Chapter : 75
“I don’t really know.”
“That’s fine. I didn’t ask to get an answer.”
Joo Wonjun waved at Seo Gangseok, who was responding seriously.
“There’s always a way to find out.”
“Is that so…?”
“Being able to do something like this is what separates a team leader from an ordinary member.”
There was someone within the Development Planning Bureau that Joo Wonjun trusted. If it was a secret project he wasn’t involved in, it would have been hard to uncover, but he trusted this person. After all, how much money had he spent to make this man his ally?
‘Anywhere else might be difficult, but inside the Development Planning Bureau, this is a piece of cake.’
He immediately sent a message, asking what Uncle Jo Company had been assigned this time. But the reply that came back twisted Joo Wonjun’s face in anger:
—“We couldn’t access it due to security.”
“What a son of a—!”
Just like someone who has been startled once jumps at the smallest scare, Suhyun was extremely cautious about security. Uncle Jo Company was no longer an unknown team; those who needed to know were already paying attention.
‘And there’s also a grudge involved…’
The Chinese special forces that had been annihilated. On the surface, it looked like the Jindo Dog had done it, but if they investigated thoroughly, they could get caught at any time. From now on, even while working, they had to be careful.
Hunting stone giants, even if known, wasn’t a big disadvantage, but the world was unpredictable.
‘Panther power armor… I actually wanted to borrow the U.S. military’s Odin, but that was impossible.’
The Panther model was civilian-grade power armor. Its performance was decent and reliable, though slightly inferior compared to U.S. military-exclusive suits.
‘Well, this should be enough.’
He had fought fearlessly before even with the Black Bear. Suhyun was not the type of pilot to complain about the equipment.
“Move in the formation I mentioned before. Stay alert.”
“Yes!”
Suhyun, in his power armor, took the lead. The psychic Shaina and Kim Chang-sik were at the rear, with Lee Sohee in the middle with another power armor. It was a formation flexible enough for quick adaptation.
Although he said this to the team, Suhyun expected they wouldn’t encounter monsters until they reached the mountainous area.
The base they visited was near a mountainous region. Most monsters in the area had likely been eradicated due to prior development.
As expected, Uncle Jo Company entered the mountains without any major issues.
“Should we deploy Shadow?”
“No, there’s no need. Focus Shadow on protecting the team.”
After Shaina asked, Suhyun launched a small drone. Equipped with basic AI, it didn’t require manual control.
The Outerf region wasn’t congested like Calcutta, with dense structures everywhere. The drone could operate freely overhead, making it very useful.
‘Convenient.’
With a scout and a drone, ambushes were unlikely. That was why so many mercenaries preferred operating in Outerf—it was simply easier.
Suhyun also equipped the drone with something else.
Water sprayed into the air. It was a small spectacle as streams of water misted over the gray rocks.
“Does that really work?”
“It should. Our team leader never does things recklessly.”
Suhyun had installed sprinklers on the drone. The mountainous area was full of rocks, perfect hiding spots for stone giants. No matter how careful they were, there were limits.
‘No wonder others failed before.’
If carefulness alone could solve it, stone giants would have been captured long ago. They were tough, but humanity’s psychic forces were formidable. The reason they weren’t caught yet was the monster’s skilled camouflage.
But even that had a weakness—the giant hated water.
Spraying it didn’t harm the giant, but it forced it to reveal itself, even if it tried to hide. That was enough.
Finding where it was hiding and securing a safe zone was practically half the battle won.
“Good. At least it’s not around here. Move out.”
“Ugh…”
‘Does this guy never get tired?’
At first, the team had looked at Suhyun with trust and faith. Hours later, their looks had turned to annoyance. They were moving painfully slowly inside.
Suhyun meticulously sprayed every rock, making sure to cover every corner. This took time.
“Team leader, a monster has been spotted behind us. Looks like an Iron Hog.”
“Really? Let’s handle it and move.”
Seeing the monster, the team happily readied their weapons. Standing idly behind while Suhyun checked everything alone was exhausting.
The Iron Hog—a grand name for a tough wild boar. It was common in Outerf. Even without psychics, it could be defeated with firepower; with psychics, it was easier.
Shaina used her psychic ability first. Shadow shimmered and transformed into a beast.
“Two of them. No need to fire. Shaina, Kim Chang-sik, handle it. If you can’t, Lee Sohee backs you up.”
“Yes!”
A massive gray boar charged forward, its tusks sharp—a clear monster threat.
The danger in fighting an Iron Hog was failing to stop it. It was fast and strong; if it got into the formation, damage could occur.
-Krrang!
The charging Iron Hog was knocked aside by the shadow beast summoned by Shaina, biting its neck without concern for its toughness.
-Krrhhh! Krrang!
The boar struggled, hitting the beast, but it didn’t budge.
‘More useful than I expected.’
Suhyun thought Shaina’s ability was high-value for scouting or retreating. Now he saw it could also hold its own in combat. Shaina was stronger than he had thought.
“Ha!”
Kim Chang-sik swung his lightning axe. He had trained relentlessly under Suhyun’s guidance. He could probably hit the lightning target even with eyes closed.
ZAP!
Kim aimed for the boar’s eyes. The lightning struck perfectly, and the Iron Hog fell sideways with a scream.
“Hit the eyes?!”
“Just luck, right?”
“Luck? Do you know how much effort that took? Skill!”
“It’s not dead yet. Finish it—no chatting.”
“Yes!”
Kim swung again. Lightning struck the fallen boar. Finally confirming the kill, he clenched his fist in satisfaction. They had defeated the monster with psychic power—albeit through an artifact, not his own ability. Still, it felt different from killing with guns or bombs.
“Hey! Don’t let it escape!”
Thinking it was finished, the Iron Hog slipped out from under the shadow beast and began moving again.
Shaina clicked her tongue and reconnected with the beast. Summoned, it would move on its own, but precise commands required mental connection.
“Wait, let it be.”
“Huh?”
“It’s already mortally wounded. Let’s observe it this time.”
The boar’s agility was gone. It staggered toward the team.
“Kim Chang-sik, use fire.”
“Yes?”
“Test if it works on monsters. This is a good chance.”
Monsters had instinctive senses. This was a chance to test if Kim’s psychic fire could deceive them.
“Ah, okay!”
Kim extended his hand. Unlike the lightning axe, this fire consumed almost no energy. Flames shot out dramatically in the air.
‘It always looks flashy.’
“Shut up!”
-Krrr…
The Iron Hog halted, backing away clearly afraid of Kim’s flames.
“This… works.”
“Good. Now finish it.”
Shaina snapped her fingers. The shadow beast leaped, biting the boar’s neck.
“Still useful, right? To scare monsters off…”
Kim asked Suhyun as he approached.
“Yes, but don’t use it recklessly.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t assume the monster won’t attack just because of it. Aggressive ones will, and you’ll get hurt. Only use it when I say so. Otherwise, finish with the lightning axe.”
Bluffs lose meaning if detected—the same applied to monsters. Kim nodded in understanding.
“Let’s take a short break. Everyone rest as needed.”
“What about you, team leader?”
“Send a few more drones to scout.”
“….”
Suhyun could perform tedious, repetitive tasks without distraction—a remarkable skill.
“By the way, this is a monster too. Not worth anything, huh?”
“The Iron Hog isn’t valuable. Easy to find. If it were, it’d be gone already.”
“Really? Its hide…?”
“You want to wear wild boar leather?”
“Just asking… Ah, team leader, can we roast this?”
“Huh?”
“Are you serious? Did we come camping?”
“No, roast it however you want. During the break, finish it.”
“Really roast it?”
Shaina asked Jeong Sungjae, astonished.
“Yes. Why, is it poisonous?”
“No poison…”
“Then let’s roast it! It’s pork anyway—wild boar.”
“Can you really call it pork…?”
Though skeptical, Kim Dongwook cut the meat as instructed. Usually, they ate vacuum-packed rations while on the move. Freshly roasted meat was irresistible.
While Suhyun meticulously sprayed every rock, the others gathered to cook the meat. Shaina tapped the cockpit.
“Why?”
“So your hands won’t wander. More effective than words.”
The Iron Hog was a useless monster. Some monsters’ meat was prized, but not this one.
“Ugh…”
“What does this taste like? Did we roast it right?”
“Add more salt.”
“This won’t fix the taste…”
The meat had a metallic, gamey taste. Everyone grimaced, even Lee Sohee looked pale.
“Everyone enjoying the meal?”
“Team leader…”
“A good lesson. When exploring Cameron Planet, suspect everything first. Recheck even identified things. Never touch unknowns. Got it?”
“Could’ve just told us!”
“Experience makes it stick. Don’t worry—it’s healthy.”
“This…?”
“Some bodybuilders even specifically seek this meat.”
The team looked at the Iron Hog carcass with disgust.
“Let’s move after everyone’s rested. We’ve confirmed the next direction.”
Even after resting, it didn’t feel like it. The team rose reluctantly, feeling a bit tricked.
