畅想听吧

Chapter 52: Tag of Death (3)

Kai scanned the battlefield.

The situation is very bad.

Including both the NPCs and the players, the number of people in the expedition force was less than one hundred! It was a terrible defeat. The only silver lining was that the Orc Lord\'s health was only at 15%.

But the Orc Sorcerer\'s Stamina is still high.

Seeing that the Orc Sorcerer\'s Stamina was around 75%, Kai clenched his fist and cheered for the Black Bee guild.

"Fight on, you guys can do it! Isn\'t there something like a special move or power that each of the world’s top ten guilds hold?"

"Bastard! You’ve got a big mouth!"

"Argggh! I’m gonna kill you!"

The Black Bee guildmembers were so filled with rage that their faces turned red, but they could only spew insults at him. They couldn\'t actually do anything to him since they were too busy dealing with the Orc Sorcerer.

Anyway, these guys will handle the Orc Sorcerer for the time being...

Kai\'s eyes landed on the sturdy back of the Orc Lord.

I\'ll have to finish that one off in the meantime.

But before hunting it down, there was something that needed to be done for sure.

"Huh? Unknown is approaching us."

"W-what? Is it our turn now after the Black Bee guild?"

"What in the world is going on?"

"Can\'t tell if they’re a friend or an enemy. Ugh."

The players that barely survived swallowed nervously and stayed vigilant as Unknown approached them. Their Stamina and Mana were long gone, so if Unknown harbored any ill intentions, death was certain for them.

But Unknown, after scanning them once, said briefly, "I\'ll save your lives."

"...That\'s a new unexpected line."

"Saving our lives won’t be free... so what\'s the catch?"

"Just so you know in advance, I\'m broke."

As participants of the expedition force, they knew better than anyone that there was no reward without a cost.

Perhaps because of that, they catch on quickly.

Pleased with their attitude, Kai pointed toward the Orc Lord, who was causing chaos among the knight NPCs.

"Leave that one to me."

"...What?"

"Wait. You\'re saying to just hand over the one we\'ve been beating the crap out of?"

"And without any reward?"

"You\'re more greedy than I thought."

The players wore stunned expressions!

But Kai, who had nothing to be sorry about, stood straight up and boldly demanded, "Why wouldn\'t there be a reward? Three days of being unable to login, XP loss, and if you\'re unlucky, dropping equipment. All those penalties would disappear."

"...Even if we kill the Orc Lord, it\'ll be difficult to escape without dealing with the Orc Sorcerer."

"In such a situation, why should we trust you and hand over the Orc Lord?"

"Trust? It seems there\'s a big misunderstanding here..." Kai shook his head. "The one at a loss is not me. I can leave whenever I want. And to be honest, even if you kill the Orc Lord, it\'s pointless if you end up dying, right?"

The players stayed silent.

"Anyway, this is my final offer. I’ll give you... sixty seconds to decide."

Having said his part, Kai crossed his arms as if his business was concluded.

The players began to look at each other, conflict written all over their faces. Kai didn\'t miss that.

They’ve taken the bait.

Given the nature of the expedition, they couldn\'t use Return Scrolls to the village or log out. In other words, they were in the same position as terminally ill patients waiting for death! And of course, no player enjoyed dying.

These people have already braced themselves for the relentless chase of death that has caught up right behind them.

When there is no hope, people tend to let go of everything. At that moment, Kai dangled the carrot of survival in front of them and shook it. What decision would they make then?

They\'ll eat the carrot in front of them. Very deliciously. Yum yum.

After all, they had nothing significant to lose. Even if they handed the Orc Lord over to Kai, they wouldn’t lose points. Although it would be regrettable to waste all their efforts, it would be a hundred, or even a thousand times better than dying.

More importantly, a hint of curiosity arose in their expressions.

They must be dying of curiosity.

Though their Stamina had hit rock bottom, the dozens of remaining players could potentially finish off the Orc Lord if they decided to attack it all out. In other words, that was only possible because there were dozens of them.

Yet, Kai had declared he would take down the Orc Lord by himself and with only 15% of his Stamina left.

On what basis?

The video didn\'t show their skills to be that outstanding...

Could it be that they hadn\'t played all their cards at that time?

What lingered in them was a very slight curiosity, and curiosity was a cruel beast that grew stronger with time.

Eventually, after weighing their options, the players began to nod one by one.

"I\'ll give up on the Orc Lord."

"Me too. I care about the XP, but I just bought a Rare item recently, so I can\'t die."

"Damn, I do want the points... but I\'m so curious I\'m going mad, so I\'ll pass it on!"

All but one player consented to Kai\'s request, and he turned to the last player.

"Ex-excuse me...."

The female player, swallowing nervously, gathered courage and said, "If I hand over the Orc Lord, could you do an interview after the expedition is done?"

"...An interview?"

"Hehe. Given my job, it would be a shame to miss such an opportunity."

Oh, now that I think about it, this person is....

Kai looked at her face for a moment and his mouth opened.

Right, I’m not sure about her name, but... she was definitely a game streamer.

Her name was Aris, or Arisa, or something like that. Her videos sometimes appeared on the community, so Kai remembered her.

An interview...

Kai showed a lukewarm reaction. Now was the time for him to improve his skills and increase his value, rather than spreading his information. Naturally, giving an interview at this point would bring more harm than good.

But things might change over time.

Eventually, Kai kept his options open. "Alright. But I get to decide the date and time."

"R-really!?" Aris\'s expression brightened instantly, and she nodded vigorously. "Then I\'ll also give up on the Orc Lord, thank you!"

I should be the one thanking you.

With the players\' consent secured, as long as they didn\'t stab him in the back, the right to the Orc Lord now fully belonged to him.

Kai touched the hilt of the sword that lay quietly in its sheath.

I remember when I was young, mom taught me something.

It was to always express gratitude to the chef before enjoying a delicious meal.

"Thank you."

***

"Kraah! Is this all humans are capable of?" the Orc Lord Urghan, with a body over two meters tall and muscles like armor, roared.

The steamy breath from his nose was similar to that of a steam train. Although an orc, his immense presence made it impossible for anyone there to ignore him.

He’s too strong...!

Is this really the power of a mere orc?

The knight NPCs of Glendale were mostly skilled, with levels over 120, but the current situation was very bad. They had fought four battles outside the Orc village, and inside, they had been fighting continuously without rest. In short, their energy was completely drained!

It\'s all my fault...!

Ador, the leader of the expedition force, bit his lip.

The broken helmet revealed a youthful face. He appeared to be no more than a seventeen year old boy.

The knights gathered around him.

"Young master, please leave this place to us and escape first."

"If anything happens to you here... we won\'t be able to face the baron."

"...Are you telling me to run away!?" Ador shouted, looking angered.

Having become a knight at the age of seventeen, he was regarded as having outstanding abilities for his age.

But Ador hated that.

They’re skills I\'ve earned through hard work. But why...!

People had always praised Ador for becoming a knight at a young age and being the son of the baron. However, that was why he wanted to be recognized as a knight in his own right. And above all, he wanted to earn the respect of the person he admired the most, his father.

But blinded by greed, I failed to take care of my people... I\'m not fit to be a leader.

A deep regret and a bitter smile crossed Ador\'s face.

Regret is always too late, no matter how quickly it comes.

There would be a way to rectify regret elsewhere, but in a battlefield where a tiny factor could decide victory or defeat, such a mistake was irreversible.

Ador looked around at those who had supported him.

These are the people who trusted and followed a fool like me. I can\'t abandon them.

Closing his eyes tightly, he thought of his home and family in Glendale.

I shall be a disobedient son and lay my bones in this battlefield. Father, please stay healthy.

When his eyes opened again, a determination unlike any before was etched in them.

"To all! Even at the cost of our lives, we must defeat this evil orc..."

"Please move out of the way.”

Tap, tap.

Ador turned to look at the adventurer who had approached and tapped his shoulder, wearing a dazed expression.

How did he...? No, more importantly, was there still an unharmed adventurer?

He was taken aback by the appearance of an unknown adventurer as most of the adventurers had been moved to the rear when their Stamina and energy were depleted.

Ador said with a calm voice, "I regret leading you all into this pit of death. But I\'ve heard that adventurers are blessed by the gods and will not die even in death. Please forgive me, and next time, please punish these evil orcs for us."

The adventurer stared silently at Ador, then pulled on one side of his face.

"Wh-what do you think you are doing!?”

“Your face looks young, but why do you speak like that? It sounds like you were reading from King Lear or something."

"What are you talking about..."

As Ador forcefully pushed Kai\'s arm away, Kai rubbed his sore arm and said, "The baron secretly asked me to take care of his son."

Ador remained silent, puzzled.

"So, if I go on living by myself, I can\'t raise my head in front of the baron." Kai sighed lightly and nodded at Ador and the knights. "If you understand now, please move out of the way."

"Are you saying... you\'ll take on the Orc Lord by yourself?"

"Yes." Kai glanced at the Orc Lord and also took in the Orc Sorcerer in the distance. "And I\'ve reserved that one for myself as well."

Ador was at a loss for words at Kai\'s ambitious and arrogant declaration.