The More the Healer Gets Hit the Stronger He Become

48 – Struggle

In the stillness where not even a breath could be heard,

Without diverting his gaze from the orcs positioned in front, Kang Woo spoke.

“Formation check.”

Although everyone was too busy fleeing to notice,

The mountain path where the party members currently stood had transformed from a narrow path that would be filled even if one person walked to a width where five party members could stand without feeling cramped.

The distance to the orcs was a mere 10 meters.

Showing one’s back at this distance was akin to suicide.

There was no choice now. They had to fight.

Thus, Choi Tae-hyun, gripping his shield tightly with trembling legs, stood next to Kang Woo, and behind them, with not much time passing, the dealer Jin Park-seong and Jang Tae-han filled the last row, leaving Lee Jae-jun to complete the formation.

Kkuuu-

‘What is this?’

The Orc warriors surrounding them numbered fifteen.

He couldn’t hide his tension, and Kangwoo felt perplexed.

‘Why aren’t they attacking?’

The alternative name for orcs known in the modern world was like this:

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Bloodthirsty slaughterers.

Orcs who, upon discovering humans, mercilessly swung their weapons with their large hands, their bloodshot eyes gleaming. Even if the enemy’s sword pierced through their hearts, they wouldn’t bat an eye.

Mad berserkers who wouldn’t stop attacking until the enemy or themselves were dead.

That was precisely what orc warriors, spoken of by all Awakened Ones, were.

Therefore, despite being C-rank monsters, orc warriors were treated as B-rank among the Awakened Ones due to their formidable strength.

Knowing this well, the party members had desperately tried to avoid the fact that the owner of this mountain was an orc warrior.

However.

‘Something’s strange.’

Orc warriors, who should be burning with murderous intent towards humans, began conversing peacefully among themselves with calm expressions.

Kruaah! Kruaaah!

Krukk! Krukkruk!

‘What the heck?’

Now, they were even close to exchanging punches.

“Right now, it looks like those orcs are fighting each other in my eyes. Am I seeing things, my brothers?”

“….”

Kangwoo, who doubted his eyes, realized that his eyes were normal upon Jangtaehan’s words.

“What are they really?”

“Should I just go for it now?”

Lee Jaejun, who was behind, expressed ambitious desire.

As everyone’s mind was filled with the thought, ‘Should he really go for it?’

The fist of the orc warrior holding a morningstar struck the abdomen of the orc warrior holding a morningstar, who had a double-edged axe.

Kwaaang-!!

A thunderous noise, inconceivable as the clash of fist and body, echoed and spread.

The orc warrior holding the morningstar, with his body floating in the air, flew five meters and crashed into a tree.

“…Do they even know the word surrender?”

The tree trunk against which the orc warrior with the morningstar was impaled seemed to crumble as if it could collapse at any moment.

“Wow.”

The mind was in confusion.

‘Is this really a trial designed to be overcome…?’

There was simply no way to figure out how to survive this trial.

How could they, with their bare hands, defeat the monster that sent their fellow kin flying five meters?

‘If I activate the explosion skill while jumping…’

Even then, there was no assurance that they could escape.

Due to the semicircular formation, it was impossible to bring down all those orcs with just one explosion skill.

As soon as the explosion skill was activated, the orcs outside the explosion range would scream and attempt to charge at the location…

‘Using three explosion skills is out of the question.’

Not to mention arriving at the portal, their bodies would be torn apart right here and now.

When Kangwoo clenched his fists in frustration at the current situation where using everything at his disposal yielded no answers.

The orc warrior who emerged victorious in the rankings raised his hand and roared triumphantly.

Kraaa-!!

And in that moment.

Swoooooosh-

Misinterpreting that sound as a signal to attack, Lee Jaejoon fired his crossbow.

The target was the orc warrior with his raised hand.

“Gotcha!”

Even as he prepared the next arrow, Lee Jaejoon couldn’t contain his cheers.

This was because the orc warrior showed no sign of movement despite the arrow flying dangerously close to his face.

Just as everyone was convinced that the arrow would hit the orc warrior’s face.

Kraaa-!!

The orc warrior, who had swiftly lowered his right hand raised in victory, caught the arrow about to pierce his flesh in the blink of an eye.

“No, this can’t be…”

It wasn’t an ordinary arrow.

It was an arrow enhanced by Lee Jaejoon’s ability, ‘Path of the Wind,’ doubling its destructive power.

“To catch that with his hand so effortlessly!”

While Lee Jaejoon was still engulfed in shock, the orc warrior, grinning at the seemingly toy-like small arrow from his perspective, let out a triumphant roar.

Kraaa-!!

Facing the humans who attacked them, they expressed a chilling rage.

Kraaah!!

The orc warriors roared in response and slammed the ground together.

In the blink of an eye, their distance closed in.

“Lee Jaejoon! Snap out of it!!”

Jang Taehan’s thunderous voice was terrifying as it burst out.

Kwaaah-!!

Leading the pack, Kang Woo was the first to block the orc warriors’ attack.

“aaargh!!”

The effectiveness of the Guardian’s shield was unquestionable even against the ogre’s assault.

But enduring the relentless orc attacks with the shield’s durability was another matter.

“Insane-!!”

The hand gripping the shield trembled uncontrollably.

Raising his head to check, it was the orc warrior who had triumphed in the rank fight.

“aaargh-!!”

Kang Woo, staggering from the push, strained to block the orc’s punch with all his might. In that moment…

Kwaaah-

Accompanied by a collision sound from the side.

“aaargh!!”

Choi Taehyun, who had been guarding Kang Woo’s side, weakly flew through the air, departing from the formation.

“No-!”

The moment the vanguard disappeared, the party members crumbled in an instant.

“Dieee-!!”

The arrow that Jaejun shot, screaming, was nothing more than a warm sting to the orcs with tough leather.

The ‘paralyze’ frantically used by Sangcheol, who lost the tank, was of no significant help.

Kraaash-!!

Those who had paralyzed one orc now faced an overwhelming number of orc warriors attacking the party in its place.

“aaargh-!!”

Sangcheol, struck on the head by the fist of an orc approaching from the side, collapsed. Meanwhile, Jaehoon, losing his spear, was hit and crumpled by the mace thrown by an orc.

“Younger brother-! I’ll be there soon-!!”

Jangtaehan, who was trying to assist Gangwoo in dealing damage, had long been tied up by the orc that rushed up from behind.

Kwaaang-!

Barely two minutes into the battle, having lost three teammates in an instant, Gangwoo exploded in anger.

And in that moment.

“Ughhhhh!! Younger brother! Run- *cough*!”

Simultaneous with Jangtaehan’s exclamation.

Kwoong.

A heavy, dull sound echoed, as if something massive had collapsed.

“….”

Even without looking back, he could tell.

Jang Taehan had fallen.

“Damn-“

Blood vessels burst in Kang Woo’s eyes, turning them as red as featureless blood.

The voices of party members disappearing one by one.

The battle cries of the orc warrior echoing from various places, and the thick smell of blood wafting in right behind.

Beep beep beep beep beep-

As confusion filled his mind, simultaneously, a ringing sound echoed in his ears.

The brain screamed in response to stress levels beyond the acceptable limit.

Vision blurred, and the heart pounded wildly.

Beep beep beep beep beep-

“Ha…”

Kang Woo sighed.

How to survive this ordeal? A plan to remedy the situation?

While he, for the reason of ‘lack of certainty,’ did nothing like a fool.

Just now, four comrades who had been breathing until a moment ago lost their lives.

Incredibly and unbelievably empty.

“aaah-!!”

Within the dizzying view.

Beep beep beep-

The orcs attacking Suho’s shield and the orcs standing around him in anticipation were visible.

“Ah.”

Kangwoo, with empty eyes, slowly curled up his lips as he stared at the orcs.

“So, you’re still here.”

Wooooong-

The Ring of Calamity, Fernikies, resonated with its owner’s anger.

A gentle breeze swept around Kangwoo, causing his neatly styled hair to flutter in the air.

Wooooong-!!

Just as the unimaginable power surged into the Ring of Calamity, even Kangwoo himself couldn’t fully comprehend.

“…Huh?”

Feeling a sense of doubt from one of the passing scenes, Kangwoo quickly turned his head. And then…

“They…aren’t dead…?”

Orc warriors, who had gathered unconscious humans in one place, were looking at this place.

“Why…?”

Naturally, he thought they would have killed them. The monsters they had been facing were “bloodthirsty butchers” known as crazed orc warriors.

“What is this-“

His overwhelmed mind couldn’t comprehend the situation unfolding before his eyes. And in that moment…

“Oh no-!!”

The orc warrior who had been fighting Kangwoo firmly grasped Kangwoo’s shield, as he glanced elsewhere, leaving Kangwoo defenseless.

Pheoak-!!

He drove his fist into the temple of Kangwoo’s other arm.

“No-“

In the hazy field of vision.

The figure of the orc, wearing an expression as if displeased with himself, was the last thing Kangwoo saw.

Thud.

Kangwoo lost consciousness.

***

Kraaa- Kraaa-

Krrr! Krrr!!

The surroundings were noisy.

Kangwoo, his consciousness returning frighteningly, grabbed onto the throbbing temple.

‘Ah, why is my head like this-‘

Before he could continue his thoughts, scenes just before collapsing flashed through his mind like a panorama.

‘Crazy-!’

Realizing the situation, Kangwoo opened his eyes wide.

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There was no time to lie down like this. First, he needed to understand the situation.

“You’ve woken up.”

A plain voice reached Kangwoo’s ears as he urgently tried to get up.

“What…?”

The voice that reached my ears was very familiar.

As Kang Woo turned his gaze almost spellbound, he spotted Park Sung Cheol sitting there, looking relaxed and calm.

“What is this?”

My mind was in confusion.

Krraaah!!

Krrr!!

Could it be that the orc’s cries I’m hearing right now are actually just hallucinations?

Is that so?

We never actually encountered any orcs, and we successfully cleared the trial, didn’t we?

“….”

There’s no way that’s true-

“That’s not fair!!”

Kang Woo abruptly stood up.

And then, the orc’s gazes, frozen in motion as if they were lies, all turned towards Kang Woo at once.

Gulp.

“Did I shout for no reason…?”

A little regret lingered in the air.

At the same time, the orcs, who had turned their gazes simultaneously, continued with what they were originally doing, ignoring Kang Woo.

“What, what is this?”

Did I just get ignored by an orc… now?

Through the ears of the dazed Kang Woo, the clear voice of Park Sung Cheol could still be heard.

“Due to the shortage of potions, I couldn’t administer first aid to you, Kang Woo, who doesn’t seem to have any visible injuries… But seeing your energy, I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Potions…?”

Kang Woo glanced around and finally noticed Jang Tae Han, Lee Jae Jun, and Choi Tae Hyun lying behind Park Sung Cheol, each breathing heavily.

“Everyone…?”

“Yes, I healed the four of you with the potions I had.”

“Ah…”

Everyone is safe.

Relieved, Kang Woo weakly sat down.