Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Soul, and Souls (10)
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A murmur spread through the orc warriors mounted on their carraks. It wasn't just the orcs—the carraks carrying them sensed something off and began stamping their hooves restlessly on the ground.
"...Let's go!"
I shouted, gripping the carrak's mane tightly. The beast reared up on its forelegs with a mighty bellow, then wheeled around and charged straight at the orc warriors.
-Thud thud thud thud!!!
The ground shook violently. The lead carrak, which had been at the front just moments ago, now barreled toward them. The other carraks panicked, shaking their bodies and soon bolting away to avoid us. The orc warriors atop them yanked on their reins, trying to calm the beasts, but unlike me, they lacked the ability to soothe the carraks. It was only natural. The orcs had always wielded fear and intimidation. They could incite frenzy, but calming it was beyond them.
-Thud thud thud thud!!!
-Kreeeeeh!!!
The nearest carrak let out a horrific screech and thrashed wildly. The orc riding it began clubbing the beast with a spiked mace. Blood sprayed into the air, and the carrak I rode accelerated even faster. Just before impact, I tugged the mane to veer slightly aside. In the narrow gap as we brushed past, I slashed the saddle strapped around the carrak's body with the dagger clenched in my hand.
-Slash!!
The saddle tore free, and as the carrak bucked violently, the orc and saddle flew off together. Freed of its burden, the carrak bounded around chaotically, disrupting the enemy lines.
-Thud thud thud thud!!!
I seized the opening, weaving through the carrak unit and slicing saddles left and right. The orcs realized what was happening and clutched their mounts' manes desperately, but they couldn't withstand the ecstatic gallop of carraks tasting freedom for the first time. The orcs atop them were flung to the ground in seconds.
-Thud!
-Splat!
-Crush!
The rampaging carraks' hooves began stomping them into pulp.
-Kreeeeeh!!!
-Kweeeh!!!
Released from the pain of the piercing saddles, the carraks bellowed in joy and went berserk. I understood. It was like being unchained after a lifetime of bondage. But I couldn't let them stay in this frenzy for long. Stroking the lead carrak's mane to guide it, I darted through the pack. I extended [Affinity] and [Forest Healing] to every carrak I could reach. The beasts were powerful wild creatures, and their deep-seated wounds from years of abuse drained a lot of mana, but it was manageable.
The tide had turned.
Perhaps because their mightiest carrak unit had crumbled so pathetically, or maybe at the sight of orcs trampled to death beneath the beasts, the chieftain bared his tusks and roared into the sky.
"Kill them! Kill! Kill that human!"
The savage orcish tongue pierced my ears sharply. Sensing the chieftain's fury was no joke, the orcs battling Lloyd and Callisto shifted their focus to me. Chilling gazes locked on. But...
-Hiss...
-Hiiiisss...!
I had no reason to fear. Ten carraks—the very monsters the orcs had raised—now stood with me. Their saddle sores healed, freed at last, the carraks swelled their massive bodies, manes bristling as they glared at their former masters, snorting fierce breaths. Not a few reared up, sharp tusks gleaming, stamping the earth furiously.
Vengeance hour had come.
-Krarararak!!!!!
-Kuwoooooh!!!!!
The orcs charged us with ferocious zeal, weapons raised high. Impressive fearlessness, but...
-Thuuud!!!!
-Kwoooom!!!!
...just as idiotic.
The carraks swarmed around me, rearing on hind legs and slamming their boulder-like heads into the orcs. Razor tusks pierced bellies, hurling foes skyward. Orcs flying from carrak impacts looked like a massive pileup crash site. Like dozens of dump trucks gone rogue...
"Good! Keep it up!"
I deftly steered the rampaging carraks away from Lloyd, Callisto, and our remaining soldiers while mowing down orcs. The orc warriors were skilled, inflicting some losses on the carraks, but the beasts overwhelmingly dominated. And then...
-Skreeek!
-Slash slash!
With the orcs' attention fixed on me, Lloyd and Callisto moved freely. One man and one elf— their blades carved through orcs like a scythe. Thanks to them, the number of mobile orcs dwindled at an astonishing rate.
'So damn stupid.'
That was the orcs' fatal flaw. Despite strength and savagery surpassing humans, they could never win. Fabio had manipulated them masterfully, but even he couldn't fix their dim wits.
'If they were smart, they wouldn't have been his pawns to begin with.'
As if hearing my thoughts, the chieftain's face twisted in rage. He lumbered forward with earth-shaking steps. A carrak charged him, but two nearby orcs took the hit instead, letting him swing his flail—spiked ball on a chain—toward me.
Now was the moment to end it.
I calmed the frenzied carraks and stood firm amid the battlefield, catching my breath. Gripping my bow tightly, I nocked an arrow.
Three arrows left.
The chieftain dwarfed the other warriors. His hide was thicker, armored with carrak leather—piercing it wouldn't be easy.
'...One won't do.'
One might barely melt the carrak leather.
So how?
'Stack arrows on arrows to hit the mark.'
Yes.
I had to pull off that Olympic archery trick I'd only seen on TV.
Land one arrow to melt the leather, then fire the next right into it. Perfect penetration. Only then could I reach the heart.
Anticipating the second might not breach fully, the third had to pierce the same spot to kill him for sure.
'Three times?'
On a stationary target, maybe. But moving? I wasn't confident.
But what choice did I have?
'Make it happen.'
Taut string, steady arrowhead, breath in perfect harmony.
'Don't calculate.'
Calculation breeds tension, tension breeds error.
It sounded absurd, but right now...
'Trust myself.'
I had to believe.
"Huuu..."
I exhaled the heavy breath weighing on my chest. Aiming at the charging chieftain. Everything happened blindingly fast, yet agonizingly slow. A blink felt like a millennium. The moment my lungs emptied...
-Twang!
I released.
-Whiiiisssshhhh!!!!
The arrow sliced the air, space itself seeming to tear.
-Thunk!!!!
It struck dead center over the heart. Carrak leather sizzled and melted. The chieftain recoiled from the impact, then thrust his shoulder forward, reaching to yank the arrow free.
-Whiiiisssshhhh!!!!
No chance.
The second arrow split the fletching and shaft of the first precisely, embedding into the orc's hide. The leather bubbled and dissolved. Only then did the chieftain sense something wrong.
Too late.
'Last one.'
I nocked and drew the third. It all flowed in an instant. Natural as breathing. Eyes, hands, heart moved before thought.
-Whiiiisssshhhh!!!!
This arrow flew with extra force. The black moonstone tip shredded the second's fletching and shaft, pierced the softened leather, and buried the hydra-venom-coated head deep.
-Thuuuunk!!!
Done.
'Once the poison spreads, even he...'
He couldn't endure. I watched coldly. He gawked in disbelief at the arrow in his heart, then at me. I counted again, as I did for every orc.
One, two, three, four, five.
-Crack!!!!
"......!"
But against expectations, he didn't fall. He snapped the three arrows in his chest and charged, flail whirling, face contorted in fury.
"I'll kill you!!!!
Lloyd and Callisto, mid-battle, instinctively glanced over at the roar. They leaped toward me, but the chieftain was too close.
He knew my arrows were spent. Sensing his own death, he came solely to take me down.
-Woooom!
The bloodied, blade-studded spiked ball rose high, blotting the sun. Yet I neither dodged nor retreated, facing him head-on.
-Kraaaaaah!!!!
Incredible momentum, even as hydra venom coursed through him. Hate to admit it, but he was strong.
But...
-Roooaaarrrrrr!!!!!!!!
He didn't know one thing.
I always had a "final arrow."
「Theo. Don't. Make trouble.」
Legion's black flame erupted as if from my chest. The ferocious blaze formed a massive spear, piercing the orc's heart—exactly where my arrows had aimed.
Four hits.
-Thuuuud!!!!!
All on target.