Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Pursuit of the Orc Chieftain
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“Hah, I thought he was amazing, but to think the Captain's valor is this outstanding...”
Before they knew it, the word "Captain" was rolling off Capone's tongue with effortless familiarity. Memories flooded back of the entire Red Wolf Mercenary Corps being subdued by So Gun-ak alone. But taking on a pack of Luke Riders was incomparable to that.
The mages, too, stood dumbfounded, gazing in reverence at So Gun-ak's divine prowess. Charlie, the leader of the fifty-odd mages, was especially awestruck.
The Lights Magic Tower specialized more in artifact crafting than elemental magic research. They had gathered here for the freedom to pursue their studies.
Among them, however, Charlie was a peculiar case—a battle mage with a decade of wandering battlefields under his belt.
It wasn't common, but there were occasionally mages who roamed the world as mercenaries.
Charlie's reputation among them was considerable, and after settling at the Lights Magic Tower, he had led the mages in annual defenses against orc assaults.
When it came to offensive spells against large groups, no mage surpassed him, and his wealth of combat experience made him a natural commander.
Even in Charlie's eyes, seasoned by countless battles during his mercenary days, So Gun-ak's figure seemed like a god incarnate.
While drifting through the Empire, he had once witnessed hundreds of armored knights charging as one. The sight of them shattering thousands of infantry lines and cleaving formations in twain was truly spectacular.
That had been the most thrilling moment etched in Charlie's heart. But not anymore. The spectacle of that day paled in comparison to the miracle So Gun-ak was performing now.
'Who the hell is that guy?'
Charlie's curiosity about the man called So Gun-ak intensified. He didn't know what deal the Tower Master had struck, but this red-haired man from the East—bearing the unfamiliar name So Gun-ak—had arrived with full authority for the defense, intent on annihilating the orcs through offense rather than hunkering down behind the walls.
A man who charged fearlessly into a hundred Luke Riders, masters of the wasteland, on horseback. A man who demonstrated skill beyond mere courage right before their eyes.
Watching So Gun-ak, Charlie's eyes gleamed. And with that, he was certain of victory in this battle.
Seruk!
So Gun-ak's longsword grazed an orc's neck. Then, with a backhand grip, he thrust his shortsword into the throat of the Luke it rode. Before the beast collapsed, he leaped onto another Luke's back and repeated the motion.
Macaron was performing beyond expectations, but his attacks lacked punch compared to his toughness, yielding little more than visual chaos. His flailing head swung like a mace, intimidating the orcs but barely scratching the thick, armor-like hide of the Lukes.
Killing the Lukes fell solely to So Gun-ak. Once the charge halted, the riders were easy prey if you minded their horned headbutts.
Conserving his internal energy as much as possible, So Gun-ak coated his shortsword with sword aura and punched holes in the Lukes' necks.
Ku-kung.
If they had just one more day, Horant could have turned the fallen Lukes into zombie Lukes—but regrettably, that wasn't possible now.
Du-du-du-du-du.
"Krraaah!"
With fewer than twenty Luke Riders left, the orc infantry charged en masse.
The Lukes had pushed right up to the city walls before engaging, leaving some distance between the infantry and the battlefield. There was still a little time before the orcs could intervene.
So Gun-ak swung his sword faster. His intense movements had nearly depleted his internal energy.
Ku-kung!
The last Luke crashed to the ground. It was time to withdraw. By now, the orc infantry was almost upon them.
"Mu-yeong!"
Hiiiing.
So Gun-ak mounted Mu-yeong as it rushed to his side and galloped toward the city. The orc infantry howled in rage, pursuing him.
"Kurrr! Catch that bastard no matter what!"
Toruto, the orc chieftain, bellowed. Mounted on a Luke half again the size of the norm, he stood out even among the orc warriors.
A dozen elite Luke Riders surrounded Toruto—commanders equivalent to human generals, the upper echelon of orc champions.
"Brothers! Chase him down!"
The orc champions led their subordinate infantry in pursuit of So Gun-ak.
"Heh, not so fast."
Horant manipulated his zombie Lukes, linked by mana. Even as Lukes, zombies were zombies—headless, they couldn't move. After the clash with a hundred riders, only twenty remained.
Many had their skulls smashed in the initial exchange. The surviving twenty zombie Lukes charged to stall the orc infantry.
"Krrraaara!"
Aboard one was the Dullahan Macaron, clutching his head and spinning it wildly as he roared.
Even if Macaron died, Horant could resurrect him. A bit of effort was nothing to save his master's life.
Horant used the zombie Lukes and Macaron to buy So Gun-ak as much time as possible to escape.
Kwajik!
The twenty zombie Lukes slammed into the vanguard of Toruto's orc infantry.
"Krraaah!"
"Vile humans!"
The orc infantry descended into chaos in an instant. Orc warriors were gored by zombie Luke horns or kicked to death by their hooves in droves.
By then, So Gun-ak and Horant had retreated into the city, and thick fog began to blanket the area.
The mysterious mist threw the orcs into brief confusion. Then they all turned to Chieftain Toruto.
Toruto let reason prevail over rage. He knew everything hinged on his commands.
"Save our soulless comrades first!"
At his order, the orcs began systematically dispatching the zombie Lukes.
With a hundred Luke Riders wiped out in moments by that enigmatic black knight, it was too risky to plunge into the fog—he might have traps waiting.
Du-du-du-du.
By the time they'd cleared the zombies, a cavalry unit of about a hundred burst from the fog. The orcs wavered at their sudden appearance, but Toruto commanded calmly.
"Smash them!"
Orc spearmen thrust forward eagerly. But the cavalry didn't charge. Unarmored and facing waiting infantry, a reckless assault was suicide.
Bolt, leading the unit, veered right, positioning the orc infantry to their left. As the orcs blinked in confusion, the cavalry halted, fully blocking the orcs' right flank.
Every rider held a bow.
"Fire!"
Tu-du-du-du-du.
A hundred arrows arced into the sky at the command.
"Kurruk! Chase them down!"
With their left flank crumbling, Toruto hurriedly ordered a pursuit. But as the cavalry galloped off, they couldn't keep pace. He regretted the Luke Riders' annihilation anew.
Du-du-du.
"We've got company here too!"
Now from the opposite side emerged another cavalry unit of equal size, led by none other than Jake.
"Fire!"
Tu-tu-tu-tung.
Jake's cavalry wheeled around the orc left flank, unleashing another hundred arrows.
"You bastards!"
Toruto panicked at the sudden cavalry flanks but dismissed retreat—mere two hundred riders posed no threat. Yet the city's fog instilled an eerie tension, halting a blind advance.
Who knew what else lurked? With unknown human forces in play, charging ahead was folly.
He had no choice but to pull back and reform ranks. Even among hot-blooded orcs who knew only charges as tactics, Toruto was remarkably composed. That composure had elevated him to chieftain.
Orc tribes held an annual rite to elect a Great Chieftain over all clans. Those rejecting it had to leave the wasteland.
Orcs bred quickly, swelling numbers fast. No need to hunt down defectors—they were free to leave if they refused loyalty.
But Great Chieftain Kurka was different.
Nearly every tribe bowed to him, gathering all wasteland orcs into a grand host.
Some orc shamans prophesied Kurka would end tribal society, claim the throne as Orc King, and forge a mighty kingdom.
Yet uniting fiercely independent orc clans under one banner was arduous.
Disgruntled tribes might rebel, challengers could arise in next year's election.
To counter this, Kurka redirected their volatile strength outward. The notion of breaking free from the wasteland forever ignited orc fervor.
Warriors drafted from each tribe numbered nearly four thousand.
Kurka dispatched shrewd Toruto as vanguard to seize the Lights Magic Tower—a ripe target with no fear of reprisal armies.
So he thought. Easy prey, nothing more.
But the moment battle was joined, Toruto realized this would be no simple task.
"Retreat!"
Toruto ordered the pullback. He wasn't some wasteland exile loser. He came under Great Chieftain Kurka's decree to conquer Reitz City.
No need to stake everything on this fight.
Even in a prolonged siege, other tribes would supply food.
As the orcs retreated at his command, another hundred cavalry appeared. Crudely armored at the horses' vitals, but armored nonetheless.
"Uahaha! Finally, my grand debut!"
Leading the third cavalry was Red Wolf's deputy leader, Capone. He itched to let the orcs taste his massive axe. Having witnessed So Gun-ak's awe-inspiring might firsthand, his blood boiled.
Beside him rode So Gun-ak, who had recovered some internal energy through breath control.
"Capone, don't overdo it. A hundred lives hang on your command."
Capone nodded gravely at So Gun-ak's words.
"Of course."
So Gun-ak nodded back at Capone. Reading trust in those eyes, Capone surged with courage. Mu-yeong, bearing So Gun-ak, surged ahead.
The prior cavalry had harried the orc flanks with arrows, but these weren't trained horse archers—the shots lacked power.
No major damage expected from archery.
Sure enough, only one in ten hit vitals.
But it disrupted formations splendidly, creating gaps.
The third cavalry exploited them, charging.
With orcs retreating, no archer counterfire to fear.
At the vanguard rode So Gun-ak.
'Gotta take that one down.'
So Gun-ak instantly grasped the orc command structure.
All orders came from the orc atop the massive Luke. Killing Chieftain Toruto would shatter their chain, devolving them into mindless charges—their default tactic.
Then, lure them into the fog array, where hidden archers and mages would unleash hell.
Even if fog deterred pursuit, So Gun-ak's cavalry could regroup in the mist and sortie anew.
It would take time, but whittling them down was feasible. First, dismantle their command.
Toruto proved sharper than average orcs, leaving two hundred to block even in retreat.
"Kurruk."
Chaeng! Puk!
So Gun-ak tried skirting the two hundred orc wall leftward, but they lunged with spears. Yet before mounted lances, orcs died like flies.
So Gun-ak shook them off effortlessly.
The orcs' pursuit of him first disorganized their lines, blunting Capone's cavalry charge.
Glancing back, So Gun-ak saw Capone's riders massacring the two hundred near annihilation.
He caught up to the orc army's rear.
"Kurruk, kuhk!"
Chwaak!
Slinging his lance on the saddle, he drew his greatsword, cleaving charging orcs apart. Killing these grunts meant little.
Still, he stayed alert, no room for carelessness.
Even for So Gun-ak, encirclement by hundreds spelled danger under barrage. Trust Mu-yeong's speed, close on the orc general, kill him, then retreat—that was key.
Capone's trailing cavalry secured his escape.
As So Gun-ak closed relentlessly, Toruto grew uneasy. Layers of infantry hemmed him, but retreat left gaps aplenty.
So Gun-ak exploited them masterfully, drawing nearer. His proud orc soldiers stood like fools, parting for him.
"Kruk! Stop him!"
At Toruto's shout, two flanking orc champions wheeled their Lukes. Only battle-tested reversal warriors earned "champion."
"Kurruk."
Dismounted, they matched human knights, channeling honed battle spirit into weapons.
Different method, but power akin to first-rate experts' sword aura.
Shuwaaak.
An orc champion's greatsword arced down on So Gun-ak.
Kakang!
So Gun-ak parried with his greatsword, but the force was immense.
"Kuhk."
His hand buzzed as if blocking a peak master's strike.