Chapter 22: Echoes of Interest

“I hear you.”

-I was just wondering how you’ve been. You haven’t called.

“I thought you only used this when you needed something.”

-No, it’s fine. Use it however you like.

“It’s expensive, you know.”

-I can always make another. But your voice sounds different now.

Choi Kangjoong realized his slip.

“This is my real voice.”

-It sounds much nicer than last time. Where have you been hunting lately?

“Hydra Sea.”

-So you’re planning to clear that out after Kraken Sea. Do you need my help?

“No.”

-I see.

Iselin’s voice grew quiet.

Choi Kangjoong didn’t notice.

All he wanted was to ask the elf who had just contacted him about the Dark Elves.

“I saw a Dark Elf there. Is there any related organization in the Hydra Sea?”

-There’s nowhere in Hydra Sea for a Dark Elf to belong. They’re a fickle tribe; they’re probably there for some trivial reason.

“Is that so.”

Silence fell.

-Is that all?

“That’s all.”

-I see. Thank you again. Thanks to you, Outer, I was able to protect the Spirit Tree and become a High Elf.

“Congratulations.”

Many thoughts crossed his mind.

I saw you moving the Spirit Tree well, I didn’t expect the Life Spirit to look like that, how’s the Derrael family situation.

But Choi Kangjoong’s conversational skills reached their limit.

-Thank you. We’ll meet again, right?

“Of course.”

-I hope that day comes soon. Oh, if you ever meet a Dark Elf with silver hair, be careful.

“Are they dangerous?”

-They’re direct descendants of a family exiled from Marsala. Unlike those crawling at the bottom, they’re swift and stealthy.

“Thanks.”

-I’m glad to be of help. I have to go now, my time’s up.

“Contact me again.”

-Of course.

The light on the necklace went out.

Iselin, who was inside a long limousine, let go of the necklace.

“Change this seat, it’s uncomfortable.”

The seat was made from the leather of the rare Dimensional Sea Cow and was more expensive than a house.

The only thing better was one made from the leather of a Transcendent Beast.

“Yes, Princess.”

Iselin’s maid replied without a hint of question or complaint.

Iselin’s picky reputation was well known.

She had often replaced all the interiors of her own dimensional ship simply because she disliked them.

As the High Elf who had rid the Kraken Sea of pirates, she was entitled.

‘He was smiling. With such a gentle voice, too.’

The days Iselin smiled could be counted on one hand each year.

The pressure of not becoming a High Elf, and her declining family, always made her sharp.

Even the maid who’d been with her the longest had never seen her converse so comfortably with anyone outside her family.

‘Maybe it’s because the Spirit Tree is back. At least for now, she can relax.’

The maid was happy as well.

It was the pressure, not Iselin’s nature, that made her difficult—she wasn’t a bad elf at heart.

The limousine stopped, and the door opened.

Iselin stepped outside.

The Life Spirit perched on her shoulder marveled at the giant building 500 meters wide.

It was the Elf Great Council.

Painted a pure white, the Elven Great Council was noble and beautiful.

Just looking at it brought a sense of reverent tranquility to the heart.

But inside, unlike its exterior, all manner of plots and intrigues seethed.

It was, in every way, a warzone without gunfire.

“The old ones are nervous.”

Iselin’s lips curled coldly, her face now hardened.

She strode powerfully forward.

Holding tight to the blade of vengeance against those who had attacked and tried to exile the Derrael family.

“You’ve got a message.”

Choi Kangjoong checked his dawn-phone.

[Han Junghwa: What are you up to?]

[Han Junghwa: Maybe you won’t understand what I mean like this.]

[Han Junghwa: I’m just checking in because I’m interested in you and curious how you’re doing.]

Choi Kangjoong let out a small laugh.

[Choi Kangjoong: Hunting Orcs.]

The reply came instantly.

[Han Junghwa: Where?]

[Choi Kangjoong: Hydra Sea.]

[Han Junghwa: When did you get all the way there?]

[Choi Kangjoong: A few days ago.]

[Han Junghwa: So you’re endlessly fighting Orcs in the Hydra Sea. Sounds fun. Can I come?]

[Choi Kangjoong: If you can.]

[Han Junghwa: Tsk. I can’t leave, have to guard the Dimensional Fortress.]

[Han Junghwa: Thanks to you, Outer, I defended well. Thank you.]

[Choi Kangjoong: You’re welcome.]

[Han Junghwa: Oh, so you know how to say that too. Want to come visit the 6th Dimension Fortress? Yoonseo and I can’t travel far, but visitors are fine.]

[Choi Kangjoong: Sounds good.]

[Han Junghwa: Promise! You have to come. Should we set a date?]

[Choi Kangjoong: After I finish up in Hydra Sea.]

[Han Junghwa: When do you think that’ll be?]

[Choi Kangjoong: At most a month?]

[Han Junghwa: So, you’ll come next month?]

[Choi Kangjoong: Yes.]

[Han Junghwa: If you don’t, I’ll come drag you out of Hydra Sea myself.]

[Choi Kangjoong: Alright.]

[Han Junghwa: Monsters are invading, gotta go. Bye.]

Choi Kangjoong put down his dawn-phone.

All that messaging, and he felt drained.

If they’d met as just people, not through Outer Mind, he’d be exhausted mentally.

“Kiiik.”

Kai reported in.

“You think you’ve found the Dark Elf lair, huh.”

“Kiiik!”

“Bold of them. Hiding in the underground of a dimension with millions of Orcs.”

Kai had discovered a tunnel used by Dark Elves, right at the heart of a dimension in the Hydra Sea.

“Scout carefully. If it’s dangerous, pull out immediately.”

“Kiiik.”

“And if you see a Dark Elf with silver hair, be even more careful.”

“Kiiik.”

Kai began tailing the Dark Elf descending into the tunnel.

“What are they doing underground? Plotting some big scheme? Summoning demons?”

Choi Kangjoong was excited, feeling as if he were uncovering a secret no one else knew.

“Kai will find out soon enough.”

A few days later.

Lutal arrived at the dimension he sensed.

There were about 200,000 Orcs and a massive number of Orc Launchers.

“At least three thousand of them.”

Orc Launchers were weaker than Scrap Cannons, but since the projectiles were Orcs, their accuracy and range were excellent.

Even a Titan Class could be in danger if three thousand Orcs swarmed at once.

“It’s a monster!”

“Meat!”

“Food!”

“That thing’s tail looks tasty!”

“Those claws would make perfect toothpicks!”

The Orcs, having spotted the Apocalid, surged forward.

They fought among themselves to be the first up on the Orc Launchers.

“Prepare Bio Torpedoes and Bio Pods.”

[Producing Bio Torpedoes.]

[Producing Bio Pods.]

“Kuong.”

Kuongi signaled that the Bio Torpedoes and Bio Pods were ready to launch.

“Fire.”

Bio Torpedoes and Bio Pods pounded the dimension.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Orcs and chunks of earth flew everywhere.

Orcs were launched from the Orc Launchers.

“This is great!”

“I’m flying!”

“Meat!”

A thousand Orcs coming at once was quite a sight.

It felt like his whole field of vision was filled with Orcs.

“Yields and Evolution Points are coming to me on their own.”

Flying Apocalids soared up, launching Kaitin Spikes.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The Kaitin Spikes from Air Scouts and Fighter Warriors punched holes clean through the Orcs.

Any Orc hit by a Fighter Giant’s Kitin Cannon lost its entire torso.

Air Walkers gathered up Orc chunks and Kaitin Spikes.

Orcs were launched again.

Now several were riding each launcher, double the number from before.

Kuongi and the Titans fired their Mana Cannons.

The Orcs were blown to bits.

The remaining Orcs were dealt with by the flying Apocalids.

“Krk.”

Lutal’s two eyes swept the battlefield.

Orcs everywhere.

The Warriors were overwhelming the Orcs, but there were so many that casualties were inevitable.

For Apocalids, whose goal was reproduction, minimizing nutrient use was essential.

Lutal calculated how to inflict the most damage with the least energy.

“Fight! It’s war! Kill!”

The Orc Great Boss shouted.

Take that thing out, and chaos would erupt among the Orcs.

But during battle, a new boss quickly rises and reunites them.

So, just kill every new boss as they appear.

It would be tough, slow, and possibly deadly, but Lutal moved as he’d learned.

Lutal charged.

He slashed aside anything in his way with the Saw Scythe.

With no supply lines for a prolonged fight, he didn’t use the Aura Blade.

Giants following Lutal got grabbed or tripped by Orcs.

“I’ll take that one down!”

The Orc Great Boss also charged in.

With all his might, he swung his axe high.

Lutal ducked and sliced the Orc Great Boss’s shin with his Middle Leg.

The huge body toppled forward, and Lutal crushed its head with his upper leg.

As expected, the Orcs who could be Great Bosses began fighting each other.

Lutal dashed in, wedging himself among them.

“That one’s trying to be boss too!”

“He’s aiming for the boss seat!”

“Kill him first!”

The battle for boss-hood devolved into chaos.

Trapped among the furiously battling Orcs, Lutal focused intensely.

He blocked axes and clubs, swatted away Goblin Bombs, cleaved with Abyssal Claw, stabbed with his tail.

Orcs poured in endlessly.

They all targeted Lutal, the strongest enemy.

They swung blunt weapons and threw Goblins to catch Lutal’s attention.

Even for Lutal, stamina and mana weren’t infinite.

His Kaitin Blades dulled, his movements slowed.

His brain, rapidly fatigued, couldn’t operate at full capacity.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Goblin Bombs exploded again and again over his head.

His eyes were injured, vision failing.

The combat muscles coded in Orc evolution reached their limits.

Once all the energy stored in muscle was exhausted, he dissolved muscle itself for fuel.

His cracked Kitin armor was drenched in green blood, its original color unrecognizable.

The tail, needed to remove Orcs clinging to his back, was broken off at the tip and lost its point.

Supporting Fighter Warriors were hit by harpoons and crashed.

Still, Lutal didn’t stop.

He abandoned the Middle Leg’s Abyssal Claw, now a tangled mess of Orc flesh, and picked up an Orc axe.

“Kuek!”

“You’ll never be boss…!”

“Damn it!”

“Me, boss…!”

Orcs fell to the axe of the fearless predator.

When one weapon broke, he grabbed another.

At this point, he was acting more on instinct than conscious thought.

How long had he been buried in that mass of Orcs?

Finally, all the potential Orc Great Bosses fell.

It seemed they’d never stop coming, but there was an end.

Now the boss-level Orcs began fighting amongst themselves.

With their subordinates, over a hundred thousand Orcs split into dozens of factions.

“Well done.”

“Krk.”

Praised by Outer Mind, Lutal was delighted.

The flood of pleasure chemicals was his reward for greatly aiding the species’ goal.

Lutal slunk over to the vicinity of the digestion pit and curled up.

He could still fight, but with his body so battered, killing more Orcs would net a negative yield.

So, he stopped.

Thanks to Lutal’s efforts, Dimensional Devouring became much easier.

Kuongi worked the Mana Cannon even harder.

[You have acquired Evolution Points.]

[You have acquired Evolution Points.]

[You have acquired Evolution Points.]

[You have acquired Evolution Points.]

[You have acquired Evolution Points.]

Evolution Points skyrocketed.

[Current Evolution Points: 4,467,662]

He’d entered Hydra Sea with only 40,000 Evolution Points—now he was approaching five million.

“If I finish off the remaining Orcs, I’ll go over five million.”

About a third of the Orcs remained, so he could gain another million.

Before long, nearly all the Orcs had been digested.

The rest had fled to the dimensional boundary.

Even those were rounded up by the flying Apocalids.

Orcs had no way to avoid the gaze of Skyeye Giants.

[Dimensional Devouring will begin.]