The Six-Armed Orc Champion
It was an orc, but its build was closer to a troll's—massive, and bizarrely equipped with six arms.
Despite its brutish appearance, the thing charged with terrifying speed.
"Everyone except the newbie and Jeban, get up the hill."
"Y-yes, sir!"
I drew my sword again and barked the order at the mercenaries.
With that kind of momentum, the Silver-rank ones would get swept away in an instant.
Only Jeban or this new recruit would be of any real use.
While the mercenaries scrambled up the hillside to safety, I gripped my sword and charged straight at the orc champion.
Groooar!!
The beast held a weapon in each of its six hands. As I closed in, it bellowed and swung wildly.
...No way it could control all six of those freely, right?
Even humans tangle up their two arms sometimes.
No way an orc could handle six...
Bam!! Boom-boom!!
Fuck, it handled them just fine.
I dodged the rapid overhead strikes by leaping back.
"...You alright?"
"Gotta try."
"We'll..."
"Time your support. You know when."
I didn't say I didn't need the help.
Jeban and the newbie could turn the tide with a timely assist.
Hadn't I learned that sparring with Deron and Caiden?
Once you hit a certain level, numbers were king.
"Alright then. Let's do this."
The best outcome was me handling it solo, but I steeled myself and closed in again.
Groooaaar!!
The orc champion looked pleased that I'd backed off earlier. I dropped into stance, pouring Aura into my eyes.
Then.
The world slowed, and it felt like I'd stepped into another realm alone.
Shhh.
A red trace appeared between me and the orc champion—the Void family's secret Track, revealing the most efficient kill path.
I followed it exactly and triggered Fleet.
Kaboom!
My body lurched forward in an instant, propelled by the pre-set command.
My thrusting blade was dead on target for its throat.
Then.
Clang!!
A dull ring, and my sword bounced off.
"Tch."
Fleet dissolved amid the shock. I twisted midair and landed cleanly.
What the hell was that?
Felt like striking armor.
I'd clearly hit the throat...
I eyed the orc champion I'd grazed, brow furrowed in confusion.
Plink, plink.
Scales—like things—shed from its neck.
...What now?
Did becoming a champion harden its skin like that?
Never heard of orcs with scales.
Especially not ones perfectly guarding the vitals.
Groooar!
And they were nearly transparent until it attacked.
Anyway.
Realizing its life was threatened, the orc champion's eyes bulged red as it flailed its weapons at me.
"Damn..."
Thud-thud! Thunk! Boom! Burst!
Dodge, dodge, parry, block—then I took a hit.
"Gah!"
The club smashed into me, the shock stealing my breath.
Fuck, even dodging and blocking, it never ends.
And after five strikes, a sixth arm was already descending.
Flat on my back from the last blow, I debated my options.
Guard?
No, blocking that brute force wouldn't work.
Didn't I just parry once and end up like this?
I rolled sideways to evade—
Whoosh—
From the orc champion's flank, a figure leaped in.
"Hah!"
It was the newbie, wielding a slender, long spear.
Stab!
The spear plunged into the beast's first shoulder.
Grraaak!
Pain twisted its face; its eyes flicked sideways, away from me.
Kid, I knew I could count on you.
I sprang up in the opening.
Then.
"Salm!"
The newbie dropped the spear, drew his sword, and unleashed a flurry of elegant slashes on the orc champion.
Faster than when he'd swung the wooden sword at me.
Even to my eyes, the continuous strikes blurred.
Grroooar—!!
But the champion's hide was thick. Only shallow cuts—no deep wounds.
Still, it was enough.
While it focused on the newbie, I closed in and swung for its legs.
Better than those six arms—target the two legs.
I gathered Aura as I slashed.
Soon.
'Rush.'
Burst!!
Rush slammed perfectly into its shin.
Grrooohk!
The orc champion staggered.
"I'm here too."
Jeban joined, hefting a massive hammer.
"What's that?"
"Figured blades wouldn't stick, so I borrowed it."
Well, fair enough.
Even the newbie's thin katana barely scratched despite all day swinging.
A huge hammer to the knee would work better.
"Watch it, old man—you'll drop if it hits you."
"...Still active duty."
That champion's strength was insane from what I'd seen.
Could Jeban even tank a hit?
The newbie seemed nimble enough to manage.
And no holding back now—his movements surpassed normal, rivaling an Aura user.
Jeban fighting full-out would tire him out fast.
Anyway.
With Jeban—pseudo-Aura user—here, we had three superhumans.
Usable arms: six now.
I steadied my Aura and charged the distracted champion again.
Seemed I'd have to land the finisher.
I fixated on its neck, where scales had flaked off from my earlier hit.
Did more keep growing?
What was this, a lizard?
Definitely not a normal orc champion.
Still, decapitation kills anything.
I kicked off and leaped at it.
Groooaaar!!!
Spotting me, it thrust two right-side arms.
I twisted to dodge one.
Slash—
Severed fingers from the other as I landed.
Whoosh—
But hitting the ground, a left arm swung next.
No end to them.
Blocking seemed stupid, so I hurled myself aside—
"Hyah!"
Timing it with Jeban swinging his hammer from below, I leaped again.
Now, while those two held its attention.
'Fleet.'
Fleet once more.
In the slowed world.
I exploded upward with enhanced power.
Shot like an arrow to its back.
As I swung—
Shh-shh-shh!
Scales rising again on its neck.
...Auto-defense? Suspicious bastard.
Fine.
I'd seen it once.
I channeled Aura into my blade with Rush.
Then.
Boom!!
Grraaak—!!
Rush blasted the scales off its throat.
Still airborne.
Twirl.
I spun, regained balance.
And slashed the exposed neck.
Crunch!!
No footing—the blade sank only halfway.
Grrrglk...!!!
But that was enough to sever its windpipe.
Then.
Thud!!
I landed as the orc champion's massive body collapsed.
"Hoo..."
Got it?
The fallen beast twitched sporadically but wouldn't rise.
Shunk!
I yanked my sword from its half-severed neck.
Then.
"Newbie, hold position. Jeban, follow."
I left the newbie and beckoned Jeban.
"Pardon? Where to..."
"Where it came from."
No way this was natural.
Mutant with six freely wielded arms and auto-scales on vitals?
Heading straight into its cave.
"W-wait."
Jeban stopped me, gesturing up the hill.
"Bring lanterns!"
Right.
Jeban couldn't use Track.
Sun was setting; pitch black inside.
His signal brought the hilltop mercenaries down.
"Half of you follow."
Since they were here, half guarded the site; the rest entered the cave with me.
"Ugh."
"This..."
The stench hit immediately—vile, toxic beyond mere rot.
"Shine the lanterns close."
What caused this? We pushed deeper, lantern-bearer ahead.
No presences inside.
Probably the champion's solo lair.
We passed rotten animal carcasses—food stores—and filth that had to be its shit.
Then reached a massive well, the true source of the poison reek.
"This..."
"A well in a cave."
Not orc-made, obviously.
Who dug it?
"Light it up good."
A few mercenaries and I approached.
Soon.
"Wh-what is—"
"Gasp...!"
The first to peer in recoiled in horror.
I checked: corpses tangled haphazardly, crawling with maggots.
"Urk..."
"Bleeech..."
Even tough mercenaries retched.
Familiar with death though I was, my face twisted.
"Cain, sir, this is..."
"Pull back. We head to the city now."
Way beyond us.
External meddling, as suspected.
I glanced past the corpse-choked well, deeper into the cave.
The lantern caught faint stone carvings.
Well.
I could guess which faction.