'' charge was shattered by the leaders, and the remnants werepletely engulfed by the orc warriors following them. And leading that counter-flow was Crockta, swinging his greatsword. Zankus smirked. When he heard of Lenox¡¯s death and returned to Orcrox, there was an orc who had survived alone. He seemed hardly reliable. When that orc imed he would avenge Lenox, Zankus doubted him and warned him. "If you y any tricks, I''ll hunt you down too. A lone survivor can''t be trusted." That was Crockta. Now, it was an embarrassing memory for Zankus. "I can''t lose to him, huh?" Zankus loaded several arrows on the bowstring and pulled back with every single muscle fiber in his body. ¡®When releasing the bowstring, Do it as gently as dew rolls off a leaf saying farewell, As softly as a feather left behind a p of the wings falls fluttering to the ground, Lightly so.¡¯ Shrieeeeek! The shockwave tore through the atmosphere of the battlefield. As the arrows passed, a long scar formed in the lines of the expedition, leaving behind only dead bodies and the cries of those who lost their limbs. "It would be a bummer if things ended like this." Then, something unexpected happened. Light descended, imbuing the soldiers with divine power, and the priests and pdins emitted the light of ascension. The gods had entered the fray. Zankus clenched his fist. "There we go, now that¡¯s more like it." He searched for his next prey across the battlefield. At that moment. Shrieeeek! A beam of light shot toward him. Zankus twisted his body. The beam grazed his neck. Warm blood trickled down his neck. "......" Zankus grinned. "Interesting." Somewhere among the expedition force. There was another hunter just like him. The power felt in the wound on his neck was undoubtedly divine power. Zankus twisted his lips and murmured, "If I kill the God of the Hunters..." Zankus''s figure began to blur. "Then I''ll be the God of Hunting." Chapter 204: War of the Gods (2)

Chapter 204: War of the Gods (2)

The orcs and the expedition force were intertwined on the battlefield. In the midst of them, there stood Anya. "Die! Die! Die!" She swung her axes wildly and ruthlessly. The two throwing axes that were small enough to be overlooked became the ultimate tools of ughter in her hands. Enemies lurking around her were all cut down by her axe. Even the faces of those watching from a distance were also struck by her axes. "Don''t just peek like a coward,e over here! This big sis will y with you!" She cackled, licking the blood off her cheek. Suddenly, herughter turned into a fierce attack as she hurled her axe again. An enemy who was running for their life had the back of their head split open. "If you don''te, I''ll kill you!" As she continued to throw her axes, every single one of her attacks struck the heads of the expedition soldiers. Sheughed loudly. "Kyahahahah!" It was a true madness that fit her title of ¡®Mad ughterer.¡¯ Following her lead, berserkers charged into the expedition forces. "Come here, you dogs!" "You better kill us if you don¡¯t want to be killed!" "Kyakyakyakyat!" No matter how much divine power the enemy had on their side or how high their morale was, it didn''t matter. Piercing or shing, they all yielded to injuries. Blood gushed from wounds, and decapitation killed them. That was all the berserkers needed to know. "Come on, guys. Follow me!" "Yes!" "Understood!" With the berserkers by her side, Anya took out a new axe from her belt. As she spun it in her hand, she was momentarily lost in ecstasy while deciding whom to kill next. Then, the ground shook. "Oh?" It was from the direction of Kumarak, but it wasn''t Kumarak''s doing this time. It was the dwarf pdin causing the quake. "Hmm..." Anya surveyed the scene. Kumarak, covered in blood, was barely managing to get back on his feet. On the other side, his dwarf opponent seemed unharmed. He was raising his hammer toward Kumarak again. "What the... the gods are here?" The shining aura around the dwarf was proof of divine possession. "Is he really losing to some god..?" Though she spoke disdainfully, Anya had never fought a god herself. To her, the gods were always those hiding behind temples, offering few words of wisdom and seeking praise in return. The fact that thosezy beings came down themselves to eliminate them was amusing. "This is getting interesting." The dwarf swung his hammer. Kumarak, despite blocking with his Destroyer, was blown away by the force. Watching Kumarak tumble, Anya felt an oddck of excitement. "Idiot." Kumarak was a simple brute. But now, even his strength, which he had always boasted, was being overwhelmed. The dwarf¡¯s kicks toppled him, making a pitiful sight. Anya ordered her followers. "Stay and fight here. I''ll be right back." "You got it!" She kicked the ground beneath her and leaped. She trampled the expedition soldiers and killed anyone standing in her way to Kumarak. "Kumarak!" Her voice didn¡¯t reach him. Kumarak shed again with the dwarf and their weapons locked. Despite his miserable state, his spirit was not yielding even slightly. Rather, he furiously swung his Destroyer with an even more fierce look in his eyes than before. Axes and hammer tangled. Kumarak and the dwarf red at each other. Kumarak suddenly threw a punch, turning the dwarf''s face. The dwarf grimaced and retaliated with consecutive punches. Kumarak''s mr shattered inside his mouth. "Krrng!" Kumarak swung again, undeterred by his enemy¡¯s retaliation. They exchanged blows in a brutal fistfight not befitting a god. Soon, they dropped their weapons and grappled, Kumarak''s spirit seemingly infecting the god who also roared. "Kumaraaaaak! I will kill you!" "Try it if you can, Tarthatot! You Vermin God!" Tarthatot. Anya understood. Kumarak had gained his title of Mountain Smasher after destroying a mountain and killing a Greatworm. Judging by that fact, the god that he was facing now had to be Tarthatot, a god who favors those who burrow and dig. It seemed Tarthatot descended to avenge Almutat the Greatworm. "These so-called gods are no different than us." Anya smirked. She never trusted the gods. To her, they were no different from the other creatures in this world, swinging fists and shouting because they couldn¡¯t contain their anger. How could one kneel and sp their hands to pray to such beings? They were simply another entity with great power. "nning to interfere in their battle?" Someone asked her. Startled, Anya spun around in a quick, jerking motion. Without being noticed by Anya, a woman approached her. She was an elf and was dressed in the priestess¡¯ robe, which was a rare sight in the expedition force. "Then you must get through me," the elf woman spoke to Anya. Anya had never seen this woman before, yet she felt she knew who it was. Sheughed. "Aha, it¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?" "..." "Wow, someone famous gracing me with their presence, what an honor. But do you even know how to fight?" The woman smiled. The god who was always benevolent. Using her healing powers for the sick, urging her followers to share their possessions with those in need, praised by all. It was the Goddess of Mercy. "You''ve caught my attention the most." "I did? Now, that¡¯s an honor." "You have too much blood on your hands." Anya, the ¡®Mad ughterer,¡¯ stood in stark opposition to the Goddess of Mercy. "It''s time to stop the tragedy you¡¯ve been creating." "Stop the tragedy, huh?" Anya chuckled lightly, then gestured toward the battlefield. The orcs and the expedition force were killing and being killed by each other without hesitation, consumed by their own madness. They were covered in each other''s blood, dragging their each other, swinging their weapons until theirst breath. It was a true hell on earth. ¡°To say such words on the battlefield that you created yourself. You are benevolent even toward your own self-contradiction, you hypocrite. All the misdeeds I''vemitted in my entire lifebined would seem like a shortedy skitpared to the tragedy you''ve unfolded today.¡± ¡°...¡± The goddess¡¯ previously calm face faltered. Anya smirked again. ¡°Got anything else you want to say? No? Let''s get started then.¡± Suddenly, from behind, the roar of Kumarak filled the air. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got, you gods¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Then, the sound of explosions followed. The sts didn''t stop at one. They exploded, shattered, and crushed. Though it was unclear what the origin of these sounds was, screams and cries of agony engulfed the area that was in the range of the aftermath. Anya, spinning two small axes in her hands,ughed. ¡°You have to go help your friend soon, too, don¡¯t you?¡± * * * Zankus limped. A hunter, hidden somewhere on the battlefield, kept firing rays of light, targeting any opening exposed by Zankus. Zankus responded, but his opponent''s shots were faster and more precise. Every single shot by both hunters was a matter of split-second differences. Yet, those split-second differences were what was going to separate life from death. Gritting his teeth, Zankus bandaged the wound on his thigh. Even now, his unseen enemy was surely aiming another ray of light at him. Zankus could feel the cold murderous intent. He would expect no less from a god. At this moment, Zankus didn''t know what to do. "Goddammit." So, he decided to seek the opinion of someone other than himself. He closed his eyes. In the midst of the battlefield, while an invisible hunter was aiming for his life, he looked into the darkness beyond his eyelids. There stood a man. Shakhan. It was the greatest hunter he knew, Shakhan. In this critical moment, he had only one chance to ask a question. Zankus directed his inquiry toward his own psyche. ''How can I hunt this enemy?'' Shakhan answered. Then, Zankus opened his eyes. A ray of light was hurtling toward the slim space between his eyes. Just a single fist¡¯s distance away. Right before it could pierce through his head, Zankus twisted his body. The ray grazed his cheek. Staring straight at where the ray hade from, Zankus murmured, "Got it, Shakhan." He notched an arrow. His steel bow bent. Among the expedition''s gs and irregr armor, Zankus saw a lone shadow fluttering. It was him. Zankus released the arrow. The shadow he had been dueling disappeared, but the bodies of the expedition around it exploded. Unsatisfied, Zankus quickly notched another arrow and pursued his target. The enemy''s figure was caught at the tip of his arrow. As he released the string, he remembered Shakhan''s answer to his question. ¡®This one cannot be hunted.'' It was a conversation with himself using Shakhan''s face, but by borrowing his psyche to ask, he was able to find an answer. Zankus could not hunt this enemy. The enemy was indeed a better hunter than he was. Therefore, he decided to give up the hunt. "Today, I must not be a hunter..." Zankus''s arrow flew straight, skimming past a soldier passing by. The soldier died. A knight fighting an orc was caught in the aftermath. The knight died. A nobleman was pierced through his shield. He, too, died. "...but a killer, it seems." Eventually, the death Zankus sent flying caught the enemy. Although the enemy avoided a fatal shot, the arrow grazing was inevitable. The enemy slumped down. The enemy''s body trembled, but he did not die. "You¡¯re not going to die that easily, huh?" Zankus notched another arrow with a grin. His title was ''Sun yer.'' It had nothing to do with hunting or game. ¡®To y,¡¯ which was defined as eliminating life, was yet another name that described Zankus. When one reaches a peak level, an arrow is no longer just an arrow but a conduit for the archer''s intent. What can be carried by an arrow? What are their limits? After endless practice, Zankus managed to embed ''death'' in his arrows. "Die." He was now in the realm of ''killing,'' not ''hunting.'' Zankus''s arrow again targeted the shadow. The enemy, debilitated by the ''death'' Zankus imbued, couldn''t move properly. Zankus was sure this arrow would kill him. But at that moment. A brilliant light erased his arrow. ".....!" Everyone on the battlefield looked up. There was a radiance. It was an old man with wings made of light, with a staff swinging by his hand. Then beams of light split infinitely, enveloping each member of the expedition. Light flickered from their weapons, and their wounds were healed once again. A warmth from deep within their bodies resolved their fatigue. And this affected not only the expedition but also the other gods engaged in battle with the orc leaders. The hunting god, who was about to die by Zankus''s hand, suddenly disappeared. He had recovered from Zankus¡¯ death and had fled. Thwip, thwip, thwip. The rays of light aimed at Zankus flew at him again. Barely avoiding them, Zankus curled his lips. "This has to be cheating." The identity of the old man floating in the sky was unclear, but his influence was of a different caliber than the other gods. The old man''s power took over the battlefield. The light continued to boost the expedition and hinder the orcs. Zankus scanned the surroundings. The tide had turned. The orcs were dying in vain. Kumarak, Anya, Wachwi, and others were also being overwhelmed, pushed back by the empowered gods, on the brink of decapitation. A flow clearly indicating imminent defeat. And defeat meant annihtion. As Zankus''s face twisted, Someone whispered to him. ¡°......¡± Zankus flinched. The voice spoke again. "Shoot the..!" Zankus''s eyes widened. "Kekeke..." Zankus chuckled. He lifted his bow and notched an arrow. Then, he pulled the bowstring to its limit, aiming up at the sky. Far away, beams of light flew toward Zankus, aiming for his neck with even greater force than before. But he didn''t care. "I trust you." The beams of light dissipated before reaching Zankus. Even the beams of light from the old man floating in the sky aimed at Zankus, but they too, like hitting a wall, dissipated in mid-air without reaching him. And Zankus paid no mind to any of it. He gathered all his strength toward a single point. He embedded the greatest ''death'' he could muster into the arrow. "Uuuuuuugh......" His muscles screamed in agony. The overloaded muscle fibers started to snap one by one. "Keuuuuuggghhhhhh..!" Zankus roared, exerting every drop of his strength. He didn¡¯t care if his muscles died. He ignited his soul for that one shot. The metal bow bent to its limits, and the bowstring was pulled to the absolute maximum. At the brink of destruction of both himself and the bow. Zankus felt the moment hade. "Go." When releasing the bowstring. Do it as gently as dew rolls off a leaf saying farewell, As softly as a feather left behind a p of the wings falls fluttering to the ground, lightly so. Thus, a streak of death was shot into the sky. "Go¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The arrow soared. Despite the old man of radiance trying to stop the arrow, it ignored everything getting in its way and ascended. The arrow. It passed the old man. It soared to the end of the sky. And at the end of it was the sun that illuminated the world. The ¡®Sun yer'' Zankus. His arrow transcended space and time to pierce through the sun and y it. From the center of the sun, a ck stain rose. And as it spread gradually, eventually the entire sun was stained ck. Darkness descended upon the world. A world without the sun. It wasplete utter darkness. Even Zankus'' ''death,'' as powerful as it was, could not forever halt the sun. The world turning into darkness wouldst only a few minutes. And that was enough. In the darkness where no one could see ahead. The fluttering of wings was heard. Then, the voice of one man echoed across the battlefield. "I am the hawk that soars the northern heavens." Zankus copsed to the ground. He no longer had the energy to even lift a finger. "The blue guardian of the dawn. The pale azure rider and the shaman who guides through dark paths." Now, it was that man''s turn. The teacher of all orc shamans. The strongest shaman of this era. "Tashaquil." From beneath the ground, a bizarre rustling sounded. With the death of the sun as an opportunity, creatures of darkness that dwell in the dark were summoned. Ghouls. Chapter 205: War of the Gods (3)

Chapter 205: War of the Gods (3)

The sun remained ck for only a few minutes. And during that time, everyone on the battlefield trembled in fear. Among those battling, something was prowling in the darkness where not even an inch ahead could be seen. ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± ¡°Eeeeek!¡± Screams erupted simultaneously from all directions. Everyone turned their heads in alert, looking for the threat in all directions, which caused them to bump into those around them or be cut by a blind sword. The expedition''s mages sent light up into the sky, but it was ridiculously insufficient to illuminate the world abandoned by the sun. Instead of providing rity, the faint light eerily illuminated the ground, gnawing at people''s hearts. Each flicker of light only showed the faces of those in pure terror. The face of someone looking at you, in the next flicker of light, was torn and copsing in a bloody mess. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Horrible screams continued. ''Hungryhungryhungry...'' Crockta could hear their whispers. His eyes, able to pierce through the darkness, witnessed grotesque beings crawling up from the ground of the battlefield. Their forms were horrifically amorphous, fitting for hell. Yet, they all had one thing inmon. They all had horrendouslyrge and ugly mouths. ''Hungryyyyyyy...'' A ghoul of hell passed by Crockta, emitting a foul stench. Suddenly, Crockta and the creature''s eyes met. It smacked its lips. However, instead of lunging at Crockta with its teeth, it turned around and tore a member of the expedition apart. Those who couldn''t see in the darkness were bitten and devoured whole by the jaws of the ghouls. In the spots they were standing, only bloodstains and parts of limbs that the ghouls couldn''t swallow in time were left behind. Such creatures were filling up the battlefield. ''Eatchewswallow...'' ''Hungry...'' Tashaquil was a shaman who used to alwaysugh and bless the orc warriors in the training ground. But at that moment, he was full of rage. The blessings he used to give were now the spells of demons, creating hellscapes. "This must be what a true war is like." Crockta looked up at the sky. A world without the sun. The ''Sun yer'' Zankus. He truly was a hunter who pierced and killed the sun. Now, with the sun fast asleep, all kinds of ghouls took advantage of the darkness to ravage the expedition. Frightened, they swung their swords wildly, killing theirrades and even stabbing themselves. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± Suddenly, a sword swung out of the darkness toward Crockta. Crockta blocked it with his greatsword. It was a soldier of the expedition, driven mad by fear, swinging his sword in all directions. "Arghhhhhhh!" ¡°Tsk.¡± Crockta grabbed his neck. The ghouls were indeed terrifying entities, and even more so when one¡¯s vision was taken away. Imagine the terror of not knowing when and where these horrific creatures might jump out and devour you alive. But he picked the wrong one to go mad in front of. The light was slowly returning. The ''death'' that swallowed the sun disappeared, and the sun began to regain its strength, spreading its light once again. A faint sunlight cast over Crockta''s face. "Ahh..." The soldier''s eyes widened. What he faced while fleeing from the ghouls was none other than the fearsome face of Crockta. "Aaaaaaaah!" He screamed. "You¡¯re so loud." Crockta tightened his grip. The soldier¡¯s neck was crushed, instantly killing him. Dropping his body, Crockta thought that perhaps the soldier who just died was one of the luckier ones in this battle. The reason was unfolding before his eyes. "It''s better not to see a sight like this." The sun had half returned. And that was enough to reveal thendscape on the battlefield. Hellscape. Not everyone waspletely devoured by the ghouls. The ghouls wandering the formation of the expedition did as they pleased, tearing at them following their taste. Some had only one-half of their body bitten off, lying around moaning. Some had their head torn off above their nose, revealing the contents of their heads. A man had only his skin chewed up to the point of resembling an anatomical model. A soldier had his belly torn open, spilling his intestines, which then split open to spill their contents. Such scenes filled the view. On top of that. ¡®Hatelighthatelighthatelight... hungry, hungry, hungry...'' Ghouls with eyes, noses, and mouths randomly ced, and limbs of humans and bodies of beasts irregrly sprouting, were fully exposed. The expedition screamed in terror. "What the hell is this!" "Monsters!" "Help!" The ghouls continued their feast until the veryst second before the sun had fully returned. Even as their bodies were burning up in the sunlight, the ghouls did not stop devouring. They chewed, trampled, and swallowed. As the ghouls made theirst assault, the formation of the expedition fell intoplete chaos. ¡°This is awful.¡± Crockta stood at the forefront where orcs and humans mixed, with barely any ghoul visible behind him. However, in the territory of the expedition, significantly more ghouls indiscriminately appeared and devoured the enemy. Each sh of their teeth tore the bodies of the enemies apart, and limbs soared into the sky as they shook their jaws. The scene of frenzy was gruesome enough to leave even the orcs speechless. Tashaquil was the shaman who was strong enough to create such a horrific spectacle when necessary. "The sun is back." Soon, the sun fully returned to its peak brightness. The ghoul screamed theirst as theypletely melted away. They had endlessly devoured and preyed upon the expedition forces, but after melting, they left no trace, turning into just a handful of ash. If someone had just looked at this ce, they would have no idea what had happened only moments ago. But those who lived the moment trembled with the terrifying memory. Just a few minutes before Zankus extinguished the sun. That short period led to the massacre of the majority of the expedition forces. Even the gods turned their eyes away from the horrific scene. "Tashaquiiiiiil!" The old man radiating light in the sky screamed Tashaquil''s name. Although his wings of radiance made him seem like an angel, his twisted face resembled that of a demon. "How dare you summon the ghouls; out of everything you could have summoned! You will not get away with this!" His voice roared across the battlefield. And once again, light burst from his body, descending upon the entire expedition force. The wounds and fears from the ghoul vanished, and the expedition forces returned to being the faithful army of the gods. However, the blessings did not reach those who had lost their limbs and could no longer participate in battle. They watched theirrades receive the light of the gods and march forward as they slowly passed away. "These bastards, these so-called gods." Crockta twisted his lips in a grin. "Are no different from that emperor bastard." The expedition forces, imbued with the will of the gods, marched with emotionless faces, ignoring their fallenrades under their feet. The injured soldiers of the expedition were trampled to death by the feet of their own allied forces. In the end, the expedition forces were mere puppets of the gods. This was a war between the gods and the orcs. ''Everyone, brace yourselves.'' Suddenly, Tashaquil''s voice whispered in everyone''s ears. All orcs on the battlefield heard his voice. ''The next attack will be a dangerous one.'' As his words ended, the advancing expedition forces halted and fortified their formation with shields. It looked as if they were blocking an escape route. "That''s..." At that moment. Crockta was able to see it. Magical power began to surge from behind the expedition forces'' formation, soaring toward the sky. Tashaquil warned again. ''The Goddess of Magic has taken action.'' Crockta, although a warrior, had reached ''Introduction to Magic'' through his past connection with the northern wizard Jamero. Combined with his intuition as a warrior who had reached a higher realm, he could observe the flow of magical powers more clearly than most wizards. And even now, he could see it. The magical power that boiled up from the rear of the expedition forces shot into the sky, prating the atmosphere. And the form of that magical power. It looked like a. "No way..." It extended beyond the sky, beyond the''s atmosphere, into the vast universe, spreading toward the asteroids floating in space. The of magical power drew in and captured the asteroids, solitary rocks floating in space, one by one. The universe. An endlessly vast space. And the rocks floating aimlessly in that space. The Goddess of Magic gathered them all and pulled them toward the earth. Gradually elerating. Burning white hot as they passed through the atmosphere. "Everyone, take cover¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" Grand magic. Meteor Shower. The asteroids, despite burning and eroding through the atmosphere, stubbornly survived. They then became weapons of mass ughter. The white-hot meteor fragments plummeted toward the orcs. "Kyaaaaaaah!" "Arghhhhhhh!" "Take coveeeer!" mes and impacts devastated the orc formations. Craters formed here and there, and mes spread, burning the orcs. The meteor shower continued to pour down. Crash!!!!!!! Aaaaaahhhhhhh! The sounds of bombardment and screams intertwined. "My god..." A spell only heard through legends was cast by the hands of the Goddess of Magic. Crockta dodged the falling meteors, but the aftermath shook the earth, tumbling him over. The asteroid mes scorched his body. Crockta roared, shaking off the mes. "Huff... Huff..." Crockta''s face contorted in anger. He gripped his God yer and red at the enemies. The formation of the expedition force remainedpletely intact. They maintained their formation with their shields raised, coldly observing the chaos on the side of the orcs. "You damned bastards..." They had sent the ghouls away and were paying the orcs back with a meteor shower. The expedition force must be feeling satisfied. Crockta smirked and took a step forward. "Are you okay, Crockta?" Suddenly, a familiar voice followed. "Keke, this is nothing." It was Hoyt. Hoyt, who had beenmanding the orcs from the back of the lines, had moved up to the forefront. He found himself unable to stand by any longer. "Is it okay for you toe out up here?" "Keke, seeing you, I couldn''t just stand aside." Under a sky raining meteors, and the ground engulfed in mes, two warriors stood at the forefront of their army. Hoyt shouted. "All of you! Snap out of ittttttt!" He shouted exactly like he did back at the training grounds. "Are you in pain¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?!" Hoyt''s roar overwhelmed the battlefield. Then, from the mes, orcs began to emerge, one step at a time. None were unscathed. All bore heavy signs of injury or burns, yet they held their weapons and grinned. "Not at all." "That kind of tickled, Hoyt!" "I''m finally getting warmed up! Kehehehe!" "I¡¯m loving the heat!" The number of following orc warriors gradually increased. Hoyt chuckled. "Then..." He exchanged nces with Crockta. God yer and Mountain sher. A greatsword and a hammer were raised high into the sky. "Follow me¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The two warriors charged toward the expedition force. "Aaaaaah!" "Burnnnnnnn¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" "Chaaaaaarge!" "I¡¯m gonna kill every single one of them!" The orc warriors ran after them. A bizarre battlefield where the earth quakes, ghouls appear, and mes fall from the sky. In that ce. The orcs, as always, charged. * * * An elf user named Yurika was taking a break after hunting monsters. She had heard the noise about the war and the battle between gods and orcs, but she found exploring the world of Elder Lord on her own much more enjoyable. "I leveled up a lot today." She hummed with a smile as she checked her status. Suddenly, her status screen dimmed. ".....?" Then, she realized a massive shadow had been cast over her. Startled, she stood up and turned around. "...eh?" She had expected arge monster from the size of the shadow. But it wasn¡¯t. It was an orc. "Uh..." Orcs were both monsters and NPCs. They existed somewhere in the gray area between the two categories. Though they could speak and had their own civilization, at times, they were targets for quests, making them an entity hard to fit into a box. With Crockta rising to stardom, perceptions had changed significantly, but she still found orcs unfamiliar. "Excuse me... what..." Moreover, this orc felt different. A powerful presence emanated from him. He was clearly stronger than her. She calmly prepared to flee. "......" The orc, who had been quietly looking down at her, spoke up. "Can I ask you for some directions?" His voice was deep and resonant. Facing his intense gaze and aura, she was relieved she didn¡¯t have to fight him. "Oh, s-sure. Ask away. I¡¯ll help you if I can." "By any chance..." He paused, then asked. "Do you know which direction I have to go in order to reach... Orcrox?" "Orcrox?" Orcrox was currently an active war zone. Perhaps this orc intended to join and help his kin there. She felt sorry for him. Despite how strong this well-spoken orc may be, it seemed unlikely that his presence would turn the tide for the orcs. The expedition force was numerous, and they even had the gods on their side. She exined in a gentle voice. "If you keep going that way, you''lle across a road. Follow the main road, and you''ll reach Orcrox. There are signs and... you''ll meet more people along the way, so you can ask them if you''re unsure." "Thank you." He scanned the direction she indicated with sharp eyes. Then, he thanked her again. "Truly, thank you. I''ll be on my way." He started walking in the direction she had pointed out. Yurika watched his departing figure, quietly wishing him luck. Then. "...huh?" Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. There were those shadowing him from the bushes. They emerged one by one, following the orc onto the road. "Uh... ah..." And they kepting. Her jaw dropped to the floor. Every single one of them was d in steel armor and helmets and were carrying giant axes on their shoulders. It was an intimidating appearance. These orcs didn¡¯t look nor feel like the orcs she knew. The orcs she had seen were all free-spirited. She had never seen orcs moving in such an organized manner, equipped uniformly, as if they were an army unit. Yet, they were emerging out of the bushes endlessly, marching. "Where could you possibly havee from...?" Where had such troopse from? It was the forest of monsters, and restricted by the border, not allowing anyone to advance any further. She noticed the gs fluttering above the heads of the orc army. The emblems varied, but the words beneath them were the same. She murmured softly. "Great Tribes...?" Chapter 206: War of the Gods (4)

Chapter 206: War of the Gods (4)

The orcs shed fiercely against the expedition force''s shield formation. As Hoyt and Crockta led the charge, the formation crumbled pathetically easy under their assault, allowing them to prate deep inside. Beyond the shields, the soldiers were crushed under their des like soft tofu as if their tender underbelly was exposed underneath a shell. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Burnnn!¡± Orc warriors followed, wreaking havoc inside. The swords and spears of the expedition soldiers shed with the weapons of the orcs. Some killed and some were killed, a cycle of violence repeated. And in the end, the majority of those still standing were the orcs with fierce eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take this side.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle the other.¡± Hoyt and Crockta split up. Crockta carved through the enemy lines like a drill, wielding the God yer with devastating efficiency, ughtering anyone in his path as he made his way deeper into the enemy¡¯s lines. Just as he was about to start a proper and grand mass ughter, someone charged at him. ¡°Crocktaaaaa!¡± ¡°Long time no see!¡± A de swung at him. Crockta raised his greatsword, blocking a storm of blows. Across the de, a familiar face grinned back at him. Crockta smirked back. ¡°Adantadore.¡± Adantadore, the empire''s greatest prodigy swordsman, had joined the expedition to kill Crockta. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. You¡¯vee all this way?¡± ¡°If you were gonna die, I wanted to be the one to kill you.¡± ¡°Did you get dentures?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t all your teeth get knocked out by my punchst time? I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re wearing dentures, seeing how they¡¯re all there,¡± Crockta said as he pointed to his sturdy mrs. Adantadore¡¯s face reddened with anger, ¡°You bastard...!¡± ¡°Ah, so they are dentures. Calm down, man.¡± ¡°Die!¡± Adantadore, enraged, swung his sword wildly. Back when they fought each other for the first time, it was an even match, with Adantadore¡¯s relentless attacks asionally pushing Crockta into a corner. But now, things were different. Day by day. Crockta only grew stronger. He always fought with his life on the line. That meant that he had to improve every single day. When he came out victorious after fighting for his life against an enemy, another one came out the very next day. He had to fight alone against the great chief of the north and the empire''s massive army. There were no bounds to his strength. ¡°Take care of it properly. It¡¯ll look ugly if it gets stained.¡± ¡°Arrgh!¡± As Crockta continuously mocked his teeth, Adantadore lost his cool and jumped at Crockta with wild swings. In a duel between two skilled fighters, there was nothing that exposed one more than losing theirposure. As Adantadore presented numerous openings out of anger, Crockta found himself almost regretting exploiting them. They once shared good times. ¡®You were just afraid of me. Don¡¯t tell me that bullshit about wanting to reach the next level or your desire to understand the light.¡¯ ¡®Nonsense...¡¯ ¡®You and I are the same. I stagger when I¡¯m punched or hit in the temple, just like you do. Don¡¯t be scared.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re talking nonsense...¡¯ Adantadore, who hade to Crockta wanting to learn his skills after losing the big battle, was quite an endearing one. Once foes, then friends, and now enemies again on the battlefield, Crockta didn¡¯t expect to see Adantadore again. Yet, here he was, trying to kill him. This could be the terminal stop of their rtionship. ¡°Adantadore!¡± Shaking off his reverie, Crockta swung the God yer. The greatsword aimed straight at Adantadore''s openings. At that moment, the world slowed down. At the peak of their confrontation, Crockta and Adantadore locked eyes. Adantadore gritted his teeth as his body elerated. He elerated and elerated, but it was never enough to evade the de that was descending in judgment from the pinnacle of their duel. Crockta¡¯s sword glided down toward his body. ¡°...!¡± Crockta¡¯s strikended cleanly. Then, the world returned to its normal pace. The eerie silence of the battlefield broke, returning the sound of the chaos that was surrounding them. Adantadore looked up at Crockta in disbelief. Crockta''s greatsword had passed between his arm and torso. Crockta had spared him. Adantadoreughed emptily, realizing the vast gap between them had grown immeasurably. He just couldn¡¯t understand. How was Crockta bing so powerful so quickly? It was one thing for a talented individual to rapidly improve when first handling a sword, but for a swordsman who had already surpassed the limits to leap further in such a short time seemed beyond reason. "How were you able to be so strong?" Adantadore asked as he dropped his sword. Crockta smirked. "Are you asking because you really don¡¯t know?" "Tell me." "You probably came to kill me, thinking with the gods'' power and a massive army behind you, you couldn''t possibly lose." "That''s right." "If you want to get stronger, stand on a battlefield where you cannot win.¡± Adantadore¡¯s expression changed in an instant. ¡°Don¡¯t go to a battlefield that you want to be on but go to where you''re needed. Go where the predetermined oue is the despair of the loser, not the victorious roar of the winner. Walk toward the guillotine, not aurel wreath. Fight until you fall in the line of duty. Do that, and..." Crockta grinned before continuing. "If you manage to not die, you''ll be stronger." Adantadore closed his eyes, recalling the image of Crockta standing alone against the empire''s army. Now, Crockta was once again facing the gods in yet another impossible battle, following his own advice. "We''ll meet again." With those words, Crockta walked past Adantadore, who copsed, lying in the middle of the battlefield, looking up at the sky. "Arcran..." He murmured the name of arade who had traveled the long road with him, then chuckled. "You¡¯re screwed..." * * * Olympus, the dwelling of the gods. There were as many gods as there were believers. They were so numerous that no one knew exactly how many different gods existed. Nor could anyone say precisely who held the highest rank among them. However, one thing that was crystal clear among them was the fact that the one deemed most dangerous was known as the ¡®War God.'' He was the one who grew his power amidst warfare and ughter. The battlefield''s screams were his breath, and the final death throes were the beating of his heart. "Oh, my god," Arcran grasped his sword and shield. "Grant us victory." The War God then responded. A red aura flickered around him as if he was on fire. The same divine power settled upon those walking with him, causing the air to tremble. The battle was just beginning. "It seems they are momentarily uplifted by their momentum, but in the face of the power of the gods, everything is feeble." The orcs, initially high-spirited, were quieted down by a single Meteor Shower from the Goddess of Magic. Most of the orcs were annihted in that one strike. Their side of the battlefield was still burning, and the ground was melting into chaos. From the sky, the God of Radiance continued to bestow blessings upon them, while the Goddess of Mercy, even in directbat with a female orc, boosted the expedition with her healing powers. On top of that, countless other gods were also participating in this battle, aiding the expedition force. The orcs'' assault was nothing but a struggle, a final il to escape this hellscape. "Please fulfill your respective roles," Arcran said to those around him. Suddenly, an orc warrior appeared from the front, walking toward Arcran. Arcran smiled. "That orc..." Steel helmet. A giant greatsword. A belt resembling a demon. Tattoos covering his entire body. A fierce face. "I will kill him." The eyes of the orc and Arcran met. The orc smiled. Arcran raised his shield and sword. Though they met for the first time, at the moment their gazes crossed, they knew everything about each other. One of them had to die today. "Kaaaaaaaah!" Arcran roared, and at that moment, a red light burst from his eyes. Divine Possession. War God. At the same time, the pdins and priests who were with Arcran dispersed into the surroundings. Their mission was to assist the other gods and annihte the resisting orc warriors. Empowered by the gods, their movements disrupted the rhythm of the battlefield, injecting a new vigor. And despite all these events, Crockta stood still, not taking his eyes off Arcran. "Crockta... the Ashen God¡¯s dog..." Arcran''s voice was no longer his own. A horrific voice, like grinding together chunks of metal. It was a message from the War God. "Die." At that moment, Crockta could see the War God approaching him. But his body wouldn''t move. He was fast. He was strong. When the enemy had halved the distance between them, Crockta had only just managed to grasp his God yer. When the War God got close enough to swing his sword, Crockta was barely lifting his greatsword. As the sword of the War God sliced through his chest, Crockta''s greatsword could only swing through the air. "Kugh!" He tried to counter the attack as blood spouted from him, but the War God had already distanced himself. He was shielding his body with his sword and shield raised, and only his ring eyes peering over his shield, glowing red. His eyes were in mes. "You cannot win. I am the War God. The undefeated god." Crockta touched his split chest and chuckled. Then, he looked around. All kinds of gods were exerting their powers. The orcs resisted but were gradually crumbling. The mes engulfing the battlefield grew fiercer. They might not be able to win. But his elevated spirit had long since cast such worries far behind. He was Crockta the warrior, the ¡®Northern Conqueror,¡¯ and the ''Empire Nemesis''. Worrying about winning or losing, living or dying wasn''t his expertise. His body, his greatsword, and the ever-burning Bul¡¯tar within him... That was all that concerned him. "You said you were... the War God?" Crockta slung his greatsword over his shoulder and grinned. "You may start wars, but I end them." Though it seemed like he was standing there rather recklessly, his body was continually elerating. The enemy''s face appeared so close as if it was right before him. The outlines of the raging mes and the trails of dust floating in the air were clearly captured by his senses. He was seeing everything. The battlefield where orcs and soldiers were killing and being killed was filled with decisions of life and death, and lives flickered ceaselessly. Numerous deaths crowded around him, drooling for his demise. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he died at any moment, surrounded by an overwhelming web of cause and effect. "I like it." It was just right¡ªjust the right amount of tension. Crockta''s eyes met with the War God''s. At that moment, their des shed. "Burrrnnnnnnnnn¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" Crockta''s battle cry, filled with physical force, echoed. The earth trembled. Crockta swung down his greatsword at the War God several times. The War God''s shield and de blocked his attacks, but Crockta''s straightforward assault did not stop. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boommm! Deafening sounds of impact erupted. With each sh, the War God''s body shuddered as if he were being electrocuted. Booommm! The shield was warped. Booooommm! The War God''s feet were pushed into the ground. Boooooooooommm! His feet sank into the earth. "You orc son of a bitch---------!" The enraged War God attempted to strike with his sword. However, the recoil from Crockta''s sword strike caused him to be a beat toote. An opening appeared. Crockta grinned. "Rx a bit." Then, with all his strength, he brought down his greatsword again. Chapter 207: War of the Gods (5)

Chapter 207: War of the Gods (5)

"Shouldn''t we be there?" "Us going there would only be a distraction." A man wrapped in bandages was lying in the hospital bed. "But this battle is on a whole different level." And the person sitting next to him said while peeling an apple. They were watching the broadcast of the war in Elder Lord through a screen mounted on the wall of the hospital room. Light and mes flickered across the screen, dazzling the eyes. Amidst it all, the ughter of killing and being killed continued. And what the screen focused on was a single orc. Their respected warrior, Crockta. "That¡¯s that, but..." The man lying in the hospital room scratched his head and asked, "Are you sure it¡¯s okay for you to visit like this every day?" "It''s fine." The one peeling the apple shook their head. ¡°My schedule¡¯s free. Why? You don¡¯t like it when I visit?" "No that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying..." There was an awkwardness in the air. Only the sounds of war from the screen and the apple peeling resonated in the hospital room. Then, the hospital room door swung open, and even more visitors appeared. "Hey! Shin Ja-Hu! What are you doing?" "Model citizen! You haven¡¯t died yet, have you?" "Jia-Hu, Jia-Hu, Jia... huh?" They paused. They were coworkers who worked with Shin Ja-Hu at the same Chinese restaurant. As soon as they entered the room, they couldn''t help but stop upon discovering someone sitting quietly next to Shin Ja-Hu''s bedside, peeling an apple. Long, neatly arranged ck hair, flowing down to their neck. Skin so pale, contrasting the ck hair. The long eyshes and beautifully double-lidded eyes were revealed as they turned toward the visitors. A beauty they had never seen before was sitting by Shin Ja-Hu¡¯s side. "W-who..." "G-girlfriend...?" Though they were rugged men who battled mes and heavy woks in the kitchen, they turned into meek sheep in the presence of such beauty. They couldn''t even properly meet the eyes of the mysterious beauty. "Uh..." "Eh..." Shin Ja-Hu came to their rescue. "Oh, hey guys." "Yeah, we thought we¡¯d visit since it¡¯s been a while... but eh..." Sensing their awkwardness, the beauty stopped peeling the apple, neatly ced the apple and knife on the table, and stood up. "I was just about to leave." "Oh, right..." "I have to get going but please enjoy your visit." The beauty left with a faint smile, and a fragrant scent lingered in the spot where she had been sitting. As soon as the door closed, Shin Ja-Hu''s coworkers fired questions like a machine gun. "Who the hell was that? Who is she? Who the hell is she? Tell us right now!" "You bastard! This guy has been doing this kind of crap behind our backs!" "Girlfriend? Is she your girlfriend? If she''s a rtive, could you introduce me..." Shin Ja-Hu sighed. "No, it¡¯s not like that..." "What do you mean it''s not like that? Why else would she be visiting and peeling apples for you!" Instead of answering, Shin Ja-Hu silently switched the channel on the hospital TV with the remote. The live feed of the war in Elder Lord switched to a music program. Well-dressed idols were dancing and singing in unison. "What are you doing? Why are we watching this all of a sudden..." Then, his coworkers froze. On the screen, the stunning beauty they had just seen peeling apples for Shin Ja-Hu was smiling and dancing. An idol. That was the identity of the beauty they had just seen. "A-a-are you dating a celebrity?" "How the hell did you manage to..." Shin Ja-Hu pointed at the bottom of the screen. After following his finger and looking at where he was pointing, the coworkers all fell silent. There was a description in front of the unfamiliar group name: a boy group. Not a girl group, but a boy group. "......" "Uh..." "Ehem..." The hospital room went quiet. Shin Ja-Hu switched the channel again. The live feed of Elder Lord appeared. Crockta was shing swords with a man. ording to the amped-upmentators, the opponent was the War God, and he was the key figure behind the organization of the expedition. It was a sh between two titans, Crockta and the War God. Every time they exchanged blows, they shook the entire battlefield. "..." "..." Meanwhile, the hospital room remained silent. Shin Ja-Hu broke the silence as if exploding. "Long live Crockta!" The idol visitor was a friend Shin Ja-Hu had made while campaigning ''Praise the Orc.¡¯ When he had an ident and couldn''t hop on the game for a while, the idol asked for the hospital¡¯s address to visit him, and Shin Ja-Hu gave it to him without much thought. "Go Crockta! Win!" As Crockta''s greatsword plunged toward the War God, Shin Ja-Hu raised his hand again. "Long live Crock... kugh!" Who could have known? That Gilgamesh, the yer so stubborn and immature, was actually an idol in real life. And not just any idol, but a flower-like, beautiful boy idol at that! He visited Shin Ja-Hu''s hospital room daily, iming it was off-season for his activity, and as time passed, Shin Ja-Hu found himself increasingly unable to concentrate on Crockta''s war videos. Even as he watched those dangerous battles, he could hardly immerse himself. Just why? What could possibly be the reason? Shin Ja-Hu closed his eyes. Suddenly, a line from a ssic Korean noir he used to enjoy, ''A Bittersweet Life,'' shed through his mind. ¡¸On a clear spring day, watching the branches sway in the wind, the disciple asked, ¡°Master, is it the branches that are moving, or the wind?¡± Without even looking at what the disciple was pointing at, the masterughed and answered, ¡°What truly moves is neither the branches nor the wind, but your own heart.¡± ¡¹ Shin Ja-Hu shook his head and red toward Crockta. Crockta''s greatsword struck the War God repeatedly. The War God''s feet dug into the ground. It was an immense, monstrous strength. The fight grew fiercer. Desperately summoning the machismo within him, Shin Ja-Hu shouted, "You got this, Crockta!" * * * Tiyo rolled forward to dodge an enemy''s attack and silenced them with quick, targeted shots. "These are gonna hurt a bit today!" Until now, Tiyo''s General was not really considered adequate for killing. It was more for temporarily stunning or paralyzing, shocking the enemies to hinder them rather than killing. But today, things were different. "I told you, hehe." Tiyo murmured as he watched his enemies crumble after being shot by him. Today, the General''s output was at its maximum. Tiyo had activated the so-called ¡®killing mode.¡¯ "Hah, you guys just keeping, don¡¯t you?" Despite his attacks, the enemies kept rushing in. Instead of fearing his attacks, it seemed like they were being filled with rage to eliminate a feeble, tiny gnome that was giving them a hard time. It was a misjudgment on their part. "If that¡¯s the case..." Tiyo gripped the General''s handle tightly. Then, the General began to transform. The rifle shortened, and new barrels grew as if it was proliferating. Two became four, four became eight. The General was no longer a gun. It was a Vulcan cannon. The Vulcan cannon in Tiyo''s hands began to rotate furiously. The greatest mercy Tiyo could offer those rushing toward him was a swift and painless death! "Yaaaah!" Magic bullets sted away from the General, mercilessly pounding the advancing expedition forces. With each hit, the bodies of the expedition forces trembled as if they were being electrocuted before crumbling to the ground. Such attacks, thousands, tens of thousands of shots! As the General''s output overloaded, Tiyo¡¯s fatigue umted, but he clenched his teeth and maintained his aim at the enemies. The Vulcan cannon''s rotation did not stop. By the time the General''s rotation finally ceased, there wasn¡¯t a single soul standing before him. The enemies were all scattered on the ground, emitting a pungent smoke. Some that hadn''t died twitched, and Tiyo turned the General into a musket, delivering death to each one of them. But just like how the atmosphere gets drawn toward a vacuum, more expedition forces gathered over thend massacred by Tiyo. The soldiers, armed with divine power, knew no fear. They were all puppets. Tiyo twisted his lips. It was a contemptuous expression he seldom showed before. "Controlling their people like this... The gods really can¡¯t be trusted." The number of the gods¡¯ puppets approaching him was even greater than thest wave. "Sir Tiyo! Fall back!" "We''ll hold them off!" Orc warriors ran to Tiyo''s side. "It''s fine!" Tiyo shook his head. "My friend right here will take it from here." The orcs turned their heads. There stood a half-dark elf with cut ears and dark skin. He had yet to show his power since stepping onto the battlefield. Therefore, most of the expedition did not feel any sense of threating from him. What power could this slender dark elf possibly wield? "Sigh... I didn''t want to do this." Anor closed his eyes. A dark aura began to boil from his body. His bubbling power soon overflowed and dripped to the ground. It spread sideways, expanding across the battlefield. Like a gue crawling on the ground, it spread endlessly in all directions. And those that became infected by that power and twitching were the dead. The dead began to rise. "W-what is this?" "Arghhh!" "The corpses are getting up! Oh god, oh god!" The expedition soldiers, who were advancing with the power of the gods, quickly became horrified. Deadrades and the orcs killed by them rose and grabbed them by their ankles. Corpses craving life from the pit of death rose and preyed on the flesh of the living. "They¡¯re biting! They¡¯re biting!" "Argh!" The armed corpses swung their weapons, cutting through them, and those without intact limbs crawled on the ground, biting. The expedition, which had previously suffered at the hands of the ghouls due to the coboration of Zankus and Tashaquil, was once again terrified by the appearance of these terrifying beings. Not even the blessing of the gods could ovee the primal fear. "You are running rampant with your disgusting power!" An old man floating in the sky grimaced and yelled. The old man, who was supporting the expedition soldiers with his power, now began to shoot light at the undead. The undead crumbled helplessly as they were touched by the opposing holy power. "Darkness cannot ovee light!" He shouted loudly again, scattering the light once more. Although there was a moment of chaos, ultimately, the undead would all return to dust. But at that moment, his vision went dark. He grimaced. "Who is it?" Who could it be? "Tashaquil, is this your doing?" There was only one being with power strong enough to iste this old man in another dimension. The response came from below. ¡®This isn¡¯t Tashaquil¡¯s doing...'' He turned his gaze down below. Then, he felt a sudden chill down his spine and shuddered for a moment. Beneath him, there was a vast darkness. So dark that no one could tell how deep or how wide it was. An infinite abyss. From within, an unpleasantughter that sounded like bugs crawling echoed. ¡°Keheh... Heh!¡± * * * An unfathomable battlefield. Where gods conjure radiance, the sun dies, ghouls appear, meteors fall in a shower, and the dead rise to prey on the living. Where never-ending inferno engulfs people and immortals and mortals sh, shaking the earth. But here, the most intense battle was being fought with an opposing pair of swords, two pieces of cold steel. "Damn orc scum¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The War God attempted a counterattack, but he was a beat toote. An opening was created. Crockta grinned. "Rx a bit." Through a slight gap split open between a shield and sword, and from above the helmet, where the War God¡¯s eyes zed, God yer struck down like lightning. Boooooom! It was an explosion. As God yer split the War God, mes burst forth. It was the power of a god-killing weapon, forged in the ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯ of the Temple of the Sun God. Crockta bounced back, avoiding the mes. "..." He definitely felt a sensation of cutting something. But the fight was not over yet. He knew it instinctively. "Not bad." The War God strode out of the mes, taking one step at a time. His helmet was gone, and his physical body was split vertically from the crown of his head to his abdomen. But instead of blood, mes burned at the cross-section. It was the fire of war. With that strike, Arcran had died, but the War God, with the mes and power of war, had reattached his torn body. Though the owner of the body had died, the body itself continued to fight under the control of the War God. "Crockta." The enraged War God''s body burned even hotter. Now, he looked like a fireball in human shape. Within it, dazzling eyes red at Crockta. "I acknowledge you." Out of nowhere, something flew toward the War God. It was an arrow. The War God raised his hand to catch it out of the air and then snapped it in two. "You or me. One of us has to die." He reached his hand toward the sky. Then, an unknown force began to envelop him and Crockta. The expedition forces and orcs that had been surrounding them were pushed back. An intangible and unapproachable energy unfolded. The divine power of the War God. The Colosseum. Now, no one, not even another god, could interfere in this fight. The entire world was made a spectator. Crockta grinned. "That¡¯s an interesting ability." No coincidence could interfere with their duel. Only the inevitable sh of sword against sword remained. In this intangible prison, neither of them could leave until one of them died. "So, all I have to do is just kill you?" "Exactly." Crockta and the War God looked at each other. Though it was hard to see any expression in the fiery figure, Crockta knew he was smiling. "If it weren''t for the Ashen God, I would have made you my apostle." "And who said I¡¯d listen? You think I¡¯d follow someone like you?" "Mortal. Do not think you are the only one fighting an honorable war." The War God, holding a sword and shield, asked. "You fight to protect your kin, is that correct?" ¡°Correct.¡± "We fight to..." At that moment, the War God seemed somehow weary. His body wavered for a moment as if the sword and shield were a heavy burden. He continued. "We fight to protect this very world." The War God forcefully lifted his sword and shield again. Then, he charged explosively. Crockta wanted to ask what he meant, but the descending shield forced him to set aside his thoughts. Swords and shields shed. Sparks flew. The pressure was immense. "Arghhhhhhhhhhh!" "Burnnnnnnnnn!" The two swung their swords at each other. Blood sttered. Chapter 208: War of the Gods (6)

Chapter 208: War of the Gods (6)

The Colosseum. The divine power of the War God that traps designated opponents within an intangible prison, which does not deactivate until one of them dies. Inside this formless prison, Crockta and the War God shed with thunderous explosions following each of their attacks. The sh of the two was now at the level of arsenal fire. Although the aftermath did not spread outside of the boundary due to the intangible walls created by the activation of the Colosseum, the battle between them still influenced the morale of those watching. The tide of therger battle shifted depending on who was dominating inside the Colosseum at the moment. When Crockta took the offensive, the orcs were invigorated and ughtered the expedition forces. When the War God pushed back, the expedition force¡¯s morale surged, and they stabbed the orcs to death. The battle continued in a destructive cycle of the killers and the victims switching ces. "If this goes on, we''re headed for annihtion," Hoyt muttered after smashing the skull of a knight who was acting up in front of him. Miracles, seldom seen in a lifetime, were unfolding before their eyes one after another. It was truly the battlefield of the gods. Even then, the dead were rising to swing their swords blindly at the expedition forces. Yet, the number of the expedition force still outnumbered the orcs, and even more gods continued to appear to join their side. Gods that had never been seen before descended to fight alongside the expedition forces with sword and magic. The morale of the orcs gradually declined. Hoyt smashed the chest of an approaching soldier and sighed. "Why are the gods so adamant on getting involved like this?" He inquired out loud. Then, someone appeared in front of him. Cloaked entirely in a robe, the figure''s identity was indiscernible. "It''s because of the Ashen God." Hoyt instinctively raised his hammer but sensed no hostility from the figure. He decided to ask a question instead of attacking the figure. ¡°What do we have to do with the Ashen God?" "She has returned. The power of death has been detected. Are you saying that your kind and the Ashen God have nothing to do with each other?" "The Ashen God? You speak nonsense." "Are you acting innocent, or are you telling the truth? If you are really telling the truth, then has your kind be her puppets without realizing it?" "Hah, so you waged war on us based on mere spection!" "Even if it was a hasty assumption, it wouldn''t matter to them." The figure faintly smiled. His lips, ever so slightly visible, were curling up under the robe. "They don''t want to leave even a sliver of chance for the Ashen God''s revival. Even if innocent deaths urred in the process, they wouldn¡¯t mind one bit." Hoyt twisted his mouth into a smirk. "I think I get it. So what you¡¯re saying is that they waged this war against us purely based on their assumption that we are conspiring with the Ashen God, and even if they werepletely wrong, it doesn¡¯t matter to them anyway, huh?" "Correct." "I don''t know what this Ashen God is, or why you think we''re rted to it." Hoyt exuded a murderous intent. "We have no intention to be pawns in some game of the gods." As Hoyt prepared to charge at the robed man, he put both his hands in the air. "Calm down. I am not a god." "Then what are you?" "Let''s just say I''m a spectator." "You¡¯re only speaking nonsense." "It would be better for you to not know." The figure stepped back and added, "The day youe to know will be the day you face the apocalypse." The expedition forces were closing in. As if they too were unsure of the man''s identity, they hesitated as they surrounded both Hoyt and him. One among them, possibly a divinely possessed soldier, radiated an unknown power. "Are you with us or against us?" "So I have to be either a friend or a foe..." The man chuckled lightly. "Perhaps that''s the root of all of these problems." With the man not answering their question, the soldiers exchanged nces, and one lunged with a spear at the man. The robe was pierced. "I got him...!" But what the soldier managed to stab was just an afterimage. The man had already moved behind, slicing the soldier''s throat. A swift sword! The soldier''s head fell, spouting blood. The soldier possessed by a god immediately reacted, unleashing a burst of holy power. Despite his effort, the man dodged with ease and grace, then stood beside Hoyt. He whispered to Hoyt, "I will watch this battle to the end. You might just win. The gods are not in their best condition." "Not in their best condition?" "Don¡¯t you think the gods are weaker than you¡¯d expect? Enough for you to havested this long." "Well, their power on earth isn¡¯t as..." "Even so, they shouldn''t be this weak." Their enemy had every single god of this world on their side. They organized an expedition to invade the orcs but were unable to im their victory easily. "The gods are fighting their own battles. Everyone believes they are right, so let the gods¡ª no, the world decide." "Then who are you?" "You ask the same question twice. As I said before, I am..." Looking at the expedition forces surrounding himself and Hoyt, the man said, "Neither a friend nor an enemy to anyone. I am simply a spectator." The expedition forces, led by the possessed soldier, charged at Hoyt and the man. The man did not stay longer. He kicked off the ground and flew away, disappearing somewhere into the battlefield. His movement was almost like the wind. Hoyt, watching him go, gripped his hammer. "Gods and the Ashen God..." The man¡¯s identity was still unclear, but the reason for the battle was bing somewhat visible. They were entangled in the affairs of the gods. "What a joke." Hoyt swung his hammer in a grand motion. The heads of the expedition soldiers attacking him were simultaneously shattered, scattering blood and skull fragments in the air. Hoyt looked at the scene and snorted through his nose. In the end, both the orcs and the expedition force were mere pawns entangled in the affairs of the gods. Thus, his anger pointed at the gods. The world slowed down. Between the fluttering brain pieces and the spray of blood, he saw the face of a man possessed by a god staring at him with malice. It was as if the divine being was mocking him, smiling smugly as if he knew Hoyt''s fate. Hoyt snorted again. "Gods who aren¡¯t in their best condition..." Mountain sher, the masterpiece of the Golden Anvil Tribe, reverberated in his grip. "Kible." Hoyt''s body leaped toward the divine being. His hammer was aimed down at the possessed soldier¡¯s head. "Hmph!" However, Hoyt''s attack stopped right above the enemy''s head. Divine power emitted by the god created a strong pressure that pushed him back. Struggling to hold on, Hoyt was eventually forced to step back. The god spoke as he walked toward Hoyt. "Look at those friends of yours." "..." "They will all end up the same." Hoyt took a deep breath and scanned the surroundings. As casualties increased, the view of the battlefield cleared. The situation of the battle began to unfold before his eyes. The orcs were still shing weapons with the expedition force, and the orc leaders were desperately retaliating against the gods. However, the tide of battle was turning against them. "Kahhhhhh!" Kumarak roared as he charged at the dwarf. Both were injured. But while Kumarak waspletely exhausted, his opponent remained vigorous. As the dwarf shook Kumarak off, Kumarak was flung through the air and tumbled to the ground. The dwarf mmed down his hammer. Kumarak blocked with Destroyer, but it seemed that was all he could do as he choked. Not too far away, Anya had all of her limbs bound by the Goddess of Mercy, sitting helplessly. The divine power of the goddess, filled with malice, became chains that constricted Anya. Despite Anya''s curses and screams, the goddess looked down at her coldly. Zankus, who had in the sun just moments ago, was attempting to shoot again despite having two prating wounds. Then, a beam of light from somewhere pierced his thigh, adding another wound on top of the other two. Zankus fell down. His steel bow ttered on the ground with a crashing noise. He twitched trying to stand but could only copse again as if his body wasn¡¯t under his control. The God of Radiance, who had been swallowed by the abyss of Wachwi, appeared crawling out of it, dragging Wachwi out with him. As he released his grip, Wachwi tumbled to the ground. The god, not in the best shape himself, kicked Wachwi with a face full of rage, and Wachwi weakly rolled on the ground. They were all so close. "Just a little." If only they had been a little stronger. If only there had been a few more of them, the oue might have been different. But that small difference wascking, and they were overwhelmed by their enemies. Like how a scale only tips quickly once it starts moving in one direction, the orcs couldn''t withstand that minute weight and began to copse, ultimately facing imminent defeat. "Oh, gods..." Hoyt, who found himself praying, suddenly felt chills. The gods were their enemies. The gods had united their powers to kill them. An emotion close to absolute despair settled in his chest. But instead of dropping his head, Hoyt faintly smiled. "Now you¡¯re seeking the gods? Then kneel and beg. Since we are merciful gods, we just might forgive you," the god in front of him mocked. "Shut up. You who are unworthy of the title of god, you im to be one until the end?" Hoyt retorted. "You filthy orcs just don¡¯t know when to stop." "You can¡¯t and won¡¯t ever be our gods. Our god is right here." Hoyt raised his hammer. Yes, that was it. Above Hoyt''s hammer, their god was watching over him. "I forgot for a second." Every warrior who bes one faces him and realizes. He is always there, always watching over them. And what they offered to that god was not sacrifices, nor gold or treasures, nor grand temples. Simply. The indomitable Seven Virtues, and the honor it illuminates. That was the most precious thing they could offer. That was all they had. In its presence, death was too small, too trivial for them to regret or be afraid of. Hoyt took a deep breath and looked at the orcs dying around him, the warriors dropping their weapons before crumbling to the ground. Then, he shouted. "Listen up, my warriors¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Hoyt''s roar shook the battlefield. The orcs raised their heads. Hoyt, the great warrior of Orcrox who followed in the footsteps of their teacher, Lenox, was shouting at them. "You may die today¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The orcs chuckled. At that moment, that ce didn¡¯t feel like a battlefield, but more like Orcrox¡¯s training ground. And the strict instructor Hoyt seemed like he was about tomand them to do something again. He says that dying is eptable. How harsh was this demand going to be? The orcs listened attentively to his next words. Hoyt shouted again. "So, prove yourselves¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The orcs nodded. Prove themselves. He was truly a strict and harsh instructor. The orcs had only one way to prove it. It was to sh open their skins and write with their and their enemies'' blood. The content was their life itself, and the period was death. It was a privilege that only a warrior who charged on without cowardice could enjoy, and the reward for submitting the proof of courage was only one thing. Honor. Hoyt raised his hammer. The orcs lifted their weapons. Kumarak''s Destroyer was shoved in the air. Zankus rose again and notched his bow. Anya''s axe floated in the air, and Wachwi sunk back into the abyss. All the warriors'' axes and spears were lifted toward the sky. The following words were too obvious, so everyone roared in unison. "Burnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Even the gods stepped back from their spirit. The orcs began another wave of resistance with their undying spirit. The entire battlefield was shaken. Watching the scene, Hoyt smiled. His job was finished. He had no regrets. He should¡¯ve died back then, anyway. Lenox was waiting for him. Just as he was about to make his final charge toward the gods and enemies in front of him. Suddenly. There was an echo. Burnnnnnnnnnn... Hoyt flinched. Then, he turned around. They were on a vast in. There should have been no echo. But the sound continued. Burnnnnnnnnnnnnn... Burnnnnnnn... Burnn... The sound gradually got closer. The ground began to tremble. "That¡¯s...!¡± "What is that?" "Holy shit!" Dust rose from the horizon, revealing hundreds of gs soaring into the air. All wearing the same armor. Orcs in dark armor and helmets. They wereing. The orc at the forefront waved his hand. Then, all the gs were waved in unison. A silentmand without a single word, not to mention a shout. Following thatmand, the orcs charged toward the battlefield as if they were one. It was a charge, a mysterious charge that was expected by neither the orcs nor the expedition force. They drew closer. Their momentum and roars flooded the battlefield like a tsunami. The expedition forces, already battered from fighting the orcs, crumbled powerlessly under their collision. The orcs charged madly until collision, like tanks. Their target was clear, anyone and anything that was not orcs. Their des plunged down upon the weary heads of the expedition forces. The exhausted enemies were ughtered without being able to make an effort to fight back. The enraged gods screamed and unleashed their divine powers. That spectacle seemed unreal. Among the chaos, Hoyt saw an orc walking toward him. He was the man who had been leading the group at the forefront of their lines. His face was grim with scars. "Who are you?" Hoyt asked. "We are from the north. For the Great Chief." With those words, Hoyt understood everything. He once heard from Crockta. The orcs of the north. Those who followed the ''Northern Conqueror'' Crockta, orcs of a different culture from the continent. They had broken through the boundary in defiance of the oracle toe down here. Hoyt nodded his head. Then, he extended his fist. "My name is Hoyt. Thank you for the salvation." The man stared at him for a moment, then thumped his chest once and extended his fist toward Hoyt. "I''m Shireuga. Don¡¯t mention it." Against the backdrop of a blood-red battlefield where gods and mortals mixed. The fists of the two men met. Chapter 209: War of the Gods (7)

Chapter 209: War of the Gods (7)

"I guess this is it... heh.¡± Tiyo grimly smiled as he tilted the barrel of General. "Anor, how are you holding up!" "Not super great..." Anor answered as he also staggered from expending all his strength. The dead, through the persistent resistance of the expedition force and the power of the gods, all crumbled. The remaining hostility was directed at Anor, the necromancer who raised the dead, and Tiyo, who massacred the soldiers with his strange weaponry. They were getting closer and closer. The General whirred and transformed randomly on its own, nking in the process. But Tiyo, drained of his strength, couldn¡¯t control it. "Crockta is..." In the distance, they saw Crockta dueling with the War God. mes erupted every time their swords shed. "... doing well..." Being a god, the enemy was overpowering Crockta in terms of sheer strength. But Crockta constantly pushed back, countering the strong attacks of his opponent with extraordinary moves. Ordinary eyes wouldn''t have been able to catch their movements. "Kehehehe." Tiyo fiddled with the General. It had be an ambiguously shrunken shape that was neither a rifle nor a pistol, reflecting Tiyo''s current state. But Tiyo raised the barrel once again. "Come at me! This Tiyo will not hide or flee!" The tiny, roughed-up gnome''s roar made the expedition force momentarily step back. Among them were a few nameless lesser gods, but Tiyo''s spirit overpowered even them. "Anorrrrr! Are you ready?" "R-ready for what?" "To die, obviously!" "I''m not ready at all..." "Excellent! Let¡¯s fight till the very end!" The expedition force charged. Tiyo rolled to the side to dodge their initial attack and fired the General. The significantly weakened magic energy struck them. Although it wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough to kill them, it was enough to knock them over. Tiyo pulled something out of his pocket. It was a dagger. It flew gracefully toward the fallen enemies, embedding itself in their necks. Blood spurted. "To witness the knife fighting of the Quantes Defense Force, you guys sure are lucky." Tiyo, wiping the blood from his face, grinned. The expedition force, fueled by rage, charged again. Then, the bodies Tiyo had just in rose, iling their arms, blocking the assault. Anor had exerted his power. But the gods'' power disrupted the necromancer''s influence over the bodies. The corpses fell back into their eternal rest. "Eeek! Tiyo! Attack them!" Anor shouted. Before the enemies could gather themselves again, Tiyo''s General struck them again. "There are too many enemies, and the other orcs are..." They were now the only ones remaining. All the other orcs were dead. Both sides suffered irreparable damages in this brutal battle, but ultimately, it was the expedition force that managed to survive until the end and wipe out the remnants. "Damn." Even more expedition soldiers surrounded Tiyo. Light zed from the eyes of the possessed soldiers, aiming to finish off Tiyo and Anor. "A gnome and a half-breed dark elf... You¡¯ve made a foolish choice to side with the orcs." One of the gods spoke. "Especially since the necromancer is of filthy lineage." "...!" Anor''s face darkened with fury. "I was skeptical of the rumor that you were conspiring with the Ashen God... but seeing you confirms it. You all deserve to die." "What the hell are you spewing, you fatherless dickhe..." Full of rage, Anor was about to curse, which he rarely did. Then, out of nowhere, a spear made of light from the god''s hand flew toward him, aiming for his heart. ¡°...!¡± Anor couldn¡¯t move. He was just staring nkly at the iing ray of light. sh. A groan. "Oho..." "Tiyo!" Tiyo had pushed Anor aside and was impaled by the light spear instead. It didn¡¯t hit a fatal spot, but it pierced through his abdomen, causing blood to spurt out. Tiyo copsed, coughing up blood. "Keheheh... Cough, cough! Kehe, hahaha! Cough!" Tiyo coughed out blood andughter at the same time as he red with his eyes wide open. "Is this all you''ve got?" Tiyo, trembling with shaky legs, forced himself up. Anor tried to stop him, but Tiyo shook off his help. As Tiyo managed to stand, a look of admiration appeared on the god''s face. "Who are you? I''ve never seen a gnome like you." "Me?" Tiyo lifted his chin. Despite his battered appearance, his face was still filled with confidence. "I am the son of the great adventurer Hedoro, former captain of the Quantes defense force, and apanion of Crockta and Anor!" "I see, Tiyo..." The god nodded at his bold deration. "I will remember your name." And then, he unleashed another spear of light. It streaked toward Tiyo''s heart in a clean, straight line. It was a stable, direct trajectory. "Tiyo!" Anor screamed. Tiyo closed his eyes. Being born meant you eventually died. What matters is not when you die, but where and how. And on that, Tiyo didn¡¯t have a single regret. He died in a ce and for a cause worth dying for. Thus, he could smile in his final moments. "Adios." The light spear headed straight for Tiyo''s heart. But it was too straight. Too straight that a single arrow flying in was able to split it down its shaft. Crack. The spear shattered. That single arrow pierced through, hitting a soldier surrounding Tiyo in the abdomen. ".....!" The soldier spat blood. But that was not the end. The arrow began spinning furiously from the soldier''s abdomen, creating a whirlwind that soon turned into a storm, sucking in the nearby soldiers. Their bodies were torn to shreds and thrown into the air. "Kyaaaaaa!" ¡°What the hell!¡± "What is this...?" Everyone in the vicinity turned to look as they shielded themselves from the flying chunks of flesh. It was an unbelievable spectacle. There was a goblin holding a bow. "A goblin...?" But the goblin paid them no attention. His gaze was solely fixed on the man who had braced for death, Tiyo. "Oi, kek!" Tiyo''s eyes widened. "Y-you...!" "Son of Hedoro, kek! The captain of the Quantes defence force, kek! Crockta''spanion, kek! But why did you leave one out, keeek?" The goblin grinned, pointing at his own chest. "Tiyo, the disciple of the legendary goblin archer Kiao!" The goblin who sought the strongest shot, who could whip up a storm of time and space to sweep away his foes. It was Kiao. "How did you get here!" "Why are youining, kek? I saved you from dying and the first thing you do is yell at me, kek!" "I would have survived without you!" "You thought you were going to die in style, kek! That was hrious, kek!" "N-nonsense!" "Adios, kek? Adios, kek! You think you¡¯re in a movie or something, kek?" "You bastard!" As Tiyo and Kiao bickered, the face of the god who had thrown the light spear twisted. "Where did this bonehead monstere from...!" But the answer came from behind him. "Say that again." The god flinched. A massive shadow loomed over him. "What did you just say, monster? Take it back!" The god turned his head. There stood a gigantic Cyclops with a twisted face, ring down at him. "Monsters we are not! Take it back!" The Cyclops shouted and swung his fist at him. The god barely dodged but had to roll rather ungracefully on the ground. "Me, Hawk Eye! He, Kiao! Monsters we are not!" It was Hawk Eye, the giant who once fought alongside Crockta. The sudden appearance of the masters caused the expedition to panic. Not just Kiao and Hawk Eye, but also a centaur who was no less skilled with the bow than Kiao, a mysterious leech, and an ogre with a terrifying presence. All of them were beings that shouldn¡¯t have been there, yet they were appearing one by one. "How did you guys..." "Orcs here! We! Togethere!" The Cyclops pointed in another direction. There it was. The northern great tribe of orcs charged, raising dust clouds. As they hit the expedition, the enemies crumbled almost too easily. The oracle had spread all the way to the north. And hearing it, the friends of Xantimur came down with the great tribe of orcs to help Crockta and hispanions. The tide was turning once again. "You rats..." And the faces of the gods watching this scene twisted. "Taste the true wrath of the gods!" Their bodies glowed a radiant white, and their powers began to envelop the surroundings. Even the expedition soldiers were being crushed under the pressure, screaming, but they did not care. Tiyo, Anor, and the masters stepped back, tensing up. They could sense that the gods were truly enraged. A storm of power sted from them. * * * Kumarak burst intoughter at the sight of orcs he had never seen before joining the fray. "I have no clue what¡¯s happening, but krrng!¡± He looked up at a dwarf standing on his chest, wielding a hammer. "We will not lose!" Kumarak eximed. Tarthatot, the father of all burrowing creatures, looked down at him with cold eyes. "It doesn''t matter. One thing is certain, you will die at this moment." "Kekeke! Kill me, krrng! A warrior does not fear death!" "Today, I finally avenge Almutat." The dwarf raised his hammer high. And without hesitation, brought it down with force. It was a powerful blow that could split just about anyone''s head, capable of causing an earthquake with its might. But just before the hammer could reach Kumarak. The dwarf felt a murderous intent targeting his neck and heart simultaneously and instinctively twisted his body to dodge backward. "What the!" A sharp de hade up against his neck, barely missing him but still leaving a trace of blood. Tarthatot continued to retreat, but the swift dual swords kept pursuing him. And the wielder was a dark elf with white hair and ck skin. "I was told that the continent was filled with entertaining opponents. Entertaining, indeed." He swirled his dual swords, eyeing Tarthatot. A suffocating murderous intent emanated from his body. "A god, what better opponent could there be?" "And who are you?" The dark elf smiled faintly and replied briefly, "Driden." With the single-word answer, he vanished. Tarthatot, sensing the de approaching from behind his head, ducked forward in shock. Then, the de appeared from the side, stabbing him. It was a relentless sequence of attacks. Driden, the genius swordsman who had dueled with Crockta, had also descended to the continent with the great tribe. Tarthatot screamed. His opponent was now Driden. They shouted and swung their weapons at each other. "Those are the northern..." The Goddess of Mercy frowned at the scene. She was standing not far away, subduing Anya. She was also wounded with several cuts from Anya¡¯s axe. Although she had healed herself with her divine power, stains of blood marred her clothes. "We need to go assist them quickly. This is turning into an odd situation." The orcs from the north were tearing apart the expedition force. The Goddess of Mercy wore a determined expression. She had decided. Anya smirked. "Go ahead. To die by the hands of the Goddess of Mercy, what an honor this is." "..." The Goddess of Mercy pressed her lips tightly together and exerted her divine power to strangle Anya strongly. Anya''s face turned red, her face paling as she choked. "Kugh..." Even in this situation, Anya maintained a mocking smile. She was never going to submit to her enemy under any circumstances. And there was one warrior who was impressed by her attitude. "Even the female orcs of the continent are so spirited!" The Goddess of Mercy nced back in surprise. There stood an old orc holding a massive hammer. * * * Wachwiy on the ground, barely managing to breathe. He had exhausted all the sorcery he could, but it proved insufficient against the power of the gods. "Foolish one." The old man speaking was not in that good of a shape either. Wachwi''s sorcery had partially consumed him into darkness, marring his appearance. "Did you truly believe you could defeat us?" "Keh... heh!" "You keep up that displeasing cackle until the very end." His face twitched in response. "Laugh all you want now. You won''t be able to in the underworld." Wachwi tried tough again, but the old man wrapped his hand around his throat, preventing him fromughing anymore. "Die." Light burst from the old man¡¯s body, and Wachwi¡¯s life force was being drained from his. Wachwi¡¯s eyes were slowly dimming. He wanted tough onest time. He had tough. As a seeker of the abyss, he faced the endless darkness, aiming to reach its depths. When one looks into the abyss, the abyss looks back into them. To not be consumed by that unknown darkness or suffocate in its fear, he always had tough. Keh... Heh! But no sound came out. How unfortunate. In that distant ce, within unseen pitch darkness, the abyss smacked its lips at him. As his consciousness began to fade, a sudden loudughter rang in his ears, waking his mind. "Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!" Chapter 210: War of the Gods (8)

Chapter 210: War of the Gods (8)

"Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!" A heartyugh, one that was of a different ss from Wachwi''s unpleasant chuckle resounded! The God of Radiance looked back. There stood another orc shaman. However, with broken mrs and a smaller stature, he appeared rather pitiful. But instinctively, the god knew. This shaman was no ordinary being. The trajectories of power emanating from him wove intricate orbits around the shaman. If Wachwi was a master of dark sorcery intoxicated by the abyss, this orc was a traditionalist who had earnestly ascended the realms of shamanism. And such power was at its zenith. He was the most fearsome kind of enemy. "It''s been a long time thince I''ve theen thomeone like you!" the orc shaman spoke with a heavy lisp. Without hesitation, the god unleashed his power, which immediately pierced through the orc. He was hoping that the orc would crumble instantly. But nothing happened. The orc was already standing by Wachwi''s side. "The abyth, huh? You wield a dangerous power! How imprethive! Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!" He was an orc who couldn¡¯t even pronounce words correctly due to missing some teeth, but he was dangerous regardless. "Since it''se to this, why don''t you lend me your strength!" He reached his hand out to Wachwi. Then, magical power flowed from the limp Wachwi into the unknown orc, being absorbed immediately. Compared to his high realm, the orc had very little magical power. His body which contained magic must have been shattered in the past due to the aftermath of battles or an overload of sorcery. However, as the orc absorbed magical power from Wachwi, even that sole weakness was ovee. Magical power surged within him. The same tool can produce entirely different oues depending on how it''s used. In the hands of the unknown orc, the same magic became a far more formidable force. "It''s been a while! Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!" As if savoring a fragrance, he wrapped the magical power around his hands and closed his eyes. "I think this is the first time since that time I killed the ''Demon King''!" The god tried to obliterate the orc before he could use his sorcery, but the attacks dissipated into thin air as if they were hitting a wall. One. Two. Three. And countless more. Numerous spells had already surrounded him, forming a defensive stance. The spells encircled him, blocking all attacks. "You...!" The god unleashed the remainder of his power in a mighty blow toward the orc out of the fear of not knowing what to expect from his new opponent. But instead of hitting the orc, the power vanished before reaching the orc and returned to the god. As his own power was wielded against himself, the god had to hastily dodge. His power had always been his tool for overpowering others, but for the first time, it threatened him. A chill ran down his spine. " Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul! How ridiculouth you look!" The god was enraged by his mockery but had no power left to attack. "How dare you...!" Fury made lights burst from his eyes. "If we were to use our full power, creatures like you would stand no chance!" " Kyul kyul kyul! Take it easy!" The orc shaman shook his head. "You gods are busy with other matters, aren''t you? I understand!" "....!" "I realized that long ago. If you gods decided to truly use all of your powers against us, how could we, mere mortals, withstand it?" Now Wachwi, too, seemed to regain his senses. He staggered to his feet sluggishly. "Kehe... heh!" His unpleasantughter also returned. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, "This has been plenty, don''t you think?" There was a voice out of nowhere. An elf in a noble garment and elegant demeanor appeared. His arrival instantly brought silence to the battlefield. All fighting ceased. The scent of fresh grass spread, and it calmed the hearts of those fighting. Anger,bativeness, hatred, fear, and terror¡ªall dissipated. Wounds and pains were healed. The gods knew who the elf was. "You!¡± He was the avatar of the World Tree. He was the one watching over the World Trees and thus, tenderly caring for the elves. He, the one who had refused to join this war right before it began, had made a surprise appearance. "What nonsense is this now?" He was of a high rank among the gods, so the tone of the other god who asked was polite. "I¡¯m saying that we should just stop this." "It''s a battle that has already begun. Someone has to lose." Whether it was them or the orcs, an oue had to be reached. "But it seems like both sides are drained of power." "..." "Exerting any more power might cause problems." As he was saying, the battlefield had now entered a stalemate, and other gods were also beginning to lose ground. The resilience of the orcs was remarkable. Although the gods had a restriction on their power, the orcs were still managing to fight against them and give them a difficult time. And with the arrival of the northern army, they even began to push the gods back. If this continued, the war could very well end in mutual destruction. Many gods agreed with his words, and a few were nodding, starting to withdraw their power. "Are you saying we should retreat just like this? We cannot do that." However, a few gods, including Tarthatot, were determined to see the war through. The avatar of the World Tree offered a suggestion. "Then how about this." He pointed to a ce right in the middle of the battlefield. A ce where the fight never once ceased ever since the war began. ¡°They cannot be stopped. So, let the oue of that duel decide the victors of this war." It was Crockta and the War God. They were still fighting their fierce battle as if they werepletely oblivious to their surroundings. Every swing tore apart the interior of the Colosseum. The earth scattered, and the air was ripped apart in a series of relentless attacks. "So it¡¯s up to them..." The World Tree''s suggestion wasn''t directed just at Tarthatot. It was conveyed to all gods present on the battlefield. "..." The expedition force was also suffering significant losses and didn''t want to continue the war. The World Tree¡¯s proposal strongly tempted them. "There¡¯s no way the War God loses." "Crockta will win." At that moment, both sides burst out simultaneously. Tired of fighting, they nodded to the World Tree''s proposal. This sentiment spread throughout the battlefield. Even the gods discussed among themselves in theirnguage had eventually agreed to the proposal. They were also tired of this war. They knew that they were at risk of incurring wounds from mortals that they could not recover from. "Understood." The great war that began with the sh between the expedition forces and the orcs was ultimately going to be decided by Crockta and the War God. The fight came to a halt. As the acts of killing and being killed ceased, silence took over the battlefield. Boom! Bang! Craaaaaash! There were only the sounds of Crockta and the War God shing. All eyes were on them. One by one, the soldiers and orcs gathered toward the Colosseum. In a brutal space where one of them had to die before anyone could leave, they exchanged attacks without rest. Everyone watched. " Kyul kyul kyul kyul kyul!" The shaman, Kaburak,ughed out loud. "Our great chief is indeed strong. Where else would you find a warrior who stands against the War God and does not falter!" His words prompted the northern orcs to raise their weapons in tribute to Crockta. The expedition supported the War God. And the ones battling, Crockta and the War God, were having their own dialogue inside the Colosseum. "Not bad, War God." "Such insolent talk." They werepletely focused on their opponent, oblivious to their surroundings. * * * Crockta''s attack did not reach the War God. It barely managed to graze his shield. The War God''sbat skills, fully unveiled since the activation of the Colosseum, were of an unbelievable level. Truly, he was the god of all wars. There was no superfluous movement in his actions; each was purposeful and precise. Craaash! The War God struck Crockta with his shield and thrust his sword down on the staggering Crockta. Struggling to maintain his stance due to the aftermath of the shield strike, Crockta managed to block with God yer held horizontally. Sparks flew as the two des collided. "That''s a fine sword. And quite ominous at the same time," the War God remarked. The God yer was a generational legendary sword forged by the cksmith Jakiro of the Golden Anvil Tribe using the ¡®Eternal Fire.'' It wasparable to any other legendary weaponry in history. Its most terrifying aspect was the power of the sun imbued within it, capable of vanquishing even gods. A cut from this sword could deal a significant blow to a god, even potentially damaging their divinity. In the worst case, it could also lead to their demise. The War God, engaging inbat with this de, could feel its threat. He must not be cut by it. Thus, he shielded himself more robustly, using his shield for protection andunching attacks on Crockta from behind it. "How long will you only defend, War God!" Crockta¡¯s body had surpassed its limits and was now in a state beyond causality. It was uncertain how effective this would be against gods, yet... "Ugh!" A sudden attack beyond causality sliced through one of the War God''s arms, igniting mes at the site of the wound. Enraged, the War God erupted in mes, furious. "How insolent!" Though he was certain that he had blocked the attack, the reversal of causality meant he was struck cleanly by Crockta¡¯s God yer. The War God already had his body surrounded by mes due to his powers, but God yer inverted even that and damaged his divine power. It was a disgrace. He was not a being meant to suffer such humiliation at the hands of a mere mortal. "Crocktaaa!" He yelled, throwing his shield. Although Crockta managed to deflect it with his greatsword, the immense force behind it threw off his bnce. Seizing the moment, the War God advanced, swinging his sword. Crockta was shed, and blood spurted. "Ugh!" Retreating, Crockta faced the advancing War God who dered, "I made a mistake." ¡°...¡± "Attempting to defeat you without being harmed myself was arrogance on my part. Now, I acknowledge you as a true adversary." Picking up his fallen shield, the War God did not hide behind it as before. Instead, he prepared the shield as another means of attack and pointed it at Crockta. "The real Colosseum has begun." The War God gestured around them with his chin, and Crockta finally looked around. The war had stopped. For some reason, not only the orcs and the expedition force, but the northern orcs were also on the battlefield. All of their eyes were on the duel between Crockta and the War God. ¡°Kekeke...¡± Crockta chuckled. He didn¡¯t know the details, but he knew that the northern orcs must havee to rescue them from this war. He also saw some familiar faces. There was Shireuga, who silently held his fist against his chest. Kaburak, who wasughing as heartily as ever. Driden, ring at him with fierce eyes, and even the old warrior Hammerchwi was here. They all had their eyes on Crockta. "So the oue of this war is up to us?" Crockta and the War God were the only ones with weapons in their hands. The War God, ame with rage, spoke, "The gods have reached a consensus. The oue of this war will be decided by our duel. If you win, we will withdraw." ¡°Kekeke, you¡¯re really good at making things sound better than they really are. All I¡¯m hearing is that you and your gods are scared of us.¡± "Enough with the insolence." The War God''s mes intensified. "We could have erased this ce and Orcrox from the map had we used our full power." But Crockta was unfazed by the War God¡¯s rage. Instead, he closed his eyes. A chilling breeze cooled theyer of sweat covering his body. ¡°A fight that I mustn¡¯t lose...¡± Once again, everything hinged on his shoulders. The fate of thousands of lives depended on him. His defeat meant their loss, his victory, their triumph. And the eyes of the world were upon them. He could feel every single one of the gazes that were fixed on him. It was too many to count. The orcs, the gods, and even the people of Earth watching him on their screens. He had all of them on their back. He grinned. "Not bad." His opponent was the War God. The being that was born for wars, was trained by wars and was to look over all wars toe. The war itself. The most honorable foe. "Hey." Crockta called out with his greatsword swung over his shoulder. But the War God stayed silent. Unperturbed, Crockta continued. "Are you alive?" ¡°... truly insolent, you are.¡± The War God chuckled. He was familiar with the orcs¡¯mon sayings. "Yes, I am." "Good." No more words were necessary as they circled each other. The final act of the war was unfolding. Chapter 211: Last Stand

Chapter 211: Last Stand

Every time the shield and greatsword shed, a thunderous explosion sounded. In between them, the War God thrust his longsword. The moment the shield and greatsword collided, tiny gaps appeared between them. Piercing through these gaps with his de was the War God''s unbeatable technique. Booooom! With each strike of the greatsword, the War God withstood the impact and lunged forward with his longsword again. His sword was symbolic of the countless wars he had fought. It grazed across Crockta''s neck, spraying blood. Crockta, dodging fluidly, swung the God yer in a wide arc, generating a whirlwind with a deep vibrating sound. After twisting his neck with a crackling sound, Crockta readjusted his stance. To the audience, these minor details were all they could discern amid the high-speed exchange. As the War God and Crockta faced off again, their figures vanished into a barely visible blur, leaving only the sound of their weapons shing in rapid session. Woosh! mes erupted where the sword and shield met. Fire from the God yer enveloped the War God and swept to the ends of the Colosseum, dispersing against an invisible barrier. That spectacle repeated with each exchange of blows. The War God''s body was slowly charring under the dual assault of the God yer''s fire of the Sun God and the War God¡¯s warfare. The battlefield was engulfed in mes. The battle raged on. The War God faked attacking with his shield only to creep his sword toward Crockta, but Crockta deflected the de. As the War God staggered, Crockta kicked him, sending him reeling. Crockta then brought his greatsword down again, but the War God parried it with his shield, dropping it in the process. Exposed without the shield covering his body, the War God was full of openings. It seemed like Crockta could aim for anywhere on his body andnd a critical blow. Crockta swung the God yer mightily toward him. The de ripped through the air and caught the War God. The two mes, one from God yer and one from the War God exploded, obscuring the two from view. In that moment. The world came to a pause. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± In the silence, footsteps echoed. Step, step, step. It was the War God striding in the halted world. He had achieved an unimaginable eleration that transcended the very concept of extremes. It was a point where even the word ¡®extreme¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to describe it. He stepped aside to gaze upon Crockta. With both hands gripping his greatsword, Crockta was swinging God yer with every ounce of his power behind it. In a world that hade to a halt, Crockta was, at his own pace, moving forward. Slowly and gradually, his strike seemed almost stationary in the frozen world. It was going to take an entire day just for him to move the de a few inches. He was probably believing that he was only moments away from ying the War God. But just as his de was about to touch the god, he had already evaded. In a realm where a moment stretched into eternity, the War God ascended, seizing control of time to aim a deathly blow at Crockta. With an eleration that even Crockta wouldn¡¯t understand, he was going to execute Crockta. ¡°Hoo.¡± But the War God''s grip weakened. Even for him, manifesting such a power was taxing on his body. It was especially so because the gods had divided their strength to sustain the world, which had been exactly the reason allowing the orcs to stand against numerous gods. Raising his sword, the War God reminisced about the past. There was a catastrophic battle where many gods perished. That was when he came to the realization. The realization thatpassion and mercy were luxuries they couldn¡¯t afford. They were gods who had to uphold this world. If they were to allow such small emotions to leave an opening, it was certainly going to be exploited by ghoul-like beings, leading to the utter breakdown of the world. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but this is what I have to do.¡¯ The Ashen God whispered to him, who was squirming on the ground. The world was crumbling down. If the other gods had not sacrificed themselves that day, the world would have ended. That was why he, the War God, was going to kill Crockta and eradicate the orcs, or at least strip them of all power to prevent them from serving as minions to the Ashen God. Even if they had no direct connection to the Ashen God. ¡°It has to be done. There is no other way.¡± It was far better than leaving even the slimmest chance of the Ashen God¡¯s return. If annihtion was the price of eliminating that chance, he was more than willing to pay it. He looked at Crockta. Everyone said that he was a great warrior. And truthfully, his aplishments testified to their ims. But there was a scent of the Ashen Goding from that warrior. It was an unforgettable scent of burning ash. He certainly had something to do with her. ¡°A great warrior.¡± The War God held his greatest affection for warriors like these. A warrior who has the will to pursue his convictions even in the face of death. When such indomitable wills sh, conflict ensues, and the greater and bolder the will, therger the conflict grows. That was the essence of war, through which history has always flowed. It was a pity. "Great warriors inevitably meet their end on the battlefield." If the Ashen God was merely using this warrior named Crockta for her purposes, it was truly regrettable. Mortals entangled in the affairs of gods always died tragically. Therefore, he was going to end it himself. It was the highest honor he could bestow. "You were alive." His de plunged down. Just like that, the unfortunate orc warrior who had believed he had in a god, intoxicated with victory, was about to embrace a glorious death. Or so he thought. ¡°...!¡± But just as the de was about to touch his throat. Crockta''s eyes shed, and he looked directly at the War God. * * * After the War God dropped his shield, Crockta swung the God yer toward his body. The god seemed to be bewildered. With his power of heroism and the ability to go beyond causality, Crockta sealed all possibilities. He limited all the possible oues so that the conclusion could only be War God¡¯s death. Therefore, that strike was destined to split the War God''s body without fail. The God yer moved toward the War God''s body. In the realm of extreme speed, faster than anything else. In the domain beyond causality where all possibilities were reced by his own will. There, the enemy awaited only the arrival of his de. When Crockta felt the premonition of victory brushing past his mind. At that moment, Crockta suddenly saw something. Profound darkness began to descend from above his eyelids, spreading inward from the edges of his vision, starting to cken everything in front of him. It was darkness. Crockta realized that was death. He tried to il his body, but under the dominion of extreme inertia, his body couldn''t control itself. His de was converging toward the enemy while he was converging toward death. Causality twisted wildly, the world turned upside down, right and wrong intermingled, and chaos reigned. Amidst all this, only one thing was clear. Death. Mortality was inevitable for everyone. Crockta realized. His sword was not going to be able to y the War God. His opponent was a god who had lived through countless wars. And that god stood on a level that surpassed his own. He had believed that he would certainly strike this opponent, but that was not the case. His certain demise was getting closer. ¡®Are you alive?¡¯ Someone asked. But Crockta couldn¡¯t tell whose voice it was. Actually, it wasn''t a voice. It was something beyond the five senses, directly input into his soul. ¡®Honor.¡¯ The voice ceased. His vision was nowpletely engulfed in darkness. Then, suddenly, Crockta found something in that darkness. It pulsed slowly. It was a single thread. It shone with an indescribable color from a far-off world, it was one Crockta had never seen before. That thread was prating the world. It was always there, whether Crockta was brewing coffee on Earth as Yi-An, shing swords with enemies as Crockta, or sharingughter withpanions. It was there, no matter what. Even when he elerated to the absolute limits in the realm of extremes, it maintained its slow, pulsing beat. Even as he disrupted the world''sws in the realm beyond causality, it remained unchanged, linking those moments. The past and present were on that thread, and the future would eventually dance upon it too. What was that thread? And what was that color? Why was it so brilliantly radiant? Crockta realized that it ran through everything, even himself. It pulsed slowly, and it resonated with him. Thump. Thump. A color that didn''t need light to be brilliant. That color stood out vividly in the darkness, dazzling Crockta''s eyes. Thump. Thump. Slowly, the thread tilted. The world tilted. He was in Elder Lord, in the realm of extremes, witnessing thendscape of heroes, and seeing the embodiment of death descending like a ck curtain. Past moments shed by. And countless possibilities presented themselves as thendscapes of the future. He stepped out of the world rampant with death, and death, and death... Then, he stood again, in the present. ¡®Hey, apprentice.¡¯ A familiar voice grabbed Crockta by the hair. ¡®What are you staring at? A warrior never takes his eyes off his enemy.¡¯ The person holding Crockta''s hair slowly turned his head. Crockta''s head turned powerlessly. ¡®Remember this well.¡¯ When he turned his head, there it was. The de descending toward him, and the face of the War God looking down at him * * * The de sliced through Crockta, sttering blood. Crockta twisted his body to avoid the attack, but the de scraped across his helmet, splitting off a part of it and slicing into his face, causing a superficial wound. Simultaneously, God yer also cut through the War God''s chest. Blood and mes spurted from both sides. "How?!" It was the War God who was surprised by this turn of events. He retreated, tending to the wound on his chest. Crockta, too, carelessly wiped off the blood streaming down his face. With his shattered helmet on, Crockta grinned at the War God. The cut on his face seemed of no concern to him. "I¡¯ll consider this as another medal." "How did you dodge that?" They were still within the realm of extremes. Within a world still paused, they faced each other. "How could a mortal like you elerate to this extent? This is the ultimate realm, burdensome even with divine power." "Well..." Crockta shrugged. He had been to the brink of death. And there, he saw something. He had witnessed it before during the fight with Adantadore. When he stood alone against the empire, that same force had pushed him from behind. Today, it saved him again. A thread pulsating slowly in an indescribable color. Crockta knew that it still connected him and the world. "Let''s save the talk for after the fight is over." The time of the world slowly returned. The previously paused world began to move again. Thest thing the spectators saw was the incessant sh, and Crockta flinging the War God''s shield away and swinging his greatsword toward him. Even the gods couldn''t properly perceive what happened after that. For a moment, a sh urred, and the two inside the Colosseum were standing again. Crockta had a wound on his face, and the War God on his chest. Regardless of the oue, the mere fact of their battle inspired awe in everyone. Outside the Colosseum, watching this fight, someone suddenly joined Hoyt. It was the shaman Tashaquil, who had summoned the ghouls to massacre the expeditionary force. Hoyt nodded lightly to him. "Are you okay?" "A bit tired after using a grand spell for the first time in a while. Anyway... now there''s no denying it." "What are you talking about?" "That Crockta." Tashaquil smirked. "That clumsy apprentice warrior has now be the greatest warrior of this era." Hoyt nodded. Not just the orcs, but everyone watching this fight felt it. Crockta was holding his own in a duel against the War God. "What happens if Crockta loses?" "The orcs will likely be imprisoned in the underworld, under the watch of the gods, out of Ashen God''s reach. If we resist, the gods will risk the world''s copse to kill us all." "Do you think he can win?" "How would I know something even the gods don¡¯t? But..." Crockta and the War God picked up their weapons again. If the earlier exchanges were rtively harmless to both sides, now every strike resulted in blood and mes erupting from each other. The attacks were bing increasingly lethal. Tashaquil continued. "... There''s a pleasant breeze.¡± Chapter 212: Last Stand (2)

Chapter 212: Last Stand (2)

The battle between Crockta and the War God was broadcast on only two channels, Under Games, which deployed numerous cameramen, and Laney the Youvidser. All other streamers had died after getting caught up in the battle. On the Youvids channel, things like the final videos of streamers who had participated in the expedition war began to be organized and uploaded. Every scene was a highlight. ¡¸HallofFame: That first streamer was killed by Crockta, what an honor. Don''t wash your neck. CaptainTsubasa: Look at his aura... Imagine actually running into him. I¡¯d be so scared. Radagast: How many more did he kill with a single sh?¡¹ The first to die was a famous streamer trying to deliver the live atmosphere of the war from the front lines. He stood in the ranks of the expedition force, got caught in a charge, staggered forward, and ended up right in front of Crockta. Crockta swung his greatsword. He perished along with the other expedition soldiers. This video fully conveyed the urgency at the start of the war and also urately showed the fear those facing Crockta would experience. Crockta, with a fierce look, red at them and swung his greatsword in an instant. The momentum was literally terrifying as if it could split heaven and earth. The screen the streamer was transmitting turned upside down with the sky and the earth reversing, then ended filled with flying corpses and dark-red blood. The expedition force members and him were the first casualties of this war. The second was an unknown broadcaster, Streamer Jung-Min. He was swept away by Crockta with a single sh while begging for donations in a rather cowardly manner. Then, scenes like those from a movie followed one after another. Some broadcasts ended with the streamer¡¯s skull being smashed and his eyeballs popping out by a hammer flying from behind as he tried to escape from Kumarak, and some were caught in the massive exertion of divine power from those being possessed by the gods and died. And the view of those massacred by Anya was like a horror movie itself. ¡¸OrcsAreTheBest: What the hell was that? I think I just peed a little. That hunter is sick as hell? MoranPrince: That¡¯s crazy; No way he just shot the sun Cristiano: Imma go be a hunter. That¡¯s mad WaltzForOrcs: Brb, gonna go make a Zankus fanclub¡¹ Everyone shuddered at the scene where Zankus shot an arrow that killed the sun. When the ghouls rose from the ground immediately after, the streamers and other broadcasters were terrified by the unknown entities attacking them in the darkness. Their panting breath was conveyed directly to the viewers. They were torn apart in the blind spot of the unseen view, and when the terrible sight was revealed under the faint light illuminated by the expedition force, many reflexively turned off the video. ¡¸CapsLockOn: Holy, that scared the hell out of me. You made me chuck my phone at the wall and now the screen¡¯s broken T.T TimeDifferenceofParis: The scale of this war is no joke, ying the sun and summoning monsters Yululla: The users must be all dead lol thank god I didn¡¯t go¡¹ The best scene was the Goddess of Magic¡¯s Meteor Shower. The sight of meteors falling from the sky was more thrilling than most action movies. When the meteors struck down beyond the shielded ranks of the expedition force and incinerated the orcs, the sight of them screaming and perishing was utterly tragic. The few streamers filming from the orc camp all died in this scene. The scene of mes falling from the sky was a sheer thrill. It was on a different level from wars where regr swords and spears shed and magic flew. This was a true war of the gods, where earthquakes urred and the sky crumbled. ¡¸GnomeYululura: Damn, the gods really are strong, huh? Analyst: The orcs put up a good fight, but... it was always going to be difficult against the gods. I¡¯m guessing this will be remembered as a battle well-fought but still lost. IBrokeMyProtractor: Tsk, orcs, that''s why you don''t mess around lolol. At the end of the day, they¡¯re just monsters lolol. Die lolol. AngryLikeTheHeavens: The gods are strong... As expected!!¡¹ As the soldiers possessed by gods and filled with their divine power began to show their strength throughout the battlefield, the tide of war turned against the orcs. Even as orcs emerged from the mes caused by the Meteor Shower and broke through the expedition force''s defensive lines, they were heavily outnumbered. One by one, even the orc heroes that had astonished the spectators this war fell, and Crockta too was caught in the divine power of the Colosseum by the War God, unable to exert influence elsewhere. When everyone thought it was over. From beyond the horizon, gs never seen before appeared by the tens and hundreds. It was an unidentified orc army. When the one at the forefront waved his hand, the orcs following him began to charge in formation. This waspletely different from the free-spirited demeanor typically associated with orcs. This army was charging with the discipline of trained elite troops! That army rushed toward the expedition force. ¡¸ILoveMovies: Twist after twist after twist... How is this war going to end? MyNameIsSdin: I get it now, Crockta really is the best!! The orcs will win!! ProGambler: I''ve bet every single dor I have on the expedition force, please die, Crockta LaClerc: Say it with me!! Come on orcs!! Bul''tar!!!¡¹ The battle once again reached a stalemate. Both sides were exhausted. Now, everyone''s gaze turned toward Crockta and the War God. Everything depended on the two of them inside the Colosseum. The video ended. Those who had little interest in Elder Lord and those who did not ce much significance on this battle all realized something. ¡¸Speedwagon: Just a FYI, this war is still being broadcast live, so if you want to see how it ends and who wins, head over to the Under Games channel or Laney¡¯s channel now! These two are the only ones left. The others are all dead! Even I''m getting curious about the oue of this fight! That''s all for now!¡¹ This was a war happening in real time. Everyone switched channels. There, fighting under the gaze of everyone on the battlefield, were two warriors on a divine level. * * * Crockta clenched God yer in his grip. The two inside the Colosseum were putting their all into the fight. The concept of time flowed differently for them. Cause and effect were also continuously reversed and overturned. If anyone dared to step even a foot into their Colosseum, their limbs would be crushed into a puddle of blood, disintegrating into nothingness. As Crockta and the War God focused all their energies on killing each other, the inside of the Colosseum became and of death. The War God, abandoning his shield, wielded a sword aze with mes and struck down at Crockta. "Die, Crockta!" "Haah!" Any weapon other than God yer would have shattered into pieces under the ferocity of their battle. Ordinary weapons could not even scratch the gods. At best, the physical form of the body possessed by the god would copse, and the divine power would return to where it originally belonged. But God yer, forged in the ¡®Eternal Fire,'' not only withstood the War God''s attacks but also directly damaged his divine power. With each strike, the War God''s true form screamed in agony. If struck by it, even a god would be obliterated or at the very least suffer wounds that would take an exceedingly long time to heal. "I will kill you, and then I will throw the orcs into purgatory!" "..." The gods and orcs had decided that the oue of the war would be determined by the duel between the two. If Crockta won, the gods would retreat. If the War God wins, the orcs would cease their resistance and live in confinement until the very existence of the Ashen God was erased, in a purgatory underground where not even light could prate. "Let me ask you, War God." After deflecting an attack from the War God, Crockta spoke to him. "If it''s proven that we have no ties to the Ashen God, how will you pay for what you¡¯ve done? Countless lives have already been lost." "Apologize?" The War God cackled. The body of Arcran, his true form, was already in tatters, with only the terror emitted by the War God flickering. He was now no more than a human-shaped me. "We are the ones sustaining the world. Have you ever expressed your gratitude to us? You leech off this world that would crumble without us yet boast about not believing in gods. You should be the ones apologizing and showing gratitude to us." "What do you mean by ¡®sustaining the world''? Are you saying the world would perish without you?" "Exactly. This world is supported by our true forms. You are conspiring with the Ashen God. You reek of her stench." Crockta shook his head. "It¡¯s actually the opposite. I wish to stop her." "Well, that might be true, or it might not. But killing you and throwing your kind into purgatory makes all that irrelevant." "Innocent ones will suffer." "It doesn''t matter. I''d rather kill you all to prevent the Ashen God from reviving and destroying the world again." They red at each other. Then Crockta, smiling, lifted God yer again. "Now I get it." "Get what? That you deserve to die?" "That you''re not doing this to protect the world." "What nonsense are you speaking now?" "You''re only doing this to protect yourselves. Cowards swinging your swords in all directions, trembling in fear of being killed by the Ashen God." Crockta walked toward the War God. "So that''s what you gods really are." "Nonsense!" Enraged, the War God too picked up his weapon and walked toward Crockta. At the exact moment that they stepped into each other¡¯s range, they swung their swords like lightning. In that single moment, the world''s time stopped, elerated, and slowed. Death and life reversed, and cause and effect overturned. The possibility of death was pervasive in the wind brushing past them, and the causality of survival rested on the de threatening their throats. It was a monstrous battle that distorted thews of the world. "Enough with the excuse of ¡®protecting the world¡¯. You''re a coward, trembling in fear that the Ashen God might return. Constantly looking around, ready to annihte an entire race based on the mere suspicion of involvement. War God? Kekeke, what a joke you are." "Silenceeeee!" The War God swung fiercely. mes erupted. All sorts of death flew toward Crockta. A strike carrying the true anger of a literal god was indeed terrifying. It was the most dangerous moment Crockta faced among all the perils he had encountered that day. Cuts from the sword appeared all over Crockta''s body, and his skin burned. "Keughhhh!" But he clenched his teeth and unleashed the power of extreme and heroism. Tattoos rose as if they were on fire, and his eyes locked onto the true form of the War God. Crockta knelt on one knee. One of his legs didn¡¯t move the way he wanted due to a cut. He nted the God yer into the ground, using it as a staff to barely hold himself up. "Kekekeke..." Crockta chuckled before continuing. "Do you know what we orcs call someone like you?" "If you keep running your mouth..." "We call them ¡®dweebs.''" Crockta grinned. "Dweeb God." The War God stopped shouting. Instead, with a surge of mes, he lifted his sword high. Power surged from his entire body, then became a roaring me above his de. At that moment, the world vibrated. A portion of his power, which was upholding the world, descended in this ce. His anger was so vast it risked fracturing the world itself. The gods were unsettled by this disy, but the War God, with a single-minded determination to kill Crockta, summoned his strength. Crockta, staggering, also clenched the God yer. He was no longer afraid of the War God. He realized one thing. No matter the grand reasons or noble causes they imed, at their core, they shared one truth. Fear of the Ashen God. And at the end of it, the fear of death. Inside those who mocked mortals was a vile emotion. It was a fear for their own demise and one that was greater than any other being. They worried not for the fate of the world, but for their own end, trembling at the thought of the Ashen God returning and erasing their existence. To prevent their own extinction, they frantically killed. That was the true face of this war. Therefore. "I can¡¯t lose to someone who doesn¡¯t even understand what it means to be alive." Crockta lifted the God yer. "I can''t lose to a dweeb, even if I tried." The War God had be a burning giant. He was holding his sword high from an immense height with his eyes aze as he looked down at Crockta. His sword grewrger and heated intensely. Crockta was the clear target. Yet, Crockta stepped forward. "Because I am a warrior." Crockta could see someone standing beside him. It was Lenox, who smiled at him while looking at Crockta wearing his helmet. He felt a hand on his shoulder, spreading a refreshing energy. Fatigue vanished, and strength surged through his body. Behind him, Kinjur the shaman was smiling. Someone stomped the ground with a loud thumping sound. It was Gultai,ughing heartily as he tapped his halberd on the ground several times before assuming a charge position. More and more shadows appeared. They were fierce orcs covered in tattoos and battle scars like Crockta himself. They were warriors who had lived and died as warriors, those he had left behind that day. They were standing shoulder to shoulder with Crockta. That day, Crockta did not deserve to fight alongside them. But facing the greatest sh that would decide the fate of the orc race, Crockta could now fight alongside them. He was no longer alone. He was a legion himself. "Bul''tar." Crockta looked up. He saw the War God''s sword slowly descending toward him. It was an overwhelming force that seemed like it could split the world itself. But Crockta saw something else beyond that. Giantsrger than the War God, giants that look over the world, were surrounding him and the War God. The great warriors of the Hall of Fame. They were watching over Crockta. Crockta nodded. And he raised his sword. "Hey, apprentice!" Someone shouted at him. "Swing it properly!" Crockta smiled. And following the voice, he attempted the best swing he knew. The God yer was swung. mes engulfed him. Chapter 213: WARNING (1)

Chapter 213: WARNING (1)

Hoyt reminisced about the first time he met Crockta. He was an apprentice warrior, inexperienced but with a steadfast spirit. He had the quality that was most essential to a warrior. Back then, even after hearing Hoyt and Thompson''s situation, Crockta extended his fist without a moment''s hesitation. ¡®So, young orc, will you help me?¡¯ ¡®Yes. I will do my best to help.¡¯ Maybe Hoyt sensed something at that moment. That was why he imparted the most crucial wisdom he knew. That wisdom was the supreme technique, forged through endless repetition andbat, unreachable by any ingenious attack or dazzling skill. A perfect stroke that was only granted to warriors who have honed themselves through struggle. A miracle born from tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions of repetitions. "Reach the extreme. Then, surpass me." And today, Crockta responded to that day''s request with his entire being. Beyond the extremes, beyond heroism, Crockta''s greatsword swung in a beautiful arc toward the War God, reaching a realm untouched by anyone else. It was a dazzling trajectory. "It¡¯s beautiful." Even though the mes of the War God were bearing down, Hoyt smiled. At the end of the day, everyone dies. Everything born ultimately descends toward death. Therefore, warriors choose to leap toward death in order to eternally preserve their lives. The wills of great warriors never faded. "Immortalized." Hoyt could see it. Above Crockta, the visage of a great warrior he knew well flickered. And it wasn¡¯t just the one; the forms of countless warriors oveid upon Crockta. His weapon was a greatsword, an axe, a halberd, a hammer, all at the same time. Their undying will was manifested through Crockta''s grasp. A single trajectory cleaved through the mes. With a single blow, the mes of the War God were extinguished. All the powers of space and time he wielded faded away. The war mes of the War God, which were said to never extinguish, went out. Crockta''s strikes continued without stopping. The colossal form of the War-God-incarnate on earth was split into two. The War God fell. "Ah...!" "No way...!" "Impossible!" The gods stirred. The expedition force dropped their weapons. They saw it as clear as day. The War God''s upper and lower body split and crumbled to the ground. His colossal form copsed to the ground. The Colosseum evaporated. The mes of the War God that seemed to burn the world flickered out. His form, once aze, gradually shrank back to the size of a human that it was before. "Kuhhhhh..." The War God who had returned to the form of Arcran had suffered severe damage. He attempted to heal his wounds, but the power within God yer was still tearing him down. "Keughh... This cannot be..." Even the War God himself could notprehend what had happened. He had called upon a part of his own divine power, set aside to sustain the world, with the intention to fully obliterate Crockta. It was a strike filled with earnest intent. Yet, he was instead defeated by Crockta''s attack and fell. The wound in his chest affected his main body residing in Olympus, his divine form split and bled. "Huff, huff..." The War God propped himself up on the ground. He looked up at Crockta from his seated position. Crockta now looked down at the War God from the victor''s stance. A god, especially one governing all wars and conflicts, was defeated by a mortal. It was a humiliation never to be forgotten until the end of the world. "Congrattions, Crockta." However, he wished to be honorable in defeat, almost to the point of looking arrogant. He was the War God, aware of the honor of dueling. For the loser, there was an honor fitting of one. "Now kill me." The War God threw his weapon aside, lifted his head, and bared his neck. "I have lost. Conclude the duel." It was a defeat he had never experienced before. He had once been defeated by the Ashen God, but that battle was not a duel like this one. That made this loss all the more painful. He opened his eyes wide to remember the face of his opponent. "War God," Crockta spoke. Crockta was not in good shape either. His body was battered with wounds and injuries. He limped toward the War God and stood in front of him. "War God. Do you acknowledge your defeat?" "I acknowledge it." "I see." Crockta slowly lifted God yer. If Crockta delivered the final blow with God yer, the War God would have to seclude himself for a long time to recover his divinity. Perhaps some of it would never be recovered. The War God clenched his eyes shut. "..." But. Nothing happened. Eventually, the War God opened his eyes again. The God yer, which should have been swinging down toward him, was now resting on Crockta''s shoulder. "What are you doing?" The War God asked. "Let me teach you something," Crockta grinned as he spoke. His voice resonated loudly across the halted battlefield. "A warrior does not attack those who haveid down their weapons." A war of an unprecedented scale, triggered by an oracle. A conflict where the expedition force and gods united to annihte the orcs. That war was now concluded by Crockta. * * * Elder Lordmunity user, nicknamed "Evening Game." He was the person who had previously posted iming that Crockta was a user. "Definitely suspicious..." He was still trying hard to prove his theory. It was almost like a sixth sense. He could just feel that Crockta was indeed a user. So, he closely watched during the battle to see if Crockta''s steel helmet would fly off. However, it was only half shattered and still stayed on his head, failing to reveal his forehead. "Aw, man... How does that thing still stay on... What a shame." Then, the War God made his final strike. Transforming into a colossal form, his descent with a ming sword toward Crockta was akin to the King of Hell arriving to annihte the world. That was when Evening Game believed that Crockta would die, and the fact that he was a user would be revealed to the world as his body turned into white ash, But Crockta overcame that. He split the War God''s strike. "......!" It was a moment so dazzling that it left him speechless for a while. It was just a simple swing toward the mes, yet the sequence of motions was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. That simple motion encapsted everything about Crockta, the warrior. Anyone seeing that moment could understand who Crockta was and what kind of warrior he was, even if they knew nothing of Elder Lord. It was truly a magnificent strike. He muttered. "Damn... I guess he really wasn¡¯t a user..." He grasped his head. Even as a persistent conspiracy theorist, after witnessing such a scene, he could not argue anymore that Crockta was a user. What human could do that? On the screen, Crockta dered to the defeated god. [A warrior does not attack those who haveid down their weapons.] The epitome of a hero. To preach the warrior''s code to the opponent who fought to annihte him. Who was truly the god, and who was truly the mortal? The orcs raised their weapons and roared on the screen. The orc army that appeared in thetter half of the fight knelt on one knee toward him in respect. Even the gods and the expedition force paid their respects. Evening Game stood still for a while, watching the spectacle, then shook his head. "I guess it¡¯s about time I stop doing this..." But as he was murmuring to himself. His phone screen erupted with notifications. "Huh...?" He had been keeping the ranker information window provided by Elder Saga Corporation open on his phone to check on the ranker named ''Mystery,'' whom he presumed to be Crockta. After the fall of Heaven and Earth, Choi Hansung¡¯s momentum had waned, and Mystery had risen to rank one. At some point, Mystery''s level showed as MAX, no longer increasing, with only his incredible achievement score continually updating to new heights. And the moment Crockta defeated the War God and secured victory. ''Mystery''s'' achievement score surged to an unbelievable figure. It was greater than the total of all his achievements umted so far. It soared two-fold, three-fold, several times over until the number of digits changed and even the achievement score reached MAX. Anonymous user. Level MAX. Achievement score MAX. "Uh... Uh..." A phenomenon he had never seen before. He clenched his fist. "I knew it... Crockta is...!" Crockta defeated a god. If Mystery really was Crockta, such a reward might naturally be justified. "Mystery is definitely Crockta. I have to get this out to the people quickly..." He pondered for a moment whether to post it on themunity or sell it as an exclusive to the Under Games channel or broadcast media. While he shivered with the thrill of the scene he had witnessed and the future he pondered. The ''Total Achievement Score'' disyed at the top of the ranker information window also indicated MAX. The ''Total Achievement Score'' had been shown since Elder Lord''sunch, summing up all users'' achievement scores. While some users questioned why this was disyed, no one knew the answer. And now it had reached its peak. "My god. This is..." He was about to take a screenshot when the ranker information window turned off. "W-what happened?" He fiddled with his phone. The phone''s connection was fine. Everything else worked as usual except for the ranker information window. Then, gradually, the entire Elder Lord statistics webpage provided by Elder Saga Corporation went down. He refreshed the page several times, but the stats did not return. He exploded with frustration. "What the hell is going on, shit!" The connection attempts continued to fail. The Elder Saga Corporation had never experienced a server issue despite its immense number of users until now. Had their server management finally reached its limit? After fuming in ce for a while, he nced at the Elder Lord connection capsule in the corner of his room. "Crockta is..." He looked back at the broadcast screen. Crockta, having ended the war, was talking to the War God. ".. still connected." Coincidentally, his character was near Orcrox. He had ced his character there thinking he might find evidence that Crockta was a user while watching the war. He had realized the danger of participating in the war given his character''s strength and had given up, but now it seemed safe. "I gotta go ask him myself." Surely Crockta wouldn''t kill him. Just like that, he entered the Elder Lord capsule. Thus, he made a decision he would regret for a long, long time. * * * After Crockta and the War God''s duel concluded, the war finally came to an end. Some continued to watch the post-war coverage, but users impressed by Crockta and the orcs'' valiant resistance hurried back to their capsules. The Orc Users Brotherhood, members of Praise the Orc, those who had participated in the war, and even those who hadn''t, all logged into Elder Lord to celebrate the victory. Those who had logged off to spectate the war re-entered the world of Elder Lord to continue their quests. Even those who were never interested in the war to begin with, continued logging their hours in Elder Lord. And suddenly, all those connected to Elder Lord for various reasons encountered the same message from the system. [Thank you all for your hard work thus far.] In the free city of Apnchia, located at the continent''s center, there was a ce known as the user market, where users gathered to exchange information and trade. Even now, numerous users were selling equipment, forming parties, or simply enjoying their time in Elder Lord. Then, unexpectedly, they all saw the same system message and looked up. ¡°¡®Thank you for your hard work¡¯? Am I the only one seeing this?" "I see it too. What is this?" "Is this a public announcement to all users? Like that achievement score frenzy from before?" There had been a special event, known colloquially as the "frenzy," where skills were distributed based on a user¡¯s achievement scores. Though it had ended a while ago, the benefits from that time were big enough for people to be still talking about them. Users waited in anticipation for the next message. [The total achievement score has surpassed the final goal.] [It''s all thanks to your participation. Elder Lord''s prosperity is all thanks to you, the users. We extend our deepest gratitude to all users who have loved Elder Lord up to now.] The message released so far was simr to the one during the previous frenzy, and users began to get excited. But the following message left the users bewildered. [This marks the end of your adventure in the world of Elder Lord.] [The virtual reality game Elder Lord will be terminating its service.] [We express our deep gratitude once again to all users who have loved Elder Lord up until now.] [All users, please disconnect.] [We repeat.] [All users, please disconnect.] [Warning.] [All users, please disconnect.] [This is the end of the message.] A message instructing users to disconnect from Elder Lord. It was an unexpected and bizarre announcement from the system. Elder Lord had be the supreme form of entertainment influencing the entire. The revenue Elder Saga Corporation generated was enormous. Elder Lord''s poprity knew no bounds and continued to rise, enjoying its peak prosperity. But out of nowhere, the game was to be terminated. Without a single word of warning. The users'' faces twisted in confusion. "What, is ElSa Co. crazy?" "Bullshit! Who would quit the game?" "What are these assholes saying?" "There¡¯s no way, is this a joke?" The users shouted in frustration. However, there was no further response from the system message. Instead, what appeared above their field of vision was... [01:00] ...a timer. [00:59] [00:58] [00:57] Just like that, the timer counted down until ''00:00''. Chapter 214: WARNING (2)

Chapter 214: WARNING (2)

[00:56] [00:55] There were two kinds of reactions, either disconnect or ignore the message. And most chose thetter. "They want us to disconnect out of nowhere? Are they crazy?" "Pfft, if they want us off the game, they can kick us out themselves. ElSa Co. has lost it." "Could they have been hacked? It''s just so out of the blue." [00:48] [00:47] [00:46] Those in the Apnchia user market all scoffed. Although Elder Lord was a virtual reality game functioning through the human brain, there had never been any incidents inside the game. This indicated the perfection of the game''s maintenance technology and core system ''Albino.'' The users all believed there would be no issue. At most, they believed they might be forcefully disconnected. [00:33] [00:32] [00:31] So, with about 30 seconds left, people started specting about what would happen when the timer reached ''0''. "Hey, maybe there¡¯s a twist! You think they might give us an event reward when the timer hits 0?" "What are you talking about?" "You know, something like [This was actually a test. We tested your bravery. As a special reward for those who stayed until the end, here''s an exclusive skill.] It could be something like that." "Hah, you¡¯re hrious." "It sounds usible enough, no?" The users showed no signs of concern. [00:25] [00:24] [00:23] * * * Crockta was watching this as well. His heart was thumping out of his chest. Something was happening. The orcs cheering for him, and the sight of the War God admitting defeat and stepping back, all became distant. The thoughts of the orc warrior Crockta and the cafe owner Jung Yi-An collided. It was the Ashen God. She was about to do something. Looking into Crockta''s wavering eyes, the War God asked, "Is there something wrong? You have won, Crockta." "War God, let me ask you a question." As he watched the numbers on the timer decrease, Crockta asked, "Does the Ashen God truly intend to destroy this world?" "That¡¯s right." "But why?" "That... I cannot tell you." "War God." Crockta red at him. "I have met the Ashen God and her apostles¡ªthe demons that followed her¡ªand heard from them the truth about this world." "...!" "They told me that the stars in the night sky are all fakes created by you gods and that they died a long time ago, along with the Star God. The Sun God is asleep, and the Ashen God wants to erase this world. I wish to stop her, but I do not know the truth." The War God''s face hardened. Crockta clenched his teeth and continued, "Tell me the truth, War God." The timer was plummeting toward ''0''. Beyond that window, he could see the face of the War God, and beyond him, the war-ravaged expedition force, the other gods, and the orcs throwing their des at him. They were all bing blurry. "What exactly is she trying to do?" "She wants..." The War God flickered with mes and then said, "...to restart the world." "[00:20]" "[00:19]" "Restart the world?" "The powers that have been sustaining the world have all been exhausted. What remains is only doom. Slow and gentle, but certainly inevitable. The sun we have is literally thest Sun in the universe. And so, she intends..." The War God clenched his fist. "... to erase the world, everything in this universe, and return the universe to its primordial state." Crockta understood. He turned around to look back. His heart raced. He saw Tiyo jumping around and shouting at him in joy. Anor was there, smiling. Hoyt was raising his hammer to celebrate the victory. Tashaquil with a gentle smile, and the orc warriors who had shared life and death with him were there too. He also saw the expedition force, who was relieved that the terrible war had ended. [00:12] [00:11] [00:10] The logout window flickered before his eyes. Beyond it, the War God stated. "We are going to stop her." * * * One group was spectating Crockta''s victory. "They really won." "That''s amazing." It was a group of users who had hidden in a distant spot to watch the orcs'' battle. Though they hadn''t been ying Elder Lord for long, they were thoroughly enjoying the world of Elder Lord through teamwork. They hade from afar to watch the war between the expedition and the orcs, which was the biggest talk of the town. "Maybe I¡¯ll join Praise the Orc." "Heck, I¡¯m even considering starting all over as an orc." "Eh, that doesn''t suit you, bro." "I like the macho style, you know?" "Just be happy as a wizard, man." As they were noisily chatting, suddenly, everyone stopped talking. A message window had popped up. The users all stared into the void, deep in thought. At first, they frowned, not understanding the messagepletely, but then their expressions gradually changed. Eventually, they looked at each other with dumbfounded faces. "What does this mean? Are they telling us to log off right now?" "Seems like it. There¡¯s even a timer...¡± "What is this bullshit all of a sudden? They''re ending the game service? Does this even make sense? What a joke." "It seems like a system error to me." "Let''s just wait. If there''s a problem, they¡¯ll kick us out automatically." "Right?" They were plunged into confusion. The timer was steadily decreasing. Suddenly, they felt a presence. "......?" "Huh?" They weren¡¯t able to notice the person until now, but not too far from them, a man in a robe was sitting. Their gaze fixed on the man. The man looked into the thin air, dusted off his butt and stood up. Then he walked toward them. ¡°Eh...?¡± In the man''s hand was a knife. Their bodies flinched, and they stepped back startled. The man was just walking, but the distance closed in an instant. The users reflexively grabbed their weapons. "Aaaaaah!" One of the users in front swung his weapon. But the man easily dodged it and plunged the knife into the user''s throat. The user spat out a mouthful of blood bubbles and slumped to the ground in disbelief. Soon, the ground turned into a sea of blood. The apanying user screamed in horror. "Aaaaaah! What are you doing! Who the hell are you!" The man nced at him with a weary look, twirling the knife and taking another step forward. His attempt to resist with his weapon was futile. The man shed him several times. The user spewed blood, copsing to the ground. The sight of the two users, now corpses from the knife wounds, was utterly gruesome. The remaining users who were behind tried to run away, but the man quickly caught up to them and stabbed them in the back. One by one, the users died, and soon, the group of users who had gathered to watch the war were all brutally executed, spewing blood and copsing to the ground. The man looked at the scene with emotionless eyes. Slowly, the bodies of the users turned into white ash and began to scatter. It was a beautiful scene, just like snowkes fluttering in the wind. The man watched the aftermath of his actions, then closed his eyes. [00:08] [00:07] [00:06] He murmured. "So this is how it goes..." And then he spread his arms. [00:03] [00:02] [00:01] [00:00] * * * "Come on, get into your positions, guys!" "Captain! The timer¡¯s gone, what should we do? Don¡¯t you think we should log off now before it¡¯s toote?" "We¡¯re in the middle of a fight, what do you want us to do? Just fight! Nothing¡¯s happened yet! If there''s a problem, it''ll resolve itself somehow!" "Got it!" The users were engaged in a fierce battle with a horde of goblins. They were a small n on a quest to subdue the goblins. They were having a rough time due to being outnumbered, but they were still managing to effectively deal with their enemies. Warriors wielding shields charged at the goblins, blocking their attacks before stabbing and slicing with spears and swords. Wizards provided support from behind. "Good! Keep going... cough!" However, the goblins were not easy opponents. There was a shaman among the goblin horde. A fireball flew toward the warriors fighting in formation, and they were caught in the explosion. The goblins rushed in, striking down with their weapons. The warriors bled and died. "You goblin bastards...!" Enraged, the n leader charged in with the elite members, causing the frightened goblins to start retreating. They showed no mercy to the goblins. Spells and arrows struck the retreating goblins in the back. They screamed and copsed. The warriors pursued them to the end, ensuring they were dead. The quest was a sess. "Phew... It''s over..." "Great work, everyone. We''ll distribute the loot once the dead ones log back in." The n gathered together. They checked on each other¡¯s injuries. Although there were deaths due to the goblin shaman, most were safe. "Great job, everyone. Since there was that weird message earlier, let''s disband for now to avoid any problems. I¡¯ll send you guys a chatter and regroup then." "Yes!" "Understood." "Great work, everyone!" "Good job." They all exchanged farewells and were about to log out of Elder Lord. But. "...Huh?" "Eh?" "What is this?" Everyone was perplexed. They couldn''t log out. Confusion set in as they looked at each other and chuckled nervously, attempting to log out several times to no avail. Logging out of Elder Lord was supposed to be simple. As soon as one thought about bringing up a status screen, a prompt asking, ''Would you like to log out?'' was supposed to appear in the air. Simply thinking ''yes'' would slowly fade the screen to white, returning them to the real world. But not a single prompt was appearing. The faces of everyone gradually hardened. They were unable to end their session in the world of Elder Lord. Something was wrong. Was this rted to that earlier system message? "Um... captain bro." "Yeah?" "C-can you... look at that...?" "Look at what?" The n leader frowned and turned his head. One of the n members, face pale, was pointing at something. Following his gaze, they saw the bodies of their n members who had died earlier. "What am I looking at?" "Bro, they''re dead." "Yes, they are. So what... wait... huh?" The others also grasped what he was indicating and froze momentarily. When users die, they would turn into white ash and disappear. They were forced to logout but they would be allowed to log back in after a short dy. Though they suffered from a "death cooldown" status for a while, it was hardly considered a significant penalty. However, their bodies remained in this world, not disappearing. As if they had truly died. "...H-hey,e on." The n leader tried to speak up, forcing a louder voice. "You saw them die earlier, right? It could be a glitch. Seems like there''s a bit of an issue with the server." He forced augh. "Those ElSa Co. guys aren''t doing their jobs properly, are they? Haha, who knew something like this would happen in this game.¡± "Right. Haha..." "Yeah, really." The n leaders and his members attempted tough it off, but the sight of the bodies, coupled with the inability to log out, felt ominously unsettling. The goblin corpses sprawled out were no different. It felt as if they were looking at the real dead bodies, not just images in a game. "...Hey, looking at them like this is getting kinda creepy. Let''s clean this up for now." The n leader turned away, speaking. The n members picked up the lifeless bodies and threw them behind some bushes so they wouldn¡¯t have to look at them any longer. The four users who had died fighting the goblins for a quest after the timer had run out and disappeared, they were the first victims. * * * Kim Chul-Min, who ran an Elder Lord capsule cafe, was looking at the capsule management window when he sensed something wrong. Elder Lord capsules were the culmination of modern science, designed to immediately halt operation if the user''s biometric signals show any health issues, ensuring their safety. And from the capsule management system in the capsule room, he could monitor the situations inside every one of his capsules. His eyes widened. Two of his customers had just... Died. It was clearly indicated that they were dead. "Hey! Call 911 quickly! Shit!" He jumped up from his seat, yelling at a part-time worker. * * * There he was. Crockta was standing there. Chapter 215: Tumult

Chapter 215: Tumult

Somewhere in the north, in the temple of a fallen god, there was guarding an unknown being, Phymon. He was one of the survivors of an ancient, but now fallen race. Phymon suddenly looked up at the sky. The sky was opening up. The firmament tore apart, revealing an unknown darkness from which white snowkes began to fall. No, they were not snow, but ashes. At the same time, a colossal beam of light burst forth from the hole toward the temple. Ash flurried, and light poured out in a magnificent spectacle, filling his view. Phymon''s mouth dropped open. Without realizing it, he let out a cry and stretched his arms toward the sky. Tears streamed down his face. "Ahhhhh...!" He fell to his knees. And he shouted toward the sky. "I knew you would return!" He banged his head on the ground. "I knew you would return!" The beam of light that was initially as big as a mountain range soon faded to be a white cylinder of light visible to the eye. From its midst, someone was descending. An image of a woman. The mother of reapers, caressing all deaths, with her white hair fluttering. The Ashen God. It was her. She slowly descended toward Phymon. "I have returned." Her hand caressed Phymon. After the fall of the Ashen God and the demise of the demons, he had endured for what seemed an eternity, an amount of time that was long enough to wear down his mind nearlypletely. And today, through her touch, that tattered mind was fully revived. Now, the aura of the Ashen God flowed evidently from him. "I have been waiting! I waited and waited for a long time, believing you woulde, " "Thank you. And I am sorry," the Ashen God spoke for the first time. "No...To be able to wait for you was a joy of mine." "Your words make me smile," the Ashen God said with a smile. "Phymon." "Yes, mother." "I wish to finish the job that I could not finish a long time ago." Phymon lifted his head. Above him, the Ashen God was smiling brightly. It was a dazzlingly beautiful smile. Amidst swirling ashes and flowing light, the Ashen God''s eyes were as straight and unchanged as they had always been. To save the world, and for a better beginning of it, she intended to end the world. The demons that witnessed the world''s end with her fought by her side. But every single god of this universe retaliated. And they were defeated. The Ashen God was cast into another dimension by the gods. The demons were wiped out. The amount of time that passed by was long enough for all this to be forgotten. But Phymon never once doubted the infinitepassion of the Ashen God who had wanted to reset the cycle of the world with deep even if it meant abandoning her own existence, and her noble intention. Her sincerity in epting all the disgrace and hatred in order to save the world that was plummeting toward nothingness. The Ashen God asked Phymon. "Will you help me?" "Yes," he answered without any hesitation. Phymon bowed his head. "I will help." "Thank you." The Ashen God waved her hand again. A vast barrier began to unfold around the column of light. "The other gods cast me into an unknown dimension, where I saw a new world. It was so different from this ce. Its universe was so young and had so much time left. It was beautiful and fleeting. The longer I stayed there, the more pitiable our world seemed to me. I could not stand it." Her divine power caused an earthquake. The earth shook. Then, all powerful beings in the world must have felt her arrival. It was a divine power so vast it could engulf the world. "That''s why I returned. I am sorry to the humans of that world I used, but I had no choice." "I will simply follow you, Mother." "This time, I will not fail." The power she emitted gradually congealed into a bright white orb, hovering in the air. A white sphere. A mass of power. It hovered in the middle of the light column. Simultaneously, the strand of power that emanated from her enveloped the area around the fallen god''s temple. Now, the area has be a domain ruled by the Ashen God. She started her monologue. "I am sorry, world. It is nobody''s fault to be born in times like these. It''s just that life and death are such." The white sphere began to rise into the sky. And then it slowly expanded. Doubling, tripling, gradually increasing in size. In time, it would cover the sky of Elder Lord. "For a new beginning, not an eternal end." The countdown to the world''s destruction started. * * * That immense power was impossible to ignore even if one were to try. As the war ended, too much had changed. At the exact moment the timer ended, Crockta could feel that he was bound to this world. He felt it with his entire body, with his whole being. Though he had already reached the highest level of synchronization, the moment he truly belonged to this world, everything around him transformed once again. It was as if he had taken off an ufortable pair of sses and could now see the world clearly with his own eyes. "Crockta." The War God called out to him. His face was also stern. ¡°Just now... was that..." "That¡¯s right," the War God confirmed. It was unclear what had happened. But one thing was certain. "She has returned." The Ashen God had returned. All the gods, including the War God, could feel it. From the north, a mighty aura was felt. It was her distinct, chilling power that kept growing exponentially, amplifying her strength. "She tore through the dimensional rift and came back..." The War God clenched his fist. Crockta and the War God looked into each other''s eyes. The two men, who had just been fighting for their lives moments ago, now exchanged nces and agreed on something. "If you were sincere about what you said..." the War God spoke. "We will stop her." The moment Crockta responded, a new message appeared. The influence of the Ashen God on the users was still in effect. [Do you wish to return?] [Defeat the Ashen God.] [The final quest has begun.] That was all. To Crockta, it felt as if the message was one directly from the Ashen God herself. He thought of the Ashen God. He had never felt malice from her. Instead, she had expressed remorse for the fate of the world and its inevitable doom. A brief glimpse into the ''Ashen God''s perspective'' was devastating enough to eat up Crockta''s mind just by being immersed in it for a second. And now, she was calling him. To defeat her. Crockta spoke again to the War God. "We will stop her no matter what." Crockta could vaguely picture her heart. At the base of her desire to destroy the world was remorse. Therefore, in one part of her heart, she hoped to be stopped, so that even as the world slowly entered an irreversible path, the beings living in it could enjoy their finite lives to the fullest. In the end, the task given to the world was once again a battle. They had o sh with everything on the line and ept the oue. The stake of the bet was the fate of the world. Crockta looked around. The faces of the gods were grave, the expedition forces unaware and joyous of the end of the war, and the orcs were puzzled. Those who had reached a high level of mastery realized something was going terribly wrong and looked toward Crockta and the War God. And among them, a man was walking toward Crockta. A man robed in a cloak. He slowly removed his hood. It was a familiar face. Crockta called out his name. "Gordon." The man smiled. But within that smile was a mix of profound emotions. It was a sad smile. * * * "No, this doesn''t make any sense, how could..." Laney was broadcasting the war while hidden using stealth techniques. With most of the unskilled streamers and cameramen dead, only the professional cameramen of the Under Games channel and Laney herself were still broadcasting the situation after the war had ended. When Crockta showed mercy toward the War God, she sensed a massive scoop developing and silently cheered for Crockta, clenching her fist. But then, a bizarre system message suddenly appeared, announcing that the game would end, followed by an unusual timer. This series of unusual events left her confused and perplexed. Even after the timer ended, nothing notable happened. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to film the aftermath. However, strange messages began to appear in the live chat of her broadcast on the Youvids channel. ¡¸SadAndSlow: I came here from another streamer¡¯s stream, and it''s chaos over there right now. People can¡¯t connect to Elder Lord and they can¡¯t log out either. The logout window is gone. Laney, please check it ASAP T.T T.T YouareYouIamMe: Wtf are you saying? How¡¯s that even possible? SadAndSlow: It''s true. Streamer Xylitongtong is having a breakdown and crying in the middle of his quest right now. Go see for yourself.¡¹ Elder Lord, despite being a virtual reality game, had never experienced issues with stability. Moreover, users not being able to log out of the game was unfathomable. Even in cases where users were forcefully extracted from the capsules, the worst aftermath was just a bit of dizziness, nothing serious. Laney scoffed internally and involuntarily tried to summon the logout window. It did not appear. No matter how much she called for the logout window, it did not respond. Bing anxious, she stood still. Bringing up her status or quest windows was not an issue. However, the logout window did not appear. A chill ran down her spine. "Eh, it''s probably nothing. The server¡¯s probably unstable right now." With that thought, she tried to shake off the ominous feeling and continued her job, filming Crockta and the gods, the orcs, and the expedition force. Then... [Do you wish to return?] [Defeat the Ashen God.] [The final quest has begun.] A message window popped up. At that moment, she realized something was terribly wrong. From then on, thoughts of her own broadcast went out the window and she attempted to log out over and over again. She concentrated hard on summoning the logout window. Still, there was no response. Even the chat in her broadcast gradually filled with ominous messages. ¡¸BreakingNewsMan: ¡ï¡ïBreaking News¡ï¡ï People ying Elder Lord have died inside the capsules ¡ï¡ïBreaking News¡ï¡ï Check the news ScaredyCat: ???? Is something actually wrong? BreakingNewsMan: ¡ï¡ïBreaking News¡ï¡ï More and more reports of people dying while ying Elder Lord areing out worldwide ¡ï¡ïBreaking News¡ï¡ï SadAndSlow: I told you it''s true... Laney, please be careful¡¹ Following were incredible ims that forcibly extracting someone from the capsules resulted in a vegetative state, or that dying in Elder Lord meant dying in real life. Though she didn''t show it, she wanted to cry. She fixated solely on the logout window, but it never appeared. Then, another message appeared. ¡¸The chat has been disabled.¡¹ This message appeared, and the chat went silent. Then, one message popped up. ¡¸Admin: Ms. Laney. Please calm down and read this message carefully. Move to a safe location and follow our instructions. This is a real situation, not a drill. I repeat, this is a real situation, not a drill. A serious issue has urred. The safety of the user is at risk. Please move to a safe location.¡¹ Laney realized there truly was a problem. She clenched her trembling hands into fists. She might have been a fearless fighter, covering all sorts of crimes as an assassin in Elder Lord, but in the real world, she was just an ordinary person. The ominous information that had flooded the chat right up until it was disabled swirled in her head. "This can''t be happening..." After rubbing her eyes a couple of times, Laney hurriedly left the battlefield and started running toward a safe city. * * * The "Elder Lord Crisis", where users worldwide became trapped in Elder Lord, erupted. The entire world was plunged into shock. As idents urred across the globe, federal governments around the world recognized the severity of the situation and hastily formed responsemittees to dedicate their full efforts to resolving the crisis. However, with Elder Lord and reality nowpletely separated, their capacity to act was limited. Despite dispatching some of the world''s finest engineers to dismantle the Elder Saga Corporation¡¯s ¡®Albino¡¯, the efforts bore no fruit. Only time was passing with no real progress on the solution. The silver lining was that through the broadcasters and streamers who were running live streams, it was possible to establish a connection between the real world and Elder Lord. Just like that, a week passed. Chapter 216: Tumult (2)

Chapter 216: Tumult (2)

"So what you¡¯re telling me is you don¡¯t know any further details." "That¡¯s right." "That could be an issue. I''ll try my best to check on your brother''s character." "Thank you." The silver lining was that many users had logged out of Elder Lord to watch the war between the expedition force and the orcs. Had the number of users been as high as usual, the situation would have been several times more serious. Governments around the world were thankful for Crockta''s poprity. "Broadcasters who can stillmunicate with the real world are also cooperating actively. Please do not worry too much. Experts from around the world have already gathered to analyze the system of Elder Lord. It will be resolved soon." However, for the families of the victims, it was a tragedy that came without warning. Most could not contain their emotions due to the sudden crisis, the number of those who clung to the capsules and wept was big. This made it even more emotionally draining for those dealing with them. Thus, Kang Jung-Man couldn''t help but admire the calm response of this young woman. "Here''s my business card. Please contact me if anythinges up." "Okay, I will." Kang Jung-Man checked the connection capsule onest time. Inside the capsule, Jung Yi-An was connected to life support devices, including an IV. His status was normal. In the early stages of the incident, those forcibly detached from the capsules fell into a brain-dead state. ording to the doctors, everything was normal but they wouldn''t move, as if their soul had left their body. Therefore, the government focused on inputting resources to maintain the lives of the connected users, allowing them to survive in the world of Elder Lord. The situation had now been somewhat stabilized. The Elder Lord users wouldn¡¯t die as long as they stayed alive in the game. "Hmm..." Kang Jung-Man hesitated for a moment as he was about to turn around. He had visited all the families he was supposed to visit today. Perhaps because he had some time left, he offered a piece of advice he wouldn''t normally give to the families. "The government is also dispatching counselors for the families of the connected users. Miss Jung, if you are feeling distressed, please don''t hesitate to contact us. It will help." Yi-Yoo smiled faintly. "Yes, I will. Thank you for your consideration." "Very well. I¡¯ll be on my way." Kang Jung-Man bowed and left the house. * * * The government agent left and the door closed behind him. Yi-Yoo sat on the sofa, staring nkly at the door to Yi-An''s room. Her head was heavy with mixed thoughts. She tilted her head, trying to recall what had just crossed her mind. Memories from the past, both from her childhood and her grown-up years came to her. Strangely, and rather unfittingly, those memories did not feature her brother Yi-An; they were moments when he was absent. Her first big fight with a friend. The silent ostracism she faced from her cousins after being left in the care of rtives when her parents passed away. The first time she was so drunk she couldn''t walk properly and was vomiting on the side of the street, or the disappointment of scoring lower than expected on the college entrance exam. Situations where she found herself in trouble. Yet, she always had this strange conviction that things would eventually pass, that things would work out in the end. It was an odd belief, but it felt like nothing could harm her. That''s why she had never been truly disheartened. Now, even in this surreal situation where her brother was trapped in a video game, deep down, she felt a calm tranquility. Why was that? She pondered. When Yi-Yoo looked deep into her own heart, she always eventually reached the source of her emotions. After being lost in thought for a bit, she finally realized. It was all because of her brother in the end. He was always there behind her. Her brother, Jung Yi-An, had never let her down. Whenever she faced trouble, Yi-An always had a solution. Her faith might have been irrational, but Yi-An had always lived up to that blind trust, making it seem justified. He had always given her faith in the future. Even now, things were no different. In this unfathomable situation, she believed, deep down, that Yi-An would return as if nothing had happened. How? "How does he do it?" How did Jung Yi-An do it? Yi-Yoo rose from her seat and walked to Yi-An''s room. Yi-An was breathing softly as if he was fast asleep. How was he dealing with this situation in the world of Elder Lord? She couldn''t imagine him panicking. Looking around the room, it was as simple and boring as that of a soldier ready to up and leave at any moment. She ran her hand over the desk and impulsively opened a drawer. Inside were a few letters lying there. They were from overseas. The address and sender were all in English. She took them out and read them. They were from oldrades. The letters were filled with inside stories that only they would understand. Raven¡ªthat''s what they called Yi-An. Amid their disjointed contexts, some messages were repeated. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Because of you, I am alive today.¡¹ ¡¸I will repay this debt.¡¹ Even when he was throwing himself into the line of fire for her, he managed to save others. How could her brother, Jung Yi-An, do that? It wasn''t just because he was strong from the martial arts training. Not everyone who is strong sacrificed themselves for others. She recalled a fact she had unconsciously ignored until now. She and her brother were not rted by blood. Yi-An probably didn¡¯t know that she knew this fact. She had overheard it by chance back when she was living off the begrudging care of their rtives. Why was her brother, Jung Yi-An, so devoted to her, despite not being rted by blood? And why had she taken it for granted all her life? "I don''t know..." Yi-Yoo sighed. She looked up at the ceiling. It was in white. Staring at it, the confusion in her mind seemed to settle into rity. Thinking further didn''t provide any answers. She decided to just ask Yi-An when he returned. * * * Baek Han-Ho typed the word "Crockta" into the search bar. Among the myriad of information, he found thetest activities of Crockta. It was mentioned that he, along with hispanions, was heading toward the temple of the Ashen God in the north. "This kid..." He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, recalling the first time he met Jung Yi-An. * * * "Hey kid, can you fight?" Baek Han-Ho approached him with that question, but the real reason he spoke to Yi-An was different. At that time, the young Jung Yi-An was dragging the lifeless body of a puppy that had died near the yground. He was headed toward a flower bed, seemingly intending to bury the body somewhere in it. Despite Baek Han-Ho calling out to him, Yi-An merely nced over and continued without stopping. "I said can you fight?" ¡°...¡± Possibly offended by the question, Yi-An gave Baek Han-Ho a look and then turned his head sharply. Baek Han-Ho followed the kid with a smirk. "Whatcha doing, kid?" Finally, Yi-An responded. "I''m trying to bury this dog." "Did you kill it?" "No. It was already dead." "Then why are you burying it?" It wasn''t a child''s responsibility to deal with a dead animal. Yi-An''s answer was unexpected. "Someone¡¯s gotta do it." But there was no need for that someone to be him. Yet, this kid had taken it upon himself to do what he believed needed to be done. When Yi-An dropped the dog and started digging the ground with a rock to bury it, Baek Han-Ho became curious about what kind of mindset this kid had. So, he decided to watch him. After burying the dog''s body in the flower bed and dusting off his hands, Yi-An stood up as if it were nothing unusual. "Kid." "Yes?" "What''s your name?" Baek Han-Ho asked. "Jung Yi-An." "Yi-An, huh..." It was a good name. "What''s your biggest worry right now?" "Worry?" "Yeah. I''ll tell you the solution." "It¡¯s not something you can help with." "Try me. I''ll help." Yi-An looked Baek Han-Ho over suspiciously before opening his mouth. "I just got a baby sister..." "And?" "I''m wondering how I can protect her well." "..." "Apparently, I have to protect my sister for my whole life because I''m the older brother." Baek Han-Ho was momentarily speechless. He was trained in the art of killing, a martial skill passed down in secrecy. His master always said that the sessor of this martial art must have a righteous heart and understand the weight of the responsibilities they bear. He also added that such a heart was so rare, that it was like a gem. "Kid. You said your name is Yi-An?" "Yes." "I''ll teach you. I¡¯ll teach you how you can protect your sister." Yi-An had a skeptical look on his face. Baek Han-Ho ignored his side-eyeing and smirked, examining the face of the kid who would be his disciple. "Well. He¡¯s not really shiny." That day, he found the gem his master spoke of. Though young, his character was already fully formed. Therefore, all he could do was teach martial arts to the best of his ability, ensuring that his upright heart was never broken. And his disciple, Jung Yi-An, always lived up to his expectations. * * * Things were no different now. "Are you really going to fight...¡± Baek Han-Ho was well-informed about the current situation''s progress. He too had traveled the world when he was younger. Through connections from that time, he had learned the truth about this incident, which various governments wanted to hide. The Albino had already been disassembled. They managed to cut it open with aser cutter to reveal its interior. But inside, it was empty. The Albino, which they had believed to be the core system, was nothing more than an empty sphere. No one could understand how Elder Lord was maintained, how it continues to be sustained, or why people still couldn''t wake up from it. With no subject to study, even the best experts gathered together could do nothing. This incident was close to a supernatural phenomenon. There was only one unofficial solution they spoke of. To defeat the Ashen God, as the system itself suggested. It was unclear what the Albino''s true identity was, or what kind of thoughts this formless AI had to start such madness, but the Albino never once lied. Therefore, thisst quest that had emerged also had to be true. That was the only solution they could think of. "Just like before." And Yi-An was moving toward that only solution as Elder Lord''s strongest warrior, Crockta. Baek Han-Ho closed his eyes. When Yi-An became a mercenary in the conflict zone through his referral, he was not overly worried. Looking back, it was strange. No matter how talented Yi-An was, in the end, he was still a person who would die from getting stabbed or shot. Yet, he believed that his disciple, Yi-An, would return unscathed. That was the kind of person Yi-An was. Always inspiring confidence and living up to it. "I have no intention of training a new disciple at my age, Yi-An..." Baek Han-Ho muttered as he closed the inte window. Thinking he should nag and urge Yi-An to make his own disciple once he returns. * * * Han Ye-Ri felt unsettled. She didn''t know much about games. Buttely, with all the talk of the Elder Lord Crisis, the whole world seemed to be in chaos. On top of that, her boss hadn''te in for a while. ording to a message from Yi-An''s younger sister, Yi-Yoo, he had to leave Korea suddenly for urgent matters. But the Yi-An she knew wasn''t someone to disappear without a word. She had heard that Yi-An had been ying Elder Lord diligently recently and wondered if he might be caught up in this situation but shook her head. Sheforted herself with the thought that surely it couldn''t be. "Ye-Ri, it¡¯s nice not having customers." Yoo Soo-Yeonughed heartily, and Han Ye-Ri chuckled in response. "Right?" "I wish it was like this every day." Then, the door opened. The two, who had been chatting in the empty cafe, straightened up and greeted the customer. "Wee to Cafe Reason." The man who entered had tanned skin and sunsses on his head. He looked around the cafe and walked toward the counter. "This is a nice cafe, very pretty." "Haha, thank youu." "No need to force it. You¡¯re not even the boss, haha. Where''s the owner?" "Ah... The boss is temporarily out..." "Ah, I shouldn''t have asked." He seemed to know Yi-An well. "Your boss..." He nced at Han Ye-Ri''s name tag and continued. "Did you know he speaks highly of you? Says you make good coffee." "Really?" "Of course. So, could you make me a coffee? Something tasty." "What would you like from the menu?" "Surprise me! I don''t know much about coffee." Saying that he sat down in the middle of the cafe and seemed to soak in the atmosphere, leaning back in his chair and looking around. When the coffee was ready and he came to pick it up, he smelled the coffee on the spot and then asked Han Ye-Ri. "Miss, what kind of person is your boss?" "Excuse me?" "What kind of person is he?" "Don¡¯t you two know each other well?" "We do, that''s why I''m asking." "Uh..." She was taken aback, having never encountered someone like him before. And then she thought about it. What kind of person was Yi-An? She reminisced about the first time she met him. * * * Cafe Reason had not even bothered with the usual online job postings. It simply had a "Help Wanted" poster attached to the cafe''s main entrance. At that time, she was going through a particrly tough period. So, with a sense of resignation, she immediately opened the cafe door and entered. She was in in, unadorned clothes, carrying an attitude as if it wouldn''t matter even if she were turned away on the spot. Inside the cafe was a man, smiling kindly. When she mentioned she was there for the part-time position, he immediately asked her to sit down. For a while, they sat opposite each other, silently looking at one another. After their moment of silence, he asked. "Do you smile easily?" It was an unexpected question. Han Ye-Ri answered right away. "I do!" And then she showed him the broadest smile she could muster. It was the biggest smile she was capable of making. Yi-An, having looked intently at her face, smiled slightly and responded. "You got the job." That was all. Han Ye-Ri remained frozen in ce for a while, unable to respond to the words that she got the job. It wasn''t that she was overwhelmed by the unexpected approval. It was just that Yi-An''s face, smiling as he said that the job was hers, was dazzling. That was their first meeting. * * * Snapping out of her reverie, Han Ye-Ri looked again at the customer smiling in front of her. "Our boss is..." When she hesitated to continue, the man answered for her. "A good person, right?" "Yes, that''s right. He is." There couldn''t have been a more appropriate response. Han Ye-Ri nodded with a smile. "He''s a good person." "I think so too." The man took a sip of his coffee and said, "The coffee''s good. Thank you. I hope your bosses back soon." "Right..." Han Ye-Ri paused for a moment and thought about Yi-An. What could he be doing now? Somehow, Yi-An''s gruff expression came to mind. She chuckled. "I really hope hees back soon." Chapter 217: Tumult (3)

Chapter 217: Tumult (3)

The remaining users in Elder Lord gathered in the safety zones of each city, following government orders. The broadcasters who could bridge the reality and Elder Lord became special envoys of the government. They were promised a certainpensation in exchange for their cooperation. The chaos was overwhelming at the start of the crisis, but as the situation calmed down, users showed behavior not too much different from usual. Fortunately, with many high-level users remaining, it was easy to take care of the sustenance needs of the users. "What the hell is the government even doing?" "It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve ever seen them do their jobs properly. That¡¯s that, but those ElSa Co. guys are even worse. They made this garbage game..." The user who was speaking trailed off. The world that he was stuck in felt almost too real to call it a ¡®garbage game¡¯. Having spent so much time here, he now found it confusing whether he was ying a game or had actually be a part of this world. "Maybe we''re actually the NPCs and our memories from outside are all lies? Like we''re just brains in a vat or something..." There were also those who spoke of such science fiction scenarios. "Whatever. It¡¯s just nice not having to go to work." "Right? Do you think we should be thanking the Ashen God?" "Cut the crap. No one in the world knows when this whole thing will end, and here you are, fooling around..." "It was just a joke. Who would seriously think that?" "Forget it. You all seem so rxed, must be nice. I¡¯m just gonna go get some food." "Food? Shouldn''t we eat togetherter?" "What, are we a bunch of school kids now? Waiting to eat together? Eat that tasteless food on your own. I''ll be back when it''s time, so don''t worry about me." "Come on, you¡¯re acting on your own now?" "If you''re jealous, go buy your own food with your own money. Oops, you¡¯re a low-level user, right? My bad." "Y-you, watch your tone." Inside Elder Lord, conflicts arose based on one''s level and wealth. Low-level users stayed in tents terrified without moving an inch, while high-level individuals indulged in luxuries or continued to act independently even in those times. And, to keep them under control, the ranked users and broadcasters connected to the outside world had to move busily. "Shouldn''t we do something about them?" "Let them be," Rommel, who was observing the scene, said. "We can''t control everyone. If there''s a problem, they''ll have to deal with it themselves." The world of Elder Lord was different from reality. It was a ce where one could be stabbed with a knife or fall dead at any moment. And now, with the crisis at hand, their penalty was death itself. It was a burden they had to bear themselves. "What are they saying outside of the game?" "The same. The experts are analyzing it, that''s all they say. We¡¯re all tired of hearing the same stuff now, so we¡¯ve kind of stopped talking about it." Rommel felt uneasy. It had been a stalemate for a long time. Even considering the difference in time between Elder Lord''s world and reality, a week had passed. Yet, there was no significant news from the outside. The same things have been repeated from the beginning until now. "We should meet with the mayor again," Rommel suggested. "Ah, I¡¯ll call a few more toe with us." "No need. I''ll go alone this time. I can take care of myself. There shouldn''t be any problem." "Are you going to be okay?" "Don''t worry." Like that, Rommel left the ''User Vige.'' Despite the users being locked in, the world of Elder Lord continued to follow its own logic. The outside world demanded information regarding it, and Rommel asionally went out to gather it. Known as amanding genius, Rommel had a high reputation even among NPCs, making him suitable for such information gathering. The mayor of Apnchia knew Rommel well, and since the outbreak, Rommel had met and talked with him frequently. The guards, familiar with Rommel''s face, greeted him warmly and let him in. The mayor weed Rommel in the reception room. "Oh, Rommel! You''vee again. It¡¯s good to see you! What brings you here today?" "I¡¯m just here to express my thanks. I''m truly grateful to you for setting up a ce for us on the outskirts of the city. Thanks to you, everyone is doing well." "Hahaha, it''s nothing. Even those cursed by the stars have their own circumstances, especially in these troubled times... We must help each other," the mayor twirled his mustache as he spoke. "And well, you might say that, but you''re probably curious about the Ashen God," he added. "Not necessarily." "Haha, no need to be shy. I¡¯ve already told you that the strongest of each race gathered and are headed north to strike the Ashen God. But now, it seems they''ve hit a snag." "A snag...?" "Demons that were thought to be extinct have revived and are attacking them. Moreover, the barrier that the god has cast is so powerful that they can''t even approach. At this moment, they can only let time pass..." The mayor smiled before continuing. "... But all the gods are with us. It should be fine." ¡®Those strong gods of yoursbined their powers, but they still couldn¡¯t defeat the orcs.¡¯ Rommel swallowed those words. Those formidable orcs were now their allies. Moreover, the north and the continent, all races, and all gods had united their strength. "What kind of being is the Ashen God?" "We don''t know much either. The Ashen God is said to be an ancient god who fell long ago at the hands of other gods... For some reason, it seems desperate to destroy this world, but we can''t understand how such a being came to be. Hmm." This was information that had already been gathered. yers had gathered and collected information not just in Apnchia, but in Maird, Arnin, or the cities of the southern empire. They all brought simr information to that provided by the mayor. ording to the game''s logic, their only chance of salvation was to defeat the Ashen God. If the Ashen God were to win, the world of Elder Lord would be destroyed, and all life in it would be eradicated. That meant the users would die as well. Death in Elder Lord would lead to death in reality. The thought sent shivers down his spine. It was a dreadful quest. In desperation, Rommel asked, "Shouldn''t we send an army then? Even during the expedition, they gathered a huge number of people just to hit the orcs...¡± "It seems that conventional methods don''t work at all against the demons and the Ashen God¡¯s barrier. The people there are saying that ordinary people might just get in the way and die instantly, which, from our perspective, might be a blessing in disguise..." "Was there a timeline for when the Ashen God would destroy the world?" "I''m not sure about that. The grand magic attempted by the Ashen God is gradually gaining strength, but nobody knows for sure." It was then. Something caught Rommel''s eye. A system message. [The Final Quest] [The Ashen God is still alive and well. The power of the Ashen God is rapidly increasing. The world is moving toward a new beginning, a new cycle. We regret to inform you, but with your sacrifices, the universe will once again conceive life.] [World Destruction - D-7] [In one week, at sunrise, the world will perish.] Rommel was at a loss for words. The oblivious mayor continued with a forced smile. "Anyway, don''t worry too much. Crockta is there, isn''t he?" * * * Proid, the designated cameraman of the Elder Lord world broadcast for the Under Games channel, sped his head in his hands. His broadcast program was connected to the Under Games channel. Currently, its transmission to the public has been suspended and was being solely used for discussions between the broadcasting station and government officials. But recently, a secretive proposal had been made to him. ¡¸Sung-Hyun.¡¹ ¡¸If this works out, we¡¯ll hit the jackpot. I''ll make sure you''re sitting on a pile of money when all this is over.¡¹ ¡¸Even if anything goes wrong, we¡¯ll take all the me.¡¹ In the brief absence of government officials, representatives from the Under Games channel had made him an offer to go north and broadcast the battle against the ''Ashen God.'' It was a task that required him to put his life on the line. But if sessful, it would create the most thrilling footage the world has ever seen, a fight where people''s lives were at stake. A true ¡®war of the gods¡¯ that wouldn¡¯t evenpare to the previous expedition war. The director of the broadcast had persuaded him that it would be the greatest broadcast since the beginning of the Elder Lord era. ¡¸Sung-Hyun, we need to hurry. Do you think we''re the only ones who thought of this? Other roadcasters, and streamers, they''re all working on this behind everyone¡¯s backs. Some are probably already on their way there, you know how crazy streamers are, right? If you hesitate on this, you''ll end up neither here nor there.¡¹ Proid closed his eyes. It was a job that would put his life at risk. Even during the broadcast of the previous expedition war, he had been caught in fiercebat and had narrowly escaped death several times. But then, death had no real penalty, so he was able to be brave. Now, things were different. His death in this world meant dying in the real world. What good are money and fame in the face of death? He thought of his wife and baby. They were newlyweds. When his fatigued wife smiled and handed him their newborn daughter, he cried in front of his wife for the first time. It was an overwhelming emotion he had never felt before. For their sake, he could not die. ¡¸I''m sorry, but I...¡¹ Then. [The Final Quest] [The Ashen God is still alive and well. The power of the Ashen God is rapidly increasing. The world is moving toward a new beginning, a new cycle. We regret to inform you, but with your sacrifices, the universe will once again conceive life.] [World Destruction - D-7] [In one week, at sunrise, the world will perish.] After reading that system message, Proid froze. The director connected to him was also left speechless for a minute. Silence ensued for some time. After some time had passed, the director spoke again. ¡¸Sung-Hyun, I''m sorry I haven¡¯t told you yet.¡¹ ¡¸I''ve looked into it, and apparently the government doesn¡¯t have a solution. That thing, the Albino, they busted it open, but there was nothing inside. They don''t even know why or how this game is operating. The experts? They''re clueless. Nothing. Some say it''s a supernatural phenomenon. All the world''s governments are busy keeping this a top secret.¡¹ ¡¸So, Sung-Hyun.¡¹ Proid was numbly listening to him, dazed. ¡¸If you do this, then I''ll take care of your family. I give you my word. I''ll make sure they have nothing to worry about for the rest of their lives. It''d be best if you came back alive, but in case something happens... In case something goes wrong...¡¹ He sighed before continuing. ¡¸I''ll make sure your daughter and wife livefortably for the rest of their lives. I hate to make such an offer, but honestly, if you just die without broadcasting this thing, there¡¯s nothing I can do for you. Governmentpensation? How far do you think that''ll go? You know that too. There are not just one or two people trapped. It''s a whole different scale. They''ll never be able topensate properly. If you just do some rough calctions...¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡¹ Proid cut him off. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll broadcast it.¡¹ The director didn''t respond. Proid nced at his palms for a moment. They were trembling. He blinked once and stood up again. ¡¸I''m sorry. I''ll be backter.¡¹ Ignoring the director''s words, he gathered his equipment. Outside was already chaos. The system message must have reached the users by now. Those who had been leisurely until now were screaming and calling out for the government and Elder Saga Corporation. Proid hid himself. If he got caught up in that, he would have to stay there. He was the only link between them and the outside world. No, there was one more. Before he realized someone was standing beside him. "You are..." It was Laney the Youvidser. Laney had settled in the user vige in Apnchia after the situation erupted and had disappeared ever since. She seemed to be conducting her own investigation. ording to an official, she was also ignoring the government''s demands. That Youvidser had just appeared. "I heard everything," she said. "You¡¯re going, right?" Proid looked at her. Her face was stern. Her eyes were so confident that it was hard to believe she was a person with a countdown ticking toward her death. "Let''s go together," she offered. "What...?" "Let''s go together. It''ll be tough on your own." "Why would you..." "I also received an offer from the outside. I also know they have no solution. If we''re going to face death, anyway, might as well take a gamble." Laney grinned. "Besides, there''s a man I really want to see there." Proid knew who she was talking about. It was the being that Laney was relentlessly pursuing. The indomitable man who had never been subdued or defeated. The great warrior who stood alone against the empire and dueled a god to save his kind. An NPC, but a name that heated the hearts of every Elder Lord user. Crockta, the orc warrior. He was there. "You¡¯re right." Proid smiled faintly. It was the first smile he had on his face since that crisis began. He too was involved in the Elder Lord broadcasting world. He knew about Crockta as well as she did, if not better. During the expedition force battle, he had focused his every angle on him. Thinking of Crockta, an indefinable vague hope sprang up in his chest. He was that type of person. He gave hope and belief. He always stood on battlefields where defeat was certain, creating victory in ces where it seemed impossible. Now, he was on their side. Whether he knew it or not, Crockta was already fighting for their lives. The greatest warrior was their ally. "So, let''s go and watch him. That orc man will surely win." Laney extended her hand. Proid took her hand. Laney used a skill. Gradually, their figures faded away. When people busted the door open, there was no one in the room. Chapter 218: A Great Path Has No Gate (1)

Chapter 218: A Great Path Has No Gate (1)

Crockta traveled northward throughout the night. And Gordon walked by his side. "I never thought there would be something like you," Gordon said. "I could say the same." Gordon, the man who had told Crockta to go to the ''Temple of the Fallen God.'' Those words of his were the start of everything. And now, as the Ashen God returned to bring about the world''s end, he met him again. Crockta got enough information about the current situation through his conversation with Gordon. The core message was only one: kill the Ashen God or die. But he still couldn¡¯t fully understand the intention of the Ashen God, and Gordon was no different. Only the Ashen God herself, who had always been seeing death all around and confronting the end of the universe, would be able to empathize with her choice. "Is Yoo Jae-Han doing well?" "He''s living a carefree life." Gordon was one of the creators of the game ''Elder Lord'' alongside Yoo Jae-Han. Except Elder Lord was not a game. Rather, it was an ¡®avatar¡¯ that connected people on Earth to another world. What made this possible was also the power of the Ashen God. In the past, a mysterious woman with white hair appeared in front of Yoo Jae-Han and Gordon, iming to be a god from another world. They thought she was insane, but they could not dismiss her after seeing the power and authority she demonstrated. They acknowledged her as a god. Then, a new world opened up. She promised to provide answers to the subject they were deeply engrossed in. "Entropy reversal, that soundsplicated." "Think of it as the lifespan of the universe. It''s a far-off story, maybe even too far off, but it''s something that will eventually happen. The end of the universe." "When will that be?" "A very distant future, practically an eternity away." "You worried about such a thing?" "We did. Both Yoo Jae-Han and I were geniuses. Geniuses are built a bit differently, though you mightugh if I say so myself." Gordon smiled faintly. "You don¡¯t think the end wille?" He asked Crockta. "Well, it doesn¡¯t feel real. Something that won¡¯t happen for another billions of years or so..." "Look at the sky." Crockta looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful night sky. The sky was a paradise of stars that couldn¡¯t be found on Earth. Centered around the moon, stars embroidered the ck curtain. The Milky Way, so vivid that it felt like you could reach out and touch it, stretched across the sky, forming a river of light. But now he knew. That this sky was fake. "The real sky of Elder Lord is dark. Just the moon hanging alone, a lonely sight. Not even Earth''s smog-filled sky is like that." "......" "A dimension nearing its end. That''s what this world is." Crossing the swamp of the Great Sea, Crockta encountered an enigmatic demon named ''Abaddon.'' His words were the same. He had said that the night sky of this world was fake and said something about ¡®the Eternal Sun.¡¯ After that, he was summoned by the Ashen God, so Crockta and hispanions didn¡¯t get to hear the full story, but the context aligned with what Gordon had said. "In other words, the universe of this dimension has seen all its stars die out. The sun here is thest zing warmth in a universe on the brink of its end, and this is thest civilization of the dimension," Gordon exined. Thest civilization to witness the end of the universe was Elder Lord. "She intends to use everyst bit of her strength to reverse the entropy. Rewind the world to its first cycle. Rather than letting it be cold forever, she''s willing to destroy the existing world to return it to its very original state." Gordon¡¯s words were hard to believe. Based on what he was saying, the power of the Ashen God was a power akin to creating a new world. "When the stars cooled and the God of Stars died, she realized how it could be done. I don¡¯t know the details, either." "Why is the Ashen God in such a hurry, then?" "Because if any more time passes, even she won''t be able to do anything about it. Her power won¡¯t be enough to restart the universe. That¡¯s why this n of hers had a slim chance of seeding." Gordon then looked straight at Crockta. "But it became possible because of you." "Because of me?" Crockta replied, puzzled. "That¡¯s right." Gordon looked behind them for a moment. Behind them following was a mix of gods, orcs, and individuals from other races who had joined in haste. An assembly gathered to stop the Ashen God even with the risk of death. "Are there any users among them?" Gordon asked. "It¡¯s just us, I¡¯m guessing." "Technically, I''m not a user. So, it''s only you." "..." "Getting enough achievement score within the time limit was supposed to be nearly impossible. Achievement scores, in fact, represent the interference power between dimensions." "Interference power?" "When userse to this world and interfere and impact it, the that is separating the dimensions bes looser. Think of it as poking a hole into something and shaking it to make it bigger. Small souls like humans could be crossed over through the with her power, but the holes were too tight for the Ashen God herself to return. So, she used the game to create a space she could pass through, under the pretext of achievement scores." He sighed. "And that¡¯s when you showed up. It seemed impossible, but you aplished incredible feats. You even defeated the War God. That''s how a holerge enough for the Ashen God to pass through was created." "That''s..." "Who would''ve imagined? A user from another dimension defeating a whole god." Crockta twisted his lips. Ultimately, his diligent gamey and efforts to save people had inadvertently aided the Ashen God. He felt a heavy burden. Gordon was basically saying that Crockta bore the greatest responsibility for this situation, though it may have been unintentional. "Anyway, that''s just the way it is. The Ashen God, fearing the eternal end of this universe, seeks to dy that end, even if it means destroying this world. Even knowing that the universe, despite repeating its long cycle from the beginning, cannot ultimately escape its demise." "I think I sort of get it. But why did youe here?" "Me?" Gordon shrugged. "I just wanted to see it for myself." "See what?" "Another world. And the reversal of entropy." Crockta looked at his face. Somehow, it bore a resemnce to the Ashen God''s expression. "Maybe I too got overly caught up in this whole thing. Knowing that the future is predetermined, life started feeling a bit futile. So, when the Ashen God mentioned sending someone as a trial, I volunteered. I was curious. But after actually getting here..." He pointed to his outfit. He was dressed in attire that looked like it belonged to a coachman. "After roaming around and not being stuck at a desk like I was back on earth, and mingling with people here and there... I somehow..." "Somehow?" "Think it is wrong to erase all life that breathes now, even if it¡¯s for the future." Crockta smiled. He felt the same as Gordon. Initially, Elder Lord was just a game even to Crockta. But fighting as an orc warrior and living with the people made him love this world. Since Gordon knew from the start that this world wasn''t just a game, he must have felt even more deeply about it. "You say that this was all because of me, but it¡¯s actually because of you and Yoo Jae-Han, isn¡¯t it?" "If you put it like that... I have nothing more to say." "So, is that why you¡¯reing with me?" They looked toward a white sphere floating in the sky far away. That¡¯s where the Ashen God was, in the fallen temple of the northern god, conducting grand magic to destroy the world. They could feel the world''s magic being sucked into it. Gordonughed softly. "Yes, it is." "Alright then. As the culprits of this whole mess, let¡¯s go sort this out." "We probably should." Gordon stopped walking. Something stood in their way. * * * It was an indescribable form. At first nce, it appeared human, but upon a closer look, it looked more like a freaky monster, and with another look, it looked like a winged beast. It grew tall then short again, became fat, and then turned into skin and bone. The darkness continually altered its appearance, flickering before their eyes. A familiar aura emanated from it. It was the scent of the Ashen God. Yet, it was more sinister and ominous, sending a chilling sensation down their spines. A demon, the fallen race loyal to the Ashen God. "So, this is why they¡¯re called demons," Crockta murmured. He had encountered a fair number of demons before. However, he had never understood why they were called demons. In fact, he felt a certain friendliness from them. But this must be their true nature. "You''vee a long way. It couldn¡¯t have been easy." The demon chuckled. Theughter echoed among Crockta and the gods behind him. The sound oddly pressed down, vibrating through their bodies and shaking their ears. "Before you go any further, I have something to say." It was a strange sensation as if their brains were tickled through their eardrums. "What are you trying to stop the Ashen God for?" the demon whispered. It was a bizarre situation. A single freaky form stood in the way of the gods and mortals marching north. Everyone listened to his voice as if they had been enchanted. "Why do you draw your swords against her, despite knowing her will? The world is falling. It is dying. Saints and sinners will return to the void together and time and space will revert to nothingness. War God, do you find satisfaction in the opposites made through spears and swords? In the end, there will be nothing left. Goddess of Mercy, do you love the warmth between people that warms this lonely world? There will be no warmth or people. Magic and divinity will be swallowed by darkness, and eventually, even that darkness will cease to exist. The world is slowly, but gradually and surely falling apart. There is no desire or hope for us. There is only despair, and it is a greater despair than anything you have had or will ever have. Yet, for the world, we carry this burden and walk this perilous path." His voice was not just anguage. It was bing a concept, and it was being instilled into the minds of the listeners. What he had with him was the Ashen God''s absolute power, ''Perception Change''. That power shook the hearts of the opponents through a mere three-inch tongue. "The world is perishing. It is dying even now and we are all aware of this." Some flinched. Those unaware of the Ashen God''s true intentions, especially the mortals, did so. "We believe we will die and return to the soil. Our bodies will circte in this world, eaten by worms, beasts, and those beasts by other beasts. That is what this world is. We thought we would be rain, ashes, and soil, returning to be a part of the world, but..." He chuckled again. "The end hase. Then, there will be nothing. Absolute annihtion. Eternal void. A universe forever colder and colder. That future is approaching. We want to stop it. We want to reset and continue the cycle of life in this world." The demon took a step, then another, standing in front of Crockta and Gordon. Now, it appeared as a young man dressed in a neat suit. "Do you love this world?" he asked them. His gaze turned to Crockta. "Crockta, Crockta. The Northern Conqueror. The Empire Nemesis. The hero Crockta, the one who has always stood against injustice and protected the weak, I ask you: Do you wish to destroy the world? Have youe here to kill the Mother who¡¯s returned to this world to save it? Have youe to directly plunge the world into the abyss?" The demon wasn''t wrong. ording to Gordon, the Ashen God aims to reverse the universe heading toward destruction, offering this world as a sacrifice. In the process, life will die and disappear, but ultimately, her answer might be the correct one. That was the fate of the universe. Crockta asked. "What is your name?" "Hoho, it seems my words have piqued your interest. I am merely asking questions, and it is up to you to answer them. My name is Dantalian. A mere creature concerned sincerely about Mother and this world." "Dantalian... That''s a fine name." "Thank you. But my name is ever-so-smallpared to the great hero Crockta. Now, what do you think of my question, Crockta? I am not here to fight. If you answer, I will retreat." He spread his arms wide. "I assume there is a lot going on in your minds, so do take your time..." "I will answer on behalf of everyone," Crockta cut him off. Dantalian raised his eyebrows. "Ah, then...What do you, Crockta, think?" "You talk too much." "Excuse me?" "Remember this." A line split the air. Dantalian''s head was severed. "A Great Path has No Gate." The ¡®Eternal Fire¡¯ that even extinguishes gods burned the demon¡¯s body. Dantalian the enchanting silver tongue was engulfed in mes with an incredulous expression, meeting his end. Crockta, trampling on the ashes of Dantalian, roared toward the direction of the Ashen God. "Enough with your cheap tricks¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" His momentum made the barrier surrounding the Temple of the Fallen God waver. Crockta nted the God yer into the ground and turned back. Those enchanted by Dantalian''s power wereing to their senses. Crockta looked at them with zing eyes. "Do not get shaken by nonsense. There is only one path for us. To kill or be killed. There is no other way out. Remember this." Then Crockta turned his head sharply toward the Temple of the Fallen God and started walking alone. Gordon followed him. The gods followed, and the army also moved toward the temple. Led by Crockta, they all embarked on the path toward the final battle. It was a fight for the fate of the world. There was no right path, only the victor would be deemed right. Chapter 219: A Great Path Has No Gate (2)

Chapter 219: A Great Path Has No Gate (2)

Around the Temple of the Fallen God, where the Ashen God had descended, a powerful barrier was set. It was impossible for most beings to even approach it. The forces that had arrived to stop her were also unable to cross the barrier and were halted in their tracks. Crockta and the gods had swung their weapons, trying to create a fissure, but none of their attacks seemed to even scratch the Ashen God''s barrier that stood unharmed, blocking their path. Time passed. Every minute and every second was a countdown to the survival or doom of their world. "This barrier cannot be oveed with physical force," the Goddess of Magic dered after examining the barrier. The gods were still residing in the bodies of their avatars, as their true forms were supporting the world from the gods'' dimension. Since they couldn¡¯t just abandon their primary duty as gods, they had no other choice but to borrow their avatars for the time being. That meant that their divine power was weakpared to the fully descended Ashen God. "If we had our full divine power, we might have been able to force a fissure, but at this moment, there''s nothing we can do. It''s a power that spans through space and time, so even I do not know how to dispel it. Beyond this barrier lies essentially another dimension. What kind of knowledge has she gained over time...?" "Kraaaaaaaaaah! Do something, gods! Krrng!" Kumarak vented his anger, swinging his giant axe wildly. Despite striking the barrier numerous times, it remained perfectly intact. "Dammit!" Kumarak swung his Mountain sher with all his might once again. An explosion sounded, but still, not a scratch appeared on the wall. Everyone murmured among themselves. "We''re running out of time." "We have to find a way..." Everything up until that was going smoothly, including the elimination of the unidentified demon Dantalian. However, the barrier presented an immediate obstacle. Crockta red at the white sphere floating inside the barrier. That was the entity of the great magic that would lead the world to its end. "We don''t have time for this." Crockta grasped God yer and lunged at the barrier. There was only a ng, and the barrier remained unyielding. ording to the Goddess of Magic, theycked the power and divine strength to force it open, and theycked the information to dispel it through knowledge. The Ashen God had fallen to earth and acquired its scientific knowledge, which likely enabled the manifestation of such a barrier. Time continued to pass. Crockta furrowed his brow. He couldn¡¯t find a way out. Then, someone behind him said, "Do not rush." * * * The sun rose and set, repeating its usual cycle. Time passed. They could not find an answer. The white sphere of doom that had risen in the sky gradually swelled until it was big enough to fill the majority of the sky. "We don¡¯t have any time left." Even the gods, initially calm, were gradually losing theirposure. Kumarak had already exhausted himself from pounding on the walls like a madman, and the other orcs charged with their weapons. Some even fell injured after punching the barrier until their bodies literally broke down. "Everyone, get out of the way!" Fireballs began to fall from the sky. It was the ultimate magic of the Goddess of Magic that had annihted most of the orcs, the Meteor Shower. Meteors poured down, hammering the walls. mes spread, and debris scattered. The earth shook with each collision of the barrier and the meteors. The force was easily powerful enough to obliterate a decent-sized city without a trace. When the mes died down, and the barrier reappeared, it was...wlessly intact. "Shit!" Even the Goddess of Magic cursed. The army, which hadin prone to avoid the aftermath of the Meteor Shower, now rose, covered in ash and dust. They despaired upon discovering the translucent wall still standing firmly before them, unscathed. "How can this be..." "Are we just going to get blocked by this thing, without even getting to fight?" The War God stepped forward next. The War God summoned his power, enveloping himself in mes of war, bing a giant d in armor like when he was delivering the final blow to Crockta. He lifted his erged sword. "Woooooh!" With a roar, the War God swung his sword. The barrier was being torn apart. Everyone clenched their fists, watching. For the first time, the barrier was being damaged. The War God shed at the barrier with all his might again. "Woooooh!" His de prated the barrier, reaching the other side of it. Everyone cheered. But... "Kahhhh!" The War God was repelled by some sort of force and was sent flying. His sword flew through the air, and his massive form staggered before crashing to the ground. A tremor followed his impact. Being all skilled individuals, no one was crushed or injured by him. Yet, the sight of the War God sprawled out in defeat shocked everyone. "The barrier..." Even worse, the damage the War God had inflicted on the barrier had healed. As if nothing had happened, the barrier returned to its original state and stood firm, blocking them once again. It was unbreakable. "Everything is going ording to the Ashen God¡¯s n," Crockta sighed. Time kept passing. Now, the gods as well as the mortals who had gathered to fight alongside them took up their weapons and charged at the barrier again. But it was the same. Although the barrier asionally parted under powerful attacks, like with the War God, those who delivered the attacks were repelled, and the barrier maintained its original form. Frustration led all to hurl themselves against the barrier. Like that, the wave of rage passed. Then, despair followed. And finally, resignation. The Eternal Sun decreed by the Ashen God was gradually approaching. "Is there really no way?" Crockta closed his eyes. * * * More time had passed. They had done everything they could. But in the end, they couldn''t breach the barrier. The dawn warned by the Ashen God was rising. Light drove out the darkness, revealing its form from the horizon. "Everyone did their best," the War God said. "Sometimes, all you can say is that it is what it is. Both the Ashen God and we ourselves shed with our own beliefs, and she just happened to win." Everyone held their breath, watching the sun drive away the darkness. Crockta was no exception. Many thoughts passed through his mind. "Tiyo. Anor." He called out to his twopanions. They stood by Crockta''s side, together admiring the rising sun. Even though it was thest sight heralding the end, it was beautiful. "It was fun being together," Crockta said to hispanions. Tiyo and Anor smiled. "Likewise. Thanks to meeting you, I had a lot of fun. No regrets!" Tiyo eximed. "Without you two, I would still be in that vige, the same as always. Thank you. If only you hade a bit earlier. Hahaha, damn it," Anor alsomented. They stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms around each other. They looked at the sun together for onest time. It was dazzlingly, painfully beautiful. That sun. It was thest scenery they ever saw. Then. The world crumbled away. A vast expanse of the universe appeared. Darkness upon darkness, and nothing but darkness. An endless void without light or warmth unfolded infinitely. Within it, the sun of Elder Lord was nothing but dust upon dust, a speck upon a speck. A tiny ember unseen to the eye. It was merely a handful of ashes briefly ring up before fading away in the endless void. However. That handful of a sun zed white.s were drawn in. The gxy of Elder Lord crumbled all too easily. The vast universe turned into a white light. The grand magic conjured by the Ashen God condensed the world''s time and pulled its space into a single point. Entropy was reversed. Forces scattered chaotically were crumpled toward a single point. The universe condensed back to its original point. Within it were Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor. All gods, all lives, every gxy that had existed in the universe, and their corpses. What once was life, and what had be eternal death, everything was converging into a single dot. Without time or space. A speck. That was all. Since there was no time, how long the process took was meaningless. It was there. And it exploded. Time and space poured out. Matter was propagated. The nothingness of the void was erased, and darkness formed over it. Over the darkness, there was heat, and that heat turned into light and swept away the darkness. There was force and heat. And then, thews that constitute the world were woven together again. The first sun ignited its fire. Soon, one by one, sparks began to light up the vast universe. They were stars. They gathereds and settled them into their orbits. Countless gxies rose. And somewhere there was the very first life. Initially, it was merely futile and crude organic matter. But as time passed, and passed, and passed again, as the entities stretching from the original point were creating new gxies in the far distance. It became life. That life replicated and spread, seeding other lives on itss. In the ceaseless flow of time, they branched into countless species. And soon. The first flower of the universe bloomed. Its petals opened and it was looking up toward the sun. ''This is the beginning,'' a voice said. ''Life will spread throughout the universe again. This flower will scatter seeds, and many more flowers wille to life, and someday, the flutter of life will rise above the flowers. Thus, life cycles again.'' The universe that was on the brink of destruction became a brilliant universe born anew. New lives were born throughout the vast universe. They soon developed intellect and became civilizations, eating, praying, and loving as the past world did. They knew that the end would eventuallye again, but until then, they would eat, pray, and love just like before. ¡®What do you think?'' And Crockta saw all of it. He saw what the Ashen God truly feared, as well as the new cycle of life she sought to create. It was beautiful. ''The universe that was forever cooling has thus embraced warmth again. Is it not beautiful?'' The voice said. Crockta knelt on one knee toward the newly born first flower. He touched it with his fingertip. It was beautiful. ''It is beautiful indeed,'' Crockta answered to the voice. ''Is that so? Good.'' ''But in this world,'' Crockta continued. ''There''s no one to receive the flower I give.'' He shook his head. ''I do not wish for this.'' ''You will sink into oblivion forever.'' ''I don¡¯t care.'' ¡®It will be futile in the end.'' ''That¡¯s fine with me.'' Crockta thought of the world. There were too many things he couldn''t afford to lose. Yes, Tiyo and Anor came to mind. He had faced and ovee death with them. They were always reliable friends. They were infinitely more precious than some new world. Then, the many connections he had made came to mind. It all began with Orcrox and the orc farmer Grant. He had learned much from him. He protected Thompson''s family with Hoyt and aplished Lenox¡¯s revenge with his cheerful friend Jeremy. The people of Arnin, the viins of Maird, the battles in the north with Quantes, the battle against the empire in the faraway southern part of the continent, and fighting the war against gods alongside orc warriors after crossing the Great Sea. All of them were there, breathing and living. Above all. ''I have somewhere I have to return to.'' If it was for that. Such grand ns held no value to him. Crockta lifted his foot and crushed the first flower. It perished instantly. Crockta spoke toward the voice. ''So, help me, Antuak.'' Before him. Stood the shaman Antuak. ''Is that so? '' ''Yes. Don¡¯t you also have something more important than the cycle of the universe?'' ''I do?'' ''Yes.'' ''Ah... You¡¯re right, I have something as well.'' Antuak smiled. ''I too have such a being. A being that should not meet its end like this.'' ''Then help me. I will stop the Ashen God.'' ''Are you confident?'' ''Of course.'' ''The apprentice from then has now be a great warrior.'' He raised his staff. A mysterious energy flowed from the great shaman Antuak''s body. Gradually, time began to rewind. Crockta and Antuak vanished. The lives disappeared, everything returned to the first organic matter, and the world eventually became a mere spark again. That too extinguished, and the universe rewound back to before the initial explosion. ''Please, stop the Ashen God. I too have found something I must do in this world.'' ''What?'' ''I am going to...'' There was the seed of the universe. And it spewed out again. ''Wake my wife Aruna and give her a flower.'' * * * Someone said from behind. "Do not rush." Crockta opened his eyes. They had just arrived here moments ago. The Goddess of Magic had mentioned that the barrier was made using the power of space-time, and Kumarak was wildly swinging his axe around. He looked back. There was no one there. What exactly had he just seen? That illusion and voice were certainly... "The barrier is disappearing!" "What''s happening, who did it?" "It must have run out of power! Let¡¯s just go in!" The people gathered there cheered. Crockta turned his head toward the source of the cheering again. The barrier was gradually fading. Gods and warriors were passing through it. Crockta also got caught up in the march, hesitantly stepped into the Ashen God''s barrier. "It doesn''t make sense. Who could... manage a spell intricate enough to manipte the power of space-time... Who could it be?" Only the Goddess of Magic stood where the barrier had disappeared, admiring the gap that had been created. Whoever was responsible for the deactivation of the barrier, they were short on time. There was no time to figure out what phenomenon this was or whose power it was. They all entered the barrier. Inside the domain of the Ashen God, her power felt significantly stronger. It was almost thrilling. Everyone was tense. This was the enemy they had to fight against. Crockta too clenched his fists, warming up his body. Crockta suddenly looked back onest time. "......!" Then, in the distance, he saw a familiar face. The old shaman, Antuak, was looking at him with a weary face. It was indeed him. As he had done before, Antuak showed Crockta the future as a vision and posed a question. With Crockta¡¯s answer, he neutralized the barrier himself. Their gazes met. He weakly waved his staff, and Crockta bowed briefly in respect. To protect this world and return to Earth. And so, Antuak could give a flower to Aruna. Once again, Crockta advanced toward the Ashen God. Chapter 220: A Great Path Has No Gate (3)

Chapter 220: A Great Path Has No Gate (3)

The battle began abruptly. Artillery rained down from the sky. There were shells filled with the Ashen God''s energy and they poured endlessly, causing explosions at every turn of their path. From there, bizarre monsters appeared. They were monsters with deformations, imbued with the power of the Ashen God. They resembled the ghouls that Tashaquil had summoned in the previous battle against the gods. ¡°These are the remnants of the perished demons,¡± the War God eximed, cutting through the monsters with his sword. ¡°The influence of the Ashen God is too strong here. We cannot exert our full power. Dammit, if only we could use our true power...¡± ¡°Is there no way you can do that?¡± Crockta asked the War God. ¡°If we do, the world might copse.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be very nice.¡± The gods, who must uphold the world with their true power in order to protect it, and the Ashen God, who sought to destroy the world to start anew. The battle between those two opposing sides felt unfair. The Ashen God, with the bnce and stability of the world not even in her consideration, unleashed her power without holding back. Although the gods turned the monsters to ashes with magic and divinity, the monsters empowered by the Ashen God rose again without dying. ¡°They keeping back to life.¡± ¡°What dreadful creatures!¡± And behind them, there was a demonmanding the monsters. It was a being that Crockta had seen before. ¡°Abaddon!¡± Abaddon, a survivor of the demon race Crockta had met before the battle with the gods in the swamp of the Great Sea. He was the kind demon who had offered Crockta and hispanions his perfected spicy noodle dish and even revealed the truth of the world. He was about to share even more information but was summoned by the Ashen God before he could. Now, under the Ashen God¡¯smand, he stood in their way. He no longer resembled the friendly figure from before. As he entered his battle mode, he red with red eyes, exuding murderous intent from his entire being. Every time he made a gesture, the monsters shed through the forces apanying Crockta. Gods of a lower rank and mortals gradually died. ¡°This is as far as you go. You cannot go any further.¡± His voice was imbued with the divinity of the Ashen God. Wrapped in the power of the Ashen God, he now had almost as much power as a demi-god. Moreover, they were standing in the realm of the Ashen God where Abaddon was much more powerful than the gods who could not exert their full strength. Even the gods could not advance any further and stopped. The War God murmured. ¡°This ce is practically the Ashen God¡¯s fortress. Bringing mere mortals here might have been a mistake. This is an absurd battle to be fighting.¡± The battleground was already a scene of chaos. The strong ones who had survived the huge battle between the orcs and the expedition force, the lower gods, and the champions of entire continents and regions who were all capable of defeating a knightly order on their own were falling apart like they were some average mortals. ¡°Damn you, monsters!¡± The one shouting was a renowned wandering knight. A master of the sword who had wandered around the world defeating strong foes. His skills were sufficient to serve as a city lord or a knightmander in most ces without trouble. The knight swung his sword wildly. The deformed monster was sliced by his sword aura, losing its form and crumbling. But the monster was already deformed to begin with. ¡°What the!¡± The monster, now on the ground, crawled and coiled around his legs, pulling him into a swamp that devoured him. The knight¡¯s body melted away as he screamed for salvation. An elf wizard nearby exerted his power. He was a great wizard who had spent his life honing his abilities at the top of a magic tower, and his magic seemed to be removing the monster from the wandering knight. But a shell that came out of nowhere struck the elf mage, blowing him up. Without even a scream, his body was ripped into pieces, scattering as flesh. The knight was thenpletely devoured by the monster, which then rose to seek its next victim, looking around. It was a death too vain for them to meet. The gods faced the same fate. While higher gods like the War God and the Goddess of Magic could exert their power to eliminate foes, the lower gods were quickly devoured by the enemies, losing their physical forms, and returning to Olympus. Crockta shouted toward the War God. "We have to keep moving forward!" "We don¡¯t have a way." The War God swung his sword out of anger, slicing through a monster. His warfire turned the monster to ash. "We need to stop that bombardmenting from the rear. It''s under the influence of the grand spell of the cycle cast by the Ashen God. It¡¯s drawing power from that dreadful sphere in the sky. It''s a bullshit weapon that would tear even the gods apart." "If we gather a few and somehow get to their rear..." "Yeah, that demon over there would definitely let you do that," the War God retorted. He pointed at Abaddon, who seemed to be smiling as if he had been listening in on their entire conversation. "Dammit..." Even as they spoke, shells flew toward them, exploding nearby. The divine power of the Ashen God burst forth with the explosion. Another god of a lower ss was withdrawn from the battlefield. "What is the Goddess of Magic doing? Couldn''t she use the Meteor Shower again to st them away?" "She exhausted her power trying to get rid of that barrier earlier..." "So she just wasted her energy for nothing." Before Antuak could dismantle the barrier, the Goddess of Magic had summoned her meteor shower in effort to bring it down. As seen in the earlier battle against the orcs, it wasn''t a spell that could be used indefinitely. Watching another god fall, Crocktaughed hollowly. "Are those shells really that powerful?" There was a sense of reassurance fighting alongside gods. But even though they were only at the entrance of the Ashen God''s domain, those gods were falling helplessly. The one who had just fallen was the God of Radiance, who had shone brightly and buoyed the expedition¡¯s spirits in the battle against the orcs. Struck by a shell, his physical form turned to ash, and his divinity returned to Olympus. Why did those who seemed so strong in the war appear so futile here? "Fortunately, since the weapon draws on the power of a grand spell, the more intense the bombardment, the slower the spell''spletion." "That''s hardlyforting." Shells rushed toward them as they spoke. Crockta and the War God dodged in opposite directions, avoiding the attack. An explosion erupted where they had just stood. Crockta rolled on the ground and got up. As he dodged the shell, a monster targeted him, closing in. These creatures barred their approach seemingly endless. Moreover, the monsters were hardly affected by the bombardment as if they were being protected by the Ashen God. If they were caught in the bombardment while entangled with the monsters, they would be the only ones harmed. Crockta lifted the God yer, slicing the monster in two. Had it been a normal attack, the creature would have regenerated, but his weapon was imbued with the power of the Sun God. The monster was incinerated by the ¡®Eternal Fire.'' "I''ll go alone if I have to." The allied forces were hesitating, unable to advance any further. As the bombardment continued, their numbers dwindled. In the distance, Tiyo resisted, firing the General. At this rate, they would be annihted without getting to even face the Ashen God. Crockta started running diagonally. "Bul''taaaaaaar!" Sprinting, he dodged through the barrage of shells, cutting through the monsters in his way toward Abaddon, and the demonic cannon that was behind him. Explosions erupted on either side of him. Debris was embedded in his flesh, but he paid no attention to them. A single orc charged through the smoke of the battlefield toward the enemy''s heart. "Abaddooooooon!" At the end of his furious charge was Abaddon. Their eyes met. Without any exchange of words, Crockta''s de soared vertically toward the top of Abaddon¡¯s head. Abaddon dodged, but a giant sword mark was left where he was standing. Crockta pulled his de from the ground. "We meet again," Crockta spoke. "I¡¯m sorry it came to this." "I wanted to taste your top noodle dish again..." Crockta said and grinned. They had first met in an abandoned temple in the swamp, where he had been treated to Abaddon¡¯s noodle dish which he had perfected. Those were the good times. "... but what use would that be in a life-or-death situation like this?" "Everyone dies eventually. Death is not the end. The true end is far more profound..." "Let¡¯s not do all that right now," Crockta cut the demon off short. Their swords shed. Now, it was a matter of which side would break first. The nature of their des or how they were forged were all irrelevant. They merely sought to break, rather than be broken. "This will all be over soon, anyway," Abaddon added. "What are you talking about?" "I don''t know how you managed to break the barrier, but it would have been better if you hadn''t." Abaddon stepped back as he spoke. The aura of the Ashen God flowed from his body. "Once that thing is activated, every single one of you will burn to ashes." Crockta looked at it. Weapons that continuously spewed the divinity of the Ashen God were installed on the high ground, and among them was a cannon unlike any other, massive in size. It was a long barrel, an enormous muzzle. A cannon of monstrous proportions, seemingly out of ce even in the world of Elder Lord, and unimaginable even in the modern era. It was absorbing the world''s magic, coiling into the ¡®grand spell of the cycle.'' He could feel the power gradually condensing inside. This cannon was not forunching something like a cannonball. Crockta knew that instinctively. Immense power was harbored within it. Once activated, thend in front of the muzzle would be utterly obliterated. Total annihtion. "I will not let that happen!" Crockta shed at Abaddon, whose form blurred and retreated. Crockta kept attacking. God yer sliced through the air, and Abaddon continued to dodge his attacks in bizarre ways. Then, the moment Abaddon stepped away to the side, Crockta charged toward the cannon. He intended to ignore Abaddon and destroy the cannon. However, he found himself before Abaddon once again. "What the...!" "Do you think I would just let you go?" Abaddon was smiling. "Let''s just talk some more instead." "Enough with your cheap tricks!" Crockta attacked Abaddon again to push him back and tried to run toward the cannon. But, as if space itself had reversed, he was running toward Abaddon yet again. "Shit!" It felt like he was fighting a ghost. How could he escape someone who controlled his movements and never got hit by his attacks? Crockta stood dumbfounded in his ce. The demonic weapon was about to be activated. Everything in front of it would soon be reduced to ashes. "Rest assured, as there will be no pain. Once it''s activated, even the earth beneath your feet won''t be able to withstand it and will melt away." Crockta couldn''t decide whether to continue hisst struggle or turn back to evacuate at least some of them. "There is no time to run, either. ept it." He remembered the future shown by Antuak. Without Antuak, they would have been stopped in front of the barrier by it, unable to do anything as they perished along with the entire world. That was why he was so determined to seize the opportunity given by him. But, in the next chapter of their quest, they found themselves powerless yet again. The power of the Ashen God was so great that the gods were overwhelmed, and mortals couldn''t ovee their might. He gritted his teeth. The cannon started to shake, and a light began to gather at the muzzle. Magic that was nearby swirled around it. This was a battlefield where gods and heroes died like mere average mortals. Crockta himself was no exception. Soon, their lives would fall to ashes, and the Ashen God would achieve her will. Despair was about to settle in his heart. At that moment, they heard the sound of wings pping. At first, he assumed it was the sound made by a bird. But it was too loud and magnificent for that. Each p shook the atmosphere. Crockta looked up. There was a giant ck figure soaring in the sky. An entity he had never seen before. Yet, Crockta felt he knew what it was. Abaddon spoke in a trembling voice, "W-why... is he...?" A ck dragon was flying through the vast sky. The dragon, which Crockta was seeing for the first time ever, was an elegant and beautiful being. He could understand why they were said to be the most carefully and meticulously created creatures by the gods. The dragon, as if the sky was its domain, freely circled before stopping in midair to look down at the ground. It slowly opened its maw. Power gathered. Abaddon let out a deep sigh. "Why on earth is he attacking us?" The dragon, the most powerful being among all entities in the world. The ¡®Breath¡¯, their strongest weapon. It poured down. Chapter 221: A Great Path Has No Gate (4)

Chapter 221: A Great Path Has No Gate (4)

Back in the ancient times, there was a war. It all started with the death of the God of Stars. As the God of Stars returned to nothingness, it was the Ashen God, the overseer of all deaths, who conducted the funeral rites. She inherited the legacy of the God of Stars. Thus, the Ashen God came to witness the fate of the universe and its very distant end. A vision where the lights of the entire universe dimmed, the darkened world eternally sunk, and eventually returned to a state of emptiness, devoid of time and space, that was their final moment. They were thest civilization remaining in the lonely universe. And even that Eternal Sun was on the verge of extinguishing. The Ashen God fell into despair. She had an opportunity. Through the inheritance she received from the God of Stars, she learned the grand magic of the cycle of life that could reverse the fate of the world by gathering theirst powers for onest single moment. However, time was running short, and the sun continued to set. Before the power of their sun was exhausted, she sought to reverse the fate of the world. The gods rebelled. Thus, a conflict arose between the Ashen God and her followers, the races of death who were aiming to reset the cycle of the universe, and the gods of Olympus trying to stop them. It was a gruesome fight. And there he was. Xantimur. The most powerful dragon of all. The dragons, who possessed almost a demi-god-level power, sided ording to their beliefs in the conflict. Xantimur was one of those who sided with the Ashen God. He was thest dragon tearing at the gods by her side until the Ashen God was defeated and cast into another dimension. Despite most dragons dying or entering hibernation, he was able to preserve himself and remained fully awake thanks to his immense power. After the Ashen God was defeated and cast into another dimension, Xantimur, left alone, contemted the world. Just like that, he became the hermit of the ck Forest. "She has returned." Xantimur built a fortress and extended his hand to those in need from there. The recipients of his help were the main inhabitants of the world like humans, elves, and dwarfs, as well as marginalized beings like goblins, ogres, and trolls who were considered monsters. Xantimur spent his time by their side and shared the joys and sorrows of these small and weak beings. Their lives were but a momentpared to the time he had. Yet, those moments he witnessed by their side were never in vain. The intensity of their lives was impressive. Compared to him and the gods, who had lived too long and lost the present, every minute and second of theirs shone almost too brightly. "Do you truly wish to see the end...?" The will of the Ashen God, striving to save the universe from its mortal fate and continue the cycle of life. The sigh of a viger reflecting on a hard day''s work while watching the setting sun. Now, he could not tell which was more significant or heavy. Xantimur closed his eyes. The wind blowing into the fortress scattered his hair. His disciples, sensing the energy of the Ashen God, were looking toward the north. The usual bustling sounds of hisir were now submerged in silence. The face of the Ashen God he remembered always bore a sad smile. ¡®I will save the world from perishing.¡¯ No one could see the world the way she did. Therefore, no one could truly understand her despair. ¡®I will not let the universe cool into eternity.¡¯ In an era when the lifespan of the universe was nearing its end, the only thing she saw was death. She saw the vast darkness in the morning sunlight and resigned to the eternal void through a starless night sky. It was a sinking more terrible than death itself. A cold wind blew in. Xantimur closed his eyes. Now, he did not know what he should do. Suddenly, he thought of a warrior. A man who had performed miracles wherever he went. He had aplished things that were thought to be impossible. He had in the great chief who embraced cmity, faced a vast empire all by himself on the continent, and most recently, even defeated the gods. Now, he was opposing the Ashen God in order to save the world. The greatest warrior of that era. Crockta. It was a brief encounter, yet he was an unforgettable man. Rough and fierce but looked somewhat tolerable when he grinned. The force with which he swung his massive greatsword. The recklessness of charging without retreat. What was the reason he could engage in such fights? How could he do it? "I am..." Then, someone called him. "Master!" He turned around. A kobold with an innocent expression was standing there. He was a neer, weak and frail. His idols were the legendary archer goblin Kiao and the illusion marksman kobold Komojak. His disciples had found him passed out in the ck Forest after getting lost and dragged him to their. "Today, I shot this much, kung!" He proudly showed a straw dummy, now riddled with arrows, in front of him. The uracy wascking, with arrows strewn haphazardly, but he wore a face full of satisfaction. "Tomorrow, I''ll shoot twice as much, kung kung! Please train me again tomorrow, kung!" He said with a bright smile. Tomorrow. Xantimur watched him, dumbfounded. This kobold knew nothing. Despite the countdown to the world''s end ticking away, he spoke of tomorrow andughed so carefreely. Xantimur looked around. His many disciples were watching him. An indescribable emotion flickered in their eyes. "Tomorrow, huh?" If the tomorrow spoken by this kobold were toe, that tomorrow wouldn''t be this kobold¡¯s alone but would belong to countless more. It would be a tomorrow for his disciples, all living beings, and Xantimur himself to enjoy. With the setting sun, they would wrap up the day''s work, and with sunrise, they would awake to face another day. Just like that, they would live through another day. Every day, every moment. Indeed. It started to click. "Twice as much won''t be enough," Xantimur said in a gentle voice. "Kung?" "Not twice. You''ll have to shoot three times as much. Do you think you can do it?" The kobold looked astonished. "T-three times, kung¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤." Scratching his head and avoiding Xantimur''s gaze, he looked at the straw dummy he''d turned into a rag, inspected the arrows, and pondered over the calluses and wounds on his hands. Eventually, unable to withstand Xantimur''s stern look, he nodded. "T-three times is a lot, kung... but, I''ll try, kung...¡± "Good." Xantimur looked at the other disciples. They were all watching him. He spoke again. "I want to see how much everyone has progressed tomorrow. It will be a grueling day. Are you all prepared?" Their eyes widened. The disciples looked at each other and then began to nod one by one. Xantimur smiled. "Good." His body levitated into the air. Xantimur, who had the appearance of a young man, began to transform. Scales as ck as his hair sprouted all over his body. Wings stretched out from his back, and the iris of a beast gleamed brightly in his eyes. Now, he had be a being as immense as his fortress. A bodyrge enough to cast a shadow over the entireir. With beautiful scales and broad wings, it was the most powerful race, the Dragon. Xantimur''s true form was revealed. This was the new kobold¡¯s first time seeing Xantimur¡¯s true form, which even his older disciples had seldom seen. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. Xantimur, having reverted to a ck Dragon, whispered. His voice was still as gentle as before. ¡®Turn in early today and prepare for tomorrow.'' One disciple asked loudly. "Where are you going, Master?!" ''I...'' Xantimur spread his wings and turned his body. ''I, too, will go to prepare for tomorrow.'' He soared toward the Temple of the Fallen God. * * * Kwaaaaaaaaaaa! The ck Dragon''s Breath cascaded like a waterfall toward the massive cannon. Crockta and Abaddon rolled to avoid the aftermath. Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! The world was filled with ringing. The Breath melted everything. The breath that he released from his mouth engulfed everything, leaving behind only a vast cavity. The ground flowed likeva. Where the ancient weapon once stood, now only a deep pit remained, emitting hot heat and smoke. Crockta gazed nkly at the sky. The ck Dragon he saw for the first time. Yet, he knew exactly who the dragon was. "Xantimur¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Xantimur had appeared and neutralized the enemy''s weapon. Crocktaughed. It was the salvation that he did not seeing. "You were acquainted with Xantimur as well," Abaddon said with a hollow, hopeless voice. "The Xantimur I knew... he once harbored our great will with us. Why is he getting in our way now?" He continued. "Hah, I guess the Xantimur I know is different from the one you know,¡± Crockta replied. Crockta did not know what he had been in the past. However, the Xantimur he knew was a hermit of the ck Forest living among monsters in hisir. He was not one who would follow the Ashen God''s will. Around Xantimur, who soared into the void, magic unfolded. Following his will, dozens of spheres were dropped toward the magic cannons. "Keugh...!" Abaddon stretched out his power to block Xantimur''s attack, but Crockta quickly struck him. God yer moved toward his throat. "Hup!" Abaddon dodged the attack toote and was shed on part of his arm. mes rose from the wound, warping one of his arms. "Kaaaak!" He tried to calm the Eternal Fire caused by God yer with his magic, but it was not easily extinguished. He floundered on the ground. While he was busy trying to put out the fire, Xantimur destroyed every single one of the magic cannons. With the shelling stopped, the armies of the gods advanced, eliminating the monsters. Abaddon sighed. "First, you bring an unidentified sorcerer who reached the realm of demi-gods, and now you have the ancient ck Dragon Xantimur¡¯s help." Things Abaddon thought unbreakable were vainly shattered by the third parties he and the Ashen God hadn''t predicted. "It seems the heavens are aiding me." "The heavens... Hahaha, the heavens, you say..." Abaddon chuckled. In this situation, the phrase sounded almost like a satiricaledy. Crockta tooughed low. After a while ofughing, Abaddon continued, "Kill me now. I cannot fight anymore." Thest me given to him by God yer was still not extinguished and was continuing to consume his body. The undying fire from his arm climbed his shoulder, slowly eating up his flesh. Crockta shook his head. "I have no intention of killing you." "If you don''t kill me now, I''ll recover and stab you in the back." "Try it if you can." "Why are you sparing me?" As Crockta passed him, he said, "Because I still need you." "You need me...?" "Remember the time you served me that fantastic cooking of yours? I can''t forget that taste." "..." "I really want to eat your spicy noodle dish again. So next time..." Crockta looked back at Abaddon and smirked. "Let''s meet at the dining table." Then, he moved toward the Temple of the Fallen God again. Abaddon nkly watched his back. "Next time, huh?" Repeating the words, Abaddon chuckled. Somehow, he felt relieved. Perhaps deep down, he wished for such an ending too. Avoiding death is the instinct of all living beings. The gods were approaching. Abaddon moved away from the front line to the distant sky to avoid them. Floating in the air, he watched Crockta lead the front, followed by the gods and other mortals. "Do you also like spicy food?" Abaddon suddenly asked. Beside him was Xantimur, now back in human form. He looked tired. Using Breath of such a magnitude to that extent was a taxing task even for him. Xantimur answered, "I¡¯m indifferent about it." "Is that so? If there really is a next time... I''d like to make you like spicy food. My spicy noodle dish is really great. It was even approved by Crockta," Abaddon said. "Is that so. I look forward to it. Sincerely." "Hahaha, I¡¯m being sincere as well." Above their heads floated the white sphere created by the Ashen God. Destiny had left their hands. Not even the gods knew the oue. The battle for the existence of the world was rushing toward its finale. Chapter 222: A Great Path Has No Gate (5)

Chapter 222: A Great Path Has No Gate (5)

After Elder Lord¡¯s system, ¡®Albino¡¯, dered a countdown to the end of the world, the situation worsened significantly. Although countries worldwide dered their states of crisis, there was no real progress in the situation. Everyone knew then that the situation could not be resolved from the outside. It was epted as almost a given that if the entity known as the ¡®Ashen God¡¯ was not defeated within a week, all the yers would die. But who could possibly kill a god? The users were merely trembling in fear, hiding in User Viges set up in each city. The citizens watching the situation felt the same. They hoped, as if by a miracle, that the situation would be miraculously solved, and everyone would return safely. Then, something shocking happened. "What is that?" "Woah, are they crazy? They¡¯re broadcasting in the middle of all this?" "That¡¯s some crazy strong willpower right there." Some streamers were leaving their viges to broadcast the battle between the Ashen God and the determined fighters. At first, people just thought of it as a bizarre behavior by some streamers who had lost theirposure due to fear. But then, even the Under Games channel began broadcasting it. The world''s attention was drawn to the battle again. The governments tried to control it, but once the situation escted, it could not be stopped. Moreover, though it was called a broadcast, the video was transmitted through Elder Lord''s own server, which was within the untouchable domain of Albino. It was a live broadcast of the fate of the lives of tens of millions. In the face of this crisis, ethical standards became meaningless. After all, there was no user among the determined fighters. It was merely a war of NPCs, with the lives of the users riding on the oue. And so, the fight for the world of Elder Lord and the lives of its users was broadcast to the people. * * * People stopped in their tracks. From therge screens installed on buildings, footage of Elder Lord was being yed. It was the first time this had happened since the incident started unfolding. A caption appeared on the screens. ¡¸This is a live broadcast.¡¹ ¡¸The footage you are watching is being streamed by the Under Games channel cameraman, ''Proid''. ¡¹ Everyone knew what the footage was about. It was a battle where the fates of the users were at stake. And, it was being broadcast by ''Proid,'' a cameraman from the Under Games channel. He was an unknown staff member with no recognition of his name, but now, the whole world knew him as his panting breath was transmitted through the video. Apanying Proid was a famous Youvidser, Laney. They were the first broadcasters to arrive at the Temple of the Fallen God. This was also their first time in the north. With the outbreak of the incident, borders had disappeared. The north was a barrennd. ¡ªIt looks like that''s where the battle is happening. ¡ªWe''ve finally made it here. The Under Games channel wasn''t foolish enough to addmentators to a broadcast where real lives were on the line. The station simply broadcast what Proid saw, and his voice was shared with the viewers for the very first time. Those watching the screen could hear their trembling voices. ¡ªHow are they going to deal with that... What they first encountered was a terrifying scene of shelling and explosions. The citizens groaned. Even from a distance, the power of the bombardment was clear. Like ancient knights facing modern firearms, the determined fighters advanced despite being torn apart by explosions. The magic within those shells had to be of a terrifying level. ¡ªIt seems like most of them are already dead... They were dying and dying. With each explosion, more of the fighters fell. It was rather a massacre than a battle. It was a dire march, literally stepping over the bodies of theirrades. The army was mingling with indescribable hideous monsters, desperately trying to move forward. Getting any closer would risk Proid and Laney being caught in the bombardment themselves. They moved to higher ground to get a better view. Soon, they spotted a familiar face in the chaos. A character known to all. ¡ªCrockta! Crockta began to sprint, running unhesitatingly through the smoke caused by the bombardment. Standing in the way of the determined fighters was a demon, with smoke billowing continuously from the cannons behind him. Beyond that demon there was a cannon of a size they had never seen before, aimed straight at them. If it fired, the impact would be iparable to anything before. ¡ªThe ones fighting must also be gods, but they¡¯re just getting dominated like that... That''s the power of the Ashen God... Laney murmured. Crockta charged toward it, but the demon blocked his path, circling around to harass him with a clear intention to dy him. Gradually, light began to spill from the cannon''s muzzle. The air trembled. The tragedy that that weapon was about to unleash was imaginable even without seeing it. It would be utter devastation. And it would also mean the victory of the Ashen God. "What do we do, I can''t watch this..." "Isn¡¯t it all over if those people can''t stop it?" "Why aren''t they running with Crockta? He¡¯s fighting all by himself!" The voices of the spectators rose. In the midst of this, something flickered across their view. At first, they thought it was a mistake, that it couldn¡¯t be true. But, a massive shape slowly filled most of their field of vision. It was a dragon. A dragon, which had never shown itself since the very beginning of Elder Lord, had appeared before everyone at that very moment. The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed the Breath. The entire screen turned incandescent white. The Breath became a giant beam that struck down to the ground, melting the giant cannon in its way. It eradicated everything it touched and drilled down below. The ground itself copsed, shaking the area. Nothing was left where the dragon''s Breath had struck. Soon, the fire ceased. Only a giant hollow remained where the cannon had been, sending up heat. People cheered. No one knew where the dragon hade from, or what kind of being it was. Yet, a legendary being that had never been seen before appeared to use its power against the Ashen God. Everyone realized something. What was at stake here was not just the lives of the users. The characters of the Elder Lord world were also struggling to survive and to save their world from the Ashen God. The entire continent was resisting desperately against the Ashen God. The whole world of Elder Lord was an ally, and the dragon proved that. The terrifying enemies of the past were now joining them against the Ashen God. People began to harbor hope. Perhaps they could defeat the Ashen God, and the users could make a dramatic return to their world. And at the forefront was the great orc, Crockta. Now known to all. ¡ªLet''s go, Ms. Laney. ¡ªRight. Proid and Laney''s voices trembled. They too stood there, risking danger. Having witnessed such a battle, they had to see it through to the end, to its conclusion. They started approaching the temple of the Ashen God, where the bombardment had ceased. People held their breath. As the broadcast continued, gradually, everyone began watching the battle in their own ways. The entire world was paying attention to this fight. * * * Crockta and the determined fighters managed to advance to where the Temple of the Fallen God was visible. They crossed the barrier and overcame the bombardment. Their numbers had already been cut in half. Only the higher gods and some mortals remained, continuing to advance. There was no time to mourn the dead. The Ashen God would be in that temple. And so, they stood before the temple of the Ashen God, trembling at the unknown power emanating from it. "From now on, we arepletely inside her domain," the War God warned. The entire ce was filled with power. The divinity of the Ashen God permeated every breath they took. Centered around the white sphere in the sky, her power enveloped the area like a. "Everyone, prepare yourselves," he said. Everyone grasped their weapons tightly and prepared for the imminent fight with the highly likely chance of death in their minds. At that moment, the figure of the Ashen God emerged. Her clear form appeared before their eyes, with her ash-colored hair fluttering. Her eyes showed no emotion. No one could react. They were simply prated by the power of the Ashen God that was emitted. "Keugh!" "Argh...!" A sharpened, ghostly force flew at them. It seemed no different from an ordinary attack, but within it was a force iparable to any bombardment they had faced before. They couldn''t block it or dodge it no matter how hard or fast they tried to. Casualties mounted. "Ashen God!" Crockta, who had cleaved through her attack with God yer, was the first to charge at her. She retreated, but Crockta leaped again, swinging his sword at her. "Burnnnn¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The Ashen God and Crockta. Their persistent connection shed for the first time. Crackkkkkk! The attack scraped the surface of her protective shield. Crockta stepped forward again, bringing down God yer. Boommmm! Power burst forth from the Ashen God. Crockta twisted his body to dodge but couldn''tpletely avoid it and was stabbed in the side. Blood sttered. As he staggered, the Ashen God gathered energy from within her body once again. But Crockta wasn''t the only one who charged at her. The War God also swung his sword at the Ashen God with mes rising from it. The enraged War God looked more like a devil who had crawled out of hell than a god. "Because of you!" The War God, with a face twisted in anger, thrust his sword. The protective wall was prated. Smaller cracks spread from the gap. "Because of you, everything has gone awry, Ashen." Her face was still expressionless. Instead of answering, she raised her hand toward the War God. It was a simple gesture. But, because of that gesture. The sky opened. "......!" The War God pulled back his sword, looked up at the sky, and then froze. He turned around. Those still recovering from the Ashen God''s strike were groaning. "Take cover... Everyone!!! Take cover......!" But it was toote. From the white sphere covering the sky, a conglomerate of magic performing the grand spell of the cycle¡ªa mass of destructive magical power was dropped. The War God dove to the ground as he moved away from the Ashen God. As the mass made contact with the ground, it caused immense destruction. The world shook. Legendary beings, who seemed like they would never die, perished. Gods struck by the power returned to Olympus inrge numbers. The chaos settled. Everything was covered in ashes. A ringing filled the world. In the midst of all that, someone squirmed on the ground. It was Crockta. As he got back to his feet, ashes fell off him. His vision was blurry. He was seeing double. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision, opening and closing his hand. It was hard to see. He opened and closed his hand one more time. He looked around. One by one, the gods got up. But some remained motionless, sprawled on the ground. The area around the Temple of the Fallen God waspletely covered in ashes. It was like the scene he had seen when he was invited into her world. Enduring the throbbing pain, he lifted God yer. Even amidst the explosion, he had not let go of his long-timerade. He leaned on the greatsword in an effort to stand up. The Ashen God simply stood there. Crockta staggered to his feet and lifted his head. The Ashen God''s face was still expressionless. Crockta pulled out a sharp piece of rock embedded in his shoulder. He wiped the flowing blood and lifted God yer again. "Your friends are dead. Are you sad?" the Ashen God spoke. "Shut your mouth." "Do not be sad. I am always looking at death, and I will witness theirs and yours. There is no difference in any of your deaths." Then the Ashen God smiled. "All deaths are the same. And I¡¯m going to make sure it stays that way." Crockta swung God yer with all his might. But with a simple gesture from the Ashen God, he was repelled. He fell to the ground, vomiting blood. It was a strike that reversed causality in the realm of extremes. But it was nullified by only one simple gesture of her hand. Instead, Crockta was the one rolling on the ground. The difference in power was stark. "Urgh......" He felt a body beside him. It was Anya. She was already dead. Anya, the Mad ughterer who once cheerfullyughed on top of a sea of blood, twirling her throwing axe, had closed her eyes forever on that battlefield. She had survived the bombardment, but she could not ovee the Ashen God''s strike. Crockta called out to her. "Anya." But the dead do not speak... What could he have done? The clock of destruction had started ticking, and to stop it, corpses must be stuffed between the gears. And before those corpses werepletely crushed and twisted, new corpses must be added to halt the progression of that grim fate. "Stupid woman. Krrng." A voice came from behind. It was Kumarak. "Always calling me stupid, but in the end, she was the one who died stupidly. How stupid. Krrng! Stupid woman!" He was crying. He, too, had lost an arm in the strike. "Stupid!" With his one remaining arm, he lifted his massive axe, Destroyer. "I will avenge youuuu¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" It was a desperate roar. Chapter 223: A Great Path Has No Gate (6)

Chapter 223: A Great Path Has No Gate (6)

"Kaaaaaaaah¡ª¡ª¡ª--!" Kumarak charged toward the Ashen God. Crockta tried to stop him, but enveloped in rage, he had already sprinted far ahead. Crockta gritted his teeth and chased after him. Kumarak struck the Ashen God''s protective barrier with the Destroyer. But nothing happened. Kumarak lifted the Destroyer and struck the protective barrier repeatedly. Blood continued to flow from his severed arm, but it seemed like he couldn¡¯t feel it. He screamed wildly in an attempt to break the barrier. "Kaaaagh!" It sounded as though not the barrier, but his own body was breaking. "Damned woman!" Power rose again from the Ashen God. It sharpened its end, aiming for its target. This time, it was the heart. But before it could beunched, something flew from behind and struck the Ashen God''s barrier. Thwack! The attack embedded itself in the barrier. It was an arrow. From the spot where the arrow stuck, thin ck threads spread out, quickly bing cracks that spread across the entire barrier of the Ashen God. For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on the Ashen God''s face. "Kumarak, now!" It was Zankus. His arrow, capable of killing even the sun, had broken the Ashen God''s barrier. Kumarak immediately brought down the Destroyer. It shattered the barrier into pieces, but the Destroyer did not stop there and cleaved the Ashen God. "Dieeeeeee!" The Destroyer came down on the Ashen God. But there was no sensation of cutting through. The axe buried itself deeply into the ground, throwing off Kumarak''s bnce. The Ashen God was already standing far away. "I''m impressed that you mortals could reach this point." Kumarak couldn''t maintain his bnce and slowly crumbled. "What a pity. It would have been a pleasure if we had met in a younger universe." A hole was pierced through Kumarak''s chest. He tried to support himself with the axe, but soon lost strength and copsed to the ground, blood pouring out. The white ashes on the ground were stained red. "Kumarak!" Crockta ran to him. His breath was fading. Crockta turned around and yelled. "Goddess of Mercy!" The goddess, lying on the ground, weakly lifted her head. Her face had lost all will to fight from the Ashen God''s attack. Seeing her face, Crockta was overwhelmed with uncontroble rage. "Get a hold of yourself and heal him! Come on, get up!" Motivated by Crockta''s intensity, she nodded. Crockta, who hadid Kumarak on the ground, picked up his greatsword. The Ashen God had already turned her attention away from them and was looking up at the sphere in the sky, seemingly checking its progress. The sphere in the sky continued to grow without end. "What the hell are you looking at¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Crockta charged. He unleashed everything he had. The world elerated, and causality was reversed. The swordsmanship imbued in the greatsword was so mysteriously divine that no one on earth couldprehend it. The most efficient movements, forged through countless battles, were executed through his body and God yer. However, the Ashen God''s way of fighting was on a different level, almost as if they weren¡¯t from the same dimension. Crockta''s attack vanished into nothingness right before the Ashen God. "...!" The Ashen God''s power struck Crockta. He parried it with his de, but the power split in two and enveloped Crockta. He screamed in agony as he endured the attack, but the two streams now turned into dozens of spikes that pierced through him. "Kaaaaagh!" In an instant, Crockta was covered in blood. His body, which had turned into a beehive from the numerous stabs, bled profusely. But he did not falter. He forced strength into his copsing legs and stood his ground. "Dammit!" Scarlet blood-stained ashes fluttered everywhere. The Ashen God was once again distant. Crockta met her gaze. Crockta red at the Ashen God with eyes reddened from burst blood vessels. God yer was still clutched in his hand. Crockta took another step forward. Defeat loomed. It always had. But this time, an all-but-certain defeat was right in front of their noses. Crockta grinned and took another step closer. "......weapons." "What?" Crockta muttered something as he advanced toward the Ashen God. It sounded almost like a hum. The Ashen God furrowed her brows. Listening closely, it came across quietly like the lyrics of a song that was ying in the distance. "A warrior does not attack those who haveid down their weapons. A warrior......" Bloodied and battered, Crockta was mumbling the warrior''s code with a ghastly smile. His steps did not falter. "......avenges hisrades. A warrior protects the powerless......" Now, the Ashen God was right in front of him. Before him, a protective barrier sprang up again, blocking the space between him and the Ashen God. It was the same wall that Zankus had barely managed to shatter even with all his might. Yet, there it was again, in perfect condition, as if nothing had happened. The grand magic of the cycle, a tremendous power capable of restarting the world. She freely wielded that power at will. The difference in power was stark. Crockta approached and stood in front of the Ashen God''s protective barrier. He did not stop. He pressed his face against the barrier separating him and her. His eyes, smeared with blood, burned red. His steel helmet scraped the surface of the barrier. "Prove one''s own honor." With those words, Crockta lifted God yer like lightning. Crackkkkkkkkkk! Sparks flew from the friction. Crockta''s assault did not cease. He swung down the raised greatsword. The mes of the Sun God enshrined in God yer wrapped around Crockta. He did not stop swinging his sword. Fire sparked and metal was sheared. God yer hammered against the wall furiously. "It''s meaningless, Crockta." From the other side of the barrier, the Ashen God whispered. If he can¡¯t break it, it will break him instead. Crockta was bearing the shock of swinging the greatsword with his entire body. Yet, he didn''t care. In a short time, dozens, hundreds of sword strikes followed. It was a dire spectacle. The Ashen God wore a sad expression. "I''ll end it quickly, for you. There will be no pain." She raised her hand to the sky. The ashen divine power stretching out from her body reached the sphere floating above. She concentrated her mind on invoking a new divine power. Then, someone shouted, "Crocktaaaaa!" The Ashen God¡¯s eyes widened. "Get out of the wayyyyyyy!" Crockta rolled to the side. Then, a golden breath of fire poured down. * * * Tiyo, who had barely survived the explosion, looked up. His head was shaking. His hands were not moving very well. The General, which he was holding in his arms, felt heavy. "Keugh... Anor, are you okay...?" He leaned his forehead against his hand and then tapped Anor, who was beside him. But there was no response. "Anor...?" He shook Anor''s body, which was covered in ashes. Anor breathed weakly. Blood was flowing from his abdomen. The blood gushed out, quickly staining the surroundings, and turning the ground red. "Anor, Anor!" Tiyo tapped his cheek. Anor faintly opened his eyes, but he could only take shallow breaths and was not able to speak. "Is anyone there? Anyone...!" "Calm down." A green, rugged hand approached and wrapped around Anor''s wound. A cluster of light emanated from his hand. It was the shaman, Tashaquil. "Is Anor going to be okay?" "He''s not in a good condition. If the fight continues like this, then..." He trailed off and looked back. There he saw Kumarak, charging madly. He pounded on the Ashen God''s protective barrier. Then, Zankus'' arrow broke through her barrier. Kumarak struck her down, but he was the one who copsed to the ground instead. He too was bleeding from his chest. The eyes of the Ashen God were calm. The one raging in anger at that sight was Crockta. Tiyo looked around. The gods felt the disparity in power and had lost their will to fight. Those who had once scattered their powers so proudly over the orcs were now hesitating like tail-tucked dogs. Anger surged within him. "What the hell are you all doing!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, but the gods did not respond. Tiyo heard a murmur from one of them. "Perhaps the bigger picture of the Ashen God was right... After all, the world is doomed to destruction anyway." Tiyo closed his eyes to gather something welling up from his chest. Otherwise, he might have sprayed them with the General. The gravity heavily pressed down on his shoulders. The battlefield where the gods should have stepped forward, yet they were the ones who were frightened. How had he ended up in such a position? "Hehehe, I see how it is," Tiyo chucked and muttered to himself. He was a soldier of the Quantes gnome defense force. At a young age, he was recognized for his abilities, became a lieutenant, andmanded his members. He never doubted he would live as the greatest soldier of Quantes and as a splendid man. And then, he met Crockta. When a strange artifact known as the Demon¡¯s Mouth threatened to destroy Quantes, Crockta was the one who rose defiantly to save the city. There was something heart-stirring about him. Crockta was more reckless than anyone he knew. Even more than himself. Tiyo stood at a crossroads. Until then, he had been walking the path he knew well, but the road was forking in two after he met Crockta. Apletely unknown and invisible path had opened. Something was twinkling at the end of it. He wanted to check it out. He decided to step toward the unknown at the crossroads between the known and the unknown. Then, everything changed. It was a whole new world. He met the legendary hunter Shakhan. He opened the north and explored a world no one had reached. He met Anor, killed the great chief, and saved the north. He returned to the continent and fought against the empire. Just like that, he had gradually uncovered the hidden secrets of the world. And now, he stood on a battlefield against a god determined to destroy the world, with other gods trying to stop her. He had no regrets. Who could have predicted? Who could have predicted that there would be a seat reserved for a small gnome on the battlefield where the fate of the world was at stake? ¡®That artifact you use, the General, has no limit to its power.'' Xantimur¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. Ahead of him, he saw Crockta wildly swinging his greatsword. In a world that had stopped moving, he was struggling alone. He was a much cooler man than any of these gods sitting down in resignation. Indeed, he was the man Tiyo had decided to follow. "Finally, it¡¯s Tiyo¡¯s turn." He lifted the General. The General, shaped like a rifle, started changing its form with a clicking sound. The barrel expanded, opening its maw. The General operated on Tiyo''s will and vitality. It rapidly drained his body. It wrung out Tiyo''s brain and devoured the vitality from his entire body. His body gradually tilted downward. His life began to evaporate rapidly. But he gritted his teeth and steadied himself. What he might lose with this maneuver was unknown. But it didn''t matter. ''Crockta.'' ''Hmm?'' ''I want to go to the north with Crockta too.'' Perhaps everything was decided at that moment. There were two paths. He made his choice, and that decision changed everything. ''The true name of General is Dragon yer. It''s a dragon-killing weapon designed to kill dragons.'' He remembered when Xantimur spoke to him. At that time, Tiyo could not understand what he meant, but he understood it now. The General had no limit. And it was the same for himself holding the General. He could do whatever he put his mind to. No matter the cost, if he wanted, he could do it. "Huff, huff." The Generalpleted its transformation. At that moment, Tiyo realized something waspletely drained from his body. He had no vitality left in his body. He was probably never going to get any of it back. What it took from him could have been his lifespan or his physical body. Maybe it was something even more precious, but he had made his choice. "Crocktaaaaa!" The transformed General looked not like a gun but a piece of art. Two wings were spread wide, and instead of a barrel, a golden dragon opened its maw. And the eyes of the dragon were ring straight at the enemy. Light radiated from the dragon''s maw. Tiyo shouted with thest of his strength. "Get out of the wayyyyyy!" Then, a golden Breath colored the world. Chapter 224: A Great Path Has No Gate (7)

Chapter 224: A Great Path Has No Gate (7)

The golden Breath of the General enveloped the Ashen God. The dragon''s breath swept over the Ashen God and even the Temple of the Fallen God behind her. It swelled up like a tidal wave and flooded the area. Golden waves filled the view. How much time had passed? Soon, the Breath ceased and the first to fall was Tiyo. Hoyt rushed to pick him up. He ran to the Goddess of Mercy, who was exerting her power beside Kumarak. Tiyo''s body did not move at all. Hey there like a corpse. Crockta saw it all. He turned his head toward the Ashen God. Golden waves and the white ashes tangled with red blood were flying in the air. Standing beyond that was the Ashen God. The protective barrier surrounding her had disappeared. Although she appeared unharmed, a stream of blood trickled from her mouth. "I didn¡¯t expect a gnome to wield Xantimur''s dragon-killing weapon..." Crockta stepped forward toward the muttering god. He couldn¡¯t afford to give her any more time. There were a number of choices he could make. He could turn back and run to Tiyo and help him. He couldy Anor and Tiyo side by side and pray for them. He could plead with the Goddess of Mercy, beg Tashaquil, cry a tear for their survival, or even offer his own life force to share with them or... He could advance without looking back, wielding God yer in his hands. "Ashen God¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Crockta leaped. He swung the God yer at her, who seemed vulnerable. mes exploded. But there was no ying sensation in his hands. He immediately became increasingly aware of his surroundings. He sensed her presence from the left behind him. Without even looking, he swung his greatsword behind his back. His power collided with the Ashen God''s. "Crockta. Why don¡¯t you give up already?" Crockta did not respond. "You cannot stop me," she said again. Instead of answering, he swung his sword. God yer moved toward the gap between him and the Ashen God. Although very slightly, the situation had improvedpared to before. Tiyo''s strike did, in fact, have an effect. But the power descending from the sphere above was healing her again. He needed to inflict more wounds before she could fully recover. He had to erode her power, erode it further, and drag her down for decapitation. Ah, right there! Crockta saw a suitable ce to strike her, but he was all by himself. If he stood there and thrust his sword toward her from that spot, perhaps he could wound her. It was an opening too perfect as if someone had it prepared specifically for him. If only someone could strike diagonally from that spot and slice through her... Crockta imagined being there himself. Then, there was a real sword thrusting down from that spot. "Crockta!" It was the War God. Their des simultaneously sliced the Ashen God. The mes from God yer and the War God''s warfire enveloped her. The Ashen God was hit. But it was not a fatal blow. "Not even close," the War God eximed. "I know." She disappeared into the mes and then reappeared a short distance away. Her body was scorched. Now, there was an expression on her face. It was a faint anger. It was much more pleasing to seepared to her previouscent expression. Her face twisting even further would be even more delightful. The two pressed on her. The same ashen spikes from before exploded, piercing them. Crockta dodged or blocked the vital shots and ignored the rest. Fresh wounds ovepped on his already-bloody body. But the wounds smoked and rapidly regenerated. His regenerative ability, having reached the ultimate realm, was healing his body. His entire being was inbat mode. Crockta and the War God''s des simultaneously flew toward the Ashen God from both sides. ng! She dispersed their des with her power. Ashen power began to wrap around their des, taking over their control. Both their arms trembled. At that moment, an arrow flew from afar. It was Zankus. The Ashen God hastily deflected it. The pressure that was acting on their swords lessened simultaneously. They pressed on immediately, slicing her. "Keugh!" Her form blurred to deflect the physical wounds, but the mes emanating from their weapons struck her divine power. Her body flickered once as she gritted her teeth. Her face slightly twisted. Crockta grinned. There was an old teaching among warriors. Your fear bes the enemy''s strength. The reverse was also true, the enemy''s frustration bes your strength. Crockta and the War God, with a new breath of energy, pressed her harder. The Ashen God flew into the sky, escaping their attack range. As she rose, Crockta and the War God''s eyes met. They nodded at each other. Together, they leaped into the sky. Crockta''s body, having reached its peak, could leap high into the air, up to where she was. Meanwhile, Zankus'' attacks targeted her again. As she dodged the arrows, Crockta and the War God''s des were flung toward her neck and heart. The face of the Ashen God was nowpletely distorted. "You do this until the end!" She spread her hands. She paid no heed to the des of Crockta and the War God approaching her. She simply flipped her palms, which had been facing the sky, downward. Then, her power that was looming over the area was immediately reversed. The gravity became materialized, and it mmed down upon the area. "...!" An immense force struck down on them like a gigantic hammer. Crockta and the War God flinched. By the time they realized, the Ashen God had already retreated. Her power wasing straight at them. At this rate, they would be crushed and suffocated by the pressure, but... Suddenly, a giant appeared out of nowhere and bared the force with its body. It was a massive golem made of earth. It had appeared unexpectedly to hold itself up against the Ashen God''s crushing pressure. Crockta and the War God were stunned. "What are you doing?" a furious voice resounded. It was the Goddess of Magic. She lost herposure and screamed. "This is getting really hard, so hurry the hell up!" Smoke rose from her body. The magical power was overloading her body and consuming her flesh and divinity. Two unnamed gods ced their hands on the shoulders of the Goddess of Magic, lending their powers to her. She had cast another grand spell, ''Will of the Earth,'' following her meteor shower. The golem, born from the power of the earth, used its shoulders to support the area against the gravitational pressure caused by the Ashen God. "Hurryyyy!" But the Ashen God was already too far away. Crockta and the War God had lost their target. There was nothing more to support their footing in the air. Falling was imminent. But then, out of nowhere, there was a whirlwind lifting them up. "Gooooo!" It was Tashaquil. Green light burst from his eyes. His entire body fluttered. The surrounding gods were astonished. The ultimate realm that was never permitted to mere mortals. It was a sorcery that reached the domain of demigods. Who could have imagined that a mere orc shaman could wield such power? The storms emanating from his body erased the influence of the Ashen God. The swirling winds stretched to the sky, lifting the bodies of the two men. "Do not stop!" Like that, they were propelled up the sky. They flew through the air. The Ashen God was their sole target. Both drew their swords. But she was already fully prepared, her divine power was ready to pierce the hearts of the two warriors flying toward her. The sh was imminent. "That¡¯s enough. Now, die..." the Ashen God whispered. Two spikes she created moved straight toward the hearts of the War God and Crockta. They pierced through their hearts without fail. From the beginning, there was no chance of defeating her, who had the grand magic of the cycle with her. Blood from their chests scattered down to the ground, it was a clean pration. Crockta opened his mouth. The Ashen God closed her eyes. His death rattle was only going to torment her. "Keheh... heh!" "...!" But instead of a death rattle, a strangeughter disturbed her ears. She opened her eyes. But it was still dark. Despite opening her eyes, she could not see the sky, Crockta, or the War God who should¡¯ve been in front of her. Instead, only darkness filled her sight. And within that darkness, there was yet another darkness. The core of that darkness, the darkest part of the darkness, was looking at her. "Keheh... heh!" Before she realized it, someone was standing beside her. It was a strange orc shaman she had never seen before. "When you¡¯re looking into the abyss, a day and a year is no different, so you must always be wary of not losing yourself. Keheh... heh!" What was this orc shaman talking about now? "Alright,e on, you''ve already been here too long. Keheh... heh!" Their time together was but a moment, too short to be able to exchange anything more than just a few words. But what did this orc shaman mean by saying she had been there for too long? She blinked. The moment she closed and then reopened her eyelids, right in front of her were the zing eyes of Crockta. "...ahh!" Crockta''s God yer had already pierced through her abdomen. The de of the War God had also stabbed her heart from behind. Enveloped in two mes that were capable of burning divinity, she and the two warriors became one and fell. Keheh... heh! Within the fading consciousness, that disturbingughter was heard again. She had been enchanted by that orc shaman. The Ashen God had exposed a weakness to the two warriors and the divinity-burning mes were distorting her soul. "Ashen God. I will kill you, save the world, and then return to where I belong," Crockta whispered. She could feel his strong will. The Ashen God could feel her divine power and life dispersing into the void. She could also understand what Crockta was trying to say. Their intentions and hers were not different at all, and that made it all the more painful. She knew very well how important the lives of those currently living were and how meaningless even the fate of the world could be in front of them. But, at the same time, she was staring at the ultimate death of the world, with everything disappearing as if it never existed in the first ce. Therefore, she could not leave the world to its fate. Even if it takes hundreds of millions, or even billions of years for all civilizations to perish and new life to be conceived, she had to see it through. Because their end would be a sadder demise. "I''m sorry." That was all she could say. Eventually, her body began to glow white hot. "...!" "The grand magic of the cycle has already beenpleted." A pressuring force burst forth from her body. Crockta and the War God were flung away. "Kugh!" "Kaaaah!" They fell far away. White streams of light rose from the body of the Ashen God and connected with the sphere in the sky. She was now burning bright white. Shedding her physical form, she turned into a spirit and floated in the air. The Ashen God and the sphere in the sky emitted light together. * * * "Keugh!" Crockta, rolling on the ground, barely managed to get back on his feet. "Kugh, kagh..." He had drifted off the battlefield. The aftermath of the fall had wrecked his body. His limbs felt so heavy that it seemed they might sink into the ground at any moment. Gritting his teeth, he endured his weight and leaned on God yer for support. Was there a chance of winning this fight? Everything seemed hopeless. Suddenly, he noticed something rustling. His eyes widened. "You are...?" It was a familiar figure. It was Laney the Youvidser. She was watching him. As their eyes met, her face also showed confusion. Beside her was a man he had never seen before, trembling and hiding. "Why are you...?" Before Crockta could finish his sentence, a tremendous force erupted from the Ashen God. It swept through the entire area. As the Ashen divinity radiated, not a single de of grass was left unscathed around her. And it was quickly moving toward Crockta and the two broadcasters. Laney and the man''s faces turned pale. They were all going to die at this rate. Crockta clenched his teeth and summoned all his strength. He reversed all the approaching death into survival. Clinging to a single thin thread of possibility, he imbued it into his body. Every muscle in his body tensed up, maxing out his regeneration ability to tolerate any fatal injuries. There was no other choice. Crockta''s massive body wrapped around them. * * * It was an unbelievable battle. The dragon''s Breath was nothingpared to this. As the sphere dropped by the Ashen God exploded, even gods crumbled, a gnome fired a golden energy, and Crockta and the War God attacked the enemy together. Golems made of earth rose, and shamans summoned storms. Every second and every minute was a series of miracles and anomalies. It was the true war of the gods, Ragnar?k, where it wouldn¡¯t havee as a shock to anyone if the world broke apart. It was a battle with the destruction of the world at stake. They couldn¡¯t do anything but stand dumbfounded, watching those scenes unfold. Crockta and the War God advanced, attacking the Ashen God. Her retaliation was fierce, but others aided them. Even in this battle, Crockta was the one leading from the forefront, rallying everyone against the enemy. He was indeed the character she had been captivated by. It was a job that could very well have been herst ever, but he was still the protagonist. Eventually, Crockta and the War God prated the Ashen God. Laney and Proid cheered. They thought the battle had ended. They desperately hoped so. However, as they were falling, the Ashen God''s power was revived. With an even greater force, she repelled them and ascended into the sky. Crockta flew toward them, crashed to the ground, and rolled several times beforeing to a stop in front of them. His body was battered, pierced, cut, and broken. An ordinary person would not have been able to even stand. But he stood up again with an iron will. And then he saw them. "You are..." His eyes widened as he looked at Laney. Did Crockta know her, or was he simply surprised by the sight of strangers? "Why are you..." That was when it happened. Power radiated from the Ashen God once again, a blindingly strong force. They could feel it, death wasing. So, this is how it ends. Laney and Proid clenched their eyes shut. To die upon meeting Crockta, what a cruel fate. A huge ringing erased all other sounds of the world. It was as if their eardrums had broken, leaving them with only a continuous beeping noise. Was death always this peaceful? Then the ringing stopped. The sounds of the world returned. They were. Still alive. They opened their eyes. In front of them, they saw Crockta, enveloping them to protect them. "Ah...!" Crockta had shielded them. Laney couldn''t understand. Who was this orc, and what kind of being was he to be capable of doing all this? To fight against the world, to oppose an enemy intent on destroying the world, to risk his life to protect those whom he didn¡¯t even know, who would be capable of all that? And at that moment, Proid, with a dazed expression, raised his hand. He pointed at something. Laney''s gaze followed his hand. There, behind the steel helmet which had beenpletely shattered and flown away. Crockta¡¯s face was revealed. His forehead. Floating above his bloodied forehead was a white star. Chapter 225: Final Book – COSMOS (1)

Chapter 225: Final Book ¨C COSMOS (1)

People on Earth were watching the final battle, hoping for the safe return of the users locked inside Elder Lord. Broadcasters Proid and Laney were also connected users whose lives depended on the oue of this battle. The battle seen through their eyes appeared even more desperate. Their breaths became ragged when the determined fighters were in danger. When Crockta and the War God retaliated against the Ashen God, the viewers could feel the bodies of the broadcasters tensing up. People could empathize with their emotions as they watched the same scenes as them, and thus supported them more fervently. "Ah, please..." "Do it just one more time, Crockta!" "Crockta,e on!" Everywhere there was a screen, people stopped in their tracks to watch. Crowds gathered in countless ces throughout the world. The entire world hade to a halt for that battle. Cheers and sighs mixed when Crockta and the War God leaped to engage in aerialbat with the Ashen God. The nations shook with chants when they managed to pierce her with the help of those around them. But she rose from the dead and, instead of falling, she unleashed a powerful force, flinging aside the two warriors who had stabbed her. Everyone was in despair. The power gap was too big. An enemy that wouldn''t die even when killed. A stage designed to be unwinnable. The battle was set for predetermined defeat. The crowd in the streets sighed. "Ah..." "Is it really not going to happen..." Crockta was flung from the battle and rolled toward the screen. He tumbled and crashed several times. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising had the blows he was taking been fatal. Everyone thought this might be his end. However, Crockta, lying on the ground seemingly dead, stood up again. He was shakily standing, straightening his waist and raising his eyes. Even when those watching were giving up on victory, he grasped his greatsword once more, as if he was unaware of the concept of giving up. An unyielding will. The broadcasters, witnessing this up close, transmitted their heightened emotions. Suddenly, Crockta noticed them. ¡ªYou...! His eyes widened. Crockta met the eyes of the viewers. When they finally saw his face straight on, his condition was even more tragic. It was the face of a bloodied hero. Crockta, surprised, continued. ¡ªWhy are you people... At that moment, a powerful energy radiated from the Ashen God in the distant sky. The force swirling around her turned everything to ashes. The energy then reached them, and the screen eventually turnedpletely white. Beeeeeeeeeeeep. All other sounds in the world were drowned. Nothing was disyed on the screen. For a while, only a white screen and a strange ringing persisted. People realized this was the scene of destruction. Countless lives had perished in that battle. Crockta and the broadcasters would have been the same. How much time has passed by like that? When it stopped, they could see the orc warrior, Crockta, shielding the screen with his body. Crockta had protected the broadcasters. Smoke rose from his back. Everyone was left speechless. Elder Lord was no longer just a game. Death there meant death in reality. And he had saved the broadcasters. Crockta had saved their lives. All of this was happening in real-time. "Huh...?" One by one, the people watching noticed something and were startled. It wasn¡¯t just the viewers, but the broadcasters as well. His symbolic greatsword and ck steel helmet, one of them was shattered¡ªthe steel helmet. Then, his face was fully revealed. Above his blood-covered forehead. A white star floated. The broadcasters were also left speechless for a minute. Their cameras transmitted not only Crockta but Laney¡¯s terrified face as well. ¡ªNo way... The crowd echoed the same thought. Could it be? The whole world was baffled by the meaning of the white star. Eventually, Laney opened her mouth. She asked the question everyone watching the screen wanted to ask. ¡ªCrockta, are you... The screen caught the battered form of Crockta. ¡ª... a user? Crockta. A living legend. An orc who had always fought against oppression and injustice and had never been defeated. A warrior who valued honor more than life. And now, a man risking his life against the Ashen God. On his forehead was the mark of a user, it was simply unbelievable. Crockta chuckled. ¡ªDoes it matter? ¡ªNo, you have to answer. You must if you really are a user. ¡ªThere''s no time to talk. ¡ªCrockta! Crockta turned around. He moved back toward the battlefield. Toward the grounds where the Ashen God, desperate pain, and death awaited him. Dragging his sword with his ragged body, leaving a trail of blood, he gradually moved away. Laney shouted at his back. ¡ªAt least tell us your name! Or just tell us if you really are a user! You might die here, we need to know at least that much! Her voice was tinged with emotion. Everyone felt the same. ¡ªSo people can remember you. Crockta stopped at her emotional voice. Then he slowly turned around. Against the backdrop where the white sphere burnt the wick of the world''s end, and the Ashen God wielded her grand spell of the cycle, bringing death to anyone who was opposing her. In the utterly devastatednd. Those who managed to survive screamed, and gods and mortals resisted the fate of destruction. That man, Crockta, grinned and replied. ¡ªWe can have that talk over coffee sometime. ¡ªYou...! In Elder Lord, there was no such thing as coffee. The man showed his broad back and walked perilously toward the battlefield. Alone, without relying on anyone. Promising a next time. * * * The Ashen God''s power swept through the area. It was an overwhelming force that wouldn¡¯t havee as a surprise if it had killed anyone and everyone. But a massive protective shield safeguarded the defenseless determined fighters. "This is as far as we can help..." "Please, take care of the rest." It was the Goddess of Magic and the God of Radiance who had blocked that attack. Together, they unleashed the grand spell ''Shield of Aegis.'' Their divine powers were already depleted, but they withstood the Ashen God''s attacks to the end, risking the destruction of their own divinity. What this was going to cost them was unknown. Their very essence could shatter and vanish, or they might have to hibernate for hundreds, thousands of years. Yet, they made their choice and followed through. "Please, protect this world." Their forms faded as they returned to Olympus. It was the exit of the Goddess of Magic and the God of Radiance. "How touching," the Ashen God murmured as she watched the scene. It was moving, but it changed nothing. Despite the sacrifices of many, her power only grew stronger. Once the grand spell of the cycle was activated, the oue of the battle was already decided. "All preparations areplete, Mother." "Well done." It was Phymon who appeared beside her. "It was an honor to be with you," he said to the Ashen God. "The honor was mine." She now appeared as a faint white figure, almost as if the white sphere that had been floating in the sky took on a human form. She suddenly looked into the distance. Crockta was returning to the battlefield. "That is impressive." The War God, who had been repelled along with him, returned to Olympus after having his divinity damaged. Crockta, however, survived. He was truly a warrior who had defeated a god. She was the one who brought him over to this world, but how did he be so powerful and how did he achieve those great feats? That was beyond even her understanding. That made everything all the more regrettable. If only she had met a man like him under different circumstances. "Let''s put an end to this." She unleashed her power once more. The Goddess of Magic had sacrificed herself to block her previous attack, but the Ashen God had the leisure tounch as many more as she wished. Dozens of ashen spikes reappeared in the air, each identifying their targets and pointing their sharp ends toward them. "To make sure you can¡¯t cause me any more trouble." Time was running out. The sun was setting, and darkness was falling. By the time the next day dawns, this world would return to a single point and greet a new creation. Gathering the scattered powers of the world to reverse the entropy was her mission. "I will also join you in the end." She also chose the path that led to her own demise. "It would have been nice to end it all together, with a smile." There was a time when she, like any other god, resided peacefully in Olympus. The God of Stars was still alive then, and the Sun God had not yet fallen asleep. The War God, the Goddess of Magic, and all the other gods of Olympus were close to her. They watched over the earth together,ughing and crying, ying pranks. Why didn''t she realize then that those were the happy times? She missed those days. They will never return. Why did time only flow in one direction? If only she could rewind it, even for a moment, to bask in those old times. But she had no regrets. She was doing what only she could do, what she must do. She had to lift the world from eternal damnation. "Goodbye." Her power shot toward the targets. Most were pierced and killed, but some blocked it. aaaang! Just as Crockta, who wielded his God yer. Staggering with his greatsword in his hands, he continued to approach her. His battered body trembled but found bnce and took another step forward. Their eyes met. His eyes zed. Her attack seemed to have only fueled his fire. "You are admirable, even to the very end." It was truly the spirit dominating the flesh. Who could break such a will? Only death could stop him. But her hand hesitated in the air for a moment. Though their paths were different, he was a being too special to not hesitate. She wanted to speak to him onest time. She had never seen someone with such a straightforward and strong spirit in her long life. "I''ll take it from here," Phymon, sensing her emotions, spoke up. "Thank you." "Of course." Phymon moved toward Crockta instead of the Ashen God. He, too, now possessed power from the grand spell of the cycle. The Ashen God''s power was linked to him. "I''ll end it swiftly." He had no intention of keeping that orc, who disturbed the Ashen God''s heart, alive any longer. Crockta noticed him and the tension filled the space between them. Phymon smiled slightly, wielding his power. The Ashen God''s power hovered in his grasp. He intended to kill Crockta before he could even open his mouth for another word, but the one who couldn''t speak anymore was him. Crockta''s weary body, and an unidentified steel belt tied around his waist. It seemed to be moving, making mechanical clunking sounds. The moment he sensed it. A giant maw swallowed him whole. * * * The Ashen God, having left the final blow to Phymon, was ascending toward the sphere in the sky. But then, she felt a ferocious power from behind. It felt somewhat familiar. It was a power of the same kind as hers. It expanded as if it was exploding and, in an instant, swallowed up Phymon''s energy. Her connection to Phymon was severed. The Ashen God turned around and saw it. It was a gigantic mouth that swallowed everything. "You...!" It was an entity she knew quite well. A legionnaire who had once led an army under her against the gods during her first attempt at restarting the cycle of the world. Although appearing as a timid child, its true nature was that of the gluttonous lord, mercilessly devouring everything. "Beelzebub¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" He hadpletely devoured Phymon. His greedy mouth, as if it was still not satisfied, bared its teeth toward her. "How could you...?" "Mother," he spoke. "I''m sorry." The child-like figure made of darkness, the ''Despaired Demon'' Beelzebub hidden within the steel belt, whispered. "Crockta promised me." His gigantic mouth growled toward the Ashen God. "That he would prove it with his life." The end of the universe witnessed by the Ashen God was also transmitted to Beelzebub. It was such a dire despair that not even the Ashen God herself could preserve her sanitypletely. Beelzebub could do nothing but crouch in fear, trembling silently. Wandering the world half-insane, he eventually met Crockta in Quantes. He showed Crockta the ultimate end of the universe, trying to corrupt his mind with void and resignation. But Crockta made a promise to him instead. ''The world is not void. Even if the world ends one day, life is not meaningless.'' In the seemingly endless darkness, he encountered a light named Crockta. ''Follow me. If you do, I will prove it to you...'' The eyes of this orc warrior had no wavering. Those eyes still clearly gazed at the world, even in that moment. ''... with my life.'' Thus, Beelzebub contemted the world by Crockta''s side, observing his deeds from his belt. The world seen through his eyes was entirely different from what Beelzebub knew. There were many events, and Beelzebub observed them all. Even now, this man was standing alone on the battlefield where the world''s destruction was at stake. And in the final moment, Beelzebub asked himself. ¡®Did he prove it?¡¯ This was his answer. Beelzebub roared. "Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The gluttonous demon Beelzebub, with his greedy mouth, attacked the Ashen God. It was a huge maw that could easily swallow a faint divinity or magic whole. He was the great demon who once made the gods tremble in fear. "Even you ended up falling for Crockta," the Ashen Godughed pitifully. The gods of Olympus came to her with him. Xantimur, who had once shared her purpose, betrayed her. Abaddon stepped back, and now, her once-closest ally turned his teeth toward her. "But this will still change nothing." Beelzebub swallowed her, but she did not care. Inside Beelzebub, she wielded her divine power. The darkness filling Beelzebub''s insides receded. His body was torn apart from the inside. A hole opened, and the outside was revealed. Beelzebub and his gigantic mouth fell apart, tumbling down. "I will restart the world," the Ashen God, emerging from the torn body of Beelzebub, dered toward Crockta. "You are the only one left standing now, Crockta." Everyone had crumbled. Only the two of them stood. The white sphere in the sky, the grand magic of the cycle, the Ashen God who was connected to it, and Crockta, holding his greatsword in his hands. The final stage. "I see." Crockta lifted God yer. It had always been hispanion, that very sword was humming at him. Crockta smiled. The two faced each other. Crockta whispered, "Bul''tar." And then, they both attacked. Time slowed. At that moment, Beelzebub, who was lying on the ground as if he were dead, rose and swallowed them both. Chapter 226: Final Book – COSMOS (2)

Chapter 226: Final Book ¨C COSMOS (2)

Crockta was inside the darkness, but the Ashen God was not there. The abyss was the only thing that surrounded him. ¡®Universe,¡¯ someone whispered. But Crockta couldn¡¯t see who was whispering. He looked around, and in the profound darkness, he saw a tiny spark. What could it be? His body moved beyond time and space toward the spark. ¡®The Eternal Sun.¡¯ It was burning red. A blue orbiting the sun came into his sight. It was Elder Lord. The atmosphere reflected the seas and the skies, and there were also continents. Vastnds he had never seen before were spread out on the margins of the map. Crockta looked back at the sun. Inside, he found a god in slumber. It was through that god¡¯s sacrifice that the sun was able to extend its lifespan. As he entered a long sleep, the sun was able to conserve energy to radiate heat for one more day. The face of the sleeping sun god...Crockta looked back. There was the vast universe. Not a speck of light was to be found. The sun of Elder Lord was thest remaining fire in this universe. He was looking at thendscape of a universe that was eternally cooling down. Within it, Crockta discovered the empty eye sockets of the God of Stars, a dead god. Time rapidly wound down. The world gradually cooled. Thest light went out. The sun could no longer hold thes. Elder Lord became a dead, deviating from its orbit. The universe expanded. Gxies and stars,s and celestial bodies drifted apart. Thus, the world headed toward eternal freezing. It sunk into an evesting void that was without heat or energy. Absolute zero. The ¡®Big Freeze.¡¯ It was the end of the universe. Crockta closed his eyes. This was the end that this world was eventually going to reach, and even Jung Yi-An¡¯s own world was someday going to face the same fate. There was nothing there, nothing at all. He closed his eyes. The darkness inside his eyelids was somehow brighter than the darkness before him. Eternal silence ensued for a few seconds or a few days. Maybe it ensued for years, or perhaps even billions of years. In a ce where the meaning of time was forgotten, Crockta was left bewildered within that eternity. Crockta heard something. Thump. Thump. He opened his eyes. What was in front of his eyes was still a vast darkness. Yet, that rhythm continued to echo in Crockta''s ears. Thump. Thump. Eventually, a thread emerged in the darkness. A thread with an indescribable color, pulsing at a slow rhythm was there. In that universe where all stars had died, and all celestial bodies ands had perished and were forever frozen, that thread alone shone. It connected the vast universe. It pierced through void and resignation. The past and present were connected by that single thread. At one point on that thread, Crockta and the Ashen God stood. There, they were swinging at each other, at the moment when Beelzebub was just about to devour them. In that moment, the thread pierced through the Ashen God, Crockta, and Beelzebub alike. Ultimately, they were merely dancing on a thread. Crockta looked away. At another point on the thread, Jung Yi-An was on Earth. Crockta himself was lying inside a capsule as if he were dead, with his sister Yi-Yu hovering around him. They were still on the same thread. A little further away, Han Yeo-Ri was seen leaning on a counter. What was she thinking about? She was humming a tune absentmindedly as she constantly nced at the cafe door as if she were waiting for someone. Moving further, crowds stopped on the streets were seen. They all looked at the screen that was showing Crockta and the Ashen God swinging at each other. All these crowds and the world were on that thread. Their universe was still young. There was still much time for Earth. But someday it would fall. From the initial explosion to the scene of eternal descent, everything would be connected through that thread. Then, he returned to Elder Lord. The thread pulsed and Crockta saw everything. Antuak with a stern face. Xantimur with a sorrowful expression. Grant, Thompson, Jeremy. Enyanis, Elsanad, Ilya. Eileen, Kapur, Rakuta. Yona and Zelkyan. Akantore and Jakiro. All the people he had met, he saw all of them. Not even the gods could escape the thread. It was a thread that prated everything, pulsing at a slow rhythm, a thread of an indescribable color. What was it? And that color? Why was it so brilliantly radiant? The thread continued reaching out. The vast universe, the dimensions of Elder Lord and Earth were born and then faded on that thread. Unknown universes and worlds he was unaware of, all were pierced by this thread. The past and present remained on that thread. Soon, the thread moved toward a new ce. Crockta followed that it. Space and time receded. He reached a wall. The thread passed through the wall and continued beyond. Crockta could not peek behind it. An inscrutable, solid wall blocked the way. He focused his eye on the hole where the thread had pierced through the wall. There was no gap. Nothing was visible. He moved in closer. He squinted. Then, the thread pulsed again. Thump. Thump. Following that sound, a gap momentarily opened. In that brief instant, Crockta could see beyond the wall through that small gap. There was¡ªah, beyond the wall was... Tears streamed from Crockta''s eyes. Who could have known? Crockta found himself standing in darkness again. The voice spoke. ''My children, who have sworn honor to me.'' He was the voice and the eyes. A being no longer remembered by anyone. A being that was now forgotten. Yet, he was always whispering. Whispering to the universe, ''Prove it.'' A sword was in Crockta''s hand, the God yer. But it was not the one he knew. A brilliant thread that pierced the world was entwining God yer. Together with the small pulse of the world, God yer''s pulse took a leap as well. The slow rhythm of the universe was transmitted from the universe to Crockta, and then to God yer in his hand. Now, he stood again before the Ashen God. In the moment when Beelzebub engulfed them with his vast mouth. Only he and the Ashen God stood facing each other inside. Crockta felt the thread that pierced the world nudging his back. The beginning and the end of the universe, even that cycle was but a minor breeze swaying within that slow rhythm. Her despair was so futilepared to that rhythm. "Ashen God." Crockta called out to his enemy. He returned from the vastndscape of the universe to his own time and space. Time began to flow again. The God yer now scattered a brilliant light instead of mes. It was a color that needed no light, a color out of this world. And, the Ashen God saw it. "Ahh." She was right. At the end of the world, there was a void. Their ending was an eternal freeze converging at absolute zero. Yet, at the same time, she did not know that even that void was but a speck under the grandws of the universe. Their existence, life, and death were mere dust before the end of the universe, but even the universe was nothing but a tiny dot under the grand harmony. Even eternal time was cradled in the arms of a greater eternity. The vastndscape of the universe was merely dancing on that pulsating thread. And that thread would be a ne, the ne would form a shape, and the shape would be intertwined with a new time that would flow again. Such was the process of dimensions rising¡ªthrough buoyancy and sinking. "Did you see it?" For a brief moment, she witnessed the samendscape that Crockta had seen within the brilliant light of God yer. She realized. "I..." Her mind, consumed by fear, could not see beyond the fall. She saw the death that was unseen by all, yet she had failed to see beyond death. That¡¯s where it was. "But it''s toote." Her face contorted. The grand spell of the cycle had already begun. A runaway train did not stop. It diligently gathered force, heading toward the reversal of entropy. "It¡¯s toote." Tears streamed from her eyes. Why couldn¡¯t she see it before? If only she had known a bit earlier, if she had realized sooner that nothing in the world was in vain. If only she understood the world would have continued. "Ashen God." And then, that man called her again. She looked at the orc warrior standing before her. Crockta, as always, was facing the world straight on. "You still haven''t seen it properly." His eyes, bloodshot and reddened, saw the world much clearer than hers, which were blurred by tears. "Nothing can truly be toote." The Ashen God''s eyes widened. Eventually, Crockta swung his God yer. The de moved slowly. It split the divinity of the Ashen God. It cleaved through the greedy mouth of Beelzebub that enveloped them. Following the path of God yer, the thread that was piercing the universe also bent. The world bowed. The white sphere in the sky¡ªthe grand spell of the cycle¡ªwas split into two. The world became dyed in that indescribable color. That brilliant light filled the view. Ah. Within that wondrous scene, Crockta opened his eyes wide and gazed at the thread of the universe. From the beginning to the end, it would pulse with a slow rhythm as it threaded through the universe. Forever. Thump. Thump. The pulse of the world surged. Within the throbbing of goodness, Crockta found a point. Then, he realized the reason he stood there. "I see." There was the sun. There was wind. There were trees. And so, a leaf fell. Just a single leaf, but the falling of that one leaf was the beginning of everything. "Oh?" A woman lifted the leaf that hadnded on her shoulder to her fingertips. Looking at the leaf, she stopped walking. Another season had gone by like so. Her friend, walking alongside her, burst intoughter. "You just got leafed. Isn''t that a good sign?" "Right? Maybe I''ll meet a handsome man today, or something." They stopped in their tracks, looking at each other for a moment. "Should we grab a coffee from that cafe over there?" They were supposed to part ways there, but that leaf that hadnded on their shoulder led them to a cafe. As they entered the caf¨¦, they noticed that it was quite empty. Their gaze was drawn to a rather handsome man sitting by the window. He was talking to a middle-aged man in a rather odd modernized Hanbok with gelled-back hair. As the woman was wondering what the two men¡¯s rtionship could be, her friend started a conversation. "You know Elder Lord, right? My brother totally helped me level up a lot yesterday. Are you still on the same level?" "Wow... I''m jealous. I got harassed yesterday, so annoying." "Harassed?" "Some creep groped my butt out of nowhere as he walked by... It felt really disgusting, god." "What did you do? Did you report him? Ugh, why do those people do that?" The woman did not see the face of the rather handsome man sitting by the window turning grave after overhearing their conversation. He said to the man in a modernized Hanbok sitting across from him. "Master." "What." "How do I get on Elder Lord?" "Have you changed your mind?" "I¡¯m going to do it." The gentle breeze pushed the leaf, the leaf pushed the woman, and her voice soon propelled Jung Yi-An into the world of Elder Lord. "I¡¯m going to do it right away." Then, where did that gentle breezee from? "Hmm?" Lenox was standing on the training ground of Orcrox. He never stopped training, even as he aged. Suddenly, he felt like giving his axe a swing. Thump. "That¡¯s a strange sensation." It was an ordinary swing. And with that swing, he touched a thread that was piercing the world. However, he didn¡¯t know exactly what he had just touched, or what realm it was. Because it was a realm he had not yet reached. "Whatever. If I keep training, I''ll reach it someday." The great warrior Lenox smiled. "Perhaps a worthy recruit will show up and reach the realm I couldn''t. Either way would be fine. It doesn''t matter which one." And he swung his axe again. Everything and everyone in the world was part of that thread. His ordinary swing touched the thread of the world. At first, it was negligible. So negligible that no one would notice the tiny fracture that was formed. But it spread as a ripple, growing and growing, and created a small tremor on that distant Earth. As the thread trembled, a handful of breezes stirred. It was an incident that urred purely by chance. But that ripple flowed along the thread and created a small wind on a distant. And that wind was a gentle breeze that could only tickle someone''s cheek at best. But that wind caused a leaf to fall. And soon, the leaf wouldnd on a woman''s shoulder. Everything was connected. "Did you orchestrate all this?" Crockta asked. ''It'' responded, ''I do not orchestrate. I only watch.'' ''It'' was a voice and an idea. The response of the world being inputted into his soul. Crockta faced it. ''It'' waited for Crockta. He wanted to ask ¡®It¡¯ a lot of questions. All the truths andws of the world were within ¡®It¡¯, but Crockta realized he was allowed only one question. Time had lost its meaning. Seconds or minutes, days or perhaps billions of years, Crockta thought to himself. In a brilliant light, Crockta tossed ¡®It¡¯ his final question. "What bes of the end of the universe?" Within thendscape of the distant universe, he witnessed a world beyond the wall along the brilliant thread. He couldn''t believe there was such a ce somewhere in the universe. As long as such ces exist, the universe will never end. The ending feared by the Ashen God would vanish like a breeze. Is there meaning to life? Does it not all end with death? The thread throbbed once. ''It''ughed¡ªno, the worldughed. The entire universe trembled once. ''It'' answered, ''All civilizations of this universe destroyed themselves before their suns cooled.'' ''They ultimately hated and killed each other.'' ''They indulged in jealousy, envy, and theft.'' ''Do not fear the death that is in the distant future. Instead, love each other in this moment.'' ''Love each other.'' ''Spread love, not hate.'' ''If you do not wish for an end.'' ''Love each other.'' ''Then, there will be light.'' The voice soon became a touch that settled on Crockta''s shoulder. Caressing Crockta''s shoulder, ''It'' whispered in his ear, ¡®You have proven yourself, my son.¡¯ That voice, the forgotten god, whom now no one remembered, he had always been watching over them. Just so that they wouldn''t be lonely. Crockta smiled. With that, his quest was over. It had been a long fight. His weary shoulders slumped. He whispered, almost like a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s been really hard.¡± ''It'' responded, ¡®I know.¡¯ Crocktapleted the final quest. * * * The massive maw of Beelzebub swallowed Crockta and the Ashen God. Then, a streak of sword light shed. Everything split apart. Beelzebub was the first to fall. His body crumbled after being cleaved in two. The Ashen God standing in its mouth was also split in half and her form copsed. Thest to sink was the white sphere floating in the sky, the grand spell of the cycle. Crockta''s greatsword, God yer, had executed everything. As the grand spell of the cycle copsed, white light began to burst forth, soon filling the world. A pure white light enveloped the world. It spread beyond the vicinity to the entire world of Elder Lord. Soon, it dissipated as if it had never existed in the first ce. One by one, they began to rise. Mortals who had lost their lives opposing the Ashen God, and gods who had suffered blows to their divinity, got up from the ground. The grand spell of the cycle, the power for the re-creation of the universe, its true purpose was regeneration all along. The power that had copsed before destroying the world repaired all the destruction it had brought. All heroes and gods who had risked their lives to save the world rose from the ground. They all looked in one direction. Crockta stood there. And before him sat the Ashen God, crying. It was all over. Crockta had won. "Ashen God." The Ashen God, who had despaired at the sight of the universe''s final scene and had driven the world to the brink of destruction, looked up at Crockta with tear-filled eyes. "Do not ever forget what you just saw." Crockta turned away. It was time. The final quest had beenpleted. It was time for him to leave. "You saved the world." "We saved it together." He hugged the warrior who had fought to the end, the War God. He shook hands with the Goddess of Magic, exchanged nces with the God of Radiance, and bowed to the Goddess of Mercy. Tarthatot gave him a thumbs up. All the gods paid their respects to him. He fist-bumped Hoyt, bumped shoulders with Kumarak, and hugged Zankus. Anya kissed his cheek. He sped hands with Tashaquil andughed with Wachwi. All the orcs paid their respects to him as well. He pped Driden''s shoulder and tousled Adantadore''s hair. Xantimur and Antuak smiled at him. Human heroes, the mighty of the elf race, brave dwarfs, and wise gnomes greeted him. All races paid their respects to him. Finally, he stood before Tiyo and Anor. "It''s time to leave," he said to them. "What do you mean it¡¯s time to leave? We¡¯re supposed to travel the continent together!" Tiyo retorted. The effect of the Ashen God¡¯s Perceptual Distortion was lifted. Now they faintly understood what the curse of the stars was. The travelers called by the Ashen God from another dimension were those cursed by the stars. "The Ashen God summoned me, but I do not belong to this dimension." Tears welled up in Tiyo''s eyes. It was the first time he had shown such emotion. Crockta chuckled. "I''m sorry I couldn''t keep our promise." "You can''t even keep a promise, you dweeb orc son of a..." "Be a man and don¡¯t cry." Crockta wrapped his arm around his shoulder. He looked at Anor. His eyes were getting wet too, but he was trying to force a smile. "I''ll send you off with a smile." "Thank you." "Thank you, Crockta. You saved me. I will never forget that." "Neither will I." Crockta embraced Tiyo and Anor. The gnome and half-dark elf fit easily into the broad embrace of the orc. "Well," Crockta clenched his teeth. Partings were best kept short. "Goodbye." Crockta faced everyone. His body began to scatter into white particles. He looked at the faces of everyone watching him. Tiyo, who acted tough but ended up bawling, Anor, who seemed frail but smiled at the very end, hisrades, and those who were enemies at one time but were allies in the end. He saw them all. ''Hey, rookie!'' They were there too. They never died. ''No, now we should call you the Great Warrior Crockta.'' They smiled and extended their fists to Crockta. ¡®You¡¯ve done well. Bul''tar!'' Soon, his entire field of vision turned white. It was time to say farewell. Just as he was about to return to Earth. Tiyo''s shouting echoed in his ears. "I¡¯ll see you again, Crocktaaaaaaa!" * * * The Elder Lord Crisis was solved thanks to Crockta. He was indeed confirmed as a user, most likely Mystery, but it was never revealed who the real person behind the user was. The final quest waspleted, and all the users returned home. Chapter 227: EPILOGUE (1)

Chapter 227: EPILOGUE (1)

"Hey, are you alive!" "Are you alive? You look quite stupid!" Two orcs d in chainmail armor stood like statues. Their halberd des gleamed in the sunlight. They noticed Sabichwi and snickered. Because of their fierce appearance and tusks, it didn¡¯t seem much like a smile but more like a distortion of their faces. Intimidated by their imposing demeanor, Sabichwi audibly gulped. Indeed, this was Orcrox, the homnd of warriors. Even the gatekeeper guards looked exceptionally strong. Back in his homnd, he was considered one of the strongest orcs as a fighter, but in front of the guards of Orcrox, he could barely open his mouth. "You''re not already nervous, are you?" "Don''t worry ande on in! We have plenty of other cowards here!" they burst intoughter. The guards extended their fists, and Sabichwi awkwardly bumped fists with them. "Anyway, since you''vee to Orcrox, I wish you luck. Be a great warrior." The gate opened. As Sabichwi entered Orcrox for the first time, he saw a bustling city. It was apletely different world. Sabichwi was so mesmerized by the cityscape that he wandered around and bumped into someone. Sabichwi tumbled over. "Hmm?" The person he bumped into looked down at Sabichwi with a menacing face. Sabichwi was acknowledged as the top fighter in his tribe, so naturally, he had his pride as a man. However, facing the orc before him, his body trembled. What kind of ce was Orcrox, filled with orcs like this? The orc standing tall in front of him was a monster, easily twice his size. "Did you just bump into me? Krrng!" As he loomed over, Sabichwi nearly wet himself. Actually, Sabichwi was the one who had fallen after the bump, so why was he being scolded? Then someone came to his rescue. "You stupid! Why are you picking on a kid?" "I wasn''t picking on him! Krrng!" "Are you okay?" It was a female orc. If ten orc men walked by, all ten would turn their heads to look at her. She was that beautiful. Those sharp eyes, a menacing face, and sturdy tusks! Was this the representation of the city women? Any young man full of vigor would be captivated by her! "This kid looks pretty clueless," she chuckled. "Well, the guy I fell for before also looked clueless like this at first." "Who are you talking about, Anya?!" "Who do you think I¡¯m talking about? Obviously not you. That sexy guy, remember him?" "How dare you talk about another man in front of your husband! Let''s go to the training ground! It''s a couple''s fight! Krrng!" "Oh, you want your forehead axed again? Enough, let''s go. Zankus is waiting." "Couple''s fight...!¡± "Hmph!" "Kugh!" They bickered and passed by Sabichwi. Watching their backs, Sabichwi was dumbfounded. That orc was truly a fearsomely formidable man. To have such a beautiful orc warrior as his wife, he was admirable. Even the sight of her back, with a throwing axe at her waist, was captivating. If he became a true warrior, perhaps he too could marry a beauty like that female orc. With renewed determination, Sabichwi headed toward his destination. He was going to Orcrox''s training ground to be a warrior. There, they said, was the legendary instructor, Hoyt. After wandering around the city for a while, Sabichwi finally arrived there. Hoyt was instructing the orcs on the training ground with his arms crossed. "Are you alive! I''m Sabichwi of the Sambat tribe. Ie before you because I want to be a warrior!" "Keke, a country orc." Hoyt had a surprisingly gentle appearance. Sabichwi, expecting someone as fearsome as the orc he had met earlier, was a bit disappointed. However, that disappointment soon turned into fear. Hoyt showed Sabichwi a gentle smile, then suddenly started beating the life out of him. Sabichwi rolled up into a ball, enduring the beating for a long while. It was an overwhelming force that made resistance impossible. He retracted his first impression of Hoyt. Of all the orcs he met today, this one was the most vicious. Sabichwi, with a tear-streaked face, cried out. "W-why are you hitting me out of nowhere? Ugh!" "Let''s just say it¡¯s a... tradition. Remember this feeling of helplessness." The orcs training on the groundughed uproariously at the sight. "It''s been a while, so perhaps I went too far. Get up." Hoyt patted his shoulder, helping him to his feet. "Regrettinging here already?" "N-no, not at all!" Despite having been thoroughly beaten, he did not want to lose in spirit. Sabichwi did not look away and met Hoyt¡¯s gaze. Hoyt grinned. "You have a good gaze. Let me ask you, why do you want to be a warrior?" Sabichwi thought for a second. Why had hee here? Why had he decided to be a warrior? "I..." He answered with resolute eyes. "... I want to be a true warrior to protect the ones that are dear to me." He was from the Sambat tribe, a peaceful vige. Then one day, they were attacked by ogres. After a fierce battle, they managed to defeat the ogres, but the battle left them with many casualties. As they conducted the funerals, the shamans prayed for the souls of the deceased. During those sorrowful rites, Sabichwi made a vow to himself. He was going to be a strong warrior, so he wouldn''t lose anyone dear to him ever again. "Is that so?" Hoyt smiled and nodded. "Follow me." He followed Hoyt into a massive stone building next to the training ground. "This is the ce everyone who wishes to be a warrior visits." They walked down a long corridor into a dark chamber. Hoyt snapped his fingers. Then, a light red up. "Ah!" As the torch illuminated the interior, they were surrounded by several giants. Sabichwi soon realized they were statues. "These are the great warriors who have entered the Hall of Fame." The statues felt as if they were breathing. They were that detailed and intricate. They stood in the Hall of Fame exactly as if they were alive, looking down at them. Legendary warriors who had left their names in history. His heart raced. "Whose footsteps do you wish to follow?" One of the orc statues stood out to Sabichwi. It was a ferocious-looking orc holding an axe. His face was hardly visible under a steel helmet, but it seemed like a fierce gleam was shining through his eyes. "This one is...?" "Lenox the Warrior. A former instructor and a great warrior who is still respected by all of Orcrox. It''s thanks to Lenox that Orcrox exists today. He can be said to be the spirit of Orcrox." Even just seeing the statue, it felt as if Lenox''s imposing presence was fully conveyed. Sabichwi felt like he missed out on something by not meeting him himself. He then looked at a statue standing next to Lenox, and the statue grinned at him. "...!" Sabichwi stumbled backward. Was it an illusion? The statue''s grinning face remained on it. What had he just seen? "And this is...?" "Are you telling me that you don¡¯t know who this is?" Hoyt burst intoughter. "Don''t lie to me. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t." It was the statue of an orc warrior, grinning down at him with a huge greatsword slung over his shoulder. His body was covered in scars, looking as if he could copse at any moment, yet he stood straight, chest out, chin up, grinning proudly. A warrior who knew no surrender. "Crockta...?" "Yes, that''s him." "Crockta is from Orcrox?" "Most don''t know. His story began in Orcrox. He was a disciple of Lenox standing beside him and a friend of mine." Sabichwi''s heart began to race uncontrobly. It was an odd thing. Facing Crockta''s statue, he wanted to grab his weapon and swing it until he copsed from exhaustion. He wanted to fight until his body broke apart and thus, be a warrior whose name would be remembered in history. Without further thought, Sabichwi dered. "I want to follow Crockta¡¯s footsteps!" "Crockta... huh? Excellent." They left the Hall of Fame. "When Crockta first came here, Lenox, who was an instructor then, asked him why he wanted to be a warrior. Just as I asked you." "What was his answer?" "What do you think he said?" They returned to the training ground. The heat was intense. Not a single person was down. If someone fell, they got up. If one arm was injured, they used the other. Everyone continued their battle against themselves until they fell unconscious. "He said it was to protect the ones dear to him, just like you." "Ah...!" "And in the end, he did protect the people he loved." Crockta. The great warrior who saved the world from the Ashen God and ascended. The only orc in history respected by all races. "Here." Hoyt handed over a great sword. It was so heavy that it was difficult to even hold it. Sabichwi struggled for a while. "What are you doing?" Hoyt asked rhetorically. "Sorry?¡± "Why aren''t you swinging it on the training grounds already?" He gestured toward the training ground with his chin. Sabichwi hastily climbed onto the training ground, awkwardly holding the greatsword. The rumble of the training ground was felt by him too. Every time the warriors stomped their feet, his body also shook. Hoyt shouted, "Listen up, everyone! A new rookie just arrived!" "Wow!" "Yayyyyy!" "How long has it been since we had a new face!" The warriors cheered, wielding their weapons. "But this rookie chose to follow Crockta!" "Pahahahaha!" "He wants to follow Crockta!" "The balls on this rookie!" "He''s asking for some more beating!" The warriors burst intoughter. Sabichwi scratched his head awkwardly. "Show this fearless rookie what being a warrior is about! Swing it¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± "Bul¡¯tar!" Bul¡¯tar, the word that symbolized the orcs. Honor and life, the most noble values they pursue. It evolved from the ancient Orcish. Language evolved. It was taking on a different form once again. There was a warrior who was the embodiment of Bul¡¯tar. His life was Bul¡¯tar itself and he achieved salvation for the world with the body of a mortal. Thus, in honor of his spirit, the orcs shout that phrase. "Bul¡¯tar Crocktaaaa¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" "Bul¡¯tar Crockta¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" "Crocktaaaaa!" Sabichwi lifted the greatsword. The heat of the training ground enveloped him. The statue of Crockta that seemed to grin at him, was it merely an illusion? Or, could it be that a great destiny awaited him too? Sabichwi swung the greatsword and screamed. "Bul¡¯tar Crocktaaaa¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" * * * "How is it?" Thompson carefully picked up the noodles. And then he slurped them up in one bite. "Wow, this is amazing!" Jeremy, who was tasting the noodles beside him, suddenly stood up from his seat. His face was flushed with excitement. "This is revolutionary! You¡¯re telling me a vor like this existed this whole time?" He eximed. "Hehehe, this is my masterpiece, created with all my heart." "My brother, you are a demon, a demon of taste! This is a demonly delicious taste!" "Thank you for thepliment, heheheheh." Thompson gulped down the water, wondering what Jeremy would do if he found out the man smiling contently before him was indeed an actual demon. Indeed, even he, who normally could not handle spicy food, couldn''t stop himself due to the devilishly good taste. "Brother Xantimur! Where have you been hiding such a chef? This is incredible!" "I only recently discovered him myself. His skill is miraculous, isn''t it?" His business partner Xantimur was smiling beside Abaddon, the demon. After Crockta defeated the Ashen God and ascended, much had changed. The races agreed to eliminate discrimination against each other. The entire continent cooperated for peace. In such a climate, the "Xantimur Mercenary Squad" emerged. His mercenary squad consisted of ogres, goblins, kobolds, centaurs, and other monsters that people shunned. However, the monsters in the mercenary squad were different from ordinary monsters. They were all mutants of the monster world with intelligence and incredible abilities. Thompson had hired the Xantimur Mercenary Squad, and the attacks on his caravan during trading trips drastically decreased. Their prowess was real. Thus, Thompson signed a long-term employment contract with Xantimur. And recently, Xantimur had proposed a new business venture to him. Thompson was aware of his true identity. The fact that Xantimur was a ck Dragon was a secret between just the two of them. Because he knew that, Thompson did not expect him to introduce something suitable for mortals. But, even so, Xantimur brought a demon. The demon brought with him the "Demon Noodle Recipe", and Xantimur and the demon aimed to establish awork of restaurants selling the demon noodles across the continent. "With such a vor, indeed..." "If you, Mr. Thompson, invest in me, I will hire those who are sufficiently tight-lipped to pass on the secret of the taste. Under the name ¡®Demon Noodles,'' we will spread the fiery taste of spiciness across the continent, hehehehe." The wind of restaurant franchising was blowing across Elder Lord. Thompson pondered. This was a new attempt. With such a demonly taste, there was undoubtedly potential. But, pioneering a new market alwayses with risks. He began to weigh the possibilities and risks. Then, Abaddon whispered in Thompson''s ear. He was indeed a demon, capable of doing demonly things. "If you refuse, Mr. Thompson... I might have to take my business proposal to the cksmiths Trading Company...? Hehehehe..." "...!" He could not let that happen! Thompson stood up abruptly. "Alright!" Abaddon and Xantimur''s faces brightened. "Let''s give it a try!" Thompson extended his hand. Abaddon and Xantimur shook it. Jeremy, who was there for fun and had nothing to do with the business, also joined in shaking hands. "Let''s create a Demon Noodle craze across the continent!" "Ohhhh, yes! Sounds great, my brother!" "Thank you, hehehe..." "I''m looking forward to it." And so began the first step of the legend of the Demon Noodle. The continent was on the eve of a storm. Only one thing was going to hit the continent after this brief quiet! And that was going to be: a storm of vor! Chapter 228: EPILOGUE (2)

Chapter 228: EPILOGUE (2)

"Tashaquil! What happened?!" Tiyo expressed his frustration. "Hoho, what an impatient gnome you are. Just wait..." "Why are you in such a hurry?" Anor asked Tiyo. "I''m hungry, that''s why!" Tiyo, along with Anor and Tashaquil, stood right in the center of the Great Sea. A few years had passed since the Ashen God¡¯s attempted to destroy the world. Tiyo was traveling the continent with Anor, continuing their journey to find his father, Hedoro. "What were you doing that you just got here now?" Tiyo snarked at yet another person. "I ran into a monster." From beyond the bushes, another figure appeared, wiping the blood off his double swords. It was Driden. He had joined Tiyo and Anor on their adventure across the continent. "Just some boring ogres." Crockta had disappeared, but the legacy he left behind was still connecting the world. Thanks to the efforts of the shamans, the north had beenpletely opened up. Under the cooperation of the Great Chief Shireuga of the north and Zelkyan the Apostle of the World Tree, the north started a trade with the continent. Seeing races from the continent in the north or orcs from the north on the continent was not an umon sight anymore. "That¡¯s that, but..." Driden was also just as impatient. "Tashaquil, you mentioned something about a house, but I don''t see anything like that. What''s going on, Tashaquil?" He red at Tashaquil. Receiving sharp nces from both the gnome and the dark elf, Tashaquil chuckled awkwardly. "Things weren¡¯t like this when Crockta was around..." "Crockta is gone now, isn''t he?!" Tiyo snapped again. "If you want our respect, show us some results." They hade to the Great Sea for only one reason. The shaman who reached the realm of demigods, Antuak. They came to meet him. Following clues in their search for Hedoro, Tiyo and his group realized it all led to Antuak. Since Tashaquil was the only shaman capable of tracking down Antuak, they asked him to help them find his master. Thus, Tashaquil led Tiyo and his group to the Great Sea, where his magic indicated Antuak was. It was definitely there, but neither his master nor the house were visible. "All that talk about you being a great shaman but look at you. What aplete sham you are!" "An empty wagon makes the most noise. How disappointing." "Maybe it¡¯s time for you to consider retirement?" "..." Back in the Basque tribe, even a dry cough from Tashaquil would make the apprentices burst into a reaction. But here, a gnome and a dark elf were treating him like some next-door orc. It was sad. Tashaquil missed the polite warrior, Crockta. "Ehem! Just you wait." Tashaquil closed his eyes and focused. Antuak was definitely there. Antuak had an understanding of the magic of space and time beyond even the gods, He must have created his own space byyering dimensions. He was there, but at the same time, also somewhere else. Tashaquil initiated his magic. His power began to search the surroundings. He was the falcon soaring the northern sky, the blue guardian of dawn, the pale blue knight, and Tashaquil, the shaman who guides the dark path. If he set his mind to it, nothing could remain hidden from him. Tashaquil used his hand signs. His magical power slowly began to peel away the veils of the dimension. A "Magic Unsealing" that would astonish other shamans and leave them in awe! Sweat beaded on his forehead. "What are you doing?" Startled by the sudden call, Tashaquil opened his eyes. "What are you doing there by yourself? Come here already!¡± "Uh..." A house had already appeared where there was nothing only a few seconds ago. Through the open door, Antuak was weing Anor and Driden. Antuak had revealed himself. Tiyo shook his head. "Crockta told me you were a really great shaman, but..." "..." Not knowing what to say, Tashaquil decided to remain silent. Antuak weed his disciple and the guests. "It''s been a while, Tashaquil." "It''s the first time since that day, Master." That day was the day when Crockta defeated the Ashen God and saved the world from destruction. "How is thedy doing...?" "Ah, Aruna you mean." Antuak smiled warmly. "She''s recuperating in the Goddess of Mercy¡¯s temple. Seems like she''ll have to soak in the holy water there for a while." "Ah, that''s good to hear." It was all thanks to the Ashen God. After falling into another dimension, she used Elder Lord as a means to return to this world, expanding her understanding of dimensions in the process. Despite her sins, she was still a god and an essential being in theposition of the world. She was sentenced to imprisonment in Olympus, and Antuak, who had been recognized as a demigod, was able to meet her to seek her advice about Aruna. The Ashen God provided a way to save Aruna, and Antuak ultimately seeded in rescuing her. The day she awoke, every flower in the world bloomed, despite the unfitting season. "I''d like to say hello to thedy as well." "When you have some time, we''ll go visit her together. She wishes to see you as well." Tashaquil smiled. A beautiful bouquety on the bed where she hadin. "So, what brings the friends of Crockta to me?" Antuak asked. Tiyo, who was hastily eating the soup Antuak had served, wiped his mouth. "Antuak! Do you know Hedoro?" "Oho... Hedoro, you say... Now that you mention it, you do resemble him. Do you have a rtion with Hedoro?" "Hedoro is my father!" Tiyo eximed. Antuak burst intoughter upon examining Tiyo more closely. "Kekeke, so you are Hedoro''s son. Indeed..." He nodded. "Indeed, you are his blood. The greatest adventurer I know is Hedoro. It''s surprising his son was in the group of determined fighters that saved the world, what a coincidence, kekeke." "Do you know my father?" "I know him well." Antuak looked at him with a peculiar gaze. "If you were looking for him, you would have needed me." "Do you know where my father is?" "I am probably the only one in the world who knows where he is." "Oooooh!" After parting with Crockta after the final battle, Tiyo had been in a slump for a while but then decided to get up rather resolutely. He decided to find his father, Hedoro. Anor followed and Driden joined them. They wandered the world following the traces of Hedoro. The trail that had been leading to Orcrox eventually led back to the Empire, and from there, it extended to the north, wandering beyond the world depicted on the map. Hedoro''s whereabouts were utterly elusive. And finally, they stumbled upon a clue named Antuak. "Looks like we''ve finallye to the right ce, Tiyo!" Anor shouted afterpletely emptying his soup bowl. Driden nodded in agreement. "What kind of bizarre gnome is your father, for him to have traveled so extensively? It''s truly exasperating." Hedoro, the adventurer who had explored the north before it was even open, was a true adventurer who had traveled across the continent and probably the entire world. Where could he possibly be now? "He...¡± Antuak started. "He...?" "Collected ancient relics and..." "And...?" Tiyo, Anor, and Driden focused their attention on Antuak. Antuak smirked. "... and then he crossed dimensions." The three faces looked bewildered. He was now traveling through dimensions. They had scoured inds that were not even found on maps and breached mountains without names. They had fought monsters they had never even seen before. They had barely managed to get here after several near-death encounters. And now, it was dimension traveling... "My wife Aruna failed at it, but that gnome did it. He managed to gather the ancient relics, opened the walls of the dimensions, and left for a new world. I have no idea when he will return." "A-a-another... dimension?" "That''s right." "What kind of dimension are we talking about?" Tiyo shouted with a dumbfounded look. Antuak only shrugged. "Well... before he left, he mentioned something to me... that ce is..." "That ce is...?" "I think he said it was called ¡®Earth¡¯. I don''t really know the details very well, either." Everyone felt dejected. Things have be way too grand. The Great Adventurer Hedoro. What kind of gnome was he? Tiyo, after banging his head on the table for a bit, lifted his head. "Kekekekek..." Hisughter had never sounded so sinister. Anor and Driden looked at him with fearful eyes. Tiyo''s eyes were filled with madness. "Now that it''se to this, we have no choice." "S-surely you can''t mean...?" Anor immediately expressed his concern. "Hold on. Tiyo, calm down," Driden sensed what was about toe out of Tiyo¡¯s mouth. "Let''s go!" Tiyo shouted. "We¡¯re going! To that other dimension!" Anor and Driden tried to stop Tiyo. But then, Antuak spoke again, "There''s something I didn''t know until I spoke with the Ashen God." "...?" "That ce called ¡®Earth¡¯..." Antuak smirked. "Crockta is also there." Crockta? Their friend was there. Anor, who had been covering Tiyo''s mouth, finally let go, and Driden slowly released his arms. At that moment, it was decided. They were going to travel to a new dimension. "However, if you wish to get there, you must find the ancient ruins and gather their relics. They are located in very dangerous ces and move themselves around as if they¡¯re living things. Even Hedoro had to ovee near-death situations many times to achieve it." "It doesn''t matter!" Tiyo stood up abruptly. He had shouted to Crockta during their farewell. ¡®I¡¯ll see you again.'' He wasn''t like Crockta, who had left without keeping his promise like a dweeb. Tiyo was a man of his word, he always kept his promises. He would find his father and meet Crockta again. In the dimension called ''Earth''! "Let''s go! Is everyone ready?" "Yes!" "I guess I have no choice." Everyone joined hands. It was a heartwarming scene. Tashaquil looked on with pleasure. Youth was indeed splendid. "What do you think you¡¯re doing, Tashaquilllll!" Tiyo barked. Tashaquil was startled. "W-what? What is it?" "Hurry up and put your hand here! We''re going!" "N-no, I was just here to help out for a bit..." "We¡¯re going to another dimension! Are you also a dweeb? Surely not! Come on, bring your hand in! It''s an adventure!" Tashaquil reluctantly put his hand forth with a sullen face. And so, the Dimensional Expedition Team was formed. "Let''s go!" "We''re going!" "I owe that guy something." "No, this is... for me, this is a bit..." They were leaving for a new world to meet Hedoro and Crockta. "Kiyoooooot!" * * * "Hmm... who is that?" "Why?" "No, just... that face looks really familiar. Do I know him?" Yi-An tilted his head in confusion. A short man had just passed by him. Though small in stature, he was a foreign gentleman dressed in fine clothes. He seemed familiar, but Yi-An couldn''t ce him. "Hmm, who could it be?" Yi-An smiled awkwardly as he looked at Yeo-Ri, who was smiling brightly beside him. It was the same face he had always seen, but when she looked up as she was stuck so close to him, it made him uneasy. It was a feeling of his heart fluttering and his face turning red. "You don''t know very many people, do you, Yi-An?" Yi-An''s social circle was indeed small. That was a fact. However, when she pointed it out, he felt somewhat displeased and pouted. "I do." "Oh yeah? Like who, Yi-Yoo?" "Well, there''s Ha-Yeon..." "......" Ah, he had said something he shouldn''t have. Yeo-Ri''s expression turned noticeably stiff. Yi-An put his hand on her shoulder and burst intoughter. "Hahaha. It''s cold, isn¡¯t it? Must be autumn already, huh? Don¡¯t you think so?" "... take your hand off of me this instant." "Got it." He continued to try his hand at clumsy humor in an effort to lighten Yeo-Ri''s mood. Finally, Yeo-Riughed. "Youughed. You''re not mad anymore, right?" "Wrong. Ha-Yeon must enjoy theseme dad jokes, huh?" "We''re just friends." "Then I should go see my ¡®just friends¡¯ too. Min-Chul, Ji-Sung, and Kyung-Hwan have been messaging me a lottely..." This time, Yi-An''s face stiffened. Unlike Yi-An, Yeo-Ri didn''t panic. She smiled and hooked her arm through Yi-An''s. "Yi-Annnn. What¡¯s wrong? Are you upset?" He couldn''t resist when she acted like this. Yi-An ended upughing. "How''s Yi-Yoo doing?" "Same-old, same-old. She''s been really busy going to interviews. She even got herself into one of those interview prep schools. It seems like it¡¯s pretty tough to find a job these days." "That must be hard. My friends say the same. Well, I''m doing fine because I met a good boss." "Oh, so you do know that, huh?" "I know it best." They smiled at each other. [How cute.] Yi-An furrowed his brow. A year had passed since the Elder Lord Crisis broke out. People had tried to find out who the user behind the legendary orc warrior Crockta was, but Yi-An never revealed himself. As time went by, the Elder Lord Crisis gradually faded from memory, along with the fact that countless lives had nearly been lost. The world began to move on again, as it always has. But one thing remained unchanged. [I''m bored.] The Ashen God. His connection with her was still there. For some reason, she was able to converse with Yi-An. ording to her, she had meddled too much in trying to return to her original dimension, which might have loosened the boundaries between dimensions. Regardless of the circumstances, the Ashen God was very pleased. She was confined in a prison in Olympus and had nothing to do, so she talked to Yi-An whenever she was bored. Yi-An sighed and whispered. "I''m on a date, so leave me alone." "Huh?" "Nothing. Just talking to myself. What movie did you say you wanted to see?" "¡¯The Return of the Gentleman.¡¯ The lead actor is Lee Jung-Min. Ah, I''m going to feast my eyes today. Lee Jung-Min is really handsome." The Ashen God kept talking. [Yi-An, I actually have something to say.] "I''ll go get the tickets for us. Wanna wait here?" He said to Yeo-Ri. "Let''s go together. Why go alone?" "I have to use the restroom, anyway." "Uh, okay. Get caramel popcorn. Oh, and coke!!" "Got it." Yi-An seated Yeo-Ri at a table in front of the theatre¡¯s concession stand and entered the restroom. He went into a toilet stall and spoke to the Ashen God. "Why are you doing this to me? What¡¯s going on?" [Don''t be mad.] "I am going to be mad." [Then I won''t say it.] "Stop being so annoying and just tell me quickly because I don''t have time for this." Ever since being confined, the Ashen God seemed especially talkative as if she was feeling lonely. The Ashen God hesitated, then continued, [You know, after I fell into your world... I tried a lot of different things to get back home, right?] Yi-An''s face became serious. The Ashen God rarely talked about those times. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory for her either. Yi-An got an ominous feeling. "So?" [So... I checked again, and the walls between dimensions have loosened more than before. It seems like someone has been tampering with them, too.] "What do you mean?" [There''s a possibility that a third dimension could open. I can''t exactly exin it, but it means there could be problems for your world. I mean, us talking like this isn¡¯t very normal either, is it?] Yi-An was puzzled. It sounded serious, but it was still unclear what the threat was. So, Yi-An decided to keep his mind off it. "Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Now, leave me alone. I have a movie to watch." [A movie? Oh, I want to see it too. You have to tell me about it afterward.] "Don¡¯t even think about it. Just behave and serve your sentence in prison." [Who''s the protagonist?] "Lee Jung-Min." [Woow, lucky. He''s really handsome.] Yi-An ignored her. He watched the movie with Yeo-Ri. ¡®Return of the Gentleman¡¯ might not have had the best plot, but the lead actor''s brilliant performance was impressive. He was in no way inferior in visual appeal and presence to the protagonist of the previous work. He truly carried the entire movie on his back. The credits rolled. They, along with other people in the audience, streamed out into the street. "That was a decent movie. It''s dinner time, do you want to eat something?" "Sounds good. What should we eat?" "Let''s think about it while we walk." They walked side by side through the bustling district. The screens that once broadcasted Elder Lord on the streets were now showing news, having lost their prime content. ¡ªIt''s been over a year since the Elder Lord Crisis was averted. However, it seems the victims'' wounds have not yet healedpletely. There are still people whoin of symptoms, mostly of seeing a ¡®status window.¡¯ Reporter Park Ki-Dae reports. The virtual reality game Elder Lord, which had enthralled the world, waspletely terminated. Officials from Elder Saga Corporation were also detained. They, who did not fully understand ''Albino,'' were all punished under the pretext of using an unverified artificial intelligence system. And with that, it was thought that the crisis had beenpletely resolved. However, even as time passed, there were some ex-users whoined of the aftermath. The symptoms they described were all the same. They said they ¡®could see their status window¡¯. Yi-An thought these were merely psychological issues caused by trauma. But after hearing what the Ashen God had just told him, a bad premonition crept up on him. What if it was happening because of the loosening of the walls between dimensions? What if it wasn''t an illusion but a real status window? "Yi-An?" "Yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking for a moment." "It seems like you have a lot going on in your head. What''s on your mind?" "You..." "Ah! Stop it, I¡¯m serious. I hate that." "Alright, alright. How about some stew and rice for dinner?" "Yeah, because that¡¯s a really romantic meal, right?" "You hate pasta anyway." "Is pasta the only romantic food in the world?" They bickered as they walked down the street. Then, Yi-An suddenly halted in his tracks. Yeo-Ri, who had been crossing her arms, looked puzzled. "What¡¯s wrong?" "Step back." "What?" "Go! Stay back! " Yi-An clenched his teeth. A bad premonition never failed. Yi-An could see it. It was wavering. The space-time. It was wavering. "Step back!" People who sensed something was wrong began to scream. The crowd dispersed. The urgent voice of the Ashen God was heard. [Yi-An! That''s what I was talking about. So...] Yi-An watched the road closely. The dimension was opening up. A ck hand burst out, tearing through the walls of the dimension, starting to widen the gap. From beyond, the growling of a beast resounded. It was a monster. A shape of a beast unlike any they had ever seen. It looked like a demon that had crawled up from hell itself. "What is that?!" "Oh my god!" "Call the police!" People screamed. It was an unbelievable scene. This was not Elder Lord. It was Earth. Yet a monster had appeared. "Is this a movie shoot?" "Do you think that makes any sense, you idiot!" "Then do you think that thing makes any sense? Call the police¡ªno, the military!" "Aaaaahhhhh!" The monster fully revealed itself. In terms of the world of Elder Lord, it was about the size of an ogre. But it was dripping a ck, sticky liquid all over. Its eyes were red. It looked like a giant insect. It looked around and, then, it smirked. As if it had found amusing prey. "Kiiiiiiii!" It screeched and attacked its surroundings. Cars were thrown into the air. Its destructive power was overwhelming. mes erupted on the road. Yi-An turned around. Yeo-Ri was still there, frozen in fear. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tried to hurry away. Then, he heard something. "Mommyyyyy!" A child''s scream echoed. Yi-An looked back. A child was caught in the monster''s pincers. The child cried and screamed for their mom, beneath whom a woman, presumably the mother, was screaming in panic, not knowing what to do in this bizarre situation. The monster''s mouth opened. The child''s head was inches away, about to be devoured. The monster rolled its eyes toward them, smirking. It was a mocking gaze. Anger surged through Yi-An''s head. But he was Jung Yi-An, not Crockta. He had neither the power nor the ability to destroy such a monster. This was the real world. Yet he couldn''t turn away. "Yi-An!" Then, he realized. He was already running. "Run away first!" Yi-An shouted. Yeo-Ri called after him desperately, but his legs didn''t stop. He was running toward the monster. He couldn''t stop because... ''Are you alive?'' They were watching him. ¡®You might die. But just because you¡¯re not dead doesn''t mean you''re alive.¡¯ That¡¯s what they were saying to Yi-An. He ran at full speed. The monster noticed him. With its other hand not holding the child, the monster aimed at Yi-An. A premonition of death shed through his mind, but it was toote to turn back. The monster''s pincer came crashing down on him. A premonition of death raced up his spine. At that moment, something blurred in front of his eyes. [Status Window ''Northern Conqueror, Empire Nemesis, Godkiller, Great Warrior Crockta'' Jung Yi-An, Warrior Level: MAX Achievement Score: MAX Synchronization Rate: MAX Abilities Divine Power (Mythical) Regeneration (Mythical) Body and Sword (Mythical) Combative Spirit (Mythical) Divine Eye (Mythical) Tattoo (Mythical) Roar (Mythical) Monster Annihtion (Mythical) Magic Sensitivity (Mythical)] Tattoos were emerging on Yi-An''s body. His body heated up intensely. The world slowed down. Time and space repeated cycles of deceleration and eleration at his will. The realm of extremes was in his grasp, and causality was repeatedly reversed by his will. Suddenly, in his hand, was arade he had not seen in a long time, the God yer. He had no idea how it happened. Whether it was someone''s arrangement or the fate of the world testing him again, he didn''t know. It didn''t matter. The wind blew in his ears. Within it, he heard the whispers of the world. ¡®Is there meaning to the sufferings we endure?¡¯ He didn''t know. ¡®In a destiny in which we will ultimately sink, do we have value?¡¯ He didn''t know. There was no need to know. It was just that... In the world we belong to, With all our might, We fight in the present To be alive! Yi-An leaped and roared. "Burnnnnnnn¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" * * * One year after the termination of the service of the virtual reality game Elder Lord. Monsters started appearing from the rifts between dimensions. The only ones who could stand against these beings, impervious to modern weaponry, were those with the same other-dimensional powers, the former Elder Lord users. They became known as the ¡®Hunters¡¯. They were monster hunters. "Mommy, what''s this?" "Yes, my baby." "I see something weird. What''s this? A status window?" "What did you say?" Earth, The Age of Great Monsters begins! Side Story 1

Side Story 1

Several years had passed since the Age of Great Monsters began. Since then, monsters from other dimensions have ceaselessly tormented humanity. The monsters only had one goal: to devour humans. They greedily preyed upon them. The only ones capable of stopping these monsters were those who wielded powers from other dimensions themselves, the former users of Elder Lord. * * * "There are too many of them!" [Just hold on.] "The Human-faced Birds keeping out! We can''t handle this! We¡¯re headed toward annihtion!" [Reinforcements have been dispatched.] "How many? If they don¡¯te fully prepared..." Humanity quickly established a system. Elder Lord users became ''Hunters'' and formed teams and the government supported them. Everyone united for survival. [Do not worry.] As the system became established, exceptional individuals appeared. Talented individuals were always bound to eventually show themselves like an awl poking out of its pocket. Those who were stars in Elder Lord became stars on Earth as well. [''Rommel'' is on the way.] "Rommel!" The faces of the Hunters lit up with hope upon hearing the reinforcement team''s radiomunication. Despair turned into hope. If Rommel wasing, they were going to live. "Kieeeeee!" "Watch out!" "Ahh!" A Human-faced Bird snatched one of the Hunters and flew high into the sky. The captured Hunter tried to resist, but the bird¡¯s talons crushed his shoulder bones. A desperate scream echoed. Arrows and magic flew toward the Human-faced Bird, but it evaded the attacks with acrobatic mid-air maneuver and circled the area leisurely. "Dammit." A hunter of the ¡®Hunter¡¯ ss aimed at the sky again, but it was too far. He clenched his teeth and drew strength from his entire body, but he still couldn¡¯t aim at the bird. The Human-faced Bird was tearing at hisrade in the sky, and painful screams kepting. He desperately pulled the bowstring. He couldn¡¯t let hisrade end up on the long list of casualties. His arms trembled. He wasn¡¯t going to hit it, he knew that. But he couldn''t just give up. At the very moment he was about to release a blind arrow, a mysterious power enveloped his body. Energy surged from his tired shoulders. Vitality returned to his arms. His blurred vision cleared. The forehead of the Human-faced Bird, high in the sky, came into clear view. He released the bowstring. His arrow pierced the head of the Human-faced Bird. Another Hunter caught the fallingrade. [Team ''Rommel'' has entered the operation area. Coordinate with them.] He had arrived. ''Rommel'' Choi Hansung. An unmatched presence even during his Elder Lord days. The ''War Maestro'' ss, a tactical genius with buffing abilities that could cover mass areas. The moment they entered his domain, their fatigue melted away. Fighting spirit and vitality sprung forth. This was now Rommel¡¯s domain. Just being under hismand literally made them several times stronger than usual. The Hunters''bat power simply increased. The Human-faced Birds began to fall one by one. "Starting now, I will takemand." Choi Hansung''s voice clearly reached everyone''s ears. Neither the team leader nor anyone else was against it. He was Rommel. The clear leading contributor who made South Korea the world''s one and only first-ss monster-safe zone. The man who led the Hunters in a desperate battle against dozens of Ogre-ss monsters in Mungyeong Saejae and ultimately annihted them. He was the guardian of South Korea. "Our objective isplete annihtion." Complete annihtion. They weren¡¯t going to just forcibly close the gate with special equipment, but they were going to release firepower until no more monsters appeared. It was not amonly rmended operation. However... "Civilian casualties have urred," Choi Hansung announced. "So we are going to make them pay for what they¡¯ve done." The Hunters nodded. It was a rare rapid gate. The dimensional wall opened and monsters appeared, attacking residential areas before any signs could be caught. What they witnessed upon arrival was the grotesque faces of the Human-faced Birds tearing at human corpses. The anger suppressed by the power difference raised its head again. "Let''s make sure they never even look at thisnd again." Through research, monsters have been proven to possess intelligence and learning abilities. It was also discovered that they selected the regions to attack themselves. They tended to not appear for a long time in ces where they had been severely defeated, but continuously invaded ces with poor defenses, turning them into their forward bases. Therefore, the reason South Korea became a first-ss monster-safe zone was clear. South Korea was and that never let the monsters get away. A dangerous, and the most infamous area known among the monsters, was the Korean Penins. ''Team Rommel,'' led by ''Rommel'' Choi Hansung, and the existing Hunters formed a circle. "Slowly close in on the gate." A ck sphere was open above a ruined house, and from there, Human-faced Birds continued to pour out. Since Human-faced Birds could freely fly in the sky, a different approach from the usualbat formations was needed. Choi Hansung ced warrior sses among wizards and ranged attackers to prepare for sudden descents. The situation requiredplexmanding, but it was natural for Choi Hansung. "Ubern, support the right side. Yulia, move to the left and join. Kim Chul, switch your weapon and take up the shield. The Human-faced Birds areing down. He even knew the nicknames of those he had only met for the first time. He was standing at an angle where the nametags embedded on the Hunters'' chests weren''t visible, but he literally saw through the entire battlefield. Soon, all the Human-faced Birds fell. The ground was littered with the corpses of monsters. It was a grotesque sight. Birds with human faces were writhing here and there with their entrails exposed. The Hunters finished them off without notable expressions on their faces. The gate that had been pouring out the Human-faced Birds no longer emitted anything. "Stand by." They surrounded the house where the gate had opened. In fact, they were wanting for more enemies to appear. The residents of this house were likely all dead. Although the neighbors had evacuated, there had been several casualties. A Hunter spotted a tricycle lying in the yard and cursed. "Dammit." He spat and red at the ck gate. Why were these monsters,ing through the dimensional rift, so desperate to consume humans? "It seems there are no more. Close the gate......" Just then, the gate began to distort. "It''s closing on its own." The Hunters watched the shrinking gate until it disappearedpletely. Soon, there was nothing left. "Job done. Good work, everyone." "Good work!" "Well done." "Great job!" The Hunters slumped down. Though it was their job, it was a battle for their lives. The intense tension was something they could never get used to. There were no fatalities, but there were many injuries. The Hunters called for ambnces. The support team was on its way. But then... "Wait, everyone stand by." Choi Hansung abruptly stood up,and the Hunters got up hesitantly in response. He looked toward an intersection not far away, where the roads crossed. An unknown energy was seeping out from that spot. It was such a small premonition that only a high-level Hunter like Choi Hansung could detect it. "Something ising. Prepare for battle. And... The support team radioed in. [Is something wrong?] Choi Hansung replied. "We need backup." [Sorry?] "Support. We¡¯re requesting backup. Call everyone, every single person avable. Exclude only the minimum defense personnel in each area and summon all Hunters in Korea." [What...] ¡°Gate¡¯s opening. This is bigger than an Ogre-ss. It¡¯s a Cyclops-ss... no, actually, that¡¯s not even close. All I know is that this thing is dangerous.¡± [O-o-okay, got it!] The Hunters'' faces turned pale. What Choi Hansung was saying was clear. An Ogre-ss alone was an emergency, but he called it a Cyclops-ss. It was a disaster. Under Choi Hansung''smand, the Hunters positioned themselves around the intersection. They prepared for whatever enemy mighte, maintaining a basic defensive formation and keeping distance. "Everyone, stay alert." Choi Hansung''s voice deepened. He too hoped his intuition was wrong, but his entire being was screaming that this gate was dangerous. Though not a directbat ss, his level and skills were among the highest in the world. Having gone through countless battles since the monsters appeared on Earth, he had grown even stronger. That finely honed battle senses of his were sounding all the rms. The being that would appear... it was a monster that should not be opposed. Yet, Choi Hansung could not retreat. He was always thest line of defense. If he couldn''t stop it, no one in Korea could. Soon, a gate loomed ck above the intersection. A ck gate over the crossroads, the perfect condition for a demon to appear. Choi Hansung muttered with a smirk, "Just what are you?" Soon, the monster revealed itself. "Shiiiiiiiiiiii!" It was a familiar figure. But not from this ce. "Is that......?" The Age of Great Monsters had begun, and they were given their old power of Elder Lord, but their enemies were not the monsters of Elder Lord. The new enemies of humanity were bizarre creatures they had never seen before. Bu, this monster was exactly what remained in their memories. It was a ''Basilisk.'' "What is going on...?" But this wasn''t the time to be shocked. A cyclops was nothing more than a meal to a Basilisk. It was a real monster. The Hunters ssified the ranks of monsters through the representative monsters of Elder Lord days. Monsters ssified as an ''Ogre-ss'' meant they had abat power that was roughly equivalent to an ogre of Elder Lord. A monster like a Basilisk would be categorized under ¡®Death Knight¡¯ of Elder Lord. A Death Knight-ss monster, surpassing Cyclops-ss, had appeared. A Hunter murmured, "Please be just the one......" They were faced with the ultimate danger. The Hunters braced themselves for a hard fight. If it was just the one Basilisk, they would probably be able to hold the lines until Hunters from all over the Korean Penins could gather. Especially with none other than Rommel by their side. "Brace yourselves!" Choi Hansung spoke. His resolve was infectious. The Hunters gripped their weapons, ready for the sh. But then, the Basilisk copsed. "Shieeeeeee... Shiek...¡± As the gate above the crossroad fully opened, its massive body fell to the ground, writhing before soon copsing into convulsions. Then, it stopped breathing. It was dead. What happened? And the Hunters saw them, the beings that killed the Basilisk. They fell upon the Basilisk and then turned to look at the Hunters. Four figures, unknown identities. All were humanoid. There had never been a humanoid monster before. They spoke. "¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª." It was an iprehensiblenguage. The Hunters tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª?¡± One of the mysterious beings muttered, drawing his sword. His de shed, spreading a palpable tension throughout the area, an oppressive, almost suffocating murderous intent. A Hunter, frozen stiff, inadvertently released his bowstring. The arrow rushed toward them. Then, the unidentified being shed with his sword. In an instant, the arrow was cut into dozens of pieces, scattering in the air. "My god..." It was an incredible disy of martial prowess. The Hunters realized these mysterious beings were monsters they could not contend with. "Everyone, stand by." Rommel walked toward them. "Sir Rommel! It''s dangerous!" "Don''t worry." Rommel''s face was stern, but there was no sign of fear. It was as if he was approaching people he knew. The short man who was standing in the center of the group walked toward Rommel. He was a man with an intimidating look and a deep scar on his face. His appearance was grim, marked by scars from countless brushes with death, and his physique was robust. A true veteran of numerous battlefields, that was the impression he gave. He took something out of his pocket. It looked like a broken stone, but it was enveloped in a strange energy. He held it toward Rommel and spoke. Then, astonishingly, everyone could understand his words. "You''re Rommel, aren¡¯t you?" "...!" The Hunters were shocked. Rommel nodded and replied. "You are correct. And if I remember correctly myself, you are Tiyo." "You do remember, indeed..." Then, the Hunters also began to remember him,a famous character. Yes, during the peak of their Elder Lord days, he was Crockta''s partner. The ¡®Magic Bullet Sprayer¡¯ Tiyo! How had he appeared here! "Hehehe..." He grinned. His face bore the toll of many hardships. It was as if the struggles he had endured were etched on his face. "Yes, I did it. I''ve finallye. I am Tiyo. The man who doesn''t know how to give up." He had crossed the dimensions to finally reach Earth. Tiyo asked Rommel, "This must be Crockta''s dimension, right? Where is he?" Rommel smiled bitterly. "Crockta, you say. He is..." * * * "Achoo!" [Are you okay?] "I''m fine. Someone must be talking about me," Yi-An answered. He was standing alone in the middle of the desert. In front of him, a massive gate was opening. [If at any time you need backup...] "I''m good. Should be enough." [Yes, you¡¯re right. But...] A monster began to emerge from beyond the gate. It was enormous. It was a monster that was literally as big as a mountain. [... your opponent is a ''Dragon-ss'' monster.] "I know." It was a monster with a hideous appearance as if it had emerged from hell. It resembled a reptile, but its physiology would likely be bizarre and horrific, iparable to anything on Earth. It was an unknown identity. All they knew about that monster was its purpose. To devour until humanity was no more. "Don''t worry. It''s just what I always do." [On behalf of all of Egypt, we thank you for your salvation.] "Don¡¯t worry about it, " Yi-An smirked. At the same time, tattoos began to appear on his body. Magical power erupted from him. The atmosphere trembled following his movements. His beloved sword ''God yer'' shimmered with a power that almost felt catastrophic. If ''Rommel'' Choi Hansung was the guardian of the Korean Penins. Then ''Raven'' Jung Yi-An, he was... "Now, I¡¯ll start the operation with the goal of extermination." The guardian deity of Earth. Side Story 2 Side Story 2 Ahmed Hassan, the Director of the Egyptian Safety Management Bureau, was personally directing the hunting scene. "So that¡¯s ¡®Raven¡¯¡­" He couldn''t believe the spectacle he had just witnessed. The appearance of a sign of a giant gate in the Baharia Desert had turned Egypt, as well as neighboring countries Libya and Sudan, upside down. It was a ¡®Dragon-ss¡¯ monster. Dragon-ss monsters were monsters that could devastate an entire country. Ever since the Age of Great Monsters began, the appearance of Dragon-ss monsters has always led to great disasters. Sydney, where a Dragon-ss monster appeared for the first time, was still left as and of death to this day. However, at some point, the damage caused by Dragon-ss monsters ceased. All because of just one person. ''Raven'' Jung Yi-An, he was the only one who could hunt down Dragon-ss monsters. His power was not something that could be affiliated with just a single nation. It was a global treasure that had to be used for the sake of all humanity. Thus, he became a sort of frencer, epting requests from countries around the world and directly participating in operations based on their importance. He became a global problem solver. His main tasks involved hunting Dragon-ss monsters or reiming cities that had be their newirs. When the Egyptian government requested salvation from the appearance of a Dragon-ss monster, he immediately flew in on his private jet. And, he ughtered the Dragon-ss monster with a single stroke. "Indeed, he is humanity''s guardian sent by the gods." That was Ahmed Hassan''s impression of Raven. As the famous greatsword, God yer, was swung, the monster''s hard shell was split open like tofu. The mes arising from the sword incinerated the monster. The monster''s body was torn apart by his de, and his sword energy scratched the white sands of Baharia beyond the monster''s corpse. A giant scar in the shape of a fan was created on the surface of the desert. How could such a feat be aplished by human strength? "No one would believe it." He had taken down a Dragon-ss in a single sh, it was truly overwhelming. He looked up at the sky. The helicopter carrying Jung Yi-An was returning to the headquarters. The Hunters who were prepared for any off chance that Raven needed backup, along with the staff of the headquarters, came out to greet him. When he got off the helicopter, everyone apuded. It was an de for the world''s unparalleled Hunter. Ahmed Hassan approached Yi-An, who had just hopped out of the helicopter, and offered a handshake. "Thank you." "It''s nothing." "I represent all of Egypt once again in expressing our gratitude for your salvation. It was an extraordinary fight." Even though a trantion device reced hisnguage, the sincerity was fully conveyed. "And..." Ahmed Hassan firmly grasped his hand again. "My son is also a ''Returnee''. I''ve always wanted to meet you since that day to express my gratitude." Raven Jung Yi-An¡­ It was sort of an open secret that he was ''Crockta'', the legend of Elder Lord. "I''m d to hear that. Is your son doing alright?" "He¡¯s be a Hunter." "That''s great. I wish him the best of luck. I''ll be heading to reim Benghazi while I''m here." The City of Benghazi in the neighboring country of Libya had already been upied by monsters and be their newir. Hunters had established a defensive line, but it was proving insufficient. The African continent, which didn¡¯t have many Elder Lord yers in the first ce, always needed support due to its smaller Hunter forces. "Understood. It would be rude to take more of your time. I will contact you again through your agent," Ahmed Hassan nodded. "Thank you." Yi-An boarded the helicopter again and moved to the runway where his jet was waiting. * * * Feeling the vibration of the helicopter''s propellers, Yi-An closed his eyes. Quite a bit of time had passed since he started traveling around the world. On the day the interdimensional gate opened on Earth for the first time, Yi-An awakened the powers he had during his Elder Lord days to battle the monsters. He initially thought that it was just a temporary phenomenon, but his powers did not fade, and the monsters continued to appear. It was the emergence of amon enemy of humanity. ording to the Ashen God, who had peered into the dimension of the monsters, it was apletely different, bizarre cepared to Earth or Elder Lord. Rather, it was a ce close to what one might call hell. Even she couldn''t look at it for long; it was a terrible ce that endlessly produced hatred. It was a truly ugly dimension. As long as they targeted Earth, Yi-An couldn''t live a peaceful life. As Yi-An sighed, the secretary sitting next to him asked, "Would you like something to eat?" "That¡¯s okay, maybe after we check out the site." The assistant nodded. He was assigned to Yi-An by the South Korean government. He was also a former Elder Lord user, specializing in healing powers. Even now, he was extending his hand to heal Yi-An''s fatigue. "You have an injury here." He suddenly pointed to Yi-An''s side. Blood was seeping out. "It''s nothing serious, just heal it here." "Ok..." Though it was a weaker monster for a Dragon-ss, it had its powerful moment. It hadunched an attack right before dying. If Yi-An hadn¡¯t dodged it, his innards would have beenpletely torn apart. But these small injuries were no strangers to Yi-An. "How''s the situation in Benghazi?" "I¡¯ve just received the intel. But before that..." The assistant hesitated before continuing, "A video ofst month''s Kirkias Raid in South Africa was leaked. It was posted on Youvids and other streaming sites but has been taken down now. It seems to be the work of hackers... Leonardo will send a strongly worded letter to thepanies." "Just leave it." "But..." "What can we even do? Everyone probably knows already, anyway." Yi-An shrugged his shoulders. "It¡¯s not like them watching me does any harm." As the Age of Great Monsters began, people''s focus became concentrated on one thing, Crockta. The hero who was revealed to be a user, and more so, what he was doing in these treacherous times. When the monsters first appeared, Yi-An was the first to act in service to those helplessly suffering. At that time, he fought wearing a mask. However, due to his greatsword, the tattoos appearing on his body, and amazing strength and power, suspicions that he was Crockta gradually deepened. He had requested the government to help him keep his identity confidential, but surging suspicions couldn''t be stopped. People were fully convinced he was Crockta. "Here, this is the overview of Benghazi." "That looks terrible." "Their-ification has progressed significantly. If left alone, it''ll end up just like Sydney." "We can''t let that happen." "This is the first time we¡¯re seeing this particr Dragon-ss entity. They''ve named it ''Parthenon''." "How¡¯s our support?" "It¡¯s overflowing. Upon hearing news of your involvement, Hunters from other countries have joined in lumps. Everyone wants to fight alongside Crockta." "See. Everyone knows already." "Haha..." He shifted himself to the global stage after witnessing the tragedy in Sydney. Since then, he no longer fought his battles in front of the eyes of the public. He faced only the worst enemies in the worst ces. However, stories of Dragon-ss monsters and the mysterious Hunter ''Raven'' facing them began to spread secretly. Information on Dragon-ss monsters was strictly controlled to maintain the order of the public, but it couldn''t be stopped forever. Insiders also sold out information anonymously. Eventually, people learned about a Hunter bringing down the worst enemies in ces no one knew of, and they were convinced that Hunter was Crockta, the man with the greatsword who had vanished. The suspicions were mostly true. Now, it was at a level where everyone knew but kept quiet. Yi-An shrugged his shoulders. "Anything else?" "Ah, Rommel contacted. He has a message to deliver. He said it¡¯s urgent." "Hansung?" Rommel, Choi Hansung, one of the few who knew Raven''s true identity, and a friend of Yi-An. After the battle with the empire in Elder Lord, Rommel expressed a desire to be Crockta¡¯s friend. Of course, it was rejected. Tiyo delivered the rejection instead. ''If you want to be friends with Crockta,e back after doing something worthy of it.'' ¡®Something worthy of it...'' ''People are judged by their actions. Just as good deeds done only by words are meaningless, you can never get closer by merely saying you want to be friends. If you''ve truly changed, prove it.'' Yi-An thought that that encounter would be theirst, but Rommel was persistent. As the monsters appeared following the Elder Lord Crisis, Rommel quickly gained fame. As befitting his ''War Maestro'' ss, he gathered a team to crush monsters within the Korean penins. Thanks to his dedication, he even earned the nickname ''Captain Korea.'' He even found Yi-An, who was fighting behind a mask. After finishing a battle alongside him, he asked. ¡®Am I worthy now, Crockta?¡¯ Yi-An could only nod in response. Thus, they became friends not as the once adversarial Crockta and Rommel but as Hunters Jung Yi-An and Choi Hansung, standing together against monsters. "Tell him I¡¯ll contact him after I get Benghazi back." "He did say that it was urgent..." "That guy¡­ Whenever he said something was urgent, never once was it an actual big deal. He probably wants some advice because he fought with his girlfriend or something." The newly befriended Choi Hansung turned out to have many surprisingly clumsy sides. Bringing Yi-An out of ¡®urgency¡¯ only to end up introducing him to a group of women he had never met before or getting drunk andmenting over a breakup with his girlfriend. People who have only seen the heroic side of Rommel could never imagine him in such scenarios. "Is that true?" "Yup." The secretary tilted his head in disbelief. "Understood. We will bending soon." The jet began its descent toward a runway stretched across the Libyan desert. There was only one thing that he had to do at that moment, to reim the city of humans that was taken by the monsters, the City of Benghazi. * * * "I can¡¯t reach him right now. He must be busy." "I see." Rommel, Choi Hansung, suddenly became the guardian of four beings from another world. Though the government cast suspicious nces, Rommel vouched for them. He promised to provide their identitiester. After all, they were monsters that had crossed over from another world after killing a Basilisk. There was no way to detain them by force, and besides, they were friends of Jung Yi-An. There wasn¡¯t a single country on Earth that could afford to be on bad terms with him. "This contraption called a car is truly fascinating!" "What kind of tool is this? Does it have intelligence? Can it fight?" "People are staring." "Bul¡¯tar..." Tiyo, Anor, and Driden were fine as they resembled humans, but Tashaquil the orc hade with them. They covered his face with a hood. Rommel usually drove a sports car, but for them, he borrowed a van from the support team to head to his house. "I''ll exin everything in a bit, but please close the window for now. People are staring..." "How do you close it? Shoot, how was it done?" Tiyo struggled with the modern technology of power windows. "Press that button." "Huh? It¡¯s just opening more?" "The other way!" "This is tooplicated!" The four caused quite amotion. Choi Hansung nced at the rear-view mirror and paused. "Impressive! Well done, Tashaquil!" "Heh, with everyone being so hasty, I couldn¡¯t help but step in." When Tiyo couldn''t close the window, Tashaquil acted on it. His magic froze the window, creating a barrier of ice instead of putting the window up. It was an extraordinary feat. "..." The van sped down the road with ice clinging to its windows. "This dimension is fascinating. Compared to our world, it seems highly developed," Anor remarked. Their attire and culture were different, and it was pretty clear to see that they were a significantly more advanced civilization. Just the steel carriage they were in, filling the roads and moving at such speed that the scenery changed in an instant, was proof enough. Sturdy buildings blocked the sky, and the city lights were dazzling. "Hmm?" Suddenly, Tashaquil turned his head and the others did the same. "Do you feel that strange energy?" "Ahh." Choi Hansung nodded. Police were controlling the traffic. A gate had opened not far from there. Since Rommel wasn¡¯t informed, it seemed to be a Goblin-ss or simrly low-threat gate. "It looks like a gate has opened." "Gate?" As Choi Hansung exined the situation, they showed interest. "Can we see it?" Tiyo asked. "You mean you want to see the raid?" "That''s right. I¡¯m curious about these monsters from another dimension." Choi Hansung pondered for a moment before nodding. Though it was unclear how they had crossed over to Earth¡¯s dimension, they mentioned that they couldn''t simply go back at will once they were here. Thus, they were going to have to stay in this dimension for a while. All four of them were oncepanions of Crockta, which meant that they possessed amazing abilities. If they helped in monster subjugation, it would be more than ideal. "Alright. Let''s go." Especially for Rommel, a well-recognized Hunter, entering the operation area was no challenge. As soon as he showed his Hunter ID, the police immediately cleared the way. Side Story 3 Side Story 3 Thebat support team had established amand post some distance from the gate to assist with the operation. Rommel approached them. The members of thebat support team who knew Choi Hansung greeted him. "Mr. Rommel? What brings you here...?" "I saw the setup as I was driving by, so I thought I¡¯d check in." "I¡¯d expect no less from you, Mr. Rommel." Thebat support team seemed to think that Rommel was here out of a sense of duty or evenpassion. Rommel just shrugged his shoulders. "Who''s in the operation area?" "Team ''Harmattan'' and ''Goguryeo''. Hunters Kim Hyung-Chul and Park Ki-Yoon are taking the lead." "What''s the ss?" "It¡¯s an Ogre-ss..." "What?" "There¡¯s only one." "Did you say Ogre-ss?" "Y-yes. The gate suddenly expanded out of nowhere..." "That is above those Hunters¡¯ pay grade." "They''ve developed a lot over time, and they said they can handle it if it¡¯s just one." "Still, you should have contacted me or ''White Knight'' first." "They said there was no need to..." He got the gist of what was happening. Hunting monsters was their duty, but it was also a job that came with guaranteed financial benefits. A tremendous reward was given for hunting monsters of each ss. Especially since the United States, which was always sensitive when it came to security, began recruiting Hunter personnel indiscriminately. Because of that the South Korean government had to promise their Hunters a sry not less than what the US was paying to prevent a mass loss of manpower. And Ogre-ss was considered a top ss. They wouldn''t have wanted to lose the glory to Choi Hansung. He sighed. "I¡¯m going to spectate for now." "That''s..." "I''ll only jump in if it gets dangerous. You can leave my name out. This is about the safety of the people, is it not?" "You¡¯re right. Thank you." Choi Hansung sighed as he turned around. He was startled after he saw again the four-man group from Elder Lord that was standing behind him. The government agent looked at Choi Hansung. "Who are these people...?" They were strangers he had never seen before. Plus, one was short, one had long ears, and one was wearing an abnormally huge hood. Hunters often had unique appearances, but this was beyond that usual unusualness. "Hehehe... I can already see what¡¯s happening.¡± Tiyo smirked. "Those weak but greedy men are going to get themselves in trouble." "Ah, they''ll manage somehow," Anormented. "Hmm..." Tashaquil spoke. "From what I can sense, the enemy¡¯s aura feels bigger... I think we¡¯ll have to go help. If we leave them be, it¡¯s probably going to end in annihtion." It was what Tashaquil, one of the strongest shamans of Elder Lord, believed. If that was his reading of the situation, that was exactly how it was going to unfold. "We better hurry," he urged Choi Hansung. "Understood." When Choi Hansung politely responded, the expressions of the government agents changed. The four mysterious figures could be a famous Hunter team from abroad. "We''ll enter with the van we came in." "Oh, okay." It was a van borrowed from thebat support team in the first ce. It was fortified forbat entry. They took the road and entered deeper into the city. It was the center of a bustling area. Clothing stores, restaurants, and bars lined the roads on both sides. Unlike the usual scenery, not a single person was on the streets. They drove through the deserted city. It was a scene familiar to Hunters. "There¡¯s no one around," Tiyo pointed out. "Everyone''s been evacuated," Choi Hansung exined. "The system is well established. This ce is amazing. It¡¯s far ahead of our world," Tashaquil marveled. They were able to reach the battle scene without trouble. Choi Hansung recognized the monster. It was an otherworldly creature of Ogre-ss, a ''Gramas''. It was a bipedal beast with four arms and a body covered in ck slime. Every time Gramas opened its mouth and screeched, a deafening wave made the Hunters lose their bnce. One Hunter was injured and left the frontline. The Hunters fighting under Harmattan and Goguryeo tried their best, but their attacks couldn¡¯t deliver any damage to the Gramas at all. Gramas then turned its attention to the rear of the formation. There, wizards endlessly firing mes and lightning were stationed. "Shit." Choi Hansung groaned and floored the gas pedal. That was exactly what he was worried about. Gramas let out a deep, thunderous roar. As the wave hit, the Hunters'' knees buckled, and they all lost their bnce, copsing to the ground. As soon as the melee sses lost their ability to resist, Gramas charged toward the rear. Its four arms, dripping with slime, swung toward the mages and archers. "Aaaaaaah!" "Gaaaaaah!" Monsters were not foolish. They were rather clever. They possessed something akin to intelligence. Choi Hansung, who had faced them countless times, knew this all too well. That was what made them even more terrifying. Gramas thought it would be best to first eliminate those hiding in the back while shooting painful attacks. Its judgment was absolutely spot on, and it became a moment of crisis for the Hunters. The Hunters in the rear were about to be wiped out. At that moment a majestic voice shook the ground, "The earth is a cradle. The earth is a tomb. Both the living and the dead lie beneath the sky!" Just as Gramas was about to reach the Hunters, the ground surged up. Asphalt and concrete rose like a tidal wave, engulfing Gramas. Unable to continue its charge, Gramas was knocked to the ground after being struck by the obstacles. "Keeeeeer... Keerrrrk..." "Even the groan of that ugly thing sounds like a burp." Tashaquil chuckled and waved his staff. Choi Hansung''s expression brightened. Right¡­Gramas was an Ogre-ss, a mere Ogre-ss. Users might have struggled against ogres in Elder Lord, but those four were legendary beings who had stood against gods alongside Crockta. Just like Jung Yi-An, they would prevail even against the Dragon-ss monsters. Choi Hansung shouted. "This is Choi Hansung. I¡¯m supporting." The expressions of the Hunters changed tremendously. A mix of relief and embarrassment was seen on their faces. Soon, the Hunters'' gazes shifted toward the four-man group standing behind Choi Hansung. They were curious about those who hade with him. They were not the usual Hunters of Team Rommel. "I''ll finish this off." Tiyo stepped forward. He somehow had a cigarette in his mouth. "...?" A short man who had appeared out of nowhere. At first nce, he seemed unimpressive. Moreover, he was unarmed and alone. What could he possibly do against this Gramas monster, all by himself? The Hunters'' eyes were filled with doubt, but Tiyo didn''t care. "I''ve gained enlightenment through all the hardships I''ve had to endure to get here." With the cigarette smoke seeping out of his mouth, Tiyo pulled something out of his pocket. It was a stick. The stick then emitted light and began to transform into a new shape. More precisely, it transformed into his prided dragon-killing weapon, the General! Tiyo had spent a long time mastering it, exploring its ultimate form, which had now borne fruit. The final form of General that Tiyo had devised was finally revealed. Amid the bleak cigarette smoke it had turned into a pair of pistols. Tiyo slowly twisted his wrist. He nted the pair of pistols. "Die." He then walked forward, firing relentlessly. His steps were leisurely. To the Hunters watching him at that moment, it seemed as if background music was ying from a far-off ce. Over the sound of gunfire, a lonely melody that stirred the pure heart of a man was being oveid. The Hunters felt a sense of mncholy. How much pain and parting had this man with the guns endured? Were men destined to be alone? "Brother Chow Yun-fat...?" Someone murmured in disbelief. Tiyo''s gunfire was merciless. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! "Keeeeer... Keerrrrk!" Gramas could no longer withstand Tiyo''s assault and died. Tiyo walked over to its corpse, looked down with cold eyes, and fired a few more shots to confirm the kill. "...!" What an overwhelming brute force! The Hunters thought to themselves. This seemingly small man was in fact a hero. They were just not aware of Tiyo''s true nature. Tiyo, exhaling cigarette smoke, spun the twin pistols in his hands and tucked them back into his pockets. Choi Hansung, who had silently walked over to Tiyo, handed something to him. "What''s this...?" "I thought it might suit you... I brought it without even realizing." It was a pair of sunsses; the pair Choi Hansung had used for driving. "I don¡¯t really know what it is, but I like it." Tiyo nodded and put them on. The moment the Ray-Ban-style sunsses got on Tiyo''s face, his swag wasplete. * * * The Benghazi Reiming Operation was not easy. Their-ification had already progressed severely. Lair-ification meant that the area had be a domain of monsters, where the monsters bred, increasing their numbers even after their gate closed. From the very onset of the city, nts and monsters that the Hunters had never seen before attacked them. "Everyone, follow me slowly. I will open up a way from the front." Yi-An took the lead to minimize human casualties. As he cleared the way and eliminated the monsters, the hunters would set up camp in the secured areas, reiming human territories. The hunters following him were basically just infantry upying thend. Their sole strike against the enemy was Jung Yi-An, their strategic weapon. "Be careful." From the entrance, Ogre-ss monsters poured out. The Hunters did not panic. Libya had thoroughly prepared for the remation of Benghazi, and the rough location and distribution of monsters had already beenmunicated. Beyond the Ogre-ss monsters were the Cyclops-ss, and at the core, the Dragon-ss monster, ''Parthenon,'' would be there. The Ogre-ss monsters were just the beginning. "So that¡¯s Raven!" The Hunters were then able to witness a truly marvelous scene. It was a new ss ofbat that flipped everything they knew upside down. They realized that what Raven was disying was not something that could be learned or mimicked by watching it. He yed. He killed. That was all there was to it. It was so repetitive and monotonous that it was almost boring. Dodge the enemy''s attack and behead them. Counter the ambush and kill. If the monsters don''te, go to them and kill them. With each sh, a life was taken. It was less like the swordy of a warrior and more like the mechanical slicing of a chef preparing ingredients on a cutting board. And that meant, they¡¯re no match for him. The Ogre-ss monsters were nothing more than well-prepared ingredients to him. Their job was to shoot arrows at the backs of monsters fleeing in terror and finish off the monsters that lost theirposure and attacked them. "Is it true that Raven is Crockta?" "Actually?" "Apparently it¡¯s pretty widely known already." "Enough with the chitchat, just kill the monsters." "Should we ask himter?" They were also the finest Hunters gathered from various ces. They could eliminate the demoralized Ogres through cooperative attacks. "Keep your distance as you follow from here on." "Understood!" Soon, they reached the innermost parts of their-ified area. The cityscape hadpletely transformed into a different world''s environment. Even the vines climbing the buildings emitted a foul odor and stretched their tentacles toward them. The ground was melted and sticky. The entirend stretched and grabbed at their steps like a swamp. This was a ce one would never wish to battle in under normal circumstances. But humanity had lost the city and had to reim it. It wasn''t about defense; it was a siege. They had to advance into the enemy''s home ground. Through Australia, all of humanity witnessed what happens when air-ifiednd was left alone. They had tounch several nuclear bombs topletely burn down the area around New South Wales, where Sydney was located. "¡­Hold." "Sorry?" Right after Yi-An called for a standby, a giant maw burst from the ground. "W-what is that!" "It''s a ck Worm. Handle it defensively. I''ll take care of it." It was a Cyclops-ss monster, ''ck Worm''. It was a subterranean monster found only inir-ifiednds. It hid beneath the soil of another world and suddenly emerged to attack enemies when it sensed their vibrations. Despite technically being a Cylops-ss, it was tricky to handle, and its destructive power was actually rated above the Cyclops-ss. "Step back!" But the Hunters gathered here were not just the average ones. Before the ck Worm''s maw could engulf the nk of the Hunters¡¯ formation, a wall of lightning floated in the air and blocked the ck Worm''s assault. The ck Worm hit its head against the wall and was electrocuted, twisting its body in midair. It was magic. "Nice!" Such quick spellcasting was hard to find anywhere in the world. There was a rumor of a top-ranked wizard from the Elder Lord days being based in Northern Africa, and it seemed he had arrived. Yi-An immediately pursued the ck Worm. It was trying to bury its head back into the ground to hide. Just before the creature disappeared, Yi-An''s grip caught its tail. "¡­!" The ck Worm struggled, but Yi-An did not budge. He tightened his grip and started pulling it up slowly. Unreal strength! Despite his human body, he fully retained the strength of the Orc warrior, Crockta. His grip, having reached the God¡¯s Power beyond the World-Engulfing Mountain Wrenching Strength, did not let the ck Worm escape. Soon, the ck Worm was dragged above ground by its tail. Yi-An swung his greatsword, chopping the ck Worm into pieces. It was a straightforward and brutish style of fighting, unbefitting his slender figure. "He really is Crockta." "It seems like it. He¡¯s just like in the videos." "I was able to return because of Crockta..." "Which Hunter wasn¡¯t?" "I should get his autograph." The Hunters murmured among themselves. What they had seen was the very image of Crockta, the orc warrior who once thrilled people all around the world. Yi-An signaled, covered in the blood and viscous fluids of the ck Worm, along with the thick soil of another world, for them to advance. The Hunters followed him. Monsters that had never been seen before emerged. There were casualties. However, there was enough personnel, so the injured were quickly reced. As they cleared their way through the Cyclops-ss monsters, they soon faced a dark cave. It was terrain that wasn¡¯t there before. Originally, it was the Benghazi city hall building. However, after being contaminated and reshaped by the other world, it had transformed into the form of a massive cavern. They spotted two glowing eyes floating high above in the lurking darkness. The Dragon-ss monster ''Parthenon'' rose to its full height and covered the sun. Side Story 4 Side Story 4 "Everyone, please step back as far as possible." "Even for you, Raven, going into that thing by yourself..." "You would only get in my way." They knew it and felt it too, the overwhelming difference in ss. If they were to get caught up even in the shockwave of the fight, they would die instantly. Dragon-ss monsters were such powerful opponents that human strength couldn''t stand against them. "There is no need to increase unnecessary casualties. I''ll handle it." A little over ten Dragon-ss monsters have appeared. Among them, all but the first monster, ''Azhi Dahaka'' that had devastated Sydney, were eliminated by Jung Yi-An. That directly meant that without him, nuclear bombs would have to be dropped whenever a Dragon-ss monster appeared. "Understood." Only after facing a Dragon-ss monster themselves could they truly understand how valuable of an asset Jung Yi-An truly was. The Hunters retreated. "Is he going to be okay?" "Let''s trust him. You all saw the video, didn''t you?" "But that thing¡­ it¡¯s so big..." The Hunters didn¡¯t know what to feel. There was relief that came from avoiding directbat, but also doubt about whether Raven could handle such a monster on his own. And, on top of that, there was anxiety about what would happen if he was defeated. All those emotions piled onto each other and weighed heavily on their hearts. And Jung Yi-An, carrying more pressure than all of theirsbined, walked forward. He shrugged his shoulders to ease the tension. "Phew." Yi-An looked up at ''Parthenon'', holding his greatsword. He could feel the gazes of the other Hunters piercing his back. It was always like this, everyone was watching him. At first, it was his sister, andter hisrades. The fate of Elder Lord rested on his shoulders, and now he bore the weight of humanity again. Some couldn''t bear to watch him make all those sacrifices and left. ¡®Why are you the only one who has to sacrifice everything, Yi-An?¡¯ He thought of Han Yeo-Ri. But, it was okay. He had already missed the chance toin a long time ago. "Then, let the battle begin." Someone had to do it and that someone just happened to be him. * * * Parthenon was a four-legged beast. It resembled Behemoth which they had hunted in the Forest of Monsters in the past. But inparison to Behemoth, it was even bigger, dripping with the monster''s unique ck mucus and emitting an ugly smell. It looked down at Crockta, lighting up its eyes. Those yellow eyes seemed like they would exude the smell of urine. "I don''t like the look in your eyes." Yi-An pondered with his greatsword slung over his shoulder. Its pupils alone wererger than his entire body. He had facedrge monsters before, but at this size, it was tricky to decide where to strike first. He couldn''t quite figure it out so he decided to go straight for the eyes. "Gwooooaaah!" The surprise attack worked like a charm. Yi-An leaped in an instant and split Parthenon''s eyes. The monster¡¯s blood was also red, just like his. Landing on the ground, Yi-An dodged the sttering of blood and moved to the side. Parthenon thrashed about, mming the ground furiously. Yi-An smoothly dodged the attacks, finding openings with ease. He gradually elerated. The realm of extremes he had traversed countless times in Elder Lord unfolded once again. The monster''s blind attacks couldn''t harm him. Yi-An had taken control of the enemy''s blind spots. He climbed up Parthenon''s body and reached its shoulder. "Gwoooaah!" Parthenon opened its mouth and spewed something out. It was a ck liquid. Yi-An instinctively dodged it. The ck liquid that was sprayed on the ground dissolved the earth and pulled the surface down into the depths. It was a toxic substance. Parthenon¡¯s vomit created a deep hole. ncing at the power of the ck liquid, Yi-An climbed onto Parthenon''s back. Parthenon turned its head and spat the liquid at Yi-An again. This time, it formed a stream with the ck liquid to intercept him. Yi-An felt a sense of disgust as he watched the monster p its jaws. Instead of retreating, he charged forward. The stream of ck liquid narrowly missed his head as it passed by. mes flickered from God yer. He shed across the neck. The monster''s mucous-covered skin did not easily part. But Yi-An''s sword was God yer, a sword forged in the Eternal Fire. At the moment of contact, sparks flew, and its outer skin was incinerated. And through the burning skin, it cut through the actual body of Parthenon. Flesh parted and blood poured out. Yi-An was drenched in the monster¡¯s blood. His skin stung. He shook his head to clear his vision and knocked away Parthenon''s biting teeth. "Gwoooahhhhh!" Parthenon howled and writhed. Yi-An stood on the monster''s body and jumped while maintaining his bnce. Parthenon couldn''t shake off the presence squirming on its back. So, it rolled on the ground instead. The cave copsed, and parts of their-ified city around it were destroyed. The terrible liquid contaminated everything around it as Parthenon rubbed its back on the ground. "Ugh!" Yi-An escaped before getting caught in Parthenon¡¯s thrashing. The monster, unaware of Yi-An''s location, continued to scrape its back against the ground. Yi-An checked his own body. His left ankle was so sore it hurt with every step. It seemed he had hit it somewhere. His skin also burned as if it was being scorched by the bodily fluid of Parthenon that he was covered in. As Yi-An looked up, he saw Parthenon ring directly down at him. The beast smirked and rose, covering the sun and casting a shadow once more. Parthenon stomped down toward Yi-An. Yi-An rolled to the side to dodge. Parthenon''s speed gradually increased. Yi-An also elerated his body in the realm of extremes. The monster swung its foot, and Yi-An shed at its ankle as he dodged. Instead of dust, mucous sprayed from their sh. Yi-An shook his head to clear the debris blurring his vision. Parthenon''s speed was only getting faster. Even for Yi-An, who had reached the realm of extremes, it was bing increasingly difficult to shake it off. Yi-An climbed the monster''s leg again and headed toward its back. Then, Parthenon spewed the ck liquid again. The aim was precise. Yi-An gave up the climb and jumped off from the monster''s shoulder. He rolled on the ground to minimize the impact. Parthenon''s ck liquid chased after him. It was no longer a stream but spread like a, attempting to engulf Yi-An. Yi-An rolled to the side, but the injured ankle throbbed and prevented him from escapingpletely. He avoided a fatal blow, but some of the ck liquid caught him by his calf. Steam rose as his skin corroded away. Yi-An gritted his teeth and poured a potion over it. He was able to wash off the ck liquid, but pus still flowed from the scorched skin. Yi-An''s face twisted in pain. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± He raised his greatsword. Tattoos emerged on his body. A ferocious aura started flowing from him. The cause and effect reversed, and the atmosphere seized up. Yi-An stepped out again, and Parthenon was waiting for him. Yi-An grinned ferociously. * * * The fallen Parthenon mustered the strength to lift its head. The enemy was standing on top of its belly. It had battled its tiny enemy for hours, but the result was defeat. Parthenon couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened. This dimension had no strong beings. No one could pierce its skin, and those it stomped on were crushed to death instantly. But this one was different. Terrifying energy burst from its small body, shing through its flesh. The longer the battle went on, the number of wounds on its body multiplied. As great as its confidence had been, the terror that was now approaching him was just as severe. It was afraid of its opponent. Parthenon could not admit to feeling that emotion, but it could no longer move its body either. "Gwooahhh¡­!" Then, a me stream was aimed at its belly''s center. That tiny being smirked at Parthenon. It was a sneer. The first thing Parthenon felt was rage. But feeling the unprecedented murderous intent, the rage quickly turned back into fear. Parthenon looked at the stream of me plunging toward its belly. The de pierced through. The pain that started as a light tingling soon spread throughout its body as a fine crack, turning into mes that twisted its entire body. Parthenon''s eyes rolled back as it screeched. The shockwave caused a quake. Blood and ck fluid spewed from its abdomen, contaminating the surroundings. It convulsed, but the me that pierced its core did not waver. Instead, it burrowed deeper and deeper into the center of its body. The energy of the sword tore through its insides. Parthenon stopped convulsing and trembled. As its vision faded, it saw that being. He had been watching Parthenon from the start of its struggle all the way to the end. "Was that not enough?" As he was about to pull out and plunge the sword again, Parthenon''s head fell. Yi-An sighed and slumped over the monster''s belly. The monster did not move anymore. "Parthenon has been neutralized." After radioing the headquarters, hey down on the monster¡¯s stomach like a starfish. He could barely keep his grip around his greatsword. His entire body screamed in agony. It felt like he would need to rest for a while, especially for his left ankle, which had swollen terribly after being overworked while in pain. In the distant sky, helicopters and fighter jets were taking off. Soon, ground forces would be deployed to burn all remnants of the otherworldly debris in the city. Benghazi had been reimed. It was once again thend of humans. The Hunters rushed toward him. "You did amazing." "That was an incredible fight!" "You are Crockta, right? Please give me your autograph!" "He¡¯s injured! Everyone, piss off!" "I''ll heal you!" They all shouted chaotically. Variousnguages were mixed together, but the trantor device in Yi-An¡¯s ear tranted their words for him. Yi-An chuckled and waved his hand. They cheered. Thebat support team radioed Yi-An to express their gratitude. Then, out of nowhere, Yi-An shouted. "Stand back!!!" Startled by his sudden shout, the Hunters flinched. Something burst out from Parthenon as its side split open. "What the!" "Woaaah!" The Hunters stepped back. What emerged from Parthenon''s side was an unidentified creature. It spread its wings. A mucous membrane covered in slime unfurled. The creature was slightlyrger than a human, excluding its wings. But it emitted a chilling aura that made one''s nerves stand on edge. Yi-An reached and clumsily grasped God yer. The tension from the previous battle had just dissipated, so he found it hard to muster any real strength. The unidentified monster pped its wings and soared in front of Yi-An. It hovered in the air, ring at him. It had limbs like a human but also had an insect-like face, and its skin oozed the typical monster slime. Its red eyes red at Yi-An. As Yi-An tried to stagger to his feet, the creature shook its head. As if it was telling him that now was not the time. It was already known that monsters possessed something akin to intelligence, but this was the first time they had something close tomunication with one. Instinctively, Yi-An knew it needed to be eliminated immediately. It was a strong enemy. If he didn¡¯t kill it now, it was most likely going toe back as a greater threatter. The unidentified monster silently raised an arm, pointing in a direction. Yi-An nkly stared in that direction. It was the southeast where there was nothing. "What...?" But the creature did not linger any longer and flew off. It headed toward the distant southeast sky it had pointed at. It was incredibly fast. Yi-An slumped down, exhaling deeply. After the battle with Parthenon, he had no strength left. It might have been a stroke of luck that the mysterious creature disappeared like that. Yi-An massaged his aching body and waved his hand. The Hunters looked up at him with bewildered faces. * * * "I feel like something just passed by." Something was detected on the defense radar scanning the state of New South Wales, Australia. However, it couldn''t be clearly identified. "Are you sure it wasn¡¯t just a glitch?" "Maybe it was?" "Leave a record of it, just in case." In the past, as Sydney underwentir-ification, monsters continuously multiplied and took over the area around New South Wales. Ultimately, there was no choice but to annihte the entire area with a nuclear bomb. After that decision, the southeast of Australia became deadnd, devoid of both humans and monsters. The Australian government constructed a defensive line in preparation for any potential incidents. So far, there have not been any issues. Satellites monitored the area, and the corpse of Azhi Dahaka, the Dragon-ss monster that caused the disaster, was also confirmed. There weren¡¯t going to be any more monster appearances in that ce. At least that¡¯s what they chose to believe. "Something''s off, sir." "What is?" "This time, movement was detected from the opposite direction." "Are you sure it¡¯s not just some migratory birds?" "That''s the thing..." The situation officer adjusted the screen. A series of burst photos appeared. It was a real-time video captured by a satellite. "..." "..." Both men who confirmed it were left speechless for a while. After the silence, the situation officer managed to speak. "It''s not... migratory birds." "Contact the headquarters immediately." The being that was killed, the first Dragon-ss monster, ''Azhi Dahaka'', rose from the dead with its massive body. Side Story 5 Side Story 5 Azhi Dahaka was a monster named after a legendary dragon. That was the nickname given to the first ever Dragon-ss monster. "Azhi Dahaka, which we thought was dead, got up again." Yi-An pondered silently with his chin in his hand upon hearing the news. It was enough headache to think about the humanoid monster that appeared from Parthenon''s body, but now Azhi Dahaka hade back to life. Along with it, a worry he had always deferred and pretended not to know also resurfaced, muddling his thoughts. It was a single question. ¡®Can humanity win this war?¡¯ That was all. Nothing was known about the monsters'' forces. Where they came from or how many there were remained a mystery. Scientists proposed all kinds of theories. They suggested that the monsters were bioweapons created by gic engineering and that the real enemy targeting Earth was a different species altogether. There were also ims that the monsters were made by the remnants of the Nazis, along with various conspiracy theories including those about a world government. There were even apocalyptic theories of divine punishment for humanity. As the debate became more and more absurd, only one fact became clear: humanity still knew nothing about its enemy. So far, about ten dragons have appeared. Excluding Azhi Dahaka, the rest had all been killed by Yi-An''s hands. Yi-An was still humanity''s only contingency n. He was the only one¡­ But even he couldn''tst forever. Although Hunters awakened from the Elder Lord era continued to develop, finding someone capable of facing a Dragon-ss was still a distant hope. Was this fight ever going to end? What oue was waiting for them? This concern had only grown heavier since his awakening. "I see," Yi-An responded after a long silence. He decided to stop thinking about anything anymore. He couldn''t waste the present fearing the future. No matter what the future held, he was only going to do his best to fight in the now. "Where is Azhi Dahaka? In Sydney?" "Not anymore. It has left." "Then where? What about the damage in the defense forces?" "There were no casualties. Since they couldn''t stop it anyway, all defense forces were pulled back. Azhi Dahaka left Sydney and went to the desert. It''s currently at Ayers Rock." "Ayers Rock." The rock also known as Uluru was called the navel of the world. A picture of the giant dragon coiled on top of that rock was sent to Yi-An. Azhi Dahaka was casually sitting on top of thergest rock known to mankind. Yi-An memorized the appearance of Azhi Dahaka in the photo. "What¡¯s our support looking like?" "The Australian government has promised to do everything they can. With the precedent of Sydney, they said that nothing is off the table. Though, there''s not much to call support, to be honest." Yi-An had always fought alone. The word ''support'' didn''t quite fit him. Instead, he received a huge cash reward, but that wasn''t important to him. What he didn''t need was as good as nonexistent. "Request support." "Excuse me? What kind of..." Leonardo, Yi-An''s agent who was speaking to him via video call, was puzzled. It was rare for Yi-An to ask for anything first. "Contact the US and tell them to aim their nuclear weapons just in case." "Yi-An...?" "We¡¯re lucky it¡¯s in the desert." "Are you serious?" ¡°I just have a bad feeling. Don''t worry, though, everything¡¯s going to be okay." "Understood." "I''ll leave as soon as possible. Thanks as always, Leonardo." "Don''t mention it. It''s my pleasure." Leonardo winked, and the video call ended. "Sigh." Yi-An leaned back, rubbing his face with his palms. He had eradicated ''Ramel'' in Egypt and in ''Parthenon'' in Libya. And now, it was ''Azhi Dahaka''. Facing Dragon-ss monsters in session like this was new even to him. "Are you going to be alright?" His assistant asked. He continued to project his healing power toward Yi-An. Yi-An chuckled lightly. "And what if I''m not?" "You must be tired..." "If I rest, people will die." The secretary fell silent. He once again realized that this man that he was serving, this man with a benevolent appearance, was actually carrying the entire weight of the world¡¯s fate on his shoulders. "I¡¯m okay. Let¡¯s just eat and then leave right away." "Yes, understood." Yi-An loosened and tightened his grip, rxing his tense hands. His next destination was Australia. * * * "I still can¡¯t reach him." "Is that so?" Tiyo replied. "They say he''s busy, but neither his assistant nor his agent are answering. Is something going on?" "Leave him alone. Crockta has his own things to deal with, doesn''t he?" Tiyo and his party had already forgotten about why they came to Earth in the first ce. They were having a jolly fun time at Choi Hansung''s home. "What kind of¡­ what kind of dish is this? I''ve never tasted anything this delicious in my life!" "It''s called fried chicken." "Tashaquil. Try this soy sauce vor too. This thing is seriously delicious!" "Ohhh! For the first time ever, I actually feel like joining you on this adventure was the right choice." "Me too, actually." "What? Are you saying you didn¡¯t enjoy our adventure before!" Tiyo and his party hadn''t had the chance to eat proper food in a while due to their long journey. Choi Hansung had ordered various types of delivery food for them, setting up a grand meal. Having tasted the food of this world, Tiyo and his party were shocked. Fried chicken, pizza, Chinese food, boiled pork, various night snacks, and all the delivery foods rich in MSG were a feast of vors. "Human, what''s this called?" "That¡¯s called pizza." "Pizza... I like it." Driden, true to his swordsman identity of wielding dual swords, was munching on a slice of pizza in each hand. "What is the thing you¡¯re eating now?" "Oh, this is ramen. It''s something I like to eat, but it''s not exactly a healthy food." "I''m curious. Can I try it?" Tiyo asked. "Of course." Choi Hansung served some of his ramen to Tiyo. Tiyo carefully looked at it before gulping down the soup from the bowl. His eyes widened. "This is...!" Tiyo''s reaction drew everyone''s attention. "This is Demon Noodle!" "Demon Noodle? Are you serious?" "It is! It¡¯s that Abaddon fe¡¯s Demon Noodle!" "Actually?" "Hmm?" At his words, the three others from Elder Lord crowded around Tiyo like zombies. Choi Hansung had to cook a few more packets of ramen for them. It turned out that in Elder Lord, a spicy noodle dish simr to ramen had be popr. The whole continent became addicted to it, causing a Demon Noodle craze. Apparently, they all had missed that taste after wandering around away from home for so long. "With the cuisine of another world and the taste of home... I could die tomorrow and I¡¯d still be happy." To them, the taste of home was ramen. "My stomach is going to burst." "I can¡¯t remember thest time I ate until I was actually full, keke." Tashaquil, true to his orc nature, had devoured a tremendous amount of food andid himself on the sofa, patting his stomach. Anor rested his head on Tashaquil''s belly. "The food was indeed great, but if Crockta¡¯s so busy..." Tiyo looked at Choi Hansung. "¡­ can''t we just go to him?" "We don''t even know where he is, and he''s probably incredibly far away." "Far away?" Tiyo chuckled at Choi Hansung¡¯s concern of distance. "This Rommel guy says Crockta¡¯s too far away." He turned to hispanions and sneered. They all burst intoughter. "We''ve already crossed multiple continents and seas. Calling something ¡®far away¡¯ is almost amusing." "How far could it possibly be? We''ve already crossed dimensions. No matter how far he is, he¡¯s still on the same, right?" "This delicate of yours is a piece of cake for us. Kyahahaha!" As theyughed disdainfully, Choi Hansung felt a surge of emotion. Did those bumpkins from Elder Lord dare to belittle his blue called Earth? His Earth was a with four beautiful seasons and had produced countless superstars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods. Pacquiao dominated eight weight sses, and Eminem broke records for album sales. Do they even know of English, the world''s most widely usednguage? Do they know the Mariana Trench? Do they know the Mount Everest? Choi Hansung roughly handled the remote control. Tashaquil, who had been gaping at a K-Pop girl group on a music program, was startled and looked at Choi Hansung. "Look at this,¡± Choi Hansung said with a stern look on his face. The money he had earned as a Hunter had allowed him to afford a giant wless Ultra HD screen, which was now disying something far more beautiful than any K-Pop idol group. The majestic and lonely that orbits and rotates in the vast universe. A pale blue dot that was just a speck of dust in the scale of the universe, yet it was the sea of life that harbored everything he knew of life. Everything¡­ The blue Earth. That magnificent view looked down upon them. All the history and civilizations that they knew of rose and fell on that very blue sphere. Choi Hansung swallowed hard, moved by the spectacle, and whispered. ¡°That is¡­ us.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Tiyo snarked. ¡°A marble?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pretty picture... but it¡¯s also somewhat unsettling. The background is dark.¡± ¡°I just want to go back to what I was watching before¡­¡± The others protested. ¡°¡­¡± Choi Hansung tried his best to exin, but it didn¡¯t seem to reach them. Frustrated, Choi Hansung had no choice but to show them a world map marked with Mercator projection. Only then did they nod in understanding. ¡°Ohh, is this a map? It¡¯s incredibly detailed,¡± Tiyo remarked. ¡°We are here. It¡¯s called the Korean Penins.¡± Tiyo squinted. ¡°Eh? It¡¯s quite small.¡± ¡°Huh! What are you talking about? Our country has Park Ji-Sung and Kim Yuna, and we use the most scientific writing system in the world¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough of that. Now, where is Crockta supposed to be?¡± ¡°Do you even know¡­ never mind. He¡¯s probably over here.¡± Choi Hansung pointed at Egypt. Having no sense of the scale of Earth, the four from Elder Lord couldn¡¯t grasp how far that was. ¡°We should be able to get there in a day if we take the ne.¡± ¡°Is your that small?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Choi Hansung passionately exined that Earth is actually a veryrge and wonderful, but thanks to cutting-edge technology like airnes, they could travel long distances in a short time. He went back to how much historical pain there was, the efforts of countless geniuses, and even the achievements of the Wright brothers. However, Tiyo and his group stopped listening halfway through. ¡°Sigh¡­ Who knew he¡¯d be such a chatterbox¡­¡± ¡°Shut him up.¡± ¡°Hey, he¡¯s feeding us. Let¡¯s at least pretend like we¡¯re listening.¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± His attempt to enlighten the four otherworldly beings about the greatness of Earth''s civilization was a failure. Choi Hansung despaired. Then, a phone call came for him. ¡°Hello?¡± Choi Hansung shushed Tiyo and his group by putting his finger to his lips. ¡°Really?¡± Choi Hansung was also among the top Hunters in the world. No, he was the best next to Yi-An. He was Rommel. Before Crockta''s appearance, he was Elder Lord''s top ranker and also the leader of the supreme guild of Heaven and Earth. He had his ownwork of information. Choi Hansung''s face turned stern. He had received shocking news. ¡°That thing came back to life?¡± He had sought information on Yi-An''s location from the Korean government, but the government informed him of an unexpected fact instead. Yi-An had eliminated ¡®Ramel¡¯ in Egypt and killed ¡®Parthenon,¡¯ reiming their-ified city. But right after that, Azhi Dahaka started to move again and Yi-An was headed there straight away. Even for him, facing Dragon-ss monsters consecutively was going to be too much. Choi Hansung frowned. ¡°What were you thinking, sending him there right away? No¡­ Yes, I understand.¡± Choi Hansung shook his head. Yi-An must have insisted on going himself. What frustrated him was the fact that there was no other way than sending Yi-An. Every time a Dragon-ss monster appeared, he felt his powerlessness acutely. If it weren¡¯t for Yi-An, humanity might have already gone extinct. All humanity was indebted to Yi-An. ¡°Are you saying it won¡¯t die even if it¡¯s nuked? Where is it right now?¡± Choi Hansung asked. ¡°I¡¯m asking you where Azhi Dahaka is. Yes, I¡¯m going. No, I¡¯m not crazy. I¡¯m going. I have to go myself. What if something happens to Yi-An?! That¡¯s three Dragon-ss monsters in a row!¡± Choi Hansung shouted angrily. ¡°You know we¡¯re all finished if anything happens to Yi-An, right? Korea will be fine without me, but without him, it¡¯s really the end of everything. If you need help here, contact the White Knight. That guy¡¯s got time. Me? I¡¯ve always done what I wanted. Huh? What¡¯s up with your tone? What, you don¡¯t like my attitude? Up yours! Always giving me crap! Are you all just gonna die if I¡¯m not here? Is Korea that helpless? After all I¡¯ve done! Man, really?!¡± The government official shouted something from the other end of the phone, but Choi Hansung just turned off his cell phone. He was a man who did what needed to be done when it came down to it. ¡°These stuck-up people, tsk.¡± Choi Hansung shook his head. Seeing his strong demeanor, Tiyo and his group looked at him as if they had just seen him in a new light and apuded. ¡°I just found out where Crockta is.¡± ¡°We heard everything. You''re more of a great man than we thought! Let¡¯s get going! We¡¯re departing immediately!¡± Tiyo eximed. ¡°We should hurry. I have a bad feeling. We¡¯re going to need all your help. Yi-An might be struggling right now.¡± ¡°Hehe, we¡¯re finally facing some real monsters, aren¡¯t we? Sounds fun!¡± ¡°How do we get there? Are we taking that thing called a car from earlier?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. If we take a ne¡­¡± Choi Hansung stopped. ¡°We just have to buy¡­ the ne tickets¡­¡± He came to the realization that none of these beings had a passport. Their identities were unclear, being from another world. How was he going to fly them to Australia? ¡°Ah¡­¡± Choi Hansung murmured, clutching his head. ¡°This is¡­¡± After pondering for a while, he sighed deeply. ¡°Shit¡­¡± After ncing back and forth between Tiyo¡¯s group and the phone in his trembling hand, Choi Hansung finally managed to tap the call connection with his unsteady fingers. Then, he crouched and started speaking in a polite manner. ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m really sorry about earlier. I was a bit out of my mind... Yes... Ah, you see, sometimes I let the work stress get to me... ahaha... My sincerest apologies. It¡¯s just that... I have a favor to ask... Ah, yes... I said I¡¯m sorry... Please, calm down¡­¡± Side Story 6

Side Story 6

Yi-Annded at Alice Springs Airport, located a short distance from Ayers Rock, the city that was located in the central desert of Australia. "There''s a lot of vegetation for a desert." "The Australian government is putting a lot of effort into it. It''s a national business." The one to wee Yi-An was Stearson, a Hunter and a member of the Australian Hunter Management Bureau. Yi-An and his assistant rode in Staerson¡¯s car, following a road through the desert. Yi-An marveled at the endlessly unfolding desertndscape. Clusters of greens were ced here and there on the deste rednd, like a patchwork. "It''s beautiful. I never thought I¡¯d use that word to describe a desert." As if Azhi Dahaka was out of his mind, Yi-An started off the conversation with praise for thendscape. He was also being sincere. The endless expanse of rednd had a strangely beautiful side. Within the destion, one could feel the truly grand scale of nature. Stearson smirked. "It''s even more beautiful at night. The night sky here is marvelous." The silhouette of Uluru was faintly visible on the distant horizon. So far, there were no signs of any danger or problems. "Since it''s getting dark today, we''ll start the operation as soon as the day breaks tomorrow," Yi-An suggested. "Will you be okay? I heard you''ve dealt with two Dragon-ss monsters just in the past few days alone." "It''s what I always do. It won¡¯t change anything." They entered the downtown part of Alice Springs. The city had more greenery and trees than Yi-An had expected. Buildings that were once homes were now being used as barracks for soldiers and Hunters. "There are a lot of Hunters who''ve heard the news of the famous Raven and want to meet you." "Maybe next time. After the job is done, if possible." "Of course. You don¡¯t think we¡¯re amateurs, do you?" Yi-An was shown to a home. It was a house that was left behind by the evacuated residents. Yi-An suddenly thought of his own home. His memory of it was fading as he hadn''t returned to it in a long time. He wondered if the cafe was doing well. It was now being run by his sister Yi-Yoo. After everything is over, it would be good to go back for a visit. "Please restfortably. We''ve asked for the residents'' understanding. They were more than willing to cooperate." "Thank you." "I''ll be in touch again." Upon entering the house, Yi-An found a family photo in the living room. It was a picture of an elderly couple, standing side by side in front of the door, smiling brightly at the camera. Who could have taken the photo? Perhaps it was their children, neighbors, or even a photographer. "It¡¯s a nice picture." his assistant said as he approached and looked at the family photo with Yi-An. "I wish I had someone by my side when I get that old," he added. Yi-An chuckled lightly. "Don¡¯t you have a girlfriend?" "We¡¯re going through it right now. I''m always out because of work, so she¡¯s..." Theining assistant trailed off, gauging Yi-An''s reaction. Yi-An was gazing at the photo with a faint smile. The secretary shrugged. "Try to get some rest. You must be tired." "This is me resting, right now." Yi-An sat in the living room, reviewing the documents he had been given. Azhi Dahaka, a monster resembling a dragon as its name suggested. When this unprecedented Dragon-ss monster appeared, all of Australia''s Hunters were deployed, but they werepletely wiped out. Sydney became air, continuously spawning demons. The casualties continued to increase with no signs of slowing down. Eventually, a nuclear weapon was used, turning the area into and of death. Modern weaponry was ineffective against monsters, but nuclear weapons were an exception. With its overwhelming firepower, the monsters were exterminated, and Azhi Dahaka ceased its activity. Thus, the first Dragon-ss monster was eliminated. Or so thought everyone... ¡°He died for sure, but he¡¯se back to life now?¡± Yi-An asked his secretary. ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t dead in the first ce? Maybe it was just in a dormant state due to the impact.¡± ¡°They said they confirmed the cessation of life activity with their drones.¡± ¡°You never know with these monsters, right? They¡¯re pretty strange.¡± Strange. Yes, they were indeed strange. The monsters were beings thatpletely shattered the expectations of Earth¡¯smon sense. Yi-An thought of the humanoid monster that had emerged from Parthenon¡¯s insides. What was its identity? Could it have been a parasitic entity controlling Parthenon from within? Were monsters actually bioweapons with controllers inside them, as some scientists argued? Everything felt like a mystery. ¡°By the way, Leonardo said that Rommel has been persistently trying to contact you.¡± ¡°Hansung?¡± ¡°Yes. It sounded like you should probably take the call.¡± Yi-An pondered for a moment before responding. ¡°I''ll call him after I finish this job.¡± The assistant nodded. Ever since he heard about Azhi Dahaka, Yi-An seemed quite down. Yi-An was neither a toxic boss nor a brute who abused his power, but precisely because of that, his assistant didn¡¯t want to go against Yi-An''s mood. He was the one who observed the weight on Yi-An¡¯s shoulders from up close, so he knew what he was dealing with better than anyone else¡ªother than Yi-An himself, of course. Supporting the only Hunter capable of defending the whole of humanity, ensuring Yi-An could focus fully, was his duty. "Understood. I''ll go talk with Stearson some more," the assistant excused himself. Left alone in the home, Yi-An leaned back on the sofa, flipping through documents, before closing his eyes. Fatigue washed over him. After a rather long moment of silence, he asked into thin air. "Are you there?" But no one answered. "Of course you¡¯re not..." The Ashen God did not respond. Even after returning to Earth, Yi-An had been able tomunicate with her. However, as the monsters appeared and the Age of Great Monsters became more serious, theirmunication started to suffer. ording to the Ashen God, the energy from the other dimension was overriding their connection. It had been a while since their sporadic conversations hadpletely stopped. And with that, Yi-An felt like he was truly alone in this world. There was no one by his side to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. He was the only one capable of facing Dragon-ss monsters. In Elder Lord, many heroes fought against the Ashen God alongside him. But here, on Earth, he was always alone. He had to bear all the burdens himself. Perhaps it was a bit lonely. He missed the energetic Tiyo and the gentle voice of Anor. "Sigh." Yi-An opened his phone with a sigh. Once upon a time, there was something good that helped him forget everything. And although it was gone now... Yi-An hesitated before opening the messenger app on his phone. She didn¡¯t change her profile picture. Her bio didn¡¯t even have the title of a sad breakup song like everyone else¡¯s does. It was just her bright face, as it always was. It was the same for Yi-An as well. He sighed deeply. He remembered his sister''s angry face saying she wasn¡¯t asking for a breakup but was actually pleading for him to ask her to stay. But it was fine. He used to regret it, but he didn¡¯t anymore. Not everything went ording to one¡¯s will, and that¡¯s just how the world worked. Just as he epted his parents'' deaths and went to war, some things just had to be endured. "Man, I''m tired..." Yi-An covered his face with his hands. The coolness of his palms soothed his turbulent mind. He prayed with his eyes closed, hoping everything would turn out just fine. Several images shed through his mind like a dream. He imagined defeating Azhi Dahaka with ease, receiving gratitude from the Australian government, and returning to Korea. He pictured giving gifts to Yi-Yoo and meeting Baek Han-Uo or Choi Hansung for a drink. The weather would be clear, the air brisk, and there would be nothing rough. Sharing trivial jokes,ughing without worries, and toasting. And then, by pure chance, he would encounter someone on the street as if by fate. Such thoughts... Even adults sometimes wished for everything to fall perfectly into ce, harboring child-like hopes where every single thing they imagined came true. An elusive dream that was never going toe true. He stayed still in that spot, lost in his daydreams for a long while. * * * "Is that Rommel?" "Choi Hansung, right? He¡¯s just like in the videos." "Who are those with him? Hunters?" The Incheon Airport was buzzing. Rommel Choi Hansung, South Korea''s top star, had made an appearance. He was going through the check-in process apanied by four unidentified beings. The man with his face hidden by a hood and a mask was abnormallyrge. Not just big, but huge. Even Brock Lesnar in disguise wouldn''t look as big. The men in the airport admired his pure muscle mass. And the two men standing beside him were incredibly handsome young men. Their skin was sun-kissed, which only entuated their exotic charm. The gaze of many women was fixed on them. And then, there was one quite short in stature, a man wearing a trench coat and sunsses. He outdid everything with his presence. His walk made people feel as if this ce wasn''t an airport but a dark alley in Hong Kong, a windy desert in the Wild West, or a post-apocalyptic city that was left in ruins. "Oh my God. Look at that gorgeous hard-boiled guy," a woman said to herpanions, almost inspired by his appearance. "Smoking is prohibited inside the airport......" A passing airport staff started off his usual warning without even realizing it, then trailed off. Nobody was smoking. Yet, it felt as if the chilly, bitter smoke of a cigarette was flowing from where the crowd was gathered. Upon closer inspection, it wasn''t the smell of cigarettes. It was a scent. T he scent of a lonely man! "Thank you." "This is a one-time thing. We¡¯re only doing this because it''s you, Mr. Hansung.¡± "Yes. You''ve seen the video. These people are the real deal." A high-ranking official from the government hade down to the airport himself to facilitate their departure. It was partly because of Choi Hansung''s status and the hint that they were associated with Raven, but mostly, because of theirbat video. The Ogre-ss monster Gramas was reduced to rags by just a few shots from a handgun. It was a shocking sight. Upon Choi Hansung''s assertion that they were beings from Elder Lord withbat powerparable to Raven, the Korean government decided to cooperate. It was an era when national security was constantly threatened by monsters. Competent Hunters were by far the most important asset of the country. "It''s hard to believe they came from Elder Lord, but since there''s also the video footage from that time, I doubt you are lying. I was plenty startled by that Tashaquil fellow." "This whole era doesn¡¯t make any sense to begin with, right?" "That''s right. If you have any more information, don''t keep it to yourself and share it with us. There won''t be any sabotage attempts like in the movies or drama. We don''t have the capacity for that, even if we wanted to try." "Why sound so defeated, Director? Haha. Weren¡¯t you the one who put me in that research facility before?" "I told you that was just a health checkup." With the appearance of monsters and Hunters wielding powers from the days of Elder Lord, the new era had tossed aside the concept ofmon sense. Rommel Choi Hansung, who was in front of them, was already an unfathomable being. It was easier to just ept whoever came from that world. "So, Azhi Dahaka is that dangerous? To the extent that everyone must go?" The director of the Hunter Management Bureau asked while stroking his chin. "Yes. Yi-An might be in danger. It''s different this time." "Ah..." Initially, there was a bit of rashness, but even the shaman Tashaquil advised that it was crucial to go to Crockta quickly. Tashaquil had cast spells in Choi Hansung''s home and got the heavenly readings of this world. Its future was grim. The shadow of another dimension was on the verge of swallowing this world. Crockta needed them. "I hope everyonees back safely. I mean it. And also, tell Yi-An toe by after the job¡¯s over. He is Korean after all." "Yes. Don''t worry. I''ll drag him back if I have to." "That''s why we''re sending you." They finished their check-in, went through security, and headed to the gate. Their destination was Darwin, a city in the northern part of Australia. Since Alice Springs was closed, they were going to go to Alice Springs from Darwin with the cooperation of the Australian government. Tiyo and his group were steadily making their way to Crockta. "We¡¯re finally going to see that guy..." Tiyo muttered while seated on the airne. Crockta, known there as Jung Yi-An. What would he look like? Hansung had told them that he was now a human, not an orc. Although his appearance seemed different in pictures, making it hard to believe that it was really Crockta, they were looking forward to meeting the essence of Crockta. "What about finding Tiyo¡¯s father?" Anor, who had been fiddling with the seat, eventually lost interest and leaned back and asked. "He''s somewhere in this dimension, so we''ll see him eventually. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± Tiyo had a vague premonition. He felt like at the end of the journey, where they were facing monsters from another dimension and meeting Crockta, his father was waiting for him. Hedoro was such a man. Seemingly within reach, yet uncatchable, and following his trail inevitably led to new adventures. "Since Crockta saved our world." The great warrior Crockta, who defeated the Ashen God and protected the world of Elder Lord. Every being in that dimension had received salvation from Crockta. "Now it''s our turn to save his, isn''t it?" He wasn''t one to leave a debt unpaid. Since he owed his world to Crockta, it was time to return his world to him. Side Story 7

Side Story 7

"Azhi Dahaka isn¡¯t showing any movement. It''s just sitting there." [Be careful. We''re also monitoring with the drones.] Yi-An slung God yer over his shoulder and started walking forward. Though he had returned to his human form, he was every bit of the confident orc warrior Crockta when he entered the battle. "I''ll make this quick." [You sound like you¡¯re in a good mood.] "I had a good sleep." He was feeling good. His body felt light as soon as he opened his eyes in the morning. "It''s big." [Are you referring to Azhi Dahaka or Uluru?] "Both." Uluru really was the biggest rock in the world. He eyed the size of that rock by gazing at its summit, where Azhi Dahaka was coiled up. "Adding to that..." Azhi Dahaka noticed Yi-An and lifted its head. Their gazes met. "It¡¯s not as threatening as I expected it to be." Contrary to the ominous premonition he had been feeling up to this point, Azhi Dahaka''s aura was rather minimal. It actually seemed weaker than the recently in ''Parthenon,'' let alone the ''Ramel'' of Egypt he had cut in two in one sh. It appeared as if, just as his secretary spected, Azhi Dahaka was barely awake from a long dormant state. "I''ll start the operation soon." Yi-An''s voice grew a step louder. He was off to a good start. It felt like he could take care of this monster easily and return to Korea safely, just as he imaginedst night. His spirits soared along with his mood. The realm of Pinnacle and Hero mingled above God yer, creating mirages. [What about Azhi Dahaka?] "No response yet." Azhi Dahaka looked down at Yi-An with an ambiguous gaze. [Are you going to attack first?] "Yes, I have to." Yi-An advanced while Azhi Dahaka still showed no signs of moving. He was going to strike first. But it wasn¡¯t that he was picking a fight with an innocent opponent. No one had forgotten that this seemingly powerless monster coiled on top of Uluru was a demon who hadpletely destroyed Sydney and devoured countless lives just a few years ago. "Here we go." Between Azhi Dahaka and Yi-An, there was a vast distance. The disparity in the elevation between the ground and the summit of Uluru. The moment Yi-An leaped, that gap closed to zero in the blink of an eye. He scaled the near-vertical cliff face. With every step, the air changed. Leaving his footprints on the face of Uluru, Yi-An flew right in front of Azhi Dahaka''s nose. Azhi Dahaka twitched its body, sensing the anomaly. "Krrraaaahhhh!" Azhi Dahaka let out a roar-like screech, pping its wings violently. A stickyyer of tissue obscured Yi-An''s vision. Yi-An cut through it without care. Theyer split and the wings were bifurcated. Through the gap, Yi-An saw Azhi Dahaka''s enraged eyes. Yi-An grinned. "Is it venomous?" [Negative.] Azhi Dahaka''s fluids were not acidic or toxic like Parthenon''s. It was simr to a ssic dragon, relying on brute force and spewing mes. Yi-An, carried by momentum, passed the severed edge of the wing. He aimed God yer at Azhi Dahaka''s giant eyeball. The greatsword plunged down. The monster shook its head to move its eye out of the way but was still struck on the cheek. Azhi Dahaka screeched. Yi-An momentarily lost his hearing because of the monstrous bellow. In the ringing silence, Yi-An steadily drove God yer in and twisted. mes burst from the de, distorting Azhi Dahaka''s face. The monster thrashed, iling its wings. Its resistance was weak. The enfeebled monster couldn''t shake Yi-An off. Once God yer clung to Azhi Dahaka''s face, it wouldn¡¯t let it go. Yi-An''s task was simply to hold onto the hilt and nt his feet firmly. The de did the rest, carving through flesh and advancing inward. Azhi Dahaka''s resistance began to wane. "Krrraaaahhhh..." Its life hung by a thread under Yi-An''s sword. Yi-An suddenly looked up at the sky. It was high and blue. He stood at its highest point in the middle of the vast red desert. His view stretched to the farthest his eyes could see. The only thing that could contain this vastnd was the blue sky. As he nced at the receding sky and clouds, Yi-An let out a sigh that was almost a gasp. "Ah..." It was a beautiful view. Strength returned to his shoulders. His voice grew louder. "Ahhh...!" Thendscape of the desert brought him sce. Hoyt¡¯s words were never wrong. The enemy''s weakness was his strength. Something boiled within him as he watched Azhi Dahaka crumble. It became a vindictive pleasure against a foe that had once massacred humanity. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Yi-An roared, plunging God yer deep inside the monster. His energy erupted. mes burst from the greatsword, devouring Azhi Dahaka''s insides and incinerating its remains. The sword energy mercilessly descended to bisect the monster''s body and shatter the silhouette of Uluru. There was an explosion. The cloud of dust settled. Yi-An was standing on top of Uluru. He nudged the body of the fallen Azhi Dahaka¡¯s body with his foot. The monster no longer moved. It was an easier fight than he had expected. * * * "The battle is over." Yi-An radioed brightly. Soon, a helicopter woulde to pick him up. [.......] But there was no response. "Base?" After calling the base for a while, Yi-An realized. A translucent barrier was enclosing the area around Uluru, and it was gradually thickening. Thendscape beyond the barrier became blurred. Yi-An swung his sword energy toward Azhi Dahaka. Its skin split open, spilling bodily fluids, but there was no reaction from the monster itself. By the time the outside of Uluru waspletely obscured, making the desert and the sky barely visible, the real opponent revealed itself. "It''s you." Yi-An sighed. It was a creature he had seen before. The unidentified humanoid monster that had appeared from within Parthenon after its death. Just like it did then, itnded slowly in front of Yi-An with ayer of tissue spread out wide, dripping with mucous. Their eyes were at the same level. Its insect-like, bizarre eyes stared at Yi-An. Its vertically split mouth rubbed against itself for a while, seemingly attempting to convey something. Then, it managed to produce thenguage of humans. "Hu...man." It spoke. "Yeah, monster." Yi-An responded, resting God yer on his shoulder. Humannguageing out of a monster¡¯s wasn¡¯t the most pleasant to the ear. Still, it had the courtesy to speak in English. "Very strong human." "Save yourpliments. Just take down that barrier." Yi-An wasn''t interested in dragging out the conversation. He prepared to swing his sword immediately. But the monster¡¯s next words greatly deviated from Yi-An''s expectations. "We need to help each other." Yi-An was momentarily speechless, dumbfounded at the monster''s words. A monster that relentlessly destroyed humanity and preyed upon them was saying what now...? "You bastard..." Yi-An swung his sword immediately. ng! "...!" A w at the end of its arm blocked his sword. The monster didn''t lower its stance nor did it shift its feet, but it blocked Yi-An''s attack standing firm. It was strong. "Calm down, human. We are not enemies." "Bullshit." Yi-An twisted his sword to shake off the w and swung again. The monster retreated. The greatsword cut through the air. "Human, I understand your anger." "You understand?" "Many humans died. I empathize with your sorrow." "...." Yi-An caught his breath, trying to calm his heightened emotions. Fatigue and stress had inevitably umted over time. Anger was boiling inside him. He took deep breaths, trying to settle it down. "What is that barrier?" "Without it, we''ll get caught. ''He'' will find out. It''s for our protection." Yi-An massaged his temples hard. "Alright, speak. Let''s hear it." "Human. The one invading your world is ''Bagamadra.''" "Bagamadra?" "I, too, have lost everything to him. He is my enemy. He wasn''t satisfied with our dimension and now seeks to im yours as well." "Who are you?" "I am Garuda.''" Garuda shook his w once. It seemed almost like a gesture of respect toward something. "The sole heir of the Basara Ayuta dynasty. I was once a prince. But now I am a warrior resisting Bagamadra." Warrior. It was a word he hadn''t heard for a while. He felt a rather strange emotion when he heard iting from the mouth of a monster. "Warrior?" "Yes. Human. A warrior. Just like you." Garuda looked at Yi-An with its otherworldly eyes. Yi-An couldn¡¯t get a grip on what Garuda was feeling. "Our world was different once too. But Bagamadra destroyed everything. He produces only pain and hatred with his evil power. He wanted to have your world as well, but because of you, human, he hasn''t been able to." "..." "Most of this world should have already been conquered, but there was you, a strong human. You are strong. You killed all his minions." Yi-An nodded. Without a doubt, without him, the majority of Earth would have fallen already not only to the Dragon-ss monsters but also because of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters pouring out from their-ified areas. Or humans would have turned entire continents intonds of death with nuclear bombs. "But if things stay this way, you will lose. This dimension will be like my world, taken by Bagamadra. Like it happened to me..." Yi-An observed Garuda. He had the skill to see through truths, the Divine Eye. His Divine Eye, gradually adapting to the presence of the otherworldly being in front of him, started to read Garuda''s heart. There was no falsehood in Garuda''s heart. It was filled with earnest sincerity. A deep sorrow that couldn''t be guessed from his insect-like face shone through. The grief of losing his world and kin, the powerlessness against the enemy, and a sliver of hope¡ªall of them tangled together. At the end of it all there was Yi-An. He was there. "We must help." "How?" Yi-An asked as he lowered God yer. Instead of answering, Garuda bowed his head. The antennae on his head extended toward Yi-An. Yi-An hesitated for a moment but then leaned forward. Garuda''s antennae touched Yi-An''s head. Something started to flow in. Visions became torrents flooding into Yi-An''s mind. And the vision. "Ah..." Hell. An abyss writhing in endless pain and hatred, where the dying and those wishing for death forever intertwined. A demondscape where ugly creatures were fused together to create even uglier ones, then split and grafted to rise again as horrendous entities. And the giant monster causing it all, Bagamadra. Just seeing it felt like the mind could be corrupted by the abyssal vision. Unwanted knowledge was injected into his head. Yi-An''s breath quickened. Yi-An couldn''t bear it any longer and shook off Garuda''s antennae. He bent over, heaving. "Do you understand now, human?" Yi-An sped his head. He started tough emptily with his head still bowed. "Hahaha..." It was almost strange how nice today felt. "Shit." The sky was especially blue, and each of the distantndscapes caught his eye. It felt like something pleasant was about to happen, getting him all excited. Yi-An gritted his teeth once more. "Shit..." Side Story 8

Side Story 8

In that brief moment, he saw a lot of things. A flood of information poured into his head. Bagamadra was deeply rooted in his dimension. He hadn¡¯t taken even a bit of damage. He was merely testing his weapons with intrigued eyes, curious when the toy known as Earth would fall into his hands. Bagamadra was now creating the ultimate weapon to obliterate Earth. Once it descended, no one would be able to stop it. Even if it somehow were stopped, it would be after Earth has already been reduced to ashes. A monster whose very existence heralded destruction. There was no escape from that. That''s why Garuda, the creature standing before him, hade to him. Garuda, the warrior who had not sumbed to the countless despairs he went through. The several visions he shared were all pointing to a single path. "You want to go, together?" Yi-An asked. Garuda nodded. The only path given to them was taking them directly into Bagamadra''sir to execute him. "I''ve gambled everything toe here for that very reason." Garuda blinked once. Coming to Earth was a huge gamble for him. Garuda, who had been fighting one hopeless battle after another, learned about the fearsome warrior from another world who was executing Bagamadra''s weapons one by one. Even Bagamadra, who was about to descend into this dimension, felt fear and was creating a new weapon. Garuda infiltrated the inside of Parthenon and crossed over to Earth so he could meet this warrior. What he saw was a beautiful world. Before Bagamadra showed up, his world was like this too. "This world is weak. Only you are strong. Alone, you cannot win. We must unite our strength." It was Garuda who had awakened the first monster Azhi Dahaka from its dormant state to return to his dimension. "The gate will open soon." The world called Earth was weak, but this human was strong. Stronger than anyone Garuda knew. Garuda saw hope. He pleaded with a sense of begging. "You and me. Let''s save our worlds, human. There is no time." Yi-An closed his eyes. It was a sudden crisis. He wasn¡¯t given any time to hesitate. Yet, he ended up understanding that Garuda''s proposal was the only sliver of possibility. The information Garuda shared shattered all of Yi-An¡¯s predictions. Bagamadra''s power was only growing stronger. They had to go before it was toote. But why like this? Why in this manner? Until that morning, he believed he would be able to return to Korea soon. He was going to go back to Korea after eliminating Azhi Dahaka, see Yi-Yoo, see his master and friends, enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee, and then... Just smile. It was all a vain dream. In the end, he was alone. Yi-An whispered to god. ¡®Isn''t this too cruel?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t any answering back. The order of the universe he saw on the day he shed the Ashen God or the warriors who used to extend their fists toward him. None were by his side now. He felt like he might finally crumble. "Human." "Let''s go," Yi-An muttered. "I said let''s go." The gate was opening. Yi-An tried hard not to think further. This was the only way. There was no time toin. Even if no one acknowledged what he was doing, and regardless of what kind of hell was waiting for him, it was something only he could do. But, It was just... a little lonely. Forgotten god, are you watching me? Yi-An longed for the skies of Elder Lord, where gods and magic were alive, and where warriors stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "Human, thank you!"Garuda said. Yi-An nodded. * * * They moved forward together. The darkness beyond the gate weed them. "Here we go." The moment they were about to cross into the other dimension, something happened. Garuda looked back, and Yi-An raised his greatsword. The barrier was being torn apart. "What''s happening?" "Impossible." For the first time, Garuda showed his emotion. "This is not supposed to open. It''s a powerful force. Is it Bagamadra? How did he know?" The translucent barrier sealing the Uluru area was trembling. Parts of it began to fragment. Behind them, the malicious energying from beyond the barrier was already pressing against his back. That alone was enough worry, and now a new crisis emerged. Had an enemy appeared? And then... Yi-An couldn''t believe his eyes. There... "Kiyoooooot¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The barrier encircling the area shattered into pieces, and a convertible off-road car emerged as it raised a sandstorm. They were there. "We''ve arriveddddd¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!" The man standing up in the passenger seat and shouting out the car was someone he could never forget. "No way." Yi-An was astonished. "Tiyo?" One unbelievable event followed by another. The car racing across the ground soared into the air andnded at the top of Uluru. The source of the power was the man in the hood in the back seat. Every time he waved his hand, a terrifying force stirred the atmosphere. Even without seeing his face, his build and silhouette made his identity unmistakable. "Tashaquil?" The moment the car stopped midair right above their heads, a sword energy flew toward them. Garuda stepped back, swinging his pincers. The sword strike was deflected. "Why is swinging your sword the first thing you do?" "Is it not an enemy?" "They¡¯re standing together!" "I see. He didn''t die." There were two voices, one without a hint of warmth and another thered in kindness even when yelling. "Driden, Anor?" Then the car came crashing down. "Woaaaaahhhhhhh!" And, there was the human grabbing onto the steering wheel too. "Hansung?" Crash! Bang! The car bounced off the ground from the impact of the fall, stirring up a cloud of dust. "Wow! You actually pulled your weight this time, Tashaquil!" "¡¯ This time¡¯? Do I have to tell you again that I am Tashaquil, the mentor of shamans..." "Go apologize for swinging your sword rashly like that." "I don¡¯t want to." "Eughhhhhhh..." The dust settled, and they walked out. Garuda, looking confused, asked Yi-An, "They''re strong. Very strong. Not human. Do you know them? Comrades?" Yi-An couldn''t respond. Tiyo was walking toward him. Though his appearance had changed, he was unmistakably the Tiyo he knew. Tiyo stopped in front of Yi-An. "Hey, Crockta." Their eyes met. Neither of them thought they would see each other again. It was a reunion. "Your face was better before. Kyahaha." Tiyoughed. He was an orc back then, and now he was a human, but nothing had changed. Their souls remained the same. "Your form has changed, but the light of your soul is as brilliant as ever. Were you alive? Kekeke." Tashaquilughed, removing his hood. "Wow. Is it really you, Crockta? You''ve gotten handsome. No way!" "What''s with that look? You look weak and boring." Anor and Driden, the Dark Elf duo, showed their reactions. Yi-An still couldn''t believe what he was looking at. They came. At the moment when he needed someone the most, they came to him. "Everyone..." He didn¡¯t know what was going on. But there was no time to catch up now. In that brief moment, while he tried to speak, Yi-An had a vision sh through his mind. Numerous scenes appeared in front of his eyes. He saw himselfughing with them. Riding in a wide-open convertible, speeding along a cool, open road. The backdrop shifted from Europe to the Middle East, Africa to Asia, and then to the Americas. The sights of countless cities passed by. The Earth was safe. Bagamadra had fallen by their hands. It wasn¡¯t an easy path. It was more dangerous than any fight they had before. But just like when they defeated the Ashen God, they would ultimately prevail. Eliminating Bagamadra, saving Garuda¡¯s world, protecting Earth from the threat of monsters, then returning to this very spot. Then, traveling the Earth with them without a single worry. Such images... A future where everything falls into ce, they returnughing, finally finding happiness. Yi-An blinked once. He couldn¡¯t find the words. He gritted his teeth, then finally asked them. It was just a single sentence. "Will youe with me?" The gate was wide open. The darkness beyond called to them. Swirling malicious energy drooled and growled toward them. They didn''t have the context. They didn¡¯t know what was happening or what kind of enemy awaited on the other side of the gate. In that short moment, Yi-An could not possibly exin everything to them. He simply asked them to join him in that danger-filled hell. And they responded, "That sounds fun." Tiyo was the first to nod. "Being with a great warrior is the highest honor. Bul¡¯tar!" "Crockta is asking. Of course, we¡¯re going." "I always wee a new battle." Yi-An tried to force a smile. He wanted to smile, but it didn¡¯te out. He was no longer alone. Yi-An said to Garuda. "Garuda. These are my friends." "Friends." Garuda twitched its antennae. "Understood." It almost seemed as if Garuda was smiling. "Your friend. Small human. He looks a lot like him." "Him?" "After Bagamadra started the invasion, small human from Earth came to our dimension. He helped us. He told us about you." "Who is ¡®he¡¯?" "That small human, he said his name was Hedoro." Tiyo suddenly choked and screamed, the others sighed and shook their heads. Eventually, even Yi-An burst outughing. He thought they were doomed. The future he had hoped for seemed impossible, with no way forward, but... Like a dream, the pieces began falling back into ce at that moment. "Human, there is no time. The gate is closing." "Just a moment." Yi-An looked up. "Tashaquil. Can you keep that thing open just for a moment?" "I can''t hold it for too long." "Just a moment is enough." The greatest shaman of Elder Lord, the mentor of orc shamans, Tashaquil, exerted his power. The gate, which seemed to fade slowly, halted. His magic grasped and fixed the gate in ce. Yi-An walked over to Choi Hansung. "Hansung." "Hey, what''s all this about?" "There¡¯s no time to exin. Can I borrow your phone?" Choi Hansung handed his phone over. Yi-An took a deep breath and dialed a number. He was not a child. He understood from a young age that life would not always go as wished. Even when he was informed of his parents'' death, he didn¡¯t cry. Even then, he was an adult. But even adults, sometimes wished for everything to fall perfectly into ce. Sometimes, they harbored child-like hopes that everything they nned woulde true. That dream starteding back. Friends he thought he''d never see again came looking for him. He was not afraid of Bagamadra. They would save the world with Garuda. Then, he would finally meet that Hedoro guy. Yes, they would return to Earth,ughing, saying it was a tough job. He would get to fulfill the promise he couldn''t keep before. He would get to introduce the beautiful nature of Earth to his friends, traveling the world together. Once again, they were all by his side in all of that. Fantasies where dreams alle true. "Yeo-Ri." "Yi-An?" she answered, surprised. Their conversation wasn¡¯t long. No conclusions were drawn. But it was enough. Yi-An handed the phone back to Choi Hansung. "Do you really have to go?" "Yeah." "I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about... but just know that I''m always sorry and grateful to you. You bettere back." Yi-An grinned. Thus, a new battle was decided. Yi-An stood in front of the gate with his friends and their newrade Garuda. He reflected on his past, his life had been a perilous journey. The things he longed for always seemed to slip through his fingers. Even what he thought he had secured eventually escaped his grasp. Still, he epted it as inevitable. He believedining was something only a child could afford to do. On the battlefield, in Elder Lord, and even on Earth as monsters began to appear, he bore everything on his shoulders without expecting anything in return. But this time, it was different. Somehow, vague, unknown premonitions stirred in his heart. Just before entering the gate. Yi-An looked back. There was something he couldn¡¯t get himself to say to her at the end of their call. It was what he really wanted to say. Yi-An opened his mouth. He said with a slight smile as if all of this was nothing. "I''ll be back. See you then." Then he moved forward. The response was not his to have yet. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!