I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 48

Starving Ogre.

This was a special monster set by the system to prevent the third chapter of the tutorial from dragging on too long.

Although players were currently engrossed in battle, they would slowly regain their senses and start avoiding combat.

‘Someone else will take down the players for us.’

Such thoughts would indeed arise.

It was rumored that there was a time when over 90% of players engaged in silent agreements and avoided fighting altogether.

That’s when these came into play: the Starving Ogres.

They appear on the field, attacking hiding players and forcibly reducing their numbers.

Naturally, these monsters were so powerful that even an entire clan found it difficult to deal with them.

‘And the rewards are substantial.’

The amount of experience and merit points that can be gained upon defeating it is quite significant

Se-woon was planning to take on such monsters alone.

“I’ll come with you! It’s too dangerous to go alone. If other players attack in groups like before…”

“Even if they come in groups, I can handle them alone. And if it gets too tough, I have enough confidence to escape.”

“Still!”

“We dealt with the major attack, but another clan might come for us. Who would lead the people if you’re not here?”

“…Phew. Understood.”

Reluctantly, Yoo Seo-ah nodded.

In truth, only Se-woon could act alone, as bringing others would likely just be a burden.

It wasn’t just for the clan’s sake but also because of the Starving Ogre.

The monster’s strength was that formidable.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter for me?”

“Hmm…”

After Yoo Seo-ah retreated, Kang Han-cheol emerged, blocking the sunlight with his massive build.

Usually, he wouldn’t question Se-woon’s actions, but today, for some reason, he wanted to accompany him.

‘Kang Han-cheol…’

Se-woon had to ponder this.

Would it be alright to take Kang Han-cheol along to hunt the Starving Ogres?

The contemplation didn’t last long, and the conclusion was…

“Alright.”

Acceptance.

Kang Han-cheol wouldn’t be a hindrance in hunting the Starving Ogres.

In fact, it was somewhat positive.

No matter how strong Se-woon was, the Starving Ogres were designed to be faced with at least a clan-sized group.

Having Kang Han-cheol could mitigate the challenge.

While Kang Han-cheol’s absence might reduce the base’s defense, Se-woon believed the remaining members were sufficient to fend off any player attacks.

Yoo Seo-ah showed some reluctance, but as the clan’s leader, she couldn’t leave.

“Jungpil.”

“Yes, Hyung! Use it as much as you want!”

“Alright.”

Thanks to the watchtower, there was no need for scouting for the time being, so Se-woon borrowed Park Jung-pil’s Red Wolf (Jeokrang).

Due to Kang Han-cheol’s large frame, riding together was difficult, so they had to bring the boar that had been pulling the wagon.

Seeing Kang Han-cheol riding the boar, Se-woon thought it would have looked quite comical if he had been mounted on the wolf.

“Then, we’ll be off.”

“Come back safely.”

“It shouldn’t take too long.”

Ta-dak!

Jeokrang forcefully kicked off the ground.

Behind him, the skeleton mounted by Kang Han-cheol hurried to follow.

Due to the slower speed of the boar skeleton compared to the wolf skeleton, they had to adjust their pace.

Moreover, it wasn’t just carrying its own weight but also that of the massive Kang Han-cheol.

Still, it was much faster than a regular person running, so there was no room for complaint.

Rather, it offered a refreshing breeze and the chance to enjoy the rapidly passing scenery.

“The Starving Ogre monster. Is it strong?”

“Extremely strong. Even for you, it will be tough to match its strength alone.”

“Sounds exciting.”

Kang Han-cheol’s eyes lit up with fighting spirit.

Come to think of it, since the final wave of the first tutorial, he hadn’t had a proper battle.

The best he had done was dealing with the monsters that appeared due to Pan’s music.

His preference was for fighting strong monsters rather than dealing with lesser ones. It made sense why the usually taciturn Kang Han-cheol insisted on following Se-woon this time.

“Kill!”

“Spare me! Argh!”

“Damn, I was happy to see people, but this is too much!”

As they ran in search of the Starving Ogre, battle cries and screams echoed from all directions.

Had it been Yoo Seo-ah, she might have been fidgeting in distress, but Kang Han-cheol silently observed them.

“But where do we find this monster?”

“Don’t worry. The Starving Ogre isn’t just one creature. When you get close enough, you’ll know its location whether you want to or not.”

“What does that mean…?”

The field for the third chapter of the tutorial is vast, matching the number of players. So there’s no way only one monster would be summoned within it.

From what Se-woon remembered, there were at least five.

His memories from before the regression were muddled with chaos and fear, so there could easily be more than ten.

Just as Kang Han-cheol tilted his head questioningly at Se-woon’s answer—

Boom!!

“Aaah!”

A piercing scream accompanied by a thunderous crash, as if a mountain was collapsing, rang out.

The sound was so loud that even Kang Han-cheol, not just Se-woon with his enhanced hearing from the “Kobold’s Keen Ear,” grimaced and looked toward the source.

“Told you.”

“Indeed.”

Ta-dak!

At Se-woon’s command, Jeokrang sharply changed direction.

The closer they got, the louder the screams grew, and the ground seemed to tremble with each step.

Turning his head, Se-woon saw Kang Han-cheol intensely focusing on the source of the noise, gripping his skeletal mount’s ribcage tightly enough to look dangerous.

Was he nervous?

No.

Having grown quite close to Kang Han-cheol, Se-woon could easily tell the emotion he was feeling right now.

‘Anticipation.’

He was filled with excitement at the thought of facing an enemy stronger than himself.

Though it was an emotion that disregarded the instinct for human survival, it was also the driving force that enabled Kang Han-cheol to become even stronger.

Before long, the Starving Ogres appeared.

“Grrr!”

“That’s the one.”

“Yeah. Does it look good?”

“It looks like a worthy opponent.”

– The Constellation “Old Man Riding a Crocodile” strokes the crocodile’s skin, saying it’s a good opportunity for its contractor to prove his strength.

A green monster over 4 meters tall.

Beneath its skin, muscles bulged to an excessive degree, and enormous veins writhed over the surface.

With its eyes bloodshot and holding a person in its hand, it was clear from the blood staining its chin that it had already slaughtered many players.

The surrounding players had lost the courage to face the Starving Ogre and were desperately fleeing.

But then.

“Are there usually two?”

“No. It looks like they coincidentally ended up in the same spot.”

There were two Starving Ogres at their destination.

No wonder the players stood no chance and had to flee.

“Well, this works out. Let’s take on one each.”

Kang Han-cheol’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Got it.”

Se-woon and Kang Han-cheol split up in different directions.

If it were anyone else, this would have been impossible, but with Kang Han-cheol, there were no worries.

Having sparred nearly every day, Se-woon knew Kang Han-cheol’s strength better than anyone else, making this decision possible.

‘Even if he doesn’t win, he won’t lose either.’

Believing this, Se-woon charged toward the Ogre, which was swinging thick wooden beams with both hands.

The force was so immense that each swing made the wind howl and pounded in his ears.

“Hungry!”

– The Constellation “Hungry Prince” says he feels the same way and salivates at the sight of the Ogre’s tempting tendons.

As the distance closed, the Ogre quickly became aware of Se-woon’s presence.

There was a way to approach unnoticed with stealth, but Se-woon didn’t want to waste time as he needed to keep an eye on Kang Han-cheol’s battle.

“Soft… human!”

– The Constellation, “The Hungry Prince,” echoed the Ogre’s words, saying, “Chewy… Ogre!”

Whoosh!

The Ogre swung the wooden beam without hesitation.

Se-woon nimbly leaped into the air like a leaf blown by the wind, while Jeokrang quickly ducked and moved out of the way.

Se-woon landed on top of the Ogre’s wooden beam.

The Ogre, surprised, tried to swing the opposite beam, but Se-woon’s body had already started moving forward at a rapid pace.

Se-woon gripped the “Molar Dagger” that Go Chang-seok had crafted for him in a reverse grip.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed

[ Kamil Dagger Technique ]

– A dagger technique from the Mercenary King, Kamil, which is said to be owned by only five people in the world. She uses twin blades, but this technique was devised specifically for handling large monsters that are resistant to normal attacks.

This was no ordinary dagger technique. It was designed specifically to handle large monsters like the Ogre Se-woon was facing right now.

At this moment, it was the most suitable skill for Se-woon.

Swish—

A clean slicing sound, different from the usual sound of a longsword, was heard.

The wound was not deep either.

A faint line appeared near the Ogre’s wrist, and the monster seemed to mock Se-woon’s attack, feeling minimal pain.

However, the outcome was far from trivial.

Thunk!

Grr? My hand… the strength…”

The Ogre let go of the wooden beam it had been gripping tightly.

No, it didn’t let go willingly. Thanks to the severed tendons, it lost its strength and dropped the wooden beam.

But Se-woon’s attack didn’t end there.

In fact, it was just the beginning.

Swish, swash!

Se-woon ran quickly up the Ogre’s arm.

With each precise strike, he sliced through critical points, rendering the Ogre’s strength useless.

All the while, the Molar Dagger in Se-woon’s hand swung relentlessly, creating numerous blood lines.

Splash!

Though the wounds didn’t seem particularly deep, the dagger meticulously targeted the Ogre’s tendons and blood vessels, causing a fountain of the monster’s characteristic green blood to erupt from its arm.

Kamil Dagger Technique.

Since it was difficult to target vital points on larger enemies, this technique focused on severing tendons and blood vessels, slowly debilitating the opponent.

For this reason, she was known as the “Blood Demon” in the mercenary world.

Smirk.

The fact that he could acquire skills and memories that someone else trained for decades through a single use of a treasure was truly beyond comprehension.

An overwhelmingly powerful, almost fraudulent ability.

Splash!

Despite the Ogre’s desperate attempts to shake off Se-woon, all it did was make the blood splatter more violently.

In an instant, one of its arms was rendered useless.

When Se-woon finally reached the Ogre’s neck…

Slice!

Kwawaaat!

Both carotid arteries at the Ogre’s neck were severed, sending a jet of blood skyward.
No matter how strong the Ogre was, without blood circulation—unlike trolls—it couldn’t survive.
The Ogre desperately tried to raise its arm to staunch the wound, but the other arm was already incapacitated.

It couldn’t block both carotid arteries with a single hand.

As the blood that soared high began to fall like a shower…

Thud!

The pupils of the Starving Ogre lost their light as it collapsed to the ground.

– The Quest Monster, ‘Starving Ogre,’ has been defeated.

– Your level has increased.

– Individual merit points have increased by 10,000 points.

– Additional 5,000 merit points are awarded for solo defeat of the Quest Monster.

– Acquired ‘Ogre’s Tendon.’

The experience points were enough to level up instantly, and with the added merit points, Se-woon had gained a total of fifteen thousand points.

A smile naturally spread across Se-woon’s face.

– The Constellation “Hungry Prince” waits with an open mouth for his meal.

Encouraged by Beelzebub’s prompt, Se-woon activated the Power of Gluttony and turned his head.

‘I wonder if he’s doing well?’

Referring to Kang Han-cheol, who was hunting another Starving Ogre by himself.