Chapter 356: The Green Skin Training Camp
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 356: The Green Skin Training Camp
Choi Hee-chul of the Winter Weasel Clan.
For his failure to find an ordinary defector named Wingrin, his punishment was three years in a Green Skin settlement. To be precise, he had to enter something called the Green Skin Training Camp. He had already stalled for a year due to post-war processing, but there was a limit to how long he could delay.
The cleanup had finished faster than expected, leaving him with nothing else to do. As a result, the Queen of the North and other northern figures were pressuring him to head to the Green Skin Training Camp at once.
It was right that he accept his punishment.
He knew this himself, but the sense of dread that came with the name "training camp" kept making him procrastinate.
‘Right. It’s my fault for letting in a common milkman. This could be a good opportunity to steel my resolve alongside my guild members.’
Looking back, they had charged forward relentlessly until now.
There had been no time to rest. They had run to survive, to achieve something great, and they had indeed accomplished more than they ever thought possible.
The truth was, that thing called complacency had reared its head quite some time ago.
They had built up their power… gained strength enough to be called one of the strong… no, it was precisely because they had gained it that they couldn't overcome this complacency.
‘Let’s get back to basics. Back to basics…’
Three years in the Brother's Land would be a great experience for him and his guild members. Choi Hee-chul murmured quietly.
“We will head to the Brother's Land. Inform Her Majesty.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Prepare the members of the Weasel Guild, excluding our subordinate forces. Get us ready to depart tomorrow.”
“Yes. Understood, Master.”
When he thought about it, it wasn't all bad. Though humans were said to live in the Green Skin settlements, they were all individuals. There had never been a case of a guild or clan visiting a settlement as a unit.
The Three Brothers of the Brother's Land, and among them, the resourceful Green Skin Blood Dagger, was practically the center of the continent's power.
He had the Queen of the East as his wife, was lovers with Choi Seulgi of the North, and his stock had recently skyrocketed after he single-handedly took down the fallen prince.
It was no exaggeration to call him the continent's shadow ruler. Being able to spend time near him was, in a way, not a misfortune but an opportunity. Choi Hee-chul nodded to himself.
‘Yesss… that’s right… of course.’
The influence of the Brother's Land on the surrounding Green Skins was immense. If they could just endure these three years, a new path might open up for them.
Since it was called the Green Skin Training Camp, it would surely be completely different from the armies on Earth.
When he opened his eyes the next morning, he felt a strange mix of excitement and nervousness.
“At my age… haha…”
He muttered to himself, but there was no reply. A new challenge at his age—or more accurately, paying the price for a past mistake—but even that felt like a kind of challenge to Choi Hee-chul.
When he went outside, many of his guild members were already gathered, their eyes showing their trust in him. These were the fine men and women he had spent so much time with. And so, the Weasel Guild slowly began their journey.
It was his first time visiting the Brother's Land. He had heard rumors that the Green Skins had built a civilization that would astonish humans, but this was his first time going to see it with his own eyes. It seemed he wasn't the only one who was excited; his other guild members were also smiling and laughing.
Watching them, Choi Hee-chul spoke to his second-in-command, Park Deok-gu.
“Deok-gu.”
“Yes, Master.”
“How long has it been since we’ve traveled so leisurely, just taking in nature like this?”
“Hahaha… I can’t quite remember either. We’ve been running so hard all this time…”
“To be honest, I don’t even think we were running, Deok-gu. At some point, we just stopped.”
“…”
“We may be leaving to receive punishment, but for some reason, I feel like I could bow to Blood Dagger in gratitude. Just as it's been a long time since we've been on a journey, I wonder if our Weasel Guild has also come to a standstill. That's what I'm thinking.”
“Perhaps you’re right.”
Choi Hee-chul smiled quietly at Park Deok-gu’s smiling face. It was a blessing to be able to slowly look around and see the magnificent natural scenery of the continent.
Their excitement didn't fade when night fell, nor on the following day. It was fun to laugh and talk with the guild members while setting up camp, and though sleeping outdoors for the first time in a while made his back ache, it was enough to make him feel like he was having a good experience.
Frankly, he even wished this journey to the Brother's Land would last a little longer.
His thoughts remained the same even after they passed through the northern winter and entered the swamps of the East.
“I’ve been here once before. It’s changed so much…”
“They say the Brother's Land is even more incredible than the stories, Master.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Once we’ve taken responsibility for what we’ve done, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to slowly see the world.”
“Hahahaha. You’re welcome to it anytime, Master. Your eyes… they seem like they used to be.”
“They used to be?”
“Yes, sir. I can see the Master from when we were just starting out.”
“Hahaha. Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”
“I’m serious, Master. You have the same eyes you had back then, when I first decided to follow you.”
He thought it might be true. A new environment, a new path, growing stronger, adventure—these things were the driving force for those living on the continent. He and the Winter Weasel Clan had been lacking in them.
I want to go back. I want to go back to how things were.
Choi Hee-chul muttered as he continued walking. After walking a little further through the swamp, he saw it: the Brother's Land he had only heard stories about. The moment he saw the three flags fluttering atop the magnificent palisade, his jaw dropped.
“Whoa…”
“They said it would make your jaw drop… and they were right. No… I don’t think we’ve even reached the settlement yet.”
Park Deok-gu muttered, looking around.
“I think we’ve entered the Free Economic Zone.”
Judging by the flags, this was indeed the famed Free Economic Zone. He had noticed many humans and Green Skins carrying large packs, and it seemed they were all merchants.
“Hey there, handsome Orc! Come take a look at these fine goods!”
“Krrrrrrk.”
“Human! I have something you humans will like!”
The marketplace was always lively, but the energy here was beyond imagination. They had only taken a few steps, but already the clamor of the market filled their ears. After the war, the Blood Dagger Clan had begun to expand the scope of its Free Economic Zone to the area around its settlement. Once they passed through this zone, the settlement of the Brother's Land would come into full view. Looking around, he saw Orcs approaching.
‘Mirror Blade Hark.’
He was, without a doubt, the third most powerful warrior in the Blood Dagger Clan. Of course, ranking combat strength beyond the Chieftain and Sub-Chieftain was meaningless, but the strength of Hark, the younger brother of Sub-Chieftain Gark, was well-known in the human world.
His unique ability was Mirror Image, and his lightning-fast swordsmanship, which could slice an enemy to pieces in an instant with two blades, was incredibly famous.
“Hmm…”
As Hark approached, Park Deok-gu stepped slightly forward.
“We are the Winter Weasel Clan.”
“Ahh. You must be the humans who were scheduled to check in!”
“That is correct.”
“I heard the story. I was just out on patrol since I heard a lot of humans had come in… I never imagined it would be you. You arrived sooner than expected.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll guide you. Follow me.”
“Understood.”
Hark walked at a fairly slow pace, and Choi Hee-chul began to follow him. The vibrant scenery continued to fill his vision. Just as he thought the sounds of people were starting to fade, an incredibly vast plain came into view. Situated on the great plain were three settlements, each with its own unique charm. The skull of the Beast of the East, which they were said to have slain, was visible at a glance.
There were children running about, elite Orc swordsmen of the Blood Dagger Clan training, and three enormous tents. Blood Dagger, Goff, and Black Spear probably lived there.
“If you had come through the center, you would have arrived at the Brother's Land directly. You took a bit of a detour.”
“Seeing the Brother's Land laid out like this, I’m actually glad we took the long way around.”
“Hahahaha. Thank you for the kind words. Our Brother's Land is always developing. No sooner does one construction project end than another begins. For Blood Dagger.”
“For Blood Dagger.”
As they slowly descended, the palisade grew larger and larger, until it was enough to draw gasps of awe. It had looked like simple wood, but it seemed to have been infused with mana, making it incredibly hard.
“Unbelievable…”
“Hmm…”
Choi Hee-chul spoke without realizing it.
“There’s no way it could be this hard.”
It was Mirror Blade Hark who answered.
“This palisade was made by the Alraune who brought the Blood Dagger Clan's third heir, Lapura, into the world. I heard it's imbued with special magic, making it harder than stone.”
“Ah…”
He thought he had seen her before. The Alraune who controlled the roots of giant plants. Every time she waved her hand, dozens of zombies were crushed by plants or exploded from within. A magician who could hold her own anywhere on the continent. He hadn't heard the news that she had given birth to an heir.
This was why coming here wasn't a bad thing. Just by staying in this settlement, he was constantly receiving high-level intelligence. He felt a surge of good humor as he thought about somehow forming a connection with that Alraune and launching various business ventures.
It was when they got a little closer to the palisade.
An enormous number of Green Skins suddenly began pouring out of the Brother's Land. The one thing they all had in common was an incredibly happy smile. He looked at Hark with questioning eyes, demanding an explanation for the situation. Hark nodded and continued.
“That’s Giant Scream Apachi, Battle Sorcerer Crugar, and their wife, Little Finger.”
“Why are they…”
“They graduated from the training camp today.”
Their smiles were far too wide for them to look like they had just completed glorious and honorable training. Seeing their expressions, as if they owned the entire world, Choi Hee-chul began to feel an unidentifiable sense of anxiety.
‘That expression… where have I seen it before…’
The memory was faint, but he was sure he had seen it. An expression he had seen decades ago. There was no mistake. It was the exact look on the faces of soldiers being discharged from boot camp, a sight he’d seen just as he was about to enlist himself.
‘Sh…shit…’
Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. This was no ordinary training camp. Just as Choi Hee-chul was trembling with anxiety, his eyes met theirs.
The Orc who looked like he could shout well opened his mouth wide.
“Good luck in there! Time flies. Krrrrrk! We’re free! UWOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!”
The roar that erupted, the wavering eyes of his guild members—Choi Hee-chul despaired.