Chapter 9
Chapter 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Second Named, and the First Death
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Having smoothly defeated the first Named, the 'Orc Fighter,' 'Chris's Attack Squad' reached the second Named and ran into a wall.
"Kugh!"
The party's tank, the Fighter Death of Death, couldn't withstand the Named's attack and fell.
"Th-this can't be!"
"Kyaa! Sis!"
"Chris!"
Chris, who was dealing with an Orc Mage that appeared alongside the Named, bit her lip.
As soon as the tank holding the aggro fell, the second Named, the 'Orc Assassin,' began to run rampant.
Even the Mage Beimerung and the Spirit Master Cherni in the rear were exposed to the Orc Assassin's deadly attacks.
"Let's retreat for now and regroup!"
Chris asked Death of Death, who had revived at the entrance to the second Named's area.
"Hey, Death. I trust your abilities as a tank. Are the second Named's patterns that hard to counter?"
In fact, while fighting the first Named, the 'Orc Fighter,' Death of Death hadn't allowed a single critical hit.
With his excellent reaction speed, he caught the counter-timing for all of the Orc Fighter's attacks, and he expertly held the Named's aggro while the party members dealt with the elite orc soldiers.
Even in the early stages of their attempts on the second Named, the Fighter Death of Death had shown exceptional responsiveness.
He had quickly caught on to the 'Orc Assassin's' special attack pattern that targeted the rear-line dealers and even had the excellent pattern recognition to use a backward evasion skill to focus the attacks solely on himself.
"...It was like I was possessed by a ghost. Even with my 'Fleeting Demonic Eye,' I couldn't fully track its movements."
"What? Speak plainly."
"He's saying he lost sight of the Orc Assassin."
The Mage Beimerung interpreted Death of Death's words.
Chris nodded and asked Death of Death again.
"How about it? Think you can hold out on the next try?"
"It seems it'll take a bit more time."
"Alright. Leave the Orc Mages to us. Death, you just focus as much as you can on the Orc Assassin's patterns."
Chris gripped a talisman and looked toward where the second Named, the 'Orc Assassin,' was.
"After all, if the tank can't hold out, we can't clear the Named."
[Second Named]
[Level 16 Orc Assassin]
[HP 17700/17700]
[Level 15 Orc Mage (Ice)]
[HP 3000/3000]
[Level 15 Orc Mage (Fire)]
[HP 3000/3000]
*
"Heh."
I touched the earring on my ear and grinned widely.
[Orc Fighter's Earring]
[Elite]
[Strength +5 Agility +5 Intelligence +5]
[Critical Chance +1%]
[Critical Damage +5%]
My first Elite-grade accessory!
It was on a completely different level from the Rare-grade 'Orc Warrior' accessory I'd been wearing until now.
On top of the stats, it even had a special option that boosted critical abilities.
If the first Named drops an earring, the second will drop a ring.
The final one, the third Named, will probably drop a weapon.
Accessories were items that became bound upon acquisition.
But what about weapons?
I briefly opened the auction house and did a search.
"Hmm."
There were no 'Orc King's Weapon' listings on the auction house yet, but the category existed.
That meant the weapons could be sold.
Even if I didn't get a weapon for the Swordsman class, I could sell it to another class for a lot of gold.
It was a pretty decent win-win structure.
Those with a lot of gold could buy weapons from the vanguard clearing the 'Cave of the Orc King' elite dungeon, allowing them to smoothly farm for accessories.
Once you perfectly farmed a pair of accessories and a weapon from the elite dungeon, you'd get a massive spec upgrade.
Only then would you be able to graduate from this area and move on to the next.
*Shhhk!*
"Kieek!"
The regular orcs in the second Named's area were definitely stronger than those in the first.
But my attacks, empowered by the 'Orc Fighter's Earring,' had also grown stronger.
I advanced, smoothly dealing with the regular orcs.
And at last, I arrived before the second Named.
[Second Named]
[Level 16 Orc Assassin]
[HP 17700/17700]
[Level 15 Orc Mage (Ice)]
[HP 3000/3000]
[Level 15 Orc Mage (Fire)]
[HP 3000/3000]
"Hiek!"
It seems this game doesn't let players focus on just one Named.
The adds for the first Named appeared mid-fight, but for the second, the Named was waiting for the player with supporting monsters from the very beginning.
The second Named, the 'Orc Assassin,' held a long, sharp dagger in one hand, looking from side to side.
The large cave behind the Orc Assassin must be the entrance to the 'Orc King's' chamber.
I readjusted my grip on the sword in my hand.
In any case, a Swordsman has the 'Block' skill.
It might use unblockable attacks like the first Named, but as long as they aren't frequent, it shouldn't be too difficult.
And the Orc Mages.
I'd already experienced a multi-aggro pattern with the first Named.
Having leveled up by fighting three or four monsters at once, I could distinguish the threatening attacks mixed in with the barrage.
I just have to do the same thing as with the first Named.
Take out the Orc Mages one by one, then slowly whittle down the lone Orc Assassin.
*Slap!*
I slapped my cheeks with both hands to calm my racing heart.
"Alright."
Then, I stepped into the Orc Assassin's aggro range.
*Beep.*
The Orc Assassin looked at me.
It bared its fangs and brandished its sharp dagger.
The Orc Mages standing on either side of the Orc Assassin began to gather energy in their hands.
Magic of fire and ice.
Both would probably deal enough damage to make tanking them with my body difficult.
Rain, think simply.
Just block everything and take them out one by one.
"Haaap!"
I let out a kiai and rushed toward the Orc Assassin at high speed.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!*
The second Named, the 'Orc Assassin's,' five-hit combo came at me in an instant.
My sword, with Block activated, shook repeatedly from the Orc Assassin's powerful attacks.
The Orc Assassin's five-hit combo, delivered while moving swiftly from side to side, would have been impossible to counter if Block didn't cover a full 180 degrees in front of me.
Judging by the Orc Assassin's movements, this five-hit combo didn't seem to be a single-target pattern.
If there were party members within its attack range, it would have lashed out at them as well.
*Boom, boom!*
Even amidst that, the Orc Mages' fireballs and ice arrows continuously shot toward me.
The one saving grace was that all the attacks from the Named and the supporting monsters could be 'Blocked'.
Even the five-hit combo, which seemed to be the Orc Assassin's ultimate move, couldn't penetrate the Swordsman's 'Block' skill.
However, I couldn't move while the 'Block' skill was active.
To counter all their patterns, I slowly moved my body, keeping the Orc Assassin and the mages within the 180-degree arc in front of me.
The fleeting moment when none of the three monsters were attacking—that was my chance.
I released my blocking stance and moved a little.
*Clang-clang!*
But the opening was extremely short.
I maintained my blocking stance and calmly waited for the monsters' relentless assault to end.
And then, another opening came.
This time, I moved a bit more boldly.
*Fwoosh!*
I instantly turned and even activated my backward evasion skill to quickly reach my target location.
Having arrived in front of my desired target, I smiled brightly.
"Arrived."
The place I'd reached was next to the Orc Mage that shot fire.
Despite being a mage, the Orc Mage seemed to trust in its sturdy body, as it didn't try to move out of my attack range.
*Tat-tat-tat! Clang!*
The Orc Assassin quickly approached and clashed its dagger against my sword.
But now, I had two monsters in my melee range: the Orc Assassin and the fire-shooting Orc Mage.
*Shhhk!*
My area-of-effect slash, which activated instantly due to Block, left wounds on both monsters.
I couldn't damage the Orc Mage shooting ice arrows from afar, but if I maintained this formation and kept attacking, the fire Orc Mage would fall before long.
And after that? I just had to get near the ice Orc Mage and repeat the same process.
This was the solo strategy for the second Named.
I smiled, confident in my victory.
[Orc Mage (Fire)]
[HP 1514/3000]
"Chwiik!"
The Orc Mage let out a ferocious cry.
My continuous slashes during the gaps in its attacks had depleted nearly half of its HP.
The other Orc Mage far away hadn't taken any damage, but its ice arrows also couldn't penetrate my block.
The Named Orc Assassin's attacks were also being intercepted by my block.
As I continued to chip away at their HP by using the fleeting openings in their relentless assault to unleash slashes, they had no way to defeat me.
The Swordsman's 180-degree frontal block was an overpowered skill, as long as it wasn't broken through.
"Hee."
I sent a slight smile to the orcs over my sword.
You guys are no match for me.
Just then.
An orc disappeared from my sight.
I was dumbfounded.
There were definitely three of them, weren't there?
The orcs I could see right now were the Orc Mage continuously being hit by my slashes and the other one shooting ice arrows from a distance.
The Named, the 'Orc Assassin,' was nowhere to be seen.
My body, bound by the game system's stats, couldn't react instantly like it did in my days as the Hero.
Danger.
The moment I thought that.
*Shunk.*
"Keoheuk."
My body convulsed violently.
My vision blurred.
"Ah? Ah?"
Words wouldn't even come out of my wide-open mouth.
Why?
I was shrouded in confusion.
I lowered my blurry gaze, trying to understand what had happened to my body.
And finally, what came into view was...
A sharp blade, protruding through my chest.
*Drip, drip.*
The thing dripping from its tip... was that my blood?
The sharp object jutting out from my chest disappeared.
My body, beyond my control, fell backward.
*Thud.*
The world quickly grew dark.
And soon.
There was nothing.