Chapter 221
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: 아포칼립스의 고인물-221화
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Lotus Natives - 3
Can I beat that thing?
Its stats weren't visible from this distance, but somehow, that thought crossed my mind.
If I went full buff and polymorphed into Abomination, maybe I could give it a go.
A normal ogre would be impossible, but the one that came out of the cave was on the smaller side.
Size doesn't always mean strength, but in the monster world, it usually holds true.
I opened a dimension gate and borrowed Yu-hyun's paper airplane.
―There are people there?
―Yeah. They're talking to an ogre right now. Listen in for me.
―An ogre? Bro, you sure you're not imagining it?
―Uncle does go a bit crazy sometimes, but he's not the type to hallucinate, oppa.
This spot-on assessment came from Yeo-ul.
Sure enough, both of them sent paper airplanes through the dimension gate at the same time.
And relayed the conversation back to me.
―Hmm... People from the Ezekium outpost came to the village asking where the ogre is hiding.
―The ogre speaks really short sentences, like "scary," "me," "kinda strong."
It had intelligence, but not particularly high.
Or maybe it just had a rough way of speaking.
Anyway, summing up the info:
―The villagers get a lot of help from the Ezekium outpost.
―That Ezekium outpost is super interested in the intelligent ogre and is out looking for it.
―They're hiding your location for now, but it won't last long. Be careful.
The ogre teared up at the request, thinking something like that.
An ogre crying... felt so weird.
No explanation for why it had intelligence, but one thing was clear.
The Ezekium outpost had the forces to capture an ogre alive.
Both the people and the ogre feared them, so it was definite.
Ezekium was the empire that had effectively made the Luat Kingdom a vassal state.
Even if a rich family falls, three generations thrive. Even in ruin, it still had some clout left.
―Be careful. The Transcendent Knights are looking for you.
―Thanks. Me, scared.
―You should run somewhere else instead of here... Got any good spots?
―Here, good living. Lots food. Good for you too.
―What to do...
―The Transcendent Knights suspect us. They think we're using the ogre to drive off monsters.
―Those guys won't back off until they confirm it.
Now I got the picture.
The Transcendent Knights dispatched from the Ezekium outpost suspected the village.
That they were surviving because they were hiding the ogre.
But the villagers had no intention of exposing it.
This screamed bad ending.
I could already picture the ogre getting found out and the villagers massacred.
No real countermeasures; they just kept begging it to stay hidden.
The ogre nodded vigorously with a frightened look.
It was an utterly absurd scene, even rubbing my eyes.
A bit later, the people left, and the ogre scratched its head before heading back into the cave.
―Yu-hyun, track those people. Yeo-ul, keep watch on the cave.
―Then the dimension gate has to stay open...
―Not closing it right now, so don't worry.
Plan was to close it after meeting the dung beetle in the capital and open a new one.
Could use a second gate, but hard to give up this near-ocean spot.
Lake has fish too, but can't compare to the sea.
Basically, linking the forest shelter, Korean shelter, and lakeside shelter.
After instructing them, I summoned the dung beetle.
―Got something to check out here, might be a bit late. That okay?
―From the ogre?
―Guy's a scaredy-cat. Little intimidation and he'll spill everything.
―Uh... whatever, I'm fine.
―A cowardly ogre? Can't believe it.
―Maybe another monster disguised as an ogre?
No one quite believed it, me included.
Even Da-jeong wanted me to hurry to the cave and open a gate.
Said she wanted to meet the talking ogre.
―You guys show up and it'll be chaos. Stay put.
―Tch.
I went full buff and approached the ogre's cave.
Peeking inside, I saw household items, of all things.
In the dimness, the ogre spotted me and bared its teeth in warning.
Grrr...
But I ignored the warning and entered.
Suddenly, a deep, thick voice boomed.
"N-no come!"
So mismatched.
.
.
.
Little Fist's small fist tensed up as it glared at Sung-ho.
It thought maybe the Transcendent Knights the Luat humans mentioned had come, but no.
For one, the armament was lacking.
Transcendent Knights always went around in full plate armor and weapons.
Also, the ones it remembered never traveled alone.
All signs pointed to the black-haired human before it not being a Transcendent Knight.
"You, not knight."
Sung-ho was surprised by the unexpected words.
He wasn't a knight, obviously.
The key point was that this ogre had an eye for spotting knights.
'Speech is rough, but the mind's sharp.'
That sped things up.
He raised both hands and backed away.
"Like you said, I'm no knight."
"Cave, purpose, say."
"Came 'cause curious. Never seen a talking ogre."
The ogre puffed up immediately and shrugged its shoulders.
"Me, special, being."
"You're definitely unique. Wasn't always like that, right?"
"Magic, human, magic."
"A human used magic?"
It shook its head vigorously.
Seemed even it didn't know exactly how it gained intelligence.
Instead, it warned Sung-ho.
"Here, danger, humans, search."
"But do you know why they're after you?"
"Don't know, humans, like power."
"Power... They wouldn't need an ogre just to capture one."
"Me, strong."
"You said 'kinda strong' earlier."
"You, heard, me, mood, bad."
Sung-ho panicked as the ogre suddenly snorted.
But thinking about it, this was its turf.
Barreling in and prying wasn't exactly polite.
'Housewarming calls for a gift.'
"Wait a sec."
Sung-ho stepped out and opened his dimension storage.
There was a cow hindquarter from the Texas slaughter.
This should satisfy the big guy.
Carrying it back in, the ogre's eyes widened.
"You, gift?"
"Gotta grease the wheels to ask questions."
"You, good, human."
The ogre took the hindquarter gleefully.
And glanced around, asking if it could eat.
"Me, just, eat. Humans, surprised."
"You eat it raw, so don't be shocked?"
"Friends, know me. You, don't."
"I'm not gonna freak, so dig in."
Sung-ho had seen all sorts of horrors since the apocalypse.
Even made his own hellscape.
No reason to flinch at a talking ogre eating raw meat.
It chewed while eyeing him cautiously.
"Me, eat. You, hungry."
Feeling bad eating alone?
Sung-ho pulled jerky from his backpack.
Prepped for situations where showing abilities was risky.
With dimension gate and storage, emergency rations were rare for him.
"I'm good. This'll do."
"Too, small."
It looked like it wanted to share, but Sung-ho politely declined.
"Thanks, but no. Anyway, about those people earlier... Where'd they come from? Don't worry, no harm to them."
"Lake, near, village."
"Luat Kingdom folk?"
"Yes. They, me, you, friends."
Friend of a friend is a friend, huh.
Sung-ho didn't quite buy it but let it slide.
"Got it. We're friends now. So, what's the friend's name?"
"Little, Fist. Friends, good, name."
Probably named that 'cause it's a bit small.
"I'm..."
That's when it happened.
A paper airplane suddenly flew into the cave.
And Sung-ho sensed someone snooping outside.
One human, one animal by the movement.
'Footsteps sound like hornbird?'
Someone definitely rode a hornbird here.
The ogre looked curious, and Sung-ho put a finger to his lips.
"Shh... Someone outside."
"Friends, find me."
"Doesn't seem like those people ride hornbirds."
Little Fist's face darkened.
"Not friends."
"Then Ezekium. Transcendent Knights tailing your friends."
The suspicion talk was a lie from the knights.
They never trusted the villagers to begin with.
The suspicious movement vanished quickly, but Sung-ho could guess.
Transcendent Knights would barge in soon.
"Those so-called Transcendent Knights are coming for you. Think you can handle it?"
"Little Fist, weak."
"Said kinda strong earlier."
"Special, humans, strong."
"Fought them before?"
"Long ago."
Sung-ho analyzed Little Fist's stats.
Didn't know normal ogre stats, but this didn't seem impressive.
Abomination form could handle it easily?
No Roar or Stone Skin either.
'Where's the ogre in this?'
Seok-hyun as Abomination could win, not overwhelmingly, but still.
It might just run scared.
An ogre.
Sung-ho said firmly.
"They're coming soon. Can't drive 'em off, only one way. Run now."
"Here, my, home."
"Bandits coming to your house right now."
"My, home, precious."
"Just a cave? Find another."
"Just, cave, no. Here, my, home."
Weird.
Normal ogres don't have "home" concepts.
With their tough bodies, wherever they lie is home.
Little Fist seemed attached to this cave.
Finders keepers for a good cave, sure.
Sung-ho had questions, but stubbornness left no choice.
"Fine. I'm out first."
"Friend, tomorrow, meet."
"If they come, might be boom. Can we meet?"
Little Fist thumped its chest confidently.
"Me, humans, chase away."
"They won't give up easy. Reinforcements if short-handed, right?"
"..."
It drooped its shoulders, speechless.
Sung-ho watched it a moment, then said.
"Only one way for you to live peacefully like now. Run far. Or hate that, then fight with fists."
Life's yours to protect.
Help from others possible, but ultimately, only yourself.
Little Fist snorted and puffed its chest.
"Humans, meet. Talk."
"Dunno if talk works... Do you."
Sung-ho exited the cave.
Not fully leaving; entered dimension gate and told Yu-hyun.
"The snooper at the cave, running yet?"
"Yeah... Hornbird's fast. Barely keeping up."
"Blow up a paper airplane nearby. I'll chase."
"K-kill 'em?"
"No, capture. Wanna learn something. Can do?"
Old Yu-hyun couldn't control finely for this.
Now different.
Controlled paper airplanes to cm precision, tuned explosion power.
Could kill, but just startle the hornbird now.
"Can do."
Sung-ho patted his shoulder proudly.
Lately, shelter members handled tasks right away.
Proof of growth.
"Do it now."
"Yes, sir."
Then the troublemakers crept up.
Seok-hyun especially looked dying to go out.
"Sorry, handling this myself. You know the details?"
"Heard up to Transcendent Knights coming for the ogre."
"Cutting off contact before it spreads."
"And? Gonna interrogate?"
"Ezekium guys, bet they know a lot."
"Won't talk easy, but yeah."
Da-jeong's dung beetle passed a note to Sung-ho.
"Transcending human to become Transcendent Knight? Not just strong, uses items too... Enemy."
"Even uses Ether Blade. That's a lightsaber. Cuts rocks."
"...That's a total monster."
Sung-ho was floored by Transcendent Knight specs.
Not all had Ether Blades, just some.
Seok-hyun clenched his fist.
"Wanna fight."
"Haven't settled in yet?"
"Once settled, harder to fight. More to lose."
Made sense?
Anyway, Sung-ho tasked the dung beetle.
"That's the journal translation from the palace, right?"
Nod nod.
Still holing up in the palace alone.
Diligent or lazing with honey, who knows.
"Keep translating, especially dig into Ezekium Empire and Transcendent Knights. Reason they're hunting this ogre."
After, Yu-hyun blurted excitedly.
"Bro, success! Knocked out!"
Passed out from blast, so not knight, just messenger.
"Hornbird?"
"Fell too, but got right up!"
"Got it."
Sung-ho hopped on the motorcycle and sped out.
Soon, a fallen man and adult hornbird on the ground.
It pecked its master, then spread small wings welcoming Sung-ho.
"Likes any human, huh."
Sung-ho rushed to the man, bound him with rope.
Loaded on bike seat, retreated to near cave and dumped.
Hornbird now rubbed beak on Sung-ho affectionately.
"Someone'd think I'm the owner."
Sung-ho opened gate and shoved it in.
Then near cave, blindfolded the man with cloth, slapped cheek to wake.
"Hey, wake up."
"Ugh... Wh-what? Ack!"
"I ask, you answer. Got it?"
"Hah... So the Luat scum who claimed ignorance had backup. Their deaths are sealed."
"Sorry, no relation to Luat or whoever."
"Then no reason to mess with me. I'm a scout of the Great Ezekium Empire's Sword Seal Transcendent Knight Order. You're tied to the empire somehow."
"Told you, no relation."
"Impossible!"
He suddenly raged.
Blunt attitude seemed normal here.
Sung-ho lowered his voice.
"Cut the crap, answer honestly. Why after the ogre?"
"..."
"Answer."
Several asks, silence.
Sung-ho pressed fist to his cheek.
"Not a nice guy, happy to use violence. Speak. Or limbs broken in monster nest."
"Hah... Low threats like that, countless. No warrior's heart, can't be scout."
"You're the scout? What's warrior's heart."
"Insulting me?"
He trembled in fury.
Sung-ho scratched head, called Seok-hyun.
Untied blindfold.
"Wh-what're you?"
The man panicked at the underwear-clad weirdo.
"Bunny Duo."
"Where's that from?"
"...Gonna extract info from this guy?"
Nod nod.
Their eyes met.
Captive bit lip.
"No matter the torture..."
Seok-hyun silently dropped his pants; man broke cold sweat.
"Wh-what do you wanna know?"
Man-killing effect.
End of Lotus Natives - 3
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