Chapter 87: Territory of the Orcs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: Territory of the Orcs
I say ‘find our way,’ but in truth, we already knew the location.
If a path to the next floor truly existed here, it would be surrounded by Transcendent Species in a circular formation. All we had to do was find the midpoint between the two settlements we knew of, make a ninety-degree turn, and walk straight. With a map, the task was even simpler for me.
Brimming with motivation, the party set off at once.
We first headed to the midpoint between the two settlements, then turned in the opposite direction from the one we had wiped out.
Before long, we came across a few orcs.
It was the first time we had encountered such a small group since entering orc territory.
They had a fairly large number of wolves with them.
What are these guys up to?
“K-Krrruk!”
They seemed utterly flustered upon seeing us, hesitating without even thinking of attacking.
I don’t know what their deal is, but I guess the right move is to attack first, right?
I immediately charged the orcs and launched a preemptive strike.
“Kureek!”
“Woof! Woof!”
The orc was struck before it could even think to retaliate, but in its place, the wolves began to surround me.
You bastards. You think that’s going to scare me?
Sorry, but I’ve hunted countless creatures just like you on the floor above.
“Whichever one of you wants to get castrated, step right up.”
I raised a hand and made a gesture of crushing an egg, my voice chilling.
They didn’t seem to be wolfdogs, so I had no idea if they had magic stones there, but even if they didn’t, it was a sufficiently threatening statement.
Even for wolves who couldn’t understand my words, they must have sensed the dangerous aura I was giving off, as they hesitated for a moment, unable to approach.
Boom!
In that brief pause, Sara and Diana’s attacks landed.
Hah. This time, I managed to draw aggro perfectly without even using Saint’s Touch. Am I talented at this or what?
Though, it was questionable whether I even needed to draw aggro in the first place.
Contrary to their initial ferocity, the wolves turned out to be rather low-level monsters. Each one was easily dispatched with a single blow from Sara or Diana.
“Kruruk!”
Seeing this, the orcs finally seemed to get the idea to fight and charged, but it was already too late.
After easily cleaning them up, I took a moment to think.
Why had we suddenly run into orcs now, when we hadn’t seen any on the plains until this point? And why were they with other monsters?
“Hmm. The more we explore this place, the more similarities I find with the orcs of the 2nd Floor.”
“In what way?”
“The way they tame wolves. On the 2nd Floor, orcs also domesticate wolves. Some even ride them into battle. The wolves on the 1st Floor are too small for that, I suppose.”
I see. So they tame them.
In games, it was common for all monsters to cooperate and swarm the player, but here, where they usually killed each other, I hadn’t even considered it.
Could it be something like this?
The settlements my party had cleared so far were something like front-line bases, and this deeper area was more of a residential zone.
If so, it would explain why the orcs we just met didn’t charge at us immediately, as if they weren’t used to fighting. The orcs here were so steeped in peace that they had grown unaccustomed to battle.
If all the orcs from here on out were like this… this might turn out to be much easier than I thought.
And so, the party continued to advance.
We occasionally encountered orcs on the plains, but just as I had predicted, they consistently showed a lack of combat experience.
After walking for a long while, we finally found our destination.
It was a massive rock, clearly visible even from a great distance.
Standing tall like a stele, it seemed to announce that this was an important place.
The Floor Boss must be at its base.
Since we were dealing with orcs, I had been worried that the Floor Boss, true to its nature, would be holed up in a settlement surrounded by hundreds of minions, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Well, it looks like we’ve found our target. I’d love to go check it out right now, but… it’s probably best to wait until tomorrow, right?”
I said, looking at my party members’ faces.
All three were trying not to show it, but their accumulated fatigue was plain to see.
In a single day, we had annihilated a settlement housing a Transcendent Species and then traveled all the way here.
Unless you had an absurd amount of stamina like me, it was only natural to be exhausted.
“Mm. A Floor Boss is not an opponent to be challenged lightly. Let us return for today.”
I’d been so focused that I hadn’t realized, but it was incredibly late.
At this rate, we’d reach the secret base at dawn.
There was no distinction between day and night inside the dungeon, so it didn’t really matter, but I had been trying to maintain a normal biological clock if possible.
“Haaah, you there.”
“Hm?”
“Piggyback.”
What was this now?
Even if the orcs here weren’t used to fighting, we were in a situation where a battle could break out at any moment.
I looked back at Diana, dumbfounded, but contrary to her relaxed tone, her expression looked genuinely exhausted.
“What’s with that look? Have you forgotten your promise?”
Ah, right. That.
Without another word, I gave Diana a piggyback ride.
“If you were that tired, you should have said so sooner. We could have looked for the path tomorrow.”
“What are you talking about? This body is merely making use of what is available.”
Despite my words, Diana put on a transparently false bravado.
She has a cute side that doesn’t match her age.
I chuckled and gently patted her butt with the hand supporting her.
It was a calculated move, banking on the fact that she was too tired to lecture me.
“Heeng!”
A good reaction.
“Is something wrong?” Leia asked.
“N-Nothing at all. Just a sneeze… What do you think you’re doing?”
Diana deflected Leia’s question before immediately whispering in my ear.
“Just because. You’re cute.”
“Cu—Do you have any idea how old this body is…?!”
“You’re still my big sister, right?”
“W-Well, that’s true, but…! You twist my words every which way!”
It seemed that no matter what, she didn’t want to lose her position as the ‘big sister.’
Eventually, Diana gave up on winning with words and resorted to physical action.
Hitting someone with your fists just because you can’t win an argument. Is that really something an Archmage should be doing?
In any case, just as I’d expected, her usual barrage of lectures didn’t follow.
She really is fun to tease.
I let Diana do as she pleased.
It wasn’t like she did any damage, and she’d eventually tire herself out and stop.
“Leia, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m still fine.”
Leia said, clenching her fists in front of her chest.
Ugh. Look at that form, never losing its loveliness no matter how tired she is.
Diana. You should learn from her. Being old isn’t everything.
“You have to tell me if it gets tough.”
“Yes. I’ll ask you then.”
Leia’s warm smile seeped into my heart.
Just looking at her was healing.
After talking with Leia, I turned my head and my eyes met Sara’s.
What is it?
When I held her gaze without looking away, Sara continued to stare back at me intently.
What is this? Why did a staring contest suddenly start without any warning?
“S-Sara? Is there something you want to say?”
“No.”
Then what? Ah, maybe she’s tired too? The aftereffects of fainting earlier today might still be lingering.
Even though they were both rear-guard classes, Sara’s job was more physical, so her stamina was far superior to the other two.
That’s why I hadn’t paid her as much mind until now, but today might be a different story.
“Are you tired, too? Want me to carry you?”
“No.”
But that didn’t seem to be it either. After that one word, Sara turned her head to face forward again.
If that’s not it, then why the staring contest?
“Should we just sleep over there for tonight?”
I muttered as the settlement we had wiped out came into view on our way back.
“Hmm. That sounds acceptable.”
Diana’s reply was unexpected.
“Huh? Really?”
“Mm. The other creatures won’t know that place has been annihilated, after all.”
Was she saying it’s darkest under the lamp?
Thinking about it, it actually sounded like a good idea, so the party immediately changed direction.
“This is actually pretty nice.”
Perhaps because it was where a Transcendent Species had lived, it felt a bit more orderly than the settlement at the entrance.
Moreover, the place that was obviously the Transcendent Species’ dwelling was built quite grandly.
“This would be the best place to sleep… but it’s probably better to sleep somewhere else, right?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Think about it. If other orcs came here, where’s the first place they’d check?”
In other words, this place, which looked the most comfortable, also had the highest probability of being ambushed.
“Ah, I see! That’s amazing!”
“It’s nothing, really…”
“Isn’t this just an excuse to sleep next to us?”
Diana, who was still on my back, cut into my conversation with Leia with a sullen voice.
“How could you think such a thing? I wouldn’t even dare to have such thoughts. Could it be that Diana’s mind is filled with such thoughts…?”
“Hmm. Go on, keep talking.”
I couldn’t see her face, but I was certain.
If I said any more, my life would be in danger. Maybe I went too far after succeeding in teasing her once.
“I had the perverted thought that it would be exciting if it were. I apologize.”
“Hmm. Good. You are a pervert.”
Even as she said that, Diana gently stroked my head.
Are you praising me or insulting me? Pick one.
“What’s wrong with being a pervert! All men are gentlemen by the name of pervert!”
This time, I decided to go with a completely serious expression.
“I know, I know.”
But Diana, who had completely entered grandma mode, just continued to stroke my head.
“By the way, Diana. Tell me more about the orcs on the 2nd Floor. You said they use skills similar to what the Transcendent Species here used?”
During our late dinner, I remembered what Diana had said earlier in the day.
The Floor Boss here was probably an orc as well, so it would be good to hear about it in advance.
“Mm. From the 2nd Floor onward, even common monsters start using skills. Most of them employ a fighting style similar to the Transcendent Species that was here. It’s quite troublesome when they swarm you.”
Is there really that much of a difference just one layer up?
It made sense why the overwhelming majority of adventurers stayed on the 1st Floor, even if another party defeated the Floor Boss.
If a party couldn’t even beat the Floor Boss, it meant they wouldn’t be able to survive on the next floor anyway.
“What’s noteworthy is the Orc Transcendent Species of the 2nd Floor. They are shamans who cast various spells. They can boost the morale of surrounding orcs, increase their physical abilities and recovery rates, and sometimes even call down lightning. They specialize in large-scale battles rather than one-on-one combat.”
“Ah, yeah. I think I get the picture.”
Wait a minute. She said the common orcs on the 2nd Floor were similar to the Transcendent Species here. Then could the Floor Boss here be similar to the Transcendent Species on the 2nd Floor?
“Is there any kind of strategy to deal with that shaman?”
“The best way is to finish it off before it can use its spells. Being a shaman, its physical abilities seem to be a bit lacking. However, other orcs guard it like an iron wall, so unless you have an overwhelming power difference, it’s practically an impossible method.”
“Then what’s the other way?”
“Hmm. Honestly, I’m not sure.”
“What? What did you do?”
“Do you think this body would have struggled against such a creature?”
Fair point.
From Diana’s perspective, she could have just crushed everything without needing a strategy.
“Well, don’t worry too much about the shaman. If we run into one, this body will take care of it.”
“But you’ve been reincarnated.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that this body is an Archmage.”
Despite my jab, Diana was full of confidence.
For her to be this confident, she must really have a plan.