Chapter 119 – First Strike (3)
“Team Leader-nim!”
“What?”
“It is serious.”
Park Jujin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Elder Lord’s system was thoroughly controlled by Albino. The core system Albino was so good that it didn’t need them, so there were rarely any states of emergency. But if the researchers came running like this, there was only one reason.
“Why, is there another system lock?”
“Wow, that’s right.”
“Wow?” Park Jujin twitched. “Wow?”
The researcher laughed. “It can’t be helped so I’ve resigned myself to it.”
“This bastard… You aren’t the one that it will rain heavily on. If there is a heavy rain, it will be on me!”
Park Jujin folded the papers he was holding and beat his own side, mimicking the ceremony of an old soccer player.
“Heavy rain! Heavy rain!”
“Ah, Team Leader-nim!”
“Heavy rain! Fuck!”
Park Jujin swung the paperwork. The researcher was astonished and ran away. How hysterical was the team leader? This was on the verge of workplace violence!
But Park Jujin’s fingers stopped moving as he recovered his mind, an instinct that adapted to the system.
“Don’t you need to do something if there is a system lock?”
“Huh?”
“Monitor everyone right now!”
“We have been doing that, but it doesn’t work.”
“Shut up! I think that it’s best to watch Choi Hansung. He’s really skilled these days. Check him and any famous rankers!”
“By the way Team Leader, is there nothing we can verify? Why is it a problem if the assimilation rate goes so high…?”
“Stop wondering why and just do it!”
The researcher stepped back as Park Jujin lifted the paperwork. After measuring the throwing distance, Park Jujin dropped the documents back on his desk. “You don’t know?”
“Yes.”
“You really don’t know?”
“I thought about it…”
“Okay. Think about it and write a report.”
“Huh?”
“Think well and write a report! You have until tomorrow!”
“Ah…that…yes.”
The researcher left through the door. Park Jujin looked at his back and folded his arms.
In fact, he didn’t know. The mysterious existence that exceeded a 90% assimilation rate. What he would do if he found him was unknown to even Park Jujin.
However, Albino gave the warning that ‘access is temporarily locked due to a 90% assimilation rate’ so there seemed to be a clue in it. There was a clue to approaching Albino, the core system that no one could access.
“There is something…” Park Jujin muttered as he recalled Yoo Jaehan’s face.
***
Surka’s eyes widened.
It was a series of incredible situations. Crockta had burst out with an explosive force and fought against the great chieftain and the warriors. After noticing that the great chieftain was pressured by Crockta, the dark elves were inspired by his efforts and also recovered.
Surka couldn’t afford to enter that fight anymore.
“Where are you looking? Orc.”
The dark elf with double swords, who was almost destroyed by the great chieftain, faced him. Of course, he was limping because his body wasn’t recovered. He looked like a wreck. However, Crockta’s fighting spirit seemed to be infectious as the tattered arms raised the double swords.
“I will kill you.”
Surka was afraid the dark elf would collapse at any time.
“Ah~ lucky~ Juora! We protect~! Macho! With verve!”
The gnome seemed to have recuperated as he sung a strange song while aiming his artifact. At crucial moments, his magic bullets would fire and disturb the great warriors. The moment that Surka looked up at the sky-
“Don’t look away!”
The dark elf swung his double swords. It was still an unpredictable swordsmanship. But as he lacked stamina, it wasn’t good enough. Surka blocked the attack. The dark elf, who was thrown back, feel down and took deep breaths.
His stamina was obviously exhausted.
Move right now. A chance.
His head thought so, but Surka somehow couldn’t attack the dark elf. It felt like if he attacked now, those swords would pierce his neck. As proof of this, the dark elf was staring at him while tightly holding his swords, despite sitting down.
That wasn’t the only worrying thing.
“…Hat!”
An arrow flew. Surka brandished his axe and hit it. It came from a soldier of Juora. They had recovered and started the guerrilla warfare again. Once they ran out of arrows, they grabbed their rapiers and attempted melee combat.
It was extremely unlikely that the dark elves would win in a melee against the great warriors. Even so, they raised their weapons. All of them were determined to die in order to buy time so that the residents could evacuate.
Surka faced the frantic battlefield but couldn’t wield his axe.
“Honour…”
He once followed it, but now that word felt strange.
One of the warriors cried out to Surka again.
“Surka!”
“What is going on?”
“It is serious,” he said urgently. “An army is coming down from the Luklan Mountains!”
“……!”
“It is the allied forces of Orcheim, Dejame, and Altanas. They are near Juora.”
“The troops guarding the mountain!”
“Defeated and withdrew.”
Surka nodded as he grasped the situation. Everything was going badly. They should retreat. Juora hadn’t been taken over, but most of its soldiers had been killed and a severe blow dealt. In any case, Calmahart’s ultimate goal was the world tree, the divine being of the dark elves. Every fight was just a preparation to capture Spinoa.
Surka approached Calmahart and said, “Great chieftain.”
He didn’t answer.
“An army is coming down from the Luklan Mountains. The residents have also escaped from Juora. We gained enough so we should withdraw…”
Surka couldn’t speak anymore.
Calmahart was looking down at him. Calmahart’s eyes were now completely red. A fierce killing intent rose from his body. A red pattern, a bizarrely twisted cross, appeared on Calmahart’s forehead.
He swung the axe towards Surka.
“Kuheeeok!”
Surka reflexively blocked it but his body flew away. His whole body shook; he was still bleeding from the great damage that he received from that one blow.
“Kuheok…”
“Calmahart…?”
The great chieftain frantically wielded his weapon. His whole body was now clearly covered in a blood-red haze. He was in a blood frenzy, slaughtering anyone who got close to him. Even the warriors fell under his axe. Some lost their heads and collapsed.
The orcs were frightened as they shouted, “G-Great chieftain!”
“Kuaaaaak!”
The mad eyes turned to Crockta. The great chieftain shouted.
“Kuaaaaaah────!”
The earth shook. It was literally an earthquake. His body swelled even further. The great chieftain was no longer an orc. He was a monster.
***
“You are okay dot.”
“I’m okay…”
Crockta groaned from where he was lying on a bed. This was Juora’s medical center. Tiyo slapped Crockta’s thigh and laughed.
“You were beaten up by the great chieftain dot. Huhihihit. It is a rare sight dot.”
Anor agreed. “Crockta isn’t invincible either. Kuhihihihit.”
“……”
They truly seemed to have a bad influence on each other. Crockta was in agony as he watched both of them laughing.
“By the way, it is a relief. We made it in time.”
The Great Clan withdrew from Juora. In the end, the great chieftain had become an impossible monster. He attacked indiscriminately and then walked towards Crockta. Even the bold Crockta had stepped back with dread. The red energy coming from his body was so bloodthirsty.
He really thought he would die. Crockta forgot he was a user and desperately had to remind himself that he was a user.
Then the Great Clan’s shaman suddenly appeared. His face was covered by a hood, but the air changed when he appeared. There was a strong wave of magic power coming from him, similar to Tashaquil.
As the shaman chanted something, Calmahart’s red energy gradually faded. Within a short period of time, Calmahart lost all his red energy but he still glared at Crockta. Then his mouth opened and he spat out.
“I’ll see you again. Trash from the continent.”
Then he ordered a withdrawal. When the shaman talked to him, the great chieftain held his head. He seemed to be in a bad physical condition due to the aftermath of the frenzied state. He walked with a fine limp. Then the shaman used a healing spell and a slight light surrounded his body.
After that, the clan warriors quickly retreated. The reinforcements from the Luklan Mountains only arrived after they were gone. They disappeared just as quickly as they came. That was the skill of an elite.
According to later reports, the orcs were gathering between Nameragon and Spinoa.
“Just relax and concentrate on your treatment. Boro has become faster.” Anor said with playful eyes. The party didn’t plan to move until Crockta recovered to a certain extent since they had Boro as a means of transport.
“Kyulkyulkyul! It is good to see you again!”
A welcome face, Caburak appeared. A few of his teeth were still missing so he spoke in an airy voice as he struck Crockta’s shoulder.
“Cough! Be careful!”
“A greeting! Kyulkyulkyul!”
Not only that, Yona was present so there was a strange atmosphere around Tiyo.
“Crockta. Are you okay? I’ve heard the story. I heard about your great actions. Truly Crockta.”
“Thank you. I’m okay now…”
She glanced at Tiyo before Crockta finished answering. The two of them left the room together. They wanted to have the long conversation that hadn’t been possible in the meantime.
Crockta became sad. “Kuheok…”
Crockta suppressed the sad feelings and asked Caburak something he was curious about, the shaman who seemed to be manipulating the great chieftain.
“Caburak. I saw a strange man while fighting against the great chieftain.
“A strange man?”
“The Great Clan’s shaman.”
“Shaman…”
Crockta explained to Caburak what he saw.
The fact that the great chieftain was strengthened by an unknown force, the pattern on his forehead that seemed to resemble Zelkian, an apostle of the world tree, and the fact that the great chieftain seemed to be controlled by the shaman.
Caburak’s playful face became serious.
“Hah…! Perhaps, that…!”
Caburak’s face was shocked. He lamented as he looked out the window towards the sky.
“Unbelievable…”
Crockta also became serious as he asked, “Do you know something?”
Caburak turned slowly from the sky towards Crockta. His eyes were filled with anxiety. He opened his mouth, “That…!”
“That…?”
Caburak gulped and replied, “I don’t know.”
“W-Wha…t?”
“Kyulkyulkyul! I don’t know! Kyulkyulkyul!”
“……”
Crockta fell back on his bed and covered his head with the quilt.
“Don’t wake me up.”
Caburak giggled. “Kyulkyulkyulkyul! Are you sulking?”
“……”
“You are sulking! Kyulkyulkyul! The warrior Crockta is sulking!”
“Shut up. Good night.”
“Kyulkyulkyul!”
Crockta became sad again as he listened to Caburak’s laughter.
Seriously, where were all the people concerned about the future of the north?