The Giant Ogre stood before me—a towering monster, about 5 meters tall, with a bulky frame that made even Aria look like a child in comparison.
This creature was no joke.
It was powerful enough to take down a group of Rank-2 fighters without breaking a sweat.
Its attack strength was terrifying; even a Rank-3 tank would be badly hurt trying to block it.
The Giant Ogre's gaze locked onto me, but I didn't back down.
Despite everything I knew about his overwhelming power, I understood one critical weakness: his strength meant nothing if he couldn't land a hit.
And that was his flaw—he was slow, especially compared to other Rank-2+ monsters.
When I spotted the Silver Lavender near the Giant Ogre, it confirmed something I had suspected.
Not everything in this world was following the events of the novel exactly.
In the novel, this hidden room wasn't discovered until Xerox and the others were second-year students.
By then, the Giant Ogre would have already reached Rank-3.
He would have eaten the Silver Lavender to become even stronger, leaving the rest of this place behind once it no longer interested him.
But now, I had arrived earlier than in the novel's timeline, and that's why I was facing this monster here and now.
It's always a good idea to be prepared.
Just because I know a few things from the novel doesn't mean everything will go the same way.
Especially when I'm not strong yet, staying cautious is key.
To defeat the Giant Ogre, my plan was simple: dodge his attacks, keep my distance, and hit him with long-range skills.
The Giant Ogre stood in front of the Silver Lavender, not moving, just staring at me.
(Fine, if you're not going to attack, just stay there.)
"Shadow Style: Shadow Slash!"
The attack landed, but it only left small cuts.
It wasn't enough to deal any real damage.
"ROOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!"
The Giant Ogre roared and charged at me, swinging his massive club.
-BOOM!
I dodged to the left, and the ground shook as his club smashed into it.
"Ice Shard!"
I launched another attack, but the Giant Ogre swung his club, shattering all my Ice Shards.
He charged again, swinging wildly.
I dodged, having already predicted his straightforward attack pattern.
Giant Ogres are all brute force and no brains.
Their moves are easy to read.
"Ground Freeze!"
I froze the ground, not to trap him but to create an advantage for myself.
Freezing him directly would use too much mana, and if I failed to finish him, I'd be defenseless.
Instead, the icy ground would slow him down, making it easier for me to keep dodging and attacking until he tired out.
The monster charged again, raising his club, but the slippery floor made him lose balance.
He slipped and slammed into the wall.
-BAM!
(A chance!)
"Shadow Style: Shadow Slash!"
I struck while he was down, landing a solid hit.
Dust filled the air, and I waited to see if he was still alive.
I wasn't stupid enough to get close before being sure.
"GGGGGRRRRR…"
An angry growl told me he wasn't done yet.
As the dust cleared, I saw the Giant Ogre bleeding heavily.
I had dealt some real damage this time.
He glared at me, furious that someone weaker had injured him.
This time, he didn't rush blindly.
He was cautious of the slippery ground.
But I couldn't give him time to recover.
"Shadow Style: Shadow Slash!"
He raised his club to block, but I kept up the pressure with Shadow Slashes and Ice Shards.
Suddenly, the Giant Ogre stomped on the ground, cracking the ice.
Despite his low intelligence, he had figured out that breaking the ice would give him back his mobility.
He attacked the floor until the frozen surface shattered, then charged at me again.
The cycle repeated: I dodged his attacks and struck when I could.
The battle dragged on, but his wounds started to take their toll.
He was losing blood and getting slower.
I, on the other hand, was still fine.
Finally, his attacks became weak and sluggish.
He was exhausted, but I didn't rush in.
I kept my distance, attacking from afar until he collapsed with a heavy thud.
-THUD!
(Whew, that was long. Not the hardest fight, but definitely dangerous. If even one of his hits landed, I'd be dead.)
After making sure he was dead, I searched his body and found a monster core—a Rank-2+ Boss monster core, no less.
Its value was equal to the Silver Lavender.
This trip was more rewarding than I expected.
I drank a health potion and a mana potion, then rested for an hour.
On my way out, I was stopped by a group of four explorers.
From their mana, they seemed to be Rank-2-.
"Hehehe… Hand over your valuables."
"This will go easier if you just give us everything."
What a bunch of idiots.
They didn't even try to learn anything about who they were trying to rob.
Numbers mean nothing if your opponent is stronger than all of you combined.
"Ground Freeze!"
The frozen ground left them slipping and falling.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Keeeeee!"
Pathetic.
They didn't even try to defend themselves.
I left them there, knowing the ice would melt in a few minutes.
Sparing them wasn't mercy—they weren't worth the effort to kill.
With that, I continued on my way, satisfied with the rewards of this trip.
Considering their mana aura, I realized they weren't murderers.
A true murderer would have a threatening, bloodthirsty aura aimed at killing, and I didn't sense anything like that from them.
It was clear they were likely just regular explorers who saw me as an easy target.
Maybe they thought I was some rich kid exploring the dungeon for fun and decided to rob me.
They might not even be career thieves—just opportunists looking for a quick score.
After all, in this world, even a so-called hero might rob someone if the loot is tempting enough.
A Rank-1 with a Rank-10 item would be a walking target, even for Rank-10 heroes.
It's not uncommon for explorers to steal from others who appear weaker.
Even if they weren't murderers—just desperate explorers trying to take my things—so what?
Why should I let them off so easily?
I should've killed them.
If not that, at least taught them a painful lesson to show their place.
When did I become this soft-hearted?
Damn…..