Max Talent Player

[Entering the 2nd Gateway, ‘Village of the Orc Warrior’.]

That much was fine, but—

[The 2nd Gateway’s scenario, ‘Village of the Orc Warrior’, has been partially altered.]

The scenario was suddenly altered, and I knew why.

‘This is conclusive proof that the True Master gave Yeonseo the Heavenly Demon title.’

Nothing in life was 100% good. He had forcefully given Yeonseo something so good that it changed the contents of the gateway. It was only natural that there would be a counterreaction.

‘The True Master didn’t break the rules.’

When a Guardian actively interfered with a Player’s Playing in such a manner, something would happen to counterbalance it. The True Master likely knew that as well.

‘What changed, and how?’

Whatever it was, it was definitely not a good thing for us.

[The perk of the 2nd Gateway, ‘Orc Warrior becomes stone when the crystal is destroyed’, has been removed.]

As long as we destroyed the crystal, the ‘Orc Warrior’ that was this gateway’s boss monster would turn into stone. But now, that would no longer happen. This alone dramatically increased the difficulty.

And it didn’t end there.

[The grade increase restriction of the ‘Orc Warrior’ in the 2nd Gateway scenario has been removed.]

[You are given the 2nd Gateway’s scenario quest, ‘Kill the Orc Warrior’.]

The Orc Warrior was a monster that would grow stronger the longer you fought it. Since we were in a beginner-grade area, its growth was limited to ‘Advanced Orc Warrior’.

‘If the grade increase restriction has been removed… that means it can become an Orc Warrior of a higher grade.’

I mentally sifted through a lot of information.

‘With the conditions of this place, it can’t evolve all the way into a High Orc.’

To begin with, High Orcs and regular Orcs were like apples and oranges—they were on completely different levels. If a High Orc showed up here, we would all be annihilated, 100%, no question about it.

‘If I connect the 2nd Gateway’s perk and the current situation…’

Then it was possible to deduce a rough estimate of how strong the Orc Warrior could become.

‘It’ll evolve to a Great Orc Warrior.’

Starting from the Great Orc Warrior, there was a wide variation in the levels of individual monsters of the same species, but they were typically around level 37. The higher level ones were even level 40. Such an opponent was, of course, impossible for us to face with our current strength.

‘Dammit.’

The scenario hadn’t started in full force yet. We were currently in the safe zone, but even this safe zone would soon disappear.

‘What do we do?’

I had to think and figure out a strategy to clear this place.

‘Is there… nothing we can do?’

Right at this moment, it seemed like there was no way forward.

We were in the 2nd Gateway, called the ‘Village of the Orc Warrior’. It was a grassland field, and I could see tents built in a messy cluster in the distance. It was more likely that the orcs had picked them up and were using tents that someone had made rather than making the tents themselves. Metal stakes of various lengths were scattered on the ground around us.

[The 2nd Gateway scenario quest, ‘Kill the Orc Warrior’, has begun.]

[If you are unable to destroy the 3 Crystals within the set time, Orc Archers will spawn.]

[Remaining time– 10:00]

This was the original content of the 2nd Gateway. I already knew where all of the crystals were.

‘If we can’t break three crystals within 10 minutes, three Orc Archers will spawn.’

I bent to pick up a few stakes.

‘A key item.’

These stakes looked unrelated, but they were definitely items you could acquire, important items.

Yeonseo asked, “Boss. What do we do? Should we start by splitting up and looking for the crystals?”

I nodded.

“You saw the way the Orcs moved earlier, right?”

“Yeah. I think I can dodge them. Some way or another.”

I had to think hard for a moment. I already knew where the crystals were. The Orcs were still in their tents and hadn’t shown themselves yet, but normal Orcs would soon swarm.

‘If there’s an Orc horde with Orc Archers in it… and an Orc Warrior shows up on top of that, clearing this will be impossible.’

We absolutely needed to block the appearance of Orc Archers, even if we took some damage to achieve it. I had to calculate my actions well. It would be troublesome if it looked like I obviously knew where the crystals were on the stream.

‘In that case…’

I would use the most basic method, looking for them one by one.

“You see that tent in the distance with the flag flying high? We’ll search with that point as the center.”

“Got it.”

“Start at the very right from that point and look for the crystals while moving towards the center.”

“And don’t fight the Orcs?”

“Yeah. Avoid contact as much as possible. The crystals come first and foremost.”

“Righto.”

Yeonseo set off first. A hazy black energy was wisping off her legs, as if she were using a special movement technique.

‘It’s probably the Heavenly Demonic Flying Step.’

There was a high chance it was the 1st stage of the Heavenly Demonic Flying Step.

“Sunhwa and Yoohyun, you two take the other side. Move from the very left towards the middle together.”

They immediately understood. Yoohyun had slightly lower agility and speed. That meant he couldn’t swiftly weave through the enemies like Yeonseo. They would have to take on a few attacks, which Sunhwa would block.

“Okay.”

“Understood, hyungnim.”

With this method, we would be able to destroy two crystals within ten minutes, no problem.

‘I have to break the last one, but…’

That last crystal was inside the central tent. The problem was that the ‘Orc Warrior’ was surely sleeping within that tent.

‘If I go inside, it’ll probably start attacking.’

Originally, I was planning on having Yeonseo pull the aggro while I went in to destroy the crystal, and that would be a wrap.

‘Because as long as we destroy the crystal, the Orc Warrior would turn into stone.’

But now, that benefit was gone.

We were now in a situation where we had to kill the Orc Warrior anyway. I was still unsure. Could we really kill it?

‘If we can’t, then I just have to make it happen.’

My head couldn’t come up with a method to kill it, but when I actually went into the central tent and had a look for myself, I had a flash of inspiration.

‘We can do it.’

I heard two notices.

[1 Crystal has been destroyed.]

[Destroy the Crystals: ⅓ complete.]

‘Must be Yeonseo.’

Yeonseo would join me soon. Yoohyun and Sunhwa would take a little longer.

Yeonseo came running over with a slightly brighter expression.

“I destroyed a crystal. The Orcs were chasing me, but looks like they gave up in the end.”

Orcs were slow. They couldn’t keep up with Yeonseo. As long as the aggro was weak, they would stop chasing her once she got a certain distance away from them.

“Well done.”

“Did I really do good?”

“Yeah.”

I examined the inside of the tent very carefully, finding a purple crystal and a snoring ‘Orc Warrior’. There were also regular Orcs napping around the Orc Warrior.

I explained the method I came up with to Yeonseo.

“Listen up.”

* * *

A cloud of dust was being kicked up. An Orc horde came running this way.

“Chwik–! Chwiiiiiik–!”

Unlike Yeonseo, who had properly shaken off the Orcs, Yoohyun and Sunhwa had a good ten or so Orcs hot on their tails.

Yeonseo wasn’t surprised. That was because she had already heard this would happen from Hyukjin.

“Those two will definitely pull Orcs this way. They’re not as fast as you, after all.”

Hyukjin shouted, “Yoohyun, Sunhwa. Just get in the Orc horde and keep their aggro on you!”

To make it easy for each party member to understand, I instructed them separately.

“In the meantime, Yeonseo, you attack them one by one. Keep the aggro on Sunhwa!”

Yoohyun and Sunhwa understood exactly what they had to do.

“I think we have to keep moving together, Mister.”

“Okay.”

Otherwise, both of them would die. They had to work together. That was the only way they could survive while effectively stirring up the Orc horde. As they did so, Yeonseo started attacking them one by one. Her movements were indeed swift and precise.

Splurt!

Yeonseo’s sword pierced an Orc’s throat, severing what would be the carotid artery for a human. Blood gushed out of the Orc’s neck.

‘I did it.’

Her goal was not this Orc’s death. She carried out Hyukjin’s orders to the letter.

“When you attack the Orcs, killing them isn’t the goal. Make them bleed.”

‘Next!’

A wound of this level was more than enough.

[Using the skill Swift Strike.]

With a strike 1.2x faster than a regular attack, Yeonseo’s sword pierced another Orc’s neck, causing another stream of blood to fountain out. Yeonseo was covered in the spray as well. As she stood there, covered in dark red blood, she almost looked like a yaksha from hell.

‘Next.’

Three, four, five Orcs. She aimed for the same spot every time, and successfully struck the same spot every time.

“Hah… hah…”

Little by little, her breath became labored. Even though she wasn’t completely killing them and was only wounding them, fighting a whopping five Orcs at once was no easy feat.

Sunhwa jumped in front of her.

“Unnie! Watch out!”

[Using the skill Platinum Shield.]

Clang!

With a loud clang, Sunhwa heard a ‘cra-crack!’ sound from within her body.

“Urgh…!”

Her left arm hung limply. Her body was unable to handle the impact, and her shoulder was in pieces.

While that was going on outside, Hyukjin approached the crystal.

‘Getting to it immediately will be tough.’

The chaos outside was rousing the sleeping Orcs. The Orc Warrior opened its eyes as well.

‘I can’t make a straight line to the crystal.’

He couldn’t see a route there. From now on, Hyukjin would have to fight the Orcs and ‘Orc Warrior’ simultaneously, with no hope of support or help.

‘I have to kill them.’

Even if he broke the crystal, they would remain alive.

‘Starting with this guy.’

He lowered his body a little and approached one Orc with a speed that matched Yeonseo’s while she was using ‘Heavenly Demonic Flying Step’. Then, his sharp blade aimed for the Orc’s throat with a precision that rivaled Yeonseo’s.

“Chwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!!”

Blood surged out of the Orc’s neck as it screamed. Hyukjin jumped back immediately after leaving the big wound. He couldn’t brute force it and charge straight in.

A single mistake could be the difference between life and death. If he were to take a blow from the Orc Warrior’s huge club right now…

‘Would I even be able to survive one hit?’

Even that was uncertain. If he was unlucky and was injured, he would be surrounded by the Orcs in seconds. He could easily become the hunted instead of the hunter.

Hyukjin filled his lungs and yelled, “Come in!”

Yeonseo, Yoohyun, and Sunhwa, who had been fighting the Orcs near the tent, immediately ran inside. The injured Orcs thumped and clunked in after them. In mere moments, the ‘Orc Warrior’s tent’ was thrown into total chaos.

“Chwik–chwiiik!”

“Chwiiik! Chwik! Chwik!”

It wasn’t that wide of a space, and nearly ten Orcs crammed themselves in. The Orcs’ characteristic rotten stench and metallic reek of blood filled the space. In just moments, the inside of the tent was hot with fervor.

And then, something shocking began to happen. Yeonseo’s jaw dropped.

‘Hyukjin’s words… were true!’