NoveLight ™
*Taptap.*
To block the attack of an orc approaching from behind, I lightly shifted my steps so that all the orcs were within my field of vision.
“Chwiik!”
The orc at the front let out a low growl, raising its club as it charged at me.
*Clang!*
With my sword and the *Block* skill activated, I easily deflected the orc’s attack.
Now, two orcs from either side swung their clubs at me simultaneously.
*Clang, clang!*
Quickly, I moved my sword diagonally, parrying all of the orcs’ attacks.
After blocking the last orc’s blow, I swung my sword sharply in front of me.
*Whoosh!*
*Splat!*
“Kieeek!”
Blood sprayed, and the orcs let out shrill cries.
“Hoo…”
After defeating four orcs, I stood in place for a moment, catching my breath.
---
[Drizzle Rain]
[Swordsman]
[Level 11 (88.14%)]
---
[Block (E)]
- Blocks attacks from a 180-degree angle in front.
When I first acquired the skill, ranks weren't visible, but in this game, skills had ranks.
The more you used a skill, the higher its rank would become.
While I wasn’t sure of the exact effects, it was clear that the damage I took when blocking had significantly decreased compared to when I first started.
By utilizing the *Block* skill, I minimized potion usage and repeatedly used basic attack skills like *Slash* and *Thrust* to take down the orcs.
Now, even when facing three or four orcs at once, I didn’t lose much HP.
Without needing to stop for recovery time, I could hunt for about thirty minutes before needing to use a potion.
As I continued to hunt orcs for several hours without rest, a field announcement suddenly appeared on my screen.
---
[Field Boss of Orc’s Forest, ‘Orc Gladiator,’ has appeared!]
---
“Huh?”
I tilted my head.
A field boss?
“Hey! The field boss is up!”
“Where is it? Quickly, mark the coordinates!”
*Tatatat!*
The players hunting nearby started rushing off somewhere.
Feeling an overwhelming urge to follow them, I hurried after them with my short legs, doing my best to keep up.
*Hop!*
After running for a few minutes, I arrived at the center of a clearing in Orc’s Forest, where a massive orc, twice the size of the others, stood clad in armor.
“Grugh!”
*Whoosh!*
The orc swung a large axe with one hand, threatening the gathered players.
“Its attack power isn’t that strong! It’s just a health sponge!”
“Alright, let’s take it down quickly!”
*Smack, smack!*
*Boom, boom!*
The melee and magic attacks from the gathered players rained down on the orc gladiator.
It was clear that it had a lot of HP, as it didn’t go down easily.
Hesitant to join the crowded battle, I swallowed nervously and gripped my sword.
Field bosses like this usually provided rewards based on contribution.
To earn a reward, I’d have to deal damage to the orc gladiator.
Even though I didn’t like hunting with others, I had no choice but to attack if I wanted the reward.
*Taptap.*
Quickly, I approached the orc gladiator from behind and made a thrusting attack.
*Thunk!*
My sword pierced through a gap in the orc gladiator’s armor, causing a small wound.
“Kiiiek!”
The wounded orc swung its large axe wildly.
Its wide swing covered its rear as well, meaning I was now in its attack range.
*Clang!*
However, my improved *Block* skill successfully defended against the orc gladiator’s axe.
After blocking the axe, I immediately followed up with a *Thrust*, the skill activated by the block.
*Thrust, thrust!*
Blocking the wide axe swings, I repeatedly drove my sword into the orc gladiator’s body.
The other melee players, having taken significant damage from the orc’s wide attacks, had backed off to drink potions and recover their HP.
The only ones continuing to attack were those with blocking skills like mine, a few martial artists who could counterattack at the right moment, and some long-range attackers like mages and spirit users.
“Chwiik!”
*Thud.*
Finally, under the relentless assault of the gathered players, the orc gladiator’s HP was completely depleted, and its massive body collapsed to the ground.
*Beep!*
“Oh.”
I checked the items that had appeared in my inventory.
---
[Orc Gladiator’s Essence x3]
- Upon use, grants a random item: weapon, accessory, or costume of the orc gladiator.
---
I stared with my mouth agape.
A random reward?
And not just equipment, but costumes as well?
“I got two!”
“What? I only got one!”
“Awesome! I opened one, and it’s a weapon!”
Cheers and groans echoed from the surrounding players.
I quietly slipped away from the group, finding a secluded spot where no one could see me.
Once out of sight, I took out the orc gladiator’s essence from my inventory and held it in my hand.
So, using this might give me a weapon, huh?
But to think the first game reward is a random gacha...
Grinding my teeth at the evil game company’s reward system, I used one of the orc gladiator’s essences.
*Beep!*
I checked the item that entered my inventory.
“This… What?!”
I was furious.
---
[Orc Gladiator’s Hat]
- Head decoration item.
---
It was a costume item, a hat with a cute pig face drawn on the front.
The orc gladiator’s hat.
“Costume items don’t even increase your stats!”
I stomped my feet in frustration.
But I still had two more.
I quickly took out the remaining essences from my inventory and used them in succession.
*Beep, beep!*
---
[Orc Gladiator’s Shirt]
[Orc Gladiator’s Skirt]
---
“Huh, huh…”
Having obtained the full orc gladiator costume set, I couldn’t help but feel like crying.
Even so, I couldn’t resist equipping the full set of orc gladiator gear.
Since this seemed to be the first appearance of the orc gladiator, if no one else who got three essences obtained all three costume pieces, I’d be the first one with the full orc gladiator set.
I wiped away my tears and equipped the costume.
A cute beret with a pig face on it.
A T-shirt with the same pig character in the center.
And a skirt with the pig face peeking out from the left hemline.
“Heh.”
Wearing the adorable costume set, my spirits lifted a bit.
Feeling excited, I hopped around in place.
I’m the proud owner of the full orc gladiator costume set!
---
[Title]
Orc Gladiator Costume Full Set Owner Appeared.jpg (+107)
[Content]
-Attached image file-
[Comments]
- Noooooo ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Whoa ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Wow; that’s so cute. What are the character customization settings for that?
ㄴ They probably won’t share it. They must’ve put a lot of effort into making it.
- But if you make a character that small, doesn’t the strength stat drop? Looks like it’s a human race, too. And judging by the sword, it seems like they’re a swordsman?
ㄴ I saw them briefly while fighting the Orc Gladiator. It’s true, they’re a swordsman. I tried talking to them after the fight, but they ran away.
- You know how VR games work. If you don’t make your character similar to your own body, the synchronization rate drops a lot, making the game hard to play. It’s probably a female user who just wants the outfit for looks.
ㄴ But their damage seemed pretty solid, though? To get the full costume set, you’d need to grab all three essences, meaning you’d have to deal a lot of damage.
---
After a bit of sleep and a simple meal, I logged back into the game, timing it with the field boss respawn.
The respawn time for the Orc Gladiator was roughly half a day in real time, quite a long wait.
It took me three more attempts to finally collect all the accessories and weapons from the Orc Gladiator.
As I inspected the weapon I had earned from this field boss hunt, I couldn’t help but smile brightly.
---
[Orc Gladiator’s Sword]
[Rare Grade]
[Attack Power: 30]
[Reduces damage by an additional 5% when *Block* is successfully used]
---
It even had a special option that enhanced the performance of the *Block* skill!
Its attack power was a full 10 points higher than the common-grade vigilante weapon that cost 10 silver.
Store-bought weapons were common grade.
Field monster drops like this one were rare grade.
Elite-grade weapons were said to be obtainable from elite dungeons, which players hadn’t managed to clear yet.
Of course, there were likely even higher-grade weapons out there, but according to beta tester information, only elite-grade weapons had been confirmed so far.
Fortunately, the type of weapon you received wasn’t randomized based on class.
When you obtained a weapon through a field boss essence, you received a weapon appropriate for your class.
---
[Drizzle Rain]
[Swordsman]
[Level 14 (90.27%)]
---
My hunting in the Orc’s Forest was coming to an end.
After tirelessly hunting with only minimal rest while waiting for the field boss to respawn, I was on the verge of reaching level 15.
Once I reached level 15, I could finally enter my first elite dungeon.
From level 15 onward, the monster stats would increase to the point that, without fully gearing up from the current area’s elite dungeon, it would be nearly impossible to hunt in the new zones.
From the conversations I overheard from nearby players, it seemed that some level 15 players had already begun forming parties to tackle the first elite dungeon.
“Hm.”
I glanced toward the area where the first elite dungeon was located, just visible at the edge of the Orc’s Forest.
---
[Entry Level: 15]
[Elite Dungeon (Recommended for 4-player parties)]
[Orc King’s Cave]
---
Party play, huh. I hate that.
Well, surely they made it so you can clear it solo, right?