The Ogre Fortress
The mountains of South Korea’s Jeollabuk-do, Namwon.
This was my third trip to Mount Jiri since my regression.
The first time, I had climbed the mountain blindly to devour essences tied to local folktales and legends. That was when I obtained Brute Force. It proved incredibly useful in the tutorial and the lower floors of the Tower, and even now it remains a powerful skill that subordinates lower concepts under its influence.
The second visit was to clear the Immaemangryang Pit—the gate where the player Jo Seung-cheol, dominated by Mistilteinn, had obtained the Key of the Netherworld. Thanks to that, I gained the ability to raise all my stats whenever I devoured an essence.
In many ways, this place held a deep connection for me.
“Master, this time we came to Namwon instead of Gurye?”
“Mount Jiri is wider than you’d think.”
Spanning Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do, the mountain range was vast. The Ogre Fortress we were targeting this time was apparently closer if we approached from the Namwon side.
“They call it the spiritual mountain of our people for a reason. The air really is refreshing.”
Shin Junseok chuckled heartily.
“Why are you talking like an old man, Senior?”
“Guild Master, just leave him be. That friend of ours insists he’s walking the path of martial arts, but he’s clearly just putting on airs.”
Hong Yunsu struck right at the heart of the matter without hesitation.
Wait a second.
Wasn’t Senior always like this?
When I shot him a dubious glance, Shin Junseok’s eyes darted left and right.
“Kuh, so that’s how it is, huh?”
“If you study language through martial arts novels, this is what happens. You’d best be careful.”
“Ahem. A user of martial arts must naturally adopt the proper speech and bearing from the start. Only then can one achieve the unity of mind and body!”
“So it wasn’t his natural way of speaking—it was all an act.”
My jaw dropped.
A shocking truth revealed for the first time, both before and after my regression!
Having grown somewhat close to Shin Junseok in my previous life through our shared connection as martial arts users, the impact hit me even harder.
“Junior, I have one question. Doesn’t this joint raid feel… suspicious to you?”
“Extremely suspicious.”
“And yet you still accepted the proposal.”
“Once you know it’s a trap, it stops being a threat.”
I answered leisurely.
I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what scheme the Hwarang Guild was plotting. They might have turned the gate into a deadly trap like the Guryong-bang had done, or they might simply be challenging us to a contest of strength. Either way, it didn’t change the fact that this was an opportunity to raise the fame of the Yeokcheon Guild within Korea.
— But can you really put the Black Network matter on hold?
“Clearing a gate like this should only take a day or two anyway. They’ll have to understand that much.”
— Hmph. What a self-centered man you are.
“That’s nothing new. Don’t act like you didn’t already know.”
— Hehe. Looks like they’ve arrived too.
Nyx let out a soft laugh.
A line of black vans began entering the entrance of the Bamseagol valley. It was early October. The humidity that had weighed down the air had mostly dissipated, so thick clouds of dust rose with every movement.
“What a noisy entrance.”
Whoosh!
A single gust of wind swept away the hazy dust.
Hong Yunsu had manipulated the wind naturally, without even using a skill activation phrase. To interfere with the wind through sheer will alone—that level of mastery would be respected even among Master-rank players.
His skills seemed to be improving even faster than before my regression.
The doors of the stopped vans opened one after another, and armed players began stepping out.
Gulp.
Jiyoung swallowed loudly.
It was understandable. Any Korean would instinctively shrink back at the name Hwarang.
Even the LS Group—one of the nation’s largest corporations—had poured massive capital into founding the Baekho Guild, yet they still couldn’t surpass Hwarang’s dominance. In anything related to players, one couldn’t help but be conscious of Hwarang’s reputation.
“They must have a death wish, picking a fight with Master.”
“Should I kill them, Uncle?”
Ping Lei sneered, while Enrique took it a step further and openly radiated bloodlust.
“Watch your mouths, you brats.”
“Those guys deliberately kicked up all that dust.”
“Enrique, if you want to show off your strength, come at me instead.”
“Hehe, no thanks, Uncle.”
Ever since he obtained the Titan, he’d become even more arrogant. I’d have to put him in his place properly once the gate raid was over.
Step. Step.
“This is the first time I’ve seen your face in person, Yeokcheon Guild Master.”
Korea’s current number one ranked player.
And the Guild Master of Hwarang.
A fully armed man approached me with heavy, deliberate steps. He wore custom-fitted full plate mail, and the Hwarang emblem was prominently displayed on his chest.
“It is an honor to meet the nation’s top ranker.”
“No need for such formalities. Hearing that from the hero of the famed Spice Islands feels rather pleasant.”
Both of us exchanged empty pleasantries with insincere smiles.
“For this raid, Hwarang has mobilized twenty Diamond-rank players and thirty Platinum-rank players.”
“I wonder if there will even be a place for the Yeokcheon Guild to step in.”
“That’s something we’ll find out in due time, isn’t it?”
Oh Jangwoo turned away with a solemn expression.
The elite of the Hwarang Guild.
It had been roughly ten years since the Tower of Babel appeared. Just how strong was a guild that had maintained the top position in Korea all this time?
With a hint of quiet anticipation, I watched the Hwarang Guild members enter the gate.
You have entered the Ogre Fortress.
Classification — Open / Field-Type Gate
The gate will close once the boss monster is defeated.
Death inside the gate is permanent.
Fifty members of the Hwarang Guild and seventeen from the Yeokcheon Guild had all entered.
“Please keep in mind that this gate raid is a cooperative operation.”
The agent dispatched by the Association spoke in a serious tone. Han Suchang, the team leader in charge, was a non-awakened individual and thus couldn’t enter the gate. In his place, the vice team leader had been sent to observe the raid process.
Despite the words, everyone knew Hwarang hadn’t suggested this joint raid out of goodwill. The statement was more of a warning aimed at Hwarang than at us.
“Stating the obvious.”
Oh Jangwoo replied indifferently and took the lead position.
“Still, since I’ve experienced this gate before, I’ll take the front.”
“Do as you please.”
The Hwarang Guild moved forward.
They advanced slowly through a forest thick with undergrowth. Every time they pushed through vegetation that reached up to their waists, faint rustling sounds followed.
Lesser Sound — Area-of-effect barrier that dampens the propagation of sound.
“I sent you the data beforehand, but I’ll remind you—ogres are extremely sensitive to noise. Be careful.”
After giving the short warning, Oh Jangwoo continued forward.
Jiyoung, who had moved to my side, wore a doubtful expression.
“Are ogres really that dangerous?”
“How should I know?”
“But Master, you know everything.”
“Against a Platinum-rank, one-on-one would be a bit tough. A Diamond-rank could probably handle up to two.”
“What makes them so strong?”
“They’re powerful and agile. Their magic resistance is also high.”
“Junior is correct. Ordinary magic barely works on them, so you must either restrain their movement and bombard them with heavy firepower, or suppress them in close combat.”
Shin Junseok added an explanation.
BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck. Trees in the distance were pushed aside, their leaves fluttering wildly. Between the bent trunks, green skin came into view.
A height of five meters. Muscles swollen like a bodybuilder’s writhed threateningly. Murderous intent flickered in its brutish eyes. This was an ogre, the resident of this gate.
There were twelve of them in total.
The ogres climbed trees dozens of meters tall with monkey-like agility and closed in rapidly.
Prominence
Lightning Vortex
Wind Cannon
A pillar of flame erupted. A swirling vortex of lightning charged toward the ogres. A moment later, a fierce gale rose and merged with the fire and lightning, amplifying their destructive power.
An impressive magical combo.
The ogres raised both arms and took the spells head-on with their bodies.
Ping Lei’s mouth fell open.
“What monsters.”
The ogres weren’t completely unscathed. The ones that had taken the combo from the front had melting skin and exposed bone.
But the ogres didn’t stop.
Brand of Fury
Magnetic Field
Indomitable Will
Tanking skills that forcibly fixed the ogres’ movements.
Oh Jangwoo, at the front, raised his shield and slammed it into an ogre’s torso.
“You’re not getting past me.”
An all-rounder player capable of both tanking and dealing damage. The aura wrapped around Oh Jangwoo’s sword and shield brutally butchered the monster.
The Hwarang Guild members didn’t stay idle either. Taking advantage of the moment when the ogres’ signature charging power was restrained by the tanks, the close-range dealers hacked away with their weapons. Although less effective, the long-range dealers still poured in their magic.
— Their coordination is quite good, isn’t it?
“Yeah. They’re top-class.”
The level of players in 2026. Thanks to you, I now understand it clearly.
“If they didn’t play it so safe, they’d be even better.”
I stroked my chin.
The skill usage and combos themselves weren’t bad. The disappointing part was that Hwarang’s coordination was entirely safety-oriented. Rather than unleashing maximum firepower, they focused on drawing aggro from multiple directions to reduce the burden on their tanks.
“I can’t raise our kids like that.”
In the age of destruction, trading flesh to take bone was the basics. Fighting at one hundred percent condition? The situation was never kind enough to allow such luxury.
Hwarang’s combat style was only possible when one had the luxury of perfect condition.
“Kuuugh……”
When the last ogre fell, Oh Jangwoo approached.
“What do you think?”
“It’s my first time seeing an ogre. They’re quite strong.”
“Their charging power is on a monstrous level. You should be careful.”
Oh Jangwoo gave a faint smile. He must have thought he looked impressive.
“We’ll take the next battle.”
“It’s not good to overdo it, but experiencing it firsthand isn’t bad either.”
Oh Jangwoo pretended to yield.
As we pushed through the undergrowth, we quickly drew the attention of another ogre pack. This time there were twenty.
Now I understood why this Ogre Fortress had remained uncleared until now.
“I’ll handle these ones alone.”
I loosened my shoulders and stepped forward. Lamenting voices rose from the Hwarang Guild.
“That’s too reckless.”
“No matter how strong he is, isn’t this excessive?”
I can hear you, you know?
If you’re going to talk behind someone’s back, at least do it quietly.
Oh Jangwoo stepped in front of me, barely suppressing his laughter.
“Didn’t you see? Ogres are not easy opponents.”
“Well, I’ll know once I hit them with my own fists.”
I lightly pushed aside the pretending-to-stop-me Oh Jangwoo and leaped onto a tree.
An ogre in the lead group glared with its huge eyes and swung a thick arm as wide as an ancient tree’s trunk. A monstrous strength capable of splitting even a mountain-like boulder.
I had never intended to dodge from the start.
Brute Force — Muscle amplification rate increased to 600%.
The moment I met the ogre’s fist head-on—
Bang! The monster’s muscles burst like a balloon that had taken in more air than it could hold.
“Kuaaaaah?!”
“What’s wrong? Something not going your way?”
The ogre’s eyes, filled with shock, quickly changed to terror. It didn’t take long.
The instant it tried to turn and flee—
Blood Intoxication — Skill extracted from a vicious spirit. It pulls the target’s body toward the user.
The essence extracted from a malevolent spirit prevented the ogre from escaping.
Its wide-open chest was completely exposed. I struck it with the Dragon King’s Fist. The five-meter giant shuddered violently and crashed to the ground.
“Th-this is……”
A strained voice leaked from Oh Jangwoo’s lips.
It was still too early to be surprised.
There were plenty of ogres left. I had so much more to show them. How convenient.