The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 74



Only Noblemtl

Episode 75

75. I can’t tolerate that!

The entrance to the road leading to Sanjeong Lake.

Jang Deuk-gu stood alone and blocked the main Orc force. Behind him was a collapsed bridge, and the river that had been cut off from its waterway was visible at the bottom. He stood in front of the bridge and greeted the Orcs like Jang Pan-pa’s equipment.

The orcs did not rush in hastily. They seemed to have noticed the mines laid in front of them. Considering the number of orcs, their number was far too small, but they succeeded in acting as the first line of defense.

‘We have to drag it along the river and into the valley.’

Jang Deuk-gu’s gaze turned to the giant orc standing tall among the orcs. It was the general-level orc that Kang Mu-hyeok had warned about. A monster whose eyes were filled with a fierce look. Jang Deuk-gu realized that he absolutely must not let the members face this guy.

‘If you’re soloing, you should be at least an A-rank to easily defeat it. It’s pretty good for an Orc, isn’t it?’

Of course, he was an orc with an army, so he couldn’t be alone. It was a monster that needed to be attacked after forming a proper party and taking care of the escorts.

The orc general gave some orders to the orc next to him. One orc cautiously headed toward Jang Deuk-gu. Judging from the way he was looking down at his feet, he seemed to be concerned about the mines.

‘Are you checking?’

As soon as the orc came within firing range, Jang Deuk-gu put his hand in his pocket and pressed one of the triggers he had prepared.

bang!

The lower half of the orc’s body was blown away with a loud noise. In the special area, the destructive power was greater than that of a regular mine, but the orcs still seemed to not know the difference between Bukpocheon and Cheorwon.

The orcs who mistook the mana stone bombs for mines flinched and hesitated. The orc general gave orders to another orc. Unlike his previous hesitation, the orc entered the minefield without hesitation.

Jang Deuk-gu blew it up right away this time too.

As the orcs flew away with a series of loud noises, the general sent two more in succession.

‘You want to give it a try?’

Jang Deuk-gu also ground his teeth and pressed the trigger at the merciless order. Now, only one trigger remained in his pocket.

He noticed what the orc general was trying to do.

“You little shit.”

I could feel their determination to pass even if it meant sacrificing dozens of orcs.

‘As expected, there is no such thing as easy hunting. Should we prepare to fight?’

Jang Deuk-gu took out a five-tiered gon from his waist. Each gon had a groove. When he placed the gon against each groove, they stuck together as if they were magnets.

When the five gons were connected as one, they became a long staff. When he pulled out the dagger on his waist and connected them in the same way, it transformed into a long spear.

Behind his back were two short, wide swords, crossed in an X shape. A long sword was slung behind his waist, and various sized swords and daggers were hidden around his ankles and waist.

Unlike hunters who are usually armed with one main weapon and two or three secondary weapons, he was wearing excessive equipment.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve been armed with only one weapon. If I had known I’d be standing alone against an army of orcs, I should have prepared full armor.’

He was wearing a weapon that would take a long time to put on, but surprisingly, it was not a full armor set.

Although it is not widely known to the world, those who know Jang Deuk-gu’s true nature, excluding the villains, call him ‘Weapon Master’.

There was no weapon he could not handle, and he used most of them to a high degree.

Jang Deuk-gu’s influence was great in Joo Se-ah’s handling of not only boxing and shield fighting, but also swords, spears, daggers, and even non-mainstream weapons such as the tonpa.

After making his preparations, Jang Deok-gu erected a spear and stuck it into the ground.

He looked down at the object lying on the floor. It was something he had prepared while shouting at Kang Mu-hyeok that he would bring an army of orcs.

‘I’ve done this accidentally before, but never on purpose. I wonder what the reaction will be.’

Meanwhile, an orc approached, and Jang Deuk-gu pressed the final trigger. The orcs continued to enter the minefield, but no more exploded.

‘My luck ends here. Even the porpoise won’t burst.’

The orc in the lead turned back to the general and screamed as soon as he safely passed the minefield.

Jang Deuk-gu pulled out his spear and rushed forward, striking the orc in the neck. The orc, whose head had disappeared, staggered and sprayed green juice.

Blood soaked Jang Deuk-gu’s entire body. It had been a long time since he had turned over, and the body fluid of a monster. Jang Deuk-gu wiped his face with his sleeve and extended his spear toward another orc who had just escaped the minefield. When the orc whose stomach had been pierced grabbed the spear, he raised it and struck the third orc.

The orc that suddenly turned into a blunt weapon had its stomach ripped open by the impact, spilling out its internal organs. The orc, who was staggering due to the aftermath of colliding with his own kind, was quickly attacked by Jang Deuk-gu and smashed his head with his fist.

It all happened in a moment.

Even at the orc level, it was an overwhelming defeat, but the orc general was not shaken and sent the orcs in again.

After dealing with the advance party, Jang Deok-gu jumped back and returned to where he had started.

“If you keep crossing the line, then there’s nothing I can do. I have no choice but to cross it too.”

Jang Deuk-gu picked up an object that had fallen on the ground.

There was something tangled together on a long pole, and at first glance it looked like a garland.

The Orc General looked intently at the suddenly towering pole. Decorated with branches, grass, and unidentifiable flesh… … a totem!!!!!!!

“Kuuuuuck!!”

Jang Deuk-gu broke the totem while laughing.

* * *

Gong Du-ri couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked Kang Mu-hyeok.

“So what is the method that Captain Jang Deuk-gu is trying to use? It seems like you know something.”

Kang Moo-hyuk frowned and recalled his communication with Jang Deuk-gu.

‘There are too many variables. It might not work out as planned. No, it’s too risky a method.’

Kang Mu-hyeok also briefly thought of this method, but it was too harsh for the hunter who would use it, so he immediately abandoned it.

‘I would have written it if the guild leader was here.’

After thinking about it again, it seemed like there wouldn’t be any other clear provocation. Of course, it was unknown whether Jang Deuk-gu would be able to do that.

He sighed and opened his mouth.

“It would probably be damaging the totem.”

“totem?”

“There is a discipline called monsterology that studies gates. Some scholars among them seem to find the orc totems quite interesting. Some scholars even delve deeper into them beyond research.”

Beyond interpreting the meaning of totems, the scholar even attempted to communicate through totems.

“I asked the guild leader of a guild I was close with for help and entered the gate with the totem. Then I accidentally broke the totem.”

“So?”

“All the orcs at the gate rushed to kill the scholar. They didn’t back down no matter how many times the hunters killed them, and they only targeted the scholar. In the end, the scholar died, and all the hunters who entered with him were annihilated.”

After that, the rearguard arrived and barely managed to drive the orcs away. If the hunter who participated in the battle had not left behind a record of the cause of the situation just before he died, it would have been an untold story that would not have been told to the world.

‘Later, even the scholar’s curiosity and the hunters’ sacrifices were exploited.’

After this incident, the Hunters also used the totem destruction tactic, considering the size of the Orcs. However, the Orcs attacked so recklessly that the damage was so great that it became a now obsolete tactic.

“Wait a minute. You’re going to use that method in front of hundreds of orcs right now? Even if the leader is Gilma’s master, do you think he can withstand that?”

“That’s… I’m not sure about that.”

“Huh? The captain doesn’t know?”

Gong Du-ri looked at Kang Mu-hyeok with a puzzled look. It was understandable, because he had never seen Kang Mu-hyeok not knowing anything about hunters and monsters. Even if he did not know, he had never shown it outwardly, which made him even more surprised.

“Because there is no information about Hunter Jang Deuk-gu.”

Kang Moo-hyuk kept a record of all the guild members in his head. For regular employees, he memorized their work abilities, areas of expertise, and careers. For hunters, he memorized everything from their ranks to their weapons, skills, and tactical evaluations, and personally evaluated them.

But there was one hunter who had no data, and that was Jang Deuk-gu.

‘A+ rank. I don’t know anything about it except that people from the Ujungdo area are particularly afraid of it.’

I tried to ask the people from the guild that were in the middle of nowhere, but it was still early days and I had no connections with them, so it was hard to ask them carelessly. Even if I asked, I didn’t think they would give me a proper answer.

Even though I had no choice but to try to find out about routes outside the guild, there wasn’t much to find. It felt like someone had intentionally hidden the information.

Kang Moo-hyuk even thought about requesting an investigation through Mr. Cho, but Joo Se-ah noticed this and stopped him.

I didn’t ask why. I figured there had to be a good reason if Joo Se Ah specifically mentioned it.

Kang Moo-hyuk, who considered her relationship with Jang Deuk-gu, let go cleanly. It was because he did not want to cause unnecessary trouble in the process of building trust with the guild leader.

Kang Moo-hyuk muttered quietly, trying to shake off the thoughts that kept coming to his mind in relation to Jang Deuk-gu.

“I guess that’s what I said because I can handle it. After all, I’m the hunter who trained the best in the world, Joo Se Ah.”

* * *

“Okay, we’ve crossed the line. What are we going to do?”

Jang Deuk-gu stomped on the totem lying on the floor and crushed it. Then he picked up another totem he had made and smashed it on the floor as if he was throwing it.

“Kuwaaaaak!”

The orc general roared in anger.

The general’s eyes flashed, he snatched the axe from the orc next to him and threw it at Jang Deuk-gu.

Jang Deok-gu calculated that the distance was far enough, but the axe flew towards him faster and more accurately than he had expected.

Boom!

Half a step. Jang Deuk-gu didn’t need to move any further to avoid the axe.

The axe was buried deep in the ground, leaving only the tip of the handle behind. It was a force that would have terrified any other hunter.

“It’s more effective than I thought… … .”

Jang Deok-gu paused for a moment and grabbed the axe handle that was stuck deep in the floor.

As his arm swelled, the axe slowly came out.

It was a heavy weapon with a blade the size of a person’s torso, but he skillfully spun it around in the air.

“But just in case, should I try hammering a nail in?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jang Deuk-gu’s shoulders fell back sharply. His entire body was wrapped in mana, giving his muscles superhuman flexibility, strength, and intensity.

His arm flexed like a stepladder. He aimed for the orc general with the maximum sensation in his fingertips and threw his axe.

The Orc General grabbed the Orc’s neck, from which he had previously taken the axe. The axe cut through the air, shattering the Orc’s head as a shield, and then aimed for the General. However, the General easily dodged, perhaps because he had slowed down by first destroying the Orc’s body.

The orc’s head split open like a watermelon, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere. As the general threw the limp orc to the side, the orcs nearby began to tear it apart into chunks of meat.

“Kuwaaaaak!”

The orc general roared. His angry roar reached Jang Deuk-gu.

It was a move that would have made ordinary hunters lose their will to fight, but Jang Deuk-gu just frowned.

“Eat later.”

The behavior of orcs who prey on their own kind.

This meant a desperate fight.

The Orc General also glared at Jang Deuk-gu while chewing on the flesh of a dead Orc in his mouth.

Jang Deok-gu tapped his earbuds to connect to the public wireless channel. Then he spoke so that everyone could hear.

“We are bringing guests. Get ready to serve them.”

* * *

“Is that an orc or an ant? They’re swarming.”

Baek Hyeong-gyu opened his mouth wide and frowned. The orcs chasing Jang Deuk-gu through the valley looked pitch black.

“What on earth did you do to make those orcs go crazy like that?”

Na Dong-pa, who was standing next to me, said while putting on his helmet.

He let out a worried sigh as he watched the orcs running towards him with their eyes lit up. Then he looked back. It wasn’t a big waterfall, but it had a considerable drop. The water wasn’t flowing anymore because the water gate was closed. Beyond that was Sanjeong Lake, and in the parking lot, there would be Team Leader Kang Mu-hyeok.

“Has everything gone according to plan so far?”

Nadongpa stepped forward, holding his shield. The five tankers led by him formed a wall. The dealers stood back a few steps to the left and right, and the ranged dealers were at the very back.

A total of twenty.

Even though it was a narrow valley, they were just a handful of dust compared to the hundreds of orcs.

This was a decision made because the number of hunters was insufficient and it would be difficult to deploy a lot of force to quickly escape when the waterfall exploded.

It was only because Jang Deuk-gu joined the 1st and 2nd parties that the ‘half raid (20-person raid)’ was maintained.

“It’s been a long time since we all gathered together to hunt.”

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!

The vibrations that shook the valley with just the sound of footsteps. The hunters braced themselves as they faced the screams of evil that were so vicious that their bodies felt numb.

“Don’t die, everyone! We have a company dinner tonight!”

As soon as Nadongpa shouted, the orc army rushed in.

* * *

-Whoa! Are these orc kids crazy? They kept pushing in even though I was stabbed with a sword!

-Dealer! Hit from the side! Share some aggro!

-Hey, the diagram is getting pushed! Support your back! Don’t spare your skills!

-Potion! Potion! Spray it on the wound! Damn it, didn’t I tell you not to step out of line?!

Gongduri felt like covering his ears. He actually reached for the switch that cut off the communication several times.

Just hearing the sound, I could picture the fierce battle before my eyes. I could hear the screams and groans. During the Titan era, hunting was a story from a far away place, so it didn’t feel real, but now it was a battle taking place right up close.

Kang Moo-hyuk lowered his eyes and listened to the communication. He too was anxious, but he waited patiently.

He waited for the signal and fiddled with the trigger in his hand.

‘Press once, retreat. After 10 seconds, fire twice.’

I was so nervous that I had to repeat this simple movement in my head dozens, hundreds of times.

That was when.

-Chief… . Huh! Now. Hush! Done. Cha-ha-t! It’s in!

My body moved reflexively along with Jang Deuk-gu’s voice.

Kang Moo-hyuk shouted into the earset and placed his finger on the trigger.

“Blast! Prepare to break away!”

Press 1 and instruct to retreat… … .

‘What? Why can’t I hear an explosion?’

Kang Moo-hyuk pressed the trigger again, but there was no response from the water gate.

He had an idea of ​​the scale of destruction the bomb would cause from his experience blowing up the manastone mine. It was an explosive force that would be enough to create a huge roar.

-What? Why didn’t you blow it up?!

Kang Mu-hyeok, who came to his senses suddenly at Jang Deuk-gu’s voice, quickly opened the door of the command vehicle and went outside.

Choi Mi-ran and Kim Seong-hyeon, who were waiting outside, looked at him with a puzzled look, but Kang Mu-hyeok paid no attention and stretched out the trigger toward the water gate and kept pressing the button.

“shit!”

Kang Moo-hyuk immediately turned around and headed to the driver’s seat.

“Everyone, get in the car!”

At the chilling shout, the two hunters got into the vehicle without knowing what was going on.

-What’s going on? The Nadongpa kids can’t hold out any longer!

“Sir… It seems like there’s something wrong with the trigger.”

-more?

“I’ll go and check it out myself. Just hold on a little longer, just a little longer.”

-Hey, Captain… . Eight! Hurry up!

Kang Moo-hyuk stepped on the accelerator as soon as he started the car. The heavy command vehicle lurched forward.

‘I checked and checked again and again. Why?’

It is a common saying in the Hunter world that raids never go as planned the moment they begin, but the repercussions of this triggering device problem were too fatal to be dismissed as a simple mistake.

“If this goes wrong… … .”

Many people die.

Kang Mu-hyeok gritted his teeth.

‘I can’t tolerate that, even if it means I die!’