6kv Chapter 63: Is this truly a situation I despise?
Chapter 63: Is this truly a situation I despise?
Chapter 63: Is this truly a situation I despise?
CRASH!
Ugh!
Yoo Seong-ju was flung back to where he'd come from with great force, crashing into the front gate pillar of the kindergarten. Part of the stone wall at the main entrance was shattered.
Kyaaaak!
Euaaang! Aaang!
The screams of the kindergarten teachers and the crying of the children filled the narrow playground. The noise was enough to induce dizziness.
Did I hit my head? Is my skull ringing? Ugh! I feel dizzy.
The orcs turned their attention to the children.
Sensing the danger, Yoo Seong-ju, even before steadying his shaky vision, got up and shouted.
You thick-skulled pigs! This way, over here!Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only
Though they couldn't understand his words, the orcs seemed to comprehend Yoo Seong-ju's insults.
The irked orcs turned their gaze. Standing before them was the feather-adorned orc who had sent Yoo Seong-ju flying earlier.
First, Yoo Seong-ju, who had caught the orcs' attention, yelled at the people.
Take the children and escape inside! Quickly!
Despite the chaos, the kindergarten teachers pushed the children's backs and evacuated into the building. Some children with wobbly legs ran, holding the sides of the adults.
The orcs did not pursue them. To orcs, natural-born Hunters, they looked like rats scurrying into a hole.
Yoo Seong-ju knew this too but had no other choice. Scattering in all directions would only provoke the orcs, and unexpected casualties were bound to happen. It was better to gather in one place and hold out until help arrived.
I've bought some time at least. Whether Hunter support arrives in time is the key.
He gripped his shield tightly, extending his sword above it, threatening the approaching orcs.
The feather-adorned orc spread its arms, and the rest of the orcs stopped. Carrying an axe on its shoulder, it approached Yoo Seong-ju and suddenly swung it down.
WOOSH!
The sound of the shield bending under the blow echoed. With the uncharacteristic force of an orc, Yoo Seong-ju was forced to one knee. In his unsteady position, he struck back, swinging his sword from beneath his shield.
He aimed for the orc's ankle, intending to reduce its mobility and power, but the orc easily avoided the attack by lifting its foot.
I thought orcs were stupid creatures that only knew how to swing their axes?
Staring in astonishment at this opponent, who moved more skillfully than the orcs he had faced before, Yoo Seong-ju hurled his body to the side. The axe crashed into the spot where he had been, pursuing him like a hammer striking the ground. He rolled around wildly to escape its range, not even sure how many turns he took.
The feather-adorned orc stopped pursuing and laughed into thin air, clearly mocking him.
Damn it! Since when were orcs this strong? Isn't this cheating?
The feather-adorned orc sent a signal to its subordinates, who turned away from Yoo Seong-ju, no longer interested. Yoo Seong-ju's confidence that he could face them alone was apparent.
The orcs were trying to enter the building, and Yoo Seong-ju's heart raced with urgency.
He thrust forward with his shield, charging with all his might. The orc twisted its body like a bullfighter to evade the attack, then aimed its axe at his waist.
Yoo Seong-ju tensed his legs and activated his charging skill, although a little too late. As acceleration took hold of his body, the background seemed to push backward, and the axe sliced through thin air, missing its target.
Yoo Seong-ju swiftly leaped into the midst of the orcs, clashing his sword against his shield as he used a skill.
Howling invasion!
Kiiiiing!
A tank's unique skill designed to agitate the monsters wild nature and draw their aggro was activated.
The orcs within the range of the skill all turned their heads towards Yoo Seong-ju.
Where do you think you're going?! We should play a bit more!
Yoo Seong-ju gritted his teeth, determined. However, a familiar shriek shattered the atmosphere.
Kyaaaak!
Kim Su-jeong tumbled through the front gate.
I didnt mean to play with you, Sister.
What nonsense are you talking about? Ah, it hurts.
Kim Su-jeong staggered back, rubbing her tingling arms. Yoo Seong-ju's anger flared when he saw the orcs following her in.
Why did you bring more orcs?!
They're not orcs, you idiot! They're more like ogre cousins! Dumb, but strong......
Kim Su-jeong joined Yoo Seong-ju, and they stood with their backs to each other. They were surrounded, but both were calm.
It's been a while since we've had to exert ourselves.
Kim Su-jeong shook out her left arm. Metal began to spread from the wrist of her mana-filled gauntlet.
The metal soon enveloped her forearm and transformed into a slender hexagonal small shield.
Are we going with two tanks instead of targeting the dealer?
Its not like we have any other options. We can't beat them just by ourselves.
I hope someone arrives soon from Iron Will.
Let's pray we dont die first.
If necessary, be prepared to run.
Kim Su-jeong couldn't bring herself to respond.
"I am Yoo Seong-ju."
"Are you freelance Hunters?"
"Yes, yes."
"There might be a post-incident report. Could you explain the situation at our guild?"
"Ah, yes. That's fine. I will cooperate if it's about hunting monsters."
"Thank you."
"Could I meet Guild Master Ju Se-ah?"
Kim Su-jeong asked with twinkling eyes.
Ju Se-ah was a female Hunter that many looked up to. Her anticipation was natural.
"I'm not sure. As far as I know, the Guild Master is at the headquarters. You might get to see the Guild Leader though."
Kim Su-jeong bowed her head in disappointment, but Yoo Seong-ju secretly clenched his fist.
'The Guild Leader is the real power in the Iron Will Guild. If things go well, I might get some benefits when developing a hunting ground?'
"The orc was quick to judge. Seeing the continually joining Hunters, it probably thought more would join. It's just a guess, though."
Kang Mu-hyuk stared intently at the Pocheon map on the screen, listening to Lee Jin-joo's report.
'Where could it be hiding?'
Late-arriving Hunters had searched Cheongseong Mountain, but the orc was nowhere to be found.
Just like at the barn, even its tracks had disappeared. It was strange, considering there shouldn't have been enough time to erase them.
The only plausible speculation was that the orc possessed a unique skill or item to erase its tracks.
The evolution stage must have significantly progressed.
"Considering there were several, not catching even one is a problem, right? Despite being B-rank. How did Hunter Baek Seong-bin, whom you tested directly, perform?"
"Your battle sense, bold use of Healing Factor, and tactical movement were all splendid. However, as in this case, there is the drawback of impulsively acting in situations where monsters threaten people. Even considering that, I don't think your skills are lacking to the point where you'd let an orc slip away so easily."
"But the failure of the hunt was because the orcs' rank was higher than expected."
"The more they band together, the more troublesome they are. At that level, there's a high chance that they're forming a large tribe somewhere."
Suddenly, he was reminded of the time with the goblin tribe.
The large tribe solidly united under the rare species known as the Goblin Matriarch.
At that time, though threatening, he had not considered them to be at an unbeatable level.
'But the Matriarch's summoning was dangerous. Enough to make even the Guild Master prepare for death.'
Although he had been hiding it from other guild members, Kang Mu-hyuk had not forgotten the existence of the Matriarch for a moment.
Therefore, he had significant concerns about the unprecedented evolution of the orc tribe.
"For now, the Guild Master is handling the search for the orc tribe."
"Ah? So that's why the Guild Master stayed in North Pocheon. No wonder, even though she said she would also evaluate the new members' tactical execution, I wondered why she didn't come to see it herself."
"While the Guild Master is struggling, we must produce results. Let's recheck the geography of Cheongseong Mountain and increase the search force. There's nothing caught on nearby CCTV yet, so they must be hiding somewhere."
Kang Mu-hyuk turned his eyes back to the map.
'I have a feeling this won't be easy.'
Ju Se-ah was roaming the area of North Pocheon alone. It was because of Kang Mu-hyuk's special request.
'A tribe-type monster that evolved rapidly. A very tricky situation indeed. Hmm, trauma from the Matriarch's time? Guild Leader Kang seems to be overly concerned.'
Of course, she hadn't forgotten about the Goblin Matriarch either. Rather, she was under more stress than Kang Mu-hyuk. Even now, when she closed her eyes at night, she would encounter the beings summoned by the Matriarch in her nightmares.
Despite that, Ju Se-ah believed that what had happened during the Matriarch's time wouldn't repeat itself this time.
Orcs have nothing to do with summoning. Even if they have evolved, they're monsters completely inept at magic.
With some pointless self-talk to change the gloomy atmosphere, Ju Se-ah set out again to search but couldn't find any trace of the orcs.
'It's strange. If there's an orc tribe, there should be some sign of them. I don't even see a single orc snout.'
The southern road, which she patrolled daily, and its surroundings were obviously devoid of them, and there was no trace in the western areas she occasionally checked due to lack of personnel either.
The southwest, excluding a part of the low mountain, was mostly flat, so there wasn't a suitable hiding place for a monster tribe.
So, the remaining options were the east and northeast where the mountains continued. These areas were rugged but not wide enough for a large tribe to settle.
"Are they not in North Pocheon in the first place?"
Ju Se-ah blurted out the words, then flinched and touched her mouth.
She was reminded of the area beyond the boundary of North Pocheon to the north.
Cheolwon County.
In the early days of the Gate era, it was a land abandoned in chaos.
Even the monsters were reluctant to approach the place, due to the tens of thousands of landmines that had been scattered to stop the monsters coming down from the collapsed North Korea.
"If they are there..."
If the orc tribe had survived there for a long time
"Wouldn't that lead to a really unpleasant situation?"
Ju Se-ah somehow had a bad feeling about it.