Overwhelming.
When Taehyung first saw the ogre through Karim’s senses and perspective, it was the thought that occurred to him.
The ogre was a predator that perfectly suited the term “overwhelming.”
It was vastly different from the ogres he had seen on TV, YouTube, and the internet.
With each step it took, there was a sense of power, and the ominous breath felt like an uncontrollable wildness.
Among hunters, there was a saying that trolls and ogres were just a sheet of paper apart.
“No, that’s absurd.”
It was utter nonsense spoken by those who hadn’t experienced it. Anyone who encountered such a massive predator up close wouldn’t dare utter such words.
Now Taehyung was sure. All the countless saying circulating on the internet were fake.
Claims like defeating an ogre alone in the Afoxia dimension and coming back, or something of that sort, were truly absurd and nonsense.
“How can one defeat that?”
Such thoughts naturally crossed his mind.
He could was certain. If Taehyung himself stood before that monster, he would have likely crumbled on the spot. Legs giving way, possibly even fainting.
But Karim was different.
Whether he was trembling or not, he was undoubtedly standing tall.
Without stepping back, he replaced fear with courage, staring sharply at the predator in the forest.
No matter what anyone said, he was truly a warrior. Taehyung found Karim’s courage admirable.
He believed. He believed that Karim would succeed in defeating that monster…
“I’ll cut your throat and offer your head to my lord!”
Ah, that’s a bit much.
Karim, please, spare that head-offering talk.
“Huahap!”
He charged with an axe in hand. He swung it down towards the ogre’s menacing face.
Clang!
The ogre blocked with a club, sparks flying.
“Attack from behind!”
“Thunk!”
At Karim’s command, a large wolf appeared from behind the ogre. The wolf leaped high and bit into the ogre’s neck.
Grrrr!
A chunk of the ogre’s neck flesh was torn away. The ogre roared, swinging its arm.
Thud!
Crack!
The wolf that had been struck by the indiscriminate swing went flying far away.
* * *
The fight with the ogre was truly dangerous, as if walking on the edge of a blade.
Certainly, the combined assault of Karim and the wolf was effective.
Karim’s movements were nimble, and the claws and fangs of the wolf were sharp. They didn’t exchange a word, but their movements seemed to communicate as if constantly.
Taehyung watched in admiration.
However, the ogre was even more powerful.
Despite the wolf tearing into its flesh and the axe cutting through its muscles, the ogre’s movements didn’t slow down at all.
Rather, it became more ferocious. Though not precise, it seemed the more wounds it received, the faster its movements became.
As the ogre’s injuries increased, so did the wounds on Karim and the wolf. Karim’s leather armor was torn to shreds, and blood was flowing from various places.
“A real monster.”
Taehyung clicked his tongue. He had moved out of Karim’s field of vision, using the Summoner’s Eye skill to observe the battle from a 3rd point-of-view perspective.
It was because he wanted to see if there was anything he could contribute to the fight.
“Surely that monster has a weakness.”
Taehyung calmly observed the ogre. As he analyzed the ogre’s movements, something caught his attention.
“That’s it.”
Taehyung’s eyes lit up. Somehow, it seemed like he had identified the ogre’s weakness.
He shouted.
“Karim! Focus on attacking the chest!”
There was no response. However, Karim clearly understood. It was evident from the change in Karim’s movements.
Karim and the wolf began to concentrate their attacks on the chest area. The ogre desperately tried to defend its chest as if there was something important in it.
But eventually, the defense was breached. Karim’s axe struck deeply into the chest.
Thud!
Crack!
A sound like something shattering echoed. Taehyung immediately grasped what it was.
“Is that… the heart?”
“Geuaah!”
The ogre collapsed. The ground shook, and dust billowed.
The ogre’s body trembled, then soon stopped trembling. Karim cautiously approached the fallen ogre and gave it a light kick with his toe.
Tap, tap.
He checked if everything was okay.
Having confirmed it for quite some time, Karim finally grinned. In the midst of his blood-soaked face, only his white teeth stood out.
“I, Karim, did it again!”
Karim raised both hands holding the axe high and cheered. Perhaps unable to contain his joy, he didn’t stop there and lifted the front paws of the wolf, which was panting beside him.
Then, as if a wolf standing on two legs, he raised it up and shouted “Hahaha!”
With a hearty laugh, Karim raised the axe again after wiping his mouth and took a deep breath before swinging it down on the thick neck of the ogre.
“Master! Accept it! The head of the ogre is more glorious than that of a troll!”
As expected, Karim once again lifted the massive head of the ogre triumphantly. The expression on Karim’s face, as he slightly bowed his head, showed no trace of doubt.
It seemed like he was convinced that Taehyung would be the one to receive the reward.
“No, does he really offer the head as a sacrifice every time he kills an enemy?”
To be precise, it was the head of a formidable enemy with meaning.
“Ugh, it’s disgusting. I wonder if it will haunt my dreams.”
If such horrifying things appeared in his dreams, it would undoubtedly be one of the most horrific nightmares.
Just as he was about to say enough, an unexpected message appeared.
[The sincere actions of your summoned Karim produce meaningful results!]
[Karim awakens the skill ‘Plundering Spoils’!]
– Huh?
Awakening a skill?
[Plundering Spoils]
-Karim, feeling incredibly grateful to the master, believes he must repay this favor somehow. This skill is the product of Karim’s firm determination.
-When Karim presents you with an item, its value is appraised and converted into store points.
“What? Converted into store points?”
According to the explanation, store points could only be obtained through achievement accomplishments.
It seems like a new method of obtaining them has emerged.
*
As usual, the peaceful Blue Axe Orc Tribe. Warriors who had scattered for scouting activities returned all at once.
“1st squad, no unusual activity near the Red Flag tribe.”
“2nd squad, no peculiarities in the southern river area.”
“3rd squad, the same goes for the White Crow tribe. Nothing unusual.”
“4th squad as well…”
All the warriors reported one after another. It seemed that no one had found any special anomalies.
“Finding a great bloodline is harder than I thought.”
Karik shook his head disheartened.
He knew it would be like this, but it was still disappointing.
Well, thinking about it, it was natural.
After the era of glory, the orc tribe had torn apart into hundreds of tribes. A thousand years had passed like that.
Among them, only 40% of the orcs lived in the Kaizen Great Forest, and the rest lived scattered all over the continent. Some even lived among human societies, interacting and mingling with them.
In such a situation, finding the return of a great bloodline to this land was bound to be extremely difficult.
It would be fortunate to find it through this level of scouting.
But Karik had no intention of giving up. Although the orc tribe had lived quietly like mice for a thousand years, the hope of revival had always remained in their hearts.
That hope was present in Karik as well as in the other orcs of hundreds of tribes.
So, they would find it. And once again, they would strive for the prosperity of the orc tribe.
“Great job, everyone. Go and rest well.”
“Chief, sir.”
As everyone dispersed, an orc suddenly interjected.
“I think I saw something.”
“What did you see?”
“The area I was assigned to patrol was close to the central area, right next to the ogre’s territory. I pushed myself a bit and went deep into the ogre’s territory.”
The eyebrows of Shaman Kurpha, who had been listening quietly, twitched.
“Didn’t I tell you not to approach that area without my permission?”
“I’m sorry about that, shaman. But I saw something.”
“What did you see?”
“I saw someone defeating the ogre.”
The orc’s expression became excited as he spoke. It seemed as if he vividly recalled that moment.
“It was with one of our own and a big wolf. The two of them defeated that corrupted ogre.”
Then, the warriors became agitated.
“Are you saying they defeated that monster with just the two of them?”
“And one of them was a wolf?”
“Incredible! They must be truly formidable warriors!”
The warriors exclaimed in excitement.
Karik raised his hand, and the warriors quieted down.
“Is that certain?”
“Yes. I can swear to the orc god.”
“Then, how did the wolf that you mentioned look?”
“It was an incredibly large gray wolf. It seemed like it could even be ridden. It had gray fur emitting a blue light.”
“Hmm.”
Karik swallowed hard.
“A large gray wolf…”
As far as he knew, such a wolf did not exist in the Kaizen Great Forest. Despite roaming through the forest for a lifetime, he had never seen it.
Karik pulled out a bundle of dusty parchment from the shelves, clearing the dust off one by one, and selected one.
Coughing as he brushed away the dust, he carefully examined each until he found one and unfolded it.
In the parchment, the majestic figure of a giant wolf was captured.
“Was the wolf you saw shaped like this?”
“Yes! That’s it! Exactly the same!”
“I see.”
Karik stroked his chin and nodded, exchanging glances with the Shaman Kurpha.
“Chief, it seems our thoughts align.”
“That’s right.”
This time, Kurpha stepped forward.
“Warrior, what you witnessed is a creature known as the Giant Wolf.”
“Giant Wolf…?”
“Yes. And there is only one kind of being in the world that can command the Giant Wolf.”
Kurpa paused for a moment, creating a brief silence to focus everyone’s attention.
In that moment of stillness, Kurpha spoke.
“High Orc.”
“…”
“The warrior who defeated the Ogre undoubtedly belongs to our thousand years long-lost noble lineage.”
Thud!
A shock reverberated through everyone’s chests.
While the chief and the shaman engaged in a serious discussion with the warriors, Karim stood before a familiar place.
“At last.”
The fences, houses of familiar design, towering watchtowers, Orc women moving around, and guards on alert… This was the village of the Blue Axe Orc tribe, where he was born and raised.
“I have returned.”
He was no longer a half-hearted Orc unable to fulfill even an Orc’s duty. He was now a lone warrior, who had severed the necks of Troll and Ogre.
When abandoned, he had desperately wanted to be with his tribe. Even if his tribe had abandoned him, he hadn’t abandoned his tribe.
He didn’t think his tribe had truly abandoned him; it was just the harsh wilderness of the Kaizen Great Forest that had made it so.
In the wild where monsters boiled around, an Orc incapable of fulfilling his role would be an outcast. It was a survival of the fittest. That’s why he became what he was.
Of course, his tribe might have truly abandoned him. They might dislike his presence. But it didn’t matter. He had a lord now.
From his mansion beyond this dimension, the lord had always watched over him.
As long as the lord existed, he was invincible. Karim truly believed that.
“My lord.”
“Yes.”
“I can do it.”
“Of course.”
“I gain strength just by having you watch over me.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Keep watching over me.”
“Naturally.”
Karim could feel a gaze coming from the sky. The lord’s gaze. The lord’s gaze is always warm and comforting.
Karim, with a swelling chest, took determined steps forward.
He stood at the entrance, looking forwards to the village. Fellow Orcs on guard were visible.
After taking a deep breath, Karim shouted loudly.
“I, Karim! Son of Karik, the chief of the Blue Axe tribe! Having completed my journey, I return as a true warrior!”
Overwhelming.
When Taehyung first saw the ogre through Karim’s senses and perspective, it was the thought that occurred to him.
The ogre was a predator that perfectly suited the term “overwhelming.”
It was vastly different from the ogres he had seen on TV, YouTube, and the internet.
With each step it took, there was a sense of power, and the ominous breath felt like an uncontrollable wildness.
Among hunters, there was a saying that trolls and ogres were just a sheet of paper apart.
“No, that’s absurd.”
It was utter nonsense spoken by those who hadn’t experienced it. Anyone who encountered such a massive predator up close wouldn’t dare utter such words.
Now Taehyung was sure. All the countless saying circulating on the internet were fake.
Claims like defeating an ogre alone in the Afoxia dimension and coming back, or something of that sort, were truly absurd and nonsense.
“How can one defeat that?”
Such thoughts naturally crossed his mind.
He could was certain. If Taehyung himself stood before that monster, he would have likely crumbled on the spot. Legs giving way, possibly even fainting.
But Karim was different.
Whether he was trembling or not, he was undoubtedly standing tall.
Without stepping back, he replaced fear with courage, staring sharply at the predator in the forest.
No matter what anyone said, he was truly a warrior. Taehyung found Karim’s courage admirable.
He believed. He believed that Karim would succeed in defeating that monster…
“I’ll cut your throat and offer your head to my lord!”
Ah, that’s a bit much.
Karim, please, spare that head-offering talk.
“Huahap!”
He charged with an axe in hand. He swung it down towards the ogre’s menacing face.
Clang!
The ogre blocked with a club, sparks flying.
“Attack from behind!”
“Thunk!”
At Karim’s command, a large wolf appeared from behind the ogre. The wolf leaped high and bit into the ogre’s neck.
Grrrr!
A chunk of the ogre’s neck flesh was torn away. The ogre roared, swinging its arm.
Thud!
Crack!
The wolf that had been struck by the indiscriminate swing went flying far away.
* * *
The fight with the ogre was truly dangerous, as if walking on the edge of a blade.
Certainly, the combined assault of Karim and the wolf was effective.
Karim’s movements were nimble, and the claws and fangs of the wolf were sharp. They didn’t exchange a word, but their movements seemed to communicate as if constantly.
Taehyung watched in admiration.
However, the ogre was even more powerful.
Despite the wolf tearing into its flesh and the axe cutting through its muscles, the ogre’s movements didn’t slow down at all.
Rather, it became more ferocious. Though not precise, it seemed the more wounds it received, the faster its movements became.
As the ogre’s injuries increased, so did the wounds on Karim and the wolf. Karim’s leather armor was torn to shreds, and blood was flowing from various places.
“A real monster.”
Taehyung clicked his tongue. He had moved out of Karim’s field of vision, using the Summoner’s Eye skill to observe the battle from a 3rd point-of-view perspective.
It was because he wanted to see if there was anything he could contribute to the fight.
“Surely that monster has a weakness.”
Taehyung calmly observed the ogre. As he analyzed the ogre’s movements, something caught his attention.
“That’s it.”
Taehyung’s eyes lit up. Somehow, it seemed like he had identified the ogre’s weakness.
He shouted.
“Karim! Focus on attacking the chest!”
There was no response. However, Karim clearly understood. It was evident from the change in Karim’s movements.
Karim and the wolf began to concentrate their attacks on the chest area. The ogre desperately tried to defend its chest as if there was something important in it.
But eventually, the defense was breached. Karim’s axe struck deeply into the chest.
Thud!
Crack!
A sound like something shattering echoed. Taehyung immediately grasped what it was.
“Is that… the heart?”
“Geuaah!”
The ogre collapsed. The ground shook, and dust billowed.
The ogre’s body trembled, then soon stopped trembling. Karim cautiously approached the fallen ogre and gave it a light kick with his toe.
Tap, tap.
He checked if everything was okay.
Having confirmed it for quite some time, Karim finally grinned. In the midst of his blood-soaked face, only his white teeth stood out.
“I, Karim, did it again!”
Karim raised both hands holding the axe high and cheered. Perhaps unable to contain his joy, he didn’t stop there and lifted the front paws of the wolf, which was panting beside him.
Then, as if a wolf standing on two legs, he raised it up and shouted “Hahaha!”
With a hearty laugh, Karim raised the axe again after wiping his mouth and took a deep breath before swinging it down on the thick neck of the ogre.
“Master! Accept it! The head of the ogre is more glorious than that of a troll!”
As expected, Karim once again lifted the massive head of the ogre triumphantly. The expression on Karim’s face, as he slightly bowed his head, showed no trace of doubt.
It seemed like he was convinced that Taehyung would be the one to receive the reward.
“No, does he really offer the head as a sacrifice every time he kills an enemy?”
To be precise, it was the head of a formidable enemy with meaning.
“Ugh, it’s disgusting. I wonder if it will haunt my dreams.”
If such horrifying things appeared in his dreams, it would undoubtedly be one of the most horrific nightmares.
Just as he was about to say enough, an unexpected message appeared.
[The sincere actions of your summoned Karim produce meaningful results!]
[Karim awakens the skill ‘Plundering Spoils’!]
– Huh?
Awakening a skill?
[Plundering Spoils]
-Karim, feeling incredibly grateful to the master, believes he must repay this favor somehow. This skill is the product of Karim’s firm determination.
-When Karim presents you with an item, its value is appraised and converted into store points.
“What? Converted into store points?”
According to the explanation, store points could only be obtained through achievement accomplishments.
It seems like a new method of obtaining them has emerged.
*
As usual, the peaceful Blue Axe Orc Tribe. Warriors who had scattered for scouting activities returned all at once.
“1st squad, no unusual activity near the Red Flag tribe.”
“2nd squad, no peculiarities in the southern river area.”
“3rd squad, the same goes for the White Crow tribe. Nothing unusual.”
“4th squad as well…”
All the warriors reported one after another. It seemed that no one had found any special anomalies.
“Finding a great bloodline is harder than I thought.”
Karik shook his head disheartened.
He knew it would be like this, but it was still disappointing.
Well, thinking about it, it was natural.
After the era of glory, the orc tribe had torn apart into hundreds of tribes. A thousand years had passed like that.
Among them, only 40% of the orcs lived in the Kaizen Great Forest, and the rest lived scattered all over the continent. Some even lived among human societies, interacting and mingling with them.
In such a situation, finding the return of a great bloodline to this land was bound to be extremely difficult.
It would be fortunate to find it through this level of scouting.
But Karik had no intention of giving up. Although the orc tribe had lived quietly like mice for a thousand years, the hope of revival had always remained in their hearts.
That hope was present in Karik as well as in the other orcs of hundreds of tribes.
So, they would find it. And once again, they would strive for the prosperity of the orc tribe.
“Great job, everyone. Go and rest well.”
“Chief, sir.”
As everyone dispersed, an orc suddenly interjected.
“I think I saw something.”
“What did you see?”
“The area I was assigned to patrol was close to the central area, right next to the ogre’s territory. I pushed myself a bit and went deep into the ogre’s territory.”
The eyebrows of Shaman Kurpha, who had been listening quietly, twitched.
“Didn’t I tell you not to approach that area without my permission?”
“I’m sorry about that, shaman. But I saw something.”
“What did you see?”
“I saw someone defeating the ogre.”
The orc’s expression became excited as he spoke. It seemed as if he vividly recalled that moment.
“It was with one of our own and a big wolf. The two of them defeated that corrupted ogre.”
Then, the warriors became agitated.
“Are you saying they defeated that monster with just the two of them?”
“And one of them was a wolf?”
“Incredible! They must be truly formidable warriors!”
The warriors exclaimed in excitement.
Karik raised his hand, and the warriors quieted down.
“Is that certain?”
“Yes. I can swear to the orc god.”
“Then, how did the wolf that you mentioned look?”
“It was an incredibly large gray wolf. It seemed like it could even be ridden. It had gray fur emitting a blue light.”
“Hmm.”
Karik swallowed hard.
“A large gray wolf…”
As far as he knew, such a wolf did not exist in the Kaizen Great Forest. Despite roaming through the forest for a lifetime, he had never seen it.
Karik pulled out a bundle of dusty parchment from the shelves, clearing the dust off one by one, and selected one.
Coughing as he brushed away the dust, he carefully examined each until he found one and unfolded it.
In the parchment, the majestic figure of a giant wolf was captured.
“Was the wolf you saw shaped like this?”
“Yes! That’s it! Exactly the same!”
“I see.”
Karik stroked his chin and nodded, exchanging glances with the Shaman Kurpha.
“Chief, it seems our thoughts align.”
“That’s right.”
This time, Kurpha stepped forward.
“Warrior, what you witnessed is a creature known as the Giant Wolf.”
“Giant Wolf…?”
“Yes. And there is only one kind of being in the world that can command the Giant Wolf.”
Kurpa paused for a moment, creating a brief silence to focus everyone’s attention.
In that moment of stillness, Kurpha spoke.
“High Orc.”
“…”
“The warrior who defeated the Ogre undoubtedly belongs to our thousand years long-lost noble lineage.”
Thud!
A shock reverberated through everyone’s chests.
While the chief and the shaman engaged in a serious discussion with the warriors, Karim stood before a familiar place.
“At last.”
The fences, houses of familiar design, towering watchtowers, Orc women moving around, and guards on alert… This was the village of the Blue Axe Orc tribe, where he was born and raised.
“I have returned.”
He was no longer a half-hearted Orc unable to fulfill even an Orc’s duty. He was now a lone warrior, who had severed the necks of Troll and Ogre.
When abandoned, he had desperately wanted to be with his tribe. Even if his tribe had abandoned him, he hadn’t abandoned his tribe.
He didn’t think his tribe had truly abandoned him; it was just the harsh wilderness of the Kaizen Great Forest that had made it so.
In the wild where monsters boiled around, an Orc incapable of fulfilling his role would be an outcast. It was a survival of the fittest. That’s why he became what he was.
Of course, his tribe might have truly abandoned him. They might dislike his presence. But it didn’t matter. He had a lord now.
From his mansion beyond this dimension, the lord had always watched over him.
As long as the lord existed, he was invincible. Karim truly believed that.
“My lord.”
“Yes.”
“I can do it.”
“Of course.”
“I gain strength just by having you watch over me.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Keep watching over me.”
“Naturally.”
Karim could feel a gaze coming from the sky. The lord’s gaze. The lord’s gaze is always warm and comforting.
Karim, with a swelling chest, took determined steps forward.
He stood at the entrance, looking forwards to the village. Fellow Orcs on guard were visible.
After taking a deep breath, Karim shouted loudly.
“I, Karim! Son of Karik, the chief of the Blue Axe tribe! Having completed my journey, I return as a true warrior!”
