Chapter 128 (2/2)

But the Orc Champion had been bothered by the disks the entire time. How could it not have put them into its calculations?

Kazuki was filled with despair. The moment Seol Jihu entered the attacking range of the Orc Champion; he would die without a doubt.

“FALL BACK!!”

Kazuki shouted at the top of his lungs, but Seol Jihu was charging forward from the moment Kazuki fired his arrow. He had even used the final charge of the Festina Earring.

And when the Orc Champion stopped retreating and suddenly shot forward, Seol Jihu was taken aback. He planned to chase after it and drill a hole in its chest with an Aurinfused thrust. However, the Orc Champion had closed the distance between them with a sinister smile.

As if it knew what Seol Jihu planned to do, it was clearly saying it would finish him off.

By the time Seol Jihu realized this, the Orc Champion was already making its move. It carefully watched where the white disks were being created and left leeway in its movements to change course.

Seol Jihu still couldn't read its attacks. However, he could guess what would happen next from the devastating wind pressure striking against him.

His head turned blank, and his eyes also became vacant.

“Ah….”

Just when he thought, 'This is it'….

[Don't forget. Training is a battle.]

A calm voice brushed past his head.

[Brat, stop trying to do things without a plan and use your head.]

[I told you not to move from that spot. But I never told you not to move at all.]

Seeing the Orc Champion's right arm swinging down, Seol Jihu ducked to the left.

[That's it.]

A sharp, p.r.i.c.kling sensation grazed past him. The Orc Champion still had the same bored look it did before. After all, it had more than one weapon. And as if to say, 'What's the point of dodging?' it swung down its other axe at the insect ducking down.

In reality, Seol Jihu didn't even know he barely dodged the first attack. And this time, he didn't even have the chance to see the Orc Champion's arm.

But he intuitively knew that the Orc Champion's attack wasn't over. After all, he could see Kazuki running toward him with a frightening face, and more importantly, he was feeling a clear, p.r.i.c.kling sensation on his neck.

Seol Jihu's head was empty. But just as he had learned and as his instincts led him… Seol Jihu instantly straightened his back halfway and ducked to the right reflexively.

Swis.h.!.+

Could this be what it felt like to have a fiercely spinning chain-saw graze past oneself?

[Good job.]

As chills ran down the backs of everyone watching, Kazuki stopped running. A look of shock spread across his face, enough to make him forget everything.

“What….”

The first attack was one thing, but the second follow-up attack should have been checkmate. No matter how he saw it, it should have been impossible to avoid.

Not only did the Orc Champion time it perfectly, but unless one had eyes behind their head, there was no way to tell which direction it was coming from.

However, the youth had dodged it. He had crossed over with an acrobatic movement and avoided the attack by a paper-thin margin.

Kazuki witnessed the entire scene, yet he was still full of doubts.

It was as if the youth had moved 'intuitively'….

“Could it be?”

Kazuki's jaw dropped.

'He learned Intuition?'

Even dodging Jang Maldong's wooden logs ten thousand times might not allow one to obtain this ability. Even among the gifted, it was said that only a small minority could obtain this marvelous ability.

If the onlookers were this surprised, how shocked would the involved parties be?

The Orc Champion, who now had both its arms crossed downward, looked confused. Its first attack had been a feint to draw out the white disk. It hadn't even considered the insect in front of it to dodge.

While both friend and foe were in states of disbelief, Seol Jihu was also wrapped up in a strange sensation. To be precise, he was feeling the wind that touched him while he dodged the Orc Champion's axes.

Just like when he was floating in the lake and feeling the flow of the water, he mindlessly focused on the current of wind sweeping past him.

[Flash Step is a technique in which you move instantly by using the elasticity that comes from bending your body like a bow…. Since it uses your entire body, you can say it's closer to a body technique than a foot technique.]

Coincidentally, his body had been bent.

[The key is to consume minimal energy.]

As if he was worried that this sensation would disappear, Seol Jihu roused his mana and controlled it subconsciously.

Dividing one large stream into dozens of smaller streams, he evenly spread them through his veins and meridians. Soon, when the streams connected together like a well-woven spider web, Seol Jihu's head shot up.

Past his droplets of sweat, he could see the Orc Champion looking down at him. A refined light flickered from Seol Jihu's eyes as he straightened his bent back.

Boom!

With an explosive sound, the spear Seol Jihu extended… no, his entire body shot forward.

Kkudeeeeeuk!

The Ice Spear penetrated the Orc Champion's armor and dug into its side. The monster's jaw dropped open.

Festina Earring and the explosiveness of Flash Step. Since the attack even came from such a short distance, not even the Orc Champion could react immediately.

When a sharp pain spread through its body, the monster grit its teeth rather than scream.

Not yet. Although an unexpected incident occurred, it hadn't lost. It could just endure an injury of this level. It still held onto its weapons, and the enemy was within its range. A weakling like a human should turn to meat paste if it just swung its axe.

The Orc Champion tried to raise its battle-axe, but its arm lagged. Before it noticed, the giant man had wrapped his chain around it and was pulling on it.

Keeeeeeeeu!

Refusing to give up, the Orc Champion threw away the axe in its right hand and grabbed the spear stuck in its body.

It was then… Suddenly, a blue spear filled its vision.

BOOM!

Blood spurted out from its nose. Seol Jihu's Mana Spear had tilted its chin up, so much so that its helmet flew off.

The Orc Champion even let go of the spear it held in its hand. With a near-dead huff, the monster dropped its head.

In the next moment, the Orc Champion saw the Ice Spear flickering with blue flames.

The Thrust.

A truly clean and beautiful thrust unraveled.

Psss.h.!.+

The tip of the spear pierced through the Orc Champion's solar plexus and exited through its back. The monster's neck wriggled, and blood spurted out from its mouth.

Strength escaped its lower body. Although its legs bent down, its fierce eyes were still alive. It no longer stared at the youth like some weakling. Almost as if to engrave the visage of the existence marking its end, the Orc Champion gazed at Seol Jihu swinging his spear.

Soon….

Its head separated from its body, shooting up into the air and then rolling on the ground.

Seol Jihu drew heavy breaths while staring at the slowly collapsing corpse with widened eyes.

Thud!

The muscular body fell to the ground and created a small rumbling. The Orc Champion had finally fallen.

And….

Confirming the death of one of their commanders, the Orc Warriors became disarrayed. This couldn't be helped. There was a clear difference between the Orc Warriors and the Orc Champions. Comparing them to a nation's army, they were foot soldiers and generals, respectively.

But the general receiving their absolute trust had just been executed by a mere thousand-man… no, a hundred-man commander. How could they not be shocked?

Not only did they falter back hesitantly, but some even dropped their weapons.

Kazuki clenched his fists. The moment Seol Jihu had dodged the Orc Champion's second attack, gooseb.u.mps shot up all over his body and he could no longer hold himself back.

“Seol…!!”

He shot his hand up.

“Carpe Diem's Seol Jihu has defeated the Orc Champion!!!”

And he shouted out loud.