Ch.7878. A Billion-Worth Doping

When facing a baby ogre, I claimed to have the perfect counter ability, but against a corrupted ogre, I found myself on the receiving end of a perfect counter instead.

The difference between a baby ogre and a corrupted ogre?

None.

Just differences in stats and skill grades.

Yet that slight difference in grade created a bizarre food chain structure where I’m either the predator or the prey.

In truth, my overwhelming combat power comes from instantaneous explosive force.

My fighting style consumes mana to deliver attacks so fast that enemies can’t react, concentrating everything into damage output. The enemy can’t defend against attacks that teleport and strike vital points 8 or even 12 times in an instant. With attack power exceeding +1,000% and follow-up strikes three times more powerful, it’s simply overwhelming.

This is true now and will remain so.

It’s a combat style that will work well until I meet an enemy with similar or higher stats than mine.

Against enemies with similar fighting styles, I’d definitely win, and even against defense-oriented enemies like ogres, I could pierce through with a stronger blade.

But the corrupted ogre was one of the few monsters capable of breaking down this combat style.

It had stats equal to or higher than mine, with passive skills that constantly wrapped its body in steel-like shields without needing activation, and regeneration so high it could heal before I could behead it.

If I focused hard enough, I might be able to cut off its head.

That is, if the corrupted ogre wasn’t that corrupted tree standing there blankly.

“GRAAAARGH!”

The corrupted ogre’s agility is S-rank, despite being less impressive than its strength and stamina.

The moment I swing my sword, the ogre’s hand flies toward me.

My sword swings quickly and withdraws, but with that reaction speed, there’s not enough time to strike again from the same position.

This wasn’t even a war of attrition—it was more like one-sided neck fondling that continued for over five minutes.

“Ha. Shit. This really isn’t working.”

My stamina has limits.

It’s not S-rank stamina that would deplete after just 5 minutes of skirmishing, but the problem is mana.

Various items have increased my mana recovery to 35% per minute and my maximum mana to 120, but [Leap] costs 4 mana per use. Using it for evasion, I could see my mana gradually depleting faster than it recovered.

Moreover, using it just for evasion was the only reason my mana was holding out. My only winning plan—beheading the ogre—would require using [Double Slash] as well, costing 9 mana at once.

I’d need to use it at least 5 times consecutively, meaning I’d need to save nearly half my mana.

The problem is that even my estimates show it won’t work.

“I have no choice.”

I wanted to just kill it if possible.

But when something doesn’t work, I need to acknowledge it and move to the next option.

I had prepared several strategies to take down the corrupted ogre.

First, armor and accessories.

The armor increased my minimum defense and raised my agility to S+ rank.

The accessories boosted my mana and attack power.

Then there was my final card, which I hadn’t initially planned but prepared on the spot when the Hunter Department Store asked if I had anything else to reach the VVIP amount.

Doping potions worth 1 billion won.

You might ask, “What kind of potions cost that much?” But it’s not actually that many.

I pulled out potions one by one from the leather pouch occupying one belt slot.

“Ah… my precious stash. These are my trump cards.”

Doping potions are extremely useful emergency medicines for hunters.

When facing a monster so dangerous you can’t even escape.

Or when running away alone might mean the annihilation of your party.

When you determine you can’t stop an enemy with your current power, doping potions allow you to temporarily exceed your limits.

Even if it’s just one grade higher, in critical situations, that subtle difference can be enough to reverse the outcome of battle and the line between life and death.

Naturally, all hunters would like to carry one or two such emergency medicines.

In theory.

But reality makes it difficult.

Even though doping potions have short durations and temporary effects, they provide significant benefits during that time, making them difficult to produce and expensive.

Even mediocre potions that slightly increase attack power often cost hundreds of thousands of won.

The reason is obvious.

For alchemists, doping potions are among the most difficult to create.

The ingredients are hard to obtain and demanding to work with, and if they’re too expensive, they won’t sell well, so alchemists prefer to make potions that sell better.

Anyway, I bought potions, and in my situation, 1 billion won wasn’t actually that much for “emergency medicine” level doping potions.

[Superior Agility Potion]

– Grade: A+

– Effect: +1 grade to Agility for 60 seconds when consumed

[Superior Strength Potion]

– Grade: A+

– Effect: +1 grade to Strength for 60 seconds when consumed

[Advanced Attack Power Potion]

– Grade: A

– Effect: Attack power X10% for 120 seconds when consumed

Just these three potions cost me 1 billion won.

“If I’m going to do this, I’ll do it properly.”

Though I called it my trump card, I hesitated when asked if it was truly a guaranteed winning move.

The S-rank corrupted ogre.

Its reaction speed and strength were so overwhelming that I couldn’t be certain if these potions would be enough to successfully behead it.

If it doesn’t work, I’ll have no choice.

I’ll have to invest the 20 farming points I’ve been saving for the absolute last resort and try again.

I opened the caps and drank all three potions.

[Agility +1 grade for 60 seconds]

[Strength +1 grade for 60 seconds]

[Attack power X10% for 120 seconds]

No time to marvel at the effects.

Immediately, S+ rank strength.

SS rank agility.

And attack power X10%.

I used [Leap Slash] right away, aiming for the left chest.

Even with my trump card, it would be difficult to cut the head off in one go.

If I slashed at the neck once, the ogre, not being completely stupid, would immediately throw a punch or try to protect its neck the moment I disappeared.

I might be stronger and faster now, but that alone wouldn’t be enough to successfully behead it.

So I changed tactics.

The plan was simple.

Distract the corrupted ogre’s attention for just one second as it sensed rather than saw me flying around like a fly.

That would be enough.

“GRAAAARGH!”

As expected, filled with rage and feeling the subtle sensation in its chest, it spread both hands wide to try to crush me between its palms.

The moment I saw that action begin, I was already using [Leap Slash] on the opposite side of its neck.

The corrupted ogre noticed my movement, but it takes time for brain signals to reach the body.

And unfortunately, the signals had already commanded its massive body to act, so it needed time to queue a new command or cancel the current action.

And that time was enough for my SS-rank agility to swing my sword 17 times, swing again, and use [Leap Slash] a third time before the hand finally reaching for me could arrive.

“Urrrgh…ugh…”

THUD!

Like swatting a mosquito stuck to its neck.

The thick, massive hand, receiving the command and seemingly unconcerned about the pain to its own neck, flew with full force and struck its neck.

Not a slap, but a thud.

With that impact, the force transferred directly to the neck, causing it to drop—or rather, fly off.

“Home run~”

It took exactly three Leap Slashes.

With my SS-rank agility, I delivered 18 slashes three times, totaling 54 slashes, with follow-up attacks landing properly.

My S+ rank strength increased my attack power to 200%, and the Sewer Sword’s effect raised it to 300%, boosting my attack power significantly.

The finishing touch was the Advanced Attack Power Potion.

Compared to the agility and strength potions, it was one grade lower, and attack power percentage isn’t a popular option, so I bought it much cheaper than the other two. But for me, it provided an effect equal to or greater than a stat grade increase, as it applied as a multiplicative bonus.

My additional attack power alone was 1,300%.

Adding 10% to that might seem negligible, but when that 10% is multiplied, it adds an extra 130%.

I thought I’d need to slash five or six times comfortably, but in my non-doped state, I succeeded in beheading the ogre with just three strikes.

“GRAAAARGH!!!”

The corrupted ogre roared in anger while reaching for its flying head.

But the head, propelled by its own force, was already flying too far to catch.

Even with a 10-second window, it couldn’t catch it.

Unless boss ogres have some head retrieval function, that is.

THUD-

The massive body collapsed to the ground ten seconds later.