The Bandit Leader's Roar of Freedom
Among the outlaws, the oldest was Old Man Jang. He stepped forward one pace.
“May I ask the reason for your words?”
“No matter how much I think about it, this world feels completely different from the one we lived in.”
“Since the words are out, I’ll tell you everything I heard from Gaeneom.”
“Right now, the place we’re in is the Dragon Mountain Range. It was named after the thousands of creatures who once lived here—gods’ agents, protectors of the middle realm, masters of magic, the highest life forms on earth, all the impossible titles they earned.”
The excessive titles made some outlaws start whispering.
What even are dragons?
“Just think of them as dragons and you’ll be fine.”
The outlaws, who had been buzzing about legends of dragons, fell silent.
“There are also beastmen who look almost human, and nations—empires, kingdoms, you name it. And over there, monsters are everywhere.”
Jin Chen pointed at the wyverns stacked in one corner.
The outlaws shuddered, and the few children hid their faces in their mothers’ arms.
“And that guy over there— a sorcerer who learned something similar to witchcraft—says even a dragon, the agent of the gods, can’t travel to another dimension.”
“Does that mean there’s no way back?”
“He wasn’t saying he knows everything, so if we look hard enough, we’ll find a way someday.”
“So that’s why you asked. If there’s even a shred of hope left, you’ll find a way to get us home.”
“Exactly. So if any of you want to go back, raise your hand. I’ll find a way— even if it kills me.”
No one answered. No one asked.
Jin Chen waited in silence.
Who could easily open their mouth after dropping into a completely different world?
When silence finally filled the shelter, Old Man Jang’s voice rang out.
“There are monsters, and beings like dragons?”
“Yeah.”
“The Central Plains is no different.”
Everyone looked confused at the old man’s words.
How could there be monsters in the Central Plains?
Dragons were only legend.
Old Man Jang smiled as he looked at Baek-i, the white tiger beside Jin Chen, and Samsaek-i, the five-colored divine bird on Jin Chen’s other side.
“Even those two alone are legendary spirits.”
It was true.
Baek-i was one of the four sacred beasts, the white tiger. Samsaek-i was the greatest of all spirits, the five-colored divine bird.
“And to us poor outlaws, the imperial army and the heroes were like monsters. The Central Plains was a place where dying was normal.”
Everyone nodded with hardened expressions.
“Because of you, Lord of Jinryong Chae, we are alive today. And you gave me the chance to hold my grandchildren again.”
Old Man Jang stroked the head of the little boy standing beside him with an indulgent smile.
“You are more than a benefactor to us. You are a father, an immortal, a Buddha. This place is our home, and the land we will pass down to our children.”
“That’s right! Here is no different from the Central Plains!”
“But where would we go after running from the martial world?”
“Monsters are just a lot of them. Nothing special.”
“Don’t worry about us. Do what you want, Lord.”
Jin Chen laughed softly at the outlaws’ words.
“Our Thousand Peaks is a bit small, isn’t it?”
The outlaws looked puzzled.
“The Dragon Mountain Range is huge. It crosses the center of the continent.”
One by one, the outlaws began to catch on to what Jin Chen meant.
“To travel between empires or kingdoms, you have to cross the Dragon Mountain Range.”
Excitement sparked in his subordinates’ eyes.
“Banditry is in my blood. I’ll rob here too. Since it’s a new world, if you want to live fresh— not as bandits— come out now. I’ll split one side and let you go with a clean heart!”
“Who would leave like that!”
“As a man, that’s too much!”
“If one side is missing, your crotch won’t get sweaty.”
“It’s not balanced!”
“Balance is important!”
Jin Chen gave a mischievous smile.
“Then just keep robbing, kids. I’ll let you pull my hair as much as you want.”
“You have to keep that promise!”
“I’ll stick to your side even if it means my balls are swollen.”
“Let’s rob hard right here!”
His subordinates nodded vigorously in agreement.
Jin Chen raised his voice.
“Who are we?”
“Jinryong Chae!”
“Who are you?”
“Bandits!”
Jin Chen nodded sharply.
“From now on, no one on the continent will not know our name! I, and you, will make sure of it!”
“Strip them dry one by one!”
“Strip them dry one by one!”
“Jinryong Chae forever!”
The outlaws shouted with joy, not fear.
Jin Chen clenched his fist and raised his arm.
The cheering crowd fell silent at once.
The shelter went completely quiet.
“From now on, whoever crosses the Dragon Mountain Range, no matter what—!”
Jin Chen’s shout spread in every direction.
“Will belong to Jinryong Chae!”
It spread across the entire Dragon Mountain Range.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
And just like that, Jinryong Chae, which had vanished from the Central Plains, appeared in the new world.
***
A vast space surrounded by cliffs that rose like blades on three sides.
Inside a shaky wooden fence, a horde of orcs had gathered.
Surrounded by about two hundred orcs kneeling and trembling on the ground.
“Kiiik! P-please, Chief, forgive us.”
“Humans, glowing with light, have appeared.”
“Humans are too strong!”
The orcs muttered about humans.
They were the orcs who had fled from Jin Chen and the bandits.
In front of the orcs sat one— Chief Kanakku of the blue-eyed clan.
Sitting on an ogre-skin chair, he slowly stood up.
His enormous size, one head taller than the warriors, eyes burning with killing intent and madness, and the fangs jutting from his mouth, created overwhelming terror.
“Kiiik! Humans are strong?”
Kanakku picked up the giant axe leaning against him.
“I killed Guruk with this sword. And I can release light too!”
“I am the Twin-Headed Ogre who ruled this land!”
He thrust the giant axe forward.
Uuuuuung.
Blue aura rose like smoke from the giant axe.
The orcs around him shouted in fear.
“Kanakku! Kanakku!”
“Kiiik! I am the one who will rule all orcs! My tribe doesn’t need cowards!”
Before the words finished, Kanakku swung the giant axe.
Booooong.
Four orcs in front had their necks sliced off, green blood spraying and soaking the ground.
The kneeling orcs exhaled roughly and lowered their heads.
“C-Chief! Spare us! Kiiik!”
“Kiiiik! It’s not our fault! Light is coming from the sword!”
“Other humans are the same! They’re too strong!”
Kanakku snorted harshly.
“Kiiik! We are more in number! We could have won! Die!”
Kanakku jumped into the crowd and swung the giant axe.
Whoom! Hing!
Every time the giant axe swung, two or three orcs died at once.
“Kiiik! If you disobey me, you all die!”
The giant axe split a fleeing orc in half and embedded in the ground.
Kwaaang!
With a massive explosion, dirt and debris exploded outward.
The surrounding orcs shrank and lowered their heads.
Kanakku smiled in satisfaction.
The more fear and terror rose, the stronger the hidden excitement swelled.
He felt like the real lord—or even a dragon.
Fear more! More! More! More!
As he swung the giant axe without pause, excitement hidden, a new cry suddenly rang from the sky.
Kiiiiiik!
The moment he heard the clear cry, the excitement vanished instantly.
Kanakku wrinkled his face and looked up at the sky.
A bird circling overhead appeared.
Kiiiiiik!
Kanakku exhaled roughly at the bird’s cry repeating as if calling him to rise.
“Kik! Kill that bird!”
The orc archers prepared arrows and tried to release the strings toward the sky.
At that moment, an explosion suddenly erupted from the west of the tribe.
Kwaaang!
One side of the fence collapsed completely, debris flying everywhere.
When every orc’s gaze turned to that direction, someone jumped over the broken fence and entered the tribe.
“Whoa, nice spot?”
Jin Chen, axe slung over his shoulder, swept his gaze across the tribe.
The fleeing orcs recognized him and shouted.
“The hair-colored man! Those humans!”
“C-Chief! That human blocked us!”
At the shout, Kanakku snorted aggressively toward Jin Chen.
Kung! Kung!
Kanakku stopped in front of Jin Chen.
The height difference was so great they could be called adult and child.
Kanakku looked down at Jin Chen, whose chest barely reached his own, and revealed his yellow fangs.
“Look carefully. This insignificant human you fear! Kiiik! How easily I will kill him!”
Uuuuuung.
Kanakku swung the giant axe with gathered aura and shouted.
“I will die at Kanakku’s hand! Kiiik! Consider it an honor!”
Whoooong!
The giant axe split the air with a tremendous sound.
It looked like it would bisect Jin Chen’s body.
The orcs watching, and Kanakku swinging the axe, all believed that.
Until Jin Chen grabbed the aura-wrapped axe with his bare hand.
Paw!
“Look at this bastard? He knows how to use sword qi?”
A smile formed at the corner of Jin Chen’s mouth.
Like a cat that found a fun toy.