Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Orc Slayer
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'Focus on the present.'
As she steeled her resolve and stepped out of her tent, the youngest member of the hunting team, 'Hyeok-jin,' was waiting for her.
In his hands, he held a cup of steaming hot water and a precious Choco Pie.
"Sis, you're up? You looked so exhausted earlier... At least have this to perk you up."
Hyeok-jin smiled shyly as he handed them over.
"How on earth did you get your hands on something like this?"
"Last time we stopped by the village, I spotted someone selling them by chance and bought one. I've been saving it to give to you when you were having a tough time."
Han Yu-ra gave a small smile at his words. In this barren tower, knowing there was someone with such a pure heart brought her a bit of comfort.
She took the Choco Pie and bit into it. The sweetness filling her mouth seemed to melt away some of the morning's bitterness.
"Sis, don't let that lady get to you too much. Everyone knows how hard you work."
At Hyeok-jin's worried words, Han Yu-ra shook her head as if it was fine.
"No. It's my fault for not being good enough. It's because of me that I can't bring back enough to satisfy everyone."
"Don't say that! You're already amazing, sis! I'll... I'll get stronger and take some of the load off you. I promise...!"
Hyeok-jin clenched his fist tightly as he spoke. His eyes held not just respect, but an affection he couldn't hide. Han Yu-ra noticed but pretended not to, patting his shoulder.
"Yeah, thanks. I'll count on you."
Han Yu-ra showed him the smile of a leader, but in her heart, she drew a cold line.
'Sorry, Hyeok-jin. I don't have the luxury to accept your feelings right now.'
She knew all too well that forming a special bond with someone in this hell would only chain them both down.
Han Yu-ra popped the rest of the Choco Pie into her mouth and renewed her resolve once more. She had to get stronger. No, she must get stronger.
To become overwhelmingly powerful enough to satisfy their greed and more—to escape this exhausting role as leader.
That was her only goal now.
* * *
The sweetness of the Choco Pie Hyeok-jin had given her offered brief solace to Han Yu-ra's weary heart. But that comfort didn't last long.
By the time she returned to her tent for a short nap, the atmosphere at the base had completely changed.
The cave buzzed with noise. People who would normally be quietly spending time in their own areas had gathered in one spot, murmuring anxiously.
An inexplicable unease hung in the air.
"What's going on?"
Han Yu-ra asked a nearby person, who fidgeted nervously as he replied.
"Well... Yu-ra, Jae-ho and the hunting team members..."
"The hunting team? What about them?"
"While you were sleeping, Jae-ho and Min-soo took the entire reserve team to the goblin forest. They said points were short, so they had to earn more themselves."
At those words, Han Yu-ra's heart sank.
While she slept, the elite hunting team she had personally trained had left for a hunt without a word to her, taking the inexperienced reserves along. To the goblin forest, no less, where ominous reports had been nonstop lately.
She immediately sought out Hyeok-jin. As the youngest, he had to know something.
"Hyeok-jin! Tell me what happened right now. Why didn't you tell me about something this important?!"
Under Han Yu-ra's sharp questioning, Hyeok-jin stammered nervously.
"S-Sis... um."
"You think I'm scolding you? That's not it! I need to know the situation to handle it!"
"S-Sorry, sis. Actually, Jae-ho hyung and Min-soo hyung said they wanted to lighten your load... and that you'd worry if you knew, so they made me promise to keep it secret until they got back..."
"For a stupid reason like that? Haa..."
Han Yu-ra let out a deep sigh. She appreciated their intentions, but their actions were foolish. She quickly opened her tablet and sent a message to Jae-ho via the 'friends' function.
[Han Yu-ra: Jae-ho. Where are you? Report your position now.]
But only cold silence replied.
'No way... Is the situation so dire they can't even respond?'
A foreboding feeling gripped her heart.
Han Yu-ra immediately pulled up the minimap to check Jae-ho's location.
On the map, blue dots marking Jae-ho and the other team members blinked deep in goblin territory.
But something was off.
They weren't moving at all. They were all clustered in one spot.
"When did they leave?"
"Ab... about three hours ago."
Three hours. Plenty of time to gather loot and return under normal circumstances.
A chill ran down Han Yu-ra's spine as she rushed back to her tent. She grabbed her bow from the wall and bolted out of the cave without hesitation.
"S-Sis! I'll go with you!"
Hyeok-jin's shout came from behind, but Han Yu-ra didn't stop. Time was of the essence.
Han Yu-ra raced through the forest like a madwoman. Her sniper class bonus to agility made her body move like the wind.
Soon, she arrived at the marked location of Jae-ho's group.
Deep in goblin territory.
A scene from hell unfolded.
"Ah..."
Blood and flesh scattered everywhere. Severed limbs, guts spilling from corpses. The horror was beyond words.
The air reeked of acrid blood and foul entrails.
The roughly 70 reserve hunters she had trained in archery lay as mangled corpses, not a single survivor among them.
Amid the pile of bodies, she spotted familiar faces. The elite team she had raised herself—her comrades. Jae-ho and Min-soo lay side by side, lifeless on the ground.
Memories of conversations with them flashed through her mind.
[Yu-ra, don't push yourself too hard. We're pretty strong now too.]
[Yeah! Sis, we've got your back! We'll protect you now!]
The voices of her comrades, who had laughed and fought alongside her, echoed in her ears. Her vision blurred, her legs nearly gave out.
A wave of immense grief crashed over her. But she didn't break. She barely held back her tears, swallowing the sobs.
Then, she began analyzing the situation coldly.
Han Yu-ra suppressed her boiling rage and heartbreaking sorrow, awakening her instincts as an archer.
'An archer doesn't release the string until the arrow hits the target.'
Her target now was the cause of this tragedy.
Han Yu-ra widened her eyes, unleashing the extreme focus honed since her archery days.
'This... isn't goblins.'
She examined the wounds on the corpses. Nothing like the crude weapons goblins used. The cuts were far deeper and wider, as if made by massive axes or hammers.
Han Yu-ra opened her tablet and activated the minimap. She was definitely in goblin territory. But just a few hundred meters ahead lay the border with orc lands.
The puzzle pieces clicked in her mind.
'My guess is, Jae-ho's group was hunting goblins, accidentally crossed into orc territory, or ran into a scouting party. Then... they drew aggro and got one-sidedly slaughtered here.'
The culprits were orcs.
Considering no orc bodies were visible.
The opponent was clearly a powerful named orc capable of massacring dozens of summoners alone.
Just then, Hyeok-jin arrived late. He retched at the gruesome sight of the summoner corpses.
"Urk...! S-Sis... what the hell..."
After vomiting bile for a while, he finally regained his senses and shakily asked about her.
"Sis... are you okay...?"
"Hyeok-jin. Go back to base first... and report the situation. I'll handle things here."
"S-Sis..."
"It's fine, Hyeok-jin. I'll make it fine. I'll repay our comrades' debt. Not a single one of those orc bastards will be left—I’ll pierce every last one of their skulls with my arrows."
No more tears flowed from her eyes. In their place burned a cold fury and thirst for vengeance that could incinerate everything.
* * *
Im Ji-hye and I sat on a rock in the middle of orc territory, some distance from the massacre site, watching it all unfold.
Im Ji-hye had sent her wind spirit near Han Yu-ra, relaying the sounds and sights to us in real time.
I normally couldn't see or use spirits, but while in contact with Im Ji-hye's body, I could do so to a limited extent.
Spirit vision sharing, as it were. Her spirit user talents were improving daily.
"Not a single one left alive. I’ll pierce every last one of their skulls with my arrows."
Han Yu-ra's declaration came through vividly via the spirit.
I smiled in satisfaction at the sight, but Im Ji-hye trembled in my arms. I placed a hand on her body, gently kneading her ample breasts.
"Joo-hyuk... look at Han Yu-ra's face. She looks furious."
"She does. I love that look in her eyes."
"Is this really okay? We already did it, but... those people all died because of us..."
"It's fine."
I whispered in her ear.
'Damn, she's pissed. With that killing intent, she could take down dozens of orcs solo.'
I pressed harder into her breast.
"But out of all your parts, why the breasts?"
Im Ji-hye asked softly.
"Why? Because it's the best-feeling part of your body."
I pinched her nipple lightly, recalling the truth behind all this.
That's right. That horrific massacre was all my doing.
⚙ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED ⚙ Orc Slayer Orcs worship raw strength. Having defeated the tribe's greatest warrior, you deserve their worship. Orcs regard you as 'Chieftain' and obey you. Occasionally, orc warriors will challenge you to duels. I used this effect to order a nearby named orc and his minions to wipe out Han Yu-ra's hunting team.
Of course, there was a slight mishap.
'I told them to leave one or two alive and bring them to the orc village, but that dumb named orc got carried away and killed them all.'
I could only chuckle dryly at its stupidity.
The silver lining was that the summoners killed by the named orc still boosted my Murder Demon achievement and gave proper points.
Though it didn't meet Fellios's contract condition (must kill personally) for the 50% bonus, it was still a solid haul.
'Anyway, now Han Yu-ra's raging into orc territory—perfect!'
Everything was going according to plan.
Through the vision share, I could see Han Yu-ra massacring orc squads in their territory with her arrows. Her rage was making her stronger. As I prepared to move, I spoke to the massive named orc waiting beside me.
"Hey, Krul."
[Krul: What is it, Chieftain.]
"Test how strong that woman is. But don't kill her. I like her tits and that big ass."
[Krul: But Chieftain, that woman very strong. Subduing her will cost many minions.]
Our conversation with the orc was transmitted as whispers only we could hear, via Im Ji-hye's wind spirit.
"I don't care about your minions' lives. Your mission is to bring her back unharmed. Fail, and I'll rip your head off for orc football."
The massive orc shuddered at my threat.
[Krul: ...Understood, Chieftain. I will capture her alive.]
"Good. And as planned, you die by my hand at the end. Act well."
[Krul: But Chieftain. What's difference between head ripped for football and dying by your hand.]
"Why are you suddenly so smart, you?"
I kicked its shin.
"Do as you're told. That's an order."
[Krul: ...Don't wanna die...]
"Your sacrifice will make the orc tribe greater. Or do you want to die beaten by me now? Or die honorably as a warrior?"
At my options, Krul fell silent for a moment before resolving itself.
[Krul: I-I'll die honorably, Chieftain.]
"Good. Let's do this right."
I smiled in satisfaction, awaiting the finale of the grand play unfolding in the distance.