Orc.
In Zion’s world, where even a horde of Goblins is a deadly threat, Orcs are treated as walking disasters. Â
There are hardly any reports of monsters stronger than them, so they feel almost unreal, but Orcs frequently appear all over the place—rumors circulate every year about how they’ve half-ruined fortresses multiple times, caused dozens of casualties, and were barely subdued.
‘They really are strong.’
Facing one directly exceeded all expectations.
Its size looked at least twice Zion’s, and its forearms, almost as thick as Zion’s torso, seemed capable of snapping a giant tree with a single blow.
But…
‘Compared to Cocatrice, it’s nothing.’
Zion struck first.
The newly learned ‘Taunt’ had a short duration and weak effect.
Before the enemy’s attention could shift to the rear, Zion had to secure a sure kill.
” GRAAAH! “
The moment the blade sliced across its neck, the beast roared and swung its hand violently.
Calmly creating distance, Zion frowned slightly.
The ambush was successful, but the wound was shallow.
Its toughness was such that a simple self-defense dagger barely managed to cut deeply.
‘If I’m not careful, the blade will break.’
” KAAAH! “
Hesitating for a moment, Zion saw the Orc attack.
A rough swing of thick arms.
It seemed brute force at first glance, but the trajectory was difficult to evade, aimed precisely at his head.
Boldly, Zion slipped inward and parried the attack with his forearm.
His sleeve tore explosively, and the impact stung, but there was no bleeding or broken bones.
Zion aimed the dagger at the gap between the Orc’s ribs on its left chest and stabbed.
The blade sank halfway but stopped, caught in the muscle.
Zion kicked the hilt sharply to drive it deeper, then used the recoil to retreat.
” GURRK…!! ”
The Orc, with the dagger buried so deep that only the hilt was visible, glared fiercely at Zion with a twisted face.
Orcs have a simple digestive system but possess two hearts and three lungs.
If one heart is destroyed, their strength weakens somewhat, but they become extremely ferocious.
Moreover, they relentlessly pursue the opponent who destroyed one heart until death.
‘This is the real problem now.’
Having lost his weapon, Zion’s only remaining offensive was the magic he had learned.
Waiting for the bleeding to finish was risky because the dagger was stuck too well.
Conversely, the wound was clotted, so how long it would take was unknown.
[Perfect timing. Zion, let’s do this.]
Amidst all this, Frey’s calm voice interrupted.
Zion, carefully evading attacks while thinking of a plan, scowled.
‘What do you mean by that all of a sudden?’
[Catch an Orc with bare hands.]
Zion froze on the spot at the unimaginable suggestion.
He barely managed to block a fist coming at him like it wanted to crush his skull, then retorted in disbelief.
‘That’s nonsense…’
[Nonsense? You just blocked it barehanded, didn’t you? The punch of an Orc with one heart destroyed and enraged.]
‘Huh?’
Come to think of it, that was true.
His two palms that blocked it tingled but were only bruised.
” GURRRGH! “
[Aww, no time to talk calmly. Zion, kick it!]
“Ah, whatever!” Frustrated, Zion reacted instinctively.
A razor-sharp sidekick flew out like a painting and struck the Orc’s belly.
The Orc staggered back with a painful grunt.
[Oh, nice one, Boss!]
[As expected. He’s unconsciously using ‘Inner force’.]
Frey nodded knowingly as his eyes flickered gold.
He had activated the ‘Fiery Evil Eye’ and saw through the flow of MP centered on Zion.
‘Inner force? I don’t know how to do that.’
[Enough explanation. Just follow my instructions. Focus on the flow of MP—not the external MP, but the MP flowing inside your body.]
Without understanding why, Zion obeyed Frey.
Soon, he was surprised.
The MP that should have been still was circulating throughout his body against his will.
Yet it wasn’t completely uncontrollable; if he willed it, he could stop it.
[The inner force you’re using now is the very basic level anyone with some awakening experience can reach. Now, refine the MP flow in detail along your blood vessels… Wait, do you know human vascular anatomy? Without that, it’s useless.]
‘I know that. I learned it in dissection class from my Instructor.’
[That makes it easier to teach. Try to synchronize the MP flow inside your body as much as possible with your bloodstream. Don’t strive for perfection—just reach the limit you can control right now.]
It was an absurdly difficult command.
The Orc, of course, would not quietly watch Zion control his internal MP while attacking.
Naturally, the fight dragged on.
Zion was dying trying to parry its attacks while precisely controlling his MP.
“Captain, I must be dreaming right now.”
To outsiders unaware of the situation, the scene looked very different.
“How can a human fight an Orc barehanded? That’s impossible.”
“Miss, this is no time for denial. Our lives depend on this boy.”
Even unarmed and at a disadvantage, Zion’s unwavering noble spirit never retreated.
The captain had never been more ashamed of herself.
She wanted to help even a little, but feared getting in Zion’s way, unable to move.
The battle was on a far higher level than she could comprehend.
‘Humans… can become this strong.’
Yuria’s feelings were different.
‘That fragile boy can become this strong with effort.’
Unconsciously, Yuria clenched her fists.
The sight stirred a long-buried emotion within her.
A small, faint flame that she thought was nothing but ashes ignited anew.
“Got it…!” Suddenly, Zion shouted brightly.
At the same time, his movements changed dramatically.
He was able to somewhat grasp Frey’s demanding technique.
“Whaaaat is this?! I’m bursting with power!”
[Well done. Now give that bastard one last blow!]
“Hup!”
The Orc’s attacks remained fast and powerful but no longer threatening.
Their fists collided with a loud crash, shaking the ground.
The Orc screamed as its hand bones shattered.
Zion showed no mercy.
Sliding in, he grabbed the protruding dagger hilt in its chest and sliced wildly to the other side.
The blade broke halfway, but with both hearts destroyed and the chest gaping open, the Orc collapsed to its knees, bleeding like a waterfall.
‘An Orc defeated this easily…’
Watching the dying Orc, Zion murmured with deep emotion.
[You’ve grown strong, Zion. You’re equal to me or even stronger.]
‘What?! Stronger than Uncle?’
[I’m joking.]
With an indescribable deflation, the Orc died.
After confirming the corpse had withered like an old tree, Zion turned around, relieved.
The workers preparing to flee and the mercenaries who had been hesitating about when to intervene all flinched simultaneously and stepped back as if on cue.
‘Why are they acting like that?’ Puzzled by their strange reaction, Zion tilted his head.
[Ahahaha!] Arcs burst into laughter as if Zion was adorable.
Frey scratched the back of his head and said nonchalantly, [Was that a bit much?]
***
The noisy night passed, and the sun rose again.
Unlike the previous day, Zion sat alone in the carriage number 2, which he was originally supposed to take.
Yuria had clung to Zion all day, eager to hear every little detail of his life, but the servants accompanying her were not like that.
Seeing them flinch and look fearful whenever Zion appeared, she swallowed tears and sent Zion off to carriage number 2.
[There were many things we’ve been putting off, so maybe it’s for the best. Let’s go over them now.]
Frey wanted to use this quiet moment to clear up lingering questions.
“Where’s Arcs? Why are you alone?”
[She went home. She made a fuss about how all-nighters are bad for the skin.]
Zion nodded helplessly.
After all, Arcs was only a guest at Frey’s house.
[She said she’ll come back soon, packed her things, and is determined to succeed next time despite yesterday’s failure due to lack of equipment.]
“So she’s coming back.”
[In a way, you could say she’s your aunt. She adored Naia. You’ll see her often. Well, nobody here didn’t cherish Naia.]
Recalling the past, Frey chuckled before finally getting to the point.
[First, about your inner force—more precisely, that clumsy inner force you used. It’s a difficult skill to awaken alone without a teacher. The idea of synchronizing MP flow with blood circulation is unexpected. Yet you were doing it unconsciously.]
“But I only learned the concept of inner force and that MP circulates like that yesterday.”
[Exactly. That’s the problem. Some unknown force is controlling your MP arbitrarily, which is really dangerous…]
[*This explanation will be replaced by the device.*]
At that moment, the Pendant trembled lightly, and a message box appeared before their eyes.
[*The phenomenon Apocalypse mentioned is part of the user-assist functions built into this device. Since its safety has been verified, there is no possibility of the concerns Apocalypse raised occurring.*]
[What nonsense is this?] Frey scowled skeptically.
Zion, knowing nothing, stayed silent.
[That feature didn’t originally exist and is harmless? Wait, why’s the tone like that? It used to be way ruder…]
Suddenly, the Pendant trembled violently, and another message popped up before Frey.
[*If thoughtless remarks continue, this device will permanently blacklist Apocalypse.*]
[*This is a justified decision based on the device’s autonomous defense function.*]
[*If Apocalypse does not wish to be blacklisted, refrain from mentioning such topics again.*]
The message, practically a threat, left Frey speechless.
Zion’s bewildered expression made it clear the messages were visible only to Frey.
So, this Pendant was selective, affectionate only to its owner but rude to others!
‘Wow, I really can’t believe this. I’m so shocked, I just don’t care anymore.’
[*Wise decision.*]
[That’s sarcasm, you piece of junk!]
Frey’s sudden shout startled only Zion, who was innocent in this.
Frey sighed and shook his head.
Since the Pendant controlled communication with Zion, making an enemy of it would be a bad move.
He had no choice but to endure it until Arcs found a solution.
[Alright, let’s drop the inner force talk here. Phew. It’s all Naia’s fault for meddling with the Pendant without permission.]
“My mother surely modified the Pendant with good intentions. Thanks to that, I could easily learn the secret art of inner force, right?”
Though that wasn’t the real issue, Frey simply kept silent.
Zion, despite appearances, was stubborn, especially when it came to Naia.
[*The master is correct. Almighty has always acted with good intentions and achieved the best outcomes as a wonderful user.*]
[The Pendant really knows its stuff! Damn it. Yeah, you’re all right.]
Frey suddenly missed Arcs, who had left early in the morning.
If she were here, he probably wouldn’t be getting beaten 2 to 1 like this.
[Anyway! Enough about inner force and Naia. Zion, didn’t you say you had a teacher before?]
“Now that you mention it, I haven’t told you. I had one Instructor in my childhood. From age nine, as you know, I wasn’t in a position to receive proper education.”
[I see. Childhood, huh… Childhood? You mean there’s a mad teacher who teaches dissection class to a kid with barely dried blood in his head?]
“Wait a moment. Even if he’s my uncle, I won’t tolerate badmouthing my Instructor. Cancel that immediately.”
[Huh? No, um… Sorry. Wait, why am I apologizing?]
Pressed by Zion’s determination, Frey apologized confusedly.
Yet Zion’s usual gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by a stern expression.
“My Instructor does not make mistakes or errors.”
An unexpected boast about his teacher began.
He was a living High Elf who had lived thousands of years, possessed profound wisdom and formidable power beyond human reach, and thanks to a long relationship with the House of Aleph, Zion was able to study under him.
The training was harsh but fulfilling, and so on.
Frey could only nod uneasily at this completely different Zion.
“The reason I’m alive until now is half thanks to my mother, and half thanks to my Instructor. My mother taught me conviction; my Instructor taught me strength and skill.”
That made the Instructor sound like a great person, but in reality, the High Elf had subjected young Zion to harsh training—what Frey, born on Earth, saw as child abuse.
‘But since he accepts it, it’s strange for me to say anything. The childhood training doesn’t seem to have negatively affected his personality.’
Frey ultimately postponed judgment.
[I want to see that Instructor’s face someday.]
“I’m thinking of visiting him during my travels, focusing on ‘getting stronger’ as my goal.”
Suddenly stopping mid-sentence, Zion straightened up.
Someone on horseback was approaching.
Judging by their posture, it was very likely a woman, and among the group, only one would personally seek out Zion.
“Hello? I was worried you’d be lonely, so I came to see you for a bit.”
Yuria peeked in by lifting the tent flap.
Zion welcomed her with a smile.
“It’s nice to finally relax and enjoy the journey.”
“Really? Then you don’t need someone to talk to?”
“I appreciate it.”
Yuria smoothly jumped from the horse into the carriage.
Her movements were sleek and flawless like a cat’s.
Zion admired her silently.
She hadn’t received special training—so it must have been natural talent.
“Um… I have a favor to ask.” Hesitant, Yuria began.
“I know it’s shameless, but you’re the only one I can ask…” She bowed deeply.
“Please, even just a little, teach me how to get stronger.”