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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 13: To the Border Region (2)
"Groar!"
"Kurruk!"
An orc attempted to engage in a power struggle with an Armored Zombie.
Their fingers intertwined in the air, and soon, with a crack, the orc's hand twisted at an unnatural angle.
The orc glared, its eyes bloodshot, trying to pull its arm back.
The Armored Zombie didn't let go; instead, it pulled the orc's hand further, disrupting its posture.
"Kurruk! Monster, die!"
An orc behind the first one, aiming to rescue its comrade, swung its glaive with all its might.
Clang!
The blade of the iron-forged curved sword dulled, but the bone armor only suffered a minor scratch.
"Not bad."
Yoojin gave his assessment casually.
Kang Minho, positioned behind, was astonished.
"The zombie you strengthened... It could overwhelm even a 2 Star Hunter, couldn't it?"
"I put a lot of effort into making it. Of course, it has to be at least that strong."
The orc horde, infamous as a race of born warriors, was being toyed with by a single zombie clad in bone armor.
"Kurruk!"
One of the orcs struck with all its might.
Unfortunately, it hit the same spot that had been struck by the glaive earlier, and the accumulated damage caused a crack in the bone armor.
"Groaa?"
The price was steep.
The Armored Zombie, startled by the shattering of its armor, turned its head and extended its right hand.
The orc struggled against the monstrous grip, but the Armored Zombie tightened its grasp, and the orc's head exploded.
〔How undignified. Just like its master.〕
'It's the orc's fault for provoking me.'
With most of the orc horde defeated, the remaining one turned and fled.
The Little Runts team members were amazed.
"Whoever said orcs don't run away was lying. That was a complete lie."
"Well, even I would have run away."
"Run away? I would have peed my pants right there."
"Minyeong, I told you to watch your language."
"What? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"
The owner of monstrous strength that didn't budge against most attacks and could tear off an arm with a single grab...
Facing that was the epitome of unfairness.
"Boss, are you going to let that orc go? The zombie won't be able to catch it with its mobility."
"Just wait."
[Raging Charge]
The Armored Zombie leaped with all its might.
Closing the distance in an instant, it slammed into the orc like a football player.
"Gah!"
The orc tumbled with a pained cry. Its back, exposed to the explosive power, caved in, and its chest suffered a blow strong enough to make its bones protrude.
"Groar!"
As the Armored Zombie raised its foot to finish the orc off—
"Stop."
At Yoojin's command, the zombie immediately withdrew its foot, which was about to crush the orc's head.
'Its aggression has increased.'
The Armored Zombie, modified with Bone Armor and Flesh Control, had become much more ferocious.
As the infused spirit power increased, so did the undead's inherent hatred for the living.
〔If you can't control it, you might be killed by your own minion.〕
'Do you think I'll die because I can't control my minions?'
Some necromancers, unable to gauge their own capabilities, created high-ranking undead and ended up being killed by them.
That wouldn't happen to Yoojin, but it never hurt to be careful.
'This is even better.'
Look at the chilling killing intent of the Armored Zombie.
Even the orcs, who lived for battle, ran away after seeing that ferocious creature!
〔Tsk, tsk. Just don't die meaninglessly.〕
Ignoring Kronos's lamentation, Yoojin drew upon his spirit power.
[Using Bone Armor.]
By infusing spirit power into the damaged armor of the Armored Zombie, it was restored without a scratch.
"I don't know who the real monster is."
Kang Minho muttered in awe as he watched the bone armor regenerate.
＊ ＊ ＊
On the third day after entering the border region.
"Is everyone ready?"
At Yoojin's question, all the members of the Little Runts team nodded.
The orc colony.
In terms of Gates, it was a dangerous place, equivalent to the high end of a 2 Star Gate.
Considering that the northern part of Paju was a border region...
'This is like raiding a 3 Star Gate.'
For two days, he had been going around the colony, reducing the number of orcs.
Applying [Flesh Control] and [Bone Armor], he had created the [Armored Zombie], an undead not recorded in the Library of Knowledge.
As a bonus, he had also leveled up three times in the process.
The downside was that his stats no longer increased even after absorbing the orcs' life force.
[You have acquired all the biomatter that can be absorbed from this species.]
[Your stats will not increase further.]
'Well, it would be stranger if there were no limits.'
Yoojin wasn't disappointed.
He had stored the remaining life force obtained during the hunts for healing purposes.
So that he could immediately heal his allies if they were injured.
'That's the main job of the Priest class.'
Yoojin gave a wry smile.
Come to think of it, hadn't it been mentioned that new divine spells had been added?
〔They can only be bestowed in the Pantheon.〕
What an incompetent constellation.
Once he was done with his business in the border region, he would have to stop by the Pantheon.
"Take care of yourselves."
"We're Hunters too. Don't worry."
Although he had means of healing, he hadn't used Life Drain for recovery.
He didn't know if it could heal serious injuries like losing an arm or a leg.
He didn't want to test it in this situation.
"Advance."
"Graa!"
Twenty Armored Zombies marched forward.
The orc colony was situated by a river.
There were no rocks or large trees to use as cover, so the approaching Armored Zombies were clearly visible.
"Kurruk! Enemies!"
Clang— Clang—
A bell rang from a watchtower.
Orcs scattered throughout the colony began to gather near the entrance, armed.
[Using Bone Control.]
A Cursed Fang shot through the air.
It plunged into the neck of the orc ringing the bell, silencing the sound.
"Stop yapping."
Just as Yoojin was about to retrieve the Cursed Fang—
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Several arrows arced towards them.
"Leave this to us."
[Shield Protection]
[Forced Attack]
[Fire Bolt]
Kang Minho's shield glowed green.
The arrows that were falling towards them changed direction towards the shield.
Seizing the moment when the arrows clustered together, he launched a fireball.
With a small explosion, half of the arrows burned to ashes in mid-air.
Clink!
A few arrows struck the shield, but—
"It's fine. I can withstand it."
Kang Minho, his legs firmly planted, blocked all the attacks without giving an inch.
〔He's quite useful.〕
'He's a 100% winning lottery ticket, I tell you.'
Yoojin simultaneously controlled five Cursed Fangs.
As long as the Little Runts team blocked the stray arrows, he could focus entirely on offense.
There was no need to hold back on using the magic weapons.
Shhhk!
The Cursed Fangs repeatedly sliced through the air, taking down exposed orcs standing on watchtowers and high ground.
Casualties mounted before the orcs in the colony could even fully assemble.
As the number surpassed 20, the orcs' patience wore thin.
"Kurruk! Charge!"
"Kurruk, intruders! I will kill you!"
The orcs rushed out of the colony, crudely pushing aside the makeshift entrance.
"Go, my minions."
[Raging Charge]
"Groaaar!!"
The 20 Armored Zombies slammed their shoulders into the vanguard of the orcs that had just emerged.
Crack!
A gruesome sound of muscles tearing and bones breaking filled the air.
Some orcs managed to swing their swords in time with the charging Armored Zombies, but—
Clang—
Instead, their glaives, caught on the bone armor, snapped in half.
The orcs were sent flying like bowling pins struck by a ball.
"Groaaar!!"
The 20 Armored Zombies pressed their advantage, pushing the orcs back to the entrance.
"Kurruk! We must push through!"
"Ku, Kurruk! These foul-smelling monsters are too strong!"
"Kurruk! I'll create an opening!"
Several orcs, their fighting spirit burning, charged head-on at the Armored Zombies.
Scars began to accumulate on the sturdy bone armor.
Some orcs' swords broke from excessive force, but...
They clung to the arms and legs of the Armored Zombies with their bare hands, hindering their movements.
"They really are monsters obsessed with fighting."
Kang Minho muttered, seemingly awed and terrified.
Even the seemingly indestructible bone armor of the Armored Zombies started to show numerous cracks.
The orc chieftain, standing at the rear, shouted with bulging veins in his neck.
"Kurruk! Hold strong, warriors! If you fight just a little longer, we can..."
[Using Bone Armor.]
The cracks in the bone armor were instantly repaired.
Armor restoration was possible even from a distance of over 100 meters.
"Just a little longer? I'm curious what you'll do next."
"Kurruk, Kurruk!"
"What's wrong? Not going as planned?"
"Kurruk! You coward! Fight fair and square!"
[Using Flesh Control.]
The flesh of the fallen orcs clung to the one who had spoken of fighting fair and square.
"Kurruk!"
"This is how necromancers fight fair and square."
Thud! Thud!
The orcs clinging to the Armored Zombies were also slowed down by the flesh clinging to them.
The trapped orcs were thrown into confusion.
When nearly half of them had fallen near the entrance of the colony, victims of Yoojin's manipulation—
"Kurruk! We'll break through the side and make a path!"
The orc chieftain attempted to destroy the colony's fence.
"Finally thought of that?"
Yoojin grinned.
Yes.
He had anticipated that this was the only way to overcome this obstacle.
'How delightful it is when they move according to plan.'
[Using Bone Control.]
Once again, the Cursed Fangs danced.
The orcs trying to break the fence collapsed, bleeding.
"Honestly, sticking their heads out to be killed?"
"Kurruk!!!"
Enraged, the orc chieftain clung to the fence, his bloodshot eyes fixed on it as he swung his axe with all his might.
The fence visibly swayed after only a few strikes.
A Cursed Fang shot towards the orc chieftain.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
His rock-hard flesh was torn.
Green blood flowed, staining the ground, but he didn't stop.
Finally.
A part of the fence collapsed, opening a new path to Yoojin besides the colony entrance.
"...You don't think that's all, do you?"
"Kurruk!"
"You could have just come back through the entrance by the river. Why bother breaking the perfectly good fence?"
This was why he disliked orcs.
Yoojin clicked his tongue, and the sight was reflected in the orc chieftain's eyes.
"Don't expect any backup from behind. I've already taken care of them."
"Kurruk!!!"
Once again, the orc chieftain succumbed to rage.
[Berserk]
His skin turned red due to the excessive blood flow.
His pain-contorted expression became hazy, as if he were intoxicated.
Meanwhile, a killing intent several times stronger than before spread across his eyes, turning both his pupils and the whites of his eyes red.
A skill that numbed pain and reason, leaving only the intent to kill the enemy.
"I've been waiting for you to use that."
Immediately after the orc chieftain used Berserk, Yoojin waited for the skill's effect to momentarily paralyze his body.
"If I pierce his arms and legs, he won't be able to move, even in a Berserk state."
Seizing the brief opening, five Cursed Fangs, held in reserve, pierced the orc chieftain's limbs.
Perhaps due to the extra spirit power he had imbued them with, the black spikes tore through flesh and muscle, embedding themselves deep into the ground, restricting the orc chieftain's movements.
"Kurrukkkkk!"
"What's wrong? Not going as planned?"
The orc chieftain thrashed, impaled by the Cursed Fangs.
Even as his wounds widened, and blood flowed like a stream, he glared at Yoojin with murderous eyes.
"Don't feel too wronged; you're not the only one who's going to die."
Yoojin took control of the Staff of Resentment with [Bone Control].
There was a saying, "If you don't have teeth, use your gums."
If even one Cursed Fang was removed, the orc chieftain would break free. He had no choice but to improvise.
'Finish this quickly.'
Mana surged out of him.
Trying to control six mediums at once with Bone Control made his mouth dry.
Since he had released the Staff of Resentment, he couldn't benefit from its mana assisting effect.
Even if he tried to convert the life force he had stored into mana, he would have to use the [Midnight Sun] trait.
If he did that, he would lose his grip on the orc chieftain.
'Aim for the heart. Pierce it in one blow.'
Shhk!
The Staff of Resentment spun violently as it flew.
The sharpened tip of the staff mercilessly pierced the chieftain's chest.
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 19]
The red glow in the chieftain's eyes vanished.
"Ugh."
His vision blurred from excessive mana consumption.
This was the second time he had experienced this, after the Ancient Garden, but Yoojin didn't panic. He activated [Midnight Sun] and converted his life force into mana.
[Using Life Drain.]
A peculiar divine spell that healed the target by stealing their life force.
Since it could replenish both life force and mana, it was the perfect healing skill for Yoojin, who was experiencing mana exhaustion.
"Kurk, the chieftain has fallen!"
"Kurruk! This is dangerous!"
The orcs were demoralized by the one-sided battle.
Some of them turned to flee the battlefield, but—
[Using Flesh Control.]
"Where do you think you're going?"
The flesh of their fallen comrades clung to them, hindering their escape.
The colony was quickly turned into a graveyard.
"Kurk..."
As the last orc fell, the Little Runts team immediately set to work.
"Boss, we've collected all the mana stones."
"Good job."
He wasn't just being polite.
Extracting mana stones embedded in monster hearts was quite a laborious task.
- Blood Axe (Rare)
- 1 D-rank Mana Stone
- 427 E-rank Mana Stones
"E-rank mana stones are three times more expensive than F-rank ones."
"How much have we earned in three days?"
Despite their exhaustion, the Little Runts team couldn't close their mouths as they calculated their total earnings.
"This is the real prize."
[Blood Axe]
Rank: Rare [R]
Classification: Axe
Restriction: None
Durability: 666/666
An axe forged with blood. Imbued with mystical power, it greatly amplifies the user's strength. As the axe absorbs blood, its power increases, and various options are added.
* Strength +35
* Bloodthirst Stack - 0
[Strike 20 Lv]
[Frenzy 5 Lv]
[Bloodthirst 10 Lv]
The orc chieftain's weapon.
Although conditional, it was a growth-type equipment, making it far more valuable than ordinary Rare-rank items.
〔A sinister item reeking of blood. Truly distasteful.〕
'You don't know anything. This will fetch a high price on the market.'
The Bloodthirst option absorbed blood to replenish the user's health and life force.
At that level, the effect would be minimal.
However, as the stack increased, the option would also be enhanced, making it effectively a quasi-Unique grade item.
It could be sold for an incredible price.
'This item alone makes raiding the orc colony worthwhile.'
Now that he had confirmed his gains, he channeled spirit power into his eyes, recalling his main purpose for coming to the border region.
Spirit Eyes.
His Spirit Eyes, capable of perceiving both material and spiritual wavelengths, swiftly scanned the orc colony.
After a while.
'Found it.'
Yoojin quickened his pace.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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