Chapter 20

Тwеlvе bluе magic аrrоws flоаting аround Khan.

Аs hе rapidlу spun the Сirсlе within his hеаrt, а deeр blue Mаnа blossоmеd оutwаrd frоm his bodу.

Huum…!!

Нuum…!!

Huum…!!

Thе mаgiс аrrows thickеned аnd emitted an еvеn stronger blue light.

“Hеу. Niyen… you cаn’t usе magic of that levеl еither, cаn yоu?”

“Аh, уеs…. That… I’ve nevеr seen mаgiс likе that befоrе еither….”

Niyеn was alsо a skilled Magiс Аpprеntiсe аt Level 7, but Кhan’s magic wаs truly bеуond belief.

The knights whо had bееn shоuting at Кhan just momеnts аgо closеd their mоuths аnd stаrеd blаnkly аt thе sight.

Тhud…! Thud…! Тhud…!

Мeanwhile, the Orc, boasting its massive frame, charged swiftly toward Khan.

Khan merely extended the Staff he held in his right hand toward that Orc.

Flick.

Then, the blue magic arrows floating around him flew toward the Orc.

Sssssssssssssss!!!

Sssssssssssssss!!!

Khan had created a Circle, making the magic’s power stronger than before and its overall speed faster.

The Orc raised both arms to try and block the magic arrows, but.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Khan’s magic arrows pierced straight through the Orc’s body.

Thud!!

The Orc instantly collapsed to the ground, becoming a cold corpse.

“…….”

“…….”

No one present could confidently claim they could defeat an Orc in a One-on-One fight.

After all, the person with the highest Level was a Level 8 Knight.

A momentary silence fell over the area, and Khan walked forward, paying them no mind.

“Hahaha! As expected of Sir Khan!!”

Byutek chased after Khan’s heels, giving him a thumbs-up with his hand.

“Wow, what is this….”

“A truly incredible figure has come to our city….”

Ming and Niyen also followed behind Khan, each uttering a remark.

The knights of Grodek, who had been warning Khan in a provocative tone just a little while ago, followed him with their mouths shut.

* * *

The reason Monsters suddenly began appearing in the pristine western forest of Grodek, which had been Monster-free.

It was because the Orcs from the northern forest of Grodek had moved in groups to the western forest.

‘Killing three or four Orcs won’t end the Quest.’

Probably about fifty Orcs to kill from now on.

As long as those guys don’t rush all at once, Khan alone could defeat all the Orcs.

‘Still, my Level didn’t go up even after killing an Orc….’

Khan had hoped his Level would increase somewhat while progressing through this Quest, but it was typical of <Geo Arc>.

‘But with the 8th-grade Hidden Skill ‘Growth Acceleration,’ I should be able to raise my Level by at least 1 before clearing the Quest.’

About an hour had passed since encountering the previous Orc.

But no matter how deep they walked into the forest, no Monsters appeared.

The knights of Grodek now glanced furtively at Khan and cautiously opened their mouths.

“Um, I don’t think this is the right direction….”

“This is the right way, follow me.”

“Ah, understood.”

Now the Grodek knights couldn’t even budge against Khan’s words.

The knight who had been full of bravado just moments ago immediately answered Khan.

‘If we keep going this way, there’s a cave where the Orcs are gathered.’

Having cleared this Quest once before, Khan was heading toward that cave.

Seeing no Orcs in the forest, it was highly likely that all the Orcs in the western forest were hiding inside that cave.

But then, Byutek, who was walking beside Khan, leaned in and whispered to him in a small, careful voice.

“Sir Khan… isn’t this your first time in Grodek? Even I think what that knight said just now is correct…. Seeing that no Monsters have appeared yet, the direction seems wrong. If it’s awkward to change your words now, should I say something instead?”

“This is the right direction, so you just follow quietly too.”

“Ah, yes!”

Byutek spoke as if slightly concerned for Khan, but Khan’s inner thoughts remained the same.

‘Useless.’

It was becoming increasingly puzzling how this guy could have become a knight.

* * *

Khan’s group walked deeper into the forest for about another hour and finally discovered a cave.

A cave with a fairly large entrance.

A large cave big enough for bulky Orcs to enter without trouble.

‘Here it is.’

It was a cave he had only seen on a monitor, but seeing it in person made it even clearer that Orcs lived here.

“Everyone, hide your presence.”

“Yes…?”

“Orcs are hiding inside that cave, so be quiet.”

“Ah, yes…!”

Before they knew it, Khan had become the leader of this group.

At Khan’s words, knights and Mercenaries alike hid their presence as if holding their breath.

Byutek also held his breath and whispered into Khan’s ear.

“Sir Khan, do you happen to know how many Orcs are hiding in there?”

“Roughly about fifty, it seems.”

With Khan’s current level of skill, it was absolutely impossible to sense the presence inside the cave, which was quite far away.

But having played <Geo Arc> before, he knew how many Orcs were in that cave.

“F, f, fifty…?!”

“Be quiet. Don’t make that foolish expression either.”

“Sorry. But fifty Orcs… wouldn’t that mean we could be wiped out…? Or can Sir Khan defeat them all this time too…?”

“…….”

Khan decided not to respond anymore to Byutek, who kept talking nonsense beside him.

‘At least he seems to know his place. If this guy fought an Orc, his head would be smashed in an instant.’

The other knights and Mercenaries were probably all similar.

Only one or two among them could defeat an Orc in a One-on-One fight.

Not only were the individual skills of the knights or Mercenaries lacking, but the Orcs also had a significant numerical advantage.

‘I’ll wait for when they’re all inside the cave.’

Khan also held his breath and surveyed the area around the cave.

They seemed to have some intelligence, as they were prowling around, on guard.

Just the Orcs visible in Khan’s sight numbered three.

‘As soon as those guys go into the cave, I attack immediately.’

With his current Hidden Skill, Khan could defeat dozens of Orcs alone if they were gathered and off-guard like that.

‘The remaining Orcs around can be left to these guys.’

If they combined their strength, the knights and Mercenaries present could probably defeat up to about six Orcs.

After about ten minutes, the three Orcs guarding the surroundings entered the large cave.

“Now. Follow me.”

“Yes!”

“Everyone, follow the Sir Mage!”

They were tense and absolutely obedient to Khan’s words.

Because they had all seen the three Orcs guarding the surroundings just moments ago.

Khan’s group arrived before the cave before they knew it.

Khan immediately gave them orders.

“Knights and Mercenaries, guard the surroundings. There might be Orcs prowling around this area, so you take care of just those guys. I’ll handle the Orcs deeper inside this cave alone.”

“U, um, are you really sure about this?”

“Three Orcs just entered the cave. And no one knows how many more Orcs might be inside! It’s too dangerous!”

At Khan’s instructions, everyone shouted with worried expressions, but he continued speaking as if it were nothing.

“I’ll be fine. And you.”

Khan pointed at Niyen.

“M, me? I’m Niyen. We saw each other at the shop yesterday, do you remember?”

“Khan.”

He nodded in response to Niyen’s words.

“Niyen, you stay by my side. It’ll be the safest next to me. If Monsters appear, help the knights and Mercenaries from beside me.”

In the case of a Magic Apprentice like her, if left alone and defenseless, the chance of being killed by an Orc was high, so Khan deliberately placed her by his side.

“Hmm… I understand for now.”

The knights and Mercenaries were a little worried about Khan, but having seen his skill just now, they didn’t try to stop him further.

The knights and Mercenaries formed ranks as if surrounding the cave.

“Why aren’t you going?”

“Ah, should I go too?”

“Aren’t you a knight?”

“Ah, sorry…. I was going to provide Escort for Sir Khan….”

“Hurry up and go.”

“Understood…!”

Khan even made Byutek, who was standing idly by, join the knights’ ranks.

Meanwhile, Khan was about to check the inside of the cave immediately.

‘Shall I check how many there are?’

The cave interior was dark and hard to see.

Huum…!!!

Khan spun his Circle and drew up Mana.

Mana blossomed from his body, and the blue light of Mana entered the cave.

Grr…?

Grrr…!

Graa!

Gwaaa!!!!

The Orcs inside the cave made puzzled expressions upon seeing the blue light.

Seeing Khan and Niyen outside the cave, they began to Roar.

The Orcs resting inside seemed quite angry.

“W, what are you doing…! If this continues, they’ll all come out! Just a rough look, there seem to be over thirty…!”

“Wha…? Thirty…?!”

“Shouldn’t we run away?”

“With thirty Orcs, we could all die…!!”

The knights and Mercenaries didn’t know how many Orcs were here.

Earlier, Byutek had asked and been told by Khan, but the voice was so small only Byutek could hear.

Thud…! Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!

Thud…! Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!

The sound of Orc footsteps from inside the cave began to be heard closer and closer.

At that moment, Niyen standing beside Khan wore a despairing expression.

She spoke in a trembling voice.

“It seems like… over thirty…. W, we have to run…!!”

Niyen began to take steps backward while shouting.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll kill all the Orcs inside the cave.”

“…….”

They had seen Khan’s skill just now, but even so, defeating this many Orcs alone seemed nearly impossible.

Thud…! Thud…!

Before they knew it, the Orcs’ figures had come close enough to be visible at the cave entrance.

Niyen beside Khan was ready to run away at any moment.

Unaware of that, Khan recited an Incantation internally.

‘Barrier.’

Huum…!

Then, a transparent curtain enveloped the entire cave entrance.

Bang!!!

The Orcs rushing toward the outside of the cave collided with the Barrier Khan created and fell backward.

Graaa!!

Gwaaaa!!!

They seemed even angrier, Roaring and beginning to pound the transparent wall with their fists.

Thud!! Thud!! Bang!!

If this continued, the 1st-grade Skill Barrier would shatter.

But even in this situation, Khan showed incredible composure.

Huum…!!!

The Circle in his heart spun rapidly, and Khan’s Mana began to imbue the Barrier.

The reinforced Barrier didn’t even get a scratch no matter how much the Orcs attacked.

‘Arrow.’

Reciting another Incantation, Khan created magic arrows.

The place where the Arrows were created was not around Khan, but inside the cave.

Sharp magic arrows appeared sharply above the heads of the Orcs trapped inside the cave.

Twelve blue magic arrows began piercing straight through the Orcs’ bodies.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Pssssssssssssss!!!

[Your Level has increased.]

Khan smiled, looking at the message that appeared before his eyes, not even paying attention to the Orcs inside the cave.