Chapter 49
Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Skinning Duty
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 49
'Is that four charging at me?'
Killing one boldly and then sniping another while they panicked had gone well enough.
But the price was now barreling toward Jeong-hyeon: four muscular tanks.
Up until now, his targets had been somewhat stationary or he could throw from the opposite direction, but this time enraged orcs were charging straight at him alone.
If he let them close in, even Jeong-hyeon was certain his body wouldn't hold up.
He had no choice but to thin their numbers as fast as possible.
Normally, he would have chosen to run.
He had already more than fulfilled his role by halving the pressure on the front line.
No one could blame Jeong-hyeon for fleeing to save his own life.
Yet Jeong-hyeon felt a strange confidence.
His Adept Throwing Technique had reached D-rank level 2.
It hadn't directly boosted his raw strength or destructive power.
But after throwing twice already, he knew the dagger sank much deeper.
He figured it was because the way he utilized that strength had changed dramatically.
Even more welcome was that his motions had become more efficient, free of wasted movement, and his throwing speed had skyrocketed.
For example, before he had to carefully aim each dagger to get full power,
*Whip— Whip—*
but now he could fire them off almost like a rapid burst while maintaining the same accuracy.
"Kweeek!"
The first orc was easy.
It charged straight ahead, only for the dagger to pierce its brow and kill it.
The second took it through the heart and dropped dead on the spot.
A target barreling straight at him, growing larger by the second?
It was practically begging to be hit.
But the third was different.
"Huh?"
He had clearly aimed for the chest, but the orc twisted its body.
*Stab—*
The dagger ended up in its left shoulder, a bit off from the target.
He took down the next one with a hit to the solar plexus, but it had cost him an extra dagger.
And that was fatal because,
'I only have one left...'
Out of ten daggers, just one remained.
The surviving orc was the biggest one—the leader.
Snorting through its nose instead of its usual orcish roar, fueled by rage at losing its minions.
Could he take it down with a single dagger?
The moment Jeong-hyeon had that doubt, he hurled his last dagger.
Worrying would just waste time anyway.
If he hesitated over the target spot until the leader closed in, he'd end up dead for nothing.
*Whip—*
And the spot Jeong-hyeon chose was,
"Kweeek!"
its left knee.
Having learned he always aimed for vitals, it never saw that coming.
Plus, they were so close now that it couldn't even fathom him taking the time to throw.
With level 2 Adept Throwing Technique boosting it, the dagger didn't just sink deep—it punched clean through.
The leader let out an agonized scream.
It nearly collapsed from the shock but came on limping, unable to use its left leg properly.
You had to respect that tenacity.
The fight was already decided, though.
*Whoosh—*
It was right-handed.
Without its left leg for support, its attacks lacked real power.
Jeong-hyeon could dodge with his eyes closed.
He twisted aside effortlessly, evading the downward axe swing.
The axe cleaved empty air and, without proper recovery, buried itself in the ground.
It could recover its stance in a moment if given time, but both Jeong-hyeon and the leader knew.
The game was over.
'What are you gonna do, staring like that?'
Its green eyes burned with rage and regret.
Jeong-hyeon hated the emotion in a monster's gaze.
As if it were claiming to be a living being too.
A few more exchanges followed.
But it barely swung its axe a handful of times before gasping from exhaustion.
Finally, it jammed its massive axe upside-down into the ground and dropped to one knee.
Left alone, it would die without issue.
But Jeong-hyeon's mace smashed mercilessly into its chest.
No matter how tough, muscle was muscle.
It couldn't compare to ore.
The swollen muscles tore like tofu.
Blood burst from within.
The life faded from the orc's eyes.
To Jeong-hyeon, this orc leader was no longer his parents' killer.
[42%]
Just a slightly higher-probability coin drop than the others.
That felt right.
"Be my coin, you."
With a chilling voice.
*Crack—*
Jeong-hyeon swung his mace at the basketball-sized head, caving in its skull.
[You acquired 1 coin.]
Though the odds were under fifty percent, the leader delivered without fail.
"Hoo... Hoo..."
Realizing he was fully safe, the tension gripping his body melted away unknowingly.
He hadn't noticed, but his body was slathered in orc blood.
This much from just two close-quarters scraps.
No wonder hunter gear reeked.
He turned to see the party members; their fight had ended too.
They had held off fourteen orcs—ones no one thought they could beat—without a single casualty.
Of course, Jeong-hyeon deserved first credit for taking down eight.
[Sudden Coin Quest 'There Are No Bad Orcs' cleared.
Reward granted.]
The system acknowledged it, paying out enough coins to more than cover all his missed hunts so far.
"Uh... Jeong-hyeon, you okay?"
Young-hoon rushed over, asking cautiously.
"Hoo... Yeah, I'm fine."
He was a bit winded but unscathed.
Most orcs fell to ranged throws, and the few close fights were already decided.
"Ahem."
Then Jong-woo appeared late, coughing awkwardly.
Face beet-red, sweat pouring like a waterfall—he must have unleashed spells at a speed he'd never managed before.
But the party's glares weren't kind this time.
Even a guy like him, used to doing whatever, could read the mood.
"I-I'm sorry, Jeong-hyeon."
Everyone here owed him their lives, really.
Drawing an apology from Jong-woo would shock Association folks, but Jeong-hyeon had no intention of letting it go at that.
He grinned.
"Section Chief, you promised to grant me one request, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, but..."
He'd clearly planned to brush it off with one sorry.
Jeong-hyeon's expression darkened further.
Even Young-hoon, Su-a, and Ha-jun flinched.
"There's something I forgot to mention about my background."
"Background?"
"I worked at a monster processing plant for quite a while. So I figured I'd skin some orc hides today too."
Even after that, Jong-woo just blinked repeatedly.
Processing plant? Orc hides?
What did that have to do with him?
The others paled, faces ashen.
They could guess what Jeong-hyeon wanted.
A small knife clattered at Jong-woo's feet.
"Now it's your turn to skin the orc hides, Section Chief."
"...What?!"
Dan Jong-woo, thirty-nine years into life.
A moment he never dreamed of arrived.
Jeong-hyeon, the culprit, added with a warm smile, as if to say not to worry.
"Oh, of course, I'll explain every step in detail."
***
Jeong-hyeon's group left the "Destroyed Encampment of the Tadan Orcs" as dusk fell.
"......"
Usually, exiting a gate prompted some chit-chat, even polite.
Not one opened their mouth easily.
"Ah, what a rewarding hunt. Right?"
Only Jeong-hyeon spoke warmly to Jong-woo.
His bag bulged like it might burst, unlike the others'.
Inside: Tadan orc hides, naturally.
Most skinned by Jong-woo himself.
"How the hell do you expect me to do this? Have me do filthy work like—"
There had been fierce resistance at first.
Even pre-gate, Jong-woo's dad was a big politician.
After, as an Association director, his influence only grew. How pampered had Jong-woo been?
Ask him to skin orc hides raw?
No one could make him.
Except Jeong-hyeon, who had nothing to lose.
"Ah, can't do it?"
"Yeah! This lowly crap..."
*Crack— Crack—*
"On second thought, I've always wanted to try it once."
But after Jeong-hyeon demonstratively crushed an orc finger with the work knife, nearly severing it.
Jong-woo started without a word.
Somehow, that finger looked like his own.
Even the teammates, forced to watch without helping, got a shock.
"Ugh! My hand, my hand's hurt!"
"Daeyun, heal."
"Y-Yes!"
Jong-woo faked hand injuries the first few times, but Daeyun healed them instantly on Jeong-hyeon's orders. No whining allowed.
By the time they backtracked and finished the last hide,
"Oh, you're getting good now. You have a talent for it."
"Heh heh, well... Ahem."
Jong-woo had decent skill.
A C-rank hunter could adapt to basic physical labor regardless of class.
Just a matter of overcoming disgust.
Hence the awkward vibe now.
Young-hoon, who once looked at Jeong-hyeon with respect, now kept three steps back.
'Dangerous. Really dangerous guy...'
The others too.
Only Jeong-hyeon beamed, thrilled with the hunt.
'Tadan orc hides fetch over 200 each in good condition. How many is this?'
The ones he mace-killed were iffy, but most died to his daggers or Young-hoon's spear—prime hides.
And all the skinned ones were his.
No one to blame but themselves,
"Everyone take an equal share? Young-hoon first?"
"Uh... I'm good..."
"Su-a then?"
"Me too..."
Even as Jeong-hyeon shoved Jong-woo's handiwork at them, all waved it off.
Who'd take hides from a blood-soaked guy grinning creepily?
'Plus 10 coins! Ughahaha, Tadan orcs are the best!'
"T-Then let's just split here. Cool?"
"Oh, sure! Good work today."
"Yeah, you too."
Jong-woo, desperate to avoid Jeong-hyeon, tried disbanding fast.
His tone soured like on entry, but the party scattered without noticing.
As Jong-woo hurried to his car,
"Section Chief?"
Jeong-hyeon's voice called.
"Uh, yeah? What, Jeong-hyeon?"
More to squeeze from him?!
Jong-woo's instincts screamed danger.
And they weren't wrong.
"I look like this, so... mind giving me a ride?"
"Ah..."
"You're not gonna make a trembling citizen walk in this state, are you, Association Section Chief...?"
"G-Get in! Hurry!"
Jong-woo swallowed tears, opening the back door.
'Damn... Car's only three months old...'