Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: Guerrilla Warfare
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“Guerrilla warfare, huh...”
“Isn’t it called guerrilla warfare?”
“Same difference, man.”
Having heard Seo Woo-jin’s explanation, the heroes began to murmur among themselves.
“Is it really true that twenty thousand of them are gathering?”
One of the heroes asked.
She was a young woman who still looked quite youthful.
With a slightly pale expression, she alternated her gaze between the map and Seo Woo-jin.
“It could be even more than that.”
Seo Woo-jin nodded.
“That’s just the number I personally confirmed, and if you add in the ones I couldn’t check...”
At minimum twenty thousand, possibly up to thirty thousand.
The heroes let out dry laughs at Seo Woo-jin’s response.
“Fighting them head-on would be dangerous.”
“That’s why we’re talking about striking them in small groups.”
Given the massive number of Ancient Orcs swarming in, the majority of the heroes viewed Seo Woo-jin’s proposal positively.
But not everyone agreed.
“Wouldn’t splitting up be even more dangerous?”
It was Park Jin-han.
Even during the subjugation, he had stripped off his top, exposing his writhing muscles.
“Since we’re outnumbered, we might end up being the ones picked off one by one.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to stick together and go all-out? It’d be safer that way, and we could wrap it up quicker.”
Kim Tae-jin sided with Park Jin-han.
“Is that so?”
“Moving in small groups could definitely put us at risk.”
A few heroes with easily swayed opinions nodded along.
To them, Park Jin-han and Kim Tae-jin’s arguments made sense too.
“Anyone here experienced with large-scale battles like this?”
At that moment, Seo Woo-jin addressed the heroes.
“As far as I know, this is your first time dealing with a group this size, right?”
The heroes nodded.
“As you all know, Ancient Orcs excel in group combat. And the more of them there are, the stronger they get.”
This was another fact everyone had experienced firsthand.
“But do you really think you can fight over twenty thousand of them without taking any casualties?”
They would win.
No matter what, the heroes’ power was overwhelmingly strong.
But what Seo Woo-jin was asking wasn’t about victory or defeat.
Could they do it without anyone getting hurt or dying?
Of course, the A-rank and higher elites could confidently say yes...
“Honestly, I can’t be sure.”
“Me neither...”
The majority of the heroes were B- and C-rank.
Unlike the higher ranks, they couldn’t express such confidence.
Some had even sustained injuries in today’s battle.
Seo Woo-jin looked at Park Jin-han and Kim Tae-jin as he spoke.
“If casualties occur, who takes responsibility?”
The two fell silent at his expression, which seemed to ask, “You?”
But unable to swallow their anger, their faces flushed red.
Seo Woo-jin watched them impassively before turning his gaze away.
He had decided they weren’t worth any more attention.
“Anyone else opposed to my plan?”
The heroes shook their heads.
Even those who had agreed with Park Jin-han and Kim Tae-jin now found Seo Woo-jin’s words more persuasive.
‘Or maybe they’re just going with the flow.’
It didn’t matter either way.
The important thing was to proceed as planned.
“If no objections, let’s divide into teams.”
At his words, the heroes began grouping with their close friends.
Some teams swelled to over a dozen members, while others were as small as two or three.
After consulting with Rudain, Seo Woo-jin began redistributing them into more balanced groups.
After all, the academy instructors knew the heroes’ temperaments and abilities best.
After some time, the teams were finally formed.
Twenty teams in total, each assigned four or five members.
They positioned the teams close enough for rapid support in emergencies.
“This should do it.”
Seo Woo-jin smiled at his own team members.
Not a single A-rank combat class among them: no Kang Soo-ji, Goo Dong-hwan, Lee Ji-ah, Yu Hong-seol, or Jin Tae-seong.
The leftovers.
Kim Da-hye, Kang Byung-gyu, Park Min-seong, and Kim Woo-ram were on Seo Woo-jin’s team.
Two non-combat classes and two C-ranks.
Compared to other teams, they were clearly inferior, but it didn’t matter.
Ancient Orcs posed no threat to Seo Woo-jin anyway.
Better to concentrate the top ranks on other teams to maximize their strength.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
As Seo Woo-jin greeted them, they chuckled awkwardly.
“Woo-jin, you sure this is okay?”
Kang Byung-gyu asked.
He knew Seo Woo-jin was strong, but he doubted this team could even fight properly.
“I’ve thought this through, so don’t worry too much.”
Kang Byung-gyu nodded, smacking his lips, reassured by Seo Woo-jin’s confidence.
He trusted that Seo Woo-jin wouldn’t do anything reckless.
“For convenience, let’s drop the formalities.”
Among the team, Park Min-seong was the only one Seo Woo-jin spoke formally to.
Since he used casual speech with everyone else, it felt awkward to single one out.
Park Min-seong readily agreed to Seo Woo-jin’s request.
“I was wondering when you’d stop with the honorifics, haha!”
He joked that he’d felt distant from Seo Woo-jin’s formality and asked if he could call him “hyung.”
The team atmosphere warmed up instantly.
Hard to believe they were a combat unit.
Seo Woo-jin gave Park Min-seong a grateful look before pointing to the map.
“Our assigned area is here.”
It was quite a distance from their current position.
Based on the map markings, roughly five to seven hundred Ancient Orcs.
“Hmm...”
Kim Woo-ram let out a groan.
His stiffened face looked frightened.
“Relax your face. You’ve trained hard, so this should be easy for you.”
Kim Woo-ram looked quite different from before.
The brainless bravado and posing were long gone, replaced by seriousness.
Just imagining how much he’d suffered under Ban Slane gave Seo Woo-jin chills.
Though his time under Ban Slane was short, combined with his hero traits and growth via the ‘summoning stone,’ Kim Woo-ram seemed like a new person.
But perhaps due to his low C-rank and falling behind others?
He still lacked confidence.
‘I need to fix that personality too.’
Seo Woo-jin planned to develop them through this operation.
Especially Kim Da-hye, Park Min-seong, Kang Byung-gyu, and Kim Woo-ram.
He wanted to bridge their relative gaps with the others.
Give them maximum real combat experience, earn EXP, and level up.
More than any other team.
For that, they needed proactive attitudes.
“First, let’s plan our strategy.”
Seo Woo-jin began devising the subjugation plan with his team.
* * *
“Whoa, this is getting serious.”
The emperor, arriving at Zarban Plains, marveled at the scene unfolding before him.
A battle between five thousand Ancient Orcs and ninety-seven heroes.
Watching from a safe distance, the emperor chuckled repeatedly.
This subjugation was originally just a ploy to halt Iyer’s advance.
Yet the heroes’ fight was more intense and spectacular than expected.
“They’ve grown even more than anticipated.”
At the emperor’s words, Ronain, who had been providing close protection, approached.
“It seems largely due to recognizing the need for real combat experience early and shifting the training focus.”
If they’d stuck to the original plan, the heroes would only have hunted monsters tossed to them by knights, leveling up passively.
They wouldn’t have seen true combat until now.
But various incidents had led to a curriculum change, yielding significant results.
“Is that so?”
The emperor nodded, pleased with Ronain’s report.
But only briefly.
His eyes quickly scanned the battlefield.
‘He’s not here.’
No sign of Seo Woo-jin.
He hadn’t returned yet.
‘I wanted to meet and hear the details.’
The emperor clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Then, suddenly.
His eyes caught heroes outperforming the rest.
“Oh...”
Curiosity lit up the emperor’s eyes.
They excelled individually and their teamwork was flawless.
“Who are they? S-rank heroes?”
As the emperor pointed, Ronain checked them.
“They are not S-rank heroes, Your Majesty.”
Excluding Baek Si-woo and Sung Yu-ra, the three S-ranks were massacring Ancient Orcs elsewhere.
“Then who are they?”
At the emperor’s question, Ronain examined their faces again before answering.
“They all appear to be Seo Woo-jin’s comrades.”
The emperor’s eyebrow twitched at the name.
“Does he have comrades?”
“They’re well-known at the academy. Ranks from A to C, but all exceptionally skilled.”
Combat or non-combat classes.
High or low ranks.
They were talents worthy of admiration.
Even the knight instructors at the academy praised them effusively.
Intrigued, the emperor began observing them closely.
“Whoa...”
Their movements were fluid and natural compared to other heroes.
As if they’d trained together for years.
“I’d like to speak with them personally.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
It wouldn’t be difficult.
But the emperor and Ronain’s wish wouldn’t come true.
“Your Majesty.”
A low voice came from behind the emperor’s guard knights.
“Clear a path.”
Ronain ordered her subordinate knights.
Clack-
As the knights stepped aside, a young man on his knees came into view.
“Crusiel?”
Ronain asked.
He bowed his head.
“Yes. Forgive my lack of proper etiquette; I have urgent news to report.”
Ronain glanced at the emperor, who nodded.
“Come closer.”
At the permission, the Crusiel agent crawled forward on his knees.
“What is this urgent report?”
Ronain asked.
The agent replied swiftly.
“Intel indicates an army of eighty thousand from Iyer has crossed Derhan’s border and marched back toward the empire.”
“...What?”
They’d only recently heard that Iyer’s forces had withdrawn.
That’s why they’d come to Derhan without worry.
Now eighty thousand troops were advancing again?
The emperor’s face hardened.