Chapter 180
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Dancing with Orcs
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The orc's corpse was split clean from shoulder to heart.
It was definitely an absurd wound.
I didn't know if it was due to the distorted reality's influence, but my mind still felt hazy and flickering in and out. I figured the orc being nearly bisected was some exaggeration added in.
But even rubbing my eyes and looking again, the orc was gruesomely dead just as it appeared.
I hadn't swung the blade down; I'd just pushed it forward with brute force. Creating a wound like that with such an attack was physically impossible.
"What the...? Did I really slash it like that?"
It was unbelievable.
"Huh? Katt, it wasn't you?"
"No, I did it, but... the wound looks inflated or something. Seems like there's some exaggeration mixed in."
"Exaggeration? Ah, you were rambling nonsense. Must've been a tough fight, huh, Katt? Take a breather and tell me when you're settled."
Cloudy said that and examined the corpse.
Was it that, after all?
The mysterious power that had surged during the fierce battle, its origin unknown.
My guess was that it was like the arena of Evolution Deathmatch, that brutal ancient force from the Precambrian era... No, of course not. And it didn't seem like a cornered human transcending their limits, either.
Wasn't the exaggeration too much for something like that?
"But."
One thing was certain.
In that instant when I'd overwhelmed the orc, I'd felt infinity.
Felt like I'd touched the world of macho.
Was I really the Heavenly Demon, after all?
"Heavenly Demon Supremacy."
I stepped forward to test it.
Nothing happened.
"Heavenly Demon Heaven-Shattering Palm."
I spread my palm and thrust it forward strongly to invoke the supreme palm technique of all time, the Heavenly Demon Heaven-Shattering Palm. Whoosh! There was a sound of wind, but again, nothing happened.
"Sis. Get the darky back to his senses. I don't think I can. Look at him. He's gone beyond mumbling and is doing weird stuff now."
"This is serious. Katt, come here and sit down?"
It seemed the bizarre power that had surged was gone.
Well, my actions just now might've looked insane. I'd explained it as just testing something, but Cloudy just smiled without really believing me.
This sister's kindness sometimes stabbed a dagger into my heart.
A smile doesn't mean everything...
Anyway, I leaned against a tree and slumped down.
The battle was over.
Cloudy got 1 kill.
Winia got 2 kills.
Kobson and I each got 1 kill and 1 assist.
We needed a break before gathering the loot. Strangely, my body felt devoid of strength. I felt dizzy somehow... What was this? I'd never felt like this after exerting myself before. It went beyond mere languor; my mind felt like it was about to slip away.
I uncapped the canteen and gulped down water.
I felt the cold water slide down my throat and cool my stomach. My thirst was severe, probably from all the intense action.
"Hoo..."
"By the way, that was impressive, you barbarian hack. To cleave an orc in one go. Must've landed a really clean slash."
Kobson admired the orc's corpse, too.
He seemed to think I'd just slashed it like that, but he'd probably been too busy with his own fight to see me.
It wasn't a slash.
I'd just pushed with force.
Physically impossible.
My doubts only deepened... Even if the orc had stood still saying, "Please cut me, snort," splitting it to the heart would be beyond me.
"Katt. You settled now?"
"Yeah... I feel somewhat normal now. Felt a bit dizzy earlier, but it's okay."
I wasn't really okay, but I said so. Cloudy extended her hand. Kobson had gone to sort loot, and Winia was observing the orc I'd killed.
I took her hand and approached the corpse.
"Katt. Don't you think this corpse is a bit suspicious?"
"...Yeah. Definitely suspicious. It transcends my power. With just my strength, it's impossible to shatter the shoulder bone and cleave to the heart like this."
I explained to Cloudy and Winia the bizarre sensation I'd felt during the fight. Looking back, I'd always surged with manic courage in battles—adrenaline's effect, perhaps.
I listed them all and added that this time it was especially intense, peaking when the orc split.
"Hmm... Yeah, yeah. So that's what happened."
Cloudy, who'd listened throughout, started giggling.
She covered her mouth to hold back the laughter, but finally burst. "Pfft, heeheehee!" Wh-what, sis? Her sudden laughter was bewildering. Nothing's scarier than someone who laughs out of nowhere.
Once she stopped, Cloudy approached me.
"Hee, hee... Definitely. Shall we check for a sec?"
"Ch-check what?"
Then she started groping my body. Wait, sis, here? Even if so, this is a bit much... But contrary to expectations, she wasn't trying to topple me.
"Hmm? Nothing special... But definitely..."
Cloudy suddenly looked puzzled and stared at my face. What didn't she feel? Then Winia wedged between us.
"Sis, back off for now."
The intruder Winia flipped up my quilted armor, placed her hand on my bare abs, and wiggled her fingers. My half-chocolate-like abs were terribly vulnerable to this hot, soft touch.
"Hngh!"
"Don't make gross noises. Stay still."
A groan escaped, and Winia pinched me.
"...I think I'm having the same thought as sis right now, but anyway... Not sure. What is this? I felt it for a moment earlier, too. But now it seems like a mistake, yet looking at the corpse, it feels right."
Winia said that and started conferring with Cloudy. Seeing them talk in their own terms, excluding me, I felt happy they'd bonded but also an inexplicable alienation.
They seemed to reach a consensus, and Winia addressed me.
"Darky, you know what mana is, right?"
"Yeah. Roughly."
"Bullshit. What does a darky know?"
"Actually, not really."
Why bring up mana suddenly?
Hm?
—Then, some enlightenment swallowed my brain. Unknown power. Surging courage. And the ancient Precambrian era, the fall of the Berlin Wall... Oil price fluctuations in international markets, the pitiful cries of starving kids in the Third World! And the completion of the Tower of Babel!
When humanity's languages united as one!
"Mana!"
Could the source of that inexplicable power be mana!!!
—Shiver.
Thinking about it, the pieces fit. Karin had explained that intense battles could awaken mana! I'd survived by staking my life in bloody fights day after day!
Indeed, indeed!
Those battles had granted me mana!
It's certain!
When fighting for my life, I'd awaken as the Heavenly Demon or Sword Saint or Fist King! Now the mysteries were solved! In ecstasy, I rampaged!
"Mana!"
"Knew you'd freak out like this. Calm down. Calmcalmcalmcalmcalm."
"Manaaaaaaaa!!!!!"
This is Kim Katt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kim Katt classsssssh—!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Ma—naaaaaaaa!!!!!!!"
Mana!
"Fuck."
What stopped my frenzy, as always, was Winia's staff. "Gack!" She hooked the ring part around my neck and yanked me. Then swung me around, shaking me.
"Guh, guhk! St-stop! Stoppit!"
"Darky calm now?"
"Y-yes, so stop!!! I'm dyingggg!!!!"
"Screaming?"
"Aak!"
"Kyaha! Kyahahahaha!!!"
Winia, bursting into laughter, toyed with me awhile before releasing. Fuck... Squatting, I rubbed my sore neck and groaned. Cloudy bent down to meet my eyes.
"Power surged mid-fight, huh... Katt. This explanation solid?"
"Mm? Yeah, solid. That's exactly it."
"Even if power surged, that much is unnatural, right?"
"...Yeah, probably? It is unnatural."
That's why it's mana!
"Then, what explains it is mana, after all."
"R-right! I knew it! It's mana!!!"
What Cloudy said was top-tier, the words a man wants to hear before dying! It was confirmed! Cloudy acknowledging my mana's existence! "Manaaa!!!" Surging impulse. I cried out with my soul.
"Yeah. Katt. Yeah. Calm down. Yeah. Katt. Don't move now. Let's settle? It's not certain yet. I don't feel anything like that from you now."
"What!!!!!!!"
My blazing excitement snuffed out like a candle doused with water.
"Haa... Don't look so disappointed. But there's possibility. You might've generated mana mid-fight and burst it for power, or other factors combined. Definitely, you killed this orc."
"Th-that means..."
Not sure if I have mana?
I organized my thoughts. Possibly I have mana. Proof: the pitifully cleaved orc. But experts on mana like Winia and Cloudy couldn't feel it from me now.
My mana's dick-sized?
Dunno. Winia said she "felt" it earlier, so maybe real. Perhaps I'm fully depleted now.
Then?
If I had mana, wouldn't they have noticed sooner? Thoughts deepened. Actually, maybe I awakened mana fighting the orc and used it all up?
Sliced the orc and now discharged?
Then against the dryad, vulver, kobold guardian? Felt similar power then, though weaker.
Vanished post-battle, of course.
Maybe "recovered" and "consumed" it.
"Hmm..."
Nothing certain.
Even I couldn't properly grasp what happened in my own body. Mana was that alien a concept to me. No knowledge, can't confirm experience—confusion natural.
Various possibilities, but certain: don't know now. However... yeah. Orc split for real, no exaggeration.
Cloudy grabbed my shoulder, lost in thought.
"Anyway... Not figuring it here. Let's head back. Katt, I'm so excited right now I can't hold it in?"
Her face evoked a succubus from legend. Mm, uum... Well, we got six orcs, plenty loot—fine to return.
"Yeah. Let's go. I'm most curious. Grab loot and bounce."
I joined Kobson, diligently rummaging orc corpses. Industrious Kobson had stripped valuables and sorted them.
"Barbarian. See?"
"Ooh...!"
Orc heads lined up. They'd made a mat from their sackcloth, loot spread atop.
"This'll fetch good coin...!"
First, the feathered hat. Like an Indian chief's, bloodied but adorned with sparkles—valuable. Various coins, their weapons, shiny stones, etc.
Only four heads. One ghost-rode away. Just find that and go.
"Kobson. Handle sorting, please. Gotta fetch that runaway's head."
"Come to think, yeah, that one."