Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Impostor Kabata
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I tried to bring Kabata under my control, but an impenetrable barrier blocked my approach.
‘...Does that guy still have some influence left?’
Having finished searching the tent, I led my skeleton soldiers outside. The wrecked orc fortress was slowly settling back into place.
Thanks to Chakan i sealing the entrance tight, Orcus and his elite soldiers were all bunched up at the front of the fortress.
[Orcus]
The boss monster for this round, but he's a hot-headed brute who only thinks about the enemy right in front of him—a simple, brutish character.
In terms of raw stats, he's powerful enough to show up in the tenth round,
but his lack of combat sense and repetitive moves made him suitable as the fifth-round boss.
I gave an order to my skeleton soldiers.
“Scatter.”
My skeleton soldiers dispersed in all directions.
While they drew the enemies' attention, I slipped safely outside.
I smashed through the log wall and emerged to find Chakan i and the prisoners.
Why hadn't they escaped yet?
“What are you doing, Jo Youngki!”
“Huh? You already finished?”
“Are you kidding? If you're still hanging around after all that time, what am I supposed to do?”
“...Huh?”
Jo Youngki tilted his head.
“You've only been inside for about fifteen minutes.”
He showed me his wristwatch.
“What time did I head in?”
“Fifteen minutes ago. It's thirty minutes now, so only fifteen minutes have passed.”
How could that be? The answer came right away.
It must've been that time had stopped flowing while I challenged Kabata's tent.
“...Kabata's dealt with. Let's hurry back to Elf Helm.”
“You took out Kabata?”
“Yeah.”
“...Then what's that?”
He gave me a look like he couldn't believe it.
I glanced where Jo Youngki was pointing. On the giant orc Orcus's shoulder stood an orc in a robe.
“...What the hell?”
Kabata was perched on Orcus's shoulder. I had no idea how, but this orc looked a bit younger than the one I'd taken out.
Just like the orc from the memory fragment Don Vito had shown me that day.
‘The one I killed wasn't Kabata after all.’
Come to think of it, it was only called Kabata's tent—he never said he was Kabata.
He hadn't answered any of my questions, either.
Had I just assumed?
Jo Youngki gathered the prisoners in one spot and bolted toward the forest.
“Whatever! We'll talk about the rest on the way back.”
“...Right.”
I watched them go with a pang of regret. Of course the main story wouldn't wrap up this easily.
‘...’
But still.
In the Land of Ruin I knew, there was no such character. That orc who looked just like the Kabata I'd killed earlier.
* * * * *
Back at Elf Helm, we handed the prisoners over to the knights.
Blanc thanked us and moved them to a safe location.
I went straight to the elf queen and explained the situation.
Whether she didn't want to believe me, or refused to accept the demons' existence,
she flatly denied Lucifer's involvement.
“That can't be.”
“...He's the mastermind behind all this. He's caused massive problems on the human side too.”
“If what you say is true, wouldn't that demon have spread the same virus here?”
“The races here have immunity. It wouldn't do any good.”
“...Pardon?”
“The ‘dust of life’ that the World Tree constantly emits. It grants resistance to the virus the demon created.”
It wasn't a lie.
The World Tree was the biggest reason Lucifer couldn't target this continent.
Unable to attack with the virus, he schemed to use the orcs to destroy it.
Sure, players stopped it in the original story, but now? Who knows.
This wasn't just a deviation—it was a whole new path.
The elf queen asked me,
“So... you mean we have to go to war with the orcs?”
“As I told you this morning, the choice is yours, Your Majesty. Deadline's tonight. Please decide as soon as possible.”
“...Understood.”
After our talk, the queen smoothly handed me an empty scabbard.
“Here.”
“This is...?”
“Your friend in the dwarf canyon asked me to pass it along.”
“Ah!”
It was finished.
[Excalibur (Replica)]
-Attack Power +66
-Increases user's attack speed, critical hit chance, and ignores defense.
*‘Weapon Breaker’ skill is applied passively.
The legendary sword said to have been given to King Arthur by Sword Saint Gawain. Though a replica, its stats were impressive.
I clapped my hands.
Clap!
“Thank you. I really needed this—it came at the perfect time.”
“It's no ordinary sword. So you know swordsmanship too, Cheonjae?”
“...No, I don't know how to use it.”
“Then who...?”
“Someone's here. The sword's true owner.”
I turned to look at the spirit floating near the armor. A yellow-haired man with just his head drifting around like a ghost.
The youthful spirit grinned at the sight of the sword.
[‘Gawain's Spirit’ is delighted by the sword.]
‘Now it's your turn.’
With everything said, I left the queen's dwelling.
Jo Youngki and Kim Yeonhui followed, going in to add meat to the bones I'd laid out.
“...Park Gyuhwan.”
A few blades of grass fluttered down, and Park Gyuhwan appeared.
“You called?”
“Head to the dwarf canyon immediately. Deliver this note to Ma Jeongwoo.”
“...Understood.”
I handed Park Gyuhwan a note detailing today's events.
The decisive battle had to start a day earlier than the dwarves planned—tonight.
To prevent the demon-summoning ritual from happening again.
* * * * *
Ma Jeongwoo looked shocked as he read the note from Park Gyuhwan.
Yoo Sora and Michael flanked him. After finishing Kim Cheonjae's message, they sprang into action.
To get the dwarves ready for battle quickly.
Ma Jeongwoo shouted,
“Michael! Head to the World Tree right now and secure visibility over the canyon and forest. We need to pinpoint every orc nearby.”
Michael clenched his fist.
“Okay, I'll head out first!”
Ma Jeongwoo sent him off, then turned to Yoo Sora.
“Sora, go with Park Gyuhwan to find Duval.”
“Got it. Just like you said earlier, right?”
“Yeah. Even if you mess up, it won't be a big deal, so don't stress.”
Yoo Sora widened her eyes.
“I absolutely won't mess up.”
After sending them off, Ma Jeongwoo went to find the dwarf king.
In the canyon's central cliff, among hundreds of holes carved out, only one led to the dwarf king.
A place only players could enter.
[Dwarf King's Chambers]
Of the countless holes, only one glowed with light. Ma Jeongwoo entered it.
The passage was so narrow he had to hunch or his head would scrape the ceiling.
At the end was a shabby room hardly worthy of being called the king's chambers.
Deniro, who had been dozing with snores rumbling, jolted upright in surprise.
“Wh-who's there?”
“It's me, Ma Jeongwoo.”
Deniro rubbed his eyes, confirmed the face, and beamed.
“Hey, what's up at this hour? I told you to rest till nightfall.”
“...It's night now. And we got word from the elf camp.”
At the mention of the elf camp, the king's face hardened.
“Judging by your expression, it's not good news.”
“They say they clashed with the enemy at the orc camp.”
“Elves and orcs?! No way. If it was at the fortress, that means the elves mobilized.”
“I didn't say the elves fought.”
“Then?”
Ma Jeongwoo pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
“...My friend Kim Cheonjae took humans in and raided the fortress. Freed the prisoners inside.”
Sizzle. Crackle.
Sssip. Puff—.
White cigarette smoke filled Deniro's room.
“Your friend must be fearless. Even if there are humans at Elf Helm, they're few—attacking an orc fortress?”
“He's no ordinary guy. More importantly, you need to move fast.”
Deniro rummaged for his clothes as he replied.
“...Why?”
“Soon, this whole continent will be a battlefield.”
* * * * *
“Princess! Princess!!”
Silvia's maid ran through Elf Helm, shouting everywhere. To the other elves, it looked like business as usual.
It was her job to hunt down the princess, who vanished several times a day.
Thud.
The maid bumped into someone.
Looking up, she saw Blanc gazing down at her.
“The princess vanished again today?”
“Yes! This is bad. I haven't seen her since lunch.”
“What? That's been hours.”
“Exactly!”
Blanc furrowed his brow.
“Where was she last seen?”
“Well... near player Kim Cheonjae's lodging. Haven't seen her since.”
“Kim Cheonjae?”
Blanc paused briefly, tapped his temple with a finger, then headed to Kim Cheonjae's place.
The maid trailed behind.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“Kim Cheonjae? It's Blanc. I have something to ask.”
Lying in bed recovering stamina, I replied irritably.
“Come in.”
Creak.
Blanc and the elf maid entered my home. Their anxious faces made me uneasy.
What now?
Blanc asked,
“Have you seen Lady Silvia by any chance?”
“...At lunch earlier.”
“Lunch?”
“Yeah. We ate together, chatted a bit, then she said she had to go somewhere and left.”
“...Do you know where?”
“No.”
I had a guess, but no intention of telling him.
“I see. Thank you.”
“What's going on?”
“This one couldn't find the princess and was panicking. Hasn't been seen since lunch...”
The maid stepped forward.
“Oh, hello.”
“Hello. We met once before, right?”
She nodded.
“Did you happen to see which way the princess went?”
“To the right. Toward Elf Helm's entrance.”
“The princess? There's nothing there.”
There was something—just no reason for the princess to go. I shook my head at her.
“No one knows that.”
Hearing my reply, Blanc raised an eyebrow.
“Kim Cheonjae.”
“Yes.”
“Would you tell me where the princess went?”
“No idea why you're asking me. I didn't hear.”
“...Even if it's just a hunch. Please.”
Blanc spoke with conviction that I knew something.
He'd latched onto a clue from my last answer.
‘...’
Oh well, no harm in telling.
“Don Vito.”
“...Pardon?”
“Don Vito. Silvia has his head.”
Blanc jumped in shock and yelled at me.
“Don Vito! Lady Silvia has that bastard's remains?”
“That's right.”
“Ah... then... no way...”
Blanc's eyes flicked toward Elf Helm's entrance.
I shrugged and told him,
“I don't know where she went. Just piecing it together from what you said.”
“She left here after lunch, correct?”
“Yeah.”
Blanc shot out of the house like lightning. The maid, bewildered, looked from where he'd been to my face.
“Wh-what's happening? Where's the princess?”
“...Beats me. Like I said, just a hunch.”
“Where's the hunch?”
I forced my aching, flu-like body upright. To fully recover stamina by tonight, I needed deeper sleep.
Who knew such a hassle would crop up.
“...The place where the princess and Don Vito first met. Do you know it?”