Chapter 54: Tag of Death (5)

Five minutes before...

"

Pant, pant

..."

Kai was out of breath, and his vision blurred due to the lack of oxygen in his brain. Additionally, a ringing noise started to echo in his ears. However, even though he was experiencing conditions that could be considered bad individually, he still smiled.

This is fun!

He found joy in the battle while diligently dodging Urghan's fierce attacks. It was an abnormal, perhaps even masochistic feeling, but he was enjoying it and interestingly, it was helping him.

The next attack is gonna come from the left!

Right after Kai threw himself to the right, Urghan's double-ax plowed the innocent ground.

"You... you damn rat...!"

Urghan clenched his teeth and cursed Kai, but he wasn't as threatening as before because his condition was clearly not as good as before.

His legs are trembling, and his attack accuracy and speed have dropped significantly since a while ago.

More importantly, his health had dropped below 5%! Moreover, his movements were undoubtedly more uncomfortable than usual because he was poisoned.

While Fermi's Venom had made all this possible, the true cause was something else.

I can easily predict his attacks. And it's not just simply easily, it's incredibly easily.

Kai blinked with a renewed expression. Throughout the battle, his incredible eyes had helped him anticipate Urghan's attacks two, three moves ahead and dodge them.

Who knew I'd leave those boring party hunts with eyes like this!

In hunting parties, the Cleric was positioned at the very back. They always had to watch for when and how monsters would attack their allies.

Some thought the most sought quality of a Cleric was high skill proficiency, a high Holiness stat, or high-grade equipment, but that was all wrong.

What people wanted was a Cleric who could provide healing and buffs when most needed. They wanted a Cleric who could provide support when it was most crucial. Therefore, Clerics always had to have a wide view of the battlefield.

It was hard getting used to at first.

It was especially hard for Kai, who was new to virtual reality games. While others were leveling up by slaying monsters, he had to look out for party members who die at any moment. It was around then that he developed the habit of having a wide view of the battlefield.

This isn't unique to me. It's a perspective most Clerics have.

Yet, Kai had one difference from the other Clerics. It was just one, but it was something they could never possess.

With such a field of vision, fighting monsters directly... makes things like this possible.

Only those who had experienced both the front lines and the back could master such a wide and detailed field of vision! His eyes were truly all-seeing eyes that were capable of observing both the forest and the trees within the forest at the same time.

Kai sighed.

He remembered the days of playing as a Cleric—how people would politely addressed him as a Cleric but in the end, he would be disregarded.

However, Clerics can perform things like this too if they have power.

Typically, a Cleric spent their life at the rear of a party because they lacked both the ability and the will to stand at the front while a class like a Battle Cleric didn't have a reason to be in the back when they could be in the front.

It was different for Archers and Wizards as well. They were also positioned at the rear end of a party, but their perception of the battlefield was different from that of a Cleric who paid attention to both allies and enemies.

Ultimately, Kai realized advantages he himself had been unaware of during the battle.

"Graagh!"

Urghan swung his double-ax around.

The double-ax tore through the air and flew toward him! It was undoubtedly an attack that, even if hit just once, would cause severe damage.

However, Kai was not afraid even just a bit.

Just a few minutes ago, my life was on the line every time I dodged an attack ....

Fearing for his life was something he could never have felt during his days as a mere Cleric unless his entire party had been annihilated. But now that he had to face that head-on, his senses became as sharp as a freshly sharpened craftsman's blade.

"Just die already!

Huf!

"

Urghan’s voice shifted from anger to pleading.

He should be incredibly frustrated by now.

Afterall, the human who had struggled to dodge the attacks earlier, was now avoiding them much more easily.

In fact, undeniable agitation was visible in Urghan's eyes.

Argh! Impossible human! Who the hell are you?

To Urghan, Kai appeared as a monster beyond any common sense.

Fundamentally, human growth didn’t occur radically. Like climbing stairs day by day, step by step, effort accumulated over time until one realized they had grown.

However, the black warrior before him was different.

He grows... through this fight? Huff! He dares to use me, Urghan, chieftain of the Jagged Boulder tribe, as a stepping stone?

The realization greatly bruised his pride as the Orc Lord, commander of thousands of orcs.

And a wounded beast was dangerous.

"Graaaaah!" Urghan let out a beast-like roar, similar to a lion's.

At the same time, Kai flinched.

"Wh-what? What's with that sudden screaming...."

The moment Kai startled, Urghan's attack mercilessly found its way through the opening created when he dropped his guard.

Urghan stabbed him much faster than he had slashed before.

"Stabbing with an ax? That's cheating!"

It was a move far off from the conventional use of an ax! It was an unexpected attack, and thus Kai’s reaction was unavoidably a second slower, which made it a critical move.

In that moment, Kai's thoughts raced. His head felt hot as if he had just sprinted at full speed, and he even experienced the illusion that time around him had slowed down.

It's too late to...

It was too late to dodge it now.

Dozens of possible moves, including Supernova, flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t see any way to dodge the stab.

There's no way to dodge it, but... there's a way if I don't dodge it.

A spark of aspiration flashed in Kai's eyes.

It was the perfect opportunity to test the aspiration that had started to sprout during the battle.

Can my current self fight this creature on equal terms?

He planned to use everything he had gained—the basics of swordsmanship he had learned at the Training Grounds of the Dawn, the basics of hunting he had acquired in the Forest of Spiders, and the basics of combat he had honed while defeating the members of the Cirmson Fist guild—into this one move.

"Urgh!"

Kai's right hand moved as fast as a flash of light, and the time seemed to flow again.

Clang!

The clash of cold weapons swept away even the air around them.

It was inevitable that after such a clash, there would be one who laughed and one who cried at the result, and it was here, that the joy and sorrow Kai and Urghan felt was determined.

"What just happened...?"

Urghan’s eyes widened in disbelief!

Watching Urghan's dumbfounded expression with amusement, Kai leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I told you, I don't know anything about a warrior's sacred duel or whatever."

The next moment, Urghan's ax slid down the white blade, stabbing the innocent air. In professional terms, it was a miss!

I lost!

Urghan's protruding teeth trembled, and a tremendous noise erupted.

Crack!

It was the splendid symphony created by Kai's knee and Urghan's solar plexus coming into contact!

Of course, for Urghan, it sounded more like a dissonance.

The important thing was that, for the first time since the battle began, Kai had directly countered Urghan's attack and landed an effective hit. This fact was a shock to both Urghan and Kai.

Did I really just allow this human to hit me?

Did I really just succeed in attacking this orc?

Kai looked at Urghan, who was clutching his solar plexus and stepping back, with a dazed expression.

Letting Urghan's attack pass was an impromptu idea. Although Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu was not really impromptu, Kai's stunt-like move, was definitely impromptu.

Wow, this actually worked? Crazy.

Of course, keeping an eye on the opponent's attack was one thing, but it was also a stroke of luck that made it possible!

At the same time, Urghan's bright red HP bar came into view.

The remaining health is... just 2%!

Kai's grip on the Long Sword of the Enlightened One tightened.

Sure, just running away wouldn't be fun.

In any era, those who watched a performance always wanted a twist. A twist they did not see coming especially excited them and made them cheer even more.

That will probably be the same for those who will watch this video.

They would expect something special from the entity known as Unknown!

Therefore, Kai smiled beneath his Black Gnoll Helmet.

If they want something special, I'll give it to them.

At that moment, he thought of an incredible scenario.

Kai raised his sword and aimed it at Urghan. At that moment, a gust of wind made his rose-patterned cloak flutter.

And with that, the seeker in the deadly game of tag had changed.

***

Thud!

Kai had just begun his attack thirty seconds ago when Urghan's knees, which seemed like they would never fall, touched the ground.

Urghan then scattered into shimmering polygons.

Kai, looking at him, sighed with a mix of regret.

Well, it seems I couldn't even deal damage with my sword after all.

In truth, it was mostly Fermi's Venom that had drained Urghan’s HP. Yet, Kai had risked swinging his sword merely to look good for his video. It was a show to demonstrate that he was engaging in a tense battle even with an Orc Lord!

Phew, filming a video is also hard.

However, his workday wasn't over yet since there was still Orc Sorcerer and Black Bee guild remaining.

But, he could consider the biggest hurdle overcome!

[+500 expedition points.]

[You successfully completed the quest: A Foolhardy Challenge.]

[Special title acquired: Courageous Soldier.]

[+2,000 Fame.]

[Level increased.]

[+5 stat points.]

Kai's reaction was similar to someone tasting bittersweet candy.

"Well, that's a bit disappointing."

If other players saw him, they would be shocked by his reaction!

However, Kai had his reasons.

Perhaps because other players had already done significant damage, the XP gained is less than expected.

Despite defeating a level 90 raid boss monster, his level only went up by one, which was understandably disappointing for Kai.

And the special title? Special titles should be like treats—given occasionally. Getting them too often dulls their charm.

Kai treated the special title as if it were a snack he could have at any time!

However, his greatest disappointment lay elsewhere.

"It's a shame. I could have earned the Orc Lord Slayer title."

Just as he had been the first to kill Fermi and acquired the Queen Slayer title, he would have definitely received a corresponding title had he been the first to kill the Orc Lord. However, the absence of such a title meant someone else had killed the Orc Lord first! And Kai had an idea of who that person could be.

Yoo Ha-Rin... So was the rumor true?

There had been a rumor spreading through the community at one time. It was about Yoo Ha-Rin, who was around level 120 at the time, appearing in Glendale. Naturally, no one thought that the first place ranker would have any reason to come to Glendale, so no one believed it.

But someone commented at the time that they saw her kill all the orcs and rush into the village.

The rumor was dismissed as absurd and didn't gain much credibility at the time. And even Kai thought it was absurd while reading the article!

However, he realized he had been wrong and let out a deep sigh.

"I can’t believe that was actually true."

Other than her, he couldn't think of any ranker that was associated with the Orc Lord.

It would be a lie to say I'm not disappointed.

If the Orc Lord had been a simple field boss like the Wyrm Lizard, Yoo Ha-Rin wouldn't have received the slayer title.

Special titles are awarded only to honor a player's achievements.

However, the Orc Lord was a raid-level boss monster. Regardless of the level difference, securing the first kill guaranteed a special title.

"

Sigh

..."

That made it even more disappointing. Had Kai, with a lower level than the Orc Lord, obtained the slayer title, he would have been rewarded with additional perks.

Perhaps the silver lining is that she didn't duel the Orc Lord.

She seemed to have killed the Orc Lord without engaging in any conversation. Thanks to that, Kai was able to establish a duel with Urghan and obtain the title of Courageous Soldier.

"Title info."

Just as she had taken a title Kai didn't earn, the title she didn't acquire revealed itself in Kai's shining book.