Switch Mode

Join Our Discord Server to Be Notified of Releases

Surviving in a F*cked-Up Fantasy World Chapter 36

Mission

An empty lot behind the Mercenary Guild.

 

The new Eastern swordsman Jevan brought in.

 

He introduced himself as Hakuro, a new member of the mercenary group.

 

Although it was just a sparring match, both of us held wooden swords.

 

I wouldn’t get to see even half of his technique this way, but it couldn’t be helped.

 

It was only a light sparring session, and I had a mission to attend to shortly.

 

“Come at me first.”

 

At my words, Hakuro nodded.

 

Then.

 

He adjusted his posture, holding the wooden sword at his waist.

 

…Iai?

 

It didn’t look like the clumsy draw I imitated. It seemed like a proper stance.

 

His body lowered completely, and his foot extended forward.

 

Above all.

 

That overwhelming presence, as if it were about to explode…

 

Bang!

 

So it wasn’t just my imagination.

 

Thunk!

 

In an instant, Hakuro unsheathed the wooden sword and closed the distance.

I barely managed to block his strike.

 

He’s fast.

 

For an average person, it would’ve been nearly impossible to react in time.

 

Clack—Tat-tat-tat!

 

And then.

 

As I witnessed the rapid succession of strikes raining down, I couldn’t help but admire him.

 

Isn’t he faster than Jevan?

 

It didn’t seem like he was using Aura.

 

It felt like he was relying purely on skill to generate that speed.

 

Moreover.

 

Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

 

He was getting faster.

 

It appeared to be a technique that gained momentum, becoming quicker with each successive strike.

 

This is interesting.

 

Even for me, it was challenging to block without using Aura.

 

Well.

 

Bang!

 

If I used Aura, breaking through would be easy.

 

I amplified my physical abilities with Aura and swung the wooden sword powerfully, forcibly disrupting the flow.

 

What’s more, he wasn’t using his usual katana but a wooden sword, which must have limited his techniques.

 

On top of that, without the naginata strapped to his back, he was operating under significant penalties.

 

But this was just a sparring match to observe his skills.

 

I’d see more during the mission later.

 

Tsk.

 

After I broke his rhythm with one swing, Hakuro lowered his stance again and thrust his sword. His movement was incredibly smooth.

 

For someone who looked to be in his mid-20s, his technique was remarkably polished.

 

I almost wanted to learn from him.

 

Clack!

 

I blocked the thrust and tried counterattacking.

 

If his approach was technical, I should respond in kind.

 

I hadn’t had many chances to use the sword techniques I learned from the Boyd family—this was a good opportunity.

 

Swish.

 

I spun the blade to deflect his sword.

 

Then, I aimed for a vital point… no, it’s just sparring, so I aimed slightly to the side instead.

 

Whoosh—

 

However, as if he anticipated it, Hakuro dodged.

 

Not bad.

 

I glanced briefly at Jevan.

 

That guy—did he recruit someone too good for the job?

 

He should’ve brought in someone weaker than himself to maintain balance in the mercenary group.

 

Well, judging by his demeanor, Hakuro seemed to have admirable loyalty, fitting of a samurai.

 

Clack!

 

Blocking the wooden sword Hakuro swung after dodging, I marveled at his ability to attack from such a broken posture.

 

Now I really want to see how he fights in a true battle.

 

I’m curious about the techniques he’d use with the spear strapped to his back.

 

With that thought.

 

Bam!

 

I struck down his incoming sword with full force.

 

And then.

 

Crack!

 

The wooden sword split and broke cleanly in two.

 

“This sparring match ends here.”

 

“Ah.”

 

At my single word, Hakuro glanced down at his broken wooden sword.

 

“I lost.”
“It would’ve been better if we had used proper weapons.”

 

The regret on his face was unmistakable.

He seemed to have a certain combative spirit.

 

Well, to reach his level at that age, one would need that kind of drive.

 

His techniques were impressive, and more importantly…

 

“Next time, I hope to see what you’re hiding as well.”

 

It was clear he still had more tricks up his sleeve.

 

“…!”

 

Hakuro’s startled expression caught my attention as I turned away.

 

He didn’t seem like an Aura user, but…
Not all special powers are Aura-based.

 

Perhaps, like the Alpha Wolf I encountered before, there’s a unique strength originating from the East.

 

In any case, I focused on preparing for the mission afterward.

Well, not my preparation—other members of the mercenary group handled that.

 

“What’s the mission this time?”
“An orc settlement raid.”
“An orc settlement? Around here?”
“It seems to have appeared recently. Someone must’ve gathered the orcs together.”

 

As Jevan explained, he handed me the mission briefing.

 

“Usually, they’re hidden deep in the mountains, so we don’t often get missions like this. But this settlement was established closer to us.”

 

I glanced at the mission document Jevan handed over.

 

It was straightforward: raid the orc settlement and retrieve the shaman’s amulet.
The reward was significant.

 

“Is the orc shaman’s amulet valuable?”
“Yes, and it’s likely saturated with the energy of the Lunaria Grasslands, as it probably originated from there.”
“Hmm.”

 

That worked out well.
I had been needing something from an orc shaman.

 

“I’ll take the staff.”
“Of course, as you wish.”

 

One of the materials Gareth requested for forging a weapon was the staff of an orc shaman.

All I needed to do was secure that.

 

“Let’s head out, then.”

 

And so, we departed immediately to complete the mission quickly.

 

I didn’t plan to spend too much time away.

 

Spending days on a mission would be inconvenient, especially with Whitey back at home.

As young as he was, he’d likely grow anxious if I were gone for too long.

 

Fortunately…

 

“Aren’t you getting ready?”
“Preparation? Don’t know.”
“You’ve got it easy for missions, don’t you?”
“You’re the same.”

 

With the new recruit, combat would be less of a burden this time.

 

Maybe that’s why Jevan brought him along.

Skill reigns supreme in this line of work, after all.

 

Personality-wise, he didn’t seem like the type to cause unnecessary trouble, either.

 

With that, we climbed the Kaine Mountain Range once more.

 

As before, we passed through the crowded entrance, eventually reaching the mid-section where the trees thinned, and rocky hills came into view.

 

“This way.”

 

Jevan unfolded a map and pointed in a specific direction.

 

“What’s that map?”
“It’s from the Magic Tower. They tracked the settlement’s location using magic.”
“Ah, makes sense.”

 

Magic could certainly make tracking easier.

 

I recalled how Lorenz had once mapped out a vast sewer system in mere moments.

 

“We’ll set up a base camp and move out immediately.”
“Got it.”

 

Thanks to the Magic Tower’s mages, we didn’t have to waste time on scouting like before.

 

After quickly setting up a base camp, we headed toward the supposed location of the orc settlement before nightfall.

 

“From here, you can see tracks.”
“It’s probably their activity radius.”

 

As we approached the orc settlement, more and more tracks—presumably left by the orcs—began to appear.

 

It seemed they had been scavenging resources greedily around the area after setting up their settlement.

 

“There are signs of a battle here.”

 

One of the mercenaries, while scouting the surroundings, pointed out the evidence.

 

“A battle?”

 

Following his indication, I observed the area.

Indeed, traces of combat were everywhere, with bloodstains scattered across the ground.

 

“It looks like it was a pretty intense fight.”

 

Fragments of leather and broken weapon parts were scattered around as well.

Given the lack of bodies or other remnants, it seemed likely the orcs had won and carried everything away.

 

“Doesn’t seem like the battle happened too long ago, does it?”
“Yeah, the blood hasn’t dried completely, and the tracks are still fresh.”

 

There was a good chance that the captured people were still alive.

 

“Let’s check it out.”
“They’ve likely been taken to the settlement.”

 

Using the trail of drag marks as a guide, we continued onward, heading toward the orc settlement.

 

“Do orcs often drag people off like this?”
“Yes, usually for food preservation or ritualistic purposes.”
“Disgusting.”

 

When I encountered them in the Colosseum, it was just a straight fight, so I hadn’t realized.

But building a settlement and kidnapping people?

 

Turns out they had more intelligence than I thought.

 

As we followed the trail, the number of footprints increased, and a familiar foul stench began to fill the air.

 

“It’s the scent of orcs.”
“I know. Too well, unfortunately.”

 

The smell was unmistakable, a signature reek infamous among goblins, kobolds, and orcs.

 

“For now, let’s assess their numbers.”

 

Though this was meant to be a scouting mission, if it seemed manageable, I wouldn’t hesitate to attack immediately.

We had a decent force: over a dozen silver-ranked mercenaries, Jevan, myself, and the new recruit.

 

“There it is.”

 

As we continued, smoke rising between the trees came into view.

Approaching closer, we saw a wide clearing surrounded by rocky hills, with makeshift wooden houses scattered around.

 

“The settlement is fairly large. There must be dozens of them.”

 

The scale of it surprised me—it was bigger than I had expected.

 

I had assumed it’d be a small village at best, but this was significantly larger.

 

Well, it made sense. A shaman wouldn’t be here without a decent-sized group.

 

“There could be higher-ranking orcs besides the shaman.”
“Like orc warriors?”
“Yes, and in cases like this, the chieftain is often a stronger variant.”

 

Hmm.
Given the settlement’s size, the smart move would be to retreat, regroup, and come back better prepared.

 

But then—

 

“Ahhh! Please, spare me!”
“You bastards! Aargh!”

 

Screams echoed from deeper within the settlement. There wasn’t any time to waste.

 

“Stay cautious and follow me.”
“Huh?”
“I’m saying don’t overextend yourselves trying to keep up.”

 

Drawing the sword at my waist, I made up my mind.

 

Ordinarily, I’d step back, let the others fight, and observe.

But not this time.

 

Maybe it was the heat from sparring with that new recruit still lingering, but I felt ready to act.

 

“Let’s do this.”

 

With that, I slid down the rocky slope, sword in hand.

 

Arrogant orcs.
Kidnapping people and using them for rituals?

 

It’s about time someone reminded them of their place.

 

Access 10 Chapters Ahead of the Release on Our Patreon <3 Be Notified of Releases on Our Discord

Join Our Discord Server to Be Notified of Releases

Surviving in a F*cked-Up Fantasy World

Surviving in a F*cked-Up Fantasy World

Surviving in a Damned Fantasy World, 망할 판타지 세상에서 살아남기
Score 7
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
The world I was reincarnated in was too f*cked up to be a fantasy world.

Comment

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset