Chapter 3

”…”

“My goodness. How brutally did you get beaten to end up like this? This could leave some serious trauma; it’s just too much.”

As Thomas continued fussing over me, I awkwardly smiled and checked my body condition. My shattered ribs were fully restored, and torn skin and organs had returned to their original state. The newly regenerated skin looked different from the surrounding tanned area, which was slightly irritating, but thanks to the administered nutritional supplements, there were no issues with mobility.

Of course, every movement still brought insane levels of pain.

Just endure it for now.

Unless one is serving in the military, receiving care from a high-ranking healer (and doctor) like First Lieutenant Thomas is not easily attainable outside this environment. It might only be possible in private VIP hospital rooms in civilian life.

In my case, I needed to take full advantage of this opportunity.

“Lieutenant, I’m feeling tired.”

“Oh, it’s already 4 AM. Yes, since you’re here, sleep over tonight. I’ll also be staying overnight on duty. Ughh… Lately, I haven’t been getting enough sleep. Tomorrow, I need to request time off…”

As First Lieutenant Thomas grumbled and left the infirmary, I covered my mouth with my right hand.

“Login,” I whispered softly.

Suddenly, I found myself back in Ardenia.

“Ooh~ Rrrr… Huh? Wh-what? The human is awake!”

“He has no wounds? But almost half of him was torn apart?”

“What’s going on? Should we kill him again?”

Ignoring the bewildered orcs’ words, I sat up. Since my body had recovered when I returned to Earth, the double-headed axe that was previously embedded in me now simply rested on top of my chest.

Thud!

The double-edged axe fell to the ground as several thousand orcs watched blankly. It was obvious, but there was no reason for me to hesitate.

“Run away!”

“Stop him!”

I heard screams behind me but didn’t look back, just running blindly forward. I hadn’t possessed this territory for long, but I knew its structure and terrain perfectly. In a moment, I left the castle grounds and ran straight along the main road.

“Stop right there!”

“Catch him! Kill him!”

“Wah…ro-ro-ro!”

“W-Wait, the human is too fast…!”

The orcs wildly chased after me before colliding with each other, entangling themselves, and falling over in chaos. Of course, some of them managed to run without any issues.

‘Good, getting further away.’

Fortunately, despite their brute strength and tenacious vitality, the orcs had abysmal speed.

It took them at least twenty seconds to run 100 meters! This was even when they were sprinting at full speed, so outrunning them intentionally wasn’t easy. After running approximately one kilometer, the cursing sounds started to fade away… except for one.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp-stomp-stomp!

“Ah, damn!”

Turning back at the heavy footsteps, I saw a massive 2.5-meter tall orc racing towards me with incredible speed.

Vulcan Orc Berserker (Rare)

Hamrom

This was the guy who threw an axe and delivered me right up to the edge of Three Paths River.

“Huff!”

I regulated my breathing while running. Sometimes, I passed through narrow gaps between buildings or leaped over walls. Meanwhile, the pursuing orc berserker…

Crash! Crash! Crash!

“Wah.”

It charged forward, smashing everything blocking its path!

“Pant…pant… Logout!”

I sprinted with all my might until my stamina ran low and returned to Earth. After catching my breath, hydrating, and resting briefly while stretching out my tired limbs:

“Log in.”

And then I continued running.

“Graaaaah! Stop! You flying squirrel!”

“You should give up! Aren’t you tired yet?”

Despite alternating between Earth and Ardenia to recover my stamina, the distance between me and the orc berserker gradually decreased. The only reason I could escape this far was because it took time for the orc to retrieve its thrown axe each time; otherwise, it would’ve caught me much earlier.

Bam! Crack! Thud!

We had now entered a dense forest, but the orc berserker relentlessly closed the gap, crushing trees in its path.

The distance between us shrank to less than five meters. I gave up on escaping any further and turned around.

“Log out.”

And then I returned to Earth.

“Pant…pant…whew…huff…”

I regulated my breathing. Before entering combat, it was crucial to recover as much as possible. So, I rested for some time and took nutrition supplements available at the infirmary.

Click!

Just then, First Lieutenant Thomas entered through the door of the infirmary.

“Hey, were you exercising in your room? What’s with this heart rate graph?”

“No exercise, just sitting quietly. But strangely, I’ve been feeling short of breath.”

“What do you mean? Are you under some kind of curse?”

Woooom!

As First Lieutenant Thomas raised his right hand, waves of healing swept over my body. My exhausted state, after running nearly three kilometers at full speed, was restored.

“I don’t feel any foreign magic power. What is this situation?”

“I also don’t…” I feigned coughing and covered my mouth with my hand before whispering, “Login.”

Pop!

“You! Caught you!” The orc berserker let out a wild cry as he glared at me. His heavy breathing indicated that he too had sprinted a considerable distance, leaving him equally fatigued.

I raised my sword, and the orc lifted its axe.

Hwoom!

An invisible energy pulsated around the orc’s axe, enhancing its durability while increasing its cutting force and destructive power.

‘Inner Energy. Is this fellow really a first-class warrior? A sword expert?’

I laughed bitterly with disbelief. This stupid-looking monster had reached a level that I couldn’t reach even if I spent my whole life trying.

”…Damn.”

The curse came out automatically.

Useless mana. Useless KiGas.

“[Extraordinary Athleticism], [Extraordinary Mental Strength], [Incomprehensible Combat Divination], [Incomprehensible Body Control]… Wow. No wonder they said there were some incompetent people who received abilities. Ah~ but what should I do about this?”

I recalled the words of the scout who evaluated my talent at City Hall:

“[Extreme Mana Aptitude].”

Bang!

I avoided the falling axe and advanced. Ideally, I wanted to dodge it while moving forward, but my inner energy couldn’t compete with the monstrous strength behind that axe capable of snapping a tree trunk with one blow. Colliding with it would mean instant death for me. Therefore, evading perfectly was absolutely necessary.

Even if I could accurately read the flow of its power, given this massive disparity, attempting to evade its attack might just end up severing my own neck instead.

‘Wait, what about its defense?’

For a moment, I wondered at the exposed upper body, but there was no time to exploit such vulnerabilities as the orc berserker swung its axe like a gale.

Pfft!

I kicked its thigh to avoid the attack and then corrected my stance.

“Hard Energy Technique! This orc is using all sorts of things!”

However, it wasn’t difficult to deal with once I realized he knew Hard Energy Technique. It was a common training method for users of inner energy. The gangsters who had picked a fight with me were also practitioners of Hard Energy Technique. And what happened to them? They needed their teeth restored by regeneration magic…

“You! This! Eel-like bastard!” With a loud cry, the orc berserker charged at me. He thought his previous tactic would work but became angry when I easily evaded, swinging his double-edged axe horizontally. Infused with monstrous strength, the axe swept through the air about 45 centimeters above the ground. Unable to bear seeing his attacks continually dodged, he unleashed this unstoppable blow!

‘Too low.’

No matter how much I lowered my stance, it was impossible to avoid this swing. Whether I retreated backward or rolled sideways, there was no escaping its powerful attack. As a berserker orc, it put everything into this strike, creating a fierce gale around us!

However, from the moment it began pulling back its arm, I anticipated the move and had already launched myself upward with a leap.

“Hap!” With a shout, I swung my sword imbued with all my weight. The orc berserker looked straight at me as my blade descended towards its head. Its bloodshot eyes showed not a hint of fear.

‘Battle Frenzy!’

I realized that even if I struck its head with the sword, it would likely just result in a minor forehead wound. And if my attack faltered mid-air, I’d be killed by the orc’s subsequent assault.

Due to this, I kicked my leg down and slowed the swing of my arm. My body abruptly fell, causing the sword to strike its chest instead of its head.

Crack!

I felt several ribs breaking from the full-force blow. Unfortunately, the orc berserker pulled back its upper body, preventing me from cutting out its heart.

“Ku, aaahhh!”

Ignoring the blood gushing from its chest wound, the orc raised its axe for another diagonal strike. Considering its current stance after exerting maximum power on a horizontal slash, it was an impossible follow-up move, but the orc managed with its immense strength and inner energy. It truly was a desperate maneuver!

However, I had anticipated this.

Pat!

I focus. In this world where time is divided into several hundredths of a second, I shift my grip on the sword from both hands to just my left hand. Then, with my right arm extended, I block its incoming axe swing.

Krrrk! Crack!

Clang!

I fly through the air for several meters before tumbling onto the ground.

“Huff…huff… That hurts like hell.”

Groaning at the excruciating pain, I assess my condition. Apart from my right arm, which is literally shattered, everything else seems fine. The force of the impact split my fingers between index and middle finger, and my elbow and shoulder were also broken.

As for the orc berserker…

“Grahh… Grrr…”

With the sword still lodged in its heart, it glares at me before collapsing lifeless.

“K-kheheh. My victory, you fool.”

Normally, I wouldn’t have gone this far. Why fight when you can aim for weaknesses and escape somehow? In this medieval land, even if you kill 100 enemies, one wrong blow with a sword could lead to defeat. Having witnessed countless people suffer for months from just an arrow wound to the shoulder, it reinforced my preference for defensive sword techniques in this world. But now, things were different.

“Log out!”

Pop!

Slash!

Blood sprayed from his severed arm. First Lieutenant Thomas watched with a dazed expression.

“A-ahhhhhh! Wh-what is this?! Why did my arm suddenly get cut?! What’s happening?!”

“Haha. I don’t really know…” He extended his duck feet as I lost consciousness.