Chapter 127 (2/2)

KUOOOOOOOO!

KUOOOOOOOO!

Two terrifying howls resounded in the plaza. Because of the enclosed area, the Orc Champions' roars echoed frighteningly. Just their screams delivered an ear-splitting and skin-slicing pain, causing everyone to scowl. Because of the endlessly continuing howls, a few people even failed to carry their weight and staggered.

Seol Jihu furrowed his brows at the unpleasant sensation of his brain shaking. But in the next moment, he found his mind and body calming down.

This wasn't because of his Ice Spear's calming effect. What he was feeling wasn't the spear shaft's coldness. Instead, a warm energy was traveling through him and soothed his tense body.

Seol Jihu let out the breath he had been holding in. Then, he heard a soft chant. Turning around subconsciously, he saw the robed Priest reaching out toward him and chanting quietly.

The howls stopped. Seol Jihu realized that the invisible barrier disappeared.

“They're coming,” Kazuki muttered briefly.

Immediately, the Orc Archers all raised their bows and nocked their arrows. In return, the human Archers fired their arrows, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

The arrows from each side crossed paths before raining down like a sudden shower.

The Orcs all got on one knee behind their s.h.i.+elds, while the Priests also cast the barrier they had readied. As both sides had been prepared for this exchange, none got injured.

However, this was only the signal for the start of battle.

Krrrrrng! Orc Warriors shot up as the Orc Champions raised their war battle-axes. When they began to march forward, maintaining their initial formation, the humans also roared and shot forward.

Finally, a seven-front battle started.

In front of Seol Jihu were 18 Orcs. After running in with his s.h.i.+eld out in front, he extended his spear at the nearing Orcs.

Before his spear made contact, one Orc Warrior tilted its s.h.i.+eld slightly, parrying the attack and pus.h.i.+ng the spear away. Seol Jihu was startled by the Orc's delicate technique but soon regained his composure.

He might have let go of his spear in the past, but he was different now.

He grit his teeth, tightened his grip on the spear shaft, and swung down.

Chweeeek! When the blade of his spear severed the Orc's helmeted head in half, the Orc dropped his s.h.i.+eld. However, before he could enjoy the pleasant sensation on his hand, several spears flew forward from behind the falling Orc.

Seol Jihu was about to quickly fall back when several small disks radiating white light covered him, and they flung away the spears that were about to skewer him. Even Seol Jihu was surprised when he saw this.

That had been the first time he saw so many barriers generated at once.

That wasn't all. The Orcs that were about to attack again froze.

'Movement freezing!'

Seol Jihu didn't miss this opportunity. He stabbed his spear into the neck of a struggling Orc, and then sliced off the head of a teeth-bearing Orc standing next to it.

Even as he continued to swing his spear, he couldn't hide his shock. The barriers were one thing, but fighting such powerful Orcs for a long period of time seemed impossible without a terrifying amount of mana.

'As long as they stay like this….'

There was no easier target than one frozen still. Seol Jihu accurately aimed for their vital spots, and the once-confident Orcs dropped like flies.

Seol Jihu had sent four Orcs to the River Styx just like that, but his attacking paused in the next moment.

It wasn't that something happened to him.

He only felt a stimulating glare. However, that was enough to make him feel a terrifying pressure.

He quickly fell back, distancing himself from the Orcs. As soon as he looked around, his body froze stiff.

From nearby, the Orc Champion was staring at him fixedly. Now that he was looking at it up close, it looked even bigger than before.

Right, the pressure it gave off was truly overwhelming.

It felt like just staring at it made his bladder crumple up. Moreover, its crimson eyes dyed in madness retained great curiosity at the human warrior slaughtering its subordinates.

The monster grinned and pointed its dual battle-axes at him. Seol Jihu reflexively raised his spear. Next, the Orc Champion took a step forward. It was then—

Boom-!

From a single leap, an air-severing sound exploded out. In a split second, the Orc Champion got within an arm's reach of Seol Jihu. It spread its arms out and leapt forward like a leopard.

Kakang, kakang! Sharp noises struck his ears. Terrified out of his senses, Seol Jihu darted back before even figuring out what happened.

No, it was more correct to say he was 'pushed back'.

'How?'

However, the Orc Champion continued to charge forward as if it refused to give the youth any time to think. What drove Seol Jihu even crazier was that he was retreating in a straight line, while the Orc Champion was chasing him in a zigzag. Even so, the distance between them wasn't getting any wider.

The Orc Champion's movements didn't suit its huge body at all.

Taking irregular footsteps left and right, it struck with its dual axes haphazardly. The constant flas.h.i.+ng of the axes made Seol Jihu's mind reel.

'Keuk!'

He put strength into his eyes and barely managed to grasp the situation. The white disks had protected his body multiple times from the Orc Champion's lethal attacks. When he thought about how he would be minced meat without the white disks, he felt a chill run down his back.

'He's strong.'

Krrrr!

The monster suddenly stopped charging and turned its dissatisfied gaze to the center. It knew it could have finished off the human warrior. Since the white disks were hindering it at crucial moments, it couldn't help but get irritated.

When it turned back to Seol Jihu again, it wore an apathetic expression like it was looking at a small fry. Almost as if it was done with Seol Jihu with the previous exchange, it frowned with a bothersome look before letting out a short roar.

Wiing, wiing, wiing! Blade-like winds shot out from the battle-axe in its right hand. Just as Seol Jihu barely fixed his posture, he felt himself trembling from the sharp wind.

He shook off his fear with effort and focused on the enemy in front of him.

But how was he supposed to beat it?

The difference in their physical level didn't need to be mentioned, and he could hardly read its attacks. Still, he refused to be pushed around endlessly.

Thud, thud. Seeing the giant body running forward, he summoned the Blessing of the Circ.u.m and, with a side-step, extended his spear in a sweeping manner. He planned to use the Orc Champion's straight charge against itself, but the Orc Champion perked up its brows and snorted.

Thwack!

The moment a dull impact struck the spear shaft, Seol Jihu's arms were pushed backward along with his body.

He was stunned, both physically and mentally.

Never mind the pain seemingly tearing his hands apart; it wasn't as if he let his guard down. He had given it his all. But a single, terrifying blow had paralyzed his arms and left his mind stunned.

Then, before he could do anything…

Boom!

An explosive sound rang out on his face.