The Hill of the Orcs
The guild members lay sprawled across the training ground floor.
“Aigoo.”
“Keheuk, I think I’m gonna die from the pain.”
After Jiyoung failed to block all of Earth Dragon Out of Water and passed out, I called them out one by one for sparring matches.
I figured I’d wait for her to regain consciousness and take the chance to sort out the ranks so no one would dare call me trash again.
“Guild Master, why even me…?”
Even Youngsoo hyung, who had collapsed beside the doll, let a hint of resentment slip.
The stage was already set. Wasn’t it perfect timing to evaluate the guild members’ levels after so long?
You truly are a mischievous one.
Why? What’s wrong with that?
I had offered them the same conditions I gave Jiyoung, yet every single one failed to push me back.
“Master, when exactly did you learn that Seon technique?”
“Sun Wukong taught me.”
“No, that’s… The Earth Dragon technique! The Constellation said it was extremely high difficulty!”
“I’m just that talented, you know?”
“Weren’t you supposed to seal your big techniques?”
“I only said I wouldn’t use Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts or the power of Polar Night.”
Heh heh.
If I had sealed Earth Dragon Out of Water too, it would’ve been a real struggle.
The guild members’ levels were climbing higher with each passing day.
Very good.
“Ugh…”
Jiyoung let out a low groan and slowly sat up. Carla, who had been beside her, helped support her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Carla.”
“When did you learn a technique like that? You didn’t even show me.”
“Hehehe, I wanted to show it to Master first.”
“Next time, spar with me.”
So that’s what this was about.
I’d wondered why she was being so attentive while helping her up. Her real goal was a duel.
Behind Carla’s eyes, fighting spirit flickered like flames.
“Sure. This is the first time you’ve looked at me with those eyes, Carla.”
“That technique. I want to face it.”
Carla, who only showed interest in getting stronger.
Because her abilities had an advantage over Jiyoung’s, she had rarely requested a spar on her own.
The fact that she was asking now meant she had been deeply shocked by the new application of Vibration Barrier.
“Want to talk for a bit?”
“Yes, Master.”
I called Jiyoung aside.
* * *
“…It’s supposed to be a private conversation. Why is Nyx here?”
Fufu. This one is of one mind and body with her contractor, so pay it no mind.
“One mind and body? That sounds a bit…”
“Hmph.”
A strange battle of nerves unfolded.
At Nyx’s scoff, Jiyoung made a frustrated face.
What kind of power struggle is this?
“Nyx will keep any secrets, so speak comfortably.”
“I know that, but still…”
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. What I’m about to talk about concerns your abilities.”
“Ah, no! If it’s you, Master, I can tell you anything!”
Jiyoung jumped in surprise and answered loudly.
Asking a player about their skill usage was normally a huge breach of etiquette.
But since she didn’t seem to mind much, I spoke freely.
“The technique you used to block Thorn’s Missile. Did you reverse causality?”
“Whoa, amazing.”
“Looks like I’m right.”
“I tried copying the way you use your divine protection.”
“My method of using divine protection?”
“Among the holy relics of Athena, the Constellation I serve, there is Aegis.”
“You fixed the barrier into shield form and granted it the properties of the relic. You imposed the result of ‘blocking.’”
Wow. A barrier that reverses causality.
It was a brilliant idea that overturned the weakness of Vibration Barrier—the user’s slow reaction speed.
“You also lowered the repulsive force by granting it the nature of a shield.”
“Wow, Master, did you already know about this kind of application?”
“I just inferred it after watching what you did.”
To be precise, it was possible because I had seen a lot of the future ‘Wall of Lamentation.’
High Ranker Lee Jiyoung could overlap her barriers up to forty-three layers at maximum.
Thanks to actively utilizing her Constellation’s divine protection, she had already obtained roughly half the power she would gain decades later.
Well, that was only in terms of firepower. In terms of application, comparing her to her future self would be embarrassing.
No. That wasn’t it.
The new possibility Jiyoung had discovered was a path even the High Ranker known as the Wall of Lamentation had never walked.
Just as I had devoured the fortunes I never obtained in my previous life and gained new strength, she had opened a path with her own power that the Wall of Lamentation had never trodden.
Really…
“Amazing.”
“Huh?”
“Jiyoung, you’re seriously incredible! How did you even think of that?”
“Ah, no, I just did what I learned…”
“I never taught you anything like that, right? This is all because you’re amazing!”
Praise poured out one after another.
With this new possibility, Jiyoung might even be able to aim for the position of ‘Monarch,’ the pinnacle of humanity.
It was such an incredible achievement that the thought crossed my mind.
“Hehehe, hearing you say that makes me embarrassed, Master.”
“You’re seriously the best. Elegant, artistic, transcendent…”
“Master, you’re going a bit too far now.”
Indeed. Even I find it unsightly.
“Ahem.”
I calmed my excitement.
A person can get a little carried away sometimes!
“Thank you for trusting me and telling me everything.”
“You’re my Master, after all.”
Jiyoung answered cheerfully.
As expected. They say master and disciple grow to resemble each other.
“Resemble what?”
The smile Jiyoung made during the spar was an exact copy of yours.
“Oh my, really? I shouldn’t be learning Master’s ugly habits.”
Give up. The bad influence has already seeped in.
“Hiiing.”
Hey. What exactly are you two saying about me?
“This won’t do. You’re getting special training.”
“Wait, Master! You were just praising me!”
“There’s nothing better than sparring to get used to a new ability.”
“That’s not true! I’m totally fine!”
Jiyoung screamed as she was dragged away.
As I returned to the training ground, I swallowed a laugh.
The new horizon she had shown me gave me strength as well.
* * *
After returning to Korea, I rested deeply for an entire day.
The fatigue melted away like snow.
“From now on, I’ll focus solely on climbing the Tower.”
Trash. You should put in a little more effort.
“Wow, even the Goddess is calling me that?”
Fufufu. Are you not still a pathetic weakling who hasn’t even reached Platinum?
“Cotton candy privileges revoked for three days.”
What! I barely got to taste any while we were in America!
“Then you should have behaved yourself.”
Leaving the trembling Nyx behind, I accessed the Tower of Babel.
Tower of Babel - Floor 46
The King of the Hill
On the tallest mountain in the world sits a throne of ice.
Only up to five people can become the King of the Hill. Cooperate with or eliminate your competitors to claim the throne.
Objective: Survive for 1 hour on the highest hill.
Floor 46 was a competitive content.
The rule was simple: endure for one hour on the hill to win.
Despite the straightforward rules, it was a mission that required intense psychological warfare and reading between the lines among the participants.
The Constellations will intervene in the mission according to their contracts.
The details of the King of the Hill have been altered.
Competitors have been replaced with races from the Croc dimension.
The mission objective has changed to defeating the King of the Hill.
Defend the hill against the onslaught of players from the Croc dimension.
The great Constellations who had been watching me seemed displeased with the psychological warfare, so they intervened in the mission as we had agreed beforehand.
The Croc dimension.
My opponents were those damn orc bastards.
“Are they conscious of my previous promotion match?”
The first alien race humanity had ever encountered.
The top players from every country had boldly challenged the promotion match, only to drink the bitter cup of defeat.
The Croc dimension.
The name ‘orc’ was synonymous with the frustration it had brought to humanity.
Are orcs truly that strong?
“They’re weaker than those snake bastards.”
The nagas—snake humans who worshipped the creator god Brahma.
The ones I had played tug-of-war with in the last mission were more troublesome than orcs.
Then they are no match for you.
“Thanks to the boundless grace of the Constellations, I get to take the easy route.”
I looked up at the sky and muttered.
The Evil of the Heavens anticipates your struggle.
The Monkey King of Mount Huaguo cheers for the orcs and sends you jeers.
The Heavenly God eagerly awaits your despair.
The Master of the Oasis looks upon you with fury.
…
There were countless Constellations hoping for my downfall.
I could only imagine how the B-rank and lower Constellations who hadn’t sent messages felt.
But what could they do?
There would be no tale of a hero’s frustration like they wanted.
A massive ice throne sat atop the hill.
It was the symbol of the ‘King of the Hill,’ the core of this mission.
I casually sat on the throne, crossed one leg, and prepared for battle.
Some time passed.
Green-skinned humanoids in heavy armor began appearing one by one on the hill.
Bald heads that reflected sunlight.
Pig-like noses and striking green skin—these were the orcs.
“The balance is completely broken. They’re all close-range fighters.”
It seems they are all accustomed to close-quarters combat.
“They say magic is a warrior’s shame, so they rarely use it. Though they do use shamanism sometimes.”
An orc shaman would be annoying even for me.
Good thing there weren’t any.
“Kurrk. It is the opponent the great Constellations spoke of.”
“Kurruk. Do not underestimate him just because he looks weak.”
Well, well.
They were making a huge racket, hyping each other up.
The hill was a prominent location.
The area around the ice throne was completely open with no cover, so my position was visible at a glance.
Conversely, that also meant I could clearly read the orcs’ movements.
“I declare this. I will not leave this throne.”
“Kurrk! Let us cut off that arrogant bastard’s head and offer it to the great God of War!”
The orcs surrounding the hill charged all at once.
Front, back, left, right.
It was a perfect encirclement that blocked every path.
Which was exactly why.
“It makes them easy targets.”
Solar Explosion has been used.
Blessing of Greed has been used.
Three blazing orbs rose into the sky.
Explosive spheres held in place by the Blessing of Greed.
I shall pray for the souls of these foolish ones.
Using Nyx’s pitying voice as the signal, I released all the energy of the Solar Explosions at once.
Kwaaaaaang!
Thick smoke billowed into the sky.
The heat generated by the Solar Explosions melted all the snow piled on the hill.
A sudden flood of water.
Everything near the epicenter of the explosion melted, creating thick steam.
“Kurruk!”
“Kurrk, how cowardly!”
“Kurrurru. Using sorcery!”
Sigh. They really think they’re some kind of pure martial artists.
The same words I had heard to death while slaughtering the Guryongbang players came flying out again.
The orcs who had been a little farther from the center of the Solar Explosions were relatively unharmed.
They had reinforced their armor and skin with internal mana and somehow endured.
Tap. Tap.
I lightly tapped the ground with my right foot.
Earth Attribute Seon Magic - Earth Dragon Out of Water has been used.
A massive earth dragon spun around me in circles, blocking the orcs’ approach.
“Do you think you can ignore this one too?”
Solar Explosion and Earth Dragon Out of Water.
If they could break through this onslaught and reach me, I would acknowledge their right to trade fists with me.
It wouldn’t be easy, though.