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Chapter 54: Yi-Yoo’s Revenge (3)

“Ughhh...”

Having previously observed how beginner players hunted, Crockta could believe that Yi-Yoo had been killed by a rabbit. Stella, on the other hand, wasn’t a beginner, but she was a specialized merchant character, so she didn’t have any fighting skills. Her assimilation rate was also low. She claimed to be an average fighter, but Yi-An saw that her mind and body moved separately.

Seeing Stella unable to display her true athletic abilities, Yi-An realized the importance of assimilation rates. A forty percent assimilation rate meant that a player could only use forty percent of their abilities in real life. So, a low assimilation rate indicated that a player was not properly connected with Elder Lord.

Eventually, the deer moved farther away. Stella got up listlessly and walked in search of other animals to hunt. Crockta followed her while staying hidden among the trees.

Right now, they were trying to lure the men they referred to as the ‘scoundrels.’ They assumed that if Stella acted like a beginner player, they would approach her, and if they appeared, Crockta and Stella would punish them. That was their simple plan. However, the scoundrels were nowhere to be found. The sky grew darker until the day turned to nightfall.

“Hey, should we go on?” asked Stella.

“...”

Crockta came out of the bushes. “Let’s call it a day.”

“Okay. I don’t have work tomorrow, so let’s resume tomorrow,” replied Stella.

As Crockta and Stella headed back toward Maillard, they could see the city’s vibrant lights shining above the city walls. Currently, they were in Maillard’s forest located on the outskirts of the city. It was a popular hunting ground for beginners, so the pair occasionally ran into and greeted players who were intrigued by the orc.

“Are you close to that friend?” Crockta asked Stella.

“Who?”

“The friend who was attacked by the scoundrels.”

“Ahh...” Stella shook her head. “We aren’t that close. It’s more like...”

Crockta cocked his ear to listen closely.

“Rather than her...” continued Stella.

“Rather...?” questioned Crockta.

“Recently, I met her brother, and he was good-looking.”

“...”

“So, I want to become close to her. Her brother also seemed interested in me. After we exchanged greetings, I went back to my seat. Then our eyes met. I think he was giving me the green light. What should I do?”

Crockta nodded with a grim expression. “Ah, okay...”

“Now that I think about it, I have an orc friend. His name is Yi-An. Do you know him?”

Crockta shook his head. He didn’t want her to find out who he was.

“Well, he’s a player. What about you, Crockta? Orcs must date too. Have you dated someone before?”

‘Dating.’ Crockta’s gaze became soft and sentimental at that word. He did have someone he had loved in the past. What was she up to now? Was she still on a battlefield that was ringing with gunshots? She was a woman who suited assault rifles and rocket launchers.

Right when Crockta was about to recite an epic poem about love blossoming on the battlefield, the pair heard voices approaching them.

“Hey, looking good.”

“It’s my first time seeing a young lady hanging out with an orc.”

Stella flinched. Crockta licked his lips as he turned his gaze toward the sources of the voices. He was ready for them. When he turned around, he saw three men fully clad in equipment.

Crockta immediately activated his Mind’s Eye.

[Mind’s Eye (Special) is opening.]

[They are thirsting after the female player by your side. They are stronger than regular players, but they are sewage compared to you.]

[You can cook them up as you please.]

[They are hooligans that need to be taught a lesson.]

[Swing the iron mace of justice!]

Even the system desired for the men to be punished. Crockta felt the universe’s energy wrap around him. It was a divine revelation to fuck them up.

“Haha, but this orc looks pretty tough.”

“He looks exactly like the trash mob orcs we used to hunt.”

“We will get a lot of experience points if we kill him. Hahahaha!”

The men erupted in laughter.

“Hey! Miss, are you a beginner?” they asked Stella.

“Yes?” replied Stella.

“We will help you grow your character, so hang out with us instead of this scary dude. Are you two dating? Do you have an orc fetish?”

“Hey, you went too far with that one,” said one of the other players.

Then they erupted in laughter again.

Crockta’s fist trembled upon hearing their perverse conversation, especially since they had also harassed his sister with the same vulgar language.

His father’s voice came alive in his head, “You have to protect your sister.”

Crockta couldn’t take away all of Yi-Yoo’s hardships in life as if he were a god, but he could at least take revenge on guys like them. That was his mission in life.

“Miss, did you deactivate your dating mode?” said one of the players.

“Can you only be satisfied by orcs, now?”

‘Such pathetic and trashy language!’ Crockta could not bear to listen to them anymore. His fists were now burning with rage.

Crockta charged over and used his fist to crush the face of the man who had been openly provoking them. The man was sent flying into the air. He circled twice, dropped, and then rolled across the ground.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!” screamed the man.

“Woooow!” exclaimed the other players.

“What do you mean, wow!?” yelled Crockta.

The men flinched. They couldn’t believe their eyes. Orcs were a strong species. That was true, but the men were strong too. They were high-level players who had been leveling up and acquiring skills for a long time, so they could hunt down most orcs without trouble.

Yet, this orc’s strength was on the level of a high-ranker’s! If he could knock down one of them in an instant, that meant he was stronger than regular monsters and NPCs. Consequently, the men hesitated to make a move.

The man who had received Crockta’s attack was bleeding and writhing on the ground.

Crockta recounted from his sister’s story, “You with your filthy mouths... told my sister... ‘Ah, fuck. You just look pretty cause of your customization, but you are playing hard to get. Do you actually think that you are an elf because you are playing an elf character?’”

He could say with certainty that these pieces of shit had probably said worse things to her.

Crockta cracked his knuckles as he approached them. Seeing Crockta’s huge stature looming over them, the men began to back away in fear. However, Crockta grabbed one of the men by the neck before he could do anything and lifted him into the air. The man swung his fists in resistance, but Crockta used his other hand to grab the man’s fist, twisting his hand.

The man moaned in pain, “Ahhhhhh! It hurts! It hurts!”

Crockta grinned. If the man could experience pain to that extent, his assimilation rate had to be above fifty percent. Then Crockta followed up by headbutting the man. The blow sent the man’s teeth scattering everywhere, and his blood splashed onto Crockta’s face, with some getting on Crockta’s brand new, red headband. Crockta’s headband, which was now dripping wet, looked like it had been dyed red with blood.

“A m-monster!” yelled one of the players.

“Monster?” Crockta smirked.

After he tossed to the ground the man that he had been holding by the neck, Crockta walked toward the remaining player.

“I’m not a monster,” said Crockta.

“Uhhh...”

“You guys are the monsters,” said Crockta.

The player pulled out his sword and swung it at Crockta. Crockta immediately pulled out his greatsword and countered, breaking the player’s blade with a clang.

“...!” The player was shocked.

This was the combined result of the Ogre Slayer, which was the Essence-tier masterpiece that the Golden Anvil Tribe had created, Leyteno’s Swordsmanship, and the orcs’ strength!

The player stared at his broken sword, dumbfounded. Crockta approached him at this moment. The man was too startled to resist and blankly stared up at Crockta. The player had completely lost his morale.

“You, who have been cursed by the stars—I want to execute the concrete method on you so you can never return to Elder Lord... but I have decided to help you start anew instead,” Crockta said.

He threw out his fist once again, and the player was sent flying into the air.

Stella’s mouth gaped open in shock. When she first saw the men, she had been startled because their equipment and presence were above the level that she had expected. She had assumed that although orc NPCs were naturally strong, it would be difficult for Crockta to face three high-level players at once. Yet, the orc had swept them away like the wind sweeping away autumn leaves. The players trembled in fear and could only contemplate how to escape from the orc.

‘Such a powerhouse! He could be a Named-tier NPC!’ thought Stella.

Stella’s merchant instincts told her that she had to form a connection with this orc as he could help her in the future. This was a great opportunity.

Nevertheless, she stayed quiet and watched Crockta gather the collapsed men and beat them up in succession. After subduing them, he gagged them to prevent them from killing themselves. He removed anything they could use to cut themselves and tied up their arms with ropes.

“Mmm! Mm!” they made muffled sounds while resisting.

“Everyone, be quiet,” commanded Crockta with a raised fist.

“...” The three men fell quiet.

The orc’s menacing face looked down on them. It was already night time now, and with the moonlight casting a shadow on Crockta’s face, he looked like a demon.

“I believe in the potential of all orcs—I mean, humans,” said Crockta.

“...”

“I believe... that everyone can change. I’m an optimistic orc who believes even trash like you guys can become contributing members of society.”

“Mm! Mm!”

“Be quiet. Should I execute the concrete method so you guys can never be active in this world again?”

All three men fell silent again.

“That’s right,” said Crockta proudly.

Crockta looked at Stella, who was taken aback by the flames of madness in his eyes.

“See. Aren’t they quiet now?” asked Crockta.

“Yeah...”

“Their rebirth has begun. Hahaha.”

Stella thought, ‘This orc is dangerous. His eyes are like a madman’s!’

“How dare you... How dare you harass my sister—no, other people with such vulgar behavior... I can’t let it continue,” Crockta stated.

He then tied the three men together and began dragging them toward Maillard.

“Stella, thank you. I will express my gratitude later.”

“Huh?”

“I have to deal with these guys first. See you later.”

With those words, Crockta walked toward the city’s light. The three men groaned as they were dragged along the ground.

While Stella watched them, she thought of Nietzsche’s aphorism. ‘If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. May those men, as well as orc Crockta, survive in their abysses and be born again.’

***

Crockta brought the men to a remote place. It was Maillard’s back alley, where the deserted shadows of the city lay.

The men wondered, ‘Will we be murdered here without even a mouse or a bird as a witness?’

Of course, that wouldn’t happen. Although the men would prefer to be murdered, this orc seemed to know a lot about the so-called ‘cursed by the stars’ or players. After all, hadn’t he tied them up to prevent them from killing themselves and reviving again?’

“If you guys try to do something stupid, I will hand you guys over to a place that will take care of all of you with the concrete method.”

“...”

“Everyone, nod your heads if you agree to not do anything stupid.”

All three of them nodded.

Their characters and equipment were huge assets that could be converted into money. At the very least, the men could use their characters to help other people level up and earn money. They couldn’t just let all of the money they spent on their characters go to waste.

“I actually know that you guys aren’t that bad,” said the orc.

The three men tilted their heads curiously. ‘What’s this orc trying to say?’

“Look over there,” said Crockta as he pointed at a corner of the back alley.

There was a pile of boards in the shape of a house. It was shabby enough that one could believe that it was a dog house. Inside it were children—children of the slums. Even in a thriving city like Maillard, slums existed. One could say that because the light shone so brightly in Maillard, its darkness was just as deep.

Crockta and the men could hear voices coming from the shack.

“Julie, are you cold?”

“Yeah... big brother.”

“Wear this.”

“What about you, big brother?”

“I’m not cold.”

It didn’t seem like a normal conversation between children. They could see the older brother handing his coat to his younger sister. He looked barely ten years old. The boy’s legs trembled like leaves in the wind, but he puffed his chest out in front of his sister to make himself look like he was just fine.

“Eat this,” said the boy.

“Bread? Where did you get it?” asked the sister.

“Someone gave it to me for my hard work.”

“Really?”

The boy offering his sister some bread appeared to be starving. The little girl took tiny bites of the bread while glancing over at her brother. She stopped eating when she heard her brother’s stomach growl, but the boy gestured at her to finish eating. The girl ended up eating all of the bread by herself and grinned after becoming full.

“Tasty,” she said.

“When I become older, I will buy you even better food.”

“Better?”

“Do you know what pizza is?”

“Pizza?”

“Yeah, it’s a type of flatbread with meat, vegetables, and cheese on it...”

“Woooow.”

“It’s the best thing ever.”

“Really?”

“I will definitely buy it for you.”

“Yeah!” the girl replied excitedly.

Crockta glimpsed over at the three men. They were quietly watching the children.

“You,” said Crockta as he freed one of them.

“...?”

“If you run away, the other two are dead.”

“...”

“Reply.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then,” Crockta said while taking out a gold coin from his pocket, “give this to those children.”

“...?”

“Give it to them and then have a conversation with them.”

The man could only nod at Crockta’s frightening presence. Then, the man walked toward the children. He didn’t understand what was going on and why the orc was making him do this, but he had no choice.

Upon seeing a stranger appear, the children hid deeper inside the shack.

“Hey... kids?” called out the man.

“...”

“I won’t do anything, so can you please come out for a second?”

The boy poked his head out with wary eyes. He seemed guarded.

“This is...” The man extended a shining gold coin.

The boy’s eyes grew big in disbelief.

“Take it. I’m giving it to you.” The man grabbed the boy’s hand and forced the coin into his palm.

Then the man glanced over at the shades of the alley to make sure the orc was watching, but he was unable to see the orc because it was too dark.

“Why...?” The boy’s eyes trembled.

With this much money, he and his sister could live comfortably for two months.

“This is not from me but...”

“Thank you.” The boy bowed.

He didn’t care whether it was out of pity or whatever the reason might be. The boy had discovered the importance of money early on. Even if the man was just giving alms to the poor, he didn’t mind. He would do anything for his sister.

“...”

“I’m not sure why you are giving this to me, but thank you very much. I’m not in a situation to refuse, so I will shamelessly accept...” The boy bowed his head multiple times.

The man scratched his head, not knowing what to do.

“Thank you so, so much!” exclaimed the boy.

The girl came out of the shack to see what was going on. The boy made his sister lower her head and bow with him.

“Big brother...?”

“Say hello to him,” said the boy to his sister.

“Huh...?”

“We should thank him.”

“Okay. Thank you...” said his sister.

“Thank you!”

‘What was going on?’ The man felt oddly embarrassed and wanted to leave.

“I— I have to go,” said the man.

“Wait, please.” The boy grabbed the man’s sleeve. “Thank you. I will never forget you. Please, at least tell me your name...”

The man looked at the little boy silently.

The boy’s eyes were tearing up as he looked up at the man. No one had ever looked at the man like that before. The man could no longer meet the boy’s eyes and looked away.

Then he said, “Hey, kid.”

“Yes,” replied the boy.

“Um...” The man tried to search for the right words, but he didn’t know what to say. “Umm... life is tough... but if you keep working hard, good days will come.”

That was all he could say right now.

The man also hadn’t lived an easy life. He’d had tough days, and he had eventually become an adult after enduring many painful moments.

Upon hearing the man’s words, the boy closed his mouth tightly and nodded sincerely.

He replied, “Yes!”

Then the man turned away. The voices of the children thanking him echoed throughout the alleyway. Why did his heart feel so heavy because of a simple mission of delivering a coin?

When he returned to his friends and the orc, who had been watching everything that had just happened, they just greeted him with silence and looked at him with strange expressions.

The orc tied him up again. This time, he didn’t resist. A gag was also placed in his mouth.

The men were quiet.

The orc stood up again. Then he dragged them to another destination.