[ Chapter 111 ]


    Ti, unfortunately, had been defeated.


    It wasn’t due to ack of skill on her part. In the beginning, Ti had matched the orc warrior blow for blow, demonstrating her exceptional prowess. The problem began when the orc warrior started using a Spirits Weapon.


    The opponent Ti faced wielded a massive hammer. His strategy involved pressuring his opponent with martial arts and then delivering a lethal strike with the hammer whenever he found an opening.


    When the orc warrior began to draw out the spirit within the hammer, the situation changed. The hammer, moving on its own,bined with the orc’s unarmed martial arts, overwhelmed Ti.


    While Siris possessed the technical skills to handle attacks from multiple directions, Ti’s strategy, which relied on overpowering her opponent before they could utilize their techniques, was less effective.


    Moreover, the current Ritual of Hotu was not a life-or-death battle but a duel to test their skills, which put Ti at a disadvantage.


    Ti was the “only” warrior of the Steel Hammer n, meaning she had always trained alone without peers to spar with.


    After meeting Repenhardt, Ti had numerous bouts with Siris and fought other dwarf warriors in the Grand Forge, bing more ustomed to fighting others. However, she still hadn’t mastered controlling her attacks perfectly.


    Simply put, she couldn’t swing her axe with full power for fear of killing her opponent. Siris, with over fifty years of experience against various foes, could stop her sword right at the vital point, but Ti, whose strength far exceeded her skill, could not replicate such a feat.


    Thus, Ti had to swing her axe with only about half her strength, always ready to halt her attack. She couldn’t even use the power of Earth Resonance. There was no point in multiplying her power tenfold if she couldn’t control it. Besides, she couldn’t risk splitting her opponent in two when the goal was to foster camaraderie.


    In truth, the orcs would have celebrated even if one of their kin was split in half, as long as it was the result of a “fair” duel. That’s just the kind of people they were.


    But Ti didn’t know that, and even if she did, it wasn’t in her nature to act that way. In the end, she had to concede defeat.


    “I… lost…”


    The orc warrior, having put away his hammer, let out a victorious roar. Sta raised her hand, dering the Blue Bear Tribe’s victory. She then looked at the dejected Ti and gave her a gentle smile.


    “Dwarf woman, you are an exceptional warrior, but you are not yetplete. Holding back your full strength is an insult to your opponent, though I understand that was not your intention.”


    Sta, with her keen insight, had already seen through why Ti had not fought with all her might. She continued in a stern voice, as if scolding her.


    “This is not a fight to the death, so it was wise of you to gauge your skills and only use what you could handle. That is the mark of a true warrior. However, dwarf woman, it seems youck the discernment to urately judge your opponent’s abilities. Even if you had used your full strength, the warriors of the Blue Bear Tribe would have been able to handle it. This shows ack of insight on your part, which you must work to improve.”


    At Sta’s solemn words, Ti lowered her head in silence. She then trudged back to herpanions and asked,


    “…What did she say?”


    Repenhardt couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. Sta had indeed given some wise advice, but the problem was she had done so in Orcish. How could Ti possibly understand?


    Repenhardt gave a rough summary.


    “She said it’s good that you understood your limits, but you didn’t need to.”


    “…What?”


    It seemed he had summarized too much. Ti tilted her head in confusion. But Repenhardt, toozy to exin further, simply waved his hand dismissively.


    “Well, anyway, you got recognition, so it’s fine.”


    Despite her defeat, Ti’s powerful strikes had left a deep impression on the orc warriors. They all acknowledged her as an excellent and trustworthy warrior and cheered for her.


    Repenhardt patted Russ on the back, pushing him forward.


    “Now, it’s your turn. Don’t go overboard.”


    “Yes, yes.”


    Nodding, Russ stepped into the clearing. Drawing his sword, he shouted in a hearty voice,


    “I am Cyrus von Tenes, inheritor of the Tenes sword! I stand here to prove the worth of a warrior!”


    Russ’s chivalrous demeanor earned cheers from the orcs, while Repenhardt’s group couldn’t help but cringe at his grandiosity. Even Sta, being an orc herself, seemed to appreciate Russ’s attitude, showing a favorable expression.


    As before, Sta scrutinized Russ to gauge his abilities and select a suitable opponent. Orc warriors eagerly awaited her choice, craning their necks in anticipation. Suddenly, Sta’s expression hardened.


    Gazing at Russ, she let out an exmation of admiration.


    “Karuga!”


    It was an orcish word meaning warrior. Suddenly, Sta extended her left hand to the side. The orc warriors, who had been about to charge forward, flinched and looked at their matriarch. They were all surprised.


    Sta, who was always calm, had eyes that gleamed red. Her eyes were filled with excitement, anticipating the battle.


    “I will face this one myself!”


    Stepping forward, Sta burst intoughter. The orc warriors murmured in confusion.


    “What?”


    “Why would the matriarch fight directly?”


    Sta pulled back her hood and revealed her face, smiling like a beast.


    “This one is Karuga, a warrior! Blessed by the great spirit Debata!”


    A warrior blessed by the spirit, Karuga.


    This was an orc-specific expression referring to a warrior who had awakened their aura.


    Orcs who reached the level of drawing out the spirit of their weapon were called warriors. Among these warriors, those who awakened their aura were called Karuga, reigning above other warriors.


    In ancient times, there was a position called Taikaruga, a grand warrior who ruled the entire orc tribe with the recognition of all warriors. However, in the current era, where most tribes barely survived in remote areas, this was a legendary tale. Thus, the title of Karuga was the highest honor for the greatest warrior among orcs in this era.


    Sta Langar Beta.


    She was one of the only two orcs in the Blue Bear Tribe who held the title of Karuga. She was the strongest warrior, receiving the respect and reverence of all orcs.


    For her to now call a human a Karuga? The orc warriors began to murmur, looking at Russ with eyes filled with awe.


    “Karuga!”


    “Karuga Klta Chaser!”


    Although Russ couldn’t understand the orcishnguage, he could sense from the atmosphere that the orcs were showing him considerable respect. He smirked wryly. He knew he wasn’t particrly humble…


    ‘If they’re this surprised by me, what will they do when they see hyung?’


    Sta, having removed her hood, walked out into the open space. Seeing her face, Russ was momentarily taken aback.


    ‘Wait, she’s a woman?’


    The intimidation she exuded had made Russ assume she was a man. Although he acknowledged the skills of women like Siris and Ti, as a knight, he couldn’t entirely shake off the notion that women were weaker beings needing protection.


    ‘Do I have to draw my sword against a woman?’


    Feeling awkward, Russ reluctantly drew his sword. As he did, Sta, who had approached closer, threw off her cloak!


    Whirl!


    Sta’s entire body was vividly exposed under the sun of the wilderness. And Russ was momentarily thrown into confusion.


    ‘…A woman?’


    Something seemed off.


    No, she was definitely a woman, but… those burly biceps, triceps, and thigh muscles were truly unsettling. No, typically, body fat should be evenly distributed, but how could that orc woman have such a prominent six-pack and still maintain such a full chest? Was it a characteristic of the orc race? He nced at the other orcs, but seeing some of the warriors with rtively smooth bellies, it didn’t seem to be a universal trait.


    As Russ stood there in disbelief, Sta drew her cherished weapons.


    Her weapons were two daggers, about 40 centimeters long each. Most orcs believed that “the bigger the weapon, the more beautiful it is,” but she uniquely favored short weapons.


    Gripping her two daggers and assuming a stance, Sta shouted in themon tongue.


    “Mother of the Blue Bear Tribe, warrior Sta! I challenge you!”


    * * *


    Wooong!


    With a loud noise, Russ’s longsword was enveloped in a blue light. The purest light of destruction, de Aura, shone brilliantly over the wilderness ground.


    Sta’s dual daggers also emitted de Aura. The bluish-purple aura wrapped around the des, glowing dazzlingly.


    Wooong! Wooong!


    The fighting spirit red up, heating the air between Russ and Sta. The flow of energy tore through the air, creating a faint noise. Russ’s gaze became intense. They just assumed their stances and red at each other…


    ‘Strong!’


    The aura emanating from Sta was astonishing. The terrifying energy silently ensnared his entire body. It was as if he was submerged in icy water, his whole body constantly sounding a danger rm. The thoughts of her being a woman or an orc were no longer in his mind.


    The orc woman before him was the first formidable opponent he had encountered since Repenhardt! Her presence was even more formidable than the Dwarven Aura users of the Grand Forge!


    ‘I can’t be outdone in momentum!’


    The tip of Russ’s sword trembled slightly. Sta’s dual daggers quivered minutely.


    “Taaaah!”


    With a prolonged shout, Russ took the initiative. He closed the 4-meter distance and swung his sword long. The blue aura extended like a whip,shing at Sta’s legs.


    “Haha!”


    With a burst ofughter, Sta kicked off the ground.


    Boom!


    A thunderous sound erupted as dust exploded from the spot she had kicked. Using her tremendous leg strength, Sta flew straight towards Russ.


    The two daggers, imbued with bluish-purple aura, darted around Russ’s field of vision, creating a chaotic disy. Withplex trajectories, Sta relentlessly stabbed at Russ’s vital points. Instead of counterattacking, Russ twisted his body to avoid fatal wounds and thrust his sword at Sta’s chest. Rather than parrying each attack, he opted to deliver a decisive strike, forcing her to retreat. It was an embodiment of the principle that the best defense is a good offense.


    “Oh? You’re clever!”


    Ignoring the iing attacks to counterstrike instead was something only a seasoned warrior could pull off. Impressed, Sta quickly retracted her attack and crossed her daggers to guard her chest. The blue de Aura shed with the two streams of bluish-purple aura, creating a powerful shockwave in the air.


    Zzeong!


    The thunderous sound of the collision spread the shockwave in all directions, tearing up the ground and heating the air. des shed repeatedly, sending out continuous ripples. The intense remnants of destruction fervently plowed the unfortunate wilderness ground.


    “Taaah!”


    “Krararara!”


    Sta and Russ exchanged dozens of fierce strikes. In terms of skill and aura, Sta was clearly superior. However, Russ, whose talent was unparalleled under the heavens, covered hisck of experience and skill purely with instinct. Amazingly, he managed to hold his own against Sta, maintaining a stalemate.


    Sta’s face gradually showed more admiration.


    ‘How interesting. How does he manage such attacks?’


    Russ’s sword was truly tricky to deal with. He would turn his back, only for his sword to suddenlye from the left. A downward sh would feel like it was striking from the side.


    It was the “Russ’s signature free-form attack.” His unpredictable swordy, unbound by martial theory, continuously struck from unexpected angles, keeping Sta on the defensive while preventing her fromnding a decisive blow.


    Nheless, it was an exhrating fight. Since receiving the Blessing of the Fighting Spirit, this was the first time she had encountered an opponent who gave her such a thrill. Excited, Sta opened her mouth to praise Russ.


    “Your talent is amazing, young one! But you stillck experience!”


    Only after speaking did she remember that her opponent didn’t understand Orcish. Sta dodged an attack and shouted again in themon tongue.


    “You are good! But I am old!”


    Saying it out loud, she realized it didn’te out quite right. She sighed inwardly.


    ‘Ugh, that’s not what I meant to say.’


    There was nothing she could do. No matter how wise Sta was, she was still an orc. Despite having thenguage of sages in her mind, her orcish tongue and vocal cords could only produce simplemon speech.


    “What are you talking about?”


    As expected, Russ was bewildered. Smiling wryly, Sta continued.


    “It’s apliment!”


    “…?”


    “Forget it! Let’s just fight!”