Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Troll Hunter (6)
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“Huh?”
“?”
“That sword of yours… You just bought it from a store, right?”
“That’s right.”
“So how did you chop off a troll’s head like that?”
“Sunbae, new hunters often die if they go out alone, so sometimes they join up under experienced hunters, you know?”
Information about Cameron Planet was invaluable in itself. It wasn’t easy for rookies to get their hands on it. Learning from someone more experienced wasn’t a bad choice compared to risking your life blindly.
“Usually, if you go in as an apprentice like that, you barely get paid and they work you to the bone. But people still do it because they’re tough as nails. Why do you think that is?”
“To learn the skills…?”
“Exactly.”
“But why?”
“Why do you keep asking when you already know? This is all my know-how.”
“I-I see.”
Kim Chang-sik’s face turned red. Thinking about it, he realized he’d been incredibly rude. Suhyun had done almost all the hunting, but because he thought of him as a junior, he’d asked too casually.
“Sorry about that. It was just so amazing, the questions kept popping out.”
“No need to apologize. It’s not really something to hide anyway.”
“?”
“Even if I tell you, other people couldn’t use it anyway. Troll necks have a weak spot. You aim there with your sword. Once it’s severed, the inside of the hide is relatively soft, so it’s easy to cut through.”
“There’s something like that?”
“It’s hard for beginners to find. Don’t try anything crazy—just fight with the basics.”
It was a blatant lie, but Kim Chang-sik had no choice but to believe it. He looked at Suhyun with even greater admiration. Suhyun seemed like a hunter who’d spent his whole life on Cameron Planet.
“That’s enough. Let’s move.”
“Alright!”
Grabbing the blood pouch, Kim Chang-sik shouted energetically. Sure, he wasn’t being much help right now, but he wasn’t about to shrink back. Suhyun was the one who’d brought him along, whether as a porter or whatever.
He just had to do his best at what he could. His experience as a soldier wasn’t wasted. Kim Chang-sik could adapt flexibly to any situation.
‘So what if I’m a porter? Do it well, and that’s all that matters!’
With that thought, Kim Chang-sik quickly moved his feet.
* * *
They had traps dug all over for hunting. Placed at intervals to form a rough circle when viewed from above. They were aimed at trolls returning to their habitat.
“Three with this. Looks like these are the last trolls around here. Let’s move.”
No matter how many times he saw Suhyun calmly hanging the troll upside down and speaking, Kim Chang-sik couldn’t get used to it. Connecting the blood pouches, he asked.
“So this area’s done now?”
“Trolls aren’t stupid. Once a troll falls into a trap, the others avoid it. They can smell the troll blood sprinkled inside like nobody’s business. They’re sharp in all sorts of ways… Plus, three in one spot is actually a lot. It’s rare to find more, so we can move.”
“Great!”
His back felt heavy, but he wasn’t tired. Kim Chang-sik was riding high on dreams right now. What he carried was as good as gold. They’d hunted three, drained all the blood—worst case, their earnings were already in the nine figures. Sure, he’d split it with Suhyun, but half was still half!
“Isn’t this way more profitable than being a mercenary?”
“Trolls are especially expensive. Their blood’s in high demand… Not many monsters draw specialized hunters like that.”
“Maybe I should’ve become a hunter instead of a merc.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Why?”
“Hunter mortality rate is way higher than mercenaries.”
“……”
Unlike mercenaries who moved in groups and avoided danger first, hunters mostly operated in small teams quietly to catch their prey. And Cameron Planet wasn’t just full of trolls. It teemed with all sorts of deadly monsters. Even a seasoned troll hunter could die on the spot in an unexpected situation. That was this planet.
“We covered our tracks pretty clean, but we can’t ignore monster senses of smell. If we stick around, other monsters might show up.”
“…Let’s move fast!”
The sun was starting to set. Suhyun planned to get as far from here as possible before camping. He wasn’t tired, but Kim Chang-sik had been lugging gear nonstop, so he had to be.
‘Plus, there’s something to check.’
Magic.
He needed to open the magic book. He wanted to do it right now, but they had to secure a campsite first.
“We’ll camp here. I’ll set up sensors around us, so eat first and rest.”
“Isn’t this area all open? Is it really okay?”
“Of course not.”
Suhyun picked up a shovel.
“Let’s dig.”
“…….”
When a skilled person and an even more skilled one teamed up, a temporary shelter went up in no time. Suhyun camouflaged the top and went inside.
“It’s a bit cramped, but it’ll do, right?”
“Of course. You think I’m some delicate young master?”
“I’ll stay outside. I’ll wake you when it’s time, so sleep first.”
“Should I take watch? You did a ton today.”
“You’ve been lugging that stuff around all day too, sunbae. Don’t overthink it—just sleep.”
At Suhyun’s words, Kim Chang-sik felt a lump in his throat. He could be scary sometimes, but this showed Suhyun was a big-hearted guy.
“Thanks.”
“Sure. Sure.”
‘Hurry up and sleep already.’
Once he was sure Kim Chang-sik was asleep, Suhyun closed his eyes and activated the magic book. Among the countless spells, he found Healing, and the list appeared.
[Healing]
Troll blood: 0/10
Troll heart: 0/1
Hundred River Herb: 0/1
‘Huh?’
He definitely had the blood pouch and troll heart. Yet the numbers hadn’t budged. Wondering if he’d misread, Suhyun checked again.
‘Do I have to gather them all? No, even then, the numbers should change.’
He’d thought the book would react and absorb materials as he collected them. But the magic book stayed silent.
‘No way…’
A chilling thought crossed his mind, but he shook his head. No. It couldn’t be.
‘I have to eat them…? No, that’s not it. Definitely not!’
In his past life, Suhyun had forced down monster meat when food ran out, but it wasn’t pleasant. Sure, some monsters tasted gourmet-level that foodies craved, but the ones he’d encountered? Not so much.
‘Fuck…’
Troll blood was one thing, but eating the heart too? He’d never heard troll meat was tasty. If it was, troll hunters wouldn’t bother carrying rations…
Suhyun compromised. He’d drink the troll blood first. It was a proven tonic on its own. He’d check the book’s reaction before tackling the heart.
Gulp, gulp—
Uncorking the pouch, Suhyun started drinking the troll blood. It felt like thick juice sliding down his throat. Not tasty, but not vomit-inducing either.
‘Should’ve brought spices!’
He hadn’t dreamed of eating monster meat on this hunt, so no condiments. After downing a big swig, he wiped his mouth and checked the book.
[Healing]
Troll blood: 2/10
Troll heart: 0/1
Hundred River Herb: 0/1
‘Fuck!’
He couldn’t deny it anymore. To learn magic, he had to eat the materials, not just collect them.
‘Lubenfelt, you bastard… What kind of great mage makes the system this fucked up?!’
Any gratitude melted away. He’d assumed the book would handle it automatically. But the world wasn’t that easy.
Cursing repeatedly, Suhyun drank the blood. It took thirty minutes to finish.
“Gah. Damn. My stomach’s bloated now.”
[Healing]
Troll blood: 10/10
Troll heart: 0/1
Hundred River Herb: 0/1
He’d chugged enough to fill the requirement, and it was a lot. His body felt hot.
‘Talk about a proper tonic.’
One left.
Troll heart.
Troll blood was popular enough among hunters as a pick-me-up, but he’d never heard of anyone eating the heart.
‘I trust you, Choi Ji-eun.’
In his past life, when he’d brought back a troll for analysis, she hadn’t mentioned any poison in its body. She hadn’t said the heart was edible either, though.
Using telekinesis to shred the heart, he cooked it crisp with his portable device’s heat. That was prep done. Suhyun took a deep breath and brought the roasted troll heart to his mouth.
“??”
He’d braced for the worst, so his surprise was huge. The troll heart actually tasted decent!
It was lean and clean. Chewing with a confused face, Suhyun kept going. As far as he knew, troll flesh tasted bad. He’d heard it firsthand.
-Captain. Troll blood’s so good for you—maybe troll meat is too?
-Idiot. If it was, it’d sell for big money. It doesn’t because it sucks.
-Maybe no one’s tried it?
-Then eat some. I’m not taking responsibility.
-Inh!
-Well?
-Tastes like old tire.
-Spit it out, you moron.
“Should’ve told them to try the heart…”
Thinking of his now-gone subordinates, Suhyun finished it off. Even if he met them again, they wouldn’t recognize him, but knowing they were alive was a relief. Whatever they were doing, it beat death.
[Healing]
Troll blood: 10/10
Troll heart: 1/1
Hundred River Herb: 0/1
‘Good.’
It’d been confusing along the way, but he’d met the troll requirements. And now he knew: eat the materials, don’t just gather them.
Not a pleasant fact.
‘Not everything can taste as surprisingly good as the heart.’
Hundred River Herb remained. But unlike trolls, it wouldn’t be easy to find. He was seasoned against monsters, but rare herbs? He knew little about their locations.