Chapter 10: Unyielding Soul
Normally, an orc guard's level reaches 250.
Even just looking at the level stats, all its abilities are at 250.
On top of that, true to their orc nature of loving battle, they fight tough and dirty.
‘And these guys are even worse.’
They were far stronger than the average guards he knew.
He had a hunch why.
The orc hero pushing Cedric to the brink.
Just like that bastard was ridiculously powerful, these guys must have some kind of buff too.
‘Level 300? Probably around there.’
He lightly deflected the incoming glaive with his sword. Absorbing it with far less strength, then immediately swung back.
The orc's eyes widened as it hastily raised one arm.
Slash!
The blade bit slightly into the orc's thick bone.
A fountain of blood erupted.
‘Too shallow.’
His stats had risen decently from the doping.
But the weapon was crap.
It sliced the skin, but couldn't cut the bone.
In that moment, the glaive charged in.
He dropped the sword and rolled across the ground.
The enraged guard's body staggered as it tried to stomp him.
‘It wasn't for nothing that I filled it with mana.’
Skeletons summon from the ground. The skulls rising up had grabbed the guard's legs tight.
Kraaah!
Annoyed, the guard's red eyes glared as it stomped the skeletons.
Overwhelmed by the level gap, the skulls shattered helplessly.
But far more skulls were summoning.
[Opening mid-grade subspace ring!]
Equipment burst from the ring, scattering across the floor.
Skeletons grabbing weapons charged from all sides.
The level gap was overwhelming, so weapons wouldn't deal much damage.
But it would sting all over.
Poking and stabbing everywhere.
On top of that, skeletons clinging desperately to the hand holding the glaive.
By now, Minwoo had pulled a hammer from his inventory.
‘Try blocking this.’
He smashed the hammer down with all his might at the orc's face.
The orc instinctively raised its arm.
That arm already had a sword embedded in it.
The hammer smashed the sword clean through.
Kwang!
The sword plunged deep, severing the orc's arm.
Kwaaa!
A normal foe would clutch the stump in agony, but this one-armed orc was different.
Its eyes bloodshot, it lunged forward swinging the glaive.
He blocked with the hammer.
Kang!
Sparks flew as his body was pushed back.
‘This is why orcs are tough.’
They don't stop even when wounded.
‘But that's good for me.’
Their moves are easy to read.
Already, skulls behind it were stabbing away.
Completely defenseless, so decent damage would land.
Yet true to form, the orc's gaze stayed fixed on him.
He parried several attacks.
‘Slowly.’
The hasty one loses in battle.
Just like that orc.
The bull-rushing orc hurled its glaive.
He twisted his face aside.
The glaive grazed his cheek viciously.
In that gap, the orc spread its arms wide and charged.
Good judgment.
It figured fighting with weapons was tricky, so it wanted to grapple.
‘But here's the thing…’
[Using Eye of Terror (F)!]
[Using Haste (F)!]
For a split second.
The orc flinched at the eye.
And his own speed ticked up a notch.
That hair's breadth decided victory. The orc's massive hand grazed past by a finger's width.
He slammed the hammer down on the orc's stunned face. The charging momentum plus his swing—a devastating blow.
The orc's face caved in properly.
‘All read.’
It was as if he had already fought orcs several times. They were gate regulars, after all.
Plus, current Kim Minwoo was at his 'peak.'
No more of that awful talentlessness.
Skeletons swarmed the wailing orc. A few weapon strikes and strength drained from its body.
[Victory in battle against an overwhelmingly superior monster!]
[Acquired title, 'Strong Slayer'!]
That was the moment.
Kwaaaaa!
[The Orc Hero invokes 'Gap of Might (EX)'!]
[Overwhelming presence!]
[Your soul shakes violently!]
Thud!
The undead around him crumbled in an instant.
The death knights' and liches' forms faded.
Cedric, locked in a grueling fight with the orc hero, staggered badly.
The bone dragon's body crashed to the ground.
It wasn't just the undead hit.
Thump!
Kim Minwoo.
His heart pounded like mad too. He felt what a shaken soul meant in his bones.
‘Crazy…’
His body wouldn't respond.
A skill truly worthy of 'gap of might.'
‘Second one after the dragon lord.’
An EX-rank skill user.
Some connection?
* * *
Cedric.
He stared at the orc hero before him, staggering.
In endless regrets, the eternal battlefield repeated forever. He couldn't even count how many times he'd fought that monster.
The result was always the same.
He lost.
The spear in his hand trembled.
He'd once been a knight.
A common tale.
Betrayed, killed.
Became undead for revenge.
Death Lord.
One of the four legion commanders under him, rampaging across the continent.
He had no rivals in life—until they appeared.
Even the Death Lord couldn't match them.
Each of the four commanders fell utterly.
Cedric too.
The orc hero.
It toyed with him like a plaything, letting him live.
Again and again.
Undead aren't emotionless.
Just faint.
‘When was it?’
When his fighting spirit gave way to fear, the pressure overwhelmed him.
The Hrulunipf battle.
Here he met his eternal rest.
Regret until the end.
What knight, what commander!
Just a coward scrambling to flee.
Yet part of him was relieved—no more pursuit.
Unfortunately, his wish didn't hold.
He awoke again sometime later.
Then time looped infinitely.
Eternally.
‘Lord, why…’
He realized when the first participant arrived.
This hell without true rest was the Death Lord's design.
After, participants trickled in occasionally.
Most ended the same.
Fail to endure, die.
Soul sealed into plain skeletons.
Swept into this eternal battlefield forever.
Rarely, one endured.
Then choose: stay or escape.
Escape, and the field looped on.
Stay, and…
‘Die.’
Inevitably.
Soul sealed.
He'd fall to the orc hero again.
Join the looping field once more.
No overcoming it alone.
Doomed to repeat.
A hell for Cedric.
The orc hero approached.
Glaive raised like an executioner's axe.
Inevitable end.
Cedric stared blankly at the weapon.
Then.
“Don't give up! You bastard!”
A human charged in.
Kwang!
The descending glaive just barely missed Cedric's head.
His eyes flew wide.
* * *
Regret.
Finally, he understood Cedric's regret.
EX skills were strong, sure.
But not enough to render someone like Cedric utterly helpless.
Yet so powerless.
Crushed by fear.
‘Worthy of regret.’
Cedric was a strong knight.
Strong ego, no doubt.
He could tell from talks.
Commanding hordes of undead, must've been big time.
To die so pathetically?
Regret even in death made sense.
How to stop that regret?
One thing clear.
The orc hero about to execute Cedric.
Block that first.
Gotta live to overcome regret!
‘Move, damn it!’
Amid nauseating dizziness, he desperately gathered his wits.
Poured everything into the vegetative body.
Barely.
Lips quivered.
Teeth clenched, biting inner lip.
Pressure built.
Blood burst in his mouth. Salty taste sharpened his mind.
Cold body warmed gradually.
Fingers tingled back to life.
‘I can do it.’
The talentlessness binding his body gone long ago.
Focused his mind.
A thousandth of a second.
A ten-thousandth.
Those instants.
In games, focus every moment made him the best. Even if this was real, not game.
‘Doesn't matter.’
Clear any situation.
That's gamer Kim Minwoo.
[Unfathomable mental fortitude!]
[Your soul begins transcending its rank!]
One step forward.
Two more easier.
Finally…
His body soared.
Toward the orc hero's glaive!
[Your soul never yields in any moment!]
[Acquired title, 'Unyielding Soul'!]
The glaive descending slowly, as if savoring the execution.
Good thing.
Kwang!
[Weapon destroyed!]
Sword broke, but Cedric lived.
“Don't give up! You bastard!”
Kr…
The hero's eyes narrowed, pleasure interrupted.
“Weaker than you is moving fine—gonna quit?”
—…
Silent Cedric.
Approaching orc hero.
‘Shit.’
How many seconds could he last?
‘Just avoid instant death.’
The hero swung the glaive.
He saw it clearly.
Thought he dodged.
Spurt!
Blood fountained from his chest.
Visible, but un-dodgeable speed.
Burning pain hit.
[Armor destroyed!]
Ribs sliced clean.
Heart spared by miracle.
Barely stayed upright.
Hero tilted its head.
Pathetic worm.
Meant to kill.
Didn't die.
Clatter!
Faint tickle on skin.
Skulls gripping his body.
Thud.
One stomp, all to dust.
Meanwhile, Minwoo frantically sprayed potion on his chest.
Bleeding barely stopped.
Eyes met hero's.
Its gaze turned serious.
—You.
It spoke.
Somehow, he understood.
—Warrior.
One orc guard tossed its weapon down.
—Pick up.
This guy.
A real gent.
Gripped the glaive instead of broken sword. Level limit meant no bonuses.
Just grateful it was usable as a weapon.
—Coming.
Glaive closed in instantly.
Trajectory to bisect perfectly.
‘Got it.’
Twisted body with all force.
Slash!
Arm without sword severed.
In trade, sliced its forearm…
Kwang!
Glaive hitting hero's forearm rang like striking steel.
Damn…
Meant bone for flesh, but couldn't even scratch skin.
Gap that pathetic.
“…”
Eyes locked with hero.
Luckily, it asked instead of attacking.
—Why?
Puzzled face, like why struggle so hard.
Nice guy.
Decided to repay the kindness a bit.
“Keeping my word. Need a reason?”
Grin.
Seemed to get it, hero smiled.
Yellow teeth gleamed.
Then…
Pwang!
Its kick sent his body flying far.
[Orc Hero Mutakta uses 'Strike of Ruin'!]
[Massive damage!]
[All equipment destroyed!]
Summoned skeletons at landing spot.
Kwang!
Still, tremendous impact slammed him down.
“Cough…!”
Kicked chest crushed. Blood poured from missing arm.
Body wouldn't twitch.
‘Potion…’
Eyes heavy.
[Warning!]
[Critical injury!]
['Unyielding Soul' activates!]
[Your soul endures body's death!]
[Soul value begins dropping!]
[Soul value (46/50)]
[Soul value (42/50)]
[Soul value (38/50)]
‘Am I dying now?’
Seemed so.
Hit 0, game over obvious.
Each second dragged slow.
Torturously.
Hero approached, glaive to throat.
—Good. Warrior. Me. Mutakta. You. Name.
[Soul value (34/50)]
Mouth moved.
Fuck you.
[Soul value (30/50)]
—Fuck you. Remember.
[Soul value (26/50)]
Gee, thanks.
Glaive neared.
Bit by bit.
Bit by bit.
[Soul value (22/50)]
Just before touch.
Kwang!
Familiar spear knocked glaive away.
‘You bastard…’
[Soul value (18/50)]
Cedric.
Finally dragged his heavy ass up.
—… Touch him no more.
[Soul value (14/50)]
World turned gray.
In frozen time, messages rose.
[Perfect escape condition!]
[Cedric has overcome his regret!]
[Gained the heart of the Death Lord's legion commander, once called Dragon Knight!]
[Cedric will now fight for you!]
[Death Lord's authority, Cedric Summon (SSS) activates!]
[Acquired title, 'Master of the Dragon Knight'!]
[Acquired title, 'One Recognized by Mutakta'!]
[Acquired title, 'The One Who Stopped Eternity'!]
[Eternal battlefield fades slowly.]
[Exiting battlefield.]
Ha, after all this hell?
Meant to roll him moderately.
No choice.
‘Summon you, and you're done for, for real.’
He resolved firmly.