The Novel’s Villain

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He looked like a very menacing monster in the Knights’ eyes, but to Jin-woo’s eyes, he was nothing but a gentle pig.
Although his blue eye flashed, it was very gentle.
As Gallock knelt and bowed his head, all the orcs in the back did so.

It was spectacular.

“That’s…?”

It was the first time Tang Xiao Zhen looked openly confused.
It was the same with Choi Hee-yeon and the Knights.

Somehow it looked like a ritual.

“M-maybe they’re trying to sacrifice us to the Demon King…”

“I heard that the Knights of the Seven Dragons Association were taken away…”

“Ugh, it’s understandable that the Demon King is getting stronger.
But by human sacrifice…”

The Knights said so with distorted expressions.
The reason that Angelica became huge was from the Magic Crystals consumed by China.
There was no way Jin-woo would keep her around if she needed such a sacrifice from the start.

Jin-woo beckoned quietly to get up and retreat while the Knights had their eyes on the orcs.
First of all, he wanted to get them back to a safe place in Elonti or anywhere he could.

‘Don’t be so tactless and go away, please! Hide at the Gate for now!’

Since Gallock had evolved into a Golden Orc, his intelligence must have improved considerably.
When he checked it with the Magic Eye of Information, it was slightly better than the average person.
Unlike the worms, he must be sensible.

‘Did you understand?’

Was it because the desperate hand gestures that were made secretly worked? Gallock, who raised his head, opened his eyes wide when he saw Jin-woo’s waving.
It was a gesture, no, a kind of sign that was taught to the ignorant.

It was dignified and charismatic.
Even beyond that, it was divine.
Gallock followed Jin-woo’s hand gestures and deeply admired them.
He offered them a lesson in sin.

‘Come! I will take you back.’

That was what Gallock thought.
He had a gut feeling that the time had finally come.

“The Emperor is calling! Let’s go!”

“Uwwoooooh!”

[The Orcs enter Berserker Mode due to their overflowing devotion.]

Such information came to mind as Gallock jumped up and started to rush towards Jin-woo.
The other orcs roared and followed him.

‘These crazy…!’

Jin-woo was bewildered.
It had turned into a violent fan meeting.
They were running towards Jin-woo with a more fierce spirit than the earthworms.

The Knights standing in front exchanged glances as they watched the orcs rushing; they were the Korean Knights.
They grabbed their swords, thinking of lovers and wives whom they left behind in their hometown.
The Orcs didn’t care about them and rushed solely at Jin-woo.
The Knights swung their swords filled with energy, but the orcs clashed with their bare bodies.

The fact that they weren’t afraid of death at all was terrifying.

Kwoong!

“Ugh!”

The Knights lost their balance and were thrown back.
When the orcs were about to step on them, Jin-woo swung his sword, blocking them.

The orcs in front of them burned and disappeared in an instant.
The orcs behind them stopped for a moment.

“Valhalla!”

“Ooh!”

Seeing their companions go to Valhalla, the orcs were convinced they had made the right choice.
The orcs all flocked to Jin-woo, and it became a mess.

Jin-woo was sweating as he placed between the Knights and the orcs.
Since the orcs didn’t fight Jin-woo’s sword, it seemed to burn away orcs at a tremendous speed in the eyes of others.
The Knights were also in a hurry to stop the orcs heading towards Jin-woo.
To describe it, it felt like a bodyguard blocking the fans from getting near to an idol.

[The power of the Orcs grows stronger with the Emperor of Gold by their side.]

The closer they got to Jin-woo, the more buffs they received.
Gallock’s skin even deflected blades by now.
Choi Hee-yeon swung her sword in panic, but it stopped only with a scratch.

Jin-woo had to come up with a solution before all those troublemakers trampled on the knights.

‘Let’s lure them aside for now.’

Jin-woo fell to the side, so they didn’t head toward the Knights.
As the Knights were busy trying to stop the orcs, it seemed that they could manage somehow.

Dudddddd!

The ground rang.

“Ah….”

Look at that huge tidal wave.
It seemed that all the earthworms had come out.

The worms began to flock toward Jin-woo while causing waves to ripple in the earth.
The Knights who were enduring among the orcs looked towards Jin-woo.
Choi Hee-yeon’s eyes widened as she stood alongside Tang Xiao Zhen.

Jin-woo welcomed the orcs and earthworms while emitting golden sword energy.
It seemed to be an unlikely situation.

“Umm…”

Jin-woo swung his sword, kicking up a torrent of wind.
The bodies of Choi Hee-yeon and the Knights were pushed aside, safely away from the stampede.
The orcs who were confronting the Knights were swept away by a tidal wave of sand.

“Now that this has happened, I will lure them in.”

He thought it was an absurd excuse, but he said so.
It felt like he had to say something, after all.
Jin-woo started running in the opposite direction.
The crystal hanging from his waist shone exceptionally.

“Valhalla!”

Gwooooo!

Waves of earthworms swept behind Jin-woo.
A huge wave of black sand covered everything, separating Jin-woo and the Knights.

* * *

The Knights, who were swept away by the waves of black sand, came to their senses after a little while and barely managed to get to their feet.
There were many Knights and Semi-Knights who had fully passed out.

Choi Hee-yeon stood up in a hurry and looked for Jin-woo, but there was nothing in sight except a massive hill of sand and dirt.

“Then…!”

Choi Hee-yeon fell to her knees with a blank expression on her face.
It was the same as Tang Xiao Zhen, who just barely stood.
Choi Hee-yeon tried to get rid of the black sand that had reached up to her thighs and head to Jin-woo’s side.
But she could hardly go on.
She had no idea where he was buried.

Choi Hee-yeon stood staring blankly at the ground.
The knights who followed also had a grim look on their faces.
They clenched their teeth as they realized what had happened.
They had all seen it.
Lee Jin-woo became bait to draw away the monsters.
In such a situation, he laughed and blew them away to safety.

‘It’s because of me.’

Tang Xiao Zhen felt a strong sense of guilt.
Jin-woo was cautious every time, but it was her who pushed him.
It was because she thought China could get a little stake in the Gate only if she contributed.
They couldn’t lose the Gate like this.

Jin-woo presented the right opinion at each turn of their meeting.
They could have prevented this if they had been careful, as he said.
Eventually, he had been forced to deal with it alone.
He saved his stamina and mana, enduring the pain and refusing to use the crystal.
He alone lured away the earthworms and buried the monsters.

That was probably the only loophole he noticed.
The search for Jin-woo continued for a long time, but they couldn’t find a single trace of him.
There weren’t even traces of the monsters.

Thud! Thud!

Choi Hee-yeon dug away at the ground, but the black sand flowed down and stifled her progress.
She gripped the black sand, crushing it.
She stared at the sandhill.

After what felt like an eternity, Choi Hee-yeon slowly raised her body.

“…I’m going.”

“Yes?”

“To kill the Demon King.”

In front of Choi Hee-yeon’s murderous spirit, Tang Xiao Zhen gulped and retreated behind her.
The plan had changed.

* * *

The huge earthworms charged, churning the earth and forming hills, but he wasn’t buried in the sand or anything like that.

It was as Choi Hee-yeon was searching for him that Jin-woo produced Elf Liquor from his subspace and enjoyed a drink.
Gallock was restlessly stood in front of Jin-woo.
He and his orcs only became calm when they were in front of Jin-woo.
The charge wasn’t to attack Jin-woo but to line up in front of him.
Like the earthworms.

They seemed a little angry when the Knights blocked them, but now they looked like scared puppies.
No, pigs.
A few orcs were badly injured, so Jin-woo was kind enough to treat them.

“Would you like to drink?”

“Oh, it’s an honor!”

Gallock took the glass with both hands.

“How is it?”

“I-it tastes good.
As expected, my Lord…”

“That’s Elf Liquor.”

“U-ugh.
I have sinned.”

When Gallock banged his head on the ground, the orcs followed him.

“Now, let’s get along with each other.”

“Of course! Those pig…no, the elves are now our siblings!”

The orcs seemed to understand it well.
It was hard to imagine them being friendly with the elves, but anyway, there would be no dispute now.

‘It will take quite some time to move them all.’

For now, all the earthworms and orcs were transferred in order.
Arina returned the gigantic earthworms to the form of small eggs.
Even so, it was enough to fill a single repository.

Jin-woo had returned to the Sanctuary.
Since the demonized area was Jin-woo’s territory, he was able to come and go freely.

“Master, I have taken care of everything.”

“How about the orcs?”

“I sent them to the outskirts ground.
It is a very prosperous land so that they will settle there.”

“That’s great.
Now all I have to do is to bring Angelica home.”

He was relieved.
The orcs had made many sacrifices, but they avoided extinction.
He even gave them a place to settle down, so he thought they would live well in the future.

He was thinking about going back right away, but Jin-woo stopped by the study for a while.

Yoo-na was standing by in the study.
Yoo-na was on the phone, but when she saw Jin-woo, it dropped from her hand.
She looked as if she had seen a ghost, with her eyes turned exceptionally red.

Jin-woo wondered what was going on.

“Young Master.”

“Umm?”

“I heard you died.”

“What? Me?”

Ah! He didn’t explain it!

Jin-woo was already dead.
It was a heroic end.