Having passed through the silent plains, Hargon realized that he had been defeated.
His entire body felt heavy.
It was not solely because of the environment of the silent plains where no magical power existed.
“Gorta. Even you have met your death.”
The last medium had been destroyed.
At this point, Hargon didn’t even feel anger anymore.
Instead, only cold rationality occupied his mind.
Why had he been defeated?
The reason was obvious.
He did not know his enemy, while the enemy knew all of his weaknesses in detail.
Everything had started from that difference.
No matter how much he was called the “Conqueror King”, overcoming the disadvantage of such an information gap had proven difficult.
What if he had regained his original strength?
He didn’t even bother to entertain such a thought.
The result had already been decided, and rather than indulging in useless assumptions, it was better to think about what came next.
“Hoo…”
With this, the future where he would be fully resurrected had been shattered.
To achieve it now would surely require an immense amount of time.
If it comes to that, those bastards won’t sit idly by either.
The biggest problem was mobility.
He had no means to strike the enemy, while they could bombard him at will and retreat whenever they pleased.
As a result, the size of his army would gradually diminish.
In that case, the only option I can choose…
There was only one.
He had no choice but to grow stronger himself.
“I like it.”
Hargon turned his back and spoke to Vandal and Takuda.
“All forces, retreat.”
“Where shall we go?”
“The Ugly Canyon. We’ll start the counterattack from there.”
If the enemy moved with an elite, small force,
Then he too would have to grow accordingly to match them.
***
“…There’s no movement.”
“What do you mean?”
After killing Gorta, Jun and Maya set up camp not far from the temple where the creature had died and took some time to regroup.
“The Orc Lord, you know. He’s not making any moves.”
Originally, by now, Hargon should have arrived at this place.
He must have been desperate to deal with them as soon as possible.
However, Jun soon realized that he had been arrogant.
It was a mistake born from the fact that although Hargon had pressured him several times before, he had rarely suffered any real losses.
“Does that mean he changed his plan? Then how?”
From this point on, even Jun found it difficult to make a judgment.
After all, in the game, he had always fought Hargon after the enemy had secured at least three mediums.
Up until now, Jun had been able to predict Hargon’s behavior thanks to the existence of those mediums.
But now that they had been completely destroyed,
There was no longer any way to anticipate Hargon’s next move.
“For now… with things as they are, it would be better to regroup with the others.”
“You mean we’re moving?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go, Gale.”
Grrr.
Maya and Jun mounted the wolf and set off.
It was four days later that the two of them finally reunited with their companions.
“Senior!”
“Haha, Aiden. Been doing well?”
As soon as they arrived, a familiar face greeted them warmly.
“Man, you’re alive! That’s a relief, a real relief.”
Behind him, Eleanor also came forward to greet Jun and Maya.
Perhaps because everyone had been constantly on the move without a single day’s rest, they all looked rather scruffy.
“The number of prisoners…”
“It’s dropped quite a bit.”
Now, only eleven prisoners remained.
Unlike before, they were radiating a much sharper aura. Apparently, according to Jun’s plan, Leon had released the restrictions that had been placed on them.
“Mage. You’re alive.”
“You too. Seems you made a good decision.”
“Hmph.”
That was as far as their conversation went.
Unlike before, Leon now exuded a much fiercer presence.
It was because he had unleashed the strength he had been suppressing while keeping the prisoners in check.
“Jun! Kuhaha! You’ve been through a lot!”
Meanwhile, Shneider, the scholar from the Issus Society, seemed to have recovered somewhat from the sense of loss following Breit’s death.
“Mr. Shneider, you’ve been through a lot.”
“No, no. Compared to us, you must have had a much harder time… or so I thought, but you look rather good. Hahaha!”
Just as he said.
Jun and Maya had taken plenty of rest on their way back.
Whenever they came across a stream along the road, they had taken turns washing up.
On the other hand, since the others were unaware of the situation, they had no choice but to rush forward without pause.
“By the way, Mr. Shneider, did you happen to encounter any other users in the field on your way here?”
“Hmm… I did, a few times. However…”
Shneider’s gaze turned toward the prisoners.
“It seems we didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome.”
“I see. That’s unfortunate.”
Those who were trapped in the field would have been extremely on edge by now.
When problems arose in a field like this, monsters were one thing, but the greatest threat always came from other humans.
Moreover, it would have been hard for others to see those traveling with prisoners in a favorable light.
And anyone skilled enough to have reached the level 4 field would have been confident in their own ability to survive.
“It seems we’ll have to consider the reinforcement plan a failure.”
“There’s nothing we could have done.”
Though they had somewhat anticipated it, facing the reality still left a bitter taste.
“We succeeded in destroying the medium on our side as well. However, we have no idea where the orc army has gone.”
“You lost track of them?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… Don’t worry too much. It’s not like we have no way of finding them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Haha, after you left, I tried deciphering this thing on my own.”
What Shneider pulled out from his coat was the first medium they had encountered. The book belonging to the orc shaman Barbata.
“You have the [Ancient Language] skill?”
“No, not exactly. But even an ancient language has certain patterns. Given enough time, it’s possible to interpret it. My two assistants worked hard as well.”
“I see…”
Jun then read the page Shneider pointed to.
“Soul absorption…?”
“That’s right.”
Barbata, the orc shaman, had prepared various contingencies in case the orc hero Hargon failed to locate the mediums.
One of those contingencies was soul absorption.
It was written that although it would be impossible to fully recover the mediums, absorbing the souls of other beings alone would allow a considerable restoration of the soul.
“Hmm…”
At the same time, Jun began to rack his brain.
There was a way to recover the soul besides using the mediums.
This was a pattern he had never seen even in the game.
“Wait, let me take a look at the map.”
“Go ahead.”
Gazing at the map that Shneider had prepared, Jun recalled the various monsters that inhabited the different fields stored in his mind.
He quickly erased the lesser monsters from his thoughts.
After all, monsters that could be easily hunted by field orcs would hardly appeal to Hargon.
If he were only targeting the big ones…
Their numbers were limited.
As he spread out the map, the first monster that came to Jun’s mind was that one from the Silent Plains.
But taking down that creature would be a stretch even for an Orc Lord at the moment.
Unless Hargon had already secured three or more mediums, it would still be too much for him to handle.
In that case, Hargon would likely attempt it only after he had sufficiently absorbed other souls.
Then which named monster was closest to the Silent Plains?
It was “Arachne”, who made her lair in the Ugly Canyon.
A monster with a spider’s lower body and a human-like upper body, moving on eight legs.
Because she acted alone without forming groups, her individual abilities were extraordinary.
It was also a place I passed by on the way to the Grand Temple.
However, because of her cautious nature, Arachne did not attack groups of humans.
She’s the perfect target for an Orc Lord.
By now, she had probably already been devoured by the Orc Lord.
Then, what would his next move be?
“No, there’s no need to think that far ahead.”
The creature Hargon would ultimately be aiming for was the one hiding in the underground caves of the Silent Plains.
Spreading out the map again, Jun turned his head toward Shneider.
“I believe I know his movements.”
***
A snake, its body length reaching nearly thirty meters, let out a monstrous scream.
It was a named monster that lived among rocky terrain. The “Stone Boah”.
Contrary to what its name suggested, the creature exhaled an acidic toxin strong enough to melt even rocks.
Just as it bared its fangs viciously and attempted to spew its venom—
Crunch―!
Kiaaaaaaa――!!
A glaive came crashing down onto the monster’s head.
The glaive pierced cleanly through its skull and, with a powerful swing, split the head perfectly in two.
“Grurr.”
At the same time, the owner of the glaive growled lowly as he swung it hard to fling off the blood.
Soon after, the Stone Boah disintegrated into particles and vanished, leaving behind a huge magic stone, which he picked up.
Crack―! Crackle, crack, crackle!
“O Lord.”
“That’s the third one.”
Orc Lord Hargon.
It had already been half a month since he escaped from the Silent Plains.
During that time, Hargon had hunted down and killed three named monsters within the field and absorbed their souls.
“What’s next?”
“There’s a hobgoblin village nearby.”
“Pathetic creatures. Any other variables?”
“None that we can see for now.”
“Still, stay alert.”
“Of course.”
Even so, Hargon felt that his plan was proceeding smoothly.
His enemy had lost track of his movements.
Otherwise, they would never have allowed his orc army to grow steadily in numbers like this.
But I must not let my guard down.
There was always the possibility that the enemy was preparing a decisive countermeasure of their own.
He had to stay wary enough without being overly cautious….and never forget the enemy’s existence.
“I’ve regained quite a bit.”
If he could devour the hobgoblin chieftain next, he would be able to raise his power to the level of having absorbed three mediums.
The results are better than expected.
Some time ago—
Hargon had encountered a group of humans.
They had been a party of five, and though they had immediately tried to flee upon spotting the orc army, they had ultimately been captured and slaughtered by Hargon himself.
It had been an unexpected harvest, and Hargon had immediately reaped their souls.
The souls were fairly strong, but…
So that’s the extent of their power.
They were moderately powerful, but none of them were individually as strong as his own generals.
Even the strongest among them was no match for him.
If he could just recover a bit more strength at this pace, and eventually absorb the one lurking in the Silent Plains—
Victory will be mine.
Certain of his triumph, Hargon rose to his feet.
“Let’s move.”
However, it was three days later that Hargon’s certainty began to crumble.
“What did you just say?”
“The number of hobgoblins… it’s abnormally high.”
The number of hobgoblins gathered together totaled around 1,400.
It was by no means a normal figure.
***
The hobgoblins’ society had its own system in place.
Beneath the chieftain, there existed numerous tribes, each occupying its own territory and waging wars over land.
They had the largest force in this field thanks to their incredible breeding capacity, but…
The problem was that they rarely joined forces, too busy fighting among themselves.
However, Jun knew very well how hobgoblins operated.
They only moved when they were driven by fear.
Thus, over the past few days, Jun, together with Aiden, had ravaged several tribes and ordered Maya to assassinate the hobgoblin chieftains of other tribes.
The result now unfolded before their eyes.
At a glance, the number easily surpassed a thousand, all gathered under the chieftain’s command.
This wasn’t the first time Jun had come up with this strategy.
From the start, the current forces alone were never enough to break apart the Orc Lord’s army.
This method was one of the well-known strategies used even within the game.
However, pulling it off required fulfilling a number of conditions.
First, avoid being recognized by the hobgoblins as a direct threat.
The second was to use a high-tier assassin NPC to eliminate the chieftains under the hobgoblin chieftain, planting fear deep in their minds.
If done correctly, the hobgoblins, mistakenly believing the Orc Lord was behind it, would rally their forces and launch a full-scale resistance against him.
The best scenario I could hope for.
Now, all that remained was the Orc Lord’s decision.
***
“What will you do?”
“…We’ll break through.”
A part of him wondered if this could be a trap laid by the enemy.
Hobgoblins, by nature, were selfish and rarely ever gathered in such large groups.
However, Hargon knew full well that this was his final chance.
Time is still not on my side.
The souls he had absorbed were prone to dispersing quickly, and if he went after another named monster now, the souls he had painstakingly gathered would scatter.
No matter what, I must break through and take the chieftain’s head.
He had the forces to make it happen.
“We’ll break through.”
“Understood.”
“Go! Kill them! Take the enemies’ heads and quench your thirst with their blood!”
Kuaoooooo――!!
Orcutas! Orcutas!
Hargon! Hargon!
Hargon was not only an exceptional commander but also a remarkable warrior.
As he charged at the forefront, two generals and nearly a hundred elite orc warriors followed closely by his side.
Kereka――!!
The tall hobgoblins also raised their spears in unison and entered the battle.
The difference in numbers between the two forces was overwhelming.
However, the difference in quality was even more staggering.
Kuworta!
The elite orc warriors fought with the strength of a hundred men each, and even the berserk orcs displayed the might of ten men apiece.
And above all else—
“Kuooooooo――!!”
The one who shone the brightest was none other than Hargon, the Orc Lord.
Each time he swung his massive glaive, hobgoblins’ entrails spilled out, and the previously blocked paths were torn open.
If one were to look down upon the battlefield from above, it would appear as though a giant awl was piercing straight through the hobgoblin lines.
Kyaaaaaah―!
However, the hobgoblins were not simply being trampled over.
They abandoned the flanks and charged en masse toward the center.
With their long limbs, the hobgoblins thrust their lengthy spears, and it felt almost like a rain of arrows showering down every few seconds.
“Not so fast―!”
Yet every time, their spears were blocked by Takuda.
The warrior of the shield.
Known by this title, Takuda gripped a single large shield and revealed no opening for the enemies to exploit.
Across from him, Vandal’s performance was equally dazzling.
Each time he swung his sword, even the larger hobgoblins collapsed helplessly.
The army.
And the war.
Even amidst the urgency of the situation, Hargon found himself letting out a small, involuntary laugh.
A distant past.
Before he had incurred the wrath of the Outer Gods, he remembered the army he once commanded.
A grand force of one hundred thousand orcs.
He had been both the supreme general who led them and their king.
Wherever he stormed across the land, rivers of blood would flow, and before the path of the tyrant king, only ruins engulfed in flames would remain.
If he could kill the hobgoblin chieftain here, then slay “that one” on the Silent Plains, and finally crush the mysterious enemy who had constantly meddled with him—
Then he would awaken his one hundred thousand strong army buried beneath this battlefield—
And emerge into the outside world once more.
He would once again set the world ablaze with the fires of war and leave an indelible mark of his existence upon this world.
Hargon’s eyes had already moved past the glories of his past and were fixed firmly upon the dawn of his future.
If not for the sound coming from right behind them—
“Attack―!”
“Uaaah! You pig bastards!”
“I’m so damn happy to see you, you fuckers!”
“If we kill you, it’s over, right? Isn’t it?!”
With a barrage of curses, humans appeared and began striking the rear of the orc forces.
***
“Luke, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine!”
Lucy looked at her twin brother with worried eyes.
When they had taken care of the second medium,
Luke had suffered injuries that had nearly brought him to the brink of death.
Fortunately, a high-ranking priestess from the White Whale Mercenaries had swiftly treated him; had it not been for that, Luke would have met his end long ago.
However, after experiencing a near-death crisis, Luke began moving even more nimbly than before.
He was now handling three or four orcs at once on his own, and whenever a stronger opponent appeared, he even used aura.
It was thanks to the lifting of the incantation that had been placed upon them.
“Your movements are lighter.”
Standing beside him, Joseph was no different.
He was a Level 5 fighter, and true to his background as a former soldier, he displayed his full strength in the chaos of battle.
“You idiots, stop flailing around and follow me! You wanna die after making it this far?!”
“Ah, got it, boss!”
“If the boss says so, we follow!”
The surviving prisoners all obeyed Joseph’s orders without question.
Through their experiences, they had learned that following Joseph’s commands drastically increased their chances of survival.
But the ones who stood out the most were, as expected—
“Mm! It’s been a while since I could move my body like this!”
“Is that so?”
The two Level 6s were running wild across the battlefield without any restraints.
Whenever Schneider’s gauntlet shone, orc skulls exploded,
And Leon’s rapier punctured orc heads every second without fail.
Facing over 300 orcs head-on would have been overwhelming, but striking them from the rear like this posed no issue.
With Schneider and the unit running rampant, the flow of the battlefield was undergoing a dramatic shift.
The spear was beginning to fall to the spear.
***
A moment of choice.
Hargon realized that this very moment was his opportunity.
“Vandal, Takuda.”
“At your command.”
“We are listening.”
His two loyal generals awaited his orders, and in the midst of the chaotic battlefield, Hargon spoke in a low voice.
“Break through ahead of me.”
Neither general missed a single word of his command.
“Yes!”
“We shall obey!”
It was a moment of choice.
Hargon decided to force a breakthrough.
An unknown existence?
It no longer mattered.
He was the “Conqueror King” who had once led an army of a hundred thousand.
Thus, there could be nothing that blocked his path.
As the two generals charged forward, tearing through the enemy lines, the Hobgoblin Chieftain came into view in the distance.
Grinning coldly, Hargon gathered explosive strength into his lower body.
Booom――!
Like an eruption of molten lava,
Hargon’s body soared high into the sky and shot forward in an instant.
Where he had stood just moments before, a massive crater had formed, while his body had already closed the distance to the Hobgoblin Chieftain.
The chieftain, worthy of his title, swung a huge spear at him.
Crack!
But the hobgoblin’s supposedly sturdy steel spear shattered like a toothpick.
“Submit. And despair.”
The overwhelming force of the Conqueror King’s aura burst forth in a low resonant wave, and the chieftain’s body froze in place before his head fell.
At the same time, the chieftain’s soul was absorbed into Hargon.
Kuuuuuooooohhh―――!!!
With the Conqueror King’s roar after slaying the enemy commander, the other orcs erupted into a chorus of shouts.
Yet, their battle was not over.
Hargon moved toward his two generals, who were still carving a path through the enemy ranks in the distance.
“We’ll head straight for the Black Whale’s offspring and kill it.”
“What about the remaining troops?”
“Abandon them.”
Though they had succeeded in slaying the Hobgoblin Chieftain, the remaining enemies showed no intention of fleeing.
They knew well that running now would only lead to certain death.
The battle would drag on, and it would take time to clean up the enemies attacking from the rear.
Hargon’s strength had not yet fully returned.
At the very least, he had to kill that young whale that was steadily growing stronger in the quiet plains.
At Hargon’s command, his two generals straightened their stances once again.
“We move now.”
Leave a Reply