Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Room of Truth - 1
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A sign that a break was imminent in a closed dungeon.
That location was a dungeon slated for conquest far down the priority list.
The monster inside was the largest one he'd faced so far.
'Guess I'll be using that newly unlocked skill sooner than I thought?'
**
Two companies' worth of troops assembled in front of the problematic dungeon.
Not only that, but they were even mobilizing the HK-9 mana howitzers, which weren't used much in actual combat.
Sensing the ominous atmosphere, tension etched across the faces of the Hunter Corps soldiers.
"Attention, all personnel!"
The company commander, who had arrived at the scene before anyone knew it, caught his breath and pointed at the dungeon entrance.
"That dungeon is a closed-type one scheduled for conquest in about ten months. And the monster inside is an ogre."
"An—an ogre, sir?"
The mention of an ogre stirred up unrest.
That made sense, since in five years of Hunter Corps service, you might encounter one if you were lucky.
At least twice the size of an orc.
Up to four times larger.
Naturally, its strength and stamina were incomparable.
Even if two companies unloaded mana rounds like crazy, it could shrug them off without a scratch.
That was an ogre.
"Get it together, everyone! I get that it's sudden for the company commander too!"
Seeing the hunters' fearful reactions, the company commander raised his voice in anger.
"But if we don't stop that thing, what happens? Helpless civilians start dying! And this isn't just any monster—it's an ogre! The moment we fail to hold it back, we're looking at hundreds of casualties at minimum!"
The company commander's sharp words: dungeons and monsters don't wait.
At that, the hunters steeled themselves and swiftly formed ranks.
"Platoon leader. How long until the mana howitzers are ready?"
"Yes, sir! They're finishing a minimal check and will head out immediately! They said about thirty minutes!"
"Good. That's plenty. The observation team said we have at least two hours' leeway, even if it's the fastest scenario."
Mana howitzers.
Tanks modified from the Army's K-9 self-propelled howitzers.
Their advantage was overwhelming firepower from mana shells effective against monsters.
A training orc that gave hunters trouble? One mana shell and it vanished without a trace.
Even a massive monster like an ogre became manageable with mana howitzer support.
'Mana howitzers, huh. I've seen them with my own eyes a few times.'
Kim Min-jun's eyes gleamed at the news of their deployment.
He'd heard they were rarely used in real combat—could count the instances on one hand.
'Can't be helped. Moving those things costs a fortune.'
They had plenty of the tanks, but only one or two ever saw actual use.
Producing dedicated shells required an astronomical amount of mana stones.
'Even the latest gear we got was swords, not guns.'
Mana stones were a finite resource, and the Hunter Corps had to use them as efficiently as possible.
Even in the front lines at Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, they had to ration mana rounds.
'Monsters pop up whenever they feel like it, but mana stones don't just drop from clearing dungeons.'
According to Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min.
The dungeon right in front of them had been planned for conquest only after the hunters got fully comfortable with mana swords.
'Mana swords have reliable cutting power. They figured they'd handle the ogre with minimal cost that way.'
But now the schedule—ten to twelve months out—had been yanked forward, so they were scrambling to roll out the mana howitzers.
"Ah… this is insane. An ogre? Talk about the worst luck."
"Tell me about it. In five years with the Hunter Corps, you barely run into one…."
As Kim Min-jun pondered how to draw the thing out.
Corporal Kim Kwang-sik, standing nearby, looked downright terrified.
"Fighting training orcs was brutal enough. An ogre in real combat? Just kill me now."
"Oh. Yeah. That's it."
"…Pardon?"
Kim Kwang-sik eyed Kim Min-jun's beaming smile with unease.
What crazy stunt was that guy planning now?
"Sergeant Kim Min-jun, I think you're a monster. But that's as a human monster."
An ogre was on another level—no way should anyone face one solo.
Any hunter with common sense would think the same.
"…You're not thinking of going in alone…."
But.
Sergeant Kim Min-jun's expression screamed scheming.
They'd shared barracks for months now.
Reading that much was child's play.
"Hey, even I wouldn't be dumb enough to charge in solo."
Kim Kwang-sik, you sharp one.
Half right.
'And half wrong. This is what I'm gonna do.'
A single mana howitzer shell cost a fortune.
No way one shot would take down an ogre.
'For an ogre, you'd need at least three shells, plus two companies dumping mana rounds nonstop. Even then, no guarantee it'd drop.'
Think of the taxpayer money.
No need to burn through it like that.
'Time to stretch a bit. Black Mana Grasp!'
Kim Min-jun unleashed the grasp of demonic energy into the dungeon.
Solo action wasn't feasible in this situation.
And the environment wasn't right for testing his new skill.
'So, make a situation where solo action works.'
He thrust the Black Mana Grasp deep into the dungeon.
Upgraded skill rank meant greater range—plenty of leeway.
He thumped around where a monster might lurk, and got an immediate reaction.
Boom! Thud!
Heavy footsteps echoed from within.
So massive, the dungeon entrance nearly buckled.
Sensing it, the company commander barked orders at his troops.
"Fall back! No firing until I give the order!"
"What the—already?"
"Son of a—this is bullshit! Mana howitzers aren't even here yet!"
The hunters paled and scrambled to put distance between them and the entrance.
'Ah, even on second thought, the theatrics are perfection.'
Meanwhile.
Kim Min-jun nodded, looking thoroughly pleased.
Everything as planned.
Now, the moment it emerged, he'd execute the rest.
"Roooaaarrr!"
It took ten minutes for the ogre to burst out of the dungeon.
Normally, per the observation post, two hours.
Three at most—but Kim Min-jun had slashed that to the bare minimum.
"Humans! You poked me! I'm pissed!"
The ogre, furious at something, charged straight at the hunters the instant it emerged.
"Retreat! Fall back!"
"Don't clump up—scatter! Move!"
An unexpected outburst.
The ground quaked so hard the hunters stumbled as they withdrew.
'Time to test how strong my body's gotten.'
As everyone retreated.
Kim Min-jun kicked off the ground and charged forward.
"That's—Sergeant Kim Min-jun! What the hell are you doing? Fall back!"
"We let that thing rampage, and we'll have massive casualties! I'll buy time!"
"W-what? Sergeant Kim Min-jun! That's not an orc! It's an ogre! No single hunter can handle that!"
That was suicide.
No matter how strong Kim Min-jun was, that was impossible.
He could wield a mana sword near-perfectly, but whether it'd work on an ogre needed more study.
Judging thus, the company commander tried to halt him by force.
"Roooaaargh!"
At that moment.
The ogre jerked unnaturally.
As if seized by something, dragged away.
"…What—what the hell?"
The ogre flailed its arms, vanishing back into the dungeon as if yanked inside.
"Company commander, sir! Trust me and hold!"
Kim Min-jun followed the monster in right after, and the entrance sealed shut.
All in mere seconds.
"This—this isn't the time! We need to report it now!"
The company commander snapped out of his daze and radioed the battalion commander.
None of it was normal, from start to finish.
—You crazy bastard! What? Sergeant Kim Min-jun went into that dungeon alone? You should've stopped him no matter what! What the hell kind of company commander are you?
"S-sorry, sir!"
A barrage of curses flew over the radio.
Couldn't be helped.
The battalion commander was on the cusp of promotion to colonel, building his rep with Kim Min-jun out front.
For that to happen now—with Kim Min-jun diving solo into an ogre dungeon.
'…It was so fast I couldn't do a damn thing.'
He took all the heat, blame-free.
They'd nearly had a catastrophe with massive casualties.
And Kim Min-jun had stopped it single-handedly.
'Sergeant Kim Min-jun. Just come back alive.'
The company commander stared at the sealed entrance and requested additional mana howitzer support.
**
"Perfect. Flawless. Should I just become a movie director?"
Provoke the ogre with Black Mana Grasp, then yank it back in when it emerges.
Then.
Take it down here and stroll out alive? Perfect script.
"My desperate face was gold too. Bet it'll make the Hunter Corps paper."
If they interview me, I'll say, 'When I thought of civilians in danger, my body moved on its own.'
Nice.
They'll love it.
"Roooaaar! Human! Die!"
As he basked in happy delusions.
The ogre, back on its feet, swung a fist without warning.
"Feisty one."
A blow that could flatten a tank.
But even an ogre's power was child's play before Kim Min-jun.
"R-rrooogh?"
"Know what my Strength stat is? 84. Eighty-four. Ogre maxes at like 70."
He casually blocked the fist, then shoved with all his might.
Boom!
The massive ogre toppled backward without resistance.
"Hang on."
Come to think of it.
Had they ever captured an ogre alive?
"Looks dumb on the outside, but they've got some smarts—real men's monsters that choose death over submission, right?"
Hunter HQ records: about 21 ogres killed to date.
Four capture attempts.
All four, the ogres offed themselves before capture.
"So if I drag this one in? Promotion to warrant officer, guaranteed."
Unprecedented.
Subduing and capturing it would rack up insane merit points.
"Room of Truth."
Kim Min-jun hit the rising ogre with the Realm of Despair.
"Bet my arm you submit in an hour. What's your stake?"
Yours.