Orc Assault
The faint presence I had sensed gradually grew stronger. I became certain it was getting closer.
"Squad Leader."
"Understood. Let's go ahead."
Garan spoke from behind. Though I had only called him briefly, Garan had read my intent from my voice. As soon as permission was granted, I released the Heavenly Fate I had gathered in both legs beforehand.
Boom! It was the sound of kicking the ground with explosively bursting leg strength.
"Damn!? You scared me!"
The startled voices of the seniors faded away. I accelerated alone, surging ahead of the others.
Clang! Before long, the metallic sound rang in my ears.
'Sounds.' The sounds of battle.
I poured more strength into my legs and sped up. Gripping the sword hilt at my waist, I assessed the situation ahead.
The continuous ringing sounds were fierce. It meant the situation was dire.
I ran, preparing to immediately intervene in the battle and annihilate the enemies.
"Urgh, aaaah!"
"Khk!?"
As the screams and groans became clear, I reached the battlefield.
I took in the unfolding scene. Soldiers and uniforms stained with blood. And the monsters that those bloodied soldiers were desperately fighting against.
The moment I saw their burly builds that easily surpassed the soldiers' physiques and their green skin, my legs that had been dashing forward almost faltered. It was the appearance of monsters I hadn't expected at all.
"O, krag?"
My confusion and hesitation lasted only a moment. There was no time to complicate my mind with such thoughts. I spotted Lee Sunho desperately blocking an orc's axe swing with his sword.
'As fast as possible.'
Three orcs in sight. I thought only of closing the distance as quickly as possible. And how to attack the orc facing Lee Sunho.
My legs, reinforced with Heavenly Fate, accelerated further. I had already drawn my sword. I assumed a stance while charging forward.
"Get back!"
"Hup!?"
At my shout that threatened to tear my throat, the soldiers and orcs' gazes instantly focused on me. Lee Sunho met my eyes.
"You...!?"
His eyes widened as if he recognized me immediately. Then, seeing my figure charging fiercely, his expression hardened.
Swoosh! I barely dodged the orc's attack that exhaled rough breaths and escaped its range. It was clear it had read my intent. Passing by Lee Sunho as if switching places, I charged at the orc.
I dove into the embrace of its burly, massive frame. I gave it no chance to retrieve the axe it had swung at Lee Sunho. A perfect surprise attack targeting the opening after its strike.
My sword, accelerated by speed, pierced the orc's side.
Screech! Whether from pain or rage at me, the orc exhaled through its nose and swung its axe at me. The axe blade descended, cleaving the air.
I immediately withdrew the sword that had pierced its abdomen. Twisting my heels, I lowered my stance by half a step and dodged to the side. The heavy axe blade barely grazed past my side.
Screeeee! I looked up and met the orc's face. The burly monster's eyes were bloodshot red.
The axe that had grazed my side now came horizontally at my flank.
'This...'
I can't dodge. Once inside the attack's range, evasion was impossible. The only option left was defense.
I swung my sword toward the axe rushing at my side.
Kiiing! Metal collided, producing a deafening roar. The orc's axe forced its way through, pushing against my blocked sword blade. Due to the immense strength in its burly arms, incomparable to a human's.
As if defense meant nothing, my body was pushed sideways by the terrifying force against the axe blade.
"Khk...!"
I gritted my teeth and tried desperately to hold on, but I couldn't stop being pushed back, to the point where the ground was being carved. 'Even with Hoshin-ganggi...!'
Along with the blocked sword, the impact's tremor transmitted fully to the hand gripping it. I felt the power of the orc's attack throughout my body. Even though I had reinforced my body's strength and durability through Hoshin-ganggi, it wasn't enough to close the physical gap with the orc. Without Hoshin-ganggi, my body might already have been split in two, upper and lower halves tumbling on the ground.
But it was still okay. As long as I was only pushed back without being sent flying. Just enduring had meaning.
Lee Sunho, who had already withdrawn as if switching, was now diving into the orc's embrace from the opposite side.
"Hup!"
With a powerful kiai as Lee Sunho exhaled, he swung his sword. The blade embedded into the forearm of the orc that had swung its axe at me.
Screech! A scream filled with pain. Strength drained from the monster's thick forearm. The moment the power in the axe blade died instantly, I regained my posture that had been collapsing while being pushed.
I knocked away the axe blade that had been fiercely pushing into my side and once again dove into the orc's embrace. I thrust my sword into the orc's abdomen a second time. Though it didn't penetrate as deeply as the first attack, which had been amplified by speed, I concentrated Heavenly Fate into both arms to compensate for the lacking power.
I didn't possess swordsmanship deep enough to cut through the orc's thick, tough skin and flesh. Therefore, I used the power reinforced by Heavenly Fate to forcibly slash through them. It was a slash meant to cut the opponent, but it was also a crude strike close to beating them down.
'Not yet.'
Piercing the abdomen alone wasn't enough for a fatal blow to end the orc's life. I twisted both hands gripping the hilt at a right angle. The penetrating blade rotated, churning the insides of the abdomen.
"Hup!"
Taking a deep breath and gathering strength, I simultaneously slashed horizontally across the orc's abdomen. Just as the orcs swung their axes with the power of their burly forearms, I poured out all the strength of my arms reinforced by Heavenly Fate.
Screeeeech! Finally, the orc thrashed in pain, gushing blood from its abdomen. It rampaged, swinging its axe randomly as if it had lost its senses.
"Hold on!"
I nearly got sent flying from being caught in that rampage, but Lee Sunho immediately helped by linking up. He closed the distance while dodging the randomly swung axe that screamed as it was brandished. Soon reaching right beside me, he leaped. Stepping on my blade that had been embedded and slashed in the orc's abdomen, he leaped once more.
Lee Sunho, having soared higher than the orc's viewpoint with its massive frame, swung his sword. A clean single slash was drawn across the orc's neck, and blood spurted. Lee Sunho had severed the orc's neck.
"Khk..."
Lee Sunho couldn't land properly. I let go of the sword I was holding. I immediately caught him as he staggered and was about to fall.
"Idiot. A soldier who drops his weapon..."
"I'll pick it up right away."
Supporting Lee Sunho who was scolding me, with my other hand I pulled the sword from the abdomen of the orc that had died from having its neck cut. I immediately checked the other side's situation.
What Lee Sunho and I had handled was only one out of three. I saw other soldiers engaged with the remaining two orcs. On one side, a single soldier was in a fierce close-quarters battle with an orc.
'That must be the squad leader.'
Being able to fight an orc evenly alone wasn't an easy feat even among soldiers. He was probably the squad leader in charge of this 2nd Subjugation Unit.
On the other side, many injured soldiers were at a disadvantage against one orc. If supporting, it would be that side.
I glanced at Lee Sunho I was supporting and asked.
"Are you alright?"
"...Don't worry. Go quickly."
His voice was full of fatigue, but it wasn't a near-fatal injury. He should be fine for now.
I nodded slightly and replied.
"Understood."
Carefully laying Lee Sunho down, I immediately went to support the soldiers on the other side. I ran through the blood-scented bushes toward the second orc.
"I'll help."
I judged that the injured soldiers couldn't block that downward-swinging axe.
"Huh?"
With a startled voice, I slipped between the soldiers. Clang! I directly blocked the second orc's swung axe head-on.
Crack! The sword that couldn't withstand the orc's axe head-on broke. It had been a precarious blade ever since blocking the first orc's attack that Lee Sunho and I had cooperated to defeat. With my weapon lost, it became impossible to deal critical damage to the orc.
'In that case...'
I discarded the broken sword. In an empty-handed state, I dove into the orc's embrace. Before the orc could attack, I grabbed the axe's blade and handle.
Hiss? It exhaled a puzzled breath as if it couldn't understand my action. The orc tried to retrieve the axe to shake me off, but I held onto the axe and endured. If it were an ordinary human, my torso gripping the axe would have been sent flying. My body, reinforced by Hoshin-ganggi, endured. Of course, I couldn't win a strength contest against the orc. But if I could endure even for a brief moment, that was enough.
"Thanks!"
A hoarse, tired voice conveyed gratitude. Taking advantage of the gap while I held and sealed the orc's axe, multiple soldiers swung their weapons at the orc. The orc screamed as the soldiers' coordinated attacks tore its tough green skin and cut its flesh multiple times. As its arm was cut, strength left the hand gripping the axe. I immediately seized the axe taken from the orc and struck down at its body.
Screech! Blood and flesh splattered from the orc's thrashing torso in pain. The axe blade, imbued with force, tore flesh and shattered bone. The orc, whose arms, abdomen, thighs, and legs were crushed by the axe in various places, staggered, unable to support its body. The moment the fallen orc's eye level matched mine, I struck the orc's face with the axe.
After dealing with the second orc as well, I turned my gaze toward the third orc, which should be the last.
"......"
The third orc was sprawled on the ground, having lost its life. The man who had ended the monster's life was looking at me. He asked.
"Who are you?"
"I am..."
As I opened my mouth to answer the question of the man who was probably the squad leader of the subjugation unit, I couldn't continue.
"Are you safe!?"
All eyes turned to Garan and the search unit seniors who had arrived late. Garan immediately surveyed the surroundings, confirmed the three orc corpses, me, and the subjugation unit soldiers, then let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. Arriving just in time. You all worked hard."
"Yes."
I immediately supported the lying Lee Sunho and spoke to Garan.
"We need to take him to Seoyoon right away. Everyone's injuries are severe."
"Hmm. It seems we must..."
Garan also checked Lee Sunho and the other soldiers' conditions and was about to agree when someone interrupted Garan's words.
"Why is a guy like you here?"
The man who was the squad leader of the 2nd Subjugation Unit was glaring at Garan with a hostile gaze.