*'Hmm...'*
Jin-Woo furrowed his brow.
*'Too much after all?'*
In terms of strength and sheer bulk, the Ice Bears were indeed a bit much for the shadow soldiers to handle. But then. Something astonishing happened.
*'!'*
Jin-Woo's eyes widened. The soldier, its chest torn open by the Ice Bear's front paw, was on the verge of collapsing—until black smoke morphed and billowed away from its body. *Shooaaah*—The black smoke regrouped a step away, reforming into its original shape.
*'Nice!'*
Jin-Woo's expression brightened. Undead. In that moment, he was reminded of the shadow soldiers' very essence, something he had briefly forgotten. Seeing its attack rendered useless, the enraged Ice Bear let out a tremendous roar.
*"GRAAAARGH!"*
While the infantry held the line, the mages positioned in the rear completed their incantations. *Boom!* *Kaboom!* Fireballs launched from the mages' fingertips exploded here and there. While the shadow soldiers caught in the blasts regenerated almost instantly, the Ice Bears, now ablaze, writhed in agony and screamed.
*"GRRRAAARGH!" "KUWAAH!"*
The shadow soldiers approached the dying bears and mercilessly drove their swords in. *Thud! Thud!* The once-mighty Ice Bears, overwhelmed by the combined assault of infantry and mages, began to fall.
*'Wow...'*
Jin-Woo watched the scene unfold with a fascinated gaze. The infantry's rapid regeneration. The mages' powerful firepower. The shadow soldiers' combat capability exceeded his expectations. The Ice Bears were forced back toward the cave entrances, driven by the soldiers' momentum. Just as it seemed the battle might be ending...
*"GRRRAAAAAAGH!"*
A roar that shook eardrums erupted from the entrance, and something colossal revealed itself.
*'That is...'*
Jin-Woo, who had been observing, felt his own eyes widen. It was a head taller and twice as broad-shouldered than the other Ice Bears nearby.
*"KUWAAH!"*
Its single swipe sent shadow soldiers flying. *Whooom!* *Crack-crack!* The soldiers' regeneration speed couldn't keep up with the rate of destruction. *Crack!* *Splat!* Jin-Woo let out a groan.
*'So a leader appeared...'*
He'd expected there would be a boss-type among them since there was a pack. But this one was larger and stronger than he'd imagined.
*"KUWOOAAARGH!"*
The gigantic Ice Bear crushed shadow soldiers in its path, approaching with terrifying speed. Just then, a message chimed. *Ting*.
[Your mana is depleted. Shadow Soldier regeneration is impossible.] [Your mana is depleted. Shadow Soldier regeneration is impossible.]
*What?* He hurriedly checked his mana, and sure enough, it was depleted, just as the system warned.
[MP: 0 / 1860]
From this point on, destroyed shadow soldiers no longer regenerated. Instead, they turned back into shadows and returned to Jin-Woo's own shadow. Regenerating them required mana from the caster.
*'That damn mana...'*
Here was yet another reason to put points into Intelligence. Jin-Woo scratched the side of his head. The arrival of the boss Ice Bear had instantly turned the tide of battle. But Jin-Woo still had an ace up his sleeve.
*'If their boss came out, then my boss should come out too.'*
Jin-Woo, who had been standing with arms crossed, summoned the leader of his shadow soldiers.
"Igrit!"
One shadow detached from Jin-Woo's own. A knight wearing a winged helmet rose silently upon that shadow. Jin-Woo jerked his chin. Igrit bowed to Jin-Woo, then charged toward the boss.
*Tak, tak, tak, tak!* It dodged the boss's swiping paw by sliding between its legs. Passing alongside the leg, it drew a dagger from its hip and severed the tendons in one clean strike.
*"GRAAARGH!"*
That was just the beginning. Igrit, now wielding a longsword, dodged the torrent of attacks and carved away at the boss's massive body. Tendons, claws, paws, legs—the giant creature's flesh was sliced away piece by piece like a slab of meat.
"Hah..."
Jin-Woo let out an exclamation at Igrit's dazzling maneuvers. The final blow was to the head. *Slicck!* The colossal Ice Bear's head separated from its neck. Before it could hit the ground, Igrit snatched it, strode forward, and knelt before Jin-Woo. *Thud.* The head was placed at Jin-Woo's feet. Like an offering presented to a monarch. Jin-Woo swallowed dryly as he looked at Igrit, who bowed his head to the severed head.
*'Could I have won if Igrit had used his sword from the start?'*
The Ice Bears, their leader slain, panicked and were cut down by the soldiers. The battle concluded shortly after. The result was immensely satisfying.
[Shadow Infantry Lv.2] [Shadow Infantry Lv.3] [Shadow Infantry Lv.2] [Shadow Mage Lv.2]
The soldiers' levels were steadily increasing. Since the shadow soldiers themselves counted as a skill, Jin-Woo's level had risen three stages as well. And most pleasing of all...
"Rise."
[Shadow Extraction successful.] [Shadow Extraction successful.] [Shadow Extraction successful.]
Was the fact that he could acquire new friends. *Grrraaaaah*—Including the boss Ice Bear, dark masses crawled up from the shadows of several selected Ice Bears Jin-Woo had chosen.
*'I thought armored bears would come out...'*
It wasn't what he expected. These beings, labeled 'Shadow Monstrosities,' vaguely resembled bears but were indeterminate whether solid or gaseous. Dark, steam-like wisps continuously rose from the shoulders of the panting creatures.
*'The visuals are a bit... unfortunate, but they are Ice Bear shadows.'*
That power, that destructive force. They would surely be of use. Just then. *Grrraaaaah*—The sound of bears roaring from somewhere made Jin-Woo's ears perk up. And it wasn't just one or two.
*'This bear territory isn't the end, huh?'*
It was too late today, so maybe he'd head over that way tomorrow. A bright smile spread across Jin-Woo's face.
***
"Aaaargh!" "Cough!"
Screams of his companions. Kim Cheol's eyes went wide.
*'Impossible!'*
I... Kim Cheol... failing? He was supposed to become an elite of the Baekho Guild. He'd undergone special training to become a core member. But failure? Unacceptable. They'd fought the Yeti pack, enduring the cold and hunger. Next were the Snow Giants. They lost two people, but they took down the Snow Giants too. The dungeon clearing had seemed to be going smoothly. But. But! Just as the bloody fight with the Snow Giants ended, Ghosts attacked from the rear as if they'd been waiting. Those wretched creatures had been hiding somewhere, watching the raid team exhaust themselves. What followed was a massacre. In an instant, the hunters were decimated.
"C-Captain!"
A fallen hunter extended a bloodied hand toward Kim Cheol. Kim Cheol took a shaky step backward. A Ghost that had appeared out of nowhere mounted the hunter's back and slit his throat with a dagger.
"K-Keck!"
The Ghost, smiling as it drew the blade, looked up at Kim Cheol. Kim Cheol screamed.
"A-Aaaah!"
Then, without looking back, he bolted into the forest. Ice Bears in the forest? The invisible bears were laughable compared to the Yetis, Snow Giants, and Ghosts right before his eyes. Kim Cheol ran with every ounce of strength he had left. The Ghosts, their eyes fixed on Kim Cheol's retreating back, raised their bows. They aimed, and just as they were about to release the arrows... a Ghost with long hair reaching its waist raised an arm to stop them. The Ghosts lowered their bows.
'...'
The long-haired one gestured with a finger, indicating for the Ghosts to follow Kim Cheol. One by one, the Ghosts silently vanished from sight.
***
Kim Cheol burst out from the underbrush.
"Hah, hah, hah."
His lungs burned, gasping for air. Just remembering the Ghosts laughing as they butchered the hunters made his knees weak. He suddenly looked down at his hand. Feeling was fading in his frozen fingers. His toes had lost sensation a while ago. In this state, he couldn't fight properly.
*'Because of this cold... No, if I hadn't been starving for days, I wouldn't have been caught so easily...'*
Kim Cheol ultimately could not admit his team's—no, his own—failure. As he muttered, he lifted his head.
*'But... how far did I come in?'*
Kim Cheol looked around. A faint scent of blood drifted from somewhere. He followed it. It wasn't far. After passing between trees, he emerged into a clearing, and an unbelievable sight met his eyes.
*'Impossible!'*
Over twenty Ice Bear corpses lay scattered around the caves. That was why it had been so hard to find trees without territory markings, and why there were no Ice Bears in sight!
"What is this?"
Kim Cheol examined the bodies. All bore slash marks. There were also burn marks scattered about. In Kim Cheol's mind, Sung Jin-Woo and the hunters who had followed him came to mind.
"Could it be... those guys took down the Ice Bears?"
No. Kim Cheol shook his head. The slashed Ice Bears were all cut by longswords. As far as he knew, none of the members who had gone into the forest used longswords.
*'The two E-rank hunters didn't even carry weapons.'*
Realistically speaking, they had zero chance of surviving here. That left only one conclusion.
*'Are the Ghosts nearby!'*
His heart sank. He thought he'd barely shaken the Ghosts, and here they were, so close. Terrified, Kim Cheol held his breath and headed back toward the forest. Further away. Faster. He wanted to escape the Ghosts' territory as quickly as possible.
***
Around that time.
"Uwaaaargh!"
An Ice Bear screamed as it fell. The shadow soldiers swarmed it, ensuring its demise.
[Level Up!]
"Good."
Jin-Woo was at yet another bear territory. This was his fifth day here. He'd visited three such sites already.
*'Looks like I've cleared out most of the bears in this forest.'*
His level had risen considerably in the process. The soldiers' levels as well. Soldiers who previously needed two to barely subdue one bear could now fight a bear one-on-one. He was satisfied. As the soldiers' stats increased, he'd even separated their roles. He could store thirty shadows. Twenty-eight fought, one collected mana crystals, and one gathered meat. Hunting and collecting spoils without lifting a finger was incredibly convenient.
*'I can't sense any more monsters in the forest.'*
He seemed to have dealt with all the forest monsters. If that was the case...
*'Should I go after the boss soon?'*
Until the Dungeon Break, there was at least one month left. In the worst case, it could take several months. He couldn't just wait indefinitely for a Gate that could open at any time.
*'I also have to take down that arrogant Elf.'*
That monster, a mere monster, had dared to provoke a Hunter. That condescending smirk still burned in his mind.
***
The smell of cooking meat. *Sniff sniff.* Kim Cheol's nose, sensitized by hunger, twitched. Ever since being trapped in the Red Gate, a single rabbit was all he'd eaten. The scent of food made his mouth water involuntarily.
*'Gulp.'*
Maybe the Ghosts were having a meal.
*'Well, if it's only a small group...'*
He could overpower them and steal the food. He was hungry enough to reach that conclusion.
*'Let's go.'*
Kim Cheol minimized his footsteps and cautiously approached the source of the smell. And there, hidden in the bushes, he finally spotted the other hunters who had left with Jin-Woo. Kim Cheol's eyes widened.
*'No way?'*
The smell of meat was coming from their campfire.
*'How are those guys still alive?'*
Kim Cheol's eyes blazed. One E-rank hunter was missing.
*'Guess the one who confidently led the way was the first to die.'*
That was only natural. But the scene unfolding before him now was unnatural. How should he interpret this? Something was off.
*'Wait a minute, their gear...?'*
Cold-weather clothing, blankets, tents, and various other equipment came into view. They were thoroughly prepared.
*'How did they get all this?'*
In his bewilderment, Kim Cheol's gaze stopped on one item. Bread, placed beside the meat. They were fully provisioned. His confusion turned to anger.
*'Those bastards...'*
*Grrrk.* Kim Cheol ground his teeth. They had prepared all that equipment and supplies, then kept it all for themselves.
*'If my hands weren't frozen... No, if I'd just eaten my fill, I could have handled those Ice Elves easily.'*
The thought that they had hoarded supplies meant for the entire raid team was unbearable. Kim Cheol burst from the bushes.
"You guys!"
Park Hee-Jin stood up in surprise.
"Kim Cheol? How are you here?"
But it was hard to say she was happy to see him, even as a lie. Kim Cheol's gaze was too murderous. He made no effort to hide his hostility.
"Our raid team failed the dungeon because of a lack of food and equipment. So how did you manage to get all that?" "That's..."
Park Hee-Jin couldn't continue. If she mentioned Jin-Woo here, Kim Cheol's wrath would turn toward him. Jin-Woo was practically their savior.
*'From the start, the way that man looked at Sung Jin-Woo wasn't normal...'*
Park Hee-Jin fell silent. Then Kim Cheol glared at her.
"I don't think all of you are in on it. Tell me who hid this stuff. Just name the culprit, and I'll let the others off."
Veins stood out on Kim Cheol's neck.
"I'm asking who took the equipment for themselves and sent their comrades to their deaths!"
His shout echoed through the forest. Kim Cheol intended to make the traitor pay, even if he had to draw blood.
"I'll count to three. If no one confesses who did this by then, I'll consider all of you accomplices."
Han Song-Hee tugged on Park Hee-Jin's sleeve.
"S-Sister..."
Park Hee-Jin hugged Han Song-Hee. Go Myung-Hwan and Yoon Ki-Jung also broke into a cold sweat and swallowed hard. Kim Cheol was A-rank. Even if everyone here combined forces, they couldn't handle him. But no one volunteered Jin-Woo's name.
"One."
Kim Cheol drew the sword at his waist. *Shing.*
"Two."
The lower-ranked hunters still showed no sign of speaking up. They thought they could ignore him just because they were low-rank? That only made Kim Cheol angrier.
*'Do these guys think I'm some kind of joke...'*
Kim Cheol's eyes gleamed with killing intent. This woman first. Park Hee-Jin, who betrayed the raid team and left with the low-ranks—he'd kill her first.
*'Right, she must have had some ulterior motive to leave the team.'*
That was the only way he could rationalize it. Standing before Park Hee-Jin, Kim Cheol uttered the final count.
"Three."
Park Hee-Jin squeezed her eyes shut. Just then.
"Four."
*CRACK!* Something struck the back of Kim Cheol's head with tremendous force, sending him skidding face-first across the ground for several meters. The hunters' eyes went wide.
"Captain!"
The blow was so hard that smoke was still rising from Jin-Woo's palm. Jin-Woo spoke with an exasperated look.
"You're the one who sent your comrades to their deaths, so why are you spouting nonsense?"