Jack stared at the orc before him.
This orc was the largest he had ever seen, surpassing any other orc he had encountered.
It was the epitome of what was commonly referred to as a “Hell’s Guard.” Countless Hell’s Guards on Earth wouldn’t dare to hand over their business cards to this orc.
Confronted with such overwhelming size up close, Jack couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
“Truly monstrous.”
It was evident at first glance that this orc was no ordinary individual. Surely, it must have been among the strongest in orc society.
And look at the way it’s dressed.
The leather armor it wore gleamed and looked exceptionally sturdy, indicating its high quality. The axe on its back was sharpened to perfection, clearly not crafted by an ordinary blacksmith.
“I can’t afford to underestimate it.”
But that was where it ended. After all, it was just an orc. It was merely a slight sense of tension, not vigilance.
Orcs. Undoubtedly strong. Each and every one of them was a born warrior without the need for separate training. They could truly be considered a race bred for combat.
However, precisely because of this, orcs could also be considered a pitiable race.
Not a race of strong warriors, but rather, “strong only” foolish warriors.
That was truly it. They didn’t know how to use magic, nor did they know how to wield weapons effectively. They didn’t even have awakened individuals like those on Earth who had mastered systems.
This orc was likely no exception.
It may be powerful, but that’s where it ends. Just like other orcs, it would undoubtedly be extremely vulnerable to magical or mental attacks.
The brief assessment that Earth’s adepts who had experienced the Afroxia dimension had about the orc race was as follows:
The natives of Afroxia.
The indigenous people of America, who had lost countless lives to the invaders from Europe and barely managed to survive.
To Earth’s adepts who had experienced Afroxia, orcs didn’t seem much different from them.
Although it’s uncertain how they were in the past, they were currently a dwindling race.
Jack shared the same perception.
No matter how strong they were, they were still just orcs. This orc was not an equal to him.
It would be foolish to be wary of someone inferior to oneself.
“With that kind of physique, it’ll surely work well. It’ll make an excellent laborer.”
In Jack’s mind, this orc was already a slave, a commodity.
Indeed, Afroxia was a land of opportunity.
There was plenty of money to be made in every direction. Earthlings still didn’t realize it.
Even now.
Hadn’t money rolled in on its own?
“I stumbled upon it. A slave came rolling in by itself.”
He concealed such thoughts and chuckled lightly.
“I wonder if it suits your taste. I’ve put some thought into it, trying to cater to the orc’s palate.”
“Well, it’s drinkable enough.”
“Haha, that’s fortunate. You may not know, but it’s quite a high-quality product. Hahaha.”
Karim nodded, gulping down the steaming hot tea with enthusiasm and slamming the cup down roughly.
Jack’s pupils dilated slightly.
To down such hot tea in one go.
Truly, they were a barbaric race devoid of any refinement.
Jack secretly smirked.
That hot tea contained a potion called “Mana Relaxant” in large quantities.
It was a kind of poison-like potion that made the body very insensitive and relaxed to mana, rendering it nearly half successful once consumed.
The ingredients of the Mana Relaxant would circulate through the orc’s body, making it dull to mana, further lowering the already weak magic resistance of the vulnerable orc.
“Indeed, orcs are as foolish as ever. I won’t drink it myself, but he doesn’t even suspect it. What’s the point if he gets poisoned?”
He chuckled with satisfaction. All he had to do now was wait for the ingredients of the potion to spread completely. Until then, he just had to act appropriately.
“Now, feel free to vent your grievances. What issue prompted you to summon a supervisor?”
“Grievances…”
“Yes. Was our product not to your liking? Or perhaps there was an issue with the payment processing? Whatever it is, please speak up. We’ll do whatever we can to assist.”
“Alright. Grievances. Let me tell you.”
Karim suddenly rummaged through his pocket.
“Just a moment. Where is it… Ah, found it.”
What he pulled out were none other than two Black Snake Trading Company badges.
Jack’s eyes narrowed.
“This is my grievance.”
“…Where did you get those?”
The smile vanished from Jack’s lips, who had been laughing consistently.
He examined the badges. They were labeled ‘Carl’ and ‘John.’
He focused intently on ‘John’s.’
John was the alias used by his colleague, Kim Gyohun, here.
“Is this because Kim Gyohun died?”
In fact, Carl didn’t matter. He wasn’t from Earth; he was from Afroxia.
But Kim Gyohun was different.
Kim Gyohun was his real colleague. He was someone who shouldn’t die.
“Where did you get these from?”
“I picked them up… A human had them.”
“A human with black hair wearing leather armor. He had the ability to conceal his body.”
Jack stood up abruptly.
“Don’t hesitate. Tell me.”
“I picked them up… Yes… A human had them.”
“Speak. Who was that human?”
“He was a human with black hair. He was hiding his body.”
Jack’s expression turned grim.
Jack raised his hand. Then, the merchants who had been waiting outside entered. Their entry was really swift. There was no delay whatsoever, it almost felt as if it had been prearranged.
“Get them!”
They drew their weapons. Their movements in drawing the weapons were smooth. They didn’t seem like ordinary merchants.
Suddenly, Karim was surrounded by the men wielding weapons.
“Orc, is this some kind of joke? If you value your life, speak up now.”
“At first, he was just a human dark mage. He targeted me, so I killed him. Turns out that dark mage had that emblem with him.”
“······.”
“The second one is relatively recent. He was hiding and targeting me, his stealth skills were impressive enough to deceive my senses. If it weren’t for my master, I would have fallen for it. Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered even if I did.”
“······.”
“His name was······. Yes, Kim Gyohun. According to my master, his name was Kim Gyohun. I don’t know what kind of name that is, but I took his life.”
Jack’s expression hardened without mercy.
He thought he was just picking up trash. It was natural. Kim Gyohun wasn’t someone who would fall to just an orc.
But, this orc claims to have killed him.
“Well? Do you like the answer?”
“······.”
“Kim Jackson?”
The moment Jack heard his true name, which no one in this dimension should know, his body reacted first.
『Mental Intrusion Technique – Swift Charge』
『Mental Intrusion Technique – Host Domination』
Kwaaa!
An intangible force poured like lightning, penetrating Karim’s body.
The intangible force that entered quickly took control of Karim’s body.
With enough time for the mana relaxation potion to work and even more, his body would have already dulled considerably.
The dulled body would succumb without any resistance.
It was Jack’s patented technique that no one had resisted before.
His Mental Intrusion Technique was powerful enough on its own, but with the help of the potion, it was truly unmatched.
“Trying to use me as a slave won’t work. Orc. You won’t die so easily.”
Jack gestured. The ones surrounding him with drawn swords began to approach.
“My body feels a bit itchy. What did you do? Did you use some kind of itching spell?”
Jack hesitated.
“Orc. How did you open your mouth?”
He shouldn’t open his mouth. No, he couldn’t.
It would be difficult to move. That’s normal. His consciousness would have been severely shaken by the Mental Intrusion Technique.
But this orc was too intact.
As if he hadn’t been affected by the Mental Intrusion Technique at all.
‘He, he wasn’t affected? That can’t be!’
“Is it over? Now it’s my turn to ask in return.”
“Darn it.”
Jack realized something was off. Things were going strangely.
“What are you guys doing? Are you really merchants?”
“Attack!”
Jack left without saying another word. They tried to chase him, but they were surrounded, so they couldn’t pursue.
But Karim didn’t care.
He hadn’t brought in Kakul and Kukul for nothing; it was to prepare for situations like this.
The blind sword swung. Karim lowered his head to avoid it.
“It can’t be helped.”
He drew his axe.
“All I can do is spill blood.”
As if waiting, the power of Taehyung’s skill began to move.
[Skill ‘Shout of Lethargy’ activated.]
Whaaah!
Then, Karim’s axe began to dance wildly.
“What’s all this commotion? What’s happening?”
“It seems there’s a fight going on at the Black Snake.”
“A fight?”
“Yes. It’s chaos right now. Some orc suddenly went berserk, swinging his axe like a madman… It seems things might escalate.”
The lord opened his eyes wide at the soldier’s words.
“An orc? Causing a ruckus?”
“Yes.”
“Why not just apprehend him?”
“Well, he’s so strong that…”
“Huh, if an orc is strong, how strong must he be?”
As the lord muttered, a man clad in armor, with white hair, sitting beside him, spoke to the soldier.
“Aren’t there mercenaries hired besides the direct guards? Are they not intervening?”
“I’m not sure about that. But it seems like a real mess. The chief of security has been informed, so the guards should be dispatched soon.”
“Hmm.”
The man stroked his chin as he muttered.
“An orc causing trouble that can’t be subdued… Even with Batina’s mercenaries? But there’s no way they would fall to just an orc.”
Batina Confederation, a small country located in the center of the Afroxia continent.
Though the country may be small and often overlooked in many aspects, there was one thing it was famous for—mercenaries.
The Batina Confederation had expanded its mercenary business on a national scale.
Batina’s mercenaries were renowned for their strength and their unwavering loyalty to their employers.
With Batina’s mercenaries holding firm, it seemed absurd that they would be struggling against just one orc.
A man stood up abruptly.
“My lord, it seems I should rise as well.”
“Sir Kirteen, where do you intend to go?”
“There’s a beast rampaging about; surely I must deal with it?”
“Oh, Sir Kirteen is taking matters into his own hands. Then there should be no issue.”
A flush came over the lord’s face.
Who was Sir Kirteen?
He was the hero among heroes, known as the kingdom’s guardian. He was considered one of the most exceptional individuals to have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship within the kingdom.
If such a hero were to intervene personally, no matter how strong the orc, there should be no problem.
“I’ll be back soon. I’ll finish before the tea gets cold.”
Kirteen took his sword and confidently strode out. The lord watched his retreating figure for a moment, then turned away nonchalantly.
“It’ll be over quickly.”
The lord hoped Kirteen would return with the orc alive. What kind of orc could cause such chaos alone, he wondered.
But sometimes situations unfold in unpredictable ways. The lord would come to realize how careless his thoughts had been.
Jack stared at the orc before him.
This orc was the largest he had ever seen, surpassing any other orc he had encountered.
It was the epitome of what was commonly referred to as a “Hell’s Guard.” Countless Hell’s Guards on Earth wouldn’t dare to hand over their business cards to this orc.
Confronted with such overwhelming size up close, Jack couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
“Truly monstrous.”
It was evident at first glance that this orc was no ordinary individual. Surely, it must have been among the strongest in orc society.
And look at the way it’s dressed.
The leather armor it wore gleamed and looked exceptionally sturdy, indicating its high quality. The axe on its back was sharpened to perfection, clearly not crafted by an ordinary blacksmith.
“I can’t afford to underestimate it.”
But that was where it ended. After all, it was just an orc. It was merely a slight sense of tension, not vigilance.
Orcs. Undoubtedly strong. Each and every one of them was a born warrior without the need for separate training. They could truly be considered a race bred for combat.
However, precisely because of this, orcs could also be considered a pitiable race.
Not a race of strong warriors, but rather, “strong only” foolish warriors.
That was truly it. They didn’t know how to use magic, nor did they know how to wield weapons effectively. They didn’t even have awakened individuals like those on Earth who had mastered systems.
This orc was likely no exception.
It may be powerful, but that’s where it ends. Just like other orcs, it would undoubtedly be extremely vulnerable to magical or mental attacks.
The brief assessment that Earth’s adepts who had experienced the Afroxia dimension had about the orc race was as follows:
The natives of Afroxia.
The indigenous people of America, who had lost countless lives to the invaders from Europe and barely managed to survive.
To Earth’s adepts who had experienced Afroxia, orcs didn’t seem much different from them.
Although it’s uncertain how they were in the past, they were currently a dwindling race.
Jack shared the same perception.
No matter how strong they were, they were still just orcs. This orc was not an equal to him.
It would be foolish to be wary of someone inferior to oneself.
“With that kind of physique, it’ll surely work well. It’ll make an excellent laborer.”
In Jack’s mind, this orc was already a slave, a commodity.
Indeed, Afroxia was a land of opportunity.
There was plenty of money to be made in every direction. Earthlings still didn’t realize it.
Even now.
Hadn’t money rolled in on its own?
“I stumbled upon it. A slave came rolling in by itself.”
He concealed such thoughts and chuckled lightly.
“I wonder if it suits your taste. I’ve put some thought into it, trying to cater to the orc’s palate.”
“Well, it’s drinkable enough.”
“Haha, that’s fortunate. You may not know, but it’s quite a high-quality product. Hahaha.”
Karim nodded, gulping down the steaming hot tea with enthusiasm and slamming the cup down roughly.
Jack’s pupils dilated slightly.
To down such hot tea in one go.
Truly, they were a barbaric race devoid of any refinement.
Jack secretly smirked.
That hot tea contained a potion called “Mana Relaxant” in large quantities.
It was a kind of poison-like potion that made the body very insensitive and relaxed to mana, rendering it nearly half successful once consumed.
The ingredients of the Mana Relaxant would circulate through the orc’s body, making it dull to mana, further lowering the already weak magic resistance of the vulnerable orc.
“Indeed, orcs are as foolish as ever. I won’t drink it myself, but he doesn’t even suspect it. What’s the point if he gets poisoned?”
He chuckled with satisfaction. All he had to do now was wait for the ingredients of the potion to spread completely. Until then, he just had to act appropriately.
“Now, feel free to vent your grievances. What issue prompted you to summon a supervisor?”
“Grievances…”
“Yes. Was our product not to your liking? Or perhaps there was an issue with the payment processing? Whatever it is, please speak up. We’ll do whatever we can to assist.”
“Alright. Grievances. Let me tell you.”
Karim suddenly rummaged through his pocket.
“Just a moment. Where is it… Ah, found it.”
What he pulled out were none other than two Black Snake Trading Company badges.
Jack’s eyes narrowed.
“This is my grievance.”
“…Where did you get those?”
The smile vanished from Jack’s lips, who had been laughing consistently.
He examined the badges. They were labeled ‘Carl’ and ‘John.’
He focused intently on ‘John’s.’
John was the alias used by his colleague, Kim Gyohun, here.
“Is this because Kim Gyohun died?”
In fact, Carl didn’t matter. He wasn’t from Earth; he was from Afroxia.
But Kim Gyohun was different.
Kim Gyohun was his real colleague. He was someone who shouldn’t die.
“Where did you get these from?”
“I picked them up… A human had them.”
“A human with black hair wearing leather armor. He had the ability to conceal his body.”
Jack stood up abruptly.
“Don’t hesitate. Tell me.”
“I picked them up… Yes… A human had them.”
“Speak. Who was that human?”
“He was a human with black hair. He was hiding his body.”
Jack’s expression turned grim.
Jack raised his hand. Then, the merchants who had been waiting outside entered. Their entry was really swift. There was no delay whatsoever, it almost felt as if it had been prearranged.
“Get them!”
They drew their weapons. Their movements in drawing the weapons were smooth. They didn’t seem like ordinary merchants.
Suddenly, Karim was surrounded by the men wielding weapons.
“Orc, is this some kind of joke? If you value your life, speak up now.”
“At first, he was just a human dark mage. He targeted me, so I killed him. Turns out that dark mage had that emblem with him.”
“······.”
“The second one is relatively recent. He was hiding and targeting me, his stealth skills were impressive enough to deceive my senses. If it weren’t for my master, I would have fallen for it. Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered even if I did.”
“······.”
“His name was······. Yes, Kim Gyohun. According to my master, his name was Kim Gyohun. I don’t know what kind of name that is, but I took his life.”
Jack’s expression hardened without mercy.
He thought he was just picking up trash. It was natural. Kim Gyohun wasn’t someone who would fall to just an orc.
But, this orc claims to have killed him.
“Well? Do you like the answer?”
“······.”
“Kim Jackson?”
The moment Jack heard his true name, which no one in this dimension should know, his body reacted first.
『Mental Intrusion Technique – Swift Charge』
『Mental Intrusion Technique – Host Domination』
Kwaaa!
An intangible force poured like lightning, penetrating Karim’s body.
The intangible force that entered quickly took control of Karim’s body.
With enough time for the mana relaxation potion to work and even more, his body would have already dulled considerably.
The dulled body would succumb without any resistance.
It was Jack’s patented technique that no one had resisted before.
His Mental Intrusion Technique was powerful enough on its own, but with the help of the potion, it was truly unmatched.
“Trying to use me as a slave won’t work. Orc. You won’t die so easily.”
Jack gestured. The ones surrounding him with drawn swords began to approach.
“My body feels a bit itchy. What did you do? Did you use some kind of itching spell?”
Jack hesitated.
“Orc. How did you open your mouth?”
He shouldn’t open his mouth. No, he couldn’t.
It would be difficult to move. That’s normal. His consciousness would have been severely shaken by the Mental Intrusion Technique.
But this orc was too intact.
As if he hadn’t been affected by the Mental Intrusion Technique at all.
‘He, he wasn’t affected? That can’t be!’
“Is it over? Now it’s my turn to ask in return.”
“Darn it.”
Jack realized something was off. Things were going strangely.
“What are you guys doing? Are you really merchants?”
“Attack!”
Jack left without saying another word. They tried to chase him, but they were surrounded, so they couldn’t pursue.
But Karim didn’t care.
He hadn’t brought in Kakul and Kukul for nothing; it was to prepare for situations like this.
The blind sword swung. Karim lowered his head to avoid it.
“It can’t be helped.”
He drew his axe.
“All I can do is spill blood.”
As if waiting, the power of Taehyung’s skill began to move.
[Skill ‘Shout of Lethargy’ activated.]
Whaaah!
Then, Karim’s axe began to dance wildly.
“What’s all this commotion? What’s happening?”
“It seems there’s a fight going on at the Black Snake.”
“A fight?”
“Yes. It’s chaos right now. Some orc suddenly went berserk, swinging his axe like a madman… It seems things might escalate.”
The lord opened his eyes wide at the soldier’s words.
“An orc? Causing a ruckus?”
“Yes.”
“Why not just apprehend him?”
“Well, he’s so strong that…”
“Huh, if an orc is strong, how strong must he be?”
As the lord muttered, a man clad in armor, with white hair, sitting beside him, spoke to the soldier.
“Aren’t there mercenaries hired besides the direct guards? Are they not intervening?”
“I’m not sure about that. But it seems like a real mess. The chief of security has been informed, so the guards should be dispatched soon.”
“Hmm.”
The man stroked his chin as he muttered.
“An orc causing trouble that can’t be subdued… Even with Batina’s mercenaries? But there’s no way they would fall to just an orc.”
Batina Confederation, a small country located in the center of the Afroxia continent.
Though the country may be small and often overlooked in many aspects, there was one thing it was famous for—mercenaries.
The Batina Confederation had expanded its mercenary business on a national scale.
Batina’s mercenaries were renowned for their strength and their unwavering loyalty to their employers.
With Batina’s mercenaries holding firm, it seemed absurd that they would be struggling against just one orc.
A man stood up abruptly.
“My lord, it seems I should rise as well.”
“Sir Kirteen, where do you intend to go?”
“There’s a beast rampaging about; surely I must deal with it?”
“Oh, Sir Kirteen is taking matters into his own hands. Then there should be no issue.”
A flush came over the lord’s face.
Who was Sir Kirteen?
He was the hero among heroes, known as the kingdom’s guardian. He was considered one of the most exceptional individuals to have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship within the kingdom.
If such a hero were to intervene personally, no matter how strong the orc, there should be no problem.
“I’ll be back soon. I’ll finish before the tea gets cold.”
Kirteen took his sword and confidently strode out. The lord watched his retreating figure for a moment, then turned away nonchalantly.
“It’ll be over quickly.”
The lord hoped Kirteen would return with the orc alive. What kind of orc could cause such chaos alone, he wondered.
But sometimes situations unfold in unpredictable ways. The lord would come to realize how careless his thoughts had been.
