Praise the Orc! Chapter 35:
Chapter 35 – Contrast (2)
The moon could be seen through the window .
Crockta wore his greatsword on his back, walking past the crowded pub on the inn’s first floor and heading outside . The cool night air woke up his senses .
“You’re early . ”
Ilya and his companions were waiting . They wore masks covering their faces . Only their eyes shone in the darkness .
“Quickly . The sooner the better . ”
Arnin was quiet at night . Except for some pubs that opened until dawn, they all turned off their lights .
They moved quickly, rushing through the forest . They soon reached the slums that they had visited during the day . It was a street covered in darkness . As they stood there, it seemed like darkness was the only thing they could see .
The slums were darker than the other areas of Arnin, all black without a single house lit up . Only the faint traces of moonlight filtered through the air without reaching the ground . Ilya whispered and created a faint, feeble fire that only revealed the immediate surroundings . Ilya gestured, as if to follow him .
Ilya arrived at a broken down building in a corner of the slums and released the fire . He took a deep breath and approached . As they listened, a faint sound was heard from inside the building .
……
Ilya raised a finger to his mouth . Quiet . They killed any noise and stepped closer . The dialogue leaked through .
“If this is successful, then won’t it be the second largest one?”
“Exactly . ”
“There are many old men standing in line for elves . ”
“Some of them have low assimilation rates…”
Assimilation rate . They were words that indicated that these were users . Crockta quietly raised a hand to the doorknob . It wasn’t locked . They exchanged glances .
Ilya gathered both hands together and muttered . Moisture was drawn from the air and became a sphere of water . Ilya summoned two in the air and then whispered .
“Enter quietly . ”
Crockta and the elves nodded .
Ilya gave a signal . The water spheres flew through the air . Crockta quickly opened the door and plunged in .
The two humans sitting at the table were shocked by the sudden intrusion, but they had to cover their heads as the water spheres hit them . They were trapped in the water sphere and couldn’t breathe properly .
One of them was stabbed in the abdomen . The elves handled the other one . Both became unconscious and fell to the ground . Crockta **** the users with the prepared rope and gagged them . The members of the Thawing Balhae Clan were thrown into a corner after being suppressed in an instant .
“Underground . ”
Ilya started searching the floor . His hand grabbed something and lifted it up . There were stairs to the basement . Light was coming from the bottom . Faint words could be heard .
“There will be more down there . ”
Then Ilya looked at the elves .
“As Crockta wants, overpower instead of killing those cursed by the stars . ”
“Yes . ”
“Let’s go . ”
The elves entered . Crockta followed . As they went down, a somewhat remodeled basement appeared . They slowly advanced . There was a tunnel that was like a mine shaft . At first, it looked rushed, but then an orderly structure started to appear . There was a bend in the path .
A sound was heard . Crockta stopped in his tracks .
“……?”
Ilya tried to ask . However, a scream rang out . They looked at each other for a moment . Then they all ran forward at the same time . They doubted their eyes as they went beyond the bend .
A horrifying sight .
Two humans were **** a female elf . They repeatedly punched and kicked her when she resisted, as if they had no interest in the woman’s life . The woman lying underneath the men already had bruises and scars all over her body .
Another human was sitting at the table and giggling like it was funny . Behind him, a prison with steel bars were visible and countless elves were confined like dogs inside . It looked like **** .
The empty eyes of the female elf was like a doll as she turned her head towards Crockta . At that moment, her eyes seemed to shake .
Crockta angrily pulled out his greatsword . His sword shone in the light . The humans turned as they noticed the presence of an intruder .
“W-What?”
Crockta rushed in . Ilya and his elves followed .
First, he attacked the man **** the elf . The body of a man flew back from Crockta’s attack and hit the steel bars . A few of the trapped elves looked up at the frenzy .
Crockta stabbed the stomach of the other human, controlling his strength so that the man wouldn’t die . He forced the opponent’s legs off balance with his greatsword . The moment he was about to turn his blade towards the other person,
A spherical fireball flew at him .
“……!”
Crockta hurriedly lifted his greatsword . However, before it hit him, the fireball slammed into an invisible barrier and disappeared . Crockta turned to see the smiling Ilya .
“Please be careful . ”
“Thank you . ”
Crockta expressed his gratitude and slammed his knee into the human’s face . The human’s teeth flew through the air .
Ilya’s colleagues were also proficient in battle . The Thawing Balhae Clan members resisted with intense aggression and the fighting became longer . It was some time after the launch of Elder Lord, so the users had developed .
However, the situation changed when Crockta exerted his power . A limb flew into the air every time Crockta’s greatsword moved . The lost limbs wriggled on the floor .
“Kuk…this…”
“How did you know…kuk…”
Crockta kicked their mouths . It cracked together and broke . Then they were **** and gagged . The Thawing Balhae members realized what was happening . They were shocked and struggled fiercely, but they couldn’t stop Crockta . His burly hands **** the struggling users in turn .
In the end, all of the Thawing Balhae members here were overpowered .
Ilya recovered his breathing and looked at Crockta .
“The work isn’t over yet . ”
He found a bunch of keys and handed it over to his colleagues . The prison doors opened and the elves were released .
“There are a few more places like this . ”
Crockta nodded .
The night wasn’t over yet .
***
They raided several more bases through the night . Gradually, the level of the Thawing Balhae Clan members increased . Some people in Ilya’s group were injured . Crockta was almost hit by a blow but managed to escape .
So far, they had saved dozens of elves .
“This is the last one . ”
They walked towards the house . It was bigger than the previous places they visited .
All of them were in a mess due to the lasting battle . Thawing Balhae’s response was stronger because they already communicated with each other . This was the last one and the enemies would be ready .
As expected, powerful magic hit them as soon as they entered the house .
“Ugh!”
The shield spell that Ilya had prepared blocked the magic . However, the shock was conveyed, causing Ilya to turn pale . He would be queasy for a bit .
“It is a very well made game . NPCs can cause such unexpected events . ”
One man walked out .
Crockta’s face stiffened . He had see that face somewhere . It was the man standing next to the magician of the Thawing Balhae clan at Lenox’s last battle . But he didn’t seem to recognize Crockta . He looked at Crockta and Ilya’s companions before lifting his spear .
“I will get the orc . ”
“……”
“Your activities…ends here . ”
He pointed his spear at Crockta . The other clan members also raised the weapons, ready to rush forward at any time . The enemies were numerically superior, but the personal skills of Crockta and Ilya’s group were outstanding . If the battle lasted too long, then reinforcements might come .
It needed to be lightning quick .
The two sides collided . Crockta’s greatsword hit the man’s spear . The man maintained his distance and stabbed the spear at Crockta . Crockta evaded, but the speed was faster than he expected, causing him to be hit in the thigh .
“Keuk!”
The cut wasn’t deep . The pain caused his movements to become uncomfortable . Crockta wiped his thigh and grasped his greatsword .
The man grinned . “Orc… It would be difficult if I had a low level, but not anymore . Not anymore . ”
He stepped back and forth . He was holding a spear, but his movements were reminiscent of boxing . Crockta moved forward and wielded his greatsword . The man quickly retreated, and then his spear aimed for the gap in Crockta’s movements . The target was Crockta’s shoulders .
“Take this, **** orc!”
But Crockta’s shoulder twisted flexibly as he avoided the stab . Then he grabbed the spear with his arm and pulled . The man tried to hold on, but he couldn’t overcome Crockta’s muscular strength . Crockta spun his body .
His body was swung around Crockta and then slammed into the ground .
“Kuhak!”
It was a clean move . Crockta tried to stab the man with the greatsword, but another clan member attacked him . Unfortunately, Crockta was forced to back off . .
He looked around and saw that all of the other elves were on the defensive . It was a tiring battle and it wasn’t easy due to the difference in numbers .
“Hu . More than I thought…” Ilya muttered . The eyes above the mask frowned . “I am going to have to use some strength . Protect me . ”
The elves gathered around Ilya . There was a powerful wave of magic power . The gazes of man who got up with the support of a clan member turned towards Ilya . He felt something suspicious and aimed his spear towards Ilya .
Crockta blocked him . The man looked at Crockta and twisted his lips like he was annoyed .
“You asshole…”
He raised his spear .
“Everyone attack him!”
He pointed towards Ilya . The Thawing Balhae members charged towards Ilya . The elves thwarted them . While the clan members and elves fought, Ilya’s spell was being completed . The chant was in its final stages . Something started to emerge over Ilya’s head .
“…Fuck!”
The man confronting Crockta threw his spear at this moment . It was a powerful throw . Crockta hurriedly tried to stop it with his greatsword, but he was too late . It aimed straight towards Ilya . Ilya had his eyes closed, so he didn’t know about the spear .
Crockta didn’t even have time to yell . The spear passed by Ilya .
“……!”
The chant stopped .
“Huu…” Ilya wiped the sweat off his forehead . The spear aimed at Ilya had narrowly passed him and struck the wall, leaving a long scar on Ilya’s cheek . At the same time, his mask was torn . Ilya’s face was revealed .
“I almost died . ”
Ilya laughed as he wiped at the wound on his cheek . The chant had been completed . Something unknown was waving its tail above his head .
It had the appearance of a long snake made of water . It seemed to be a dragon at first sight . Then it spread its wings and opened its mouth . Cold air emerged and lowered the surrounding temperature . It was an elemental summoned by Ilya .
The Thawing Balhae members fell back .
Crockta’s eyes headed back to the enemy . The man who threw the spear was now weaponless . He was scheduled to receive ‘concrete’ . But his expression was strange .
“You…”
He was staring at Ilya, not Crockta . But Ilya shouted before he could speak .
“Undine! Attack!”
The summoned dragon penetrated the man’s body . He screamed in pain and fell to the ground .
“……!”
His body changed into white particles . He was dead . Crockta stared at Ilya .
“Right now, we are in a hurry . There is no time to capture everyone since reinforcements are coming . I know your situation, but please understand . ”
“…I understand . ”
Crockta nodded . The fight began again . After Ilya summoned Undine, the battle turned to their advantage . The Clan members were either killed or captured . All of the Thawing Balhae members in this city had been swept away .
The group explored the interior of the house and found more victims . The rescued elves thanked Ilya and Crockta . But Ilya seemed to be searching for something else .
“It is really here . ”
After going through the house for a while, Ilya emerged with something . It was a thick book .
“It is a book . ”
Ilya quickly confirmed the contents . The letters inside the book made it look like a ledger . A smile flashed on his face .
“This is a record of all the dirty dealings between them and Elsanad . ”