Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Confronting the Ogre
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Monsters had a concept called life force.
Even Jae-hyeok, who had grown by turning the tables on assassins stronger than himself, felt a bit tense facing a high-grade monster.
‘Fighting normally won’t cut it.’
Ogre.
A massive physical-type monster standing five meters tall.
Its skin was tough enough to serve as material for various pieces of armor, and its muscles were hard enough to match a unique-grade blunt weapon head-on.
On top of that, it possessed life force in the tens of thousands.
To kill it, one had to whittle down its life force, slice through its hide and muscles, and stab its vital points—so facing it with an ordinary blade was like charging in with a toothpick.
‘I have to go all out.’
But there were too many eyes watching.
Unlike the Archery Club members, the House Kang Pharmaceuticals employees were outsiders, and Song Se-yeong was someone he’d met for the first time today.
If they spread eyewitness accounts like ‘Kang Jae-hyeok’s sword turned red’ or ‘he summoned lightning,’ the rumors could spread like wildfire.
‘That’s why.’
Clack!
Jae-hyeok, who had drawn his blade, urged Manager Gu on.
“Get everyone out of here right now.”
He nodded toward the direction Jo Seong-hyeon had flown. A reminder not to forget him.
Manager Gu let out a hollow laugh.
“How? You planning to stay here alone and buy us some time?”
“Yes.”
“…What?”
Manager Gu’s face went slack.
As people murmured in unrest, Song Se-yeong reacted vehemently.
“Hey, newbie! Stop showing off and get over here quick!”
This wasn’t the time for chit-chat.
They had to gather their strength and break through one section of the orc encirclement before the ogre moved again if they wanted any chance of a few survivors.
Jae-hyeok advised him as he began casting an area-of-effect spell.
“Like Manager Gu said, the orc mages will use fire attacks. Don’t half-ass it—start a counterfire to sow confusion. Remember, only a mage like you can pull that off.”
Song Se-yeong didn’t even have a chance to retort.
Jae-hyeok leaped onto a tree branch, matching the ogre’s eye level.
‘Intimidating as hell.’
He took out a long green gemstone earring and hooked it onto one ear, then met the monster’s ferocious eyes and felt a slight chill.
Reverse Divergence Aura.
One solid hit from that club it wielded, and it’d be instant death.
Even blocking it would shatter bones or rupture organs.
“Even the player managers racked up huge charges because of you.”
To stably take down an ogre, you needed multiple tanks with physical resistance and A-rank or higher ranged dealers.
Thinking of the money spent on gacha pulls to assemble an assault team still made his teeth grind.
Kuuuwaaaargh!
The ogre roared in wounded pride at this mere beast refusing to avert its gaze.
“Ugh…!”
People staggered.
The heatwave from the ogre’s roar gave the illusion of burns.
Many felt dizzy from the monster’s putrid breath, as if it had never brushed its teeth in its life.
Yet Jae-hyeok, standing right in front of the ogre, remained ramrod straight.
“T-That crazy bastard wouldn’t….”
Manager Gu sighed, realizing Jae-hyeok was serious.
Even the orc legion alone would require everyone here pooling their strength just to put up a fight.
And he planned to buy time against the ogre solo?
Insanity.
‘Who does he think he is, an A-rank player?’
Even an A-rank player wouldn’t dare step up in a situation like this.
High-rank players had too much to lose, so they got cautious.
In other words.
‘Recklessness.’
That was Manager Gu’s assessment.
Kang Jae-hyeok was still just a teenager.
He’d even spent eight years locked away in the mansion.
It made sense for him to act so rashly.
‘I can use that foolishness.’
Manager Gu squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from Jae-hyeok.
He had zero intention of dying a dog’s death in a place like this.
“…Everyone, pool your strength and break the encirclement.”
“You’re really going to sacrifice that kid and run?”
Song Se-yeong’s half-closed eyes snapped half-open, his smile twisting.
His now expressionless face sharpened like a snake’s.
“Is that what adults do?”
“That kid jumped at the ogre on his own—what do you expect us to do? Sacrifice dozens of us to save him? We can’t save him; we’d just die together.”
“Exactly. He’s the idiot who screwed up from the start!”
The team leaders sided with Manager Gu.
They’d taken shortcuts he pointed out and fought at the front against hobgoblin ambushes.
They held some fondness for Jae-hyeok, but not enough to risk their lives for deep loyalty.
Even if they were close, they wouldn’t step up easily.
Self-preservation was paramount for humans, after all.
“Players!”
Song Se-yeong bellowed.
“Are those duty-bound to save lives from monsters!”
If the House Kang Pharmaceuticals employees were ordinary folk.
Song Se-yeong would’ve done his utmost to get them out.
But everyone here was a player.
They should be helping the kid, not sacrificing him.
The team leaders sneered at his gritted teeth.
“So the noble Lion’s Castle teaches its students that way? Look, we’re just money-grubbing lowlifes who awakened for cash.”
Team Leader Seol and Team Leader Baek.
They’d joined the company precisely because they hated guilds and associations that imposed duties. Player obligations meant nothing; only their own glory mattered.
Kruuwaaaargh!!
The ogre roared again.
House Kang Pharmaceuticals employees paled as it reached to uproot the tree Jae-hyeok stood on.
“J-Jae-hyeok…!”
“Ignore him and run while we can! Hesitate, and you die with the brat!”
The team leaders prodded the employees.
Many hesitated out of conscience, but lives were on the line.
Plus, hadn’t Jae-hyeok told them to run first?
‘We don’t even have the ability to help anyway.’
In the end, those who’d decided started following the team leaders.
Only Song Se-yeong ran the opposite way.
“Hey! Newbie!”
Magic bloomed from his hand.
Toward the ogre mercilessly swinging its club at Jae-hyeok.
But his spell activation was slower than.
“Why can’t you get it through your thick skull?”
Jae-hyeok’s movements.
Borrowing the power of his wind spirit boots, he dodged the club, closed in on Song Se-yeong, and unleashed Quick Draw.
“Urk!”
Struck by the back of the blade, Song Se-yeong tumbled toward the House Kang Pharmaceuticals group.
Why do allies keep getting in the way….
Jae-hyeok glared coldly at the flustered people.
“Run.”
“W-Wait…!”
This time, it was Manager Gu reaching out.
He realized from Jae-hyeok’s icy, resolute gaze.
That kid.
Wasn’t acting out of bravado.
He fully understood how dire the situation was.
Then why….
“…Why! You’re scared too—why…!”
Why face that monster alone.
Manager Gu couldn’t finish.
Having felt relief at the boy’s order to flee, spouting that now would just amplify his guilt.
Seeing Manager Gu’s crumpled, paper-like face, Jae-hyeok smirked.
“Calm down. You don’t need to feel responsible.”
The burden fell to nobles.
The moment he turned away, reaffirming it like a vow.
Whoosh!
Fireballs from the orc mages beyond the brush ignited the forest.
The flames spread instantly, a blazing wall completely obscuring the boy.
***
‘I have to prove it.’
The ogre was utterly ferocious.
Backed by the flame wall and isolated, Jae-hyeok faced its wild club swings as it charged.
‘That all my efforts so far weren’t in vain.’
Stamping his leading foot, Jae-hyeok dove into the club instead.
Kwaaaang!!
As the club slammed into the ground.
Shwaaang-!
Jae-hyeok was already at the ogre’s wrist.
The club barely missed his crown, casting deep shadows.
‘Rise.’
As if swallowed by the night, Jae-hyeok drew.
No—unsheathed.
Following Master Song’s advice, his mental image of Iyarugut sharpened instantly, and the curved blade from the green scabbard took sword form.
Divine relic Iyarugut.
Pukwaak!
It etched a red line into the ogre’s thick green skin.
That was all.
Kruuwaaaargh!!
The ogre’s life force gauge remained full.
Jae-hyeok’s strike was precise but only provoked it, inflicting no fatal wound.
Feeling no real threat, the ogre swung its club again, committing fully to offense.
It ignored Jae-hyeok’s dodges and counters.
Even dozens of slashes wouldn’t matter if one hit landed—the hunt would end.
‘Double-edged is convenient.’
Advancing with diagonal cuts, retreating sideways with upward slashes, stepping back with vertical chops, then advancing into horizontal sweeps.
Jae-hyeok’s wrist spun freely without pause.
Using a double-edged sword unlike a single-edged one felt less restrictive.
Sssk! Sssksssksssksssk!!
Like wood fixed and sawed by teeth.
The ogre’s green skin gradually tore open wider.
[Struck the exact same spot 5+ times.]
[<Ogre>’s weak point is exposed. Attacks on weak points will always crit.]
[Struck the exact same spot 5+ times.]
[<Ogre>’s weak point is exposed…]
[Struck the exact same spot 5+ times…]
……
…
Multiple weak points now marred the ogre’s thick wrist,
Kruk?
Finally feeling pain, the ogre flew into a frenzy and activated <Berserk>.
Its green skin flushed red, and its attack speed surged.
Ppeong!
With a leather-bursting sound, Jae-hyeok’s body floated into the air.
The ogre’s surprise kick, unlike its usual club swings.
Uluk!
Blood poured from his reddened eyes, mouth, and nose.
One hit had inflicted a critical wound.
Kruuwaaaargh!!
The ogre seemed delighted.
It swung its club with full force at Jae-hyeok flailing higher than its sight.
A blow to end the boy’s short life.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!!
A thunderous boom louder than thunder pierced the flame-engulfed battlefield.