War with the Orcs: Minutes Before the Turtle Drops
A few minutes before the turtle dropped. I was watching the city through the penguin statue dangling from Mae's neck. The scene unfolding in Donghae City beyond the screen was shocking. Orcs swarming toward Haven's main base at Sam Mart. Orcs attacking isolated elite squads. Their numbers were insane—more than ants pouring out of an anthill.
"No way, why are there so many orcs? Didn't they say they'd been picking them off with guerrilla tactics?"
"Do gates usually spit out this many monsters, nyang?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
They'd said they'd steadily whittled down the enemy forces. But if it was still this many... had our attacks even made a dent? Were those dwindling orc numbers just a trick to fool us?
"There must be some reason the orcs suddenly multiplied like this."
The turtle's voice came through the screen. He was right—this abnormal horde had to have a cause.
"Maybe the answer's in that room guarded by the orc king we saw yesterday?"
"This one thinks so too."
But we couldn't check it out right now. Sure, with the orcs out here, we could sneak in through the back door and smash their main base. But what good would beating monsters do if people died in the process? Saving Seola and the others came first.
"Falconer, we're right above the target!"
"Turtle drop!!!"
Mae released the turtle at my command. It plummeted downward.
"I'll wipe them all out!!!"
The falling turtle ballooned in size instantly, growing massive enough to fill half a giant warehouse. When it slammed into the ground, a shockwave rippled out, shaking the earth. Orcs flew off like ragdolls. Whoa, this guy's no joke.
"Are the people okay?"
"I'll go check."
Mae dove urgently. I tried scanning from a surviving utility pole, but thick dust clouded everything. All I could see was the turtle's sturdy shell.
"Get closer!!"
"Understood."
Mae swooped in low. I yelled at the screen.
"Everyone, get inside the turtle's shell!!!!"
People startled at my sudden voice. One by one, they emerged from the dust—about 50 or 60 survivors. More than I'd expected. Weren't there only around 100 awakeners in Haven? Throwing this many into Operation Carrot Carrot seemed nuts. Though maybe their numbers had grown in the meantime. I spotted some new faces.
"Get inside the shell!!!"
I shouted again. They hesitated, but as the turtle lowered its head, they scrambled in. Seola was among them, looking brutally wounded.
"Seola looks like she'll die without immediate treatment?"
"Don't worry. Falconer, remember we put potatoes inside the turtle's shell last time."
"Oh yeah? Good thing."
People rushed in, but it wasn't smooth sailing.
"Orc chieftain incoming!!!"
The orc king—what I'd dubbed the chieftain for lack of a better name—charged with a massive axe. The turtle gathered energy and threw up a frontal barrier.
Thud—
The barrier stopped the orc king cold.
"Such petty tricks...!!!"
Crack—
He shattered it in one go.
"Nyang couldn't even break that easily?"
"Dangerous if it gets close, nyang."
We had to hold it off until everyone was inside. The turtle gathered water in its mouth and blasted forward. Not lethal to people, but enough to shove a monster back. The orc king visibly slowed.
"Annoying!!!"
Then it hurled its axe straight ahead. Mae intercepted, foiling it. The orc king glared at the turtle and Mae in frustration—then at my penguin statue. What, can it sense me like a vampire?
"Slaves of XXX, how dare you!!!"
Censored words again. What the hell was it saying? Then the orc king's body shifted. Bones extended from its frame, forming a giant bone axe. It threw that too.
"Dodge!!!"
Mae flew up frantically, but...
"...!!?"
The bone axe homed in relentlessly.
"It's chasing all the way, nyang!! Be careful, nyang!!!"
"Worry not."
Mae's flight skills were unreal—she weaved and dodged, luring it right to the shell where it smashed on impact.
Clang!!!
The bone axe shattered. Low durability, apparently.
"All evacuated!!"
With everyone inside, the turtle yelled and leaped. It shrank midair. Mae snatched it and soared high. The orc king spewed curses, but we ignored the garbled mess.
**
"H-Huh?!!!"
Seola jolted awake, patting herself down. Her wounds were gone.
"Unfamiliar ceiling. Where...?"
"No, I didn't think tha—"
Seola startled. A familiar voice—Hayeun the druid, after all this time. She turned toward it. No Hayeun, just Mae and the turtle resting.
"...Did you two just talk?"
"Indeed! This hawk speaks directly!"
"......"
But Seola clocked the penguin statue on Mae's neck as the source.
"New skill, huh?"
"Haha, something like that."
"This cute penguin's like a walkie-talkie? With video too?"
I could picture Hayeun shrugging, even unseen. Seola smiled and stood.
"Wounds are gone. Back to work."
"Come with us."
"...How?"
Mae and the turtle hopped onto her shoulders. Seola froze—not in a bad way. Just too happy.
Eeeeeek?!!
Her face stayed cool as she headed out with her new companions. The sun was dipping; battle paused as darkness fell.
"Oh, Seola! You're up? Kanghyuk was looking for you."
"...Know where?"
"Front lines, obviously!"
Seola rushed there. Signs of nonstop fighting while she was out: crumbled walls, wrecked buildings, smashed barricades. Wounded getting treated. Kanghyuk stared at retreating orcs in the distance. She approached fast.
"Awake?"
"Yeah."
"Heard a humanoid monster showed up."
"Orcs count as humanoid?"
"Debatable."
Kanghyuk finally turned, noting her shoulder passengers.
"Thanks for the help today. Without the druid, we'd all be dead."
"No big deal."
He didn't flinch at my voice from the penguin—must've seen it already. Seola guessed a lot happened while she was down.
"...Casualties?"
"None."
"Good."
A miracle. But Kanghyuk's face was grim. Today was a reprieve, but tomorrow?
"What about abandoning this place?"
Seola had no answer. Facing that elite monster and endless orcs—maybe evac was smarter. Logical, if bitter.
But my voice cut in from the penguin.
"Fleeing here just means you'll keep getting pushed back eventually."
She was right—no monsters at the next spot? They'd spawn eventually anyway.
I chuckled. "No paradise in running. One of my favorites. Let's just fight?"
"But..."
Could they beat that horde? With elites too? But I cut off his doubts firmly.
"I've got a plan."
"......"
The fix-it druid who'd solved all Haven's woes said so. There had to be a trick. Kanghyuk smiled.
"Got it."
**
"So what's the plan, nyang?"
"All-out assault to push the orcs back and seal the gate—or smash their home base."
"If that worked, we wouldn't be stressing, nyang."
"But if we don't fight here, I'll lose this house too."
Plus, as I said—running just delays losing everything.
"Gotta go all in."
I stood and walked to the Tree of Life in the yard.
"Let's try putting this inside the turtle's shell first?"
"......?!!"
I ordered my stunned cat and penguin.
"Come on, both of you. Work time. Pull it up, roots only!!"
We had to fit this massive tree inside. Sure, I could regrow one inside later... but that felt wrong. We'd spent time together.
As we carefully pruned and uprooted it...
"We're back!!!"
Mae and turtle arrived home. They gawked.
"Mercy me! What happened?!!"
"...Is it?"
Turtle panicked; Mae nodded. But turtle caught on quick, enlarging again.
"Brilliant idea!!"
"Knew you'd get it."
"How long have this one and master been together? I know you at a glance!!"
We hauled soil and tree inside the shell. Trimmed branches mid-way, but it fit perfectly in the center. Branches sprouted anew.
"...Mm. Mana regen feels solid."
Would it work outside? I tested.
"Works fine."
Mobile Turtle Ship plan viable. But firepower still short. Turtle Ship support wouldn't let Haven solo that horde alone.
So we'd bulk up.
"...Mae."
"Falconer, what is it?"
"Head to the military base now."
Time for our forces to team up.