Chapter 23. Orc Subjugation War (1)
“They can manipulate metal freely…”
Hwarang’s gaze shifted to the baby monkey, Ogong, as he listened to Suho’s explanation.
–Screech?
How adorable. Hwarang reached out and gently patted Ogong’s head. Ogong, who had been staring at Hwarang with bright, clear eyes, grinned cheerfully in response.
“Wow…”
So soft. So warm. He could just leave his hand there forever. Hwarang let out a breath of admiration before snapping out of it and turning to Suho.
“There’s an iron box next to the gold one, isn’t there?”
“Yes.”
“Would it be possible to construct a fortress wall out of metal?”
A fortress wall.
They were about to face hundreds of orcs.
After subjugating the recon unit, the real battle would begin—a hit-and-run war of attrition. To reclaim the forest, they’d have to strike down the orcs in scattered groups. But with so many enemies, complete extermination wasn’t feasible. At some point, it would escalate into all-out war.
“Hmm… give me a moment.”
Suho looked at Ogong, who was nestled in his arms, happily sucking on his fingers.
“Ogong?”
–Screech.
“Can you make a wall as tall as that tree? Out of metal?”
Ogong turned his head and stared intently at a tree roughly 3 meters tall.
–Screech!
Ogong activated a skill.
A sudden surge of mana drained out of Suho. He staggered, nearly collapsing, but caught himself just in time.
RUMMBLE!!
The ground quaked, and a jagged wall erupted from beneath the soil—made of a mix of iron, gold, earth, and rough stone.
“Ohhh…”
“Wow…”
“Hunter Suho, may I try breaking it?”
“Go ahead. We need to test it.”
At Suho’s permission, Hwarang swung his fist.
BOOM!
The wall didn’t break.
–Screeeeech!
“Ogong?”
Ogong frowned. Apparently displeased that a crack had appeared in his wall, he borrowed Suho’s mana once more and recast the skill.
Thud.
Mana drained—over 90% of it.
Suho collapsed to the ground, forcing a weak smile as he looked at Ogong.
“Ogong?”
–Screech?
“That’s enough.”
–Screech!
Ogong stopped and, expecting praise, nuzzled against Suho’s chest.
Suho stroked Ogong’s head.
“There, good job. But you need to conserve mana. You only have so much.”
–Screech.
Ogong tilted his head, puzzled.
“Let’s practice more later, okay?”
–Screech!
Ogong smiled brightly and let out a happy squeal. Suho turned to Hwarang.
“What do you think?”
“Could we build a full wall around the gate?”
“At this strength?”
“Yes. I’m level 45. But thanks to my skills, my physical strength is closer to a level 70.”
If the wall could survive his punch, then even if it deteriorated under repeated attacks, it could probably hold off the orcs for at least 30 minutes.
“If you need anything, the Association can lend it to you.”
“Please give me an artifact that reduces mana consumption.”
As Ogong began repairing the wall, Suho slumped down.
“Do you want potions as well?”
“Free, right? Not discounted?”
Potions were consumables—not returnable like artifacts.
At Suho’s question, Hwarang let out a wry laugh.
“Of course.”
RUMMBLE!
Ogong summoned another wall.
Thud!
Suho collapsed.
“Potion, please.”
An Association Hunter handed him a potion immediately. After drinking it and recovering his mana, Suho rose to his feet.
“Ogong, another wall.”
RUMMBLE!
Ogong obeyed.
Thud!
Suho fell again.
“P-Potion…”
“Is there… no other way?”
“Huh?”
Still seated, Suho gulped down another potion and looked at the staff member.
“Isn’t there an artifact that increases skill rank?”
“…Ah. That’s not the issue. The problem isn’t the skill rank.”
“It’s not?”
“No. It’s Ogong’s ability to use the skill properly.”
“Aha.”
Even if the skill rank is high, if the user can’t manage it well, mana consumption skyrockets.
“If the rank increased, we wouldn’t just lose 90% of our mana—we’d be facing full-on mana exhaustion.”
A dangerous condition where one can’t use any mana for a period of time.
“That’s why I requested an artifact that reduces mana usage.”
“Understood.”
With a short reply, Suho stood up again.
He used the skill, drank a potion, stood up again, moved, cast the skill again, drank another potion… he repeated this for three hours straight.
A small town, surrounded by thick, solid walls, was finally built.
“Phew… it’s do—”
“Hunter Suho!”
“What now…”
“There are no stairs inside.”
“…Grrrrgh.”
As Hwarang returned to the base camp after defeating the Poison Orc recon unit, he stopped as soon as he stepped into the border between forest and field.
“What’s wrong?”
At his junior’s question, Hwarang pointed ahead with his chin.
“Whoa.”
“They built an entire town in three hours…”
The walls were tall and thick—impossible to scale without siege weapons. Hwarang and his team resumed walking.
“Wait, there’s no gate?”
“You’re right…”
“Well, I guess you don’t need one?”
“No, you do. This gate appeared in an apartment complex. People will form parties and buy supplies here. A walled town makes sense.”
“But will anyone bother after the Poison Orc legion brings all the monsters in?”
“They’ll come—for spirit crystals and elemental cores.”
“Ah, true.”
Hearing the conversation, Hwarang nodded and leapt up, landing atop the wall.
Hunters were busy moving supplies up and down.
“Well done, everyone.”
As the operation leader, Hwarang greeted the Hunters and went looking for Suho.
“There he is.”
At the gate’s entrance, a man was sprawled flat on the ground.
–Maah!
Tiny, plant-like creatures were playing with the female Hunters. A red-furred cat was napping on a box.
Hwarang approached Suho, who was lying next to Ogong.
“Hunter Suho?”
“He’s asleep.”
It wasn’t Suho who answered, but a nearby junior writing up a report.
“Asleep?”
“Ogong’s poor mana efficiency made Suho collapse every time he summoned a wall.”
“…Right. This was a newly acquired skill, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“He really gave it his all…”
It was life or death, so Suho refused to give up.
“What about the orc legion?”
“They sensed something. About a hundred Poison Orcs have split off and are charging forward.”
Just as expected.
The orc commander likely noticed the recon team’s delay and sent a vanguard to investigate.
“Chances of success?”
“Forty percent.”
“The enemy?”
“We aim to annihilate them. That’s why it’s only 40%.”
“If we didn’t aim to wipe them out?”
“Why even ask?”
“What about luring the vanguard?”
“We tried. Failed.”
When the Hunters revealed themselves and pretended to flee, the orcs stopped and remained alert.
“Recall the recon subjugation team. Track the legion’s position in real time and report immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
The front line was filled with regular orcs and beast-type monsters.
Behind them stood Poison Orcs armed with swords and shields.
On each end of the formation, orc riders mounted on wolves waited.
There were no orc archers—perhaps no wood strong enough to endure their strength. But there were plenty of orc javelin throwers wielding sharp wooden spears.
Hwarang, observing through a drone-linked screen, fixed his eyes on an orc rider wearing a cloak and a crown made of bone.
The Poison Orc vanguard had seen the new town and returned to report.
Now, the orc commander himself was on the move—riding a massive wolf and accompanied by dozens of warriors.
Hwarang turned back to the outer wall.
Orcs were emerging from the forest.
Among them was the cloaked, crowned orc commander he had seen earlier.
‘Level 40…’
Estimated level of the orc commander: 40. His escort warriors: 45.
The commander surveyed the new town briefly before turning away.
Then—
Screeeech!!
The army began to march.
“Prepare for battle!”
Hwarang summoned his mana and shouted loudly.
“Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
The Hunters echoed his call, staring toward the forest.
Thud-thud-thud!
Dozens—no, hundreds of monsters were moving.
The ground shook.
Trees were trampled.
Leading the charge were beast-type monsters enslaved by the Poison Orcs.
“Conserve your mana!”
“Beast-type monsters can’t destroy or climb the wall!”
“Use magitek rifles and supply bows to take them down!”
The Hunters aimed their guns and bows at the beasts.
All the gate’s Hunters had registered in a shared party before the battle, so even those who didn’t fight would still earn EXP.
But Suho moved.
Despite his major contribution—building the wall—he climbed up with a potion bottle in his mouth.
There were too many enemies to waste mana.
So Suho accepted a magitek rifle from the supply.
Bang!
He fired a shot.
–Maamaa!
Ogong leapt onto the rampart and mimicked him, showing how it was done.
Suho adjusted his stance and fired again.
Bears, wolves, lions, even giant spiders—one by one, the beasts fell.
And then—
“Orcs! Not Poison Orcs—regular ones!”
“Conserve mana—no, scratch that! Use your mana! Wipe them out quickly!”
Orders came through comms.
Suho looked down.
“…They’re clever.”
The regular orcs were piling the corpses of dead monsters against the wall—creating stairs.
Even with arrows and bullets in their bodies, they kept stacking the corpses.
Even after permission was granted to use mana, they didn’t stop. Even with severed arms, the orcs continued to build.
“Poison Orcs incoming—Warriors!”
Hunters flinched at the shout and turned.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A Poison Orc Warrior charged in, hoisting a giant boulder in each hand.
“Holy sh—…”
They had expected Poison Orcs to be next.
But instead of grunts, the orc commander sent in elite warriors and level 40 Poison Orcs as the next wave.
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