Chapter 17: The Choice Not to Choose

“Ah! That’s right! You got it! This is the true charm of Valhalla! The twist! This is what the story is all about!”

Gobori snapped his fingers, clearly excited.

“Oh! You really figured it out? Most heroes only think about killing Orcs! Not bad at all!”

Rose fluttered happily alongside him.

I see.

This was the reason the Orcs attacked.

They came for revenge because the village was destroyed.

And the reason they gradually weakened…

‘Because of me.’

It was because of me.

I killed them all.

Their warriors who were supposed to fight were dead, and no troops remained.

“They were just used, huh? By the villagers.”

“Exactly! You’ll understand later! Turns out the Orcs had their reasons! And those who claim to be righteous aren’t always purely good! Now that’s a proper story, isn’t it, brother?”

Gobori answered my words.

Of course I knew.

How dangerous it is when someone claims to be the ‘good side.’

It was a common lesson in the world I lived in.

“Hmph! That’s just a cliché. ‘Turns out they were the victims!’ That kind of story is so common, though.”

“Eh, that’s because you’ve seen too many worlds, user! Weren’t you surprised? I was really shocked.”

“True. I was surprised too. But look at our Dolsoe here. His face is so shocked he can’t even speak! Haha!”

Rose and Gobori giggled.

I looked at the Orc for a moment.

The Orc who wanted to reveal the truth to me.

I opened my mouth as I looked at it.

“So… this Orc isn’t guilty?”

“That’s right! That’s the twist! The Orc you thought was evil was actually the victim…”

“Then there’s no need to fight, right?”

“Huh? Why?”

I asked Gobori.

“Why the sudden boring ‘potato’ development after you were doing so well…”

Gobori looked dumbfounded.

“What are you saying? This dungeon has no choices! You just have to fight!”

“But you said the Orc isn’t guilty. And yet we have to fight? The victim Orcs?”

“Guilty? Oh my, are you getting too immersed?”

“Immersed?”

Rose laughed, clutching her stomach.

“Hey! This is just a play! Didn’t you see the NPCs? It’s all an illusion happening inside here! Control your immersion! Oh, my stomach hurts, haha!”

“Oh.”

For a moment, I felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head.

Right.

This was all an illusion, wasn’t it?

Getting worked up about it was like climbing on stage and grabbing the actor by the collar.

Getting so absorbed that I believed it was real.

I felt embarrassed and my face warmed.

“You’re right. My mistake. It was so realistic I forgot. Sorry.”

“Ah… that’s okay! I forget sometimes too, you know? That’s also part of Valhalla’s charm! Haha!”

Gobori laughed it off readily.

I gripped my sword and prepared for battle.

[Boss: Wasteland Tyrant] Lv. 30

[Boss Monster Appeared!]

Dun dun! Dun dun dun! Dun dun dun dun!

The drums sounded and the battle began.

“Grr… Grrr… Grrarra!”

Thud thud thud!

The silent Orc surged forward.

Its body glowed yellow.

“It’s unstoppable, brother!”

“I know!”

Whoosh!

I dodged the charging Orc.

Huff, thud!

“Huh? Ugh!”

[★★ Goblin Sentry has fallen!]

But Gobori was taken down.

It seemed the Orc’s target had been Gobori from the start.

“Oh no, greenie! Dead again!”

Rose sighed, holding her head.

I smirked and asked Rose,

“Rose! What’s the strategy for this fight?”

“The armor will break! Aim for there!”

Rose answered, sticking to my shoulder.

“Krraa! Mush!”

Swish!

The Orc swung its massive hammer.

Clang!

But the Orc’s shoulder armor broke.

‘Maybe from the rock it was hit with in the previous battle?’

Its armor seemed to have reached its limit.

“Ugh!”

I quickly ran in and slashed the Orc’s thigh.

Slice!

“Creak!”

For the first time, I felt flesh tearing.

The green flesh took real damage.

“Haste!”

I had to press the advantage and strike fast.

[★★ Wandering Swordsman: Haste Skill Activated!]

[★★ Wandering Swordsman’s attack speed and movement speed increase by 10%!]

Whoooosh!

Wrapped in wind, I charged at the Orc.

Swish!

The hammer grazed me, but I didn’t raise my shield.

The Orc had no option to ‘block’ me.

A lesson I learned from fighting multiple Orcs.

“Root Bind! Root Bind!”

Rose eagerly summoned roots as well.

Clang! Clang! Crack!

But the attack wasn’t aimed at the Orc itself.

It was chipping away at the brass-colored armor covering the Orc.

“Mom picked the bones clean! Eat the meat!”

“That’s a hard joke to understand! Ugh!”

I joked with Rose and swung my sword.

Kraak!

“Gryaak!”

The Orc, its arm cut, dropped its hammer.

Seizing the chance, I kicked up its thigh.

Thud!

Then plunged my sword into the Orc’s chest.

‘Tch.’

But it was shallow.

Barely a hand’s width.

Far from piercing a vital spot.

“Gryaak!”

The enraged Orc swung its arm.

I tried to pull out my sword quickly, but “Huh?”

It wouldn’t budge.

A heavy hand slammed into my chest.

Thud!

[☆ Healing Potion consumed to recover ★★ Wandering Swordsman.]

“Ugh!”

Thud! Thud!

I dropped my sword and tumbled on the ground.

A large mark appeared on my chest.

The iron plate was crumpled like paper.

“Grrr… Po! Maka! Krra!”

The Orc pulled the sword stuck in its chest.

Then dropped it on the ground and approached.

‘Did it block the blade with its muscles?’

In any case, it was an impressive creature.

“You, sword! What do I do?”

Rose yelled from my shoulder.

Suddenly, an idea struck me.

“The trait where Gobori brought a shield! Can you pick it up with that?”

“Huh? Y-yo, fairy wings?”

“Yeah! Can you do it?”

“Can’t say I can’t! But how do you expect me to hold up?”

“Leave it to me! I’m used to scrappy fights!”

I shouted briefly and pulled out a folding knife.

I heard some Orcs wait if you drop your weapon, right?

That kind of courtesy wasn’t necessary here.

I pressed the dagger towards the Orc.

“Bring it on. You won’t have time to worry about my weapon.”

“Grua? Hahaha!”

The Orc laughed loudly.

‘Did it understand me?’

Before I could think further, the Orc charged.

‘Hup!’

I dodged under its armpit, slashing its forearm, waist, and thigh.

“Grrk…! Kraak!”

The Orc twisted its body to counterattack.

Quickly, I got behind and slashed its back and calves.

Shhk!

“Kkraak!!!”

Blood-soaked, the Orc roared.

‘Hoo, hoo.’

My heart pounded.

Though I seemed to dominate, I wasn’t the one in a truly favorable position.

A single punch from it could kill me instantly.

I had to tease this Orc like a swarm of bees.

“Dolsoe!”

Just then, Rose, holding a sword, shouted.

“Gryaak!”

Thud thud thud!

***

At the same time, the Orc roared loudly and charged again.

I slipped between its legs and sliced its ankle.

[★★★★ Rose Fairy: Adorable Fairy Wings Effect!]

“Here!”

“Thanks!”

I received the Uruk Slayer Rose handed me.

Twisting quickly, I slashed the Orc’s back.

Kraak!

“Gryaak!!!”

With the sound of tearing flesh, the Orc howled.

‘Hoo, hoo.’

My arms trembled.

My hands gripping the hilt shook.

Still, the tide turned in my favor.

The Orc’s health bar on screen was depleted.

Thud!

The Orc gave a short groan and knelt down.

Even kneeling, its huge frame made its eye level match mine, and those eyes were full of regret and complexity.

“Gr… Grrruk…”

However, one thing was certain.

There was no fear of death.

It tried to force itself to stand again.

‘Is this illusion real?’

‘Are those eyes fake?’

No matter how theatrical it was, those eyes seemed sincere.

Serious like a warrior I knew.

[Wasteland Tyrant is suffering!]

[Deliver the final blow!]

The finishing strike came to mind again.

But I lowered my sword.

“Huh? What are you doing? It’s all over!”

“Eh? What are you doing, brother?”

Rose and Gobori shouted.

It was just a light act of rebellion.

‘They said there were no choices in this dungeon, right?’

Still, there was one choice I could make.

The choice to not choose.

I sat down in front of the Orc and faced it.

“You must feel wronged, huh?”

“Grr…?”

“You have the look that you want to keep fighting. But your body won’t follow.”

I asked the Orc.

It glared at me with a fierce face.

“No. It means I’m going to wait. Once I recover enough, I’ll attack again. Fight as much as you want, mock me until you’re satisfied, then kill me. It’d be a shame to die with those eyes.”

“Glargh?”

“I’m not joking. That’s the only choice I can give you.”

I replied shortly and looked at the screen.

Only the ‘finishing strike’ was blinking.

There seemed to be no other options.

“Oh my god, brother! What are you doing right now? It’s all over!”

Gobori, now a ghost, ran over.

He started making excuses, staring at empty air.

“Well, the finishing strike timing came but the user isn’t pressing it? Then it means wait, right? So I’m waiting.”

“Huh? The user won’t finish it?”

“See? If he wanted to end it, he’d have already used the finishing strike. But he hasn’t. Doesn’t that mean something’s up?”

“Huh? It’s true? Did the user forget to turn on auto-battle? User! Wake up! It’s over! Get up!”

Gobori, now pale, was getting overly excited.

After all, the user on this stage was me.

My choice was the user’s choice.

“This perverted user is messing around again? Then I’ll finish this! Die, monster! Die!”

Tap! Tap!

Rose threw her fluffy fists.

But the Orc wasn’t hurt.

It just stared at me calmly.

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

‘How long did we wait like that?’

“Gr… Grrra?”

Several Orcs appeared near the cliff.

Rose, who had been hitting the Orc, quickly hid behind me.

“What are these Orcs? Where did they come from?”

“Huh? Is there an Easter egg in this dungeon too?”

Rose and Gobori were bewildered.

“Grrr…”

“Kriik!”

“Grrr!”

The Orcs glanced around nervously and approached their king.

One was a hunched old man.

The other was a sickly figure hiding near the cliff.

“Krk..!”

The Orc King was helped up.

‘Was he planning to run away?’

That wasn’t so bad.

I let him be.

If I failed the battle, I could try again.

I could afford this kindness.

Thunk!

“What are you doing, hero? Why aren’t you finishing it? You can’t let them run away like this! Kill them, hero! Kill them!”

At that moment, the Village Elder appeared and shouted.

He suddenly appeared out of nowhere and startled me.

“Hero! The King of the Orcs is running away! We don’t know when he’ll resurrect and come back! You must finish this now, Hero!”

The Elder shouted, looking at empty space.

‘Was this also an act?’

The Elder’s face appeared on the screen.

It seemed to be what’s commonly called a ‘cutscene.’

“This can’t be…!”

“A hidden ending? There’s a hidden event in this dungeon?”

“The main NPC showed up! That means a hidden event for sure! Kyaah! Our user really knows everything!”

“Awesome! This is my first time seeing a hidden event! I wonder what reward we’ll get? Amazing!”

Gobori and Rose cheered.

‘Hidden event?’

‘What was this hidden ending?’

I decided to stay quiet.

In moments like this, staying quiet was the best answer.

“Hero! The Orc isn’t running away! Hero!”

The Elder’s voice echoed.

“Gryaak!”

Suddenly, the Orc King shook off his subordinates.

Thud! Thud!

Then returned to me.

‘Did he want to fight one more round?’

That’s how a king should act.

I stood up and gripped my sword.

Just as I prepared to fight again and deliver a satisfying end, [Achievement: After defeating the boss in the Chase Battle of the Wasteland, do nothing for 300 seconds.]

[You have achieved the first server-wide achievement!]

[★★ Wandering Swordsman leveled up!]

[★★ Wandering Swordsman LV. 37]

[★★ Wandering Swordsman LV. 38]

[★★ Goblin Sentry’s level…]

[★★ Goblin Sentry → Lv. 34]

[★★ Goblin Sentry → Lv. 35]

[★★★★ Rose Fairy’s level…]

[★★★★ Rose Fairy → Lv. 36]

[Mission Clear!]

[+800 Gold]

[Pet Bonus!] [+240 Gold]

[Pet Bonus!] [+130 Steel Shard]

[+100 Diamonds]

[+10 General Cards]

“Huh?”

The dungeon was cleared.

***

“As expected! The user knew something! I trusted you, damn it!”

“Wow! Where did you even know that? I was so confused!”

Gobori and Rose cheered.

What was going on?

I was dumbfounded.

All I wanted was to give the Orc a dignified death.

Yet, I’d somehow triggered an unexpected achievement.