Chapter 103: Spinora
Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor bid farewell to Jamero, but Crockta had a hunch that they would meet again soon on the battlefield.
After spending the day together and getting to know Jamero, Crockta realized that although Jamero seemed like a regular guy, his occasional bouts of wisdom and mastery over magic were at the level of a grand wizard. Moreover, based on his remarks about the chiefdom, Jamero was unafraid of going into battle. Crockta could imagine the two of them fighting on a huge battlefield, and Jamero would be supporting him with his firepower. It would be a battle of a grand scale.
Crockta initially had reservations about starting Elder Lord because he disliked being on the battlefield, but he was now willing to go back onto it.
‘If you don’t fight, you’ll lose something important to you. That is the way of the world,’ thought Crockta.
“Huh?” Anor, who was riding the same karuk as Tiyo, uttered and suddenly turned his head.
Tiyo asked him what was wrong. Anor just laughed it off and said it was nothing, but there was a strange look on his face.
“Hmm,” Crockta murmured.
He nodded when he realized the reason behind Anor’s discomfort. Crockta could see a lot more things ever since gaining the skill Introduction to Magic. His new skill made him more attuned to the flow of energy in the world, whereas his skill Heart and Soul Penetrating Eye provided him with the necessary information for battle.
Crockta sensed a faint aura of death rising from underneath the rock they had just passed by. The energy of a recently deceased person had been tainted, and it was spreading outward from the source. Crockta couldn’t tell when the person had passed away, but he could sense the remnants of a grudge seeping out.
‘May time dilute that resentment,’ thought Crockta.
Anor could probably see a lot more than Crockta because he had been born with necromancer abilities. Crockta had a sudden realization that whenever Anor’s face turned dark, it was because Anor was looking at something similar to what Crockta had just seen.
“Anor,” called out Crockta.
“Yes?”
Crockta tossed something. Anor managed to catch it by extending his arm.
“Ah, thank you,” Anor said.
It was the beef jerky they had received from Jamero.
“What? Why aren’t you giving me any? I’m the one driving the karuk while Anor is coasting by!” exclaimed Tiyo.
Crockta ignored him and chewed on the last beef jerky.
“Dammit!” Tiyo cursed.
He kicked the karuk with his heel, causing the karuk to speed up. Anor almost dropped his beef jerky in surprise.
“Ah fu—!” muttered Anor.
“What? Say it!” demanded Tiyo.
“...I will hold it in,” sighed Anor.
“You’re even pretending to be the bigger person?!” exclaimed Tiyo.
Tiyo sped up the poor karuk, and Tiyo and Anor moved farther away from Crockta.
Meanwhile, Crockta finished chewing his beef jerky and then caressed the head of the karuk he was riding on.
“Can you go faster?”
The karuk nodded and ran, moving through the northern plains and passing by various scenery on the way. Crockta heard Tiyo and Anor bickering in the distance. The sound of the wind swooshed past his ear. He also heard the sounds of birds’ wings flapping in the sky and bugs crying out on the earth.
The world had looked different after Crockta officially became a warrior. Now that he had entered the realm of magic, his perspective changed again.
‘If I want to change the world, I should change myself first.’
A smile came to his lips.
[Status Window
Title: ‘One Who Wants to Become a Hero’ Crockta, Orc Warrior
Level: 71
Achievement Points: 642500
Assimilation: 88%
Skills:
World-Engulfing Mountain Wrenching Strength (Pinnacle)
Indomitable Restoration (Pinnacle)
Leyteno’s Heart Swordsmanship (Pinnacle)
Extreme Fighting Spirit (Pinnacle)
Heart and Soul Penetrating Eye (Pinnacle)
Tattoos of War, Honor, and Indomitable Will (Pinnacle)
Army Crushing Roar of Madness (Pinnacle)
Monster Slayer (Essence)
Eyes of the Ashen God (Beyond Classification)
Introduction to Magic (Common)]
Although Introduction to Magic was the only Common-tier skill among the Pinnacle ones, Crockta could sense that it was affecting the rest of his skills. He knew that Elder Lord was real and not just a game. Everything was imbued into his body and became a part of his strength, although he was already receiving help from the system that the ashen woman had made. Each small element mattered and was connected to a larger system. He wanted to learn more things.
[You are quite good at riding the karuk. Orc warrior of justice, Crockta, has gained Riding Technique (Common). Good luck!]
His mood went down a bit after the system intervened.
“We will arrive at Spinora by today, Crockta!” shouted Tiyo from afar.
After gaining the skill Riding Technique (Common), Crockta became one with the karuk and ran through the plains. He moved closer to Anor and Tiyo, who increased the pace of their karuk pace while roaring with excitement.
“Anor!” shouted Tiyo.
“Yes!”
“Think about it!”
“About what?!”
“I was a country bumpkin from Quantes protecting the city, and now I’m in the north heading to the largest city of dark elves!” Tiyo grinned. “My friends back home won’t even be able to imagine this! Hahahahahahaha!”
Tiyo fired his General at the sky and exclaimed, “It’s all thanks to Crockta!”
“Don’t mention it,” said Crockta.
“I can no longer be satisfied with the tiny world of Quantes!” Tiyo voiced. He stood up on the karuk and performed a trick while saying, “Let’s go!”
Just as Tiyo was about to fire the General at the sky again, a magic bullet exploded with a bang.
Anor grabbed Tiyo when he was about to fall and enveloped him in an embrace.
Tiyo frowned and quickly readjusted himself. “Wh-What’s that?”
Something had come flying at them and pierced Tiyo’s magic bullet. Was it an enemy? Crockta’s and Tiyo’s karuks decelerated and slowly climbed up a tall hill.
The trio’s mouths dropped open at the sight beyond the hill.
“...!”
In front of their eyes was a large pillar—the World Tree that sustained the world. It extended up into the skies like the highest of mountain peaks. With the World Tree situated in the center of Spinora, the rest of the city looked like a toy village. The branches and leaves of the World Tree shaded the whole city. The tree was so enormous that even a single branch could crush the high city walls that wrapped around the outskirts of the city.
“That’s the World Tree...” muttered Tiyo.
Anor seemed moved by the sight of the World Tree. Perhaps he felt something more because he was an elf. His cheeks were flushed, and his whole body brimmed with excitement.
Crockta was also completely taken by what he saw. It was unlike anything he had seen before. He felt something well up in his chest just from looking at it. The flow of air circulating around the World Tree touched his skin.
“That’s it,” said Tiyo as he pointed at a spire on Spinora’s city walls. “I think they aimed at my General from there, They were probably wondering what it was.”
“From that far away...?” asked Anor.
“I don’t know the specifics, but there seems to be an elaborate magical device somewhere. I say this as someone coming from a place renowned for its magical technology.”
Crockta and his friends held the World Tree’s magnificent view in their eyes for a while. Seeing such picturesque scenery made the ongoing battles on the continent and the chieftain’s initiatives seem like a distant story. Even the karuks cried out at the marvelous sight.
“Let’s go,” Crockta finally said.
Everyone came to their senses and got on their karuks to head to the city. They had to take a detour to descend from the hill because the straight path down was too steep. They slowly rode their karuks toward Spinora.
***
“We will verify your identity,” said the dark elf guard.
Crockta handed over the identification badge that Ladet had given him. The guards carried it inside and verified its authenticity.
While waiting for permission to enter, Crockta looked around the city walls. Just from the guards’ attitudes, he could tell that Spinora was incomparable to the likes of Nuridot or Nameragon. Unlike the Nameragon guards who had hastily glanced at Crockta and mocked him, these guards in Spinora treated him and his friends respectfully without showing any judgement. Spinora’s guards treated all of its visitors equally and requested identification from dark elves as well.
This reminded Crockta of the guards at Orcrox who stood still like stone statues and protected the fortress. He felt like it had only been a few days since he had told them his name and left the fortress, but he was somehow now at Spinora in the uppermost part of the northern region.
“Welcome, Crockta,” the guard greeted upon his return.
He handed the entry pass back to Crockta and politely requested a handshake. Crockta obliged and shook the guard’s hand instead of extending his fist.
“I’m Crockta. Are you alive?”
“We’ve been waiting for you. The World Tree will send someone. Do you mind waiting for a bit?”
“Not at all,” replied Crockta.
“This way, please,” gestured the guard.
Crockta realized that what the guard had referred to as the World Tree was Spinora’s City Hall. He then entertained himself with the thought of dark elves excavating the World Tree with an axe and working inside the shelter they had created.
The trio followed the guard and entered the city.
“Oooh!” exclaimed Tiyo.
Crockta looked around in a daze too. Quantes and Arnin were the most advanced cities he had seen in the continent, but Spinora was just as advanced or perhaps even more so.
Dark elves stared at the trio as they passed by.
“This is the city of dark elves,” stated Anor, proudly puffing out his chest.
“Nuridot is like a stable compared to this place,” commented Tiyo.
“...”
They stopped at the guards’ office located behind the city walls for a bit. Then another guard came to assist them.
He said, “If you wait here, someone from the World Tree will come.”
The guard looked quite young, and he seemed excited.
Crockta sat down. The young guard eagerly sat right next to him as if Crockta were a celebrity. Tiyo and Anor shook their heads in annoyance and looked around the office.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s an honor to meet you,” voiced the guard.
“Oh, stop it. You are making me blush,” Crockta replied.
Despite his response, his face relaxed and took on a content expression. He looked smugly at Tiyo, who quickly turned away.
“Haha,” chuckled Crockta.
He had done so much in the northern region. He was certainly worthy of such treatment. Crockta straightened his chest and lightly caressed his Ogre Slayer.
Upon seeing that, the guard immediately exclaimed in surprise, “Is this that amazing weapon?!”
Crockta grinned and then shrugged as he explained, “That’s correct. This is my friend and love, my sword! Ogre—”
“This must be the General!”
Crockta paused.
The guard continued with gleaming eyes, “I didn’t know that the weapon that instantly finished off the rebel forces was a sword! I heard that iridescent lights emerged from the General and defeated all of the orcs!”
“...”
Crockta’s expression stiffened, but the guard didn’t see that and dealt the final blow.
“I respect you, Tiyo!”
“...”
Tiyo, who had been standing by Crockta’s side, nudged him and said, “Move aside.”
“...”
Crockta politely got up without saying a word, and Tiyo sat down in his place. Then Crockta stepped aside modestly and went to stand beside Anor, who had been looking out the window.
With both hands gathered at his lower belly, Crockta said to Anor, “Hmm... Spinora has amazing architecture. Hmm.”
Anor patted Crockta’s shoulder.
The guard, who still hadn’t realized what had happened, tilted his head curiously. Once Tiyo began showing off his General, the guard realized his mistake and smiled awkwardly at Crockta.
“When I swing the General! The enemies...!” Tiyo continued rambling on about himself.
After some time, someone from the World Tree arrived to welcome them. His attire was different. Citizens of Spinora dressed in casual clothes like other dark elves, but the dark elf who arrived was dressed in a free-flowing outfit that draped around his body like a character from Greek mythology. Even his eyes were different; they were a bright purple.
He glanced over Crockta and his friends.
“Crockta, Tiyo, and Anor,” he said, looking directly at the individual he was addressing with each name he called out. “It’s nice to meet you. Zelkyan is waiting for you.”
Crockta’s expression suddenly changed. He noticed that the emissary from the World Tree had a symbol with the shape of a branch shining brightly on his forehead.
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