Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A New Beginning (7)
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If one of them tried something crazy, the important thing was to be able to stop them first. At least Suhyun wouldn’t get dragged into it and die along with them.
“Then let’s move. Trainee Kim Suhyun. Do you know anything about the monsters we might encounter around here?”
“There are all sorts of them roaming around, so... it’s hard to pinpoint any specific ones. Trolls show up from time to time, though.”
“Trolls?!”
The other trainees following behind lit up at Suhyun’s words. Trolls. A name straight out of fantasy, but on Cameron Planet, they were real monsters. Brutal creatures that attacked intruders on sight, but their corpses fetched a high price.
Even on Earth, animal hides could be valuable, but monster hides from Cameron Planet were worth several times more. For proper analysis, for crafting things. There were plenty of people lining up to buy rare monster hides.
And trolls had one more thing: their blood. Troll blood. It was famous that the scientists who first analyzed its components let out cries of joy. Troll blood, hailed as a cure for all sorts of incurable diseases, was as good as gold in itself.
Naturally, catching a troll was like picking up gold on legs. The trainees couldn’t help but be tempted.
“Even if we ran into one now, it’d be tough to take it down.”
“Why?!”
Suhyun doused their enthusiasm. It was better to say it upfront rather than let them build false hopes and do something stupid later.
“Taking down a troll isn’t easy to begin with. Their hides are so thick. Plus, they have great regeneration.”
“But we’ve got power armor. We shouldn’t be pushed back, right? Not even with this?”
*That power armor is unreliable, you idiot.*
“We could probably manage to kill it somehow. The problem comes after. Why go after a troll? Not for the hide or meat—ultimately, it’s the blood, right?”
“Yeah?”
The trainees nodded.
“To drain the blood after killing it, you need specialized gear from the start. There’s equipment made specifically for that. The people who hunt trolls for profit specialize in it... but we’re here for a search mission. Even if we drained it, we couldn’t collect half of it before having to discard the rest. Storing it would be tricky too. And preservation on top of that...”
It would be impossible to carry all the blood from a massive troll, let alone keep it from spoiling on the way back. The trainees nodded glumly at Suhyun’s words.
They hadn’t even caught one, yet it already felt like money had come into their hands and slipped away.
“You really know your stuff, huh?”
As the conversation wrapped up and they moved into the clearing, Kim Chang-sik spoke to Suhyun.
“I’ve heard things.”
“No, but to take hearsay like that and apply it right here in the field—that’s impressive. Usually, knowledge from talk doesn’t translate directly. But what you say feels so vivid, even to me who’s hearing it for the first time, like you’ve experienced it yourself.”
*Ugh.*
Suhyun’s face twitched slightly as the remark hit too close to home without him realizing.
“Anyway, sorry about earlier. I thought you’d panicked and started firing wildly.”
“How could someone like that aim so precisely?”
“True. Sorry again.”
“It’s fine. I should’ve spoken up sooner.”
Among soldiers, you saw plenty of prickly types. Back when Suhyun was young, he’d been rough enough to break and subdue them all. He’d mellowed out after becoming a commander with subordinates, but that temper hadn’t gone anywhere.
If Kim Chang-sik had interfered like that back then, Suhyun’s fist would’ve flown first. His old subordinates would’ve been shocked to see him brush it off now. Unaware he’d narrowly escaped death, Kim Chang-sik continued.
“But that troll you mentioned earlier. Really no way to make it work?”
“I told you, not with our current gear.”
“Later, then. Let’s get the equipment and hunt one. They say one can net over a hundred million if handled right.”
“I don’t know where you heard that, but it’s really tough. Pretty much impossible.”
To sell a troll for top price, you had to kill it with minimal damage and even less bleeding. The problem was that trolls weren’t docile herbivores—they were ferocious, powerful monsters. Humans could die in an instant, so they couldn’t exactly accommodate the troll.
“Usually, you need heavy firepower to overcome their regeneration, but that ruins the hide and spills a lot of blood.”
“Still, that’s something. A few million at least. You provide the info, I’ll fight up front. We split the profits fifty-fifty. Sound good?”
Suhyun chuckled. Kim Chang-sik was easygoing. A bit sly, but guys who approached rookies so friendly were rare. Mercs and soldiers weren’t social for nothing.
*If I catch it, I catch it alone. Why fight together?*
“You think it’s good too, right?”
Misreading Suhyun’s laugh, Kim Chang-sik nodded excitedly on his own.
“Great. After this mission, straight to troll hunting!”
“Focus on this mission first.”
“I know. Don’t underestimate me. I’ve got experience.”
Catching one troll for a hundred million profit. Troll hunters would call bullshit. The gear and ammo alone cost a fortune, and the damage from that firepower tanked the corpse’s value.
But it was possible. Suhyun had done it.
*Damn it. I didn’t even convert it to cash—just reported and handed it over...*
When the military needed troll blood for research, Suhyun’s team took the job. They wanted high-quality, unspoiled blood, so Suhyun went primitive.
—Captain. No matter how I think about it, this is insane... It’s a monster!
—If shit hits the fan, cover me immediately. Unless you want to watch me die.
He’d masked his scent completely so the troll wouldn’t notice, waited days in a tree, then leaped onto a passing one, slit its throat, and yanked out the knife.
A feat impossible without Suhyun’s guts, skill, and superpower. The military’s ultra-vibrating knife helped, but it wasn’t perfected—limited cutting power.
Later, some reckless soldiers heard about it and charged trolls with ultra-vibrating knives, only to get half-severed throats and counterattacked, becoming chow.
Remembering the old days soured his stomach. He’d handed over the results without question. All he got was a commendation and pocket change. If he’d skimmed a little from then on for the team, he might not regret it now.
“Halt. Trainee Kim Suhyun. What do you think of this terrain?”
“Huh?”
Snapping out of his thoughts at Team Leader Lee So-hee’s voice, Suhyun looked up. They’d reached the clearing. Few trees, good visibility—ideal for fighting.
*Impressive, though.*
Suhyun had earned some trust, but he hadn’t expected her to consult him on every little thing. For a team leader to do that showed great capacity.
Only someone with rock-solid confidence in themselves could seek advice like that. Petty people feared losing authority.
*If she’d stayed in the military, she’d have climbed high. Did I miss her because she went this route?*
“It’s suitable. For any surprises, we should cut down those trees over there and stack them aside...”
“Got it.”
Lee So-hee immediately moved her power armor to chop the trees. The close-combat knife was more like a saw. It felled thick trunks in one stroke.
“Wait, is it okay to make that much noise?”
The speaker was Park Su-yong, one of Kim Chang-sik’s acquaintances. If Suhyun’s memory was right, ex-Korean military.
“Won’t it attract more monsters?”
“Don’t worry. This level of noise won’t draw them. Small ones flee, and dangerous ones don’t chase prey over something this minor.”
“How do you know?”
“Trainee Park Su-yong. I’m the one who heard the advice and decided. If you have complaints, direct them to me.”
“Team Leader. Of course I acknowledge Trainee Kim Suhyun’s knowledge is useful, but I’m against relying on it too much. It’s just hearsay from someone without field experience. We don’t know when or where it’ll fall short or differ.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Info like that bird earlier, fine. But in this situation, we shouldn’t be swayed by uncertain info—we need to stick to principles. I can’t trust that this noise is okay. We should minimize noise as much as possible.”
Park Su-yong’s argument had merit. To them, Suhyun’s words were just relaying hearsay, not experience. Of course, Suhyun had lived it, but they had no way to know.
“I’m telling you, this much noise is fine.”
“That’s exactly what I can’t trust. If it causes problems, will you take responsibility? Only say what you can back up.”
“Enough!”
Lee So-hee’s short, forceful command cut through.
“No more debate. I’ll judge and order. We’ve already made noise—if that bird flew off, nearby monsters will move. Even if it risks drawing more, it’s better to proceed safer.”
“But...”
“I said no more debate. Trainee Park Su-yong.”
“Understood.”
Park Su-yong started to say something but bowed his head at Lee So-hee’s stern demeanor.
“Everyone, move. If we don’t fight monsters, we’ll camp here tonight.”
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