For Jung Si-woo, this was the first time that someone’s attack managed to knock him back. He had to do better since he couldn’t afford to give his opponent any opportunity to follow-up. Even those he faced before that were much bigger than him hadn’t packed as much force as his current opponent, who about as tall as him.

[Kyaha!]

Jung Si-woo had finally met an opponent who could match his power. When he awakened as an underground player, his body was made stronger by mana, which raised his inborn strength even higher. But none of that seemed to matter against the armored orc that he was facing.

[You have skill, but your strength is still a little too weak.]

“Your strength is weak, but your equipment is good. Ha!”

Jung Si-woo retorted in between blows.

[Hoh!]

A smile slowly formed at the corners of Jung Si-woo’s mouth. He raised his hammer to parry the orc’s ax. He was enjoying this battle much more than his last battle with the ghost-turned-demon. Jung Si-woo began a very young age, doing so to control the immense strength he was born with. He learned a lot of things, but he didn’t get much recognition for them.

Even after becoming a player, something he had longed for, he still couldn’t find the satisfaction and recognition he sought. The centipede boss, the centurion goblin, and the werewolf in the test dungeon easily bowed to his superior strength. It was only this time that he started feeling good about fighting a monster.

But more than fighting stronger opponents, Jung Si-woo also longed to fight someone with an actual personality, not like the mindless monsters he faced before. This was because aside from breaking their bones, Jung Si-woo also relished in the idea of breaking their spirits. Growing up, Jung Si-woo had a weird sense of fulfillment. He wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn’t just blessed with inborn talents but that he worked hard to build himself up. He didn’t rely solely on the power he was born with; he also made sure to put extra effort into his self-improvement.

He wanted people to see past his inborn talents and recognize all the hard work he put into studying and martial arts. He wanted people to know that he was special even without his inborn gifts. It was ridiculous, even childish, but that was the driving force that kept Jung Si-woo moving forward — not having an avenue to prove his skill stalled his improvement for a while. But this encounter with the armored orc, a wall that even his strength alone couldn’t break, was the new motivation he needed to become better finally. This moment was even more important to Jung Si-woo than clearing the actual dungeon and raising his level.

[You attack well! But not good enough!]

“And you avoid well, too!”

[And so do you!]

This was the first time in Jung Si-woo’s life that he was afraid of an enemy’s attack. He had learned countless evasive maneuvers during his martial arts lessons in the past, but he had never truly needed them until now. If he made one wrong move, a strike from the orc’s ax would be enough to split him in half like dry firewood. Jung Si-woo was forced to move carefully, minimizing as many unnecessary movements as possible.

“I didn’t know I could dodge this well until now.”

[Ha!]

Reflecting on his current situation, Jung Si-woo thought that perhaps he needed to adjust his training. Adrenaline pumped through Jung Si-woo’s body, improving his response speed. The more they danced with their ax and hammer, the more he became accustomed to his opponent’s patterns.

He was making progress. He avoided all attacks as much as possible and only blocked with his hammer when dodging was impossible. He kept doing this until he found an opportunity — a hole in an otherwise perfect pattern — to strike. Jung Si-woo managed to take the orc by surprise and land a single blow strong enough to wound his opponent.

[Oh, that was pretty good!]

The armored orc commended Jung Si-woo. He never formally learned how to use a hammer, but he managed to teach himself how to incorporate the hammer with the martial arts he learned as a kid. In other words, he invented his own martial arts to deal with the monsters he had to face in the dungeons.

[But you’re still weaker than me!]

The armored orc continued to tease him as it readied another attack.

“Ha!”

Jung Si-woo avoided the orc’s attack and retaliated with his own. The armored orc barely dodged Si-woo’s counter-attack. Thus they continued their deadly waltz, with each one trying to anticipate the other’s next move.

‘Assume where the enemy is going to dodge, move your body with your weapon, and the moment the enemy thinks he’s safe, insert a more lethal and faster strike!’

[Huh!?]

“I thought you would avoid it like that!”

Si-woo finally figured out the orc’s movements. The orc’s attempt to dodge his last strike revealed where its weak spot was. Jung Si-woo took advantage of this before the orc could recuperate, shifting all of his weight to his hammer and striking with one huge blow.

[Quhak!]

The sledgehammer’s hit the orc smack in the chest.

[Kahak…!]

Even with the strength of that blow, Jung Si-woo couldn’t finish off his opponent. However, the breastplate that covered the orc’s chest was greatly dented from receiving his powerful attack. The orc staggered and dropped his ax. Soo Ah-rin was greatly relieved seeing Jung Si-woo take the upper hand, but she knew that they weren’t completely out of the forest yet.

On the other hand, Yong Se-ha watched from the entrance with wide eyes. It wasn’t just the last blow that impressed him, but the entire exchange between Jung Si-woo and the orc. The fierce exchanges between the two were something he hadn’t predicted. Armored orcs were tricky opponents. Unlike other monsters that utilized magic, they didn’t specialize in one attribute or fight using curses or traps. They relied on martial arts and their physical skills to overcome players who weren’t prepared. This was why players avoided fighting armored orcs until they had enough high-level skills and ranged attacks to counter the armored orcs’ superior physical prowess.

“I specialize in assault strategies, but…even I can’t compare to him.”

Yong Se-ha’s voice trailed off. And that spoke volumes coming from Yong Se-ha, a warrior from a powerful guild’s elite line. His weapon of choice was the lance, which could only be mastered by someone with strong power and tremendous quickness. It was a dangerous role, Yong Se-he admitted. Being a lancer meant that he stood at the forefront of every battlefield, leading the charge against the opposing force and shielding those behind him.

However, seeing Jung Si-woo overpower the opponent that was objectively more powerful than him changed how he looked at his own strength. Yong Se-ha could only bite his lips as he watched the battle between Jung Si-woo and the armored orc grow fiercer.

[You have great guts for using me to test your skills!]

“If you don’t like that, try better!”

[Kuhahahahahahah!]

The orc quickly slashed sideways, barely missing Jung Si-woo, who felt a momentary flash of fear. The impulsiveness of that last attack made it difficult for Jung Si-woo to predict it. Luckily, he managed to dodge it by the skin of his teeth. But if the armored orc had more tricks up his sleeve, Jung Si-woo would be in trouble.

[Ha!]

Jung Si-woo twisted his body and avoided another fatal strike.

[Kakakakakaka! You’re actually avoiding it!]

“Tsk!”

Seeing another opening, Jung Si-woo quickly threw his hammer with all the strength he could muster. The mana he infused into his weapon caused it to explode the moment it made contact with its target. The explosion created flames made even more powerful by Si-woo’s mana. They grew bigger and hotter until the armored orc was completely devoured. The metal armor that once protected the orc from external attacks began to melt, unable to withstand the flames’ heat.

The armored orc screamed in pain as the flames slowly consumed its life force. Armored orcs were vulnerable to ranged attacks and flames. That weakness worked out really well for Si-woo, who just recently enchanted his weapon with the flame attribute. Si-woo almost believed he had already won when the orc stood up despite the flames eating at its body.

[If you think this would be enough to keep me down, you’re fooling yourself!]

The orc picked up his battle-ax and clenched his teeth as the flames continued to spread. Jung Si-woo threw his hammer again, but this time the orc was able to parry it with his ax. The impact, plus the damage he had sustained so far, caused the orc to stumble backward. This allowed Si-woo to lunge at him and deal another direct strike.

[Kaakk.]

The orc laughed, reveling in the ecstasy of battle. He let go of his ax and tackled Jung Si-woo with all his might. However, Jung Si-woo saw this coming and met his attack with a swing from his hammer. He landed a critical hit on the orc’s skull, shattering it.

[Kahak!]

This still wasn’t enough to kill the orc. Jung Si-woo grabbed his hammer and struck him again. Despite having beaten his opponent, a sense of dread overcame Si-woo. He wondered how he would be able to clear the dungeon if even the first monster was already this strong. Given how much power he had to use just to beat one monster, how much more would he need to beat the boss? Worse, what would happen to him if he had to face multiple orcs in the same battle?

“Fuck.”

Si-woo cursed, realizing his predicament. He lacked strength, skill, and experience. A feeling of helplessness overwhelmed his senses. He needed to strategize. Si-woo, thinking the battle was over, turned around, spitting on the floor. The moment he lost sight of the orc, it grabbed him by the leg.

[Fool! Finish me!]

“What?”

Unexpected words flowed from the orc’s mouth.

[This space will someday expand to the Earth. If the mana in this space is not drained, another ground invasion will take place.]

That was exactly what happened in Sanha-dong.

‘But what should I do?’

[When I die, that much mana is lost, and the moment of a ground invasion is delayed a little. If you leave me here like this, the mana in the room will begin restoring my body. Soon, I will be whole again, ready to take you on once more. If you want to live, you need to make sure I stay dead.]

Si-woo nodded, thankful to the orc for the information. He now understood more about how the dungeons worked. Convinced by the orc, Jung Si-woo lifted his hammer, ready to land the final blow. Meanwhile, a smile slowly curved from the orcs burned and distorted face.

[I look forward to your development, young warrior.]

“You won’t have to wait that long.”

Jung Si-woo slammed the hammer down, breaking the orc’s head once and for all. After confirming the enemy’s death, he turned around and faced Soo Ah-rin.

“Let’s return.”