Orc Subjugation Battle (4)
The fierce battle against the other orc that Garan and the five soldiers faced continued without pause. Garan stood at the forefront, deflecting the orc’s spear. The soldiers supported him from both flanks, thrusting with their own spears and firing mana rifles.
Bang! The sharp crack of a mana rifle echoed through the forest. Garan had authorized their use only after confirming no other orcs or magical beasts lurked nearby. It was a grueling fight that required every man to pool their strength just to hold the line, a meticulous dance of coordination and raw tenacity that slowly tipped the scales in their favor.
I charged straight into the heart of that melee. The orc had faltered after unleashing a barrage of attacks, and I slipped into its guard.
“Huh?”
The coordinating soldiers froze for a split second, faces twisting in surprise at my perfectly timed intrusion. I slashed the arm gripping the orc’s spear. I couldn’t sever the thick forearm completely, but blood sprayed wildly and the limb clearly began to lose power.
“Now!”
Garan never missed an opening I created. At his sharp command, the soldiers shook off their shock and moved with practiced speed. Each man struck with everything he had.
The orc staggered, then crumpled, unable to withstand the relentless onslaught.
When the fight ended, the soldiers—still panting—stared at me with stunned expressions.
“Wow…”
They had finally noticed the orc corpse sprawled behind me.
“You really killed that thing by yourself?”
“…A rookie?”
Their eyes brimmed with awe at the simple fact that I had taken down an orc alone.
“Even most squad leaders couldn’t manage that…”
“Maybe the old squad leader Baren could?”
“At least I know I couldn’t.”
The soldiers gaped when Garan answered their whispered conversation.
Garan, who had been wearing a wry smile as if it were all a joke, turned to me.
“You worked hard. Any injuries?”
“None.”
I nodded calmly. In truth, my body felt almost no fatigue. Instead, a deep sense of accomplishment and exhilaration surged through me at having slain an orc single-handedly with so little struggle.
I won’t die as helplessly as I did before.
I recalled the moment the minotaur had crushed my skull beneath its hoof. Back then I had lost consciousness before I could even register my own death. The final moments Seo Hayun later described to me had been utterly miserable and powerless.
What if it were now?
If I faced that minotaur again, could I win?
Not yet.
I had only just taken my first steps. I needed to grow stronger—far stronger than this, and stronger still in the days to come. Only then could I survive.
“Jungwoo? Are you truly all right?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
Garan asked again, probably because I had been lost in thought too long.
“If anything feels wrong, tell me at once. I’d rather not be scolded by the priestess lady.”
“…That would never happen.”
I dismissed Garan’s joke. Who would dare scold him? And Seo Hayun of all people? It seemed impossible.
Yet Garan gave a soft chuckle.
“True. Still, it makes me uneasy. I’m simply afraid of earning her disapproval.”
“…I’ll be careful.”
“Haha. Good. After all, your health is the health of our entire reconnaissance unit.”
I couldn’t tell whether Garan’s laughing words were serious or playful.
“In any case, let’s assess the situation. What do you make of this?”
I followed Garan’s gaze to the two orc corpses lying amid the underbrush. The soldiers muttered among themselves.
“I noticed it the moment we saw them…”
“They’re… wearing armor?”
It was exactly so. What covered parts of the orcs’ bodies was no mere beast hide. The crude stitching and awkwardly attached metal plates clearly formed actual armor.
Garan promptly pulled the spears and axes from the corpses’ grips and examined them. The blades were dull from lack of maintenance.
“These are different from the weapons the orcs we met earlier carried.”
I agreed with his observation.
“Yes. The previous ones had stolen their weapons from dead humans. But these…”
“…look manufactured.”
Garan voiced a possibility no one wanted to consider. Low-grade magical beasts did not do such things, but from the mid-grades onward, some creatures were occasionally seen wielding weapons. It was as if they had learned to fight like humans.
The destructive power of those weapons, backed by overwhelming physical strength, usually far surpassed anything a human could produce. During the nightmare of the Beltar Plain two years ago, more than a few mid-grade beasts had fought that way.
If these creatures had grasped the concept of weapons and begun crafting them? If the quality of those arms continued to improve and grow more sophisticated? The mere thought was horrifying.
“For now, we’ll return with the corpses. Excellent work, everyone. We owe today’s great results to all of you.”
Only after Garan’s order to withdraw did the soldiers release long sighs of relief. The tension that had gripped them finally eased.
“But… carrying these back won’t be easy.”
No one had been injured, yet a new problem remained: how to transport corpses twice the size of a grown man. This was nothing like hauling hounds or goblins.
“Three men per corpse. What else can we do?”
“What if we’re attacked while carrying them?”
If all six men were burdened with the bodies, they would be helpless against a sudden ambush.
“I’ll carry one.”
“What?”
I ignored the bewildered stares, grabbed one orc corpse, and lifted it. I secured one arm and one leg, then draped the massive body across both shoulders like a grotesque cloak.
“Holy shit.”
“He’s actually carrying it?”
The soldiers’ dumbfounded murmurs followed me.
“No wonder he killed one alone… With strength like that…”
“Squad leader, please let’s return quickly. This thing…”
I couldn’t help but grimace at the unbearable stench rolling off the orc.
“The smell is overpowering.”
“Right. We move at once. You three carry the remaining corpse. The rest of us will stay alert for any threats while we walk.”
The rustle of leaves announced their return. The soldiers standing guard all turned at once. Yet none of them had expected the sight that greeted them.
Han Jungwoo walked at the front, an orc corpse at least twice a man’s height balanced across his shoulders as easily as if it were a boulder. With one arm and one leg clamped firmly in his grip, each step sent the gigantic body swaying heavily.
“W-what the hell…”
“He’s insane. Carrying that alone…?”
The soldiers knew nothing of Jungwoo’s secret. Only Arisha, who had taught him magic, understood the existence of Hoshin-ganggi—a defensive technique powered by his unique Heavenly Fate rather than mana.
To their eyes, it looked like nothing more than ordinary body reinforcement, the same mana circulation they all used. That was why the scene before them shattered every ounce of common sense they possessed. A ripple of astonished murmurs spread instantly. Their faces mixed shock with something close to reverence.
Jungwoo continued walking with a deeply displeased expression.
“J-Jungwoo?!”
A startled cry rang out. The guards hastily parted. Seo Hayun, given priority, rushed toward him.
“A-are you hurt?! Oh gods, there’s blood everywhere…!”
She immediately scanned his blood-soaked armor and clothes, her face turning deathly pale. As she reached out to check him, Jungwoo stopped and spoke.
“…Don’t come closer.”
“Huh? Why… why not?”
She looked genuinely hurt by his sudden rejection.
“It stinks. Stay back for now.”
“Ah.”
Only then did she notice the foul odor and let out a small sigh.
“I’m not injured, so don’t worry. I’ll set this down and come right back.”
“O-okay… I understand.”
Seo Hayun exhaled in relief, patting her chest as if to calm her racing heart.
“Don’t worry too much. Jungwoo is perfectly fine.”
The comforting voice belonged to Garan, who had followed behind him.
“Y-yes…”
Only then did Seo Hayun regain her composure, her cheeks flushing red.
Arisha, too, stood speechless at the sight.
“Is this… something a human can actually do?”
Her question had not been directed at anyone, yet Garan answered anyway.
“It appears so. Though it does not seem like something just anyone could manage.”
Arisha stared at Han Jungwoo with wide eyes. Despite his deep frown—clearly desperate to escape the horrific stench—he showed no sign of strain while carrying the enormous corpse.
“……”
She felt as if she had encountered a being beyond all common sense. A man who was human, yet somehow different from the rest of them. A man who inspired not fear, but a strange, electrifying thrill.
The common sense she had built her life upon, the tactical manuals she had studied—none of it could explain this wonder. Whether watching him learn magic, witnessing him fight, or seeing him return with an orc corpse slung over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing, Jungwoo’s image kept shattering and reforming inside her mind.