Chapter 155

Creator – A_Passing_Wanderer

Editor – akshaythedon

It's disheartening . When you see more comments on a site that has stolen your work, it tells you those readers spit on you . When they thank thieves for the chapter, have engrossing conversations, and support others . . . It tells us as creators that you do not care for the work we put in .

Out of all the large sites out there, JFB receives probably the least in terms of donations . Doesn't faze us . But the creators that provide you with chapters sometimes 5-10x a week, and you can't even read the chapter on the very platform they put their work on? That is another story . That is you disregarding everything that we are .

Some may ask, 'What is the point of continuing?', if you despise us so much . You rather read from thieves .

To those I see read on Fantasy-Books, with JFB every day, I thank you . I notice you . Sarcht, GonZ555, Mesmerised, Nisem, jppe, Belkar, LightDX, jhodyac, GM_Rusaku, DOHere, Shirou, and a few others . I've noticed you . You have supported Fantasy-books/JFB for a while just from your comments here and there .

And there are a few who have donated . It is you that keep us going . As for those few thousand people (yes, thousands) that spit on us, reading and thanking those that steal from us .

You disgust me . And I'm proud to tell you .

-Sincerely,

J .

– The Orc and the human, is it . I’ve enjoyed witnessing the destruction of my creation by your hands .

“…?”

Kim Yu-Rin’s head tilted sideways .

She heard the Lord’s voice just fine, but failed to understand the meaning of his words . The Orc and the human the Vampire Lord had mentioned – well, the human was here, so where was the Orc? She took a look behind her, but beside the thick darkness, no such thing as an Orc existed nearby .

While observing the changes in her mood from the side, Sae-Jin wiped the cold sweat off from his forehead .

– And what brings you to my abode?

Fortunately for Sae-Jin, the Lord’s dignified voice changed the topic quickly enough . Feeling hurried now, Sae-Jin tried to move towards the direction of the voice quickly, but Kim Yu-Rin didn’t follow suit . No, she instead reached out and grabbed Sae-Jin’s wrist firmly in order to stop him, before throwing a question at the Lord .

“What did you mean by that just now?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

– Regarding which matter?

“Just now, you said ‘the Orc and the human’ . ‘Humans’ are here, but where is this Orc you mentioned?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

– Hmm…

The Lord’s lengthy and low-pitched murmuring seemed to stick to the walls of the cavern like some sticky glue .

“Answer me . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

– Although I did not expect you to address me with honorifics… Still, don’t you think your attitude is a little troublesome, human?

It seemed that the Lord didn’t care for Kim Yu-Rin’s attitude at all .

“…… . Hah . ”

Her face hardened rather coldly . How dare he seek decorum after he drove the world to the brink of destruction? She gritted her teeth and pulled out Gungnir .

“In that case, allow me to beat you up and make you spit it out . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

– As expected, even though the world may be different, humans are still arrogant and conceited…

“Shut up . Let’s go, Guild Master . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Kim Yu-Rin shouted out confrontationally and took the lead . Sae-Jin quietly followed after her .

So, the two people walked in the passage while scything through the darkness . The more they walked, the stronger the sensation of the passage widening became .

For sure, the interior of the cavern was indeed changing . To be more specific, the narrow and lengthy shape of the terrain was gradually opening up .

And they must have walked nonstop for the next hour or so .

Finally, the two of them were able to step into a huge open space .

“Huh . Really now . Just how much further should we keep walking?” (Sae-Jin)

Sae-Jin scratched the back of his neck and groaned . Kim Yu-Rin stared at him with a gentle smile, then spoke to him while surveying this huge open area .

“But still, I am relieved . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

“… . . About?” (Sae-Jin)

“Seeing that the Lord is within this passage, it’s most likely our path is the correct one . And out of everyone in the team, we’re the strongest, after all . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

As expected of Kim Yu-Rin and her selfless personality, she believed it was a fortunate thing for them to face the strong and difficult opponent instead of others . Sae-Jin chuckled and his hand automatically rose up towards her head . Then, he went Oops and stopped himself in the middle . The old habit of the Hero Orc, patting her head every now and then, almost broke out by mistake .

“Excuse me…?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

And the eyes of Kim Yu-Rin staring at him also widened in real time as well . He quickly withdrew his hand and coughed awkwardly .

“Ah, my apologies… For you being a bit of a shorty . ” (Sae-Jin)

…And he tried to turn it around with a bit of humour .

“… . I’m 168 centimetres tall . If this is too short for you, then how tall should a woman be?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Kim Yu-Rin narrowed her eyes and complained . But seeing her cheeks redden a bit, he couldn’t help but wonder if she liked being treated like a young kid . Of course, he threw away that idea quickly enough, though .

He pointed towards the far end of the passage and spoke .

“I am just kidding with you . Regardless, let’s hurry . It’s not good to be too tense, but it’s also equally bad being too rela…” (Sae-Jin)

KHUUOONG!!

Before he could finish his sentence, the entire terrain shook violently .

Kwahng! Kwahng!

Right after that, powerful shock waves spread out as if something was trying to break out from the underground .

“Get ready for battle!” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Kim Yu-Rin’s occupational habit reared its head again . She shoved Sae-Jin behind her and unsheathed the sword .

Kwajeeck!!

At the same time, the surface of the floor cracked open, and something massive climbed out from the gap . First to show up were two hands the size of an adult person, and just behind those huge hands, a pair of heads with their own pairs of blood-red eyes attached could be seen .

It was an Ogre .

Of course, it was on a different level compared to a normal Ogre . First of all, there was the thing with the number of its heads, and next, the shape of one of the heads it possessed . One head was that of an regular Ogre, but the other one just so happened to be that of a Cerberus, the guardian of hell’s gate .

“Looks like it received a head from an annoying guard dog . ” (Kim Yu-Rin) (TL: troll face)

Kim Yu-Rin’s expression crumpled . The Monster really was that disgusting to look at . But still, she couldn’t overlook its potential power, now that a Cerberus and an Ogre had been combined into one . She gripped her Gungnir real tightly while glaring at the Ogre .

Shareureureuk-

And as she was searching for the Monster’s weakness, a transparent and light beam-like energy descended on top of her head .

“…Mm?”

She even forgot about her nervousness and exclaimed out . When that spectral light entered her body, her entire being felt much lighter than before, and the flow of Mana within her blood vessels received a huge boost .

She turned to look at the person responsible for this, Kim Sae-Jin . He replied her quizzical look with a warm smile that even made her fluster just a little bit .

“It’s a buff spell . Please go ahead . I’ll support you with magic from the rear . ” (Sae-Jin)

He then morphed into the Leviathan Form .

“Thank you . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

A Leviathan had her back – deriving the utmost confidence from that fact alone, Kim Yu-Rin lunged towards the Ogre .

*SFX for the Ogre’s roar*

The Ogre roared out and violently swung its jet-black club .

Khoung!!

A sword emitting the brilliant golden light clashed with an unbreakable blunt instrument made out of black metal . An indescribable explosion resounded out from the contact point . A huge crater caved in on the ground, and from within the thick, choking dust cloud, seeds of flame sparkled threateningly .

Only a single strike caused such a memorable scene .

Soon enough, though, the dust cloud cleared away and the result became also clear for all to see .

And that was the Ogre and his missing right arm, its black metal club also gone for good .

Kim Yu-Rin pounced on the suffering Ogre that was in agony after losing its arm . Her whole body felt like it was two, no, three times purer and overflowing with strength, thanks to Sae-Jin’s incomparable buff magic .

This feeling, she wanted to keep feeling it for the rest of her life .

*

The appearance of the Two-Headed Ogre was merely the beginning . But they could defeat other Monsters without too much issues . According to Kim Yu-Rin, it was because of their ‘fantastic teamwork’, apparently . Nominally it was a teamwork, but all Sae-Jin did was to support her with buff magic, actually .

Of course, the level of Sae-Jin’s spell was way too high to label it as a simple ‘support magic’ . As the ‘sorcery’ formed the foundation for this difficult buff spell, Sae-Jin had to morph into the Leviathan Form just in order to maintain it . And its effects were just as excellent, too .

Anyways .

As they eliminated various Chimeras that tried to block their path and continued on forward, they eventually encountered a rather suspicious-looking door .

Even with a single, casual look, it was an old-fashioned and dignified door that screamed “The Final Boss is here!!”

Strange figures painted in white colour decorated the black door .

“… . Shall we?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Kim Yu-Rin asked, and Sae-Jin wordlessly grabbed the door handle .

I wanted to open it, though, Kim Yu-Rin lightly complained and nodded her head . Sae-Jin chuckled slightly and pushed the door open .

*SFX for the creaky sound of a door opening*

The door issued a worn-out creak as it opened . Past the doorway, the very first thing they spotted was an old man wearing a black robe that seemed tattered and dishevelled . Then, they saw his energy-less drooping shoulders and the white eyes that had lost vitality a long time ago .

He was blind as well .

“His eyes…” (Sae-Jin)

Only then, Sae-Jin realised why the Lord failed to show himself even though Nosferatus were openly rebelling, as well as when Bathory showed signs of suspicious behaviour .

A leader of the organisation that couldn’t be of any help for the said organisation was no longer acknowledged as the leader . There were only two possible endings waiting for such a person – one, get eaten by the challenger, or two, retire on his own volition .

“I heard you possessed eyes that could see everything . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Kim Yu-Rin taunted and pointed the tip of her Gungnir at the Lord’s neck .

The Lord stared at the two of them with those eyes that couldn’t see nor reflect anything . However, although they might have lost their original functions, it sure felt like his eyes could still decipher the truths of all things regardless .

“As you can see, my eyes have lost their clarity already . ” (The Vampire Lord)

The Lord’s phlegm-laden voice sounded calm and stable, yet the tone indicated he was sternly admonishing the pair of intruders before him . That was quite evident from the smouldering rage hidden in his calm appearance .

“… . That means, we can get rid of you quite easily, no?” (Sae-Jin)

This time, Sae-Jin spoke up . He grasped the Bathory’s gift tightly and got ready to pounce on the Lord . However, Kim Yu-Rin stretched her arm out and stopped him . Her face said that she somehow managed to remember just now the question she had nearly forgotten about .

“There’s something I’m curious about . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

“And what would that be?” (The Vampire Lord)

In that moment, Sae-Jin’s face became dyed in panic . The question she wanted to ask the Lord was quite obvious, really . Obviously…

“You clearly said, the Orc and the human when we came here . Are you saying that the Orc is here too? And which Orc are you referring to, when you said the Orc?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

“………”

The Lord maintained his silence . Meanwhile, Sae-Jin changed back into the Leviathan Form . He was thinking of firing off the Mana cannon and killing the Lord before he opened his mouth .

Unfortunately, though – that ended up being the bad move on his part .

“Indeed, a measly human with a Trait that allows you to transform into many other lifeforms . Seeing it with my own eyes, it is truly interesting . ” (The Vampire Lord)

The Lord’s words seemed to strike home way too accurately for a blind man .

“Oh, the Lady Knight, what are you even talking about? The Orc resides within that man . I have remembered his appearance especially so, because he was in his Orc form when he slew my Chimera . That is why I have referred to this man as the Orc . ” (The Vampire Lord)

“…… . . ”

Instantly, all of Kim Yu-Rin’s movement ceased up .

*SFX for the sound of winds blowing*

A cold and ominous wind blew in from the wide open doorway . As if that coldness had woken her up, Kim Yu-Rin turned her head towards Sae-Jin’s direction . Within her enlarged eyes, several emotions, such as confusion, surprise, a sense of betrayal, etc, etc, swirled about crazily .

Even though Sae-Jin could feel her eyes staring at him, he continued to wordlessly study the Lord .

As the silence flowed thickly between the two, the Lord eventually opened his mouth again .

“Perchance, she did not know? I wonder why . ” (The Vampire Lord)

“……Just, what does this mean?” (Kim Yu-Rin)

She finally opened her mouth, too, and asked . However, the recipient of that question wasn’t the Vampire Lord, but Kim Sae-Jin .

Only then, Sae-Jin turned his head towards her and met her eyes .

He could see the reflection of the Leviathan within her trembling pupils . Suddenly, he thought he looked disgusting for some reason . So, he reverted back to his human appearance .

He gritted his teeth and shifted his glare back at the Lord, and then spoke up .

“He’s attempting to drive a wedge between us . Do not be mislead . ” (Sae-Jin)

“Drive a wedge? What can you possibly mean by that?” (The Vampire Lord)

Unfortunately, the Lord interfered . With an insidious and sly smile on his face, to boot .

“Oh, the Lady Knight . Truth always leaves crumbs of evidence behind . And you should have been faintly aware of those evidence crumbs by now . ” (The Vampire Lord)

Kim Yu-Rin’s eyes remained fixed on Sae-Jin while the Lord’s words entered her ears .

And so, she began recalling things one by one .

Her prior suspicion regarding the small insignia placed on the Orc Blacksmith’s weapons that Sae-Jin had crafted, that could be also found on the Hero Orc’s weapon; that strangely firm belief the Orc had in Kim Sae-Jin; those habits Sae-Jin unconsciously exhibited that were so, so similar to that of the Orc; and finally, his Trait where he could change into a Monster…

At the same time, all the questions she held deep inside flooded back out .

All those questions she had suppressed with the single thought, ‘it’s not possible’, bubbled back up to the surface once more .

“Mister Guild Master . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Kim Yu-Rin’s face hardened, but she didn’t speak any further . She used silence to pressure Sae-Jin .

Should he tell her the truth? But honestly, he felt hesitant to do so . After all, those actions he performed without giving it much thought as the Orc would be seen as him making utter fool out of her from Kim Yu-Rin’s perspective .

“Later . There is more important work we need to finish first . ” (Sae-Jin)

Sae-Jin called up the excuse of ‘later’, in order to overcome this critical moment . Obviously, they did have a mission to complete here; he grasped the silver knife tightly and started walking towards the Vampire Lord .

“No . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

But Kim Yu-Rin proved to be a stubborn customer .

“The story will take too long to finish . We have something to…” (Sae-Jin)

“All I want is one simple answer . It’s not going to take long . ” (Kim Yu-Rin)

Her firmly shut lips and her sharply narrowed eyes – with an expression as grave and serious, something Sae-Jin had never seen her make before, she continued with her words .

“You, you are the Hero Orc, yes? Your Trait, you can transform into other Forms besides the Leviathan, yes?”

Fin .