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Chapter : 15
Troll Hunter (1)
Suhyeon moved cautiously, pondering each step, but surprisingly, the problem resolved itself easily. Once he emerged from the waterfall, the Calcutta Gorilla seemed to have given up and gone away—it was nowhere to be seen. Suhyeon let out a sigh of relief, having been prepared to race all the way back to the city if he encountered it.
If he wasn’t being chased, it would just take time to return; there was no real danger. Suhyeon identified the direction and began moving.
It was rare for a newly established mercenary company to handle an official assignment immediately on the planet Cameron. New companies weren’t called new for nothing. Their members lacked experience, and the company itself had little know-how.
Planet Cameron was unpredictable—anything could happen at any time. If luck wasn’t on your side, failure was immediate.
Jo Seunghyun knew this well. Even though he had recruited experienced soldiers like Lee Sohee, he understood that wasn’t a full guarantee. If veteran soldiers could solve everything, there would be no need for this business in the first place—the military would have completed Cameron’s colonization.
That was why he didn’t blame anyone if the mission failed. Yet, the results were truly unexpected.
They had successfully reached the designated coordinates.
Not only that, but they had successfully discovered resources at those coordinates. That alone was reason enough for a celebratory toast. And the team hadn’t even been particularly lucky—they had encountered and fought monsters along the way.
Normally, a grand celebration would have been held as soon as they returned.
But the current atmosphere was far from festive. One member had gone missing.
“Ugh…”
Jo Seunghyun scratched his head as he read the report again. When he first read it, he couldn’t believe it and called Lee Sohee separately to confirm.
“Wait, really? You know who this is, right? A new recruit we just brought in.”
“There’s no exaggeration at all. Even if you ask the others, they’d say the same thing.”
Cameron was a planet where even experienced soldiers could get lost, yet this rookie had handled almost everything—from discovering monsters to fighting them. No matter how you heard it, it was unbelievable.
“No matter how talented someone is, this is too much, isn’t it?”
And what happened afterward was even more shocking. Upon reaching the coordinates, they encountered a Calcutta Gorilla. The rookie outmaneuvered it, allowing the team to return safely.
“Did I bring in a prodigy? Or did I somehow recruit a reclusive master hiding their true identity?”
He could have doubted if Suhyeon’s age seemed unusual, but he had already verified it. His age matched the records, showing he had joined the Korean military and immediately left.
Unable to believe it, he called someone else in.
“Changshik, was he really that amazing?”
“He was incredible. Without the rookie, we’d all be dead.”
“…Alright. You can leave. Suyong, come in.”
Kim Changshik left, and Park Suyong entered.
“Suyong, be honest. If you’re exaggerating just to give the rookie a generous reward for being missing, don’t worry. You know I’m not the type to fall for scams.”
He asked because the recruits he had gathered weren’t bad people; he wondered if Suyong was just trying to make sure the missing rookie received a fair reward. But Park Suyong shook his head firmly.
“It’s not like that. Kim Suhyeon did everything himself.”
“Really?”
“Do I seem like someone who would lie about this, sir? If you don’t trust me, I can leave right now.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t trust you! Just… it’s hard to believe.”
Park Suyong was competent and not a bad person, but he was extremely single-minded. Jo Seunghyun muttered to himself while trying to calm him—this guy didn’t get jokes.
“Well, he’s still my employee…”
Of course, he didn’t bring this up in front of others—he would immediately be questioned.
“How is this even possible for someone with no prior experience on Earth? Explain it so I can understand.”
“I heard both of his parents were soldiers on Cameron. From what he said, he spent a lot of time around here as a child.”
“You mean they sent a kid in there?”
“That’s what happened. What can we do?”
Suhyeon’s parents suddenly seemed like reckless individuals.
“Alright. You can leave.”
“Sir.”
“Hm?”
“I hope Kim Suhyeon gets a bit more reward. You can take it from my share or the others’—it doesn’t matter.”
“You asked the others?”
“They’d agree.”
“Fine. Don’t worry about it. Go rest; you’ve earned it.”
“Yes.”
After the door closed, Jo Seunghyun leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He had seen a lot in his life, but this was extraordinary.
‘Did a fairy come help him and then disappear?’
He laughed at the thought, realizing it was just his imagination, and returned to reality.
After hearing such testimony, Kim Suhyeon’s contribution was undeniable. He couldn’t have imagined Park Suyong would speak so openly about it. That taciturn man actually did…
If Suhyeon’s abilities were true, he was no ordinary recruit. He had almost single-handedly carried the team. Even as a rookie, someone with his skills would have been sought after everywhere.
‘Then why did he join my company? Wouldn’t a bigger firm have been better?’
Even if taking tests elsewhere might have been smarter, it was meaningless now.
‘Ugh… was my plan too sloppy? Was I blinded by greed?’
He had considered the task relatively easy. He judged that their skills, combined with experienced soldiers and power armor, were sufficient for the Calcutta region.
In the end, the mission succeeded, but it came at the cost of a rookie’s life—or almost did. Death in such situations was inevitable but never easy to accept.
Especially with such an extraordinary rookie. Jo Seunghyun felt guilty for not recognizing and fully utilizing Kim Suhyeon’s talent.
If it had been just any rookie, the team might have recovered quickly. But the mood suggested that Suhyeon had carried the team significantly. Jo Seunghyun knew the difference between someone who could act as a central figure and someone who could not.
The former could unite the team and make it work smoothly; the latter made little difference whether present or absent. But if the former disappeared, the impact was greater.
‘Damn it. Focus. It’s already done. I have to handle it. I’m the boss.’
Looking at the results objectively, the mission had been successful: coordinates confirmed, resources found… the loss of one member was statistically insignificant. He forced himself to think that way.
‘But where do I put his reward? He has no family…’
Bang!
“?!”
“Kim Suhyeon. He has returned.”
“!?!?!?!?!?!?!”
“You… you… you’re alive?!”
“I’ve never been dead.”
Jo Seunghyun’s shout made the team rush to the office, fearing the worst. Cameron wasn’t lawless, but it was still a wild land. Incidents could occur even in human cities.
But it wasn’t a criminal in the office—it was Kim Suhyeon, covered in dirt.
“You didn’t… declare him dead just because he returned a week late…?”
“Not yet, but… how?”
Everyone stared at Suhyeon as if he were a ghost. Kim Changshik even poked at Suhyeon’s waist and arm.
“Ugh! What are you doing, Senior Suyong?!”
“What are you doing to someone who might be injured?!”
Park Suyong roughly pushed away Kim Changshik’s hand. Changshik protested, but couldn’t argue and went silent.
“Kim Suhyeon is back?!”
Finally, Lee Sohee appeared. With everyone gathering, Jo Seunghyun frowned.
“Alright! Kim Suhyeon is back. Everyone except him, get out! I need to hear the situation.”
Reluctantly, everyone left. They had many questions, but seeing the rookie they thought was missing alive lifted their spirits.
“Wait. Before talking… any injuries? We should go to the hospital immediately. It’d be a shame if you died from wounds after coming back.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“If you don’t trust me, we can go to the hospital together.”
“Alright. Then after we talk, we’ll go together.”
Suhyeon gave him a strange look. Mercenaries usually managed their own health. Claiming no injuries while being hurt was risky, but Jo Seunghyun really meant it.
‘What’s this guy thinking?’
Suhyeon hadn’t had time to feel the company’s atmosphere. He didn’t know how incredible his deeds were to the team.
“Sorry to ask right away, but… how did you come back? Can I ask?”
“Of course, you can. It’s work; it should be recorded.”
“Oh… right.”
The rookie’s demeanor was like a seasoned mercenary, despite his age. Jo Seunghyun straightened his posture unconsciously.
“Escaping from a Calcutta Gorilla was extremely difficult. Its power is almost like powered armor.”
“Indeed.”
Even Jo Seunghyun hadn’t expected Calcutta Gorillas around that coordinate. Had he known, he wouldn’t have attempted such an operation.
