Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Orc Invasion
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I sprint forward. The Garden of Serenity is inside the lord's castle, so the distance isn't far.
"O~ rorororo!"
A height nearing two meters. Shoulders that aren't just broad but look to be at least 1.3 meters wide. Muscles packed tight all over its body.
A green monster closer to a combat weapon than a living creature swings an axe that must weigh over ten kilograms.
'I can't block that.'
I'm no stranger to a trained physique myself, but trading blows with that monster is impossible. If I tried to block it head-on, my defense would mean nothing—I'd get flung back and roll across the ground.
So I watch the creature.
I track where its gaze is directed, the bulging muscles, the turning joints, and the shifting center of gravity from its extended right foot.
And then.
I walk forward.
Whoosh!
The iron axe slices past, severing a few strands of my hair, and I feel the intense wind pressure crushing against my skin. The moment the orc's eyes widen at the cleanly dodged attack.
Stab!
My sword pierces its throat.
"Grk! Grrrk! Khek! Guh!"
Surprisingly, the orc doesn't collapse rolling—instead, it flails wildly, swinging its axe in all directions.
Its vitality was staggering, but even so, a throat wound like that is fatal.
Thud!
The body falls. A clean victory.
But I can't savor the win.
"The hide..."
Nothing like soft human skin. Its hide is so tough I nearly lost my grip on the sword in that instant.
'At this level, normal arrows wouldn't even penetrate.'
Unless it's a quarrel from a crossbow, I could probably fight while taking hits.
And such monsters.
"O~~~ rorororo!"
"O~ rororo!"
"Hahaha! Humans! It's humans!"
"Ororo! Charge, charge~! O~ rorororo!"
Are pouring out from the pillar of light.
I immediately draw a deep breath and bellow.
"All knights! Soldiers, lead the territory's people and retreat immediately! Get as far from the pillar of light as possible and regroup! Rally point is the training grounds! I repeat, rally point is the training grounds!"
My thunderous shout gets the hesitant soldiers—who couldn't decide whether to fight or flee—to start leading the civilians out. It's a small territory with only 3,000 residents, but the soldiers' training is excellent.
Having followed my path from bandit leader → mercenary captain → lord, half the residents have cycled through bandit → mercenary → soldier. Those who made it to soldier are the elite of the elite.
With one of our territory's two knights taking command, even in the extreme chaos, they manage to form groups and begin retreating.
"Hah!"
I shout even louder on purpose, slashing the throat of a charging orc. Above the heads of the collapsing orcs spewing red blood, text reads:
Vulcan Orc Warrior (Advanced)
'Crazy. This really a game?'
The absurd hypothesis I'd thought of upon learning I could return to Earth by saying "log out" resurfaces.
'No. No way.'
But I shake it off. I'm a Korean guy too. I've played VR games; no reason to confuse reality and virtual.
Especially not after twenty years of vivid life.
No mere game or dream could replicate that. My mind, clearly grasping the situation right now, proves it.
'So this situation is... something beyond that.'
I form a major premise in my mind.
1. Ardenia is a real world.
2. Yet, a game system has been applied to Ardenia.
That line of thought sparks something.
'This is just like... the [Stages] from the textbooks.'
About seventy years ago. 2019.
Peaceful Earth faced an unprecedented crisis. Mythic beings dormant on the planet, awakened by the [Apocalypse Project] from deep space.
Over six billion humans were dragged into a [Horror]-themed game.
From infants not even a year old to the elderly on death's beds, all became [Players] forced to play horror games.
Fighting insatiable hunger that could only be sated by eating their own flesh, killing grotesque monsters, dodging deadly traps that could cost limbs if you slipped even slightly—they had to clear stages.
Naturally, humanity, accustomed to peace, lacked the strength to overcome. The population plummeted from over six billion to under five hundred million.
From a cosmic perspective, our 34th Earth was [obviously] doomed.
Yes, if not for [Him].
A transcendent being born of extraordinary bloodline, blooming all possibilities in the Stages.
The great and mighty [Game Master] who wasn't there.
'Wait. Hold on... This isn't quite like the Stages? No horror theme either... And most importantly, no other players besides me.'
Crunch!
Even as my mind races, my body moves busily.
Thud! Crunch! Slash!
I sever throats. Slice Achilles tendons in passing. Pierce hearts.
Their gazes on me, shifting centers of gravity, muscle twitches. The angle of their soles tells me their attacks.
The orcs' strength and vitality are immense, but their technique is primitive. They wield swords, axes, even spears, but no feints or tricks—disrupting their breathing and breaking their stance lets me dispatch them easily.
However.
"O~~ rororororo!"
"Strong! This human warrior strong!"
"I'll kill that one!"
"No! I'll kill him!"
Orcs keep emerging from the pillar of light. Kill one, ten emerge; kill ten, a hundred pour out.
Despite cutting them down, I'm endlessly pushed back. In just over ten minutes of fighting, the lord's castle is filled with green monsters.
"Just how many are coming out?!"
Glancing around, there are over a thousand orcs. My territory has only 3,000 residents, and here are a thousand orcs, each a match for ten soldiers.
And more orcs are still walking out of the pillar. No clue how many more.
'I need to get out.'
Fortunately, while I've held aggro, the soldiers, servants, and civilians all escaped. If the orcs had cleverly encircled or pursued the civilians relentlessly, it would've been impossible—but these beastly things just swarm toward the commotion at me instead of coordinating.
Of course, that doesn't mean civilian casualties are light.
"Damn it. My territory... my people..."
My gut boils, but rebuilding and revenge require survival first. I steady my breath and scan around.
The number from the pillar has surpassed two thousand. Get surrounded, and I'm dead.
And the moment I think that.
Chill!
[Inexplicable Combat Foresight] warns of an incoming attack.
But foresight doesn't mean I can always dodge. The attack's range is vast, and above all, too fast.
Thud!
Immense impact blacks out my vision instantly.
Crash!
When I come to, I'm already rolling on the ground.
"Gr... ugh?"
Groaning, I look down to see a double-headed axe embedded from my right shoulder to my solar plexus.
Naturally, my ribs are shattered, lungs torn, blood rising to my throat.
"Cra... zy. What the..."
From the looks, the thrown axe hit my torso, sending me flying over five meters to roll on the ground. Inconceivable brute force.
"Grk! Human dead!"
"Too bad! That was mine to kill!"
"Ah, Boss is here!"
Murmuring orcs.
And emerging from the pillar, the one who seems to have thrown the axe.
Thud!
Heavy footfalls. A 2.5-meter orc so massive it looks like a demonic beast bear, not humanoid.
Vulcan Orc Champion (Rare)
Hamrom
"Damn, what kind of axe... cough. flies like... cough!"
I cough up blood nonstop. The injury is severe. Even without follow-ups, survival is doubtful.
In a situation where I need to flee immediately or die, with this wound, no way out—even if the sky fell.
"Cough! Lo, lo, lo..."
But even so, I have a way out.
"Log out!"
Flash!
My viewpoint shoots skyward. A chessboard-like continent flashes briefly, then everything fades to darkness.
Pssh!
"Huh?"
I see the night watch, face splattered in blood, wearing a dazed expression. Stunned by the sudden change, unable to accept reality.
He stares blankly at me, then wipes the blood from his face. His pupils quake in confusion.
"What... what's this? Why blood all of a sudden... Sergeant Han? Ah, no, wake up! Reveille! Everyone up! Sergeant Han's dying! Get the duty officer!"
Screams erupt.
Blood pours.
Soldiers start rising one by one.
Seeing it all, I mutter.
"Crazy... it actually worked..."
And black out.
* * *
When I wake, a short-haired Westerner in his early thirties faces me.
"You're conscious? Okay. How many fingers?"
"Three."
"Keep watching my fingers."
He wiggles them a few times, notes on the chart, and grumbles.
"Not like a midnight axe murder or anything—what the hell happened? Do I get paid 4 million won just to do emergency surgery at this hour?"
Hearing his gruff voice, I sit up. Even that simple motion brings cold sweat and pain, but compared to the wound I took, it's nothing.
'Wow. Earth really is the best.'
After twenty years in medieval land, where a bad arrow means lifelong disability or months of agony even if lucky, this is near-miraculous medical care. Our esteemed medic's skills could slap the twin saints—the only two on the continent with healing that good.
"Thanks, Lieutenant Thomas. Honestly thought I was done for."
"Done for? In the middle of the barracks? Not instant death—how? Anyway, what happened? Looked like a huge axe hit... Got 'demobbed' early or something?"
"Who the hell does demob that hard..."
I chuckle and shake my head. But for jokes like that to fly, it must've been extreme.
"Yeah, plenty wanted to hack me with an axe."
Thomas startles at my smirk.
"What, a joke? And you thanked me? What's up, mad dog? Going human right before discharge?"
My face heats at his surprise.
'Looking back now... I deserved that.'
As a kid, I was always angry. At the root, arrogant belief I was special. Ideals sky-high, reality a sewer—how not to rage?
I.
Didn't fit the world I was born into.
'Had plenty of years, yet still in that stormy phase.'
Wished I'd been born in the Three Kingdoms era. Or a dark dictatorship. A world of endless war, lawlessness demanding fight-or-die.
Not because I wanted that life, but because in such a world, my existence would matter.
But Earth was too peaceful, too stable.
Unable to find my place, I wandered, harming many over long years.
And now, twenty years later.
Having fought all malice raw in medieval land, I realize how childish and pathetic those thoughts were.
"I was..."
So I say.
"...too young."
"..."
Turning at the sudden silence, I see Lieutenant Thomas with his jaw dropped.
"What's up?"
He replies.
"You got demobbed, huh?"
"..."