novelraw Chapter 27 : The Green Race ‘Orc’ (2)
Chapter 27 : The Green Race ‘Orc’ (2)
Chapter 27: The Green Race ‘Orc’ (2)
Same time.
Outside the Gate, there was great shock because scouting and vanguard units kept returning one after another.
Most of the reconnaissance and outpost securing—things they had been confident would succeed easily—had failed.
Out of the 24 Gates, only three had succeeded.
Even those successes had been achieved at such tremendous cost that calling them successes felt embarrassing.
The Orcs’ size was abnormally large, and they were extremely strong.
Moreover, those with red skin were in a completely different class.
The power of abilities had been halved. This seemed related to the need to obtain the profession the Fairy had mentioned.
At that point, even the large, lethargic guilds and major powers could not remain idle.
The Association’s Hunters, cults who worshipped various gods, and mercenaries hired by conglomerates gathered toward the Gate.
And all of that was being observed by those who could not be seen.
“How were the episode’s developments progressing?”
A figure with blue eyes and sharp teeth appeared in form.
Although only fifty centimeters tall, its presence had been beyond imagination.
“Sir, as expected, they were struggling.”
“The Orcs also had desires, so they were engaging the episode actively.”
“It seemed the key would be how much those who had received the ‘Knight’s Token’ would perform.”
The fairies trembled and bowed their heads.
Baekryeong.
At the arrival of the cold, brutal mid-level administrator, the lower administrators even held their breath carefully.
Countless lower administrators had been erased after angering him.
“You all should know, but do not forget that they were paying great attention as well.”
“Of course.”
“We were mindful.”
Among the lower administrators who hurriedly answered was Priscilla.
“That’s how it should be. It would be natural for that tiny head of theirs to remember everything clearly.”
Baekryeong’s eyes swept over the fairies one by one.
“Apparently some idiotic creature took a bribe and handed over the ‘Knight’s Token’.”
Then he stopped abruptly at one point.
Eerie!
The fairies’ hearts froze.
To have sold one of the episode’s core items, the ‘Knight’s Token’, for a bribe—
It was something one would never do unless they were crazed enough to wish for death.
In that sense, the fairy who locked eyes with Baekryeong wore a look as if she could die at any moment.
“Inermof. Answer me.”
The one singled out was a lower administrator called “Inermof.”
The frail fairy’s body trembled violently as if struck by electricity.
“I—I… that person… his skill was sufficient. His potential was also very high…”
“Oh? It seems you did not grasp the purpose of my question. I was not asking about that human’s skill; I asked why he demanded a bribe.”
There was no rise or fall in Baekryeong’s voice.
It was simply the pure tone of someone curious about the motive.
“He wanted to raise his rank… of course! It wasn’t for me — it was a decision for the management bureau. Please believe me.”
“Hahaha! You thought someone like you could really ‘harvest souls’? This was nothing but a comedy.”
Baekryeong snorted and snapped his fingers.
[Baekryeong activated ‘Blue Snowflower’!]
Whoosh!
Blue-and-white snowflowers blossomed.
“Kyahhh! Kyaaaah!”
A fairy screamed horribly.
But the blue Karma Flame clung to her body and swallowed her whole in an instant.
Crackle. Sizzle….
A moth to the flame performed its final song.
Her splendid wings disintegrated. Ash filled the air.
“If you break the rules, remember today. Nothing may go against the flow of an episode.”
A deadly killing intent gathered in Baekryeong’s eyes.
‘Eeeek….’
Priscilla trembled all over like an aspen.
It felt as if those ominous eyes were piercing right through her.
＊＊＊
An overwhelming gap in strength.
The warrior-class Orcs howled and resisted desperately, but facing Yohan alone was impossible.
In the end, after a terrible defeat, they lost their lives.
From then on it was simple.
Thunk! Puff!
They only had to eliminate the demoralized ones one by one.
Thud.
Yohan wiped the blood off his dagger and looked at the two Orcs still alive.
Having seen how horribly their comrades had died, their morale had already been broken.
“Hrk. He wasn’t an ordinary human, but a warrior…”
“This is our defeat. Kill him.”
Deep wounds in their legs prevented them from fleeing.
So they wanted an honorable death.
However.
“Unfortunately, I did not know the meaning of honor; I was an evil being.”
So they should forget about dying comfortably.
If they wanted rest, it would be after giving everything he demanded.
Yohan crouched before the Orcs.
“If you answer my questions well, I might let you live. First, what is the name of the one who leads you?”
Depending on who the chieftain was, the Orcs’ behavior changed, and the shaman’s level differed as well.
While repeating the 999th run, he had experienced about fifty-nine patterns.
He had divided the difficulty into grades from one to ten in his notes.
For reference, one was the lowest and ten the highest.
Please, not a grade ten.
If “that guy” led the Orcs, this episode would become fittingly difficult, making the name “first episode” meaningless.
“I will not beg for my life, so just kill me.”
“Do you think we will willingly tell you the chieftain’s name?”
Both of them snarled.
He had felt it before, but the Orcs appearing in the first episode were particularly tenacious.
They pursued honor and so on.
They hated living cowardly more than death.
However—
‘No matter who you are, you won’t be able to withstand this.’
Unlike before, when he had struggled during interrogations, this time he had a secret weapon in his hand.
[‘Subspace Inventory’ has been opened.]
What he took out from the Subspace Inventory was a neatly packaged ice cream.
Not even the single regular size—
It was the single “King” size.
He had brought six of them.
—I gave you more than the standard amount.
The kind voice of the part-timer still echoed vividly in his ears.
There had been a master’s aura in the way that person had scooped that dreadful thing so casually and generously.
To think they even gave extra beyond the standard amount.
A part-timer…
Not just anyone could do that.
—How long will it take you to get there?
They had even considered the time it would take to reach the destination.
Probably to prevent the poison contained within the mint chocolate from losing its potency.
He had received plenty of dry ice as well, to ensure that this green lump of venom maintained its perfect form.
In other words—
what was being unsealed now was in its optimal state.
“W-What are you trying to make me eat?”
The Orc twisted its entire body in panic.
“It’s not too late yet.”
“We… never sell out our kin. Never.”
“Oh, really?”
Then there was no helping it.
Yohan mercilessly shoved the mint chocolate into the Orc’s mouth.
In just a few seconds, the creature would probably be screaming, confessing even how many pairs of underwear it had in its room.
But—
Crunch, munch.
“It… tastes good. Got any more?”
The Orc, who had swallowed the mint chocolate in a single bite, smacked its lips in satisfaction.
Watching that, Yohan became certain.
This thing was no ordinary Orc—it was a demon incarnate.
If it could endure this kind of torture, then there was nothing else that could break its will.
A will of pure iron and blood.
‘I thought it was just a normal Orc, but to think I caught such a monster…’
No matter what method he used, he wouldn’t get the answer he wanted from this one.
Thus—‘Plan B’ was activated.
Kaang!
“Guek!”
The side of Yohan’s Glaive slammed mercilessly into the Orc’s face.
Kaang! Kaang! Kwaaang!
As if that wasn’t enough, he struck its head and body again and again.
Though it was still barely breathing, the Orc was now nothing more than a well-tenderized lump of meat, twitching faintly.
“Phew.”
It was exhausting to break a sweat after so long.
Still, he felt refreshed, knowing he had just purified one of the world’s wicked demons.
Covered in blood and sweat, Yohan smiled brightly at the next victim.
The sight of him was nothing short of a demon straight out of Orcish mythology.
“I-I’ll talk! If I tell you the chief’s name, will you let me live?”
The reason he had spared the youngest and weakest-looking Orc among them was precisely for this.
If it had been a warrior-class one, no amount of torture would’ve made it talk…
But the low-ranked soldiers were relatively easy to break.
“Of course. I always keep my word.”
“The name of our chief is Jadrak. A great warrior of the Orcs and a hero who has overcome countless trials! No matter how strong you are, you are nothing before him!”
Pride bloomed across the Orc’s face.
Meanwhile— a deep irritation spread across Yohan’s.
‘Broken Axe Tribe.’
Whenever these Orcs led the charge, the episode’s failure rate was the highest. They were monsters that had created over thirty of the fifty-nine possible patterns.
Rank: 10th-tier.
The absolute worst card he could’ve drawn.
＊＊＊
The decision came quickly.
If the enemy was the ‘Broken Axe Tribe,’ there were parts he had no choice but to give up.
Many of the items and opportunities he could’ve obtained early on here had to be either reduced or skipped entirely.
‘I have to hurry.’
He had to design his plans with the highest possible difficulty in mind.
At full speed, Yohan sprinted toward the place where the greatest warriors and shamans of history lay— the Sanctuary.
Before him stood a massive wall built from the bones of prey, within which a hidden temple was sealed.
What lay here—he had to obtain it.
Carefully approaching the door, Yohan clicked his tongue.
‘As expected, the security’s tight. A bit much, even for guarding a tomb.’
Not even a festival guard unit would go this far.
With this level of dedication, the ancestors themselves might rise to lend a hand in battle.
More than ten red-skinned Orcs guarded the entrance, and up on the wall, curses and spells laid by shamans clung like parasites.
Unless one was a mage of at least 2nd-month rank or higher, sneaking through without being detected would be impossible.
However—there was no need to insist on a frontal assault.
Yohan ran his hand along the wall, searching for the exact bone he needed.
It should be around here somewhere.
And then—
‘…Found it.’
His fingers brushed against a bone worn smooth.
It was among the thigh and shin bones of giant beasts piled together. This was the secret entrance.
Crunch! Crack!
Thirty degrees to the left. Twenty-five to the right.
Then, he subtly rearranged some of the smaller bones.
When the shape of a cross-star emerged, a sharp crack sounded, revealing a hole just large enough for a hand.
‘Next…’
His movements became dazzlingly intricate, like solving a puzzle or handling a delicate mechanism.
Even a one-degree mistake could mean being trapped in an underground prison, so the work demanded precision.
As Yohan’s hands moved, the space between the bones gradually widened, eventually forming a gap large enough for a person to enter.
Inside, the corpses of dead Orcs lay enshrined upon marble pedestals.
Fwoosh!
Blue flames flared to life atop the brass fixtures.
The eerie, mystical hue prickled at his nerves.
Quite the grim atmosphere.
Not a place for the faint-hearted.
‘Let’s see… If they’ve seized power, then their greatest rival must’ve been the “Tribe of the Fang of Hatred.”’
Passing by the older corpses, he moved toward those that looked more recent.
The torchlight grew brighter, illuminating the deeper reaches of the tomb.
Weapons once used by Orc heroes in life came into view.
He wanted to take them all, but each was inscribed with special curses.
Touching them carelessly would lead to nothing good.
After proceeding deep inside for quite some time, he finally spotted a distinct symbol glowing faintly— the mark of the Fang of Hatred Tribe.
He had reached the resting place of their warriors.
And among them— there was a special one.
A being once regarded as one of the strongest shamans.