Chapter 104

[Ider uses Haste.]

[All party members' Agility increases by 10%.]

[All party members' skill casting speed increases by 15%.]

[Bellan uses Hymn of Joy.]

[All party members' Attack Power increases by 10%.]

[All party members' Defense increases by 10%.]

The two men swiftly cast their buffs as the wolves appeared.

'Just what you'd expect from high-level NPCs.'

They were both mages, but this Haste was clearly different from the one Kim Chan had used in the Ice Cave.

"Hah!!"

Aswell raised his sword and thrust it toward the charging wolves.

BOOM!!

Five wolves were hurled in every direction with a deafening crash.

"Lightning!!!"

BOOM! BOOM!! KRA-BOOM!!

A barrage of lightning bolts rained down on their heads.

"Hmm."

Before Woojin could even draw his sword, a dozen or so wolves had been reduced to corpses.

"Well... it looks like there's nothing for me to do."

[Congratulations.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

"... Wh-what?"

Woojin couldn't help being startled by the sudden flood of notifications.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing... Could you tell me what level the wolves here are?"

"Level? Ah... Around level 70, I'd say."

"..."

Aswell's casual answer left Woojin speechless.

'L-level 70?'

This was a hunting ground fit only for someone like Kerga, the current top-ranked player.

'No wonder I'm leveling up so fast.'

A glance at his status window showed that he had reached level 56 in an instant.

'Have I wandered into somewhere way out of my league...?'

Still, he wasn't particularly nervous. He had a level-93 swordsman, a level-77 court mage, and even a level-73 priest with him.

Perhaps this was his chance to get properly carried.

"Let's go."

Having cleared the area, Aswell walked deeper into the forest.

* * *

"This is the place."

Once they were deep within the mountain range, Ider recited an incantation.

"I searched for traces around the location the soldiers reported and found this."

A hidden cave appeared.

[You have discovered Fenrir's Den.]

"It was so close... Why wasn't it discovered until now?"

Aswell studied the entrance to the dark cave.

"If Fenrir wished to keep it hidden, we would never have found it."

"Are you saying... Fenrir itself revealed the cave entrance to us?"

"That's what I believe. Fenrir is a mystical beast that hasn't shown itself for hundreds of years. A being like that would never be spotted by mere soldiers."

Ider reached toward the cave entrance.

CRACKLE...!!

Sparks flashed, and the barrier surrounding the cave vanished.

"It probably knows we're coming."

The barrier around the entrance was a form of surveillance.

"Very well. Let's see how this mystical beast welcomes its guests."

Woojin followed them.

[You have entered Fenrir's Den.]

A notification sounded as he stepped inside the cave.

[Congratulations.]

[This dungeon has not yet been cleared.]

DING!!

The notification window suddenly turned red.

'... What's this?'

[You are within the domain of a Primordial Sacred Spirit.]

[The gods refuse to grant their blessings.]

[The gods strongly advise you to leave the den.]

"Urgh...?!"

"Wh-what is this...!!"

Although the others couldn't see the notifications, they seemed to have heard the gods' warning too.

[Divine wrath falls upon those who harbor hostility.]

[The wrath of Rashin, God of Light, descends.]

▶ Health decreases by 10% when fighting Fenrir.

[The wrath of Haden, God of Darkness, descends.]

▶ Attack Power decreases by 10% when fighting Fenrir.

[The wrath of Mha, God of Nothingness, descends.]

▶ Speed decreases by 10% when fighting Fenrir.

[The effects of divine wrath increase over time.]

[The Dungeon Board is now active.]

[Special rewards will be granted for the first clear.]

"The gods seem quite furious..."

Aswell rubbed his temple and frowned at the divine voices ringing in his head.

"We should be fine as long as we don't fight Fenrir. Don't worry too much."

"Hmm..."

Aswell nodded at Bellan's words, but...

["Yes. That ring. Grandfather said he brought it back from Fenrir's den after slaying it."]

If Irurin's words were true, Aswell would end up fighting Fenrir.

[ROOOAAAR!!!]

It happened then.

"...!!!"

Fenrir's howl rang out from deep within the cave.

[Ider has suffered a mental attack.]

[Ider's Mental Strength decreases.]

[Ider will occasionally suffer Confusion.]

"... Cough!!"

Ider, the court mage, coughed up blood on the spot.

"Are you all right, Ider?!"

Bellan hurriedly cast a healing spell on the fallen mage.

"I-I'm sorry."

Ider nodded, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

'It did that to a level-77 mage with a single roar...'

Its power was truly staggering. Just how strong was the creature waiting in there?

Woojin stared ahead, his face tense.

'Since the Dungeon Board activated, Fenrir must be the dungeon boss...'

He shuddered at the thought of having to fight a monster like that. On top of that, the debuffs would activate once combat began. Their effects would even grow stronger over time.

'Of course. Who am I kidding... Getting carried the easy way was never in the cards for me.'

Woojin slowly steadied his breathing.

* * *

"Whew..."

[Congratulations.]

[You have leveled up.]

▶ 56 → 57

Despite the level-up notification, Woojin couldn't simply rejoice.

"Ider...! Concentrate!!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

CRACKLE... CRACKLE...!!

Ider pointed his staff at the charging black wolves, but nothing happened. All it produced was a useless cloud of black smoke.

"Look out!!"

Seeing this, Woojin rushed forward.

[You use Mist Step.]

[You use Sprint.]

He teleported, then shot forward to place himself in front of Ider.

CRUNCH!!!

He blocked the black wolf's teeth with his sword.

"Haaaah!!!"

[You use Chain Strike.]

Dragon Heaven, First Gate — Severance

Woojin's sword sliced through the wolf's mouth.

SCREEECH...!!

Sparks flew from the blade with a sound like scraping metal.

[SNARL!!!]

-Master!!

His sword had clearly sliced through the wolf, yet it didn't have a scratch.

'... Damn it!!'

Woojin hurriedly threw himself aside.

SHUNK!!

At that moment, Aswell's sword split the wolf's belly.

[YELP...!]

The black wolf shuddered, the sword buried in its belly, then went limp.

"... Thank you."

Woojin spoke between exhausted gasps.

"When hunting black wolves, you must watch their eyes closely. They're normally golden, but when they turn black, their fur becomes as hard as dragon scales."

SHING.

Aswell pulled his sword free of the wolf's belly as he spoke.

"... I'm sorry. This is my fault."

Was it because of Fenrir's roar? Ider's expression had darkened after his repeated casting failures.

"It's all right to fail. But we haven't even met Fenrir yet. You mustn't give up out of worry before we've begun. Do you understand?"

"... Yes. I'll remember that."

Despite his answer, Ider was already so tense that it seemed unlikely he could perform at his best.

'But I'm no different.'

Woojin was in no position to judge. Since entering Fenrir's Den, he too had been painfully aware of his own powerlessness.

'My stats aren't lacking...'

The problem was experience.

Not a single monster in the den was ordinary. Not only were their physical abilities exceptional, but their skills were unpredictable too. Everything was new to Woojin.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"... Pardon?"

"You're smiling."

Woojin, who had been pausing to catch his breath, started at Aswell's words and shook his head.

"No, sir."

"I'm not criticizing you. Quite the opposite—it's a compliment."

Aswell looked at him.

"A spirit that refuses to be cowed by powerful enemies is precisely what a swordsman needs."

[You have earned Aswell's favor.]

[The more you challenge monsters of a higher level than your own, the more interested he will become in you.]

'... Hmm?'

An affinity notification appeared out of nowhere, something he hadn't received even after days of training.

'So hunting was the key, not sword training.'

Woojin chuckled. It was unexpected, but earning Aswell's favor was hardly a bad thing.

"But Sir Aswell, Sir Ider isn't in good condition. Might it be better to withdraw for now and return with the knights?"

Bellan sounded worried.

"No. We aren't here to slay it. Bringing soldiers would only provoke Fenrir."

Aswell was adamant.

"Besides, you both know the story, don't you? Fenrir can only be encountered on the night of a full moon."

That night was tonight.

"If we turn back, we'll miss our chance."

"But..."

"The Kingdom of Tekan needs Fenrir's power."

Bellan could no longer argue.

"The three kingdoms may currently be allied under the name of a federation, but in reality, we're locked in a precarious tug-of-war."

The Antarian Federation consisted of three small kingdoms: Tekan, Esten, and Dalus. They had joined forces to keep the five great kingdoms in check, but each was constantly watching for an opportunity to absorb the other two.

"War will break out soon. Under these circumstances, Fenrir would not only bolster our soldiers' morale, but also give Tekan the legitimacy it needs to emerge as a true kingdom."

Only then did Woojin understand why Aswell wanted Fenrir's power. All three kingdoms revered Fenrir as sacred. If it sided with one of them, the war might end surprisingly easily.

'But then why did he kill Fenrir in the other world?'

Had something changed because of him?

Woojin shook his head. Unlike with the Black Dragon, he couldn't have changed the timing of Aswell's visit to Fenrir.

'That means he sought Fenrir out around this time in the other world too...'

Woojin wondered why someone who needed Fenrir's power would kill it. Had something else happened?

"It seems we've arrived."

How long had they been walking? After several battles, a massive entrance appeared before the party. There was no writing on it, but Woojin could tell it led to the boss room.

[You use Silver Flame.]

FWOOSH...!!

Setsuna's body radiated light.

"...!!!"

[GRRRR...]

At that moment, enormous eyes blinked in the darkness, looking down at them.