novelDancing with an Orc
| ← Ch.013 | Ch.015 → |
"... Yikes, look at me being all distracted."
I got the feeling I knew why people got addicted to voyeurism. The muscular Orc's technique wasn't anything to joke about. What lay before me was the volcanic eruption of sexual frustration of a male-only race, namely Orcs. The moans and cries of the cowering Elf added an extra level of intensity to it all, to the extent that I felt sorry about interfering, but...
Crash-!
I slashed through the logs of the cabin and charged in. Now, while the Orc chieftain was unarmed and focused on the Elf's buttocks, was the perfect opportunity to assassinate it.
"KuKu-?!"
The startled face of a black pig greeted me. However, the Orc chieftain's Level of 387 wasn't for show. Just as Alex had the other day, the Orc's response was extremely fast due to its superior physique despite having noticed late the surprise attack—it grabbed the iron sword which had been placed nearby and swung it at me.
Slash-
However, there wasn't so much as the clashing noise of metals. This was the difference from the time with Alex.
Elemental Sword Endymion was on a different league compared to a 0. 3mm mechanical pencil. To compare them was blasphemy in of itself.
Splatter-!
The Orc chieftain's green blood dyed the inside of the cabin, but I didn't stop—the wound was shallow. I didn't feel the blade cut bone.
Elemental Sword Endymion's cutting ability was outstanding without a doubt, but it wasn't to the extent of being able to cut a Level 387 Orc's bone like air.
"GuGu!"
"VuVu!"
The other Orcs, surprised by the sound of a pig being murdered in the cabin, came rushing over. I had wanted to deal with the matter quietly, but I wasn't able to exhibit the skill at my prime which had been perfect enough as to massacre my companions in one breath in the 1st Playthrough.
Low Skill ranks, Level, physical ability, equipment... The reason for my failure was rather mixed. The need to grow stronger than I was now grew ever more pressing.
"Become my EXP!"
I ignored the Orcs coming at me from behind. A Level 300 Sorcerer's attack was somewhat threatening, but it couldn't be compared to the chieftain who could recover from its wounds in no time. I kept my eyes fixed on the Orc before me.
Grip.
Taking one heavy step forward with my right foot while pressing down on the big toe, at the same time I threw out my right arm and stabbed Endymion at my opponent's heart.
"TuTu...!"
The Orc chieftain retreated in an attempt to dodge, but ended up tripping over with a crash. Unsightly though it may have been, it had certainly managed to evade my decisive stab.
'But what are you gonna do next?'
Someone who had fallen down couldn't do anything.
"Kyak?!"
Correction: there was one thing.
The Orc chieftain grabbed the slender ankle of the Elf whom it had been sharing intimacy with and pulled her before itself. Having seen through its simple thoughts, a wry smile escaped my lips.
"Taking a hostage?"
"FuFu."
Humans and Elves were hardly different appearance-wise. The majority of Elves could be easily distinguished by the shape of their ears, but Orcs distinguished between the two races by their sense of smell. But here was where the misunderstanding lay: I didn't smell like a human as I had covered myself in Orc blood. The pretty Elf's body odor unique to her race had also become faint after having skinship with an Orc.
In short, the Orc thought the Elf and I were kin. Still, it knew how to use its head pretty well for an Orc.
Prrk-
But that was all it was capable of.
Elemental Sword Endymion's sharp sword point pierced the elegant chest of the Elf, digging deeply through the bruise and wound-covered skin.
Prrk-!
And penetrating through her back, the sword impaled the Orc behind her as well.
"Gu...?"
Sword lodged in its throat, the Orc chieftain looked at me with eyes full of puzzlement. Apparently, it had previously had some fun with this method. However...
"Hostages don't work against me."
Any ties in this fantasy world was no different than dirt to me. I wasn't curious in something like the circumstances of an Elf who ended up in an Orc colony.
"Th-, thank y-..."
The Elf thanked me right before she breathed her last. It seemed her partner hadn't at all been to her liking.
I was a little thankful to her too.
?Race: Elf
?Level: 892
?Job: Tamer(Taming→EXP↑)
?Skills: Breeding(S) Taming(A) Empathy(B) Foraging(C) Elementalism(D)...
?Status: Cursed, Sprained, Fatigued
The Levels of the Elves I was coming across these days were all formidable. And they gave loads of EXP.
Around this time in the 1st Playthrough, I had gotten a savage beating from Alex and was spiritlessly going about the royal palace, not even aware that precious chunks of EXP were leaving the world even then.
This is why information is important.
'Was it just a coincidence?'
This Tamer was somehow similar to the Elf I had kissed back in the black market. Pretty Elf, around Level 800, cursed by a demon. There were a whole three commonalities between now and then. Although I had poked my nose into all kinds of places in the 1st Playthrough, I didn't have information regarding these kinds of characters who died early.
"Hm... well, whatever."
I had still busted the Demon King's ass well enough even without knowing. Then it's fine, isn't it? Digging into secrets would only get me involved in troublesome matters and have my time stolen.
My adventure was all that mattered.
"Yali yali yalasung, yalali yala~??"
Just like the refrain of this song.
"YuYu?"
"Orky, have you heard of the Song of Cheongsan?"
"Yu...?"
"How ignorant!"
I had killed a Level 387 Orc chieftain and a Level 892 Elf Tamer, and my Level had once again begun to rise like mad. It was no problem even if several Orcs jumped me.
First, the Level 296 Sorcerer.
"KuKu?!"
I directly took on the ball of fire blasted at me from close quarters by the sorcerer with my body, continuing to charge onwards, and collected a pig's head as compensation for the burn.
Thud...!
It sure rolled refreshingly.
"Come at me, friends."
"QuQu!"
"KuKu!"
I had originally planned to end this matter with an assassination, cautiously, but that became unnecessary after I hit the lottery (Level 892 Elf). I had better quickly deal with this Orc colony and move on to the next stage.
"... I feel like I'm forgetting something. Ah!"
I remembered what it was.
"Hero-nim~!"
"Please save us~!"
The muppets, who had been surrounded by Orcs, were still hanging in there. Putting aside companion no. 1 Lanuvel, it came as a big surprise that Porter was still alive despite him dragging his feet. I didn't dislike that spirit of his, however.
"What a fuss. Wait a little."
I used Endymion to counter the pincer attack of three Orc champions around Level 200. It wasn't an exchange of blows which involved amazing skill.
You take a blow, I'll take one too!
But while I was fine, the Orc champions lost their heads one after another. I could feel myself growing stronger with each passing moment.
I had a good momentum going.
"Hero-nim~!"
Ignoring Lanuvel who was coquettishly calling out for help, I decided to first save Porter who was unyieldingly enduring with a spear in hand. Moving towards the group of Orcs surrounding him, I ignored their crude spears and blades and dived in.
"KuKu~?!"
"CuCu~?!"
The Orcs standing in my way collapsed row after row like bowling pins. I felt as if I had returned to my prime just a little, though the average Level of the bowling pins were a tenth of what I faced back then.
But this was enough for me right now.
"Thank you. I survived because of you, Hero-nim. Pant, pant..."
"... Porter."
"Yes?"
"Why did you hang in there so tenaciously?"
It wouldn't be strange for Porter to die this instant in his current shape. He had followed my rash order to charge into a colony of 5 thousand Orcs without complaint, and had even endured like an honest fool, not fleeing until I came.
I couldn't understand why.
"Hero-nim is the one who freed me from the shackles of a slave. My life was yours from that moment on."
"... That's all?"
"Does there need to be more reasons? Urghh... I can't take it anymore now that the tension's left me. I am sorry. I will rest for a little."
That said, Porter threw himself onto the ground and with his mouth wide open, not caring whether dust got in or not, he soon fell asleep. He even started to snore.
I couldn't help but to smile wryly. Acting like that even though Orcs were swarming about us.
"... A real funny one you are."
There were certain words I had wanted to hear from Fairy Queen Syvila, but never had I expected to suddenly hear them from Porter whom I had been treating like air.
This party... might not be bad...
"Hero-nim~! My mana reserve's all empty~!"
"..."
'Nope. The power of friendship is annoying after all. '
*
*
*
Hunting down 5 thousand Orcs also took work. Even if you were to kill one per second, it would take a whole 84 minutes to finish. 28 minutes if the work was shared among three by the power of friendship.
However, I quickly massacred the lot of them almost by myself. It would have taken even less time had the Orcs not scattered out of fright.
"KuKu~!"
The last Orc fell down in an unsightly manner.
It would have been convenient if they had attacked me with burning vengeance, like Elves who were all about amity would have done, but Orcs didn't even have the least bit of loyalty in their bones—the moment they judged there to be no chance of victory, they would run without even looking back. It was the natural course of action seeing as they had no family to protect.
Gurgle-gurgle...
The corpses of the Orcs melted and sank into the ground, one after another. This was what happened when a monster born of the power of nature lost its strength and returned to nature. There was only one case when their corpses remained, and that was when they died of natural causes and didn't become EXP.
As for the Elf from before?
"She's good magic material."
Leaving her body to rot just like this or to become feed for wild animals would be disrespecting the dead. She would also be satisfied and be able to rest in peace if her body was converted into funds to keep up appearances for the great Hero who would save humanity.
"Excuse me, Hero-nim? You weren't going to bury her?"
It seemed Lanuvel was speaking in tongues.
"Why should I?"
"Because the dead Elf is pitiful."
Porter, who had woken up before I knew it, nodded as if in agreement. As I took the pure-white cloth which had been covering Endymion and used it to wrap the Elf's corpse like you would a mummy, I replied, "I'll say. I'm going to use her body for the greater good because I feel sorry for her. And Lanuvel. You seem to be greatly misunderstanding something, but I'm the righteous Hero. I wouldn't do something like cutting up a woman to sell her."
"Huh?"
"What's with that surprised look on your face?"
"Well that's because..."
Lanuvel left her words unfinished, glancing about our surroundings.
"Hey. Are Orcs and Elves the same? You two take the Elf's corpse and return to the village, and contact Prince Nasus. Do that and an undertaker will come with payment for the body."
"Ah!"
"I expected no less of you, Hero-nim!"
Money was one thing, but this also made for a good excuse to get these muppets off my back. If they dragged their feet like this with Orcs as opponents, it would be utterly inconceivable for them to go up against a dragon; thus, this was a good thing for everybody.
"Hero-nim! You can't run off on your own!"
"We'll be waiting at the village!"
Lanuvel and Porter had employed the power of friendship to their heart's content at the Orc colony, and vented their frustrations. The two carried the Elf's corpse and made their way back as if fleeing. Seeing their retreating figures, truthfully, I felt a little worried.
"It's best they don't bother Master Mollang, but..."
The reason behind this was that if you bothered Master Mollang too much, it would bite you even as it wobbled. Its bite was more painful than you would think, and even I really didn't know how it bit with that jelly-like body.
In any case, I turned around with a light heart. It was now time to go assassinate the drag-...
?Weary: Did I not say I would come without notice?
'Oh my! My respected Professor Morals, so you've come.
'There have been no problems so far. '
?Lecture: No! Regretfully there is one! Do you not think you had perhaps given up on the poor Elf's life too easily? So long as there is life, there is hope. Life is said to be a journey towards death, but by no means does it mean you should give up so simply.
'That's a huge misunderstanding, sir. '
I had never given up on the Elf I came across at the Orc colony.
Level 892. How could I give up on this? The very moment I saw that woman who was pressed beneath the excited black pig, I felt a strong tug of destiny in my heart. I saw the bright future where we would soon become as one.
And that's how it actually went as well. She had become good EXP for me.
?Headache: It is said that those stubborn of heart will fall into unhappiness. One who does not seek happiness on their own cannot enjoy it. Try treating new bonds with care. You will be able to find a happiness that you did not know before.
"New bonds, huh..."
'This is difficult. I should take down the dragon first and think later!
'I think I'll become happy that way. '
?Race: Chaos Dragon
?Level: 999+
?Job: Supreme Ruler(Conquest→Battle Spirit↑)
?Skills: Chaos(SS) Destruction(SS) Oblivion(SS) Battle Spirit(S) Deadly Venom(S)...
?Status: Drowsy, Muddled, Twilight
"... Hm."
"Chao...?"
"Pardon the intrusion."
I had followed the correct address to the young dragon's nest, and a pitch-black flying lizard was peacefully lying down in a fairly large pit that was shaped like the vent of a volcano.
Only...
"Chaoooooo—!!"
"Goddamn."
It turned out that the nest owner hadn't changed yet.
Translator: Hunnybuttachips
Editor: Fujimaru
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