Chapter 46: Two Weapon Merchants
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Two Weapon Merchants
[ I'd be grateful if you read slowly and carefully! ]
*
The force I felt through my grip was immense. To exaggerate slightly, the shock felt like it was piercing deep into my core.
‘Damn it.’
It was only natural for someone calling himself a Clan Master, but the bastard was strong. I’d thought he was just some pig bastard obsessed with women, but of course, he had a trick up his sleeve. Having rotted on this continent for a considerable amount of time, he likely had a Unique Ability as well. This was, without a doubt, a disadvantageous fight for me.
His weapon was a bastard sword with an abnormally wide blade. The way it was shaped to a point at the tip was quite impressive. However, it seemed a bit shorter than a standard longsword, suggesting it probably wasn't his primary weapon.
“You fucking Orc bastard. How dare you. How dare you.”
It was only right for him to burn with rage at me. But I was burning with rage right back at him. In an instant, my eyes turned red and my muscles tensed. But as he pushed, my greatsword was immediately sent flying. I had thought I wouldn't be outmatched in strength after evolving into an Ancient Orc, but his size clearly wasn't just for show.
“Die!”
His heavy sword flew toward me in an instant. It felt as if I were back in my human days, fighting a monster. The reality was that I was the monster now, which was a bit ironic.
“Krrrrrk.”
I couldn't help but let out a slight laugh.
Because the man right in front of me, Lee Youngdon, was the perfect opponent to gauge just how much stronger I had become. Back in the day, Lee Youngdon’s reputation in the city was squarely mid-tier. Of course, even that was a high wall for me back then, but in my current state, it no longer felt like an insurmountable one.
The sword flew at me. But I blocked it. The reach of my greatsword was longer than his. Now, I was the Queen of the North. And he was the me from back then.
I instantly began to create distance.
I swung my sword, but he charged at me like a wild boar, deflecting every blow from my greatsword with his own.
The sound of sword clashing against sword echoed continuously, piercing the air.
‘He’s strong.’
But it wasn't as if I was completely overwhelmed. This battle with him was important, but so were the others. I started shouting to my clan members around us.
“Kill every human that climbs up!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
“Victory! Only! For victory!”
Of course, he couldn't understand my words. But he could probably guess what I was saying. I had no more attention to spare for my clan members. I was busy enough as it was.
“Krrrrrk.”
“You dog-like Orc bastard!!”
If I took one step back, he took one step forward. His strength felt like it would shatter my grip.
But there was no way I would let go of my sword. On the contrary, this was fun.
The fight with the Queen of the North.
It was just like then.
Fighting the strong is fun.
I swung my greatsword down from above. He wasn't agile. He would likely approach by carving through the space between us. Seeing my sword descend, he didn't even try to dodge, instead swinging his own sword up from below.
“CLANG!”
With that sound, my greatsword was sent flying skyward again. I knew he would try to close the distance in that opening. I simply let go of the greatsword. As it flew into the air, I immediately drew the ‘Weapon-Breaking Longsword’ I’d bought a while ago. I began to block his sword with everything I had.
This time, he was the Queen of the North. The only difference from before was that he kept pushing forward with brute force. A typical swordsman, confident in close-quarters combat.
“Kuaaaaaah!”
I threw the dagger I was holding. As he predictably raised his sword to block it, I dashed past him toward my greatsword, which was now falling, and grabbed it again.
A brief stalemate.
“Krrrrrng…”
By now, he must have realized it.
That the Weapon Merchant was by no means an easy opponent.
“Fuck…”
A curse spilled from his lips. While we were locked in this standoff, the screams of his men, still unable to escape the pit, continued to ring out.
“Uwaaaaaaahk!”
“Aaaahk!”
The warriors who had climbed up with Lee Youngdon were being decisively held back by our loyal Five Siblings and other Orc warriors.
As time passed, he was obviously the one getting desperate.
At this moment, with his forces not yet fully assembled, I could naturally afford to be calm.
“Kuaaaaaaaaah!”
I let out an involuntary roar and charged at him. I slammed my greatsword into the ground. A cloud of dust flew up and scattered toward him, but there was no way he'd fall for such a cheap trick. He simply sidestepped and charged forward himself. My attempt to seize the initiative had unintentionally backfired. I swung the greatsword horizontally with all my might.
“WHOOOOSH”
The sound of the blade cutting through the air was inevitable. With a loud “CLANG!”, he blocked my attack with his sword. I immediately let go of my sword again.
The action, repeated every single day,
day after day,
without fail,
was incredibly natural. The moment I released the greatsword, I smoothly drew the Weapon-Breaking Longsword. I immediately spun my body halfway around and thrust it toward his neck.
My free hand was already preparing to catch the greatsword I’d let go of.
“CLANG!”
My attack was blocked once more.
I immediately grabbed the greatsword and swung it upward from below, aiming for his side.
But it was blocked.
‘You pig-like bastard…’
Time continued to flow. The Red Cross Clan members, having regained their senses, began to form ranks and climb out of the pit. The loyal Orc Five Siblings were fighting valiantly, but this time, it was my turn to feel a bit rushed.
As he swung his sword, I poured all my magic into the Weapon-Breaking Longsword and met his blade.
His sword fit perfectly into the notch that was already there.
“CLANG!”
In a situation where both his strength and magic surpassed mine, a misstep could result in my own sword breaking, so I didn't try to foolishly shatter his.
However…
‘I can at least restrict his movements.’
Frustrated, he tried to wrench his sword free, but I also put all my strength into it, struggling not to be separated from him. While he was preoccupied with his trapped sword, I immediately grabbed the greatsword with my other hand and brought it crashing down to smash his head.
I grew a little excited at the satisfying crunch that was about to ring out.
“BANG!”
“..............?”
But the greatsword was instantly sent flying back. It had definitely landed on his head. Yet, it was my weapon that had been repelled. It was a situation I couldn't quite comprehend. Seeing my expression, he gave me a sly grin and began to shove his sword into my body. He had already freed it from the Weapon-Breaking Longsword.
“SHUNK!”
“Krrrrrrk!”
An immense, searing pain erupted in my abdomen.
‘Fuck… a Unique Ability.’
I finally understood why a guy who looked like a tank, a frontline fighter, wasn't carrying a shield. A bastard whose body was as hard as a shield had no need to carry one.
“Kuaaaaaang!”
I roared, but the damage was real. He looked at me and laughed heartily.
“Puhahahaha! You dog-like Orc bastard. The look on your face is a masterpiece.”
I wasn't certain, but it was an ability that hardened his body. It was hard to guess just how durable it was. But it couldn't be so hard that it surpassed my expectations. If he were so tough that I couldn't break him, he wouldn't have been content as a subordinate clan of the Saint Knights Order.
I also needed to figure out if his ability was a continuous passive or an activated skill. But my condition was too critical to test things one by one. I could still move, but the problem was the bleeding. The crimson blood already gushing from my abdomen was, without a doubt, a fatal wound.
“Krrrrrrk.”
But I could still move. I charged at him once more. I kept swinging my greatsword, but he blocked every one of my attacks with either his sword or his body. Now that he had tricked me and landed a solid blow, there was no longer any need to hide his ability.
I began to observe his skin closely. I could feel his skin changing slightly whenever I swung my sword at him.
In other words, it wasn't a passive skill.
Of course, in my wounded state, I couldn't possibly block all of his attacks. Wounds continued to accumulate on my body. In contrast, it was unfair that he didn't have a single scratch on him.
‘Fuck.’
A Unique Ability.
Innate physical traits, senses, and finally, equipment were all factors, but a Unique Ability was also a measure of strength on this continent. It was something I still lacked. In that sense, Lee Youngdon, the man I was currently fighting, could be called strong in his own right.
His physique, class, and Unique Ability were all quite stable.
Blood continued to pour from my body, but I didn't stop swinging my sword. Of course, I had whittled down his forces enough that I could retreat now and fight another day. But I didn't want to back down.
I wanted to test my limits.
In my past life, I had no memory of ever truly trying. To be honest, I only ever ‘pretended’ to try. But in this life, I had truly moved with purpose.
It was just like with the Queen of the North.
‘I don't want to lose.’
I don't want to lose. A fighting spirit I never had in the past was keeping my feet rooted to the spot.
“Kuaaaaaaaang!!!”
Considering his strength, it was a miracle my body hadn't been split in two. As if to prove that my efforts were not in vain, I somehow managed to dodge and parry his attacks with my unique footwork. His annoying sword, his annoying ability. I kept thrusting my sword with the single-minded intent to destroy everything.
The way he was grimacing, it seemed that even if he was hard, the pain still got through.
“Kuaaaaaah!”
Break it. I’ll break it all. The speed at which I swung my sword began to increase. As I moved, constantly switching between the greatsword and the longsword, the blood flowing from my body began to splatter all around.
My other clan members didn't help me. Normally, they might have fired arrows without a second thought. But I could feel it from the way they kept glancing over while engaged in their own fierce battles. They knew I was swinging my sword with the desire to win this on my own. To interfere in such a battle was, of course, a discourtesy for a Green Skin. It was no surprise that they couldn't leave their spots, worried as they were for me.
And yet…
‘This is fun.’
My hand movements began to get faster and faster. I picked up the greatsword, the longsword, and even the dagger I had thrown earlier, and continued to pressure him. His expression started to sour, perhaps because his Unique Ability had its limits. He was clearly unnerved that I, who looked ready to collapse at any moment, was continuing to chip away at him like an egg hitting a rock.
Despite it all, I swung my sword. Just as I thought I was swinging my sword in a trance for what felt like an eternity…
[You have awakened a Unique Ability.]
I, too, had finished preparing to ascend to the ranks of the ‘truly’ strong.