Chapter 126 – LV.Six Rogue Kim Jihyeok – [One]

Originally, a massive Centaur stood atop the inspection platform where the Division Commander used to give speeches. The Centaur’s eyes were red. It was a Vampire.

The Vampire Centaur said something. The new Division Commander relayed its meaning through a loudspeaker to the assembled soldiers.

“Soon, we march to war, you sheep! If you two-legged sheep prove your merit, the Great Khan will look favorably upon your loyalty and share his blood with you!”

Corporal Kim Dae-sik (a rank unchanged for five years since his enlistment) listened to the speech with a blank expression.

That monster was now advocating for the invasion of the Korean Peninsula. Considering that the soldiers of the Dawn Corps were a group gathered to defend the Korean Peninsula against those half-human, half-beast monsters, the situation was utterly absurd.

“Sheep who receive his blood shall gain immortality and strength far beyond their worth!”

The soldiers gathered to listen to this insane speech weren’t unaware of the seriousness and the insane irrationality of the situation.

The idle chatter of the soldiers lined up beside him reached his ears.

“What’s ‘two-legged sheep’?” “It means sheep with two legs. Why? I heard the Chinese called people that when they practiced cannibalism.” “Those Centaurs aren’t Chinese, they’re Mongolian bastards.” “To the Yankees who made that Immortal-whatever, Chinese or Mongols probably all looked the same.” “Anyway, looks like those bastards eat people too.” “They’re Vampires. They’ll probably fucking devour them.”

At a glance, no soldier seemed tempted by the reward of being turned into a Vampire for proving merit. Well, they were all people who had been in college before enlisting. They weren’t naive fools to that extent.

However, that didn’t mean they had the energy to resist this preposterous demand.

The lukewarm reactions were only superficial. The Dawn Corps soldiers who rebelled against the fact that they had to become minions of the half-human, half-beast monsters had long since fled to Gangwon Province. The soldiers remaining here were those who couldn’t give up the two daily meals of rice they reliably received by staying in the unit.

Naturally, Corporal Kim Dae-sik was one of them.

Lieutenant Colonel Lee Hoon appeared beside the Centaur Vampire. He was interpreting the Centaur’s words for the new Division Commander. Rumor had it he was the one who had turned all the other field-grade officers into Vampires. A thought crossed his mind: since they were all going to die fighting anyway, wouldn’t shooting that bastard dead be a more meaningful way to go? But it remained nothing more than a fantasy.

Corporal Kim Dae-sik did not want to die right now.

The ground shook with a thump, thump. It was the sound and vibration from the approach of monstrous creatures of a size gravity shouldn’t allow—giant Mammoths.

“What are they doing in Happy Village? It’s summer now, why haven’t they gone hunting?”

In response to Gaeulbi’s question, Seo Yun answered.

“Last summer, they all went out saying it was hunting season and just ended up feeding a ton of mosquitoes. I guess they didn’t form an expedition team this time.”

“If those monsters spread out everywhere, won’t a lot of people die?”

“Right. We have to wipe them out while they’re here.”

Of course, the three of them doing it alone was impossible. After a brief discussion, they decided to contact Happy Village. Originally, to avoid detection by Trolls, they had agreed to minimize contact with Happy Village, but they couldn’t stick to that in this situation.

Gaeulbi, gripping the railing on the building rooftop as if about to jump off, shouted.

“I’ll go get them!”

“Why you and not me?”

“Seo Yun, you’re way stronger than me! And without your buffs, I can’t do much against monsters anyway… I’ll be back as fast as I can!”

Saying that, Gaeulbi took Han Siwoo’s bracelet, put it on, and dashed off. The speed at which she ran was unbelievably fast. It might have been faster than a car. Thinking about it, that girl was now a Level 11 Superhuman, so it wasn’t that strange.

Not long after, Seo Yun and Han Siwoo watched Gaeulbi, now a dot in the distance.

Left alone together, Seo Yun stood awkwardly. As she did, Han Siwoo spoke up.

“We did what we had to do.”

“What?”

“Killing those soldiers. You said we should have stopped Eulbi if she did that…”

“I didn’t say anything about that.”

“You didn’t say it, but you’ve been obviously showing how much you disliked it all week. Every time we even mentioned the word ‘soldier,’ you sighed openly.”

“I really disliked it, that’s true. So what?”

When Seo Yun cut him off, Han Siwoo silently looked at her for a moment. Was he getting angry because, after going through the trouble of getting revenge for her sake, her attitude was like this? She suspected that, but it wasn’t the case.

Han Siwoo opened his mouth.

“Eulbi really likes you a lot.”

“Like how a guy likes a girl, she likes girls?”

Seo Yun was taken aback, and Han Siwoo, also startled, shook his head vigorously.

“No, not like that. As a friend and family. She said after meeting you, she could finally stop her hard life of drifting, and she was really moved seeing you take care of her like your aunt did. Maybe because you’re both girls, in a way, she seems to like you more than me, who’s been with her longer…”

“So, you’re saying it was natural for her to go berserk this time?”

“Yeah.”

“And you helping Eulbi was the same?”

“Yeah. So, don’t show how much you dislike it so obviously. Eulbi might get hurt…”

“No, I’m going to keep showing it obviously.”

Han Siwoo frowned.

“Why?”

“If I show I hate that kind of thing, she’ll hold back a bit in the future, won’t she?”

Han Siwoo seemed about to say something, his lips twitching, but he stopped.

‘Boooooooooooooooooooo…’ A long, loud trumpet sound echoed from behind. Han Siwoo, turning around, muttered.

“They’re already here.”

Turning her head, Seo Yun was surprised that the Happy Village Players had already arrived.

Normally, for hunting expeditions, they all walked together to save fuel, but perhaps because it was an urgent call, they all came by car.

At the front, Oh Haengbok and his uniquely monstrous bike were visible. The black armor reflected the insufficient sunlight, gleaming.

The vehicles stopped. Oh Haengbok, getting off his bike, led the Players forward. Just his walking caused the ground to thump, thump.

“Hello, it’s been a while, right?”

As Seo Yun jumped down from the building to greet them, Oh Haengbok shouted in a voice full of laughter.

“Our Seo Yun! You really made a good call. We weren’t planning an expedition this summer, but here we are again. How do you always pick such nice things to do?”

“Well, I…””Have you had a hard time wandering around all this while? Seo Yun’s face hasn’t changed a bit, but Siwoo’s face, what’s going on…”

Oh Haengun approached. He cast a Detection Spell, then opened his eyes wide.

“Their Levels are ridiculous?”

“How many?”

“Eleven. It’s been just over half a year, what is this?”

As our Levels were revealed, the Players who had followed behind all looked at us with astonished faces. Seo Yun felt immense satisfaction at their admiration but answered humbly.

“We were lucky. Actually, having raised our Levels this much, I now realize just how amazing the Chief and Uncle Haengun are.”

This time, it wasn’t just a polite remark but a sincere one. The fact that we raised our Levels so quickly in a short period was partly due to hard work, but also thanks to several strokes of luck, like the Troll introducing us to the Dungeon and receiving a concentrated amount of Experience Points from the Yeti hunt.

However, the leadership Players of Happy Village, who had to fight Monsters blindly without such opportunities, still have higher Levels than us. I now clearly understand just how incredible that is.

“Wow, Seo Yun sure knows how to say nice things? But is it just me, I think this is the first time I’ve heard her praise me…”

Oh Haengbok seemed pleased by my words, grinning broadly, then began giving various instructions to the Players gathered here. Seo Yun looked at the other Players.

‘Arnold isn’t here. Well, there’s no reason to share Experience Points with outsiders. But the kids came…’

Seo Yun alternately looked at Lee Jongho, Seong Juri, and Park Taeyang, who were staring at her. Park Taeyang seemed shocked that our Levels had become absurdly high, staring at us with his mouth agape, while Seong Juri approached and spoke.

“I heard you came to Happy Village a few months ago? And that you only greeted Uncle Haengun before leaving right away. Isn’t that a bit hurtful?”

She seemed to be referring to the time we came to exchange coal and potatoes. Seo Yun’s eyes widened.

“How do you know that?”

“Rumors spread that you came to the village and left immediately?”

“How did the rumors…?”

“They said you flapped your Burning Wings and jumped over the Fortress Wall? Those wings glow so brightly red you can’t miss them even from far away. An uncle who was wandering around to use the bathroom back then saw it, got surprised, and told everyone… Don’t tell me you didn’t realize?”

“No…”

“Is an Intelligence Score of 6 perhaps a higher value than I thought?”

Seo Yun, now convinced that this personality was a Dwarf’s Racial Trait, changed the subject.

“By the way, what about Jihyeok? I don’t see him.”

“Kim Jihyeok? That guy doesn’t live in our village anymore.”

“What? Did something happen?”

“Nothing major happened, but…”

There was no more time for idle chatter. The Mammoths that had been moving continuously stopped upon seeing our Players. The Players approached to hunt them.

“Everyone, as we trained! Do as we trained!”

While about half of the Players hunted the Mammoths with the javelins they each brought, the remaining Players formed a formation and prepared for other enemies.

Those other enemies were opponents Happy Village had faced before. Monsters with intelligence, also a playable Race.

Orcs armed with all sorts of weapons and Armor approached us. Seeing their faces up close, Seo Yun was horrified.

Unlike Oh Haengbok, who originally was human and thus his appearance somewhat resembled a person, those Orcs’ faces looked as if an elementary school student molded gray clay and failed to dry it properly, causing the clay to sag. According to the Rulebook, it’s said the Goddess of Beauty detests them so much that the moment they become Vampires, their Spirit Score is unconditionally reduced by 3 points. Now I understand why.

The largest Orc among them stepped forward. That giant Orc, who seemed to be the Commander, jabbered something in English, and Oh Haengun translated.

“‘Is this your land? If you don’t fuck off, we’ll kill you all,’ he says.”

“That bastard’s crazy… What did that Orc bastard say again? What’s he saying this time?”

“He’s asking who our Commander is. Says Commanders should fight one-on-one.”

“The bastard’s being clever. Obviously, he sees we have greater numbers, so he wants to take out the head first. What’s his Level?”

“Ten.”

Oh Haengbok let out a sigh. Of course, it wasn’t because he was intimidated by that Level.

“Then I won’t get Experience Points if I kill him. Haengun, do you want to take him?”

“Well, the Rulebook has a setting that Orcs hate Magic. If I knock him down with Magic, he might call it cheating and shoot arrows during the duel…”

Seo Yun, who had been listening to their conversation, asked.

“Then can I take him?”

Oh Haengbok looked at her. He asked, sounding incredulous.

“You, Seo Yun? He wants a one-on-one fight.”

“It’s fine. Uncle Haengun? Stay close to our team. So we can share the Experience Points.”

Seo Yun said that and stepped forward before Oh Haengbok could stop her.

She cast all sorts of Buff Spells on herself and looked at the Commander Orc. The Orc’s expression looking at her was strangely contorted. He seemed baffled that a small girl had come out when he proposed a fight.

Perhaps because of that? The Commander Orc spoke not to her, but to Oh Haengun behind her. Voices of Oh Haengun and Oh Haengbok came from behind.

“What’s he saying now?”

“He’s asking if we’re offering a beauty as Tribute? Says he’ll gratefully accept, but if we’re going to avoid a fight anyway, we should also hand over some Provisions…”

An enraged Seo Yun drew her Burning Sword. As she took a stance to charge, the Commander Orc seemed to realize she was his opponent and pointed his Greatsword forward.

It was a Greatsword that looked as large and thick as something out of a comic. That alone was enough to gauge the monster’s muscular strength. Aren’t Orcs originally a Race with good Strength? Moreover, according to what Oh Haengun just said, his Strength Stat was 10. He was practically a dinosaur the size of a person.

The Commander Orc swung his Greatsword left and right with that absurd Strength; even that simple feinting motion created a wind pressure.

At a glance, there seemed to be no opening to penetrate, but Seo Yun stepped forward without hesitation. Voices came from behind, perhaps from the people watching in shock.

“Huh?”

She had no intention of keeping them surprised for long.

As Seo Yun moved closer, the Orc swung his Greatsword fiercely. If this small body were to be touched anywhere by that Greatsword, it would clearly be torn apart beyond recognition, but Seo Yun did not flinch.Seo Yun leaped using her small stature and magically enhanced leg strength.

Both feet landed on the greatsword.

Right before her, she saw the face of an orc with both eyes wide open. It seemed like he was trying to shake the greatsword vigorously to throw her off, but Seo Yun was faster.

She plunged the burning sword into the neck beneath that startled face.

A gurgling, choking sound followed.

The massive orc collapsed. Along with it, the greatsword Seo Yun was riding shook violently, but Seo Yun landed lightly and turned around as coolly as possible.

The faces of the gathered Players came into view. Thinking that this might finally be the debut stage of the Greatest Sword Under Heaven, Seo Yun asked coolly.

“If I donate this greatsword to the village, how many Contribution Points will I get?”

Oh Haengun answered in a dazed voice.

“Uh… a thousand Points?”