Chapter 83 – Alive (1)

“Oh, orc warrior! It’s nice to meet you. Hahahaha.”

“Are you alive? I am called Crockta.”

Nakai greeted him with a smile. Crockta laughed and nodded.

Anor felt strange as he watched the two greet each other. He was captivated from the unreal scene that seemed to be separate from the rest of the world. Obviously, they met for the first time today.

The Nakai he knew would’ve mocked and expressed dissatisfaction towards other species entering Nuridot. He was always the one who kept spouting the rhetoric that orcs were dirty and ignorant.

So why were they now shaking hands like this?

“Uh, it is Anor! How is Third Dragon?”

Tiyo approached. Nakai looked down at Tiyo and asked for a handshake.

“You seem like a dark elf with manners. I am Tiyo dot,” replied Tiyo with a smile.

Nakai originally called gnomes ‘little dwarves.’ Now it seemed like Anor was the only one not properly connected to Nuridot. Anor turned around with a bitter expression.

Before he knew it, the sun had completely sunk below the horizon. The twilight sky was covered with the veil of night. Once again, the moon took to the sky.

Anor trudged towards his house.

He felt it was unfair as he thought about all the times he had been persecuted. He might’ve been a half-blood, but at least he resembled a dark elf with his dark skin and long ears. The orc and gnome had completely different appearances.

However, they were welcomed. Maybe it wasn’t because he was a half-blood, but Anor’s existence itself? That was the only conclusion he could come to.

He stopped moving as someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Anor panicked. He turned around and saw a face that he knew, causing him to become even more frightened. Crockta’s rough face could be seen in the darkness.

“Y-You surprised me!”

“It seems like there are no inns around here.” Nuridot wasn’t a very big place. In the first place, the dark elves weren’t very accepting of outsiders, so lodging businesses weren’t very common. “So I’ve decided to stay at your house.”

“I never gave permission…”

“That’s why I came. To ask you. Kulkulkul.”

Anor scratched his head. His house wasn’t very spacious and wasn’t fit to welcome guests. Rather, it was shameful to show to others. But he felt nervous about being stared at by Crockta.

“Then…”

The moment he looked up at Crockta to tell him to come along…

Something flew over Crockta’s head.

“…Eh?”

The shadow of a dragon shone from the light of the full moon behind Crockta’s head. No. It wasn’t a dragon. It resembled a dragon, but wasn’t a dragon. It resembled a drake, but it wasn’t a drake. It was drake with the wings of a wyvern, Third Dragon.

“Third Dragon?”

He had obviously released Third Dragon into the Luklan Mountains. Anor asked him to live freely without coming back. He firmed up his heart and moved away from Third Dragon. So why was Third Dragon flying about Nuridot? Third Dragon was heading north towards Nuridot Forest, the habitat of the drakes.

“Eeit!”

Anor started running. Crockta and Tiyo stared at his receding back before gazing at each other. They chased after him.

***

“Why are you back?”

Third Dragon glanced over at Anor, who had his arms folded over his chest.

“You’ll be harassed again by the other drakes here.”

Shake shake.

Third Dragon shook his head. His intentions were clear.

Crockta and Tiyo watched him from behind.

“Hey! Are you going to live with this harassment all your life? Go back and make other friends! Eh! You are just a little bigger! So live!”

“Grrrrung.”

“Ahh, what are you saying?”

Anor hit his chest with frustration. Crockta approached and said, “Anor, give him a moment.”

“Huh?”

Crockta grabbed the back of Anor’s neck and tugged him backward.

“Eek?

As soon as he was dragged back, a fire flashed around Third Dragon. It was a fire breath that illuminated the dark forest.

“……!”

Third Dragon spread his big wings in an instant. The breath was blocked by the wings. There was black soot, but there didn’t seem to be any major damage. Third Dragon revealed his sharp fangs.

A drake was approaching from the forest. The drake and Third Dragon growled wildly at each other. The uninvited drake shouted something and Third Dragon roared back. The war of nerves between two drakes!

It didn’t end there was there were two more drakes behind the uninvited one. They threatened Third Dragon. Third Dragon was brave, but there were three drakes.

They watched each other.

Anor was sad. His appearance was superimposed over Third Dragon.

“Third Dragon…”

Crockta watched it and stepped forward. “I didn’t intend to intervene but…”

He pulled out his greatsword. A black light emerged from Ogre Slayer

“It is rude to act like this in front of me.”

The drakes looked at the orc who suddenly appeared and made absurd facial expressions. Crockta thought that the expressions on the reptiles’ faces were very good. Then he glared at them.

[Creatures Butcher (Essence) has been used.]

It was the skill he got after hunting behemoth with the great hunter Shakan. It was an anti-creature skill that increased attack power against the beast and gave the creatures a sense of oppression that neutralized their movements. Then he used the Pinnacle rank skill, Army Crushing Roar of Madness. Even if he didn’t roar loudly, the madness of the orc warrior who swept through many battlefields came alive.

Crockta glared at the drakes.

[Heart and Soul Penetration (Pinnacle) has been used. Identifying the drakes.]

[The drakes in this forest are fairly strong, but they are weaker than you. They are stuck. The smell of the slaughtered creatures on you have awakened their fear.]

He used Heart and Soul Penetration to read them.

The drakes retreated.

[The drakes want to run away, but can’t because of their pride.]

Crockta just laughed. Their pride. He increased the strength in his eyes.

Kuoooooh-!

Steam rose from Ogre Slayer.

The drakes realized. If they moved even a little bit forward, that sword would slaughter them. That wasn’t an ordinary orc.

The drakes were forced to turn around. Third Dragon glanced at them, giving a warning until the end. Anor was amazed as Crockta repelled the drakes. The orc warrior was stronger than Anor initially thought.

Looking back, Crockta had been about to bring a big sword down on Third Dragon the first time Anor saw him. What if Anor hadn’t shouted quickly that time? He believed in Third Dragon’s strong skeleton and skin, but maybe Third Dragon might’ve ended up worst from the blow. The back of that orc looked cool.

“Anor.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know you very well, but I’ve been thinking.” Crockta said as he put away his sword. “Why do you want to send Third Dragon away to the Luklan Mountains?”

“You just saw it. Every day is like this.”

“But Third Dragon wants to stay here.”

“Still…”

Crockta approached him. “Aren’t you the one who actually wants to leave?”

He had eyes and ears, so he knew about Anor. He was a mixed breed among the dark elves and humans, causing the town to ignore him. When Crockta and Tiyo had asked about Anor, the dark elves had clearly despised him.

“……”

Anor looked blank at Crockta’s words. It was like he was looking into his heart.

“Maybe…it might be true.” Anor’s shoulders dropped.

They left Third Dragon in the forest and headed back to Nuridot. They walked through the dark streets and talked. Anor asked, “How did you do it?”

“What?”

“Become close to the dark elves.”

Crockta just laughed. “I’m not close to them.”

“But everyone was pretty friendly…”

“They are acting like that because they need me to do something.”

Nuridot had panicked when the group of orcs appeared in the daytime. It was widely known that the mad chieftain was preparing for war. The wanderers were holding the flag of the Great Clan. The wanderers gave two options: fight or be robbed. Nuridot’s power wasn’t that strong. Big sacrifices would need to be made to fight them off. But it was a situation where they couldn’t accept the orcs’ unreasonable demands.

It was a dilemma. Then all of a sudden, a gnome and orc appeared. The dark elves were puzzled while the orcs laughed at them.

And…

The orcs were wiped out. The orc warrior sliced off the heads of five laughing orcs in an instant. The attitude of the wandering orcs changed immediately. Dozens of orcs raised their weapons against him, but he didn’t blink. Rather, he overwhelmed their forces alone.

In the eyes of the dark elves, he looked like a god of war.

The fearsome orc warrior explained to the dark elves. The wanderers would come back, so he would stay and keep watch until that time. He was heading towards the Temple of the Fallen God, but he wanted to cooperate with the dark elves in order to pass through their territory. He also wasn’t unrelated to the Great Clan.

To the terrified dark elves of Nuridot, he was their savior. Therefore, the duo entered as guests of Nuridot. His story was widely circulated so no dark elves dared disparage him. Thus, the dark elves were forced to become friendly and embrace them. In particular, Tiyo’s cute looks and cheerful attitude was fresh for the dark elves.

Kindness to the weak was useless, but kindness to the strong was something they could respect. That was the world.

“I see…”

Anor’s expression didn’t change despite Crockta’s expression. Crockta had gained the respect he desperately wanted all his life. It was because of strength.

“The world is unfair,” muttered Anor.

He had endlessly committed to becoming a member of the dark elf society. He didn’t cause any problems. But he was still a stranger to the dark elves. However, Crockta instantly received awe from the dark elves because of his strength.

The reason was strength.

“Yes. The world is unfair.”

Crockta grinned.

They returned to Nuridot and arrived at Anor’s house. His house wasn’t large. It was a small and dilapidated house. It was too crowded with the oversized Crockta and Tiyo. Anor wanted to concede his bed but Crockta and Tiyo declined. They covered the ground with Anor’s blankets.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“It’s okay. Tiyo is already asleep.”

Tiyo was already snoring. He had a talent for falling asleep anywhere as soon as he put his head on the floor. The gnome was really cute when he closed his eyes and slept like a newborn baby.

Crockta also tried to close his eyes.

Suddenly, Anor said, “Crockta, I had spend my whole life trying to be recognized as a dark elf of Nuridot.” His mind had been complicated all day. In particular, he had been shocked by the sight of Nakai being polite to Crockta. “But I am still an outsider. Why?”

Crockta looked up at the dark ceiling. He had only met the dark elf today, but Crockta was able to grasp what Anor was like.

Thus, he felt sadder.

“Anor, what do you want to become here?”

“Me?” Anor thought for a moment. “A good… elf?”

His parents died. His mother, who was a human, had always stressed to Anor.

‘Try to be recognized in the dark elf society. Be a good dark elf and always consider others. Always smile. Don’t hesitate to assist others.’

Crockta continued, “But based on the results, Nuridot’s dark elves don’t want Anor to be good.”

“What…”

“You will never be able to do enough. It is foolish to repeat the same process and hope that the results will change.” Crockta sighed, “Like I told you, the world is unfair. There is no heaven. It isn’t a place where good will and faith will be returned.”

“……”

“That is all I will say. Sleep well.”

Anor couldn’t sleep anymore after hearing Crockta’s words.

He turned his head and stared at the darkness below the bed. He couldn’t see it but he felt the huge presence of the orc warrior. Crockta tried to fall asleep. He could hear the sound of Tiyo breathing.

Anor whispered, “Crockta. Are you asleep?”

“…Not yet.”

“I’ll ask one more question. Is it okay?”

“I don’t care.”

Anor wanted to speak, but he couldn’t figure out how to start. Anor clasped his hands together under the blanket. His voice trembled a little as he spoke, “Does that mean I need to change?”

“Yes.”

“I tried to live well, only to be bullied like I was doing something wrong. I am the one suffering, so why do I have to change? Isn’t there something wrong with this?”

“Anor. Your words are correct.” Crockta’s voice seemed gentler in the darkness. He spoke like he was whispering. “But this isn’t due to right or wrong.”

Crockta chuckled in a low voice. Anor couldn’t help smiling at Crockta’s laughter. His question seemed lighter after hearing the orc warrior’s laugh. He felt like he was facing an older brother.

“The world is just like this.”

“The world…”

“In my neighborhood, we call people like you sweet potatoes. Kulkulkul. Don’t think so hard. Just…”

Crockta laughed once again.

“If they treat you like a dog, you should treat them like dogs as well.”

***

The next morning, a group of wandering orcs invaded Nuridot.