Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Insulin (4)
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There was no need to yield when dealing with races like dark elves. Yielding only earned their contempt. In fact, even after Suhyun said as much, the other chieftains didn't object further. Since they'd already decided to accept his help, any unnecessary friction was pointless.
Seeing no reaction from the others, the dark elf slyly removed his eyepatch.
"Back to the ogre. To deal with it, I need help from those of you who've fought it before..."
"Selina will stick with you and explain. If there's anything else you need, say so separately. I'll help if I can."
"Refreshing to hear. Then lastly, the potion?"
One of the chieftains raised his hand.
"We have one we're making right now. Been about eight years."
"Nothing else?"
"Nothing. Don't believe me? Check for yourself."
"If you really put your mind to hiding it, how would I find it? For now, I'll trust you. Eight years... Still a long way to go. Fine. We'll take that one."
"Of course, only after we take down Massacre."
"Massacre?"
"That's the twin-headed ogre's nickname. In our old tongue... it means monster."
"Fitting. Alright, I think that's all we need to discuss."
"How do you plan to take it down?"
"Curious? Join in and see for yourself."
"Uh, well..."
As the chieftains hesitated, Suhyun sneered at them. The dark elves flushed red, realizing the mockery.
"Scared to get directly involved, huh? Dark elves have really fallen off."
"Hey, watch your—"
"I'm done as long as I get what I came for. See you next time."
Suhyun stood up from his seat. No one tried to stop him.
* * *
Stepping out of the meeting hall, he found Selina waiting. She'd been talking with Shaina, but turned her gaze as Suhyun emerged.
"Talk over?"
"More or less... No, you were listening."
Selina wore a knowing smirk, as if she knew everything. Suhyun realized she'd overheard the exchange inside the meeting hall.
"Minus the part about an outsider saying it, that scolding you gave them was music to my ears. Good lesson for them. Dark elves have gotten too soft lately."
"The young ones these days~ Even other races pull that routine? Anyway, if there's nothing else, let's move. The ogre won't wait around for us."
"Ah, wait. This girl's family came looking for her..."
"Let's go!"
Shaina used Suhyun's arrival as her escape. She'd clearly been hounded to meet her family just moments ago and bolted straight to him, ready to leave. Selina clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"You can't dodge a family reunion that easily."
"No idea what you're talking about, Grandma."
"Hanging with humans, picking up all their bad habits... Fine, ogre first."
Suhyun asked as they descended the sand dune.
"So where are they now?"
"Four days ago, they were holed up in Aro Village. About time they moved. A few warriors went to scout, should be back soon."
"One twin-headed ogre, plus the others... First things first, we separate them. How many other ogres?"
"Six."
"What?!"
He'd figured two or three at most, but six? Suhyun stared at Selina in shock.
"Ogres don't travel in packs like that, do they? Stick 'em together and they'd fight each other."
"Minus Massacre, the rest are all females. Probably his mates."
"Crazy. Even mutants don't need a whole harem..."
Ogres were manageable because they stuck to mates and offspring at most—three tops. Seven total? His head was starting to ache.
'Work's always like this.'
Suhyun stopped complaining and began devising a plan. He'd learned from long experience that crises could turn into opportunities.
* * *
"Think it'll work?"
"Ogres are cunning, but not intelligent like humans. Beast level at best."
"Shouldn't we bring power armor just in case...?"
"Don't be stupid. Power armor would just get in the way for what we're doing. You think that bulk won't alert the ogre?"
"But if it spots us..."
"That's loser's talk. Planning for failure before we even start? Buck up. Resolve to make it succeed."
Suhyun's voice was icy cold. Scott swallowed hard at the uncharacteristic attitude. The more he watched, the more astonishing it was. Judgment beyond his years.
"Ugh, the smell."
"No noise from here on. Communicate like Go Jung-chul—with text."
The squad members applied the scent Suhyun had mixed. It was to fool the ogre's nose. Never underestimate an ogre's smell or hearing.
The ogre was still far enough not to hear, but Suhyun prepared early.
Vrooom—
Bikes kicked up sand as they raced toward the dune where they hid. Dark elves scouting the ogre's position.
"Sis!"
"Janarobel? Why are you here...?"
"I get you're friends, but talk later. Ogre position first."
In the midst of the operation, Suhyun was sharp. The dark elf who'd cheerfully greeted Shaina pouted, then pulled up the map and marked coordinates.
"Good, hasn't moved yet. Lure 'em out one by one."
"Sis, this time—"
"You, shut it."
"..."
"One more outburst disrupting me, and I'll tie you up and bury you myself."
Suhyun was dead serious. The dark elf clamped her mouth shut.
"Sticks to the basics I explained. Lure the others out and take 'em one by one. If things go south and the twin-headed shows, scatter as planned. If it's truly dire, act freely—prioritize survival."
The squad nodded gravely. Suhyun's seriousness was contagious.
-Distance is nearly 3km. Closer?
Suhyun didn't reply. The weight of the anti-monster sniper rifle felt heavy in his hands after so long. He didn't use the scope. It'd been pointless since acquiring Original Sight.
The ogres milled about near the village. Their bulk kept them from huddling too close—even in a group, they maintained distance.
Suhyun planned to exploit that.
'Eating the meat? Dark elves scattered it before fleeing. Smart.'
A fast-emptying belly made an ogre a disaster. The dark elves had shown guts.
'Right now.'
No sound. Suhyun had silenced it. The bullet carried not just physical force, but his telekinesis and artifact-infused magic. Ogres resisted both physical and superpowered attacks fiercely, but...
Thud!
"!"
Scott gaped at Suhyun. A snipe at this range. Without a scope, no less.
'No aiming artifacts either?!"
Target the weakest first.
Hunter's ironclad rule. Suhyun coldly watched the chest-shot ogre stagger. Even a powerful magic bullet wouldn't drop an ogre in one hit.
The poison was doing the work.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
'Coming!'
The squad's thoughts synced. Drones and detectors tracked the ogres' movements.
'Good, didn't call its mate.'
Slowed by poison, enraged by pain—perfect weaknesses. It charged, guarding heart and head.
'Legs this time.'
Thud!
It dropped to one knee, scanning. Mobilizing every sense: hearing, smell.
But finding Suhyun, fully prepared, wouldn't be easy.
'One down.'
Ogres usually dragged fights out even one-on-one. But a few bullets ended it—thanks to perfect knowledge of habits and superpower fusion. Telekinesis-laced poison rounds were ogre-killers.
'If I could use superpower poison directly...'
Plain poison barely fazed ogres. Their physical peak wasn't hype.
Superpower poison was the exception. For good reason.
Suhyun scanned the village with Original Sight. Attacking the outlier meant the rest hadn't noticed.
'Another one.'
Bullet flew, scene repeated, second ogre crumpled.
'Two down.'
Finally, the others caught on. They huddled protectively, tensing. A vigilant, powered-up ogre was no easy mark.
'Twin-head shows, retreat. Others, keep picking off.'
The area brimmed with anti-ogre prep.
-Incoming!
Suhyun already knew via Original Sight, but the squad signaled urgently. Two ogres charged full tilt. Ground-shaking thuds dropped hearts.
'Pinpointed from the bodies' locations.'
Suhyun raised his hand. The twin-headed still slumbered in shadow. Tempting to strike sleeping, but he held.
Rushing monsters was fatal. Patience built the perfect moment.
"!"
As Suhyun crested the dune, the squad panicked. They knew he'd draw them here, but not so boldly.
Suhyun locked eyes with distant ogres—or felt it. Their eyes blazed red. They hurled rocks in haste, shattering midair.
He fired at the lead, but it blocked. Full-effort ogre defense shrugged off distant shots.
'Three, two, one.'
Splurt!
Ground collapsed; ogres plummeted. Blue Bear Team 1's superpower pitfall.
Suhyun telekinetically leaped across. The pair flailed to escape. As one reached out, he closed in and aimed dead at its head.
'Three down.'
Thud!
Head burst like overripe fruit. Bullet pierced before arm rose. Time acceleration.
'Four...'
Click—
Reloading, the ogre surged up and swung. But Suhyun was already out of range.
'It.'
Thud!
Dark elves and humans alike stared dumbfounded. Ogre defenses rarely cracked in one go. Usually, you'd swarm with numbers, debuff supers, grind attrition.
Suhyun's way was far from standard. Four kills in a blitz, centered on devastating shots.
"Prep to withdraw. Finish up and bug out."
"Yes!"
Uncle Jo Company men responded—not Blue Bear. They'd reached zen: even dragon breath from Suhyun's mouth wouldn't faze them.
'What now?'
Kerrick, weary from super use, eyed Suhyun's lingering intent curiously. They were distant from the main pack, but corpse scent would nullify that.
"Seok Go-gang. Hurry. Unless you want ogre company."
"...On it!"
Not the nearer pair, but the two slain before them. Suhyun swiftly severed necks, masked scents.
"Done. Bury the rest."
"The ogre corpses?!"
A dark elf snapped out of shock—monster bodies were gold. Burying them?
"Dig up later. Carrying now is suicide. Louis Lil, chuck that head over and return."
"Ugh, seriously!"
Louis Lil grumbled as she hoisted the ogre skull.