Praise the Orc

Chapter 65: The Life of a High-Ranker (3)

-Hello, this is Elder Lord Weekly, coming to you with this week’s news!

Yi-Yoo yawned. She wasn’t interested because she no longer played Elder Lord, but her friends were different. All of their gazes turned toward the screen at once.

“Just have a drink,” groaned Yi-Yoo as she raised her glass.

However, no one responded. Yi-Yoo pouted.

She and her friends Park Jung-Tae, Yoon Bo-Ra, Ban Tae-Hoon, and Kim Ah-Jung had gathered to celebrate the end of the semester after finishing their final exams. It was summer break now.

“Look at that,” said Yoon Bo-Ra while pointing at the screen.

-The first story today is about the new community service organization in Maillard, the Rebirth Brotherhood.

“Wow.”

“They are famous these days.”

Yi-Yoo continued to drink her beer while pouting. Faces that she recognized had appeared on the screen. They were the trio of ill-mannered players who had caused Yi-Yoo to quit playing Elder Lord. Yi-Yoo didn’t like how they claimed they had been reborn and had created a community service organization, considering how they had yelled insults at her and forced her into PvP in the past.

When Park Jung-Tae noticed Yi-Yoo pouring beer into an empty glass, he took the pitcher from her and poured the beer for her.

-These people have a knack for rehabilitating ill-mannered players...

The scene on the screen changed to a pre-recorded video of the trio swiftly subduing a group of evil players who were attacking a beginner player. The trio gagged the group of players, tied them up, and then dragged them elsewhere. After that, the scene changed again and now showed the trio ordering the players to do something.

The reporter continued, -...Not with violence but with another method.

The evil players on the screen began to perform various community service activities. They helped NPCs with mobility issues and players struggling with quests. If they saw anyone in need of assistance, they would provide their services.

The scene changed again, and the community service construction site where they built homes for people in need appeared. The screen displayed images of players sweating as they worked hard on the construction site. The reporter then approached and interviewed the three men who founded the Rebirth Brotherhood. They were covered in sweat because they had been working on the construction when they were called over.

The reporter asked, -How did you come to do this type of work?

The man in the center replied, -To tell you the truth, we used to be evil and ill-mannered players. We were really bad.

-Ah... Then, how...?

-We changed after we met an orc.

-An orc?

-Yes. After we met him, we came to think of Elder Lord as another world and not just a game. Although the orc was an NPC, he treated us with more sincerity than anyone we had met in real life. He is a true teacher who changed our way of thinking. If you want a more detailed story, all of the information is on our Rebirth Brotherhood homepage.

The link to the Rebirth Brotherhood’s homepage came up in the captions.

The reporter continued interviewing the Rebirth Brotherhood, asking questions like what kind of activities they did, how they kept in touch with the people they had rehabilitated, and so on. The Rebirth Brotherhood explained their plans to gradually expand their organization. Some of the players they had rehabilitated were spreading their influence and activities to other cities.

-I would like to use this moment to ask for forgiveness for the misdeeds we committed in the past.

-We sincerely apologize to everyone who suffered because of us.

-We are sorry.

The three men bowed toward the camera. The bewildered reporter tried to make them get up, but the three men refused to budge and continued bowing for a while.

Yi-Yoo shrugged indifferently while watching them bow.

Then the reporter changed the topic, -Wow, amazing. It’s not easy to reflect on your past and reinvent yourself. Who is the orc who rehabilitated you guys? What is his name?

The three men looked at each other.

One smiled as he answered, -Everyone has probably heard his name before. It’s Crockta.

-Ah, ah... That orc!

Ban Tae-Hoon, who had been watching the show, said, “Isn’t Crockta the guy from Arnin?”

“He was also related to the Chesswood incident.”

“It’s that orc, right? The bringer of justice? Is he truly an event NPC?”

“Why would Elder Lord create such a thing? They always stress the realism of their game and don’t intervene even when some players run into issues that prevent them from continuing the game.”

“I joined Crockta’s fandom yesterday,” said Yoon Bo-Ra as she chewed on dry squid.

“What? Bo-Ra, you even fangirl over NPCs now?”

“He’s cool. There’s no one like him these days. Even though he’s an orc, I can’t help but praise him. Do you know what the fandom is called?”

“What is it?”

“Praise the Orc!”

“Wow, that’s really fucking childish. Did some middle-aged guy with no taste name it?”

“Do you want to die?” Yoon Bo-Ra hit Ban Tae-Hoon’s head hard.

It was a great strike! She was worthy of praise!

Meanwhile, the Elder Lord Weekly interview was coming to an end.

-Let’s shout the Rebirth Brotherhood’s slogan together as we conclude the interview.

At the reporter’s words, the three men all pointed at the screen in unison and beamed.

-Regardless of the evil deeds you have done in the past...

-We know that...

-You are not a bad person!

With a booming sound effect, the scene changed back to the studio. The topic of focus in Elder Lord Weekly was changed to analyzing Crockta. His name first became known to the online community because of his rescue activities at Arnin. Then he progressively grew more famous as he exposed the corruption of Arnin’s mayor, rescued Chesswood from large clans, and achieved great feats at Quantes. In the online community, Crockta was treated as a hero who enforced justice.

The two reporters began to discuss Crockta.

-Crockta is such a trending figure these days. What do you think about his nickname ‘Orc of Justice’?

-I love it. He’s different from the players. Because Elder Lord is real life for the NPCs, he lives by his convictions. That’s why he’s even more amazing. He’s risking his life every time.

-Rumors are circulating that Crockta is a player since he wears a headband on his forehead.

-Hahaha, those are just rumors. Many rumors have spread with the increase of Crockta’s fame, but that particular rumor doesn’t seem likely to be true. After all, orc warriors often wear accessories or ornaments. Anyway, there’s news that Elder Lord is seeing an increase in orc players because of Crockta.

A map of Elder Lord popped up on the screen with a line connecting Arnin, Chesswood, Maillard, and Qunates drawn on the map. It was Crockta’s itinerary. He was obviously heading to the north.

-He seems to be heading to the north. Based on that, he doesn’t seem to be a player.

-The north... What a pity. We may never be able to see Crockta again.

The two reporters shook their heads in dismay.

There wasn’t a starting point for players in the north. Thus, a player had to pass through the Forest of Monsters to get there. It was an impossible obstacle to get through. No player had ever seen what lay beyond the Forest of Monsters. Even the developers had avoided the topic and stated that the world of Elder Lord did indeed extend to the north, but they would leave it to the players to discover what was there. Thus, the northern region was treated like mysterious content that a player could enjoy if their level got high enough.

-Now that we have analyzed every aspect of Crockta, I really think he could be an event NPC created by the Elder Saga Corporation. Regardless, I hope Crockta safely returns from the north.

-Yes, I hope the orc of justice will return to us.

Then the reporters shrugged.

-So, what’s next?

-The player rankings have changed. A new player has burst onto the scene among the stagnant league of high-rankers. However, the player has decided to keep their information private, which is quite rare. They immediately jumped to 482nd place among the high-rankers.

-This player piques my curiosity with their decision to keep their information private.

-Haha, we wanted to interview the player, but we don’t know who they are. Instead, we have prepared an interview with the former 500th-place high-ranker, dwarf player Kamaz—who used to be referred to as the ‘ranking gatekeeper.’ He has fallen out of the league of high-rankers due to the appearance of the new ranker.

-Kamaz must be so disappointed.

-He said he’s burning with determination to become a high-ranker again.

“High-rankers are so lucky. They must earn a lot of money,” commented Yi-Yoo’s friend.

“Heard the dividend they receive is higher than what we imagine.”

Yi-Yoo’s friends shifted their attention away from the television and began to engage in conversation among themselves. As college students, they frequently discussed future prospects and finding employment.

“Yi-Yoo is so lucky,” commented one of Yi-Yoo’s friends.

“Why?” asked Yi-Yoo.

“You can just work at your brother’s café if you can’t find a job.”

“Yeah, even the cafe’s name is Café Reason. Didn’t he name it Café Reason after you? [1]

“He looks after his sister really well.”

Yi-Yoo swelled with pride. She had some time before graduating, so she wasn’t too concerned with finding a job yet.

“Should I become a full-time Elder Lord player?” asked Ban Tae-Hoon.

“Ohhh... nooo.”

“Ah, I don’t want to look for a job. Tae-Sung hyung was recently humiliated at an interview. His story was sooo funny. He said he got into an argument with the interviewer, and they ended up yelling at each other.”

“As expected of Park Tae-Sung.”

As they continued to drink while talking, Yi-Yoo and her friends became tipsy. The first one to knock out was Yi-Yoo. She was a lightweight, so her face turned red just from drinking beer. She progressively grew quieter and blinked slowly as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Then her head dropped to the table, and she began snoring with her face down.

Yoon Bo-Ra poked at Yi-Yoo’s cheek, but Yi-Yoo didn’t respond.

Yoon Bo-Ra shook her head, “What should we do about her?”

“Ah, Jung Yi-Yoo. Why did she drink so much? She’s a lightweight.”

“Order some coke for her next time.”

None of Yi-Yoo’s friends were drunk. Unlike Yi-Yoo, they could handle their alcohol.

Park Jung-Tae took out his phone and said, “I know what to do.”

“What?”

“I have Yi-Yoo’s brother’s number,” explained Park Jung-Tae.

“Is it okay to call him?” asked Yoon Bo-Ra.

“He told me to always reach out to him in situations like this,” replied Park Jung-Tae while texting Yi-An.

Yi-An immediately sent a response.

“He said he’s coming,” said Park Jung-Tae.

“Wow.”

“Have you guys already met Yi-Yoo’s brother?” asked Park Jung-Tae.

“It’s my first time.”

“He’s really handsome.”

“Like me?”

“Shut up.”

The only one who hadn’t yet seen Yi-An was Ban Tae-Hoon. The rest of Yi-Yoo’s friends had run into Yi-An before. The group continued to talk about their summer break plans without Yi-Yoo. Each of them had their own goal, be it working a part-time job, doing community service, or studying for a certification.

Then a familiar voice butted into their conversation, “Hey, guys.”

It was Jung Yun-Ji.

Kim Ah-Jung, who was pretty close to her, welcomed her. “Ah! Yun-Ji! Can’t believe we’re running into you here. That’s awesome. Did you come with friends?”

“I came to celebrate finishing final exams. You guys too?” asked Jung Yun-Ji.

“Yeah,” replied Kim Ah-Jung.

Jung Yun-Ji laughed when she saw Yi-Yoo sleeping with her face down on the table. “Wow, Yi-Yoo’s knocked out.”

“Yeah, so we called her brother,” said Kim Ah-Jung.

“Ah...” Jung Yun-Ji glanced over the pub’s entrance.

She recalled the first time she met Yi-Yoo’s brother. Their eyes had met for a split second. Had it been purely a coincidence? She didn’t even know his name, but she wanted to get to know him better.

“How is Elder Lord?” asked Kim Ah-Jung.

“I’m the rising star of the Blacksmith Company,” said Jung Yun-Ji proudly.

“Wow, you are amazing,” commented Kim Ah-Jung.

They exchanged light conversation, then Jung Yun-Ji went back to her table.

The pub was so noisy that it drowned out their voices.

Yoon Bo-Ra swept back the sleeping Yi-Yoo’s hair and said, “Now that I think about it, Yi-Yoo and her brother don’t really seem alike.”

“Why?”

“Yi-Yoo’s nice, but before you get to know her, how should I say this...? She looks like she has a bit of an attitude,” said Yoon Bo-Ra.

“That’s true. I thought the same thing at first, but she turned out to be a clumsy oaf.”

“She has a resting bitch face, but her brother always has a soft expression on his face,” replied Bo-Ra.

“Really? I’m curious now,” said Ban Tae-Hoon.

“Ban Tae-Hoon, there’s no way you could measure up to him, so don’t expect anything.”

“What? Hmph,” scoffed Ban Tae-Hoon.

Suddenly, Park Jung-Tae raised his hand. The rest of the group turned around to look at where Park Jung-Tae’s gaze was directed. A man was walking toward them from the entrance. It was Yi-An.

Yi-An, who recognized Park Jung-Tae, smiled as he approached them. His handsome facial features appeared even more defined with the dim pub lights casting shadows on his face.

“Hello!”

“Hello.”

“Hello...”

Yi-Yoo’s friends greeted him in succession.

Yi-An bowed slightly in greeting. Then he let out a sigh when he saw Yi-Yoo with her face down on the pub table. He nudged her, but she just whined and buried her face deeper into her arms.

“I’m sorry about Yi-Yoo. And I’m sorry for interrupting when you guys are enjoying yourselves,” Yi-An said.

“No, it’s our fault for not stopping her. Sorry,” replied Ban Tae-Hoon.

Yi-An smiled. “Don’t be sorry. I will take Yi-Yoo home. Have fun, everyone.”

He lifted Yi-Yoo and supported her into a standing position. Yi-Yoo blinked a few times and then flinched when she recognized Yi-An. She smiled awkwardly under Yi-An’s stare. Then she staggered out of the pub with Yi-An’s support.

“I have a bad relationship with my brother. I wish I had a brother like him. Yi-Yoo’s so lucky.”

“Of course, with a sister like you, your brother...”

“Shut up.”

“You are always telling me to shut up. Are you a ‘shut up’ master?”

“What did you say, you little brat?”

Suddenly, a huge meat skewer set was served to their table.

Their eyes widened in surprise. “We didn’t order this...”

The part-timer replied, “The man who just left added this to your order and paid for the whole meal.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

As they looked down at the skewers of meat glistening under the pub’s dim lights, their expressions changed. This dish was the most expensive item on the menu. Moreover, it was of an extra-large size. They had only ever imagined ordering it because it was too expensive for students to afford.

“Wow...”

“He’s so cool...”

Jung Yun-Ji, who had been paying attention to Yi-An dropping by and leaving, subtly approached them. “Yi-Yoo’s brother came and took Yi-Yoo just now, right?”

“Huh, yeah. Do you know him?”

“Do you happen to know his name?”

“Ohhh. Why, are you interested in him?” asked Yoon Bo-Ra with a grin.

Park Jung-Tae, who was devouring a skewer of meat, replied, “Jung Yi-An.”

“Jung Yi-An?” asked Yun-Ji.

“Yeah.”

‘Jung Yi-An’—the name suited Yi-Yoo’s brother, but the name seemed familiar to Jung Yun-Ji somehow. Jung Yun-Ji tilted her head. Where had she heard the name before?

Jung Yun-Ji thanked Park Jung-Tae and pondered over the name as she returned to her seat.

The voice of the Elder Lord Weekly reporters continued to ring out from the pub’s television.

-Anyway, we hope that the new high-ranker will reveal his information soon. As an Elder Lord player, I’m curious about what sorts of adventures he’s getting up to.

-I feel the same way.

***

“Let’s go, Crockta!” shouted Tiyo, who was carrying a huge backpack.

This was the official start of Crockta and Tiyo’s journey to the north. Crockta also carried a huge backpack in preparation for camping. As Crockta and Tiyo exited through the city walls, the guards saluted them.

“I entrust Quantes to you!” shouted Tiyo.

“Yes! Captain Tiyo!”

“We will be waiting for you!”

“Please return safely!”

“Everyone, saaaluuute!” yelled the guards.

It was obvious to Crockta that Tiyo was highly respected by his subordinates.

Crockta took a deep breath of Elder Lord’s fresh air. It was time for another adventure. He was filled with the energy of beginning a new journey. Their destination was the north, a mysterious region no one had successfully encroached on.

“Shall we go, Tiyo?!” asked Crockta.

“Let’s go, Crockta!” yelled Tiyo enthusiastically.

Thus, an orc and a gnome’s adventure to the north began.

Right then, a message window popped up for Crockta.

[Stella: Hey... Yi-An...]

Crockta, who had been walking determinedly with big strides, flinched and missed his footing.

[Stella: By any chance...]

“What, Crockta? Are you already tired?!” yelled Tiyo.

Tiyo jabbed Crockta’s waist as Crockta waited for Stella’s next message.

1. The name Yi-Yoo has the same pronunciation as the word reason in Korean. ?