Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: There Are No Bad Orcs in the World
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Excluding Jeong-hyeon, the party members' senses were all roughly on the same level.
The D-ranks went without saying.
B-rank Young-hoon lacked experience.
C-rank Jong-woo lacked effort.
In situations like this, scouting the surroundings was even more essential, but skipping it left the party teetering on a sharp rock, barely maintaining balance.
So far, they'd been somewhat lucky.
They hadn't ventured too deep, and the orc groups they'd encountered numbered no more than three to five.
But this time, the orc group Jeong-hyeon detected numbered a full fourteen.
In his judgment, the current party's strength, excluding himself, couldn't possibly handle them.
'With Young-hoon here, we might hold out, but...'
If expressed numerically, the party's stats were heavily skewed toward defense over offense.
If not for that, Jeong-hyeon would have immediately alerted everyone to the large orc group's approach.
In any case, he'd concluded they could hold out for a while, so he hadn't acted.
The one who'd told him to stay put was the party leader, Jong-woo, after all.
Finally, the orc group closed within 100 meters.
Up until now, it had just been coincidence that their paths overlapped, but at this distance, they could sense each other.
"Huh?"
"This is..."
In an instant, the hunters' expressions changed, led by Young-hoon.
Jong-woo, seemingly determined to show his full ability this time, shifted forward into position.
"Don't worry. The moment I see an orc snout, I'll blast them with magic."
'Will it really go down like that?'
Whose snout gets sliced off first remained to be seen.
Regardless of Jong-woo, the rest of the party tensely watched the approaching orcs.
A massive tent ruin remained there, perfectly blocking their view.
The orcs' speed suddenly accelerated.
Soon, the heavy thuds of their sturdy bodies slamming the ground became directly palpable.
"W-what is it?"
Only now did Jong-woo realize the situation was turning dire.
But.
'Too late.'
Crash-
"Queeeek!"
The lead orc shattered the tent ruins and revealed itself before them.
Even seasoned hunters would flinch at the sight of orcs standing on ground where the fire hadn't fully died out.
"S-so many."
Ha-jun said in a slightly trembling voice.
The number of orcs emerging one by one from the ruins had already surpassed their usual foes, reaching ten.
And then four more.
The hunters tensed up against the each-each orc onslaught.
In truth, that intimidating presence was vividly transmitted to Jeong-hyeon as well.
However,
'What is this?'
No matter how dangerous the situation, people don't feel fear well when it lacks a sense of reality.
Before Jeong-hyeon's eyes, a system alert window suddenly popped up.
[SUDDEN COIN QUEST 'There Are No Bad Orcs in the World' has occurred.
Orcs become good when they die. At least make sure no bad orcs remain before your eyes.
Goal: Kill 7 orcs in a single battle (0/7)
Reward: 4 coins]
The alert's content was enough to shatter Jeong-hyeon's sense of reality.
Having read the quest and reward, Jeong-hyeon grinned and spoke to Jong-woo.
"Section Chief, won't you show us some magic?"
"What? You crazy bastard..."
Jong-woo's expression said it all, beyond contempt or dismissal—pure shock.
To Jong-woo, it seemed the unregistered hunter before him had lost his mind to overwhelming terror.
But of course, Jeong-hyeon was the most sane person there.
"Queeeeek!"
And with that, the battle began.
As if they'd scouted thoroughly, the massive lead orc charged straight at Ha-jun.
The orcs behind it surged in moments later.
Of course, the D-rank tank wasn't so easy; despite the numerical violence, Ha-jun wouldn't collapse easily.
With Su-a and Young-hoon's support, and Daeyun ready to heal at any moment.
And fortunately, large and small tent ruins flanked their position, preventing easy encirclement.
They'd torn through the ruins unhindered on approach, but they wouldn't have the leeway during combat.
If they fully played their roles in the narrow space, they might repel the orcs.
'But trolls are scarier than orcs anyway.'
With the dealer Jong-woo being so inadequate, there was no helping it.
Moreover, his shortcomings weren't limited to damage output.
"Sh-should we run? What do we do?"
Uttering nonsense like that guaranteed a disastrous defeat.
Showing their backs recklessly in this situation would lead to annihilation.
Successful retreats were difficult in themselves.
Abandoning this position with terrain advantage?
They'd have no grounds to complain if the orcs grabbed their backs and axes sank into their heads.
"Run? We'll all die if we leave here! Section Chief!"
Fortunately, Do-yoon, healing Ha-jun nearby, shouted to stop him.
Even fearing the section chief, his own life seemed more precious.
If he'd restrained Jong-woo like this from the start, Jeong-hyeon wouldn't have resorted to such extremes.
Jeong-hyeon nodded.
"I agree. Our only option is to thin the orcs' numbers as much as possible while the front line holds."
"What do you... No, more importantly, what are you doing? Fight!"
Jong-woo, already deep in panic.
He scolded Jeong-hyeon, who casually chatted while looking back.
But Jeong-hyeon shrugged as if wondering what the fuss was.
"Huh? I'm the porter, remember? Didn't you tell me not to fight, Section Chief?"
"You crazy fuck! Is that important now? We need to survive!"
In truth, Jeong-hyeon desperately wanted to fight.
Beyond the sudden quest, each orc had a decent coin drop chance.
Moreover, he had a personal grudge against orcs.
'I endure other monsters, but I always kill every orc.'
His parents had been killed by orcs.
Of course, the grief stone he'd desperately recalled was far higher-class than mere orcs, but still, orcs made his teeth grind.
Reaching that thought, Jeong-hyeon grinned ferociously.
"I won't do a thing until you apologize to me, Section Chief."
"You fucker, are you really insane!"
"Yeah, Jeong-hyeon, is this the time for emotional standoffs?"
Anger and panic at the sudden situation.
"Better to fire off one more spell in that time."
Jeong-hyeon tightened the reins once more.
Even with defensive advantage, limits existed.
Better to force Jong-woo to his knees and step up quickly.
Face flushing red-purple, Jong-woo couldn't retort properly.
Gritting his teeth, he hastily cast Mana Bolt for support fire.
Damage was negligible, but the solid mana pushed the orcs back a step.
"Good now? You fight too!"
"Huh? That's it? I figured, but you're too much, Section Chief."
"What? You fucker, done talking-"
"Think about what you said to me first."
Jeong-hyeon and Jong-woo's gazes clashed tensely.
Given Jong-woo's personality, he wouldn't voice what Jeong-hyeon wanted even if he knew, but the momentum had shifted sharply to Jeong-hyeon.
"Section Chief! What do we do? We're reaching our limit!"
Ha-jun's desperate voice came from the front line.
Plus, a few orcs ahead had vanished.
Likely circling the blocking ruins on left and right.
Yet this Jeong-hyeon still lurked behind, grinning eerily in plain sight.
Was he really willing to risk everyone's death?
How could anyone do that?
'You fucker, staying quiet until now and acting up at the end?'
What Jong-woo had refused to admit but now had to was his own skill.
His skill, inferior even to an unregistered like Jeong-hyeon.
Raised softly, hating effort.
Yet blessed with good parents and traits, he received treatment despite meager ability.
As if it were his own merit.
Higher-rank hunters, more experienced ones, all groveled before him.
Taking the world for granted became normal.
But Han Jeong-hyeon before him was the second person to shatter Dan Jong-woo's world.
Jong-woo squeezed his eyes shut.
Whether Jeong-hyeon's help would escape this crisis was unknown, but the image of the dagger cleanly piercing an orc's skull from the first battle lingered vividly.
"I'm... sorry."
"Hm? What?"
"I'm sorry! For dismissing you as unregistered, for being rude. Sorry! So help this time!"
Opening his eyes,
Jeong-hyeon already held a dagger.
"Just promise one thing."
"What more do you need!"
"After this battle, grant one request from me. Helping each other is good, right?"
"Fuck! Fine, I'll help. Hurry and fight!"
And at that moment, Jeong-hyeon hurled the dagger.
"Eek!"
It looked aimed straight at him, so Jong-woo toppled clumsily.
True, he loathed the guy, but Jeong-hyeon wouldn't target him with Throwing Skill.
The dagger narrowly grazed Jong-woo's spot, then slipped exquisitely through the front line trio's gap.
"Quee-"
Finally piercing the brow of an orc attacking Ha-jun up front.
Throwing Skill reaching divine levels.
To others, it looked that way, but he'd pre-calculated for quite some time.
Change finally came to the stalemated battlefield.
Starting, of course, with one orc kill.
Before Jong-woo could react, Jeong-hyeon's presence faded.
Like when he'd vanished from beside him earlier?
Focusing now, he could track him, but no explanation sans trait fit.
'What the hell is this fucker's identity?'
An inevitable question.
But no time for deep thought.
"Section Chief, fire a Mana Bolt at least!"
"Y-yeah!"
Frontline orcs demanded blocking.
'Even if I fire Mana Bolts, what can it do?'
Do-yoon's words seemed curt now, but with things this way, what to deny?
He'd abandoned all authority to draw out Jeong-hyeon.
A perfect self-inflicted situation.
He could only curse himself for ignoring advice that a level 3 C-rank should manage Mana Strike.
"Quee-"
"Huh?"
Then, before Jong-woo and the party's eyes, something magical began unfolding.