Adventurer’s Guild #5

 

“Okay, I got it. Hit me in the head.”

If that’s what they want, then we should do it.

I raised my mace.

A cool breeze blew, and the orc shamans closed their eyes.

They held their breath calmly, waiting for the death that would soon come.

And⋯.

Exactly.

“Ouch!”

Yurka frowned.

He opened his eyes and looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“What is this⋯?”

Exactly, exactly.

The other two orcs also opened their eyes after being hit on the forehead.

“Girl, are you making fun of us?”

“Why? I won. I said I’d accept whatever the outcome was.”

“But the final ordeal is-”

“You don’t have to kill the loser. Look.”

I pointed to the ring of flames.

Just now the sorcerers admitted defeat, and the match was decided.

The blue flames turned golden, and the power began to focus on me.

It contains not only the power of the magic stone, but also the power of the sorcerers.

“You have passed the Orc Trial. Your abilities have been greatly enhanced.”

“I have absorbed the power of three excellent orc shamans.”

“—Total ability values stored in the reliquary: 307 (+163)”

Yurka kept nodding her head as if she still didn’t understand.

“Well, but⋯.”

“Guys, I saw you earlier and you were still going strong. What are you doing? It’s too early to die, isn’t it?”

“Uh, but still-”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. The gentlemen have already completed their work. The final ordeal is over. No matter when, where, or how they die, it’s certain they’ll go to the Warrior’s Hall. Am I wrong?”

The orc shamans tilted their heads and whispered among themselves.

“Is that so…?”

“The rest of your life is a bonus. Enjoy it leisurely and see how high I can climb.”

The orcs were speechless.

Then, without anyone saying anything, they burst into laughter.

“I see. Is that how it comes out?”

“Hahaha! Well, there’s nothing I can do. If that’s the winner’s choice, then so be it.”

“If I can go to the Hall of Warriors, I have no complaints.”

The orcs, as warriors, died here today. They will never again take up a sword.

But their lives are not over yet.

They will finally come down from their long journey of fighting and enjoy a peaceful old age.

***

“She was a truly unique girl.”

After Estelle left, the orc shamans reflected on the events that had just occurred.

“That girl will do great things.”

Yurka said, looking at the distant sky.

The other sorcerers nodded as well.

“I don’t regret my decision to choose the human girl. However, my only concern is….”

The bear-headed sorcerer hesitated, unable to continue speaking.

The orcs, who had been his friends for many years, knew what he was talking about.

“I know what you’re worried about.”

Yurka patted her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m sure you’re worried about the thorny path that child will walk. I’m worried about that too.”

Orc shamans can see the future.

They carefully read the weather under the protection of their ancestral gods.

Sometimes from the near future, a few hours in the future, to as long as half a century in the future.

One day, at the same time, three old sorcerers

In my dream, I saw a world covered in dark clouds.

Clouds were approaching, enveloping the world in eternal night. It was a near future.

“This world has faced many crises. But this time is definitely different.”

Yurka recalled the future she had seen in the flickering campfire.

“Darkness disguises itself as light, deceiving the world. Few can truly see through this truth.”

Yurka has narrowed down a few candidates who might bring about the end of the world.

They have one thing in common.

They are the guardians of order, known to the world as heroes.

However, Yurka was convinced that one of them would destroy the world.

Among them, the most powerful one is…

‘Warrior Michael.’

A human hero so famous that even the orcs know him.

Yurka saw a boundless emptiness in the noble knight’s eyes.

Michael was the light.

The light of the end, so bright that it burns everything else.

‘Because of that person, a great disaster will come to the world.’

Even knowing what lay ahead, there was nothing the old orc shamans could do.

Young orcs are not interested in the world’s crises.

They were only engrossed in the fights they waged every day.

As soon as they opened their eyes in the morning, they would start a fight among themselves for any reason, and at night, they would show off their loot and fall asleep drunk.

Orcs were warriors, but they were only warriors, and could not become anything else.

Okra was the innate limitation of the race.

Therefore, the orcs had no choice but to gradually give up their land to the humans and be pushed out.

‘And humans don’t believe us.’

Few humans listen to the opinions of orc shamans.

To humans who worship the God of Light, the magic and traditions of the Orcs are nothing more than a disgusting social phenomenon.

Moreover, the opponent is Michael, a warrior with a great reputation throughout the empire.

If Yurka had even mentioned Michael’s name, she would have been immediately stoned by the angry mob and her life would have been cut short.

Yurka wasn’t afraid of death, but she didn’t want to die a cruel death like that.

“But what a strange harmony. Isn’t that girl the complete opposite of Michael?”

Pitch black darkness.

A pitch-black darkness enveloped the girl. She was closer to the realm of death.

A girl who is human, but not human.

One who denies the order of life and death.

‘But that girl is the hope of this world.’

Estelle, blessed by the goddess of death, El.

What awaits the little girl in the future?

‘All I can do is be that child’s stepping stone.’

Yurka did not regret her choice to pass on all her power.

Both humans and orcs would be saved by Estelle. Yurka believed this without a doubt.

“Yeah. Now that it’s come to this, I hope I can somehow live long enough to see that moment with my own eyes.”

Yurka sincerely hoped so.

May the girl overcome all adversity and finally achieve all glory.

***

The next day.

The Adventurer’s Guild’s new recruit selection exam was held.

The location is the Garden Wilderness.

The sight of adventurers in all sorts of attire gathered together was a sight in itself.

Even if you roughly calculate the number, it is easily over three hundred.

“Estelle, you look happy?”

Flora said. Unlike me, Flora looked a little nervous.

“Really? Is it because it’s been so long since I’ve been outside?”

“Well, lately I’ve only been wandering around dark places. Underground sewers, caves….”

Flora nodded.

My senior was right. I was feeling really good right now.

But there is another reason for that.

‘It’s something I can’t honestly tell him yet.’

Enhancement of the “Immortal” trait.

After the battle with the orc shamans, my core trait, “Immortal,” became even more powerful.

This is what Yurka meant by ‘new realm’.

“-immortality

—As long as the reliquary is not destroyed, it will come back to life even after death.

—The resurrection time varies depending on the degree of damage to the body.

“Every time you are resurrected, your abilities are permanently lost.”

“—Immediate resurrection

As experience accumulates, new powers are added to the immortal.

You can skip the waiting time and revive immediately. However, this comes at the cost of inflicting significant damage to the reliquary.

The long waiting period, which was a huge risk for immortality, can finally be overcome.

It’s like you can use instant resurrection, almost like cheating, just like you paid for a cash item.

‘It’s a ridiculous trait.’

The nickname “Immortal Lich” has finally become a reality.

Of course, it would be difficult to believe only this fraudulent characteristic.

As you can see, if you use resurrection consecutively, there is a possibility that the reliquary will be destroyed.

Always keep in mind that there is a possibility of immediate death rather than immediate resurrection.

“Ah, you’re here! Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Wagner! Here you go—”

Flora waved her hand.

“Huh? You two came together?”

“Don’t misunderstand, Flora. I happened to meet her on my way here, and I had no choice but to come with her.”

“Hmm. I guess so.”

As I squinted my eyes, Mitchell began to speak rapidly.

“What, what’s with that look? I told you it’s real? Hey, kid. Think about it. Since we’re heading the same way, the odds of meeting on the way back are naturally high—”

“Okay, okay. Who said anything? I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh really. Why do I have to make excuses like this?”

Mitchell beat his chest in frustration.

But the more this happens, the deeper the suspicion becomes.

‘Even if Wagner doesn’t know, Mitchell is quite aware of their relationship.’

My intuition is pretty accurate.

I don’t know exactly when it started, but something unhealthy started flowing between them.

“Hey, Gomtang, you should say something too! Why are you just keeping your mouth shut?”

“What do you want me to say? Did I do something wrong?”

Wagner just raised his eyebrows, looking clueless.

No, I don’t think he really knows.

The situation is heating up in Mitchell’s mind.

“It’s okay, Mitchell. Just promise me one thing.”

“What do you promise?”

“If what I think really happens, please don’t lie to me or Flora and be honest with me.”

“No, that’s not it-”

“Anyway, just know that.”

While they were talking, test tube Jack and Maria arrived last.

Jack looked around, then jumped up onto a large rock from which he could look down on everyone.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jack, who will be in charge of this exam. If one of you passes and joins the guild, I’ll be your senior in the Adventurer’s Guild.”

Jack’s voice was loud and carried far and wide.

It doesn’t seem like he spoke with much force, but his voice seems to have magical power.

The adventurers who had been murmuring all fell silent.

From now on, you must listen carefully to every word the examiner says.

If you lose focus and miss information, it will be your own loss.

Jack briefly explained the purpose of the test and the type of talent they were looking for.

“⋯That is, the first test aims to test your ability to survive in this wilderness on your own, without outside help. Of course, if that were all there was to it, it would be too easy and lacking in discernment. That’s why we’ve prepared something special. Maria!”

As Jack shouted, Maria walked forward, leading the ostrich-like beasts behind her.

“Go. Huh? Go forward. You idiots are so disobedient.”

“Maria, stop grumbling. Can you see, everyone?”

The eyes of hundreds of people gathered in the wilderness were all focused on one place.

Some of them clicked their tongues slightly as soon as they saw the bird, as if they realized what the test was about.

“⋯It’s Nitrobird.”

Mitchell muttered, his brow furrowed.

“Only those who bring this bird’s feather will be eligible to advance to the next stage. The period is two weeks. It doesn’t matter what method you use. If you can bring just one feather, you’ll pass without any questions. If you have any questions, ask now.”

The nitro birds stretched out their long necks and glared at the adventurers.

He doesn’t like being tied up, so he keeps kicking the sand with his big feet and making a nasty noise.

“This won’t be easy.”

Mitchell bit his lower lip. The adventurers’ reactions were divided.

The kind of people who are optimistic and think that plucking a single feather from a bird is not that difficult.

On the other hand, there are some adventurers whose expressions darken like Mitchell’s.

“Okay, then, let’s begin the test. Good luck to everyone.”

Jack winked at Maria.

It was finally beginning.