The Gathering Storm of Orcs
Parfait’s warning about the unusual movements of the orcs spread quickly among the soldiers and officers of the fortress.
The officers immediately wanted to take action, but they needed more information first.
“We need to know how many monsters there are, what kind of orcs, which direction their formations and army are moving in, and how many days’ worth of food they have. That’s your job, gentlemen.”
A new quest had appeared in the quest window.
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Orc Encampment Scouting
Orc Encampment Scouting
Grade: Rare
Objective
Destroy at least three orc supply warehouses (0/3)
Kill at least twenty orcs (0/20)
Scout the orcs’ strategy (0/1)
Description: The orcs’ movements are suspicious. We must break their morale, figure out their plans beforehand, and crush their momentum.
Current Contribution
Battle: 1st — Pending
Fortress Defense and Civilian Rescue: 1st — Pending
Enemy Base Destruction and Information: 1st — Pending
*Rewards increase with higher contribution levels.
*The quest remains completable even after the objective is met.
*The top three will receive extra special rewards.
This was…!
Parfait immediately looked around for other players.
Others were doing the same.
Not him… not her either.
Specialization had been proven effective for centuries.
One person was better than none, and three were better than two.
The real question was who to team up with.
Parfait let out a bitter smile.
They’re avoiding me.
The necromancer class was a niche role.
It was awkward to form a party with.
And personal feelings weren’t good.
He had completed all training and taken the best quests for himself.
Well, there’s no choice. I guess I have to do it alone.
At that moment, Parfait spotted someone.
Wait… that person…
A middle-aged man in his thirties.
Parfait walked over and reached out.
“Mr. Vane.”
“Hah!”
Vane startled and turned.
“You’re… Parfait? How did you end up here…?”
“I came while doing a quest. You got one too, right, Mr. Vane?”
An emergency quest.
Vane’s head bobbed up and down.
“Yeah. Where are you from? Did you form a party already?”
Normally people thought these quests were meant for individuals to compete against each other.
But that was wrong.
Parties with clear roles achieved far higher efficiency and could survive even bigger fights.
This quest was a battle between parties.
“No, not yet.”
Parfait shook his head.
Vane immediately suggested, “Then come with us.”
“Is that alright?”
“You’re fine with me.”
Vane had originally planned to do the quest alone.
As an archer, he could scout and track perfectly, and he was confident in his skills.
Plus, he had dealt with a bad incident in his party recently.
But Parfait was reliable.
“Remember what I said last time? Let’s hunt together. Just follow my instructions well.”
“Of course. I’ll gladly join.”
“I’ll be the party leader. I can’t stand cluttering things up…”
Once the party was formed, roles and distribution were settled in seconds.
Parfait looked around and said, “Shall we go? Do you need more people?”
“Two of us should be enough. The monk is busy, right?”
“Miss Hilde can’t log in right now because of her duties.”
“Then it’s fine. Let’s go.”
Drawing it out would only widen the gap with other parties.
Just as they were about to leave, a voice rang out from the fortress.
“Hey, you two!”
A player was approaching from one side of the fortress.
Blonde hair with red eyes.
She looked like a middle-school girl, about 150 centimeters tall.
“The road is empty. Come with us.”
“What…?”
“You don’t have anyone else going anyway. It’s obvious… looking at you, you’re all sad.”
Parfait stepped forward instead of Vane, who had frozen in shock.
“I’m sorry, but our party is only two people.”
“Two people… so that means…”
The blonde user’s face suddenly twisted into a mocking smile.
“You’re a real idiot, aren’t you?”
“…”
“This quest is meant for a four-person party. You two will just waste everyone’s time. If you don’t want to be last, join us.”
The conversation was absurd.
But Parfait only caught one part.
They know four people is the maximum efficiency. That’s not normal.
To get the most points, proper specialization and competition were essential.
The ideal setup was a four-person party.
Just then, another player sprinted up from the distance.
“Sister! What are you doing over there?!”
“What am I doing? You’re the slowpoke!”
The woman had black hair and was roughly Parfait’s height.
“I’m sorry, my sister is speaking without thinking…!”
“What do you mean without thinking? Everything she’s saying is correct!”
“Anyway, we don’t have a party either… If there’s room, please let us join… I’ll give you proper compensation!”
The black-haired woman bowed repeatedly behind the blonde.
“Could you give us a moment to talk?”
Parfait and Vane stepped back.
“We’re not taking them,” Vane said coldly.
It was only natural.
Even if Parfait was trustworthy, these two definitely weren’t.
And…
“I know who they are. Even if we take them, it won’t help much.”
“Help? How?”
“One’s a blacksmith and the other a tattooist. The sister is the blacksmith, the little sister is the tattooist.”
Blacksmith.
A major job, but far from combat-oriented.
Tattooist was better, though.
A niche class, but at least they could provide buffs through tattoos.
“Blacksmith Sihyun and tattooist Siyeon…?”
“Yeah. I’ll count them as three. Get ready to run. I’ll send you a DM later.”
Vane spoke.
But Parfait just stared at the two women without replying.
Blacksmith Sihyun…
His eyes suddenly sparkled with thought.
“Both of you, come with us. The only condition is that I lead the party.”
“Really? Thank you so much!”
“I knew you’d say that.”
The two women beamed.
Vane looked stunned beside them, but Parfait remained firm.
“Hey…!”
“It’s fine. Let’s go like this.”
Since they had come this far, there was no turning back.
Vane let out a long sigh and took the lead.
“Let’s go. This way.”
The group left the fortress and headed southwest.
It was the beginning of the orc pursuit.
div style="text-align:centerpadding:30px 0margin:20px 0">“A battle with the orcs!”
“Let’s give it a try.”
Players had scattered from outside the fortress.
How many points they stack here will determine their chances later.
I have to come in first no matter what.
At first, everyone was full of motivation.
Differential rewards based on contribution?
Most group quests didn’t have that clause.
This was a massive quest.
A precursor to a large-scale rare or higher quest.
This special feature must be something they can use in that quest.
But as time passed, the enthusiasm vanished in an instant.
“Ouch, my leg…”
“Ugh…”
Orcs weren’t the usual monsters that just attacked randomly.
They had built a fortress in the mountains and spread their subordinates across the area.
To take them on, skilled archers or rogues were needed.
Players who charged in without knowing this wandered aimlessly.
“Where are we?”
“Map! Who knows how to read a map?”
Screams echoed from all directions.
While so many players were confused, Parfait’s group quickened their pace.
“Amazing,” Vane said.
“You’re the best tracker I’ve ever seen. Young friend, you’re incredible.”
The target was none other than Parfait.
Parfait’s tracking was equal to or better than Vane’s.
He was even a necromancer.
That he could do it without special tracking skills was proof.
“I’ve always been a meticulous person.”
Parfait replied, but in truth it was more than personality.
The secret was Dragon Hunter.
A VR game where you tracked and hunted wild dragons.
He thought about poop, footprints, and even disturbed grass.
His tracking was more thorough than any real hunt.
“Huh? You really are a necromancer?”
“Wow… how did you find us?”
Even Vane, who had hunted with him before, was surprised.
The two players who had never seen Parfait before were stunned by his appearance.
“This way.”
Parfait calmly guided them.
When scouting was needed, Vane would handle it while Parfait collected potions and herbs.
They ran into a few other parties along the way.
“Hey, look at that party.”
“Crazy bastards…”
“Wow, they’re actually hunting together with those weird classes.”
“A total disaster of a party.”
A necromancer, archer, blacksmith, and tattooist.
A party that looked pitiful with its front, back, and support roles.
Every time, Sihyun would yell and Siyeon would grab her.
Parfait didn’t protest.
He simply focused on tracking without caring about their words.
Three hours later, they finally met the enemy.
Swish!
Kiik!
Six green orc warriors covered in leaves.
The warriors spotted Parfait and charged forward.
Kiik!
Orc charges were powerful.
Blocking them head-on usually sent you flying like you’d been hit by a car.
Parfait didn’t dodge.
“Parfait! Get out of the way!”
Vane’s arrow struck one warrior in the head.
The other five kept coming.
“Kiik! I smell the scent of a battle master!”
“We kill that one no matter what!”
The fame from killing orc battle masters and shamans was like a bounty in orc territory.
Two orcs leaped into the air, and three more charged below.
A life-or-death moment.
A small figure squeezed between Parfait and the orcs.
“Ha!”
Iron Guard.
Parfait’s protective skill activated, and red and blue patterns glowed from the armor and hammer Sihyun wore.
Almost simultaneously, the orcs collided with the armor.
Clang!
With a heavy impact, the five orcs looked at each other.
Why…?
How…?
They had thrown everything they had.
But the one standing there was a human woman, not themselves.
It meant her strength and defense were overwhelming.
It was incredible.
Orc charges were on the level of wild boars.
She had stopped five cars in a row.
…As expected.
From behind, Parfait nodded faintly.
Yes, it really is the Sihyun I know.