Chapter 187 – New Slayer (2)
Geherad was in turmoil. The temple of the sun god, which could be called the reason for Geherad's existence, was on fire.
“Everybody evacuate!”
"What is going on?"
“Fire, fire!"
The first place to react was the worship room. The fire started at the altar that contained the last fire and started to spread throughout the temple. The worshipers shouted and ran away, along with the guards of the temple. The terrified blacksmiths also left the forge.
It was the same for the priest and Crockta's group in the archives. They rushed outside as the temple became hotter.
“What is this…?"
"Oh my god."
"The sun god!"
"Come this way!”
Those who evacuated to the outskirts stared at the temple with devastation. Crockta gazed at the temple. It seemed like the entire building was on fire. Nevertheless, the temple itself didn't combust. The whole temple felt like a melting fire pit but nothing was destroyed. Even the flags flying from the temple maintained their intact appearance. It maintained its intact appearance despite being surrounded by a red flame.
The priest muttered, "The sun will burn his enemy and wrap itself around his children. To those who don't believe in him, he is the plague of hell."
People looked at him.
“This is the power of the sun god. His flame is said to burn the enemies, while not harming those who weren't enemies."
"Ahh…"
“Is the sun god waking up? This is obviously his power."
“Perhaps finally…"
The huge temple was burning while maintaining its appearance. It was an unbelievable sight that couldn't be understood unless the power of a god were involved. People started to talk about the resurrection of the sun god.
Then someone said, “No, that isn’t the case.”
“Rastad?"
It was Rastad. There was an unknown expression on his face. It was both jubilant and bittersweet.
"That isn't the resurrection of the sun god."
"Huh?"
"It is the last forge."
Everyone staring blankly at him. Only the priest nodded like he understood, "I understand. It is the last forge."
“What do you mean?” Wasn't the last forge the place where we were?"
One blacksmith asked Rastad. Rastad shook his head.
“That is just a room next to the worship room. The true last forge is somewhere else, and it isn't a place we can use whenever we want. It is a legendary forge that appears when the last fire burns." Now there was a clear smile on his face. "There are three conditions necessary to truly use the last forge. It will appear when the world needs the last forge, when a worthy craftsman puts the iron into the furnace and…
He looked at Crockta, who flinched. Rastad smiled so widely that his canine teeth were revealed.
"When a warrior who deserves a weapon made in the last forge is met. The last forge will only appear then."
Rastad finished speaking and fell silent. It was a sight that he might never see again in his life.
At that moment. It started to rain.
Chiiiik!
Steam appeared as the fire around the temple and the rain met. The entire temple was covered in steam, making it not visible anymore. Consecutive scenes that were hard to believe appeared. Then they heard the sound of iron being hit.
Kaaang!
The sound became bigger.
Kaaang!
There was the blazing temple, pouring rain and hammering sound that rang out all over Geherad.
Kaaang!
***
After the divine message was received, public opinion wandered for a while but it gradually moved towards a conclusion. All temples followed the will of their gods and designated Crockta as an enemy to be destroyed.
“I never thought the day would come when all gods would whisper the same words." A man wearing steel armor said.
Duke Christian of the empire looked at him.
“It is a chance I never thought would come in my life. I am going."
The man standing in front of him was one of Christian's subordinates. He was an important talent, a person that Christian didn't spare any support for and was placed right below him. The strongest magician Mogsulin was one of his representatives.
It was the same for the man in front of him, a paladin chosen by the god of war. Using the god of war's blessing, Aklan wiped out all enemies in front of him. He welcomed this divine message more than anyone else. He wanted to get rid of Crockta and the orcs as soon as possible.
His determined eyes proved this.
"Hrmm, I see." Christian thought about it.
The deeply religious elves and dwarves were already preparing to march. It was a divine message so volunteer troops gathered together. Those who knew how to fight, the soldiers and those who wanted to win gathered together. It wasn't just due to the divine message but also the ambition to distinguish themselves in a great cause. Those who wanted to know themselves and acquire honor lined up. The goal was Orcrox in the land of the orcs.
The man standing here, Aklan, was a person filled with both honor and faith in his god.
“If that is your will, I can't stop you." Duke Christian replied. He spoke negatively to the emperor about this fight, but he also thought it was important. However, he didn't want to follow the trend. He was the person throwing the fire, not the one who caught on fire.
And Aklan was the best person to set fire to. He believed in the god of war. That was the reason for Aklan's existence. This fanaticism would spread to people like a disease.
"Adandator wants to accompany me."
"Adandator?"
"Yes."
Adandator had been injured in the battle against Crockta. Was it due to vengeance? Or maybe Aklan's madness had moved him.
"Okay."
It didn't matter. Adandator was a person close to the emperor. He didn't have a large relationship with Christian.
“Please understand, I can't send the regular armies and knights. It is because it is the emperor, not the gods, that is at the top of the empire." Christian explained.
“I know.”
“But that doesn't mean you can't recruit volunteers. Gather people from the temple of the war god. Try whatever you can. I will speak to the emperor. If the soldiers want to go, they will be able to."
"Thank you." Aklan bowed deeply. “I will return to pay back all your grace."
“Don't worry about that. Bring back victory. That is enough."
"Yes!"
"Then please go." Aklan rose, bowed once more to Christian and turned around.
Christian watched him leave and thought.
‘Please spread this war so that everyone will become wounded, and there is no clear winner.’
"The orcs will truly cease to exist. Then the balance of the continent will fall."
Create a shocking and exciting upheaval.
Christian smiled. “What do you think?”
Then a man standing next to Duke Christian revealed himself. The robed man was the great magician, Mogsulin.
"The orcs will disappear from the continent."
“Aren't there monsters among the orcs?"
“They are monsters, but their opponents are gods. All the gods are hostile to the orcs. Who can survive?"
"Indeed."
“It can't be helped, even if the fallen god is behind them."
According to Mogsulin, the power of the fallen god was felt strongly from Crockta when he fought the empire, making the gods take this action.
"I'm glad you are here."
Mogsulin had touched the Pinnacle and was linked to the gods. He overheard the stories of the gods and told Christian. Without Mogsulin, he wouldn't have known all of this. Mogsulin smiled and bowed at Christian's praise.
"But what will happen if that Crockta wins? He has succeeded in doing things that seem impossible. He is an orc but I admire him. No matter how great the gods are, I can't help feeling uneasy."
“This time, even he's unable to do anything. He might be the best fighter who defeated Adandator, but the gods aren't existences that can be killed with swords."
“Those who can't be killed by swords…how reliable."
Christian laughed. People all over the continent were following the divine message. This was a great opportunity for those like Christian.
***
The rain didn't stop falling in Geherad. Nevertheless, the flames around the temple didn't go out. People tried to approach the temple but couldn't enter due to the heat. An extraordinary event was going on.
In addition, the banging sound continued to ring through Geherad.
Kaaang!
Kaaang!
“Zakiro, is he alive?"
"We can still hear the sound…"
"Has he eaten dot?"
"……"
"What a great guy, dot. If I was him, I would die from hunger. Ohh."
Kaaang!
According to the priest and Rastad, Zakiro was currently making a weapon with the last fire. A type of divine power had descended. However, Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor focused on eating as the crazy blacksmith hammered on the iron.
The interior was very hot so Zakiro might already be burned. Fortunately, the knocking sound continued but it was unknown if he was perfectly safe. This was a problem that continued all day.
"By the way, my father said he was going north dot."
"That's right," said the priest as he drank his beer.
Due to the burning temple, the priest lost his home and stayed with Crockta's group at the inn for a while. There was no rule against priests drinking alcohol. The excited priest drank the beer. He maintained good manners but he was still a dwarf.
"I remember him saying it in passing. He is seeking a person who knows the myths in the north."
"My dad really is a wanderer dot."
They pursued him from the north to the south, then the west and now they were heading north again. It was traveling all around the continent.
"But this time, the north…" Tiyo looked at Crockta and asked, “Won't the land of the orcs appear dot?"
"Indeed," Crockta nodded in agreement. If they headed north from Geherad, Orcrox and Basque Village would appear. Their destination was there, as if someone was intentionally leading them.
"It has been a really long time since I've returned home."
The place where everything began, Orcrox. Crockta was filled with a burning desire to go back there.
“By the way, when will Zakiro finish the sword? I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too dot. Crockta is great, isn't this like a divine sword?"
“Do you think it might be a legendary sword?"
They looked at Crockta. All of this was happening due to Crockta's Ogre Slayer. What type of weapon would be created? Crockta scratched his head and said, “Uhh…well…"
He wasn't sure. He expected a great weapon, but it became somewhat burdensome due to the burning temple, steam and knocking sound.
At that moment, a dwarf sitting in the next chair asked, “Hey, can you hear that sound anymore?"
The sound of iron being hammered had stopped.
"……"
It was quiet. Everyone got up in excitement.
"Perhaps!"
"This!"
“Let's go dot!"
The group left the inn. It was still raining. In the rain, the temple lost the fire and steam, gradually returning to its original appearance. The flames around the temple that surprised Geherad faded.
Crockta's group ran towards the temple. As they approached, they saw a man appear at the door of the temple. It was Zakiro. His body was covered in soot but his eyes were shining. He found Crockta and started to walk over, his steps filled with exhaustion.
He was holding a greatsword in his hand.
Crockta approached and faced him.
"…Good work."
Zakiro stopped, looked up at Crockta, and laughed. Words weren't necessary. Zakiro, a blacksmith of the Golden Anvil Clan, a genius who received the title of 'Slayer Maker' at a young age. He handed over the weapon that he poured everything into.
“……!”
Crockta realized it the moment he received the new sword. This wasn't a normal greatsword. He knew it. It was more than a weapon. The standards that he knew about swords were all broken, and he felt like he could cause a miracle just holding this sword.
The perfect gift for a warrior. Crockta wielded it before looking at Zakiro with a shiver. How should he show his appreciation to the blacksmith who created this?
"Zakiro…"
Crockta opened his mouth. His mouth opened and closed. Crockta was speechless as he suppressed his emotions.
"Geez, something like this…"
Praise the Orc:
Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.
Chapter 188 – Kill the Thunderbird (1)
Crockta gripped his newly acquired sword.
Zakiro called it 'New Slayer.' A sword that could kill a god. Crockta didn't think this was an exaggeration. He felt like he really could kill a god with this sword.
The shape was similar to the previous sword. Ogre Slayer was a huge greatsword that seemed too big to be a sword. However, the feeling in his hand was different from before. The weight was familiar to Ogre Slayer, but an unknown heat was coming from it.
The blade was dark but every time he swung it, there was an unknown gold glow and a red energy rose from it. He wanted to swing it.
"Crockta! The arrangements are ready dot!"
Of course, he would soon have a chance to wield it. Crockta's group decided to leave Geherad immediately after obtaining Ogre Slayer. The road to Hedor was in the north and the orcs were also in danger from the divine message.
Tiyo had shouted while carrying the luggage.
"You're going now. Thank you for the support." Zakiro said while watching Crockta. Crockta nodded at him.
Zakiro was unbelievably healthy despite striking iron for so long. His body was a little weak, but it would recover when replenished with the right nutrition. Rather, he said he felt stronger than before.
Crockta ask, "When are you going to leave?"
“I will stay here a few months to watch the skills of the blacksmith. Then I will decide if I want to go back to the clan or explore the world."
Zakiro was calmer after making New Slayer. It felt like his weapons could reach a new level.
“You should stop by Orcrox if you have time. It is full of warriors you can make weapons for."
"I'll think about it." Zakiro laughed. He no longer thought about the weapon and user as separate. Crockta placed New Slayer on his back and went to Tiyo. Tiyo handed the backpack to Crockta. It was heavy.
"T-This?"
"Maybe it is because of the last forge, but these things were really cheap dot." He opened it to see various types of steel products such as a pot, a set of small knives, and other various materials. “You should take advantage of the special treatment when possible dot!"
“I see."
A trip wasn't possible with just a sword. Various tools were needed. Anor also carried a backpack. His face was grouchy. Crockta laughed.
“Then shall we go?"
Crockta's group said goodbye to Zakiro.
"Zakiro! Next time, make me a nice one as well dot!"
"You already have General."
“I can daydream dot!"
After parting from Zakiro, they stopped by the temple to say farewell to the priest. The priests prayed for them to receive the blessing of the sun god. In particular, he made a meaningful remark as he watched Crockta carry New Slayer.
“The power of the sun will burn away all unclean things, be careful of being corrupted so that you don't get burned by it."
Crockta nodded. They left Geherad.
***
Aklan recruited an army for this expedition. The target was Crockta and the orcs, the objects of the gods' anger.
The reaction was explosive.
Aklan promised to distribute the benefits of the orc conquest mission fairly to the volunteers. Numerous nobles who believed in the gods supported them. Regular people gathered under the flag of the god. Whether it was due to faith in the god of war or Aklan's fanaticism, the number of volunteers for the expedition continued to soar.
It wasn't just Aklan and the war god. All priests on the continent were embarking on their own expeditions. The number of people participating was incredible. It was an unexpected response for the emperor and Crockta.
The expeditions tried to attract all those who believed in the gods.
"The envoy has arrived."
Guardi, the mayor of Katalu and leader of the Free Cities Alliance, was no exception. Guardi looked at the envoy from the empire with a fierce expression. He had nothing to say to the empire.
“Mayor Katalu, now is the time to put down the weapons."
“What are you talking about?"
“You know that there is a divine message. All gods are saying the same thing."
Guardi knew it. Espada also had temples, and the divine message was the same everywhere.
“You were once enemies with the empire, but that was the work of humans. Now it is time to join together for a bigger task. It is the gods' work. The expeditions are aiming at Crockta and the orcs. Together, let's stop them."
Guardi looked grim. Then he looked around. When the empire's envoy arrived, he had gathered the high-ranking bureaucrats responsible for managing Katalu, as well as representatives of the citizens. All of them had a similar expression.
"You mean…wipe out Crockta and his species?"
"That's right."
“We should do it together?"
"Yes!"
Guardi sneered.
"If this is true…" Then he apologized. “I'm sorry but I'm really busy. I thought it was something big because you came from the empire."
"Hahaha, the people from the empire have bad heads."
"They are trying to say something like this to us. Hahaha."
Guardi and the other representatives of Katalu burst out laughing. The face of the envoy became red.
“Are you saying that you won't participate in the expedition?"
“Oh, now you understand? You are a little slow."
Guardi burst out laughing. The envoy formed a fist.
“After this expedition, all those who don't take part will be enemies. This isn't our work, but a mission from the gods. Aren't you afraid of the wrath of the gods?"
"Gods?" Guardi laughed. “What did the gods do when your empire invaded us?"
"Once again, humans.."
“It wasn't your gods who saved us, but Crockta. Crockta is our benefactor and his friends were our saviors."
"……"
“Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"You won't participate, I understand," replied the envoy through his thin lips.
Katalu's defense chief, listening quietly next to Guardi, said with a smile, “The gods can do the work of the gods themselves. We will take care of our own work. Isn't that right? Emperor's dogs?"
"……" The envoy glared at him. He suppressed his emotions and bowed to Guardi. “Your will, I understand it. I will tell the emperor and the gods. In detail."
"Uh, yes. Tell the emperor to be careful when walking at night."
"……"
After hearing the emperor being mocked like he was a neighborhood thief, the envoy couldn't take it anymore and quickly left. Before he left through the door, he turned and said to them.
“The expedition will depart soon. Volunteers will keep joining until we reach Orcrox. Think carefully about what will happen to you once the expedition is over."
Then he left the room.
Guardi shrugged. "The imperial people, you are all insane. Good luck."
***
They headed north through the great forest. The terrain was harsh and monsters kept appearing to interfere with their course. But Crockta was eager to have opponents to test his new weapon against.
Right now, his opponent was a drake. It was reminiscent to the drakes he met in the north. The drake, that resembled a dragon, watched Crockta. But before it could bare its sharp teeth, the shimmering golden sword struck its body.
“Kyaaaak!”
The drake screamed and stepped back. However, Crockta didn't stop as he kept wielding his greatsword. Blood and flesh scattered. The drake swung its paws.
Kakang!
The claws and blade met, causing sparks to fly. However, the drake couldn't resist because it had already been damaged by the greatsword. The drake withdrew. Crockta jumped and sliced at the drake's head. Cutting it in two with one stroke of the sword! The drake's head split apart and it died instantly.
"Huhu, good."
“What is good dot? It has already been many times!"
Crockta was glad about testing out his new weapon, but the rest of the group were tired of all the creatures appearing. In accordance with the reputation of the great forest, many creatures emerged to annoy them.
"It can't be helped. We are deep inside the forest."
The map showed the best path, but the long distance to their goal was apparent. Therefore, they chose to go straight through. Now they were already too far to go back.
“Uh…based on these circumstances, an ogre wizard will soon appear dot."
Ogre wizard. A rare ogre that could use magic, they hardly ever appeared. Just like the goblin shaman, they played a key role in their clan. But since it was an ogre, the risk far exceeded the goblins. The presence of an ogre wizard meant that an enormous number of ogres were present.
“Don’t worry. I will never be cut with New Slayer!"
Crockta laughed as he admired at New Slayer. Suddenly, the flesh and blood covering Ogre Slayer started to burn and dissipate. This was one of the strange functions of New Slayer, who had the power of the last fire.
Crockta smiled at the sight of the cleaned blade.
"Ah, hot!" Crockta was surprised and threw the sword. “I forgot, hot hot hot!"
“…Didn't you say that warriors shouldn't treat their weapons like lovers dot?"
New Slayer seemed desolate from its place in the ground. Crockta coughed as he calmed down. He carefully checked the temperature of the blade and picked it up again.
"Hrmm. My mistake."
“How many times has it been dot?"
“The third time today. Monsters have appeared three times.”
"……"
Crockta dropped his head.
Tiyo complained, “Anyway…ohh…where is a city? A gnome doesn't like this type of living style dot."
Tiyo gathered some twigs. It was preparation to start a fire.
“Really…I want to go to a beautiful city like Quantes… where you turn the faucet and water comes out dot…" He complained while his body prepared to start cooking. They would camp here today. “Drake meat is tasteless but we have to eat it dot…"
Tiyo used a dagger from Geherad to dismantle the drake. He didn't need to disassemble all of it, so only a part of the belly was cut.
“I have to use spices…"
He used the spices gathered from the various cities they visited. Tiyo's cooking skill was the best — he had the two stage charm, consisting of a handsome face and good cooking skills.
Crockta and Anor nodded as they watched him work.
"I'm glad Tiyo is here…"
The moment that Anor said this, something blocked their view.
“……!”
It filled their vision for a moment before disappearing.
"Ehhh…?"
The body of the fallen drake had also vanished. Crockta's party stared at the place where the drake had been with wide eyes. Where did the massive drake corpse go? Fortunately, the slice of drake meat was still in Tiyo's hands.
"What was that?"
"Bird…" Crockta continued, "It was an enormous bird."
Crockta saw it, the huge bird that had descended before flying off with the drake's body. The bird had a dark colored body and its wings seemed to slightly change color with every flap. A beautiful bird. The whole body was shining, the beak aimed at the targets were sharp and the eyes were bright blue.
The size was big enough to be a drake. It was incredibly fast. It appeared, grabbed the drake and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The speed was so rapid that it instantly caused confusion on the ground.
"Enormous bird…"
"There are many uncharted areas in the great forest, so it isn't strange for an unknown monster to appear. Tiyo explained. He continued to cook calmly.
“The bird, I didn't see it. How big is the bird?"
“Bigger than a drake."
“What does it look like?"
“Well…a dark blue colour…a beautiful bird."
"I want to see it. What is its name?"
"The thunderbird."
“How do you know?”
"I have been tracking it."
At that moment, a flash went through Anor's head. He thought the voice was Crockta at first, but it wasn't. Crockta was already pointing Ogre Slayer in the direction of the voice. Anor slowly turned his head. A huge shadow covered his body. It wasn't a human.
“It has been a while. Newbie."
“Do I still look like a newbie?"
“Kulkulkulkul, you've become slightly bigger."
It was an orc with a huge bow. Crockta placed the sword on his back again and said, "This is the first time since then. Are you alive?"
“Of course. I heard your news as well. I am alive."
He extended his fist. The two fists touched.
"Bul'tar! It has been a while. Zankus."
The hunter who shot the sun, Zankus.
Praise the Orc:
Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.