Praise the Orc

Chapter 27: Goodbye Orcrox (2)

A candle rose as it lit up the darkness. Tashaquil’s eyes were closed. He mumbled in an ancient language, and the candles began to shake, moving to the rhythm of his whispers. Yi-An sat across Tashaquil and listened to his voice. Yi-An’s head felt light as if he was under a spell, and his mind exceeded the boundaries of the body and floated up into the air.

“Artani mokaw dom de quakwa bul’tar misaterioak... De’sar quak kisame ilxone qfwfq...”

The bizarre echo of Tashaquil’s voice shook Yi-An. His body fell into a deep sleep while his mind followed the sound of Tashaquil’s voice, which seemed to sink deeper and deeper. At some point, Yi-An was surrounded by pitch-black darkness with two balls of light heading toward him.

He looked around. There were no candles, and Tashaquil wasn’t present; there wasn't anything he recognized. The two balls of light glowing in that absolute darkness stared at Yi-An, who stared back. When their gazes met, he felt a sense of danger as if his soul was going to get sucked in. Other minds were trying to converge with Yi-An’s, but he resisted and held onto his consciousness. Yi-An clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Suddenly, the balls of light split open. The two balls of light turned out to be a pair of eyes. The eyes then began multiplying. The two eyes became four, eight, sixteen... Eventually, there were dozens—no, hundreds, of eyes staring at Yi-An.

Yi-An’s eyes widened. Faint images of warriors’ faces began to appear in the hundreds of eyes. First, he saw Leyteno Pacrinche, the legendary warrior who carried the greatsword on his back. Then he saw Gloin with his axe. The great warriors from the Hall of Fame, along with numerous orc warriors, were all looking at Yi-An, but the one closest to him was Lenox.

Lenox whispered something to Yi-An. Yi-An tried to listen closely, but Lenox’s voice circled around him and evaded his ears. He shook his head to tell Lenox he couldn't hear him. Nevertheless, Lenox smiled and said something again, but Yi-An could not figure out what.

Lenox then nodded and extended his fist toward Yi-An. Yi-An looked at Lenox’s hand—a hand roughened by countless battles and wars.

He extended his fist to meet Lenox’s heavy fist, and the world suddenly became pitch black again...

Yi-An opened his eyes.

He was in front of Tashaquil, who whispered, “Young orc, what is it that you seek?”

Yi-An’s mind went blank, but one word rose and filled his mind to the brim. He repeated the word over and over in his head.

‘Honor.’

“What is it that you want to achieve?” continued Tashaquil in a whisper.

‘Honor.’

“For what reason are you walking the path of the warrior?”

Yi-An looked at Tashaquil, whose two eyes observed Yi-An. Yi-An was unable to move his body or open his mouth to speak, but there was one word that continued to ring in his head. That was his only answer.

‘Honor.’

Yi-An’s face and body felt hot; heat engulfed his body. As he endured the pain, his expression became distorted. He tried to keep his back straight while looking back at Tashaquil in the eye.

‘Honor.’

Tashaquil whispered, “My dear, I am a hawk that flies through the Northern skies, the blue guardian of the sunrise, and the pale blue flag-bearer that guides others through dark paths. I am sorcerer Tashaquil. Warrior who is about to begin a long journey, what is your name?”

Yi-An tried to respond with his name, but his mouth refused to budge as if clasped shut. Instead, a strange echo reverberated in his mind. The echo contained a word he was hearing for the first time.

Tashaquil looked into Yi-An’s eyes and smiled knowingly. It was as if he knew what was going on in Yi-An’s head.

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Right then, all of the lights turned off.

“Remember that name,” said Tashaquil as he rose from his seat.

It was a ritual that felt like a short moment yet also a very long time, making Yi-An unable to gauge how much time had passed. His whole body was drenched in sweat. Tashaquil approached the window and lifted the curtains that blocked out the sun. The rays of light struck and stung Yi-An’s eyes. The ritual to become a warrior was over. Yi-An was now officially a warrior.

Tashaquil, who stood with his back to the sun, handed something to Yi-An. It was a mirror. Yi-An looked at his reflection in the mirror and found his appearance had changed. The prominent tattoos that symbolized orc warriors now ran down from his face to all over his body. He could feel power pulsing inside him along the path of the tattoos.

Yi-An looked back up at Tashaquil. Tashaquil’s eyes filled with sorrow after Lenox’s death, but he still had a wise, knowing look on his face. It had been Lenox’s duty to train orcs into warriors, but the one who always performed the warrior’s ritual was Tashaquil. This was his task as the guide who lit up the pathway for others.

“Young warrior, what is your name?” Tashaquil asked.

At that question, a nostalgic voice came to mind.

“You will receive a new name once you become a warrior, so I won’t bother remembering

your name!” Yi-An could hear Lenox’s voice from the past ringing in his ears. “Become a warrior!”

Yi-An could finally open his mouth to speak.

“My name is...”

***

The orc warriors returned to the dungeon to recover their brothers’ corpses. Surprisingly, Hoyt was alive. He was found covered in blood among the corpses of orc warriors. The orcs had initially thought he was dead, but once they lifted him up onto their shoulders, they heard a faint breath escape his mouth. After fainting during battle, he had been in a state of suspended animation all this time. He was still alive, but he had been unable to move or recover consciousness. According to the sorcerers, Hoyt wouldn’t be able to wake up for quite a while.

The funeral for the dead orc warriors was carried out solemnly. Orcs from all over the continent gathered to mourn Lenox. Even those who were renowned, lived in seclusion, or had a legendary status appeared. The first notable warrior to come through the door was Zankus, the hunter reputed to be able to shoot down the sun. He was followed by Kumarak, the mountain smasher, and then Wallachwi, the sorcerer who pursued the abyss. Even Anya, the mad slaughterer, arrived. Numerous powerhouses of the orc world came to grieve; the visits to express condolences refused to cease.

Once the funeral started, the rhythm of the dirge echoed throughout all of Orcrox. They hung the steel helmet Lenox used to wear at the training ground, where he used to scream at orc warriors. He would always watch over the orc warriors there.

[Status Window

Orc Warrior

Title: Pursuer of the Pinnacle

Level: 16

Achievement Points: 2420

Assimilation: 70%

Skills

Orc Warrior’s Strength (Special)

Orc Warrior’s Recovery (Special)

Leyteno’s Greatsword Technique (Rare)

Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare)

Mind’s Eye (Special)

Tattoos of Honor (Rare)]

Many changes had occurred since the dungeon raid.

Back when Yi-An escaped through the dungeon’s emergency exit, the first thing he discovered had been the lich’s corpse. The soldiers waiting behind the door had ambushed and killed the lich. Their blades headed toward Yi-An next, but he managed to demonstrate extraordinary strength and ended up killing all of them. He couldn’t remember what happened exactly because he had been in a hot-blooded state during the battle, but he vaguely remembered that his assimilation rate had soared, and his message window had flashed incessantly in front of him.

Then, when he finally came to his senses, he was standing in front of Orcrox Fortress, covered in blood. His skills and achievement scores had greatly increased by that time. Yi-An’s basic abilities had risen, and his Orc’s Greatsword Technique had leveled up twice and had been upgraded to a Rare-tier skill, Leyteno’s Greatsword Technique. After the warrior ceremony, he gained yet another Rare-tier skill, Tattoos of Honor. He didn’t know the specifics of that skill yet though.

After the ceremony, Yi-An decided to depart from Orcrox. His first goal was to find the Haedong Balhae clan and Grom, the traitor who turned over the orcs. The human sorcerer had called Grom ‘Hyun-Chul’. Now, they were Yi-An’s targets.

However, Yi-An was still weak, so he planned to build up his strength by venturing outside Orcrox. After that, he would make them pay the price for their actions.

“I will get revenge on the human earl,” said Anya, the mad slaughterer.

Anya was referred to as ‘the mad slaughterer’ because she tended to go berserk in battle. She had a group of orc warriors who were only loyal to her, and they were all bloodthirsty butchers too.

Mountain Smasher Kumarak agreed. “I will help.”

“I don’t need someone who is all brawn and no brain,” said Anya haughtily.

“I’m not dumb, Anya!” exclaimed Kumarak.

The warriors didn't know much about those who had received the curse of the stars. When Yi-An said he would punish the traitor, Grom, himself, they doubted his strength.

“You just became a warrior. Do you think you will be able to do it?” asked Zankus.

Tashaquil shook his head in response. “He is the last warrior who received Lenox’s teaching and the one who saw Lenox’s last moments. He is qualified.”

“Hmmm...” replied Zankus.

“I can attest to that,” assured Tashaquil.

“Understood, but...” Zankus looked at Yi-An and smiled bitterly. “If you make an underhanded move, I will hunt you down. I can’t trust someone who escaped by himself.”

“Zankus,” Tashaquil rebuked Zankus.

However, Yi-An quietly nodded and said, “Understood.”

Everyone tended to their sorrow in different ways.

Hoyt was chosen as Lenox’s successor to take over his place at Orcrox Fortress once he recovered, but this was only if he didn’t refuse.

After the great warriors left, only Tashaquil and Yi-An remained.

“Where are you headed?” asked Tashaquil.

“I have to go to Anail first,” replied Yi-An.

He had to meet Thompson at Anail. Thompson had sent Yi-An a letter saying that the Golden Anvil clan had completed his sword. So, Yi-An planned to visit Anail first to collect his sword, but there was someone else he had to meet... Derek.

Yi-An hated Derek, but he had decided to borrow Derek’s strength because he had an important mission now. He needed the help of an NPC who had power and authority.

Yi-An continued, “...Afterward, I will go after the Haedong Balhae clan and Grom to the end.”

“I wish you the best of luck,” replied Tashaquil encouragingly.

He then swayed his staff, and an unknown strength was passed to Yi-An.

[Tashaquil is granting you unknown powers.]

[An unidentifiable strength has settled inside your body.]

“This is...?” wondered Yi-An.

“It will help you one day,” said Tashaquil with a smile. “When are you planning to leave?”

Yi-An looked at the sky. The sun had yet to set. Since Lenox’s funeral was over, it was time for Yi-An to go.

“Right now.”

“You are in quite a hurry.”

“Lenox always said this...” said Yi-An as he recalled Lenox’s face. “‘You can watch others forever or swing your sword!’”

A bitter smile spread over Tashaquil’s face.

“I will head out now,” Yi-An said.

“I wish you luck.”

Yi-An and Tashaquil bumped fists.

Then, Yi-An crossed through Orcrox. As he began to see the exit, he contemplated all of the things that had happened at Orcrox Fortress. When he first logged into Elder Lord, he never expected these things to happen. He had started playing the game as a form of light entertainment, but he had met Lenox, Grant, Hoyt, Antuak, and Tashaquil here. He had grown through the relationships and bonds he formed in the game. They were great minds worthy of respect.

As Yi-An exited Orcrox Fortress, he was greeted by familiar faces.

“Hey, are you alive?”

“Are you alive?”

They were Orcrox’s guards, the first orcs Yi-An had met. They still guarded Orcrox Fortress with their hardy selves, appearing like stone statues.

“You are finally a warrior,” they remarked.

“Yes, sir.”

“It seems just like yesterday when you first came here acting like a total newbie.”

“Now you look very much like a warrior, hahahaha!”

The guards burst out in laughter, and Yi-An laughed along with them.

They exchanged glances and then said, “Hmm. It’s about time we ask you this question.”

They extended their fists side by side toward Yi-An.

“Young warrior departing from Orcrox...”

“Yes,” replied Yi-An.

“What is your name?”

The guards, like Lenox, had never asked Yi-An his name before. Now, Yi-An understood why. It was because he didn’t have a name back then. However, now that he was a warrior, he had a name he could share with them.

“My name is...” Yi-An began. He took a deep breath and concluded, “...Crockta.”

The guards nodded. It was now a farewell.

Crockta bumped fists with them.