Ch.7676. Ogre

**Stats**: Strength (S), Stamina (S), Agility (SS-), Magic Power (D+)

During my Farming World days, all my character stats were SS+ level.

Though that feeling has faded now, this time I got a slight reminder of what it was like back then.

“So this is what SS level feels like.”

There’s a clear difference between SS-, SS, and SS+.

Compared to when I had SS+ stats, SS- is certainly lacking, but compared to my previous S-level agility, the lightness of my body is completely different.

Above all, the transformation of [Leaping Slash] is remarkable.

(Current rank: SS-, 12 hits)

Adding just one extra slash per skill use increases damage by more than 10%.

Moreover, the attack count has increased by 50% from 8 to 12 hits, which roughly means the skill damage has increased by over 50%.

Of course, the actual calculation isn’t that simple.

Considering the nature of [Leaping Slash], which allows me to pack all these hits within one second during skill use, this damage increase is quite feasible.

That’s why I can smile and go hunt ogres even though my stat increase came in agility.

If I had gotten strength, my attack power during “leaps” would have increased, which would have been good in its own way, but I already have plenty of attack power options from the [Melee Weapon Master] effect, so getting in one more attack with amplified power might actually be better.

Higher agility also means I can move more freely to avoid ogre attacks.

Upon entering the Corrupted Forest, I immediately used [Leap] to soar upward.

My body teleported into the air above the towering trees.

Cool wind rushed past my entire body.

Is this what it feels like to fly?

Since I wasn’t actually flying, gravity soon pulled me back down, but I didn’t mind.

I looked around, searching for a taller “corrupted tree.”

In the distance, I spotted a tree as thick as a world tree, standing tall like a pillar of the world.

The surroundings were filled with purple mist, thickly settled around it, creating what looked like a dungeon within a dungeon.

“That’s the place.”

I planted my feet in mid-air as I fell and used [Leaping Slash].

Instantly, everything around me darkened as the mist obscured my vision.

Thud- Thud-

The mist here was incredibly thick.

While the trees of the Corrupted Forest didn’t block my view, this mist made it difficult to find my bearings.

The sound of the ground trembling that came through the mist indirectly told me this was truly ogre territory.

Run away while you still can.

The fact that I could sense such an overwhelming presence even from a distance showed that an S- rank’s majesty was invincible in a level 0 biome.

I was actually curious about something.

Why would they place this in a level 0 biome?

Since this isn’t a game, there’s nothing strange about having powerful monsters in a level 0 biome.

Even in games, there’s no law stating that level 0 biomes can only have F-rank, D-rank, or at most C-rank monsters.

Game companies intentionally remove such barriers so players can enjoy gradual growth without hitting walls.

But considering the resources and rarity of this rift dimension, it’s not that strange to have an A-rank dungeon at the edge of a level 0 biome, with an S-rank Corrupted Ogre as its boss.

I drew my Sewer Blade.

Holding my breath, I listened carefully to the sounds.

Thud- Thud-

The sound was coming from a single ogre.

Could this be the S-rank ogre?

Or just one of many ogres in this territory?

If it’s the former, that’s good news for me.

When I saw it from afar, this mist-covered area, presumably filled with “chaotic energy,” was quite vast, and finding the Corrupted Ogre in it wouldn’t be easy.

If the Corrupted Ogre is guarding the corrupted tree, I could just head straight for the tree, but even that’s not easy in this mist.

As soon as I entered the mist, I used [Leap] again to get a better view, but all I could see was mist.

I thought I might at least see a faint outline, but since I couldn’t, I’d have to search on foot.

“Let’s kill one first and see.”

While completing the quest quickly would be nice, as the CEO of Farming Company, the more ogres the better.

This is the first S-rank monster in the rift dimension.

I’m not sure if other ogres are also S-rank, but even if they’re just A-rank, ogres are monsters that turn into money just by killing them.

That’s what ogres are like in reality too.

While healing herb potions are excellent and popular for recovery,

potions made from ogre blood are ingredients for what’s called “Elixir,” a complete recovery potion.

The blood of ogres, known for their exceptional regenerative abilities, is said to appear very rarely in A-rank dungeons or higher, and even S-rank hunters exhaust themselves fighting just one due to its vicious regeneration.

Moreover, this regeneration applies not just to blood but also to skin, tendons, and bones, which is why there are many cases where all parts are auctioned off after butchering, just like cattle.

If it’s an ogre soaked in chaotic energy…

I’m already excited.

I must be quite the attention-seeker.

Seeing the world’s attention focused on me after this auction, with people wondering who the seller is, makes me want to fill the next auction with even better and rarer items.

Thud-

Following the sound without seeing clearly, I eventually spotted a massive tree.

No, it wasn’t a tree.

“Damn. It’s huge.”

The ogre was literally a massive building.

Standing about 5 meters tall with a broad build.

Can I really kill this?

The external pressure weighs heavily on me.

“Was it always this big?”

The ogres I knew weren’t this large.

Even for an ogre, there’s a limit.

They’re usually described as being around 3 meters tall, about the size of two humans put together.

“…Is it because of the chaotic energy?”

Well, given that this dimension has strong life energy and unknown chaotic energy, causing crops and monsters to gain 1-2 ranks as a bonus, it’s not strange that an ogre living in this radiation-like misty area would be larger.

There are a lot of humanoid monsters in level 0 biomes.

The ogre looked in my direction.

I had to crane my neck to confirm it was looking at me, and suddenly I felt the world darken.

How is that possible in this misty place where shadows don’t form?

The moment I thought this, my vision went black.

My instinct told me it was the ogre’s fist.

Swoosh! Thud!

I dodged with Leaping Slash just as the fist struck where I had been.

“Wow. Quite the greeting.”

The ogre threw a punch as soon as it spotted me.

Its speed, mismatched with its size, seemed to be at least Agility A.

That’s cheating.

There’s a rule in the world that size and speed are proportional, but these stats break that rule.

Moreover, this ogre’s main stats aren’t agility.

They’re strength and stamina.

Thud!

Raising its fist, it swings at me, unable to see me clearly.

The massive body follows me, persistently striking down with attacks that are as quick and nimble as a game of whack-a-mole.

“Hmm.”

After dodging a few times, I came to a conclusion.

“It’s fast, but…”

Curious, I called up its information, and just like Lee Ji-hyun’s farming window, the ogre’s information appeared before me.

[Monster]

– Name: Young Ogre

– Rank: A-

– Level: 20

– Stats: Strength (S-), Stamina (S), Agility (A), Magic Power (E)

– Physical: 489cm / 331kg

– Abilities:

1. Natural Recovery (A+)(P)

2. Strength Enhancement (A+)(A)

In Farming World, monster information was only visible after completing a hunt.

But here, it seems different.

Just like Lee Ji-hyun’s farming window appeared, I could see the monster’s information just by calling it up.

This gives me an advantage in information when hunting.

As expected, the ogre before me wasn’t the Corrupted Ogre but an ordinary(?) A-rank ogre.

A Young Ogre.

Its stats were quite high for an A- rank, but not as high as I had thought.

Having sized it up, I leaped toward the ogre’s head as it attacked again.

Its thick neck was as wide as the trees in the Corrupted Forest and looked tough.

I swung my sword rapidly, cutting it like felling a tree.

Once, twice… twelve times.

Even the tough ogre skin was sliced like tofu.

“GRAAAH!”

A massive roar echoed through the forest.

With its neck half-severed and about to fall off, the ogre hurriedly grabbed it and put it back in place.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, but amazingly, as it reattached its rattling neck, the wound closed up and the neck reattached.

I witnessed this grotesque scene right before my eyes.