Chapter 973

Chapter 973

Minhyuk went to the Big Tree Forest to hunt for the Steel-Armored Ogres.

It has only been a few days since he arrived in the World of Hybrids, Utopia. However, he had already learned something in just those few days.

‘The basic level of the monsters here is much higher than in our world.’

What was the reason for this? It was probably because more than 90% of the population of this world were half-human, half-elves.

Humans were nimble and good with the sword, while elves were slender from birth and superior to humans when handling bows. With the combination of all of the advantages of both races present in them, it was only natural that their average level was high. And in turn, the average level of monsters would also be high.

‘The look in Rhoando’s eyes looked strange.’

Although Rhoando was mocking him, Minhyuk did not miss the look in his eyes.

‘What’s the reason?’

However, he pushed the doubt to the back of his head. He knew that he would be able to find out about it as long as he finished hunting the Steel-Armored Ogres.

Not long after, Minhyuk arrived in the Big Tree Forest. As soon as he stepped inside the forest, he found a tree and swiftly climbed up.

“Roaaaaaaar!”

The loud roar of the ogre reverberated in the forest. When Minhyuk turned toward the sound, he saw a gigantic Steel-Armored Ogre protected by steel armor. Its size was far larger than the ordinary ogre that Minhyuk knew of.

[Steel-Armored Ogre. Level 601.]

‘What the hell? What ogre goes above Level 600?’

The average level of ogres in Minhyuk’s world was around Level 450. Of course, there were a few higher-leveled ogres among them. However, their highest level would only be at around Level 500 or so.

‘Rhoando and the mercenaries spoke as if they could hunt these Steel-Armored Ogres.’

Perhaps Rhoando and his band of mercenaries were considered some of the strongest guys in this world.

Minhyuk looked at the charging Steel-Armored Ogre with a relaxed expression.

Slash–!

The ogre swiftly raised its axe and swung it down Minhyuk. However, Minhyuk easily evaded the attack. He even had the leisure to swing his sword, which carried the word Destruction on its blade.

Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash–!

When Minhyuk, who could swing his sword more than four times per second, slashed at the ogre, around sixteen lightning bolts fell from the sky and devoured the ogre.

“Keuhaaack?”

The rugged and sturdy Steel-Armored Ogre fell in just two seconds.

Minhyuk had already reached Level 650. For him, it would only take a single swing of his sword to deal with a Steel-Armored Ogre, even if it had an unexpectedly stronger power than usual.

Then, the notifications rang in his ears.

[You have hunted a Steel-Armored Ogre.]

[You gained 31,300,000 EXP.]

[You gained one platinum.]

[You have acquired the Steel-Armored Ogre’s Blood.]

[You have acquired Utopia’s Superior Potato.]

“...Oh?” Minhyuk looked at the notifications in surprise.

According to Rhoando and the mercenaries, there was nothing that they could eat in this world. But a potato dropped when he hunted the Steel-Armored Ogre. The fact that a potato would drop from an ogre was quite an unfamiliar sight.

Minhyuk immediately checked out the potato’s information.

(Utopia’s Superior Potato)

Ingredient Grade: A

Special Abilities:

•It will taste incomparably better than ordinary potatoes.

•If you eat one, you will not go hungry for three days.

•Once consumed, your vitality will increase by 2%, and your STR and STM will increase by 3% for three days.

• Eating just one potato contains all the nutrients your body needs for three days.

Description: This is the only food permitted in Utopia, a place where consumption of food is prohibited. The only thing that the Utopians can eat is potatoes.

Minhyuk was very excited to see the delicious-looking potato in his hands.

‘This potato is the only food permitted in Utopia.’

Minhyuk felt thrilled that he was the only one allowed to enter this place. He immediately started steaming the potato that he had obtained. While steaming the potato, he planned to deal with the Steel-Armored Ogre and remove its steel armor.

The Steel-Armored Ogre’s skin was literally like steel armor. Minhyuk might not know it, but even the skilled blacksmiths of Utopia could only get a kilogram of steel armor from the Steel-Armored Ogre. And it would take them at least seven hours to completely extract and acquire the steel armor. That just went to show how hard the task was.

But Minhyuk? He just stretched his hand out and tugged on the steel armor, which easily fell off and landed in his palms.

“That’s easy?”

[You have done a perfect job in extracting the steel armor.]

[There is little to no damage to the steel armor you extracted. You can use the material to make swords or armor right away.]

[No matter how long the time has passed, the steel armor will not rust so easily.]

Minhyuk’s DEX was higher than the DEX of the God of Blacksmiths. This task was just like a piece of cake for him. Of course, he did not forget to check the detailed information of the material in his hands.

(Ogre’s Steel Armor)

Material Grade: A

Special Abilities:

•If you use the Ogre’s Steel Armor to create a sword, your sword will have 13% higher attack power than ordinary swords.

•If you use the Ogre’s Steel Armor to create a sword, your sword will have a 20% increase in cutting power.

Description: This is the steel armor attached to the body of the Steel-Armored Ogre. They wear around 80 kilograms of steel armor on their bodies, but even a skilled blacksmith could only extract at most a kilogram of the steel armor on their body.

But then, something surprising happened. The Steel-Armored Ogre’s sturdy and tough skin, which they needed to slash repeatedly with their swords just to inflict the most minor damage, was cut down all at once. To be exact, the ogre trying to eat Rowling was sliced in half.

Immediately after that, a man holding a frying pan in one hand appeared. The man put his hand in his mouth and whistled.

Fweeeeeeet–!

At that moment, some of the ogres' eyes turned toward the man.

“Graaaaaaaaa!”

“Roaaaaaar!”

“Groaaaaaar!”

Tens of thousands of Steel-Armored Ogre turned toward the man and began to charge at him like crazy. They looked like they had completely lost their minds. But then, something shocking happened.

Splurt–!

Slash– Slash, slash, slash, slash– Slash, slash, slash, slash–!

The ogres could not even reach the man with their fingertips as blood started to spurt out of their bodies. Several lightning bolts fell from the sky and devoured them. Now, all of the ogres’ attention was on the man alone.

At that moment, Rowling realized something. “Heok... No- No way!”

Rowling’s eyes widened when he saw the ogres approaching the mysterious man. Amidst the commotion, no ogres paid attention to him and the remaining surviving knights.

That was right. The man was trying to stop all of the ogres on his own and buying enough time for them to run away.

“Rowling, quick!”

“We have to get out of here as quickly as possible!”

“We have to turn back and run!”

Rowling’s colleagues urged him to stand. The other knights continued to push and lead him away. However, he kept looking back at the man, and the worry was evident. But he soon discovered that he did not need to worry.

‘Ah– Aaaaaah...!’

Knight Rowling was the type of person who would idolize heroes and strong people. And the man, surrounded by tens of thousands of ogres, was strong and a hero.

Rowling felt incredibly grateful to the man. Before running away, he shouted, “Th- Thank you! May– May I please have your name?! What’s your name?!”

But the ogres’ roars drowned out his and the man’s voices.

“Graaaaaaaa!”

“Roaaaaaaar!”

“Groaaaaaaar!”

“Fu... delicious...”

Rowling saw the man muttering something, but he could not hear it at all. Rowling tried to perk his ears up and concentrate so that he could hear better.

“Potato!”

“...!”

Was the man’s name Potato? That was quite an unusual name, no? Even though it was unusual, Rowling kept the name deep in his heart.

‘My hero, Potato. I will never forget you, Lord Potato!’

***

Rhoando looked in the direction in which the man, who identified himself as the Food God, ran off.

“What’s the matter? Are you waiting for him?” The deputy commander asked.

However, Rhoando shook his head. “I’m just a bit worried. What if he went to challenge the Steel-Armored Ogres and died?”

“That’s impossible. He has run away.”

“That’s probably the case, right?”

In the first place, Rhoando had given the man an impossible task because he did not want him to get involved with them. He even mocked him by saying, ‘If you can do this, then I will call you hyung-nim from now on.’ It was a testament to the fact that the task was impossible, and there was no way the man would complete it.

‘Since he hasn’t returned yet, he should have run away, right?’ Rhoando thought as he moved to finish their preparations for battle.

“...Huh?” One of the mercenaries suddenly shouted in doubt.

Rhoando, who had heard the voice, followed the direction where the mercenary was looking. That was when he saw the man walking toward them.

The man walked among the mercenaries and dropped the steel armor he had obtained on the ground before Rhoando. It was the 100 kilograms of steel armor that they had agreed upon.

Thud–!

“...!” Rhoando looked at the man in surprise.

Then, the man said, “You did not forget your promise, did you?”

“...”

“...”

“...”

It was not only Rhoando; many other mercenaries made the same promise.

Rhoando stuttered, “Of– Of course. Hyung-nim.”

“That’s right. Ah, I have obtained a very reliable younger brother, huh? Hey, younger brother, how old are you this year?”

“I’m 675 years old this year,” Rhoando answered as he tried his hardest to keep calm.

God’s blood flowed in this man’s veins. This was the only comforting fact for Rhoando. There was a chance that they only have around a hundred-year difference in age, right?

But then, the man chuckled. “I’m 21 years old this year.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

Heavy silence pressed down on everyone present.