Chapter 16
Orcs were, by nature, a powerful race.
Massive frames packed with muscle.
Tough hide with innate physical resistance.
Overwhelming fertility.
They were more than qualified to hold a proud position within the dimension known as the New Human Empire.
But the orcs appearing right now are all low-tier orcs.
Of course, that distinction only applied to the orcs belonging to the New Human Empire.
Those were commonly referred to as High Orcs—beings with bodies incomparably stronger than ordinary orcs and extraordinary talent to match.
Naturally, there was no way such beings would appear on Earth, a lowest-tier dimension where even the Integrated League had not yet opened.
Still, even these inferior orcs were more than enough to vent Shin-hyuk’s anger.
“Charge.”
Clatter—clatter—
The moment his command ended, the undead rushed at the orcs.
They did not retain their full abilities from when they were alive.
Roughly one-third of their original strength remained.
But that was enough.
Crunch! Crack! Rip!
There were well over a hundred undead.
Their strength lay not in quality—but in quantity.
Like a tidal wave, they crashed into the orcs, throwing their ranks into disarray.
Watching the chaos, Shin-hyuk drew his bowstring again.
Creeeeak—
With strength approaching 100—far beyond Silver-tier norms—the result of his full-force draw was anything but ordinary.
Boom!
Five arrows flew, piercing directly between the orcs’ brows.
They couldn’t move properly due to the undead swarm.
That made the feat possible.
And the fact that this was achieved with only D-rank Comprehensive Weapon Mastery made it all the more significant.
[Skill: Comprehensive Weapon Mastery (D) has advanced to Comprehensive Weapon Mastery (C).]
“Only C-rank… around Gold-tier level. I need to hit at least A-rank soon.”
After noting the skill upgrade, Shin-hyuk hurled his bow straight at the advancing orcs.
“…Snort?”
The orcs were visibly confused.
Throwing away your weapon mid-battle usually meant surrender.
But that, too, was part of his calculation.
“Shin-hyuk Style, Chapter 7 — Weapon Throw.”
Most players specialized in a single weapon.
Throwing it meant losing combat capability.
But Shin-hyuk was different.
I’ll just pick up another.
Crude kobold and goblin weapons littered the battlefield.
There was no reason to cling to one weapon.
Except, of course, the Holy Sword.
Thud!
The thrown bow smashed into an orc’s face, staggering it.
The bow itself wasn’t heavy—but combined with Shin-hyuk’s strength and technique, it hit like a battering ram.
He immediately grabbed whatever weapons were nearby and began hurling them.
Spears. Swords. Clubs. Staves.
Cheap scrap-metal weapons flew through the air.
Normally they wouldn’t deal meaningful damage to orcs.
But with Shin-hyuk’s refined technique, they were enough to disrupt and bind their movements.
And that was sufficient.
The undead surged again, swarming the staggered orcs.
“Shin-hyuk Style, Chapter 2 — Throat Slash.”
Slash—
Like a shadow slipping through darkness, Shin-hyuk appeared behind an orc and severed its neck.
Blood sprayed.
Life faded from its eyes.
He repeated the motion several times.
Thud.
Orcs with severed carotid arteries collapsed one after another.
Dozens still remained.
They glared at him, snorting violently.
But Shin-hyuk only said one word.
“Rise.”
Rumble—
The fallen orcs stood again.
Orc undead filled the gaps left by destroyed minions.
Their skeletal frames burned with crimson light as they charged their former kin.
“Devour.”
He consumed the remaining corpses, restoring health and mana.
[Stat: Strength +2]
[Stat: Stamina +2]
“Not bad.”
Devour didn’t just restore resources.
It also granted stat increases.
Combined with previously devoured kobolds and goblins, he had gained a total of four stat points.
Before long—
[Wave 3 cleared.]
[Enemies defeated: 543]
* * *
A brief rest period followed.
“Wow, all the other teams are eliminated. We’re the only ones left!”
His teammates greeted him excitedly.
All they had done was prevent stray enemies from reaching the Guardian Stone.
“With this pace, Wave 5 might actually be possible!”
“We’re going to score huge!”
“Gold rank might finally be within reach!”
In Defense theme, the longer you survive, the higher your score.
To them, Shin-hyuk was a savior.
But his expression darkened.
543 kills after Wave 3. I need 457 more in two waves… Is it possible?
The Constellation’s quest required 1,000 kills.
At this rate, he would fail.
He opened chat.
“Viewers, I received a quest from a Constellation. I need 1,000 kills. But looking at the remaining waves… it seems impossible. Any ideas?”
Chat erupted.
Some were amazed he already had Constellation attention.
Others mocked him.
One sneered:
“Why don’t you go to the center of the map? Or are you scared you’ll die?”
Shin-hyuk’s eyes lit up.
“Ah. That works.”
“From now on, I’ll head to the center.”
Chat exploded in panic.
The map center was where enemies spawned.
Going there meant fighting not just his wave—but every wave meant for every fortress.
It was suicidal.
“Let’s move.”
Clatter—clatter—
Over a hundred undead followed him in formation.
Kobolds. Goblins. Orcs.
All marching behind him.
* * *
At the map’s center stood a massive black gate.
“So that’s where they spawn.”
He glanced at chat.
Viewers begged him to turn back.
If he died, he’d suffer a 24-hour login penalty.
Shin-hyuk smirked.
“If I die here, those who bet on Wave 3 will get the raffle chance… Should I go back?”
1,171 people had bet he’d fail at Wave 4.
Chat instantly switched sides.
“Please die!”
Shin-hyuk laughed heartily.
“Well, even here, Wave 4 will be cleared.”
Skepticism filled the chat.
“Even if they had good class, traits, and weapons but failed… maybe they just didn’t have something better.”
He sheathed the Holy Sword.
Formed a fist.
Took a stance.
“Shattering Heaven Annihilation Style.”
Rumble—
The ground trembled.
The air vibrated.
The sky seemed to split.
It was impossible to believe this was a normal player’s power.
[The Martial God is shocked to see you using his technique.]
[The Apex of All Evil closely observes your relationship with the Martial God.]
It’s been a while, Master Cheok.
The Constellation known as the Martial God.
Before regression, they had formed a deep bond after a single meeting.
Boom—
The black gate began spewing something dark.
As it formed into orcs—
Shin-hyuk rushed forward.
“Heaven-Extinguishing Roc Fist.”
BOOOOOOM!
A colossal fist shaped like a mythical roc descended—
And annihilated the newly emerging orc horde in one overwhelming strike.
