The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

Misty Forest.

A fairly large forest just beside the nameless village where Raye and the others rested.

Before, it was just a foggy forest that was hard to navigate through.

There were some monsters residing in it, but they weren't really much of a threat. Even a villager could kill them if they just had proper weapons.

But just recently...

Something in it changed.

The fog covering it disappeared, and so did the monsters living there.

And since then...

People who went in there would occasionally disappear, never to be found again!

What's causing their disappearance?

No one knows...

With the monsters gone, the villagers couldn't blame them.

And that's why rumors circulated that a terrifying creature was kidnapping and killing people from time to time!

Some even believed that the forest was cursed!

Though, in reality, the real reason for the disappearances...

-Grrrrrrr...

Was a 3-meter-tall orc!

And right now...

-Grrrr...

That orc is lurking around the camp where Raye and the others were!

*****

(Reggie's POV)

Grrrr...

"Ugh, I need something to eat."

I mumbled as I felt my stomach grumble.

I'm currently on watch duty, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

And hey, I'm not complaining.

Anyway, aside from being creepy as hell...

"It's cold as fuck in this forest at this time."

So with that...

I started collecting some dried wood, grass, and sticks.

And after that...

Tak- tak- tak—

I took two shiny rocks and struck them against each other, hoping that the sparks from their clash would light up a fire on the dried grass.

I can't use magic like Raye, after all.

Tak- tak- tak—

...

Then finally, after about a minute...

Fwoosh—

I managed to start a fire.

"Fuuuu..."

I blew hot breath on my palms to warm them.

Then after that...

"Brrrr..."

I tucked my hands under my armpits.

"It's so quiet, this is nice."

I thought.

As peaceful it was, I decided look around.

And when I turned to look behind me...

"Wha...?!"

-Grrrrr!

I saw a 3-meter-tall monster!

And before I could even let the others know...

-GRAAAAAHH!!!

Swoosh—

It swung its right hand and attacked me!

SPLASH—!

"Huh...?"

I felt something on my abdomen.

And looking down...

"..."

I saw a big chunk of my stomach missing.

A lot of my blood was dripping onto the ground.

And immediately, as I realized that...

'Everyone... run...'

Thud—

I collapsed on the ground and lost consciousness.

*****

(Timmy's POV)

"Hmm, what was that?"

I asked myself as soon as I opened my eyes.

I just heard something outside.

Like some kind of wild animal or something.

So, still feeling sleepy...

"Haaaa..."

I went out of my tent to check what was going on.

Though, what greeted me horrified me...

"Reggie...?"

Reggie's body was on the ground, lifeless.

And feasting on it...

-Guurgh...

Was a 3-meter-tall orc!

And feeling my gaze...

It looked my way!

"Shit."

I muttered in shock.

And following that...

"We're under attack!"

I exclaimed that from the bottom of my lungs!

-GRAAAAAHH!!!

The orc started running toward me.

And in response...

"Fuck!"

I ran away from it after retrieving my axes.

*****

(Raye's POV)

"We're under attack!"

"Huh?"

I immediately woke up and stood as soon as I heard Timmy's voice.

-Meep?

Even Pyro was shocked.

Anyway...

Fwip—

I wore my cape.

Then I immediately went outside of my tent.

And there...

"...?!"

-GRAAHHHH!!!

I saw a grey, ripped, 3-meter-tall orc!

"FUUUUCKKK!!!"

It was chasing Timmy with bloodshot eyes, swinging his hands at him!

'What the fuck is an orc doing here?!'

I exclaimed in my head, completely terrified.

And as I was panicking, my eyes landed on something...

"Huh?"

I saw Reggie's body.

He was on the ground, and I immediately realized that he was dead...

I mean, why wouldn't I?

His lower body was missing and all...

"Urghh...!"

I felt my stomach twist at the gruesome sight.

"Pyro..."

-Meep?!

I grabbed Pyro and put him in my spatial bag so that he wouldn't see it.

My body was shaking, fear struck me as I realize that could be me who's dead.

My stomach churned even more.

But still, I know that not doing anything will just lead me to my death.

And so, I looked around...

I saw the other four escorts coming out of their tents.

They were horrified by the situation and Reggie's body.

"..."

But we all knew what we had to do...

'We need to kill that thing before it kills us!'

I thought.

Then I immediately aimed my index finger at the running orc, and when my hands stopped shaking...

"[Bang]!"

I shot a spell.

Psh—

It hit the orc on the right temple of its head...

-Grrr...?

But it didn't pierce through. Heck, the orc wasn't even hurt!

"Shit."

I mumbled as I saw the orc stop chasing Timmy and look in my direction.

Thud—

It took a strong step toward me, showing aggression.

But before it could take another...

"DIEEE!!!"

"YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!!"

Phuck!

Puk—

Two of the escorts wielding spears sneaked up behind the orc and stabbed it in the back!

And following that...

"HAAAA!!!"

"THIS IS FOR REGGIE!!!"

SLASH—

The other two, who were sword users, swung their swords at the orc with all their might!

They didn't stop after that...

SWOOSH—

PHUCK—

They continued attacking, not sparing a second.

Seeing them like that...

"This could work."

I mumbled to myself as a small smile appeared on my face.

'I need to help them.'

I thought as I aimed my fingers back at the orc.

But just then...

-GRAAAHHHH!!!

The orc let out an ear-deafening howl!

"UGHHH?!"

It was so loud that even after covering my ears with my hands, I still felt dizzy!

""GAAHHH!!!""

The four escorts who were attacking it were paralyzed by the sound, being so close to the orc.

Thud—

They kneeled on the ground, writhing in pain as they tried to cover their ears.

And as they were doing that...

BAM—

The orc punched one of the escorts!

SPLASH—

"..."

The escort who received the attack was Lenard.

Lenard's upper body was blown away, squashed like ground meat.

Spat—

His blood flew everywhere.

It even hit me on the cheeks, even though I was several meters away.

"..."

I was frozen in shock.

And so were the others.

And as we stood there, paralyzed...

BAM—

The orc killed another escort who had been attacking it earlier, in a similar manner!

"Ah..."

'We need to escape.'

I immediately thought.

There was no way we could defeat that thing with our current manpower!

I thought about escaping with the remaining escorts and the merchants, using the horses and carriages.@@novelbin@@

But when I looked at where we had left them...

-NEIIIGHHH!!!

I saw the merchant and his group already fleeing the scene while the orc was distracted, killing the escorts.

They were already far away.

They used us as bait and left us behind to die.

And looking at them go...

"Fucking bastards..."

I could only mumble that.

I couldn't even feel angry anymore. I just felt completely defeated, knowing I'd probably die here.

"Haha..."

A hollow laugh escaped my mouth.

I was already in despair.

But the one who pulled me out of that...

"Run!"

...was Timmy.

"Huh?"

I saw him running toward me desperately.

Fwip—

He ran past me and immediately grabbed my arm!

And as fast as he could...

"Hurrgh!"

He started running away, pulling me along with him!

...

******

"Haaaa... haaaa... haaaa..."

I tried to catch my breath as soon as we stopped running.

We had gotten pretty far away, but I doubted we had escaped the orc.

Also, I was sure the other two escorts we left behind were dead.

"..."

I frowned at the thought.

Anyway, looking at Timmy...

I saw him scanning the surroundings.

And after a few seconds...

"Ah..."

He seemed to have found something.

"Why did you save me?"

I asked him.

Then looking back at me...

"I just felt like it."

He casually answered.

I was about to say something, my mouth half-open.

"Shhh..."

But Timmy stopped me.

And quietly...

"It's here."

He whispered that to me.

As soon as he said that...

Thud—

I heard heavy footsteps approaching us.

"..."

I immediately became silent.

"Here."

Timmy said as he moved.

And I silently followed behind him...

We tried to hide behind a bush.

But not even half a minute later...

-Grahahahaha...

The orc spotted us!

It looked in our direction, laughing disgustingly.

It probably smelled the blood of Lenard that attached on our body!

Anyway, seeing that...

"Guess that wouldn't work, huh."

Timmy stepped out of hiding and took a stance.

He was holding a battle axe in each hand.

He had this confident smirk on his face...

"..."

But his whole body was trembling slightly, unable to hide his fear.

Seeing him like that...

'I'm so pathetic.'

I thought to myself.

I admired Timmy a little at that moment.

Then, with a resolute look in my eyes...

"If I don't have any options left, I should at least fight, right?"

I stepped out of hiding too and took a stance.

"Look to your left."

Timmy said randomly.

Following his words, I saw a hole in the ground.

It was pretty deep.

I glanced at Timmy.

Then he glanced back at me from the side.

"What of it?"

I asked him.

"You saved me from the bandit before, I would've died back there if it wasn't for you."

He said.

Then, with a smile on his face...

"We're even now."

He added that.

"Huh?"

And before I could even process what he meant by that...

Bam!

"Keuk!"

Timmy kicked me in the stomach!

"Gah!"

I flew through the air from the sheer force of his kick!

The next thing I knew...

"AHHHHH!!!"

I was falling into the hole I had seen earlier!

"This way, you stupid orc!"

I heard Timmy's voice.

And that was the last thing I remembered...

I lost consciousness after that.