Chapter 152: Multi-Race Alliance 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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The orc riders rushed around like they were advertising in the neighborhood, not even attempting to hide their presence.
Alongside the distant howling of wolves, a cloud of dust was drifting towards the barren wasteland.
Their demeanor suggested that anyone was welcome to challenge their unruly behavior.
Even though it would only take a single swing from a warhammer to crush a mere twelve wolves and orcs, we had to follow them quietly to find their base.
Fortunately, they were too excited to look back and were heading straight for the wasteland.
Just like how we were able to spot them, the terrain offered little cover to hide our movements.
So we boldly walked over a hill and still didn't draw the orcs' attention.
"Aren't we risking being spotted now that we're in the open?"
"From the way they're acting, it seems like they don't even care."
"Were orcs always this careless?"
While the group was familiar with battling orcs, they didnt seem to know much about the creatures' behaviors.
We were keeping our distance, but even wild animals would sense our presence from this range and flee.
It was only a rough distance of 200 meters in the vast open wasteland.
Due to this, we could clearly see some villagers tied up on the wolves' backs.
Some were conscious, struggling against their bindings, only to be knocked unconscious again by an orc's punch.
Given the typical aggressive nature of orcs, it was strange they didnt kill the captives outright.
-Feels like we're watching a game on easy mode.
-Theyre pretending not to notice.
-Is it similar to those guards who only look ahead and miss everything on the sides?*
-Pig-watching is getting boring. Why not just send Roland and be done with it?
-Considering this, maybe the knights who supposedly couldn't detect them allied up with these orcs?
"Hey, stop with the conspiracy theories. But it does seem somewhat believable. Like a corrupt noble conspiring with intelligent monsters, right? Thats a common theme in fantasy novels."
Thus, on Han Se-ah's stream, there were allegations that the Knights had betrayed humanity and conspired with the monsters.
While it seemed unrealistic for the orcs to have such sway over the Knights, from a game quest perspective, it could be possible.
At the end of that bizarre train of thought, the dust cloud stopped.
"There are a bunch of tents set up. Looks like they really joined forces with the wasteland orcs."
"Why are they capturing people alive? ...Are they planning to eat them fresh?"
"Ugh, I hope not. They probably have hostages tied up like prisoners. Maybe they're planning to use them as bargaining chips."
Off to the distance, they could see tents soiled with dust.
It seemed like a makeshift camp where the orcs gathered without any intention of stopping external intruders.
They don't even have a fence.
A makeshift wooden pen nearby housed the wolves.
"...So, where do you think they're keeping the people?"
"I think those bastards have spotted us."
"Yeah, they're getting back on their wolves."
The group observed the orcs through their mana-enhanced bodies, while Han Sa-ah, relying on the system, attached a camera to an orc warrior and quickly surveyed the surroundings.
Given the vast expanse of the wasteland, the orcs have noticed our slow approach.
Those who had entered the tents were now pouring out, mounting their wolves, and charging towards us from their tent village.
Naturally, their target is us.
"Do we even need to talk? How about we just eliminate them and then inspect the tents?"
"Sounds good."
In response to that, Lily, holding her long spear, confidently steps forward.
Perhaps her adrenaline is up from hunting wandering goblins, she's ready to charge in without hesitation.
But I'm not worried about her; I simply nod in agreement.
If Katie, who doesn't have much adventurer experience, is around 4 level 20, then Lily Depp, who became a senior adventurer even before gaining her star, is probably nearing the maximum for 4.
"I'm going in first!"
As mana surged into Lily's thighs, she charged forward, raising a cloud of dust like the wolves.
In contrast to my heavy footsteps, she runs so gracefully that it seems like she's gently treading on the ground.
Of course, just because her run is graceful doesn't mean the weapon in her hand is.
The blue mana on the slender blade of her spear flickers, perhaps she's more stressed about her missing companion than she's letting on.
"Shouldn't we help her?"
"Help? With what?"
"...Huh?"
Lily and the orcs were rushing towards each other without slowing down.
Katie draws her sword to join, but the unfolding scene stops her in her tracks.
Boom!
When they're close enough, Lily lowers her posture and thrusts her spear forward with even more force, kicking up a cloud of dust.
All that can be seen is a brief blue flash through the dust cloud.
It's like a bolt of lightning flashing within a storm cloud.
The bright magic flash is followed by a thunderous roar, like the delay between seeing lightning and hearing thunder.
"I'm not sure about Lily's companions, but she's a senior adventurer. She doesn't need help to deal with mere orcs."
In the place where the dust settled, there were only the mana stones that had been orcs and wolves.
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Raei Translations
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The world isn't fair.
Like with most things, the talents given to each individual are also unequal.
In this sense, Lily Depp's party was miraculously held together under the banner of friendship and loyalty.
Close friends from the same neighborhood had come together to become adventurers, and with talent backed by effort, Lily Depp was the first to become a senior adventurer.
Just as I, a senior adventurer, led Han Se-ah and the others around the tower, Lily's party also roamed the tower under the protection of Lily, their senior adventurer.
While I did so because of my desire to venture outside the game world, Lily kept the party together at a loss, purely for the sake of friendship and loyalty.
"What's with these guys?"
It was natural for Lily to become impatient and rough in a situation with a bond so strong.
"Who... who are you?"
"Isn't that what I should be asking, you bastards?"
Leaving the mana stones behind, Lily dashed toward the tents.
Only after securing the stones did others follow, only to find chaos.
Two burly men lay bloodied, having been clubbed by a spear.
I wondered if they were captives from the orc encampment, but...
"What's going on?"
"These guys had tied up someone and locked them in a wooden cage."
"...These humans?"
"That's right!"
Surprisingly, there were human collaborators in the orc tribe.
Would orcs, who charge at the mere sight of a human, collaborate with humans?
However, right in front of me were men that contradicted those thoughts.
They looked ragged as befits those living in the wasteland, but they had a healthy complexion and were plump.
Even though they were dirty, their clothes were not torn or worn out, and each of them had a weapon neatly sharpened on their waist.
Dirty faces, new weapons, mismatched clothing, and hastily worn leather armor.
From a fantasy perspective, they looked every bit the perfect bandits.
"At least there's one good thing."
"Whats that?!"
"At least we have some who can talk. You all check the other tents and see if you can find out from the kidnapped villagers whats going on."
And in this medieval fantasy world without the concept of human rights, a bandit was no different from a monster who could speak.
It didn't matter if you killed them, as their corpses could be sold for money.
As I said this, Katie, who had some mercenary experience, quickly left the scene, pulling Grace and Irene with her.
After all, the sight might be too much for a hunter girl from a rural village and a saint candidate who grew up in a temple.
-To the Tent of Truth?
-Wow, something's about to go down.
-Hey, is 19+ enough for torture?
-It's not confirmed that they'll be tortured, but I'm excited.
-Haha, time for a full-course torture session.
Grace and Irene, who were pushed by Katie, didn't understand what was going on and disappeared towards another tent.
Even Han Se-ah, who was deeply contemplating, followed Katie after packing away her camera drone.
Just because there's a 19+ label, it doesn't mean she can openly stream inappropriate content.
Streaming excessive violence towards human NPCs, and not monsters, would inevitably stir controversy.
All that was left was two people sprawled on the ground, three Orc collaborators looking at me in fear, and Lily Depp.
"...I have a dagger, want to borrow it?"
No, I prefer using my hands.
For a smoother conversation, the group of five needed to be reduced to four.
I learned this from John Smith, the 5 'Silent Whisper' of the Information Guild.
While I don't know how to torture as well as they do, we don't need a high level of skill to instill fear in those untrained for it.
Seeing someone fold up like an accordion is enough to terrify them.
If not an accordion, then maybe like fruit put in a juicer or a chunk of meat being separated from the bone.
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