Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Siege of Orc Fortress
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The story video ended, and we were back in front of the Orc Fortress.
Everyone gathered here had grasped the situation.
I didn't know how the others would evaluate it, but I didn't think Blant's actions were just simple revenge.
Because I didn't know what conversation he had with Kabata during that short story video.
He was an enemy no matter what, though.
I walked toward the Orc Fortress and asked Blant.
"Blant, were you the one who took Silvia today?"
"......Yeah. How did you know?"
"When I returned to the village, I could smell Silvia on you."
"Oh ho.... But then why pretend not to know?"
"It wasn't certain."
Blant sneered, sticking out his lips.
"Not certain, huh. Kahaha! Your cautious judgment helped me. Honestly, when Don Vito's name came out of your mouth, I thought I'd been caught and got a scare. Just in case."
"So that's why you rushed to the World Tree?"
"Yeah.... Thanks to you, I could put the final period on this long journey. I'm grateful you convinced the queen."
All my actions up to now felt like I'd been played in the palm of Blant's hand.
Haa-.
A sigh escaped me naturally.
It was flowing according to the scripted story, but the fact that I was involved irritated me.
I forced a calm expression and said to Blant.
"......Thanks. But what's the reason you came all this way to stage a coup? If you'd gathered all the elite soldiers under you, you didn't need to come here."
"I wanted to show them certain despair. Those who acted like God's proxies and treated us like slaves—"
Deniro shouted.
"Treated like slaves?!"
Duval retorted accusingly.
"If not slaves, then what? Working day and night without a single day off for a year, moving at your command."
"All of that was for your sake."
"Oh, really? So Don Vito lounged around all day while we slaved away in front of the blistering hot furnace?"
"Th-that...."
"Don't make excuses. My father hammered iron until his last breath. You damn bastard!"
Duval's shout echoed through the Orc Fortress.
Blant scratched his head and stepped forward, saying to me.
"Kim Cheonjae, you need to die here too."
['Great Battle! Orc Fortress Fall Operation' begins.]
[All players, please enter combat.]
I took a deep drag from my cigarette and tossed it to the ground.
Pfft.
Hoo-
"Jeongwoo, I'm going ahead alone from here."
"......Got it."
Ma Jeongwoo nodded.
Deniro, at the forefront, couldn't contain his rage and tried to charge.
Dwarf warriors and elf knights moved to follow him.
Ma Jeongwoo blocked their path.
"Hold up. No one passes until our leader finishes his business."
Deniro suppressed his anger and said to Ma Jeongwoo.
"Out of my way."
"No. Either take me down or wait until our leader's done."
"......What can he do alone?"
"Who knows? We'll see."
"Don't create more needless deaths."
"Deaths? Well.... It's the word closest to that genius guy. But it's not something he'll experience himself."
Ma Jeongwoo grinned and patted Deniro's shoulder.
Deniro looked at him with an incomprehensible expression.
All eyes turned to me.
I quietly summoned all my summons.
Park Gyuhwan, who had been waiting silently in the forest, appeared leading the purple-skinned X Troll unit.
Just their presence alone made the orcs inside the fortress stir, and Blant and Duval's elite units tensed up sharply.
Blant shouted to not lose momentum.
"Trolls are just dozens. Don't be scared!"
Just dozens.
He was right.
Park Gyuhwan lined the trolls up in a row behind me.
As they aligned, Great Tiger emerged from the forest, exuding murderous intent.
I stroked the tiger's head and drew Excalibur from its sheath.
The silver blade gleamed.
The soul of Sword Saint Gawain, flying around me, danced excitedly.
I grabbed Gawain's soul with my hand and swung it toward Great Tiger's head.
"Now it's your turn."
Another Easter egg not listed in the skills. A secret technique known only to those truly called Necromancers.
Possessing my summon with a spirit: 'Spirit Descent Technique'.
'Well.... Right before server shutdown, the info got shared on fan sites. Still, not many could use it.'
"Awaken, Solar Knight Gawain."
Whoosh-
Pfft!
The moment the soul was absorbed, light burst from Great Tiger's eyes.
The tiger, one of the quadrupedal mammals, stood on two legs.
Its body transformed.
Like how humanity evolved and devolved repeatedly from primates to humans.
The tiger's body morphed to resemble a human's. Like a human wearing tiger skin.
With muscles so sharply defined, it was hard to call it an ordinary human.
[Gawain (Sword Saint)'s soul has been infused into Great Tiger (Beast).]
[New summon acquired: 'Solar Knight Gawain (Sword Saint)']
※ New Acquisition: Solar Knight Gawain (Sword Saint) - Beast Mode
Level: 60
HP: 5500/5500
Mana: 100/100
Stamina: 55(+0) Attack: 99(+0)
Defense: 86(+0) Speed: 99(+0)
▶Enchant Fire (Mana Cost: 15)
-Infuses fire attribute magic into one's weapon.
-An unquenchable flame burns on the weapon for the duration. (Duration: 60 minutes)
▶Solar Absorption (Mana Cost: 0)
-Gawain gains additional stats based on the sun's position.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Admiration welled up naturally.
Just standing there, the aura flowing from Gawain's body altered the surrounding energy.
The combination of a sword saint's valor and a beast's ferocity produced this result.
"Come."
Gawain walked up to me and knelt on one knee.
"My lord."
His vocal resonance was tremendous.
Just one word made my body tingle, even though he was on my side.
"......Gawain."
"Yes."
"Your weapon."
Gawain raised his head and took Excalibur. His mouth corner lifted slightly, pleased.
"Thank you."
As he gripped the hilt, the blade turned red.
Solar Knight Gawain.
Reborn as the Tiger Knight.
* * * * *
Orcus, confirming our appearance, lifted Kabata from his shoulder and extended his hand toward me.
He gripped his staff tightly and shouted at me.
"You're Kim Cheonjae?"
"Yeah. Here to die?"
"No, I wanted to see what kind of guy you are with my own eyes."
"You could've seen from up there."
Kabata winked.
"My eyesight's bad."
"......So. Why did you want to see me?"
"I was curious what the guy who attacked our fortress yesterday looked like. And.... Kehhehehe-. The kid I ate this morning screamed your name."
"Ate?"
He looked up at Silvia's head. I knew what he meant to say.
"......Silvia called my name?"
"Yeah. She screamed so loud it leaked out of my bedroom."
"......"
"Like this? Lord Kim Cheonjae! Please save me! Kyaaah!"
Kabata mimicked Silvia's scream, clutching his belly laughing. Clearly provoking me.
I closed my eyes to compose myself. Took a slow breath in, then exhaled long.
The smell of earth, wind, and blood wafting over calmed me.
A scent loved by those close to death. The battlefield wind felt like perfume.
'Yeah, in this predetermined story, Silvia was fated to die anyway.'
It wasn't my fault.
Kabata continued casually.
"That girl really believed you'd come save her. Too bad you couldn't, huh?"
Silvia was just an NPC.
A connection destined for meeting and parting, one I'd never see again after the fifth round ended.
I maintained my composure and said to Kabata.
"What can I do? Can't change the past. Just forget it."
"......What?"
"Forget it. Like your brothers who died yesterday."
Kabata's expression changed.
"So you're the one who killed my brother."
"Yeah, he begged for his life. I gave him a chance, so he crawled between my legs and licked my shoes."
"D-don't lie. My brother wouldn't do something so servile."
"He did worse? In your bedroom, he screamed 'Save me, Kabata!'"
All lies.
Just to draw out Kabata's rage.
"You.... son of a bitch...."
As expected of a simple, brutish orc.
I thought a chieftain would have strong mental fortitude, but he crumbled in one hit.
I just threw back what he said to me moments ago.
Sensing Kabata's rage, Great Tiger and Park Gyuhwan flanked me.
Kabata glanced at them warily, then returned to Orcus. Still an enormous monster.
An apartment-sized bulk in motion.
-Kuwooooh.
Kabata, arriving on Orcus's shoulder, bellowed loudly.
"Those who challenge us will only have despair left."
I smirked nonchalantly.
"Music to my ears. Hope was never there anyway, so only despair remains? No other worries, then?"
"......Damn human bastard."
As Kabata retreated, Blant and Duval's elite soldiers blocked the Orc Fortress gates.
The other players summoned with us murmured.
-Wouldn't it be better to hand over the elf queen and dwarf king and try again?
-The story's all changed, no idea what to do. Anyone wanna retry with me? I'm forfeiting this game!
-How the hell do we win this? Enemies over ten thousand, us barely a thousand.
-Why's that Kim Cheonjae guy keep showing off up front? Wanna get wrecked fast?
I shook my head as if I hadn't heard.
"Gawain, Park Gyuhwan. See the enemies ahead?"
The two summons looked up at the Orc Fortress.
"I see them."
"Affirmative."
Before battle starts, that strange tension between enemy and ally lines. This moment, making the heart race with excitement, is the best.
I slowly scanned the enemy ranks. No one showed fear.
All faces prepared for death.
I swept back my hair and lit a cigarette.
Chik. Chijik.
Sssip. Phoo-.
While lighting up, neither side made a move.
Eyeing who would attack first.
Kabata didn't move rashly either.
'......The piercers and the blockers. Spear versus shield.'
Naturally, the piercers had to move first. The defenders had no rush.
As silence dragged, one player stepped forward to Ma Jeongwoo.
A skinny man with lightning bolt hair.
"Hey! If you guys have no strategy, just quit the game. We're all just standing around doing nothing!"
Ma Jeongwoo looked down at him and whispered.
"The man in front of you right now. He's the player who created every first clear guide for the second half of Land of Ruin: Last Game."
"......What?"
"The guy right in front of you is the strategy. Your breath stinks, so shut up and scram! One more word, and you'll be clacking dentures for life."
The lightning hair guy slunk back sheepishly.
He'd taken that level of abuse without retorting, clearly knowing he was outmatched.
Finishing my cigarette, I flicked the filter toward the orc lines.
The last puff of smoke billowed from my mouth.
All the sighs born here turned to smoke and flew away.
'......Silvia.'
I glared sharply at the Orc Fortress.
"Let's begin."
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