Chapter 75. Kill Them All

“Kill them all! Leave no one alive!” a man clad in armor, wielding a massive two-handed sword, shouted.

He repeated his command several more times, screaming so loudly that the veins in his neck bulged. Motivated by his battle cry, the Hunters charged at their enemies—the orc horde.

However, these orcs looked different from the ones usually found in basic-level dungeons. They weren’t pot-bellied or comically pig-faced, but taller and more muscular. Menacing tusks protruded from their faces.

Besides, their red skin was adorned with tattoos. Most orcs had only one, but some had two or three tattoos, indicating their higher rank and strength.

“Die!” the Hunters yelled, swinging their weapons—swords, spears, and maces.

From the rear, fireballs and ice shards flew, continuously taking down the orcs.

“

Kuaak!

”

“

Keuk!

”

The orcs fell like mowed weeds. However, most of them only had a single tattoo. Those with two or three tattoos were much harder to kill.

"There's a three-tattooed one!" someone shouted.

An orc with three tattoos had broken through their defenses, and chaos erupted around it.

"Take it down quickly!"

"We have to handle this ourselves! No reinforcements!"

Despite the presence of many fellow Hunters, they couldn’t ask for help. They couldn’t afford to compromise their formation while holding back the wave of orcs. It was a dire situation, but they were all A-rank Hunters, veterans of countless battles.

"Aim for the neck! Take it down!"

"Killed it!"

The group quickly formed up and managed to strike the orc's neck, severing it. The head rolled away, eyes glaring as if it might come back to life any moment.

"Is everyone okay?" shouted a man running toward them.

It was Shin Yoo-Sung.

"Yes! No fatalities!"

"Injuries?"

"Over there..." one Hunter pointed.

Shin Yoo-Sung looked where he indicated, and saw a man with a gruesome wound. His leg was broken, with white bone protruding from his knee. He rushed over and swiftly chanted a healing spell.

"

Keugh

..." groaned the injured man in pain.

Sweat dripped from Shin Yoo-Sung's forehead as he worked to heal the wound. Normally, he could do it with a simple wave of his hand, without needing to chant. That was the level of power an S-rank Hunter possessed. However, things were different now.

Damn!

Shin Yoo-Sung’s vision wavered like a mirage. He quickly regained focus but couldn’t stop the cold sweat from running down his back.

My mental energy is nearly depleted.

He quickly realized that his stamina was depleted as well. It was no surprise, given he had been using healing spells non-stop for over ten days, without rest, whether during battles or lulls. He had kept going without pause.

I should have brought more Healers!

He clenched his teeth, but it was too late. He had been the one to suggest that they allocate the minimum number of Healers, believing he could manage on his own.

"

Um

... Sir, I think he's alright now," said the Hunter assisting the injured man.

Shin Yoo-Sung snapped out of his daze and examined the man. The severe leg wound was completely healed, and he seemed to be peacefully asleep now.

Shin Yoo-Sung rubbed his strained eyes. Even though a leader should not be zoning out like this...

"Are you alright, sir?" asked the Hunter, concerned.

Shin Yoo-Sung smiled and replied, "Of course, I am. Do you think I became an S-rank by chance?”

"You're amazing, sir," the Hunter replied with a smile.

He was clearly impressed, thinking to himself that S-ranks are indeed a different breed, just monsters.

Shin Yoo-Sung stood up and looked at the sky. The sun was setting, signaling the end of today's battle. As he did, Oh Tae-Jin approached, hoisting his two-handed sword over his shoulders.

Gazing at the setting sun, Shin Yoo-Sung asked Oh Tae-Jin.

“How many fatalities?”

“None, thanks to you,” Oh Tae-Jin replied.

A wave of relief washed over Shin Yoo-Sung’s face. It was a very human-like expression for someone often regarded as a monster. However, it was fleeting. His expression hardened as he spoke to Oh Tae-Jin.

“It will be dangerous to continue like this.”

***

“

Tsk.”

A clicking sound of a tongue echoed in the darkness. Several figures cloaked in black stood there.

“Did we miss?”

“Yes, Captain. Sorry about that,” said one of the figures.

They were a scouting party, investigating the ruins found in the neutral zone. The Elven Captain’s eyes glowed as he scrutinized the humans outside the passage. Despite the vast distance, it was no obstacle for an elf like him.

“No need to apologize. They’re just humans after all,” the Elven Captain said with a smirk, kicking something heavy. It was a corpse.

The bodies of the Chinese Hunters, who had entered the ruins before them, lay strewn about. Seeing the dead bodies, the subordinate also smirked.

“These prey are below average again.”

“That’s good. It means our Mother can enjoy her meal in peace,” said the Elven Captain to his subordinate.

This wasn’t the first time the World Tree had devoured another world. Before coming to Earth, it had fed on other worlds, and before that, yet another. The Captain, an elf over 200 years old, had experienced those previous worlds.

“They were all like monkeys, barely capable of speech and weak,” he said, drawing several swords.

These blades, larger than daggers but shorter than full swords, began to orbit around him.

“But these humans seem to have some skills...”

“Nah, they’re no more than worms that squirm when stepped on,” said the Elven Captain.

Because humans struggled to see without light, killing the Chinese Hunters had been too easy. The elves were blessed with night vision, after all. How could such a pitiful race hope to challenge the proud children of the forest?

Footsteps echoed and the humans entered the ruins. The Elven Captain smiled at their foolishness. Stepping in despite sensing the danger was idiotic of them. If they didn’t, it was just complacency.

With a prideful expression, he commanded, “Terna.”

One of the floating swords shot forward with a piercing sound, aiming for the man who seemed to be the leader. The Elven Captain’s flying swords skill was renowned not only for their destructive power and speed, but also for their deadly precision.

Baaam—!

A thunderous explosion echoed as the man at the front was slammed against the wall. The passage partially collapsed, causing bricks to tumble and a cloud of dust to rise.

"Hyung!" Hwang Hyun-Woo cried out.

"Ambush!"

The Hunters, shocked, raised their weapons, brimming with vigilance, without having the chance to check on Kim Do-Joon’s condition.

“What's going on? Turns out there’s a dark-skinned one among you too?”

At that moment, a handsome man appeared before them. His skin was pale enough to show his veins, and he wore clothes made of bear fur. Elena frowned as she recognized him. An elf was indeed hiding here.

“They're here, too!” shouted the B-rank Hunters from the rear.

Elves had appeared behind them as well, blocking their retreat.

“After betraying the Mother, now you’ve brought humans here. How much lower will you stoop?” The elf spoke disdainfully, making Elena’s expression harden.

“That’s no longer a god. It consumed our homeland, and now it’s destroying other worlds as well. How could a tree like that...” Elena was interrupted.

“Shut up! Don’t blaspheme the Mother with your profane mouth!” The Elven Captain’s face twisted with anger.

He started levitating his swords again. Each one was imbued with a dark, murderous aura, making Seok Dae-Kyung break out in a cold sweat.

Is the leader okay?

He glanced at the collapsed wall, but saw no movement. The arrow from before was imbued with lethal power, and the force behind the sword just now was even greater. No matter how skilled Kim Do-Joon was, surviving such an attack unscathed seemed impossible.

As long as he's alive we’re good.

They had a healer with them. Hence, Seok Dae-Kyung thought that as long as Kim Do-Joon was alive, there was no problem. Besides, once they rejoined the expedition team, S-rank Healer Shin Yoo-Sung would be waiting for them. That S-rank Hunter could fully heal someone without any lasting effects.

We just have to handle this situation here.

Determined, Seok Dae-Kyung clenched his fists. Contrary to Seok Dae-Kyung's worries, Kim Do-Joon was unharmed. The force behind the sword had caused some shock, but his body, reinforced by the Invincible Body, was harder than diamond.

Within the collapsed wall, Kim Do-Joon remained conscious and focused.

[Flying Sword Terlun]

Description

- A sword forged from iron extracted from the bottom of the Spirit's Lake. It is crafted to be the perfect size for a flying sword wielder, so somewhat inconvenient to wield by hand for other users.

Rarity

- Common

Classification

- Weapon

Effect

- Attack Power 24-29

- Spirit Affinity Level + 1

Kim Do-Joon examined the condition of the sword that had flown toward him. He also checked the Spirit Affinity effect listed at the end.

It's the same effect as Eldora's sword.

From the description, it seemed to be made of the same material. Unlike the Rare-rarity Eldora's sword, this one was of a common grade, likely due to a difference in craftsmanship. In other words, copy-pasting this would increase the level of his Spirit Affinity.

Spirit Affinity...

When Kim Do-Joon had copied Eldora's sword in the past, he had wondered what use it’d be since he had no spirit-related skills. But now, things were different. There was a new reason he might need this affinity.

Well, the Flame Lord was said to be the king of spirits...

Therefore, he was likely to be a spirit influenced by affinity. Kim Do-Joon smiled. Then, the sword in his hand shattered into light.

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

"What was that?" the Elven Captain flinched.

Since the sword was connected to him, he could feel its destruction. It had been completely obliterated, leaving no trace.

Curious, he turned toward the broken wall, where a dot was rapidly growing in size. He recognized it as a spear but it was too late.

"

Keugh!

" he grunted as the spear pierced deep into his chest.

Blood dripped from the hole in his chest, quickly forming a puddle on the ground.

"How, though...?" he gasped.

"It's him," Elena said, scoffing. "The human who killed Eldora of the Northern Forest."

The Elven Captain's eyes widened in shock, initially unable to comprehend her words. Then, disbelief turned into a scowl.

"Liar! Eldora was a knight! How could a mere human—"

"For too long," Elena interrupted, her red lips curling, "the worlds devoured by the World Tree have only had the weak. So, you guys could treat them as easy prey.”

The Elven Captain paled as the loss of blood reached a critical level. His vision blurred, and his legs gave way. Watching him, Elena's voice turned cold.

"This time, it won't be so easy for you."

"This... can't be..." he started.

Swoosh—!

However, with a swift motion, Kim Do-Joon twisted and pulled out the spear. Dark blood sprayed across the floor as he swung it downwards. It was indistinguishable from human blood.

"Captain!" one of the elves cried out.

"You human scum!" shouted another.

With the Elven Captain's fall, the remaining elves' eyes burned with fury. Drawing their short swords, they charged at Kim Do-Joon's group. The Hunters instinctively looked to Kim Do-Joon, awaiting orders like soldiers to their commander.

There was no trace of the contempt that had once marked them as E-rank Hunters. The most intense gaze came from Seok Dae-Kyung, filled with fervent admiration.

Finally, Kim Do-Joon spoke, his voice calm but commanding.

"Kill them all."