Cha Hae-In sighed as she stared at the blue gate in front of her. She had encountered Sung Jin-Woo in yesterday's raid when he was standing in front of the dungeon's boss with a weapon in his hand. However, she could only see it briefly before it disappeared into thin air. Following the same night, she called an informant to find his identity but couldn't get anything beside the fact that his information was secured tightly by the higher-ups. Apparently, she was not the only one who asked about him.
'He's not here? Did he already quit the mining job?'
"Hunter Cha wasn't today your day off?" The mining team's leader asked.
"Hello. By any chance... did hunter Sung Jin-Woo come out today?"
"Mr. Sung just entered the dungeon as a porter..."
"A porter? You're saying that he went through the gate?" Hae-In repeated in shock. 'An E-rank hunter entered an A-rank dungeon by volunteering as a porter? We only have one life. What was he thinking?'
"I'll have to go inside the gate."
"Huh... is there some sort of a problem? Should we call the guild for reinforcement?"
"No, it's a personal matter. You don't have to worry." Hae-In subconsciously clenched her hand, realizing that she didn't bring a weapon together with her. "Is it possible to borrow a weapon from you?"
"Hey, bring over some equipment for her."
Hae-In stared at the pickaxe in her hands blankly. "Is there... anything else?"
"Anything else...?"
"Like a sword or a spear."
"Asking for something like that from us is..." The mining team's leader awkwardly trailed off.
They were only working as miners and weapons were also expensive to buy.
"I'll be fine. I'll just go in like this."
Hae-In turned on her heel and stared at the gate for a while.
"Hunter Cha, do you really plan on going in empty-handed?"
Hae-In flinched visibly. She turned back, took the pickaxe from the man and bowed down politely.
"You made the right decision. It's better than leaving empty-handed, right?" He chuckled lightly.
"Thank you..." Hae-In felt embarrassed as she ran back to enter the gate.
.....
The hunters were brought into a grand and luxurious hall. On both of their sides were hundreds of High Orcs lined up, their height towering above them as they triumphed upon seeing the humans' arrivals. The High Orcs were looking at them with eyes filled with bloodlust and malice. Seeing their unhidden desire to massacre them, the hunters trembled.
Sitting on the throne at the end of the hall, was a High Orc with a bone mask. Two High Orcs were standing on each of his side, glaring down at them.
"Humans, welcome."
'If all these High Orcs end up escaping outside the gate...! They'll be able to destroy a small city even before the main hunter force can arrive.' Ki-Hoon glared at the monster sitting on the throne. 'At the very least, we'll have to eliminate the boss! The four guards aren't pushover either. Will we be able to get pass the guards and kill the sorcerer in one swoop?'
The hunters behind Ki-Hoon prepared their fighting stances.
'When Son hyung sends the signal,'
'All at once!'
'we'll target the sorcerer!'
"Do you fear me? Humans." Kargalgan took off his bone mask, revealing blue stripes on his red skin.
The hunters trembled, as though big stones were pushing them down from the pressure emitted by the dungeon boss's magical energy.
'M-my God...'
'How can he have such powerful magical energy?'
'We have to fight someone like that?'
Their faces turned paler as beads of sweat trickled down their face.
"Why... why... why... why...! Why... did you bring us here?" Ki-Hoon asked with trembling lips. "Your warriors would've been enough to annihilate us."
"For entertainment."
"What?"
"During our remaining time here, we'll kill you one by one for my men's entertainment."
As if agreeing with their leader, the hundreds High Orcs standing on their sides roared loudly.
"However... there seems to be something odd against you humans."
'Entertainment? Our determination is nothing but an entertainment to them? Instead of treating us like enemies, to him, our lives are just... toys that he can just play with and trash whenever they want?!' Ki-Hoon's blood boiled in rage. "Now!!! Everyone, charge!!"
Ki-Hoon charged forward with his sword and shield, and then abruptly realized that his teammates weren't following him from behind. They were trembling in fear, too scared to do as they were told.
"Aaaaah-!!"
"Hymn of protection."
Ki-Hoon's sword hit a blue shield that suddenly appeared in front of the High Orc and he fell down on the floor.
"Argh!"
"Foolish human." Kargalgan stared down at Ki-Hoon sinisterly. "Gravitation magic."
As Kargalgan moved his hand upwards, Ki-Hoon's body followed suit.
"Gravity acceleration."
He lowered down his hand and Ki-Hoon hit the solid floor.
"Gravitation."
"Ki-Hoon hyung..." The hunters in B-team cried as they watched their leader was getting toyed by the dungeon's boss.
Ki-Hoon's body suddenly disappeared as a man carried him down to the floor gently. His face was bloodied and distorted.
"Mr. Ki-Hoon. This dungeon is the Hunters guild property. I can't just interfere. But this attack force is about to be wiped out. Let me ask you just one thing." Jin-Woo said calmly. "Can I kill all the monsters present in this room?"
Ki-Hoon turned his head sideway and stared at the High Orc that aimed his weapon at Jin-Woo from his behind. Jin-Woo aimed his hand at the High Orc, the monster suddenly hitting the ceiling and then the floor, the same way Kargalgan did to Ki-Hoon just a moment ago.
"I'll ask you one more time. All the monsters here...... can I kill all of them?"
Ki-Hoon widened his eyes as he looked at Jin-Woo's serious face. "Please... please help us."
"You have quite an amazing talent for a mere human. But how long will that last against all of us?" Kargalgan sneered as he released his magical energy.
"I've never felt such powerful energy before." Jin-Woo stood up from the floor.
Kargalgan laughed proudly. "Isn't that obvious?"
"However, this is a terrible match-up. For you, I mean." Jin-Woo smiled.
"Come forth, my shadows."
Author note:
I'm sorry for the short chapter. I've been having a writer's block about this High Orcs arc and delayed it for several days... so I thought about continuing the plot of this book after this arc ends. Someone will make a comeback and change the course of events~