LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 85
Chapter 85
“Ugh!”
“P-please spare me!”
“You monster… Ugh!”
Whenever a hunting team arrived, they were slaughtered in an instant.
By the time the team was nearly wiped out, a new group of hyenas would appear, and Elisa would step up again to draw aggro.
Then, they would be slaughtered again.
This simple and straightforward strategy continued to work.
Of course, as rumors spread, some tried to avoid attacking the orc at all costs.
But things didn’t always go as planned.
Even when they tried their best to ignore the orc, the orc would find a way to intervene and provoke an attack.
It wasn’t uncommon for the orc to sneak up on hiding players, tap their shoulders, and startle them into attacking.
“What kind of orc is this?”
“Is this even allowed for an orc!?”
“Wow, this is ridiculous. What does hitting an orc have to do with initiating combat?”
Every time Elisa successfully provoked an attack, Do-hyeon would appear and slaughter the aggressors.
How many times had this cycle repeated?
At some point, those who sought to capture Do-hyeon disappeared entirely.
Instead, the situation turned, and Do-hyeon used Elisa as bait to hunt down others for several minutes.
“Hey, you there. Are you planning to head to the Salt-Rock Forest?”
The Salt-Rock Forest had become deserted, with neither hyenas hunting Do-hyeon nor players seeking to hunt orcs.
This was due to a rumor that had spread across Brion.
“Beware of orcs. If you attack them, ‘he’ will appear.”
“They say he shows up anytime and anywhere. Remember, never attack an orc.”
A bizarre rumor had taken root: if you attack an orc, you die.
“Hey, are you going hunting? Don’t go now.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t know? If you attack an orc now, you’ll die instantly. They say corpses are piling up like mountains.”
“They say a mutant orc has appeared, and when you attack it, a monster rushes at you. You can’t take it down.”
“No, I heard that when the orc dies, it explodes like a bomb. It’s basically a suicide squad.”
As rumors tend to go, they became more exaggerated over time.
By the time they reached ordinary players, the stories bore little resemblance to the truth.
However, one consistent thread ran through all the bizarre rumors.
– Beware of the orcs.
It was advice commonly given to newcomers in Brion.
But at some point, that advice had morphed into something entirely different.
* * *
[Your level has increased.]
[You have acquired the quest material ‘Concentrated Orc Blood.’]
“Ah~.”
Do-hyeon couldn’t help but let out a sigh of satisfaction at the message announcing his level-up.
It wasn’t his first level-up today; it was his second.
This brought him to Level 29.
[Concentrated Orc Blood (50/50)]
[You have collected all the Concentrated Orc Blood.]
Conveniently, he had also just finished gathering all the required Concentrated Orc Blood.
As he hunted relentlessly, the main quest was nearly completed.
– Eliminate monsters near Brion (776/1,000)
At this rate, he would probably clear it by tomorrow.
[Explore the Salt-Rock Forest (0/1)]
All that remained was the exploration.
Had he been mindful of onlookers while hunting, it would have taken twice as long, but with no more interruptions, he could hunt in peace.
“Now this is what hunting should feel like. How refreshing.”
What a peaceful hunt it was.
Although a few players still watched from time to time, no one bothered him like before.
Not only that, but the loot he had gained from dealing with the challengers was substantial.
‘One shield and ten pieces of armor.’
He had collected a total of 11 pieces of equipment.
Most of them overlapped with his current gear, but they were lower-grade versions, so they would go to the auction house.
Not all of them were junk, though.
[Special Silver Shield crafted in a Custom Workshop]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description: A custom shield crafted from silver-iron, one of the rarest ores.
Silver, known since ancient times for its sacred properties, is said to retain holy power.]
[Level Requirement: 30]
[Usage Restriction: Shield Warrior Class]
[Defense: 110]
[Damage Reduction: 124~143]
[Durability: 90/100]
[Special Option: Successfully blocking three consecutive attacks increases defense by +30 for 90 seconds.]
The silver shield had dropped when he defeated the first challenger.
Its stats were superior to the standard silver-iron shield due to its 10-level higher requirement.
Moreover, unlike the silver-iron shield, which required mastery of holy power to fully utilize, the silver shield provided benefits to anyone who used it.
[Thousand Transformations devours the ‘Special Silver Shield crafted in a Custom Workshop.’]
[An already devoured weapon exists.]
[Would you like to replace the ‘Silver-Iron Shield’ with the ‘Special Silver Shield crafted in a Custom Workshop’?]
“Yep.”
[The ‘Special Silver Shield crafted in a Custom Workshop’ has been devoured.]
Without hesitation, Do-hyeon replaced the shield.
This was another advantage of Thousand Transformations.
When it devoured a new weapon, the previously devoured gear would be expelled, allowing for endless recycling.
[The ‘Silver-Iron Shield’ has been listed on the auction house.]
[Set for 24 hours.]
With his final piece of gear listed, a broad smile spread across Do-hyeon’s face.
‘I’ll have to suggest eating beef tonight.’
Once everything sold, he would probably make around 10 million won.
He had hunted, completed quests, earned money, and even secured content for his NewTube video.
It was truly killing four birds with one stone.
Do-hyeon looked at Elisa, who had taken on the appearance of an Orc, with satisfaction.
“Elisa, you’re my lucky charm.”
-LizaLiza!
All of this was thanks to Elisa’s parasitic ability.
When he first saw the parasitic trait, he had thought it was fascinating, but using it firsthand revealed its tremendous utility.
Especially for someone like Do-hyeon, who had many enemies.
This time alone, Elisa’s activity as an Orc had gotten rid of all those annoying small fry.
‘Well, I’d be terrified too. If a crazy Orc charged at me, landing a hit would count as a preemptive strike.’
If you didn’t engage, it was a problem; if you did, it was still a problem.
Even Do-hyeon would have been deterred from approaching.
‘But even taking that into account, isn’t it too quiet? It feels like the number of users has been cut in half.’
Although the disappearance was more excessive than anticipated, it wasn’t a bad thing.
As someone often in the public eye, this situation was more convenient for Do-hyeon.
“Elisa, but how long are you planning to stay transformed?”
-Liza? Liza!
-She said she’ll keep patrolling because you never know when more bad guys might show up.
“Hmm… I see. Thanks.”
Do-hyeon responded in a calm tone.
Though he found it admirable, the cute voice coming from that menacing face never ceased to throw him off.
No, just the voice alone would have been tolerable.
Given Elisa’s affectionate personality, she’d occasionally hop around and rub her head in delight… which, to her dismay, sometimes gave him goosebumps.
‘No, I have to bear this. She’s such a precious lucky charm.’
Do-hyeon brushed his forearm and shook his head, resolving himself.
If she got hurt and decided not to parasitize anymore, it would be his loss.
-Liza!
“Yeah, yeah…”
Do-hyeon stroked the large, bristly beard of the Orc rubbing against him and then looked away.
It wasn’t because he found it unbearable to watch.
There was a more pressing reason.
“It feels like I’ve scoured every corner, but the clear condition still isn’t met.”
No matter how vast the Salt-Rock Forest was, this much effort should have fulfilled the conditions.
He had ventured deep into areas where the fog was especially dense, yet there was no sign of a clear notification.
-There’s still a place you haven’t checked, master.
-Liza!
Elisa chimed in agreement with Jihad’s sudden interjection.
Yes, they were right.
‘There is one place left.’
To be precise, it wasn’t that he hadn’t checked—it was that he couldn’t.
[The aura of death is exceptionally thick.]
[A field boss will appear in the Salt-Rock Forest shortly.]
[Remaining time: 00:03:01]
The field boss hadn’t spawned yet.
Still, he thought simply exploring might complete the quest, like with the Raven Forest’s western region.
Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
As a message appeared at just the right time, Do-hyeon grinned.
“Perfect timing.”
-LizaLiza.
The field boss of the Salt-Rock Forest appeared amidst the dense fog.
This wasn’t a metaphor—it was literal.
The aura of death, a system designed to prevent excessive mob herding, grew thicker and generated an unusually dense fog.
And the field boss would emerge randomly from within it.
‘That’s the lore, at least.’
Even if you tried to game the system by deliberately herding mobs to increase the aura of death, the boss wouldn’t spawn unless it was the designated time.
But it wasn’t purely for show either.
If the aura of death wasn’t sufficiently accumulated, the boss genuinely wouldn’t appear, even when the time came.
Anyway, people had a nickname for Brion’s field boss.
-“Damn it, this RNG hell!”
The so-called field boss lottery.
For someone like Do-hyeon, who detested gambling, it was a nightmare.
But today, Do-hyeon was different.
“Hoo… hoo hoo… hoo hoo hoo…”
-…Elisa, don’t look. It’s dangerous.
-Liza…
Even Jihad found the sight unsettling, and Elisa agreed with a nod.
The cunning laughter that made even his companions uneasy.
As usual, their master was being himself, and Do-hyeon had no other choice.
[Remaining time: 00:01:58]
[Conditions fulfilled.]
When the countdown entered its final minute, a notification appeared.
[The trait ‘Slayer’ is activated.]
[A nearby boss has been detected.]
[The field boss, ‘Death Orc Warrior,’ is revealed.]
The activation of the Slayer trait marked the boss’s location on his minimap.
What was once an RNG encounter became a certainty for Do-hyeon.
‘Is this the joy of using map hacks?’
In the past, he couldn’t understand why people used map hacks in Craft Star, but now he got it.
How could anyone resist such a sweet advantage?
‘The location isn’t close, but…’
It seemed he could make it in time if he sprinted at full speed.
With a smirk, Do-hyeon turned and started running.
He used every chance to employ stealth and dashes, covering ground at incredible speed for dozens of seconds.
[Remaining time: 00:00:05]
Thanks to his absurd pace, impressive for someone at level 29, he reached the destination just in time.
-Huff, huff… M-Master, too fast…
-LizaLiza…
Poor Jihad, who had been following behind, was gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Elisa, who had detached herself and ridden comfortably on Do-hyeon’s shoulder, patted Jihad’s head sympathetically.
Regardless, Do-hyeon’s attention was fixed on the barren ground before him.
The location marked on the boss indicator was precisely where he now stood.
In five seconds, the boss would emerge.
[An Orc Warrior, drawn by the aura of death, appears.]
[Field Boss, ‘Death Orc Warrior,’ has spawned.]
Ssssssshhhhh-!
Just as he expected, a loud roar accompanied the notification.
If the previous Orcs’ growls were akin to pressure cookers, this was more comparable to a locomotive.
Its appearance was just as overwhelming.
Hiss…
Standing at least 250cm tall, with a frame over 1.5 times that of a regular Orc.
Even ordinary Orcs, unarmed, were intimidating—but this boss, as a field boss, was clad in armor.
At least it wasn’t fully armored, showing some sense of fairness.
It resembled a barbarian warrior more than a medieval knight.
Its shoulders, vital points, and head were protected by armor, but that alone exuded an oppressive aura.
Creak-.
Its weapon, far larger than the double axes wielded by typical Orcs, was so massive it dragged along the ground.
While anyone else would have been paralyzed with tension, Do-hyeon wasn’t even looking at it.