Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Ogre Boss Battle
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The ogre swung its fist.
Just the wind pressure from it made his entire body go numb.
Even a single graze from that fist would injure him, no matter how much the power of the giants fortified his body.
"...Hmm."
Yet Kang Hyuk stared at the fist—like a nuclear bomb—and smiled.
At the same time, he felt the itching sensation in his body and thrust out his own fist, just like the ogre.
The moment he did.
Boom!
The air trembled with the explosive roar.
Amid the blast, both the ogre and Kang Hyuk could sense it.
The first clash ended in a draw.
'So it can handle this much, huh.'
Kang Hyuk muttered to himself and twisted up the corner of his mouth.
At the same time, a tension unlike any he'd felt since his rebirth coursed through his entire body.
'Then how about this?'
With the thought, he channeled the power of the giants.
In that instant, his right arm returned to normal, while his right foot swelled to the size of the ogre's thigh.
Boom!
The clash of steel rang out as Kang Hyuk's right foot smashed into the ogre's calf.
The ogre's eyes bulged wide, and for a split second, its balance crumbled.
Whoosh!
Kang Hyuk didn't miss the opening. He swiftly poured power back into his right hand.
His right hand, now strong enough to match the ogre's fist, plunged straight into the monster's forehead.
Boom!!
A scream erupted as the ogre's body was hurled backward.
No, it floated into the air and slammed into the opposite wall.
Boom!
In that moment, Kang Hyuk's figure vanished.
He had wrapped the power of the giants around both legs.
He reappeared right in front of the ogre embedded in the wall.
"Eat this."
He muttered and drove his fist into the creature's forehead.
Boom boom boom!!!!
Each blow landed squarely on the ogre's forehead, but the shockwaves shook the entire temple.
Rawr!!
Deep within the ground, the ogre bellowed in rage as it was gradually buried.
Bang!
A surge of murderous intent poured out, forcing Kang Hyuk to grimace and leap back.
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue and watched the ogre rise from its spot.
Grrr...
Its forehead was caved in, blood streaming from its nose, and the creature glared at him with wild red eyes.
Kang Hyuk swept back his bangs.
'What a freak. Any normal ogre would've lost consciousness from that single blow.'
But the ogre before him was fine—mentally sharp.
Considering its defenses, this wasn't a D-rank ogre. It had to be a C-rank boss monster.
'C-rank boss monsters warrant national-level attention. There's no way one would be in a regular dungeon like this.'
With the thought, Kang Hyuk glanced toward where Swift Shadow Abdullah had vanished.
'What the hell is sealed here to justify something like this?'
Then he slowly turned his gaze.
"..."
Before he knew it, the ogre stood right in front of him.
It glared down at him with sunken, rage-suppressed eyes.
"...Hmm."
Not liking that look, Kang Hyuk swung his fist.
Rawr!
The ogre swung back in kind.
Boom!
The explosive boom echoed once more.
Kang Hyuk furrowed his brow.
'It's different.'
His foot slid back with the thought.
Unlike the earlier balanced clash, he was clearly overpowered in strength now.
'Did it grow stronger?'
He muttered and leaped from his spot.
He drove a high kick into the ogre's neck.
But the ogre's neck—nearly as thick as the pillars holding up the plaza—took the kick without budging.
Rawr!!!
The beast roared ferociously.
Kang Hyuk's eyes flashed at the savage cry.
'This is... a berserker's roar?'
He quickly distanced himself.
In that interval, the ogre's red eyes flickered wildly as it lowered its stance.
Boom!
The ground beneath the ogre shattered, debris flying up.
Kang Hyuk poured power into both legs and launched himself forward as well.
Boom boom boom!!
The ogre and Kang Hyuk left afterimages, switching positions every second.
Dozens of exchanges flew in the frenzy.
When the ogre threw a punch, Kang Hyuk countered with one.
When the ogre dodged, so did Kang Hyuk.
Kukukuk!
The aftermath ravaged the massive temple, crumbling it bit by bit as it couldn't withstand the power from these two monstrous beings.
Amid it all, Kang Hyuk landed effective hits while thinking.
'Berserker. A passive ability that activates at certain thresholds. Boosts physical capabilities.'
And right now.
The ogre before him was using that berserker power.
A C-rank boss monster possessing special abilities like a hunter wasn't unusual.
But having one with such power here made the situation quite tricky.
Even against a D-rank ogre, he was struggling in his current state.
Against a berserk one? Overpowering it with raw strength alone was impossible.
'If I had even one ally, it'd be different. But I'm alone.'
In other words, breaking through required power beyond his limits.
'...Gotta wield more than 5% of the giants' power?'
He recalled old memories with the mutter.
When he'd stably hunted ogres before, he'd handled 10% of the giants' power.
Twice what he could manage now.
'That means sacrificing my entire right arm.'
Power beyond limits destroyed the body.
Double the giants' power? His right arm would shatter for sure.
'And I still have to deal with Abdullah ahead. Too many complications.'
As he frowned at the ogre pursuing him faster and faster—
Mewuuu!
A familiar sound echoed from somewhere.
Mewuuu!
Startled, Kang Hyuk turned to see the baby wyvern emerging from the sub-space.
"Black?"
As he muttered and moved to act, Black locked eyes on the ogre chasing Kang Hyuk.
It let out a fierce cry and opened its maw.
The instant it did.
"...!"
To his astonishment, the ogre's balance crumbled in a flash.
More precisely, the ground beneath it floated up and collapsed.
"Magic?"
Kang Hyuk marveled as Black flapped over and perched on his shoulder.
Mewuu!
The Black Wyvern, higher in the food chain than the ogre, exhaled without hiding its fury.
Watching it, Kang Hyuk grinned.
"...Looks like I do have a partner after all."
"Black, how many more times can you use that magic from before?"
Mewuuu!
"Just once more?"
Mewuuu!
Kang Hyuk turned at Black's response.
Rawr!!
The enraged ogre pounded its chest.
Seeming furious not just that its prey survived, but that it had taken a hit.
Krooo!
But it was a predator.
At the top of the food chain.
So it got angry before prey, but didn't get reckless.
Grrr...
After venting its rage, the ogre's eyes sank low.
It began to step forward very slowly.
Thud!
Realizing all its senses were locked on him, Kang Hyuk grinned.
Then he spoke to Black.
"Can you use that magic when I give the signal?"
Mewuuu!
"Good. Don't worry about mistakes—just go for it. Got it?"
Mewuu!
Kang Hyuk nodded at the reply.
Then he activated his artifact's power.
Flames ignited on the leather gloves.
Unlike magical fire, it didn't harm Kang Hyuk's body at all.
'But it'll be different for the ogre.'
With his first preparation complete, Kang Hyuk took a deep breath.
Then he widened his eyes.
Power of the Last Giant Clan activated.
Partial Giantization activated!
Giantization Synchronization: 1% | Duration: 20 seconds
Power of the Last Giant Clan activated.
Gained Giant's Strike.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 5%
Messages appeared before his eyes as his arm swelled.
In that bizarre sensation, Kang Hyuk beckoned to the ogre.
"Come."
The ogre's lips curled at the taunt.
And then.
Boom!
The ground shattered as it lunged.
It seemed determined not to fall for the trick that toppled it before.
'But it's what I expected.'
Kang Hyuk shouted as he muttered.
The Black Wyvern cried out in response.
Mewuuu!
The spreading wave targeted not the ground, but the ogre's eyes.
Its eyelids snapped shut for an instant.
'Now.'
Kang Hyuk launched forward.
Gritting his teeth, his eyes gleamed.
Kukukukukung!!!!
The air tore as Kang Hyuk's right arm deformed grotesquely.
Crack!
Bones and flesh crumbled amid searing pain that dominated his mind.
Instead of groaning at the familiar agony, Kang Hyuk muttered.
"First, the pinky."
With those words, sensation severed from his right pinky finger.
A message popped up.
Power of the Last Giant Clan activated.
Beyond-limit Partial Giantization activated!
Giantization Synchronization: 1.2% | Duration: 12 seconds
Power of the Last Giant Clan activated.
Gained Beyond-limit Giant's Strike.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 6%
1% of bodily functions lost!
The risen values brought an entirely new sensation dominating his mind.
In it, Kang Hyuk precisely smashed his fist into the ogre's forehead.
The instant he did.
Kwaaaang!!!
A strike unlike any before shook the world, hurling the ogre's massive body into the opposite side.
Krok!
Blood burst from the ogre's mouth, its huge frame shuddering.
Kang Hyuk appeared before it again and raised his fist once more.
"Next, the index finger."
With that, sensation cut from his right index finger.
Power of the Last Giant Clan activated.
Partial Giantization activated!
Giantization Synchronization: 1.5% | Duration: 12 seconds
Power of the Last Giant Clan activated.
Gained Giant's Strike.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 7%
1.5% of bodily functions lost!
With the stats climbing again, Kang Hyuk's right fist smashed down on the ogre's chest.
Rawr!!!
A massive mark scarred its chest, devouring flesh with blazing flames.
Rawr...
The ogre spewed blood and bowed its head.
But Kang Hyuk didn't let his guard down.
'Berserker effect still active. It'll be strongest at the moment of death.'
His chance to finish it was now.
With the thought, he raised his fist again.
The instant he did.
Kwakwakwa boom!
Sensation vanished from his entire right fist, and massive light engulfed the plaza.
Within it, Kang Hyuk muttered.
"It's over. With this strike."
Abdullah pondered as he navigated the temple's traps.
South Korea.
This dungeon in the mountains of this small Eastern nation required overcoming four obstacles.
First: the orc horde.
Second: the ogre worshipped by the greenskin tribe.
Third: the bizarre magical traps spawned by the dungeon itself.
But all those traps were mere safety measures for this dungeon, so he'd breached them with ease.
Finally, he reached the end and faced a massive altar.
"..."
A black statue shrouded in darkness.
The towering coffin emanated an ominous aura, familiar yet unsettling.
"Pah."
Abdullah spat and lit a cigarette.
Exhaling smoke, he muttered.
"Always feels foreboding, no matter how many times I see it."
Then he recalled slowly.
A very special magic—or curse?—sealed that coffin.
To dismantle it required 44 lives.
'That's why I'm going through all this. Luring in Korean hunters to sacrifice.'
But his ordeal ended today.
He'd offered 43 up to yesterday.
Sacrificing the guild that followed him today would complete the 44.
'A few extra, but whatever. Master said it'd be fine.'
Abdullah waited leisurely, smoking, for his Korean mission to end.
Anticipating the rewards upon return.
"So this is it."
It was then.
"Yeah... it was weird. Why would Shaoran move personally?"
Korean—more familiar now than his native tongue—echoed in his ears.
He froze.
'Someone else is here?'
He whipped his head around, but something blocked his view.
"...!!!"
Ogre blood and flesh.
"You're up to something interesting, Abdullah... or no."
A massive hand reeking of blood and death.
As Abdullah's mouth gaped, his alias spilled from the intruder's lips.
"Should I call you Swift Shadow? Middle Eastern mercenary?"