Holding the axe tightly, Even moved toward the Orc with slow steps. The only way to escape was the death of this monster. But with every step, Even's right hand betrayed him; his fingers were shaking uncontrollably.
Was it a moral struggle?
Some kind of hidden kindness? No, Even was honest with himself. This shaking wasn't because of humanity or pity. It was pure fear.
It was that same invisible force—fear. The same fear he had used to trick the Orc into coming here was now turning back like a boomerang to crush his own nerves.
Actually, this fear was natural. How much courage could a boy have who had spent years in a four-walled room becoming a social pig?
He lived in a wealthy area where even a mosquito didn't dare enter his room. He had never killed a fly in his life—and now, he held a heavy axe. He was being asked to hack a living, breathing creature to death. Whether it was an alien or a killer, it is human nature for your palms to shake before the first strike.
Even grit his teeth to stop the trembling. He knew that one moment of weakness meant certain death. The Orc, still lost in the colorful screen of the laptop, didn't notice the shadow of death standing over him.
Even raised the axe in the air. Baron was so focused on the video that he didn't realize the horror about to happen beside him. Even knew that if he screamed while striking, his lies would be exposed. To keep himself silent, he took a deep breath—sealing himself from the inside.
He aimed directly for the Orc's neck. Even swung the axe with all his strength.
The axe cut through the air and bit into the meat of the Orc's neck. Because of Even's heavy and weak body, the strike wasn't very powerful, but for the Orc, it was deadly. As the Orc thrashed in pain and tried to turn around to scream, Even let out all his inner cruelty. "Shut up!" he hissed through clenched teeth. Changing the direction of the axe in mid-air, he struck directly at the Orc's tongue. In an instant, the tongue was sliced in two and fell away.
No scream could come out now; only a strange hissing sound of air escaped the mouth, making it impossible for the Orc to call for help.
But the sudden stop of the axe during the second strike created a sharp vibration. A wave of unbearable pain shot deep into Even's arm bones. Moaning in pain, he dropped the axe. The Orc realized his death was near. In a final effort, he balled his massive fist and threw a heavy punch at Even's face.
Even could clearly see the giant hand coming toward him. Time seemed to stop. He thought, 'Is this the end? Will I get a chance to go to another world after I die? That's what happens in Isekai stories!'
But before the punch could hit Even's nose, it stopped in mid-air. Baron had finally realized what was happening. With lightning speed, he pulled a small, sharp knife from the sole of his boot and buried it in the Orc's neck artery. As he pulled the knife out, a fountain of blood sprayed over Even like rain. But mixed in that red blood was a strange purple liquid.
Baron didn't rest for a second. Like a madman, he stabbed the knife into the Orc's throat again and again—dozens of times.
Even though the tongue was gone, the Orc tried to make one last groan using the remains of his throat. Even, his hand frozen in pain, picked the axe up from the ground again. This time, he didn't use the blade. He shoved the long wooden handle of the axe directly into the Orc's open mouth. He pushed the handle with all his weight—deeper and deeper.
The long handle went through the mouth, tore the throat, and reached the bottom of the neck. The blood trying to come out now clotted inside the throat. Surprisingly, the Orc's body slowly began to turn blue; the familiar green color of their skin faded away. The purple liquid on Baron's knife—which was actually a deadly poison—had now spread through the Orc's entire body.
The Orc's massive body hit the ground with a heavy thud. Right after, Even collapsed to the ground as well. His lungs were gasping for air, and his chest was heaving like a blacksmith's bellows. The experience of killing someone in person for the first time put massive pressure on his nerves.
Suddenly, Even's whole body froze like stone. The veins in his hands were already numb, but now a sharp pain spread across his entire upper body. Physical exercise was never in Even's dictionary, so he didn't know this was called a 'muscle cramp.' His heavy body curled up in agony.
Baron saw Even's condition and reached out a hand to help. But a storm of thoughts was brewing in Even's head. The mocking voices of the System echoed in his ears. He realized deep down that he couldn't survive in this harsh world for long just by lying or being cunning. Lies might save him from temporary danger, but his physical weakness would push him toward death at the final moment.
He had to change. Either through hard work or by gaining power from the System so that he could walk through these monsters as if he were on a picnic.
Even looked at the fallen laptop. In the light of that screen, he saw his own old reflection—a lazy, shut-in, lying digital scammer.
Even Anderson rejected Baron's helping hand. He stood up on his own with shaky legs. Then, leaning over the dead Orc, he soaked both his palms in the warm blood. He placed his bloody hands on his forehead and pulled his hair back with a gentle push. A strange, cruel elegance appeared on his face.
He whispered a promise to himself, "I will... change myself completely. The stories of heroes from other worlds are usually happy or fancy, but my start was nothing like that. After everything that happened the moment I arrived, forget a 'harem,' even staying alive is hard. This world is not normal at all. But... this is the chance. The chance to prove I am strong. One day, I might find a way back to my world. On that day, I will take back my parents' kingdom and that house from my aunt and brother. Even promises." Even spoke so low that Baron couldn't hear him clearly.
Finishing his words, he picked up the laptop. This time, it wasn't to watch videos, but to break his chains. He walked out of the storehouse and stopped at the very edge of the forest. Baron followed him but didn't say a word. He just watched what Even was doing.
Even started digging the soft earth with both hands. When he finished digging the hole, he placed his laptop inside. Then, he covered it with soil, sending the only memory of his past life into the darkness of a grave.
Just as the laptop would rot and disappear into the earth over time, Even wanted his old, lazy, and weak self to vanish the same way. In his mind, he welcomed a new body, a new form, and a strong identity. From today, a new chapter for Even would begin.
While Even stood still with his new resolve, Baron came up from behind and said quietly, "Let's get out of here, friend."
He pointed toward the thick forest and added, "If we walk straight through this forest, we will find a river. It flows from east to west. If we go east against the current, we will reach the city of 'Asthenia' by morning. Let's get out of here alive first, then we can talk more."
Even nodded. But as he turned his head slightly to the left, his eyes went wide with terror. Quite far away in the dark, a massive shadow could be seen. It looked like an Orc, staring directly at them, ready to charge at any moment. Because of the distance and the darkness, Even couldn't see its face clearly.
Suddenly, Baron gave Even a hard shove to the side. With lightning speed, he pulled the long-barreled pistol from his waist and aimed it at the Orc. But Baron didn't pull the trigger or scream; he knew the sound of a firearm would invite every other Orc nearby.
While they both shook with anxiety—thinking they were caught—something unbelievable happened. A flaming arrow came down from the sky like a meteor and struck the Orc directly in the throat. In that bright flash of fire, the Orc's face became clear for a second. It was twisted in extreme terror and pain! But he got no chance to scream; the flames turned his face to coal in seconds. The dead body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Even and Baron stood frozen. They couldn't understand what had happened in those few seconds. But the rage of nature was not over. Suddenly, the clear sky seemed to break over their heads. The moonlight that had helped Even find the axe was swallowed by a thick, black darkness. The sky prepared to roar with anger.
The flash of lightning was like a devastating wail. For a few moments, everything became unusually quiet, and then a powerful bolt of lightning struck the Orc camp directly. The entire forest shook with the sound of a massive explosion. In the middle of fireballs and ruins, the Orc camp turned into a living hell.