Chapter 128: A Dog Whose Hunt is Over
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: A Dog Whose Hunt is Over
After the demonstration, the already passionate training sessions became even more vigorous. The Green Skins had started to get completely absorbed in their role-playing. I decided it was more important for them to grasp the concepts than to focus on large-scale group training at this stage, so I divided them into their respective roles by clan and sent them out to hunt. Thanks to this, a sudden hunting craze swept through the tribe.
“The beast we caught is huge!”
“The beast we caught is even bigger!”
The interesting thing was that the groups heading out to hunt weren't composed of members from the same party. It was a single, thoughtless comment I’d made, but the ripple effect was greater than I could have imagined. The three allied tribes were gradually becoming one.
They certainly hadn't forgotten the roots of their own clans, but trust and camaraderie for their brother clans had begun to blossom.
The Ogres of the Goff Clan naturally started protecting the archers, but this was by no means an act of looking down on them. The Troll shamans of the Black Spear Clan watched the backs of the Goff Clan’s warriors, but this, too, was not a sign of disrespect toward the Ogres.
The concept of a party, just like among humans, was beginning to form.
This kind of understanding would undoubtedly be helpful in war. Goff, Black Spear, and I all came to that conclusion, and so our warriors continued to band together.
Of course, the ripple effect didn't end there. The young children of the three clans also began to mingle and form their own groups. Just like the adults, the little ones were starting to grasp this concept from a young age.
Their war games hadn't ended, but now a new “hunting game” had emerged. They couldn't go on real hunts, so for now, it was just a game, but I was certain it would bring a new wind of change to the clan.
They were growing up well.
However, that didn't mean there were no problems. The biggest problem was none other than me.
It was I who held the lives of every Green Skin in the three allied tribes in his hands.
I was feeling the limits of my ability to control the entire group during full-scale training. I slowly looked ahead. Before me stood Goff, Orbo, and the Twin-Headed Ogre, Gara. Their eyes were fixed on the roots summoned by Jung Hayeon.
It was an idea I’d come up with midway through our training, thinking it would be better to have a visible opponent.
The exercise began after Jung Hayeon summoned four massive roots—three forming the heads, one the tail—and used smaller roots to create arms and legs.
The condition for the training was simple: no magic allowed.
The roots didn't move like a real eastern beast, but the training was still quite difficult. Due to the limits of Jung Hayeon’s mana, we could only run this simulation once a day, making it a high-stakes exercise that demanded immense concentration.
The other Green Skins were struggling, but the one having the hardest time was me. I clenched my teeth and spoke to the warriors.
“Main force, fall back.”
“Main force, fall back!”
The main force immediately began to retreat. However, Jung Hayeon’s roots weren't targeting them. They were after the Blood Dagger Clan swordsmen who were striking the roots with wooden swords from the side. One of the heads lunged at the swordsmen in an instant. Orbo tried to block the attack with his shield, but the range was too wide, and it swept through the swordsmen in a single motion.
‘Damn it…’
“We lost again…”
“…”
I couldn't say anything in response to Goff’s words. Of course, the Green Skins were fighting with their unique abilities, weapons, and magic sealed, but that last move was undeniably my mistake. Because the main force had pulled back, they couldn't cast healing magic on the swordsmen or respond to the preceding attack.
“We’ll get better if we keep training. Right?”
“We’ll have to hope so.”
As the training ended, Jung Hayeon walked over to me, her face etched with guilt. It had already been ten days since we started this exercise. It was laughable, but I hadn't beaten her even once. Noticing my disappointment, she spoke to me in a small voice.
“Tae… Taesung, are you okay?”
I hadn't said anything, but she seemed to feel needlessly self-conscious around me. I stroked her head once and replied.
“I’m fine.”
“W-Wouldn’t it be more helpful for the training if we lowered the intensity a little? I know more about the clan’s weaknesses, so…”
“No… The current level seems fine.”
I had never actually encountered an eastern beast, but I doubted a creature like that would be as intelligent as Jung Hayeon. It certainly wouldn't see an opening and attack with such precision. But considering the roots were immobile and couldn't use a breath attack or other skills, the balance felt just right.
Of course, our side had its own handicaps, but I didn't think we could defeat the real beast if we couldn't even overcome these roots.
In other words, Jung Hayeon was effectively dismantling my command time and time again.
I had expected it would be difficult for someone like me, who had only learned about raids from text, to command such a large-scale force, but I was even less accustomed to it than I’d thought.
Since Jung Hayeon had used up most of her mana, that was the end of training for the day. The executives would remain to revise our strategy, while the rest would go hunting or conduct personal training. I entered the command tent, and the other executives, including Hakajin, followed me in. It was a meeting that included the leaders of the Goff and Black Spear clans as well.
We would review the day’s mistakes, give feedback, and immediately incorporate Jung Hayeon’s opinions into the plan for the next session. Absurdly, these meetings always began with Black Spear consoling me.
“Don’t be too disheartened. If our valiant warriors had been able to use their full strength, they would have surely dodged that last attack.”
“That’s right. We made it almost to the very end today. At this rate, we’ll surely overcome it soon.”
The meetings generally took this form. I would give a slight nod to the other Green Skins’ comments and then look at Jung Hayeon. Finally, cautiously watching my expression, she began to speak.
“Assuming my mana consumption is equivalent to the eastern beast’s health dropping, I think the swordsmen engaged a little too early. Overall, it wasn't bad, but the movements of the main force and the swordsmen felt a bit slow… No, more than that, it felt like they were having trouble controlling their distance. I got the strong feeling that something was out of sync.”
“I felt that as well.”
Just as she said, I had felt it too. I could feel our skills improving with each attempt, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the entire allied tribe was grinding against itself. I might be able to command them more naturally if I changed my class to a Commander, but switching jobs at this point would be truly foolish. As my expression hardened, Goff, for the first time in a while, spoke with a heavy tone.
“Blood Dagger’s command is not bad. No, it is good. He understands the hunt for the eastern beast better than any of us. Even the Great Tribe Leader is not perfect. Blood Dagger is the same. What we can do is believe. I believe in Blood Dagger.”
His blind faith was deeply appreciated, but in truth, it was an immense burden. After Goff finished, Orbo spoke up.
“The honorable Chieftain Goff of the Goff Clan is right. No matter what anyone says, that last battle was clearly my mistake. I should have pulled the swordsmen back and held onto the beast’s head a little longer.”
“Gara is also at fault. Gara was distracted.”
As the three tanks all stepped forward to console me and admit their faults, the atmosphere in the tent instantly warmed. I remembered the meetings of the small clan back in the western city; they were definitely not like this. The harsh curses and the bickering over whose fault it was were absent here.
It was an atmosphere you wouldn't believe for a debriefing after a failed raid simulation where lives were on the line. And for that very reason, the weight on my shoulders grew even heavier.
‘If I fail, they die.’
Not me. The other Green Skins would die. To be honest, that was my biggest source of stress.
I nodded once to express my gratitude, and we began to delve into a more detailed meeting. Various opinions were raised, but naturally, we couldn't reach a definite conclusion. Someone even suggested placing the priests among the swordsmen. We had plenty of time, so the plan was to test things one by one, but I couldn't help but feel rushed.
And so, that day’s meeting also ended with little to show for it.
“Hang in there, Chief!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
“My Savior… Th-Then, I will take my leave.”
After everyone else had left, I had another chat with Hakajin and Ragia about trivial matters. I wanted these two, whom I was grooming to be a chieftain and a strategist, to better understand this system.
Lately, Hakajin had been absorbing everything I had to teach him at a rapid pace, growing to the point where he was my biggest help in commanding from the sidelines.
It was then, as we were talking, that Ragia looked at me and cautiously began to speak. She often seemed lost in thought, and it appeared she had decided to voice whatever was on her mind today.
“Um… Chieftain.”
“Speak.”
“May I be so bold as to say something that might be rude?”
I was in a state of grasping at straws. I nodded as if to say it was fine and continued.
“It doesn’t matter.”
At my words, Ragia began to speak slowly, as if worried I might take offense.
“I was wondering what you think about receiving help from the humans. I have heard that the weak humans are very accustomed to these kinds of battles.”
It was certainly a sensitive topic that could have offended me. But it wasn't a bad suggestion. In fact, I thought it was a pretty good one. It was a decent idea, but just as I was thinking that there was no way Baek Ahyeon and her followers would have that kind of ‘experience,’ a few faces flashed through my mind.
Ragia was right. If I was struggling because I had only learned about raids from text, then I just needed to bring in someone with plenty of actual experience. I am not perfect. I had gathered talented individuals like Ragia and Hakajin to fill my gaps, and I had also captured others to be used.
A smile crept onto my lips as I spoke to Ragia.
“Where are the ones we captured? The humans we caught in that small eastern city.”
“The humans are all confined in the Storm Shadow Clan’s prison. However, in the process of extracting various information, some of them have already been maimed or are unable to speak properly. The plant was rather rough with them…”
It seemed Jung Hayeon had visited their location often to relieve her stress. I had told her to extract information, so I was sure she had gathered and organized a good amount, but to hear that none of them were mentally sound made me a little curious about what she had been up to.
But right now, the urgent matter was the status of an experienced human who could give me advice. I couldn't help but speak with some haste.
“Is there anyone who’s unharmed?”
“Yes. There is one human who is mentally sound… and living comfortably.”
I had a good idea of who she was talking about. A man I had completely forgotten about, having been so busy since our return. He had likely given up every piece of information he had, so he probably hadn't been subjected to harsh torture. I hadn't given any specific orders regarding him, so I figured he might have just been left alone.
The dog that was to be thrown away after the hunt has earned itself a little more time.
“Bring me Lee Wanyong.”
A bastard with a truly detestable name. [Lee Wanyong is the name of a historical figure in Korea infamous for signing the treaty that led to Japan’s annexation of the country, making his name synonymous with ‘traitor’.] I didn't like it, but this was a moment when I needed his advice.