Ch. 63 - Is this truly a situation I despise?

CRASH!“Ugh!”

Yoo Seong-ju was flung back to where he'd come from with great force, crashing into the front gate pillar of the kindergarten. Part of the stone wall at the main entrance was shattered.

“Kyaaaak!”

“Euaaang! Aaang!”

The screams of the kindergarten teachers and the crying of the children filled the narrow playground. The noise was enough to induce dizziness.

‘Did I hit my head? Is my skull ringing? Ugh! I feel dizzy.’

The orcs turned their attention to the children.

Sensing the danger, Yoo Seong-ju, even before steadying his shaky vision, got up and shouted.

“You thick-skulled pigs! This way, over here!”

Though they couldn't understand his words, the orcs seemed to comprehend Yoo Seong-ju's insults.

The irked orcs turned their gaze. Standing before them was the feather-adorned orc who had sent Yoo Seong-ju flying earlier.

First, Yoo Seong-ju, who had caught the orcs' attention, yelled at the people.

“Take the children and escape inside! Quickly!”

Despite the chaos, the kindergarten teachers pushed the children's backs and evacuated into the building. Some children with wobbly legs ran, holding the sides of the adults.

The orcs did not pursue them. To orcs, natural-born Hunters, they looked like rats scurrying into a hole.

Yoo Seong-ju knew this too but had no other choice. Scattering in all directions would only provoke the orcs, and unexpected casualties were bound to happen. It was better to gather in one place and hold out until help arrived.

‘I've bought some time at least…. Whether Hunter support arrives in time is the key.’

He gripped his shield tightly, extending his sword above it, threatening the approaching orcs.

The feather-adorned orc spread its arms, and the rest of the orcs stopped. Carrying an axe on its shoulder, it approached Yoo Seong-ju and suddenly swung it down.

WOOSH!

The sound of the shield bending under the blow echoed. With the uncharacteristic force of an orc, Yoo Seong-ju was forced to one knee. In his unsteady position, he struck back, swinging his sword from beneath his shield.

He aimed for the orc's ankle, intending to reduce its mobility and power, but the orc easily avoided the attack by lifting its foot.

‘I thought orcs were stupid creatures that only knew how to swing their axes?’

Staring in astonishment at this opponent, who moved more skillfully than the orcs he had faced before, Yoo Seong-ju hurled his body to the side. The axe crashed into the spot where he had been, pursuing him like a hammer striking the ground. He rolled around wildly to escape its range, not even sure how many turns he took.

The feather-adorned orc stopped pursuing and laughed into thin air, clearly mocking him.

“Damn it! Since when were orcs this strong? Isn't this cheating?”

The feather-adorned orc sent a signal to its subordinates, who turned away from Yoo Seong-ju, no longer interested. Yoo Seong-ju's confidence that he could face them alone was apparent.

The orcs were trying to enter the building, and Yoo Seong-ju's heart raced with urgency.

He thrust forward with his shield, charging with all his might. The orc twisted its body like a bullfighter to evade the attack, then aimed its axe at his waist.

Yoo Seong-ju tensed his legs and activated his charging skill, although a little too late. As acceleration took hold of his body, the background seemed to push backward, and the axe sliced through thin air, missing its target.

Yoo Seong-ju swiftly leaped into the midst of the orcs, clashing his sword against his shield as he used a skill.

“Howling invasion!”

Kiiiiing!

A tank's unique skill designed to agitate the monsters’ wild nature and draw their aggro was activated.

The orcs within the range of the skill all turned their heads towards Yoo Seong-ju.

“Where do you think you're going?! We should play a bit more!”

Yoo Seong-ju gritted his teeth, determined. However, a familiar shriek shattered the atmosphere.

“Kyaaaak!”

Kim Su-jeong tumbled through the front gate.

“I didn’t mean to play with you, Sister.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Ah, it hurts.”

Kim Su-jeong staggered back, rubbing her tingling arms. Yoo Seong-ju's anger flared when he saw the orcs following her in.

“Why did you bring more orcs?!”

“They're not orcs, you idiot! They're more like ogre cousins! Dumb, but strong......”

Kim Su-jeong joined Yoo Seong-ju, and they stood with their backs to each other. They were surrounded, but both were calm.

“It's been a while since we've had to exert ourselves.”

Kim Su-jeong shook out her left arm. Metal began to spread from the wrist of her mana-filled gauntlet.

The metal soon enveloped her forearm and transformed into a slender hexagonal small shield.

“Are we going with two tanks instead of targeting the dealer?”

“It’s not like we have any other options. We can't beat them just by ourselves.”

“I hope someone arrives soon from Iron Will.”

“Let's pray we don’t die first.”

“If necessary, be prepared to run.”

Kim Su-jeong couldn't bring herself to respond.

Could she really abandon the children at the kindergarten?

Even though it was a decision for survival, she knew she would be plagued by guilt for a long time.

In her life as a Hunter, she had had to make such decisions before, always accompanied by regret.

“Let's keep that as a last resort, really the last.”

“Understood. Stay alert, Sister.”

Just as the orcs charged, a sudden loud noise rang out.

Boom! Crash!

Before they could even identify the noise, a collision sent one of the orcs tumbling to the ground.

“Watch out for the motorcycle...!”

Suddenly appearing, a man had struck the orc with his motorcycle. Another nearby orc swung its axe at him.

The man leaped to dodge, though his motorcycle was reduced to scrap metal with a single blow.

However, his landing spot was ill-chosen; he landed right among the orcs. Another orc nearby attacked.

Too close to evade, it was too late.

He extended his arm to block the axe blade. The axe struck with a dull sound, slicing into his flesh, splattering blood. Fortunately, his arm wasn’t severed due to the strong physique, but the sound of bones cracking resonated in the air.

The man extended his sword without even screaming, clenching his teeth. The orc tried to draw its axe, but when the man tensed his forearm, it faltered, momentarily caught off guard. Seizing the opportunity, the man's sword pierced through the black orc's shoulder. He then aimed for its neck, but the orc, dropping its axe, twisted its body just in time to dodge.

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Pulling the axe from his shaking arm, the man calmly surveyed his surroundings and nodded.

“The children seem to be safe. It's fortunate we weren’t too late.”

Kim Su-jeong and Yoo Seong-ju looked at the man with exasperation. Then, they witnessed his trembling arm suddenly moving as though perfectly fine.

“Healing... factor?”

“Behind!”

Yoo Seong-ju urgently shouted. The man reacted even before the warning.

An axe was lodged in the spot where he had been standing. A feather-adorned orc followed with a kick. The man didn’t dodge; instead, he hurled himself forward, catching the foot just before it landed.

The orc's body tilted. Without missing a beat, the man wrapped both legs around the orc's supporting opposite foot. As he pressed down on its ankle, the orc was forced to kneel.

The orc lashed out at the man's face with its left fist. The man turned his head, narrowly dodging, and quickly rose. He then jumped at an opportune height and delivered a knee kick to the orc's head.

The orc, shocked at the temple, shook its head and swung its arms wildly. The man dodged the attack and raised his sword to strike down at its head.

But the strike did not reach the orc's head. Another orc had rushed in, blocking the man's sword. Yet another orc, reacting a beat late, pounced on the man.

The man raised his sword, deflecting the axes, then jumped back towards where Kim Su-jeong was standing.

“These are no ordinary orcs, just as the information indicated.”

Their strength, the way they coordinated, their skill with weapons, and their manner of fighting.

It felt like facing an experienced Hunter rather than an orc.

As the encirclement broke and the two groups distinctly separated, Kim Su-jeong, who had judged a moment of respite, cautiously asked, “What are these orcs, exactly?”

“Evolved orcs.”

“Seeing that you know about these orcs here, you must be part of the Iron Will Guild?”

“I am from Iron Will, but I don’t know much about these orcs. How they came to be in Pocheon is still unclear.”

“Still unclear? Then how did...”

“Let's save the conversation for later. The orcs are moving. I'll take the lead; assist me from both sides.”

The man issued a simple order. It was a formation that relied on the Healing Factor.

From the looks of it, the unfamiliar two Hunters seemed like freelancers. Judging from their equipment and abilities, their rank seemed modest at best. They had held on so far bravely. If need be, they would have to resort to tactics that threw their bodies in the way to minimize damage.

‘I don’t know how much I can cover these two, but I have to brace myself.’

However, contrary to the man's determination, the orcs' movements veered off from his expectations.

Suddenly, the orc bolted from the kindergarten and began fleeing toward Cheongseong Mountain.

"Is, is it over?"

The man hesitated, about to give chase.

He was reminded of the words he had heard not long ago after being struck by the guild's attack leader.

"Think before you move. Don't act impulsively. If you don't break this habit, you'll be treated as a punching bag all your life."

'Orcs are fundamentally Hunters. Moreover, this one is an evolved specimen. It might set traps. I can't catch the orc in the mountains alone. It's better to wait and seek reinforcements.'

The man sheathed his sword, alert to his surroundings.

Realizing that the fight was entirely over, Kim Su-jeong collapsed in place, feeling more mentally drained than physically.

Yoo Seong-ju also sat down heavily next to her.

Could the orc be that strong?

Especially the feather-adorned orc, the mere thought of it made her tremble. It didn't even seem to have used all its power. It had toyed with her.

'That guy almost caught such a creature. At least B-rank? His skill was not inferior to that of renowned guild Hunters. Iron Will is no laughing matter as a C-rank guild.'

Seeing no further threat, the man turned around and expressed gratitude to the two Hunters.

"I'm glad the two of you held off the orcs. The children could have been seriously hurt. Ah? I apologize for the late introduction. I'm Baek Seong-bin of the Iron Will Guild."

"I'm Kim Su-jeong."

"I am Yoo Seong-ju."

"Are you freelance Hunters?"

"Yes, yes."

"There might be a post-incident report. Could you explain the situation at our guild?"

"Ah, yes. That's fine. I will cooperate if it's about hunting monsters."

"Thank you."

"Could I meet Guild Master Ju Se-ah?"

Kim Su-jeong asked with twinkling eyes.

Ju Se-ah was a female Hunter that many looked up to. Her anticipation was natural.

"I'm not sure. As far as I know, the Guild Master is at the headquarters. You might get to see the Guild Leader though."

Kim Su-jeong bowed her head in disappointment, but Yoo Seong-ju secretly clenched his fist.

'The Guild Leader is the real power in the Iron Will Guild. If things go well, I might get some benefits when developing a hunting ground?'

…

"The orc was quick to judge. Seeing the continually joining Hunters, it probably thought more would join. It's just a guess, though."

Kang Mu-hyuk stared intently at the Pocheon map on the screen, listening to Lee Jin-joo's report.

'Where could it be hiding?'

Late-arriving Hunters had searched Cheongseong Mountain, but the orc was nowhere to be found.

Just like at the barn, even its tracks had disappeared. It was strange, considering there shouldn't have been enough time to erase them.

The only plausible speculation was that the orc possessed a unique skill or item to erase its tracks.

The evolution stage must have significantly progressed.

"Considering there were several, not catching even one is a problem, right? Despite being B-rank. How did Hunter Baek Seong-bin, whom you tested directly, perform?"

"Your battle sense, bold use of Healing Factor, and tactical movement were all splendid. However, as in this case, there is the drawback of impulsively acting in situations where monsters threaten people. Even considering that, I don't think your skills are lacking to the point where you'd let an orc slip away so easily."

"But the failure of the hunt was because the orcs' rank was higher than expected."

"The more they band together, the more troublesome they are. At that level, there's a high chance that they're forming a large tribe somewhere."

Suddenly, he was reminded of the time with the goblin tribe.

The large tribe solidly united under the rare species known as the Goblin Matriarch.

At that time, though threatening, he had not considered them to be at an unbeatable level.

'But the Matriarch's summoning was dangerous. Enough to make even the Guild Master prepare for death.'

Although he had been hiding it from other guild members, Kang Mu-hyuk had not forgotten the existence of the Matriarch for a moment.

Therefore, he had significant concerns about the unprecedented evolution of the orc tribe.

"For now, the Guild Master is handling the search for the orc tribe."

"Ah? So that's why the Guild Master stayed in North Pocheon. No wonder, even though she said she would also evaluate the new members' tactical execution, I wondered why she didn't come to see it herself."

"While the Guild Master is struggling, we must produce results. Let's recheck the geography of Cheongseong Mountain and increase the search force. There's nothing caught on nearby CCTV yet, so they must be hiding somewhere."

Kang Mu-hyuk turned his eyes back to the map.

'I have a feeling this won't be easy.'

…

Ju Se-ah was roaming the area of North Pocheon alone. It was because of Kang Mu-hyuk's special request.

'A tribe-type monster that evolved rapidly. A very tricky situation indeed. Hmm, trauma from the Matriarch's time? Guild Leader Kang seems to be overly concerned.'

Of course, she hadn't forgotten about the Goblin Matriarch either. Rather, she was under more stress than Kang Mu-hyuk. Even now, when she closed her eyes at night, she would encounter the beings summoned by the Matriarch in her nightmares.

Despite that, Ju Se-ah believed that what had happened during the Matriarch's time wouldn't repeat itself this time.

“Orcs have nothing to do with summoning. Even if they have evolved, they're monsters completely inept at magic.”

With some pointless self-talk to change the gloomy atmosphere, Ju Se-ah set out again to search but couldn't find any trace of the orcs.

'It's strange. If there's an orc tribe, there should be some sign of them. I don't even see a single orc snout.'

The southern road, which she patrolled daily, and its surroundings were obviously devoid of them, and there was no trace in the western areas she occasionally checked due to lack of personnel either.

The southwest, excluding a part of the low mountain, was mostly flat, so there wasn't a suitable hiding place for a monster tribe.

So, the remaining options were the east and northeast where the mountains continued. These areas were rugged but not wide enough for a large tribe to settle.

"Are they not in North Pocheon in the first place?"

Ju Se-ah blurted out the words, then flinched and touched her mouth.

She was reminded of the area beyond the boundary of North Pocheon to the north.

Cheolwon County.

In the early days of the Gate era, it was a land abandoned in chaos.

Even the monsters were reluctant to approach the place, due to the tens of thousands of landmines that had been scattered to stop the monsters coming down from the collapsed North Korea.

"If they are there..."

If the orc tribe had survived there for a long time–

"Wouldn't that lead to a really unpleasant situation?"

Ju Se-ah somehow had a bad feeling about it.