Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Orc Siege on Elf Helm
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After the watchtower's flames went out, the entire continent erupted in chaos.
The dwarves had declared war on the orcs, using the canyon as their stage.
In the aftermath, Elf Helm came under attack from orc forces once a day.
Players participating in the fifth round moved according to their own interests,
while our group avoided taking sides and simply carried out our pre-planned tasks.
While the main event was underway, I used Park Gyuhwan to get in touch with Ma Jeongwoo in the dwarf canyon.
We had agreed to wrap up this round as soon as item production was complete.
Word came that preparations were nearly finished.
“……Time to make our move.”
I tore up the scrap of paper.
Then, through the World Tree, I summoned the troll unit here.
-Kreeeeek!
Purple trolls infected with the X Virus. I led them toward Elf Helm.
Along the way, I killed every orc we spotted. There was no talking with them.
No need for communication.
One orc, cornered and chased by me, wore a look of utter despair.
“Tr-trolls should be our allies, not—Kaaak! Sp-spare me!”
Crunch!
One of my trolls bit into the orc's neck.
-Kiekeek.
The blood-smeared troll looked up at me.
“……Good work. Let's go.”
As we neared Elf Helm, cheers rang out. Two syllables repeated in steady rhythm.
-Uh! Uh! Uh! Uh!
-Today's the day we finish off the elves!
-Yeah, Orc Captain. Without these guys, the dwarves are just a matter of time.
An orc force filling the forest, surrounding Elf Helm.
They had siege weapons like catapults, signaling a full-scale war.
But the numbers seemed pitifully low. Barely enough to matter.
Of course, more than the elves, but it didn't look like their full strength.
Roughly five to six hundred orcs.
‘Where's the rest of their forces…?’
The largest orc, clad in iron plate armor, stepped forward.
A green orc with a ponytail and a massive axe.
He raised his fist overhead.
“Listen up, Elf Queen! As of today, Elf Helm is ours!”
-Uwaa!
Elf Helm's knight captain, Blant, shouted back.
“Return home, orcs! We don't want war with you!”
“……Bullshit. Fire!”
Pew—
Arrows flew.
The elf knights raised shields to cover themselves.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
A rain of arrows blanketed Elf Helm.
When the arrow storm paused, Blant yelled.
“Fire!”
Elf archers in the rear unleashed a counter volley.
Once, twice, three times.
Orcs and elves traded arrow barrages.
Blant let out a sigh.
The longer the war dragged on, the more Elf Helm would crumble. From his position, he needed a quick resolution.
I watched their battle from afar.
It wasn't time for me to step in yet.
“Karos!”
At the orc captain's shout, a hunchbacked orc who walked on all fours came running.
“You called?”
“Get ready.”
“……Yes!”
He pulled a barrel from his back, popped the lid, and doused himself in oil.
A sharp smell stung the nose.
“Captain! I'm ready!”
“……Good. Go!”
“Yes!”
The hunchback orc donned an iron helmet, clutched a bomb, and charged the elf lines.
No armor to protect him.
Just a ragged loincloth.
Blant spotted the hunchback and bellowed.
“1st Platoon, guard the gate!”
A few swift elf knights dodged arrows and surged forward.
They shook their capes to deflect overhead arrows, then swung swords at the charging hunchback orc nearing Elf Helm's entrance.
Slash—
“Gurk…”
The blade pierced the orc's gut.
“You're not getting past here.”
The hunchback orc shoved the sword deeper into himself and grinned.
“For the Orc Lord!”
Pew—
Thud!
A distant fire arrow struck the hunchback orc.
Whoosh.
Flames spread across his oil-soaked body,
then—
Boom!
An explosion roared, flames erupting skyward.
A hole blasted through the World Tree's roots, creating a new entrance into Elf Helm.
Cheers rose as orcs poured in.
Elves fought back to hold the line.
-Kyaaaak!
-N-No! Don't take my mom!
-Spirit God…
From behind the knights, a bald man in a floral shirt stepped forward.
-Earth Wave.
The ground heaved like waves, sweeping toward the hole the orcs had made.
Boom!
Packed earth sealed the breach.
“You damn orc bastards!”
Chakan i appeared.
Kim Yeonhui rushed in right after, joining the fray.
“How dare filthy orcs invade sacred Elf Helm. Die!”
[All elf-side players have joined.]
[The main event's first story progresses.]
[Player movements are temporarily restricted during story dialogue.]
A barrier enveloped all of Elf Helm.
Every player's actions froze.
The battle halted as the orc captain advanced.
“Elf Queen. Leave now, and I'll spare your lives.”
Charlotte's voice echoed from within the forest.
“This has been elf land since ancient times. We cannot leave.”
“It's ours now.”
“Why not coexist?”
“No, ridiculous. Do you think darkness and light can coexist?”
“……”
The orc chieftain bellowed in a booming voice.
“I warned you long ago to leave this land. Those who stay… face only death.”
“Does the orc chieftain think so too?”
“……Of course. I follow his command.”
“May I speak with him?”
“No. Chieftain Kabata wants no talks with elves.”
“……We desire peace.”
“We desire war.”
[The elf queen and orc captain's negotiations have broken down.]
[The two races enter a state of war effective immediately.]
Thud!
“Elf Queen, do you know whose skull this is around my neck?”
The orc captain displayed the skull necklace.
“……No idea.”
“Don't Vito. Don't Vito's head.”
“Vi…to?!”
Elf Helm stirred.
Princess Silvia, who had been listening, burst from her treehouse.
Gone was her elegant white dress; she wore leather armor and a cape like a battlefield knight.
Dash-dash-dash—!
“You bastard!”
Blant raced over and grabbed her wrist.
“Let go!”
“Princess, calm down.”
“Let go!”
“You mustn't fall for their provocation. That's exactly what they want—”
Boom!
A massive roar echoed from the World Tree's direction. Black smoke billowed high.
The smoke swirled like a vortex.
The orc captain spotted it and widened his eyes.
“Damn it.”
He scanned Elf Helm with a furious glare, then issued a retreat.
“Fall back! All units to the dwarf canyon! Elf Queen, we'll meet again tomorrow.”
The elves looked baffled.
Knight Captain Blant refused to relax, eyeing him warily.
The orcs vanished into the forest one by one. Their numbers slowed their withdrawal.
Charlotte asked the orc captain in a trembling voice.
“That head you have… is it really Don't Vito's?”
“……Yes.”
Silvia ground her teeth, glaring at the orc captain.
Blant whispered in her ear.
“Typical orc lies. Don't believe it.”
“……”
“If it's true, I'll stake my life to retrieve it.”
[Sudden Quest Generated!]
[Pursue the orc unit that attacked Elf Helm.]
[YES/NO]
[*All player movements are now permitted.]
Two choices appeared.
A new quest absent from the PC version.
What would others choose?
I waited for Chakan i and Kim Yeonhui to select.
“……”
Blue holographic text hovered over their heads.
[NO]
Every player in Elf Helm had chosen NO.
They wouldn't join a fight they didn't need to.
Disappointing—no takers among the two or three I expected.
“……YES.”
* * * * *
I led all my forces in pursuit of the orc unit.
They followed the valley linking Elf Helm to the dwarf canyon.
Crossing mountains would take too long, so they took the shortcut.
-Good thing the river's low today. Only up to our ankles.
-Yeah, normally it's waist-deep.
-If it wasn't, we'd have to go around the mountain. Lucky break.
One orc sniffed the air and reported to the captain.
“Captain, smells like dwarves nearby.”
The orc captain perked his ears.
“Dwarves?”
“Yes.”
“The wind carries dwarf scent from the canyon—not far off.”
“……The wind always blows from the canyon. Probably just that.”
“But the scent's too close for that…”
Pew—
Thud.
An arrow landed before the orc captain.
Dwarf warriors hidden in the brush emerged.
“You filthy orc scum!”
Short-statured dwarves in mithril armor, shields, and hefty warhammers.
They blocked the orcs' path to the canyon.
The orc captain yanked the arrow from the ground and yelled at the dwarf warrior.
“Come here to die?”
A dwarf in golden armor stepped forward.
“To die? No—to kill.”
“Dniro…”
The orc captain roughly counted the dwarf forces and smirked.
He held up the skull from his neck for Dniro to see.
“Dniro, know whose head this is?”
“From the skull, one of our kind.”
“Right. Guess who?”
“……Beats me.”
“You don't? A man very close to you.”
“Close to me…? No way……?”
“Kekekeke! Don't Vito. Your son's head.”
For a moment, Dniro's pupils shook.
The orc captain licked Don't Vito's skull mockingly.
“Dwarves fear no death, right? This one was different, though.”
“……”
“Know what he said before dying? Sobbing, begging to live.”
Dniro roared.
“Shut your mouth! My son wasn't some weakling who feared death.”
“Is that so? Heh heh… Prove it then. Show dwarves fear no death.”
“……One question. Did you kill my son?”
The orc captain gazed skyward, reminiscing.
“Yeah, the idiot had no weapon—just flowers.”
“……Duval.”
A dwarf with a thick book sidled up to Dniro.
“You called.”
“Open the gates.”
“……Yes, sir!”
Duval blew a horn from his belt.
Bwooo—bwooo-bwooo—!
Rustle—whoosh. A fierce gale swept the forest, shaking leaves.
Something approached from afar.
[The upstream dam in the valley opens.]
‘What?'
The dwarf warriors formed a defensive line.
Turtle-shell shields blocking the uphill canyon path.
The orc captain shouted.
“What are you doing?”
Dniro replied.
“You'll see soon enough.”
Sloooosh.
The water level rose steadily.
From ankle-deep to shin-high in seconds.
By the time the orcs realized the dwarves' plan, it was too late.
A torrent taller than their heads surged toward them.
The orc captain yelled.
“You damn dwarf bastards!”
“We carry warriors' blood. We'll show you how we're different from elves!”
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