Chapter 156 – Mountain Smasher (2)
'Mountain Smasher' Kumarak was a legendary orc with many stories about him. The most famous story was that he smashed a whole mountain into a flat land in order to hunt a greatworm. The greatworm was a creature who emerged from the ground when it vibrated and freely swallowed its prey.
It had an earthworm-like appearance, but scholars considered it powerful enough to be treated as a dragon. On the western side of the continent, there was an old and infamous greatworm that had long been mentioned in the history books.
Kumarak, who had been exploring the west, was very angry when the infamous greatworm swallowed his companions and he figured out that its home was a vast mountain nearby. He smashed at the mountain frantically, trying to destroy it.
Then the greatworm appeared from within.
The two engaged in a bloody battle. The greatworm fled in front of Kumarak's immense strength and endurance, and Kumarak kept digging at the mountain. Then the greatworm appeared again and again, with the two of them struggling in this manner for several months.
Mountain Smasher was certainly an exaggeration, but Kumarak eventually turned a big mountain into a hill in the period of a year and killed the great worm. He pulled the remains of his companions out of the greatworm's stomach and buried them.
Thus, he killed the hundreds of years old greatworm, which had been written down in history, and turned the mountain into a flat land where it was buried. Since then, Kumarak became someone who should never be touched.
That Kumarak was here. Indeed, it was a fearsome appearance. He seemed much bigger than Crockta, whose name was widely spread. They were suspicious if he was even an orc.
Kumarak stared at the knights and said, "Grung, go!"
“……!”
“I said it clearly. I will count to five. One, grung, two…!"
Kumarak grabbed the axe he carried on his back. The axe was much bigger than usual. They could feel how much of a monster Kumarak was just seeing him hold that weapon. In the end, all the knights retreated before Kumarak counted to five.
Camelot bowed his head and said, "Thank you."
He couldn't pronounce the words properly after being hit by the knight. His weeping wife approached Camelot and examined his wounds. His daughter also ran towards her mother and father.
"Grrr…."
Kumarak's expression was awkward as he looked at the scene. The tiger came up to Kumarak and stood next to him. Both of them were huge, so they looked like an ordinary orc and tiger when standing side by side.
"Tiger! Good job suddenly running here. Grrung…"
"Kuang!"
“I don't understand what you are saying."
"Kuaang!"
"Well, it is also the same for you. Grrung!"
Kumarak touched the sack tied to the tiger's neck.
“By the way, where is he?"
"Kuang?"
“He isn't here?"
The tiger shrugged. Kumarak smiled at the human gesture and patted the tiger.
“Let's handle these bastards first, Tiger! Grrung!"
"Kuaang!"
Kumarak turned around. There were still knights in the village. He could hear the screams of people in the distance. It was a strange sight for Kumarak. Human knights were attacking the same humans that they were made to protect. There were also humans attacking the knights. The humans were fighting among themselves. While there was the occasional dispute between the orcs, this was the first time Kumarak had ever seen the strong tormenting the weak.
“Let’s go, Tiger!”
Kumarak instantly ran out. As they moved away from Camelot into the village, humans who gave up resistance were being dragged. They were like slaves as they were tied together with ropes.
Slaves!
Flames surged in Kumarak's eyes. A scene without honor!
He lifted his axe.
"Bul'tarrrrrrrr──────!"
The roar shook the village. The knights covered their ears and looked around. They soon discovered the fierce face of a giant orc looking at them. He was holding an axe that was as big as an adult body.
“What are you doing, grrung!"
“……!”
“I asked, what are you doing in front of me?"
As Kumarak glared at his opponents with bloodthirsty eyes, the knights couldn't help stepping back. The knights couldn't move. Even the residents trembled under his pressure. The leader of the knights stepped forward and asked, “Who are you? We are acting in the name of the emperor."
This orc wasn't Crockta. Crockta used a greatsword and wore a red headband. This orc wielded an axe that was bigger than his head.
Kumarak cocked his head. "Emperor?"
"Yes."
The knight gained confidence.
This was the south, the land of the kingdom, and now the land of the empire. Even though there were some people like Crockta, people generally listened to the name of the emperor. The other species weren't united like the present empire. Compared to their loosely connected systems, the empire trained its army in a systematic manner. In other words, the empire was now the single strongest force on the continent and the emperor was at the height of this power. And they were knights of the emperor.
The knight raised his chin and said, “Don't meddle in our task. Once again, it is per the emperor's orders."
Kumarak asked, "The emperor?"
"That's right. The emperor!" The knight answered firmly.
Kumarak's axe lowered.
The knight grinned. This orc still had common sense. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't fight against the empire. Maybe he would become their ally. The emperor was gathering talent for a future plan. The orc was ugly but his combat power was excellent, so if the knight could persuade him and take him to the emperor…
Before he could finish the thought, Kumarak stomped his feet. The earth shook.
"I am──────!" Kumarak moved forward, his big shadow covering the knight. Kumarak's eyes were burning. "Kumarak──────!"
Kumarak reached out and grabbed the knight's neck. The knight struggled and grabbed his wrist, but Kumarak's strength was overwhelming. He raised the body of the knight. The other knights drew their swords and pointed them at Kumarak, but he didn't care.
"Say it again. Whose name?"
“E-E…cough…emperor…"
"I am Kumarak!" Kumarak threw the knight. He hit a group of knights. "I don't have an emperor. Grrung!"
Kumarak strode forward. His overwhelming atmosphere crushed the knights. His shoulders shook.
Kaaaang!
With the sound of steel colliding, one knight flew into the air. He had been hit by the axe.
"Emperor?"
Every time his arms shook, the knights fell one by one. The huge axe was moving at an unbelievable speed that they couldn't see. The terrified knights stepped back as Kumarak approached.
“You might call him the emperor but…" Kumarak pushed his face right up against a knight. The knight was terrified and kept shaking. “For me, he is just a human."
Kumarak kicked him. The knights didn't dare go against Kumarak. He looked at those who had fallen and said, “If you don't disappear right now, I will kill you. Grrung."
The scared knights hurriedly grabbed their weapons and withdrew. No hesitation was seen. They knew that if they stayed here further, they would die in Kumarak's hands. There was the sound of horseshoes as the knights ran away.
Kumarak and the tiger released the bound residents. They expressed their thanks to Kumarak. Kumarak looked terrifying, but he coughed awkwardly at the thanks from the residents.
"Grrung! I was just passing by! Grrung! There is no need for thanks!"
"Thank you very much. Kumarak!"
“Hooray Kumarak!"
"Grrung!"
As they were celebrating the defeat of the knights, a new group was seen in the distance.
“……!”
The boisterous sounds subsided. The residents became tense again. Dust was rising in the distance. Maybe the knights had called for more troops as reinforcements. Kumarak placed his axe on his shoulder. They came back despite being scared, maybe they brought a decent opponent this time.
“Kiyooooooo!" The one who appeared was a small gnome on horseback. "I am Tiyo dot! Where are those guys from the empire dot?"
A group of humans were riding towards the village, with Tiyo in the lead. They were the resistance formed in Espada. Tiyo and Anor had separated from Crockta, joining the resistance and fighting against the empire.
Tiyo's ability to freely change General to an array of weapons was overwhelming, causing him to quickly rise from a soldier to a leader.
"Hmm?" Dismay appeared in Tiyo's eyes as he saw an orc and tiger instead of knights. "What? I thought only Crockta was this ugly dot!"
Kumarak became furious. "What did you say? Grrung!"
“Ohh, you heard it very clearly dot!"
“This little kid gnome! Grrrung!"
“Ugly bastard dot!"
The two of them growled at each other as soon as they met. Tiyo shouted.
“Why do you keep going grrung dot? Are you imitating the tiger?"
"T-This!"
"So you can speak without sounding like a beast dot! Then stop grrrung!"
Kumarak glanced away, while the tip of his nose turned red. It was unexpectedly a complex.
“I have sinusitis…grrung! It isn't on purpose…! Grrung…!"
“Oh, I see… tsk tsk, you should maintain your health. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables dot. Have you eaten today?"
"Not yet…"
“That’s great dot. Residents! We have a lot of food! The fight seems to have been taken care of by this orc, so come eat! Kahat!"
Tiyo already grasped the situation. The residents had just been released from their ropes and this orc was like Crockta. Furthermore, there was a huge tiger. This orc must've defeated the knights and saved the village.
"I understand. We will prepare it." The residents decided to serve the orc Kumarak, who saved them. While they prepared the food, the tiger went and hunted two big bisons.
“Phew, now I can rest dot."
“I can finally sit for a bit. Phew. It is hard."
The resistance members rested in their seats. They had rushed here after saving another village.
"Hey Orc!"
“My name is Kumarak! Grrung!"
“Yes, Kumarak." Tiyo approached and patted the tiger sitting beside him. The tiger was quiet. “Do you know Crockta dot?"
“Crockta? We came to meet him! Grrung!"
“Ah! I am the man who ventured north with Crockta dot! We fought together against the crazy chieftain dot!"
“Where is he?"
“Right now we have separated dot. Why are you looking for Crockta?"
“Not me, this guy!"
Kumarak pointed to the tiger. The tiger had been dozing due to Tiyo's nice touch, and opened his eyes as he was abruptly mentioned.
"Kuang?" The tiger looked around in amazement. He looked somewhat dazed.
“The tiger seems a little lacking dot."
"…That's right. Grrung."
The tiger didn't see anything and started to doze off again. Tiyo climbed on top of it and rolled on the fluffy fur. Then he bumped into the bundle tied to the tiger's neck.
“Ouch! What is this dot?"
“It needs to be given to Crockta. Where is Crockta?"
“Crockta right now…"
***
Crockta was currently excited. He wielded his greatsword towards the knights. The body was split apart.
"Bul'tar!"
“Yare yare… my body is an infinite sword…? Kukuk…"
The 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' members joined him. Among them was a moderately cool person.
"My 'power' for attacking… stop it? Kukuk… come, eat 'despair'!"
“……!”
This person was passionate. He ignored Crockta and said to the enemies, “I am the the 'punishment' of the black death god…I will make you mortal men pay for these deaths…kukuk…!"
“……!”
The knights and Crockta were stunned. Crockta met Gilgamesh's eyes. They raised their thumbs towards each other.
"……"
"……"
The members of 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' were horrified.
Praise the Orc:
Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.
Chapter 157 – Evil Solidarity (1)
“Let's just fight."
"Yes."
The 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' members decided to stop listening. The battle continued. Those who headed to the south to meet Crockta, their battle power was above the average users. All of them were high-level users.
"Be careful!"
“I understand!”
In the past, it was almost impossible for users to fight against NPCs, but now they had surpassed them. Furthermore, their skills and abilities were growing quickly due to the achievement points event.
The knights outnumbered them, but the 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' members didn't step back. In particular, the actions of Gilgamesh were dazzling. He both mentally and physically attacked the enemies.
“Open your hearts! Death is only an uninvited guest for those who don't understand it. Since we were born, we have already received notice of its visit! Kukuk!"
“……!”
“You there! What is your name?"
The confused knight replied, “T-Taiger."
Gilgamesh used magic power, as he was a magic swordsman who gave up efficiency for power. He used his magic to produce dozens of magic swords in the air behind the enemy. The combination of 'Paired Sword Technique and 'Psychokinesis!'
As his accomplishments reached an essence beyond the limit, he gained a hidden class that no one had obtained before.
The 'Blade Shadowmage'!
"Taiger! Tomorrow, your friends will be having a conversation!"
"What conversation?"
He moved his hand and dozens of swords shot towards the enemy. Gilgamesh exclaimed, "Taiger?"
"Kkack!"
“He is dead!"
His swords pierced the body of Knight Taiger. Taiger looked like a hedgehog as he was penetrated by numerous swords.
Gilgamesh closed his eyes. “Freedom doesn't come back, but revenge does. Blame it on your reckless sword and your misplaced loyalty, Taiger."
It was a class that couldn't fight for a long time due to the consumption of strength, but his brilliant technique was effective in lowering enemy morale.
One knight spoke fearfully, “There isn't just one monster…!"
The man who was always persecuted because of his excessive speech, Gilgamesh! He was now called a monster by the NPC knights. The members of 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' felt unknown emotions as they watched Gilgamesh knock down the knights.
One member of 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' who hated Gilgamesh in particular, Shaq closed his eyes as he recalled the past. He was a user who condemned Gilgamesh more than anyone else. He spoke harshly about Gilgamesh being an otaku, but Gilgamesh wasn't shaken at all as he said confidently.
'Otaku!'
'Otaku? It simply means a mania that focuses on one thing. Shaq!'
‘It is dirty!'
‘…Kukuk, okay. Coming to see me at twilight while shedding tears. If you want a fight then I'll willingly oblige.'
Then what about now? Shaq suddenly looked at the sky.
It was just before the curtain of night covered the sky, as it shone red from the sun setting. As the glow from the western clouds grew, the clouds in the east were dark, as if night had already arrived. It was a beautiful twilight.
“…Gilgamesh, you were right."
Shaq muttered as he aimed a spear towards a knight behind him. The knight bounced back from the blow. He barely managed to get up while raising his sword. Shaq kicked him. The knight's helmet flew away and his face was revealed. Shaq's spear aimed for his head.
“Knight. Tell this to the king."
“H-His Majesty? Tell him what?"
Shaq laughed and replied, “To the 'great king', the grim reaper will perform his job brilliantly. Kukuk…!"
Then the spear struck. It was the end of the knight. Thanks to Crockta's overwhelming dance and the 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' members, the battle was now completely one-sided.
“My greatsword is a guillotine that separates the godless ones! Stick out your necks, prisoners!"
“Come on, sword dance! Swallow the blood of the wicked!”
“Do you like this spear? It is a gift!"
Due to the attacks and damage to their spirits, the knights lost their fighting spirit and started to flee. Crockta and his fan club members finished as the sun went down.
Shaq looked at the backs of the retreating knights and asked Crockta,
"Crockta. How is it?"
Crockta looked at them. The 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' members were laughing while covered in blood. They had won but they weren't in a perfect state. It was an appearance where the wounds kept increasing. Only the eyes gazing at Crockta were shining.
"Do you still not believe in our respect? Kukuk…!"
Shaq said with a smile. Gilgamesh scoffed from beside him and looked up at the distant sky.
Crockta replied, "Of course."
“Even though we fought so hard together? I am disappointed."
"I believe!" Crockta extended his fist and said, “I believe in my companions."
“……!”
Companions! They were recognized as Crockta's companions.
Crockta had first appeared in the video against the user hunters. He showed great skill in breaking through many enemies with his bold attacks. His words about honor caused many viewers to be thrilled. Then he was active in Arnin and Chesswood.
He always fought for the weak, and eventually became a hero who handled the northern invasion alone. But this man didn't get tired and was fighting again for peace in the south. At first, he was a weak orc struggling against three users.
When the video with the user hunters first appeared, the members of 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' would've been more powerful. However, now Crockta had become a man who could face an army alone.
The same amount of time had passed, but he had become completely different to them. It was an indomitable will. An act of faithfulness! Crockta was truly deserving of respect.
Now they were recognized as companions of such a man.
“C-Companion."
Gilgamesh was startled. His expression was touched. It was rare for him to let go of his concept. He soon restored his expression and looked at the distant sky.
“I have found a fellow reaper of death… you are truly a brave man, kukuk! I'll accept it for today."
Then he reached out and bumped fists with Crockta.
“Huhut."
"This is true."
Shaq and the other members of the fan club bumped fists with Crockta in turn.
***
Shaq, a member of 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy', ended his connection.
Shin Jahu was lost in the afterglow for a while after exiting the capsule. He closed his eyes on the couch and recalled the adventure he had last night.
He had gone to the south to meet Crockta and actually met him. He was much bigger and fiercer than he seemed in videos. He was riding a horse that looked pitiful. Just like Crockta's appearance, his actions were more than imagined.
He was more than someone from a video. Despite the users in the south refusing to get involved, he was fighting against the emperor with an indomitable will.
“If it wasn't for work…"
Anyway, he asked for understanding and ended the connection. It was because day was breaking. Koreans or people living in a similar country stopped their adventures for a while.
“There are many guests today~ but the salary is the same~ but it can't be ruined~." Shin Jahu sang a strange song while putting on his clothes. He felt unusually good because he had a wonderful experience. “Jajangmyeon~ sweet bean paste~ bruises~ tiger balm ointment~."
Shin Jahu was the chef at a Chinese restaurant.
He left home. His clothing revealed his burly body. Due to his hard work, his biceps and triceps were like a muscular bodybuilder.
“I wonder what that brat Gilgamesh is doing?"
Shin Jahu presumed Gilgamesh was Japanese or Korean because he was so influenced by Japanese culture. They weren't friends in reality, but he was suddenly concerned about Gilgamesh's social life.
It was the first time he worried about Gilgamesh.
“Is this the influence of Crockta?"
While Crockta was an NPC, he felt more like a person. Through Elder Lord, Shin Jahu started to change. He didn't think about Gilgamesh with his usual disdain.
“I should make him a bowl of jajangmyeon if we ever meet."
Shin Jahu headed for the bus stop. There was a stack of windows on the sidewalk, with more piled up on the street truck. He used it to check his face. Ah, he forgot to shave. His beard was growing. However, he didn't care.
“I am a real man~."
He sang while passing by the truck. This was no time to worry about it. There was a group booked today so he needed to hurry to work.
At that moment.
A passenger car slightly twisted and hit the side of the truck.
Kung!
It was a mild hit. The uncle in the car opened the door and ran out. His expression was troubled.
“Da~mn. Why is this parked here?"
The uncle scratched his head and examined the truck. There wasn't a big scratch. Rather, his car bumper was more damaged. The truck's driver was absent, so the uncle tried to see if there was a phone number.
"Geez, I can see you."
Shin Jahu chuckled at the sight. Then he suddenly discovered something strange. Due to the aftermath of the conflict, the straps securing the window weren't tied properly and they came loose.
"Oh my…"
He blocked his ears and prepared for it. The windows would soon break.
“Uncle, be careful…"
Sometimes when coincidences overlapped, they ran towards an inevitable tragedy.
"Uh…"
A little boy was walking past the truck. At that moment, the stacked windows were tilting.
The kid moved without knowing anything. The yellow hat indicated that he was from a kindergarten near Shin Jahu's apartment. The yellow bag across his shoulder was also from there. The name was Green Pine Kindergarten. If the boy's eyes were any larger, then he could be mistaken for a girl.
Many thoughts crossed Shin Jahu's mind as he saw the child. Was this a kaleidoscope? He could clearly see that the child had brown eyes and brown hair, while his legs were plump and at the awkward boundary between a toddler and a child.
The kid was staring at Shin Jahu with an innocent face mixed with laughter, not knowing the fate awaiting him. The kid’s body gradually got closer.
Shit.
Shin Jahu realized that he was running.
Shit, shit.
Why was he doing this? He saw the child's surprised face. It was a face frightened by the adult rushing towards him, without being aware of the windows pouring towards him from above.
There should at least be someone who praised his action. At that moment, someone's face popped up. Shin Jahu smiled while covering the boy's body. People normally recalled their past, their family or their loved ones during a moment of crisis. So why did he think about the orc raising his thumb in the game at this moment?
Praise the Orc:
Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.