Chapter 140 – Papillon (2)
Crockta sat on the bed. The steel bars were so tightly packed together that it was difficult for Crockta to bend them enough for his body to pass through. If so, he needed to try another place. He looked at the walls. The rough surface looked hard, but it might be deceptive. Maybe this wall consisted of easily broken rocks, just like in the movies.
“Let’s see…”
Crockta touched his chin. His escape strategy was simple. In the moment before they executed him, or the moment they came into the prison to do something to him, he would defeat them with his skills.
Crockta didn’t feel like the situation was very urgent as he didn’t think he would be killed. But he was bored staying still. If he was imprisoned, he was tempted to try all methods of escape before eventually gaining his freedom.
“I don’t have anything good.”
There was only the bed in the prison. This didn’t seem to be a long-term detention center as there was not even a toilet. Crockta got up and looked at the legs of the bed. He could use those. Crockta broke one of the four legs of the bed.
Crunch!
The orc’s large hand grasped it and twisted, breaking the wooden leg. A sharp piece of wood emerged from the broken off section. Crockta used it to scratch at the wall.
Kikikikik.
Kkikikik.
“……”
There was no change. The finish on the walls was poor but it was still concrete. His physical means were gone. The resources in the environment couldn’t help him. Therefore, he needed to use human-assisted psychological escape.
Crockta approached the steel bars and looked outside. The people had gone away, but they left one guard here. Crockta called out, “Hey.”
There was no answer. Crockta spoke again, “Hey…”
This time, he spoke in a powerless and weary voice. He staged a little bit of fear.
“Is there nobody…”
There was the feeling of someone jumping in the distance. The guard seemed to struggle for a moment before walking to the prison where Crockta was. Crockta sat down on the bed.
“What is going on?”
A star on his forehead. Shabby attire. Weak atmosphere. It was an ordinary user with a low position in the Heaven and Earth Clan. His back was straight since he was nervous about confronting the famous orc warrior, Crockta. Crockta was slumped over in a pathetic manner, in order to meet his expectations.
“Excuse me..really…I’ll be executed…?”
Moist eyes! Who would’ve ever thought that he was the brutal orc warrior Crockta, the one who killed the great chieftain in the north and wiped out any opponents! The man’s face softened as he felt compassion for Crockta.
“That’s right.”
“I still have a lot of work left to do…there is also the situation with my gold and treasures…” Crockta muttered to himself.
His words caught the guard’s interest. The thought of gold and treasure always shook people’s hearts.
“Ahh…I…” Crockta made a distressed sound, making it seem like he was troubled. His method acting made the guard look at him like he was pathetic.
“…Hoo.” Crockta’s expression stiffened before getting up from the bed.
A fearsome pressure suddenly surrounded Crockta, causing the guard to step back. There weren’t many people who could endure Crockta’s killing intent. The guard felt his legs trembling. The moment that he was about to leave due to the sudden change,
Crockta called out, “People die anyway. There is no regret about the path I walked. However, it is shameful that I can’t pass on the orc’s secret sword of justice!”
They were the eyes of a man ready to die. Crockta looked at the guard. He stared blankly at Crockta. Crockta said in a loud voice, “I will soon die by the hands of your leader. I have taken many lives so it isn’t unjust.”
The image of a dignified person in front of death was always impressive.
“You are the last person I will meet! Although you aren’t an orc, I would like to teach you the orc’s secret technique.”
“……!”
The man’s eyes widened. Anyone who read martial arts novels would know what this was. A once in a lifetime chance!
Furthermore, the orc he was facing wasn’t just any orc. Anyone familiar with Elder Lord would know about the Righteous Orc Crockta, crushed of users and the one who killed the great chieftain before the giant quest could start. Wouldn’t it be strange if such an NPC was executed without an event?
The guard began to interpret the situation according to his own desires. That’s right. This was a type of special event or quest. The orc wanted to pass on everything before he was killed. It was natural for an artificial intelligence to be programmed to pass on their legacy before death.
What would be the legacy of a great warrior in the world of Elder Lord?
Today, an opportunity came to him.
“I…”
“Only!” Crockta struck the player. By setting conditions, it would let the guard know that this wasn’t easy. Humans coveted what was difficult. It might be difficult, but it was the right type of hardship that one could endure.
“You must make an oath to pass on this secret technique to another orc. This is a one-man martial art. You can never break this.”
The guard was already blinded by greedy so this type of condition didn’t matter. Rather, it just added fuel to his desires.
“Do you promise?”
“I do!”
“Then I will say my name. I am Crockta, your mentor.”
The guard started to paint an image of becoming a ranker, then driving a gorgeous supercar bought with the profits. Celebrities would want to meet him and everyone would look surprised at his name. He would become a top-notch player in this world, even better than Rommel, master of the Heaven and Earth Clan. He would have splendid parties in a nice house and hang around beautiful women. A sweet life that no one could ignore!
Now it was time to start a new life as ‘Ranker Lee Jungmin.’ He shouted, “Crockta! My name is Lee Jungmin!”
“A nice name. Bow to me and tell the heavens that I will be your master.”
“Yes!”
Crockta looked at Lee Jungmin bowing. It was a ritual common in martial arts novels so he didn’t suspect anything. Greed always clouded people’s eyes.
Lee Jungmin bowed nine times before breathing out roughly. “Heok, heok. It is done, Master.”
“Okay. Come up to me and bow. I will give you a blessing.”
“Yes!”
Now, the man had no doubts at all. The future of the Heaven and Earth Clan was dark if this was a guard.
Lee Jungmin bowed his head. “Please take care of me, Master!”
“Okay. Come closer.”
“T-This is as close as possible…”
If Lee Jungmin moved any further, his head would hit the iron bars. Crockta nodded.
“It is enough.”
He moved up close to the bars, stretched out a hand, and grabbed the guard’s neck.
“…Cough!”
Lee Jungmin struggled as he was raised in the air. Crockta laughed cruelly, “Stupid person! It is so easy to fool you! You have a walnut in your head, not a brain!”
“Y-You, l-lie….! Keok…!”
“You are the one who was deceived. Anyway, life is a stage for liars so you should always stay calm and keep an eye on the truth. Stupid guy!”
Lee Jungmin’s consciousness gradually faded away. “T-Treating me like this…you will regret…”
“Hoh?” Crockta twisted Lee Jungmin’s neck more brutally. “How will I regret it?”
“Keok…keok…hoo…hal…”
Lee Jungmin completely collapsed. Crockta grabbed the bunch of keys hanging from his waist and threw the body roughly on the ground. The body started turning into white particles. The dead were silent.
“Huhu, regret it elsewhere.”
Crockta admired his acting skills as he placed the key in the lock of the door. The door was opened. He escaped.
“Kuhahaha, kuhahahat! Who else can trap me?” He grinned as he looked at the last particles of Lee Jungmin. “Not Lee Jungmin.”
Lee Jungmin’s poor heart. He had been overwhelmed by all the dreams pushed in front of him. However, such hope also drove people to move towards the future. Crockta had used method acting to escape from this terrible prison. If he hadn’t tried to escape like this, he would’ve spent a few depressing hours trapped. It would’ve definitely been a horrible time.
Crockta opened his arms and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the freedom with his whole body as he muttered a line from a movie he loved.
“Hope is a good thing. The most precious thing. And good things will never disappear.”
He recalled Lee Jungmin’s final warning that he would regret this. Crockta laughed as he headed outside the prison. Then his feet twisted in a strange way and his nose struck the ground.
“Keook!”
Blood flowed down from his nose. He got up from the floor while pressing a hand against his pained nose. Crockta grabbed it and whined.
“It is strange.” There weren’t many instances where he lost his balance.
It happened when Crockta, who had been moving for a while, was walking through the outer passage of the prison.
“Kuak!”
A torch hanging on a wall suddenly fell and hit his foot. The fire was scattered. Crockta held one foot and jumped while putting out the fire, as his face twisted from the pain.
“What is this…?”
Crockta couldn’t see because he had shut his eyes in pain and slammed his head into the wall.
“Kuak!”
He fell down. Why were all these ridiculous things happening? A coincidence? Crockta, who was caught in a strange situation, closed his eyes and decided to breathe. He held down the pain and muttered an apology to Lee Jungmin.
“S-Sorry…”
Crockta slowly raised his body. As he continued walking, he saw a table with some items on it. His beloved Ogre Slayer was seen. Crockta placed it in the sheath on his back. Edgar had done something wrong, so Crockta didn’t feel ashamed at all, except for the poor guard who was killed by him.
“Good.”
Crockta started running along the corridor. Now there was nothing to stop him. Edgar pretended to be cool and rational, but it was time to squeeze the whiner out of him.
***
“What is this dot?” Tiyo asked.
They were watching Maillard.
Mailliard’s specialty was the ‘Coin Fountain’ in the main square. There was a saying that throwing a coin in here would cause a wish to come true, so the fountain sparkled with the shine of the coins thrown in by citizens and visitors. The gold coins were gathered and used to help the people at the temple.
There was a signpost in front of the Coin Fountain.
[This tradition was made by Orc Warrior Crockta. He captured three wicked people disturbing Maillard and said to them, ‘This isn’t just a fountain, but a means to help the poor.’ The three disciples went out and comforted citizens in the daily lives, helped those in trouble…(Omitted)]
“…This Crockta isn’t our Crockta right dot?”
“Aish, surely not. Our Crockta isn’t as nice as this Crockta.”
“I agree, kyahahat! I am better dot!”
“That’s right. It is just the same name. Hihit.”
They turned away after throwing a gold coin each. Then Tiyo asked Anor. “So that Crockta isn’t our Crockta either, right dot?”
“……”
A newsletter was being scattered all over the square. Citizens passing by just glanced at it.
These were the contents:
[The Heaven and Earth Clan’s execution of Crockta! We have captured Crockta. He will be executed in the plains outside Maillard. This is for all people who go against the Heaven and Earth Clan. Once the sun rises to its highest point, he will be executed.]
Anor was confused.
“I don’t think so? This Crockta is weaker than our Crockta. This Crockta got caught, hahaha. He wouldn’t be able to come back alive from Calmahart.”
“Kyahahat, that’s right. Our Crockta is someone who killed the great chieftain, so how can he be caught dot? It isn’t like he would be taken out while drinking. Kahahat! This Crockta is pathetic dot!”
“Crockta must be a common name.”
“I think so as well dot.”
Tiyo and Anor moved while laughing.