Chapter 271: Kim Yoora's Anger
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 271: Kim Yoora's Anger
I could feel the atmosphere was far from good. In response to Goff’s hostility, the other Orc was flaring his magic to its fullest. In the sudden, volatile situation, a strange scene unfolded where Darga was nervously glancing between the two.
“Interesting. Are you prepared to take responsibility for those words?”
The Orc’s eyes had already turned red. He was breathing heavily, and I could tell that the claim of his tribe being the most belligerent was no lie. Though no weapons were drawn, they were on the verge of battle. Just as Goff began to slowly rise to his feet in response to Sand Glave’s posture, a voice cut through the tension.
“Enough.”
It was Storm Shadow, his voice spreading with a heavy authority.
“Sand Glave, we will address that matter after this discussion is over. I will grant you a separate time. For now, Darga’s report comes first.”
Unable to ignore the words of the acting Great Tribe Leader, the Orc slowly nodded. He seemed excessively agitated. I didn't know if it was due to accumulated stress, if he’d had a personal incident that fueled his animosity toward humans, or if he had somehow caught wind of the secret behind the former Great Tribe Leader’s death, but he clearly had his reasons.
Even considering his naturally aggressive nature, I felt he was being particularly severe today.
“My apologies, Darga. You may continue.”
The chamber seemed to settle down to some extent. It was for reasons like this that the position of Great Tribe Leader was so crucial. If Storm Shadow hadn't intervened, it would have devolved into complete chaos. At Storm Shadow’s word, Darga began to speak again, and another chieftain cautiously raised his hand.
“I have told you everything I can. If you have questions, now would be a good time to ask.”
“I’m curious about the exact appearance of the undead and the nature of the battles.”
“They took many forms. There were massive heaps of corpses the size of Ogres, and disgusting creatures that spat slime from their mouths. Most were basically bipedal ghouls… but it seemed the more they fought and the more they ate, the stronger they became. There was also a shaman-like one who could raise the corpses of our warriors using a special method. It would gather the bodies of our warriors, chant a strange spell, and the fallen would rise again. Some warriors turned into ghouls, while others rose with their bodies still intact.”
It seemed that, unlike in the movies, getting bitten didn't immediately turn you into a zombie. If that had been the case, the situation would have been a living hell. It appeared they had a class similar to a Green Skin shaman—beings that could grant new life to corpses.
“Hmm…”
“The battles usually consisted of us fending off their assaults. They do not sleep, they do not rest their eyes, they do not take breaks. The initial clashes were evenly matched, but as the fighting dragged on and our warriors grew weary, they began to fall. Our brothers who had raised their swords against the enemy rose again to point those same swords at us. They methodically chipped away at us, expanding their own forces.”
A hint of fear was visible on the Orc’s face. A Green Skin who feared battle? I had never heard of such a thing. But the more I listened to Darga’s explanation, the more I realized how serious this problem was.
‘Intelligent undead…’
If there were truly intelligent undead, this was no ordinary problem.
They were intelligent, yet they didn't tire or sleep. Their stamina never dropped, and they continuously grew stronger.
‘Ha…’
They understood their own advantages, employed tactics, and relentlessly pushed their enemies, whittling them down bit by bit. They already understood where their strengths lay.
If this was the level of undead who had just emerged from the Tutorial, and if we assumed that the undead on other continents had already expanded their own territories and established a system similar to ours or the humans’, then the Green Skins were at a clear disadvantage.
From the perspective of those on the receiving end, it could only be described as a catastrophe.
“The humans couldn't have survived, then.”
Someone muttered. But Darga shook his head.
“No. After building fortifications, the humans were effectively holding off the undead. I don’t know what method they used, but… a bright light…”
“Holy power.”
I muttered the words before I could stop myself. Assuming many of them had awakened as Priests, they were undoubtedly keeping the undead in check with holy power.
Humans had a way to stop them. Even the mindless undead on this continent showed a weakness to holy power. If there were more human survivors than Green Skins—who were stronger and more belligerent than anyone—then they must have been using holy power to defend themselves.
“Hmm…”
All eyes turned and fixed on me.
“Any Green Skin who has fought humans will surely remember those who cast a bright light, similar to the healing spells of our shamans. Humans call them Priests. Their bodies are weak and fragile, but that bright light is likely fatal to the undead. The humans who fell with Darga must have been using Priests to hold them off.”
“To think that frail humans could stop the undead that even Green Skin warriors could not…” Sand Glave muttered again.
I felt a strong urge to take that guy to a dungeon with some humans one day. The sight of undead crumbling en masse from a single prayer uttered by a high-ranking priest is truly a spectacle. A single prayer from a priest just past the novice stage would be more effective than a spell from a high-level Green Skin shaman.
In the Tutorial, humans, undead, and Green Skins all start in a relatively weak state. If someone awakens as a Priest during that first clash, it’s hell for the undead.
Thinking of this naturally brought Sword Saint Ha Yuri to mind. If she were sane, a single blast of her holy power would likely silence all the undead. As I casually ignored Sand Glave’s comment, Darga’s voice was heard once more.
“The demon’s words must be true. I saw a flash of light, and the undead vanished without a trace. They also seemed reluctant to even step onto the ground that was covered in a yellow light.”
“…”
At this point, it seemed Sand Glave had nothing more to say. It was possible the undead had used the Green Skins to thin out the human forces. While they feel a basic revulsion toward the living, their reaction to holy power is far more severe.
From the humans’ perspective, the Green Skins might have been seen as nothing but trolls. I made a mental note to confirm this with Jang Ye Ri.
Several other questions were exchanged. Darga answered them all diligently, and after a considerable amount of time, the matter was finally concluded.
“To summarize, the Warrior’s Exam is no longer a test where humans and Green Skins clash. A new race, the undead, has been added to the exam, and this could soon become a major problem for our continent. Is that correct?”
Everyone nodded at Storm Shadow’s words.
“Much has been discussed about the enemies and threats to come, but there is only one conclusion we can draw.”
“…”
“We prepare for the coming battle.”
“For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor…”
“It is late today, so we will continue the rest of the meeting tomorrow. We shall meet after spending the day in our respective tents.”
With those words, the meeting ended.
The southern Orcs began to leave first, followed by the North, then the West, and finally the East. One by one, they bowed to Great Tribe Leader Storm Shadow and exited. As I moved to leave as well, Storm Shadow’s voice called out to me.
“Blood Dagger.”
“Mm.”
“Do not hate Sand Glave too much.”
No more was said. Storm Shadow’s lips were sealed, and I simply nodded before turning to leave.
The meeting had run so long we’d even skipped our meal, and my body felt quite tired. But it was impossible not to share a drink with my brothers after so long apart. In the end, at the Big Ogre’s insistent urging, a drinking party with him and the Green Goblin began. It was not until late that night that I was finally able to fall asleep.
*
“Chieftain, Chieftain, it’s morning.”
“Mm… Mev?”
Drinking with the Big Ogre was always dangerous. I had drunk so much my head was pounding, and my body felt incredibly heavy. As I slowly rubbed my eyes and sat up, I saw that it wasn't Mev before me, but Kim Yoora.
The sight of her kneeling demurely, waiting for me, was striking. It was a different side of her than I was used to.
“This is…”
“Ah. Jung Hayeon-nim and Mev-nim told me to be sure to take care of you if something like this happened… I heard you drank a lot yesterday.”
She had even prepared a breakfast table. It was only honey water and a standard Green Skin meal, but I could see the care she had put into it. Naturally, I felt a sense of pride. It was enough to make me smile, like a father watching his daughter grow up well. But thinking that she must have prepared this from the early morning, I couldn't help but feel that Jung Hayeon and Mev had said something unnecessary.
“Mm… thank you. But you don’t have to do this from now on.”
“Ah… yes… yes.”
She looked a little crestfallen. Seeing her expression, I spoke again.
“If you haven’t eaten breakfast, you should join me.”
“Yes… Yes!”
The way Kim Yoora hurriedly sat back down was quite cute. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since the two of us had spoken alone. I thought I had been paying attention to her, but I realized I didn't really know how she had been doing lately.
“How is life in the clan these days?”
“Yes… I’m very happy. Compared to before… It’s nice to have made many friends and to be able to get along with the adults, and… and to be like this with the… the Chieftain…”
“Like this?”
“It’s nothing.”
How simple. For some reason, it reminded me of when I first brought her here. I remembered how she used to run around constantly, trying so hard to win my favor. In the end, we accepted her as a Green Skin, and I have never once regretted that decision.
She united the younger clan members, continued to grow in ways that defied her age, and, just as I had expected, breathed vitality into the entire clan. She never stopped working hard. It wasn't that she lacked talent, either. For her to put in so much effort despite that, I considered it a great blessing.
As I continued to smile and watch her with a strange expression, I could see Kim Yoora’s face begin to flush.
It seemed she was embarrassed by my staring. I reached out and stroked her hair, and she lowered her head.
“I’m glad you came to the clan.”
“I… I’m the one who is truly grateful.”
Even though it was nothing special, her voice was choked with tears.