Chapter 82 – Temple of the Dragon (3)

Although the Orcs were undertaking a desperate great escape, not everyone escaped the Sea of Trees safely.

The demonic beasts ambushed and attacked the Orcs in various places.

Numerous individuals collapsed with their windpipes torn apart by the teeth of the demonic beasts.

Each death gave anger to the survivors.

“I will not forget.”

Biar, an Orc who had been living quietly in the Grand Marino Sea of Trees, left his companions behind and ran forward.

To him, war was a distant story.

Neither the ancient war in which all races supposedly united and shed blood, nor the tyranny of Badurbarok who held the world in his hands, struck a chord with him. He had believed that he would set up his own small fortress in the Grand Marino Sea of Trees and live a peaceful life.

Anger surged.

A weapon was held in his hand. He was an Orc. A natural-born hunter, and a warrior since birth.

The fence of the Sea of Trees had only made him forget it for a moment; the nature flowing in his bloodlines had never disappeared.

And it awakened in the worst possible way.

The neighboring Orcs died, and their families were slaughtered. The demonic beasts rushed in greedily with flesh in their mouths. Hanging inside a demonic beast’s maw was the head of an Orc with eyes closed.

For the first time, he swung his weapon out of pure anger.

The demonic beasts were slaughtered.

[Those bastards are destroying our homeland. We are Orcs. Orcs do not forget a grudge. We will kill Badurbarok and reclaim the world.]

The voice of Maktar, who was famous as the master of a fortress, echoed through the Sea of Trees.

Biar agreed with his will with his entire body.

He had to escape the Sea of Trees first. The body of a giant demonic beast was approaching beyond the dense forest.

The words that that thing would explode and the Grand Marino Sea of Trees would disappear rang in his ears.

One had to survive to take revenge.

However, the numbers were too many. He had never fought such a blood-splattered hand-to-hand combat. The teeth and claws of the demonic beasts were aiming for him from all directions. His mind was worn down by tension.

Recalling the faded eyes of the dead, he summoned his will.

He charged once again. The formation of the demonic beasts was destroyed. He dashed toward the outside, swinging his axe in all directions.

Every time the axe caught on sharp and hard things, the impact returned. His muscles ached as if they were going to tear. Biar raised his eyes and scanned the surroundings.

Between the bushes, between the shadows, the bodies of the demonic beasts were appearing. He was surrounded once again. An immense number approached him, drooling.

“Revenge.”

He thought of that word.

If he was going to die without taking Badurbarok’s head, taking these demonic beast bastards with him as companions on the road to death would be the greatest revenge. Once he thought so, fear vanished.

Biar let out a shout and raised his martial fighting spirit.

Just as he was about to carry out that final charge.

The demonic beasts began to collapse like dominoes. The cool light of weapons swept through the green forest.

“Find the survivors! We are escaping the Sea of Trees!”

A group of Orcs executed the demonic beasts in perfect order. The old Orc shouting at the front was a face he also knew well.

Galatur.

The one who possessed the largest fortress in the Grand Marino Sea of Trees.

He, who had huddled in his fortress and rarely active, stepped forward himself. Every time he swung his sword, a storm-like martial fighting spirit swept the area.

“Young Orc, what is your name?”

Galatur approached.

“Biar.”

The demonic beasts were wiped out in an instant.

The combat capability of the structured Orc army was overwhelming.

“Biar, the Sea of Trees will be destroyed. What will you do now?”

There was only one answer.

Biar spoke as he shook the blood off his axe.

“Revenge.”

“Is that so?”

Galatur smiled faintly. The wrinkles carved by time locked together, casting a deep shadow.

He was an old Orc.

However, what time had taken from him was only the vitality of his skin.

Galatur raised his sword. The muscles of his sturdy arms bulged. They were several times the thickness of a normal Orc’s.

“Let us go.”

Galatur began to walk toward the outside of the Sea of Trees. His back, walking while dragging his blood-stained greatsword, looked exceptionally large.

The Orcs following him began to walk. Biar also advanced toward the outside of the Sea of Trees with them.

As if sending them off, the blood-stained trees of the Sea of Trees fluttered in the wind and shook their branches all at once.

***

Light flashed in the sky.

For a brief moment, it illuminated the world and faded.

It was such an instant that if one had happened to blink, they might have missed it without noticing.

Se-min slowly withdrew Lupus.

Han Su-in’s lower body had vanished. If he had been human, he would have died, but he was now nothing more than a demonic beast composed of darkness.

Han Su-in looked down at his body and clicked his tongue.

[Impressive.]

“It’s not over yet, so pick a new set of last words.”

The condition of Se-min, who spoke so, was not normal either.

His entire body creaked so much that he could not keep it steady. However, he raised Lupus. He resolved to completely finish off Han Su-in.

[We will meet again.]

“I am going to heaven, so we won’t ever meet, will we?”

Han Su-in pointed to the ground. Se-min looked in the direction he pointed. The Gaigatuses were almost reaching the center of the Sea of Trees there.

After a slow and honest advance, they had finally reached their target.

[The Grand Marino Sea of Trees ends today.]

Se-min’s gaze sank.

He too had lost Earth. Many things had been destroyed.

The end of something always brought a complex feeling that could not be expressed in words. It was so tangled up that even Se-min did not know what the concrete form of that emotion was.

That tangled thread could only be untangled by Badurbarok’s death.

“How about you end too?”

[Unfortunate, but I cannot do that.]

Se-min looked at Han Su-in. His entire body had recovered before he knew it. He was so perfectly fine that Se-min flinched inwardly.

[Next time, let us see the end.]

He spoke so and slowly drifted away.

Se-min stepped forward to pursue him, but the speed of Han Su-in retreating backward was faster. Even if he tried to catch him, he could not.

Se-min slowly reduced his speed. Han Su-in’s black silhouette began to grow faint.

[Behold the end of the Grand Marino Sea of Trees.]

“Are you fleeing?”

[You too will face the same fate.]

Han Su-in vanished.

Se-min’s sword pierced the spot where he had vanished.

He was a beat too late.

Se-min looked around in the sky, but Han Su-in was not seen. He tried to release his aura to shake the area, but nothing was caught.

Se-min let out a sigh and looked down at the Grand Marino Sea of Trees again.

Did everyone escape safely?

Perhaps some might die.

Se-min curled his hand around the handle of Lupus. He had prepared his mind. Even if he lost someone, he would not grieve until he killed Badurbarok.

Soon, something flashed.

That was the beginning.

A flash of light dyed the world.

Se-min raised Lupus and deployed an aura barrier. The light was too bright to look straight ahead.

Tinnitus filled the world.

Se-min increased his aura’s output to protect his body even more strongly.

As the intensity of the light grew fierce, soon a mushroom-shaped cloud of dust billowed beyond it.

Se-min turned around. The mushroom cloud continued to grow. Soon the flash vanished, and thick smoke filled the world. It swept the area like a demon’s grasp, then slowly faded.

What remained was a ruin.

The Grand Marino Sea of Trees that had covered the earth’s surface was deleted in an instant.

A crater was created at the spot where the explosion began, and the area was dyed black as red-hot embers crackled.

It took only a moment for the green earth to turn into a black and red color.

Se-min could not believe that the Sea of Trees he had been looking down at just a moment ago had vanished in an instant.

It was a cruel scene close to a nuclear explosion.

“……”

He wanted to say some sarcastic words, but they didn’t come out, so Se-min simply lowered his altitude slowly.

He looked around.

Nothing like a survivor or an unfortunate Orc he had to help could be found.

There was only death and silence.

He could not even guess how many lives had breathed their last.

He worried about the land of the practitioners hidden underground. Since the Elder Orc had isolated the dimension, he only hoped there would be no major impact.

Se-min expanded his senses. The presence of Orcs was felt beyond the explosion radius. Although they were scattered here and there, a larger number than expected had survived.

Relieved, Se-min flew toward a nearby group.

“Is everyone alright?”

There stood Shozen, Gullard, and Kaorak. They were in a mess because of the aftermath of the explosion.

“We are fine.”

Shozen spoke. He didn’t even think to brush off the dust, staring blankly at the place where the Grand Marino Sea of Trees had been.

The land where he had stood just a moment ago had completely vanished. The forest that had been vast enough to be called a Sea of Trees had evaporated in an instant.

Se-min patted his shoulder.

The state of the rest was no different from Shozen’s. In particular, the Orcs were completely frozen in place, unable to move. Se-min scanned them once and spoke.

“Kaorak.”

“What is it?”

“Since you seem to have the clearest mind, take good care of the guys. I will look around other places and come back.”

“Understood.”

“Good luck.”

Kaorak clapped his hands to change the mood. Leaving that scene behind, Se-min visited the Orcs scattered outside the Sea of Trees one by one. Everyone was devastated. They would need time to sort out their feelings.

Se-min eventually met Kubar.

“Kubar!”

“Emperor.”

He was burned and soot-covered here and there, but his eyes were still clear.

“I’m glad you are safe.”

“Same to you.”

“Where is Maktar?”

“He is…”

Kubar gave a bitter smile.

“He is mourning the Orcs, and Kebalar.”

Understanding those words, Se-min swallowed his words.

Maktar’s back, standing far away, was visible. Beside him stood young Orcs.

Se-min approached.

“Maktar.”

“Emperor.”

His voice was low.

“Kebalar is…”

“Dead.”

His voice was calm.

“It was an end befitting of him. It is said that he could not escape the explosion because he was facing the demonic beasts alone to help the young Orcs escape.”

Se-min looked in the direction he was staring at alongside him.

There was nothing.

In the end, Se-min was a stranger, and it had not been long since he stayed in the Grand Marino Sea of Trees. In a way, it could be said that Se-min was the one who induced this disaster. Therefore, he could not guess what Maktar was looking at.

He simply placed a hand on Maktar’s shoulder.

He felt regret.

But he did not apologize.

That would be postponed until he killed Badurbarok.

“Emperor.”

“Maktar.”

“Are you confident in persuading the remaining two races?”

Se-min nodded.

“By whatever means.”

“Are you confident in killing Badurbarok?”

“Even if I must sacrifice everything.”

“Swear it.”

He did not turn his eyes from the place where the Sea of Trees had vanished.

“Swear that you will kill that bastard, Emperor.”

Se-min did not hesitate.

“I swear it. I will surely kill that bastard.”

“Then I too shall swear.”

Maktar spoke.

“Until Badurbarok is killed, I, Maktar, will stand with you as Warchief.”

Se-min felt his shoulders trembling.

Se-min slung his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. The massive frame of the large Orc easily came into his embrace.

Maktar grit his teeth and spoke again.

“I swear.”

“Right.”

“I will not forget today.”

“I will not forget either.”

The Emperor of humans and the Warchief of Orcs leaned against each other like that, relying on one another for a while.