Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99. An Amusing Game
Lucas gazed at the tent Hyunwoo had entered.
For a moment, the noisy High Orc tribe quickly returned to their daily routines.
Despite the special event that had occurred, the High Orcs maintained an uncanny sense of everyday calm.
The warriors trained, and those who were not warriors went to do necessary tasks throughout the tribe.
A sight that prioritized the role of a group member over the individual.
The High Orc race, a tribal group, did their best to abide by their rules and norms.
To Lucas, a 'vampire' for whom the individual was more important than the group, it was a difficult sight to understand.
'I'm in no position to talk.'
After all, Lucas too had quickly returned to his routine like them and had come back to the training ground.
"Here I come—!"
"Anytime."
In front of Lucas's eyes, Van and Conrad were clashing.
The light emanating from their red eyes and tattoos.
To Lucas, who had spent most of his life in the Cayenne family's castle, the power of their 'tattoos' was extremely interesting.
He thought that their tattoos resembled the 'Stigma' engraved on his shoulder.
However, a 'tattoo' that simply granted the power of an ancestral spirit and a 'Stigma' that granted temporary enhancement in exchange for a great price were different in their nature and degree of enhancement, but they were similar in many ways.
'…Is there no way to use the Stigma permanently like their tattoos?'
Something seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come out.
Therefore, even when he wasn't sparring with Hyunwoo, he was often observing the power of their 'tattoos'.
A 'tattoo' that grants permanent enhancement.
And a 'Stigma' that grants much stronger power temporarily in exchange for a price.
If he compared the powers of the two, he felt that a better method would surely come to mind…….
Swish—
Lucas's thoughts were abruptly cut off.
A sudden presence.
It felt as if something had just dropped from thin air.
Usually, this was the case when Hyunwoo, wearing the 'Footsteps of the Abyss', was approaching.
But.
The voice coming from behind him was not Hyunwoo's but that of a stranger.
"Where is the human who killed the Harpy Queen?"
“……!”
The moment he heard the unfamiliar voice.
Lucas felt all the blood in his body run dry.
A sharp aura from behind him.
This was like…
'A sword…?'
He felt as if the tip of a well-honed sword was aimed at him from all directions.
No.
Not just aimed, but a tyrannical aura that seemed as if it would mince and cut his entire body at any moment.
Lucas gritted his teeth and barely managed to turn around.
A man who felt like a single sword was staring at him intently.
A man in a gray robe that looked as if it had been patched up here and there.
The sword he wore at his waist looked rather ornate, but the presence he exuded overwhelmed everything he saw.
An aura like a blade.
Even though he was standing still, it felt as if he would cut even the surrounding air.
And.
The moment he met his piercing gaze, hidden within the robe.
He knew for sure.
'…I can't possibly win.'
An opponent he could never be confident against, even if his mana was in a complete state.
He felt a vast gap that he couldn't even begin to compare.
He knew he was no match for him.
But.
Grip—
Lucas bit his lip and steeled his resolve.
'The human who killed the Harpy Queen.'
He was clearly looking for Hyunwoo.
"I don't like to ask twice."
The moment he gripped the hilt of his sword.
Lucas instantly chanted a magic spell and turned around.
"Everyone, run—!"
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—!
Kuru-reung—!
The source of the sound Hyunwoo had heard from the tent.
The bloody mana that erupted from Lucas's hand exploded on 'Argas', signaling the start of the fight.
Lucas also stepped back and watched the result of the magic.
A force so powerful that the explosion of the magic had overturned even the surrounding ground.
But.
Chill—
He slowly stepped forward through the scattered rock dust.
"A vampire?
You're an impatient one for a vampire."
Argas slowly drew his sword.
Sreung—
Flinch.
He had simply drawn his sword.
But.
His aura changed once again.
If before it felt as if swords were aimed at him from all directions, now it felt as if he had already been cut by a sword.
At that aura, Lucas felt his body tremble uncontrollably.
"What's going on!
Who is that guy?"
"You fool!
Didn't I tell you to run!"
Lucas's rarely seen urgent expression.
But if Van were to retreat after hearing that shout, he wouldn't be Van.
"You run yourself."
Kuung—!
Van, who had approached Lucas in an instant, stood in front of him and slammed his shield on the ground.
He too must have felt the ominous aura from Argas.
The veins on Van's forearm, gripping the shield, bulged.
Thump—
Conrad, who had come up next to Lucas, also stood with his axe raised.
"This is our tribe's territory.
Where do you think you're telling us to go?"
"You all don't seem to understand words."
Lucas shook his head.
Just as his magic was ineffective against the opponent, his warning was also meaningless to them.
Thanks to that, his trembling body had calmed down a bit.
A 3v1 situation.
But it didn't feel advantageous at all.
Van and Conrad instinctively felt Argas's strength through their skin.
The two High Orcs simultaneously stained their eyes red and used their tattoos.
"An axe and a shield.
Annoying."
As long as the opponent's weapon was not a 'sword'.
Argas felt no excitement towards them.
Argas's sword was raised.
An ominous purple light flowed from the blade.
He swung his sword lightly as if shooing away a bird.
To an observer, it looked like a warm-up motion before training.
Swish—
"Haap—!"
Conrad charged at the swung sword.
The 'Amplification' tattoo.
Kdeuk—
Power overflowing from his entire body!
A red light, like Conrad's red-stained pupils, enveloped his entire body.
And.
When that red light had stained even his axe red.
Fwoong—!
The axe, facing the incoming sword, was swung in an instant.
Argas's sword and Conrad's axe clashed.
No.
There was no collision.
The sword was swung smoothly, as if passing through empty air.
Pssh—
"Keoheok—!"
The red axe crumbled like tofu and flew in all directions.
Conrad also coughed up blood and was slammed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
Seeing that he was still breathing, Argas curled the corner of his lips up.
"A tenacious one."
In the meantime, his sword had once again dug into the shield gripped by Van.
Seogeok—
A crude shield made of solid steel.
In front of Argas's sword, it was just neatly split like a piece of paper.
"Kraaaaaah!"
Van let out a kiai and held on, but the sword tried to cut through even Van who was holding on beyond the shield.
"Keukheuk…!"
Van let out a groan and retreated.
A sword with a purple aura flew in with an ominous force through the shattered pieces of the shield.
Just as Van gritted his teeth and tried to dodge the tip of that sword.
⌜Crimson Blade⌟
A rough red whirlwind covered Argas.
Kagagak—!
The swirling crimson blades swallowed Argas.
At the aftermath, Van screamed and was sent flying, and the magic blades spun fiercely to tear the target to shreds.
The mana contained in the magic was so enormous that both of Lucas's raised arms were trembling.
But.
Fwoong—
“……!”
As a purple breeze, which was shabby compared to the whirlwind of blades, blew, Lucas's magic was erased with a frustrating neatness.
Chaos that cuts through everything.
There was nothing his sword could not cut.
"Keoheok—!"
As the magic was forcibly dispelled, Lucas, who had been pouring out mana, coughed up blood and collapsed.
The axe was broken, the shield was torn, and the magic had vanished.
Van, Lucas, and Conrad had faced Argas together, but in an instant, they were all neutralized.
Just then, a commotion arose from behind.
"Protect Conrad!"
"It's an attack—!"
The sound of other warriors belatedly rushing in from a distance could be heard.
The High Orcs who looked around saw the fallen Conrad, Van, and Lucas, and glared at the enemy with ferocious expressions.
There was only one of them.
But unlike the one who looked comfortable, the expressions of the glaring High Orcs were filled with tension.
As the group of High Orcs quickly grew, Argas slightly lowered his sword.
"If I kill them one by one, he'll eventually show up."
As Argas's aura subsided, the tattoos on the bodies of the gathered High Orcs burst forth as if in response.
They let out rough kiais and charged at Argas.
Swish—
Argas gripped his sword and took a stance.
The aura flowing along the blade.
The ominous purple light grew in size.
His gaze fell upon the charging group of High Orcs.
Cut—
Just before the concept in his mind was about to materialize.
Sss—
“……”
Argas's gaze, which had been on the group of Orcs, flickered.
Vwoom—!
With a rough wind, a single human who had gripped the hilt of his sword was now behind Argas.
Argas's lips twisted as if he found it amusing.
To have snuck in this close, this fellow had some skill.
Moreover.
A human with red eyes like a High Orc.
It didn't seem to be just for decoration, as a tattoo on his body shone with a black light.
⌜Tattoo of Vigor⌟
Argas's eyes lit up at the stance of the human who was glaring at him with a tense expression, his body lowered.
A draw slash.
The moment he thought this was the human he was looking for, the human's sword was drawn.
Fwoosh—!
⌜Abyssal Ether⌟
A black flame erupted from the human's sword.
And the drawn sword was swung like lightning.
⌜Volones Swordsmanship (4-Star)―100%(M)⌟
A sword with a black flame undulating over a standardized black mana.
A sword with the speed of a black lightning bolt instantly surged towards Argas.
Shwiik—!
A smile formed on Argas's lips as he watched the incoming sword.
The purple sword that had been aimed at the group of Orcs was pulled back.
The hilt of the sword was held in a reverse grip.
The draw slash fiercely struck the hilt of the sword and exploded.
Kwang—!!!!!
"Keukheuk……!"
The human rolled backward from the rebound of the collision, but he did not let go of the sword despite the shock that tore his hand.
A 'swordsman' should, of course, think of his sword as a part of his own body.
Argas shook off his sword and smiled even more broadly.
The tingling sensation felt through the hilt of his sword.
This was the feeling he was looking for.
"This will be fun."
It seemed he would be able to enjoy an amusing 'game' for the first time in a while.
Before that, he had to get rid of the obstacles first.
He looked at the group of High Orcs that had gathered around him.
Fwoong—
With a instantly raised aura, his sword was stained purple.
'Chaos'.
The moment that sword was swung, most of the people here would die without even putting up a proper resistance.
Just then.
The human charged in again.
Tsk—
A delicacy should be savored at the very end.
Argas clicked his tongue briefly and turned the tip of his sword towards the human.
He tilted his head.
He couldn't feel any aura from the human's sword.
The question was short, and the action was swift.
Kang—!
As the human erased his aura and swung his sword, Argas also swung his sword without any aura.
There was no special reason.
He wanted to know if he had another swordsmanship besides the draw slash.
He didn't want to end the amusing game he had just found in one go.
What was the human trying to show through this reckless act?
As Argas met his sword without his aura, a faint smile formed on Hyunwoo's lips.
'It worked.'
The situation was flowing just as Hyunwoo had thought.