Praise the Orc

Chapter 1: Prologue

There was a huge shimmering screen on the side of the building. Pedestrians and drivers were all unable to take their eyes off it. Displayed on the screen was one orc facing thousands of soldiers on his own.

While watching their screens, the audience murmured:

“He’s back.”

“He blocked the Allied Forces by himself.”

“No one knows who he is or even whether he’s a player, NPC, or boss made by the developers.”

“Everything is unknown.”

As the commanding officer leading the army approached the orc, the video on the screen closed in on the commanding officer’s handsome face.

He said, “Do you think you can ward them off on your own?”

The orc did not respond. His steel helmet was casting a shadow on his face, so his expression was inscrutable.

“Why are you fighting us?” the commanding officer asked.

The commentator introduced the commanding officer, “He is an elf of the War Maestro class, which is a hidden class. He is also a high-ranking master of the Heaven and Earth Clan and a genius on large-scale tactics and command. This is player Choi Han-Sung, who is widely known by the moniker ‘Rommell’.”

The orc opened his mouth and said, “Let me ask you this instead. Why are you attacking these people?”

His voice was gruff and low, characteristic of an orc.

“Because...” Choi Han-Sung carefully chose his words.

The answer was obvious; it was because this was a large-scale quest. He wanted to gain items and level up, thus gaining wealth and authority. However, this was not an answer he could give.

“Because they are our enemy,” he concluded.

“How so?”

“If you bother us for longer, you too will become our enemy.”

“Is that how you betrayed others’ trust, massacred the innocent, and reaped their money and equipment?” The orc laughed. “You are a human who does not know honor.”

“As you can see, I’m an elf. Are you also a player?”

“Listen carefully,” the orc said as he raised his eyes, which were glistening inside the helmet.

His enlarged appearance on the screen made it seem as if he was glaring at everyone beyond the screen.

Then the orc raised his voice, and it rang boldly across the plains as well as out from screens and into the ears of those watching. “I’m an orc and a warrior. A warrior does not give up on the faithful. A warrior does not persecute the weak. A warrior does not attack the unarmed. A warrior does not succumb to injustice. A warrior does not do anything shameful to God. A warrior pays back grace and vengeance. A warrior protects the weak. I swear to God by these commandments.”

The orc raised his greatsword. “I shall prove my honor.”

Murderous intent rose from the orc’s body.

The ground shook, and the commanding officer and his army took a step back. Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

The orc smiled. “Come, human.”