* * *

The scent of blood was scattering across the snowfield.

Shin Sooa’s brow faintly creased as she faced off against the White Night Wolves.

‘This is troublesome.’

Shin Sooa had been hunting in a party with several others.

They had smoothly cleared through the early-stage demon beasts and were searching for more.

Shin Sooa had suggested they stay together, but a few impatient members had split from the party to search the vicinity.

Around the time dusk began to fall.

As she was leading the group back, she witnessed several people being dragged off by demon beasts.

She had chased after them and managed a rescue, but what followed was the real problem.

-Keureureung!

Not just one or two—easily a dozen or more White Night Wolves.

Drool dripped steadily from the wolves’ maws.

One of the wolves, eyes gleaming, lunged at an injured person.

But Shin Sooa’s attack was faster.

[Special Ability ‘Tree Leaf Seed Technique’ activates!]

Thorny vines erupted from the ground, instantly piercing through the wolf’s chest.

She shouted urgently.

“Everyone, get behind me!”

The people scrambled to hide behind Shin Sooa.

But the moment even the slightest gap appeared, the White Night Wolves would charge at the group.

Shin Sooa grew thorny vines to erect a barrier, but she couldn’t manage it alone.

‘The terrain is too disadvantageous.’

The people were exposed on the open snowfield.

If there had been a wall behind them, they could have fought with their backs to it, but that was impossible here.

The wolves had positioned themselves in a circle, cutting off any escape.

‘Managing both offense and defense in my current state is impossible.’

Shin Sooa could have escaped on her own, but the problem was the others.

Three were injured, and two were unharmed.

There was no way the injured could break through this wolf pack.

‘If only someone could attack the White Night Wolves, or protect the people…!’

If someone could take on just one of those two roles, they could break through this situation.

But none among them had the ability to fill that role.

Just as Shin Sooa clenched her teeth—

-Kkiying!

A wolf’s scream echoed from a distance.

Shin Sooa’s eyes widened as she looked toward the source of the sound.

“Seo Kangrim…?”

She stared as if the person who had appeared before her were a ghost.

As a new threat emerged from the rear, some of the White Night Wolves charged toward Seo Kangrim.

Just as a wolf lunged to tear into Seo Kangrim’s flank—

-Seogeok!

The White Night Wolf’s head flew off in an instant.

At the appearance of a formidable opponent, the White Night Wolves hesitated and fell back.

Seo Kangrim, sword dripping with blood, immediately charged at his next target.

-Keureureureung!

The White Night Wolf was undoubtedly one of the apex predators of this Demon Realm.

Yet every time Seo Kangrim swung his sword, they were brutally decapitated or pierced through the chest.

The sight of him leaping among the swarm of demon beasts, swinging his sword, resembled a scene from a sword dance.

Shin Sooa watched, spellbound, before hastily snapping herself back to attention.

‘This isn’t the time for that.’

While Seo Kangrim bought them time, she grew trees to form a barrier encircling the people.

‘This should hold!’

Her magic power was nearly depleted, but she still had her sword.

Shin Sooa drew her blade and plunged into the battlefield.

She charged at a wolf stalking Seo Kangrim’s blind spot and drove her blade into its neck.

Piercing through its flesh was difficult, as if its entire body were made of bone.

Shin Sooa wore an expression of astonishment.

‘How does he kill them so easily?’

The White Night Wolf’s body was far tougher than the Snow-horned Rabbits or Ice Spiders she had hunted before—they weren’t even comparable.

Meanwhile, Seo Kangrim was cutting them down without any sign of strain.

Shin Sooa bit down hard and guarded Seo Kangrim’s flank, dispatching the surrounding wolves one by one.

Auuuu-

Just then, a long howl echoed from behind.

At the sound, the White Night Wolves’ ears twitched visibly.

They couldn’t defy the alpha’s call.

The White Night Wolves, which had been baring their teeth and eyeing their prey just moments ago, began backing away one by one.

Before long, only a few wolf carcasses remained scattered around them.

“…It’s over.”

Seo Kangrim said, lowering his guard.

Shin Sooa nodded and dispelled the tree barrier.

The people who had been trembling inside peeked their heads out.

“W-we’re alive!”

“I-isn’t that Seo Kangrim?”

Those who had narrowly escaped death gazed at Seo Kangrim with eyes full of gratitude.

But Seo Kangrim seemed largely indifferent to whether they thanked him or not.

His gaze was fixed solely on Shin Sooa.

“…You look terrible.”

If anyone was the most battered among them, it was Shin Sooa.

She had exhausted her stamina and magic power fending off over a dozen wolves.

Her body was covered in wounds large and small, yet she showed no sign of pain.

“Others are in worse shape than I am. Since you’ve already helped, please see it through to the end.”

With that, Shin Sooa approached the injured.

None of the wounds were critical, but they had difficulty moving.

Seo Kangrim let out a short sigh, then fed the remaining Medicine Pills to the wounded.

Once everyone was treated enough to walk, Seo Kangrim surveyed the surroundings and spoke.

“Let’s head back quickly. Things will only get worse once night falls.”

At his words, Shin Sooa nodded and quickly led the group.

Thanks to their hurried pace, the party managed to enter the lobby around sunset.

The moment they stepped inside, people collapsed where they stood.

“Haa, w-we’re alive…!”

As the door shut behind them, the cold was cut off.

As the energy of the Protective Jangseung reached them, frostbitten hands and feet began to thaw, and bleeding wounds started to close.

Yoon Bom and Yoon Gyeoul, who had been waiting in the lobby for Seo Kangrim, approached him.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you hurt…?”

“I’m fine. It was nothing. You two go get some rest.”

Seo Kangrim replied calmly, then turned to look at Shin Sooa.

As it happened, Shin Sooa was also approaching, seemingly with something to say.

“Thank you, Mr. Seo. If it weren’t for you, things would have been—”

“If you had escaped alone, there wouldn’t have been a problem. Why didn’t you run?”

Seo Kangrim cut off Shin Sooa mid-sentence.

His voice was calm and measured.

A faint trace of anger seemed to linger beneath it.

“Protecting others is only possible when you’re strong. You must have known the situation was disadvantageous.”

It had been the same when Baekyoung came for them.

Shin Sooa must have clearly known the situation was dire.

But instead of fleeing, Shin Sooa had chosen to protect Seo Kangrim, and she had died.

Of course, the White Night Wolves this time weren’t that level of threat.

Even without Seo Kangrim’s help, she would have at least made it out alive.

But Seo Kangrim found her self-sacrificing nature troubling in more ways than one.

He hoped she would never die for someone else’s sake.

One senseless death like that was more than enough.

That was why he had no choice but to speak in such a cold tone.

“You were just lucky this time. Remember that. Let your guard down, and you’ll leave this place in a coffin.”

The chilling advice caused the atmosphere in the hall to sober.

Shin Sooa listened in silence before speaking.

“Thank you, Kangrim. For worrying about me in more ways than one.”

“I wasn’t particularly worried.”

“You seem like a genuinely kind person, Kangrim. I don’t know why you keep pretending to be the bad guy.”

Even though Seo Kangrim had spoken harshly, concern underpinned his words.

Shin Sooa recognized this, which was why she could only smile despite his stern words.

Seo Kangrim regarded her quietly, then turned away.

“…Think what you like.”

He strode up to the second floor and disappeared.

Shin Sooa watched his retreating back for a long while.

‘His words are sharp, but his actions say the opposite. Why does he go out of his way like that? And…’

She closed her eyes once, then opened them.

Seo Kangrim was gone, but his presence still lingered like an afterimage.

‘Why does Mr. Seo feel so familiar?’

* * *

The rain that had been falling for days finally stopped.

I rose from bed feeling refreshed for the first time in a while.

Clear skies were visible through the window of my quarters.

“Hoo…”

I let out a short breath and got up.

My body felt good, despite the troublesome events of yesterday.

Yesterday, I had helped Shin Sooa, who was under attack, and taken down the wolves.

I had tried to avoid getting involved, but I couldn’t help being concerned about her.

Moreover, even as I tried to keep my distance, Shin Sooa kept finding subtle ways to strike up conversation.

She seemed to have taken a liking to me.

Knowing her personality, being too cold would only make her more interested.

I let out a short sigh and got up.

Shin Sooa was one thing, but I needed to focus on clearing the Demon Realm first.

Saving Yoon Gyeoul’s life came first, after all.

I checked my quest completion progress.

[Demon Beast Species Hunted: 8/10]

I had completed eight species after hunting the White Night Wolves yesterday.

I only needed two more species to finish.

Of course, I had no intention of completing it right away.

If I achieved another First Clear, Dokgo Jun would take interest in me again.

It would be better to pace myself.

For now, the time I had arranged to meet Yoon Bom and Yoon Gyeoul was approaching, so I headed outside.

When I reached the lobby, neither of them was in sight yet.

Instead, several people rushed over as if they’d been waiting and bowed their heads.

“Mr. Seo, thank you so much for yesterday!”

I checked their faces and found they were the people who had been with Shin Sooa yesterday.

They looked at me with deeply moved expressions.

“Thanks to you, we survived! Thank you!”

“It was incredible. How did you take down so many wolves at once…?”

“You’re amazing. What’s your rank, exactly?”

The barrage of questions left me feeling slightly awkward.

I hadn’t expected to receive gratitude like this from people.

I hadn’t even intended to save them in the first place.

I had only helped a little because Shin Sooa looked like she was in trouble.

“Mr. Seo, are you looking for party members? I’ll support you to the best of my ability!”

“I have a defense-type Special Ability. Take me with you!”

Things had been quiet lately, but now party invitations were coming in again.

Before I knew it, more and more people gathered around me.

Being the center of attention wasn’t something I welcomed.

If this kept up and I caught Dokgo Jun’s eye again, things would get troublesome…

Just then, the third door opened.

The person who emerged was Dokgo Jun.

The people were still showering me with praise.

“I know I might not measure up to someone as strong as you, Mr. Seo… but I’ll work hard!”

“Please take us with you!”

I tried to slip away, but there were too many people—there was no way out.

Just as I was surrounded by people, being bombarded with party invitations—

At that very moment, Dokgo Jun looked my way.