Chapter 375 – D-Day 10 (4)
The Black Orcs were blessed simply by becoming Han-Yeol’s slaves, and they underwent yet another change.
“Chwik!”
“Kill them all!”
The reason behind it was unclear, but the Black Orcs suddenly started speaking in Korean instead of Japanese. Perhaps it was due to Han-Yeol’s influence, but it did not matter all that much as Han-Yeol was capable of speaking both languages.
“Chwik!”
“Kieeeek!”
Chwak!
The Golden Lizardmen bitterly fought to protect their territory from the invaders, but they were no match against the sheer numerical superiority of the Black Orcs. They were like sandcastles at the mercy of a tidal wave, and the tidal wave of orcs grew stronger the more sandcastles of lizardmen they absorbed.
“Chwik! I can feel the power surging in my body!”
“Chwiik! Chwiiiik!”
“I’m hungry! I’m hungry!”
“I want to devour them all! Chwik!”
The cause of this change was uncertain, whether it stemmed from the effects of the skill Predator, but the Black Orcs' hunger appeared to have intensified further. To begin with, they were already quite a greedy bunch, but this newfound greed after being enslaved by Han-Yeol was more focused on mana and strength.
Heh.
‘These guys are better than I thought,’ Han-Yeol thought after seeing the Black Orcs in action.
He initially anticipated these orcs would merely impede his progress and become a source of annoyance. They seemed like weak, ineffectual gluttons, and describing all eighty thousand of them as mere dead weight would be an understatement. His disappointment deepened upon realizing that, after falling under his command, they only awakened with three skills.
However, he did not foresee that these three skills would be the catalyst for reshaping his perception of these seemingly burdensome gluttons.
‘No, they did more than alter my opinion of them. I’m genuinely pleased with their performance! While I need to address Craspio first, these individuals will undoubtedly prove invaluable for my post-Craspio plans.’
Han-Yeol couldn't help but rue not securing the entire two hundred thousand, acknowledging their newfound utility. Yet, he was not one to lament over spilled milk, opting to find contentment with the eighty thousand he had acquired.
‘Eighty thousand still represent a substantial labor force.’
“Alright, continue advancing, and spare none of these monsters,” Han-Yeol commanded.
“Chwik! The Great Being has issued his command! Don’t halt; keep advancing! Destroy and eliminate everything that obstructs our path!”
“Chwiiiik!”
The Black Orc Commander underwent significant changes after being enslaved by Han-Yeol. No longer commanding from the safety of the backlines, he now actively led at the forefront.
It wasn't that the Black Orc Commander had suddenly become brave; rather, leading the horde from the rear had become a position reserved for Han-Yeol, the horde's owner.
***
Han-Yeol had initially planned to venture into the Bastro Dimension to prepare for his confrontation with Craspio. He believed that making the most of the double experience points buff and encountering powerful monsters in that dimension would be his optimal strategy for rapid growth within the ten-day timeframe.
However, he reconsidered his plan after utilizing the Black Orcs a few times, finding that they synergized exceptionally well with Japan's current situation. Hunting in the Bastro Dimension would have been more efficient if Earth were still normal.
Unfortunately, the entire expanse of Japan had been overrun by monsters due to Craspio's destruction of the hunting grounds. Additionally, numerous dimensional rifts across the country continuously spawned monsters, turning the entirety of Japan into an exclusive hunting ground for Han-Yeol alone.
While the Bastro Dimension did house formidable monsters offering substantial experience points multiplied by the buff, the limited available dungeons and the risks of encountering hyenas posed challenges. Although Han-Yeol might not be gaining as many experience points in Japan compared to the Bastro Dimension, the sheer abundance of monsters, coupled with the absence of risks, made it the right choice for him.
Moreover, luring a massive swarm of monsters and eliminating them undoubtedly proved to be the most effective hunting strategy.
***
A few days passed, and there were less than twenty-four hours remaining until the seal on Craspio would be lifted. Han-Yeol successfully raised his level to 451, a remarkable feat compared to what he achieved during the ten days stuck in the Bastro Dimension.
His substantial growth was even more impressive considering there were still plenty of monsters left in Japan. Despite having eighty thousand Black Orcs at his disposal, ten days proved too short for him to explore the entire country.
‘Well, I can just get rid of the rest after I’m done with Craspio,’ Han-Yeol thought with a shrug.
Tak!
“Hey, you’re working hard, aren’t you, Mujahid?” Han-Yeol said as he smacked Mujahid on the back.
Mujahid appeared quite worried and downcast as he responded, “Haa... Are you confident you can win, hyung-nim?”
Numerous flags adorned the waters of Nagoya, with numerous ships either docked or waiting to dock at the port. While most flags bore the emblem of Egypt, there was a fair number that displayed a goblin drawing.
The flag with a goblin on it belonged to Mujahid’s company, the Goblin Construction Company.
Although Han-Yeol’s HY Group had grown into a conglomerate behemoth, it had yet to acquire its own fleet. The fleet they purchased was still under construction, and most of the group’s exports were subcontracted to other companies.
The HY Group placed a massive order for fifty vessels from South Korean shipbuilding companies, and their order alone guaranteed that the South Korean shipbuilding industry would have the highest gross revenue for at least the next decade. Unfortunately, the fifty vessels were still far from completion, leaving the HY Group without any ships at the moment.
This was the reason Han-Yeol belatedly called Mujahid. While Mujahid sulked after realizing Han-Yeol had completely forgotten about him, he displayed great professionalism by instantly focusing on his job when a task was assigned to him.
Currently, Mujahid stood, looking up with concern at an object in the distance.
“What are you so worried about?” Han-Yeol asked despite being fully aware of what Mujahid was thinking.
Of course, there was no way that was going to work at Mujahid, who was extremely fast to catch on.
“Come on, hyung-nim. Why are you feigning ignorance all of a sudden? I’ve seen the video of your battle with Craspio. You couldn’t defeat that monster even with the help of four Bastrolings, who are much stronger than us humans—for now. Only ten days have passed since then, not ten years or a year! I don’t think there will be any significant difference in such a short period of time... Did you perhaps devise a clever plan to defeat that thing, by any chance?”
Mujahid was on Han-Yeol’s side, no matter how difficult the situation was, but he was also a realist who knew how to discern between reality and delusion. In the last ten days, numerous experts analyzed and debated the video of Han-Yeol raiding Craspio, and every single one of them unanimously came to the same conclusion.
“He cannot win.”
“Ten days is too short to make any impact.”
“We have tried to find any hope based on Lee Han-Yeol’s growth data we have gathered, but we have come to the conclusion it is utterly impossible for him to win. Placing your bet on him is crazy talk!”
Mujahid had fifteen experts analyze Han-Yeol’s combat video. Every single one of them was the best of the best from Cairo University, and none of them had yet to disappoint Mujahid. Unfortunately, their analysis of Han-Yeol’s upcoming round two battle with Craspio was quite grim.
On the contrary, Han-Yeol looked aloof even though Mujahid was being dead serious right now.
“Keke! I wonder why a pessimist like you is here, then?” Han-Yeol asked with a snicker.
Mujahid awkwardly cleared his throat and replied, “Ahem... Ahem... The rewards are greater when you bet against the flow, right?”
“Hahaha! You’re right! That’s all the more true for us rich people, right?”
“But hyung-nim... I hope you are aware I stand to lose more than just money if you lose...”
Mujahid had invested a lot in Japan after Han-Yeol called him, and his precious Goblin Company could come crashing down like the Horus raid party if they failed to defeat Craspio. Of course, that was the extent of the damage Mujahid was going to suffer as he was still a prince, but what he was really concerned about was Han-Yeol.
Psst!
It was then that someone called out to them in a low voice.
Whoosh! Bam!
“Aaaack!”
“Hiiik!”
Then, something flew and struck Mujahid’s head. Despite being an S Rank Hunter, he was unable to react to it and ended up crashing to the ground.
“Ughh...” Mujahid collapsed, foaming from his mouth with his eyes rolled back.
“T-Tara...?” Han-Yeol muttered, slightly horrified after witnessing what happened to Mujahid.
“Sigh...” Tayarana let out a sigh.
“W-Why did you do that...?”
Thud...
Mariam walked toward Han-Yeol.
“Mariam?”
“Just now, Mujahid-nim thought ill of the Horus raid party that Tayarana-nim cherished, and he even dared to compare it to his pitiful company.”
“U-Ugh...” Mujahid was still stunned on the ground.
Tayarana glared at Han-Yeol and asked, “Do you have a problem?”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Han-Yeol frantically shook his head in response and said, “N-No! Not at all! Mujahid was wrong on this one!”
“Good,” Tayarana said before she glared down at Mujahid one last time before walking away with Mariam.
It was only after the two of them walked away that Mujahid finally woke up, looking around to make sense of what had just happened. Then, he looked at Han-Yeol with pitiful eyes and called out, “Hyung-nim...”
“Hmm?”
“H-Heal... Please heal me...”
“Nope,” Han-Yeol flatly refused.
He knew Tayarana and Mariam were still keeping an eye on them, so he couldn't bring himself to heal Mujahid right now. After all, he greatly valued his life and wanted to live to see another day.
“Y-You’re so mean...”
“Who told you to think of such things?”
“Ugh...”
While Mujahid might be a prince educated by the finest teachers Egypt had to offer, there was still a notably immature side to his character.
***
The preparations to face Craspio continued, and Han-Yeol poured a substantial sum of investment into this battle. His investment was so significant that he would end up bankrupt if he lost, and he staked everything he had on the line this time. On the other hand, he stood to gain tremendous wealth, fame, and honor if he won.
‘Nothing beats the thrill of either losing or gaining everything when gambling!’
While Han-Yeol was occupied preparing for the battle against Craspio, another group was actively making their own preparations.
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