Chapter 15 – About Life (2)

The residents fled after seeing Derek. Everyone knew Derek, the notorious loan shark who dominated Anail’s back alleys.

Ian looked around. There didn’t seem to be any escape path for him to take. Derek’s men formed a circle around Ian to prevent him from fleeing.

What should he do? Ian’s eyes sunk.

Derek and his five people. Not only that, but Derek was much stronger than the rest of his people. It was best not to fight.

“Derek, it’s best that you don’t fight me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Do you have the confidence to stop Hoyt’s anger?”

He mentioned Hoyt. Derek’s failure to harm the Thompson family was entirely due to Hoyt. However, unlike his expectations, Derek smiled quietly.

Ian became uncomfortable. Derek’s smile and laid back behaviour was the exact opposite of what he imagined. Ian expected him to be a sleazy money lender, but Derek was much bigger than that. His strength was like a warrior, exuding a sharp atmosphere that Ian had never felt before.

Ian realized that the situation was going out of control. Now he had to gamble.

Derek raised his sword.

“You won’t be going alone, so don’t worry.”

He laughed and imitated Ian’s words.

“Young Man, it would be best if you didn’t fight back.”

Ian could feel Ray’s hands trembling at his waist. Ian tried to get help from Stella, whom he met in Anail, but she wasn’t connected.

It was a dilemma. Ian also raised his greatsword. The important thing was Ray. For his survival, Ian had to retreat.

Ian whispered to Ray, “Hold on tightly to my neck.”

“Huh…?”

Ian lifted Ray up and placed him on his back. Ray reflexively grabbed his neck as Ian rushed backwards. It was in the opposite direction of Derek. The subordinates gathered in the direction of Ian’s escape. He needed to defeat the one in front of him before they all gathered.

However, the underling was different from the user hunters that Ian had overpowered. He calmly swung his sword and slowed Ian down. As Ian stopped, the other underlings caught up. Ian was once again surrounded and the siege was narrowed further.

Beyond them, Derek was approaching. “Even if you struggle, the result is the same.”

“……”

Ian decided to buy some time.

“No matter how dirty a loan shark is, you shouldn’t act unfairly.”

“Unfairly…?”

“Yes, Derek. Let’s have a fair 1 on 1 fight,” Ian said.

Derek burst out laughing.

“Puhahaha. What are you saying, Orc?”

“Derek is a thoroughly practical person. Do you think that I would speak nonsense?”

“Have a 1 on 1 with your friends in heaven. Kilkil.”

Derek’s mouth rose.

“…Hrmm.”

Ian ignored the underlings and told Derek.

“Surely you aren’t scared of a 1 on 1 fight?”

“What an interesting friend.”

Ian didn’t expect him to agree to the blatant provocation, but Derek abruptly nodded.

“Okay.”

His subordinates’ eyes widened.

“Boss…?”

“Why, do you have no confidence?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Derek placed a knife at the neck of an underling and said, “Surely Derek’s men aren’t afraid of an orc…?”

“Ah, no!”

“So fight him. Alone.”

“Yes, yep!”

Derek’s subordinate vigorously nodded his head and pulled out his sword as he stepped forward. Ian put Ray down while ignoring the ominous feeling in the back of his mind.

“Ray, stay back. If there is a gap, then run away.”

“Mister…”

“Don’t worry. Don’t you believe in an orc warrior?”

Ian laughed. Ray’s face became tearful. It was a familiar scene.

‘Ray, don’t you believe in Father?’

His father Thompson had left after saying the same remark as Ian. He still hadn’t come back. Ray wanted to hold onto Ian, but he was already moving forward and pointing at Derek’s subordinate with his sword.

“Mister…”

The battle began. Ian came out first. He tried to draw the opponent to his side, but the person stepped back because he felt the incredible atmosphere of Orc’s Superhuman Strength.

This was fortunate for Ian. Ian just wanted to buy some time. Eventually, Hoyt would hear about this and come running. Ian moved forward with no substance in his attacks. The opponent kept avoiding. Derek’s expression hardened as he saw both of them.

“How boring,” Derek muttered.

Then the expression on the face of the underling changed.

“Uhh…Uaaaah!”

The opponent rushed at Ian, who stepped back to avoid the incoming attacks. The attacker and defender had changed, but the battle was a repetition of the previous one.

Derek burst out laughing.

“Young orc.”

“……”

“I know your intentions, but you should also pay attention to me.”

Derek gestured with his chin. Derek’s subordinates once again raised their weapons.

“If you don’t properly entertain me, then this will be over.”

Ian took a deep breath. His choices had disappeared. There was only one road remaining now. He had no other choice but to commit to a last hurrah on this path.

Ian’s muscles swelled up.

“Bul’tar──────!”

Ian charged towards the opponent. His greatsword descended with force towards the opponent’s weapon who twisted his body to avoid it. Ian pursued him and slashed him.

“Kuok!”

His opponent blocked it. The two blades faced each other and it became a battle of strength. Ian put pressure on the opponent. The other person kicked Ian in the abdomen.

“Huuk!”

“Die, orc bastard!”

The underling stabbed at his neck. Ian quickly ducked and rolled across the ground to avoid it. The sword missed. Again, the sword descended towards the body of Ian, who had fallen. Ian could barely escape by rolling to left and right.

He gritted his teeth.

“Horyaaaaah!”

Ian stood up and charged again. His opponent aimed the blade, but Ian didn’t care. He pushed ahead and slashed the opponent with his sword, despite the blade aiming at him. The opponent fell to the floor.

Ian got on top of him, but there was still the blade between them. Ian paused for a short moment. He wielded his fist before he lost his spirit.

“Waaaah!”

The orc’s fist struck the underling’s face.

Peeok! Peeok! Peeok!

Ian’s punches turned the subordinate’s face into a rice cake. Ian’s hand stopped as he recovered his spirit.

There was a blade at Ian’s neck. It was another of Derek’s subordinates.

“Stop. You can’t kill any of my men.”

Ian stood up with a wince.

“Is he alive?”

“Yes, he is still breathing.”

“Foolish guy.”

Derek placed his foot on the head of the collapsed underling.

“Losing to an inexperienced orc…”

Ian stepped back and picked up his sword. There were still four subordinates remaining. Ian asked with a grin.

“Who’s next?”

***

He breathed out. His body was a wreck.

[Orc’s Vitality (Uncommon) is being used.]

[The bleeding is severe. Please seek medical attention.]

[Your right arm won’t move. Your actions are constrained.]

The third subordinate was lying down with a pierced abdomen. Now there were only two left, excluding Derek.

Ian’s head drooped against his will. He wanted to collapse. He wanted to rest. It would be comfortable if he died. After all, this was just a game. However,he had to protect Ray.

It may have been a game to him, but this was reality for Ray, an NPC with an artificial intelligence. Right now, the life of an NPC was depending on him.

Ian laughed. Lenox’s voice rang in his ears.

‘Raise your head! Everything is hard! Don’t relax! It is hard! So what? Nobody cares!’

Those words. The enemy wouldn’t care about his circumstances. The enemy didn’t care that he wanted to close his eyes and collapse. No, they would gain strength from Ian’s despair, and would try to step on him.

“Who’s next?” Ian shouted.

The residents were already watching the fight through the windows and gaps in the alleys. An orc struggling against the infamous Derek. The orc shed blood, but didn’t give up.

“Come! I will deal with you!”

“Impressive.”

Derek nodded.

“Yes, you… you truly are Hoyt’s friend. I believe it.”

“Derek, will you come out?”

“The entertainment is over, Young Man.”

“What do you mean?”

“I enjoyed it, but now it is time to work.”

Derek gestured with his chin. Then his subordinate, hovering behind Ian, grabbed Ray. Ray struggled desperately, but he couldn’t resist the strength of an adult. Ian tried to rush over, but Derek approached and punched Ian in the abdomen.

“Cough…!”

Derek was strong. It was a blow that made his head go blank.

Ian sat down. Derek spoke in a laughing tone from above him.

“The time is coming soon.”

Derek grabbed Ian’s hair. Then someone caught Ian’s attention.

An orc was running over. One eye, and a scary face laced with scars and covered in tattoos. It was Hoyt.