Praise the Orc! Chapter 126-127

Chapter 126 – White Knight (1)

Ian disconnected.

It felt like he had been away on a long trip. It was very strange for him to transition from Crockta, the oversized orc warrior, back into Ian's slim body. He checked his watch and saw that it was still was early in the morning.

The adventures he had in Elder Lord went through his head.

A dream. No, it was all true.

Ian fell onto his bed with a smile. He was tired. He risked his life and wielded his greatsword on the bloody battlefield. He had ended the connection and came from such a harsh place to a tranquil house.

He hugged a blanket and closed his eyes as his body sank onto the bed. As he closed his eyes, the landscape of the desolate north stretched out again in the darkness.

The texture of the hair on Calmahart's head as Crockta's greatsword pierced his neck was clear. The orc warriors filling the plains. They fell to their knees. They acknowledged him as the great chieftain.

His greatsword.

It was everything. He saved the city and the north while holding Ogre Slayer that fit in his grasp. According to his will, the orcs abandoned their weapons, resulting in the end of the war.

The world of Elder Lord was so clear that all types of things were mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish reality. Compared to the old battlefields where good and evil couldn't be discerned, the struggles of Elder Lord were definitely worth fighting for.

His consciousness fell as he lay on the bed. He lost consciousness as he went into a deep sleep.

In the dream, he wasn't Ian but the orc Crockta. In it, he returned to Orcrox and was drinking with the orc warriors. The warrior's song was exciting.

***

He opened his eyes. A sound was heard outside. It was the sound of the television. Ian rubbed his eyes as he exited and saw Yiyu watching television on the couch.

She glanced at Ian and said, “It seems like it's been a long time since I've last seen Oppa."

“I see you everyday."

“You've been busy playing the game recently."

“That…I was."

Ian nodded.

It was still morning.  She only sent him a disgruntled expression and asked, "Do you want something to eat?"

"Yes."

“What?”

“I'll take care of it."

It might be because Yiyu was younger, but it was clear what her intentions were. Ian smiled and headed into the kitchen. When he returned to Korea, he had thought about setting up a restaurant before a cafe. He didn't cook well, but serving good food to others seemed like a good life.

The happiest time after finishing his assignments was washing up and then sharing delicious food with his companions, so he hoped that such a scene would become his routine. Of course, in the end, he chose to run the more casual and tranquil café. However, he regretted not going to a cooking school in those days.

“Huhu, I will take care of this…"

It was the sound of a confident chef. A chef's pride! A chef couldn't retreat here. Ian imagined the best food he could cook. Soon after, Ian received the fruits of his pride.

“Hello.”

"Yes. Here it is."

“This is the cash. Yes. Thank you. Work hard now."

"Yes. Please enjoy."

The chicken arrived. Of course, Yiyu felt admiration.

“Eating fried chicken in the morning?"

“Just eat."

The two of them ate the chicken side-by-side in the morning. Right now, it was summer. The morning sun shone through the window. Yiyu put a chicken leg straight into her mouth and suddenly said, "Oppa."

"Yes."

“I failed my test."

"Really?"

Ian glanced over at the television. He couldn't hear much because the sound was lowered, but it was a story about Elder Lord. This world was currently in the era of Elder Lord. Ian bit a piece of chicken and looked at Yiyu again.

“Aren't you mad?"

“Why should I be mad?"

“You should be angry that your little sister ruined her grades, despite paying for the expensive tuition!" She exclaimed while chewing on the lean meat.

Ian agreed. "I understand. Come to think of it, I am angry. For the time being, no more pocket money…"

"Wait a minute." Yiyu hurriedly shook her head as she said, "No, I don't think there is a need for Oppa to be angry. Yes. Don't think about my grades."

“I’m going to get angry.”

"Don't be angry!"

“The one who farted is angry…"

“I didn't fart."

Ian smiled at Yiyu. Within a short period of time, Yiyu held her bloated belly and leaned back against the couch. “What happens if I can't get a job due to my grades?"

“Work in the café."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"You already have Yeori unni."

“I thought you liked Yeori."

“Yes, but she is the real manager. It might be uncomfortable if the Boss' sister gets in through connections. Right now, there are enough employees."

“Then I'll give you a new café."

“Wow." Yiyu narrowed her eyes. “Do you have a lot of money?"

Ian was watching the television while listening to her.

It was about the rankings in Elder Lord. Recently, the rankings in Elder Lord had changed rapidly. New strong players appeared and existing rankers fell. At the heart of the rankings were three users.

The master of the Heaven and Earth, Korea's highest ranking clan, 'Rommel', Choi Hansung. The one who used his experience in past online classic games to break through dungeons, 'Pathfinder' Gunnar.

And someone else.

“Is Oppa listening to me?"

“C-Cough…"

“Uh, are you okay? Do you want some coke?"

A mysterious user who didn't reveal any information. For convenience, users gave him the nickname of Mystery. The only thing public was his level and achievement points.

In Elder Lord, ranks were determined by achievement points. Choi Hansung was ranked No.1 while Gunnar was No.2. Choi Hansung accomplished untouchable achievements through war while Gunnar was recognized as the best adventurer on the continent by NPCs for his work in dungeons.

However, the level was different. The No.3 Mystery was level 117. It was the highest level so far. It was an overwhelming number, considering that Choi Hansung was level 95 while Gunnar was level 92.

Achievement points were combined with other things to calculate the level, and this was the highest level in Elder Lord. Fearsome skill levels! The class was unknown, but if it was a combat class, this person would be the strongest when it came to fighting.

And that person called Mystery. It was Ian. After killing Calmahart and placating the north, he had reached 117 in level. His achievement points were  the same.

Ian looked away from the television towards Yiyu. She was tilting her head with a dark expression.

“Anyway, because of the test…"

"It will be okay." Ian shook his head and said. “Just learn good management. If you can't get a job then I'll give you a store, so just learn how to run it well."

The last ranker's settlement money was a huge number. In addition, the ranker's settlement increased exponentially the closer to the top a user was. The figure this time would probably be more than he could imagine. It felt like he had gone back to the days when he risked his life on the battlefield to earn some money.

“Hrmm…” Yiyu narrowed her eyes. "I think you have some money,  Oppa."

“Yes, the situation is like this, so please don’t worry."

“Uhh…Oppa, I must've done something good in my past life." She smiled and said, “I can live a really cheeky life because I have Oppa."

It was a bright face that resembled his mother's. No, his father.

In his memory, he recalled Yiyu's childhood face as she kept on crying. She couldn't accept their parents' death so she kept crying at the funeral home. She then cried when she was separated from Ian and left with their relatives.

His father's words were still clear in his mind,

'Mother and Father are busy, so you have to protect your little sister.'

'A brother and sister should have a closer relationship with each other than with their parents. You have to depend on each other until you die. It is the deepest family connection. So…'

'You must protect Yiyu.'

'I believe in you.'

Yes, it was his mission.

Ian smiled as he looked at Yiyu.

“So be good to me."

“Am I not being good to you right now?"

“Very."

***

"Umm…"

Ji Hayeon frowned.

As a favor to Ian, she was investigating Elder Lord. But it was an unknown territory that she couldn't reach. Everything was confidential. Ji Eunchul, her father, and several key figures in Elder Saga Corporation were able to view the information.

However, there was something she could see. The man called Yoo Jaehan. The father of Elder Lord. He made everything. The core system called Albino was his work. But he disappeared at some point. He might've died, or maybe he was a madman, floating around the world somewhere. Since the launch of Elder Lord, no one had seen him.

There was also a researcher named Park Jujin, but his location and the research institute that contained Albino was unknown.

“At this point, I am curious as well." 

The secretary who always followed her shrugged and said, “There must be a reason for the chairman not letting you know. What will you do now?"

"I'm curious."

“It is just a game."

“But this game is sweeping the world."

The whole world was linked to Elder Lord. The developed and not so developed countries, everybody who could afford the access capsules was within Elder Lord. What if there was a conspiracy involving it? The world was under its influence.

"Here, this is the last one." The secretary handed Ji Hayeon some documents. It wasn't that thick. However, the title and author were strange. It was a thesis.

"What is this?"

"I'm not sure. It doesn't belong to Yoo Jaehan but the man who was with him. It was one of the things Yoo Jaehan left behind in his office, so it seemed useless."

She roughly scanned it. There were all types of formulas and terms that she couldn't understand, so she closed it immediately. Then she looked at the secretary for an explanation, who shrugged and said, “The assistant who followed Yoo Jaehan around. A disciple? Well, he was the one who wrote this."

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. The title and author are here."

She saw it. It was the first time she properly saw the author's name.

"A foreigner?"

"Yes."

Gordon Calamity. It wasn't a famous name.

“Where is this person right now?"

“Missing.”

"Huh?"

“This man disappeared before Yoo Jaehan. Nobody knows where that person is."

“He is odd just like Yoo Jaehan." Ji Hayeon shrugged. “Anyway, please continue to investigate. This is a top priority."

“I understand."

"In particular, contact me if you find Yoo Jaehan. There seems to be something about Elder Lord."

"Yes."

The secretary bowed and left the room.

Ji Hayeon once again looked at the papers. It was still unknown. She was unable to understand her interest in this. Who would write such a thesis? She couldn't understand the contents, but she could see that he really wanted to send a message to people. It was a subject of science that nobody cared about these days.

So why did he follow someone like Yoo Jaehan?

"Can entropy be reversed? I don't know."

***

Baek Hanho frowned. He had been preparing carefully. He looked forward to the upcoming war.

–The orc Crockta, who once surprised the users, is back!

–Yes. Everyone was surprised by the sudden system messages. Orc Warrior Crockta is said to have ended the war by defeating the mad chieftain, Calmahart. It is almost certainly the righteous orc, Crockta. The last place where Crockta was heading was the north.

–The members of Crockta's fan club 'He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy' are increasing again. Not only that, the members of 'Rehabilitation Brothers', who were inspired by Crockta, are celebrating this news.

–Will he return to the continent?

–Let's see. I don’t know. NPCs' minds are known only to NPCs. However, it is my personal hope that the orc once again spreads the message of hope to people in Elder Lord.

–Ah, is Yoojung a member of He's an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy?

–Hahaha. Not yet, but I want to join!

However, that guy called Crockta prevented it. Before Baek Hanho could even start!

"Euh…"

Baek Hanho sat in the manager's office and roughly turned off the television before leaving his office. The gym staff members bowed to him. He raised his head and stood in front of a sandbag. The employees were troubled by Baek Hanho's anger. Baek Hanho punched the sandbag, which flew into the air.

"That Crockta…!"

He wanted to beat that Calmahart with his power, but someone had already done it. Moreover, he didn't like the title of Righteous Orc. Because…

“I have to meet him in person once!"

The title of 'justice' belonged to him in Elder Lord, Baek Hanho, also known as, 'White Knight Andre'!

Praise the Orc: 

Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.

Chapter 127 – White Knight (2)

Baek Hanho stopped punching the sandbag and pointed out the attitude of the members as he circled the gym. Due to his sensitive temper today, if he corrected a posture and they didn't do it well, he would demonstrate it himself.

"……"

A female member watched with fear as Baek Hanho approached her.

'Baek Hanho's gym was a gathering place for men who had strength in the neighborhood and wanted to do some fighting. All of them were rugged and rough looking men. Such men had fallen at Baek Hanho's gentle hand.

She was just an ordinary person who had a house nearby and wanted to become healthy. She laughed awkwardly when Baek Hanho stood in front of her.

"Hahaha… Manager-nim."

“Have you practiced what I taught you before? Let me see it once. One two!"

"Uh…"

She closed her eyes. Then she extended her fist awkwardly.

Hwiik. Hwiik.

“One two, one two!"

"Aih!"

“Double this time!"

"Uhh."

“Two one two one!"

Hwik hwik. Hwik! Hwik hwik hwik.

She flailed around. The previous men had fallen down right away. But for some reason, Baek Hanho was nodding.

“Good.”

"……?"

“You have been here for three months?"

"Four months…"

"Hahaha. That is very good. Exercising is good."

"……"

She couldn't help nodding dumbly because she had just witnessed a one-month member collapse from a low kick 1cm under the waist.

“But keep this in mind. Our physical body is a weapon. Martial arts is murder."

"Huh?"

“If possible, especially if you are a woman, try to resolve the situation without fighting." Baek Hanho gazed at a distant place and said. “It is a knight's mission to protect ladies but this world…"

She forced a smile as Baek Hanho started talking nonsense.

“Knights have disappeared in modern times…"

Someone should tell him. But he was already in his own world. There was no one in this gym who could stop him.

At that moment. “What are you doing?”

"……"

It was Ian. Ian stood behind Baek Hanho. He looked at Baek Hanho with questioning eyes.

"Hum hum, you came."

"Why are you speaking strange words all of a sudden?"

“What type of strange things was I saying?"

“Play games a bit more moderately."

“Who are you to say…"

Ian and Baek Hanho started to walk towards the manager's office while talking.

The female member stared blankly after them. After being left alone, the female member punched the sandbag and thought about Baek Hanho's words. Their bodies were a weapon. Martial arts was murder. And 'ladies.'

She laughed.

“How old-fashioned."

Then she quietly stared into the air. Her hands were making strange gestures.

"Magic is to save people."

In Elder Lord, she was a magician.

***

“What have you been doing? Yeori is worried about you."

Ian's eyes narrowed. “Yeori?"

“Yes, Yeori."

“When did you talk to Yeori?"

“A little while ago.” As Ian stared at him, Baek Hanho shrugged and shook his head. “Oh, she showed interest because I am the one who taught you, but that is it. So don't glare at me like that."

“It is hard to believe when looking at you. Aren't you playing as a knight too much in the game?"

“This kid, insulting your teacher. In the old days, this would be punished."

Ian laughed. “What…if you are capable…"

Ian and Baek Hanho's eyes clashed again. Sparks were flying from both pairs of eyes. It felt like they would head back to the ring again, but the two of them shook their heads and leaned back.

“I guess I'm too tired…"

"I did say…"

Ian wanted to take a break for a while after fighting Calmahart. While the capsule allowed him to control his character without moving a muscle, he was still mentally exhausted. Baek Hanho was also tired from his activities in Elder Lord so he didn't want to bother with Ian.

They just leaned back in their chairs. Baek Hanho sighed and asked.

"What species are you?"

"It's a secret."

“Class?”

"Secret."

"This guy."

“What about Teacher? Are you a knight?"

“Will you tell me if I tell you?"

"No."

“Phew, I brought up my disciple wrongly."

“It is because of Teacher that your disciple grew up like this."

"Well…your words aren't wrong." Baek Hanho laughed as he leaned back in his chair. "Ian."

"Yes."

“These days, this guy has been running wild."

Baek Hanho raised a hand and a video appeared on the television screen that occupied a wall of the manager's office. Ian flinched. It was Crockta.

"……"

To other people, Crockta looked really hideous. A heinous face, a fearsome body that was covered in tattoos, a hand that held the ignorantly large greatsword, regardless of fatigue. Just looking at his appearance, he seemed like a villain.

"I don't like him."

"W-Why?"

“I was trying to catch the enemy called Calmahart, but this guy finished it before I could even start."

Baek Hanho changed the screen. This time, it was the best video site in the world, Youvids. The main screen of Youvids was filled with Crockta. After the news of Calmahart's defeat had spread, the value of Righteous Orc Crockta rose again, meaning videos of Laney and other users who filmed him were constantly rising.

The number of views had already reached the peak. Video's of Choi Hansung's war had been pushed to the next level by Crockta.

“I will catch this guy!" Baek Hanho cried out.

Ian stilled. 

"What, are you scared?"

"…No."

Baek Hanho nodded.  "I know. He is a frightening guy. No matter how strong he is, he is still a monster in the game! He has ridiculous strength and physical abilities."

Crockta's battle footage.

Chesswood. Ian's mind sank into the memories of that time. Innocent people had died. They weren't NPCs. Those who actually existed were killed by users connected to Elder Lord. Due to the 'cognitive modification' power of the god, others couldn't even understand this possibility.

"Look. That beast-like movement." It was a scene where Crockta pierced through spears and swords, killing them all. He jumped into the middle of enemy territory. The users started to run away. Crockta chased and stabbed his sword in their backs.

“The amazing thing is the speed of development."

This time, it was a video of the past. Three players were confronting an orc. It was the user hunters he bumped into at Anail. They wanted to kill Crockta but he took the lives of the enemies in a flash.

“The boldness and determination are amazing. This person knows how to fight properly."

It was a compliment from Baek Hanho but Ian felt strangely anxious.

Ian asked. “So?”

“I have to catch this guy."

"…Why?"

"I don't like him."

Ian looked at Baek Hanho's expression. He was sincere. That expression, he was going to swing his sword as soon as Crockta returned to the continent.

Ian calmly said. “Hold on. Crockta is strong, righteous and popular. He even has a fan club."

"Fan club? I am one too."

"Huh?"

“Huhuhu, do you want to know?"

"Don't lie."

“This guy…really. Of course, I won't tell you. You can just wonder."

"……"

Baek Hanho changed the screen again. As he did so, he unwittingly opened the menu of his favorite Youvids videos.

“……!”

Baek Hanho hurriedly turned it off and looked to see if Ian had seen his favorites menu. Fortunately, Ian was checking his phone.

“What are you looking at?"

“Nothing.”

Baek Hanho coughed.

“I have to go now. I need to show my face at the cafe."

"Yes. Don't just let other people do the work. Unearned income makes people sick."

In fact, the gym was mostly run under Baek Hanho's supervision. Ian shook his head.

“Take care."

“You too."

Ian left Baek Hanho's gym. Then he headed towards Cafe Reason.

***

He didn't come empty-handed. He stopped by the bakery and bought a few things.

After arriving at Cafe Reason, Han Yeori grumbled and gave some to Yoo Sooyeon, who was arranging a few minor things on the counter. There were customers.

Ian opened his phone while sipping a latte that he made. He entered a search term.

'White Knight Andre.'

Ian had briefly seen Baek Hanho's favorites list. Baek Hanho's favorites were filled with videos of a user called White Knight Andre. Immediately after confirming it, he pretended to be doing something else.

If he knew his enemy, he could win. Baek Hanho would surely come to him. It would be in the world of Elder Lord.

The first kill! He would do it.

The name 'White Knight Andre' was well-known.

“Uh, Boss-nim knows about Andre?" Han Yeori approached and sat down next to him.

"You know him?"

“I know. He is really cool."

"…Cool?"

"Yes."

Ian looked at the video playing with questionable eyes and Han Yeori said. “I don't play the game but I've seen videos of this person."

Then Ian almost spat out his coffee at the close-up appearance of the character.

Dazzling blonde hair. Clear blue eyes. A straight nose, white skin with no wrinkles and soft pink lips. Silver plated armor covered the entire body. It was the appearance of a medieval young knight. How much work could be done to customize his appearance to such an extent?

Furthermore, he was riding on a beautiful white horse with a flowing mane.

"Isn't he cool?"

"Um…" Ian nodded.

In the video, Baek Hanho, no White Knight Andre was speaking.

“Diabolical ones who wield a sword against a lady."

He got down from his horse. He rubbed the forehead of the white horse, as if telling it to wait a moment, before raising his sword towards the enemies in front of him. It was a well-worn longsword.

"I am Knight Andre, and I will let you know what justice is."

Then he rushed towards the enemies in front of him. The opponents were bandits equipped with axes and swords. They swung their weapons. They were confused at first by Andre's splendor but gained confidence due to their belief in their numerical superiority.

However, that only lasted for a short moment. Andre's sleek swordsmanship stopped their breaths. There was no gory battle with blood and flesh. One pierce that gracefully penetrated the enemy's weak points. Fluid techniques.

All the enemies were destroyed. White Knight Andre turned softly. The female NPC, who had been threatened by the bandits, stared at him blankly. Andre approached and grabbed her hand. Then he kissed the back of her hand and winked softly.

“Lady. I took care of the opponents. Please rest assured."

A sweet smile! Then the video faded out.

Han Yeori poked Ian's side. "So cool. He is a real Prince Charming. Isn’t that right? Boss-nim?"

However, Ian knew the reality so he couldn't nod. Han Yeori giggled and went back to the counter. Ian wanted to erase his memories, no he wanted to clean his eyes and forget he ever saw this video.

Ian read the comments. At first, there were compliments.

└ Milky Andre: I’m Andre's fan! ^^ Continue the video! Have strength Andre!

└ Fatal White Knight:  >ㅅ<
I want to see Andre every day… Where is it? The answer to my problems…Andre's pink lips…Chu…

└ White Cacao: The background is Hesse Mountain! I will also kiss…"

└ Jung Min's Mother: Andre,,,, a wonderful young man,,, ~^^

Please continue to do justice ,,~~~~!ㅎㅎㅎ

└ Yiyu's Mother: I am the same as well,,,~^^ our children are good,,,ㅎㅎ

However, the comments gradually changed.

└ Shochu is Tasty: Damn,,,,this labor,,,,to me,,,I'm not going to apologize,,,look at the eyes,,,a handsome man pretending to be good,,,~! Don't tremble,,,reveal your nature,,, kyack,,,spit! Justice?Crockta is the best ~

└ Mt. Seolack Falcon: Aigoo,,,Hyung-nim,,,this comment,,, ㅎㅎ,, mountaineering club…why don't you come…Hyung-nim…lonely.

└ Shochu is Tasty: Damn,,, I'm busy,,,kaack,, never,,, return,,, you should,,, live well~~~

└ Altruism with Long Hair: ㅡㅡPretending to be good to get women~ don't talk to men like that ㅡㅡ don't tremble ㅡㅡ

└ Going to be an Orc: This person is the definition of justice? Crockta is the definition of justice. I promise that he will be hit by Crockta.

└ Orc King: ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ When he meets Crockta  ㅋㅋㅋㅋ take a video and upload it ㅂㅅㅋㅋㅋ

└ Bul'tar Crockta: ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ Crockta will twist him up ㅋㅋㅋ A real man vs. a rural village gangster.

└ Xylitol One Shot: Are you talking about the definition of justice again? Where did this come from? Did Andre save a village like Crockta? Did he create a storm before leaving. What did he do except act good in front of women? ㅉㅉ

└ Barking Dog: Bark bark! Bark bark bark! Grrrr bark!

└ Moderation: How irritating… When I see a video of Crockta, I get a thrill… My hands and feet…

└ Philosopher: This friend is only brilliant when he is catching weak opponents. I miss Crockta.

Ian shook his head.

"……" His shoulders started to shake. "…Kuk…Cough…"

Ian's shoulders moved up and down as he couldn't help laughing.

"Puhuhu…puhuhuhuhut…!"

Sometimes the standards of the world were so different from his.

But. This wasn't so different from his viewpoint.

"Ah. That's right. Crockta is the definition of justice. It is in the eyes of the beholder."

Gradually, the comments increased and it became 'Crockta vs. Andre.' Andre's fans and his anti-fans engaged in a keyboard battle. In particular, Andre had recently said he wanted to fight Crockta so this remarks became more intense.

The two characters of justice. The women who had a crush on White Knight Andre! The men who supported Orc Warrior Crockta!

Han Yeori sighed as she watched Ian laughing.

"Why is he coming like that more and more…"

Praise the Orc: 

Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.

Chapter end