Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Troll Hunter (2)
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“But I knew a few tricks for dealing with it.”
“Really? Like what?”
“My parents spent nearly half their lives on this planet. Naturally, they’d tangled with Calcutta Gorillas before.”
“Ah, right.”
“First, I ditched everything heavy. The gun wasn’t going to do much damage anyway, so I dropped it. Then I ran to a spot where it’d be hard for the thing to chase me.”
“You can do that?”
“Lucky break. Honestly, I thought I was done for.”
What Kim Suhyun was saying would’ve earned a scoff from anyone who’d actually faced a Calcutta Gorilla. Running to a place too tough for it to follow was impossible. The beasts were faster than humans and bulldozed through most obstacles without breaking a sweat.
But Jo Seung-hyun had only heard the rumors of their notoriety, never seen their capabilities firsthand. So he bought the story hook, line, and sinker.
“I figured there wasn’t much else I could do. If I died there, I died. I held out like that, and at some point, the gorilla just wandered off.”
“So you came straight back then?”
“Nah. I waited even longer.”
“?”
He had zero intention of mentioning how he’d entered the mage’s ruins in that cave and awakened. Kim Suhyun knew the world didn’t work that simply. Nations worldwide were already burning the midnight oil researching superpowers—if he announced he was the first human to become a mage, the odds of praise and honors were slimmer than being kidnapped for experiments.
He didn’t think Jo Seung-hyun was evil enough to sell him out, but once a secret leaked, it spread like wildfire.
Kim Suhyun planned to gloss over it with a plausible excuse. For now, Uncle Jo Company would serve as his shield. He’d work here, fattening up his magic in the process.
He knew full well how incredible the opportunity he’d stumbled into was. But rushing out blindly would only bring disaster. The memories of his past life were still fresh.
Slowly, even if it meant circling back later. He’d sharpen his blade from within and build his strength. Then he’d hunt them down.
The ones who’d screwed him over!
“Calcutta Gorillas don’t give up prey easily. They usually prowl the area, waiting it out or hunting something else. So I camouflaged myself and hunkered down.”
“…!”
Jo Seung-hyun was stunned inside. No twenty-year-old kid should’ve been spouting wisdom like that. It was spot-on, though—not just for gorillas, but any monster. Let your guard down after shaking one off, and you’d regret it.
But knowing that and pulling it off were worlds apart. Split from your team by accident, facing potential death alone in Calcutta Jungle if you didn’t regroup in time—who’d have the guts to wait it out? Just to dodge a maybe-returning gorilla?
No. Nine times out of ten, they’d push through the risks to rejoin ASAP.
Jo Seung-hyun was convinced now. This kid was the real deal. Age didn’t matter; you could spot the big ones coming.
‘I struck gold!’
In that moment, Jo Seung-hyun made up his mind. He’d bring Kim Suhyun along, no matter what. The kid might lack experience and polish now, but once he gained it, he’d be the heart of the company.
“After about a day, I was sure. It was gone for good. That’s when I got my bearings and headed back to the city.”
“Wasn’t the trip back rough? Hell, that jungle’s not exactly a stroll in the park!”
He said “headed back to the city” casually, but it was no small feat. Even armed to the teeth, Calcutta Jungle was brutal—unarmed? Suicide.
“A few close calls, yeah… But luck was on my side. I did dodge some dangers ahead of time, though.”
It didn’t come off as bragging. Jo Seung-hyun nodded along. Nothing else made sense.
“Yeah… You did good. Job’s wrapped up thanks to you. Client’s thrilled. Though the gorilla means we can’t head back just yet.”
“You’d need a few suits of Power Armor to mine resources there. And some extra manpower.”
“That’s on them. Anyway, time for your cut. Money’s in your account. Oh, right—you didn’t give an emergency contact for payouts. What now?”
“If there’s nowhere to send it, you can’t deliver, right? Give it to the others.”
“You got a bit more than them—don’t make a fuss. Everyone agreed.”
“They did?”
That surprised even Kim Suhyun. In his mind, mercenaries wagered their lives for every penny. He’d figured they’d fight tooth and nail if someone else claimed their share. Yet here they were, offering him extra.
“That’s how much you pulled through. Thanks, and let’s keep it up.”
“Sure.”
Kim Suhyun smirked and clasped Jo Seung-hyun’s outstretched hand in a firm shake.
* * *
Compared to the shock of his return, the aftermath was tame. Once the initial “holy shit, he’s alive” wore off, nobody wanted to swarm him with questions. They weren’t close, hadn’t chatted much—so it felt awkward.
In the end, only Kim Chang-sik came over for details. Lee So-hee and Park Su-yong just tossed a word or two as they passed.
“Hey, you’ve got skills. How’d you crawl out of that?”
“Good luck.”
Kim Suhyun brushed off Kim Chang-sik’s opener while checking his gear. He closed his eyes and activated the Magic Book.
[Healing]
Troll Blood: 0/10
Troll Heart: 0/1
Baekha Grass: 0/1
‘Gotta hunt some trolls.’
Two out of three came from them, Baekha Grass aside. But he couldn’t just bolt off trolling. He was a company merc now. Merc work was irregular and freewheeling, sure, but not lawless.
“By the way, seems I got a bigger payout. That cool?”
“Huh? Oh, that. Su-yong hyung brought it up, and nobody argued. I wouldn’t have either. You saved our asses.”
Kim Chang-sik nodded like it was obvious. Kim Suhyun hadn’t thought luring the gorilla was a big deal, but to the others, he’d sacrificed his safety to save theirs.
“Speaking of, Park Su-yong’s full of surprises.”
“That guy acts prickly, but he repays debts. When the gorilla showed, we all bolted. He was the one pushing to circle back for you.”
“…?”
Kim Suhyun tilted his head, baffled. That gruff bastard said that? Park Su-yong’s greeting had been a curt “Good you’re back.”
To Kim Suhyun’s confusion, Kim Chang-sik glanced around and whispered.
“So, how much extra?”
“After the advance, about 40 million won total…”
“Damn, 10 mil bonus. Lucky bastard. What’s the plan?”
“Gear and weapons.”
“Dude, why you acting like this as a rookie? Rookies blow it on booze, gambling, girls!”
“…….”
Kim Suhyun ignored the protest—it was too absurd—but half of it was sincere. Not all new mercs were like him. Even after scraping by alive, few restocked gear right away. Most blew their hard-earned cash fast.
“Man, you’re no fun.”
“Oh, right—what’s next mission?”
“Huh? Off for at least three months.”
“You sure? How do you know?”
“Big jobs like this usually mean downtime. We’re not backed up anyway. Plus, boss said something about the next one in three months.”
“Perfect.”
“?”
Kim Chang-sik couldn’t parse why Kim Suhyun called it perfect. Downtime was vital for mercs risking their necks, but three months struck many as too long. Busy outfits had guys jumping back in after a week.
The job succeeded, company was small—everyone cut slack. A big firm with backlog giving three months? Riot.
“Like hunting by any chance?”
* * *
“Ha, our rookie’s got some spunk. Be real— you got hooked on what I mentioned last time, right?”
“Think what you want.”
“No need to be so stiff. Call me hyung!”
Kim Chang-sik thumped his chest, beaming. He had reason to be pumped. Kim Suhyun’s proposal to him.
‘Troll hunting!’
Word had long buzzed that trolls paid big. Nothing on Cameron Planet didn’t, but trolls were legends—hunters striking it rich overnight.
Insanely tough, sure. But Kim Suhyun worried more about permission. Turned out easy. Jo Seung-hyun greenlit it on the spot, with a “be careful.”
‘Guy’s a saint.’
Unaware Jo Seung-hyun had decided to fast-track him, Kim Suhyun could only wonder.
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