Chapter 27: The Healer Fears the Orc Chieftain
With a noble, faint golden light, Lee Seojun vanished.
Jeong Ye-na—and not just her, but everyone around—froze in place, staring blankly at the spot where he had been.
“Ga-young unnie, are you okay?!”
The one who seemed most out of it was herself. So why did Kang Ga-young's face look even more wrecked?
“Urgh, don't worry too much! Do you think Seojun would go down that easily?!”
“But... Seojun doesn't even have any proper attack skills.”
Ma Pildu tried to laugh it off and reassure them, but Yoo Chae-eun bit her nails as she countered.
Jeong Ye-na agreed with the musclehead uncle in her head, but she couldn't hide the growing unease in her heart.
Paat!!
Kang Ga-young yanked a sword from beside an orc corpse and muttered to herself.
“...I have to go. He definitely told me to come get him. So I should...”
“Ga-young unnie, what the hell are you doing?”
Jeong Ye-na grabbed her arm as she started heading somewhere, but Ga-young shook it off forcefully.
Was she really losing it? Her eyes were completely wild.
It was enough to make Jeong Ye-na forget her own worry for Seojun for a moment. The unnie who had always sweetly helped with training was showing this side of herself.
“...Ye-na, you're in command now. I'm heading out first.”
“Unnie, what are you talking about? Where are you even going? And who would listen to a newbie like me...”
Kang Ga-young stopped, turned back, and looked at her. She grabbed Jeong Ye-na's arm and dragged her toward where the Cheonsu Guild hunters were gathered.
“From this point on, Jeong Ye-na takes command of Cheonsu Guild. If you have any complaints, speak up now.”
Her beautiful face sharpened fiercely. Her exotic light eyes looked somehow hollow.
No one could object to the overwhelming, decadent aura. Of course, no one would dare oppose Kang Ga-young anyway.
“...Got it?”
Before they could stop her, Kang Ga-young bolted away.
Jeong Ye-na felt nothing but awkwardness under the stares of the hunters watching her dumbly.
She'd rather go solo at this point.
“...So that's how it happened. I'm temporarily in command. Let's aim for the fastest clear possible—everyone cooperate.”
She straightened her clothes as the hunters nodded and moved to their positions.
Now she had to represent Cheonsu and meet with the Pania people.
“Ha, and there are faces I really don't want to see...”
Jeong Ye-na made her way to the central tent.
Inside, Yoo Jae-hyun sat trembling his leg. Behind him, Yoo Chae-eun had stopped biting her nails and was glaring daggers at her.
“Isn't it only guild reps who can enter?”
That was true. Not that she'd expected otherwise. But did she really have to deal with this uncomfortable woman from now on?
“And what about you, Ye-na?”
Jeong Ye-na found Yoo Chae-eun's jab ridiculous. Did she think she was breaking rules like someone else? No need to play nice with the unnie act anymore.
“Ga-young unnie—no, the guild master—temporarily handed command to me.”
“So Kang Ga-young went off alone? She really only thinks of herself—such a nuisance.”
“Huh. Wonder who she's talking about. Someone who...”
Their voices rose higher and higher.
Yoo Jae-hyun coughed uncomfortably from his seat, but the pent-up emotions made it impossible to stop.
“What's with all the noise? We're ready too. No monsters around, so let's go rescue them now.”
The Maxus Guild master entered the tent and spoke up. Seeing her voluptuous figure only soured Jeong Ye-na's mood further.
As if that boosted defense or anything. She hated herself for such thoughts when they needed to hurry and rescue people.
A sudden wave of frustration nearly brought tears, but she bit her lip and held it back.
“What's this?”
Yoo Jae-hyun eyed what she was holding.
The Maxus Guild master flashed a charming smile and replied.
“A map from the orc shaman's pouch. What do you think?”
Yoo Jae-hyun's face lit up in surprise as he took the paper and examined it.
The bright light faded, and his eyes opened.
What he saw was a prison holding Lee Soo-jung and the others, all bound.
Only a few women—no men in sight.
If not for the light falling from his wings revealing the darkness, he might not have even noticed them.
As his feet touched the ground, the wings crumbled into golden dust and vanished.
Seeing the red hair made him chuckle for some reason. Her mouth was gagged, but her eyes were wide as saucers, staring up at him.
“Mmph?!”
“Yeah, yeah. I'll free you soon.”
He slowly grabbed the cord tied around her mouth.
It wouldn't come undone easily, so he had no choice but to touch her neck and around her lips.
Ignoring her strange muffled sounds, he kept fiddling with it.
“Hng?! Hnngh!!”
“Ahem, this is tricky. Ah, got it.”
He'd expected something proud like, 'Hmph, thanks, but I could've handled it myself without you!'
Instead, she simply expressed gratitude.
“...Not that—thanks. You saved my life. Let's free the others first. I have something to tell you.”
“Uh? Sure.”
They quickly untied the ropes and gags from the others.
All their equipment had been stripped away. Orcs could burst in at any moment.
“One guy from Cheonsu Guild—they took him somewhere else.”
A woman with reddened eyes swallowed her tears as she spoke.
Lee Seojun could easily guess what that meant.
News articles he'd read in his head flashed by: orcs' natural enemy—men.
Frightening, but he had to save him. Ignorance was one thing; now that he knew, he couldn't look away.
“Where to?”
“...Don't know. We got separated midway.”
Looking around, he realized they needed a key to get out.
Ah. What now?
“They usually kill women right away. Something's off. I think the chieftain passed by and said 'sacrifice' or something.”
Lee Soo-jung looked at him anxiously, so he smiled reassuringly.
He listened quietly to her story, nodding appropriately.
After some thought, he decided.
“Then let's do this.”
They loosely retied the gags and ropes—just slack enough, like before he arrived. So they could act if needed.
“Hey, Lee Soo-jung.”
“...Yeah?”
“Eat this.”
He secretly slipped her a chocolate bar from his pocket.
They probably hadn't eaten; she must be starving.
“Just for you. Eat it on the sly.”
No spare for the others. His guild member came first.
Clang!!
Before Lee Soo-jung could respond, he banged on the bars.
The rushing orc's eyes changed upon seeing his face.
“Buheuk?! Buhiik?!!!”
Uneven teeth and protruding fangs formed a creepy grin.
The orc opened the cell door and lifted him by his thick wrist.
“...Mmph.”
Lee Soo-jung watched worriedly. He gave her a sly smirk only she could see, then let the orc carry him off.
Clunk!
The orc set him down in a relatively clean space compared to the prison—like a gym storage room.
“Bruhiik, buhihiik.”
The orc grinned twistedly, firmly shut the door, and left.
Looking around, he spotted a large bed.
“...Huh?!”
On the dusty old wooden bed lay a man who looked younger than him, passed out.
Peeking under the blanket out of worry, he was relieved—the guy was still clothed.
“Hey, hey! Wake up.”
He shook the man's shoulder, but no response.
Smoke rose from a mosquito-coil-like thing on the bedside table. He blew it out quickly.
Probably a sleeping drug.
Slap! Slap!!
With no other choice, a few slaps to the cheeks, and the man slowly opened his eyes.
Staring at him round-eyed, the man mumbled incoherently.
“Orcs don't look like this...”
Was he mistaking his rescuer for a pig-like monster?!
He barely resisted smacking him.
Regaining his senses, the young man apologized. Come to think of it, he was a Cheonsu hunter.
“Ah, sorry for the mix-up. You came to rescue me?! Are you Lee Seojun the hunter? Wow, an honor. Where are the others? I thought I was done for, getting juiced like this.”
The young man beamed innocently, eyes glistening with tears.
“...Sorry. I got caught too.”
Of course, a joke. He shouldn't tease, but he wanted to see that face fall.
The pretty-boy hunter, looking weak for one, was freaking out.
“Whaaat?! Then what do we do? Both of us, the orcs are gonna... force...”
Bang!!
As he was about to reveal the joke, the wooden door nearly splintered open.
A massive figure approached—plump, no, beyond chubby: obese orc chieftain.
“Buhik, human, male. Male. Hand him over. Buhihiik...”
The orc chieftain tore off the rag around his chest with a rip.
Instant eye terrorism.
Words worked a bit, it seemed. High-rank ones, raid-boss level, could communicate.
Hard to believe back then, but Lee Soo-jung was right.
“You orcs usually kill women right away. Why keep them alive?”
“Buhik, human, no need to know. Buhihiik. Be good, provide seed. Buhik.”
“You know men can't get ready if they're mentally wrecked? Orc chieftain, you've never tried it, have you?”
“What?! Th-this!! H-buhihiik, doesn't matter, I'll drug you anyway. Human...”
The trembling young man hid behind him.
The orc chieftain stomped right up to his face.
Protruding fangs twisted grotesquely. Thick green fingers stroked his cheek.
Ugh.
Like a squashed pig leering lewdly. Physiologically impossible.
Before regression, he'd only seen Asia's top, Kang Ga-young, or other top-tier female hunters despite their current status.
Facing this lust-driven orc... Even an elf would be some consolation.
Anything but this.
“Kuh, kill me.”
No. Wrong words.
“Buhihihik!! Prime seed. Buhik, feeling good, so special info. Buhihiik.”
“...What?”
“Buhihiik, human blood will buhik, bring That One to this world. Then buhik, all orcs buhik, make human males our stallions. Buhik?!!”
“Who's That One?!”
Refusing more, the orc chieftain grabbed his neck and shoved a potion in his mouth.
Aphrodisiac, probably...
No intent to swallow, but the sweet taste made him gulp it down unwittingly.
If dangerous, self-heal anyway.
Well, end of the line.
No more info coming. He stared blankly at the orc.
Guardian Angel
Holy Faith
In an instant, a halo of light formed above his head, and golden wings fluttered.
Targets under his protection: the kidnapped people here.
Whoosh!
Purple and golden light scattered from him instantly.
One went to the male hunter behind him. The rest to those in the prison.
Now, just hold out.
“H-hyungnim. Wh-what's this?”
Who made him hyung?
“Just wait. Rescue team's coming.”
Crackle!
The orc reached out, but a powerful barrier blocked it.
Unless higher rank than him, impossible to break.
Just outlast it.