Chapter 144. Whistleblower (5)
Whoosh—
Eun-Ho met the raging blizzard head-on, slicing through the wind like a blade.
Crackle—!
He raised his arm to block the shower of icy shards, thrusting his sword forward in the same motion.
Crunch!
The frozen fangs that lunged for his neck shattered instantly.
Thunk—
Then, he drove his blade deep into the snowy white neck.
[You have defeated a Frost Weasel!]
[You have earned 500 Welfare Points.]
[The proficiency of the skill Basic Swordsmanship(Lv. 6) has increased significantly!]
Eun-Ho danced across the snow-covered field, his sword gleaming like silver light as he carved through one monster after another until there was none.
The blond supervisor, who had been fighting with his back to Eun-Ho, turned in surprise. “Hey! That’s dangerous. Wait, huh?”
How did he dodge that? A moment later, his awe was replaced with confusion. He’s a lot better than I thought.
“It’s still just small fry, so it’s easy enough,” Eun-Ho said, glancing around. “Do we just need to hold out like this?”
The blond supervisor stared at Eun-Ho, face pale as though dreading what was coming. “... Yeah.”
“Shit! Look above!” Swear-Master shouted.
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—!
A massive shadow fell over him, so huge and white that it could have been mistaken for part of the mountain. Its eyes burned a crimson brighter than the sun, and two towering ears jutted up like twin spires.
[Defeat the Giant Snowfield Rabbit.]
“... What the hell?!”
“Isn’t that thing supposed to be a herbivore?!” Swear-Master yelled.
The enormous rabbit lowered its colossal head in a sudden lunge. Its front teeth flashed, closing in faster than the eye could follow.
“Watch your head!” Eun-Ho shouted.
Crack! Swoosh—!
Eun-Ho swung his sword in a clean arc, slicing through both of its massive front teeth in one blow. The blond supervisor also followed suit, whip raised high above his head. He struck without hesitation.
Whoosh—!
The bladed whip coiled around the monster’s thick neck. A sharp crack like shattering stone echoed. The giant rabbit’s head twisted grotesquely before being severed completely.
For a heartbeat, everything was still. Then, blood gushed like a fountain as the severed head crashed into the snow, drenching the pristine white field in red.
Splurt—!
“Holy shit... We’re actually fighting those things?!” Swear-Master exclaimed.
“We just need to hold out for three hours!” Eun-Ho shouted back.
[Trial: repel the Monster Wave.]
[Progress: 0/3 hours]
The duration sounded long, but things should get easier once reinforcements arrived, especially for someone well-equipped and used to the battlefield like Eun-Ho. The others didn’t share his confidence because they weren’t the kind to risk their lives for a reward.
“You should all fall back,” Eun-Ho said firmly. “It’s too dangerous to stay here.”
However, Swear-Master cursed under his breath, “Like hell I’m leaving you here alone!”
“I’ll be fine,” Eun-Ho replied with a faint smile. “If things get bad, I’ll just run.”
He seemed uncharacteristically hesitant, almost troubled. Had this been their first meeting, Swear-Master would’ve bolted without a second thought. For all his cursing, he was the pampered type, who’d never really learned how to fight.
“Anyone unsure of themselves, fall back! Are you trying to die out here?!” That was why Eun-Ho was surprised. “... What are you doing?”
Instead of retreating toward the door that led back to the safety of the office, the loudmouth took his place right beside Eun-Ho.
“Shit, I gotta pay back for my food somehow!” the Swear-Master snapped.
“I’ll provide covering fire too!” Ji-Woong shouted.
“You too?” Eun-Ho asked in disbelief.
Ji-Woong probably hadn’t done anything but study his whole life. Yet he adjusted his glasses and pulled out a bow. A sword-wielding conglomerate heir bastard and a bow-wielding Seoul National University civil service examinee, fighting side by side.
Such a surreal sight it was. In the old world, something like this would’ve never happened.
“Ji-Woong, find a safe high ground and cover us from there. If that doesn’t work, take shelter inside the building,” Eun-Ho ordered.
“Got it, Hyung! I’ll find some cover!” Ji-Woong replied quickly.
“And you,” Eun-Ho said, glancing at the Swear-Master, “fight by my side.”
“Fine, damn it! Sink or swim, I’m in!”
There was no time for sentimentality.
“And you...”
Unlike the other two, who had responded without hesitation, Dmitri stayed silent. He stood there unarmed, obviously having no intention of fighting.
Eun-Ho was just about to tell him to go back and call for backup when the blond supervisor acted first. “Emergency! An AA-Rank Monster Wave has appeared at the Future Research Center! We’re requesting immediate support!”
Clack!
The blond supervisor immediately leaped back into the fray and pulled his whip taut. The loosely hanging, snake-like shards clinked together, fusing into one. It was longer than a club, but shorter than a pole vault rod. He spun the weapon like a staff, cutting down the smaller monsters in swift, fluid arcs.
“... He looks strong,” Dmitri, watching him, murmured under his breath. Then he said quietly, “Summon.”
Click!
Dmitri pulled out an orange vial from his inventory and downed it in one gulp.
“What’s that?” Eun-Ho asked.
“... It’s vitamin,” Dmitri replied flatly.
The man spoke so suspiciously that Eun-Ho frowned. Dmitri quickly stashed away the empty vial and took out a yellow one.
“And that one is?”
“It’s vitamin D.”
Then came blue, green, and purple vials.
“What the hell are you doing now?” Eun-Ho demanded.
Dmitri pointed at them one by one as he spoke, “Omega-3. Lutein. Minerals.”
Eun-Ho stared at the so-called supplements that seemed way too shady to be health-related. “... Seriously?”
“Kraaaaw—!”
Suddenly, a chilling screech split the air. The sound struck them like a physical blow, followed by a violent gust from above. A swarm of winged monsters swooped down from the storming sky.
[Defeat the Storm Gulls!]
They had black, swallow-like heads but the physiques and wings of giant seagulls. Each one was as big as a person, their wings stretching wide enough to blot out the sun. Even their beaks glowed a vicious, blood-red hue.
Fwoooosh—!
With every flap of their wings, icy wind and freezing mist whirled together into chaotic gusts, creating a storm.
“We have to stop them!” Eun-Ho shouted.
“I’ll take them!” Ji-Woong answered. He was the only one capable of ranged combat.
“But there’s too many of them!”
“I-I’ll manage somehow!” Ji-Woong said through gritted teeth.
However, there indeed were far too many, at least two dozen by a quick count. While Eun-Ho hurriedly scanned through his inventory for anything that could help, Dmitri made a move.
He opened one of the many pouches hanging from his pants and pulled out a small dagger.
Thunk!
In one smooth motion, he stabbed the blade deep into the trunk of a nearby tree. Then, he gripped the massive tree with both hands.
“W-what the hell is he doing? Why’s he grabbing the tree?!” Swear-Master shouted.
Craaaack—!
The trunk was so thick it would’ve taken three men to wrap their arms around it. Yet, in Dmitri’s hand, it snapped like a twig.
Snow that had piled on the branches tumbled down, covering Dmitri’s head in white. He shook it off with a grunt, then hefted the massive log over his head as though it weighed nothing. Then, he swung it.
Whooom— Whooom— Whooom—!
Thud! Thwack! Thwack!
Each strike burst through the air with a deafening impact, crushing the heads of the flying monsters one after another with terrifying precision.
“... You’ve got to be kidding me,” Eun-Ho muttered.
It was raw, monstrous strength that was far beyond the limits of any normal human being. Even back during training, Eun-Ho had wondered how Dmitri managed to survive this long without any known skills or powers.
Now I get it, he thought.
“Then, you two, please take care of the ones flying in! Don’t worry about anything else!” Eun-Ho shouted.
“Okay! Be careful!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Graaaar!”
“Kraaaar...”
Large and small monsters alike charged across the white expanse of snow, their numbers stretching across the horizon like a living skyline.
From behind, the blond supervisor’s dry laugh reached him. “Do you honestly think you can take on all of them with just four people? That’s suicidal arrogance.”
Eun-Ho could almost hear the disbelief dripping from his voice. Truthfully, he wasn’t wrong. Trying to stop hundreds of monsters with such a small group was courting death.
Hence why Eun-Ho answered calmly, “There aren’t just four of us.”
“What? You got someone else hiding out there?”
“I’ve got a few friends,” Eun-Ho said with a faint smile.
He was honestly curious himself just how strong they had become in the meantime.
***
He still remembered their first meeting.
“Ugh...”
“My arm... Where...”
Back then, the skeletons had been so pitiful. They had crawled out of the dirt, clad in cracked armor and clutching chipped swords.
“My... Legs...”
“Grrrk...”
They had barely been able to rattle their bones, let alone fight. That was how it had been.
When did they grow this much?
Whump—!
The Skeleton Soldiers rushed ahead, interposing themselves between Eun-Ho and the glittering net of crystal threads flying toward him.
[Defeat the Crystal Spider!]
“Commander! Please leave it to us!”
“No problem...!”
Their voices rattled as they stood tall before a spider as big as themselves. A faint blue glow shimmered along their white bones, and an unsteady but undeniable violet aura coiled around their chipped blades.
Fwaaash—!
“They’ve already awakened Sword Aura?” Eun-Ho murmured in disbelief. “Just how hard did that instructor push them?”
Swish!
Number One’s sword crossed in an X, cleaving through the spider’s web.
Crinkle—!
Shards of crystal rained down like glass, bouncing harmlessly off their skulls. With no flesh to suffer injury, they didn’t flinch nor dodge.
Slash—!
Number One smashed one of the spider’s pincers. Number Two and Three quickly followed up, severing its front legs.
Even as it toppled, the enormous spider spewed out another burst of crystal silk. Number One lunged forward, ramming its sword straight into the monster’s open maw.
The spider’s silk sputtered, shattered, and fell apart from within.
[You have defeated the Crystal Spider!]
“What the hell?! How are they that strong?!” Swear-Master shouted mid-battle, eyes wide. “Bullshit! You’re telling me those bony bastards are stronger than I am?!”
Eun-Ho couldn’t blame him. The Crystal Spider had nearly killed them before. They had only managed to bring it down with Dmitri targeting its head, while the Swear-Master and Ji-Woong attacked its body and legs.
Now, the Skeleton Soldiers were slicing them apart with chipped swords. Eun-Ho couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride.
“Watch your head,” he warned.
Crunch! Crackle—!
Eun-Ho shattered a boulder-sized chunk of falling ice before it could crush Number One
“Looks like you’ve been training hard,” he said with a grin. “Good work.”
“We worked hard... Commander...”
[Skeleton Soldier Number One is overwhelmed by your praise!]
The soldier rattled his neck bones proudly, joints clicking in delight.
“But there’s still one thing you need to work on,” Eun-Ho said.
“... One thing?” the Skeleton asked, sounding almost shy.
“You need to learn to block and dodge, too,” he said dryly. “You wouldn’t want your precious bones getting chipped, right?”
Number One froze mid-swing, Number Four’s shoulder joint twitched, and Number Seven whipped its skull around.
[The Skeleton Soldier unit is moved by your kind words.]
[Their loyalty toward you has reached its peak!]
[Their loyalty cannot increase any further!]
[The Skeleton Soldiers squad has dedicated all achievements to you!]
[You have earned 500 Welfare Points.]
[You have earned 333 Welfare Points.]
[You have earned 400 Welfare Points.]
...
System messages snowballed across the air like flurries. Inside that flurry, they kept fighting.
They slashed.
[Your progress has increased.]
They stabbed.
[Your progress has increased.]
[Progress: 1/3 Hours]
They smashed.
[Your progress has increased.]
[Progress: 2/3 Hours]
They kept breaking monsters apart until the promised time was nigh. The soft snowfield was littered with blood, ice shards, and monster remains.
“Isn’t it over already? Do we have to keep fighting?”
“Ten minutes left! Focus till the end!” Eun-Ho snapped.
Ding!
[Conditions met.]
[The King of the Snowfield will appear.]
Everyone’s faces froze like the landscape.
“The king?!”
“Fuck... Please don’t tell me it’s some roach again!”
Suddenly, a dry, foggy cloud like dry ice settled down, swallowing the field. There was nowhere to hide from the brutal cold that rushed across the entire area.
[The special effect, Frost Veil, has been activated.]
Hair stiffened in place and lips stuck together. When someone pried theirs apart, it tore and tasted of copper.
Rumble—!
A massive shockwave shuddered the ground. Snow that had clung to trees scattered like a blizzard, and thunder boomed as if an avalanche had been triggered.
A hulking shape, roughly the size of a nine-story building, loomed. It seemed to be carved from an ice mountain, its surface dazzlingly bright.
“... Commander!”
[Defeat the Ice Golem!]
The King of the Snowfield had arrived.
***
“Damn! A Golem too?”
“Fuck!”
The Golem was a building-sized construct of rock-like ice.
Rumble—!
The earth shook with each ponderous step. Snow erupted with every footfall, burying small monsters under drifts.
[Caution!]
[An unbearable chill is seeping in.]
[Your body temperature is dropping rapidly.]
[You will soon develop the status effect, Frostbite!]
With every advance, an additional penalty scrolled across their window. The messages grew longer and harsher as the cold intensified.
Crackle—!
The blond supervisor’s whip froze solid. Flesh and innards that had congealed between the blades seized in the cold.
“What the fuck! I’m giving up on that thing! Just open up the door!”
However, Eun-Ho answered, steady as ever, “There are ten minutes left.”
Only ten minutes. He refused to abandon the trial for lack of endurance.
“You seriously want to die trying to clear the trial?! Newbies can’t handle a Golem! Don’t be reckless!” the supervisor called it recklessness and sure, the outsiders would think so.
But this isn’t our first time.
Eun-Ho and the Skeleton Soldiers had fought a Stone Golem before. Add the Iron Golem and this would be the third. The memory of winning only after the Skeletons had detonated themselves still stung.
“C-Commander...!” one of the Skeleton Soldiers gasped at the Golem’s overwhelming size and force.
“We could use... Self-Destruct...” another Skeleton Soldier suggested.
“No,” Eun-Ho said flatly.
“... What?” one stammered.
“Self-Destruct skills are forbidden now,” Eun-Ho ordered.
“What?”
He could not waste these Skeletons Soldiers by blowing them up. That would be like cutting open a golden goose to get an egg.
Whether it’s the King or Golem, they’re all frozen matter. The Sky-Shattering Blade should be enough, Eun-Ho thought.
With the overwhelming taste of blood in his mouth, he forced his tongue to move and repeated the words he’d said when they first met, “Winning by feeding soldiers into the grinder is something any child can do. A commander’s job is to win while minimizing losses.”
Those words hit home and silence fell. The empty eye sockets of the Skeleton Soldiers shone with a new light.
“Commander...” their voices clattered like falling bones.
Ding!
Suddenly, a cheerful chime sounded.
[Congratulations!]
[You have unlocked the Virtuous Commander’s Path!]
“We pledge our loyalty!” the Skeleton Soldiers said.
[The special effect of the Virtuous Commander has been activated!]
[Warmth that moves hearts blocks the cold.]
[The loyalty of followers skyrockets.]
[Leadership skill effects are doubled.]
[Potential is unlocked through steadfast faith.]
[The attack power has increased by fifty percent.]
[The defense power has increased by fifty percent.]
Fwoooosh—
Then, a path opened. Green light spread from beneath their frozen feet, cutting through the endless snow without a single waypoint. It flowed over torn limbs and the bodies of fallen monsters, through shattered ice and crystal fragments.
Tiny green motes scattered like seeds, melting ice and frost as they fell. A green path lay across the white plain.
“This is...” someone whispered.
Spring bloomed under their boots.
Rumble—!
The Golem, everything of ice, was all about to be melted by that spring.