'Status Window.'
[Name: Sung Jin-Woo] [Level: 51] [Class: Shadow Monarch] [Title: One Who Overcame Adversity (and 1 others)]
Without drawing attention, Jin-Woo summoned his Status Window and changed his title from 'One Who Overcame Adversity' to 'Wolf Slayer.'
[Title: Wolf Slayer (and 1 others)] A title granted to hunters skilled at taking down wolves. Increases all stats by 40% when fighting beast-type monsters.
An opportunity to use such a broken buff had come — why would he turn it away? Ding.
[Beast-type monster has appeared.] [Title effect has been applied.]
A smile spread across Jin-Woo's face as he checked the added stats.
'Good.'
That was when the Hunters screamed.
"A b-bear!" "An Ice Bear!"
The Ice Bear, having caught the scent of humans, lumbered over. An intruder in its territory — the beast's eyes showed no goodwill. Grrr— The Ice Bear bared its ice-transparent fangs and slowly heaved its massive body upright. A body so huge it blocked out the sightline!
"Ah…"
It resembled a polar bear but was nearly twice as large, and embedded in its chest like an ornament was a mana crystal, the mark of a magical beast. Groooaar! A deep roar that shook the entire area! The sound of the Ice Bear's bellow froze every Hunter on the spot — except Jin-Woo. Park Hee-Jin's brow furrowed.
*'What was all that about only needing to worry about the Ice Bear!'*
How could he say that about *that* thing? She'd nearly been fooled by Sung Jin-Woo's silver tongue. The moment she laid eyes on the Ice Bear, certainty settled in.
*'We were never supposed to have entered this forest!'*
Feeling the crisis, Park Hee-Jin stepped forward in front of the group and shouted.
"I'll draw its attention — find an opening and—" "Yahhk!"
Her collar was yanked back by a powerful grip, and she stumbled several steps to keep from falling. When she finally steadied herself, Jin-Woo was already standing right in front of her.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Jin-Woo pointed a finger at Park Hee-Jin.
"Let me make this clear — I'm the one hunting the magical beasts from now on."
He couldn't have them stealing his experience. To Jin-Woo, these bear-cubs were nutritious supplements he needed to stock up on before facing the real enemy — the White Walkers.
"Excuse me?"
Park Hee-Jin couldn't hide her bewilderment.
*'He just pulled me back because he wants to solo the magical beast?'*
The two magic-type Hunters had also stopped casting and wore expressions of disbelief.
"Even if you're strong, that thing is a high-ranking Dungeon's magical beast!"
Ignoring Park Hee-Jin's angry voice from behind, Jin-Woo walked steadily toward the Ice Bear.
*'If I use daggers…'*
Blood would splatter everywhere and make a mess. Jin-Woo habitually summoned two daggers and sent them straight back to his inventory. Instead, he clenched his fists.
*'We agreed I'd just observe, but this is an emergency — they'll understand, right?'*
Jin-Woo and the Ice Bear locked eyes. Grooar! The Ice Bear swung arms as thick as telephone poles with lightning speed. Whoosh! But they only sliced through empty air.
*'Big body, fast speed too.'*
Leaping above the Ice Bear's head, Jin-Woo fully understood why the creature had such a fearsome reputation.
'But still…'
He could feel that all his Level Ups so far hadn't been for nothing. Right before the Ice Bear raised its head, Jin-Woo brought his fist down on its forehead with everything he had. Thud! The Ice Bear's skull smashed into the ground. Its shattered cranium let a long tongue loll out, and it never moved again.
[Level Up!]
Yes! He'd been expecting to level up, and he was glad he'd stopped Park Hee-Jin from interfering.
"Wh-who… what are you?"
Hearing the trembling voice and turning around, Jin-Woo saw four faces stripped of words. He scratched the side of his head.
*'This is exactly why I set the ground rules ahead of time.'*
It seemed that a person's memory of a shocking scene didn't last very long. Left with no choice, Jin-Woo emphasized it once more.
"I told you I don't take questions. If you don't like my way, go over there."
Jin-Woo's finger pointed in the direction where Kim Cheol's team had been.
"You can go back the way you came."
Only then did Park Hee-Jin's expression seem to return, as if she'd finally come to her senses.
"I just saw how you killed an Ice Bear — do you really think I'd leave your side?"
Her heart swelled. She'd chosen this path on instinct because Jin-Woo seemed better than Kim Cheol, but she quickly realized it had turned into an unexpected jackpot. Quick-witted as ever, she reached her conclusion immediately — to get out of here safely, she had to follow Sung Jin-Woo. Before Jin-Woo could casually suggest they each go their own way, she made a preemptive move with an earnest plea.
"Jin-Woo, please take the lead. I'll follow whatever you say without question." *'He said he doesn't take demands, but…'*
After a brief moment of thought, Jin-Woo nodded. Considering what lay ahead, that would be more convenient in every way. Park Hee-Jin turned around. Han Song-Yi had been brought by Jin-Woo anyway, so there was no need to ask. That left two people.
"You two are on board as well, right?"
Suddenly put on the spot, the two Hunters looked back and forth between the Ice Bear's corpse and Jin-Woo, then nodded vigorously.
***
Back in front of the Red Gate. Hyun Ki-Cheol wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and checked his watch. Baek Yoon-Ho asked.
"How long has it been?" "About three hours." "Three hours… That means three days have already passed inside."
Baek Yoon-Ho's voice was heavy. Of the four people gathered here, only Baek Yoon-Ho had ever set foot inside a Red Gate. One of South Korea's representative S-rank Hunters — Baek Yoon-Ho. Even for him, a Red Gate was no trivial matter. With a somber expression, Baek Yoon-Ho recalled his experience.
"The truly terrifying thing about a Red Gate is that it's a completely different world."
This was the tale of a Red Gate from an S-rank Hunter — something seldom heard. Naturally, An Sang-Min, Joo Sung-Chan, and Hyun Ki-Cheol's attention was riveted. Baek Yoon-Ho continued.
"The place you arrive at after passing through the Gate could be a desert with temperatures exceeding 60 degrees, a jungle crawling with venomous snakes and insects, or a frozen wasteland so cold your toes would develop frostbite."
Gulp. All three swallowed dry at the same time.
"Nobody can tell whether it's a Red Gate or not until you've actually stepped inside. So how are you supposed to prepare for anything?"
Today had been no different. The Gate that had looked ordinary began turning red the instant the Hunters entered.
"The sun scorches your skin, venomous insects torment you day and night, your flesh freezes and rots from the biting cold… and the weaker ones die off one by one." "Good Lord…"
Hyun Ki-Cheol let out a disbelieving groan.
"On top of that, you have to fight magical beasts in those dire conditions."
Just listening painted a bleak picture. But that wasn't the end.
"Say you somehow adapt to the environment of the place you've reached. Now you have to procure food."
For a minimum of several weeks, potentially several months, they'd have no choice but to find their own sustenance. It was no ordinary ordeal.
"In the harshest conditions and constant hunger, the only thing you can rely on is a mana compass."
The mana compass, which pointed toward locations of powerful magical energy. Following it to find and slay the boss was the only way to escape a Red Gate aside from breaking the Dungeon.
"Just imagine relying on that single needle for days, weeks, months. Could a person not go completely insane?"
The three nodded. If ordinary civilians like them — not Hunters — were dropped into such a place, they wouldn't last a single day, magical beasts or not.
"You said three days had passed, correct?" "Yes."
At Hyun Ki-Cheol's answer, Baek Yoon-Ho's face fell.
"By now, the C-rank and below Hunters are probably all dead."
Kim Cheol was A-rank. Even with his skills, an A-rank Hunter couldn't possibly protect every member of his team. That would require at least an S-rank Hunter by their side. And so —
"We can only pray that the higher-ranked Hunters make it back safely."
A conclusion born of experience. In Baek Yoon-Ho's mind, the C-rank and below Hunters were already dead.
***
Evening. Large chunks of meat sizzled to a golden brown over the campfire.
"Bear meat — it's a bit tough, but not bad?" "Want a little more?" "Oh, thank you so much."
Ko Myung-Hwan sliced generous pieces of well-cooked Ice Bear meat onto the plate Yoon Gi-Jung held out. They were the two C-rank Hunters from Jin-Woo's team. Park Hee-Jin and Han Song-Yi continued eating as well, not as ravenously as the men, but nibbling steadily.
"Sis, pass me some pepper." "Salt?" "Seasoning's fine."
Everyone had settled in reasonably well with the Dungeon. Campfire, blankets, tents. There wasn't much to complain about. No — in some ways it even looked cozy. Ko Myung-Hwan looked around and spoke.
"Haven't the Ice Bear attacks died down a bit lately?"
Park Hee-Jin answered.
"Well, that's because the raid leader wiped them out." "That guy — I don't know what grudge he had against bears in a past life, but his eyes practically glow whenever he spots an Ice Bear. It's scary. Scary, I tell you."
Before long, Jin-Woo's title had become "the raid leader." Park Hee-Jin, suddenly noticing Jin-Woo's absence, craned her neck and looked around.
"Speaking of which, where'd the raid leader go?"
Yoon Gi-Jung, who'd been burying his face in his plate, finally looked up.
"He said he was going to scout the area a little while ago."
Hmph. Park Hee-Jin wore an expression that said she couldn't help herself.
"Exploring a high-ranking Dungeon all on his own… Is he not even scared?"
Yoon Gi-Jung gave a light chuckle.
"He'd be fine, wouldn't he?" "True — he did beat an Ice Bear, a high-ranking magical beast, to death with his bare hands."
Ko Myung-Hwan picked up Yoon Gi-Jung's comment. Then he went on.
"But, you know… now that it's come up… just how high of a rank would someone need to be to beat down a magical beast that absurdly huge?"
Clunk. Everyone went quiet at once. They were all equally curious. But it was the fear of being kicked out that kept them from voicing it out loud.
"…Let's just finish eating."
At Park Hee-Jin's words, everyone nodded.
***
Jin-Woo emerged from the underbrush after combing through the forest.
*'Somewhere around here…'*
The presence of multiple Ice Bears could be felt from various directions. He'd begun reverse-tracking the Ice Bears since last night, having realized they kept approaching from the same general direction. As he surveyed the area, Jin-Woo's eyes lit up.
*'Found them!'*
Beyond the brush, dozens of rocky caves came into view. And at least one presence could be detected from each of those caves. He didn't even need to strain his senses — right before his eyes, Ice Bears were crawling into and out of the caves. A rough headcount put the number well above thirty. It was, quite literally, a bear den. The corner of Jin-Woo's mouth curled upward. He'd come alone on purpose — there were no prying eyes around. A perfect scenario to deploy his shadow soldiers. He'd been waiting for this.
*'Come.'*
He called to the shadows in his mind, and soldiers clad in black armor silently encircled the area.
"You know this is your first deployment, right?"
Just as first impressions largely define a person's image, this first outing would define theirs.
'...' '...'
The shadow soldiers stood perfectly straight, without the slightest wavering. Good. Jin-Woo grinned. Sniff, sniff. The Ice Bears, catching Jin-Woo's scent, began crawling out of the caves one by one.
*'Looks like they're ready too.'*
Jin-Woo pointed at the Ice Bears.
"Go."
The moment the word left his lips, the shadow soldiers surged forward, gliding across the ground.