I Will Be Unrivaled With The Skill [Sewing]! They Said It Was A Bad Skill, But With Effort, I will Make It A Hit~ - Chapter 69

TLN: I didn’t realize that the comment was turned off, sorry

Episode 69: Orc

The Balni Cirque is home to monsters that require high-level Bronze-ranked adventurer parties to handle.

Seneca’s combat strength was now on par with a Silver-ranked adventurer. Maior and Plautia had mid- to lower-level Bronze-ranked combat power, while Gaia, without the use of magic, was likely at the upper end of Iron rank.

As a party, their coordination still left much to be desired. Compared to veteran parties like “Oak Branch” from Baetica, the gap was obvious. However, Maior felt that they were gradually closing that gap—this was precisely why they had come here, to test their strength.

It was said that orcs roamed the mid-mountain area, though in small numbers. Seneca and Maior vividly remembered watching “Oak Branch” take down an orc with perfect coordination.

While encounters with enemies in the Balni Cirque were infrequent, each battle was intense.

For example, the Ice Fox was an extremely agile monster that could breathe freezing mist. It was faster than even Seneca at full speed, making it hard to land a hit. Until Gaia could analyze the Ice Fox’s movements based on Maior’s aerial scouting, they couldn’t even graze it. But once they managed a solid hit, the creature fell quickly.

The Raccoon Bear was another tough opponent. Its thick fur made it hard for blades to cut through, requiring repeated strikes to bring it down.

Through repeated battles, the party gradually established clearer roles. Typically, Seneca and Plautia took the frontlines, with Maior moving up as needed. Gaia stayed in the rear, providing support and activating traps.

Previously lacking long-range attack options, Gaia had experimented with different weapons and settled on a slingshot. The one she now wielded was crafted with durable, elastic threads hand-stitched by Seneca, making it highly reliable.

With every battle, the four of them grew more confident.

They began to feel that they were now as strong as any Bronze-ranked party in the city. Yet, they also recognized their weaknesses in adaptability and made sure not to get overconfident.

Four days had passed since they arrived at the Balni Cirque.

Now familiar with the terrain, climate, and local monsters, the group decided to move to a higher-altitude hunting ground where stronger monsters appeared.

As they ascended, gathering plants along the way, Maior’s 【Detection】  skill picked up a response.

“Two orcs heading our way. What do we do?”

“I want to fight them,” Seneca answered immediately.

“I-I’m fine with whatever,” Plautia added.

“Let’s fight,” Gaia agreed.

“Alright then. Seneca, you take one. Plautia and I will handle the other. Gaia, secure an escape route and cover us. Also, be ready to cast magic if needed.”

“Got it.”

The four lured the orcs toward a spot more suited for combat.

Orcs were pig-like monsters that stood on two legs, using their massive frames to deliver powerful attacks. They were known for their surprising intelligence and the ability to use tactical moves. With thick, tough flesh, their wounds were hard to pierce, and shallow injuries healed almost instantly with magic.

Orcs were considered the “mid-tier wall” for adventurers. The orcs of the Balni Cirque, in particular, were known for being especially robust and lively—some even claimed they rivaled High Orcs in strength.

As soon as the two orcs came into range, Maior’s arrow and Gaia’s stone shot forward. One orc focused on the arrow, leaving it wide open as Gaia’s stone struck it squarely.

“GUPIIIIIIII!!” it squealed.

Seneca immediately lunged, slashing the orc’s abdomen. It howled again, but the wound wasn’t fatal—the flesh began healing rapidly before their eyes.

“I see,” Seneca muttered, analyzing how to finish it off as the fight continued.

Meanwhile, Plautia and Maior worked to separate the two orcs, focusing on the uninjured one.

The unscathed orc, enraged, lunged at Plautia, who was at the front.

Its brutal attack came crashing down—but Plautia slipped away gracefully with a light, floating movement. Though she wasn’t especially fast, her evasions were as elusive as a feather drifting on the wind.

Maior observed the orc’s movements closely using her skill, then found an opening and stepped between Plautia and the orc, directly confronting it. As Maior engaged the orc head-on, Plautia launched surprise strikes from the sides.

Both fought cautiously, keeping their distance and avoiding heavy blows. However, this approach also meant they weren’t making much progress. The battle reached a stalemate.

Gaia focused mainly on supporting Seneca. Whenever it looked like Seneca might take a dangerous hit, she launched stones from her slingshot. Though her aim wasn’t perfect yet, the shots were enough to disrupt the enemy’s attacks.

Seneca, despite repeatedly slashing the orc, couldn’t land a decisive blow.

Noticing this, the orc shifted tactics, opting for risky attacks that traded injuries—aiming to land a killing blow in exchange for taking a hit. There were several close calls.

If only I could finish it in one strike… Seneca thought, but there was no clear opportunity to unleash such a powerful attack.

“Gaia! Please!”

Hearing Seneca’s call, Gaia pulled out a red apple and launched it with her slingshot towards Maior and the others. It was the signal for magic.

Noticing the apple flying toward them, Maior used 【Detection】  to check the surroundings.

It’s safe to use magic.

“Gaia! Go for it!”

At Maior’s cue, Gaia began preparing her spell.

Seneca quickly regrouped with Maior.

“I couldn’t finish it off alone.”

“Well, it’s your first time fighting an orc. I’m sure it was a good experience.”

The orcs were still charging at them.

Seneca, Plautia, and Maior worked together to hold them off until Gaia was ready.

“It’s ready!”

At Gaia’s signal, Plautia and Maior immediately disengaged and began retreating.

Seneca unleashed ten 【Pins】  at once like a scattershot, forming a wall to block the orcs’ advance.

Once Seneca had fallen back far enough, Gaia activated her magic.

“Fire!”

SKHHHHPBHOOOOOOOM!!!

The orcs were reduced to ash.

Having used Gaia’s magic, the four of them were now making their way back toward their campsite.

“So, how was the orc? Think you could take one down solo?”

“Hmm… It’d have to be either an all-out combo or a single, decisive blow. I’m not sure how to pull that off yet. In a party? No problem.”

To reliably defeat an orc solo required at least Silver-ranked strength. Seneca was getting close to that level.

“Wouldn’t your fire-imbued attacks work?”

“You mean the 【Fire Pins】 ? Hmm… I think they’d be effective, but I don’t think they pack enough power. Plus, I can’t chain them together…”

The four mulled over possible strategies.

“I could force an attack using a skill, but that’d raise the risk of taking a hit. Not really worth it. Plautia, what did you think?”

“Hmm… I felt like the orc was paying more attention to us than I expected. It even noticed that the coordination between Maior-chan and me was weak. So, rather than using tricks, I think hitting it head-on with strong attacks might be better.”

“We really struggle with blocking and area attacks, don’t we? Guess we’ll just have to go for its weak points.”

“Gaia, orcs die if you slash their head or heart, right?”

“Anatomically, yes. But I’ve heard their skulls are incredibly tough, and their hearts are well-protected by bone and muscle.”

“Then, to bash the head, we’d need a blunt weapon,” Maior added.

“Yeah… If I had enough time to land a clean cut to the heart, I could probably slash other spots too. But for now, I guess we’ll go with what ‘Oak Branch’ did—have multiple people land hits to slow its healing, then strike a fatal blow when the moment’s right. I’ll figure out a solo strategy as I fight more of them.”

With that, Seneca muttered, “Hmm-hmm,” deep in thought, still pondering the best way to fight an orc.