Praise the Orc! Chapter 71:
Chapter 71 – Opening the North (2)
Numerous arrows flew through the air and became embedded in the behemoth’s body .
The behemoth stomped its feet as it ran . Shakan quickly retreated . The land that the behemoth passed became ruined . Shakan fired his arrows but the behemoth wasn’t injured . It just continued chasing Shakan . Even if there was a wound, the demonic energy would just restore the body .
The whole forest was helping the behemoth . Shakan resisted with the power he gained from chewing the heart but it wasn’t enough . If Shakan’s body was a pit, the behemoth was like an ocean .
Looking at the scene, Crockta thought of the most necessary action right now . The behemoth was like an army with unlimited people and resources . There was no end . Crockta needed to block the spread of the demonic energy .
But how could he cut off the magic power of the forest?
Crockta looked at the darkness that spread over the forest like an abyss . It was the wall of darkness that the behemoth was guarding . This was the wall divided the rest of the continent and the north .
No one could pass beyond this .
‘Not exactly, there is a beast that has digested the body of something buried here and became a monster . ’
Shakan’s words popped into his head . There was something . At that moment, the Demon’s Mouth at Crockta’s waist started moving .
“……!”
The belt was pulling Crockta towards the darkness in front of him .
Crockta turned around . Shakan and the behemoth were destroying the forest while fighting . Arrows flew towards the behemoth’s body while the behemoth ignored all attacks and aimed for Shakan .
Kuoooooh!
It was a fight between monsters that disregarded life and death . Shakan’s desperate resistance was felt in his commitment .
‘Hunters depend on each other . ’
Shakan’s voice was revived . That’s right . They were now one . They had to rely on each other . They entrusted their lives to each other .
Suddenly, Crockta locked gazes with Shakan who was fighting . It was just a quick glance but it was enough . He made up his mind .
Crockta ran towards the darkness . As if it was waiting, the darkness welcomed Crockta . It was like when he was eaten by the Demon’s Mouth . His spirit sank towards the darkness .
***
Crockta’s spirit was standing inside a cave . It was an endless tunnel . Crockta couldn’t tell where to go . The belt at his waist led Crockta . It pulled him towards the front .
The Demon’s Mouth was reacting to something .
But it couldn’t be reversed . Crockta pulled out his greatsword and walked in the direction that the belt pulled him . The inside was dark and his vision blurred . He walked for a while .
A large area appeared . It was a space covered in darkness . In the middle of it, a giant body was lying down . The rotten stench of the corpse pierced his nose . Crockta raised his greatsword and stepped towards it .
It was an enormous beast that wasn’t any smaller than the behemoth . But it didn’t move like it was dead . Crockta sensed that it was something evil like the legend . The behemoth had become a monster after eating it .
A terrible demonic energy was coming from the body . It was a darkness of an unprecedented depth that couldn’t be compared to the behemoth’s breath . It was the source that created the Forest of Creatures .
He had to get rid of it . If he could get rid of it, the behemoth would lose its unlimited power .
Crockta stepped forward . The demonic energy was like a swamp . Every movement was like walking through water resistance . Crockta firmly took a step forward . It seemed even bigger when he stood in front of it . What terrible thing would happen if this thing was alive? What was its identity?
Crockta stabbed the body with his greatsword . It entered without any resistance . Demonic energy emerged from the torn place . That density locked on Crockta .
“What is this…?”
At that moment . The Despairing Demon’s Belt responded, “You…?”
Suddenly, the child of darkness stood beside Crockta . It was the appearance of the demon that he found inside the belt . It didn’t care about Crockta as it stared at the body of the monster . Somehow it seemed sad .
‘Poor thing’ seemed to emerge from it . The demon raised a hand towards the monster’s body . A whisper was heard again .
‘Poor thing, Amon . ’
Then the demon looked at Crockta . Crockta faced him . The dark eyes stared at him . Then the demon nodded and disappeared .
At the same time, the steel teeth at his waist started rattling .
“What…?”
The Demon’s Mouth opened widely . It became wider, wider and wider . It was an unrealistic expansion . The greedy mouth was now bigger than Crockta . It felt like it could devour the entire cave .
The mouth swallowed the beast’s remains .
The steel teeth surrounded the monster’s huge body . There was a dull clang as the iron teeth closed . The Demon’s Mouth slowly pushed the remains of the monster inside, like a boa constrictor devouring its prey .
“……!”
The dead beast was being eaten by the Despairing Demon’s Mouth . The demonic energy shook . Crockta gritted his teeth . His body was screaming from the overload of demonic energy . His veins bulged .
But he wouldn’t lose .
Bul’tarrr──────!
Crockta shouted . His battle shout rang out in the darkness .
Bul’tarrrrrrr──────!
He shouted again . Crockta endured the pain surging through his entire body .
Some time passed . Crockta struggled for a while before he finally opened his eyes . There was nothing . The huge body and mouth that swallowed it had disappeared . Crocka stood alone in this wide cave .
He looked down at the belt around his waist .
“……!”
The belt had changed . In the place where the steel teeth touched together, horns had sprouted . It seemed to be gradually taking the form of a demon’s skull .
[The Despairing Demon’s Belt (Hero) has grown . ]
[You still can’t control the power of the belt . The power of the belt has been limited . ]
[The demon is sleeping . ]
The system messages popped up . Crockta felt like his whole body was full of an unknown power . Then the landscape changed .
***
Crockta stood within the Forest of Creatures again .
“Kuooooooooh!”
The behemoth’s roar could be heard . He looked back and saw that Shakan and the behemoth were still fighting . It seemed like Tiyo had returned as distinctively colorful magic power was striking the behemoth .
Crockta ran towards the battle scene .
Shakan’s arrow struck the behemoth’s body again . The behemoth’s body lurched . Little by little, flesh started falling off .
The behemoth twisted from the pain . Demonic aura emerged from the wound, but not as quickly as before . Tiyo’s magic bullet aimed towards the spot where the flesh fell off . The behemoth’s body shook .
It seemed to be troubled . After the Demon’s Mouth swallowed the remains of the dead beast, the behemoth lost the unrestrained magic that it had been enjoying until now .
They could win . Crockta’s forehead started burning .
[Combative Spirit (Essence) has been used . ]
[Your assimilation rate has risen . ]
Crockta jumped off the ground . He stepped on the behemoth’s tail and threw himself forward once again . The goal was the behemoth . Crockta jumped using all his strength while holding the greatsword . He used the weight of gravity to shove the greatsword deeply into the behemoth’s back .
Puoook!
The greatsword was stabbed up to its handle . The behemoth started experiencing spasms . Blood appeared on Crockta’s face . Crockta grabbed the Ogre Slayer and twisted it . It caused another wound . There was a terrible sound .
The screams of the beast shook the entire forest . The agitated behemoth opened its mouth .
The demonic energy of the forest converged into the behemoth’s mouth . It sucked in its breath . The behemoth was once again preparing the breath attack . Its goal was the enemy with arrows in front of it, Shakan .
Crockta hung on the behemoth’s back and looked at Shakan in front . Shakan didn’t try to avoid it . He just aimed his bow towards the front .
Shakan met Crockta’s gaze and laughed .
“Kuwooooooooh!”
Soon the darkness of the breath covered his face . Crockta’s vision was covered with darkness . The breath was bigger and stronger than before . The behemoth was squeezing out all of its power as a last resort .
At that moment . In a corner of the darkness, one bright spot flew . It was a beam of light .
Behemoth, the one who ruled the Forest of Creatures and divided the north from the rest of the continent . Then the darkness coming from the monster faded . The beam had gone straight through it .
Crockta witnessed the light penetrating the core of darkness . It was a clear penetration .
The source of the behemoth’s power had collapsed due to Crockta . It was the end of the behemoth .
Crockta rolled to the ground in the aftermath . The behemoth collapsed with the greatsword in it . He pulled it out . Dead blood flowed from it .
Crockta ran to Shakan .
“Shakan!”
Shakan was squirming in the middle of the land that had been swept away . Crockta approached . His eyes gazed far away before turning back to Crockta . His eyes were dim .
“Did…you see… . ”
He smiled . Crockta nodded . “It is the ultimate hunt . ”
“Cough, cough! Yes, this is Shakan…”
Crockta touched Shakan’s cheek .
He couldn’t bear to look down at the body . The area underneath Shakan’s belly had completely disappeared . The demonic energy in his body tried to heal him, but he gradually lost his vitality and went limp .
Shakan looked into the distance . Then he smiled .
“I did it, sons…Karina…” It was a warm voice . “A Shakan never leaves his enemies alive…”
He turned his head and said to Crockta . “Orc warrior…gnome…pretty good…”
Crockta nodded . The life in Shakan’s eyes gradually disappeared . They became out of focus . It was the sight of death . What did he see?
Crockta asked,“What is your name?”
Crockta wanted to remember his true name .
Shakan’s mouth rose . He whispered in a small voice, “Shakan . ”
Then his head fell down . The last Shakan hunter traversed death and entered the underworld as a nameless Shakan . The hunter who endured the pain for a long time to get revenge for his family . It was the death of a great man .
Crockta closed Shakan’s eyes .
“Crockta, you’re safe!”
Tiyo rushed over . His body was also tattered because he was caught in the breath . Tiyo became silent as he saw Shakan . The silent Crockta patted Tiyo’s shoulder .
[The quest to open the north has been completed . ]
[The north has been opened . ]
[The demonic energy blocking the north from the rest of the continent will gradually disappear .
[10 years remain until it is fully opened . ]
[50 years remain until all the demonic energy is completely removed . ]
[The name of the hero who opened the north will become widely known on the continent . ]
[The name of the one who opened the north, the orc warrior Crockta…]
Crockta opened his mouth as the system messages popped up .
“No . ”
Surprisingly, the output of system messages stopped .
“The name of the one who opened the north is Shakan . ” He spoke firmly, “The great hunter Shakan . ”
The system was silent for a moment . Then it surfaced again .
[I respect your will . ]
[The one who opened the north, the last of the Shakan Clan, the name of the great hunter Shakan will shake the continent . ]
[The entire continent will remember his name . ]
[The ‘Shakan Hunter’ class is opened to users . Once all the hidden conditions are met, the user can change to the hidden class ‘Shakan Hunter’ . ]
[The name of the one who opened the north is Shakan . ]
[The great hunter, Shakan . ]
Crockta nodded .
[I will keep watching your progress in the future . ]
***
“Oh, what brat! Who is it? Eh!”
This was the core of Elder Saga Corporation, the company that ran Elder Lord . It was the system control room that managed the core system ‘Albino . ’ Park Jujin, the manager of this place was frantically shouting .
“No! How? Whose assimilation rate…!”
“Team Leader, the lock on the system was just released!”
“Up to 90%!”
“It is unlocked…”
“I heard!”
Park Jujin was hysterical .
The system had once again become temporarily inaccessible . Albino’s answer was the same as before . A user broke through the 90% assimilation rate . Access was temporarily blocked for both the system and the user’s protection .
Park Jujin threw away the documents . The researchers ran away .
“Find that bastard!”
***
Zankus took a sip from the cup of alcohol . A campfire cast shadows on his face . Zankus was sharing a fire with travelers he met during a hunt . The travelers handed meat to Zankus . He nodded to express his thanks .
Then he heard the conversation between the travelers .
“The north was opened . Was it due to a hunter?”
“Yes . The last Shakan hunter . ”
“He caught a monster blocking access to the north . ”
Zankus’s eyebrows twitched . The travelers felt his gaze and looked up .
“Why, do you know him?” One of the travelers spoke in a friendly manner . They bumped into an orc hunter by chance but they had to maintain a minimum of courtesies . The orc was different from his appearance .
“A Shakan hunted the monster?”
“That’s right . ”
“What happened to the hunter?”
“The rumor is…” The traveler became nervous as he saw Zankus’ intense gaze . “He died with the monster…”
“……”
Zankus’s face distorted . Then he looked into the air and laughed . There was a complicated expression on his face .
“In the end…he did it and died…that person…”
“Did you know him?”
“At one time . ”
Zankus’ eyes became distant .
He was the most outstanding hunter Zankus knew . The Shakan hunter had been tougher than an orc, despite being human . He was the representative of tenacity . A hunter who aimed at his target, no matter what it took .
Zankus wanted to be just like that . So he aimed for that hunter’s back . Then he would be in a position to be praised by the hunter . But Zankus felt like the hunter’s back was still far away .
He heard the news that the hunter had entered the Forest of Creatures .
The traveler asked, “Was he also called Shakan? He was a really great person . ”
“That’s right . ”
Zankus spoke . “No . ”
“Huh?”
“His real name isn’t Shakan . ”
“Then…?”
Zankus shook the cup . He gazed into it and recalled his first meeting with the hunter .
Zankus had been a flamboyant young orc and looked down on the human . But he was defeated by him . When Zankus asked for his name with a feeling of admiration, the man became shy and avoided the answer .
His name was ridiculous . No one would believe that it was the name of the greatest hunter .
The travelers looked at Zankus with expectant eyes . Zankus laughed and opened his mouth, “His real name…”