Chapter 37
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: This Body, Debut
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‘Danger!’
Instructor Song blocked Kim Cheol-min’s attack with her tomahawk axe.
The head of her tomahawk axe had a small hole drilled into it, allowing skilled users to block incoming strikes like this by catching the opponent’s blade in the gap.
Or, they could twist after hooking the weapon to disarm or snap it outright.
Instructor Song first blocked Kim Cheol-min’s attack, then twisted the axe to shatter his prosthetic sword.
It was flawless counterplay. The problem was that the rebounding blade had grazed her thigh in the process.
“Huh?”
The instant the sword nicked her, Song Hye-rin felt all strength drain from her body, her legs buckling as if she’d collapse any second. Her vision blurred as the tension left her eyes, her eyelids growing unbearably heavy.
‘In-hyeok…… run……’
Song Hye-rin lost consciousness as she watched Cha In-hyeok charging toward her.
* * *
“Instructor Song!”
I rushed over and caught her the moment her eyes fluttered shut. In that split second, Kim Cheol-min tried swinging his half-broken sword again.
“You fucking bastard!”
I couldn’t hold back my rage and hurled a dart straight at his chest. No restraint whatsoever, fueled by the sight of Instructor Song wounded.
The dart streaked through the air and buried itself in Kim Cheol-min’s heart.
“Huh?”
He let out a deflating wheeze, glanced down at his chest, and toppled forward. Dead.
My first kill. But there was no time to wrestle with guilt. Instructor Song’s condition had been off since earlier.
“Instructor Song! Come on, stay with me!”
Her thigh had turned an ugly shade of blue. Poison.
“Damn it, this is all because of me…….”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
No time for self-recrimination. Orcs were swarming us now.
A few had broken off to chase my party down the passage—thank god—but that was just a fraction. The rest came straight for us.
I considered scooping up Song Hye-rin and bolting, but the orcs were cunning, spreading out to encircle us wide.
It bought us a moment to react, but our escape route was cut off. Fighting was our only option now.
“Rest up for a bit.”
I gently laid Song Hye-rin down and snatched up the tomahawk she’d dropped.
“Phew. At least there don’t seem to be any shamans.”
The dungeon was still fresh under my control, so only basic orcs around. That meant we had a shot.
Dungeon orcs were weaker than their otherworld counterparts. At worst, on par with a berserk otherworld hobgoblin.
‘Two, four, six…… twenty-six of them…….’
The numbers were a worry, but picking them off one by one? Doable.
“Drua…… nah. I’ll handle this today.”
I bellowed at the top of my lungs and charged the orcs. Had to draw every eye. It was the only way to keep her safe.
* * *
‘These fuckers are tough.’
Even in a dungeon, orcs boasted that tenacious vitality—put a rich man in rags, and he’ll last three years.
Luring them in just enough to skirt capture had me surrounded in no time.
Playing it safe and kiting would’ve avoided the encirclement, but if they spotted Instructor Song? Disaster.
A little risk was the price to protect her. No other way.
“Damn it. Come on! Bring it, you pigs!”
Point-blank range—no room for throws. The orcs, down to twenty-three, surged from all sides. I met them with dual axes.
“Krooo!!”
Dodging a frontal strike, I slammed my axe into one’s knee. It went down squealing like a stuck pig.
The blade sank so deep it wouldn’t budge. More attacks rained in as I wrestled it free.
No choice—I dropped the axe and rolled forward to evade. Luckily, the massive orc’s fall blocked one whole flank.
I hugged its corpse like a shield, spinning around it to fend off the rest.
“Squeee!”
Every dodge sent missed blows thudding into the dead orc, more pig squeals echoing.
Own-goal panic hit them—they scrambled to retrieve their axes.
But those blades were lodged deep, just like mine had been. Stuck fast.
I timed it perfectly: stomped one’s instep, then crushed its skull with two overhead strikes as it buckled in pain.
Two more down in a flash. A crisp chime rang out.
[Level Up!]
[Upgrade Complete!]
[You have reached Rank 2.]
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 11. (1.1%)] [Mana 3/12]
[Strength 32, Agility 32, Vitality 33, Intelligence 28]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 10]
Mana up by 2, ten stat points awarded. I was just about to tweak my Status Window when the orcs charged again.
“Hold up—time out!”
As if orcs gave a damn.
“Hey! You know attacking during transformation is against the rules, right?”
They swarmed without mercy, leaving no openings.
“Ah, stop it!!”
* * *
Kwa-boom!
The orcs tangled in a frenzy, kicking up clouds of dust. Their devastating blows had churned the earth. As the dust settled, they peered around.
“Kroong?”
They tilted heads at the cratered ground. No human in sight. Had they pulped him? Or fled?
“Sniff sniff!”
Noses like drug hounds were all they trusted. They sniffed for the human scent.
“Koong?”
One nameless orc caught a whiff—right behind him.
Fresh human meat, savory and close. He whipped around. Nothing. Sniff again—same damn smell from behind.
Three, four spins later, the surrounding orcs bellowed at him. Then, an incomprehensible voice from his back.
“Wahhh. I’m a baby orc.”
“Ku?”
Finally, it hit him: something clung to his back. That annoying human, no doubt.
“Krooo!”
Rage boiled over. He leaped high, planning to slam down and squash flat.
“Tch! Not buying it.”
That weird tongue again. Mid-air, his body twisted half a rotation. Human on top, him below—instant swap.
Impossible. A puny human manhandling him? So effortlessly!
But the human sprang off him into the air. Recoil slammed the nameless orc face-first into the dirt.
Kwa-bam!
With the boom, the soaring human roared.
“Berserk!”
The nameless orc remembered nothing after. Human landed and cleaved his skull with an axe.
* * *
“Phew. Behold—this body takes the stage!”
Unknown power surged through me. Vision tunneled, breaths ragged.
Adrenaline pumping nonstop, like that one movie psycho—my whole body thrummed with it.
Couldn’t stand still. I blasted forward. Remaining orcs? Didn’t matter. Kill ’em all.
The more left, the better. I was starving for blood.
“Wooo! Feeling absolutely PEAK! Hahaha!”
Uncharacteristic guffaws as I smashed anything in my path.
Hocks flying, pig heads piling like mountains. Slaughterhouse symphony of squeals.
“Haa. Haa. Haa.”
Berserk faded; battle long over. Dozens of orc chunks littered the ground before me. Over twenty, easy.
“Urk! Blech!”
Nausea hit hard. Berserk packed a punch, but the crash was brutal.
[Berserk (E-Grade): Boosts Strength and Agility by 50%. Vitality drops 50%, Intelligence to 0. Aftereffects linger post-duration.]
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 11. (23.7%)] [Mana 1/12]
[Strength 21(-50%), Agility 16(-50%), Vitality 16(-50%), Intelligence 28]
Aftereffects meant sustained stat penalties. Every stat but Intelligence halved.
Duration unknown, but hefty drawback.
I trudged toward Instructor Song, then—a chill down my spine.
Whoooosh—
Instinct hurled me forward. A massive battle axe whizzed horizontally overhead, shredding everything in its path before boomeranging back.
Thuds as mighty trees toppled like rotten straw bales. Standing still? I’d be bisected like a clown glitch.
“Kekeke!”
Catching the axe: a hulking orc warrior over three meters tall.
Crimson skin scarred head to toe. Horned helm, crude armor.
Appearance and gear? Irrelevant. That axe—two meters of nightmare, trailing eerie winds.
“Moonlit Crescent Slash?”
Nah. Magic weapon. Wind-element enchantment, judging by form and flight. Explains the absurd range and carnage.
“Damn. Right when Berserk wears off.”
Stats tanked hard. Couldn’t handle a basic orc now.
A 2.5-star orc warrior with a magic weapon? Suicide.
Silver lining: Berserk off meant I dodged. It strips fear, forces forward charge—would’ve eaten that attack.
‘Might’ve been worse head-on.’
Cold comfort. Crisis far from over.
The orc warrior sauntered over, axe slung casually on his shoulder. Primed to hurl anytime.
Bought time with Illusion. Rank gap throbbed in my skull. Didn’t stop.
‘While he’s distracted, grab Instructor Song…….’
Eyes spun as I tried. Bile surged.
Facedown, squeezed eyes shut, puked my guts out. Slight relief.
Opened them—ground soaked red. Palms, forearms, lips wiped on sleeve: all crimson.
“Urk!”
Relief short-lived; vision swam again. Berserk crash worse than thought. Forcing Illusion didn’t help.
“Grrr.”
Warrior loomed. He glared, axe raised high. About to cleave.
Death filled my mind. First real brush with it since awakening. Agony flared in my left hand.
Don’t wanna die.
Racked my brain, willed every ounce of strength. Nothing. Body wrecked, foe overwhelming.
Shiiiing—
Axe sliced air.
Eyes clenched shut. That massive blade would split me like dry kindling. No need to watch the horror.
Waiting for death, a grating voice whispered in my ear.
-Who said you could die whenever you please?