Chapter 8: Mutant Hunt (3)

Yi-An roared while running over. As he charged toward them, two wolves retreated.

“Grom!”

“Ahhh... Orc...so painful...” muttered Grom.

Yi-An lifted Grom up from the ground and held him in his arms.

“Wake up, Grom! Grooom!”

Grom smirked with dim eyes. “Ahhh...My points and skills will drop if I die...”

Yi-An’s mind snapped back to normal at Grom’s words.

‘

Ah, this is a game. Even if Grom dies, he will be revived again.’

Yi-An calmed down, and his rapidly beating heart slowed.

“Sorry, I’m no help...”

“That’s not true. Can you stop the bleeding in my neck?”

Yi-An ripped off a piece of cloth and used it to bind Grom’s neck and the other wounded parts of his body. If Grom had been human, he would have been dead already, but the thick skin and resilience of an orc kept him alive.

“You won’t die because you are an orc.”

“Stupidly strong... orc..”

“I will take care of this quest.”

“Haha... please... do so.”

Yi-An stood up. Even if it had been for just a second, he had lost his senses upon seeing Grom’s state. He had once again experienced the helplessness of losing his peers on the battlefield. Yi-An’s heart was crumbling. He wanted to rip to shreds everything that was in front of him. If he had been stronger, he wouldn’t have lost anyone.

[A warrior is not a warrior because he is strong by himself.]

[They are warriors because they prove their honor by protecting friends, comrades, and those important to them.]

[Your fury has granted you the blessings of a warrior.]

[Your physical abilities will be enhanced by 10% for 30 minutes.]

[Your pain will be reduced by 50% for 30 minutes.]

Despite the messages popping up, Yi-An’s eyes were fixed on the black wolf, who was looking down and laughing at them.

“You just wait. I will be there soon,” said Yi-An as he ran over to help Grant.

Grant was skillfully handling the wolves. He avoided fatal injuries by putting a distance between himself and the wolves. In other words, they couldn’t approach him easily.

Yi-An stepped in from the side and swung his sword, causing the wolves to lose their formation and become a disorderly mess. Yi-An and Grant didn’t miss this chance and swung their weapons at the wolves. The wolves began to fall in succession after being pierced by Yi-An and Grant’s weapons.

Even though the wolves were dying, their pack leader prodded them to continue fighting. So, the wolves hung onto Yi-An and Grant with murderous intent. However, Yi-An and Grant were able to handle and defeat them despite getting bitten all over.

“How is Grom doing?”

“He’s not dead yet,” Yi-An said.

He pointed at Grom, who had collapsed on the ground. Grom was catching his breath while placing pressure on a bleeding wound.

“Small wounds like that shouldn’t be a problem for an orc.”

“Now we only have one left.”

Grant and Yi-An tightly grasped their weapons and approached the leader, who looked down at them from the cliff.

“It’s your turn.”

“Gggrrrr...”

The black wolf descended from the cliff and stood before them.

He growled, “You filthy orcs...”

Grant and Yi-An’s eyes widened in shock. The wolf had spoken. The corners of the wolf’s mouth curved upwards as if it was smirking at them. Then it began howling at the sky.

“Awooooo... Awooooooooo...”

The wolf’s body began to change. Its muscles swelled as if its body was about to burst, and it raised its front legs and turned into a bipedal creature! The wolf continued to grow in size until its shadow loomed over Grant and Yi-An.

It was a werewolf! Although werewolves looked like regular wolves, they were a completely different species. They were cursed creatures that turned into ferocious, bipedal beasts.

This werewolf was twice the size of an orc. Its fingernails were sharp like daggers, and its huge mouth had teeth the size of saw blades. The werewolf’s vicious gaze turned toward Grant and Yi-An.

“I can’t believe measly orcs came for me... You are just a farmer...!”

Intimidation was a common tactic in battles. Yi-An and Grant reacted by swallowing their nervousness and laughing.

“Shut up, you little bitch. Even if you walk on two feet, you are just a dog.”

“Kekeke. Orcs only know their place once they’ve been shredded to pieces.”

Grant whispered to Yi-An, “It is on a higher tier than most werewolves... It’s a dangerous opponent. I’ve never seen one with such a command of language. It must be a mutation.”

“Is he strong?” Yi-An replied.

“Must be.” Grant grinned. “It’s too late to run away. Let’s go.”

His smile reminded Yi-An of someone—Lenox. This was the smile of a warrior. It was the spirit of an orc warrior to have the courage to smile even when facing an unknown enemy.

Yi-An smiled back at Grant. “Sounds good.”

“You said you’re an apprentice?”

“Yes.”

“You will become a good warrior,” said Grant as he gripped his halberd and glared at the werewolf.

There was no need for more words. Yi-An and Grant charged at the wolf at the same time.

The werewolf was quick. It easily dodged their attacks and threateningly waved its front legs. Its raised fingernails tore through the air like a weapon. If Yi-An and Grant got caught by those fingernails, their flesh would be torn apart. It would be a fatal blow no matter what.

Yi-An assumed a more serious stance.

The werewolf cackled as it approached them. “Kikikik. Orc meat isn’t very tasty. Grrrr...”

“...”

“I tried eating an orc not too long ago, but I had to spit it out ‘cause his meat was too tough to chew. Kekekeuk...” The werewolf looked at Grant as it said this. “What was his name again...? Abuchwi, I think he said...”

Grant’s eyes widened. “Abuchwi... is dead?”

“I ripped him to shreds—him and his family.” The werewolf chuckled. “He begged me to let his kid go...”

Grant charged and swung his halberd. However, the werewolf dodged and struck Grant instead, tearing his chest apart.

The wolf snickered as he said, “...He was a dumb orc.”

Grant clenched his teeth. “Abuchwi was an honest farmer.”

“A farming orc. Kikiki, so funny.”

“What would a mutant freak like you know about Mother Nature and the value of honest labor?” An unknown strength gathered in Grant’s body as he said those words.

[Orc farmer Grant has worked in harmony with the earth for a long time and understands the joy of the harvest and the cycles of the ecosystem.]

[The life of a farmer, in which you reap as much as you sow, gave a realization to Grant he was unable to experience as a warrior.]

[Grant now has the ability Nature’s Rebuke (Special).]

It was Yi-An’s first time seeing an active skill. Yi-An only had passive ones that elevated his basic abilities. Moreover, it was of a Special grade! It was like those lethal moves one saw in games.

“You mistake of nature! Return to the earth, you mutant wolf!”

Grant swung his halberd, causing the earth to shake. It was a blow charged with the power of nature!

As if hit by a hammer, the werewolf was sent flying backward, and it slammed into a rock. The werewolf whimpered while its blood splattered everywhere.

“Even a werewolf whimpers.”

[A mutant werewolf born against the laws of nature.]

[An attack imbued with the power of nature was a critical hit for the mutant.]

“This is it for you.”

Grant approached the werewolf and raised his halberd.

At that moment, the werewolf, who seemed to be on the verge of death, squeezed out the last of its energy and bit Grant. Grant was caught off guard, and he grimaced in pain. As the werewolf smacked Grant away, Yi-An ran over and caught him. The two of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle.

The werewolf looked at Grant with blazing eyes. “I’m... a mistake of nature?”

Then it snickered and said, “How funny, you trash orc monsters.”

The werewolf howled, “Awoooo... Awoooooooooo.”

It was a melancholic howl. The werewolf glared at Yi-An and Grant and then limped away, leaving a trail of blood in its wake before eventually stopping. It would take him quite a while to recover.

“Grant, are you okay?”

“Is he...?”

“He escaped.”

Grant sighed, “We couldn’t kill him in the end...”

Yi-An shook his head. “He won’t be able to recover for a while.”

“Let’s hope so... Well, it doesn’t really matter,” Grant said, grinning ear to ear.

“Even if he comes back, he will be scolded by

this

farmer,” he added and pointed at himself.

Yi-An burst out laughing.

[You have defeated the mutant werewolf.]

[Unfortunately, you were unable to kill it. The mutant werewolf will return one day.]

[Your reputation will spread, and you will be known as the apprentice warrior Yi-An who helped Grant resolve the problem.]

[You have gained 30 achievement points. You have leveled up.]

[You have earned the title ‘Friend of Farmers.’ If you use the skill ‘Friend of Farmers,’ your intimacy with farmers and efficiency in agricultural work will increase.]

After the message windows popped up, Yi-An checked his status window.

[Status Window

Yi-An, Orc Apprentice Warrior

Title: Friend of Farmers

Level: 3

Achievement Points: 80

Assimilation: 55%

Skills:

Orc’s Strength (Common)

Orc’s Recovery (Common)

Greatsword (Common)

Warrior’s Fighting Spirit (Uncommon)]

Nothing much had changed.

Yi-An went up to Grom, who was slumped down with his hands wrapped around his neck. He gave Grom a slap on the back.

“Oh, my god!”

“Wake up. It’s all over.”

“Yeah, I saw the message window. Too bad we couldn’t kill him.”

Grom wobbled as he got up. Even though his neck had been pierced by a wolf’s fangs, he hadn’t died. An orc’s body was extraordinary.

“Let’s go back.”

“Another day passed by... It was worth it.”

The sun went down as they tried to exit the werewolf’s territory. On the way out, they heard the cries of beasts from afar.

“This...”

“It’s Simba...!”

They had forgotten about him. Simba the tiger was still fighting the wolves. They ran toward him with their weapons, but their mouths widened with shock at the sight before them.

Numerous wolves lay scattered on the floor with their bodies torn apart. Simba was scowling at the remnants of the wolf pack with its head held high. The wolves cowered with their tails curled in between their legs as they retreated.

Although Simba was covered with blood due to its injuries, it didn’t lose its dignity as the king of the beasts and maintained a confident stance. The stripes all over its body made it look very imposing.

Simbra growled, and the remaining wolves fled.

Then it let out a roar of victory, “Raaahhhhhhhh...!”

“...”

Yi-An clapped as he watched the tiger. Grant and Grom followed his lead and joined in. The three orcs sent thunderous applause at the sight of the king of beasts reclaiming its throne. Simba bowed his head as if apologizing for receiving praise for such a small feat.

[Simba, a tiger that once ruled this area, lived as a loner after being pushed out by the wolves.]

[But today, the tiger has recovered its honor and returned as the king of the forest!]

[Although it started with a beating, you built a lasting friendship with the tiger.]

[You have earned the title, ‘One Who Respects the Honor of the Tigers.’ Your intimacy with tigers will increase, and you will be able to detect emotions in tigers.]

After earning the new title, Yi-An felt closer to Simba. He felt a sense of pride and friendship resonating from Simba.

“Simba.”

“Raahh...”

“You are a true tiger.”

“Raaaaaahhhhhh!”

Even though Simba was the king of the beasts, it was still tiresome to fight dozens of opponents by itself. It was a true tiger who slaughtered wolves with an indomitable will! Simba was a warrior.

Yi-An extended his fist. Simba raised its paw and bumped fists with Yi-An.

“Let’s meet again!”

“Rah!”