Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Betrayal's Aftermath
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“Woojin!”
Kang Byung-gyu came running up, shouting.
‘He doesn’t look hurt.’
Kang Byung-gyu appeared fine.
He still hadn’t fully calmed his startled heart, but there didn’t seem to be any real problems.
‘Good.’
Seo Woo-jin felt relieved anew.
If it hadn’t been for Kim Da-hye’s help...
He didn’t even want to think about it.
“You okay?”
Seo Woo-jin asked with a smile.
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”
Kang Byung-gyu made a dumbfounded face upon seeing Seo Woo-jin’s state.
And rightly so—Seo Woo-jin’s appearance was beyond description.
Having charged through and smashed hundreds of Ancient Orcs, his entire body was soaked in blood, and bits of Kim Tae-jin’s flesh clung to his fists.
He looked like a demon who had just crawled up from hell.
“It’s not my blood.”
Seo Woo-jin shrugged.
In fact, he hadn’t sustained a single injury.
Trash like Kim Tae-jin and the heroes who hadn’t even reached level 100 couldn’t lay a finger on him.
“Then that’s a relief...”
Who was worrying about whom?
“But who was it?”
It seemed he’d heard from the other team members that he’d been attacked after Seo Woo-jin had stormed off in anger.
“It wasn’t the other team members, right?”
He could understand them driving the Ancient Orcs his way.
No, it pissed him off, but...
That hadn’t truly been an attempt on his life.
It would’ve been tough, but he could’ve escaped before it killed him.
But the flame bullets were different.
Those were attacks meant to kill for real.
Kang Byung-gyu couldn’t believe that the other heroes had done such a thing.
“Sorry. You got in danger because of me.”
Seo Woo-jin bowed his head in apology.
It was as good as confirmation.
Kang Byung-gyu let out a hollow laugh.
They might not always get along.
They could curse and fight.
But he’d thought of them as allies.
Comrades he could trust and rely on more than anyone in the Great War.
And yet they’d really tried to kill him?
“Who was it?”
Surely not every hero from the five teams had been after his life.
If so, it would be too heartbreaking.
“Kim Tae-jin. That bastard did it alone. The others didn’t know.”
“That son of a...”
He’d half-expected it.
The initial wave of flames and the bullet that nearly pierced his head.
Skills that suited the ‘Super Flame Sorcerer’ class perfectly.
But now that his suspicions were confirmed, Kang Byung-gyu couldn’t hold back his rage.
“Where’s that bastard? Fuck, I’ll kill him!”
“Calm down.”
Seo Woo-jin restrained the agitated Kang Byung-gyu.
With Kang Byung-gyu’s skills, he couldn’t even take on Kim Tae-jin, and besides...
“I already half-killed him.”
More like 80% if you went by numbers.
“He won’t pull this shit again.”
No, he wouldn’t even come near Seo Woo-jin or his comrades.
He’d been warned.
Never show his face again.
As long as he remembered today’s violence, Kim Tae-jin and the others wouldn’t dare entertain any funny ideas.
“Haa...”
Kang Byung-gyu sighed.
His complicated emotions were plain on his face.
“What should I do?”
It frustrated him that even after this, he couldn’t do anything alone.
Seo Woo-jin had handled the revenge for him...
“Get stronger.”
Seo Woo-jin said.
It was something he’d heard once before.
To avoid being ignored by the soldiers and earn respect, get strong.
Then everything would be solved.
Seo Woo-jin repeated exactly what Testeron had told him that day.
Of course, for a B-rank non-combat class like Kang Byung-gyu, reaching Seo Woo-jin’s level was impossible...
‘But he could at least handle Kim Tae-jin.’
Even in a non-combat class, surpassing level 100 and reaching the superhuman realm would do it.
He could take on S-rank Kim Tae-jin.
It’d be tough, but not impossible.
“I’ll help you.”
Just like always.
Kang Byung-gyu smirked and nodded.
“Yeah. Let’s get strong. Way stronger than that damn bastard.”
The two headed toward where the team members waited.
Thanks to the Ancient Orcs fleeing in terror after witnessing the recent battle, the area was quiet.
Seo Woo-jin walked across the blood-soaked plain, patting his friend’s shoulder.
* * *
“Moonlight Gorgeous Meditation!”
Silver moonlight burst from Goo Dong-hwan’s massive blood-red magic wand.
Graaah-!
But the light had no effect on those exposed to it.
Of course not!
The real attack was the brutal swing of the giant hammer hidden behind the moonlight.
Kwaaang-!
The Ancient Orcs in the wand’s path shattered and flew through the air.
‘Do they even know what skill killed them?’
Kye Su-ji chuckled dryly as she watched Goo Dong-hwan cackling while smashing Ancient Orc skulls.
If she were in their shoes, she’d feel an immense sense of futility.
‘Well, not the time to worry about that.’
Kye Su-ji drove her elbow into the throat of a charging orc.
Crack!
One hit.
No need for skills.
The Ancient Orc’s frail body couldn’t withstand her attack.
“71!”
Kye Su-ji shouted.
The response came immediately.
“Damn! I’m at 57!”
Urgency filled Goo Dong-hwan’s voice.
The two were competing on their own, unprompted.
Both A-rank combat classes around the same age, they felt a subtle rivalry.
“Looks like I win again?”
Kye Su-ji smiled at his words and kept moving relentlessly.
Lightning speed.
She massacred the Ancient Orcs at a speed like flashing thunderbolts.
Goo Dong-hwan tried to catch up belatedly, but once she pulled ahead, he couldn’t close the gap.
“...They’re both at it.”
Yoo Hong-seol muttered in exasperation as she hunted with her dual swords.
“Let’s do our best too! We can’t keep losing! We can do it! Fighting! Fighting!”
From behind, Lee Ji-ah smashed an Ancient Orc’s head while striking a fighting pose.
‘She’s definitely not normal either.’
No, how many normal people were among the heroes gathered around Seo Woo-jin?
Yoo Hong-seol thought that aside from herself and Kang Byung-gyu, everyone had something off about them.
“90.”
She heard a mutter.
It was Jin Tae-seong.
From the safest rear position, he relentlessly fired spells, sweeping away Ancient Orcs.
Far more than the competing Kye Su-ji and Goo Dong-hwan.
Jin Tae-seong seemed eager to join the competition.
“Not many left!”
Lee Ji-ah shouted.
As she said, only about 20 Ancient Orcs remained.
“Hraaaah!”
Goo Dong-hwan charged first, followed by Kye Su-ji and Lee Ji-ah.
Kwaaakwang-!
The battle ended in an instant.
At this point, the Ancient Orcs were almost pitiful.
Fwaaah-!
In that moment, a bright light erupted.
“Oh, level up!”
It was Goo Dong-hwan.
Finishing the last Ancient Orc had leveled him up.
“Congrats!”
“Wow, mister! What level are you now? Way ahead of me? Ah, you must’ve gotten new skills too. Teach me!”
Congratulations and questions poured in.
Goo Dong-hwan grinned and glanced at Kye Su-ji.
“I finally hit level 80.”
His expression and tone screamed boasting.
Emphasizing that he was now ahead of level 79 Kye Su-ji.
“Wow, impressive. Congratulations.”
Of course, Kye Su-ji wasn’t fazed at all.
Goo Dong-hwan looked disappointed, expecting a bigger reaction, when Yoo Hong-seol stepped forward.
“Looks like we’re done here too.”
She glanced around.
The horde of nearly 400 Ancient Orcs lay scattered on the ground.
“How many is this?”
“Third one! So total around 900 hunted!”
Everyone had been keeping count, and Lee Ji-ah answered excitedly.
“We got that many already?”
Goo Dong-hwan, who had been sulking, looked surprised.
“If the other teams are keeping pace with us...”
“Almost done, right?”
There were 20 teams formed for guerrilla warfare.
Simple math put their total at around 18,000 kills.
“Of course, not many teams can hunt as fast as us, so maybe 15,000 total.”
Even that was an incredible achievement.
Estimated Ancient Orc numbers: 20,000 to 30,000.
They’d taken out at least half.
“Woojin’s plan was spot on.”
Kye Su-ji smiled.
If they’d faced that horde head-on?
They’d have won, but not this easily.
Some heroes might have died.
“Yeah. At this rate, we could wrap up the subjugation in days.”
“Let’s finish quick and go back! I’m dying for a shower at the academy. Haven’t properly washed in days; I feel so gross.”
Everyone nodded at Lee Ji-ah’s words.
Drenched in sweat and blood, a shower was desperately needed.
“Would’ve been easier with Da-hye.”
Lee Ji-ah pouted, thinking of her friend’s abilities.
Like in Demon Realm Heldein, if she’d summoned a house, hunting would’ve been way more comfortable.
“Then let’s hit one more spot today and rest.”
To lighten the mood, Goo Dong-hwan pulled a map from his yellow dress.
“Eek...”
Lee Ji-ah’s face soured at the sight.
She didn’t want to think about where he’d stored it.
Ignoring her, Goo Dong-hwan pointed to the nearest marked spot on the map.
“How about here?”
About 2 kilometers west.
“Think another team got it?”
“At our pace? Probably not.”
The western team was made of much weaker members than Goo Dong-hwan’s.
They likely hadn’t reached it yet.
“Sounds good. Let’s go there.”
Kye Su-ji nodded, and the others agreed.
“Okay! Then we head there. Let’s clear it quick and rest!”
As Goo Dong-hwan energetically spoke and the team started moving...
“Hm?”
Something appeared in the distance.
“What’s that?”
Lee Ji-ah tilted her head, spotting it too.
“Dust cloud?”
Dust rose thickly, like fog.
“...Damn.”
Goo Dong-hwan’s face hardened.
There was only one reason for such a sight on the plains.
“Ancient Orcs.”
An uncountable number of them.