Chapter 214
Seong-Hwi appeared before Tasha with a flash of iridescent light. They observed each other in silence for a while to assess their opponent.
Tasha spoke first, “Chwik, I am Tasha, Sahahun of the Hawk tribe, fifth in the orc ranking! Who are you?”
“I am Cheon Seong-Hwi, 143rd in the human ranking.”
“Chwik? You are a Semi Ranker? Nonsense!”
“It’s complicated,” Seong-Hwi replied with a smile.
From what Douglas, the spec force captain, had told him, Jose Garcia, the head of the ranking bureau, was balding from stress. Seong-Hwi continuously caused jaw-dropping incidents shortly after his unprecedented rise in rank. He killed Jazathura in Ferrum, massacred Dark Humans through Operation Pest Control, and was the focus of many more public events that would raise his rank.
Seong-Hwi’s achievements alone would make him a High Ranker, but there was far too much political pressure to give him the seat of an existing High Ranker. On top of that, Seong-Hwi was not affiliated with any faction, so it was much harder to calculate his strength.
Now that Onie Yuki, the only High Ranker who had been unaffiliated, was a member of Black Market, every High Ranker was affiliated with a force. Hence, Seong-Hwi’s rank was stagnant. He could at least become a Ranker if he personally complained to the ranking bureau, but he had no interest in the human ranking. He was aiming to be added to the world ranking, at the very least.
“But I’m confident it will rise once I defeat you,” Seong-Hwi added.
“Chwik! Ahaha! You have backbone, human,” Tasha said as he smiled, but his eyes were not smiling. “Why are you humans meddling in orc matters? Chwik, hand over Gurun.”
“From what I’ve heard, you guys caused a rebellion. Are you sure you made the right choice? Bodonchar is known to have a foul temper.”
“It is not a rebellion. We are simply trying to return to what it once was.”
“Is that the will of Taidzu?”
“What? How do you know that name?!” Tasha shouted with wide eyes.
Seong-Hwi nodded and thought, So, you’ve made your move, Taidzu.
In his past life, the Battle of Heroic Souls between Bodonchar and Taidzu was what had ended the bloodbath that was the orc civil war. Taidzu emerged victorious after several days of battle, and the fall of Bodonchar and his followers marked the end of the civil war.
After that, Taidzu took Bodonchar’s place as a World Ranker and the patriarch of the orcs. He was granted the title of Abkai and declared to advance northward. However, the mysterious part of this story was that no one knew about this orc warrior, who was not even part of the orc ranking.
“Answer me, chwik! How do you know about Master Taidzu?! He has not come into the light even once!” Tasha shouted.
“Will you hand him over to us if I answer?” Seong-Hwi asked as he stared at Seong-Tae behind Tasha.
Tasha shook his head. “Chwik, not a chance! However, we can exchange him for Gurun.”
“Hmm... I’m sure the Tusk tribe will be busy if Gurun dies. There would be no more successors with his death, after all. Oh, I see. Taidzu is not fully ready yet. Are you trying to buy him more time?”
Seong-Hwi smiled, while Tasha’s expression stiffened.
“Chwik... Bastard... How much do you know?”
Tasha gripped his scimitar tightly and thought, Who is this human?! How does he know so much of our internal matters? Could there be a traitor in our midst?
As his thoughts became more complex, Seong-Hwi clapped his hands together and said, “In that case, let us settle this in accordance with the Rite of the Plains.”
“The Rite of the Plains? Chwik, you know about that, too, human?”
“More or less.”
The Rite of the Plains was one of the five covenants advocated by Subutai, the God of War, whom the orcs worshiped. The five covenants consisted of the Battle of Heroic Souls, the Rite of the Plains, the Way of the Warrior, the Hymn of Death, and the Drink of Fellowship. These principles were more important to the orcs to follow than their lives.
Among them, the Rite of the Plains was, in short, a battle between five warriors from each side. It was a proxy war that prevented inter-tribal discords from escalating to war. Each tribe chose warriors proficient in the sword, spear, bow, fist, and magic to go against one another in each category, and the tribe to emerge with three wins was the winner.
“Winner takes all, correct? Besides, I’m sure you don’t wish to have an all-out war against us either,” Seong-Hwi said with a smile and continued, “If that were to happen, you would face the full force of not just the Union, but Underground.”
Tasha’s eyebrow furrowed. Underground was the confederation making itself known throughout the Mirror World as of late.
I could have overpowered them all if it weren’t for him, Tasha thought as he stared at the man before him. The human was by no means below him.
“Tsk, I accept. Chwik, I do not wish to waste any more time. Bodonchar is coming.”
“I feel the same way. Let us meet again in ten minutes.”
***
One Tree, Dongming, and New Age clansmen discussed among themselves after hearing Seong-Hwi’s explanation.
“The Rite of the Plains...”
“That might be for the best. They’re not easy opponents.”
“But who will be the representatives?”
“But RB... I never expected you to be the Union’s reinforcements,” Xiu Xian said as he stared at Seong-Hwi with a mixed expression.
Seong-Hwi was technically not a Union reinforcement, but he did not deny it.
“Hoho, I am so glad you are here, Sir Cheon Seong-Hwi. Well, then, we will take our leave,” Jan said with a smile.
“Clan Leader Jan!” Min-Jae shouted.
The unfazed Seong-Hwi asked, “You’re leaving?”
“Hoho, yes. I was not told that a monster like that would be participating when we promised to reinforce One Tree.”
Jan glanced at the group of orcs and thought, He destroyed the Nameless Goddess’s Protection with a single strike. Tasha, fifth in the orc ranking, was it? I’d be insane to go against a goddamn High Ranker!
There were rumors that RB was as strong as a High Ranker, but Jan was not reckless enough to bet the fate of her clan on unconfirmed rumors.
I’d love to develop a connection with Bodonchar, but the enemies aren’t anything to scoff at. We can’t afford to get swept in a battle between monsters.
As Jan schemed cleverly in her thoughts, Seong-Hwi stared at her intently and said, “Is that so? Then beat it.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, beat it. Or what? Do you want me to force you to participate?”
Jan gulped, seeing a crimson madness blooming from inside Seong-Hwi’s abyssal black eyes, and stuttered, “H-hoho. Well, then... Please excuse us.”
She quickly turned around and headed to where the New Age clansmen were gathered.
Min-Jae quickly shouted, “Card! We need her! Who will take part in the magic match if not Jan DaCosta?”
Ho-Geun agreed, “He’s right. Besides, not even you can decide things on your own like this. Where is Jun?”
“Shin Jun won’t be coming,” Seong-Hwi answered as he glanced at Jun, disguised as Gurun, shouting.
“Chwik! Release me! Now!”
Jun, restrained by layers of binding skills, was acting as Gurun. His performance looked perfect, likely due to his guilt over the fact that this was all he could do.
“If you have any complaints, you’re free to take them all on by yourself,” Seong-Hwi said.
Ho-Geun shut his mouth because he knew very well that Seong-Hwi’s presence was all that was maintaining the current balance.
I couldn’t care less about who wins or loses the proxy war. I just need to buy enough time to talk, Seong-Hwi mumbled inwardly as he stared at Jan retreating with her clansmen.
He had mentioned the Rite of the Plains, which he had learned about in his past life, to Tasha for negotiation, not for battle. Whatever anyone was worried about would not happen.
The joke is often on those who think they’re clever.
Seong-Hwi could already imagine Jan regretting making the stupidest decision she had ever made.
“What about you?” he asked as he stared at Xiu Xian.
Xiu Xian momentarily remained silent, then nodded as he said, “We will fight. Dongming is a group of chivalrous warriors. We do not go back on our word just because we are put in a disadvantageous situation.”
He spoke as respectfully as possible, but his eyes were filled with curiosity and competitive spirit. He thought, Also, I would like to take a look at how strong you are.
He wondered whether the infamous Record Breaker, Cheon Seong-Hwi, was truly a man whom Lee Kang-San had acknowledged.
“Very well. In that case, let us choose our representatives. Don’t worry about the sword match. I will take part in that one.”
***
The two forces met in the area covered by dry leaves, between the forest and the plains. The orcs were on the left, and the humans were on the right, each forming a semicircle to create one large circular stage.
Tasha stood at the center as he looked back and forth between the orcs and humans, and shouted, “Chwik, let us commence the Rite of the Plains. It is a sacred rite proclaimed by the Great Subutai. Any foul play during this rite will mark you as a mortal enemy, and we will fight until one side is exterminated.”
“I agree to the rite,” Seong-Hwi said.
Tasha continued, “Chwik, very well. In that case, let us begin the first match. The category is the bow! We bring out Suwenci, a warrior bestowed the title of Sohon!”
“Chwik! Suwenci! Suwenci! Suwenci!”
“Sir Suwenci, the master archer of the plains!”
“Yeah!”
Sohon was a title given to a sixth-tier orc warrior among the ten tiers. First to third-tier orcs were warriors, fourth to sixth-tier orcs were adept warriors, seventh to ninth-tier orcs were great warriors, and tenth-tier orcs were master warriors. In other words, the title of Sohon was given to adept warriors.
A slender orc stepped forward, holding a longbow in his left hand and a quiver at his waist.
“We bring out Namgung Min-Jae, the emission captain of Clan One Tree,” Seong-Hwi said.
“Whistle!”
“Namgung Min-Jae! Namgung Min-Jae!”
“Captain! Show them the power of One Tree!”
The humans, not wanting to lose to the orcs’ energy, screamed at the top of their lungs to cheer for Min-Jae.
Min-Jae walked to the middle, holding his yellow bow, and said, “I am Namgung Min-Jae.”
“Chwik. I am Suwenci. I yield the first strike to you.”
“I will not refuse.”
Min-Jae and Suwenci each took a hundred paces away from each other after exchanging greetings. They simultaneously turned around and nocked an arrow. Min-Jae took a deep breath as he recalled the rules of the match.
No skills or mana. The match is a clash of pure archery skill. The detection of mana usage is an immediate disqualification.
He glanced at the middle of the orc group and saw the bloody Seong-Tae breathing heavily. He clenched his teeth, and his lip, touching the bowstring, crumpled.
I’m sorry, Seong-Tae. I’m sorry for being cowardly and weak.
Seong-Tae’s condition was unconfirmed. Discussions of rescue went around since his corpse wasn’t found, but everyone knew that even if he were alive, they couldn’t rescue him. Hence, they deemed Seong-Tae dead in their minds and used their rage as fuel to deceive their cowardly selves.
They had not even expressed their opinions; they simply let Jun shoulder all the responsibility and guilt, waiting for him to deny the rescue attempt. However, Hwa-Yeon did not give up. Despite not possessing unique powers or impressive achievements, she was braver than anyone.
She had waited for the right opportunity while being trampled by horse hooves. Although she failed, failure was more meaningful than doing nothing. Min-Jae felt in a daze as he stared at the bruises all over her body.
What the hell am I doing? he wondered. Is the logical decision always the right one? Why didn’t I chase after Hwa-Yeon, who stormed out by herself? Has all that decision-making in a position as high as the emission captain turned me calculative? Have I lost my humanity? Why couldn’t I be like Hwa-Yeon despite being stronger than her?
Min-Jae breathed out, releasing his complex thoughts and questions with his breath. All that mattered right now was one thing: to strike his target and win. Only then could they bring back Seong-Tae.
It’s too late, but... I need to ask for forgiveness. I’ll risk my life for it.
Min-Jae let the arrow loose. The arrow made a perfect arc, flying straight toward Suwenci’s heart. Suwenci then let his arrow loose as well, and it struck Min-Jae’s arrow in midair to deflect it.
“Yeah!!!”
“Nothing less from the adept warrior, Suwenci!”
“Chwik! Looks like this will only last one turn!”
The orcs cheered for Suwenci as they mocked Min-Jae. The orcs’ voices grew louder, but the humans’ voices got quieter.
“Holy shit... How did he strike an arrow that flew from two hundred paces away without any skills or mana?”
“I guess he deserves to be called a master archer.”
Suwenci nocked an arrow and said, “My turn.”
He immediately drew the bowstring and let the arrow loose, aiming right at Min-Jae’s head.
“Dodge it!”
“He’d be disqualified if he does!”
“It’s better than dying!”
Min-Jae breathed calmly as if he couldn’t hear the shouts of those around him. Any mistake would lead to death, but he did not run away from it. He simply did what he always did: let the arrow loose along its rightful path, as he had done countless times. Min-Jae’s arrow slithered like a snake and split Suwenci’s arrow in half.
This time, the humans’ voices grew louder, while the orcs expressed confusion.
“W-wooooow!”
“He... He hit it?!”
“Namgung Min-Jae, was it? Impressive!”
“That’s our emission captain for you!”
Min-Jae took another deep breath and nocked another arrow. Since they had confirmed each other’s skill, it was now a matter of whose focus would last the longest.
***
“Chwik, I see there are those among humans who have mastered their respective weapons,” Tasha mumbled as he watched the archery match.
Orc warriors tended to look down on humans. Not only did humans possess a lower initial caliber than orcs and lack a secondary force, but it was ultimately because humans did not know how to fight. Orcs valued battle above all else; it was the meaning of life passed down from Subutai, the God of War.
However, humans did not even know how to use a weapon. Rather, they let their weapons use them and were dependent on their skills. Hence, a human could be strong, but they couldn’t be warriors. However, the bowman before Tasha had let his archery skills decide his fate, and he could feel pride in the human’s skill and a desperate sense of resolve from the human. Orcs referred to such individuals as warriors.
“Humans... Chwik. When did they become so strong? I could ask the same of you,” Tasha said as he turned to the smiling Seong-Hwi.
“Shall we talk?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Chwik? Talk?”
“Yeah. I’m sure what I have to say will pique your interest.”
Seong-Hwi had a backpack over one shoulder, containing Gurun’s skin suit, which he had received from Avison. The result of the Rite of the Plains had never been his true intention; it had always been the time of non-aggression during the rite.
I already killed Gurun. What’s left is to persuade this man of my plan and have him introduce me to Taidzu, Seong-Hwi thought.
Since using Gurun’s skin suit was the perfect way to catch Bodonchar off guard, Tasha would not refuse. However, that was different from him agreeing to introduce Seong-Hwi to Taidzu.
From what I’ve gathered, Taidzu isn’t strong enough to face Bodonchar yet, but if things go according to my plan, we could bring down a World Ranker, and I will gain what I need in the process.
Leaving Karma aside, he wondered how much his caliber would heighten if he absorbed Bodonchar’s genes. It might also give him a clue to resolve the Indigestion quest.
Not only that, but if we could bring the orcs under Underground’s banner as well, no one in the outer zones would be our match!
They would develop a solid foundation, acting as the perfect support for when they headed to the center.
[90 of the Grace Period Chains remain.]
[90 days remain until the termination of Indigestion.]
[10% of the Fruit of the World Tree’s power is available.]
The only problem was time.