The Appearance of a C-Rank Monster
After opening and closing her mouth several times, the woman finally snapped out of it and slammed her forehead into the ground toward me.
"Th-thank you! I-I'm alive b-because of you!"
"...You okay?"
"S-sir! Y-yes!"
She must've thought she was done for against that orc.
The woman was sobbing her heart out, her pronunciation all mangled from the tears.
She wiped her eyes with her bloodied, scraped-up hands, sniffling as she looked up.
I turned my gaze from her to the orc's lower half still lying there.
This was an F-rank gate.
A C-rank monster like an orc had no business showing up here.
But it had.
I stroked my chin and asked her,
"Anyway, an orc, huh... Where'd you run into it?"
"I-I don't know. I just kept walking through the forest... and then there was this noise all of a sudden."
"And?"
"I-I got curious, so I went to check... and there were a bunch of orcs standing there."
A bunch of orcs?
My eyes went wide at her words.
Just recalling it made her tremble as she continued,
"So I turned and ran right away... but there was one orc in the direction I was fleeing. And then..."
"You ended up here."
She nodded silently.
She'd run for her life, but as an F-rank hunter, she couldn't shake it off and nearly died—until I saved her.
That was the gist of it.
"Hm."
I stroked my chin again, glancing in the direction she'd fled from.
Orcs, huh...
Suddenly, I was curious.
Orcs were C-rank monsters.
Way stronger than goblins, supposedly.
"Can't even the orcs withstand the power of the Black Dragon?"
Was it weaker than I thought?
If C-rank monsters were this easy, maybe I didn't have to worry about synchronization rate after all.
Even the poster child of C-ranks, the orc, had burst in one hit.
At this rate, I might become a C-rank hunter without the rate budging.
I need to run some tests.
I cracked my neck lightly and glanced at the woman.
"Need a hand getting back?"
"H-huh? Oh, n-no!"
"Then head back on your own. I gotta go check on those orcs."
If even C-rank monsters didn't raise the synchronization rate, that'd be a real problem.
It'd mean I couldn't satisfy the 'Black Dragon.'
So I had to confirm it.
Leaving the frozen woman behind, I headed in the direction she'd come from.
"Th-there was a really huge orc there too, I think..."
I didn't hear her belated mutter.
The orc had left a clear trail chasing the woman.
Made it easy to track them down.
Keeping the skill active as I advanced, I glanced to the side.
"...Can you hear me?"
[The Lord of the Distorted Underworld asks what you're talking about.]
Holy shit.
It really could hear me.
Did that mean it heard what I said at home yesterday too?
[The Lord of the Distorted Underworld says yes, it heard.]
Oh.
I pressed my lips into a thin line.
No, why the hell are you listening?
I thought we were done talking.
Cold sweat poured down my forehead.
[The Lord of the Distorted Underworld snorts at your frightened look.]
Fine.
If I could talk to the 'Black Dragon', maybe it'd be okay to ask.
I swallowed dryly, clenched my fist tight, and asked the 'Black Dragon,'
"...If the synchronization rate goes up, you won't take over my body, right?"
[The Lord of the Distorted Underworld says think whatever you want.]
Tsk.
As expected, no straight answer.
I clicked my tongue softly, took a steadying breath, and looked at the 'Black Dragon.'
...Maybe it's not so bad?
Was it because I'd been overwhelmed when we first met in the Tutorial Tower?
After this brief chat, it seemed more friendly toward me than I'd thought.
Shaking off stray thoughts, I followed the fading trail.
The trail's gone.
Meant I'd run into orcs around here.
I patted the ground and scanned the surroundings.
[The Lord of the Distorted Underworld says something's to the right.]
"..."
To the right, huh.
I already knew.
Something ominous was emanating from the right.
I stood and headed that way.
A towering cliff marked the gate's end, with a rocky mountain there.
I stopped and stared at the massive green giant in the distance.
It held a stone hammer, wore a necklace of bones around its neck.
"Not your average orc."
Its eyes, its aura—nothing 'average' about it.
Compared to the others around it.
Huge tusks, twice the size of a normal orc.
Unlike the bald ones, it had a single long black braid.
Everything set it apart.
It set down its body-sized hammer and let out a low growl.
"Kuuu..."
Thud, thud.
Orcs from all around gathered at the sound.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Why's there an Orc Lord here."
Orc Lord.
Monarch of orcs, wielder of earth's power through mana.
Unlike regular C-rank orcs.
"A B-rank monster..."
Rated B-rank.
And now, its yellow eyes fixed on me.
I tensed, clenching my fists.
"Ha, damn it."
Shouldn't have come.
Should've just left the gate and reported the orcs.
Curiosity kills the cat, huh.
I steadied my breath, eyeing the Orc Lord.
It stood calmly, hammer down, breathing steady.
No excuses would work—its yellow eyes locked solely on me.
B-rank monster.
An F-rank hunter fresh from the tower couldn't even scratch it.
Running was impossible.
So, fight.
Tense.
Of course.
But.
"...Why am I not tense?"
Not tense at all.
B-rank monster.
One that a hundred F-ranks couldn't beat.
Impossible for me, one day out of the Tutorial Tower.
But it didn't feel that way.
Because of the guardian I met in the tower?
Anyway, no room for complacency, even if it didn't feel threatening.
B-rank title wasn't given lightly.
Outnumbered, obviously disadvantaged—but I felt like I could handle it.
I exhaled steadily, stepped forward, and scanned around.
Orcs with stone axes and hammers.
And the Orc Lord staring from the back.
"Come on."
I'll send you all to the Distorted Underworld.
I muttered, drew a deep breath, and grinned.
That was the signal.
"Kwaaa!"
"Chiiik!"
"Chiiik!"
The surrounding orcs charged me all at once.
From every direction.
I wasn't standing still either.
I exhaled sharply and kicked off the ground.
Black Dragon - Smoke
Whoosh—boom!
Mist billowed as my fist shot forward.
One punch compressed the air, slicing the earth.
I pulled back my extended fist and thrust my right hand left.
"Grk!?"
Through the flying dust, an axe hurled by an orc came flying.
I extended my right hand, blocked it effortlessly, grabbed the stone axe, and hurled it back.
"Returning your gift."
Whirr—thwack!
The axe spun back at blinding speed, smashing into its owner's head.
I didn't even confirm the orc crumpling in a spray of blood—eyes forward, I kicked off and leaped back.
"Hoo."
Boom!
The hammer smashed where I'd stood moments ago.
Close call.
A second slower, and I'd be paste.
Definitely doable.
I could've died if I'd slipped up.
Yet all I felt was that it was manageable.
Right after dodging, I smashed my fist into the hammer's handle.
Crack—the handle shattered.
The now-weaponless orc went down with a light punch, fertilizer for the earth.
I picked up the hammer head and hurled it skyward.
It floated briefly before plummeting under its weight.
The moment it entered my view,
I loosened my grip just right and punched forward.
My fist hit the hammer's side.
It couldn't withstand the force and exploded into fragments.
But that's what I aimed for.
Pffft-boom!
Shrapnel sprayed like shotgun blasts.
The nearby orcs became meat shields, shredded beyond recognition.
Frontline orcs cleared—no need to worry about them.
Red mush from the hammer shards.
Tough orcs didn't slow, but the corpse-strewn ground would bog them down.
I twisted left and slammed my fist into the earth.
"Kweh?"
Rumble.
Earthquake-like tremor.
When I lifted my hand, a chunk of ground was in my grip.
If it works once, use it again.
I smirked crookedly and tossed the rock into the air.
Once more, fist met rock at eye level.
The exploding shards.
"Ku—."
Mowed down the flanking orcs.
The ground soaked red in seconds.
I turned casually atop it.
"..."
The orcs halted.
Terror and fear in their yellow eyes—the gap in overwhelming power.
Horror at the incomprehensible, unfathomable being.
Even dumb orcs knew charging meant instant death.
Finally, they understood.
Who the 'prey' was in this situation.
"Ku, kuaaa!"
One orc dropped its weapon and turned to flee.
Just one.
Out of dozens left.
But fear spreads.
Starting with that one, every orc here fled in panic.
I eyed the Orc Lord, still standing firm amid the scattering orcs.
"..."
Silent even as shards swept his kin away.
Still silent, he snatched the head of a fleeing orc beside him.
"Kook."
"Kr, krk..."
Snap, crack.
Crunching from the gripped orc's skull.
Veins bulged on the Orc Lord's log-thick arm.
Soon, the orc's head burst, body slumping limp.
"Kuk."
Thud.
He casually tossed the meat lump at the fleeing orcs.
Instantly, all movement froze—like a spell.
One act quelled the chaos.
The Orc Lord slung his hammer over his shoulder and roared with his massive maw.
"Grooooaaarrr!"
Screee—!
My ears screamed in pain from the roar.
I winced at the ringing, stepping back as I stared at the Orc Lord.
"Kuuu..."
Yellow killing intent poured from its eyes.
It's coming.
"Finally moving."
Then.
"First strike wins."
Strike first, win.
Grinning, I kicked off hard and charged the Orc Lord.