NOVEL NEXT Chapter 112
Chapter 112
The moment I stepped outside the building, what unfolded before my eyes was a scene of horrific slaughter.
Just a few dozen minutes earlier, the area had been peaceful, but now it was filled with the cries of people and the grotesque howls of orcs.
Lifeless bodies were scattered everywhere, and the ground was stained red with the blood of the fallen.
The orcs wore cruel smiles as they chased down humans to butcher them.
They sliced throats with knives, pierced bellies with spears, and smashed heads with clubs.
Si-hyun’s face turned cold.
The other inmates shared his grim expression.
No matter how much of a criminal one might be, witnessing such a brutal massacre would make it impossible for anyone to remain unfazed unless they were a psychopath.
Only the notorious inmates could remain calm in the face of such horrors.
“Let’s go as we discussed earlier.”
With that, Si-hyun spoke one last time before charging into the orc horde.
It was a remark about the battle formation.
Of course, they had no time to practice synchronization.
So, he issued the simplest directive: long-range dealers like wizards and archers would stay at the back while tankers and close-combat dealers engaged the orcs up front.
Even this basic arrangement was far better than charging in recklessly.
Fortunately, these individuals were not only high-ranking hunters but also had considerable experience.
Such experience would undoubtedly prove invaluable in a combat situation.
“Please.”
Si-hyun addressed a robust man shaved bald, who turned out to be the C-rank hunter, Kang Mujik, from Unit 2.
Si-hyun assigned him to the right, while he placed the equally high-ranked Kim Cheol-hyung to the left, planning to take the center position himself.
It was best to maintain a balanced formation.
If one side was weak, it would become a point of vulnerability, increasing the chances of collapse.
Thus, he split the strongest, Cheol-hyung and Mujik, on either side.
Standing in the middle was not only because he was the only one who could give orders, but also because Si-hyun had confidence in his abilities.
Though his stats were C-rank, he believed that with his various useful skills, he could perform well enough to match a B-rank.
Especially, the Guard Baton Technique enabled him to execute movements greater than those of an advanced hunter.
However, that was only when attacking; defensively, he was no different from an ordinary C-rank hunter.
So, he positioned Baek Dong-il beside him.
Dong-il was the first inmate Si-hyun had interviewed in Ward 1.
As a B-rank tanker, he had exceptional defensive capabilities.
Though he wasn’t known as an impenetrable wall, he was referred to as a fortress in that other world.
Unlike other inmates, Dong-il was armed with a short sword and a massive shield.
His specialty was to block attacks with the hefty shield while closing in with the short sword to stab at the neck or heart.
“Alright, let’s move.”
Without speaking loudly, Si-hyun’s voice was distinctly heard by the inmates.
They rushed towards the orc horde with determined silence, their mouths firmly shut.
◈ ◈ ◈
Thud!
“Aaaah!”
A sharp pain surged through my left shoulder as if something had pierced it.
It felt like my arm was about to fall off.
Normally, I would have collapsed right there, unable to endure the pain.
But not now.
The thought of death being close snapped my senses into focus.
I steeled myself and ran.
I dashed and dashed again.
Suddenly—
“Ugh!”
I misstepped and went tumbling to the ground.
The world spun around me.
As I scrambled to get up, I caught sight of an orc’s massive, savage face looming close.
The orc held a spear dripping with blood.
“NO!”
I screamed, but my body was slow to respond.
Before I could regain my balance, the sharp spear moved.
My eyes widened in terror.
In that moment, someone leaped in front of me.
And I heard a deafening clash of metal.
Clang!
The spear aimed at me was blocked mid-flight.
It was a shield.
The man who jumped in wielded a rectangular shield in his left hand, halting the orc’s attack.
The orc, who had been savagely slaughtering humans, paused in surprise as it faced its first blocked attack.
Seizing that instant, a man with a longsword charged at the orc and struck.
Thud!
The sword pierced the side of the orc’s neck.
“Grrrr!”
Unlike before, the orc screamed in a way filled with pain.
Reddish blood, thicker than a human’s, gushed from its neck and soaked the ground.
For the first time in this chaos, the orc had seen its own blood.
“That sounds just like slaughtering a pig.”
The man with the shield muttered as he leapt towards the orc again.
Then, he plunged a short sword into the orc’s chest.
Thud!
It felt as though he had pierced its heart.
This time, the orc didn’t even let out a scream.
The massive body of the orc began to lose its strength and collapse.
Boom!
With a massive thud, the orc’s body hit the ground completely.
“Let’s go!”
I was still in shock, staring at the scene, when someone beside me urged.
I turned and saw a familiar face—the Security Department’s Lee Si-hyun.
“Uh… uh…”
“If you want to live, go quickly! Run!”
Si-hyun helped me to my feet.
Without even the capacity to express my gratitude, I reflexively began sprinting towards the ward building.
After briefly watching me run, Si-hyun turned back.
“Well done. Let’s keep this up.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Grrack?”
The orcs sensed it.
The prey was starting to resist.
Prey wielding weapons had leaped in and began attacking their own kind.
Initially, the orcs found it laughable.
They thought weak and feeble humans didn’t know their place and were just flailing about.
The orc race showed no mercy to opponents who fought back.
They trampled with even more brutal and thorough force.
They hacked at even the lifeless bodies until they were in pieces.
This was their intent once again.
Yet.
Time passed, and it was not the arrogant humans falling but their kin.
Orc after orc bled and started to crumble.
“Grrack!”
“Grrrack!”
The initially incredulous expressions on the orcs morphed into cautionary growls.
They sensed they were facing a strong enemy that required careful consideration.
The orcs, who had previously scattered in different directions to butcher their prey, began to regroup.
They were forming a formation.
“That little bastard… they’re gathering up!” said Dong-il beside Si-hyun while observing the orcs’ movements.
“I know that,” Si-hyun replied, contemplating.
Once the enemy formed a line, it would no longer be as easy to take them down like before.
However, charging recklessly to disrupt their formation could lead to even greater danger.
Right now, the best course was to refrain from rushing in blindly.
“I think it’s about time we should retreat, Section Chief,” suggested Cheol-hyung on Si-hyun’s left.
Thanks to Si-hyun’s group, many staff members outside had been able to save their lives and flee into the ward building.
They had accomplished their intended goal.
Now, there was no longer a reason to fight outside, and it seemed wiser to move to a narrower space to block the enemy.
“I’m fine here,” Mujik, on Si-hyun’s right, chimed in.
It seemed he found fighting surprisingly manageable.
That was how strong Si-hyun’s group was, after all.
However, this only applied when they had caught the dispersed orcs by surprise.
The full strength of a consolidated orc formation was bound to be significantly harder to handle.
They had to retreat to a confined space.
This was not a fight that could end without wiping out every enemy.
It was a battle that could be won by enduring until the hunters arrived.
“No. We withdraw.”
“Understood.”
Mujik conceded without contesting Si-hyun’s command.
No one dared to challenge Si-hyun’s instructions.
“However….”
It was crucial not to turn their backs and retreat carelessly.
Among the enemies were several orcs wielding thrown weapons as well.
Simply backing away could lead to severe damage.
“Wizard.”
“Yes!”
Si-hyun called over an inmate.
He knew their name but opted for the job title as there might be others with the same name.
“Do you have a spell to stall the enemy from approaching?”
While people had been fleeing everywhere, they couldn’t recklessly use area-of-effect spells.
However, the situation was different now.
With no civilians around, they could unleash such magic without concern.
“Yes, I do. However, it won’t last long. About 30 seconds?”
Thirty seconds was enough.
“Doesn’t matter. Use it.”
“Understood.”
The wizard inmate immediately began to cast the spell.
Although Si-hyun wasn’t a mage, he knew that the stronger the magic, the longer the casting time.
Fortunately, it appeared the orcs had no immediate intention to attack.
They were still forming their line.
“When you use the magic, run towards the ward,” Si-hyun continued.
“Cheol-hyung, Mujik, Dong-il—stay at the very back, guarding against any ranged attacks from the enemy as you retreat.”
Though the magic would prevent the orcs from coming forward, they could still throw weapons.
That’s why he instructed the strongest A-rank inmates and the B-rank but defensive Dong-il to be ready.
“Fire Wall!”
The wizard inmate cast the spell.
Soon, a wall of flames reaching five meters high burst forth, creating a barrier between the orcs and Si-hyun’s group.
Even orcs, known for their sturdy physiques, felt the intense heat emanating from it, making it clear they couldn’t easily approach.
Anyone jumping into that fire risks severe burns or even death.
“Run!”
Si-hyun shouted.
The inmates quickly turned and started making their way towards the ward.
“Grrrack!”
Seeing the enemies suddenly retreat, the enraged orcs began hurling their thrown weapons.
“Watch out!”
Dong-il leaped toward a spear aimed at his companions, blocking it with his shield.
Clang!
The spear collided with the shield and fell to the ground.
Cheol-hyung and Mujik unleashed their own sword and spear energy.
Their blue-hued magic surged through the air like a cutting wind.
The projectiles launched at them couldn’t withstand their magic and shattered as they fell below.
“Let’s go, too.”
With the enemy’s ranged attacks halted, Cheol-hyung urged.
Mujik and Dong-il immediately followed the command to retreat.
“Grrrack!”
The orcs glared angrily at them, but none dared to leap into the flames.
They were reasonably intelligent beasts.
◈ ◈ ◈
As Si-hyun reached the ward, he quickly barked orders.
“Secure the stairs.”
“Yes!”
“Is the elevator out of order?”
“Yes!”
Securing the stairs was of utmost importance.
In a narrow space, monsters like orcs wouldn’t be able to fully utilize their strength.
“And…”
An idea suddenly struck Si-hyun.
His thoughts went to the inmates on the first floor.
He had been too preoccupied with stopping the orcs to consider their situation.
But surely the correctional officers had taken the initiative to evacuate them.
That was their job, after all.
Still, something nagged at him.
Though it seemed unlikely, he felt the need to verify.
Si-hyun hurriedly ran toward Ward 1 on the first floor.
There wasn’t a second to lose, but he felt compelled to check to ease his mind.
With no time to lose, he rushed through the ward door and entered Ward 1.
“….”
Si-hyun was frozen in place, unable to utter a word.
The inmates were still inside their cells.
The guards had chosen to abandon the inmates and evacuate to the upper floors.
“Those insane bastards….”
They had already shattered the robust main gates. There was no way the ward doors would remain intact.
And if the ward doors were breached, the inmates would fall prey to the orcs without defenses.
Even if they blocked the stairs leading to the second floor, the inmates on the first floor were doomed.
The reason Si-hyun hadn’t urged to save the staff outside was that it would also lead to the death of those inside.
Yet these inmates were more than capable of being rescued.
And still, they had been left behind.
It was an utterly incomprehensible act.
Snapping back to reality, Si-hyun took off running towards the duty room at full speed.