Chapter 36

While Yuseong was hesitating whether to fight them now or find another target, Lee Ha-young urgently called out to him.

“There are people being held captive!”

“People? Where?”

“Over there! Inside that restaurant!”

People trembling with their arms and legs bound.

Judging by the crude pile of weapons in the corner, they appeared to be Contractors who had come out to hunt monsters and gotten captured.

Seo Chang-hoon’s expression twisted.

Not only was he the type who couldn’t just pass by people in trouble, but as a human being he absolutely couldn’t stand by and watch fellow humans having their lives threatened by non-human beings.

“Shouldn’t we save them?”

“That seems pretty dangerous. The most orcs we’ve faced at once so far is six. And that was only possible with help from our friend here. But now you want to face twice that number at once, plus one that clearly looks like a boss?”

“So you’re saying we should just abandon them?”

“No, we can go back first and tell the soldiers. Then they can bring powerful Contractors or tanks or whatever to rescue them.”

“There’s no guarantee the people will still be alive by then!”

“…What do you think, brother?”

Everyone’s gazes turned toward Yuseong.

They had realized that whether to save them or run away, ultimately what mattered was Yuseong’s decision. Meeting the eyes of the people filled with their respective emotions, Yuseong calmly muttered.

“Let’s save them.”

It wasn’t that he sympathized with Seo Chang-hoon’s argument that they needed to save the people.

He had simply calculated objectively and was confident they had enough chance of victory.

“I’ll hold the orcs’ movements for a moment. During that time, rescue the captives and then face the orcs together with them.”

Even without combat experience, their numbers would be more than double the orcs.

Just grouping together they should be able to handle the orcs, and if some ran away that would be fine too.

Surely there would be one or two orcs who would chase after fleeing humans or have their attention drawn away?

The point was that whether fighting to win or dragging things out, they just needed to keep the orcs occupied.

“What about that huge one?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Will that be possible? I know you’re strong, but that one looks quite formidable.”

“Well, we’ll find out when we try, won’t we?”

Yuseong’s eyes watching the orc warrior had been tinged with a faint golden color for some time.

Eye of Truth, which could visually understand and see energy of any type whether electricity, plasma, magic power, or internal force, was piercing through to see the magic power within the orc warrior’s body.

‘Similar to me or slightly lower.’

Tap!

“Wait, hold on! Let’s first…”

Though Seo Chang-hoon’s voice came from behind, Yuseong didn’t stop.

‘Not sure why I’m doing this.’

His usual self would never have stepped up whether there was a chance of victory or not.

He would have avoided unnecessary risks and returned after finding suitable monsters and pretending to discover spoils as originally planned, but some indefinable emotion that had been slowly building through repeated battles with orcs now moved his body regardless of reason.

And the moment he met the eyes of the orc warrior who had belatedly spotted him, Yuseong was able to realize what that emotion was.

‘This is fun!’

Crack!

Cracks starting from his right foot spread forward instantly.

Thorny Vine created through his sole was spreading along the ground, creating cracks in the solid asphalt and bricks.

Though the orc warrior belatedly tried to order its subordinates to deal with it, the growth speed of Thorny Vine unleashed with all 99 points of mana was terrifying, and it succeeded in reaching the orcs’ feet in an instant, climbing up their ankles to wrap around their legs.

“Now!”

The group that burst out a beat late managed to pass by the orc group wearing expressions like they’d seen a ghost and reach the restaurant where people were trapped. Everything up to here was according to plan, but the moment the group started freeing people, something unexpected happened.

“Kuhuhuhung!”

War cry!

The humans staggered from the magic-infused roar while the startled orcs regained their senses and calmly cut through the vines with their weapons to break free of their restraints.

“How dare you take our slaves!”

“Sorry, but I’m your opponent.”

“Hup?”

The orc warrior who had been about to teach these cowardly humans trying to steal its legitimately obtained slaves a lesson was startled by something suddenly entering its vision and thrust out its hand.

“Kuk!”

A tingling sensation running up its arm.

The orc warrior hurriedly swung the glaive in its other hand to block additional attacks and twisted its expression upon realizing the identity of who had attacked it.

“A mage! How dare a mage challenge a warrior!”

A mage capable of enough magic to restrain them all charging straight at a warrior!

Enraged at being underestimated, the orc warrior let out a fierce battle cry and swung its glaive.

An attack of such terrifying power that an ordinary human would be cut in half without even being able to react, but instead of panicking, Yuseong naturally stepped forward half a step and briefly struck the side of the glaive.

Clang!

The glaive fell in an unexpected direction, leaving its whole body exposed.

A reflexively launched Mist Kick struck, but the orc warrior’s legs merely shook slightly while standing firm. Rather, with his foot stinging as if he’d kicked a solid tree, Yuseong clicked his tongue briefly and stepped back.

‘An attack of this level won’t be enough, huh?’

“Hoo.”

He took a long inhale and short exhale.

The Bermund Mana Training Method obtained after completing the “I Can’t Take It Anymore” quest wasn’t particularly special in terms of gathering and accumulating magic power, but its mana recovery speed and control were truly unrivaled.

As the training method activated, Yuseong’s mana that had been depleted creating Thorny Vine began filling rapidly, and its extreme efficiency allowed him to fight evenly with the orc warrior even with the small amount of mana he had.

Bam bam bam!

Shadow Moon Style 16 techniques unleashed with strength enhanced by Mana Enhancement struck the orc warrior’s whole body in succession. Despite the heavy impact transmitted through his fists and the dull sounds like hitting a leather drum that were clearly not light blows, the orc warrior not only didn’t fall but swung its glaive even more fiercely.

“You think this level will bring down me, a warrior of the Blue Rock tribe! Hit me all you want! It doesn’t affect me at all!”

“Looks like you can use Mana Enhancement too?”

“For a warrior, this much is basic… Huh? You, you can speak our language?”

“Is that really what’s important right now?”

Seeing the glaive getting faster rather than slowing down as time passed, Yuseong clicked his tongue briefly. He needed to pierce through that tough tree-like skin to deal damage, but no opportunity presented itself.

Though superior in speed, the orc warrior had experience and skill to make up for it.

Judging that completely blocking Yuseong’s attacks was impossible, it thoroughly protected vital areas while giving up on defending parts it could endure with its toughness, allowing it to fight evenly against a faster opponent despite lacking speed.

‘A battle of attrition would be disadvantageous for me. The E+ rank Combat Technique from Leon lacks the depth to break through this guy’s defense, and Shadow Moon Style 16’s attack power isn’t enough to pierce its toughness and take it down in one hit. Joint locks might work but they’re too risky…’

An unarmed fighter has to approach close range where arms and legs can reach to take down an opponent. If he failed to take it down in one hit and got caught, that would be the end. Even without stabbing with the glaive, the orc with superior strength and toughness could easily win just by trading blows.

‘Should I use the plasma hatchet?’

With the plasma hatchet’s cutting power, he could instantly slice through this glaive and cut the creature in half.

But Yuseong shook his head.

The people fighting orcs behind him might see, and more than anything he didn’t want to end this fun fight so anticlimactically.

‘Then…’

As Yuseong’s lips curved up, the orc warrior sensed something ominous and spun its glaive like a windmill to completely block approach.

‘No matter how strong this human is, it can’t take me down with bare fists!’

The orc warrior had faith in its physique and skills.

And Yuseong also had faith in his skills.

Shadow Moon Style 16. Flow Deflection.

A technique that literally flows away force.

Though extremely difficult to get the exact timing, with Asura Perception Way he could catch the perfect timing to execute Flow Deflection.

Tang!

The glaive bouncing off in an unexpected direction.

Rock Piercing containing his full body’s strength struck toward the orc warrior’s exposed heart.

“Ha, got you!”

Even with broken ribs, the orc warrior smiled in victory at having caught Yuseong.

Just pulling him in and crushing him with strength would be enough for victory.

That’s why the orc warrior drunk on the joy of victory couldn’t notice that Yuseong wore the same smile.

‘First, synchronize energy.’

Through physical contact, synchronize the opponent’s and one’s own energy.

For Yuseong who could see the opponent’s internal mana flow through Eye of Truth and finely control mana with the Bermund training method, this was as easy as eating cold rice.

‘Then instantly release the synchronized energy!’

Energy Release.

Tung!

Leon’s secret fighting technique was recreated through Yuseong’s body across space and time.

Along with a sound like a leather drum, the orc warrior’s body heaved greatly.

Though it didn’t seem like much damage from the outside, internally it had suffered extreme injuries.

“Ah, not… yet…”

But even in this state the orc warrior didn’t give up.

Even while bleeding from its eyes, ears, nose and mouth, it gathered all its remaining strength to attack Yuseong.

And Yuseong responded to that fighting spirit in his own way.

Energy Release.

“……”

Second Energy Release.

Energy Release unleashed using the orc warrior’s mana drawn in through Eye of Truth to replace his own depleted mana.

Though rougher and cruder than the first, it was more than enough to take down the mortally wounded orc warrior.

Thud!

“Tch! The, the Warrior has fallen!”

“Warrior!”

“Now’s our chance! Everyone attack!”

“Waaaahhhh!”

The demoralized orcs had no way to hold out against the humans.

Before long all the orcs lay cold on the ground while people expressed their joy at surviving in various ways, whether hugging those next to them or offering thanks to Yuseong’s group.

“Look at this! This one was incredibly wealthy!”

Of course, Yuseong paid them no attention.

What attention did he have to spare for people he didn’t know and would never know?

With the fight over, Yuseong was already focused on his original purpose of laundering the quest rewards as spoils.

That’s why Yuseong couldn’t know.

“…Brothers, you’re watching this right?”

The fact that someone among those captured by the orcs had been livestreaming this situation.