Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: A Serious Conversation
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Lee Si-woo, who had been aiming for the Gray Fox, was forced to change his mind.
He was worried the Gray Fox might flee, but Lime, his chosen prey, was being pushed back too hard by the orc.
“Eat this!”
[1st Circle Elemental Magic: Razor Wind]
The airflow from Lime's feathers gathered at the steel pauldrons fitted on her shoulder blades.
The further enhanced Razor Wind became a gale, shooting toward the orc.
Seeing its power boosted by about 1.2 times, it was clear the steel pauldrons were also magical treasures, though not as good as Baba's crystal ball.
“I am rock. I may break, but I will not retreat.”
[1st Stage Body Hardening Technique, Elemental Type: Rock Stance]
As the orc let out a low cry and crossed his arms in an X to guard, his green skin turned gray.
Was it because of his massive frame, over two meters tall?
Before his body, transformed into a giant rock, the gale born from the Razor Wind looked utterly pathetic.
The gale scratched at him, but the orc, having suffered no significant damage beyond a few scrapes, roared and slammed his fist into the floor.
*CRASH!*
The orc, who had shattered the steel floor in a single blow, pulled a rebar from the debris.
The veins pulsing incessantly between his powerful muscles looked like the engine of a sports car.
The orc took a javelin-throwing stance with the rebar and hurled it at Lime in the sky.
*SWOOOSH!*
Lime easily dodged the fiercely flying rebar with her graceful flight, but an opening was inevitably created.
[1st Stage Body Hardening Technique, Elemental Type: Wind Step]
A streak of green wind shot across the space, and like a nimble cat, he kicked off the warehouse wall and soared into the sky.
Sensing the movement, Lime let out a sharp cry and tried to evade the orc, but it was useless.
The orc's huge palm, approaching like a butterfly net, grabbed Lime by the base of her wing and slammed her to the ground.
*SPLAT.*
The moment she was slammed into the floor, Lime tried to flap her wings again.
But the orc's fist, descending like a guillotine, smashed into Lime's abdomen.
The orc stared at the rippling mana shield with a grim look, clenched both fists, and took a mounted position.
*BAM! BAM!*
The mana shield rippled ceaselessly under the indiscriminate barrage.
Feeling a sense of crisis as her mana rapidly depleted, Lime shouted in a desperate voice.
“Kugh, Gray Fox! What are you doing! Support! Hurry up and support me!”
Despite her urgent request, the Gray Fox remained motionless, like a statue. He didn't even rally the surviving mercenaries for covering fire.
It was a puzzling attitude.
Normally, if the situation was bad, one would either flee or help their allies, but he had been a mere bystander from start to finish.
In a situation where Lime seemed destined to lose her life helplessly, a silver shadow that had already positioned itself behind the orc launched a perfectly timed surprise attack.
*CRASH!*
A heavy hammer slammed into the orc's side with a rough impact sound.
Caught off guard by the unexpected blow, the orc turned around with a low growl.
Lee Si-woo spoke, flaunting a silver sheen.
“I have nothing against you… but since you're the gatekeeper guarding the Hommage, it seems I have no choice but to overcome you.”
The orc replied in a furious voice, radiating killing intent.
“I'll kill you, you rat.”
The orc, now truly enraged, turned his hostility toward Lee Si-woo, leaving behind the Lime he had been pummeling.
Lee Si-woo gripped the heavy hammer tightly with both hands and spoke to Lime, who was groaning on the floor.
“Lime, if you help me, I'll give you twenty percent of the proceeds from selling the Hommage. Of course, you can run if you're scared. I might struggle, but in the end, I'll be the one who wins.”
With a tingling sensation, his Danger Sense activated, and Lee Si-woo spun to the side.
As the orc's log-like leg sliced through the air where he had just been, Lee Si-woo struck the orc's knee with his hammer.
The blow, combining Lee Si-woo's strength—which surpassed that of a beastman—and the hammer's weight, made the orc let out a faint groan for the first time.
Lee Si-woo's hammer was more painful than any magic.
“I am rock. I may break, but I will not retreat.”
[1st Stage Body Hardening Technique, Elemental Type: Rock Stance]
Deciding things couldn't go on like this, the orc activated his Rock Stance to increase his defense.
Lee Si-woo channeled a tenth of his mana into the hammer and swung down.
*THWACK!*
The orc's gray-skinned forearm easily blocked the hammer, then he grabbed the hammer's head and pulled.
Mineralization or not, Lee Si-woo was helplessly dragged forward by the orc's ridiculously immense strength.
The orc grabbed Lee Si-woo's face with one hand and slammed the back of his head into the floor.
*CRASH!*
Even as he was smashed into the warehouse floor, shattering it to pieces, Lee Si-woo fired a rapid succession of Magic Arrows with his index finger.
The orc snorted harshly and blocked the Magic Arrows aiming for his eyes with his left palm.
“Lee Si-woo! Don't forget! Twenty percent of the proceeds are mine!”
A sharp wind mercilessly struck the nape of the orc's neck.
His Rock Stance hadn't been broken, so he didn't take much damage, but the orc, now unable to focus solely on Lee Si-woo, showed an opening.
‘Now!’
Lee Si-woo focused all his mana into his feet and delivered a dropkick to the orc's chest.
The impact pushed the orc back, and Lee Si-woo used the recoil to fly backward, creating distance. He planted his hammer in the floor and extended both hands forward.
*Rat-a-tat-tat!*
Like a machine gun, over ten Magic Arrows pelted the orc's face and chest.
No matter how weak Magic Arrow was, taking this many hits was bound to have an effect.
And that wasn't all.
From above, Lime's Razor Winds flew relentlessly, leaving continuous cuts on the orc's back.
The orc, who had been enduring the Magic Arrows while bright red blood streamed down his back, suddenly let out a deafening roar.
*KWOOOOAR—!*
A tremendous shout, powerful enough to stir up the dust in the warehouse.
It was the orc's 3-star Talent, Howling—a double-edged sword that enhanced physical abilities by 1.5 times for 30 seconds, followed by a 1.5 times weakening for one minute.
Lime cried out in surprise.
“H-Howling!”
Before Lime's frantic reaction could even finish, the orc appeared right in front of Lee Si-woo.
His Danger Sense sent a strong signal, but it was useless.
Before he could even dodge, the orc's massive forearm was already upon his shoulder.
“My fist is flame. All it touches shall turn to ash.”
[1st Stage Body Hardening Technique, Elemental Type: Fire Fist]
A fist of blazing fire struck Lee Si-woo's abdomen in an uppercut.
Struck by an uppercut that could knock out a boxing champion in a single blow, Lee Si-woo's body bent into an L-shape.
“Kugh…”
Twenty percent of his mana vanished in a single hit.
It was such a powerful blow that even though the mana shield absorbed the full impact, he could still feel the recoil and heat passing through it.
But Lee Si-woo didn't panic. He knew this wasn't the end of the attack.
‘Stay calm. And twist your body as much as possible. You have to deflect as much of the attack as you can. Trust in Danger Sense.’
Lee Si-woo strained to twist his body.
One hit.
A fist aimed at his side landed on his open palms.
Two hits.
A knee aimed at his solar plexus struck his quickly raised X-guard.
Three hits, four hits, five hits.
A storm of consecutive attacks.
Lee Si-woo, borrowing the power of his Danger Sense, blocked them with godlike skill, taking minimal damage.
Amidst the breathtaking exchange, Lee Si-woo's eyes never lost their sharpness. Instead, it was the orc who grew flustered.
He hadn't expected this frail human to defend against his attacks so effectively.
Furthermore, Lime wasn't just standing by.
Realizing the orc wasn't paying her any mind, she had decided to prepare an ultimate attack.
*WHOOOOSH.*
Currents of wind danced violently around Lime's wings.
Razor Winds, greatly enhanced by the magical steel pauldrons, formed one by one around Lime.
One, three, five.
As a total of five Razor Winds gathered, the resulting whirlwind of sharp blades let out a tearing sound.
*KWOOOO.*
Sensing the presence of the whirlwind, Lee Si-woo's eyes flashed open.
Feeling the orc's ragged breaths, like those of a marathon runner, Lee Si-woo's lips curled into a smile.
As exhausted as he was, the orc was just as tired.
Moreover, unlike him, who had jumped in midway, hadn't the orc been fighting without a moment's rest?
It was time for his stamina, and his mana, to hit rock bottom.
The moment Lee Si-woo had been waiting for had come.
Even amidst the suffocating barrage, Lee Si-woo swung the heavy hammer he had never let go of in an upward arc.
*BAM!*
The head of the hammer, which had struck the orc's jaw, trembled slightly.
A satisfying impact.
The orc's body staggered.
“Ha!”
With a short cry, Lee Si-woo swung the hammer with the satisfying force of a cleanup hitter.
The orc, struck hard in the abdomen by the hammer, vomited stomach acid and staggered backward.
Looking at his deeply bruised abdomen, it seemed his defense had plummeted due to his depleted mana and the penalty from Howling.
“Die!”
At Lime's furious cry, the exhausted orc lifted his head.
Seeing the whirlwind formed from the clustered Razor Winds flying toward him, the orc grinned.
Suddenly, he remembered that day.
The day he said goodbye to his only friend, Aman.
-Ulmer, a demon named Jin has taken my daughter hostage. I think… I have to go to him.
-I'll go with you.
-No, I'm enough to walk into the jaws of death. Instead… I'm entrusting this lair to you, Ulmer. Will you protect this place until I return?
-Of course.
Just before leaving, Aman turned back and said.
-I've been meaning to ask… Ulmer. Why did you become friends with a guy like me?
-Because my heart told me to.
-Heh heh, what a strange fellow. Hey, just in case, if I don't come back within a year, you go on your own way. If I'm not back by then… it'll mean I'm already dead.
But even after a year passed, even after ten years, Ulmer did not leave the lair.
It was only natural.
Aman promised he would return, and he promised he would wait.
So Aman would return, and he would wait until he did.
Yes, that was all.
And then, the whirlwind engulfed Ulmer.
*KRRRRR.*
His mighty left forearm and log-like right leg were severed helplessly, and his ears and nose were torn away.
Despite losing an arm and a leg, Ulmer somehow remained standing, glaring at Lee Si-woo with piercing eyes.
An unyielding spirit, even in the face of death.
It was befitting a member of the orc race, which had founded the only single-species nation on the continent, the Empire.
‘This one… it's probably going to be difficult, isn't it?’
Lee Si-woo, who secretly coveted Ulmer, gave a bitter smile.
He would have preferred to prey on this orc rather than Lime, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't picture this being groveling for his life.
Still, there was nothing to lose, so he brought it up.
“Would you believe me if I told you I have a way to save you? So, if you wish…”
Ulmer grinned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
And before Lee Si-woo could finish, he raised the middle finger of his remaining hand.
“Fuck off.”
“…Yes. Well, I figured as much.”
That was the end.
With his middle finger raised and eyes wide open, Ulmer breathed his last.
Lee Si-woo stared at Ulmer for a moment before turning away with a faint sigh.
It was a shame and a pity, but he didn't dwell on it.
There were always things in the world you couldn't have, no matter how much you desired them.
“You haven't forgotten what you said earlier, have you? About giving me twenty percent of the proceeds?”
Lime asked, gliding through the warehouse sky as she sized up Lee Si-woo from every angle.
At her gaze, like a hawk eyeing its prey, Lee Si-woo let out a dry laugh.
Seeing her test the waters, knowing they were both exhausted, it seemed they were both thinking along the same lines.
“I'm a man of my word. Once I say something, I keep my promise, no matter what.”
A promise that would make those whose graves were pits shudder.
But Lime, who knew nothing about Lee Si-woo, could only tilt her head, uncertain.
“Hmm…”
Just then, the Gray Fox, who had been silent, spoke up.
“Lady Lime, do you believe such a lie? It's obvious he'll stab you in the back the first chance he gets.”
Lime scoffed.
“Like you?”
Lee Si-woo nonchalantly tapped his stiff shoulder with his fist, like an old woman in the afternoon, and said.
“Ms. Lime, I hope your IQ isn't so low that you can't decide who to trust between the trash who just ran his mouth and watched, and me, who risked my life to save you.”
The Gray Fox, incensed, shouted.
“What bullshit! Risked your life to save her?! You only helped because you couldn't handle the orc on your own!”
Lee Si-woo looked up at Lime with a playful smile.
“Do you think so too, Ms. Lime? Think carefully. Who wore down the orc, and who endured the duration of his Howling? Really… do you think I couldn't have killed the orc even if you hadn't finished him off?”
“…No, you would have killed him on your own. If anything, I was the one who lent a hand.”
“Exactly. As I guaranteed, taking down the orc was a struggle, but it was never an impossible challenge for me. Now, you decide. Me, who hasn't uttered a single lie from beginning to end. Or the fox, who watched from the sidelines, waiting for a chance to stab you in the back. Which one will you trust?”
Lime answered with her actions instead of words. With a flap of her wings, she landed beside Lee Si-woo.
“You're right. It's a hundred times better to trust you… than that fucking fox.”
Lee Si-woo smirked at the Gray Fox.
“See? Good things happen when you live a good life, like me.”
But even as he let out a triumphant laugh, Lee Si-woo didn't let his guard down around the Gray Fox.
In his mind, that man was far more dangerous than the two clueless mages.
Because he reeked of a kindred spirit.
Yes, the stench of a vicious con man.
The Gray Fox spoke in a gloomy tone.
“You're right. I… should have lived a good life, too.”
He looked defeated, his spirit broken.
But in contrast to his demeanor, the Gray Fox's hand moved swiftly.
Golden letters shone brightly on the surface of a black bead that appeared at his fingertips.
The corners of the Gray Fox's mouth split wide, revealing his canines.
“From now on.”
Lee Si-woo's reaction was swift.
He grabbed Lime by the base of her wing and shoved her in front of him.
“Eek?”
While Lime was too stunned to react properly, a tremendous storm of heat erupted from the magical tool that had fallen to the ground.
A wave of fire engulfed Lime and Lee Si-woo.
One second.
Lime's mana shield failed to hold and shattered.
Two seconds.
Just as all of Lime's feathers were about to burn away and her life turn to ash, Lee Si-woo shielded her with his body and then threw the near-dead Lime backward with all his might.
Three seconds.
The moment the half-dead Lime broke through the wave of fire and escaped backward, Lee Si-woo's mana shield was also completely destroyed.
Five seconds.
In the spot where the deadly flames had passed.
Not even a single bone fragment of Lee Si-woo remained where the warehouse floor and walls had melted.
Unable to contain his elation, the Gray Fox burst into laughter.
“Of course! How could mere 1st Circle mages withstand a 3rd Circle flame artifact that cost me three billion points? Fools! You should have known! It's not the strong who survive, but the survivors who are strong!”
In truth, Baba, Lime, and the Gray Fox—none of them had any intention of splitting the Hommage.
Though their methods and plans differed, each harbored a secret plot to take the treasure for themselves.
And that was the nature of the Main Dimension.
Just then, a gentle voice echoed in the Gray Fox's ear.
“I think so, too. Yes. The survivor is the strong one. Though, unfortunately, I don't think that applies to you.”
The Gray Fox's eyes widened as he saw Lee Si-woo suddenly appear in the spot where the artifact's flames had swept through.
His face was one of utter devastation, like a poker player who went all-in with a straight only to be met with a four-of-a-kind.
Lee Si-woo, who had successfully escaped the artifact's flames by connecting to Barathrum, put the Barathrum he was holding back into his pocket.
Then he shot forward like an arrow and, like a wolf biting a fox's neck, seized the Gray Fox's leg.
*CRUNCH.*
“Kuaaargh—!”
The Gray Fox collapsed, clutching his leg, which had snapped like a twig in Lee Si-woo's grip.
Lee Si-woo looked down at the fox at his feet and smiled brightly.
It was the same gentle smile as always, one that naturally drew people's favor.
“Now, let's have a serious conversation. Nice and slow.”