Chapter 88 – Placing the Accent (1)

The Orc ignored Kubar’s fist and counterattacked.

The axe bared its teeth like a beast and became a sawtooth, biting into Kubar’s body. However, it could not penetrate Kubar’s skin, which had hardened like steel.

The two attacked while disregarding defense. The fist and the axe struck each other. The aftermath tore apart the surrounding demonic beasts.

“Have you forgotten the Elder Orc’s teachings?”

At those words, the Orc flinched. Kubar shouted again.

“To think that the end you reached was only there, how trivial.”

Kubar’s fist lodged into the Orc’s abdomen. The Orc staggered for the first time. Kubar’s fist stabbed his solar plexus once again.

The Orc was pushed back, wielding two axes simultaneously. The axes opened their mouths, aiming for Kubar’s neck.

Kubar grabbed the axe handle with his hand and exerted strength.

He could not snatch it away. This axe was not a tool, but a part of the body connected to this demonic-beastified Orc.

So he twisted it.

The Orc’s body began to tilt. Something like an expression arose on his face. However, a black energy rose up and covered his face.

As their contest of strength continued, Kubar slammed his head into the opponent’s face.

He felt the sensation of a solid hit.

Kubar repeatedly struck the abdomen with his fist again. The Orc’s body floated into the air. Kubar continued to strike upward.

With every single blow, the ground behind them was dug out by the aftermath.

A bizarre scream resonated.

However, Kubar felt an ominous premonition. It did not feel like he was accumulating damage. It felt as if he could not destroy the opponent’s fundamental part.

Then at some point, the opponent’s axe bit into Kubar’s neck.

“Ugh!”

Kubar raised his martial fighting spirit to protect his neck and backed away. The Orc did not miss the gap, wielding the axe.

The axe rotated at a bizarre angle, continuing to aim for Kubar’s neck.

Kubar raised his martial fighting spirit and shook them all off.

A temporary lull ensued.

He caught a glimpse of the direction Se-min was in. He was continuing to clash with the human composed of a black silhouette.

“Are you alright!”

Kubar shouted out once in vain. Se-min glanced at Kubar and waved his hand. It meant to mind his own business.

Kubar smirked. Indeed, that Emperor was not a person he needed to worry about.

This time, he looked toward Kububu. The fellow, who had not been born long, was running away wildly while bursting the demonic beasts.

“Doing well.”

Kubar now looked at the Orc in front of him again. Black airflow flowed out, covering most of his body, and in the remaining part, the demonic beast’s unique tentacles and slimy skin were hideously entangled.

Two eyes flashing in the darkness, and another two pairs of eyes on the axe-shaped parasites extending from the Orc’s hands—a total of six eyes were shining toward Kubar.

“What is your name?”

The Orc did not answer.

“Didn’t you also have a name in the past? What was it?”

An axe flew in instead of an answer.

It opened its mouth, baring sawtooth-like teeth. Kubar struck the axe away directly with his fist. The teeth shattered and flew through the air.

Kubar let out a battle cry.

The Orc’s battle cry awakened the battlefield.

Kubar leaned back, then struck the Orc’s jaw with a fist fully loaded with rotational force and martial fighting spirit. The Orc went flying up.

He approached the fellow while clenching and opening his fists.

The head portion had been completely destroyed and vanished.

“Weak.”

Kubar spat.

“Since you are not an Orc, I will not treat you as one. Trash.”

And he turned his body to walk over and help Se-min.

The demonic beasts did not dare approach him, retreating backward.

While Kubar was chuckling subtly, pondering how to tease Se-min when joining him, he suddenly felt an ominous energy and stopped his steps.

“Not dead yet?”

Acrid darkness was now rising from the spot where the Orc had been lying.

The Orc’s body completely turned into darkness. It was an appearance no different from Han Su-in. Kubar frowned.

“If you want to continue fighting…”

However, the Orc did not deal with Kubar any longer.

It rushed in the direction where Kububu was.

“……!”

Kubar pursued reflexively. However, the fellow was faster. The Orc snatched the fleeing Kububu from behind.

The two tangled together and rolled on the ground.

As the dust cleared, Kububu was suppressed by the Orc.

The Orc’s two axes were aimed at Kububu’s neck and heart.

“Kububu!”

[Ugh…]

The black airflow emitting from the Orc continued to pressure Kububu. Kububu groaned in pain.

Kubar’s face distorted. His martial fighting spirit flared up like fire.

“Have you fallen that far?”

Kubar spoke. The Orc did not answer. Instead, his face composed of darkness split open long, making an expression as if laughing.

“Put that fellow down. He is young. He was born not long ago.”

As if mocking Kubar, the Orc tormented Kububu even harder instead. The pain-filled mental wave grew larger.

“You bastard…”

[Kneel.]

Kubar opened his eyes wide.

It was the Orc’s voice, heard for the first time. However, the content made Kubar enraged beyond measure.

[Otherwise, this kid gets hurt.]

There were no Orcs who took hostages and threatened. Such ideas were not permitted to Orcs.

Without even going as far as a practitioner, even a young Orc who has just begun to walk despises such cowardice. That was how Orcs were born to be.

However, look at that sight.

[I speak again. Kneel.]

One side of the axe bit one of Kububu’s arms. Kububu flailed his body.

Perhaps the fellow’s grip strength was growing stronger, as Kububu’s arm was seen beginning to be gouged. Something like stone crumbs fell down.

Kubar knelt on his knees.

Then the demonic beasts approached.

As the Orc gestured, the demonic beasts pounced on Kubar.

Teeth, claws, and all sorts of things began to attack Kubar’s body. There was a limit to what his martial fighting spirit could block. Kubar’s body began to be dyed with blood.

Even Se-min, who was fighting in the distance, let out a shout.

“What are you doing!”

Kubar tried to answer, but could not open his mouth as he was struck in the abdomen by a demonic beast.

Grasping the situation, Se-min tried to shake off Han Su-in. However, it was not easy. Se-min spat out curses.

Han Su-in did not miss this opportunity.

[Emperor. You stop too. Otherwise, that kid gets hurt.]

“Ha, do you really go that far?”

[I will not say more. Stop.]

“Damn it.”

Se-min had no intention of just taking hits quietly like Kubar. If necessary, he would discard Kububu too.

His top priority was to kill Badurbarok, and for that, Se-min himself must first be safe.

However, now even Kubar was in danger.

What a frustrating bastard.

Se-min stopped his attack for now and scanned the situation.

It was then.

[Stop!]

As Kubar continued to be beaten, Kububu shouted. A strong mental wave spread out, ringing in their heads.

[I said stop!]

Kububu’s voice gradually grew louder.

[Shut your mouth. If you resist, that fellow will only be in more pain.]

By the Orc’s gesture, the attacks of the demonic beasts grew fiercer. Kububu made a louder sound.

[Stooooop!]

[Shut your mou…]

Kububu’s outcry soon became a scream.

[Aaaaaargh!]

The gaze of the area gathered on Kububu.

Telepathy was shaking their heads. The Orc squeezed Kububu tightly, but it was to no avail. The resonance soared high into the sky.

The area began to vibrate.

Han Su-in shouted.

[Block it! That must not leak out!]

Kububu’s telepathy was growing larger and larger.

The outcry felt as if it would reach the mountain range.

The Orc strangled Kububu in panic, but it was not the kind of thing that came out through the throat.

Kububu distorted his face, shrieking even harder. The mental wave grew larger and larger.

The whole world began to ring.

[Block it!]

[Shut up!]

[Aaaaaargh!]

Kububu did not stop.

Han Su-in rushed toward Kububu. The figures of Han Su-in, Kububu, and the Orc crossed, and a single blade sliced Kububu.

The outcry stopped.

Han Su-in spoke as he sheathed his sword.

[We must absolutely not let the Ogres know.]

Kububu did not move any longer. The Orc let go of Kububu.

Kubar saw Kububu’s body split into two pieces and slide down.

The hacked body of the young Ogre lay strewn on the floor.

“Kububu?”

Kubar shouted, trying to raise his body, but was blocked by the demonic beasts. He floundered on the floor and shouted.

“Kububu!”

Even Se-min lost his words.

Han Su-in sneered.

[What’s the big deal about one Ogre dying? The Ogres who participated in the ancient war all died. Since they were with you, it would have eventually turned out this way anyway, so think of it as dying a little earlier than it would have.]

Se-min gripped Lupus in rage.

However, now Kubar was the hostage.

Se-min hesitated.

[If you want to fight, I won’t stop you… but this fellow will die first.]

“You sons of bitches…”

Se-min gripped Lupus and trembled.

It was at that moment.

Suddenly, Se-min looked at the sky.

Something shone.

There was no way stars would be visible in broad daylight.

He thought so.

However, the shining things gradually increased.

Han Su-in, who was watching Se-min, also detected the anomaly and raised his gaze.

Stars, unhidden by sunlight, rose countlessly above the blue sky.

“What on earth is this…”

Next, the ground began to tremble.

The earth vibrated. It was an earthquake rising from deep within the earth’s axis.

The demonic beasts lost their balance and fell. Han Su-in floated into the air, looking around in all directions.

[What on earth is…]

Subsequently, a roar as if the world were collapsing resounded.

Se-min turned around.

Everyone stared at one spot.

It was the Starlight Mountain Range.

Se-min lost his words.

A giant shadow cast upon the earth.

***

There were not many Ogres who participated in the ancient war. Only a small number of Ogres who had a close relationship with the previous Emperor agreed to fight Badurbarok.

They died and returned to the soil.

An Ogre dying by another’s hand was originally something that did not happen.

Ogres were all born in the Starlight Mountain Range and set in the Starlight Mountain Range. No one touched Ogres in the Starlight Mountain Range.

In the Starlight Mountain Range where numerous Ogres lived, there was no existence bold enough to dare attack them.

Thus, this was the first time an Ogre was killed in front of the Starlight Mountain Range.

Moreover, it was a young Ogre who had just been born.

“What on earth is that…”

Ogres who fell into deep thought became rocks, sinking into their inner selves for endless time.

To awaken them, a stimulus was needed.

Just as Se-min’s Cosmic Flow had awakened Mukudu, something to shake their hearts was needed.

And the death of the young Ogre was sufficient to awaken someone who had been asleep for a very long time.

“Could it be that what I was looking for…”

Se-min muttered.

He could not believe the sight he was seeing.

The Starlight Mountain Range.

The lofty mountain where he had stayed.

Was standing up.

It began to descend along the mountain range. With every step it took, the earth vibrated. Because it was so tall, its face portion was not even visible.

As a giant of a scale he had never imagined appeared, Se-min simply shook his head, lacking any sense of reality.

[…….]

Han Su-in also lost his words.

Even though he was composed of pitch-black darkness, an expression as if he were flustered and did not know what to do seemed to show.

Soon, the giant existence stood before them. The demonic beasts surrounding the mountain range, and even the Gaigatuses, retreated backward.

He spoke via telepathy.

[You.]

It was by no means loud. Yet it was not quiet either.

His voice was distributed to everyone at the same volume.

At the infinite energy flowing from the Ogre, Se-min shuddered.

[Committed a sin.]

Star.

And earth.

The giant standing tall between them.

The demigod awakened from a long sleep.