The Orcs' Savage Ambition
Fafnir.
Monsters that begin at level 50 and appear as players' adversaries in various locations.
That's why the original novel explained their characteristics far too much.
'That's true for all orcs.'
First, they charge until the very end if a fight breaks out.
They also have a trait of relentlessly seeking revenge against those who have weakened them.
Put nicely, it's ferocity.
Put crudely, it's simple stupidity.
'It's the stereotype people have about orcs.'
Of course, the elite orcs here had more experience than normal ones.
Normal orcs wouldn't cross over with just a couple of bait moves.
But ingrained instincts can't be helped.
'Now.'
Fafnir gripped the slingshot.
Whoosh.
The flying stone struck the orc warrior's face.
Splat!
The orc warrior covered his face.
The next moment, the other warriors all moved at once.
Whoop!
Whack!
Orc warriors rushed toward the target.
But the pursuit stopped shortly.
Just before the target vanished completely from the wolf king's sight.
Crack.
The orc warriors ground their teeth and turned their steps.
Who... whoo.
The orcs' mission was merely to protect the wolf king.
Until the appointed day, they would guard him while preparing for the operation.
That they had stopped the pursuit was proof of their competence.
It meant they had trained enough to return while suppressing their combat instincts.
Of course, Fafnir knew this fact as well.
'As expected, he doesn't come out.'
He had expected from the start that the orcs wouldn't waver.
'But how much longer can they hold out?'
A few minutes later, the second slingshot flew.
This time, it aimed at the groin of a warrior!
Guwack!
The orcs again rushed that way, but this time they moved even less than the first.
The continuous stone-throwing.
To the aggressive warriors who were orcs, this was an unbearable humiliation.
...Who...
...Whoop!
The orcs' faces flushed red.
Looking at that expression, Fafnir instinctively sensed it.
'Now.'
It was the expression right before the pent-up rage burst out!
The exact face that comes when you can't sleep for days because of hallway noise.
'It seems the time to throw the real bait has come.'
Fafnir tugged the rope on the ground.
Bell immediately moved upon receiving the signal.
Whoop!
This time, not a slingshot but a real spear!
The rear orc shaman.
A spear stuck deep into the neck of the most annoying one who could use ranged attacks and various debuffs.
Kwiri... whoop! Who!
The orc warriors leaped up.
At that moment, a figure in a black magic robe rose from the bushes.
Who...
Whoop...
When the orc warriors hesitated for a moment,
Invincible waited as if expecting it and pulled out a throwing spear and hurled it.
Kaaaak!
The warrior with the spear in his eye let out a scream.
As its signal, the other orc warriors stomped the ground all at once.
Whoop!
Whoop! Who!
The orc horde followed behind in unison.
Warriors, archers, and shamans!
The orcs chasing the black magician didn't hesitate.
Orcs scattered in all directions moved through the forest.
Whoop!
Orc strength was extremely powerful.
They crushed iron plates with their bare hands and had near 1.5 times the strength of human warriors at the same level!
Because of that strength, almost all orcs had an extremely aggressive nature.
And they were actually like that.
Upon seeing an enemy, they preferred to charge first, not for encirclement or time warfare but to clash head-on.
Tracking for such orcs was simple.
They closed the distance by running faster than the fleeing prey and jabbed with spears or grabbed them by hand.
Whoop!
The line of orcs gaining speed stretched out in a row.
Thanks to forcing through the dense forest.
The rear of the narrow path was naturally the shamans and archers.
Who...
Behind the back of such a shaman, a black shadow approached.
'Now.'
Fafnir gulped all the potions in both hands at once.
System notification activated.
-You are receiving the effect of the Strength Potion.
-You are receiving the effect of the Agility Potion.
-You are receiving the effect of the Health Potion.
-You are receiving the effect of the Will Potion.
As the liquid went down the throat, a warm warmth circulated in the stomach and the body became lighter.
In that state, Fafnir picked up a new weapon.
'It's fortunate to have reached the level to equip rare items limited to level 45.'
Rare weapon, 'Slayer's Sword.'
This sword that wasn't sold on the homepage had become Fafnir's new weapon in his hand.
With everything prepared,
Fafnir immediately stomped the ground.
Who... bugruruk...!
Using the Burn End skill and swinging with perfect posture.
The mana-infused blade pierced the orc shaman's neck without mercy.
-Experience points acquired.
Whoop!
Whack!
The orcs shouted in surprise.
At the same time, the figure of the black magician robe who had been fleeing stopped.
"Bait completed. Battle begins."
Bell threw off the robe and skeletons and blood golems appeared on both sides.
Both sides were blocked by trees, while the skeletons, homunculi, and Fafnir blocked the front and back.
It was the moment the perfect encirclement was formed.
There was more.
Fafnir had prepared one more thing.
Clink.
General skeletons appeared from between the trees and thrust their spears.
Kwaa!
Who, whoo... who.
The orcs who tried to pierce the trees had to retreat to the middle of the path in front of the spear blades.
Meanwhile, Fafnir slashed the other shaman at the rear.
"As I predicted."
In face-to-face fights, orcs are the strongest.
That's why orcs are extremely vulnerable to attacks from behind.
Whoop!
"By the way, I'm curious."
Fafnir clicked his tongue.
"Can you eat orc meat?"
From the appearance, they look like pigs.
So maybe you could use orc meat instead of pork belly?
"...No, that's nonsense."
Even if you could eat it.
It wasn't something you'd want to put in your mouth in non-extreme conditions.
"It's not something I'll eat, but..."
Of course, it didn't mean the meat was useless.
Fafnir pulled out a dagger.
***
After the orcs disappeared,
The lone wolf king sighed and sat on a stump.
Krrrr...
Twenty-four hours of orcs had surrounded it!
Although they were escorts, they were half monitoring.
They observed to see if the wolf king thought of other things or moved until the appointed day.
Though the intention was understood, it was frustrating.
Even when commanding wolves, the orcs' presence was bothersome, and while sleeping or eating, they surrounded it.
After all, those orcs had disappeared for once.
The wolf king stretched leisurely and lay down.
Sleep while hanging on until the fight ends!
Of course, the wolf king didn't even dream of the orcs winning.
While lying down, the wolf king's nose twitched slightly.
"..."
Krrung.
The wolf king leaped up and sniffed again, then began moving in the direction the orcs had gone.
While crossing through the trees, fallen orcs appeared one by one.
Starting from the shamans, archers, and archers.
In the end, the strongest and sturdiest warriors.
But the scent caught by the wolf king's nose didn't come from here.
Finally, the wolf king's footsteps stopped.
Krurr...
A clearing in the forest corner.
Everywhere there were wolf carcasses.
Over the bonfire, several pieces of meat were browning and emitting a scent.
Clink.
Skeletons around assumed postures.
"Come."
The wolf king was a half-human lycanthrope.
Of course, it knew how to speak like a human.
Toward the wolf king gesturing, ten skeletons rushed.
Clap!
The skeletons' swinging swords struck the wolf king's arm.
Crack!
At the same time, the wolf king's grip tore the skeleton's rib in one breath.
An attack that would have caused instant death for a human.
But the skeleton swung its sword again.
The wolf king didn't block but rammed the body into the skeleton.
That was the end.
Because the difference in specs was too great to block a charging attack.
The subsequent battles were the same.
Thirteen skeletons charged without rest, but not a single wound appeared on the wolf king's body.
'As expected, he's strong.'
On a tree near the clearing,
Fafnir, with mud smeared all over his body, watched the battle and thought.
'I expected it would come out when the escort quest is released, but it's definitely not ordinary.'
Even sending thousands of skeletons wouldn't make an easy battle.
'Movement is similar to humans, and they mostly use front paws and howls.'
At the same time, Fafnir had memorized the wolf king's movements.
'There might be special patterns mixed into the lycanthrope's pattern, but that can be sufficiently countered.'
The descriptions of the lycanthrope from the original novel.
And the additional data added by directly observing.
These created a virtual wolf king.
Fafnir's mouth lifted as he imagined it charging.
'It looks promising. Enough.'
Unless the lycanthrope suddenly went berserk or transformed into something else.
'Then I have to fight.'
The potion doping effect was still fading.
Fafnir shook off the mud.
...Krrung.
The wolf king, sensing the presence, looked at Fafnir.
At the same time, Fafnir raised the Slayer's Sword.
'If it's according to the pattern, it should do the regular charge.'
Prepared to tilt the arm and evade the attack.
First, when the attack was evaded,
He planned to create an encirclement with Nos. 1, 2, and 3 and cut down the remaining stamina.
Then.
"Sniff, sniff...... This scent! Even if I just smell it, nausea rises!"
Suddenly, the wolf king's veins and muscles stood out.
'Berserk?!'
Before he could continue thinking, the wolf king first stomped the ground.
Kwaaaang!
Before Fafnir's eyes, a storm raged.
[Name: Wolf King]
-Classification: Beast (Lycanthrope)
-Attribute: Physical
-Type: Melee
-Level: 60 or above
-Danger level (based on same level): ★★★
[Pattern]
-Wild Scratch: Basic attack, using front paws.
-Leap: Strong attack using the rear leg's power. Mainly used when the distance is greater than a certain distance or narrowing the distance before a strong attack.
-Wolf Howl: Random, deeply inhaling breath before casting.
-Berserk: Used in crisis situations for other lycanthropes.
-Attack power, strength, and speed increase, defense weakens. Consumes a lot of stamina and HP.
-Caution: Must completely block smell and hearing during stealth.
Generally, it has a strong proud personality.
It dislikes tricks or cheesing plays.
The characteristics of the lycanthrope depicted in the original novel.
But at this moment, Fafnir erased it from his mind.
'I can't use this.'
The wolf king that chases only to kill Fafnir!
Kweng!
Fafnir evaded the attack and thought.
'If I take even one proper hit, I'll die.'
Each time he barely evaded the wolf king's claws, a message appeared.
-Successfully evaded a strong attack.
-Successfully evaded a strong attack.
A strong claw attack that could tear even decent iron plates.
At that power, the wind at the time of releasing strength could also become a weapon.
Fafnir calculated that and evaded the attacks one after another.
A feeling of crossing the battlefield where bullets were pouring down!
'By the way, this is definitely the berserk pattern, but why did it use it right after seeing me?'
For a lycanthrope, berserk is not a simple skill.
It's a finisher that burns life instead of gaining powerful strength.
Because of this, many users could only see it when the lycanthrope was in absolute crisis.
'There must be a reason, but I can't figure out what it is.'
He didn't get particularly flustered or shake his body.
In the past, monsters that showed analysis and different movements had been seen many times.
'No choice.'
Clang!
Fafnir, who had been evading continuously, this time met the wolf king's attack with his sword.
When the claw touched the blade, he twisted the wrist slightly to let the attack slide.
-Sword technique learned.
-Parrying skill naturally acquired.
-Strength stat +1 increased.
-Agility stat +1 increased.
Krrrung!
The blade swept across the upper part of the wolf king's arm.
Blood drops bursting like blooming flowers stuck to the face.
"Lucky, the body followed well."
Fafnir.
Or rather, Kim Ganghan was not a person who could objectively be said to have good luck.
But the thorough strategy and analysis that raised him to second place in the world.
But that too was something that could only be followed 'by becoming the body.'
'Moreover, this is Oh Jinhwan's body.'
Oh Jinhwan's body more vivid than Kim Ganghan in the current life!
That's why he could fight with confidence.
"If I'm going to get hit once and die anyway, wouldn't it be better if I never got hit?"
Fafnir said that and raised the sword.
A monster with strong power and lost rationality.
All attacks are powerful, but there are many gaps because of that.
It's one of the basic qualities a pro gamer should have to target those gaps.
"Come on, cover me!"
Upon Fafnir's command, three skeletons appeared around.
Mass hunting.
The best configuration for a necromancer.
Oh Jinhwan's body is also stronger than Kim Ganghan's in real life, so I'm not worried about that either.
---
REMINDER: All system notifications, comments, letters, status windows, and special in-universe content MUST use styled
blocks with inline CSS from the templates. Never output them as plain
text.