Chapter 57 : Sound the Fanfare!

Suddenly, the twin orcs became an only child.

Poor thing.

“…Uh, um. Anyway, have fun. I need to go deliver some new information. Let’s meet again later, okay?”

“Eek.”

Although the woman’s figure wasn’t visible, it somehow seemed like she was winking at me.

My eyes instinctively narrowed.

I really didn’t want to meet her.

“Wow, she’s such a free spirit from start to finish.”

The commander, who had confirmed that the woman’s voice had gotten farther and eventually disappeared, muttered with a sigh.

Still, it’s a good thing. Who knows what would’ve happened if we had fought as we were?

Despite her goofy appearance, she seemed pretty strong. If we had clashed, I definitely would’ve been hurt.

What about that orc? He’s been staring blankly at his brother’s…? Sister’s? His sibling’s corpse since earlier.

“Don’t ask me. I’m confused too.”

…Wait a minute. Is this really the original game storyline?

A villain-like officer appeared in the early boss fight, but then it shifted to a minor character.

That’s something you often see in comics, so I can accept it.

But a squashed orc? This isn’t some kind of comedy game, what is going on here?

The philosopher’s stone is supposed to be a major plot point, but I’ve never seen any mention of it in the community or the wiki.

What the heck is going on?

Once a question forms, it snowballs out of control.

Come to think of it, the game was only released three months ago, and they said the main story is only up to chapter 1.

Then what happens when the main story ends?

Is this really a game world? Can I go back?”

“Ouch!”

As my confusion began to spiral into a headache, the ant in my pocket bit my belly hard.

Ow, that hurts.

“Ant, why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

!!

“…Huh? Don’t overthink things. Just focus on what’s ahead.”

“Commander, I think the orc has regained consciousness?”

“Wait, regained consciousness? That’s impossible.”

At Nunu’s words, I put the ant back in my pocket and hurriedly looked ahead.

There, the ugly face of another orc, who had been staring blankly at the orc’s corpse earlier, came into view.

It seemed incredibly angry, hissing and holding a giant club. Where did it get that from?

“Phew…”

Well, at least it’s a relief.

I thought the squashed orc had regained consciousness.

If that had happened, it would have been a horror show.

Roaming around as a mushy mess? Ugh. It’s not even a zombie.

We still have time before reinforcements arrive. It’s too late to retreat now. Let’s just hold on a little longer.

“Yeah.”

Holding on is my specialty.

Is it time for my fox rain to step in after a long time?

Grrr…

At some point, the orc had started glaring at the spot where we were all huddled together.

It seemed to think we were the ones who killed its sibling.

“Everyone, no need to overdo it. Stay calm. Let’s just hold out.”

“Yes!”

With the loud response from the sea as a signal,

The boss battle finally began.

Kwooooaaar!

The orc took the first move.

Like a typical dumb orc, it rushed forward recklessly, swinging its club right at the center of where we were gathered.

But when you’re that big, your movements are also big.

Before the club could hit, I made sure to take care of the commander and quickly moved away.

It was more relaxed than I thought. I even had the illusion that my body felt lighter than before.

…No, it might not be an illusion. After fighting so many times, maybe I leveled up or something.

Either way, it was good news. It meant I could fight better now.

Kwoooak!

Anyway, after we moved away and waited for a while, the club finally hit the ground.

The earth shook, dust flew up, and the grass beneath us was uprooted.

Is it showing off how strong it is or something? It felt like an earthquake.

“We’re here.”

Using the cover of the dust, I carefully placed the commander behind a nearby tree.

It might seem too dangerous, but…

Normally, those reckless ones never look up. They like to look down on others.

In other words, this spot is much safer.

I’ve learned that from 15 years of experience with bad games, so listen closely.

“Don’t overdo it. Given that power, even a brush against it could be fatal. I don’t think we should try to block it.”

“Yes.”

“And that orc, it seems sensitive to sound. When the sea shouted loudly, its movements became more intense. Maybe we can use that.”

The commander, not just a figurehead, quickly gathered a lot of information in just a moment.

Good, sensitive to sound. That’s useful.

Nodding, I reached into my pocket. A round flash grenade was in my hand…

“…Huh?”

…It’s not there. Why?

This is strange. It was always in this pocket. It would always appear when we fought.

What’s going on? Is there some condition I’m missing?

Kwoooaaar!

“Ahhh! Why is it targeting me!?”

While I was confused, the sea was dodging the orc’s grasp, weaving around to escape.

I’d better help. At this rate, the sea is going to get caught.

“Ugh.”

Hop! I jumped down from the tree and ran behind the orc chasing Bada.

If I went straight ahead, I’d become a target too. That would be a total disaster.

For now, I should come up with a strategy from the rear.

There, I found Nunu unnie, struggling with a dagger, probably because of the thick leather, and Linne unnie, holding a shield as big as her body.

They were trying to draw aggro by attacking the orc’s feet with the shield, but it didn’t seem to be working well, as they were sweating nervously.

“Unnie!”

“Maru?”

I approached the two and relayed the information I heard from the commander.

As soon as they heard it, they nodded and stepped back.

Then, they positioned themselves far enough to avoid getting caught by the orc’s kicks, but not too far away.

As expected of veteran mercenaries who have been through countless battles.

Even without a formal briefing on the strategy, they moved in perfect coordination.

“Maru!”

“Yes!”

Linne unnie threw a small shield that fit my arm perfectly.

Great. Now, I’m ready.

Shall we have a little music session?

I moved to a spot far from the orc and placed my shield on the ground.

Then, I struck it mercilessly with my fox rain (weapon).

Take that!

-Clang! Clang!

-Kuwaaargh?!

The sound of the shield and my fox rain colliding echoed loudly, like someone kicking a tin can.

The orc, suddenly hearing this unpleasant noise, stopped chasing Bada and clutched its ears in agony.

Normally, hitting this hard would hurt my hands more, but maybe because I’m younger now, my hands are so soft that I didn’t have to worry about getting hurt.

-Kkeo-eok!

On the other side, someone was scraping a dagger against the shield as if they were drawing a picture.

Thanks to that, a horrible screeching sound, like nails on a chalkboard, echoed through the air.

Ugh, I never thought I’d have to hear that sound again.

It sent chills down my spine.

“What the heck is this?!”

Bada, who had barely survived the orc’s attack and was catching her breath, flipped midair in shock.

By the way, I just realized—when Bada gets really flustered, she starts talking like a cat.

That’s new.

-Kuuu… Kuargh…!

If Bada and I are already feeling this way, how much worse must it be for the orc, with its sensitive ears?

It was already in pain from just the clanging earlier, but now, with the chalkboard screech added, it was violently shaking its head as if it was about to go insane.

If there were a headbanging competition, it would definitely win first place.

-Kuwaaaargh!!

The orc, unable to stand the constant noise even while covering its ears, started smashing the ground wildly in frustration.

It looked like it had given up on blocking the sound and was now trying to eliminate the source instead.

But no chance! Nunu unnie and I kept circling around it.

Partly to prevent it from pinpointing our locations.

And partly because if it accidentally charged toward the commander’s tree, that would be a disaster.

So we naturally guided the orc’s movements.

Also… it was just fun to keep hitting.

To be honest, that was my real reason.

“Maru, what’s going on?”

“Oh, Bada! You seem fine. Want to try this? It’s super effective against the orc.”

“Really? I wanna try!”

Bada, who had been watching with a confused look from a distance, naturally joined in, and soon we were all circling the orc like a traveling performance group.

The orc, which had been chasing Bada just moments ago, was now completely helpless against our playful tricks, and Bada seemed to be enjoying this unexpected turn of events.

Anyway, as we kept hitting, I started feeling a sense of rhythm.

It reminded me of my school days when I used to tap out rhythms with my fingers.

This is fun!

-Clang! Kkang! Clang! Clang clang! Clang!

Even Nunu unnie and Linne unnie, who had been scraping chaotically before, started getting into the rhythm.

Doom-chit, clang! Doom-chit. Kkagak!

Strike up the music!