Orc Hero Story: Discovery Chronicles - Chapter 59.2

The neck. The neck that was cut with the first strike and still bleeding. Bash sought the opportunity to land another blow there amidst the attacks and defense. The scales on its neck were already shattered. If he struck another blow with all his strength, it would pierce the flesh, sever the blood vessels, or even shatter the bone. The dragon would be decapitated. Bash was on the verge of recreating his previous victory over a dragon.

But the encounter was not yet decided. The dragon must have realized it. The blow to the neck was the deepest it had ever received. Another slash in the same spot would be fatal. Therefore, it continued to protect its neck. The dragon may not have known how Bash fought, but it sensed Bash’s aim and took the right action. It must have been instinct. Dragons were strong and powerful creatures, after all. They were born to fight. If it were any other creature, the battle would have been decided long ago.

But that would not be the case for much longer. With each movement, the dragon’s strength diminished. Its beautiful scales fell off, and its body was stained with blood. It was already unable to exhale its fiery breath and was panting heavily with its tongue out. Bash, on the other hand, struggled to breathe, but he still had strength left.

“…”

The dragon and Bash paused for a few seconds. During those brief seconds, they locked eyes with each other. Zell realized it. It was time to end the battle.

At the same time, however, there was a hint of unease. Dragons were superior creatures. It wouldn’t be surprising if it had some kind of secret plan. As exceptional as Bash was as a warrior, there was no guarantee that he could evade tricks on the first try. Zell prayed that please, please, please Bash had seen through any plan it might have had from their previous battle. She had never heard of a dragon’s trump card in the Battle of the Lemium Highlands, but still, please, she hoped it was something that Bash already knew.

They both started moving.

The upper body of the dragon slid to the left. Bash, on the other hand, began moving to the right, its blind spot. While maintaining a distance that allowed him to avoid the dragon’s breath, he exerted all his strength to counter any attack that might come. The dragon bared its fangs ferociously, and steam emanated from its body as it looked at him, filled with spirit. Even if it were any other veteran orc warrior, they would be wetting their pants and begging for their life. Zell saw this and convinced herself that Bash would win. Bash was going to win. With his next strike, he would sever the dragon’s head.

And perhaps even the dragon knew it. Therefore, it turned the upper part of its body and came to a complete halt…

“What?”

And so, with a resounding thud that shook the ground, it ran toward the back of the cave.

“Eh?”

It escaped? The dragon? The most powerful creature on the continent? Oh, so that’s how it was.

“Dragons are living creatures too, aren’t they?”

Bash shouted when he heard Zell’s casual words.

“Don’t let it escape! Go after it!”

“Ah! Y-Yes, sir!” Zell’s voice was unusually urgent to Bash, and she thought to herself, Oh, that’s right. Her Mister had told her, ‘If it’s flying in the sky, we can’t win.’ If there was a way for the dragon to defeat Bash, it was that. To flee, fly, and strike hard from a safe distance.

Yes, if the dragon escaped, they would be the next ones to be hunted. Just like the demon troop that fled from the dragon’s lair and was annihilated when it couldn’t reach the Gije Fortress. If it chased him through the snowy field, where he couldn’t even hide his appearance, and it unleashed its breath from above, no matter how much of an Orc Hero he was, he would have no chance.

But it was because Bash was overwhelming it that the opponent was fleeing. That’s why he thought he had won, but it wasn’t the case. This was a decisive moment. A critical moment. If he didn’t finish it off, he would lose.

“Uoooooooh!” Zell soared. Like a hawk. But what Zell saw was a massive hole. All she could see was the mountainside ravaged by the blizzard and the footprints and bloodstains leading outward. Zell’s bloodlust quickly drained from her veins. Oh no, it escaped, she thought. But then she realized. The footprints and bloodstains were faint, but they continued toward the snowy mountains. Apparently, it was fleeing while rolling downhill. “Mister, it’s not flying! Down! It ran downhill!”

“Understood!”

Bash caught up to her. Zell grabbed him by the shoulders, and they ran together.

The blizzard battered their bodies. The piercing cold air made their heads ache. But Bash didn’t stop. He followed the trail, not missing a single trace that remained.

Zell knew it. Bash never lost his prey in these situations. Well, to be precise, he had lost a few times, but it was rare. Houston was almost the only one. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be known as the Orc Hero. It was a well-earned title.

Bash slid down the slope. With the speed of the descent, if you hesitated even for an instant, you would slip and fall within seconds. But it was a blizzard. If you hesitated, the footprints and bloodstains would be instantly erased. If he was going to die anyway, it was only natural to bet on the possibility that would lead him to not die.

“…Mm.”

At a certain point, the dragon’s footprints disappeared for a moment. At the same time, they discovered something.

“…A cave?”

It was a different cave from the one they had seen before. No, it looked more like a structure made by humans than a naturally formed cave. There were remnants of stone pillars that had been frozen in ice, and if you looked closely, you could see that the interior was also paved with stone. This was what they called ruins. But it didn’t matter to Bash and Zell. What mattered was that there was enough space for a dragon to enter through the not-so-large entrance.