Praise the Orc! Chapter 15:
Chapter 15 – About Life (2)
The residents fled after seeing Derek . Everyone knew Derek, the notorious loan shark who dominated Anail’s back alleys .
Ian looked around . There didn’t seem to be any escape path for him to take . Derek’s men formed a circle around Ian to prevent him from fleeing .
What should he do? Ian’s eyes sunk .
Derek and his five people . Not only that, but Derek was much stronger than the rest of his people . It was best not to fight .
“Derek, it’s best that you don’t fight me . ”
“Why do you think that?”
“Do you have the confidence to stop Hoyt’s anger?”
He mentioned Hoyt . Derek’s failure to harm the Thompson family was entirely due to Hoyt . However, unlike his expectations, Derek smiled quietly .
Ian became uncomfortable . Derek’s smile and laid back behaviour was the exact opposite of what he imagined . Ian expected him to be a sleazy money lender, but Derek was much bigger than that . His strength was like a warrior, exuding a sharp atmosphere that Ian had never felt before .
Ian realized that the situation was going out of control . Now he had to gamble .
Derek raised his sword .
“You won’t be going alone, so don’t worry . ”
He laughed and imitated Ian’s words .
“Young Man, it would be best if you didn’t fight back . ”
Ian could feel Ray’s hands trembling at his waist . Ian tried to get help from Stella, whom he met in Anail, but she wasn’t connected .
It was a dilemma . Ian also raised his greatsword . The important thing was Ray . For his survival, Ian had to retreat .
Ian whispered to Ray, “Hold on tightly to my neck . ”
“Huh…?”
Ian lifted Ray up and placed him on his back . Ray reflexively grabbed his neck as Ian rushed backwards . It was in the opposite direction of Derek . The subordinates gathered in the direction of Ian’s escape . He needed to defeat the one in front of him before they all gathered .
However, the underling was different from the user hunters that Ian had overpowered . He calmly swung his sword and slowed Ian down . As Ian stopped, the other underlings caught up . Ian was once again surrounded and the siege was narrowed further .
Beyond them, Derek was approaching . “Even if you struggle, the result is the same . ”
“……”
Ian decided to buy some time .
“No matter how dirty a loan shark is, you shouldn’t act unfairly . ”
“Unfairly…?”
“Yes, Derek . Let’s have a fair 1 on 1 fight,” Ian said .
Derek burst out laughing .
“Puhahaha . What are you saying, Orc?”
“Derek is a thoroughly practical person . Do you think that I would speak nonsense?”
“Have a 1 on 1 with your friends in heaven . Kilkil . ”
Derek’s mouth rose .
“…Hrmm . ”
Ian ignored the underlings and told Derek .
“Surely you aren’t scared of a 1 on 1 fight?”
“What an interesting friend . ”
Ian didn’t expect him to agree to the blatant provocation, but Derek abruptly nodded .
“Okay . ”
His subordinates’ eyes widened .
“Boss…?”
“Why, do you have no confidence?”
“Me?”
“Yes . ”
Derek placed a knife at the neck of an underling and said, “Surely Derek’s men aren’t afraid of an orc…?”
“Ah, no!”
“So fight him . Alone . ”
“Yes, yep!”
Derek’s subordinate vigorously nodded his head and pulled out his sword as he stepped forward . Ian put Ray down while ignoring the ominous feeling in the back of his mind .
“Ray, stay back . If there is a gap, then run away . ”
“Mister…”
“Don’t worry . Don’t you believe in an orc warrior?”
Ian laughed . Ray’s face became tearful . It was a familiar scene .
‘Ray, don’t you believe in Father?’
His father Thompson had left after saying the same remark as Ian . He still hadn’t come back . Ray wanted to hold onto Ian, but he was already moving forward and pointing at Derek’s subordinate with his sword .
“Mister…”
The battle began . Ian came out first . He tried to draw the opponent to his side, but the person stepped back because he felt the incredible atmosphere of Orc’s Superhuman Strength .
This was fortunate for Ian . Ian just wanted to buy some time . Eventually, Hoyt would hear about this and come running . Ian moved forward with no substance in his attacks . The opponent kept avoiding . Derek’s expression hardened as he saw both of them .
“How boring,” Derek muttered .
Then the expression on the face of the underling changed .
“Uhh…Uaaaah!”
The opponent rushed at Ian, who stepped back to avoid the incoming attacks . The attacker and defender had changed, but the battle was a repetition of the previous one .
Derek burst out laughing .
“Young orc . ”
“……”
“I know your intentions, but you should also pay attention to me . ”
Derek gestured with his chin . Derek’s subordinates once again raised their weapons .
“If you don’t properly entertain me, then this will be over . ”
Ian took a deep breath . His choices had disappeared . There was only one road remaining now . He had no other choice but to commit to a last hurrah on this path .
Ian’s muscles swelled up .
“Bul’tar──────!”
Ian charged towards the opponent . His greatsword descended with force towards the opponent’s weapon who twisted his body to avoid it . Ian pursued him and slashed him .
“Kuok!”
His opponent blocked it . The two blades faced each other and it became a battle of strength . Ian put pressure on the opponent . The other person kicked Ian in the abdomen .
“Huuk!”
“Die, orc bastard!”
The underling stabbed at his neck . Ian quickly ducked and rolled across the ground to avoid it . The sword missed . Again, the sword descended towards the body of Ian, who had fallen . Ian could barely escape by rolling to left and right .
He gritted his teeth .
“Horyaaaaah!”
Ian stood up and charged again . His opponent aimed the blade, but Ian didn’t care . He pushed ahead and slashed the opponent with his sword, despite the blade aiming at him . The opponent fell to the floor .
Ian got on top of him, but there was still the blade between them . Ian paused for a short moment . He wielded his fist before he lost his spirit .
“Waaaah!”
The orc’s fist struck the underling’s face .
Peeok! Peeok! Peeok!
Ian’s punches turned the subordinate’s face into a rice cake . Ian’s hand stopped as he recovered his spirit .
There was a blade at Ian’s neck . It was another of Derek’s subordinates .
“Stop . You can’t kill any of my men . ”
Ian stood up with a wince .
“Is he alive?”
“Yes, he is still breathing . ”
“Foolish guy . ”
Derek placed his foot on the head of the collapsed underling .
“Losing to an inexperienced orc…”
Ian stepped back and picked up his sword . There were still four subordinates remaining . Ian asked with a grin .
“Who’s next?”
***
He breathed out . His body was a wreck .
[Orc’s Vitality (Uncommon) is being used . ]
[The bleeding is severe . Please seek medical attention . ]
[Your right arm won’t move . Your actions are constrained . ]
The third subordinate was lying down with a pierced abdomen . Now there were only two left, excluding Derek .
Ian’s head drooped against his will . He wanted to collapse . He wanted to rest . It would be comfortable if he died . After all, this was just a game . However,he had to protect Ray .
It may have been a game to him, but this was reality for Ray, an NPC with an artificial intelligence . Right now, the life of an NPC was depending on him .
Ian laughed . Lenox’s voice rang in his ears .
‘Raise your head! Everything is hard! Don’t relax! It is hard! So what? Nobody cares!’
Those words . The enemy wouldn’t care about his circumstances . The enemy didn’t care that he wanted to close his eyes and collapse . No, they would gain strength from Ian’s despair, and would try to step on him .
“Who’s next?” Ian shouted .
The residents were already watching the fight through the windows and gaps in the alleys . An orc struggling against the infamous Derek . The orc shed blood, but didn’t give up .
“Come! I will deal with you!”
“Impressive . ”
Derek nodded .
“Yes, you… you truly are Hoyt’s friend . I believe it . ”
“Derek, will you come out?”
“The entertainment is over, Young Man . ”
“What do you mean?”
“I enjoyed it, but now it is time to work . ”
Derek gestured with his chin . Then his subordinate, hovering behind Ian, grabbed Ray . Ray struggled desperately, but he couldn’t resist the strength of an adult . Ian tried to rush over, but Derek approached and punched Ian in the abdomen .
“Cough…!”
Derek was strong . It was a blow that made his head go blank .
Ian sat down . Derek spoke in a laughing tone from above him .
“The time is coming soon . ”
Derek grabbed Ian’s hair . Then someone caught Ian’s attention .
An orc was running over . One eye, and a scary face laced with scars and covered in tattoos . It was Hoyt .