The havoc caused by the orc was enough to turn Turka upside down.
While there was no damage to the villages, the southern district of the city, where the buildings of Black Snake’s Guild were located, suffered greatly.
Although there were dozens of casualties, the biggest loss was the property damage.
Fires broke out in the large warehouses behind the Guild’s main building, and even the underground storage caught fire. It was obvious without detailed confirmation how significant the losses were.
“Phew. This is a disaster, really.”
Yeongju quietly sighed so as not to be noticed by Kirteen sitting beside him.
He was convinced that the most heartbreaking thing was his own loss.
“Darn it! My precious money!”
Honestly, he didn’t care about the deaths of the Guild members. What concerned him was the fact that their warehouses were on fire.
It was better if they were dead. He heard that none of the top leaders of the Guild were seen. One of them was found dead in an alley in the village.
So, the Guild’s belongings would become ownerless, blind money. It would be a complete profit to seize them.
But dreams were shattered. Most of it had burned down. The many spices above ground, the many drugs below ground.
And most of the slaves had escaped.
“Tsk tsk.”
Of course, there were leftovers. But most of them were just empty shells.
Empty shells are tasteless. Only the taste of burnt remains.
It was obvious who did it. It must have been that orc.
“Ha, that damn orc. I should have dealt with it myself instead of sending Kirteen.”
He regretted it over and over again. He didn’t even know if entrusting it to Kirteen had saved his own life.
“No, but why is that man just standing there blankly?”
Kirteen, for whatever reason, was staring blankly into space.
“Kirteen. What are you thinking so hard about?”
“I was just thinking about the duel with that orc earlier.”
“Ah…”
Yeongju couldn’t continue his words.
He had to.
He saw it with his own eyes.
The duel between Kirteen and the orc.
He lost.
Kirteen.
The hero who was close to the limit of swordsmanship.
Honestly, Yeongju was quite shocked too. Anyone who saw it would be.
Wouldn’t the duel between Kirteen and the orc be more talked about than the chaos of the Guild being looted?
“Yeongju.”
“Yes, Kirteen.”
“Saw it?”
“I saw… it.”
“Lost.”
“…”
“Lost to that orc.”
People said that even though Kirteen lost the duel, he did not lose his honor.
They all praised him, saying he fought incredibly well and witnessing the duel of a hero was truly glorious.
Some said the orc used tricks and belittled the orc, while others said the orc, being inherently dishonorable savages, losing a duel meant nothing.
But Kirteen didn’t think so.
“It’s all just excuses.”
It was only false comfort for those who didn’t know. It was no way to hide the truth with lies.
No trickery was involved in the duel. It was a genuine defeat.
“Kirteen, don’t worry too much. Kirteen, you were great. No one will think poorly of you.”
Yeongju comforted Kirteen, who lowered his head slightly.
“No. I lost completely. My honor has fallen to the ground.”
Being praised by others didn’t mean everything was honorable. One had to be honorable oneself. One had to be honorable to oneself.
Kirteen truly believed that.
“Yeongju. Honestly, I thought I did enough. I thought it was time to put down my sword. But my mind has changed.”
“…”
“It seems like my sword still has a long way to go.”
“…”
“Kirteen.”
“I have to go back to basics. After becoming a full-fledged knight, I have to hold the sword with the same heart as when I first picked it up.”
The image of Karim, the orc, was vividly etched in Kirteen’s mind.
His raw movements, his axe swings that felt more like art than combat, his solid physique that went beyond mere strength.
“The leader of the Blue Axe Tribe, Karim.”
“Yes, he clearly said that.”
“That name, I may never forget it for the rest of my life.”
That wasn’t all.
The story of that orc was already circulating among people.
The one who defeated the kingdom’s hero Kirteen in a duel.
The orc who knew how to use magic.
Karim, the chief of the Blue Axe Tribe.
Rumors about him had just begun to spread, and once a rumor started to spread, it was only a matter of time before it spread far and wide.
*
“Ah, it’s cold.”
The day was cold. It felt even colder in the dark night. Taehyung constantly rubbed his chilled cheeks.
“Ah, did I come out for nothing?”
For Taehyung, going out was a big decision. Except for the exercises that had become so familiar, of course.
Even going to the dimensional exchange market periodically to sell items was the same. Every time he went, he would say, ‘Ah, I don’t want to go.’ or ‘I’m too lazy to go.’
But now, going out was not an exaggeration. It was a real deal.
It was to catch those underworld scum.
“Should I just not go?”
Such thoughts came to mind, but he shook his head soon after.
It was already spilled water. There was no way to put it back.
He had already called them.
Boldly, too.
Knowing well his own tendency to hesitate, he deliberately tore up the phone book first.
“No. I need to get 5 billion. Taehyung!”
As he kept repeating it to himself, he felt somehow calmer inside.
“Yeah. If a man pulls out a knife, he should at least sharpen it. There’s no use running away.”
Just stick to the plan. Stick to the plan.
“Yeah, thick, isn’t it?”
At Taehyung’s words, a thick frog suddenly popped out of his coat pocket and landed on Taehyung’s shoulder, puffing up its cheeks.
Boing!
That was none other than Buluk, the giant frog that had become a lump now.
Kkokkogi said to carry this lump around. What did he say? Did he say this lump would protect its owner?
Kkokkogi said he needed to expand his influence.
Taehyung saw Buluk’s original form.
“It was really impressive.”
It was huge. And I mean huge. It looked very sturdy.
But now, it was just a small frog that felt like a pet.
“You’re quite cute too.”
Boing!
Buluk was only the size of a palm, fitting perfectly in one’s hand.
“I’ll count on you, Buluk.”
Boing!
Buluk croaked. I had no idea what it was croaking about, but one thing was certain, it was a positive response.
Taehyung stroked Buluk’s back with his finger. The little fellow croaked happily. Perhaps it meant it liked it.
At first glance, its skin looked soft, but when touched, it felt a bit rough. So it felt like touching a rock.
Not just any rock, but a somewhat squishy one?
‘But what does it eat? Is it omnivorous? Even though it’s an extradimensional being, it’s still a living creature, so it must eat, right?’
With such pointless thoughts, Taehyung moved his steps towards the apartment parking lot.
He had picked up a car recently. He planned to drive with it.
Normally, he would have refrained from driving because of his left arm, but not anymore.
He could move his left arm now!
“Hehe. Having both arms free is so convenient.”
Actually, he wasn’t physically better.
His ability to move his left arm was solely due to mana.
The first attempt began with a single thought.
‘Maybe I can move my arm with mana?’
After various attempts, Taehyung learned to gather mana around his left arm thinly and move it with his will.
Ah, how exhilarating it was when he first moved his left arm!
Of course, there were limits.
He still couldn’t feel any sensation, and prolonged movement would cause fatigue.
But being able to move at all was important.
Taehyung hoped that eventually he could feel sensations fully, and he headed to the parking lot.
There, he saw a white midsize sedan.
He had contemplated getting a foreign car since he could afford it now, but he changed his mind and chose this one.
Before his parents passed away, he used to drive often in his early twenties. But that was his dad’s car, and this was his first car. He wanted a decent one for his first car.
One that he could use for a while and then upgrade to a better one later.
“Wow, it’s shining.”
The white shine of the midsize sedan delighted him.
Though it might look like an ordinary car to others, it looked the best to Taehyung now. He even felt it was a waste to drive it around.
“Let’s go.”
Soon, a dull yellow car exited the parking lot.
Taehyung’s “fishing operation,” as he named it, had begun.
—
Taehyung’s car, speeding through the darkness, came to a halt in a secluded area.
Exiting the car, Taehyung stretched and surveyed his surroundings.
It was late at night, and the lights of the shops were all off.
With no people around and no streetlights on, it was an incredibly desolate place.
Taehyung walked down the street.
“It feels like something’s going to jump out.”
It wasn’t just a feeling that something was going to jump out; something was actually going to jump out. It was the villains of the underworld.
“The underworld guys will definitely come.”
They had been notified by phone. They had kidnapped their colleagues, so if they wanted them back, they had to bring money to the agreed-upon location.
It was actually a very common and childish operation. Naturally, those guys wouldn’t fall for such a thing.
They might come out, but they would probably just play a bit of cat and mouse.
Taehyung expected as much.
“I don’t even know where our boss, Black Snake, is. He’s very suspicious. He hardly ever shows himself.”
Jack had said that.
He even said that catching the boss wouldn’t be done by conventional means.
Such guys wouldn’t fall for such a silly kidnapping call.
So, this was fishing.
It was a fishing operation with Taehyung himself as bait.
“The die is cast. Even if I can’t catch anything, I’ll still go.”
After taking a deep breath, Taehyung strode forward.
After walking for a while, he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his head.
His instincts sent a danger signal.
But Taehyung ignored the danger signal conveyed by mana.
He just kept walking.
And then.
Sizzle!
With a sound like flames burning, a group of people appeared from behind.
“Capture him.”
“Yes!”
The underworld members quickly spread out in all directions and charged towards Taehyung.
Taehyung acted surprised, as if he didn’t know anything.
“W-what, what are you guys!”
“We’ll have to take you with us.”
In no time, Taehyung found himself surrounded.
He had been frightened, hesitated, but now that he was in the midst of battle, he felt strangely calm.
“Wow. Villain guys, their lines are so cliché. Feels like I’m in a movie.”
It seemed I was more of a man of action than I thought.
Taehyung pretended not to know while inwardly contemplating. He raised his hand quickly and shouted, “Help! Please help!”
“Get him!”
“Ah! Save me!”
The men in black approached and grabbed Taehyung’s limbs. He struggled.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
One of the men in black tore a piece of paper.
Ziik!
Suddenly, he felt mana surging.
As mana flowed into his body, he began to feel strangely lethargic.
It felt like his body was stiffening.
‘Is this some kind of sleep or suppression skill?’
He immediately raised his mana.
Just in case they might notice, he moved only slightly.
After spreading mana thinly and moving it towards his head like a shield, he felt the lethargy stop.
The skill activated by the black-clad individuals had been canceled.
However, Taehyung deliberately acted as if he were caught.
He closed his eyes and let his body go limp.
“Move him.”
“Yes.”
He was moved somewhere. It seemed like a car.
Vroom-
The car carrying Taehyung began to drive somewhere.
*
A while passed.
Taehyung still had his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious.
He didn’t know how much time had passed. But judging by the brightness around him, it seemed like he had entered indoors.
‘Ugh, I’m going crazy.’
At this rate, he felt like he might go mad.
Then.
Click!
The door opened, and someone entered.
“Wake him up.”
“Yes!”
Splash!
Startled, Taehyung jolted awake as cold water splashed over him.
The black-clad men surrounded him, and there was a woman in a gown facing him.
“Who is this?”
“Yes. But, he seems like bait.”
“Hmm. We’ll find out when we ask.”
Approaching, the woman lifted Taehyung’s face with a long stick-like object.
“Hey. What happened to our Gyohun?”
“Your Gyohun? What, what are you talking about?”
“What happened to our Gyohun?”
The woman narrowed her eyes and glared. A sharp energy emanated from her body, enveloping him.
“Hurry up and speak. Where did you put our Gyohun?”
“I, I don’t know. What are you talking about…”
Taehyung trembled.
“Where, where am I?”
“What does it matter where you are.”
“Help, please. I don’t know what’s going on, but I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Wrong? There is something wrong. Our Gyohun was kidnapped.”
The woman chuckled.
“Damn. The more I think about it, the more absurd it gets. Who would believe a villain receives a kidnapping threat?”
‘Exactly. I can’t believe it either.’
“You don’t need to ask. It’s obvious. This guy wouldn’t do it. You must have received someone’s orders.”
‘But it was me.’
“So, tell me. Who ordered you? Which organization are you affiliated with?”
Taehyung spoke up.
“B-Bruce Axe.”
“Bruce… what?”
“The Bruce Axe gang.”
“What is that?”
The woman asked with a bewildered expression.
“Is there such an organization?”
The havoc caused by the orc was enough to turn Turka upside down.
While there was no damage to the villages, the southern district of the city, where the buildings of Black Snake’s Guild were located, suffered greatly.
Although there were dozens of casualties, the biggest loss was the property damage.
Fires broke out in the large warehouses behind the Guild’s main building, and even the underground storage caught fire. It was obvious without detailed confirmation how significant the losses were.
“Phew. This is a disaster, really.”
Yeongju quietly sighed so as not to be noticed by Kirteen sitting beside him.
He was convinced that the most heartbreaking thing was his own loss.
“Darn it! My precious money!”
Honestly, he didn’t care about the deaths of the Guild members. What concerned him was the fact that their warehouses were on fire.
It was better if they were dead. He heard that none of the top leaders of the Guild were seen. One of them was found dead in an alley in the village.
So, the Guild’s belongings would become ownerless, blind money. It would be a complete profit to seize them.
But dreams were shattered. Most of it had burned down. The many spices above ground, the many drugs below ground.
And most of the slaves had escaped.
“Tsk tsk.”
Of course, there were leftovers. But most of them were just empty shells.
Empty shells are tasteless. Only the taste of burnt remains.
It was obvious who did it. It must have been that orc.
“Ha, that damn orc. I should have dealt with it myself instead of sending Kirteen.”
He regretted it over and over again. He didn’t even know if entrusting it to Kirteen had saved his own life.
“No, but why is that man just standing there blankly?”
Kirteen, for whatever reason, was staring blankly into space.
“Kirteen. What are you thinking so hard about?”
“I was just thinking about the duel with that orc earlier.”
“Ah…”
Yeongju couldn’t continue his words.
He had to.
He saw it with his own eyes.
The duel between Kirteen and the orc.
He lost.
Kirteen.
The hero who was close to the limit of swordsmanship.
Honestly, Yeongju was quite shocked too. Anyone who saw it would be.
Wouldn’t the duel between Kirteen and the orc be more talked about than the chaos of the Guild being looted?
“Yeongju.”
“Yes, Kirteen.”
“Saw it?”
“I saw… it.”
“Lost.”
“…”
“Lost to that orc.”
People said that even though Kirteen lost the duel, he did not lose his honor.
They all praised him, saying he fought incredibly well and witnessing the duel of a hero was truly glorious.
Some said the orc used tricks and belittled the orc, while others said the orc, being inherently dishonorable savages, losing a duel meant nothing.
But Kirteen didn’t think so.
“It’s all just excuses.”
It was only false comfort for those who didn’t know. It was no way to hide the truth with lies.
No trickery was involved in the duel. It was a genuine defeat.
“Kirteen, don’t worry too much. Kirteen, you were great. No one will think poorly of you.”
Yeongju comforted Kirteen, who lowered his head slightly.
“No. I lost completely. My honor has fallen to the ground.”
Being praised by others didn’t mean everything was honorable. One had to be honorable oneself. One had to be honorable to oneself.
Kirteen truly believed that.
“Yeongju. Honestly, I thought I did enough. I thought it was time to put down my sword. But my mind has changed.”
“…”
“It seems like my sword still has a long way to go.”
“…”
“Kirteen.”
“I have to go back to basics. After becoming a full-fledged knight, I have to hold the sword with the same heart as when I first picked it up.”
The image of Karim, the orc, was vividly etched in Kirteen’s mind.
His raw movements, his axe swings that felt more like art than combat, his solid physique that went beyond mere strength.
“The leader of the Blue Axe Tribe, Karim.”
“Yes, he clearly said that.”
“That name, I may never forget it for the rest of my life.”
That wasn’t all.
The story of that orc was already circulating among people.
The one who defeated the kingdom’s hero Kirteen in a duel.
The orc who knew how to use magic.
Karim, the chief of the Blue Axe Tribe.
Rumors about him had just begun to spread, and once a rumor started to spread, it was only a matter of time before it spread far and wide.
*
“Ah, it’s cold.”
The day was cold. It felt even colder in the dark night. Taehyung constantly rubbed his chilled cheeks.
“Ah, did I come out for nothing?”
For Taehyung, going out was a big decision. Except for the exercises that had become so familiar, of course.
Even going to the dimensional exchange market periodically to sell items was the same. Every time he went, he would say, ‘Ah, I don’t want to go.’ or ‘I’m too lazy to go.’
But now, going out was not an exaggeration. It was a real deal.
It was to catch those underworld scum.
“Should I just not go?”
Such thoughts came to mind, but he shook his head soon after.
It was already spilled water. There was no way to put it back.
He had already called them.
Boldly, too.
Knowing well his own tendency to hesitate, he deliberately tore up the phone book first.
“No. I need to get 5 billion. Taehyung!”
As he kept repeating it to himself, he felt somehow calmer inside.
“Yeah. If a man pulls out a knife, he should at least sharpen it. There’s no use running away.”
Just stick to the plan. Stick to the plan.
“Yeah, thick, isn’t it?”
At Taehyung’s words, a thick frog suddenly popped out of his coat pocket and landed on Taehyung’s shoulder, puffing up its cheeks.
Boing!
That was none other than Buluk, the giant frog that had become a lump now.
Kkokkogi said to carry this lump around. What did he say? Did he say this lump would protect its owner?
Kkokkogi said he needed to expand his influence.
Taehyung saw Buluk’s original form.
“It was really impressive.”
It was huge. And I mean huge. It looked very sturdy.
But now, it was just a small frog that felt like a pet.
“You’re quite cute too.”
Boing!
Buluk was only the size of a palm, fitting perfectly in one’s hand.
“I’ll count on you, Buluk.”
Boing!
Buluk croaked. I had no idea what it was croaking about, but one thing was certain, it was a positive response.
Taehyung stroked Buluk’s back with his finger. The little fellow croaked happily. Perhaps it meant it liked it.
At first glance, its skin looked soft, but when touched, it felt a bit rough. So it felt like touching a rock.
Not just any rock, but a somewhat squishy one?
‘But what does it eat? Is it omnivorous? Even though it’s an extradimensional being, it’s still a living creature, so it must eat, right?’
With such pointless thoughts, Taehyung moved his steps towards the apartment parking lot.
He had picked up a car recently. He planned to drive with it.
Normally, he would have refrained from driving because of his left arm, but not anymore.
He could move his left arm now!
“Hehe. Having both arms free is so convenient.”
Actually, he wasn’t physically better.
His ability to move his left arm was solely due to mana.
The first attempt began with a single thought.
‘Maybe I can move my arm with mana?’
After various attempts, Taehyung learned to gather mana around his left arm thinly and move it with his will.
Ah, how exhilarating it was when he first moved his left arm!
Of course, there were limits.
He still couldn’t feel any sensation, and prolonged movement would cause fatigue.
But being able to move at all was important.
Taehyung hoped that eventually he could feel sensations fully, and he headed to the parking lot.
There, he saw a white midsize sedan.
He had contemplated getting a foreign car since he could afford it now, but he changed his mind and chose this one.
Before his parents passed away, he used to drive often in his early twenties. But that was his dad’s car, and this was his first car. He wanted a decent one for his first car.
One that he could use for a while and then upgrade to a better one later.
“Wow, it’s shining.”
The white shine of the midsize sedan delighted him.
Though it might look like an ordinary car to others, it looked the best to Taehyung now. He even felt it was a waste to drive it around.
“Let’s go.”
Soon, a dull yellow car exited the parking lot.
Taehyung’s “fishing operation,” as he named it, had begun.
—
Taehyung’s car, speeding through the darkness, came to a halt in a secluded area.
Exiting the car, Taehyung stretched and surveyed his surroundings.
It was late at night, and the lights of the shops were all off.
With no people around and no streetlights on, it was an incredibly desolate place.
Taehyung walked down the street.
“It feels like something’s going to jump out.”
It wasn’t just a feeling that something was going to jump out; something was actually going to jump out. It was the villains of the underworld.
“The underworld guys will definitely come.”
They had been notified by phone. They had kidnapped their colleagues, so if they wanted them back, they had to bring money to the agreed-upon location.
It was actually a very common and childish operation. Naturally, those guys wouldn’t fall for such a thing.
They might come out, but they would probably just play a bit of cat and mouse.
Taehyung expected as much.
“I don’t even know where our boss, Black Snake, is. He’s very suspicious. He hardly ever shows himself.”
Jack had said that.
He even said that catching the boss wouldn’t be done by conventional means.
Such guys wouldn’t fall for such a silly kidnapping call.
So, this was fishing.
It was a fishing operation with Taehyung himself as bait.
“The die is cast. Even if I can’t catch anything, I’ll still go.”
After taking a deep breath, Taehyung strode forward.
After walking for a while, he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his head.
His instincts sent a danger signal.
But Taehyung ignored the danger signal conveyed by mana.
He just kept walking.
And then.
Sizzle!
With a sound like flames burning, a group of people appeared from behind.
“Capture him.”
“Yes!”
The underworld members quickly spread out in all directions and charged towards Taehyung.
Taehyung acted surprised, as if he didn’t know anything.
“W-what, what are you guys!”
“We’ll have to take you with us.”
In no time, Taehyung found himself surrounded.
He had been frightened, hesitated, but now that he was in the midst of battle, he felt strangely calm.
“Wow. Villain guys, their lines are so cliché. Feels like I’m in a movie.”
It seemed I was more of a man of action than I thought.
Taehyung pretended not to know while inwardly contemplating. He raised his hand quickly and shouted, “Help! Please help!”
“Get him!”
“Ah! Save me!”
The men in black approached and grabbed Taehyung’s limbs. He struggled.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
One of the men in black tore a piece of paper.
Ziik!
Suddenly, he felt mana surging.
As mana flowed into his body, he began to feel strangely lethargic.
It felt like his body was stiffening.
‘Is this some kind of sleep or suppression skill?’
He immediately raised his mana.
Just in case they might notice, he moved only slightly.
After spreading mana thinly and moving it towards his head like a shield, he felt the lethargy stop.
The skill activated by the black-clad individuals had been canceled.
However, Taehyung deliberately acted as if he were caught.
He closed his eyes and let his body go limp.
“Move him.”
“Yes.”
He was moved somewhere. It seemed like a car.
Vroom-
The car carrying Taehyung began to drive somewhere.
*
A while passed.
Taehyung still had his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious.
He didn’t know how much time had passed. But judging by the brightness around him, it seemed like he had entered indoors.
‘Ugh, I’m going crazy.’
At this rate, he felt like he might go mad.
Then.
Click!
The door opened, and someone entered.
“Wake him up.”
“Yes!”
Splash!
Startled, Taehyung jolted awake as cold water splashed over him.
The black-clad men surrounded him, and there was a woman in a gown facing him.
“Who is this?”
“Yes. But, he seems like bait.”
“Hmm. We’ll find out when we ask.”
Approaching, the woman lifted Taehyung’s face with a long stick-like object.
“Hey. What happened to our Gyohun?”
“Your Gyohun? What, what are you talking about?”
“What happened to our Gyohun?”
The woman narrowed her eyes and glared. A sharp energy emanated from her body, enveloping him.
“Hurry up and speak. Where did you put our Gyohun?”
“I, I don’t know. What are you talking about…”
Taehyung trembled.
“Where, where am I?”
“What does it matter where you are.”
“Help, please. I don’t know what’s going on, but I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Wrong? There is something wrong. Our Gyohun was kidnapped.”
The woman chuckled.
“Damn. The more I think about it, the more absurd it gets. Who would believe a villain receives a kidnapping threat?”
‘Exactly. I can’t believe it either.’
“You don’t need to ask. It’s obvious. This guy wouldn’t do it. You must have received someone’s orders.”
‘But it was me.’
“So, tell me. Who ordered you? Which organization are you affiliated with?”
Taehyung spoke up.
“B-Bruce Axe.”
“Bruce… what?”
“The Bruce Axe gang.”
“What is that?”
The woman asked with a bewildered expression.
“Is there such an organization?”
