Chapter 136: Milk Road
Chapter 136: Milk Road
The members of the clan with the water drop mark, who had been leading the way, stopped a short distance from the village and began preparing for battle.
But Guwon, whose goal was to stand out, ran right past them and kept charging forward.
“Hey, wait! What are you doing?!”
He heard a flustered voice from behind, but Guwon simply ignored it.
In situations like this, impact is everything.
Dominating the field in the middle of a chaotic melee versus charging in alone and dominating the field. It was obvious which one would make a bigger impact.
As he drew closer to the orc horde, he noticed another difference between them and the orcs from the 1st Floor.
The orcs on the 1st Floor had no sense of order, even when their entire village swarmed out to fight. They just charged out randomly and fought without any discipline.
But these ones were marching in neat ranks and files, like a proper army. This alone was a testament to the incredible leadership of the Transcendent shaman.
And apparently, they could be further enhanced by its shamanistic spells. For 2nd Floor monsters, they were far too dangerous.
Even when he got close enough to see the expressions on the orcs' faces, their formation didn't break.
Do they think the front line is enough to stop me? Well, whatever. It doesn't matter to me.
Their perfect formation posed no problem for Guwon. After all, he had just learned an area-of-effect taunt skill.
Here I go!
Once he was close enough, Guwon set his Holy Ground Proclamation skill to its maximum range and activated it.
“Kureeeek!”
Chaos erupted within the ranks of the orderly marching orc army.
The orcs within a nine-meter radius of Guwon completely ignored their formation and began charging straight for him.
In the distance, the Transcendent, a head taller than the others and covered in tattoos, was squawking loudly, desperately trying to restore order. But the orcs within the range of Guwon's skill were completely beyond its control.
Wow, Holy Ground Proclamation is working a little too well. Maybe it's because orcs have such a strong sex drive to begin with that even this slight stimulation is enough to make them lose control.
As the orcs approached with madness in their eyes, Guwon activated Saint's Touch on his hands and feet and took his stance.
Keeping Holy Ground Proclamation active consumed a massive amount of essence, so he didn't have much time to fight. He had to take down as many orcs as possible in that window to make a strong impression.
Guwon weaved between them, his movements as light as a dance, and began to tap them one by one.
He didn't need to strike hard; he wasn't trying to deal damage. A mere brush of his touch was enough for Saint's Touch to work its magic.
Without fail, any orc touched by his hands or feet would shudder violently, spray a liquid from their nether regions, and collapse.
Normally, he would have recoiled in disgust from the spurting fluids, but he didn't have that luxury now. He used the time he would have spent dodging to touch even one more orc.
It’s disgusting, but it doesn't matter. Everything caked on my body will disappear once I harvest the magic stones anyway.
Tapping orc after orc as they swarmed him, Guwon pressed steadily forward.
His target was clear.
The Transcendent over there. Taking it out would significantly cripple the orcs' fighting strength.
Guwon fixed his gaze on the pig-like head sticking out above the wall of orcs and charged straight for it.
The Transcendent was surrounded by better-equipped orcs that looked like bodyguards, but as soon as they entered the range of his holy ground, they too lost their minds and charged at him.
The Transcendent, however, lived up to its name, showing some resistance to the effects of the holy ground.
So a Transcendent wouldn't lose its mind that easily, huh?
But what would happen if it got a taste of Saint's Touch?
“Kuwek! Kurek!”
No matter how much you scream, it's already too late for your underlings.
With a triumphant smirk, Guwon threw a punch.
“Kuweeeek!”
Whoa. It held on.
The moment Guwon's fist connected, the creature squeezed its thighs together, its legs trembling uncontrollably. The motion sent ripples through the layers of fat covering its body, creating a rather unsightly spectacle.
But it held on.
Its eyes were bloodshot and the strangely patterned loincloth it wore was now pitching a sizable tent, but it used its staff as a crutch and managed to stay standing.
You're the first one on the 2nd Floor to take a hit from my Saint's Touch and not collapse.
With a hint of admiration, Guwon delivered a rapid series of blows to its fatty abdomen.
“Kuwek! Kek! Kureuk!”
It was a mage-type monster, not a warrior-type.
Its defenses were bound to be weaker, so there was no way it could withstand such a one-sided beating without even being able to cast a spell.
Finally, the creature reached its climax. A blissful smile spread across its face as it fell backward with a thud.
It was the kind of face that made you feel like you should be tipping it.
“Kweeeeeeeek!”
And the entire area descended into chaos.
The orc formation, which had already begun to waver as Guwon approached the Transcendent, completely collapsed the moment it fell.
The orcs gave in completely to their battle instincts and began to charge forward blindly.
Yeah. Now that's more like it.
Guwon swatted away the new orcs entering his holy ground and checked his essence levels.
Maybe it's time to head back and recharge my essence.
It was a shame I'd only taken down one Transcendent, but if I got greedy and ended up hurt, I'd be in for an earful.
I'll head back for now.
Having made his decision, Guwon looked back.
…What a sight.
The path he had carved was now lined with a straight row of orcs, all collapsed in the throes of ecstasy.
Worse, their bodies were caked in the white fluids they had ejaculated as they fell, making for a truly disgusting scene.
This is not a pretty sight.
But this scene of fallen bodies was also a clear testament to my achievements.
He strode confidently back toward his party, trampling over the fallen bodies.
But when am I supposed to harvest the magic stones?
It felt like a waste to just leave them. I wasn't hurting for money, but waste is waste.
But with fighting still raging on all sides, he couldn't exactly stop to harvest magic stones, so he headed back for the time being.
Sara, Diana, and Leia were positioned a little to the rear of where the battle was taking place.
Sara was using her exceptional range to skillfully pick off orcs from afar, while Leia was busy healing adventurers who had retreated with injuries.
While the other two were busy, Diana simply stood with her arms crossed, observing the battle. Perhaps the orcs were out of her spell range.
Are you some kind of VIP?
Well, technically, I guess she is.
“I'm back. See, I…”
“Hm? Eek! D-don't come any closer!”
As Guwon approached, Diana shrieked, her face contorted in disgust.
“W-what?! What's wrong?”
“Stop! Stay right where you are!”
Diana shouted desperately and then quickly cast some kind of spell.
A large bubble of water formed at the tip of her staff and shot toward Guwon.
Only after seeing that did Guwon realize why Diana was so disgusted.
“Hey, you merciless witch! You—blublblub.”
Guwon's protest was cut short as the bubble of water enveloped his entire body.
The bubble churned violently around him for a moment, like the inside of a washing machine, before collapsing to the ground.
“That was too… glub.”
And it wasn't just once.
Diana summoned bubble after bubble, giving Guwon's entire body a thorough washing that lasted nearly ten minutes.
“…Are you satisfied now?” Guwon asked, completely exhausted after his ordeal.
This is more exhausting than the actual fight.
“Ah, yes. You look much better now. So, how on earth did you get into such a state in the first place?”
Diana, perhaps thinking she had gone a bit too far, avoided Guwon's eyes and changed the subject.
“That's what happens when you dive right into the middle of the horde. The Transcendent didn't even go down in one hit.”
“I see.”
As Guwon replied and stepped closer, Diana subtly flinched and took a step back.
“…Hey. You think there's still something on me after all that?”
“N-no, that is not it.”
“Then why did you just step back?”
“M-me? Of course not.”
Diana replied, waving her arms exaggeratedly, then hesitantly approached Guwon.
But Guwon just kept staring at her silently. She fidgeted nervously for a moment before her expression hardened with resolve. She squeezed her eyes shut and threw herself into his arms.
“There! H-how's this?”
“Hmph. I suppose this is acceptable.”
He desperately fought back a smile at her adorable antics.
“By the way, why did you come back so suddenly? Don't tell me you were hurt?”
“What?! Guwon-ssi, are you hurt?!”
Sara and Leia also stopped what they were doing and approached Guwon.
Don't tell me they were also waiting for me to get completely cleaned off before they came over?
Diana was still clinging to him, and the fact that Sara, who would normally show subtle signs of jealousy, was silent made it even more suspicious.
No. I shouldn't doubt my party members. It can't be. I can see Sara doing it, but not my dear angel Leia.
“No. I just ran out of mana and came back for a break.”
“I-I see. That's a relief. Really, don't scare us like that.”
Leia lightly patted Guwon's chest with her fingertips.
Guwon felt as if he were melting away at her touch.
Ah, Leia. How could I possibly get hurt when you worry about me so?
“So, how was it? You saw me fight, right? Wasn't it amazing?”
It hadn't been long, but I was sure I'd made a huge contribution. Enough that if they were to pick an MVP for this battle, it would undoubtedly be me.
“Yes. Even from here, I could clearly see their formation collapsing wherever you went,” Leia said with a broad smile.
If even Leia could see it from this far away, then my performance must have been seared into the minds of the other adventurers.
Alright, as soon as my essence is restored, I'll go back and completely shatter their ranks.
“Y-yes, I suppose so.”
But Sara's expression was hesitant.
“What's wrong? Was there a problem?”
“No. It's not that, but... it's nothing.”
Sara trailed off vaguely.
What's up with her?
“Hmph. It's done.”
Diana, who had been clinging to Guwon until then, pulled away and spoke.
“Huh? What is?”
“Your mana. Did you not say you were running low?”
Hearing her, I glanced at the corner of my vision and saw that my essence bar was already full.
“Whoa. There's a spell for that?”
“It's Mana Transfer. Any mage can do it.”
This means I can keep fighting without a break.
At this rate, I might actually become a legend.
The Orc Slayer of the 2nd Floor, appearing like a comet to face an army of hundreds all by himself. Something like that.
“Alright, time for round two!”
“Yes. Go and make a name for yourself,” Diana said, patting Guwon's back.
Guwon was about to charge off with vigor but paused.
Oh, right. There's something I need to ask first.
“By the way, what about the magic stones? It's not like I can stop to harvest them.”
“In situations like this, the unwritten rule is that once the battle is over, all participating adventurers harvest them as they please. There's no way to confirm who killed what, after all.”
I see. So it's basically finders keepers.
Okay, then I can just focus on the battle without worrying about the stones.
“Sara. Where are the other Transcendent species?”
“Huh? Uh... over there.”
Sara pointed hesitantly in one direction.
Alright. Over there it is.
I'll go take down that Transcendent, too.
“Ah! W-wait a moment.”
But Sara stopped him.
“What's wrong?”
She's been acting strange for a while now.
“N-no. Uh... I was just going to say, be careful.”
Sara said this without meeting Guwon's eyes, as if she were embarrassed.
What? That's all? She's so cute.
“Don't worry. I'll clean them up in a flash, just like last time.”
“Yes… ah, just like last time…”
Guwon flashed Sara a brilliant smile, then charged in the direction she had pointed.
“U-uhk!”
As Guwon approached, the adventurers fighting nearby flinched and backed away from him.
What's this? Are adventurers already afraid of me just getting close? I guess I did go on a pretty spectacular rampage against those orcs.
Don't worry, ladies. I'm only cruel to monsters. To fellow humans—especially beautiful ones like you—I'm a perfect gentleman.
Guwon offered the adventurers a reassuring smile.
Then, he immediately activated Holy Ground Proclamation.
There were other adventurers within the skill's range, but he planned to just pull the orcs' aggro, finish them off quickly, and leave, so they wouldn't be affected much. It wasn't powerful enough to induce pleasure in such a short amount of time, anyway.