Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Ogre Sanctuary (1)
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Right after leaving the station and stepping outside.
“This is surprising. I never expected things to line up like this.”
It was the first thing Choi Kangwoo said after our brief greeting.
“I was a bit surprised myself.”
To think the porter was the Pungbaek Guild Master.
Yoon Suhyeok must have a screw loose.
How else could he demote his own guild master to a ‘porter’?
“You listed ‘Dungeon Herb Gathering’ as the reason for the expedition.”
Choi Kangwoo said quietly as they walked.
That’s because it’s the only item officially obtainable from the Ogre Sanctuary.
“I need the dungeon herbs.”
“…”
He probably didn’t believe me.
But Choi Kangwoo didn’t press the issue.
Like Yoon Sua, he knew how to respect boundaries.
I was the one who offered a way out for the cornered Pungbaek Guild.
There was no reason to interrogate someone like that.
“We’re here. That’s the entrance to the Ogre Sanctuary.”
About ten minutes later.
Choi Kangwoo and I arrived at a place where an ogre-shaped statue stood.
The statue, occupying the middle of an eight-lane road, was incredibly bizarre.
“Then, Hunter Kim Hanul, I will enter first.”
With those words, Choi Kangwoo walked toward the statue.
Whoooom.
A blue rift appeared before the statue and swallowed him.
I immediately followed.
A thick darkness engulfed my body, and all sound vanished.
It was the same sensation I felt when I first entered the Garden of Depths.
And then.
A new status window appeared before my eyes.
[Ogre's Sanctuary]
Grade: B
Personnel Limit: 10
Type: Annihilation Dungeon
Just then.
Once again, the pixelated status window emerged from the darkness.
[This is the Ogre's Sanctuary. A fitting place for those who are belligerent and worship a burning fighting spirit. A fiery spirit—within it lies the answer you seek.]
As I calmly tried to read the pixelated status window.
[Welcome to the Ogre's Sanctuary.]
Before I knew it, I was under an unfamiliar sky.
I dismissed the status window and surveyed my surroundings.
I found myself in a place I couldn’t tell was a hill or a mountain.
The reason I couldn't distinguish between them was…
...because the surroundings were filled with a pure white light.
Snow.
After the gray sky, the next thing I saw was snow.
Everything was white.
The gaunt, sparsely scattered trees barely asserted their existence, covered in snow.
Looking down, I saw white snow piled up to my ankles.
And.
‘It’s cold.’
It was so cold my lips trembled.
And this was with the stat bonuses.
I exhaled a white breath and got to my feet.
“Are you alright, Hunter Kim Hanul?”
I turned to my side and saw Choi Kangwoo looking at me.
He was already in a combat stance.
His ink-black hunter suit was so dark it seemed to absorb the surrounding light, and the same was true for the longsword he held.
“I’m fine.”
“I confirmed it through reports, but the environment wasn't this extreme. It’s completely different from what was reported during the first expedition.”
“So it wasn’t originally like this.”
Choi Kangwoo nodded, looking around.
“This place originally had an environment identical to Earth's temperate zone. That started to change little by little after the first expedition. Even in the same dungeon, minor variables can occur, but this was strange. The climate itself began to change.”
It used to be filled with a warmth reminiscent of spring.
But at some point, the temperature started to drop.
Then, the vegetation lost its green hue.
Eventually, it began to snow.
However, while Choi Kangwoo found it unusual, he didn't devote all his resources to solving the root cause.
Because the types and numbers of monsters hadn't changed.
Even.
[There is an Ogre Sanctuary in this field. Annihilate the ogres guarding the sanctuary and destroy the divine statue in its center.]
The dungeon's mission itself.
I stared intently at the mission window that appeared before me.
Choi Kangwoo also stared into the air, his brow furrowed.
“So you completed the mission as stated, but you couldn't fulfill the dungeon's special conditions.”
“That’s right.”
The mission left no room for interpretation.
Kill the ogres and destroy the sanctuary.
A clear objective.
Every hunter who had visited this dungeon so far must have done just that.
As a result, winter came to the dungeon.
And the fuse of the rampage was lit.
“Even before the dungeon pattern changed to red, we tried to find the cause of this phenomenon. A change in a dungeon’s structure is clearly a bad omen.”
They tried shortening the clear time.
They searched every nook and cranny of the field.
They even annihilated all the ogres in the field, not just the ones guarding the sanctuary.
But the dungeon didn't disappear.
Despite trying every possible method, Choi Kangwoo couldn't find a solution.
“I gathered all our guild members and sent them on expeditions for days, but there were no results. In the end, we couldn't find a proper solution.”
I listened to his story in silence.
And as the white puffs of his breath subsided.
I spoke quietly.
“In that case, Guild Master, you’ve accompanied me here without any clear solution in mind.”
“...That’s.”
Caught off guard by the direct hit, Choi Kangwoo flinched.
His thick eyebrows twitched.
“This could be your last chance. If your solution was to accompany me, knowing nothing, without seeking help from other guilds… then I’d say that was a purely emotional decision.”
“There was no other way…”
“There was a way.”
If you had just asked Asha of Aegis for help.
A better method would have emerged than the Pungbaek Guild Master just banging his head against a wall.
“However, you didn’t choose it because it offered no benefit to your guild. That’s why when I, someone with no vested interest, requested an expedition, you jumped at the chance. And on top of that, you came along yourself, didn’t you? You have to maintain the image that Pungbaek did its absolute best until the very end, even in a crisis.”
“That’s not…”
“Is it not?”
Rather than pressing him, I asked quietly. Slowly.
Choi Kangwoo stared at me for a moment with surprised eyes.
I simply met his gaze calmly.
A moment later, the Pungbaek Guild Master quietly lowered his head.
“I won’t deny it. That was certainly part of my intention.”
He wasn’t the type to use someone for personal gain.
The Choi Kangwoo known to the world was a man more upright and incorruptible than anyone.
But his tendency to value honor and responsibility more than his own life.
That tendency was the problem.
It led to the misstep of the Pungbaek Guild Master, Choi Kangwoo.
“...I apologize. I’ve never been in a situation like this before, and my judgment was clouded. Once this rampage is resolved, I will formally apologize to you, Hanul.”
That’s it.
I smiled inwardly.
But I spoke with a very serious expression.
“I don’t intend to let this end with just an apology. So from now on, I’d like you to take responsibility for accompanying me so recklessly. And for trying to use me for your convenience.”
“How so?”
“Whatever I do here, however I resolve this matter, do not interfere in any way. I want you to wield your sword for me only when I need you to.”
A deep wrinkle formed between Choi Kangwoo's eyebrows.
“You mean…”
“I’m asking you to entrust this entire opportunity to me.”
This whole conversation was unplanned.
I hadn’t expected the Pungbaek Guild Master to actually tag along on this expedition.
But he did.
And before the expedition truly began, I needed to muzzle him.
‘If he were just an ordinary porter, one shot of Baby's Petrification would have settled it.’
But my opponent is the 2nd-ranked Hunter and the Master of the Pungbaek Guild.
The Heavenly Martial Body, Choi Kangwoo.
Forcing him into submission is impossible.
So, I took a different approach.
“Then, Hunter Hanul, do you know how to resolve this situation?”
Choi Kangwoo asked, looking at me with a perplexed expression.
“Not yet.”
“?”
“But I will find out. And I’ll find out faster if no one gets in my way.”
“…”
Choi Kangwoo’s expression grew complicated.
He spoke with confidence, but didn't that just mean this fellow didn't know either?
That was the look in his eyes.
But as things stood, he had no other choice.
Because I was the one holding the reins.
“...Understood. I will not interfere in any way.”
Choi Kangwoo lowered his head heavily.
“However, if time passes and the situation only worsens, I will do whatever I can on my own. I can't wait forever.”
“That’s good enough. Oh, and this isn’t exactly a promise, but I have one more favor to ask. It’s for after the expedition is over.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Regarding my skills and abilities, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t leak anything to the media.”
I deliberately used the word ‘leak’.
The effect was immediate.
Choi Kangwoo’s face hardened as he replied.
“Do I look like someone with a loose tongue?”
His aura was intimidating, but I just smiled.
“My abilities are just a bit… mysterious.”
It was then.
Thud!
Over there, not too far away.
A snowball moved.
As the nearly 2.5-meter snowball moved, a tree standing precariously in front of it toppled over.
Craaack!
The broken tree landed on the snow with a soft thud.
And.
I was soon able to identify the snowball.
“It’s a monster.”
An ogre.
It wasn't a snowball, but an ogre completely covered in snow.
The creature only watched us with wary eyes, not charging for some reason.
Beside me, Choi Kangwoo straightened his sword and asked quietly.
“Shall I help?”
“No.”
I answered softly.
His help isn't needed.
“Just watch.”
I opened the fist I had been clenching.
A brilliant brown orb fell onto the sea of snow.
Pooof!
Smoke billowed out from the yellowish-brown orb that had fallen on the snow.
And soon, a three-meter-tall giant emerged from the smoke.
I looked at him and nodded.
“It’s been a while, Odolph.”
“…”
Choi Kangwoo showed little reaction, even though an ogre had appeared before him.
It seemed he had seen hunters who had tamed ogres before.
However.
“Your humble servant greets the King of Ten Thousand Men. Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
“...?!”
When Odolph bowed respectfully and greeted me in fluent Korean.
Even the great Pungbaek Guild Master’s eyes widened, and he froze.
Still, introductions are in order.
“Say hello. This is Hunter Choi Kangwoo, who will be joining us on this expedition.”
“Hmm.”
Odolph looked down at Choi Kangwoo and bared a fang.
“A pleasure to meet you. You seem quite strong.”
“…”
“It’s been a while since my fighting spirit stirred. For a human, you radiate a rather powerful aura.”
Choi Kangwoo seemed at a loss for words.
Regardless, Odolph continued to speak his mind.
“So, my Lord. The reason you summoned me is… Hmm.”
Odolph, who had been turning his head toward me, closed his mouth.
His deep-set eyes narrowed.
He had spotted the ogre that was still standing guard in the distance.
Odolph looked at me, his expression showing he had grasped the situation.
“Odolph, you don’t have a set summoning time like Gono, do you?”
“That is correct, my Lord. You may keep me by your side for as long as you wish. If I may add, Gono doesn't originally have a set summoning time either. However, that friend of mine is fond of money, so he sets employment hours to receive extra pay.”
“?”
What?
My head spun a little.
I feel like I just heard something incredible.
It was more shocking than the moment I was told as a child that Santa wasn't real.
…For now, I'll just have to interrogate Gono when I have the time.
“Then, for the duration of our time in this dungeon, stay by my side. And I want you to act as my spokesman.”
Spokesman.
At that word, Choi Kangwoo made a bizarre expression.
Odolph nodded with a look of understanding.
“As you’ve probably guessed, this dungeon is called the ‘Ogre’s Sanctuary.’ So it’s full of your kind.”
“The Ogre’s Sanctuary, you say.”
“Heard of it?”
“Hmm, sanctuaries that serve gods exist everywhere. It would be impossible to specify just one. However…”
Odolph’s eyes turned to the ogre that was still frozen in place.
“I can see that there is something wrong with them.”
“Exactly. We’re going to talk to that one and find out what the problem is.”
I nodded.
This was my plan from the start.
Choi Kangwoo had tried various methods to solve the dungeon’s problem.
He’d tried shortening the clear time and meticulously annihilating the monsters.
He’d checked for hidden stages.
It was a logical approach.
Who would ever think of talking to a monster to figure out a problem?
Even I wouldn't have come up with such an outlandish idea if it weren't for Odolph.
“Talk… did you say? You mean you’re going to talk with that ogre?”
Choi Kangwoo was still clearly bewildered.
“That’s right.”
“I understand the reasoning. But Hunter Kim Hanul’s ogre… your summon. From what I can see, it’s a special individual. It’s dangerous to generalize based on this one entity.”
He saw it correctly.
Odolph was able to converse with me through an item.
That ogre over there would be incapable of conversing with a human.
Therefore.
“I’m not saying I will talk to the ogre directly. We have a spokesman, don’t we?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Choi Kangwoo’s expression show a glimmer of understanding.
Still, doubt remained.
“Odolph, can you try talking to that one?”
“I will make an attempt.”
Odolph slowly approached the ogre standing behind the tree.
The creature looked tense, but it didn't back away.
The two massive figures gradually drew closer.
A tense moment.
Choi Kangwoo also watched in silence.
Soon, the two ogres began a conversation that could only be described as ‘Groooowl’.
A few minutes passed like that.
“From the looks of it, things are going well. Truly astounding.”
Choi Kangwoo said, his eyes wide.
“Groooowl.”
“Groooowl!”
Indeed, a somewhat heartwarming atmosphere was developing between Odolph and the smaller ogre.
Of course. Whose ogre do you think he is?
Just as I was nodding with a proud expression.
“Grooow?”
Thwack!
With the same benevolent smile on his face, Odolph brought his fist down on the smaller ogre’s head.