Chapter 40. Could You Please Shut Up

A few hours ago, in the dimly-lit forest surrounded by trees, a group of orcs ravenously feasted on a beast. Among them, stood an orc a head taller than the rest, fully armed and exuding air of dominance.

Suddenly, a strange creature caught his eye. Just like them, it walked on two legs. The orc was briefly puzzled, but soon dismissed his curiosity. In the end, food was still food.

Grrr!

He ordered his subordinates to capture the peculiar beast, and they brandished their weapons. The crude tools, made of stone and wood, were deadly enough to hunt prey.

The Orc Leader grinned as his minions charged through the forest, smashing everything in their path. Just then, a brilliant white light shone before them.

Crackle—!

The strange creature had launched a spear on them, which in turn transformed into lightning and struck them.

Grrr!

Momentarily blinded as if hit by a flashbang, the Orc Leader shook his head. When he opened his eyes, all his subordinates had fallen.

"This must be the last one in this forest," said a voice right in front of him.

The strange creature was twirling his spear. When did it retrieve its weapon? Startled, the Orc Leader swung his glaive in panic, but the creature effortlessly dodged it, before stabbing him in the neck.

[Apply Minor Poison]

The spear's tip glowed faintly with a purple hue. Kim Do-Joon had applied the skill that he’d copy-pasted from the Hunting Poison Pouch before. When the spear turned into lightning, the poison evaporated, but when used directly like this, it remained potent.

Growl...

With a gaping hole in its neck and poison coursing through his veins, the Orc Leader staggered and collapsed.

"

Phew

."

Kim Do-Joon took a deep breath and sat on a nearby stump. He pulled out something from his bag: a map of the Middle Orc Kingdom.

Whelp, there’s no boss in this forest either.

The vastness of the place made it impossible to wander aimlessly. Kim Do-Joon was mapping the labyrinth as he hunted. Even though the plain terrain had no notable structures, he managed to sketch it roughly, using prominent trees and rocks as landmarks.

Next stop is that rocky mountain over there.

Near the forest was a large rocky mountain, the tallest he had seen so far. It was also his next destination.

First, let's gather some items.

Kim Do-Joon dusted himself off and began searching the orc remains. As usual, the regular orcs had nothing of value. However, when he checked the named orc, something caught his eye.

Huh?

Kim Do-Joon proceeded to pick up the item.

[Boots of the Orc Centurion (Set)]

- Defense Power 12

- Speed Level - 1

[Middle Orc Kingdom Centurion Set]

- Centurion’s Boots

- Centurion’s Helmet

- Centurion’s Armor

- "These pig-headed idiots. They only listen when beaten."

[Set Effects]

- Strength Level + 5

- Vitality Level + 5

- Damage to Orcs + 10%

There is a set?

Kim Do-Joon had never seen anything like it, not even in the marketplace. Intuitively, he understood that equipping all of them would activate the set bonus.

Hold on...

Instinctively, Kim Do-Joon used his copy-paste skill, and the results were promising.

[One of the item effects of the Boots of the Orc Centurion (Set) can be copy-pasted onto Kim Do-Joon.]

[Item effects available for copy-pasting:]

1. Defense Power 12

2. Speed Level - 1

3. Strength Level + 5

4. Vitality Level + 5

5. Damage to Orcs + 10%

Kim Do-Joon was extremely pleased. Not only were there five item effects to choose from, he could activate the set bonus without needing the full set.

The choice was obvious.

Effect number five.

[The item effect has been successfully copied and pasted.]

[Additional Effect]

- Damage to Orcs + 10%

No doubt, number five was a rare and valuable option, unique to this item. It’d be extremely useful, as it offered a 10% damage increase against orcs, which were common monsters in many dungeons.

Where are the other two pieces?

Kim Do-Joon searched the Orc Leader’s corpse, but found neither the helmet nor the armor. They were probably with other orcs in the labyrinth.

Even more reason to explore.

It turned out that the simple farming dungeon held valuable options. With a satisfied smile, Kim Do-Joon headed toward the rocky mountain.

Upon arriving at the base of the mountain, Kim Do-Joon found a heap of orc corpses.

***

What’s going on?

Kim Do-Joon looked at the pile of dead bodies in confusion. He had seen orcs fighting among themselves before, but the result was never this devastating.

Grrr! Karak!

Suddenly, he heard the cries of the orcs further up the mountain. Hiding in the shadow of a rock, Kim Do-Joon looked up. He saw an orc dragging a corpse and tossing it down the mountain.

Thud!

The body landed on the pile below, showing how the mountain of corpses came to be.

Something must be going on up there!

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

For some reason, there was a pile of dead orcs at the top of the mountain, which were being discarded here.

He did a quick search and confirmed that there were no items among the bodies. Afterward, Kim Do-Joon started climbing the mountain, careful to stay hidden.

After an hour of stealthy climbing, Kim Do-Joon reached a vantage point. There, an astonishing scene awaited him.

“

Grrr!

”

“

Grr!

Ka!

”

Two orcs were dueling on a large rock platform, reminiscent of an arena. Below, dozens of orcs were cheering, banging their weapons on the ground. It was a ritual to select the great warrior of the orc tribe.

What’s going on?

Kim Do-Joon, who didn’t know the existence of such a ritual, understood the general idea after observing for a while.

1. Two orcs were engaged in a fierce duel on the platform.

2. The loser was thrown down the mountain to join the pile of corpses, while the victor remained to face the next challenger.

3. This cycle repeated endlessly.

Why are they doing this?

In spite of that, Kim Do-Joon was still baffled. What was the point? Why would the victor stay in the arena and keep fighting? No matter how strong they were, anyone would eventually get tired and lose.

There was no break, no rest, just relentless combat. Soon, he received an answer to his question.

“

Grrrr

...

Kraaak! Kraaak!

”

An orc, larger than the rest by two heads and riddled with scars, stepped forward. Somehow, he managed to look even more hideous than the orcs already did.

[Orc Warrior Urt]

Urt roared and ripped his opponent to shreds, causing the other orcs to cower in fear. No more challengers came forward.

Hmm... I see... They’re trying to set an example.

Kim Do-Joon realized that the purpose of the ritual was to choose a warrior who could instill fear in everyone else.

With veins bulging in his neck, Urt roared and swung his spear wildly, dominating the other orcs. While watching this, Kim Do-Joon suddenly heard a voice, confusing him.

— Let go of me! How dare you touch me, you pig!

The voice came from the direction of the gathered orcs. Kim Do-Joon had never heard orcs speak before. Was someone hiding among them?

With that thought, he scanned the orcs closely, but he saw no one that resembled a human.

― Damn it! What’s going on! Where are the others? All I see are orcs!

Meanwhile, the voice continued. Soon, Kim Do-Joon's keen hearing traced it back to Urt’s spear, and he gasped.

No way... the spear can talk?

A talking spear was more bizarre than a talking orc. It’d make more sense if Urt himself spoke.

[Usash's Hymn, the Cursed Spear]

Description

- A spear legendary for splitting the land and sea at its creation. Held immense symbolic significance for the Usash Empire. With the empire's downfall, it became cursed and deteriorated.

Rarity

- Only One

Classification

- Weapon

Effects

- Indestructible

- Sealed Ego

However, the information window confirmed that it was indeed the spear.

***

Urt gazed down at the orcs below him, grinning.

“Look at them, overwhelmed by my presence! They can’t even meet my eyes, let alone challenge me! They call themselves warriors?!”

Just then, someone approached Urt.

“

Grr?

”

Urt looked to see who that was. Seeing how small and scrawny the man was, barely the size of Urt’s thigh, he was definitely not one of his kind.

Although he couldn’t identify what species it was, Urt had an inkling. The man who approached with a spear in hand must be here to challenge him.

Krrrk!

Urt chuckled. That alone already made him better than the orcs who cowered in fear. Still, what could he possibly achieve with such a tiny body? But as a great warrior, he had to face the challenger.

I shall bathe in his blood to celebrate my victory!

The next moment, Urt swung his spear, and Kim Do-Joon twisted his expression.

— Wait a second! Who are you? You're a human, right?

Hahaha!

It's been ages since I saw one!

As the spear approached Kim Do-Joon, its voice, which sounded like an old man, grew louder, like a train approaching, merging with the rush of the spear slicing through the air.

Let’s kill him first and think about this later.

Of course, Kim Do-Joon had so many questions and concerns. But for now, defeating the monstrous orc, Urt, was his priority.

Clang!

Kim Do-Joon blocked Urt's spear with his Lightning Spear. The two spears clashed, sending a numbing vibration to his hands.

Urt twisted his lips in frustration, but another strike came immediately.

In the blink of an eye, countless exchanges occurred. Dodging, thrusting, blocking, and being blocked—the delicate balance of power was on the edge, intensifying Kim Do-Joon’s focus.

— That's not how you thrust,

tsk tsk.

—

Ugh,

how frustrating! You should've aimed for the thigh instead! What are you doing!

— Yeah, there, right there. Finally! You managed to land a hit with that skill! Let's finish this quickly! I have a lot to ask.

Every few blows, Urt’s spear would nag at Kim Do-Joon. Kim Do-Joon knitted his eyebrows, feeling like being reprimanded by an old man in a park. He couldn’t even ignore it because it came from the weapon of the opponent he was fighting vigorously at the moment.

So, Kim Do-Joon persevered.

Swoosh!

Finally, he swiftly cut Urt's wrist with his axe and seized the noisy spear.

— See! I told you! You just need to follow my instructions!

At the same time, Kim Do-Joon exploded.

"Shut up, old man!"

— W-what? Did you just tell me to shut up? Wow, did any of you hear this?! How disrespectful toward your elder!

“

Ha...

” Kim Do-Joon sighed deeply.

Enraged, Urt charged at Kim Do-Joon. The named orcs below eagerly awaited the outcome. Meanwhile, the Spear of Purpose was already in Kim Do-Joon's hand.

After confirming everything, Kim Do-Joon muttered, "Return."

Using his Return skill, Kim Do-Joon vanished instantly, leaving Urt to vent his aimless fury.