Chapter 43 – WATER (2)

Chesswood was an area where dozens of small villages were scattered like squares on a chessboard. It was usually just called Chesswood, but the inhabitants of Chesswood liked to differentiate their villages from each other. It was like lines splitting each village apart.

There was a subtle fight of pride between them.

“I heard that in Cactus Village, your bull gave birth to twin calves?”

“So you’ve already heard. Both of them are very strong, hahahat.”

“But there is something funny, as in my Dandelion Village, our cow gave birth to triplets. Cactus Village Chief, too small! Kelkelkel.”

“…Kuk. C-Congratulations. Ugh.”

These types of arguments happened often, even during a meeting of the village heads. This was the town hall at Edelweiss Village in the center of Chesswood. Representatives from each village gathered for the meeting.

Once the leaders of the villages gathered, sometimes the atmosphere could get rough.

“As I said, our Gold Village’s ‘Come Back Taicondero’ will win.

“How funny, that isn’t even close. Our Natasha Village’s ‘Youth Rain’ will make you pee when you hear it.”

“You say such pretty words. Do you want to duel with me?”

“Ha! I am James. Do you want to make me an active volcano? Challenge me to a duel? Let’s go! Ha!”

“Okay, I’ll slam your ugly face with my sweet serenade. Gather the audience!”

The village chiefs of the Gold Village and Natasha Village growled at each other. They were on the brink of a brutal song showdown in Chesswood’s traditional Colosseum, where the losing singer’s life was at risk.

Crockta and Jeremy shook their heads as they watched. “Can these people fight?”

“……”

The people of Chesswood weren’t fighters! It was understandable why Blackmore, who once worked for a money lender, was the object of fear. Blackmore, who wielded weapons like the Chesswood people sang their songs, would’ve looked like a demon.

“Everybody be quiet! We shouldn’t be fighting among ourselves!”

Ingram, Blackmore’s uncle, calmed everyone down. He was a normal farmer these days, but he was still respected by people as the former chief.

“They’re attacking us because we’re scattered and easier to defeat.”

“What benefits will they gain from killing us?”

“The enemies are those cursed by the stars. They are trying to kill us for their achievement points.”

“What? They can build up achievements, even if they do evil?”

“Hah… They really are cursed people.”

A user’s achievements points didn’t depend on them doing good or evil. As long as they did things that affected the world of Elder Lord, it would accumulate proportionately. Furthermore, killing NPCs were a great help in the growth of skills. Although it was expressed as achievement points, their aim was to acquire experience to raise their skill level.

The various clans were trying to raise their power in Chesswood.

“I sent people to the castle but…it will take time…”

“We can’t wait for them.”

“What do we do?”

“How about collecting money from the villages and hiring some mercenaries?”

The chiefs were troubled. They used farm equipment and hunting tools to prevent the users’ attacks, but the enemy was gradually becoming stronger.

Crockta also closed his eyes and thought hard.

High level users were gradually appearing to help their clans. Chesswood would be swept away. He only planned to get rid of the Thawing Balhae Clan but he was troubled by Chesswood’s situation. It wasn’t easy to distinguish between enemies.

It was at that moment.

“Everyone! It is serious!”

The door to the meeting room opened.

“Theres currently a massive attack on Dandelion Village…!”

“What?”

The leader of Dandelion Village, who had boasted of the triplet calves, jumped to his feet.

Crockta confirmed the direction based on the map attached to the town hall’s wall, and Dandelion Village was in one of the outlying areas. If he compared it to a checkerboard, it was one of the corner positions.

“I’ll go right now!”

“Have you told Chrysanthemum and Camellia Village?”

“Yes! Support is coming from the nearby villages!”

The chiefs tried to rush out straight away, but Ingram calmed everyone down.

“It would be better if we don’t go right away!”

“Then what should we do?”

“Let’s discuss some countermeasures first.”

“What about Dandelion Village?”

The meeting room fell into a mess. Then someone spoke, “I will go to Dandelion Village, so you should stay here and establish some countermeasures.”

It was Blackmore, who was sitting in a corner with Crockta and Jeremy. The meeting room fell silent as he spoke.

“Blackmore…!”

“It was true that you returned.”

“Oh my god.”

The infamous Blackmore made them even more nervous! Crockta and Jeremy could guess what Blackmore was like in the past just by their expressions. Then Blackmore said.

“I’ve washed my hands, and now I would just like to help the villages. As the representatives of Chesswood, you should develop measures for Chesswood’s protection. Isn’t that your role?”

“……!”

Blackmore spoke solemnly. The chiefs nodded.

“Indeed… We won’t be a big help if we go now.”

“If Blackmore goes, then he can get rid of all of them.”

“Indeed, he is a great fighter.”

He was terrifying when he was an enemy, but more reassuring than anyone else when he was an ally. The chiefs felt relief that Blackmore was fighting for them.

“Would you like to help?”

Blackmore asked Crockta and Jeremy. He had already experienced the combat power of the two victims.

“I understand.”

Crockta nodded.

“I have already decided to help this brother.” Jeremy also agreed.

The three men who met on the road were now heading to Dandelion Village for Chesswood’s protection.

***

The three of them borrowed horses. Crockta didn’t know how to ride a horse, but Blackmore and Jeremy helped him. While it was very hard for the horse to carry his heavy body, there was no time to care. They needed to save Dandelion Village first.

“Over there!”

They arrived at Dandelion Village, the battle there already in full swing. A huge number of users were gathered and slaughtering the villagers.

“……!”

Blackmore’s face stiffened, his face distorting. It was an evil expression that was hard to believe for the minstrel who had always been smiling. He was carrying a spear on his back. He instantly jumped down from his horse.

He swung his spear and swept the users away, his spear moving like a storm. Extremely deadly!

Crockta and Jeremy belatedly got off their horses and participated in the fight. The three of them shook up the battlefield.

“Bul’tar──────!”

The orc’s battle cry rang out. Crockta charged, causing users to fly through the air as his greatsword sliced apart the bodies of users. Their upper bodies were split in half and their guts spilled out.

The momentum could often decide victory in a war. Crockta kept yelling out battle cries to trample on the enemy’s morale.

“I’ll slice you to pieces──────!”

Then he kicked aside the bodies parts and scattered flesh. The sight of a blood-covered orc warrior wielding a greatsword filled the users with fear.

Crockta roared, “Kuaaaaaah──────!”

A true butcher of the battlefield! Blood spurted everywhere he went. The villagers, who were on the defensive, started to move forward as they became emboldened by Blackmore and the orc warrior’s appearance.

Blackmore and Crockta jumped and slaughtered users everywhere they went. White particles shone all around them. There was no mercy in their attacks.

Some frightened users turned around and started to run away.

“This bastard!” A user ran over to Jeremy, wielding a sword.

Did he look easy? But Jeremy’s sword moved like the wind and pierced the user’s neck.

“Life is real, cursed brother.”

“Kuooooh…”

The skills were excellent. Jeremy pulled out his sword and started running around. There were sacrifices, but the villages started to gradually gain the advantage. The battle centered around the activities of the three men.

“Brother! Have strength!” Jeremy shouted.

Crockta was in the middle of punishing a spear user. The user tried to attack the families’ members hiding in the warehouse, but Crockta appeared and took care of it at once. The residents sighed with relief. One mother was holding a crying baby in her arms.

“Dirty bastards.”

Crocka immediately ran out of the warehouse and scanned the situation. There was a group of users, which were his next target. The moment that Crockta was about to rush over, he was suddenly blown away by an unseen force.

Crockta rolled around on the ground as he was struck by a skill.

“Ugh!”

“An orc suddenly appeared?” A man asked as he approached Crockta.

Crockta instinctively felt that he was strong. He got up quickly and restored his breathing. The man was wearing expensive equipment. It was reminiscent of the high level user Crockta met on the Arnin Plains in the past, but this user was on a completely different level.

The users shouted.

“Higashi came! Ranker! A ranker came to help!”

“Bugilma!”

“Bulgima came to help!”

Ranker. They were the top 500 influential users in Elder Lord.

Considering the enormous population of the world that was playing Elder Lord, being in the top 500 was truly known as the peak. Elder Sage Corporation provided them with benefits and they were treated as a star.

Higashi was a ranker. Crockta felt despair as a sense of pressure that he had never felt before manifested.

“This place now seems fun.”

Higashi smiled as he held his sword and shield.

Crockta looked around. Blackmore and Jeremy also seemed to be fighting high level users. The critical people were marked.

The users’ morale rose at Higashi’s appearance and they started attacking the villagers with renewed vigor. The villages collapsed under the swords and Users laughed happily as they slaughtered random people.

Crockta’s eyes flashed.

“Hey Orc. Your opponent is me.”

But Higashi didn’t let him leave. Crockta clenched his greatsword.

The weight of being a ranker wasn’t small. Their skills, skill levels, and equipment were all high levelled. Crockta moved slowly to look for gaps, but Higashi also moved in tandem to maintain his distance.

Higashi moved first. His body appeared in front of Crockta as if space had folded. It was too close to swing his greatsword.

“……!”

The shield strongly pushed against Crockta. He blocked it with his greatsword, but his sight was momentarily covered by the shield. He couldn’t anticipate where the sword would move beyond the shield.

Crockta threw himself to the ground and rolled his body.

“Hoh.”

He got up while covered in dirt. Higashi locked at Crockta and turned his blade round and round.

“If you were a little late than you would’ve been stung. Your judgement is fast. “

“……”

The connection between sword and shield was excellent. It was a real battle. Indeed, it is clear that Higashi did martial arts. He might be the strongest opponent Higashi had fought so far.

Crockta gathered all of the strength in his body.

[Indomitable Fighting Spirit (Rare) has been used.]

[Tattoos of Honour (Rare) has been used.]

[Leyteno’s Greatsword Technique (Rare) will exert an extreme performance.]

His senses sharpened. A faint steam rose from his greatsword. The skill proficiency of Leyteno’s Greatsword Technique had temporarily risen. It wasn’t a situation where he should conserve his stamina.

[Mind’s Eye’s (Special) has opened.]

Mind’s Eye opened.

Powerful.

Higashi approached. Thanks to Mind’s Eye, Higashi’s movements seemed a little clearer, but Crockta felt heavier. He could see the strength of the enemy more clearly.

“Bul’tar.”

Crockta muttered. He had to fight while being prepared for death. It was at that moment that he saw something else thanks to Mind’s Eye.

“……!”

Someone was hiding in the village. The shape of the person using stealth was dimly visible. Crockta retreated as he stared in that direction.

“……?”

Higashi was confused.

[Mind’s Eye’s (Special) has penetrated through the Stealth skill.]

Crockta could see the faint figure of a woman wearing leather and a mask. The woman was standing next to a building and shooting this scene. This outfit was familiar. Her face had never been revealed, but her character was well known from her videos, like a trademark.

She spread the wicked deeds of users and announced their names. The Youvidser who had shot Crockta in the past.

It was Laney.