Chapter 201 – Opening of the War (1)
The military expedition also received a cold shoulder in Quantes. Crockta was a hero who saved the city from the cursed item called the ‘Demon’s Mouth’, but Aklan didn’t care, as he had now stopped worrying about Crockta.
No matter what Crockta did, he was an enemy. A saint could kill a saint, and a wicked man could kill a wicked man. He erased all previous doubts.
“Something’s wrong.”
Peros was a noble who knew Anail’s back alley very well. His plan to put pressure on Thompson failed.
“The head of the underworld has changed, and the new leader is Crockta’s friend. Rather, the messenger was beaten to death…”
“Friend…” Aklan laughed. “It is funny.”
“T-That’s right.”
“Thompson said the same thing.”
“Really? He has really wide feet. Hahahat…”
“……”
“Haha…”
Peros laughed awkwardly. The aura coming from Aklan was sharper and darker than ever.
“It doesn’t matter. This is a little inconvenient, but having extra help is unnecessary. We have a sufficient number of troops and plenty of funds.”
They had difficulties in some of the major cities, but there were enough volunteers. The scale of the military expedition was unthinkable, and was perhaps the largest number of people in history gathered under a single flag. The orcs would be trampled on by this army and forgotten.
“The gods are helping us.”
“Yes…”
“The gods are still whispering. In the end, we will win.”
The expedition didn’t need anything else. Aklan was convinced. No matter how strong the orcs were, they wouldn’t be able to resist the wrath of the gods.
“Victory is only a matter of time. Please relax your mind.”
An unknown power emerged from Aklan as he said this. He gripped his fists tightly. His body shuddered as his whole body filled with an unknown strength.
“The war god has spoken.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Peros stepped back, confused by Aklan’s changed appearance. The smell of fanaticism was coming from Aklan. Adandator watched Aklan and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I am as okay as ever.”
“You know…” Adandator studied Aklan and sighed. He could see that Aklan was in an unknown state. “Any more divine power will break your body.”
The power of a god dwelt in Aklan. It was an arrangement for the future war. Adandator didn’t know what the war god was planning, but a tremendous amount of divine power was entering Aklan.
Aklan smiled and said, “It’s okay. It is different from what you are concerned about. I am more powerful than ever.”
“…Yes. You would know best.”
Adandator shrugged. In fact, he didn’t care about Aklan’s condition.
“We are finally at Orcrox.”
“Yes. I can see the end.”
Aklan smiled. At last, this expedition was heading towards the climax. The expedition passed through Quantes and arrived in Anail. They also didn’t receive hospitality in Anail. The king of the underworld, Jeremy, and Thompson were close to Crockta.
Everywhere they went, they saw people who saw Crockta as their savior.
He was the one who made the volunteer group, the hero who saved a village, the honorary citizen who exposed the ugly side of the mayor, the warrior who stopped the demon in a city, and the savior of many influential people.
But he had brought the wrath of the gods on him. No matter what Crockta had done, he was defined by the last line. Anyway, everything was decided by the gods. Human work was useless against divine matters.
The lead riders waved their flags. They reported something to Aklan and Adandator. Indeed, as they said, something could be seen in the distance. All the leaders were agitated. Aklan smiled.
They were orcs. They had come out, rather than hiding in Orcrox.
A battlefield suitable for the climax. It was the opening of the great war.
***
Ian looked at Yiyu with a mouth full of Burger King’s extra large burger.
“Why do you look like that?” she asked.
“You’re acting like a beggar.”
“……”
Yiyu snorted before eating her hamburger again and drinking some soda with her straw. Ian picked up some fries and placed them in his mouth.
“Eat slowly.”
He had accessed Elder Lord for so long that he hadn’t seen her in a while, so they went out together.
“You know what? There will be another great war in Elder Lord. Will Oppa be taking part? You have been living in the game lately.”
The fight between the expedition and the orcs was a hot topic in reality. This time, users weren’t involved since it was a dispute between NPCs. Thus, it was difficult to predict who would win. On the gambling sites, the dividends for who would win were quiet even, while users who wanted to fight were waiting impatiently.
As well as the expedition, the orcs of Orcrox were fighting together, causing a lot of confusion.
“Let’s see…”
Ian’s voice trailed off. In fact, he couldn’t not go. He was one of the parties involved in the war, but Ian couldn’t tell her that. He started stretching inside the fast food restaurant.
“Isn’t Oppa a ranker now? You aren’t still a beginner, are you? A few of my friends are playing it full-time. Tsk tsk. They don’t study and play games instead.”
“What have you been doing in the meantime?”
Yiyu laughed with the straw in her mouth. “I will receive a scholarship this semester.”
“I’m not expecting anything, so you don’t have to.”
“Really.”
“Just work hard.”
“Wow, you don’t believe your little sister.”
“It will be bad if you overdo it.”
The expression of her goal was good, but if she couldn’t keep her word after declaring it so badly, she would be the most embarrassed.
“Hrmm…” Ian looked at Yiyu and smiled as he said, “Jung Yiyu.”
“Huh?”
“Can you do it?”
“Haven’t I always done well?”
“Then I’m glad.”
Ian nodded. As he told Yoo Jaehan, he refrained from playing Elder Lord often and was going to stay away from dangerous events. But it didn’t help the situation. His assimilation rate was still at 100%.
The grey god no longer spoke to him, but her words about dying in Elder Lord were still valid. He wasn’t a game player anymore. His status window had also disappeared. There was no such thing as skill level or item rating. The moment he accessed Elder Lord, he became the orc warrior Crockta.
“Then once things finish, I should go…”
“What? Where? Why?” Anxiety filled Yiyu’s eyes.
Ian shrugged and replied, “I was thinking about going on a trip…”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“I will go too!”
“You will?”
Ian laughed as he saw Yiyu’s excitement. There was a battle ahead of him. He couldn’t step back here. Elder Lord might be a game in the past, but he couldn’t escape now that he knew they were alive.
He was Crockta. Due to that, all the orcs were being threatened. He vowed to avoid dangerous situations but he couldn’t do so. The moment he joined Elder Lord, he became Crockta and thought like an orc warrior. He wanted to consider Yiyu but the moment he became Crockta, living as a warrior became more important than anything else.
“I know all about your trip,” Yiyu said.
Ian was confused.
“Huh?”
“You aren’t going on a trip alone.”
“Uhh…”
“Aren’t I quick to notice?”
Ian rolled his eyes.
Yiyu grinned. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
“…Eh?”
“Oppa finally got a girlfriend and you’re thinking about marriage. So you say that you’re going alone. It is great, so I respect Oppa’s thoughts. Of course, you should introduce me to your girlfriend.”
“No…”
“Is she perhaps younger than me?”
“That…”
“I’ll still understand. Don’t worry about me. I originally do well alone. I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself because of me.”
“Right now, I am sacrificing the value of those hamburgers…”
“Quiet!” Ian smiled as Yiyu pointed her finger at him and placed the last piece of hamburger in her mouth. “Anyway, Oppa should do whatever you want. Have I ever been in an accident when Oppa wasn’t with me? No?”
When Ian was a soldier, she had stayed with some relatives. They weren’t relatives with a strong affection for their kin. Rather, they were more interested in Ian’s money. It wasn’t a comfortable place, but Yiyu never complained or caused problems. She behaved too well.
Ian smiled bitterly. He knew. Yiyu had endured some difficult times. People would experienced hardships would become tougher. Yiyu was probably stronger than he knew.
“I’m pretty and have a good head, so I live in a comfortable world. Oppa doesn’t have to worry about me.”
“Good head?”
“Oh, my grades are like this because I don’t study! My mind is good.”
“I see.”
Ian laughed. His will had been written since he was a soldier. Between then and now, nothing had changed in the contents of the will. Furthermore, he could trust his teacher Baek Hanho. Yiyu hadn’t known it, but Baek Hanho had kept watch to see if her relatives would harass her. He would protect Yiyu if something happened to Ian.
“Let’s really go on a trip later. Where do you want to go?”
“The Maldives!”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“Kyah, really?”
This was the most important thing. He couldn’t die.
“When have I ever lied?”
“Indeed. I acknowledge that.”
Ian had always survived. This time would be the same as well. He would become Crockta and defend Orcrox. When Crockta held God Slayer, he was confident that he couldn’t lose to anyone.
Once this fight ended, he had the feeling that the grey god would appear. Then he would ask her the question he really wanted to ask.
***
–Hello. Thank you to the viewers who have always loved the Undergames Channel.
–Today is the day when the battle between the orcs and the expedition will occur. Everyone has been looking forward to it. Yes, that is today! Do you see the huge number of people? That is the expedition.
–Incredible.
–It can be compared to the battle with the imperial army. No, a lot more. Many times larger.
–It is true that many of the expedition members aren’t trained, but that doesn’t matter if so many people are gathered. Look. There are knights, soldiers, and many volunteers. Who can deal with all this?
–Still, won’t the orcs show something?
–That’s right! We are looking forward to it! The orc who always show us something! The Northern Conqueror and Emperor’s Deficit! The idol of He’s an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy, Crockta! A warrior who always achieves the impossible, so we can’t predict the outcome. In addition, many of the legendary NPCs apart from Crockta are participating. The result still remains to be seen.
–Legendary NPCs?
–Yes. NPCs like Zankus and Kumarak… I will explain it in parts.
-Haha. You are very prepared today.
–As a commentator, I always have to study. That is my obligation. Huhuhut.
–How wonderful. Ah, right now!
The screen showed something. In the orc camp, a bunch of people moved to the front.
–What is that?
–Ah, that…!
***
‘Northern Conqueror’ Crockta.
‘Sun Killer’ Zankus.
‘Mountain Smasher’ Kumarak.
The three of them appeared first. However, that wasn’t the end.
The worst fighter who led a group of berserkers to massacre the human earl for Lenox’s revenge. ‘Mad Slaughterer’ Anya.
A magician who was like a madman but traveled to the ends of the world. ‘Abyss Seeker’ Wallachwi.
“Great…”
They appeared.
“Hehe, this battlefield suits me dot!”
“This fight…”
The ‘Magic Bullets Berserker’ Tiyo who used an artifact to launch a bombardment. The ‘Ruler of the Dead’ Anor, who raised the dead using necromancy. The orcs who recently started to make a name for themselves appeared in turn. ‘Bandit Slaughterer’ Keruta, ‘Purgatory Incarnation’ Malaka, ‘Drunk Fighter’ Asulchwi, etc.
“This is due to a divine message?”
“If you want to destroy the orcs, the whole world should come.”
“Kulkulkul, there is nothing better than fighting when drunk.”
The thrilling sight of those who were called one-man armies standing side by side. An army of one-man armies. The expedition members were scared. The strongest people with high fame or infamy were gathered in one place.
“Huh…they are really gathered together.”
“All the monsters…”
“Can we win…?”
The morale of the expedition began to fall. They had regarded this war as easy to win due to their overwhelming numbers. It was a thought that only a large army could have. The orcs looked shabby compared to the expedition.
But now…
They felt fear as they saw the orcs standing at the forefront. They had worried about Crockta, but the fearsome existences, whose names had been known longer, also appeared.
“Don’t be scared! Stay calm!”
Aklan frantically shouted. However, their shaking wasn’t easily calmed. The entire expedition stalled. Aklan urged the riders.
“The flags…”
At that moment, the orcs looked at each other and discussed something. Then the orcs laughed and pushed one forward. He came out of the camp.
It was Crockta. Crockta, with the huge greatsword on his shoulder and the silver helmet, walked in front of the expedition with a dignified appearance, just like when he fought the empire. He was calm in front of so many soldiers.
Crockta reached a location where his voice would reach the expedition members, and opened his mouth as the representative of the orc army.
“I don’t think there is anything to say, so let’s start quickly.”
His voice rang out through the plains. At the same time, killing intent rose from the orcs.
“All at once…” Crockta smiled as a huge aura was emitted from him. “Come.”
