Chapter 123 – Decisive Battle (1)
The orcs surrounded the world tree.
The buildings surrounding the world tree were burning. The dark elves who saw that sight were heartbroken. The orcs didn’t have to approach the world tree; The sole act of reducing Spinoa to rubble tormented the dark elves.
Calmahart watched all of this as if he was enjoying the dark elves’ pain.
“There aren’t any dark elves apart from the ones in the world tree?”
“Everybody else was evacuated.”
Zelkian stepped out of the world tree, something he rarely ever did. There were no more walls or the city. The only thing left was the world tree and their bodies. The residents who didn’t know how to fight were holding weapons. Only the old people unable to fight remained inside the world tree.
The army of orcs was encircling the world tree. Against the backdrop of Spinoa up in flames, those covered in blood prepared for the final fight. There were no holes to escape out of. It was an extreme siege.
Soon, the slaughter would start and they would be killed.
Spinoa was quiet. It wasn’t the peaceful silence, but the terrible silence that triggered their nerves. Only the sound of buildings burning touched their ears.
Crockta and Driden stood beside each other. They were in position to face the most dangerous enemy, the great chieftain.
“Crockta.”
“Hmm?”
“What is the continent like?”
Crockta thought for a moment at the abrupt question before replying, “It is a good place.”
“Wider than the north?”
“Of course. Why, do you want to go to the continent?”
Driden raised his double swords and said, “After killing the great chieftain and getting revenge on my father’s enemies, there is nothing more to do here. I would like to see the continent once.”
“If you go to the continent, stop by Orcrox. You will see true warriors.”
“Orcrox? Are the orcs there stronger than the great chieftain?”
“The great chieftain?”
Crockta burst out laughing. “If he were on the continent, that guy would’ve never received the title of a warrior.”
“I see.” Driden laughed as well. “Fascinating.”
“It is so wide that you won’t be able to see all of it in your lifetime.”
Crockta held Ogre Slayer.
The atmosphere of the Great Clan was changing, like the orcs were on the verge of exploding. It would soon burst.
“Don’t die.”
“You too.”
The great chieftain took one step forward. At the same time, the orcs stepped forward. The ground shook violently.
Crockta grasped the handle of his greatsword. He didn’t like wars. He could never enjoy killing on the battlefield. So he returned to South Korea, to be by Yiyu’s side. But he eventually stood here again. It was destiny’s joke. He encountered a battlefield much worst than the ones he had previously experienced. An enemy would who directly cut off the enemy’s head.
He asked himself.
‘Any regrets?’
The great chieftain was charging towards him. An ugly face. Their eyes met.
“Not at all,” muttered Crockta.
Driden glanced over at Crockta. Crockta grinned as he said, “It isn’t scary at all.”
The great chieftain came closer and wielded his double edged axe. Driden moved forward with his double swords.
“I agree!”
The two scimitars slashed at the body of the great chieftain. Crockta lowered his posture and charged for the lower body. A clean link of moves. But both were bounced back. The great chieftain was the strongest monster they had ever seen. The atmosphere glowed red every time he moved.
The great chieftain roared madly, “Kuaaah!”
The orcs rushing behind the great chieftain reached the front lines. The dark elves raised their shields. Arrows flew in the sky. Gradually, the distance between the two camps got closer.
“Kill them all! The north will be ours!”
The great chieftain shouted and the two sides collided.
***
Overwhelming. It was the most appropriate word to describe the present Calmahart. Overwhelming power.
His enormous size meant that everyone on the battlefield could see him. Every time he waved his double edged axe, the blood and guts of the dark elves would pour out. The torn bodies of fellow dark elves were all around him. Orcs were roughly advancing. They disregarded any death and trampled on the corpses of their friends and enemies. Then they swung their axes at new bodies.
“Bow your heads!”
Jamero cast a spell with his disciples. Lightning flashed in the sky and numerous orcs were blown away, but their momentum didn’t change. The shaman standing in the rear shook his staff. A red energy swept through the crowd of orcs. They pressed at the dark elves with even stronger bodies. In the sky, the dark elf mages and the orc shamans met. Fire, lightning and all types of forces that could kill the opponent clashed.
The aftermath fell to the ground and struck the orcs and dark elves on the front lines. Both sides moaned.
Calmahart ignored Driden and Crockta as he moved around the surroundings. The two struggled to stop Calmahart but every time their attacks were stopped, his double edged sword would slay those around him.
The dark elves started to be pushed back.
It was a desperate situation. At that moment, cheering was heard from the rear of the dark elves’ camp. Crockta turned around and his expression brightened.
“Zelkian!”
The dark elves parted in the center, revealing Zelkian walking out. A green energy flashed around his body. He looked like the incarnation of the world tree.
He glanced at Crockta and Driden, before passing them to stand in front of Calmahart. The difference in size was remarkable, but the energy seeping from his body covered that gap.
“You are Zelkian.”
“You are Calmahart.”
Zelkian, the dark elf who communicated with the world tree and led the dark elves. Calmahart, the mad chieftain who ruled the Great Clan. The two faced each other.
No words were necessary.
Calmahart swung his axe while Zelkian spread out the green energy. The energy of the two met. The red aura around the axe seemed to tear away at Zelkian, but Zelkian’s green energy didn’t back down. The clash between the two of them shook the earth.
It caused a deafening sound.
Crockta and Driden exchanged glances with each other. If Zelkian was dealing with the great chieftain, they only had one task to do. The two of them turned away from Zelkian and Calmahart towards opposite sides. Then they unleashed their weapons at the orcs in front of them.
“Bul’tarrrr!”
Crockta started to advance. A storm. Orcs flew through the sky. His greatsword broke through all obstacles in his way. Big warriors would sometimes block his path, but he scattered their flesh across the battlefield.
“I’ll spare you if you throw away your weapons─────!” Crockta’s shout took over the battlefield. “Anyone who meets me will die─────!”
Crockta stepped forward. The orcs stepped back. They had frightened expressions on their faces. But nobody abandoned their weapons. Crockta grinned. They all came running at once.
Five orcs lost their heads to his sword and fell down. He stepped on their bodies and found his next opponent. The ground shook under his feet. Every movement of his body was designed to kill the enemies. An efficient slaughter.
His movements that were in the realm of the Pinnacle surpassed every enemy.
When looking to the right, his greatsword headed to the left. When an axe was swung at him, without needing to block or escape, he swung his sword and split the enemy apart. The orc shamans shouted a spell but he picked up a axe at his feet and threw it, splitting the shaman’s skull apart.
Soon, the shamans in the rear noticed his movements. Their spells started targeting him. However, Crockta didn’t receive any damage. The orc soldiers around him were caught up in the magic and fell to the ground. Once the magic stopped, Crockta shoved his sword into the heads of the orcs squirming on the ground. Life and death were just fleeting moments.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Colorful energy was blown above his head. It was Tiyo. General was pushing the orcs away. He occasionally stopped like he was exhausted by the continuous firing. However, once the magic bullets stopped, a more vivid energy would strike the enemies.
This was Tiyo’s spirit.
“Phew, phew. Hwaaat!”
Crockta took a deep breath and squeezed his muscles. There was no time to rest just because he was exhausted. A river of blood! Like the writing on a hero’s sword, he should paint the world red. Like a technician. It needed to last until this war was over.
Suddenly, an orc soldier holding the body of a dead orc glared at Crockta. Was it a friend, a colleague? Maybe even lovers. He didn’t know. This was a battlefield. There was no need to be sad. The orc soldier ran forward with his weapon. Crockta sent him to where his friend was. Another orc appeared and swung a weapon.
He killed the enemy, but elsewhere, the enemies were killing his friends. Orcs and dark elves screamed as they died.
There was a battlefield where everyone was a sinner. Therefore…
“Kuheeok…monster…”
He had no choice but to become one. Crockta stabbed the greatsword into the body of an orc. The corpses he created were filling up the surroundings.
But in other places, the orcs were superior. As they rushed, the frontlines were pushed back. The dark elves lacked combat experience. In addition, the red aura around the orcs made them all fearless warriors.
But…Crockta saw the bodies of the dead rise.
The dead dragged their bodies and walked towards the orcs. The orcs panicked at the strange sight. The undead wielded their weapons towards the orcs. The orcs shook at the appearance of enemies who wouldn’t die.
“Anor.”
He also used his power for this fight. Since leaving Nuridot, he had hardly ever used his power as a necromancer.
Everyone was desperately fighting.
“It has been a while. Crockta.” A familiar voice called to him. Crockta turned to the owner of the voice and nodded.
“That’s right.”
Hammerchwi. The old but still fearsome orc was holding his hammer. The warriors who followed him surrounded Crockta. Crockta raised his greatsword.
“You are still living shamefully, Hammerchwi.”
“…It has been a long time but I don’t think there is a need to say anymore.”
The big warriors rushed at Hammerchwi’s signal.
“If you are so confident, survive this battle!”
It was a brutal all-out war. Only the winner would survive.
“You haven’t changed.” Crockta laughed.
Hammerchwi was still ignorant. It wasn’t just him. Everyone was stupid. Everyone knew he was an orc from the continent, but no one here knew what it meant.
It meant living. And they were already dead!
“Look well, Hammerchwi──────!”
Crockta greatsword struck the great warriors. A huge energy rose from his body. The air crackled.
“I am alive now────!”
***
The battle continued. Dark elves and orcs, everyone was dying.
But the most important fight was between Zelkian and Calmahart. The two were clashing with a higher level force that ordinary beings couldn’t imagine. Zelkian caught his breath as he looked at Calmahart. He had the infinite power of the world tree but the great chieftain seemed tireless, even compared to Zelkian.
It seemed like Calmahart was getting stronger as the fight continued.
“War…” Calmahart muttered.
Zelkian raised his gaze.
“The pain…screaming…”
Right now, Calmahart’s eyes seemed possessed by something. The red aura was eroding him as his eyes turned completely red. Every time the giant body moved, it was like a haze covered up his body.
Calmahart’s axe aimed at Zelkian again. Zelkian pulled strength into his power. It was the power of the world tree. The green energy blocked the attack.
At that moment.
Kaaaang!
Zelkian was thrown back.
“Kuheook!” Zelkian coughed up blood.
Just then, a wicked energy had flowed from Calmahart’s body and struck him down. His eyes blurred from the pain. Calmahart approached. The red aura had thickened and was now a dark red.
Calmahart quietly opened his mouth.
“Tribulation. Lulenka.”
Zelkian’s eyes widened.
Lulenka. Only a few existences knew this name.
“Lulenka, you and your children will come to an end today.”
Calmahart wasn’t looking at Zelkian. He was speaking towards the world tree looking down on the tragedy occurring in Spinoa.
Lulenka. The name of the world tree. Only Zelkian and Jenadu knew that it was the name of the old god inside the world tree that protected them. Zelkian tried to raise his body but the green energy was repressed. Calmahart’s red energy overwhelmed him.
Zelkian raised his gaze. Far away, there was a shaman watching from behind Calmahart. He was so deeply covered by a hood that his identity couldn’t be seen.
Zelkian used all his strength to shake off Calmahart’s power and blasted the green energy towards the shaman. It was clear that he was the source of Calmahart’s corruption. Zelkian’s green energy poured down and struck the shaman.
The shaman immediately fell down.
“……!”
No, the clothes covering what seemed to be the shaman fell down. The hood and robe crumbled to the ground, like there was nothing inside it. The shaman couldn’t be seen.
In the place where he was standing, there was only a red fog. It was a mass of black energy. This was the identity of the evil shaman. Its shape leaned slightly. It was like it was laughing at Zelkian. The red fog flew to Zelkian and entered his body.
“Kuaaaaaaah!”
Calmahart roared. His tendons popped out and his muscles swelled. More red energy rose.
Truly a monster.
Calmahart wielded his double edged axe.
“Shit!”
Zelkian raised his arms and reached for the power of the world tree. But.
“Kuaack!”
Calmahart’s attack tore through the world tree’s energy and severed Zelkian’s arms. There was a fountain of blood. Zelkian lost both arms and fell to the ground. This was seen by the dark elves and orcs around them.
One side lost their morale while the other side raised their weapons and cheered.
Calmahart roared like a beast and the orcs’ strength increased. The moment when it was going to be completely over…
Kuuong!
The earth shook with a loud sound.
“Kuhahahahahat!” Calmahart burst out laughing.
He could clearly feel it. Everyone on the battlefield realized it.
Kuuong!
The giant ‘it.’
The world tree was raising its body.
