Chapter 227 – EPILOGUE (1)
“Hey, are you alive?”
“I am alive. Your expression doesn’t look very good!”
Two orcs in chain armor were standing like stone statues. Their blades flashed in the sun. They found Saebichwi and laughed. They were laughing but due to the tusks and heinous appearance, their faces seemed evil.
Saebichwi gulped at their overwhelming momentum. Orcrox, the cradle of warriors. Even the gatekeepers seemed strong. He was a powerful orc fighter in his home village, but his mouth couldn’t open in front of the Orcrox guards.
“Are you nervous already?”
“Don’t worry, there are several cowards like you!”
They burst out laughing. The guards extended their fist and Saebichwi bumped it.
“Anyway, you have arrived at Orcrox and I wish you good luck. Become a great warrior.”
The gate opened. The bustling city of Orcrox was revealed. Another world.
Saebichwi wandered around the city landscape and accidentally hit someone’s shoulder. Saebichwi fell over.
“Umm?”
The other person looked at Saebichwi with a fierce face. Saebichwi was recognized as having the best body in his village. He also had a man’s pride. However, his body trembled when he faced the orc in front of him. What type of place was Orcrox, where there were several of these types of orcs? The orc in front of him was a hulking monster.
“You just hit me! Grrung!”
Saebichwi almost peed as the orc pushed his face closer. No, why did he get angry when Saebichwi was the one who fell? Then somebody saved him.
“Stupid! Why are you acting so grumpy towards a child?”
“I’m not grumpy! Grrung!”
“Are you okay?”
A female orc. A beautiful orc that would cause all orcs passing by to stare. The sharp eyes, scary impression, and strong tusks! This was the figure of a city woman! Anyone would a macho heart couldn’t help wanting to hug her.
“This guy is frozen.” She laughed. “Well, the man I’m with had such a stupid impression at first.”
“Who are you talking about, Anya?”
“Who? Of course, it isn’t you. It is that sexy guy.”
“Why are you talking about another man in front of your husband! Let’s go to the training ground! A couple fight! Grrung!”
“What? Do you want my axe in your forehead again? Let’s go quickly. Zankus is waiting.”
“A couple fight…”
“Eeit!”
“Keheok!”
They passed by Saebichwi while arguing. Saebichwi gazed at their backs. Truly a man with a violent nature. He admired the warrior for having such a beautiful orc woman as a wife. Her rear view with the throwing axes moving at her waist was beautiful. If Saebichwi became a true warrior, he would have a beauty that was equal to that orc.
Saebichwi headed to his destination with a renewed determination. He came to Orcrox to become a warrior. There was the legendary instructor, Hoyt. Saebichwi walked for a while and arrived at the training ground.
***
Hoyt was watching the orcs on the training ground with folded arms.
“I am alive! I am Saebichwi, a warrior who came from Sambat Village because I want to become a warrior!”
“Kulkul, a rural orc.”
Hoyt gave off a surprisingly soft impression. Saebichwi was a bit disappointed because he was looking forward to someone like the rugged orc he met before. However, that disappointment soon became horror.
The gently smiling Hoyt suddenly started beating him. Saebichwi crouched as he was hit for a long time. It was an overwhelming force that he couldn’t resist. He canceled his first impression of Hoyt. This was the most heinous orc he met today.
Saebichwi shouted angrily, “W-Why are you doing this? Sob!”
“Um…It is an orc tradition. Remember the helplessness of this moment.”
The orcs at the training ground laughed at the scene.
“It has been a while since I stopped. Rise.” Hoyt grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up. “Do you regret coming here?”
“Ah, no!”
Hoyt looked at Saebichwi with a new expression. Saebichwi was badly beaten but he didn’t lose his guts. Saebichwi didn’t falter in front of his gaze.
Hoyt grinned, “That look is good. I’ll ask you one thing. Why do you want to be a warrior?”
Saebichwi thought about it. Why had he come here? Why had he decided to become a warrior?
“I…” He replied with determined eyes. “I want to become a true warrior and protect my precious people.”
He came from Sambat village. It was a peaceful village. One day, it was attacked by ogres.
There was a fierce fight and the ogres were defeated, but there were many casualties. At the funeral, a shaman prayed for the souls of those who died. The sad ceremony was carried out and Saebichwi made a vow.
Become a true warrior and don’t lose any more precious people.
“I see.” Hoyt smiled and nodded. “Come along.”
They entered a large stone building that was beside the training grounds.
“This is a stopping place for anyone who wants to become a warrior.”
They passed through a long corridor and reached a dark space. Hoyt waved his hand. Then light showed up.
“Hat!”
The torches lit up the interior, revealing numerous giants surrounding them. Saebichwi realized that they were statues.
“The great warriors of the Hall of Fame.”
It felt as if the statues were alive and breathing. That’s how sophisticated they were. They stood in the Hall of Fame as if they were alive, looking down on them. The legendary warriors who left their name in history.
His heart started pounding.
“Who do you want to follow?”
Saebichwi suddenly discovered the statue of an orc. An orc with a terrible face and holding an axe. The face was covered with a steel helmet, but a light seemed to be shining from inside it.
“That is…?”
“Warrior Lenox. A great instructor and warrior who is still admired by everyone in Orcrox. It is all thanks to Lenox that Orcrox is like it is now. He is the spirit of Orcrox.”
Indeed, it was only a statue but it seemed to convey his spirit. Saebichwi felt sorry that he never met Lenox. Then Saebichwi looked at the statue next to Lenox. The statue grinned at him.
“……!”
Saebichwi stepped back. It was a hallucination.
The statue had a smile on his face. What did he just see?
“He…”
“You don’t know him?” Hoyt burst out laughing. “Don’t lie. There is no one who doesn’t know him.”
It was a statue of a smiling orc warrior with a giant greatsword on his shoulder. His whole body was full of scars, that it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed right away. Nevertheless, he was smiling with a wide chest and raised chin. An indomitable warrior.
“Crockta…?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Crockta was from Orcrox?”
“Most people don’t know this. His story started in Orcrox. He was Lenox’s disciple and my friend.”
Saebichwi’s beating heart started to run out of control. It was natural. He faced the statue of Crockta and wanted to wield his weapon until he collapsed. He wanted to fight until his body broke down. He wanted to be a warrior who left his name in history.
Saebichwi didn’t think about it any longer.
“I would like to follow Crockta!”
“Crockta… brilliant.”
They left the Hall of Fame.
“When Crockta first came here, Lenox asked him why he wanted to become a warrior. Just as I asked you.”
“What was his answer?”
“What do you think?”
They returned to the training ground. It was hot. There was no one who collapsed. Those who fell down got right back up. When they hurt one arm, they used the other arm. Everyone was fighting until they lost consciousness.
“Like you, he answered that he wanted to protect his precious ones.”
“Ah…!”
“In the end, he managed to protect them.”
Crockta. The great warrior who saved the world from the gods and ascended. The only orc that all species paid homage to.
“Take it.” Hoyt handed him a greatsword that was difficult to lift. Saebichwi shook for a while.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Go and swing it.”
Hoyt gestured over at the training ground. Saebichwi held the greatsword and hurriedly moved to the training ground. He could feel the vibrations of the training ground. His body shook every time the warriors moved their feet.
Hoyt shouted, “Everybody listen up! A newbie has come!”
“Whoa!”
“Eeeeeeeh!”
“How many newbies are there?”
The warriors cheered with their weapons.
“But this newbie chose to follow Crockta!”
“Hahahahat!”
“Follow Crockta!”
“Cheeky brat!”
“How many is that now?”
The warriors laughed and Saebichwi scratched his head.
“Show the fearless newbie what a warrior is! Swing──────!”
“Bul’tar!”
Bul’tar, a word symbolizing the orcs, the collective name for honor, life, and the noblest values they sought. It was Bul’tar in the ancient orc language and became the simple form of Bul’ta. Languages evolve, and it had once again taken a new form.
Bul’tar, a warrior who symbolized it. His life was Bul’tar and he achieved the salvation of the world with his mortal body. Thus, the orcs celebrated his spirit by shouting like this.
“Bul’tar, Crocktaaaa─────!”
“Bul’tar, Crocktaaaa─────!”
“Crocktaaaaaaaaaa!”
Saebichwi raised his greatsword, the passion of the training ground wrapping around him. The statue of Crockta that smiled at him. It might’ve be a mistake, or maybe a great destiny awaited him.
Saebichwi wielded his greatsword and shouted,
“Bul’tar, Crocktaaaa─────!”
***
“How is it?”
Thompson carefully picked it up and slurped it into his mouth.
“Hey, this is huge, Brother!”
Jeremy jumped up from where he had been eating the noodles with Thompson. His face was flushed.
“It’s a revolution! What is this taste?”
“Huhuhu, it is a masterpiece that I spent a lot of time on.”
“The demon, the demon! The taste of a demon! The delicious taste of a demon!”
“Thank you for the compliment. Huhuhut.”
Thompson hurriedly drank water and thought about it. How would Jeremy react if he knew the man laughing in front of him was really a demon? Certainly, the noodles were spicy enough to call it a demonic flavor.
“Gushantimur! Where were you hiding this chef? Amazing!”
“I learned about him a while ago. Isn’t it wonderful?”
The demon Abaddon’s business partner, Gushantimur smiled. Many things had changed since Crockta defeated the grey god and ascended.
The various species decided to get rid of their discrimination against one another. The entire continent cooperated for the sake of peace. In the midst of this, ‘Gushantimur’s Mercenaries’ was formed. His mercenaries consisted of ogres, goblins, kobolds, centaurs and other creatures that people usually avoided.
But those who belonged to the mercenary group were different from the ordinary creatures. They all had intelligence and immense skills.
Once Thompson hired Gushantimur’s Mercenaries, the number of attacks on his convoy significantly reduced. Their skills were real. Thus, Thompson signed a contract for long-term employment with Gushantimur’s Mercenaries.
A short time ago, Gushantimur came to him with a new business proposal. Thompson was one of the few people who knew his identity as a black dragon. So he hadn’t expected Gushantimur to introduce something that would suit mortals. But he brought a demon.
The demon brought with him the ‘Demon’s Recipe’, and the goal was to build a network of restaurants that sold the Demon Noodles throughout the continent.
“This taste is really…”
“If Thompson invests in me, I will hire people to pass on this taste to. The spiciness of the ‘Demon Noodles’ will spread through the continent. Huhuhuhu.”
Restaurant franchises were currently experiencing a boom in Elder Lord. Thompson worried about it. This was a new attempt. This demonic taste clearly had many possibilities. However, entering a new market was always a risk. He started to worry over the possibilities and risks.
At that time, Abaddon whispered in Thompson’s ears. Indeed, a demon was a demon.
“If Thompson refuses… should I go to the Blacksmith Company with this business proposition…? Huhuhuhu…”
“……!”
Absolutely not!
Thompson jumped up, “Okay!”
Abaddon and Gushantimur’s faces brightened.
“Let’s give it a try!”
Thompson extended his hand. Abaddon and Gushantimur placed their hands on top of his. Jeremy came for pleasure and had no business relationship with them, but he also included his hand.
“These demonic noodles will create a craze on the continent!”
“Ohhh! Okay Brother!”
“Thank you. Huhuhu…!”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Thus, the first step of the myth about the demon noodles began. The eve before the storm shook the continent. Once this calm was over, one thing would come to pass!
A storm of taste!