Praise the Orc! Chapter 16:
Chapter 16 – About Life (3)
“Hoyt, the honorable warrior Hoyt . ”
Derek laughed . “I’m glad that you came . ”
“Let go of them . ”
“Let’s see…”
Ray was brought to Derek’s side . He circled around Ian and Ray as he asked, “Hoyt, what is your relationship with this young orc?”
“He is a colleague helping me out . ”
“Is he also an orc warrior?”
“An apprentice, but I guarantee that one day he will become a warrior . ”
Derek nodded . “Orc warriors are extraordinary… I haven’t met many orc warriors, but they all have one thing in common . ”
Derek kicked Ian .
“Ugh!”
“They all have a logic that I can’t understand . ”
He unleashed a barrage of attacks on Ian, who was collapsed on the ground . The shock caused by the feet hitting Ian’s wounds caused more blood to pour out . Ian’s body was so weak that he couldn’t get up anymore .
“You are protecting the Thompson family . ” Derek touched Ian’s head with his toes . “This orc also risked his life fighting for that trivial reason . ”
“Kuuack…”
“I will be honest . ”
Derek held a knife to Ray’s neck, who was captured by his men . “The money that Thompson borrowed, it is nothing to me . ”
“Derek!”
“But I had a lot of fun after you guys barged in . An honorable warrior, that is interesting . ”
“If you hurt the both of them, then I will keep my honor and make you pay the price,” growled Hoyt .
“Calm down, I haven’t done anything yet . I don’t want to do anything . ”
Derek’s subordinate grabbed Ray’s hair and pulled his head back . The boy’s white neck was clearly revealed under the midday sun .
“You are the one who will have to do something, Hoyt . ”
“What does that mean?!”
“I always wonder the same thing when seeing people like you . What if that belief was bent? Where will you go?”
The blade passed lightly over Ray’s neck, leaving a thin red line in its path . Blood flowed downwards .
“Kneel down, Hoyt . ”
“Derek…!”
“If you don’t fall to your knees, then this child will die . ”
Ray trembled . Ian tried to stand up, but a subordinate nearby stepped on his back . Ian moaned and collapsed back onto the ground .
“Come, kneel down Hoyt . Bow your honor . ”
Derek said with a chuckle .
Ian formed a tight fist where he was laying on the ground, his head brimming with fury . Hoyt wasn’t an orc who could be insulted by a loan shark . A man who made slaves of others or sold them to brothels for money couldn’t sneer at Hoyt .
He was a warrior who knew honor, and had proven himself . Derek absolutely couldn’t mock Hoyt .
[The Warrior’s Fighting Spirit (Uncommon) has been used . ]
[You are an orc who doesn’t know how to give up . ]
[Your fighting spirit has raised the limits of your body . ]
Ian shook his head . Hoyt was about to bend his knees . His eyes were calm, but Ian’s eyes shook fiercely as he looked at Hoyt . A hot emotion was boiling up in his body .
[Your willpower has soared . ]
[Warrior’s Fighting Spirit (Uncommon) is extremely fierce . ]
[Warrior’s Fighting Spirit has temporarily changed to Indomitable Will (Special) . ]
[Indomitable Will (Special) has temporarily changed to Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare) . ]
[Your body has gone beyond its limits . ]
His status window flashed . Derek’s voice was heard .
“Kneel and place your forehead against the ground . ”
He was smiling .
“There should be a banging sound . Then I’ll safely return them . ”
Ian’s hand moved . He grabbed Derek’s ankle .
[Your assimilation rate has risen . It is now 57% . ]
[Assimilation: 58%]
[Assimilation: 59%]
……
Assimilation: 65%]
[Assimilation: 66%]
……
[Your assimilation rate has risen . It is now…]
Ian pulled at Derek’s ankle . Derek stumbled at the sudden power . Ian stood up using all his might . The subordinate with his leg on Ian’s back fell down . All the strength in Ian’s body exploded as he aimed his left fist at Derek .
Derek avoided it and aimed his knife at Ian . Ian leaned back . His body was light . He avoided Derek’s knife . Every wound on Ian’s body was screaming . The pain cleared Ian’s spirit of any distractions . He desperately burned his power as he aimed at Derek’s torso .
“This last-ditch struggle…!”
Derek growled out as he stabbed Ian with his knife . The knife was stuck in Ian’s side . His knees tried to buckle, but he gave strength to his legs and persisted . He gritted his teeth and moved .
His goal wasn’t Derek . Ian aimed at the face of the man holding Ray . Ian’s fists flew at his face . A strike with all the power in his body! The opponent’s body flew through the air .
Ian caught Ray’s body . He could feel a weapon aiming towards his back . Ian didn’t care and threw Ray towards Hoyt .
“Run──────!”
Ray flew through the air and rolled across the floor . He got up and ran towards Hoyt . Ray burrowed himself into Hoyt’s arms .
Ian laughed at the sight . It was up to here . He had done what was needed .
Then Derek kicked him onto the ground . Ian was trampled on many times by Derek and his men . . Derek’s attack contained a lot of anger, so it felt like Ian’s breath stopped every time . Ian’s vomited up blood . Derek didn’t care and kicked Ian’s head .
Ian rolled across the ground . Derek stopped the beating and breathed out .
“Hoo, hoo…”
Ian grinned with his messed up face and asked, “How is it…Derek…?”
“I looked down on you . I apologize for that, but nothing has changed . ” Derek smiled like he was suppressing his anger and turned towards Hoyt . “It is because my proposal is still valid . ”
“……”
“Hoyt, kneel . Otherwise, I will kill this orc cruelly . I am very angry right now so my patience has fallen . Do it right now . ”
Derek raised his knife . “I said to bow down . ”
Ian burst out laughing .
“Kulkulkul, kulkul, kuku, kulkulkul…! Kulkul, ku, kulkul!”
“What is so funny?”
Ian cried out, “Hoyt… Now…you don’t have to listen to this coward . ”
“Do you want to die?”
“Derek, I won’t die even if I die . ”
“What does that mean?”
“Literally . ”
Ian spat out blood and said .
“I received the curse of the stars . ”
“……!”
“Even if I die, I will revive . I absolutely won’t let Derek insult Hoyt . Kulkulkul . ”
Derek glanced at Hoyt . “Is that true, Hoyt?”
“……”
“The curse of the stars… So you’re not afraid of death . ”
Derek nodded .
“I will know once I kill you . ”
He raised his knife . Ian smiled and closed his eyes . This was his first death in Elder Lord, but he wouldn’t feel afraid if he could preserve the honor of a respectable warrior . Rather, he would gladly die .
Just as Derek’s blade was about to fall, Hoyt’s voice was heard .
“Derek, stop . ”
Ian opened his eyes .
“What is it?”
“I will accept . ”
“Hoh . ”
Ian turned his head and screamed .
“Hoyt, what…?”
Hoyt didn’t look at Ian . His eyes were firm like there was nothing more to be said .
“Hoyt…!”
Ian’s face distorted . Despite his desperate look, Hoyt’s knees started to slowly fold .
***
Hoyt raised a fist . Then he saw Ian’s messed up face and put his fist down . He slapped Ian’s face instead .
Jjak!
“Kuock…”
“I’m disappointed in you . ”
Ian couldn’t accept it . “I did what I wanted . ”
“Suicide?”
“Hoyt, I received the curse of the stars!”
“I know . ”
“I’m not afraid of death…”
The fist came flying this time . Ian collapsed on the floor .
“Kuock…”
“Keep this in mind . ”
Hoyt grabbed Ian’s neck and lifted him . A tremendous power could be felt . The terrible face of the one-eyed Hoyt pushed closed to him .
“An orc who isn’t afraid of death can’t become a warrior . ”
“……”
“Remember, young orc . Death can never beat life . The one who survives is strong . ”
“But…”
“Do you know why the orcs are always asking if you are alive?”
“……”
“Honor, freedom, struggle- they are only possible if you are alive . Enduring a little humiliation is nothing in order to live . ”
Ian bowed his head . Elder Lord was a game to him, but Hoyt was a resident of Elder Lord . For him, life and death here was reality . Hoyt’s hands were trembling as they grabbed Ian’s neck .
“In front of survival, falling to my knees is nothing . ”
“…I’m really sorry . ”
“Think about what real honor is . It is true that pride isn’t real honor . ”
“I understand . ”
“No matter what, we have to survive . ”
Ian nodded .
Hoyt’s true heart was revealed .
The sunset caused the sky to look as if it were on fire . Ian carefully engraved Hoyt’s harsh face, that received the glow, into his head . Hoyt’s wild breathing, his careful eyes, and his voice that was discussing life made its way into Ian, making it impossible to tell if this world was a game or if it was reality .
The sky in Elder Lord was no different from the sky in reality .
Hoyt said, “Thank you . ”
“……!”
“I said this before, but I might think the same way if I were you . ” Hoyt smiled quietly .
“No…” Ian laughed despite the pressure on this throat . It was like the cliched plots that he disliked . “By the way, how were my abilities? Derek was surprised . ”
“Kulkulkul . Nice . You should have seen his face . ”
The two orcs burst out laughing .
They talked for a while . Hoyt smiled before calming himself and asked with a solemn expression, “I wanted to tell you one final thing . Death doesn’t avoid you because you have been cursed by the stars . Rather, you must survive longer than others . ”
“What do you mean?”
“You have to build up achievements in order to receive God’s forgiveness, but death will cause those achievements to drop . If you don’t receive forgiveness, then you will face a more severe pain and destruction than death . Those who are cursed by God, who keep dying without any fear of death, are eventually drawn into the Abyss and punished for eternity . That can happen to you . ”
Ian listened . He could see how the NPCs perceived the curse of the stars . If the story was real, then it really was a terrible curse .
“There is a reason why the curse of the stars is called a curse . ”
“I will keep that in mind . ”
“I will pray for you to escape the confines of it . ”
A delicious smell was coming from inside Thompson’s house .
Thompson’s wife, who had been informed of the encounter with Derek, cried with tears of gratefulness and regret . Ian and Hoyt desperately tried to calm her down . She was probably cooking for them .
“I’m looking forward to the meal . ”
“Yes . ”
Ian and Hoyt turned towards the house . It was at that moment that a long shadow covered Ian and Hoyt . It was the shape of a person .
Ian and Hoyt looked back at the same time . A man stood there . The owner of the shadow opened his mouth .
“What stupid orcs are standing in front of my house?”
Hoyt’s eyes widened . The man standing there was wearing old and dirty clothes . The man laughed .
“Hoyt, I’m back . ”
“Thompson!”
Thompson had returned .