The Old Man Tells You The Strategy

Chapter 13

The orc was undoubtedly down. The ground-shaking thunderous crash was proof enough.

Boom—!

However, Killian didn’t push his luck. Unless the orc was completely unconscious, approaching recklessly to deliver a finishing blow could be dangerous.

Instead, Killian aimed not for the orc’s life but for the artifact. Before the orc could raise itself,

Schink—!

Killian severed the chain around its neck and grabbed the ring. He had successfully obtained the ‘Paragon’s Camouflage.’

“…Whew!”

Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but marvel at Killian’s calm decision.

After all, the goal was never to kill the orc, but to acquire this artifact.

「Nice. Not bad at all.」

Yet, Killian didn’t respond. Until he escaped the chamber, there was no time to relax. And, as expected—

Gwaaaaaah!!!

The orc sprang to its feet, roaring in fury, and charged after Killian even more ferociously.

Boom- Boom- Boom-

Though its balance wavered, the orc relentlessly pursued him.

「Run!!」

Even without Jun-hyuk’s shout, Killian’s legs were already in motion.

“Huff…!”

Tap-tap-tap—

Killian moved swiftly and with precision, but the gap between him and the orc narrowed.

Unlike Killian, who had to dodge falling debris, the orc plowed through it, trusting its tough body. Besides, there was an overwhelming difference in their physicality.

Despite this, Killian kept his eyes on the exit without glancing back, his expression unwavering.

Crack… Creaking—!

The ceiling near the exit, which had held up until now, started to crumble.

The steel door, buckling under the pressure, began to warp.

Groan—

At this rate, the entire stone chamber would collapse soon.

Crash—!

Finally, a huge piece of debris fell in front of the exit.

“Gasp!”

Seeing this, Killian channeled all his strength into his legs.

Ta-at!

Just before the stone could crash down, Killian sprang forward like a coiled spring, launching himself toward the exit. His body narrowly slipped through the falling debris.

That boulder was too large for even the orc to ignore.

Boom-! Boom-!

But the orc was persistent. It couldn’t help but pause to dodge the debris, but it still managed to close the gap, extending its arm to its full length.

Whoosh!

The orc’s hand was just close enough to grab Killian. It was a moment of extreme danger.

「Watch out—!」

But at that exact moment, Killian’s sword moved with precision.

Swoosh!

His blade aimed at one of the torches lining the corridor.

Flash—!

As Killian twisted his sword, the torch light reflected off the metal and shone toward the orc.

‘They said it was sensitive to light.’

Though the reflected light was weak, even a brief distraction was enough. If the orc hesitated for even a moment, Killian could escape.

And…

Graaah—!!!

The effect was far more dramatic than Killian had expected.

For an orc that had lived its entire life in darkness, even this faint light was blinding like the sun.

Boom-boom- Boom-boom—

The orc grabbed its eyes in agony, thrashing around. And in the next moment,

Crash!

A massive chunk of debris fell, blocking the door and the corridor.

Of course, by then, Killian had already escaped through the exit.

Boom! Boom… Rumble—!

As the stone chamber collapsed with a deafening roar, Killian smiled and sprawled out on the ground, exhausted.

“Hoo.”

A small murmur escaped from Killian’s lips.

“See? This way was way less of a hassle.”

—

As Jun-hyuk heard those words, he couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh internally.

The acrobatic maneuvers Killian had just performed were astonishing, even to him. He had been ready to praise Killian for his feat, but…

‘I’m at a loss for words.’

The moment Killian spoke, Jun-hyuk forgot whatever compliment he had planned to say.

「Less hassle? More like way more dangerous and difficult!」

‘But it was fun.’

「What…?」

‘Does anyone find something fun to be a hassle?’

This guy, Killian, was truly incomprehensible. Even the notion that fighting the orc head-on could somehow be less hassle was beyond Jun-hyuk’s comprehension. But even if Killian had genuinely believed that…

Who risks their life for a little bit less hassle? And succeeds?

‘Seriously, what kind of lunatic is this?’

With that, Jun-hyuk, from all his years of experience, could confidently declare:

Of all the people he had encountered, Killian was the most uniquely insane person he’d ever met.

‘Not even that lunatic Pariel was this bad…’

At that moment, Jun-hyuk had to admit one thing, finally and completely.

‘But he is fun.’

At the very least, watching whatever stunt this guy, Killian, pulled was way more entertaining than expected. That was something Jun-hyuk couldn’t deny anymore.

So, he decided to support Killian more actively. Whether or not this eccentric would appreciate the help was uncertain, but the first step was going to be the ‘Paragon’s Camouflage.’

「Enough with the nonsense. Now, open the ‘Paragon’s Camouflage’ and take a look inside.」

“How do I open it?”

「Just think about wanting to open it.」

Bzzz—!

As soon as Jun-hyuk finished speaking, a black, oval-shaped portal the size of a human fist formed over the artifact.

“This is…”

「It’s a subspace. You won’t need to carry around a backpack anymore.」

“Oh…”

As Killian observed the subspace curiously, Jun-hyuk began to urge him subtly.

「Now, think about wanting to pull something out. Let’s see what’s inside.」

“I haven’t put anything in, so what would be in there?”

「There’s definitely something in there. Trust me.」

The reason Jun-hyuk was so confident was simple. Inside the Paragon’s Camouflage, there was always an item that couldn’t normally be obtained in the early stages of the game.

Of course, the item was random and could be something useless, but if luck was on their side, they could get something incredible.

‘A Green Blood Potion would be useful in emergencies, and if we’re really lucky, we might pull out an uncommon artifact…’

“Fine, it wouldn’t hurt to check.”

With the thought of retrieving something, Killian reached out his hand.

Bzzzz…

His hand disappeared into the subspace, and when it emerged, he was holding something.

“Hm…?”

Killian tilted his head as he looked at the object in his hand. It was a weight with an engraving of a roaring orc, a hilt just the right length for a single-handed grip, and a well-proportioned cross guard. From inside the subspace, it looked unmistakably like a sword hilt.

“What is this?”

But while Killian was merely puzzled, Jun-hyuk’s reaction was explosive.

「Are you kidding me?!」

Unlike Killian, who was simply intrigued, Jun-hyuk immediately recognized the significance of the sword hilt.

「How did ‘Monster Hunter’ come out of this?! What kind of luck is this…」

“What’s the big deal?”

There were several reasons why Jun-hyuk was so shocked.

First, this was an extremely rare piece of equipment, one that felt like it dropped once in hundreds of tries.

Second, it was perfectly suited for a swordsman like Killian. But most of all…

「The person who made that sword is ‘Goat.’」

‘Who’s Goat?’

Goat, the legendary blacksmith.

「Who? Haven’t you at least heard the name? He’s the greatest craftsman on the continent.」

The equipment made by Goat was legendary, each piece a hidden treasure.

Whether due to its performance or because it held the key to hidden dungeons and labyrinths, his work had infinite potential depending on how it was used.

‘I’ve never heard that name.’

「Seriously? Not even once? I know you’re from a backwater village, but come on…」

Jun-hyuk was about to explain more but realized there was no point in telling Killian about this right now.

‘What’s the use of explaining Goat to someone who doesn’t even know his name…’

Better to wait until the information would actually be useful to Killian. That would be a more productive approach.

Srrrng—!

Meanwhile, as Jun-hyuk pondered this, Killian had already pulled the sword out of the subspace.

“Hm…”

He looked it over. The sword was similar in length to what he normally used—an ordinary longsword.

The hilt was ornately decorated, but the blade was plain, with no embellishments. Yet, Killian couldn’t take his eyes off the blade.

Flicker—

A strange energy seemed to pulse within it.

‘What is this?’

「That’s the spellwork embedded in the Monster Hunter.」

‘Spellwork? What kind?’

「It enhances your physical abilities when you’re fighting monsters. You’ll definitely notice the difference.」

Additionally, Jun-hyuk explained that the sword was tough enough to withstand even being stomped on by an orc, making it incredibly useful.

Killian, however, responded with his usual indifference.

‘For a weapon made by the best blacksmith on the continent, it’s pretty plain, don’t you think?’

「It can’t be helped. Monster Hunter was one of Goat’s earlier works.」

‘Hm… Well, I’m a novice at swordsmanship too, so if it’s for beginners, I guess it’s not bad.’

Watching Killian’s lackluster response, Jun-hyuk—despite not having a physical body—shook his head in disbelief.

Anyone else involved in this bloodline ritual would’ve lost their mind if they saw the Monster Hunter, but Killian was treating it like some basic iron sword given out during a tutorial.

Jun-hyuk was on the verge of bursting.

‘Of course, it’s always the clueless ones who get lucky…’

Even when playing Endless Saga as a game, the best gear always seemed to drop for the people who didn’t even understand its value.

Remembering that, Jun-hyuk couldn’t hold back a sigh any longer.

「Sigh…」

What more could he say?

But then—

Clink—

Jun-hyuk’s nagging voice kicked in again.

「Hey! Why are you strapping that to your waist?!」

‘Why? Where else do you carry a sword?’

「That thing’s really valuable!」

‘Huh?’

「If you walk around with that dangling from your waist, all sorts of people are going to start bothering you!」

‘Oh…?’

The contrast between Killian’s genius in battle and his utter lack of awareness outside it left Jun-hyuk dizzy.

‘This guy… he actually took down that labyrinth orc?’

The skill Killian had shown during the fight: combining his knowledge and abilities with impeccable timing and execution. And yet…

His complete innocence when it came to understanding the real world.

‘How can someone like him exist?’

Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but wonder even more now.

Why…

‘Why isn’t this guy in my memories?’