Chapter 375: Base Camp

Tarkan, the direct subordinate and vanguard captain of Mutakta, the apostle of the Outer God.

With a massive build like a mountain range and draped in pitch-black energy, he leaned diagonally on his throne and snorted as if finding it interesting.

―Chwik. So, you are saying the slaughterhouse on the outskirts of District 5 has lost contact?

―Chwik! That is correct, Captain! It has already been two days with no news! The life signs of the captain orc managing the slaughterhouse have also completely disappeared!

At the words of the subordinate orc giving the report, the corners of Tarkan's mouth tore into a bizarre smile.

The slaughterhouse was one of the core food storages managed by the creations of the apostle Mutakta.

The military force defending that place was by no means negligible. They were elite soldiers who wouldn't sustain a single scratch even if a hundred riffraff martial artists attacked them.

But they were all swept away?

―Chwik. On a planet where everyone was already devoured, are you saying remnants were still left?

A thick competitive spirit burned in Tarkan's blood-red pupils.

A race crazy for battle, orcs. Even among them, to Tarkan, who had broken through his limits by receiving the apostle's authority, the words "strong enemy" were sweeter news than any grand feast.

He raised his body from his seat.

Kung―!

A single stomp of his foot sent vibrations echoing out.

Tarkan bowed his head toward the energy of the apostle lurking in the distant abyss beyond the dark altar.

―Oh great Mutakta, I shall personally chew up the bugs who dared to smash your food storage.

From beyond the altar, a heavy and terrible voice vibrated the atmosphere.

―Chwik. Do as you please.

―Chwik! I shall obey your command!

Tarkan roared as he hoisted his massive axe over his shoulder.

―Chwiiiiik!! All forces, assemble! It is a battle!

That single phrase echoed thunderously throughout the entire garrison, as if it had gone through a massive megaphone.

At that, the thousands of mutant orcs who had been exhausted by boredom and were fighting amongst themselves or lounging around simultaneously jerked their heads up.

―Chwik? Did the captain just say battle?

―Chwik! The slaughterhouse has collapsed, chwik!

―It's a battle! Chwiiiiik! A battle with strong ones!

Battle, blood. And slaughter.

At the words stimulating that instinct engraved deep within the orcs' bones, the entire garrison began to boil.

―Chwiiiiik! I will tear them all apart!

―Assemble! Chwiiiiik! Assemble before the captain!

Kugugugugung―!

The earth fluctuated, screaming.

Armed orcs boasting builds like mountain ranges each picked up vicious sawtooth axes and iron maces as large as their own bodies, and began to swarm before Tarkan like a hive of bees discovering honey.

The sight of thousands of muscular monsters spewing the pitch-black energy of the Outer God lunging toward one place was truly like a pitch-black tsunami of beasts sweeping in.

―Chwik! Captain! Let's go quickly! My blood is boiling!

―Chwik! The strong one, I will chew them up first!

The mutant orc legion rolled their bloodshot pupils, starved for blood and slaughter.

The overwhelming and violent murderous intent and fierce snorts spewed by them covered the blood-red sky of the destroyed planet in pitch black, announcing the prelude to their departure.

＊ ＊ ＊

An elite mutant orc legion numbering in the thousands trampled the earth and marched fiercely.

Their destination was the slaughterhouse in the grand canyon where contact had been lost.

Before long, the outline of the massive canyon began to reveal itself, piercing through the blood-red fog.

Tarkan, who had been standing at the vanguard, stopped in his tracks.

And, his pupils dilated massively in bewilderment.

―……Chw, chwik?

The subordinate orcs could not hide their astonishment and pointed down the canyon.

What lay at the end of their gazes was a massive and overwhelming citadel, bizarrely fused with monster bones and steel, perfectly blocking the grand canyon.

Vicious defense towers soaring up as if to pierce through all directions, and pitch-black fortress walls without a single gap visible.

Tarkan rubbed his eyes vigorously.

―Chw, chwik! You bastard, didn't you clearly say it has been two days since contact was lost!

―Chwik! That is correct! Clearly until the day before yesterday……!

―Do you think it makes sense for such a citadel to be built in two days, you stupid bastard!

Tarkan sliced his subordinate's neck in an instant.

No matter how ignorant and unintelligent a race orcs were, common sense existed.

To build an impregnable fortress of that scale in a mere two days?

It was an impossible miracle unless a god descended and molded the earth.

―I-is it magic? It must be an illusion!

Around the time they fell into confusion, looking up at the citadel with dumbfounded faces.

"Is this all?"

The highest point of the fortress wall.

A chilling voice fell from above the pitch-black bone tower.

―……!

The gazes of Tarkan and the thousands of orcs simultaneously headed upward.

Standing there, casually resting Hell Rhapsody on his shoulder, was a human man indifferently looking down at this massive military force as if looking at a swarm of neighborhood ants.

It was Kim Minwoo.

Tarkan raised his axe and spewed fierce murderous intent.

―Chwiiiiik! To dare block my path, you are a guy with quite the guts! I am the direct vanguard captain of the Apostle Mutakta, Tarkan! Who are you!

"Kim Minwoo."

A short and dry answer.

Kim Minwoo casually scanned the thousands of the orc legion with his eyes.

Massive muscular builds.

Eye glints gleaming blood-red.

Each and every one was spewing a strong momentum enough to slap the cheeks of average upper district rankers.

Especially that guy called Vanguard Captain Tarkan was even draped in a thick sense of pressure unique to boss-class monsters.

The corners of Kim Minwoo's mouth curled up fiercely.

"They look strong. They'll give very sweet EXP."

―Tear them all to death!

Along with Tarkan's command, thousands of orcs began to lunge toward the fortress wall.

However, Kim Minwoo was relaxed.

Necromancer.

The true existential value of this class lay exactly in multi-target battles.

The greater the number of enemies, and the wider the stage, the Necromancer becomes a god.

If it was a horde of thousands of orcs?

It was truly no different from a walking buffet.

Kim Minwoo lightly flicked his finger.

[Deploying skill, Land of Death (SSS)!]

Seuaaaaaaat―!

A pitch-black shadow poured down like a waterfall from beneath Kim Minwoo's feet, instantly dyeing the ground of the grand canyon where the orcs were lunging pitch-black.

―Chw, chwik?!

―My feet, my feet are heavy!

The Land of Death, which had evolved to SSS-rank.

Its vicious power began to seep into their entire bodies through the orcs' ankles as a terrible deadly poison and a curse of weakness from the moment they touched the earth.

"Keo, heok……!"

"Chwiiiiik! Vomiting, vomiting blood!"

Dozens of orcs in the vanguard with relatively lower levels vomited black blood and collapsed right there before they could even reach the fortress wall.

And…….

Along with a bizarre rupturing sound, the corpses of the orcs that had stopped breathing just a moment ago twisted bizarrely and began to raise their bodies again.

Those who died on the Land of Death immediately resurrected as undead.

As their kin turned into rotting undead and shoved axes into their backs, the entire orc legion fell into uncontrollable confusion.

"Now, start the party."

Kim Minwoo's low command.

Taaaaaaaat―!

A massive horde of Dragon Tooth Soldiers possessing formless skeletons poured out onto the ground in the form of heavy infantry, putting tower shields at the front.

Following behind them, the Dullahan cavalry riding Dragon Blood Horses made of blood struck, and in the sky, a swarm of specters screamed and tore apart the orcs' vision.

Vulcan spewing black flame, Cedric holding a blood-red spear, Merhen fluttering her silver hair and dropping meteorites, and even Olivia gripping the Formless Sword.

The four Legion Commanders fell into the middle of the battlefield and literally began to grind up and drink the orcs' formation like a blender.

―It's a Necromancer!

―Chwik! The formation is collapsing!

The orc legion of overwhelming numbers was being swept away like a harvested wheat field before the military force poured out by just a single human.

Watching that terrible sight, Tarkan's pupils heated up bright red with anger.

The instinct of the battle-crazed orc was shouting the right answer.

'Kill the summoner!'

If he just smashed the main body, that terrible legion would also all crumble down like a sandcastle.

―Chwiiiiiik! Take my axe, human!

Tarkan contracted his lower body muscles that seemed ready to burst.

The earth shattered, and Tarkan, possessing a build like a mountain range, cut through the empty air like a cannonball and shot toward Kim Minwoo.

A massive axe densely condensed with massive energy was slammed down like a thunderbolt toward the crown of Kim Minwoo's head.

A sure-kill strike that would split any clumsy protective barrier in half in a single breath.

However…….

Seureureung―.

Instead of dodging or deploying magic, Kim Minwoo lightly lifted Hell Rhapsody, which he had been resting on his shoulder.

Kwaaaaaaang―!

The axe and the demonic sword clashed head-on.

The atmosphere tore apart and a terrible shockwave swept over the fortress wall, but Kim Minwoo's form did not get pushed back even a single step.

Rather, Tarkan's massive forearm was trembling, unable to overcome the shock.

―……Chw, chwik?

Tarkan glared his two eyes as if he couldn't believe it.

To think this frail human perfectly blocked the strike he put his full power into with just a sword gripped in one hand?

"Why. Is it heavier than you thought?"

Kim Minwoo shrugged his shoulders and let out a pishik laugh while gripping Hell Rhapsody.

Tarkan's jaw dropped wide open.

―Chwik, do mages use swords these days too?

At the orc captain's question that flowed out as if he was dumbfounded, Kim Minwoo slightly twisted Hell Rhapsody, deflecting the guy's axe, and answered chillingly.

"You can tell by looking."

Seogeok―!

The trajectory of the counterattack tore Tarkan's breastplate and left a deep bloodstain.

In the middle of the mess where an army of thousands was entangled, the blood-splattering showdown between the Necromancer and the orc captain was raising its curtain.

As if bewilderment preceded pain, Tarkan backed away with a kung.

Kim Minwoo casually rested Hell Rhapsody on his shoulder with a tuk and sneered coldly.

"I was inwardly looking forward to it since you're Mutakta's direct subordinate. It's nothing special."

That single provocative remark perfectly touched off the detonator of the battle-crazed orc.

―Chwiiiiiik! You dare casually utter the great apostle's name?!

Tarkan's blood-red pupils burned with uncontrollable anger and madness.