Chapter 16: The Orc Who Ran

The first strike is mine.

Hoooh!

I felt my footsteps quicken with haste.

Stepping over the bodies I had just dispatched, I sprinted forward in one breath, aiming sharply for the neck joint between the Orc’s helmet and breastplate.

Kraak!

But the Orc’s body glowed yellow-hot.

‘This was an ‘unavoidable’ move, wasn’t it?’

I quickly pulled back and widened the distance.

Having failed the attack, I braced for a counterstrike.

However, the Orc didn’t budge.

He only looked down at me with his mountain-like physique.

There was no sign of a counterattack or any hesitation.

“Grra. Mush, Lorka.”

The Orc spoke, staring at me.

“Sorry, I don’t understand your language! Hmph!”

I replied curtly and turned right.

If I couldn’t land a critical hit, I had to wear him down with continuous damage.

“Gobori Powder Property!”

Kwahng!

Flames erupted on the Orc’s head.

That must have blinded his sight.

I moved behind and aimed for the right crook of his knee.

No matter how solid the plate armor was, the opposite side of the knee had to be exposed.

“Boss! Above! Above!”

Suddenly, Gobori’s voice rang out.

Hoo!

“Ugh!”

Just as I was about to lose focus, a sharp grip brushed past me.

The Orc’s palm was as big as my entire head, and if caught in that palm, my helmet would’ve been crushed along with me.

“Rose! Root Bind!”

Thunk!

“Grr?”

At that moment, roots sprouted from beneath the Orc’s feet.

Tutuk!

But he easily snapped them off and kicked up sand.

‘Ugh!’

Thanks to that, my vision went pitch black.

An Orc using such a dirty trick…

He used a move I might have tried myself.

“Gobori Smokebomb!”

But I wasn’t fighting alone.

Pahng!

“Gwuuk!”

Smoke burst around the Orc’s head.

The exploding smoke cut the space between me and the Orc, and I quickly rolled away to create distance.

“Phew, thanks. You saved me.”

I turned to them both.

“Stay alert, boss. That guy’s nickname is Newbie Killer. He forces users who’ve relied on auto-battle to switch to manual combat, then wipes them out. Plus, he has a trait that reduces physical damage by 50%. He’s totally broken, a busted character!”

“Reduces physical damage? What does that mean?”

“That means your sword doesn’t work! Non-magical attacks count as physical, so they all get cut in half!”

Gobori answered with a worried face.

“Hmph. Are there still users relying on auto-battle? Do they trust us that much, or are they just lazy?”

Rose muttered curtly.

Newbie Killer, huh.

Definitely not an opponent to take lightly.

I had to drop my usual laxity and face him calmly.

“Alright. Let’s stay calm. Follow my moves like before.”

“Leave it to us!”

“Let’s go, Dolsoe!”

Patpat!

After speaking to the two, I dashed out at once.

The Orc gripped his hammer and moved slowly forward.

He pressed me leisurely with his massive frame.

“Graa!”

Hoo!

The huge hammer brushed past.

‘Hmph!’

Feeling the wind pressure, I backed off.

One wrong move and I’d be killed instantly.

Bang!

“Grrk!”

A bomb exploded on the Orc’s head.

The approaching Orc hesitated, unsettled, and Kchak!

I took the chance to slash his ankle as I passed by.

If I kept stacking damage, I could eventually bring him down.

“Boss! Above!”

At that moment, Gobori shouted.

‘Above?’

Above was a collection of large boulders wedged between the ravines.

‘Was he telling me to lure him downward?’

I followed Gobori’s lead and lured the Orc toward the rocks.

“Graa!”

Whoosh!

The Orc chasing me swung his hammer.

“Now!”

“Gobori Powder Property!”

At the same time, Gobori’s bomb launched.

This time, it wasn’t aimed at the Orc.

It hit the rocks above the Orc’s head.

Kwa-kang!

The rocks struck by the bomb crumbled.

“Grr? Grryaak!”

Kugugu!

The Orc below was engulfed by the falling stones.

No matter how tough his armor was, he couldn’t survive that impact.

“Well done! That’s what I was aiming for.”

“This dungeon’s strategy is all about rockfall damage! Normal attacks don’t hit, and the dungeon is designed to be cleared this way!”

Gobori shouted with excitement.

Good.

This was how the dungeon was meant to be cleared.

Lure on one side, drop rocks on the other.

A role-divided ‘strategy’.

“Grr… Graa!!!”

Kukung! Kukung!

The Orc trapped under the rocks got back up.

From the screen, I could see his HP had dropped.

A few more hits and he’d fall.

Hoo! Hoo!

I quickly retreated, guiding him under the rocks again.

“Now!”

I signaled Gobori again.

“Finisher! Gobori Powder Property!”

Kwahng! Thud! Kururur…

“Grryaak!”

I easily lured the second rockfall.

The Orc crushed under the boulders panted heavily and sank to his knees.

“Grr.. Grgrr…”

Yet the Orc remained steadfast.

I couldn’t tell if the steam rising around him was sweat drying or dust from shattered stones.

“Grryaak!!!”

The Orc roared loudly and swung his hammer.

Hoo!

From left to right, once.

Hoo!

Accelerating, swung again in the same direction.

Just as I thought it was over, Hoo!

“Huh?”

The Orc threw down his hammer.

The hammer he had been swinging was now in the motion of being discarded.

“Eh? Eek? Kkek!”

[★★ Goblin Sentry Gobori has fallen!]

Kwahng!

Gobori was instantly killed by the hammer.

He vanished without a trace after being hit by the massive weapon.

“Oh no! Instant death pattern! That pattern targets the DPS first! What do we do if we get hit by that? This is maddening!”

Rose flew over and stuck by my side.

“Focus. This is phase two. The weapons are gone, and the patterns change, so be careful. But the strategy stays the same as before. Got it?”

Rose said, staying close beside me.

“Lure him toward the rocks? Like before?”

“Without Gobori, it’ll be harder. You think you can handle it?”

“There’s nothing I can’t handle. Hmph!”

I answered shortly and dashed out.

“Grr, Graa!!!”

At the same time, the enraged Orc charged.

He had discarded his hammer and charged bare-handed.

Like a furious grizzly bear, he barreled forward.

Kukung! Thud!

The Orc’s fists shattered rocks.

If used well, this could be useful.

I deliberately lured him near a place with many pillars.

Kukung! Thud! Kururur.

Then I let him break them himself.

Boulders the size of a head fell onto the Orc.

“Graah!”

Still, the Orc didn’t stop.

Roaring explosively, he chased after me.

“Rose! Root Bind! Root Bind!”

[★★★★ Rose Fairy: Root Bind skill!]

[★★★★ Rose Fairy…]

[★★★★ Rose Fairy…]

Rose wasn’t idle either.

Just before he could grab me, she caught the Orc’s foot.

Thunk! Thunk!

“Grrk! Hold!”

The falling rocks struck the Orc’s head squarely.

Thunk! Thunk!

***

After guiding him like that several times, Park!

“Krraak!”

The Orc’s helmet shattered.

His green skin was exposed right before me.

“Groggy! Now’s your chance! Slash him down!”

“Got it!”

I charged at his head after hearing Rose.

The Orc battered by countless rocks was dazed.

“Hmph!”

I swung the Uruk Slayer at his forehead.

Intending to land a solid hit on his face.

With all my strength, I struck his brow.

Kwaak!

“Kraaak!”

Blood splattered from the sharp sword tip.

But it didn’t penetrate.

It was right that it didn’t go in.

His skull was so thick that even the Uruk Slayer couldn’t pierce it.

“Grrr. Grrrra…”

Kukung! Thud!

The Orc staggered and retreated.

Under his helmet, his face was that of a gray-bearded elder warrior.

Thick blood dripped from his forehead.

[Wasteland Tyrant is in pain!]

[Land a finishing blow now!]

The finishing move icon popped up.

‘Was this the end?’

Just as I reached to press the button on the screen, “Graa!!!”

The Orc roared fiercely and slammed the wall.

Kukung! Thud! Kururur!

“Dodge! Back off!”

Rose and I created distance.

Kukung! Kwaurur…

One side of the cliff collapsed.

To destroy a cliff while exhausted—his strength was truly shocking.

‘Huh?’

But the Orc wasn’t dead.

He was still alive and climbed up the fallen rocks.

“Grrr…”

Then he glanced at me with a threatening look.

As if to say he would never forget today’s defeat.

Leaving a cold warning behind, he disappeared beyond the rocks.

[Mission Clear!]

[+600 Gold]

[Pet Bonus!] [+200 Gold]

[Pet Bonus!] [+90 Steel Shards]

[+3 General Cards]

Thus, the dungeon was cleared.

Thunk!

***

I returned to the stage.

But I was dumbfounded by the recent events.

‘Didn’t the Orc pride himself on honor?’

And yet that Orc just abandoned the fight and fled?

“What? Did he just run away? The so-called king of the Orcs ran?”

I asked the two.

“Ah, don’t worry! We’ll catch him in the next dungeon anyway! It’s bait, bait!”

“Phew. Still, glad our Dolsoe carried us. When that stupid green guy died, I thought it was over.”

Gobori and Rose answered.

[Available Expedition Areas]

[Lv. 31: Wasteland Pursuit]

A new dungeon appeared on screen.

‘Wasn’t that the end?’

Good.

My anger hadn’t cooled yet to call it quits.

I pressed ‘Expedition’ and prepared for battle immediately.

“Ahem. The fight was impressive. You not going to repair?”

“Who knows? Seems like you’re leaving right away.”

“Hehe. Such a diligent user. Good luck!”

***

After greeting Dulbe, I headed toward the dungeon.

Thunk!

“Grrr…”

The dungeon started atop the ravine we just fought in.

The Orc waiting on the collapsed rocks above the cliff revealed his bare face.

“Snort!”

But the Orc snorted and fled.

I was stunned to see the Orc running for his life.

“Look! He’s running away again! What kind of king is that? They say Orcs are honorable!”

I sighed at the fleeing Orc.

Seeing him run like that reminded me of an emperor I once killed.

Abandoning his subordinates to save himself as he fled.

“Ah, calm down. It’s just a cutscene. We’re supposed to follow him, remember?”

“Chase him! Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

Gobori and Rose shouted.

‘What was going on?’

For now, I chased after the Orc.

“Hoo! Hoo!”

Thunk! Thunk!

Despite his massive size, the Orc ran in long strides.

Below the cliff lay the Evergreen Forest and the Green Village I had passed through.

The Ratman Sewer connected to the village, the factory built above that sewer, and the green river flowing alongside the factory—all came into view.

‘Maybe because the forest was gone?’

The horizon was filled only with yellow sand grains.

The next dungeon was a desert, right?

That must be the area.

“Boss! Don’t you feel it? Don’t you sense something strange?”

“What?”

“Isn’t it odd? Why is this dungeon so full of unnecessary background descriptions? Why bother adding an event to chase a fleeing Orc? Doesn’t that seem strange?”

Gobori asked as we ran together.

‘Unnecessary background and events?’

His eyes were full of expectation and excitement.

As if waiting for me to realize something.

“Hey! Just wait a bit longer! Wait until I figure it out on my own!”

So exciting! Even I didn’t know when I first ran this dungeon! Later, I realized it was bait…!

“Boss, you’ll be shocked! Really!”

Rose and Gobori said.

That I’d be shocked?

An odd sense of discord grew sharper.

After running for a while, we caught up to the Orc.

He stood at the cliff’s edge, waiting for us.

Backlit by the slowly setting sun.

Gazing at something beneath the sunset.

“Golka. Marsh.”

The Orc looked at me.

A slight nod.

‘Was he telling me to look below?’

There were burn marks down there.

‘A burnt-down hut?’

There were so many, it must have been a village.

Along the green river, there were traces of complete destruction by fire.

“Ugh…! We’re almost there! Almost there!”

“Shut up! Just wait!”

Gobori and Rose whined.

“Marsh. Egg, ka.”

The Orc held up an empty potion bottle.

Park!

Then shattered it for show.

‘Ah.’

Something clicked.

I had said chasing the Orc was an ‘event,’ right?

Thinking about it now, it was strange.

‘Why add this event in the first place?’

‘Why lure me here?’

‘Maybe this was the clue.’

The Poisoned River and the Burned Village.

‘Maybe the Orc raids were connected.’

“Could it be… the Orcs are the victims? The people polluted the river?”