Chapter 49: Adventurer’s Guild #4

Chapter 49: Adventurer’s Guild #4

“Don’t be surprised. This is the conclusion we’ve reached.”

Yurka said in a dry, emotionless voice.

The other two Orc shamans also silently donned their animal hide masks.

Their faces were hidden, so there was no way of knowing what they were thinking.

“This is bewildering.”

My first thought was, ‘Have I been betrayed?’

I wondered if the three Orcs had conspired to kill me and steal my money and magic stones.

But upon further reflection, that was unlikely.

‘If that were the case, there would have been no need to make me stronger until now.’

If they were going to rob me, there was no need to wait this long.

They could have just killed me when I was much weaker.

‘It seems they are serious.’

The final trial.

It must refer to the ultimate test that elite Orc warriors must pass.

A young Orc learns combat and hunting skills, studies the history of their ancestors, and is reborn as a warrior.

And in the final stage, they must duel with their mentor.

Of course, with a sharpened real sword.

The outcome is obvious.

No matter how much experience and skill the mentor has, their old body, worn down by the weight of years.

There’s no way they can defeat a young Orc brimming with energy.

Besides, the mentor has no intention of killing the promising young warrior to preserve their own remaining life.

In the end, the mentor falls by the student’s hand and departs for the glorious Hall of Warriors.

‘It seems brutal at first glance, but it’s actually a rational custom from the Orcs’ perspective.’

This trial has several advantages.

The young Orc gains valuable practical experience by slaying a seasoned warrior with their own hands.

Furthermore, they inherit a portion of the old mentor’s power, becoming stronger not just in experience but also in reality.

The mentor also wishes to die by the student’s hand.

Orcs revere the life of a warrior who dies honorably on the battlefield.

Old mentors do not wish to die frail and sickly in bed.

They believe that only by facing their final moments as a warrior can they enter the Hall of Warriors.

So, in the end, it’s a win-win situation for both parties.

‘But why me…’

I was puzzled.

Why did they choose me, a human girl?

And three Orcs at that.

‘Perhaps they couldn’t find a student? Or maybe they don’t have much time left to live and can’t even return to their homeland?’

I can’t figure out the reason at my current level.

However, it’s not really important.

The three Orc shamans chose me as their final opponent, and I must live up to their expectations.

“Alright. Let’s go out.”

We moved outside the tent.

Cruelly, the weather was beautiful.

In Orc terms, it’s the perfect day to die.

I stretched my legs to warm up.

“I understand what you uncles are thinking. Please don’t resent me, whatever the outcome.”

The Orcs nodded silently.

Although they were now old and frail, they too were once young Orcs with burning blood.

They are accustomed to a way of life where they gain what they want through strength, rather than engaging in troublesome debates.

They are likely prepared to accept whatever treatment the victor decides.

“Ancestors, please watch over our battle.”

Yurka scattered the magic stones I gave him in a circular ring shape.

Whoosh.

Then, as Yurka snapped his fingers, the magic stones ignited with blue flames.

The stage of the duel, where flames licked like tongues.

The winner within this ring inherits a portion of the defeated one’s power.

Victory guarantees a significant power-up.

However, if I lose, the price will be my life.

“Young lady.”

Yurka raised his axe.

“Please do not hold back your strength. We are too old to show mercy. Do not expect us to perform the acrobatics of stopping our blades just short of your neck.”

“Of course.”

Crack.

I rotated my stiff neck left and right.

A three-on-one battle. It won’t be easy.

“Then, let’s begin.”

At those words, Yurka swung his axe-wielding arm back as far as it could go.

Whoosh.

The rotating axe flew towards me like an arrow.

It was menacing, considering it came from a frail body.

‘If it were my past self, I would have been hit without even knowing what happened.’

But I’m no longer a weak girl.

I summoned the power of the holy relic to strengthen my body and learned the Imperial Combat Technique.

‘I can see it.’

The trajectory of the axe, which was difficult to dodge, became clearly visible.

I dodged the axe by slightly tilting my head.

Swish.

A few strands of cut hair fluttered in the air, and Yurka’s thick lips curved into a slight smile.

“Wahaha. Not bad! Now, try facing these guys too.”

As the bear-headed shaman clapped, the dirt and stones on the ground merged to form wolf shapes.

-Growl.

Orc spirit magic.

Two wolves, boasting the size of tigers, charged at me.

Scrape.

The ground was gouged where their claws, scattering their fierce gaze, struck.

As I narrowly dodged by leaping into the air, another wolf jumped up to follow me.

‘They look like wolves, but they’re practically magical beasts.’

Their combat power is worlds apart from wild wolves.

Ordinary swords and spears wouldn’t even pierce their hides.

Then, how about this?

I extended my palm and unleashed my mana with all my might.

“Telekinesis.”

Crack!

The wolf, which was about to bite my ankle in mid-air, was instantly slammed into the ground as if crushed by gravity.

-Grrr…

The wolf writhed, foam dripping from its muzzle.

But escaping the mana that was crushing its entire body was impossible.

“This is fun!”

The shaman wearing the deer-hide mask, who had been watching my fight, laughed heartily.

The deer-headed shaman took out a strange idol from his pocket and swung it.

The air shimmered, and colorful totems rose from the hazy mist.

Those are a bit dangerous.

‘The worst combination.’

Yurka, a skilled axe warrior.

A bear-headed shaman who commands spirits.

And a deer-headed shaman who wields shamanic totems.

Each one is troublesome.

Moreover, the three cleverly cover each other’s weaknesses, making it difficult to find an opening.

‘I can’t afford to drag this out.’

I need to end this quickly.

Indeed, the Orcs did not speak in vain.

They are fighting with all their might, using their full strength.

They are prepared to kill me if necessary.

‘The target I should aim for first is them, I suppose.’

The tall totem opened its mouth and spat out a bolt of lightning.

Flames erupted at the spot the small totem was aiming at.

The lightning totem and the fire totem.

If I leave the deer-headed shaman who wields the totems alone, I might be attacked at any moment.

Pop-

I kicked off the ground and charged towards the deer-headed shaman.

“Wise choice. You’re aiming for me first!”

“However, young lady, it won’t be as easy as you think. Sometimes the seemingly easy path is the most arduous.”

As the deer-headed shaman defended himself with his arms and retreated, Yurka, wielding his axe, blocked his path.

On one side, the bear-headed shaman began controlling the wolves again.

A formation where if one person is attacked, the other two immediately surround them.

Indeed, it’s a formation that’s difficult to break through easily.

‘But I have this.’

I didn’t charge in without thinking. I was aiming for this situation from the start.

A formation where the three shamans gather in one place, rather than scattering.

Now is the most efficient time to use my pure white radiance.

I raised my bracelet and emitted light at maximum brightness.

Crack-

“L-light? Hngg-“

“Kch, I can’t see…”

The Orc shamans, momentarily blinded, faltered.

While swords and arrows can be dealt with, light is something they cannot block.

Swish-

I took this opportunity to slice through the deer-headed shaman’s idol with my frost dagger.

As the medium that manifested the shamanic arts disappeared, the menacing totems in the mist crumbled.

“Not bad, but I still have- Kch.”

Thwack.

The deer-headed shaman, who was taking out another idol from his pocket, fell without finishing his sentence.

Humans and Orcs are all the same.

One punch to the solar plexus and it’s over.

I’ve taken down one person.

Now, next.

Screech-

While fending off the bear-headed shaman with a dagger fitted with an ice blade, I approached Yurka this time.

“Kekeke, you’re quite skilled.”

Yurka laughed, spinning his axe.

“Is it okay? Can your slender arms block this axe?”

“We’ll have to see.”

“Oh ho- Show me then.”

Yurka took a deep breath.

As his muscles bulged for a moment, he crossed his arms and swung his axe in an X shape.

‘Now it’s your turn, Meteor of Garden.’

Clang!

Sparks flew as the two axe blades and my mace collided.

Yurka and I briefly locked weapons, exerting force against each other.

“Ugh…”

Yurka grunted.

He had not lost his valor, but he could not overcome his aged strength.

Yurka’s arm began to tremble.

“Hah!”

I pushed forward with a powerful cry.

Yurka was pushed back, and his two axes flew into the air.

Yurka, having lost his weapons, nodded.

“Excellent.”

Only one opponent remained.

The bear-headed shaman, having deflected my frost dagger, sent the two wolves charging at me from either side.

“It’s not over yet! I’m still here!”

I can’t subdue both wolves at once.

While pinning one wolf to the ground with telekinesis, the other leaped towards me.

‘I’ve done that before. That won’t work.’

This Orc is not a rookie who relies on shallow tactics.

As if reading my thoughts, the bear-headed shaman shouted loudly.

“Now, show me your skills! If you hesitate, you’ll be crushed to dust!”

The next moment, the wolf’s body swelled significantly.

Like a balloon instantly inflated with air, the wolf’s round body emitted several rays of light.

As expected, he had a trump card.

“Spirit Explosion.”

If I get caught in that self-destruction, I won’t be able to gather even a single bone.

‘He has no intention of holding back, this old man.’

This is not an attack that can be blocked by armor.

It’s already too late to dodge.

If even a hair touches it, it’ll explode immediately, and even if I stand still, it’ll explode anyway.

Is this the end?

‘Of course not.’

The Orc’s gaze under the bear hide met mine.

I focused my will on the tattoo etched on my finger.

The small bird seemed to flap its wings as if alive, and a fierce gust of wind swirled around my body.

-Caw!

The wolf, on the verge of exploding, lost its form in the wind.

“Wind of Protection,” which nullifies magic.

The wolf crumbled like a sandcastle in the face of the strong wind.

“Demon-Warding Tattoo!”

The bear-headed shaman exclaimed.

“So that’s how it works. Yurka, did you carve that for her?”

“Don’t be silly. Even though she’s a human girl, she’s fully qualified.”

“Who can argue with that? That girl is already a warrior in her own right.”

The bear-headed shaman lowered his hands.

He seemed to have no intention of fighting further.

I also put away my mace.

“Young lady.”

Yurka looked directly at me.

“The fight is not over yet. We haven’t finished.”

The Orc shamans took off the animal hides they were wearing.

Wrinkled faces worn down by the passage of time.

Hair streaked with gray.

Their eyes were unwavering, like rocks that had remained in the same place for a long time.

“I trust you understand what this means.”

“Uncles.”

“You have proven that you are strong enough to overwhelm all three of us simultaneously. Your strength and wisdom have surpassed ours. Further fighting is meaningless.”

Yurka smiled with satisfaction.

“Take the heads of these three old men and advance to the next stage.”