Chapter 15
Chapter 15
I killed three more Orcs and then another four Orcs.
And then I crossed a ridge.
As expected, things never went as planned.
The Orc Shaman, whom Yunes said I would encounter soon, was nowhere to be seen.
The sun had set long ago. The night had deepened, and it was now approaching dawn.
But there was no time to settle down and camp.
"I'll sleep after it's all over."
Yunes kept whispering that the Orc Shaman was right around the corner.
If I slept now, I would be willingly inviting death.
Fortunately, I felt no fatigue.
Instead, my mind was exceptionally clear.
Like a bowstring drawn taut.
It seemed to be due to the constant state of tension, both physically and mentally.
Except for Yunes, who had acted more like a guide than a mage so far, Riselinn and the mercenary Rohan, whom she brought along, seemed to be in a similar state.
As I pushed through the bushes, I saw a light in the distance.
A tent appearing out of nowhere in the mountains was bound to stand out.
And the bonfires lit around it.
Orcs standing guard with torches. All of this was proof that the Orc Shaman was just ahead.
I said in a low voice.
"I'll handle the obvious leader, so you guys take care of the rest."
Riselinn and her subordinate, the mercenary Rohan, who was at the 2nd-tier, nodded at my words.
Having seen it with my own eyes, these two had performed at least 1.5 times their expected capacity.
"Yunes, you just need to keep listening to me from now on."
Yunes shivered slightly and nodded again.
"...The Orc Shaman is known to be very strong. While their personal combat power is around the 3rd-tier, they are said to wield power comparable to a 4th-tier mage when fighting with their Orc subordinates."
After engraving Yunes's words in my mind, I opened the Transcendent Gallery.
Title: Facing what is likely an Orc Shaman with high probability
Author: Anonymous
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Share any tips you haven't revealed yet, or your experiences on how you killed an Orc Shaman.
Comments were quickly posted.
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Archmage) Don't try to kill the Shaman immediately. If the approaching Orcs are also a threat, kill them all first to avoid future trouble. Make good use of the mage you brought along.
The Archmage senior, who had been teased and had hidden because of it, reappeared naturally and left a comment.
The Ice Queen also commented, and her advice was consistent.
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Oh, how did you guys kill the Orc Shaman?
The answers were far more useless than I could have imagined.
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Archmage) I just reversed their mana, and they collapsed and died clutching their throat.
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Ice Queen) Ice!! And they died! Freeze!
The solutions from this unlucky magic genius and bloodline genius were utterly unhelpful.
However, even the advice from my seniors who wielded swords like me wasn't very useful.
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Archmage) Ah, when your mana is comparable to the Orc Shaman's, the most effective magic type is fire.
This was useful information, but it was something that depended on Yunes's capabilities rather than mine.
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Sword of Light) Slice them.
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Scum Sword Saint) Even though they are a Shaman, remember that Orcs are skilled in close combat, wielding power close to a 3rd-tier Knight. Dodge their magic and approach to kill them.
Even Senior Gungchang's words were long-winded, ultimately telling me to dodge magic and kill them.
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Absolute Monarch) Didn't you say you brought short spears? Use them to throw and gauge the distance as you approach.
I got some decent advice.
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Yes, I'm back after finishing the 2nd floor.
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Don't announce that stuff in the future, just go and come back...
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Lol, this Climber guy keeps triggering death flags out of habit.
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Dragon King) Beltui- Wishing you luck.
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Shrine Maiden) Return safely.
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Jjuhdak) Go and come back.
With Jjuhdak's comment, I closed the Transcendent Gallery.
I saw about thirty Orcs.
They all shared a common trait: red eyes.
Behind the row of hulking Orcs stood an even larger Orc.
On its head, adorned with glittering gold and silver jewelry around its neck, I saw a familiar phrase.
[BOSS MONSTER]
Boss Monster.
[Ork sorcerer]
Orc Shaman.
I felt it.
The immense killing intent emanating from the Orc Shaman.
Did Riselinn and the mercenary Rohan, standing beside me, feel it too? Their movements momentarily froze.
Like mice in front of a cat.
[Focus Enhancement Lv.3 - Skill activated.]
"Snap out of it. I'll go in first, so follow me."
As I opened my mouth and spoke, the Orc Shaman also opened its mouth wide.
Kwooooorrrrrr─!
The Shaman's roar echoed in my ears.
It seemed to shake even the small mountain, a suppression roar, perhaps. An attack that served as 'Fear'.
There was no more room for hesitation.
[Mana Body Reinforcement Lv.2 - Skill activated.]
My Mana Heart pulsed.
Mana spread throughout my body.
I had already confirmed in my fight with the Orc Commander that my body would be restored to its original state upon leveling up.
I will kill that guy and go up to the 3rd floor.
I saw the Orc Shaman's massive right foot lift.
The heavy foot stomped down.
Thump!
It was obvious that this was the signal for its subordinates to charge.
I threw one of the three remaining Javelin short spears.
It was a spear aimed at the Orc Shaman.
Ting!
The short spear was deflected by a transparent barrier that suddenly appeared in front of the Orc Shaman.
As expected.
They weren't going to let me have it easy.
I didn't bet my life on that throw. Its purpose was merely to buy me time to move.
I lowered my body and sprinted forward in an instant.
I swung my Straight sword horizontally.
The heads of two Orcs flew off.
With the Black Javelin in my left hand, I pierced and pulled it out from the abdomen of an approaching Orc.
A green aura flowed from the blunt staff held in the Orc Shaman's hand.
"Yunes, deploy your magic beside me to interfere with its magic. You must tell me immediately if you recognize what kind of magic it is."
I spoke faster than ever before.
Because, well, I had to survive.
Yunes's reply came back faster than I expected.
"It's Wind Cutter! A magic that unleashes wind blades primarily in a horizontal direction!"
Rohan, who was still standing idly, awkwardly took the shield in his left hand, kicked off the ground, and charged.
Swoooosh!
Two Wind Cutters came rushing in.
I twisted my ankle completely to dodge one, and blocked the other with my shield.
Kwooooaak!!
Six Orcs, driven into a Frenzied State, charged simultaneously.
[Skill 'Composure' level has increased. Lv.4]
Dragon Slayer Sword, First Form, Thursahǫgg.
A crescent-shaped trajectory grazed the six Orcs.
Simultaneously, I kicked off the ground and charged past the collapsing Orcs.
I dealt with all those who blocked my path.
After killing fifteen in an instant, I glanced to the side.
Yunes's face was pale, as if he were about to collapse, but he was steadily keeping up.
"When I inflict a wound on the Shaman, cast fire magic into the opening."
I saw him nod urgently.
I dashed forward again. As I killed three more, my vision was engulfed by a dark blue thunderclap.
Rumble!
Lightning spell.
A barrier magic that Yunes hastily cast blocked my front, but lightning struck my left arm.
Crack-
My teeth clenched involuntarily.
Despite the Pain Suppression, which had risen to level 4, a hellish pain bloomed.
My left arm, which I glimpsed, was strangely scorched.
If I hadn't been in Mana Body Reinforcement, or if my stats weren't this high, it wouldn't have been strange to die instantly.
I saw a smile form on the Orc Shaman's face.
You think you've won?
I cut down the neck of an Orc approaching me with my Straight sword.
[Level Up!]
[Lv.9 → Lv.10]
['Strength' stat increases by 6.]
['Agility' stat increases by 5.]
['Stamina' stat increases by 5.]
['Mana' stat increases by 4.]
Crack-
My left arm, restored.
Now, excluding the stragglers that Riselinn and Rohan were dealing with.
Only the Orc Shaman remained before my eyes.
Kwoooaang!
Using the basic footwork of the Dragon Slayer Sword, which was unlike any normal footwork, I reached the Shaman's face.
As many had told me, it reacted to close combat in a way unbecoming of a Shaman.
A giant axe in its left hand was swung.
I dodged its trajectory like a loach. With my restored left hand, I repeatedly stabbed the back of its hand with the Black Javelin.
Gaaah!
With a sound like a pig being slaughtered, it dropped its axe.
Dragon Slayer Sword, Third Form.
Vertical Slash, Drakabani.
I pressed down on its right shoulder.
Its right arm, which it had held high, finally lowered.
Fwoosh!
I moved my arm like lightning.
Hjartagnyr.
I thrust my Straight sword into its abdomen with a stab.
Kruaaaaaaak!
"Yunes, fire!"
Come on, fire shuttle.
Fwoosh─
A spear of flame, deployed by Yunes at close range, was thrust in alongside my Straight sword.
The pig's scream grew louder.
Twisting the sword I had thrust in, I followed up with a horizontal slash.
The flame moved along the trajectory of my sword.
A trail of fierce flames was drawn across the mountainside.
Fwoooosh!
The Orc Shaman's body, spewing endless blood from its abdomen, collapsed to the ground.
[Boss Monster defeated!]
[Level Up!]
[Lv.10 → Lv.12]
['Strength' stat increases by 12.]
['Agility' stat increases by 10.]
['Stamina' stat increases by 11.]
['Mana' stat increases by 9.]
A 2-level increase, just like when I killed the Commander.
I don't know how long this steep growth will continue.
『Quest - 'Kibblev Fortress Wall Defense' has been successfully processed with the defeat of Boss Monster - Orc Shaman.』
[2nd Floor Stage Cleared.]
[Player - Han Yoo-seong's score for the 2nd Floor Stage will be tallied.]
Ah, right.
They said scorekeeping would start from the 2nd floor.
《 2nd Floor - Score Ranking 》
1st Place - Union Leader: 784 points
2nd Place - Chasing: 412 points
3rd Place - Sinclair: 399 points
⋮
Only the 1st place is noticeably high.
I don't think I can surpass this guy.
[Score tally complete.]
The number that appeared before my eyes next made me realize how short-sighted I had been.
[2nd Floor Stage]
[Han Yoo-seong: 1,532 points]