Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Nice to Meet You
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BOOM!
The axe of Orc Captain Kite clashed against Jinwoo's sword.
The air seemed to crackle with the tremendous collision of their two powers.
"Hahaha! Impressive! This is the first time I've been pushed back in pure strength!"
Kite swung his massive axe with the dexterity of a kitchen knife.
Weapons that size were supposed to be slower as a trade-off.
Was it because of his enormous build and overwhelming strength?
The speed barely differed from that of a normal sword.
'What a shame to waste such talent.'
It wasn't just brute force either.
He was mixing in solid swordsmanship and tactics amid the ferocity.
He must have undergone serious training on top of his natural gifts.
The more they fought...
The less sense it made that someone of this caliber served under a dark elf.
'That dark elf can't be stronger than him.'
Jinwoo had scanned them roughly, and nothing outmatched the orc captain.
The dark elf who seemed to be their leader was the strongest among them.
But not on the orc's level.
Jinwoo could take her down with telekinesis alone.
Yet their hierarchy was crystal clear.
The dark elf commanding the orc as her subordinate.
'Does she have some dirt on him?'
Or maybe the dark elves outnumbered the orcs overwhelmingly.
Or he was a hired mercenary for pay.
There had to be some other circumstance.
'Not that it gives me any reason to go easy.'
Kite swung his axe in a wide arc that seemed to split the air itself.
Jinwoo easily dodged back and countered by thrusting his dagger.
The orc barely evaded it too.
But his balance crumbled in that instant.
This time, Kite had no choice but to retreat.
"Grr! You're something else!"
"If this were my old self, I wouldn't have stood a chance against you."
"Kuhahaha! Humility is a warrior's virtue! Even as enemies, I like you more and more!"
Kuwoong!!
Jinwoo's and Kite's fists collided in midair.
Kite was clearly pushed back, if only slightly.
"N-No way!"
"The captain's losing in strength...?"
The orcs who saw it let out sighs.
Meanwhile, the women in Jinwoo's group looked unsurprised, like they'd expected it.
Considering Jinwoo's current power...
The fight even happening was a miracle in itself.
'Heh, it's been a while since he looked this thrilled.'
Hilde thought to herself as she watched.
Jinwoo was clearly dragging out the fight on purpose.
If he wanted, he could end it in seconds with skills like Instant Acceleration or Telekinesis.
But he was sticking to pure physical combat.
'Gauging the enemy's strength? Or testing his own growth?'
Hilde and Shin Seomhwa had sparred with him to help each other improve.
But real combat was different.
Jinwoo was growing in real time against the orc captain.
'At full power now, even the three of us together might not be enough...'
His growth was on a monstrous level.
The orc before him was impressive, sure.
But no match for Jinwoo.
-Tchiiing!
In that moment, Jinwoo's kick slammed into Kite's solar plexus.
The orc's massive body flew back and crashed into the ground.
-Kudangtang!
"C-Captain!"
The orcs rushed to check on their leader.
The dark elf watched, biting her lip hard.
"We won, so we can do whatever we want now, right?"
Jinwoo declared boldly.
He looked utterly unscathed, hard to believe he'd just fought that intense battle.
The dark elf's eyes narrowed at the sight.
She never imagined these weirdos would be this strong.
But she couldn't just let them go.
'Damn that useless orc, stirring up trouble...'
Backing down after this defeat would ruin her face.
With her subordinates watching, fleeing in fear was unacceptable to her pride.
As the dark elf hesitated...
"Wait."
A woman in a deep hood stepped forward from behind.
Slightly petite, she stood beside the dark elf and spoke arrogantly.
"They're outsiders. Letting them go is too dangerous. We should kill them for sure, even if it costs us."
The fallen orc captain, Kite, reacted.
"What are you saying, shaman? We already promised to let them go if we lost the duel."
"Hmph."
The woman merely looked down at him arrogantly, ignoring the orc's shout.
As if her word was final.
"You're just our tool. Does a master have to honor a tool's whims?"
"Grrk! We've endured your humiliations."
Blood trickled from his mouth, but Kite ground his teeth.
"How much more must you insult a warrior's soul before you're satisfied, Shaolin?!"
"......What?"
All eyes turned to the hooded woman.
She sighed deeply.
Then reached up and pulled off her hood.
"Ah."
Black straight hair and black eyes.
It was Shaolin, from their team.
"How in the world...?"
Shin Seomhwa, their former team leader, muttered in shock.
She couldn't help it.
A former teammate had suddenly become a shaman for orcs and elves.
She'd hoped she might be alive, but never dreamed of reuniting like this.
"Glad you're alive, Shaolin."
In the midst of it, Jinwoo spoke up.
He felt his lips curl into a smile unbidden.
He suppressed the urge to hurl Adoll at her right then.
Not out of circumstance or reason.
He held back for fear she might actually die from it.
'Can't kill you that easily.'
She'd framed him.
Maybe even ruined his life in society.
He couldn't end that grudge and revenge so simply.
"I really, really wanted to see you, Shaolin."
"......You wanted to see me?"
"On that deserted island, you were the first one I wanted to kill more than anyone. With my own hands, no less."
"......Whatever happened, looks like you've gotten pretty strong."
Her gaze shifted to Han Soyoung and Shin Seomhwa behind him.
Then she sighed deeply.
"And it seems you've already figured everything out."
Shin Seomhwa was there, and even Han Soyoung herself was with Jinwoo.
That alone painted the full picture.
She knew there was no turning back.
"Maia, let's take them all out."
Shaolin said to the dark elf captain beside her.
"You sure? You seem to know them."
"Just a bad memory from the past. They'll see you as enemies too since you're with me. Fighting's our only option now."
The dark elf called Maia hesitated slightly.
But soon nodded.
"Everyone, prepare to attack!"
At her command, the dark elves gripped their weapons, and even the orcs did the same.
Only Orc Captain Kite looked bitter, swallowing bile.
He might regret it, but Jinwoo had no intention of sparing them now.
"Sigh. I thought this was my chance to build a harem. What a shame."
"Are you insane?"
Jinwoo chuckled at Shin Seomhwa's words.
"It's fine to kill them all. Oh, except Shaolin."
Hilde gripped her spear tighter, and light gathered in Shin Seomhwa's hand.
Just as the two groups were about to clash...
"Now! Fire everything!"
A voice rang out from the forest.
Arrows flew from the bushes all around.
"Wh-What?!"
The arrows avoided Jinwoo's group, raining precisely on the elf lines.
The dark elves panicked in the sudden assault.
Then something else burst from the bushes.
Elves as well.
But with pale white skin, unlike the others.
"This way!"
One elf shouted to Jinwoo's group.
The women looked to Jinwoo.
After a moment's consideration, he nodded slightly.
With that, Jinwoo's group dashed after the elves.
"No! Catch those bastards now!"
Shaolin's shout came from behind.
They must be desperate.
It made sense.
Letting them escape here meant unimaginable retaliation from Jinwoo.
'That's why she ordered them to kill us at all costs.'
Dragging in unrelated races just to save her skin.
Still as trashy as ever.
'Anyway, we followed them. Who are these guys?'
There wasn't some grand reason Jinwoo followed the sudden elves.
First, fighting now offered no guarantee of zero casualties on their side.
Second, it seemed easier to deal with enemies this way.
'They even hit first to help us. Safe to assume they're hostile to the dark elves.'
Using the enemy of your enemy made victory simpler.
No need to take risks.
'Above all, info's too scarce.'
How Shaolin ended up with that group.
Why the orcs obeyed the dark elves.
What these guys were.
He needed solid intel before acting.
"Phew, we should be safe now that we're this far."
How long had they run?
The guiding elf said.
Pointy ears, white skin, and striking golden hair.
He seemed a bit young.
His chest was modestly perky.
'...Or is it? Maybe I'm just used to huge ones.'
Even petite Han Soyoung had impressive assets.
This might be average.
"Why did you help us?"
Hilde asked, and the elf shrugged like it was obvious.
"You looked like the real deal. Better to fight with us than die like dogs there."
They had their own calculations too.
Though Jinwoo's group would've survived anyway.
"So you're enemies with those elves? Why, when you're the same race?"
The elf grimaced in disgust at Jinwoo's question.
"Ugh! You think we're the same as those psychos? Can't you see the skin difference?"
Hmm, so regular elves and dark elves weren't on good terms.
Like orcs and elves.
Complicated interspecies relations.
"Anyway, come on. You're drifters with nowhere to go—we invite you to our village."
The elf said with a smile.