Family Gifts and the Siege of Small Ogres
Mu-hyuk arrived home and immediately presented gifts to his parents.
"What's this?"
"Gifts."
"Gifts?"
Mother Lee Hye-yeon's eyes widened.
Kang Seon-woo wore a puzzled expression as well.
"What's with the sudden gifts?"
"Just felt like it."
"Ahem, I see."
They still had no idea what was inside, thanks to the wrapping.
"Open them up."
"Should I?"
Lee Hye-yeon carefully unwrapped hers with a smile, while Father Kang Seon-woo tore into his without a word, a bit roughly.
When the wrapping came off and the items revealed themselves, both of their faces lit up in shock.
"This is……."
"Oh, my!"
They both recognized the brands right away.
That explained the mix of joy and worry in their eyes.
"Son, where'd you get the money for……."
"Don't worry about the money. Do you like them?"
"They're pretty, but……."
"That's what matters. What about you, Dad?"
"Ahem, it's fine."
Their reactions made Mu-hyuk chuckle despite himself.
They liked them, no doubt.
Mu-hyuk decided to give them some space.
"I'll go wash up."
With that, he headed to his room.
Left alone in the living room, the two couldn't hide their smiles anymore.
"Honey, our son bought you shoes."
"I got a wallet too."
"Really, truly……."
Lee Hye-yeon trailed off.
Her eyes were already turning red.
She managed to continue.
"I'm just so happy."
"……."
Kang Seon-woo felt the same, no doubt.
"Ahem, I'll be in the study for a bit."
He slipped into his room and made a call somewhere.
"Hey, what're you up to? Me? Doing fine. Yeah. Today my son comes home with a Goyard wallet as a gift, of all things."
He looked utterly content.
*
Not only had they wiped out all the vampires on the fourth floor, but they'd even found the path to the fifth.
The shimmering white barrier blocking it vanished under the power of the scroll.
"Boss, up next is the fifth floor, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Whoa, fifth floor……."
On the fourth, they hadn't really contributed much. Mu-hyuk had summoned his skeletons and handled the vampires solo.
So they hoped the fifth would bring monsters they could actually fight. With renewed resolve, they stepped forward, faces set.
Thud.
Together, they ascended to the fifth floor.
The fifth floor now.
Excluding their current position, just two floors remained.
Sixth and seventh.
Reach those, and they'd clear the place.
No rewards yet since the content wasn't officially open, but Kairon Baekjak would surely compensate them fairly.
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir!"
They prowled the fifth floor.
Turning a corner, a monster appeared—smaller than expected.
A level 68 Small Ogre.
Hmm…….
Mu-hyuk's expression darkened.
It had no real weaknesses.
About a meter tall.
Small size meant agility—arrows were tough to land, and it dodged spells with ease.
Swords? Even harder to target vital spots on such a tiny frame.
But that wasn't the real issue.
Ogre. A genuine ogre.
True to its name, its strength was immense.
Far beyond a regular ogre.
It zipped around on those tiny legs, and every punch carved out massive chunks of HP. How could anyone not struggle?
Plus sky-high defense and HP made killing it a nightmare.
At Mu-hyuk's current level, it was a stretch.
No strategy. Tricky.
Only one option here.
Go straight at it.
As safely as possible.
Time didn't matter.
Minimize damage while wearing it down.
A slow strangulation tactic.
Good thing he had skeletons; it might just work.
Time to sacrifice some.
"Summon."
The mages cast spells simultaneously.
Mage spells unleashed!
The charging Small Ogre dodged, but Mu-hyuk had anticipated it, timing spells for different areas.
It couldn't evade every one.
Bone Archers loosed volley after volley.
Bone arrows scattered wide.
Meanwhile, Mu-hyuk checked his inventory.
He pulled out Slow Poison, Hallucination Poison, Weakness Paralysis, and Bleeding Tears, applying them to the weapons of Enhanced Bone 1 and 2, and Bone Sword 3 and 4 up front.
Been a while for these.
He'd meant to save them, but not now.
"Charge, attack."
He nocked an arrow.
Powerful Arrow Shot.
It missed, unfortunately.
Mu-hyuk quickly stowed the bow, drew his spare staff—90 magic attack—and gripped it.
Blessing of the Dead.
He used it offensively.
-585 HP
Solid damage.
Back to bow.
Two Bone Swords got reversed mid-fight. But the Small Ogre slowed from the poisons.
HP ticked down from poison and Bleeding Tears; Weakness Paralysis nicked its stats slightly.
Still, no real dent.
Over 1,500 total, sure—but its HP topped 20,000 easy. Long way to go.
Whoosh.
The Small Ogre swept everywhere.
Popping up before one Bone Sword, it smashed its face bone with a fist.
Grabbed the shoulder bones, crushed—arms detached.
Held the shattered skeleton and hurled it at the incoming other Bone Sword.
Kiririk!
Enhanced Bone 1 and 2 up front.
They could've handled it, but the ogre cleverly dodged them.
Smarter than a dumb regular ogre. Or maybe instinct—prioritize the weak ones.
Don't tangle with the strong first, or risk getting bogged down.
"……."
He could only watch.
Crack.
Bone Swords dwindling fast.
Soon all twelve reversed.
Left: two Enhanced Bones, seven Bone Archers, four Mages.
Mages' cooldown up.
"Enhanced Bone 1 and 2, fall back."
They positioned in front of archers and mages. With Bone Swords gone, it targeted archers.
Pull them back, pepper with arrows—it'd have to close in.
Grrr.
As expected.
Couldn't dodge every bone arrow forever; kicked off the ground, closed gap instantly.
Enhanced Bones raised shields where it charged.
Bang!
Thunderous impact.
Bam, boom!
Fists flying at insane speed.
Kaboom!
Even blocked, Enhanced Bones' HP plummeted.
Then mages' spells hammered it.
Too close to dodge.
Bone arrows rained.
Powerful Arrow Shot.
Mu-hyuk joined in.
Paang!
Switched to staff, cast Blessing of the Dead on Enhanced Bone 1 as its HP bottomed out.
'Enhanced Bone 1' HP recovered (760).
HP jumped nearly 40%.
Bought time to endure—and deal damage.
Battle intensified.
Then Enhanced Bone 1 finally shattered.
"Whew."
Still okay.
Enhanced Bone 2 in Dark Knight set held firm.
Bone Archers fired; mages cast on cooldown.
Mu-hyuk refilled Enhanced Bone 2's HP on his cooldowns, fired Powerful Arrow Shot religiously.
As a result?
Small Ogre covered in wounds. Eyes sharper, but slower.
Even wounded, it was fierce. Enhanced Bone 2 soon reversed too.
Archers and mages? Vaporized in seconds.
Knight aspirants' turn.
"Everyone, pairs of two!"
"Yes!"
"Its HP's low—focus fire!"
The aspirants stepped up.
Level 60+ minimum.
HP whittled down; they had a shot.
"Haaap!"
"Block there!"
"Attack!"
Pairs swarmed, stabbing from all sides.
Ogre rampaged? Front partner shielded the other.
"Hm?"
"We got this!"
Damage surprisingly light.
Made sense.
Skeletons crumbled easy—scared them preemptively.
But skeletons max level 48. Aspirants' HP and defense outclassed Enhanced Bones even.
"Push!"
Already battered ogre.
Losing would've been weirder.
Issue: minimize casualties.
"Urk!"
Two aspirants took minor wounds, alas.
Finally felled.
Experience gained.
Victory, but Mu-hyuk frowned.
Just one.
Skeletons alone might've managed, he thought.
No. Couldn't even touch it.
Aspirants intervened; two minors to kill it.
What if two ogres?
Five-plus casualties.
Three?
Deaths possible.
"……."
Tough call.
Keep going?
NPCs die permanent.
Not like users.
Sacrifice them to advance?
Then—
"Boss."
He turned. Ten aspirants stared firmly. One stepped forward.
Knight aspirant Doken.
"We can do it."
"You could die."
"If two, we'll retreat."
"Two?"
"Yes. Lower floors sequential, but no guarantee here."
"Ah……."
Doken was right.
If one at a time, clearing feasible.
One each.
Mu-hyuk nodded after thought.
"Fine. Two means run, no question. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
Sacrificing skeletons could cover retreat.
Decision made, they rested.
Until resummon possible.
*
Doken nailed it.
Small Ogres one by one.
Lucky.
Kept exploring.
Same drill: sacrifice skeletons to drain HP, aspirants finish.
Some leveled up. Momentum built, know-how grew—hunt speed rose.
10 two days ago, 12 yesterday, 13 today.
Four days invested to barely clear fifth.
Grueling.
But sixth and seventh loomed.
"Whew."
Deep sigh, but Mu-hyuk steeled himself.
Ahead: post-clear rewards.
Even equal split, exp rising fast.
Wonder what awaits.
Worried but onward.
Far off, a shape emerged.
The closer they got, the wider Mu-hyuk's smile grew.